ma pettengill by harry leon wilson author of _bunker bean_, _ruggles of red gap_, _somewhere in red gap_, etc. to william eugene lewis contents i. ma pettengill and the animal kingdom ii. a love story iii. red gap and the big-league stuff iv. vendetta v. one arrowhead day vi. the porch wren vii. change of venus viii. can happen! ix. the taker-up x. as to herman wagner xi. curls i ma pettengill and the animal kingdom from the arrowhead corrals i strolled up the poplar-bordered lane that leads past the bunk house to the castle of the ranch's chatelaine. it was a still sunday afternoon--the placid interlude, on a day of rest, between the chores of the morning and those of evening. but the calm was for the ear alone. to the eye certain activities, silent but swift, were under way. on the shaded side piazza of the ranch house i could discern my hostess, mrs. lysander john pettengill; she sat erect, even in a rocking-chair, and knitted. on the kitchen steps, full in the westering sun, sat the chinese chef of the arrowhead, and knitted--a yellow, smoothly running automaton. on a shaded bench by the spring house, a plaid golfing cap pushed back from one-half the amazing area of his bare pate, sat the aged chore-boy, boogles, and knitted. the ranch was on a war basis. and more: as i came abreast of the bunk house the sabbath calm was punctured by the tart and careless speech of sandy sawtelle, a top rider of the arrowhead, for he, too, was knitting, or had been. on a stool outside the doorway he held up an unfinished thing before his grieved eyes and devoutly wished it in the place of punishment of the wicked dead. the sincere passion of his tones not only arrested my steps but lured through the open doorway the languorous and yawning buck devine, who hung over the worker with disrespectful attention. i joined the pair. to buck's query, voiced in a key of feigned mirth, sandy said with simple dignity that it was going to be a darned good sweater for the boys in the trenches. mr. devine offered to bet his head that it wasn't going to be anything at all--at least nothing any one would want round a trench. mr. sawtelle ignored the wager and asked me if i knew how to do this here, now, casting off. i did not. "i better sneak round and ask the chink," said sandy. "he's the star knitter on the place." we walked on together, seemingly deaf to certain laboured pleasantries of mr. devine concerning a red-headed cow-puncher that had got rejected for fighting because his feet was flat and would now most likely get rejected for knitting because his head was flat. by way of covering the hearty laughter of mr. devine at his own wit i asked why sandy should not consult his employer rather than her cook. with his ball of brown wool, his needles and his work carried tenderly before him sandy explained, with some embarrassment as it seemed, that the madam was a good knitter, all right, all right, but she was an awful bitter-spoken lady when any little thing about the place didn't go just right, making a mountain out of a mole hill, and crying over spilt milk, and always coming back to the same old subject, and so forth, till you'd think she couldn't talk about anything else, and had one foot in the poorhouse, and couldn't take a joke, and all like that. i could believe it or not, but that was the simple facts of the matter when all was said and done. and the chink was only too glad to show off how smart he was with a pair of needles. this not only explained nothing but suggested that there might indeed be something to explain. and it was sandy's employer after all who resolved his woolen difficulty. she called to him as he would have left me for the path to the kitchen door: "you bring that right here!" it was the tone of one born to command, and once was enough. sandy brought it right there, though going rather too much like a martyr to the stake, i thought; for surely it was not shameful that he should prove inept in the new craft. nor was there aught but genial kindness in the lady's reception of him. ma pettengill, arrayed in sabbath bravery of apparel, as of a debutante at a summer hotel where the rates are exorbitant, instantly laid by her own knitting and questioned him soothingly. it seemed to be a simple difficulty. sandy had reached the point where a sweater must have a neck, and had forgotten his instructions. cordially the woman aided him to subtract fourteen from two hundred and sixty-two and then to ascertain that one hundred and twenty-four would be precisely half of the remainder. it was all being done, as i have remarked, with the gentlest considering kindness, with no hint of that bitterness which the neophyte had shown himself to be fearing in the lady. was she not kindness itself? was she not, in truth, just a shade too kind? surely there was a purr to her voice, odd, unwonted; and surely her pupil already cringed under a lash that impended. yet this visible strain, it seemed, had not to do with knitted garments. ma pettengill praised the knitting of sandy; praised it to me and praised it to him. of course her remark that he seemed to be a born knitter and ought to devote his whole time to it might have seemed invidious to a sensitive cowman, yet it was uttered with flawless geniality. but when sandy, being set right, would have taken his work and retired, as was plainly his eager wish, his mentor said she would knit two of the new short rows herself, just to make sure. and while she knitted these two rows she talked. she knitted them quickly, though the time must have seemed to sandy much longer than it was. "here stands the greatest original humorist in kulanche county," said the lady, with no longer a purring note in her voice. she boomed the announcement. sandy, drooping above her, painfully wore the affectation of counting each stitch of the flashing needles. "and practical jokes--my sakes alive! he can think of the funniest jokes to put up on poor, unsuspecting people! yes, sir; got a genius for it. and witty! of course it ain't just what he says that's so funny--it's the noisy way he says it. "and you wouldn't think it to look at him, but he's one of these here financial magnets, too. oh, yes, indeed! send him out with a hatful of ten-dollar bills any day and he won't let one of 'em go for a cent under six dollars, not if buyers is plenty--he's just that keen and avaricious. that's his way. never trained for it, either; just took it up natural." with drawn and ashen face mr. sawtelle received back his knitting. his pose was to appear vastly preoccupied and deaf to insult. he was still counting stitches as he turned away and clattered down the steps. "say!" called his employer. sandy turned. "yes, ma'am!" "you seen the party that stopped here this morning in that big, pompous touring car?" "no, ma'am!" "they was after mules." "yes, ma'am!" "they offered me five hundred dollars a span for mine." "no, ma'am--i mean, yes, ma'am!" "that's all. i thought you'd rejoice to know it." the lady turned to me as if mr. sawtelle had left us. "yes, sir; he'd make you die laughing with some of his pranks, that madcap would. i tell you, when he begins cutting up--" but mr. sawtelle was leaving us rapidly. his figure seemed to be drawn in, as if he would appear smaller to us. ma pettengill seized her own knitting once more, stared grimly at it, then stared grimly down at the bunk house, within which her victim had vanished. a moment later she was pouring tobacco from a cloth sack into a brown cigarette paper. she drew the string of the sack--one end between her teeth--rolled the cigarette with one swift motion and, as she waited the blaze of her match, remarked that they had found a substitute for everything but the mule. the cigarette lighted, she burned at least a third of its length in one vast inhalation, which presently caused twin jets of smoke to issue from the rather widely separated corners of a generous mouth. upon which she remarked that old safety first timmins was a game winner, about the gamest winner she'd ever lost to. three other mighty inhalations and the cigarette was done. again she took up the knitting, pausing for but one brief speech before the needles began their shrewd play. this concerned the whale. she said the whale was the noblest beast left to us in all the animal kingdom and would vanish like the buffalo if treated as food. she said it was shameful to reduce this majestic creature of the deep to the dimensions of a chafing dish and a three-cornered slice of toast. then she knitted. she had left numerous openings; some humorous emprise of sandy sawtelle, presumably distressing; the gameness of one timmins as a winner; the whale as a food animal; the spectacular price of mules broken to harness. rather than choose blindly among them i spoke of my day's fishing. departing at sunrise i had come in with a bounteous burden of rainbow trout, which i now said would prove no mean substitute for meat at the evening meal. then, as she grimly knitted, ma pettengill discoursed of other boasted substitutes for meat, none of which pleased her. hogs and sheep were other substitutes, there being but one genuine meat, to wit, beef. take hogs; mean, unsociable animals, each hog going off by himself, cursing and swearing every step of the way. had i ever seen a hog that thought any other hog was good enough to associate with him? no, i hadn't; nor nobody else. a good thing hogs couldn't know their present price. stuck up enough already! and sheep? silly. no minds of their own. let one die and all the rest think they got to die also. do it too. no brain. of course the price tempted a lot of moral defectives to raise 'em, but when you reflected that you had to go afoot, with a dog that was smarter than any man at it, and a flea-bitten burro for your mess wagon---not for her. give her a business where you could set on a horse. yes, sir; people would get back to nature and raise beef after the world had been made safe once more for a healthy appetite. this here craze for substitutes would die out. you couldn't tell her there was any great future for the canned jack-rabbit business, for instance--just a fad; and whales the same. she knew and i knew that a whale was too big to eat. people couldn't get any real feeling for it, and not a chance on earth to breed 'em up and improve the flesh. wasn't that the truth? and these here diet experts, with their everlasting talk about carbos and hydrates, were they doing a thing but simply taking all the romance out of food? no, they were not. of course honest fish, like trout, were all right if a body was sick or not hungry or something. trout reminded her of something, and here again the baleful tooth of calumny fleshed itself in the fair repute of one timmins. she described him as "a strange growth named timmins, that has the lazy ranch over on the next creek and wears kind of aimless whiskers all over his face till you'd think he had a gas mask on." she talked freely of him. "you know what he does when he wants a mess of trout? takes one of these old-fashioned beer bottles with patent stoppers, fills it up with unslaked lime, pours in a little water, stops it up, drops it in a likely looking trout pool, and in one minute it explodes as good as something made by a russian patriot; all the trout in the pool are knocked out and float on the surface, where this old highbinder gathers 'em in. he's a regular efficiency expert in sport. take fall and spring, when the wild geese come through, he'll soak grain in alcohol and put it out for 'em over on the big marsh. first thing you know he'll have a drunken old goose by the legs, all maudlin and helpless. puts him in a coop till he sobers up, then butchers him. "such is safety first: never been known to take a chance yet. why, say, a year ago when he sold off his wool there was a piece in the county paper about him getting eighteen thousand dollars for it; so naturally there was a man that said he was a well-known capitalist come up from san francisco to sell him some stock in a rubber company. safety admits he has the money and he goes down to the big city for a week at the capitalist's expense, seeing the town's night life and the blue-print maps and the engraved stock and samples of the rubber and the capitalist's picture under a magnificent rubber tree in south america, and he's lodged in a silk boudoir at the best hotel and wined and dined very deleteriously and everything is agreed to. and the night before he's going to put his eighteen thousand into this lovely rubber stock that will net him two hundred per cent, at the very lowest, on the capitalist's word of honour, what does he do but sneak out and take the train for home on his return ticket that he'd made the capitalist buy him. "ever talk to one of these rich capitalists that has rubber stock for sale in south america or a self-starting banana orchard? you know how good they are. "you're certainly entitled to anything of your own that you've kept after they get through with you. and would you think that this poor, simple-minded old rancher would be any match for their wiles? but if you knew he had been a match and had nicked 'em for at least three hundred dollars, would you still think something malignant might be put over on him by a mere scrub buckeroo named sandy sawtelle, that never made a cent in his life except by the most degrading manual labour? no, you wouldn't. no fair-minded judge of criminals would. "but i admit i had a weak moment. yes, sir; for a brief spell i was all too human. or i guess what it was. i was all blinded up with immoral designs, this here snake-blooded timmins having put things over on me in stock deals from time to time till i'd got to lying awake nights thinking how i could make a believer of him. i wanted him to know there is a god, even if it hadn't ever seemed so to him. "of course i knew it would have to be some high-grade felony, he being proof against common depredations. well, then, along come this sunday paper, with two whole pages telling about how the meat of the common whale will win the war, with a picture of a whale having dotted lines showing how to butcher it, and recipes for whale patties, and so forth. and next comes the circus to red gap, with old pete, the indian, going down to it and getting crazy about elephants. and so that was how it happened." the lady now knitted in silence, appearing to believe that all had been told. i waited a decent interval, then said i was glad indeed to know how it had all happened; that it was a great help to know how it had happened, even if i must remain forever ignorant of what it was that had happened. of course i couldn't expect to be told that. it merely brought more about mules. five hundred dollars a span for mules looked good until you remembered that you needed 'em worse than the other party did. she had to keep her twenty span of old reliables because, what with the sailors and section hands you got nowadays to do your haying, you had to have tame mules. give 'em any other kind and they'd desert the ship the minute a team started to run. it cost too much for wagon repairs. silence again. i now said i had, it was true, heard much low neighbourhood scandal about the timmins man, but that i had learned not to believe all i heard about people; there was too much prejudice in the world, and at least two sides to every question. this merely evoked the item that timmins had bought him a thrift stamp on the sole ground that it had such a pretty name; then came the wish that she might have seen him dining in public at that rich hotel where the capitalist paid the bills. she thought people must have been startled by some of his actions. "yes, sir; that old outlaw will eat soup or any soft food with almost no strategy at all." as we seemed to be getting nowhere i meanly rolled the lady a cigarette. she hates to stop knitting to roll one, but she will stop to light it. she stopped now, and as i held the match for her i said quite frankly that it had become necessary for me to be told the whole thing from start to finish. she said she had told me everything--and believed it--but would go over it again if i didn't understand. though not always starting at command, the lady has really a full habit of speech. i told you about whales, didn't i? whales started it--whales for table use. it come in the sunday paper--with the picture of a handsome whale and the picture of a french cook kissing his fingers over the way he has cooked some of it; and the picture of a pleased young couple eating whale in a swell restaurant; and the picture of a fair young bride in her kitchenette cutting up three cents' worth of whale meat into a chafing dish and saying how glad she was to have something tasty and cheap for dearie's lunch; and the picture of a poor labouring man being told by someone down in washington, d.c., that's making a dollar a year, that a nickel's worth of prime whale meat has more actual nourishment than a dollar's worth of porterhouse steak; and so on, till you'd think the world's food troubles was going to be settled in jig time; all people had to do was to go out and get a good eating whale and salt down the side meat and smoke the shoulders and grind up some sausage and be fixed for the winter, with plenty to send a mess round to the neighbours now and then. and knocking beef, you understand, till you'd think no one but criminals and idiots would ever touch a real steak again, on account of its being so poor in food values, like this washington scientist says that gets a dollar a year salary and earns every cent of it. it made me mad, the slanderous things they said about beef; but i read the piece over pretty carefully and i really couldn't see where the whale was going to put me out of business, at least for a couple years yet. it looked like i'd have time, anyway, to make a clean-up before you'd be able to go into any butcher shop and get a rib roast of young whale for six cents, with a bushel or two of scraps thrown in for the dog. then this sunday paper goes out to the bunk house and the boys find the whale piece and get excited about it. looks like if it's true that most of 'em will be driving ice wagons or something for a living. they want me to send down for a mess of whale meat so they can see if it tastes like regular food. they don't hardly believe these pictures where people dressed up like they had money are going into spasms of delight about it. still, they don't know--poor credulous dubs! they think things you see in a sunday paper might be true now and then, even if it is most always a pack of lies thought up by dissipated newspaper men. i tell 'em they can send for a whole whale if they want to pay for it, but none of my money goes that way so long as stall-fed beef retains its present flavour; and furthermore i expect to be doing business right here for years after the whale fad has died out--doing the best i can with about ten silly cowhands taking the rest cure at my expense the minute i step off the place. i said there was no doubt they should all be added to the ranks of the unemployed that very minute--but due to other well-known causes than the wiping out of the cattle industry by cold whale hash in jelly, which happened to be the dish this french chef was going crazy over. they chewed over that pointed information for a while, then they got to making each other bets of a thousand dollars about what whale meat would taste like; whether whale liver and bacon could be told from natural liver and bacon, and whether whale steak would probably taste like catfish or mebbe more like mud turtle. sandy sawtelle, who always knows everything by divine right, like you might say, he says in superior tones that it won't taste like either one but has a flavour all its own, which even he can't describe, though it will be something like the meat of the wild sea cow, which roams the ocean in vast herds off the coast of florida. then they consider the question of a whale round-up in an expert manner. it don't look none too good, going out on rodeo in water about three miles too deep for wading, though the idea of lass'ing a whale calf and branding it does hold a certain fascination. sandy says it would be the only livestock business on earth where you don't always have to be fearing a dry season; and buck devine says that's so, and likewise the range is practically unlimited, as any one can see from a good map, and wouldn't it be fine riding herd in a steam yacht with a high-class bartender handy, instead of on a so-and-so cayuse that was liable any minute to trade ends and pour you out of the saddle on to your lame shoulder. they'd got to kidding about it by this time, when who should ride up but old safety first timmins. they spring the food whale on safety with much flourish. they show him the pictures and quote prices on the hoof--which are low, but look what even a runt of a yearling whale that was calved late in the fall would weigh on the scales!--and no worry about fences or free range or winter feeding or water holes; nothing to do but ride round on your private steamboat with a good orchestra, and a chance to be dissolute and count your money. and look what a snap the pioneers will have with all the mavericks; probably not a single whale in the ocean yet branded! and does timmins want to throw in with us? if he does mebbe they can fix up a deal with me because i want a good business man at the head of the new outfit. but safety says right off quick that it's all a pack of nonsense. he says it's the mad dream of a visionary or feeble-minded person. he don't deny there would be money in whales if they could be handled, but you couldn't handle anything that had the whole ocean to swim in that covers three quarters of the earth's surface, as he has often read. and how would you get a branding iron on a whale, and what good would it do you? he'd beat it out for europe. he said they was foolish to think whales would stay in a herd, and he guessed i'd been talking just to hear myself talk, or more likely i'd been kidding 'em to get a good laugh. sandy says: "well, i wasn't going to tell you at first, but i guess it'll be safe with you, you being a good friend of the arrowhead, only don't let it go no farther; but the fact is the boss is negotiating for the whale privilege in great salt lake. yes, sir, she's bribing the utah legislature this very minute to let the bill go through! and i guess that don't look much like kidding. as soon as the governor has signed the bill she'll put in a couple of good three-year-old bull whales and a nice little herd of heifers and have the world's meat supply at her finger ends in less than five years--just killing off the yearling steers." safety looks a bit startled at this, and sandy goes on to say that though whale meat is now but a fad of the idle rich it's bound to be the meat of rich and poor alike in future. he'd bet a thousand dollars to a dime that by the time the next war come along the first thing they'd do would be to establish a whaleless day. he said whale meat was just that good. safety chewed his gum quite a time on this--he says if a man chews gum he won't ruin himself in pocket for tobacco--and he read the whale article over carefully and looked at the pictures again, but he still said it didn't sound to him like a legitimate business enterprise. he said for one thing there'd be trouble shipping the original herd up to salt lake. sandy said it was true; there would be the initial expense of loading on to flat cars, and a couple of tunnels would have to be widened so the bulls wouldn't be rasped going through, but that i have already taken this up with the railroad company. safety says that may all be true, but, mark his words, the minute my herd gets into inland waters it will develop some kind of disease like anthrax or blackleg, and the whole bunch will die on me. sandy says it will be a simple matter to vaccinate, because the animals will be as affectionate as kittens by that time through having been kindly handled, which is all a whale needs. he says they really got a very social nature and are loyal unto death. once a whale is your friend, he says, it's for life, rain or shine, just so long as you treat him square. even do a whale a favour just once and he'll remember your face, make no difference if it's fifty years; though being the same, it is true, in his hatreds, because a whale never forgives an injury. a sailor he happens to know once give a whale he had made friends with a chew of tobacco just for a joke and the animal got into an awful rage and tried to tear the ship down to get at him, and then he followed the ship all over the world waiting for this sailor to fall off or get wrecked or something, till finally the hunted man got so nervous he quit the sea and is now running a news stand in seattle, if safety don't believe it. it just goes to show that a whale as long as you're square with him is superior in mind and morals to a steer, which ain't got sense enough to know friend from foe. safety still shakes his head. he says "safe and sane" has been his motto throughout a long and busy life and this here proposition don't sound like neither one to him. the boys tell him he's missing a good thing by not throwing in with us. they say i'm giving 'em each a big block of stock, paid up and non-assessable, and they don't want him to come round later when they're rolling in wealth and ask why they didn't give him a chance too. "i can just hear you talk," said sandy. "you'll be saying: 'i knew that whole fool bunch when not one ever had a dollar he could call his own the day after he was paid off, and now look at 'em--throwing their hundreds of thousands right and left; houses with pianos in every room; new boots every week; silver-mounted saddles at a thousand each; choice wines, liquors, and cigars; private taxicabs; and alexander j. sawtelle, the wealthy banker, being elected to congress by an overwhelming majority!' that's the way you'll be talking," said sandy, "with regret eating into your vitals like some horrible acid that is fatal to man and beast." safety says he thinks they're all plumb crazy, and a fool and his money is soon parted--this being a saying he must have learned at the age of three and has never forgotten a word of--and he comes up to the house to see me. mebbe he wanted to find out if i had really lost my mind, but he said nothing about whales. just set round and talked the usual hard luck. been in the stock business thirty years and never had a good year yet. nothing left of his cattle but the running gear; and his land so poor you couldn't even raise a row on it unless you went there mad; and why he keeps on struggling in the bitter clutch of misfortune he don't know. but i always know why he keeps on struggling. money! nothing but money. so when he got through mourning over his ruined fortunes, and feebly said something about taking some mules off my hands at a fair price, i shut him off firmly. whenever that old crook talks about taking anything off your hands he's plotting as near highway robbery as they'll let him stay out of jail for. he was sad when i refused two hundred and fifty dollars a span for my best mules. he went off shaking his head like he hadn't expected such inhumanity from an old friend and neighbour to one who through hard luck was now down and out. well, i hear no more about whales; but a circus is coming to red gap and old pete, the indian, says he must go down to it, his mind being inflamed by some incredible posters pasted over the blacksmith shop at kulanche. he says he's a very old man and can't be with us long, and when he does take the one-way trail he wants to be able to tell his friends on the other side all about the strange animals that they never had a chance to see. the old pagan was so excited about it i let him go. and he was still more excited when he got back two days later. yes, sir; he'd found a way to fortune. he said i'd sure think he was a liar with a crooked tongue and a false heart, but they had an animal at that circus as big as our biggest covered mess wagon and it would weigh as much as the six biggest steers i ever shipped. it has a nose about five feet long--he was sure i wouldn't believe this part--that it fed itself with, and it carried so much meat that just one ham would keep a family like pete's going all winter. he said of course i would think he was a liar, but i could write down to red gap to a lawyer, and the lawyer would get plenty of people to swear to it right in the courthouse. and so now i must hurry up and stock the place with these animals and have more meat than anybody in the world and get rich pretty quick. forty times he stretched his arms to show me how big one of these hams would be, and he said the best part was that this animal hardly ate anything at all but a little popcorn and a few peanuts. hadn't he watched it for hours? and if i didn't hurry others would get the idea and run prices up. i guess pete's commercial mind must of been engaged by hearing the boys talk about whales. he hadn't held with the whale proposition, not for a minute, after he learned they live in the ocean. he once had a good look at the ocean and he promptly said "too much water!" but here was a land animal packing nearly as much meat as a whale, eating almost nothing, and as tame as a puppy. "i think, 'injun how you smart!'" he says when he got through telling me all this in a very secret and important way. i told him he was very smart indeed and ought to have a job with the government at a dollar a year telling people to quit beef meat for the elephant. i said i was much obliged for the tip and if i ever got to going good in elephants i'd see he had a critter of his own to butcher every fall. so pete went out with all his excitement and told the boys how i was going to stock the ranch with these new animals which was better than whales because you wouldn't have to get your feet wet. the boys made much of it right off. in no time at all they had all the white-faces sold off and vast herds of pure-bred elephants roaming over the ranch with the arrowhead brand on 'em. down on the flat lands they had waving fields of popcorn and up above here they had a thousand acres of ripening peanuts; and sandy sawtelle, the king of the humourists, he hit on another idea that would bring in fifty thousand dollars a year just on the side. he said if a crowd come along to a ranch and bought the rancher's own hay for the sake of feeding it to his own steers they would be thought weak-minded. not so with elephants. he said people would come from far and near and bring their little ones to buy our own peanuts and popcorn to feed our own elephants. all we needed to do was put the stuff up in sacks at a nickel a throw. he said of course the novelty might die out in time, but if he could only get the peanut-and-popcorn concession for the first three years that would be all he'd want for his simple needs of living in a swell marble house in spokane, with a private saloon and hired help to bring him his breakfast in bed and put on another record and minister to his lightest whim. buck devine said he'd be able to throw his own good money right and left if he could get the ivory privilege, which is made from the horns of the elephant and is used for many useful purposes; and one of the other boys says they'll develop a good milk strain and get a dairy herd, because the milk of this noble animal ought to be fine for prize fighters and piano movers. in about ten minutes they was doing quite a business for old pete's benefit, and pete very earnest about it. he says i've promised him a young animal to butcher every fall, and they tell him there ain't no meat so good as a prime young popcorn-fed elephant, and he'll certainly live high. and just then up rides old safety first again. so they get silent and mysterious all at once and warn pete, so safety will hear it, not to say a word to any one. pete looks secretive and hostile at the visitor and goes back to his woodpile. safety naturally says what fool thing have they got into their heads now, and he supposes it's some more of that whale nonsense. the boys clam up. they say this is nothing like whales, but a dry-land proposition too important to talk about; that i've sworn everyone to secrecy, but he'll see soon enough what it is when the big money begins to roll in. they don't mind telling him it's an african proposition of new and nourishing food, a regular godsend to the human race, but they got to keep quiet until i get my options bought up so i'll have the cream of the business. safety sniffs in a baffled manner and tries to worm out a hint, but they say it's a thing would go like wildfire once it got known, being so much tastier than whale meat and easier to handle, and eating almost nothing. "whales was pretty good," says sandy; "but since the boss got a line on this other animal she's disposed of her whale interests for seventy-three thousand dollars." buck devine says i showed him the check, that come in yesterday's mail, and let him hold it a minute so he could say he once held seventy-three thousand dollars in his hand just like that. and the money was to be put into this new business, with the boys being let in on the ground floor, like they had been with the whales. sandy says that in probably a year from now, or eighteen months at the most, he won't be a thing but a dissipated millionaire. nothing but that! safety is peculiar in his mind. if you told him you found a million gold dollars up in the top of that jack pine he wouldn't believe it, yet still and all he'd get a real thrill out of it. he certainly does cherish money. the very notion of it is romantic to him. and he must of been thrilled now. he hung round, listening keenly while the boys squandered their vast wealth in various reprehensible ways, trying to get some idea about the new animal. finally he sniffed some more, and they was all crazy as loons, and went off. but where does he go but over to old pete at the woodpile and keeps him from his work for ten minutes trying to get the new animal's name out of pete. but he can't trap the redman into any admissions. all he can find out is that pete is serious and excited. then he come up to ask me once more if he couldn't take some mules off my hands. he found out quick and short that he couldn't. still he hung round, talking nonsense as far as i could make out, because i hadn't yet been let in on the new elephant proposition. he says he hears i'm taking up a new line of stock, the same not being whales nor anything that swims, and if it's more than i can swing by myself, why, he's a good neighbour of long standing, and able in a pinch, mebbe, to scrape up a few thousand dollars, or even more if it's a sure cinch, and how about it, and from one old friend to another just what is this new line? being busy i acted short. i said i was sticking to cattle in spite of the infamous gossip against 'em, and all reports to the contrary was mere society chatter. still he acted like i was trying to fool him. he went out saying if i changed my mind any time i was to let him know, and he'd be over again soon to talk mules at least, if nothing else, and anything he could do for me any time, just say the word, and try some of this gum, and so forth. i was right puzzled by these here refined civilities of his until pete comes in and tells me how the boys have stocked the old ranch with elephants and how safety has tried to get him to tell the secret. i tell pete he's done right to keep still, and then i go down to the bunk house and hear the whole thing. by this time they're shipping thousands of steer elephants at top prices; they catch 'em up off soft feed and fatten 'em on popcorn and peanuts, and every thanksgiving they send a nice fat calf down to the white house, for no one looks at turkey any more. sandy is now telling what a snap it will be to ride herd on elephants. "you pick out a big one," he says, "and you build a little cupalo up on top of him and climb up into it by means of a ladder, and set there in this little furnished room with a good book, and smoke and pass the time away while your good old saddle elephant does the work. all you got to do is lean out of the front window now and then and jab him in the forehead with an ice pick, whichever way you want him to turn." i said trust a cow-puncher to think up some way where he'd have to do as little work with his hands as he does with his head. but i admitted they seemed to have landed on old timmins for once, because he had tried to get pete to betray the secret and then come wheedling round to me about it. i said i could talk more intelligently next time, and he would sure come again because he had lavished two sticks of gum on me, which was an incredible performance and could not have been done except for an evil purpose. "now say," says sandy, "that does look like we got him believing. i was going to kid him along about once more, then spring elephants on him, and we'd all have a good laugh at the old wolf. but it looks to me like a chance for better than a laugh; it looks to me like we might commit a real crime against him." "he never carries anything on him," i says, "if you're meaning something plain, like highway robbery." sandy says he don't mean that; he means real wall street stuff, such as one gentleman can pull on another and still keep loose; crooked, he says, but not rough. i ask what is the idea, and sandy says get him more and more feverish about the vast returns from this secret enterprise. then we'll cut out a bunch of culls--thin stuff and runts and cripples--and make him give about four times what they're worth on a promise to let him into the new deal; tell him we must be rid of this stuff to make room for the new animals, and naturally we'll favour our friends. "there, now!" says sandy. "i should be in wall street this minute, being able to think up a coop as pernicious as that: and i would of been there, too, only i hate city life." "for once in the world's history," i says, "there may be a grain of sense in your words. only no cows in the deal. even to defraud the old crook i wouldn't let him have hide nor hair of a beef, not since he worked on my feelings in the matter of them bull calves two years ago. mules, yes. but the cow is too worthy a beast to be mixed up in anything sinful i put over on that profiteer. now i'll tell you what," i says, very businesslike: "you boys tole him along till he gets hectic enough to take that bunch of mule runts down in the south field, and anything you get over fifty dollars a head i'll split with you." sandy hollers at this. he says this bunch ain't mules but rabbits, and that i wouldn't refuse forty a head for 'em this minute. he says even a man expecting to be let in on a sure-thing elephant ranch would know something wicked was meant if asked to give even as much as fifty dollars for these insects. i tell him all very true; but this is just the margin for his lasting financial genius which he displays so little reticence about that it'll get into the papers and make him a marked man from coast to coast if he ain't careful. he says oh, all right, if i want to take it that way, and he'll see what he can do. mebbe he can get fifty-five a head, which would not only give the boys a good laugh but provide a little torch money. i left 'em plotting against a man that had never been touched by any plot whatever. i resolved to remain kind of aloof from their nefarious doings. it didn't seem quite dignified for one of my standing to be mixed up in a deal so crooked--at least no more than necessary to get my share of the pickings. sure enough, the very next day here come the depraved old outcast marauding round again at lunch time and et with the boys in the kitchen. he found 'em full of suppressed excitement and secret speech and careless talk about large sums of money. it must of been like sweetest music to his ears. one says how much would it be safe to count on cutting up the first year--how much in round numbers; and another would say that in round numbers, what with the expense of getting started and figuring everything down to the last cent, it wouldn't be safe to count on more than a hundred thousand dollars; but, of course, for the second year, now, why it would be nearer two hundred thousand in round numbers, even figuring everything fine and making big allowance for shrinkage. after that they handed money back and forth in round numbers till they got sick of the sound of it. they said safety set and listened in a trance, only waking up now and then to see if he couldn't goad someone into revealing the name of this new animal. but they always foiled him. sandy sawtelle drew an affecting picture of himself being cut off by high living at the age of ninety, leaving six or eight million dollars in round numbers and having his kin folks squabble over his will till the lawyers got most of it. they said safety hardly et a morsel and had an evil glitter in his eyes. and after lunch he went out to the woodpile where old pete was working and offered him two bits in money to tell him the secret, and when old pete scorned him he raised it to four bits. i guess the idea of any one refusing money merely for a little talk had never seemed possible to him. he must of thought there was sure something in it. i was away that day, but when i got back and heard about his hellish attempt to bribe old pete i told the boys they sure had the chance of a lifetime. i said if there was a mite of financial prowess in the bunch they would start the price on them runt mules at one hundred dollars flat, because it was certain that safety had struck the skids. next day it looked better than ever. safety not only appeared in the afternoon but he brought me a quart jar of honey from his own bees. any one not having looked up his criminal record would little understand what this meant. i pretended to be too busy to be startled at the gift, which broke thirty years of complete inactivity in that line. i looked worried and important with a litter of papers on my desk and seemed to have no time to waste on callers. he mentioned mules once or twice with no effect whatever, then says he hears i'm going into a new line that seems like it might have a few dollars in it, and he hopes i won't lose my all, because so many things nowadays look good till they're tried. i was crafty. i said i might be going into a new line, then again it might be nothing but idle talk and he better not believe everything he hears. he took up the jar of honey and fondled it, with his face looking like he was laying a loved one to rest, and said he wouldn't mind going into something new himself if he could be sure it was sound, because the stock business at present was a dog's life. he said the war was to be won by food, and every patriot should either go across or come across, and he was trying to stand by the flag and save all the food he could, but by the way his help acted at mealtime you'd think they was a gang of german spies. watch 'em eat beans, he said, and you'd think they'd never heard that beans had gone from three cents a pound to sixteen; but they had heard it, because he'd told 'em so in plain english more than once. but it had no effect. the way they dished into 'em you'd think we'd been endowed with beans the same as with god's own sunlight. he said it was discouraging to a staunch patriot. here was the president trying to make democracy safe for the world, and he was now going to stand by the administration even if he had voted the republican ticket up to now; but three of his men had quit only yesterday and the war was certainly lost if the labouring classes kept on making gods of their stomachs that way. and as a matter of fact now, as between old friends and neighbours, if i had something that looked good, why not keep it all together just with us here in the valley, he, though a poor man, being able to scrape up a few thousand dollars in round numbers for any enterprise that was a cinch. and the old hound being worth a good half million dollars at that instant! but i kept control of my face and looked still more worried and important and said i might have to take in a good man, and then again i might not. i couldn't tell till i got some odd lots of stock cleaned up. then i looked at some more documents and, like i was talking unconsciously to myself, i muttered, though distinctly: "now that there bunch of runt mules--they'll have to go; but, of course, not for any mere song." then i studied some more documents in a masterful manner and forgot my caller entirely till at last he pussyfooted out, having caught sight of sandy down by the corral. pretty soon sandy reports to me. he says safety is hurt at my cold manner to an old friend and neighbour that's always running in with a jar of honey or some knickknack; and he had mentioned the runt mules, saying he might be induced to consider 'em though i probably won't let 'em go for any mere song, contemptible as they are. sandy says he's right; that it's got to be a whole opera with words and music for them mules. he says i got a reason for acting firm about the price, the reason being that this new line i'm going to embark in is such a sure thing that i want only friends to come in, and i got to be convinced first that their heart is in the right place. safety says his heart is always getting the best of his head in stock deals, but just how foolish will i expect an old and tried friend to seem about these scrub mules that nobody in his right mind would touch at any price. sandy yawns like he was weary of it all and says a hundred dollars flat. he said safety just stood still and looked at him forever without batting an eye, till he got rattled and said that mebbe ninety-five might be considered. that's a trick with this old robber when a party's got something to sell him. they tell their price and he just keeps still and looks at 'em--not indignant nor astonished, not even interested, but merely fishlike. most people can't stand it long, it's that uncanny. they get fussed and nervous, and weaken before he's said a single word. but it was certain now that the mystery was getting to safety, because otherwise he'd have laughed his head off at the mention of a hundred dollars for these mules. three months before he'd heard me himself offer 'em for forty a head. you see, when i bought bands of mules from time to time i'd made the sellers throw in the little ones to go free with the trade. i now had twenty-five or so, but it had begun to get to me that mebbe those sellers hadn't been so easy as i thought at the time. they was knotty-headed little runts that i'd never bothered to handle. last spring i had the boys chink up the cracks in the corral and put each one of the cunning little mites into the chute and roach it so as to put a bow in its neck; then i put the bunch on good green feed where they would fatten and shed off; but it was wasted effort. they looked so much like field mice i was afraid that cats would make a mistake. after they got fat the biggest one looked as if he'd weigh close up to seven hundred and fifty. it was when they had begun to buy mules too; that is to say, mules! but no such luck as a new west pointer coming to inspect these; nothing but wise old cavalry captains that when they put an eye on the bunch would grin friendly at me and hesitate only long enough to put some water in the radiator. i bet there never was a bunch of three-year-old mules that stood so much condemning. after offering 'em for forty a head one time to a party and having him answer very simply by asking how the road was on beyond and which turn did he take, i quit bothering. after that when buyers come along i told the truth and said i didn't have any mules. i had to keep my real ones, and it wasn't worth while showing those submules. and this was the bunch sandy had told s.f. timmins he could take away for a hundred a head--or even ninety-five. and safety hadn't laughed! and would you have wondered when he sifts in a couple days later and makes me a cold offer of sixty dollars a head for this choice livestock? yes, sir! he says "live and let live" is his motto, and he wants to prove that i have wronged him in the past if i ever had the faintest suspicion that he wasn't the ideal party to have in on a deal that was going to net everyone concerned a handsome fortune. he says the fact is money goes through his fingers like water if you come right down to it; and sixty or even sixty-five if i want to push him to extremes, because he's the last man on god's green earth to let five dollars split up old neighbours that ought to be hand and glove in any new deal that come up. it like to of keeled me over, but i recovered and become busier than ever and got out my bank book and begun to figure over that. i said sandy sawtelle had the handling of this particular bunch of my assets and i couldn't be bothered by it. so he mooches down to the barn till sandy come in with buck devine. they was chattering about three hundred thousand dollars in round numbers when they got near enough for him to overhear their private conversation. they wondered why they had wasted so much of their lives in the cattle business, but now them old hard-working days was over, or soon would be, with nothing to do but travel round in pullman palace cars and see america first, and go to movies, and so forth. safety wished to haggle some about the mules, but sandy says he's already stated the price in clear, ringing tones, and he has no time to waste, being that i must send him down that night to get an order on the wire for two carloads of the little giant peanut. safety just blinked at this, not even asking why the peanuts; and the boys left him cold. when i told 'em about the offer to me of sixty or a possible sixty-five, they at once done a medicine dance. "this here will be the richest coop ever pulled off west of cheyenne," says buck; and sandy says he guesses anybody not blind can now see that well-known street in new york he ought to have his office on. he says he hopes safety don't fall too easy, because he wants more chance to work it up. but sandy is doomed to disappointment. safety holds off only two days more. two days he loafs round at mealtimes, listening to their rich converse and saying he'd like to know who's a better friend of this outfit than he's been for twenty years. the boys tell him if he's such a good friend to go ahead and prove it with a little barter that would be sure to touch my heart. and the first day safety offers seventy-five a head for these here jack rabbits, which they calmly ignore and go on talking about liberty bonds being a good safe investment; and the second day he just cries like a child that he'll pay eighty-five and trust to their honour that he's to have in on this new sure-thing deal. that seemed enough, so they all shook hands with the spendthrift and slapped him on the back in good fellowship, and said they knew all the time he had a heart of gold and they feel free to say now that once the money has passed he won't be let to go off the place till he has heard all about the new enterprise and let in on the ground floor, and they hope he won't ever forget this moment when the money begins to roll in fit to smother him in round numbers. so safety says he knows they're a good square set of boys, as clean as a hound's tooth, and he'll be over to-morrow to take over the stock and hear the interesting details. the boys set up late that night figuring their share of the burglary. there was twenty-five of these ground squirrels. i was to get my fifty a head, at least ten of which was illegitimate. then for the thirty-five, which was the real robbery, i was to take half, and eight of the boys the other half. i begun to wonder that night just what could be done to us under the criminal law. it looked like three years in some good jail wouldn't be a bit too harsh. next day bright and early here comes frugal safety, gangling along behind his whiskers and bringing one of his ill-fed hirelings to help drive the stuff back. safety is rubbing his hands and acting very sprightly, with an air of false good fellowship. it almost seems like he was afraid they had thought better of the trade and might try to crawl out. he wants it over quick. they all go down and help him drive his purchase out of the lower field, where they been hiding in the tall grass, and in no time at all have the bunch headed down the lane on to the county road, with safety's man keeping well up to protect 'em from the coyotes. next there's kind of a solemn moment when the check is being made out. safety performs that serious operation down at the bunk house. making out any check is always the great adventure with him. he writes it with his heart's blood, and not being the greatest scholar in the world he has to count the letters in his name after it's written--he knows there ought to be nine together--and then he has to wipe the ink off his hands and sigh dismally and say if this thing keeps up he'll be spending his old age at the poor farm, and so forth. it all went according to schedule, except that he seemed strangely eager and under a severe nervous strain. me? i'd been, sort of hanging round on the edge of events while the dastardly deed was being committed, not seeming to be responsible in any way. my lord! i still wanted to be able to face the bereaved man as an honest woman and tell him it was only some nonsense of the boys for which i could not be held under the law, no matter how good a lawyer he'd get. when they come trooping out of the bunk house i was pretending to consult abner, the blacksmith, about some mower parts. and right off i was struck by the fact that safety seemed to be his old self again; his air of false gayety and nervous strain had left him and he was cold and silent and deadly, like the poisonous cobra of india. but now they was going to spring the new secret enterprise on him, so i moved off toward the house a bit, not wanting to be too near when his screams begun. it did seem kind of shameful, taking advantage of the old miser's grasping habits; still, i remembered a few neat things he'd done to me and i didn't slink too far into the background. safety was standing by his horse with the boys all gathered close round him, and i heard sandy say "elephants--nothing but elephants--that's the new idea!" then they all begun to talk at once, jabbering about the peanuts and popcorn that crowds of people will come to buy from us to feed back to our stock, and how there's more meat in an elephant than in six steers, and about how the punchers will be riding round in these little cupalos up on top of their big saddle elephants; and they kept getting swifter and more excited in their talk, till at last they just naturally exploded when they made sure safety got the idea and would know he'd been made a fool of. they had a grand time; threw their hats in the air and danced round their victim and punched each other, and their yells and hearty laughter could of been heard for miles up and down the creek. two or three had guns they let off to add to the gleeful noise. oh, it was deuces wild for about three minutes. they nearly died laughing. then the whole thing kind of died a strange and painful death. safety wasn't taking on one bit like a man that's been stung. he stood there cold and malignant and listened to the noise and didn't bat an eye till he just naturally quelled the disorder. it got as still as a church, and then safety talked a little in a calm voice. "elephants?" says he, kind of amused. "why, elephants ain't no good stock proposition because it takes 'em so long to mature! elephants is often a hundred and twenty years old. you'd have to feed one at least forty years to get him fit to ship. i really am surprised at you boys, going into a proposition like that without looking up the details. it certainly ain't anything for my money. why, you couldn't even veal an elephant till he was about fifteen years old, which would need at least six thousand dollars' worth of peanuts; and what kind of a stock business is that, i'd like to know. and even if they could rustle their own feed, what kind of a business is it where you could only ship once in a lifetime? you boys make me tired, going hell-bent into an enterprise where you'd all be dead and forgotten before the first turnover of your stock." he now looked at 'em in a sad, rebuking manner. it was like an icy blast from greenland the way he took it. two or three tried to start the big laugh again, but their yips was feeble and died quickly out. they just stood there foolish. even sandy sawtelle couldn't think of anything bright to say. safety now climbs on his horse, strangely cheerful, and says; "well, i'll have to be getting along with them new mules of mine." then he kind of giggled at the crowd and says: "i certainly got the laugh on this outfit, starting a business where this here old methusalem hisself could hardly get it going good before death cut him off!" and away he rides, chuckling like it was an awful joke on us. not a single scream of agony about what had been done to him with them stunted mules. of course that was all i needed to know. one deadly chill of fear took me from head to foot. i knew perfectly well our trench was mined and the fuse lighted. up comes this chucklehead of a sawtelle, and for once in his life he's puzzled. "well," he says, "you got to give old s.f. credit for one thing. did you see the way he tried to switch the laugh over on to us, and me with his trusty check right here in my hand? i never would have thought it, but he is certainly one awful good game loser!" "game loser nothing!" i says. "he's just a game winner. any time you see that old boy acting game he's won. and he's won now, no matter how much the known facts look against it. i don't know how, but he's won." they all begin to tell me i must be mistaken, because look at the price we got for stuff we hadn't been able to sell at any price before. i says i am looking at that, but i'm also obliged to look at safety after he's paid that price, and the laws of nature certainly ain't been suspended all at once. i offer to bet 'em what they've made on the deal that safety has run true to form. "mark my words," i says, "this is one sad day for the arrowhead! i don't know how or why, but we'll soon find out; and if you don't believe me, now's the time to double your money." but they hung off on that. they got too much respect for my judgment. and they admitted that safety's way of standing the gaff had been downright uncanny. so there was nothing to do but pay over their share of this tainted money and wait for the blow, eight hundred and seventy-five dollars being the amount i split with 'em for their masterly headwork in the depredation. that very day in the mail comes a letter that has been delayed because this here government of ours pinches a penny even worse than old timmins does. yes, sir; this letter had been mailed at seattle with a two-cent stamp the day after the government had boosted the price to three cents. and what does the government do? does it say: "oh, send it along! why pinch pennies?" not at all. it takes a printed card and a printed envelope and the time of a clerk and an r.f.d. mail carrier to send me word that i must forward one cent if i want this letter--spends at least two cents to get one cent. well, it takes two days for that notice to reach me; and of course i let it lie round a couple of days, thinking it's probably an advertisement; and then two days for my one-cent stamp to go back to this parsimonious postmaster; and two days for the letter to get here; making about eight days, during which things had happened that i should of known about. yes, sir; it's a great government that will worry over one cent and then meet one of these smooth profiteers and loosen up on a million dollars like a cowhand with three months' pay hitting a wet town. of course it was all over when i read this letter. * * * * * i rolled another cigarette for the injured woman it being no time for words. "it just goes to show," she observed after the first relishing draft, "that we should be honest, even with defectives like old timmins. this man in seattle that keeps track of prices for me writes that the top of the mule market has blown sky-high; that if i got anything looking at all like a mule not to let it go off the place for less than two hundred dollars, because mule buyers is sure desperate. safety must of got the same tip, only you can bet his correspondent put the full three cents on the letter. safety would never have trusted a strange postmaster with the excess. anyway he sold that bunch of rabbits a week later for one hundred and seventy-five a head, thus adding twenty-two hundred and fifty dollars of my money to his tainted fortune. you can imagine the pins and needles he'd been on for a week, scared i'd get the tip and knowing if he even mentioned them runts at any price whatever that i'd be wise at once. that joke of the boys must of seemed heaven-sent to him. "you ought to heard the lecture i read them fool punchers on common honesty and how the biter is always bit. i scared 'em good; there hasn't been an elephant on the place since that day. they're a chastened lot, all right. i was chastened myself. i admit it. i don't hardly believe i'll ever attempt anything crooked on old safety again---and yet, i don't know." the lady viciously expelled the last smoke from her cigarette and again took up the knitting. "i don't really know but if there was some wanton, duplicity come up that i could handle myself and not have to leave to that pack of amateur thieves out in the bunk house, and it was dead sure and i didn't risk doing more than two years' penal servitude--yes, i really don't know. even now mebbe all ain't over between us." ii a love story i had for some time been noting a slight theatrical tinge to the periodical literature supported by the big table in the arrowhead living room. chiefly the table's burden is composed of trade journals of the sober quality of the _stockbreeder's gazette_ or _mine, quarry & derrick_ or the "farmer's almanac." but if, for example, one really tired of a vivacious column headed "chats on fertilizers" one could, by shuffling the litter, come upon a less sordid magazine frankly abandoned to the interests of the screen drama. the one i best recall has limned upon its cover in acceptable flesh tints a fair young face of flawless beauty framed in a mass of curling golden ringlets. the dewy eyes, shaded to mystery by lashes of uncommon length, flash a wistful appeal that is faintly belied by the half-smiling lips and the dimpling chin. the contours are delicate yet firm; a face of haunting appeal--a face in which tears can be seldom but the sprightly rain of april, and the smile, when it melts the sensitive lips, will yet warn that hearts are made to ache and here is one not all too merry in its gladness. it is the face of one of our famous screen beauties, and we know, even from this tinted half-tone, that the fame has been deserved. on one of those tired arrowhead nights, inwardly debating the possible discourtesy of an early bedding after ten wet miles of trout stream, i came again and again to this compelling face of the sad smile and the glad tears. it recalled an ideal feminine head much looked at in my nonage. it was lithographed mostly in pink and was labeled "tempest and sunshine." so i loitered by the big table, dreaming upon the poignant perfections of this idol of a strange new art. i dreamed until awakened by the bustling return of my hostess, mrs. lysander john pettengill, who paused beside me to build an after-dinner cigarette, herself glancing meantime at the flawless face on the magazine cover. i perceived instantly that she also had been caught by its not too elusive charm. "a beautiful face," i said. ma pettengill took the magazine from me and studied the dainty thing. "yes, he's certainly beautiful," she assented. "he's as handsome as a greek goddess." thus did the woman ambiguously praise that famous screen star, j. harold armytage. "and the money he makes! his salary is one of them you see compared with the president's so as to make the latter seem a mere trifle. that's a funny thing. i bet at least eighteen million grown people in this country never did know how much they was paying their president till they saw it quoted beside some movie star's salary in a piece that tells how he's getting about four times what we pay the man in the white house. ain't it a great business, though! here's this horrible male beauty that would have to be mighty careful to escape extermination if he was anything but an actor. being that, however, he not only eludes the vengeance of a sickened populace, but he can come out and be raw about it. here, let me show you." she turned to the page where j. harold armytage began to print a choice few of the letters he daily received from admirers of the reputedly frailer sex. she now read me one of these with lamentable efforts of voice to satirize its wooing note: "my darling! i saw that dear face of yours again to-night in all for love! so noble and manly you were in the sawmill scene where first you turn upon the scoundrelly millionaire father of the girl you love, then save him from the dynamite bomb of the strikers at the risk of your own. oh, my dearest! something tells me your heart is as pure and sweet as your acting, that your dear face could not mask an evil thought. oh, my man of all the world! if only you and i together might--" it seemed enough. ma pettengill thought so too. the others were not unlike it. the woman then read me a few of the replies of j. harold armytage to his unknown worshippers. the famous star was invariably modest and dignified in these. tactfully, as a gentleman must in any magazine of wide circulation, he deprecated the worship of these adoring ones and kindly sought to persuade them that he was but a man--not a god, even if he did chance to receive one of the largest salaries in the business. the rogue! no god--with the glorious lines of his face there on the cover to controvert this awkward disclaimer! his beauty flaunted to famished hearts, what avail to protest weakly that they should put away his image or even to hint, as now and again he was stern enough to do, that their frankness bordered on the unmaidenly? i called ma pettengill's attention to this engaging modesty. i said it must be an affair of some delicacy to rebuff ardent and not too reticent fair ones in a public print, and that i considered j. harold armytage to have come out of it with a display of taste that could be called unusual. the woman replied, with her occasional irrelevance, that if the parties that hired him should read this stuff they probably wouldn't even then take him out on the lot and have him bitterly kicked by a succession of ten large labouring men who would take kindly to the task. she then once more said that the movies was sure one great business, and turned in the magazine to pleasanter pages on which one vida sommers, also a screen idol, it seemed, gave warning and advice to young girls who contemplated a moving-picture career. portraits of vida sommers in her best-known roles embellished these pages. in all of the portraits she wept. in some the tears were visible; in others they had to be guessed, the face being drawn by anguish. her feminine correspondents wished particularly to be told of the snares and temptations besetting the path of the young girl who enters this perilous career. many of them seemed rather vague except upon this point. they all seemed to be sure that snares and temptations would await them, and would vida sommers please say how these could be avoided by young and impressionable girls of good figure and appearance who were now waiting on table at the american house in centralia, illinois, or accepting temporary employment in mercantile establishments in chicago, or merely living at home in zanesville, ohio, amid conditions unbearably cramping to their aspirations? and vida sommers told every one of them not to consider the pictures but as a final refuge from penury. she warned them that they would find the life one of hard work and full of disappointments. it seemed that even the snares and temptations were disappointing, being more easily evaded than many of her correspondents appeared to suspect. she advised them all to marry some good, true man and make a home for him. and surely none of them could have believed the life to be a joyous one after studying these sorrowful portraits of vida sommers. "that's my little actress friend," said ma pettengill. "doesn't she cry something grand!" "you've been cheating me," i answered. "i never knew you had a little actress friend. how did you get her? and doesn't she ever play anything cheerful?" "of course not! she only plays mothers, and you know what that means in moving pictures. ever see a moving-picture mother that had a chance to be happy for more than the first ten feet of film? you certainly got to cry to hold down that job. ain't she always jolted quick in the first reel by the husband getting all ruined up in wall street, or the child getting stole, or the daughter that's just budding into womanhood running off with a polished shoe-drummer with city ways, or the only son robbing a bank, or husband taking up with a lady adventuress that lives across the hall in the same flat and outdresses mother? "then it's one jolt after another for her till the last ten feet of the last reel, when everything comes right somewhere on a ranch out in the great clean west where husband or son has got to be a man again by mingling with the honest-hearted drunken cowboys in their barroom frolics, or where daughter has won back her womanhood and made a name for herself by dancing the nature dance in the red eye saloon for rough but tender-hearted miners that shower their gold on her when stewed. only, in this glad time of the last ten feet she still has to cry a-plenty because the clouds have passed and she's oh, so happy at last! yes, sir; they get mother going and coming. and when she ain't weeping she has to be scared or mad or something that keeps her face busy. here--i got some programmes of new pieces vida just sent me. you can see she's a great actress; look at that one: 'why did you make my mamma cry?' and these other two." i looked and believed. the dramas were variously and pithily described as the picture with the punch powerful--the smashing five-reel masterpiece--a play of peculiar problems and tense situations--six gripping reels, , feet and every foot a punch! vida sommers, in the scenes reproduced from these plays, had indeed a busy face. in the picture captioned "why did you make my mamma cry?" the tiny golden-haired girl is reproaching her father in evening dress. i read the opening lines of the synopsis: "a young business man, who has been made successful through his wife's money, is led to neglect her through pressure of affairs, falls into the toils of a dancer in a public place and becomes a victim of her habit, that of drinking perfume in her tea--" but i had not the heart to follow this tragedy. in another, "the woman pays--powerful and picturesque, a virile masterpiece of red-blooded hearts," vida sommers is powerfully hating her husband whom she has confronted in the den of a sneering and superbly gowned adventuress who declares that the husband must choose between them. of course there can be no doubt about the husband's choice. no sane movie actor would hesitate a second. the caption says of vida sommers: "her love has turned to hate." it may be good acting, but it would never get her chosen by the male of her species--the adventuress being what is known in some circles as a pippin. i studied still another of these documents--"hearts asunder." vida sommers has sent her beautiful daughter to the spring for a pail of water, though everyone in the audience must know that gordon balch, the detestable villain, is lurking outside for precisely this to occur. the synopsis beautiful says: "the mother now goes in search of her darling, only to find her struggling in the grasp of gordon balch, who is trying to force his attentions on her." this is where vida sommers has to look frightened, though in a later picture one sees that her fright changed to "a mother's honest rage." the result is that gordon balch gets his, and gets it good. the line under his last appearance is "the end of a misspent life." vida sommers here registers pity. as ma pettengill had said, her face seemed never to have a moment's rest. while i studied these exhibits my hostess had not been silent upon the merits of her little actress friend. slowly she made me curious as to the origin and inner life of this valued member of an exalted profession. "yes, sir; there she is at the top, drawing down big money, with a nice vine-clad home in this film town, furnished from a page in a woman's magazine, with a big black limousine like a hearse--all but the plumes--and a husband that she worships the ground he walks on. everything the heart can desire, even to being mother to some of the very saddest persons ever seen on a screen. it shows what genius will do for a woman when she finds out what kind of genius she's got and is further goaded by the necessity of supporting a husband in the style to which he has been accustomed by a doting father. she's some person now, let me tell you. "she spent a week with me in red gap last fall, and you'd ought to seen how certain parties kowtowed to me so they'd get to meet her. i found that about every woman under fifty in our town is sure she was born for this here picture work, from henrietta templeton price to beryl mae macomber, who's expecting any day to be snapped up by some shrewd manager that her type is bound to appeal to, she being a fair young thing with big eyes and lots of teeth, like all film actresses. metta bigler, that teaches oil painting and burnt wood, give vida a reception in her bohemian studio in red gap's latin quarter--the studio having a chain of chianti bottles on the wall and an ash tray with five burnt cigarette ends on a taboret to make it look bohemian--and that was sure the biggest thrill our town has had since the gus levy all star shamrock vaudeville company stranded there five years ago. it just shows how important my little actress friend is--and look what she come up from!" i said i wouldn't mind looking what she come up from if she had started low enough to make it exciting. ma pettengill said she had that! she had come up from the gutter. she said that vida sommers, the idol of thousands, had been "a mere daughter of the people." her eyes crinkled as she uttered this phrase. so i chose a chair in the shadow while she built a second cigarette. ten years ago i'm taking a vacation down in new york city. along comes a letter from aunt esther colborn, of fredonia, who is a kind of a third cousin of mine about twice removed. says her niece, vida, has had a good city job as cashier of a dairy lunch in boston, which is across the river from some college, but has thrown this job to the winds to marry the only college son of a rich new york magnate or wall street crook who has cast the boy off for contracting this low alliance with a daughter of the people. aunt esther is now afraid vida isn't right happy and wants i should look her up and find out. it didn't sound too good, but i obliged. i go to the address in sixty-seventh street on the west side and find that vida is keeping a boarding house. but i was ready to cheer aunt esther with a telegram one second after she opened the door on me--in a big blue apron and a dustcap on her hair. she was the happiest young woman i ever did see--shining it out every which way. a very attractive girl about twenty-five, with a slim figure and one of these faces that ain't exactly of howling beauty in any one feature, but that sure get you when they're sunned up with joy like this one was. she was pleased to death when i told her my name, and of course i must come in and stay for dinner so i could see all her boarders that was like one big family and, above all, meet her darling husband clyde when he got home from business. the cheeriest thing she was, and i adore to meet people that are cheery, so i said nothing would please me better. she took me up to her little bedroom to lay my things off and then down to the parlour where she said i must rest and excuse her because she still had a few little things to supervise. she did have too. in the next hour and a half she run up and down two flights of stairs at least ten times. i could hear her sweeping overhead and jamming things round on the stove when she raced down to the kitchen. yes, she had several little things to supervise and one girl to help her. i peeked into the kitchen once while i was wandering through the lower rooms, and she seemed to be showing this girl how to boil potatoes. i wondered if she never run down and if her happy look was really chronic or mebbe put on for my benefit. still, i could hear her singing to herself and she moved like a happy person. in looking round the parlour i was greeted on every wall by pictures of a charming youth i guessed was darling clyde. a fine young face he had, and looked as happy as vida herself. there was pictures of him with a tennis racket and on a sailboat and with a mandolin and standing up with his college glee club and setting on a high-powered horse and so forth, all showing he must be a great social favourite and one born to have a good time. i wondered how he'd come to confer himself on the cashier of a quick-lunch place. i thought it must be one of these romances. then--i'm always remembering the foolishest things--i recalled a funny little absent look in vida's eyes when she spoke of her darling coming home from business. i thought now it must of been pride; that he was performing some low job in a factory or store while she run the boarding house, and she didn't want me to know it. i thought he must be a pretty fine rich man's son to stand the gaff this way when cast off by his father for mixing up with a daughter of the people. it come dinnertime; about a dozen boarders straggling in, with vida in a pretty frock anxious because darling clyde was ten minutes late and of course something fatal must of happened to him in crossing a crowded street. but nothing had. he showed up safe and sound and whistling in another ten minutes, and became the life of the party. he looked near as happy as vida did when she embraced him out in the hall, a fine handsome young fellow, the best-natured in the world, jollying the boarders and jollying me and jollying vida that he called baby girl, or babe. i saw, too, that i must of been mistaken about the job he was holding down. he was dressed in a very expensive manner, with neat little gold trinkets half concealed about him, the shirt and collar exactly right and the silk socks carefully matching the lavender tie. he kept the table lively all through dinner with jokes and quips from the latest musical comedies and anecdotes of his dear old college days, and how that very afternoon he had won a silver cup and the pool championship of his college club--and against a lot of corking good players, too, he didn't mind saying. also i noticed we was eating a mighty good dinner; so darned good you didn't see how vida could set it up at the price boarders usually pay. after dinner clyde sat down to the piano in the parlour and entertained one and all with songs of a comic or sentimental character. he knew a piano intimately, and his voice was one of these here melting tenors that get right inside of you and nestle. he was about the most ingratiating young man i'd ever met, and i didn't wonder any more about vida's look of joy being permanent. she'd look in on the party every once in a while from the kitchen or the dining room where she was helping her swede do the dishes for fifteen people and set the table for breakfast. she was about an hour at this, and when at last she'd slipped out of her big apron and joined us she was looking right tuckered but still joyous. clyde patted his baby girl's hand when she come in, and she let herself go into an easy-chair near him that one of the boarders got up to give her. i got the swift idea that this was the first time all day she'd set down with any right feeling of rest. then clyde sung to her. you could tell it was a song he meant for her and never sung till she'd got the work done up. a right pretty old song it was, clyde throwing all the loving warmth of his first-class tenor voice into the words: good night, good night, beloved! i come to watch o'er thee, to be near thee, to be near thee. i forget the rest, but there was happy tears in vida's eyes when he finished in one climbing tenor burst. then clyde gets up and says he has an engagement down to his college club because some of his dear old classmates has gathered there for a quiet little evening of reminiscence and the jolly old rascals pretend they can't get along without him. vida beams on him brighter than ever and tells him to be sure and have a good time, which i'd bet money he'd be sure to. it was a very pretty scene when they said good night. vida pretended that clyde's voice was falling off from smoking too many cigarettes at this club. "i wouldn't mind you're going there, but i just know you spend most of the time in the club's horrid old smoking room!" she tells him this with a pout. smoking room of a club! the knowing little minx! and clyde chided her right back in a merry fashion. he lifted one of her hands and said his baby girl would have to take better care of them because the cunnun' little handies was getting all rough. then they both laughed and went out for a long embrace in the hall. vida come back with a glowing countenance, and the boarders having dropped off to their rooms when the life of the party went to his club we had a nice chat. all about clyde. she hoped i did like him, and i frankly said he was about the most taking young brat i'd ever been close to. she explained how their union had been a dream; that during their entire married life of a year and a half he had never spoken one cross word to her. she said i couldn't imagine his goodness of heart nor his sunny disposition nor how much everyone admired him. but the tired thing got so sleepy in ten minutes, even talking about her husband, that she couldn't keep back the yawns, so i said i'd had a wonderful evening and would have to go now. but up in the bedroom, while i'm putting my things on, she gets waked up and goes more into detail about her happiness. i've never been able to figure out why, but women will tell each other things in a bedroom that they wouldn't dream of telling in any other room. not that vida went very far. just a few little points. like how clyde's father had cast him off when they married and how she had felt herself that she was nothing but a bad woman taking advantage of this youth, she being a whole year older than he was; but clyde had acted stunning in the matter, telling his father he had chosen the better part. also it turned out this father hadn't cast him off from so much after all, because the old man went flat broke in wall street a couple of months later, perishing of heart failure right afterward, and about the only thing clyde would of drawn from the estate anyway was an old-fashioned watch of his grandfather's with a chain made from his grandmother's hair when she was a bride. i gathered they had been right up against it at this time, except for the two thousand dollars that had been left vida by her uncle gideon in the savings bank at fredonia. clyde, when she drew this out, wanted they should go to newport with it where they could lead a quiet life for a couple of months while he looked about for a suitable opening for himself. but vida had been firm, even ugly, she said, on this point. she'd took the two thousand and started a boarding house that would be more like a home than a boarding house, though clyde kept saying he'd never be able to endure seeing the woman bearing his name reduced to such ignoble straits. still he had swallowed his foolish pride and been really very nice about it after she got the business started. now he was always telling her to be sure and set a good table. he said if you were going to do a thing, even if it was only keeping a boarding house, to do it well. that was his motto--do it well or don't do it at all! so she was buying the best cuts of meats and all fresh vegetables because of his strict ideas in this matter, and it didn't look as if they'd ever really make a fortune at it--to say nothing of there being more persons than i'd believe that had hard luck and got behind in their payments, and of course one couldn't be stern to the poor unfortunates. i listened to this chatter till it seemed about time to ask what business clyde had took up. it seemed that right at the moment he was disengaged. it further seemed that he had been disengaged at most other moments since he had stooped to this marriage with a daughter of the people. i mustn't think it was the poor boy's fault, though. he was willing at all times to accept a situation and sometimes would get so depressed that he'd actually look for work. twice he had found it, but it proved to be something confining in an office where the hours were long and conditions far from satisfactory. that's how she put it, with glowing eyes and flushed cheeks: "it proved to be mere dull routine work not in the least suited to darling clyde's talents and the conditions were far from satisfactory. i had the hardest time prevailing on him to give the nasty old places up and wait patiently for a suitable opening. he was quite impatient with me when he consented--but, of course, he's only a boy of twenty-four, a whole year younger than i am. i tell him every day a suitable opening is bound to occur very soon. you see, he had so many grand friends, people of the right sort that are wealthy. i insist on his meeting them constantly. just think; only last week he spent saturday and sunday at one of the biggest country houses on long island, and had such a good time. he's a prime favourite with a lot of people like that and they're always having him to dine or to the opera or to their balls and parties. i miss him horribly, of course, and the poor dear misses me, but i tell him it will surely lead to something. his old college chums all love him too--a boy makes so many valuable friends in college, don't you think? a lot of them try to put things in his way. i couldn't bear to have him accept a situation unworthy of him--i know it would kill him. why, he wilts like a flower under the least depression." well, i set and listened to a long string of this--and not a word for me to say. what could any one of said? wasn't it being told to me by the happiest woman i ever set eyes on? yes, sir; i'd never believe how gentle natured the boy was. why, that very morning, being worried about something that went wrong with breakfast, which she had to turn out at five a. m. to get started hadn't she clean forgot to change his studs to a fresh shirt? and, to make it worse, hadn't she laid out a wrong color of socks with his lavender tie? but had he been cross to her, as most men would of been? not for one second! he'd simply joked her about it when she brought up his breakfast tray, just as he'd joked her to-night about her hands getting rough from the kitchen work. and so forth and so forth! the poor thing had got so dead for sleep by this time that she was merely babbling. she'd probably of fallen over in her clothes if i hadn't been there. anyway, i got her undressed and into bed. she said clyde's goodnight song always rung in her ears till she slept. it didn't ring long this night. she was off before i got out the door. darned if i hadn't been kind of embarrassed by her talk, knowing it would never do for me to bust in with anything bordering on the vicious, such as suggesting that if clyde now and then went into the kitchen and helped baby girl with the dishes it would make a very attractive difference in him. i took another good look at his pictures in the parlour before i let myself out of the house. he still looked good--but hell! i wrote aunt esther the same evening not to worry one minute about vida's happiness, because i wished we could all be as happy as she was. all the same i took pains to go round to that boarding house a couple times more because it seemed like the girl's happiness might have a bum foundation. darling clyde was as merry and attentive as ever and vida was still joyous. i guess she kept joyous at her work all day by looking forward to that golden moment after dinner when her boy would sing good night, good night, beloved--he'd come to watch o'er her! how that song did light her face up! she confided to me one of these times that the funny men are always making jokes about how much it costs a woman for clothes, and she wondered why they didn't make some of their old jokes about how much it costs for men's clothes too. she said i wouldn't believe how much they had to lay out on clyde's clothes so he'd be sure to look right when a suitable opening occurred. i could take the item of shirts alone that had to be made to order and cost seven-fifty each, to say nothing of collars and ties and suits from what clyde said was the only tailor in new york that could dress a gentleman so he looked like one. she said if these funny humourists could see what they spent on her clothes and what they had to spend on clyde's, she bet they'd feel mighty cheap. she laughed like she had a bully joke on the poor things. she was glad, too, for clyde's sake that a suitable opening was just about to occur any moment, because the poor chap said himself it was a dog's life he was leading, with nothing much to do every day but go to the club and set round. and how thankful she'd ought to be that he never drank--the least bit of liquor made him ill--and so many young men of his class nowadays drank to excess. no; nothing for me to say and nothing to do. here was one happy love match. so i come home, making vida promise to write often. she did write about six times in the next three years. the chief fact standing out was that the right opening for clyde hadn't opened yet--and he was getting more impatient every day. he always had something in view. but i judged he was far-sighted. and some way when he had got his rope over a job the hondoo wouldn't seem to render. he couldn't cinch anything. he was as full of blandishment as ever, though, and not a one of his staunch old friends had dropped him on account of his unfortunate marriage. he was a great diner-out and spent lots of week-ends, and just now was on a jolly houseboat in florida for three months with an old college mate worth nine million dollars, and wasn't that nice! she could just see him keeping the whole party gay with his mandolin and his songs. the summer before that this same friend had let clyde have an elegant motor car for his own use, and the foolish boy had actually took her out in it one sunday, there being a pongee motor coat in the car that fit her beautifully so that none of his rich friends could have told she wasn't dressed as smartly as they was. he not only kept her out all afternoon, but would have took her to dinner some place only she had to get back to the boarding house because you couldn't trust these raw swedes. and there was one thing she was going to bring herself to confess to me, no matter if it did sound disloyal--a dreadful thing about clyde. it was ugly of her to breathe a word against him, but she was greatly worried and mebbe i could help her. the horrible truth was that her boy was betraying an inclination to get fat, and he'd only laugh at her when she warned him. many a night her pillow had been wet with tears on this account, and did i believe in any of these remedies for reducing? wasn't there something she could slip into his pudding that would keep him down without his knowing it, because otherwise, though it was a thing no true wife ought to say, her beloved would dig his grave with his teeth. i thought that was about enough and even ample. i started a hot answer to this letter, saying that if darling clyde was digging his grave with his teeth it was her own fault because she was providing the spade and the burial plot, and the quickest way to thin her darling down would be for her to quit work. but shucks! why insult the poor thing? i got back my composure and wrote her a nice letter of sympathy in her hour of great trouble. i didn't say at all that if i had been in her place mr. clyde would of long since had my permission to go to the devil. yes, sir; i'd have had that lad going south early in the second year. mebbe not at that! a woman never really knows how some other man might of made a fool of her. two more years drug on, with about two letters from vida, and then i get a terrible one announcing the grand crash. first, the boarding house had died a lingering death, what from vida buying the best the market afforded and not having learned to say "no!" to parties that got behind, and clyde having had to lend a couple hundred dollars to a fraternity brother that was having a little hard luck. she'd run the business on a narrow trail for the last two months, trying to guard every penny, but it got so she and clyde actually had to worry over his next club dues, to say nothing of a new dress suit he was badly needing. then some parties she owed bills to come along and pushed her over the cliff by taking her furniture. she was at first dreadfully worried about how her boy would stand the blow, but he'd took it like the brave, staunch man he was, being such a help to her when they had to move to a furnished room near the old home where they both had been so happy. he'd fairly made the place ring with his musical laughter and his merry jesting about their hardships. then she'd got a good job as cashier in a big grocery she'd dealt with, not getting a million dollars a year, to be sure, but they were doing nicely, because clyde took most of his meals with his thoughtful friends--and then crash out of a clear sky a horrible tragedy happened that for a minute darkened the whole world. yes, it was a bitter tragedy. clyde's two-year-old dress suit, that he was bravely wearing without a murmur, had needed pressing and she promised to do it; but she overslept herself till seven-thirty that morning, which made her late at the store, so she'd asked the girl in this rooming house to do it down in the kitchen. the girl had been willing but weak-minded. she started with too hot an iron and didn't put a damp cloth between the iron and the goods. in the midst of the job something boiled over on the stove. she got rattled and jumped for that, and when she come back the dress coat of darling clyde was branded for fair in the middle of the back--a nifty flatiron brand that you could of picked him out of a bunch of animals by in one second. the girl was scared stiff and hung the clothes back in the closet without a word. and poor clyde discovered the outrage that night when he was dressing for a class reunion of his dear old alvah mater. i had to read between the lines some, but i gathered that he now broke down completely at this betrayal of his trusting nature. vida must of been suffering too keenly herself to write me all the pitiful details. and right on top of this blow comes the horrible discovery, when he takes his mandolin out of the case, that it has been fatally injured in the moving. one blow right on another. how little we realize the suffering that goes on all about us in this hard world. imagine the agony in that furnished room this night! clyde wasn't made of iron. when the first flood of grief subsided he seems to of got cold and desperate. said vida in this letter: "my heart stopped when he suddenly declared in cool, terrible tones: 'there's always the river!' i could see that he had resolved to end it all, and through the night i pleaded with my boy." i bet she made mistakes as a grocer's cashier next day, but it was worth it because her appeals to clyde's better nature had prevailed. he did disappear that day, getting his trunks from the house while she was at the store and not being able to say good-bye because he couldn't remember which store she was accepting a situation at. but he left her a nice note. he wasn't going to end it all in the river. he was going off on the private steamboat of one of his dearest friends for a trip round the world that might last a year--and she mustn't worry about the silly old dress coat, because his new dinner-jacket suit would be ample for a boat trip. also she'd be glad to know that he had a new mandolin, though she wasn't to worry about the bill for it, because the man didn't expect his pay on time and, anyway, he could wait, so with fondest love! and vida was so relieved at this good fortune. to think that her despondent boy was once more assured of his rightful position for a whole year, while she was saving her princely wages till she got enough to start another boarding house that would be more like a home. wasn't it all simply too good to be true--wasn't it always darkest just before dawn! i didn't trust myself to answer that letter, beyond wiring her that if she ever felt she was having any really hard luck to be sure and call on me. and she went on working and putting her money by. it was two years later when i next saw her. i looked her up the first thing when i got to new york. she was still accepting a position in this grocery, but of course had changed to a much smaller furnished room where she could be cozy and feed herself from a gas stove on the simple plain foods that one just can't seem to get at high-priced restaurants. she'd changed a lot. lines in her face now, and streaks in her brown hair, and she barely thirty. i made up my mind to do something harsh, but couldn't just tell how to start. she'd had a picture card from her boy the first year, showing the bay of naples and telling how he longed for her; but six months later had come a despondent letter from japan speaking again of the river and saying he often felt like ending it all. only, he might drag out his existence a bit longer because another wealthy old chum was in port and begging him to switch over to his yacht and liven up the party, which was also going round the world--and maybe he would, because "after all, does anything in life really matter?" that was the last line. i read it myself while vida watched me, setting on her little iron bed after work one night. she had a plain little room with no windows but one in the roof, though very tastefully furnished with photos of clyde on every wall. the only other luxury she'd indulged in was a three-dollar revolver because she was deathly afraid of burglars. she'd also bought a hammer to shoot the revolver off with, keeping 'em both on the stand at the head of her bed. yes; she said that was the way the man was firing it off in the advertisement--hitting it on a certain spot with a hammer. she was a reckless little scoundrel. she told me all about how to shoot a revolver while i was thinking up what to say about clyde. i finally said if he had ended it all she must cheer up, because it might be for the best. she considered this sadly and said she didn't believe dear clyde had been prepared to die. i could see she was remembering old things that had been taught her in sabbath school about god and wickedness and the bad place, so i cheered her on that point. i told her they hadn't been burning people for about thirty years now, the same not being considered smart any longer in the best religious circles. i also tried in a delicate manner to convince her that her boy would never end it all by any free act of his. i offered to bet her a large sum of money on this at any odds she wanted--she could write her own ticket. i said i knew men well enough to be certain that with this one it would be a long life but a merry one. gee! the idea of this four-carder hurting himself! and i had to cheer her up on another point. this was that she didn't have about three babies, all the image of their father. yes, sir; she was grieving sorely about that. it give me a new line on her. i saw all at once she was mostly mother--a born one. couldn't ever be anything else and hadn't ever really felt anything but mothersome to this here wandering treasure of hers. it give me kind of a shock. it made me feel so queer i wanted to swear. well, i wrastled with that mulish female seven straight days to make her leave that twelve-hour job of hers and come out here with me. i tried everything. i even told her what with long hours and bum food she was making herself so old that her boy wouldn't give her a second look when he got back. that rattled her. she took hold of her face and said that massage cream would take all those silly lines out when she got time to rub it in properly; and as for the gray in her hair, she could never bring herself to use a dye, but if clyde come back she might apply a little of the magic remedy that restores the natural colour. she also said in plain words that to come out here with me would look like deserting her boy. do you get that? "dear clyde is so sensitive," she says. "i couldn't bear the thought of his coming back and finding that i had left our home." my work was cut for me, all right. i guess i'd failed if i hadn't been helped by her getting a sick spell from worry over what the good god would do to clyde if he should end it all in some nasty old river, and from the grocery being sold to a party that had his own cashier. but i won, she being too sick to hunt another job just then. a least i got a fair compromise. she wouldn't come here to live with me, but she remembered that clyde had often talked of southern california, where he had once gone with genial friends in a private car. he had said that some day when he had acquired the means he would keep a home there. so she was willing to go there herself and start a home for him. i saw it was the best i could get from her, so i applauded. i says: "that's fine. you take this three hundred and eighty dollars you got saved and i'll put a few dollars more with it and get you a little country place down there where you can be out of doors all day and raise oranges and chickens, and enough hogs for table use, and when the dear boy comes back he'll be awful proud of you." "oh, he always was that," says vida. "but i'll go--and i'll always keep a light in the window for him." and a lot of folks say women ought to vote! so we start for los angeles, deserting clyde just as mean as dirt. sure, i went with her! i didn't trust her to finish the trip. as it was, she wanted to get off the train twice before we got to chicago--thinking of the shock to her boy's tender heart if he should come back and find himself deserted. but then, right after we left chicago, she got interested. in the section across from us was a fifty-five-year-old male grouch with a few gray bristles on his head who had been snarling at everyone that come near him ever since the train left new york. the porters and conductors had got so they'd rush by him like they was afraid of getting bit on the arm. he had a gray face that seemed like it had been gouged out of stone. it was like one of these gargles you see on rare old churches in europe. he was just hating everyone in the world, not even playing himself a favourite. and vida had stood his growling as long as she could. having at last give up the notion of tracking back to new york, she plumped herself down in the seat with this raging wild beast and begged for his troubles. i looked to see her tore limb from limb, instead of which in three minutes he was cooing to her in a rocky bass voice. his trouble was lumbago or pleurisy or some misery that kept him every minute in this pernickety state. that was all old mother vida needed to know. she rustled a couple hot-water bags and kept 'em on the ribs of this grouch for about two thousand miles, to say nothing of doping him with asperin and quinine and camphor and menthol and hot tea and soothing words. he was the only son in sight, so he got it good. she simply has to mother something. the grouch got a little human himself the last day out and begun to ask vida questions about herself. being one that will tell any person anything at all, she told him her life history and how her plans was now unsettled, but she hoped to make a home out on this coast. the grouch come right out and asked her how big her roll was, saying he lived out here and it cost something to make a home. vida told him she had her two years' savings of three hundred and eighty good dollars and that i had promised to loan her a few dollars to piece out with. at this the old boy looked me over carefully and could see no signs of vast wealth because i never wear such in pullman cars, so he warns her that i'll have to piece out her savings with a few thousand instead of a few dollars if she's to start anything worth keeping, because what they do to you in taxes down there is a-plenty. after which he goes to sleep. vida moves over and asks what i meant by saying i'd only have to put in a few dollars when i must of known it would take a few thousand, and didn't i realize that clyde would be hurt to the quick if he come back and found she hadn't been independent? she indignantly said she'd have to give up the country place and work till she had enough to start another home for paying guests. i was so mad at this truthful grouch for butting in on my game that i up and told her flat she could never run a boarding house and make it pay; that no woman could who hadn't learned to say "no!" and she was too much of a mush-head for that. she was quite offended by this and says firmness has always been considered a strong point in her personality. a first-class palmist had told her this only two weeks before. while we are squabbling back and forth the grouch wakes up again and says that he's in the moving-picture business and will give her a good job in the wardrobe department of the company he's with, so she must show up there at eight o'clock the next morning. just like that! he didn't ask her. he told her. vida is kind of took off her feet, but mumbles "yes, sir!" and puts his card in her bag. me? i was too mad to talk, seeing the girl get into the mill again when i'd tried so hard to get her out. but i swore to myself i'd stick round and try to get some sense into the cup-custard she called her brain. so the next morning i took her out to this moving-picture joint that they call a studio--not a bit like metta bigler's studio in red gap--and sure enough here's the grouch ready to put vida on a job. the job is in a room about ninety feet long filled with boxes and sewing machines and shelves full of costumes, and vida is to be assistant wardrobe mistress. yes, sir; a regular title for the job. and the pay is twenty-five a week, which is thirteen more than she'd ever dreamed of making before. the grouch is very decent to her and tells everybody she's a friend of his, and they all pay polite attention to him because he's someone important in the works. it seems he's a director. he stands round and yells at the actors how to act, which i had always supposed they knew already but it seems not. anyway, i left vida there to get on to her new duties. she was full of good reports that night about how well she'd got along, and how interesting the work was, and how she'd helped doctor up another boy. she said he was one of the world's greatest actors, because if they give him four or five stiff drinks first he would fall off a forty-foot cliff backwards into the ocean. she'd helped bandage a sprained wrist for him that he got by jumping out of a second-story window in a gripping drama replete with punch and not landing quite right. i said to myself it must be a crazy joint and she'd soon give up and let me get her a nice little place on the edge of town that i'd already looked over. so i let her go three days more, but still she stuck there with great enthusiasm. then i had to be leaving for home, so the afternoon of the fourth day i went out to see for myself how things looked. vida is tickled to see me and takes me right in where they're beginning to act a gripping feature production. old bill grouch is there in front of a three-legged camera barking at the actors that are waiting round in their disguises--with more paint on 'em than even a young girl will use if her mother don't watch her. the grouch is very polite to vida and me and shows us where to stand so we won't get knocked over by other actors that are carrying round furniture and electric light stands and things. they got a parlour in a humble home where the first scene is to be. there's a mother and a fair-haired boy of twenty and a cop that's come to pinch him for a crime. the play at this point is that the mother has to plead with the cop not to drag her boy off to a prison cell, and she has to do it with streaming eyes. it was darned interesting. the boy is standing with bowed head and the cop is looking sympathetic but firm, and mother is putting something into her eyes out of a medicine dropper. i whisper to vida and she says it's glycerine for the tears. she holds her head back when she puts 'em in and they run down her cheeks very lifelike when she straightens up. so mother comes forward with her streaming face and they're all ready to act when the grouch halts things and barks at the boy that he ain't standing right. he goes up and shows him how to stand more shamefully. but the tears on mother's face have dripped away and have to be renewed. she was a nice, kind-appearing mother all right, but i noticed she looked peeved when this delay happened. vida explains that glycerine don't damage the eyes really, but it makes 'em smart a lot, and this actress, miss st. clair, has a right to feel mad over having to put in some more. but she does it, though with low muttering when the grouch calls "all right, miss st. clair!" and is coming forward to act with this here second batch of tears when the grouch stops it with another barking fit. he barks at the policeman this time. he says the policeman must do more acting. "you know you have a boy of your own," says he, "and how you'd hate to have him arrested for this crime, but you're also remembering that law is law and you're sworn to uphold it. try to get that now. all ready, miss st. clair--we're waiting for you, miss st. clair!" i'd watched this actress the second time her tears was spoiled and her expression didn't fit a loving mother's face one bit. her breath come as in scenes of tense emotion, but she hotly muttered something that made me think i must of misunderstood her, because no lady actress would say it, let alone a kind old mother. however, she backs off and for the third time has this medicine dropper worked on her smarting eyes. once more she comes forward with streaming eyes of motherly love, and i'm darned if this grouch don't hold things up again. this time he's barking about a leather sofa against the far wall of the humble home. he says it's an office sofa and where in something is the red plush one that belongs to the set? he's barking dangerously at everyone round him when all at once he's choked off something grand by the weeping mother that has lost her third set of tears. she was wiping glycerine off her face and saying things to the grouch that must of give him a cold chill for a minute. i'm sometimes accused of doing things with language myself, but never in my life have i talked so interestingly--at least not before ladies. not that i blamed her. everyone kept still with horror till she run down; it seems it's a fierce crime in that art to give a director what's coming to him. the policeman and the erring son was so scared they just stood there acting their parts and the grouch was frozen with his mouth half open. probably he hadn't believed it at first. then all at once he smiled the loveliest smile you ever seen on a human face and says in chilled tones: "that will be all, miss st. clair! we will trouble you no further in this production." his words sounded like cracking up a hunk of ice for the cocktail shaker. miss st. clair then throws up her arms and rushes off, shrieking to the limit of a bully voice. it was an exciting introduction for me to what they call the silent drama. then i looked at vida and she was crying her eyes out. i guessed it was from sympathy with the mother actress, but the grouch also stares at her with his gimlet eyes and says: "here, don't you waste any tears on her. that's all in the day's work." "i--wasn't thinking of her," sobs vida. "then what you crying for?" says he. "for that poor dear boy that's being dragged from his mother to prison for some childish prank," she blubbers. me, i laughed right out at the little fool, but the director didn't laugh. "well, i'll be damned!" says he in low, reverent tones. then he begins to look into her face like he'd lost something there. then he backed off and looked into it a minute more. then he went crazy all over the place. "here," he barks at another actress, "get this woman into your dressing room and get the number five on her quick. make her up for this part, understand? you there, eddie, run get that calico skirt and black-satin waist off miss st. clair and hustle 'em over to miss harcourt's room, where this lady will be making up. come on now! move! work quick! we can't be on this scene all day." then, when everybody run off, he set down on the red plush sofa that was now in place, relighted a cigar that smelled like it had gone out three days before, and grinned at me in an excited manner. "your little friend is a find," he says. "mark my words, mrs. pettijohn, she's got a future or i don't know faces. she'll screen well, and she's one of the few that can turn on the tears when she wants to. i always did hate glycerine in this art. now if only i can get her camera wise--and i'll bet i can! lucky we'd just started on this piece when st. clair blew up. only one little retake, where she's happy over her boy's promotion in the factory. she's bound to get away with that; then if she can get the water again for this scene it will be all over but signing her contract." i was some excited myself by this time, you'd better believe. nervous as a cat i found myself when vida was led out in the sad mother's costume by this other actress that had made her up. but vida wasn't nervous the least bit. she was gayly babbling that she'd always wanted to act, and once she had played a real part in a piece they put on at odd fellows' hall in fredonia, and she had done so well that even the methodist minister said she was as good as the actress he saw in lawrence barrett's company before he was saved; and he had hoped she wouldn't be led away by her success and go on the real stage, because he could not regard it as a safe pursuit for young persons of her sex, owing to there being so little home life--and now what did she do first? this director had got very cold and businesslike once more. "stop talking first," says he. "don't let me hear another word from you. and listen hard. you're sitting in your humble home sewing a button on your boy's coat. he's your only joy in life. there's the coat and the button half sewed on with the needle and thread sticking in it. sit down and sew that button on as if you were doing it for your own son. no pretending, mind you. sew it on as if--" he hesitated a minute and got a first-class inspiration. "sew it on as if it was a button on your husband's coat that you told me about. every two or three stitches look up to show us how happy you are. when you get it sewed, take the coat up this way and hug it. you look still happier at that. then you walk over to the mantel, pick up the photograph of your boy that's there by that china dog and kiss it. i won't tell you how to do that. remember who he is and do it your own way, only let us see your face. then put back the picture slowly, go get the coat, and start to the left as if you were going to hang it up in his room; but you hear steps on the stair outside and you know your boy has come home from work. we see that because your face lights up. stand happy there till he comes in. "you expect him to rush over to you as usual, but he's cast down; something has happened. you get a shock of fright. walk over to him--slow; you're scared. get your arms round him. he stiffens at first, then leans on you. he's crying himself now, but you ain't--not yet. you're brave because you don't know about this fight he's had with the foreman that's after your boy's sweetheart for no good purpose. "now go through it that far and see if you remember everything i told you. when we get down to the crying scene after the officer comes on, i'll rehearse you in that too, only for god's sake don't cry in the rehearsal! you'll go dry. now then! coat--button--sewing. goon!" well, sir, i stood there trembling like a leaf while she went through what he'd told her like she'd been at it all her life--or rather like it was her dear clyde's coat and her dear clyde's photo and her dear clyde that come in the door. then he rehearsed her in the end of the scene where the cop comes on, and she got that, too, though alarming him because she couldn't even rehearse it without crying. i could see this director was nervous himself by this time, thinking she was too good to be true. but he got her into the chair sewing again, all ready for the real work. "remember only three things," he says: "don't look at this machine, move slowly when you move at all, and don't try to act. now then! camera!" it was a historic occasion, all right. the lad at the camera begun to turn a crank and vida begun to act like she wasn't acting at all. the director just give her a low word when she had to move. he didn't bark now. and say, that crying scene! darned if i didn't near cry myself looking at her, and i heard this stonefaced director breathing mighty short when she had to stand there with her hands clenched and watch her boy go out the door with this cop. vida was too excited to sleep that night. she said the director had advised her privately not to make a contract just yet, because she would get better terms when she'd showed 'em what she could really do. for this picture she would get paid seventy-five dollars a week. a week, mind you, to a girl that had been thinking herself lucky to get twelve in new york. she was very let down and happy, and cried a little bit out of working hours for me because it was all so wonderful, and her drowned boy might be resting on some river bottom at that very moment. i said it was a safe bet he was resting, wherever he was; but she didn't get it and i didn't say it twice. and such was the beginning of vida sommers' glittering sob career in the movies. she's never had but one failure and they turned that into a success. it seems they tried her in one of these "should a wife forgive?" pieces in which the wife did not forgive, for a wonder, and she made a horrible mess of it. she was fine in the suffering part, of course, only when it come to not forgiving at the end--well, she just didn't know how to not forgive. they worked with her one whole day, then had to change the ending. she's said to be very noble and womanly in it. i went home next day, leaving her in pursuit of her art. but i got glowing letters from her about every week, she doing new pictures and her salary jumping because other film parties was naturally after so good a weeper. and the next year i run down to see her. she was a changed woman all right. she had a home or bungalow, a car, a fashionable dog, a jap cook, a maid and real gowns for the first time in her life. but the changes was all outside. she was still the same vida that wanted to mother every male human on earth. she never seemed to worry about girls and women; her idea is that they're able to look out for themselves, but that men are babies needing a mother's protection as long as they live. and of course one of these men she had mothered down there had took a base advantage of her--this same ugly old grouch of a director. she locked the bedroom door and told me about it in horrified whispers the first night i got there. she said it might of been her fault, that he might of misunderstood something she had said about clyde. and anyway she'd ought to of remembered that some men are beasts at heart. anyway, this infamous brute had come to the house one night and insulted her in the grossest manner, and it was all true about moving-picture directors having designs on unprotected females that work for 'em. yielding to his lowest brute instincts he had thrown decency to the winds and made her such an evil proposition that she could hardly bear to put it in words. but she did. it seems that the scoundrel had listened to some studio gossip to the effect that she had divorced the husband who deserted her, and so he come right out and said he had been deeply in love with her ever since that first day on the train, and now that she was free, would she marry him? of course she was insulted to the limit and told him so in what would probably of made a gripping scene of a good woman spurning the advances of a moral leper. she overwhelmed him with scorn and horror for his foul words. how dared he say her clyde had deserted her, or think she would ever divorce him! that showed, what a vile mind he must have. she said he got awful meek and apologetic when he learned that she still clung to the memory of clyde, who would one day fight his way back to her if he hadn't ended it all. she told him fully what a perfect man clyde was, and she said at last the ugly old wretch just grinned weakly at her in a very painful way, like it hurt him, and said: "oh, my dearest, you must try to forgive me. i didn't know--i didn't know half the truth." then he patted her hand and patted her cheek and choked up and swallowed a couple of times, and says he: "i was an old man dreaming and dreams make fools of old men!" then he swallowed again and stumbled out through her garden where the orange blossoms had just come. she said he'd never been offensive since that time, barking as nasty to her as to any of the others when she was acting, so that no one would dream what a foul heart he had, except that he always kept a bunch of white roses in her dressing room. but she hadn't cared to make him trouble about that because maybe he was honestly trying to lead a better life. some entertainment vida give me, telling this, setting on her bed under a light that showed up more lines than ever in her face. she was looking close to forty now--i guess them crying scenes had told on her, and her yearning for the lost clyde--anyway she was the last woman on earth could of got herself insulted even if she had tried her prettiest, only she didn't know that. and she'd had her little thrill. we've all dreamed of how we'd some day turn down some impossible party who was overcome by our mere beauty. i said i'd always known this director was an unspeakable scoundrel, because he insisted on calling me mrs. pettijohn. then we had a nice talk about clyde. she'd had no word for a year now, the last being a picture card saying he would spend the winter in egypt with some well-known capitalists that wouldn't take no for an answer. and did i believe he might now be wandering over the face of the earth, sick and worn, and trying to get back to her; didn't i think some day he would drag himself to her door, a mere wreck of his former self, to be soothed at last on her breast? that was why she kept a light burning in the front window of this here bungalow. he would know she had waited. well, i'd never said a word against clyde except in conversation with myself, and i wasn't going to break out now. i did go so far as to hint that an article that had come out about her in this same magazine might draw clyde back a little quicker than the light in the window. the article said her salary was enormous. i thought its rays might carry. so i come home again and near a year later i get a telegram from vida: "happy at last--my own has come home to me." i threw up my hands and swore when i read this. the article had said her salary was seven hundred and fifty dollars a week. the next winter i run down to see the happy couple. vida was now looking a good forty, but clyde was actually looking younger than ever; not a line nor a wrinkle to show how he had grieved for her, and not a sign of writer's cramp from these three picture cards he had sent her in five years. she'd been afraid he'd come back worn to the bone. but listen! by the time i got there clyde was also drawing money. he'd felt a little hurt at first to find his wife a common actress, and asked to see her contract because you couldn't believe what you see in these magazines. then he'd gone round the lot and got to be an actor himself. i gathered that he hadn't been well liked by the men at first, and two or three other directors, when vida insisted he should have a chance to act, had put him into rough-house funny plays where he got thrown downstairs or had bricks fall on him, or got beat up by a willing ex-prize fighter, or a basket of eggs over his head, or custard pies in his perfect features, with bruises and sprains and broken bones and so forth--i believe the first week they broke everything but his contract. anyway, when he begun to think he wasn't meant for this art, who steps in but this same director that had made such a beast of himself with vida? he puts clyde into a play in which vida is the mother and clyde is the noble son that takes the crime on his shoulders to screen the brother of the girl he loves, and it was an awful hit. naturally vida was never so good before and clyde proved to be another find. he can straighten up and look nobler when he's wrongfully accused of a crime than any still actor i ever see. he's got now to where they have to handle him with gloves or he'd leave 'em flat and go with another company. vida wrote me only last week that they had a play for him where he's cast off on a desert island with a beautiful but haughty heiress, and they have to live there three months subsisting on edible foods which are found on all desert islands. but clyde had refused the part because he would have to grow whiskers in this three months. he said he had to think of his public, which would resent this hideous desecration. he thought up a bully way to get out of it. he said he'd let the whiskers grow for a few scenes and then find a case of safety razors washed ashore, so he could shave himself just before the haughty millionaire's daughter confessed that she had loved him from the first and the excursion steamer come up to rescue 'em. i believe he now admits frankly that he wrote most of the play, or at least wrote the punch into it. a very happy couple they are, clyde having only one vice, which is candy that threatens his waistline. vida keeps a sharp watch on him, but he bribes people to sneak chocolate creams into his dressing room. the last night i was there he sung "good-night, good-night, beloved!" so well that i choked up myself. of course women are crazy about him; but that don't bother vida a little bit. she never wanted a husband anyway--only a son. and clyde must have had something wake up in his brain them years he was away. he had a queer look in his eyes one night when he said to me--where vida couldn't hear: "yes, other women have loved me, but she--she knows me and loves me!" it's the only thing i ever heard him utter that would show he might be above a pet kitten in intellect. and, of course, these letters he gets don't mean anything in his life but advertising--oh, yes! i forgot to tell you that his stage name is j. harold armytage. he thought it up himself. and the letters coming in by the bushel really make vida proud. in her heart she's sorry for the poor fools because they can't have as much of dear clyde as she has. she says she's never deserved her present happiness. i never know whether i agree with her or not. she's a queer one. darned if she don't make a person think sometimes--listening to her chatter--that there must be something kind of decent about human nature after all! iii red gap and the big-league stuff i waited beside ma pettengill at the open door of the arrowhead ranch house. it was a moment of tranquil expectancy; presently we would be summoned to the evening meal. down by the barn a tired janizary pumped water into a trough for two tired mules still in harness. halfway down the lane, before a mirror tacked to the wall beside the bunk-house door, two men hurriedly combed their damp hair. blackbirds were still noisy in the poplars. in the field at our left a lazy lot of white-faced cattle, large and placid, lolled or grazed on the new spring grass. surveying these cattle with a fond eye--had she not that day refused all of three hundred and twenty-five dollars a head for a score of these pure-bred cows?--my hostess read me a brief lecture on the superior fleshing disposition of the hereford. no better rustler under range conditions, said she, accumulating flesh at all ages, storing it in seasons of plenty to draw on in seasons of want. hadn't i noticed how common cows got paunchy and how well the fat was distributed on the pure-breds? i had not noticed, cows being more or less cows to me, but i was prepared to look with deep respect upon any cow for which three hundred and twenty-five dollars could be sanely refused, and i now did so. i was told that i forgot their calves, which would be worth a hundred and sixty dollars the day they were weaned. this made it all more impressive. i looked respectfully again at the bulky creatures, though listening, too, for the stealthy-stepping lew wee; a day in the thin spring air along a rocky trout stream had made even cattle on the hoof suggestive. ma pettengill, with a last proud look at her jewels, swept the panoramic camera of her eye round to the blacksmith shop on our right. before it were strewn the mutilated remains of four wood wagons. i had lately heard the lady have words with abner, the blacksmith, concerning repairs to these. abner himself had few of the words. they were almost entirely his employer's. they were acutely to the effect that these here wagons would be running again before the week was out or she would know the reason why. the aggrieved abner had tried to suggest that this reason she would know would not be the right reason at all, because wasn't he already working like a beaver? possibly, said the lady. and beavers might be all right in their place. what she needed at this precise time was someone working like a blacksmith--someone! over her shoulder she had flung the word at him, blackened with emphasis. "any one hurt in the runaway?" i asked, observing her glance to linger upon this snarl of wagon parts. "four wagons was mortally hurt," said the lady, "but of course not a mule skinner touched. talk about charmed lives! besides, they wasn't accidents; they was just incidents. it was part of our winter sports." "i didn't know you had winter sports up here." "i didn't either till i got down to red gap last winter and found out that was what we had been having. here i been gritting along winter after winter, calling it work, and come to find out it's what parties go a long distance to indulge in and have to wear careful clothes for it. yes, sir; society is mad about it. red gap itself was mad about it last winter, when it got a taste of the big-league stuff. next winter i'll try to get the real sporting spirit into this gang of sedentaries up here; buy 'em uniforms and start a winter-sports club. their ideal winter sport so far is to calk up every chink in the bunk house, fill the air-tight stove full of pitch pine and set down with a good book by elinor glyn. they never been at all mad about romping out in the keen frosty air that sets the blood tingling and brings back the roses to their wan cheeks. "take last winter. not knowing it was sport it seemed at times like toil. first it snowed early and caught a lot of my cows and calves in the mountains. while we sported round with these, working 'em down into the valley, the weather changed. it snowed harder. just oodles of the most perfectly darling snow. then distemper broke out among the saddle horses. then being already shorthanded, what does the fool vaquero boss do but pick a splinter out of his thumb with a pin and get blood poison enough to lay him off? too much trouble for cussing. i tried that out scientifically. so i had to get out and make a hand. if i heard someone say i did as much as any three of these mollycoddles up here i'd just simper in silence and look down. only i wish i'd known it was a fashionable winter sport. i'd of been more carefree. "then come the best of our winter sports--wood hauling through the drifts over a rocky road down the mountains. my lands, but it was jolly! on a quiet day there'd be only one runaway, one wagon fetched to the shop in sections, like a puzzle. then another day all hands would seem to be quite mad about the sport, and nothing but the skinners and the mules would get back to camp that night--with the new outfit of harness and the hoodlum wagon going back next morning to see what could be salvaged. "finally we got the cows and calves home, got our wood in and started a general rodeo for the dry stock--nature's fleecy mantle getting thicker every minute. and none of us ever suspecting that it was a sport only the wealthy have a right to. if i'd suggested building an ice palace as a sporty wind-up i'll bet the help wouldn't of took it right. anyway, i didn't. with everything under shelter or fence at last i fled down to red gap, where i could lead a quiet life suitable to one of my years--where i thought i could." from the doorway lew wee softly called, "you come now!" we both heard him. inside my hostess stealthily closed the door upon the gentle spring night; closed and locked it. furtively she next drew curtains over the two windows. then, candle in hand, she went lightly across the big living room to a stern and businesslike safe that stands against the farther wall. kneeling before this she rapidly twirled the lock to a series of mystic numbers and opened the formidable doors. "leave us keep the home fires burning," said she impressively, and withdrew from an exposed cavern a bottle of scotch whisky. standing before the safe we drank chattily. we agreed that prohibition was a good thing for the state of washington. we said we were glad to deny ourselves for the sake of those weaker natures lacking self-control, including mr. bryan, whom the lady characterized as "just a water-spout." the bottle restored to security my hostess shut the thick doors upon it and twirled the lock. then she raised the curtains and reopened the door to the innocent spring night, after which we sat to our meatless and wheatless repast. in place of meat we sternly contented ourselves with stewed chicken, certain of the arrowhead fowls having refused to do their bit in eggs and now paying the penalty in a crisis when something is expected from everyone. in place of wheat we merely had corn muffins of a very coaxing perfection. even under these hardships i would patriotically practice the gospel of the clean plate. as her exploring spoon wandered over the platter of half-submerged chicken ma pettengill casually remarked that carefree bohemians was always the first to suffer under prohibition, and that you couldn't have a really good latin quarter in a dry town. i let it go. i must always permit her certain speeches of seeming irrelevance before she will consent to tell me all. thus a moment later as she lavished valuable butter fat upon one of the spirituelle muffins she communicated the further item that cousin egbert floud still believed bohemians was glass blowers, he having seen a troupe of such at the world's fair. he had, it is true, known some section hands down on the narrow gauge that was also bohemians, but bohemians of any class at all was glass blowers, and that was an end of it. no use telling him different, once he gets an idea into his poor old head. this, too, i let pass, overcome for the moment by the infatuating qualities of the chicken stew. but when appetites, needlessly inflamed by the lawless tippling, had at last been appeased and the lady had built her first cigarette i betrayed a willingness to hear more of the hinted connection between winter sports and latin quarters peopled by bohemians, glass-blowing or otherwise. the woman chuckled privately through the first cigarette, adeptly fashioned another, removed to a rocking-chair before the open fire and in a businesslike fervour seized a half-knitted woollen sock, upon which she fell to work. she now remarked that there must be along the front millions of sweaters and wristlets and mufflers and dewdads that it looked well to knit in public, so it seemed to be up to her to supply a few pairs of socks. she said you naturally couldn't expect these here society dames that knitted in theatres and hotel corridors to be knitting anything so ugly as socks, even if they would know how to handle four needles, which they mostly wouldn't; but someone had to do it. without the slightest change of key she added that it was a long story and painful in spots, but had a happy ending, and she didn't know as she minded telling me. so i come down to red gap about december first hoping to hole up for the winter and get thoroughly warmed through before spring. little did i know our growing metropolis was to be torn by dissension until you didn't know who was speaking to who. and all because of a lady bohemian from washington square, new york city, who had crept into our midst and started a latin quarter overnight. the first day i was downtown i overheard two ladies saying something about the new latin quarter. that mystified me, because i knew the town had been lidded tight since lon price went out of office as mayor. then i meet mrs. judge ballard in the boston cash store and she says have i met a miss smith from new york who is visiting here. i said i had not. it didn't sound exciting. some way "a miss smith" don't excite you overly, no matter where she hails from. so i dismissed that and went on with my shopping. next i meet egbert floud, who is also down for the winter to rest beside a good coal stove, and we ask each other what's the good word and is anything new. cousin egbert says nothing is new in red gap except a bohemian glass blower from grinitch village, new york. he says he ain't seen her blow glass yet, but he's going some night, because them bohemian glass blowers down to the fair was right fascinating, and don't i think grinitch is a bum name for a town? he says when i see this glass blower i'll feel like asking animal, vegetable, or mineral, because he has seen her in the post office with metta bigler and she looks like a nut. i tell the poor old zany he sounds simple-minded himself and i can't make a lick of sense out of what he's said, except i know this village ain't spelled that way. he's telling me that's the way it's spoken anyway, and about how he brought home a glass watch chain that these bohemians blowed at the fair, when along come metta bigler herself and stops to shake hands, so cousin egbert slinks off. i got to tell you about metta. she's our artist; gives lessons in oil painting and burnt wood and other refinements. people can take six lessons off metta and go home and burn all the indian heads on leather sofa pillows that you'd ever want to see. also she can paint a pink fish and a copper skillet and a watermelon with one slice cut out as good as any one between here and spokane. she's a perfectly good girl, falling on thirty, refers to herself without a pang as a bachelor girl, and dresses as quiet as even a school-teacher has to in a small town. well, metta rushes up to me now, all glowing and girlish, and says i must come to her studio that very afternoon and meet her dear old chum, vernabelle smith, that is visiting her from washington square, new york. she and vernabelle met when they were completing their art education in the latin quarter of chicago, and vernabelle had gone down to new york and got into all the new movements and among people who was doing things, and was now very, very advanced being what you might call an intellectual; but i would be sure to like her because she was so delightfully bohemian, not standing on ceremony but darting straight to the heart of life, which is so complex to most of us who live within convention's shell and never get in touch with the great throbbing centre of things. she didn't say what things. it was a new line of chatter from metta. usually she'd have been telling me her troubles with chinese help, or what a robber the square deal meat market was, or, at the most, how her fruit-and-fish piece had carried off the first prize of twenty dollars at the kulanche county fair. so i say i'll be sure to look in on her and her new friend. i reckoned she must be the miss smith and the glass blower i'd already heard about that morning. of course "miss smith" didn't sound like much, but vernabelle smith was different. that name vernabelle made all the difference in the world. you sort of forgot the ensuing smith. that same afternoon about four p.m. i dropped round to the bigler house. metta's mother let me in. she's a neat and precise old lady with careful hair, but she looked scared as she let me in and led me to the door of metta's studio, which is a big room at the back of the house. she didn't go in herself. she pulled it open and shut it on me quick, like it was a lion's den or something. all the curtains was down, candles lighted, and the room not only hot but full of cigarette smoke and smoke from about forty of these here punk sticks that smoldered away on different perches. it had the smell of a nice hot chinese laundry on a busy winter's night. about eight or ten people was huddled round the couch, parties i could hardly make out through this gas attack, and everyone was gabbling. metta come forward to see who it was, then she pulled something up out of the group and said "meet dear vernabelle." well, she was about metta's age, a short thirty, a kind of a slaty blonde with bobbed hair--she'd been reached fore and aft--and dressed mostly in a pale-blue smock and no stockings. nothing but sandals. i could hardly get my eyes off her feet at first. very few of our justly famous sex can afford to brave the public gaze without their stockings on. vernabelle could ill afford it. she was skinny, if you know what i mean, lots of tendons and so forth, though i learned later that vernabelle called it being willowy. she had slaty-gray eyes and a pale, dramatic face with long teeth and a dignified and powerful-looking nose. she was kind of hungry-looking or soulful or something. and she wore about two yards of crockery necklace that rattled when she moved. sounded like that chinaman with his dishes out there in the kitchen. i learned later that this was art jewellery. vernabelle greeted me with many contortions like she was taking an exercise and said she had heard so much about me and how interesting it was to meet one who did things. i said i was merely in the cattle business. she said "how perfect!" and clasped her hands in ecstasy over the very idea. she said i was by way of being the ideal type for it. and did i employ real cowboys; and they, too, must be fascinating, because they did things. i said they did if watched; otherwise not. and did i acquire an ascendancy over their rough natures. i said we quickly parted forever if i didn't do that. then she clanked across to the couch, where she set down on her feet. i give her credit for that much judgment. that girl never did just plain set down. it was either on one foot or on both feet, or she draped herself along the furniture to show how willowy she could be without its hurting. she now lighted a new cigarette from her old one and went on telling the fish-faces about her how little colour she had found here. she said we was by way of being a mere flat expanse in dull tints. but what could be expected of a crude commercialism where the arts was by way of being starved. ah, it was so different from dear old washington square, where one was by way of being at the heart of life. it took me some time to get this by-way-of-being stuff, but the others was eating it up. metta bigler hovered round proud as lucifer and trying to smoke for the first time in her life, though making poor work of it, like she was eating the cigarette and every now and then finding bits she couldn't swallow, and holding it off at arm's length in between bites. mrs. henrietta templeton price was making better work of the cigarettes, and beryl mae macomber, a wealthy young society heiress and debutante, aged seventeen, was saying that she had always felt this lack in red gap and would of been in the movies long since if her aunt had listened to reason. the only man present was edgar tomlinson, who is red gap's most prominent first-nighter and does the lounger-in-the-lobby column for the recorder, reviewing all the new films in an able and fearless manner. edgar was looking like he had come into his own at last. he was wearing a flowing tie and a collar that hardly come higher than his chest and big wind shields on a black cord, and had his hair mussed up like a regular bohemian in a sunday paper. vernabelle was soon telling him how refreshing it was to meet away out here one who was by way of doing things, and she had read that very morning his review of the film entitled a sister of sin, and had found it masterly in its clear-cut analysis, but why did he waste himself here when the great world lay open. edgar thrust back his falling hair with a weary hand and tried to look modest, but it was useless. vernabelle devoted most of her chat to edgar. she was an incessant person but it seemed to take a man to bring out all that was best in her. pretty soon metta went over to a table and brought back some glasses of wine on a tray, of which all partook with more or less relish. i recognized it from the bottle. it was elderberry wine that metta's mother had put up. you have to be resourceful in a dry state. "i'm afraid you'll all think me frightfully bohemian," said metta proudly. beryl mae held her glass up to the light and said, "after all, does anything in life really matter?" she appeared very blase in all her desperate young beauty. she and edgar tomlinson looked as near right as anything you'd see in washington square. vernabelle said the true spirit of bohemia knew neither time nor place; it was wherever those gathered who were doing things, and wasn't it splendid that even here in this crude western town a few of the real sort could meet and make their own little quarter and talk about the big things, the lasting things! everyone said yes, quite so; and they all tried to handle their wine like it was a rare old vintage. but you can't hold much wassail on the juice of the elderberry; it ain't the most jocund stuff the world as fermented by metta's mother. however, it livened things up a bit and vernabelle set down her glass and chattered some more. she said after all life was anything but selective, but didn't we think that all the arts rounded out one's appreciation of the beautiful. several said "how true--how true indeed!" and sighed importantly. then metta said vernabelle must show us some of her work and vernabelle said she could hardly bring herself to do that; but yet she could and did, getting up promptly. she had designs for magazine covers and designs for war posters and designs for mural decorations and designs for oil paintings and so forth--"studies; crude, unfinished bits" she called 'em, but in a tone that didn't urge any one else to call 'em that. it was mostly clouds and figures of females, some with ladies' wearing apparel and many not, engaged in dancing or plucking fruit or doing up their hair. quite different stuff from metta's innocent pictures of kittens and grapes and daffodils. after everyone was put on the easel henrietta templeton price would stick her thumb up in the air and sight across it with one eye shut and say "a stunning bit, that!" and the others would gasp with delight and mutter to each other about its being simply wonderful. vernabelle listened in an all-too-negligent manner, putting in a tired word or two now and then. she admitted that one or two was by way of being precious bits. "rather precious in an elemental way," she would say. "of course i am trying to develop the psychology of the line." everyone said "oh, of course!" while she had one up showing part of a mottled nude lady who was smiling and reaching one hand up over to about where her shoulder blades would meet in the back, who should be let in on the scene but lon price and cousin egbert floud. lon had called for henrietta, and cousin egbert had trailed along, i suppose, with glass blowing in mind. vernabelle forgot her picture and fluttered about the two new men. i guess lon price is a natural-born bohemian. he took to her at once. "sit here and tell me all about yourself," says vernabelle, and lon did so while the girl hung breathless on his words. in no time at all he was telling her about price's addition to red gap, how you walk ten blocks and save ten dollars a block and your rent money buys a home in this, the choicest villa site on god's green earth. vernabelle had sort of kept hold of cousin egbert's sleeve with an absent hand--that girl was a man hound if ever there was one--and pretty soon she turned from lon to egbert and told him also to tell her all about himself. cousin egbert wasn't so glib as lon. he looked nervous. he'd come expecting a little glass blowing and here was something strange. he didn't seem to be able to tell her all about himself. he couldn't start good. "tell me what you are reading, then," says vernabelle; and cousin egbert kind of strangled at this, too. he finally manages to say that he tried to read shakespere once but it was too fine print. the old liar! he wouldn't read a line of shakespere in letters a foot high. it just showed that he, too, was trying to bluff along with the rest of 'em on this bohemian chatter. vernabelle continued full of blandishment for the two men and poured 'em out stiff hookers of this demon elderberry wine and lighted cigarettes for 'em from hers. i don't know whether this beverage got to lon price or not, but in a minute he was telling her that beauty in her sex was a common-enough heritage, but how all-too rare it was to find beauty and brains in the same woman! vernabelle called him comrade after that, and then she was telling cousin egbert that he was of the great outdoors--a man's man! egbert looked kind of silly and puzzled at this. he didn't seem to be so darned sure about it. then vernabelle worked over by the easel--it took her about six attitudes leaning against things, to get there--and showed her oil paintings to the newcomers. lon price was full of talk and admiration and said she must do a poster for him showing a creature of rare beauty up in the clouds beckoning home-buyers out to price's addition, where it was big lots, little payments, and all nature seemed to smile. he said this figure, however, had better have something in the shape of a garment on it because the poster would go into homes where art in its broader extent was still regarded in a suspicious or even hostile manner, if she caught what he meant. the artist says she can readily understand, and that life after all is anything but selective. cousin egbert just looked at the pictures in an uncomfortable manner. he spoke only once and that was about the mottled lady reaching over her shoulder and smiling. "grinitch," says he with a knowing leer. but vernabelle only says, yes, it was painted in the dear old village. then the crowd sort of got together on the couch and in chairs and vernabelle talked for one and all. she said how stimulating it was for a few of the real people who did things to come together in this way after the day's turmoil--to get away from it all! beryl mae said she had often wanted to get away from it all, but her aunt was narrow-minded. henrietta price lighted her ninth cigarette and said how it reminded her of the latin quarter of paris, which she had never been to, but her cousin had spent a whole afternoon there once and had been simply wild about it. vernabelle said it was times like this, with a few real people, that she got her biggest ideas; that life in the rough was too terribly a labyrinth, didn't we think, stunning one with its immensity, while in these dear little half-lighted moments the real came out unafraid, if we understood what she meant. many of us said we did. it was when we got up to go that vernabelle told me things about cousin egbert. she said he must have great reserve strength in his personality. she said he fairly frightened her, he was so superbly elemental. "it is not so much mr. floud that frightens me," says she, "as the inevitability of him--just beautifully that! and such sang fraw!" poor egbert was where he had to overhear this, and i had never seen him less sang fraw--if that's the word. he looked more like a case of nettle rash, especially when vernabelle gripped his hand at parting and called him comrade! we finally groped our way through the smoke of the door and said what a lovely time we'd had, and metta said we must make a practice of dropping in at this hour. vernabelle called us all comrade and said the time had been by way of being a series of precious moments to her, even if these little studio affairs did always leave poor her like a limp lily. yep; that's the term she used and she was draped down a bookcase when she said it, trying to look as near as possible like a limp lily. the awestruck group split up outside. nothing like this had ever entered our dull lives, and it was too soon to talk about it. cousin egbert walked downtown with me and even he said only a few little things. he still called the lady a glass blower, and said if she must paint at all why not paint family pictures that could be hung in the home. he said, what with every barroom in the state closed, there couldn't be much demand for them grinitch paintings. he also said, after another block, that if he owned this lady and wanted to get her in shape to sell he'd put her out on short sand grass, short almost to the roots, where she'd wear her teeth down. and a block later he said she hadn't ought to be calling everyone comrade that way--it sounded too much like a german. still and all, he said, there was something about her. he didn't say what. so now the latin quarter had begun, and in no time at all it was going strong. it seemed like everybody had long been wanting to get away from it all but hadn't known how. they gathered daily in metta's studio, the women setting round in smocks, they all took to wearing smocks, of course, while hungry-eyed vernabelle got the men to tell her all about themselves, and said wasn't it precious that a few choice spirits could thus meet in the little half-lighted hour, away from it all, and be by way of forgetting that outer world where human souls are bartered in the market place. of course the elderberry wine was by way of giving plumb out after the second half-lighted hour, but others come forward with cherished offerings. mrs. dr. percy hailey martingale brought round some currant wine that had been laid down in her cellar over a year ago, and beryl mae macomber pilfered a quart of homemade cherry brandy that her aunt had been saving against sickness, and even mrs. judge ballard kicked in with some blackberry cordial made from her own berries, though originally meant for medicine. lon price was a feverish bohemian from the start, dropping in almost every day to tell vernabelle all about himself and get out of convention's shell into the raw throb of life, as it was now being called. lon always was kind of light-minded, even after the state went dry. he told vernabelle he had a treasured keepsake hid away which he would sacrifice to bohemia at the last moment, consisting of one quart bottle of prime old rye. and he was going to make over to her a choice building lot in price's addition, right near the proposed site of the carnegie library, if vernabelle would put up something snappy on it in the way of a latin quarter bungalow. lon also added jeff tuttle to the bohemians the day that old horned toad got down from his ranch. after going once jeff said darned if he hadn't been a bohemian all his life and never knew what was the matter with him. vernabelle had him telling her all about himself instantly. she said he was such a colourful bit, so virile and red-blooded, and she just knew that when he was in his untamed wilderness he put vine leaves in his hair and went beautifully barefoot. she said it wasn't so much him as the inevitability of him. she'd said this about cousin egbert, too, but she was now saying of this old silly that he had a nameless pathos that cut to her artist's heart. it seems cousin egbert had gone round a couple times more looking for glass blowing and getting disappointed. and there was new bohemians every day. otto gashwiler, that keeps books for the canning factory, and hugo jennings, night clerk of the occidental hotel, was now prominent lights of the good old latin quarter passing their spare moments there where they could get away from it all, instead of shaking dice at the owl cigar store, like they used to. and oswald cummings of the elite bootery, was another. oswald is a big fair-haired lummox that sings tenor in the presbyterian choir and has the young men's bible class in the sabbath school. vernabelle lost no time in telling him that he was oh, so frankly a pagan creature, born for splendid sins; and otto seemed to believe it for a couple of weeks, going round absent like as if trying to think up some sins that would be splendid, though if any one but a bohemian had told him this he'd have blushed himself to death. it shows you what a hold vernabelle was by way of getting on red gap. it was sure one season of triumph for metta bigler, who lurked proudly in the background as manager. metta's mother wasn't near so thrilled as metta, though. she confided to me that bohemians was a messy lot to clean up after, raining cigarette ashes over everything; and also it was pretty hard to have raised a child to metta's age only to see her become a cigarette fiend overnight, and having these mad revels with currant wine and other intoxicants--and metta was even using a lip stick! and metta's mother wasn't the only one in town looking sidewise at these bohemian doings. there was them that held aloof from the beginning and would give their bitter reasons at every opportunity. these was the ultra-conservative element of the north side set, and what they said about the new latin quarter was a plenty. they said it was mostly an excuse for drunken orgies in which all sense of decency was cast aside, to say nothing of cigarettes being brazenly smoked by so-called ladies. they said this here talk about getting away from it all meant the ruin of the home upon which all durable civilization must be built; and as for wives and mothers going round without their stockings look at what befell proud rome! and it was time something was done to stem this tide of corruption. mrs. cora wales and mrs. tracy bangs, president and vice-president of our anti-tobacco league, was the leaders of this movement and sent in a long complaint to the chamber of commerce urging instant action or a foul blot would be splashed on the fair name of our city, to say nothing of homes being broken up. they was ably backed up in this move by a committee from the civic purity league. and of course this added to the attractions of the latin quarter, giving each bohemian a new thrill. vernabelle said it was by way of being ancient history; that from time immemorial these little groups of choice spirits who did things had been scorned and persecuted, but that every true bohemian would give a light laugh and pursue his carefree way, regardless of the philistine and so it went, venomous on both sides, but with vernabelle holding the bridge. she'd brought new stuff to town and had a good working majority in favour of it. downtown one day i met metta in the red front grocery buying olives and sardines in an excited way. i suppose it's for one of her unspeakable orgies, but she tells me it's something special and i must be sure to come. "dear vernabelle," she says, "has consented to give an evening cycle of dance portrayals for just a few of the choicer spirits. i know there has been dreadful talk about our little group, but this will be a stunning bit and you are broad-minded, so do come." i could just see vernabelle consenting, almost peevishly; but it sounded like it might be disorderly enough, so i says i'll come if she promises to leave at least one window down at the top, me not having a gas mask. metta thinks a minute, then says she guesses she can leave one window down a mite; not much, on account of the nature of vernabelle's dance costume. i says if such is to be the nature of her costume i'll come anyway and risk being gassed. metta chides me gravely. she says the costume is perfectly proper to the artist eye, being a darling little early greek thing; built on simple lines that follow the figure, it is true, yet suggest rather than reveal, and if the early greeks saw no harm in it why should we? i tell her to say no more, but reserve me a ringside seat, though near a window if one can be opened; say, as far as the early greeks would have done at such a time, on account of the punk sticks. and of course i wouldn't miss it. i'm there at eight-thirty and find quite a bunch of latin quarter denizens already gathered and full of suppressed emotion. the punk sticks, of course, are going strong. vernabelle in a pink kimono says they supply atmosphere; which is the only joke i ever heard her get off, if she knew it was one. bohemians lon price and jeff tuttle are hanging over the punch bowl, into which something illegal has been poured. jeff is calling vernabelle little woman and telling her if worse comes to worst they might try being bohemians on a mixture his men up on the ranch thought of for a new year's celebration. he says they took a whole case of vanilla extract and mixed it with one dozen cans of condensed milk, the vanilla having a surprising kick in it and making 'em all feel like the good old days next morning. vernabelle says he reminds her of some untamed creature of the open, some woodsy monster of the dells, and jeff says that's just what he feels like. he's going on to tell her some more about what he feels like, but vernabelle is now greeting oswald cummings, the pagan of splendid sins, from the elite bootery. she tells oswald there is a cold cruelty in the lines of his face that reminds her of the emperor nero. finally about twenty choice spirits who did things was gathered for this half-lighted hour, so everybody set down on chairs and the couch and the floor, leaving a clear space for vernabelle; and professor gluckstein, our music teacher, puts down his meerschaum pipe and goes to the piano and plays a soft piece. the prof is a german, but not a pro-german, and plays first rate in the old-fashioned way, with his hands. then, when all the comrades get settled and their cigarettes lighted, the prof drifted into something quite mournful and vernabelle appeared from behind a screen without her kimono. the early greeks must of been strong on art jewellery. vernabelle clanked at every step with bracelets and anklets and necklaces. she had a priceless ruby weighing half a pound fastened to the middle of her bony forehead. her costume was spangled, but not many spangles had been needed. the early greeks couldn't of been a dressy lot. if vernabelle had been my daughter i could of give her what she deserved with almost no trouble. the costume, as metta had said, not only followed the lines of the figure, so far as it went anywhere at all, but it suggested and almost revealed that vernabelle had been badly assembled. the bohemians kind of gasped and shivered, all except jeff tuttle, who applauded loudly. they seemed to feel that vernabelle was indeed getting away from it all. then came this here cycle-of-dance portrayals. the first one wasn't much dance; it was mostly slow, snaky motions with the arms and other things, and it was to portray a mother cobra mourning her first-born. at least that's the way i understood it. another one was called "the striving soul," to which the prof played something livelier. vernabelle went round and round, lifting her feet high. it looked to me like she was climbing a spiral staircase that wasn't there. then she was a hunted fawn in a dark forest and was finally shot through the heart by a cruel hunter--who was probably nearsighted. and in the last one she was a russian peasant that has got stewed on vodka at the russian county fair. this was the best one. you couldn't see her so well when she moved quick. of course there was hearty applause when it was all over, and pretty soon vernabelle come out again in her kimono. panting like a tuckered hound she was when the comrades gathered to tell her how wonderful she had been. "that music tears me," says vernabelle, putting her hands to her chest to show where it tore. "that last maddening russian bit--it leaves me like a limp lily!" so she was led to the punch bowl by comrades price and tuttle, with the others pushing after and lighting cigarettes for her. it was agreed that the evening had been a triumph for vernabelle's art. almost every bohemian present, it seemed, had either been tore or maddened by that last russian bit. vernabelle was soon saying that if she had one message for us it was the sacred message of beauty. jeff tuttle says, "you've certainly delivered it, little woman!" vernabelle says, oh, perhaps, in her poor, weak way--she was being a limp lily against the piano then--but art is a terrible master to serve, demanding one's all. comrade price says what more could she give than she has to-night. and then, first thing i know, they're all talking about an intimate theatre. this was another part of vernabelle's message. it seems intimate theatres is all the rage in new york, and the bigler barn is just the place to have one in. vernabelle says they will use the big part where the hay used to be and paint their own scenery and act their own plays and thus find a splendid means of self-expression the way people of the real sort are doing in large cities. everyone is wild about this in a minute, and says how quaint and jolly bohemian it will be. the bigler barn is just the place, with no horse there since metta bought one of the best-selling cars that ever came out of michigan, and vernabelle says she has written a couple of stunning little one-act pieces, too powerful for the big theatres because they go right to the throbbing raw of life, and it will be an inspiration and uplift to the community, of which all present can be proud. lon price says he will furnish a good drop curtain free, painted with a choice nine-room villa with just a line mentioning price's addition to red gap, big lots, little payments. and he's quite hurt when vernabelle tells him no, that they must keep entirely out of the slime of commercialism. i don't think lon ever again felt the same toward vernabelle--calling his business slime, that way. however, the party broke up full of plans for the new intimate theatre, leaving an empty punch bowl and a million cigarette ends. and right here was where the philistine opposition braided feathers in its hair and done a war dance. members of the little group that did things spoke freely the next day of vernabelle's art in the dance and her early greek costume, taking a mean enjoyment in the horror they inspired among pillars of the church and the civic purity league. it is probable that in their artistic relish they endowed vernabelle with even fewer clothes than she had wore. at any rate, they left a whole lot to be inferred, and it promptly was inferred. the opposition now said this was no job for a chamber of commerce; it had become a simple matter for the police. the civic purity league had a special meeting at which the rind was peeled off vernabelle's moral character, and the following sabbath one of the ministers gave a hot sermon in which the fate of babylon and a few other undesirable residence centres mentioned in the bible was pointed out. he said that so-called bohemia was the gateway to hell. he never minced his words, not once. and the latin quarter come in for some more shock assaults when the talk about an intimate theatre in the bigler barn got out. the regular theatre was bad enough, said the civic purity league; in fact, they had started a campaign against that the month before, right after a one-night engagement of the jolly paris divorcees burlesque company, which, i gathered, had not upheld the very highest standards of dramatic art. and if the town was going to stand for anything more intimate than this show had provided, why, it was time for drastic action if any wholesome family life was to be saved from the wreck. feeling ran high, i want to tell you, and a few of the younger set fell out of the ranks of good old bohemia--or was yanked out. luella stultz's father, who is old-fashioned, it was said, had give luella a good licking for smoking cigarettes, and old jesse himebaugh had threatened his daughter gussie with the reform school if she didn't stop trying to get away from it all. even beryl mae's aunt put her foot down. beryl mae met me in the post office one day and says auntie won't let her be a bohemian any more, having threatened to take her new ukulele away from her if she goes to that latin quarter another single time; and poor beryl mae having hoped to do a hawaiian dance in native costume for the intimate theatre, where it wouldn't be misunderstood! things was just in this shape, with bitterness on every side and old friends not speaking, and the opposition passing the bohemians on the street with the frown of moral disgust, and no one knowing how it would all end, when i hear that cora wales has a niece coming from new york to visit her--a miss smith. i says to myself, "my lands! here's another miss smith from new york when it looks to me like the one we got is giving us a plenty of the big league stuff." but i meet cora wales and learn that this one's first name is dulcie, which again seemed to make a difference. cora says this dulcie niece is one of new york's society leaders and she's sorry she invited her, because what kind of a town is it in which to introduce a pure young girl that never smoked or drank in her life and whose people belong to one of the very most exclusive churches in the city. she had hoped to give dulcie a good time, but how can she sully herself with any of our young people that have took up bohemianism? she being fresh from her social triumphs in new york, where her folks live in one of the very most fashionable apartment houses on columbus avenue, right in the centre of things and next to the elevated railway, will be horrified at coming to a town where society seems to be mostly a little group of people who do things they hadn't ought to. dulcie is a dear girl and very refined, everything she wears being hand embroidered, and it would of been a good chance for red gap to get acquainted with a young society girl of the right sort, but with this scandal tearing up the town it looks like the visit will be a failure for all parties. i tell cora on the contrary it looks like a good chance to recall the town to its better self. if this here dulcie is all that is claimed for her she can very probably demolish the latin quarter and have us all leading correct society lives in no time, because the public is fickle and ever ready for new stuff, and as a matter of fact i suspect the latin quarter is in a bad way because of everything in town of an illegal character having been drunk up by the comrades. me? i was trying to get some new life into the fight, understand, being afraid it would die natural and leave us to a dull winter. cora's eyes lighted up with a great hope and she beat it off to the recorder office to have a piece put in the paper about dulcie's coming. it was a grand piece, what with cora giving the points and edgar tomlinson writing it. it said one of gotham's fair daughters would winter in our midst, and how she was a prominent society leader and an ornament of the fast hunting set, noted for her wit and beauty and dazzling costumes, and how a series of brilliant affairs was being planned in her honour by her hostess and aunt, mrs. leonard wales, red gap's prominent society matron and representative of all that was best in our community, who would entertain extensively at her new and attractive home in price's addition. and so forth. i'm bound to say it created a flurry of interest among the younger dancing set, and more than one begun to consider whether they would remain loyal to bohemia or plunge back into society once more, where stockings are commonly wore, and smoking if done at all is hurriedly sneaked through out on the porch or up in the bathroom. from cora's description i was all prepared to find dulcie a tall, stately creature of twenty-eight, kind of blase and haggard from her wearing social duties in new york. but not so. not so at all. cora had invitations out for a tea the day after dulcie come; invitations, that is, to the non-bohemians and such as had reformed or give good signs of it. i don't know which head i got in under. and this dulcie niece was nothing but a short, fat, blond kid of seventeen or eighteen that had never led any society whatever. you could tell that right quick. she was rapidly eating cream-cheese sandwiches when i was presented to her. i knew in one look that society had never bothered dulcie any. victuals was her curse. in the cattle business it ain't riding disrespectful horses that gets you the big money; it's being able to guess weights. and if dulcie pulled a pound less than one hundred and eighty then all my years of training has gone for naught. she was certainly big-framed stock and going into the winter strong. between bites of sandwich, with a marshmallow now and then, she was saying that she was simply crazy about the war, having the dandiest young french soldier for a godson and sending him packages of food and cigarettes constantly, and all the girls of her set had one, and wasn't it the darlingest idea. and her soldier was only twenty-two, though his beard made him look more mature, and he wrote such dandy letters, but she didn't suppose there would ever be anything between them because papa was too busy with his coal yard to take her over there. as the girl chattered on it didn't seem to me that our latin quarter was in the slightest danger from her. still, some of the girls that was there seemed quite impressed or buffaloed by her manner. one idea she give out now was new in red gap. she had all her rings named after meals. she had a breakfast ring and a dinner ring and a supper ring and a banquet ring, and daisy estelle maybury admired the necklace she had on, and dulcie said that was a mere travelling necklace; and how did they like this cute little restaurant frock she was wearing? a little dressmaker over on amsterdam avenue had turned it out. all the parties she dealt with, apparently, was little. she had a little dressmaker and a little hair woman and a little manicure and a little florist, and so forth. she'd et five cream-cheese sandwiches by this time, in spite of its being quite painful for her to pick up a dropped napkin. dulcie didn't fold over good. you could tell here was a girl that had never tried to get away from it all. she wanted to be right where it was. pretty soon one of the girls said something about the bohemians of the latin quarter, probably aiming to show this new york chatterbox that red gap wasn't so far west as it looked. but dulcie gave 'em the laugh. she said oh, dear, new york society had simply quit taking up bohemians, it not being considered smart any longer, and did we really take them up here? the girls backed up at this. and dulcie went on being superior. she said of course society people now and then made up a party and went down to washington square to look them over, but as for taking them up, oh, dear, no! it was more like a slumming party. one could stare at them, but one simply didn't know them. and perhaps, if she could get aunt cora to chaperon them, they might make up one of these slumming parties some evening and go down to red gap's latin quarter; it might be amusing. cora wales glistened at this. she said she guessed people could now see how such goings-on were regarded by society in the true sense of the word. and it did give the girls a chill, calling the bigler home a slum. but i still didn't see any stuff in dulcie to vanquish vernabelle. and i didn't see it a minute later when dulcie wolfed her tenth marshmallow and broke out about winter sports. she first said what perfectly darling snow we had here. this caused some astonishment, no one present having ever regarded snow as darling but merely as something to shovel or wade through. so dulcie pronged off a piece of sticky chocolate cake and talked on. she said that everyone in new york was outdooring, and why didn't we outdoor. it was a shame if we didn't go in for it, with all this perfectly dandy snow. new york people had to go out of town for their winter sports, owing to the snow not being good for sport after it fell there; but here it was right at hand, and did we mean to say we hadn't organized a winter-sports club. no one spoke, for no one could guess what you did to outdoor properly. about all they could think of was hustling out after another chunk for the fireplace or bringing a scuttle of coal up from the cellar. but they soon got the idea. dulcie said right from this window she could see a corking hill for a toboggan slide, and it would be perfectly darling to be out there with plenty of hot coffee and sandwiches; and there must be some peachy trips for snowshoe parties with sandwiches and coffee at the end; or skating in the moonlight with a big bonfire and coffee and sandwiches. she suggested other things with coffee and sandwiches and finally got up some real enthusiasm when she said she had brought some of the dearest sport toggery with her. the girls was excited enough when they found out you had to dress especial for it. they was willing to listen to anything like that if new york society was really mad about it, even if it conflicted with lifelong habits--no one in red gap but small boys having ever slid downhill. and still i didn't suspect dulcie was going to groundsluice vernabelle. it looked like the latin quarter would still have the best of it, at least during a cold winter. which goes to show that you can't tell what society will go mad about, even in red gap, when you can dress for it. the girls had got a line on dulcie and was properly impressed by her, and then with an evening affair at the wales home the dancing men had their chance. even some of the bohemians was let to come, just to have 'em see that there was indeed a better life; and reports of dulcie was such that all took advantage of it. the male sex was strong for the girl at once. she didn't know that life is anything but selective, or that all the arts round out one's appreciation of the beautiful, or that anything was "by way of being" something. but all the food she took didn't make her torpid; she giggled easily and had eyes like hothouse grapes, and in spite of her fat there was something about her, like cousin egbert said of vernabelle. anyway, she prevailed. oswald cummings, the pagan, for one, quickly side-stepped his destiny of splendid sins, and hugo jennings told dulcie he had merely gone to this latin quarter as he would go to an animal show, never having meant for one moment to take bohemians up, any more than new york society would. first thing i hear, the winter-sports club has been organized, snowshoes sent for and a couple of toboggans, and a toboggan slide half a mile long made out in price's addition, starting at the top of the highest hill, where lon's big board sign with the painted bungalow made a fine windshield, and running across some very choice building lots to the foot of the grade, where it stopped on the proposed site of the carnegie library. lon was very keen about the sport himself after meeting dulcie, and let a fire be built near his sign that burned it down one night, but he said it was all good advertising, more than he'd ever got out of being a bohemian. of course there was a great deal of fuss about the proper sport toggery, but everyone got rigged out by the time the toboggans got there. dulcie was a great help in this and was downtown every day advising one or another about the proper sweaters or blanket coats or peaked caps with tassels, or these here big-eyed boots. you'd meet her in a store with stella ballard, eating from a sack of potato chips; and half an hour later she'd be in another store with daisy estelle maybury, munching from a box of ginger wafers; with always a final stop at the bon ton kandy kitchen for a sack of something to keep life in her on the way home. there really got to be so much excitement about winter sports that you hardly heard any more talk about the latin quarter. people got to speaking to each other again. by the opening day of the sports club you wouldn't of thought any one in town had ever tried to get away from it all. even them that thought it crazy came and stood round and said so. cousin egbert floud said this dulcie was some sparrow, but nutty--going out in the cold that way when nothing drove her out. dulcie made a great hit with the club this first day, having the correct canadian toggery and being entirely fearless in the presence of a toboggan. she'd zip to the bottom, come tramping back, shooting on all six, grab a sandwich--for not a morsel of food had passed her lips since she went down the time before--and do it all over again. and every last ex-bohemian, even edgar tomlinson, fighting for the chance to save her from death by starvation! dulcie played no favourites, being entranced with 'em all. she said they was the dearest gentleman friends she'd ever had. the way they was fighting for her favours she could of called 'em her gentleman frenzy. ain't i the heinous old madcap, thinking of jokes like that? next day there was a snowshoe trip up to stender's spring and back by way of the tie camp. dulcie hadn't ever snowshoed and it wasn't any light matter when her shoes threw her down--requiring about three of the huskiest boys to up-end her--but she was game and the boys was game and she was soon teaching snowshoeing shoes how to take a joke. and from that on winter sports ruled in red gap. the chamber of commerce even talked of building an ice palace next year and having a carnival and getting the town's name in the papers. oh, there certainly must of been a surprised lot of snow round there that winter. nothing like this had ever happened to it before. and all being done on nothing stronger than coffee, with hardly a cigarette and never anything that was by way of being a punk stick in a closed room. it was certainly a lot healthier than a latin quarter for these young people, and for the old ones, too. dulcie had sure put one large crimp into bohemia, even if she could not be justly called an intellectual giantess. and vernabelle knew who to blame, too, when the little group quit coming round to get away from it all. she knew it was dulcie. she said that dulcie seemed to be a pampered society butterfly that devoted all her thoughts to dress. this was repeated to dulcie by an ex-bohemian, but she found no poison in it. she said of course she devoted all her thoughts to dress; that a young girl with her figure had to if she ever expected to get anywhere in the world. even ex-comrade lon price would now shut his office at four o'clock every day and go up on the hill and outdoor a bit, instead of getting away from it all in a smoky bohemian way. besides he'd had a difference of opinion with vernabelle about the poster she was doing for him, the same being more like an advertisement for some good bath soap, he said, than for choice villa sites. "i don't know anything about art," says lon, "but i know what my wife likes." which left vernabelle with another design on her hands and brought comrade price out of bohemia. even if dulcie's winter sports hadn't done the trick i guess it would of been done easy by her report that bohemians was no longer thought to be smart in new york, red gap being keenly sensitive in such matters. metta bigler's mother firmly turned out the half-lights in bohemia when she heard of this talk of dulcie's. i don't blame her. she didn't one bit relish having her neat home referred to as a slum, say nothing of having her only child using a lip stick and acting like an abandoned woman with cigarettes and the wine cup. she said just that to me, metta's mother did. she said she had heard that new york was all broken up into social sets, the same way red gap is, and if bohemians wasn't being took up by the better element in new york, then they shouldn't be took up by the better element of red gap--at least not in any home of which the deed was still in her name. she said of course she couldn't keep metta's guest from being a bohemian, but she would have to be it alone. she wasn't going to have a whole mob coming round every day and being bohemians all over the place, it being not only messy but repugnant alike to sound morality and christian enlightenment. and that settled it. our town was safe for one more winter. of course god only knows what someone may start next winter. we are far off from things, but by no means safe. cousin egbert was kind of sorry for vernabelle. he said if she'd just stuck to plain glass blowing she might of got by with it. he's a wonder, that man--as teachable as a granite bowlder. my godfrey! ten-thirty, and me having to start the spring sport of ditch cleaning to-morrow morning at seven! won't i ever learn! iv vendetta by the evening lamp in the arrowhead living room i did my bit, for the moment, by holding a hank of gray wool for ma pettengill to wind. while this minor war measure went forward the day's mail came. from a canvas sack lew wee spilled letters and papers on the table. whereupon the yarn was laid by while ma pettengill eagerly shuffled the letters. she thought fit to extenuate this eagerness. she said if people lived forever they would still get foolishly excited over their mail; whereas everyone knew well enough that nothing important ever came in it. to prove this she sketched a rapid and entirely unexciting summary of the six unopened letters she held. one of them, she conceded, might be worth reading; and this she laid aside. of the remaining five she correctly guessed the contents of four. of the fifth she remarked that it would be from a poor feckless dub with a large family who had owed her three hundred dollars for nine years. she said it would tell a new hard-luck tale for non-payment of a note now due for the eighth time. here she was wrong. the letter inclosed a perfectly new note for four hundred and fifty dollars; and would mrs. pettengill send on the extra one hundred and fifty dollars that would enable the debtor to get on his feet and pay all his debts, as there was a good season of hog buying ahead of him! "i guessed wrong," admitted the lady. "i certainly did that little man an injustice, not suspecting he could think up something novel after nine years." grimly she scanned the new note. "as good as a treaty with germany!" she murmured and threw it aside, though i knew that the old note and the new hundred and fifty would go forward on the morrow; for she had spoken again of the debtor's large family. she said it was wonderful what good breeders the shiftless are. "ain't i right, though, about the foolish way people fly at their mail?" she demanded. "you might think they'd get wise after years and years of being fooled; but--no, sir! take me day after to-morrow, when the next mail comes. i'll fall on it like i fell on this, with all my old delusions uninjured. there sure does seem to be a lot of human nature in most of us." then she opened the possibly interesting letter that had been put aside. the envelope, at least, was interesting, bearing as it did the stamp of a military censor for the american expedition to france. "you remember squat tyler, that long cow-puncher working for me when you were here last time?" i remembered squat, who was indeed a long cow-puncher--long enough to be known, also, to his intimates as timberline. "well, squat is over there in the trenches helping to make the world a pleasant place to live in. he's a good shot, too." the lady read the letter hurriedly to herself; then regaled me with bits of it. "the life here is very," she read. "that's all he says, at first--'the life here is very.' i should judge it might be that from what i read in the papers. or mebbe he couldn't just think of the word. let's see! what else? oh, yes--about digging. he says he didn't take to digging at first, not having gone there for any common purpose, but one day he was told to dig, and while he was thinking up something to say a million guns began to go off; so he dug without saying a word. hard and fast he says he dug. he says: 'if a badger would of been there he would of been in my way.' i'll bet! squat wouldn't like to be shot at in all seriousness. what next? here he says i wouldn't dream what a big outfit this here u.s. outfit is; he says it's the biggest outfit he ever worked for--not even excepting miller & lux. what next? oh, yes; here he tells about getting one. "'last night i captured a big fat enemy; you know--a heinie. it was as dark as a cave, but i heard one snooping close. i says to my pardner i keep hearing one snoop close; and he says forget it, because my hive is swarming or something; and i says no; i will go out there and molest that german. so i sneaked over the bank and through our barbed-wire fence that everyone puts up here, and out a little ways to where i had heard one snoop; and, sure enough--what do you think? he seen me first and knocked my gun out of my hands with the butt of his. it got me mad, because it is a new gun and i am taking fine care of it; so i clanched him'--that's what squat says, clanched. 'and, first, he run his finger into my right eye, clear up to the knuckle it felt like; so i didn't say a word, but hauled off quick and landed a hard right on the side of his jaw and dropped him just like that. it was one peach i handed him and he slumped down like a sack of mush. i am here to tell you it was just one punch, though a dandy; but he had tried to start a fight, so it was his own fault. so i took all his weapons away and when he come alive i kicked him a few times and made him go into the u.s. trenches. he didn't turn out to be much--only a piano tuner from milwaukee; and i wish it had of been a general i caught snooping. i certainly did molest him a-plenty, all right. just one punch and i brought him down out of control. ha! ha! the life here is very different.' "there; that must of been what he tried to say at the beginning--'the life here is very different.' i should think he'd find it so, seeing the only danger that boy was ever in here was the sleeping sickness." hereupon the lady removed the wrapper from a trade journal and scanned certain market quotations. they pleased her little. she said it was darned queer that the war should send every price in the world up but the price of beef, beef quotations being just where the war had found them. not that she wanted to rob any one! still and all, why give everyone a chance but cattle raisers? she muttered hugely of this discrimination and a moment later seemed to be knitting her remarks into a gray sock. the mutterings had gradually achieved the coherence of remarks. and i presently became aware that the uninflated price of beef was no longer their burden. they now concerned the singular reticence of all losers of fist fights. take squat's german. squat would be telling for the rest of his life how he put that wisconsin alien out with one punch. but if i guessed the german would be telling it as often as squat told it i was plumb foolish. he wouldn't tell it at all. losers never do. any one might think that parties getting licked lost their powers of speech. not so with the winners of fights; not so at all! at this very minute, while we sat there in that room at a quarter past eight, all over the wide world modest-seeming men were telling how they had licked the other man with one punch, or two or three at the most. it was being told in kulanche county, washington, and in patagonia and philadelphia and africa and china, and them places; in clubs and lumber camps and pullman cars and ships and saloons--in states that remained free of the hydrant-headed monster, prohibition--in tents and palaces; in burning deserts and icy wastes. at that very second, in an ice hut up by the north pole, a modest eskimo was telling and showing his admiring wife and relatives just how he had put out another eskimo that had come round and tried to start something. which was another mystery, the man winning the fight being always put upon and invariably in the right. in every one of these world-wide encounters justice always prevailed and only the winner talked about it afterward. "and lots of times," continued the lady, "this talkative winner has been set upon by as many as three others. but he licks 'em all. sometimes he admits he had a little luck with the third man; but he gets two of the cowards easy. why, down in red gap only the other night i saw a kind of a slight young man in a full-dress suit lick three big huskies that set on him. he put two out with a punch apiece and got the third after about one round of sparring. there he stood winner over all three, and hardly his hair mussed; and you wouldn't of thought in the beginning that he could lick one of the bunch. it was a good picture, all right, with this fight coming in the first reel to start things off lively. but what i want to know is why, out of these million fights that come off, you never hear a word out of a loser! i'll bet all my liberty bonds right now that you never yet heard a man tell about how he was licked in a fair fight." i had to decline the wager. the most i could submit was that i had heard some plausible excuses. the lady waved her entire knitting in deprecation. "oh, excuses! you hear 'em a-plenty when the loser can't deny he was licked. most losers will odd things along till they sound even. i heard a lovely excuse down in red gap. hyman leftowitz, who does business there as abercrombie, the quality tailor, made a suit for eddie pierce that drives the depot hack, and eddie was slow pay. so hyman lost his native tact one night and dunned eddie when he was walking down fourth street with his girl. eddie left his girl in at the owl drug store and went back and used hyman hard; and all hyman did was to yell 'help!' and 'murder!' i was in his shop for a fitting next day and hyman's face arrested the attention much more than usual. it showed that eddie had done something with him. so i says: 'why didn't you fight back? what was your fists for?' and hyman says: 'i pledge you my word i didn't know it was a fight.' oh, excuses--sure! but that ain't what i'm getting at. you've heard the winners talk, like we all have, how they did it with the good old right hook to the jaw, or how they landed one straight left and all was over; but did you ever hear any talk from a loser without excuses, one who come out plain and said he was licked by a better man?" we debated this briefly. we agreed that the reticence of losers is due to something basic in human nature; a determination of the noblest sort to disregard failure--that is, ma pettengill said you couldn't expect everything of human nature when it had its earrings in, and i agreed in as few words as would suffice. i had suddenly become aware that the woman was holding something back. the signs in her discourse are not to be mistaken. i taxed her with this. she denied it. then she said that, even if she was holding back something, it was nothing to rave about. just an anecdote that this here talk about fighting characters had reminded her of. she wouldn't of thought of it even now if ben steptoe hadn't told her last spring why he didn't lick his cousin ed that last time. and this here ed steptoe was the only honest male she had ever known. but that was because something was wrong in his head, he being a born nut. and it wasn't really worth going back over; but--well--she didn't know. possibly. anyway-- these steptoe cousins come from a family back in the east that was remote kin to mine and they looked me up in red gap when they come out into the great boundless west to carve out a name for themselves. about fifteen years ago they come. ben was dark and short and hulky, with his head jammed down between his shoulders. ed was blond and like a cat, being quick. ben had a simple but emphatic personality, seeing what he wanted and going for it, and that never being more than one thing at a time. ed was all over the place with his own aspirations and never anything long at a time; kind of a romantic temperament, or, like they say in stories, a creature of moods. he was agent for the home queen sewing machine when he first come out. but that didn't mean sewing machines was his life work. he'd done a lot of things before that, like lecturing for a patent-medicine professor and canvassing for crayon portraits with a gold frame, and giving lessons in hypnotism, and owning one-half or a two-headed pig that went great at county fairs. ben had come along the year before ed and got a steady job as brakeman on the railroad, over on the coeur d'alene branch. he told me he was going to make railroading his life work and had started in at the bottom, which was smart of him, seeing he'd just come off a farm. they probably wouldn't of let him start in at the top. anyway, he was holding down his job as brakeman when ed sailed in, taking orders for the home queen, and taking 'em in plenty, too, being not only persuasive in his methods but a wizard on this here sewing machine. he could make it do everything but play accompaniments for songs--hemming, tucking, frilling, fancy embroidering. he knew every last little dingus that went on it; things i certainly have never learned in all my life, having other matters on my mind. he'd take a piece of silk ribbon and embroider a woman's initials on it in no time at all, leaving her dead set to have this household treasure. but ed had tired of sewing machines, like he had of hypnotism and the double-headed berkshire; and he never kept at anything a minute after it quit exciting him. ben come down to red gap to see his cousin and they had quite a confab about what ed should next take up for his life work. ben said it was railroading for his, and some day he'd be a general manager, riding round in his private car and giving orders right and left, though nothing but a humble brakeman now, and finally he talked ed into the same exalted ambitions. ed said he had often wanted to ride in a private car himself, and if it didn't take too long from the time you started in he might give railroading a chance to show what it could do for him. ben said all right, come over with him and he'd get him started as brakeman, with a fine chance to work up to the top. so, after infesting a few more houses with the home queen, ed went into his new profession. he told me, the last thing, that, even if he didn't stick till he got to the top, it was, anyway, a fine chance for adventure, which was really the thing he had come west of chicago for. he said night and day he pined for adventure. he got his adventure right soon after the company's pay roll was adorned with his name. he'd been twisting up brakes on freight cars for ten days till the life looked tame to him, even with a private car at the end, and then all his wildest dreams of adventure was glutted in something like four minutes and thirty seconds. on this eleventh day after he'd begun at the bottom he started to let two big freight cars loaded with concentrates down the spur track, from one of the mines at burke, having orders to put 'em where the regular train for wallace could pick 'em up. burke is seven miles up the canon from wallace and the grade drops two hundred and thirty-five feet to the mile, being a masterpiece of engineering. ed gets his two cars to the main line, all right, whistling a careless ditty. then when they should of stopped they did not. they kept sneaking and creaking along on him. he couldn't get the brake of the forward car up very tight, and in setting the brake of the rear car, with a brakeman's stick for a lever, he broke the chain. then his two cars really started out looking for adventure. ed admits that he had the thrill of his life for seven miles. i guess his wildest cravings for adventure was appeased for the time. he flattened out at the rear end of the last car and let the scenery flash by. he said afterward it looked just one blurred mess to him. his two cars dropped the sixteen hundred and forty-five feet and made the seven-mile distance in four and one-half minutes by standard railroad time. ed was feeling fairly good, never having rode so fast in his life before, and he was hoping nothing serious would get in the way before the cars slowed up on a level somewhere. he didn't have long to hope this. his cars struck a frog at the upper end of the wallace yard and left the track. the forward ends plowed into the ground and the rear ends swung over. ed was shot through the air two hundred and thirty-five feet, as afterward measured by a conscientious employee of the road, and landed in a dump of sawdust by the ice house. it seems ben was working in the wallace yard that day and was the first man to look things over. he put a report on the wire promptly and had a wrecking outfit there to minister to these two injured box cars, and a gang of swedes repairing the track in no time at all. then someone with presence of mind said they ought to look for ed, and ben agreed; so everybody searched and they found him in this sawdust. he looked extremely ruined and like this little adventure had effected structural modifications in him. he certainly had been brought down out of control, like squat says, but he was still breathing; so they took him over to the wallace hospital on a chance that he could be put together again, like a puzzle. a doctor got to work and set a lot of bones and did much plain and fancy sewing on ed the adventurer. so there he was, bedfast for about three months; but, of course, he begun to enjoy his accident long before that--almost as soon as he come to, in fact. it seemed to ed that there had never been so good an accident as that in the whole history of railroading, and he was the sole hero of it. he passed his time telling the doctor all about it, and anyone else that would drop in to listen: just how he felt when the cars started downhill; how his whole past life flashed before him and just what he was thinking about when the cars poured him off. he was remembering every second of it by the time he was able to get on crutches. he never used that old saying about making a long story short. first thing he did when he could hobble was to take a man from the resident engineer's office out to the point where he'd left the rails and tape his flight, finding it to be two hundred and thirty-five feet. that hurt his story, because he had been estimating it at five hundred feet; but he was strictly honest and accepted the new figures like a little man. that night ben come in, who'd been up round spokane mostly since the accident, and ed told him all about it; how his flight was two hundred and thirty-five feet. and wasn't it the greatest accident that ever happened to anybody? ed noticed that ben didn't seem to be excited about it the way he had ought to be. he was sympathetic enough for ed's bone crashes, but he said it was all in the day's work for a railroad man; and he told ed about some other accidents that was right in a class along with his and mebbe even a shade better. ed was peeved at this; so ben tried to soothe him. he said, yes, indeed, all hands had been lucky--especially the company. he said if them two cars hadn't happened to strike soft ground that took the wheels they'd been smashed to kindling; whereas the damage was trifling. this sounded pretty cold to ed. he said this railroad company didn't seem to set any exaggerated value on human life. ben said no railroad company could let mere sentiment interfere with business if it wanted to pay dividends, and most of them did. he said it was a matter of dollars and cents like any other business, and ed had already cost 'em a lot of good hard cash for doctor's bills. then he admitted that the accident had been a good thing for him, in a way, he being there on the spot and the first to make a report over to the superintendent at tekoa. "i bet you made a jim-dandy good report," says ed, taking heart again after this sordid dollars-and-cents talk. "it was certainly a fine chance to write something exciting if a man had any imagination. you probably won't have another chance like that in all your career." "my report pleased the old man all right," says ben. "he's kind of had his eye on me ever since. he said the way i worded that report showed i wasn't one to lose my head and get hysterical, the way he had known some green hands to do." "i'll certainly have to have a look at that report," says ed. "probably you did get a little bit hysterical at that seeing there was lots of excuse for it." ben says no, he can't remember that he was hysterical any, because the high-class railroad man must always keep his head in emergencies. ed says, anyway he knows it must of been a corking good report, and he'll sure have a look at it when he gets to stepping again. all the same, it begun to look to ed like his accident wasn't being made enough of. it come over him gradually. of course he'd got to be an old story round the hospital and people was beginning to duck when he started talking. then, after he got on crutches he'd hobble about the fatal spot, pointing out his route to parties that would stay by him, and getting 'em to walk over two hundred and thirty-five feet to where he was picked up lifeless. and pretty soon even this outside trade fell off. and right after that he begun to meet new trainmen and others that had never heard a word about the accident and looked at him like they thought he was a liar when he told the details. he was coming to be a grouchy nuisance round wallace. even the doctor said he'd be glad when ed got entirely well again. ed couldn't understand it. he must of thought the company should stop all trains for five minutes every day at the hour of his mix-up, or at the very least that the president of the road and the board of directors ought to come down in a special car and have their pictures taken with him; and a brass tablet should be put up on the ice house, showing where his lifeless carcass was recovered. and of course they would send him a solid gold engraved pass, good for life between all stations on all divisions. but these proper attentions was being strangely withheld. so far as ed could see, the road had gone right on doing business as usual. he couldn't understand it at all. it seemed like he must be dreaming. he wrote to ben, who was still up the line, that this here fine report he had made must of got lost; anyway, it seemed like the company had never got round to reading it or they wouldn't have took things so placid. by now he was pinning all his hopes to this report of ben's if any justice was going to be done him in this world. he'd tell parties who doubted his story that he guessed they'd believe him fast enough if they ever got an eye on ben's report, which was made on the spot, and was so good a report, though not hysterical, that it had drawn compliments from the division superintendent. it occurs to him one day that he ought to have a copy of this report if he is ever going to be set right before the world. he suspects crooked work by this time. he suspects mebbe the company is keeping the thing quiet on purpose, not wanting the public to know that such wonderful accidents could happen to its faithful employees. so he talks to charlie holzman, the conductor of number , and wants to know would it be possible to sneak this report of ben's out of the files over at tekoa. charlie says that wouldn't be possible, but he's going to lay over at tekoa the very next night and he'll be glad to make a copy of the report. ed says he hates to keep charlie setting up half the night writing, or mebbe all night, because ben has told him the report was a good one. charlie says he'll get help if necessary. ed says get all the help necessary and he'll pay the bill, and not to leave out even the longer descriptive parts, because if it's as well written as ben says it is he may have it printed in a little volume for sending round to his friends. the next day ed is sunning himself on the station platform when number steams in. he's told a lot of people that charlie is bringing this report and he's aiming to read it aloud, just to show 'em what a man can pass through and live to tell of it. charlie swings down and hands him one folded sheet of yellow paper. ed says, what's the matter--couldn't he get to copy the report? charlie says the report is all there on that sheet, every word of it. one sheet! and ed had been expecting at least forty pages of able narrative, even without hysteria. even before he looks at it ed says there is crooked work somewhere. then he read ben's report. it didn't fill even the one sheet--not more than half of it. it merely says: "brakeman steptoe had trouble holding two cars of concentrates he was letting down from the tiger-poorman mine at burke. cars ran to wallace and left track. steptoe thrown some distance. right leg and arm broken; left shoulder dislocated; head cut some. not serious." it was unbelievable; so ed did the simple thing and didn't believe it. not for one minute! he says to charlie holzman: "charlie, i know you're honest; and, furthermore, you are a brother moose. you've brought me what's on file in that office; so now i know there's a conspiracy to hush my accident up. i've thought so a long time--the way people acted round here. now i know it. don't say a word; but i'm going to take it up with ben at once. good old ben! won't he be in a frenzy when he finds this paltry insult has been sneaked into the files in place of his report on me!" so into the station he goes and wires ben up the line to come there at once on account of something serious. ben gets in that night. he thought ed must be dying and had got a lay-off. he goes over to the hospital and is a mite disappointed to find ed ain't even worse, but is almost well and using only one crutch. ed first makes sure no one can overhear, then tells ben about this conspiracy, showing him the false report that has been smuggled into the files in place of the real one ben had sent in. it takes ben a couple of minutes to get the idea of what ed is so worked up over. but he finally does get it. he then sweeps all ideas of a conspiracy out of ed's mind forever. he says his talk is all nonsense; that this here is the very report he made, every word of it; and, as to that, if he had it to write over again he could shorten it by at least six words, but he must of been excited at the time. he says he has already told ed that the old man complimented him on it because he hadn't lost his head and got hysterical, showing he had the makings of a good railroad man in him. and what had ed expected, anyway? didn't he know that your superiors want the simple facts in cases of this kind and no fancy work, wanting chiefly to know about damage to the rolling stock and how long before the main line will be open? ed must be crazy, making him get a lay-off just for this! had he looked for some verses of poetry about his accident, or a novel? ben wasn't any novelist and wouldn't be one if you give him a chance. he was just a brakeman, with a bright future before him. ben was quite indignant himself by this time thinking of two days' pay lost, and ed could hardly believe his own ears. he just set there, swelling up like a toad in a very feverish way. "but 'some distance,'" says ed in low tones of awe. "you say i was thrown 'some distance,' like it was a casual remark. is that any way to talk about a man hurled two hundred and thirty-five feet from start to finish?--which i can prove by the man that taped it. why, any one would think them two cheap box cars was the real heroes of this accident. no one would dream that a precious human life was at stake. and 'not serious!' and 'head cut some!' great suffering cats! was that any way to talk about a fellowman--not to say a first cousin?" ben was pretty mad himself now and swore right out--at least the only oath he ever swears, which is "by doggie!" he says, by doggie, it ain't his fault that ed was so brittle! and, by doggie, he wasn't going to let family affection interfere none with his career, because it wouldn't be right by the children he hopes some day to be the father of! then he got his temper back and tried patiently to explain once more to ed that what a railroad company wants in such cases is facts and figures, and not poetry--chiefly about the rolling stock. he says ed can't expect a great corporation, with heavy freight and passenger traffic, to take any deep personal interest in the bone troubles of a mere brakeman. it was about here, i guess, that ed's feelings must of overcome him. he saw it was no use bandying words any more; so he started to do foul murder. he committed several acts of frightfulness on ben with his crutch, seeming quite active for a cripple. ben finally got out of range and went and had some stitches took in his own scalp. he swore, by doggie, he was through with that maniac forever! but he wasn't through. not by no means! ed was now well enough to stand shipping; so he come down to red gap and started to work. he couldn't get round with his machines yet; so he got a new home queen and parked himself in the doorway of a vacant store and made embroidered hat marks for the multitude at one dollar a throw. yes, sir; he congested traffic there on fourth street for about two weeks, taking a strip of satin ribbon and embroidering people's initials on it, so they could sew it in their hats and know whose hat it was. hardly a hat in town that didn't have one, with thrilled crowds looking on while he done it. i begged him to take it easy and stay at my house till he was strong again; but he wouldn't. he said he had to do something just to keep from thinking. of course the poor lollop had never been able to think under any circumstances; but it sounded good. and, of course, he told me his trouble. i don't believe he held back the least little thing from the beginning of the accident down to the time he lammed ben with his crutch. he now blamed everything on ben. he said neither the company nor any one else could take his accident seriously after that lying report ben put in. no wonder there hadn't been any real excitement about it. he was right bitter. "'some distance' ben says i was thrown. i should think it was some distance! i'll bet it's farther than any other man was ever thrown on their whole rotten system. and 'not serious'! great jeeminetty! what would have to happen to a person before he'd call it serious? oh, i'll make him take that back if ever i get to be the man i once was! the only trouble with ben is, he hasn't anything here and he hasn't anything here"--ed put his hand first on his head and next on his heart, to show me where ben hadn't got anything--"and that kind of trash may make fine railroad men, but they hadn't ought to be classed with human beings. just wait till i get firmly knitted together again! you'll see! i'll certainly interfere with that man's career a-plenty. 'not serious!' he won't make any such report about himself when i get through fussing with him. he certainly does need handling--that ben steptoe." and so on for half an hour at a time, while he might be stitching g. w. g. in purple letters on a strip of yellow satin ribbon. i used to stop on purpose to hear some more about what he was going to do to ben when he got to be the man he once was. pretty soon he had identified all the hats in red gap; so he moved over to colfax with his home queen, and then on to other towns. it was spring again before he seemed to be the man he once was. he wrote me from tekoa that if i read in the papers about something sad happening to ben i wasn't to be alarmed, because, though it would be serious enough, it would probably not prove fatal if he had skilled nursing. so i watched the papers, but couldn't find any crime of interest. and a few days later ed come over to red gap again. he looked pretty good, except for an overripe spot round his left eye. "well, did you lick ben?" i says. "no; ben licked me," he says. i'd never heard such a simple and astounding speech from any man on earth before. i started to find out what his excuse was--whether he wasn't in good shape yet, or his foot slipped, or ben took a coupling pin to him, or something. but he didn't have a single word of excuse. he ought to of been locked up in a glass case in a museum right there. he said he was in fine shape and it had been a fair fight, and ben had nearly knocked his head off. i says what is he going to do now; and he says oh, he'll wait a while and give cousin ben another go. i says: "mebbe you can't lick ben." he says: "possibly so; but i can keep on trying. i have to protect my honour, don't i?" that's how it seemed to the poor fish by this time--his honour! and i knew he was going to keep on trying, like he had said. if he had made the usual excuses that men put up when they've had the worst of it i'd of known he'd been well licked, and once would be a-plenty. but, seeing that he was probably the only man who had been honest under such conditions since the world began, i had a feeling he would keep on. he was sure going to annoy ben from time to time, even if he didn't panic him much. he was just as turbulent as ever. now he went off and joined a circus, being engaged to lecture in front of the side show about the world's smallest midget, and lulu the snake empress, and the sheep-headed twins from ecuador. and ben could devote the whole summer to his career without worry. i saw him over at colfax one day. "mark my words; that lad was never cut out for a railroad man," says ben. "he lets his emotions excite his head too much. oh, i give him a good talking to, by doggie! i says to him: 'why, you poor little hopeless, slant-headed, weak-minded idiot, you'--you know i always talk to ed like he was my own brother--'what did you expect?' i says. 'i'm quite sorry for your injuries; but that was the first chance i'd ever had to make a report and i couldn't write one of these continuous stories about you. you ought to see that.' and what does he do but revile me for this commonsense talk! tightminded--that's what he is; self-headed, not to say mulish, by doggie! and then pestering round me to have a fist altercation till i had to give in to keep him quiet, though i'm not a fighting character. i settled him, all right. i don't know where he is now; but i hope he has three doctors at his bedside, all looking doubtful. that little cuss always did contrary me." i told him ed had gone with this circus side show. "side show!" he says. "that's just where he belongs. he ought to be setting right up with the other freaks, because he's a worse freak than the living skeleton or a lady with a full beard--that's what he is. and yet he's sane on every subject but that. sometimes he'll talk along for ten minutes as rational as you or me; but let him hear the word accident and off he goes. but, by doggie, he won't bother me again after what i give him back of the wallace freight shed." "he solemnly promised he would," i says, "when i saw him last. he was still some turbulent." and he did bother ben again, late that fall. when the circus closed he travelled back a thousand miles in a check suit and a red necktie, just to get another good licking. ben must of been quite aggravated by that time, for he wound up by throwing ed into the crick in all his proud clothes. ed was just as honest about it as before. he says ben licked him fair. but it hadn't changed his mind. he felt that ben's report had knocked his just celebrity and he was still hostile. "mebbe you can't lick ben," i says to him again. "i can keep on doing my endeavours," he says. "i had to come off in a friend of mine's coat because my own was practically destroyed; but i'll be back again before ben has clumb very high on that ladder of his career." the adventurer was interned at my house for ten days, till his bruises lost their purple glow and he looked a little less like a bad case of erysipelas. then he started out again, crazy as a loon! i didn't hear from him for nearly two years. then i got a letter telling about his life of adventure down on the border. it seems he'd got in with a good capable stockman down there and they was engaged in the cattle business. the business was to go over into mexico, attracting as little notice as possible, cut out a bunch of cattle, and drive 'em across into the land of the free. naturally what they sold for was clear profit. ed said he was out for adventure and this had a-plenty. he said i wouldn't believe how exciting it could be at times. he wanted to know what ben was promoted to by this time, and was he looking as hearty as ever? some day he was coming back and force ben to set him right before the world. about a year later he writes that the cattle business is getting too tame. he's done it so much that all the excitement has gone. he says i wouldn't believe how tame it can be, with hardly any risk of getting shot. he says he wouldn't keep on running off these mexican cattle if it wasn't for the money in it; and, furthermore, it sometimes seems to him when he's riding along in the beautiful still night, with only god's stars for companions, that there's something about it that ain't right. but it's another year before he writes that he has disposed of his stock interests and is coming north to lick ben proper. he does come north. he was correct to that extent. he outfitted at the chicago store in tucson, getting the best all-wool ready-made suit in arizona, with fine fruit and flower and vegetable effects, shading from mustard yellow to beet colour; and patent-leather ties, with plaid socks--and so on. he stopped off at red gap on his way up to do this outrage. his face was baked a rich red brown; so i saw it wouldn't show up marks as legibly as when he was pale. he said ben wasn't a right bad fellow and he had no personal grudge against him, except he needed to have his head beat off on account of his inhumanity. i told him ben had worked up from yardmaster at wallace to assistant division superintendent at tekoa, where he would probably find him; and i wished him god-speed. he said he rejoiced to know of ben's promotion, because he had probably softened some, setting round an office. he promised to let me know the result at once. he did. it was the same old result. the fight had gone a few more rounds, i gathered, but ed still gave the decision against himself in the same conscientious way. he said ben had licked him fair. it was uncanny the way he took these defeats. no other human being but would of made some little excuse. he came back in another suit and a bit blemished in the face, and said ben seemed to be getting a fair amount of exercise in spite of his confining office duties; but--mark his words--that indoor work would get him in time. he'd never seen a man yet that could set at a desk all day and keep in shape to resent fighting talk, even from a lighter man by twenty pounds. he said he might have to wait till ben was general manager, or something; but his day was coming, and it would be nothing for ben to cheer about when it got here. he now once more drifted out over the high horizon, only one eye being much help to him in seeing the way. then ben come down and had a wholehearted session with me. he said i ought to have a talk with ed and reason him out of his folly. i said ed would listen to a number of things, but not to reason. he said he knew it; that the poor coot should be in some good institution right now, where the state could look after him. he said he couldn't answer for the consequences if ed kept on in this mad way. he said here he was, climbing up in his profession, and yet with this scandal in his private life that might crop out any time and blast his career; and, by doggie, it was a shame! he said it was hanging over him like a doom and sometimes he even woke up in the night and wished he had made a different report about the accident--one with a little hysterics or description in it, like this maniac had seemed to crave. "it ain't that i can't lick him," says ben--"i've proved that three times; but having to do it every so often, which is beneath the dignity of a high railroad official. i might as well be a common rowdy and be done with it, by doggie! and no telling what will happen if he don't get his mind back. the little devil is an awful scrapper. i noticed it more than ever this last time. one of these times he might get me. he might get me good." "you better let him, then," i says, "and have it over. that's the only thing which will ever stop him. you take a man that says he was licked fair, but still keeps at it, and he's deadly. next time he comes along you lay down after making a decent resistance. then he'll probably be your friend for life, especially if you tell him you been thinking about his accident and it now seems like the most horrible accident that ever happened to man." it was the most encouragement i could give and he went off gloomy. ben was certainly one conscientious objector. nothing come from ed for over a year. then he writes that he has give up the cattle business for good, because mexico is in a state of downright anarchy and he has been shot through the shoulder. he put it well. he said he had been shot from ambush by a cowardly mexican and i wouldn't believe how lawless that country was. so now he was going to take up mining in god's own country, where a man could get a square deal if he kept out of railroading. and was ben keeping up his exercise? he stayed under the surface for about three years. neither ben nor i heard a word from him. i told ben it was many chances to one that he had gone under at the hands of someone that wanted to keep his cattle or his mine or something. ben looked solemn and relieved at this suggestion. he said if the grim reaper had done its work, well and good! life was full of danger for the best of us, with people dropping off every day or so; and why should ed have hoped to be above the common lot? but the very next week comes a letter from the deceased wanting to know whether ben has been promoted some more and how he is looking by this time. is he vigorous and hearty, or does office work seem to be sapping his vitality? it was the same old ed. he goes on to say that the reason he writes is that the other night in globe, arizona, he licked a man in the miners' rest saloon that looked enough like ben to be his twin; not only looked the image of him but had his style of infighting. and he had licked him right and made him quit. he said the gent finally fled, going through the little swinging doors with such force that they kept swinging for three minutes afterward. so now is the time for him to come up and have another go at ben. of course he ain't superstitious, but it does seem like providence has taken this means of pointing out the time to him. but he is in reduced circumstances at this moment, owing to complications it would take too long to explain; so will i lend him about two hundred and fifty dollars to make the trip on? and he will have ben off his mind forever and be able to settle down to some life work. just as sane as ever--ed was. i sent the letter to ben, not wishing him to rest in false security. but i wrote ed firmly that i couldn't see my money's worth in his proposition. i told him ben was keeping in splendid condition, having the glow of health in his cheeks and a grip like an osteopath, and i'd be darned if i was going to back a three-time loser in the same old fight. i said he wasn't the only sensitive person in the world. i was a little fussy myself about what people might think of my judgment. and i gave him some good advice which was to forget his nonsense and settle down to something permanent before he died of penury. he wrote a kind, forgiving answer. he said he couldn't blame me for turning against him after his repeated failures to lick ben, but his nature was one i should never understand. he said he would amass the money by slow grinding toil, and when he next come north and got through handling ben i would be the very first to grasp him by the hand and confess that i had wronged him. it was as nutty a letter as ed ever wrote; which is some tribute. i sent it on to ben and i believe it was right after that he ordered one of these exercising machines put up in his bedroom, with a book showing how to become a greek god by pulling the weights five minutes, morning and evening. but this time come silence so long that i guess even ben forgot he had a doom hanging above his head by a single hair. i know i did. let's see. it must of been a good five years before i hear from ed again. it was another hard-luck letter. he had just worked a whole season for a contractor that blew up and left him with one span of mules in place of his summer's wages; which was a great disappointment, because he had been looking forward to an active reunion with ben. how was ben, anyway? and did he show the ravages of time? and no one had wanted these mules, because they was inferior mules; but when he was on the point of shooting them to stop their feed bill along come two men that had a prospect over in the bradshaw mountains and offered him a one third interest in it for his span. so he had sawed the mules off onto these poor dubs and told 'em all right about the third interest in their claim, and forget it; but they insisted on his taking it. so he did, and was now working in the b.&.b. store at prescott, selling saddles and jewellery and molasses and canned fruit and lumber, and such things. he didn't care much for the life, but it was neck-meat or nothing with him now. no wonder these men that cheated him out of his mules had made him take a third interest in their claim. it was now taking all his salary to pay assessments and other expenses on it. but he was trying to trade this third interest off for something that wouldn't be a burden to him; then he should have a chance to put his money by and come up to give ben what he was sooner or later bound to get if there was a just god in heaven. he spoke as freshly about ben as if his trouble had begun the day before. you wouldn't think twelve years had gone by. he was now saying ben had put a stigma on him. it had got to be a stigma by this time, though he probably hadn't any idea what a stigma really is. he'd read it somewhere. then the waves closed over the injured man for about three years more. this time it looked as if he'd gone down for good, stigma and all. ben thought the same. he said it was a great relief not to be looking forward any more to these brutal affrays that ed insisted on perpetrating. and high time, too, because he was now in line for general manager, and how would it look for him to be mixed up in brawls? and everything was serene till the papers broke out into headlines about a big strike made in the bradshaw mountains of arizona by three partners, of whom one was named steptoe. they seemed to have found all the valuable minerals in that claim of theirs except platinum. ben tried first to believe it was someone else named steptoe; but no such luck. we read that a half interest in the property had been sold to an eastern syndicate for three million dollars and a company organized of which edward j. steptoe was president. "it may be all for the best, anyway," ben says to me. "now that he's a big mining man he'll probably have other aims in life than being a thug." you could see he was hoping to make a separate peace with the new millionaire, who would forget the grudge of his old days when he had to work for what he got, or at least run the risk of getting shot for it. but i wasn't so sure. i reminded ben that ed had never yet done anything you'd think a human being would do, so why expect him to begin now, when he had abundant leisure? i advised him to give deep thought to the matter of his defense, and if the battle went against him to withdraw to a position previously prepared, like the war reports say. ben said a few warm things about ed, by doggie, that no cousin ought to say of another cousin, and went off, hoping against hope. and, sure enough, ed came promptly to the front. it seems he waited only long enough to get a new suit and an assorted lot of the snappiest diamond jewellery he could find. then he wired me he was coming to right the wrongs of a lifetime. reaching san francisco, it occurred to him that he could put it all over ben in another way that would cut him to the heart; so he there chartered the largest, goldest, and most expensive private car on the market, having boudoirs and shower baths and conservatories and ballrooms, and so on; something that would make ben's dinky little private car look like a nester's shack or a place for a construction gang to bunk in. and in this rolling palace ed invaded our peaceful country, getting lots of notice. the papers said this new mining millionaire was looking us over with an eye to investment in our rich lands. little they knew he merely meant to pull off a brutal fist altercation with a prominent railroad official that was somewhat out of condition. ben was one worried man, especially after he heard of ed's private car. it was one thing to lick an exbrakeman, but entirely different to have an affray with a prominent capitalist that come after you regardless of expense. furthermore, this was the time for the annual tour of inspection by the officers of the road, and they was now on the way to ben's division, with him hoping to create a fine impression by showing his miracles of management. and here was ed, meaning to start something scandalous at sight! no wonder ben lost his nerve and tried to run out on his antagonist. he was trying to put it off at least till after his officials had come and gone. so for six days he kept about thirty miles of standard-gauge track between his car and ed's. ed would get word that he was at such a station and have his car dropped there, only to find that ben had gone on. ed would follow on the next train, or mebbe hire a special engine; and ben would hide off on some blind spur track. they covered the whole division about three times without clashing, thanks to ben's superior information bureau; it being no trick at all to keep track of this wheeled apartment house of ed's. ed couldn't understand it at first. here he'd come up to lick ben, and ben was acting queer about it. ed would send messages every day wanting to know when and where he could have a nice quiet chat with ben that would not be interfered with by bystanders; and ben would wire back that his time wasn't his own and company business was keeping him on the jump, but as soon as this rush was over he would arrange an interview; and kind regards, and so on. or he might say he would be at some station all the following day; which would be a clumsy falsehood, because he was at that moment pulling out, as ed would find when he got there. the operating department must of thought them a couple of very busy men, wanting so much to meet, yet never seeming able to get together. ed got peeved at last by the way ben was putting him off. it wasn't square and it wasn't businesslike. he had large mining interests in charge and here was ben acting like he had all summer to devote just to this one little matter. he called ben's attention to this by telegraph, but ben continued to be somewhere else from where he said he was going to be. after a week of this pussy-wants-a-corner stuff ed got wise that the thing had come to be a mere vulgar chase, and that his private car was hampering him by being so easy to keep track of. so he disguised himself by taking off his diamond ornaments and leaving his private car at colfax, and started out to stalk ben as a common private citizen in a day coach. he got results that way, ben supposing he was still with his car. after a couple of scouting trips up and down the line he gets reliable word that ben, with his bunch of high officials, is over at wallace. so much the better, thinks ed. it will be fine to have this next disturbance right on the spot where a great wrong was done him fifteen years before. so he starts for wallace, wiring for his car to follow him there. he'd found this car poor for the bloodhound stuff, but he wanted ben to have a good look at it and eat his heart out with envy, either before or after what was going to happen to him. he gets to wallace on the noon train and finds that ben with his officials has gone up the canon, past burke, on the president's private car, to return in about an hour. after ed's inquiries the agent kindly wires up to ben that his cousin from arizona is waiting for him. ed spends the time walking round ben's shabby little private car and sneering at it. he has his plans all made, now that he has run his man to earth. he won't pull anything rough before the officials, but about twenty miles out on the line is a siding with a shipping corral beside it and nothing else in sight but vistas. they'll get an engine to run the two cars out there that night and leave 'em, and everything can be done decently and in order. no hurry and no worry and no scandal. ed is just playing the coming fight over in his mind for the fifth time, correcting some of his blows here and there, when he hears a whistle up the canon and in comes the special. the officials pile off and ben comes rushing up to ed with a glad smile and effusive greetings and hearty slaps on the back; and how is everything, old man?--and so on--with a highly worried look lurking just back of it all; and says what rare good luck to find ed here, because he's the very man they been talking about all the way down from burke. ed says if they come down as fast as he did one time they didn't get a chance to say much about him; but ben is introducing him to the president of the road and the general manager and the chief engineer and three or four directors, and they all shake hands with him till it seems like quite a reception. the president says is this really the gentleman who has made that last big strike in arizona! and if it is he knows something still more interesting about him, because he has just listened to a most remarkable tale of his early days as a brakeman on this very line. their division superintendent has been telling of his terrific drop down the canon and his incredible flight through the air of three hundred and thirty-five feet. "how far did he say i was hurled?" says ed, and the president again says three hundred and thirty-five feet, which was a hundred more than ed had ever claimed; so he looks over at ben pretty sharp. ben is still talking hurriedly about the historic accident, saying that in all his years of railroad experience he never heard of anything approaching it, and if they will step up the track a piece he will show them just where the cars left the rails. ben must of done a lot of quick thinking that day. he had the bunch over to see the exact spot, and they all stood and looked over to the ice house and said it was incredible; and a director from boston said it was perfectly preposterous; really now! and ben kept on reciting rapidly about the details. he said ed had come down the seven miles in less than three minutes, which was lopping a minute and a half off the official time; and that when picked up he hadn't a whole bone left in his body, which was also a lie; and that his cousin never could of survived if he hadn't probably had the most marvellous constitution a man was ever endowed with. he then made the bunch go over to the ice house to see the other exact spot, and they looked back to where he started from, and again said it was incredible and preposterous. i don't know. mebbe they wouldn't of thought it preposterous that a mere brakeman was hurled that far, but ed was a capitalist now. anyway, the president had him into his car for lunch with the party, and they might possibly of got to talking about other things of less importance, but ben wouldn't have any thing else. he made 'em insist that ed should tell his version of the whole thing; how he felt when the cars started, and how the scenery was blurred, and how his whole past life flashed before him, and the last thing he remembered before he hit the sawdust. and ben set there looking so proud of ed, like a mother having her little tot recite something. and when ed had finally lit, ben made him tell about his slow recovery. and after ed got himself well again ben would go back to the start and ask for more details, such as whether he hadn't wanted to jump off on the way down, or whether he had been conscious while going through the air for nearly four hundred feet. ed got little food; but much he cared! he'd come into his own at last. and suddenly he was surprised by finding a warm glow in his heart for ben, especially after ben had said for about the third time: "i was certainly a green hand in those days; so green that i didn't begin to realize what a whale of an occurrence this was." ed was getting a new light on ben. after lunch ed's own car got in from colfax and he had the party over there for cigars and more talk about himself, which was skillfully led by ben. then the president invited ed to hitch his car on and come along with them for a little trip, and talk over mining and investments, and so on, and what the outlook was in the southwest. so ed went with 'em and continued to hear talk of his accident. ben would bring it up and harp back to it, and bring it forward and sandwich it in whenever the conversation had an open moment. it was either the wild thoughts ed must of had sliding down the canon, or the preposterous constitution he had been endowed with, or the greenness of himself for not recognizing it as the prize accident of the ages. and i don't wonder ben went on that way for the next two days. he knew what a tenacious idiot ed was, and that he had come miles out of his way to try something he had often tried before. the most he could hope for was to stave off the collision till his officials got away. and it looked, the second night, like he wasn't going to be able to do even this much. he'd been detecting cold looks from ed all day, in spite of his putting on another record about the accident every ten minutes or so. they was laid out at some little station, and just before dinner ed give ben the office that he wanted a word private with him. ben thinks to himself it's coming now in spite of all his efforts to smooth it over. but he leaves the car with ed and they walk a piece up the track, ben hoping they can make the lee of a freight car before ed starts his crime of violence. he makes up his mind quick. if ed jumps him there in the open he will certainly do his best to win the contest. but if he waits till they get this freight car between them and the public, then he will let ed win the fight and get the scandal out of his life forever. ben walks quite briskly, but ed begins to slow up when they ain't more than a hundred yards from the president's car. finally ed stops short. "the little foci is going to pull the fight here in the open!" thinks ben; so he gets ready to do his best. then ed says: "say, ben, what's the matter with you, anyway? are you losing your mind? it ain't so much on my account; i could make allowance for you. but here's these officials of yours, and you want to make a good impression on 'em; instead of which you are making yourself the grandest bore that ever needed strangling for continuous talk on one subject." ben didn't get him yet. he says come on up the other side of them freight cars, where they can be more private for their consultation. ed says no; this is far enough to tell him for his own good not to be such a bore; an' ben says how is he a bore? "a bore?" says ed. "why, for forty-eight hours you ain't been able to talk about anything but that stale old accident of mine, and you got me so sick of it i could jump on you every time you begin. you got everybody in the party sick of it. don't you see how they all try to get away from you? for the lord's sake, can't you think up something else to talk about now and then--at least for five minutes, just to give your silly chatter a little different flavour? i never been so sick of anything in my life as i am of this everlasting prattle of yours about something that was over and forgotten fifteen long years ago! what's got into you to keep dragging that accident up out of the dead past that way? anyway, you better cut it out. i have to listen because you're my cousin; but these officials don't. your next pay check is liable to be your last on this road if you don't think up some other kind of gossip. darned if it don't seem like you had been getting weak-minded in your old age!" ben had got his bearings by this time. he apologized warmly to ed; he said it was true this magnificent catastrophe had lately taken possession of his mind, but now that he finds ed is so sensitive about it he'll try to keep it out of his talk, and he hopes ed won't cherish hard feelings against him. ed says no, he won't cherish anything if ben will only quit his loathsome gushing about the accident; and ben says he will quit. and so they shook hands on it. that's the way the feud ended. the champion grudge hoarder of the universe had been dosed to a finish with his own medicine. it showed ben has a weakness for diplomacy; kind of an iron hand in a velvet glove, or something. ed is still a nut, though. there was a piece in a sunday paper not long ago about this new mining millionaire. he spoke some noble words to the youth of our land. he said young american manhood could still make its fortune in this glorious country of opportunity by strict attention to industry and good habits and honest dealing and native pluck--him that had had these mules forced on him in the first place, and then his interest in this claim forced on him for the mules, and then hadn't been able to get shut of the claim. ain't it lovely how men will dig up a license to give themselves all credit for hog luck they couldn't help! ma pettengill busied herself with a final cigarette and remarked that she never knew when to stop talking. some parties did, but not her; and she having to be up and on the way to horsefly mountain by six-thirty in the a.m.! her last apology was for a longing she had not been able to conquer: she couldn't help a debased wish to know how that last fight would of come out. "of course it ain't nice to want men to act like the brutes," said the lady. "still, i can't help wondering; not that i'm inquisitive, but just out of curiosity." v one arrowhead day it began with the wonted incitement to murder. a wooden staff projects some five feet above the topmost roof peak of the arrowhead ranch house, and to this staff is affixed a bell of brazen malignity. at five-thirty each morning the cord controlling this engine of discord is jerked madly and forever by lew wee, our chinese chef. it is believed by those compelled to obey the horrid summons that this is lew wee's one moment of gladness in a spoiled life. the sound of the noon bell, the caressing call of the night bell--these he must know to be welcome. the morning clangour he must know to be a tragedy of foulest import. it is undeniably rung with a keener relish. there will be some effort at rhythm with the other bells, but that morning bell jangles in a broken frenzy of clangs, ruthlessly prolonged, devilish to the last insulting stroke. surely one without malice could manage this waking bell more tactfully. a reckless chinaman, then, takes his life in his hands each morning at five-thirty. something like a dozen men are alarmed from deep sleep to half-awakened incredulity, in which they believe the bell to be a dream bell and try to dream on of something noiseless. ten seconds later these startled men have become demons, with their nice warm feet on the icy floor of the bunk-house, and with prayers of simple fervour that the so-and-so chink may be struck dead while his hand is still on the rope. this prayer is never answered; so something like a dozen men dress hurriedly and reach the arrowhead kitchen hurriedly, meaning to perform instantly there a gracious deed which providence has thus far unaccountably left undone. that the arrowhead annals are, as yet, unspiced with a crime of violence is due, i consider, to lew wee's superb control of his facial muscles. his expression when he maniacally yanks the bell cord is believed by his victims to be one of hellish glee; so they eagerly seek each morning for one little remaining trace of this. the tiniest hint would suffice. but they encounter only a rather sad-faced, middle-aged chinaman, with immovable eyes and a strained devotion to delicate tasks, of whom it is impossible to believe that ever a ray of joy gladdened his life. there is a secondary reason why the spirit of lew wee has not long since been disembodied by able hands: his static gorgon face stays the first murderous impulse; then his genial kitchen aroma overpowers their higher natures and the deed of high justice is weakly postponed. this genial kitchen aroma is warm, and composed cunningly from steaming coffee and frying ham or beef, together with eggs and hot cakes almost as large as the enamelled iron plates from which they are eaten. it is no contemptible combination on a frosty morning. no wonder strong men forget the simple act of manslaughter they come there to achieve and sit sullenly down to be pandered to by him who was erst their torturer. on a morning in late may, when i had been invited to fare abroad with my hostess, mrs. lysander john pettengill--who would breakfast in her own apartment--i joined this assemblage of thwarted murderers as they doggedly ate. it is a grim business, that ranch breakfast. two paling lamps struggle with the dawn, now edging in, and the half light is held low in tone by smoke from the cake griddle, so that no man may see another too plainly. but no man wishes to see another. he stares dully into his own plate and eats with stern aversion. we might be so many strangers in a strange place, aloof, suspicious, bitter, not to say truculent. no quip or jest will lighten the gloom. necessary requests for the sugar or the milk or the stewed apples are phrased with a curtly formal civility. we shall be other men at noon or at night, vastly other, sunnier men, with abundance of quip and jest and playful sally with the acid personal tang. but from warm beds of repose! we avoid each other's eyes, and one's subdued "please pass that sirup pitcher!" is but tolerated like some boorish profanation of a church service. the simple truth, of course, is that this is the one hour of the day when we are face to face with the evil visage of life unmasked; our little rosy illusions of yestereve are stale and crumpled. not until we are well out in the sun, with the second cigarette going good, shall we again become credulous about life and safe to address. it is no meal to linger over. we grimly rise from the wrecked table and clatter out. only one of us--that matchless optimist, sandy sawtelle--sounds a flat note in the symphony of disillusion. his humanness rebounds more quickly than ours, who will not fawn upon life for twenty minutes yet. sandy comes back to the table from the hook whence he had lifted his hat. he holds aloft a solitary hot cake and addresses lew wee in his best anglo-chinese, and with humorous intent: "i think take-um hot cake, nail over big knot hole in bunk-house--last damn long time better than sheet iron!" swiftly departing pessimists accord no praise or attention to this ill-timed sketch; least of all lew wee, who it is meant to insult. his face retains the sad impassivity of a granite cliff as yet beyond the dawn. now i am out by the saddle rack under the poplars, where two horses are tied. ma pettengill's long-barrelled roan is saddled. my own flea-bitten gray, dandy jim, is clad only in the rope by which he was led up from the caviata. i approach him with the respectful attention his reputed character merits and try to ascertain his mood of the moment. he is a middle-aged horse, apparently of sterling character, and in my presence has always conducted himself as a horse should. but the shadow of scandal has been flung athwart him. i have been assured that he has a hideous genius for cinch binding. listening at first without proper alarm, it has been disclosed to me that a cinch binder ain't any joke, by a darned sight! a cinch binder will stand up straight and lean over backward on me. if i'm there when he hits the ground i'll wish i wasn't--if i am able to wish anything at all and don't simply have to be shipped off to wherever my family wants it to take place. i am further enlightened: dandy jim ain't so likely to start acting if not saddled when too cold. if i saddle him then he will be expecting to have more fun out of it than i have any right to. but if the sun is well up, why, sometimes a baby could handle him. so for three weeks i have saddled dandy jim with the utmost circumspection and with the sun well up. now the sun is not well up. shall i still survive? i pause to wish that the range of high hills on the east may be instantly levelled. the land will then be worth something and the sun will be farther up. but nothing of a topographical nature ensues. the hills remain to obscure the sun. and the brute has to be saddled. the mood of that grim breakfast, voiceless, tense, high with portent, is still upon me. i approach and speak harshly to the potential cinch binder, telling him to get over there! he does not; so i let it pass. after all, he is only a horse. why should i terrorize him? i bridle him with a manner far from harsh. he doesn't like the taste of the bit--not seasoned right, or something. but at last he takes it without biting my fingers off; which shows that the horse has no mind to speak of. i look him calmly in the eye for a moment; then pull his head about, so that i can look him calmly in the other eye for a moment. this is to show the animal that he has met his master and had better not try any of that cinch-binding stuff if he knows when he's well off. still, i treat him fairly. i smooth his back of little vegetable bits that cling there, shake out the saddle blanket and tenderly adjust it. whistling carelessly i swing up the saddle. dandy jim flinches pitifully when it rests upon him and reaches swiftly round to bite my arm off. i think this is quite perfunctory on his part. he must have learned long since that he will never really bite any one's arm off. his neck is not enough like a swan's. i adjust saddle and blanket carefully from both sides, pulling the blanket well up under the horn of the saddle and making sure that it sets comfortably. one should be considerate of the feelings of a dumb beast placed at one's mercy. then i reach for the cinch, pass it twice through the rings, and delicately draw it up the merest trifle. dandy jim shudders and moans pathetically. he wishes to convey the impression that his ribs have been sprung. this, of course, is nonsense. i measureably increase the pressure. dandy jim again registers consternation, coughs feebly, and rolls his eyes round appealingly, as if wondering whether the world is to sit, without heart, and watch a poor defenseless horse being slain. he is about to expire. i now lead him gently about by the bridle. it occurs to me that a horse with this curious mania for binding cinches or cinching binders--or, in other words, a cinch binder--will be as willing to indulge in his favourite sport with the saddle unoccupied as otherwise. he may like it even better with no one up there; and i know i will. nothing happens, except that dandy jim stumbles stiffly and pretends to be lame. the sun is not yet well up; still, it is a lot better. perhaps danger for the day is over. i again lead the dangerous beast-- "what you humouring that old skate for?" ma pettengill, arrayed in olive-drab shirt and breeches, leather puttees, and the wide-brimmed hat of her calling with the four careful dents in the top, observed me with friendly curiosity as she ties a corduroy coat to the back of her saddle. hereupon i explained my tactful handling of the reputed cinch binder. it evoked the first cheerful sound i had heard that day: ma pettengill laughed heartily. "that old hair trunk never had the jazz to be any cinch binder. who told you he was?" i named names--all i could remember. almost everyone on the ranch had passed me the friendly warning, and never had i saddled the brute without a thrill. "sure! them chuckleheads always got to tell everybody something. it's a wonder they ain't sent you in to the chink to borrow his meat auger, or out to the blacksmith shop for a left-handed monkey wrench, or something. come on!" so that was it! just another bit of stale ranch humour--alleged humour--as if it could be at all funny to have me saddle this wreck with the tenderest solicitude morning after morning! "just one moment!" i said briskly. i think dandy jim realized that everything of a tender nature between us was over. some curious and quite charming respect i had been wont to show him was now gone out of my manner. he began to do deep breathing exercises before i touched the cinch. i pulled with the strength of a fearless man. dandy jim forthwith inflated his chest like a gentleman having his photograph taken in a bathing suit. i waited, apparently foiled. i stepped back, spoke to ma pettengill of the day's promise, and seemed carelessly to forget what i was there for. slowly dandy jim deflated himself; and then, on the fair and just instant, i pulled. i pulled hard and long. the game was won. dandy jim had now the waist of that matron wearing the sveltina corset, over in the part of the magazine where the stories die away. i fearlessly bestrode him and the day was on. i opened something less than a hundred gates, so that we could take our way through the lower fields. ma pettengill said she must see this here tilton and this here snell, and have that two hundred yards of fence built like they had agreed to, as man to man; and no more of this here nonsense of putting it off from day to day. she was going to talk straight to them because, come thursday, she had to turn a herd of beef cattle into that field. then i opened a few dozen more gates and we were down on the flats. here the lady spied a coyote, furtively skirting some willows on our left. so, for a few merry miles, we played the game of coyote. it is a simple game to learn, but requires a trained eye. when one player sees a coyote the other becomes indebted to him in the sum of one dollar. this sport dispelled the early morning gloom that had beset me. i won a dollar almost immediately. it may have been the same coyote, as my opponent painfully suggested; but it showed at a different breach in the willows, and i was firm. then the game went fiercely against me. ma pettengill detected coyotes at the far edges of fields--so far that i would have ignored them for jack rabbits had i observed them at all. i claimed an occasional close one; but these were few. the outlook was again not cheering. it was an excellent morning for distant coyotes, and presently i owed mrs. lysander john pettengill seven dollars, she having won two doubleheaders in succession. this ride was costing me too much a mile. being so utterly outclassed i was resolving to demand a handicap, but was saved from this ignominy by our imminent arrival at the abode of this here tilton, who presently sauntered out of a feeding corral and chewed a straw at us idly. we soon took all that out of him. the air went something like this: * * * * * mrs. l. j. p.--brightly: morning, chester! say, look here! about that gap in the fence across stony creek field--i got to turn a beef herd in there thursday. tilton--crouching luxuriously on one knee still chewing the straw: well, now, about that little job--i tell you, mis' pett'ngill; i been kind o' holdin' off account o' snell bein' rushed with his final plowin'. he claims-- mrs. l. j. p.--still brightly: oh, that's all right! snell will be over there, with his men, to-morrow morning at seven o'clock. he said you'd have to be there, too. tilton--alarmed, he rises, takes straw from his mouth, examines the chewed end with dismay and casts it from him; removes his hat, looks at this dubiously, burnishes it with a sleeve, and sighs: to-morrow morning! you don't mean to-morrow-- mrs. l. j. p.--carefully yet rapidly: to-morrow morning at seven o'clock. you don't want to throw snell down on this; and he's going to be there. how many men can you take? tilton--dazed: now--now lemme see! mrs. l. j. p.--quickly: you can take chris and shorty and jake and yourself. any one else? tilton--swept over the falls: why, no'm; i don't guess there's any other i could spare, account of-- mrs. l. j. p.--almost sweetly: all right, then. to-morrow; seven sharp. tilton--from the whirlpool, helplessly: yes'm! yes'm! mrs. l. j. p.: morning! * * * * * we ride on. tilton fades back toward the corral; he has forgotten to replace his hat. i now decided to make a little conversation rather than have the stupid and ruinous game of coyote for a pastime. "i thought you hadn't seen snell yet." "i haven't; not since he promised his half of the job two weeks ago." "but you just told tilton--" "well, snell is going to be there, ain't he?" "how do you know?" "i'm going to tell him now." and the woman did even so. if you wish the scene with snell go back and read the scene with tilton, changing the names. nothing else need you change. snell was hitching two mules to a wood wagon; but he heard the same speeches and made approximately the same replies. and the deed was done. "there now!" boomed mrs. talleyrand as we rode beyond earshot of the dazed and lingering snell. "them two men been trying for two weeks to agree on a day to do this trifling job. they wasn't able; so i agreed on a day myself. anything wrong with it?" "you said you were going to talk straight to them." "ain't i just talked straight to snell? tilton will be there, won't he?" "how about the way you talked to tilton before you saw snell?" "well, my lands! how you talk! you got to have a foundation to build on, haven't you?" i saw it as a feat beyond my prowess to convict this woman in her own eyes of a dubious and considering veracity. so i merely wondered, in tones that would easily reach her, how the gentlemen might relish her diplomacy when they discovered it on the morrow. i preceded the word diplomacy with a slight and very affected cough. the lady replied that they would never discover her diplomacy, not coughing in the least before the word. she said each of them would be so mad at the other for setting a day that they would talk little. they would simply build fence. she added that a woman in this business had to be looking for the worst of it all the time. she was bound to get the elbow if she didn't use her common sense. i ignored her casuistry, for she was now rolling a cigarette with an air of insufferable probity. i gave her up and played a new game of smashing horseflies as they settled on my mount. dandy jim plays the game ably. when a big fly settles on his nose he holds his head round so i can reach it. he does not flinch at the terrific smash of my hat across his face. if a fly alights on his neck or shoulder, and i do not remark it, he turns his head slightly toward me and winks, so i can stalk and pot it. he is very crafty here. if the fly is on his right side he turns and winks his left eye at me so the insect will not observe him. and yet there are people who say horses don't reason. i now opened fifty more gates and we left the cool green of the fields for a dusty side road that skirts the base of the mesa. we jogged along in silence, which i presently heard stir with the faint, sweet strain of a violin; an air that rose and wailed and fell again, on a violin played with a certain back-country expertness. the road bent to show us its source. we were abreast of the forlorn little shack of a dry-farmer, weathered and patched, set a dozen yards from the road and surrounded by hard-packed earth. before the open door basked children and pigs and a few spiritless chickens. all the children ran to the door when we halted and called to someone within. the fiddle played on with no faltering, but a woman came out--a gaunt and tattered woman who was yet curiously cheerful. the children lurked in her wake as she came to us and peered from beyond her while we did our business. our business was that the redskin, laura, official laundress of the arrowhead, had lately attended an evening affair in the valley at which the hitherto smart tipple of jamaica ginger had been supplanted by a novel and potent beverage, nature's own remedy for chills, dyspepsia, deafness, rheumatism, despair, carbuncles, jaundice, and ennui. laura had partaken freely and yet again of this delectable brew, and now suffered not only from a sprained wrist but from detention, having suffered arrest on complaint of the tribal sister who had been nearest to her when she sprained her wrist. therefore, if mrs. dave pickens wanted to come over to-morrow and wash for us, all right; she could bring her oldest girl to help. mrs. dave thereupon turned her head languidly toward the ignoble dwelling and called: "dave!" then again, for the fiddle stayed not: "dave! oh, dave!" the fiddle ceased to moan--complainingly it seemed to me--and dave framed his graceful figure in the doorway. he was one appealing droop, from his moustache to his moccasin-clad feet. he wore an air of elegant leisure, but was otherwise not fussily arrayed. "dave, mis' pett'ngill says there's now a day's washin' to do over to her place to-morrow. what think?" dave deliberated, then pondered, then thought, then spoke: "well, i d'no', addie; i d'no' as i got any objections if you ain't. i d'no' but it's all the same to me." hereupon we meanly put something in dave's unsuspecting way, too. "you must want a day's work yourself," called out ma pettengill. "you go up to snell's about six in the morning and he'll need you to help do some fencing on that gap in stony creek field. if he don't need you tilton will. one of 'em is bound to be short a man." "fencin'?" said dave with noticeable disrelish. "you reckon we better both leave the place at once?" suggested mrs. dave. "that's so," said dave brightly. "mebbe i--" "nonsense!" boomed ma pettengill, dispelling his brightness. "addie can drop you at snell's when she comes over to arrowhead. now that's settled!" and we rode off as unvoiced expostulations were gathering. i began to wonder whether it must, throughout a beautiful day, be the stern mission of this woman to put tribulation upon her neighbours. she was becoming a fell destroyer. the sun was well up. i thirsted. also, breakfast seemed to have been a thing in the remote past. we now rode three torrid miles up a narrow green slit in the hills for a scant ten minutes of talk with a most uninteresting person, whose sole claim to notice seemed to be that he had gone and fenced the wrong water hole over back of horsefly mountain, where we have a summer range. the talk was quick and pointed and buttressed with a blue-print map, and the too-hasty fencer was left helpless after a pitiful essay at quibbling. we rode off saying that he could do just as he liked about sending someone over right away to take that fence down, because we had already took it down the minute we set eyes on it. we was just letting him know so he needn't waste any more wire and posts and time in committing felonious depredations that would get him nothing but high trouble if he was so minded. another scalp to our belt! i now briefly recalled to the woman that we had stopped at no peaceful home that morning save to wreck its peace. i said i was getting into the spirit of the ride myself. i suggested that at the next ranch we passed we should stop and set fire to the haystacks, just to crown the day's brutalities with something really splendid. i also said i was starving to death in a land of plenty. ma pettengill gazed aloft at the sun and said it was half-past twelve. i looked at my watch and said the sun was over ten minutes slow, which was probably due to the heavy continuous gunfire on the western front. this neat bit went for just nothing. as we rode on i fondly recalled that last cold hot cake which sandy sawtelle had sacrificed to his gift for debased whimsy. i also recalled other items of that gloomy repast, wondering how i could so weakly have quit when i did. we rode now under a sun that retained its old fervour if not its velocity. we traversed an endless lane between fields, in one of which grazed a herd of the arrowhead cattle. these i was made to contemplate for many valuable moments. i had to be told that i was regarding the swallow-fork herd, pure-breds that for one reason or another--the chief being careless help--had not been registered. the omission was denoted by the swallow fork in the left ear. the owner looked upon them with fond calculation. she was fondly calculating that they would have been worth about fifty per cent. more to her with ears unmutilated. she grew resentful that their true worth should not be acclaimed by the world. in the sight of heaven they were pure-breds; so why should they suffer through the oversight of a herd boss that hadn't anywhere near such distinguished ancestry? and so on, as the lady says. we left the lane at last and were on the county road, but headed away from the arrowhead and food. no doubt there remained other homes for us to wreck. we mounted a rise and the road fell from us in a long, gentle slope. and then a mile beyond, where the slope ended, i beheld a most inviting tiny pleasance in this overwhelming welter of ranch land, with its more or less grim business of cattle. it was a little homestead fit to adorn an art calendar to be entitled peace and plenty--a veritable small farm from some softer little country far to the east. it looked strangely lost amid these bleaker holdings. there was a white little house and it sported nothing less than green blinds. there was a red barn, with toy outbuildings. there was a vegetable garden, an orchard of blossoming fruit trees, and, in front of the glistening little house, a gay garden of flowers. even now i could detect the yellow of daffodils and the martial--at least it used to be martial--scarlet of tulips. the little place seemed to drowse here in the noontide, dreaming of its lost home and other little farms that once companioned it. to my pleased surprise this unbelievable little farm proved to be our next stopping place. at its gate ma pettengill dismounted, eased the cinch of her saddle and tied her horse to the hitching rack. i did likewise by the one-time cinch binder. "now," i wondered, "what devastating bomb shall we hurl into this flower-spiced arcady? what woe will she put upon its unsuspecting dwellers, even as she has ruined four other homes this day? this should be something really choice." but i said no word and followed where the avenger stalked. we unlatched the white gate and went up a gravelled walk between the rows of daffodils and tulips and hyacinths. we did not ascend the spotless front porch to assault its innocent white door, but turned aside on a narrow-gauge branch of the gravelled pathway and came to a side porch, shaded by maples. and here, in strict conformity to the soundest behests of tradition, sat two entirely genuine arcadians in wooden rocking-chairs. the male was a smiling old thing with winter-apple cheeks and white hair, and the female was a smiling old thing with winter-apple cheeks and white hair; both had bright eyes of doll blue, and both wore, among other neat things, loose and lovely carpet slippers and white stockings. and, of course, the male was named uncle henry and the other one was named aunt mollie, for i was now presented to them. they shyly greeted me as one returned to them after many years in which they had given me up. and again i wondered what particular iniquity we had come here to do. then ma pettengill eased my worry. she said in a few simple but affecting words, that we had stopped in for a bite to eat. no self-torturing stylist could have put the thing better. and results were sudden. uncle henry, the male one, went to take our horses round to the barn, and the other one said they had et an hour ago; but give her ten minutes and she'd have a couple of them young pullets skinned and on the fire. ma pettengill said, with very questionable taste, i thought: "oh, no; nothing like that!"--because we didn't want to make the least bit of trouble. the woman is dense at times. what else had we come there for? but aunt mollie said, then, how about some prime young pork tenderline? and ma pettengill said she guessed that would do, and i said i guessed that would do. and there we were! the ladies went to the kitchen, where they made quick and grateful noises. pretty soon uncle henry came round a lovely corner and said try a tumbler of this here grape wine, which he poured from a pressed-glass pitcher; so i tried it and gave him a town cigarette, which he tucked between his beautiful white moustache and his beautiful white whiskers. and i hoped he didn't use gasoline to get them so clean, because if he did something might happen when he lighted the cigarette; but nothing did, so probably he didn't. i tried the grape wine again; and dear old uncle henry said he was turning out quite a bit of it since the gov'ment had shet down on regular dram-shops, quite considerable of parties happening along from time to time to barter with him, getting it for dances or colds, or something. a yellow cat, with blue eyes like uncle henry's, came and slept on his lap. a large fussy hen with a litter of chickens--or however a hen designates her assemblage of little ones--clucked her way to our feet. i could see three hives of bees, a grape arbour, and a row of milk pans drying in the sun, each leaning on its neighbour along a white bench. uncle henry said drink it up while it was cold. all nature seemed to smile. the hen found a large and charming bug, and chuckled humorously while her cunning little ones tore it limb from limb. it was idyllic. then aunt mollie pushed open the screen door and said come in and set up; so i came in and set up quickly, having fried pork tenderloin and fried potatoes, and hot biscuit and pork gravy, and cucumber pickles, and cocoanut cake and pear preserves, peach preserves, apricot preserves, loganberry jelly, crab-apple jelly, and another kind of preserves i was unable to identify, though trying again and again. ma pettengill ate somewhat, but talked also, keeping uncle henry and aunt mollie shiny with smiles. they both have polished white teeth of the most amazing regularity. i ate almost exclusively, affecting to be preoccupied about something. the time was urgent. i formed an entangling alliance with the pork tenderloin, which endured to a point where but one small fragment was left on the platter. i coolly left it there, so that aunt mollie might believe she had cooked more than enough. i have never ceased to regret that hollow bit of chivalry. was it honest, genuine, open? no! why will men at critical junctures stoop to such trickery? aunt mollie said i might think that tenderline was fresh-killed; but not so--she has fried it last december and put it down in its own juice in a four-gallon crock, and now look how fresh it come out! she seemed as proud as if she had invented something. she had a right to be. it was a charming notion and i could have eaten the rest of the crock--but, no matter. half a dozen biscuits copiously gummed up with preserves of one kind or another would do as well--almost. so aunt mollie showed me objects of interest in the room, including her new carpet sweeper, a stuffed road runner, a ship built in a bottle, and the coloured crayon portraits of herself and uncle henry, wearing blue clothes and gold jewellery and white collars and ecru neckties. also, the marriage certificate. this was no mere official certificate. it was the kind that costs three dollars flat, over and above what you give to the party that does it for you, being genuine steel-engraved, with a beautiful bridal couple under a floral bell, the groom in severe evening dress, and liberally spotted with cupids and pigeons. it is worth the money and an ornament to any wall, especially in the gilt frame. aunt mollie seemed as proud of this document as she had been with the tenderloin. i scanned it word by word for her pleasure. i noticed especially the date. aunt mollie said that her and henry were now in the fortieth year on this place, and it had changed in looks a whole lot since they came here. i again looked at the date of the certificate. ma pettengill said, well, we must be getting on, and they must both come over to the arrowhead for a day right soon. and uncle henry said here was a quart bottle of his peach brandy, going on eight year old, and would i take it along back with me and try it? parties had told him it was good; but he didn't know--mebbe so, mebbe not. he'd like to know what i thought. it seemed little enough to do to bring a bit of gladness into this old gentleman's life, and i was not the man to wound him by refusal. it was as if michelangelo had said "come on round to the sistine chapel this afternoon and look over a little thing i've dashed off." if he had brought two bottles instead of one my answer would have been the same. so we were out on our refreshed horses and heading home; and i said, without loss of time, that aunt mollie might have a good heart and a cunning way with pork interiors, and it was none of my business, anyway; but, nevertheless, she had mentioned forty long years with this amateur saloon keeper, whereas her marriage certificate was dated but one year previous, in figures all too shamefully legible. so what about it? i said i mind observing the underworld from time to time; but i like to be warned in advance, even when its denizens were such a charming, bright-eyed winter-apple-cheeked old couple as the two we were now leaving. the sun was on our backs, a light breeze fanned us, the horses knew which way they were going, and work for the day was over; so ma pettengill spoke, in part, as follows: "oh, well, of course everyone knows about that. simple enough! aunt mollie and her first husband trekked in here forty years ago. he was a consumptive and the first winter put him out. they had a hard time; no neighbours to speak of, harsh weather, hard work, poor shelter, and a dying man. henry mortimer happened by and stayed to help--nursed the invalid, kept the few head of stock together, nailed up holes in the shack, rustled grub and acted like a friend in need. at the last he nailed a coffin together; did the rest of that job; then stayed on to nurse aunt mollie, who was all in herself. after he got her to stepping again he put in a crop for her. then he stayed to build a barn and do some fencing. then he harvested the crop. and getting no wages! they was both living off the land. pretty soon they got fond of each other and decided to marry. it's one of aunt mollie's jokes that she owed him two years' wages and had to marry him. "marriage was easier said than done. no preacher, or even a justice of the peace, was within ninety miles, which meant a four days' trip over the roads of that day, and four days back, providing high water or some other calamity didn't make it a month; and no one to leave on the place, which meant there wouldn't be a head of stock left when they got back, what with indians and rustlers. uncle henry will tell you how it seemed too bad that just one of 'em wouldn't make the trip down and have the ceremony done, leaving the other to protect the place. "then along comes a horse trader, who stops over to rest his stock, and learns their trouble. he tells 'em to quit their worry; that he's a notary public and can perform a marriage as good as any baptist preacher they ever saw. i never been able to make out whether he was crazy or just a witty, practical joker. anyway, he married the pair with something like suitable words, wouldn't take a cent for it, and gave 'em a paper saying he had performed the deed. it had a seal on it showing he was a genuine notary public, though from back in iowa somewhere. that made no difference to the new bride and groom. a notary public was a notary public to them, highly important and official. "they had enough other things to worry about, anyway. they had to buckle down to the hard life that waits for any young couple without capital in a new country. they had years of hard sledding; but they must of had a good time somehow, because they never have any but pleasant things to tell of it. whatever that notary public was, he seemed to of pulled off a marriage that took as well or better than a great many that may be more legal. so that's all there is to it--only, here about a year ago they was persuaded to have it done proper at last by a real preacher who makes kulanche two sundays a month. that's why the late date's on that certificate. the old lady is right kittenish about that; shows it to everyone, in spite of the fact that it makes her out of been leading an obliquitous life, or something, for about thirty-eight years. "but then, she's a sentimental old mush-head, anyhow. guess what she told me out in the kitchen! she's been reading what the germans did to women and children in belgium, and she says: 'of course i hate germans; and yet it don't seem as if i could ever hate 'em enough to want to kill a lot of german babies!' wasn't that the confession of a weakling? i guess that's all you'd want to know about that woman. my sakes! will you look at that mess of clouds? i bet it's falling weather over in surprise valley. a good moisting wouldn't hurt us any either." that seemed to be about all. yet i was loath to leave the topic. i still had a warm glow in my heart for the aged couple, and i could hear uncle henry's bottle of adolescent peach brandy laughing to itself from where it was lashed to the back of my saddle. i struck in the only weak spot in the wall. "you say they were persuaded into this marriage. well, who persuaded them? isn't there something interesting about that?" it had, indeed, been a shrewd stroke. ma pettengill's eyes lighted. "say, didn't i ever tell you about mrs. julia wood atkins, the well-known lady reformer?" "you did not. we have eight miles yet." "oh, very well!" so for eight miles of a road that led between green fields on our right and a rolling expanse of sagebrush on our left, i heard something like this: "well, this prominent club lady had been out on the coast for some time heading movements and telling people how to do things, and she had got run down. she's a friend of mrs. w.b. hemingway, the well-known social leader and club president of yonkers, who is an old friend of mine; and mrs. w.b. writes that dear julia is giving her life to the cause--i forget what cause it was right then--and how would it be for me to have her up here on the ranch for a vacation, where she could recover her spirits and be once more fitted to enter the arena. i say i'm only too glad to oblige, and the lady comes along. "she seemed right human at first--kind of haggard and overtrained, but with plenty of fights left in her; a lady from forty-eight to fifty-four, with a fine hearty manner that must go well on a platform, and a kind of accusing face. that's the only word i can think of for it. she'd be pretty busy a good part of the day with pamphlets and papers that she or someone else had wrote, but i finally managed to get her out on a gentle old horse--that one you're riding--so she could liven up some; and we got along quite well together. "the only thing that kind of went against me was, she's one of them that thinks a kind word and a pleasant smile will get 'em anywhere, and she worked both on me a little too much like it was something professional. "still, i put it by and listened to her tell about the awful state the world is in, and how a few earnest women could set it right in a week if it wasn't for the police. "prison reform, for instance. that was the first topic on which she delivered addresses to me. i couldn't make much out of it, except that we don't rely enough on our convicts' rugged honour. it was only a side line with her; still, she didn't slight it. she could talk at length about the innate sterling goodness of the misunderstood burglar. i got tired of it. i told her one day that, if you come right down to it, i'd bet the men inside penitentiaries didn't average up one bit higher morally than the men outside. she said, with her pleasantest smile, that i didn't understand; so i never tried to after that. "the lady had a prowling mind. mebbe that ain't the right word, but it come to me soon after she got here. i think it was the day she begun about our drinking water. she wanted to know what the analysis showed it to contain. she was scared out of her pleasant smile for a minute when she found i'd never had the water analyzed. i thought, first, the poor thing had been reading these beer advertisements; you know--the kind they print asking if you are certain about the purity of your drinking water, telling of the fatal germs that will probably be swimming there, and intimating that probably the only dead-safe bet when you are thirsty is a pint of their pure, wholesome beer, which never yet gave typhoid fever to any one. but, no; julia just thought all water ought to be analyzed on general principles, and wouldn't i have a sample of ours sent off at once? she'd filled a bottle with some and suggested it with her pleasantest platform smile. "'yes,' i says; 'and suppose the report comes back that this water is fatal to man and beast? and it's the only water round here. what then? i'd be in a hell of a fix--wouldn't i?' "i don't deny i used to fall back on words now and then when her smile got to me. and we went right on using water that might or might not make spicy reading in a chemist's report; i only been here thirty years and it's too soon to tell. anyway, it was then i see she was gifted with a prowling mind, which is all i can think of to call it. it went with her accusing face. she didn't think anything in this world was as near right as it could be made by some good woman. "of course she had other things besides the water to worry about. she was a writer, too. she would write about how friction in the home life may be avoided by one of the parties giving in to the other and letting the wife say how the money shall be spent, and pieces about what the young girl should do next, and what the young wife should do if necessary, and so on. for some reason she was paid money for these pieces. "however, she was taking longer rides and getting her pep back, which was what she had come here for. and having failed to reform anything on the arrowhead, she looked abroad for more plastic corruption as you might say. she rode in one night and said she was amazed that this here community didn't do something about dave pickens. that's the place we stopped this morning. she said his children were neglected and starving, his wife worked to the bone, and dave doing nothing but play on a cheap fiddle! how did they get their bread from day to day? "i told her no one in the wide world had ever been able to answer this puzzle. there was dave and his wife and five children, all healthy, and eating somehow, and dave never doing a stroke of work he could side-step. i told her it was such a familiar puzzle we'd quit being puzzled by it. "she said someone ought to smash his fiddle and make him work. she said she would do something about it. i applauded. i said we needed new blood up here and she seemed to of fetched it. "she come back the next day with a flush of triumph on her severely simple face. and guess the first thing she asked me to do! she asked me to take chances in a raffle for dave's fiddle. yes, sir; with her kind words and pleasant smile she had got dave to consent to raffle off his fiddle, and she was going to sell twenty-four chances at fifty cents a chance, which would bring twelve dollars cash to the squalid home. i had to respect the woman at that moment. "'there they are, penniless,' says she, 'and in want for the barest necessities; and this man fiddling his time away! i had a struggle persuading him to give up his wretched toy; but i've handled harder cases. you should of seen the light in the mother's wan face when he consented! the twelve dollars won't be much, though it will do something for her and those starving children; and then he will no longer have the instrument to tempt him.' "i handed over a dollar for two chances right quick, and julia went out to the bunk-house and wormed two dollars out of the boys there. and next day she was out selling off the other chances. she didn't dislike the work. it give her a chance to enter our homes and see if they needed reforming, and if the children was subjected to refining influences, and so on. the first day she scared parties into taking fifteen tickets, and the second day she got rid of the rest; and the next sunday she held the drawing over at dave's house. the fiddle was won by a nester from over in surprise valley, who had always believed he could play one if he only had a fair chance. "so this good deed was now completed, there being no music, and twelve dollars in the pickens home that night. and mrs. julia now felt that she was ready for the next big feat of uplift, which was a lot more important because it involved the very sanctity of the marriage tie. yes, sir; she'd come back from her prowling one night and told me in a hushed voice, behind a closed door, about a couple that had been for years living in a state of open immorality. "i didn't get her, at first, not thinking of uncle henry and aunt mollie. but she meant just them two. i give her a good hearty laugh, at first; but it pained her so much i let her talk. it seems she'd gone there to sell raffle tickets, and they'd taken four, and cooked food for her, and give her some cherry cordial, which she took on account of being far from a strong woman; and then aunt mollie had told all her past life, with this horrid scandal about the notary public sticking innocently out of it. "mrs. julia hadn't been able to see anything but the scandal, she being an expert in that line. so she had started in to persuade aunt mollie that it was her sacred duty to be married decently to her companion in crime for forty years. and aunt mollie had been right taken with the idea; in fact, she had entered into it with a social enthusiasm that didn't seem to mrs. julia to have quite enough womanly shame for her dark past in it. still, anything to get the guilty couple lawful wedded; and before she left it was all fixed. uncle henry was to make an honest woman of aunt mollie as soon as she could get her trousseau ready. "me? i didn't know whether to laugh or get mad. i said the original marriage had satisfied the peace and dignity of the state of washington; and it had done more--it had even satisfied the neighbours. so why not let it rest? but, no, indeedy! it had never been a marriage in the sight of god and couldn't be one now. facts was facts! and she talked some more about aunt mollie not taking her false position in the proper way. "it had been mrs. julia's idea to have the preacher come up and commit this ceremony quite furtively, with mebbe a couple of legal witnesses, keeping everything quiet, so as not to have a public scandal. but nothing like that for the guilty woman! she was going to have a trousseau and a wedding, with guests and gayety. she wasn't taking it the right way at all. it seemed like she wanted all the scandal there was going. "'really, i can't understand the creature,' says mrs. julia. 'she even speaks of a wedding breakfast! can you imagine her wishing to flaunt such a thing?' "it was then i decided to laugh instead of telling this lady a few things she couldn't of put in an article. i said aunt mollie's taking it this way showed how depraved people could get after forty years of it; and we must try to humour the old trollop, the main thing being to get her and her debased old don juan into a legal married state, even if they did insist on going in with a brass band. julia said she was glad i took it this way. "she came back to my room again that night, after her hair was down. the only really human thing this lady ever did, so far as i could discover, was to put some of this magic remedy on her hair that restores the natural colour if the natural colour happened to be what this remedy restores it to. any way, she now wanted to know if i thought it was right for aunt mollie to continue to reside there in that house between now and the time when they would be lawful man and wife. i said no; i didn't think it was right. i thought it was a monstrous infamy and an affront to public morals; but mebbe we better resolve to ignore it and plow a straight furrow, without stopping to pull weeds. she sadly said she supposed i was right. "so uncle henry hitched up his fat white horse to the buggy, and him and aunt mollie drove round the country for three days, inviting folks to their wedding. aunt mollie had the time of her life. it seemed as if there wasn't no way whatever to get a sense of shame into that brazen old hussy. and when this job was done she got busy with her trousseau, which consisted of a bridge gown in blue organdie, and a pair of high white shoes. she didn't know what a bridge gown was for, but she liked the looks of one in a pattern book and sent down to red gap for miss gunslaugh to bring up the stuff and make it. and she'd always had this secret yearning for a pair of high white shoes; so they come up, too. "furthermore, aunt mollie had read the city paper for years and knew about wedding breakfasts; so she was bound to have one of those. it looked like a good time was going to be had by all present except the lady who started it. mrs. julia was more malignantly scandalized by these festal preparations than she had been by the original crime; but she had to go through with it now. "the date had been set and we was within three days of it when aunt mollie postponed it three days more because dave pickens couldn't be there until this later day. mrs. julia made a violent protest, because she had made her plans to leave for larger fields of crime; but aunt mollie was stubborn. she said dave pickens was one of the oldest neighbours and she wouldn't have a wedding he couldn't attend; and besides, marriage was a serious step and she wasn't going to be hurried into it. "so mrs. julia went to a lot of trouble about her ticket and reservations, and stayed over. she was game enough not to run out before uncle henry had made aunt mollie a lady. i was a good deal puzzled about this postponement. dave pickens was nothing to postpone anything for. there never was any date that he couldn't be anywhere--at least, unless he had gone to work after losing his fiddle, which was highly ridiculous. "the date held this time. we get word the wedding is to be held in the evening and that everyone must stay there overnight. this was surprising, but simple after aunt mollie explained it. the guests, of course, had to stay over for the wedding breakfast. aunt mollie had figured it all out. a breakfast is something you eat in the morning, about six-thirty or seven; so a wedding breakfast must be held the morning after the wedding. you couldn't fool aunt mollie on social niceties. "anyway, there we all was at the wedding; uncle henry in his black suit and his shiny new teeth, and aunt mollie in her bridge gown and white shoes, and this young minister that wore a puzzled look from start to finish. i guess he never did know what kind of a game he was helping out in. but he got through with the ceremony. there proved to be not a soul present knowing any reason why this pair shouldn't be joined together in holy wedlock, though mrs. julia looked more severe than usual at this part of the ceremony. uncle henry and aunt mollie was firm in their responses and promised to cling to each other till death did them part. they really sounded as if they meant it. "mrs. julia looked highly noble and sweet when all was over, like she had rescued an erring sister from the depths. you could see she felt that the world would indeed be a better place if she could only give a little more time to it. "we stood round and talked some after the ceremony; but not for long. aunt mollie wound the clock and set the mouse-trap, and hustled us all off to bed so we could be up bright and early for the wedding breakfast. you'd think she'd been handling these affairs in metropolitan society for years. the women slept on beds and sofas, and different places, and the men slept out in the barn and in a tent uncle henry had put up or took their blanket rolls and bunked under a tree. "then ho! for the merry wedding breakfast at six-thirty a.m.! the wedding breakfast consisted of ham and eggs and champagne. yes, sir; don't think aunt mollie had overlooked the fashionable drink. hadn't she been reading all her life about champagne being served at wedding breakfasts? so there it was in a new wash boiler, buried in cracked ice. and while the women was serving the ham and eggs and hot biscuits at the long table built out in the side yard, uncle henry exploded several bottles of this wine and passed it to one and all, and a toast was drunk to the legal bride and groom; after which eating was indulged in heartily. "it was a merry feast, even without the lobster salad, which aunt mollie apologized for not having. she said she knew lobster salad went with a wedding breakfast, the same as champagne; but the canned lobster she had ordered hadn't come, so we'd have to make out with the home-cured ham and some pork sausage that now come along. nobody seemed downhearted about the missing lobster salad. uncle henry passed up and down the table filling cups and glasses, and aunt mollie, in her wedding finery, kept the food coming with some buckwheat cakes at the finish. "it was a very satisfactory wedding breakfast, if any one should ever make inquiries of you. by the time uncle henry had the ends out of half the champagne bottles i guess everyone there was glad he had decided to drag aunt mollie back from the primrose path. "it all passed off beautifully, except for one tragedy. oh, yes; there's always something to mar these affairs. but this hellish incident didn't come till the very last. after the guests had pretty well et themselves to a standstill, dave pickens got up and come back with a fiddle, and stood at the end of the grape arbour and played a piece. "'someone must have supplied that wretch with another fiddle!' says mrs. julia, who was kind of cross, anyway, having been bedded down on a short sofa and not liking champagne for breakfast--and, therefore, not liking to see others drink it. "'oh, he's probably borrowed one for your celebration,' i says. "dave played a couple more lively pieces; and pretty soon, when we got up from the table, he come over to mrs. julia and me. "'it's a peach of a fiddle,' says dave. 'it says in the catalogue it's a genuine cremonika--looks like a cremona and plays just as good. i bet it's the best fiddle in the world to be had for twelve dollars!' "'what's that?' says mrs. julia, erecting herself like an alarmed rattlesnake. "'sure! it's a genuine twelve-dollar one,' says dave proudly. 'my old one, that you so kindly raffled off, cost only five. i always wanted a better one, but i never had the money to spare till you come along. it's awful hard to save up money round here.' "'do you mean to tell me--' says mrs. julia. she was so mad she couldn't get any farther. dave thought she was merely enthusiastic about his new fiddle. "'sure! only twelve dollars for this beauty,' he says, fondling the instrument. 'we got down the mail-order catalogue the minute you left that money with us, and had a postal order on the way to chicago that very night. i must say, lady, you brought a great pleasure into our life.' "'what about your poor wife?' snaps mrs. julia. "his poor wife comes up just then and looks affectionately at dave and the new fiddle. "'he spent that money for another fiddle!' says mrs. julia to her in low tones of horror. "'sure! what did you think he was going to do with it?' says mrs. dave. 'i must say we had two mighty dull weeks while dave was waiting for this new one. he just mopes round the house when he ain't got anything to play on. but this is a lot better than the old fiddle; it was worth waiting for. did you thank the lady, dave?' "mrs. julia was now plumb speechless and kind of weak. and on top of these blows up comes aunt mollie the new-wed, and beams fondly on her. "'there!' says she. 'ain't that a fine new fiddle that dave bought with his twelve dollars? and wasn't it worth postponing my wedding for, so we could have some music?' "'what's that?' says mrs. julia again. 'why did you postpone it?' "'because the fiddle didn't get here till last night,' says aunt mollie, 'and i wasn't going to have a wedding without music. it wouldn't seem right. and don't you think, yourself, it's a lot better fiddle than dave's old one?' "so this poor mrs. julia woman was now stricken for fair, thinking of all the trouble she'd been to about her tickets, and all to see this new fiddle. "she went weakly into the house and lay down, with a headache, till i was ready to leave the gay throng. and the next day she left us to our fate. still, she'd done us good. dave has a new fiddle and aunt mollie has her high white shoes. so now you know all about it." we neared the arrowhead gate. presently its bell would peal a sweet message to those who laboured. ma pettengill turned in her saddle to scan the western horizon. "a red sun has water in his eye," said she. "well, a good soak won't hurt us." and a moment later: "curious thing about reformers: they don't seem to get a lot of pleasure out of their labours unless the ones they reform resist and suffer, and show a proper sense of their degradation. i bet a lot of reformers would quit to-morrow if they knew their work wasn't going to bother people any." vi the porch wren so it befell, in a shining and memorable interlude that there was talk of the oldest living boy scout, who was said to have rats in his wainscoting; of the oldest living débutante, who was also a porch wren; and of the body snatcher. little of the talk was mine; a query now and again. it was ma pettengill's talk, and i put it here for what it may be worth, hoping i may close-knit and harmonize its themes, so diverse as that of the wardrobe trunk, the age of the earth, what every woman thinks she knows, and the upper silurian trilobites. it might be well to start with the concrete, and baby's picture seems to be an acceptable springboard from which to dive into the recital. it came in the evening's mail and was extended to me by mrs. lysander john pettengill, with poorly suppressed emotion. the thing excited no emotion in me that i could not easily suppress. it was the most banal of all snapshots--a young woman bending madonna-wise above something carefully swathed, flanked by a youngish man who revealed a self-conscious smirk through his carefully pointed beard. the light did harshly by the bent faces of the couple and the disclosed fragment of the swathed thing was a weakish white blob. i need not say that there must be millions of these pathetic revealments burdening our mails day by day. i myself must have looked coldly upon over a thousand. "well, what of it?" i demanded shortly. "i bet you can't guess what's in that bundle!" said my hostess in a large playful manner. i said what i could see of it looked like a half portion of plain boiled cauliflower, but that in all probability the object was an infant, a human infant--or, to use a common expression, a baby. whereupon the lady drew herself up and remarked in the clipped accent of a parrot: "no, sir; it's a carboniferous trilobite of the upper silurian." this, indeed, piqued me. it made a difference. i said was it possible? mrs. pettengill said it was worse than possible; it was inevitable. she seemed about to rest there; so i accused her of ill-natured jesting and took up the previous day's issue of the red gap _recorder_, meaning to appear bored. it worked. "well, if professor oswald pennypacker don't call his infant that, you can bet your new trout rod he calls it something just as good. mebbe i better read what the proud mother says." "it would be the kind thing before you spread evil reports," i murmured in a tone of gentle rebuke. so the woman polished her nose glasses and read a double sheet of long up-and-down calligraphy--that is, she read until she exploded in triumphant retort: "ha! there now! don't i know a thing or two? listen: 'oswald is so enraptured with the mite; you would never guess what he calls it--"my little flower with bones and a voice!"' now! don't tell me i didn't have oswald's number. i knew he wouldn't be satisfied to call it a baby; he'd be bound to name it something animal, vegetable, or mineral. ain't it the truth? 'little flower with bones and a voice!' what do you know about that? that's a scientist trying to be poetic. "and here--get this: she says that one hour after the thing was born the happy father was caught by the doctor and nurse seeing if it could hold its own weight up on a broomstick, like a monkey. she says he was acutely distressed when these authorities deprived him of the custody of his child. wouldn't that fade you? trying to see if a baby one hour old could chin itself! quite all you would wish to know about oswald." i hastily said no; it was not nearly all i wanted to know about oswald. i wanted to know much more. almost any one would. the lady once more studied the hairy face with its bone-rimmed glasses. "shucks!" said she. "he don't look near as proud in this as he does in that one he sent me himself--here, where is that thing?" from the far end of the big table she brought under the lamp a basket of indian weave and excavated from its trove of playing cards, tobacco sacks, cigarette papers, letters, and odd photographs another snapshot of oswald. it was a far different scene. here oswald stood erect beside the mounted skeleton of some prehistoric giant reptile that dwarfed yet left him somehow in kingly triumph. "there now!" observed the lady. "don't he look a heap more egregious by that mess of bones than he does by his own flesh and blood? talk about pride!" and i saw that it was so. here oswald looked the whole world in the face, proud indeed! one hand rested upon the beast's kneecap in a proprietary caress. oswald looked too insufferably complacent. it was the look to be forgiven a man only when he wears it in the presence of his first-born. if snapshots tell anything at all, these told that oswald was the father of a mammoth sauropod and had merely dug up the baby in a fossil bed somewhere. "that's where the man's heart really lies," said his stern critic, "even if he does drivel about his little flower with bones and a voice! probably by now he's wishing the voice had been left out of his little flower." impressively she planted a rigid forefinger on the print of the mounted skeleton. "that there," she glibly rattled off, "is the organic remains of a three-toed woolly bronsolumphicus of the carboniferous limestone, or upper silurian trilobite period. i believe i have the name correct. it was dug up out of a dry lake in wyoming that years ago got to be mere loblolly, so that this unfortunate critter bogged down in it. the poor thing passed on about six million or four hundred million years ago--somewhere along there. oswald and his new father-in-law dug it from its quiet resting place in the old cemetery. such is their thrilling work in life. "this father-in-law is just an old body snatcher that snoops round robbing the graves of antiquity and setting up his loot in their museum at the university. no good telling that old ghoul to let the dead rest. he simply won't hear of it. he wants remains. he wants to have 'em out in the light of day and stick labels on their long-peaceful skulls. he don't act subdued or proper about it either, or kind of buttery sad, like a first-class undertaker. he's gleeful. let him find the skeleton of something as big as a freight car, that perished far in the dead past, and he's as tickled as a kid shooting at little sister with his new air gun. "bones in his weakness--and periods of geology. he likes period bones the way some folks like period furniture; and rocks and geography and lower triassics, and so forth. he knows how old the earth is within a few hundred million years; how the scantling and joists for it was put together, and all the different kinds of teeth that wild animals have. he's a scientist. oswald is a scientist. i was a scientist myself two summers ago when they was up here. "by the time they left i could talk a lot of attractive words. i could speak whole sentences so good that i could hardly understand myself. of course after they left i didn't keep up my science. i let myself get rusty in it. i probably don't know so much more about it now than you would. oh, perhaps a little more. it would all come back to me if i took it up again." so i said that i had nothing to do for an hour or so, and if she would not try to be scientific, but talk in her own homely words, i might consent to listen; in this event she might tell the whole thing, omitting nothing, however trifling it might seem to her, because she was no proper judge of values. i said it was true i might be overtaken by sleep, since my day had been a hard one, reaching clear to the trout pool under the big falls and involving the transportation back to seventeen rainbow trout weighing well over seventeen pounds, more or less, though feeling much like more. and what about oswald and the primeval ooze, and so forth. and would it be important if true? the lady said--well, yes, and no; but, however-- he's professor marwich up at the university--this confirmed old coroner i'm telling you about. has a train of capital letters streaming along after he's all through with his name. i don't know what they mean--doctor of dental surgery, i guess, or zoology or fractions or geography, or whatever has to do with rocks and animals and vertebraes. he ain't a bad old scout out of business hours. he pirooted round here one autumn about a dozen years ago and always threatened to come back and hold some more of these here inquests on the long departed; but i heard nothing until two summers ago. he wrote that he wanted to come up to do field work. that's the innocent name he calls his foul trade by. and he wanted to bring his assistant, professor pennypacker; and could i put them up? i said if they would wait till haying was over i could and would. he answered they would wait till my hay was garnered--that's the pretty word he used--and could he also bring his mouthless chit with him? i didn't quite make him. he writes a hand that would never get by in a business college. i thought it might be something tame he carried in a cage, and would stay quiet all day while he was out pursuing his repulsive practices. it didn't sound troublesome. i never made a worse guess. it was his daughter he talked about that way. she was all right enough, though astounding when you had expected something highly zoological and mouthless instead of motherless. she was a tall roan girl with the fashionable streamline body, devoted to the ukulele and ladies' wearing apparel. but not so young as that sounds. her general manner of conduct was infantile enough, but she had tired eyes and a million little lines coming round 'em, and if you got her in a strong light you saw she was old enough to have a serious aim in life. she did use massage cream and beauty lotions with a deep seriousness you wouldn't suspect her of when she sat out in the hammock in the moonlight and scratched this ukulele and acted the part of a mere porch wren. that was really the girl's trade; all she'd ever learned. mebbe she had misspent her early youth, or mebbe she wasn't meant for anything else--just a butterfly with some of the gold powder brushed off and the wings a little mite crumpled. gee! how times have changed since i took my own hair out of a braid! in them fond old days when a girl didn't seem attractive enough for marriage she took up a career--school-teaching probably--and was looked at sidewise by her family. it's different now. in this advanced day a girl seems to start for the career first and take up marriage only when all other avenues is closed. she's the one that is now regarded by her brainy sisters as a failure. i consider it an evil state for the world to be in--but no matter; i can't do anything about it from up here, with haytime coming on. anyway, this lydia girl had not been constructed for any career requiring the serious use of the head; and yet so far she had failed in the other one. she was on the way to being an outcast if she didn't pull something desperate pretty soon. she was looking down on thirty, and i bet her manner hadn't changed a bit since she was looking up to twenty. of course she'd learned things about her game. living round a college she must of tried her wiles on at least ten graduating classes of young men. naturally she'd learned technique and feminine knavery. she was still flirty enough. she had a little short upper lip that she could lift with great pathos. and the party hadn't more than landed here when i saw that at last she did have a serious aim in life. it was this here assistant to her father, who was named professor oswald pennypacker; and he was a difficult aim in life, because he didn't need a wife any more than the little dicky birds need wrist watches. you seen his picture there. about thirty-five he was and had devoted all his years to finding out the names of wild animals, which is said to be one of our best sciences. he hadn't got round to women yet. a good snappy skeleton of one might of entertained him if he could of dug it up himself and called it a sedimentary limestone; but he had never trifled with one that was still in commission and ornamented with flesh and clothes. and fussy! i wish you could of seen that man's room after he had carefully unpacked! a place for everything, and he had everything, too--everything in the world. and if someone switched his soap over to where his tooth paste belonged it upset his whole day. the chink never dared to go into his room after the first morning. oswald even made his own bed. easy to call him an old maid, but i never saw any woman suffer as much agony in her neatness. his shoes had to be in a row, and his clothes and hats and caps had to be in a row, and there was only one hook in the room his pyjamas could lawfully hang on, and his talcum powder had to stand exactly between the mosquito dope and the bay rum, which had to be flanked precisely by his manicure tools and succeeded by something he put on his hair, which was going the way of all flesh. if some marauder had entered his room in the night and moved his compass over to where his fountain pen belonged he would of woke up instantly and screamed. and then his new wardrobe trunk! this was a great and holy joy that had come into his bleak life; all new and shiny and complicated, with a beautiful brass lock, one side for clothes on correct hangers and the other side full of drawers and compartments and secret recesses, where he could hide things from himself. it was like a furnished flat, that trunk. and this was his first adventure out in the great cruel world with it. he cherished it as a man had ought to cherish his bride. he had me in to gaze upon it that first afternoon. you'd of thought he was trying to sell it to me, the way he showed it off. it stood on end, having a bulge like a watermelon in the top, so no vandal could stand it up wrong; and it was wide open to show the two insides. he opened up every room in it, so i could marvel at 'em. he fawned on that trunk. and at the last he showed me a little brass hook he had screwed into the side where the clothes hangers was. it was a very important hook. he hung the keys of the trunk on it; two keys, strung on a cord, and the cord neatly on the hook. this, he told me, was so the keys would never get lost. "i always have a dread i may lose those keys," says he. "that would be a catastrophe indeed, would it not? so i plan to keep them on that hook; then i shall always know where they are." the crafty wretch! he could wake up in the night and put his hand on those keys in the dark. probably he often done so. i spoke a few simple words of praise for his sagacity. and after this interesting lecture on his trunk and its keys, and a good look at the accurate layout of his one million belongings, i had his number. he was the oldest living boy scout. and this poor girl with the designful eyes on him was the oldest living debutante. i learned afterward that the great aim of science is classification. i had these two classified in no time, like i'd been pottering away at science all my life. why, say, this oswald person even carried a patent cigar lighter that worked! you must of seen hundreds of them nickel things that men pay money for. they work fine in the store where you buy 'em. but did you ever see one work after the man got it outside, where he needed it? the owner of one always takes it out, looking strained and nervous, and presses the spring; and nothing happens except that he swears and borrows a match. but oswald's worked every time. it was uncanny! only a boy scout could of done it. so they got settled and the field work begun next day. the two men would ride off early to a place about five miles north of here that used to be an ancient lake--so i was told. i don't know whether it did or not. it's dry enough now. it certainly can't be considered any part of our present water supply. they would take spades and hammers and magnifying glasses and fountain pens, and oswald's cigar lighter and some lunch, and come back at night with a fine mess of these here trilobites and vertebrae; and ganoids and petrified horseflies, and i don't know what all; mebbe oyster shells, or the footprints of a bird left in solid rock, or the outlines of starfish, or a shrimp that was fifty-two million years old and perfectly useless. they seemed to have a good time. and oswald would set up late writing remarks about the petrified game they had brought in. i didn't used to see much of 'em, except at night when we'd gather for the evening meal. but their talk at those times did wonders for me. all about the aims of science and how we got here and what of it. the prof was a bulky old boy, with long gray hair and long black eyebrows, and the habit of prevailing in argument. him and oswald never did agree on anything in my hearing, except the chink's corn muffins; and they looked kind of mad at each other when they had to agree on them. take the age of this earth on which we make our living. they never got within a couple of hundred million years of each other. oswald was strong for the earth's being exactly fifty-seven million years old. trust him to have it down fine! and the old man hung out for four hundred million. they used to get all fussed up about this. they quoted authorities. one scientist had figured close and found it was fifty-six million years. and another, who seemed to be a headliner in the world of science, said it was between twenty million and four hundred million, with a probability of its being ninety-eight million. i kind of liked that scientist. he seemed so human, like a woman in a bean-guessing contest at the county fair. but still another scientist had horned in with a guess of five hundred million years, which was at least easy to remember. of course i never did much but listen, even when they argued this thing that i knew all about; for back in fredonia, new york, where i went to sunday-school, it was settled over fifty years ago. our dear old pastor told us the earth was exactly six thousand years old. but i let the poor things talk on, not wanting to spoil their fun. when one of 'em said the world was made at least fifty-seven million years ago i merely said it didn't look anywhere near as old as that, and let it go. we had some merry little meals for about a month. if it wasn't the age of god's footstool it would be about what we are descended from, the best bet in sight being that it's from fishes that had lungs and breathed under water as easy as anything, which at least put dimmers on that old monkey scandal in our ancestry. or, after we moved outside on the porch, which we had to do on account of oswald smoking the very worst cigars he was able to find in all the world, they would get gabby about all things in the world being simply nothing, which is known to us scientists as metaphysics. metaphysics is silly-simple--like one, two, three. it consists of subject and object. i only think i'm knitting this here sock. there ain't any sock here and there ain't any me. we're illusions. the sound of that chink washing dishes out in the kitchen is a mere sensation inside my head. so's the check for eighty dollars i will have to hand him on the first of the month--though the fool bank down in red gap will look on it with uneducated eyes and think it's real. philosophers have dug into these matters and made 'em simple for us. it took thousands of books to do it; but it's done at last. everything is nothing. ask any scientist; he'll make it just as clear to you as a mist in a fog. and even nothing itself ain't real. they go to that extreme. not even empty space is real. and the human mind can't comprehend infinite space. i got kind of hot when one of 'em said that. i asked 'em right off whether the human mind could comprehend space that had an end to it. of course it can't comprehend anything else but infinite space. i had 'em, all right; they had to change the subject. so they switched over to free will. none of us has it. that made me hot again. i told 'em to try for even five minutes and see if they could act as if they didn't have the power of choice. of course i had 'em again. mebbe there ain't free will, but we can't act as if there wasn't. those two would certainly make the game of poker impossible if folks believed 'em. i nearly broke up the party that night. i said it was a shame young men was being taught such stuff when they could just as well go to some good agricultural college and learn about soils and crops and what to do in case of a sick bull. furthermore, i wanted to know what they would do to earn their daily bread when they'd got everything dug up and labelled. pretty soon they'd have every last organic remains put into a catalogue, the whole set complete and unbroken--and then what? they'd be out of a job. the prof laughed and said let the future take care of itself. he said we couldn't tell what might happen, because, as yet, we was nothing really but supermonkeys. that's what he called our noble race--supermonkeys! so i said yes; and these here philosophers that talked about subject and object and the nothingness of nothing reminded me of monkeys that get hold of a looking-glass and hold it up and look into it, and then sneak one paw round behind the glass to catch the other monkey. so he laughed again and said "not bad, that!" you could kid the prof, which is more than i can say for oswald. oswald always took a joke as if you'd made it beside the casket holding all that was mortal of his dear mother. in the presence of lightsome talk poor oswald was just a chill. he was an eater of spoon-meat, and finicking. he could talk like half hours with the world's best authors, and yet had nothing to say but words. still, i enjoyed them evenings. i learned to be interested in vital questions and to keep up with the world's best thought, in company with these gents that was a few laps ahead of it. but not so with the motherless chit. this here lydia made no effort whatever to keep up with the world's best thought. she didn't seem to care if she never perfected her intellect. it would of been plain to any eye that she was spreading a golden mesh for the oswald party; yet she never made the least clumsy effort to pander to his high ideals. she was a wonder, that girl! all day she would set round the house, with her hair down, fixing over a lace waist or making fudge, and not appearing to care much about life. come night, when the party was due to return, she would spry up, trick herself out in something squashy, with the fashionable streamlike effect and a pretty pair of hammock stockings with white slippers, and become an animated porch wren. that seemed to be the limit of her science. most motherless chits would of pretended a feverish interest in the day's hunt for fossil cockroaches, and would even of gone out to chip off rocks with a hammer; but not lydia. she would never pretend to the least infatuation for organic remains, and would, like as not, strike up something frivolous on her ukulele while oswald was right in the middle of telling all about the secret of life. she was confident all the time, though, like she already had him stuffed and mounted. she reminded me of that girl in the play what every woman thinks she knows. lydia had great ideas of cooking, which is an art to ensnare males. she said she was a dandy cook and could make saratoga chips that was all to the kenosha--whatever that meant. think of it--saratoga chips! over eight hundred ways to cook potatoes, and all good but one; and, of course, she'd have to hit on this only possible way to absolutely ruin potatoes. she could cook other things, too--fudge and stuffed eggs and cheese straws, the latter being less than no food at all. it gives you a line on her. i suppose it was all you could expect from a born debutante that had been brought up to be nice to college boys on a moonlit porch, allowing them to put another sofa pillow back of her, and wearing their class pins, and so forth. and here she was come to thirty, with fudge and cheese straws and the ukulele still bounding her mental horizon, yet looking far above her station to one of oswald's serious magnitude. i never have made out what she saw in him. but then we never do. she used to kid about him--and kid him, for that matter. she'd say to me: "he does care frightfully about himself, doesn't he?" and she said to me and said to him that he had mice in his wainscoting. mice or rats, i forget which. any wise bookmaker would of posted her up in this race as a hundred-to-one shot. she had plenty of blandishment for oswald, but not his kind. she'd try to lure him with furtive femininity and plaintive melodies when she ought to have been putting on a feverish interest in organic fauna. oswald generally looked through or past her. he give a whole lot more worry to whether his fountain pen would clog up on him. they was both set in their ways, and they was different ways; it looked to me like they never could meet. they was like a couple of trained seals that have learned two different lines of tricks. of course oswald was sunk at last, sunk by a chance shot; and there was no doubt about his being destroyed, quantities of oil marking the surface where he went down. but it seemed like pure chance. yet, if you believe oswald and scientific diagnosis, he'd been up against it since the world was first started, twenty million or five hundred million years ago--i don't really know how many; but what's a few million years between scientists? i don't know that i really care. it's never kept me wakeful a night yet. i'd sooner know how to get eighty-five per cent. of calves. anyway, it was oswald's grand new wardrobe trunk that had been predestined from the world's beginning to set him talkative about his little flower with bones and a voice; this same new wardrobe trunk that was the pride of his barren life and his one real worry because he might sometime lose the keys to it. it's an affecting tale. it begun the night oswald wanted the extra table put in his room. they'd come in that day with a good haul of the oldest inhabitants round here that had passed to their long rest three million years ago--petrified fishworms and potato bugs, and so forth, and rocks with bird tracks on 'em. oswald was as near human as i'd seen him, on account of having found a stone caterpillar or something--i know it had a name longer than it was; it seemed to be one like no one else had, and would therefore get him talked about, even if it had passed away three million years before the oregon short line was built. and oswald went on to ask if he could have this extra table in his room, because these specimens of the disturbed dead was piling up on him and he wanted to keep 'em in order. he had lighted one of his terrible cigars; so i said i would quickly go and see about a table. i said that with his venomous cigar going i would quickly have to go and see about something or else have my olfactory nerve resected, which was a grand scientific phrase i had brightly picked out and could play with one finger. it means having something done so you can't smell any more. the prof laughed heartily, but oswald only said he hadn't supposed i would feel that way, considering the kind of tobacco my own cigarettes was made of, though he was sorry and would hereafter smoke out of doors. he took a joke like a child taking castor oil. anyway, i went out and found a spare table in the storeroom, and the chink took it to oswald's room. the fateful moment was at hand for which nature had been conspiring all these ages. the chink held the table up against him, with the legs sticking out, and oswald went ahead to show him where to put it. close by the door, inside his room, was the lovely, yawning new trunk. oswald must of been afraid one of the table legs would spear it and mar its fair varnish. he raised one hand to halt the table, then closed the trunk tenderly, snapped the lock, and moved it over into the corner, beyond chance of desecration. then he give careful directions for placing the table, which had to be carried round the foot of the bed and past another table, which held marine fossils and other fishbones. it was placed between this table and still another, which held oswald's compass and microscope and his kill-kare kamp stove and his first-aid kit and his sportsman's belt safe--all neatly arranged in line. i had followed to see if there was anything more he needed, and he said no, thank you. so i come out here to look over my mail that had just come. ten minutes later i felt the presence of a human being and looked up to see that oswald, the oldest living boy scout, was dying on his feet in the doorway there. his face looked like he had been in jail three years. i thought he had seen a ghost or had a heart shock. he looked as if he was going to keel over. he had me scared. finally he dragged himself over to the table here and says faintly: "i believe i should like a severe drink of whisky!" i didn't ask any questions. i saw it must be some private grief; so i got the whisky. it happened i had just one bottle in the house, and that was some perfectly terrible whisky that had been sent me by mistake. it was liquid barbed wire. even a little drink of it would of been severe. two drinks would make you climb a tree like a monkey. but the stricken oswald seemed able to outfight it. he poured out half a tumblerful, drunk it neat and refused water. he strangled some, for he was only human after all. then he sagged down on the couch and looked up at me with a feeble and pathetic grin and says: "i'm afraid i've done something. i'm really afraid i have." he had me in a fine state by this time. the only thing i could think of was that he had killed the prof by accident. i waited for the horrible details, being too scared to ask questions. "i'm afraid," he says, "that i've locked the keys of my new trunk inside of it. i'm afraid i really have! and what does one do in such a case?" i nearly broke down then. i was in grave danger of fatal hysterics. i suffered from the reaction. i couldn't trust myself; so i got over to the door, where my face wouldn't show, and called to the prof and lydia. i now heard them out on the porch. then i edged outside the door, where people wouldn't be quite so scared if i lost control of myself and yelled. then these two went in and listened to oswald's solemn words. the prof helped me out a lot. he yelled good. he yelled his head off; and under cover of his tumult i managed to get in a few whoops of my own, so that i could once more act something like a lady when i went in. lydia, the porch wren, was the only one to take oswald's bereavement at all decent. the chit was sucking a stick of candy she had shoved down into a lemon. having run out of town candy, one of the boys had fetched her some of the old-fashioned stick kind, with pink stripes; she would ram one of these down to the bottom of a lemon and suck up the juice through the candy. she looked entirely useless while she was doing this, and yet she was the only one to show any human sympathy. she asked the stricken man how it happened, and he told the whole horrible story--how he always kept the keys hanging on this little brass hook inside the trunk so he would know where they was, and how he had shut the trunk in a hurry to get it out of the way of the table legs, and the spring lock had snapped. and what did one do now--if anything? "why, it's perfectly simple! you open it some other way," says lydia. "ah, but how?" says oswald. "those trunks are superbly built. how can one?" "oh, it must be easy," says lydia, still clinging to her candy sour. "i'll open it for you to-morrow if you will remind me." "remind you?" says oswald in low, tragic tones. you could see he was never going to think of anything else the rest of his life. by this time the prof and i had controlled our heartless merriment; so we all traipsed in to the scene of this here calamity and looked at the shut trunk. it was shut good; no doubt about that. there was also no doubt about the keys being inside. "you can hear them rattle!" says the awed oswald, teetering the trunk on one corner. so each one of us took a turn and teetered the trunk back and forth and heard the imprisoned keys jingle against the side where they was hung. "but what's to be done?" says oswald. "of course something must be done." that seemed to be about where oswald got off. "why, simply open it some other way," says lydia, which seemed to be about where she got off, too. "but how?" moans the despairing man. and she again says: "oh, it must be too simple!" at that she was sounding the only note of hope oswald could hear; and right then i believe he looked at her fair and square for the first time in his life. he was finding a woman his only comforter in his darkest hour. the prof took it lightly indeed. he teetered the trunk jauntily and says: "your device was admirable; you will always know where those keys are." then he teetered it again and says, like he was lecturing on a platform: "this is an ideal problem for the metaphysical mind. here, veritably, is life itself. we pick it up, we shake it, and we hear the tantalizing key to existence rattle plainly just inside. we know the key to be there; we hear it in every manifestation of life. our problem is to think it out. it is simple, as my child has again and again pointed out. sit there before your trunk and think effectively, with precision. you will then think the key out. i would take it in hand myself, but i have had a hard day." then lydia releases her candy long enough to say how about finding some other trunk keys that will unlock it. oswald is both hurt and made hopeful by this. he don't like to think his beautiful trunk could respond to any but its rightful key; it would seem kind of a slur against its integrity. still, he says it may be tried. lydia says try it, of course; and if no other key unlocks it she will pick the lock with a hairpin. oswald is again bruised by this suggestion; but he bears up like a man. and so we dig up all the trunk keys and other small keys we can find and try to fool that trunk. and nothing doing! "i was confident of it," says oswald; he's really disappointed, yet proud as punch because his trunk refuses coldly to recognize these strange keys. then lydia brings a bunch of hairpins and starts to be a burglar. she says in clear tones that it is perfectly simple; and she keeps on saying exactly this after she's bent the whole pack out of shape and not won a trick. yet she cheered oswald a lot, in spite of her failures. she never for one instant give in that it wasn't simple to open a trunk without the key. but it was getting pretty late for one night, so oswald and lydia knocked off and set out on the porch a while. oswald seemed to be awakening to her true woman's character, which comes out clad in glory at times when things happen. she told him she would sure have that trunk opened to-morrow with some more hairpins--or something. but in the morning she rushed to oswald and said they would have the blacksmith up to open it. he would be sure to open it in one minute with a few tools; and how stupid of her not to of thought of it before! i liked that way she left oswald out of any brain work that had to be done. so they sent out to abner to do the job, telling him what was wanted. abner is a simple soul. he come over with a hammer and a cold chisel to cut the lock off. he said there wasn't any other way. oswald listened with horror to this cold-blooded plan of murder and sent abner sternly away. lydia was indignant, too, at the painful suggestion. she said abner was a shocking old bounder. then oswald had to go out to his field work; but his heart couldn't of been in it that day. i'll bet he could of found the carcass of a petrified zebra with seven legs and not been elated by it. he had only the sweet encouragement of lydia to brace him. he was depending pathetically on that young woman. he got back that night to find that lydia had used up another pack of hairpins and a number of the tools from my sewing machine. all had been black failure, but she still said it was perfectly simple. she never lost the note of hope out of her voice. oswald was distressed, but he had to regard her more and more like an object of human interest. she now said it was a simple matter of more keys. so the next day i sent one of the boys down to red gap; and he rode a good horse to its finish and come back with about five dozen nice little trunk keys with sawed edges. they looked cheerful and adequate, and we spent a long, jolly evening trying 'em out. not one come anywhere near getting results. oswald's trunk was still haughty, in spite of all these overtures. oswald was again puffed up with pride, it having been shown that his trunk was no common trunk. he said right out that probably the only two keys in all the world that would open that lock was the two hanging inside. he never passed the trunk without rocking it to hear their sad tinkle. lydia again said, nonsense! it was perfectly simple to open a trunk without the right key. oswald didn't believe her, and yet he couldn't help taking comfort from her. i guess that was this girl's particular genius--not giving up when everyone else could see that she was talking half-witted. anyway, she was as certain as ever, and i guess oswald believed her in spite of himself. his ponderous scientific brain told him one thing in plain terms, and yet he was leaning on the words of a chit that wouldn't know a carboniferous vertebra from an upper silurian gerumpsus. the keys had gone back, hairpins was proved to be no good, and scientific analysis had fell down flat. there was the trunk and there was the keys inside; and oswald was taking on a year in age every day of his life. he was pretty soon going to be as old as the world if something didn't happen. he'd got so that every time he rocked the trunk to hear the keys rattle he'd shake his head like the doctor shakes it at a moving-picture deathbed to show that all is over. he was in a pitch-black cavern miles underground, with one tiny candle beam from a possible rescuer faintly showing from afar, which was the childish certainty of this oldest living débutante that it was perfectly simple for a woman to do something impossible. she was just blue-eyed confidence. after the men left one morning on their hunt for long-defunct wood ticks and such, lydia confided to me that she was really going to open that trunk. she was going to put her mind on it. she hadn't done this yet, it seemed, but to-day she would. "the poor boy has been rudely jarred in his academic serenity," says she. "he can't bear up much longer; he has rats in his wainscoting right now. it makes me perfectly furious to see a man so helpless without a woman. today i'll open his silly old trunk for him." "it will be the best day's work you ever done," i says, and she nearly blushed. "i'm not thinking of that," she says. the little liar! as if she hadn't seen as well as i had how oswald was regarding her with new eyes. so i wished her good luck and started out myself, having some field work of my own to do that day in measuring a lot of haystacks down at the lower end of the ranch. she said there would be no luck in it--nothing but cool determination and a woman's intuition. i let it go at that and went off to see that i didn't get none of the worst of it when this new hay was measured. i had a busy day, forgetting all scientific problems and the uphill fight our sex sometimes has in bringing a man to his just mating sense. i got back about five that night. here was miss lydia, cool and negligent on the porch, like she'd never had a care in the world; fresh dressed in something white and blue, with her niftiest hammock stockings, and tinkling the ukulele in a bored and petulant manner. "did you open it?" i says as i went in. "open it?" she says, kind of blank. "oh, you mean that silly old trunk! yes, i believe i did. at least i think i did." it was good stage acting; an audience would of thought she had forgotten. so i took it as calm as she did and went in to change. by the time i got out the men was just coming in, the prof being enthusiastic about some clamshells of the year six million b. c. and oswald bearing his great sorrow with an effort to do it bravely. lydia nodded distantly and then ignored the men in a pointed way, breaking out into rapid chatter to me about the lack of society up here--didn't i weary of the solitude, never meeting people of the right sort? it was a new line with her and done for effect, but i couldn't see what effect. supper was ready and we hurried in to it; so i guess oswald must of forgot for one time to shake his trunk and listen to the pretty little keys. and all through the meal lydia confined her attentions entirely to me. she ignored oswald mostly, but if she did notice him she patronized him. she was painfully superior to him, and severe and short, like he was a little boy that had been let to come to the table with the grown-ups for this once. she rattled along to me about the club dances at home, and how they was going to have better music this year, and how the assembly hall had been done over in a perfectly dandy colour scheme by the committee she was on, and a lot of girlish babble that took up much room but weighed little. oswald would give her side looks of dumb appeal from time to time, for she had not once referred to anything so common as a trunk. he must of felt that her moral support had been withdrawn and he was left to face the dread future alone. he probably figured that she'd had to give up about the trunk and was diverting attention from her surrender. he hardly spoke a word and disappeared with a look of yearning when we left the table. the rest of us went out on the porch. lydia was teasing the ukulele when oswald appeared a few minutes later, with great excitement showing in his worn face. "i can hear the keys no longer," says he; "not a sound of them! mustn't they have fallen from the hook?" lydia went on stripping little chords from the strings while she answered him in lofty accents. "keys?" she says. "what keys? what is the man talking of? oh, you mean that silly old trunk! are you really still maundering about that? of course the keys aren't there! i took them out when i opened it to-day. i thought you wanted them taken out. wasn't that what you wanted the trunk open for--to get the keys? have i done something stupid? of course i can put them back and shut it again if you only want to listen to them." oswald had been glaring at her with his mouth open like an upper triassic catfish. he tried to speak, but couldn't move his face, which seemed to be frozen. lydia goes on dealing off little tinkles of string music in a tired, bored way and turns confidentially to me to say she supposes there is really almost no society up here in the true sense of the word. "you opened that trunk?" says oswald at last in tones like a tragedian at his big scene. lydia turned to him quite prettily impatient, as if he was something she'd have to brush off in a minute. "dear, dear!" she says. "of course i opened it. i told you again and again it was perfectly simple. i don't see why you made so much fuss about it." oswald turned and galloped off to his room with a glad shout. that showed the male of him, didn't it?--not staying for words of gratitude to his saviour, but beating it straight to the trunk. lydia got up and swaggered after him. she had been swaggering all the evening. she acted like a duchess at a slumming party. the prof and i followed her. oswald was teetering the trunk in the old familiar way, with one ear fastened to its shiny side. "it's true! it's true!" he says in hushed tones. "the keys are gone." "naughty, naughty!" says lydia. "haven't i told you i took them out?" oswald went over and set limply down on his bed, while we stood in the doorway. "how did you ever do it?" says he with shining eyes. "it was perfectly simple," says lydia. "i simply opened it--that's all!" "i have always suspected that the great secret of life would be almost too simple when once solved," says the prof. "it only needed a bit of thought," says the chit. then oswald must of had a sudden pang of fear. he flew over and examined the lock and all the front surface of his treasure. he was looking for signs of rough work, thinking she might of broken into it in some coarse manner. but not a scratch could he find. he looked up at lydia out of eyes moist with gratitude. "you wonderful, wonderful woman!" says he, and any one could know he meant it from the heart out. lydia was still superior and languid, and covered up a slight yawn. she said she was glad if any little thing she could do had made life pleasanter for him. this has been such a perfectly simple thing--very, very far from wonderful. oswald now begun to caper round the room like an airedale pup, and says let's have the keys and open the trunk up, so he can believe his own eyes. then lydia trifled once more with a human soul. she froze in deep thought a long minute then says: "oh, dear! now what did i do with those wretched old keys?" oswald froze, too, with a new agony. lydia put a hand to her pale forehead and seemed to try to remember. there was an awful silence. oswald was dashed over the cliff again. "can't you think?" says the wounded man. "can't you remember? try! try!" "now let me see," says lydia. "i know i had them out in the living room--" "why did you ever take them out there?" demands oswald in great terror; but the heroine pays no attention whatever to this. "--and later, i think--i think--i must have carried them into my room. oh, yes; now i remember i did. and then i emptied my wastebasket into the kitchen stove. now i wonder if they could have been in with that rubbish i burned! let me think!" and she thought again deeply. oswald give a hollow groan, like some of the very finest chords in his being had been tore asunder. he sunk limp on the bed again. "wouldn't it be awkward if they were in that rubbish?" says lydia. "do you suppose that fire would destroy the silly things? let me think again." the fiend kept this up for three minutes more. it must of seemed longer to oswald than it takes for a chinch bug to become a carboniferous jurassic. she was committing sabotage on him in the cruellest way. then, after watching his death agony with cold eyes and pretending to wonder like a rattled angel, she brightens up and says: "oh, goody! now i remember everything. i placed them right here." and she picked the keys off the table, where they had been hid under some specimens of the dead and gone. oswald give one athletic leap and had the precious things out of her feeble grasp in half a second. his fingers trembled horrible, but he had a key in the lock and turned it and threw the sides of the grand old monument wide open. he just hung there a minute in ecstasy, fondling the keys and getting his nerve back. then he turns again on lydia the look of a proud man who is ready to surrender his whole future life to her keeping. lydia had now become more superior than ever. she swaggered round the room, and when she didn't swagger she strutted. and she says to oswald: "i'm going to make one little suggestion, because you seem so utterly helpless: you must get a nice doormat to lay directly in front of your trunk, and you must always keep the key under this mat. lock the trunk and hide the key there. it's what people always do, and it will be quite safe, because no one would ever think of looking under a doormat for a key. now isn't that a perfectly darling plan?" oswald had looked serious and attentive when she begun this talk, but he finally got suspicious that she was making some silly kind of a joke. he grinned at her very foolish and again says: "you wonderful woman!" it was a caressing tone--if you know what i mean. lydia says "oh, dear, won't he ever stop his silly chatter about his stupid old trunk?" it seems to her that nothing but trunk has been talked of in this house for untold ages. she's tired to death of the very word. then she links her arm in mine in a sweet girlish fashion and leads me outside, where she becomes a mere twittering porch wren once more. oswald followed, you can bet. and every five minutes he'd ask her how did she ever--really now--open the trunk. but whenever he'd ask she would put the loud pedal on the ukulele and burst into some beachy song about you and i together in the moonlight, love. even the prof got curious and demanded how she had done what real brains had failed to pull off--and got the same noisy answer. later he said he had been wrong to ask. he said the answer would prove to be too brutally simple, and he always wanted to keep it in his thought life as a mystery. it looked like he'd have to. i was dying to know myself, but had sense enough not to ask. the girl hardly spoke to oswald again that night, merely giving him these cold showers of superiority when he would thrust himself on her notice. and she kept me out there with her till bedtime, not giving the happy trunk owner a chance at her alone. that girl had certainly learned a few things beyond fudge and cheese straws in her time. she knew when she had the game won. sure, it was all over with oswald. he had only one more night when he could call himself a free man; he tried hard enough not to have even that. he looked like he wanted to put a fence round the girl, elk-high and bull-tight. of course it's possible he was landed by the earnest wish to find out how she had opened his trunk; but she never will tell him that. she discussed it calmly with me after all was over. she said poor oswald had been the victim of scientific curiosity, but really it was time for her to settle down. we was in her room at the time and she was looking at the tiny lines round her eyes when she said it. she said, further, that she was about to plan her going-away gown. i asked what it would be, and she said she hadn't decided yet, but it would be something youth-giving. pretty game, that was! and now oswald has someone to guard his trunk keys for him--to say nothing of this here new specimen of organic fauna. * * * * * then i talked. i said i was unable to reach the lofty altitude of the prof when even a fair mystery was concerned. i was more like oswald with his childish curiosity. how, then, did the young woman open the trunk? of course, i could guess the answer. she had found she could really do it with a hairpin, and had held off for effect. still, i wanted to be told. "nothing easy like that," said ma pettengill. "she'd been honest with the hairpins. she didn't tell me till the day before they were leaving. 'it was a perfectly simple problem, requiring only a bit of thought,' she says. 'it was the simple thing people do when they find their front door locked. they go round to the back of the house and pry up a kitchen window, or something.' she pledged me to secrecy, but i guess you won't let it go any farther. "anyway, this is what she done: it was a time for brutal measures, so she'd had abner wheel that trunk over to the blacksmith shop and take the hinges off. abner just loves to do any work he don't have to do, and he had entered cordially into the spirit of this adventure. it used up his whole day, for which he was drawing three dollars from me. he took off one side of four pair of hinges, opened the trunk at the back far enough to reach in for the keys, unlocked it and fastened the hinges back on again. "it was some job. these hinges was riveted on and didn't come loose easy. the rear of that trunk must of been one sad mutilation. it probably won't ever again be the trunk it once was. abner had to hustle to get through in one day. i wish i could get the old hound to work for me that way. they'd just got the trunk back when i rode in that night. it was nervy, all right! i asked her if she wasn't afraid he would see the many traces of this rough work she had done. "'not a chance on earth!' says lydia. 'i knew he would never look at any place but the front. he has the mind of a true scientist. it wouldn't occur to him in a million years that there is any other way but the front way to get into a trunk. i painted over the rivets and the bruises as well as i could, but i'm sure he will never look there. he may notice it by accident in the years to come, but the poor chap will then have other worries, i hope.' "such was the chit. i don't know. mebbe woman has her place in the great world after all. anyway, she'll be a help to oswald. whatever he ain't she is." vii change of venus ma pettengill and i rode labouring horses up a steep way between two rocky hillsides that doubled the rays of the high sun back upon us and smothered the little breeze that tried to follow us up from the flat lands of the arrowhead. we breathed the pointed smell of the sage and we breathed the thick, hot dust that hung lazily about us; a dust like powdered chocolate, that cloyed and choked. as recreation it was blighting; and i said almost as much. ma pettengill was deaf to it, her gray head in its broad-brimmed hat sternly bowed in meditation as she wove to her horse's motion. then i became aware that she talked to another; one who was not there. she said things i was sure he would not have liked to hear. she hung choice insults upon his name and blistered his fair repute with calumnies. she was a geyser of invective, quiet perhaps for fifty yards, then grandly in action. "call yourself a cowman, hey? what you ought to be is matron of a foundling asylum. yes, sir!" this was among the least fearful of her dusty scornings. and i knew she would be addressing one homer gale, temporary riding boss of the arrowhead. indeed, homer's slightly pleading accents were now very colourably imitated by his embittered employer: "yes'm, mis' pettengill, it's a matter of life and death; no less. i got to git off for two days--a matter of life and death. yes'm; i just got to!" on the completion of this a hoarse hoot of scorn boomed through the haze and homer was told that men like himself often caused perfectly decent people to be tried for murder. and again homer's rightful job was echoed as "matron of a foundling asylum!" i felt the embarrassment of one unwittingly come upon the adjustment of a private grievance. i dropped delicately a few paces behind, unnoticed, i thought; but ma pettengill waited for me to overtake her again. then, as we pushed through the dust together, she told me that her days were swifter than a weaver's shuttle and spent without hope. if it wasn't one thing it was another. what she'd like--she'd like to wake up in a strange place and find she'd clean forgot her name and address, like these here parties you read about in the papers. and why wouldn't she? a dry year; feed short on the range; water holes dusty that never did go dry before; half a hay crop and winter threatening right spang in the summertime! think of having to gather cattle off the range in the middle of august when other times you could let 'em run till the middle of october! in fact, this was the kind of a year that cattle raisers had a technical term for. it was known technically as one hell of a year, if i wanted to be told. and having to do the work with mental defectives and cripples and bolsheviki, because every able-bodied puncher in the country had gone over to create a disturbance in europe! hadn't she combed out the county hospital and poor farm to get a haying crew? didn't the best cowboy now on the pay roll wear a derby hat and ride a motorcycle by preference? and paying seventy-five dollars to these imitation punchers to fight her gentle saddle horses, no colt, it seemed, having been ridden on the place in the memory of man. she didn't know; taking one thing with another, sometimes she almost wished that the world was going to stay unsafe for democracy. of course this technically described bad year wasn't so bad one way, because the sheepmen would sure get a tasty wallop, sheep being mighty informal about dying with the weather below zero and scant feed. when cattle wasn't hardly feeling annoyed sheep would lie down and quit intruding on honest cattle raisers for all time. just a little attention from a party with a skinning knife was all they needed after that. and so on, back to homer gale, who had gone to red gap for two days on a matter of life and death--and of this the less repeated here the better. now our narrow way spread to a valley where the sun's rays were more widely diffused and the dust less pervasive. we could see a mile ahead to a vaster cloud of dust. this floated over a band of arrowhead cattle being driven in from a range no longer sustaining. they were being driven by bolsheviki, so my informant disclosed. we halted above the road and waited for the dusty creatures to plod by us down to the pleasant lea where feed was still to be had and water was sweet. then came the bolshevik rear guard. it consisted of silas atterbury and four immature grandchildren. grandpa atterbury was ninety-three and doing his first labour since he retired, at eighty-five. the grandchildren, two male and two female, should have been playing childish games. and they were bolsheviki, all because they had refused to bring in this bunch of stock except for the wage customarily paid to trained adults. even the youngest, known as sissy atterbury, aged eight and looking younger, despite her gray coating of powdered alkali, had tenaciously held out for a grown man's pay, which made her something even worse than a bolshevik; it made her an i.w.w. but, as ma pettengill said, what could a lady do when fate had a stranglehold on her. there was, indeed, nothing to do but tell sissy to tell one of her incendiary brothers to get up close to grandpa, and yell good and loud at him, and make him understand he was to get a count on that bunch at the first gate, because it didn't look to us that there was over three hundred head where there ought to be at least five hundred. and then there was nothing to do but ride ahead of the toiling beasts and again down the narrow way that would bring us to the lowlands of the arrowhead, where the dust no longer choked and one could see green and smell water. from the last mesa we looked out over the arrowhead's flat fields, six thousand acres under fence, with the ranch house and outbuildings hazy in the distance. it was a pleasant prospect and warmed ma pettengill from her mood of chill negation. she remarked upon the goodliness of the scene, quite as if the present were not a technical year for cattle raisers. then, as we jogged the six miles home by peaceful thoroughfares, the lady, being questioned persistently and suitably, spoke with utter freedom of homer gale, who had shamefully deserted his job for two days at the busiest end of the season, when a white man wouldn't of thought of leaving, even on a matter of life and death. had homer the shadow of an excuse? we shall see. well, then, this here celluloid imitation of a cowman that i been using violent words about come into the valley three years ago and rapidly got a lot of fame by reason of being a confirmed bachelor and hating the young of the human species with bitterness and constancy. i was the one that brought him in; i admit that. first time i seen him he was being a roistering blade in the fashion waffle kitchen down at red gap. he was with sandy sawtelle and a couple other boys from the ranch here, and sandy tells me later that he is looking for work, being a good cowhand. i said he looked like something else, being dressed in an uproarious check suit of clothes that would instantly of collected a crowd in most city streets. but sandy says that's all right; he's a regler cowman and had to wear these startling garments for a disguise to get him safe out of idaho. it seems he'd been crowded out of that thriving state by a yearning and determined milliner that had witnesses a-plenty and intended to do something about it. defendant claimed he hadn't even meant anything of the sort and was just being a good pal; but it looked like the cruel teeth of the law was going to bite right into his savings if this breach-of-promise suit ever come to trial, the lady having letters from him in black and white. so homer had made a strategic retreat, avoiding contact with the enemy, and here he was. and how about taking him on at the arrowhead, where he could begin a new life? needing another hand just then, i fussed none at all about homer's scandalous past. i said he could throw in with us; and he did. when he got dressed in a legal manner he looked like he couldn't be anything else but a cowhand. about forty and reliable, he looked. so i sent him to a summer camp over on the madeline plains, where i had a bunch of cattle on government range. bert glasgow lived in a shack with his wife and family there and had general charge, and homer was to begin his new life by helping bert. his new life threatened to be short. he showed up here late the third night after he went over, looking sad and desperate and hunted. he did look that way more or less at all times, having one of these long, sad moustaches and a kind of a bit-into face. this night he looked worse than usual. i thought the hellhounds of the law from idaho might of took up his winding trail; but no. it was the rosy-cheeked tots of mr. and mrs. bert glasgow that had sent him out into the night. "say," he says, "i wouldn't have you think i was a quitter, but if you want to suicide me just send me back to that horrible place. children!" he says. "that's all; just children! dozens of 'em! running all over the place, into everything, under everything, climbing up on you, sticking their fingers into your eyes--making life unbearable for man and beast. you never once let on to me," he says reproachfully, "that this bert had children." "no," i says; "and i never let on to you that he's got a mole on his chin either. what of that?" then the poor lollop tries to tell me what of it. i saw he really had been under a nervous strain, all right. suffering had put its hot iron on him. first, he just naturally loathed children anyway. hadn't he run away from a good home in iowa when he was sixteen, account of being the oldest of seven? he said some things in general about children that would of got him no applause at a mothers' meeting. he was simply afraid to look a child in the eye; and, from what he'd like to do to 'em all, it seemed like his real middle name was molech. wasn't that the party with hostile views about children? anyway, you could see that homer's idea of a real swell festivity would be to hide out by an orphan asylum some night until the little ones had said their prayers and was tucked all peaceful into their trundle beds and then set fire to the edifice in eight places after disconnecting the fire alarm. that was homer, and he was honest; he just couldn't help it. and bert's tikes had drove him mad with their playful antics. he said he'd be set down for a bite of dinner and one of 'em would climb up his back and feel his hair--not saying a word, just taking hold of it; then it would jump down and another would climb up and do the same thing, and him not daring to defend himself. he'd got so worked up he was afraid to stay on the place. "and you know," he says--"what i can't understand--danged if bert don't seem to kind of like 'em. you may think i'm a liar, but he waited for one the other morning when it squealed at him and kept a hold of its hand clean down to the hay barn. what do you think of that? and besides these that go round infesting the place outside he's got a short yearling and a long two-year-old that have to be night-herded. i listened to 'em every night. one yelled and strangled all last night, till i s'posed, of course, it was going to perish everlastingly; but here this morning it was acting like nothing at all had happened. "all i can say is, bert don't have much luck. and that littlest yeller always unswallowing its meals with no effort whatever! it's horrible! and the mother, with no strength of character--feeble-minded, i reckon--coddles 'em! she never did cuss 'em out proper or act human toward 'em. kids like them, what they need--upside down and three quick hard ones. i know!" i was fool enough to argue with him a bit, trying to see if he didn't have a lick of sense. i told him to look how happy bert was; and how his family had made a man of him, him getting more money and saving more than ever in his past life. homer said what good would all that money do him? he'd only fool it away on his wife and children. "he regrets it, all right," says homer. "i says to myself the other day: 'i bet a cookie he'd like to be carefree and happy like me!'" homer was a piker, even when he made bets with himself. and the short of it was i sent a man that didn't hate children over to bert's and kept homer on the place here. he stayed three months and said it was heaven, account of not having them unnecessary evils on the place that would squirm round a man's legs and feel of his hair and hide round corners and peek at him and whisper about him. then i changed foremen and scott humphrey, the new one, brought three towheads with him of an age to cause homer the anguish of the damned, which they done on the first day they got here by playing that he was a horse and other wild animals, and trying to pull the rest of his hair out. he come in and cut himself out of my life the day after, shaking his head and saying he couldn't think what the world was coming to. as near as i could make him, his idea was that the world was going to be swamped with young ones if something wasn't done about it, like using squirrel poison or gopher traps. i felt like i wanted to cuff him up to a peak and knock the peak off; but i merely joked and said it was too bad his own folks hadn't come to think that way while he could still be handled easy. i also warned him it was going to be hard to find a job without more or less children on the outskirts, because ours was a growing state. he said there must be a few sane people left in the world. and, sure enough, he gets a job over to the mortimers'--uncle henry and aunt mollie being past seventy and having nothing to distress homer. of course the secret of this scoundrel's get-away from idaho had got round the valley, making him a marked man. it was seen that he was a born flirt, but one who retained his native caution even at the most trying moments. here and there in the valley was a hard-working widow that the right man could of consoled, and a few singles that would of listened to reason if properly approached; and by them it was said that homer was a fiend for caution. he would act like one of them that simply won't take no for an answer--up to a certain point. he would seem to be going fur in merry banter, but never to words that the law could put any expensive construction on. he would ride round to different ranches and mingle at dances and picnics, and giggle and conduct himself like one doomed from the cradle to be woman's prey--but that was all. funny how he'd escaped through the years, him having apparently the weak and pliant nature that makes the ideal husband, and having reached the time of life when he was putting sheep dip on his hair where the lining shone through on top. but so it was. and his views on children had also become widely known. mothers used to grab up their youngest ones when he'd go into the post office down at kulanch or meet one on the road. he made no hit at all with such views among them that had learned better. still there was hopeful ones that thought he might be made to take a joke sooner or later, and the fact that he was known to save his wages and had a nice little stake laid by didn't work against him any with such parties as might have a chance to be swept off their feet by him in a mad moment. then over at the mortimers' place he meets mrs. judson tolliver, a plausible widow lady who come into the valley every once in a while to do sewing round at different ranches. she was a good-built, impressive person, with a persuading manner; one of these competent ones that can take charge of affairs and conduct them unassisted, and will do so if not stopped. uncle henry mortimer brought her to the house in his light wagon one morning, with her sewing machine in the back. and homer was there to help her out and help out with the machine and see it was placed right in the sitting room; and then help out with her satchel and ask in a gentlemanly manner if everything was all right--and everything was: thank you so much, mr. gale! this party was no simpering schoolgirl. she was thirty-five or so and square-jawed, and did her hair plain, and had a managing voice that would go good at club meetings. she read library books and was a good conversationalist. and what did she do the first evening, when homer was mending one of his shirts by the kitchen lamp, but wrench it away from him roguishly and do the job herself, while she entertained him with conversation. it was bound to be entertaining, for she started in about what trials children was to their tormented parents and how the world would be brighter and better if it consisted entirely of adults. any one might of thought she'd been hearing gossip about homer's likes and dislikes. i know that's what i thought afterward, when he opened his soul to me. she said what a mercy it was that half a dozen yelling demons wasn't in this house at that moment to make life an evil thing for all. and homer sunned right up and took the talk away from her. while she done his mending he spoke heatedly of little children in his well-known happy vein, relating many incidents in his blasted career that had brought him to these views. the lady listened with deep attention, saying "ah, yes, mr. gale!" from time to time, and letting on there must be a strong bond of sympathy between them because he expressed in choice words what she had so often felt. homer must of been kind of swept off his feet at that very moment, and the rapids just below him. i guess he'd already been made mushy sentimental by seeing the ideal romantic marriage between uncle henry and his wife--forty years or so together and still able to set down in peace and quiet without having something squirm over you to see what you had in your pockets or ask what made your hair come out that funny way, till you wished a couple she-bears would rush out and devour forty-two of 'em. it was the first of quite many evenings when homer and the lady would set with a dish of apples and fried cakes between 'em and denounce the world's posterity. the lady was even suffering grave doubts about marriage. she said having to make her own way after she lost her husband had made her relish her independence too much to think of ever giving it up again lightly. of course she wouldn't say that possibly at some time in the dim future a congenial mate that thought as she did on vital topics--and so forth--just enough to give homer a feeling of security that was wholly unwarranted. wasn't he the heedless hugo? he was quite wordy about the lady to me when he come over on an errand one day. he told me all about these delightful talks of theirs, and what an attractive person she was, sound as a nut, and companionable and good-looking without being one of these painted dolls. he said, to see her above her sewing, she was a lovely view that he never tired of gazing at, and to hear her loathe children was music to the ear. he said she was a rare woman. i said she must be and asked him if he had committed himself. "well, i don't say i have and i don't say i haven't," he says; "but here i be, standing with reluctant feet at the parting of the ways. and who knows what might happen? i know i've had some darned close shaves from doing a whole lot worse in my time." so i wished him the best of luck with this lady child hater; not that i thought he'd really get what was coming to him. he was so crafty. he was one of them that love not well but too wisely, as the saying is. still, there was a chance. he was scared to death of fire and yet he would keep on playing with it. some day the merry old flames might lick him up. i hoped for the best. a few days after that i went down to the foreman's house late in the afternoon to see him about a shipment we had to make. scott was off somewhere, but his sister was in; so i set talking with her, and waiting. this here minna humphrey was a hectic, blighted girl of thirty, sandy-haired, green-eyed, and little--no bigger than a bar of soap after a day's washing. what had blighted the poor thing was having to teach public school for a dozen years. she'd been teaching down to kulanche that year and had just closed up. we set out in front of the house and minna told me she was all in; and how she'd ever got through the season she didn't know. she went on to speak of little children. fire in her voice? murder! according to minna, children had ought to be put in cages soon as they can walk and kept there till they are grown; fed through the bars and shot down if they break out. that's what twelve years' enforced contact with 'em had done to minna's finer instincts. she said absolutely nothing in the world could be so repugnant to her as a roomful of the little animals writing on slates with squeaky pencils. she said other things about 'em that done her no credit. and while i listened painfully who should be riding up but homer gale! "here," i says to minna; "here's a man you'll be a joyous treat to; just let him come in and listen to your song a while. begin at the beginning and say it all slow, and let homer have some happy moments." so i introduced the two, and after a few formalities was got over i had minna telling in a heartfelt manner what teaching a public school was like, and what a tortured life she led among creatures that should never be treated as human. homer listened with glistening eyes that got quite moist at the last. minna went on to say that children's mothers was almost as bad, raging in to pick a fuss with her every time a child had been disciplined for some piece of deviltry. she said mothers give her pretty near as much trouble as the kids themselves. it was a joyous and painful narrative to homer. he said why didn't minna take up something else? and minna said she was going to. she'd been working two summers in judge ballard's office, down to red gap, and was going to again this summer, soon as she regained a little vitality; and she hoped now she'd have a steady job there and never have to go back to the old life of degradation. homer sympathized warmly; his heart had really been touched. he hoped she'd rise out of the depths to something tolerable; and then he told her about bert's five horrible children that drove him out into the brush--and so forth. i listened in a while; and then i says to homer ain't it nice for him to meet someone else that thinks as he does on this great vital topic, minna seeming to find young ones as repulsive as mrs. judson tolliver? and how about that lady anyway? and how is his affair coming on? i never dreamed of starting anything. i was being friendly. homer gets vivacious and smirks something horrible, and says, well, he don't see why people make a secret of such things; and the fact is that that lady and him have about decided that fate has flung 'em together for a lofty purpose. of course nothing was settled definite yet--no dates nor anything; but probably before long there'd be a nice little home adorning a certain place he'd kept his eye on, and someone there keeping a light in the window for him--and so on. it sounded almost too good to be true that this old shellback had been harpooned at last. then minna spoke up, when homer had babbled to a finish, and smirked and looked highly offensive. she says brightly: "oh, yes; mrs. judson tolliver. i know her well; and i'm sure, mr. gale, i wish you all the happiness in the world with the woman of your choice. she's a very sterling character indeed--and such a good mother!" "how's that?" says homer. "i didn't hear you just right. such a good what?" "i said she's such a good mother," minna answers him. homer's smirk kind of froze on his face. "mother to what?" he says in a low, passionate tone, like an actor. "mother to her three little ones," says minna. then she says again quick: "why, what's the matter, mr. gale?" for homer seemed to have been took bad. "great godfrey!" he says, hardly able to get his voice. "and, of course, you won't mind my saying it," minna goes on, "because you seem so broad-minded about children, but when i taught primary in red gap last year those three little boys of hers gave me more trouble than any other two dozen of the pests in the whole room." homer couldn't say anything this time. he looked like a doctor was knifing him without anesthetics. "and to make it worse," says minna, "the mother is so crazy about them, and so sensitive about any little thing done to them in the way of discipline--really, she has very little control of her language where those children are concerned. still, of course, that's how any good mother will act, to be sure; and especially when they have no father. "i'm glad indeed the poor woman is to have someone like you that will take the responsibility off her shoulders, because those boys are now at an age where discipline counts. of course she'll expect you to be gentle with them, even though firm. oswald--he's eleven now, i believe--will soon be old enough to send to reform school; but the younger ones, seven and nine--my! such spirits as they have! they'll really need someone with strength." homer was looking as if this bright chatter would add twenty years to his age. he'd slumped down on the stoop, where he'd been setting, like he'd had a stroke. "so she's that kind, is she?" he kind of mutters. "a good thing i found it out on her!" "the children live with their grandmother in red gap while their mother is away," says minna. "they really need a strong hand." "not mine!" says homer. then he got slowly up and staggered down a few steps toward the gate. "it's a good thing i found out this scandal on her in time," says he. "talk about underhandedness! talk about a woman hiding her guilty secret! talk about infamy! i'll expose her, all right. i'm going straight to her and tell her i know all. i'll make her cower in shame!" he's out on his horse with his reckless threat. "now you've sunk the ship," i says to minna. "i knew the woman was leading a double life as fur as homer was concerned, but i wasn't going to let on to the poor zany. it's time he was speared, and this would of been a judgment on him that his best friends would of relished keenly. lots of us was looking forward to the tragedy with great pleasure. you spoiled a lot of fun for the valley." "but it would not have been right," says minna. "it would truly have been the blackest of tragedies to a man of mr. gale's sensitive fibres. you can't enter into his feelings because you never taught primary. also, i think he is very far from being a poor zany, as you have chosen to call him." the poor thing was warm and valiant when she finished this, looking like joan of arc or someone just before the battle. and homer never went back and made the lady cower like he said he meant to. mebbe it occurred to him on the way that she was not one of them that cower easy. mebbe he felt he was dealing with a desperate adventuress, as cunning as she was false-hearted. anyway, he weakened like so many folks that start off brave to tell someone so-and-so right to their faces. he didn't go back at all till the middle of the night, when he pussyfooted in and got his things out, and disappeared like he had stumbled down a well. uncle henry had to feed his own stock next morning, while mrs. tolliver took on in great alarm and wanted a posse formed to rescue homer from wherever he was. her first idea was that he had been kidnapped and was being held for ransom; but someway she couldn't get any one else very hearty about this notion. so then she said he had been murdered, or was lying off in the brush somewhere with a broken leg. it was pointed out to her that homer wouldn't be likely to come and collect all his things in the night in order to keep a date with an assassin, or even to have his leg broke. about the third day she guessed pretty close to the awful truth and spoke a few calm words about putting her case in the hands of some good lawyer. the valley was interested. it looked like a chance for the laugh of the year. it looked like the lightnings of a just heaven had struck where they was long overdue. then it was discovered that homer was hiding out over in the hills with a man after coyotes with traps and poison. his job must of appealed to homer's cynical nature at that moment--anything with traps and poison in it. dave pickens was the man that found him, he not having much else to do. and he let homer know the worst he could think of without mincing words. he said the deserted fiancée was going to bring suit against homer for one hundred thousand dollars--that being the biggest sum dave could think of--for breach of promise, and homer might as well come out and face the music. homer did come out, bold as brass. he'd been afraid the lady might gun him or act violent with something; but if she wasn't threatening anything but legal violence he didn't care. he just couldn't conceive that a lady with three children could make a suit like that stick against any man--especially three children that was known to be hellions. he didn't even believe the lady would start a suit--not with the facts of her shame known far and wide. he was jaunty and defiant about this, and come right out of hiding and agreed to work for me again, scott humphrey having sent his wife and children on a visit to grandma humphrey. but, lands. he didn't earn his salt. friends and well-wishers took the jauntiness all out of him in no time. parties rode from far and near to put him wise. ranchers from ten miles up and down the creek would drop important work just to ride over and tell him harsh facts about the law, and how, as man to man, it looked dark indeed for him. these parties told him that the possession of three children by a lawful widow was not regarded as criminal by our best courts. it wasn't even considered shameful. and it was further pointed out by many of the same comforters that the children would really be a help to the lady in her suit, cinching the sympathy of a jury. also, they didn't neglect to tell him that probably half the jury would be women--wives and mothers. and what chance would he have with women when they was told how he regarded children? he spent a good half of the time i paid him for in listening to these friendly words. they give homer an entirely new slant on our boasted civilization and lowered it a whole lot in his esteem. about the only person in the whole valley that wasn't laughing at him and giving him false sympathy with a sting in its tail was minna humphrey. homer told her all about the foul conspiracy against his fortune, and how his life would be blasted by marrying into a family with three outcasts like he'd been told these was. and what was our courts coming to if their records could be stained by blackmailers. and minna give him the honest sympathy of a woman who had taught school twelve years, loathed the sight of any human under twenty, and even considered that the institution of marriage had been greatly overpraised. certainly she felt it was not for her; and she could understand homer's wanting to escape. she and him would set out and discuss his chances long after he had ought to of been in bed if he was going to earn his pay. minna admitted that things looked dark for him on account of the insane prejudice that would be against him for his views on children. she said he couldn't expect anything like a fair trial where these was known even with a jury of his peers; and it was quite true that probably only five or six of the jury would be his peers, the rest being women. homer told me about these talks--out of working hours, you can bet! how minna was the only person round that would stand by anyone in trouble; how she loathed kids, and even loathed the thought of human marriage. "minna is a nice girl," i told him; "but i should think you'd learn not to pay attention to a woman that talks about children that way. remember this other lady talked the same way about 'em before the scandal come out." but he was indignant that any one could suspect minna's child hating wasn't honest. "that little girl is pure as a prism!" he says. "when she says she hates 'em, she hates 'em. the other depraved creature was only working on my better nature." "well," i says, "the case does look black; but mebbe you could settle for a mere five thousand dollars." "it wouldn't be a mere five thousand dollars," says homer; "it would be the savings of a lifetime of honest toil and watching the pennies. that's all i got." "serves you right, then," i says, "for not having got married years ago and having little ones of your own about your knee!" homer shuddered painfully when i said this. he started to answer something back, but just choked up and couldn't. the adventuress had, of course, sent letters and messages to homer. the early ones had been pleading, but the last one wasn't. it was more in the nature of a base threat if closely analyzed. then she finished up her sewing at the mortimers' and departed for red gap, leaving a final announcement to anybody it concerned that she would now find out if there was any law in the land to protect a defenseless woman in her sacred right to motherhood. homer shivered when he heard it and begun to think of making another get-away, like he had done from idaho. he thought more about it when someone come back from town and said she was really consulting a lawyer. he'd of gone, i guess, if minna hadn't kept cheering him up with sympathy and hating children with him. homer was one desperate man, but still he couldn't tear himself away from minna. then one morning he gets a letter from the red gap lawyer. it says his client, mrs. judson tolliver, has directed him to bring suit against homer for five thousand dollars; and would homer mebbe like to save the additional cost--which would be heavy, of course--by settling the matter out of court and avoiding pain for all? homer was in a state where he almost fell for this offer. it was that or facing a jury that would have it in for him, anyway, or disappearing like he had done in idaho; only this lady was highly determined, and reports had already come to him that he would be watched and nailed if he tried to leave. it would mean being hounded from pillar to post, even if he did get away. he went down and put it up to minna, as i heard later. "i'm a desperate man," he says, "being hounded by this here catamount; and mebbe it's best to give in." "it's outrageous!" says minna. "of course you don't care about the money; but it's the principle of the thing." "well, yes and no," says homer. "you might say i care some about the money. that's plain nature, and i never denied i was human." so they went on to discuss it back and forth warmly, when a misunderstanding arose that i was very careful to get the rights of a couple of weeks later. minna went over the old ground that homer could never get a fair trial; then she brightened up all at once and says: "don't you pay it. don't you do it; because you won't have to if you do what i say." homer gets excited and says: "yes, yes; go on!" and minna goes on. "when people can't get fair trials in a place," she says, "they always take change of venues." "change of venues?" says homer, kind of uneasy, it seemed. "certainly," says minna: "they take change of venues. i've worked in judge ballard's office long enough to know that much. why didn't i think of it before? it's your one chance to escape this creature's snare." "change of venues?" says homer again, kind of aghast. "it's your only way out," says minna; "and i'll do everything i can--" "you will?" says homer. "why, of course!" says minna. "any thing--" "all right, then," says homer. "you get your things on, and i'll saddle your horse and bring him round." "what for?" demands minna. "i'm a desperate man!" says homer. "you say it's the only way out, and you know the law; so come along to kulanche with me." and he beat if off to the barn. well, minna had said she'd do anything she could, thinking she'd write herself to judge ballard and find out all the details; but if homer wanted her to go to kulanche with him and try to start the thing there--why, all right. she was ready when homer come with her horse and off they rode on the twelve-mile trip. i gather that not much was said on the way by homer who only muttered like a fever patient from time to time, with minna saying once in a while how glad she was she had thought up this one sure way out of his trouble. at kulanche they rode up in front of old man geiger's office, who is justice of the peace. "wait here a minute," says homer, and went inside. pretty soon he come out and got her. "come on, now," he says, "i got it all fixed." and minna goes in, thinking mebbe she's got to swear to an affidavit or something that homer couldn't get a fair trial among people knowing he regarded little ones as so many cockroaches or something to step on. she got some shock when homer took her inside and held her tight by the wrist while old man geiger married 'em. that's about the way it was. she says she was so weak she could hardly stand up, and she hadn't hardly any voice at all left. but she kept on saying "why, homer!" and "oh, homer!" and "no, no, homer!" as soon as she discovered that she had been dragged off to a fate she had always regarded as worse than death; but a lot of good it done her to say them things in a voice not much better than a whisper. and the dreadful thing was over before she could get strength to say anything more powerful. there she was, married to a man she thought highly of, it's true, and had a great sympathy for in the foul wrong one of her sex had tried to slip over on him; but a man she had never thought of marrying. i'm telling you what she told me. and after sentence had been pronounced she kept on saying "why, homer!" and "oh, homer!" and "no, no, homer!" till there was nothing to do but get some clothes out of her trunk that she'd left down there in time to take the narrow gauge for their wedding tour to spokane. the news spread over the valley next day like a brush fire in august. it was startling! like the newspapers say of a suicide, "no cause could be assigned for the rash act." they was away ten days and come back to find the whole country was again giving homer the laugh because mrs. tolliver had up and married a prosperous widower from over in surprise valley, and had never brought any suit against him. it was said that even the late mrs. tolliver was laughing heartily at him. homer didn't seem to care, and minna certainly didn't. she was the old-fashioned kind of wife, a kind you don't hear much of nowadays; the kind that regards her husband as perfect, and looks up to him. she told me about the tumultuous wedding. neither of 'em had had time for any talk till they got on the train. then it come out. she says why ever did homer do such a monstrous thing? and homer says: "well, you told me a change of venus was the only way out for me--" "i said a change of venue," says minna. "it sounded like change of venus," says homer, "and i knew venus was the god of love. and you said you was willing and i knew we was congenial, and i was a desperate man; and so here we are!" so she cried on his shoulder for twenty miles while he ate a box of figs. homer is now a solid citizen, with his money put into a place down at the lower end of the valley, instead of lying in the bank at the mercy of some unscrupulous woman with little ones. and here this summer, with his own work light, he's been helping me out as riding boss; or, at least i been lavishing money on him for that. a fine, dependable hand, too! here was this bunch of stock to be got in from madeline--them bolshevik ain't gathered more'n two thirds of 'em; and there's more to come in from over horse fly mountain way, and still another bunch from out of the sheep creek country--the busiest month in a bad year, when i needed every man, woman, and child to be had, and here comes homer, the mush-head, taking two days off! "yes'm, mis' pettengill; i just got to take time off to go down to red gap. it's a matter of life and death. yes'm; it is. no'm; i wouldn't dast send any one, and minna agrees i'm the only one to go--" shucks! the lady built a cigarette and, after lighting it, turned back to scan the mesa we had descended. the cattle now crowded down the narrow way into the valley, their dust mounting in a high, slow cloud. "call yourself a cowman, do you?" she demanded of the absent homer. "huh!" then we rode on. "what was the matter of life and death?" i asked. ma pettengill expelled cigarette smoke venomously from inflated nostrils like a tired dragon. "the matter of life and death was that he had to get two teething rings for the twins." "twins!" "oh, the valley got it's final laugh at homer! twins, sure! most of us laughed heartily, though there was mothers that said it was god's judgment on the couple. of course homer and minna ain't took it that way. they took it more like they had been selected out of the whole world as a couple worthy to have a blessed miracle happen to 'em. there might of been single babies born now and then to common folks, but never a case of twins--and twins like these! marvels of strength and beauty, having to be guarded day and night against colic and kidnappers. "they had 'em down to the post office at kulanche the other day showing 'em off, each one in a red shawl; and sneering at people with only one. and this imbecile homer says to me: "'of course it can't be hoped,' he says, 'that this great world war will last that long; but if it could last till these boys was in shape to fight i bet it wouldn't last much after that. yes, sir; little roosevelt and pershing would soon put an end to that scrap!' "and now they're teething and got to have rubber rings. and no, he couldn't send any one down for 'em; and he couldn't order 'em by mail either, because they got to be just the right kind. "'poor little pershing is right feverish with his gums,' says homer, 'but little roosevelt has got a front one through already. he bit my thumb yesterday with it--darned near to the bone. he did so!' "calls himself a cowman, does he? he might of been--once. now he ain't no more than a woman's home companion!" viii can happen! lew wee, prized chinese chef of the arrowhead ranch, had butchered, cooked, and served two young roosters for the evening meal with a finesse that cried for tribute. as he replaced the evening lamp on the cleared table in the big living room he listened to my fulsome praise of his artistry as marshal foch might hear me say that i considered him a rather good strategist. lew wee heard but gave no sign, as one set above the petty adulation of compelled worshipers. yet i knew his secret soul made festival of my words and would have been hurt by their withholding. this is his way. not the least furtive lightening of his subtle eyes hinted that i had pleased him. he presently withdrew to his tiny room off the kitchen, where, as was his evening custom for half an hour, he coaxed an amazing number of squealing or whining notes from his two-stringed fiddle. i pictured him as he played. he would be seated in his wicker armchair beside a little table on which a lamp glowed, the room tightly closed, window down, door shut, a fast-burning brown-paper cigarette to make the atmosphere more noxious. after many more of the cigarettes had made it all but impossible, lew wee, with the lamp brightly burning, as it would burn the night through--for devils of an injurious sort and in great numbers will fearlessly enter a dark room--he would lie down to refreshing sleep. that fantasy of ventilation! lew wee always sleeps in an air-tight room packed with cigarette smoke, and a lamp turned high at his couchside; and lew wee is hardy. he played over and over now a plaintive little air of minors that put a gentle appeal through two closed doors. it is one he plays a great deal. he has told me its meaning. he says--speaking with a not unpleasant condescension--that this little tune will mean: "life comes like a bird-song through the open windows of the heart." it sounds quite like that and is a very satisfying little song, with no beginning or end. he played it now, over and over, wanderingly and at leisure, and i pictured his rapt face above the whining fiddle; the face, say, of the philosopher mang, sage of the second degree and disciple of confucius, who was lifted from earth by the gods in a time we call b.c. but which was then thought to be a fresh, new, late time; the face of subtle eyes and guarded dignity. and i wondered, as i had often wondered, whether lew wee, lone alien in the abiding place of mad folks, did not suffer a vast homesickness for his sane kith, who do not misspend their days building up certain grotesque animals to slaughter them for a dubious food. true, he had the compensation of believing invincibly that the arrowhead ranch and all its concerns lay upon his own slightly bowed shoulders; that the thing would fast crumble upon his severance from it. but i questioned whether this were adequate. i felt him to be a man of sorrow if not of tragedy. vaguely he reached me as one who had survived some colossal buffeting. as i mused upon this ma pettengill sorted the evening mail and to lew wee she now took his san francisco newspaper, _young china,_ and a letter. half an hour later lew wee brought wood to replenish the fire. he disposed of this and absently brushed the hearth with a turkey wing. then he straightened the rug, crossed the room, and straightened on the farther wall a framed portrait in colour of majestic folly, a prize bull of the hereford strain. then he drew a curtain, flicked dust from a corner of the table, and made a slow way to the kitchen door, pausing to alter slightly the angle of a chair against the wall. ma pettengill, at the table, was far in the red gap _recorder_ for the previous day. i was unoccupied and i watched lew wee. he was doing something human; he was lingering for a purpose. he straightened another chair and wiped dust from the gilt frame of another picture, architect's drawing of the pettengill block, corner fourth and main streets, red gap, washington. from this feat he went softly to the kitchen door, where he looked back; hung waiting in the silence. he had made no sound, yet he had conveyed to his employer a wish for speech. she looked up at him from the lamp's glow, chin down, brows raised, and eyes inquiring of him over shining nose glasses. "my uncle's store, hankow, burn' down," said lew wee. "why, wasn't that too bad!" said ma pettengill. "can happen!" said lew wee positively. "too bad!" said ma pettengill again. "i send him nine hundred dollars your money. money burn, too," said lew wee. "now, now! well, that certainly is too bad! what a shame!" "can happen!" affirmed lew wee. it was colourless. he was not treating his loss lightly nor yet was he bewailing it. "you put your money in the bank next time," warned his employer sharply, "instead of letting it lie round in some flimsy chinee junk shop. they're always burning." lew wee regarded her with a stilled face. "can happen!" he again murmured. he was the least bit insistent, as if she could not yet have heard this utterly sufficing truth. then he was out; and a moment later the two-stringed fiddle whined a little song through two closed doors. i said something acute and original about the ingrained fatalism of the oriental races. ma pettengill laid down her paper, put aside her glasses, and said, yes, chinee one fatal race; feeling fatal thataway was what made 'em such good help. because why? because, going to work at such-and-such a place, this here fatal feeling made 'em think one place was no worse than another; so why not stick here? if other races felt as fatal as the chinee race it would make a grand difference in the help problem. she'd bet a million dollars right now that a lot of people wished the swedes and irish had fatal feelings like that. i said lew wee had the look of one ever expecting the worst; even more than the average of his race. "it ain't that," said my hostess. "he don't expect anything at all; or mebbe everything. he takes what comes. if it's good or bad, he says, 'can happen!' in the same tone of voice; and that ends it. there he is now, knowing that all this good money he saved by hard labour has gone up in smoke, and paying the loss no more attention that if he'd merely broke a string on that squeaky long-necked contraption he saws." "he seems careless enough with his money, certainly." "sure, because he don't believe it does the least good to be careful." from a cloth sack the speaker poured tobacco into a longitudinally creased brown paper and adeptly fashioned something in the nature of a cigarette. "ain't i been telling him for a year to buy liberty bonds with his money? he did buy two, being very pro-american on account of once having a violent difference with a german; and he's impressed with the button the government lets him wear for it. he feels like the president has made him a mandarin or something; but if the whole government went flooey to-morrow he'd just say, 'can happen!' and pick up his funny fiddle. of course it ain't human, but it helps to keep help. i had him six years now, and the only thing that can't happen is his leaving. i don't say there wasn't reasons why he first took the place." reasons? so there had been reasons in the life of lew wee. i had suspected as much. i found something guarded and timid and long-suffering in his demeanour. he bore, i thought, the searing memory of an ordeal. "reasons!" i said, waiting. "reasons for coming this far in the first place. wanted to save his life. i don't know why, with that fatal idea he sticks to. habit, probably. anyway, he had trouble saving it--kind of a feverish week." she lighted the cigarette and chuckled hoarsely between the first relishing whiffs of it. "yes, sir; that poor boy believes the country between here and the coast is inhabited by savages; wild hill tribes that try to exterminate peaceful travellers; a low kind of outlaws that can't understand a word you tell 'em and act violent if you try to say it over. and having got here, past the demons, i figure he's afraid to go back. i don't blame him." ordinarily, this would have been enough. now the lady merely smoked and chuckled. when i again uttered "well?" with a tinge of rebuke, she came down from her musing, but into another and distant field. it was the field of natural history, of zoology, of vertebrates, mammals, furred quadrupeds--or, in short, skunks. one may as well be blunt in this matter. ma pettengill said the skunk got too little credit for its lovely character, it being the friendliest wild animal known to man and never offensive except when put upon. wasn't we all offensive at those times? and just because the skunk happened to be superbly gifted in this respect, was that any reason to ostracize him? "i ain't sayin' i'd like to mix with one when he's vexed," continued the lady judicially; "but why vex 'em? they never look for trouble; then why force it on their notice? take one summer, years ago, when lysander john and i had a camp up above dry forks. my lands! every night after supper the prettiest gang of skunks would frolic down off the hillside and romp round us. here would come pa and ma in the lead, and mebbe a couple of aunts and uncles and four or five of the cunningest little ones, and they'd all snoop fearlessly round the cook fire and the grub boxes, picking up scraps of food--right round under my feet, mind you--and looking up now and then and saying, 'thank you!' plain as anything, and what lovely weather we're having, and why don't you come up and see us some time?--and so on. they kept it up for a month while we was there; and i couldn't want neater, nicer neighbours. "lysander john, he used to get some nervous, especially after one chased him back into the tent late one night; but it was only wanting to play like a mere puppy, i tells him. he'd heard a noise and rushed out, and there the little thing was kind of waltzing in the moonlight, whirling round and round and having a splendid time. when it came bounding toward him--i guess that was the only time in his life lysander john was scared helpless. he busted back into the tent a mere palsied wreck of his former self; but the cute little minx just come up and sniffed at the flap in a friendly way, like it wanted to reassure him. i wanted him to go out and play with it in the moonlight. he wouldn't. i liked 'em round the place, they was so neighbourly and calm. of course if i'd ever stepped on one, or acted sudden-- "they also tame easy and make affectionate pets. ralph waldo gusted, over on elkhorn, that traps 'em in winter to make first-quality labrador sealskin cloaks--his children got two in the house they play with like kittens; and he says himself the skunk has been talked about in a loose and unthinking way. he says a pet skunk is not only a fine mouser but leads a far more righteous life than a cat, which is given to debauchery and cursing in the night. yes, sir; they're the most trusting and friendly critters in all the woods if not imposed upon--after that, to be sure!" i said yes, yes, and undoubtedly, and all very interesting, and well and good in its place; but, really, was this its place? i wanted lew wee's reasons for believing in the existence of savage hill tribes between there and san francisco. "yes; and san francisco is worse," said the lady. "he believes that city to be ready for mob violence at any moment. wild crowds get together and yell and surge round on the least provocation. he says it's different in china, the people there not being crazy." "well, then, we can get on with this mystery." so ma pettengill said we could; and we did indeed. this here chink seems to of been a carefree child up to the time the civilized world went crazy with a version for him. he was a good cook and had a good job at a swell country club down the peninsula from san francisco. the hours was easy and he was close enough to the city to get in once or twice a week and mingle with his kind. he could pass an evening with the older set, playing fan-tan and electing a new president of the chinee race, or go to the chinee theatre and set in a box and chew sugar cane; or he could have a nice time at the clubrooms of the young china progressive association, playing poker for money. once in a while he'd mix in a tong war, he being well thought of as a hatchet man--only they don't use hatchets, but automatics; in fact, all nature seemed to smile on him. well, right near this country club one of his six hundred thousand cousins worked as gardener for a man, and this man kept many beautiful chickens--so lew wee says. and he says a strange and wicked night animal crept into the home of these beautiful birds and slew about a dozen of 'em by biting 'em under their wings. the man told his cousin that the wicked night animal must be a skunk and that his cousin should catch him in a trap. so the cousin told lew wee that the wicked night animal was a skunk and that he was going to catch him in a trap. lew wee thought it was interesting. he went up to the city and in the course of a pleasant evening at fan-tan he told about the slain chickens that were so beautiful, and how the night animal that done it would be caught in a trap. a great friend of lew wee's was present, a wonderful doctor. lew wee still says he is the most wonderful doctor in the world, knowing things about medicines that the white doctors can't ever find out, these being things that the chinee doctors found out over fifteen thousand years ago, and therefore true. the doctor's name was doctor hong foy, and he was a rich doctor. and he says to lew wee that he needs a skunk for medicine, and if any one will bring him a live skunk in good condition he will pay twenty-five dollars in american money for same. lew wee says he won't be needing that skunk much longer--or words to that effect--because he will get this one from the trap. doctor hong foy is much pleased and says the twenty-five american dollars is eager to become lew wee's for this animal, alive and in good condition. lew wee goes back, and the next day his cousin says he set a trap and the night skunk entered it, but he was strong like a lion and had busted out and bit some more chickens under the wing, and then went away from there. he showed lew wee the trap and lew wee seen it wasn't the right kind, but he knows how to make the right kind and will do so if the skunk can become entirely his property when caught. the cousin, without the least argument, agreed heartily to this. he was honest enough. he explained carefully that the skunk was wished to be caught to keep it from biting chickens under the wing, causing them to die, and not for any value whatever it might have to the person catching it. he says it will be beneficial to catch the skunk, but not to keep it; that a skunk is not nice after being caught, and lew wee is more than welcome to it if he will make a right trap. the cousin himself was probably one of these fatal "can happen!" boys. when lew wee says he must have the skunk alive and in good condition he just looked at him in a distant manner that lew wee afterward remembered; but he only said: "oh, very well!" in his native language. lew wee then found a small peaked-roofed chicken coop, with stout slats on it, and made a figure-four trap, and put something for bait on the pointed stick and set the trap, and begun right off to squander twenty-five dollars that was to come as easy as picking it up in the road. there wasn't any breakfast trade at the country club and lew wee was able to get over across the golf links to the chicken place early the next morning. the cousin was some distance from the chicken place, hoeing a bed of artichokes, but he told lew wee his trap had been a very wonderful trap and the night animal was safe caught. lew wee was surprised at his cousin's indifference and thought he should of been over there looking at the prize. but not so. the cousin was keeping some distance off. he just told lew wee that there was his animal and that he should take it away with as little disturbance as possible, which would be better far and near for all concerned. he was strangely cool about it. but lew wee was full of pleasant excitement and run swiftly to his trap. sure enough! there was a nice big beautiful skunk in his trap. lew wee had never seen one. he said it was more beautiful than a golden pheasant, with rich, shiny black fur and a lovely white stripe starting from its face and running straight down on each side of its back; and it had a wonderful waving tail, like a plume. he looked at it joyfully through the slats. it was setting down comfortably when he come up; so he spoke to it in a friendly way. then it got up and yawned and stretched itself, looking entirely self-possessed, but kind of bored, i suppose, like this was a poor sort of practical joke to play on a gentleman; so now would someone kindly lift this box off him? the proud owner danced about it in great glee and told it how the nice doctor wouldn't hurt it any, but would give it a good home, with chicken for supper, mebbe, and so on. then he went back to his cousin and give him a pack of cigarettes, out of his overflowing heart, and asked where was something he could put his wild animal in and take it to town to his great friend doctor hong foy, who had a desire for it. the cousin took the cigarettes, but he looked at lew wee a long time, like he didn't understand chinee at all. lew wee said it all over again. he wanted something to take the wild animal to town in, because the chicken coop it was now in hadn't any bottom; and was too big, anyway. the cousin again looked at him a long time, like one in a trance. then, without any silly talk, he went over to the barn and handed lew wee a bran sack. lew wee said that was just the thing; and would the cousin come over and help him in case the animal would be timid and not want to go in the sack? the cousin said he would not. and he didn't go back to the artichokes. he went to a bed of cauliflower clear at the other end of the garden, after giving lew wee another of them long "can happen!" looks, which signify that we live in a strange and terrible world. lew wee went back alone to his prize, finding it still calm, like a gentleman in his club. he reassured it with some more cheerful words. he had a thought right then, he says; kind of a sudden fear. he had been told the first day by his cousin, and also by his great friend doctor hong foy, that the skunk gave out a strong scent disagreeable to many people. but this one he'd caught didn't have any scent of any kind. so mebbe that meant it wasn't in good condition and doctor hong foy wouldn't wish it for twenty-five dollars. however, it was sure a skunk, and looked strong and healthy and worth taking in to the doctor, who could then tell about its condition. lew wee opened the neck of the bag, laid it on the ground close by him, got down on his knees, and carefully raised one side of the coop. the wild animal looked more beautiful than ever; and it didn't seem alarmed, but just the tiniest mite suspicious. it must of looked like it was saying it was entirely willing to be friendly, but you couldn't ever tell about these chinamen. lew wee reached a hand slowly over toward it and it moved against the back of the coop, very watchful. then lew wee made a quick grab and caught the back of its neck neatly. of course this showed at once that a chinaman wasn't to be trusted, and lew wee says it put up a fierce fight, being so quick and muscular as to surprise him. he was fully engaged for at least thirty seconds; the animal clawed and squirmed and twisted, and it bit in the clinches and almost got away. he was breathing hard when he finally got his wild animal into the sack and the neck tied. he says he didn't actually realize until then, what with all the excitement, that something had gone kind of wrong. he was not only breathing hard but it was hard breathing. he says he felt awful good at that moment. he had been afraid his animal might not be in good condition, but it undoubtedly was. he thought right off that if one in just ordinary good condition was worth twenty-five dollars to doctor hong foy, then this one might be worth as much as thirty-five, or even forty. he thought it must be the best wild animal of that kind in the world. so he picked up the sack, with his prize squirming and swearing inside, and threw it over his shoulder and started back to the country club. he stopped a minute to thank his cousin once more; but his cousin seen him coming and run swiftly off in a strange manner, as if not wishing to be thanked again. then lew wee went on across a field and over the golf links. his idea was to take the little animal to his room in the clubhouse and keep it there until night, when he could take it into town and get all that money for it. he was quite happy and wished he hadn't scared the poor thing so. he thought when he got to his room he might let it out of the sack to play round there in freedom during the day. he spent the twenty-five dollars for different things on the way over the golf links. he told me he knew perfectly well that his pet would be likely to attract notice; but he didn't realize how much. a chinese is a wonder. he can very soon get used to anything. but lew wee never did get to his room again. when he got up near the clubhouse some fine people were getting out of a shiny purple motor car as big as a palace, and they had golf sticks in bags. one of 'em was a big red-faced man with a fierce gray moustache, and this man begun to yell at lew wee in a remarkable manner. the words being in a foreign language, he couldn't make 'em out well, but the sense of it was that the big man wanted him to go away from there. lew wee knew he wasn't working for this man, who was only a club member; so he paid no attention to him beyond waving his hand friendly, and went on round toward the back entrance. then out of the side entrance come the chief steward, also yelling, and this was the man he was working for; so he stopped to listen. it wasn't for long. he lost a good job as cook in no time at all. of course that never bothers a chinee any; but when he started in to get his things from his room the steward picked up a golf club with an iron end and threatened to hurt him, and some of the kitchen help run round from the back with knives flashing, and the big red-faced man was yelling to the steward to send for a policeman, and some ladies that had got out of another big car had run halfway across the golf links, as if pursued by something, and more people from the inside come to the door and yelled at him and made motions he should go away; so he thought he better not try to get his things just then. he couldn't see why all the turmoil, even if he had got something in prime condition for his friend doctor hong foy. it was noticeable, he thought; but nothing to make all this fuss about, especially if the fools would just let him get it to his own room, where it could become quiet again, like when he had first seen it in the trap. but he saw they wasn't going to let him, and the big man had gone in the front way and was now shaking both fists at him through a side window that was closed; so he thought, all right, he'd leave 'em flat, without a cook--and a golf tournament was on that day, too! he was twenty-five dollars to the good and he could easy get another job. so he waved good-bye to all of 'em and went down the road half a mile to the car line. he was building air castles by that time. he says it occurred to him that doctor hong foy might like many of these wild animals, at twenty-five dollars each; and he might take up the work steady. it was exciting and sporty, and would make him suddenly rich. mebbe it wasn't as pleasant work as his cousin did, spending his time round gardens and greenhouses; but it was more adventurous. he really liked it, and he would get even more used to it in time so he wouldn't hardly notice it at all. as he stood there waiting for a trolley car he must of thought up a whole headful of things he'd buy with all these sudden emoluments. several motor cars passed while he waited and he noticed that folks in 'em all turned to look at him in an excited way. but he knew all americans was crazy and liable to be mad about something. pretty soon a car stopped and some people got off the front end. they stopped short and begun to look all round 'em in a frightened manner--two ladies and a child and an old man. the conductor also stepped off and looked round in a frightened manner; but he jumped back on the car quick. lew wee then hopped on to the back platform, with his baggage, just as it started on. it started quick and was going forty miles an hour by the time he'd got the door open. the two women in the car screamed at him like maniacs, and before he'd got comfortably set down the conductor had opened the front door and started for him. he got halfway down the car; then he started back and made a long speech at him from the front end, while the car stopped like it had hit a mountain, throwing everyone off their seats. lew wee gathered that he was being directed to get off the car quickly. the other passengers had crowded back by the conductor and was telling him the same thing. one old gentleman with a cane, who mebbe couldn't walk good, had took up his cane and busted a window quick and had his head outside. lew wee thought he was an anarchist, busting up property that way. also the motorman, who had stopped the car so soon, was now shaking a brass weapon at him over the heads of the others. so he thought he might as well get off the car and save all this talk. he'd got his fare out, but he put it back in his pocket and picked up his sack and went out in a very dignified way, even if they was threatening him. he knew he had something worth twenty-five dollars in his sack, and they probably didn't know it or they wouldn't act that way. he set down and waited for another car, still spending his money. the next one slowed down for him; but all at once it started up again more swift than the wind, he says; and he could see that the motorman was a coward about something, because he looked greatly frightened when he flew by the spot. he never saw one go so fast as this one did after it had slowed up for him. it looked like the motorman would soon be arrested for driving his car too fast. he then had the same trouble with another car; it slowed up, but was off again before it stopped, and the people in it looked out at him kind of horrified. it begun to look like he wasn't going to ride to the city in a trolley car. pretty soon along the road come a japanese man he knew. his name was suzuki katsuzo; and lew wee says that, though nothing but a japanese, he is in many respects a decent man. suzuki passed him, going round in a wide circle, and stopped to give him some good advice. he refused to come a step nearer, even after lew wee told him that what he had in the sack was worth a lot of money. suzuki was very polite, but he didn't want to come any nearer, even after that. he told lew wee he was almost certain they didn't want him on street cars with it, no matter if it was worth thousands of dollars. it might be worth that much, and very likely was if the price depended on its condition. but the best and most peaceful way for lew wee was to find a motor car going that way and ask the gentleman driving it to let him ride; he said it would be better, too, to pick out a motor car without a top to it, because the other kind are often shut up too tightly for such affairs as this, like street cars. he said the persons in street cars are common persons, and do not care if a thing is worth thousands of dollars or not if they don't like to have it in the car with them. he didn't believe it would make any difference to them if something like this was worth a million dollars in american gold. so lew wee thanked suzuki katsuzo, who went quickly on his way; and then he tried to stop a few motor cars. it seemed like they was as timid as street cars. people would slow up when they seen him in the road and then step on the gas like it was a matter of life and death. lew wee must of said "can happen!" a number of times that morning. finally, along come a german. he was driving a big motor truck full of empty beer kegs, and lew wee says the german himself was a drinking man and had been drinking so much beer that he could nearly go to sleep while driving the car. he slowed up and stopped when he saw lew wee in the middle of the road. lew wee said he wanted to go to san francisco and would give the driver a dollar to let him ride back on the beer kegs. the driver said: "let's see the dollar." and took it and said: "all right, john; get up." then he sniffed the air several times and said it seemed like there had been a skunk round. lew wee didn't tell him he had it in his bag because the driver might know how much it was worth and try foul play on him to get possession of it. so they started on, and the german, who had been drinking, settled into a kind of doze at the wheel. lew wee was up on the beer kegs and enjoying himself like a rich gentleman riding to the city in his motor car. it was kind of nice, in spite of being used to his pet, to be going through the air so fast. the german seemed to be getting sobered up by something, and after about five or six miles he stopped the car and yelled to lew wee that a skunk had been round this place, too; and mebbe he had run over one. lew wee looked noncommittal; but the german was getting more wakeful every minute, and after a couple more miles he pulled up again and come round to where lew wee was. he says it seems like a skunk has been round everywhere; and, in fact, it seems to be right here now. he sees the sack and wants to know what's in it. but he don't give lew wee a chance to lie about it. he was thoroughly awake now and talked quite sober but bitterly. he ordered lew wee to get off of there quickly. lew wee says he swore at him a lot. he thinks it was in german. he ain't sure of the language, but he knows it was swearing. he wasn't going to get off, at first; but the german got a big stick from the roadside and started for him, so he climbed down the other side and started to run. but the cowardly german didn't chase him a single step. he got back in his seat and started down the road quicker than it looked like his truck had been able to travel. anyway, lew wee was a lot nearer to town, owing to the german not having been sensitive at first; and if worst come to worst he could walk. it looked like he'd have to. then he saw he'd have to walk, anyway, because this brutal german that put him off the truck hadn't give him back his dollar, and that was all he had. he now put the first high curse of the one hundred and nine malignant devils on all germans. it is a grand curse, he says, and has done a lot of good in china. he was uncertain whether it would work away from home; but he says it did. every time he gets hold of a paper now he looks for the place where germans in close formation is getting mowed down by machine-gun fire. but his money was gone miles away from him by this time; so he started his ten-mile walk. i don't know. it's always been a mystery to me how he could do it. he could get kind of used to it himself, and mebbe he thought the public could do as much. it was an interesting walk he had. at first, he thought he was only attracting the notice of the vulgar, like when some american ruffians doing a job of repair work on the road threw rocks at him when he stopped to rest a bit. but he soon noticed that rich ladies and gentlemen also seemed to shun him as he passed through little towns. he carried his impetuous burden on a stick over his shoulder and at a distance seemed to be an honest workman; but people coming closer didn't look respectfully at him, by any means. it seemed as if some odium was attached to him. once he stopped to pick a big red rose from a bush that hung over the wall in front of a pretty place, and a beautiful child dressed like a little princess stood there; and, being fond of children, like all chinee men, he spoke to her; but a nurse screamed and run out at him and yelled something in another foreign language. he thinks it was swearing, same as the german, though she looked like a lady. so he went sadly on, smelling of his lovely rose from time to time. the only way i can figure out how he got through them suburbs is that parties wanted to have him arrested or shot, or something, but wouldn't let him stick round long enough to get it done; they was in two minds about him, i guess: they wished to detain him, but also wished harder to have him away. so he went on uninjured, meeting murderous looks and leaving excitement in his trail; hearing men threaten him even while they run away from him. it hurt him to be shunned this way--him that had always felt so friendly toward one and all. he couldn't deny it by this time: people was shunning him on account of what doctor hong foy wanted alive and in good condition. as he worked his way into the city the excitement mounted higher. he took to the middle of the street where he could. mobs collected behind him and waved things at him and looked like they would lynch him; but they didn't come close enough for that. it seemed like he bore a charmed life in spite of this hostility. when he'd got well into the city a policeman did come up and start to arrest him, but thought better of it and went round a corner. it made him feel like a social cull or an outcast, or something. he wasn't a bit foolish about his cunning little pet by this time. and it looked as if these crowds of people that gathered behind him would finally get their nerve up to do something with him. they was getting bigger and acting more desperate. when he was on the sidewalk he swept people off into the road like magic, and when he was in the street they would edge close in to the buildings. it really hurt him. he'd always liked americans, in spite of their foreign ways, and they had seemed to like him; but now all at once they was looking on him as a yellow peril. he still kept his rose to smell of. he said it was a sweet comfort to him at a time when the whole world had turned against him for nothing at all. he made for chinatown by the quietest streets he could pick out, though even on them hardly escaping the lawless mob. but at last he got to the street where doctor hong foy's office was. it was largely a chinese street and lots of his friends lived there; but even now, when you'd think he'd get kind words and congratulations, he didn't. his best friends regarded him as one better let alone and made swift gestures of repulsion when he passed 'em. quite a crowd followed at a safe distance and gathered outside when he went into doctor hong foy's office. it was a kind of store on the ground floor, so lew wee says, with shelves full of rich old chinee medicines that had a certain powerful presence of their own. but even in here doctor hong foy should of known beyond a doubt what his friend had brought him. it seemed the doctor had to make sure. he wasn't of the same believing nature as the street-car people, and the german and others. he wanted to be shown. so they undone the sack and opened it down to where doctor hong foy could make sure. but their work was faulty and the wild animal didn't like handling after its day of mistreatment. it had been made morbid, i guess. anyway, it displayed an extremely nervous tendency, and many impetuous movements, and bit doctor hong foy in the thumb. then the first owner tried to grab him and the pet wriggled away on to a tray of dried eel gizzards, or something, and off that to the open door. the little thing run into the front of the large crowd that had waited outside and had a wonderful effect on it. them in the centre tried to melt away, but couldn't on account of them on the outside; so there was fights and accidents, and different ones tromped on, and screams of fear. and this brought a lot bigger crowd that pressed in and made the centre ones more anguished. i don't know. that poor animal had been imposed on all day and must of been overwrought. it was sore vexed by now and didn't care who knew it. lots of 'em did. of course lew wee dashed out after his property, hugging the sack to his chest; and, of course, he created just as much disturbance as his little pet had. policemen was mingling with the violence by this time and adding much to its spirit. one public-spirited citizen grabbed lew wee in spite of its being distasteful; but he kicked the poor man on the kneecap and made a way through the crowd without too much trouble. he wasn't having any vogue whatever in that neighbourhood. he run down a little side street, up an alley, and into a cellar he knew about, this cellar being the way out of the young china progressive association when they was raided up the front stairs on account of gambling at poker. he could hear the roar of the mob clear from there. it took about an hour for this to die down. people would come to see what all the excitement was about, and find out almost at once; then they'd try to get away, and run against others coming to find out, thus producing a very earnest riot. there was mounted policemen and patrol wagons and many arrests, and an armed posse hunting for the escaped pet and shooting up alleys at every little thing that moved. they never did find the pet--so one of lew wee's cousins wrote him; which made him sorry on account of doctor hong foy and the twenty-five or mebbe thirty dollars. he lay hid in this cellar till dark; then started out to find his friends and get something to eat. he darned near started everything all over again; but he dodged down another alley and managed to get some noodles and chowmain at the back door of the hong-kong grill, where a tong brother worked. he begun to realize that he was a marked man. the mark didn't show; but he was. he didn't know what the law might do to him. it looked like at least twenty years in some penal institution, if not hanging; and he didn't want either one. so he borrowed three dollars from the tong brother and started for some place where he could lead a quiet life. he managed to get to oakland, though the deck hands on the ferryboat talked about throwing him overboard. but they let him live if he would stay at the back end till everyone, including the deck hands, was safe off or behind something when the boat landed. then he wandered off into the night and found a freight train. he didn't care where he went--just somewhere they wouldn't know about his crime. he rode a while between two freight cars; then left that train and found a blind baggage on a passenger train that went faster and near froze him to death. he got off, chilled in the early morning, at some little town and bought some food in a chinee restaurant and also got warm. but he hadn't no more than got warm when he was put out of the place, right by his own people. it was warm outside by this time, so he didn't mind it so much. the town did, though. it must of been a small town, but he says thousands of men chased him out of it about as soon as he was warmed up enough to run. he couldn't understand this, because how could they know he was the one that caused all that trouble in san francisco? he got a freight train outside the town and rode on and on. he says he rode on for weeks and weeks; but that's his imagination. it must of been about three days, with spells of getting off for food and to get warmed when he was freezing, and be chased by these wild hill tribes when he had done the latter. it put a crimp into his sunny nature--all this armed pursuit of him. he says if he had been a christian, and believed in only one god, he would never of come through alive, it taking about seventy-four or five of his own gods to protect him from these maddened savages. he had a continuous nightmare of harsh words and blows. he wondered they didn't put him in jail; but it seemed like they only wanted to keep him going. of course it had to end. he got to spokane finally and sneaked round to a friend that had a laundry; and this friend must of been a noble soul. he took in the outcast and nursed him with food and drink, and repeatedly washed his clothes. wanting a ranch cook about that time, i got in touch with him through another cousin, who said this man wanted very much to go out into a safe country, and would never leave it because of unpleasantness in getting here. it was ten days after he got there that i saw him first, and i'll be darned if he was any human sachet, even then. but after hearing his story i knew that time would once more make him fit for human association. he told me his story with much feeling this time and he told it to me about once a week for three months after he got here--pieces of it at a time. it used to cheer me a lot. he was always remembering something new. he said he liked the great silence and peace of this spot. you couldn't tell him to this day that his belief about the savage hill tribes ain't sound. he believes anything "can happen" in that country down there. doctor hong foy never paid him the twenty-five, of course, though admitting that he would of done so if the animal had not escaped, because he was in such good condition, for a skunk, that he was worth twenty-five dollars of any doctor's money. i don't know. as i say, they're friendly little critters; but it's more money that i would actually pay for one. through two closed doors the whine of the fiddle still penetrated. perhaps lew wee's recent loss had moved him to play later than was his custom, pondering upon the curious whims that stir the gods when they start to make things happen. but he was still no cynic. over and over he played the little air which means: "life comes like a bird-song through the open windows of the heart." ix the taker-up on a tired evening, in front of the arrowhead's open fire, i lived over for the hundredth time a great moment. from the big pool under the falls four miles up the creek i had landed the big trout. others had failed in years past; i, too, had failed more than once. but to-day! at the hour of : a.m., to be exact, as one should in these matters, i had cast three times above the known lair of this fish. then i cast a fourth time, more from habit than hope; and the fight was on. i put it here with the grim brevity of a communique. despite stout resistance, the objective was gained at : a.m. and the big trout would weigh a good two and one half--say three or three and one quarter--pounds. these are the bare facts. verily it was a moment to live over; and to myself now i was more discursive. i vanquished the giant trout again and again, altering details of the contest at will--as when i waded into icy water to the waist in a last moment of panic. my calm review disclosed that this had been fanciful overcaution; but at the great crisis and for three minutes afterward i had gloried in the wetting. now again i three times idly flicked that corner of the pool with a synthetic moth. again for the fourth time i cast, more from habit than hope. then ensued that terrific rush from the pool's lucent depths-- "yes, sir; you wouldn't need no two guesses for what she'd wear at a grand costume ball of the allied nations--not if you knew her like i do." this was ma pettengill, who had stripped a sunday paper from the great city to its society page. she lifted this under the lamp and made strange but eloquent noises of derision: "you take genevieve may now, of a morning, before that strong-arm japanese maid has got her face rubbed down and calked with paints, oils, and putty, and you'd say to her, as a friend and well-wisher: 'now look here, old girl, you might get by at that costume ball as stricken serbia or ravaged belgium, but you better take a well-meant hint and everlastingly do not try to get over as la belle france. true, france has had a lot of things done to her,' you'd say, 'and she may show a blemish here and there; but still, don't try it unless you wish to start something with a now friendly ally--even if it is in your own house. that nation is already pushed to a desperate point, and any little thing might prove too much--even if you are mrs. genevieve may popper and have took up the war in a hearty girlish manner.' yes, sir!" this, to be sure, was outrageous--that i should hear myself addressing a strange lady in terms so gross. besides, i wished again to be present at the death of my favourite trout. i affected not to have heard. i affected to be thinking deeply. it worked, measurably. once more i scanned the pool's gleaming surface and felt the cold pricking of spray from the white water that tumbled from a cleft in the rocks above. once more i wondered if this, by chance, might prove a sad but glorious day for a long-elusive trout. once more i looked to the fly. once more i-- "what i never been able to figger out--how can a dame like that fool herself beyond a certain age? seams in her face! and not a soul but would know she got her hair like the united states acquired louisiana. that lady's power of belief is enormous. and i bet she couldn't put two and two together without making a total wreck of the problem. like fair time a year ago, when she was down to red gap taking up the war. she comes along fourth street in her uniform one morning, fresh from the hands of this hired accomplice of hers, and meets cousin egbert floud and me where we'd stopped to talk a minute. she is bubbling with war activity as usual, but stopped and bubbled at us a bit--kind of hale and girlish, you might say. we passed the time of day; and, being that i'm a first-class society liar, i say how young and fresh she looks; and she gets the ball and bats it right back to cousin egbert. "'you'd never dream,' says she, 'what my funny little mite of a japanese maid calls me! you'd really never guess! she calls me madam peach blossom! isn't that perfectly absurd, mr. floud?' "and poor cousin egbert, instead of giggling in a hearty manner and saying 'oh, come now, mrs. popper! what's in the least absurd about that?'--like he was meant to and like any gentleman would of--what does the poor silly do but blink at her a couple of times like an old barn owl that's been startled and say 'yes, ma'am!'--flat and cold, just like that! "it almost made an awkward pause; but the lady pretended she had been saying something to me, so she couldn't hear him. that cousin egbert! he certainly wouldn't ever get very high in the diplomatic service of anybody's country. "and here's this grand ball of the allied nations in costume, give in genevieve may's palatial residence. it must of throwed a new panic into berlin when they got the news off the wire. matter of fact, i don't see how them germans held out long as they did, with genevieve may popper putting crimps into 'em with her tireless war activities. that proves itself they'd been long preparing for the fray. of course, with genevieve may and this here new city marshal, fotch, the french got, it was only a question of time. genevieve is sure one born taker-up! now she's made a complete circle of the useful arts and got round to dancing again. yes, sir!" i affected to believe i was solitary in the room. this time it did not work--even measurably. almost at once came: "i said she was the darndest woman in the world to take things up!" the tone compelled notice, so i said "indeed!" and "you don't say!" with a cautiously extended space between them, and tried to go on thinking. then i knew the woman's full habit of speech was strong upon her and that one might no longer muse upon a caught trout--even one to weigh well up toward four pounds. so i remembered that i was supposed to be a gentleman. "go right ahead and talk," i murmured. "sure!" said the lady, not murmuring. "what in time did you think i was going to do?" yes, sir; i bet she's the greatest taker-up--bar none--the war has yet produced. she's took up france the latest. i understand they got a society of real workers somewhere that's trying to house and feed and give medicine and crutches to them poor unfortunates that got in the way of the dear old fatherland when it took the lid off its culture and tried to make the world safe--even for germans; but i guess this here society gets things over to devastated france without much music or flourishes or uniforms that would interest genevieve may. but if that country is to be saved by costume balls of the allied nations, with genevieve may being la belle france in a dress hardly long enough to show three colours, then it needn't have another uneasy moment. genevieve stands ready to do all if she can wear a costume and dance the steps it cost her eight dollars a lesson to learn from one of these slim professionals that looks like a rich college boy. it was this reckless dancing she'd took up when i first knew her, though she probably goes back far enough to of took up roller skating when that was sprung on an eager world; and i know she got herself talked about in for wearing bloomers on a bicycle. but we wasn't really acquainted till folks begun to act too familiar in public, and call it dancing, and pay eight dollars a lesson to learn something any of 'em that was healthy would of known by instinct at a proper time and place. having lots of money, genevieve may travelled round to the big towns, learning new steps and always taking with her one of these eight-dollar boys, with his hair done like a seal, to make sure she'd learn every step she saw. she was systematic, that woman. if she was in seattle and heard about a new step in san francisco, she'd be on the train with her instructor in one hour and come back with the new step down pat. she scandalized red gap the year she come to visit her married daughter, lucille stultz, by introducing many of these new grips and clinches; but of course that soon wore off. seems like we get used to anything in this world after it's done by well-dressed people a few times. then, as i say, these kind-hearted, music-loving germans, with their strong affection for home life and little ones, started in to shoot the rest of the world up to german standards, and they hadn't burned more than a dozen towns in belgium, after shooting the oldest and youngest and sexecuting the women--i suppose sexecution is what you might call it--before genevieve took up the war herself. yes, sir--took it right up; no sooner said than done with her. it was really all over right then. the germans might just as well of begun four years ago to talk about the anarchistic blood-lust of woodrow wilson as to wait until they found out the almighty knows other languages besides german. i believe the red cross was the first handle by which genevieve may took up the war. but that costume is too cheap for one that feels she's a born social leader if she could only get someone to follow. she found that young chits of no real social standing, but with a pleasing exterior, could get into a red cross uniform costing about two-eighty-five and sell objects of luxury at a bazaar twice as fast as a mature woman of sterling character in the same simple garb. so genevieve may saw it had got to be something costing more money and beyond the reach of an element you wouldn't care to entertain in your own drawing room. and next thing i was up to spokane, and here she is, dashing round the corridors of the hotel in a uniform that never cost a penny under two hundred and fifty, what with its being made by a swell tailor and having shiny boots with silver spurs and a natty tucked cap and a shiny belt that went round the waist and also up over one shoulder, with metal trimming, and so on. she was awful busy, darting hither and yon at the lunch hour, looking prettily worried and like she would wish to avoid being so conspicuous, but was foiled by the stares of the crowd. something always seemed to be happening to make her stand out; like in the restaurant, where, no sooner did she pick out just the right table, after some hesitation, and get nicely seated, than she'd see someone across the room at a far table and have to run over and speak. she spoke to parties at five distant tables that day, getting a scratchy lunch, i should say. one of the tables was mine. we wasn't what you'd call close friends, but she cut a swath clean across a crowded dining room to tell me how well i was looking. of course i fell for the uniform and wanted to know what it meant. well, it meant that she was organizing a corps of girl ambulance drivers from the city's beet families. she was a major herself already, and was being saluted by he-officers. she said it was a wonderful work, and how did i think she looked in this, because it was a time calling for everyone's best, and what had i taken up for my bit? i was only raising beef cattle, so i didn't have any answer to that. i felt quite shamed. and genevieve went back to her own table for another bite of food, bowing tolerantly to most of the people in the room. i don't know how far she ever got with this girl's ambulance corps beyond her own uniform. she certainly made an imposing ambulance driver herself on the streets of that town. you'd see her big, shiny, light-blue limousine drive up, with two men on the seat and genevieve, in uniform, would be helped out by one of 'em, and you knew right off you'd love to be a wounded soldier and be drove over shell-torn roads by her own hands. anyway, she got mad and left the ambulance service flat, getting into some sort of brawl with an adjutant general or something through wanting to take a mere detail out of his hands that he felt should stay right where it was, he being one of these offensive martinets and a stickler for red tape, and swollen with petty power. so genevieve may said. so she looked round for another way to start a few home fires burning on the other side of the rhine. i forget what her next strategy was, but you know it was something cute and busy in a well-fitting uniform, and calculated to shorten the conflict if germany found it out. you know that much. i remember at one time she was riding in parades when the boys would march down to the station to go off and settle things in their own crude way. i lost track of what she was taking up for a while, but i know she kept on getting new uniforms till she must of had quite a time every morning deciding what she was going to be that day, like the father of the german crown prince. finally, last spring, it got to be the simple uniform of a waitress. she had figgered out that all the girls then taking the places of men waiters would get called for nurses sooner or later; so why shouldn't prominent society matrons like herself learn how to wait on table, so as to take the girl waiters' places when they went across? not exactly that; they wouldn't keep on lugging trays forever in this emergency--only till they could teach new girls the trade, when some new ones come along to take the places of them that had met the call of duty. so genievieve agitated and wrote letters from the heart out to about two dozen society buds; and then she terrified the owner of the biggest hotel in her home town till he agreed to let 'em come and wait on table every day at lunch. genevieve may's uniform of a poor working girl was a simple black dress, with white apron, cuffs, and cap, the whole, as was right, not costing over six or seven dollars, though her string of matched pearls that cost two hundred thousand sort of raised the average. the other society buds was arrayed similar and looked like so many waitresses. not in a hotel, mebbe, but in one of these musical shows where no money has been spared. the lady had a glorious two days ordering these girls round as head waiter and seeing that everybody got a good square look at her, and so on. but the other girls got tired the second day. it was jolly and all tips went to the red cross, and the tips was big; but it was just as hard work as if they had really been poor working girls, with not enough recreation about it. so the third day they rebelled at the head waiter and made genevieve herself jump in and carry out trays full of dishes that had served their purpose. this annoyed genevieve may very much. it not only upset discipline but made the arms and back ache. so she now went into the kitchen to show the cook how to cook in a more saving manner. her intentions were beautiful; but the head cook was a sensitive foreigner, and fifteen minutes after she went into his kitchen he had to be arrested for threatening to harm the well-known society matron with a common meat saw. the new one they got in his place next day let her mess round all she wanted to, knowing his job depended on it, though it was told that he got a heartless devil-may-care look in his eyes the minute he saw her making a cheap fish sauce. but he said nothing. that hotel does a big business, but it fell off surprising the day after this, twenty-three people having been took bad with poison from something they'd et there at lunch. true, none of these got as fur as the coroner, so it never was known exactly what they'd took in; but the thing made a lot of talk at stricken bedsides and genevieve spent a dull day denying that her cooking had done this outrage. then, her dignity being much hurt, she wrote a letter to the papers saying this hotel man was giving his guests cheap canned goods that had done the trick. next morning this brought the hotel man and one of the best lawyers in the state of washington up to the palatial popper residence, making threats after they got in that no lady taking up war activities should be obliged to listen to. she got rattled, i guess, or had been dreaming or something. she told the hotel man and lawyer to ssh! ssh!--because that new cook had put ground glass in the lemon pie and she had a right to lull his suspicions with this letter to the papers, because she was connected with the secret service department. she would now go back to the hotel and detect this spy committing sabotage on the mashed potatoes, or something, and arrest him--just like that! i don't know whatever put the idea into her head. i believe she had tried to join the secret service department till she found they didn't have uniforms. anyway, this hotel man, like the cowardly dog he was, went straight off to some low sneak in the district attorney's office; and he went like a snake in the grass and found out it wasn't so; and a real officer come down on genevieve may to know what she meant by impersonating a secret service agent. this brutal thug talked in a cold but rough way, and i know perfectly well this minute that he wasn't among those invited to the popper costume ball of the allied nations. he threw a fine scare into genevieve may. for about a week she didn't know but she'd be railroaded to walla walla. she wore mere civilian creations and acted like a slacker. but finally she saw the government was going to live and let live; so she took up something new. it was still on to berlin! with genevieve may. she wasn't quite up to pulling anything new in her home town; so she went into the outlying districts to teach her grandmother something. i didn't think up the term for it. that was thought up by g.h. stultz who is her son-in-law and president of the red gap canning factory. this here new war activity she'd took up consisted of going rough to different places and teaching housewives how to practice economy in putting up preserves, and so on. it ain't on record that she ever taught one single woman anything about economy, their hard-won knowledge beginning about where hers left off--which wasn't fur from where it started; but she did bring a lot of wholesome pleasure into their simple, hard-working lives. in this new war activity it wasn't so much how you canned a thing as what you canned. genevieve may showed 'em how to make mincemeat out of tomatoes and beets; how to make marmalade out of turnips and orange peel; how to make preserves out of apple peelings and carrots; and guava jelly out of mushmelon rinds, or some such thing. she'd go into towns and rent a storeroom and put up her canning outfit, hiring a couple of the lower classes to do the actual work, and invite women to bring in their truck of this kind and learn regular old rock-bottom economy. they'd come, with their stuff that should of been fattening shotes, and genevieve may would lecture on how to can it. it looked through the glass like sure-enough human food. then, after she'd got 'em all taught, she'd say wouldn't it be nice of these ladies to let her sell all this canned stuff and give the proceeds to the different war charities! and there wasn't a woman that didn't consent readily, having tasted it in the cooking. not a one of 'em wanted to take home these delicacies. it was right noble or cautious, or something. and after visiting six or eight of these communities genevieve may had quite a stock of these magic delicacies on sale in different stores and was looking forward to putting the war firmly on its feet--only she couldn't get many reports of sales from this stock. then she got a dandy idea. she would come to the kulanche county fair at red gap, assemble all her stock there, give one of these here demonstrations in economic canning, and auction off the whole lot with a glad hurrah. she thought mebbe, with her influence, she might get secretary baker, or someone like that, to come out and do the auctioning--all under the auspices of mrs. genevieve may popper, whose tireless efforts had done so much to teach the dear old fatherland its lesson, and so on. she now had about three hundred jars and bottles of this stuff after her summer's work, and it looked important. i got down to the county fair myself last year, having some sure-fire blue-ribbon stock there, and it was then that i hear g.h. stultz talking about this here mother-in-law of his, he taking me aside at their home one night, so his wife, lucille, wouldn't hear. "this respected lady is trying to teach her grandmother how to suck eggs--no more, no less," he says. "now she's coming here to pull something off. you watch her--that's all i ask. everything that woman touches goes funny. look how she poisoned those innocent people up at that hotel. and i'll bet this canned stuff she's going to sell off will kill even mere tasters. if she only hadn't come to my town! that woman don't seem to realize that i'm cursed with a german name and have to be miles above suspicion. "suppose she sells off this stuff! i give you my word she puts things in it that even a professional canning factory wouldn't dare to. and suppose it poisons off a lot of our best patriots! do you think a mob will be very long blaming me for a hand in it? why, it'll have me, in no time at all, reaching my feet down for something solid that has been carefully removed." i tried to cheer the man up, but he was scared stiff. "mark my words," he says. "she'll pull a bloomer! if that woman could go into an innocent hotel kitchen, where every care is taken to keep things right, and poison off twenty-three people till they picked at the covers and had relatives wondering what might be in their safe-deposit boxes, think what she'd do in the great unsanitary outside, where she can use her imagination! "there's but one salvation for me; i must have trusted agents in the crowd when that stuff is auctioned off, and they got to collar every last bottle of it, no matter what the cost. i have to lay down like a pup on the next bond drive, but this is my only hope. for the lord's sake, don't you go there and start bidding things up, no matter who she gets for auctioneer! don't you bid--even if woodrow wilson himself comes out." that's the impression genevieve may had made on her own daughter's husband, who is a clear-seeing man and a good citizen. and it looked like he must secretly buy up her output. she not only come to town with her canning outfit and her summer's stock of strange preserves, all beauteous in their jars, but she brought with her to auction off this stuff a regular french flying man with an honourable record. she'd met this french officer in the city and entertained him at the palatial popper home; and mebbe she'd hypnotized him. he wasn't in good shape, anyway. first place, he'd been fighting in the air for three years and had been wounded in five places--including the balkans. then, like that wasn't enough for one man, he'd been sent over here to teach our men to fly when they got a machine; and over here he'd fell out of a cloud one day when his brake or something went wrong, and this had give him a nice pleasant vacation on crutches. genevieve had fastened on him at a time when he probably hadn't the steely resistance frenchmen been showing on the west front. or, being in a strange country, mebbe he didn't know when politeness to genevieve may popper would become mere cowardice. anyway, he could talk english well enough; and genevieve may brought him to town and made a big hit. first thing she done was to set up her stock of canned goods in a section they give her in horticultural hall. them three hundred bottles took up a lot of room and showed up grand between the fancy-work section, consisting of embroideries, sofa cushions, and silk patch quilts, and the art section, consisting of hand paintings of interesting objects by bright pupils in the public school. then she put in her canning outfit, with a couple of hired natives to do the work while she lectured on the science of it and tried to get weak-minded patriots to taste things. genevieve may had a good time at these demonstrations, speaking in tones of oratory and persuasion and encouraging the tasters to take a chance. she certainly had discovered some entirely new flavours that the best chemists hadn't stumbled on. she was proud of this, but a heap prouder of her french flying man. when she wasn't thinking up new infamies with rutabagas and watermelon rinds, she'd be showing him off to the fair crowds. she give the impression when she paraded him that the french army would of had few flyers if she hadn't stepped into the breach. and mebbe she wasn't desperate with fear that some of the red gap society buds and matrons would want to stick in with nursing and attentions for the interesting invalid! nothing like that with genevieve may! she kept closer guard on that man than he would of got in the worst german prison camp. about the only other person in town she'd trust him to was cousin egbert floud. cousin egbert liked the frenchman a lot at first, and rode him round town to see the canning factory and the new waterworks and the chamber of commerce, and price's addition to red gap, and so on. also, he'd drag him all over the fair grounds to look at prize bulls and windmills and patent silos. cousin egbert had refused from the first to taste any of genevieve may's deviltry with the vegetable kingdom. he swore he was on a diet and the doctor wouldn't answer for his life if he even tasted anything outside. he was telling me that last day of the fair that the woman ought to be arrested for carrying on so, genevieve may being now busy with some highly artificial ketchup made of carrots, and something else unimportant, with pure vegetable dyes. "yes; and she just tried to hand me that same old stuff about what her japanese maid calls her," he says to me at this time. "she says i could never guess what that funny little mite calls her. and i says no, i never could of guessed it if she hadn't already told me; but i says i know it is madam peach blossom, and that jap maid sure is one funny little mite, thinking up a thing like that, the japanese being a serious race and not given to saying laughable things." that's cousin egbert all over. he ain't a bit like one of them courters of the old french courts that you read about in the famous crimes of history. "madam peach blossom!" he says, snickering bitterly. "say, ain't them japs got a great sense of humour! i bet what she meant was madam lemon blossom!" anyway, genevieve may trusted her flying man to this here brutal cynic when she wouldn't of trusted him to any of the younger, dancing set. and cousin egbert pretty near made him late for his great engagement to auction off the strange preserves. it was on this third day of the fair, and genevieve may was highly excited about it. she had her stock set up in tiers against the wall and looking right imposing in the polished glass; and she had a box in front where the frenchman would stand when he did the auctioning. that hall was hot, let me tell you, with the high sun beating down on the thin boards. i looked in a minute before the crowd come, and it looked like them preserves had sure had a second cooking, standing there day after day. and this cousin egbert, when he should of been leading the frenchman back to horticultural hall to the auction block, was dragging him elsewhere to see a highly exciting sight. so he said. he was innocent enough. he wanted to give that frenchman a good time, he told me afterward. so he tells him something is going to take place over at the race track that will thrill him to the bone, and come on quick and hurry over! the frenchman is still using one crutch and the crowd is already surging in that direction; but after finding out it ain't any more silos or windmills, he relies on cousin egbert that it really is exciting, and they manage to get through the crowd, though it was excited even now and stepped on him and pushed him a lot. still he was game, all right. i've always said that. he was about as excited as the crowd; and cousin egbert was, too, i guess, by the time they had pushed up to the railing. i guess he was wondering what wild western kind of deviltry he was going to see now. cousin egbert had told him it wasn't a horse race; but he wouldn't tell him what it was, wishing to keep it for a glad surprise when the frenchman would see it with his own eyes. "just you wait one minute now!" says cousin egbert. "you wait one minute and i bet you'll be glad you got through that rough crowd with me. you'd go through ten crowds like that, crutch or no crutch, to see what's going to be here." the poor man was kind of used up, but he stands there waiting for the thrill, with cousin egbert beaming on him fondly, like a father that's going in one minute to show the little tots what santa claus brought 'em on the tree. then the frenchman hears a familiar roar and a airplane starts up from the lower end of the field inside the track. "there!" says cousin egbert. "now i guess you're glad you pushed in here, leg or no leg. i knew it would be a dandy surprise for you. yes, sir; the committee got a regular airplane to give a thrilling flight right here in front of us. you look up in the sky there and pretty soon you'll see it just as plain, sailing round and round like some great bird; and they say this man flying it is going to loop the loop twice in succession. now i bet you're glad you come!" cousin egbert says right at this minute he begun to take a dislike to the frenchman. after he'd took all that trouble to get him there to see something exciting, the frenchman just looked at him kind of sad for a long time, and then says he believes he'd rather go back some place where he can set down and rest his leg. cousin egbert says he turned out to be like the frenchmen you read about that is blasé about everything in the world and kind of tired of life, not having the least bit of interest in whatever happens. but, of course, he was polite to his guest and helped push a way back through the crowd, with the crowd more excited than ever by this time, because the flying machine was right up in the air, hundreds of feet off the ground. "you'll think i'm a liar," he says to me; "but it's the god's truth this frenchman just kept pushing through that crowd and didn't even turn to look up in the air when this man was actually risking his life by looping the loop twice in succession. he never turned his head the least bit." cousin egbert says, here he'd been up in one himself and knew what flying meant, but he probably wouldn't of took the least notice if this dare-devil had been killed right there before thousands. "i don't understand it," he says. "it sure wouldn't be the least use boosting for a brighter and busier red gap if everybody was as cold-blooded as the french." he was right grouchy about the french after this. anyway, he got his suffering man back to horticultural hall somewhat the worse for being stepped on by the crowd; in fact, the frenchman is kind of all in when he gets to the auction block. he sets right down on it looking white, and genevieve may gets him a glass of water to revive him. pretty soon he says he's nearly as well as ever, but that wasn't much. now the patriots for the auction begun to throng in and genevieve may is once more proud and fluttering. she glances fondly at her noble array of jars, with these illegitimate preserves shining richly through, and she gets the frenchman on his feet and onto the box; and the crowd cheers like mad and presses close. i was standing close to g.h. stultz, and he whispers to me: "my lord! if there was only some means of getting that stock into the german commissary! but i'm told they analyze everything. anyway, i got my bidders planted and i'll have to buy up the stock if it breaks me." then the frenchman begun to talk in a very nice way. he said a few words about his country--how they had been fighting all these years, not knowing whether they could win or not, but meaning to fight till there wasn't any fighters left; and how grateful france was for the timely aid of this great country and for the efforts of beautiful ladies like madam popper, and so on. you bet no one laughed, even if he didn't talk such very good english. they didn't even laugh when he said beautiful ladies like madam popper, though cousin egbert, somewhere off in the crowd, made an undignified sound which he pretended was coughing. the frenchman then said he would now ask for bids for these beautiful table delicacies, which were not only of rich food value but were more priceless than gold and jewels because of having been imprisoned in the crystal glass by the fair hands of the beautiful madam popper; and what was he offered for six bottles of this unspeakable jelly? of course g.h. stultz would of had 'em in no time if the panic hadn't saved him. yes, sir; right then something terrible and unforeseen happened to cause a frightful panic. about five of them jars of preserves blew up with loud reports. of course everyone's first thought was that a german plot was on to lay horticultural hall in ruins with dynamite. it sounded such. no one thought it was merely these strange preserves that had been working overtime in that furnace. women screamed and strong men made a dash for the door over prostrate bodies. and then a lot more explosions took place. the firing became general, as the reports say. bottle after bottle shot its dread contents into the fray, and many feeble persons was tromped on by the mob. it wasn't any joke for a minute. the big jars, mostly loaded with preserves, went off with heavy reports; then there was these smaller bottles, filled with artificial ketchup and corked. they went off like a battery of light field guns, putting down a fierce barrage of ketchup on one and all. it was a good demonstration of the real thing, all right. i ain't never needed any one since that to tell me what war is. the crowd was two thirds out before any one realized just what kind of frightfulness was going on. then, amid shot and shell that would still fly from time to time, the bravest, that hadn't been able to fight their way out, stood by and picked up the wounded under fire and helped brush their clothes off. the groans of the sufferers mingled with the hiss of escaping ketchup. genevieve may was in hysterics from the minute the first high-powered gun was fired. she kept screaming for everyone to keep cool. and at last, when they got some kind of order, she went into a perfectly new fit because her frenchman was missing. she kept it up till they found the poor man. he was found, without his crutch, at the far end of the hall, though no one has ever yet figgered how he could get there through the frenzied mob. he was on a chair, weak and trembling, behind a fancy quilt made by grandma watkins, containing over ten thousand pieces of silk. he was greenish yellow in colour and his heart had gone wrong. that'll show you this bombardment wasn't any joke. the poor man had been exhausted by cousin egbert's well-meant efforts to show him something exciting, and he was now suffering from sure-enough shell shock, which he'd had before in more official circumstances. he was a brave man; he'd fought like a tiger in the trenches, and had later been shot down out of the air four times, and was covered with wounds and medals and crosses; but this here enfilade at the fair hands of the beautiful madam popper, coming in his weak state, had darn near devastated what few nerves the war had left him. it was a sad moment. genevieve may was again exploding, like her own handiwork, which wasn't through itself yet by any means, because a solitary shot would come now and then, like the main enemy had retreated but was leaving rear guards and snipers. also, people that had had exhibits in the art section and the fancy-work section was now setting up yells of rage over their treasures that had been desecrated by the far-flung ketchup. but tender hands was leading the stricken frenchman back of the lines to a dressing station, and all was pretty near calm again, except for g.h. stultz, who was swearing--or words to that effect. it really took a good hour to restore perfect calm and figure up the losses. they was severe. of course i don't mean to say the whole three hundred bottles of this ammunition dump had exploded. some had been put up only a short while and hadn't had time to go morbid; and even some of the old stuff had remained staunch. the mincemeat shrapnel had proved fairly destructive, but the turnip marmalade didn't seem to of developed much internal energy. all of them jars of marmalade proved to be what they call "duds." but you bet enough had gone up to make a good battle sketch. the ketchup, especial, was venomous. i met g.h. stultz as i left the trenches. he'd been caught in a machine-gun nest of ketchup and had only wiped about half of it off his face. he looked like a contagious disease. "say, look here," he says; "you can't tell me there isn't a providence ever watching over this world to give some of us just what's coming to us!" that was very silly, because i'd never told him anything of the sort. then i go out into no man's land and meet cousin egbert by a lemonade stand. he was one radiant being. he asked me to have a glass of the beverage, and i done so; and while i was sipping it he says brightly: "wasn't that some gorgeous display of fireworks? and wasn't it fine to stand there and watch them bottles laugh their heads off at this food profiteer?" i said he ought to be right sorry for her--after all the work she'd done. "not me!" he says firmly. "she never done any work in her life except to boost her own social celebrity." then he took another gulp of his lemonade and says, very bitter: "madam peach blossom! i wonder what that funny little mite of hers will say when she sees her to-night? something laughable, i bet--like it would be 'madam onion blossom!'--or something comical, just to give her a good laugh after her hard day." such is cousin egbert, and ever will be. and genevieve may, having took up things all round the circle, is now back to the dance. x as to herman wagner it had been a toilsome day for ma pettengill and me. since sunup we had ridden more than a score of mountain miles on horses that could seldom exceed a crawl in pace. at dawn we had left the flatlands along the little timbered river, climbed to the lava beds of the first mesa, traversed a sad stretch of these where even the sage grew scant, and come, by way of a winding defile that was soon a mounting cañon, into big hills unending. here for many hours we had laboured over furtive, tortuous trails, aimless and lost, it might have seemed, but that ever and again we came upon small bands of cattle moving one way. these showed that we had a mission and knew, after all, what we were about. these cattle were knowingly bent toward the valley and home. they went with much of a businesslike air, stopping only at intervals to snatch at the sparse short grass that grows about the roots of the sagebrush. they had come a long journey from their grazing places, starting when the range went bad and water holes dried, and now seemed glad indeed to give up the wild free life of a short summer and become tended creatures again, where strangely thoughtful humans would lavish cut grass upon them for certain obscure but doubtless benevolent purposes of their own. it was our mission this day to have a look-see, mebbe as far as horsefly mountain, and get a general idee of how many head was already coming down to eat up the so-and-so shortest hay crop that had ever been stacked on the arrowhead since the dry winter of ' , when beef fell to two cents a pound, with darned few takers at that. it was really a day of scenic delight, if one hadn't to reflect sorely upon the exigencies of the beef-cattle profession, and at least one of us was free of this thrall. what we reached at last were small mountains rather than big hills; vast exclamatory remnants of shattered granite and limestone, thickly timbered, reckless of line, sharp of peak. one minute cañon we viewed from above was quite preposterous in its ambitions, having colour and depth and riot of line in due proportions and quite worthy of the grand scale. it wasn't a grand cañon, but at least it was a baby grand, and i loitered on its brink until reminded sharply that i'd better pour leather into that there skate if i wanted to make home that night. i devoutly did wish to make home that night, for the spot we were on was barren of those little conveniences i am accustomed to. moreover, the air was keen and a hunger, all day in the building, called for strong meats. so i not too reluctantly passed on from this scenic miniature of parlour dimensions--and from the study of a curious boulder thereby which had intrigued me not a little. now we were home and relaxed by the arrowhead fireside, after a moving repast of baked young sage hens. the already superior dynamics of the meal, moreover, had been appreciably heightened by a bottle of uncle henry's homemade grape wine, which he warmly recommends for colds or parties, or anything like that. it had proved to be a wine of almost a too-recent _crû_. ma pettengill said that if uncle henry was aiming to put it on the market in quantity production he had ought to name it the stingaree brand, because it was sure some stuff, making for malevolence even to the lengths of matricide, if that's what killing your mother is called. she said, even at a polish wedding down across the tracks of a big city, it would have the ambulances and patrol wagons clanging up a good half hour quicker than usual. be that as it may, or is, when i had expected sleep to steal swiftly to the mending of the day's ravages i merely found myself wakeful and wondering. this stuff of uncle henry's is an able ferment. i wondered about a lot of things. and at the same time i wondered interminably about that remarkable boulder at the side of the tom thumb grand cañon. i was even wakeful enough and discursive enough--my hostess had taken but one glass from the bottle--to wonder delightedly about all rocks and stones, and geology, and that sort of thing. it was almost scientific, the way i wondered, as i sat there idly toying with my half-filled glass. take this particular boulder, for example. it had once been mere star dust, hadn't it? some time ago, i mean, or thereabouts. but it had been star dust; and then, next thing it knew, it got to be a kind of cosmic stew, such as leisurely foreigners patch out highways with, and looking no more like a granite boulder than anything. then something happened, like someone letting the furnace fire go out the night of the big freeze; and this stuff i'm talking about grew cold and discouraged, and quit flat, apparently not caring a hoot what shape it would be found in years and years later, the result being that it was found merely in the general shape of rocks or boulders--to use the more scientific term--which is practically no shape at all, as you might say, being quite any shape that happens, or the shape of rocks and boulders as they may be seen on almost every hand by those of us who have learned to see in the true sense of the word. i have had to be brief in this shorter science course on the earth's history before the time of man, because more important matters claim my attention and other speakers are waiting. the point is that this boulder up there by the dwarf cañon had survived from unremembered chaos; had been melted, stewed, baked, and chilled until it had no mind of its own left; then bumped round by careless glaciers until it didn't care where it came to rest; and at last, after a few hundred million years of stony unconcern for its ultimate fate, here it had been drawn by the cunning hand of man sprang into the complex mechanism of our industrial human scramble. that is to say, this boulder i speak of, the size of a city hall, lying there in noble neglect since long before wise old water animals were warning their children that this here fool talk about how you could go up out of the water and walk round on dry land would get folks into trouble, because how could a body breathe up there when there wasn't any water to breathe in? and the fools that tried it would soon find out; and serve 'em right! well, i mean to say, this boulder that had lain inert and indifferent while the ages wrought man from a thing of one cell--and not much of a cell at that--bore across that face of it nearest the winding trail, a lettered appeal, as from one man to another. the letters were large and neatly done in white paint and the brushwork was recent. and the letters said, with a good deal of pathos, it seemed to me: wagner's sylvan glen, only thirty-two miles. herman wagner, sole prop. let this teach us, one and all, this morning, that everything in nature has its use if we but search diligently. i mean, even big rocks like this, which are too big to build homes or even courthouses of. may we not, at least, paint things on them in plain letters with periods and commas, and so on, and so give added impetus to whatever is happening to us? but the evening wears on and the whipping mental urge of grape juice meddled with by uncle henry wears off. and so, before it all ends, what about herman wagner, sole prop. of wagner's sylvan glen? i know it has been a hard day, but let us try to get the thing in order. why not begin cautiously with a series of whys? why any particular sylvan glen in a country where everything is continuously and overwhelmingly sylvan and you can't heave a rock without hitting a glen? really, you can't walk fifty yards out there without stepping on a glen--or in a glen; it doesn't matter. what i am earnestly trying to get at is, if this herman wagner wanted to be sole prop. of a sylvan glen, why should he have gone thirty-two miles farther for one? why didn't he have it right there? why insanely push thirty-two miles on in a country where miles mean something serious? up-and-down miles, tilted horribly or standing on edge! it didn't seem astute. and herman achieved simply no persuasion whatever with me by stocking in that "only." he could have put only all over the rock and it would still have been thirty-two miles, wouldn't it? only indeed! you might think the man was saying "only ten minutes' walk from the post office"--or something with a real meaning like that. i claimed then and i claim now that he should have omitted the only and come out blunt with the truth. there are times in this world when the straight and bitter truth is better without any word-lace. this wagner person was a sophist. so i said to him, now, as a man will at times: "all right, herman, old top! but you'll have to think up something better than only to put before those thirty-two miles. if you had said 'only two miles' it might have had its message for me. but thirty more than that! be reasonable! why not pick out a good glen that parties can slip off to for a quiet evening without breaking up a whole week? frankly, i don't understand you and your glen. but you can bet i'll find out about it!" so, right away, i said to ma pettengill, who by this time had a lot of bills and papers and ledgers and stuff out on her desk, and was talking hotly to all of them--i said to her that there was nearly half a bottle of uncle henry's wine left, his rare old grape wine laid down well over a month ago; so she had better toss off a foamy beaker of it--yes, it still foamed--and answer me a few questions. it was then she said the things about that there wine being able to inflate the casualty lists, even of polish weddings, which are already the highest known to the society page of our police-court records. she said, further, that she had took just enough of the stuff at dinner to make her think she wasn't entirely bankrupt, and she wanted to give these here accounts a thorough going-over while the sensation lasted. not wishing to hurt uncle henry's feelings, even if he didn't catch me at it, i partook again of the fervent stuff, and fell into new wonder at the seeming imbecility of herman wagner. i found myself not a little moved by the pathos of him. it was little enough i could get from ma pettengill at first. she spoke almost shortly to me when i asked her things she had to stop adding silly figures to answer. what i found out was mostly my own work, putting two and two in their fit relationship. even the mention of herman wagner's full name brought nothing about himself. i found it most annoying. i would say: "come on, now; what about this herman wagner that paints wheedling messages across the face of nature?" and to this fair, plain query i would merely have more of the woman's endless help troubles. all that come looking for work these days was stormy petrels, not caring if they worked or not--just asking for it out of habit. didn't she have a singing teacher, a painless dentist, a crayon-portrait artist and a condemned murderer on her payroll this very minute, all because the able-bodied punchers had gone over to see that nasty little belgium didn't ever again attack germany in that ruthless way? she had read that it cost between thirty and thirty-five thousand dollars to wound a soldier in battle. was that so? well, she'd tell me that she stood ready to wound any of these that was left behind for between thirty and thirty-five cents, on easy payments. wound 'em severely, too! not mere scratches. presently again i would utter herman wagner, only to be told that these dry cows she was letting go for sixty dollars--you come to cut 'em up for beef and you'd have to grease the saw first. or i heard what a scandal it was that lambs actually brought five-fifty, and the government at washington, d.c., setting back idly under the outrage! then i heard, with perfect irrelevance to herman wagner, that she wouldn't have a puncher on the place that owned his own horse. because why? because he'd use him gentle all day and steal grain for him at night. also, that she had some kind of rheumatiz in her left shoulder; but she'd rather be a christian scientist and fool herself than pay a doctor to do the same. it may all have been true, but it was not important; not germane to the issue, as we so often say in writing editorials. it looked so much like a blank for herman wagner that i quit asking for a time and let the woman toil at her foolish ruinous tasks. after half an hour of it she began to rumble a stanza of by cool siloam's shady rill; so i chanced it again, remarking on the sign i had observed that day. so she left her desk for a seat before the fire and said yes, and they was other signs of herman's hid off in the mountains where no one but cows, that can't read a line, would see 'em. she also divulged that herman, himself, wasn't anything you'd want a bronze statue of to put up in courthouse square. well then, come on, now! what about him? no, sir; not by a darned sight! with that there desk full of work, she simply could not stop to talk now. she did. is that the only sign of herman's you saw? he's got others along them trails. you'll see an arrow in white paint, pointing to his sylvan glen, and warnings not to go to other glens till you've tried his. one says: you've tried the rest; now try the best! another says: try wagner's sylvan glen for boating, bathing, and fishing. meals at all hours! and he's got one that shows he studied american advertising as soon as he landed in this country. it says: wagner's sylvan glen--not how good, but how cheap! i don't know. i ain't made up my mind about herman, even yet. if it wasn't for why he had to leave nevada and if i knew there could be more than one kind of german, then i'd almost say herman was the other kind. but, of course, there can't be but one kind, and he showed the prussian strain fast enough in why he come up from reno. still and all, he's got his engaging points as a pure imbecile or something. he don't tell me why he left reno for a long time after he gets here; not till i'd won his confidence by showing i was a german sympathizer. it was when sandy sawtelle had a plan for a kind of grand war measure. his grand war measure was to get some secret agents into germany and kill off all the women under fifty. he said if you done this the stock would die out, because look at the game laws against killing does! he told this to everybody. he told it to herman; but herman knew enough to remain noncommittal 'bout it. he told it to me, and i saw right off it probably couldn't be managed right; and, even if it could be, i said to sandy, it seemed to me somehow like it would be sort of inhuman. herman heard me say this and got the idea i was a pacifist and a secret friend of his country; so he confided to me the secret of why he left reno to keep from having his heart cut out by manuel romares. but no matter! anyway, last year in the spring this herman dropped by, looking for work. he hadn't been in america long, having stopped with his uncle in cincinnati a while, and then coming west on a life of adventure and to take up a career. he said now he'd come up from nevada, where he'd been working on a sheep ranch, and he acted like he wanted to get into something respectable and lead a decent life again. well, it had got so i hired everything that come along; so why not herman? i grabbed at him. the boys heard he was a german alien and acted, at first, like a bunch of hogs with a bear about; but i'd of hired old hinderburg himself if he'd offered and put him to doing something worth while. this herman was the first man ever worked here in side whiskers. he told me, after i showed myself a german sympathizer, that in the beginning of the war he'd wore one of them moustaches like the kaiser puts up in tin fasteners every night after he's said his prayers; but this had made him an object of unpleasant remark, including missiles. so he had growed this flowering border round it to take off the curse. they was beautiful shiny side whiskers and entirely innocent-looking. in the right clothes herman could of gone into any sabbath school in the land and said he was glad to see so many bright little faces there this morning, and now what was to-day's golden text, and so on. that's what he looked like. these things fell like portières each side of his face, leaving his chin as naked as the day he was born. he didn't have any too much under his mouth either; so i guess the whiskers was really a mercy to his face. he admitted he didn't know too much about the cow business, but said he was willing to learn; so i put him on the payroll. we found he was willing to try anything that looked easy; for instance, like setting on colts for the first time. the first morning he went to work it was rainy, with the ground pretty wet, and he was out to the corral watching sandy sawtelle break a colt. that's the best time to handle colts that has never been set on. they start to act up and pour someone out of the saddle; then they slip and slide, helpless, and get the idea a regler demon of a rider is up there, and give in. so the boys give herman a fussy two-year-old, and herman got away with it not so bad. of course he was set off a few times, but not hard; and the colt, slicking over this wet ground, must of thought another star rider had come to town. two days later, though, when the ground was dry, herman got on the same wild animal again, and it wasn't there when he come down from his first trip aloft. it traded ends with him neatly and was off in a corner saying. "well, looks like that german ain't such a dandy rider after all! i couldn't pull that old one with him yesterday, but i certainly done it good to-day." i wasn't near enough to hear what herman said when he picked himself up; but i'm a good lip reader since i been going to these moving pictures, and i'm way mistaken if he hadn't learned two or three good things in english to call a horse at certain times. he walked for several days with trench feet, and his morale was low indeed. he was just that simple. he'd try things that sane punchers wouldn't go looking for, if sober; in fact, he was so simple you might call him simple-minded and not get took up for malicious slander. so it come to where we seen he wasn't good for anything on this ranch but chore boy. and naturally we needed a chore boy, like we needed everything else. he could get up wood, and feed the pigs we was fattening, and milk the three dairy cows, and make butter, and help in the kitchen. but as for being a cow hand, he wasn't even the first joint on your little finger. he was willing, but his maker had stopped right at that point with him. and he had a right happy time being chore boy. of course the boys kidded him a lot after they found out he could positively not be enraged by the foulest aspersions on the character of the kaiser and his oldest son. they seen he was just an innocent dreamer, mooning round the place at his humble tasks. they spent a lot of good time thinking up things for him. he'd brought a german shotgun with silver trimmings with him, which he called a fowling piece, and he wanted to hunt in his few leisure moments; so the boys told him all the kinds of game that run wild on the place. there was the cross-feathered snee, i remember, which was said by the bird books to be really the same as the sidehill mooney. it has one leg shorter than the other and can be captured by hand if driven to level ground, where it falls over on its side in a foolish manner when it tries to run. herman looked forward to having one of these that he could stuff and send to his uncle in cincinnati, who wrote that he had never seen such a bird. also, he spent a lot of time down on the crick flat looking for a mu, which is the same as a sneeze-duck, except for the parallel stripes. it has but one foot webbed; so it swims in a circle and can be easy shot by the sportsman, who first baits it with snuff that it will go miles to get. another wild beast they had him hunting was the filo, which is like the ruffle snake, except that it has a thing like a table leg in its ear. it gets up on a hill and peeks over at you, but will never come in to lunch. the boys said they nearly had one over on grizzly peak one time, but it swallowed its tail and become invisible to the human eye, though they could still hear its low note of pleading. also, they had herman looking for a mated couple of the spinach bug for which the smithsonian institution had offered a reward of five hundred dollars, cash. herman fell for it all--all this old stuff that i had kicked the slats out of my trundle-bed laughing at. and in between exciting adventures with his fowling piece he'd write himself some pieces of poetry in a notebook, all about the cows and the clouds and other natural objects. he would also recite poetry written by other germans, if let. and at night he'd play on a native instrument shaped like a potato, by blowing into one cavity and stopping up other cavities to make the notes. it would be slow music and make you think of the quiet old churchyard where your troubles would be o'er; and why not get there as soon as possible? sad music! so herman was looked on as a harmless imbecile by one and all till eloise plummer come over to help in the kitchen while the haying crew was here last summer. and eloise looked on him as something else. she looked on herman as one of them that make it unsafe for girls to leave home. she had good reason to. eloise is in the prime of young womanhood; but this is just exactly as fur as any fair-minded judge would go to say of her as a spectacle. her warmest adherents couldn't hardly get any warmer than that if put under oath. she has a heart of gold undoubtedly, but a large and powerful face that would belong rightly to the head director of a steel corporation that's worked his way up from the bottom. it is not a face that has ever got eloise pestered with odious attentions from the men. instead of making 'em smirk and act rough, but playful, it made 'em think that life, after all, is more serious than most of us suspect in our idle moments. it certainly is a face to make men think. and inspiring this black mood in men had kind of reacted on eloise till they couldn't quite see what they was ever intended for. it was natural. i don't say the girl could of cooked all winter in a lumber camp and not been insulted a time or two; but it wasn't fur from that with her. so you can imagine how bitter she was when this herman nut tried to make up to her. herman was a whirlwind wooer; i'll say that for him. he told her right off that she was beautiful as the morning star and tried to kiss her hand. none of these foolish preliminaries for herman, like "lovely weather we're having!" or "what's your favourite flower?" eloise was quick-natured, too. she put him out of the kitchen with a coal shovel, after which herman told her through a crack of the door that she was a lorelei. eloise, at first, misunderstood this term entirely, and wasn't much less insulted when she found it meant one of these german hussies that hang round creeks for no good purpose. not that her attitude discouraged herman any; he played under her window that night, and also sang a rich custard sort of tenor in his native tongue, till i had to threaten him with the bastile to get any sleep myself. next day he fetched her regal gifts, consisting of two polished abalone shells, a picture of the crown prince in a brass frame, and a polished-wood paper knife with greetings from reno! on it. eloise was now like an enraged goddess or something; and if herman hadn't been a quick bender and light on his feet she wouldn't of missed him with his gifts. as it was, he ducked in time and went out to the spring house to write a poem on her beauty, which he later read to her in german through a kitchen window that was raised. the window was screened; so he read it all. later he gets sandy sawtelle to tell her this poem is all about how coy she is. every once in a while you could get an idea partway over on herman. he was almost certain eloise was coy. by the end of that second day, after herman threw kisses to her for ten minutes from on top of the woodshed, where he was safe, she telephoned her brother to come over here quick, if he had the soul of a man in his frame, and kill herman like he would a mad dog. but eloise left the next morning, without waiting for anything suitable to be pulled off by her family. it was because, when she went to bed that night, she found a letter from herman pinned to her pillow. it had a red heart on it, pierced by a dagger that was dropping red drops very sentimentally; and it said would she not hasten to take her vast beauty out in the moonlight, to walk with herman under the quiet trees while the nightingale warbled and the snee, or sidehill mooney, called to its lovemate? and here, as they walked, they could plan their beautiful future together. this was beyond eloise even with a full battery of kitchen utensils at hand. she left before breakfast; and herman had to come in and wash dishes. the next excitement was herman committing suicide, out in the woodshed, with a rope he'd took off a new packsaddle. something interrupted him after he got the noose adjusted and was ready to step off the chopping block he stood on. i believe it was one more farewell note to the woman that sent him to his grave. only he got interested in it and put in a lot more of his own poetry and run out of paper, and had to get more from the house; and he must of forgot what he went to the woodshed for because an hour after that he committed an entirely new suicide with his fowling piece. near as i could gather, he was all ready to pull the trigger, looking down into this here frowning muzzle before a mirror; and then something about his whiskers in the mirror must of caught his eye. anyway, another work of self-destruction was off. so he come in and helped with lunch. then he told me he'd like to take some time off, because he was going up to the deep pool to drown himself. i said was he really bent on it? he said it was requisite, because away from this beautiful lady, who had torn his heart out and danced on it, he could not continue to live, even for one day. so i come down on herman. i told him that, hard up as i was for help, i positively would not have a man on the place who was always knocking off work to kill himself. it et into his time, and also it took the attention of others who longed to see him do it. i said i might stand for a suicide or two--say, once a month, on a quiet sunday--but i couldn't stand this here german thoroughness that kept it up continual. at least, if he hoped to keep on drawing pay from me, he'd have to make way with himself in his own leisure moments and not on my time. herman says i don't know the depths of the human heart. i says i know what i pay him a month, and that's all i'm needing to know in this emergency. i thought, of course, he'd calm down and forget his nonsense; but not so. he moped and mooned, and muttered german poetry to himself for another day, without ever laying a violent hand on himself; but then he come and said it was no good. he says, however, he will no longer commit suicide at this place, where none have sympathy with him and many jeer. instead, he will take his fowling piece to some far place in the great still mountains and there, at last, do the right thing by himself. i felt quite snubbed, but my patience was wore out; so i give herman the money that was coming to him, wished him every success in his undertaking, and let him go. the boys scouted round quite a bit the next few days, listening for the shot and hoping to come on what was left; but they soon forgot it. me? i knew one side of herman by that time. i knew he would be the most careful boy in every suicide he committed. if i'd been a life-insurance company it wouldn't have counted against him so much as the coffee habit or going without rubbers. and--sure enough--about two months later the dead one come to life. herman rollicked in one night with news that he had wandered far into the hills till he found the fairest spot on earth; that quickly made him forget his great sorrow. his fairest spot was a half section of bad land a hopeful nester had took up back in the hills. it had a little two-by-four lake on it and a grove of spruce round the lake; and herman had fell in love with it like with eloise. he'd stay with the nester, who was half dead with lonesomeness, so that even a german looked good to him, and wrote to his uncle in cincinnati for money to buy the place. and now i'd better hurry over and see it, because it was wagner's sylvan glen, with rowing, bathing, fishing, and basket parties welcome. yes, sir! it goes to show you can't judge a german like you would a human. i laughed at first; but no one ever got to herman that way. he was firm and delighted. that sylvan glen was just the finest resort anywhere round! why, if it was within five miles of cincinnati or munich it would be worth a million dollars! and so on. it done no good to tell him it was not within five miles of these towns and never would be. and it done less good to ask him where his customers was coming from, there not being a soul nearer him than twenty miles, and then only scattered ranchers that has got their own idea of a good time after the day's work is over, which positively is not riding off to anybody's glen, no matter how sylvan. "the good people will come soon enough. you'll see!" says herman. "they soon find out the only place for miles round where they can get a good pig's knuckle, or blood sausage and a glass rhine wine--or maybe beer--after a hard day's work. i got a fine boat on the lake--they can row and push all round over the water; and i'm getting a house put up with vines on it, like a fairy palace, and little tables outside! you see! the people will come when they hear!" that was herman. he never stopped to ask where they was coming from. he'd make the place look like a dutch beer garden and they'd just have to come from somewhere, because what german ever saw a beer garden that didn't have people coming to it? i reckoned up that herman would have enough custom to make the place pay, the quick rate our country is growing, in about two hundred and forty-five or fifty years. so that's wagner's sylvan glen you seen advertised. it's there all right; and herman is there, waiting for trade, with a card back of his little bar that says, in big letters: keep smiling! i bet if you dropped in this minute you'd find him in a black jacket and white apron, with a bill of fare wrote in purple ink. he thinks people will soon drop in from twenty miles off to get a cheese sandwich or a dill pickle, or something. two of the boys was over this last june when he had his grand opening. they was the only person there except a man from surprise valley that was looking for stock and got lost. buck devine says the place looked as swell as something you'd see round chicago. herman has a scow on the pond, and a dozen little green tables outside under the spruce trees, with all the trees white-washed neatly round the bottoms, and white-washed stones along the driveway, and a rustic gate with welcome to wagner's sylvan glen! over it. and he's got some green tubs with young spruces planted in 'em, standing under the big spruces, and everything as neat as a pin. everyone thinks he's plumb crazy now, even if they didn't when he said eloise plummer was as beautiful as the morning star. but you can't tell. he's getting money every month from his uncle in cincinnati to improve the place. he's sent the uncle a photo of it and it must look good back in cincinnati, where you can't see the surrounding country. maybe herman merely wants to lead a quiet life with the german poets, and has thought up something to make the uncle come through. on the other hand, mebbe he's a spy. of course he's got a brain. he's either kidding the uncle, or else wagner's sylvan glen now covers a concrete gun foundation. in either case he's due for harsh words some day--either from the uncle when he finds there ain't any roadhouse patrons for twenty miles round, or from the german war office when they find out there ain't even anything to shoot at. the lady paused; then remarked that, even at a church sociable, uncle henry's idee of wine would probably make trouble to a police extent. here it had made her talkative long after bedtime, and she hadn't yet found out just how few dollars stood between her and the poorhouse. i allowed her to sort papers for a moment. as she scanned them under drawn brows beside a lamp that was dimming, she again rumbled into song. she now sang: "what fierce diseases wait around to hurry mortals home!" it is, musically, the crudest sort of thing. and it clashed with my mood; for i now wished to know how herman had revealed prussian guile by his manner of leaving reno. only after another verse of the hymn could i be told. it seems worth setting down here: well, herman is working on a sheep ranch out of reno, as i'm telling you, and has trouble with a fellow outcast named manuel romares. herman was vague about what started the trouble, except that they didn't understand each other's talk very well and one of 'em thought the other was making fun of him. anyway, it resulted in a brutal fist affray, greatly to herman's surprise. he had supposed that no man, mexican or otherwise, would dare to attack a german single-handed, because he would of heard all about germans being invincible, that nation having licked two nations--serbia and belgium--at once. so, not suspecting any such cowardly attack, herman was took unprepared by manuel romares, who did a lot of things to him in the way of ruthless devastation. furthermore, herman was clear-minded enough to see that manuel could do these things to him any time he wanted to. in that coarse kind of fighting with the fists he was herman's superior. so herman drawed off and planned a strategic coop. first thing he done was to make a peace offer, at which the trouble should be discussed on a fair basis to both sides. manuel not being one to nurse a grudge after he'd licked a man in jig time, and being of a sunny nature anyway, i judge, met him halfway. then, at this peace conference, herman acted much unlike a german, if he was honest. he said he had been all to blame in this disturbance and his conscience hurt him; so he couldn't rest till he had paid manuel an indemnity. manuel is tickled and says what does herman think of paying him? herman shows up his month's pay and says how would it suit manuel if they go in to reno that night and spend every cent of this money in all the lovely ways which could be thought up by a mexican sheep herder that had just come in from a six weeks' cross-country tour with two thousand of the horrible animals. manuel wanted to kiss herman. herman says he did cry large tears of gladness. and they started for town. so they got to reno, and did not proceed to the public library, or the metallurgical institute, or the historical museum. they proceeded to the railroad exchange saloon, where they loitered and loitered and loitered before the bar, at herman's expense, telling how much they thought of each other and eating of salt fish from time to time, which is intended by the proprietor to make even sheep herders more thirsty than normal. herman sipped only a little beer; but manuel thought of many new beverages that had heretofore been beyond his humble purse, and every new one he took made him think of another new one. it was a grand moment for manuel--having anything he could think of set before him in this beautiful café or saloon, crowded with other men who were also having grand moments. after a while herman says to manuel to come outside, because he wants to tell him something good he has thought of. so he leads him outside by an arm and can hardly tell what he has to say because it's so funny he has to laugh when he thinks of it. they go up an alley where they won't be overheard, and herman at last manages to keep his laughter down long enough to tell it. it's a comical antic he wants manuel to commit. manuel don't get the idea, at first, but herman laughs so hard that at last manuel thinks it's just got to be funny and pretty soon he's laughing at it as hard as herman is. so they go back to the saloon to do this funny thing, which is to be a joke on the big crowd of men in there. herman says he won't be able to do it good himself, because he's got a bad cold and can't yell loud; but manuel's voice is getting better with every new drink. manuel is just busting with mirth, thinking of this good joke he's going to play on the americans. they have one more drink, manuel taking peach brandy with honey, which herman says costs thirty cents; then he looks over the men standing there and he yells good and loud: "to hell with the president! hurrah for the kaiser!" you know, when herman told me that, i wondered right off if he hadn't been educated in some school for german secret agents. didn't it show guile of their kind? i'll never be amazed if he does turn out to be a spy that's simply went wrong on detail. of course he was safe out of town long before manuel limped from the hospital looking for him with a knife. and yet herman seemed so silly! first thing when he got on the place he wanted to know where the engine was that pumped the windmill. furthermore, if you ask me, that there wine won't be made safe for democracy until uncle henry has been years and years laid away to rest. xi curls ma pettengill, long morose, for months made hostile of mood by the shortage of help, now bubbled with a strange vivacity. at her desk in the arrowhead living room she cheerfully sorted a jumble of befigured sheets and proclaimed to one and all that the arrowhead ranch was once more a going concern. she'd thought it was gone, and here it was merely going. she would no longer be compelled to stare ruin in the face till it actually got embarrassed and had to look the other way. and it was the swift doings of this here new foreman. he'd not only got us going again but had put us on a military basis. and at that he was nothing but a poor old wreck of a veteran from the trenches, aged all of twenty-one, shot to pieces, gassed, shell-shocked, trench feeted and fevered, and darned bad with nervous dyspepsia into the bargain. thus described, the bargain seemed to me to be a poor one, for i had not yet viewed this decrepit newcomer or been refreshed with tales of his prowess. but ma pettengill knows men, and positively will not bubble except under circumstances that justify it, so i considered the matter worth a question or two. very well then! what about this mere shattered bit of flotsam from the world welter? how could so misused a remnant cope with the manifold cares of the long-harried arrowhead ranch? why, he just plain coped, that was all. he might be mere shattered flotsam, but you bet he was still some little coper, take her word for that! matter of fact, though, he didn't aim to hold the job for long. only until this here smarty of a medical officer, that turned him down from going back to the trenches, was retired to private life again. this here new foreman had to be on the ground when this puppet got out of his uniform and so could be handled proper by the right party without incurring twenty years in leavenworth. at this brief meeting the unfortunate man would be told politely that he had guessed wrong on the foreman's physical condition, after which the same would be proved to him then and there, leaving him to wish that he hadn't been so arrogant telling parties they was unfit for further service and had better go home and forget all about the war. yes, sir; he'd be left himself with something to forget that most likely he'd still be remembering vividly when folks had got to wondering what them funny little buttons with "liberty loan" on 'em could ever of been used for. still, this palsied wreck was with us for a time and had started in that very morning to carry on. he used but few words, but treated 'em rough if they come looking for it. first, they was two i.w.w.'s down to the lower field had struck for three-fifty a day, and had threatened to burn someone's haystacks when it was coldly refused. so one had been took to jail and one to the hospital the minute the flotsam slowed up with 'em. it was a fair enough hospital case for both, but the one for jail could still walk. then two other new hands, two of these here demi-cowboys you have to put up with, had kept the bunk house noisy every night with a bitter personal quarrel including loud threats of mutual murder that never seemed to get any further. so the flotsam, after drinking in some of their most venomous eloquence, had lined 'em up and commanded 'em to git busy and fight it out quick. and he had then licked 'em both in a quick and exaggerated manner when they tried to keep on talking it out with him. it was a sharply etched impression over the ranch, now shared by its owner, that this here invalid flotsam would take darned little nonsense from any one. it was also the owner's own private impression that he had been expelled from the war for rough behaviour on the field of battle and not because of wounds or sickness. most likely they'd told him the latter because they was afraid to tell him the truth. but that was the real truth; he was too scrappy and wouldn't let the war go on in peace and quiet. anyway, she and the army was both satisfied, so let it go at that. mebbe after a few more arguments over there, when they'd made a convinced pro-ally out of germany, she might get some more shell-wracked jetsams like this one, that would step in without regard for the rules of civilized warfare and make the life of a certain beef-cattle raiser just one long dream of loveliness with pink rose leaves dreening down on her. mebbe so! i was charmed indeed to hear the gladsome note from one so long dismal. so i told the woman that the longest war must have its end and that by this time next year she would be refusing to hire good help at forty-five dollars a month and found, in place of the seventy-five she was now lavishing on indolent stragglers. she said in that happy case she might consent to adorn the cattle business a few decades longer, but for her part she didn't believe wars would end. if it wasn't this war it would be another one, because human beings are undeniably human. as how? well, i could take it this way. say one of these here inventors sets up nights for twenty years inventing a gun that will shoot through a steel plate sixteen inches thick. all right so far. but the next day another inventor invents a piece of steel seventeen inches thick. and it had to begin all over--just a seesaw. from where she set she couldn't see no end to it. was she right; or wasn't she? of course! but now, further, about compelling little boys to wear long curls till maturity, with the idee of blunting their finer instincts and making hellions of 'em, so's to have some dandy shock troops for the next war--well, she didn't know. room for argument there. this seemed reasonable. i didn't know either. it was an entirely new idee, come from nowhere. this was the very first moment i had supposed there could be such an idee. but such is ma pettengill. i thought to inquire as to the origin of this novelty; perhaps to have it more fully set forth. but i had not to. already i saw unrelenting continuance in the woman's quickened eye. there would be, in fact, no stopping her now. so i might as well leave a one-line space right here to avoid using the double and single quotation marks, which are a nuisance to all concerned. i will merely say that ma pettengill spoke in part as follows, and at no time during the interview said modestly that she would prefer not to have her name mentioned. mind you, i don't say war's a good thing, even for them that come out of it. of course you can read stories about how good it is in improving the character. i've read pretty ones in these here sentimental magazines that get close to the great heart of the people once a month; stories about how the town tough boy, that robs his gray-haired mother of her wash money to play pool with, goes into war's purifying flames and comes out a man, having rescued marshal fotch from a shell hole under fire and got the thanks of the french nation and his home-town paper. now he don't hang round the pool parlour any more, running down fifteen balls from the break, but shuns his low companions, never touches a cue again, marries the mayor's daughter and becomes the regular democratic candidate for county recorder. these stories may be true. i don't know. only these same magazines print stories that have a brave fireman in the picture carrying a fainted girl down his ladder through the flames, and if you believed them you'd also believe they had to set a tenement house on fire every time a fireman wants to get married. and that don't stand to reason. mebbe the other stories don't either. but what about the other side of these same stories? what about the village good boy that goes through war's purifying flame and comes back home to be the town tough? ain't it time someone showed up the moral ravages war commits on our best young men? me? i just had a talk lately with a widowed mother down to red gap and what this beastly war has done to her oldest boy--well, if she could of looked ahead she would of let the world go right on being unsafe even for republicans. she poured her heart out to me. she is mrs. arline plunkett, one of the sweetest, gentlest mothers that ever guarded a son from every evil influence. and then to see it all go whoosh! the son's name was shelley plunkett, or it was until he went out into the world to make a name for himself. he is now largely known as bugs plunkett. i leave it to you if a nice mother would relish having her boy make that name for himself. and after all the pains she'd took with his moral development from the cradle up--till he run away from home on account of his curls! arline had been left well-off by her husband, who was president of the drovers' trust company, and her home was about the most refined home in red gap, having full bookcases and pictures of foreign catholic churches--though arline is a presbyterian--and metal statues of antique persons, male and female, and many articles of adornment that can't be had for the ordinary trading stamps. she lived, of course, only for her two boys, shelley and keats. keats being an infant didn't require much living for, but shelley was old enough to need a lot of it. he was eight years old when i first seen him, with long golden curls to his shoulders and lace on his velvet pants. he came in when i was calling on his ma and acted the perfect little gentleman. he was so quiet and grown-up he made me feel right awkward. he had the face of a half-growed angel framed in these yellow curls, and his manners was them of sir galahad that he read stories about. he was very entertaining this day. his mother had him show me a portrait of himself and curls that had been printed in a magazine devoted to mothers and watermelon-rind pickles, and so forth, and he also brought me the new book his pastor had presented him with on his eighth birthday. it was a lovely bound book, having a story about a sheepman that had a hundred head out on the range and lost one and left the other ninety-nine unprotected from the coyotes and went out into the brush looking for the lost one, which is about the brains of the average sheepman; but it was a pretty book, and little shelley told me prettily all about the story, and showed me how his dear pastor had wrote in it for him. he had wrote: "to shelley vane plunkett, who to the distinction of his name unites a noble and elevated nature." i wonder if bugs plunkett ever looks at that writing now and blushes for his lost angel face? anyway, i thought this day that he was the loveliest, purest child in the world, with his delicate beauty and sweet little voice and perfect manners, all set off by the golden curls. a couple days later i was going through that same street and when i turned a corner next to the plunkett house, here was little shelley addressing a large red-faced man on the back of an ice wagon that had stopped there. it was some shock to my first notions of the angel child. i gathered with no trouble whatever that the party on the ice wagon had so far forgot his own manners as to call little shelley a sissy. it was a good three-to-one bet he was now sorry he spoke. little shelley was using language beyond his years and words that had never been taught him by his lady mother. he handled them words like they was his slaves. three or four other parties stopped to listen without seeming to. i have heard much in my time. i have even been forced to hear jeff tuttle pack a mule that preferred not to be packed. and little shelley was informing, even to me. he never hesitated for a word and was quick and finished with the syllables. the ice-wagon man was peeved, as he had a right to be, and may of been going to talk back, but when he saw the rest of us getting shelley he yelled to the man in the front to drive on. it was too late, quick as he went, to save the fair repute of himself and family, if shelley's words was to be took seriously. shelley had invaded the most sacred relationship and pretended to bare a hideous scandal. also the iceman himself couldn't possibly of done half the things shelley hotly urged him to do. us people that had seemed to linger walked right on, not meeting each other's eye, and shelley again become the angel child, turning in at his gate and walking up the path in a decorous manner with his schoolbooks under his arm. i first wondered if i shouldn't go warn arline that her child had picked up some words that would get him nowhere at all with his doting pastor. little could the fond woman dream, when she tucked him in after his prayers at night, that talk such as this could come from his sweet young lips. how much mothers think they know of their sons and how darned little they do know! but i decided to keep out of it, remembering that no mother in the world's history had ever thanked a person for anything but praise of her children. still, i couldn't help but worry about shelley's future, both here and hereafter. but i talked to other people about it and learned that he was already known as a public character to everyone but his own dear mother. it was these here curls that got him attacked on every hand by young and old, and his natural vigour of mind had built him up a line of repartee that was downright blistering when he had time to stop and recite it all. even mule skinners would drive blocks out of their way just to hear little shelley's words when someone called him sissy or girl-boy. it seems shelley never took any of these troubles to his mother, because he was right manly and he regarded curls as a natural infirmity that couldn't be helped and that his poor ma shouldn't be blamed for. he'd always had curls, just as other unfortunates had been disfigured or maimed from birth, so he'd took it as a cross the lord had give him to bear. and he was willing to bear it in silence if folks would just let him alone. otherwise, not. oh, most surely not! i kind of kept watch on shelley's mad career after that. it was mad most of the time. he had already begun to fight as well as to use language, and by the time he was ten he was a very nasty scrapper. and ready--it soon got so that only boys new-come to town would taunt him about his golden locks. and unless they was too much out of shelley's class he made believers of 'em swiftly. from ten to twelve he must of had at least one good fight a day, what with the new ones and the old ones that still couldn't believe a boy in velvet pants with curls on his shoulders could really put it over on 'em. his mother believed his clothes was tore and his face bunged up now and then in mere boyish sports, and begged him not to engage in such rough games with his childish playmates. and shelley, the little man, let her talk on, still believing he was like little paul mcnamara, that had a crooked foot. he wasn't going to shame his mother as well as himself. i don't know just how shelley ever got his big illumination that curls was not a curse put on him by his maker. but he certainly did get it when he was round twelve. after two years of finish fights he suddenly found out that curls is optional, or a boy's own fault, if not his mother's, and that they may be cured by a simple and painless operation. he'd come to the observing age. they say he'd stand in front of henry lehman's barber shop every chance he'd get, watching the happy men getting their hair cut. and he put two and two together. then he went straight to his mother and told her all about his wonderful and beautiful discovery. he was awful joyous about it. he said you only had to go to mr. lehman's barber shop with thirty-five cents, and the kind mr. lehman would cut the horrible things off and make him look like other boys, so please let him have the thirty-five. then shelley got a great shock. it was that his mother wanted him to wear them things to please her. she burst into tears and said the mere thought of her darling being robbed of his crowning glory by that nasty old henry lehman or any one else was breaking her heart, and how could he be so cruel as to suggest it? the poor boy must of been quite a bit puzzled. here was a way out of something he had thought was incurable, and now his mother that loved him burst into tears at the thought of it. so he put it out of his mind. he couldn't hurt his mother, and if cutting off his disgrace was going to hurt her he'd have to go on wearing it. shelley was getting lanky now, with big joints and calf knees showing below his velvet pants; and he was making great headway, i want to tell you, in what seemed to be his chosen profession of pugilism. he took to going out of his class, taking on boys two or three years older. i never had the rare pleasure of seeing him in action, but it was mere lack of enterprise on my part. before he found out that curls could be relieved by a barber he had merely took such fights as come to him. but now he went out of his way looking for 'em, and would start the action himself. it got so that boys used to travel in bands--them that had criticized his appearance so he'd hear it--but he'd lie in wait for stragglers that was left behind by the convoy, and it would be the same old sad story. you can know what it meant when i tell you that the last year shelley went to school they say he could come onto the playground with his long yellow curls floating in the breeze, and not a word would be heard from the fifty boys that might be there. and so it went till he was thirteen. one succession of fights and a growing collection of words that would of give his fond pastor something to think about. of course word of the fights would get to shelley's ma from mothers whose little ones he had ravaged, but she just simply didn't believe it. you know a woman can really not believe anything she don't wish to. you couldn't tell that lady that her little boy with the angel face and soft voice would attack another boy unless the other boy begun it. and if the other boy did begin it it was because he envied shelley his glorious curls. arline was certainly an expert in the male psychology, as they call it. but at thirteen shelley was losing a lot of the angel out of his face. his life of battle had told on him, i guess. but he was still obedient and carried the cross for his mother's sake. poor thing! he'd formed the habit of obedience and never once suspicioned that a woman had no right to impose on him just because she was his mother. shelley just took to fighting a little quicker. he wouldn't wait for words always. sometimes mere looks of disgust would start him. then, when he got to near fourteen, still with the beautiful curls, he begun to get a lovely golden down on his face; and the face hadn't hardly a trace of angel left in it. the horrible truth was that shelley not only needed a haircut but a shave. and one day, goaded by certain taunts, he told his mother this in a suddenly bass voice. it must of startled arline, having this roar come out of her child when his little voice had always been sweet and high. so she burst into some more tears and shelley asked her forgiveness, and pretty soon she was curling his hair again. i guess he knew right then it was for the last time on earth, but nothing warned the mother. these new taunts that had finally made a man of shelley was no taunts from boys, which he could handle easy, but the taunts of heedless girls, who naturally loathed a boy with curls even more than male humans of any age loathe him; and girls can be a lot tauntier when they start out to. well, shelley couldn't lick girls, and he had reached an age when their taunts cut into his hide like whiplashes, so he knew right well he had to do something desperate. then he went out and run away from the refining influences of his beautiful home. he took to the hills and landed way up on the north fork of the kulanche where liver-eating johnson has a sheep ranch. liver-eating, who is an unsavory character himself, had once heard shelley address a small group of critics in front of the post office, and had wanted to adopt him right there. he still cherished the fondest memories of shelley's flow of language, so he was tickled to death to have him drop along and stop, seeing that though but a lad in years he was a man and brother in speech, even if he did look like a brother that had started out to be a sister and got mixed. liver-eating took him in and fed him and cut his hair with a pair of sheep shears. it was a more or less rough job, because shearing sheep does not make a man a good human barber by any means. but shelley looked at his head in the glass and said it was the most beautiful haircut in the world. fussy people might criticize it here and there, but they could never say it hadn't really been cut. he was so grateful to liver-eating that he promised to stay with him always and become a sheep herder. and he did hide out there several months till his anguished mother found out where he was. after having every pond dragged and every bit of woods searched for her boy's body she had believed he'd been carried off by kidnappers on account of his heavenly beauty, and she'd probably have to give ten thousand dollars for his release. she was still looking for a letter from these fiends when she learned about his being with liver-eating johnson and that this wretch had committed sacrilege on him. it was a harsh blow to know that her pet had consorted with such a person, who was not only a sheepman but had earned his nickname in a way that our best people thought not nice. he'd gone home one day years ago and found his favourite horse had been took by an injun. being a simple-mannered man of few words, he just said that by sundown to-morrow he would of et the liver of the injun that done the stealing. i don't know, personally, what happened, except that he did come back the next night with his horse. anyway no one ever begrudged him his title after that. and here was shelley vane plunkett, who had been carefully raised on fruits and cereals, taking up with such a nauseous character as a social equal. arline had the sheriff out at once for her darling, but shelley got word and beat it farther. he finally got to seattle, where he found various jobs, and kept his mother guessing for three years. he was afraid she'd make him start the curls again if he come home. but finally, when he was eighteen, he did come, on her solemn promise to behave. but he was no longer the angel-faced darling that had left, and he still expected at least one fight a day, though no longer wearing what would cause fights. he'd formed the habit and just couldn't leave off. a body could hardly look at him without starting something unpleasant. he was round like a barrel now, and tough and quick, and when anything did happen to be started he was the one that finished it. also, he'd have his hair cut close every five or six days. he always looked like a prisoner that had started to let it grow about a week before he left the institution. shelley was taking no chances, and he used to get a strange, glittering look in his eye when he regarded little keats, his baby brother, who was now coming on with golden curls just as beautiful as shelley's had ever been. but he done nothing sinister. in time he might of settled down and become a useful citizen, but right then the war broke out, so no more citizen stuff for shelley. it was almost too good to be true that he could go to a country where fighting was legal; not only that, but they'd give him board and lodging and a little spending money for doing the only thing he'd ever learned to do well. it sure looked like heaven. so off he went to canada and enlisted and got sent across and had three years of perfect bliss, getting changed over to our army when we finally got unneutral so you could tell it. of course his mother was almost more anguished about his going to war than about having his curls fixed with the sheep shears. she said even if he wasn't shot he would be sure to contract light habits in france, consisting of native wine and dancing, and so forth, and she hoped at least he could be a drummer boy or something safe. but shelley never had a safe moment, i guess. no such thing as a quiet sector where he was. he fought at the front, and then he'd fight at hospitals every time he got took back there for being shot up. he was almost too scrappy even for that war. he was usually too busy to write, but we got plenteous reports of his adventures from other men, these adventures always going hard with whatever germans got in his way. and i bet his mother never dreamed that his being such a demon fighter was all due to her keeping him in curls so long, where he got the habit and come to love it for its own sake. anyway, he fought and fought and had everything happen to him that german science had discovered was useful to exterminate the lesser races, and it finally begun to tell on him, hardened as he was by fighting from the cradle up, as you might say. it was a glad day for arline when she got word that he was a broken-down invalid and had landed at an atlantic ocean port on his way home. she got arrowroot gruel and jelly and medicinal delicacies and cushions, and looked forward to a life of nursing. she hoped that in the years to come she could coax the glow of health back to his wan cheeks. and i wouldn't put it past her--mebbe she hoped she could get him to let the golden hair grow again, just long enough to make him interesting as he lay coughing on his couch. and shelley come home, but his idee of being an invalid wasn't anything like his mother's. he looked stout as a horse, and merely wished to rest up for a couple weeks before getting some other kind of action suited to his peculiar talents. and worse, he wasn't shelley vane plunkett--he was bugs plunkett; and his mother's heart broke again. he was shaved like a convict and thicker through than ever, and full of rich outdoor words about what he would do to this so-and-so medical officer for not letting him back into the scrap. yes, sir; that man is going to suffer casualties right up to the limit the minute he gets out of his uniform--and him thinking the world is at peace once more! sure, shelley had been shot through the lungs a couple of times, and one leg had been considerably altered from the original plan, but he had claimed he was a better scrapper than ever before and had offered to prove it to this medical officer right then and there if it could be done quiet. but this fair offer had been rejected. so here he'd come back, not any kind of a first-class invalid that would be nice to nurse, but as bugs plunkett! no sooner did he get to town than letters and postal cards begun to come addressed to mr. bugs plunkett or mebbe b. plunkett, esquire; and the cards would be from his old pals in the trenches, many of whom had worse names, even, than shelley had made for himself. also the sick warrior turned down flat the arrowroot gruel and irish-moss custard and wine jelly and pale broth. he had to have the same coarse food that is et by common working people who have had no home advantages, including meat, which is an animal poison and corrupts the finer instincts of man by reducing him to the level of the brutes. so arline plunkett says. shelley had it, though, ordering it in a bass voice that made the statuary teeter. steak was cooked in the plunkett home for the first time since it had been erected, notwithstanding the horrible example it set to little keats, who still had golden curls as lovely as shelley's once had been and was fed on fruits and nuts. arline couldn't of had any pleasant time with her wandering boy them three weeks he was there. she suffered intensely over the ignominy of this mail that came to him by the awful name of bugs, with the gossips in the post office telling it everywhere, so that the boys round the cigar store got to calling him bugs right out plain. and her son seeming proud of this degradation! and she couldn't get him to protect himself from drafts by night. he'd insist on having a window wide open, and when she'd sneak back to close it so he wouldn't catch his death of cold he'd get up and court destruction by hoisting it again. and once when she'd crept in and shut it a second time he threw two shoes through the upper and lower parts so it would always be open. he claimed he done this in his sleep, having got into the habit in the trenches when he'd come in from a long march and someone would close all the windows. but arline said that this only showed that war had made him a rowdy, even in his sleep--and out of the gentlest-mannered boy that ever wore velvet garments and had a cinch on every prize in the sunday school; though she did not use coarse words like that. she told me herself it was time we got this other side of what war did to gently nurtured youths that had never soiled their lips with an oath in their lives until they went into war's hell. she said just that! also shelley had contracted the vicious habit of smoking, which was all a body would want to know about war. she said he'd have his breakfast in bed, including whole slices of ham, which comes from the most loathsome of all animals, and would then lie and smoke the lord byron five-cent cigar, often burning holes in the covers, which he said was another old trench habit--and that showed what war done to the untainted human soil. also while smoking in bed he would tell little keats things no innocent child should hear, about how fine it feels to deflate germans with a good bayonet. she had never esteemed lord byron as a poet, and these cigars, she assures me, was perfectly dreadful in a refined home, where they could be detected even in the basement. little keats was now thirteen, with big joints and calf knees showing under the velvet pants, and i guess his curls was all that persuaded his mother to live, what with shelley having gone to the bad and made a name for himself like bugs. but little keats had fell for his brother, and spent all the time he could with him listening to unpretty stories of germans that had been fixed up proper the way the good lord meant 'em to be. after he'd been home a couple weeks or more shelley begun to notice little keats more closely. he looked so much like shelley had at that age and had the same set-on manner in the house that shelley got suspicious he was leading the same double life he had once led himself. he asked his mother when she was going to take keats to a barber, and his mother burst into tears in the old familiar way, so he said no more to her. but that afternoon he took little keats out for a stroll and closely watched his manner toward some boys they passed. they went on downtown and shelley stepped into the owl cigar store to get a lord byron. when he come out little keats was just finishing up a remark to another boy. it had the familiar ring to shelley and was piquant and engaging even after three years in the trenches, where talk is some free. keats still had the angel face, but had learned surprisingly of old english words. then shelley says to him: "say, kid, do you like your curls?" and little keats says very warmly and almost shedding tears: "they're simply hell!" "i knew it," says shelley. "have many fights?" "not so many as i used to," says keats. "i knew that, too," says shelley. "now, then, you come right along with me." so he marches keats and curls down to henry lehman's and says: "give this poor kid a close haircut." and henry lehman won't do it. he says that mrs. plunkett, the time of the scandal about shelley, had warned every barber in town that she would have the law on 'em if they ever harmed a hair on the head of a child of hers; and he was a law-abiding citizen. he didn't deny that the boy needed a haircut the worst way in the world, but at his time of life he wasn't going to become an outlaw. keats had nearly broke down at this. but shelley says: "all right; come on over to the other place." so they go over to katterson lee, the coloured barber, and katterson tells 'em the same story. he admits the boy needs a haircut till it amounts to an outrage, but he's had his plain warning from shelley's ma, and he ain't going to get mixed up with no lawsuit in a town where he's known to one and all as being respectable. shelley then threatened him with bodily harm if he didn't cut that hair off quick, and katterson was right afraid of the returned soldier, that had fixed so many germans right, but he was more afraid of the law, so he got down on his knees to shelley and begged for his life. little keats was now blubbering, thinking he wasn't going to be shut of his disgrace after all, but shelley says: "all right, kid; i'll stand by you. i'll do it myself. get into that chair!" of course katterson couldn't prevent that, so keats got sunny again and climbed into the chair, and shelley grabbed a pair of shears and made a sure-nuff boy of him. he got the curls off all right, but when it come to trimming up he found he couldn't do a smooth job, and katterson wasn't there to give him any hints, having run from his shop at the beginning of the crime so he would have a good alibi when hauled into court. so shelley finally took up a pair of clippers, and having learned to clip mules he soon had little keats' whole scalp laid bare. it must of been a glorious sight. they both gloated over it a long time. then keats says: "now you come with me and we'll show it to mamma!" but shelley says: "not me! i have to draw the line somewhere. i shall be far away from here to-night. i am not afraid of enemy soldiers, for i've been up against them too often. but there are worse things than death, so you'll have to face mamma alone. you can tell her i did it, but i will not be there to hear you. so good-bye and god help you!" and shelley retired to a position less exposed. that was an awful day for the plunkett home, because little keats, being left to his own resources, tried to use his brain. first he gathered up the long shining curls and wrapped 'em in a newspaper. then he went out and found artie bartell, who is a kind of a harmless halfwit that just walks the streets and will do anything whatever if told, being anxious to please. keats gives artie a dime to take the curls up to his dear mother and tell her that her little boy has been run over by a freight engine down to the station and these here curls was all that could be saved of him. then he hurries home the back way and watches, and pretty soon he sees some neighbours come rushing to the house when they hear his mother scream, so then he knows everything is all right. he waits a minute or two, then marches in with his hat off. his mother actually don't know him at first, on account of his naked skull, but she soon sees it must be he, little keats, and then has hysterics because she thinks the freight engine has clipped him this way. and of course there was more hysterics when she learned the terrible truth of his brother's infamy. i guess shelley had been wise all right to keep off the place at that time, soldier or no soldier. but that's neither here nor there. the point is that little keats may now be saved to a life of usefulness and not be hanged for murder, thanks to his brother's brave action. of course bugs himself is set in his ways, and will adorn only positions of a certain kind. he's fine here, for instance, just at this time when i got to hire all kinds that need a firm hand--and bugs has two. sure, it was him took the job of foreman here yesterday. we had quite a little talk about things when he come. he told me how he released his little brother from shame. he said he wouldn't of done such a radical thing except that peace is now coming on and the world will no longer need such fighting devils as curls will make of a boy if let to stay long enough. "keats might have turned out even worse than i did," he says, "but if there wasn't going to be any way where he could do it legally, what was the use? he'd probably sometime have killed a boy that called him goldilocks, and then the law might have made it unpleasant for him. i thought it was only fair to give him a chance to live peaceful. of course in my own case mamma acted for the best without knowing it. we needed fighters, and i wouldn't have been anything at all like a fighter if she hadn't made me wear those curls till my whiskers began to show above the surface. in fact, i'm pretty sure i was a born coward, but those golden strands took all that out of me. i had to fight. "and see what it did for me in the army. i don't want to talk about myself, but i made a good average fighter and i would have been there to the last if i'd had my rights. and i simply owe it all to my dear mother. you might say she made me the man i am. i wouldn't ever have been tough if she'd cut my hair humanely from six years on. i certainly hope keats hasn't gone too long. one of us in a family is enough." that's the way bugs talks, and it sounds right sensible. what i say now is, the idee had ought to be took up by the war department at washington, d. c. let 'em pass a law that one boy out of, say, twenty-five has got to wear curls till his voice changes. by that time, going round in this here scenic investiture, as you might say, he will be a demon. in peace times it may add to our crimes of violence, but look what it will be when another war comes. we'll have the finest line of shock troops the world has ever produced, fit and anxious to fight, having led an embittered existence long enough to make it permanent. no line would ever stand against a charge of them devils. they would be a great national asset and might save the country while we was getting ready to begin to prepare a couple months after war was declared on us. still i don't suppose it will be took up, and i ain't got time to go down and preach it to congress personally. and now let me tell you one thing: i'm going to sleep to-night without a care on my mind for the first time in a year. this here bugs unites to the distinction of his name a quick and handy nature, and my busiest troubles are over. the everett massacre by walker c. smith a history of the class struggle in the lumber industry [illustration: decoration] i. w. w. publishing bureau chicago, ill. this book is dedicated to those loyal soldiers of the great class war who were murdered on the steamer verona at everett, washington, in the struggle for free speech and free assembly and the right to organize: felix baran, hugo gerlot, gustav johnson, john looney, abraham rabinowitz, and those unknown martyrs whose bodies were swept out to unmarked ocean graves on sunday, november fifth, . printed by the members of the general recruiting union i. w. w. preface in ten minutes of seething, roaring hell at the everett dock on the afternoon of sunday, november , , there was more of the age-old superstition regarding the identity of interests between capital and labor torn from the minds of the working people of the pacific northwest than could have been cleared away by a thousand lecturers in a year. it is with regret that we view the untimely passing of the seven or more fellow workers who were foully murdered on that fateful day, but if the working class of the world can view beyond their mangled forms the hideous brutality that was the cause of their deaths, they will not have died in vain. this book is published with the hope that the tragedy at everett may serve to set before the working class so clear a view of capitalism in all its ruthless greed that another such affair will be impossible. c. e. payne. with grateful acknowledgments to c. e. payne for valuable assistance in preparing the subject matter, to harry feinberg in consultation, to marie b. smith in revising manuscript, and to j. j. kneisle for photographs. everett, november fifth by charles ashleigh ["* * * and then the fellow worker died, singing 'hold the fort' * * *"--from the report of a witness.] song on his lips, he came; song on his lips, he went;-- this be the token we bear of him,-- soldier of discontent! out of the dark they came; out of the night of poverty and injury and woe,-- with flaming hope, their vision thrilled to light,-- song on their lips, and every heart aglow; they came, that none should trample labor's right to speak, and voice her centuries of pain. bare hands against the master's armored might!-- a dream to match the tools of sordid gain! and then the decks went red; and the grey sea was written crimsonly with ebbing life. the barricade spewed shots and mockery and curses, and the drunken lust of strife. yet, the mad chorus from that devil's host,-- yea, all the tumult of that butcher throng,-- compound of bullets, booze and coward boast,-- could not out-shriek one dying worker's song! song on his lips, he came; song on his lips, he went;-- this be the token we bear of him,-- soldier of discontent! [illustration: released free speech prisoners who visited the graves of their murdered fellow workers at mount pleasant cemetery, may , .] the everett massacre chapter i. the lumber kingdom perhaps the real history of the rise of the lumber industry in the pacific northwest will never be written. it will not be set down in these pages. a fragment--vividly illustrative of the whole, yet only a fragment--is all that is reproduced herein. but if that true history be written, it will tell no tales of "self-made men" who toiled in the woods and mills amid poverty and privation and finally rose to fame and affluence by their own unaided effort. no abraham lincoln will be there to brighten its tarnished pages. the story is a more sordid one and it has to do with the theft of public lands; with the bribery and corruption of public officials; with the destruction and "sabotage," if the term may be so misused, of the property of competitors; with base treachery and double-dealing among associated employers; and with extortion and coercion of the actual workers in the lumber industry by any and every means from the "robbersary" company stores to the commission of deliberate murder. no sooner had the larger battles among the lumber barons ended in the birth of the lumber trust than there arose a still greater contest for control of the industry. lumberjack engaged lumber baron in a struggle for industrial supremacy; on the part of the former a semi-blind groping toward the light of freedom and for the latter a conscious striving to retain a seat of privilege. nor can the full history of that struggle be written here, for the end is not yet, but no one who has read the past rightly can doubt the ultimate outcome. that history, when finally written, will recite tales of heroism and deeds of daring and unassuming acts of bravery on the part of obscure toilers beside which the vaunted prowess of famous men will seem tawdry by comparison. today the perspective is lacking. time alone will vindicate the rebellious workers in their fight for freedom. from all this travail and pain is to be born an industrial democracy. the lumber industry dominated the whole life of the northwest. the lumber trust had absolute sway in entire sections of the country and held the balance of power in many other places. it controlled governors, legislatures and courts; directed mayors and city councils; completely owned sheriffs and deputies; and thru threats of foreclosure, blackmail, the blacklist and the use of armed force it dominated the press and pulpit and terrorized many other elements in each community. the sworn testimony in the greatest case in labor history bears out these statements. out of their own mouths were the lumber barons and their tools condemned. for, let it be known, the great trial in seattle, wash., in the year , was not a trial of thomas h. tracy and his co-defendants. it was a trial of the lumber trust, a trial of so-called "law and order," a trial of the existing method of production and exchange and the social relations that spring from it,--and the verdict was that capitalism is guilty of murder in the first degree. to get even a glimpse into the deeper meaning of the case that developed from the conflict at everett, wash., it is necessary to know something of the lives of the migratory workers, something of the vital necessity of free speech to the working class and to all society for that matter, and also something about the basis of the lumber industry and the foundation of the city of everett. the first two items very completely reveal themselves thru the medium of the testimony given by the witnesses for the defense, while the other matters are covered briefly here. the plundering of public lands was a part of the policy of the lumber trust. large holdings were gathered together thru colonization schemes, whereby tracts of acres were homesteaded by individuals with money furnished by the lumber operators. often this meant the mere loaning of the individual's name, and in many instances the building of a home was nothing more than the nailing together of three planks. other rich timber lands were taken up as mineral claims altho no trace of valuable ore existed within their confines. all this timber fell into the hands of the lumber trust. in addition to this there were large companies who logged for years on forty acre strips. this theft of timber on either side of a small holding is the basis of many a fortune and the possessors of this stolen wealth can be distinguished today by their extra loud cries for "law and order" when their employes in the woods and mills go on strike to add a few more pennies a day to their beggarly pittance. altho cheaper than outright purchase from actual settlers, these methods of timber theft proved themselves quite costly and the public outcry they occasioned was not to the liking of the lumber barons. to facilitate the work of the lumber trust and at the same time placate the public, nothing better than the forest reserve could possibly have been devised. the establishment of the national forest reserves was one of the long steps taken in the united states in monopolizing both the land and the timber of the country. the first forest reserves were established february , , when , , acres were set aside as national forests. within the next eight years practically all the public forest lands in the united states that were of any considerable extent had been set off into these reserves, and by there had been over , square miles included within their confines.[ ] this immense tract of country was withdrawn from the possibility of homestead entry at approximately the time that the mississippi valley and the eastern slope of the rocky mountains had been settled and brought under private ownership. whether the purpose was to put the small sawmills out of business can not be definitely stated, but the lumber trust has profited largely from the establishment of the forest reserves. so long as there was in the united states a large and open frontier to be had for the taking there could be no very prolonged struggle against an owning class. it has been easier for those having nothing to go but a little further and acquire property for themselves. but on coming to what had been the frontier and finding a forest reserve with range riders and guards on its boundaries to prevent trespassing; on looking back and seeing all land and opportunities taken; on turning again to the forest reserve and finding a foreman of the lumber trust within its borders offering wages in lieu of a home, it was inevitable that a conflict should occur. with the capitalistic system of industry in operation, the conflict between the landless homeseekers and the owners of the vast accumulations of capital would inevitably have taken place, but this clash has come at least a generation earlier because of the establishment of the national forests than it otherwise would. the land now in reserves would furnish homes and comfortable livings for ten million people, and have absorbed the surplus population for another generation. it is also true that the establishment of the national forests has been one of the vital factors that made the continued existence of the lumber trust possible. prior to the shipments of lumber to the prairie states from west of the rocky mountains were very small, and of no effect on the domination of the lumber industry by the trust. also, prior to that date but a small part of the valuable timber west of the rocky mountains had been brought under private ownership. but about this time the pioneer settlers began swarming over the pacific slope and taking the free government land as homesteads. as the timber land was taken up, floods of lumber from the pacific coast met the lumber of the trust on the great prairies. the lumber trust had looted the government land and the indian reservations in the middle states of their timber, and had almost full control of the prairie markets until the lumber of the pacific slope began to arrive. in lumber from the puget sound was sold in dakota for $ . per thousand feet, and it kept coming in a constantly increasing volume and of a better quality than the trust was shipping from the east. it was but natural that the trust should seek a means to stifle the constantly increasing competition from the homesteads of the west, and the means was found in the establishment of the national forest reserves. while the greater portion of north america was yet a wilderness, the giving of vast tracts of valuable land on the remote frontier to private individuals and companies could be accomplished. but at this time such a procedure would have been impossible, tho it was imperative for the life of the trust that the timber of the pacific slope should be withdrawn from the possibility of homestead entry. in order to carry out this scheme it was necessary to raise a cry of "benefit to the public" and make it appear that this new public policy was in the interest of future generations. the cry was raised that the public domain was being used for private gain, that the timber was being wastefully handled, that unnecessary amounts were being cut, that the future generations would find themselves without timber, that the watersheds were being denuded and that drought and floods would be the certain result, that the nation should receive a return for the timber that was taken, together with many other specious pleas. that the public domain was being used for private gain was in some instances true, but the vast majority of the timber land was being taken as homesteads, and thus taking the timber outside the control of the trust. that the timber was being wastefully handled was to some extent true, but this was inevitable in the development of a new industry in a new country, and so far as the pacific slope is concerned there is but little change from the methods of twenty years ago. that unnecessary amounts were being cut was sometimes true, but this served only to keep prices down, and from the standpoint of the trust was unpardonable on that account alone. the market is being supplied now as formerly, and with as much as it will take. the only means that has been used to restrict the amount cut has been to raise the price to about double what it was in . the denuding of the watersheds of the continent goes on today the same as it did twenty-five years ago, the only consideration being whether there is a market for the timber. some reforesting has been done, and some protection has been established for the prevention of fires, but these things have been much in the nature of an advertisement since the government has taken charge of the forests, and was done automatically by the homesteaders before the reserves were established. there has never been any restriction in the amount of timber that any company could buy, and the more it wanted, the better chance it had of getting it. the nation is receiving some return from the sale of timber from the government land, but it is in the nature of a division of the spoils from a raid on the homes of the landless. when the reserve were established, the secretary of the interior was empowered to "make rules and regulations for the occupancy and the use of the forests and preserve them from destruction." no attempt was made in the general land office to develop a technical forestry service. the purpose of the administration was mainly protection against trespass and fire. the methods of the administration were to see to it first that there were no trespassers. fire protection came later. when the reserves were established, people who were at the time living within their boundaries were compelled to submit the titles of their homesteads to the most rigid scrutiny, and many people who had complied with the spirit of the law were dispossessed on mere technicalities, while before the establishment of the reserve system the spirit of the compliance with the homestead law was mainly considered, and very seldom the technicality. and while the forestry service was examining all titles to homesteads within the boundaries of the reserve with the utmost care, the large lumbering companies were given the best of consideration, and were allowed all the timber they requested and a practically unlimited time to remove it. the system of dealing with the lumber trust has been most liberal on the part of the government. a company wanting several million feet of timber makes a request to the district office to have the timber of a certain amount and on a certain tract offered for sale. the forestry service makes an estimate of the minimum value of the timber as it stands in the tree and the amount of timber requested within that tract is then offered for sale at a given time, the bids to be sent in by mail and accompanied by certified checks. the bids must be at least as large as the minimum price set by the forestry service, and highest bidder is awarded the timber, on condition that he satisfies the forestry service that he is responsible and will conduct the logging according to rules and regulations. the system seems fair, and open to all, until the conditions are known. but among the large lumber companies there has never been any real competition for the possession of any certain tract of timber that was listed for sale by request. when one company has decided on asking for the allotment of any certain tract of timber, other companies operating within that forest seldom make bids on that tract. any small company that is doing business in opposition to the trust companies, and may desire to bid on an advertised tract, even tho its bid may be greater than the bid of the trust company, will find its offer thrown out as being "not according to the government specifications," or the company is "not financially responsible," or some other suave explanation for refusing to award the tract to the competing company. on the other hand, when a small company requests that some certain tract shall be listed for sale, it very frequently happens that one of the large companies that is commonly understood to be affiliated with the lumber trust will have a bid in for that tract that is slightly above that of the non-trust company, and the timber is solemnly awarded to "the highest bidder." when a company is awarded a tract of timber, the payment that is required is ten per cent of the purchase price at the time of making the award, and the balance is to be paid when the logs are on the landing, or practically when they can be turned into ready cash, thus requiring but a comparatively small outlay of money to obtain the timber. when the award is made, it is the policy of the forestry service to be on friendly terms with the customers, and the men who scale the logs and supervise the cutting are the ones who come into direct contact with the companies, and it is inevitable that to be on good terms with the foreman the supervision and scaling must be "satisfactory." forestry service men who have not been congenial with the foremen of the logging companies have been transferred to other places, and it is almost axiomatic that three transfers is the same as a discharge. the little work that is required of the companies in preventing fires is much more than offset by the fact that no homesteaders have small holdings within the area of their operations, either to interfere with logging or to compete with their small mills for the control of the lumber market. that the forest lands of the nation were being denuded, and that this would cause droughts and floods was a fact before the establishment of the reserves, and the fact is still true. where a logging company operates, the rule is that it shall take all the timber on the tract where it works, and then the forest guards are to burn the brush and refuse. a cleaner sweep of the timber could not have been made under the old methods. the only difference in methods is that where the forest guards now do the fire protecting for the lumber trust, the homesteaders formerly did it for their own protection. in january, , the forestry service issued a statement that the policy of the service for the kaniksu forest in northern idaho and northeastern washington would be to have all that particular reserve logged off and then have the land thrown open to settlement as homesteads. as the timber in that part of the country will but little more than pay for the work of clearing the land ready for the plow, but is very profitable where no clearing is required, it can be readily seen that the forestry service was being used as a means of dividing the fruit--the apples to the lumber trust, the cores to the landless homeseekers. one particular manner in which the government protects the large lumber companies is in the insurance against fire loss. when a tract has been awarded to a bidder it is understood that he shall have all the timber allotted to him, and that he shall stand no loss by fire. should a tract of timber be burned before it can be logged, the government allots to the bidder another tract of timber "of equal value and of equal accessibility," or an adjustment is made according to the ease of logging and value of the timber. in this way the company has no expense for insurance to bear, which even now with the fire protection that is given by the forestry service is rated by insurance companies at about ten per cent. of the value of the timber for each year. no taxes or interest are required on the timber that is purchased from the government. another feature that makes this timber cheaper than that of private holdings, is that to buy outright would entail the expense of the first cost of the land and timber, the protection from fire, the taxes and the interest on the investment. in addition to this there is always the possibility that some homesteader would refuse to sell some valuable tract that was in a vital situation, as holding the key to a large tract of timber that had no other outlet than across that tract. there has been as yet no dispute with the government about an outlet for any timber purchased on the reserves; the contract for the timber always including the proviso that the logging company shall have the right to make and use such roads as are "necessary," and the company is the judge of what is necessary in that line. the counties in which reserves are situated receive no taxes from the government timber, or from the timber that is cut from the reserves until it is cut into lumber, but in lieu of this they receive a sop in the form of "aid" in the construction of roads. in the aggregate this aid looks large, but when compared with the amount of road work that the people who could make their homes within what is now the forest reserves could do, it is pitifully small and very much in the nature of the "charity" that is handed out to the poor of the cities. it is the inevitable result of a system of government that finds itself compelled to keep watch and ward over its imbecile children. so in devious ways of fraud, graft, coercion, and outright theft, the bulk of the timber of the northwest has been acquired by the lumber trust at an average cost of less than twelve cents a thousand feet. in the states of washington and oregon alone, the northern pacific and the southern pacific railways, as allies of the weyerhouser interests of st. paul, own nearly nine million acres of timber; the weyerhouser group by itself dominating altogether more than thirty million acres, or an area almost equal to that of the state of wisconsin. the timber owned by a relatively small group of individuals is sufficient to yield enough lumber to build a six-room house for every one of the twenty million families in the united states. why then should conservation, or the threat of it, disturb the serenity of the lumber trust? if the government permits the cutting of public timber it increases the value of the trust holdings in multiplied ratio, and if the government withdraws from public entry any portion of the public lands, creating forest reserves, it adds marvelously to the value of the trust logs in the water booms. even forest fires in one portion of these vast holdings serve but to send skyward the values in the remaining parts, and by some strange freak of nature the timber of trust competitors, like the "independent" and co-operative mills, seems to be more inflammable than that of the "law-abiding" lumber trust. and so it happens that the government's forest policy has added fabulous wealth and prestige and power to the rulers of the lumber kingdom. but whether the timber lands were stolen illegally or acquired by methods entirely within the law of the land, the exploitation of labor was, and is, none the less severe. the withholding from labor of any portion of its product in the form of profits--unpaid wages--and the private ownership by individuals or small groups of persons, of timber lands and other forms of property necessary to society as a whole, are principles utterly indefensible by any argument save that of force. such legally ordained robbery can be upheld only by armies, navies, militia, sheriffs and deputies, police and detectives, private gunmen, and illegal mobs formed of, or created by, the propertied classes. alike in the stolen timber, the legally acquired timber, and in the government forest reserves, the propertyless lumberjacks are unmercifully exploited, and any difference in the degree of exploitation does not arise because of the "humanity" of any certain set of employers but simply because the cutting of timber in large quantities brings about a greater productivity from each worker, generally accompanied with a decrease in wages due to the displacement of men. with the development of large scale logging operations there naturally came a development of machinery in the industry. the use of water power, the horse, and sometimes the ox, gave way to the use of the donkey engine. this grew from a crude affair, resembling an over-sized coffee mill, to a machine with a hauling power equal to that of a small sized locomotive. later on came "high lead" logging and the flying machine, besides which the wonderful exploits of "paul bunyan's old blue ox" are as nothing. the overhead system was created as a result of the additional cost of hauling when the increased demand for a larger output of logs forced the erection of more and more camps, each new camp being further removed from the cities and towns. today its use is almost universal as there remains no timber close to the large cities, even the stumps having been removed to make room for farming operations. roughly the method of operation is to leave a straight tall tree standing near the logging track in felling timber. the machine proper is set right at the base of this tree, and about ninety feet up its trunk a large chain is wrapped to allow the hanging of a block. from this spar tree a cable, two inches in diameter, is stretched to another tree some distance in the woods. on this cable is placed what is known as a bicycle or trolley. various other lines run back and forth thru this trolley to the engine. at the end of one of these lines an enormous pair of hooks is suspended. these grasp the timber and convey it to the cars. [illustration: the flying machine as now used in western logging.] ten to twenty thousand feet of logs a day was the output of the old bull or horse teams. the donkey engine brought it to a point where from seventy-five to one hundred thousand could be turned out, and the steam skidder doubled the output of the donkey. ordinarily the crew for one donkey engine consists of from thirteen to fifteen men, sometimes even as high as twenty-five, but this number is reduced to nine or even lower with the introduction of the steam skidder. loggers claim that the high lead system kills and maims more men than the methods formerly in vogue, but be that as it may, the fact stands out quite plainly that as compared with a line horse donkey, operated with a crew of twenty-five men, the flying machine will produce enough lumber to mean the displacement of one hundred men. at the same time the sawmills of the old type have disappeared with their rotary or circular saws, dead rollers, and obsolete methods of handling lumber, and in their place is the modern mill with its band saw, shot-gun feed, steam nigger, live rollers, and resaw. nor do the mills longer turn out rough lumber to be re-handled by trained specialists and highly skilled carpenters with large and costly kits of intricate hand tools. relatively unskilled workers send forth the finished products, window sashes, doors, siding, etc., carpenters armed only with square, hammer and saw, and classed with unskilled labor, put these in place, and a complete house can be ordered by parcel post. as is usual with the introduction of new machinery and methods where the workers are not in control, the actual producers find that all these innovations force them to work at a higher rate of speed under more hazardous conditions for a lower rate of pay. it is true of all industry in the main, particularly true of the lumber industry, and the mills of everett and camps of snohomish county have no exceptions to test this rule. the story of everett has no hint of romance. some time in the late seventies the representatives of john d. rockefeller gained possession of a tract of land in western washington, on puget sound, about thirty miles north of seattle. the land was heavily timbered and water facilities made it a perfect site for mill and shipping purposes. the everett land company was organized, the tract was plotted, and the city of everett laid out. the leading streets, rockefeller, colby, hoyt, etc., were named for these early promoters. hewitt avenue was given the name of a man who is today recognized as the leading capitalist of the state of washington. even the building of those streets reflected no credit upon the city. the work was done by what amounted to convict labor. unemployed workers, even tho they were plentifully supplied with money, were arrested and without being allowed the alternative of a fine were set to work clearing, grading, planking and, later on, paving the streets. perhaps it is too much to expect freedom of speech to be allowed on slave-built streets. in their articles of incorporation the promoters reserved to themselves all right to the ownership and control of public utilities, such as water, light and power and street railway systems. a mortgage of $ , , was placed upon the property. after a time the company failed, the mortgage was foreclosed and the property purchased by rucker brothers. the everett improvement company was then organized with j. t. mcchesney as president. it held all rights to dispose of public utility franchises. the firm of stone & webster, the construction, light, heat, power and traction trust, secured franchises granting them the right to furnish light and power for the city of everett and also to operate the street railway system for years. the everett improvement company owns a dock lying to the south of the municipally owned city dock where the everett tragedy was staged. thru its alliances the shipping of everett is in the hands of the same group of capitalists that control all other public utilities. the waterworks was sold to the city but has remained in the hands of the same officials who were in charge when its title was a private one. everett operates under the commission form of government. the american national bank was organized with mcchesney as president. the only other bank of importance in everett was the first national. these two institutions consolidated with wm. c. butler as president and mcchesney as one of the directors. the everett savings and trust company was later organized, with the same stockholders and under the same management as the first national bank. the control of every public service corporation in everett is directly in the hands of these two banks, and, indirectly, thru loans to industrial corporations, they control both the lumber and the shingle mills of snohomish county in which everett is situated. everett, the "city of smokestacks," as its promoters have named it, is an industrial community of approximately , people. its main activities are the production of lumber and shingles, and shipping. the practically undiversified nature of its economic life binds all those engaged in the employment of labor into a common body. the owners of the lumber and shingle mills, the owners and officials of the banks where the lumber men do business, the lawyers representing the mills and the banks, the employers engaged in shipping lumber and supplies for the lumber industry, their lawyers and their bank connections, the owners of hardware stores that supply equipment for the mills and allied industries, all are united by common ties and common interests and they all support one policy. not only are they banded together against the wage workers but they also oppose the entrance of any kind of business that will in any way menace their rule. they arose almost as one in opposition to the entrance of the ship building industry into everett, despite the fact that it would add measurably to the general prosperity of the city, and with a full knowledge that their harbor offered wonderful natural facilities for that line of endeavor. in the face of an action that threatened their autocratic power their alleged "patriotism" vanished. in the everett commercial club was organized. in the month of december, , following a visit from a san francisco representative of the merchants and manufacturers' association, it was re-organized on the bureau plan as a stock concern. stock memberships were issued to employers and business houses and were subsequently distributed among the employers and their employes. memberships were doled out to persons who would be subservient to the wishes of the small group of capitalists representing the great corporate interests. w. w. blain, secretary of the commercial club, testified, under oath, that the everett improvement company took memberships, the first national bank took , the weyerhouser lumber company , the clough-hartley mill company , the jamison mill company , and other mills and allied industries also purchased memberships in bulk. organized labor, however, had no representation at the commercial club. there is nothing in the history of everett to suggest the usual spontaneous outgrowth of the honest endeavors of hardy pioneer settlers. from the first day the rockefeller interests set foot in the virgin forests of snohomish county up to the present time, the spirit of democracy has been crushed by the greed and cupidity of this small and powerful group. the struggle at everett was but one of the inevitable phases of the larger struggle that takes place when a class or group that has no property comes in contact with those who have monopolized the earth and its resources. it was no new, marvelous, isolated case of violence. it was the normal accompaniment of industry based upon the exploitation of wage workers, and was of one piece with the outbreak on the mesaba range, in bayonne, ludlow, paint creek, paterson, lawrence, san diego, fresno, spokane, homestead and in countless other places. all these apparently disconnected and sporadic uprisings of labor and the accompanying capitalist violence are joined together in a whole that spells wage slavery. as one of the manifestations of the class conflict, the everett tragedy cannot be considered apart from that age-long and world-wide struggle between the takers of profits and the makers of values. footnote: [ ] data on forest reserve taken from encyclopedia britannica articles by gifford pinchot. chapter ii. class war skirmishes "shingle-weaving is not a trade; it is a battle. for ten hours a day the sawyer faces two teethed steel discs whirling around two hundred times a minute. to the one on the left he feeds heavy blocks of cedar, reaching over with his left hand to remove the rough shingles it rips off. he does not, he cannot stop to see what his left hand is doing. his eyes are too busy examining the shingles for knot holes to be cut out by the second saw whirling in front of him. "the saw on his left sets the pace. if the singing blade rips fifty rough shingles off the block every minute, the sawyer must reach over to its teeth fifty times in sixty seconds; if the automatic carriage feeds the odorous wood sixty times into the hungry teeth, sixty times he must reach over, turn the shingle, trim its edge on the gleaming saw in front of him, cut out the narrow strip containing the knot hole with two quick movements of his right hand and toss the completed board down the chute to the packers, meanwhile keeping eyes and ears open for the sound that asks him to feed a new block into the untiring teeth. hour after hour the shingle weaver's hands and arms, plain, unarmored flesh and blood, are staked against the screeching steel that cares not what it severs. hour after hour the steel sings its crescendo note as it bites into the wood, the sawdust cloud thickens, the wet sponge under the sawyer's nose, fills with fine particles. if 'cedar asthma,' the shingle weaver's occupational disease, does not get him, the steel will. sooner or later he reaches over a little too far, the whirling blade tosses drops of deep red into the air, and a finger, a hand or part of an arm comes sliding down the slick chute."[ ] this description of shingle weaving was given by walter v. woehlke, managing editor of the sunset magazine, in an article which had as its purpose the justification of the murders committed by the everett mob, and it contains no over-statement. shingle weavers are set apart from the rest of the workers by their mutilated hands and the dead grey pallor of their cheeks. "the nature of a man's occupation, his daily working environment, marks in a large degree the nature of the man himself, and cannot help but mold the early years, at least, or his economic organization. men who flirt with death in their daily calling become inured to physical danger, they become contemptuous of the man whose calling fails to bring forth physical prowess. so do they in their organizations become irritated and contemptuous at the long-drawn-out process of bargaining, the duel of wits and brain power engaged in by the more conservative organizations to win working concessions. their motto becomes 'strike quick and strike hard,'* * *" so says e. p. marsh, president of the washington state federation of labor, in speaking of the shingle weavers.[ ] logging, no less than shingle weaving, is a dangerous occupation. the countless articles of wood in every-day use have claimed their toll of human blood. a falling tree or limb, a mis-step on the river, a faulty cable, a weakened trestle; each may mean a still and mangled form. time and again the loggers have organized to improve their working conditions only to find themselves beaten or betrayed. playing upon the natural desire of the woodsmen for organization, shrewd swindlers have formed unions which were nothing more than dues collection agencies. politicians have fathered organizations for their own purposes. unions built by the men themselves have fallen into the hands of officials who used them for selfish personal gain. over and over the employers have crushed the embryonic unions only to see them rise again with added strength. forced by the very necessities of their daily lives, the workers always returned to the fight with a new and better form of unionism. like the loggers, the shingle weavers were routed time and again, but their spirit never died. the everett shingle weavers formed their union as a result of a successful strike in . in they were strong enough to resist a proposed reduction of wages. in they struck in sympathy with the ballard weavers, and lost. within a year the defeated union was back as strong as before. by the international shingle weavers union had attained a membership of nearly , , the majority of whom were in accord with the industrial workers of the world. the question of affiliation with the i. w. w. was widely discussed and was only prevented from going to a referendum vote by the efforts of a few officials. further discussion of the question was excluded from the columns of their official organ, "the shingle weaver," by the ninth annual convention.[ ] following this slap in the face, the progressive members quit the union in large numbers, leaving affairs in the hands of conservative and reactionary elements. endeavors were made to negotiate contracts with the employers; and in the officials secured $ , from the american federation of labor and made a pretense at the organization of all workers in the woods and mills into one body. this was a move aimed at the forest and lumber workers of the i. w. w., which was feared alike by the employers and the craft union officials because of its new strength gained thru the affiliation of the brotherhood of timber workers in the southern states. instead of gaining ground by the move, the shingle weavers union lost in membership and subsequently claimed that industrial unionism was a failure in the lumber industry. the industrial depression of - found all unions in bad shape. employers used the army of unemployed as an axe to cut wages. in the spring of notice of a wage reduction was posted in the everett shingle mills. the weavers promptly struck. scabs, gunmen, injunctions, and violence followed. the strike failed, the wage reduction was made, but the men returned to work relying upon a "gentlemen's agreement" that the employers would voluntarily raise the wages of the shingle weavers when shingles again sold for what they were bringing before the depression. faith in agreements had gotten in its deadly work; the shingle weavers believed that the employers meant to keep their word. in the spring of shingles soared to a price higher than had prevailed for years, but the promised raise failed to materialize. with but a skeleton of an organization to back them, a handful of determined delegates met in seattle in april and decided to demand the restoration of the scale thruout the entire jurisdiction of the shingle weavers' union, setting may st as the date when the raise should take effect. at the time set, or shortly thereafter, most of the mills in the northwest paid the scale. everett, where the employers had given their "word of honor," refused the strikers' demand. the fight was on! the seaside shingle company, which held no membership in the commercial club, soon granted the raise. many of the other companies, notably the jamison mill, began the importation of scabs within the month. the cry of "outside agitators" was forgotten long enough to go outside in search of notorious gunmen and scab-herders. the slums, the hells of capitalism, were raked with a fine-toothed comb for degenerates with a record for lawless deviltry. the strikers threw out their picket line and the ever-present class war began to show itself in other than peaceful ways. during may, june and july the picket line had to be maintained in the face of strong opposition by the local authorities who were the pliant tools of the lumber trust. the ranks of the pickets were constantly being thinned by false arrest and imprisonment on every charge and no charge, until on august th there were but eighteen men on the picket line. on that particular morning the everett police searched the little handful of pickets in front of the jamison mill to make sure that they were unarmed, and when that fact was determined, they started the men across the narrow trestle bridge that extended over an arm of the bay. when the pickets were well out on the bridge, the imported thugs, some seventy in number, personally directed and urged on by their employer, neil jamison, poured in from either side, leaving no means of escape save that of making a thirty foot leap into the deep waters of the bay, and with brass knuckles and blackjacks made an attack upon the defenseless weavers. the pickets were unmercifully beaten. robert h. mills, business agent of the shingle weavers' union, was knocked down by one of the open-shop thugs and kicked in the ribs and face as he lay senseless in the roadway. from a vantage point, thoughtfully removed from the danger zone, the police calmly surveyed the scene. when darkness fell that night, the pickets, aided by irate citizens, returned to the attack with clubs and fists. the tables were turned. the "moral heroes" had their heads cracked. seeing that the scabs were thoroly whipped, the "guardians of the peace" rushed to the rescue with drawn revolvers. in the melee one union picket was shot thru the leg. about ten nights later, mr. jamison herded his scabs into military formation and after a short parade thru the main streets led them to the everett theater; the party being in appreciation of their "efficiency." this arrogant display incensed the strikers and citizens, and when the scabs emerged from the show a near-riot occurred. mills was present and altho too weak from his recent injuries to have taken any active part in the fray, he was arrested and thrown in jail in default of bail. the man who had murderously assaulted him at the mill swore out the complaint. mills was subsequently tried and acquitted on a charge of inciting to riot. nothing was done to his assailant. and in none of these acts of violence was the i. w. w. in any way a participant. during this period there existed a strike of longshoremen on the entire pacific coast, including the port of everett. the wrath of the employers fell heavily upon the riggers and stevedores because that body was not in sympathy with the idea of craft contracts or agreements, and because of the adoption by a large majority of a proposal to "amalgamate all the unions of the maritime transportation industry, between the warehouse at the shipping point and warehouse at the receiving point into one big powerful organization, meeting, thinking, and acting together at all times."[ ] the industrially united employers of the pacific coast did not relish the idea of the workers grouping themselves together along lines similar to those on which the owners were associated. the longshoremen's strike started on june st and was marked by more or less serious disorders at various points, most of the violence being precipitated by detectives placed in the unions by the employers. the tug boat men were also on strike in everett, particularly against the american tug boat company owned by captain harry ramwell. all of the unions on strike in everett were affiliated with the a. f. of l. striking longshoremen from seattle aided the shingle weavers on their picket line from time to time, and individual members of the i. w. w., holding duplicate cards in the a. f. of l. stood shoulder to shoulder with the strikers, but officially the i. w. w. had no part in any of the strikes. [illustration: one of the thousands who donate their fingers to the lumber trust. the trust compensated all with poverty and some with bullets on november , .] meanwhile in seattle the i. w. w. had planned to organize the forest and lumber workers on a scale never before attempted. calls for organizers had been coming in from the surrounding district and there were demands for a mass convention to discuss conditions in the industry. yet, strange as it may seem to those who do not know of the ebb and flow of labor unions, there were at that time less than half a hundred paid-up members in the seattle loggers branch, so great had been the depression from to . the conference was set for july th and five hundred logger delegates responded, representing nearly as many camps in the district. enthusiasm ran high! the assembled workers suggested the adoption of a plan of district organization along lines more in keeping with the modern trend of the lumber industry. the loggers' union, then known as local , ratified the actions of the conference. as a preliminary move it was decided that an organizer be secured to make a survey of the lumber situation in the surrounding territory. general headquarters in chicago was communicated with, james rowan was found to be available, and on july st he was sent to everett to find out the sentiment for industrial unionism at that point. that night rowan spoke on wetmore avenue fifty feet back from hewitt avenue, in compliance with the street regulations. no mention was made of local conditions as rowan had just come from another part of the country and was unaware that a shingle weavers strike was in progress. his speech consisted mainly of references to the industrial relations commission report, a pamphlet summarizing that report being the only literature offered for sale at the meeting. toward the end of his speech rowan declared: "the a. f. of l. believes in signing agreements with the employers. the craft unions regard these contracts as sacred. when one craft goes on strike the others are forced to remain at work. this makes the craft unions scab on each other." "you are a liar!" cried jake michel, an a. f. of l. representative, staunchly defending his organization. from an automobile near the edge of the crowd, donald mcrae, sheriff of snohomish county, called to michel: "jake, i will run that guy in if you say so." "i don't see any need to run him in;" remonstrated michel. "he hasn't said anything yet to run him in for." nevertheless mcrae, usurping the powers of the local police department, made rowan leave the platform and go with him to the county jail. mcrae was drunk. rowan was held for an hour. immediately upon his release he returned to the corner to resume his speech. police officer fox thereupon arrested him and took him to the city jail. he was thrown into a dark cell for refusing to do jail work, was taken into court next morning and absurdly charged with peddling without a license, was denied a jury trial, refused a postponement, not allowed a chance to secure counsel, and was sentenced to thirty days imprisonment with an alternative of leaving town. no ordinance against street speaking at wetmore and hewitt then existed. rowan chose to leave town. no time was set as to how long he was to remain away. he then left for bellingham and from there went to sedro-woolley. using an assumed name to avoid the blacklist he worked at the latter place for a short time to familiarize himself with job conditions, subsequently returning to everett. levi remick, a one-armed veteran of the industrial war, was next sent to everett on august th to act as temporary delegate. he interviewed a number of people and sold some literature. receiving orders to stop selling the pamphlets and papers, he inquired the price of a peddler's license and finding it prohibitive he returned to seattle to secure funds to open an office. a small hall was found at ½ hewitt avenue, a month's rent was paid, and on august th remick placed a sign in the window and started to sell literature and transact business for the i. w. w. the little hall remained open until late in august. migratory workers, strikers, and citizens generally, dropped in from time to time to ask about the organization or to purchase papers. solidarity and the industrial worker were particularly in demand, the latter paper having commenced publication in seattle on april st, . a number of everett citizens, desiring to hear a lecture by james p. thompson, who had spoken in everett without molestation in and in march and april of , made donations to remick sufficient to cover all expenses, and it was arranged that thompson speak on august nd. attempts to secure a hall met with failure; the halls of everett were closed to the i. w. w. the conspiracy against free speech and free assembly was on in earnest! no other course was left but to hold the proposed meeting on the street, so hewitt and wetmore, the spot where the salvation army and various religious and political bodies spoke almost nightly, was selected and the meeting advertised. early in the morning on the day before the scheduled meeting, sheriff mcrae, commanding a body of police officers over whom he had no official control, stormed into the i. w. w. hall and tore from the wall all bills advertising thompson's meeting, saying with an oath: "that man won't be allowed to speak in everett!" turning to remick and throwing back his coat to display the badge, he yelled: "i order you out of this town! get out by afternoon or you go to jail!" mcrae was drunk. stalking out as rapidly as his condition would permit he staggered down the street to a near-by pool hall where the order was repeated to the men assembled therein. these, with other workingmen, in all were rounded up, seized, roughly questioned, searched, and all those who had no families or property in everett were forcibly deported. that night ten more were taken from the shingle weaver's picket line and sent out of town without due process of law. treatment of this kind became general. "not a man in overalls is safe!" declared the secretary of the everett building trades council. "men just off the job with their pay checks in their pocket have been unceremoniously thrown out of town just because they were workingmen."[ ] remick closed the little hall and left for seattle the next morning to place the question of the thompson meeting before the seattle membership. shortly before noon rowan, who had just returned to everett, went to the hall and finding it closed and locked he proceeded to open it up. within a few minutes sheriff mcrae, in company with police officer fox, entered the place and ordered rowan to leave town by two o'clock. he then tore up the balance of the advertising matter for the thompson meeting. mcrae was drunk. rowan went to seattle, where the report of this occurrence made the members more determined than ever to hold the meeting that night. with about twenty other members of the i. w. w., thompson went to everett. the salvation army was holding services on the corner. placing his platform even further back from the street intersection thompson waited until the army had concluded and then commenced his lecture. using the industrial relations commission report as the basis of his talk, he spoke for about twenty minutes without interruption. then a body of fifteen policemen marched down the street and swung into the crowd. the officer in charge stepped up to thompson and requested him to go to see the chief of police at the police station. after addressing a few remarks to the crowd thompson withdrew from the platform. his place was taken at once by rowan, who was immediately dragged from the stand and turned over to the same officer who had charge of thompson and his wife. mrs. edith frennette then spoke briefly and called for a song. the audience responded with "the red flag," but meanwhile mrs. frennette and mrs. lorna mahler had been placed under arrest. in succession several others attempted to speak but were pulled or pushed off the stand. the police then formed a circle by holding hands around those who were close to the platform. one by one the citizens were allowed to slip outside the "ring-around-a-rosy" until only "desperadoes" were left. these made no effort to resist arrest, and were started toward the city jail. the officer entrusted with thompson was so interested in his captive that rowan was able to quietly remove himself from the scene, returning to the street corner where he spoke for more than half an hour before being rearrested. aroused by this invasion of liberty, mrs. letelsia fye, an everett citizen, arose to recite the declaration of independence, but even that proved too revolutionary for the tools of the lumber trust. a threatening move on the part of the police brought back the thought of her two unprotected children and caused her to cease her efforts to declare independence in everett. "is there a red-blooded man in the audience who will take the stand?" called out the gallant little woman as she stepped from the platform. jake michel promptly accepted the challenge and was as promptly suppressed by the police at the first mention of free speech. in the jail the arrested persons were searched one by one and thrown into the "receiving tank." when thompson's turn came, commissioner of public safety, as chief of police kelly was known under everett's form or government, said to him: "mr. thompson, i don't want to lock you up." "that's interesting," replied thompson. "why have you got me down here?" "we don't want you to speak on the street at this time." "have you any ordinance against it, that is, have i broken any law?" enquired thompson. "oh no, no. that isn't the idea," rejoined kelly. "we have strikes on, labor troubles here, and we don't want you to speak here at all. you are welcome at any other time, but not now." "well," said thompson, "as a representative of labor, when labor is in trouble is the time i would like to speak, but i am not going to advocate anything that i think you could object to." "now, thompson," said kelly, "if you will agree to get right out of town i will let you go. i don't want to lock you up." "do you believe in free speech?" asked thompson. "yes." "and i am not arrested?" "no, you are not arrested." "come up to the meeting then," thompson said with a smile, "for i am going back and speak." "oh no, you are not!"--and kelly kind of laughed. "no, you are not!" "if you let me go i will go right up to the corner and speak, and if you send me out of town i will come back," said thompson emphatically. "i don't know what you are going to do, but that's how i stand." "lock him up with the rest!" was the abrupt reply of the "commissioner of public safety." at this juncture james rowan was brought in from the patrol wagon, and searched. as the officers were about to put him in the cell with the others, sheriff mcrae called out: "don't put him in there, he is instigator of the whole damn business. turn him over to me." he then took rowan in his automobile to the county jail and threw him in a cell, along with b. e. peck, who had previously been given a "floater" out of town for having spoken on the street on or about august th. mcrae was drunk. more than half a thousand indignant citizens followed the twenty-one arrested persons to the jail, loudly condemning the outrage against their constitutional rights. editor h. w. watts, of the northwest worker, a union and socialist paper published in everett, forcibly expressed his opinion of the suppression of free speech and was thereupon thrown into jail. fearing a serious outbreak, michel secured permission to address the people surrounding the jail. the crowd, upon receiving assurances from michel that the men would be well treated and could be seen in the morning, quietly dispersed and returned to their homes. the free speech prisoners were charged with vagrancy on the police blotter, but no formal charge was ever made, nor were they brought to trial. next morning, thompson and his wife, who had return tickets on the interurban, were deported by rail, together with herbert mahler, secretary of the seattle i. w. w. mrs. mahler, mrs. frennette and the balance of the prisoners were taken to the city dock and deported by boat. at the instigation of mcrae, and without a court order, the sum of $ . was seized from the personal funds of james orr and turned over to the purser of the boat to pay the fares of the deportees to seattle. protests against this legalized robbery were of no avail; the amount of the fares was never repaid. mayor merrill of everett, replying to a letter from mahler, promised that this money would be refunded to orr. his word proved to be as good as that of the everett shingle mill owners. prominent members of the commercial club lent civic dignity to the deportation by their profane threats to use physical force in the event that any of the deported prisoners dared to return. upon their arrival in seattle the deported men conferred with other members of the union, telling of the beating some of them had received while in jail, and as a result there was organized a free speech committee composed of sam dixon, dan emmett and a. e. soper. telegrams were then sent to general headquarters, to solidarity and to various branches of the organization, notifying them of what had happened. at a street meeting that night, mrs. frennette, mrs. mahler and james p. thompson, gave the workers the facts and collected over $ . for the committee to use in its work. in everett the labor council passed a resolution stating that the unions there were back of the battle for free speech and condemning mcrae and the authorities for their illegal actions. the free speech fight was on! remick, in the meantime, had returned to everett and found that all the literature had been confiscated from the hall. the day following his return, august th, sheriff mcrae blustered into the hall with a police officer in his train. leering at remick he exclaimed: "you god damn son of a b----, are you back here again? get on your coat and get into that auto!" seizing an i. w. w. stencil that was lying on the table he tore it to shreds. "if anybody asks who tore that up,"--bombastically--"tell them sheriff mcrae tore it!" shoving remick into the automobile with the remark that jail was too easy for him and they would therefore take him to the interurban and deport him, the sheriff drove off to make good his threat. mcrae was drunk. on the corner that night, harry feinberg spoke to a large audience and was not molested. that this was due to no change of policy on the part of the lumber trust tools was shown when secretary herbert mahler went to everett the following day in reference to the situation. he was met at the depot by sheriff mcrae who asked him what he had come to everett for. "to see the mayor," answered mahler. "anything you have to say to the mayor, you can say to me," was mcrae's rejoinder. after a brief conversation mahler was deported to seattle by the same car on which he had made the trip over. mcrae was drunk. f. w. stead reopened the hall on the th and managed to hold it down for a couple of days. three speakers appeared and spoke that night. j. a. macdonald, editor of the industrial worker, opened the meeting. george reese spoke next, but upon commencing to advocate the use of violence he was pulled from the platform by harry feinberg, who concluded the meeting. no arrests were made. it was during this period that secretary herbert mahler addressed a letter to governor ernest lister, informing him of the state of lawlessness existing in everett. a second letter was sent to mayor merrill and in it was enclosed a copy of the letter to lister. no reply was received to the communication. for a time following this there was no interference with street meetings. feinberg spoke without molestation on monday night and dan emmett opened up the hall once more. on tuesday evening, the same night as the theater riot, thompson addressed an audience of thousands of everett citizens, giving them the facts of the arrests made the previous week, and advising the workers against the use of violence in any disputes with employers. after having been held by mcrae for eight days without any commitment papers, rowan was turned over to the city police and released on september st. he returned to the street corner and spoke for several succeeding nights including "labor day" which fell on the th. incidentally he paid a visit to the home of jake michel and, after industrial unionism was more fully explained, michel agreed that the craft union contract system forced scabbery upon the workers. rowan left shortly thereafter for anacortes to find out the sentiment for organization in that section. this period of comparative peace was due to the fact that the lumber barons realized that their actions reflected no credit upon themselves or their city and they wished to create a favorable impression upon federal mediator blackman who was in everett at the request of u. s. commissioner of labor wilson. it was during this time, too, that the protagonists of the open shop were secretly marshalling their forces for a still more lawless and brutal campaign. affairs gradually slipped from the hands of the everett authorities into the grasp of those snohomish county officials who were more completely dominated by the lumber interests. "tom," remarked jake michel one day to chief of police kelley, "it seems funny that you can't handle the situation." "i can handle it all right," replied kelley, bitterly, "but mcrae has been drunk around here for the last two or three weeks and he has butted into my business." it was on august th that the lumber trust definitely stripped the city officials of all power and turned affairs over to the sheriff. on this point a quotation from the industrial relations commission report is particularly illuminating in showing a common industrial condition: "free speech in informal and personal intercourse was denied the inhabitants of the coal camps. it was also denied public speakers. union organizers would not be permitted to address meetings. periodicals permitted in the camps were censored in the same fashion. the operators were able to use their power of summary discharge to deny free press, free speech, and free assembly, to prevent political activities for the suppression of popular government and the winning of political control. +i find that the head of the political machinery is the sheriff.+" in everett the sheriff's office was controlled by the commercial club and the commercial club in turn was dominated, thru an inner circle, by the lumber trust. acting for the trust a small committee meeting was held on the morning of the th with the editor of a trust-controlled newspaper, the secretary of the commercial club, two city officials, a banker and a lumber trust magnate in attendance. a larger meeting of those in control met in the afternoon and, pursuant to a call already published in the everett herald, several hundred scabs, gunmen, and other open shop advocates were brought together that night at the commercial club. commissioner of finance, w. h. clay, suggested that as federal mediator blackman, an authority on labor questions, was in the city it might be well to confer with him regarding a settlement. banker moody said he did not think a conference would be advisable as mr. blackman might be inclined to lean toward the side of the laboring men, and at a remark by "governor" clough, formerly governor of minnesota and spokesman for the mill owners, to the effect that there was nothing to be settled the suggestion was not considered further. h. d. cooley, special counsel for a number of the mills, governor clough, a prominent mill owner, and others then addressed the meeting in furtherance of the plans already laid. clough asked mcrae if he could handle the situation. mcrae said he did not have enough deputies. "swear in the members of the commercial club, then!" demanded clough. this was done. nearly two hundred of the men whose membership had been paid for by the mill owners "volunteered" their services. mcrae swore in a few and then, for the first time in his life, found swearing a difficulty, so w. w. blain, secretary of the commercial club, who was neither a city nor a county official, administered the remainder of such oaths as were taken by the deputies. the whole meeting was illegal. from time to time the deputy force was added to until it ran way up in the hundreds. it was divided into sections a, b, c, etc. each division was assigned to a special duty, one to watch incoming trains for free speech advocates, another to watch the boats for i. w. w. members, and others for various duties such as deporting and beating up workers. this marked the beginning of a reign of terror during which no propertyless worker or union sympathizer was safe from attack. about this same time the commercial club made a pretense of investigating the shingle weavers' strike. not one of the strikers was called to give their side of the controversy, and j. g. brown, international president of the shingle weavers' union, was refused permission to testify. the committee claimed that the employers could not pay the wages asked. an adverse report was returned and was adopted by the club. attorneys e. c. dailey, robert fassett, and george loutitt, along with a number of other fair minded members who did not favor the open shop program, withdrew from membership on account of these various actions. their names were placed on the bulletin board and a boycott advised. feeling against the organization responsible for the chaotic conditions in everett finally became so strong that practically all of the merchants whose places were not mortgaged or who were not otherwise dependent upon the whims of the lumber barons, posted notices in their windows, "we are not members of the commercial club." their names, too, were placed on the bulletin board, and the boycott and other devices used in an endeavor to force them into bankruptcy. prior to these occurrences and for some time thereafter, the club was addressed by emissaries of the open shop interests. a. l. veitch, special counsel for the merchants' and manufacturers' association, on one occasion addressed the deputies on labor troubles in san francisco and the methods used to handle them. veitch was later one of the attorneys in the case against thomas h. tracy, and he was employed by the state, it being stipulated that he receive no state compensation. h. d. cooley, lumber mill lawyer and former prosecuting attorney, also spoke at different times on the open shop questions. cooley was likewise an attorney for the prosecution in the tracy case and he, like veitch, was retained by "interested parties." cooley was one of the anti-union speakers at a meeting of the deputies which was also addressed by f. c. beach, of san francisco, president of the m. & m., robert moody, president of the first national bank of everett, governor clough, mill magnate, f. k. baker, president of the commercial club, and col. roland h. hartley, open shop candidate for the nomination as governor of washington at the pending election. leigh irvine, of seattle, secretary of the employers' association, and murray, president of the national association of manufacturers, were also active in directing the destinies of the commercial club. a special open shop committee was formed, the nature of its operations being apparent when the following two quotations from its minutes, taken from among others of similar purport, are considered: "decided to go after advertisements in labor journals and the northwestern worker."[ ] "matter of how far to go on open shop propaganda at the deputies meeting this morning was discussed. also the advisability of submitting pledges. mr. moody to take up matter of the legality of pledges with mr. coleman. note: at deputies meeting all speakers touched quite strongly on the open shop, and as far as it was possible to see all in attendance seemed favorable."[ ] just how far they finally did go is a matter of history. at the time, however, there were appropriations made for the purchase of blackjacks, leaded clubs, guns and ammunition, and for the employment of detectives, labor spies, and "agents provocateur."[ ] [illustration: joe (red) doran capt. jack mitten the launch wanderer.] footnotes: [ ] sunset magazine, february . "the i. w. w. and the golden rule." [ ] supplemental report on "everett's industrial warfare," by president ernest p. marsh to state federation of labor convention held at everett, wash., from january to , . [ ] vol. , no. , the shingle weaver, special convention number, february, . [ ] proposition no. , submitted to referendum of membership of pacific coast district i. l. a., riggers and stevedores local , at their annual election on jan. , . [ ] dreamland rink meeting, seattle, nov. th, over , in attendance. [ ] minutes of open shop committee, sept. th. [ ] minutes of open shop committee, october . [ ] the incidents of the foregoing chapter are corroborated by the sworn testimony of prosecution witnesses donald mcrae, sheriff of snohomish county; and d. d. merrill, mayor of everett; and by witnesses called by the defense, w. w. blain, secretary of the commercial club: j. g. brown, international president of the shingle weavers' union; w. h. clay, commissioner of finance in everett; robert faussett, everett attorney; harry feinberg, one of the defendants; mrs. letelsia fye, everett citizen; jake michel, secretary everett building trades council; herbert mahler, secretary seattle i. w. w. and subsequently secretary of the everett prisoners' defense committee; robert mills, business agent everett shingle weavers' union; james orr, and levi remick, i. w. w. members; james rowan, i. w. w. organizer; and james p. thompson, national organizer for the i. w. w. and a speaker of international reputation. chapter iii. a reign of terror no sooner had mediator blackman left everett than the "law and order" forces resumed their hostilities with a bitterness and brutality that seems almost incredible. on september th mrs. frennette, h. shebeck, bob adams, j. johnson, j. fred, and dan emmett were dragged from the platform at hewitt and wetmore avenues and were literally thrown into their cells. next morning mrs. frenette was released but the men were "kangarood" for days each. petty abuses were heaped upon them and johnson was cast into the "black hole" by the sheriff. some of the men were severely beaten just before their release a few days afterward. when fred reed and james dwyer were arrested the next night for street speaking, the crowd of everett citizens, in company with the few i. w. w. members present, followed the deputies to the county jail, demanding the release of reed, dwyer and peck, and those who had been arrested the night before. in its surging to and from the crowd pushed over a post-rotted picket fence that had been erected in the early days of everett. this violence, together with cries of "you've got the wrong bunch in jail! let those men out and put the 'bulls' in!" was the basis from which the trust-owned press built up a story of a riot and attempted jail delivery. on the same flimsy basis a warrant was issued charging mrs. frennette with inciting a riot. the free speech committee sent john berg to everett that same day to retain an attorney for the men held without warrants. he secured the services of e. c. dailey, and, while waiting to learn the result of the lawyer's efforts, he went to the i. w. w. hall only to find it closed. a man was there waiting to get his blankets to go to work and berg volunteered to get them for him. he then went to the county jail and asked for mcrae. when mcrae came in and learned that berg wanted to see the secretary in order to get the keys to the hall, he yelled out: "you are another i. w. w. throw him in jail, the old son-of-a-b----!" without having any charges placed against him, berg was held until the next morning, when mcrae and a deputy took him out in a roadster to a lonely spot on the county road. forcing him to dismount, mcrae ordered berg to walk to seattle under threats of death if he returned, and then knocked berg down and kicked him in the groin as he lay prostrate. mcrae was drunk. berg subsequently developed a severe rupture as a result of this treatment. he managed to make his way to seattle and in spite of his condition returned to everett that same night. undaunted by their previous deportations, and determined to circumvent the deputies who were seizing men from the railroad trains and regular boats, a body of free speech fighters, on september th, took the train to mukilteo, a village about four miles from everett, and there, by pre-arrangement, were taken aboard the launch "wanderer." the little boat would not hold the entire party and six men were towed behind in a large dory. there were first class life preservers on board, the captain borrowing some to supplement his equipment. when the "wanderer" reached a point about a mile and a half from the weyerhouser dock a boat was seen approaching. it was the scab tug "edison," belonging to the american tugboat company. on board was captain harry ramwell, sheriff mcrae and a body of about sixty deputies. when the "edison" was about feet away the sheriff commenced shooting--but let captain jack mitten tell his own story. "the first shot went over the bow. i don't know whether there was one or two shots fired, then there was a shot struck right over my head onto the big cast iron muffler. the next shot came on thru the boat,--i had my bunk strapped up against the wall,--and thru the blanket,--and the cotton in the blanket turned the bullet,--and it struck flat on the bottom of the bunk. "i shut the engine down and went out to the stern door and just as i stepped out there was a shot went right by my head and at the same time mcrae hollered out and says 'you son-of-a-b--, you come over here!' says i, "if you want me, you come over here." with that they brought their boat and my boat up together. six shots in all were fired. "mcrae commenced to take the people off the boat and when he had them all off he kicked the pilot house open and says, 'oho, there is a woman here!' mrs. frennette was sitting in the pilot house. anyhow, they took her and he says, 'you'll get a one piece suit on mcneil's island for this,' and then he says to cap ramwell--cap ramwell was sitting on the side--'this is oscar lindstrom, drag him along too.' "then they were going to make fast the line--they had made fast my stern line--and as i bent over with the line mcrae struck me with his revolver on the back of the head, and when i straightened up he struck me in here, a revolver about that long. (indicating.) i said something to him and then he ran the revolver right in here in my groin and he ruptured me at the same time. i told him 'it's a fine way of using a citizen.' he says, 'you're a hell of a citizen, bringing in a bunch like that,' he says, 'to cause a riot in this town.' i says, 'well, they are all union men anyway.' he says, 'you shut your damn head or i will knock it clean off!' and i guess he would, because he had whiskey enough in him at the time to do it. "there was a small man, i believe they call him miller, he saw him standing there and he says, 'you here, too?' and he hauled off and struck him in the temple and the blood flowed way down over his face and shirt. he struck him again and staggered him. if he hadn't struck him so he would have gone inboard, he would have gone over the edge, close to the edge. "then there was a man by the name of berg, it seemed he knowed john berg. he said, 'you ----, i will fix you so you will never come back!' and then he went at berg, but berg was foxy and kept ducking his head. he rapped him on the shoulders two or three different times, i wouldn't say how often, but he didn't draw blood on berg. (an i. w. w. member named kurgvel was also beaten on the head and shoulders.) "they drove us all in alongside of the boiler between the decks, down on the main deck of the "edison" and kept us there till they docked and got automobiles and the patrol wagon and filed us off into them and took us to jail." the arrest of captain mitten and acting engineer oscar lindstrom made twenty-one prisoners in all, and these were jailed without any charge being placed against them. as berg was taken into the jail, mcrae cursed him roundly, ordering two deputies to hold him while a beating was administered over the shoulders and back with a leather strap loaded with lead on the tip. the men were treated with great brutality within the jail. one young fellow was asked by the deputies, "are you an i. w. w.?" and each time the lad answered "yes!" he was thrown violently against the steel walls of the cell, until his body was a mass of bruises. mitten was denied a chance to communicate with his everett friends in order to get bail. the nights were cold and the prisoners had to sleep on the bare floor without blankets. at the end of nine days all the men were offered their liberty except mitten. they promptly refused the offer. "all or none!" was their indignant demand, and peck and mitten were set at liberty with the rest as a result of this show of solidarity. upon his release captain mitten found that the life preservers had been stolen from his boat, and the flattened bullet removed from his bunk. scotty fife, the port captain of the american tugboat company, told captain mitten that he had straightened up the things on the "wanderer!" thus to the crimes of unlawful arrest, false imprisonment, theft, deportation, assault and physical injury, the lumber trust added that of piracy on the high seas. and all this was but a taste of what was yet to come! organizer james rowan returned to everett from anacortes on the afternoon of september th and was met at the depot by three deputies who promptly took him to the county jail. there were at that time between thirty and forty other members of the i. w. w. being unlawfully held. rowan learned that these men had been taken from their cells one at a time and beaten by the deputies, thorne and dunn having especially severe cuts on the face and head. rowan's story of the outrage that followed gives a glimpse of the methods employed by the lumber trust. "as soon as i dropped off the train at everett i was met by three deputies. one of them told me the sheriff wanted to see me and i asked if he was a deputy. he said, 'yes,' and showed me a badge. then i went up with two of the deputies to the county jail. in a minute or two sheriff mcrae came in and he was pretty drunk. he caught hold of me and gave me a yank forward, and he says, 'so you are back, eh?' and i says 'yes.' and he says 'we are going to fix you so you won't come back any more.' there was some more abusive talk and then i was searched and put in a cell. "just after dark that night i was taken out of the cell, my stuff was given back, and mcrae says, 'we are going to start you on the road to seattle.' with a deputy he took me out to the automobile and mcrae drove the automobile, and we had some conversation. mcrae seemed to feel very sore because i told the people on the street that the jail was lousy, and he says 'we wanted you to get out of here and you would not do it, and now,' he says, 'now instead of dealing with officers you have to deal with a bunch of boob citizens, and there is no telling what these boobs will do.' there was more talk that is not worth repeating and most of it not fit to repeat anyhow. "we went out in the country until we came to where the road crosses the interurban tracks about two miles from silver lake and mcrae told me to get out. he then pointed down the track and says, 'there is the road to seattle and you beat it!' so i started down the track. "i hadn't gone far, maybe or yards, when i met a bunch of gunmen. they came at me with guns. they had clubs and they started to beat me up on the head with the butts of their guns and with the clubs. they all had handkerchiefs over their face except one. they threw a cloth over my head and beat me some more on the head with their gun butts and then they dragged me thru the fence at the right-of-way and went a little ways back into the woods. then they held me down over a log about eighteen inches or two feet in diameter. there were about a dozen of them i would say. two or three held each arm and two or three each leg and there were four or five of them holding guns around my ribs--they had the guns close around my ribs all the time, several of them--and they tore my clothes off, tore my shirt and coat off. then one of them beat me on the back, on the bare back with some kind of a sap, i don't know just what kind it was, but i could hear him grunt every time he was going to strike a blow. i was struck fifty times or more. "after he got thru beating me they went back to the fence toward the road and i picked up my scattered belongings and went down to silver lake, taking the first car to seattle." [illustration: organizer james rowan; showing his back lacerated by lumber trust thugs.] rowan exhibited his badly lacerated and bruised back to several prominent seattle citizens, and then had a photograph made, which was widely circulated. contrary to the expectation of the lumber barons this treatment did not deter free speech fighters from carrying on the struggle. instead, it brought fresh bodies of free speech enthusiasts to the scene within a short period. the personnel of the free speech committee changed continually because of the arrest of its members. on sunday, september th, at a mass meeting in seattle harry feinberg and william roberts were elected to serve. roberts had just come down from port angeles and desired to investigate conditions at first hand, so in company with feinberg he went to everett on the th. they met jake michel, who telephoned to chief of police kelley for permission to hold a street meeting. "i have no objection to this meeting," replied kelley, "but wait a minute, you had better call up mcrae and find out." attempts to reach mcrae at the commercial club and the sheriff's office met with failure. meanwhile feinberg had gone ahead with the meeting, the following being his sworn statement of what transpired: "i went to everett at : monday night. i got a box and opened a meeting for the i. w. w. there must have been three thousand people on the corner, against buildings and looking out of the windows. "i spoke about minutes, with the crowd boisterous in their applause. three companies of deputies and vigilantes, about one hundred and fifty thugs in all, marched down the street and divided up in three companies. one of the deputies came up and told me he wanted me and grabbed me off the box. "they took me up to the jail, took my description, and my money and valuables, which were not returned. by that time fellow worker roberts was brought in. a drunken deputy came in and grabbed me by the coat and dragged me out of the jail, with the evident permission of the officers. the vigilantes proceeded to beat me up on the jail steps. there were anyway fifty deputies waiting outside and all of them crowded to get a chance to hit me. they gave me a chance to get away finally and shot after me, or in the air, i could not tell which, but i was not hit by the bullets." the sworn statement of william roberts corroborated the foregoing: "i took the box after fellow worker feinberg had been arrested. the crowd were extreme in their hostility to the lawlessness of the officers. i told them to keep cool, that the i. w. w. would handle the situation, in their own time and way. they arrested me, and, right there, they clubbed me on the head. they brought me to the jail, where feinberg was at the desk. they took me out of the jail and threw me into the bunch of vigilantes with clubs. they started beating me around the body. one of them said: 'do anything, but don't kill him!' "finally one of them hit me on the head and i came out of it and as i was getting away they shot in the air. a bunch of them then jumped into an automobile, came after me and again clubbed me. one of them knocked me out for ten minutes, according to one of the women who were watching. "while we were in the jail, two men we did not know were brought into the jail with their heads cut open. the vigilantes were clubbing women right and left, and a young girl, about eight years of age, had her head cut open by one of sheriff mcrae's commercial club tools." roberts ran down the street to the interurban depot, where he hid behind a freight car until just before the car left for seattle. feinberg, with his face and clothing covered with blood, got on the same car about a mile and a half from everett and the two returned to seattle. john ovist, a resident of mukilteo who had joined the i. w. w. in everett on labor day, got on the box and said, "fellow comrades----" but got no further. he was knocked from the box. ovist states: "mr. henig was standing alongside of me when sheriff mcrae came up and cracked him over the forehead with a club. i don't know what else happened to him for just then sheriff mcrae came in front of me and pushed the fellow off the box. when the two fellows were arrested i started to speak and mcrae took me and turned me over to one of them--i don't know what you call them--deputies, or whatever they are. he had a white handkerchief around his neck and he took me toward the county jail. there was a policeman standing in front of the jail. if i am not mistaken his name is ryan, a short heavy-set fellow. i walked by him. of course, i never thought he was going to hit me, but i felt something over behind. he hit me with a club behind the ear and cut my head until it was bleeding awful." "when we came to the county jail, henig, he was in there already. his face was red and he was full of blood. and they took us into the toilet to have us wash the blood off, and when i came back i heard screams and pounding. "then the sheriff recognized me, he had been down in mukilteo before, and he says, 'what are you doing up here?' i said, 'well, i didn't come up here, they brought me up here.' he says, 'you are a member of the i. w. w., too.' so i told him, 'i don't see why i should come and ask you what organization i should belong to!' so he opened the gate and says, 'here is a fellow from mukilteo,' he says. 'beat it!' and i seen, i guess--a hundred and fifty or maybe two hundred, i didn't have time to count them, right out back of the jail lined up in lines on either side. and i had to run between them and come out the other end. they banged me on the head with clubs, and all over. i looked bad and i felt worse. i had blue marks on my shoulders and on my hips and under my knees. "i got thru them and there was a couple ran after me, but i beat it ahead of them. i guess they intended to club me. i ran down to that depot where the electric car goes thru to seattle and then i turned to look around because the car was at hewitt and colby, and as i went down the walk two men stopped me and asked me if i hadn't had enough. they told me to beat it, and as i turned around the same policeman, ryan, i think his name is, hit me on the forehead and then pulled his gun and said, 'beat it!' he was drunk and they were all swearing at me. "after i got a block or so, there were two or three shots. i walked two more blocks and then was so dizzy i had to rest. finally i walked further and an automobile came past me and i tried to holler but they didn't hear me. and then i walked a little further and the stage came along and they picked me up." eye witnesses declared that officer daniels was one of those who fired shots at the fleeing men after they had been forced to run the gauntlet. frank henig, an everett citizen, tells what happened in these words: "i will start from the time i left the house. my wife and i, and the little baby were going to the show. when we got on wetmore there was a big crowd standing there. i had worked the night before in the mill and i had cedar asthma, so i said to my wife, 'i would like to stay out in the fresh air,' and she said, 'all right, i will meet you at nine o'clock at wetmore and hewitt.' "there was quite a crowd and i got up pretty close in front so i could hear the speaker. i stood there a little while and finally the sheriff came along with a bunch of deputies, and the speaker said, 'here they come, but now people, i will tell you, don't start anything, let them start it.' "they took him off the box and arrested a couple of others with him, and then immediately after that the commercial club deputies came along in a row. they had white handkerchiefs around their necks. so i looked out there and the crowd commenced to yell and cheer like, and mcrae got excited and started toward me, saying, 'we have been looking for you before.' when he said that i stopped--before that i had tried to get farther back--i stopped and he got hold of me. meanwhile commissioner kelley came up and took care of me and mcrae walked away a little way. kelley had hold of my right arm and he pinched me a little bit, and i said 'let go kelley and i will go with you.' "we stood there a few minutes longer and mcrae came back. kelley said 'come along with me,' and just as i said 'all right,' mcrae grabbed me by the coat and hit me on the head with a black club fastened to his strap with a leather thong. i was looking right at him and he knocked me unconscious. then kelley picked me up and shook me and i came to again, and i fell over the curb of the sidewalk. "kelley then turned me over to daniels, a policeman in everett, and he turned me over to a couple of commercial club deputies. then fred luke came along and said, 'i will take care of him.' so we walked a little ways and he said, 'you better go to the doctor and have that dressed.' i said to him, 'oh, i guess it ain't so bad,' and so he said, 'come along with me and we will wash up at the jail.' i said, 'all right,' and while i was going up the steps to the jail, why a policeman by the name of bryan or something like that,--a little short fellow, well anyhow he got canned off the force for being drunk, that is how i heard of him,--when i was kind of slow walking along because i was bleeding pretty bad, he said, 'hurry up and get in there, you low-down, dirty son-of-a-b----' and i answered, 'i guess i ain't arrested, i don't have to hurry in there.' so he cursed some more. "i went into the jail and washed up and came back into the office of the county jail. the fellows that they had arrested were sitting in the chairs and mcrae came in and grabbed one of the i. w. w.'s--i guess they were i. w. w.'s, anyway one of them that was arrested--and he says, 'what in hell are you doing up here, don't you know i told you to keep away from here?' and while he was going in the door into the back office i saw him haul off with his sap, but i don't see him hit him, but the little fellow cried like a baby. "mcrae came back and he looked at me and said, 'what in hell are you doing up here?' i didn't know what to say for a little while and then i said, 'i didn't do nothing, mac, i don't see what you wanted to sap me for.' and he said, 'i didn't sap you,' he said, 'kelley hit you.' then i said to him, 'my wife says for me to meet her down at the corner of wetmore and hewitt at nine o'clock and i would like to go down there and meet her.' so he said, 'all right, you go; you hurry and go.' i was going out the front door and he said, 'no, don't go out there. if you go out there, they will kill you!' he led me to the back door of the jail, i don't know where it was, i never was in jail in my life before, and he said, 'hurry and beat it, and pull your hat down over your head so they wont know you.' but when i got to town everybody knew, because there was blood still running all over my face after i washed up." henig endeavored to prosecute mcrae for his illegal and unwarranted assault but all attempts to secure a warrant met with failure. lumber trust law operates only in one direction. in this raid upon the meeting mcrae smashed citizens right and left, women as well as men. he was even seen to kick a small boy who happened to get in his path. deputy sam walker beat up harry woods, an everett music teacher; another deputy was seen smashing an elderly gentleman on the head; still another knocked mrs. louise mcguire, who was just recovering from a sprained knee, into the gutter; and ed morton, g. w. carr and many other old-time residents of everett were struck by the drunken commercial club thugs. mrs. leota carr called up chief of police kelley next morning, the following being an account of the conversation that ensued: "i said, 'what are you trying to kill my husband for?' and he kind of laughed and said he didn't believe it, and i said, 'did you know they struck him over the head last night and he could hardly go to work today?' he said, 'my god, they didn't strike him, did they?' and i said, 'they surely did!' and he said 'why there isn't a better man in town than he is,' and i said, 'i know it.' it surprised me to think that he thought i didn't know it myself. and then i said, 'these here deputies are making more i. w. w.'s in town than the i. w. w.'s would in fifty years.' and he said, 'i know it.' then i said, 'why do you allow them to do it? you are the head of the police department.' he replied, 'mcrae has taken it out of my hands; the sheriff is ahead of me and it is his men who are doing it, and i am not to blame.'" at the city park four nights after this outrage, only one arrest for street speaking having occurred in the meantime, the aroused citizens of everett met to hear attorney e. c. dailey, t. webber, and various local speakers deal with the situation, and to view at first hand the wounds of ovist, henig and other towns people who had been injured. thousands attended the meeting, and disapproval of the actions of the commercial club and its tools was vehemently expressed. this remonstrance from the people had some effect. the commercial club, knowing that all arrests so far had been unlawful, took steps to "legalize" any further seizing of street speakers at hewitt and wetmore avenues. the lumber interests issued an ordinance preventing street speaking on that corner. the mayor signed it without ever putting it to a reading, thus invalidating the proposed measure. this made no difference; henceforth it was a law of the city of everett and as such was due to be enforced by the lumber trust. during the whole controversy there had not been an arrest made on the charge of violation of any street speaking ordinance. with the new ordinance assumed to be a law, mrs. frennette went to everett and interviewed chief kelley. after telling him that the i. w. w. members were being disturbed and mistreated by men who were not in uniform, she said: "it seems that there is an ordinance here against street speaking and we feel that it is unjust. we feel that we have a right to speak here. we are not blocking traffic and we propose to make a test of the ordinance. will you have one of your men arrest me or any other speaker who chooses to take the box, personally, and bring me to jail and put a charge against me, and protect me from the vigilantes who are beating the men on the street?" kelley replied that so far as he was concerned he would do the best he could but mcrae had practically taken the authority out of his hands and that he really could not guarantee protection. so a legal test was practically denied. quiet again reigned in everett following the brutalities cited. a few citizens were manhandled for too openly expressing their opinion of mob methods and several wearers of overalls were searched and deported, but the effects of bootleg whiskey seemed to have left the vigilantes. on wednesday, sept. th, a committee of citizens met at the labor temple and arranged for a mass meeting to be held in the public park on the following friday. the meeting brought forth between ten and fifteen thousand citizens, one-third of the total population at least, who listened to speakers representing the i. w. w., socialists, trades unions and citizens generally. testimony was given by some of the citizens who had been clubbed by the vigilantes. recognizing the hostile public opinion, sheriff mcrae promised that the office of the i. w. w. would not again be molested. as he had lied before he was not believed, but, as a test, earl osborne went from seattle to open up the hall once more. for a period thereafter the energies of the deputies were given to a course of action confined to the outskirts of the city. migratory workers traveling to and from various jobs were taken from the trains, beaten, robbed and deported. as an example of mcrae's methods and as depicting a phase of the life of the migratory worker the story of "sergeant" john j. keenan, sixty-five years old, and still actively at work, is of particular interest: "i left great falls, mont., about the th of september after i had been working on a machine in the harvest about nine miles from town. the boys gathered together--they were coming from north dakota--and we all came thru together. we had an organization among ourselves. we carried our cards. there was a delegate with us, a field delegate, and i was spokesman, elected by the rank and file of the twenty-two. there was another division from north dakota on the same train with us, going to wenatchee to pick apples. we were going to seattle. i winter in seattle every year and work on the snow sheds. "we carried our cooking utensils with us, and when we got off at a station we sent our committee of three and bought our provisions in the store, and two of the cooks cooked the food, and we ate it and took the next train and came on. this happened wherever we stopped. "we arrived in snohomish, wash., on sept. rd at about : in the morning. when the committee came down i sent out and they brought me back the bills--i was the treasurer as well--one man carried the funds, and they brought back $ . worth of food down, including two frying pans, and when i was about cooking, a freight train from everett pulled in and a little boy, who was maybe about ten years old, he says, 'dad, are you an i. w. w.?' i says, 'i am, son.' 'well,' he says, 'there are a whole bunch of deputies coming out after you.' i laughed at the boy, i thought he was joshing me. "about half an hour after the boy told me this the deputies appeared. in the first bunch were forty-two, and then sheriff mcrae came with more, making altogether, what i counted, sixty-four. the first bunch came around the bush alongside the railroad track where i was and the sheriff came in about twenty minutes later with his bunch from the opposite way. "in the first bunch was a fat, stout fellow with two guns. he had a chief's badge--a chief of police's badge--on him. he was facing toward the fire and he says, 'if you move a step, i will fill you full of lead!' i laughed at him, says i, 'what does this outrage mean?' there was another old gentleman with a chin beard, fat, middling fat, probably my own age, and he picked up my coat which was lying alongside me and looked at my button. he says, 'oh, undesirable citizen!' i says, 'what do you mean?' he says, 'are you an i. w. w.?' i says, 'i am, and i am more than proud of it!' 'well,' he says, 'we don't want you in this county.' i says, 'sure?' he says, 'yes.' i says, 'well, i am not going to stay in this county, i am going to cook breakfast and go to seattle.' he says, 'do you understand what this means?' i says, 'no.' he says, 'the sheriff will be here in a few minutes and he will tell you what it means.' i heard afterward that this man was the mayor of snohomish. "i was sitting right opposite the fire with my coffee and bread and meat in my hand when sheriff mcrae came up and says, 'who is this bunch?' so a tall, black deputy, a tall, dark complected fellow, says, 'they are a bunch of harvest hands coming from north dakota.' mcrae says, 'did you search these men?' and he says, 'yes.' 'did you find any shooting arms on them?' he says, 'no.' they had searched us and we had no guns or clubs. "mcrae then asked, 'who is their leader?' and this old gentleman that spoke to me first, he says, 'they have no leader, but that old man over there is the spokesman.' so he came over to me and says, 'where are you going?' i says, 'i am going to seattle.' then he used an expression that i don't think is fit for ladies to hear. i says, 'my mother was a lady and she never raised any of us by the name you have mentioned, and,' i says, 'i don't think i have done anything that i will have to walk out of the county.' he says, 'do you see that track?' i says, 'yes.' he says, 'well, you will walk down that track!' i says, 'but for these twenty-one men that are here in my hands i wouldn't walk a foot for you.' he says, 'you get out. i am going to shoot all these things to pieces.' i says, 'you will shoot nothing to pieces, i bought them with my hard-earned money.' he says, 'all right, take them with you.' then he shot up the cans and things, and he says, 'that is the track to seattle and you go up it, and if i ever catch you in this county again you will get what you are looking for.' "so we walked up the hill toward seattle and there is a town, i think they call it maltby, and we got there between four and five o'clock in the evening. fellow worker thornton, adams and love were the committee men and they asked me how i felt. i told them my feet were pretty sore. "i went over to the station agent and found out that there was a freight due at : but that sometimes it didn't get in until three in the morning. i then asked permission to light a fire and cook some coffee, and after we were thru eating we lay down. "about : the train came along and i called the men. as the train was backing up i saw some light come, and one auto throwing her searchlight, and i counted four automobiles. that is all i could count but there were a whole lot of them coming. i says, 'men, we have run up against a stone wall.' "fellow worker love and i--he came off the machine with me in great falls--we were first in line and sheriff mcrae and two other men with white handkerchiefs around their necks came forward first and he says, 'you son-of-a-b----, i thought you were going to seattle?' i says, 'ain't i going to seattle? i can't go till the train goes,' i says, 'you've had me walking now till i have no foot under me. what do you mean by this outrage? my father fought for this country and i have a right here. i am on railroad property and have done nothing to anybody.' mcrae then hit fellow worker love on the head and i yelled 'break and run, men, or they will kill you!' he turned around then and he said to me, 'you dirty old irish bastard, now i will make you so you can't run. i'll show you!' with that he let drive and hit me, leaving this three cornered mark here (indicating place on head). and when the others went up the track he says, 'get now, god damn your old soul, or i will kill you!' i says, 'sheriff, look here, you are a perfect gentleman, you are, to hit a fellow old enough to be your father.' he made as if to hit me again and then fellow worker love came back and says, 'have a heart!' i says 'you run,' and he says 'no, they are not going to kill you while i am here.' and fellow worker paterson came back down the track and i says, 'what is the matter, paterson, are you crazy? get the men and tell them to go over the line. don't stay in this county or they are liable to murder you!' then love and i went off the track into the thick bushes and lay down till next morning. "at daylight we got up, went down to the junction and gathered up fifteen of the men. when the train pulled in the trainman asked me where i was going and i said i was going to seattle. he says, 'do you carry a card?' 'yes,' says i. 'produce!' says he. that is the word the trainmen use. so i put my hand in my pocket and pulled it out. 'you better get back in the caboose, you are hurt,' he said. he saw the blood where fellow worker love had bandaged my head with his handkerchief. 'no,' says i, 'where the men are riding is good enough for me.' so we went to where the interurban comes in and i was seven men short. i paid two-fifty into seattle, and we came in, and i made a report to the seattle locals." incidents similar to this were of almost daily occurrence, scores of deportations taking place during the month of september. then on the th, despite his promises to refrain from molesting the hall, mcrae entered the premises, forcibly seized earl osborne, the secretary, took him a long distance out in the country, and at the point of a gun made him start the thirty-mile trip on foot to seattle. on the th of september the everett authorities arrested j. johnson and george bradley in seattle. johnson was held on an arson charge but no legal warrant for his arrest was issued until october th, or until he had been in jail for nineteen days. then the charge against him was that he had set fire to a box factory--but this was soon changed when it was learned by the authorities that the box factory had not caught fire until after johnson was in jail, and for the first charge they substituted the claim that johnson had burned the garage of one walter smith, a scab shingle weaver deputy. george bradley, who had been deported from everett after having served one day as secretary, was accused of second degree arson as an alleged accomplice. each man was told that the other had confessed and the best thing to do was to make a clean breast of matters, but this scheme of mcrae's fell thru for two reasons: the men were not guilty, and they had never seen or heard of each other before. johnson was in jail fifty-eight days without a preliminary hearing. both men were released on property bonds, and the trials were "indefinitely postponed," that still being their status at this writing. no further attempts were made to open the hall after osborne's deportation until october th when the organization in seattle again selected a man to act as secretary in everett. thomas h. tracy took charge on that date, remaining in everett until a few days prior to november th, at which time he resigned, his place being taken by chester micklin. during the month of october there were between three and four hundred deportations, the vigilantes operating mainly from the commercial club. many of these "slugging parties" were attended by mayor d. d. merrill, governor clough, captain harry ramwell, t. w. anguish, w. r. booth, edward hawse, and other "pillars of society" in everett. most of the men were deported without any formalities whatever, and the methods used in handling the others may well be judged by frequent entries on the police blotter to the effect that men arrested by great northern detective fox were ordered turned over to sheriff mcrae by mayor merrill. the railroad company, acting in conjunction with the lumber trust, put on a private army, and had its men roughly dressed to resemble honest workingmen. cases of "hi-jacking" became quite numerous about this time, but no redress from this highway robbery could be had. on the question of the hiring of armed forces by the railroads the industrial relations commission report has this to say: "under the authority granted by the several states the railroads maintain a force of police, and some, at least, have established large arsenals of arms and ammunition. this armed force, when augmented by recruits from detective agencies and employment agencies, as seems to be the general practice during industrial disputes, constitutes a private army clothed with a degree of authority which should be exercised only by public officials; these armed bodies, usurping the supreme functions of the state and oftentimes encroaching on the rights of citizens, are a distinct menace to public welfare." a number of the men deported during september and october were not members of the i. w. w., some even being opposed at the time to the tenet of the organization, "the working class and the employing class have nothing in common," but almost without exception the non-members who suffered deportation made it a point to join the union when the nearest branch or field delegate was reached. in everett, delegates working quietly among the millmen, longshoremen, and other workers, were also getting numerous recruits as the class struggle stood forth in its naked form. all the efforts of the lumber trust to suppress the i. w. w. were as tho they had tried to quench a forest fire with gasoline. [illustration: beverly park] [illustration: a close up view of beverly park showing cattle guards.] it was on october th that forty-one men left seattle by boat in a determined effort to reach the corner of hewitt and wetmore avenues in order to test the validity of the alleged ordinance prohibiting free speech at that point. they were the first contingent of an army of harvesters who were just returning from a hard season's labor in the fields and orchards. the party was double the size of any free speech group that had tried to enter everett at any previous time. they were met at the dock by a drunken band of deputies, most of whom wore white handkerchiefs around their necks as a means of identification. the deputies were armed with guns and clubs, and they outnumbered the i. w. w. body five to one. several of the lawless crew were so intoxicated they could scarcely stand, and one in particular had to be forcibly restrained by his less drunken associates from attempts to commit murder in the open. the i. w. w. men were clubbed with gun butts and loaded clubs whenever their movements were not swift enough to suit the fancies of the drunken mob. john downs' face was an indistinguishable mass of blood where sheriff mcrae had "sapped up" on him and split open his upper lip. boat passengers who remonstrated were promised the same treatment unless they kept still. in its mad frenzy the posse struck in all directions. so blindly drunk and hysterical was deputy joseph irving that he swung his heavy revolver handle with full force onto the head of deputy joe schofield. he continued the insane attack, while mcrae, awry-eyed and lusting for blood, assisted in the brutal task until warning cried from the other vigilantes showed them their mistake. schofield was carried to an automobile and hastened to the nearest drug store, where it was found necessary to call a physician to take three stitches to bind together the edges of the most severe wound. the prisoners were loaded into large auto trucks and passenger cars, more than twenty of which were lined up in waiting, and were taken out to a lonely wooded spot near beverly park on the road to seattle. mcrae, with deputies fred luke, william pabst and fred plymale, took one i. w. w. out in their five-passenger reo, mcrae afterward endeavored unsuccessfully to prove an alibi because his own car was in a garage. deputy sheriff jefferson beard also took out a prisoner. upon their arrival at beverly the prisoners were made to dismount at the point of guns and stand in the cold drizzling rain until their captors had formed two lines reaching from the roadway to the interurban tracks. there in the darkness the men were forced to run stumbling over the uneven ground down a gauntlet that ended only with the cruel sharp blades of a cattle guard, while on their unprotected heads and shoulders the drunken outlaws rained blow after blow with gun-butts, black-jacks, loaded saps and pick-handles. in the confusion one boy escaped from ed hawse, but before he could get away into the brush this bully, weighing about pounds, bore down upon him, and with a couple of other deputies proceeded to beat him well-nigh into insensibility. deputies who lost their clubs in the scramble aimed kicks at the privates of the men as they passed down the line. deputy fred luke swung at one man with such force that the leather wrist thong parted and the club disappeared into the woods. with drunken deliberation joseph irving cracked the head of man after man, informing each one that they were getting an extra dose because of his mistake in beating up a brother deputy. in the thick of it all, smashing, kicking, and screaming obscene curses at the helpless men and boys who dared demand free speech within the territory sacred to the lumber trust, was the deputy-sheriff of snohomish county, jefferson e. beard! a few of the men broke the lines and ran into the woods, a bullet past their heads warning others from a like attempt. across the cattle guard, often sprawling on hands and knees from the force of the last blows received, went the men who had cleared the gauntlet. legs sank between the blades of the guard and strained ligaments and sprained ankles were the result. one man suffered a dislocated shoulder at the hands of a doctor allison, another had the bridge of his nose broken by a blow from mcrae, and dangerously severe wounds and bruises were sustained by nearly all of the forty-one. so horrible were the moans and outcries of the stricken men, so bestial were the actions of the infuriated deputies, that one of their own number, w. r. booth, sickened at the sight and sound, went reeling up the roadway retching as he left the brutal scene. attracted by the curses of the deputies, the sound of the blows, and the moans and cries of the wounded men, mrs. ruby ketchum came to the door of her house nearly a quarter of a mile away, and remained there listening to the hideous din, while her husband, roy ketchum, and his brother, lew, went down to the scene of the outrage to investigate. the ketchum brothers reported that the deputies were formed in two lines ending in six men, three on each side of the cattle guard. a man would be taken out of the car and two deputies would join his arms up behind him meanwhile hammering his unprotected face from both sides as hard as they could strike with their fists. then the man was started down the line, one deputy following to club him on the back to make him hurry, and the other deputies striking with clubs and other weapons and kicking the prisoner as he progressed. just before reaching the cattle guard he was made to run, and, in crossing the blades, the three men on the east side of the track would swing their clubs upon his back while the men on the west clubbed him across the face and stomach. this was repeated with the men as fast as they were dragged from the autos. they also heard the sound of blows and then cries of "oh my god! doc, don't hit me again, doc, you're killing me!" lew ketchum took deputy fred luke by the coat tails and pulled him back from the cattle guard, asking, "what are you doing, what is going on here?" and luke replied, "we are beating up forty-one i. w. w.'s." harry hubbard tells the story in these words from the time the autos arrived at beverly: "i got out of the car with another fellow, rice, and i says, 'we had better stay together, it looks to me like we were going to get tamped up,' and somebody grabbed hold of him, and i stood a minute, and then i ran by one fellow up into the woods. just as i got out of the radius of the automobile lights i fell over a stump on the edge of the embankment. i was in kind of a peculiar predicament and i had to get hold of the stump to pull myself up, and just as i did that some fellow behind me swung with a blackjack and grazed my temple, knocking me to my knees. i got up and he grabbed hold of me and we both fell down the bank together. then two or three others grabbed me, and this hawse had me by the collar, and sheriff mcrae walked up and said 'you are the son-of-a---- that was over here last week,' and i answered, 'i was working here last week.' then he said, 'are you an i. w. w.?' i said, 'yes,' and he hit me an upward swing on the nose. he repeated, 'you are an i. w. w., are you?' and again i said, 'yes.' he then swore at me and said, 'say that you ain't!' and i replied, 'no, i won't say that i ain't,' and he hit me three more times on the nose. "then the man who was holding my left wrist with one hand and my shoulder with the other, said, 'wait a minute until i get a poke at him,' and mcrae said, 'all right, doc,' and then someone else said 'all right allison, hit him for me!' this fellow they called doc allison hit me and blackened my eye. mcrae swore at me, he seemed to be intoxicated and he looked and acted like a maniac, he said 'if you fellows ever come back some of you will die, that's all there is to it.' i said, 'i don't think there is any necessity for killing anybody,' and he answered 'i will kill you if you come back,' and he raised his blackjack and said 'run!' i said 'i wont run,' and he hit me again and i dropped to the ground. he raised his foot over my face, and used some pretty raw language, and as he stood there with his heel over my face i grabbed hold of a fellow's leg and pulled myself along so instead of hitting my face his heel scraped my side. then i got some kicks, three of them in the small of the back around my kidneys. "when i got up i walked thru the line, there were twenty or thirty different ones hollered for me to run, but i was stubborn and wouldn't do it. and when i got to the cattle guard and stood at the other side kind of wiping the blood off my face i heard some one coming and i said, 'four hundred," and he said 'yes,' and he was crying. it was a young boy and i walked down the track with him afterward. "at the city hospital in seattle next day the doctor told me my nose was badly fractured and that i had internal injuries. a few days later my back pained me severely and i passed blood for a time after that." c. h. rice, whose shoulder was dislocated, gives about the same version. "two big fellows would hold a man until they were thru beating him and then turn him loose. i was turned loose and ran probably six or eight feet, something like that, and i was hit and knocked down. as i scrambled to my feet and ran a few feet again i was hit on the shoulder with a slingshot. this time i went down and i was dazed, i think i must have been unconscious for a moment because when i came to they were kicking me, and some of them said, 'he is faking,' and others said, 'no, he is knocked out.' i remember seeing some of the boys during that time running by me, and when they got me up i started to run a bit farther and was knocked down again. "then they called for somebody there, addressing him as dr. allison, and he grabbed my arm and pulled me up, and he raised my arm up and said, 'aw, there is nothing the matter with you,' and jerked it down again. my arm was out of place, it seemed way over to one side, and i couldn't straighten it up. "as i was going over the cattle guard several of them hit me and some one hollered 'bring him back here, don't let him go over there.' they brought me back and this doctor said 'you touch your shoulder with your hand,' and i couldn't. he says 'there is nothing the matter with you.' "then the fellow who was on the dock, and who had been drinking pretty heavily, because they would have to shove him back every once in a while, he shouted out 'let's burn him!' about that time sheriff mcrae came over and got hold of my throat and said, 'now, damn you, i will tell you i can kill you right here and there never would be nothing known about it, and you know it.' and some one said, 'let's hang him!' and this other fellow kept hollering 'burn him! burn him!' mcrae kept hitting me, first on one side and then the other, smacking me that way, and then he turned me loose again and hit me with one of those slingshots, and finally he said 'oh, let him go,' and he started me along, following behind and hitting me until i got over the cattleguard. "i went down to the interurban track until i caught up with some of the boys. they tried to pull my shoulder back into place and then they took handkerchiefs and neckties, and one thing and another, and made a kind of a sling to hold it up. we then went down to the first station and the boys took up a collection and the eight of us who were hurt the worst got on the train and went to seattle. the others had to walk the twenty-five miles into seattle. most of us had to go to the hospital next day." sam rovinson was beaten with a piece of gaspipe, but taking advantage of the fact that the shooting when archie collins made his escape had attracted the attention of the deputies he got thru the gauntlet with only minor injuries. rovinson testifies that mcrae said to him: "this time we will let you off with this, but next time you come up here we will pop you full of holes." "i just came up here to exercise my constitutional right of free speech," expostulated rovinson. "to hell with free speech and the constitution!" shouted mcrae, "you are now in snohomish county, and we are running the county!" after the deputies had returned to town the two ketchum brothers took their lanterns and went out to the scene thinking they might find some of the men out there hurt, with a broken leg, or arm or something, and that they could be taken to their house to be cared for. no men were seen, but three covered with blood were found and after examination were returned to where they had been picked up. early next morning some of the deputies, frightened at their cowardly actions of the previous night, were seen at beverly park making an examination of the ground. two of them approached the ketchum residence and asked if any i. w. w.'s had been found lying around there. after being assured that they had stopped short of murder, the deputies departed. a little later an investigation committee composed of rev. oscar mcgill of seattle, and rev. elbert e. flint, rev. jos. p. marlatt, jake michel, robert mills, ernest marsh, e. c. dailey, commissioner w. h. clay, messrs. fawcett, hedge, ballou, houghton and others from everett, made a close examination of the grounds. in spite of the heavy rain and notwithstanding the fact that deputies had preceded them, the committee found blood-soaked hats and hat bands and big brown spots of blood soaked into the cement roadway. in the cattle guard was the sole of a shoe, evidently torn off as one of the fleeing men escaped his assailants. "hearing of the occurrence i accompanied several gentlemen, including a prominent minister of the gospel of everett, next morning to the scene. the tale of that struggle was plainly written. the roadway was stained with blood. the blades of the cattle guard were so stained, and between the blades was a fresh imprint of a shoe where plainly one man in his hurry to escape the shower of blows, missed his footing in the dark and went down between the blades. early that morning workmen going into the city to work, picked up three hats from the ground, still damp with blood. there can be no excuse for nor extenuation of such an inhuman method of punishment," reported president e. p. marsh to the state federation of labor. j. m. norland stated that "there were big brown blotches on the pavement which we took to be blood. they were perhaps two feet in diameter, and there were a number of smaller blotches for a distance of twenty-five feet. in the vicinity of the cattle guard the soil was disarranged and there were shoe marks near the cattle guard. you could also notice where, in their hurry to get across, they would go in between, and there would be little parts or shreds of clothing there, and on one there was a little hair." all that day the talk in everett centered around the crime of the preceding night. little groups of citizens gathered here and there to discuss the matter. the deputies went about strenuously denying that they had a hand in the infamous affair, and friends of long standing refused to speak to those who were known positively to have been concerned in the outrage. a number of the ministers of the city conferred regarding a course of action, but finding the problem too deep for them to solve they left it to up to the individual. various everett citizens, representing a large degree of public sentiment, felt that the thing to do was to hold an immense mass meeting in order to present the facts of the hideous crime to the whole public. this plan met with immediate approval from many quarters, and the i. w. w. in seattle was notified of this desire by mail, by telephone, and by means of citizens' delegations. rev. oscar mcgill conferred with secretary herbert mahler and was quite insistent upon the necessity for such a meeting, as the everett papers had carried no real information about the affair in beverly. he brought out the fact that there had been thousands in attendance at the mass meeting in the everett city park a month or so previous to this occurrence, and the speakers were then escorted by a large body of citizens from the interurban depot to the meeting place, and the feelings of the people were such that similar or even more adequate protection would be given were another meeting held. he suggested that the meeting be held in broad daylight and on a sunday. that the plan met with the approval of the i. w. w. membership was shown by its adoption at a meeting the night following the trouble at beverly park. and the date selected was sunday, november th. immediately steps were taken to inform the various i. w. w. branches in the northwest of the proposed action. telegrams were sent to solidarity, and a ringing call for two thousand men to help in the fight for free speech was published in the industrial worker. in addition to telegraphing the story and its attendant call for action to the unions of the pacific coast there were various members selected from among the forty-one who had been beaten, and these were dispatched to different points to spread the tale of everett's atrocities, and to gain new recruits for the "invading army" of free speech fighters. seeking the widest possible publicity the free speech committee had printed and circulated thousands of handbills in everett to call attention to the proposed meeting. citizens of everett attention! a meeting will be held at the corner of hewitt and wetmore aves., on sunday, nov. th, p. m. come and help maintain your and our constitutional right. +committee.+ the authorities in everett were notified, the editors of all the seattle daily papers were requested to have representatives present at the meeting, and reporters were called in and told of the intentions of the organization. during the week frequent meetings were held in the hall in seattle to arrange for the incoming free speech fighters, and without an exception all these meetings were held with no examination of membership books and were open to the public. with their cards laid upon the table the members of the industrial workers of the world were preparing to call the hand of the semi-legalized outlaws of snohomish county who had cast aside the law, abrogated the constitution of the united states, and denied the right of free speech and free assembly. following the beverly affair the commercial club redoubled its activities. blackjacks and "robinson-clubs," so called because they were manufactured especially for the deputies by the robinson mill, were set aside for revolvers and high power rifles, and the ranks of the deputies were enlarged by the off-scouring and scum of the open shop persuasion. mcrae entered the i. w. w. hall on friday, nov. rd, the day thomas h. tracy turned the office over to chester micklin, and abruptly said "by god, i will introduce myself. i am sheriff mcrae! i won't have a lot of sons-of-bitches hanging around this place like in seattle." micklin looked at the drunken sheriff a moment and replied, "the constitution guarantees us free speech, free assembly, and free----" "to hell with the constitution," broke in mcrae. "we have a constitution here that we will enforce." "you believe in unions, you believe in organized labor, don't you?" asked micklin. "yes, i belonged to the shingle weavers at one time," returned mcrae, "but when the shingle weavers went out on strike i donated $ . to their strike fund and they gave me a rotten deal and sent the check back to me, and to hell with the shingle weavers and the rest of the unions!" then, as he was leaving the hall, mcrae pulled from his pocket a letter; took from it a black cat cut from pasteboard and stuck it in the secretary's face, saying "that's the kind of ----s that is in your organization!" next morning the sheriff raided the hall and seized the men who were found there, with the exception of the secretary. turning to micklin he said boastfully "i'll bet you a hundred dollars you ----s won't hold that meeting tomorrow!" mcrae was drunk. the arrested men were searched and deported and, as was the case in every previous arrest and deportation, there was no resistance offered, no physical violence threatened, and no weapons of any character found upon any of the i. w. w. men. that night the deputies were secretly assembled at the commercial club where they were given their final instructions by the lumber trust and ordered to report fully armed and ready for action at the blowing of the mill whistles. with these preparations the open shop forces were ready to go to still greater lengths to uphold "law and order!" the answer of the i. w. w. to this damnable act of violence at beverly park and to the four months of terrorism that had preceded it was a call for two thousand men to enter everett, there to gain by sheer force of numbers that right of free speech and peaceable assembly supposed to have been guaranteed them by the constitution of the united states.[ ] [illustration: the ketchum home near beverly park] footnote: [ ] (the incidents in the foregoing chapter are corroborated by the sworn testimony of i. w. w. men who were shot at, beaten, robbed, and abused; by citizens of everett and seattle who were also beaten and mistreated or who witnessed the scenes; by physicians, attorneys, public officials, members of craft unions, and by deputies who hoped to make amends by testifying to the truth for the defense.) chapter iv. bloody sunday how shall we enter the kingdom of everett? was the question that confronted the committee in charge of affairs in seattle on the morning of november th. inquiries at the interurban office developed the fact that sufficient cars could not be had to accommodate the crowd. the cost of making the trip by auto truck was found to be prohibitive. at the eleventh hour the committee, taking the money pooled by the members, secured the regular passenger steamship verona, and an orderly and determined body of men filed down the steps leading from the i. w. w. headquarters and marched by fours to the colman dock. their mission was an open and peaceable one. cheerful, optimistic, enthusiastic, the band of social crusaders felt that the conquest of free speech was assured. not for a moment did they think that the everett klu-klux-klan would dare resort to violent and criminal tactics in the broad daylight of that beautiful sunny day and in plain view of a host of conscientious everett citizens. assisted by harry feinberg and john t. (red) doran, captain chauncey wiman checked the number of men who went on board, stopping further entry when the legal limit of two hundred and fifty persons was reached, feinberg joining the men on board in order to serve as the main speaker at the proposed meeting. among those who secured passage were several who were not members of the free speech party, but in the work of checking, the tickets of these persons were not collected, their fares being paid in the lump sum that was handed to the captain. regular passengers of the verona were informed that their tickets would be good for the steamer calista, lying at pier . thirty-eight additional members of the free speech band joined the regular patrons who took passage on the calista. laughter and jest were on the lips of the men who crowded the verona, and songs of the one big union rang out over the sparkling waters of puget sound. loyal soldiers were these in the great class war, enlightened workers who were willing to give their all in the battle for bread, happiness and liberty. men of all callings these--logger, carpenter, laborer, railroad clerk, painter, miner, printer, seaman and farmhand, all united with one common aim--the desire to gain for labor the right of free expression. among their number, however, were two individuals of a breed reckoned among the lowest order of the human species; two "stool pigeons," low informers upon whom even a regular detective looks down with contempt. one of these, carrying an i. w. w. card and in the employ of snohomish county and the everett commercial club under the direction of the pinkerton detective agency, had sneaked out of the i. w. w. headquarters long enough to telephone lieutenant hedges of the seattle police force that there was a boatload of i. w. w. men leaving for everett. there was no secret in connection with the trip, but that there exist such class traitors, relatively few as they are, to whom the enemies of the workers can look for information is one of the sad features of the class struggle. the "stool's" message was relayed to the everett authorities and, after being revised by the advocates of the open shop, it finally reached the deputies in the form of a report that a boatload of i. w. w.'s, armed to the teeth, were about to invade, pillage, and burn the city. at one o'clock the mill whistles blew, the mill deputies armed with their mill clubs, mill revolvers, rifles and shotguns, assembled at the mill headquarters--the commercial club--and from there were transported in mill automobiles down the alleys and back streets to the city dock. citizens were driven from the dock and a rope, guarded by armed deputies, was stretched across the land end to prevent access by any save men with guns. part of the equipment of the naval militia was stored in readiness at the commercial club--a stubborn fact for those who deny that government is a class institution. at the pacific hardware company, deputy dave oswald had an auto load of rifles and ammunition prepared for immediate transportation and use. in captain ramwell's office, at the point where the rope was stretched, there were stacked a number of high-power rifles, brought there from the same source. it is even rumored that there was a machine gun on the dock. on the scab tugboat edison, moored at the north side of the dock, men armed with rifles lay in waiting. the everett improvement dock to the south was also prepared for action. hundreds of deputies were admitted to the city dock and were lined up under the direction of sheriff mcrae, deputy-sheriff jefferson beard, and lieutenant charles o. curtis, of the officers' reserve corps of the national guard of washington. boards were removed from the sides of the warehouses so as to command a view of the landing place, and sacks of potatoes and lumber were used as partial barricades. a few of the deputies were in the west warehouse at the extreme end of the dock, but the majority of them were in the larger warehouse to the east of the open docking space. plentifully supplied with ammunition and "booze," the cowardly deputies lay hidden in this ambush. the scene was set and the tragedy of november fifth about to be staged. as the verona cleaved the placid, sunlit waters of the bay and swung up to the city dock at everett, shortly before two o'clock, the men were merrily singing the english transport workers' strike song, "hold the fort!" we meet today in freedom's cause, and raise our voices high; we'll join our hands in union strong, to battle or to die. chorus hold the fort for we are coming, union men be strong. side by side we battle onward, victory will come! look, my comrades, see the union, banners waving high. reinforcements now appearing, victory is nigh. see our numbers still increasing; hear the bugle blow: by our union we shall triumph over every foe. fierce and long the battle rages, but we will not fear. help will come whene'er it's needed, cheer, my comrades, cheer! from a hillside overlooking the scene thousands upon thousands of everett citizens sent forth cheer after cheer as a hearty welcome to the "invading army." high up on the flag-pole of the verona clambered hugo gerlot, a youthful free speech enthusiast, to wave a greeting to the throng that lined the shore. passenger oscar carlson and his friend ernest nordstrom, from their position on the very bow of the boat, caught the spirit of the party and endeavored to join in the song that resounded louder and clearer as many of the men left the cabins to go out upon the deck. completely filling the bow of the boat and blocking the passageway on either side, the singers crowded to the rail in the usual joyously impatient manner of holiday excursionists, and then for the first time observed a body of deputies march from the large warehouse and settle into lines across the back and sides of the open landing space on the dock, where curtis, mcrae, and beard were stationed. waiting until captain ramwell's wharfinger, william kenneth, had made fast the bowline to prevent the boat from backing out, sheriff donald mcrae gave his belt holster a hitch to bring his gun directly across his middle and then lurched forward to the face of the dock. holding up his left hand to check the singing, he yelled to the men on board: "who is your leader?" immediate and unmistakable was the answer from practically every member of the industrial workers of the world: "we are all leaders!" angrily jerking his gun from its holster and flourishing it in a threatening manner, mcrae cried: "you can't land here!" "the hell we can't!" came the reply as the men stepped toward the partly thrown-off gang plank. a shot rang out from the immediate vicinity of deputy w. a. bridges, then another, closely followed by a volley that sent them staggering backward. many fell to the deck. evidently the waving of mcrae's revolver was the prearranged signal for the carnage to commence. the long months of lumber trust lawlessness had culminated in cowardly, deliberate, premeditated and foul murder! young gerlot crumpled up and slid part way down the flag pole, then suddenly threw out both arms and crashed lifeless to the deck, his bullet-torn and bleeding body acting as a shield for several who had thrown themselves prostrate. passenger oscar carlson threw himself flat upon the forward deck and while in that position seven bullets found their way into his quivering flesh, life clinging to the shattered form by a strange vagary of fate. with a severe bullet wound in his abdomen, ed roth swayed back and forth for a moment and then toppled forward on his face. when a bullet whistled past the head of captain chauncey wiman, and another tore a spoke as thick as a man's wrist from the pilot wheel beneath his hand, he deserted his post to barricade himself behind the safe with a mattress, remaining in that position until the close of the hostilities. at the first shot and during the first volley the unarmed men wildly sought cover from the deadly leaden hail. those who had not dropped to the deck, wounded or seeking shelter, surged to the starboard side of the boat, causing it to list to an alarming degree, the fastened bowline alone preventing it from capsizing. several men lost their footing on the blood-slimed decks and were pitched headlong overboard. there, struggling frantically in the water,--by no possible chance combatants--a storm of rifle bullets churning little whirlpools around their heads, one by one they were made the victims of lumber trust greed by the hessianized deputies stationed at the shore end of the city dock and upon the dock to the south. the bay was reddened with their blood. of all who went overboard, james hadley alone regained the deck, the rest disappearing beneath the silent waters to be dragged by the undertow out to an unknown and nameless ocean grave. young joe ghilezano seized the rail preparatory to jumping overboard, but seeing two men shot dead while they were in the water he lay down on the deck instead. while there a bullet pierced his hip, another went thru his back close to the spine, and a third completely tore off his left knee cap. harry parker slipped over the starboard side in order to gain the lower deck, and a rifle bullet from the vicinity of the tug goldfinch, along the everett improvement company dock, ranged thru his back from left to right, just as his friend, walter mulholland, also wounded, pulled him in thru a hole torn in the canvas wind shield. an abdominal wound laid felix baran low. the thud of bullets as they struck the prostrate men added to the ghastly sound caused by the firing of rifles and revolvers, the curses of the deputies and the moans of the wounded men. following the first volley the deputies who had been out in the open scuttled into the warehouses on either side. thru their scattering ranks the scabs on the tug edison poured their rifle fire toward the men on the verona. lieutenant c. o. curtis pitched forward and fell dead upon the dock--the victim of a rifle bullet. one of the fleeing deputies paused behind the corner of the waiting room just long enough to flinchingly reach out his hand and, keeping his head under cover, emptied his revolver without taking aim. deputy sheriff jefferson beard fell mortally wounded as he turned to run, and was dragged into the warehouse by some of the less panic stricken murderers. sheriff mcrae, with a couple of slight wounds in his left leg and heel, was forced to his knees by the impact of bullets against the steel jacket which he wore, remaining in a supplicating attitude for a few seconds while he sobbed out in a quavering tone, "o-o-oh! i'm hit! i-i'm hit!! i-i-i'm hit!!!" placed on board the verona to serve the interests of the lumber trust, what were the two pinkerton operatives doing while the boat was landing and just before the first heavy firing commenced? their actions were shrouded in mystery. but, as if anticipating something, one was seen directly after the first shot scurrying into hiding where he lay shivering until long after the firing had ceased. the other, while under cover, was struck on the head by a glancing bullet. he became so enraged at this lack of thoughtfulness on the part of his degenerate brothers that he emptied his revolver at their backs as they broke for cover. from a safe position on the dock, deputy h. d. cooley, with a pair of field glasses, was tremblingly trying to spy for the approach of the calista. inside the waiting room and the warehouses the drink-crazed deputies ran amuck, shooting wildly in all directions, often with some of their own number directly in the line of fire--bullet holes in the floor and a pierced clock case high up on the waiting room wall giving mute evidence of their insane recklessness. one deputy fled from the dock in terror, explaining to all who would listen that a bullet hole in his ear was from the shot of one of his associates on the dock. "they've gone crazy in there!" he cried excitedly. "they're shootin' every which way! they shot me in the ear!" thru the loopholes already provided, and even thru the sides of the warehouses they blazed away in the general direction of the boat, using revolvers and high powered rifles with steel and copper-jacketed missiles. dum-dums sang their deadly way to the verona and tore gaping wounds in the breasts of mere boys--an added reward by the industrial lords for their first season of hard labor in the scorching harvest fields. john looney was felled by a rifle bullet and even as he fell shuddering to the deck another leaden missile shattered the woodwork and impaled one of his eyeballs upon a spear of wood, gouging it from the socket. at the foot of the dock, protected by the klatawa slip, (indian name for runaway) c. r. schweitzer, owner of a scab plumbing establishment, fired time after time with a magazine shotgun, the buckshot scattering at the long range and raking the forward deck with deadly effect. the pilot house was riddled and the woodwork filled with hundreds of the little leaden messengers that carried a story of "mutual interests of capital and labor." deputy russell and about ten others assisted in the dastardly work at that point, pouring shot after shot into the convulsive struggling heaps of wounded men piled four and five deep on the deck. one boy in a brown mackinaw suddenly rose upright from a tangled mass of humanity, the blood gushing from his wounds, and with an agonized cry of "my god! i can't stand this any longer!" leaped high in the air over the side of the boat, sinking from sight forever, his watery resting place marked only by a few scarlet ripples. two bodies, one with the entire throat shot away, were found next morning washed up on the beach, and that fact was reported to the everett police by ed. and rob. thompson. that night some men fishing in a little sailboat far out in the bay saw five weighted objects about six feet long, and apparently wrapped in canvas, thrown overboard from a launch, but in none of the daily papers was there any mention of bodies having been found. six uncalled-for membership cards, deposited by men who took passage on the verona, may represent as many murders by the cowards on the dock. those cards are made out to fred berger, william colman, tom ellis, edward raymond, peter viberts, and chas. e. taylor. some of the deputies gloatingly declared that the death toll of the workers was twelve men at the lowest count. so wanton was the slaughter of the helpless men and boys that strong men who witnessed the scene turned away vomiting. from the hillside the women--those whom the deputies were pretending to protect from the "incoming horde,"--casting aside all womanly fears, raced to the dock in a vain endeavor to stop the commission of further crime, crying out in their frenzy, "the curs! the curs! the dirty curs! they're nothing but murderers!" they, as well as the men who tried to launch boats to rescue the men in the water, were halted by the same citizen deputies whose names head the list of red cross donors. for a short period of time, seemingly endless hours to the unarmed and helpless men on the boat, the rain of lead continued. tho the boat had righted itself, the men were still unable to extricate themselves from the positions into which they had been thrown. near the top of one heap lay abraham rabinowitz, a young jewish college graduate, and as he struggled to regain his footing a bullet tore off the whole back part of his head, his blood and brains splashing down over raymond lee and michael reilly who lay just beneath him. rabinowitz died in the arms of leonard broman, his "pal" in the harvest fields, without ever having regained consciousness. "hold me up, fellow workers!" suddenly called out gus johnson as he was fatally stricken by a bullet. "i want to finish the song." then, above the din of the gunfire and curses of the deputies, the final verse of "hold the fort" rang out in defiance of industrial tyranny, and with the termination of the words "cheer, my comrades, cheer!" the bright red death-foam flecked the ever-to-be silent lips of the brave swedish revolutionist. splintering the stairways, seats and woodwork, and wounding many of the men crouched in hiding, thousands of rounds of ammunition found their way into the boat during the ten long minutes of the onslaught. finally, with a colts revolver to enforce his demand, j. f. billings ordered engineer ernest shellgren to back the boat away from the dock. with no pilot at the wheel the propeller churned madly backward for a moment, the bowline drew taut and snapped, and the verona pulled away from the murderous crew of vigilantes. not content with the havoc they had wrought at close quarters some of the deputies continued to fire as long as the boat was within range, a bullet from a high powered rifle shattering the left leg of harry golden, a youth of twenty-two years, when the boat was far out in the bay. amputation of the limb was necessary, a cork leg daily reminding young golden of the majesty of the law. the verona with its grim cargo of dead and wounded steamed toward seattle, meeting the steamer calista about four miles out, stopping just long enough for captain wiman to shout thru his megaphone, "for god's sake don't land! they'll kill you! we have dead and wounded on board now." with unaccustomed fingers the uninjured men bathed the wounded, tearing up shirts and underclothing in order to bind up their injuries, and making the men as comfortable as possible during the two and one half hour return trip. a few of the men on board had been armed. these voluntarily threw overboard their revolvers, together with the few empty shells that lay scattered upon the deck, george reese alone having to be forced to discard the "souvenirs" he had picked up. it was a quiet crowd that pulled into seattle, not only because they realized that the class struggle is not all jokes and songs, but also in deference to the sufferings of their wounded comrades. this same spirit animated the men when they were met by drawn cordons of police at the seattle dock, their first thought and first words being, "get the wounded fellows out and we will be all right." in the city jail, located on the floor above the hospital, the same generous consideration of their wounded fellow workers' condition led them to forego the demonstration usually attending the arrest and jailing of any body of i. w. w. members. the four dead members, their still forms covered with blankets, were first removed from the boat and taken to the morgue. police and hospital ambulances were soon filled with the thirty-one wounded men, who were taken to the city hospital. the uninjured men were then lined up and slowly marched to the city jail. from the calista the thirty-eight i. w. w. members were taken and placed in the county jail. at the hospital, felix baran, shot in the abdomen, slowly and painfully passed away from internal hemorrhage. dr. mary equi, of portland, ore., who examined the body, stated that with surgical attention there would have been more than an even chance of recovery. no one will ever know how many brave workers were swept out to sea and lost, but sunday, november fifth, of the year nineteen-sixteen, wrote in imperishable letters of red on the list of labor's martyrs who gave up their lives in freedom's cause the names of felix baran; hugo gerlot; gustav johnson; john looney; abraham rabinowitz. french, german, swedish, irish, and russian jew,--these are the true internationalists of the world-wide brotherhood of toil who died for free speech and the right to organize in this "land of liberty." to them courtenay lemon's tribute to the i. w. w. applies with full force. "again and again its foot-free members, burning with an indignation and a militant social idealism which is ever an inscrutable puzzle to local authorities, have hastened to towns where free speech fights were on, defied the police, braved clubbings, and voluntarily filled the jails to overflowing, to the rage and consternation of the police and taxpayers. it has acted as the flying squadron of liberty, the unconquered knight-errantry of all captive freedoms; and the migratory workers who constitute a large part of its membership, ever on the march and pitching their camp wherever the industrial battle is thickest, form a guerilla army which is always eager for a fight with the powers of tyranny. whether they disagree with its methods and aims, all lovers of liberty everywhere owe a debt to this organization for its defense of free speech. absolutely irreconcilable, absolutely fearless, and unsuppressibly persistent, it has kept alight the fires of freedom, like some outcast vestal of human liberty. that the defense of traditional rights to which this government is supposed to be dedicated should devolve upon an organization so often denounced as 'unpatriotic' and 'un-american,' is but the usual, the unfailing irony of history."[ ] baran, gerlot, johnson, looney, rabinowitz,--these names will be a source of inspiration to the workers when their cowardly murderers have long been forgotten. those who survived their wounds, saving as pocket pieces the buckshot, copper and steel jacketed and dum-dum bullets extracted from their persons, were; mentioning their more serious wounds: harry golden, age , shot in left leg, making amputation necessary. joseph ghilazano, age , shot in shoulder and both legs, entire knee-cap shot off and replaced with a silver substitute. albert scribner, age , severely wounded in hip, probably lamed for life. mario marino, age , shot thru the lungs. edward roth, age , severely wounded in abdomen. walter mulholland, age , shot in buttock. carl bjork, age , wounded in back. harry parker, age , shot above abdomen, in back, and in legs. john ryan, age , wounded in right shoulder and left leg. leland e. butcher, age , shot in the left leg. j. a. kelly, age , shot in right leg. hans peterson, age , wounded in head. fred savery, age , wounded in hip. steve sabo, age , shot in left shoulder. robert adams, age , shot in left arm. owen genty, age , wounded in right kidney. c. c. england, age , shot in left knee. nick canaeff, age , shot in left arm. albert doninger, age , wounded in left arm. brockman b. armstrong, age , wounds on head. e. j. shapeero, age , wounded in right leg. carl burke, age , shot in back and shoulder. ira luft, age , shot in right side of back. george turnquist, age , wounded in left leg. george brown, age , shot in back. d. j. mccarthy, age , shot in side of head and in right leg. john adams, age , wounded in right elbow. edward truitt, age , shot in right elbow. others on the boat who were wounded were oscar carlson, passenger, nine severe bullet wounds in all parts of his body; l. s. davis, ship steward, wounded in the arm, and charles smith, pinkerton "stool pigeon" with a slight scalp injury. the wounded men were none too well treated at the city hospital, only a part of the neglect being due to the overcrowded condition of the wards. wounds were hastily dressed and in some cases the injured men were placed in jail at once where they had to care for themselves as best they might. in everett the deputies left the dock when the verona had steamed out of the range of their rifle fire, taking with them the corpse of gunman c. o. curtis, office manager of the canyon lumber company, and deputy-sheriff jefferson beard, whose wounds caused his death the following morning. the injured deputies were h. b. blackburn, james a. broadbent, r. e. brown, e. p. buehrer, owen clay, louis connor, jr., fred durr, a. j. ettenborough, athol gorrell, thomas hedley, joe irving, james meagher; donald mcrae, j. c. rymer, edwin stuchell, and charles tucker. hooted, hissed, and jeered at by the thousands of citizens on the viaduct and hill above the dock, these self-immolated prostitutes to the god of greater profits were taken to the hospitals for treatment. among the crowd of citizens was mrs. edith frennette, who had been in everett a couple of days in connection with a lumber trust charge against her, and with her were mrs. lorna mahler and mrs. joyce peters, who had come from seattle to attend the proposed street meeting. making the claim that mrs. frenette had threatened the life of sheriff mcrae with a gun and had tried to throw red pepper into his eyes as he was being transported from the dock, the everett authorities caused the arrest of the three women in seattle as they were returning in an auto to meet the verona at the seattle dock. they were held several days before being released, no charges having been placed against mrs. mahler or mrs. peters, and the case against mrs. frenette was eventually dismissed, just as had been all previous charges made by mcrae. these three arrests brought the total number of free speech prisoners up to two hundred and ninety-four. what were the feelings of the everett public directly following the massacre can best be judged from the report of an everett correspondent to the seattle union record, the official a. f. of l. organ. "your correspondent was on the street at the time of the battle and at the dock ten minutes afterward. he mingled with the street crowds for hours afterwards. the temper of the people is dangerous. nothing but curses and execrations for the commercial club was heard. men and women who are ordinarily law abiding, who in normal times mind their own business pretty well, pay their taxes, send their children to church and school, pay their bills, in every way comport themselves as normal citizens, were heard using the most vitriolic language concerning the commercial club, loudly sympathizing with the i. w. w.'s. and therein lies the great harm that was done, more menacing to the city than the presence of any number of i. w. w.'s, viz., the transformation of decent, honest citizens into beings mad for vengeance and praying for something dire to happen. i heard gray-haired women, mothers and wives, gentle, kindly, i know, in their home circles, openly hoping that the i. w. w.'s would come back and 'clean up.'" corroborating this is the report of president e. p. marsh to the state federation of labor. "a dangerous situation existed in everett after the battle of november . public feeling ran high and anything might have happened. half a thousand citizens were under arms enraged at the industrial workers of the world and deadly determined to stamp out their organization in everett. it is no exaggeration to say that literally thousands of the working people of everett were just as enraged toward the members of the commercial club who participated in the gun battle. * * * as an instance of how high the feeling ran let me tell you that on the following morning the mayor of the city appeared on the (shingle weavers') picket line with a high power rifle and told the union pickets that he had every reason to believe that an attempt might be made by snipers to pick them off. he asked them to scatter as much as possible, make no demonstration whatever, and declared he would defend them with his life if necessary." mayor merrill, equally guilty with the deputies who were on the dock, taking advantage of a means of spreading information that was denied to the workers, directly after the massacre spoke from a soap box on the corner of wetmore and california avenues, telling all who would listen that he was not responsible for the trouble as the commercial club had taken the power away from him and put it in the hands of mcrae. the insincerity of this vacillating lackey of the lumber trust was demonstrated by his brutal treatment of young louis skaroff, who with chester micklin and osmond jacobs, had been arrested and thrown into jail when the three, bravely taking their lives in their hands, attempted to speak on the corner of hewitt and wetmore two hours after the tragedy. it was on monday night about ten o'clock that the night jailer took skaroff into a room where mayor merrill and a man posing as an immigration officer were seated. the fake immigration officer tried to frighten the prisoner with threats of deportation, after which the jailer beat skaroff across the head. merrill arose and took a hand in the proceedings, buffeting the boy back and forth until he fell to the floor. then, with the aid of the jailer, skaroff's fingers were placed, one by one, beneath the legs of an iron bed in the room while the ponderous mayor jumped up and down on the bed, mashing and tearing flesh and knuckles. upon regaining consciousness the mutilated boy found himself in the jail corridor, crushed beneath merrill's massive form, the mayor having grasped skaroff by the hair in order to repeatedly hammer the lad's head against the hard cement floor. finding that skaroff's spirit could not be broken the cowards finally desisted. skaroff was released at the end of eleven days. chaos reigned in everett following the tragedy. that night over five hundred deputies patrolled the streets, fearing just retribution for their criminal misdeeds. those who had been on the dock as parties to the massacre were overheard saying to each other, "we must stick together on this story about the first shot coming from the boat." certain officials called for the state militia which was mobilized in seattle but not used. one militiaman, a young lad named ted kennedy, refused to serve, claiming that it was the same as strike duty. the fact that the militia was mobilized at once, and that governor ernest lister went to everett to confer with officials and mill owners there, when he had refused to furnish protection or even to make an investigation at the request of the i. w. w. a short time before showed the governor's bias in favor of the employers. in this lumber district the militia was apparently the property of the mill owners. a hastily gathered coroner's jury in everett on november th brought in a verdict that c. o. curtis and jefferson f. beard met death from "gunshot wounds inflicted by a riotous mob on the steamer verona at the city dock." if any of the jury dissented from its false statement they were too spineless to express their opinion. the deliberations were under the direction of coroner a. r. maulsby and the members of the jury were adam hill, c. e. anthony, o. h. king, chris culmback, c. sandstein, and charles f. manning. the inquest was a farce. those who were outside the "deadline" and who were willing to swear that the first shots came from the dock were not permitted to testify, only sympathizers with the commercial club being called as witnesses. no real attempt to take testimony was made. the seattle central labor council on november th appropriated $ for a more complete investigation after branding the everett inquest as fraudulent in the following resolution: "whereas, it appears to this council that, following a lockout and open-shop campaign by roland h. hartley and others of everett, wash., the police and business men of that city have attempted to ruthlessly and lawlessly suppress all street speaking and demonstrations by labor organizations, and that unarmed men have been brutally beaten and terrorized, and whereas, this policy culminated in a bloody battle on sunday, november , resulting in the death of seven or more men and the wounding of many more, and whereas, a fair inquest should be held to fix responsibility for this crime, and it appears that this has not been done, but that only witnesses favorable to the bosses have been heard; therefore, we demand another inquest, free from control by the forces opposed to labor, and a change of venue, if that be necessary." capitalism stood forth in all its hideous nakedness on that day of red madness, and public opinion was such that the striking shingle weavers had but to persistently press their point in order to win. a conference of prominent men, held in everett on monday, decided that the situation could be relieved only by a settlement of the strike. the mill men, when called in, abruptly refused to grant a single demand so long as the men were still out, an attitude they could not have maintained for long. listening to the false advice of "friends of labor" and "labor leaders" the shingle weavers, albeit grudgingly, returned to their slavery, unconditional surrender being the price they were forced to pay for the doubtful privilege of "relieving the social tension." but with the pay envelopes that could not be stretched to cover the increased cost of living, the weavers, discouraged to an extent and lacking their former solidarity, were forced to down tools again within a few weeks by the greatest of all strike agitators--hunger. [illustration: mayor gill says i. w. w. did not start riot seattle executive places blame for sunday tragedy on citizens of everett--gives prisoners tobacco. providing the i. w. w.'s. whose attempted armed invasion of everett last sunday resulted in seven deaths and injuries to forty-nine persons, with every comfort possible. mayor h. c. gill yesterday afternoon personally directed the carrying of warm blankets and an assortment of tobacco to the prisoners now held in the city jail. in this manner gilt replied to criticism in seattle and everett for not having stopped the i. w. w's from going to the snohomish county city. he supplemented this today by assailing sheriff donald mcrae, of snohomish county and the posse of special deputies who met the invading i. w. w.'s at the boat. "in the final analysis," the mayor declared, "it will be found these cowards in everett who, without right or justification, shot into the crowd on the boat were the murderers and not the i. w. w.'s. calls them cowards. "the men who met the i. w. w.'s at the boat were a bunch of cowards. they outnumbered the i. w. w.'s five to one, and in spite of this they stood there on the dock and fired into the boat, i. w. w.'s, innocent passengers and all.] [illustration: "mcrae and his deputies had no legal right to tell the i. w. w.'s or anyone else that they could not land there. when the sheriff put his hand on the butt of his gun and told them they could not land, he fired the first shot, in the eyes of the law, and the i. w. w.'s can claim that they shot in self-defense." mayor gill asserted the everett authorities have no intention of removing the i. w. w.'s now in jail here to snohomish county. "they are afraid to come down here and get them," he declared, "because everett is in a state of anarchy and the authorities don't know where they're at." asked what he would have done at everett sunday when the i. w. w.'s appeared at that city, the mayor said he would have permitted them to land. "after they had been allowed to come ashore," he said, "i would have had them watched. then if they violated the law i would have had them thrown in jail. there would have been no trouble that way." no fight in seattle. "because everett has been reduced to a state of anarchy by their high-handed methods of dealing with this situation it is no reason they are going to attempt to bring their fight down in seattle, at least while i am mayor. "if i were one of the party of forty i. w. w.'s who was almost beaten to death by citizens of everett without being able to defend myself, i probably would have armed myself if i intended to visit everett again. "if the everett authorities had an ounce of sense, this tragedy would have never happened. they have handled the situation like a bunch of imbeciles, and they have been trying to unload these men onto seattle. you don't see any disturbances here, because we don't use nickel methods." the mayor charged that everett officials were inconsistent in their handling of this situation. he said that they permit candidates for office to violate the city ordinances by speaking on the streets and yet run the i. w. w.'s out of town if they endeavor to mount a soap box.] the prisoners in seattle were held incommunicado for several days. they were fed upon the poorest grade of prison fare, and were made to sleep on the winter-chilled cement floors without blankets. but mayor hiram gill, realizing that public sentiment was with the imprisoned men, ordered that they be placed upon a proper diet, be given blankets and be allowed to see relatives and friends. on november th in the seattle times there appeared a statement by gill that played a very important part in riveting the attention of the people upon the real criminals in the case. as the times is a notoriously conservative and labor-hating sheet, being largely responsible for the raid on the i. w. w. and socialist halls on july , , and for the attack by drunken sailors and soldiers on the i. w. w. hall on june , , it can hardly be accused of exaggeration in favor of the workers in this interview. following the publication of this interview the seattle chamber of commerce, seattle's "commercial club," endeavored to father a movement looking to the recall of gill from office. back of this attempt were judge thomas burke, louis lang, jay thomas, and four stall-fed ministers, the reverends w. a. major, e. v. shailer, wood stewart and carter helm jones. of these, thomas represented the liquor interests, lang was the former police chief who had been discharged in disgrace and was herding scabs on the waterfront, burke was chief spokesman for the low-wage open-shop interests, and as to the preachers--the less said the better. the lumber and shipping trusts had adequate representation at the "law and order" meeting as the attempted recall gathering was styled. but the whole thing fell flat when gill himself offered to sign the recall for the opportunity it would give him to tell the real facts about the everett case and the interests lined up behind the prosecution and the recall. on the night of the tragedy a report was circulated in seattle to the effect that every known i. w. w. would be arrested on sight. the answer to this was a street meeting at which nearly ninety dollars were collected as the first money toward the everett prisoners' defense, and the packing of the hall for weeks thereafter by members and sympathizers who had not attended meetings for a long time. a temporary committee was chosen to handle the work of the defense of the imprisoned men, and this committee acted until november th, at which time at a mass meeting of i. w. w. members herbert mahler was elected secretary of the everett prisoners' defense committee, charles ashleigh, publicity agent, and w. j. houser, morris levine and thomas murphy as the committee. richard smith was afterward chosen to take the place vacated by levine. this committee functioned thruout the case and up until the final audit of their account on june , . within the jail a process of selection had gone on. one by one the free speech prisoners were taken from their cells and slowly led past a silent and darkened cell into whose gloomy depths the keenest eye was unable to penetrate. again and again they were marched past the peephole, first with hats on and then with them off, while two sinister looking fingers were slid out of a narrow opening from time to time to indicate those who should be held. "i'd give two of my fingers," muttered one of the prisoners bitterly, "to know the skunk that belongs to those two fingers." little did he and his fellow workers realize that they were to learn later, thru the development of the trial, that the principal person engaged in the despicable work was george reese, a member of the i. w. w. and of the i. l. a. it was on learning this that many of the actions of reese were made clear; his connection with dock riots during the longshoremen's strike, his establishment of a "flying squadron" to beat up scabs on the waterfront, his open boast on the floor of i. l. a. meetings that his pockets were lined with money gained by robbing the strike-breakers after they had been beaten up and his advice to other strikers to do likewise, his activities just prior to the various dock fires, his seemingly miraculous escape in every instance when strikers were arrested, his election as delegate from the longshoremen to the seattle central labor council, his requests of prominent i. w. w. members that they purchase various chemicals for him, his giving of phosphorus to members of the i. l. a. and the i. w. w. with instructions as to how and where to use it, his attempts to advocate violence at an everett street meeting, his gathering of "souvenirs" on the verona--all actions designed either to aid the employers in their fights against the workers or to furnish an excuse for his further employment as an "informer." well may the question be asked--what was reese doing just as the verona docked in everett on november th? was reese merely a "stool pigeon" or was he an "agent provocateur?" aiding reese in the selective process was charles smith, the other pinkerton operative who had been on the boat. one of the men first picked out was i. p. mcdowell, alias charles adams, and this individual was weak enough to fall for the promise of immunity offered by agents of the lumber trust if he would point out the "leaders" and then take the stand to swear that the men on the boat were armed and the first shot came from one of them. mcdowell pointed out some of the men, but lacking the nerve to carry out the last part of the program he was held with the rest for trial. the seventy-four men thus picked were formally charged with murder in the first degree. the first charge carried the names of c. o. curtis as well as that of jefferson beard, but later the name of curtis was dropped from the information. the men so charged were: charles auspos, alias austin, age , teamster, born in wisconsin. james d. bates, age , steam fitter, born in illinois. e. m. beck, age , laborer, born in new york. charles berg, age , laborer, born in germany. j. h. beyer, age , painter, born in michigan. j. f. billings, age , cook, born in nebraska. charles black, age , laborer, born in pennsylvania. j. j. black, age , longshoreman, born in massachusetts. john w. bowdoin, age , laborer, born in sweden. frank boyd, age , laborer, born in illinois. pete breed, age , laborer, born in holland. w. h. brown, age , laborer, born in maryland. h. t. cheetman, age , carpenter, born in florida. fred crysler, age , laborer, born in canada. charles h. cody, age , painter, born in montana. william coffin, age , motorman, born in california. clarence cyphert, age , logger, born in washington. roy davis, age , laborer, born in california. william davis, age , cook, born in maryland. axel downey, age , laborer, born in iowa. john downs, age , sailor, born in colorado. adolph ersson, age , laborer and sailor, born in sweden. harry feinberg, age , cleaner and dyer, born in illinois. charles hawkins, age , laborer, born in indiana. charles haywood, age , miner, born in minnesota. e. f. hollingsworth, age , fireman, born in north carolina. j. e. houlihan, age , miner, born in ireland. alfred howard, age , coal packer, born in new york. harvey hubler, age , teamster, born in illinois. oscar johnson, age , laborer, born in sweden. victor johnson, age , laborer, born in finland. j. a. kelly, age , logger, born in ohio. theodore lauer, age , laborer, born in new york. william lawson, age , laborer, born in washington. jack leonard, age , laborer, born in kentucky. pat lyons, age , laborer, born in england. jim mack, age , laborer, born in ireland. joseph manning, age , automobile repairer, born in pennsylvania. laurence manning, age , laborer, born in new york. ed miller, age , painter, born in new york. harold miller, age , gas fitter, born in kansas. john mitchell, age , miner, born in illinois. george murphy, age , laborer, born in kentucky. louis mccall, age , laborer, born in texas. i. p. mcdowell, alias charles adams, age , printer, born in illinois. c. d. mclennan, age , longshoreman, born in georgia. carl newman, age , laborer, born in sweden. john nugent, age , laborer, born in new york. malachi o'neill, age , blacksmith, born in ireland. earl osborne, age , logger, born in north carolina. jack paterson, age , laborer, born in illinois. harston peters, age , laborer, born in virginia. james powers, age , sheet metal worker, born in massachusetts. john rawlings, age , laborer, born in wisconsin. michael j. reilly, age , laborer, born in new york. john ross, age , laborer, born in massachusetts. ed. roth, age , longshoreman, born in new york. thomas savage, age , machinist, born in new york. e. j. shapeero, age , timekeeper, born in pennsylvania. william shay, age , laborer, born in massachusetts. h. shebeck, age , laborer, born in wisconsin. albert shreve, age , laborer, born in illinois. h. sokol, age , laborer, born in russia. d. stevens, age, , longshoreman, born in canada robert struick, age , farmer, born in michigan. frank stewart, age , logger, born in canada. tom tracy, age , crane driver, born in pennsylvania. thomas h. tracy, age , teamster, born in nebraska. edwart truitt, age , longshoreman, born in pennsylvania. f. o. watson, age , blacksmith, born in louisiana. james whiteford (kelly), age , cook, born in new york. abraham b. wimborne, age , buss-boy, born in england. william winn, age , miner, born in maryland. all of these men, with the exception of j. h. beyer, were heavily handcuffed and secretly transferred to everett, forty-one being taken in the first contingent and the balance later. meanwhile the i. w. w. branches in seattle had communicated with the general headquarters of the organization and steps had been taken to secure legal aid. attempts to enlist the services of frank p. walsh, former chairman of the industrial relations commission, were unsuccessful. for various reasons other well known attorneys refused to ally themselves with the defense. attorney fred h. moore of los angeles, responding to the call from seattle, reached seattle just one week after the tragedy, on sunday, november, th. moore acted as chief counsel for the defense. he had first come into prominence thru his connection with the great free speech fight waged in spokane, wash., during the fall of and the spring of . during that fight he handled the legal end of the cases of many hundreds of free speech fighters whose arrests ran into the thousands. he was also connected with various other cases in connection with the industrial workers of the world, notably that of jack whyte and others arrested in the contest for free speech in san diego, cal. and the famous ettor-giovannitti case that developed from the great strike of textile workers in lawrence, mass., in . his sympathy with the workers and his understanding of the class struggle made him invaluable to the defense. of equal importance was attorney george f. vanderveer, who was called into the case a little later than moore. vanderveer was formerly the prosecuting attorney for king county, in which position he won a reputation for clever and merciless cross-examination. one of seattle's most prominent and brilliant lawyers, his wide acquaintance with all classes of people and his comprehensive knowledge of conditions in king and snohomish counties, coupled with his keen satire and compelling logic, gave a force to the case that cannot be underestimated. attorney e. c. dailey of everett, caroline a. lowe of kansas city, mo., and harry sigmond and j. l. finch, both of seattle, completed the list of counsel for the defense. after being held in the seattle city jail for nine days without any charge having been placed against them, one hundred twenty-eight men who were on the verona were released, small bodies of them being sent out at different periods in order to avoid demonstrations from the public. those who were released were: james agen, frank andrews, brockman armstrong, w. d. beachy, j. h. beyer, john bolan, j. bonfield, elmer brisbon, leonard broman, george brown, james burns, martin cable, val calze, a. l. cameron, james carlough, j. h. carr, ray clark, joseph cline, archie collins, robert conning, nick conaieff, joseph costello, r. f. dalton, frank dante, c. w. davis, lawrence davis, albert doninger, john donohue, william dott, joseph dougherty, ned dustard, j. h. elliott, c. c. england, john fitzpatrick, a. fletcher, russell free, alfred freeman, ben freeman, james freeman, john gibson, frank gillarkey, p. a. gragler, charles gray, james gray, paul grossman, ed gruberg, raymond gurber, robert hansen, joe harris, l. w. harris, arnold hensel, roy howell, g. h. isenberg, carl jacobson, george johnson, ray johnson, john karne, henry krieg, fred laveny, henry lea, raymond lee, william ledingham, charles leider, ira luft, ed lynn, george maguire, william micklenburg, august miller, dennis miller, frank c. miller, john miller, frank millet, roy mitchell, william montgomery, william moore, james murray, leo mccabe, j. mccoy, bernard narvis, al. nickerson, ben noll, tom norton, tom o'connor, jack osborne, e. peckman, hans peterson, a. pilon, ira porter, max ramsey, edward rays, herman rechlenberg, frank reiner, ernest rich, john j. riley, c. h. ross, m. rountell, steve sabo, j. l. samuel, joe sarracco, ed schwartz, carl schultz, h. stredwick, arthur shumek, charles smith, harry smith, e. j. smith, cecil snedegar, frank sofer, stanley stafl, raymond st. clair, john stroka, mike stysco, c. thomas, richard tibbs, john utne, joseph vito, john walker, benny warshawsky, f. westwood, ben whitehead, arley whiteside, william wilke, h. wilson, frank wise, and charles wolskie. most of these were mere boys. mere boys--but undaunted by their recent terrible experience on the verona where the open shop fiends had fired upon them without warning. mere boys--and yet they loyally marched straight to the i. w. w. hall as soon as they were released, there to inquire about the condition of their wounded fellow workers and to gain news of those who had been taken to everett to answer charges of first degree murder. mere boys--youthful enthusiasm shining on their beardless faces. scattered among them were a few men of middle years, and here and there a grey head stood out in bold relief--but the majority of them were mere boys, youthful soldiers in the social revolution, fine and clean and loyal material called together by the compelling ideal of a new society. the predominance of young blood in the organization was noted in the report of the convention, where it was shown that ninety per cent of the membership were under thirty years of age, due of course to the fact that the modern tendency is to displace the older men in industry. as one wit has put it "if a man works as hard as the employers want him to he is worn out at forty-five; if he isn't worn out at forty-five he is not the kind of worker the employers want." others have noted the percentage of the very young. john graham brooks, for instance, in "american syndicalism--the i. w. w." has this to say: "of the same nature as a characteristic is the +youth+ of the membership. the groups i saw in the west bore this stamp so unmistakably as to suggest bodies of students at the end of a rather jolly picnic. the word 'bum' usually applied to them in that region does not fit them. there are plenty of older men, as there are men with every appearance of being 'down and out'--with trousers chewed off at the heels, after the manner of tramps, but in face and bearing they are far from 'bums.' in one of the speeches the young were addressed as 'best material;' because they could stand the wear and tear of racking journeys. they were free from family responsibilities, and could at any moment respond to the call of duty." bearing out this idea, tho along a somewhat different line, is an excerpt from an article by anna louise strong which appeared in the survey magazine just prior to the trial. this and other articles, together with the personal efforts of miss strong, whose official standing as a member of the seattle school board and as executive secretary of the seattle council of social agencies gave weight to her opinion, did much toward creating a favorable public sentiment during the trial. says miss strong: "the boys in jail are a cheerful lot. the 'tanks' which contain them are the tanks of the usual county jail, much overcrowded now by the unusual number. bunks crowded above each other, in full sight thru the bars; a few feet away, all the processes of life open to the casual beholder. but they sit in groups playing cards or dominoes; they listen to tunes played on the mouth-organ; most of all they sing. they sing whenever visitors come, and smile thru the bars in cheerful welcome. theirs is the spirit of the crusader of all ages, and all causes, won or lost, sane or insane. theirs is the irresponsibility and audacious valor of youth. when they disliked their food, says a conservative newspaper, they went on strike and 'sang all night.' sang all night! what sane adults in our drab, business-as-usual world would think of doing that? who, in fact, could think of doing it but college boys or industrial workers of the world, cheerfully defying authority?" thru an absurd and laughable error j. h. beyer, one of the seventy-four men charged with first degree murder, was among those who were released. beyer immediately sought out and told attorney moore his story. then this "hardened criminal" walked the street of seattle after public announcement had been made that he was willing to be taken to everett to be incarcerated with the rest of his fellow workers, and that he awaited rearrest. the prosecution made no move to apprehend him, so on december th beyer went to everett and asked the authorities to lock him up. the snohomish officials shamefacedly granted this unique request but they absolutely refused to refund the money beyer had paid to deliver himself up to "justice." before leaving seattle beyer made this statement: "i have waited here nearly a month since my release from the seattle jail, yet no officer from everett has come for me. in justice to the other boys accused i feel that i should share their lot as well as the accusation. i do not fear returning to everett and giving myself up for i am confident that we shall be all exculpated. i am fifty-three years of age and have had many and varied experiences in my career, but i never expected to be accused of crime because i endeavored to assert my constitutional right of free speech." the same day that beyer surrendered himself, bonds of $ each were secured for thirty-eight men who had been selected from the verona and calista and held on charges of unlawful assembly. bail was given by james duncan, secretary of the central labor council, and e. b. ault, editor of the union record, both of seattle. the released men were dewey ashmore, e. belmat, c. burke, l. e. butcher, james callahan, harry chase, charles day, a. j. deach, charles ellis, j. ford, owen genty, hy gluckstad, frank goff, james c. hadley, steve heletour, a. o. hooper, c. c. hulbert, h. p. hunsberger, c. l. johnson, r. w. jones, joe kelley, f. lansing, w. o. lily, e. mcbride, william mcgregor, r. nicholson, david o'hern, harry parker, j. ryan, sam scott, mark skomo, thomas smye, and f. thorpe. altho an inquest had been held over the dead gunmen at such an early date after the tragedy and with such haste as to seem suspicious, repeated demands for an inquest over labor's dead were of no avail. no such inquest was ever held. only by strong protest were the bodies kept from the potter's field. thirty-eight charged with unlawful assembly, seventy-four in jail accused of first degree murder, thirty-two severely wounded and at least two of these crippled for life, six unaccounted for and probably shot and drowned, and five known dead in the city morgue,--this was the answer of the tyrannical timber barons to labor's demand for free speech and the right to organize within the confines of the lumber kingdom. footnote: [ ] courtenay lemon, "free speech in the united states." pearson's magazine, december . chapter v. behind prison bars "one of the greatest sources of social unrest and bitterness has been the attitude of the police toward public speaking. on numerous occasions in every part of the country the police of cities and towns have, either arbitrarily or under the cloak of a traffic ordinance, interfered with or prohibited public speaking, both in the open and in halls, by persons connected with organizations of which the police or those from whom they receive their orders did not approve. in many instances such interference has been carried out with a degree of brutality which would be incredible if it were not vouched for by reliable witnesses. bloody riots frequently have accompanied such interference, and large numbers of persons have been arrested for acts of which they were innocent or which were committed under the extreme provocation of brutal treatment by police or private citizens. "in some cases this suppression of free speech seems to have been the result of sheer brutality and wanton mischief, but in the majority of cases it undoubtedly is the result of a belief by the police or their superiors that they were 'supporting and defending the government' by such invasion of personal rights. there could be no greater error. such action strikes at the very foundation of government. it is axiomatic that a government which can be maintained only by the suppression of criticism should not be maintained. furthermore, it is the lesson of history that attempts to suppress ideas result only in their more rapid propagation." the foregoing is the view of the industrial relations commission as it appears on page and of volume one of their official report to the united states government. [illustration: jail at everett] the growth of a public sentiment favorable to the industrial workers of the world was clearly shown on november th, at which time the bodies of felix baran, hugo gerlot and john looney were turned over to the organization for burial. gustav johnson had already been claimed by relatives and a private funeral held, and the body of abraham rabinowitz sent to new york at the request of his sister. thousands of workers, each wearing a red rose or carnation, formed in line at the undertaking parlors and then silently marched four abreast behind the three hearses and the automobiles containing the eighteen women pall bearers and the floral tributes to the martyred dead. to the strains of the "red flag" and the "marseillaise" the grim and imposing cortege wended its way thru the crowded city streets, meeting with expressions of sorrow and sympathy from those who lined the sidewalk. delegations of workers from everett, tacoma, and other washington cities and towns were in line, and a committee from portland, ore., brought appropriate floral offerings. the solidarity of labor was shown in this great funeral procession, by all odds the largest ever held in the northwest. arriving at the graveside in mount pleasant cemetery the rebel women reverently bore the coffins from the hearses to the supporting frame, surrounded by boughs of fragrant pine, above the yawning pit. a special chorus of one hundred voices led the singing of "workers of the world, awaken," and as the song died away charles ashleigh began the funeral oration. standing on the great hill that overlooks the whole city of seattle, the speaker pointed out the various industries with their toiling thousands and referred to the smoke that shadowed large portions of the view as the black fog of oppression and ignorance which it was the duty of the workers to dispel in order to create the workers' commonwealth. the entire address was marked by a simple note of resolution to continue the work of education until the workers have come into their own, not a trace of bitterness evincing itself in the remarks. ashleigh called upon those present never to falter until the enemy had been vanquished. "today," he said, "we pay tribute to the dead. tomorrow we turn, with spirit unquellable, to give battle to the foe!" as the notes of "hold the fort!" broke a moment of dead silence, a shower of crimson flowers, torn from the coats of the assembled mourners, covered the coffins and there was a tear in every eye as the bodies slowly descended into their final resting place. as tho loath to leave, the crowd lingered to sing the "red flag" and "solidarity forever." those present during the simple but stirring service were struck with the thought that the class struggle could never again be looked upon as a mere bookish theory, the example of those who gave their lives in the cause of freedom was too compelling a call to action. but the imperious exactions of the class war left no time for mourning, and ere the last man had left the graveside the first to go was busily spreading the news of an immense mass meeting to be held in dreamland rink on the next afternoon. at this meeting five thousand persons from all walks of life gathered to voice their protest against the everett outrage and to demand a federal investigation. the labor unions, the clergy, public officials and the general citizenry, were represented by the speakers. this was the first of many mass meetings held by the aroused and indignant people of seattle until the termination of the case. [illustration: funeral of gerlot, looney and baran] the "kept" press carried on a very bitter campaign against the i. w. w. for some few days after the dock tragedy, but dropped that line of action when the public let them understand that they were striking a wrong note. thereafter their policy was to ignore, as far as possible, the entire affair. practically the only time this rule was broken was in the printing of the song "christians at war" by john f. kendrick, taken from the i. w. w. song book. the seattle post-intelligencer gave a photographic reproduction of the cover page of the book and of the page containing the song. the obvious intent was to have people think that this cutting satire was an urge for the members of the i. w. w. to do in times of peace those inglorious things that are eminently respectable in times of war. later the times, and several other papers, reproduced the same cover and song, the only change being that certain words were inked out to make it appear that the song was obscene. and tho the p.--i. had published the song in full the times placed beneath their garbled version these words, "the portions blotted out are words and phrases such as never appear in the times or in any other decent newspaper." the simultaneous appearance of this song in a number of papers was merely a coincidence, no doubt; there is no reason to believe that the lumber trust inspired the attack! allied as usual with the capitalist press and "stool pigeons" and employers' associations in a campaign to discredit the workers involved in the case, was the moribund socialist labor party thru its organ, the weekly people. the entire i. w. w. press came to the support of the imprisoned men as a matter of course. the seattle union record and many other craft union papers, realizing that an open shop fight lay back of the suppression of free speech, also did great publicity work. but no particular credit is due to those "labor leaders" who, like j. g. brown, president of the shingle weavers' union, grudgingly gave a modicum of assistance under pressure from radicals in their respective organizations. the northwest worker of everett deserves especial praise for its fearless and uncompromising stand in the face of the bitterest of opposition. this paper had practically to suspend publication because of pressure the lumber trust brought to bear on the firm doing their printing. this, with the action recorded in the minutes of the commercial club, "decided to go after advertisements in labor journals and the northwest worker," shows that a free press is as obnoxious to the lumber lords as are free speech and free assembly. it scarcely needs noting that the international socialist review rendered yeoman service, as that has been its record in all labor cases since the inception of the magazine. several other socialist publications, to whom the class struggle does not appear merely as a momentary quadrennial event, also did their bit. diverse foreign language publications, representing varying shades of radical thought, gave to the trial all the publicity their columns could carry. just why seventy-four men were picked as prisoners is a matter of conjecture. probably it was because the stuffy little snohomish county jail could conveniently, to the authorities, hold just about that number. the men were placed four in a cell with ten cells to each tank, there being two tanks of steel resting one above the other. even with all the windows thrown open the ventilation was so poor that the men were made ill by the foul air. for almost two full months after being transported to everett the men were held incommunicado; were not allowed to see papers or magazines or to have reading matter of any description; were subjected to the brutalities of sheriff mcrae and other jail officials who had been prominent in previous outrage and participants in the massacre at the dock; and were fed on the vilest prison fare. mush was the principal article of diet; mush semi-cooked and cold; mush full of mold and maggots; mush that was mainly husks and lumps that could not be washed down with the pale blue prison milk; mush--until the prisoners fitfully dreamed of mush and gagged at the mere mention of the word. finding themselves slowly starving the men decided that it were better to complete the job at once rather than to linger in misery. a hunger strike was declared! meal after meal--or mush after mush--passed and the men refused to eat. those who were thought to be leaders in the miniature revolt were thrown in the blackhole where there was neither light nor fresh air. still the men refused to eat, so the authorities were forced to surrender and the men had something to eat besides mush. great discomfort was experienced by the prisoners from having to sleep on the cold steel floors of the unheated cells during the chill november nights. deciding to remedy the condition they made a demand for mattresses and blankets from the authorities, not a man of them being willing to have the defense committee purchase such supplies. the needed articles were refused and the men resorted to a means of enforcing their demands known as "building a battleship." with buckets and tins, and such strips of metal as could be wrenched loose, the men beat upon the walls, ceilings, and floors of the steel tanks. those who found no other method either stamped on the steel floors in unison with their fellows, or else removed their shoes to use the heels to beat out a tattoo. to add to the unearthly noise they yelled concertedly with the full power of their lungs. three score and ten men have a noise-making power that words cannot describe. the townspeople turned out in numbers, thinking that the deputies were murdering the men within the jail. the battleship construction workers redoubled their efforts. acknowledging defeat, the jail officials furnished the blankets and mattresses that had been demanded. a few days later the men started their morning meal only to find that the mush was strongly "doped" with saltpeter and contained bits of human manure and other refuse--the spite work, no doubt, of the enraged deputies. another battleship was started. this time the jailers closed all the windows in an effort to suffocate the men, but they broke the glass with mop-handles and continued the din. as before, the deputies were defeated and the men received better food for a time. on november th an official of the state board of prisoners took the finger prints and photographs of the seventy-four men who were innocent until proven guilty under the "theory" of law in this country, and, marking these bertillion records with prison serial numbers, sent copies to every prison in the united states. in taking the prints of the first few men brute force was used. lured from their cells the men were seized, their hands screwed in a vise, and an imprint taken by forcibly covering their hands with lampblack and holding them down on the paper. when the others learned that some had thus been selected they voted that all should submit to having their prints taken so the whole body of prisoners would stand on the same footing. attorney moore was denied all access to the prisoners during the consummation of this outrage. after obtaining permission of the jail officials a committee of everett citizens, with the voluntary assistance of the cooks' and waiters' union, prepared a feast for the free speech prisoners on thanksgiving day. when the women arrived at the jail they were met by sheriff mcrae who refused to allow the dinner to be served to the men. mcrae was drunk. in place of this dinner the sheriff set forth a meal of moldy mush so strongly doped with chemicals as to be unfit for human consumption. this petty spite work by the moon-struck tool of the lumber trust was in thoro keeping with the cowardly characteristics he displayed on the dock on november th. and the extent to which the daily press in everett was also under the control of the lumber interests was shown by the publication of a faked interview with attorney fred moore published in the everett herald under date of november th, moore having been credited with the statement that the prison food deserved praise and the prisoners were "given as good food and as much of it as they could wish." during the whole of mcrae's term as sheriff there was no time that decent food was given voluntarily to the prisoners as a whole. at times, with low cunning, mcrae gave the men in the upper tank better food than those confined below, and also tried to show favoritism to certain prisoners, in order to create distrust and suspicion among the men. all these attempts to break the solidarity of the prisoners failed of their purpose. on one occasion mcrae called "paddy" cyphert, one of the prisoners whom he had known as a boy, from his cell and offered to place him in another part of the jail in order that he might escape injury in a "clubbing party" the deputies had planned. cyphert told mcrae to put him back with the rest for he wanted the same treatment as the others and would like to be with them in order to resist the assault. in the face of this determination, which was typical of all the prisoners, the contemplated beating was never administered. mcrae would oftentimes stand outside the tanks at a safe distance and drunkenly curse the prisoners and refer to them as cowards, to which the men would reply by repeating the words of the sheriff on the dock, "o-oh, i'm hit! i-i'm h-hit!! i-i-i'm h-h-hit!!!" then they would burst forth with a song written by william whalen in commemoration of the exploits of the doughty sheriff, a song which since has become a favorite of the migratory workers as they travel from job to job, and which will serve to keep the deeds of mcrae fresh in the minds of the workers for many years to come. to sheriff mcrae call out your fire department, go deputize your bums; gather in your gunmen and stool pigeons from the slums; you may resolute till doomsday, you ill-begotten knave; we'll still be winning free speech fights when you are in your grave! you reprobate, you imp of hate, you're a traitor to the mind that brought you forth in human shape to prey upon mankind. you are lower than the snakes that crawl or the scavengers that fly; you're the living, walking image of a damn black-hearted lie! we'll still be here in everett when your career is ended, and back among the dregs of life your dirty hide has blended; when you shun the path of honest wrath and fear the days to come, and bow your head to the flag of red, you poor white-livered bum! for the part you played in everett's raid that fateful sunday morn, may your kith and kindred live to curse the day that you were born; may the memory of your victims haunt your conscience night and day, until your feeble, insect mind beneath the strain gives way! oh, don mcrae, you've had your day; make way for freedom's host: for labor's sun is rising, soon 'twill shine from coast to coast! the shot you fired at everett re-echoes thru the night as a message to the working class to organize and fight! those graves upon the hillside as monuments will stand to point the way to freedom's goal to slaves thruout the land; and when at last the working class have made the masters yield, may your portion of the victory be a grave in the potter's field! the end of the first week in january brought about the change in the administrative force of snohomish county that had been voted at the november election. a new set of lumber trust lackeys were placed in office. james mccullogh succeeded donald mcrae as sheriff, and lloyd black occupied the office vacated by prosecuting attorney o. t. webb. the advent of a new sheriff made some slight difference in the jail conditions, but this was more than offset by the underhanded methods used from that time on with the idea of breaking the solidarity of the free speech fighters. liquor was placed in the bathrooms where the men could easily get hold of it, but even among those who had been hard drinkers on the outside there were none who would touch it. firearms were cunningly left exposed in hopes that the men might take them and attempt a jail break, thus giving the jailers a chance to shoot them down or else causing the whole case to be discredited. the men saw thru the ruse and passed by the firearms without touching them. working in conjunction with the prosecuting attorney was h. d. cooley. this gentleman was one of the deputies on the dock, having displayed there his manly qualities by hiding behind a pile of wood at first, and later by telling others to go with rifles to head off the calista which he had spied approaching from the direction of mukilteo. cooley had a practice among the big lumbermen, and in the case against the i. w. w. he was hired by the state with no stipulation as to pay. the general excuse given for his activities in the case, which dated from november th, was that he was retained by "friends of jefferson beard" and other "interested parties." attorney a. l. veitch was also lined up with the prosecution. he was the same gentleman who had lectured to the deputies during the preceding fall as a representative of the merchants' and manufacturers' association, and had told the deputies how to handle "outside agitators." veitch was also employed by the state as a matter of record, but there was a direct stipulation that he receive no pay from state funds. he also was employed by "friends of jefferson beard" and other "interested parties." with veitch there was imported from los angeles one malcolm mclaren, an m. and m. detective and office partner with veitch, to act as "fix-it" man for the lumber trust. mclaren was at one time an operative for the infamous wm. j. burns, and burns has well said "private detectives, ninety per cent of them, as a class, are the worst of crooks, blackmailers and scoundrels." under mccullogh's regime this open-shop gumshoe artist had free access to the jail with instructions to go as far as he liked. just what the prisoners thought about jail conditions during the time they were incarcerated is given in the following report which was smuggled out to the industrial worker and published on march rd: "'everything is fine and dandy on the outside, don't worry, boys.'" "this is the first thing we heard from visitors ever since we seventy-four have been incarcerated in the snohomish county jail at everett. "while 'everything is fine and dandy on the outside' there are, no doubt, hundreds who would like to hear how things are on the inside. let us assure everyone on the outside that 'everything is fine and dandy' on the inside. we are not worrying as it is but a short time till the beginning of the trials, the outcome of which we are certain will be one of the greatest victories labor has ever known, if there exists a shadow of justice in the courts of america. "one hundred days in jail so far--and for nothing! stop and think what one hundred days in jail means to seventy-four men! it means that in the aggregate the master class have deprived us of more than twenty years of liberty. twenty years! think of it, and a prospect of twenty more before all are at liberty. "and why? "there can be but one reason, one answer: we are spending this time in jail and will go thru the mockery of a trial because the masters of everett are trying to shield themselves from the atrocious murders of bloody november fifth. "after being held in seattle, convicted without a trial, except such as was given us by the press carrying the advertising of the boss and dependent on him for support, on november th forty-one of us were brought to everett. a few days later thirty more were brought here. "we found the jail conditions barbarous. there were no mattresses and only one blanket to keep off the chill of a puget sound night in the cold, unheated steel cells. there were no towels. we were supplied with laundry soap for toilet purposes, when we could get even that. workers confined in lower cells were forced to sleep on the floors. there were five of them in each cell and in order to keep any semblance of heat in their bodies they had to sleep all huddled together in all their clothing. "the first few days we were in the jail we spent in cleaning it, as it was reeking with filth and probably had never been cleaned out since it was built. it was alive with vermin. there were armies of bedbugs and body lice. we boiled up everything in the jail and it is safe to say that it is now cleaner than it had ever been before, or ever will be after the wobblies are gone. "when we first came here the lower floor was covered with barrels, boxes and cases of whiskey and beer. this was moved in a few days, but evidently not so far but mcrae and his deputies had access to it, as their breath was always charged with the odor of whiskey. it was an everyday occurrence to have several of the deputies, emboldened by liquid courage and our defenseless condition--walk around the cell blocks and indulge in the pastime of calling us vulgar and profane names. threats were also very common, but we held our peace and were content with the thought that 'a barking dog seldom bites.' "the worst of these deputies are gone since the advent of sheriff mccullogh, but there are some on the job yet who like their 'tea.' about two weeks ago every deputy that came into the jail was drunk; some of them to the extent of staggering. "when we first entered the jail, true to the principles of the i. w. w., we proceeded to organize ourselves for the betterment of our condition. a 'grub' committee, a sanitary committee and a floor committee were appointed. certain rules and regulations were adopted. by the end of the week, instead of a growling, fighting crowd of men, such as one would expect to find where seventy-four men were thrown together, there was an orderly bunch of real i. w. w.'s, who got up at a certain hour every morning, and all of whose actions were part of a prearranged routine. even tho every man of the seventy-four was talking as loudly as he could a few seconds before ten p. m., the instant the town clock struck ten all was hushed. if a sentence was unfinished, it remained unfinished until the following day. "when the jailer came to the door, instead of seventy-four men crowding up and all trying to talk at once, three men stepped forward and conversed with him. our conduct was astonishing to the jail officials. one of the jailers remarked that he had certainly been given a wrong impression of the i. w. w. by mcrae. he said, 'this bunch is sure different from what i heard they were. you fellows are all right.' the answer was simply: 'organization.' instead of a cursing, swearing, fighting mob of seventy-four men, such as sheriff mcrae would like to have had us, we were entirely the opposite. "time has not hung heavy on our hands. one scarcely notices the length of the days. educational meetings are frequent and discussions are constantly in order. our imprisonment has been a matter of experience. we will all be better able to talk industrial unionism than when we entered the jail. "the meals! did we say 'meals?' a thousand pardons! next time we meet a meal we will apologize to it. up to the time we asserted our displeasure at the stinking, indigestible messes thrown up to us by a drunken brute who could not qualify as head waiter in a 'nickel plate' restaurant, we had garbage, pure and simple. think of it! mush, bread and coffee at : a. m., and not another bite until p. m. then they handed us a mess which some of us called 'slumgullion,' composed of diseased beef. is it any wonder that four of the boys were taken to the hospital? but we will not dwell on the grub. suffice it to say we were all more or less sick from the junk dished out to us. we were all hungry from november th until january nd. one day in november we had beans. little did we surmise the pains, the agony contained in that dish of innocent looking nutriment, beans. at two in the morning every man in the jail was taken violently ill. we aroused the guards and they sent for a doctor. he came about eight hours later and looked disappointed upon learning that we were not dead. this doctor always had the same remedy in all cases. his prescription was, 'stop smoking and you will be all right.' this is the same quack who helped beat up the forty-one members of the i. w. w. at beverly park on october th, . his nerve must have failed him or his pills would have finished what his pickhandle had started. "during the entire time of our confinement under mcrae, drunken deputies came into the jail and did everything in their power to make conditions as miserable as possible for us. mcrae was usually the leader in villification of the i. w. w. "when on january th a change of administration took place, we called a meeting which resulted in an interview with sheriff mccullogh. among other things we demanded a cook. for days the sheriff stalled us off. he professed that he wanted to do things for our comfort. we gave him ample time--but there was no change in the conditions. on january th the matter came to a climax. for five days prior to this we had been served with what some called 'mulligan.' in reality it was nothing more or less than water slightly colored with the juice of carrots. if there had ever been any meat in it that meat was taken out before the mulligan was served. we called for the sheriff and were informed that he had gone away. we called for one of our attorneys who was in one of the outer offices at the time, but jailer bridges refused to let us see him. having tried peaceful methods without success, we decided to forcibly bring the matter to the attention of the authorities. we poured the contents of the container out thru the bars and onto the floor. the boys in the upper tank did the same thing. for doing this we were given a terrible cursing by jailer bridges and the drunken cook, the latter throwing a piece of iron thru the bars, striking one of the boys on the head, and inflicting a long, ugly wound. the cook also threatened to poison us. "that night when we were to be locked in, one of our jailers, decidedly under the influence of liquor, was in such a condition that he was unable to handle the levers properly and in some manner put the locking system out of commission. after probably three quarters of an hour, during which all of us and every i. w. w. in the world were consigned to hell many times, the doors were finally locked. "'by god, you s--s-of-b----s will wish you ate that stew,' was the way in which the jailer said 'good night' to us. the significance of his words was brought back to us next morning when the time came for us to be unlocked. we were left in our cells without food and with the water turned off so we could not even have a drink. we might have remained there for hours without toilet facilities had we not taken matters into our hands. with one accord we decided to get out of the cells. there was only one way to do this--'battleship!' [illustration: an all-i. w. w. crew raising a spar tree ft. long, ½ inches at top and ½ inches at butt, at index, wash.] [illustration: another view of the same operation.] "battleship we did! such a din had never before been heard in everett. strong hands and shoulders were placed to the doors which gave up their hold on the locks as if they had been made of pasteboard, and we emerged into the recreation corridors. the lumber trust papers of everett, which thought the events of november th and the murder of five workers but a picnic, next day reported that we had wrecked the jail and attempted to escape. we did do a little wrecking, but as far as trying to escape is concerned that is a huge joke. the jail has not been built that can hold seventy-four i. w. w. members if they want to escape. we had but decided to forcibly bring the jail conditions to the attention of the authorities and the citizens. we were not willing to die of hunger and thirst. we told sheriff mccullogh we were not attempting to escape; he knew we were not. yet the papers came out with an alleged interview in which the sheriff was made to say that we were. it was also said that tomato skins had been thrown against the walls of the jail. there were none to throw! "summing up this matter: we are here, and here we are determined to remain until we are freed. not a man in this jail would accept his liberty if the doors were opened. this is proven by the fact that one man voluntarily came to the jail here and gave himself up, while still another was allowed his liberty but sent for the everett authorities to come and get him while he was in seattle. this last man was taken out of jail illegally while still under the charge of first degree murder, but he preferred to stand trial rather than to be made a party to schemes of framing up to perjure away the liberties of his fellow workers. "signed by the workers in the snohomish county jail." if the authorities hoped to save money by their niggardly feeding policy the battleship of january th, mentioned in the foregoing account, convinced them of their error. with blankets tied to the cell doors they first tore them open and then twisted them out of shape. taking a small piece of gaspipe they disarranged the little doors that controlled the locking system above each cell, and then demolished the entire system of locks. every bolt, screw and split pin was taken out and made useless. while some were thus engaged others were busy getting the food supplies which were stacked up in a corner just outside the tanks. when sheriff mccullogh finally arrived at the jail, some three hours later, he found the prisoners calmly seated amid the wreckage eating some three hundred pounds of corned beef they had obtained and cooked with live steam in one of the bath tubs. shaking his head sadly the sheriff remarked, "you fellows don't go to the same church that i do." the deputy force worked for hours in cleaning up the jail, and it took a gang of ironworkers nine working days, at a cost of over $ . , to repair the damage done in twenty minutes. twenty of the "hard-boiled wobblies" were removed to seattle shortly after this, but it was no trouble for the men to gain their demands from that time on. they had but to whisper the magic word "battleship" to remind the jailers that the i. w. w. policy, as expressed in a line in virgil, was about to be invoked: "if i cannot bend the powers above, i will rouse hell." lloyd black, prosecuting attorney only by a political accident, soon dropped his ideals and filled the position of prosecutor as well as his limited abilities allowed, and it was apparent that he felt the hands of the lumber trust tugging on the strings attached to his job and that he had succumbed to the insidious influence of his associates. he called various prisoners from their cells and by pleading, cajoling and threatening in turn, tried to induce them to make statements injurious to their case. fraudulently using the name of john m. foss, a former member of the general executive board of the i. w. w. and then actively engaged in working for the defense, black called out axel downey, a boy of seventeen and the youngest of the free speech prisoners, and used all the resources of his department to get the lad to make a statement. downey refused to talk to any of the prosecution lawyers or detectives and demanded that he be returned to his cell. from that time on he refused to answer any calls from the office unless the jail committee was present. nevertheless the name of axel downey was endorsed, with several others, as a witness for the prosecution in order to create distrust and suspicion among the prisoners. about this time the efforts of detective mclaren and his associates were successful in "influencing" one of the prisoners, and charles auspos, alias charles austin, agreed to become a state's witness. contrary to the expectation of the prosecution, the announcement of this "confession" created no sensation and was not taken seriously on the outside, while the prisoners, knowing there was nothing to confess, were concerned only in the fact that there had been a break in their solidarity. "we wanted to come out of this case one hundred per cent clean," was the sorrowful way in which they took the news. auspos had joined the i. w. w. in rugby, north dakota, on august th, , and whether he was at that time an agent for the employers is not known, but it is evident that he was not sufficiently interested in industrial unionism to study its rudimentary principles. it may be that the previous record of auspos had given an opportunity for mclaren to work upon that weak character, for auspos started his boyhood life in hudson, wisconsin, with a term in the reformatory, and his checkered career included two years in a military guard house for carrying side-arms and fighting in a gambling den, a dishonorable discharge from the united states army, under the assumed name of ed. gibson, and various arrests up until he joined the i. w. w. this auspos was about years of age, five foot eleven inches tall, weight about pounds, brown hair, brown eyes, medium complexion but face inclined to be reddish, slight scar on side of face, and was a teamster and general laborer by occupation, his parents living in elk river, minn. and while auspos had by his actions descended to the lowest depths of shame, there were those among the prisoners who had scaled the heights of self-sacrifice. there were some few among them whose record would look none too well in the light of day, but the spirit of class solidarity within them led them to say, "do with me as you will, i shall never betray the working class." james whiteford, arrested under the name of james kelly, deserves the highest praise that can be given for he was taken back to pennsylvania, which state he had left in violation of a parole; to serve out a long penitentiary sentence which he could have avoided by a few easily told lies implicating his fellow workers in a conspiracy to do murder on november th. shortly after the attempted "frame-up" with axel downey there was a strong effort made to bring pressure upon harvey hubler. a "lawyer" who called himself minor blythe, bearing letters obtained by misrepresentation from hubler's father and sister, attempted to get hubler from his cell on an order signed by malcolm mclaren, the detective. with the experience of downey fresh in mind, hubler refused to go out of the tank, even tho the "lawyer" stated that he had been sent by hubler's father and could surely get him out of jail. the next day twelve armed deputies came into the jail to force hubler to accompany them to the office. the prisoners as a whole refused to enter their cells, and armed themselves with such rude weapons as they could find in order to repulse the deputies. the concerted resistance had its effect and a committee of three, feinberg, peters and watson, accompanied hubler to the office. hubler there refused to read the letter, asking that it be read aloud in the presence of the other men. the detectives refused to do this and the men were put back in the tank. that afternoon, with two other prisoners, hubler went out of the tank to wash his clothes. the jailers had been awaiting this opportunity and immediately locked the men out. the gunmen then overpowered hubler and dragged him struggling to the office. the letter was then read to hubler, who made no comment further than to say that the i. w. w. had engaged attorneys to defend him and he wished to be taken back where the rest of the men were. meanwhile the men in the tanks had started another battleship. a hose had been installed in the jail since the previous battleship and the deputies turned this upon the men as soon as the protest started. the prisoners retaliated by taking all mattresses, blankets, clothing and supplies belonging to the county and throwing them where they would be ruined by the water, and not knowing what was happening to hubler they shouted "murder" at the top of their voices. while the trouble was going on several members of the i. w. w., many everett citizens, and one attorney tried to gain admittance to the jail office to learn the cause of the disturbance, but this was denied for more than an hour. hubler was finally brought back and the battleship ceased. the county had to furnish new bedding and clothing for the prisoners. after this occurrence the prisoners were allowed the run of the corridors and were often let out to play ball upon the jail lawn, with only two guards to watch them. there were no disorders in the jail from that time on. a committee of everett women asked permission to serve a dinner to the imprisoned men and when this was granted they fairly outdid themselves in fixing up what the boys termed a "swell feed." this was served to the men thru the bars but tasted none the less good on that account. [illustration: judge j. t. ronald] the seattle women, not to be outdone, gave a banquet to the prisoners who had been transported to the seattle county jail. the banquet was spread on tables set the full length of the jail corridor, and the menu ran from soup to nuts. an after dinner cigar, and a little boutonniere of fragrant flowers furnished by a gray-haired old lady, completed the program. these banquets and the jail visitors, together with numerous books, magazines and papers--and a phonograph that was in almost constant operation--made the latter part of the long jail days endurable. the defense was making strong efforts, during this time, to secure some judge other than bell or alston, the two superior court judges of snohomish county, finally winning a victory in forcing the appointment of an outside judge by the governor of the state. judge j. t. ronald, of king county, was selected by governor lister, and after the men had pleaded "not guilty" on january th, a change of venue on account of the prejudice existing in everett's official circles was asked and granted, seattle being selected as the place where the trial would take place. eleven of the prisoners were named on the first information, the men thus arraigned being f. o. watson, john black, frank stuart, charles adams, harston peters, thomas h. tracy, harry feinberg, john downs, harold miller, ed roth and thomas tracy. the title of the case was "state vs. f. o. watson et al.," but the first man to come to trial was thomas h. tracy. the date of the trial was set for march th. on november th, when he was taken from the verona to jail, thomas h. tracy gave his name at the booking window as george martin, in order to spare the feelings of relatives to whom the news of his arrest would have proven a severe shock. when the officers were checking the names later he was surprised to hear them call out "tracy, thomas tracy." thinking that his identity was known because of his having been secretary in everett for a time, he stepped forward. an instant later a little fellow half his size also marched to the front. there were two tom tracys among the arrested men! neither of them knew the other! tracy then gave his correct name and both he and "little tom tracy" were later held among the seventy-four charged with murder in the first degree. during all the time the free speech fighters were awaiting trial the lumber trust exerted its potent influence at the national capital to the end of preventing any congressional investigation of the tragedy of november th and the circumstances surrounding it. the petitions of thousands of citizens of the state of washington were ignored. all too well the employers knew what a putrid state of affairs would be uncovered were the lumber trust methods exposed to the pitiless light of publicity. that the trial itself would force them into the open evidently did not enter into their calculations. in changing the information charging the murder of c. o. curtis to the charge of murdering jefferson beard the prosecution thought to cover one point beyond the possibility of discovery, which change seems to have been made as a result of the exhuming of the body of c. o. curtis in february. curtis had been buried in a block of solid concrete and this had to be broken apart in order to remove the body. just who performed the autopsy cannot be ascertained as the work was covered in the very comprehensive bill of $ . for "exhuming the body of c. o. curtis, and autopsy thereon," this bill being made out in the name of the superintendent of the graveyard and was allowed and paid by snohomish county. this, together with the fact that at no time during the trial did the prosecution speak of c. o. curtis as having met his death at the hands of the men on the verona, seems to bear out the contention of the defense that curtis was the victim of the rifle fire of one of his associates. so on march th, after holding the free speech prisoners for four months to the day, the lumber trust, in the name of the state of washington, brought the first of them, thomas h. tracy, to trial, on a charge of first degree murder, in the king county court house at seattle, washington. chapter vi. the prosecution the king county court house is an imposing, five story, white structure, covering an entire block in the business section of the city of seattle. its offices for the conduct of the county and city business are spacious and well appointed. its corridors are ample, and marble. the elevator service is of the best. but the courtrooms are stuffy little dens, illy ventilated, awkwardly placed, and with the poorest of acoustics. they seem especially designed to add to the depressing effect that invariably attends the administration of "law and order." the court of judge ronald, like many other courts in the land, is admirably designed for the bungling inefficiencies of "justice." yet it was in this theater, thru the medium of the everett trial, that the class struggle was reproduced, sometimes in tragedy and sometimes in comedy. to reach the greatest trial in the history of labor unionism, perhaps the greatest also in the number of defendants involved and the number of witnesses called, one had to ascend to the fourth floor of the court house and line up in the corridor under the watchful eyes of the i. w. w. "police," c. r. griffin and j. j. keenan, appointed by the organization at the request of the court. there, unless one were a lawyer or a newspaper representative, it was necessary to wait in line for hours until the tiny courtroom was opened and the lucky hundred odd persons were admitted to the church-like benches of j. t. ronald's sanctum, where the case of state versus tracy was on trial. directly in front of the benches, at the specially constructed press table, were seats provided for the representatives of daily, weekly and monthly publications whose policies ranged from the ultra conservative to the extreme radical. here the various reporters were seen writing madly as some important point came up, then subsiding into temporary indifference, passing notes, joking in whispers, drawing personal cartoons of the judge, jury, counsel, court functionaries and out-of-the-ordinary spectators,--the only officially recognized persons in the courtroom showing no signs of reverence for the legal priesthood and their mystic sacerdotalism. just ahead of the press table were the attorneys for the prosecution: lloyd black, a commonplace, uninspired, beardless youth as chief prosecutor; h. d. cooley, a sleek, pusillanimous recipient of favors from the lumber barons, a fixture at the commercial club, and an also-ran deputy at the dock on november th, as next counsel in line; and a. l. veitch, handsome in a gross sort of a way, full faced, sensual lipped, with heavy pouches beneath the eyes, a self-satisfied favorite of the m. & m., and withal the most able of the three who by virtue of polite fiction represented the state of washington. from time to time in whispered conference with these worthy gentlemen was a tall, lean, grey, furtive-eyed individual who was none other than the redoubtable californian detective, malcolm mclaren. at right angles to this array of prosecutors the counsel for the defense were seated, where they remained until the positions were reversed at the close of the prosecution's case. chief counsel fred h. moore, serious, yet with a winning smile occasionally chasing itself across his face and adding many humorous wrinkles to the tired-looking crow-feet at the corners of his eyes; next to him george f. vanderveer, a strong personality whose lightning flashes of wit and sarcasm, marshalled to the aid of a merciless drive of questions, were augmented by a smile second only to moore's in its captivating quality; then e. c. dailey, invaluable because of his knowledge of local conditions in everett and personages connected with the case; and by his side, at times during the trial, was h. sigmund, special counsel for harry feinberg. seated a little back, but in the same group, was a man of medium height, stocky built, slightly ruddy complexion, black hair, and twinkling blue eyes. he was to all appearances the most composed man in the courtroom. a slight smile crept over his face, at times almost broadened into a laugh, and then died away. this was thomas h. tracy, on trial for murder in the first degree. to the rear of the defendant and forming a deep contrast to the determined, square-jawed prisoner was the guard, a lean, hungry-looking deputy with high cheek bones, unusually sharp and long nose and a pair of moustachios that drooped down upon his chest, a wholly useless and most uncomfortable functionary who could scarce seat himself because of the heavy artillery scattered over his anatomy. the court clerk, an absurdly dignified court bailiff, a special stenographer, and sheriff mccullogh of snohomish county, occupied the intervening space to the pulpit from which judge j. t. ronald delivered his legal invocations. the judge, a striking figure, over six feet in height and well proportioned, of rather friendly countenance and bearing in street dress, resembled nothing so much as a huge black owl when arrayed in his sacred "mother hubbard" gown, with tortoise-shell rimmed smoked glasses resting on his slightly aquiline nose and surmounting the heavy, closely trimmed, dark vandyke beard. to the right of the judge as he faced the audience was the witness chair, and across the whole of the corner of the room was a plat of the everett city dock and the adjacent waterfront, together with a smaller map showing part of the streets of the city. the plat was state's exhibit "a." below these maps on a tilted platform was a model of the same dock, with the two warehouses, waiting room, klatawa slip, and the steamer verona, all built to scale. this was defendant's exhibit " ." extending from these exhibits down the side of the railed enclosure, were seats for two extra jurors. the filling of this jury box from a long list of talesmen was the preliminary move to a trial in which the defendant was barely mentioned, and which involved the question of labor's right to organize, to assemble peaceably, to speak freely, and to advocate a change in existing social arrangements. capital was lined up in a fight against labor. there was a direct reflection in the courts of the masters of the age-long, world-wide class struggle. the examination of talesmen occupied considerable time. each individual was asked whether he had read any of the following papers: the industrial worker, the socialist world, or the pacific coast longshoreman. the prosecution also inquired as to the prospective juror's familiarity with the i. w. w. song book and the various works on sabotage. union affiliations were closely inquired into, and favorable mention of the right to organize brought a challenge from the state. the testing of the talesmen was no less severe on the part of the defense. fifty-one talesmen were disqualified, after long and severe legal battles, before a jury was finally secured from among the voters and property owners who alone were qualified to serve. the jury, as selected, was rather more intelligent than was to be expected when consideration is taken of the fact that any person who acknowledged having an impression, an opinion, or a conclusion regarding the merits of the case was automatically excused from service. those who were chosen to sit on the case were: mrs. mattie fordran, wife of a steamfitter; robert harris, a rancher; fred corbs, bricklayer, once a member of the union, then working for himself; mrs. louise raynor, wife of a master mariner; a. peplan, farmer; mrs. clara uhlman, wife of a harnessmaker in business for himself; mrs. alice freeborn, widow of a druggist; f. m. christian, tent and awning maker; mrs. sarah f. brown, widow, working class family; james r. williams, machinist's helper, member of union; mrs. sarah j. timmer, wife of a union lineman, and t. j. byrne, contractor. the two alternate jurors, provided for under the "extra juror" law of washington, passed just prior to this trial, were: j. w. efaw, furniture manufacturer, president of seattle library board and henry b. williams, carpenter and member of a union. judge ronald realized the importance of the case as was shown in his admonition to the jury, a portion of which follows: "it is plain, from both sides here, that we are making history. let us see that the record that we make in this case,--you and i, as a court,--be a landmark based upon nothing in the world but the truth. we may deceive some people and we may, a little, deceive ourselves; but we cannot deceive eternal truth." on the morning of march th judge ronald, the tail of his black gown firmly in hand, swept into the courtroom from his private chambers, the assembled congregation arose and stood in deep obeisance before his majesty the law, the pompous bailiff rapped for order and delivered an incantation, the judge seated himself on the throne of "justice," the assemblage subsided into their seats--and the trial was opened in earnest. prosecuting attorney lloyd black then gave his opening statement, the gist of which is contained in the following quotations: "you are at the outset of a murder trial, murder in the first degree. the defendant, thomas h. tracy, alias george martin, is charged with murder in the first degree, in having assisted, counselled, aided, abetted and encouraged some unknown person to kill jefferson beard on the th of november, . "* * * as far as the state is concerned, no one knows or can know or could follow the course of the particular bullet that struck and mortally wounded and killed jefferson beard. "* * * the evidence further will show that the first, or one of the first, shots fired was from the steamer verona and was from a revolver held in the hand of thomas h. tracy. "* * * as to the killing of jefferson beard itself the probabilities are, as the evidence of the state will indicate, that he was killed by someone on the hurricane deck of the verona because the evidence will show that the revolver shots went thru his overcoat, missing his coat, and thru his vest, and had a downward course, so that it must have come from the upper deck. the evidence will show that thomas h. tracy was on the main deck firing thru an open cabin window. "* * * of the approximately special and regular deputies of snohomish county about one-half were armed, some with revolvers, some with rifles and some with clubs. "* * * when the fusilade had come from the i. w. w.'s on the verona, a portion of the deputies ran thru a door into this warehouse, (indicating): a portion of them went into that warehouse, and used some of the knotholes there, and some shot holes thru which they could see, * * *" black then gave a recital of the lumber trust version of the events leading up to november th, bringing in the threats of an alleged committee who were said to have declared "that they would call thousands of their members to the city of everett, flood the jails, demand separate trials, and tie up and overwhelm the court machinery, and that the mayor should consider that they had beaten spokane and killed its chief, killed chief sullivan of that city, that they had defeated wenatchee and north yakima, and now it was everett's turn." "* * * that in furtherance of their threats that they would burn the city of everett, that a number of mysterious fires took place, fires connected with some person who was opposed to the i. w. w. * * * and in addition, the i. w. w. members were arrested at different times preceding this trouble on the th of november and phosphorus was found upon their person either in cans or wrapped up. "* * * at different times, the evidence will show, sheriff donald mcrae and other peace officers of the city of everett, including mayor merrill, received anonymous letters, and also received direct statements from the i. w. w. that they would get them; and, as one speaker put it, he says 'sheriff mcrae will wake up some day and say '"good morning, jesus!"' black continued his recital of events, admitting the "wanderer" incident, but he tried to sidestep the criminal actions at beverly park. "now, there happened at beverly park an incident that the state in this action doesn't feel that it has anything to do with this particular cause." ironical laughter at this juncture caused the removal of several spectators from the courtroom. so disconcerted was black that he proceeded to give away the real cause of action against the i. w. w. "the i. w. w. organization itself is an unlawful conspiracy, an unlawful conspiracy in that it was designed for the purpose of effecting an absolute revolution in society and in government, effecting it not by the procedure of law thru the ballot, but for effecting it by direct action. the i. w. w. meant to accomplish the change in society, not by organization as the labor unions hope to get higher wages, not to get into effect their theory of society by the ballot, as the socialists hope, but that they expressly state that the election of a socialist president will accomplish no good, and that sabotage should be employed against government ownership as well as against private production, so that directly they might put into effect their theories of government and society." the defense reserved the right to make their opening statement at the close of the prosecution's case, thus leaving the state in the dark as to the line of defense, and forcing them to open their case at once. lester l. beard and chester l. beard, twin sons of the deceased deputy sheriff, testified as to the condition of their father's clothing, attorney vanderveer drawing from lester beard the admission that his father was an employment agent in seattle in . following them, drs. william o'keef cox, h. p. howard, and william p. west testified to having performed an autopsy on beard and described the course of the bullet upon entering the body. dr. west was an armed guard at the land end of the city dock on november th, dr. cox was also on the dock as a deputy, and dr. howard carried a membership in the commercial club. they were the physicians present when the autopsy was performed. the next witness, harry w. shaw, a wood and coal dealer of everett, admitted having joined the citizen deputies because of a call issued by the sheriff thru the commercial club. shaw went to the dock on november th, carrying, as he claimed, a revolver with a broken firing pin which he had hoped to have repaired on that sunday on the way to the dock. he was close to beard when the latter fell and helped to carry him from the open space on the dock into the warehouse. he afterward accompanied beard to the hospital in an automobile and returned to the dock with beard's unfired revolver in his possession. he swore that he had seen mcrae sober three times in succession! when asked by attorney moore he gave an affirmative answer to this pertinent question: "you knew that the matter of the enforcement of the city ordinances of everett was peculiarly within the powers of the police department of the city, didn't you?" owen clay was then called to the stand. clay had been made bookkeeper of the weyerhouser mill about a year and a half before this, and had been given a membership in the commercial club at the time. he was injured in the right arm in the trouble at the dock and then ran around the corner of the ticket office, after which he emptied his revolver with his left hand. attorney vanderveer questioned this witness as follows: "who shot jeff beard in the right breast?" "i don't know." "did you do it?" "i don't know." "thank you! that's all," said vanderveer with a smile. the next witness was c. a. mitchell, employee of the clark-nickerson mill. he testified that he belonged to company "b" under the command of carl clapp. his testimony placed sheriff mcrae in the same position as that given by the preceding witness, about eight to ten feet from the face of the dock in the center of the open space between the two warehouses, but unlike clay, who testified that mcrae had his left hand in the air, he was positive that the sheriff had his right hand in the air at the time the shooting started. w. r. booth, engaged in real estate and insurance business, a member of the commercial club, and a deputy at the dock, was next called. attorney cooley asked this witness about the speech made at an unspecified street meeting. vanderveer immediately objected as follows: "we object to that as immaterial and calling for a conclusion of the witness. he does not know who was speaking, nor whether he was authorized to do it, or brought there by the industrial workers of the world, or a hireling of the merchants' and manufacturers' society. it has happened time and time again that people are employed by these capitalists themselves to go out and make incendiary speeches and cause trouble, and employed to go out and fire buildings and do anything to put the opposition in wrong." when questioned about mcrae's position on the dock, booth stated that the sheriff had both hands in the air. this witness admitted having been a member of the "flying squadron" and being a participant in the outrage at beverly park. he named others who went out with him in the same automobile, will seivers and harry ramwell, and stated that a. p. bardson, clerk of the commercial club, was probably there as he had been out on all the other occasions. he said that he would not participate in the beating up of anyone, and that when the affair started he went up the road for purposes of his own. he was asked by vanderveer as to the reason for continuing to associate with people who had abused the men at beverly park, to which he replied: "because i believe in at least trying to maintain law and order in our city." during the examination of this witness, and at various times thruout the long case, it was only with evident effort that attorney vanderveer kept on the unfamiliar ground of the class struggle, his natural tendencies being to try the case as a defense of a pure and simple murder charge. w. p. bell, an everett attorney representing a number of scab mills, a member of the commercial club and a deputy on the dock, testified next, contradicting the previous witnesses but throwing no additional light upon the case. he was followed by charles tucker, a scab and gunman employed by the hartley shingle company and a deputy on the dock. tucker lied so outrageously that even the prosecution counsel felt ashamed of him. he was impeached by his own testimony. editor j. a. macdonald of the industrial worker was called to the stand to show the official relation of the paper to the i. w. w. and to lay a foundation for the introduction of a file of the issues prior to november th. a portion of the file was introduced as evidence and at the same time the state put in as exhibits a copy of the i. w. w. constitution and by-laws, sabotage by elizabeth gurley flynn, sabotage by walker c. smith, the revolutionary i. w. w. by grover h. perry, the i. w. w., its history, structure and methods by vincent st. john, and the joe hill memorial edition of the song book. herbert mahler, former secretary of the seattle i. w. w. and at the time secretary-treasurer of the everett prisoners' defense committee, was next upon the stand. he was asked to name various committees and to identify certain telegrams. the unhesitatingly clear answers of both macdonald and mahler were in vivid contrast to the mumbled and contradictory responses of the deputies. william j. smith, manager of the western union telegraph company was then called to further corroborate certain telegrams sent and received by the i. w. w. as the next step in the case prosecutor black read portions of the pamphlet "sabotage" by smith, sometimes using half a paragraph and skipping half, sometimes using one paragraph and omitting the next, provoking a remonstrance from attorney vanderveer which was upheld by the court in these words: "you have a right to do what you are doing, mr. black, but it don't appeal to my sense of fairness if other omissions are as bad as the one you left out. you are following the practice, but i don't know of an instance where there has been such an awful juggling about, and it is discretionary with the court, and i want to be fair in this case. i want to let them have a chance to take the sting out of it so as to let the jury have both sides, because it is there. now, mr. vanderveer, i am going to leave it to you not to impose upon the court's discretion. any new phases i don't think you have the right to raise, but anything that will modify what he has read i think you have the right to." thereupon vanderveer read all the omitted portions bearing upon the case, bringing special emphasis on these two parts: "note this important point, however. sabotage does not seek nor desire to take human life." "sabotage places human life--and especially the life of the only useful class--higher than all else in the universe." with evidences of amusement, if not always approval, the jury then listened to the reading of numerous i. w. w. songs by attorney cooley for the prosecution, tho some of the jurymen shared in the bewilderment of the audience as to the connection between the song "overalls and snuff" and defendant tracy charged with a conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree. d. d. merrill, mayor of everett, next took the stand. he endeavored to give the impression that the i. w. w. was responsible for a fire loss in everett of $ , . during the latter part of the year . vanderveer shot the question: "from whom would you naturally look for information on the subject of fires?" "from the fire chief, w. c. carroll," replied the mayor; "we offer this report in evidence," said vanderveer crisply. the report of the fire chief was admitted and read. it showed that there were less fires in that in any previous year in the history of everett, and only four of incendiary origin in the entire list! the prosecution tried to squirm out of this ticklish position by stating that they meant also the fires in the vicinity of everett, but here also they met with failure for the principal fire in the surrounding district was in the co-operative mill, owned by a number of semi-radical workingmen at mukilteo. the mayor told of having been present at the arrest of several men taken from a freight train at lowell, just at the everett city limits. some of these men were i. w. w.'s, and on the ground afterward there was said to have been found some broken glass about which there was a smell of phosphorus. the judge ruled out this evidence because there were other than i. w. w. men present, no phosphorus was found on the men, and if only one package were found it would not indicate a conspiracy but might have been brought by an agent of the employers. this was the nearest the prosecution came at any time in the trial in their attempt to connect the i. w. w. with incendiary fires. a tense moment in this sensational trial came during the testimony of mayor merrill, when young louis skaroff was suddenly produced in court and the question flashed at the cringing witness: "do you recognize this boy standing here? do you recognize him, louis skaroff?" "i think i have seen him," mumbled the mayor. "let me ask you if on the th day of november at about ten o'clock at night in a room in the city hall at everett where there was a bed room having an iron bedstead in it, in the presence of the jailer, didn't you have an interview with this man?" merrill denied having mutilated skaroff's fingers beneath the casters of the bed, but even the capitalist press reported that his livid face and thick voice belied his words of denial. and prosecutor lloyd black remarked heatedly, "i don't see the materiality of all this." merrill left the stand, having presented the sorriest figure among the number of poor witnesses produced by the prosecution. carl clapp, superintendent of the municipal waterworks at everett, and commander of one of the squads of deputies, followed with testimony to the effect that sixty rifles from the naval militia were stored in the commercial club on november th. at this juncture the hearing of further evidence was postponed for a half day to allow attorney vanderveer to testify on behalf of mayor h. c. gill in a case then pending in the federal court. on several other occasions vanderveer was called to testify in this case and there were times when it was thought that he also would be indicted and brought to trial, yet with this extra work and the threat of imprisonment hanging over him, vanderveer never flagged in his keen attention to the work of the defense. it was commonly thought that the case against gill and the attempt to involve vanderveer were moves of the lumber trust and chamber of commerce directed toward the i. w. w., for in the background were the same interested parties who had been forced to abandon the recall against seattle's mayor. gill's final acquittal in this case was hailed as an i. w. w. victory. upon the resumption of the trial the prosecution temporarily withdrew clapp and placed clyde gibbons on the stand. this witness was the son of james gibbons, a deceased member of the i. w. w., well and favorable known in the northwest. james gibbons was killed by a speeding automobile about a year prior to the trial, and his widow and son, clyde, were supported by the i. w. w. and the boiler makers' union for several months thereafter. clyde gibbons, altho but seventeen years old, joined the navy by falsifying his age. charity demands that the veil be drawn over the early days of clyde's training, yet his strong imagination and general untruthfulness are matters of record. he was shown in court to have stolen funds left in trust with him by mrs. peters, one of the persons against whom his testimony was directed. it is quite probable that the deceit about his age, or some other of his queer actions, were discovered and used to force him to testify as the prosecution desired. the following testimony bears out this idea: "who was it that you met at the naval recruiting station and took you to mclaren?" "i don't know his name." "well, how did you get to talking to this total stranger about the everett matter?" "he told me he wanted to see me in the judge's office." "and they took you down to the judge's office, did they?" "yes, sir." "and when you got to the judge's office you found you were in mr. mclaren's and mr. veitch's and mr. black's office in the smith building?" "yes, sir." gibbons testified as to certain alleged conversations in an apartment house frequented by members of the i. w. w., stating that a party of members laid plans to go to everett and to take with them red pepper, olive oil and bandages. harston peters, one of the defendants, had a gun that wouldn't shoot and so went unarmed, according to this witness. gibbons also stated that mrs. frenette took part in the conversation in this apartment house on the morning of the tragedy, whereupon attorney moore asked him: "on directing your attention to it, don't you remember that you didn't see mrs. frenette at all in seattle, anywhere, at any time subsequent to saturday night; that she went to everett on saturday night?" "well, i am quite sure i saw her sunday, but maybe i am mistaken." the judge upheld the defense attorneys in their numerous objections to the leading questions propounded by prosecutor black during the examination of this witness. clapp was recalled to the stand and testified further that scott rainey, head of the u. s. naval militia at everett, had ordered ensign mclean to take rifles to the dock, and that the witness and mclean had loaded the guns, placed them in an auto and taken them to the dock, where they were distributed to the deputies just as the verona started to steam away. ignorance as to the meaning of simple labor terms that are in the every-day vocabulary of the "blanketstiff" was shown by clapp in his answers to these queries: "what is direct action?" "using force instead of lawful means." "what do you mean?" "well, either physical force, or conspiracy." "you understand conspiracy to be some kind of force, do you?" "it may be force." when asked where he had obtained information about sabotage, this witness said that he had looked up the word in webster's unabridged dictionary, a work in which the term is strangely absent. clapp was the first witness to admit the armed character of the deputy body and also to state that deputies with guns were stationed on all of everett's docks. after excusing this witness, cooley brought in copies of two city ordinances covering street speaking in everett. one of them which allowed the holding of meetings at the corner of hewitt and wetmore avenues was admitted without question, but the other which purported to have been passed on september , , was objected to on the ground that it had not been passed, was never put upon passage and never moved for passage in the everett city council. richard brennan, chauffeur of the patrol wagon, a. h. briggs, city dog catcher, and floyd wildey, police officer, all of everett, then testified regarding the arrest of i. w. w. members during august and september. wildey stated that on the night of august four or five members of the i. w. w. came away from their street meeting carrying sections of gaspipe in their hands. this was thought to be quite a blow against the peaceful character of the meeting until it was discovered on cross-examination that the weapons were the removable legs of the street speaking platform. david daniels, arthur s. johnson, garland queen, j. r. steik, m. j. fox and, later on, earl shaver, all of whom were police officers in everett, gave testimony along somewhat the same lines as the other witnesses from everett who owed their jobs to the lumber trust. they stated that the i. w. w. men deported on august rd, had made threats against mcrae and several police officers. ed. m. hawes, proprietor of a scab printing and stationery company, member of the commercial club and citizen deputy, gave testimony similar to that of other vigilantes as to the trouble on november th. when asked if he had ever known any i. w. w. men offering resistance, hawes replied that one had tried to start a fight with him at beverly park. having thus established his connection with this infamous outrage, further questioning of this witness developed much of the story of the brutal gauntlet and deportation. hawes told of one of his prisoners making an endeavor to escape, and when asked whether he blamed the man for trying to get away, answered that he thought the prisoner was a pretty big baby. "you thought he was a pretty big baby?" queried vanderveer. "yes, sir." "or do you think the men were pretty big babies and cowards who were doing the beating?" the witness had no answer to this question. "how much do you weigh?" demanded vanderveer sharply. "i weigh pounds," replied hawes. frank goff and henry krieg, two young lads who were severely beaten at beverly park, were suddenly produced in court and the big bully was made to stand alongside of them. he outweighed the two of them. it was plainly evident who the pretty big baby was! howard hathaway, law student and assistant to the state secretary of the democratic central committee, was forced to admit his connection with the raid upon the launch "wanderer" and also upon the men peacefully camping at maltby. his testimony was mainly for the purpose of making it appear that james p. thompson had advocated that the shingle weavers set fire to the mills and win their strikes by methods of terrorism. two newspaper reporters, william e. jones of the seattle post-intelligencer, and j. j. underwood of the seattle times, were placed upon the stand in order to lay the foundation for an introduction of an article appearing in the p-i on sunday morning, november th. jones testified that he was present at the seattle police station when philip k. ahern, manager of the pinkerton detective agency, requested the release of smith and reese, two of his operatives who had been on the verona. underwood stated that upon hearing of the treatment given the i. w. w. men at beverly park he had exclaimed, "i would like to see anybody do that to me and get away with it." "you meant that, did you?" asked vanderveer. "you bet i meant it!" asserted the witness positively. the two reporters proved to be better witnesses for the defense than for the prosecution. sanford asbury, t. n. henry, ronald johnson, john s. donlan, and j. e. gleason, then testified regarding the movements of the men who left seattle on the verona and calista on the morning of november th. they uniformly agreed that the crowd was in no way disorderly, nor were their actions at all suspicious. the defense admitted that the verona had been chartered but stated that there were passengers other than i. w. w. members on board. the first witness from the verona was ernest shellgren, the boat's engineer, who testified that he was in the engine pit when the boat landed and heard crackling sounds telegraphed down the smoke stack that he knew an instant later were bullets. he was struck by a spent bullet and ran to various places on the boat seeking shelter from the hail of lead that appeared to come from all directions, finally returning to the boiler as the safest place on the boat. he stated that he saw one man firing a blue steel revolver from the boat, only the hand and revolver being in his line of vision. the only other gun he saw was one in the hands of the man who asked him to back the boat away from the dock during the firing. he also stated that the i. w. w. men on the way over to everett comported themselves as was usual with any body of passengers. shellgren was asked if he could identify john downs or thomas h. tracy as being connected with the firing in any way and he stated that he could not do so. the defense objected to the use of downs' picture, as it did on every occasion where a picture of one of the prisoners was used, on the grounds that the photographs were obtained by force and in defiance of the constitutional rights of the imprisoned free speech fighters. seattle police detectives, theodore montgomery and james o'brien, who made a search of the verona upon its return to seattle, testified to having found a little loose red pepper, two stones the size of a goose egg tied up in a cloth, and a few empty cartridges. these two witnesses also developed the fact that in no case were regular bandages used on the wounded men, thus establishing the fact that no serious trouble was anticipated. james meagher, occupation "home owner," member of the commercial club and citizen deputy, testified that a hundred shots were fired from the verona before a gun was pulled on the dock, one of the first shots striking him in the leg. this witness was asked: "did you see a single gun on the boat?" "no sir," was his mumbled response. the prosecution witnesses disagreed as to the number of lines of deputies stretched across the back and sides of the open space on the dock, the statements varying from one to four files. chad ballard, harry gray, and j. d. landis, of the seattle police detective bureau, and j. g. mcconnell, everett interurban conductor, testified to the return and arrest of mrs. frenette, mrs. mahler and mrs. peters, after the trouble on november th. the police officers also told of a further searching of the verona on its return. the defense admitted that some of the members had red pepper in their possession and stated that they would ask the judge to instruct the jury that red pepper is a weapon of defense and not of offense and that murder cannot be committed with red pepper. elmer buehrer, engineer at the everett high school, and citizen deputy, gave testimony that was halting, confused and relatively unimportant. he was prompted by the prosecution to such an extent that attorney vanderveer at the close of one question said, "look at me and not at counsel." "look where you please," cried cooley angrily. "well, look where you please," rejoined vanderveer. "he can't help you." it was apparent that the only reason for putting on this witness and former witness meagher was because of a desire to create sympathy thru the fact that they had been wounded on the dock. edward armstrong, master mariner on the verona, testified that he had thrown out the spring line and lifted out the gate when the firing started. he fell to the deck behind a little jog, against the bulkhead, and while in that position two bullets went thru his cap. altho this witness stated that he judged from the sound that the first shot came from some place to the rear of him, his testimony as to the attitude of mcrae was as follows: "i seen him with his right hand hanging on the butt of the gun." "and that was before there was any shooting?" "yes sir." as to the condition of the boat after the trouble he gave an affirmative answer to the question: "you know that the whole front of the pilot house and the whole front of this bulkhead front of the forward deck leading to the hurricane deck is full of b. b. shot, don't you?" james broadbent, manager of the clark-nickerson mill, and a citizen deputy, followed armstrong with some unimportant testimony. l. s. davis, steward on the verona, also stated that mcrae committed the first overt act in taking hold of his gun. he was asked: "he had his hand on his gun while he was still facing you?" "yes sir. i could see it plainly," answered davis. [illustration: pilot house of the "verona" riddled with rifle bullets at everett] "that was before he started to turn, before he was hit?" "yes sir." davis was wounded in the arm as he was on the pilot house steps. he was asked about the general disposition, manner and appearance of the men on the verona on the way over to everett, and answered: "i thought they were pretty nicely behaved for men--for such a crowd as that." "any rough talk; any rough, ugly looks?" "no sir." "any guns?" "no." "any threats?" "i didn't hear any threats." "jolly, good-natured bunch of boys?" "yes." "lots of young boys among them, weren't there?" "yes, quite a few." davis stated that three passengers got off at edmunds on the way up to everett, thus establishing the fact that there were other than i. w. w. men on board. r. s. "scott" rainey, commercial manager of the puget sound telephone company and a citizen deputy, was called and examined at some length before it was discovered that he was not an endorsed witness. this was the second time that the prosecution had turned this trick. vanderveer objected, stating that there would be two hundred endorsed witnesses who would not be used. "oh no!" returned mr. veitch. "well," said vanderveer, "a hundred then. a hundred we dare you to produce!" "we will take that dare," responded veitch. but the prosecution failed to keep their word, and deputy dave oswald of the pacific hardware company, who during the various deportations tried to have the i. w. w. men stripped, covered with hot tar, rolled in feathers and ridden out of town on a rail, and a number of his equally degenerate brother outlaws were never produced in court. rainey testified that he had seen a quantity of murderous looking black-jacks in the commercial club for distribution to the deputies. he also saw men fall overboard from the verona and saw none of them rescued. he thought there were twenty-five men with guns on the boat, and he did his firing at the main deck. "and you didn't care whether you hit one of the twenty-five or one of the other two hundred and twenty-five?" scornfully inquired vanderveer. "no sir," said the miserable witness. the next witness called was william kenneth, city dock wharfinger in the employ of captain ramwell. this witness testified that there were numerous holes in the warehouses that were smooth on the inside and splintered on the outside, thus indicating that they were from shots blindly fired thru the walls from within. on being recalled on the monday morning session of march th the witness said he wished to state that he was unable to testify from which direction the holes in the warehouses had been made. it appeared that he had discovered the bullet marks to have been whittled with a penknife since he had last viewed them. arthur blair gorrell, of spokane, student at the state university, was on the dock during the trouble and was wounded in the left shoulder blade. he stated that he knew that mcrae had his gun drawn before he was shot. captain k. l. forbes, of the scab tugboat edison, next took the witness chair. he didn't like the idea of calling his crew scabs for the engineer carried a union card. when questioned about the actions of the scab cook on the edison, this witness would not state positively that the man was not firing directly across the open space on the dock at the verona, and in line with curtis and other deputies. thomas e. headlee, ex-mayor of everett, bookkeeper at the clark-nickerson mill, and a citizen deputy, said he went whenever and wherever he was called to go by the sheriff. "then it's just like this," said vanderveer, "when you pull the string, up jumps headlee?" this witness tried to blame all the fires in everett onto the i. w. w. and the absurdity of his testimony brought this question from the defense: "just on general principles you blame it on the i. w. w.?" "sure!" replied the witness, "i got their reputation over in wenatchee from my brother-in-law who runs a big orchard there." lewis connor, member of the commercial club, and his friend, edwin stuchell, university student, both of whom were deputies on the dock on november th, then testified, but developed nothing of importance. stuchell's father was part owner of the eclipse mill and was said to have been on the board of directors of the commercial club. these witnesses were followed by raymond e. brown, owner of an everett shoe store, a weak-kneed witness who had been sworn in as a deputy by w. w. blain, secretary of the commercial club. one of the greatest sensations in this sensational trial was when former sheriff donald mcrae took the stand on tuesday, march th. mcrae was sober! the sheriff was fifty years of age, of medium height, inclined to stoutness, smooth-shaven, with swinish eyes set closely on either side of a pink-tinted, hawk-like nose that curved just above a hard, cruel and excessively large mouth. the sneering speech and contemptible manner of this witness lent weight to the admissions of his brutality that had been dragged from reluctant state's witnesses thru the clever and cutting cross-examination conducted by moore and vanderveer. mcrae told of his former union affiliations, having once been international secretary of the shingle weavers' union, and on another occasion the editor of their paper--but he admitted that he had never in his life read a book on political economy. he detailed the story of the arrests, deportations and other similar actions against the striking shingle weavers and the i. w. w. members, the recital including an account of the "riot" at the jail, the deportation of feinberg and roberts, the shooting at the launch "wanderer" and the jailing of its passengers, and the seizing of forty-one men and their deportation at beverly park. mcrae's callous admissions of brutality discounted any favorable impression his testimony might otherwise have conveyed to the jury. he admitted having ordered the taking of the funds of james orr to pay the fares of workers deported on august rd, but denied the truth of an account in the everett herald of that date in which it was said that i. w. w. men had made some remarks to him "whereupon sheriff mcrae and police officer * * promptly retaliated by cracking the i. w. w.'s on the jaw with husky fists." regarding the launch "wanderer" the sheriff was asked: "did you strike captain mitten over the head with the butt of your gun?" "certainly did!" replied mcrae with brutal conciseness. "did any blood flow?" "a little, not much." "not enough to arouse any sympathy in you?" "no," said the sheriff unfeelingly. "did you strike a little finnish fellow over the head with a gun?" "i certainly did!" "and split his head open and the blood ran out, but not enough to move you to any sympathy?" "no, not a bit!" viciously answered mcrae. "did you hit any others?" inquired vanderveer. "no, not then." "why not?" "they probably seen what happened to the captain and the other fellow for getting gay." as to the holding of mitten in jail for a number of days on a charge of resisting an officer, and his final release, mcrae was asked: "why didn't you try him on that charge?" "because when we let the i. w. w.'s go they insisted on him going, too, and i said, 'all right, take him along.'" "you did whatever the i. w. w.'s wanted in that?" "well, i was glad to get rid of them," remarked the sheriff. mcrae said that none of the men taken to beverly park were beaten on the dock before being placed in automobiles for deportation, but on cross-examination he admitted that one of the deputies got in a mix-up and was beaten by a brother deputy. the sheriff stated that he took one man out to beverly park in a roadster, and had then returned to everett to attend a dance given by the elks' lodge. in relating the events on november th, mcrae's story did not differ materially from that of the witnesses who had already testified. he stated that a bullet passed thru his foot, striking the heel of his shoe, and coming out of the side. the shoe was then offered in evidence. he testified that another shot struck the calf of his leg and passed completely thru the limb. both these wounds were from the rear. his entire suit was offered in evidence. the coat had nine bullet holes in it, yet mcrae was not injured at all in the upper portion of his body! the sheriff stated that he fired twenty shots in all, and was then removed to the sister's hospital while the shooting was still in progress. mcrae then identified ed roth, james kelly and thomas h. tracy as three of the i. w. w. men who were most active in firing from the verona. in his identification of tracy, mcrae stated that the defendant was in the second or third cabin window aft the door, and was hanging out of the window with his breast against the sill and his elbow on the ledge. vanderveer then placed himself in the position described by the sheriff and requested mcrae to assume the same attitude he was in at the time he saw tracy. upon doing this it was apparent that the edge of the window sill would have cut off all view of tracy's face from the sheriff, so mcrae endeavored to alter his testimony to make it appear that tracy's face was a foot or more inside the cabin window. this was the first identification of tracy or other men on the boat that was attempted by the prosecution. the sheriff stated that there were only twenty or twenty-five armed men on the verona, and he admitted, before he left the stand, that he had told attorney vanderveer it was a pity that the spring line on the verona did not break when the boat tilted so as to drown all the i. w. w.'s in the bay. charles auspos, alias charles austin, followed mcrae as the state's witness second in importance only to the ex-sheriff. the testimony of these two was relied upon for a conviction. just why auspos joined the i. w. w. will never be known, but his claim was that he could not work in the dakota harvest fields or ride on the freight trains without an i. w. w. card. he was asked: "when you did line up, you were then willingly a member, were you?" "yes sir." "and you did not go to yakima and come back to seattle to fight for free speech because you were compelled to do so?" asked moore. "no," replied auspos, "there was no compulsion." [illustration: arrival of the verona at seattle] auspos stated that he was willing to take a chance in the fight for free speech and that the worst he expected was something similar to the happenings at beverly park. that he was not so willing in his testimony was shown by the uneasy actions of the prosecution lawyers, who moved from place to place around the court room during the examination of this witness, with the view of having him look one of them in the eyes at all times during his recital. at one time black nearly climbed into the jury box, while cooley fidgeted in his chair placed directly in the middle of the aisle, and veitch stood back of the court clerk on the opposite side of the court room, trying to engage the attention of the hesitating witness. the testimony was to the effect that auspos had reached seattle on saturday, november th, and had slept in the i. w. w. hall that night. next morning at about eleven o'clock he returned from breakfast and was again admitted with examination for a membership card. a meeting was in progress in the gymnasium but was too crowded for him to be able to get in. there was no secrecy, however, just as there was no oath of fealty demanded of a worker upon joining the organization. the witness claimed that he and one of the defendants, j. e. houlihan, were standing together in the hall when "red" doran called houlihan aside into the gymnasium. two minutes later houlihan returned and said, "i made it." "what did you get?" auspos declared he then asked his partner, receiving the reply, "a thirty-eight." auspos claimed he saw earl osborne cleaning a gun in the gymnasium that same morning, and there was a rifle or shotgun in a canvas case in one corner. he said that men were breaking up chairs to obtain legs as clubs and that he, with others, was furnished with a little package of red pepper. regarding his actions upon the verona the witness stated that he and james hadley came up the steps from the freight deck to the passenger deck just as the boat was nosing against the dock and that he walked across the deck to a point within three feet of the rail. his description of the motion of mcrae's hands differed from that given by the deputy witnesses and was such as would indicate the drawing of a gun from a belt holster. he testified that mcrae swung around to the right just before being shot, thus contradicting mcrae, who had declared that the turn he had made was to the left. the witness in a rather indefinite manner stated that the first shot came from the boat. all the damaging claims in the testimony of auspos were severely shaken by the cross-examination conducted by moore, and auspos finally admitted that the only point on which he wished to have his evidence differ from the statement he had made to vanderveer prior to the trial was in the matter of the firing of the first shot. auspos made no attempt to identify anyone on the boat as having a firearm. during the examination some reference was made to "red" downs, at which judge ronald remarked: "i am a little confused. did he say 'red' downs or 'red' doran?" "there are two of them," responded moore. "lots of red in this organization," cut in prosecutor cooley, amid laughter from the spectators. attorney moore brought from auspos the admission that the plea of "not guilty" was a true one and he still believed that he and the other prisoners were not guilty of any crime. yet such are the peculiarities of the legal game that an innocent man can turn state's evidence upon his innocent associates. after uncovering the previous record of auspos, he was asked about his "confession" as follows: "mr. mclaren and you had reached an understanding in your talk before mr. cooley came?" "yes sir." "the question of what you are to get in connection with your testimony here has not as yet been definitely decided?" "i am going to get out of the country." "you are not going to get a trip to honolulu?" asked moore with a smile as he concluded the cross-examination of auspos. "no sir," stammered the tool of the prosecution unconvincingly. it was at this point that the prosecution introduced several additional leaflets and pamphlets issued by the i. w. w. publishing bureau, the principal reason being to allow them to appeal to the patriotism of the jury by referring to herve's pamphlet, "patriotism and the worker," and smith's leaflet, "war and the workers." the next witness after auspos was leo wagner, another poor purchase on the part of the prosecution. he merely testified that a man on the calista had said that the men were armed and were not going to stand for being beaten up. objection was made to the manner in which cooley led the witness with his questions, and when cooley stated that it was necessary to refresh the memory of the witness, vanderveer replied that the witness had been endorsed but a few days before and his recollection should not be so very stale. when this witness was asked what he was paid for his testimony he squirmed and hesitated until the court demanded an answer, whereupon he said: "i got enough to live on for a while." william h. bridge, deputy sheriff and snohomish county jailer, was the next witness. he stated on his direct examination that the first shot came from the second or third window back from the door on the upper cabin. black asked bridge: "how do you know there was a shot from that place?" "because i saw a man reach out thru the window and shoot with a revolver." "in what position was he when shooting?" "well, i could see his hand and a part of his arm and a part of his body and face." "who was the man, if you know?" "well, to the best of my judgement, it was the defendant, thomas h. tracy." under vanderveer's cross-examination this witness was made to place the model of the verona with its stern at the same angle as it had been at the time of the shooting. the witness was then asked to assume the same position he had been in at the time he said he had seen tracy. the impossibility of having seen the face of a man firing from any of the cabin windows was thus demonstrated to the jury. then to clinch the idea that the identification was simply so much perjury, vanderveer introduced into evidence the stenographic report of the coroner's inquest held over jefferson beard in which the witness, bridge, had sworn that the first shot came from an open space just beneath the pilot house and had further testified that he could not recognize the person who was doing the firing. walter h. smith, a scab shingle weaver, and deputy on the dock, followed with a claim to have recognized tracy as one of the men who was shooting from the verona. he also stated that he could identify another man who was shooting from the forward deck. he was handed a number of photographs and failed to find the man he was looking for. instead he indicated one of the photographs and said that it was tracy. vanderveer immediately seized the picture and offered it in evidence. "i made a mistake there," remarked smith. "i know you did," responded vanderveer, "and i want the jury to know it." the witness had picked out a photograph of john downs and identified it as the defendant. the prosecution then called s. a. mann, who had been police judge in spokane, wash., from into , and questioned him in regard to the spokane free speech fight and the death of chief of police john sullivan. here attorney fred moore was on familiar ground, having acted for the i. w. w. during the time of that trouble. moore developed the fact that there had been several thousand arrests with not a single instance of resistance or violence on the part of the i. w. w., not a weapon found on any of their persons, and no incendiary fires during the entire fight. he further confounded the prosecution by having judge mann admit that in the spokane fight a prisoner arrested on a city charge was always lodged in the city jail and one arrested on a county charge was always placed in the county jail--a condition not at all observed in everett. moore also brought out the facts of the death of chief sullivan so far as they are known. the witness admitted that sullivan was charged with abuse of an adopted daughter of mr. elliott, a g. a. r. veteran; that desk officer n. v. pitts charged sullivan with having forced him to turn over certain chinese bond money and the chief resigned his position while under these charges; that the spokane press bitterly attacked sullivan and was sued as a consequence, the scripps-mcrae paper being represented by the law firm of robertson, miller and rosenhaupt, of which judge frank c. robertson was the head; that the chronicle and spokesman-review joined in the attack upon the chief; and that when sullivan was dying from a shot in the back the following conversation occurred between himself and the dying man: "i said to him 'john, who do you suppose did this?' he says, 'judge f. c. robertson and the press are responsible for this.' i said, 'john, you don't mean that, you can't mean it?' he says, 'that is the way i feel.'" judge ronald prevented the attorneys from going very deeply into the spokane affair, saying: "i am not going to wash spokane linen here; we have some of our own to wash!" c. r. schweitzer, owner of a scab plumbing shop, aged , yet grey-haired, brazenly admitted having emptied a shotgun into the unarmed boys on the verona. it was the missiles from the brand-new shotgun--probably furnished by dave oswald--that riddled the pilot house and wounded many of the men who fell to the deck when the verona tilted. schweitzer fired from a safe position behind the klatawa slip. why the prosecution used him as a witness is a mystery. w. a. taro, everett fire chief, testified regarding the few incendiary fires that had occurred in everett during the year , but failed to connect them with the i. w. w. in any way. d. daniels, everett police officer, testified to a phosphorous fire which did no damage and was in no way connected with the i. w. w. mrs. jennie b. ames, the only woman witness called by the prosecution, testified that mrs. frennette was on the inclined walk at the great northern depot, at a point overlooking the dock, and was armed with a revolver at the time the verona trouble was on. police officer j. e. moline also swore to the same thing, but was badly tangled when confronted with his own evidence given at the preliminary hearing of mrs. frennette on december th, . never was there a cad but who wished himself proclaimed as a gentleman; never a bedraggled and maudlin harlot but who wanted the world to know that she was a perfect lady. the last witness to be called by the prosecution was john hogan--"honest" john hogan if prosecutor lloyd black was to be credited. "honest" john hogan was a young red-headed regular deputy sheriff, who was a participant in the outrage on the city dock on november th. "honest" john hogan claimed to have seen the defendant, thomas tracy, firing a revolver from one of the forward cabin windows. "honest" john hogan had the same difficulty as the other "identifying" witnesses when he also was asked to state whether it was possible to see a man firing from a cabin window when the stern of the boat was out and the witness in his specified position on the dock. "honest" john hogan was sure it was tracy that he saw because the man had a week's growth of whiskers on his face. and this ended the case for the prosecution. as had been predicted there were hundreds of witnesses who were endorsed and not called, and almost without an exception those who testified were parties who had a very direct interest in seeing that a conviction was secured. but thru the clever work of the lawyers for the defense what was meant to have been a prosecution of the i. w. w. was turned into an extremely poor defense of the deputies and their program of "law and order." from the state's witnesses the defense had developed nearly the whole outline and many of the details of its side of the case. when the state rested its case, tracy leaned over to the defense lawyers and, with a smile on his face, said: "i'd be willing to let the case go to the jury right now." chapter vii. the defense the case for the defense opened on monday morning of april nd when vanderveer, directly facing the judge and witness chair from the position vacated by the prosecution counsel, moved for a directed verdict of not guilty on the ground that there had been an absolute failure of evidence upon the question of conspiracy, any conspiracy of which murder was either directly or indirectly an incident, and there was no evidence whatever to charge the defendant directly as a principal in causing the death of jefferson beard. the motion was denied and an exception taken to the ruling of the court. fred moore made the opening statement for the defense. in his speech he briefly outlined the situation that had existed in everett up to and including november th and explained to the jury the forces lined up against each other in everett's industrial warfare. not for an instant did the attention of the jury flag during the recital. herbert mahler, secretary of the i. w. w. in seattle during the series of outrages in everett, was the first witness placed upon the stand. mahler told of the lumber workers' convention and the sending of organizer james rowan to make a survey of the industrial situation in the lumber centers, everett being the first point because of its proximity to seattle and not by reason of any strikes that may have existed there. the methods of conducting the free speech fight, the avoidance of secrecy, the ardent desire for publicity of the methods of the lumber trust as well as the tactics of the i. w. w., were clearly explained. cooley cross-examined mahler regarding the song book with reference to the advocacy and use of sabotage, asking the witness: "how about throwing a pitchfork into a threshing machine? would that be all right?" "there are circumstances when it would be, i suppose," replied mahler. "if there was a farmer deputy who had been at beverly park, i think they certainly would have a right to destroy his threshing machine." "you think that would justify it?" inquired cooley. "yes," said the witness, "i think that if the man had abused his power as an officer and the person he abused had no other way of getting even with him and that justice was denied him in the courts, i fully believe that he would be. that would not hurt anybody; it would only hurt his pocketbook." "now what is this joe hill memorial edition?" "joe hillstrom, known as joe hill, had written a number of songs in the i. w. w. song book and he was murdered in utah and the song book was gotten out in memory of him," responded mahler. "he was executed after having been convicted of murder in the first degree, and sentenced to death. and you say he was murdered?" said cooley. "yes," said mahler with emphasis. "our contention has been that hillstrom did not have a fair trial and we are quite capable of proving it. i may say that president wilson interceded in his behalf and was promptly turned down by governor spry of utah. hillstrom was offered a commutation of sentence and he refused to take it. he wanted a retrial or an acquittal. when the president of the united states had interceded with the governor of utah, when various labor organizations asked that he be given a retrial, and a man's life is to be taken from him, and people all over the country ask for a retrial, that certainly should be granted to him." james p. thompson was placed upon the stand to explain the principles of the i. w. w. the courtroom was turned into a propaganda meeting during the examination of the witness. one of the first features was the reading and explanation of state's exhibit "k," the famous i. w. w. preamble which has been referred to on various occasions as the most brutally scientific exposition of the class struggle ever penned: i. w. w. preamble the working class and the employing class have nothing in common. there can be no peace so long as hunger and want are found among millions of the working people and the few, who make up the employing class, have all the good things of life. between these two classes a struggle must go on until the workers of the world organize as a class, take possession of the earth and the machinery of production, and abolish the wage system. we find that the centering of the management of industries into fewer and fewer hands makes the trade unions unable to cope with the ever growing power of the employing class. the trade unions foster a state of affairs which allow one set of workers to be pitted against another set of workers in the same industry, thereby helping defeat one another in wage wars. moreover, the trade unions aid the employing class to mislead the workers into the belief that the working class have interests in common with their employers. these conditions can be changed and the interests of the working class upheld only by an organization formed in such a way that all its members in any one industry, or in all industries, if necessary, cease work whenever a strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus making an injury to one an injury to all. instead of the conservative motto, "a fair day's wage for a fair day's work," we must inscribe on our banner the revolutionary watchword, "abolition of the wage system." it is the historic mission of the working class to do away with capitalism. the army of production must be organized, not only for the every day struggle with capitalists, but also to carry on production when capitalism shall have been overthrown. by organizing industrially we are forming the structure of the new society within the shell of the old. "men in society represent economic categories," said thompson. "by that i mean that in the world of shoes there are shoemakers, and in the world of boats there are seamen, and in this society there are economic categories called the employing class and the working class. now, between them as employing class and working class there is nothing in common. their interests are diametrically opposed as such. it is not the same thing as saying that human beings have nothing in common. the working class and the employing class have antagonistic interests, and the more one gets the less remains for the other. "labor produces all wealth," continued thompson, "and the more the workers have to give up to anyone else the less remains for themselves. the more they get in wages the less remains for the others in the form of profits. as long as labor produces for the other class all the good things of life there will be no peace; we want the products of labor ourselves and let the other class go to work also. "the trades unions are unable to cope with the power of the employers because when one craft strikes the others remain at work and by so doing help the company to fill orders, and that is helping to break the strike. if a group of workers strike and win, other workers are encouraged to do likewise: if they strike and lose, other workers are discouraged and employers are encouraged to do some whipping on their own account. "we believe in an industrial democracy; that the industry shall be owned by the people and operated on a co-operative plan instead of the wage plan; that there is no such thing as a fair day's pay; that we should have the full product of our labor in the co-operative system as distinguished from the wage system. "furthermore," went on the witness, as the jury leaned forward to catch his every word, "our ideas were suggested to us by conditions in modern industry, and it is the historical mission of the workers to organize, not only for the preliminary struggles, but to carry on production afterward." "we object to this!" shouted mr. cooley, and the court sustained the objection. despite continual protests from the prosecution thompson gave the ideas of the i. w. w. on many questions. speaking of free speech the witness said: "free speech is vital. it is a point that has been threshed out and settled before we were born. if we do not have free speech, the children of the race will die in the dark." the message of industrial unionism delivered thru the sworn testimony of a labor organizer was indeed an amazing spectacle. judge ronald never relaxed his attention during the entire examination, the jury was spell-bound, and it was only by an obvious effort that the spectators kept from applauding the various telling points. "there is overwork on one hand," said thompson, "and out-of-work on the other. the length of the working day should be determined by the amount of work and the number of workers. you have no more right to do eight or ten or twelve hours of labor when others are out of work, despondent, committing suicide, than you have to drink all the water, if that were possible, while others are dying of thirst. "solidarity is the i. w. w. way to get their demands. we do not advocate that the workers should organize in a military way and use guns and dynamite. the most effective weapon of labor is economic power: the modern wage workers are the living parts of industry and if they fold their arms, they immediately precipitate a crisis, they paralyze the world. no other class has that power. the other class can fold their arms, and they do most of the time, but our class has the economic power. the i. w. w. preaches and teaches all the time that a far more effective weapon than brickbats or dynamite is solidarity. "we have developed from individual production, to social production, yet we still have private ownership of the means of production. one class owns the industries and doesn't operate them, another class operates the industries and does not own them. we are going to have a revolution. no one is more mistaken than those who believe that this system is the final state of society. as the industrial revolution takes place, as the labor process takes on the co-operative form, as the tool of production becomes social, the idea of social ownership is suggested, and so the idea that things that are used collectively should be owned collectively, presents itself with irresistible force to the people of the twentieth century. so there is a struggle for industrial democracy. we are the modern abolitionists fighting against wage slavery as the other abolitionists fought against chattel slavery. the solution for our modern problems is this, that the industries should be owned by the people, operated by the people for the people, and the little busy bees who make the honey of the world should eat that honey, and there should be no drones at all in the hives of industry. "when we have industrial democracy you will know that the mills, the mines, the factories, the earth itself, will be the collective property of the people, and if a little baby should be born that baby would be as much an owner of the earth as any other of the children of men. then the war, the commercial struggles, the clashes between groups of conflicting interests, will be a night-mare of the past. in the place of capitalism with its one class working and its other class enjoying, in the place of the wages system with its strife and strikes, lockouts and grinding poverty, we will have a co-operative system where the interests of one will be to promote the interests of all--that will be industrial democracy." thompson explained the meaning of the sarcastic song, "christians at war," to the evident amusement of the jury and spectators. the witness was then asked about herve's work on anti-patriotism in this question by attorney moore: "what is the attitude of your organization relative to internationalism and national patriotism?" "we object to that as incompetent and immaterial," cried veitch of the prosecution. "what did you put this book in for then?" said judge ronald in a testy manner as he motioned the witness to proceed with his answer. "in the broader sense," answered thompson, "there is no such thing as a foreigner. we are all native born members of this planet, and for the members of it to be divided into groups or units and to be taught that each nation is better than the other leads to clashes and the world war. we ought to have in the place of national patriotism--the idea that one people is better than another,--a broader conception, that of international solidarity. the idea that we are better than others is contrary to the declaration of independence which declares that all men are born free and equal. the i. w. w. believes that in order to do away with wars we should remove the cause of wars; we should establish industrial democracy and the co-operative system instead of commercialism and capitalism and the struggles that come from them. we are trying to make america a better land, a land without child slaves, a land without poverty, and so also with the world, a world without a master and without a slave." when the lengthy direct examination of thompson had been finished, the prosecution questioned him but five minutes and united in a sigh of relief as he left the stand. the next witness called was ernest nordstrom, companion of oscar carlson who was severely wounded on the verona. nordstrom testified rather out of his logical order in the trial by reason of the fact that he was about to leave on a lengthy fishing trip to alaska. his testimony was that he purchased a regular ticket at the same time as his friend carlson, but these tickets were not taken up by the purser. the original ticket of this passenger was then offered in evidence. the witness stated that the first shot came from almost the same place on the dock as did the words "you can't land here." he fell to the deck and saw carlson fall also. carlson tried to rise once, but a bullet hit him and he dropped; there were nine bullet holes in him. nordstrom was asked: "did you have a gun?" "no sir." "did carlson have a gun?" "no sir." "did you see anybody with a gun on the boat?" "no. i didn't." organizer james rowan then gave his experiences in everett, ending with a vivid recital of the terrible beating he had received at the hands of deputies near silver lake. upon telling of the photograph that was taken of his lacerated back he was asked by veitch: "what was the reason you had that picture taken?" "well," said rowan, in his inimitable manner, "i thought it would be a good thing to get that taken to show up the kind of civilization that they had in everett." dr. e. j. brown, a seattle dentist, and thomas horner, seattle attorney, corroborated rowan's testimony as to the condition of his back. they had seen the wounds and bruises shortly after the beating had been administered and were of the opinion that a false light was reflected on the photograph in such a way that the severest marks did not appear as bad as they really were. otto nelson, everett shingle weaver, gave testimony regarding the shingle weavers' strikes of and but was stopped from going into detail by the rulings of the court. he told also of the peaceful character of all the i. w. w. meetings in everett, and stated that on one occasion police officer daniels had fired two shots down one of the city streets at an i. w. w. man who had been made to run the gauntlet. h. p. whartenby, owner of a five-ten-fifteen cent store in everett, said that the i. w. w. meetings were orderly, and further testified that he had been ordered out of the commercial club on the evening of november th but not until he had seen that the club was a regular arsenal, with guns stacked all over the place. to establish the fact that the sidewalks were kept clear, that there was no advocacy of violence, that no resistance was offered to arrest, and that the i. w. w. meetings were well conducted in every particular, the defense put on in fairly rapid succession a number of everett citizens: mrs. ina m. salter, mrs. elizabeth maloney, mrs. letelsia fye, bruce j. hatch, mrs. dollie gustaffson, miss avis mathison, mrs. peter aiken, mrs. annie pomeroy, mrs. rebecca wade, f. g. crosby, and mrs. hannah crosby. the fact that these citizens, and a number of other women who were mentioned in the testimony, attended the i. w. w. meetings quite regularly, impressed the jury favorably. some of these women witnesses had been roughly handled by the deputies. mrs. pomeroy stated that the deputies, armed with clubs and distinguished by white handkerchiefs around their necks, invaded one meeting and struck right and left. "and they punched me at that!" said the indignant witness. "punched you where?" inquired vanderveer in order to locate the injury. "they punched me on the sidewalk!" answered the witness, and the solemn bailiff had to rap for order in the court room. cooley caught a tartar in his cross-examination of mrs. crosby. he inquired: "did you hear the i. w. w.'s say that when they got a majority of the workers into this big union they would take possession of the industries and run them themselves?" "why certainly!" "you did hear them say they would take possession?" "why certainly!" flashed back the witness. "that's the way the north did with the slaves, isn't it? they took possession without ever asking them. my people came from the south and they had slaves taken away from them and never got anything for it, and quite right, too!" "then you do believe it would be all right, yourself?" said cooley. "i believe that confiscation would be perfectly right in the case of taking things that are publicly used for the public good of the people----." "that's all," hastily cut in cooley. "that they should be used then by the people and for the people!" finished the witness. "that's all!" cried cooley loudly and more anxiously. frank henig, the next witness, told of having been blackjacked by sheriff mcrae and exhibited the large scar on his forehead that plainly showed where the brutal blow had landed. he stated that he had tried to secure the arrest of mcrae for the entirely unwarranted attack but was denied a warrant. jake michel, secretary of the everett building trades council, gave evidence regarding a number of the i. w. w. street meetings. he was questioned at length about what he had inferred from the speeches of rowan, thompson and others. replying to one question he said: "i think the american federation of labor uses the most direct action that any organization could use." "in a strike?" "yes." "and by that you mean a peaceful strike?" said cooley suggestively. "well, i haven't seen them carry on very many peaceful ones yet," replied michel. cooley asked michel whether rowan had said that "the workers should form one great industrial union and declare the final and universal strike; that is, that they should remain within the industrial institutions and lock the employers out for good as owners?" "i never heard him mention anything about locking anyone out; i think he wanted to lock them in and make them do some of the work!" answered michel. "you haven't any particular interest in this case, have you?" asked cooley with a sneer. "yes, i have!" replied michel with emphasis. when asked what this particular interest was, michel caused consternation among the ranks of the prosecution by replying: "the reason i have that interest is this; i have two sons and two daughters. i want to see the best form of organization so that the boys can go out and make a decent living; i don't want my girls to become prostitutes upon the streets and my boys vagabonds upon the highways!" harry feinberg, one of the free speech prisoners named on the first information with watson and tracy, was then placed on the stand and questioned as to the beating he had received at the hands of deputies, as to the condition of frank henig after mcrae's attack, and upon matters connected with various street meetings at which he had been the speaker. mention of the name of george reese brought forth an argument from the prosecution that it had not been shown that reese was a detective. after an acrimonious discussion vanderveer suddenly declared: "just to settle this thing and settle it for now and all the time, i will ask a subpoena forthwith for philip k. ahern and show who reese is working for." the subpoena was issued and a recess taken to allow it to be served. as vanderveer stepped into the hall, detective malcolm mclaren said to him, "you can't subpoenae the head of the pinkerton detective agency!" "i have subpoenaed him," responded vanderveer shortly as he hurried to the witness room. while awaiting the arrival of this witness, feinberg was questioned further, and was then taken from the stand to allow the examination of two everett witnesses, mrs. l. h. johnson and p. s. johnson, the latter witness being withdrawn when ahern put in an appearance. vanderveer was very brief, but to the point, in the examination of the local head of the pinkerton agency. "mr. ahern, on the fifth day of november you had in your employ a man named george reese?" "yes sir." "for whom was he working, thru you, at that time?" "for snohomish county." "that's all!" said vanderveer triumphantly. cooley did not seem inclined to cross-examine the witness at any length and vanderveer in another straightforward question brought out the fact that reese was a pinkerton employe during the longshoremen's strike--this being the time that reese also was seated as a delegate to the seattle trades council of the a. f. of l. a portion of the testimony of mrs. l. h. johnson was nearly as important as that concerning reese. she recited a conversation with sheriff mcrae as follows: "mcrae said he would stop the i. w. w. from coming to everett if he had to call out the soldiers. and i told him the soldiers wouldn't come out on an occasion like this, they were nothing but industrial workers of the world and they had a right to speak and get people to join their union if they wanted to. and he said he had the backing of the millmen to keep them out of the city, and he was going to do it if he had to call the soldiers out and shoot them down when they landed there, when they came off the dock." [illustration: cutting off top of tree to fit block for flying machine.] this clearly indicated the bloodthirsty designs of the millmen and the sheriff at a time long before november th. g. w. carr, wilfred des pres, and j. m. norland testified to the breaking up of peaceably conducted i. w. w. meetings, des pres also telling of rifles having been transported from the pacific hardware company to the dock on november th. all three were everett citizens. black asked norland if he knew what sabotage was, to which norland replied: "everybody that follows the labor movement knows what sabotage is." there was a sensation in court at this question for it was the first and only time that any of the prosecution counsel correctly pronounced the word sabotage! w. w. blain, secretary of the commercial club, altho an unwilling witness, gave much information of value to the defense. he was forced to produce the minutes of the "open shop committee" and give up the story of how control of the club was purchased by the big interests, how the boycott was invoked against certain publications, and finally to tell of the employment of pinkerton detectives prior to november th, and to give a list of the deputies furnished by the commercial club. during the examination of this witness some telegrams, in connection with the testimony, were handed up to the judge. while reading these judge ronald was interrupted by a foolish remark from black to vanderveer. looking over his glasses the judge said: "every time i start to read anything, you gentlemen get into a quarrel among yourselves. i am inclined to think that the 'cats,' some of them, are here in the courtroom." "i will plead guilty for mr. black, your honor!" said vanderveer quickly, laughing at the reference to sabotage. testimony to further establish the peaceable character of the i. w. w. meetings and the rowdyism of the police and deputies was given by witnesses from everett: gustaf pilz, mrs. leota carr, j. e. mcnair, ed morton, michael maloney, verne c. henry and morial thornburg. the statements of these disinterested parties regarding the clubbings given to the speakers and to citizens of their acquaintance proved very effective. attorney h. d. cooley for the prosecution was placed upon the witness stand and vanderveer shot the question at him: "by whom were you employed in this case, mr. cooley?" "objected to as immaterial!" cried veitch, instantly springing to his feet. but the damage had been done! the refusal to allow an answer showed that there were interested parties the prosecution wished to hide from the public. levi remick related the story of the deportation from everett, and was followed on the witness stand by edward lavelly, james dwyer, and thomas smye, who testified to different atrocities committed in everett by mcrae and the citizen deputies. their evidence had mainly to do with the acts of piracy committed against the launch "wanderer" and the subsequent abuse of the arrested men. a little later in the trial this testimony was fully corroborated by the statements of captain jack mitten. during mitten's examination by black the old captain continually referred to the fact that the life preservers and other equipment of his boat had been stolen while he was in jail. the discomfiture of the youthful prosecutor was quite evident. j. h. buel impeached the testimony of state's witness judge bell who had made the claim that a filer at the clark-nickerson mill had been assaulted by a member of the i. w. w. vanderveer asked this witness: "what was the name of the man assaulted?" "jimmy cain." "who did it?" "i did." "are you an i. w. w.?" "no sir." "were you ever?" "no sir." louis skaroff followed with a detailed story of the murderous attack made upon him by mayor merrill in the everett jail, his story being unshaken when he was recalled and put thru a grilling cross-examination. william roberts, who had been beaten and deported with harry feinberg, related his experience. the childish questions of black in regard to the idea of abolishing the wages system nettled this witness and caused him to exclaim, "the trouble is that you don't understand the labor movement." james orr then told of having his money stolen by the officials so they might pay the fares of twenty-two deported men, and john ovist followed with the tale of the slugging he had received upon the same occasion that feinberg, roberts and henig were assaulted. attorneys george w. loutitt and robert faussett, of everett, stated that the reputation of mcrae for sobriety was very bad. both of these lawyers had resigned from the commercial club upon its adoption of an open shop policy. thomas o'niel testified regarding street meetings and other matters in connection with the case. cooley asked the witness how many people usually attended the meetings. "it started in with rather small meetings," said the witness, "and then every time, as fast as they were molested by the police, the crowd kept growing until at last the meetings were between two and three thousand people." the witness said he had read considerable about industrial unionism, and tho he was shocked at first he had come to believe in it. "until now you are satisfied that their doctrines taken as a whole are proper and should be promulgated and adopted by the working class?" inquired cooley. "in this way," answered o'niel, "it was not the i. w. w. literature that convinced me so much as the actions of the side that was fighting them." "that is, you believe they were right because of the actions of the people on the other side?" said cooley. "yes," responded the witness, "because i think there are only two people interested in this movement, the people carrying on the propaganda and the people fighting the propaganda, and i saw the people who were fighting the propaganda use direct action, sabotage, and every power, political and industrial, they used it all to whip this organization, and then i asked myself why are they fighting this organization. and the more deeply i became interested, the more clearly i saw why they were doing it, and that made me a believer in the i. w. w." mrs. louise mcguire followed this witness with testimony about injuries she had received thru the rough treatment accorded her by citizen deputies engaged in breaking up a street meeting. w. h. clay, everett's commissioner of finance, was brought on the stand to testify that he was present and active at the conference that resulted in the formation of the citizen deputies. john berg then related his experiences at the time he was taken to the outskirts of everett and deported after mcrae had kicked him in the groin until a serious injury resulted. owing to the fact that the jury was a mixed one berg was not permitted to exhibit the rupture. this witness also told his experience on the "wanderer" and his treatment in the jail upon his arrest. oscar lindstrom then took the stand and corroborated the stories of the witnesses who had testified about the shooting up of the "wanderer" and the beating and jailing of its passengers. h. sokol, better known as "happy," also told of his experience on the "wanderer" and gave the facts of the deportation that had taken place on august rd. irving w. ziegaus, secretary to governor lister, testified that the letter concerning everett sent from the seattle i. w. w. had been received; steven m. fowler identified certain telegrams sent from everett to seattle officials by david clough on november th; after which chester micklin, who had been jailed in everett following the tragedy, corroborated parts of the story of louis skaroff. the evidence of state's witness, clyde gibbons, was shattered at this stage of the trial by the placing of mrs. lawrence macarthur on the stand. this witness, the proprietor of the merchants hotel in everett, produced the hotel register for november th and showed that mrs. frennette had registered at that time and was in the city when gibbons claimed she was holding a conversation in an apartment house on yesler way in seattle. the defense found it necessary to call witnesses who logically should have been brought forward by the prosecution on their side of the case. among these was the famous "governor" clough, citizen deputy and open shop mill owner. david clough unwillingly testified to having been present at the deportation of twenty-two i. w. w. members on august rd, having gone down to the dock at : that morning, and also to his interest in joseph schofield, the deputy who had been injured by his brother outlaws on the dock just before the beverly park deportations. mahler and micklin were recalled for some few additional questions, and were followed on the stand by herman storm, who gave testimony about the brutal treatment received by himself and his fellow passengers on the launch "wanderer." john hainey and joseph reaume also gave details of this outrage. "sergeant" j. j. keenan, who had become a familiar figure because of his "police" duty in the outer court corridor from the inception of the trial, then took the witness stand and recounted his experiences at snohomish and maltby, his every word carrying conviction that the sheriff and his deputies had acted with the utmost brutality in spite of the advanced age of their victim. john patterson and tom thornton corroborated keenan's testimony. a surprise was sprung upon the prosecution at this juncture by the introduction on the witness stand of george kannow, a man who had been a deputy sheriff in everett and who had been present when many of the brutalities were going on. he told of the treatment of berg after the "wanderer" arrests. "he was struck and beaten and thrown down and knocked heavily against the steel sides of the tank, his head striking on a large projecting lock. he was kicked by mcrae and he hollered 'my god, you are killing me,' and mcrae said he didn't give a damn whether he died or not, and kicked him again and then shoved him into the tank." the gauntlet at the county jail was described in detail and the spirit of the free speech fighters was shown by this testimony: "yes, i heard some of them groan. they all took their medicine well, tho. they didn't holler out but some of them would groan; some of them would go down pretty near to their knees and then get up, then they would get sapped again as they got up. but they never made any real outcries." the witness stated that "governor" clough was a regular attendant at the deportation parties and so also were w. r. booth, ed hawes, t. w. anguish, bill pabst, ed seivers, and will taft. he described mcrae's drunken condition and told of drunken midnight revels held in the county jail. his testimony was unshaken on cross-examination. mrs. fern grant, owner of the western hotel and grant's cafe, testified that mrs. frennette was in her place of business in everett on the morning of the tragedy, thus adding to the evidence that clyde gibbons had perjured himself in testifying for the prosecution. a party of christian scientists, who had attended a lecture in everett by bliss knapp, told of the frightful condition of the eight men who had taken the interurban train to seattle following their experience at beverly park. mrs. lou vee siegfried, christian science practitioner, thorwald siegfried, prominent seattle lawyer, mrs. anna tenelli and miss dorothy jordan were corroborated in their testimony by ira bellows, conductor on the interurban car that took the wounded men to seattle. another break in the regular order of the trial was made at this point by the placing on the stand of nicholas conaieff, member of the i. w. w., who was to leave on the following day with a party of russians returning to their birthplace to take part in the revolution then in progress. conaieff stated that the first shot came from the dock. his realistic story of the conditions on the verona moved many in the courtroom to tears. in his description conaieff said: "i was wounded myself. but before i was wounded and as we were lying there three or four deep i saw a wounded man at my feet in a pool of blood. then i saw a man with his face up, and he was badly wounded, probably he was dead. there were three or four wounded men alongside of me. the conditions were so terrible that it was hard to control one's self, and a young boy who was in one pile could not control himself any longer; he was about twenty years old and had on a brown, short, heavy coat, and he looked terrified and jumped up and went overboard into the water and i didn't see him any more." mrs. edith frennette testified to her movements on the day of the tragedy and denied the alleged threats to sheriff mcrae. lengthy cross-examination failed to shake her story. members of the i. w. w. who had been injured at beverly park then testified. they were edward schwartz, harry hubbard, archie collins, c. h. rice, john downs, one of the defendants, sam rovinson and henry krieg. any doubt as to the truth of their story was dispelled by the testimony of mrs. ruby ketchum, her husband roy ketchum, and her brother-in-law lew ketchum, all three of whom heard the screams of the victims and witnessed part of the slugging near their home at beverly park. some members of the investigation committee who viewed the scene on the morning after the outrage gave their evidence as to the finding of bits of clothing, soles of shoes, bloodstained hats and loose hat-bands, and blotches of blood on the paved roadway and cattle guard. these witnesses were three ministers of the gospel of different denominations, elbert e. flint, joseph p. marlatt, and oscar h. mcgill. the last named witness also told of having interviewed herbert mahler, secretary of the i. w. w. in seattle, following a conference with everett citizens, with the object of having a large public demonstration in everett to expose the beverly park affair and to prevent its repetition. it was after this interview that the call went out for the i. w. w. to hold a public meeting in everett on sunday, november th. mahler was recalled to the stand to verify mcgill's statement in the matter of the interview. this testimony brought the case up to the events of november th and the defense, having proven each illegal action of the sheriff, deputies and mill owners, and disproven the accusations against the i. w. w., proceeded to open to the gaze of the public and force to the attention of the jury the actual facts concerning the massacre on the verona. an important witness was charles miller, who viewed the tragedy from a point about four hundred feet from the verona while on the deck of his fishing boat, the "scout." he stated that the verona tilted as soon as the first shots came. miller placed the model of the boat at the same relative position it had occupied as the firing started on bloody sunday and the prosecution could not tangle up this witness on this important point. the "identification" witnesses of the prosecution were of necessity liars if the stern of the verona was at the angle set by miller. c. m. steele, owner of apartment houses and stores in everett, stated that he had been in a group who saw an automobile load of guns transported to the dock prior to the docking of the verona, this auto being closely followed by a string of other machines. the witness tried to get upon the dock but was prevented by deputies who had a rope stretched clear across the entrance near the office of the american tug boat company. he saw the boat tilt as the firing started and noticed that the stern swung out at the time. this testimony was demonstrated with the model. harry young, chauffeur, corroborated this testimony and told of rifle fire from the dock. mrs. mabel thomas, from a position on johnson's float quite near the verona, told of the boat listing until the lower deck was under water, almost immediately after the firing started. mrs. thomas testified that "one man who was facing toward the improvement dock, raised his hands and fell overboard from the hurricane deck as tho he were dead. his overcoat held him to the top of the water for a moment and then he went down. one jumped from the stern and then there were six or seven in the water. one got up thru the canvas and crawled back in. one man that fell in held up his hands for a moment and sank. there were bullets hitting all around him." mr. carroll thomas, husband of the preceding witness, gave the same testimony about the men in the water and stated that he saw armed men on the improvement dock. the testimony of ayrold d. skinner, a barber in everett at the time of the tragedy and who had been brought from california to testify, was bitterly attacked by veitch but to no avail. when the verona landed skinner was so situated as to command a view of the whole proceedings. he told of the boat listing, the men falling in the water and being shot, and his testimony about a man on board the tug "edison" firing a rifle directly across the open space on the dock in the direction of the verona was unshakeable. this witness also testified that about ten deputies with rifles were running back and forth in a frightened manner and were firing from behind the klatawa slip. the witness saw dick hembridge, superintendent of the canyon lumber company, carl tyre, timekeeper, percy ames, the boom man, and a dr. hedges. the last two came up to where the witness was, each bearing a rifle. skinner stated that he said to ames, "percy, what is the world coming to?" and ames broke down as tho he felt something were wrong. then dr. hedges came running up from where the boat was, he was white in the face, and he cried "don't go down there, boys; they are shooting wild, you don't know where in hell the shots are coming from." carl ryan, night watchman of the everett shingle company, n. c. roberts, an everett potter, robert thompson and edward thompson testified about the angle of the boat, as to rifles on the dock, the shooting from the tug "edison" and from the improvement dock, in support of witnesses who had previously testified. alfred freeman, i. w. w. member who was on the verona, testified about the movements of those who made the trip to everett and told of the conditions on the boat. his testimony, and that of numerous other i. w. w. witnesses, disproved the charges of conspiracy. i. w. mcdonald, barber, john josephson, lumber piler, and t. m. johnson, hod carrier, all of everett, stated that the shots from the boat did not come until after there had been considerable firing from the dock. these witnesses were among the thousands of citizens who overlooked the scene from the hillside by the great northern depot. [illustration: verona at everett dock. under same tide condition as at time of massacre.] on wednesday, april th, the jury, accompanied by judge ronald, the attorneys for both sides, the defendant, thomas tracy, and the court stenographer, went in automobiles to everett to inspect the various places mentioned in the court proceedings. the party stopped on the way to everett to look over the scene of the beverly park outrages of october th. no one spoke to the jury but judge ronald, who pointed out the various features at the request of the attorneys in the background. after visiting the corner of hewitt and wetmore avenues, the party went to the city dock. both warehouses were carefully examined, the bulletholes, tho badly whittled, being still in evidence. bulletholes in the floor, clock-case, and in the walls still showed quite plainly that the firing from within the warehouse and waiting room had been wild. bullets imbedded in the klatawa slip on the side toward the bay also gave evidence of blind firing on the part of the deputies. in the floor of the dock, between the ship and the open space near the waiting room, were several grooves made by bullets fired from the shore end of the dock. these marks indicated that the bullets had taken a course directly in line with the deputies who were in the front ranks as the verona landed. the party boarded the verona and subjected the boat to a searching examination, discovering that the stairways, sides, and furnishings were riddled with shot holes. the pilot house, in particular, was found to have marks of revolver and high power rifle bullets, in addition to being closely marked with small shot holes, some of the buck-shot still being visible. the captain swung the boat out to the same angle as it had been on november th, this being done at a time when it was computed that the tide would be relatively the same as on the date of the tragedy. someone assumed the precise position at the cabin window that tracy was alleged to have been in while firing. the jury members then took up the positions which the "identification witnesses" had marked on a diagram during their testimony. the man in the window was absolutely invisible! a photograph was then taken from the point where "honest" john hogan claimed to have been when he saw tracy firing and another view made by a second camera to show that the first photograph had been taken from the correct position. these were later introduced as evidence. no testimony was taken in everett but on the re-opening of court in seattle next morning frank a. brown, life insurance solicitor, testified that mcrae dropped his hand just before the first shot was fired from somewhere to the right of the sheriff. he also identified a mr. thompson, engineer of the clark-nickerson mill, and a mr. scott, as being armed with guns having stocks. mike luney, shingle weaver, told of a fear-crazed deputy running from the dock with a bullethole in his ear and crying out that one of the deputies had shot him. fred bissinger, a boy of , told of the deputies breaking for cover as soon as they had fired a volley at the men on the boat. it was only after the heavy firing that he saw a man on the boat pull a revolver from his pocket and commence to shoot. he saw but two revolvers in action on the verona. one of the most dramatic and clinching blows for the defense was struck when there was introduced as a witness fred luke, who was a regular deputy sheriff and mcrae's right-hand man. luke's evidence of the various brutalities, given in a cold, matter-of-fact manner, was most convincing. he stated that the deputies wore white handkerchiefs around their necks so they would not be hammering each other. he contradicted mcrae's testimony about beverly park by stating positively that the sheriff had gone out in a five passenger car, and not in a roadster as was claimed, and that they had both remained there during the entire affair. he told how he had swung at the i. w. w. men with such force that his club had broken from its leather wrist thong and disappeared into the woods. when questioned about the use of clubs in dispersing street crowds at the i. w. w. meetings he said: "i used my sap as a club and struck them and drove them away with it." "why didn't you use your hands and push them out?" asked cooley. "i didn't think we had a right to use our hands," said the big ex-deputy. "what do you mean by that?" said the surprised lawyer. "well," replied the witness, "what did they give us the saps for?" cooley also asked this witness why he had struck the men at beverly park. "well," replied the ex-deputy, "if you want to know, that was the idea of the commercial club. that was what they recommended." luke, who was a guard at the approach to the dock on november th, told of having explained the workings of a rifle to a deputy while the shooting was in progress. the state at first had contended that there were no rifles on the dock and later had made the half-hearted plea that none of the rifles which were proven to have been there were fired. following this important witness the defense introduced fird winkley, a. e. amiott, dr. guy n. ford, charles leo, ed armstrong, mate of the verona and a witness for the state, and b. r. watson, to corroborate the already convincing evidence that the stern of the verona was swung quite a distance from the dock. robert mills, business agent of the everett shingle weavers, who had been called to the stand on several occasions to testify to minor matters, was then recalled. he testified that it was his hand which protruded from the verona cabin window in the photographs, and that his head was resting against the window jamb on the left hand side as far out as it would be possible to get without crawling out of the window. as mills was a familiar figure to the entire jury and was also possessed of a peculiarly unforgettable type of countenance, the state's identification of tracy was shown to have been false. the chief of police of seattle, charles beckingham, corroborated previous testimony by stating that the identification and selection of i. w. w. men had been made from a dark cell by two pinkerton men, smith and reese, aided by one of the defendants, i. p. mcdowell, alias charles adams. malcolm mclaren was then placed upon the stand and the admission secured that he was a detective and had formerly been connected with the burns agency. objection was made to a question about the employment of mclaren in the case, to which vanderveer replied that it was the purpose of the defense to prove that the case was not being prosecuted by the state of washington at all. in the absence of the jury vanderveer then offered to prove that mclaren had been brought from los angeles and retained in the employ of certain mill owners, among them being "governor" clough and mr. moody of the first national bank, and that mclaren had charge of the work of procuring the evidence introduced by the state. he offered to prove that veitch and cooley were employed by the same people. the court sustained the objection of the state to the three offers. testimony on various phases of the case was then given by mrs. fannie jordan, proprietor of an apartment house in seattle, nick shugar, henry luce, paul blakenship, charles w. dean, and later on by oliver burnett. captain chauncey wiman was called to the stand, but it happened that he had gone into hiding so soon after the boat landed that he could testify to nothing of particular importance. from his appearance on the witness stand it seemed that he was still nearly scared to death. another surprise for the prosecution was then sprung by placing joseph schofield on the witness stand. schofield told of having been beaten up at the city dock by joseph irving, during the time they were lining up the forty-one i. w. w. men for deportation. the witness displayed the scar on his head that had resulted from the wound made by the gun butt, and described the drunken condition of mcrae and other deputies on the occasion of his injury. and then he told that "governor" clough had gone to his wife just a couple of days before he took the witness stand and had given her $ . . this deputy witness was on the dock november th, and he described the affair. he swore that mcrae had his gun drawn before any shooting started, that there were rifles in use on the dock, that a man was firing a winchester rifle from the tug edison. he was handed a bolt action army rifle to use but made no use of it. schofield voluntarily came from oregon to testify for the defense. chief beckingham resumed the stand and was asked further about mcdowell, alias adams. he said: "we sent a man in with this man adams, who was in constant fear that somebody might see him, and he would stand way back that he might tip this man with him and this man's fingers came out to identify the i. w. w. men who were supposed to have guns." "what inducements were made to this man adams?" asked vanderveer. "in the presence of mr. cooley and mr. webb and captain tennant and myself he was told that he could help the state and there would be no punishment given him. he was taken to everett with the impression that he would be let out and taken care of." another ex-deputy, fred plymale, confirmed the statements of fred luke in regard to mcrae's use of a five passenger car at beverly park and showed that it was impossible for the sheriff to have attended a dance at the hour he had claimed. the efforts of the prosecution to shake the testimony that had been given by fred luke was shown by this witness who testified that he had been approached by mr. clifford newton, as agent for mr. cooley, and that at an arranged conversation mcrae had tried to have him state that the runabout had been used to go to the slugging party. walter mulholland, an year old boy, and henry krieg, both of whom were members of the i. w. w. and passengers on the verona, then testified in detail about the shattering gun fire and the wounding of men on board the boat. mulholland told of wounds received, one bullet still being in his person at that time. krieg, not being familiar with military terms, stated that there were many shells on the deck of the verona after the trouble, and the prosecution thought they had scored quite a point until re-direct examination brought out the fact that henry meant the lead bullets that had been fired from the dock. e. carl pearson, snohomish county treasurer, rather unwillingly corroborated the testimony of ex-deputies luke and plymale in regard to the actions of mcrae at beverly park. the witness chair seemed almost to swallow the next nine witnesses who were boys averaging about twelve years in age. these lads had picked up shells on and beneath the dock to keep as mementos of the "battle." handfuls of shells of various sizes and description, from revolver, rifle and shotgun, intermingled with rifle clips and unfired copper-jacketed rifle cartridges, were piled upon the clerk's desk as exhibits by these youthful witnesses. after the various shells had been classified by l. b. knowlton, an expert in charge of ammunition sales for the whiton hardware company of seattle for six years, the boys were recalled to the stand to testify to the splintered condition of the warehouses, their evidence proving that a large number of shots had been fired from the interior of the warehouses directly thru the walls. the boys who testified were jack warren, palmer strand, rollie jackson, william layton, eugene meives, guy warner, tom wolf, harvey peterson, and roy jensen. veitch, by this time thoroly disgusted with the turn taken by the case, excused these witnesses without even a pretense of cross-examination. completely clinching this link in the evidence against the citizen deputies was the testimony of miss lillian goldthorpe and her mother, hannah goldthorpe. miss goldthorpe, waitress in the commercial club dining room, picked up some rifle shells that had fallen from the rifles stacked in the office, and also from the pocket of one of the hunting coats lying on the floor. she took these home to her mother who afterward turned them over to attorney moore. she also identified certain murderous looking blackjacks as being the same as those stored in the club. it is hardly necessary to state that the open-shop advocates who continually prate about the "right of a person to work when and where they please" were not slow about taking away lillian's right to work at the commercial club after she had given this truthful testimony! james hadley, i. w. w. member on the verona, told how he had dived overboard to escape the murderous fire and had been the only man in the water to regain a place on the boat. "i saw two go overboard and i didn't see them any more," said hadley. "then i saw another man four feet from me and he seemed to be swimming all right, and all of a sudden he went down and i never saw him any more. i was looking right at him and he just closed his eyes and sank." mario marino, an year old member of the i. w. w., then told of the serious wounds he had received on the boat. he was followed by brockman b. armstrong, another member of the union, who was close to the rail on the port side of the boat. he saw a puff of smoke slightly to the rear of mcrae directly after the sound of the first shot. a rifle bullet cut a piece out of his forehead and a second went thru his cap and creased his scalp, felling him to his knees. owen genty was shot thru the kidney on the one side of him, and gust turnquist was hit in the knee on the other. as he lay in the heap of wounded men a buckshot buried itself in the side of his head near the temple. as the verona was pulling out he tried to crawl to shelter and was just missed by a rifle bullet from the dock situated to the south. archie collins, who had previously testified about beverly park, was then called to the stand to tell of the trip to everett and the trouble that resulted. prosecutor black displayed his usual asininity by asking in regard to preparations made by verona passengers: "what were they taking or not taking?" "there might be two or three million things they were not taking," cut in judge ronald chidingly. black's examination of the various witnesses was aptly described by publicity agent charles ashleigh in the industrial worker, as follows: "his examinations usually act as a soporific; heads are observed nodding dully thruout the courtroom and one is led to wonder whether, if he were allowed to continue, there would not be a sort of fairy-tale scene in which the surprised visitor to the court would see audience, jury, lawyers, judge, prisoner and functionaries buried in deep slumber accompanied only by a species of hypnotic twittering which could be traced eventually to a dignified youth who was lulled to sleep by his own narcotic burblings but continued, mechanically, to utter the same question over and over again." during this dreamy questioning black asked about the men who were cleaning up the boat on its return trip, with a view to having the witness state that there were empty shells all over the deck. his question was: "did you pick anything up from the floor?" instantly the courtroom was galvanized into life by collin's startling answer: "i picked up an eye, a man's eye." the witness had lifted from the blood-stained deck a long splinter of wood on which was impaled a human eye! the story of fred savery was typical of the unrecognized empire builders who make up the migratory class. fred was born in russia, his folks moving to austria and then migrating to canada when the lad was but two years old. at the age of nine he started at farm work and at twelve he was big enough to handle logs and work in the woods. savery took the stand in his uniform of slavery, red mackinaw shirt, stagged-off pants, caulked shoes, and a battered slouch hat in his hand. the honest simplicity of his halting french-canadian speech carried more weight than the too smooth flowing tales told by the well drilled citizen deputies on whom the prosecution depended for conviction. cooley dwelt at great length on the constant travel of this witness, a feature incidental to the life of every migratory worker. even the judge tired of these tactics and told the prosecution that there was no way to stop them from asking the interminable questions but it was merely a waste of time. but all of cooley's dilatory tactics could not erase from the minds of the listeners the simple, earnest, sincere story fred savery told of the death of his fellow worker, hugo gerlot. charles ashleigh was then placed upon the witness stand to testify to having been selected as one of the speakers to go to everett on november th. he stated that he had gone over on the interurban and had returned that afternoon at four o'clock. after the prosecution had interrogated him about certain articles published subsequent to the tragedy ashleigh was excused. to impeach the testimony of william kenneth, wharfinger at the city dock, the defense then introduced peter aikken of everett. following this witness owen genty, one of the i. w. w. men wounded on the verona, gave an account of the affair and stated that the first shot came from a point just to the rear of the sheriff. raymond lee, a youth of years, told of having gone to everett on the day of the beverly park affair in order to mail free speech pamphlets directly to a number of everett citizens. he went to the dock at the time of the deportation, getting past the deputies on a plea of wanting to see his uncle, his youth and neat appearance not being at all in accord with the current idea of what an i. w. w. member looked like. lee was cross-questioned at great length by veitch. this witness told the story of the death of abraham rabinowitz on the verona in these few, simple words: [illustration: view of beverly park, showing county road.] "rabinowitz was lying on top of me with his head on my leg. i felt my leg getting wet and i reached back to see what it was, and when i pulled my hand away it was covered with blood. he was shot in the back of the brain." james mcroden, i. w. w. member who was on the verona, gave corroborative testimony about the first shot having been from the dock. james francis billings, one of the free speech prisoners, testified that he was armed with a colts revolver on the verona, and shortly after the shooting started he went to the engineer of the boat and ordered him to get the verona away from the dock. he threw the gun overboard on the return trip to seattle. black tried to make light of the serious injuries this witness had received at beverly park by asking him if all that he received was not a little brush on the shin. the witness answered: "no sir. i had a black eye. i was beaten over both eyes as far as that is concerned. my arms were held out by one big man on either side and i was beaten on both sides. as sheriff mcrae went past me he said 'give it to him good,' and when i saw what was coming i dropped in order to save my face, and the man on the left hand side kicked me from the middle of my back clear down to my heels, and he kept kicking me until the fellow on the right told him to kick me no more as i was all in. my back and my hip have bothered me ever since." black tried to interrupt the witness and also endeavored to have his answer stricken from the testimony but the judge answered his objection by saying: "i told you to withdraw the question and you didn't do it." vanderveer asked billings the question: "why did you carry a gun on the fifth of november?" "i took it for my own personal benefit," replied billings. "i didn't intend to let anybody beat me up like i was beaten on october th in the condition i was in. i was in bad condition at the time." harvey e. wood, an employe of the jamison mill company, took the stand and told of a visit made by jefferson beard to the bunkhouse of the mill company on the night of november th and stated that at the time there were six automatic shot guns and three pump guns in the place. these were for the use of james b. reed, neal jamison, joe hosh, roy hosh, walter s. downs, and a man named mccortell. this witness had acted as a strikebreaker up until the time he was subpoenaed. two of the defendants, benjamin f. legg and jack leonard, fully verified the story told by billings. leland butcher, an i. w. w. member who was on the verona, told of how he had been shot in the leg. when asked why he had joined the i. w. w. he answered: "i joined the i. w. w. to better my own condition and to make the conditions my father was laboring under for the last years, with barely enough to keep himself and family, a thing of the past." another of the defendants, ed roth, who had been seriously wounded on the verona, gave an unshaken story of the outrage. roth testified that he had been shot in the abdomen at the very beginning of the trouble and because of his wounded condition and the fact that there were wounded men piled on top of him he had been unable to move until some time after the verona had left the dock. this testimony showed the absurdity of mcrae's pretended identification of the witness. roth was a member of the international longshoremen's association and had joined the i. w. w. on the day before the tragedy. john stroka, a lad of , victim of the deputies at beverly park and a passenger on the verona, gave testimony regarding the men wounded on the boat. the next witness was ernest p. marsh, president of the state federation of labor, who was called for the purpose of impeaching the testimony of mayor merrill and also to prove that mrs. frennette was a visitor at the everett labor temple on the morning of november th, this last being added confirmation of the fact that clyde gibbons had committed perjury on the stand. to the ordinary mind--and certainly the minds of the prosecution lawyers were not above the ordinary--the social idealist is an inexplicable mystery. small wonder then that they could not understand the causes that impelled the next witness, abraham bonnet wimborne, one of the defendants, to answer the call for fighters to defend free speech. wimborne, the son of a jewish rabbi, told from the witness stand how he had first joined the socialist party, afterward coming in contact with the i. w. w., and upon hearing of the cruel beating given to james rowan, had decided to leave portland for everett to fight for free speech. arriving in seattle on november th, he took passage on the steamer verona the next day. prosecutor black asked the witness what were the preparations made by the men on the boat. "don't misunderstand my words, mr. black," responded wimborne, "when i say prepared, i mean they were armed with the spirit of determination. determined to uphold the right of free speech with their feeble strength; that is, i never really believed it would be possible for the outrages and brutalities to come under the stars and stripes, and i didn't think it was necessary for anything else." "then when these men left they were determined?" inquired black. "yes, determined that they would uphold the spirit of the constitution; if not, go to jail. there were men in everett who would refuse the right of workingmen to come and tell the workers that they had a way whereby the little children could get sufficient clothing, sufficient food, and the right of education, and other things which they can only gain--how? by organizing into industrial unions, sir, that is what i meant. we do not believe in bloodshed. thuggery is not our method. what can a handful of workers do against the mighty forces of maxim guns and the artillery of the capitalist class?" "did you consider yourself a fighting member?" questioned black. "if you mean am i a moral fighter? yes; but physically--why, look at me! do i look like a fighter?" said the slightly built witness. "did you or did you not expect to go to jail when you left portland?" asked the prosecutor. "my dear mr. black, i didn't know and i didn't care!" responded wimborne with a shrug of his shoulders. wimborne joined the i. w. w. while in the everett county jail. michael j. reilley, another of the defendants, testified as to the firing of the first shot from the dock and also gave the story of the death of abraham rabinowitz. vanderveer asked him the question: "do you know why you are a defendant?" "yes, sir," replied reilley, "because i didn't talk to them in the city jail in seattle. i was never picked out." attorney h. d. cooley was recalled to the stand and was made to admit that he was a member of the commercial club and a citizen deputy on the dock november th. he was asked by vanderveer: "did you see any guns on the dock?" "yes sir." "did you see any guns fired on the dock?" "yes sir." "did you see any guns fired on the boat?" "no sir." "did you see a gun on the boat?" "i did not." "you were in full view of the boat?" "i was." yet the ethics of the legal profession are such that this attorney could justify his actions in laboring for months in an endeavor to secure, by any and all means, the conviction of the men on the boat! defendant charles black testified that mcrae dropped his hand to his gun and pulled it just as one of the deputies fired from a point just behind the sheriff. black ran down the deck and into the cabin, passing in front of the windows from which the deputies had sworn that heavy firing was going on. leonard broman, working partner with abraham rabinowitz, then took the stand and told his story. when asked what were the benefits he received from having joined the i. w. w., the witness replied: "they raised the wages and shortened the hours. before i joined the i. w. w. the wages i received in ellis, kansas, was $ . for twelve hours and last fall the i. w. w. got $ . for nine hours on the same work." ex-deputy charles lawry told of various brutalities at the jail and also impeached mcrae's testimony in many other particulars. dr. grant calhoun, who had attended the more seriously injured men who were taken from the verona on its return to seattle, told of the number and nature of the wounds that had been inflicted. on eight of the men examined he had found twenty-one serious wounds, counting the entrance and exit of the same bullet as only one wound. veitch conducted no cross-examination of the witness. joe manning, j. h. beyers, and harvey hubler, all three of them defendants, gave their testimony. manning told of having been seated in the cabin with tracy when the firing commenced, after which he sought cover behind the smokestack and was joined by tracy a moment later. beyers identified deputy bridge as having stood just behind mcrae with his revolver drawn as tho firing when the first shot was heard. this witness also corroborated the story of billings in regard to demanding that the engineer take the boat away from the dock. hubler verified the statements about conditions on the verona and also told of being taken from his jail cell by force on an order signed by detective mclaren in an attempt to have him discharge the defense attorneys and accept an alleged lawyer from los angeles. [illustration: thomas h. tracy] harry parker and c. c. england told of injuries sustained on the verona, and john riely stated there was absolutely no shooting from the cabin windows, that being impossible because the men on the boat had crowded the entire rail at that side. jerry l. finch, former deputy prosecuting attorney of king county, gave impeaching testimony against wm. kenneth and charles tucker. cooley asked this witness about his interviews with the different state's witnesses: "if you talked with all of them, you would probably have something on all of them?" the judge would not let finch answer the question, but there is no doubt that cooley had the correct idea about the character of the witnesses on his side of the case. in detailing certain arrests sheriff mcrae had claimed that men taken from the shingleweavers' picket line were members of the i. w. w. b. said was one of the men so mentioned. said took the witness stand and testified that he was a member of the longshoremen's union and was not and had not been a member of the i. w. w. j. g. brown, president of the international shingleweavers' union, testified that the various men arrested on the picket line in everett were either members of the shingle weavers' union or else were longshoremen from seattle, none of the men named by mcrae being members of the i. w. w. the testimony of brown was also of such a nature as to be impeaching of the statements of mayor merrill on the witness stand. charles gray, robert adams, and joe ghilezano, i. w. w. men on the verona, then testified, adams telling of having been shot thru the elbow, and ghilezano giving the details of the way in which his kneecap had been shot off and other injuries received. the murderous intentions of the deputies were further shown by the testimony of nels bruseth, who ran down to the shore to launch a boat and rescue the men in the water. he was stopped in this errand of mercy by the deputies. civil engineer f. whitwith, jr., of the firm of rutherford and whitwith, surveyed the dock and the steamer verona and made a report in court of his findings. his evidence clearly showed that there was rifle, shotgun and revolver fire of a wild character from the interior of the warehouses and from many points on the dock. he stated that there were one hundred and seventy-three rifle or revolver bullet marks, exclusive of the b-b and buckshot markings which were too numerous to count, on the verona, these having come from the dock, the shore, and the improvement dock to the south. there were sixteen marks on the boat that appeared as tho they might have been from revolver fire proceeding from the boat itself. there were also small triangular shaped gouges in the planking of the dock, the apex of the triangles indicating that bullets had struck there and proceeded onward from the klatawa slip to the open space on the dock where deputies had been stationed. the physical facts thus introduced were incontrovertible. defendant j. d. houlihan gave positive testimony to the effect that he had not spoken privately with "red" doran in the i. w. w. hall on the morning of november th, that he had received no gun from doran or anyone else, that he did not have the conversation which auspos imputed to him, that he had no talk with auspos on the return trip. all efforts to confuse this witness failed of their purpose. in verification of the testimony about deputies firing on the verona from the improvement company dock the defense brought percy walker upon the stand. walker had been cruising around the bay in a little gasoline launch and saw men armed with long guns, probably rifles or shotguns, leaning over a breastwork of steel pipes and firing in the direction of the verona. lawrence manning, harston peters, and ed. j. shapeero, defendants, told their simple straightforward stories of the "battle." peters stated that as he lay under cover and heard the shots coming from the dock he "wished to christ that he did have a gun." shapeero told of the wounds he had received and of the way the uninjured men cared for the wounded persons on the boat. mrs. joyce peters testified that she had gone to everett on the morning of november th in company with mrs. lorna mahler. the reason she did not go on the verona was because the trip by water had made mrs. mahler ill on previous occasions. she saw mrs. frennette in everett only when they were on the same interurban car leaving for seattle after the tragedy. albert doninger, w. b. montgomery and japheth banfield, i. w. w. men who were on the verona, all placed the first shot as having come from the dock immediately after the sheriff had cried out "you can't land here." n. inscho, chief of police of wenatchee, testified that during the time the i. w. w. carried on their successful fight for free speech in his city there were no incendiary fires, no property destroyed, no assaults or acts of violence committed, and no resistance to arrest. h. w. mullinger, lodging house proprietor, john m. hogan, road construction contractor, edward case, railroad grading contractor, william kincaid, alfalfa farmer, and john egan, teamster, all of north yakima and vicinity, were called as character witnesses for tracy, the defendant having worked with or for them for a number of years. the defense followed these witnesses with oscar carlson, the passenger on the verona who had been fairly riddled with bullets. carlson testified that he was not and never had been a member of the i. w. w., that he had gone to everett with his working partner, nordstrom, as a sort of an excursion trip, that he had purchased a one way ticket which was taken up by the captain after the boat had left seattle, that he intended returning by way of the interurban, and that the men on the boat were orderly and well behaved. he told of having gone to the very front of the boat as it pulled into everett from which point he heard the first shot, which was fired from the dock. he fell immediately and while prostrate was struck with bullet after bullet. he then told of having entered suit against the vashon navigation company for $ , . on account of injuries received. robert c. saunders, of the law firm of saunders and nelson, then testified that he was handling the case for carlson and had made out the affidavit of complaint himself and was responsible for the portion that alleged that a lawless mob were on the boat, carlson having made no such statement to him at any time. charles ashleigh was recalled to the stand to testify to having telephoned to the seattle newspapers on november th, requesting them to send reporters to everett the next day. he was followed on the stand by john t. doran, familiarly known as "red" on account of the color of his hair. doran stated that he was the author of the handbill distributed in everett prior to the attempted meeting of november th. he positively denied having given a gun to houlihan or anyone else on november th. upon cross-examination he said that he was in charge of the work of checking the number of men who went on the verona to everett, and had paid the transportation of the men in a lump sum. as the next to the last witness on its side of the long-drawn out case the defense placed on the stand the defendant, thomas h. tracy. the witness told of having been one of a working class family, too large to be properly cared for and having to leave home and make his own way in the world before he was eleven years old. from that time on he had followed farming, teaming and construction work in all parts of the west, his bronzed appearance above the prison pallor giving evidence of his outdoor life. tracy told of having been secretary of the i. w. w. in everett for a short time, that being the only official position he had ever held in the organization. he explained his position on the boat at the time it docked, stating that the first shot apparently came from the dock and struck close to where he was sitting. immediately the boat listed and threw him away from the window, after which he sought a place of safety behind the smokestack. he denied having been in any way a party to a conspiracy to commit an act of violence, or to kill anyone. "you are charged here, mr. tracy," said vanderveer, "with having aided and abetted an unknown man in killing jefferson beard. are you guilty or not guilty?" "i am not guilty," replied tracy without a trace of emotion. the cross-questioning of the defendant in this momentous case was conducted by citizen-deputy cooley. his questions to the man whom he and his fellow conspirators on the dock had not succeeded in murdering were of the most trivial nature, clearly proving that arch-sleuth mclaren had been unable to discover or to manufacture anything that would make tracy's record other than that of a plain, unassuming, migratory worker. "where did you vote last?" asked cooley. "i never voted," responded tracy. "never voted in your life?" queried cooley. "no!" replied the defendant who for the time represented the entire migratory class. "i was never in one place long enough!" then, acting on the class theory that it is an honor to be a "globe-trotter" but a disgrace to be a "blanket-stiff," the prosecutor brought out tracy's travels in minute detail. this examination of the railroad construction worker brought home to the listeners the truth of the little verse: "he built the road; with others of his class he built the road; now o'er its weary length he packs his load, chasing a job, spurred on by hunger's goad, he walks and walks and walks and walks, and wonders why in hell he built the road!" then there hobbled into the court room on crutches a stripling with an empty trouser leg, his face drawn with suffering, and who was able to get into the witness chair only by obviously painful efforts with the assistance of vanderveer and judge ronald. this was harry golden, whose entire left leg had been amputated after having been shattered by a high-power rifle bullet fired by a "law and order" deputy. golden stated that he had been born in poland twenty-two years before, and had come to the united states at the age of sixteen. he was asked: "why did you come to this country?" "i came to the united states," said the witness, "because it is supposed to be a free country." "we object to that as immaterial!" cried prosecutor veitch. the witness described the firing of the first shot and told of his attempts to find a place of safety. he said he was wounded in the hand as he attempted to climb into a life boat. he remained on the starboard side of the starboard life boat until the verona had backed out into the bay. then just as he was starting to raise up a rifle bullet struck his leg, taking a course thru the limb and emerging at the knee. "that is on your left--?" "on my left, yes, which i ain't got; i lost it!" said the witness. "did i understand you to say you stood up to see something before you were shot?" asked veitch. "why, sure!" replied golden contemptuously. "i had my two legs then." veitch wished to learn the exact location of the witness at the time he was shot and to that end referred to the model with the remark: "look here. here is the boat as it was at the dock." "i don't like to look at it!" said golden heatedly. "i lost my leg on that boat!" [illustration: everett from the water. to the left g. n. depot from where bystanders viewed battle.] the witness was in evident pain during the examination, having just had a hospital treatment applied to his raw stump, and was rather irritable as a consequence. he answered several questions rather sharply and proceeded to explain his answers. at one of these interruptions judge ronald exclaimed to the witness angrily: "when he asks you a question answer yes or no! if you want to live in this country try and live like an american!" "i take an exception to your honor's remarks!" said moore emphatically. the judge grudgingly allowed an exception to his uncalled for statement. in concluding his examination veitch asked the witness: "what is your name in polish?" "i am not polish; i am a jew," replied golden. "well, what is your family name in poland?" asked the prosecutor. "goldenhaul, or something like that. now i call myself golden. when we come to this country--." "never mind," interposed veitch hurriedly. "when we come to this country for good luck we always change the name, you know," finished golden, and added bitterly, "i sure did have good luck!" this ended the case in chief for the defense, the marshalling of such a mass of testimony from a host of disinterested witnesses, men, women and children, putting it on an entirely different footing from the prejudiced testimony brought forward by the prosecution. in rebuttal of testimony produced by the defense the prosecution introduced a series of witnesses. as in their case in chief every one of the parties who testified were in some way concerned in the case as deputies, jailers, police officers, dance hall habitues, detectives, and the like. the witnesses were w. p. bell, dr. f. r. hedges, e. e. murphy, charles hall, rudolph weidaur, w. j. britt, percy ames, harry blackburn, reuben westover, harry groger, w. m. maloney, albert burke, w. r. conner, a. e. andrews, david d. young, howard hathaway, george leonard mickel, paul hill, e. c. mony, b. h. bryan, all of whom were deputies, d. c. pearson, w. h. bridge, and "honest" john hogan, all three jailers and deputies, robert c. hickey, city jailer, david daniels and adolph miller, police officers, charles manning and j. t. rogers, personal friends of mcrae, oscar moline, dance hall musician, albert mckay, of the ocean food products company located on the everett improvement dock, t. j. mckinnon, employe of mckay, r. b. williams, contractor, john flynn, agent everett improvement dock, w. w. blain and f. s. ruble, secretary and bookkeeper respectively of the commercial club and also deputies, a. e. ballew, great northern depot agent, h. g. keith, great northern detective, charles auspos, who was shown to be in receipt of favors as state's witness, and george reese, pinkerton informer and "stool pigeon." one deputy, h. s. groger, stated on cross-examination that he continuously fired at a man on the boat who appeared to be trying to untie the spring line. outside of this evidence of a desire for wholesale slaughter nothing developed of sufficient importance to warrant the production of sur-rebuttal witnesses, except in the testimony of auspos and reese. auspos testified that defendant billings in the presence of john rawlings had stated in the everett county jail that he had a gun that made a noise like a cannon. this was intended to controvert the testimony of billings. reese related a conversation that tracy was alleged to have carried on in his presence on the verona as it was bound for everett. he stated that a launch was seen approaching and someone remarked that it was probably coming to head them off, to which tracy replied "let them come; they will find we are ready for them, and we will give them something they are not looking for." this was intended as impeachment of tracy. cross-examination of this informer brought out the fact that he was a pinkerton agent at the time he was holding the office of delegate to the central labor council of the american federation of labor. reese stated that he was employed on the waterfront during the longshoremen's strike with instructions to "look for everybody who was pulling the rough stuff, such as threatening to burn or attempting to burn warehouses, and shooting up non-union workers, and beating them up and so forth." he had been in the employ of the pinkerton agency for six weeks this last time before he was ordered to go down and join the i. w. w. he stated in answer to a question by vanderveer: "i was instructed to go down there and find out who these fellows were that was handling this phosphorus and pulling off this sabotage and the only way i could find out was to get a card and get in and get acquainted with them." attorney moore in the absence of the jury offered to prove that reese had practically manufactured this job for himself by promoting the very things he was supposed to discover. moore stated some of the things he would prove if permitted by the court: "that on or about august st reese went to one j. m. wilson, an official of the longshoremen's union, and endeavored to get $ . with which to buy dynamite to blow up a certain city dock; that on september th the witness gave percy may, a member of the longshoremen's union, a bottle of phosphorus with instructions to start a fire at pier ; that in the month of july the witness opposed a settlement of the longshoremen's strike and when members of the union argued that they could remain out no longer as they had no money, reese clapped his pockets and said, 'you fellows wouldn't be starving if you had the nerve that i have got. why don't you go out and get it, take it off the scabs the way i do;' that in september feinberg had to make reese leave the speaker's stand in everett because he was talking on matters harmful to industrial union propaganda; that on november th the witness went to the place where feinberg was employed and left a suit of clothes to be pressed, saying to feinberg, after he had ascertained that feinberg was thinking of going to everett on the following day, "mark the bill 'paid' so i will have a receipt if you don't come back;" that on august th, the day before the big dock fire in seattle, reese went to the down-town office of the same dye works in which walker c. smith was manager and in charge of the purchase of chemicals and tried to get smith to purchase for him some carbon disulphide to be used in connection with phosphorus; that in the month of november in the labor temple, in the presence of sam sadler, reese had said to albert brilliant that if the longshoremen had any guts they would go out with guns and clean up the scabs on the waterfront; and that reese tried to get other men to co-operate with him in a scheme to capture a government boat lying in the sound during the progress of the longshoremen's strike." the court refused to allow the defense to go into these matters so the only showing of the true character of reese was confined to examination as to the perjury he had committed in his initial sworn statement to the defense. the sur-rebuttal of the defense occupied but a few minutes. it was admitted that mr. garver, the court reporter, would swear that reese had made an initial statement to the defense counsel and that the same had been taken down stenographically and sworn to. charles tennant, captain of the detective force of the seattle police department, testified to having telephoned to the sheriff's office in everett on november th to give the information that a boatload of i. w. w. men had left for everett. he did not describe the body of men in any way and had not said that they were armed. this was for the purpose of showing that somewhere between the time that jefferson beard received the message and the time it was transmitted to the deputies some one had inserted the statement that the men on the boat were heavily armed. john rawlings, defendant, testified that no such conversation as that related by auspos had occurred in the presence of defendant billings. thomas h. tracy denied making the threats ascribed to him by reese, and this closed the hearing of evidence in the case. outside the courtroom on the day the last of the evidence was introduced there was in progress one of the largest demonstrations of labor ever held in the pacific northwest. the date was may first, and international labor day was celebrated by the united radicals of the entire city and surrounding district. meeting at the i. w. w. hall at : in the morning, thousands of men and women fell into a marching line of fours, a committee pinning a red rose or carnation on each marcher. fifteen solid blocks of these marchers, headed by wagner's band, then wended their way thru the streets to mount pleasant cemetery and grouped themselves around the graves of baran, gerlot and looney--labor's martyred dead. there, upon the hillside, in accordance with his final wishes, the ashes of joe hill were scattered to the breeze, and with them were cast upon the air and on the graves beneath, the ashes of jessie lloyd and patrick brennan, two loyal fighters in the class struggle who had died during the year just passed. a fitting song service, with a few simple words by speakers in english, russian, swedish, hungarian and italian, in commemoration of those who had passed away, completed the tribute to the dead. nor were the living forgotten! the great crowd drifted from the graveside, but hundreds of them reassembled almost automatically and marched to the king county jail. standing there, just outside of the very heart of the great city, the crowd, led by the i. w. w. choir, sang song after song from the revolutionary hymnal--the little red song book, each song being answered by one from the free speech prisoners confined in the jail. the service lasted until late in the day and, to complete the one labor day that is as broad as the world itself, a meeting was held in one of the largest halls of the city. at this meeting the final collection for the everett prisoners' defense was taken and at the request of the imprisoned men one half of the proceeds was sent to aid in the liberation of tom mooney and his fellow victims of the merchants' and manufacturers' association in san francisco. there remained but the reading of the instructions of the court and the addresses by the counsel for either side to complete this epoch making case and place it in the hands of the jury for their final verdict. chapter viii. pleadings and the verdict the instructions of the court, carefully prepared by judge j. t. ronald, required sixty-five minutes in the reading. these instructions were divided into twenty-three sections, each section representing a different phase of the case. herewith is presented the first section in its entirety and a summary of the remaining portion: "ladies and gentlemen of the jury: "my responsibility is to decide all questions of law in this case; yours to decide one question of fact. with these instructions my responsibility practically ends, your commences. you have taken a solemn oath that 'you will well and truly try and true delivery make between the state of washington and the prisoner at the bar, whom you have in charge, according to the evidence.' "there is no escape from the responsibility which has come to you, save in the faithful effort to render a true verdict. any verdict other than one based upon pure conscience will be an injustice. an honest juror yields to no friendship, nor bears any enmity. he is moved by no sympathy, nor influenced by any prejudice. he seeks the approval of no one, nor fears the condemnation of anyone--save that one unerring, silent monitor, his own conscience. disregard this whispering voice in yourself and you may fool the public, you may fool the defendant, you may, hereafter, with some effort, even close your own soul to her whispering reproaches and enjoy the ill-earned plaudits of the selfish or biased friend or interest whom you sought to please, but be assured you will not change the truth, you will not deceive justice which, at some time, and in some way, will collect from you the penalty which is always sooner or later exacted from those who betray the truth. "so let me urge that in deciding the issue of facts which is now your responsibility you be guided by these instructions which you have sworn to follow, and by their conscientious application to the evidence in this case. "do not permit yourselves to be swayed by sympathy, influenced by prejudice, or moved in the least by a consideration of what might or might not meet the approval or the condemnation of any person or class of persons, or of interest whatever. to do so will be an act alike dishonest, violative of your oath, substituting for a fair and impartial trial an unfair and a partial one. this is an epoch in your lives to which you will ever look back. be sure that when you do you may face the smiling approval of your conscience rather than its stinging reproach. "the guilt or innocence of this defendant is a single question of fact to be determined by the evidence alone. if this evidence shows defendant to be guilty, then no sympathy, no desire for approval, no fear of condemnation, can make him innocent; if the evidence fails to show him guilty, then no prejudice, no desire for approval, no fear of condemnation, can make him guilty. the issue is a momentous one, not only to the defendant, who, if innocent, deserves the deepest sympathy, for the accusation made against him is a serious one; but likewise to the public and to society at large, and the tranquility and security of our different communities. "a false verdict against the defendant conflicts with the purpose and the laws of the state as effectively as a false verdict in his favor. the state has no higher duty or interest than to preserve all its citizens from suffering under unfounded accusations. if, on the other hand, the guilt of the defendant has been shown, a false verdict of acquittal would not only be a breach of your oaths, but it would inflict a grievous wrong upon the state. if a true verdict calls for conviction, the misfortune to the defendant is not in the verdict, nor in the penalty, but in the fact it was his conduct which makes the verdict true. you alone of all the world, and who now possess all the facts, are therefore responsible for the verdict in this case. the law is not concerned about conviction merely--but it is concerned, deeply concerned, that juries shall conscientiously and fearlessly declare the truth. whether it be conviction, or whether it be acquittal, a true verdict is justice--a false is injustice." judge ronald followed this lecture on civic righteousness and personal duty with more specific instructions to the jury, of which the following are excerpts. "in this case you must answer the question--is this defendant guilty or innocent? * * * keep constantly in mind this issue and do not go astray to discuss any other of the many issues that may be suggested by or may lay hidden among the great mass of evidence in this case. whether the industrial workers of the world shall or shall not speak at a certain place in the city of everett is not an issue here. * * * whether the open or the closed shop shall prevail is not a subject for your consideration. "every defendant in a criminal case is presumed to be innocent. * * * you must be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of the facts necessary to show guilt before you can convict. * * * you should give the phrase 'proof beyond a reasonable doubt' its full meaning and weight as explained and defined to you in these instructions. on the other hand, you should not magnify nor exaggerate its force and fail to return a verdict of guilty simply because the evidence does not satisfy you of guilt to an absolute certainty. no crime can be proved to an absolute certainty. "it does not follow because every one of the facts which are disputed between the parties may not be established beyond a reasonable doubt, that there cannot be a conviction. at the same time you will bear carefully in mind that all facts which are necessary to establish the conclusion of guilt must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. "there are two facts necessary to convict this defendant: ( ) that some person on the boat unlawfully killed jefferson beard. ( ) that this defendant aided, incited or encouraged such shooting. "if you are satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of these two facts, then you must convict, no matter what may be your belief concerning any other question in dispute in this case; if you have a reasonable doubt as to either of these two facts, then you must acquit." the instructions then went into detail as to the rights of the workers to organize, to bargain in regard to compensation, hours of labor and conditions of work generally, to go on strike, to persuade or entice their fellow workers by peaceful means from taking the positions which they have left, to assemble at public places where such meetings are not prohibited by law and ordinance, and "no person, either private citizen or public official, has any right to deny, abridge or in any manner interfere with the full and free enjoyment of those privileges and any person who attempts to do so is himself guilty of an unlawful act." after reciting such acts attributed to the workers in this case as were in violation of law, the instructions went on to state that "a sheriff has no authority to arrest any person without a warrant except upon probable cause for believing such person has violated a law of the state; nor has he authority after making such arrest to hold his prisoner in custody for a longer time than is reasonably necessary to cause proper complaint to be filed, and an opportunity given for bail. * * * a sheriff has no right or authority to interfere with or prevent any person from violating a city ordinance, nor has he the right or authority to arrest for violations of city ordinances" unless "the act threatened, or the act done, in violation of such ordinance be at the same time violation of a state law." the instructions then outlined the scope of criminal conspiracy, stating that it was unnecessary for one conspirator to know all of the other conspirators but that common design is the essence of the charge of conspiracy. the acts of one conspirator become the acts of any and all conspirators. in the eyes of the law the sheriff and the deputies also constituted in this case but one personality, the sheriff being bound by the acts of his deputies and the deputies being authorized by the powers of the sheriff. also the ordinance dated september st, , was held to be a valid one. "now whether any of the industrial workers of the world have been, prior to november , , guilty of encouraging disrespect for law, or of unlawful assemblage, or of riot, is not the question on trial here. they could all be guilty of all the acts or offenses heretofore mentioned, and still this defendant be innocent of this particular crime charged on november th, or they could all be innocent of all the acts mentioned, and defendant still be guilty of the main charge here. "again, whether the sheriff or any of his assistants have been guilty of any of the acts charged against them is not on trial here. they could all be guilty of all the acts charged and still be the victims of unjustifiable shooting from that boat, or they could all be innocent of any offense, and still be the aggressors and cause of that shooting on the dock wherein jefferson beard lost his life. "one of the questions in this case is the question--which side was the aggressor on that occasion? "in determining who was the aggressor it is your duty to consider all the facts and circumstances surrounding the situation, the relations of the parties to each other, their intentions toward each other, and all the things they did. you will also consider the past conduct of all the parties, any acts of violence or other assaults that may have been committed, and any threats that may have been made, and the character as known and understood by each other. [illustration: victims at morgue. john looney hugo gerlot, felix baran abe rabinowitz] "therefore, simplify your deliberations and determine first the question: did somebody on the boat unlawfully kill jefferson beard? if somebody on the boat did not kill beard, then of course tracy could not be guilty of aiding john doe to do something which john doe did not do. but if the state has satisfied you beyond a reasonable doubt that beard was killed by a shot fired by somebody on the boat, then such killing is either unlawful, in which case john doe would be guilty of one of three degrees of unlawful or felonious homicide, viz., murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, or manslaughter; or it is justifiable in which case john doe would not be guilty. hence you will render one of four verdicts in this case-- . guilty of murder in the first degree, or . guilty of murder in the second degree, or . guilty of manslaughter, or . not guilty. "it is very desirable that you reach a verdict in this case. the law requires that your conclusion shall be unanimous. it is not required that any one of you should surrender his individual freedom of judgement, but it is well that each of you should have in mind that your true verdict cannot ordinarily be reached except by mutual consideration and discussion of all the different views that may suggest themselves to any of your number. the jury room is no place for pride of opinion. a verdict which is the result of real harmony, or that growing out of open-minded discussion between jurors, and a willingness to be convinced, with a proper regard for the opinions of others, and with a reasonable distrust of individual views not shared by their fellows, is a fair yielding of one reason to a stronger one; such, having in mind the great desirability of unanimity, is not open to criticism. the law contemplates that jurors shall, by their discussions, harmonize their views if possible, but not that they shall compromise and yield for the mere purpose of agreement. one should not surrender his conscientious convictions. "and now, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, i commit the case to your hands. listen to the arguments. regardless of what may be counsel's recollection of testimony, you must take and follow your own recollection. you are not required to adopt any view which counsel may suggest in argument, but you should give close attention to all they say. take up your task fearlessly, with but one single aim--to discharge the obligations of your oaths. you have no class to satisfy--simply the dictates of your own conscience." taken as a whole the instructions were distinctly unfavorable to the defendant, not because of any particular bias of the judge whose political ambitions might have made him desirous of establishing a record for fairness, but by reason of the fact that the law itself on the question of criminal conspiracy is archaic and absurd, being based upon precedents established when the use of electricity and steam power were unknown, when the stage coach was the fastest means of locomotion and the tallow dip the principal form of illumination. this law, like all other statute law, was created thru the desire of the ruling class to protect property, therefore it contained no element of justice when applied to the modern proletariat, the twentieth century worker stripped of everything but his power to labor. following the reading of the court's instructions prosecutor black made his argument, vanderveer and moore for the defense addressing the jury in turn, and cooley making the concluding plea for the state. this arrangement gave veitch no chance to turn loose his oratorical fireworks, much to the chagrin of the gentleman who had been so kindly loaned to the prosecution by the merchants' and manufacturers' association. black's lengthy address was a whine for pity because of his youth and a prayer for relief from the dire straits and legal bankruptcy into which snohomish county had fallen. it is summarized in the following: "we are at the close of a great trial. a great deal of evidence has been introduced; practically two million five hundred words. from the standpoint of the attorneys who have tried this case the evidence has been very complicated because it had in it a great mass of evidence that was only remotely connected with the real issue at bar. you as jurors have a very simple question to decide in this case. "thomas h. tracy is charged with the crime of murder in the first degree, not that he himself killed jefferson beard, but that he, thomas h. tracy, aided, incited and encouraged some unknown one to kill jefferson beard of everett, on last november th. "i repeat first that some person on the boat unlawfully killed jefferson beard; secondly that this defendant, aided, incited and encouraged such shooting. "i come before you as the prosecuting attorney of snohomish county. owing to the exigencies of politics i was elected to office a few days after november th, the time of this catastrophe. two months and a few days after, i took office and found a man charged with a crime that i did not have the power of prosecution over up to that time. mr. webb, then prosecuting attorney, who had started the action and initiated and seen fit to collect some of the evidence, was not able to complete the prosecution on account of the size of the trial. "i am a young man without the experience that any man ought to have in the prosecuting of a case like this, a case the size of which has never been experienced in the state of washington, and in many ways an absolutely pioneer case in criminal trials the world over. "so the state has been hampered in that at the outset a young man, a new prosecuting attorney, has come into office and to him there has come a case that no man could read up concerning, and a large piece of battle--it is the state's contention, a battle between hundreds of men on the boat and a large number of deputies on the dock, a battle absolutely and surely initiated by firing from the boat, but still a battle;--a case without parallel in the criminal history of this state or of the united states. "it happens that fortunately the state has had assistance in this case. the state of washington, thru its county commissioners, requested the assistance in this case of mr. cooley, whom you have all grown to know, a man who formerly for four years was prosecuting attorney of snohomish county, and who since that time has been associated as assistant counsel in practically all the criminal prosecutions of snohomish county that have required assistance. "and in addition to this the state has been fortunate in having, at the request of the county commissioners, the assistance of mr. veitch, a young man it is true, but one who thru years of service in the district attorney's office in los angeles county had experience in criminal trials, and especially because of his connection with what are known as the conspiracy murder trials in los angeles county, and also in assisting the federal prosecution at indianapolis. it has been necessary in this kind of a case for the state to have assistance. "now i told you my friends that i came here as prosecuting attorney of snohomish county. i am also a deputy prosecuting attorney of king county under mr. lundin. after i was appointed i was very unpleasantly surprised by one statement. a little phrase, 'without pay,' so that i don't know whether really i am a deputy prosecuting attorney or not, because i found that in public office a man always likes to see the warrant come at the end of the month! "you are a jury in this case from king county because the defendant and the other defendants filed an affidavit to the effect that they didn't expect that a jury selected in snohomish county would give the defendant a fair trial. the state is happy in your selection and knows that you will follow the dictates of your conscience and is likewise confident that you cannot help but believe that jefferson beard was killed by someone shooting from the verona, and that thomas h. tracy, alias george martin, incited, aided and encouraged in that shooting. "now, the witnesses on the dock are men of everett, men of family, men who are laborers, but with families; men who are clerks, with interests in snohomish county; men who hold some important positions, as lawyers; people with families, people who by residence have established reputation for truth and veracity; men who have established themselves, have made themselves successful, sometimes in merely that they have established a small home, or who have lived in everett and have made friends and acquaintances. that is the class of men that were on the dock. "there are only two classes of people who know anything about the shooting. the people on the dock are one set, and the people on the boat are the other. "the people on the boat, with but one or two exceptions, are men who have established no reputation for truth and veracity, have been successful in the world in no way, even from the standpoint of stable friends, living here and there, unfortunately; perchance, with some of them it is due to unfortunate circumstances and environments, and they have been unlucky, but still they haven't established stable friends in any community. "then there are the three boatmen on the boat--and those three men, unprejudiced, unbiased, not deputies and not commercial club members, but merely laborers, they know where the first shot came from, and they tell, and their testimony absolutely and entirely contradicts the testimony of the defense in this case from start to finish. "and when you look at that red face and red hair and that honest expression of big jack hogan john hogan here, and his honest blue eyes, it doesn't seem to me that you can have any more doubt than i have that jack hogan saw tracy. "now, these men that come on the stand all confess they had a common design. their common design they say, was that about two o'clock in everett they were going to speak at the corner of wetmore and hewitt avenues, that is their common design. "the court tells you that the purpose that they admit was unlawful, so tracy, by the testimony adduced in his favor, was one of the men having a common design for an unlawful purpose. tracy, regardless of his location, regardless of whether he fired or not, is guilty. "the sheriff and his deputies could have been guilty of everything claimed against them previous to this and the defendant still be guilty of helping and encouraging someone else to unjustifiably kill jefferson beard. "under the court's instructions there were acts done at beverly park that were unlawful. there is no question about that. instead of this being a weakness on the state's part, it seems to me that it is an added strength. because the i. w. w. used beverly park for what purpose? they jumped on it with desire, deeming it a fortunate circumstance because they wanted to inflame men to invade everett. they jumped on this, the men at the head of the conspiracy, they jumped on beverly park because they could use it to inflame their members. how do we know? their own statements! their telegrams! 'advertise conditions and send volunteers.' volunteers for what? volunteers for what? when a man represents things and so helps to make men mad he wants these men up there as volunteers for retaliation. and the court has instructed you that if these men went up there with the purpose of retaliating, they are guilty. tracy having been one of a common design makes it central, vital, in good conscience as citizens, that you return your verdict asked by the state. "any time a murder is committed it is important that prosecution be had and conviction secured. that is always vital from the standpoint of protection to society. the police, the sheriff's office, and the officials of all cities and states of the united states sometimes forget themselves, i take it, sometimes do things they shouldn't do, sometimes do things they should be censured for, but the fact that they had is no reason that murder is to be excused or justified, because if you did, we would have no society. that is true in an ordinary murder case. that is overwhelmingly true in this case. "the i. w. w. is an organization that realizes the great truth in combating government. they have stumbled upon an overwhelmingly successful instrument in fighting society. what is that? to commit a violation of the law in numbers, to violate the law by so many people that only a few can be prosecuted and even if they are convicted, the great majority go scott free. they built better than they knew when they stumbled upon the great secret that the violation of a law in great numbers would protect practically all of the violators. and this trial itself is proof of that. "snohomish county can ill afford the expense of this one trial; can ill afford the expense of two or three trials after this; would be overwhelmed with debt to convict all the men who are in this conspiracy, if there were a conspiracy it can't do it; most of them are safe from prosecution and they know it; and the only protection that snohomish county has, and king county has, and the state of washington has, and the united states has, is that when something happens like this a conviction be secured against a man who is guilty, not because you are convicting all, because you can't, you are helpless--but because that at least is the voice of warning to the men that if you lead an attempt you may be the one of the great number that will be caught. it is important from the standpoint of citizens of the state of washington to establish the principle that crimes cannot be committed by numbers with impunity, that while it is fairly safe, it won't be absolutely safe. we have no protection. that is the vital part of this case. we have no protection. [illustration: john looney] "if this case were just that of murder committed by one man acting alone, the importance of your verdict would be of small significance, compared with the importance of your verdict in a criminal case where the members are part of an organization. true, the society has no doubt a great many aims that are desirable to improve the welfare of the workingman. but it has one aim, one vital aim, in its platform to bring upon it the condemnation of thinking, sober men and women residing permanently in the state of washington, and that is sabotage. "we are not claiming that the killing of jefferson beard was in the exercise of sabotage. we are saying that sabotage along with the conscious withdrawal of efficiency, sabotage along with the destruction of property, may also mean crime. "the i. w. w. members did not come to everett for the purpose of employment; they were men who were wanderers upon the face of the earth, who desired to establish themselves nowhere, and none of them, as far as this witness stand is concerned, expected to work in everett or to put sabotage in effect in everett by working slow. the only way they could use sabotage in everett was by the destruction of property. the mayor became alarmed, and the sheriff, after their repeated threats in their papers. but whether you believe sabotage to be good, bad, or indifferent, really is not vital in this case except as a circumstance. "now, the wanderer. the wanderer did not happen the way they said it happened. the sheriff did shoot after they refused to stop. the sheriff did hit some of them with the butt of his gun. the sheriff brought them into everett because they constituted an unlawful assemblage. the sheriff did the only thing he could do. he filed charges against them and they were arraigned in court. twenty-three men cannot be tried quickly when each one demands a separate trial by jury. twenty-three trials would stop the judicial machinery for three months. they could not be tried and so the sheriff turned them loose. maybe he did hit them harder than he should have. policemen do that! sheriff do that! lots of time they hit men when it is not necessary. hit them too hard, sometimes. they don't always understand exactly what they are supposed to do. but the i. w. w. exaggerated the matter and used it to incite retaliation on the fifth. so the beverly park incident, and all other incidents, if true to the last syllable of the defense testimony, merely in this case extenuated the motive on november th. "now then, why did the state select tracy? the state's evidence was to the effect that tracy was not only a member of the conspiracy, but was firing. several state's witnesses recognized tracy. there was another reason. what was that? some of these men, some of these boys, flitting here and there from job to job, with never more than a dollar or two in their pockets, were inflamed intentionally by people who misrepresented conditions. they did not have any right to be inflamed; they did not have any right to go to everett and they are guilty of murder if they went up there to retaliate for any wrong, actual or conceived. but the state has preferred to put on first a man who was in the forefront of the conspiracy; the man that appeared to be an important cog of that conspiracy, and that man is tracy. "tracy knew that a great many people of everett were alarmed and disturbed. tracy knew that the i. w. w. did not want anything in everett, had no interests there, no friends there except as they were disturbing conditions. tracy knew the purposes and tracy went back to seattle so he could lead this excursion to everett. tracy is a man of determination. he knew the situation and he was prominent enough to be selected by the organization as a stationary delegate. and if any man knew what they intended to do in everett, it undoubtedly was tracy. so, regardless of whether he fired or not, tracy was one of the men who were on the inside. tracy is a part of the conspiracy that happened. but no man, my friends, on that boat, that went up there with a common design to break the ordinance has been sinned against because he is in jail. "now, my friends, you want in good faith to follow the instructions of the court. it seems to me that the only question you have to decide is the one the court told you to decide--was beard killed unlawfully by a shot from the boat, and did tracy aid, encourage or incite that killing? "the murder of jefferson beard was a premeditated murder. following the instructions of the court, separating the wheat from the chaff, and deciding that one question, we of the state are confident that you as jurors and good citizens, as honest, sincere and conscientious citizens, will protect snohomish county--we believe that your verdict will say 'we are convinced, beyond a reasonable doubt, that tracy is guilty, and, being so convinced, we are going to protect snohomish county as we would our own.' i thank you!" vanderveer handled the case from two different viewpoints--that of a first degree murder trial and also as a section of the class struggle. his address was a masterly array of invincible logic and satire. omitting his readings from the transcript of evidence, his speech was substantially as follows: "this cause is, as the counsel for the state has told you, one of momentous importance not only to the defendant but to a class--a large class of people of whom today he stands merely as an unfortunate single member, fighting their battle. "we do not ask in this case for mercy, we do not ask for sympathy, but it is essential, absolutely essential that we should have cold, stern justice; justice for the defendant, justice for those who have oppressed him, those who have denied him his rights. we hope this case is the beginning of a line of prosecution which will see that justice is done in the everett situation. "it is not the defense who outlined the issues in this case, it was the state who determined that. they have chosen their fighting ground, and we had to meet them on that battle. in the beginning of this case the state, thru mr. black, told you that it would prove a conspiracy of very formidable proportions, a conspiracy in the first place to commit acts of violence and to incite acts of violence, a conspiracy to commit arson, a conspiracy to overrun all law and order in everett and bring on a condition of chaos. the claim was a very formidable one. the evidence has been very silly. the state ought to apologize, in common decency, for ever having suggested these things. "what is the evidence about the fires? the fire marshall's report, made by a man who would naturally try to enlarge the performance of his duties and impress upon the public the manner in which he discharged them, reports only four fires of incendiary origin for the entire year. every one of these were discovered before they did five cents worth of damage. who had notice of them? was it the i. w. w. who set them or was it reese or some paid employe of the pinkerton agency? can you conceive that an organization embracing as many members as this does, bent upon the destruction of everett, could not set one fire at least that would do some damage. it is nothing but a hoax! "as to force and violence, who did they put on to prove it? young howard hathaway, a mere boy, whose father represents some mill companies in everett. then sheriff mcrae, and mcrae couldn't tell you one thing that he heard at the street meetings. then they put on ed hawes, the big brute that out at beverly called the little boy a coward, a baby, because he wouldn't stand there and be slugged with guns and clubs. and what did hawes say? that he looked up sabotage in the international dictionary! and you can search that book until you are black in the face and you won't find a word in there about sabotage. why, if sabotage is such a terrible thing, did hawes, having heard all about it at the street meeting, have to go home to look it up at all? "at these meetings there was not one thing said that could invite criticism, there was not one thing said that could justify or invite censure or abuse; there was not one disorderly thing done but was done by the officers of the law themselves, and they went in recklessly, without excuse, without right, they clubbed henig, they clubbed carr, a former member of the council, and they roughed women around and knocked them down. why? because these people were mill owners, their hirelings and their representatives, who had been instructed in the propaganda of the open shop by employes, aides and emissaries of the merchants' and manufacturers' association. "a lot of people went to the jail one night, a thousand, maybe. they hooted, they cat-called, and they hissed. is it any wonder they did? ladies and gentlemen, i want to tell you there is no surer verdict on earth than the verdict of a crowd; and the verdict of that crowd condemned what the deputies had done. "finally they say there was a conspiracy on the th of november to go to everett and to hold their meeting at all hazard, to brook no opposition, to ride rough-shod over it, to oppose everyone and anything that stood in the way of accomplishing their purpose. i ask you to think just for a moment how foreign that is to everything you know about the i. w. w. and their operations and behavior in everett. not one witness for the state could tell you an incident where one of them resisted arrest, could tell you an occasion where one of them had advocated violence, could tell you one occasion where any one of them had committed any acts of violence. "these people wrote to governor lister calling his attention to the violations of the law on the part of the officers of everett; they wrote to mayor merrill, enclosing a copy of that letter and calling on him to restore the order that had been violated by the officers of the law; they scattered handbills all over everett, among its best homes and in its business streets, calling upon the good citizens to come to their meeting on november th at wetmore and hewitt, to come and help maintain your own and our constitutional privileges; they mailed to the citizens of everett on october th, seven or eight hundred copies of a little pamphlet calling upon them to intervene and stop the brutality of officers of the law; they questioned governor lister at a public meeting and again called his attention to the conditions in everett; they called in the reporters, called the newspapers and notified the editors that they were going to everett and asked them to have representatives present: are these the acts of conspirators? "you know how that meeting was called and why it was called. you know it from ministers of the gospel, you know it from the lips of those whom you cannot help but believe. and it was called for sunday, the day when people ordinarily resent disorders of the kind that had occurred there. it was called for the daytime, when ordinarily abuse and violence are not attempted. and this big crowd went up there on this fine sunday afternoon because in number there is strength and in numbers there is protection against brutality. "at first the deputies had taken out one or two and abused and beaten them; then they had taken five or six; they had taken eighteen; finally they had taken forty-one. but i ask you, would you believe it possible that they could take two hundred or three hundred people in broad daylight and do to them what had been done to the others? yet the evidence in this case shows convincingly and conclusively they intended to do substantially that thing. they intended to run those men into a warehouse; they didn't intend to let one of them get away. and had they gotten them into that warehouse you don't know, i don't know, nobody knows what would have happened! "that is the evidence of conspiracy in this case. they have claimed no other conspiracy; they have offered no other evidence of conspiracy, either to set fires or to incite violence, or to override all opposition on november th. their evidence doesn't stand even if unanswered--and no evidence could be more successfully answered. "what evidence is there that tom tracy had anything to do with such a conspiracy, if there were one? their most willing tools, auspos and reese, don't say a word about tracy. "what does the identification by mcrae amount to? he identifies tracy as the man who leaned out of the window and shot at him. now at the time this shot was fired mcrae had his back turned to the man who shot it. he says himself he did, and he was shot thru the heel, which seems to prove it. that, by the way, suggests to me that it was not an i. w. w. who shot mcrae. the man who shot him must have thought mcrae a hero, like the gentleman of mythological fame who was killed by an arrow thru the heel which no i. w. w. does, i assure you. or else he thought that mcrae wore his brains there. "but i am not going to discuss mcrae at great length either now or at any other stage of this case, because the greatest kindness i can do him is to forget him. the man is a perjurer! he lied! he was not mistaken. he deliberately, cold-bloodedly lied about almost everything in this case wherein his conduct as an officer was questioned. he lied about 'sergeant' keenan! he lied about shooting at the "wanderer," and you saw the bullet holes. he lied about berg and about mitten, and finally, and last of all lied, and we have proven it conclusively, about being out to beverly park. "bridge's identification of tracy does not agree with that of smith, and bridge does not even agree with his own testimony given at the coroner's inquest. smith picked out a photograph and said it was tracy and that picture resembles tracy about as much as i do some of you jurors. bridge and smith say that tracy fired three shots, and hogan says he fired only one. and you know, ladies and gentlemen, that hogan did not see this man at all. you know that he did not even see the window at which he pretends this man was sitting when the shot was fired. you know it because you went there to the dock and you saw the boat lined up to a mathematical certainty by the shot marks, and you saw a photograph taken with the camera placed by john hogan exactly where he said he was standing himself. and there wasn't a one of you who could identify bob mills, with his long nose and angular features, with everything that makes identification easy, when he was in the position attributed to tracy. and when you came around from there to where you could look directly at the place, the reflected glare of the sunshine left nothing but a blank background. "there were one hundred and forty deputies looking toward the place where the first shot was supposed to have been fired. they have produced on the witness stand only about one in ten. we challenged them to bring them all on, we dared them to do it, and mr. cooley said 'i accept that dare!'--look it up mr. cooley on page of the transcript--but he did not dare accept that dare. mr. cooley knows what those nine-tenths would testify to. twelve out of their sixteen witnesses who testified about the first shots said that their brother deputies were mistaken as to even the place on the boat where the first three shots came from. "i venture, ladies and gentlemen, that with a bit of the kind of work the state has employed in this case, a little bit of the same zeal that was employed on auspos, a little bit of the same zeal that was employed with reese, a little bit of the help of mclaren of los angeles, i can take these one hundred and forty-five men and pick out four men who will honestly and truthfully testify that they saw anything, and i say that with no reflection on their honesty either, because the power of suggestion is enormous. it is not surprising that four people have come here to say they saw tracy. it is not surprising that three out of the four should have been proven, conclusively, convincingly and absolutely, not to know what they were talking about. [illustration: felix baran dark lines on body caused by internal hemorrhage; portland doctor said life might have been saved by operation.] "the court has told you that in this case it is not a question of who shot first, not a question of which side shot first, it is a question of who was the aggressor, who made the first aggressive movement, who did the first hostile thing. the man who did a thing to excite fear was the aggressor, and that man was mcrae when he pulled his gun. mcrae clearly did that before there was any shooting. "in determining who the aggressor was, you are entitled--not only entitled but must take into account the past behavior of all parties. and what does that show you? was it the i. w. w.'s who had never offered violence, who had never done an act of violence, who had decried and deplored violence, as members of their audiences told you, and advised caution against it? or was it mcrae and his deputies? "it is only formally correct to refer to these as deputies. they had commissions, but in nothing else in the world did they bear the remotest resemblance to officers of the law, not in their conduct, not in their training, not in their purposes, not in anything. they were the hirelings of either the mill owners of everett or the commercial club. did you ever in your life before hear of officials taking their instructions from representatives of an industrial movement? did you ever before hear of deputy sheriffs being instructed in the propaganda of the open shop, being instructed in the methods employed at minot unlawfully to prevent street speaking? that is where the first mistake in this case was made. first in the selection of that kind of men; second in the deliberate attempts which were made to color their actions, to pervert them, to make them the tools of the employers. "that is the reason henig and carr were beaten, that is the reason feinberg and roberts were beaten, that is the reason men and women were knocked down in the crowds, that is the reason that this boy, schwartz, was taken out by mcrae and chased zigzag down the road in mortal terror of being run down by the sheriff's automobile, that is the reason 'sergeant' keenan was hit over the head with a gun, that is the reason james rowan was taken out and beaten black and blue. how do you suppose rowan got those marks on his back? did he put them there for fun, or were they put there by somebody else's rotten, dirty brutality? if you didn't know a thing about him except what you know about beverly and these other incidents, and it was deep darkness where this happened, i venture you would all say off-hand, 'it must have happened at everett, anyway. there is no place else that i know of where they do such things.' "black says the "wanderer" has been greatly misrepresented to you, that the things we claim happened did not happen there at all. well, there is a lot of evidence that they did happen. there are a lot of people who could have denied it. there are a whole crew of deputies who could have come up here and denied it. why didn't they? because they were ashamed of it and they knew they could not stand the grilling that was awaiting them in the court room. it is true, certainly! and i say here that nothing but providential intervention prevented mcrae on that day from being a cold-blooded murderer! that is the manner of man you are considering. you are considering whether he was the aggressor, he or the people he shot at. "counsel says that louis skaroff lied. now i am very frank to confess that when we produced that story on the witness stand i feared you would not believe it, not because i doubted the truthfulness of his statement but because the story itself is so brutal and inhuman that i questioned whether there could be found anywhere in the county twelve persons who would think such things could possibly happen just thirty miles away. but when one of their own witnesses went on the stand here, in rebuttal, and told you that louis skaroff came out of that room with his arms above his head, crying, with the blood running from his finger tips, i knew that you knew that louis skaroff had told the truth. "the state has been very reluctant in this case to admit that there were rifles on the dock, because if the deputies went there with rifles there was a reason for it. you could not find a rifle on that dock until we proved--what? that rifle shells were around the dock in great numbers; we proved it by innocent, clean little boys who picked up the shells; until we proved by witnesses that the rifles were there and were being shot; until we proved by a rifle bullet with human blood and a man's hair on it that the use made of the rifles was a deadly one. "who was the aggressor? even now the state doesn't like to admit, because the state knows it is fatal to their case to admit, and notwithstanding hopeless to deny, that there were helpless men in the water being shot at. they do not like to admit that a man was so impressed with the inhumanity of the thing that he ran from the depot to the boat house hoping to effect a rescue of the men and was stopped by the armed deputies. the state does not like to admit the evidence of their own deputy witness, groger,--whose actions i want the counsel for the state to explain and justify if he can--who repeatedly fired at a man who was trying to untie the boat so the unarmed men could escape. "counsel said that if there was any intention to start trouble men would not have lined up as they were on the dock in an exposed position. and i ask you, if there was not an intention to start trouble why were they kept in the warehouse until the boat had almost tied up? if that was not an ambuscade, what on earth was it? if they did not intend to start trouble why was it mcrae waited until the line was out and made fast. why was it, then, he did not say to the captain, 'take your boat out?' he said he was afraid they would go somewhere else. well, when he told those boys they could not land he expected them to go away. or did he expect them to go away? which was it? "the manner in which mcrae handled this thing indicates nothing so much as that he intended to get them there and administer to them another of the things that he calls a lesson, another of the things that other people call infamous, damnable brutality. "counsel says there have been mistakes made. he doesn't want to apologize for them, but clearly he doesn't want to be held responsible for them. there were mistakes made. beverly was one! the "wanderer" was one! from the beginning to the end of all their operations in everett everything has been a mistake--a mistake because the ordinary processes of law and the rights of other people were ignored. there was no ordinance prohibiting speaking. the boys were yielding implicit, careful obedience to such law as there was. mcrae unblushingly tells you that the reason he made arrests was because there were labor troubles in everett and the shingle mill owners didn't want things embarrassed by the truth, by the disclosures contained in this little report of the industrial relations commission. "they were not afraid of the i. w. w.'s going up there to incite violence, to advise disorder, to invoke a reign of terror. reigns of terror are the employers' specialty! they were afraid of cold fact. never a man went up there to speak on the street and used that little industrial relations report but was thrown in jail for it--thompson, rowan, feinberg, roberts, all. "it's nice to enjoy the powers, the position and authority of a dictator who can repeal, amend and modify, ignore, disregard laws when it suits his fancy, but it's kind of tough on other people. that's what mcrae did! "on the th of march, nearly nine weeks ago, his honor called this case from his bench 'state versus thomas h. tracy,' and my friend mr. cooley rose from his chair and said 'your honor, the state is ready.' i say to you, mr. cooley, you slandered the fair name of your state! what has the state of washington to do with this thing? the name of the state of washington in such a case as this should stand for law and order and decency. the state is supposed to protect the innocent against abuse and injustice and you who are now running this case do not now maintain these things, or if you do, you protect them only when convenience requires it. "it is not the state of washington versus thomas h. tracy at all, and if the decent people of everett who know the facts could decide what course this action should take it would never be here. even the title of the case is a mistake. it is the case of the commercial club of everett, the mill owners of everett, against labor. this is an attempt, just as all the actions for months have been an attempt, to keep labor out of its rights in everett. the same people who took possession of the machinery of law in everett, who took possession of the sheriff and furnished him with guns and clubs and murderous things like that and instructed him how to act, the same people who employed detectives to set fires in order that they might manufacture evidence and public sentiment against these boys, those same people are today prosecuting this case. "i don't know where governor clough was on november th. i suspect he was not anywhere where there was any danger, but i know the smoke had not left the decks of the verona before he was hot-footing it to the telegraph office,--governor clough, not the prosecuting attorney, not the sheriff, nobody but clough and joe irving, the man who was so drunk that he beat up schofield,--to send a telegram to judge burke of the chamber of commerce of seattle, to the mayor of this city and to the chief of police of this city to arrest the whole bunch of them. "then right away they got their other emissaries at work, reese and smith, down here with two fingers out of the door of a darkened cell, deciding for the state of washington who should be prosecuted in this case, and h. d. cooley, who surely then was not a prosecuting attorney, giving them legal counsel and directing their energy, taking out the men, preparing statements, and getting ready for the work he was going to do in this case, because his employers wanted it. "there is a conspiracy in this case, a conspiracy supported by evidence, a conspiracy of men in the commercial club to take over the machinery of government, and by it club these fellows out of their rights, club them out of everett, club them out of all contact with the workers in order that they might not bring to them the gospel of their organization. "but i say to you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, that this struggle, the struggle of capital against labor, the struggle of the commercial club against the i. w. w., which is just one phase of the bigger one, this struggle is going on in spite of cooley, this struggle is going on in spite of mclaren, this struggle is going on in spite of arthur l. veitch of the merchants' and manufacturers' association, this struggle is going on in spite of mcrae, this struggle is going on in spite of the commercial club, because it is founded on a principle so big, so wholesome, and so decent, so righteous, that it must live. and it will go on until in this country we have industrially that which we have struggled so long and hard for and finally won politically; until we have democracy. "there is nothing in revolution, gentlemen, that is wrong. we came to the condition in which we now find ourselves by revolution; first the grand american revolution and then the revolution against chattel slavery. it was nothing more nor less than revolution, because slavery was then entrenched under the highest law of the land, the decision of the supreme court in the dred scott case. we took it out of the courts and slavery was wiped out. slavery again will be wiped out! "the thing about this case which makes it of most serious importance, the thing about this case which makes it of public interest, the thing about this case which has so enlisted the sympathy of every one connected with it, which makes us feel the importance of a just verdict, is that it is not merely the liberty of a man that is at stake, but in a larger measure than you know there is at stake in your verdict in this case the rights of the working people, their right to organize, their right to protect themselves, their right to receive and enjoy the fruits of their labor. "there is involved the question of whether or not the working people shall receive justice or forever must be victimized by organized capitalists. there is involved the question of whether or not such things as have gone on in everett for the last six months may continue forever with the endorsement of the jury or whether the working people on the other hand may go and discuss their wrongs and grievances and strive for their rights. "as i have confidence in the righteousness of this cause and the integrity of this purpose, so i have confidence that your verdict will be not guilty." attorney fred moore closed the case for the defense with one of the greatest speeches ever delivered in a court room, a speech that seered its way to the minds and hearts of the jurors. far more than a defense of thomas h. tracy it was an explanation of the industrial problems underlying society, the class warfare rooted in industry and manifesting itself on november th. it was a sustained and definite statement of the aims and objects of the i. w. w. and moore showed, not only a great knowledge of the problems of the working class, but a wonderful command of satire and irony. following is an abridgement of moore's speech to the jury: "may it please the court, and ladies and gentlemen of the jury; for a period of something like five hundred years the anglo-saxon has seen fit to place the final adjustment of the question of justice in the hands of twelve men. in the evolution of the law, that number has been increased until now in this state we have fourteen. likewise, in the evolution of the law and in the face of the vast amount of public protest, and in the face of the most reluctant world, we have enlarged the term jurors to include women jurors. this is the first time that i personally have ever tried a lawsuit in which ladies sat in the jury. [illustration: hugo gerlot] "the state has told you why this case is one of grave responsibility for them. allow me to tell you why this is one of grave responsibility for you. one hundred and ninety-six witnesses have appeared for the defendant in this case. yesterday, counsel brought home the fact that many of these witnesses were not residents of this community, were without homes, without any permanent places of abode. all true. the responsibility that you have in this case is commensurate with the fact that the case reveals to you, as it were, a cross-section of our lives. you who are property-qualified have a responsibility to pass upon the liberties and the lives of a body of men who are propertyless. if there is any change in men's thoughts and views as they acquire a home, as they settle down, as they marry, as they bring into the world children, then i ask you in all fairness to attempt to put yourselves in the places of this defendant and of this defendant's witnesses who have taken the stand, and to realize that your responsibility here is commensurate with the fact that the testimony reveals, as it were, a most deplorable condition of modern life. in other words, your responsibility here is that of measuring out absolute and complete justice between warring elements in our modern life, not for one moment allowing your judgment to be swerved by the fact that one class of witnesses here are witnesses of social position, are witnesses of property qualifications, are witnesses with homes, while, on the other hand, the witnesses called by the defense were witnesses from the four parts of the earth, witnesses whose only claim to your consideration is that they have built the railroads, that they have laid the ties, that they have dug the tunnels, that they have harvested the crops, that they have worked from one end of the country to the other, in season and out, floating from job to job. "in most jurisdictions, the defendant has the opportunity of either a grand jury investigation or of a preliminary; in other words, he is in some degree advised of what evidence he is going to be called upon to meet. in this case, we came in here on the th day of march with no information whatsoever relative to the state's case other than that given us from the four corners of the instrument on file here, known as the information, together with the fact that on that information there were the names of some three hundred or more witnesses. that was all we had. we were further handicapped in view of the fact that we did not have behind us all the resources of the state of washington and the county of snohomish, neither did we have behind us all of the resources of various business interests, neither did we have behind us all the resources of allied business on this west coast, as represented by mr. veitch." mr. veitch: to which i take an exception, if the court please. the court: exception allowed. mr. veitch: on a matter of personal privilege, i have a right to characterize that statement as a deliberate misstatement of the fact. mr. moore: mr. veitch has not seen fit to explain why he was here. mr. veitch: i am employed by friends of mr. jefferson beard. if that is not enough-- mr. moore: that is outside of the record. the court: both of you are outside of the record. proceed mr. moore. "suffice it to say that we are here as the frank and honest representatives of the defendant and of the defendant's organization. we do not have behind us the power of the state, or the power of any interest other than the defendant himself and of his organization. "mr. black complained that the state had been hampered in this cause. is it fair to say that the state has been hampered when on the fatal november the th. judge bell and mr. cooley were both on the dock? judge bell would have us believe that he was unarmed, and so far as we know mr. cooley was unarmed. then why were they on the dock? judge bell was there as the representative, as he himself has testified, of a number of lumber mills, and mr. cooley was there likewise; both citizen deputies; both there; both unarmed if their testimony is to be believed. again mr. cooley was, in the matter of a few hours, down here at the seattle jail. certainly he was not there to represent the defendant tracy. who was he there to represent? he was either there in a private capacity, representing private clients, or he was there in a public capacity representing a public client, namely, snohomish county. wherein do you find the evidence of the state being hampered, sir? from the beginning to the end the state has moved majestically, exercising all the power that it had. mr. black has had able assistance in this cause, the able assistance of mr. cooley, the able assistance of mr. veitch, the able assistance of the man behind mr. cooley and mr. veitch, mr. mclaren. yet, all the resources of the state have failed to produce one scintilla of evidence against the defendant tracy here so far as tending to indicate that he did counsel, aid, incite, abet, or encourage anyone to fire any shot, except the testimony of george reese produced at the eleventh hour on rebuttal. i intend to treat of our friend mr. reese later. "it is significant that out of all that mass of testimony that has been introduced in this case up to this time not one single bit of testimony has been introduced or any argument had upon that testimony dealing with the object and principles and purpose of the industrial workers of the world. mr. black did not refer to it. mr. cooley has the final say. i anticipate his argument for the state. they have that old reliance, that old faith, if you will, in the trial of a case of this character, namely conspiracy; hallowed by age. "way back in the sixteenth century the tub women on the banks of the river thames were indicted for conspiracy in attempting to raise wages. the chandlers in london were likewise later indicted. the stonebreakers in new york, the carpenters in boston. from time immemorial the charge of conspiracy has been leveled against the ranks of labor. indeed, it was only in the reign of queen victoria that labor unions became other than simple conspiracies. up to that time labor unions were within a classification themselves of criminal conspiracy. "knowing that under the charge contained in the information we might be called upon to meet evidence of conspiracy, we then commenced a careful survey of all the facts in connection with the everett tragedy. and what did we find? we found not a hint of conspiracy! [illustration: dead body of abraham rabinowitz.] "james rowan had come into everett without knowledge at the time that there was any trouble there. he had not been advised that there was any possibility of trouble. from all the prior history of everett he had no reason to anticipate trouble. thompson had spoken there and many others had spoken there. rowan was charged with a violation of the peddling ordinance. he had been given an arbitrary floater out of town and had exercised his right to come back, was seized again and taken to the city jail; the sheriff goes there and arbitrarily demands rowan from the chief of police. these things happened prior to any acts that by any remote possibility could be charged to us. there was no literature in the town at that time other than the industrial relations report. what at that time did we have to conspire about? we had no object. "and as with rowan so it was with thompson, remick and others. if there was a conspiracy to violate a city ordinance why did not the city officials make arrests and charge the men with such violations? the record is silent. why wait until tom tracy is on trial for murder, and then at the eleventh hour spring this delightfully specious argument? "i can almost hear ringing in my ears the impassioned plea of mr. cooley in closing this case. he is going to read this, 'the question of 'right' and 'wrong' does not concern us.' he is going to say that is the i. w. w. philosophy. my god, did it ever concern the sheriff of snohomish county? does it seem very much to concern others who are attempting this prosecution? "we were told in connection with the argument of counsel that hickey was not on trial. they might have said that sheriff mcrae was not on trial; they might have said that bill pabst was not on trial; they might have said that joe irving was not on trial; they might have said that the commercial club was not on trial; they might have said that all the men that have been guilty of all the brutality in that county during the months of august, september and october were not on trial. we know it! why are they not on trail? "deprivation of due process of law and confiscation of property! and yet mr. cooley is going to urge that the i. w. w. does not believe in government; he is going to urge that the i. w. w. does not respect the law. that kind of law never gets the respect of anyone. i hang my head in shame before such a history of usurpation and seizure of public authority as has been shown in this case. "are you going to give the stamp of your approval to this sort of thing? when you bring in a verdict in this case for the state you give your approval to donald mcrae. i beg of you to not put the seal of your approval upon lawlessness, official lawlessness, the kind of lawlessness that is worse, tenfold worse, than any private lawlessness. "you are asked to stamp with your endorsement, to give your approval, to a man; a public official, the chief executive officer of a municipality, mayor merrill, who admits on the witness stand that he allowed a little group of members of the commercial club to take the power of the police department out of his office and turn it over to the sheriff of the county. "had the state put on governor clough and others on their side of the case we might have wrung from their reluctant lips the evidence of what occurred at the meeting on august th at the commercial club. but the state was careful not to put him on. indeed, the most significant and outstanding thing in all this case is not who they put on, but who they did not put on. neil jamison did not testify in this case for the state; governor clough did not testify in this case for the state; joe irving did not testify in this case; colonel hartley did not testify in this case; captain ramwell did not testify. why didn't kelly, chief of police, take the stand? you might go down the line and you will find that the assets of all the witnesses for the state combined would total but a few thousand dollars, while you could take the remaining witnesses for the state who did not testify and you could build up an enormous fortune, running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. we didn't call them because we cannot cross-examine our own witnesses. "is the administration of the law to be made a farce? shall the state be allowed to blow hot and cold; one minute hot on the enforcement of the law, the next minute cold when the shoe pinches, and then hot again when they can use the law for the advancement of the interests of their prosecution? they say mcrae and hickey are not on trial; there is no promise that they shall ever be on trial! "let me say to you that no one violates the law, i care not who it is, just for the fun of violating the law. jails are not pleasant places to abide in. people who violate the law and go to jail do so either because they are deliberately criminal or because they want to focus attention on some public issue. however, mr. black is too kind and considerate when he gives all this credit to the i. w. w. "the facts are, if you go back into the history of the revolutionary days, that our forefathers urged and banded together and combined and federated, and if you will, conspired to violate the stamp act of the british government, and were willing to go to jail if necessary. they went even further! they threw the british tea into boston harbor. violation of the law? yes, if you want to call it such, but the indignant protest of a people as against the enforcement of an unjust law. "i might urge upon you that the state at that time wanted to absolutely suppress any speech whatsoever, because they had constituted the chief of police, the sheriff, the arresting officer, as the executive, the legislative and the judicial department of our government. the sheriff executed the law in person, the sheriff declared the question of guilt himself, the sheriff ordered deportations, and the sheriff took physical charge of the deportations. isn't it impossible to avoid a fight when someone usurps unlawfully and illegally the legislative and judicial functions of government? isn't it time to fight? if it isn't then we may as well cease any attempt to administrate the law! "in the phraseology of these boys 'fight' means a moral adherence to principle, a firm determination to face the authorities in the administration of the law, and if necessary to be arrested. but the state would have you put into it now a more sinister meaning, entirely new and foreign to its former use. "the state brought in the death of sullivan of spokane in their opening and abandoned it in their close. one of the exploded hopes of the state! they counted on north yakima and wenatchee to show violence and arson, and they failed most miserably. they have failed in their identification of the defendant. now, their forlorn and bankrupt plea here is the charge of conspiracy. "the court has told you that this is a murder case. why then has the state cumbered the record with the i. w. w. preamble and constitution? why with two pamphlets on sabotage? why with an i. w. w. song book and such matters? why? "because out of some of the phraseology here, phraseology far removed from you and me, they may build up a condition of prejudice which may result in your returning a conviction on a smaller degree of evidence than you would otherwise require. mr. cooley is going to stand here and read little, short, listed extracts from the context of the whole. the pamphlets he has introduced on the question of patriotism and the worker is the foundation from which mr. cooley will appeal to your prejudices and passions. "we are not afraid of the evidence. we are afraid of this deep-grained interest that goes down into men's conscience and that reached back a thousand years. "remember that behind this case are many women and children whose cause these boys represent; whose cause these boys are attempting to fight for. they fight because they must! they fight because to do anything else is suicide. you could not have stopped the american revolution with all the powers of the british government. since this jury was empaneled you have had the collapse of one of the greatest powers of modern times. i refer to russia. it has passed from an absolute monarchy to a stage of a republic. "the trial of this cause is the presentation of a great social issue, the greatest issue of modern times, namely, what are we going to do today with the migratory and occasional workers? these migratories, they are the boys who have told their story on the stand. "if there is one principle that is ground into anglo-saxon thought it is that of liberty of the press and freedom of speech. those two things stand as the bulwark of our liberty. they are the things for which the anglo-saxon has fought from time immemorial. away back in the eighteenth century charles erskine, a member of the british bar, defended thomas paine for having written the 'rights of man'. case after case was fought out during that period when english thought was budding into fruition; when english thought was being tremendously influenced by the french revolution and when those thoughts were bearing fruit in england. time and time again the british crown attempted to throttle freedom of speech and liberty of the press. time and time again charles erskine's voice was raised in the house of lords in protest. time and time again the british courts and finally the british jurors, gave voice to the doctrine that freedom of speech and liberty of the press may not be invaded except insofar as that subject, that document, is accompanied with acts; that you may not convict men for what they think; you may convict men only for what they do. freedom of discussion thru the press and thru the public forum are the mainstay and the backbone of social development and social evolution. only in that way, thru freedom of thought and freedom of discussion, may you fan the wheat from the chaff. "why, if this i. w. w. literature is all the state claims it is, why doesn't the state act in the way the law says they should act, prefer charges, arrest someone, bring the literature before a duly qualified body, a court with jurisdiction, and try the matter out? the state has not done that; the state will not do that; and we are in the position of a man fighting in the dark, without knowledge of what character of argument the state proposes to make. "i do know that the name of joe hill is going to be paraded in front of this jury. the i. w. w. song book dedicated to joe hill, with the inscription 'murdered by the authorities of the state of utah, november th, .' i cannot go into the conditions that surround that tragedy, but i can call your attention to one or two things that bear upon the question of the type of the man. before he died, written in his cell on the eve of the execution, was joe hill's last will: my will is easy to decide, for there is nothing to divide. my kin don't need to fuss and moan-- moss does not cling to a rolling stone. my body? ah, if i could choose, i would to ashes it reduce, and let the merry breezes blow my dust to where some flowers grow. perhaps some fading flower then would come to life and bloom again. this is my last and final will. good luck to all of you, joe hill. "this is the type of man you are asked, because he was honored, because some odd hundred thousand workers who suffer and who wander and who live in the jungles of labor as he did, and because he wrote songs that they understood, songs that because their songs, to judge as the author of the songs and bring in a verdict against tom tracy. mr. cooley will parade the songs one by one. remember that behind any words he voices, any thought he expresses, behind it all was a human soul, a human soul passed, a human soul that lived as you and i, a human soul that had rights that had been trampled upon, and who attempted to voice those things. "with all the oratory he can display mr. cooley will read the song, 'christians at war.' a song that mr. thompson designated as a satire. you recollect that when the european war broke out both parties in that conflict called to their aid and said they were acting under divine guidance; that the kaiser was fighting under the name of god, and that the british and french governments were allied with the almighty. it is not for me to attempt a settlement of that dispute. history will say that of all the tragedies of the twentieth century, the most tragic thing of our modern life is that we of different nationalities, but bound together by all other ties, should be engaged in a death grapple. but that is not the issue here. but i cannot at this time anticipate wherein and how this literature presented by the state helps you to decide the question of who was the aggressor on november th. "who was the aggressor on july st when james rowan was arrested and brought into the city court? mcrae comes in and tells him to get out of town. an intervening series of events and levi remick is run out of town. who was the aggressor? sheriff mcrae! on august nd rowan and remick were both in the union hall. mcrae comes in and orders them out of town. who was the aggressor? that night thompson and others came up to everett--who was the aggressor then? next morning, with kelly treating them half way white, along comes mcrae and takes away one of the boy's money. who was the aggressor? we come now to the deputies meeting at the commercial club on august th. who was the aggressor? had any of their members been beaten up? had anything happened to their members whatsoever? not at all! yet murderous blackjacks were put into the hands of the membership of the club. was james rowan the aggressor when he was railroaded out of town and beaten? who was the aggressor at the time of the 'wanderer' outrage? old capt. mitten, old john berg, edith frenette? who was the aggressor with henig? with feinberg? with roberts? you have the testimony of cannow, you have the testimony of schofield, you have testimony showing the instructions given to the deputies. no one denies it. here is a series of acts leading up to october th, in which on each and every occasion mcrae and his deputies, either regular or citizen deputies, were the aggressors. i said, who were the aggressors? is there any question in your mind who was the aggressor up to beverly park? any question in god's world who had done the dirty work up to that time? the state would have you believe that the i. w. w., with its membership coming from the four corners of the country, changed complexion practically over night, changed their whole ideas and their methods. i do not believe it and you do not believe it. [illustration: part of prisoners of county everett wn. released may , .] "the excuse the state gives for the actions of the deputies is that in the case of large numbers they could not give due process of law. gentlemen, i refuse to believe that the government is bankrupt in its capacity to protect itself thru legal and lawful measures of law enforcement. i have yet to sit in a court room and hear a plea on social and governmental bankruptcy such as is the plea of counsel for the state. "the machinery of the government was there but it was not the kind of machinery that mcrae wanted to use. it was not the kind clough wanted to use. it was not the kind of machinery the executive committee, whoever they were, sitting behind the closed doors of the commercial club, wanted to use. "and these members and leaders of the commercial club passed resolutions stigmatizing their own citizens, member of their own community, property owners in their own town, as well as the i. w. w., when they declared for an open shop. how do they stigmatize them? 'professional agitators!' yes. lloyd garrison was a professional agitator. wendell phillips was a professional agitator. the men who fought the battle that lay the ground work that made abraham lincoln possible, the men who are at work to better american politics, those men have all been professional agitators. "now on the boat they were ninety-nine percent i. w. w.'s, just a few passengers had bought their passage before. on the dock they were all citizen deputies, persons interested therein, and persons satisfactory to the men who had been stationed there to see that nobody but the right ones got on the dock. that means that as far as the first shot was concerned the two classes of witnesses are in some degree interested parties. the state put on a total of twenty-two witnesses, one of them not a deputy, all of whom testified that the shot came, or they thought it came from the dock, and of that number thirty-seven were i. w. w.'s, and twenty-four were not members at all but were everett people from all walks of life. "now counsel is going to discount the value of the testimony of these citizens. well, mr. cooley, we used the only kind of witnesses that you, in all of your care exercised in advance on november th, left for us. in the exercise of the highest degree of judicial advance knowledge they saw to it that nobody got any closer to the end of the dock than the landing. we could not help that. you barred us from the dock; you barred us from access to the facts. we did all we could to get the facts, and if we couldn't get any closer it was not our fault. and the man who barred us from access to the facts is the man who is least qualified to come into court now and urge that our witnesses are disqualified in the face of the evidence that they disqualified them. but those witnesses could testify, and they did testify, to the very definite and specific facts--the first tipping of the boat, the rushing of the men, the volley firing, all of those matters. "at the eleventh hour there came into this case a man by the name of reese, a member, if you will, of the i. w. w. back in the chicago stockyards they have a large pen where they keep the cattle which are to be driven to slaughter. in that place they have had for years a steer that has performed the function of going into the big pen where all the cattle are, and, after mingling with them, then walking out thru a gate. he is trained to do it, he is skilled at it, this steer--and after walking around with the poor peaceful cattle that don't know they are about to be killed, this steer then goes up an incline, the gate is opened and the other cattle follow, and when he gets to the top of the incline there is a door and he turns to the right thru this door to safety and his followers turn to the left to death. that's george reese! proud of him? george reese, the man who reported day by day with his confederates! to whom? during one period to the pinkerton agency in regard to the longshoremen's union; during another period on behalf of the pinkerton agency to the commercial club in everett. george reese! a man who doesn't even come under the approximately dignified title of a detective; a man whom ahern, of his own agency says, 'well, he wasn't a detective, we used him as an informer.' informer! a human being that has lost its human color. "in connection with the testimony of reese let me call your attention to the industrial relations commission report, a report that our friends of the commercial club had read and knew all about: "'spies in the union: if the secret agents of employers, working as members of labor unions, do not always instigate acts of violence, they frequently encourage them. if they did not they would not be performing the duties for which they are paid. if they find that labor unions never discuss acts of violence they have nothing to report to those employing them. if they do not report matters which the detective agencies employing them can use to frighten the corporation to cause their employment, they cannot continue long as spies. either they must make reports that are false, in which case discovery would be inevitable, or they must create a basis on which to make a truthful report. the union spy is not in business to protect the community. he has little respect for the law, civil or moral. men of character do not engage in such work, and it follows that the men who do are, as a rule, devoid of principle and ready to go to almost any extreme to please those who employ them.' "that is the descriptive adjective, definition and analysis of the character of union informants made by the national industrial commission, appointed by president wilson, and composed of nine men, all men of national standing, three representatives of labor, three representatives of capital and three representatives of the general public. that is their definition, description and classification of that character of testimony. "mr. vanderveer closed yesterday by saying that this struggle, whatever your verdict is, will win. if yours is a verdict of 'not guilty,' tom tracy must take up again the job of finding a job, the endless tragedy of marching from job to job, without home, wife or kindred. his offense consists of being a migratory worker. i beg of you to render a verdict that has due regard and consideration for the tragedy of our twentieth century civilization that does not as yet measure out economic justice. "your verdict means much. the wires tonight will carry the word all over this land, into australia, new zealand and thruout the world. your verdict means much to the workers, their mothers, their children, who are interested in this great struggle. we are not in this courtroom as the representatives of one person, two persons or three persons; our clients run into five or six hundred thousand. we are here as the mouthpiece of the workers of america, organized and unorganized, and they are all behind our voices. "tom tracy stands here in your control. you are the ones to determine whether or not he shall walk out free, whether or not he shall be branded for all times with the most serious felony known to the law, namely, that of a murderer. can you find it in the evidence to bring in a verdict of guilty in this case? [illustration: singing to the prisoners.] "in conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, we want no compromise here. when you retire to your jury room i beg of you not to compromise with any verdict other than not guilty. we don't want manslaughter in this case, we don't want second degree murder in this case; it is either first degree murder or an acquittal, one or the other. allow none of those arguments that we, as lawyers, know are made in the juryroom to influence your honest verdict in this case. we ask at your hands, and we believe with all the sincerity of our souls, that the evidence warrants it, we ask a verdict of not guilty for the defendant, thomas h. tracy!" if the speech of prosecutor black was a whine, that of prosecutor cooley was a yelp and a snarl. apologies, stale jokes, and sneers at the propertyless workers followed one another in close succession. the gist of his harangue was as follows: "in this case i am going to try simply in the closing argument to select a few of the monuments that it seems to me stand out in this case and that point a way to a proper verdict. "now, in the first place, a whole lot has been said here as to the nature of the controversy that existed for a number of months before november the th, , between two classes of individuals there at everett. upon the one side were the people who were living in the city of everett, who had made their homes there, who had come there for the purpose of carrying out their future destiny in that city. it was their home. their interests were there. their families were there. and upon the other side were a class of people who did not claim everett as their home, who did not come there for the purpose of amalgamating with the citizenship of the city of everett. they were not coming there because they had work there, nor because they were seeking work there; they were not citizens of everett, nor were they seeking to become citizens of everett, and there arose a controversy between the citizens of everett on the one hand and these people from the four corners of the earth upon the other. the first thing we want to inquire into to find out if we can from the testimony in this case exactly what was the nature of that trouble that existed between them. why was it that upon the one hand there was a band of people congregated down here in the city of seattle from all over the land and making one excursion after another, attempting to break into the city of everett? why was it that there were citizens of everett up there seeking to do only one thing, asking only one thing, that these people keep away from everett? "was it a fight to win the right of free speech on the one hand? was it a fight on the other hand of a group of individuals who were simply seeking to force the open shop? or was it a fight of a more serious nature on either hand? "i grant you that the origin of the trouble arose because a man was seeking to speak upon the streets of everett and he was stopped. but long before november th that original incident was lost sight of and forgotten. the controversy had grown to a magnitude that overshadowed the original incident. it was necessary in order that you might understand the situation with which the people of everett were confronted that you should be apprised of the nature of the organization to which those people belong, that you should be apprised of the nature of the place in the world that they had attained, and that you should be apprised of the nature of their propaganda that they were seeking to inject into the city of everett and that locality. "i want to say right here and now that i have the highest regard for organized labor. labor has the right to organize. there is not any question about it; there is not any dispute about it. labor has organized and it has made a manful fight, and all down the pages of history you will find that labor, thru its organization and thru its lawful methods pursued under its organization, has gradually bettered its condition. "it is not a question, and never has been in this case, as to the right of the labor men to organize; the right of the laboring man to use all of the lawful methods for the purpose of bettering his condition. the question in this case is as to whether any organization, whether it be a labor organization or any other, has the right to use unlawful methods; whether it has the right, because it may have the power, to use unlawful methods. "now there were coming into the city of everett people representing this organization known as the industrial workers of the world. what was the propaganda that they were seeking to introduce there? they put upon the stand their chief exponent in this part of the country, to tell you what their purpose was in coming to the city of everett, and what the doctrines were that they were teaching to the people that congregated there in the city of everett. mr. thompson was upon the stand for about two days, and he delivered to this jury a lecture, which he says was a resume of three lectures that he gave up there in the city of everett. he was asked whether or not he talked on sabotage and he told you what he had to say about it. he said sabotage was 'a conscious withdrawal of efficiency, a folding of the arms.' but thompson says it is never the destruction of property, and yet the organization that sends him out to talk on sabotage puts out right along with him the literature that has been adopted by the i. w. w. as a part of their propaganda, defining what sabotage really is and it gives the lie to mr. thompson. it may mean working slow; it may mean poor work; it may mean folding of arms; it may mean conscious withdrawal of efficiency. so far sabotage is legal and anyone has a right to use it. but it may mean the spoiling of a finished product, it may mean the destruction of parts of machinery, it is the destruction of property. 'sabotage is a direct application of the idea that property has no rights that its creators are bound to respect.' it does not say that certain kinds of property has no rights, but that there is no property that has any rights that are bound to be respected. but thompson says that is not sabotage. "sabotage is what? where is that old song book? let us see whether it means simply the folding of the arms. (cooley dived into a mass of pamphlets, but being unable to locate the song book he came up with elizabeth gurley flynn's pamphlet on sabotage, reading from it as follows:) 'sabotage itself is not clearly defined. sabotage is as broad and changing as industry, as flexible as the imagination and passions of humanity.' why, if it consisted simply of a folding of the arms, if it consisted simply of the withdrawal of efficiency, there would not be much flexibility to it, would there, and the passions of humanity would have nothing to do with it? that language means that sabotage means anything that the imagination can devise and the passions of men adopt, if they had the power to use it and get away with it. oh, it is not wrong! no matter what form it takes it is not wrong, because they say so in their official publication. 'the tactics used are determined solely by the power of the organization to make good in their use. the question of 'right' and 'wrong' does not concern us.' put the two together. legality and illegality, those terms have no meaning to a man of the industrial workers of the world. why? because there is no law that they are bound to respect except the law that is made by them in their own union hall. it is in the song book, 'make your laws in the union hall, the rest can go to hell.' that is the class of people that we had to deal with, who were coming there to everett. "in spokane there were twelve hundred convictions upon a valid ordinance, and yet, after they had convicted a hundred of them they didn't stop coming, and two hundred, and two hundred and fifty, and five hundred, and they continued coming there until the city jail of the city of spokane was filled, until the county jail of spokane county was filled, until an old deserted school house was filled, and then until an army post jail was filled. a species of sabotage! they weren't willing to accept the verdict of one jury, or ten juries, or of a hundred juries, that they were violating the law. they had made their laws in their union halls and they were going to speak at a certain place, upon a certain street of spokane; and they were going to compel the citizens of spokane to let them speak when they pleased, where they pleased, and say what they pleased; and they kept it up until after spokane had the expense of a thousand trials and had upon its hands a thousand defendants it began to think it had better yield and let them speak when they pleased, where they pleased and say what they pleased. and spokane was licked! [illustration: charles ashleigh speaking at the funeral, of looney, baran and gerlot.] "is it any wonder that the citizens of everett said 'if you have no regard for law we will meet you on your own ground; we are not going to be bankrupted; we are not going to be hammered into defeat as they were in spokane; we are not going to have you sabotage us in that manner by your numbers; we are not going to have your people coming from the dakotas, from montana, from oregon, and from all over the various parts of the state of washington, and camping down on us until we surrender to you. we are going to keep you out of here.' now, that may not have been strictly legal, but it was human nature. "there is not hint anywhere in the argument of either counsel for the defense in this case as to what was ever done in the city of everett by the i. w. w. that would constitute new methods and new tactics. do you remember the testimony over a period of time there before labor day that they allowed them to speak without interference and a meeting was held there and every time they went up with a chip on their shoulder and were not satisfied when no one interfered with them. when they were there speaking on the corner of hewitt and wetmore somebody was going around the city of everett distributing a nasty stinking chemical in the theater building, into the store buildings, into the business houses, into the automobiles. and the paper in the next issue gloats over it and intimates that the reason the officers did not arrest feinberg was because they were evidently too busy chasing a cat of malodorous tendencies. when thompson was upon the stand and was being questioned about sabotage and about cats; he could tell you what a cat was, he got a bit halting in his speech when he was asked what it meant when they said that the claws of the cat had been sharpened, when he was asked what a 'sabcat' meant, but when he was asked as to what a cat of 'malodorous tendencies' was he said he didn't know unless it was a skunk. but by that was meant that the skunk accomplishes sabotage. you never heard of a skunk that did sabotage by simply a withdrawal of efficiency, never! "now as to incendiary and phosphorous fires. fire chief terrell tells you that up to the date of september th, the date of the first known phosphorous fire in everett, that up to that time, in all of his experience upon the fire force of the city of everett, it never had come to his knowledge or observation in any way that a phosphorous fire had ever occurred in the city. it occurred there, known to be a phosphorous fire, and within a period of two months at least two other fires occurred, mysterious, the origin unknown because the fire had progressed to such an extent that no one could tell how it did start." mr. vanderveer: didn't your detective go to work september st? mr. cooley: yes sir, he did. "and they would have you believe that the detective was up there setting those fires. that, i know, is an insinuation not supported by any evidence in this case, and the detective wasn't working up there, he was operating down here in the city of seattle. he was sending his reports to blain before the wanderer started out, before the men started out on october th, and that goes a good way to explain how it happened how these people were met on these different excursions and were not permitted to come within the city of everett. they were trying to get into the city of everett, to use their own judgment, to act on their own initiative, according to instructions that had gone out. and the officers stopped the thing before it started. "what were they coming to everett for, these forty-one men who were met? were they coming to hold a street meeting? forty-one men, enthused with the enthusiasm of the belief in their grand and glorious doctrine that they are teaching, forty-one men starting out as crusaders to carry the gospel of their organization to the benighted of everett, forty-one going up there to be martyrs, to be beaten for the cause, and nothing else! "i have told of the tactics and methods advocated, used and encouraged, by this peculiar, particular organization, so you can judge the character, purpose and intentions of the individuals that were seeking from time to time to force themselves into the city of everett, in order that you may judge the two hundred and sixty that left on the verona on november the th. "but there is another matter you should likewise take into consideration in determining the character of the individuals of that crowd. regardless of all environment, regardless of the effect of all legislation, regardless of all social conditions, men are born--not all with the same propensities, not all with the same natural ambitions, not all with the same qualifications, and out of the entire mass of humanity there is a certain percentage that were born without any ambition, born without any incentive; they go thru life without any incentive, constantly tired. now i am not here to say that all the i. w. w.'s are that kind of people. i am not here to say that because a man is a member of the i. w. w. he is a tramp or a hobo. but there is a class that has been recognized in this country ever since the country existed, a class that don't want to work, that would not work if you gave them an opportunity. these are a percentage, i don't know how large, and i say that every one of these people are members of the i. w. w. organization or should be. why? well, in the first place, you don't have to show any qualification for any line of work. you don't have to make proof of anything whatever to become a member of that organization. and is there any inducement for a man who has been drifting here and there, walking the ties, counting the mile posts as he walks from one place to another, to join that organization? it gives him a pass upon every freight train that travels the length and breadth of the land. one of the best inducements in the world. "there is another class of people in this country that are born with criminal instincts implanted in their very natures; they are scattered all over this land and we have them with us and we will always have them with us. there are men who are driven to crime thru misfortune; there are men who commit crime under the influence of environment; but there is a percentage of men who are habitual, natural and instinctive criminals. now i don't say that because a man is a member of the i. w. w. he is necessarily and instinctively a criminal, but i do say that every habitual, instinctive criminal, who knows that he intends to violate the law upon every opportunity to satisfy his own criminal desire, has every inducement to become a member of that organization. "there are a few uncontested and undisputed facts in connection with the occurrence at the dock. jefferson beard was killed on that dock. no doubt about that! the defendant was on the boat. no question about that! there is no question that the conversation between mcrae and the people on the boat occurred substantially in the language that you have heard repeated here by witnesses for the state and for the defense, all agreeing that the conversation preceded the shooting. there is no dispute that mcrae turned partially away from the boat and that one of the first three shots fired hit mcrae while he was turning. the burden of the whole argument of the defense was that when somebody on the boat saw mcrae put his hand on his gun he was justified in shooting. it is not material whether tracy shot jefferson beard or somebody else. it is not material whether tracy fired a gun or not, provided the evidence in this case satisfies you beyond a reasonable doubt that tracy was a party to the conspiracy to go up to the city of everett to violate an ordinance of the city of everett. "but have you any doubt that tracy was seen on the boat? hogan saw the window and he saw a man with his face at the window shooting in his direction. hogan wasn't thinking of the exact angle at which the boat was standing to the dock, but he knows he was standing at such an angle to the boat that he could see a man in a certain place on the boat. and he testified he did see him. "it wasn't thomas tracy that was looking out of that window, it was martin. it wasn't thomas tracy dressed for the occasion, it wasn't thomas tracy shaven for a picnic, it wasn't thomas tracy wearing a sunday countenance, it wasn't thomas tracy gazing placidly out of a mild blue eye! it was thomas tracy, alias martin, with his face drawn down into a scowl of hatred, with his eyebrows lowering over his eyes, gazing at john hogan, not only gazing at him thru a window, but gazing at him over a gun! and if there is anything that would impress itself into the memory and recollection of a man it is the remembrance of a face filled with venomous hatred, the eyes shooting daggers at you while he is gazing at you over the muzzle of a gun--and you are not going to forget that! "counsel for the defense says this is an important trial, that important questions are involved, that the verdict in this case will have a great deal to do with the ultimate future of the working man and organized labor. i don't think that matters of that kind should enter the minds of the jurors in arriving at a verdict, but if it does, i want to supplement what counsel for the defense has said. i want to say that in my mind a verdict in this case will have much to do with the future success and the future advancement of honest labor in every line and in all organizations. it will have much to do with clarifying the situation insofar as this one organization is concerned. every organization don't preach the doctrines that are preached by this organization, and if this jury by its verdict does not support that kind of method and that kind of procedure it will aid in purifying an organization that otherwise might do a world of good, but as it stands today, uttering the propaganda that it does, pursuing the tactics that it does it, is a menace not only to society, but is a menace to the welfare of the other labor organizations that believe in pursuing lawful methods, in a lawful manner. this is an important case in that regard. "i believe that it is a fortunate thing that a jury of king county and a jury from the city of seattle should have been called to try this case. the seed was not planted in snohomish county! the plot was not hatched in snohomish county! it was hatched down here in seattle. the expedition started out from seattle, not this one alone but many of them. seattle was the base, the enemy's base, and it was from here that they started. just down here almost in sight of this court house is the place where we claim the plot was formed, and it has come back here, and we come into court and lay it at your feet. they returned here, they have brought the case here for trial, and we are satisfied. now we lay it before you and say,--'as citizens of seattle do justice to the city of everett and snohomish county.'" with these words ringing in their ears the twelve jurors retired for their deliberations, the court having entered an order discharging from further service the two alternate jurors, efaw and williams. retiring shortly before noon, the jury consulted for nearly twenty-two hours, taking ballot after ballot only to find that there were some who steadfastly refused to agree to any compromise verdict. then, shortly after nine o'clock on may th, two full calendar months after the start of the trial and just six months to the day from the time of the tragedy of the verona, foreman james r. williams announced the result of their deliberations, and the word sped out to the many hundred thousands who had spent an anxious and sleepless night; "we, the jury, find the defendant, thomas h. tracy, not guilty!" chapter ix. solidarity scores a success "i. w. w. not guilty!" in this headline the daily papers of seattle, washington, gave the findings of the jury. with an unbroken series of successful prosecutions of labor to the credit of the merchants and manufacturers association this, the first great victory for the working class on the pacific coast, was a bitter pill for the allied employers and open shop interests to swallow. with tracy freed and the i. w. w. exonerated, there was nothing for the snohomish county officials to do but to release the rest of the free speech prisoners. yet the same contemptible spirit that had marked their actions from the very start of the trouble led them to hold the prisoners for several days and to try to make a few of the men think that there would be a trial of a second prisoner. part of the men were released in seattle and part in everett. all went at once to the i. w. w. hall upon gaining their freedom, and from there nearly the whole body of released men went to mount pleasant cemetery to visit the graves of their dead fellow workers. returning to the hall, those who had previously been delegates, or who had fitted themselves for the work while in jail, immediately took out credentials and started on an organizing campaign of the northwest, with the uniting of the workers in the lumber industry as their main object. [illustration: gus johnson felix baran john looney] [illustration: hugo gerlot abraham rabinowitz] the dearth of workers due to the war, the tremendous advertisement the i. w. w. had received because of the tragedy and the trial, and the spirit of mingled determination and resentment that had grown up in the jail, made the work easy for these volunteer organizers. members joined by the dozen, then by the score, and finally by the hundreds. seattle had but two officials under pay on november th--herbert mahler, secretary of the i. w. w., and j. a. macdonald, editor of the industrial worker. by july th, , one year from the time of the loggers' convention at which there were only half a hundred paid up members, the i. w. w. in seattle had thirty people under pay, working at top speed to take care of the constantly increasing membership, and preparations were under way to launch the greatest lumber strike ever pulled in the history of the industry with the eight hour day as the main demand. that strike in which thousands of men stood out for week after week in the face of persecution of every character, in the face of raids upon their halls and the illegal detention of hundreds of members by city, county, state and federal agents, and in the face of deportations by mobs of lumber trust hirelings, deserves a volume to itself. this activity in the lumber industry reflected itself in all other lines, particularly so in construction projects all over the northwest. demands for literature, for speakers, for organizers, flooded the offices of the organization and many opportunities to organize had to be passed by simply because there were not enough men capable of taking up the work. part of this growth was of those who had interested themselves in the trial. many of those who had gone on the witness stand for the defense afterwards took out membership cards in the i. w. w. the women of everett,--considerably more inclined toward revolutionary ideas than the men there, by the way,--were among the first to ask for a "red card." too great praise cannot be given to those who voluntarily gave their services to the defense and thus helped to bring about a verdict of acquittal. thru the work of mr. a. l. carpenter a great deal of valuable information was secured and it was thru his efforts that deputy joseph schofield was brought from oregon to testify for the defense. for his activity on behalf of organized labor mr. carpenter received the rebel's reward--he was discharged from his position as district manager of a large corporation. scores of everett citizens gave splendid assistance to the defense, asking only that their names be withheld on account of the commercial club blacklist. all persons directly in the employ of the defense proved their worth. deserving special mention in their work of investigation were rev. t. t. edmunds, w. a. loomis and john m. foss. the reverend edmunds, being no follower of a "cold statistical christ" and having more of humanitarianism than theology or current religion in his makeup, was able to gain information where many another investigator might have failed. the expert services of loomis were of no less value, while the particular merit of the work of john foss was that he went to everett immediately after the catastrophe, at a time when chaos still reigned and when the blood-lust of the deputies had not yet completely given way to craven fear, and worked there night and day until a verdict of acquittal for his fellow workers was practically assured. both as an investigator and as correspondent to the i. w. w. press, c. e. payne, familiarly known as "stumpy," proved himself invaluable. charles ashleigh handled the publicity for the everett prisoners' defense committee in an able and efficient manner, while to herbert mahler credit is due for the careful and painstaking handling of the large fund raised to fight the case thru the courts. "justice" is an expensive luxury in the lumber kingdom. independent of the large amount of money spent directly by individuals and by branches of the i. w. w. the cost of the verdict of acquittal was $ , . . nearly thirty-eight thousand dollars! thirty-eight thousand dollars to free innocent workers from the clutches of the law! the victims in jail and the murderers at liberty! but then, the last thing expected of "justice" is that it be just. whence came the fund that, as a token of solidarity, set the free speech prisoners at liberty? in the financial statement of the everett prisoners defense committee it is set forth in full. summarized, this report shows that labor united in the defense of the prisoners, that, while this case was more largely financed directly thru the i. w. w. than any other trial of the organization, there were many and generous contributions from local unions of the american federation of labor, from the workers' sick and death benefit fund, from various other working class societies and from sources so numerous as to make special mention impossible. but these receipts varied from a dollar bill sent by "a poor working stiff" from north bend, oregon, to a donation of $ . from the benevolent society for the propagating of cremation at yonkers, new york. hundreds of dollars were raised in seattle by the i. w. w. thru smokers, dances, theatrical benefits, entertainments and collections by speakers who told the story of bloody sunday before societies of every kind and character. the dreamland rink meetings, attended in every instance by thousands of people, were the means of bringing hundreds of dollars to the defense. a considerable fund was raised directly within the organization by the sale of embossed leatherette membership card cases issued in memoriam to the martyred dead. in seattle notable service was rendered by the international workers' defense league. [illustration: may first at graveside of gerlot, baran and looney.] the nature of the case demanded heavy expenditures unlike those required in any of the previous trials in which i. w. w. members were involved. many of the witnesses were men who had beaten their way from long distances thru storms and snow to be in readiness to testify in behalf of their imprisoned fellow workers, and most of these had to be maintained at a relief station until called upon the stand. the care of the wounded was an added item, and there were many necessary expenditures for the big body of prisoners held as defendants. to each of the men who was released at the end of the six months imprisonment there was given a sum of $ . owing to the sweeping nature of the conspiracy charges and because of the large number of witnesses endorsed by the state, all of whom required investigation, there was a large sum required for use in taking these necessary legal precautions. heavy charges were also made for the work of the stenographers who recorded the evidence, this being an item borne by the state in most parts of the country. the totals of these expenditures were as follows: counsel fees in full $ , . legal investigation , . court stenographers , . miscellaneous legal expense , . office expense , . publicity work , . miscellaneous accounts , . ---------- total expenditures $ , . a balance of $ . was sent to the general headquarters of the i. w. w. and this, with $ . which remained in the general office from the sale of voluntary assessment stamps, was set aside as a fund to be used for the maintenance of harry golden, joseph ghilezano and albert scribner, three of the boys who were seriously injured on the verona. the financial report was audited by e. g. shorrock and co., certified accountants, and by a committee composed of harry feinberg and j. h. beyer, representing the prisoners, c. h. rice, representing the seattle unions of the i. w. w., and general executive board member, richard brazier, representing the general headquarters of the i. w. w. the statement made to contributors to the fund concluded with these expressive words: "on behalf of the defendants, and the industrial workers of the world, we take this opportunity to express our grateful appreciation to all contributors, and to all the brave men and women who assisted us so nobly in this great struggle to save seventy-three workingmen from a living death at the hands of the lumber trust and the allied commercial bodies of the pacific coast. "it was the solidarity of the working class, and that alone, which brought about this great victory for labor, so let us turn fresh from victory, with determined hearts and unquellable spirit to unflinchingly continue the struggle for the liberation of all prisoners of the class war, remembering always that greatest expression of solidarity, 'an injury to one, is an injury to all.' "the everett prisoners defense committee. thomas murphy, charles ashleigh, wm. j. houser, richard smith, herbert mahler, sec'y-treas." seattle, wash., june th, . chapter x. the bankruptcy of "law and order" the facts in this case speak pretty well for themselves. to draw conclusions at length would be an impertinence. he who runs may read the signs of decay of capitalism, the crumbling of a social system based upon the slavery and degradation of the vast majority of mankind. and from the lips of the prosecution counsel--the voice of the state--we have the open and frank acknowledgement of the bankruptcy of law and order, the failure of government as it is now administered. it is no part of this work to attack the law. the law is august, majestic in its impartial findings and the equality of its judgements, always however with due allowance for those subtle distinctions so incomprehensible to the masses which exist between high finance, kleptomania and theft. the law strips no one of his possessions; under its beneficent reign the rich retain their wealth and the poor keep their poverty. founded on dogma and moulded by tradition, the law stands as a mighty monument to justice. it is ever in this way that we show our respect and reverence for the dead. being an outgrowth of precedent it gains added sanctity with each fresh proof of antiquity, differing in this regard from automobiles, eggs, women, hats, the six best sellers, and the commoner things of life. surrounded by mysticism, surcharged with the language of the dead, and sustained by force, who is there would have the temerity to question the sanctity of the law? it remained for attorneys black and cooley--and not for the outcast industrial unionists, socialists or anarchists--to charge that the law is a bankrupt institution, and it was for the citizen-deputies--and not for the despised workers--to prove the truth of the indictment. truly society moves in a mysterious way its blunders to reform! with the true logic of the counting-house cooley admitted that the mill owners had formed a mob to protect themselves from the rabble, they had pursued illegal methods to prevent the breaking of the law, they had jailed men in order to preserve liberty, they had even blacklisted union men in order to give to every man the right to work where, when and for whom he pleased. there is no escaping such logic if one owns property. of course those who possess no property are the natural enemies of property, and law being based upon property, they are defiers of the law, and society being upheld only by observance of the law, they are the foes of society. it is not best to kill them in too large numbers for they are useful in doing the work of the world, but they must be kept in fear and trembling of the law and made to respect it as sacred and inviolable, even if we do not. so argued black and cooley. but the whine of black, the snarl of cooley, the moody silence of veitch, alike served as a confession that "law and order" was a failure. the plea of the state was that all law is the creature of property and when the power of the law proves inadequate in its function of protecting the accumulations of wealth the possessors of property are justified in supplementing the law with such additional physical or brute force as they can muster, or in casting aside the law altogether, as it suits their convenience. to the workers the law must remain sacred while to the leisure class property is the thing to worship, for however much robbery is to be condemned, the proceeds of robbery are always to be respected. their further contention was that the streets are for traffic, for maintaining commerce, in other words to aid in the gathering of property and to enhance the property values already cleared. out of the graciousness of their hearts the business men and employers allow the pedestrians to use the streets incidental to the purchase of goods or to journey to and from their tasks in the factories, mines, mills and workshops. that the streets might be used for social, religious, political or educational purposes does not enter their calculations, their ledgers carry no place for such entries on the profit side. free speech is tolerated at times provided nothing of importance is said. two trials were going on in the court room at the same time; that of thomas h. tracy and the i. w. w. before a property-qualified jury, and that of the existing system of law enforcement before the great jury of the working class. and just as surely as was the verdict that of acquittal for tracy and his union, was there a most decided judgment of guilty upon "law and order." for tracy was not freed by the law but by the common sense of the jury who refused to consider him guilty and viewed him as a class rather than as an individual. under the existing conspiracy laws he might well have been considered technically guilty. but "law and order" technically and otherwise was proven guilty, and the charge that capitalism is guilty of first degree murder, and a host of other crimes, was clearly proven. why? why all the brutality depicted herein? why? the answer is that we are living in an insane social system in which money ranks higher than manhood. to be more specific the outrages at everett had their roots in the belief that the men who labor, and especially the migratory and the unskilled element, form an inferior caste or class to those who exploit them. the dominant class viewed any attempt to claim even the same civil rights as an assault upon their supremacy and integrity,--this to them being synonymous with social order and civilization. this is always more evident where a single industry dominates, as evidenced by the occurrences at ludlow, in the coal district, mesaba in the iron ore section, and bisbee where copper is the main product. everett controlled by the lumber interests clinches the argument. a community dominated by an industry, impelled by a desire for high profits; or under the spell of fear or passion, whether justified or not, cannot be restrained by law from a summary satisfaction of its desires or a quieting of its apprehensions. before such a condition the fabric of local government crumbles and lynch law is substituted for the more orderly processes designed to attain the same end. the everett outrages were no example of the rough and ready justice of primitive communities. the outlaws were in full possession of local government, legislative, judicial, and executive, yet they fell back upon brute force and personal violence and attempted to protect the lumber trust profits by tactics of terrorism. insofar as the law can be wielded for their immediate purpose a capitalistic mob, such as these at everett, will clothe their violence in the form of ostensible legal process, yet often the letter and the spirit of their own class-influenced laws will be ruthlessly thrust aside. they want law and order, efficacious, impartial, august, in the eyes of the general citizenry, but they want exemption of their class from the rule of the law on certain occasions. strongly would they deny that all law is class law, made, interpreted and administered in behalf of a privileged property-owning class, yet the facts bear out this contention. the conception of impersonal and impartial legalism has been generally accepted along with traditional moral opinion and the naive belief in the excellence of competitive, individualistic, and unrestrained business. but this historical case has proven, as nothing else could prove, that these bonds are relaxing and the faith and formulas underlying the whole legal establishment are the subject of attack by an increasingly large and uncompromising army of dissenters. from the developments of the everett situation one can sense the rising tide of industrial solidarity. it was the unity of the workers that won the great case. it will be the unity of labor that will win the world for the workers, just as the embryonic democracy of the toilers in its blind groupings has already cracked the shell of the industrial autocracy of the present day. at present we are at the parting of the ways. there is not sufficient faith in the law to hold the dying wage system together and there is not a sufficiently clear conception of the solidaric ideal of a new society to bind the rebellious elements to a definite program. so chaos reigns in society and events like those at everett may be expected to arise until the struggle of the exploited takes on a more constructive form and develops the necessary power to overthrow capitalism and all its attendant institutions. industrial unionism is the only hope of the disinherited and dispossessed proletariat. it is the voice of the future. it spells at once evolution and revolution. its assured success means an end to classes and class rule and the rearing of a race of free individuals. the strength of the workers is in industry. every worker, man, woman or child, has economic power. the control of industry means the control of the world. he who strives to bring the workers closer together so that their allied forces in an industrial organization may overthrow the wage system and rear in its place an industrial republic in which slavery will be unknown and where joy will form the mainspring of human activity, pays the highest homage to those who, in order that the spirit of liberty might not perish from the land, gave their lives at everett, washington, on sunday, november th, : felix baran, hugo gerlot, gustav johnson, john looney, abraham rabinowitz. finish * * * * * songs of the workers the latest i. w. w. song book general defense edition contains sixty-four pages of satirical, humorous and inspiring songs of labor. parodies on the well known popular airs. wherever the english language is spoken, there will be found countless numbers of workers singing these real rebel songs. [illustration] prices single copies ten cents $ . a hundred address i. w. w. publishing bureau w. madison st., chicago, ill. * * * * * i. w. w. literature i. w. w. publishing bureau w. madison st., chicago pamphlets at c each, or . per hundred i. w. w. history, structure & methods (st. john), revised industrial unionism, the road to freedom (ettor) the evolution of industrial democracy (woodruff) one big union, the greatest thing on earth advancing proletariat (woodruff) patriotism and the worker (hervé) onward sweep of the machine process (hanson) red down (harrison george) is freedom dead? pamphlets at c each, or $ . per hundred the i. w. w. song book. the general strike (haywood); also containing "the last war." proletarian and petit bourgeois (lewis) the general secretary's report of the tenth convention hotel, restaurant and domestic workers (l. s. chumley) revolutionary writings (kelly cole) books at various prices the new unionism (tridon), c per copy $ . opening statement of g. f. vanderveer, c . cloath bound, c per copy . testimony of william d. haywood before the industrial relations commission, c . trial of new society (ebert), c per copy . proceedings th convention, c per copy . the everett massacre, cloath bound, $ . . indictment, c per copy . i. w. w. leaflets i. w. w. industrial unionism (st. john), c per copy $ . high cost of living (dougherty), c per copy . metal and machinery workers (leaflet) . to colored working men and women . songs and music by joe hill c copy; for $ . ; or more, c each. workers of the world, awaken! the rebel girl. don't take my papa away from me. the beauties of the state of washington [illustration] by harry f. giles--deputy commissioner state bureau statistics & immigration i.m. howell--secretary of state-ex-officio commissioner. [illustration: the rhododendron, washington's state flower "_flowers rich as morning's sunrise hue_" _copyright by asahel curtis_] [illustration: state of washington department of state bureau of statistics & immigration i.m. howell, secretary of state ex-officio commissioner the beauties of the state of washington a book for tourists by harry f. giles, deputy commissioner] [illustration: seal of the state of washington] olympia frank m. lamborn, public printer table of contents. page list of full page illustrations the evergreen state our mountains washington forests the climate puget sound - ideal for yachting and cruising hood canal other trips commerce the east shores the islands san juan group whidby island other islands olympic peninsula the harbor country - grays harbor willapa bay mount rainier national park the columbia river the inland empire - chief features how to reach them the yakima valley the wenatchee valley lake chelan the okanogan highlands the spokane country the wheat plateau the walla walla country the columbia river our scenic highways - the pacific highway sunset highway inland empire highway olympic, national park, and other highways a sportsman's paradise cities and suggested trips alaska--our ally map showing principal highways full page illustrations. cover design (a water color) miss zola f. gruhlke engravings by western engraving & colortype co., seattle three-color halftones. title. photographer. page the rhododendron (c.) asahel curtis frontispiece lake chelan (c.) kiser photo co. a forest stream curtis & miller a puget sound sunset webster & stevens mount rainier and mirror lake (c.) curtis & miller sunnyside canal (c.) asahel curtis priest rapids columbia river from white salmon (c.) kiser photo co. one-color halftones. deep lake curtis & miller snoqualmie falls (c.) romans photo co. mount baker (gr.) looking across the cascades (c.) kiser photo co. principal trees in washington c. h. ziddell lumber industry (gr.) sunset falls and mount index (c.) asahel curtis yachting on puget sound (gr.) bremerton scenes (gr.) tacoma and the mountain avery & potter eastern shores of puget sound (gr.) seattle and the olympics curtis & miller san juan islands (gr.) j. a. mccormick olympic mountain scenes (gr.) lake crescent curtis & miller the chehalis river (c.) asahel curtis southwest washington views (gr.) surf on washington coast (c.) asahel curtis mount rainier national park (gr.) mount rainier and lake washington (c.) w. p. romans along the columbia river (gr.) salmon fishing industry (gr.) snake river country asahel curtis rock lake curtis & miller the yakima valley curtis & miller the wenatchee valley curtis & miller the okanogan and methow (gr.) irrigation scenes (gr.) city of spokane frank palmer wheat fields (gr.) walla walla scenes (gr.) along the scenic highways (gr.) olympia, our capital city (gr.) b. c. collier spokane falls and bridge frank palmer wild elk in the olympics (c.) grant humes the angler's reward b. c. collier spokane scenes (gr.) our leading educational institutions (gr.) our earliest pioneers (gr.) seattle's boulevards (gr.) tacoma's parks (gr.) alaska, land of the north (gr.) those marked (gr.) are groups; (c.) means copyright. [illustration: deep lake--a typical scene in the cascade mountains. photo by curtis & miller.] [illustration: the evergreen state "o beautiful and grand, my own my native land! of thee i boast great empire of the west, the dearest and the best, made up of all the rest, i loved thee most."] the state of washington, most northwesterly state in the union, named for the "father of his country" and popularly called the "evergreen state," brings greetings. for all who would behold, at close range, nature in her most beautiful expression when all component elements have been harmoniously combined, these words of welcome are written. you are invited to come and share the joy that emanates from the satisfaction of living in a country as nearly perfect as any that earth has to offer. in the creation of this region nothing was overlooked that might appeal to the most fastidious. an empire within itself, it is provided with all things for ministering both to man's physical needs and to his innermost longings. all forces have contributed towards its glory. more careful preparation was never made for the coming of man in any clime. mountains that reach to heaven and echo the music of celestial choirs in their innumerable streams and waterfalls; valleys and plateaus that spring into life when pricked by the harrow of the husbandman; forests of big trees, perpetually green, to adorn and protect; the greatest of oceans to temper with its breezes; inland seas and azure lakes to embellish and attract--such are a few of the elements that make the state of washington and provide beauteous homes for its people. [illustration: snoqualmie falls ( feet)--"the niagara of the west." copyright by romans photo co.] have you yet discovered that cozy retreat imagined in your youthful impressionable days, where true happiness is bound to reign? you can find it here--a place where wonderful pictures, real and far grander than the famous paintings of your favorite artist, are constantly visible from your kitchen window or from your work shop--and they need no expensive frames to enhance their loveliness and no dusting to prevent their obscurity. what are your favorite pastimes? are you one of the brave mountaineers who must yearly draw near the almighty, and dare the elements by treading dangerous yet entrancing trails to heights where the world appears at your feet? do you love to cruise in a little yacht built to accommodate yourself and a few well chosen friends, or motor over scenic highways to places of interest both near and far? do you regard yourself a mighty hunter and desire so to convince your friends? or would you be content to angle for the finny denizens of the deep with a certainty that you will not in turn be tantalized? the state of washington affords unusual opportunity for all these. its mountains, glaciers and waterfalls are not excelled by the most boasted scenes of switzerland. [illustration: mount adams and forest-covered foothills.] almost the year round the waters of puget sound and the harbors of the southwest invite the small craft. nearly , miles of scenic highway, passable for twelve months in succession, are ready for your automobiles. game, both large and small, feathered and hoofed, will lure you through many a jungle of delicate fern and sweet scented bramble; while countless streams and lakes teem with fish of many species. picturesque parks, dazzling sunsets, roaring ocean surf, cozy camping sites, beach parties and clam bakes, college regattas, midwinter fairs, roses at christmas, golf the year round on turf that's always green--these are a few of the charms that are as common in the state of washington as sands in the sahara, or ice at the poles. if you are drawn by none of these, but desire only to satisfy that exalted yet mysterious feeling which lurks in everyone's breast, becoming manifest when the greatest works of the firmament are beheld, then by all means visit this the "evergreen state" and drink in the glories which no book, howe'er so well written, and no picture, whoe'er the artist, can portray with any degree of fullness or accuracy. washington is a region of variety and strong contrasts. at one moment you may be jostled along the streets of some metropolitan center among people of many nationalities and within a mere hour or so be wafted to a sequestered spot of transcendent beauty, where no voice but your own is echoed by the hills and where the existence of any other human being to share this planet can be completely forgotten. it is a state of large accomplishments. big projects are planned: mammoth irrigation schemes are carried out; lands are reclaimed from the deep; orchards fill its valleys; wheat plateaus extend for miles; salmon traps line the shores; its lumber supplies the world; its ships sail all the seas; monstrous bridges cross the waterways; buildings vie with the highest anywhere constructed; its schools rank first in the union; its men contribute to the world's greatness; its women vote and rear capable families; the people make their own laws. loyalty, originality, enterprise, independence and liberality, all attributes of the western spirit, are evident throughout the state. its population has grown in twenty odd years from , to over , , . in the meantime, wildernesses have been converted into gardens, villages have developed into towns, while towns have grown into cities, taking their places among the leading marts of the world. from a frontier state it has come to be one of the greatest and most important in the union, adding to the galaxy of stars one of the brightest that has yet appeared on the horizon. [illustration: lake chelan, one of the most wonderful lake resorts in the west _"pride of the waters of the world"_ _copyright by kiser photo co., portland, ore._] [illustration: our mountains "touched with a light that hath no name, a glory never sung, aloft on sky and mountain wall are god's great pictures hung."] perhaps the most prominent feature which attracts the eye of a visitor upon his arrival in the pacific northwest consists of the mountain ranges with their towering snowcapped peaks, forming, as it were, ladders reaching from the green vales of earth to the blue vaults of heaven. silhouetted against the sky in the hazy distance, they are noted by the westward bound traveler as soon as he reaches the highest point in the divide of the rockies, while to the mariner groping his way eastward upon the pacific ocean they offer the first evidence of the nearness of the welcome land. these mountains mean much to the state of washington, both for their scenic grandeur and for the favorable influence they exert on the climate and on the lives of the people who build their homes in the valleys below. their supremacy is reflected by the thermometer, the barometer, and the aerometer; for they help regulate the temperature, the rainfall, and the wind's velocity. they form great repositories for the waters that feed the streams and keep full the cities' aqueducts. within their immeasurable depths lie buried huge deposits of precious and useful metals, besides vast fields of bituminous coal. their lower zones provide fertile and safe localities for the growth of washington's big timber, while the alpine meadows above secure for the timid deer and ptarmigan asylums of temporary freedom from too frequent disturbance by prowling huntsmen. still higher are the rugged bare prominences, reserved for the wild goat or mountain sheep, and the snow fields traversed by the more venturesome seeking to gain the summits. everywhere the true sportsman finds ample opportunity for proving his prowess, while trailing the beast to its lair, and the sight-seeking mountaineer is fully rewarded for all the struggle required to reach some dizzy height. [illustration: a glimpse from pack creek a crevasse at the summit shuksan falls lake six-thousand feet mount baker forty miles east of bellingham.] within the immense bosoms of these mountains nestle innumerable lakes, beauteous beyond compare, near whose shady shores is many a sequestered spot, most tempting to the camper who loves the mountain region; and many a brook goes trickling over its stony course to join the rivers below, pausing here and there in some shady dell to create a deep pool for luring the fisherman, or hurling itself over some lofty precipice as a waterfall of wonderful magnitude and magnificence. the mountains are a link connecting us with the past. they remind us perhaps of the period when volcanoes belched forth their fiery refuse, or of the era when the sea covered most of what is now land. indestructible they stand and their rocky heights are in places insurmountable. the works of man trespass everywhere else, but these huge pillars of the ages rise in their majestic splendor and with sublime dignity seem to say: "thus far and no further! we will preserve and guard your water and fuel supply. we will protect you from the furies of the elements and produce materials for building your palaces. we will create charming nooks where you may camp under the clear sky, and shady forests where you may pursue the chase. we will fill the brooks with swift darting fish; carpet the meadows with myriads of flowers, ferns, and shrubs; and paint you pictures undreamt of by men who have scorned our acquaintance. you are permitted to build roads whereby your pullmans and your automobiles may cross to the other side, but not one of our number shall be moved nor its form be changed in the least, except by that same invisible power at whose mighty will we were brought into existence." [illustration: looking across the cascade mountains. copyright by kiser photo co., portland, ore.] each mountain range possesses its own distinct characteristics. of least importance, but none the less beautiful, are the blue mountains in the southeastern corner of the state, providing pleasant summer retreats for the people in that vicinity. the olympic range practically envelopes the olympic peninsula and all but encroaches upon the agricultural lands lying between the foothills and the salt waters on three sides. in this range are the most rugged mountains in washington, presenting some of the wildest and most inspiring scenery anywhere to be found. most prominent and of greatest importance in the geography of the state are the cascades, having an average altitude of from , to , feet and named for the many hurrying streams that have cut their deep courses upon the shady slopes. they extend from the british columbia line slightly southwest until divided by the columbia river, whence they continue through oregon and become the sierra nevadas of california. by them the state of washington is separated into two quite distinct parts, known as eastern and western washington, the former comprising a portion of the great inland empire. forming a sort of spur on their east side, north of the columbia, and extending to the mountains of idaho are the beautiful rolling hills known as the okanogan highlands from , to , feet in altitude without sharp abrupt prominences and bearing on their higher surfaces forests of pine. throughout the cascade range several prominent peaks tower above the others like giants among dwarfs. the loftiest by far is mount rainier (or mount tacoma), second highest mountain in the united states proper, , feet in altitude and the chief mountain resort out of seattle and tacoma; mount adams, , feet, on the boundary line of skamania and yakima counties; mount st. helens, , feet high, at the western edge of skamania county, reached from castle rock or vancouver; mount baker, , feet, forty miles from bellingham and one of its main attractions; mount stuart, , feet, in chelan county; and glacier peak, , feet, in snohomish county. in this latitude , feet is the snow-line, but washington has many peaks above that elevation. fifty-seven have already been named and measured. all these peaks are accessible and, together with mount olympus in the olympics, constitute the main goals of the mountain loving clubs of the northwest. mountain phenomena are displayed in all with a maximum degree of grandeur, insuring ample reward to those venturing to explore their many fastnesses. [illustration: a fir, a cedar, and a hemlock--principal trees in washington.] photo by c. h. ziddell. [illustration: washington forests "cedar, and pine, and fir, and branching palm, a sylvan scene, and as the ranks ascend shade above shade, a woody theater of stateliest view"] dense forests of evergreen trees almost envelop the hills and mountains of the state of washington. scarcely any portions were originally left bare, excepting the higher peaks, which in a spirit of independence seem to have pushed their bald heads up and above this beautiful covering protecting the regions below. into the fertile valleys and along the river banks clear to the sea the stately ranks of these forests once advanced, but such localities are now, for the most part, given over to the cities and the husbandmen or else in a state of semi-transformation are awaiting the day when they too will be devoted to the peaceful pursuits of agriculture; for the broad columbia plain was the only part of the state dedicated from the first to the sole task of producing food supplies rather than fuel and building material. about ten million acres of these forests have been locked up in eleven national reserves, and set aside for our future needs, or to insure permanent haunts where nature may always be seen in her full pristine glory--conservation! nearly six million acres more are under private ownership. investigation reveals evidences that their birth occurred very many years ago, possibly five hundred or even six hundred years; for that many rings have been counted on some of the largest trees. the foliage appears every month in the year just as beautiful as when it first mingled with the landscape--hence the name "evergreen state." the effect produced by this verdant growth upon the scenery of the state of washington can be best realized by climbing to one of the heights overlooking the timber line. from here one can readily see how perfectly it hides every blemish of the irregular contour, blending beautifully with the blue waters in the distance and the pale clouds floating above. thousands of greenish tints are distinguishable, shading from a light yellowish tinge to a deep prismatic blue, while occasionally a streak of bright red or a touch of pure white lends a striking contrast. leaving the point of vantage, however, to delve into its midst, breathing in the aromatic odors from the balsams and cedars, it is easy to note hundreds of interesting distinctions in size, form, color, and variety, for "no tree in all the grove but has its charms, though each its hue peculiar." one should know, too, that he is buried in one of the densest forests of the temperate zone; while standing proudly on every side are individual giants, which for size can be duplicated nowhere else in the world, excepting by occasional specimens of the famous red woods of california. these sturdy monarchs have all been honored with names and thoroughly worthy of their names they are, without a blemish to mar their fame in spite of the ages through which they have lived. most prominent is the douglas fir, or douglas spruce (pseudotsuga taxifolia), the giant of the forest, growing erect as a plumb-line until it ends in a pyramidal crown two hundred feet or more above the ground. this is the most important tree of the state, for its product houses the people, and for the past ten years has insured washington first place in lumber production in the united states. some of the largest trees reach the enormous proportions of eight, ten, and even twelve feet in diameter, a single one producing material sufficient to build a palace of huge dimensions. [illustration: _photo by curtis & miller_ one of many luring streams "_o'erhung with wild woods, thickening green_"] of great importance also is the "red cedar," reaching sometimes a height of feet and having a diameter in rare cases of over feet; yielding for the state of washington two-thirds of all the shingles produced in the united states. similar to the cypress, its sweet soporific scent is everywhere conspicuous and always pleasing. other trees which provide lumber and add grace to the washington woods are the hemlocks, spruces, larches, and white firs, in the western part of the state; and the pines and tamaracs in a number of the eastern counties. many other species, of minor commercial value, are sprinkled throughout the forest in sufficient plentifulness to complete the artistic design. there are the wide-leafed maples; the red barked madronas; the pale barked quivering cottonwoods and their allies, the bitter tasting willows; the white flowered dogwood, prominent throughout the forests until late in the spring, and occasionally found blooming in the fall; the gray barked alder protecting the springs and mountain streams; the sturdy oaks, skirting the gravelly prairies; the long lived juniper; and the hardy scotch broom; besides various other trees and shrubs. many of these are so beautiful that landscape gardeners find nothing more suitable for decorating lawns or lining the city parks and boulevards. here and there are many trees, shrubs and vines that seem to have been destined especially to yield food for the natural wanderers of the forests; for it is intended that nothing shall be wanted in the state of washington. there is probably no other section of the world where wild berries grow in greater profusion. very prominent is the wild cherry, the wild apple, the salmon berry, the thimble berry, the huckleberry, the salal berry, the oregon grape, the blackberry, the strawberry, the wild currant, and the raspberry. hiding within the shade of these, playing hide and seek with nature lovers who enjoy threading the romantic trails for which this section of the world is noted, is many a modest flower which in some sections blooms nearly the whole year round, so soft is the climate; while the pink petaled rhododendron, of bolder nature, washington's state flower, is prominent in june tossing its beautiful head among the dry logs and lining the course of many a pretty driveway. penetrating everywhere and saturating the atmosphere with its sweetness, may be heard the music of some rippling stream winding its happy way down the mountain side and playing, as it were, an accompaniment to the duets of soul mated song birds unable to restrain their songs of joy. if this is a wilderness then a wilderness is a paradise on earth. [illustration: one industry in which washington ranks first.] [illustration: the climate "eternal spring with smiling verdure here warms the mild air and crowns the youthful year."] people considering a change of residence or a vacation trip are always interested in the climate of the locality attracting their attention, for they know that absolute contentment in any clime, even for a brief period, is impossible without a friendly attitude on the part of the elements. so many regions seem to have been permanently blighted by conditions opposed to human happiness, or at least to have been forgotten in certain important essentials when nature was passing round her favors. the state of washington, however, received a full share of climatic blessings as well as scenic beauties. without extremes either of heat or cold its climate is as temperate as that of southern england--a most remarkable fact when one realizes that its latitude is higher than that of the state of maine and its northern boundary line corresponds to that of north dakota and minnesota. such equability is caused chiefly by the protecting mountains and their dense forests together with the breezes blowing direct from the ocean and warmed by the mysterious japan current. so uniform is the general temperature, excepting in the mountainous regions, that the same weight of clothing is by many found sufficient the year round. in every section there is a long growing season and only a short mild winter, known on the west side as the "rainy season." there is never danger from blizzards or intense "cold waves," for these are deflected to the country east of the rockies. trees retain their green foliage the year round; in most parts there is usually some pasture available every month; and in certain sections many varieties of flowers will be found blooming outdoors in january. cattle may be turned loose almost any day in the year and the farmer is saved the necessity of spending all his summer's profits in order that his livestock will not starve during a long cold period. the lowest monthly normal temperature, as deduced from a period of years, is for seattle, °; spokane, °; and walla walla, °. contrast these with the normal temperatures of the following cities for the same month: duluth, °; st. paul, °; des moines, °; and chicago, °. the summers may be considered ideal. a breeze is generally stirring. there are no sunstrokes, for even in the warmest parts the dryness of the atmosphere favors evaporation. the nights are everywhere cool. when millions in other climes are rolling about in their torturous beds, struggling for the relief that sleep alone can impart, the washingtonian doffs his clothes, tucks himself comfortably between his cozy quilts, and is soon wafted into the land of nod from which he awakes in the morning refreshed and ready for life's battle. mean monthly and summer temperature of washington cities compared with that of other u. s. cities. _june_ _july_ _aug._ _sep._ _sum'r_ puget sound district seattle tacoma spokane chicago new york city boston washington, d. c. philadelphia the summers, too, are particularly free from excessive rainfall, such as discomforts the people in eastern cities during those months and causes so many disappointments; for per cent of our precipitation occurs between october th and may th, and per cent between sunset and sunrise, so that the pleasures of the day are seldom marred. the heaviest fall of moisture occurs on the mountain slopes while the valleys, where the people make their homes, have no more than enough to produce a vigorous plant growth. the average for the year on puget sound is about the same as in chicago and only three-fourths as much as in new york or boston. the cascade mountains prevent as high a precipitation in the eastern counties where it corresponds more to that of california. [illustration: sunset falls and mount index, miles east of everett.] the normal annual precipitation during a year period, according to the government statistics, was for seattle, . inches; spokane, . inches; walla walla, . inches; chicago, . inches; new york, . inches; jacksonville, . inches; kansas city, . inches; boston, . inches; los angeles, . inches; and san francisco, . inches. monthly and summer rainfall of u. s. cities. _june_ _july_ _aug._ _sep._ _sum'r_ puget sound district . . . . . seattle . . . . . tacoma . . . . . spokane . . . . . walla walla . . . . . chicago . . . . . new york city . . . . . boston . . . . . washington, d. c. . . . . . philadelphia . . . . . the same forces that affect the temperature and precipitation also offer protection against the extraordinary meteorological occurrences that so often terrorize the people in more exposed regions. "the weather bureau has no authentic record of a real tornado anywhere in the state of washington" says g. n. salisbury, washington section director of the u. s. weather bureau. violent thunderstorms are in most parts unknown. loss of life never occurs from any of these causes. the atmosphere is always pure and salubrious and the death rate is lowest of all states in the union, while its two largest cities have the lowest death rate of all cities in the united states, having a population of , or over. after all has been said it were best to come and see. spend a season where no dreary winters will engender melancholy while waiting for a lingering spring, and where no sizzling heat will threaten prostration. come to a state that is as free as possible from the ills of unfriendly phenomena, and where one beautiful day passes into the next as a pleasant dream shades into the sweetest realities of life. [illustration: yachting on puget sound. a pleasure fleet racing for lipton cup motor boating idle hour a favorable breeze] [illustration: scenes at bremerton--one of the largest u. s. naval stations. the oregon in drydock a naval fleet in port battleship nebraska drydock] [illustration: puget sound "a land locked sea with harbors deep and wide where all the navies of the world could hide"] one glorious expanse of calm picturesque water is the great inland sea known as puget sound, extending from the strait of juan de fuca far into the interior of the state of washington. if the strait mentioned, together with hood canal and a portion of the strait of georgia are included, and they will be in this article, nearly , square miles of mirror like surface are encompassed within the green wooded shore lines of as many lineal miles. with sinuous arms, these waters reach in every direction, reflecting in their depths sometimes the lofty mountains, at other times gardens and farms of unusual attractiveness, and again the modern cities located upon the shores. almost everywhere have been sprinkled pretty emerald isles beckoning with all the lure of nature, while tree bedecked peninsulas shelter hundreds of cuddling coves. near the dividing shore line the "tide lands" reach out from the sunny beaches and supply a sort of neutral ground, enjoyed now by the clam diggers or oyster culturists and again claimed by the enveloping waters. rising gently from the water's edge broad areas of fertile lands, which have been released from their forest burdens, are now devoted to the pursuits of husbandry and yield liberally to feed the multitudes dwelling in the neighboring large cities. here and there patches of virgin growth in primeval splendor may still be seen, but usually, excepting in the hood canal region, the forests have been forced back to the foot hills, leaving in their wake the so-called logged-off areas which are in turn rapidly giving away to meadows and orchards. further back to the east and west the mountains stand guard, while innumerable streams with incalculable water power pierce their sides, transect the lower levels, and pour the sweets of the mountainous regions out into the salts of the deep. occasionally rocky bluffs or promontories stand boldly out of the water, and command the view for miles in every direction. pictures are everywhere presented which reproduced on canvass would insure the immortality of any artist. altogether the region presents the likeness of one vast kingly garden where every plant that will grow is nurtured and all wonders combine to enchant the visitor. [illustration: summer time pleasures.] this beauteous sea is not locked away behind impenetrable bulwarks of mountain walls, like many of nature's wonders, but is at the very door of the people and enjoyed by them while going about their daily tasks. nearly a million human beings look out upon its placid waters and rejoice at their good fortune in being permitted to play, as it were, upon its banks, and to feel the tender caresses of the soft whispering breezes that make the region such a pleasure ground in summer, and a haven in winter--and there is room for ten times as many to make their homes where these same joys may be experienced. not in the lifetime of an individual, nor even in the period required for the most extravagant display of human skill, was this great pleasure resort created. ages elapsed, say geologists, between the rising of the waters that "drowned" the rivers once flowing where now the sound reposes and the advent of the glaciers which deposited the fertile sediment to nourish the luxuriant growth appearing on every hand. [illustration: tacoma, the city with a snow-capped mountain in its door yard. photo by avery and potter.] [illustration: bellingham from sehome hill skagit river valley everett cascade mountains in distance berry patch in the puyallup valley views near the eastern shores of puget sound.] ideal for yachting and cruising. one can pass the entire summer on puget sound without seeing a bit of rough weather. the largest ocean liners ride here safe from the storms that pound sometimes against the outer coast line; for its waters compose one great harbor, protected by the forests and mountains. one may see "uncle sam's" powerful fighting machines almost any day steaming toward bremerton, one of the u. s. naval stations, where the largest dry dock owned by the u. s. government is located. but this peaceful body of water is not for the big vessels alone. it could not have been improved if created especially for the yacht, the motor launch, the row boat and even the venturesome canoe. upon its surface is held many a local speed contest, and the annual power boat race is run from ketchikan, alaska, to seattle. conditions here are ideal for the college regatta and for the difficult feats of the hydroplane. during festive days many important events are pulled off, while the happy spectators, dressed in holiday attire, are crowded along the water's edge or perched on the ridges and house tops above. for cruising, no waters in the world offer such advantages--never threatened by tempests and always within reach of some of nature's most glorious beauty spots. landing places suitable for camps are easily found, from which short inland excursions may be made through alpine meadows by winding trails to the summit of some mountain or to the shores of some peaceful lake. those who are not fortunate enough to have their own craft are not necessarily deprived of enjoying these waters; for regular passenger steamers, of ample capacity and stately appearance make regular trips throughout the year from every city on its shores to nearly every other part of the sound; while special summer time excursions are made from the metropolitan centers to all the principal points of interest on puget sound and to the cities of british columbia and alaska. hood canal. the waters that put one in closest touch with the mountains are in the narrow channel, or fiord, known as hood canal, extending southwesterly and bending back into the heart of the kitsap peninsula. tourists riding over these waters for the first time are elated with the splendors, and the frequent visitor never tires of the inspiring scenes that everywhere greet the eye. the eastern shores reveal the neat farms and settlements in kitsap and mason counties, while the western edge is at the very foot of the olympic range, whose white serrated ridges are continually visible from the deck of a passing steamer. easily distinguishable also are the deep canyons cut by the several main streams working their way towards the canal, plunging over rocky cliffs and creating falls of exquisite beauty. the little and big quilcene, the dusewallips, the duckabush, the hamma hamma, and the lilliwago, are some of the mountain streams whose canyons with rugged trails are familiar to those making frequent pilgrimages thither. [illustration: a business section in seattle--elliott bay and the olympic mountains beyond. photo by curtis & miller.] other attractive places are lake cushman, a mountain summer resort reached from hoodsport, and the rich skokomish valley containing the indian reservation of the same name. at union city one may take the stage over a well traveled road through groves and vales to shelton, county seat of mason county, where regular steamers connect with all puget sound points--thus encircling the kitsap peninsula. other trips. equally delightful are the little voyages over the main traveled waters of the sound from seattle or tacoma to olympia and shelton, to bremerton, everett, bellingham, anacortes, port townsend, and port angeles; also out to the ocean or through the san juan islands to victoria and vancouver in british columbia. the mountains are always in sight although not so close as on the canal trip, and there passes a continual procession of groves, hills, pebbly beaches, rocky palisades, gardens, orchards, green meadows, and summer homes. entrancing is the view at the sun's rising or setting when a myriad shades of reddish and bluish tints are painted on the hovering clouds, which assume various grotesque shapes above the shimmering waters; and even at night time when threading the channel marked by the twinkling beacon lights, or entering the harbor of a city resplendent with thousands of glittering incandescents. commerce. besides scenes that appeal chiefly to the esthetic are many that suggest the state's commercial importance, for these waters produce many million dollars worth of fish each year, and the neighboring shores have the largest saw mills in the world, supplying a big share of the , , , feet of lumber which is washington's annual contribution and insures her first place in the union. out from bellingham and anacortes may be observed the rare spectacle of huge fish traps being raised, with sometimes , puget sound salmon wiggling within their meshes, soon to be preserved in the largest canneries of the world and shipped to all corners of the globe. big ocean liners heavily laden are seen in the harbors or met upon the waters, carrying away cargoes of manufactured products which for the entire state approaches the stupendous sum of $ , , yearly. the east shores. the loudest buzz of commercialism is to be heard on the east shores, where fertile valleys and sightly plateaus checkered with farms and gardens stretch away to the foot hills of the cascade mountains, comprising five of the most densely populated counties in the state. here, too, are four of washington's five largest cities, seattle, tacoma, everett and bellingham, each the center of a rich territory supporting numerous smaller cities. at the southern limit is olympia, the state capital. without irrigation the region yields liberally of fruits, berries, vegetables, hay, oats, dairy and poultry products, which go to support those engaged in the lumbering, fishing, ship building, mining, and other manufacturing industries, and the diversified business pursuits. eight transcontinental railroads operate trains, an almost unbroken string of electric railways render good local service, while excellent roads, including the pacific highway, crisscross the section and unite the people with indestructible bonds of friendship and mutual interests. [illustration: _photo by webster & stevens_ a puget sound sunset "_when sol in joy is seen to leave the earth with crimson beam._"] a number of lakes beautify this region, as well as the other parts of the puget sound country. the largest is lake washington, one of the grandest in the west, twenty miles in length, forming the eastern boundary to seattle, providing sites for country homes and parks, and embellishing its boulevard system. near bellingham is lake whatcom, of similar importance to that city. lake stevens is handy to everett, and a number of smaller ones are tributary to tacoma. the islands. puget sound would not be nearly so interesting without the many enchanting isles dotting its surface from olympia to blaine and within easy reach of the cities located upon its shores. some are hidden within partially concealed bays and others appear like portions of the mainland until circumnavigation has proved their seclusion. although a few have sufficient area and commercial importance to form entire counties, the larger number are of rather small compass, and a few are tiny gems suitable only for private resorts away from the busy cities. nearly all are clothed in evergreen trees, bespangled with flowers and ferns, and girdled with gravelly beaches suggesting the real charms of camp life. san juan group. travelers agree that no islands anywhere are more beautiful than the san juan group, blocking the entrance to the straits of georgia, rivaling as they do the thousand isles of the st. lawrence or the classical grecian archipelago. there are of them, including with names suggesting their own peculiarities and others known chiefly by their location and shown only on the mariner's chart. the largest are san juan, orcas and lopez. apart from them but closer to the mainland are lummi, guemes, and cypress, similar in formation and of like attractiveness. they are approachable with almost any kind of craft, no great distances separate them, and often there is just passage for a steamer. they offer rare opportunity for playing hide and seek on the water, a game which in days gone by men played in earnest; for the smuggler stealing away from the international boundary line found within their shady inlets havens of safety from the unfriendly eye of "uncle sam's" revenue cutter. [illustration: the sucia island battleship island waldron island japanese island. east sound first irishman in america--blakely island turtleback mountain, orcas island among the san juan islands. photos by j. a. mccormick.] and only to think, these islands were nearly lost to us! had it not been for the wise decision of william i. of germany in , the union jack instead of the beloved stars and stripes might today be floating over them. the two distinct camps on san juan island where the british "red coats" and the american "blues" waited and watched from to , are still protected as points of interest; the former near roche harbor, and the latter near friday harbor, the county seat. the usual way to reach them is by steamer from seattle, bellingham or anacortes. the boat stops at all the main towns including friday harbor, where the university marine station and two large salmon canneries are located; roche harbor, where one of the largest lime kilns is prospering; and deer harbor, west sound, east sound, rosario, olga, and doebay, attractive as summer resorts. many people spend their summers among these isles. the tourist with limited time should, besides visiting the historic sites on san juan, make a trip to mount constitution on orcas island. two good wagon roads lead all the way to the top, the one from east sound and the other from olga. a pleasant day's outing is enjoyed by going up one way and returning by the other. its altitude, , feet, is nothing compared with the peaks in the cascades. nevertheless, few places offer more comprehensive outlooks. on the descent it will be difficult for the "wise" to resist the temptation to pass through rosario, the beautiful country estate belonging to robert moran, a retired seattle ship builder, who has harnessed the water power from the lakes lying a few hundred feet above and equipped a modern mansion with all that man can desire or money and art can supply. who would guess that a great pipe organ might be heard in this seemingly remote spot in the universe, bursting out in unexcelled magnificence, rendering the masterpieces of the great composers. whidby island. extending about fifty miles in front of skagit and snohomish counties, midway in the sound where the views of the cascades and the olympics are unobstructed, is whidby island, the second largest island in the united states proper and sometimes called "the long island of puget sound." with camano island on the east and two other very small ones it constitutes an independent county. having much water front and its western shore facing the straits where direct breezes from the ocean are felt, it draws many campers from the cities. there are no mountains to climb, although a number of eminences offer views of the distant landscape. the largest improvement has been near the southern extremity and between coupeville and the northern limits, where the world's record for wheat production per acre was made. a beautiful road decorated with rhododendrons leads from fort casey to deception pass separating it from fidalgo island on the north, which is connected with the mainland by a first class highway. near coupeville is still park, where summer chautauquas are held and many campers congregate. other islands. a few minutes' ride out of seattle is bainbridge island, having forty miles of water front lined with summer homes or suitable for camping sites. tributary to both seattle and tacoma are vashon and maury islands, practically one, comprising some twenty-three thousand acres, which yield for these cities berries, fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and offer some of the most delightful sites for homes along their fifty miles of attractive shore line. fox, anderson, and mcneils islands are integral parts of the bay island country, a rich district tributary to tacoma and offering unlimited opportunities for campers who are always welcomed by the hospitable ranchers. hartstine island maintains one of the largest vineyards in the west, yielding delicious grapes which find their way to distant eastern markets. numerous smaller islands are scattered about the sound and insure pleasant retreats for all that love the simple life. [illustration: mt. olympus falls bridal veil falls olympic mountains from hood canal what you will see in the olympics.] olympic peninsula. lying between hood canal and the pacific ocean and extending from the strait of juan de fuca southward toward the chehalis river valley is the vast olympic peninsula, whose resources and wonders are probably less known than almost any other section of the world. the central portion constitutes one great forest reserve within which is the olympic national monument set apart by the government for the enjoyment of nature lovers. the population is distributed among the cities and towns situated on the level lands skirting the waterfront. this monument contains the most rugged mountains, the deepest canyons, the most turbulent rivers and the thickest forests in the state. the peninsula is now reached both by steamer and automobile. highways lead well up into the foothills from the cities of port angeles, sequim, port townsend, quilcene, shelton, aberdeen, hoquiam, and hood canal points, and passable trails thread their way to the summits beyond. it is easy to surprise both deer and elk, confident of safety from the approach of man. numerous flowering parks display seas of gorgeous colors which make the region famous for its beauty. it also serves as a huge treasure chest. billions of feet of choicest timber remain uncut; valuable ore veins and a vast lake of petroleum are buried within its depths; land well suited for agriculture girdles the entire peninsula; and the neighboring waters yield liberal quantities of fish. certain beauty spots in the mountains have been supplemented with the conveniences and luxuries of modern invention. among these are sol duc springs, at the headwaters of the sol duc river, where a little palace has been lifted into the mountains, government hot springs, and lake crescent, all reached from port angeles; lake cushman, approached from hoodsport; and lake quiniault, north of grays harbor. a visit to any of these resorts or any part of the peninsula will satisfy the most extravagant expectations of tourist and mountaineer. [illustration: lake crescent, a popular lake resort near port angeles. photo by curtis & miller.] [illustration: the harbor country "we stand on beetling crag or cliff and gaze from farthest west to the bounding ocean billows, to the broad free sea, we hail the flags of all the earth and welcome here to rest amidst the smiling waters by the tall fir tree."] everybody in the state of washington knows about the "harbor country," the only part of the state where almost simultaneously one may enjoy the rare combination of the unobstructed ocean, an inland sea, and trout streams lined with giant firs and cedars, which all but encroach upon the dominions of the waters. here the oyster, the clam and the crab seemingly try to outdo one another and the mighty forest, in yielding splendid profits to the people, who lend every encouragement to the remarkable competition. thousands from the larger cities hie themselves to this section, at least once during the summer, to feast their eyes upon another variety of scenery, to enjoy its peculiar attractions, and experience again the pleasure of riding through a valley that appeals alike to the pullman passenger and to the automobilist; for it is human nature to love a change, even if one's home environment approaches perfection itself. there are two important salt water harbors in southwest washington, the more northerly one in chehalis county, and named grays harbor after the great explorer who discovered it in , and the southern one in pacific county bearing an indian name, willapa bay. they are separated by only a few miles of territory, which is served by no railroad other than a short logging road. regular traffic is usually around by centralia, excepting that during the summer months auto stages traverse the beach from cohasset to tokeland; for the beach here is level and broad, and the sands packed so firm, when the tide has receded, that it is used as a highway, and even as a race track for automobiles and motorcycles. this is true not only of the portion lying between the two harbors but also of the twenty-five miles known as "north beach" extending from willapa bay to the mouth of the columbia. [illustration: on the banks of the chehalis, lewis county. copyright by asahel curtis.] the entire region is fraught with charms that can be duplicated nowhere else. pacific, moclips and cohasset beaches are patronized especially by people from the sound cities and from southwest washington. north beach to the south of willapa bay attracts as well crowds from portland and other oregon cities. on sundays or at week ends special excursions are numerous, when great crowds avail themselves of the opportunity of visiting the seashore. [illustration: point grenville.] the modes of amusement are numerous. wading and bathing in the surf or burrowing in the warm sands; hunting for shells, agates, and indian relics; rowing, and trolling for salmon; or searching for the rare floral specimens abounding in the neighboring woods occupy the time of many. others enjoy visiting the canneries, observing the motor races, or watching the sailing vessels, with canvas inflated, gliding quietly into the harbor or, heavily laden, being dragged out across the bar by some fretful yet powerful tug boat. then there are the clam bakes and, at the end of the day, the big bonfires, the beach parties and the story telling, after which one is lulled into sweet slumber by the unceasing roar of the ocean surf. so fascinating is this region that its extensive ocean beach will undoubtedly in time be ornate with one continuous array of summer resorts reaching from ilwaco on baker's bay, at the mouth of the columbia, to neah bay at the entrance to the straits, and interrupted only by the narrow gaps marking the entrances to the two harbors. every manner of dwelling is provided for those who wish to stay several weeks. cottages may be rented, camping sites engaged, or board obtained at one of the homelike hotels looking out upon the sea. grays harbor. to reach grays harbor, unless approaching from the ocean, means a trip through the wide fertile valley of the chehalis river, either by auto or over one of the three transcontinental railroads that serve it. the entire journey presents a panorama of pretty landscapes. the stream itself is conspicuous, tracing the valley's boundary on one side and again on the other, as if choosing the most convenient course to the sea. sometimes it disappears from view, but its presence is still marked by clumps of willows and cottonwoods protecting its banks, and again by some rustic bridge where the highway crosses. [illustration: scene on lower grays harbor.] more generously the beauties unfold as the valley widens and the harbor is neared. quaint towns are seen, including oakville, noted for large shipments of cascara bark; elma, an industrial center; and montesano, the county seat and head of river navigation. green meadows, wooded slopes, and cultivated farms on both sides of the river absorb the attention until cosmopolis, aberdeen, and hoquiam, close by the harbor, are reached. these cities have experienced a remarkable growth within the past fourteen years. aberdeen and hoquiam have now a combined population of , in place of , , the census returns of . thoroughly cosmopolitan, they contain the homes of some of the wealthiest men in the state. [illustration: mt. st. helens and spirit lake smelt fishing on the cowlitz at the ocean beach the kalama river a load of oysters--willapa harbor whaling station on grays harbor southwest washington views.] such development has been due largely to the importance of the lumber industry which in this section of the state has assumed large proportions. the ravenous mills, the capacious yards, and the huge vessels loading for foreign ports are common sights within the cities. farther away in the logging camps the agility of the lumberjack is exhibited as he lays low the giants of the forest and trims the logs ready for the mills. the harbor may be most thoroughly appreciated by taking a ride upon its waters. regular steamers make the round trip each day, stopping at many points of interest, both in the north and the south bay, including the north jetty under construction by the united states government, westport, where the life saving station and the wireless telegraph station are located, and bay city, one of the largest whaling stations in the northwest. on the same trip the clam and crab fisheries may be seen. at the week end it is pleasant to get off at westport and visit cohasset beach, there to enjoy the modern social pastimes that engage the evenings of the summer dwellers. pacific beach, moclips, and a number of other ocean resorts near the terminus of the northern pacific, also deserve visits; while those desiring more strenuous exercise can make profitable excursions into the wild olympic region, exploring the forested hills, visiting the oil prospects, or hunting and fishing. splendid highways lead in different directions. in chehalis county alone are miles of gravel roads, every part of which passes near interesting scenes. one road extends to the south of the harbor and another to the beach resorts at the north. the olympic highway, one of the state primary highways, leads east to the sound country, and northward up the humptulips valley, through the big timber to lake quiniault, located in the midst of grand solitude on the edge of the quiniault indian reservation, making this lake a handy resort for the people living near grays harbor. those who take the trip should plan their return so as to include a ride down the quiniault river in indian canoes. the mountaineers who returned this way from mount olympus in , pronounced it the best part of the entire outing: "the trip down the quiniault river with its manifold beauties and experiences beggars description--the swift current, the whirling eddies, the deep, dark-green water, trout leaping into the air to catch the flying insects, the banks clothed with magnificent forests, log jams through which or under which we passed, animated branches marking the rhythmic motion of the current, the floating canoes gliding into the deeper, darker water to seek the current that hurried them on and ever on to the ocean. the indians skillfully guided the little craft through the dangerous places, then settled back to rest until the next test of skill or strength was necessary, in the meantime relating bits of history or legends which explained names or some natural phenomenon. the boom of the surf announced the end of the journey. as the mountaineers left the canoes on the beach at taholah, it was agreed that the trip down the quiniault marked the red-letter day of the outing." willapa bay. [illustration: two patriarchs--one feet in circumference.] the water area of this bay is square miles, composed of two sections, one extending southward and separated from the ocean by a long narrow peninsula, nowhere more than two miles in width, and the other reaching eastward to south bend and raymond. into it flows willapa river, besides other short but swift mountain streams teeming with trout and other game fish. the bar is about a mile wide and the waters covering it / feet deep at low tide, thus enabling sea-going vessels to cross without the aid of tugs--a great advantage to ocean liners and big lumber schooners, which may be seen almost any day either lying at the docks or loaded to the gunwale passing out to sea. the southern arm approaches within three miles of the columbia river. people in pacific county say that uncle sam plans to dig a canal through this narrow strip so that vessels may enter the river by way of willapa bay and avoid the columbia bar, kept open by jetties built at enormous expense. [illustration: surf on washington coast photo by asahel curtis.] the cities of raymond and south bend are other examples of what lumbering and fishing have done for washington municipalities. where a few years ago was nothing but a wilderness, known only to the indians or an occasional fisherman, are now busy marts with extensive waterfront factory sites. pretty roads start from these cities and wind along the harbor front or penetrate the interior. excursions by water may be made to bay center and tokeland, summer resorts and fishing stations. crab and clam fisheries and the oyster beds may be seen here to advantage, tokeland being the place where eastern oysters were first transplanted for mercantile purposes. south bend and raymond are also starting points for the north beach ocean resorts. on this trip one gets a full view of the bay, and the ocean surf tumbling over the bar. at nahcotta, a pretty oyster village, all passengers are transferred to the o.-w. r. & n. train bound for ilwaco and megler, whence regular steamers cross to astoria. this train makes frequent stops, permitting close scrutiny of the attractive summer cottages that face the boundless ocean constantly visible on the right. located at almost the southern extremity of the peninsula is the quaint town of ilwaco, overlooking the columbia bar. near by are the most extensive cranberry marshes in the state. another attraction is "north head," most southwesterly point in the state of washington, where an unobstructed view of the ocean is obtained. from this point may be seen the waters of the columbia mixing with the ocean, "tillamook head" in oregon, the light house, the life-saving station, fort canby, the wireless station, and the "seal rocks," where hundreds of sea lions are usually sunning themselves. instead of returning by the same route, the columbia river may be chosen to kalama, whence the sound country may be quickly reached by the pacific highway or by rail. every tourist should make at least one visit to the harbor country and see the ocean from the southwest corner of the state. [illustration: mount rainier reflected in mirror lake "_owning no mightier but the king of kings_" _copyright by curtis & miller_] [illustration: mount rainier national park "what vastness and sublimity were spread before our eager gaze! what wild and varied scenery! what pictures for the poets lays!"] one day, late in summer, i was sitting upon a commanding promontory nearly , feet in altitude, entranced by a panoramic view most wonderful to behold. the sky was clear, the sun's warm rays were unobstructed, and the air i breathed pure as the nectar of heaven. only five hours before i had left the city of tacoma and a little earlier seattle--two great cities throbbing with the activities of nearly a half million people engaged in manufacturing and mercantile pursuits. just beyond the foothills visible towards the west were the green valleys in which these metropolitan centers lay--the nearest only forty miles distant by an air line, close to the waters of puget sound. yet here, almost in sight of them, i was enjoying a quietude known only to the haunts of nature. more than seven thousand feet above me towered the majestic dome of the second highest pinnacle in the united states, reserving observation to the north until its summit should be reached, while far toward the east and the south extended range upon range of mountain peaks, like an army of giants gathered around their chief. here and there among them appeared the sub-chiefs, adams and st. helens in washington; and hood, jefferson, and the three sisters, far beyond, in oregon. between their serrated ranks darker shadows marked the deep canyons where grows some of the choicest timber in the state. near by crawled the huge glacial bodies gnawing their way down the mountain side and splitting its surface into rugged ridges. between them and below were spread the meadowed alpine parks or abandoned cirques--veritable fairylands--which had been carved out by these superhuman agencies eons before. barely distinguishable was the road by which i had made the circuitous ascent, bending back and forth across the face of an apparently perpendicular wall, while the glacial streams glittering in the sunshine, resembled huge serpents lying in the profound hollows formed by the extending hills. the hours spent in reaching this favored point were of themselves worth the effort. either rail or automobile may be chosen to ashford where each train is met by an auto stage. leaving tacoma, the highway threads a picturesque gravelly prairie for thirty miles, ascends the beautiful canyon road, crosses the ohop valley, leads to the brink of the nisqually canyon a thousand feet deep, plunges through dense virgin forests, reaches longmire, and zigzags to the snout of the nisqually glacier, whence the ascent to the camp of the clouds may be continued afoot, on horseback, or by horse stage. this region was only recently set aside as a national park. perhaps no other area in the world brings so many and such varied natural wonders to the very doors of two great cities. it contains a total of , acres, or square miles, of which square miles is occupied by mount rainier (or mt. tacoma), king of mountains, rising apparently directly from sea level, and visible from almost every point in the state. no grander expression of nature's sculptural art exists than this mighty pinnacle, , feet in altitude, whose glacial area, no less than square miles in extent, exceeds that of any other peak in the united states. one of the most interesting glaciers is carbon on the north slope, reaching down to a lower elevation than any other; the most readily reached is the nisqually, five miles in length; and the largest is the white or emmon's. other primary glaciers are the cowlitz, ingraham, winthrop, north and south mowich, puyallup, north and south tahoma, and the kautz. the most important secondary glaciers are van trump, frying-pan, stevens, paradise, and interglacier. [illustration: paradise park on the way down avalanche lilies the ascent in mount rainier national park.] the summit may be reached by five different routes. these are the paradise valley, indian henry's, the kautz glacier, ptarmigan ridge, and emmon's or the white glacier route. the paradise valley (known also as the "gibraltar") route, on the south side, is by far the most popular, for it is well provided with hotel accommodations, and both the government road and paradise trail lead right up to the camp of the clouds, at the mountain's foot. it is usual to leave this tented village at midnight, arriving at muir camp ( , feet elevation) at about a. m., and columbia crest, the highest point on the mountain, at about a. m. from this celestial height one may see more than a hundred miles in every direction, far away to the ocean on the west and into the great inland empire on the east. the snow-capped peaks already noted are seen toward the south, mount olympus to the northwest, and baker, shuksan, stuart, and glacier peak to the north; while the mother, the sluiskin, the sourdough mountains, and the tatoosh range near by seem like mere foothills, between eight and nine thousand feet below. no grander or more inspiring view may be observed anywhere in the world. scaling the peak, however, is a feat undertaken by only a few, and always with the aid of an experienced guide. the largest measure of real joy is found in the alpine "parks." the best known and most frequented is along the paradise river. tributary to it and reached from longmire, are indian henry's, van trump, cowlitz and magnetic parks. others requiring more time to visit are summerland, one of the largest and most beautiful, elysian fields, and morain, saint andrews and grand parks. surrounded by rugged peaks and snow fields these natural amphitheaters present a pleasing contrast. scarcely any underbrush exists in them but many beautiful flowers, shrubs, and trees abound; three hundred distinct plants are said to exist; pretty lakelets gem their surface; and all are drained by trickling streamlets or cut by raging rivers producing waterfalls of rare beauty as they go tumbling from the melting glaciers to the sea. excellent trails, built by the government, lead to every point of interest and extend clear around the mountain. camping places are plentiful or accommodations may be obtained at comfortable hotels. [illustration: mount rainier--looking across lake washington.] [illustration: the columbia river "or lose thyself in the continuous woods where rolls the oregon."] this wonderful and majestic river whose history is enhanced with legend, offers the exploring tourist or curious sight-seer unusual opportunities to indulge his unbounded imagination and to satisfy his desire for the spectacular in nature. upon its banks were enacted events of greatest importance in northwest history, while interwoven with the incontrovertible happenings is many a fascinating indian story and song. overlooking its waters were the first settlements of the pacific northwest, upon whose sites are now built, within easy hearing of its persistent dashings, some of the proudest and most prosperous cities of the country. one of the largest rivers on the american continent, with many important tributaries, it drains a territory equal to five times the area of the state of washington. by a series of cataracts, falls, cascades, and bold turns, it flows nearly , miles with a total drop of , feet, before finally delivering the waters gathered from many sources to the great pacific ocean. like other great rivers, some portions have needed vast expenditures to increase its value as a navigable stream. near stevenson the government has built locks at a cost of several million dollars, enabling large vessels to reach the dalles, at present the head of navigation. at celilo, two hundred miles from its mouth, where, in twelve miles distance, the river falls eighty-one feet at low tide, other locks are being constructed. when these are completed, merchant vessels can go direct from the sea as far as priest rapids, a distance of over four hundred miles. as many miles additional are navigable, but broken in places by rapids and falls. [illustration: indian canoe race.] important as this river is from a commercial and geographic standpoint, the greatest interest by far centers in the phenomena that are of its own creation, visible every mile from its mouth to its source. a journey upon its surface rivals one along the historic rhine, the picturesque hudson, or the beautiful st. lawrence. the panorama includes besides the wilder grandeurs, economic scenes suggesting the fecundity of the earth and the industry of the husbandman. to enumerate and describe these ever so briefly would require an entire volume. this short chapter is a suggestion only that "by reason of scenic grandeur, absorbing interest of physical features, the majesty and mystery of its flow through some of the wildest as well as some of the most beautiful regions of the globe, and at the last by the peculiar grandeur of its entrance into the greatest of the oceans, this 'achilles of rivers' attracts alike historian, scientist, poet, statesman, and lover of nature." in many places the natural appearances are the same now as when gray, lewis and clarke, the astorians and the northwest and hudson's bay company men first viewed its banks, with the exception that the shores have in places been denuded of their largest timber and either a younger growth has inherited the dominion or portions have been claimed for the agriculturist. [illustration: "bridge of the gods" castle rock cape horn and cigar rock pacific ocean from cape disappointment light along the columbia river.] here and there may be seen the little fisherman craft, "chugging" away from their moorings in the early dawn and returning at the setting of the sun heavily laden with the famous columbia river salmon that feed thousands throughout the world. on sandbars or sand islands, of which there are many in the lower part of the river, the "purse seiners" are conspicuous and the horses dragging the nets strangled with the products of the deep. in the deeper waters close to the shore, but far from the sea, are the fish wheels whirling by the force of the same waters that conceal the treasures being sought. cities appear at frequent intervals, both on the washington side and in oregon. before the entrance to the snake river is reached, one will have passed ilwaco, cathlamet, kalama, vancouver, camas, washougal, stevenson, white salmon, and wallula on the washington side, besides many important cities on the oregon shores: namely, astoria, the site of the first settlement on the columbia; portland, the largest city in oregon, near the mouth of the willamette; and the dalles, for many years the head of navigation. kennewick and pasco are located just beyond the mouth of the snake river, ready to derive full benefit from the improved navigation conditions of the future. between these larger towns is many a tiny hamlet, while isolated farms and orchards surrounding pretty dwellings slope gently towards the river and tend to make the traveler dissatisfied with his own home. at times is visible a beautiful waterfall, a palisade of wonderful basalt, and occasionally some island draped with verdure of many tints. further away a murmuring brook or crystal streamlet may be heard hurrying down a rocky hillside or winding between towering cliffs, adding its share to the tuneful sound of the powerful orchestra that seems everywhere to be heard. constantly shifting color and shade attract the eye and tones of varying quality please the ear. when the mouth of the cowlitz is neared there appear, stretching toward the north, broad areas where man has mingled his skill with nature's works. green fields, sometimes fringed with willows, near the waterfront, and dotted with orchards, farm houses, and dairies, are visible as far as the eye can see. these evidences of man's encroachments are noted all the way to vancouver (and beyond), at which city, the oldest in the state, a tourist should linger long enough to appreciate the region which arrested the attention of our earliest settlers and inspired the beginning of the first city in washington. a bridge, costing nearly two million dollars, will soon connect it with the beautiful city of portland. [illustration: ready for market salmon fisher's retreat--mouth of columbia , at the cannery "lifting the brail", puget sound the salmon fishing industry.] cultivated lands are seen on either side as the river is ascended, until the mountainous region is reached and the roar of the cascades is distinctly heard. these cascades, according to indian lore, were created by the falling of the "bridge of the gods," which once extended from shore to shore and formed the great highway connecting the mountains on the north and their extension to the south, while beneath a mighty river peacefully pursued its course to the sea. the perpendicular buttresses on either hand, the forest areas that apparently fell from above, trees growing out of the water, petrified logs up in the reddish cliffs within the vicinity of stevenson, and many other freaks of nature all seem to strengthen the evidence on which this story is based. throughout the mountainous region are wonderful examples of nature's diverse skill. among the most striking are castle rock, or wehatpolitan's gravestone, a great basaltic rock feet high; st. peter's dome, a sublime elevation of , feet, considered one of the wonders of the american continent; oneonta gorge, almost concealed behind towering rocks; multnomah falls, a matchless waterfall with a sheer drop of feet; cape horn, a long palisade of basalt; rooster rock, unsurpassed for beauty of form and variety of color; and cape eternity, a massive precipice , feet in height. thorough appreciation of the surrounding charms necessitates climbing some of the neighboring hills, or traveling over the wooded river banks and visiting the rustic towns that lie at the foot of the mountains and guard the gateway to the alluring valleys. near stevenson, county seat of skamania county, overlooking the cascade locks, and carson, are several hot springs where accommodations for the most particular are available. from these towns one may follow the wind river valley to its source beyond the headquarters of the rangers where the u. s. forest nurseries are maintained. a few miles further are the government hot springs, near which many low peaks, easy for climbing, offer expansive views of the surrounding country. [illustration: the snake river country around clarkston. photo by asahel curtis.] a twenty-five mile drive up the famous white salmon valley takes one to trout lake, not far from the ice and lava caves in the foothills of mount adams, and near huckleberry mountain, a pow-wow place for the indians. on the way, hundreds of scientifically developed orchards, and oat fields yielding over bushels to the acre, are passed; also the northwest electric company's power plant, which, generating , horse power, supplies power to cities seventy-five miles away. from the massive bluffs of white salmon a panorama of perfectly blending color may be seen, formed by the unusual combination of the columbia river and the mountains to the east and the west, while the entire hood river valley, with mount hood beyond, is visible on the oregon side. the trip from lyle to goldendale along the klickitat river is a journey of surprises. the railroad follows the winding canyon past pretty waterfalls, crosses hurrying brooks, and emerges finally into a wide, fertile plain overlooking the columbia basin. fields of waving grain and other products exhibit the richness of the klickitat valley. those desiring can motor from goldendale into the yakima valley or return to the columbia via maryhill, where hon. samuel hill has built a $ , road across his , -acre farm. nor do all the wonders belong to the lower columbia. before being joined by the snake river, it has drained a region noted for agricultural superiority and contributed liberally to the needs of irrigation. the "big bend" on the left, and the valleys watered by its tributaries from the right, are described under the chapter entitled "the inland empire." following its channel still farther towards the source, wilder scenes are met with, the gorges are deeper, the cascades noisier, native trees more plentiful, waterfalls higher, and the course of the stream more winding. startling phenomena appear in rapid succession, and scenes unimagined will astonish the tourist who spends a little time in re-exploring this great river, for ages a prize eagerly sought by the searchers for the unknown. [illustration: rock lake, miles southwest of spokane. photo by curtis & miller.] [illustration: the inland empire "see pan with flocks with fruits pomona crowned: here blushing flora paints the enameled ground; here ceres' gifts in waving prospect stand, and nodding, tempt the joyful reapers hand."] thousands of years ago, scientists tell us, there existed between the rocky mountains and the cascade range a vast inland sea--the waters left imprisoned when the ocean had receded. after many ages these pent up waters burst the restraining barriers and forced their way to the ocean, creating the deep canyon of the columbia, but leaving behind a broad plain, now known as the inland empire. what was once a desolate waste, however, has been transformed into a "land of canaan." its plateaus unite to form one of the bountiful "bread baskets of the world" while its valleys yield generously of nearly all the products of husbandry. near its borders the mountains, with their retinue of trees, flowers and grassy meadows, reach as far as the invisible power permits and then dispatch their emissaries, the rivers, to wind through and through and distribute the welcome waters that enkindle the irrigated districts with life and activity. far beyond the boundaries of our own state spreads this wonderful plain, but the brief description contemplated in these few pages must be confined chiefly to washington. the curious sight-seer or the serious homeseeker can well afford to spend many days exploring this region, marveling at both the mighty forces of creation and the embellishments of man. under far more pleasant circumstances can it be traversed now than when the early pioneers first fought their way over the mountains. lewis and clarke, the hudson's bay company men, and marcus whitman, supplemented their sturdy limbs and indomitable courage with the trusty saddle horse, the slow prairie schooner or the rude river raft. today the palatial cars of four transcontinental lines make daily trips across the state; branch lines accommodate the territory north and south; and parts not reached by rail are served by well constructed thorofares. chief features. in addition to the columbia river basin, the most important features are the yakima and wenatchee valleys; the lake chelan region; the okanogan highlands with the valleys of the methow, okanogan, san poil, colville and pend oreille; the spokane country; the walla walla valley; the snake river; the big bend and palouse wheat sections with their "coulees"; and the blue mountains. there are also a few low bare ridges of a semi-mountainous character which relieve the prairie effect and permit cycloramic views of the surrounding territory. among these are the saddle mountains, the simcoe hills, and the horse heaven plateau; while a number of spurs from the cascades, including the wenatchee mountains, help form the fertile valleys to the west of the plain. how to reach them. these different sections may be easily reached from almost any city in the state. visitors coming by way of spokane can make a quick yet comprehensive survey of eastern washington in two ways. after seeing the immediate spokane vicinity and visiting the pend oreille valley to the north, either automobiles or great northern trains will convey them up the colville valley to the junction of the kettle and columbia rivers, whence the trip may be continued to republic by train, and down the san poil by auto. at republic trains connect for oroville, whence the journey may be continued to wenatchee down the okanogan valley, both by auto and rail. side trips may be taken up the methow valley and the lake chelan canyon, as well as to numerous other places of interest. from wenatchee the great northern railway or the sunset highway insures an interesting ride back to spokane through the wheat fields of the big bend. the southern half of the region will be seen by making a tour through the palouse to the snake river and walla walla country. transportation leads from there direct to the columbia river, and the yakima and kittitas valleys. the horse heaven may be reached from kennewick and pasco, or from prosser. [illustration: _copyright by asahel curtis_ sunnyside canal--mount adams in distance "_and the old wilderness is changed to cultured vale and hill_"] the other plan reverses the order. after visiting the palouse, snake river, walla walla, yakima, and kittitas valleys, from ellensburg a scenic overland route may be taken direct for wenatchee, whence a loop may be made to include lake chelan and the okanogan highlands, the big bend and the spokane country. the yakima valley. broadly speaking, the yakima valley includes all the rich territory tributary to the yakima river, reaching from lakes keechelus and kachees, its sources in the cascades, to the columbia--a total distance of nearly miles with a range of altitude, at the water's edge, varying from , down to feet. it embraces, besides the yakima valley proper, the kittitas and a number of minor valleys, including the naches, the ahtanum, the cowiche, the selah, the wenas, the satus and the toppenish. these last two belong to the rich country just south of "union gap," where sunnyside and toppenish are located, two enterprising cities, vieing for supremacy over the rich south half of yakima county. further south is prosser, county seat of benton county. above the gap is north yakima with a population of , , the metropolis of the region and home of the state fair; while ellensburg, with , people, is queen of the kittitas valley. the south half of yakima county constitutes the indian reservation where the yakima tribes dwell peaceably by the side of the whites, tilling the soil and occasionally entertaining the people with many a "round up," or wild west show. at fort simcoe is their school, deserving of a visit from anyone interested. [illustration: the yakima valley--mount adams in the distance. photo by curtis & miller.] in this valley, where once was nothing but sage brush and bunch grass, is irrigable land enough to support a population of a million people; for the total water capacity as surveyed by the united states government is estimated at , acre feet, sufficient to water , acres. less than a third of this is at present cultivated and watered from small canals, built by private capital, and from the two largest ones in the state, constructed by the u. s. reclamation service. these latter are the tieton, with water sufficient for , acres, and the sunnyside, capable of irrigating , acres. a journey along the banks of these canals or the yakima river unfolds a panorama of unusual breadth and interest. instead of the heavy forests of the west side, the sage brush struggles for existence just above the main ditches; but the country below is checkered with orchards, farms, and gardens; and cotton woods protect the banks of the streams. impressive is the sight in springtime when fruit trees are all in bloom and the blossom festival, participated in by a hundred-thousand people, is ushering in the full tide of spring; or in autumn when deeper touches of color mark an immense crop ready for the harvester. [illustration: a home near ellensburg.] from the hills on either side, the picture assumes its most perfect form. cities, meadows, orchards, vineyards, hop fields, vegetable gardens, alfalfa farms, corn fields, and prairies, bisected and crisscrossed by railroads, highways, canals, and rivers, protected by the brown hills near by and watched over by the mountains in the distance, supply composition for pictures that in detail and variety must discourage all competition. the wenatchee valley. equally beautiful but of smaller dimensions is the wenatchee valley, reaching from the columbia well up into the foot hills of the cascades. this, too, was a desolate brown slope until the effects of irrigation were felt on its rich volcanic ash soil. after that only ten years were necessary to convert it into a garden of dazzling splendor. instead of the forlorn looking sagebrush, a maze of orchards, extending up the valley and ascending the hills, presents in springtime a solid mass of blossoms, varying from purest white to daintiest shades of pink. serpentining along the hill sides, as if protecting the gardens below, are the great viaducts, conducting the precious waters that irrigate the land; while dodging from one side of the vale to the other, or paralleling the great northern railroad, the wenatchee river hastens onward towards the columbia. the north, south, and west are guarded by forest-covered hills, spurs of the cascades, over which many trails lead to charming mountain lakes and streams, where summer homes are maintained, and game awaits the hunter. the east opens up toward the wheat fields of the big bend, while the columbia river valley to the north and south is tributary and joins in all the enterprises of the district. every tiny tributary stream in the vicinity marks the location of a peaceful home supported in affluence by successful fruit culture or gardening. within this valley are several prosperous cities, including wenatchee, the metropolis of north central washington, with a population of about , , at the junction of the wenatchee and columbia rivers; leavenworth near the head of the valley; and cashmere, midway between the two. the pervading spirit is one of optimism and liberality, for the wenatchee red apple is famous the world o'er and nets its producers $ , , annually. lake chelan. chelan, "beautiful water," is the name of one of the grandest sheets of fresh water reposing upon the bosom of the american continent. it is one of a number of beautiful lakes found throughout the highlands in the vicinity of the upper columbia, but on account of its thrilling beauty and easy approach has become one of the favorite resorts for the entire northwest. it is reached usually via the city of wenatchee, but sometimes from the columbia and okanogan valleys on the north. river boats, automobile stages, or great northern trains allow three principal modes of transportation, each of which reveals different scenes of interest. during summer months the overland trip is undoubtedly the most pleasant and presents the fullest opportunity for appreciating the scenery. the return might be by river boat or train, necessitating a ride down the chelan gorge, where the river drops feet in its brief course of four miles, and furnishes at low water , horsepower. [illustration: the wenatchee valley--near the city of wenatchee. photo by curtis & miller.] surpassing the canyons of the yosemite, the yellowstone, the columbia, and the colorado, the total depth of the chelan canyon reaches in places nearly , feet, while its waters occasionally cover a bottom , feet below the surface. throughout the mile ride from chelan to stehekin, views are observed that for immensity, sublimity and color blending are unexcelled. right into the heart of the cascades the traveler is drawn, while the solemnity and general impressiveness of the whole increases, as he is gradually brought in closer intimacy with divine nature. among features of striking scenic importance are railroad creek, descending , feet in miles, the stehekin river, and rainbow falls. the okanogan highlands. this region consists of low picturesque mountains, alternating with fertile valleys and studded with lakes protected by open forests of spruce, pine, and tamarac. opportunities for the homeseeker, pleasure for the sportsman, and continuous scenes of interest for the tourist are suggested. here one can yet feel the presence of the true western spirit of frontiership, for this part of the state was the last to be thrown open to settlers; and the indians are still in full possession of the colville indian reservation, comprising some , , acres in the south central part of the section, extending from the okanogan river to the eastern boundary of ferry county. under irrigation the valleys yield liberally of fruits, vegetables and dairy products, and the higher lands are devoted to grain and stock raising. lumbering plays its part and mining for precious metals assumes greater importance than elsewhere in the state. [illustration: similkameen river near oroville farm scene in the methow patterson lake methow valley fort okanogan--first white settlement in washington orchards in the okanogan valley the okanogan and methow valleys.] the valleys of the pend oreille, the colville, the kettle, and the okanogan rivers, are now served by rail; but the san poil and the methow are dependent on highway conveyances. of extreme interest is the ride from spokane up the colville and kettle river valleys to oroville, with a short side trip to republic, the leading gold producing city in the state. the railroad crosses the boundary line several times, enforcing the unique experience of being at one moment under the dominion of king george of england and the next back under the stars and stripes. cultivated valleys, broad wheat fields, and picturesque canyons are invaded before arriving at the heights from which oroville appears far below--requiring an hour for the train to descend by a series of remarkable switchbacks. [illustration: colville valley, six miles northwest of colville.] most of the towns in the okanogan highlands are still in their infancy, for its development has been so recent; but therein lies much of its charm. in the pend oreille valley the leading city is newport, the county seat, prettily located on both sides of the river, half in idaho and half in washington. in stevens county are chewelah, a mining town, and colville, the largest city in the region, with a population of over , people. a place that attracts tourists for miles is st. mary's indian mission on the colville indian reservation near omak. other interesting towns are scattered throughout the four counties. [illustration: winesap tree first water on the land a vineyard prune orchard in bloom irrigation scenes in eastern washington.] [illustration: the city of spokane from cliff park--mount spokane in the distance. photo by frank palmer.] the spokane country. from the city of spokane all corners of the inland empire are easily reached. five transcontinental lines enter the city and two others operate trains; while a network of electric lines serves the immediate vicinity, penetrating the territory as far south as colfax, palouse, and moscow; southwest to medical lake and cheney; and eastward to hayden lake and coeur d'alene. highways have been built through the most scenic sections along the river valleys and up into the mountains. each mode of transportation unfolds a different panorama. the hills nearest spokane are covered with a dense growth of pine. farther away are forests of pine, fir, cedar, and tamarac, concealing many lakes teeming with trout and black bass. within a radius of a hundred miles are fifty mountain lakes, thirty-eight of which are ideally located and supplied with all necessary equipment for camping. they include pend oreille, the second largest fresh water lake in the united states, fifty miles east; hayden lake, forty miles east in the heart of the idaho national forest reserve; chatcolet lake, thirty-two miles distant; liberty lake, seventeen miles; priest lake, seventy-eight miles; spirit lake, forty-three miles; coeur d'alene, thirty-two miles; and twin lakes, thirty-three miles. the mountains are visible either to the north or the east. they are neither as lofty nor as rugged as the cascades and olympics, but they are nevertheless beautiful. the highest peak in eastern washington is mount spokane, , feet, twenty miles northeast of the city. from its summit one may look out into the three northwestern states of oregon, idaho and washington, and into the province of british columbia; and count seventeen different lakes and rivers. towards the north are the okanogan highlands with the valleys of the pend oreille and colville, while the bitter root mountains are approached on the east. the roads westward and southward lead past well cultivated gardens, green meadows and groves, until finally is spread before one a sea of grain--continuous wheat fields--the big bend to the west and the palouse to the south. [illustration: wheat ranch harvesting seeding inland empire wheat fields.] towards the east the "apple way," one of the most remarkable roads in america on account of the high class material of which it is constructed, enters the spokane valley, crosses the state of idaho and connects with roads leading to the national parks in montana. this valley more than thirty miles in length, with an average width of eight miles, comprises a level irrigated country cut up into intensive garden and orchard tracts. thousands are supported in affluence by raising apples, pears, cherries, small fruits, garden truck, poultry, and live stock. the advantages of abundant water power, proximity to a great city, rapid transit facilities, and a healthful climate, are quickly transforming the region into one of attractive suburban homes. [illustration: metaline falls on the pend oreille.] the spokane river drops , feet in a distance of miles, and feet within the city limits, falling precipitously feet in the heart of the business section, over a dam feet wide. on both sides is built the city sloping towards its waters and overlooking the country beyond. extensive economic developments are taking place, there being seven distinct projects under way which involve expenditures of nearly $ , , . these include railroad construction, power plants, manufacturing and business blocks, and hotels for tourists. historical events are associated with fort george wright, named for a famous indian fighter; indian canyon, tribal home of spokane indians; mount spokane, a pow-wow place for indian tribes; fort spokane, one of the first government indian posts; old block house, a protection for the early fur traders; and steptoe butte, the scene of a famous battle. [illustration: a famous acre orchard palouse falls feet whitman's monument the blue mountains an hours ride boxes a year scenes around walla walla.] the wheat plateau. the wheat belt includes principally the area within the big bend of the columbia river, the "big bend country," which stretches eastward until it blends with the rolling palouse, one of the richest farm regions in the northwest, and southeast across the snake river to the blue mountains; although considerable wheat is raised in the country lying between the columbia and the cascades, as well as in the four counties to the north. the green carpet is visible, in spring, and the waving heads of yellow grain, in summer, extending away to the horizon. the combined harvester, drawn by thirty-six horses, is a familiar example of the immensity of the machinery needed when gathering the mammoth crop, which for the entire state is in the neighborhood of , , bushels annually. the big bend is broken in places by "coulees" or old river courses, sometimes to feet in depth, where irrigation is practiced and where strings of small alkali lakes have been scattered. two of the most important are moses coulee in douglas county, and grand coulee forming the boundary line between douglas and grant counties, said to be the old bed of the columbia. almost surrounded by the wheat belt lies the quincy valley, containing , acres of level fertile land to be some day irrigated by water conducted under the columbia river from wenatchee lake in chelan county. the best known lakes include soap lake, a health resort, moses lake, near which irrigation from wells is successfully carried on, and rock lake, a rock bound sheet of water in the palouse. the most important river is the palouse which creates the palouse falls just before joining the snake river. near this stream are several prosperous cities, including colfax, palouse, and pullman, the home of the state college and experiment station. the walla walla country. the snake river, largest tributary of the columbia, with a canyon of , feet, cuts this plateau in two, and forms a natural dividing line between whitman and franklin counties on the north, and walla walla, columbia, garfield, and asotin on the south. its warm canyon is famous for early fruits and berries which are shipped in carloads to eastern and western points. fields of wheat, barley or rye extend southward in all four counties to the blue mountains, interrupted occasionally by orchards which assume their greatest proportions in the beautiful touchet and walla walla valleys. over this rich country the fair city of walla walla reigns supreme, her authority being limited only by the columbia and snake rivers, or the blue mountains; although waitsburg, dayton, pomeroy and clarkston are important centers in their own districts. steeped in historical associations is this valley, from wallula, the site of the first hudson's bay fort, to the city of walla walla. when once seen, no words are needed to tell why these lovely plains, all ready for the planting and moistened with sufficient rainfall annually, were so attractive to the early settlers, and inspired the first serious efforts at colonization. the columbia river. all waters of eastern washington reach the ocean through the columbia river, uniting the entire region in one spirit of fraternity. the grandest and most reaching scenic feature of the region, it supplies unlimited water for successful irrigation and power purposes, and in places still provides the principal mode of transportation. between kettle falls and the snake river are a number of important rapids, chief of which is priest rapids, just below saddle gap, ten miles long with a descent of seventy feet and a possible horse power of half a million. just above the mouth of the snake river are the cities of kennewick and pasco, ready to profit by direct navigation to the sea as soon as the celilo locks are completed. at the lowest elevation in the inland empire and surrounded by a large area of irrigable land, they are served by three transcontinental railroads, permitting rapid transit to any part of the northwest. [illustration: priest rapids--saddle mountains beyond "_the river rolled in cataract through the cañon_"] [illustration: our scenic highways "they build and toil, each road a nervous wedge to hew a way where seats of empire wait."] the state of washington is rapidly developing a system of roads which, finally consummated, will rival in skillful engineering and commercial importance the french highways, and in scenic grandeur the mountain passes of switzerland. easy approaches are being constructed to every town and hamlet and into every farming community. so vigorously has the work been pushed that washington now outranks every other state, except colorado, in the facility and directness with which its mountain recesses may be reached. upwards of , miles have been already completed, presenting altogether a labyrinth of broad thorofares, boulevards, and country highways. the most important highways built and maintained at state expense are the pacific, the sunset, the inland empire, the olympic and the national park. the pacific highway. the pacific highway extends from the southern limit of the state of california to vancouver, british columbia, twenty-seven miles north of washington's boundary line, a total distance of about two thousand miles. three hundred and fifty miles is within the state of washington, connecting vancouver on the columbia with blaine at the international line. it traverses nine counties of washington, containing forty-eight per cent of the wealth and fifty-five per cent of the population, and passes through nine county seats, including olympia, the state capital, vancouver, kalama. chehalis, tacoma, seattle, everett, mount vernon and bellingham. [illustration: pacific highway national park highway willapa harbor state road along the methow rainier national park road sunset boulevard near spokane along the scenic highways.] from vancouver, washington, this highway starts northward through the prune and plum orchards of clarke county, where more of these trees grow than in all other parts of the state combined. along the banks of the historic columbia and through the fertile valley of the cowlitz, it winds toward kelso, famous for smelt fisheries; and castle rock, the gateway to mount st. helens. deviating to the right at vader, the north fork of the picturesque chehalis is soon reached, which fertile valley is followed to the cities of chehalis and centralia, two rapidly growing railroad centers having a combined population of , people. groves, orchards, gardens and prairies line the smooth gravelly road from here to olympia, where the first view of puget sound is obtained. the desire to swerve off toward grays harbor or the olympic peninsula by the newly completed olympic highway, or to try the steamer on the peaceful sound, is with difficulty overcome; but the pacific highway finally wins and draws one on toward tacoma, thirty-two miles northeast. rising above the famous nisqually flats, and descending again to cross the oak moor lands marking the beginning of tacoma's playgrounds and reminding one of southern england, the road soon enters tacoma, third city in population in the state. along the puyallup and white river valleys, the course leads, touching at puyallup and sumner, famous for berry culture; at auburn and kent, centers of a rich dairy section; and at renton, bristling with manufacturing importance near the southern end of beautiful lake washington. a dozen miles more and you are on the streets of seattle, metropolis of the northwest and third city in size west of the rocky mountains. northward the course continues. a broad paved road winds along by lake washington to bothel, passing several pretty lakes, entering green woods, intersecting meadows, crossing streamlets, rising to sightly plateaus and descending again to peaceful valleys before it reaches everett, a city of , , located on an eminence overlooking the waters of the sound. the next town reached is marysville, whence the highway skirts the tulalip indian reservation, crosses the stillaguamish river in the sylvan flats and enters stanwood where a scenic road branches off to camano island. at mount vernon and burlington, where it intersects the skagit county road leading from anacortes eastward to the mountains, one may appreciate the famous skagit valley, the "holland of the northwest," where bushels of oats to the acre have been yielded on land protected from the sea and river by immense dykes. within ten miles of bellingham the water front road is reached, said to be the most picturesque on the entire route: for the sound is plainly seen from the shaded highway which clings to the side of chuckanut mountain, while the electric interurban and the great northern railway traverse the waterfront below. bellingham, a city of , , has innumerable attractions to hold the tourist, who still has twenty miles' journey if he would follow the pacific highway to the washington limit at blaine, the most northwesterly municipality in the united states. near by is the whatcom county government farm, the only one in the northwest; where bulb growing rivals the same industry in holland. sunset highway. the sunset highway is the only route at present permitting through automobile traffic across the cascade mountains and connecting the western with the eastern counties. throughout its full four hundred miles from seattle to spokane it introduces the tourist to scenes which for diversity and pleasant surprises, varying from rugged mountains and roaring waterfalls to peaceful irrigated valleys or broad wheat plains, can nowhere be duplicated. with the exception of a few miles the grades are never more than five per cent. branching off from the pacific highway at renton, it rises northeastward to the headwaters of the snoqualmie river. just below the town of snoqualmie appear the wonderful falls of the same name, the "niagara of the west." this immense stream of water falling feet, is now harnessed to supply power and light to the cities and towns of puget sound. following the banks of this river the highway penetrates entrancing forests and exposes many a remarkable panorama. both road and river are at times clearly visible from the chicago-milwaukee trains puffing towards the summit. [illustration: showing the capital mt. rainier in the distance a trail tumwater falls puget sound from priest point park around olympia, our capital city.] descending, the road leads southeast along the headwaters of the yakima, and skirts the eastern banks of beautiful lake keechelus, where the government is building a huge dam for storing water to irrigate the kittitas and yakima valleys. passing the southern extremity of lake kachees, another deep mountain lake, it soon passes cle elum, a coal shipping center, enters the broad kittitas valley and reaches the cultured city of ellensburg, mistress of the section and home of one of the state normals. the route is now northeastward over table mountain by a , -foot pass, permitting an excellent view of mounts rainier and hood. the banks of the columbia are followed to wenatchee, the metropolis of north central washington and the famous red apple district. crossing the columbia it proceeds along its east bank to orondo, whence, plunging through a winding canyon, it rises rapidly to the great wheat plateau of the big bend, which bursts suddenly upon the view. leaving waterville, the county seat of douglas county, it turns abruptly eastward to continue in an almost unbroken line through expansive wheat fields towards spokane, the metropolitan city of the inland empire, over a hundred miles away. at coulee city, forty miles from waterville, it would be worth while to linger long enough to explore the grand coulee, said to be the old bed of the columbia. full of strange features, it has attracted attention from geographers of international reputation. wilbur, davenport, the county seat of lincoln county, and reardan, besides many smaller settlements, almost lost in the midst of the great wheat fields, appear before the thin woods shading the approach into spokane are reached. inland empire highway. at ellensburg the sunset highway connects with the inland empire road, a southern route to spokane via walla walla. following the wenas valley to north yakima, it continues southeast through the union gap and along the sunnyside canal, the largest irrigation ditch in the state, where a splendid view of the valley, with mount hood in the distance appears. from prosser, county seat of benton county and entrance to the horse heaven country, the road drops toward the columbia river and soon reaches kennewick, the home of early strawberries, and pasco, county seat of franklin county. [illustration: lower spokane falls, and bridge with second largest concrete arch in the world. photo by frank palmer.] from here the central washington highway threads the extensive wheat fields toward the northeast, passing through connell, lind, ritzville, and sprague, all important wheat shipping centers; and cheney, the site of another state normal, fifteen miles southwest from the city of spokane. the inland empire highway leads on to the beautiful city of walla walla; but at dayton, the quaint county seat of columbia county, it divides, uniting again near rosalia, twenty-five miles south of spokane. the shorter route trends northeast, crosses the snake at pataha and passes through colfax, county seat of whitman county, in the rich palouse valley. the other branch penetrates extensive barley and wheat fields, enters pomeroy, county seat of garfield county, and clarkston, on the eastern boundary line, named for the great explorer. bending northward it transects irrigated lands and wheat fields; enters pullman, home of the state college, palouse, garfield and oakesdale; joins the other branch at the county boundary line and soon reaches the southern outskirts of spokane. [illustration: inland empire highway, ten miles east of walla walla.] from spokane this road presses northward through the colville valley to the columbia, and thence to the international boundary line, having previously passed at deer park the arcadia orchard, largest commercial apple orchard in the world; loon lake, a summer resort; chewelah, a mining town surrounded by a dairying country; and colville, county seat of stevens county and largest city in this section. a pleasant contrast is this northern extension, regaining the mountains and evergreen forests, the swiftly flowing rivers with glorious waterfalls, and the chains of lakes adorning irrigated vales and green meadows. olympic, national park and other highways. the olympic highway, when the few miles from bogachiel to lake quiniault, overlooking the pacific ocean, are completed, will form a complete loop around the olympic peninsula, from which it derives its name. winding along at the foot of the mountains, it connects the leading cities of the district and exposes some of the most scenic features of the sound country, including hood canal, the strait of juan de fuca, grays harbor, and occasionally the pacific ocean. the principal cities touched at are shelton, port townsend, port angeles, hoquiam, aberdeen, elma and olympia. [illustration: anacortes road.] the national park highway extends from tacoma to rainier national park, whence it bears southward to the headwaters of the cowlitz, crosses to the chehalis valley and, after connecting with chehalis and centralia, leads southwest, over the low coast range to raymond and south bend on willapa bay, and from there continues to the mouth of the columbia. other scenic routes are planned to cross the cascade mountains. two are nearly completed, viz., the mcclellan pass highway, paralleling the sunset as far as north yakima, and one along the north bank of the columbia. a third will sometime cross and connect the skagit valley with the methow. [illustration: wild elk in the olympic mountains.] [illustration: a sportsman's paradise "the antlered monarch of the waste sprang from his heathery couch in haste"] this book cannot expect to win the largest measure of approval from the followers of nimrod unless a few paragraphs are devoted to the opportunities for the chase and the plentifulness of game fish and birds. of course, the real sportsman would rather discover the prey for himself. to tell minutely where every prize is to be found would be like disclosing the end of an interesting story before the beginning had been read. but even if it were well to do so, every page in this publication would be needed just to mention each stream and lake containing fish, every coppice concealing fowl, and every wood protecting the quarry. that the common species of game are plentiful is superfluous to say. on holidays and at week ends, during the open season, it is a familiar sight to witness the khaki-suited brave looking sportsmen, with guns or fish baskets and rods, clambering onto the trains or hiking to the nearest point where the welcome woods and the realm of habitation meet. it is equally common to behold this same army of hunters trailing along at the close of the holiday, burdened with fish of many species, vari-colored fowl, or the hides of various game animals. game birds are very prolific. among the most prominent are the chinese pheasant, bob white and california quail, hungarian partridge, and native prairie chickens; all are found along the streams or in the clearings and fields of nearly every part of the state. blue grouse are quite plentiful in western washington and in the wooded sections of eastern washington. ruffled grouse are plentiful in the okanogan highlands and in several of the western counties. all species of ducks are to be found on puget sound and along the rivers and lakes tributary thereto, also along many streams and lakes of the inland empire; while geese infest the columbia and snake river regions in eastern washington. [illustration: the angler's reward. photo by b. c. collier] perhaps no state in the union has as many varieties of real fighting trout as washington; including especially the mountain, rainbow, cut throat, beardsley, crawford, lake, steel head, and eastern brook, in all lakes and mountain streams. black bass and perch are very plentiful in the land-locked lakes; and certain sections produce also many varieties of white fish, sun fish, croppies and cat fish. the waters of puget sound, the harbors and the columbia river contain many species of salmon. the commonest and most hunted large game is the deer, found chiefly in the hills and mountains, although in some localities it invades the domains of domestic animals. the leading varieties noted are the mule and black tail, there being also a few white tail. in the olympic region are large herds of elk and a few in the southwest and northeastern counties. these, however, are temporarily protected by law. mountain goat and sheep are found in the rocky peaks of the cascades; while the black and brown bear are found in the wooded hills and mountains; also occasionally cougars, wild cats, and wolves. these latter, however, keep themselves far removed from the main traveled roads; only by much care are they located, so that the timid need have no fear of wandering in the woods alone. in order to insure plenty of game at the right season of the year, five trout hatcheries are supported by the state and a number by separate counties. the state hatcheries alone planted , , trout in . the common birds are propagated and set free at both public and private expense. with nature's already liberal supply, and the state and counties blending their united efforts to supplement and conserve, the true sportsman will never regret casting his lot with the state of washington, where his outdoor propensities may be encouraged to the fullest degree. [illustration: hayden lake rose garden hays park manitou park waterfall, indian canyon down river drive in and about the city of spokane.] [illustration: cities and suggested trips "spreads now many a stately city; solitude returns no more! happy country! happy people! peace prevails from shore to shore"] the cities of washington are all beautiful in their natural setting, and reflect the originality, the energy and love for artistic design of the people who dwell within them. in western washington they are usually protected by verdure covered hills, and built to overlook the sound, the harbors, or the rivers. the smaller towns nestle close to pretty streams which supply power and water. snow capped mountains are always visible. the east side cities are usually near the larger streams and adorned with trees, both native and cultivated. forests are lacking in the columbia river plain, and the brown hills are continually in sight. in the northern counties, however, the native trees and mountains again become more prominent. all cities are well provided with spacious and comfortable hotels. theaters, business blocks, school houses, churches, and other public buildings are of modern structure; the streets are generally paved; practically all have electric lights and pure running water. the homes are planned both for beauty and comfort, and are often surrounded by green lawns or gardens where hundreds of species of beautiful flowers reach perfection. the following pages are devoted to brief descriptions of the larger centers, and the more important trips from each. they are arranged to represent a tour about the state and in the order in which one might visit all, or certain ones only, with the least expenditure of time. the cities given have commercial organizations prepared to give further information regarding their respective localities. =spokane:= metropolis of the inland empire, and second largest city in the state. population about , . its growth was over per cent in twenty years. situated on both sides of the spokane river with wonderful waterfalls in heart of city. one of the leading railroad centers in the west, it has five transcontinental lines operating on their own tracks and two others over joint tracks. its hotels, theaters, public buildings, and homes, are among the most costly in the northwest. its fifty-two parks, comprising , acres valued at more than $ , , , give the largest per capita park area of any city in the united states. splendid boulevards within the city connect with broad highways leading to distant points in the inland empire. there is a boating course two miles long above the city, a municipal bathing pool a mile from the business center, and a zoo at manito park. one may see large manufacturing establishments, irrigation, wheat fields, and many big development projects within a limited area. it is the home of the north pacific fruit distributors, which markets per cent of the apples of washington, oregon, idaho and montana. a few of the more important trips should include the following: mt. spokane, miles n. e., highest peak in eastern washington. indian canyon, miles west (indian wigwams still there). medical lake, miles s. w., famous for medicinal qualities of water; one of state's hospitals here. return by way of cheney, home of one of state normal schools. spokane valley, fruit section along apple way to hayden lake. reardan, by sunset highway, miles, built at cost of $ , . jas. p. grave's model farm; country club on waikiki road. arcadia apple orchard at deer park, largest in the world. colville valley, chewelah and colville, a rich agricultural valley, good roads, mountains in sight, many lakes. pend oreille valley, newport, ione, and metaline falls; see box and grandview canyons; river falls feet in miles. steptoe butte for expansive view of palouse country. through the palouse to colfax, moscow, and state college at pullman, one of the most remarkable rides--train, auto, or electric. kellogg, idaho, to see largest lead and silver mine in the world. northern idaho, through to fourth of july canyon. long lake, miles northwest, $ , , dam. see also "spokane country" under the "inland empire." =walla walla:= (many waters.) the "garden city," at one time said to "have more bicycles, more pianos, more flowers, and more pretty girls than any other city in the northwest." population , . one of the richest farm regions in the world is adjacent. next to vancouver, oldest city in the state, and home of first white woman in the northwest. picturesque hills, with gentle slopes, usually covered with waving grain, surround it; while many a little stream, protected by cottonwoods and birches, winds towards the larger rivers. the n. p. and o. w. r. & n. railways, and inland empire highway pass through. trees line the well paved streets and produce a particularly artistic effect. here is located whitman college, on the site where stevens made his famous treaty with the indians; the state penitentiary; the blalock fruit company's , -acre fruit farm; old fort walla walla, and the oldest bank in state. [illustration: the columbia river, from white salmon _copyright by kiser photo co., portland, ore._ "_superbly flowing_ _by piny banks basaltiform, romantic_"] trips should include: the blue mountains and wenaha forest reserve for wild and rugged canyons and summer resorts. toll gate pass, miles, a resort, and the only pass to the wallowa country in oregon; wallowa lake. bingham hot springs, miles; clinker hot springs. the famous whitman monument at waiilatpui, about miles west. the columbia and snake rivers; palouse falls; the little and big meadows. vast wheat, barley and rye farms, some of which contain , acres and more; also large stock ranches. the touchet valley, where diversified farming is successful. waitsburg, dayton, pomeroy, clarkston and asotin, via inland empire highway. pasco and kennewick at mouth of snake. [illustration: a shady boulevard in walla walla.] =north yakima:= metropolis of the yakima valley, where the largest body of irrigated land in the state lies. population about , . all points in the lower yakima and in south central washington are easily reached. business and public buildings are of artistic design. city is symmetrically laid out with very wide streets, well shaded. it grew from a village to the metropolis in a few years, keeping pace with the rapid development evident all up and down the valley. a blossom festival is held annually in the springtime, and the state fair in september. a sight-seeing electric car will take one forty miles through alfalfa fields and orchards where the results of irrigation are displayed. good automobile roads extend in every direction. trips should include: a climb to west selah heights for a comprehensive view of valley. up the atanum, past old mission, through the narrows to soda springs. moxee valley to see the flowing wells: on the return mt. rainier and mt. adams are plainly seen. one through union gap either by o.-w., gasoline motor, automobile, or the n. p. ry. the towns of sunnyside, toppenish, wapato, mabton, granger, zillah and fort simcoe, of historic interest, will be seen; also largest area of sage brush land in the state. bumping lake; lakes kachees and keechelus in the cascades--summer resorts and storage reservoirs. horseshoe bend, past perpendicular cliffs of basalt, following the american and bumping rivers to the summit of the cascades. up the naches valley on the state road, past "painted rocks." into the tieton basin by pack trains; the mountain and glacial scenery here rivals the canadian rockies. headwaters of the cowiche and wenas--good roads and scenery. ellensburg via valley of the wenas--beautiful scenery. =ellensburg:= metropolis of kittitas valley, of which , acres are irrigated, while the high line, proposed, will water , acres more. a level country checkered with orchards, oat fields and dairy farms gradually rises to the foot hills of the cascades, where grand mountain scenery is revealed. estimated population about , . one of the three state normals is here. splendid highways. suggested trips: cle elum, miles through the forest, with a good view of mt. stewart ( , feet). north yakima via valley of the wenas. manastash canyon with its orchards and farms; perpendicular cliffs on either side. lakes keechelus, miles, kachess, miles, and cle elum, miles. at these three beautiful lake resorts, in the heart of the cascades, the government is building, at mammoth expense, a system of storage dams for watering the yakima valley. wenatchee by peshastin canyon, or over table mountain, by a , -foot pass from which mt. rainier, mt. hood, and other peaks are visible. =wenatchee:= the metropolis of north central washington, and gateway to the wenatchee, columbia, entiat, okanogan, methow and lake chelan regions. situated at the confluence of columbia and wenatchee rivers, with the foot hills of the cascades a few miles away. one continuous orchard is seen up and down both valleys. auto roads lead in all directions to innumerable points of interest, and the navigable columbia provides transportation for many miles. a labyrinth of lakes and beautiful farms are within easy reach. the mountain scenery is impressive. for a commanding view one should climb saddle rock. mounts rainier, hood and baker, also the smoke of walla walla are visible from some points. population , . suggested trips: lake chelan, stehekin river, chelan falls and rainbow falls by red apple route and auto stage and boat; lyman glacier, miles from lake chelan--a star trip. glaciers at head of entiat river, miles. horseshoe basin. myrtle lake; dumpke lake; emerald park, a beautiful natural park, between lake chelan and entiat valley, reached by government trail; good hotels. waterville by stage along the columbia, orchards, wheat fields. okanogan valley to oroville by auto stage or train, boat part way if preferred. a week or more could be spent to advantage. historical sights are numerous. near omak is st. mary's indian mission. near brewster is site of oldest settlement in state. big irrigation projects are seen. near oroville are osoyoos, wanacut and epsom salts lakes, and the similkameen river. okanogan, county seat, riverside and tonasket, are passed. methow valley, via pateros, to twisp and winthrop; irrigation, captivating scenery, splendid roads. colville indian reservation in okanogan and ferry counties. moses and grand coulees; moses lake and soap lake. [illustration: denny hall, u. of w. university of washington, seattle _administration building domestic science hall state college_ state college of washington, pullman our two leading educational institutions.] up the wenatchee valley by auto to leavenworth, from which tumwater canyon, the g. n. power plant, and the government fish hatcheries are easily reached; also icicle river by horseback over government trail; chiwawa river, a fishing stream, (auto or horse) and lake wenatchee, a favorite mountain resort miles northwest. =snohomish:= "garden city," second in importance and oldest in snohomish county. located in the midst of the rich dairy country just east of everett, with which city it is connected by interurban and river boats, as well as by steam trains. see "everett" for trips. =everett:= "city of smokestacks." population about , . located on a sightly peninsula formed by puget sound and the snohomish river. views on every side are superb. the cascades and olympics are clearly visible, especially mounts baker, rainier and many lesser peaks, including pilchuck, always conspicuous, near by. parks, boulevards and playgrounds, and beautiful homes give artistic completeness. the only arsenic plant in the united states is here. it is an important manufacturing city, especially in lumber, shingles, machinery and paper. beginning at the city limits a rich dairy country extends to the cascades. a yearly festival called the "kla how ya" is held in july. the g. n., n. p., c, m. & st. p. railways and three interurbans center here, while automobile roads, including the pacific highway, lead to the mountains and to lake resorts. suggested trips: index, a mountain resort in the cascades, from which may be reached sunset, canyon, eagle, and bridal veil falls; lake serene, lake isabel and many scenic peaks easily climbed. gold bar (on road to index), to see wallace and olney falls. sultan for sultan basin and canyon. fishing, hunting, camping. granite falls, the canyon of the stillaguamish, and mt. pilchuck. monte cristo, snoqualmie falls, darrington, scenic hot springs. whidbey and camano islands with their many lakes and resorts; coupeville, oak harbor and other towns--some excellent roads. silver lake, lake stevens, and snohomish and tulalip indian reservation. startup pear orchards, largest west of cascades. utsaladdy, via sylvan and stanwood passes of lower stillaguamish where lie rich dyked lands. hazel, miles; stockbridge dairy farm; oat fields. seattle / hours to south and bellingham / hours to the north, by pacific highway. snohomish by river boats, auto or rail. monroe with its large condensery; state reformatory here. skagit valley, mount vernon, burlington, sedro woolley and la conner. =skagit valley cities:= mount vernon, county seat, burlington, sedro woolley and la conner are important centers in the skagit valley, famous both for its beauty and because it has some of the richest farm land in the world, extending for miles and level as a table. dykes are built to protect the country from being overflowed. oat yields have been known as high as bushels to the acre; while dairying is nowhere in the state more important, two condenseries being supported in mount vernon. two main railroad lines with branches, besides an interurban, serve the section. the pacific highway and skagit county highway cross at burlington. auto trips are made direct to bellingham, anacortes, everett and east into the mountains, visible from almost every point. many beautiful lakes in region. =anacortes:= a seaport town on fidalgo island at western extremity of skagit county. population about , . g. n. railway and sound steamers supply transportation. the skagit county highway starts here. salmon canneries, lumber and shingle manufacturing and ship building may be seen to advantage. suggested trips: south to deception pass by auto; cross by ferry and continue to coupeville and fort casey. splendid roads; rhododendrons. east to skagit valley points. mountains and water always in sight. cypress, guemes and san juan islands, and all sound points. =bellingham:= population about , . metropolis of northwestern washington and fifth in size in state. in vicinity are the largest salmon cannery in world and one of largest lumber and saw mills on coast. the olympics, selkirks and cascades crowned by mount maker are visible from its streets. sehome hill, where one of the state normal schools is located, permits a view of bellingham bay where the ships of the world anchor. in front of city lie san juan islands; fishing craft may be seen. acres of parking area have been provided. pretty roads lead through big timber in various directions. at its door stands mount baker, one of main tourist objectives of the northwest, and one of the most interesting mountains on the continent. the annual marathon races, participated in by the athletes of the world, are made to its summit and back to bellingham. suggested tours: mt. baker, for a two days' trip, or unlimited time. olga, east sound and other points on the san juan islands; boat leaves every morning. see page . lummi, cypress, guemes and other islands, also deception pass. u. s. experiment farm, via pacific highway; government bulb farm, in full bloom during april and may; country club. lake whatcom, a suburban resort, minutes' ride; nooksack falls; lake samish by samish road through big timber. blaine, most northwesterly city in the united states. birch bay and lincoln park, visiting also custer, lynden and ferndale. chuckanut hill--view of sound and surrounding country. out in a launch to see a fish trap raised--a rare sight. port townsend, port angeles, victoria, vancouver and the ocean--splendid water trips. the famous skagit valley by trolley or auto. anacortes on fidalgo island by water, auto or train. =port angeles:= northern gateway to olympic peninsula and nearer the ocean than any other city in the puget sound country. harbor is one of the best. railroads are just building in. extensive improvements are taking place. it has one of the largest saw and shingle mills in the world. no prettier scenery anywhere. [illustration: bringing in a whale indian village burden bearer contentment calling mother our earliest pioneers.] suggested trips: lake sutherland, lake crescent, and government hot springs. sol duc hot springs, the "karlsbad of america," miles southwest, in the heart of the olympics. hotel cost half a million. up the elwha river into the mountains and on to mt. olympus. hydro-electric power plant, six miles east, built at cost of $ , , . to furnish light and power for entire olympic peninsula. sequim and dungeness, by olympic highway, to see largest irrigation tracts in western washington. mountains and sound are continually in view. trip may be continued to port townsend or along the olympic highway to olympia and grays harbor. =port townsend:= "key city" to puget sound. situated on quimper peninsula with port townsend bay and admiralty inlet, discovery bay, and straits of juan de fuca on three sides. from mountain view park a broad outlook is obtained, which includes, besides the waters mentioned, the olympic and the cascade mountains and hundreds of minor details. other beautiful parks are chetzemoka and lucinda hastings. less rain falls than elsewhere in western washington. pretty driveways decorated with rhododendrons, unusual boating possibilities and easy approach to the olympics, make the region ideal for summer outings. adjoining the city is fort worden, headquarters for the puget sound system of defenses, where the th artillery band, one of the best in the service, renders daily programs. several of the fastest passenger steamers on the sound stop daily. suggested trips: fort worden by auto and fort flagler by water. fort casey, coupeville, one of the oldest towns in state, and other points on whidbey island. deception pass by water, very pretty scenery. hood canal and discovery bay, by water or auto. south through the chimacum valley past quilcene, around mt. walker to brinnon and duckabush on hood canal, returning via discovery bay and saints rest: from quilcene the olympic highway leads clear through to olympia. =seattle:= metropolis of the northwest, with an estimated population of , . it is a city of hills, occupying the sightly eminences, valleys and plateaus lying between lake washington and puget sound, but sloping gradually to the water's edge in either direction. its entire area is . square miles, which includes two large fresh water lakes, lake union and green lake, and nearly encompasses the harbor known as elliott bay. it is gridironed with miles of street car lines while an elaborate boulevard system of more than thirty miles connects its thirty-eight parks, which have a total area of , acres. there are also a number of children's playgrounds. from nearly all points there is visible either the sound with the snow capped olympics or lake washington and the cascades. seattle is a city marvelous both for its enterprise and for its beauty. hills have given way to business blocks and thorofares, and at the same time have increased the area of the city by supplying material for filling in the tide flats, now occupied by the most valuable factory sites. the forty-two story smith building is the highest in the world outside of new york. at salmon bay the government is constructing its second largest locks in a canal to connect the sound with lake washington. six transcontinental lines have their terminals in this city which is also the gateway to alaska and the home port of the great circle route. [illustration: smith building, seattle, tallest in the world outside new york.] within the city one should visit: lake washington canal locks, fort lawton, west point lighthouse, loyal height. university of washington and a.-y.-p. e. grounds, overlooking lake washington. lookout tower at volunteer park. lookout on forty-two story smith building. west seattle and alki point--waterfront camping sites inside city limits. its many beautiful parks and matchless boulevard system. outside trips should include: mount rainier, via tacoma, , or days--auto or train. sol duc, the "karlsbad of america," and lake crescent, via port angeles, days--steamer and auto. snoqualmie falls ( feet), day by snoqualmie pass road. cedar falls, lake and river, day. mount si, near north bend. lake keechelus, in the cascade mountains, day. hood canal, day; san juan islands, days. see pages and . whidbey island--coupeville, oak harbor and still park, or days. country club, richmond beach and edmonds--paved road. bremerton, to see largest dry dock in the united states, half day. several good auto trips may be taken from here. white river valley, to the south, passing kent and auburn. a paved road extends all the way to tacoma and beyond. vashon island, a large agricultural island and resort region between seattle and tacoma. mt. baker, via bellingham, days. stop at everett on way. index, gold bar and sultan for beautiful mountain scenery, fishing and hunting; or days. tacoma, olympia, shelton and lake cushman in the olympics. [illustration: mt. baker park boulevard and lake washington interlaken boulevard totem pole in pioneer square volunteer park portion of the formal gardens here and there along seattle's boulevards.] renton, a busy city just to the south of lake washington; go by the duwamish river route and return by rainier valley. black diamond and new castle coal mines. see description of other puget sound cities, all reached quickly. =puyallup:= a famous berry center in the rich puyallup valley. over a quarter million dollars worth of berries are shipped annually. all western washington railroads serve it, while electric interurbans and auto cars over the pacific highway provide several trips per hour to tacoma. the western washington experiment station is here and the western washington fair is held yearly. it is the transfer point for orting, the site of the state soldiers' home, and fairfax, northern entrance to mt. rainier national park. for trips, see "tacoma." [illustration: tacoma's stadium. during roosevelt's visit. seats , .] =tacoma:= population , . third city in size and importance in the state. picturesquely located on commencement bay, one of the great harbors of puget sound. the olympics complete the view toward the west while the cascades on the east are overshadowed by mt. rainier (or mt. tacoma), which seems to rise from within city limits. a complete system of parks, play grounds and boulevards add to the natural beauty. the residence portion of the city overlooks an extensive manufacturing section which claims the largest meat packing establishment in the west, the largest grain warehouse in the world, and the largest smelter west of butte city, with one of the tallest cement smokestacks in the world. tacoma is also the largest flour milling center west of minneapolis and the fifth city in exports and imports on the coast. miles of unsurpassed highway lead south through a vast natural park consisting of broad prairies dotted with lakes and covered with groves of oak trees; or southeast into the famous puyallup valley fruit and berry district. its improved parks comprise , acres, of which constitute point defiance park at northern extremity of peninsula, and acres, wright park in center of city, having , trees and shrubs in different varieties. other remarkable features are a natural amphitheater or stadium, seating , people; the highest lift bridge in the world and the only one on a grade; the northern pacific shops and a union passenger depot, model of its kind; and a speedway of / miles where the motor races of the northwest are run. a rose carnival is held annually. suggested trips outside of city: mt. rainier-tacoma in rainier national park--see page . puyallup and sumner to see large berry and dairy farms. american lake, camping headquarters for the national guard. lake spanaway, lake steilacoom and country club, summer resorts on southern outskirts of city. some of the best natural roads in the world. olympia, grays harbor, shelton, hood canal, lake cushman and the olympic mountains--excellent roads. electron, le grande and dieringer--immense water power plants. eatonville, ohop lake, little marshall falls, wild cat falls. kapowsin lake, twin lake farm--dozens of lakes in vicinity. parkland, fawcett lake, melville springs, clover creek. vashon island points; bay island points on fox, mcneils, anderson and other islands. see also descriptions of other puget sound cities. =olympia:= "the pearl of puget sound," the "salem of the northwest," and seat of state government. three railroads and four state highways converge here. the waters of puget sound reflect the low verdure covered hills protecting the city and extending out along the shores. the mountains are seen on every side. at the edge of city, on the north, is priest point park, of acres. the end of the oregon trail is marked by a monument in capitol park in the heart of the city. tumwater, a mile away, is the site of the first settlement on puget sound. in olympia the first store was opened for business in the state. the old new england inn, formerly the scene of all territorial functions, is marked forever by a brass plate embedded in the sidewalk, and the homes of the first territorial governor, isaac i. stevens, and general r. h. milroy are still to be seen. trips should include: tumwater, nisqually river, tumwater falls--trolley cars, paved road. clear lake, miles; summit lake, miles; black lake, miles; long and patterson lakes, miles; talcotts lake, miles; bloom's and hewitt's lakes, miles. tenino stone quarry and oil prospects; bordeaux logging camps. hartstine, quaxin, stretch and many other small islands. shelton, union city, skokomish river valley and lake cushman, miles distant; olympic mountains and canal always in sight. grays harbor and the beach resorts; also all upper sound points. =aberdeen and hoquiam:= two cities on grays harbor, connected by electric interurban. the gateway to the olympics by the southern route. combined population about , (over , in aberdeen), an increase of nearly per cent in years, due chiefly to lumbering and fishing industries, but farming and dairying are gaining. near by are some of the largest trees in the state. splendid highways, including the olympic, lead in various directions, while the broad, firm ocean beaches a short distance away offer miles of excellent motor race tracks. three transcontinental trains serve the district. [illustration: wright park a rose arbor point defiance park and puget sound a suburban home on american lake in and about tacoma.] suggested trips: cosmopolis, a pretty city of , people, just across the chehalis river. a trolley line connects it with aberdeen. cohasset, westport, pacific, sunset and moclips beaches, by auto, train or boat--ideal summer resorts. point grenville and cape elizabeth, bold headlands of the olympics on either side of the quiniault river; near by are sporting grounds of the sea lions. montesano, county seat, at junction of wynooche with the chehalis river (boat, train or auto). land near by produces bushels of oats or tons of rutabagas to the acre. around the harbor visiting whaling station, government jetty and light house; see crab fisheries; enjoy ocean swell. humptulips valley and lake quiniault in the indian reservation; returning by canoe down quiniault river to tahola, near the oil prospects; or continue into the olympics as far as desired. read also "harbor country" chapter. [illustration: harbor country beauties.] =south bend and raymond:= two progressive cities in southwestern washington on willapa bay, one of the best harbors on coast. lumbering, farming, shell and salmon fisheries, and cranberry culture are sustaining industries. read also "the harbor country." =centralia and chehalis:= important railroad centers four miles apart, connected by trolley and half way between tacoma and portland. combined population about , ( , in centralia). a rich dairy and farm country surrounds them, formed by the chehalis, the newaukum and skookumchuck rivers. about trains leave centralia daily. coal mines, farms and lumber are important. between cities are southwest washington fair grounds. at chehalis, county seat, is a large condensery. the pacific highway and the rainier national park highway cross near by. suggested trips: the oldest temple of justice in the state--built in . old block house at fort borst, junction of skookumchuck and chehalis rivers, territorial inn where gen. grant stopped. boy's training school just south of chehalis. girl's school just north of centralia. convict rock crushing quarry at meskill station. coal mines at tono and mendota; oil wells at tenino. mossy rock, sulphur springs, sulphur springs falls, cowlitz gorge. cowlitz valley and columbia river; stopping at winlock, napavine, vader, castle rock, kelso and other pretty towns. see smelt fisheries and ocean-going cigar shaped raft. mount st. helens and spirit lake via castle rock--two weeks' trip. =vancouver:= oldest city in state; settled in by the hudson bay company. it slopes gently towards the columbia river, visible from all points. to the north are the prune orchards for which clarke county is noted, and the english walnut seems to have found its ideal habitat. adjoining city are the vancouver barracks, occupying acres of land, of which constitute a natural park with many winding roads. state schools for the deaf and the blind are located near. what is said to be the oldest apple tree in the northwest still thrives. electric lines extend to the outlying districts, also to portland, oregon, while auto drives may be made along the river, nowhere more picturesque, or through the surrounding prosperous farming districts. suggested trips: battle ground lake, miles (auto or steam cars). washougal river, miles east (auto or steam cars). camas, miles east, to see crown columbia paper mills. lake merrill, costing $ . for four or five persons. portland, oregon, the second city in the northwest, soon to be connected by a $ , , . bridge across the columbia. north fork of lewis river for fishing, hunting and camping. mount st. helens and spirit lake, miles, via lewis river. mount adams and indian race track in klickitat county, via white salmon. several hot springs at stevenson and carson in skamania county. white salmon valley (train or boat), a rich picturesque region adapted to orchards and farming. a river trip to the mouth of the columbia or up to celilo falls. [illustration: a fig tree at vancouver.] =goldendale:= county seat of klickitat county; reached via s. p. & s. railway. surrounding country is one immense beauty spot with valleys, mountains, prairie, and timber. mounts hood, adams, and st. helens, are always visible. many beautiful trips may be taken. historical sights are numerous. [illustration: bull seal and harem--pribilof islands reindeer herd on lower yukon excursion steamer near taku glacier hydraulic mining rhubarb at skagway alaska, the land of the north.] [illustration: alaska,--our ally "a land of allurement and promise, bold venture and strenuous deed."] when you have seen washington, the vast territory of alaska awaits you. alaska, the last of the undeveloped free empires! this region is so extensive that even the state of washington would be lost in its midst, for its area is equal to that of the original thirteen colonies, with maine, vermont, ohio, indiana, tennessee, kentucky and michigan thrown in, or one-fifth of the entire united states. it has a range of latitude of , miles, while its extreme longitude would reach from the atlantic to the pacific. in proportion to its vastness, so are its wonders. stupendous mountains reach to three and nearly four miles in height, loftier than any others in the united states or its possessions. the yukon river is , miles in length and its nearest rival, , miles. the biggest glaciers in north america are here, which make those of europe look like mere pygmies, and volcanoes still in eruption may be viewed from a safe point. the scenery produced by the green rock-bound fiords with the snowy peaks beyond is truly magnificent. it is also a great treasure house. by the end of there had been produced, $ , , , or about times the price paid for its purchase, representing over $ , . for each white person now inhabiting it. almost half was from gold mining and within the last twenty years. the rest was from fisheries, seals, furs, copper and silver--permanent resources of region. alaska is not cold and bleak like labrador, although its latitude is similar. the japan current acts as it does on washington and as the gulf stream affects england. both plant and animal life flourish and about , square miles of land are available for agricultural purposes. to partially realize its glories take the inside passage trip from seattle--a thousand miles of calm sea. [illustration: map of washington] [illustration: seal-of-the-state-of-washington] * * * * * transcriber's notes: obvious punctuation errors repaired. page , "occurences" changed to "occurrences" (occurrences that so often) page , "stupenduous" changed to "stupendous" (the stupendous sum) page , repeated word "of" removed from text. text now reads (waters of puget sound) page , "state" changed to "states" (pinnacle in the united states) page , "panaroma" changed to "panorama" (unfolds a panorama) text uses both historic and current spelling of whidby/whidbey island. this book spells "throroughfare" as "thorofare". kindred of the dust by peter b. kyne author of _cappy ricks_, _the valley of the giants_, _webster--man's man_, etc. illustrated by dean cornwell to irene my dear, tyrannical, practical little foster-sister without whose aid and comfort, hoots, cheers and unauthorized strikes, the quantity and quality of my alleged literary output would be appreciably diminished, this book is affectionately dedicated the illustrations hector mckaye was bred of an acquisitive race she stole to the old square piano and sang for him donald bowed his head, "i can't give her up, father" "i'm a man without a home and you've just _got_ to take me in, nan" i in the living-room of the dreamerie, his home on tyee head, hector mckaye, owner of the tyee lumber company and familiarly known as "the laird," was wont to sit in his hours of leisure, smoking and building castles in spain--for his son donald. here he planned the acquisition of more timber and the installation of an electric-light plant to furnish light, heat, and power to his own town of port agnew; ever and anon he would gaze through the plate-glass windows out to sea and watch for his ships to come home. whenever the laird put his dreams behind him, he always looked seaward. in the course of time, his home-bound skippers, sighting the white house on the headland and knowing that the laird was apt to be up there watching, formed the habit of doing something that pleased their owner mightily. when the northwest trades held steady and true, and while the tide was still at the flood, they would scorn the services of the tug that went out to meet them and come ramping into the bight, all their white sails set and the glory of the sun upon them; as they swept past, far below the laird, they would dip his house-flag--a burgee, scarlet-edged, with a fir tree embroidered in green on a field of white--the symbol to the world that here was a mckaye ship. and when the house-flag fluttered half-way to the deck and climbed again to the masthead, the soul of hector mckaye would thrill. "guid lads! my bonny brave lads!" he would murmur aloud, with just a touch of his parents' accent, and press a button which discharged an ancient brass cannon mounted at the edge of the cliff. whenever he saw one of his ships in the offing--and he could identify his ships as far as he could see them--he ordered the gardener to load this cannon. presently the masters began to dip the house-flag when outward bound, and discovered that, whether the laird sat at his desk in the mill office or watched from the cliff, they drew an answering salute. this was their hail and farewell. one morning, the barkentine hathor, towing out for delagoa bay, dipped her house-flag, and the watch at their stations bent their gaze upon the house on the cliff. long they waited but no answering salute greeted the acknowledgment of their affectionate and willing service. the mate's glance met the master's. "the old laird must be unwell, sir," he opined. but the master shook his head. "he was to have had dinner aboard with us last night, but early in the afternoon he sent over word that he'd like to be excused. he's sick at heart, poor man! daney tells me he's heard the town gossip about young donald." "the lad's a gentleman, sir," the mate defended. "he'll not disgrace his people." "he's young--and youth must be served. man, i was young myself once--and nan of the sawdust pile is not a woman a young man would look at once and go his way." * * * * * in the southwestern corner of the state of washington, nestled in the bight of tyee and straddling the skookum river, lies the little sawmill town of port agnew. it is a community somewhat difficult to locate, for the bight of tyee is not of sufficient importance as a harbor to have won consideration by the cartographers of the coast and geodetic survey, and port agnew is not quite forty years old. consequently, it appears only on the very latest state maps and in the smallest possible type. when hector mckaye first gazed upon the bight, the transcontinental lines had not yet begun to consider the thrusting of their tentacles into southwestern washington, and, with the exception of those regions where good harbors had partially solved the problem of transportation, timber in washington was very cheap. consequently, since hector mckaye was one of those hardy men who never hesitate to take that which no man denies them, he reached forth and acquired timber. a strip of land a quarter of a mile wide and fronting the beach was barren of commercial timber. as grazing-land, hector mckaye was enabled to file on a full section of this, and, with its acquisition, he owned the key to the outlet. while "proving up" his claim, he operated a general store for trading with the indians and trappers, and at this he prospered. from time to time he purchased timber-claims from the trappers as fast as they "proved up," paying for these stumpage-prices varying from twenty-five to fifty cents per thousand. on his frequent trips to the outer world, mckaye extolled the opportunities for acquiring good timber-claims down on the skookum; he advertised them in letters and in discreet interviews with the editors of little newspapers in the sawmill towns on puget sound and grays harhor; he let it be known that an honest fellow could secure credit for a winter's provisions from him, and pay for it with pelts in the spring. the influx of homesteaders increased--single men, for the most part, and poor--men who labored six months of the year elsewhere and lived the remaining six months in rude log huts on their claims down on the skookum. and when the requirements of the homestead laws had been complied with and a patent to their quarter-section obtained from the land office in washington, the homesteaders were ready to sell and move on to other and greener pastures. so they sold to the only possible purchaser, hector mckaye, and departed, quite satisfied with a profit which they flattered themselves had been the result of their own prudence and foresight. thus, in the course of ten years, hector mckaye' acquired ten thousand acres of splendid douglas fir and white cedar. but he had not been successful in acquiring claims along the south bank of the skookum. for some mysterious reason, he soon found claims on the north bank cheaper and easier to secure, albeit the timber showed no variance in quantity or quality. discreet investigations brought to light the fact that he had a competitor--one martin darrow, who dwelt in st. paul, minnesota. to st. paul, therefore, journeyed hector mckaye, and sought an audience with martin darrow. "i'm mckaye, from the skookum river, washington," he announced, without preamble. "i've been expecting you, mr. mckaye," darrow replied. "got a proposition to submit?" "naturally, or i wouldn't have come to st. paul. i notice you have a weakness for the timber on the south bank of the skookum. you've opposed me there half a dozen times and won. i have also observed that i have a free hand with claims north of the river. that's fair--and there's timber enough for two. hereafter, i'll keep to my own side of the river." "i see we're going to come to an understanding, mr. mckaye. what will you give me to stick to my side of the river?" "an outlet through the bight for your product when you commence manufacturing. i control the lower half-mile of the river and the only available mill-sites. i'll give you a mill-site if you'll pay half the expense of digging a new channel for the skookum, and changing its course so it will emerge into the still, deep water under the lee of tyee head." "we'll do business," said martin darrow--and they did, although it was many years after hector mckaye had incorporated the tyee lumber company and founded his town of port agnew before darrow began operations. true to his promise, mckaye deeded him a mill-and town-site, and he founded a settlement on the eastern edge of port agnew, but quite distinct from it, and called it darrow, after himself. it was not a community that hector mckaye approved of, for it was squalid and unsanitary, and its untidy, unpainted shacks of rough lumber harbored southern european labor, of which hector mckaye would have none. in darrow, also, there were three groggeries and a gambling-house, with the usual concomitant of women whose profession is the oldest and the saddest in the world. following his discovery of the bight of tyee, a quarter of a century passed. a man may prosper much in twenty-five years, and hector mckaye, albeit american born, was bred of an acquisitive race. when his gethsemane came upon him, he was rated the richest lumberman in the state of washington; his twenty-thousand board-feet capacity per day sawmill had grown to five hundred thousand, his ten thousand acres to a hundred thousand. two thousand persons looked to him and his enterprise for their bread and butter; he owned a fleet of half a dozen steam-schooners and sixteen big wind-jammers; he owned a town which he had called port agnew, and he had married and been blessed with children. and because his ambition no longer demanded it, he was no longer a miser. [illustration: hector mckaye was bred of an acquisitive race.] in a word, he was a happy man, and in affectionate pride and as a tribute to his might, his name and an occasional forget-me-not of speech which clung to his tongue, heritage of his scotch forebears, his people called him "the laird of tyee." singularly enough, his character fitted this cognomen rather well. reserved, proud, independent, and sensitive, thinking straight and talking straight, a man of brusque yet tender sentiment which was wont to manifest itself unexpectedly, it had been said of him that in a company of a hundred of his mental, physical, and financial peers, he would have stood forth preeminently and distinctively, like a lone tree on a hill. although the laird loved his town of port agnew, because he had created it, he had not, nevertheless, resided in it for some years prior to the period at which this chronicle begins. at the very apex of the headland that shelters the bight of tyee, in a cuplike depression several acres in extent, on the northern side and ideally situated two hundred feet below the crest, thus permitting the howling southeasters to blow over it, hector mckaye, in the fulness of time, had built for himself a not very large two-story house of white stone native to the locality. this house, in the center of beautiful and well-kept grounds, was designed in the shape of a letter t, with the combination living-room and library forming the entire leg of the t and enclosed on all three sides by heavy plate-glass french windows. thus, the laird was enabled to command a view of the bight, with port agnew nestled far below; of the silver strip that is the skookum river flowing down to the sea through the logged-over lands, now checker-boarded into little green farms; of the rolling back country with its dark-green mantle of fir and white cedar, fading in the distance to dark blue and black; of the yellow sandstone bluffs of the coast-line to the north, and the turquoise of the pacific out to the horizon. this room hector mckaye enjoyed best of all things in life, with the exception of his family; of his family, his son donald was nearest and dearest to him. this boy he loved with a fierce and hungry love, intensified, doubtless, because to the young laird of tyee, mckaye was still the greatest hero in the world. to his wife, the laird was no longer a hero, although in the old days of the upward climb, when he had fiercely claimed her and supported her by the sweat of his brow, he had been something akin to a god. as for elizabeth and jane, his daughters, it must be recorded that both these young women had long since ceased to regard their father as anything except an unfailing source of revenue--an old dear who clung to port agnew, homely speech, and homely ways, hooting good-naturedly at the pretensions of their set, and, with characteristic gaelic stubbornness, insisting upon living and enjoying the kind of life that appealed to him with peculiar force as the only kind worth living. indeed, in more than one humble home in port agnew, it had been said that the two mckaye girls were secretly ashamed of their father. this because frequently, in a light and debonair manner, elizabeth and jane apologized for their father and exhibited toward him an indulgent attitude, as is frequently the case with overeducated and supercultured young ladies who cannot recall a time when their slightest wish has not been gratified and cannot forget that the good fairy who gratified it once worked hard with his hands, spoke the language and acquired the habits of his comrades in the battle for existence. of course, elizabeth and jane would have resented this analysis of their mental attitude toward their father. be that as it may, however, the fact remained that both girls were perfunctory in their expressions of affection for their father, but wildly extravagant in them where their mother was concerned. hector mckaye liked it so. he was a man who never thought about himself, and he had discovered that if he gave his wife and daughters everything they desired, he was not apt to be nagged. only on one occasion had hector mckaye declared himself master in his own house, and, at the risk of appearing paradoxical, this was before the house had been built. one day, while they still occupied their first home (in port agnew), a house with a mansard roof, two towers, jig-saw and scroll-work galore, and the usual cast-iron mastiffs and deer on the front lawn, the laird had come gleefully home from a trip to seattle and proudly exhibited the plans for a new house. ensued examination and discussion by his wife and the young ladies. alas! the laird's dream of a home did not correspond with that of his wife, although, as a matter of fact, the lady had no ideas on the subject beyond an insistence that the house should be "worthy of their station," and erected in a fashionable suburb of seattle. elizabeth and jane aided and abetted her in clamoring for a seattle home, although both were quick to note the advantages of a picturesque country home on the cliffs above the bight. they urged their father to build his house, but condemned his plans. they desired a house some three times larger than the blue-prints called for. hector mckaye said nothing. the women chattered and argued among themselves until, elizabeth and jane having vanquished their mother, all three moved briskly to the attack upon the laird. when they had talked themselves out and awaited a reply, he gave it with the simple directness of his nature. it was evident that he had given his answer thought. "i can never live in seattle until i retire, and i cannot retire until donald takes my place in the business. that means that donald must live here. consequently, i shall spend half of my time with you and the girls in seattle, mother, and the other half with donald here. when we built our first home, you had your way--and i've lived in this architectural horror ever since. this time, i'm going to have my own way--and you've lived with me long enough to know that when i declare for a will of my own, i'll not be denied. well i realize you and the girls have outgrown port agnew. there's naught here to interest you, and i would not have woman o' mine unhappy. so plan your house in seattle, and i'll build it and spare no expense. as for this house on the headland, you have no interest in it. donald's approved the plans, and him only will i defer to. 'twill be his house some day--his and his wife's, when he gets one. and there will be no more talk of it, my dears. i'll not take it kindly of ye to interfere." ii at a period in his upward climb to fortune, when as yet hector mckaye had not fulfilled his dream of a factory for the manufacture of his waste and short-length stock into sash, door, blinds, moldings, and so forth, he had been wont to use about fifty per cent. of this material for fuel to maintain steam in the mill boilers, while the remainder passed out over the waste-conveyor to the slab pile, where it was burned. the sawdust, however, remained to be disposed of, and since it was not possible to burn this in the slab fire for the reason that the wet sawdust blanketed the flames and resulted in a profusion of smoke that blew back upon the mill to the annoyance of the employees, for many years the laird had caused this accumulated sawdust to be hauled to the edge of the bight on the north side of the town, and there dumped in a low, marshy spot which formerly had bred millions of mosquitoes. subsequently, in the process of grading the streets of port agnew and excavating cellars, waste dirt had been dumped with the sawdust, and, occasionally, when high winter tides swept over the spot, sand, small stones, sea-shells, and kelp were added to the mixture. and as if this were not sufficient, the citizens of port agnew contributed from time to time old barrels and bottles, yard-sweepings, tin cans, and superannuated stoves and kitchen utensils. slowly this dump crept out on the beach, and in order to prevent the continuous attrition of the surf upon the outer edge of it from befouling the white-sand bathing-beach farther up the bight of tyee, the laird had driven a double row of fir piling parallel with and beyond the line of breakers. this piling, driven as close together as possible and reenforced with two-inch planking between, formed a bulkhead with the flanks curving in to the beach, thus insuring practically a water-tight pen some two acres in extent; and, with the passage of years, this became about two-thirds filled with the waste from the town. had the laird ever decided to lay claim to the sawdust pile, there would have been none in port agnew to contest his title; since he did not claim it, the sawdust pile became a sort of no man's land. after the laird erected his factory and began to salvage his waste, the slab fire went out forever for lack of fuel, and the modicum of waste from the mill and factory, together with the sawdust, was utilized for fuel in an electric-light plant that furnished light, heat, and power to the town. consequently, sawdust no longer mercifully covered the trash on the sawdust pile as fast as this trash arrived, and, one day, hector mckaye, observing this, decided that it was an unsightly spot and not quite worthy of his town of port agnew. so he constructed a barge somewhat upon the principle of a patent dump-wagon, moored it to the river-bank, created a garbage monopoly in port agnew, and sold it for five thousand dollars to a pair of ambitious italians. with the proceeds of this garbage deal, the laird built a very pretty little public library. having organized his new garbage system (the garbage was to be towed twenty miles to sea and there dumped), the laird forbade further dumping on the sawdust pile. when the necessity for more dredger-work developed, in order to keep the deep channel of the skookum from filling, he had the pipes from the dredger run out to the sawdust pile and covered the unsightly spot with six feet of rich river-silt up to the level of the piling. "and now," said hector mckaye to andrew daney, his general manager, "when that settles, we'll run a light track out here and use the sawdust pile for a drying-yard." the silt settled and dried, and almost immediately thereafter a squatter took possession of the sawdust pile. across the neck of the little promontory, and in line with extreme high-water mark on each side, he erected a driftwood fence; he had a canvas, driftwood, and corrugated-iron shanty well under way when hector mckaye appeared on the scene and bade him a pleasant good-morning. the squatter turned from his labor and bent upon his visitor an appraising glance. his scrutiny appearing to satisfy him as to the identity of the latter, he straightened suddenly and touched his forelock in a queer little salute that left one in doubt whether he was a former member of the united states navy or the british mercantile marine. he was a threadbare little man, possibly sixty years old, with a russet, kindly countenance and mild blue eyes; apart from his salute, there was about him an intangible hint of the sea. he was being assisted in his labors by a ragamuffin girl of perhaps thirteen years. "thinking of settling in port agnew?" the laird inquired. "why, yes, sir. i thought this might make a good safe anchorage for nan and me. my name is caleb brent. you're mr. mckaye, aren't you?" the laird nodded. "i had an idea, when i filled this spot in and built that bulkhead, mr. brent, that some day this would make a safe anchorage for some of my lumber. i planned a drying-yard here. what's that you're building, brent? a hen-house?" caleb brent flushed. "why, no, sir. i'm making shift to build a home here for nan and me." "is this little one nan?" the ragamuffin girl, her head slightly to one side, had been regarding hector mckaye with alert curiosity mingled with furtive apprehension. as he glanced at her now, she remembered her manners and dropped him a courtesy--an electric, half-defiant jerk that reminded the laird of a similar greeting customarily extended by squinch-owls. nan was not particularly clean, and her one-piece dress, of heavy blue navy-uniform cloth was old and worn and spotted. over this dress she wore a boy's coarse red-worsted sweater with white-pearl buttons. the skin of her thin neck was fine and creamy; the calves, of her bare brown legs were shapely, her feet small, her ankles dainty. with the quick eye of the student of character, this man, proud of his own ancient lineage for all his humble beginning, noted that her hands, though brown and uncared-for, were small and dimpled, with long, delicate fingers. she had sea-blue eyes like caleb brent's, and, like his, they were sad and wistful; a frowsy wilderness of golden hair, very fine and held in confinement at the nape of her neck by the simple expedient of a piece of twine, showed all too plainly the lack of a mother's care. the laird returned nan's courtesy with a patronizing inclination of his head. "your granddaughter, i presume?" he addressed caleb brent. "no; my daughter, sir. i was forty when i married, and nan came ten years later. she's thirteen now, and her mother's been dead ten years." hector mckaye had an idea that the departed mother was probably just as well, if not better, off, free of the battle for existence which appeared to confront this futile old man and his elf of a daughter. he glanced at the embryo shack under construction and, comparing it with his own beautiful home on tyee head, he turned toward the bight. a short distance off the bulkhead, he observed a staunch forty-foot motor-cruiser at anchor. she would have been the better for a coat of paint; undeniably she was of a piece with caleb brent and nan, for, like them, the laird had never seen her before. "yours?" he queried. "yes, sir." "you arrived in her, then?" "i did, sir. nan and i came down from bremerton in her, sir." the laird owned many ships, and he noted the slurring of the "sir" as only an old sailor can slur it. and there was a naval base at bremerton. "you're an old sailor, aren't you, brent?" he pursued. "yes, sir. i was retired a chief petty officer, sir. thirty years' continuous service, sir--and i was in the mercantile marine at sixteen. i've served my time as a shipwright. am--am i intruding here, sir?" the laird smiled, and followed the smile with a brief chuckle. "well--yes and no. i haven't any title to this land you've elected to occupy, although i created it. you see, i'm sort of lord of creation around here. my people call me 'the laird of tyee,' and nobody but a stranger would have had the courage to squat on the sawdust pile without consulting me. what's your idea about it, brent?" "i'll go if you want me to, sir." "i mean what's your idea if you stay? what do you expect to do for a living?" "you will observe, sir, that i have fenced off only that portion of the dump beyond high-water mark. that takes in about half of it--about an acre and a half. well, i thought i'd keep some chickens and raise some garden truck. this silt will grow anything. and i have my launch, and can do some towing, maybe, or take fishing parties out. i might supply the town with fish. i understand you import your fish from seattle--and with the sea right here at your door." "i see. and you have your three-quarters pay as a retired chief petty officer?" "yes, sir." "anything in bank? i do not ask these personal questions, brent, out of mere idle curiosity. this is my town, you know, and there is no poverty in it. i'm rather proud of that, so i--" "i understand, sir. that's why i came to port agnew. i saw your son yesterday, and he said i could stay." "oh! well, that's all right, then. if donald told you to stay, stay you shall. did he give you the sawdust pile?" "yes, sir; he did!" "well, i had other plans for it, brent; but since you're here, i'll offer no objection." nan now piped up. "we haven't any money in bank, mr. laird, but we have some saved up." "indeed! that's encouraging. where do you keep it?" "in the brown teapot in the galley. we've got a hundred and ten dollars." "well, my little lady, i think you might do well to take your hundred and ten dollars out of the brown teapot in the galley and deposit it in the port agnew bank. suppose that motor-cruiser should spring a leak and sink?" nan smiled and shook her golden head in negation. they had beaten round cape flattery in that boat, and she had confidence in it. "would you know my boy if you should see him again, nan?" the laird demanded suddenly. "oh, yes, indeed, sir! he's such a nice boy." "i think, nan, that if you asked him, he might help your father build this house." "i'll see him this afternoon when he comes out of high school," nan declared. "you might call on andrew daney, my general manager," the laird continued, turning to caleb brent, "and make a dicker with him for hauling our garbage-scow out to sea and dumping it. i observe that your motor-boat is fitted with towing-bitts. we dump twice a week. and you may have a monopoly on fresh fish if you desire it. we have no fishermen here, because i do not care for greeks and sicilians in port agnew. and they're about the only fishermen on this coast." "thank you, mr. mckaye." "mind you don't abuse your monopoly. if you do, i'll take it away from you." "you are very kind, sir. and i can have the sawdust pile, sir?" "yes; since donald gave it to you. however, i wish you'd tear down that patchwork fence and replace it with a decent job the instant you can afford it." "ah, just wait," old brent promised. "i know how to make things neat and pretty and keep them shipshape. you just keep your eye on the sawdust pile, sir." the old wind-bitten face flushed with pride; the faded sea-blue eyes shone with joyous anticipation. "i've observed your pride in your town, sir, and before i get through, i'll have a prettier place than the best of them." a few days later, the laird looked across the bight of tyee from his home on tyee head, and through his marine glasses studied the sawdust pile. he chuckled as he observed that the ramshackle shanty had disappeared almost as soon as it had been started and in its place a small cottage was being erected. there was a pile of lumber in the yard--bright lumber, fresh from the saws--and old caleb brent and the motherless nan were being assisted by two carpenters on the tyee lumber company's pay-roll. when donald came home from school that night, the laird asked him about the inhabitants of the sawdust pile with relation to the lumber and the two carpenters. "oh, i made a trade with mr. brent and nan. i'm to furnish the lumber and furniture for the house, and those two carpenters weren't very busy, so mr. daney told me i could have them to help out. in return, mr. brent is going to build me a sloop and teach me how to sail it." the laird nodded. "when his little home is completed, donald," he suggested presently, "you might take old brent and his girl over to our old house in town and let them have what furniture they require. see if you cannot manage to saw off some of your mother's antiques on them," added whimsically. "by the way, what kind of shanty is old brent going to build?" "a square house with five rooms and a cupola fitted up like a pilot-house. there's to be a flagpole on the cupola, and nan says they'll have colors every night and morning. that means that you hoist the flag in the morning and salute it, and when you haul it down at night, you salute it again. they do that up at the bremerton navy-yard." "that's rather a nice, sentimental idea," hector mckaye replied. "i rather like old brent and his girl for that. we americans are too prone to take our flag and what it stands for rather lightly." "nan wants me to have colors up here, too," donald continued. "then she can see our flag, and we can see theirs across the bight." "all right," the laird answered heartily, for he was always profoundly interested in anything that interested his boy. "i'll have the woods boss get out a nice young cedar with, say, a twelve-inch butt, and we'll make it into a flagpole." "if we're going to do the job navy-fashion, we ought to fire a sunrise and sunset gun," donald suggested with all the enthusiasm of his sixteen years. "well, i think we can afford that, too, donald." thus it came about that the little brass cannon was installed on its concrete base on the cliff. and when the flagpole had been erected, old caleb brent came up one day, built a little mound of smooth, sea-washed cobblestones round the base, and whitewashed them. evidently he was a prideful little man, and liked to see things done in a seamanlike manner. and presently it became a habit with the laird to watch night and morning, for the little pin-prick of color to flutter forth from the house on the sawdust pile, and if his own colors did not break forth on the instant and the little cannon boom from the cliff, he was annoyed and demanded an explanation. iii hector mckaye and his close-mouthed general manager, andrew daney, were the only persons who knew the extent of the laird's fortune. even their knowledge was approximate, however, for the laird disliked to delude himself, and carried on his books at their cost-price properties which had appreciated tremendously in value since their purchase. the knowledge of his wealth brought to mckaye a goodly measure of happiness--not because he was of scottish ancestry and had inherited a love for his baubees, but because he was descended from a fierce, proud scottish clan and wealth spelled independence to him and his. the laird would have filled his cup of happiness to overflowing had he married a less mediocre woman or had he raised his daughters as he had his son. the girls' upbringing had been left entirely in their mother's hands. not so with young donald, however--wherefore it was a byword in port agnew that donald was his father's son, a veritable chip of the old block. by some uncanny alchemy, hard cash appears to soften the heads and relax the muscles of rich men's sons--at least, such had been old hector's observation, and on the instant that he first gazed upon the face of his son, there had been born in him a mighty resolve that, come what might, he would not have it said of him that he had made a fool of his boy. and throughout the glad years of his fatherhood, with the stern piety of his race and his faith, he had knelt night and morning beside his bed and prayed his god to help him not to make a fool of donald--to keep donald from making a fool of himself. when donald entered princeton, his father decided upon an experiment. he had raised his boy right, and trained him for the race of life, and now the laird felt that, like a thoroughbred horse, his son faced the barrier. would he make the run, or would he, in the parlance of the sporting world, "dog it?" would his four years at a great american university make of him a better man, or would he degenerate into a snob and a drone? with characteristic courage, the laird decided to give him ample opportunity to become either, for, as old hector remarked to andrew daney: "if the lad's the mckaye i think he is, nothing can harm him. on the other hand, if i'm mistaken, i want to know it in time, for my money and my port agnew lumber company is a trust, and if he can't handle it, i'll leave it to the men who can--who've helped me create it--and donald shall earn his bread by the sweat of his brow. tools," he added, "belong to the men that can use them." when donald started east for college, old hector accompanied him as far as seattle. on the way up, there was some man-talk between them. in his youth, old hector had not been an angel, which is to state that he had been a lumberjack. he knew men and the passions that beset them--particularly when they are young and lusty--and he was far from being a prude. he expected his son to raise a certain amount of wild oats; nay, he desired it, for full well he knew that when the fires of youth are quenched, they are liable to flare disgracefully in middle life or old age. "never pig it, my son," was his final admonition. "raise hell if you must, but if you love your old father, be a gentleman about it. you've sprung from a clan o' men, not mollycoddles." "hence the expression: 'when hector was a pup,'" donald replied laughingly. "well, i'll do my best, father--only, if i stub my toe, you mustn't be too hard on me. remember, please, that i'm only half scotch." at parting, the laird handed his son a check for twenty-five thousand dollars. "this is the first year's allowance, donald," he informed the boy gravely. "it should not require more than a hundred thousand dollars to educate a son of mine, and you must finish in four years. i would not care to think you dull or lazy." "do you wish an accounting, father?" the laird shook his head. "keeping books was ever a sorry trade, my son. i'll read the accounting in your eye when you come back to port agnew." "oh!" said young donald. at the end of four years, donald graduated, an honor-man in all his studies, and in the lobby of the gymnasium, where the athletic heroes of princeton leave their record to posterity, hector mckaye read his son's name, for, of course, he was there for commencement. then they spent a week together in new york, following which old hector announced that one week of new york was about all he could stand. the tall timber was calling for him. "hoot, mon!" donald protested gaily. he was a perfect mimic of sir harry lauder at his broadest. "y'eve nae had a bit holiday in all yer life. wha' spier ye, hector mckaye, to a trip aroond the worl', wi' a wee visit tae the auld clan in the hielands?" "will you come with me, son?" the laird inquired eagerly. "certainly not! you shall come with me. this is to be my party." "can you stand the pressure? i'm liable to prove an expensive traveling companion." "well, there's something radically wrong with both of us if we can't get by on two hundred thousand dollars, dad." the laird started, and then his scotch sense of humor--and, for all the famed wit of the irish, no humor on earth is so unctuous as that of the scotch--commenced to bubble up. he suspected a joke on himself and was prepared to meet it. "will you demand an accounting, my son?" donald shook his head. "keeping books was ever a sorry trade, father, i'll read the accounting in your eye when you get back to port agnew." "you braw big scoundrel! you've been up to something. tell it me, man, or i'll die wi' the suspense of it." "well," donald replied, "i lived on twenty-five hundred a year in college and led a happy life. i had a heap of fun, and nothing went by me so fast that i didn't at least get a tail-feather. my college education, therefore, cost me ten thousand dollars, and i managed to squeeze a roadster automobile into that, also. with the remaining ninety thousand, i took a flier in thirty-nine hundred acres of red cedar up the wiskah river. i paid for it on the instalment plan --yearly payments secured by first mortgage at six per cent., and----" "who cruised it for you?" the laird almost shouted. "i'll trust no cruiser but my own david mcgregor." "i realized that, so i engaged dave for the job. you will recall that he and i took a two months' camping-trip after my first year in princeton. it cruised eighty thousand feet to the acre, and i paid two dollars and a half per thousand for it. of course, we didn't succeed in cruising half of it, but we rode through the remainder, and it all averaged up very nicely. and i saw a former cruise of it made by a disinterested cruiser----" the laird had been doing mental arithmetic. "it cost you seven hundred and eighty thousand dollars--and you've paid ninety thousand, principal and interest, on account. why, you didn't have the customary ten per cent, of the purchase-price as an initial payment!" "the owner was anxious to sell. besides, he knew i was your son, and i suppose he concluded that, after getting ninety thousand dollars out of me at the end of three years, you'd have to come to my rescue when the balance fell due--in a lump. if you didn't, of course he could foreclose." "i'll save you, my son. it was a good deal--a splendid deal!" "you do not have to, dad. i've sold it--at a profit of an even two hundred thousand dollars!" "lad, why did you do it? why didn't you take me into your confidence? that cedar is worth three and a half. in a few years, 'twill be worth five." "i realized that, father, but--a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush--and i'm a proud sort of devil. i didn't want to run to you for help on my first deal, even though i knew you'd come to my rescue and ask no questions. you've always told me to beware of asking favors, you know. moreover, i had a very friendly feeling toward the man i sold my red cedar to; i hated to stick him too deeply." "you were entitled to your profit, donald. 'twas business. you should have taken it. ah, lad, if you only knew the terrible four years i've paid for yon red-cedar!" "you mean the suspense of not knowing how i was spending my allowance?" the laird nodded. "curiosity killed a cat, my son, and i'm not as young as i used to be." "i had thought you'd have read the accounting in my eye. take another look, hector mckaye." and donald thrust his smiling countenance close to his father's. "i see naught in your eye but deviltry and jokes." "none are so blind as they that will not see. if you see a joke, dad, it's on you." old hector blinked, then suddenly he sprang at his son, grasped him by the shoulders, and backed him against the wall. "did you sell me that red cedar?" he demanded incredulously. "aye, mon; through an agent," donald burred scottishly. "a' did nae ha' the heart tae stick my faither sae deep for a bit skulin'. a'm a prood man, hector mckaye; a'll nae take a grrand eeducashun at sic a price. 'tis nae christian." "ah, my bonny bairn!" old hector murmured happily, and drew his fine son to his heart. "what a grand joke to play on your puir old father! och, mon, was there ever a lad like mine?" "i knew you'd buy that timber for an investment if i offered it cheap enough," donald explained. "besides, i owed you a poke. you wanted to be certain you hadn't reared a jackass instead of a man, so you gave me a hundred thousand dollars and stood by to see what i'd do with it--didn't you, old scotty?" hector nodded a trifle guiltily. "andrew daney wrote me you swore by all your highland clan that the man who sold you that red cedar was ripe for the fool-killer." "tush, tush!" the laird protested. "you're getting personal now. i dislike to appear inquisitive, but might i ask what you've done with your two hundred thousand profit?" "well, you see, dad, i would have felt a trifle guilty had i kept it, so i blew it all in on good, conservative united states bonds, registered them in your name, and sent them to daney to hide in your vault at port agnew." "ah, well, red cedar or bonds, 'twill all come back to you some day, sonny. the real profit's in the fun--" "and the knowledge that i'm not a fool--eh, father?" father love supernal gleamed in the laird's fine gray eyes. "were you a fool, my son, and all that i have in the world would cure you if thrown into the bight of tyee, i'd gladly throw it and take up my life where i began it--with pike-pole and peavy, double-bitted ax, and cross-cut saw. however, since you're not a fool, i intend to continue to enjoy my son. we'll go around the world together." thus did the experiment end. at least, donald thought so. but when he left the hotel a few minutes later to book two passages to europe, the laird of tyee suddenly remembered that thanks were due his presbyterian god. so he slid to his old knees beside his bed and murmured: "lord, i thank thee! for the sake of thine own martyred son, set angels to guard him and lead him in the path of manly honor that comes at last to thy kingdom. amen." then he wired andrew daney a long telegram of instructions and a stiff raise in salary. "the boy has a head like a tar-bucket," he concluded. "everything i ever put into it has stuck. we are going to frolic round the world together, and we will be home when we get back." iv donald was twenty-four and the laird fifty-eight when the pair returned from their frolic round the world--donald to take up this father's labors, the laird to lay them aside and retire to the dreamerie and the books he had accumulated against this happy afterglow of a busy and fruitful life. donald's mother and sisters were at the dreamerie the night the father and son arrived. of late years, they had spent less and less of their time there. the laird had never protested, for he could not blame them for wearying of a little backwoods sawmill town like port agnew. with his ability to think calmly, clearly, and unselfishly, he had long since realized that eventually his girls must marry; now elizabeth was twenty-six and jane twenty-eight, and mrs. mckaye was beginning to be greatly concerned for their future. since the laird had built the dreamerie in opposition to their wishes, they had spent less than six months in each year at port agnew. and these visits had been scattered throughout the year. they had traveled much, and, when not traveling, they lived in the seattle house and were rather busy socially. despite his devotion to his business, however, the laird found time to spend at least one week in each month with them in seattle, in addition to the frequent business trips which took him there. that night of his home-coming was the happiest the laird had ever known, for it marked the culmination of his lifetime of labor and dreams. long after his wife and the girls had retired, he and donald sat in the comfortable living-room, smoking and discussing plans for the future, until presently, these matters having been discussed fully, there fell a silence between them, to be broken presently by the laird. "i'm wondering, donald, if you haven't met some bonny lass you'd like to bring home to port agnew. you realize, of course, that there's room on tyee head for another dreamerie, although i built this one for you--and her." "there'll be no other house on tyee head, father," donald answered, "unless you care to build one for mother and the girls. the wife that i'll bring home to port agnew will not object to my father in my house." he smiled and added, "you're not at all hard to get along with, you know." the laird's eyes glistened. "have you found her yet, my son?" donald shook his head in negation. "then look for her," old hector ordered. "i have no doubt that, when you find her, she'll be worthy of you. i'm at an age now when a man looks no longer into the future but dwells in the past, and it's hard for me to think of you, big man that you are, as anything save a wee laddie trotting at my side. now, if i had a grandson--" when, presently, donald bade him good-night, hector mckaye turned off the lights and sat in the dark, gazing down across the moonlit bight of tyee to the sparks that flew upward from the stacks of his sawmill in port agnew, for they were running a night shift. and, as he gazed, he thrilled, with a fierce pride and a joy that was almost pain, in the knowledge that he had reared a merchant prince for this, his principality of tyee. v hector mckaye had always leaned toward the notion that he could run port agnew better than a mayor and a town council, in addition to deriving some fun out of it; consequently, port agnew had never been incorporated. and this was an issue it was not deemed wise to press, for the tyee lumber company owned every house and lot in town, and hector mckaye owned every share of stock in the tyee lumber company. if he was a sort of feudal baron, he was a gentle and kindly one; large building-plots, pretty little bungalows, cheap rentals, and no taxation constituted a social condition that few desired to change. as these few developed and the laird discovered them, their positions in his employ, were forfeited, their rents raised, or their leases canceled, and presently port agnew knew them no more. he paid fair wages, worked his men nine hours, and employed none but naturalized americans, with a noticeable predilection for those of scotch nativity or ancestry. strikes or lockouts were unknown in port agnew--likewise saloons. unlike most sawmill towns of that period, port agnew had no street in which children were forbidden to play or which mothers taught their daughters to avoid. once an i.w.w. organizer came to town, and upon being ordered out and refusing to go, the laird, then past fifty, had ducked him in the skookum until he changed his mind. the tyee lumber company owned and operated the local telephone company, the butcher shop, the general store, the hotel, a motion-picture theater, a town hall, the bank, and the electric-light-and-power plant, and with the profits from these enterprises, port agnew had paved streets, sidewalks lined with handsome electroliers, and a sewer system. it was an admirable little sawmill town, and if the expenses of maintaining it exceeded the income, the laird met the deficit and assumed all the worry, for he wanted his people to be happy and prosperous beyond all others. it pleased hector mckaye to make an occasion of his abdication and donald's accession to the presidency of the tyee lumber company. the dreamerie was not sufficiently large for his purpose, however, for he planned to entertain all of his subjects at a dinner and make formal announcement of the change. so he gave a barbecue in a grove of maples on the edge of the town. his people received in silence the little speech he made them, for they were loath to lose the laird. they knew him, while donald they had not known for five years, and there were many who feared that the east might have changed him. consequently, when his father called him up to the little platform from which he spoke, they received the young laird in silence also. "folks--my own home folks," donald began, "to-day i formally take up the task that was ordained for me at birth. i am going to be very happy doing for you and for myself. i shall never be the man my father is; but if you will take me to your hearts and trust me as you have trusted him, i'll never go back on you, for i expect to live and to die in port agnew, and, while i live, i want to be happy with you. i would have you say of me, when i am gone, that i was the worthy son of a worthy sire." he paused and looked out over the eager, upturned faces of the men, women, and children whose destinies he held in the hollow of his hand. "my dear friends, there aren't going to be any changes," he finished, and stepped down off the platform. from the heart of the crowd a lumberjack cried, "ya-hoo-o-o-o-o!" as only a lusty lumberjack can cry it. "he's a chip of the old block!" cried another, and there were cheers and some tears and a general rush forward to greet the new master, to shake his hand, and pledge allegiance to him. when the reception was over, old hector took charge of the homely games and athletic contests, and the day's delights culminated in a log-burling contest in the skookum, in which the young laird participated. when, eventually, he fell in the river and was counted out, old hector donned his son's calked boots and, with a whoop such as he had not emitted in forty years, entered the lists against the young fellows. in the old days in the michigan woods, when burling was considered a magnificent art of the lumberjack, he had been a champion, and for five minutes he spun his log until the water foamed, crossing and recrossing the river and winning the contest unanimously. from the bank, mrs. mckaye and his daughters watched him with well-bred amusement and secret disapproval. they could never forget, as he could, that he was the laird of tyee; they preferred more dignity in the head of the house. the mckaye family drove home along the cliff road at sunset. young donald paused on the terrace before entering the house, and, stirred by some half-forgotten memory, he glanced across the bight to the little white house far below on the sawdust pile. the flag was floating from the cupola, but even as he looked, it came fluttering down. donald turned toward the mckaye flag. it was still floating. "the old order changeth," he soliloquized, and hauled it down, at the same time shouting to his father within the house: "hey, dad; fire the sunset gun!" the laird pressed the button and the cannon boomed. "we've neglected that little ceremony since you've been away," he remarked, as donald entered the room. "'other times, other customs,' i dare say." he hurried up-stairs to dress for dinner (a formality which he disliked, but which appeared to please his wife and daughters), and donald took his father's binoculars and went out on the terrace. it had occurred to him that he had not seen old caleb brent and nan at the barbecue, and he wondered why. through the glasses, he could make out the figure of a woman in the cupola window, and she was watching him through a long marine telescope. "there's my old friend nan, grown to womanhood," donald soliloquized, and waved his arm at her. through the glasses, he saw her wave back at him. vi the morning after the barbecue, donald mckaye reported at eight o'clock to his father's faithful old general manager, andrew daney. daney had grown gray in his father's service, and it was no part of donald's plans to assign him to a back seat. "well, mr. daney," he inquired affably, "what are your plans for the new hired man?" old daney looked up quizzically. "you do the planning here, don," he replied. "you heard me say yesterday that there would be no changes, mr. daney. of course, i haven't grown up in port agnew without learning something of my heritage, but, in view of the fact that i still have considerable to learn, suppose you indicate just where i ought to start." daney was pleased at a deference he had not anticipated. "start in the woods," he replied. "that's where your daddy started. felling timber and handling it is rather a fine art, don. i'd wrestle logs for a month and follow them down the skookum to the log boom. then i'd put in six months in the mill and six more in the factory, following it with three months on the dock, tallying, and three months of a hand-shaking tour out among the trade. after that, you may sit in at your father's desk, and i'll gradually break you in to his job." "that's a grand idea, and i'll act on it," donald declared. "well, it's too late to act on it to-day, don. the up-river launch to the logging-camp left at seven o'clock. however, i have a job for you. we really need the sawdust pile for an extension of our drying-yard. our present yard lies right under the lee of that ridge of which tyee head is an extension, and it's practically noon before the sun gets a fair chance at it. the sawdust pile gets the sun all day long, and the winds have an uninterrupted sweep across it. we can dry our cedar decking there in half the time it requires now." "but the sawdust pile is--" "a rat's nest, don. there are a number of other shacks there now--some greek fishermen, a negro, and a couple of women from the overflow of tyee. it ought to be cleaned out." "i noticed those shacks last night, mr. daney, and i agree with you that they should go. but i haven't the heart to run old caleb brent off the sawdust pile. i gave it to him, you know." "well, let brent stay there. he's too old and crippled with rheumatism to attend to his truck-garden any more; so if you leave him the space for his house and a chicken-yard, he'll be satisfied. in fact, i have discussed the proposition with him, and he is agreeable." "why did dad permit those other people to crowd him, mr. daney?" "while your father was in europe with you, they horned in, claimed a squatter's right, and stood pat. old brent was defenseless, and while the boys from the mill would have cleaned them out if i had given the word, the greeks and the negro were defiant, and it meant bloodshed. so i have permitted the matter to rest until your father's return." donald reached for his hat. "caleb brent's squatter-right to that sawdust pile is going to be upheld," he declared. "i'll clean that colony out before sunset, or they'll clean me." "i'd proceed cautiously if i were you, don. they have a host of friends up in darrow, and we mustn't precipitate a feud." "i'm going over now and serve notice on them to vacate immediately." he grinned at old daney. "a negro, a handful of greeks, and those unfortunate women can't bluff the boss of port agnew, mr. daney." "they tell me there's a blind pig down there, also." "it will not be there after to-day," donald answered lightly, and departed for the sawdust pile. as he came up to the gate in the neat fence caleb brent had built across the sawdust pile nine years before, a baby boy, of perhaps three years of age, rose out of the weeds in which he had been playing and regarded the visitor expectantly. "hello, bub!" the young laird of tyee greeted the child. "hello!" came the piping answer. "are you my daddy?" "why, no, snickelfritz." he ran his fingers through the tot's golden hair. "don't you know your own daddy?" "i haven't any daddy," the child drawled. "no? well, that's unfortunate." donald stooped and lifted the tike to his shoulder, marveling the while that such a cherub could be the product of any of the denizens of the sawdust pile. at once, the boy's arms went round his neck and a velvet cheek was laid close to his. "you're an affectionate little snooks, aren't you?" donald commented. "do you live here?" "yes, sir." "somebody's been teaching you manners. whose little boy are you?" "muvver's." "and who might mother be?" "nan brent." "yo-ho! so you're nan brent's boy! what's your name?" "donald brent." "no; that isn't it, son. brent is your mother's name. tell me your father's name." "ain't got no farver." "well then, run along to your mother." he kissed the child and set him down just as a young woman came down the sadly neglected shell walk from caleb brent's little white house. donald opened the gate and advanced to meet her. "i'm sure you must be nan," he said, "although i can't be certain. i haven't seen nan in six years." she extended her hand "yes; i'm nan," she replied, "and you're donald mckaye. you're a man now, but somehow you haven't changed greatly." "it's fine to meet you again, nan." he shook her hand enthusiastically. she smiled a little sadly. "i saw you at colors last night, donald. when your flag came down and the gun was fired, i knew you'd remembered." "were you glad?" he demanded, and immediately wondered why he had asked such a childish question. "yes, i was, donald. it has been a long time since--since--the gun has been fired--for me. so long since we were children, donald." "you weren't at the barbecue yesterday. i missed you and caleb. you two are very old friends of mine, nan. was it quite loyal of you to stay home?" "you're the only person that missed us, donald," she answered, with just the suspicion of a tremor in her sweet voice. "but, then, we are accustomed to being left out of things." he made no effort to formulate an answer to this. truth does not require an answer. yet he was sensible of a distinct feeling of sympathy for her, and, manlike, he decided to change the topic of conversation. "you have neighbors on the sawdust pile, nan." "yes. they came when the laird was in europe." "they would never have dared it had he been in port agnew. i'm surprised that andrew daney permitted it. i had thought of him as a man of courage, but, strange to say, these people outgamed him." "they didn't outgame him, donald. he just didn't care. i--i--fancy he concluded they would make agreeable neighbors--for me." "i'm sorry, nan. however, i'm the new laird of tyee, and i've come down to stage an eviction. i didn't know of this state of affairs until this morning." she smiled a little wistfully and bitterly. "i had flattered myself, donald, you had called to visit your old friends instead. when you waved at me last night, i--oh, you can't realize how happy it made me to know that _you_ had noticed me--that you really were big enough to be the big man of port agnew. and i thought perhaps you would come because of that." he smiled tolerantly upon her. "something has occurred to make you bitter, nan. you're not like the girl i used to know before i went away to school. if it will help to restore me to your previous good opinion, however, please believe that when i waved at you last night, simultaneously i made up my mind to make an early visit to the sawdust pile. the discovery that these cattle have intruded upon you and your old father, because you were unable to defend yourselves and no one in port agnew would defend you, merely hastened my visit. i couldn't in decency come any earlier; could i, nan? it's just half after eight. and if you're going to keep me standing at the gate, as if i were a sewing-machine agent instead of a very old friend, i _may_ conclude to take offense and regret that i called." "oh, i'm sorry! please forgive me, donald. i'm so much alone--so very lonely--i suppose i grow suspicious of people and their motives." "say no more about it, nan. may i come in, then, to greet caleb and your husband?" "father is in the house. i'll call him out, donald. as for my husband--" she hesitated, glanced out across the bight, and then resolutely faced him. "you cannot have heard all of the town gossip, then?" "i hadn't even heard of your marriage. the first i knew of it was when his little nibs here hailed me, and asked me if i was his father. then he informed me he was your boy. he's a lovely child, nan, and i have been the recipient of some of his extremely moist kisses." she realized that he was too courteous to ask whether her husband was dead or if there had been a divorce. "i'm rather glad you haven't heard, donald," she replied evenly. "i much prefer to tell you myself; then you will understand why i cannot invite you into our house, and why you must not be seen talking to me here at the gate. i am not married. i have never been married. my baby's name is--brent, and i call him donald, after the only male human being that has ever been truly kind to my father and me." "ah," said donald quietly, "so that's why he misses his father and appears to want one so very much." she gazed forlornly out to sea and answered with a brief nod. seemingly she had long since ceased to be tragic over her pitiful tragedy. "well," he replied philosophically, "life is quite filled with a number of things, and some of them make for great unhappiness." he stooped and lifted the baby in his great arms. "you're named after me, sonny; so i think i'll try to fill the gap and make you happy. do you mind, nan, if i try my hand at foster-fathering? i like children. this little man starts life under a handicap, but i'll see to it that he gets his chance in life--far from port agnew, if you desire." she closed her eyes in sudden pain and did not answer. "and whatever your opinion on the matter may be, nan," he went on, "even had i known yesterday of your sorrow, i should have called to-day just the same." "you call it my 'sorrow!'" she burst forth passionately. "others call it my trouble--my sin--my disgrace." "and what does caleb call it, nan?" "he doesn't call it, donald. it hasn't appeared to make any difference with him. i'm still--his little girl." "well, i cannot regard you as anything but a little girl--the same little girl that used to help caleb and me sail the sloop. i don't wish to know anything about your sorrow, or your trouble, or your disgrace, or your sin, or whatever folks may choose to call it. i just want you to know that i know that you're a good woman, and when the spirit moves me--which will be frequently, now that i have this young man to look after--i shall converse with you at your front gate and visit you and your decent old father in this little house, and be damned to those that decry it. i am the young laird of tyee. my father raised me to be a gentleman, and, by the gods, i'll be one! now, nan, take the boy and go in the house, because i see a rascally negro in the doorway of that shack yonder, and i have a matter to discuss with him. is that white woman his consort?" nan nodded again. she could not trust herself to speak, for her heart was full to overflowing. "come here--you!" donald called to the negro. the fellow slouched forth defiantly. he was a giant mulatto, and his freckled face wore an evil and contemptuous grin. "i'm donald mckaye," donald informed him. "i'm the new laird of tyee. i want you and that woman to pack up and leave." "how soon, boss?" "immediately." anticipating a refusal, donald stepped closer to the mulatto and looked him sternly in the eye. "we-ll, is dat so?" the yellow rascal drawled. "so youh-all's de new la'rd, eh? well, ah'm de king o' de sawdust pile, an' mah house is mah castle. git dat, mistah la'rd?" donald turned toward nan. "i'm going to have trouble here, nan. please go in the house." "proceed," she replied simply. "i have a most unwomanly and unladylike desire to see that beast manhandled." donald turned, in time to go under a sizzling right-hand blow from the mulatto and come up with a right uppercut to the ugly, freckled face and a left rip to the mulatto's midriff. the fellow grunted, and a spasm of pain crossed his countenance. "you yellow dog!" donald muttered, and flattened his nose far flatter than his mammy had ever wiped it. the enemy promptly backed away and covered; a hearty thump in the solar plexus made him uncover, and under a rain of blows on the chin and jaw, he sprawled unconscious on the ground. donald left him lying there and stepped to the door of the shack. the frightened drab within spat curses at him. "pack and go!" he ordered. "within the hour, i'm going to purge the sawdust pile with fire; if you stay in the house, you'll burn with it." she was ready in ten minutes. three more of her kind occupying an adjacent shack begged to be allowed time in which to load their personal possessions in an express-wagon. the four greeks were just about to set out for a day's fishing, but, having witnessed the defeat of the mulatto bully, the fever of the hegira seized them also. they loaded their effects in the fishing-launch, and chugged away up river to darrow, crying curses upon the young laird of tyee and promising reprisal. donald waited until the last of the refugees had departed before setting fire to the shacks. then he stood by old caleb brent's house, a circle of filled buckets around him, and watched in case the wind should suddenly shift and shower sparks upon the roof. in half an hour the sawdust pile had reverted to its old status and a throng of curious townspeople who, attracted by the flames and smoke, had clustered outside caleb brent's gate to watch donald at work, finally despaired of particulars and scattered when they saw donald and nan brent enter the house. caleb brent, looking twenty years older than when donald had seen him last, sat in an easy chair by the window, gazing with lack-luster eyes out across the bight. he was hopelessly crippled with rheumatism, and his sea-blue eyes still held the same lost-dog wistfulness. "hello, caleb!" donald greeted him cordially. "i've just cleaned up the sawdust pile for you. you're back in undisputed possession again." he shook hands with old caleb and sat down in a chair which nan drew up for him. "it's good of you to call, mr. donald," the old man piped. "but isn't that just like him, nan?" he demanded. "many's the day--aye, and the night, too, for of late the nights have been bad here--we've thought of you, sir, and wished you were back in port agnew. we knew what would happen to those scoundrels when mr. donald got around to it." and he laughed the asthmatic, contented chuckle of the aged as nan related briefly the story of donald's recent activities. their conversation which followed was mostly of a reminiscent character--recollections of boat-races in the bight, fishing excursions off the coast, clambakes, hew boats, a dog which donald had given nan when he left for prep school and which had since died of old age. and all the while nan brent's child stood by donald's knee, gazing up at him adoringly. during a lull in the conversation, he created some slight embarrassment by reiterating his belief that this strange man must be his father, and appealed to his mother for verification of his suspicions. poor child! his baby mind had but lately grasped the fact that for him there was something missing in the scheme of life, and, to silence his persistent questioning, nan had told him that some day his father would come to see them; whereupon, with the calm faith of innocence, he had posted himself at the front gate, to be in position to receive this beloved missing one when the latter should appear. donald skilfully diverted the child's mind from this all-consuming topic by sliding the boy down to his foot and permitting him to swing gently there. presently nan excused herself, for the purpose of looking after the embers of donald's recent raid. the instant the door closed behind her, old caleb brent looked across at his visitor. "you've heard--of course, mr. donald?" he queried, with a slight inclination of his head toward the door through which his daughter had disappeared. "yes, caleb. misfortune comes in various guises." "i would i could die," the pitiful old fellow whispered. "i will, soon, but, oh, what will my poor darling do then, mr. donald? after we first came here, i was that prosperous, sir, you wouldn't believe it. i gave nan a good schooling, piano lessons, and fine dresses. we lived well, and yet we put by a thousand dollars in six years. but that's gone now, what with the expenses when the baby came, and my sickness that's prevented me from working. thank god, sir, i have my three-quarter pay. it isn't much, but we're rent-free, and fuel costs us nothing, what with driftwood and the waste from darrow that comes down the river. nan has a bit of a kitchen-garden and a few chickens--so we make out. but when i die, my navy-pay stops." he paused, too profoundly moved by consideration of the destitution that would face nan and her nameless boy to voice the situation in words. but he looked up at donald mckaye, and the latter saw again that wistful look in his sea-blue eyes--the dumb pleading of a kind old lost dog. he thought of the thirty-eight-foot sloop old caleb had built him--a thing of beauty and wondrously seaworthy; or the sense of obligation which had caused old brent to make of the task a labor of love; of the long, lazy, happy days when, with caleb and nan for his crew, he had raced out of the bight twenty miles to sea and back again, for the sheer delight of driving his lee rail under until nan cried out in apprehension. poor, sweet, sad nan brent! donald had known her through so many years of gentleness and innocence--and she had come to this! he was consumed with pity for her. she had fallen, but--there were depths to which destitution and desperation might still drive her, just as there were heights to which she might climb again if some half-man would but give her a helping hand. "do you know the man, caleb?" he demanded suddenly. "no, i do not. i have never seen him. nan wrote me when they were married, and told me his name, of course." "then there _was_ a marriage, caleb?" "so nan wrote me." "ah! has nan a marriage certificate?" "i have never seen it. seems their marriage wasn't legal. the name he gave wasn't his own; he was a bigamist." "then nan knows his real name." "yes; when she learned that, she came home." "but why didn't she prosecute him, caleb? she owed that to herself and the child--- to her good name and" "she had her reasons, lad." "but you should have prosecuted the scoundrel, caleb." "i had no money for lawyers. i knew i was going to need it all for nan and her child. and i thought her reasons sufficient, donald. she said it would all come out right in the end. maybe it will." "do you mean she knowingly accepted the inevitable disgrace when she might have--have--" he wanted to add, "proved herself virtuous," but, somehow, the words would not come. they didn't appear to him to be quite fair to nan. the old man nodded. "of course we haven't told this to anybody else," he hastened to add. "'twould have been useless. they'd have thought it a lie." "yes, caleb--a particularly clumsy and stupid lie." caleb brent looked up suddenly and searched, with an alert and wistful glance, the face of the young laird of tyee. "but you do not think so, do you?" he pleaded. "certainly not, caleb, if nan told you that, then she told you the truth." "thank you, lad." "poor old caleb," donald soliloquized, "you find it hard to believe it yourself, don't you? and it does sound fishy!" "i don't believe it's nan's fault," donald found himself saying next. "she was always a good girl, and i can't look at her now and conceive her as anything but virtuous and womanly. i'll always be a good friend of hers, caleb. i'll stand back of her and see that she gets a square deal--she and her son. when you're gone, she can leave port agnew for some city where she isn't known, and as 'mrs. brent' she can engage in some self-supporting business. it always struck me that nan had a voice." "she has, mr. donald. they had grand opera in seattle, and i sent her up there to hear it and having a singing teacher hear her sing 'alice, where art thou.' he said she'd be earning a thousand dollars a night in five years, mr. donald, if somebody in new york could train her. that was the time," he concluded, "that she met _him!_ he was rich and, i suppose, full of fine graces; he promised her a career if she'd marry him, and so he dazzled the child--she was only eighteen--and she went to san francisco with him. she says there was some sort of marriage, but he gave her no such gift as i gave her mother--a marriage certificate. she wrote me she was happy, and asked me to forgive her the lack of confidence in not advising with me--and of course i forgave her, mr. donald. but in three months he left her, and one night the door yonder opened and nan come in and put her arms round my neck and held me tight, with never a tear--so i knew she'd cried her fill long since and was in trouble." he paused several seconds, then added, "her mother was an admiral's daughter--and she married me!" he appeared to suggest this latter as a complete explanation of woman's frailty. "the world is small, but it is sufficiently large to hide a girl from the sawdust pile of port agnew. of course, nan cannot leave you now, but when you leave her, caleb, i'll finance her for her career. please do not worry about it." "i'm like nan, sir," he murmured. "i'm beyond tears, or i'd weep, mr. donald. god will reward you, sir. i can't begin to thank you." "i'm glad of that. by the way, who is towing the garbage-barge to sea nowadays?" "i don't know, sir. mr. daney hired somebody else and his boat when i had to quit because of my sciatica." "hereafter, we'll use your boat, caleb, and engage a man to operate it. the rental will be ten dollars per trip, two trips a week, eighty dollars a month. cheap enough; so don't think it's charity. here's the first month's rental in advance. i'm going to run along now, caleb, but i'll look in from time to time, and if you should need me in the interim, send for me." he kissed little don brent, who set up a prodigious shriek at the prospect of desertion and brought his mother fluttering into the room. he watched her soothe the youngster and then asked: "nan, where do you keep the arnica now? i cut my knuckles on that yellow rascal." she raised a sadly smiling face to his. "where would the arnica be--if we had any, donald?" she demanded. "where it used to be, i suppose. up on that shelf, inside the basement of that funny old half-portion grandfather's clock and just out of reach of the pendulum." "you do remember, don't you? but it's all gone so many years ago, donald. we haven't had a boy around to visit us since you left port agnew, you know. i'll put some tincture of iodine on your knuckles, however." "do, please, nan." a little later, he said: "do you remember, nan, the day i stuck my finger into the cage of old mrs. biddle's south american parrot to coddle the brute and he all but chewed it off?" she nodded. "and you came straight here to have it attended to, instead of going to a doctor." "you wept when you saw my mangled digit. remember, nan? strange how that scene persists in my memory! you were so sweetly sympathetic i was quite ashamed of myself." "that's because you always were the sweetest boy in the world and i was only the garbage-man's daughter," she whispered. "there's a ridiculous song about the garbage-man's daughter. i heard it once, in vaudeville--in san francisco." "if i come over some evening soon, will you sing for me, nan?" "i never sing any more, don." "nobody but you can ever sing 'carry me back to old virginy' for me." "then i shall sing it, don." "thank you, nan." she completed the anointing of his battle-scarred knuckles with iodine, and, for a moment, she held his hand, examining critically an old ragged white scar on the index-finger of his right hand. and quite suddenly, to his profound amazement, she bent her head and swiftly implanted upon that old scar a kiss so light, so humble, so benignant, so pregnant of adoration and gratitude that he stood before her confused and inquiring. "such a strong, useful big hand!" she whispered. "it has been raised in defense of the sanctity of my home--and until you came there was 'none so poor to do me reverence.'" he looked at her with sudden, new interest. her action had almost startled him. as their eyes held each other, he was aware, with a force that was almost a shock, that nan brent was a most unusual woman. she was beautiful; yet her physical beauty formed the least part of her attractiveness, perfect as that beauty was. instinctively, donald visualized her as a woman with brains, character, nobility of soul; there was that in her eyes, in the honesty and understanding with which they looked into his, that compelled him, in that instant, to accept without reservation and for all time the lame and halting explanation of her predicament he had recently heard from her father's lips. he longed to tell her so. instead, he flushed boyishly and said, quite impersonally: "yes; you're beautiful as women go, but that's not the right word to express you. physically, you might be very homely, but if you were still nan brent you would be sweet and compelling. you remind me of a catholic chapel; there's always one little light within that never goes out, you know. so that makes you more than beautiful. shall i say--glorious?" she smiled at him with her wistful, sea-blue eyes--a smile tender, maternal, all-comprehending. she knew he was not seeking to flatter her, that the wiles, the artifices, the pretty speeches of the polished man of the world were quite beyond him. "still the same old primitive pal," she murmured softly; "still thinking straight, talking straight, acting straight, and--dare i say it, donald?--seeing straight. i repeat, you always were the sweetest boy in the world--and there is still so much of the little boy about you." her hand fluttered up and rested lightly on his arm. "i'll not forget this day, my dear friend." it was characteristic of him that, having said that which was uppermost in his mind, he should remember his manners and thank her for dressing his knuckles. then he extended his hand in farewell. "when you come again, donald," she pleaded, as he took her hand, "will you please bring me some books? they're all that can keep me sane--and i do not go to the public library any more. i have to run the gantlet of so many curious eyes." "how long is it since you have been away from the sawdust pile?" "since before my baby came." he was silent a minute, pondering this. since old caleb had become house-ridden, then, she had been, without books. he nodded assent to her request. "if i do not say very much, you will understand, nevertheless, how grateful i am," she continued. "to-day, the sun has shone. whatever your thoughts may have been, donald, you controlled your face and you were decent enough not to say, 'poor nan.'" he had no answer to that. he was conscious only of standing helpless in the midst of a terrible tragedy. his heart ached with pity for her, and just for old sake's sake, for a tender sentiment for lost youth and lost happiness of the old comradely days when she had been cinderella and he the prince, he wished that he might take her in a fraternal embrace and let her cry out on his breast the agony that gnawed at her heart like a worm in an apple. but it was against his code to indicate to her by word or action that she was less worthy than other women and hence to be pitied, for it seemed to him that her burden was already sufficient. "let me know if those people return to annoy you, nan," was all he said. then they shook hands very formally, and the young laird of tyee returned to the mill-office to report to andrew daney that the sawdust pile had been cleaned out, but that, for the present at least, they would get along with the old drying-yard. somehow, the day came to an end, and he went home with tumult in his soul. vii an unerring knowledge of men in general and of his own son in particular indicated to hector mckaye, upon the instant that the latter appeared at the family dinner-table, that his son's first day in command had had a sobering effect upon that young man. he had gone forth that morning whistling, his eyes alert with interest and anticipation; and a feeling of profound contentment had come to the laird as he watched donald climb into his automobile and go briskly down the cliff highway to port agnew. here was no unwilling exile, shackled by his father's dollars to a backwoods town and condemned to labor for the term of his natural life. gladly, eagerly, it seemed to hector mckaye, his son was assuming his heritage, casting aside, without one longing backward glance, a brighter, busier, and more delightful world. although his son's new arena of action was beautiful and the laird loved it with a passionate love, he was sufficiently imaginative to realize that, in port agnew, donald might not be as happy as had been his father. old hector was sufficiently unselfish to have harbored no resentment had this been so. it had been his one anxiety that donald might take his place in the business as a matter of duty to himself rather than as a duty to his father, and because he had found his lifework and was approaching it with joy, for the laird was philosopher enough to know that labor without joy is as dead-sea fruit. indeed, before the first day of his retirement had passed, he had begun to suspect that joy without labor was apt to be something less than he had anticipated. the laird observed in his son's eyes, as the latter took his place at table, a look that had not been there when donald left for the mill that morning. his usually pleasant, "evening, folks!" was perfunctory to-night; he replied briefly to the remarks addressed to him by his mother and sisters; the old man noted not less than thrice a slight pause with the spoon half-way to his mouth, as if his son considered some problem more important than soup. mrs. mckaye and the girls chattered on, oblivious of these slight evidences of mental perturbation, but as the laird carved the roast (he delighted in carving and serving his family, and was old-fashioned enough to insist upon his right, to the distress of the girls, who preferred to have the roast carved in the kitchen and served by the japanese butler), he kept a contemplative eye upon his son, and presently saw donald heave a slight sigh. "here's a titbit you always liked, son!" he cried cheerfully, and deftly skewered from the leg of lamb the crisp and tender tail. "confound you, donald; i used to eat these fat, juicy little lamb's tails while you were at college, but i suppose, now, i'll have to surrender that prerogative along with the others." in an effort to be cheerful and distract his son's thoughts, he attempted this homely badinage. "i'll give you another little tale in return, dad," donald replied, endeavoring to meet his father's cheerful manner. "while we were away, a colony of riffraff from darrow jumped old caleb brent's sawdust pile, and daney was weak enough to let them get away with it. i'm somewhat surprised. daney knew your wishes in the matter; if he had forgotten them, he might have remembered mine, and if he had forgotten both, it would have been the decent thing to have thrown them out on his own responsibility." so that was what lay at the bottom of his son's perturbation! the laird was relieved. "andrew's a good man, but he always needed a leader, donald," he replied. "if he didn't lack initiative, he would have been his own man long ago. i hope you did not chide him for it, lad." "no; i did not. he's old enough to be my father, and, besides, he's been in the tyee lumber company longer than i. i did itch to give him a rawhiding, though." "i saw smoke and excitement down at the sawdust pile this morning, donald. i dare say you rectified andrew's negligence." "i did. the sawdust pile is as clean as a hound's tooth." jane looked up from her plate. "i hope you sent that shameless brent girl away, too," she announced, with the calm attitude of one whose own virtue is above reproach. donald glared at her. "of course i did not!" he retorted. "how thoroughly unkind and uncharitable of you, jane, to hope i would be guilty of such a cruel and unmanly action!" the laird waved his carving-knife. "hear, hear!" he chuckled. "spoken like a man, my son. jane, my dear, if i were you, i wouldn't press this matter further. it's a delicate subject." "i'm sure i do not see why jane should not be free to express her opinion, hector." mrs. mckaye felt impelled to fly to the defense of her daughter. "you know as well as we do, hector, that the brent girl is quite outside the pale of respectable society." "we shall never agree on what constitutes 'respectable society,' nellie," the laird answered whimsically. "there are a few in that seattle set of yours i find it hard to include in that category." "oh, they're quite respectable, father," donald protested. "indeed they are, donald! hector, you amaze me," mrs. mckaye chided. "they have too much money to be anything else," donald added, and winked at his father. "tush, tush, lad!" the old man murmured. "we shall get nowhere with such arguments. the world has been at that line of conversation for two thousand years, and the issue's still in doubt. nellie, will you have a piece of the well-done?" "you and your father are never done joining forces against me," mrs. mckaye protested, and in her voice was the well-known note that presaged tears should she be opposed further. the laird, all too familiar with this truly feminine type of tyranny, indicated to his son, by a lightning wink, that he desired the conversation diverted into other channels, whereupon donald favored his mother with a disarming smile. "i'm going to make a real start to-morrow morning, mother," he announced brightly. "i'm going up in the woods and be a lumberjack for a month. going to grow warts on my hands and chew tobacco and develop into a brawny roughneck." "is that quite necessary?" elizabeth queried, with a slight elevation of her eyebrows. "i understood you were going to manage the business." "i am--after i've learned it thoroughly, lizzie." "don't call me 'lizzie,'" she warned him irritably. "very well, elizabeth." "in simple justice to those people from darrow that you evicted from the sawdust pile, don, you should finish your work before you go. if they were not fit to inhabit the sawdust pile, then neither is nan brent. you've got to play fair." jane had returned to the attack. "look here, jane," her brother answered seriously: "i wish you'd forget nan brent. she's an old and very dear friend of mine, and i do not like to hear my friends slandered." "oh, indeed!" jane considered this humorous, and indulged herself in a cynical laugh. "friend of his?" elizabeth, who was regarded in her set as a wit, a reputation acquired by reason of the fact that she possessed a certain knack for adapting slang humorously (for there was no originality to her alleged wit), now bent her head and looked at her brother incredulously. "my word! that's a rich dish." "why, donald dear," his mother cried reproachfully, "surely you are jesting!" "not at all. nan brent isn't a bad girl, even if she is the mother of a child born out of wedlock. she stays at home and minds her own business, and lets others mind theirs." "donald's going to be tragic. see if he isn't," elizabeth declared. "come now, old dear; if nan brent isn't a bad woman, just what is your idea of what constitutes badness in a woman? it would be interesting to know your point of view." "nan brent was young, unsophisticated, poor, and trusting when she met this fellow, whoever he may be. he wooed her, and she loved him--or thought she did, which amounts to the same thing until one discovers the difference between thinking and feeling. at first, she thought she was married to him. later, she discovered she was not--and then it was too late." "it wouldn't have been too late with some--er--good people," the laird remarked meaningly. "in other words," donald went on, "nan brent found herself out on the end of a limb, and then the world proceeded to saw off the limb. it is true that she is the mother of an illegitimate child, but if that child was not--at least in so far as its mother _is_ concerned--conceived in sin, i say it isn't illegitimate, and that its mother is not a bad woman." "granted--if it's true; but how do you know it to be true?" jane demanded. she had a feeling that she was about to get the better of her brother in this argument. "i do not _know_ it to be true, jane." "_voilà!"_ "but--i believe it to be true, jane." "why?" "because nan told her father it was true, and old caleb told me when i was at his house this morning. so i believe it. and i knew nan brent when she was a young girl, and she was sweet and lovely and virtuous. i talked with her this morning, and found no reason to change my previous estimate of her. i could only feel for her a profound pity." "'pity is akin to love,'" elizabeth quoted gaily. "mother, keep an eye on your little son. he'll be going in for settlement-work in port agnew first thing we know." "hush, elizabeth!" her mother cried sharply. she was highly scandalized at such levity. the laird salted and peppered his food and said nothing. "your attitude is very manly and sweet, dear," mrs. mckaye continued, turning to her son, for her woman's intuition warned her that, if the discussion waxed warmer, the laird would take a hand in it, and her side would go down to inglorious defeat, their arguments flattened by the weight of scriptural quotations. she had a feeling that old hector was preparing to remind them of mary magdalen and the scene in the temple. "i would much rather hear you speak a good word for that unfortunate girl than have you condemn her." "a moment ago," her son reminded her, with some asperity, for he was sorely provoked, "you were demanding the right of free speech for jane, in order that she might condemn her. mother, i fear me you're not quite consistent." "we will not discuss it further, dearie. it is not a matter of such importance that we should differ to the point of becoming acrimonious. besides, it's a queer topic for dinner-table conversation." "so say we all of us," elizabeth struck in laconically. "dad, will you please help me to some of the well-done?" "subjects," old hector struck in, "which, twenty years ago, only the family doctor was supposed to be familiar with or permitted to discuss are now being agitated in women's clubs, books, newspapers, and the public schools. you can't smother sin or the facts of life unless they occur separately. in the case of nan brent they have developed coincidently; so we find it hard to regard her as normal and human." "do you condone her offense, hector?" mrs. mckaye demanded incredulously. "i am a firm believer in the sacredness of marriage, i cannot conceive of a civilization worth while without it," the laird declared earnestly. "nevertheless, while i know naught of nan brent's case, except that which is founded on hearsay evidence, i can condone her offense because i can understand it. she might have developed into a far worse girl than it appears from donald's account she is. at least, nellie, she bore her child and cherishes it, and, under the rules of society as we play it, that required a kind of courage in which a great many girls are deficient. give her credit for that." "apparently she has been frank," elizabeth answered him coolly. "on the other hand, father mckaye, her so-called courage may have been ignorance or apathy or cowardice or indifference. it all depends on her point of view." "i disagree with mother that it is not a matter of importance," donald persisted. "it is a matter of supreme importance to me that my mother and sisters should not feel more charity toward an unfortunate member of their sex; and i happen to know that it is a matter of terrible importance to nan brent that in port agnew people regard her as unclean and look at her askance. and because that vacillating old daney didn't have the courage to fly in the face of port agnew's rotten public opinion, he subjected nan brent and her helpless old father to the daily and nightly association of depraved people. if _he_ should dare to say one word against" "oh, it wasn't because andrew was afraid of public opinion, lad," hector mckaye interrupted him dryly. "have you no power o'deduction? twas his guid wife that stayed his hand, and well i know it." "i dare say, dad," donald laughed. "yes; i suppose i'll have to forgive him." "she'll be up to-morrow, my dear, to discuss the matter with you," the laird continued, turning to his wife. "i know her well. beware of expressing an opinion to her." and he bent upon all the women of his household a smoldering glance. apparently, by mutual consent, the subject was dropped forthwith. donald's silence throughout the remainder of the meal was portentous, however, and mrs. mckaye and her daughters were relieved when, the meal finished at last, they could retire with good grace and leave father and son to their cigars. "doesn't it beat hell?" donald burst forth suddenly, apropos of nothing. "it does, laddie." "i wonder why?" the laird was in a philosophical mood. he weighed his answer carefully. "because people prefer to have their thoughts manufactured for them; because fanatics and hypocrites have twisted the heart out of the christian religion in the grand scramble for priority in the 'who's holier than who' handicap; because people who earnestly believe that god knows their inmost thoughts cannot refrain from being human and trying to put one over on him." he smoked in silence for a minute, his calm glance on the ceiling. "now that you are what you are, my son," he resumed reflectively, "you'll begin to know men and women. they who never bothered to seek your favor before will fight for it now--they do the same thing with god almighty, seeking to win his favor by outdoing him in the condemnation of sin. a woman's virtue, lad, is her main barricade against the world; in the matter of that, women are a close corporation. man, how they do stand together! their virtue's the shell that protects them, and when one of them leaves her shell or loses it, the others assess her out of the close corporation, for she's a minority stockholder." "mother and the girls are up to their eyebrows in the work of an organization in seattle designed to salvage female delinquents," donald complained. "i can't understand their attitude." old hector hooted. "they don't do the salvaging. not a bit of it! that unpleasant work is left to others, and the virtuous and respectable merely pay for it. ken ye not, boy, 'twas ever the habit of people of means to patronize and coddle the lowly. if they couldn't do that, where would be the fun of being rich? look in the seattle papers. who gets the advertising out of a charity ball if it isn't the rich? they organize it and they put it over, with the public paying for a look at them, and they attending the ball on complimentary tickets, although i will admit that when the bills are paid and the last shred of social triumph has been torn from the affair, the bide-a-wee home for unmarried mothers can have what's left--and be damned to them." donald laughed quietly. "scotty, you're developing into an iconoclast. if your fellow plutocrats should hear you ranting in that vein, they'd call you a socialist." "oh, i'm not saying there aren't a heap of exceptions. many's the woman with a heart big enough to mother the world, although, when all's said and done; 'tis the poor that are kind to the poor, the unfortunate that can appreciate and forgive misfortune. i'm glad you stood by old brent and his girl," he added approvingly. "i intend to accord her the treatment which a gentleman always accords the finest lady in the land, dad." "or the lowest, my son. i've noticed that kind are not altogether unpopular with our finest gentlemen. donald, i used to pray to god that i wouldn't raise a fool. i feel that he's answered my prayers, but if you should ever turn hypocrite, i'll start praying again." viii donald left the following morning in the automobile for the logging-camps up-river, and because of his unfamiliarity with their present location, his father's chauffeur drove him up. he was to be gone all week, but planned to return saturday afternoon to spend sunday with his family. as the car wound up the narrow river road, donald found himself thinking of nan brent and her tragedy. since his visit to the sawdust pile the day before, two pictures of her had persisted in his memory, every detail of both standing forth distinctly. in the first, she was a shabby, barelegged girl of thirteen, standing in the cockpit of his sloop, holding the little vessel on its course while he and old caleb took a reef in the mainsail. the wilderness of gold that was her uncared-for hair blew behind her like a sunny burgee; her sea-blue eyes were fixed on the mainsail, out of which she adroitly spilled the wind at the proper moment, in order that donald and her father might haul the reef-points home and make them fast. in his mind's eye, he could see the pulse beating in her throat as they prepared to come about, for on such occasions she always became excited; he saw again the sweet curve of her lips and her uplifted chin; he heard again her shrill voice crying, "ready, about!" and saw the spokes spin as she threw the helm over and crouched from the swinging boom, although it cleared her pretty head by at least three feet. he listened again to her elfin laugh as she let the sloop fall off sufficiently to take the lip of a comber over the starboard counter and force donald and her father to seek shelter from the spray in the lee of the mainsail, from which sanctuary, with more laughter, she presently routed them by causing the spray to come in over the port counter. the other picture was the pose in which he had seen her the morning previous at the sawdust pile, when, to hide her emotion, she had half turned from him and gazed so forlornly out across the bight of tyee. it had struck him then, with peculiar force, that nan brent never again would laugh that joyous elfin laugh of other days. he had seen the pulse beating in her creamy neck again--a neck fuller, rounder, glorious with the beauty of fully developed womanhood. and the riot of golden hair was subdued, with the exception of little wayward wisps that whipped her white temples. her eyes, somewhat darker now, like the sea near the horizon after the sun has set but while the glory of the day still lingers, were bright with unshed tears. the sweet curves of her mouth were drawn in pain. the northwest trade-wind blowing across the bight had whipped her gingham dress round her, revealing the soft curves of a body, the beauty of which motherhood had intensified rather than diminished. thus she had stood, the outcast of port agnew, and beside her the little badge of her shame, demanding the father he had never known and would never see. the young laird of tyee wondered what sort of man could have done this thing--this monumental wickedness. his great fists were clenched as there welled within him a black rage at the scoundrel who had so wantonly wrecked that little home on the sawdust pile. he wondered, with the arrogance of his years, assuming unconsciously the right of special privilege, if nan would ever reveal to him the identity of the villain. perhaps, some day, in a burst of confidence, she might. even if she did tell him, what could he do? to induce the recreant lover to marry her openly and legally would, he knew, be the world's way of "righting the wrong" and giving the baby a name, but the mischief had been done too long, and could never be undone unless, indeed, a marriage certificate, with proper dating, could be flaunted in the face of an iconoclastic and brutal world. even then, there would remain that astute and highly virtuous few who would never cease to impart in whispers the information that, no matter what others might think, _they_ had their doubts. he was roused from his bitter cogitations by the chauffeur speaking. "this is darrow, mr. donald. i don't believe you've seen it, have you? darrow put in his mill and town while you were away." donald looked over the motley collection of shacks as the automobile rolled down the single unpaved street. "filthy hole," he muttered. "hello! there's one of my late friends from the sawdust pile." a woman, standing in the open door of a shanty on the outskirts of the town had made a wry face and thrust out her tongue at him. he lifted his hat gravely, whereat she screamed a curse upon him. an instant later, an empty beer-bottle dropped with a crash in the tonneau, and donald, turning, beheld in the door of a darrow groggery one of the greek fishermen he had dispossessed. "stop the car!" donald commanded. "i think that man wants to discuss a matter with me." "sorry, sir, but i don't think it's wise to obey you just now," his father's chauffeur answered, and trod on the accelerator. "they call that place the 'bucket of blood,' and you'll need something more than your fists if you expect to enter there and come out under your own power." "very well. some other time, perhaps." "you don't appear to be popular in darrow, mr. donald." "those people left the sawdust pile yesterday--in a hurry," donald explained. "naturally, they're still resentful." "they were making quite a little money down there, i believe. folks do say business was good, and when you take money from that kind of cattle you make a worth-while enemy. if i were you, sir, i'd watch my step in dark alleys, and i'd carry a gun." "when i have to carry a gun to protect myself from vermin like that mulatto and those shifty little greeks, i'll be a few years older than i am now, henry. however, i suppose i'd be foolish to neglect your warning to mind my step." he spent a busy week in the woods, and it was his humor to spend it entirely felling trees. the tough, experienced old choppers welcomed him with keen interest and played freeze-out each night in the bunk-houses to see which one should draw him for a partner next day; for the choppers worked in pairs, likewise the cross-cut men. their bucolic sense of humor impelled the choppers to speed up when they found themselves paired with the new boss, for it would have been a feather in the cap of the man who could make him quit or send him home at nightfall "with his tail dragging," as the woods boss expressed it. donald sported a wondrous set of blisters at the close of that first day, but after supper he opened them, covered them with adhesive tape, and went back to work next morning as if nothing had happened. during those five days, he learned considerable of the art of dropping a tree exactly where he desired it, and bringing it to earth without breakage. he rode down to port agnew with the woods crew on the last log-train saturday night, walked into the mill office, and cashed in his time-slip for five days' work as a chopper. he had earned two dollars a day and his board and lodging. his father, who had driven into town to meet him, came to the window and watched him humorously. "so that's the way you elect to work it, eh?" he queried. "i told daney to pay you my salary when i quit." "i like to feel that i'm earning my stipend," donald replied, "so it pleases me to draw the wages of the job i'm working at. when i'm thoroughly acquainted with all the jobs in the tyee lumber company, or at least have a good working knowledge of them, i think i'll be a better boss." the laird took his son's big brown hands in his and looked at the palms. "i rather think i like it so," he answered. "a man whose hands have never bled or whose back has never ached is a poor man to judge a labor dispute. 'twould improve you if you were a married man and had to live on that for a week, less twenty-five cents for your hospital dues. the choppers pay a dollar a month toward the hospital, and that covers medical attendance for them and their families." donald laughed and flipped a quarter over to the cashier, then turned and handed ten dollars to a wiry little chopper standing in line. "i was feeling so good this morning i bet sandy my week's pay i could fell a tree quicker than he and with less breakage. he won in a walk," he explained to the laird. "come with me," his father ordered, and led him into the office. from the huge safe he selected a ledger, scanned the index, and opened it at a certain account headed, "sandy dough." to sandy's credit each month, extending over a period of fifteen years, appeared a credit of thirty dollars. "that's what it's costing me to have discovered sandy," his father informed him; "but since i had served an apprenticeship as a chopper, the time required to discover sandy was less than half an hour, i watched him one day when he didn't know who i was--so i figured him for a man and a half and raised him a dollar a day. he doesn't know it, however. if he did, he'd brag about it, and i'd have to pay as much to men half as good. when he's chopped for us twenty years, fire him and give him that. he's earned it. thus endeth the first lesson, my son. now come home to dinner." after dinner, donald returned to town to buy himself some working-clothes at the general store. his purchases completed, he sought the juvenile department. "i want some kid's clothing," he announced. "to fit a child of three. rompers, socks, shoes--the complete outfit. charge them to my account and send them over to nan brent at the sawdust pile. i'll give you a note to enclose with them." notwithstanding the fact that she was an employe of the tyee lumber company, the girl who waited on him stared at him frankly. he noticed this and bent upon her a calm glance that brought a guilty flush to her cheek. quickly she averted her eyes, but, nevertheless she had a feeling that the young laird of tyee was still appraising her, and, unable to withstand the fascination peculiar to such a situation, she looked at him again to verify her suspicions--and it was even so. in great confusion she turned to her stock, and donald, satisfied that he had squelched her completely, went into the manager's office, wrote, and sealed the following note to nan brent: saturday night. friend nan: here are some duds for the young fellow. you gave me the right to look after him, you know; at least, you didn't decline it. at any rate, i think you will not mind accepting them from me. i sent to seattle for some books i thought you might like. they have probably arrived by parcel-post. sent you a box of candy, also, although i have forgotten the kind you used to prefer. been up in the logging-camp all week, chopping, and i ache all over. expect to be hard and not quite so weary by next week-end, and will call over for sunday dinner. sincerely, donald mckaye he spent sunday at the dreamerie, and at four o'clock sunday afternoon boarded the up train and returned to the logging-camp. mrs. andrew daney, seated in sunday-afternoon peace upon her front veranda, looked up from the columns of the _churchman_ as the long string of logging-trucks wound round the base of the little knoll upon which the general manager's home stood; but even at a distance of two blocks, she recognized the young laird of tyee in the cab with the engineer. "dear, dear!" this good soul murmured. "and such a nice young man, too! i should think he'd have more consideration for his family, if not for himself." "who's that?" mr. daney demanded, emerging from behind the seattle _post-intelligencer_. "donald mckaye." "what about him?" mr. daney demanded, with slight emphasis on the pronoun. "oh, nothing; only--" "only what?" "people say he's unduly interested in nan brent." "if he is, that's his business. don't let what people say trouble you, mrs. daney." "well, can i help it if people will talk?" "yes--when they talk to you." "how do you know they've been talking to me, andrew?" she demanded foolishly. "because you know what they say." andrew daney rose from the wicker deck-chair in which he had been lounging and leveled his index-finger at the partner of his joys and sorrows. "you forget donald mckaye and that brent girl," he ordered. "it's none of your business. all don has to say to me is, 'mr. daney, your job is vacant'--and, by judas priest, it'll be vacant. remember that, my dear." "nonsense, dear. the laird wouldn't permit it--after all these years." "if it comes to a test of strength, i'll lose, and don't you forget it. old sake's sake is all that saved me from a run-in with donald before he had been in command fifteen minutes. i refer to that sawdust pile episode. you dissuaded me from doing my duty in that matter, mary, and my laxity was not pleasing to donald. i don't blame him a whit." "did he say anything?" she demanded, a trifle alarmed. "no; but he looked it." "how did he look, andrew?" "he looked," her husband replied, "like the blue bonnets coming over the border--that's what he looked like. then he went down to the sawdust pile like a raging demon, cleaned it out in two twos, and put it to the torch. you be careful what you say to people, mary. get that boy started once, and he'll hark back to his paternal ancestors; and if the laird has ever told you the history of that old claymore that hangs on the wall in the dreamerie, you know that the favorite outdoor sports of the mckaye tribe were fighting and foot-racing--with the other fellow in front." "the laird is mild enough," she defended. "yes, he is. but when he was young, he could, and frequently did, whip twice his weight in bear-cats. old as he is to-day, he's as sound as a man of forty; he wouldn't budge an inch for man or devil." mrs. daney carefully folded the _churchman_, laid it aside, and placed her spectacles with it. "andrew, i know it's terrible of me to breathe such a thing, but--did it ever occur to you that--perhaps--the father of nan brent's child might be--" "donald?" he exploded incredulously. she nodded, and about her nod there was something of that calm self-confidence of an attorney who is winning his case and desires to impress that fact upon the jury. "by god, woman," cried daney, "you have the most infernal ideas--" "andrew! remember it's the sabbath!" "it's a wonder my language doesn't shrivel this paper. now then, where in hades do you get this crazy notion?" daney was thoroughly angry. she gazed up at him in vague apprehension. had she gone too far? suddenly he relaxed. "no; don't tell me," he growled. "i'll not be a gossip. god forgive me, i was about to befoul the very salt i eat. i'll not be disloyal." "but, andrew dear, don't you know i wouldn't dare breathe it to anyone but you?" "i don't know how much you'd dare. at any rate, i'll excuse you from breathing it to me, for i'm not interested. i know it isn't true." "then, andrew, it is your duty to tell me why you know it isn't true, in order that i may set at rest certain rumors--" "you--mind--your--own--business, mary!" he cried furiously, punctuating each word with a vigorous tap of his finger on the arm of her chair. "the mckayes meet their responsibilities as eagerly as they do their enemies. if that child were young donald's, he'd have married the brent girl, and if he had demurred about it, the laird would have ordered him to." "thank you for that vote of confidence in the mckaye family, andrew," said a quiet voice. "i think you have the situation sized up just right." andrew daney whirled; his wife glanced up, startled, then half rose and settled back in her chair again, for her legs absolutely refused to support her. standing at the foot of the three steps that led off the veranda was hector mckaye! "i drove donald down from the dreamerie to catch the up train, and thought i'd drop over and visit with you a bit," he explained. "i didn't intend to eavesdrop, and i didn't--very much; but since i couldn't help overhearing such a pertinent bit of conversation, i'll come up and we'll get to the bottom of it. keep your seat, mrs. daney." the advice was unnecessary. the poor soul could not have left it. the laird perched himself on the veranda railing, handed the dumfounded daney a cigar, and helped himself to one. "well, proceed," the laird commanded. his words apparently were addressed to both, but his glance was fixed on mrs. daney--and now she understood full well her husband's description of the mckaye look. "i had finished what i had to say, mr. mckaye," andrew daney found courage to say. "so i noted, andrew, and right well and forcibly you said it. i'm grateful to you. i make no mistake, i think, if your statement wasn't in reply to some idle tale told your good wife and repeated by her to you--in confidence, of course, as between man and wife." "if you'll excuse me, mr. mckaye, i--i'd rather not--discuss it!" mary daney cried breathlessly. "i would i did not deem it a duty to discuss it myself, mary. but you must realize that when the tongue of scandal touches my son, it becomes a personal matter with me, and i must look well for a weapon to combat it. you'll tell me now, mary, what they've been saying about donald and caleb brent's daughter." "andrew will tell you," she almost whispered, and made as if to go. but the laird's fierce eyes deterred her; she quailed and sat down again. "andrew cannot tell me, because andrew doesn't know," the laird rebuked her kindly. "i heard him tell you not to tell him, that he wasn't a gossip, and wouldn't befoul the salt he ate by being disloyal, or words to that effect. is it possible, mary daney, that you prefer me to think you are not inspired by similar sentiments? don't cry, mary--compose yourself." "idleness is the mother of mischief, and since the children have grown up and left home, mary hasn't enough to keep her busy," daney explained. "so, womanlike and without giving sober thought to the matter, she's been listening to the idle chattering of other idle women. now then, my dear," he continued, turning to his wife, "that suspicion you just voiced didn't grow in your head. somebody put it there--and god knows it found fertile soil. out with it now, wife! who've you been gossiping with?" "i'll name no names," the unhappy woman sobbed; "but somebody told me that somebody else was down at the sawdust pile the day donald burned those shacks, and after be burned them he spent an hour in the brent cottage, and when he came out he had the baby in his arms. when he left, the child made a great to-do and called him, 'daddy.'" the laird smiled. "well, mary, what would you expect the boy to do? beat the child? to my knowledge, he's been robbing the candy department of my general store for years, and the tots of port agnew have been the beneficiaries of his vandalism. he was born with a love of children. and would you convict him on the prattle of an innocent child in arms?" "certainly not, mr. mckaye. i understand. well then, on saturday night he sent over a complete outfit of clothing for the child, with a note in the bundle--" "hm-m-m." "and then somebody remembered that the child's name is donald." "how old is that child, mrs. daney?" she considered. "as i recall it, he'll be three years old in october." "since, you're a married woman, mrs. daney," the laird began, with old-fashioned deprecation for the blunt language he was about to employ, "you'll admit that the child wasn't found behind one of old brent's cabbages. this is the year ." but mrs. daney anticipated him. "they've figured it out," she interrupted, "and donald was home from college for the holidays in ." "so he was," the laird replied complacently. "i'd forgotten. so that alibi goes by the board. what else now? does the child resemble my son?" "nobody knows. nan brent doesn't receive visitors, and she hasn't been up-town since the child was born." "is that all, mary?" "all i have heard so far." old hector was tempted to tell her that, in his opinion, she had heard altogether too much, but his regard for her husband caused him to refrain. "it's little enough, and yet it's a great deal," he answered. "you'll be kind enough, mary, not to carry word of this idle gossip to the dreamerie, i should regret that very much." she flushed with the knowledge that, although he forgave her, still he distrusted her and considered a warning necessary. however, she nodded vigorous acceptance of his desire, and immediately he changed the topic. while, for him, the quiet pleasure he had anticipated in the visit had not materialized and he longed to leave at once, for daney's sake he remained for tea. when he departed, mrs. daney ran to her room and found surcease from her distress in tears, while her husband sat out on the veranda smoking one of the laird's fine cigars, his embarrassment considerably alleviated by the knowledge that his imprudent wife had received a lesson that should last for the remainder of her life. about eight o'clock, his wife called him to the telephone. the laird was on the wire. "in the matter of the indiscreet young lady in the store, andrew," he ordered, "do not dismiss her or reprimand her. the least said in such cases is soonest mended." "very well, sir." "good-night, andrew." "good-night, sir." "poor man!" daney sighed, as he hung up. "he's thought of nothing else since he heard about it; it's a canker in his heart. i wish i dared indicate to donald the fact that he's being talked about--and watched--by the idle and curious, in order that he may bear himself accordingly. he'd probably misunderstand my motives however." ix during the week, mary daney refrained from broaching the subject of that uncomfortable sunday afternoon, wherefore her husband realized she was thinking considerably about it and, as a result, was not altogether happy. had he suspected, however, the trend her thoughts were taking, he would have been greatly perturbed. momentous thoughts rarely racked mrs. daney's placid and somewhat bovine brain, but once she became possessed with the notion that nan brent was the only human being possessed of undoubted power to create or suppress a scandal which some queer feminine intuition warned her impended, the more firmly did she become convinced that it was her christian duty to call upon nan brent and strive to present the situation in a common-sense light to that erring young woman. having at length attained to this resolution, a subtle peace settled over mrs. daney, the result, doubtless, of a consciousness of virtue regained, since she was about to right a wrong to which she had so thoughtlessly been a party. her decision had almost been reached when her husband, coming home for luncheon at noon on saturday, voiced the apprehension which had harassed him during the week. "donald will be home from the woods to-night," he announced, in troubled tones. "i do hope he'll not permit that big heart of his to lead him into further kindnesses that will be misunderstood by certain people in case they hear of them. i have never known a man so proud and fond of a son as the laird is of donald." "nonsense!" his wife replied complacently. "the laird has forgotten all about it." "perhaps. nevertheless, he will watch his son, and if, by any chance, the boy should visit the sawdust pile--" "then it will be time enough to worry about him, andrew. in the meantime, it's none of our business, dear. eat your luncheon and don't think about it." he relapsed into moody silence. when he had departed for the mill office, however, his wife's decision had been reached. within the hour she was on her way to the sawdust pile, but as she approached caleb brent's garden gate, she observed, with a feeling of gratification, that, after all, it was not going to be necessary for her to be seen entering the house or leaving it. far up the strand she saw a woman and a little child sauntering. nan brent looked up at the sound of footsteps crunching the shingle, identified mrs. daney at a glance, and turned her head instantly, at the same time walking slowly away at right angles, in order to obviate a meeting. to her surprise, mrs. daney also changed her course, and nan, observing this out of the corner of her eye, dropped her apronful of driftwood and turned to face her visitor. "good afternoon, miss brent. may i speak to you for a few minutes?" "certainly, mrs. daney." mrs. daney nodded condescendingly and sat down on the white sand. "be seated, miss brent, if you please." "well, perhaps if we sit down, we will be less readily recognized at a distance." nan replied smilingly, and was instantly convinced that she had read her visitor's mind aright, for mrs. daney flushed slightly. "suppose," the girl suggested gently, "that you preface what you have to say by calling me 'nan.' you knew me well enough to call me that in an earlier and happier day, mrs. daney." "thank you, nan. i shall accept your invitation and dispense with formality." she hesitated for a beginning, and nan, observing her slight embarrassment, was gracious enough to aid her by saying: "i dare say your visit has something to do with the unenviable social position in which i find myself in port agnew, mrs. daney, for i cannot imagine any other possible interest in me to account for it. so you may be quite frank. i'm sure nothing save a profound sense of duty brought you here, and i am prepared to listen." this was a degree of graciousness the lady had not anticipated, and it put her at her ease immediately. "i've called to talk to you about donald mckaye," she began abruptly. "at the solicitation of whom?" "nobody." mrs. daney sighed. "it was just an idea of mine." "ah--i think i prefer it that way. proceed, mrs. daney." "young mr. mckaye is unduly interested in you, nan--at least, that is the impression of a number of people in port agnew." "i object to the use of the adverb 'unduly' in connection with mr. donald's interest in my father and me. but no matter. since port agnew has no interest in me, pray why, mrs. daney, should i have the slightest interest in the impressions of these people you refer to and whose volunteer representative you appear to be?" "there! i knew you would be offended!" mrs. daney cried, with a deprecatory shrug. "i'm sure i find this a most difficult matter to discuss, and i assure you, i do not desire to appear offensive." "well, you are; but i can stand it, and whether i resent it or not cannot be a matter of much import to you or the others. and i'll try not to be disagreeable. just why did you come to see me, mrs. daney?" "i might as well speak plainly, miss brent. donald mckaye's action in ridding the sawdust pile of your neighbors has occasioned comment. it appears that this was his first official act after assuming his father's place in the business. then he visited you and your father for an hour, and your child, whom it appears you have named donald, called him 'daddy.' then, last saturday night, mr. mckaye sent over some clothing for the boy--" "whereupon the amateur detectives took up the trail," nan interrupted bitterly. "and you heard of it immediately." "his father heard of it also," mrs. daney continued. "it worries him." "it should not. he should have more faith in his son, mrs. daney." "he is a father, my dear, very proud of his son, very devoted to him, and fearfully ambitious for donald's future." "and you fear that i may detract from the radiance of that future? is that it?" "in plain english," the worthy lady replied brutally, "it is." "i see your point of view very readily, mrs. daney. your apprehensions are ridiculous--almost pathetic, don mckaye's great sympathy is alone responsible for his hardihood in noticing me, and he is so much too big for port agnew that it is no wonder his motives are misunderstood. however, i am sorry his father is worried. we have a very great respect for the laird; indeed, we owe him a debt of gratitude, and there is nothing my father or i would not do to preserve his peace of mind." "the talk will die out, of course, unless something should occur to revive it, miss brent--i mean, nan. but it would be just like donald mckaye to start a revival of this gossip. he doesn't care a farthing for what people think or say, and he is too young to realize that one _must_ pay _some_ attention to public opinion. you realize that, of course." "i ought to, mrs. daney. i think i have had some experience of public opinion," nan replied sadly. "then, should donald mckaye's impulsive sympathy lead him to--er--" "you mean that i am to discourage him in the event--" "precisely, miss brent. for his father's sake." "not to mention your husband's position. precisely, mrs. daney." mary daney's heart fluttered. "i have trusted to your honor, nan--although i didn't say so in the beginning--not to mention my visit or this interview to a living soul." "my 'honor!'" nan's low, bitter laugh raked the daney nerves like a rasp. "i think, mrs. daney, that i may be depended upon to follow my own inclinations in this matter. i suspect you have been doing some talking yourself and may have gone too far, with the result that you are hastening now, by every means in your power, to undo whatever harm, real or fancied, has grown out of your lack of charity." "nan, i beg of you--" "don't! you have no right to beg anything of me. i am not unintelligent and neither am i degraded. i think i possess a far keener conception of my duty than do you or those whom you have elected to represent; hence i regard this visit as an unwarranted impertinence. one word from me to donald mckaye--" terror smote the samaritan. she clasped her hands; her lips were pale and trembling. "oh, my dear, my dear," she pleaded, "you wouldn't breathe a word to him, would you? promise me you'll say nothing. how could i face my husband if--if--" she began to weep. "i shall promise nothing," nan replied sternly. "but i only came for his father's sake, you cruel girl!" "perhaps his father's case is safer in my hands than in yours, mrs. daney, and safest of all in those of his son." the outcast of port agnew rose, filled her apron with the driftwood she had gathered, and called to her child. as the little fellow approached, mrs. daney so far forgot her perturbation as to look at him keenly and decide, eventually, that he bore not the faintest resemblance to donald mckaye. "i'm sure, nan, you will not be heartless enough to tell donald mckaye of my visit to you," she pleaded, as the girl started down the beach. "you have all the assurance of respectability, dear mrs. daney," nan answered carelessly. "you shall not leave me until you promise to be silent!" mary daney cried hysterically, and rose to follow her. "i think you had better go, mrs. daney. i am quite familiar with the figure of the laird since his retirement; he walks round the bight with his dogs every afternoon for exercise, and, if i am not greatly mistaken, that is he coming down the beach." mrs. daney cast a terrified glance in the direction indicated. a few hundred yards up the beach she recognized the laird, striding briskly along, swinging his stick, and with his two english setters romping beside him. with a final despairing "please nan; please do not be cruel!" she fled, nan brent smiling mischievously after her stout retreating form. "i have condemned you to the horrors of uncertainty," the girl soliloquized. "how very, very stupid you are, mrs. daney, to warn me to protect him! as if i wouldn't lay down my life to uphold his honor! nevertheless, you dear old bungling busybody, you are absolutely right, although i suspect no altruistic reason carried you forth on this uncomfortable errand." nan had heretofore, out of the bitterness of her life, formed the opinion that brickbats were for the lowly, such as she, and bouquets solely for the great, such as donald mckaye. now, for the first time, she realized that human society is organized in three strata--high, mediocre, and low, and that when a mediocrity has climbed to the seats of the mighty, his fellows strive to drag him back, down to their own ignoble level--or lower. to nan, child of poverty, sorrow, and solitude, the world had always appeared more or less incomprehensible, but this afternoon, as she retraced her slow steps to the sawdust pile, the old dull pain of existence had become more complicated and acute with the knowledge that the first ray of sunlight that had entered her life in three years was about to be withdrawn; and at the thought, tears, which seemed to well from her heart rather than from her eyes, coursed down her cheeks and a sob broke through her clenched lips. her progress homeward, what with the heavy bundle of driftwood, in her apron impeding her stride, coupled with the necessity for frequent pauses to permit her child to catch up with her, was necessarily slow--so slow, in fact, that presently she heard quick footsteps behind her and, turning, beheld hector mckaye. he smiled, lifted his hat, and greeted her pleasantly. "good-afternoon, miss nan. that is a heavy burden of driftwood you carry, my dear. here--let me relieve you of it. i've retired, you know, and the necessity for finding something to do--bless my soul, the girl's crying!" he paused, hat in hand, and gazed at her with frank concern. she met his look bravely. "thank you, mr. mckaye. please do not bother about it." "oh, but i shall bother," he answered. "remove your apron, girl, and i'll tie the wood up in it and carry it home for you." despite her distress, she smiled. "you're such an old-fashioned gentleman," she replied. "so very much like your son--i mean, your son is so very much like you." "that's better. i think i enjoy the compliment more when you put it that way," he answered. "do not stand there holding the wood, my girl. drop it." she obeyed and employed her right hand, thus freed, in wiping the telltale tears from her sweet face. "i have been lax in neighborly solicitude," the laird continued. "i must send you over a supply of wood from the box factory. we have more waste than we can use in the furnaces. is this your little man, nan? sturdy little chap, isn't he? come here, bub, and let me heft you." he swung the child from the sands, and while pretending to consider carefully the infant's weight, he searched the cherubic countenance with a swift, appraising glance. "healthy little rascal," he continued, and swung the child high in the air two or three times, smiling paternally as the latter screamed with delight. "how do you like that, eh?" he demanded, as he set the boy down on the sand again. "dood!" the child replied, and gazing up at the laird yearningly. "are you my daddy?" but the laird elected to disregard the pathetic query and busied himself gathering up the bundle of driftwood, nor did he permit his glance to rest upon nan brent's flushed and troubled face. tucking the bundle under one arm and taking nan's child on the other, he whistled to his dogs and set out for the sawdust pile, leaving the girl to follow behind him. he preceded her through the gate, tossed the driftwood on a small pile in the yard, and turned to hand her the apron. "you are not altogether happy, poor girl!" he said kindly. "i'm very sorry. i want the people in my town to be happy." "i shall grow accustomed to it, mr. mckaye," nan answered. "to-day, i am merely a little more depressed than usual. thank you so much for carrying the wood. you are more than kind." his calm, inscrutable gray glance roved over her, noting her beauty and her sweetness, and the soul of him was troubled. "is it something you could confide in an old man?" he queried gently. "you are much neglected, and i--i understand the thoughts that must come to you sometimes. perhaps you would be happier elsewhere than in port agnew." "perhaps," she replied dully. "if you could procure work--some profession to keep your mind off your troubles--i have some property in tacoma--suburban lots with cottages on them." the laird grew confused and embarrassed because of the thought that was in the back of his mind, and was expressing himself jerkily and in disconnected sentences. "i do not mean--i do not offer charity, for i take it you have had enough insults--well, you and your father could occupy one of those cottages at whatever you think you could afford to pay, and i would be happy to advance you any funds you might need until you--could--that is, of course, you must get on your feet again, and you must have help--" he waved his hand. "all this oppresses me." the remembrance of mrs. daney's interview with her prompted the girl to flash back at him. "'oppresses,' mr. mckaye? since when?" he gazed upon her in frank admiration for her audacity and perspicacity. "yes," he admitted slowly; "i dare say i deserve that. yet, mingled with that ulterior motive you have so unerringly discerned, there is a genuine, if belated, desire to be decently human. i think you realize that also." "i should be stupid and ungrateful did i not, mr. mckaye. i am sorry i spoke just now as i did, but i could not bear--" "to permit me to lay the flattering unction to my soul that i had gotten away with something, eh?" he laughed, much more at his ease, now that he realized how frank and yet how tactful she could be. "it wasn't quite worthy of you--not because i might resent it, for i am nobody, but because you should have more faith in yourself and be above the possibility of disturbance at the hands--or rather, the tongues--of people who speak in whispers." she came close to him suddenly and laid her hand lightly on his forearm, for she was speaking with profound earnestness. "i am your debtor, mr. mckaye, for that speech you found it so hard to make just now, and for past kindnesses from you and your son. i cannot accept your offer. i would like to, did my pride permit, and were it not for the fact that such happiness as is left to my father can only be found by the bight of tyee. so, while he lives i shall not desert him. as for your apprehensions"--she smiled tolerantly and whimsically--"though flattering to me, they are quite unnecessary, and i beg you rid your mind of them. i am--that which i am; yet i am more than i appear to be to some and i shall not wantonly or wilfully hurt you--or yours." the laird of tyee took in both of his the slim hand that rested so lightly on his sleeve--that dainty left hand with the long, delicate fingers and no wedding ring. "my dear child," he murmured, "i feel more than i dare express. good-by and may god bless you and be good to you, for i fear the world will not." he bowed with old-fashioned courtesy over her hand and departed; yet such was his knowledge of life that now his soul was more deeply troubled than it had been since his unintentional eavesdropping on his manager's garrulous wife. "what a woman!" he reflected. "brains, imagination, dignity, womanly pride, courage, beauty and--yes; i agree with donald. neither maid, wife nor widow is she--yet she is not, never has been, and never will be a woman without virtue. ah, donald, my son, she's a bonny lass! for all her fall, she's not a common woman and my son is not a common man--i wonder--oh, 'tis lies, lies, lies, and she's heard them and knows they're lies. ah, my son, my son, with the hot blood of youth in you--you've a man's head and heart and a will of your own--aye, she's sweet--that she is--i wonder!" x at the front of caleb brent's little house there was a bench upon which the old man was wont to sit on sunny days--usually in the morning, before the brisk, cool nor'west trade-wind commenced to blow. following hector mckaye's departure, nan sought this bench until she had sufficiently mastered her emotions to conceal from her father evidence of a distress more pronounced than usual; as she sat there, she revolved the situation in her mind, scanning every aspect of it, weighing carefully every possibility. in common with the majority of human kind, nan considered herself entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and now, at a period when, in the ordinary course of events, all three of these necessary concomitants of successful existence (for, to her, life meant something more than mere living) should have been hers in bounteous measure, despite the handicap under which she had been born, she faced a future so barren that sometimes the distant boom of the breakers on tyee head called to her to desert her hopeless fight and in the blue depths out yonder find haven from the tempests of her soul. in an elder day, when the sawdust pile had been port agnew's garbage-dump, folks who clipped their rose bushes and thinned out their marigold plants had been accustomed to seeing these slips take root again and bloom on the sawdust pile for a brief period after their ash-cans had been emptied there; and, though she did not know it, nan brent bore pitiful resemblance to these outcast flowers. here, on the reclaimed sawdust pile, she had bloomed from girlhood into lovely womanhood--a sweet forget-me-not in the garden of life, she had been transplanted into eden until fate, the grim gardener, had cast her out, to take root again on the sawdust pile and ultimately to wither and die. it is terrible for the great of soul, the ambitious, the imaginative, when circumstances condemn them to life amid dull, uninteresting, drab, and sometimes sordid surroundings. born to love and be loved, nan brent's soul beat against her environment even as a wild bird, captured and loosed in a room, beats against the window-pane. from the moment she had felt within her the vague stirrings of womanhood, she had been wont to gaze upon the blue-back hills to the east, to the horizon out west, wondering what mysteries lay beyond, and yearning to encounter them. perhaps it was the sea-faring instinct, the _wanderlust_ of her forebears; perhaps it was a keener appreciation of the mediocrity of port agnew than others in the little town possessed, a realization that she had more to give to life than life had to give to her. perhaps it had been merely the restlessness that is the twin of a rare heritage--the music of the spheres--for with such had nan been born. it is hard to harken for the reedy music of pan and hear only the whine of a sawmill or the boom of the surf. of her mother, nan had seen but little. her recollections of her mother were few and vague; of her mother's people, she knew nothing save the fact that they dwelt in a world quite free of brents, and that her mother had committed a distinctly social _faux pas_ in marrying caleb brent she guessed long before caleb brent, in his brave simplicity, had imparted that fact to her. an admiral's daughter, descendant of an old and wealthy revolutionary family, the males of which had deemed any calling other than the honorable profession of arms as beneath the blood and traditions of the family, nan's mother had been the pet of portsmouth until, inexplicably, caleb brent, a chief petty officer on her father's flag-ship, upon whom the hero's medal had just been bestowed, had found favor in her eyes. the ways of love, as all the philosophers of the ages are agreed, are beyond definition or understanding; even in his own case, caleb brent was not equal to the task of understanding how their love had grown, burgeoned into an engagement, and ripened into marriage. he only knew that, from a meek and well-disciplined petty officer, he had suddenly developed the courage of a sir galahad, and, while under the influence of a strange spell, had respectfully defied the admiral, who had foolishly assumed that, even if his daughter would not obey him, his junior in the service would. then had come the baby girl, nan, the divorce--pressed by the mother's family--and the mother's death. if his wife had discerned in him the nobility that was so apparent to his daughter--poor old hero! but nan always checked her meditations at this point. they didn't seem quite fair to her mother. seated on the bench this afternoon, nan reviewed her life from her sixth year, the year in which her father had claimed her. until her eighteenth year, she had not been unhappy, for, following their arrival in port agnew, her father had prospered to a degree which permitted his daughter the enjoyment of the ordinary opportunities of ordinary people. if she had not known extravagance in the matter of dress, neither had she known penury; when her feminine instinct impelled her to brighten and beautify the little home on the sawdust pile from time to time, she had found that possible. she had been graduated with honors from the local high school, and, being a book-lover of catholic taste and wide range, she was, perhaps, more solidly educated than the majority of girls who have had opportunities for so-called higher education. with the broad democracy of sawmill towns, she had not, in the days gone by, been excluded from the social life of the town, such as it was, and she had had her beaus, such as they were. sometimes she wondered how the choir in the presbyterian church had progressed since she, once the mezzo-soprano soloist, had resigned to sing lullabys to a nameless child, if andrew daney still walked on the tips of his shoes when he passed the collection-plate, and if the mortgage on the church had ever been paid. she rose wearily and entered the little house. old caleb sat at the dining-room table playing solitaire. he looked up as she entered, swept the cards into a heap and extended his old arm to encircle her waist as she sat on the broad arm of his chair. she drew his gray head down on her breast. "dadkins," she said presently, "donald mckaye isn't coming to dinner to-morrow after all." "oh, that's too bad, nan! has he written you? what's happened?" "no; he hasn't written me, and nothing's happened. i have decided to send him word not to come." [illustration: she stole to the old square piano and sang for him.] "aren't you feeling well, my dear?" "it isn't that, popsy-wops. he's the new laird of tyee now, and he must be careful of the company he keeps." old caleb growled in his throat. "much he cares what people think." "i know it. and much i care what people think, for i've grown accustomed to their thoughts. but i do care what his father thinks, for, of course, he has plans for donald's future, and if donald, out of the kindness of his heart, should become a frequent visitor here, the laird would hear of it sooner or later--sooner, perhaps, for it would never occur to donald to conceal it--and then the poor laird would be worried. and we don't owe the laird that, father brent!" "no; we do not." the old face was troubled. "i met mrs. daney on the beach, and it was she who gave me the intimation that the laird had heard some cruel gossip that was disturbing him." "i'm sorry. well, use your own judgment, daughter." "i'm sure donald will understand," she assured him. "and he will not think the less of us for doing it." she got up and went to the peculiar and wholly impractical little desk which mrs. mckaye had picked up in italy and which donald, calm in the knowledge that his mother would never use it or miss it, had given her to help furnish the house when first they had come to the sawdust pile. on a leaf torn from a tablet, she wrote: the sawdust pile, saturday afternoon. dear donald: i had planned to reserve my thanks for the books and the candy until you called for dinner to-morrow. now, i have decided that it will be better for you not to come to dinner to-morrow, although this decision has not been made without father and me being sensible of a keen feeling of disappointment. we had planned to sacrifice an old hen that has outlived her margin of profit, hoping that, with the admixture of a pinch of saleratus, she would prove tender enough to tempt the appetite of a lumberjack, but, upon sober second thought, it seems the part of wisdom to let her live. we honor and respect you, donald. you are so very dear to us that we wish to cherish always your good opinion of us; we want everybody in port agnew to think of you as we do. people will misunderstand and misconstrue your loyalty to the old friends of your boyhood if you dare admit your friendship. indeed, some have already done so. i thank you for the books and the candy, but with all my heart i am grateful to you for a gift infinitely more precious but which is too valuable for me to accept. i shall have to treasure it at a distance. sometimes, at colors, you might wave to your old friend, nan brent. her letter completed, she sealed it in a plain white envelop, after which she changed into her best dress and shoes and departed up-town. straight to the mill office of the tyee lumber company she went, her appearance outside the railing in the general office being the signal for many a curious and speculative glance from the girls and young men at work therein. one of the former, with whom nan had attended high school, came over to the railing and, without extending a greeting, either of word or smile, asked, in businesslike tones, "whom do you wish to see?" in direct contrast with this cool salutation, nan inclined her head graciously and smilingly said: "why, how do you do, hetty? i wonder if i might be permitted a minute of mr. daney's time." "i'll see," hetty replied, secretly furious in the knowledge that she had been serenely rebuked, and immediately disappeared in the general manager's office. a moment later, she emerged. "mr. daney will see you, miss brent," she announced. "first door to your right. go right in." "thank you very much, hetty." andrew daney, seated at a desk, stood up as she entered. "how do you do, nan?" he greeted her, with masculine cordiality, and set out a chair. "please be seated and tell me what i can do to oblige you." a swift scrutiny of the private office convinced her that they were alone; so she advanced to the desk and laid upon it the letter she had addressed to donald mckaye. "i would be grateful, mr. daney, if you would see that mr. donald mckaye receives this letter when he comes in from the woods to-night," she replied. daney was frankly amazed. "bless my soul," he blurted, "why do you entrust me with it? would it not have been far simpler to have mailed it?" "not at all, mr. daney. in the first place, the necessity for writing it only developed an hour ago, and in order to be quite certain mr. mckaye would receive it this evening, i would have had to place a special-delivery stamp upon it. i did not have a special-delivery stamp; so, in order to get one, i would have had to go to the post-office and buy it. and the instant i did that, the girl on duty at the stamp-window would have gone to the mail-chute to get the letter and read the address. so i concluded it would be far more simple and safe to entrust my letter to you. moreover," she added, "i save ten cents." "i am very greatly obliged to you, nan," daney answered soberly. "you did exactly right," had she conferred upon him a distinct personal favor, his expression of obligation could not have been more sincere. he took a large envelop of the tyee lumber company, wrote donald's name upon it, enclosed nan's letter in this large envelop, and sealed it with a mighty blow of his fist. "now then," he declared, "what people do not know will not trouble them. after you go, i'll place this envelop in don's mail-box in the outer office. i think we understand each other," he added shrewdly. "i think we do, mr. daney." "splendid fellow, young donald! thundering fine boy!" "i agree with you, mr. daney. if donald has a fault, it is his excessive democracy and loyalty to his friends. thank you so much, mr. daney. good-afternoon." "not at all--not at all! all this is quite confidential, of course, otherwise you would not be here." he bowed her to the door, opened it for her, and bowed again as she passed him. when she had gone, he summoned the young lady whom nan had addressed as "hetty." "miss fairchaild," he said, "'phone the local sales-office and tell them to deliver a load of fire-wood to the brent house at the sawdust pile." two minutes later, the entire office force knew that nan brent had called to order a load of fire-wood, and once more the world sagged into the doldrums. xi at six o'clock donald came in from the logging-camp. daney made it his business to be in the entry of the outer office when his superior took his mail from his box, and, watching narrowly, thought he observed a frown on the young laird's face as he read nan brent's letter. immediately he took refuge in his private office, to which he was followed almost immediately by donald. "that's your handwriting, mr. daney," he said, thrusting the large envelop under daney's nose. "another letter in a smaller envelop was enclosed by you in this large one. you knew, of course, who wrote it." "miss brent brought it personally." donald started slightly. he was amazed. "i take it," he continued, after a slight pause, "that it was entirely your idea to conceal from the office force the fact that miss brent had written me this letter." "it was, don." "i am at a loss to know why you took such a precaution." donald's eyes met daney's in frank suspicion; the latter thought that he detected some slight anger in the younger man's bearing. "i can enlighten you, don. miss brent was at some pains to conceal the fact that she had written you a letter; she brought it to me to be handed to you, rather than run the risk of discovery by dropping it in the post-office for special delivery. some of the girls in our office went to school with nan brent and might recognize her handwriting if they saw the envelop. i saw hetty fairchaild looking over your letters rather interestedly the other day, when she was sorting the mail and putting it in the boxes." "the entire procedure appears to me to be peculiar and wholly unnecessary. however, i'm obliged to you, mr. daney, for acceding so thoroughly to nan's apparent wishes." he frowned as he tore the envelop into shreds and dropped them in dahey's waste-basket. "i'm afraid some young women around this plant are going to lose their jobs unless they learn to restrain their curiosity and their tongues," he added. "i thought i was still general manager," daney reminded him gently, "hiring and firing have always been my peculiar prerogatives." "forgive me, mr. daney. they shall continue to be." the young laird grinned at the rebuke; daney smiled back at him, and the somewhat charged atmosphere cleared instantly. "by the way, donald, your father is in town. he's going up to seattle to-night on the seven-ten train. your mother and the girls left earlier in the week. he's dining at the hotel and wishes you to join him there. he figured that, by the time you could reach the dreamerie, shave, bathe, and dress, it would be too late to have dinner with him there and still allow him time to catch his train." "how does idleness sit on my parent, mr. daney?" "not very well, i fear. he shoots and fishes and takes long walks with the dogs; he was out twice in your sloop this week. i think he and your mother and the girls plan a trip to honolulu shortly." "good!" donald yawned and stretched his big body, "i've lost eight pounds on this chopping-job," he declared, "and i thought i hadn't an ounce of fat on me. zounds, i'm sore! but i'm to have an easy job next week. i'm to patrol the skid-roads with a grease-can. that woods boss is certainly running me ragged." "well, your innings will come later," daney smiled. at the mill office, donald washed, and then strolled over to the hotel to meet his father. old hector grinned as donald, in woolen shirt, mackinaw, corduroy trousers, and half-boots came into the little lobby, for in his son he saw a replica of himself thirty years agone. "hello, dad!" donald greeted him. "hello, yourself!" the father, in great good humor, joined his son, and they proceeded to dine, chaffing each other good-naturedly the while, and occasionally exchanging pleasantries with their neighbors at adjoining tables. the laird was in excellent spirits, a condition which his interview that afternoon with nan brent had tended to bring about; during the period that had elapsed between his subsequent doubts and his meeting with his son, he had finally decided that the entire matter was a mare's nest and had dismissed it from his mind. after dinner, they walked down to the railroad station together, donald carrying his father's bag. while the laird was at the ticket-window purchasing his transportation, his son walked over to a baggage-truck to rest the bag upon it. as the bag landed with a thud, a man who had been seated on the truck with his back toward donald glanced over his shoulder in a leisurely way, and, in that glance, the latter recognized one of the greeks he had evicted from the sawdust pile--the same man who had thrown a beer-bottle at him the day he motored through darrow. "what are you doing in port agnew?" donald demanded. to his query, the fellow replied profanely that this was none of his interrogator's affair. "well, it is some of my affair," the new boss of tyee replied. "i have a crow to pluck with you, anyhow, and i'm going to pluck it now." he grasped the greek by his collar and jerked him backward until the man lay flat on his back across the baggage-truck; then, with his horny left hand, donald slapped the sullen face vigorously, jerked the fellow to his feet, faced him in the direction of darrow, and, with a vigorous kick, started him on his way. "that's for throwing beer-bottles!" he called after the man. "and hereafter you keep out of port agnew. your kind are not welcome here." the greek departed into the night cursing, while the laird, still at the ticket-window, glanced interestedly from his son to the greek and then back to donald. "what's the idea, son?" he demanded. "a recent dweller on the sawdust pile," his son replied easily. "he declared war on me, so, naturally, he comes into my territory at his own risk. that scum from darrow must keep out of our town, dad, and force is the only argument they can understand. daney gave them a free hand and spoiled them, but i'm going to teach them who's boss around here now. besides, i owe that fellow a poke. he insulted nan brent. there would have been a bill for repairs on the scoundrel if i had caught him the day i drove his gang off the sawdust pile." "well, i approve of your sentiments, donald, but, nevertheless, it's a poor practise for a gentleman to fight with a mucker, although," he added whimsically, "when i was your age i always enjoyed a go with such fellows. that man you just roughed is george chirakes, and he's a bad one. knifed three of his countrymen in a drunken riot in darrow last fall, but got out of it on a plea of self-defense. keep your eye on the brute. he may try to play even, although there's no real courage in his kind. they're born bushwhackers," the laird glanced at his watch and saw that it still lacked eight minutes of train-time. "wait for me a minute," he told his son. "i want to telephone daney on a little matter i overlooked this afternoon." he entered the telephone-booth in the station and called up andrew daney. "mckaye speaking," he announced. "i've just discovered donald has an enemy--that greek, chirakes, from darrow. did dirty dan come in from the woods to-night?" "i believe he did. he usually comes in at week-ends." "look him up immediately, and tell him to keep an eye on donald, and not to let him out of his sight until the boy boards the logging-train to-morrow night to go back to the woods. same thing next week-end, and when donald completes his tour of duty in the woods, transfer dan from the logging-camp and give him a job in the mill, so he can watch over the boy when he's abroad nights. he is not, of course, to let my son know he is under surveillance." "i will attend to the matter immediately," daney promised, and the laird, much relieved, hung up and rejoined his son. "take care of yourself--and watch that greek, boy," he cautioned, as he swung aboard the train. donald stood looking after the train until the tail-lights had disappeared round a curve. xii daney readily discovered in a pool-hall the man he sought. "dirty dan" o'leary was a chopper in the mckaye employ, and had earned his sobriquet, not because he was less cleanly than the average lumberjack but because he was what his kind described as a "dirty" fighter. that is to say, when his belligerent disposition led him into battle, which it frequently did, mr. o'leary's instinct was to win, quickly and decisively, and without consideration of the niceties of combat, for a primitive person was dirty dan. fast as a panther, he was as equally proficient in the use of all his extremities, and, if hard pressed, would use his teeth. he was a stringy, big-boned man of six feet, and much too tall for his weight, wherefore belligerent strangers were sometimes led to the erroneous conclusion that mr. o'leary would not be hard to upset. in short, he was a wild, bad irishman who had gotten immovably fixed in his head an idea that old hector mckaye was a "gr-rand gintleman," and a gr-rand gintleman was one of the three things that dirty dan would fight for, the other two being his personal safety and the love of battle. daney drew dirty dan out of the pool-hall and explained the situation to him. the knowledge that the laird had, in his extremity, placed reliance on him moved dirty dan to the highest pitch of enthusiasm and loyalty. he pursed his lips, winked one of his piggy eyes craftily, and, without wasting time in words of assurance, set forth in search of the man he was to follow and protect. presently he saw donald entering the butcher shop; so he stationed himself across the street and watched the young laird of tyee purchase a fowl and walk out with it under his arm. keeping his man dimly in view through the gloom, dirty dan, from the opposite side of the street, followed on velvet feet to the outskirts of the town, where donald turned and took a path through some vacant lots, arriving at last at the sawdust pile. dirty dan heard him open and close the gate to caleb brent's garden. "oh, ho, the young divil!" dirty dan murmured, and immediately left the path, padding softly out into the grass in order that, when the door of caleb brent's house should be opened, the light from within might not shine forth and betray him. after traversing a dozen steps, he lay down in the grass and set himself patiently to await the reappearance of his quarry. in response to several clearly audible knocks, the front door failed to open, and dirty dan heard don walk round the house to the back door. "the young divil!" he reiterated to himself. "faith, whin the cat's away the mice'll play, an' divil a worrd o' lie in that! begorra, i'm thinkin' the ould gintleman'd be scandalized could he know where his darlin' bhoy is this minute--here, wait a minute daniel, ye gossoon. maybe, 'tis for this i've been sint to watch the lad an' not for to protect him. if it is, faith 'tis a job i'm not wishful for, shpyin' on me own boss." he pondered the matter. then: "well, sorra wan o' me knows. what if the young fella do be in love wit' her an' his father have wind of it! eh? what thin, daniel? a scandal, that's what, an', be the toe-nails o' moses, nayther the laird nor his son can afford that. i'll take note o' what happens, but, be the same token, 'tis not to misther daney i'll make me report, but to the ould man himself. sh--what's that?" his ear being close to the ground, dirty dan had caught the sound of slow, cautious footsteps advancing along the little path. he flattened himself in the grass and listened, the while he hoped fervently that those who walked the path (for he knew now there were more than one) would not leave it as he had done and at the same point. should they inadvertently tread upon him, dirty dan felt that the honor of the mckaye family and the maintenance of the secret of his present employment would demand instant and furious battle--on suspicion. the unknown pedestrians paused in the path. "ah done tol' you-all ah'm right," dirty dan heard one of them say. "ha!" thought dirty dan. "a dirrty black naygur! i can tell be the v'ice of him." one of his companions grunted, and another said, in accents which the astute mr. o'leary correctly judged to be those of a foreigner of some sort: "all right. w'en he's come out, we jumpa right here. wha's matter, eh?" "suits me," the negro replied. "let's set down, an' fo' de lawd's sake, keep quite 'twell he come." dirty dan heard them move off to the other side of the path and sit down in the grass. "so 'tis that big buck yeller naygur from darrow an' two o' the greeks," he mused. "an' god knows i never did like fightin' in the dark. they'll knife me as sure as pussy is a cat." decidedly, the prospect did not appeal to dirty dan. however, he had his orders to protect the laird's son; he had his own peculiar notions of honor, and in his wild irish heart there was not one drop of craven blood. so presently, with the stealth of an animal, he crawled soundlessly away until he judged it would be safe for him to stand up and walk, which he did with infinite caution. he reached the gate, passed like a wraith through it, and round to the side of caleb brent's home, in momentary dread of discovery by a dog. he breathed a sigh of relief when, the outcry failing to materialize, he decided the brents were too poor to maintain a dog; whereupon he filled his pipe, lighted it, leaned up against the house, and, for the space of an hour, stood entranced, for from caleb brent's poor shanty there floated the voice of an angel, singing to the notes of a piano. "glory be!" murmured the amazed daniel. "sure, if that's what the young fella hears whin he calls, divil a bit do i blame him. oh, the shweet v'ice of her--an' singin' 'the low-backed car'!" despite the wicked work ahead of him, dirty dan was glad of the ill fortune which had sent him hither. he had in full measure the gael's love of music, and when, at length, the singing ceased and reluctantly he made up his mind that the concert was over, he was thrilled to a point of exaltation. "begorra, i didn't expect to be piped into battle," he reflected humorously--and sought the brent wood-pile, in which he poked until his hard hands closed over a hard, sound, round piece of wood about three feet long. he tested it across his knee, swung it over his head, and decided it would do. "now thin, for the surprise party," he reflected grimly, and walked boldly to the gate, which he opened and closed with sufficient vigor to advertise his coming, even if his calked boots on the hard path had not already heralded his advance. however, dirty dan desired to make certain; so he pursed his lips and whistled softly the opening bars of "the low-backed car" in the hope that the lilting notes would still further serve to inculcate in the lurking enemy the impression that he was a lover returning well content from his tryst. as he sauntered along, he held his bludgeon in readiness while his keen eyes searched--and presently he made out the cronching figures. "the naygur first--to hold me, whilst the greeks slip a dirk in me," he decided shrewdly. he heard the scuttering rush start, and, with the shock of combat, his carefully prearranged plan of battle quite fled his mercurial mind. he met the charge with a joyous screech, forgot that he had a club, and kicked viciously out with his right foot. his heavy logger's boots connected with something soft and yielding, which instinct told mr. o'leary was an abdomen; instinct, coupled with experience, informed him further that no man could assimilate that mighty kick in the abdomen and yet remain perpendicular, whereupon. dirty dan leaped high in the air and came down with both terrible calked boots on something which gave slightly under him and moaned. on the instant, he received a light blow in the breast and knew he had been stabbed. he remembered his club now; as he backed away swiftly, he swung it, and, from the impact, concluded he had struck a neck or shoulder. that was the luck of night-fighting; so, with a bitter curse, dirty dan swung again, in the pious hope of connecting with a skull; he scored a clean miss and was, by the tremendous force of his swing, turned completely round. before he could recover his balance, a hand grasped his ankle and he came down heavily on his face; instantly, his assailant's knees were pressed into his back. with a mighty heave he sought to free himself, at the same time flinging both long legs upward, after the fashion of one who strives to kick himself in the small of the back; whereupon a knife drove deep into his instep, and he realized he had not acted a split second too soon to save himself from a murderous thrust in the kidneys--a greek's favorite blow. in battle, dirty dan's advantage lay always in his amazing speed and the terrible fury of his attack during the first five minutes. even as he threw up his feet, he drew back, an elbow and crashed it into his enemy's ribs; like a flash, his arm straightened, and his sinewy hand closed over the wrist of an arm that struggled in vain to strike downward. holding that wrist securely, dirty dan heaved upward, got his left elbow under his body, and rested a few moments; another mighty heave, and he tossed off the greek, and, whirling with the speed of a pin-wheel, was on top of his man. he had momentarily released his hold on the greek's wrist, however, and he had to fight for another hold now--in the dark. presently he captured it, twisted the arm in the terrible hammer-lock, and broke it; then, while the greek lay writhing in agony, mr. o'leary leaped to his feet and commenced to play with his awful boots a devil's tattoo on that portion of his enemy's superstructure so frequently alluded to in pugilistic circles as "the slats." after five or six kicks, however, he paused, due to a difficulty in breathing; so he struck a match and surveyed the stricken field. the big mulatto and two greeks, lay unconscious before him; in the nickering light of the match, two blood-stained dirks gleamed in the grass, so, with a minute attention to detail, dirty dan possessed himself of these weapons, picked up his club, and, reasoning shrewdly that donald mckaye's enemies had had enough combat for a few weeks at least, the dauntless fellow dragged the fallen clear of the path, in order that his youthful master might not stumble over them on his way home, and then disappeared into the night. half an hour later, smeared with dust and blood, he crawled up the steps of the tyee lumber company's hospital on his hands and knees and rapped feebly on the front door. the night nurse came out and looked him over. "i'm dirty dan o'leary," he wheezed; "i've been fightin' agin." the nurse called the doctor and two orderlies, and they carried him into the operating-room. "i'm not the man i used to be," dirty dan whispered, "but glory be, ye should see the other fellers." he opened his hand, and two blood-stained clasp-knives rolled out; he winked knowingly, and indulged in humorous reminiscences of the combat while he was being examined. "you're cut to strings and ribbons, dan," the doctor informed him, "and they've stuck you in the left lung. you've lost a lot of blood. we may pull you through, but i doubt it." "very well," the demon replied composedly. "telephone judge alton to come and get his dying statement," the doctor ordered the nurse, but dirty dan raised a deprecating hand. "'twas a private, personal matther," he declared. "'twas settled satisfacthory. i'll not die, an' i'll talk to no man but misther daney. sew me up an' plug me lung, an' be quick about it, docthor." when andrew daney came, summoned by telephone, dirty dan ordered all others from the room, and daney saw that the door was closed tightly after them. then he bent over dirty dan. "where's donald?" he demanded. "that's neither here nor there, sir," mr. o'leary replied evasively. "he's safe, an' never knew they were afther him. t'ree o' thim, sir, the naygur and two greeks. i kidded thim into thinkin' i was misther mckaye; 'tis all over now, an' ye can find out what two greeks it was by those knives i took for evidence. i cannot identify thim, but go up to darrow in the mornin' an' look for a spreckled mulatter, wan greek wit' a broken right arm, an' another wit' a broken neck, but until i die, do nothin'. if i get well, tell them to quit darrow for good agin' the day i come out o' the hospital. good-night to you, sir, an' thank ye for callin'." from the hospital, andrew daney, avoiding the lighted main street, hastened to the sawdust pile. a light still burned in caleb brent's cottage; so daney stood aloof in the vacant lot and waited. about ten o'clock, the front door opened, and, framed in the light of the doorway, the general manager saw donald mckaye, and beside him nan brent. "until to-morrow at five, donald, since you will persist in being obstinate," he heard nan say, as they reached the gate and paused there. "good-night, dear." andrew daney waited no longer, but turned and fled into the darkness. xiii having done that which her conscience dictated, nan brent returned to her home a prey to many conflicting emotions, chief of which were a quiet sense of exaltation in the belief that she had played fair by both old hector and his son, and a sense of depression in the knowledge that she would not see donald mckaye again. as a boy, she had liked him tremendously; as a man, she knew she liked him even better. she was quite certain she had never met a man who was quite fit to breathe the same air with donald mckaye; already she had magnified his virtues until, to her, he was rapidly assuming the aspect of an archangel--a feeling which bordered perilously on adoration. but deep down in her woman's heart she was afraid, fearing for her own weakness. the past had brought her sufficient anguish--she dared not risk a future filled with unsatisfied yearning that comes of a great love suppressed or denied. she felt better about it as she walked homeward; it seemed that she had regained, in a measure, some peace of mind, and as she prepared dinner for her father and her child, she was almost cheerful. a warm glow of self-complacency enveloped her. later, when old caleb and the boy had retired and she sat before the little wood fire alone with her thoughts, this feeling of self-conscious rectitude slowly left her, and into its place crept a sense of desolation inspired by one thought that obtruded upon her insistently, no matter how desperately she drove her mind to consider other things. she was not to see him again--no, never any more. those fearless, fiery gray eyes that were all abeam with tenderness and complete understanding that day he left her at the gate; those features that no one would ever term handsome, yet withal so rugged, so strong, so pregnant of character, so peculiarly winning when lighted by the infrequent smile--she was never to gaze upon them again. it did not seem quite fair that, for all that the world had denied her, it should withhold from her this inconsequent delight. this was carrying misfortune too far; it was terrible--unbearable almost-- a wave of self-pity, the most acute misery of a tortured soul, surged over her; she laid her fair head on her arms outspread upon the table, and gave herself up to wild sobbing. in her desolation, she called aloud, piteously, for that mother she had hardly known, as if she would fain summon that understanding spirit and in her arms seek the comfort that none other in this world could give her. so thoroughly did she abandon herself to this first--and final--paroxysm of despair that she failed to hear a tentative rap upon the front door and, shortly, the tread of rough-shod feet on the board walk round the house. her first intimation that some one had arrived to comfort her came in the shape of a hard hand that thrust itself gently under her chin and lifted her face from her arms. through the mist of her tears she saw only the vague outlines of a man clad in heavy woolen shirt and mackinaw, such as her father frequently wore. "oh, father, father!" she cried softly, and laid her head on his breast, while her arms went round his neck. "i'm so terribly unhappy! i can't bear it--i can't! just--because he chose to be--kind to us--those gossips--as if anybody could help being fond of him--" she was held tight in his arms. "not your father, nan." donald murmured in a low voice. she drew away from him with a sharp little cry of amazement and chagrin, but his great arms closed round her and drew her close again. "poor dear," he told her, "you were calling for your mother. you wanted a breast to weep upon, didn't you? well, mine is here for you." "oh, sweetheart, you mustn't!" she cried passionately, her lips unconsciously framing the unspoken cry of her heart as she strove to escape from him. "ah, but i shall!" he answered. "you've called me 'sweetheart,' and that gives me the right." and he kissed her hot cheek and laughed the light, contented little laugh of the conqueror, nor could all her frantic pleadings and struggling prevail upon him to let her go. in the end, she did the obvious, the human thing. she clasped him tightly round the neck, and, forgetting everything in the consuming wonder of the fact that this man loved her with a profound and holy love, she weakly gave herself up to his caresses, satisfying her heart-hunger for a few blessed, wonderful moments before hardening herself to the terrible task of impressing upon him the hopelessness of it all and sending him upon his way. by degrees, she cried herself dry-eyed and leaned against him, striving to collect her dazed thoughts. and then he spoke. "i know what you're going to say, dear. from a worldly point of view, you are quite right. seemingly, without volition on our part, we have evolved a distressing, an impossible situation--" "oh, i'm so glad that you understand!" she gasped. "and yet," he continued soberly, "love such as ours is not a light thing to be passed lightly by. to me, nan brent, you are sacred; to you, i yearn to be all things that--the--other man was not. i didn't realize until i entered unannounced and found you so desolate that i loved you. for two weeks you have been constantly in my thoughts, and i know now that, after all, you were my boyhood sweetheart." "i know you were mine," she agreed brokenly. "but that's just a little tender memory now, even if we said nothing about it then. we are children no longer, donald dear; we must be strong and not surrender to our selfish love." "i do not regard it as selfish," he retorted soberly. "it seems most perfectly natural and inevitable. why, nan, i didn't even pay you the preliminary compliment of telling you i loved you or asking you if you reciprocated my affection. it appeared to me i didn't have to; that it was a sort of mutual understanding--for here we are. it seems it just was to be--like the law of gravitation." she smiled up at him, despite her mental pain. "i'm not so certain, dear," she answered, "that i'm not wicked enough to rejoice. it will make our renunciation all the easier--for me. i have known great sorrow, but to-night, for a little while, i have surrendered myself to great happiness, and nothing--nothing--can ever rob me of the last shred of that. you are my man, donald. the knowledge that you love me is going to draw much of the sting out of existence. i know i cannot possess you, but i can resign myself to that and not be embittered." "well," he answered dully, "i can give you up--because i have to; but i shall never be resigned about it, and i fear i may be embittered. is there no hope, nan?" "a faint one--some day, perhaps, if i outlive another." "i'll wait for that day, nan. meanwhile, i shall ask no questions. i love you enough to accept your love on faith, for, by god, you're a good woman!" her eyes shown with a wonderful radiance as she drew his face down to hers and kissed him on the lips. "it's sweet of you to say that; i could love you for that alone, were there nothing else, donald. but tell me, dear, did you receive my letter?" "yes--and ignored it. that's why i'm here." "that was a risk you should not have taken." he looked thoughtfully at the multicolored flame of the driftwood fire. "well, you see, nan, it didn't occur to me that i was taking a risk; a confession of love was the last thing i would have thought would happen." "then why did you disregard that letter that cost me such an effort to write?" "well," he replied slowly, "i guess it's because i'm the captain of my soul--or try to be, at any rate. i didn't think it quite fair that you should be shunned; it occurred to me that i wouldn't be playing a manly part to permit the idle mewing of the port agnew tabbies to frighten me away. i didn't intend to fall in love with you--oh, drat my reasons! i'm here because i'm here. and in the matter of that old hen--" he paused and favored her with a quizzical smile. "yes?" "i brought a substitute hen with me--all ready for the pot, and if i can't come to dinner to-morrow, i'm going to face a very lonely sunday." "you ridiculous boy! of course you may come, although it must be the final visit. you realize that we owe it to ourselves not to make our burden heavier than it's going to be." he nodded. "'eat, drink and be merry, for to-morrow we may be dead,'" he quoted. "let's sit down and talk it over. i haven't sat in front of a driftwood fire since i was a boy. queer how the salt in the wood colors the flames, isn't it?" it occurred to her for a fleeting moment that they two were driftwood, and that the salt of their tears would color their lives as the years consumed them. but she banished from her mind all thought of everything save the present. with a contented little sigh she seated herself beside him; her hand stole into his and, soothed and sustained by the comforting touch, each of the other, gradually the first terror of their predicament faded; ere long, donald reminded her of her promise, and she stole to the old square piano and sang for him while, without, dirty dan o'leary crouched in the darkness and thrilled at the rippling melody. at ten o'clock, when donald left the sawdust pile, he and nan had arrived at a firm determination to follow separate paths, nor seek to level the barrier that circumstance had raised between them. "some day--perhaps," he whispered, as he held her to his heart in the dark-it the garden gate. "while i live, i shall love you. good-by, old sweetheart!" xiv true to his promise, daniel p. o'leary declined to die that night. "confound your belligerent soul!" the doctor growled at dawn. "i believe you're too mean to die." "we'll make it a finish fight," whispered daniel. "i'll go you," the doctor answered, and sent for digitalis and salt solution. there was one other soul in port agnew who did not sleep that night, either. andrew daney's soul, shaken by what was to him a cosmic cataclysm, caused that good man to rise at five o'clock and go down to the hospital for another look at dirty dan. to his anxious queries the doctor shook a dubious head, but the indomitable o'leary smiled wanly. "go on wit' ye!" he wheezed faintly. "i'll win be a hair-line decision." at seven o'clock, when the telegraph-station opened, andrew daney was waiting at the door. he entered and sent a telegram to the laird. return immediately. in the late afternoon, hector mckaye returned to port agnew and at once sought daney, who related to him exactly what had occurred. the shadow of profound worry settled over the laird's face. "dan refuses to disclose anything regarding donald's movements," daney continued, "where he followed the boy or where the fight took place. i only know that donald was not present; dan, fortunately, overheard the plot, inculcated, by some means, the idea in those scoundrels' heads that he was donald, and took the fight off the boy's hands. he claimed he fought a winning fight, and he is right. the mulatto died in darrow this morning. one of the greeks has a smashed shoulder, and the other a broken arm and four broken ribs. how they ever got home to darrow is a mystery." "the third greek must have waited near the river-mouth with a boat, andrew. have you any idea where donald spent the evening?" "yes, sir; but he's free, white, and twenty-one, and he's my superior. i prefer not to discuss his movements." "andrew, i command you to." "i refuse to be commanded, sir." "that's all i wanted to know. he visited the brents, and you know it." he saw by the flush on daney's old face that he had hit the mark. "well, i'm obliged to you, andrew. you've done your full duty; so we'll not discuss the matter further. the situation will develop in time, and, meanwhile, i'll not spy on my boy. i wonder if that darrow gang will talk." "i imagine not, sir--that is, if dirty dan keeps his own counsel. they will fear prosecution if dan dies; so they will be silent awaiting the outcome of his injuries. if he lives, they will still remain silent, awaiting his next move. dan will probably admit having been jumped in the dark by three unknown men and that he defended himself vigorously; he can fail to identify the greeks, and the greeks cannot do less than fail to identify dirty dan, who can plead self-defense if the coroner's jury delves too deeply into the mulatto's death. i imagine they will not. at any rate, it's up to dan whether donald figures in the case or not, and dan will die before he'll betray the confidence." "that's comforting," the laird replied. "will you be good enough to drive me home to the dreamerie, andrew?" at the dreamerie, old hector discovered that his son had left the house early in the afternoon, saying he would not be home for dinner. so the laird sat him down and smoked and gazed out across the bight of tyee until sunset, when, a vague curiosity possessing him, he looked down to the sawdust pile and observed that the flag still flew from the cupola. the night shadows gathered, but still the flag did not come down; and presently round the laird's grim mouth a little prescient smile appeared, with something of pain in it. "dining out at brent's," he soliloquized, "and they're so taken up with each other they've forgotten the flag. i do not remember that the brent girl ever forgot it before. she loves him." xv following his parting with nan brent on saturday night, donald mckaye went directly to the mill office, in front of which his car was parked, entered the car, and drove home to the dreamerie, quite oblivious of the fact that he was not the only man in port agnew who had spent an interesting and exciting evening. so thoroughly mixed were his emotions that he was not quite certain whether he was profoundly happy or incurably wretched. when he gave way to rejoicing in his new-found love, straightway he was assailed by a realization of the barriers to his happiness--a truly masculine recognition of the terrible bar sinister to nan's perfect wifehood induced a veritable shriveling of his soul, a mental agony all the more intense because it was the first unhappiness he had ever experienced. his distress was born of the knowledge that between the sawdust pile and the dreamerie there stretched a gulf as wide and deep as the bight of tyee. he was bred of that puritanical stock which demands that the mate for a male of its blood must be of original purity, regardless of the attitude of leniency on the part of that male for lapses from virtue in one of his own sex. this creed, donald had accepted as naturally, as inevitably as he had accepted belief in the communion of saints and the resurrection of the dead. his father's daughter-in-law, like cæsar's wife, would have to be above suspicion; while donald believed nan brent to be virtuous, or, at least, an unconscious, unwilling, and unpremeditating sinner, non-virtuous by circumstance instead of by her own deliberate act, he was too hard-headed not to realize that never, by the grace of god, would she be above suspicion. too well he realized that his parents and his sisters, for whom he entertained all the affection of a good son and brother, would, unhampered by sex-appeal and controlled wholly by tradition, fail utterly to take the same charitable view, even though he was honest enough with himself to realize that perhaps his own belief in the matter was largely the result of the wish being father to the thought. curiously enough, he dismissed, quite casually, consideration of the opinions his mother and sisters, their friends and his, the men and women of port agnew might entertain on the subject. his apprehensions centered almost entirely upon his father. his affection for his father he had always taken for granted. it was not an emotion to exclaim over. now that he realized, for the first time, his potential power to hurt his father, to bow that gray head in grief and shame and humiliation, he was vouchsafed a clearer, all-comprehending vision of that father's love, of his goodness, his manliness, his honor, his gentleness, and his fierce, high pride; to donald simultaneously came the knowledge of his own exalted love for the old man. he knew him as no other human being knew him or ever would know him; whence he knew old hector's code--that a clean man may not mate with an unclean woman without losing caste. he and nan had discussed the situation but briefly; for they were young, and the glory of that first perfect hour could not be marred by a minute consideration of, misery in prospect. to-night, they had been content to forget the world and be happy with each other, apparently with the mutual understanding that they occupied an untenable position, one that soon must be evacuated. yes; he was the young laird of tyee, the heir to a principality, and it would be too great a strain on mere human beings to expect his little world to approve of its highest mating with its lowest. prate as we may of democracy, we must admit, if we are to be honest with ourselves, that this sad old world is a snobocracy. the very fact that man is prone to regard himself as superior to his brother is the leaven in the load of civilization; without that quality, whether we elect to classify it as self-conceit or self-esteem, man would be without ambition and our civilization barren of achievement. the instinct for the upward climb--the desire to reach the heights--is too insistent to be disregarded. if all men are born equal, as the framers of our constitution so solemnly declared, that is because the brains of all infants, of whatsoever degree, are at birth incapable of thought. the democracy of any people, therefore, must be predicated upon their kindness and charity--human characteristics which blossom or wither according to the intensity of the battle for existence. in our day and generation, therefore, democracy is too high-priced for promiscuous dissemination; wherefore, as in an elder day, we turn from the teaching of the man of galilee and cling to tradition. tradition was the stone in the road to donald mckaye's happiness, and his strength was not equal to the task of rolling it away. despair enveloped him. every fiber of his being, every tender, gallant instinct drew him toward this wonder-girl that the world had thrust aside as unworthy. his warm, sympathetic heart ached for her; he knew she needed him as women like her must ever need the kind of man he wanted to be, the kind he had always striven to be. had he been egotist enough to set a value upon himself, he would have told himself she was worthy of him; yet a damnable set of damnable man-made circumstances over which he had no control hedged them about and kept them apart. it was terrible, so he reflected, to know that, even if nan should live the life of a saint from the hour of her child's birth until the hour of her death, a half-century hence, yet would she fail to atone for her single lapse while there still lived one who knew--and remembered. he, donald mckaye, might live down a natural son, but nan brent could not. the contemplation of this social phenomenon struck him with peculiar force, for he had not hitherto considered the amazing inequalities of a double standard of morals. for the first time in his life, he could understand the abject deference that must be shown to public opinion. he, who considered himself, and not without reason, a gentleman, must defer to the inchoate, unreasoning, unrelenting, and barbaric point of view of men and women who hadn't sense enough to pound sand in a rat-hole or breeding enough to display a reasonable amount of skill in the manipulation of a knife and fork. public opinion! bah! deference to a fetish, a shibboleth, to the ancient, unwritten law that one must not do that which hypocrites condemn and cowards fear to do, unless, indeed, one can "get away with it." ah, yes! the eleventh commandment: "thou shalt not be discovered." it had smashed nan brent, who had violated it, desolated her, ruined her--she who had but followed the instinct that god almighty had given her at birth--the instinct of sex, the natural yearning of a trustful, loving heart for love, motherhood, and masculine protection from a brutal world. more. not satisfied with smashing her, public opinion insisted that she should remain in a perennial state of smash. it was abominable! nan had told him she had never been married, and a sense of delicacy had indicated to him that this was a subject upon which he must not appear to be curious. to question her for the details would have been repugnant to his nicely balanced sense of the fitness of things. nevertheless, he reflected, if her love had been illicit, was it more illicit than that of the woman who enters into a loveless marriage, induced to such action by a sordid consideration of worldly goods and gear? was her sin in bearing a child out of wedlock more terrible than that of the married woman who shudders at the responsibilities of motherhood, or evades the travail of love's fulfilment by snuffing out little lives in embryo? he thought not. he recalled an evening in new york when he had watched a policeman following a drab of the streets who sought to evade him and ply her sorry trade in the vicinity of herald square; he remembered how that same policeman had abandoned the chase to touch his cap respectfully and open her limousine door for the heroine (god save the mark!) of a scandalous divorce. "damn it!" he murmured. "it's a rotten, cruel world, and i don't understand it. i'm all mixed up." and he went to bed, where, his bodily weariness overcoming his mental depression, he slept. he was man enough to scorn public opinion, but human enough to fear it. xvi the heir of the tyee mills and forests was not of a religious turn of mind for all his strict training in christian doctrine, although perhaps it would be more to the point to state that he was inclined to be unorthodox. nevertheless, out of respect to the faith of his fathers, he rose that sunday morning and decided to go to church. not that he anticipated any spiritual benefit would accrue to him by virtue of his pilgrimage down to port agnew; in his heart of hearts he regarded the pastor as an old woman, a man afraid of the world, and without any knowledge of it, so to speak. but old hector was a pillar of the church; his family had always accompanied him thither on sundays, and a sense of duty indicated to donald that, as the future head of the clan, he should not alter its customs. by a strange coincidence, the reverend mr. tingley chose as the text for his sermon the eighth chapter of the gospel according to st. john from the first to the eleventh verses, inclusive. donald, instantly alert, straightened in the pew, and prepared to listen with interest to the reverend mr. tingley's opinion of the wisdom of jesus christ in so casually disposing of the case of the woman taken in adultery. "dearly beloved," the pastor began, carefully placing an index-finger between the leaves of his bible to mark the passage he had just read, "the title of my sermon this sunday shall be: 'the first stone. let him who is without sin cast it.'" "banal, hypocritical ass!" donald soliloquized. "she was the mezzo-soprano soloist in your choir four years, and you haven't tried to help her since she came back to the sawdust pile." it was a good sermon, as sermons go. in fact, the reverend mr. tingley, warming to his theme, quite outdid himself on the subject of charity as practised by his redeemer, and, as a result, was the recipient of numberless congratulatory handshakes later at the church door. donald agreed that it was an unusually good sermon--in theory; but since he knew it would collapse in practise, he avoided mr. tingley after service. on the steps of the church he was accosted by andrew daney and the latter's wife, who greeted him effusively. unfortunately for mrs. daney, nan, in one of those bursts of confidence that must ever exist between lovers, had informed donald the night previous of the motherly soul's interest in his affairs; wherefore he returned mrs. daney's warm greeting with such chilly courtesy that she was at no loss to guess the reason for it and was instantly plunged into a slough of terror and despair. she retained sufficient wit, however, to draw her husband away, thus preventing him from walking with donald. "i want to tell him about dirty dan," daney protested, in a low voice. "as the boss, he ought to be told promptly of any injury to an employe." "never mind dirty dan," she retorted. "he'll hear of it soon enough. let us congratulate mr. tingley on his sermon." donald, having turned his back on them almost rudely, strode down the street to his car and motored back to the dreamerie. he spent the remainder of the morning force-breaking a setter puppy to retrieve; at one o'clock, he ate a cold luncheon, and immediately thereafter drove down to port agnew and brazenly parked his car in front of caleb brent's gate. he entered without the formality of knocking, and nan met him in the tiny entrance-hall. "i couldn't wait until dinner-time," he explained. "nobody home at the dreamerie--" he took her face in his calloused hands, drew her to him. "you're sweet in that calico gown," he informed her, waiving a preliminary word of greeting. "i love you," he added softly, and kissed her. she clung to him. "you should not have come here in broad daylight," she protested. "oh, you big, foolish, impulsive dear! don't you realize i want to protect you from the tongue of scandal? if you persist in forgetting who you are, does it follow that i should pursue a similar course?" he ignored her argument. "i'll help you get dinner, old blue-eyes," he suggested. "let me shuck some corn or shell some peas or string some beans--any job where i can sit and look at you and talk to you." "it will please me if you'll visit a little while with father caleb," she suggested. "he's out on the sun-porch. he's far from well this morning. do cheer him up, donald dear." old caleb hailed him with a pleasure that was almost childish. during the two weeks that had elapsed since donald had seen him last, he had failed markedly. "well, how does the old sailor feel this morning?" donald queried casually, seating himself opposite the old man. "poorly, mr. donald; poorly." he turned, satisfied himself that nan was busy in the kitchen, and then leaned toward his visitor. "i've got my sailing-orders," he whispered confidentially. the man who had won a congressional medal of honor, without clearly knowing why or how, had not changed with the years. he advanced this statement as a simple exposition of fact. "think so, caleb?" donald answered soberly. "i know it." "if you have no desire to live, caleb, of course nature will yield to your desires. remember that and buck up. you may have your sailing-orders, but you can keep the bar breaking indefinitely to prevent you from crossing out." "i've done that for a year past. i do not wish to die and leave her, for my three-quarter pay stops then. but i suffer from angina pectoris. it's the worry, mr. donald," he added. "worry as to the future of nan and the child?" "aye, lad." "well, caleb, your worries are unnecessary. i feel it my duty to tell you that i love nan; she loves me, and we have told each other so. she shall not suffer when you are gone. she has indicated to me that, some day, this--this mess may be cleared up; and when that happens, i shall marry nan." "so nan told me this morning. i was wondering if you'd speak to me about it, and i'm glad you have done so--promptly. you--you--honor us, mr. donald; you do, indeed. you're the one man in the world i can trust her with, whether as good friend or husband--only, her hushand you'll never be." "i see breakers ahead," donald admitted. he had no desire to dissemble with this straightforward old father. "we're poor folk and plain, but--please god!--we're decent and we know our place, mr. donald. if your big heart tells you to dishonor yourself in the eyes of your world and your people--mark you, lad, i do not admit that an alliance with my girl could ever dishonor you in your own eyes--nan will not be weak enough to permit it." "i have argued all that out with myself," donald confessed miserably, "without having arrived at a conclusion. i have made up my mind to wait patiently and see what the future may bring forth." "it may be a long wait." "it will be worth while. and when you have sailed, i'll finance her to leave port agnew and develop her glorious voice." "you haven't the right, mr. donald. my girl has some pride." "i'll gamble a sizable sum on her artistic future. the matter will be arranged on a business basis. i shall lend her the money, and she shall pay me back with interest." "nan has a woman's pride. the obligation would remain always, even though the money should be repaid." "i think we'll manage to adjust that," donald countered confidently. "ah, well," the old fellow answered; "we've always been your debtors. and it's a debt that grows." he loaded his pipe and was silent, for, after the fashion of the aged, he dared assume that his youthful auditor would understand just how the brents regarded him. "well, my heart's lighter for our talk, lad," he declared presently. "if you don't mind, i'll have a little nap." donald, grateful for the dismissal, returned to the kitchen, where nan was preparing the vegetables. her child at once clamored for recognition, and, almost before he knew it, donald had the tyke in his lap and was saying, "once upon a time there was a king and he had three sons----" "he isn't interested in kings and princes, dear," nan interrupted. "tell him the story of the bad little rabbit." "but i don't know it, nan." "then you'll fail as a daddy to my boy. i'm surprised. if don were your own flesh and blood, you would know intuitively that there is always a bad little rabbit and a good little rabbit. they dwell in a hollow tree with mother rabbit and father rabbit." "thanks for the hint. i shall not fail in this job of dadding. well then, bub, once upon a time there was a certain mr. johnny rabbit who married a very beautiful lady rabbit whose name was miss molly cottontail. after they were married and had gone to keep house under a lumber-pile, mr. hezekiah coon came along and offered to rent them some beautifully furnished apartments in the burned-out stump of a hemlock tree. the rent was to be one nice ear of sweet corn every month--" the tale continued, with eager queries from the interested listener--queries which merely stimulated the young laird of tyee to wilder and more whimsical flights of fancy, to the unfolding of adventures more and more thrilling and unbelievable until, at last, the recital began to take on the character of an arabian nights' tale that threatened to involve the entire animal kingdom, and only ceased when, with a wealth of mournful detail, donald described the tragic death and funeral of the gallant young johnny rabbit, his fatherless audience suddenly burst into tears and howled lugubriously; whereupon donald was hard put to it to bring johnny rabbit back to life mysteriously but satisfactorily, and send him scampering home to the hollow hemlock tree, there to dwell happily ever after. his tale completed, donald happened to glance toward nan. she was regarding him with shining eyes. "donald," she declared, "it's a tremendous pity you haven't a boy of your own. you're just naturally intended for fatherhood." he grinned. "my father has been hinting rather broadly that a grandson would be the very last thing on earth to make him angry. he desires to see the name and the breed and the business in a fair way of perpetuation before he passes on." "that is the way of all flesh, donald." "i wish it were not his way. my inability to comply with his desires isn't going to render dad or me any happier." "dear old boy, what a frightful predicament you're in!" she murmured sympathetically. "i wish i could be quite certain you aren't really in love with me, donald." "life would be far rosier for all concerned if i were quite certain i was mistaking an old and exalted friendship for true love. but i'm not. you're the one woman in the world for me, and if i cannot have you, i'll have none other--hello! weeping has made this young fellow heavy-lidded, or else my fiction has bored him, for he's nodding." "it's time for his afternoon nap, donald." she removed the sleepy tot from his arms and carried him away to his crib. when she returned, she resumed her task of preparing dinner. "nan," donald queried suddenly, "have i the right to ask you the name of the man who fathered that child?" "yes," she answered soberly; "you have. i wish, however, that you would not ask me. i should have to decline to answer you." "well, then, i'll not ask. nevertheless, it would interest me mightily to know why you protect him." "i am not at all desirous of protecting him, donald. i am merely striving to protect his legal wife. his marriage to me was bigamous; he undertook the task of leading a dual married life, and, when i discovered it, i left him." "but are you certain he married you?" "we went through a marriage ceremony which, at the time, i regarded as quite genuine. of course, since it wasn't legal, it leaves me in the status of an unmarried woman." "so i understood from your father. where did this ceremony take place?" "in san francisco." she came over, sat down beside him, and took one of his hard, big hands in both of hers. "i'm going to tell you as much as i dare," she informed him soberly. "you have a right to know, and you're too nice to ask questions. so i'll not leave you to the agonies of doubt and curiosity. you see, honey dear, father brent wanted me to have vocal and piano lessons, and to do that i had to go to seattle once a week, and the railroad-fare, in addition to the cost of the lessons, was prohibitive until your father was good enough to secure me a position in the railroad-agent's office in port agnew. of course, after i became an employe of the railroad company, i could travel on a pass, so i used to go up to seattle every saturday, leaving here on the morning train. your father arranged matters in some way so that i worked but five days a week." "naturally. dad's a pretty heavy shipper over the line." "i would receive my lessons late saturday afternoons, stay overnight with a friend of mine, and return to port agnew on sunday. _he_ used to board the train at--well, the name of the station doesn't matter--every saturday, and one day we got acquainted, quite by accident as it were. our train ran through an open switch and collided with the rear end of a freight; there was considerable excitement, and everybody spoke to everybody else, and after that it didn't appear that we were strangers. the next saturday, when he boarded the train, he sat down in the same seat with me and asked permission to introduce himself. he was very nice, and his manners were beautiful; he didn't act in the least like a man who desired to 'make a mash.' finally, one day, he asked me to have dinner with him in seattle, and i accepted. i think that was because i'd never been in a fashionable restaurant in all my life. after dinner, he escorted me to the studio, and on sunday morning we took the same train home again. he was such good company and such a jolly, worldly fellow--so thoughtful and deferential! can't you realize, donald, how he must have appealed to a little country goose like me? "well, finally, daddy brent learned that signor moretti, a tenor who had retired from grand opera, had opened a studio in san francisco. we both wanted moretti to pass on my voice, but we couldn't afford the expense of a journey to san francisco for two, so daddy sent me alone. i wrote--that man about our plans, and told him the name of the steamer i was sailing on. your father gave me a passage on one of his steam-schooners, and when we got to the dock in san francisco--" "_he_ was there, eh? came down by train and beat the steamer in." donald nodded his comprehension. "what did moretti say about your voice?" "the usual thing. my seattle teacher had almost ruined my voice, he declared, but, for all that, he was very enthusiastic and promised me a career within five years if i would place myself unreservedly in his hands. of course, we couldn't afford such an expensive career, and the realization that i had to forego even the special inducements signor moretti was generous enough to make me quite broke my heart. when i told _him_ about it--we were engaged by that time--he suggested that we get married immediately, in order that i might reside with him in san francisco and study under moretti. so we motored out into the country one day and were married at san josé. he asked me to keep our marriage secret on account of some clause in his father's will, but i insisted upon my right to tell daddy brent. poor old dear! my marriage was such a shock to him; but he agreed with me that it was all for the best--" "well, i was quite happy for three months. my husband's business interests necessitated very frequent trips north--" "what business was he in, nan?" "that is immaterial," she evaded him. "presently, signer moretti contracted a severe cold and closed his studio for a month. my husband--i suppose i must call him that to identify him when i refer to him--had just gone north on one of his frequent trips, and since he always kept me generously supplied with money, i decided suddenly to take advantage of moretti's absence to run up to port agnew and visit my father. "in seattle, as i alighted from the train, i saw my husband in the station with another woman. i recognized her. she was a friend of mine--a very dear, kind, thoughtful friend of several years' standing--the only woman friend i had in the world. i loved her dearly; you will understand when i tell you that she had frequently gone out of her way to be kind to me. it struck me as strange that he had never admitted knowing her, although frequently he had heard me speak of her. while i stood pondering the situation, he took her in his arms and kissed her good-by and boarded the train without seeing me. i slipped out of the station without having been seen by either of them; but while i was waiting for a taxicab, my friend came out of the station, saw me, and rushed up to greet me. it developed, in the course of our conversation following the usual commonplaces of greeting, that she had been down to the station to see her husband off on the train for san francisco." donald whistled softly. "how did you manage to get away with it, nan?" he demanded incredulously. "all my life i have been used to doing without things," she replied simply. "i suppose that helped a little. the shock was not so abrupt that i lost my presence of mind; you see, i had had a few minutes to adjust myself after seeing him kiss her in the station--and just then the taxicab came up and i escaped. then i came home to the sawdust pile. i wrote him, of course, and sent the letter by registered mail, in order to make certain he would receive it. he did, but he did not answer. there was no reason why he should, for he was quite safe. i had assured him there was no necessity for worry on my account." "of all the crazy, fool things for you to do!" donald cried sharply. "why under the canopy did you deem it necessary to sacrifice yourself for him? surely you did not love him--" "i'm afraid i never loved him," she interrupted. "i--i thought i did, although, if he hadn't been away so frequently after our marriage, i would have learned to love him dearly, i think." "just human nature," donald suggested. "something akin to what trapshooters and golfers call a mental hazard." "of course he married me under an assumed name, donald." "did you ever see a marriage certificate?" "oh, yes; i had to sign it in the presence of the minister." donald was relieved. "then, you great goose of a girl, you can clear your record any time you desire. the minister forwarded the marriage certificate to the state capital, and it is registered there with the state board of health. after registration, it was returned to the minister whose signature appeared on the certificate as the officiating clergyman. the minister undoubtedly returned the certificate to your husband." "i never saw it again." "what if you did not? you can procure a certified copy from the record in the county-clerk's office or from the records of the state board of health. marriage records, old dear, are fairly well protected in our day and generation." "i wrote to the state board of health at sacramento. there is no record of my marriage there." "that's strange. why didn't you write the county clerk, of the county in which the license was issued?" she smiled at him. "i did. i had to, you know. my honor was at stake. the license was issued in santa clara county." "well, it will be a simple matter to comb the list of ministers until we find the one that tied the knot. a certified copy of the marriage license, with a sworn affidavit by the officiating clergyman--" "the officiating clergyman is dead. a private detective agency in san francisco discovered that for us." "but couldn't you cover your tracks, nan? under the circumstances, a lie--any kind of deceit to save your good name--would have been pardonable." "i couldn't help being smirched. remember, my father was the only person in port agnew who knew i had been married; he heeded my request and kept the secret. suddenly i returned home with a tale of marriage in anticipation of my ability to prove it. in that i failed. presently my baby was born. people wondered who my husband was, and where he kept himself; some of the extremely curious had the hardihood to come here and question me. was my husband dead? of course not. had i fibbed and told them he was, they would have asked when and where and the nature of the disease that carried him off. was i divorced? again i was confronted with the necessity for telling the truth, because a lie could be proved. then the minister, to quiet certain rumors that had reached him--he wanted me to sing in the choir again, and there was an uproar when he suggested it--wrote to the california state board of health. when he received a reply to his letter, he visited me to talk it over, but i wasn't confiding in mr. tingley that day. he said i might hope for salvation if i confessed my wickedness and besought forgiveness from god. he offered to pray for me and with me. he meant well--poor, silly dear!--but he was so terribly incredulous that presently i told him i didn't blame him a bit and suggested that i be permitted to paddle my own canoe, as it were. thanked him for calling, but told him he needn't call again. he departed in great distress." "i hold no brief for the reverend tingley, nan; but i'll be shot if your story will hold water in a world that's fairly well acquainted with the frailty of humankind. of course i believe you--and, for some fool reason, i'm not ashamed of my own intelligence in so believing. i have accepted you on faith. what sets my reason tottering on its throne is the fact that you insist upon protecting this scoundrel." "i insist upon protecting his wife. i love her. she has been kind to me. she's the only friend of my own sex that i have ever known. she's tubercular, and will not live many years. she has two children--and she adores her scamp of a husband. if i cannot convict that man of bigamy, would it not be foolish of me to try? and why should i inflict upon her, who has shown me kindness and love, a brimming measure of humiliation and sorrow and disgrace? i can bear my burden a year or two longer, i think; then, when she is gone, i can consider my vindication." she patted his hand to emphasize her unity of purpose. "that's the way i've figured it all out--the whole, crazy-quilt pattern, and if you have a better scheme, and one that isn't founded on human selfishness, i'm here to listen to it." a long silence fell between them. "well, dear heart?" she demanded finally. "i wasn't thinking of _that_," he replied slowly. "i was just trying to estimate how much more i love you this minute than i did five minutes ago." he drew her golden head down on his shoulder and held her to him a long time without speaking. it was nan who broke the spell by saying: "when the time comes for my vindication, i shall ask you to attend to it for me, dear. you're my man--and i think it's a man's task." his great fingers opened and closed in a clutching movement. he nodded. xvii when donald returned to the dreamerie about eleven o'clock, he was agreeably surprised to find his father in the living-room. "hello, dad!" he greeted the laird cheerfully. "glad to see you. when did you get back?" "came down on the morning train, donald." they were shaking hands now. the laird motioned him to a chair, and asked abruptly. "where have you been all day, son?" "well, i represented the clan at church this morning, and, after luncheon here, i went down to visit the brents at the sawdust pile. stayed for dinner. old caleb's in rather bad shape mentally and physically, and i tried to cheer him up. nan sang for me--quite like old times." "i saw nan brent on the beach the other day. quite a remarkable young woman. attractive, i should say," the old man answered craftily. "it's a pity, dad. she's every inch a woman. hard on a girl with brains and character to find herself in such a sorry tangle." the laird's heavy heart was somewhat lightened by the frankness and lack of suspicion with which his son had met his blunt query as to where he had been spending his time. for the space of a minute, he appeared to be devoting his thoughts to a consideration of donald's last remark; presently he sighed, faced his son, and took the plunge. "have you heard anything about a fight down near the sawdust pile last night, my son?" he demanded. his son's eyes opened with interest and astonishment. "no; i did not, dad. and i was there until nearly ten o'clock." "yes; i was aware of that, and of your visit there to-day and this evening. thank god, you're frank with me! that yellow scoundrel and two greeks followed you there to do for you. after you roughed the greek at the railroad station, it occurred to me that you had an enemy and might hold him cheaply; so, just before i boarded the train, i telephoned daney to tell dirty dan to shadow you and guard you. so well did he follow orders that he lies in the company hospital now at the point of death. as near as i can make out the affair, dirty dan inculcated in those bushwhackers the idea that he was the man they were after; he went to meet them and took the fight off your hands." "good old dirty dan! i'll wager a stiff sum he did a thorough job." the young laird of tyee rose and ruffled his father's gray head affectionately. "thoughtful, canny old fox!" he continued. "i swear i'm all puffed up with conceit when i consider the kind of father i selected for myself." "those scoundrels would have killed you," old hector reminded him, with just a trace of emotion in his voice. "and if they'd done that, sonny, your old father'd never held up his head again. there are two things i could not stand up under--your death and"--he sighed, as if what he was about to say hurt him cruelly--"the wrong kind of a daughter-in-law." "we will not fence with each other," his son answered soberly. "there has never been a lack of confidence between us, and i shall not withhold anything from you. you are referring to nan, are you not?'" "i am, my son." "well?" "i am not a cat, and it hurts me to be an old dog, but--i saw nan brent recently, and we had a bit of talk together. she's a bonny lass, donald, and i'm thinking 'twould be better for your peace of mind--and the peace of mind of all of us--if you saw less of her." "you think, then, father, that i'm playing with fire." "you're sitting on an open barrel of gunpowder with a lighted torch in your hand." donald returned to his chair and faced his father. "let us suppose," he suggested, "that the present unhappy situation in which nan finds herself did not exist. would you still prefer that i limit my visits to, say, christmas and easter?" the laird scratched the back of his head in perplexity. "i'm inclined to think i wouldn't," he replied. "i'd consider your best interests always. if you married a fine girl from chicago or new york, she might not be content to dwell with you in port agnew." "then nan's poverty--the lowliness of her social position, even in port agnew, would not constitute a serious bar?" "i was as poor as job's turkey once myself--and your mother's people were poorer. but we came of good blood." "well, nan's mother was a gentlewoman; her grandfather was an admiral; her great-grandfather a commodore, her great-great-granduncle a revolutionary colonel, and her grandmother an f.f.v. old caleb's ancestors always followed the sea. his father and his grandfather were sturdy old yankee shipmasters. he holds the congressional medal of honor for conspicuous gallantry in action over and above the call of duty. the brent blood may not be good enough for some, but it's a kind that's good enough for me!" "all that is quite beside the question, donald. the fact remains that nan brent loves you." "may i inquire on what grounds you base that statement, dad?" "on saturday night, when you held her in your arms at parting, she kissed you." donald was startled, and his features gave indubitable indication of the fact. his father's cool gray eyes were bent upon him kindly but unflinchingly. "of course," he continued, in even tones, "you would not have accepted that caress were you not head over heels in love with the girl. you are not low enough to seek her favor for another reason." "yes; i love her," donald maintained manfully. "i have loved her for years--since i was a boy of sixteen,--only, i didn't realize it until my return to port agnew. i can't very well help loving nan, can i, dad?" to his amazement, his father smiled at him sympathetically. "no; i do not see how you could very well help yourself, son," he replied. "she's an extraordinary young woman. after my brief and accidental interview with her recently, i made up my mind that there would be something radically wrong with you if you didn't fall in love with her." his son grinned back at him. "proceed, old lumberjack!" he begged. "your candor is soothing to my bruised spirit." "no; you cannot help loving her, i suppose. since you admit being in love with her, the fact admits of no argument. it has happened, and i do not condemn you for it. both of you have merely demonstrated in the natural, human way that you are natural human beings. and i'm grateful to nan for loving you. i think i should have resented her not doing so, for it would demonstrate her total lack of taste and appreciation of my son. she informed me, in so many words, that she wouldn't marry you." "nan has the capacity, somewhat rare in a woman, of keeping her own counsel. that is news to me, dad. however, if you had waited about two minutes, i would have informed you that i do not intend to marry nan--" he paused for an infinitesimal space and added, "yet." the laird elevated his eyebrows. "'yet?'" he repeated. donald flushed a little as he reiterated his statement with an emphatic nod. "why that reservation, my son?" "because, some day, nan may be in position to prove herself that which i know her to be--a virtuous woman--and when that time comes, i'll marry her in spite of hell and high water." old hector sighed. he was quite familiar with the fact that, while the records of the county clerk of santa clara county, california, indicated that a marriage license had been issued on a certain date to a certain man and one nan brent, of port agnew, washington, there was no official record of a marriage between the two. the reverend mr. tingley's wife had sorrowfully imparted that information to mrs. mckaye, who had, in turn, informed old hector, who had received the news with casual interest, little dreaming that he would ever have cause to remember it in later years. and the laird was an old man, worldly-wise and of mature judgment. his soul wore the scars of human perfidy, and, because he could understand the weakness of the flesh, he had little confidence in its strength. consequently, he dismissed now, with a wave of his hand, consideration of the possibility that nan brent would ever make a fitting mate for his son. "it's nice of you to believe that, donald. i would not destroy your faith in human nature, for human nature will destroy your faith in time, as it has destroyed mine. i'm afraid i'm a sort of doubting thomas. i must see in order to believe; i must thrust my finger into the wound. i wonder if you realize that, even if this poor girl should, at some future time, be enabled to demonstrate her innocence of illicit love, she has been hopelessly smeared and will never, never, be quite able to clean herself." "it matters not if _i_ know she's a good woman. that is all sufficient. to hell with what the world thinks! i'm going to take my happiness where i find it." "it may be a long wait, my son." "i will be patient, sir." "and, in the meantime, i shall be a doddering old man, without a grandson to sweeten the afternoon of my life, without a hope for seeing perpetuated all those things that i have considered worth while because i created them. ah, donald, lad, i'm afraid you're going to be cruel to your old father!" "i have suffered with the thought that i might appear to be, dad. i have considered every phase of the situation; i was certain of the attitude you would take, and i feel no resentment because you have taken it. neither nan nor i had contemplated the condition which confronts us. it happened--like that," and donald snapped his fingers. "now the knowledge of what we mean to each other makes the obstacles all the more heart-breaking. i have tried to wish, for your sake, that i hadn't spoken--that i had controlled myself, but, for some unfathomable reason, i cannot seem to work up a very healthy contrition. and i think, dad, this is going to cause me more suffering than it will you." a faint smile flitted across old hector's stern face. youth! youth! it always thinks it knows! "this affair is beyond consideration by the mckayes, donald. it is utterly impossible! you must cease calling on the girl." "why, father?" "to give you my real reason would lead to endless argument in which you would oppose me with more or less sophistry that would be difficult to combat. in the end, we might lose our tempers. let us say, therefore, that you must cease calling on the lass because i desire it." "i'll never admit that i'm ashamed of her, for i am not!" his son burst forth passionately. "but people are watching you now--talking about you. man, do ye not ken you're your father's son?" a faint note of passion had crept into the laird's tones; under the stress of it, his faint scotch brogue increased perceptibly. he had tried gentle argument, and he knew he had failed; in his desperation, he decided to invoke his authority as the head of his clan. "i forbid you!" he cried firmly, and slapped the huge leather arm of his chair. "i charge you, by the blood that's in you, not to bring disgrace upon my house!" a slight mistiness which donald, with swelling heart, had noted in his father's eyes a few moments before was now gone. they flashed like naked claymores in the glance that andrew daney once had so aptly described to his wife. for the space of ten seconds, father and son looked into each other's soul and therein each read the other's answer. there could be no surrender. "you have bred a man, sir, not a mollycoddle," said the young laird quietly. "i think we understand each other." he rose, drew the old man out of his chair, and threw a great arm across the latter's shoulders. "good-night, sir," he murmured humbly, and squeezed the old shoulders a little. the laird bowed his head but did not answer. he dared not trust himself to do so. thus donald left him, standing in the middle of the room, with bowed head a trifle to one side, as if old hector listened for advice from some unseen presence. the laird of tyee had thought he had long since plumbed the heights and depths of the joys and sorrows of fatherhood. the tears came presently. a streak of moonlight filtered into the room as the moon sank in the sea and augmented the silver in a head that rested on two clasped hands, while hector mckaye, kneeling beside his chair, prayed to his stern presbyterian god once more to save his son from the folly of his love. xviii it had been donald mckaye's intention to go up to the logging-camp on the first log-train leaving for the woods at seven o'clock on monday morning, but the news of dirty dan's plight caused him to change his plans. strangely enough, his interview with his father, instead of causing him the keenest mental distress, had been productive of a peculiar sense of peace. the frank, sympathetic, and temperate manner in which the old laird had discussed his affair had conduced to produce this feeling. he passed a restful night, as his father observed when the pair met at the breakfast-table. "well, how do you feel this morning, son?" the old man queried kindly. "considerably better than i did before our talk last night, sir," donald answered. "i haven't, slept," old hector continued calmly, "although i expect to have a little nap during the day. just about daylight a comforting thought stole over me." "i'm glad to hear it, dad." "i've decided to repose faith in nan, having none at all in you. if she truly loves you, she'll die before she'll hurt you." "perhaps it may be a comfort to you to know that she has so expressed herself to me." "bless her poor heart for that! however, she told me practically the same thing." he scooped his eggs into the egg-cup and salted and peppered them before he spoke again. then: "we'll not discuss this matter further. all i ask is that you'll confine your visits to the sawdust pile to the dark of the moon; i trust to your natural desire to promote my peace of mind to see to it that no word of your--affair reaches your mother and sisters. they'll not handle you with the tact you've had from me." "i can well believe that, sir. thank you. i shall exercise the utmost deference to your desires consistent with an unfaltering adherence to my own code." there it was again--more respectful defiance! had he not, during the long, distressing hours of the night, wisely decided to leave his son's case in the hands of god and nan brent, the laird would have flown into a passion at that. he compromised by saying nothing, and the meal was finished in silence. after breakfast, donald went down to the hospital to visit dirty dan. o'leary was still alive, but very close to death; he had lost so much blood that he was in a state of coma. "he's only alive because he's a fighter, mr. mckaye," the doctor informed donald. "if i can induce some good healthy man to consent to a transfusion of blood, i think it would buck dan up considerably." "i'm your man," donald informed him. it had occurred to him that dirty dan had given his blood for the house of mckaye; therefore, the least he could do was to make a partial payment on the debt. the doctor, knowing nothing of the reason for dirty dan's predicament, was properly amazed. "you--the boss--desire to do this?" he replied. "we can get one of this wild rascal's comrades--" "that wild rascal is my comrade, doctor. i'm more or less fond of dan." he had removed his coat and was already rolling up his sleeve. "i'm half gael," he continued smilingly, "and, you know, we must not adulterate dirty dan's blood any more than is absolutely necessary. consider the complications that might ensue if you gave dan an infusion of blood from a healthy italian. the very first fight he engaged in after leaving this hospital, he'd use a knife instead of nature's weapons. get busy!" but the doctor would take no liberties with the life-blood of the heir of tyee until he had telephoned to the laird. "my son is the captain of his own soul," old hector answered promptly. "you just see that you do your job well; don't hurt the boy or weaken him too greatly." an hour after the operation, father and son sat beside dirty dan's bed. presently, the ivory-tinted eyelids flickered slightly, whereat old hector winked sagely at his son. then dirty dan's whiskered upper lip twisted humorously, and he whispered audibly: "ye young divil! oh-ho, ye young vagabond! faith, if the laird knew what ye're up to this night, he'd--break yer--back--in two halves!" hector mckaye glanced apprehensively about, but the nurse had left the room. he bent over dirty dan. "shut up!" he commanded. "don't tell everything you know!" o'leary promptly opened his eyes and gazed upon the laird in profound puzzlement. [illustration: donald bowed his head. "i can't give her up, father."] "wild horrses couldn't dhrag it out o' me," he protested. "ask me no questions an' i'll tell ye no lies." he subsided into unconsciousness again. the doctor entered and felt of his pulse. "on the up-grade," he announced. "he'll do." "dan will obey the voice of authority, even in his delirium," the laird whispered to his son, when they found themselves alone with the patient once more. "i'll stay here until he wakes up rational, and silence him if, in the mean time, he babbles. run along home, lad." at noon, dirty dan awoke with the light of reason and belligerency in his eyes, whereupon the laird questioned him, and developed a stubborn reticence which comforted the former to such a degree that he decided to follow his son home to the dreamerie. xix a week elapsed before hector mckaye would permit his son to return to his duties. by that time, the slight wound in the latter's arm where the vein had been opened had practically healed. dirty dan continued to improve, passed the danger-mark, and began the upward climb to his old vigor and pugnacity. port agnew, stirred to discussion over the affray, forgot it within three days, and on the following monday morning donald returned to the woods. the laird of tyee carried his worries to the lord in prayer, and nan brent frequently forgot her plight and sang with something of the joy of other days. a month passed. during that month, donald had visited the sawdust pile once and had written nan thrice. also, mrs. andrew daney, hard beset because of her second experience with the "blue bonnet" glance of a mckaye, had decided to remove herself from the occasions of gossip and be in a position to claim an alibi in the event of developments. so she abandoned daney to the mercies of a japanese cook and departed for whatcom to visit a married daughter. from whatcom, she wrote her husband that she was enjoying her visit so much she hadn't the slightest idea when she would return, and, for good and sufficient reasons, daney did not urge her to change her mind. presently, mrs. mckaye and her daughters returned to port agnew. his wife's letters to the laird had failed to elicit any satisfactory reason for his continued stay at home, and inasmuch as all three ladies were deferring the trip to honolulu on his account, they had come to a mutual agreement to get to close quarters and force a decision. mrs. mckaye had been inside the dreamerie somewhat less than five minutes before her instinct as a woman, coupled with her knowledge as a wife, informed her that her spouse was troubled in his soul. always tactless, she charged him with it, and when he denied it, she was certain of it. so she pressed him further, and was informed that he had a business deal on; when she interrogated him as to the nature of it (something she had not done in years), he looked at her and smoked contemplatively. immediately she changed the subject of conversation, but made a mental resolve to keep her eyes and her ears open. the fates decreed that she should not have long to wait. donald came home from the logging-camp the following saturday night, and the family, having finished dinner, were seated in the living-room. the laird was smoking and staring moodily out to sea, donald was reading, jane was at the piano softly playing ragtime, and mrs. mckaye and elizabeth were knitting socks for suffering armenians when the telephone-bell rang. jane immediately left the piano and went out into the entrance-hall to answer it, the servants having gone down to port agnew to a motion-picture show. a moment later, she returned to the living-room, leaving the door to the entrance-hall open. "you're wanted on the telephone, don!" she cried gaily. "such a sweet voice, too!" mrs. mckaye and elizabeth looked up from their knitting. they were not accustomed to having donald called to the telephone by young ladies. donald laid his magazine aside and strode to the telephone; the laird faced about in his chair, and a harried look crept into his eyes. "close the door to the entrance-hall, jane," he commanded. "oh, dear me, no!" his spoiled daughter protested. "it would be too great a strain on our feminine curiosity not to eavesdrop on don's little romance." "close it!" the laird repeated. he was too late. through the open door, donald's voice reached them: "oh, you poor girl! i'm so sorry, nan dear. i'll be over immediately." his voice dropped several octaves, but the words came to the listeners none the less distinctly. "be brave, sweetheart." mrs. mckaye glanced at her husband in time to see him avert his face; she noted how he clutched the arm of his chair. to quote a homely phrase, the cat was out of the bag at last. donald's face wore a troubled expression as he reentered the living-room. his mother spoke first. "donald! _my_ son!" she murmured tragically. "hum-m--!" the laird grunted. the storm had broken at last, and, following the trend of human nature, he was conscious of sudden relief. jane was the first to recover her customary aplomb. "don dear," she cooed throatily, "are we mistaken in our assumption that the person with whom you have just talked is nan brent?" "your penetration does you credit, jane. it was." "and did our ears deceive us or did we really hear you call her 'dear' and 'sweetheart'?" "it is quite possible," donald answered. he crossed the room and paused beside his father. "caleb brent blinked out a few minutes ago, dad. it was quite sudden. heart-trouble. nan's all alone down there, and of course she needs help. i'm going. i'll leave to you the job of explaining the situation to mother and the girls. good-night, pop; i think you understand." mrs. mckaye was too stunned, too horrified, to find refuge in tears. "how dare that woman ring you up?" she demanded haughtily. "the hussy!" "why, mother dear, she has to have help," her son suggested reproachfully. "but why from you, of all men? i forbid you to go!" his mother quavered. "you must have more respect for us. why, what will people say?" "to hell with what people say! they'll say it, anyhow," roared old hector. away down in his proud old heart he felt a few cheers rising for his son's manly action, albeit the necessity for that action was wringing his soul. "'tis no time for idle spierin'. away with you, lad! comfort the puir lass. 'tis no harm to play a man's part. hear me," he growled; "i'll nae have my soncy lad abused." "dad's gone back to the hielands. 'nough said." elizabeth had recovered her customary jolly poise. wise enough, through long experience, to realize that when her father failed to throttle that vocal heritage from his forebears, war impended, she gathered up her knitting and fled to her room. jane ran to her mother's side, drew the good lady's head down on her shoulder, and faced her brother. "shame! shame!" she cried sharply. "you ungrateful boy! how could you hurt dear mother so!" this being the cue for her mother to burst into violent weeping, forthwith the poor soul followed up the cue. donald, sore beset, longed to take her in his arms and kiss away her tears, but something warned him that such action would merely serve to accentuate the domestic tempest, so, with a despairing glance at old hector, he left the room. "pretty kettle o' fish you've left me to bring to a boil!" the old man cried after him. "o lord! o lord! grant me the wisdom of solomon, the patience of job, and the cunning of judas iscariot! god help my mildewed soul!" xx the instant the front door closed behind her son, mrs. mckaye recovered her composure. had the reason been more trifling, she would have wept longer, but, in view of its gravity, her common sense (she possessed some, when it pleased her to use it) bade her be up and doing. also, she was smitten with remorse. she told herself she was partly to blame for this scourge that had come upon the family; she had neglected her son and his indulgent father. she, who knew so well the peculiar twists of her husband's mental and moral make-up, should not be surprised if he cast a tolerant eye upon his son's philanderings; seemingly the boy had always been able to twist his father round his finger, so to speak. she sat up, dabbed her eyes, kissed jane lovingly as who should say, "well, thank god, here is one child i can rely upon," and turned upon the culprit. her opening sentence was at once a summons and an invitation. "well, hector?" "it happened while you were away--while we were both away, nellie. i was gone less than forty-eight hours--and he had compromised himself." "you don't mean--really compromised himself!" jane cried sharply, thus bringing upon her the laird's attention. he appeared to transfix her with his index finger. "to bed with you, young lady!" he ordered. "your mother and i will discuss this matter without any of your pert suggestions or exclamations. i'm far from pleased with you, jane. i told you to shut that door, and you disobeyed me. for that, you shall suffer due penance. six months in port agnew, my dear, to teach you obedience and humility. go!" jane departed, sniffling, and this stern evidence of the laird's temper was not lost upon his wife. she decided to be tactful, which, in her case, meant proceeding slowly, speaking carefully, and listening well. old hector heaved himself out of his great chair, came and sat down on the divan with his wife, and put his arm round her. "dear old nellie!" he whispered, and kissed her. for the moment, they were lovers of thirty-odd years agone; their children forgotten, they were sufficient unto themselves. "i know just how you feel, nellie. i have done my best to spare you--i have not connived or condoned. and i'll say this for our son: he's been open and above-board with her and with me. he's young, and in a moment of that passion that comes to young men--aye, and young women, too, for you and i have known it--he told her what was in his heart, even while his head warned him to keep quiet. it seems to me sometimes that 'tis something that was to be." "oh, hector, it mustn't be! it cannot be!" "i'm hoping it will not be, nellie. i'll do my best to stop it." "but, hector, why did you support him a moment ago?" he flapped a hand to indicate a knowledge of his own incomprehensible conduct. "she'd called for him, nellie. poor bairn, her heart went out to the one she knew would help her, and, by god, nellie, i felt for her! you're a woman, nellie. think--if one of your own daughters was wishful for a kind word and a helping hand from an honorable gentleman and some fool father forbade it. nellie wife, my heart and my head are sore tangled, sore tangled--" his voice broke. he was shaken with emotion. he had stood much and he had stood it alone; while it had never occurred to him to think so, he had been facing life pretty much alone for a decade. it would have eased his surcharged spirit could he have shed a few manly tears, if his wife had taken his leonine old head on her shoulder and lavished upon him the caresses his hungry heart yearned for. unfortunately, she was that type of wife whose first and only thought is for her children. she was aware only that he was in a softened mood, so she said, "don't you think you've been a little hard on poor jane, hector dear?" "no, i do not. she's cruel, selfish, and uncharitable." "but you'll forgive her this once, won't you, dear?" he considered. "well, if she doesn't heckle donald--" he began, but she stopped further proviso with a grateful kiss, and immediately followed jane up-stairs to break the good news to her. she and jane then joined elizabeth in the latter's room, and the trio immediately held what their graceless relative would have termed "a lodge of sorrow." upon motion of jane, seconded by elizabeth, it was unanimously resolved that the honor of the family must be upheld. at all cost. they laid out a plan of campaign. xxi upon his arrival in port agnew, donald called upon one sam carew. in his youth, mr. carew had served his time as an undertaker's assistant, but in port agnew his shingle proclaimed him to his world as a "mortician." owing to the low death-rate in that salubrious section, however, mr. carew added to his labors those of a carpenter, and when outside jobs of carpentering were scarce, he manufactured a few plain and fancy coffins. donald routed sam carew out of bed with the news of caleb brent's death and ordered him down to the sawdust pile in his capacity of mortician; then he hastened there himself in advance of mr. carew. nan was in the tiny living-room, her head pillowed on the table, when donald entered, and when she had sobbed herself dry-eyed in his arms, they went in to look at old caleb. he had passed peacefully away an hour after retiring for the night; nan had straightened his limbs and folded the gnarled hands over the still heart; in the great democracy of death, his sad old face had settled into peaceful lines such as had been present in the days when nan was a child and she and her father had been happy building a home on the sawdust pile. as donald looked at him and reflected on the tremendous epics of a career that the world regarded as commonplace, when he recalled the sloop old caleb had built for him with so much pride and pleaure, the long-forgotten fishing trips and races in the bight, the wondrous tales the old sailor had poured into his boyish ears, together with the affection and profound respect, as for a superior being, which the old man had always held for him, the young laird of tyee mingled a tear or two with those of the orphaned nan. "i've told sam carew to come for him," he informed nan, when they had returned to the living-room. "i shall attend to all of the funeral arrangements. funeral the day after to-morrow, say in the morning. are there any relatives to notify?" "none that would be interested, donald." "do you wish a religious service?" "certainly not by the reverend tingley." "then i'll get somebody else. anything else? money, clothes?" she glanced at him with all the sweetness and tenderness of her great love lambent in her wistful sea-blue eyes. "what a poor thing is pride in the face of circumstances," she replied drearily. "i haven't sufficient strength of character to send you away. i ought to, for your own sake, but since you're the only one that cares, i suppose you'll have to pay the price. you might lend me a hundred dollars, dear. perhaps some-day i'll repay it." he laid the money in her hand and retained the hand in his; thus they sat gazing into the blue flames of the driftwood fire--she hopelessly, he with masculine helplessness. neither spoke, for each was busy with personal problems. the arrival of mr. carew interrupted their sad thoughts. when he had departed with the harvest of his grim profession, the thought that had been uppermost in donald's mind found expression. "it's going to be mighty hard on you living here alone." "it's going to be hard on me wherever i live--alone," she replied resignedly. "wish i could get some woman to come and live with you until we can adjust your affairs, nan. tingley's wife's a good sort. perhaps--" she shook her head. "i prefer my own company--when i cannot have yours." a wave of bitterness, of humiliation swept over him in the knowledge that he could not ask one of his own sisters to help her. truly he dwelt in an unlovely world. he glanced at nan again, and suddenly there came over him a great yearning to share her lot, even at the price of sharing her shame. he was not ashamed of her, and she knew it; yet both were fearful of revealing that fact to their fellow mortals. the conviction stole over donald mckaye that he was not being true to himself, that he was not a man of honor in the fullest sense or a gentleman in the broadest meaning of the word. and that, to the heir of a principality, was a dangerous thought. he then took tender leave of the girl and walked all the way home. his father had not retired when he reached the dreamerie, and the sight of that stern yet kindly and wholly understandable person moved him to sit down beside the laird on the divan and take the old man's hand in his childishly. "dad, i'm in hell's own hole!" he blurted. "i'm so unhappy!" "yes, son; i know you are. and it breaks me all up to think that, for the first time in my life, i can't help you. all the money in the world will not buy the medicine that'll cure you." "i have to go through that, too, i suppose," his son complained, and jerked his head toward the stairs, where, as a matter of fact, his sister jane crouched at the time, striving to eavesdrop. "i had a notion, as i walked home, that i'd refuse to permit them to discuss my business with me." "this particular business of yours is, unfortunately, something which they believe to be their business, also. god help me, i agree with them!" "well, they had better be mighty careful how they speak of nan brent," donald returned darkly. "this is something i have to fight out alone. by the way, are you going to old caleb's funeral, dad?" "certainly. i have always attended the funerals of my neighbors, and i liked and respected caleb brent. always reminded me of a lost dog. but he had a man's pride. i'll say that for him." "thank you, father. ten o'clock, the day after to-morrow, from the little chapel. there isn't going to be a preacher present, so i'd be obliged if you'd offer a prayer and read the burial service. that old man and i were pals, and i want a real human being to preside at his obsequies." the laird whistled softly. he was on the point of asking to be excused, but reflected that donald was bound to attend the funeral and that his father's presence would tend to detract from the personal side of the unprecedented spectacle and render it more of a matter of family condescension in so far as port agnew was concerned. "very well, lad," he replied; "i'm forced to deny you so much 'twould be small of me not to grant you a wee favor now and then. i'll do my best. and you might send a nurse from the company hospital to stay with nan for a week or two." "good old file!" his son murmured gratefully, and, bidding his father good-night, climbed the stairs to his room. hearing his footsteps ascending, jane emerged from the rear of the landing; simultaneously, his mother and elizabeth appeared at the door of the latter's room. he had the feeling of a captured missionary running the gantlet of a forest of spears _en route_ to a grill over a bed of coals. "donald dear," elizabeth called throatily, "come here." "donald dear is going to bed," he retorted savagely. "'sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.' good-night!" "but you _must_ discuss this matter with us!" jane clamored. "how can you expect us to rest until we have your word of honor that you--" the laird had appeared at the foot of the stairs, having followed his son in anticipation of an interview which he had forbidden. "six months, janey," he called up; "and there'll be no appeal from that decision. nellie! elizabeth! poor jane will be lonesome in port agnew, and i'm not wishful to be too hard on her. you'll keep her company." there was a sound of closing doors, and silence settled over the dreamerie, that little white home that the laird of tyee had built and dedicated to peace and love. for he was the master here. xxii caleb brent's funeral was the apotheosis of simplicity. perhaps a score of the old sailor's friends and neighbors attended, and there were, perhaps, half a dozen women--motherly old souls who had known nan intimately in the days when she associated with their daughters and who felt in the presence of death a curious unbending of a curious and indefinable hostility. sam carew, arrayed in the conventional habiliments of his profession, stood against the wall and closed his eyes piously when hector mckaye, standing beside old caleb, spoke briefly and kindly of the departed and with a rough eloquence that stirred none present--not even nan, who, up to that moment, entirely ignorant of the laird's intention, could only gaze at him, amazed and incredulous--more than it stirred the laird himself. the sonorous and beautiful lines of the burial service took on an added beauty and dignity as he read them, for the laird believed! and when he had finished reading the service, he looked up, and his kind gaze lay gently on nan brent as he said: "my friends, we will say a wee bit prayer for caleb wi' all the earnestness of our hearts. o lorrd, now that yon sailor has towed out on his last long cruise, we pray thee to gie him a guid pilot--aye, an archangel, for he was ever an honest man and brave--to guide him to thy mansion. forgie him his trespasses and in thy great mercy grant comfort to this poor bairn he leaves behind. and thine shall be the honor and the glory, forever and ever. amen!" none present, except donald, realized the earnestness of that prayer, for, as always under the stress of deep emotion, the laird had grown scotchy. mrs. tingley, a kindly little soul who had felt it her christian duty to be present, moved over to the little organ, and nan, conspicuous in a four-year-old tailored suit and a black sailor-hat, rose calmly from her seat and stood beside the minister's wife. for a moment, her glance strayed over the little audience. then she sang--not a hymn, but just a little song her father had always liked--the haunting, dignified melody that has been set to stevenson's "requiem." under the wide and starry sky, dig the grave and let me lie. glad did i live and gladly die, and i laid me down with a will. this be the verse you grave for me: _here he lies where he longed to be. home is the sailor, home from sea, and the hunter, home from the hill_. the laird, watching her narrowly, realized the effort it was costing her; yet her glorious voice did not break or quiver once. "you wonderful, wonderful woman!" he thought, moved to a high pitch of admiration for her independence and her flagrant flaunting of tradition, "what a wife for my boy--what a mother for my grandson--if you hadn't spoiled it all!" she rode to the cemetery in the laird's car with the laird, donald, and mrs. tingley. leaning on donald's arm, she watched them hide old caleb beneath the flowers from the gardens of the dreamerie; then the laird read the service at the grave and they returned to the sawdust pile, where nan's child (he had been left at home in charge of a nurse from the tyee lumber company's hospital) experienced more or less difficulty deciding whether donald or the laird was his father. the laird now considered his duty to caleb brent accomplished. he remained at the sawdust pile a period barely sufficient for nan to express her sense of obligation. "in a month, my dear girl," he whispered, as he took her hand, "you'll have had time to adjust yourself and decide on the future. then we'll have a little talk." she smiled bravely up at him through misty eyes and shook her head. she read his thoughts far better than he knew. father and son repaired to the private office at the mill, and the laird seated himself in his old swivel chair. "now then, lad," he demanded, "have i been a good sport?" "you have, indeed, father! i'm grateful to you." "you needn't be. i wouldn't have missed that funeral for considerable. that girl can sing like an angel, and, man, the courage of her! 'twas sweet of her, singing to old caleb like that, but i much mistake if she won't be talked about for it. 'twill be said she's heartless." he handed his son a cigar and snipped the end off one for himself. "we'll be needing the sawdust pile now for a drying-yard," he announced complacently. "you mean----" "i mean, my son, that you're dreaming of the impossible, and that it's time for you to wake up. i want no row about it. i can't bear to hear your mother and sisters carrying on longer. i'll never get over thinking what a pity it is that girl is damaged goods. she must not be wife to son of mine." the young laird of tyee bowed his head. "i can't give her up, father," he murmured. "by god, i can't!" "there can be no happiness without honor, and you'll not be the first to make our name a jest in the mouths of port agnew. you will write her and tell her of my decision; if you do not wish to, then i shall do it for you. trust her to understand and not hold it against you. and it is my wish that you should not see her again. she must be cared for, but when that time comes, i shall attend to it; you know me well enough to realize i'll do that well." he laid his hand tenderly on the young man's shoulder. "this is your first love, my son. time and hard work will help you forget--and i'll wait for my grandson." "and if i should not agree to this--what?" "obey me for a month--and then ask me that question if you will. i'm--i'm a bit unprepared for an answer on such short notice." donald bowed his head. "very well, sir. i'll think it over for a month--on one condition." "thank you, my son," said the laird of tyee. "and what is the condition?" "let mother and the girls go to seattle or honolulu or shanghai or some other seaport--anywhere, provided they're not at the dreamerie when i return to port agnew. i'm going to spend that damnable month in the woods, week-ends and all, and wrestle with this problem." old hector smiled a small smile. "i'm an old ass," he declared. "have it your own way, only--by the gods, i ought to teach them sense. i've spoiled them, and i ought to unspoil them. they drive me crazy, much as i love them." * * * * * the laird went home that afternoon lighter of heart than he had been for a month. he told himself that his firm stand with donald had rather staggered that young man, and that a month of reflection, far from the disturbing influence of nan brent's magnetic presence, would induce donald to adopt a sensible course. xxiii since that night when mr. daney, standing aloof in the dark vacant lot close to the sawdust pile, had seen donald mckaye, in the light cast through the open door of caleb brent's cottage, take nan brent in his arms and kiss her, since he had heard nan brent's voice apply to the young laird of port agnew a term so endearing as to constitute a verbal caress, his practical and unromantic soul had been in a turmoil of apprehension. it seemed to him that in old hector he noted signs of deep mental perturbation. also, he told himself, he detected more shades than lights in donald's usually pleasant features; so, knowing full well that which he knew and which neither the laird nor donald suspected him of knowing, to wit: that a declaration of love had been made between nan brent and the heir to the tyee millions, mr. daney came to the conclusion, one evening about a week after old caleb's funeral, that something had to be done--and done quickly--to avert the scandal which impended. to his way of reasoning, however, it appeared that nothing along this line was possible of accomplishment while nan brent remained in port agnew; so mr. daney brought to play all of his considerable intelligence upon the problem of inducing her to leave. now, to render port agnew untenable for nan, thus forcing her to retreat, was a task which mr. daney dismissed not only as unworthy of him but also as impossible. as a director of the bank of port agnew, he had little difficulty in ascertaining that caleb brent's savings-account had been exhausted; also, he realized that the chartering of caleb's motor-boat, brutus, to tow the municipal garbage-barge to sea and return, had merely been donald's excuse to be kind to the brents without hurting their gentle pride. to cancel the charter of the brutus now would force nan to leave port agnew in order to support herself, for daney could see to it that no one in port agnew employed her, even had anyone in port agnew dared run such risk. also, the tyee lumber company might bluff her out of possession of the sawdust pile. however, donald would have to be reckoned with in either case, and mr. daney was not anxious to have the weight of his young master's anger fall on his guilty head. he saw, therefore, that some indirect means must be employed. now, mr. daney wisely held, in contradiction to any number of people not quite so hard-headed as he, that absence does _not_ tend to make the heart grow fonder--particularly if sufficient hard work and worry can be supplied to prevent either party to the separation thinking too long or too intensely of the absentee. within a decent period following nan's hoped-for departure from port agnew, mr. daney planned to impress upon the laird the desirability of a trip to the orient, while he, daney, upon the orders of a nerve-specialist, took a long sea voyage. immediately the entire burden of seeing that the tyee lumber company functioned smoothly and profitably would fall upon donald's young and somewhat inexperienced shoulders. in the meantime, what with the laird's money and the employment of a third party or parties, it would be no trick at all to induce nan brent to move so far from port agnew that donald could not, in justice to his business interests, desert those interests in order to pay his court to her. "dog my cats!" mr. daney murmured, at the end of a long period of perplexity. "i have to force the girl out of port agnew, and i can never do so while that motor-boat continues to pay her eighty dollars a month. she cannot exist on eighty dollars a month elsewhere, but she can manage very nicely on it here. and yet, even with that confounded charter canceled, we're stuck with the girl. she cannot leave port agnew without sufficient funds to carry her through for a while, and she'd die before she'd accept the gift of a penny from anybody in port agnew, particularly the mckayes. even a loan from the laird would be construed as a roundabout way of buying her off." mr. daney pondered his problem until he was almost tempted to butt his poor head against the office wall, goat-fashion, in an attempt to stimulate some new ideas worth while. nevertheless, one night he wakened from a sound sleep and found himself sitting up in bed, the possessor of a plan so flawless that, in sheer amazement, he announced aloud that he would be--jiggered. some cunning little emissary of the devil must have crept in through his ear while he slept and planted the brilliant idea in mr. daney's brain. eventually, mr. daney lay down again. but he could not go to sleep; so he turned on the electric bedside-lamp and looked at his watch. it was midnight and at midnight no living creature, save possibly an adventurous or amorous cat, moved in port agnew; so mr. daney dressed, crept down-stairs on velvet feet, in order not to disturb the hired girl, and stepped forth into the night. ten minutes later, he was down at the municipal garbage-barge, moored to the bulkhead of piles along the bank of the skookum. he ventured to strike a match. the gunwale of the barge was slightly below the level of the bulkhead; so mr. daney realized that the tide had turned and was at the ebb--otherwise, the gunwale would have been on a level with the bulkheads. he stepped down on the barge, made his way aft to the brutus, moored astern, and boarded the little vessel. he struck another match and looked into the cabin to make certain that no member of the barge-crew slept there. finding no one, he went into the engine-room and opened the sea-cock. then he lifted up a floor-board, looked into the bilge, saw that the water therein was rising, and murmured, "bully--by heck!" he clambered hastily back aboard the barge, cast off the mooring-lines of the brutus, and with a boat-book gave her a shove which carried her out into the middle of the river. she went bobbing away gently on the ebb-tide, bound for the deep water out in the bight of tyee where, when she settled, she would be hidden forever and not be a menace to navigation. mr. daney watched her until she disappeared in the dim starlight before returning to his home and so, like mr. pepys, to bed, where he had the first real sleep in weeks. he realized this in the morning and marveled at it, for he had always regarded himself as a man of tender conscience and absolutely incapable of committing a maritime crime. nevertheless, he whistled and wore a red carnation in his lapel as he departed for the mill office. xxiv following the interview with his father, subsequent to caleb brent's funeral, donald mckaye realized full well that his love-affair, hitherto indefinite as to outcome, had crystallized into a definite issue. for him, there could be no evasion or equivocation; he had to choose, promptly and for all time, between his family and nan brent--between respectability, honor, wealth, and approbation on one hand, and pity, contempt, censure, and poverty on the other. confronting this _impasse_, he was too racked with torment to face his people that night and run the gantlet of his mother's sad, reproachful glances, his father's silence, so eloquent of mental distress, and the studied scorn, amazement, and contempt in the very attitudes of his selfish and convention-bound sisters. so he ate his dinner at the hotel in port agnew, and after dinner his bruised heart took command of his feet and marched him to the sawdust pile. the nurse he had sent down from the tyee lumber company's hospital to keep nan company until after the funeral had returned to the hospital, and nan, with her boy asleep in her lap, was seated in a low rocker before the driftwood fire when donald entered, unannounced save for his old-time triple tap at the door. at first glance, it was evident to him that the brave reserve which nan had maintained at the funeral had given way to abundant tears when she found herself alone at home, screened from the gaze of the curious. he knelt and took both outcasts in his great strong arms, and for a long time held them in a silence more eloquent than words. "well, my dear," she said presently, "aren't you going to tell me all about it?" that was the woman of it. she knew. "i'm terribly unhappy," he replied. "dad and i had a definite show-down after the funeral. his order--not request--is that i shall not call here again." "your father is thinking with his head; so he thinks clearly. you, poor dear, are thinking with your heart controlling your head. of course you'll obey your father. you cannot consider doing anything else." "i'm not going to give you up," he asserted doggedly. "yes; you are going to give me up, dear heart," she replied evenly. "because i'm going to give you up, and you're much too fine to make it hard for me to do that." "i'll not risk your contempt for my weakness. it _would_ be a weakness--a contemptible trick--if i should desert you now." "your family has a greater claim on you, donald. you were born to a certain destiny--to be a leader of men, to develop your little world, and make of it a happier place for men and women to dwell in. so, dear love, you're just going to buck up and be spunky and take up your big life-task and perform it like the gentleman you are." "but what is to become of you?" he demanded, in desperation. "i do not know. it is a problem i am not going to consider very seriously for at least a month. of course i shall leave port agnew, but before i do, i shall have to make some clothes for baby and myself." "i told my father i would give him a definite answer regarding you in a month, nan. i'm going up in the woods and battle this thing out by myself." "please go home and give him a definite answer to-night. you have not the right to make him suffer so," she pleaded. "i'm not prepared to-night to abandon you, nan. i must have some time to get inured to the prospect." "did you come over to-night to tell me good-by before going back to the woods, donald?" he nodded, and deliberately she kissed him with great tenderness. "then--good-by, sweetheart," she whispered. "in our case, the least said is soonest mended. and please do not write to me. keep me out of your thoughts for a month, and perhaps i'll stay out." "no hope," he answered, with a lugubrious smile. "however, i'll be as good as i can. and i'll not write. but--when i return from that month of exile, do not be surprised if i appear to claim you for good or for evil, for better or for worse." she kissed him again--hurriedly--and pressed him gently from her, as if his persistence gave her cause for apprehension. "dear old booby!" she murmured. "run along home now, won't you, please?" so he went, wondering why he had come, and the following morning, still wrapped in a mental fog, he departed for the logging-camp, but not until his sister jane had had her long-deferred inning. while he was in the garage at the dreamerie, warming up his car, jane appeared and begged him to have some respect for the family, even though, apparently, he had none for himself. concluding a long and bitter tirade, she referred to nan as "that abandoned girl." poor jane! hardly had she uttered the words before her father appeared in the door of the garage. "one year, janey," he announced composedly. "and i'd be pleased to see the photograph o' the human being that'll make me revoke that sentence. i'm fair weary having my work spoiled by women's tongues." "i'll give you my photograph, old pepper-pot," donald suggested. "i have great influence with you have i not?" the laird looked up at him with a fond grin. "well?" he parried. "you will remit the sentence to one washing of the mouth with soap and water to cleanse it of those horrid words you just listened to." "that's not a bad idea," the stern old man answered. "janey, you may have your choice, since donald has interceded for you." but jane maintained a freezing silence and swept out of the garage with a mien that proclaimed her belief that her brother and father were too vulgar and plebeian for her. "i'm having the deil's own time managing my family," old hector complained, "but i'll have obedience and kindness and justice in my household, or know the reason why. aye--and a bit of charity," he added grimly. he stood beside the automobile and held up his hand up for his son's. "and you'll be gone a month, lad?" he queried. donald nodded. "too painful--this coming home week-ends," he explained. "and nan has requested that i see no more of her. you have a stanch ally in her, dad. she's for you all the way." relief showed in his father's troubled face. "i'm glad to know that," he replied. "you're the one that's bringing me worry and breaking down her good resolutions and common sense." he leaned a little closer, first having satisfied himself, by a quick, backward glance, that none of the women of the family was eavesdropping, and whispered: "i'm trying to figure out a nice way to be kind to her and give her a good start in life without insulting her. if you should have a clear thought on the subject, i'd like your advice, son. 'twould hurt me to have her think i was trying to buy her off." "as i view the situation, all three of us have to figure our own angles for ourselves. however, if a happy thought should dawn on me, i'll write you. think it over a few weeks, and then do whatever seems best." so they parted. xxv a few days subsequent to andrew daney's secret scuttling of the motor-boat brutus, nan brent was amazed to receive a visit from him. "good-morning, nan," he saluted her. "i have bad news for you." "what, pray?" she managed to articulate. she wondered if donald had been injured up in the woods. "your motor-boat's gone." this was, indeed, bad news. trouble showed in nan's face. "gone where?" she faltered. "nobody knows. it disappeared from the garbage-barge, alongside of which it was moored. i've had men searching for it two days, but we've given it up as lost. was the brutus, by any chance, insured against theft?" "certainly not." "well, the tyee lumber company used reasonable care to conserve your property, and while there's a question whether the company's responsible for the loss of the boat if it's been stolen, even while under charter to us, nevertheless, you will be reimbursed for the value of the boat. your father had it up for sale last year. do you recall the price he was asking?" "he was asking considerably less than he really believed the brutus to be worth," nan replied honestly. "he would have sold for fifteen hundred dollars, but the brutus was worth at least twenty-five hundred. values shrink, you know, when one requires ready cash. and i do not agree with you that no responsibility attaches to the tyee lumber company, although, under the circumstances, it appears there is no necessity for argument." "we'll pay twenty-five hundred rather than descend to argument," daney replied crisply, "although personally i am of the opinion that two thousand would be ample." he coughed a propitiatory cough and looked round the sawdust pile appraisingly. "may i inquire, my girl," he asked presently, "what are your plans for the future?" "certainly, mr. daney. i have none." "it would be a favor to the tyee lumber company if you had, and that they contemplated removal to some other house. the laird had planned originally to use the sawdust pile for a drying-yard"--he smiled faintly--"but abandoned the idea rather than interfere with your father's comfort. of course, the laird hasn't any more title to the sawdust pile than you have--not as much, in fact, for i do believe you could make a squatter's right stick in any court. just at present, however, we have greater need of the sawdust pile than ever. we're getting out quite a lot of airplane spruce for the british government, and since there's no doubt we'll be into the war ourselves one of these days, we'll have to furnish additional spruce for our own government. spruce has to be air-dried, you know, to obtain the best results, and--well, we really need the sawdust pile. what will you take to abandon, it and leave us in undisputed possession?" "nothing, mr. daney." "nothing?" "precisely--nothing. we have always occupied it on the laird's sufferance, so i do not think, mr. daney," she explained, with a faint smile, "that i shall turn pirate and ingrate now. if you will be good enough to bring me over twenty-five hundred dollars in cash to-day, i will give you a clearance for the loss of the brutus and abandon the sawdust pile to you within the next three or four days." his plan had worked so successfully that daney was, for the moment, rendered incapable of speech. "will you be leaving port agnew?" he sputtered presently. "or can i arrange to let you have a small house at a modest rental--" she dissipated this verbal camouflage with a disdainful motion of her upflung hand. "thank you. i shall leave port agnew--forever. the loss of the brutus makes my escape possible," she added ironically. "may i suggest that you give no intimation of your intention to surrender this property?" he suggested eagerly. "if word of your plan to abandon got abroad, it might create an opportunity for some person to jump the sawdust pile and defy us to dispossess him." mr. daney sought, by this subterfuge, to simulate an interest in the physical possession of the sawdust pile which he was far from feeling. he congratulated himself, however, that, all in all, he had carried off his mission wonderfully well, and departed with a promise to bring over the money himself that very afternoon. indeed, so delighted was he that it was with difficulty that he restrained himself from unburdening to the laird, when the latter dropped in at the mill office that afternoon, the news that before the week should be out nan brent would be but a memory in port agnew. later, he wondered how far from port agnew she would settle for a new start in life and whether she would leave a forwarding address. he resolved to ask her, and he did, when he reappeared at the sawdust pile that afternoon with the money to reimburse nan for the loss of the brutus. "i haven't decided where i shall go, mr. daney," nan informed him truthfully, "except that i shall betake myself some distance from the pacific coast--some place where the opportunities for meeting people who know me are nebulous, to say the least. and i shall leave no forwarding address. when i leave port agnew"--she looked mr. daney squarely in the eyes as she said this--"i shall see to it that no man, woman, or child in port agnew--not even don mckaye or the laird, who have been most kind to me--shall know where i have gone." "i'm sorry matters have so shaped themselves in your life, poor girl, that you're feeling bitter," mr. daney replied, with genuine sympathy, notwithstanding the fact that he would have been distressed and puzzled had her bitterness been less genuine. in the realization that it _was_ genuine, he had a wild impulse to leap in the air and crack his ankles together for very joy. "will i be seeing you again, nan, before you leave?" "not unless the spirit moves you, mr. daney," she answered dryly. she had no dislike for andrew daney, but, since he was the husband of mrs. daney and under that person's dominion, she distrusted him. "well then, i'll bid you good-by now, nan," he announced. "i hope your lot will fall in pleasanter places than port agnew. good-by, my dear girl, and good luck to you--always." "good-by, mr. daney," she replied. "thank you for bringing the money over." xxvi by an apparent inconsistency in the natural order of human affairs, it seems that women are called upon far oftener than men to make the hardest sacrifices; also, the call finds them far more willing, if the sacrifice is demanded of them by love. until andrew daney had appeared at the sawdust pile with the suddenness of a genie (and a singularly benevolent genie at that), nan had spent many days wondering what fate the future held in store for her. with all the ardor of a prisoner, she had yearned to leave her jail, although she realized that freedom for her meant economic ruin. on the sawdust pile, she could exist on the income from the charter of the brutus, for she had no rent to pay and no fuel to buy; her proximity to the sea, her little garden and a few chickens still further solved her economic problems. away from the sawdust pile, however, life meant parting with her baby. she would have to place him in some sort of public institution if she would be free to earn a living for them both, and she was not aware that she possessed any adaptability for any particular labor which would enable her to earn one hundred dollars a month, the minimum sum upon which she could, by the strictest economy, manage to exist and support her child. too well she realized the difficulty which an inexperienced woman has in securing employment in an office or store at a wage which, by the wildest stretch of the imagination, may be termed lucrative, and, lacking funds wherewith to tide her over until she should acquire experience, or even until she should be fortunate enough to secure any kind of work, inevitable starvation faced her. her sole asset was her voice; she had a vague hope that if she could ever acquire sufficient money to go to new york and buy herself just sufficient clothing to look well dressed and financially independent, she might induce some vaudeville impresario to permit her to spend fifteen minutes twice or four times daily, singing old-fashioned songs to the proletariat at something better than a living wage. she had an idea for a turn to be entitled, "songs of the 'sixties." the arrival of andrew daney with twenty-five hundred dollars might have been likened to an eleventh-hour reprieve for a condemned murderer. twenty-five hundred dollars! why, she and don could live two years on that! she was free--at last! the knowledge exalted her--in the reaction from a week of contemplating a drab, barren future, she gave no thought to the extreme unlikelihood of anyone's daring to steal a forty-foot motor-boat on a coast where harbors are so few and far between as they are on the pacific. had old caleb been alive, he would have informed her that such action was analogous to the theft of a hot stove, and that no business man possessed of a grain of common sense would have hastened to reimburse her for the loss after an inconsequential search of only two days. had she been more worldly wise, she would have known that business men do not part with twenty-five hundred dollars that readily--otherwise, they would not be business men and would not be possessed of twenty-five hundred dollars. nan only realized that, in handing her a roll of bank-notes with a rubber band round them, andrew daney had figuratively given her the key to her prison, against the bars of which her soul had beaten for three long years. now, it is doubtful whether any woman ever loved a man without feeling fully assured that she, more than any other person, was better equipped to decide exactly what was best for that man. her woman's intuition told nan that donald mckaye was not to be depended upon to conserve the honor of the mckaye family by refraining from considering an alliance with her. also, knowing full well the passionate yearnings of her own heart and the weakness of her economic position, she shrank from submitting herself to the task of repelling his advances. where he was concerned, she feared her own weakness--she, who had endured the brutality of the world, could not endure that the world's brutality should be visited upon him because of his love for her. strong of will, self-reliant, a born fighter, and as stiff-necked as his father, his yearning to possess her, coupled with his instinct for fair play, might and probably would lead him to tell the world to go hang, that he would think for himself and take his happiness where he found it. by all means, this must be prevented. nan felt that she could not permit him to risk making a sorry mess of a life of promise. consumed with such thoughts as these, it was obvious that nan should pursue but one course--that is, leave port agnew unannounced and endeavor to hide herself where donald mckaye would never find her. in this high resolve, once taken, she did not falter; she even declined to risk rousing the suspicions of the townspeople by appearing at the general store to purchase badly needed articles of clothing for herself and her child. she resolved to leave port agnew in the best clothes she had, merely pausing a few days in her flight--at vancouver, perhaps--to shop, and then continuing on to new york. on the morning of her departure, the butcher's boy, calling for an order, agreed, for fifty cents, to transport her one small trunk on his cart to the station. the little white house which she and her father had built with so much pride and delight, she left furnished as it was and in perfect order. as she stood at the front door and looked back for the last time, the ticking of the clock in the tiny dining-and-living room answered her mute, "good-by, little house; good-by," and, though her heart was full enough, she kept back the tears until she saw the flag flying bravely at the cupola. "oh, my love, my love!" she sobbed. "i mustn't leave it flying there, flaunting my desertion in your dear eyes." blinded by her tears, she groped her way back to the house, hauled down the flag, furled it, and laid it away in a bureau drawer. and this time, when she left the house, she did not look back. * * * * * at the station, she purchased a ticket for seattle and checked her trunk at the baggage-room counter. as she turned from the counter and started for the waiting-room, she caught the interested eyes of old hector mckaye bent upon her. he lifted his hat and walked over to her. "i happened to be looking down at the sawdust pile when you hauled your flag down this morning," he explained, in a low voice. "so i knew you were going away. that's why i'm here." to this extraordinary speech, the girl merely replied with an inquiring look. "i wonder if you will permit me to be as kind to you as i can," he continued. "i know it sounds a bit blunt and vulgar to offer you money, but when one needs money--" "i have sufficient for my present needs," she replied. "mr. daney has paid me for the loss of my motor-boat, you know. you are very kind; but i think i shall have no need to impose further on your generosity. i think the twenty-five hundred dollars will last me nicely until i have made a new start in life." "ah!" the laird breathed softly, "twenty-five hundred dollars. yes, yes! so he did; so he did! and are you leaving port agnew indefinitely, nan?" "forever," she replied. "we have robbed you of the ground for a drying-yard for nearly ten years, but this morning the sawdust pile is yours." "bless my soul!" the laird ejaculated. "why, we are not at all in distress for more drying-space." "mr. daney intimated that you were. he asked me how much i would take to abandon my squatter's right, but i declined to charge you a single cent." she smiled up at him a ghost of her sweet, old-time whimsical smile. "it was the first opportunity i had to be magnanimous to the mckaye family, and i hastened to take advantage of it. i merely turned the key in the lock and departed." "daney has been a trifle too zealous for the tyee interests, i fear," he replied gently. "and where do you plan to live?" "that," she retorted, still smilingly, "is a secret. it may interest you, mr. mckaye, to know that i am not even leaving a forwarding address for my mail. you see, i never receive any letters of an important nature." he was silent a moment, digesting this. then, "and does my son share a confidence which i am denied?" "he does not, mr. mckaye. this is my second opportunity to do the decent thing toward the mckaye family--so i am doing it. i plan to make rather a thorough job of it, too. you--you'll be very kind and patient with him, will you not? he's going to feel rather badly, you know, but, then, i never encouraged him. it's all his fault, i think--i tried to play fair--and it was so hard." her voice sunk to a mere whisper. "i've always loved donald, mr. mckaye. most people do; so i have not regarded it as sinful on my part." "you are abandoning him of your own free will--" "certainly. i have to. surely you must realize that?" "yes, i do. i have felt that he would never abandon you." he opened and closed his big hands nervously, and was plainly a trifle distrait. "so--so this is your idea of playing the game, is it?" he demanded presently. she nodded. "well," he replied helplessly, "i would to god i dared be as good a sport as you are, nan brent! hear me, now, lass. think of the thing in life you want to do and the place where you want to do it--" she interrupted him. "no, no, mr. mckaye; there can be no talk of money between us. i cannot and will not take your son--for his sake, and for my own sake i cannot and will not accept of your kindness. somehow, some place, i'm going to paddle my own canoe." "guid lass; guid lass," he whispered huskily. "remember, then, if your canoe upsets and spills you, a wire to me will right you, and no questions asked. good-by, my dear, and good luck to you!" he pressed her hand, lifted his hat, and walked briskly away in the direction of the tyee lumber company's office, quite oblivious of the fact that his interview with nan brent had been observed by a person to whom the gods had given at birth a more than average propensity of intrigue, romance, and general cussedness--mr. daniel j. o'leary, of whom more anon. from the station, hector mckaye hurried over to the mill office and entered andrew daney's room. "andrew," he began, "you've been doing things. what became of old caleb brent's motor-boat?" "i opened the sea-cock, cast it off, and let it drift out into the bight on the ebb-tide one night recently." "why?" "in order that i might have a logical and reasonable excuse to furnish nan brent with sufficient funds to leave this town and make a new start elsewhere. i have charged the twenty-five hundred to your personal account on the company books." "you also indulged in some extraordinary statements regarding our pressing need for the sawdust pile as a drying-yard." "we can use it, sir," daney replied. "i felt justified in indicating to the girl that her room was desired to her company. your son," he added deliberately, "was treading on soft ground, and i took the license of an old friend and, i hope, a faithful servant, to rid him of temptation." "i shall never be done with feeling grateful to you, andrew. the girl is leaving on the train that's just pulling out, and--the incident is closed. my son is young. he will get over it. thank you, andrew, dear friend, until you're better paid--as you will be some day soon." "i'll have need of your friendship if donald ever discovers my part in this deal. he'll fire me out o' hand." "if he does, i'll hire you back." "hell will pop when he finds the bird has flown, sir." "let it pop! that kind of popping is music in my ears. hark, andrew lad! there's the train whistling for darrow's crossing. from there on the trail is lost--lost--_lost_, i tell you! o lord, god of hosts, i thank thee for thy great mercy!" and, quite suddenly, old hector sat down and began to weep. xxvii nan brent's departure from the sawdust pile was known to so few in port agnew that it was fully ten days before the news became general; even then it excited no more than momentary comment, and a week later when donald mckaye returned to town, somewhat sooner than he had anticipated, port agnew had almost forgotten that nan brent had ever lived and loved and sinned in its virtuous midst. even the small gossip about her and the young laird had subsided, condemned by all, including the most thoughtless, as a gross injustice to their favorite son, and consequently dismissed as the unworthy tattling of unworthy, suspicious old women. life in the busy little sawmill town had again sagged into the doldrums. for several days, a feeling of lassitude had been stealing over donald. at first he thought it was mental depression, but when, later, he developed nausea, lack of appetite, and pains in his head, back, and extremities, it occurred to him that he wasn't feeling well physically and that the dreamerie was to be preferred to his rough pine shanty in the woods, even though in the latter he had sanctuary from the female members of his family. he came in unexpectedly on the last log-train on saturday night; tired, with throbbing head and trembling legs, he crawled off the caboose at the log dump and made his way weakly up to the mill office. it was deserted when he got there at half-past six, but in his mail-box he found something which he had promised himself would be there, despite certain well-remembered assurances to the contrary. it was a letter from nan. he tore the envelop eagerly and read: donald dear, i love you. that is why i am leaving you. we shall not meet again, i think. if we should, it will doubtless be years hence, and by that time we shall both have resigned ourselves to this present very necessary sacrifice. good-by, poor dear. always your sweetheart, nan. he read and reread the letter several times. it was undated. presently, with an effort, he recovered the envelop from the waste-basket and examined the postmark. the letter had been mailed from seattle, but the post-date was blurred. with the letter clutched in his hand, he bent forward and pillowed his hot face in his arms, outspread upon his father's old desk. he wanted to weep--to sob aloud in a childish effort to unburden his heart, scourged now with the first real sorrow of his existence. his throat contracted; something in his breast appeared to have congealed, yet for upward of an hour he neither moved nor gave forth a sound. at last, under the inspiration of a great hope that came apparently without any mental effort or any desire for hope, so thoroughly crushed was he, the black, touseled head came slowly up. his face, usually ruddy beneath the dark, suntanned skin but now white and haggard, showed a fleeting little smile, as if he grinned at his own weakness and lack of faith; he rose unsteadily and clumped out of the office-building. gone! nan gone--like that! no, no! he would not believe it. she might have intended to go--she might have wanted to go--she might even have started to go--but she had turned back! she loved him; she was his. during those long days and nights up in the woods, he had fought the issue with himself and made up his mind that nan brent was the one woman in the world for him, that there could never, by god's grace, be any other, and that he would have her, come what might and be the price what it would. rather than the fortune for which his father had toiled and sacrificed, donald preferred nan's love; rather than a life of ease and freedom from worry, he looked forward with a fierce joy to laboring with his hands for a pittance, provided he might have the privilege of sharing it with her. and the dreamerie, the house his father had built with such great, passionate human hopes and tender yearnings, the young laird of port agnew could abandon without a pang for that little white house on the sawdust pile. round steak and potatoes, fried by the woman destined to him for his perfect mate, would taste better to him than the choicest viands served by light stepping servitors in his father's house. what, after all, was there worth while in the world for him if he was to be robbed of his youth and his love? for him, the bare husks of life held no allurement; he was one of that virile, human type that rejects the doctrine of sacrifice, denial, and self-repression in this life for the greater glory of god and man's promise of a reward in another life, of which we wot but little and that little not scientifically authenticated. he wanted the great, all-compelling, omnipotent present, with its gifts that he could clutch in his fierce hands or draw to his hungry heart. to hell with the future. he reflected that misers permit their thoughts to dwell upon it and die rich and despised, leaving to the apostles of the present the enjoyment of the fruits of a foolish sacrifice. "she came back. i know she did," he mumbled, as he groped his way through the dark of the drying-yard. "i'm sick. i must see her and tell her to wait until i'm well. the damned dirty world can do what it jolly well pleases to me, but i'll protect her from it. i will--by god!" he emerged into the open fields beyond which lay the sawdust pile, snuggled down on the beach. the brent cottage was visible in the dim starlight, and he observed that there was no light in the window; nevertheless, his high faith did not falter. he pressed on, although each step was the product of an effort, mental and physical. his legs were heavy and dragged, as if he wore upon, his logger's boots the thick, leaden soles of a deep-sea diver. at the gate, he leaned and rested for a few minutes, then entered the deserted yard and rapped at the front door; but his summons bringing no response, he staggered round to the back door and repeated it. he waited half a minute and then banged furiously with his fist upon the door-panel. still receiving no response, he seized the knob and shook the door until the little house appeared to rattle from cellar to cupola. "nan! nan! where are you?" he called. "it is i--donald. answer me, nan. i know you haven't gone away. you wouldn't! please answer me, nan!" but the only sound he heard was the labored pumping of his own heart and the swish of the wavelets against the timbered buttress of the sawdust pile. the conviction slowly came to his torpid brain that he was seeking admittance to a deserted house, and he leaned against the door and fought for control of himself. presently, like a stricken animal, he went slowly and uncertainly away in the direction whence he had come. * * * * * andrew daney had put out the cat and wound the clock and was about to ascend to his chamber (now, alas, reoccupied by mrs. daney, upon whom the news of nan's departure had descended like a gentle rainfall over a hitherto arid district) when he heard slow footsteps on his front veranda. upon going to the door and peering out, he was amazed to see donald mckaye standing just outside. "well, bless my soul!" daney declared. "so it's you donald. come in, lad; come in." donald shook his head. "no, i've only come to stay a minute, mr. daney. thank you, sir. i--i notice you're running a light track from the drying-yard down to the sawdust pile. stumbled over it in the dark a few minutes ago, and i--" he essayed a ghastly smile, for he desired to remove the sting from the gentle rebuke he purposed giving the general manger--"couldn't seem to remember having ordered that track--or--suggesting that it be laid." "quite so, donald; quite so," daney answered. "i did it on my own initiative. nan brent has abandoned the sawdust pile--moved away from port agnew, you know; so i decided to extend the drying-yard, and squat on the sawdust pile before some undesirable took possession." "hm-m-m! i see. well, suppose nan takes a notion to return to port agnew, mr. daney. she'll find our drying-yard something of a nuisance, will she not?" "oh, but she's not coming back," daney assured him, with all the confidence of one free from the slightest doubt on the subject. "she might. i could see rather dimly into the kitchen and it appears miss brent left her little home furnished." "yes, she did, donald. i believe she just turned the key in the lock and went away." "know where she went, mr. daney?" "no. she didn't even leave a forwarding address for her mail." the young laird of tyee lurched up to mr. daney and laid a heavy hand on the older man's shoulder. "how do you know that?" he demanded, and there was a growl in his voice. "has mrs. daney been asking the postmaster?" mr. daney saw that, for some inexplicable reason, he was in for a bad five minutes or more. his youthful superior's face was white and beaded with perspiration. daney had a suspicion that donald had had a drink or two. "there has been no gossip, donald," he answered crisply. "get that notion out of your head. i would protect you from gossip, for i think i know my duty to the mckayes. i learned that lesson a long time ago," he added, with spirit. "you haven't answered my question, mr. daney," donald persisted. "i shall. i know, because she told me herself." mr. daney had not intended that donald should ever discover that he had had an interview with nan brent, but his veracity had, for the moment, appeared to him to be questioned by his superior, and he was too truthful, too thoroughly honest to attempt now to protect his reputation for truth-telling by uttering a small fib, albeit he squirmed inwardly at the terrible necessity for such integrity. "ah! then nan called upon you again?" mr. daney sighed. "no, i called upon her." "with reference to what?" "to settle with her for the loss of the brutus." "when did you lose the brutus." mr. daney pulled at his ear, gazed at the porch light, rubbed his adam's apple, and gave the exact date. "what happened to the brutus?" "she just disappeared, donald. she was tied up alongside the barge--" the heavy hand on mr. daney's shoulder tightened a little. donald was merely holding fast to the general manager in order to stay on his feet, but mr. daney credited him with being the victim of rising anger. "when did nan leave port agnew, mr. daney?" "let me see, donald." mr. daney tugged at his beard. "why, she left two weeks ago yesterday. yes; she left on the nineteenth." "when did you settle with her for the loss of the brutus?" "on the sixteenth," daney answered glibly. "how much?" "twenty-five hundred dollars. it was more than the brutus was worth, but i disliked to appear niggardly in the matter, donald. i knew you and your father would approve whatever sum i settled for--and the loss of the little boat provided a nice opportunity for generosity without hurting the girl's pride." "yes--thank you, mr. daney. that was kind and thoughtful of you." donald spoke the words slowly, as if he searched his brain carefully for each word and then had to coax his tongue into speaking it. "you settled, then, two days after the boat disappeared. fast work. nobody up here would steal the boat. too much distance between ports--run short of gasoline, you know, on her limited tank capacity--and if anybody had purchased cased gasoline around here to load on deck, you'd know of it. hard to conceal or disguise a forty-foot boat, too." his fingers closed like steel nippers over mr. daney's shoulder. "where did you hide the boat, mr. daney? answer me. i'll not be trifled with." "i scuttled her--if you must have the truth." "i knew you wouldn't lie to me. on whose orders, mr. daney? my father's?" "no, sir; it was my own idea." daney's face was white with mental and physical distress and red with confusion, by turns. his shoulder was numb. "why?" "i figured that if the girl had some money to make a new start elsewhere, she'd leave port agnew, which would be best for all concerned." "why, andrew daney, you old hero! cost you something to confess that, didn't it? well--i guessed you or my father had induced her to go, so i concluded to start the investigation with you," he passed his hand over his white dripping brow before resuming what he had to say. "the tyee lumber company isn't equipped to carry on its pay-roll mr. donald mckaye and the man who interferes in his personal affair, even though actuated by a kindly interest. you rip up that track you're laying and leave nan's home alone. then you clean up your desk and hand me your resignation. i'm sick--and your damned interference hurts. sorry; but you must go. understand? nan's coming back--understand? coming back--devilish hot night--for this time of year, isn't it? man, i'm burning up." it came to mr. daney that the young laird was acting in a most peculiar manner. also, he was talking that way. consequently, and what with the distress of being dismissed from the mckaye service in such cavalier fashion, the general manager decided to twist out from under that terrible grasp on his shoulder. instantly, donald released from this support, swayed and clutched gropingly for mr. daney's person. "dizzy," he panted. "head's on strike. mr. daney, where the devil are you? don't run away from me. you damned old muddler, if i get my hands on you i'll pick you apart--yes, i will--to see--what makes you go. you did it, yes, you did--even if you're too stupidly honest--to lie about it. glad of that, though, mr. daney. hate liars and interfering duffers. ah--the cold-blooded calculation of it--took advantage of her poverty. she's gone--nobody knows--may god damn your soul to the deepest hell--where are you? i'll kill you--no, no; forgive me, sir--yes, you've been faithful, and you're an old employe--i wish you a very pleasant good-evening, sir." he stepped gingerly down the three wide stairs, pitched forward, and measured his length in a bed of pansies. mr. daney came down, struck a match, and looked at his white face. donald was apparently unconscious; so mr. daney knelt, placed his inquisitive nose close to the partly open lips, and sniffed. then he swore his chiefest oath. "hell's hells and panther-tracks! he isn't drunk. he's sick." fifteen minutes later, the young laird of port agnew reposed in the best room of his own hospital, and andrew daney was risking his life motoring at top speed up the cliff road to the dreamerie with bad news for old hector. mrs. mckaye and the girls had retired but the laird was reading in the living-room when daney entered unannounced. old hector looked up at his general manager from under his white, shaggy brow. "ye, andrew," he saluted the latter gently, "i see by your face it's not welcome news you bring. out with it, man." so andrew came "out with it," omitting no detail, and at the conclusion of his recital, the old man wagged his head to emphasize his comprehension. "my son is not a dull man by any means," he said presently. "he knows what he knows--a man sure of himself always--and oh, andrew man, because of the brain of him and the sweet soul of him, it breaks my heart to give pain to him. and what does the doctor say?" "from a cursory examination he suspects typhoid fever." "ah, that's bad, bad, andrew." "the boy has the strength of a hercules, sir. he'll beat through, never fear." "well, he'll not die to-night, at any rate," old hector answered, "and i can do no good puttering round the hospital to-night. neither would i alarm his mother and the girls. send for the best medical brains in the country, andrew, and don't quibble at the cost. pay them what they ask. 'twill be cheap enough if they save him. good-night, andrew, and thank you kindly." he stood up and laid his hand affectionately upon the shoulder of his faithful servant and walked with him thus to the door. "my good andrew," he murmured, and propelled the general manager gently outside, "there's no need to worry over the dismissal. when the lad's well, he'll rescind his order, so, in the meantime, do not leave us." "but--if he shouldn't rescind it?" daney pleaded anxiously. although he was comfortably fixed with this world's goods and had long since ceased to work for monetary reward, the tyee lumber company was, nevertheless, part of his life, and to be dismissed from its service was akin to having some very necessary part of him amputated. "tush, man; tush! don't be building a mare's nest," old hector answered and closed the door upon him. for the laird was losing control of himself and he could not bear that any human eye should gaze upon his weakness. xxviii the morning following donald's admittance to the hospital, the company doctor confirmed his original diagnosis that the patient was suffering from an attack of typhoid fever. the disease had evidently been two weeks incubating, for the woods boss reported that his superior had complained of being "under the weather" for ten days before yielding to the former's repeated advice to go down to port agnew and have the doctor look him over. as a result of donald's stubborn refusal to acknowledge his illness, the disease had reached a fair stage of development by the time he received medical attention. he was not delirious when the laird and mrs. mckaye reached the hospital that morning, however, they were permitted to see him for but a few minutes only. "has he a fighting chance?" old hector demanded bluntly of the doctor. it seemed to him that his son's face already wore the look of one doomed to dissolution at an early date. "yes, he has, mr. mckaye," the doctor replied gravely; "provided he'll fight. you will understand that in typhoid fever the mortality rate is rather high--as high as thirty per cent. however, in the case of donald, who is a husky athlete, i should place the odds at about ten to one that he'll survive an attack of even more than moderate severity. that is," he added, "under the most favorable conditions." "well, what's wrong with the conditions in this case?" the laird demanded crisply. "you can have anything you want--if you're shy on material to work with, and i've sent for the best physician in the state to come here and consult with you." "the hospital conditions are perfect, mr. mckaye. what i mean is this: it is a well recognized principle of medical practice that a patient combating a disease of extreme severity and high mortality is sustained quite as much by his courage and a passionate desire to get well--in a word, by his morale--as he is by his capacity for physical resistance. your son is, i think, slightly depressed mentally. that is the sole reason i see to warrant apprehension." "oh--so that's all, eh?" the laird was relieved. "then don't worry about him. he'll put up a battle--never fear. why, he never quit in all his life. however, in case he might need a bit of encouragement from his old daddy from time to time, you'll have a room made ready for me. i'll stay here till he's out of danger." that was a terrible week on old hector. the nurse, discovering that his presence appeared to excite her patient, forbade him the room; so he spent his days and part of his nights prowling up and down the corridor, with occasional visits to the mill office and the dreamerie, there to draw such comfort from daney and his family as he might. while his temperature remained below a hundred and four, donald would lie in a semi-comatose condition, but the instant the thermometer crept beyond that point he would commence to mutter incoherently. suddenly, he would announce, so loudly the laird could hear every word, that he contemplated the complete and immediate destruction of andrew daney and would demand that the culprit be brought before him. sometimes he assumed that daney was present, and the not unusual phenomenon attendant upon delirium occurred. when in good health donald never swore; neither would he tolerate rough language in his presence from an employe; nevertheless, in his delirium he managed, at least once daily, to heap upon the unfortunate daney a generous helping of invective of a quality that would have made a mule-skinner blush. sometimes mr. daney was unfortunate enough to drop in at the hospital in time to hear this stream of anathema sounding through the corridor; upon such occasions he would go into the laird's room and he and old hector would eye each other grimly but say never a word. having demolished mr. daney with a verbal broadside, donald would appear to consider his enemy dead and direct his remarks to nan brent. he would reproach her tenderly for leaving port agnew without informing him of her intention; he assured her he loved her, and that unless she returned life would not be worth living. sometimes he would call upon old dead caleb to reason with her in his behalf. about that time he would be emerging from a brand bath and, with the decline of his temperature, his mutterings and complaints gradually grew incoherent again and he would sleep. thus two weeks passed. donald showed no sign of the improvement which should ordinarily be looked for in the third week, and it was apparent to the doctors and nurses who attended him that the young laird was not making a fight to get well--that his tremendous physical resistance was gradually being undermined. his day-nurse it was who had the courage, womanlike, to bring the matter to an issue. "he's madly in love with that nan girl he's always raving about," she declared. "from all i can gather from his disconnected sentences, she has left port agnew forever, and he doesn't know where she is. now, i've seen men--little, weak men--recover from a worse attack of typhoid than this big fellow has, and he ought to be on the up-grade now, if ever--yet he's headed down-hill. about next week he's going to start to coast, unless nan brent shows up to take him by the hand and lead him back up-hill. i believe she could do it--if she would." "i believe she could, also," the doctor agreed. "perhaps you've noticed that, although his family have listened to him rave about her, they have never given the slightest indication that they know what he is raving about. the girl's tabu, apparently." "the laird appears to be a human being. have you spoken to him about this--nan girl?" "i tried to--once. he looked at me--and i didn't try any more. the fact is," the doctor added, lowering his voice, "i have a notion that old hector, through daney, gave the girl money to leave the country." "if he knew what an important personage she is at this minute, he'd give her more money to come back--if only just long enough to save his son. have you spoken to mr. daney?" "no; but i think i had better. he has a great deal of influence with the laird, and since i have no doubt they were in this conspiracy together, daney may venture to discuss with the old man the advisability of bringing the girl back to port agnew." "if she doesn't appear on the scene within ten days--" "i agree with you. guess i'll look up mr. daney." he did. daney was at his desk in the mill office when the doctor entered and, without the least circumlocution, apprised him of the desperate state to which donald was reduced. "i tell you, mr. daney," he declared, and pounded daney's desk to emphasize his statement, "everything that medical science can do for that boy has been done, but he's slipping out from under us. our last hope lies in nan brent. if she can be induced to come to his bedside, hold his hand, and call him pet names when he's rational, he'll buck up and win out. there are no dangerous physical complications to combat now. they are entirely mental." while the physician was speaking, andrew daney's face had gradually been taking on the general color-tones of a ripe old edam cheese. his chin slowly sagged on his breast; his lips parted in horror and amazement until, finally, his mouth hung open slackly, foolishly; presently, two enormous tears gathered in the corners of his eyes and cascaded slowly across his cheeks into his whiskers. he gripped the arms of his chair. "o god, forgive me!" he moaned. "the laird doesn't know where she is, and neither do i. i induced her to go away, and she's lost somewhere in the world. to find her now would be like searching a haystack for a needle." "but you might telegraph a space-ad to every leading newspaper in the country. the laird can afford to spend a million to find her--if she can be found in a hurry. why, even a telegram from her would help to buck him up." but andrew daney could only sway in his chair and quiver with his profound distress. "the scandal!" he kept murmuring, "the damned scandal! i'll have to go to seattle to send the telegrams. the local office would leak. and even if we found her and induced her to come back to save him, she'd--she'd have to go away again--and if she wouldn't--if he wouldn't permit her--why, don't you see how impossible a situation has developed? man, can donald mckaye wed nan brent of the sawdust pile?" "my interest in the case is neither sentimental nor ethical. it is entirely professional. it appears to me that in trying to save this young fellow from the girl, you've signed his death warrant; now it is up to you to save him from himself, and you're worrying because it may be necessary later to save the girl from him or him from the girl. well, i've stated the facts to you, and i tried to state them to the laird. do as you think best. if the boy dies, of course, i'll swear that he was doomed, anyhow, due to perforation of the intestines." "yes, yes!" daney gasped. "let the laird off as lightly as you can." "oh, i'll lie cheerfully. by the way, who is this girl? i haven't been in port agnew long enough to have acquired all the gossip. is she impossible?" "she's had a child born out of wedlock." "oh, then she's not a wanton?" "i'm quite sure she is not." "well, i'll be damned! so that's all that's wrong with her, eh?" like the majority of his profession, this physician looked up such a _contretemps_ with a kindly and indulgent eye. in all probability, most of us would if we but knew as many of the secrets of men as do our doctors and lawyers. long after the doctor had left him alone with his terrible problem, mr. daney continued to sit in his chair, legs and arms asprawl, chin on breast. from time to time, he cried audibly: "o lord! o my god! what have i done? what shall i do? how shall i do it? o lord!" he was quite too incoherent for organized prayer; nevertheless his agonized cry to omnipotence was, indeed, a supplication to which the lord must have inclined favorably, for, in the midst of his desolation and bewilderment, the door opened and dirty dan o'leary presented himself. xxix thanks to the constitution of a nubian lion, dirty dan's wounds and contusions had healed very rapidly and after he got out of hospital, he spent ten days in recuperating his sadly depleted strength. his days he spent in the sunny lee of a lumber pile in the drying-yard, where, in defiance of the published ordinance, he smoked plug tobacco and perused the _gaelic american_. now, mr. o'leary, as has been stated earlier in this chronicle, was bad black irish. since the advent of oliver cromwell into ireland, the males of every generation of the particular tribe of o'leary to which dirty dan belonged had actively or passively supported the battles of ould ireland against the hereditary enemy across the channel, and dirty dan had suckled this holy hatred at his mother's breast; wherefore he regarded it in the light of his christian duty to keep that hate alive by subscribing to the _gaelic american_ and believing all he read therein anent the woes of the emerald isle. mr. o'leary was also a member of an irish-american revolutionary society, and was therefore aware that presently his kind of irish were to rise, cast off their shackles (and, with the help o' god and the german kaiser) proclaim the irish republic. for several months past, daniel's dreams had dwelt mostly with bayonet-practice. ordinary bayonets, however, were not for him. he dreamed his trusty steel was as long as a cross-cut saw, and nightly he skewered british soldiers on it after the fashion of kidneys and bacon _en brochette_. for two months he had been saving his money toward a passage home to ireland and the purchase of a rifle and two thousand rounds of ammunition--soft-nose bullets preferred--with the pious intention of starting with "th' bhoys" at the very beginning and going through with them to the bloody and triumphant finish. unfortunately for dirty dan, his battle in defense of donald mckaye had delayed his sortie to the fields of martyrdom. on the morning that nan brent left port agnew, however, fortune had again smiled upon the o'leary. meeting judge moore, who occupied two local offices--justice of the peace and coroner--upon the street, that functionary had informed dan that the public generally, and he and the town marshal in particular, traced an analogy between the death of the mulatto in darrow and mr. o'leary's recent sojourn in the tyee lumber company's hospital, and thereupon, verbally subpoenaed him to appear before a coroner's jury the following day at ten o'clock a.m., then and there to tell what he knew about said homicide. dirty dan received this summons with outward nonchalance but tremendous secret apprehensions, and immediately fled for advice to no less a person than andrew daney. however, the fates ordained that andrew daney should be spared the trouble of advising dirty dan, for as the latter came shuffling down the hall toward daney's office door, the laird emerged from his old office and accosted his henchman. "well, dan!" he greeted the convalescent, "how do you find yourself these days?" "poorly, sir, poorly," dirty dan declared. "twas only yisterd'y i had to take the other side av the shtreet to av'id a swamper from darrow, sir." the laird smiled. "well, dan, i think it's about time i did something to make you feel better. i owe you considerable for that night's work, so here's a thousand dollars for you, my boy. go down to southern california or florida for a month or two, and when you're back in your old form, report for duty. i have an idea mr. donald intends to make you foreman of the loading-sheds and the drying-yard when you're ready for duty." "god bless ye, me lord, an' may the heavens be your bed!" murmured the astounded lumberjack, as the laird produced his wallet and counted into dan's grimy quivering paw ten crisp hundred-dollar bills. "oh, t'ank you, sor; t'ank you a t'ousand times, sor. an' ye'll promise me, won't ye, to sind for me firrst-off if ye should be wan tin' some blackguard kilt?" "i assure you, dan, you are my sole official killer," laughed the laird, and shook the o'leary's hand with great heartiness. "better take my advice about a good rest, dan." "sor, i'll be afther havin' the vacation o' me life." "good-by, then, and good luck to you, dan!" "good-by, an' god bless ye, sor!" five minutes later, daniel j. o'leary was in the general store fitting on what he termed a "sunday suit." also, he bought himself two white shirts of the "b'iled" variety, a red necktie, a brown derby hat, and a pair of shoes, all too narrow to accommodate comfortably his care-free toes. next, he repaired to the barber-shop, where he had a hair-cut and a shave. his ragged red mustache, ordinarily of the soup-strainer pattern, he had trimmed, waxed, and turned up at each end; the barber put much pomade on his hair and combed it in a mazeppa, with the result that when! daniel j. o'leary appeared at the railroad station the following morning, and purchased a ticket for new york city, hector mckaye, loitering in front of the station on the lookout for nan brent, looked at and through mr. o'leary without recognizing him from adam's off ox. it is, perhaps, superfluous to remark that dirty dan was about to embark upon an enterprise designed to make his dreams come true. he was headed for ireland and close grips with the hated redcoats as fast as train and steamer could bear him. now, mr. o'leary had never seen nan brent, although he had heard her discussed in one or two bunk-houses about the time her child had been born. also, he was a lumberjack, and since lumberjacks never speak to the "main push" unless first spoken to, he did not regard it as all necessary to bring himself to hector mckaye's notice when his alert intelligence informed him that the laird had failed to recognize him in his going-away habiliments. further, he could see with half an eye that the laird was waiting for somebody, and when that somebody appeared on the scene, the imp of suspicion in dirty dan's character whispered: "begorra, is the father up to some shenanigans like the son? who's this girrl? i dunno. a young widder, belike, seem' she has a youngster wit' her." he saw nan and the laird enter into earnest conversation, and his curiosity mastering him, he ventured to inquire of a roustabout who was loading baggage on a truck who the young lady might be. upon receiving the desired information, he, with difficulty repressed a whistle of amazement and understanding; instantly his active imagination was at work. the girl was leaving port agnew. that was evident. also, the laird must have known of this, for he had reached the station before the girl and waited for her. therefore, he must have had something to do with inducing her to depart. mr. o'leary concluded that it was quite within the realm of possibility that the laird had made it well worth her while to refrain from wrecking the honor of his house, and he watched narrowly to observe whether or not money passed between them. one thing puzzled dirty dan extremely. that was the perfectly frank, friendly manner in which his employer and this outcast woman greeted each other, the earnestness with which they conversed, and the effect of the woman's low-spoken words upon the color of hector mckaye's face. when the laird took his leave, the lumberjack noted the increased respect--the emotion, even--with which he parted from her. the lumberjack heard him say, "good-by, my dear, and good luck to you wherever you go"; so it was obvious nan brent was not coming back to port agnew. knowing what he knew, mr. o'leary decided that, upon the whole, here was good riddance to the mckaye family of rubbish that might prove embarrassing if permitted to remain dumped on the sawdust pile. "poor gurrl," he reflected as he followed nan aboard the train. "she have a sweet face, that she have, god forgive her! an be th' rock av cashel, she have a v'ice like an angel from heaven." he sat down in a seat behind her and across the aisle, and all the way to seattle he stared at the back of her neck or the beautiful rounded profile of her cheek. from time to time, he wondered how much hector mckaye had paid her to disappear out of his son's life, and how that son would feel, and what he would say to his father when he discovered his light o' love had flown the cage. the following morning mr. o'leary boarded a tourist-sleeper on the canadian pacific, and, to his profound amazement, discovered that nan brent and her child occupied a section in the same car. "begorra, she couldn't have shtuck the ould man very deep at that, or 'tis in a standard shleeper an' not a tourist she'd be riding," he reflected. "what the divil's up here at all, at all, i dunno." dirty dan saw her enter a taxicab at the grand central station in new york. "i wonder if the young caddyheck himself'll meet her here," mr. o'leary reflected, alive with sudden suspicion, and springing into the taxicab that drew in at the stand the instant the taxi bearing nan and her child pulled out, he directed the driver to follow the car ahead, and in due course found himself before the entrance to a hotel in lower broadway--one of that fast disappearing number of fifth-class hotels which were first-class thirty years ago. dirty dan hovered in the offing until nan had registered and gone up to her room. immediately he registered also, and, while doing so, observed that nan had signed her real name and given her address as port agnew, washington. with unexpected nicety, dirty dan decided not to embarrass her by registering from port agnew also, so he gave his address as seattle. for two days, he forgot the woes of ireland and sat round the stuffy lobby, awaiting nan brent's next move. when he saw her at the cashier's window paying out, he concealed himself behind a newspaper, and watched her covertly as the clerk gave instructions to the head porter regarding the disposition of her baggage. the instant she left the hotel, accompanied by her child, dirty dan approached the porter and said with an insinuating smile: "i'd give a dollar to know the address the young lady wit' the baby bhoy give you f'r the delivery av her trunk." the porter reached for the dollar and handed dirty dan a shipping tag containing the address. mr. o'leary laboriously wrote the address in a filthy little memorandum-book, and that afternoon made a point of looking up nan's new habitation. he discovered it to be an old brownstone front in lower madison avenue, and a blue-and-gold sign over the area fence indicated to mr. o'leary that, from an abode of ancient new york aristocracy, the place had degenerated into a respectable boarding-house. "'tis true," dirty dan murmured. "she's given the young fella the go-by. hurro! an' i'm bettin' i'm the only lad in the wide, wide wurrld that knows where she's gone. faith, but wouldn't misther donald pay handsomely for the information in me little book." having, as he judged, followed the mystery to its logical conclusion, mr. o'leary was sensible of a sudden waning of his abnormal curiosity in nan brent's affairs. he acknowledged to himself that he had spent time and money on a matter that was absolutely none of his business, but excused himself upon the ground that if he hadn't investigated the matter thoroughly, his failure to do so might annoy him in the future. if, for no other reason than the desirability of being on the inside track of this little romance of a rich man's son, his action was to be commended. people have no business disappearing without leaving a trace or saying good-by to those that love them. dirty dan hadn't the least idea of selling his information to donald mckaye, but something in his peculiar mental make-up caused him to cherish a secret for its own sake; he had a true irishman's passion for being "in the know," and now that he was in it, he was tremendously satisfied with himself and dismissed the entire matter from his mind. old ireland and her woes were again paramount, so mr. o'leary presented himself before the proper authorities and applied for a passport to visit ireland. now, while daniel j. did not know it, one of the first questions the applicant for a passport is required to answer is his reason for desiring to make the journey, and during the great war, as everybody of mature years will recall, civilians were not permitted to subject themselves to the dangers of a ruthless submarine war without good and sufficient reason. mr. o'leary had a reason--to his way of thinking, the noblest reason in all the world; consequently he was proud of it and not at all inclined to conceal it. "i'm goin' over there," he declared, with profane emphasis, "to kill all the damned english i can before they kill me." his interlocutor gravely wrote this reply down in mr. o'leary's exact language and proceeded to the other questions. when the application was completed, dirty dan certified to the correctness of it, and was then smilingly informed that he had better go back where he came from, because his application for a passport was denied. consumed with fury, the patriot thereupon aired his opinion of the government of the united states, with particular reference to its representative then present, and in the pious hope of drowning his sorrows, went forth and proceeded to get drunk. when drunk, mr. o'leary always insisted, in the early stages of his delirium, on singing hibernian ballads descriptive of the unflinching courage, pure patriotism and heroic sacrifices of the late owen roe o'neill and o'donnell abu. later in the evening he would howl like a timber-wolf and throw glasses, and toward morning he always fought it out on the floor with some enemy. of course, in the sawmill towns of the great northwest, where folks knew mr. o'leary and others of his ilk, it was the custom to dodge the glasses and continue to discuss the price of logs. toward dirty dan, however, new york turned a singularly cold shoulder. the instant he threw a glass, the barkeeper tapped him with a "billy"; then a policeman took him in tow, and the following morning, dirty dan, sick, sore, and repentant was explaining to a police judge that he was from port agnew, washington, and really hadn't meant any harm. he was, therefore, fined five dollars and ordered to depart forthwith for port agnew, washington, which he did, arriving there absolutely penniless and as hungry as a cougar in midwinter. he fled over to the mill kitchen, tossed about five dollars worth of ham and eggs and hot biscuit into his empty being, and began to take stock of life. naturally, the first thing he recalled in mind was the laird's remark that donald planned to make him foreman of the loading-sheds and drying-yards; so he wasted no time in presenting himself before donald's office door. to his repeated knocking there was no reply, so he sought mr. daney. "hello, dan! you back?" daney greeted him. "glad to see you. looking for mr. donald?" "yes, sor; thank you, sor." "mr. donald is ill in the company's hospital. we're afraid, dan, that he isn't going to pull through." "glory be!" mr. o'leary gasped, horrified on two counts. first, because he revered his young boss, and, second, because the latter's death might nullify his opportunity to become foreman of the loading-sheds and drying-yard. "sure, what's happened to the poor bhoy?" before daney could answer, a terrible suspicion shot through the agile and imaginative o'leary brain. in common with several million of his countrymen, he always voiced the first thought that popped into his head; so he lowered that member, likewise his voice, peered cunningly into andrew daney's haggard face, and whispered: "don't tell me he tried to commit suicide, what wit' his poor broken heart an' all!" it was andrew daney's turn to peer suspiciously at dirty dan. for a few seconds, they faced each other like a pair of belligerent game-cocks. then said daney: "how do you know his heart was broken?" dirty dan didn't know. the thought hadn't even occurred to him until ten seconds before; yet, from the solemnity of daney's face and manner, he knew instantly that once more his feet were about to tread the trails of romance, and the knowledge imbued him with a deep sense of importance. he winked knowingly. "beggin' yer pardon, misther daney an' not m'anin' the least offinse in life, but--i know a lot about that young man--yis, an' the young leddy, too--that divil a sowl on earth knows or is goin' to find out." he tried a shot in the dark. "that was a clever bit o' wurrk gettin' her out o' port agnew--" andrew daney's hands closed about dirty dan's collar, and he was jerked violently into the latter's office, while daney closed and locked the door behind them. the general manager was white and trembling. "you damned, cunning mick, you!" he cried, in a low voice. "i believe you're right. you do know a lot about this affair--" "well, if i do, i haven't talked about it," dirty dan reminded him with asperity. "you knew the girl had left port agnew and why, do you not?" daney demanded. "of course i do. she left to plaze the laird an' get rid o' the young fella. whether th' laird paid her to go or not, i don't know, but i'll say this: 'if he gave her anythin' at all, 'twas damned little.'" "he didn't give her a red cent," daney protested. "i believe you, sor," mr. o'leary assured him, as solemn as a supreme court justice. "i judged so be the way she traveled an' the hotel she shtopped at." daney made another dive at the returned prodigal, but mr. o'leary evaded him. "where did she travel, and what hotel did she put up at?" the general manager demanded. "she traveled to the same places an' put up at the same hotels that i did," dirty dan replied evasively, for his natural love for intrigue bade him hoard his secret to the last. daney sat down and said very quietly: "dan, do you know where nan brent may be found?" "where she _may_ be found? faith, i can tell you where she can be found--but i'll not." "why not?" "because 'tis her secret, an' why should i share it wit' you, m'anin' no disrespect, sor, at that?" "your sentiments do you honor, dan--a heap more honor than i ever thought you possessed. if mr. donald's life should happen to be the price of your silence, however, you'd tell me, wouldn't you?" "i would. the young gintlemin's blood runs in my veins, sor." "thank you, dan. give me her address." "number one eighty-five madison avenue, noo yorrk city," dirty dan replied promptly. "more i do not know. am i on the pay-roll agin?" "you bet! i'll pick out a good job for you as soon as i find time to think about it." "could i have a dollar or two in advance--" the wanderer began, as daney hastened toward the door. "certainly." the door slammed, and dirty dan could hear the general manager shouting in the general office. "dirty dan is back. give him some money." mr. o'leary sighed contentedly. "oh-ho, 'tis the great life we live," he murmured, and hastened outside to present himself at the cashier's window, while andrew daney continued on to the tyee lumber company's hospital, tiptoed down the corridor to the room where the young laird of port agnew lay dying, and rapped lightly on the door. a nurse came out and closed the door after her. "well?" daney demanded. "no change. his temperature fell two degrees during the night and he slept a little, but the fever is up again this morning, and he's raving again. any news at your end?" "yes. i have the girl's address. she's in new york. is his father inside?" "yes." "ask him to step into the reception room for a few minutes, please." the laird appeared promptly in response to this message, and the two men walked slowly down the hall to the reception-room. daney closed the door and resolutely faced the laird. "the doctors and the nurses tell me things, sir, they're afraid to tell you," he began. "ordinarily, the boy should be able to fight this thing through successfully, for he has a splendid body and a lot of resistance, but the fact of the matter is, he isn't trying. he doesn't want to get well." the laird's face went white. "they believe this?" he cried sharply. "they do. his subconscious mind clings to the memory of his loss. he keeps calling for her in his delirium, doesn't he? now that he is assured she has dropped out of his life forever, he doesn't give a snap whether school keeps or not--and the doctors cannot cure him. if the girl were here--well, she might. her very presence would bring about a strong mental and physical reaction--" he paused a moment. then, "i know where she can be found." the laird raised his haggard face and though his stern gray eyes were dull with agony, yet daney saw in them the light of an unfaltering resolution. "i have left my son's honor and his life in the hands of god almighty. i have made my bed and i'll lie in it," he panted. "but if the boy should die--" "rather that than--than--" "but you're not going to take a chance on his pulling through, in the face of the advice of the doctors that only the girl's presence can stimulate him to a desire to live. i tell you, hector mckaye, man, he's dying because he is not interested in living." "god's will be done, andrew. if i asked her to come back and save my lad, i'd have to surrender him to her, and i would be derelict in my duty as a father if i permitted that. better that he should pass out now than know the horror of a living death through all the years to come. god knows best. it is up to him. let there be no talk of this thing again, andrew." abruptly he quitted the room and returned to his vigil by the side of the son who was at once the light and the shadow of his existence. the nurse came stealthily to the reception-room entrance and looked in inquiringly. daney shook his head, so she came into the room and pointed at him a singularly commanding index-finger. "if that old man is permitted to have his stubborn way, donald mckaye will die," she declared. "so will old hector. he'll be dead of a broken heart within the year." "he's sacrificing his son to his scotch pride. now, his mother is far more bitter against the girl than the laird is; in her distress she accuses the brent girl of destroying her son. nevertheless, mrs. mckaye's pride and resentment are not so intense that she will sacrifice her son to them." "then give her this address," daney suggested weakly, and handed it over. "i'm caught between the upper and nether millstone, and i don't care what happens to me. damn the women, say i. damn them! damn them! they're the ones that do all the talking, set up a cruel moral code, and make a broad-minded, generous man follow it." "thanks for the compliment," the nurse retorted blithely. "if i had time, i'd discuss the matter with you to your disadvantage, but, fortunately, i have other fish to fry. my job is to keep donald mckaye alive for the next five or six days until nan brent can get here. she'll come. i know she will. she'd lie down in the street and die for him. i know it. i spent two days with her when her father was dead, and let me tell you something, mr. daney: 'she's too good for them. there! i feel better now.'" "what a remarkable woman!" mr. daney reflected, as he walked back to the mill office. "what a truly remarkable woman!" then he remembered the complications that were about to ensue, and to the wonderment of several citizens of port agnew, he paused in front of the post-office, threw both arms aloft in an agitated flourish, and cried audibly: "hell's bells and panther-tracks! i'd give a ripe peach to be in hell or some other seaport. o lordy, lordy, lordy! and all the calves got loose!" xxx as a wife, it is probable that nellie mckaye had not been an altogether unqualified success. she lacked tact, understanding and sympathy where her husband was concerned; she was one of that numerous type of wife who loses a great deal of interest in her husband after their first child is born. the laird's wife was normally intelligent, peacefully inclined, extremely good-looking both as to face and figure, despite her years, and always abnormally concerned over what the most inconsequential people in the world might think of her and hers. she had a passion for being socially "correct." flights of imagination were rarely hers; on the few occasions when they were, her thoughts had to do with an advantageous marriage for jane and elizabeth, who, it must be confessed, had not had very good luck holding on to the few eligible young bachelors who had seemed, for a brief period, to regard them with serious intent. the poor soul was worried about the girls, as well she might be, since the strides of time were rapidly bearing both into the sere-and-yellow-leaf period of life. for her son, she had earnest, passionate mother love, but since, like all mothers, she was obsessed with the delusion that every girl in the world, eligible and ineligible, was busy angling for her darling, she had left his matrimonial future largely to his father. frequently her conscience smote her for her neglect of old hector, but she smoothed it by promising herself to devote more time to him, more study to his masculine needs for wifely devotion, as soon as elizabeth and jane should be settled. her son's acute illness and the possibility that he might not survive it had brought her closer to the laird than these twain had been in twenty years; the blow that had all but crushed him had not even staggered her, for she told herself that, during this crisis she must keep her feet and her head. a wave of pity for her husband and a tinge of shame for her years of neglect of him revived more than a modicum of the old honeymoon tenderness, and, to her mild amazement, she discovered that she was still, in old hector's eyes, young and beautiful; her breast, her lips, still had power to soothe and comfort. in those trying days she was the laird's greatest asset. with maternal stubbornness, she resolutely refused to entertain the thought that her son might die. she could understand the possibility of some other woman's son dying, but not hers! she, who knew him so well (or thought she did, which amounts to the same thing), met with gentle tolerance and contempt the portentous nods and anxious glances of doctors and trained nurses. 'fraid-cats--every last one of them! she told old hector so and, to a considerable extent, succeeded in making him believe it. after the laird's interview with andrew daney he came home that night to the dreamerie, and, to please nellie, he pretended to partake of some dinner. also, during the course of the meal he suddenly decided to relate to his wife and daughters as much as he knew of the course of the affair between donald and nan brent; he repeated his conversation with nan on the two occasions he had spoken with her, and gave them to understand that his efforts to induce donald to "be sensible" had not been successful. finally, his distress making him more communicative, he related the cunning stratagem by which daney had made it possible for donald to be separated from the source of temptation. elizabeth was the first to comment on his extraordinary revelations when he appeared to have finished his recital. "the girl has a great deal more character than i supposed," she opined in her soft, throaty contralto. "she played the game in an absolutely ripping manner!" jane declared enthusiastically. "i had no idea she was possessed of so much force. really, i should love to be kind to her, if that were at all possible now." the laird smiled but without animus. "you had ample opportunity once, janey," he reminded her. "but then, of course, unlike donald and myself, you had no opportunity for realizing what a fine, wholesome lass she is." he lowered his gaze and rolled a bread-crumb nervously between thumb and forefinger. "they tell me at the hospital, nellie," he began again presently, "that her absence is killing our boy--that he'll die if she doesn't come back. they've been whispering to daney, and this afternoon he mentioned the matter to me." three pairs of eyes bent upon him; gazes of mingled curiosity and distress. "have you heard aught of such talk from the doctors and nurses," he continued, addressing them collectively. "i have," said mrs. mckaye meekly, and the two girls nodded. "i think it's all poppycock," jane added. "it isn't all poppycock, my dear," old hector rebuked her. he rolled another bread-crumb. "andrew has her address," he resumed after a long silence. "she's in new york. he asked me to wire her to come immediately, or else permit him to wire her in my name. i refused. i told daney that our boy's case was in the hands of god almighty." "oh, hector!" mrs. mckaye had spoken. there was gentle reproach and protest in her voice, but she camouflaged it immediately by adding: "you poor dear, to be called upon to make such a decision." "his decision was absolutely right," elizabeth declared. "i'd almost prefer to see my brother decently dead than the laughing-stock of the town, married to a woman that no respectable person would dare receive in her home." old hector looked up in time to see jane nod approval of her sister's sentiments, and mrs. mckaye, by her silence, appeared also to agree with them. the laird reached forth and laid his great hand over hers. "poor nellie!" he murmured affectionately. "'tis hard to stand between our love and duty, is it not, lass? by god, sweetheart, i had to do it. i couldn't stand to see him wedded wie a lass that any man or woman could throw mud at." his voice shook with the intensity of his emotion; his flashing glance swept the board in pitiful defiance. "i have a right to protect my honor and the honor of my house!" he cried sharply. "is not jesus christ the embodiment of honor? how can he blame me if i trust in his power and discretion. i've prayed to him--ach, man, how i've prayed to him--to keep my son from makin' a fule o' himself--" "now, there you go again, hector, dear," his wife soothed. she rose from her place at the table, came round to him, put her arms around his great neck, and laid her cheek against his. "an open confession is good for the soul, they say, hector. i'm glad you've taken us into your confidence, because it permits us to share with you an equal burden of this heart-breaking decision. but you mustn't feel badly, father. haven't i told you our boy isn't going to die?" "do you really think so, nellie?" he pleaded childishly, and for the hundredth time. "silly old hector! i know so." and this time there was in her voice such a new note of confidence and in her eyes such a gleam of triumph that she actually did succeed in comforting him. "ah, well, god's will be done," he said piously, and attacked his dinner again, while mrs. mckaye slipped out of the room and up-stairs on some pretext. once in her bedroom, she seized the extension telephone and called up andrew daney. "andrew," she said softly but distinctly, "this is nellie mckaye speaking. hector and i have been discussing the advisability of sending for the brent girl." "i--i was goin' to take the matter up with you, mrs. mckaye. i had a talk with your husband this afternoon, but he was a bit wild--" "he isn't so wild now, andrew. he's talked it over with the girls and me. it's a terrible alternative, andrew, but it simply means our boy's life for the gratification of our own selfish family pride--" "exactly! exactly! and though i understand just how you feel, mrs. mckaye, after all, now, it's only a nine days' wonder, and you can't keep people from talking anyhow, unless you gag the brutes. the boy has been raving, and some of the hospital attendants have talked, and the gossip is all over town again. so why not send for her? she doesn't have to marry him just because her presence will revive his sinking morale--" "certainly not. my idea, exactly, andrew. well, andrew, suppose you telegraph her--" "no, no, no! i'll telephone her. remember, we have a transcontinental telephone service nowadays. she might not realize the vital necessity for speed; she might question her right to come if i tried to cover the situation in a telegram. but, catch her on the 'phone, mrs. mckaye, and you can talk to her and convince her." "oh, that's perfectly splendid! place the call for me immediately, andrew, please. and--andrew, don't mention to hector what i've done. he wants to do it, poor man, but he simply cannot bring himself to the point of action." "don't i know it?" daney's voice rose triumphant. "the blessed old duffer!" he added. "i'll put in a call for new york immediately. we ought to get it through in an hour or two." xxxi it was mr. daney's task to place the call for nan brent in new york city and while he did not relish the assignment, nevertheless he was far from shrinking from it. while the citizens of port agnew had been aware for more than two years that transcontinental telephoning was possible, they knew also that three minutes of conversation for twenty-five dollars tended to render silence more or less golden. as yet, therefore, no one in port agnew had essayed the great adventure; wherefore, mr. daney knew that when he did his conversation would be listened to eagerly by every telephone operator in the local office and a more or less garbled report of same circulated through the town before morning unless he took pains to prevent it. this he resolved to do, for the tyee lumber company owned the local telephone company and it was quite generally understood in port agnew that mr. daney was high, low, and jack and the game, to use a sporting expression. he stood by the telephone a moment after hanging up the receiver, and tugged at his beard reflectively. "no," he murmured presently, "i haven't time to motor up-country forty or fifty miles and place the call in some town where we are not known. it just isn't going to be possible to smother this miserable affair; sooner or later the lid is going to fly off, so i might as well be game and let the tail go with the hide. oh, damn it, damn it! if i didn't feel fully responsible for this dreadful state of affairs, i would most certainly stand from under!" he turned from the 'phone and beheld mrs. daney, alert of countenance and fairly pop-eyed with excitement. she grasped her husband by the arm. "you have a private line from the mill office to the dreamerie," she reminded him. "have the call run in on your office telephone, then call mrs. mckaye, and switch her in. we can listen on the office extensions." upon his spouse mr. daney bent a look of profound contempt. "when i consider the loyalty, the love, the forebearance, and christian charity that have been necessary to restrain me from tearing asunder that which god, in a careless moment, joined together, mary, i'm inclined to regard myself as four-fifths superman and the other fifth pure angel," he declared coldly. "this is something you're not in on, woman, and i hope the strain of your curiosity will make you sick for a week." he seized his hat and fled, leaving his wife to shed bitter, scalding tears at his cruel words. poor thing! she prided herself upon being the possessor of a superior brand of virtue and was always quick to take refuge in tears when any one decried that virtue; indeed, she never felt quite so virtuous as when she clothed herself, so to speak, in an atmosphere of patient resignation to insult and misunderstanding. people who delude themselves into the belief that they can camouflage their own nastiness and weaknesses from discovery by intelligent persons are the bane of existence, and in his better half poor daney had a heavy cross to bear. he left the house wishing he might dare to bawl aloud with anguish at the knowledge that he was yoked for life to a woman of whom he was secretly ashamed; he wished he might dare to get fearfully intoxicated and remain in that condition for a long time. in his youth, he had been shy and retiring, always envying the favor which the ladies appeared to extend to the daring devils of his acquaintance; consequently, his prenuptial existence had not been marked by any memorable amourous experiences, for where other young men sowed wild oats mr. daney planted a sweet forget-me-not. as a married man, he was a model of respectability--sacrosanct, almost. his idea of worldly happiness consisted in knowing that he was a solid, trustworthy business man, of undoubted years and discretion, whom no human being could blackmail. now, as he fled from the odor of respectability he yearned to wallow in deviltry, to permit his soul, so long cramped in virtue, to expand in wickedness. on his way down-town he met young bert darrow, son of the man after whom the adjacent lumber-town had been christened. mr. darrow had recently been indicted under the mann law for a jolly little interstate romance. but yesterday, mr. daney had regarded bert darrow as a wastrel and had gone a block out of his way to avoid the scapegrace; to-night, however, bert appealed to him as a man of courage, a devil of a fellow with spirit, a lover of life in its infinite moods and tenses, a lad with a fine contempt for public opinion and established morals. morals? bah, what were they! in france, bert darrow would have earned for himself a wink and a shrug, as though to say: "ah, these young fellows! one must watch out for the rascals!" in the united states, he was a potential felon. "evening, bert," mr. daney saluted him pleasantly, and paused long enough to shake the latter's hand. "i saw your ad in the seattle _p.i._ this morning. you young dog! hope you crawl out of that mess all right." "_c'est la guerre_," bert murmured nonchalantly. "thanks, awfully." mr. daney felt better after that brief interview. he had clasped hands with sin and felt now like a human being. he went directly to the local telephone office and placed his new york call with the chief operator, after which he sat in the manager's office and smoked until ten o'clock, when new york reported "ready!" "you young ladies," said mr. daney, addressing the two young women on duty, "may take a walk around the block. port agnew will not require any service for the next twenty minutes." they assimilated his hint, and when he was alone with the chief operator mr. daney ordered her to switch the new york call on to mrs. mckaye at the dreamerie. followed ten minutes of "ready, chicago." "all right, new york. put your party on the line!"--a lot of persistent buzzing and sudden silence. then: "hello, port agnew." mr. daney, listening on the extension in the office of the manager, recognized the voice instantly as nan brent's. "go on, mrs. mckaye," he ordered. "that's the brent girl calling port agnew." "hello, miss brent. this is donald mckaye's mother speaking. can you hear me distinctly?" "yes, mrs. mckaye, quite distinctly." "donald is ill with typhoid fever. we are afraid he is not going to get well, miss brent. the doctors say that is because he does not want to live. do you understand why this should be?" "yes; i think i understand perfectly." "will you come back to port agnew and help save him? we all think you can do it, miss brent. the doctors say you are the only one that can save him." there was a moment of hesitation. "his family desires this, then?" "would i telephone across the continent if we did not?" "i'll come, mrs. mckaye--for his sake and yours. i suppose you understand why i left port agnew. if not, i will tell you. it was for his sake and that of his family." "thank you. i am aware of that, miss brent. ah--of course you will be amply reimbursed for your time and trouble, miss brent. when he is well--when all danger of a relapse has passed--i think you realize, miss brent, all of the impossible aspects of this unfortunate affair which render it necessary to reduce matters strictly to a business basis." "quite, dear mrs. mckaye. i shall return to port agnew--on business--starting to-morrow morning. if i arrive in time, i shall do my best to save your son, although to do so i shall probably have to promise not to leave him again. of course, i realize that you do not expect me to keep that promise." "oh, i'm so sorry, my dear girl, that i cannot say 'no' to that. but then, since you realized, in the first place, how impossible" "good-night. i must pack my trunk." "just a minute, my girl," andrew daney interrupted. "daney speaking. when you get to chicago, call up the c.m. st. p. station. i'll have a special train waiting there for you." "thank you, mr. daney. i'm sorry you cannot charter an airplane for me from new york to chicago. good-night, and tell donald for me whatever you please." "send him a telegram," daney pleaded. "good-by." he turned to the chief operator and looked her squarely in the eyes. "the laird likes discreet young women," he announced meaningly, "and rewards discretion. if you're not the highest paid chief operator in the state of washington from this on, i'm a mighty poor guesser." the girl smiled at him, and suddenly, for the first time in all his humdrum existence, romance gripped mr. daney. he was riotously happy--and courageous! he thrust a finger under the girl's chin and tilted it in a most familiar manner, at the same time pinching it with his thumb. "young woman," he cautioned her, "don't you ever be prim and smug! and don't you ever marry any man until you're perfectly wild to do it; then, were he the devil himself, follow your own natural impulses." he let go her chin and shook his forefinger between her eyes. "i'd rather be happy than virtuous," the amazing man continued. "the calm placidity that comes of a love of virtue and the possession of it makes me sick! such people are dull and stupid. they play hide-and-seek with themselves, i tell you. suspicious little souls peering out of windows and shocked to death at everything they see or hear--condemn everything they do not understand. damn it, girl, give me the virtue that's had to fight like the devil to stay on its feet--the kind that's been scratched and has had the corners knocked off in contact with the world and still believes that god made man to his own image and likeness. i tell you, the lord knew what he was about when he invented the devil. if he hadn't, we'd all be so nasty-nice nobody could trust the other fellow further'n you can throw a bear up-hill by the tail. i tell you, young woman, sin is a great institution. why, just think of all the fun we have in life--we good people--forgiving our neighbor his trespasses as he does not forgive us for trespassing against him." and with this remarkable statement, mr. daney betook himself to his home. mrs. daney, a trifle red and watery about the eyes and nose, sat up in bed and demanded to be informed what had kept him down-town so late. "would you sleep any better if you knew?" he demanded. she said she would not. "then, woman, resign yourself to the soft embrace of bacchus, the god of sleep," he replied, mixed metaphorically. "as for me, my dear, i'm all talked out!" xxxii donald, trembling on the brink of beyond, not from his disease but from the exhaustion incident to it, was conscious when his father entered the room and sat down beside his bed. "well, lad," he greeted the boy with an assumption of heartiness he was far from feeling, "and have you no good news for your old father this morning. tell me you're feeling better, lad." "read the telegram," donald whispered, and old hector, seeing a telegram lying on the bed, picked it up. it was dated from new york that morning, and the laird read: due port agnew friday morning. remember the last line in the fairy-tale. love and kisses from your sweetheart. "god bless my soul!" the laird almost shouted. "who the devil is 'sweetheart'?" "only--have one--scotty. sorry--for you--but do you--happen to know--last line--fairy-tale? tell you. 'and so--they--were married--and lived--happy--ever--after.'" fell a long silence. then, from the laird: "and you're going to wait for--her, my son?" "certainly. foolish die--now. i'll try--to wait. try hard." he was still trying when nan brent stepped off the special train at port agnew on friday morning. she was heavily veiled, and because of the distinctly metropolitan cut of her garments, none recognized her. with her child trotting at her side, she walked swiftly to the company hospital, and the nurse, who had been watching for her, met her at the door. the girl raised a white, haggard face, and her sad blue eyes asked the question. the nurse nodded, led her down the hall, pointed to the door of donald's room, and then picked up nan's child and carried him off to the hospital kitchen for a cookie. the outcast of port agnew entered. hector mckaye sat by the bed, gazing upon his son, who lay with closed eyes, so still and white and emaciated that a sudden fear rose in nan's mind. had she arrived too late? the laird turned and gazed at her an instant with dull eyes, then sprang to meet her. "well, lass," he demanded, and there was a belligerent and resentful note in his voice, "is this playing the game?" she nodded, her blurred eyes fixed upon his son, and old hector's face softened with a tenderness almost paternal. "then," he whispered, "you didn't mean that--about the last line of the fairy-tale?" her head moved in negation, but she did not look at him. she had eyes only for the wreck of the man she loved. "i heard you needed me--to save him, mr. mckaye. so i'm here--to save him, if i can--for you--nothing more." he bowed to her, deeply, humbly, as if she were in truth the grandest lady in the land, then left the room hurriedly. nan approached the bed and leaned over donald, gazing at him for several minutes, for he was not as yet aware of her presence. suddenly she commenced to sing softly the song he loved: "carry me back to old virginny," and her hand stole into his. the little grin that crept over his bearded face was ghastly; after the first bar, she bent and laid her cool cheek against his. "well, old shipmate," she murmured in his ear, "i'm back." "'god's in--his heaven,'" he whispered. "'all's right--with the--world.'" xxxiii from the company hospital, the laird went straight to his general manager's office. entering, he strode to daney's desk and transfixed that harassed individual with an accusing finger. "andrew, this is your work, is it not?" mr. daney's heart skipped a beat, but he remembered this was friday morning. so he decided not to be foolish and spar for time by asking the laird what work he referred to. also, having read somewhere that, in battle, the offensive frequently wins--the defensive never--he glared defiantly at the laird and growled. "well, what are you going to do about it?" his demeanor appeared to say: "this is my work, and i'm proud of it." to daney's profound amazement, the laird smiled benignantly and thrust out his hand, which mr. daney shook gingerly, as one might a can of nitroglycerin. "i thank you more than you will ever realize, andrew, for taking this matter out of my hands. i left the decision up to the almighty and evidently he inspired you to disobey me and save the day--without compromising me." "pooh! that's the easiest thing i do." mr. daney's courage had returned with a rush. "for heaven's sake, don't talk about it, sir. i placed a call for the girl on the telephone--at your expense. yes, sir; i talked with her clear across the continent, and before she even started from new york, it was understood that she is to jilt donald the minute the doctors pronounce him strong enough to stand jilting." "she told me, practically, the same thing. oh, andrew, andrew, my boy, this is bully work! bully! bully!" mr. daney replied to this encomium with a deprecatory shrug and hoped the laird would never ask _him who had made the bargain_. thus far, he flattered himself, he had not strayed from the straight and narrow path of strict veracity, and he hoped he would not have to. to obviate this, he decided to get rid of the laird immediately; so he affected embarrassment; fussed with the pile of mail on his desk, and growled: "all right, boss. if you're satisfied, i am. i haven't been able to sleep very well since i started mixing in your family affairs, and without sleep a man cannot hold up his job. i've got a lot of work to do, and i cannot have any idle, interfering fellows stampeding round my office; so i suggest that you run up to the dreamerie to break the good news to your poor wife and the girls, and let me get something done." "all right, andrew; i'll go in a minute. er--ah--you're certain, andrew, the girl understands quite thoroughly that i haven't had a thing to do with bringing her back to port agnew?" the laird smote the desk resolutely; he desired to be absolutely certain of his ground. mr. daney looked up with a slight frown. "i'll answer your question with another. have you seen and talked with nan brent this morning?" "yes. i did--the minute she entered donald's room." "and you demanded a show-down then and there?" parenthetically it may be stated that mr. daney's intimate knowledge of the laird's character prompted this question. he was certain of an affirmative reply. "i did." "and her answer was satisfactory?" "absolutely!" "so i judged from the fact that you shook hands with me upon entering my office. i had expected nothing more nor less than instant dismissal.... well, since you desire the girl's testimony confirmed, i repeat that she came out here on the distinct understanding that donald's family had not receded from its original position. this is a business trip, pure and simple, in so far as the mckaye family is concerned, although i grant you there is a heap of sentiment on nan's part--at least sufficient to persuade her to do anything for the boy's sake. she places his welfare above her own." the laird nodded. "the girl is capable of doing the most unexpected things, andrew. i really think she'll play the game. when she told me what her intentions were, i believe she stated the absolute truth." "well, let us hope she doesn't change them, sir. remember, she has no more intention of marrying him this morning than she had when she fled from port agnew. i was certain of that when listening to her on the telephone the other night. however, sir, i want to go on record, here and now, as disclaiming responsibility for anything that may occur hereafter. i am not the seventh son of a seventh son, and neither was i born with a caul. hence, i do not pretend to foretell future events with any degree of exactitude. i simply guarantee you, sir, that the girl realizes that you have had nothing whatsoever, directly or indirectly, to do with the request for her return. also, i give you my word of honor that i have not made her a single promise--directly or indirectly." "well, i am relieved. i dreaded the thought that i might be compromised--indirectly, for, as you well know, andrew, i have a repugnance to asking favors from anybody to whom i am not prepared to grant them. my son is my chief happiness. now, if i were to ask her to save my happiness, while at the same time reserving the right to deny the girl hers--well, thank god, i'm saved that embarrassment! thanks to you, you fox!" he added. "bless my wicked heart! i'm glad you've gone and that i'm out of it so easy," the general manager soliloquized, as the door closed behind the laird. he reached for the telephone and called mrs. mckaye at the dreamerie. "your husband is on his way home, mrs. mckaye," he advised her. "the girl is here, the laird has met her and talked with her and is quite happy over the situation. however, i want to warn you that you will avoid unpleasantness by keeping from him the fact that you asked the brent girl to come back to port agnew. he thinks i did that, and i have not seen fit, for reasons of my own, to deny it." "why, i asked you not to tell him, andrew," she replied, surprised that he should forget it. "i know. but you had planned to tell him yourself if, after the girl had arrived, you discovered he was secretly pleased that she had come." "yes; that is true. however, since you say hector is quite pleased with the situation, why should i not tell him, andrew?" "i have a suspicion the news will trouble him. he is quite willing to accept of the girl's services, as it were, but not at the behest of any member of his family. better hear what he has to say on the subject before you commit yourself, mrs. mckaye." "oh, i think i can be depended upon to manage hector," she replied confidently, and hung up, for already through the window she could see the laird's car taking the grade up tyee head. he arrived a few minutes later and entered smilingly, rubbing his hands as indicative of his entire satisfaction with the universe as constituted that morning. "my dears, i have wonderful news for you!" he announced. elizabeth, warned by her mother of the impending announcement, and already in the latter's confidence regarding the long-distance conversation with nan brent, interrupted him. she was a born actress. "oh, do tell us quickly, daddy dear," she gushed, and flew to throw her arms round his neck. over his shoulder she winked at jane and her mother and grimaced knowingly. "donald's going to pull through. the doctors feel certain he'll take in the slack on his life-line, now that the brent girl has suddenly turned up. in fact, the lad has been holding his own since he received a telegram from her some days back. i didn't tell you about that, my dears, not being desirous of worrying you; and since it was no doings of mine, i saw it could not be helped, and we'd have to make the best of it." "oh, daddy! how could you? that's perfectly dreadful news!" the artful elizabeth cried, while her mother raised her eyes resignedly upward and clasped her hands so tightly that they trembled. the laird thought his wife sought comfort from above; had he known that she had just delivered a sincere vote of thanks, he would not have hugged her to his heart, as he forthwith proceeded to do. "now, now, nellie, my dear," he soothed her, "it's all for the best. don't cross your bridges before you come to them. wait till i tell you everything. that fox, daney, had the common sense to call the girl on the telephone and explain the situation; he induced her to come out here and tease that soft-hearted moonstruck son of ours back to life. and when donald's strong enough to stand alone--by jupiter, that's exactly how he's going to stand!--we're not the slightest bit compromised, my dears. the mckaye family is absolutely in the clear. the girl has done this solely for donald's sake." "hector mckaye," jane declared, "you've really got to do something very handsome for andrew daney." "yes, indeed," elizabeth cooed. "dear, capable, faithful andrew!" mrs. mckaye sighed. "ah, he's a canny lad, is andrew," old hector declared happily. "he took smart care not to compromise me, for well he knows my code. when i rejected his suggestion that i send for the lass, andrew knew why without asking foolish questions. well, he realized that if i should ask her to come and save my son, i would not be unfair enough to tell her later that she was not a fit wife for that son. as a matter o' manly principle, i would have had to withdraw my opposition, and donald could wed her if he liked and with my blessing, for all the bitter cost. i did not build the dreamerie with the thought that donald would bring a wife like this brent lass home to live in it, but--god be thanked!--the puir bairn loves him too well to ruin him--" he broke off, wiping his eyes, moist now with the pressure of his emotions, and while he was wiping them, mrs. mckaye and her daughters exchanged frightened glances. elizabeth's penchant for ill-timed humor disappeared; she stood, alert and awed, biting her lip. jane's eyebrows went up in quick warning to her mother, who paled and flushed alternately. the latter understood now why andrew daney had taken the precaution to warn her against the danger of conjugal confidences in the matter of nan brent; devoutly she wished she had had the common sense to have left those delicate negotiations entirely in the hands of dear, capable, faithful andrew, for, delicate as they had been, she realized now, when it was too late, that in all probability mr. daney, although a mere man, would have concluded them without compromising the mckaye family. surely he would have had the good taste to assure nan that he was acting entirely upon his own initiative. on the instant, mrs. mckaye hated the unfortunate general manager. she told herself that, had he been possessed of the brains of a chipmunk, he would have pointed out to her the danger of her course; that he had not done so was proof that the craven had feared to compromise himself. he had made a cat's-paw of her, that's what he had done! he had taken advantage of a momentary lack of caution--the result of her impetuous mother love. ah, what a blockhead the man was, not to have warned her of the diplomatic dangers she was risking! at that moment, placid nellie mckaye could have shrieked with fury; it would have been a relief to her if she could have stuck her hatpin in that monumental chucklehead, daney. like so many of her sex, the good lady's code of sportsmanship was a curious one, to say the least. it had not been prudence but an instinctive desire to protect her son that had moved her to be careful when begging nan to return to port agnew, to indicate that this request predicated no retirement from the resolute stand which the family had taken against the latter's alliance with donald. in a hazy, indefinite way, she had realized the importance of nullifying any tendency on her part to compromise herself or her family by the mere act of telephoning to nan, and with the unintentional brutality of a not very intelligent, tactless woman she had taken this means of protection. curiously enough, it had not occurred to her until this moment that she had done something shameful and cruel and stupid and unwomanly. she shriveled mentally in the contemplation of it. not until her husband had so unexpectedly revealed to her a hitherto hidden facet of his character--his masculine code of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth--did she realize how dreadfully she had blundered. she realized now that, without having given the slightest thought to the commission of an act unworthy of her womanhood, she had acted because, to her, the end appeared to justify the means; never given to self-analysis, she had merely followed the imperative call of her mother love to the point where nothing mattered save results. she looked up tearfully at the laird. for thirty-odd years she had lived with this strange soul; yet she had not known until now how fierce was his desire for independence, how dear to him was his passion for self-respect. even now, she found it difficult to understand why, even if he had been able to subdue his pride to the point of asking nan brent to preserve life in that which was dearer to him than his own life, his passion for always giving value received should preclude bargaining with the girl. it was plain to her, therefore, that her husband could never love their son as his mother loved him, else, in a matter of life or death, he would not have paused to consider the effect on himself of any action that might safeguard his son's existence. she knew what he had thought when daney first proposed the matter to him. that sort of thing wasn't "playing the game." poor, troubled soul! she did not know that he was capable of playing any game to the finish, even though every point scored against him should burn like a branding-iron. the laird, noting her great distress, held her fondly in his arms and soothed her; manlike, he assumed that she wept because her heart was overflowing with joy. for half an hour he chatted with her; then, with a light step and a cheerful "good-by, nellie, wife," he entered his automobile and drove back to town. his departure was the signal for jane and elizabeth to rally to their mother's side and inaugurate a plan of defense. "well, mother dear," elizabeth opined calmly, "it appears that you've spilled the beans." "what a funny old popsy-wops it is, to be sure!" jane chirped. "it's fine to be such a grand old sport, but so dreadfully inconvenient! beth, can you imagine what father mckaye would say if he only knew?" "i wouldn't mind the things he'd say. the things he'd do would be apt to linger longest in our memories." "oh, my dears, what shall i do?" poor mrs. mckaye quavered. "stand pat, should necessity ever arise, and put the buck up to mr. daney," the slangy elizabeth suggested promptly. "he has warned you not to confess to father, hasn't he? now, why did he do this? answer. because he realized that if dad should learn that you telephoned this odious creature from the sawdust pile, the head of our clan would consider himself compromised--bound by the action of a member of his clan, as it were. then we'll have a wedding and after the wedding we'll all be thrown out of the dreamerie to make room for master don and his consort. so, it appears to me, since mr. daney has warned you not to tell, mother dear, that he cannot afford to tell on you himself--no, not even to save his own skin." "you do not understand, elizabeth," mrs. mckaye sobbed. "it isn't because that stupid andrew cares a snap of his finger for us; it's because he's devoted to hector and doesn't want him worried or made unhappy." and in this observation, it is more than probable that the lady spoke more truly than she realized. "oh, well, if that's the case, it's all as clear as mud!" jane cried triumphantly. "if the worst should ever come to the worst, mr. daney will lie like a gentleman and--why, he has already done so, silly! of course he has, and it's rather gallant of him to do it, i think." "he's an imbecile, and why hector has employed him all these years--why he trusts him so implicitly, i'm sure i am at a loss to comprehend." mrs. mckaye complained waspishly. "dear, capable, faithful andrew!" elizabeth mimicked her mother's speech earlier in the day. "cheer up, ma! cherries are ripe." she snapped her fingers, swayed her lithe body, and undulated gracefully to the piano, where she brought both hands down on the keys with a crash, and played ragtime with feverish fury for five minutes. then, her impish nature asserting itself, she literally smashed out the opening bars of the wedding march from lohengrin, and shouted with glee when her mother, a finger in each ear, fled from the room. xxxiv mr. daney worked through a stack of mail with his stenographer, dismissed her, and, in the privacy of his sanctum, lighted his pipe and proceeded to mend his fences. in the discretion of the chief operator at the telephone exchange, he had great confidence; in that of mrs. mckaye, none at all. he believed that the risk of having the secret leak out through nan herself was a negligible one, and, of course (provided he did not talk in his sleep) the reason for nan's return was absolutely safe with him. indeed, the very fact that the laird had demanded and received an explanation from the girl would indicate to nan that mrs. mckaye had acted on her own initiative; hence, nan would, in all probability, refrain from disclosing this fact to the laird in any future conversations. reasoning further, daney concluded there would be no future conversations. the laird, following his usual custom of refraining from discussing a subject already settled to his satisfaction, could be depended upon to avoid a discussion of any kind with nan brent in future, for such discussions would not be to his interest, and he was singularly adept in guarding that interest. his cogitations were interrupted by a telephone-call from mrs. mckaye. the good soul's first gust of resentment having passed, she desired to thank him for his timely warning and to assure him that, on the subject of that transcontinental telephone-conversation she and her daughters could be depended upon to remain as silent as the sphinx. this information relieved mr. daney greatly. "after all," he confided to the cuspidor, "it is up to the girl whether we fish or cut bait. but then, what man in his senses can trust a woman to stay put. females are always making high dives into shoal water, and those tactless mckaye women are going to smear everything up yet. you wait and see." the longer mr. daney considered this situation, the more convinced did he become that mischief was brewing. did not periods of seraphic calm always precede a tornado? in the impending social explosion, a few hard missiles would most certainly come his way, and in a sudden agony of apprehension and shame because he had told the laird a half-truth, he sprang to his feet, resolved to seek old hector, inform him that mrs. mckaye had compromised the family, and thus enable him to meet the issue like a gentleman. but this decision was succeeded by the reflection that perhaps this action would merely serve to precipitate a situation that might not be evolved in the ordinary course of affairs. furthermore, he could not afford to betray mrs. mckaye on the mere suspicion that, sooner or later, she would betray herself, for this would savor of too much anxiety to save his own skin at her expense. "i'm a singularly unhappy old duffer," he groaned and kicked his inoffending waste-basket across the office. "the females! the mischief-making, bungling, thoughtless, crazy females! there are millions of wonderful, angelic women in this terrible world, but what i want to know is: where the sam hill do they hide themselves?" xxxv nan did not remain at the hospital more than fifteen minutes. she was ill at ease there; it was no comfort to her to gaze upon the pallid, wasted face of the man she loved when she realized that, by her presence here, she was constituting herself a party to a heart-breaking swindle, and must deny herself the joy of gazing upon that same beloved countenance when, later, it should be glowing with health and youth and high hopes. he was too weak to speak more than a few words to her. the faintest imaginable pressure of his hand answered the pressure of hers. it appeared to be a tremendous effort for him to open his eyes and look up at her. when, however, he had satisfied his swimming senses that she was really there in the flesh, he murmured: "you'll not--run away--again? promise?" "i promise, dear. the next time i leave port agnew, i'll say good-by." "you must not--leave--again. promise?" she knew his life might be the reward of a kindly lie; so she told it, bravely and without hesitation. was she not there for that purpose? "good--news! if i get--well, will you--marry me, nan?" she choked up then; nevertheless, she nodded. "more good--news! wait for me--sawdust pile--sweetheart." she interpreted this as a dismissal, and gratefully made her exit. from the hospital office she telephoned orders to the butcher, the baker, the grocer, and the milkman, forcibly separated little don from the nurse, and walked down through port agnew to the sawdust pile. the old-fashioned garden welcomed her with its fragrance; her cat, which she had been unable to give away and had not the heart to destroy at the time of her departure, came to the little white gate to meet her and rubbed against her, purring contentedly--apparently none the worse for a month of vagabondage and richer by a litter of kittens that blinked at nan from under the kitchen stoop. from across the bight of tyee, the morning breeze brought her the grateful odor of the sea, while the white sea-gulls, prinking themselves on the pile-butts at the outer edge of the sawdust pile, raised raucous cries at her approach and hopped toward her in anticipation of the scraps she had been wont to toss them. she resurrected the key from its hiding-place under the eaves, and her hot tears fell so fast that it was with difficulty she could insert it in the door. poor derelict on the sea of life, she had gone out with the ebb and had been swept back on the flood, to bob around for a little while in the cross-currents of human destinies before going out again with the ebb. the air in the little house was hot and fetid; so she threw open the doors and windows. dust had accumulated everywhere and, with a certain detachment, she noted, even in her distress, that she had gone away without closing the great square piano. she ran her fingers over the dusty keys and brought forth a few, sonorous chords; then she observed that the little, ancient, half-portion grandfather's clock had died of inanition; so she made a mental note to listen for the twelve-o'clock whistle on the tyee mill and set the clock by it. the spigot over the kitchen sink was leaking a little, and it occurred to her, in the same curious detached way, that it needed a new gasket. she sighed. once more, in this silent little house so fraught with happy memories, the old burden of existence was bearing upon her--the feeling that she was in jail. for a month she had been free--free to walk the streets, to look in shop windows, to seek a livelihood and talk to other human beings without that terrible feeling that, no matter how pleasant they might appear to be, their eyes were secretly appraising her--that they were _thinking_. and now to be forced to abandon that freedom-- "oh, well! it can't last forever," she soliloquized, and, blinking away her tears, she proceeded to change into a house dress and put her little home in order. presently, the local expressman arrived with her baggage and was followed by sundry youths bearing sundry provisions; at twelve-thirty, when she and young don sat down to the luncheon she had prepared, her flight to new york and return appeared singularly unreal, like the memory of a dream. she visited the hospital next day, choosing an hour when port agnew was at its evening meal and too preoccupied with that important detail to note her coming and going. she returned to her home under cover of darkness. at the hospital, she had received a favorable report of the patient's progress. his physicians were distinctly encouraged. nan looked in on her lover for a minute, and then hurried away on the plea that her baby was locked in at the sawdust pile, in the absence of some one to care for him; she had the usual maternal presentiment that he was playing with matches. as she was going out she met the laird and mrs. mckaye coming in. old hector lifted his hat and said quite heartily: "how do you do, my dear girl. the news this evening is most encouraging--thanks to you, i'm told--so we are permitted to see donald for five minutes. nellie, my dear, you remember little nan brent, do you not?" mrs. mckaye's handsome mouth contracted in a small, automatic smile that did not extend to her eyes. she acknowledged nan's "good-evening, mrs. mckaye," with a brief nod, and again favored the girl with another property smile, between the coming and going of which her teeth flashed with the swiftness of the opening and closing of a camera shutter. "we are _so_ grateful to you, miss brent," she murmured. and then, womanlike, her alert brown eyes, starting their appraisal at nan's shoes, roved swiftly and calmly upward, noting every item of her dress, every soft seductive curve of her healthy young body. her glance came to a rest on the girl's face, and for the space of several seconds they looked at each other frankly while old hector was saying: "aye, grateful indeed, nan. we shall never be out of your debt. there are times when a kindness and a sacrifice are all the more welcome because unexpected, and we had no right to expect this of you. god bless you, my dear, and remember--i am always your friend." "yes, indeed," his wife murmured, in a voice that, lacking his enthusiasm, conveyed to nan the information that the laird spoke for himself. she tugged gently at her husband's arm; again the automatic smile; with a cool: "good-night, miss brent. thank you again--_so_ much," she propelled the laird toward the hospital entrance. he obeyed promptly, glad to escape a situation that was painful to him, for he had realized that which his wife did not credit him with having sufficiently acute perception to realize--to-wit, that his wife's camouflage was somewhat frayed and poorly manufactured. _she had not played the game with him_. it would have cost her nothing to have been as kindly and sincere as he had been toward this unfortunate girl; nevertheless, while he had sensed her deficiency, his wife had carried the affair off so well that he could not advance a sound argument to convince her of it. so he merely remarked dryly as the hospital door closed behind them: "nellie, i'm going to propound a conundrum for you. why did your greeting of the brent girl remind me of that louis quinze tapestry for which you paid sixty thousand francs the last time you were abroad?" "i loathe conundrums, hector," she replied coldly. "i do not care to guess the answer." "the answer is: not quite genuine," he retorted mildly, and said no more about it. after that visit, nan went no more to the hospital. she had met donald's mother for the first time in four years and had been greeted as "miss brent," although in an elder day when, as a child, donald had brought her to the dreamerie to visit his mother and sisters, and later when she had sung in the local presbyterian choir, mrs. mckaye and her daughters had been wont to greet her as "nan." the girl did not relish the prospect of facing again that camera-shutter smile and she shrank with the utmost distress from a chance meeting at the hospital with elizabeth or jane mckaye. as for the laird, while she never felt ill at ease in his presence, still she preferred to meet him as infrequently as possible. as a result of this decision, she wrote andrew daney, and after explaining to him what she intended doing and why, asked him if he would not send some trustworthy person to her every evening with a report of donald's progress. accordingly, dirty dan o'leary, hat in hand and greatly embarrassed, presented himself at the sawdust pile the following evening under cover of darkness, and handed her a note from daney. donald's condition was continuing to improve. for his services, mr. o'leary was duly thanked and given a bouquet from nan's old-fashioned garden for presentation to the invalid. tucked away in the heart of it was a tiny envelop that enclosed a message of love and cheer. dirty dan was thrilled to think that he had been selected as the intermediary in this secret romance. clasping the bouquet in his grimy left hand, he bowed low and placed his equally grimy right in the region of his umbilicus. "me hearrt's wit' ye, agra," he declared. "sure 'tis to the divil an' back agin i'd be the proud man to go, if 'twould be a favor to ye, miss brint." "i know you would, dan," she agreed, tactfully setting the wild rascal at his ease when addressing him by his christian name. "i know what you did for mr. donald that night. i think you're very, very wonderful. i haven't had an opportunity heretofore to tell you how grateful i am to you for saving him." here was a mystery! mr. o'leary in his sunday clothes bound for ireland resembled dirty dan o'leary in the raiment of a lumberjack, his wild hair no longer controlled by judicious applications of pomade and his mustache now--alas--returned to its original state of neglect, as a butterfly resembles a caterpillar. without pausing to consider this, dirty dan, taking the license of a more or less privileged character, queried impudently: "an' are ye glad they sint for ye to come back?" she decided that mr. o'leary was inclined to be familiar; so she merely looked at him and her cool glance chilled him. "becuz if ye are," he continued, embarrassed, "ye have me to thank for it. 'tis meself that knows a thing or two wit'out bein' told. have ye not been surprised that they knew so well where to find ye whin they wanted ye?" she stared at him in frank amazement. "yes, i have been tremendously interested in learning the secret of their marvelous perspicacity." "i supplied misther daney wit' your address, allanah." "how did you know it? did the laird--" "he did not. i did it all be mesel'. ah, 'tis the romantic divil i am, miss brint. sure i got a notion ye were runnin' away an' says i to meself, says i: 'i don't like this idjee at all, at all. these mysterious disappearances are always leadin' to throuble.' sure, what if somebody should die an' lave ye a fortun'? what good would it be to ye if nobody could find ye? an' in back o' that agin," he assured her cunningly, "i realized what a popular laddy buck i'd be wit' misther donald if i knew what he didn't know but was wishful o' knowin'?" "but how did you procure my address in new york?" she demanded. "now, i'm a wise man, but if i towld ye that, ye'd be as wise as i am. an' since 'twould break me heart to think anybody in port agnew could be as wise as mesel', ye'll have to excuse me from blatherin' all i know." "oh, but you must tell me, dan. there are reasons why i should know, and you wouldn't refuse to set my mind at ease, would you?" dirty dan grinned and played his ace. "if ye'll sing 'the low-backed car' an' 'she moved through the fair' i'll tell ye," he promised. "sure i listened to ye the night o' the battle, an' so close to death was i, sure i fought 'twas an angel from glory singing'. troth, i did." she sat down, laughing, at the antiquated piano, and sang him the songs he loved; then, because she owed him a great debt she sang for him "kathleen mavourneen," "pretty molly brannigan," "the harp that once thro' tara's halls," and "killarney." dan stood just outside the kitchen door, not presuming to enter, and when the last song was finished, he had tears in his piggy little eyes; so he fled with the posies, nor tarried to thank her and wish her a pleasant good-night. neither did he keep his promise by telling her how he came to know her new york address. "let me hear anny blackguard mintion that one's name wit' a lack o' respect," mr. o'leary breathed, as he crossed the vacant lots, "an' i'll break the back o' him in two halves! whirro-o-o! sure i'd make a mummy out o' him!" xxxvi a month passed, and to the sawdust pile one evening, instead of dirty dan, there came another messenger. it was mr. daney. to nan's invitation to enter and be seated, he gave ready acceptance; once seated, however, he showed indubitable evidence of uneasiness, and that he was the bearer of news of more than ordinary interest was apparent by the nervous manner in which he twirled his hat and scattered over her clean floor a quantity of sawdust which had accumulated under the rim during his peregrinations round the mill that day. "well, nan, he went home to the dreamerie this afternoon," the general manager began presently. "got up and dressed himself unaided, and insisted on walking out to the car without assistance. he's back on a solid diet now, and the way he's filling up the chinks in his superstructure is a sight to marvel at. i expect he'll be back on the job within a month." "that is wonderful news, mr. daney." "of course," daney continued, "his hair is falling out, and he'll soon be as bald as a chihuahua dog. but--it'll grow in again. yes, indeed. it'll grow in." "oh dear! i do hope it will grow out," she bantered, in an effort to put him at his ease. "what a pity if his illness should leave poor don with a head like a thistle--with all the fuzzy-wuzzy inside." he laughed. "i'm glad to find you in such good spirits, nan, because i've called to talk business. and, for some reason or other, i do not relish my job." "then, suppose i dismiss you from this particular job, mr. daney. suppose i decline to discuss business." "oh, but business is something that has to be discussed sooner or later," he asured her, on the authority of one whose life had been dedicated to that exacting duty. "i suppose you've kept track of your expenses since you left new york. that, of course, will include the outlay for your living-expenses while here, and in order to make doubly certain that we are on the safe side, i am instructed to double this total to cover the additional expenses of your return to new york. and if you will set a value upon your lost time from the day you left new york until your return, both days inclusive, i will include that in the check also." "suppose i should charge you one thousand dollars a day for my lost time," she suggested curiously. "i should pay it without the slightest quibble. the laird would be delighted to get off so cheaply. he feels himself obligated to you for returning to port agnew--" "did the laird send you here to adjust these financial details with me, mr. daney?" "he did not. the matter is entirely in my hands. certainly, in all justice, you should be reimbursed for the expenses of a journey voluntarily incurred for the mckaye benefit." "did he say so?" "no. but i know him so well that i have little difficulty in anticipating his desires. i am acting under mrs. mckaye's promise to you over the telephone to reimburse you." "i am glad to know that, mr. daney. i have a very high regard for donald's father, and i should not care to convict him of an attempt to settle with me on a cash basis for declining to marry his son. i wish you would inform the laird, mr. daney, that what i did was done because it pleased me to do it for his sake and donald's. they have been at some pains, throughout the years, to be kind to the brents, but, unfortunately for the brents, opportunities for reciprocity have always been lacking until the night mrs. mckaye telephoned me in new york. i cannot afford the gratification of very many desires--even very simple ones, mr. daney--but this happens to be one of the rare occasions when i can. to quote sir anthony gloster, 'thank god i can pay for my fancies!' the laird doesn't owe me a dollar, and i beg you, mr. daney, not to distress me by offering it." "but, my dear girl, it has cost you at least five hundred dollars--" "what a marvelous sunset we had this evening, mr. daney. did you observe it? my father always maintained that those curious clouds predicated sou'west squalls." "i didn't come here, girl, to talk about sunsets. you're foolish if you do not accept--" the outcast of port agnew turned upon mr. daney a pair of sea-blue eyes that flashed dangerously. "i think i have paid my debt to the mckayes," she declared, and in her calm voice there was a sibilant little note of passion. "indeed, i have a slight credit-balance due me, and though mrs. mckaye and her daughters cannot bring themselves to the point of acknowledging this indebtedness, i must insist upon collecting it. in view of the justice of my claim, however, i cannot stultify my womanhood by permitting the mckaye women to think they can dismiss the obligation by writing a check. i am not an abandoned woman, mr. daney. i have sensibilities and, strange to relate, i, too, have pride--more than the mckayes i think sometimes. it is possible to insult me, to hurt me, and cause me to suffer cruelty, and i tell you, mr. daney, i would rather lie down and die by the roadside than accept one penny of mckaye money." mr. daney stared at her, visibly distressed. "why, what's happened?" he blurted. she ignored him. "i repeat that the laird owes me nothing--not even his thanks. i met him one night with mrs. mckaye on the hospital steps, and he tendered me his meed of gratitude like the splendid gentleman he is." "oh, i see!" a great light had suddenly dawned on mr. daney. "the laird led trumps, but nellie mckaye revoked and played a little deuce?" "well, mr. daney, it seemed to me she fumbled the ball, to employ a sporting metaphor. she bowed to me--like this--and smiled at me--like that!" her cool, patronizing nod and the sudden contraction and relaxation of nan's facial muscles brought a wry smile to old daney's stolid countenance. "even if i felt that i could afford to or was forced to accept reimbursement for my expenses and lost time," nan resumed, "her action precluded it. can't you realize that, mr. daney? and jane and elizabeth went her one--no, two--better. i'm going to tell you about it. i went up-town the other day to send a telegram, and in the telegraph-office i met donald's sisters. i knew they would not care to have me speak to them in public, so, when the telegrapher wasn't looking at me and intuition told me that elizabeth and jane were, i glanced up and favored them with a very small but very polite smile of recognition." "and then," quoted mr. daney, reaching into his ragbag of a mind and bringing up a remnant of shakespeare, "'there came a frost--a killing frost!'" "two hundred and forty-five degrees below zero, and not even a stick of kindling in the wood-box," she assured him humorously. "they looked at me, through me, over me, beyond me--" "and never batted an eye?" "not even the flicker of an eyelash." his canine loyalty bade mr. daney defend the laird's ewe lambs. "well, maybe they didn't recognize you," he protested. "a good deal of water has run under a number of bridges since the mckaye girls saw you last." "in that event, mr. daney, i charge that their manners would have been extremely bad. i know town dogs that smile at me when i smile at them. however, much as i would like to assure you that they didn't know me, i must insist, mr. daney, that they did." "well, now, how do you know, nan?" "a little devil took possession of me, mr. daney, and inspired me to smoke them out. i walked up and held out my hand to jane. 'how do you do, jane,' i said. 'i'm nan brent. have you forgotten me?'" mr. daney raised both arms toward the ceiling. "'oh, god! cried the woodcock,--and away he flew!' what did the chit say?" "she said, 'why, not at all,' and turned her back on me. i then proffered elizabeth a similar greeting and said, 'surely, elizabeth, _you_ haven't forgotten me!' elizabeth is really funny. she replied: 'so sorry! i've always been absent-minded!' she looked at me steadily with such a cool mirth in her eyes--she has nice eyes, too--and i must have had mirth in mine, also, because i remember that at precisely that minute i thought up a perfectly wonderful joke on elizabeth and jane and their mother. of course, the poor laird will not see the point of the joke, but then he's the innocent bystander, and innocent bystanders are always, getting hurt." "ah, do not hurt him!" daney pleaded anxiously. "he's a good, kind, manly gentleman. spare him! spare him, my dear!" "oh, i wouldn't hurt him, mr. daney, if i did not know i had the power to heal his hurts." suddenly she commenced to laugh, albeit there was in her laugh a quality which almost caused mr. daney to imagine that he had hackles on his back and that they were rising. he much preferred the note of anger of a few minutes previous; with a rush all of his old apprehensions returned, and he rasped out at her irritably: "well, well! what's this joke, anyhow? tell me and perhaps i may laugh, too." "oh, no, mr. daney, you'd never laugh at this one. you'd weep." "try me." "very well. you will recall, mr. daney, that when mrs. mckaye rang me up in new york, she was careful, even while asking me to return, to let me know my place?" "yes, yes. i was listening on the line. i heard her, and i thought she was a bit raw. but no matter. proceed." "well, since she asked me to return to port agnew, i'm wondering who is going to ask me to go away again?" "i'll be shot if i will! ha! ha! ha!" and mr. daney threw back his head and laughed the most enjoyable laugh he had known since the night an itinerant hypnotist, entertaining the citizens of port agnew, had requested any adventurous gentleman in the audience who thought he couldn't be hypnotized, to walk up and prove it. dirty dan o'leary had volunteered, had been mesmerized after a struggle, and, upon being told that he was dick whittington's cat, had proceeded to cut some feline capers that would have tickled the sensibilities of a totem-pole. mr. daney's honest cachinnations now were so infectious that nan commenced to laugh with him--heartily, but no longer with that strident little note of resentment, and cumulatively, as mr. daney's mirth mounted until the honest fellow's tears cascaded across his ruddy cheeks. "egad, nan," he declared presently, "but you have a rare sense of humor! yes, do it. do it! make 'em all come down--right here to the sawdust pile! make 'em remember you--all three of 'em--make 'em say please! yes, sir! 'please nan, forgive me for forgetting. please nan, forgive me for smiling like the head of an old fiddle. please, nan, get out of port agnew, so we can sleep nights. please, nan, be careful not to say "good-by." please, nan, knock out a couple of your front teeth and wear a black wig and a sunbonnet, so nobody'll recognize you when you leave, follow you, and learn your address.'" he paused to wipe his eyes. "why, dog my cats, girl, you've got 'em where the hair is short; so make 'em toe the scratch!" "well, of course," nan reminded him, "they are not likely to toe the scratch unless they receive a hint that toeing scratches is going to be fashionable in our best port agnew circles this winter." mr. daney arched his wild eyebrows, pursed his lips, popped his eyes, and looked at nan over the rims of his spectacles. "very well, my dear girl, i'll be the goat. a lesson in humility will not be wasted on certain parties. but suppose they object? suppose they buck and pitch and sidestep and bawl and carry on? what then?" "why," nan replied innocently, regarding him in friendly fashion with those wistful blue eyes, "you might hint that i'm liable to go to the laird and tell him i regard him as a very poor sport, indeed, to expect me to give up his son, in view of the fact that his son's mother sent for me to save that son's life. do you know, dear mr. daney, i suspect that if the laird knew his wife had compromised him so, he would be a singularly wild scot!" "onward, christian soldier, marching as to war!" cried mr. daney, and, seizing his hat from the table, he fled into the night. xxxvii upon reaching his home, mr. daney telephoned to mrs. mckaye. "it is important," he informed her, "that you, miss jane and miss elizabeth come down to my office to-morrow for a conference. i would come up to the dreamerie to see you, but donald is home now, and his father will be with him; so i would prefer to see you down-town. i have some news of interest for you." the hint of news of interest was sufficient to secure from mrs. mckaye a promise to call at his office with the girls at ten o'clock the following morning. "what is this interesting news, andrew?" mrs. daney asked, with well-simulated disinterestedness. she was knitting for the french war-relief committee a pair of those prodigious socks with which well-meaning souls all over these united states have inspired many a poor little devil of a _poilu_ with the thought that the french must be regarded by us as a brobdingnagian race. "we're arranging a big blowout, unknown to the laird and donald, to celebrate the boy's return to health. i'm planning to shut down the mill and the logging-camps for three days," he replied glibly. of late he was finding it much easier to lie to her than to tell the truth, and he had observed with satisfaction that mrs. daney's bovine brain assimilated either with equal avidity. "how perfectly lovely!" she cooed, and dropped a stitch which later would be heard from on the march, in the shape of a blister on a gallic heel. "you're so thoughtful and kind, andrew! sometimes i wonder if the mckayes really appreciate your worth." "well, we'll see," he answered enigmatically and went off to bed. it was with a feeling of alert interest that he awaited in his office, the following morning, the arrival of the ladies from the dreamerie. they arrived half an hour late, very well content with themselves and the world in general, and filling mr. daney's office with the perfume of their presence. they appeared to be in such good fettle, indeed, that mr. daney took a secret savage delight in dissipating their nonchalance. "well, ladies," he began, "i decided yesterday that it was getting along toward the season of the year when my thoughts stray as usual toward the sawdust pile as a drying-yard. so i went down to see if nan brent had abandoned it again--and sure enough, she hadn't." he paused exasperatingly, after the fashion of an orator who realizes that he has awakened in his audience an alert and respectful interest. "fine kettle of fish brewing down there," he resumed darkly, and paused again, glanced at the ceiling critically as if searching for leaks, smacked his lips and murmured confidentially a single word: "snag!" "'snag!'" in chorus. "snag! in some unaccountable manner, it appears that you three ladies have aroused in nan brent a spirit of antagonism--" "nonsense!" "the idea!" "fiddlesticks!" "i state the condition as i found it. i happen to know that the girl possesses sufficient means to permit her to live at the sawdust pile for a year at least." "but isn't she going away?" mrs. mckaye's voice rose sharply. "is she going to break her bargain?" "oh, i think not, mrs. mckaye. she merely complained to me that somebody begged her to come back to port agnew; so she's waiting for somebody to come down to the sawdust pile and beg her to go away again. she's inclined to be capricious about it, too. one person isn't enough. she wants three people to call, and she insists that they be--ah--ladies!" "good gracious, andrew, you don't mean it?" "i am delivering a message, mrs. mckaye." "she must be spoofing you," jane declared. "well, she laughed a good deal about it, miss jane, and confided to me that a bit of lurking devil in your sister's eyes the day you both met her in the telegraph office gave her the inspiration for this joke. she believes that she who laughs last laughs best." mrs. mckaye was consumed with virtuous indignation. "the shameless hussy! does she imagine for a moment that i will submit to blackmail, that my daughters or myself could afford to be seen calling upon her at the sawdust pile?" "she wants to force us to recognize her, mother." jane, recalling that day in the telegraph-office, sat staring at daney with flashing eyes. she was biting the finger of her glove. "nothing doing," elizabeth drawled smilingly. mr. daney nodded his comprehension. "in that event, ladies," he countered, with malignant joy in his suppressed soul, "i am requested to remind you that the laird will be informed by miss brent that she considers him a very short sport, indeed, if he insists upon regarding her as unworthy of his son, in view of the fact that his son's mother considered her a person of such importance that she used the transcontinental telephone in order to induce--" "yes, yes; i know what you're going to say. do you really think she would go as far as that, andrew?" mrs. mckaye was very pale. "beware the anger of a woman scorned," he quoted. "in the event that she should, mr. daney, we should have no other alternative but to deny it." elizabeth was speaking. she still wore her impish glacial smile. "as a usual thing, we are opposed to fibbing on the high moral ground that it is not a lady's pastime, but in view of the perfectly appalling results that would follow our failure to fib in this particular case, i'm afraid we'll have to join hands, mr. daney, and prove nan brent a liar. naturally, we count on your help. as a result of his conversation with you, father believes you did the telephoning." "i told him half the truth, but no lie. i have never lied to him, miss elizabeth, and i never shall. when hector mckaye asks me for the truth, he'll get it." in mr. daney's voice there was a growl that spoke of slow, quiet fury at the realization that this cool young woman should presume to dictate to him. "i think you'll change your mind, mr. daney. you'll not refuse the hurdle when you come to it. as for this wanton brent girl, tell her that we will think her proposition over and that she may look for a call from us. we do not care how long she looks, do we mother?" and she laughed her gay, impish laugh. "in the meantime, mr. daney, we will do our best to spare ourselves and you the ignominy of that fib. the doctors will order donald away for a complete rest for six months, and dad will go with him. when they're gone that brent house on the sawdust pile is going to catch fire--accidently, mysteriously. the man who scuttled the brent's motor-boat surely will not scruple at such a simple matter as burning the brent shanty. come, mother. jane, for goodness' sake, do buck up! good-by, dear mr. daney." he stared at her admiringly. in elizabeth, he discerned, for the first time, more than a modicum of her father's resolute personality; he saw clearly that she dominated her mother and jane and, like the laird, would carry her objective, once she decided upon it, regardless of consequences. "good-morning, ladies. i shall repeat your message--verbatim, miss elizabeth," he assured the departing trio. and that night he did so. "they neglected to inform you how much time they would require to think it over, did they not?" nan interrogated mildly. "and they didn't tell you approximately when i should look for their visit?" "no," he admitted. "oh, i knew they wouldn't submit," nan flung back at him. "they despise me--impersonally, at first and before it seemed that i might dim the family pride; personally, when it was apparent that i could dim it if i desired. well, i'm tired of being looked at and sneered at, and i haven't money enough left to face new york again. i had dreamed of the kind of living i might earn, and when the opportunity to earn it was already in my grasp, i abandoned it to come back to port agnew. i had intended to play fair with them, although i had to lie to donald to do that, but--they hurt something inside of me--something deep that hadn't been hurt before--and--and now--" [illustration: "i'm a man without a home and you've _got_ to take me in, nan."] "now _what_!" mr. daney cried in anguished tones. "if donald mckaye comes down to the sawdust pile and asks me to marry him, i'm going to do it. i have a right to happiness; i'm--i'm tired--sacrificing--nobody cares--no appreciation--nan of the sawdust pile will be--mistress of the dreamerie--and when they--enter house of mine--they shall be--humbler than i. they shall--" as mr. daney fled from the house, he looked back through the little hall and saw nan brent seated at her tiny living-room table, her golden head pillowed in her arms outspread upon the table, her body shaken with great, passionate sobs. mr. daney's heart was constricted. he hadn't felt like that since the aurora stock company had played "east lynne" in the port agnew opera house. xxxviii at the sawdust pile the monotony of nan brent's life remained unbroken; she was marking time, waiting for something to turn up. since the last visit of the mckaye ambassador she had not altered her determination to exist independent of financial aid from the mckaye women or their father,--for according to her code, the acceptance of remuneration for what she had done would be debasing. nan had made this decision even while realizing that in waiving mr. daney's proffer of reimbursement she was rendering impossible a return to new york with her child. the expenses of their journey and the maintenance of their brief residence there; the outlay for clothing for both and the purchase of an additional wardrobe necessitated when, with unbelievable good luck she had succeeded in securing twenty weeks time over a high-class vaudeville circuit for her "songs of the 'sixties," had, together with the cost of transportation back to port agnew, so depleted her resources that, with the few hundred dollars remaining, her courage was not equal to the problem which unemployment in new york would present; for with the receipt of mrs. mckaye's message, nan had written the booking agent explaining that she had been called west on a matter which could not be evaded and expressed a hope that at a later date the "time" might be open to her. following her return to the sawdust pile she had received a brief communication stating that there would be no opening for her until the following year. the abandonment of her contract and the subsequent loss of commissions to the agent had seriously peeved that person. the receipt of this news, while a severe disappointment, had not caused her to flinch, for she had, in a measure, anticipated it and with the calmness of desperation already commenced giving thought to the problem of her future existence. in the end she had comforted herself with the thought that good cooks were exceedingly scarce--so scarce, in fact, that even a cook with impedimenta in the shape of a small son might be reasonably certain of prompt and well-paid employment. picturing herself as a kitchen mechanic brought a wry smile to her sweet face, but--it was honorable employment and she preferred it to being a waitress or an underfed and underpaid saleswoman in a department store. for she could cook wonderfully well and she knew it; she believed she could dignify a kitchen and she preferred it to cadging from the mckayes the means to enable her to withstand the economic siege incident to procuring a livelihood more dignified and remunerative. thus she had planned up to the day of her unexpected meeting with jane and elizabeth mckaye in the port agnew telegraph office. on that day, something had happened--something that had constituted a distinct event in nan brent's existence and with which the well-bred insolence of the mckaye girls had nothing to do. indirectly old caleb brent had been responsible, for by the mere act of dying, his three-guarter pay as a retired sailor had automatically terminated, and nan had written the navy department notifying it accordingly. now, the death of a retired member of the army or navy, no matter what his grade may be, constitutes news for the service journals, and the fact that old caleb had been a medal of honor man appeared, to the editor of one of these journals, to entitle the dead sailor to three hundred words of posthumous publicity. subsequently, these three hundred words came under the eye of a retired admiral of the united states navy, who thereby became aware that he had an orphaned grand-daughter residing in port agnew, washington. as a man grows old he grows kindlier; those things which, at middle age, appear so necessary to an unruffled existence, frequently undergo such a metamorphosis, due to the corroding effects of time, that at eighty one has either forgotten them or regards them as something to be secretly ashamed of. thus it was with nan's grandfather. his pride and dignity were as austere as ever, but his withered heart yearned for the love and companionship of one of his own blood; now that caleb brent was dead, the ancient martinet forgot the offense which this simple sailor had committed against the pride of a long line of distinguished gentlemen, members of the honorable profession of arms. he thought it over for a month, and then wrote the only child of his dead daughter, asking her to come to him, hinting broadly that his days in the land were nearly numbered and that, in the matter of worldly goods he was not exactly a pauper. having posted this letter the old admiral waited patiently for an answer, and when this answer was not forthcoming within the time he had set, he had telegraphed the postmaster of port agnew, requesting information as to her address. this telegram the postmaster had promptly sent over to nan and it was for the purpose of replying to it that she had gone to the telegraph office on the day when fate decreed that jane and elizabeth mckaye should also be there. after her return to the sawdust pile that day nan's thoughts frequently adverted to the biblical line: "the lord giveth and the lord taketh away." certainly, in her case, he appeared to be working at cross purposes. at a time when she had resigned herself to domestic labor in order to avoid starvation, her aristocratic, arrogant, prideful grandfather had seen fit to forgive her dead father and offer her shelter from the buffets of the world; yet, even while striving, apparently to be kind, she knew that the reason underlying his invitation was plain, old-fashioned heart-hunger, a tender conscience and a generous admixture of human selfishness. she smiled bitterly at his blunt hint of a monetary reward following his demise; it occurred to her that the stubborn old admiral was striving to buy that which he might have had for a different asking. she read the admiral's letter for the twentieth time--and from the thick white page her glance went to her child. would he be welcome in that stern old sea dog's home? would his great-grandfather forget the bar sinister of little don's birth and would her own misfortune be viewed by him with the tenderness and perfect understanding accorded her by old caleb? she did not think so; and with the remembrance of her dead father, the flames of revolt leaped in her heart. he had been loyal to her and she would be loyal to him. no, no! she was not yet prepared to come fawning to the feet of that fierce old man who had robbed her father of his happiness. what right had he to expect forgiveness, _sans_ the asking, _sans_ an acknowledgment of his heartlessness? with a bitter smile she wrote him a long letter, relating in detail the incident of her marriage, the birth of her child, her standing in port agnew society and her belief that all of this rendered acceptance of his invitation impossible, if she were to act with deference to his point of view and still remain loyal to the memory of her dead father. for these reasons she declined, thanked him for his kindness and remained his very sincerely. when she had posted this letter she felt better, and immediately took up the case of the mckayes. until that moment she had not considered seriously the possibility of a marriage with the young laird of port agnew as a means of humiliating these women who had humiliated her. the thought had occurred to her in the telegraph office and at the moment had held for her a certain delightful fascination; prior to that meeting her resolution not to permit donald mckaye to share her uncertain fortunes had been as adamant. but long and bitter reflection upon the problem thrust upon her by her grandfather had imbued her with a clearer, deeper realization of the futility of striving to please everybody in this curious world, of the cruelty of those who seek to adjust to their point of view that of another fully capable of adjusting his own; of the appalling lack of appreciation with which her piteous sacrifice would meet from the very persons who shrank from the ignominy incident to non-sacrifice oft the part of her whom they held in open contempt! donald mckaye was not unintelligent. he was a man, grown, with all a man's passions, with all the caution to be expected in one of his class. if he still loved her sufficiently, following a period of mature deliberation and fierce opposition from his people, to offer her honorable marriage, would she not be a fool to cast away such a priceless gift? how few men know love so strong, so tender, so unselfish, that they do not shrink from sharing with the object of their love, the odium which society has always set upon the woman taken in adultery. in rejecting his proffered sacrifice, she had told herself that she acted thus in order to preserve his happiness, although at the expense of her own. by so doing nan realized that she had taken a lofty, a noble stand; nevertheless, who was she that she should presume to decide just wherein lay the preservation of his happiness? in her grandfather's letter before her she had ample evidence of the miscarriage of such pompous assumptions. there is a latent force in the weakest of women, an amazing capacity for rebellion in the meekest and a regret for lost virtue even in the most abandoned. nan was neither weak, meek, nor abandoned; wherefore, to be accorded toleration, polite contumely and resentment where profound gratitude and admiration were her due, had aroused in her a smouldering resentment which had burned like a handful of oil-soaked waste tossed into a corner. at first a mild heat; then a dull red glow of spontaneous combustion progresses--and presently flame and smoke. it is probable that mere man, who never has been able to comprehend the intensity of feeling of which a woman is capable, is not equal to the problem of realizing the effect of solitude, misunderstanding and despair upon the mind of a woman of more than ordinary sensibilities and imagination. the seed of doubt, planted in such soil, burgeons rapidly, and when, upon the very day that mr. daney had made his last call at the sawdust pile, nan, spurred to her decision by developments of which none but she was aware, had blazed forth in open rebellion and given the tyee lumber company's general manager the fright of his prosaic existence. xxxix after leaving the sawdust pile, mr. daney walked twice around the bight of tyee before arriving at a definite decision as to his future conduct in this intrigue, participation in which had been thrust upon him by his own loyalty to his employer and the idiocy of three hare-brained women. time and again as lie paced the lonely strand, mr. daney made audible reference to the bells of the nether regions and the presence of panther tracks! this was his most terrible oath and was never employed except under exceptional circumstances. at length mr. daney arrived at a decision. he would have nothing further to do with this horrible love affair. in the role of dan cupid's murderer he was apparently a tumble tom; for three months he had felt as if he trod thin ice--and now he had fallen through! "i'll carry no more of their messages," he declared aloud. "i'll tell them so and wash my hands of the entire matter. if there is to be any asking of favors from that girl the mckaye women can do it." it was after midnight when he returned to his home and his wife was sitting up to receive an explanation of his nocturnal prowlings. however, the look of desperation with which he met her accusing glance frightened her into silence, albeit she had a quiet little crying spell next morning when she discovered on the floor of mr. daney's room quite a quantity of sand which had worked into his shoes during his agitated spring around tyee beach. she was quite certain he had indulged in a moonlight stroll on the seashore with a younger and prettier woman, so she resolved to follow him when next he fared forth and catch the traitor red-handed. to her surprise, mr. daney went out no more o' nights. he had kept his word given to himself, and on the morning succeeding his extraordinary interview with nan he had again summoned the ladies of the mckaye family to his office for a conference. however, the capable elizabeth was the only one of the trio to present herself, for this young woman--and not without reason--regarded herself as mr. daney's mental superior; she was confident of her ability to retain his loyalty should he display a tendency to betray them. "well, dear mr. daney," she murmured in her melted-butter voice, "what new bugaboo have you developed for us?" "you do not have to bother calling upon the brent girl, miss elizabeth. she says now that if donald asks her to marry him she'll accept. she has an idea she'll be mistress of the dreamerie." elizabeth arched her eyebrows. "what else?" she queried amiably. "that's all--from nan brent. i have a small defi to make on my own account, however, miss elizabeth. from this minute on i wash my hands of the private affairs of the mckaye family. my job is managing your father's financial affairs. believe me, the next move in this comedy-drama is a wedding--if donald asks her in all seriousness to marry him--that is, if he insists on it. he may insist and then again he may not, but if he should, i shall not attempt to stop him. he's free, white and twenty-one; he's my boss and i hope i know my place. personally, i'm willing to wager considerable that he'll marry her, but whether he does or not--i'm through." elizabeth mckaye sighed. "that means we must work fast, mr. daney. donald will be feeling strong: enough within two weeks to call on her; he may even motor down to the sawdust pile within ten days. mother has already broached the subject of taking him away to southern california or florida for a long rest; dad has seconded the motion with great enthusiasm--and that stubborn donald has told them frankly that he isn't going away for a rest." "gosh!" mr. daney gasped. "that makes it a little binding, eh?" she met his clear glance thoughtfully and said: "if her house should burn down--accidentally--to-day or to-night, when she and her baby aren't in it, she'll have to leave port agnew. there isn't a house in town where she could find shelter, and you could see to it that all the rooms in the hotel are taken." "you forget, my dear," he replied with a small smile. "i have no further interest in this affair and moreover, i'm not turning firebug--not this year." "you refuse to help us?" "absolutely. what is to be will be, and i, for one, have decided not to poke my finger into the cogs of destiny." "well--thanks awfully for what you've already done, mr. daney." again she smiled her bright, impish smile. "good-morning." "good-morning, miss elizabeth." as she left the office, mr. daney noted her débutante slouch and gritted his teeth. "wonder if they'll call on nan now, or make a combined attack on the boy and try bluff and threats and tears," he soliloquized. as a matter of fact they tried the latter. the storm broke after luncheon one day when donald declared he felt strong enough to go down to port agnew, and, in the presence of the entire family, ordered the butler to tell his father's chauffeur to bring the closed car around to the door. immediately, the astute elizabeth precipitated matters by asking her brother sharply if his projected visit to port agnew predicated also a visit to the sawdust pile. "why, yes, elizabeth," he answered calmly. the laird scowled at her, but she ignored the scowl; so old hector flashed a warning glance to jane and her mother--a glance that said quite plainly: "let there be no upbraiding of my son." "do you think it is quite--ah, delicate of you, donald, to call upon any young lady at her apartments in the absence of a proper chaperon, even if the lady herself appears to have singularly free and easy views on the propriety of receiving you thus?" he saw that she was bound to force the issue and was rather relieved than otherwise. with a mental promise to himself to keep his temper at all hazards he replied: "well, elizabeth, i'll admit the situation is a trifle awkward, but what cannot be cured must be endured. you see, i want to have a talk with nan brent and i cannot do so unless i call upon her at the sawdust pile. it is impossible for us to meet on neutral ground, i fear. however, if you will write her a nice friendly little note and invite her up here to visit me, the question of a chaperon will be solved and i will postpone my visit until she gets here." "don't be a fool," she retorted bitterly. "as for nan's free and easy views on the subjects, who in port agnew, may i ask, expects her to act differently? why, therefore, since she is fully convinced that i possess a few of the outward appearances of a gentleman, should she fear to receive me in her home? to conform to the social standards of those who decry her virtue? elizabeth, you expect too much, i fear." "hear, hear," cried the laird. he realized that elizabeth was not to be denied, so he thought best to assume a jocular attitude during the discussion. "father," his eldest daughter reminded him. "it is your duty to forbid donald doing anything which is certain to bring his family into disrepute and make it the target for the tongue of scandal." "oh, leave him alone, you pestiferous woman," old hector cried sharply. "had it not been for the girl he would not be living this minute, so the least he can do is to express his compliments to her. also, since this disagreeable topic has again been aired, let me remind you that the lass isn't going to marry donald. she came out here, donald," he continued, turning to his son, "with the distinct understanding that her job was to humor you back to health, and for that you owe her your thanks and i'm willing you should call on her and express them. don't flattter yourself that she'll marry you, my boy. i've had a talk with her--since you must know it, sooner or later--and she promised me she wouldn't." the young laird's face paled a little but he maintained his composure. "i greatly fear you misunderstood her, father," he replied gently. "she promised me she'd marry me. you see," he added looking the old man resolutely in the face, "i think she's virtuous, so i'm going to marry her." his father smiled sadly. "poor lad. god knows i'm sorry for you, but--well, go see her and let's have the issue settled once for all. for god's sake, lad, grant me peace of mind. end it to-day, one way or the other." "ah, yes, you're brave," elizabeth flung at her father. "you're so certain that girl will keep her promise, aren't you? well, i happen to have been informed, on very good authority, that she intends to betray you. she had made the statement that she'll marry donald if he asks her--again." "the girl doesn't impress me as one who would lie, elizabeth. who told you this?" "andrew daney." "bear with me a moment, son, till i call andrew on the telephone," the laird requested, and went into the telephone booth under the stairs in the reception hall. when he emerged a few minutes later his face was pale and haggard. "well? what did i tell you?" elizabeth's voice was triumphant. her father ignored her. placing himself squarely before his son, he bent forward slightly and thrust his aggressive face close to donald's. "i command you to respect the honor of my house," he cried furiously. "for the last time, donald mckaye, ha' done wie this woman, or--" and his great arm was outflung in a swooping gesture that denoted all too forcibly the terrible sentence he shrank from speaking. "are you offering me an alternative?" donald's voice was low and very calm, but his brown eyes were blazing with suppressed rage. "the dreamerie or--" and he swung and pointed to the brent cottage far below them on the sawdust pile. "aye," his father cried in a hard cracked voice. "aye!" donald looked over at his mother with the helplessness of a child who has fallen and hurt himself. "and you, mother? what do you say to this?" she thought she would faint. "you--you must obey your father," she quavered. until her son should marry nan brent she could not force herself to the belief that he could possibly commit such an incredible offense. "the opinions of you and jane," donald continued, turning to each sister in turn, "do not interest me particularly, but while the polls are open you might as well vote. if i marry nan brent are you each prepared to forget that i am your brother?" elizabeth nodded calmly. she had gone too far now to develop weakness when an assumption of invincible strength might yet win the day. "i couldn't receive such a peculiar sister-in-law," jane murmured, evidently close to tears. "surely, you would not expect us to take such a woman to our hearts, donald dear?" "i did not build the dreamerie for yon lass," the laird burst forth passionately. his son stood with bowed head. "have you, mother, or you, my sisters, been down to the sawdust pile to thank nan for inspiring me--no matter how--with a desire to live? i think you realize that until she came i was too unhappy--too disgusted with life--to care whether i got well or not? have you absolved yourselves of an obligation which must be perfectly evident to perfect ladies?" "we have not." elizabeth's calm voice answered him. "what the girl did was entirely of her own volition. she did it for your sake, and since it is apparent that she plans to collect the reward of her disinterested effort we have considered that a formal expression of thanks would be superfluous." "i see. i see. well, perhaps you're right. i shall not quarrel with your point of view. and you're all quite certain you will never recede from your attitude of hostility toward nan--under no circumstances, to recognize her as my wife and extend to her the hospitality of the dreamerie?" he challenged his father with a look and the old man slowly nodded an affirmative. his mother thought donald was about to yield to their opposition and nodded likewise. "i have already answered that question," jane murmured tragically, and elizabeth again reminded him that it was not necessary for him to make a fool of himself. "well, i'm glad this affair has been ironed out--at last," donald assured them. "i had cherished the hope that when you knew nan better--" he choked up for a moment, then laid his hands on his father's shoulders. "well, sir," he gulped, "i'm going down to the sawdust pile and thank nan for saving my life. not," he added bitterly, "that i anticipate enjoying that life to the fullest for some years to come. if i did not believe that time will solve the problem--" the laird's heart leaped. "tush, tush, boy. run along and don't do anything foolish." he slapped donald heartily across the back while the decisive sweep of that same hand an instant later informed the women of his household that it would be unnecessary to discuss this painful matter further. "i understand just how you feel, dad. i hold no resentment," donald assured him, and dragged the laird close to him in a filial embrace. he crossed the room and kissed his mother, who clung to him a moment, tearfully; seeing him so submissive, jane and elizabeth each came up and claimed the right to embrace him with sisterly affection. the butler entered to announce that the car was waiting at the front door. old hector helped his son into a great coat and mrs. mckaye wound a reefer around his neck and tucked the ends inside the coat. then the laird helped him into the car; as it rolled slowly down the cliff road, old hector snorted with relief. "by judas," he declared, "i never dreamed the boy would accept such an ultimatum." "well, the way to find out is to try," elizabeth suggested. "sorry to have been forced to disregard that optical s.o.s. of yours, dad, but i realized that we had to strike now or never." "whew-w-w!" the laird whistled again. xl with the license of long familiarity, donald knocked at the front door of the brent cottage to announce his arrival; then, without awaiting permission to enter, he opened the door and met nan in the tiny hall hurrying to admit him. "you--donald!" she reproved him. "what are you doing here? you shouldn't be out." "that's why i came in," he retorted drily and kissed her. "and i'm here because i couldn't stand the dreamerie another instant. i wanted my mother and sisters to call on you and thank you for having been so nice to me during my illness, but the idea wasn't received, very enthusiastically. so, for the sheer sake of doing the decent thing i've called myself. it might please you," he added, "to know that my father thought i should." "he is always tactful and kind," she agreed. she led him to her father's old easy chair in the living room. "as dirty dan o'leary once remarked in my presence," he began, "it is a long lane that hasn't got a saloon at the end of it. i will first light a cigarette, if i may, and make myself comfortable, before putting you on the witness stand and subjecting you to a severe cross-examination. seat yourself on that little hassock before me and in such a position that i can look squarely into your face and note flush of guilt when you fib to me." she obeyed, with some slight inward trepidation, and sat looking up at him demurely. "nan," he began, "did anybody ever suggest to you that the sporty thing for you to do would be to run away and hide where i could never find you?" she shook her head. "did anybody ever suggest to you that the sporty thing for you to do would be to return to port agnew from your involuntary exile and inspire me with some enthusiasm for life?" his keen perception did not fail to interpret the slight flush of embarrassment that suffused nan's face. "i object to that question, your honor," she replied with cleverly simulated gaiety, "on the ground that to do so would necessitate the violation of a confidence." "the objection is sustained by the court. did my father or andrew daney, acting for him, ever offer you any sum of money as a bribe for disappearing out of my life?" "no. your father offered to be very, very kind to me the morning i was leaving. we met at the railroad station and his offer was made _after_ i informed him that i was leaving port agnew forever--and why. so i know he made the offer just because he wanted to be kind--because he is kind." "neither he nor daney communicated with you in anyway following your departure from port agnew?" "they did not." "before leaving new york or immediately after your return to port agnew, did you enter into verbal agreement with any member of my family or their representative to nurse me back to health and then jilt me?" "i did not. the morning i appeared at the hospital your father, remembering my statement to him the morning i fled from port agnew, suspected that i had had a change of heart. he said to me: 'so this is your idea of playing the game, is it?' i assured him then that i had not returned to port agnew with the intention of marrying you, but merely to stiffen your morale, as it were. he seemed quite satisfied with my explanation, which i gave him in absolute good faith." "did he ever question you as to how you ascertained i was ill?" "no. while i cannot explain my impression, i gathered at the time that he knew." "he credited andrew daney with that philanthropic job, nan. he does not know that my mother communicated with you." "neither do you, donald. i have not told you she did." "i am not such a stupid fellow as to believe you would ever tell me anything that might hurt me, nan. one does not relish the information that one's mother has not exhibited the sort of delicacy one expects of one's mother," he added bluntly. "it is not nice of you to say that, donald. how do you know that mr. daney did not send for me?" he smiled tolerantly. "before daney would dare do that he would consult with my father, and if my father had consented to it he would never have left to daney the task of requesting such a tremendous favor of you for his account. if daney ever consulted my father as to the advisability of such a course, my father refused to consider it." "what makes you think so, old smarty?" "well, i know my father's code. he had no hesitancy in permitting you to know that you were not welcome as a prospective daughter-in-law, although he was not so rude as to tell you why. he left that to your imagination. now, for my father to ask a favor of anybody is very unusual. he has a motto that a favor accepted is a debt incurred, and he dislikes those perennial debts. my father is a trader, my dear. if he had, directly or indirectly, been responsible for your return to port agnew for the purpose of saving his son's life, he would not be--well, he just wouldn't do it," he explained with some embarrassment. "he couldn't do it. he would say to you, 'my son is dying because he finds life uninteresting without you. if you return, your presence will stimulate in him a renewed interest in life and he will, in all probability, survive. if you are good enough to save my son from death you are good enough to share his life, and although this wedding is about going to kill me, nevertheless we will pull it off and make believe we like it.'" "nonsense," she retorted. "knowing how my father would act under such circumstances, i was dumfounded when he informed me this afternoon that you had agreed to perform under false pretenses. he was quite certain you would proceed to jilt me, now that i am strong enough to stand it. he said you had promised him you would." "i did not promise him. i merely told him truthfully what my firm intention was at the time he demanded to be informed as to the nature of my intentions. i reserved my woman's right to change my mind." "oh!" "had i made your father a definite promise i would have kept it. if i were a party to such a contract with your father, donald dear, all of your pleading to induce me to break it would be in vain." "a contract without a consideration is void in law," he reminded her. "dad just figured he could bank on your love for me. he did you the honor to think it was so strong and wonderful that death would be a delirious delight to you in preference to spoiling my career by marrying me--well--elizabeth disillusioned him!" nan's eyebrows lifted perceptibly. "she informed my father in my presence," donald continued, "that you had had a change of heart; that you were now resolved to accept me should i again ask you to marry me. it appears you had told andrew daney this--in cold blood as it were. so dad went to the telephone and verified this report by daney; then we had a grand show-down and i was definitely given my choice of habitation--the dreamerie or the sawdust pile. father, mother, elizabeth and jane; jointly and severally assured me that they would never receive you, so nan, dear, it appears that i will have to pay rather a heavy price for the privilege of marrying you--" "i have never told you i would marry you," she cried sharply. "yes, you did. that day in the hospital." "that was a very necessary fib and you should not hold it against me. it was a promise absolutely not made in good faith." "but did you tell daney that you would accept me if i should ask you again to marry me?" she was visibly agitated but answered him truthfully. "yes, i did." "you said it in anger?" "yes." very softly. "daney had come to you with an offer of monetary reward for your invaluable services to the mckaye family, had he not? and since what you did was not done for profit, you were properly infuriated and couldn't resist giving daney the scare of his life? that was the way of it, was it not?" nan nodded and some tears that trembled on her long lashes were flicked off by the vigor of the nod; some of them fell on the big gaunt hands that held hers. "i suppose you haven't sufficient money with which to return to new york?" he continued. again she nodded an affirmative. "just what are your plans, dear?" "i suppose i'll have to go somewhere and try to procure a position as a cook lady." "an admirable decision," he declared enthusiastically. "i'll give you a job cooking for me, provided you'll agree to marry me and permit me to live in your house. i'm a man without a home and you've just _got_ to take me in, nan. i have no other place to lay my weary head." she looked at him and through the blur of her tears she saw him smiling down at her, calmly, benignantly and with that little touch of whimsicality that was always in evidence and which even his heavy heart could not now subdue. "you've--you've--chosen the sawdust pile?" she cried incredulously. "how else would a man of spirit choose, old shipmate?" "but you're not marrying me to save me from poverty, donald? you must be certain you aren't mistaking for love the sympathy which rises so naturally in that big heart of yours. if it's only a great pity--if it's only the protective instinct--" "hush! it's all of that and then some. i'm a man grown beyond the puppy-love stage, my dear--and the mckayes are not an impulsive race. we count the costs carefully and take careful note of the potential profits. and while i could grant my people the right to make hash of my happiness i must, for some inexplicable reason, deny them the privilege of doing it with yours. i think i can make you happy, nan; not so happy, perhaps, that the shadow of your sorrow will not fall across your life occasionally, but so much happier than you are at present that the experiment seems worth trying, even at the expense of sacrificing the worldly pride of my people." "are you entertaining a strong hope that after you marry me, dear, your people will forgive you, make the best of what they consider a bad bargain and acknowledge me after a fashion? do you think they will let bygones be bygones and take me to their hearts--for your sake?" "i entertain no such silly illusion. under no circumstances will they ever acknowledge you after a fashion, for the very sufficient reason that the opportunity to be martyrs will never be accorded my mother and sisters by yours truly, donald mckaye, late laird apparent of port agnew. bless, your sweet soul, nan, i have some pride, you know. i wouldn't permit them to tolerate you. i prefer open warfare every time." "have you broken with your people, dear?" "yes, but they do not know it yet. i didn't have the heart to raise a scene, so i merely gave the old pater a hug, kissed mother and the girls and came away. i'm not going back." "you will--if i refuse to marry you?" "i do not anticipate such a refusal. however, it hoes not enter into the matter at all in so far as my decision to quit the dreamerie is concerned. i'm through! listen, nan. i could win my father to you--win him wholeheartedly and without reservation--if i should inform him that my mother asked you to come back to port agnew. my mother and the girls have not told him of this and i suspect they have encouraged his assumption that andrew daney took matters in his own hands. father has not cared to inquire into the matter, anyhow, because he is secretly grateful to daney (as he thinks) for disobeying him. mother and the girls are forcing daney to protect them; they are using his loyalty to the family as a club to keep him in line. with that club they forced him to come to you with a proposition that must have been repugnant to him, if for no other reason than that he knew my father would not countenance it. when you told him you would marry me if i should ask you again, to whom did daney report? to elizabeth, of course--the brains of the opposition. that proves to me that my father had nothing to do with it--why the story is as easily understood from deduction as if i had heard the details from their lips. but i cannot use my mother's peace of mind as a club to beat dad into line; i cannot tell him something that will almost make him hate mother and my sisters; i would not force him to do that which he does not desire to do because it is the kindly, sensible and humane course. so i shall sit tight and say nothing--and by the way, i love you more than ever for keeping this affair from me. so few women are true blue sports, i'm afraid." "you must be very, very angry and hurt, donald?" "i am. so angry and hurt that i desire to be happy within the shortest possible period of elapsed time. now, old girl, look right into my eyes, because i'm going to propose to you for the last time. my worldly assets consist of about a hundred dollars in cash and a six dollar wedding ring which i bought as i came through port agnew. with these wordly goods and all the love and honor and respect a man can possibly have for a woman, i desire to endow you. answer me quickly. yes or no?" "yes," she whispered. "you chatterbox! when?" "at your pleasure." "that's trading talk. we'll be married this afternoon." he stretched out his long arms for her and as she slid off the low hassock and knelt beside his chair, he gathered her hungrily to him and held her there for a long time before he spoke again. when he did it was to say, with an air of wonder that was almost childlike: "i never knew it was possible for a man to be so utterly wretched and so tremendously happy and all within the same hour. i love you so much it hurts." he released her and glanced at his watch. "it is now two o'clock, nan. if we leave here by three we can reach the county seat by five o'clock, procure a license and be married by six. by half past seven we will have finished our wedding supper and by about ten o'clock we shall be back at the sawdust pile. put a clean pair of rompers on the young fellow and let's go! from this day forward we live, like the sinn fein. 'for ourselves alone.'" while nan was preparing for that hurried ceremony, donald strolled about the little yard, looking over the neglected garden and marking for future attention various matters such as a broken hinge on the gate, some palings off the fence and the crying necessity for paint on the little white house, for he was striving mightily to shut out all thought of his past life and concentrate on matters that had to do with the future. presently he wandered out on the bulkhead. the great white gulls which spent their leisure hours gravely contemplating the bight of tyee from the decaying piling, rose lazily at his approach and with hoarse cries of resentment flapped out to sea; his dull glance followed them and rested on a familiar sight. through the bight of tyee his father's barkentine kohala was coming home from honolulu, ramping in before a twenty mile breeze with every shred of canvas drawing. she was heeled over to starboard a little and there was a pretty little bone in her teeth; the colors streamed from her mizzen rigging while from her foretruck the house-flag flew. idly donald watched her until she was abreast and below the dreamerie and her house-flag dipped in salute to the master watching from the cliff; instantly the young laird of tyee saw a woolly puff of smoke break from the terrace below the house and several seconds later the dull boom of the signal gun. his heart was constricted. "ah, never for me!" he murmured, "never for me--until he tells them to look toward the sawdust pile for the master!" he strode out to the gate where his father's chauffeur waited with the limousine. "take the car home," he ordered, "and as you pass through town stop in at the central garage and tell them to send a closed car over to me here." the chauffeur looked at him with surprise but obeyed at once. by the time the hired car had arrived nan and her child were ready, and just before locking the house nan, realizing that they would not return to the sawdust pile until long after nightfall, hauled in the flag that floated over the little cupola; and for the second time, old hector, watching up on the cliff, viewed this infallible portent of an event out of the ordinary. his hand trembled as he held his marine glasses to his blurred eyes and focussed on the sawdust pile, in time to see his son enter the limousine with nan brent and her child--and even at that distance he could see that the car in which they were departing from the sawdust pile was not the one in which donald had left the dreamerie. from that fact alone the laird deduced that his son had made his choice; and because donald was his father's son, imbued with the same fierce high pride and love of independence, he declined to be under obligation to his people even for the service of an automobile upon his wedding day. the laird stood watching the car until it was out of sight; then he sighed very deeply, entered the house and rang for the butler. "tell mrs. mckaye and the young ladies that i would thank them to come here at once," he ordered calmly. they came precipitately, vaguely apprehensive. "my dears," he said in an unnaturally subdued voice, "donald has just left the sawdust pile with the brent lass to be married. he has made his bed and it is my wish that he shall lie in it." "oh, hector!" mrs. mckaye had spoken quaveringly. "oh, hector, dear, do not be hard on him!" he raised his great arm as if to silence further argument. "he has brought disgrace upon my house. he is no longer son of mine and we are discussing him for the last time. hear me, now. there will be no further mention of donald in my presence and i forbid you, nellie, you, elizabeth and you, jane, to have aught to do wie him, directly or indirectly." mrs. mckaye sat down abruptly and commenced to weep and wail her woe aloud, while jane sought vainly to comfort her. elizabeth bore the news with extreme fortitude; with unexpected tact she took her father by the arm and steered him outside and along the terrace walk where the agonized sobs and moans of her mother could not be heard--for what elizabeth feared in that first great moment of remorse was a torrent of self-accusation from her mother. if, as her father had stated, donald was en route to be married, then the mischief was done and no good could come out of a confession to the laird of the manner in which the family honor had been compromised, not by donald, but by his mother, aided and abetted by his sisters! the laird, now quite dumb with distress, walked in silence with his eldest daughter, vaguely conscious of the comfort of her company and sympathy in his hour of trial. when elizabeth could catch jane's attention through the window she cautiously placed her finger on her lip and frowned a warning. jane nodded her comprehension and promptly bore her mother off to bed where she gave the poor soul some salutary advice and left her to the meager comfort of solitude and smelling salts. * * * * * just before he retired that night, the laird saw a light shine suddenly forth from the sawdust pile. so he knew his son had selected a home for his bride, and rage and bitterness mingled with his grief and mangled pride to such an extent that he called upon god to take him out of a world that had crumbled about his hoary head. he shook his fist at the little light that blinked so far below him and mrs. mckaye, who had crept down stairs with a half-formed notion of confessing to the laird in the hope of mitigating her son's offense--of, mother-like, taking upon her shoulders an equal burden of the blame--caught a glimpse of old hector's face, and her courage failed her. thoroughly frightened she returned noiselessly to her room and wept, dry-eyed, for the fountain of her tears had long since been exhausted. meanwhile, down at the sawdust pile, nan was putting her drowsy son to bed; in the little living-room her husband had lighted the driftwood fire and had drawn the old divan up to the blue flames. he was sitting with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands, outlining plans for their future, when nan, having put her child to bed, came and sat down beside him. he glanced at her with troubled eyes and grinned a trifle foolishly. "happy?" he queried. she nodded. "in a limited fashion only, dear heart. i'm thinking how wonderfully courageous you have been to marry me and how tremendously grateful i shall always be for your love and faith." she captured his right hand and fondled it for a moment in both of hers, smiling a little thoughtfully the while as if at some dear little secret. "port agnew will think i married you for money," she resumed presently; "your mother and sisters will think i married you to spite them and your father will think i married you because you insisted and because i was storm-tossed and had to find a haven from the world. but the real reason is that i love you and know that some day i am going to see more happiness in your eyes than i can see to-night." again, in that impulsive way she had, she bent and kissed his hand. "dear king cophetua," she murmured, "your beggar maid will never be done with adoring you." she looked up at him with a sweet and lovely wistfulness shining in her sea-blue eyes. "and the sweetest thing about it, you angelic simpleton," she added, "is that you will never, never, never know why." xli the first hint of the tremendous events impending came to mr. daney through the medium of no less an informant than his wife. upon returning from the mill office on the evening of donald mckaye's marriage, mr. daney was met at his front door by mrs. daney who cried triumphantly: "well, what did i tell you about donald mckaye?" mr. daney twitched inwardly, but answered composedly. "not one-tenth of one per cent, of what i have discovered without your valuable assistance my dear." she wrinkled the end of her nose disdainfully. "he's gone motoring with nan brent in a hired car, and they took the baby with them. they passed through town about half past two this afternoon and they haven't returned yet." "how do you know all this?" he demanded coolly. "i saw them as they passed by on the road below; i recognized that rent limousine of the central garage with ben nicholson driving it, and a few moments ago i telephoned the central garage and asked for ben. he hasn't returned yet--and it's been dark for half an hour." "hum-m-m! what do you suspect, my dear?" "the worst," she replied dramatically. "what a wonderful fall day this has been," he remarked blandly as he hung up his hat. she turned upon him a glance of fury; he met it with one so calm and impersonal that the good lady quite lost control of herself. "why do you withhold your confidence from me?" she cried sharply. "because you wouldn't respect it, my dear; also, because i'm paid to keep the mckaye secrets and you're not." "is he going to marry her, andrew? answer me," she demanded. "unfortunately for you, mrs. daney, the young gentleman hasn't taken me into his confidence. neither has the young lady. of course i entertain an opinion, on the subject, but since i am not given to discussing the intimate personal affairs of other people, you'll excuse my reticence on this subject, i'm sure. i repeat that this has been a wonderful fall day." she burst into tears of futile rage and went to her room. mr. daney partook of his dinner in solitary state and immediately after dinner strolled down town and loitered around the entrance to the central garage until he saw ben nicholson drive in about ten o'clock. "hello, ben," he hailed the driver as ben descended from his seat. "i hear you've been pulling off a wedding." ben nicholson lowered his voice and spoke out the corner of his mouth. "what do you know about the young laird, eh, mr. daney? say i could 'a' cried to see him throwin' himself away on that jane." mr. daney shrugged. "oh, well, boys will be boys," he declared. "the bigger they are the harder they fall. of course, ben, you understand i'm not in position to say anything, one way or the other," he added parenthetically, and ben nicholson nodded comprehension. thereupon mr. daney sauntered over to the cigar stand in the hotel, loaded his cigar case and went down to his office, where he sat until midnight, smoking and thinking. the sole result of his cogitations, however, he summed up in a remark he directed at the cuspidor just before he went home: "well, there's blood on the moon and hell will pop in the morning." for the small part he had played in bringing nan brent back to port agnew, the general manager fully expected to be dismissed from the mckaye service within thirty seconds after old hector should reach the mill office; hence with the heroism born of twelve hours of preparation he was at his desk at eight o'clock next morning. at nine o'clock the laird came in and mr. daney saw by his face instantly that old hector knew. the general manager rose at his desk and bowed with great dignity. "moritori salutamus, sir," he announced gravely. "what the devil are you talking about, daney?" the laird demanded irritably. "that's what the gladiators used to say to the roman populace. it means, i believe, 'we who are about to die, salute you.' here is my resignation, mr. mckaye." "don't be an ass, andrew," the laird commanded and threw the proffered resignation into the waste basket. "why should you resign?" "to spare the trouble of discharging me, sir." "what for?" "bringing the brent girl back to port agnew. if i hadn't gotten her address from dirty dan i would never have suggested to--" "enough. we will not discuss what might have been, andrew. the boy has married her, and since the blow has fallen nothing that preceded it is of the slightest importance. what i have called to say to you is this: donald mckaye is no longer connected with the tyee lumber company." "oh, come, come, sir," daney pleaded. "the mischief is done. you'll have to forgive the boy and make the best of a bad business. what can't be cured must be endured, you know." "not necessarily. and you might spare me your platitude, andrew," the laird replied savagely. "i'm done with the lad forever, for son of mine he is no longer. andrew, do you remember the time he bought that red cedar stumpage up on the wiskah and unloaded it on me at a profit of two hundred thousand dollars?" mr. daney nodded. "and you, in turn, sold it at a profit of fifty thousand," he reminded the irate old man. "donald did not retain that profit he made at my expense. 'twas just a joke with him. he put the money into bonds and sent them to you with instructions to place them in my vault for my account." mr. daney nodded and the laird resumed. "take those bonds to the sawdust pile, together with a check for all the interest collected on the coupons since they came into my possession, and tell him from me that i'll take it kindly of him to leave port agnew and make a start for himself elsewhere as quickly as he can. he owes it to his family not to affront it by his presence in port agnew, giving ground for gossip and scandal and piling needless sorrow upon us. and when the sawdust pile is again vacant you will remove the brent house and put in the drying yard you've planned this many a year." "very well, sir. it's not a task to my liking, but--" his pause was eloquent. "have my old desk put in order for me. i'm back in the harness and back to stay, and at that i'm not so certain it isn't the best thing for me, under the present circumstances. i dare say," he added, with a sudden change of tone, "the news is all over port agnew this morning." mr. daney nodded. "you will procure donald's resignation as president and have him endorse the stock i gave him in order to qualify as a director of the company. we'll hold a directors' meeting this afternoon and i'll step back into the presidency." "very well, sir." "you will cause a notice to be prepared for my signature, to be spread on the bulletin board in each department, to the effect that donald mckaye is no longer connected in any way with the tyee lumber company." "damn it, man," daney roared wrathfully, "have you no pride? why wash your dirty linen in public?" "you are forgetting yourself, my good andrew. if you do not wish to obey my orders i shall have little difficulty inducing your assistant to carry out my wishes, i'm thinking." the laird's voice was calm enough; apparently he had himself under perfect control, but--the blue-bonnets-coming-over-the-border look was in his fierce gray eyes; under his bushy iron-gray brows they burned like campfires in twin caverns at night. his arms, bowed belligerently, hung tense at his side, his great hands opened and closed, a little to the fore; he licked his lips and in the brief silence that followed ere mr. daney got up and started fumbling with the combination to the great vault in the corner, old hector's breath came in short snorts. he turned and, still in the same attitude, watched daney while the latter twirled and fumbled and twirled. poor man! he knew the laird's baleful glance was boring into his back and for the life of him he could not remember the combination he had used for thirty years. suddenly he abandoned all pretense and turned savagely on the laird. "get out of my office," he yelled. "i work for you, hector mckaye, but i give you value received and in this office i'm king and be damned to you." his voice rose to a shrill, childish treble that presaged tears of rage. "you'll be sorry for this, you hard-hearted man. please god i'll live to see the day your dirty scotch pride will be humbled and you'll go to that wonderful boy and his wife and plead for forgiveness. why, you poor, pitiful, pusillanimous old pachyderm, if the boy has dishonored you he has honored himself. he's a gallant young gentleman, that's what he is. he has more guts than a bear. he's _married_ the girl, damn you--and that's more than you would have done at his age. ah, don't talk to me! we were young together and i know the game you played forty years ago with the girl at the rat portage--yes, you--you with your youth and your hot passions--turning your big proud back on your peculiar personal god to wallow in sin and enjoy it." "but i--i was a single man then," the laird sputtered, almost inarticulate with fury and astonishment. "he was a single man yesterday but he's a married man to-day. and she loves him. she adores him. you can see it in her eyes when his name is mentioned. and she had no _reason_ to behave herself, had she? she has behaved herself for three long years, but did she win anybody's approbation for doing it? i'm telling you a masterful man like him might have had her without the wedding ring, for love's sake, if he'd cared to play a waiting game and stack the cards on her. after all, she's human." suddenly he commenced to weep with fury, the tears cascading into his whiskers making him look singularly ridiculous in comparison with the expression on his face, which was anything but grievous. "marriage! marriage!" he croaked. "i know what it is. i married a fat-head--and so did my wife. we've never known romance; never had anything but a quiet, well-ordered existence. i've dwelt in repression; never got out of life a single one of those thrills that comes of doing something daring and original and nasty. never had an adventure; never had a woman look at me like i was a god; married at twenty and never knew the grand passion." he threw up his arms. "oh-h-h, god-d-d! if i could only be young again i'd be a devil! praise be, i know one man with guts enough to tell 'em all to go to hell." with a peculiar little moving cry he started for the door. "andrew," the laird cried anxiously. "where are you going?" "none of your infernal business," the rebel shrilled, "but if you must know, i'm going down to the sawdust pile to kiss the bride and shake a man's hand and wish him well. after i've done that i'll deliver your message. mark me, he'll never take those bonds." "of course he will, you old fool. they belong to him." "but he refused to make a profit at the expense of his own father. he gave them to you and he's not an indian giver." "andrew, i have never known you to act in such a peculiar manner. are you crazy? of course he'll take them. he'll have to take them in order to get out of port agnew. i doubt if he has a dollar in the world." mr. daney beat his chest gorilla fashion. "he doesn't need a dollar. boy and man, i've loved that--ahem! son of yours. why, he always _did_ have guts. keep your filthy money. the boy's credit is good with me. i'm no pauper, even i if do work for you. i work for fun. understand. or do you, hector mckaye?" "if you dare to loan my son as much as a thin dime i'll fire you out of hand." mr. daney jeered. "how?" he demanded very distinctly, and yet with a queer, unusual blending of the sentence with a single word, as if the very force of his breath had telescoped every syllable, "would you like to stand off in that corner there and take a long runnin' jump at yourself, proud father?" "out of this office! you're fired." mr. daney dashed the tears from his whiskers and blew his nose. then he pulled himself together with dignity and bowed so low he lost his center of gravity and teetered a little on his toes before recovering his balance. "fired is good," he declared. "where do you get that stuff, eh? my dear old furiosity, ain't my resignation in the waste-basket? good-by, good luck and may the good lord give you the sense god gives geese. i'm a better man than you are, gunga din." the door banged open. then it banged shut and the laird was alone. the incident was closed. the impossible had come to pass. for the strain had been too great, and at nine o'clock on a working day morning, steady, reliable, dependable, automatic andrew daney having imbibed dutch courage in lieu of nature's own brand, was, for the first time in his life, jingled to an extent comparable to that of a boiled owl. mr. daney's assistant thrust his head in the door, to disturb the laird's cogitations. "the knee-bolters went out at the shingle mill this morning, sir," he announced. "they want a six and a half hour day and a fifty per cent. increase in wages, with a whole holiday on saturday. there's a big russian red down there exhorting them." "send dirty dan to me. quick!" a telephonic summons to the loading shed brought daniel p. o'leary on the run. "come with me, dan," the laird commanded, and started for the shingle mill. on the way down he stopped at the warehouse and selected a new double-bitted ax which he handed to dirty dan. mr. o'leary received the weapon in silence and trotted along at the laird's heels like a faithful dog, until, upon arrival at the shingle mill the astute hibernian took in the situation at a glance. "sure, 'tis no compliment you've paid me, sor, thinkin' i'll be afther needin' an ax to take that fella's measure," he protested. "your job is to keep those other animals off me while _i_ take his measure," the laird corrected him. without an instant's hesitation dirty dan swung his ax and charged the crowd. "gower that, ye vagabones," he screeched. as he passed the russian he seized the latter by the collar, swung him and threw him bodily toward old hector, who received him greedily and drew him to his heart. the terrible o'leary then stood over the battling pair, his ax poised, the while he hurled insult and anathema at the knee-bolters. a very large percentage of knee-bolters and shingle weavers are members of the i.w.w. and knowing this, mr. o'leary begged in dulcet tones, to be informed why in this and that nobody seemed willing to lift a hand to rescue the little comrade. he appeared to be keenly disappointed because nobody tried, albeit other axes were quite plentiful thereabouts. presently the laird got up and dusted the splinters and sawdust from his clothing; the red, battered terribly, lay weltering in his blood. "i feel better now," said the laird. "this is just what i needed this morning to bring me out of myself. help yourself, dan," and he made a dive at the nearest striker, who fled, followed by his fellow-strikers, all hotly pursued by the laird and the demon daniel. the laird returned, puffing slightly, to his office and once more sat in at his own desk. as he remarked to dirty dan, he felt better now. all his resentment against daney had fled but his resolution to pursue his contemplated course with reference to his son and the latter's wife had become firmer than ever. in some ways the laird was a terrible old man. xlii nan was not at all surprised when, upon responding to a peremptory knock at her front door she discovered andrew daney standing without. the general manager, after his stormy interview with the laird had spent two hours in the sunny lee of a lumber pile, waiting for the alcoholic fogs to lift from his brain, for he had had sense enough left to realize that all was not well with him; he desired to have his tongue in order when he should meet the bride and groom. "good morning, mr. daney," nan greeted him. "do come in." "good morning, mrs. mckaye. thank you. i shall with pleasure." he followed her down the little hallway to the living room where donald sat with his great thin legs stretched out toward the fire. "don't rise, boy, don't rise," mr. daney protested. "i merely called to kiss the bride and shake your hand, my boy. the visit is entirely friendly and unofficial." "mr. daney, you're a dear," nan cried, and presented her fair cheek for the tribute he claimed. "shake hands with a rebel, boy," mr. daney cried heartily to donald. "god bless you and may you always be happier than you are this minute." donald wrung the daney digits with a heartiness he would not have thought possible a month before. "i've quarreled with your father, donald," he announced, seating himself. "over you--and you," he added, nodding brightly at both young people. "he thinks he's fired me." he paused, glanced around, coughed a couple of times and came out with it. "well, what are you going to do now to put tobacco in your old tobacco box, donald?" donald smiled sadly. "oh, nan still has a few dollars left from that motor-boat swindle you perpetrated, mr. daney. she'll take care of me for a couple of weeks until i'm myself again; then, if my father still proves recalcitrant and declines to have me connected with the tyee lumber company, i'll manage to make a living for nan and the boy somewhere else." briefly mr. daney outlined the laird's expressed course of action with regard to his son. "he means it," donald assured the general manager. "he never bluffs. he gave me plenty of warning and his decision has not been arrived at in a hurry. he's through with me." "i fear he is, my boy. er-ah-ahem! harumph-h-h! do you remember those bonds you sent me from new york once--the proceeds of your deal in that wiskah river cedar?" "yes." "your father desires that you accept the entire two hundred thousand dollars worth and accrued interest." "why?" "well, i suppose he thinks they'll come in handy when you leave port agnew." "well, i'm not going to leave port agnew, andrew." "your father instructed me to say to you that he would take it kindly of you to do so--for obvious reasons." "i appreciate his point of view, but since he has kicked me out he has no claim on my sympathies--at least not to the extent of forcing his point of view and causing me to abandon my own. please say to my father that since i cannot have his forgiveness i do not want his bonds or his money. tell him also, please, that i'm not going to leave port agnew, because that would predicate a sense of guilt on my part and lend some support to the popular assumption that my wife is not a virtuous woman. i could not possibly oblige my father on this point because to do so would be a violent discourtesy to my wife. i am not ashamed of her, you know." mr. daney gnawed his thumb nail furiously. "'the wicked flee when no man pursueth'," he quoted. "however, mr. donald, you know as well as i do that if your father should forbid it, a dicky bird couldn't make a living in this town." "there are no such restrictions in darrow, mr. daney. the superintendent up there will give me a job on the river." mr. daney could not forbear an expression of horror. "hector mckaye's son a river hog!" he cried incredulously. "well, donald mckaye's father was a river hog, wasn't he?" "oh, but times have changed since hector was a pup, my boy. why, this is dreadful." "no, mr. daney. merely unusual." "well, donald, i think your father will raise the ante considerably in order to avoid that added disgrace and force you to listen to reason." "if he does, sir, please spare yourself the trouble of bearing his message. neither nan nor i is for sale, sir." "i told him you'd decline the bonds. however, mr. donald, there is no reason in life why you shouldn't get money from me whenever you want it. thanks to your father i'm worth more than a hundred thousand myself, although you'd never guess it. your credit is a- with me." "i shall be your debtor for life because of that speech, mr. daney. any news from my mother and the girls?" "none." "well, i'll stand by for results," donald assured him gravely. "do not expect any." "i don't." mr. daney fidgeted and finally said he guessed he'd better be trotting along, and donald and nan, realizing it would be no kindness to him to be polite and assure him there was no need of hurry, permitted him to depart forthwith. "i think, sweetheart," donald announced with a pained little smile, as he returned from seeing mr. daney to the front gate, "that it wouldn't be a half bad idea for you to sit in at that old piano and play and sing for me. i think i'd like something light and lilting. what's that kipling thing that's been set to music?" so we went strolling, down by the rolling, down by the rolling sea. you may keep your croak for other folk but you can't frighten me! he lighted a cigarette and stretched himself out on the old divan. she watched him blowing smoke rings at the ceiling--and there was no music in her soul. in the afternoon the mckaye limousine drew up at the front gate and nan's heart fluttered violently in contemplation of a visit from her husband's mother and sisters. she need not have worried, however. the interior of the car was unoccupied save for donald's clothing and personal effects which some thoughtful person at the dreamerie had sent down to him. he hazarded a guess that the cool and practical elizabeth had realized his needs. xliii returning to the mill office, mr. daney sat at his desk and started to look over the mail. the laird heard his desk buzzer sounding frequently and rightly conjecturing that his general manager was back on the job, he came into the latter's office and glared at him. "i thought i fired you?" he growled. "i know. you thought you did," the rebel replied complacently. "i see by your knuckles you've been fighting. hope it did you good." "it did. are you going to leave this office?" "no, sir." "i didn't think you would. well, well! out with it." mr. daney drew a deal of pleasure from that invitation. "the boy directs me to inform you, sir, that he will not accept the bonds nor any monies you may desire to give him. he says he doesn't need them because he isn't going to leave port agnew." "nonsense, andrew. he cannot remain in this town. he hasn't the courage to face his little world after marrying that girl. and he has to make a living for her." "we shall see that which we shall see," mr. daney replied enigmatically. "i wonder if it is possible he is trying to outgame me," old hector mused aloud. "andrew, go back and tell him that if he will go to california to live i will deed him that lassen county sugar and white pine and build him the finest mill in the state." "the terms are quite impossible," daney retorted and explained why. "he shall get out of port agnew," the laird threatened. "he shall get out or starve." "you are forgetting something, sir." "forgetting what?" "that i have more than a hundred thousand dollars in bonds right in that vault and that i have not as yet developed paralysis of the right hand. the boy shall not starve and neither shall he crawl, like a beaten dog currying favor with the one that has struck him." "i am the one who has been struck--and he has wounded me sorely," the laird cried, his voice cracked with anger. "the mischief is done. what's the use of crying over spilled milk? you're going to forgive the boy sooner or later, so do it now and be graceful about it." "i'll never forgive him, andrew." mr. daney walled his eyes toward the ceiling. "thank god," he murmured piously, "i'm pure. hereafter, every time reverend mr. tingley says the lord's prayer i'm going to cough out loud in church at the line: 'forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.' you'll hear that cough and remember, hector mckaye." a deeper shadow of distress settled over the laird's stern features. "you're uncommon mean to me this bitter day, andrew," he complained wearily. "i take it as most unkind of you to thwart my wishes like this." "i'm for true love!" mr. daney declared firmly. "ah come, come now! don't be a stiff-necked old dodo. forgive the boy." "in time i may forgive him, andrew. i'm not sure of myself where he is concerned, but we canna receive the girl. 'tis not in reason that we should." "i believe i'll cough twice," daney murmured musingly. and the following day being sunday, he did! he sat two rows behind the mckaye family pew but across the aisle, and in a cold fury the laird turned to squelch him with a look. what he saw in the daney pew, however, chilled his fury and threw him into a veritable panic of embarrassment. for to the right of the incomprehensible general manager sat the young ex-laird of port agnew; at daney's left the old laird beheld his new daughter-in-law, while further down the pew as far as she could retreat, mrs. daney, with face aflame, sat rigid, her bovine countenance upraised and her somewhat vacuous glance fixed unblinkingly at a point some forty feet over mr. tingley's pious head. donald intercepted the old man's amazed and troubled glance, and smiled at his father with his eyes--an affectionate overture that was not lost on the laird ere he jerked his head and eyes once more to the front. mrs. mckaye and her two daughters were as yet unaware of the horror that impended. but not for long. when the congregation stood to sing the final hymn, nan's wondrous mezzo-soprano rose clear and sweet over the indifferent-toned notes of every other woman present; to the most dull it would have been obvious that there was a trained singer present, and mrs. mckaye and her daughters each cast a covert glance in the direction of the voice. however, since every other woman in the church was gazing at nan, nobody observed the effect of her presence upon the senior branch of the mckaye family, for which small blessing the family in question was duly grateful. at the conclusion of the service old hector remained in his pew until the majority of the congregation had filed out; then, assuring himself by a quick glance, that his son and the latter's wife had preceded him, he followed with mrs. mckaye and the girls. from the church steps he observed donald and nan walking home, while mr. daney and his outraged spouse followed some twenty feet behind them. quickly the laird and his family entered the waiting limousine; it was the first occasion that anybody could remember when he had not lingered to shake hands with mr. tingley and, perchance, congratulate him on the excellence of his sermon. they were half way up the cliff road before anybody spoke. then, with a long preliminary sigh, the laird voiced the thought that obsessed them all. "that damned mutton-head, daney. i'd run him out of the tyee employ if it would do a bit of good. i cannot run him out of town or out of church." "the imbecile!" elizabeth raged. jane was dumb with shame and rage and mrs. mckaye was sniffling a little. presently she said: "how dare he bring her right into church with him," she cried brokenly. "right before everybody. oh, dear, oh dear, is my son totally lacking in a sense of decency? this is terrible, terrible." "i shall not risk such another awful sunday morning," elizabeth announced. "nor i," jane cried with equal fervor. "we shall have to leave port agnew now," mrs, mckaye sobbed. old hector patted her hand. "yes, i think you'll have to, nellie. unfortunately, i cannot go with you. daney doesn't appear to be quite sane of late and with donald out of the business i'm chained to a desk for the remainder of my life. i fear, however," he added savagely, "i do not intend to let that woman run me out of my own church. not by a damned sight!" the instant they entered the house, rightly conjecturing that the daneys had also reached their home, mrs. mckaye went to the telephone and proceeded to inform mr. daney of the opinion which the mckaye family, jointly and severally, entertained for his idea of comedy. daney listened respectfully to all she had to say touching his sanity, his intelligence, his sense of decency, and his loyalty to hector and when, stung because he made no defense, she asked: "have you no explanation to make us for your extraordinary behavior?" he replied: "i am an usher of our church, mrs. mckaye. when donald and his wife entered the church the only vacant seats in it were in my pew; the only person in the church who would not have felt a sense of outrage at having your daughter-in-law seated with his or her family, was my self-sacrificing self. i could not be discourteous to donald and i'm quite certain his wife has as much right in our church as you have. so i shooed them both up to my pew, to the great distress of mrs. daney." "you should be ashamed of yourself, andrew. you should!" "i'm not ashamed of myself, mrs. mckaye. i've been a pussy-foot all my life. i had to do something i knew would detract from my popularity, but since i had to do it i decided to do it promptly and as if i enjoyed it. surely you would not have commended me had i met the young couple at the door and said to them: 'get out of this church. it is not for such as you. however, if you insist upon staying, you'll have to stand up or else sit down on the floor. nobody here wants to sit with you. they're afraid, too, they'll offend the chief pooh-bah of this town'." "you could have pretended you did not see them." "my dear mrs. mckaye," daney retorted in even tones, "do you wish me to inform your husband of a certain long distance telephone conversation? if so--" she hung up without waiting to say good-by, and the following day she left for seattle, accompanied by her daughters. throughout the week the laird forbore mentioning his son's name to mr. daney; indeed, he refrained from addressing the latter at all unless absolutely necessary to speak to him directly--wherefore daney knew himself to be blacklisted. on the following sunday the laird sat alone in the family pew and mr. daney did not cough during the recital of the lord's prayer, so old hector managed to conquer a tremendous yearning to glance around for the reason. also, as on the previous sunday, he was in no hurry to leave his pew at the conclusion of the service, yet, to his profound irritation, when he did leave it and start down the central aisle of the church, he looked squarely into the faces of donald and nan as they emerged from the daney pew. mrs. daney was conspicuous by her absence. nan's baby boy had fallen asleep during the service and donald was carrying the cherub. old hector's face went white; he gulped when his son spoke to him. "hello, dad. you looked lonely all by yourself in that big pew. suppose we come up and sit with you next sunday?" old hector paused and bent upon his son and nan a terrible look. "never speak to me again so long as you live," he replied in a low voice, and passed out of the church. donald gazed after his broad erect figure and shook his head dolefully, as mr. daney fell into step beside him. "i told you so," he whispered. "isn't it awful to be scotch?" nan inquired. "it is awful--on the scotch," her husband assured her. "the dear old fraud gulped like a broken-hearted boy when i spoke to him. he'd rather be wrong than president." as they were walking home to the sawdust pile, nan captured one of her husband's great fingers and swung it childishly. "i wish you didn't insist upon our going to church, sweetheart," she complained. "we're spoiling your father's christianity." "can't help it," he replied doggedly. "we're going to be thoroughbreds about this, no matter how much it hurts." she sighed. "and you're only half scotch, donald." xliv by noon of the following day, port agnew was astounded by news brought by the crew of one of the light draft launches used to tow log rafts down the river. donald mckaye was working for darrow. he was their raftsman; he had been seen out on the log boom, pike pole in hand, shoving logs in to the endless chain elevator that drew them up to the seas. as might be imagined, mrs. daney was among the first to glean this information, and to her husband she repeated it at luncheon with every evidence of pleasure. "tut, tut, woman," he replied carelessly, "this is no news to me. he told me yesterday after service that he had the job." the familiar wrinkle appeared for an instant on the end of her nose before she continued: "i wonder what the laird thinks of that, andrew?" "so do i," he parried skilfully. "does he know it?" "there isn't a soul in port agnew with sufficient courage to tell him." "why do you not tell him?" "none of my business. besides, i do not hanker to see people squirm with suffering." she wrinkled her nose once more and was silent. as mr. daney had declared, there was none in port agnew possessed of sufficient hardihood to inform the laird of his son's lowly status and it was three weeks before he discovered it for himself. he had gone up the river to one of his logging camps and the humor had seized him to make the trip in a fast little motor-boat he had given donald at christmas many years' before. he was busy adjusting the carburetor, after months of disuse, as he passed the darrow log boom in the morning, so he failed to see his big son leaping across the logs, balancing himself skilfully with the pike pole. it was rather late when he started home and in the knowledge that darkness might find him well up the river he hurried. now, from the bight of tyee to a point some five miles above darrow, the skookum flows in almost a straight line; the few bends are wide and gradual, and when the laird came to this home-stretch he urged the boat to its maximum speed of twenty-eight miles per hour. many a time in happier days he had raced down this long stretch with donald at the helm, and he knew the river thoroughly; as he sped along he steered mechanically, his mind occupied in a consideration of the dishonor that had come upon his clan. the sun had already set as he came roaring down a wide deep stretch near darrow's mill; in his preoccupation he forgot that his competitor's log boom stretched across the river fully two-thirds of its width; that he should throttle down, swerve well to starboard and avoid the field of stored logs. the deep shadows cast by the sucker growth and old snags along the bank blended with the dark surface of the log boom and prevented him from observing that he was headed for the heart of it; the first intimation he had of his danger came to him in a warning shout from the left bank--a shout that rose above the roar of the exhaust. "jump! overboard! quickly! the log boom!" old hector awoke from his bitter reverie. he, who had once been a river hog, had no need to be told of the danger incident to abrupt precipitation into the heart of that log boom, particularly when it would presently be gently agitated by the long high "bone" the racing boat carried in her teeth. when logs weighing twenty tons come gently together--even when they barely rub against each other, nothing living caught between them may survive. the unknown who warned him was right. he must jump overboard and take his chance in the river, for it was too late now to slow down and put his motor in reverse. in the impending crash that was only a matter of seconds, the laird would undoubtedly catapult from the stern sheets into the water--and if he should drift in under the logs, knew the river would eventually give up his body somewhere out in the bight of tyee. on the other hand, should he be thrown out on the boom he would stand an equal chance of being seriously injured by the impact or crushed to death when his helpless body should fall between the logs. in any event the boat would be telescoped down to the cockpit and sink at the edge of the log field. he was wearing a heavy overcoat, for it was late in the fall, and he had no time to remove it; not even time to stand up and dive clear. so he merely hurled his big body against the starboard gunwale and toppled overboard--and thirty feet further on the boat struck with a crash that echoed up and down the river, telescoped and drove under the log boom. it was not in right when old hector rose puffing to the surface and bellowed for help before starting to swim for the log boom. the voice answered him instantly: "coming! hold on!" handicapped as he was with his overcoat, old hector found it a prodigious task to reach the boom; as he clung to the boom-stick he could make out the figure of a man with a pike pole coming toward him in long leaps across the logs. and then old hector noticed something else. he had swum to the outer edge of the log boom and grasped the light boom-stick, dozens of which, chained end to end, formed the floating enclosure in which the log supply was stored. the moment he rested his weight on this boom-stick, however, one end of it submerged suddenly--wherefore the laird knew that the impact of the motor-boat had broken a link of the boom and that this broken end was now sweeping outward and downward, with the current releasing the millions of feet of stored logs. within a few minutes, provided he should keep afloat, he would be in the midst of these tremendous juggernauts, for, clinging to the end of the broken boom he was gradually describing a circle on the outside of the log field, swinging from beyond the middle of the river in to the left-hand bank; presently, when the boom should have drifted its maximum distance he would be hung up stationary in deep water while the released logs bore down upon him with the current and gently shoulder him into eternity. he clawed his way along the submerging boom-stick to its other end, where it was linked with its neighbor, and the combined buoyancy of both boom-sticks was sufficient to float him. "careful," he called to the man leaping over the log-field toward him. "the boom is broken! careful, i tell you! the logs are moving out--they're slipping apart. be careful." even as he spoke, the laird realized that the approaching rescuer would not heed him. he _had_ to make speed out to the edge of the moving logs; if he was to rescue the man clinging to the boom-sticks he must take a chance on those long leaps through the dusk; he _must_ reach the laird before too much open water developed between the moving logs. only a trained river man could have won to him in such a brief space of time; only an athlete could have made the last flying leap across six feet of dark water to a four-foot log that was bearing gently down, butt first, on the figure clinging to the boom-stick. his caulks bit far up the side of the log and the force of his impact started it rolling; yet even as he clawed his way to the top of the log and got it under control the iron head of his long pike pole drove into the boom-stick and fended the laird out of harm's way; before the log the man rode could slip by, the iron had been released and the link of chain between the two boom-sticks had been snagged with the pike hook, and both men drifted side by side. "safe--o," his rescuer warned old hector quietly. "hang on. i'll keep the logs away from you and when the field floats by i'll get you ashore. we're drifting gradually in toward the bank below the mill." the laird was too chilled, too exhausted and too lacking in breath to do more than gasp a brief word of thanks. it seemed a long, long time that he clung there, and it was quite dark when his rescuer spoke again. "i think the last log has floated out of the booming ground. i'll swim ashore with you now, as soon as i can shuck my boots and mackinaw." a few minutes later he cried reassuringly, "all set, old-timer," and slid into the water beside the laird. "relax yourself and do not struggle." his hands came up around old hector's jaws from the rear. "let go," he commanded, and the hard tow commenced. it was all footwork and their progress was very slow, but eventually they won through. as soon as he could stand erect in the mud the rescuer unceremoniously seized the laird by the nape and dragged him high and dry up the bank. "now, then," he gasped, "i guess you can take care of yourself. better go over to the mill and warm yourself in the furnace room. i've got to hurry away to 'phone the tyee people to swing a dozen spare links of their log boom across the river and stop those runaways before they escape into the bight and go to sea on the ebb." he was gone on the instant, clambering up the bank through the bushes that grew to the water's edge; old hector could hear his breath coming in great gasps as he ran. "must know that chap, whoever he is," the laird soliloquized. "think he's worked for me some time or other. his voice sounds mighty familiar. well--i'll look him up in the morning." he climbed after his rescuer and stumbled away through the murk toward darrow's mill. arrived here he found the fireman banking the fires in the furnace room and while he warmed himself one of them summoned bert darrow from the mill office. "bert," the laird explained, "i'd be obliged if you'd run me home in more or less of a hurry in your closed car. i've been in the drink," and he related the tale of his recent adventures. "your raftsman saved my life," he concluded. "who is he? it was so dark before he got to me i couldn't see his face distinctly, but i think he's a young fellow who used to work for me. i know because his voice sounds so very familiar." "he's a new hand, i believe. lives in port agnew. i believe your man daney can tell you his name," darrow replied evasively. "i'll ask daney. the man was gone before i could recover enough breath to thank him for my life. sorry to have messed up your boom, bert, but we'll stop the runaways at my boom and i'll have them towed back in the morning. and i'll have a man put in a new boom-stick and connect it up again." bert darrow set him down at the tyee lumber company's office, and wet and chilled as he was, the laird went at once to mr. daney's office. the latter was just leaving it for the day when the laird appeared. "andrew," the latter began briskly. "i drove that fast motor-boat at full speed into darrow's boom on my way down river this evening; i've had a ducking and only for darrow's raftsman you'd be closing down the mill to-morrow out of respect to my memory. bert darrow says their raftsman used to work for us; he's a new man with them and bert says you know who he is." "i think i know the man," mr. daney replied thoughtfully. "he's been with them about three weeks; resigned our employ a couple of weeks before that. i was sorry to lose him. he's a good man." "i grant it, andrew. he's the fastest, coolest hand that ever balanced a pike pole or rode a log. we cannot afford to let men like that fellow get away from us for the sake of a little extra pay. get him back on the pay-roll, andrew, and don't be small with him. i'll remember him handsomely at christmas, and see that i do not forget this, andrew. what is his name?" "let me think." mr. daney bent his head, tipped back his hat and massaged his brow before replying. "i think that when he worked for the tyee lumber company he was known as donald mckaye." he looked up. the old laird's face was ashen. "thank you, andrew," he managed to murmur presently. "perhaps you'd better let darrow keep him for a while. g--g--good-night!" outside, his chauffeur waited with his car. "home--and be quick about it," he mumbled and crawled into the tonneau slowly and weakly. as the car rolled briskly up the high cliff road to the dreamerie, the old man looked far below him to the little light that twinkled on the sawdust pile. "she'll have his dinner cooked for him now and be waiting and watching for him," he thought. xlv hector mckaye suffered that winter. he dwelt in gethsemane, for he had incurred to his outcast son the greatest debt that one man can incur to another, and he could not publicly acknowledge the debt or hope to repay it in kind. by the time spring came his heart hunger was almost beyond control; there were times when, even against his will, he contemplated a reconciliation with donald based on an acceptance of the latter's wife but with certain reservations. the laird never quite got around to defining the reservation but in a vague way he felt that they should exist and that eventually donald would come to a realization of the fact and help him define them. each sunday during that period of wretchedness he saw his boy and nan at church, although they no longer sat with mr. daney. from reverend tingley the laird learned that donald now had a pew of his own, and he wondered why. he knew his son had never been remotely religious and eventually he decided that, in his son's place, though he were the devil himself, he would do exactly as donald had done. damn a dog that carried a low head and a dead tail! it was the sign of the mongrel strain--curs always crept under the barn when beaten! one sunday in the latter part of may he observed that nan came to church alone. he wondered if donald was at home ill and a vague apprehension stabbed him; he longed to drop into step beside nan as she left the church and ask her, but, of course, that was unthinkable. nevertheless he wished he knew and that afternoon he spent the entire time on the terrace at the dreamerie, searching the sawdust pile with his marine glasses, in the hope of seeing donald moving about the little garden. but he did not see him, and that night his sleep was more troubled than usual. on the following sunday nan was not accompanied by her husband either. the laird decided, therefore, that donald could not be very ill, otherwise nan would not have left him home alone. this thought comforted him somewhat. during the week he thought frequently of telephoning up to darrow and asking if they still had the same raftsman on the pay-roll, but his pride forbade this. so he drove up the river road one day and stopped his car among the trees on the bank of the river from the darrow log boom. a tall, lively young fellow was leaping nimbly about on the logs, but so active was he that even at two hundred yards the laird could not be certain this man was his son. he returned to port agnew more troubled and distressed than ever. mrs. mckaye and the girls had made three flying visits down to port agnew during the winter and the laird had spent his week-ends in seattle twice; otherwise, save for the servants, he was quite alone at the dreamerie and this did not add to his happiness. gradually the continued and inexplicable absence of donald at sunday service became an obsession with him; he could think of nothing else in his spare moments and even at times when it was imperative he should give all of his attention to important business matters, this eternal, damnable query continued to confront him. it went to bed with him and got up with him and under its steady relentless attrition he began to lose the look of robust health that set him off so well among men of his own age. his eyes took on a worried, restless gleam; he was irritable and in the mornings he frequently wore to the office the haggard appearance that speaks so accusingly of a sleepless night. he lost his appetite and in consequence he lost weight. andrew daney was greatly concerned about him, and one day, apropos of nothing, he demanded a bill of particulars. "oh, i daresay i'm getting old, andrew," the laird replied evasively. "worrying about the boy?" it was a straight shot and old hector was too inexpressibly weary to attempt to dodge it. he nodded sadly. "well, let us hope he'll come through all right, sir." "is he ill? what's wrong with him, andrew? man, i've been eating my heart out for months, wondering what it is, but you know the fix i'm in. i don't like to ask and not a soul in port agnew will discuss him with me." "why, there's nothing wrong with him that i'm aware of, sir. i spoke to nan after services last sunday and she read me a portion of his last letter. he was quite well at that time." "w-wh-where is he, andrew?" "somewhere in france. he's not allowed to tell." "france? good god, andrew, not _france_!" "why not, may i ask? of course he's in france. he enlisted as a private shortly after war was declared. dirty dan quit his job and went with him. they went over with the fifth marines. do you mean to tell me this is news to you?" he added, frankly amazed. "i do," old hector mumbled brokenly. "oh, andrew man, this is terrible, terrible. i canna stand it, man." he sat down and covered his face with his trembling old hands. "why can't you? you wouldn't want him to sit at home and be a slacker, would you? and you wouldn't have a son of yours wait until the draft board took him by the ear and showed him his duty, would you?" "if he's killed i'll nae get over it." the laird commenced to weep childishly. "well, better men or at least men as fine, are paying that price for citizenship, hector mckaye." "but his wife, man? he was married. 'twas not expected of him--" "i believe his wife is more or less proud of him, sir. her people have always followed the flag in some capacity." "but how does she exist? andrew daney, if you're giving her the money--" "if i am you have no right to ask impertinent questions about it. but i'm not." "i never knew it, i never knew it," the old man complained bitterly. "nobody tells me anything about my own son. i'm alone; i sit in the darkness, stifling with money--oh, andrew, andrew, i didn't say good-by to him! i let him go in sorrow and in anger." "you may have time to cure all that. go down to the sawdust pile, take the girl to your heart like a good father should and then cable the boy. that will square things beautifully." even in his great distress the stubborn old head was shaken emphatically. the laird of port agnew was not yet ready to surrender. spring lengthened into summer and summer into fall. quail piped in the logged-over lands and wild ducks whistled down through the timber and rested on the muddy bosom of the skookum, but for the first time in forty years the laird's setters remained in their kennels and his fowling pieces in their leather cases. to him the wonderful red and gold of the great northern woods had lost the old allurement and he no longer thrilled when a ship of his fleet, homeward bound, dipped her house-flag far below him. he was slowly disintegrating. of late he had observed that nan no longer came to church, so he assumed she had found the task of facing her world bravely one somewhat beyond her strength. a few months before, this realization would have proved a source of savage satisfaction to him, but time and suffering were working queer changes in his point of view. now, although he told himself it served her right, he was sensible of a small feeling of sympathy for her and a large feeling of resentment against the conditions that had brought her into conflict with the world. "i daresay," andrew daney remarked to him about christmas time, "you haven't forgotten your resolve to do something handsome for that raftsman of darrow's who saved your life last january. you told me to remind you of him at christmas." "i have not forgotten the incident," old hector answered savagely. "i think it might be a nice thing to do if you would send word to nan, by me, that it will please you if she will consent to have your grandchild born in the company hospital. otherwise, i imagine she will go to a seattle hospital, and with doctors and nurses away to the war there's a chance she may not get the best of care." "do as you see fit," the laird answered. he longed to evade the issue--he realized that daney was crowding him always, setting traps for him, driving him relentlessly toward a reconciliation that was abhorrent to him. "i have no objection. she cannot afford the expense of a seattle hospital, i daresay, and i do not desire to oppress her." the following day mr. daney reported that nan had declined with thanks his permission to enter the tyee lumber company's hospital. as a soldier's wife she would be cared for without expense in the base hospital at camp lewis, less than a day's journey distant. the laird actually quivered when daney broke this news to him. he was hurt--terribly hurt--but he dared not admit it. in january he learned through mr. daney that he was a grandfather to a nine-pound boy and that nan planned to call the baby caleb, after her father. for the first time in his life then, the laird felt a pang of jealousy. while the child could never, by any possibility, be aught to him, nevertheless he felt that in the case of a male child a certain polite deference toward the infant's paternal ancestors was always commendable. at any rate, caleb was yankee and hateful. "i am the twelfth of my line to be named hector," he said presently--and andrew daney with difficulty repressed a roar of maniac laughter. instead he said soberly. "the child's playing in hard luck as matters stand; it would be adding insult to injury to call him hector mckaye, thirteenth. isn't that why you named your son donald?" the laird pretended not to hear this. having been fired on from ambush, as it were, he immediately started discussing an order for some ship timbers for the emergency fleet corporation. when he retired to his own office, however, he locked the door and wept with sympathy for his son, so far away and in the shadow of death upon the occasion of the birth of his first son. xlvi spring came. overhead the wild geese flew in long wedges, honking, into the north, and the laird remembered how donald, as a boy, used to shoot at them with a rifle as they passed over the dreamerie. their honking wakened echoes in his heart. with the winter's supply of logs now gone, logging operations commenced in the woods with renewed vigor, the river teemed with rafts, the shouts of the rivermen echoing from bank to bank. both tyee and darrow were getting out spruce for the government and ship timbers for the wooden shipyards along san francisco bay. business had never been so brisk, and with the addition of the war duties that came to every community leader, the laird found some surcease from his heart-hunger. mrs. mckaye and the girls had returned to the dreamerie, now that donald's marriage had ceased to interest anybody but themselves, so old hector was not so lonely. but--the flag was flying again at the sawdust pile, each day of toil for the laird was never complete without an eager search of the casualty lists published in the seattle papers. spring lengthened into summer. the marine casualties at belleau wood and chateau-thierry appalled the laird; he read that twenty survivors of a charge that started two hundred and fifty strong across the wheat field at bouresches had taken bouresches and held it against three hundred of the enemy--led by sergeant daniel j. o'leary, of port agnew, washington! good old dirty dan! at last he was finding a legitimate outlet for his talents! he would get the distinguished service cross for that! the laird wondered what donald would receive. it would be terrible should dirty dan return with the cross and donald mckaye without it. in september, donald appeared in the casualty list as slightly wounded. also, he was a first lieutenant now. the laird breathed easier, for his son would be out of it for a few months, no doubt. it was a severe punishment, however, not to be able to discuss his gallant son with anybody. at home his dignity and a firm adherence to his previous announcement that his son's name should never be mentioned in his presence, forbade a discussion with mrs. mckaye and the girls; and when he weakly sparred for an opportunity with andrew daney, that stupid creature declined to rise to the bait, or even admit that he knew of donald's commission. when told of it, he expressed neither surprise nor approval. in november, the great influenza epidemic came to port agnew and took heavy toll. it brought to the laird a newer, a more formidable depression. what if donald's son should catch it and die, and donald be deprived of the sight of his first-born? what if nan should succumb to an attack of it while her husband was in france? in that event would donald forgive and forget and come home to the dreamerie? somehow, old hector had his doubts. for a long time now, he had felt a great urge to see donald's son. he had a curiosity to discover whether the child favored the mckayes or the brents. if it favored the mckayes--well, perhaps he might make some provision for its future in his will, and in order to prove himself a good sport he would leave an equal sum to nan's illegitimate child, which donald had formally adopted a few days after his marriage to nan. why make fish of one and fowl of the other? he thought. they were both mckayes now, in the sight of the law, and for aught he knew to the contrary they were full brothers! the child became an obsession with him. he longed to weigh it and compare its weight with that of donald's at the same age--he had the ancient record in an old memorandum book at the office. he speculated on whether it had blue eyes or brown, whether it was a blond or a brunette. he wondered if daney had seen it and wondering, at length he asked. yes, mr. daney had seen the youngster several times, but beyond that statement he would not go and the laird's dignity forbade too direct a probe. he longed to throttle mr. daney, who he now regarded as the most unsympathetic, prosaic, dull-witted old ass imaginable. he wanted to see that child! the desire to do so never left him during his waking hours and he dreamed of the child at night. so in the end he yielded and went down to the sawdust pile, under cover of darkness, his intention being to sneak up to the little house and endeavor to catch a glimpse of the child through the window. he was enraged to discover, however, that nan maintained a belligerent airedale that refused, like all good airedales, to waste his time and dignity in useless barking. he growled--once, and the laird knew he meant it, so he got out of that yard in a hurry. he was in a fine rage as he walked back to the mill office and got into his car. curse the dog! was he to be deprived of a glimpse of his grandson by an insensate brute of a dog? he'd be damned if he was! he'd shoot the animal first--no, that would never do. nan would come out and he would be discovered. moreover, what right had he to shoot anybody's dog until it attacked him? the thing to do would be to put some strychnine on a piece of meat--no, no, that would never do. the person who would poison a dog--any kind of a dog-- it was a good dog. the animal certainly was acting within its legal rights. yes, he knew now where nan had gotten it. the dog had belonged to first sergeant daniel j. o'leary of the fifth marines; he had doubtless given it to nan to keep for him when he went to the war; the laird knew dan thought a great deal of that dog. his name was jerry and he had aided dirty dan in more than one bar-room battle. jerry, like his master, like the master of the woman he protected, was a devil-dog, and one simply cannot kill a soldier's dog for doing a soldier's duty. should jerry charge there would be no stopping him until he was killed, so the laird saw very clearly that there was but one course open to him. if he marched through that gate and straight to the door, as if he meant business, as if he had a moral and legal right to be there on business, jerry would understand and permit him to pass. but if he snooped in, like a thief in the night, and peered in at a window-- "i wish i had a suit of fifteenth century armour," he thought. "then jerry, you could chew on my leg and be damned to you. you're a silent dog and i could have a good look while you were wrecking your teeth." he went back to the sawdust pile at dusk the next evening, hoping jerry would be absent upon some unlawful private business, but when he approached the gate slowly and noiselessly jerry spoke up softly from within and practically said: "get out or take the consequences." the following night, however, the laird was prepared for jerry. he did not halt at the dog's preliminary warning but advanced and rattled the gate a little. immediately jerry came to the gate and stood just inside growling in his throat, so the laird thrust an atomizer through the palings and deluged jerry's hairy countenance with a fine cloud of spirits of ammonia. he had once tried that trick on a savage bulldog in which he desired to inculcate some respect for his person, and had succeeded beyond his most sanguine expectations. therefore, since desperate circumstances always require desperate measures, the memory of that ancient victory had moved him to attempt a similar embarrassment of the dog jerry. but jerry was a devil-dog. he had been raised and trained by dirty dan o'leary and in company with that interesting anthropoid he had been through many stormy passages. long before, he had learned that the offensive frequently wins--the defensive never. it is probable that he wept as he sniffed the awful stuff, but if he did they were tears of rage. jerry's first move was to stand on his head and cover his face with his paws. then he did several back flips and wailed aloud in his misery and woe, his yelps of distress quite filling the empyrean. but only for the space of a few seconds. recovering his customary aplomb he made a flying leap for the top of the gate, his yelps now succeeded by ambitious growls--and in self-defense the laird was forced to spray him again as he clung momentarily on top of the palings. with a sob jerry dropped back and buried his nose in the dust, while the laird beat a hurried retreat into the darkness, for he had lost all confidence in his efforts to inculcate in jerry an humble and contrite spirit. he could hear rapid footsteps inside the little house; then the door opened and in the light that streamed from within he was indistinctly visible to nan as she stood in the doorway. "jerry!" he heard her call. "good dog! what's the matter? after him, jerry. go get him, jerry!" she ran to the gate and opened it for the dog, who darted through, but paused again to run his afflicted nose in the dust and roll a couple of times. apparently he felt that there was no great hurry; his quarry could not escape him. it is probable, also, that he was more or less confused and not quite certain which direction the enemy had taken, for jerry's sense of smell was temporarily suspended and his eyes blinded by tears; certain his language was not at all what it should have been. the laird ran blindly, apprehensively, but for a very short distance. suddenly he bumped into something quite solid, which closed around him viciously. "halt, damn you," a commanding voice cried. despite his years, hector mckaye was no weakling, and in the knowledge that he could not afford to be captured and discovered, seemingly he slipped forty years from his shoulders. once more he was a lumberjack, the top dog of his district--and he proceeded to fight like one. his old arms rained punches on the midriff of the man who held him and he knew they stung cruelly, for at every punch the man grunted and strove to clinch him tighter and smother the next blow. "let go me or i'll kill you," the laird panted. "man dinna drive me to it." he ceased his rain of blows, grasped his adversary and tried to wrestle him down. he succeeded, but the man would not stay down. he wriggled out with amazing ease and had old hector with his shoulders touching before the laird's heaving chest and two terrible thumbs closed down on each of the laird's eyes, with four powerful fingers clasping his face like talons. "quit, or i'll squeeze your eyeballs out," a voice warned him. the laird's hand beat the ground beside him. he had surrendered to a master of his style of fighting. with something of the air of an expert, his conqueror ran a quick hand over him, seeking for weapons, and finding none, he grasped the laird by the collar and jerked him to his feet. "now, then, my hearty, i'll have a look at you," he said. "you'll explain why you're skulking around here and abusing that dog!" the laird quivered as he found himself being dragged toward the stream of light, in the center of which nan brent stood silhouetted. he could not afford this and he was not yet defeated. "a thousand dollars if you let me go now," he panted. "i have the money in my pocket. ask yon lass if i've done aught wrong." his captor paused and seemed to consider this. "make it ten thousand and i'll consider it," he whispered. "leave it on the mail box just outside the tyee lumber company's office at midnight to-morrow night." "i'll do it--so help me god," the laird promised frantically. his son's voice spoke in his ear. "dad! you low-down, worthless lovable old fraud!" "my son! my son!" old hector's glad cry ended in a sob. "oh, my sonny boy, my bonny lad! i canna stand it. i canna! forgie me, lad, forgie me--and ask her to forgie me!" his old arms were around his son's neck and he was crying on donald's shoulder, unashamed. "i was trying for a look at the bairn," he cried brokenly, "and 'twas a privilege god would nae gie me seeing that i came like a sneak and not like an honest man. the damned dog--he knew! och, donald, say ye forgie ye're auld faither. say it, lad. ma heart's breakin'." "why, bless your bare-shanked old scotch soul, of course i forgive you. i never held any grudge, you know. i simply stood pat until you could see things through my eyes." "is that you, donald?" nan called. "aye, aye, sweetheart. dad's here. he wants to know if you regard him as a particularly terrible old man. i think he's afraid you will refuse to let him look at laird hector, thirteenth." "man, man," the old man urged, quite shocked at this casual greeting of a returned hero to his wife, "go to her, lad. she'll not relish favoritism." "oh, this isn't our first meeting, dad. i got home yesterday. i have thirty days leave. they sent me home as an instructor in small arms practice and gave me a boost in rank. i was just up town for a beefsteak and i've lost the beefsteak battling with you." the laird wiped his eyes and got control of himself. presently he said: "keep that blessed dog off me," and started resolutely for the front gate. without a moment's hesitation he folded nan in his arms and kissed her. "poor bairn," he whispered. "i've been cruel to you. forgie me, daughter, if so be you can find it in your heart to be that generous. god knows, lass, i'll try to be worthy of you." "am i worthy of him?" she whispered, womanlike. "far more than his father is," he admitted humbly. "damn the world and damn the people in it. you're a good girl, nan. you always were a good girl--" "but suppose she wasn't--always?" donald queried gently. "is that going to make any difference--to you?" "i don't care what she was before you married her. i haven't thought about that for a long time the way i used to think about it. i built the dreamerie for you and the girl you'd marry and i--i accept her unconditionally, my son, and thank god she has the charity to accept an old pharisee like me for a father-in-law." donald slipped his arm around nan's waist, and started with her toward the door. "tag along, father," he suggested, "and nan will show you a prize grandson." at the door, nan paused. "do you think, father mckaye," she queried, "that the remainder of the family will think as you do?" "i fear not," he replied sadly. "but then, you haven't married the family. they'll accept you or keep out of port agnew; at any rate they'll never bother you, my dear. i think," he added grimly, "that i may find a way to make them treat you with civility at least." "he's a pretty good old sport after all, isn't he, nan?" her husband suggested. "i'll tell the world he is," she answered archly, employing the a.e.f. slang she had already learned from donald. she linked her arm in old hector's and steered him down the hall to the living-room. "your grandson is in there," she said, and opening the door she gently propelled him into the room. xlvii nan was right. his grandson was there, but strange to relate he was seated, as naked as venus (save for a diaper) on his grandmother's lap. hector mckaye paused and glared at his wife. "damn it, nellie," he roared, "what the devil do you mean by this?" "i'm tired of being an old fool, hector," she replied meekly, and held the baby up for his inspection. "it's time you were," he growled. "come here, you young rascal till i heft you. by the gods of war, he's a mckaye!" he hugged the squirming youngster to his heart and continued to glare at his wife as if she were a hardened criminal. "why didn't you tell me you felt yourself slipping?" he demanded. "out with it, nellie." "there will be no post-mortems," nan interdicted. "mother mckaye and elizabeth and jane and i patched up our difficulties when donald came home yesterday. how we did it or what transpired before we did it, doesn't matter, you dear old snooper." "what? elizabeth and jane? unconditional surrender?" she nodded smilingly and the laird admitted his entire willingness to be--jiggered. finally, having inspected his grandson, he turned for an equally minute inspection of his soldier son under the lamplight. "three service stripes and one wound stripe," he murmured. "and you're not crippled, boy dear?" "do i fight like one? hector, man, those punches of yours would have destroyed a battalion of cripples. oh, you old false-alarm! honestly, dad, you're the most awful dub imaginable. and trying to bribe me into permitting you to escape--what the deuce have you been monkeying with? you reek of ammonia--here, go away from my son. you're poison." the laird ignored him. "what's that ribbon?" he demanded. "distinguished service cross." "you must have bought it in a pawnshop. and that thing?" "croix de guerre." "and that red one?" "legion d'honneur." a pause. "what did dirty dan get, son?" "the one thing in the world he thought he despised. the congressional medal of honor for valor in saving the life of a british colonel, who, by the way, happens to be an orangeman. when he discovered it he wanted to bayonet the colonel and i won the croix de guerre for stopping him." "oh, cease your nonsense, donald," his wife urged, "and tell your father and mother something. i think they are entitled to the news now." "yes, nan, i think they are. listen, folks. now that you've all been nice enough to be human beings and accept my wife at her face value, i have a surprise for you. on the day when nan married the father of my adopted son, he waited until the officiating minister had signed the marriage license and attested that he had performed the ceremony; then while the minister's attention was on something else, he took possession of the license and put it in his overcoat pocket. later he and nan drove to a restaurant for luncheon and the overcoat with the license in the pocket was stolen, from the automobile. the thief pawned the coat later and the pawnbroker discovered the license in the pocket after the thief had departed. the following day the fellow was arrested in the act of stealing another overcoat; the pawnbroker read of the arrest and remembered he had loaned five dollars on an overcoat to a man who gave the same name this thief gave to the police. so the pawnbroker--" "i am not interested, my son. i require no proofs." "thank you for that, father. but you're entitled to them and you're going to get them. the pawnbroker found on the inside lining of the inner breast pocket of the overcoat the tag which all tailors sew there when, they make the garment. this tag bore the name of the owner of the overcoat, his address and the date of delivery of the overcoat." "now, the pawnbroker noticed that the man who owned the overcoat was not the person named in the marriage license. also he noticed that the marriage license was attested by a minister but that it had not been recorded by the state board of health, as required by law--and the pawnbroker was aware that marriage licenses are not permitted, by law, to come into the possession of the contracting parties until the fact that they have been legally married has been duly recorded on the evidence of the marriage--which is, of course, the marriage license." "why didn't the idiot send the license back to the minister who had performed the ceremony?" the laird demanded. "then this tangle would never have occurred." "he says he thought of that, but he was suspicious. it was barely possible that the officiating clergyman had connived at the theft of the license from his desk, so the pawnbroker, who doubtless possesses the instincts of an amateur detective, resolved to get the license into the hands of nan brent direct. before doing so, however, he wrote to the man named in the license and sent his letter to the address therein given. in the course of time that letter was returned by the post-office department with the notation that the location of the addressee was unknown. the pawnbroker then wrote to the man whose name appeared on the tailor's tag in the overcoat, and promptly received a reply. yes, an overcoat had been stolen from his automobile on a certain date. he described the overcoat and stated that the marriage license of a friend of his might be found in the breast pocket, provided the thief had not removed it. if the license was there he would thank the pawnbroker to forward it to him. he enclosed a check to redeem the overcoat and pay the cost of forwarding it to him by parcel post, insured. the pawnbroker had that check photographed before cashing it and he forwarded the overcoat but retained the marriage license, for he was more than ever convinced that things were not as they should have been. "his next move was to write miss nan brent, at port agnew, washington, informing her of the circumstances and advising her that he had her marriage certificate. this letter reached port agnew at the time nan was living in san francisco, and her father received it. he merely scratched out port agnew, washington, and substituted for that address: 'care of---- using nan's married name, altamont apartments, san francisco.' "by the time that letter reached san francisco nan had left that address, but since she planned a brief absence only, she left no forwarding address for her mail. that was the time she came north to visit her father and in seattle she discovered that her supposed husband was already married. i have told you, father, and you have doubtless told mother, nan's reasons for refusing to disclose this man's identity at that time. "of course nan did not return to san francisco, but evidently her husband did and at their apartment he found this letter addressed to nan. he opened it, and immediately set out for san josé to call upon the pawnbroker and gain possession of the marriage license. unknown to him, however, his lines were all tangled and the pawnbroker told him frankly he was a fraud and declined to give him the license. finally the pawnbroker tried a bluff and declared that if the man did not get out of his place of business he would have him arrested as a bigamist--and the fellow fled. "a month or two later the pawnbroker was in san francisco so he called at the altamont apartments to deliver the license in person, only to discover that the person he sought had departed and that her address was unknown. so he wrote nan again, using her married name and addressed her at port agnew, washington. you will remember, of course, that at this time nan's marriage was not known to port agnew, she had kept it secret. naturally the postmaster here did not know anybody by that name, and in due course, when the letter remained unclaimed he did not bother to advertise it but returned it to the sender." "it doesn't seem possible," mrs. mckaye declared, quite pop-eyed with excitement. "it was possible enough," her son continued drily. "well, the bewildered pawnbroker thrust the license away in his desk, and awaited the next move of the man in the case. but he never moved, and after a while the pawnbroker forgot he had the license. and the minister was dead. one day, in cleaning out his desk he came across the accumulated papers in the case and it occurred to him to write the state board of health and explain the situation. promptly he received a letter from the board informing him that inquiries had been made at the board of health office for a certified copy of the license, by miss nan brent, of port agnew, washington, and that the board had been unable to furnish such a certified copy. immediately our obliging and intelligent pawnbroker, whose name, by the way, is abraham goldman, bundled up the marriage license, together with the carbon copy of the pawn ticket he had given the thief; a press clipping from the san josé _mercury_ recounting the story of the capture of the thief; carbon copies of all his correspondence in the case, the original of all letters received, the photograph of the check--everything, in fact, to prove a most conclusive case through the medium of a well-ordered and amazing chain of optical and circumstantial evidence. this evidence he sent to miss brent, port agnew, washington, and she received it about a week before i married her. consequently, she was in position to prove to the most captious critic that she was a woman of undoubted virtue, the innocent victim of a scoundrel who had inveigled her into a bigamous marriage. of course, in view of the fact that the man she went through a legal marriage ceremony with already had a wife living, nan's marriage to him was illegal--how do you express it? ipso facto or per se? in the eyes of the law she had never been married; the man in the case was legally debarred from contracting another marriage. the worst that could possibly be said of nan was that she played in mighty hard luck." "in the name of heaven, why did you not tell me this the day you married her?" the laird demanded wrathfully. "i didn't know it the day i married her. she was curious enough to want to see how game i was. she wanted to be certain i truly loved her, i think--and in view of her former experience i do not blame her for it. it pleased you a whole lot, didn't it, honey?" he added, turning to nan, "when i married you on faith?" "but why didn't you tell us after you had discovered it, donald?" mrs. mckaye interrupted. "that was not kind of you, my son." "well," he answered soberly, "in the case of you and the girls i didn't think you deserved it. i kept hoping you and the girls would confess to dad that you telephoned nan to come back to port agnew that time i was sick with typhoid--" "eh? what's that?" the laird sat up bristling. mrs. mckaye flushed scarlet and seemed on the verge of tears. donald went to her and took her in his arms. "awfully sorry to have to peach on you, old dear," he continued. "do not think nan told on you, mother. she didn't. i figured it all out by myself. however, as i started to remark, i expected you would confess and that your confession would start a family riot, in the midst of it i knew father would rise up and declare himself. i give you my word, dad, that for two weeks before i went to work up at darrow i watched and waited all day long for you to come down here and tell nan it was a bet and that we'd play it as it lay." old hector gritted his teeth and waged his head sorrowfully. "nellie," he warned his trembling wife, "this is what comes of a lack of confidence between man and wife." she flared up at that. "hush, you hypocrite. at least i haven't snooped around here trying to poison dogs and kill people when i was discovered playing peeping tom. a pretty figure you've cut throughout this entire affair. didn't i beg you not to be hard on our poor boy?" "yes, you had better lay low, father," donald warned him. "you've been married long enough to know that if you start anything with a woman she'll put it all over you. we will, therefore, forget mother's error and concentrate on you. remember the night i dragged you ashore at darrow's log boom? well, permit me to tell you that you're a pretty heavy tow and long before my feet struck bottom i figured on two widows mckaye. if i'd had to swim twenty feet further i would have lost out. really, i thought you'd come through after that." "i would if you'd waited a bit," old hector protested miserably. "you ought to know i never do things in a hurry." "well, i do, dad, but all the same i grew weary waiting for you. then i made up my mind i'd never tell you about nan until you and mother and the girls had completely reversed yourselves and taken nan for the woman she is and not the woman you once thought she was." "well, you've won, haven't you?" the laird's voice was very husky. "yes, i have; and it's a sweet victory, i assure you." "then shut up. shut up, i tell you." "all right! i'm through--forever." the laird bent his beetling brows upon nan. "and you?" he demanded. "have you finished?" she came to him and laid her soft cheek against his. "you funny old man," she whispered. "did you ever hear that i had begun?" "well, nae, i have not--now that you mention it. and, by the way, my dear! referring to my grandson's half-brother?" "yes." "i understand he's a mckaye." "yes, donald has legally adopted him." "well, then, i'll accept him as an adopted grandson, my dear. i think there'll be money enough for everybody. but about this scalawag of a man that fathered him. i'll have to know who he is. we have a suit of zebra clothing waiting for him, my dear." "no, you haven't, father mckaye. my boy's father is never going to be a convict. that man has other children, too." "i'm going to have a glass frame made and in it i'm going to arrange photographic reproductions of all the documents in nan's case," donald stated. "the history of the case will all be there, then, with the exception, of course, of the name of the man. in deference to nan's desires i will omit that. then i'll have that case screwed into the wall of the post-office lobby where all port agnew can see and understand--" "nellie," the laird interrupted, "please stop fiddling with that baby and dress him. daughter, get my other grandson ready, and you, donald, run over to the mill office. my car is standing there. bring it here and we'll all go home to the dreamerie--yes, and tell daney to come up and help me empty a bottle to--to--to my additional family. he'll bring his wife, of course, but then we must endure the bitter with the sweet. good old file, daney. none better." donald put on his cap and departed. as the front gate closed behind him hector mckaye sprang up and hurried out of the house after him. "hey, there, son," he called into the darkness, "what was that you said about a glass case?" donald returned and repeated the statement of his plan. "and you're going to the trouble of explaining to this sorry world," the old man cried sharply. "man, the longest day she lives there'll be brutes that will say 'twas old man mckaye's money that framed an alibi for her.' son, no man or woman was ever so pure that some hypocrite didn't tread 'em under foot like dust and regard them as such. lad, your wife will always be dust to some folks, but--we're kindred to her--so what do we care? we understand. do not explain to the damned pharisees. they wouldn't understand. hang that thing in the post-office lobby and some superior person will quote shakespeare, and say: 'methinks the lady doth protest too much.'" "then you would advise me to tell the world to go to--" "exactly, sonny, exactly." [illustration: frontispiece.--washington's new capitol building. (photo engraved from a drawing.) construction of the new capitol to be erected on the foundation already laid at olympia was authorized at the session of the legislature.] [page ] a review of the resources and industries of washington * * * * * published under authority of the legislature, for gratuitous distribution by the bureau of statistics, agriculture and immigration i. m. howell. _secretary of state_ _ex-officio commissioner_ geo. m. allen, _deputy commissioner,_ [page ] office of the bureau of statistics, agriculture and immigration, olympia, washington, june , . _to his excellency m. e. hay, governor of washington:_ we have the honor to transmit herewith the biennial report of the bureau of statistics, agriculture and immigration for the year , dealing with the various resources and industries of washington. very respectfully, i. m. howell. _secretary of state_, _ex-officio commissioner_. geo. m. allen, _deputy commissioner,_ [page ] introduction office of the bureau of statistics, agriculture and immigration, olympia, washington, june , . this publication represents an effort to place before the general public, and particularly the visitors at the alaska-yukon-pacific exposition, a brief description of the principal resources and industries of the state of washington. its imperfections may be accounted for largely by reason of the fact that funds for the purpose did not become available until the first day of april of the current year. this necessitated unusual haste in securing and preparing the material upon which the pamphlet is based. however, we have endeavored to deal conservatively and fairly with the various subjects under consideration, and to present all the information possible within the limits of the space at our disposal. our purpose has been to supply the reader with an outline of the salient facts which account for the marvelous growth and development which the commonwealth is enjoying. to go largely into detail within the scope of a pamphlet of this size would be, manifestly, an impossibility. we might readily exhaust our available space in dealing with one industry or in describing a single county. details, therefore, have been necessarily and purposely avoided. we have sought to bring the entire state within the perspective of the reader, leaving him to secure additional facts through personal investigation. along this line, attention is called to the list of commercial organizations and local officials presented [page ] in the statistical portion of this report. nearly all the larger communities of the state maintain organizations, equipped to supply detailed facts relating to their particular locality. much valuable information may be obtained on application to these organizations or to local officials. an expression of appreciation is due those who have assisted us by supplying information and collecting photographs for use in this publication. without such aid the completion of the pamphlet would have been materially delayed. [illustration: plate no. .--fruit farm adjoining town of asotin, asotin county.] [illustration: plate no. --asotin county views.] [page ] general outline of the resources and industries of washington. the state of washington as now constituted, was, prior to , a portion of the territory of oregon. during the year mentioned, a new territory was carved from the old oregon boundaries, which the statesmen of that day evidently believed was marked by destiny for the achievement of great things, for they conferred upon it the name of washington. that our state, thus highly distinguished, has already demonstrated itself worthy of the exalted name, so happily bestowed upon it, the most carping critic must admit. with a population now reaching up toward a million and a half, and with all the forces that make for industrial, commercial and agricultural supremacy in full swing, and gathering new momentum yearly, washington is moving onward and upward toward a position among the very elect of our great sisterhood of states. as briefly as the story may be told, the fundamental facts which underlie the marvelous advancement made by the state during recent years will be set forth in the pages of this pamphlet. natural divisions of the state. by virtue of its varied topography, washington is naturally divided into a number of districts or sections, each possessing its own particular characteristics. olympic peninsula. the first of these districts may be described as consisting of that section of the state including the olympic mountains and extending westward from them to the pacific ocean. within the limits of this olympic peninsula, as it is ordinarily termed, there is standing one of the largest and most valuable tracts of virgin timber yet remaining in the united states. [page ] puget sound basin. the second district includes the territory lying between the olympic and cascade mountains, the chief physical feature of which is the great inland sea known as puget sound. the shore front of this important waterway exceeds , miles, and its length is broken by numerous bays and harbors, upon which are located seattle, the state's metropolis, and the growing cities of tacoma, everett, bellingham and olympia. the climate of this section is mild in winter and cool in summer, extremes in either season being practically unknown. deep sea shipping enters the port of puget sound from every maritime country on the globe, and the industrial and commercial interests of this section are expanding with extraordinary rapidity. the cascade mountains. the cascade mountains constitute the third of these natural divisions. this range extends in a broken line across the width of the state, at a distance of about miles from the pacific ocean. these mountains, their rugged peaks capped with a mantle of eternal snow, their sides covered with a heavy timber growth, and their valleys carrying numerous sparkling mountain streams, with illimitable possibilities for the development of power, are one of the important assets of the state, the value of which has not as yet even been estimated. the mineral wealth of the cascades, only a slight knowledge of which has as yet been secured, will ere long contribute largely to the prosperity of the state, while the more moderate slopes of the mountains serve a valuable purpose for the pasturage of numerous flocks and herds. okanogan highlands. the fourth district is known as the okanogan highlands, and occupies that portion of the state lying north of the columbia river and east of the cascade mountains. this section of the state contains valuable timber and mineral wealth in addition to presenting many attractive opportunities to the farmer and horticulturist. it has been hampered thus far by [page ] lack of adequate transportation facilities, and for this reason land may be had at exceptionally reasonable figures. columbia river basin. the columbia river basin is by far the largest natural division of the state, and, generally speaking, includes the section drained by that river and its tributaries. within the confines of this district are the great irrigated and grain-growing sections of the state, which are a source of constantly increasing wealth. this great "inland empire," as it has come to be called, has made thousands of homeseekers independent, and is largely responsible for the rise to commercial greatness of the splendid city of spokane. other cities of growing importance lying within the columbia river basin are walla walla, north yakima, ellensburg and wenatchee, while scores of smaller communities are annually adding to their population with the continued development of the districts of which they are the immediate distributing centers. the southeast. the blue mountains form the chief natural characteristic of the extreme southeastern section of the state, which constitutes the sixth division. this is comparatively a small district, but one that is highly favored by climatic and soil advantages, and it is well timbered and watered. the southwest. the southwest is the seventh and final division of the state. it comprises an extensive district, fronting on the columbia river and the pacific ocean. it is heavily wooded and its chief industries are based upon its timber wealth. the taking and canning of fish and oyster culture are also important industries, while fruit growing and general farming are carried on upon a constantly increasing scale. [page ] natural resources of washington. probably few other states in the union excel washington in the great variety, abundance and value of the natural gifts prepared and ripe for the hand of man within its borders. preceding races were content to leave its wealth to us, being themselves satisfied to subsist upon that which was at hand and ready for consumption with no effort but the effort of taking. the impenetrable forests were to them a barrier to be let alone. for the minerals within the mountains they had no use, and to gather wealth from the tillage of the soil needed too much exertion. fish and game and fruits all ready to gather were all they sought, and the state had enough of these to attract and hold a large population. but the vision of the white man was different. his eye scanned the peaks of the cascades with its great eternal white rainier having its head thrust up among the clouds, and he realized that around and beneath them must be a vast hoard of the precious metals. his eye caught the dazzling grandeur of the white-capped olympics, but he realized that they held in reserve something more substantial to his needs than scenery and hunting grounds. the impenetrable barriers of the forest-covered foothills were to him a treasure worth the struggle for an empire. he scanned the glittering waters of the bays and inlets of puget sound and its great open way to the pacific ocean and realized that it meant more to him and to his children than a place to catch a few fish. he viewed the vast plains of "barren" land within the great winding course of the columbia river and believed it worth more than pasturage for a few bands of ponies. the thousand tumbling water-falls that hastened the course of the rivers toward the sea meant more than resting places for the chase. no wonder the hardy pioneers whose vision saw the grandeur of washington and comprehended its meaning dared a mighty journey, vast hardships and trying and dangerous hazards to save this empire to uncle sam. washington, saved by the energy and foresight of a few, has become the [page ] delightful home of a million and more, and their possession is one that alexander or napoleon would have coveted, had they known. [illustration: plate no. .--chehalis county timber.] [illustration: plate no. .--the logging industry in chehalis county.] [illustration: plate no. .--view of harbor, aberdeen, chehalis county.] [illustration: plate no. .--limb cut from a chelan county peach tree.] [illustration: plate no. .--six-year-old winesap apple tree on farm of blackmont bros., chelan county.] [illustration: plate no. .--farm of wm. turner, chelan county. from sage brush to bearing orchard, showing how living is made while orchard is coming into bearing.] forests. from british columbia to the majestic columbia river and from the cascade mountains westward to the ocean a vast forest of magnificent timber stretches out over mountain and hill and valley, covering the whole landscape of western washington in a mantle of living green. the majestic fir trees, which, as small evergreens, adorn the lawns of other climes, here stretch their ancient heads feet heavenward and give the logger a chance to stand upon his springboard and, leaving a fifteen foot stump, cut off a log feet in length and feet in diameter free from limbs or knots. side by side with these giants of fir are other giants of cedar, hemlock and spruce crowded in groups, sometimes all alike and sometimes promiscuously mingled, which offer to the logger often , feet of lumber from an acre of ground. but these great forests of western washington are not all the forests within the state. the eastern slope of the cascade mountains well down toward the lands of the valleys is mostly covered with timber. a belt from to miles wide stretching clear across the north boundary of eastern washington is mostly a forest, while a large area in the southeastern corner of the state, probably miles square, is also forest covered. to estimate the amount of timber which can be cut from these vast forest areas is difficult; estimates are not accurate, yet it is probable that the lumber made will in time far exceed any estimate yet placed upon this chief source of the wealth of the state of washington. of the fir the estimate has been made that shows still standing enough timber to make billion feet; for the cedar the estimate is billion feet, while the same amount of billion feet is credited to hemlock; billion feet of spruce are claimed, billion feet of yellow pine and probably billion feet of other woods, including maple, alder, oak, yew, ash and many others, together forming the great mass of billion feet of lumber. where forest areas are cut off, the [page ] sun and air at once start to life seeds which lie dormant in the shade and a new crop at once starts and the old ground is in a few years reforested in nature's prodigal way, a thousand seeds sprouting and growing where only one giant can ultimately stand. of these timbers, the fir, largest in quantity, is also largest in usefulness. for bridge work, shipbuilding, the construction of houses, etc. it is unsurpassed. cedar is lighter and more easily worked and for shingles chiefly and many other special uses is superior. spruce is fine grained, odorless and valuable for butter tubs, interior finish, shelving, etc. the hemlock is valuable not only for the tannin of its bark, but as a wood for many purposes is equal to spruce. the yellow pine, where it is plentiful is the main wood used in house construction and for nearly all farm purposes. the yellow pine is the chief timber in all eastern washington. the harder woods, maple, alder, ash, etc., are used where available in furniture construction and for fuel, as are also all the other woods. coal. not content with covering half the surface of the state with forests for fuel, the creator hid away under the forests an additional supply of heat and power sufficient to last its future citizens an indefinite period. the white man was not slow to find and locate the coal measures in many counties, notably in kittitas, king, pierce, lewis, whatcom and thurston, and to put it to the task of driving his machinery. the coal measures of these counties are of vast extent, and, although little developed yet, there are , , tons of coal mined annually in washington. other counties are known to have coal measures beneath their forests, but as yet they have not been opened up for commerce. the coal already mined includes both lignite and bituminous varieties and furnishes fuel for the railroads, steamboats and power plants, giving very satisfactory results. much of the bituminous coal makes an excellent article of coke and provides this concentrated carbon for the various plants about the state engaged in smelting iron and other metals. [page ] the fixed carbon of the coal ranges from to per cent. and the total values in carbon from to per cent. and the ash from to per cent. the coal measures underlie probably the great bulk of the foothills on both sides of the cascades and some of the olympics, the blue mountains of the southeast and some of the low mountains in the northeastern part of the state. besides these coals already mentioned, it is known that veins of anthracite coal exist in the western part of lewis county, the extent and value of which have not been fully determined, and, owing to the absence of transportation, are not on the market. mineral ores. the general topography of the state suggests at once the probability of deposits of ores of the precious metals, and the cursory prospecting already done justifies the outlook. practically the entire mountain regions are enticing fields for the prospector. substantial rewards have already been realized by many who have chanced the hardships, and there are now in operation many mining enterprises which are yearly adding a substantial sum to the output of the wealth of the state. the ores occur chiefly in veins of low grade and great width and known as base on account of the presence of sulphur, arsenic and other elements compelling the ores to be roasted before smelting. there are, however, some high grade ores in narrow fissures and in a few localities free milling ores and placer deposits are found. in most cases the free milling ores are the result of oxidation and will be found to be base as water level is reached in the mining process. mining of precious metals is being prosecuted in whatcom, skagit, snohomish, king, pierce, lewis, skamania, cowlitz, okanogan, chelan, kittitas, yakima, klickitat, ferry and stevens counties. of the metals the mines of the state are producing gold, silver, lead, copper, quicksilver, zinc, arsenic, antimony, molybdenum, [page ] nickel, cobalt, tungsten, titanium, bismuth, sulphur, selenium, tellurium, tin and platinum. there are also iron mines, and quarries of marble, granite, onyx, serpentine, limestone and sandstone--beds of fire clay, kaolin, fire and potter's clays, talc and asbestos and many prospects of petroleum. mining is suffering for the lack of transportation for the low grade ores, but prospects are excellent for relief in this regard in the near future. the era of wildcat exploitation has been relegated to the past and legitimate mining is now getting a firmer hold in the state, and we look for results within the next five years which will astonish many who think themselves well informed. fisheries. a glance at the map of the state will disclose a remarkable combination of salt and fresh waters within the jurisdiction of the state of such a character as to amaze one not familiar with it, but learned in the habits of the finny tribe in general. the ocean is the great feeding ground. out of its mysterious depths the millions of fish come into fresh waters fat and rich from the salt water vegetation. [illustration: plate no. .--chelan county views.] [illustration: plate no. .--farm and dairy scene common to clallam county.] the great columbia river in the south, willapa harbor, grays harbor, the majestic straits of fuca and the equally majestic straits of georgia on the north are all great open highways from the sea, not only for merchandise laden ships, but for myriads of salt water food fishes which annually traverse their bottoms. into these open mouths flows a great network of fresh water rivers and streams, draining the entire area of the state and providing the spawning waters for the fishes from the sea not only, but for millions of strictly fresh water fishes. not only these, but late years have proven the shore waters of the state to produce also great numbers of oysters, clams, crabs and shrimp. nor is this all, because the proximity of the state to the ocean gives it a great advantage in profiting from the fishing industry among that class of the finny hosts who refuse to leave their salt water homes. so that from the whales of bering sea to the speckled beauties that haunt the mountain [page ] streams, through the long list of delectable salt and fresh water food, the fisherman of washington has an enticing and most profitable chance to satisfy his love of sport and adventure not only, but to increase his bank account as well. soils and lands. washington is particularly blessed in having a diversity of soils, all admirably adapted to some department of agriculture and giving the state the opportunity of great diversity in the occupations of its people. the central plateau of eastern washington, made up of level stretches and undulating hills, is all covered with a soil composed of volcanic ash and the disintegration of basaltic rocks which, together with some humus from decayed vegetation, has made a field of surpassing fertility for the production of the cereals with scant water supply; but under the magic touch of irrigation it doubles its output and makes of it not only a grain field but an orchard and garden as well. underneath the forests of eastern washington, along the northern border of the state and in its southeastern corner there is added a large proportion of clay, a necessary element for perpetual pasturage, and widening the field for fruit growing. in western washington, upon the bench lands and on the hills and foothills the forests are supported upon a gravelly soil, intermixed with a peculiar shot clay which disintegrates with successive tillage so that when the forests are removed the soil becomes ready for all the grasses and grains and fruits. in the valleys more silt and humus make up the soil, and when the cottonwoods, alders and maples are gone there is left a soil deep and strong for the truck gardener and general farmer, which will endure successive tillings for ages. at the deltas of the rivers are large reaches of level lands, some of which have to be diked to prevent the overflow of the tides, which have had added the fertility of the salts of the ocean and are probably the richest lands in the state fit for cereals and root crops, not omitting the bulbs which have made the deltas of holland famous. there are also extensive peat beds which, scientifically [page ] fertilized, will produce abundant returns to the intelligent farmer. lands. the lands of the state are owned, some by indian tribes, some by the general government, some by the state, but largely by individual citizens and corporations. indian lands. of the indian lands most of them have been "allotted" and the balance will soon be thrown open to settlement. of these the largest in western washington are the quinault and makah reservations and in eastern washington the great colville reservation. this latter will in time make two or three counties of great value, being adapted to general farming, dairying, fruit growing and mining, and having an abundance of forest area for fuel and building purposes. those in western washington are timbered areas at present. government lands. the remnant of government lands are chiefly among the more barren areas of eastern washington and the poorer forest lands of western washington. the method of obtaining title to government lands is generally known, and if not, can be obtained from the general land offices, one of which is in seattle, olympia, vancouver, spokane, waterville, walla walla and north yakima. the government still holds title to nearly six million acres, and, while the best has been acquired by others, the diligent searcher can still find homesteads and desert claims worth energy and considerable expense to secure. state lands. a recent estimate of the value of the state lands still in possession makes them worth million dollars. they include nearly , , acres, a large portion of which is heavily timbered. these lands may be obtained from the state through the state land commissioner by purchase outright on very easy terms, or may be leased for a term of five to ten years at a low rental, the lessee receiving virtually a first right to purchase. these state lands are as good as any in the state and offer to the homeseeker a splendid opportunity for a start. [page ] in this state there are also numerous tide lands, oyster lands, and shore lands to be obtained at various prices, both from the state and from private individuals who have already acquired title from the state. water power. it is probable that no state in the union is better equipped for creating power than the state of washington. numerous waterfalls of magnitude are already successfully utilized. among these the most noted are the spokane falls, capable of producing , horse power; the snoqualmie falls, with a sheer descent of feet, with a capacity of , horse power; puyallup river at one place is furnishing about , horse power; the cedar river has a capacity of , horse wer; the nooksack falls with , horse power already generated; tumwater falls with , horse power, with chelan falls, the meyers falls and the falls of asotin creek all in use to limited extent. the waters of the yakima river are also in use in part for power purposes, but more extensively for irrigation. besides these there are many minor streams already harnessed. but the unused water powers of the state far exceed that portion now developed. all its streams are mountain streams, excepting perhaps, the snake and columbia rivers. these mountain rivers in a flow of to miles make a descent of , to , feet in reaching sea level, providing innumerable opportunities to use the falls already created by nature, or to divert the waters and produce artificial falls. no heritage of the state is of greater value and none more appreciated than this water power. since the introduction of electricity as a lighting and motive force, its creation by water power looms into immense importance. the exhibition of its achievements to be seen in washington today is amazing to the men whose vision of light and power was first with the tallow dip and four-footed beasts, and later with kerosene and steam. electricity, created by our water falls, lights our cities and farm homes, draws our street cars and some railroad cars--pushes most of the machinery used in manufactories, to the great satisfaction and profit of our citizens. [page ] game. the state of washington was once a paradise for the sportsman in its every corner. its desert lands were full of jack rabbits and sage hens; over its mountains and foothills roamed herds of elk, mountain goats, deer, and many bear, cougar and wild cats. in its timbered valleys were pheasants and grouse in plenty. upon its waters and sloughs the wild ducks and geese were in vast flocks, while its waters teemed with salmon in many varieties, and several families of the cod tribe, sole, flounders, perch, mountain trout and other fish. while these conditions cannot now be said to exist in full, yet at certain seasons, and in some places, the same game, animals, birds and fishes are in abundance, and the sportsman, while he may not have his "fill," may satisfy a reasonable amount of his craving for the excitement of the frontier. the state has deemed it wise to restrict the time and place within which its game can be taken and the amount a single individual shall kill. these regulations suffice partly to preserve the game from extinction and help replenish the state's treasury, and are considered wise and reasonable. scenery. if washington is mighty in forest possession, provided with fuel for centuries in its coal beds, rich in precious metals, with great open waterways full of fish roads from the ocean and millions of fishes in its inland waters, with game upon its thousand hills and its vast plains loaded with waving grains and red with luscious fruits, still its crowning glory is its matchless scenery. towering above the clouds, with its head crowned with eternal snows, its sides forever glistening with icy glaciers till their feet touch the green tops of its foothills, near the center of the state, stands in imposing grandeur the highest mountain of the states--grand, old mount rainier. [illustration: plate no. .--fish cannery at port angeles, clallam county.] [illustration: plate no. .--a forest scene in clallam county.] [illustration: plate no. .--north bank bridge over the columbia river at vancouver, clarke county.] [illustration: plate no. .--u. s. army post, vancouver, clarke county.] [illustration: plate no. .--stock-raising in clarke county.] [illustration: plate no. .--a clarke county fruit ranch.] through its center north and south the cascade mountains in a zigzag course lift their clustered peaks and mountain passes from four to eight thousand feet above the sea, while mount olympus and his colleagues higher still poke their inspiring [page ] front heavenward. between these two white and green clad mountain ranges, protected from the blizzards of the southwestern plains and from the hurricanes from the ocean, lie in safety the placid waters of washington's great inland sea, matchless puget sound. where else upon the globe is such a diversified stretch of tranquil water, upon whose shores the ocean tides ebb and flow, upon whose surface the navies of the world could maneuver to their heart's content, while visible from shore to shore are the vast evergreen forests, interlaced with winding waters and stretching gently upwards till they reach the visible mountain peaks a hundred miles away, thousands of feet skyward? scarcely less enchanting is the view eastward from the rainier's lofty height--a vast stretch of hill and plain almost surrounded by green mountain sides, through whose gray and green fields flow the great winding courses of the mighty columbia and the lazy snake rivers, while a multitude of smaller streams gleam through the forest sides of the mountains over innumerable waterfalls. here within the foothills you gaze upon the largest lake within the state, a beauty spot to enchant alike the artist and the sportsman. deep within its rocky sides and full of speckled beauties lying like a mirror in the stretch of green hills about it, lies lake chelan, and on its unruffled bosom a fleet of boats ply for fifty miles beyond its outlet till reach the mining foothills of the mountains. a hundred miles eastward, still among the scattered pines of northeastern washington, the spokane river tumbles in masses of foam and spray over a succession of rocky falls on its way to the columbia, while still further on the pend d'oreille and upper reaches of the columbia river flow close up among the mountains and foothills and present a series of beautiful combinations of rock, trees, hills and valleys, of forests and waterfalls of magnificent beauty. washington in its scenery is magnificent in proportions, wonderful in its variety, grand and imposing in form and feature--picturesque--enticing--"a thing of beauty and a joy forever." [page ] principal industries of washington. lumbering. the description of the resources of a state naturally suggests what its industries are. the forests of western washington inevitably lead to the lumber industry and the fertile soil of eastern washington point as unerringly to agriculture. these are the two great industries of the state. the lumberman and the farmer are in the majority. already there are sawmills enough in operation to cut up all the standing timber in the state within fifty years. they employ probably , men. this includes those engaged in logging and the subsidiary industries. of the trees the fir is pre-eminently useful, and more than half of the forests of the state are fir trees. it is of greater strength than any of the others and hence is used for all structural work where strength is of special importance. it is rather coarse grained, but when quarter sawed produces a great variety of grains very beautiful and capable of high finish and is extensively used for inside finishings for houses as well as for frame work. its strength makes it ideal for the construction of ships. the yellow pine is strong, medium grained and well fitted for general building purposes, and is very extensively used in eastern washington. cedar is very light and close grained and is chiefly used for shingles, and for this purpose has no superior. the cheaper grades are also used for boxes and sheathing for houses and many other purposes. the spruce furnishes an odorless wood especially useful for butter tubs; for shelving and similar uses it is superior to either the fir or cedar. it is a white, close grained lumber, and appreciating in value. the hemlock, whose bark produces tannin for the tanneries, is also a close grained light wood coming more and more into [page ] general use, for many purposes, especially where it will not be exposed to the weather. logs frequently seven feet in diameter require big saws, and big carriers to feet long, and hence washington has probably the largest sawmills in the world. our lumber is used at home and shipped all over the world to make bridges, ships, houses, floors, sash, doors, boxes, barrels, tubs, etc. factories for the manufacture of wood products are scattered all over the state. most of the sawmills and some factories are driven by steam made by burning sawdust, slabs, and other refuse of the mills. coal and electricity, however, are both in use. coal mining. the mining of coal for foreign and domestic purposes is one of the most important of washington's industries. the annual output of the mines is about three million tons, worth about eight million dollars; fifty thousand tons of coke are made annually, worth at the ovens about $ , . the coal mining industry gives employment to , men. the production of coal for was distributed as follows: kittitas county, tons , , king county, tons , , pierce county, tons , lewis county, tons , thurston county, tons , whatcom county, tons , clallam county, tons the coke nearly all comes from pierce county. nearly forty different corporations and individuals are engaged in coal mining. the coals thus far commercially mined are chiefly lignite and bituminous. these coal measures lie along the base of the foothills, chiefly of the cascade mountains. higher up are some mines of anthracite coals, not yet on the market for lack of transportation. as far as discovered they are chiefly near the headwaters of the cowlitz river in lewis county. coal forms the largest factory in furnishing steam for the mill roads. some of the railroads, notably the [page ] northern pacific and great northern, own their own mines and mine the coal for their own engines and shops. it is also the main fuel supply for domestic uses, although fir and yellow pine cordwood is extensively used when the cost of transportation is not too great. coal is also the chief fuel used in steamboats, both those plying over inland waters and the ocean-going boats as well. here also, however, the fir wood proves a good substitute and is used to some extent by local steamers on the sound. coal is also used to create both steam and electricity for most of the large heating plants in the cities and in many factories and manufacturing plants, flour mills, elevators, etc. the fact that vast coal measures lie within miles of the seaports of puget sound is a very important factor in insuring the construction of manufacturing establishments and the concentration of transportation in these ports. coal is also used in all the large cities for the manufacture of illuminating gas and as a by-product of this industry coke, coal tar, and crude creosote are produced. the coke from the ovens goes chiefly to the smelters for the reduction of ores, both of the precious metals and iron. metal mining. the mining industry other than coal is quite rapidly reaching importance among our industries. there are in the state three large smelters, whose annual output of precious metals far surpasses in value the output of our coal mines. the ores for these values, however, do not all come from the mines of this state. other states, british columbia, alaska, and some foreign countries help furnish the ores. but washington has within its borders a great mineralized territory, not yet thoroughly prospected and very little developed, yet which materially assists in supplying these smelters with their ores. [illustration: plate no. .--ocean-going raft, built at stella, cowlitz county, by the oregon rafting company.] [illustration: plate no. .--cowlitz county timber. this stick was feet long and feet in circumference at stump.] the smelter at everett receives a steady supply of arsenical ores of copper, lead, gold, silver and zinc from the mines of snohomish county which are of magnitude sufficient to make profitable the railroad which has been built to monte cristo [page ] purposely for these ores. this smelter has a special plant for saving the arsenic in these ores, which materially adds to the value of its output and is said to be the only one of its kind in the nation. besides the mines at monte cristo, there are copper mines being successfully worked at index, whose ores are shipped both to everett and tacoma. at tacoma is located one of the largest smelting and refining plants in the nation, which draws its ores from all parts of the world. at north port in stevens county is a smelter which is chiefly supplied with ores from this state, supplemented by those of british columbia. at republic in ferry county are mines producing gold and silver ores of such extent as to have induced the building of a branch line of railroad to carry their ores to this smelter. there are also in stevens county large deposits of silver-lead ores, which will be large producers as soon as better transportation is secured. this last statement is also true regarding many mines in other counties. fishing industry. the business of catching, preserving and selling fish gives employment probably to more than , men in this state and adds probably four million dollars annually to its wealth production. the fishes include salmon, which is the chief commercial species, cod in many varieties, halibut, salmon trout, perch, sole, flounders, smelt, herring, sardines, oysters, clams, crabs and shrimp from its salt waters, and sturgeon, trout, perch, black bass, white fish and many others from the fresh water. great quantities of salmon and halibut are shipped in ice-packed boxes, fresh from the waters, to all parts of the nation. of these fish, many salmon, halibut and cod are caught in alaskan waters and brought into this state to be cured and prepared for the market. the salmon are chiefly packed in tin cans after being cooked; the cod are handled as are the eastern cod, dried and salted. the business of handling the smelts, herring, etc., is in its infancy, as is also that of the shellfish. [page ] the propagation of oysters, both native and eastern, is assuming great importance in many places in the state. in shoalwater bay, willipa bay, grays harbor, and many of the bays and inlets of puget sound, oysters are being successfully grown. in some instances oyster farms are paying as much as $ , per acre. the state has sold many thousand acres of submerged lands for this purpose. it has also reserved several thousand acres of natural oyster beds, from which the seed oysters are annually sold at a cheap price to the oyster farmers, who plant them upon their own lands and market them when full grown. the native oysters are much smaller than the eastern oysters and of a distinct flavor, but command the same prices in the market. agriculture. cereals. the largest and most important industry in the state is without doubt the cultivation of the soil. the great variety of the soils and climatic conditions has made the state, in different parts, admirably adapted to a large variety of farm products. vast fields of wheat cover a large proportion of the uplands of eastern washington, the average yield of which is greater than that of any other state in the union. the diked lands of western washington produce oats at the rate of to bushels per acre. in some counties in southeastern washington barley is more profitable than any other cereal, on account of the large yield and superior quality. corn is successfully raised in some of the irrigated lands, but is not as profitable as some other crops and hence is not an important factor in washington's grain supply. rye, buckwheat, and flax, are successfully grown in many localities. in western washington, particularly, peas form an important ration for stock food and are extensively raised for seed, excelling in quality the peas of most other states. [page ] hops. hops are a large staple product in many counties of the state. they are of excellent quality, and the yield is large and their cultivation generally profitable. the chief drawback is in the fluctuations of the market price. grass and hay. grass here, as elsewhere, is very little talked about, although it is one of the large elements that make the profits of agriculture. saying nothing of the vast amount of grass consumed green, the state probably produces a million tons of hay annually, averaging $ per ton in value. western washington is evergreen in pasturage as well as forests and no spot in the union can excel it for annual grass production. east of the mountains a very large acreage is in alfalfa, with a yield exceeding six tons per acre. potatoes. on the alluvial soils of western washington and the irrigated lands of the eastern valleys, potatoes yield exceedingly heavy crops of fine tubers, often from to bushels per acre. all other root crops are produced in abundance. beets. extensive experiments have proved that the sugar beet can be raised profitably in many counties and sugar is now on the markets of the state, made within its borders from home-grown beets. truck gardening. garden stuff is supplied to all the large cities chiefly from surrounding lands in proper seasons, but much is imported from southern localities to supply the market out of season. the soils utilized for this purpose are the low alluvial valley lands and irrigated volcanic ash lands. the yield from both is astonishing to people from the eastern prairie states, and even in western washington, with its humid atmosphere and cool nights, tomatoes, squashes and sweet corn are being generously furnished the city markets. the warm irrigated lands of eastern [page ] washington produce abundant crops of melons, cucumbers, squashes and all other vegetables. horticulture. the conditions for successful fruit growing are abundant, and peculiarly adapted to produce excellence in quality and quantity in nearly all parts of the state, but some localities have better conditions for some particular fruits than others, e. g., western washington excels in the raising of raspberries and other small fruits of that sort, its climate and soils being suited to the production of large berries and heavy yields. certain localities in eastern washington excel in the yield of orchard fruits, chiefly on irrigated lands. owing to the abundant sunshine, the fruits of eastern washington are more highly colored than those of other sections of the state. taking the state as a whole, horticulture is rapidly assuming vast importance. thousands of acres are yearly being added to the area of orchards, and remarkable cash returns are being realized from the older plantings now in full bearing. this is true of all the common orchard fruits, apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherries, etc. in western washington large plantings of the small fruits are growing in favor, some of the new fruits receiving especial attention. one plantation of thirty acres is devoted exclusively to burbank's phenomenal berry. grapes are being grown on both sides of the mountains, the eastern side, however, giving this fruit much more attention. cranberries are being produced in quantities on some of the bog lands near the sea coast. nuts have been planted on both sides of the mountains in an experimental way, and it has been found that walnuts, chestnuts, and filberts are profitable. in the southeastern section of the state, nut growing bids fair to develop into a considerable industry. [illustration: plate no. .--royal anne cherry tree, owned by j. h. rogers, lexington, cowlitz county. circumference of this tree below first limb, - feet. yield in , , pounds.] [illustration: plate no. .--dairy herd on ranch of t. d. dungan, kelso, cowlitz county.] [illustration: plate no. .--douglas county fruit.] [illustration: plate no. .--douglas county wheat at tram waiting shipment on columbia river boats.] stock raising. the glory once enjoyed by this industry is rapidly changing color. formerly, a predominating feature of the state was its [page ] big herds feeding gratuitously on government lands. this condition still exists to an extent, the forests being utilized, under regulations by the government, but the herds are limited. individual farms and small herds are now the order of the day and, incidentally, better breeds are developing. this is true of horses, cattle and sheep. the demand for horses is chiefly for the heavy draft animals for use in the logging camps and on the streets of the cities, and the demand is fairly well supplied, chiefly in eastern washington. good cows and fat steers are always in demand, and washington's market for them is not fully supplied from the home farms. the same is true regarding sheep and hogs. the phenomenal growth of the seaport towns on puget sound and the difficulty in clearing the lands in western washington combine to make the consumption exceed the home grown supply, and many are imported from neighboring states. there is abundant room for expansion in stock raising in the state. conditions are admirable. grass is abundant for pasturage, hay is a prolific crop, the climate is mild, no pests afflict the cattle, and the markets are at the door and always hungry. the dairy. there are few states in the union equal to washington in its possession of natural conditions suited to make dairying profitable. in all of western washington, in the western part of eastern washington, and in both the northeastern and southeastern sections of the state, the climate and soil conspire to make ideal grazing. particularly is this true in the western part of the state. all the grasses grow in luxuriance, and with proper care and forethought there may be secured almost twelve months of green feed annually. the crops best adapted for use as ensilage grow well, making large yields. timothy, clover hay and alfalfa are the standbys for winter feed so far as the coarse feed is concerned, and while mill stuffs and all grains are high in price, so are correspondingly the products of the dairy. butter ranges from cents to cents per pound, and milk sells in the coast cities for cents per quart. [page ] poultry. perhaps no part of agriculture is more profitable to the wise farmer than his barnyard fowls, and in washington this is exceptionally true. eggs retail in the coast towns at cents to cents per dozen. turkeys at thanksgiving time are worth from cents to cents per pound dressed, and other fowl in proportion. conditions can be made as ideal for poultry raising in this state as anywhere, and with the market never satisfied, the poultry raiser has every essential to success in his favor. bee culture. bee culture among the orchards and alfalfa fields of eastern washington is a side line which should not be neglected by the farmer or horticulturist. many are fully alert to the favorable conditions, and washington honey is on sale in the late summer in most of the cities and towns until the supply is exhausted, and then that from other states comes in to meet the demand. pasturage for bees is also abundant in many parts of the western half of the state, and many a rancher among the forest trees has upon his table the products of his own apiary. manufacturing other than lumber. the state of washington has natural products either within its own borders or nearby, to foster many manufacturing industries, besides those having lumber for their raw material. in the puget sound basin are vast deposits of lime rock, which is manufactured into commercial lime, supplying the home market not only, but is being shipped also to foreign ports. these are chiefly on san juan island. considerable granite of fine quality is used in building and cemetery structures, from quarries in snohomish and skagit counties. sandstone is being used for building purposes and is of splendid texture. onyx of great variety and beauty is extensively quarried in stevens county. marble of good quality is being sawed up to limited extent. quarries in southeastern alaska furnish rather a better quality and are more extensively worked. [page ] clays of great variety, including fire clays and those suitable for terra cotta, are abundant, and large factories in king county are turning out common and pressed brick of many colors and fine finish, vitrified brick for street paving, terra cotta, stoneware, drain tile, sewer pipe and other kindred products. at concrete, a town of , people in skagit county, two factories, employing men, are daily turning out , barrels of portland cement of fine quality, which is finding ready market in all the large cities. at irondale, in jefferson county, a large plant has been in operation turning out pig iron. it is now in process of being turned into a steel plant and within a few months will be turning out steel bars and pipes for sewer, gas and other purposes. the ores are obtained from whatcom and skagit counties, some bog iron in the immediate vicinity and additional ores from vancouver island. more than a half million dollars has already been invested and this will probably reach a full million when the plant is in complete operation. although iron ores are present in the state in large quantities, no other serious effort is being made to supply the state with home made pig iron or its products. here is a vast field awaiting brains and capital. the above represent only a few of the many lines of manufacturing that have been successfully developed in washington. transportation. commerce and transportation are two affinities, ever seeking each other. they have found on puget sound an ideal trysting place. here the ships of the ocean reach immense placid waters, not duplicated on either side of the continent, and for this reason the railroads have come from the interior to meet them. from foreign ports all over the world ocean carriers are bringing in great loads of merchandise and passengers, and the railroads coming from the atlantic coast across the entire continent bring like loads of merchandise and human freight, and here they are exchanged. teas from china and japan for cotton from galveston and cotton goods from massachusetts; [page ] rice and silk, hemp, matting, tin, copper and japanese bric-a-brac are exchanged for grain, flour, fish, lumber, fruit, iron and steel ware, paper, tobacco, etc. merchandise of all sorts from asia, the philippines, south america and australia is here exchanged for different stuffs raised or made in every part of the american continent and some from europe. this commerce, however, is in its infancy. the northern pacific and great northern railways have fattened on it for years. all their rivals have looked on with envious eyes till now a mad rush is on among them all for vantage ground. the milwaukee, canadian pacific and burlington systems already run their trains here, while the union pacific and others are rushing for terminals on puget sound tide water. and while thus racing for the great long haul prizes, they are incidentally giving to the state a complete system of transportation in all its parts and for all its multitudinous productions. of almost equal importance to the state is its great fleet of local steamers which ply its inland waters, and the numerous electric lines that are rapidly uniting its cities and villages and giving a new and cheap method of migration. from the city of spokane and radiating in every direction, electric lines are in operation and more are in course of construction, bringing the most distant points of the great "inland empire" into close touch with its metropolis and great distributing center. on the west side the same thing is true, only in less degree. between these two groups of transportation facilities, and the commerce which the union of rail and tidewater has created, the citizens of washington have found innumerable opportunities of employment. these opportunities are increasing and broadening every year with the continued development of the state and in multiplied and varied form they await the newcomer who possesses the ability to rise to the demands of the situation. [illustration: plate no. .--ferry county views. plant of karamin lumber co., karamin, ferry county. ( ) track of spokane & b. c. railway. ( ) track of spokane falls & northern ry.] [illustration: plate no. .--helphrey ranch, curlew, ferry county.] [page ] opportunities in washington. washington is a land of widely diverging natural conditions. its topographical characteristics vary from the low southern exposures of the inland river valleys, where strawberries mature as early as april, to the mountain summits of the cascades and olympics, where winter reigns supreme the year round. between these extremes may be found every range of climate known to the semi-tropical and temperate zones. for the homeseeker. our lands include those suitable for the successful raising both of the more tender, as well as the hardier fruits. every grain, other than corn, yields splendid results, while the truck gardener, small fruit grower, dairyman, stock raiser and, in fact, every man who aims to secure a living and a competence from some form of farm industry will find, if he looks for it, a spot within the confines of this state that will meet his most exacting requirements. to insure success in any of the above lines requires pluck, energy, stick-to-it-iveness, a determination to secure desired results, and some capital. but given these, the man who is looking to washington as a favored location for the establishment of his household gods need have no fear of the outcome. land may be secured suitable for any of the different purposes mentioned, and with proper care it may be made to yield beyond the most sanguine expectations. a market is ready and waiting to absorb every class of product at profitable prices. transportation facilities are already excellent and the millions now being expended in new railway construction through the state give some idea of what the future holds forth in this particular. [page ] for the business man. to the business man a new state, developing as is the state of washington, naturally offers numerous and attractive opportunities. new communities are springing up along the lines of the milwaukee, the portland & seattle, and other railways now in process of construction, each demanding its quota of commercial enterprises, while the older cities and towns are continually absorbing new additions to their population, thus paving the way for new business facilities. for the investor. the investor will find an attractive field of action in washington, and with the exercise of caution and prudence may anticipate far better returns than he has been accustomed to, without undue risk of the impairment of his capital. raw lands, timber lands, improved farms, irrigated lands and city and town property are exhibiting a steady increase in value and undoubtedly will continue to do so for years to come. the capitalist may take his choice of any of these forms of investment, or he may turn to private, industrial or municipal securities which are constantly being offered on excellent terms and based upon unimpeachable assets. for the manufacturer. to the manufacturer this state offers all the conditions that may be classed as prerequisite to success. cheap electric power is available in nearly every community of any size in the state, while millions of horse power remain still undeveloped in the rivers and mountain streams. raw material is here, in abundance, and the markets of the world are accessible through rail and water transportation. the principal manufactured products of the state consist of lumber and lumber products, flour, feed and various cereal foods, butter, cheese, evaporated milk, crackers and candy, baking powder, soda, fruit extracts, clothing, boots and shoes, baskets, bags, beer, ice, brick and other clay products, iron products, wagons and agricultural implements, turpentine, leather products, cordage, saws, boilers, asbestos, water pipes, tin cans, railway equipment, ships and [page ] boats, canned fruits and vegetables and a variety of other products. desirable locations are frequently offered free to those who will establish manufacturing industries. for the wage earner. the wage earner who comes to this state sufficiently fortified to maintain himself and family for a period may usually expect to find satisfactory employment at good wages. washington has never been exploited as a poor man's paradise, but there is a tremendous development in progress throughout the state in every line of industry and there is a steady demand for mechanics and laborers of all classes. the foregoing is intended to present in brief form an outline of the opportunities that await the enterprising newcomer in this state. success is being achieved in all of the various lines touched upon, by thousands who have located here in the past few years, and as yet the resources of the state have scarcely been touched. the future of washington is big with promise, based upon results already achieved, and in that future the newcomer may expect to participate in proportion to the effort he expends. [page ] washington's educational system. the importance of a complete and well rounded public educational system has not been overlooked at any stage in the growth and development of this commonwealth. from kindergarten to university no link is wanting to supply the ambitious boy or girl with the very best training that modern educational experts have evolved. the common school system of the state is based upon the theory that every child must be educated, and that the state must provide the facilities for the accomplishment of this purpose. this theory has been carried out so thoroughly and intelligently that there is scarcely a child in the state of school age who does not live within easy reach of a school house. moreover, attendance is compulsory and no child is excused unless satisfactory reasons are presented to the proper authorities. educational endowment. upon admission of washington to statehood a land endowment was granted to the state by the federal government for common school purposes which in round numbers totals nearly two and one-half millions of acres. this land is offered for sale or lease by the state, through the office of the state land commissioner, and the proceeds constitute a permanent and irreducible fund to be invested for educational purposes. in addition to the foregoing lands, the state university has an endowment of , acres; the agricultural college, , acres; the scientific school, , acres, and the state normal schools, , acres. as yet only a small portion of these lands has been disposed of. the expense of maintaining our schools, therefore, is met almost entirely by taxation. [illustration: plate no. .--view of the country near curlew, ferry county.] [illustration: plate no. .--three-year-old orchard, near pasco, franklin county.] [illustration: plate no. .--combined harvester operating in the wheat fields of franklin county. this machine cuts, threshes and sacks the grain, depositing the filled sacks on the ground as it moves through the field.] [illustration: plate no. .--( ) a jefferson county country home. ( ) a logging railroad, jefferson county. ( ) prize products, jefferson county.] [illustration: plate no. .--jefferson county rural views. field of oats and vetch yielding tons per acre. herd of high-grade holstein dairy county.] [illustration: plate no. .--view of waterfront, port townsend, jefferson county.] higher institutions. the university of washington occupies a campus of acres, located entirely within the limits of the city of seattle. [page ] the buildings of the university consist of the administration building, science hall, chemistry building, engineering building, power house, dormitories for men and women, and other smaller buildings. in addition to the foregoing, the university will come into the possession of a number of commodious structures at the conclusion of the alaska-yukon-pacific exposition. for the current year, the enrollment of students at the university is , . the faculty consists of members and for the ensuing biennial period the legislature appropriated the sum of $ , for the support of the institution. the state college of washington is located at pullman, in whitman county. this institution emphasizes technical and scientific education and in its agricultural departments has accomplished remarkable results. it is annually giving the state a number of highly trained experts in modern agricultural science, and the farming interests of the state have been greatly assisted by the work of the college. instruction is given in civil engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, geology, botany, chemistry, zoology, economic science and history, modern languages, domestic economy, besides the practical operation of a dairy farm and other branches of agricultural industry. the institution, in addition to its land endowment, receives annual assistance from the federal government and a biennial appropriation from the state legislature. the state also maintains three normal schools, located respectively in the cities of bellingham, ellensburg and cheney. these institutions have a combined attendance of about and are the recruiting ground for securing instructors in the public schools. at vancouver is the state school for the deaf and blind. the defective youth of the state are cared for in a well equipped institution located at medical lake, in spokane county, and at chehalis is the state training school for incorrigibles. [page ] logged-off lands. the problem of making a home and providing a competency for old age upon the lands in western washington is somewhat different and more difficult than doing the same upon the prairie lands of the east. as they come to the hands of the would-be tiller of the soil, they present a forbidding and disagreeable aspect. the loggers have left them with considerable standing timber, with the tops of the giants of the forests lying where they fell, scattered over the land and covering it with an almost impenetrable mass of great limbs and brush and dead logs. if seen in the summer, there is added the view of a mass of green vegetation, rank and to a large extent covering up the mass of dead stuff left by the loggers with the huge stumps sticking up through it all, mute monuments of the lost wealth of the forest. in some instances this is somewhat relieved by the fact that, either by accident or design, the fire has been there and swept through it all, leaving nothing but blackened and smouldering emblems of its prior greatness. in this case, however, only the lighter part of the refuse has been destroyed. the great stumps of fir and cedar are there still, blackened and perhaps with their dead hearts burned out. great and small decaying logs are there, some too wet to burn, some with the bark alone burned off, and some with the dead centers burned out, scattered about or piled in crisscross masses as they had fallen during the ages of the forest's growth. in either case it looks different from the smooth surface of the sagebrush plains about to be converted into irrigated farms or the clean face of the prairie lands covered with grass and ready and longing for the plow. but with all their forbidding aspects, black with a portentous cloud of hard labor and long waiting, their known hidden wealth lures on the hardy pioneer to the task. he throws off his coat, rolls up his sleeves, gathers together his tools, and with the indomitable courage of the anglo-saxon [page ] tackles the problem, works and fights and rests by turns till within a few years he finds himself triumphant. eventually, beneath his own orchard trees laden with fruit, and in the comfort and delight of his big home fireplace, he contemplates the rewards of his struggle, as he sees his cows complacently chewing their cuds in his green pastures and listens to the neigh of his fat horses, and at his table, laden with all the bounty of his rich lands, thanks his maker for the successful completion of a hard struggle and the enjoyment it has brought to him and his family. modern methods. having thus presented the picture in perspective, we will now work out some of the details which help to rob it of its difficulty and add to its attractiveness. if the lands have not been burned off, and in many instances where this has been done, the rancher will find a lot of cedar logs, perhaps partially burned, and possibly long black stubs that it will be wise to save. cut into proper lengths and put into piles for preservation, they will make his raw material for fencing, barns, etc. the cedar is straight-grained, splits easy, and true, and to the rancher is very valuable, taking the place of sawed lumber for a great many farm purposes. having carefully saved the cedar, the rancher will fire his clearing, thus getting rid of a large share of the logger's waste with practically no labor. to the task of disposing of the remaining logs and stumps he will bring modern tools and methods into action. the axe and shovel and hand lever have given place to gunpowder, the donkey engine, derrick and winch. stump powder puts all the big stumps into pieces easily. the modern stump-puller lifts out the smaller stumps with ease. the donkey engine and derrick pull together and pile the stumps and logs into great heaps, and once more the friendly fire helps out; and while the dusky woodlands are lighted up with passing glory the rancher sleeps to wake up and find his fields almost ready for his plow, nor has the task had half the hard labor nor consumed half the time that years ago would have been expended in clearing the same amount of oak and maple and hickory land in the valley [page ] of the mississippi. it should be said, however, that what is gained in time and saved in labor costs money. the expense of clearing the logged-off land by these modern methods and tools will run from $ to $ per acre, dependent upon various conditions, number and size of stumps, etc. there are in western washington thousands of acres which are being pastured and tilled, from which the large stumps have not been removed. in these instances the same methods can be used, handling all the small logs and stumps and litter, and after the first burning, carefully repiling and burning the refuse and then seeding to grass. in the ashes and loose soil, grass seed readily starts, and a single season will suffice to provide fairly good pasturage, which will annually grow better. cost of labor and material. the following table, taken from the report of a government inspector, will give an idea of the cost of the different materials and labor used in clearing logged-off land: cost of removing stumps from foot to feet in diameter from acres of land in : ========================================================================== | | | | | labor. month. | powder,| fuse, | caps, | stumps, |-------------------- | lbs. | ft. | no. | no. | hours. | dollars. -----------------|--------|--------|-------|---------|--------|----------- june | , | , | , | , | , | $ . july | , | , | | | | . august | , | , | | | | . september | , | , | | | | . october | , | , | | | | . november | , | , | | | | . |--------|--------|-------|---------|--------|----------- total | , | , | , | , | , | $ , . av. pr. stump | . | . | . | | . | . av. cost, cents | . | . | . | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- the average cost of the removal of each stump is shown below: _cents._ powder . fuse . caps . labor . ----- total . the average cost of the materials used was as follows: powder, per pound, cents; fuse, per feet, cents; caps, per , cents. [illustration: plate no. .--view of second avenue, seattle, during parade of marines from atlantic fleet, may , .] [illustration: plate no. .--a corner of the seattle public market. truck gardeners find ready sale for their wares here the year round.] [page ] there are probably two and one-third million acres of logged-off lands in the state, of which only half a million are under tillage or pasturage. the same report shows the distribution of these lands as follows: =========================================================================== | acreage | acreage | acreage in | total | per cent. county. |merchantable| logged |cultivation.| acreage. | suitable for | timber. | off. | | | agriculture. -----------|------------|-----------|------------|-----------|------------- chehalis | , | , | , | , | clallam | , | , | , | , | clarke | , | , | , | , | cowlitz | , | , | , | , | island | , | , | , | , | jefferson | , | , | , | , | king | , | , | , | , , | kitsap | , | , | , | , | lewis | , | , | , | , | mason | , | , | , | , | pacific | , | , | , | , | pierce | , | , | , | , | san juan | , | , | , | , | skagit | , | , | , | , | snohomish | , | , | , | , | thurston | , | , | , | , | wahkiakum | , | , | , | , | whatcom | , | , | , | , | -----------|------------|-----------|------------|-----------|------------- total | , , | , , | , | , , | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- there are a great many acres of these lands that can be slicked up and burned over and prepared for seeding, not disturbing the stumps, at an expense of about $ per acre. thus treated, good pasturage can be secured cheaply. in time some of the stumps will rot out and be easily removed. when the stumps are not too thick, the lands can be successfully prepared and planted to orchards without removing the stumps, and their unsightly appearance can be turned into a thing of beauty and great profit by planting evergreen blackberries and loganberries about them, using the stumps for trellises. these berries in the climate of western washington are wonderfully prolific and find a greedy market. compensations. there are several facts about making farms out of logged-off lands which should not be lost sight of, because they largely compensate for the labor spent in the undertaking. one of these is that the problem of fuel is solved for a lifetime and for the coming generation. five acres can be left untouched as a reserve and in a remarkably few years it will re-forest itself. [page ] the growth of trees under the humid atmosphere of western washington is astonishing, and a very few years will suffice to provide one with a wood lot to last a generation. meanwhile some of the fir logs and alder and maple trees will be preserved from the fire and piled up to provide fuel for the years until the wood lot furnishes a fresh green supply. then, too, as has already been suggested, the fence question, no small item in a prairie country, is satisfactorily answered with no expenditure but for labor. the cedar logs, splitting with ease, can be turned into rails or boards or posts--preferably the former--and the rails put on top of each other between two posts fastened together at the top make as good a hog-tight and cattle-proof fence as can be desired, and these rails will last in the fence for a century. for the house, doubtless more satisfaction can be had by patronizing the nearest saw-mill, although many houses made out of split cedar timbers and boards are in the state, proofs at once of the usefulness of this timber and the hardihood and ingenuity of the rancher. but for the barn and stable, pig-stye, hennery, chicken-coop and fruit boxes, and a great many other things, the rancher patronizes his reserve log pile instead of the lumber yard, and saves time and labor in so doing. another fact which compensates the rancher in western washington in the struggle for a home which will provide a safe and generous support in his old age is that during all the labor and waiting he is enjoying a delightful climate, in which no blizzard drives him from his work. no cyclone endangers his life and fortune. no snakes lurk in the underbrush. no clouds of dust blind his eyes. no sultry summer suns make him gasp for breath, and no intense cold freezes his face or feet. he can work if he wishes as many days as there are in the year, and know that every stroke of his axe or mattock is a part of his capital safely invested that will pay back an annual dividend for a lifetime. no soil will respond to his energy more quickly or more generously. there is one more possible compensation. fir logs and stumps and roots and bark are all full of pitch. factories are now in operation that are turning this wood into charcoal and [page ] saving and refining all the by-products, particularly turpentine, wood alcohol, pitch and tar. these factories are successful and paying dividends, but are on a large scale and permanently located. it is probable that some genius will soon evolve a movable plant, capable of serving the same purpose, which can go from one ranch to another. when this is done, it will be found that the refuse left by the logger is worth several times more than the cost of getting it off the land with powder and fire, and, instead of being a burden upon the land of $ per acre, will become a matter of merchandise to be sold for much more and removed from the land with no expense to the owner. as a final word, it should be remembered that, after these lands are put under good tillage, every acre can be made to return more than the cost of clearing annually. western washington has never been able to produce enough to feed its wonderfully increasing population. meats, vegetables, fruits, poultry, eggs, etc., are all constantly coming in from outside to supply the markets. this condition keeps prices high. it has been so for twenty years, and will be for twenty years to come. from $ to $ per acre per year can be had from fruits and vegetables. the same can be realized from poultry, nor will the dairy fall far behind when the scrub cow is abandoned and a choice thoroughbred animal takes its place and the soil is intensely tilled and fertilized. the logged-off lands when first looked at are black and big labor and difficulties. when the problem is intelligently understood--undertaken with comprehension and some capital and plenty of grit--the solution is easy and the rewards ample and gratifying. [page ] irrigation in washington. the lands which require irrigation in the state are chiefly the lower lands in the valleys of the rivers east of the cascade mountains. the winds from the pacific, though heavily laden with moisture, are forced to surrender the greater portion to western washington, as they meet the cold heights of the mountain ranges. the mountains themselves receive a very heavy fall of snow in winter, which fills the lakes and sources of the rivers on the eastern side, providing a large amount of water available for irrigation purposes, for lands not too far distant. within fifty miles from the mountain peaks there is a drop of about , feet. the sides of the valleys in the main are gradual slopes. these conditions make irrigation very feasible. its wonderful results have been seen and the process of irrigation has found a wide field within the past few years. the irrigation area. not only the yakima valley, where this method of farming had its beginning in the state, but many other places, are now being made productive which were once thought wholly worthless on account of their aridity. among these are the wenatchee valley, the entiat, the methow, the chelan, and the okanogan--all on the slope of the cascades. the immediate low lands of the columbia and snake rivers and considerable of the narrow valleys of the small streams emptying into them have in many instances been irrigated. [illustration: plate no. .--king county rural views.] [illustration: plate no. .--how the hills make way for the skyscrapers in seattle. --last of hotel washington. --new hotel washington.] [illustration: plate no. .--a portion of the city of seattle overlooking the harbor.] [illustration: plate no. .--torpedo-boat destroyer in government drydock at navy yard, puget sound, kitsap county.] [illustration: plate no. .--steamship dakota in government drydock at navy yard, puget sound, kitsap county.] [illustration: plate no. .--a kittitas county apple tree.] work of the government. the work of reclaiming the arid lands has been wonderfully accelerated and widened in scope by the national government. the projects of the reclamation service now include practically all of the available waters of the yakima valley for irrigating the lands therein. in yakima county alone there are probably [page ] , acres now under ditch, and probably , more will be reclaimed this season. this is probably not more than half the lands in the county capable of irrigation. the fact that the general government is in control of these projects insures as wide and just a distribution of the available waters as possible. the cost of irrigation, which is from $ to $ per acre, is paid by the owners of the land in ten annual payments. there is also an annual charge for maintaining the canals from $ . to $ . per acre. these projects of the government cover the lands in benton and kittitas counties also--both of these counties being in the yakima valley. the government is also engaged in managing an extensive project in the southern part of okanogan county, where probably , acres will be reclaimed. there is a large acreage in franklin and walla walla counties, about the junctions of the snake and columbia rivers, to which pasco is central, which is arid. the government has once turned this project down, but is now reconsidering it, and it is reported that these lands will soon be put under ditch by the joint action of the government and the northern pacific railway, which owns a large portion of the lands. meanwhile private enterprises are reclaiming extensive tracts in klickitat county, and in fact nearly all the counties bordering on the columbia and snake rivers in eastern washington. it is probable that there are more lands capable of irrigation in the state than can be irrigated with available waters. this fact adds to the importance of the question of what to do with arid lands when no water can be put upon them. methods of irrigation. there are three methods in use in supplying water to the arid lands. the first and the one most generally adopted for obvious reasons is the gravity system. the waters are impounded in lakes or artificial reservoirs and carried thence in large main canals, winding about the hills so as to secure a low uniform grade. once established, no other force is needed but the usual flow of the water. [page ] another method resorted to when the gravity system is impossible is to pump the water from the big rivers into smaller reservoirs leading to the canals, the pumps being kept busy only during the months in which the water is needed. this method is quite successful, but requires a somewhat larger annual expenditure. it is being used in some extensive projects, the water being taken out of the columbia river. the third method is in securing the water by means of artesian wells. this method is naturally limited to small areas, the projects being undertaken by individual private owners. several spots have been found in the arid belt where this method is successful. soils. the soils over the entire areas of eastern washington on the arid lands is a volcanic ash mixed with disintegrated basaltic rocks and some humus, varying in depth and in the amount of sand it contains. the low lands are usually more sandy and warmer and earlier in season. the depth of this soil is in some places feet and generally so deep as to insure great permanency to its fertility. it readily absorbs and holds moisture, and is admirably adapted to artificial watering. in some spots there is an injurious surplus of alkali. it is generally covered with sagebrush and has the appearance of sterility, but upon cultivation under irrigation, produces wonderful results in quantity and quality of grains and grasses and fruits and vegetables. grains. wheat, oats and corn are successfully grown, but not in large acreage, because larger profits can be realized from other crops. hops and potatoes. hops, for example, which can be produced at a cost of - / cents per pound, yield from , to , pounds per acre, and potatoes, yielding from to bushels per acre, and receiving the highest market price, are both more profitable than wheat or oats. [page ] alfalfa. alfalfa, yielding from eight to ten tons per acre, and commanding from $ . to $ . per ton, is a very profitable crop. much wheat and oats are cut when in the milk and sold for hay, and yield better returns than when matured and threshed. fruits. the smaller fruits are very profitable under irrigation, yielding from $ to $ net per acre, while apples, pears, peaches, grapes, etc., often far exceed these figures, sometimes yielding as much as $ , per acre net. dairying. dairying is extensively followed on the irrigated lands, particularly in kittitas county, where the cool atmosphere is very favorable, and the farmers find that turning timothy and clover, alfalfa and grain hay into butter fat is more profitable than wheat-raising. preparation of land. there is a good deal of this arid land which will have to be freed from the sagebrush and smoothed over before it will be fit for irrigation. this expense, together with building headgates and lateral ditches, building flumes and seeding to alfalfa, will cost from $ . to $ . per acre, depending upon the character of the surface, the size of the sagebrush, and amount of flumes, etc. some, however, very smooth lands can be prepared for seeding at less expense. disposition of crops. the hay crops are in large part sold on the ground and fed to cattle and sheep which have summered in the mountain ranges and are carried through the winters on the farms in the valleys. what is left after supplying this demand is baled and shipped by rail to the markets on puget sound, portland or spokane. the sound country is also the chief purchaser of the fruits, although many winter apples, on account of their superior quality, are shipped to eastern markets. [page ] potatoes and other vegetables usually go west, although an occasional season finds the eastern market depleted, and then the shipments go to the best market. hops are sold to be delivered at railroad stations and go east, many even to europe. value of lands. the irrigated lands are yearly appreciating in value, mindless of the large acreage annually added to the supply. this is largely due to the fact that they are bought up and held for speculative purposes. however, there are still many farms in the hands of first purchasers from the government, and others still to be had directly from the government and others from the northern pacific company, not yet under ditches, which may ultimately be reclaimed. these latter can be had from $ . to $ . per acre. the lands already under ditch, or which will soon be irrigated certainly, are held from $ to $ raw and from $ to $ with water rights paid for. much land is on the market, already planted or to be planted to orchards, and cared for, for a term of years until the orchards are in bearing, which can be purchased on easy terms, ranging in price from $ to $ per acre. transportation. nearness to transportation is a valuable factor in determining the price of lands--whether under irrigation or otherwise. the lands being irrigated in eastern washington are, for the most part, adjacent to competing railways and water craft on both the columbia and snake rivers. projects are in contemplation by the government and state to remove all obstructions from the columbia river and give a great navigable stream from kettle falls to the mouth of the river. this will add to the shipping facilities by increasing the number of boats which will ply the river and be of great help to all farmers holding lands adjacent. numerous trolley lines are already running in many directions--and more are projected--among the irrigated farms connecting with the cities of spokane, north yakima, [page ] and walla walla. these add greatly to the facility and cheapness of transportation. climate. the character of the climate is well suggested by the crops which can be harvested. they include peaches, apricots, grapes, figs, tomatoes, peanuts, sweet potatoes, and other things which require a warm summer and warm soil. very little moisture comes upon the land in the summer. the winters are moderately cold, with some snow, which is joyfully hailed by the farmers, for all moisture is quickly absorbed by the soil and held for summer's use. the spring season is two or three weeks earlier than in the puget sound basin. moderate winds prevail during the summer months, coming from the east and west by turns, and prevent excessive sultry weather. occupations. aside from the ordinary agricultural pursuits suggested by the foregoing, which includes grain-growing, horticulture, dairying and truck gardening, should be mentioned stock-raising, particularly of sheep, many thousands of which are yearly wintered in the valleys and summered on the ranges. bee culture and poultry-raising are also both becoming important. in closing, it should be said that the activity of the government and private investors together has given a great impetus to the settlement of these arid lands, and the population is rapidly increasing, being made up of a miscellaneous assortment of uncle sam's energetic, wideawake, industrious citizens, building homes and making fortunes more rapidly, probably, than in any other part of irrigated regions in his domain. the doors are open, too, for the newcomers, for ten times the population now there can well be made prosperous. [page ] the counties and more important cities and towns of washington adams county location. adams county is in the center of southeastern washington, cut out of the once great desert plateau, covered with sage brush. it has developed into one of the most important food-producing counties of the state. it has a population of about , and covers , square miles of territory. climate. its climate is not different from that of the balance of the district in which it is situated, and, although some days in winter are severely cold and some in summer hot, its dry atmosphere softens the asperity of its cold, and its generous crop yields are full compensation for the heat of the summer's sun. its mean temperature ranges from degrees to degrees in winter and from to degrees in summer. its usual coldest days are degrees to degrees and its hottest ranging above degrees. its rain and snow give about inches of water. it has one small stream, a tributary of the palouse river. transportation. the northern pacific railway cutting the county diagonally from northeast to southwest and the oregon railroad & navigation railway across its southeast corner and near its south and west borders furnish good facilities for handling its generous wheat crops. to these are soon to be added the chicago, milwaukee & st. paul, the portland & seattle, and the north coast roads, giving the county very superior railroad facilities. industries. wheat is its great staple crop, and the last year out of a crop acreage of , gave to the world nearly , , bushels, an average of upwards of bushels to the acre. when this average is compared with that of the wheat fields of the mississippi valley, it is no wonder that the value of its realty has increased for the purposes of taxation more than per cent. in the past six years. horses, cattle, hogs and sheep are to a limited extent raised on the farms, and are important adjuncts to its prosperity. [page ] principal cities and towns. ritzville is the county seat, and has a city hall, electric lights and water system, flour and feed mills, and is the chief distributing center of the county. lind will be one of the important points on the chicago, milwaukee & st. paul railway, now building across the county. washtucna also is to have another outlet for its wheat over the portland & seattle railway, projected and building. all these towns have good schools, churches, warehouses, mercantile establishments, and all enjoy an abundance of prosperity from the marketing of the crops. asotin county location. asotin county occupies the extreme southeastern corner of the state, being separated from idaho on the east by the snake river and from oregon on the south by the state boundary. its population is about , , its area square miles. it takes in a portion of the blue mountains, from which numerous small streams furnish abundant water for all domestic farm purposes and for irrigating quite a large area of lands, which makes the county ideal for the stock-raiser and fruit-grower. industries. the irrigation of the low lands has had a wonderful effect in stimulating the fruit industry, and resulted in a great advance in land values, particularly about clarkston and cloverland, while the cool water of the mountain streams and their grassy slopes make the dairy business especially profitable. general farming, however, is still the standby of the bulk of the population. at clarkston the lands irrigated and planted to orchards have reached in many instances a value of $ , per acre, the waters being taken out of asotin creek. about cloverland, waters from george creek have wrought almost an equal increase in values. cloverland is on a plateau about , feet above sea level, and the lands irrigated and planted to winter apples are paying handsome dividends to their fortunate owners. on ordinary farm lands wheat yields to bushels per acre and barley from to bushels per acre. transportation. the transportation is limited to the power of steamboats on the snake river and the oregon railroad & navigation railway, which is reached at lewiston, across the river from clarkston. principal cities and towns. asotin, the county seat, situated about seven miles south of clarkston, on the snake river, has about , people within its borders. it [page ] has a flour mill, warehouses, churches, schools, public library, light and water systems, and is a prosperous, thriving town. clarkston, an important commercial center, is situated on the flats of the snake river, in the northeast part of the county. its population somewhat exceeds that of asotin. it has all the business institutions of a thriving town, is the main distributing point for a large area, and is rapidly growing. cloverland, craigie and anatone are thriving smaller towns. benton county benton county is bounded north, east and south by the columbia river and west by yakima and klickitat counties. it has an area of , square miles and a population of about , people. topography. the yakima river traverses the center of the county in a very crooked course, through the valley of which the northern pacific railroad winds its way to the top of the cascades. both north and south of the valley of the yakima are extensive hill and plateau lands, which are being rapidly utilized for general farming. the valley lands are arid and useless without irrigating water. irrigation. extensive irrigation projects are in successful operation and projected to bring a very large portion of the valley lands into successful use, for these lands, when irrigated, are of unsurpassed fertility. lands capable of irrigation have rapidly risen in value during the past few years because of the immense yields of all crops under irrigation. transportation. the northern pacific railway through its center, the portland & seattle around its southern and eastern border and the north coast coming into the yakima valley from the northeast and the southeast, together with the shipping on the columbia river, give abundant means of marketing its products, while several local electric roads are projected to connect its towns and help to open up the newly developed portions of the county. important industries. general farming on the uplands, truck-gardening and fruit-raising on the irrigated lower lands are the chief occupations. on account of the great fertility of the volcanic soils and the early springs, benton county is able to supply the large towns with fruits and vegetables some two weeks earlier than most other sections, giving it quite an advantage in prices. the county is rapidly growing in population and prosperity. [illustration: plate no. .--stacking hay in kittitas county.] [illustration: plate no. .--new training school, ellensburg, kittitas county.] [illustration: plate no. .--sheep-raising in klickitat county.] [illustration: plate no. .--wheat-raising in klickitat county.] [illustration: plate no. .--eighty-acre orchard in klickitat county.] [illustration: plate no. .--manufacturing scenes, chehalis, lewis county.] [page ] principal cities and towns. prosser, its chief town and county seat, is on the yakima river and northern pacific railway in the western central part of the county, and has about , population. it is the chief distributing center of the county. it has three weekly newspapers, six churches, good water supply, banks, stores, warehouses, lumber yards, etc. kennewick, at the easterly center of the county, on the northern pacific and portland & seattle railroads and on the columbia river, is a town of much importance, having about , people. it is noted for the remarkable earliness of its fruits and vegetables. it has the usual business, church and school establishments, including an ice and cold storage plant. kiona, on the yakima river, midway between prosser and kennewick, carley and peterson, in the southern portion of the county, on the columbia river, are all growing and prospering smaller towns. chehalis county chehalis county is central among the counties bordering on the pacific, the towns about grays harbor being its seaports. it has an area of , square miles and a population of , . resources. its industries arise out of its vast timber belts, its fertile low lands, and its fisheries. it is said to have , acres of magnificent timber lands, the great bulk of it unmarketed. logging and the manufacture of wood products make up its chief occupation, though general farming and fruit-raising is rapidly gaining. the lands of the county when reclaimed from the forests are fertile and respond generously to the labor of the husbandman. in , , apple trees were planted in the county. the fishing industry, including the canning of salmon, sardines, clams and oysters, is a thriving industry and destined to develop into much larger proportions. transportation. grays harbor is open to the ocean, but is splendidly protected and has safe anchorage. it is the largest lumber shipping port in the state. the humptulips and chehalis rivers empty their waters into the bay, and are both navigable for some distance. in addition, the northern pacific railroad skirts both sides of the bay and a logging railroad from shelton, in mason county, has nearly reached the ocean, going through the county from east to west. other railroads have surveying parties in the field, and a conflict is on to share the vast lumber-carrying trade of the county with the northern pacific, which has till now monopolized it. chehalis county is one of the most important counties in the state, and offers an abundant opportunity for yankee energy to exercise itself [page ] in almost every avenue of business. its opportunities and resources are numerous and vast. the newcomer may look long and find no better place for his talents. principal cities and towns. montesano is the county seat, located at the head of navigation on the chehalis river, and on the northern pacific railway. it has a population of about , . it has sawmills, sash and door factories, and is surrounded by a prosperous farming community, dairying being very remunerative. aberdeen is the commercial metropolis of the county. nearly $ , is daily paid out to wage-earners. much commerce from the ocean is centering here, vessels clearing from grays harbor in . seven hundred and seventy-seven thousand dollars has been appropriated by congress for the improvement of the harbor. the city has terminal rail rates, and the northern pacific and chicago, milwaukee & st. paul railroads are hustling after its trade. the business portion of the city is built of stone, brick or cement. it has eleven large sawmills, many shingle mills and various other factories for utilizing the products of its timber, besides fish and clam canneries and other factories. its population, now about , , is rapidly growing. hoquiam, aberdeen's nearby neighbor, has a population crowding , , and is a hustling manufacturing and commercial center, not different in its general business from aberdeen. elma, twelve miles east of montesano, is a town of , . cosmopolis, south of the river from aberdeen, has about , , and is a sawmill town. oakville, makrham and satsop are small growing towns on the northern pacific railway. many other embryo towns will in time grow into prosperous business centers. chelan county chelan county is one of picturesque beauty and abundance of both developed and undeveloped wealth. it faces the columbia river eastward, while its back rests against the peaks of the cascades, , to , feet above the sea. lake chelan is the largest fresh water body in the state, fifty miles long and one to four wide, and lies feet higher than the columbia river. chelan county has , square miles, much of it mountainous and full of minerals. its population is at present about , . resources. horticulture, agriculture, lumbering, stock-raising, mining and dairying all flourish on the bountiful natural fitness of the county for these occupations. the climate is attractive. it is a sunshiny county. [page ] transportation. steamers ply up and down the columbia river. the great northern railway crosses the county through the valley of the wenatchee river and the washington & great northern railway is projected along the western boundary of the columbia river. products. all kinds of temperate zone fruits mature here in wonderful perfection and abundance. the valleys run with water from the mountains to irrigate the lands, and furnish vast power, much of it undeveloped. hills in the western part of the county are timbered and all the vacant lands are grass covered. over , , fruit trees have been planted in the last three years in the county. the mountain foothills are full of mineral veins of copper, gold, silver, lead and molybdonite. some have been producing for twenty years. trout in the streams and game on the hills add to its attractiveness. principal cities and towns. wenatchee is the county seat and largest town, having about , people. it is located on the columbia river near where the great northern railway crosses it. it is the chief distributing center for the county and much other territory, chiefly north of it. leavenworth, westward of wenatchee, and also on the railroad, has a population of , and is a division point. chelan, at the foot of lake chelan, has about people. cashmere, on the railroad, is of about equal size. lakeside, peshastin and entiat are smaller towns, all thriving and growing. clallam county clallam county occupies , square miles of the northwestern part of the olympic peninsula, having miles of shore land on the pacific and miles on the straits. the olympic mountains and foothills cover the southern half mostly, while the northern half is made up of lower hills and valleys. several large lakes nestle among the mountains; one of them, lake crescent, is a famous summer resort. lake crescent is known as the home of the celebrated beardslee trout. the eastern and southern parts have a rainfall sometimes nearing inches annually, while in the eastern northerly part it is about to inches only. an important section of the county is that known as sequim prairie this is a level district of about , acres, located three miles back from port williams. most of it is under irrigation, and the soil thus treated produces marvelous crops. [page ] resources. lumber, fish, agricultural products and coal comprise its chief resources. the timber of the county is very vast and very little exploited. its proximity to the ocean makes it very advantageous for all fishing industries. its valleys are noted for the fertility of their soils, and many a farmer has grown wealthy from their cultivation. transportation. facilities for getting about are limited to boats and wagons. a splendid boat service is maintained with seattle and other sound ports, and a system of public roads is now in process of construction that will be unexcelled in the state. several surveying parties are now in the woods and it is believed that grays harbor and the straits of juan de fuca will be soon united with railroad iron and clallam county will come to its own. principal towns and villages. port angeles, located about miles from the ocean on the straits of fuca, is the largest town and county seat. it has a splendid harbor, with fine anchorage, furnishing a safe refuge for ships when the storms rage outside. dungeness and sequim, three miles from port williams, are important farming centers, both noted for their dairy products, and contribute largely to make clallam the second county in the state in the value of its dairy products. quillayute, forks, beaver, blyn and gettysburg are other small settlements waiting for the railroads to open up the country and render their natural resources available for the good of the world. clarke county clarke county lies on the north shore of the columbia river, opposite portland, oregon. it has square miles of territory. it was one of the earliest settled parts of the state, and its timber as yet uncut is large. it is extremely well watered. the columbia and lewis rivers border it on three sides with navigable waters. it has a mild climate, very fertile soil, and splendid markets at its doors, abundant rainfall, and agriculture is successfully carried on without irrigation. transportation. the northern pacific railway connects its various towns with both portland and seattle, and the north bank and oregon & washington railroad, paralleling the northern pacific, will add greatly to the facility and cheapness of its transportation. from vancouver northeasterly a road is in operation nearly across the county, headed for north yakima and the east. [illustration: plate no. .--mt. st. helens and reflection in spirit lake, lewis county.] [illustration: plate no. .--lewis county scenes. dairy farm and hop field. a valley ranch.] [page ] industries. much of the southern part of the county is devoted to fruit-raising, prunes being a very prominent factor in the county's output. general agriculture, with dairying, are very profitable, and to these are to be added fishing, lumbering and mining. principal cities and towns. vancouver has a population of about , , and is rapidly growing. it is the county seat, and is connected with portland, oregon, by a trolley line. the northern pacific, union pacific, oregon railroad & navigation and north bank railroads all compete for its traffic. it is the central distributing point of the county, and is the united states military headquarters for washington, oregon and alaska. it is well represented in business establishments, including barrel factory, fruit cannery, ship yard, iron foundry, shoe factory, and others. la center, etna, nacolt, amboy and brush prairie are smaller towns, all holding out an inviting hand to the newcomer, and offering desirable opportunities for new business in both merchandising and agriculture, as well as in lumbering and its kindred industries. clarke county is one well worth investigating by intending settlers, both on account of its latent possibilities and because of its peculiarly desirable climatic conditions, and its abundant competing transportation facilities, both by rail and water. columbia county columbia county is one of the four counties in southeastern washington, lying on the oregon state line and south of the snake river. a forest reserve in the blue mountains covers much of the southern portion of the county, which is heavily timbered. the northern part of the county is made up of rolling prairie lands, of great fertility on account of the large proportion of clay added to the volcanic ash, which composes most of the soils of eastern washington. irrigation is here unnecessary, and abundant crops reward the agriculturist. the climate is mild, healthful and vigorous, inclining to much outdoor life the year around. products. columbia county is essentially an agricultural county, but of late years is branching out into fruit-raising and dairying with marked success. apples and pears predominate among the fruits, though all others do well. wheat is, however, still its great product, and both the northern pacific and oregon railroad & navigation railroads are in operation through the northern part of the county to carry away its rich grain harvests. the citizens of columbia county are among the most prosperous of the state, its average of per capita wealth being exceeded by only three other counties. [page ] principal towns. dayton, the county seat, has a population of about , people, is situated about in the center of the county, and is the chief town for the county's exports, as well as the distributor of its merchandise. it is a substantially built city, with flour and feed mills, and general mercantile establishments of importance. all the public interests, including schools and churches, are generously provided for. its chief exports are grain, fruit, livestock and wool. starbuck, in the northern part of the county, is a shipping point of no mean importance on the oregon railroad & navigation railway. cowlitz county cowlitz county lies immediately north of clarke county, bordering about miles on the columbia river. it has about , square miles of territory, and about , people. the southwestern portion is largely composed of level valley lands, while its northeastern part is occupied by the foothills of mount st. helens. the drainage is all westerly and southerly into the columbia river. cowlitz river is navigable as far as castle rock, and is an important factor in the transportation problem. resources. timber is the great source of industry at present, the county having about two-thirds of its area heavily covered and unexploited. about saw and shingle mills are engaged in disposing of its logs. agriculture follows close on the heels of the lumberman everywhere in western washington, and nowhere are better results in general farming and dairying obtained than in cowlitz county. cowlitz coal fields have not yet been largely utilized, but will be extensively developed in time. transportation. aside from the river navigation, this county is well supplied with transportation facilities by rail. the valley of the cowlitz river affords the natural highway for roads between the columbia river and puget sound, and is already traversed by the northern pacific, while the union pacific systems and the north coast road are projected over practically parallel lines through the county. from kalama all three systems extend south to portland and vancouver. principal cities and towns. kalama, on the bank of the columbia river at the ferry crossing of the northern pacific railway, is the chief town and county seat. there are here extensive electric power plants and a gravity water system. the chief industries grow out of the lumbering and fishing interests. it has about , people, but is just now rapidly growing, owing to its superb transportation facilities by both rail and water. [page ] kelso and castle rock are both important towns on the railroads and cowlitz river, each having about , people. at kelso, which is near the columbia river, considerable fish are caught and packed, yet the timber furnishes the chief industry. fruit and dairying and general agriculture provide a large part of the support for the town merchants. ostrander, carrolton, catlin, ariel and lexington are smaller towns, all prospering and being built up into substantial business centers by the steadily increasing development of the latent resources of the county. this county offers many opportunities for business to the newcomer in either merchandising, manufacturing or farming. douglas county douglas county occupies the big bend of the columbia river, having about , square miles of territory. formerly there were , square miles. the last legislature carved the county in two, giving grant county the southeastern part, about , square miles of territory, and leaving , to the northeastern part, with the old name. the bend of the columbia on the northeast and grant county on the southeast, compose its boundary. this division boundary follows the northeastern bank of the grand coulee, and following its general direction meets the columbia river where the great northern railroad touches its valley, thus putting all of that railroad in this new county, excepting only a few miles of the railroad along the banks of the river in the southeastern corner of douglas county. douglas county is essentially a high plateau, some of it , feet above the main bank. waterville is the county seat, and considerable land along the valley of the columbia is being irrigated and proving to be of great value for fruit and grain growing. in the southeastern part of the county are some lands covered with black basaltic rocks, but the great bulk of the lands are rich in a volcanic ash soil, and produce large crops of grain without irrigation. a wrong view of the county can easily be impressed upon the traveler by rail; he will see so many of the basaltic rocks from the car windows but once up out of the canyon which the railroad follows, he will find himself in view of an expanse of wheat fields so vast and rich as to astonish him. resources. as already indicated, this county is essentially a grain producer. wheat and oats are marketed in large quantities. fruit-growing and stock-raising are important adjuncts to the county's wealth. it is comparatively new, and lands can be had at very reasonable prices. transportation. as now constituted, douglas county will rely wholly upon the steamboat crafts on the river to get its grain to market. its trade, however, [page ] is too vast to be passed by, and already two lines of railroad, the washington & great northern and north coast, are projecting into the very center of its vast wheat fields. with these roads completed as projected, douglas county will have easy access to both water and rail transportation, and renewed importance will be given to its farming industries. cities and towns. waterville is its chief town and county seat. it is among the wheat fields, in a broad plain, about seven miles east of the columbia river, to which it is connected by good roads for stages and freight wagons. it has one of the u. s. general land offices. it has good schools and churches, water and electric lighting systems, both owned by the city. it has a population of about , people, and is well supplied with business houses, flour and feed mills, a brick yard, bank, etc. bridgeport, a town of some people, is situated in the northern part of the county on the columbia river east of its junction with the okanogan river, and is an important wheat-shipping point, having a regular steamboat service. a bank, flour mill, warehouses and general stores are serving the community, but other industries await the newcomer. douglas, farmer, jameson, mansfield and hollister are growing agricultural centers. ferry county ferry county is about in the center of the northern part of eastern washington, stretching from the northern boundary of the state to the columbia river, which marks its southern and southwestern boundary. the southern half of the county is within the colville indian reservation, and is therefore wholly undeveloped. the lands, however, have in fact been allotted and the remainder will be thrown open for settlement in the near future. altogether it has an area of , square miles, and a population of , . it is principally composed of low mountains, well timbered, with valleys furnishing fine grazing. climate. the climate of the county is such as prevails generally in northeastern washington--a couple of months of snow in winter, affording plenty of sleighing, skating, etc. summers are very pleasant, and spring and fall delightful. [illustration: plate no. .--a ranch scene in lincoln county.] [illustration: plate no. .--harvest time in lincoln county.] [illustration: plate no. .--view of spokane river in lincoln county, showing possibility of power development.] [illustration: plate no. .--mason county timber.] [illustration: plate no. .--dairy scene in mason county.] [illustration: plate no. .--oyster beds in mason county.] resources. the bulk of the resources of this county are yet dormant. the mountains are full of minerals; timber is abundant; grassy hillsides are tempting to the sheep and cattle, while the soil is rich, and when tilled will be found to produce excellent crops. the county has a fine future for wealth from all these sources, and, while the mines are [page ] first to be made productive, without doubt the fruits and cereals will come into their own in time and furnish much of its wealth. transportation. two railroads reach the center of the northern half of the county, terminating at republic, the county seat. these railroads have pushed in here after the precious metals mined in the vicinity. the columbia river is navigable most of its course on the county boundary, barring some obstructions which the national government will remove and thus open up to river navigation to the ocean the fruits of toil in ferry county. cities and towns. republic, the county seat, is the only large town in the county, and has a population of about , people. it is the distributing point for supplies for the mines and ships out much ore for the smelters. ferry county altogether offers exceptional opportunities for the homeseeker in a variety of occupations, as already indicated. franklin county franklin county occupies the basin formed by the junction of the columbia and snake rivers, being bounded east, south and west by them. the southern portion of the county is scarcely feet above sea level, and the soil is fine and sandy. the northern part of the county is somewhat higher and composed of successive benches till they reach an altitude of , feet. it is only a few years since these lands were all considered barren and useless. yet in these bench lands in this county added , , bushels of wheat to the world's supply and in the following season nearly doubled that output. there are no forests, the land being covered with bunchgrass and sagebrush. irrigation. along the rivers some farmers have irrigated small parcels of land by pumping water, but the bulk of the irrigable lands are awaiting the action of the u. s. reclamation service, which it is thought will ultimately be engaged in an extensive irrigation problem to reclaim thousands of acres now arid and barren. the warm climate of these low bandy lands has already been proven to be immensely advantageous to the gardener and fruit-grower, and the lands wonderfully productive when the magic influence of plenty of water renders the sources of plant life soluble. the wheat crops now being produced come from the bench lands without irrigation. transportation. the northern pacific railway passes diagonally through the county and crosses the columbia river near pasco. the oregon railroad & [page ] navigation railway taps the wheat belt in the northern part of the county and the north coast is projected through it, while the portland & seattle follows the north bank of the snake river along its southwestern boundary, thus giving the county four systems of railroad, besides the columbia river steamboats. principal cities and towns. pasco is the county seat, in the extreme southern portion of the county, near the columbia river, and is more noted as a railroad center than as a shipping point, on account of the fact that the surrounding lands are as yet unirrigated. it has a population of about , , and is just now enjoying new vigor and much building in anticipation of its future usefulness as a commercial center for distribution of both merchandise and agricultural products. connell, in the northern part of the county, is a shipping point of importance, and has two railroad lines and a third one coming. in addition to the cereals, many sheep and horses are being raised and shipped out of the county from this vicinity. garfield county garfield county is the second from the southeast corner of the state, and extends from the snake river on the north to the state boundary on the south. it has square miles of territory and a population of about , . the southern portion is included in the wenaha forest reserve, and is quite heavily timbered. the northern portion is an extremely prolific farming region, made up of undulating lands with deep rich soil, composed of clays and volcanic ash. no irrigation is necessary, and very heavy crops of grain are annually matured. resources. as already intimated, the chief source of income for the county comes from the tillage of the soil. of the crops raised, barley is in the lead, having furnished , , bushels in , which places this county second of all counties in the state in the production of this cereal. wheat and oats are also largely produced. stock-raising in the southern ranges of the county is very profitable, and much fruit is of late years being produced. indeed, garfield county is well up to the front in the per capita wealth of its citizens. principal towns. pomeroy is the county seat and chief distributing center of the county. it is situated in the north central part of the county, on the pataha river and the oregon railroad & navigation railway. it has a population of nearly , . it is lighted with electricity, has a gravity water system, and all the machinery for doing all the business naturally coming to a town [page ] of its size. it has a fine high school and graded schools, churches, newspapers, banks, warehouses, big stocks of goods, fire department, cet. grant county grant county occupies about , square miles of what was formerly douglas county, comprising the lands southeast of the grand and moses coulees, bordering on the southwest on the columbia river, with adams and lincoln counties on its eastern border. ephrata is the county seat, on the great northern railway. the northern part of the county is traversed by the great northern railroad, and has developed into a vast region of grain production without irrigation, although originally supposed to be valueless for cereal-raising. the southern part is new and comparatively undeveloped, but is crossed by the chicago, milwaukee & st. paul railway, just now giving this new county great impetus. the southern portion of the county has long been a grazing ground for herds of cattle and horses, but it is thought now it will be turned into a prosperous region of small farms. while the county is cut by several coulees, it is chiefly composed of large areas of bench lands, comparatively level, barring a range of hills in its southwestern corner called saddle mountains. there is considerable water in the county, moses lake being quite a large body of water with bordering swampy lands, about in the center, and wilson creek, in the northern and crab creek, in the southern part, furnishing considerable stock water. lands. the lands tributary to the great northern railway already produce great quantities of grain and livestock, and these will continue to be its staple crops until irrigation may come in and stimulate fruit production, for which it is thought much of the lands will be suitable. transportation. both the great northern and northern pacific railway systems are in the grain fields of the northern part of the county. the milwaukee road crosses the southern part, the n. & s. is projected along its western border, paralleling the columbia river, which is navigable, thus affording all the county, excepting the central portion, good facilities for marketing its products. as the county develops, beyond question branch lines will penetrate this portion, and grant county will become as well supplied as any other portion of the state with facilities for commerce. cities and towns. ephrata, the county seat, is a small village on the great northern railway about midway of the county and the center of a large wheat-growing section. its transformation into an important town is rapidly [page ] going on, the new county government calling for a variety of new occupations to center here. wilson creek, near the eastern border of the county, is a larger town whose chief industry is marketing grain. it is an important distributing point, with prospects of larger growth. quincy is a station on the great northern and is also an important wheat-shipping point. soap lake, on a lake of the same name, is noted as a resort for the rheumatic. bacon, coulee city, and hartline are stations on the northern pacific railway in the northeastern part of the county. grant county is new, but has large undeveloped resources, and is awaiting the newcomer with abundant offerings for his energy and labor. island county island county is entirely composed of a group of islands in puget sound, the largest two being whidby and camano. it has a land area of square miles and a population of about , . resources. lumber, agricultural products and fish make up the county's resources. considerable of the timber, particularly from whidby island, has been removed, and wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, fruits, poultry, butter, eggs, etc., are now shipped out to the splendid nearby markets at the chief seaport towns on puget sound. the soils in the northern part of whidby island are of remarkable fertility, some of them producing as much as bushels of wheat per acre and immense crops of potatoes. in season the waters of the county abound in salmon and other salt water fish, and many of the citizens of the county find profitable employment in connection with the fishing industry. principal towns. coupeville is a town of some people and the county seat, situated on a beautiful bay in the northern part of whidby island. it is chief distributing point for the county, has a sawmill, shingle mill, fruit-drying establishment, stores, churches, schools, a newspaper, etc. oak harbor, further north, is the center of a large farming and logging district. two canneries are in successful operation. utsalady, san de fuca, camano, clinton, and langley are smaller villages gradually becoming summer resorts for people from the large cities of the sound. steamboats furnish good transportation from all parts of the county. [illustration: plate no. .--an okanogan county orchard in bloom.] [illustration: plate no. .--a view of the country along the okanogan river in the vicinity of the okanogan irrigation project.] [page ] jefferson county jefferson county is the second county south of the entrance of puget sound, stretching from the pacific ocean eastward over the peaks of the olympic mountains to hood's canal, and turning north gets a long waterfront also on puget sound, and taps the straits of fuca. it has a population of , people and , square miles of territory. resources. the resources of this county are largely undeveloped, and yet it is one of the oldest settled counties in the state. originally its entire area, barring a few small patches, was heavily timbered, and it is estimated that the county still has twenty billion feet of standing timber. its soil is remarkably fertile, and the products of its farms have long been famous. the olympic mountains contain veins of precious metals, iron and manganese, none of which have as yet been thoroughly developed. fishing for salmon, sardines, shrimps, clams and crabs is a very important industry. soils, climate and products. the soils of the county are largely sedimentary, having been washed down from the mountains for ages, assisted by the decomposition of vegetable matter accumulated through centuries. in the valleys, where most of the farming is being done, these soils produce remarkable crops under the influence of the charming climate the county affords. the rainfall in the eastern part of the county is moderate, but ample for all purposes; the average rainfall is about inches. the temperature rarely exceeds degrees in summer, while the winter months average about degrees. such soils and such climatic conditions combine to force wealth upon every industrious tiller of the soil. clover yields from four to six tons per acre. oats and vetches for ensilage purposes yield five to seven tons per acre. fifty to seventy-five tons of cabbage or mangles per acre are not uncommon, and onions and potatoes produce from six to ten tons. the fruit trees, particularly cherries, apples, and pears, produce wonderful crops. cattle can graze ten months in the year or more, and the products of the dairies of jefferson county cannot be excelled. because of the light rainfall and moderate weather, this county is admirably suited to poultry-raising. green food can be had twelve months in the year. runs can always be open, and with proper care hens can be made to pay $ . per year each. principal cities and towns. port townsend, at the entrance of puget sound, is the county seat and chief commercial center of the county. it has a population of [page ] about , . it is the headquarters for many government institutions, including the u. s. customs service, u. s. revenue cutter service, marine hospital service, hydrographic service, quarantine service, and u. s. artillery for the puget sound district. three great forts; worden, flagler, and casey, are located here, forming the chief defense to puget sound. fort worden joins the city limits. the present garrison force is , . the scenery from the city is grand and beyond compare. its business interests are varied and extensive. two canneries for salmon and sardines are here located, boiler works, a machine shop for building electric and gasoline engines, a shipyard, sash and door factory, lumber mills, and shingle mills, a by-product plant producing wood alcohol, turpentine, etc. the city is substantially built and its homes are artistically created. the harbor has twenty-five miles of waterfront and fine anchorage of from nine to eighteen fathoms, and is an ideal refuge for all seagoing craft. the city has gas and electric lights, paid fire department, fine churches, splendid schools, and a magnificent gravity water system furnishes the town of irondale, hadlock and forts worden and flagler, having plenty of water to spare for thousands mote. irondale is practically a suburb of port townsend, having the only pig iron plant in the state. it is an extensive and growing concern, using bog iron from the vicinity and other ores from different sources. port ludlow, duckabush, bogachiel, port discovery, quilcene, and chimacum are small villages scattered about the county and are centers of agricultural activity. king county king county is distinguished by having seattle for its county seat. the county is an empire in itself, stretching from the shores of puget sound to the peaks of the cascade mountains, and containing more than , square miles of territory. it also includes vashon, one of the large islands of the sound. resources. king county's sources of revenue are varied and extensive. its lumber industry, growing out of the vast forests within its borders not only, but from the cutting of logs brought in from other sections of the state, is immense. its agricultural lands are not surpassed in fertility by any, and include not only the alluvial deposits in its river bottoms, but great areas of shot clay and other soils splendidly adapted to fruit culture. its mining industries include not only very great acreage of coal measures, which have been producing coal for commercial purposes for local and foreign trade for thirty years and are scarcely scratched as yet, but also fissure veins of the precious metals--gold, silver, lead, [page ] copper, antimony, arsenic, and also iron, asbestos, fire clays, kaolin, granite, sandstones, lime ledges, and others. its fishing industries in its own waters and from the ocean give employment to a large number of men and its fish are shipped even as far east as boston, massachusetts. its power capacity, in addition to its wood and coal, includes great falls and rapids and many large streams which are already harnessed, but only in part, and driving vast quantities of machinery in this and adjoining counties. in commercial possibilities king county is unrivaled. its combination of lakes, rivers and salt water harbors have no superior on the globe, and the fact of its supremacy is demonstrated by the tabulated statistics of state officers, which show that king county possesses one-fifth of the population of the state and has more than one-quarter in value of taxable property of the state, and pays one-fourth of taxes collected within the state borders. in scenery, which is no mean asset of the county, it is also unsurpassed. vast ranges of mountains, sheets of fresh and salt water, rivers, hills and plains, forests, and grassy fields combine and interlace in a thousand directions to entrance and delight the artistic eye. in game, including bear, deer, mountain goats, cougar, grouse, pheasants, quail, mountain trout, salmon and other fishes, make many a paradise for the sportsman. transportation. in addition to its salt waterways, with miles of shore lands, and its navigable fresh water lakes, there are centering in the county coming in from all directions seven transcontinental lines of railroads, making king county and its metropolis a great distributing center for the commerce between the american continent and the continents of asia and the islands of the pacific. besides these steam roads, electric trolley lines are making a network of inter-communication between all parts of king county not only, but reaching out into the adjoining counties. cities and towns. seattle is the county seat and great metropolis of king county and the state, with a population crowding, if not exceeding, , people. it covers the hills and lowlands surrounding elliot bay, an indentation of puget sound, and a part of the land between the sound and lake washington, a freshwater lake of great beauty paralleling the sound for miles and from one to three miles wide. it also includes two smaller lakes, whose sloping shores are covered with the homes of its citizens. from its hills the snow-capped mountains of the cascade and olympic ranges and mount rainier's towering peak are visions of surpassing beauty. a constant stream of coming and going water craft from all quarters of the globe frequent its harbor. its business buildings of brick, stone, iron and concrete tower heavenward over four avenues, and many cross streets and miles of its low lands are [page ] covered with railroad tracks, warehouses and manufacturing plants. its grammar schools, high schools, and state university are equipped with magnificent buildings and grounds. its streets and homes are brilliantly lighted with electricity from its own power plants, while the purest water, sufficient for a million people, flows through its water mains, all owned and controlled by the city. a multitude of factories are providing a small part of the merchandise and composes the groundwork of her commerce. the shores of elliot bay are lined with wharves accommodating the largest sea-going ships. its last assessed valuation of property was $ , , , and its tax to be raised $ , . more than miles of street-car tracks are within her borders and a nickel pays for a -mile ride. georgetown, in the southern part of seattle, but not a part of it as yet, has a population of about , , and is an important manufacturing center. here are the car shops of seattle electric company, gas works, foundries, breweries, machine shops, brick and tile works and many other industries. renton, issaquah, ravensdale, black diamond, and new castle are coal mining towns. kent, auburn, kirkland, vashon, north bend, tolt, fall city, and maple valley are agricultural towns of importance. kitsap county kitsap county is nearly surrounded by the waters of puget sound and hood's canal, forming the larger part of the great peninsula which these waters would make an island were a six-mile ridge in mason county opened up to them. it has extensive and numerous bays and inlets, with magnificent anchorage, and contains in its center the great port orchard navy yard, destined to become one of the largest seats in the united states for uncle sam's naval activities. resources and industries. the chief resource of the county is in the lumber. some of the largest mills of the state are located within its borders. it is estimated that there are yet , acres of uncut timber in its borders, and its mills are turning out , feet of lumber daily, besides vast quantities of shingles. the fishing industry now includes oyster culture, which is rapidly becoming very important. about the county are located many villages supported by the tillage of the soil from its reclaimed forest lands. transportation. kitsap county has no railroads, but its waterways are so vast and intricate that all its corners are reached by steamers, and travel is cheap and freight conveniently handled in all parts of the county. [illustration: plate no. .--an okanogan county valley, palmer lake.] [illustration: plate no. .--mcgowan seining grounds, sand island, pacific county.] [illustration: plate no. .--oyster culture in willapa harbor, pacific county.] [illustration: plate no. .--view of the waterfront at raymond, pacific county.] [illustration: plate no. .--a view of a portion of tacoma's harbor, showing ships waiting to load lumber and wheat for foreign ports.] [illustration: plate no. .--railroad yards and a corner of the business section, tacoma.] [page ] principal towns. port orchard, the county seat, is on the bay of the same name and opposite the navy yard. it is the chief distributing point for a larger part of the cultivated lands of the county, and exports not only agricultural products, but also shingles. the surrounding lands are well suited for dairying, fruit-growing and poultry-raising, which is also true of the entire county. bremerton, adjoining the navy yard, is the largest town in the county, having about , people and rapidly growing. it has a fire department, electric light and water systems, newspapers, banks, about , or more wage-earners and is a hustling town. charleston is another smaller town adjoining the navy yard on the west and rapidly growing. port blakeley is an important milling and shipbuilding town of nearly , people, opposite seattle. its lumber goes to all parts of the world. port gamble is a sawmill town of importance contributing to swell the large output of lumber shipped out of the county. chico, tracyton, keyport, paulsbo, seabeck, crystal springs, colby, bangor, burley, port madison, and olalla are all small villages, making progress as agricultural centers and as furnishing summer homes for business men. kittitas county kittitas county is located about in the center of the state, and takes in the upper reaches and most of the watershed of the yakima river. it has a population of about , in an area of , square miles. on its northwestern side it is bordered by two ranges of the cascade mountains, while its southwestern side lies on the columbia river. among the sources of the yakima river are three large lakes, keechelus, kachess and cle-elum, most beautiful bodies of mountain water and the sources of the great irrigation systems now fathered by the national government and making the yakima valley a veritable garden pot of orchards and vegetables, grasses and flowers. resources. the central portion of the county is a valley comprising , acres, about one-fourth of which is under irrigation, and has long been noted for its prolific crops of hay and many herds of dairy cows. the foothills of the mountains have precious metals, coal and iron. the streams abound in trout and much game is in the mountains. transportation. the northern pacific and chicago, milwaukee & st. paul railroads, coming into the county from the south and west, cross at ellensburg [page ] and then follow the valley of the yakima to the crest of the cascades giving abundant facilities for making markets east and west to all parts of the country. principal towns. ellensburg, the county seat, is situated on a level bench in the yakima valley and on the railroads. it is a town of upwards of , people, and is substantially built, chiefly of brick. there are creameries, flourmills, sawmills, and warehouses, banks, breweries newspapers, electric lights, and gravity water system, churches, schools, among which is one of the state normal schools. it is also a division point on the northern pacific railway, and is the chief distributing point in the county for farm products and merchandise. roslyn is the chief coal-mining town, situated on the railroad well up in the foothills of the mountains. it has about , people. it has gravity water and electric lights, and is a substantial, thriving and growing town. from the coal mines in the vicinity the best coals of the state are mined in large quantities and shipped all over the state. cle_elum is another coal mining town, on the northern pacific railway, with a population of about , . tributary to cle-elum is a wide mining territory, for which it is the chief distributing point. thorpe is a smaller village likely to develop into an important trading point. klicktat county klickitat county is central among the southern tier of counties of the state, bordering miles on the columbia river, with an average width of miles. it has a population of about , and an area of , square miles. there is a great variety in its climate, the elevation varying from to , feet above the sea level. the soil is chiefly volcanic ash, disintegrated basalt and alluvium. it is deep and much of it sub-irrigated. the principal crops are wheat, barley, rye, oats, and corn. the wheat lands yield from to bushels per acre. among the fruits raised are apples, peaches, pears, cherries, english walnuts, almonds, plums, prunes, grapes, apricots, and all the small fruits. wheat lands vary in price from $ to $ per acre. it is estimated that , acres will be planted to fruit and nut trees this current year, while last year , apple trees, , peach trees, and , grape vines were planted. resources. as already indicated, the strength of the county is in its soil and agriculture is its great source of wealth. stock-raising is a chief industry, the slopes of the mountains on its northern boundary furnishing [page ] abundant pasturage. the southeastern part is fast developing into a fruit-growing region, while agriculture and grain-growing is more general in the central and southern portion. transportation. the columbia river, with a railroad on each side of it and numerous ferries, makes ample provision for transportation, while the goldendale branch reaches well up into the center of the county. cities and towns. goldendale, the county seat and metropolis, is located in the center of the county, miles east of portland. it is the terminus of the goldendale branch of the spokane, portland & seattle railway, making connection with the main line at lyle. it is located in the heart of a splendid agricultural section and at the edge of the great timber belt. white salmon, located in the splendid fruit section, is a thriving town. it is an important railroad point on the north bank and is the outlet for the products of an extensive fruit, timber and dairying region. cliffs, the division point of the spokane, portland & seattle railway, is the trading center of many square miles of territory. the best nut land in the county is located near here. bickleton, the trading point of an extensive wheat section, is in the eastern part of the county. an electric road has been surveyed, which will, when completed, give this town railway connection. lyle, roosevelt, columbus, bingen, and centerville are growing trading points. lewis county lewis county is one of the largest counties in western washington, having an area of , square miles of territory and about , people. it occupies a large part of the drainage basins of two large rivers, the cowlitz and chehalis--one emptying its waters into the columbia river and the other into grays harbor. it reaches from the peaks of the cascades miles toward the ocean, but is cut off miles from the coast, and is about miles wide. mount rainier is just north of its extreme eastern portion and about one-fourth of the county is within the rainier forest reserve. resources. at present the chief industry of the county consists of manufacturing its forests into the various forms of lumber and its products, the lumber cut aggregating four hundred million feet and two hundred million shingles. next in importance probably are the precious metal and coal deposits of the county, which have, however, been but little developed. the coal measures include bituminous, lignite and anthracite, and are of great extent in the foothills of the eastern part of the county. two systems of railroads have been projected into these fields, and the nearest, carrying lignite and bituminous coals, are being commercially developed. [page ] agriculture, including especially dairying and fruit culture, takes the place of the forests as they are removed and bids fair to reach in importance, in time, the lumber and coal resources. to this end, the soil fertility, the mild climate and cool mountain waters conspire. transportation. lewis county is in the path of all railroads coming in from the south or through the columbia gap in the cascades. already the northern pacific railway and the union pacific railway cross the county, and the north coast contemplates traversing the entire cowlitz valley, while the tacoma eastern is already into the northwestern part of the county on its way toward the same goal. the county cannot be too well supplied, for its vast treasures when developed will furnish immense products for transportation. cities and towns. chehalis and centralia are the two twin cities of the county--less than five miles apart and of about equal importance. from chehalis the northern pacific railway branches off, following the upper reaches of chehalis river and ending on willapa bay, while from centralia the same road branches, following the lower chehalis river, to grays harbor. chehalis is the county seat, with a population of , and rapidly growing, and has electric lights, sanitary sewerage system, paved streets, fine business blocks, and a large and growing trade. near the city is located the state training school. centralia has a population of about , people, chiefly engaged in running sawmills, shingle mills, sash and door factories, and other woodworking plants. it has a large city hall, ten churches, fine schools, banks, business houses, water systems, fire department, and is a hustling, thriving town. winlock is a town of , people on the railroad in the southern part of the county, and a distributing point of much importance. pe ell is a town of , people on the south bend branch of the northern pacific railway, chiefly engaged in milling and agricultural pursuits. mccormick, littell, kosmos, little falls, adna, dryad, doty, and kopiah, are all centers of industry in various parts of the county. lewis county as a whole offers wonderful opportunities for newcomers in all pursuits--commercial, agricultural, and mining. [illustration: plate no. .--tacoma high school and stadium. rose arbor in point defiance park, tacoma.] [illustration: plate no. .--a red raspberry field in the puyallup valley, pierce county.] [page ] lincoln county lincoln county, adjoining spokane county on the west, is one of eastern washington's great granaries. its northern boundary is defined by the columbia and spokane rivers. the bulk of its lands are rolling prairies of great fertility. it has about , square miles of territory and about , people. topography. the bulk of the county consists of the rolling prairie land characteristic of the great wheat belt of the state. there are some mineral lands in the northern part of the county and here and there will be found considerable stretches of timber. in its northern portion the county is well watered by the columbia and spokane rivers, while in the southwestern section and elsewhere numerous small creeks and lakes occur. resources. the great resource of lincoln county is its wheat fields, which in produced to exceed , , bushels. other cereals and hay are important crops. along its northern part, particularly on the bottom lands of the rivers, much fruit is grown, including peaches and all the small fruits. diversified farming is growing in favor among the farmers. compared with other counties of the state, lincoln county ranks as follows in the number of its stock: horses, second place; hogs, second place; cattle, sixth place. the county also stands fourth in the number of its school houses and spends annually $ , for school support. in wealth per capita, lincoln county leads the state, showing for assessment purposes an average holding of real estate of $ , and $ in personalty. transportation. the county is traversed from west to east its entire length by the great northern and the central washington branch of the northern pacific railroads, some distance from its side lines, so that very little of the county is more than miles from a railroad shipping point. there are miles of railroad tracks in the county. cities and towns. davenport, the county seat and largest town in the county, is situated on the central washington branch of the northern pacific railway near the middle eastern portion of the county, and has a population of about , people. its business blocks are chiefly built of brick. it owns its own water system, is lighted with electricity, has fine school buildings and churches. its court house cost about $ , . it is surrounded by splendid farms and annually ships out about , , bushels of wheat. [page ] wilbur, a town of , people, on the northern pacific railway, is a very important shipping and distributing center. it has large flour mills, warehouses, five churches, and schools, electric lights, and water system, bank, newspaper, parks, and important commercial institutions. almira, in the western part of the county, on the northern pacific railway, is another prosperous and growing grain center with about people. harrington, on the great northern railway, is a town of some , people. it has a beautiful location, commands the trade of a large farming county, ships grain and livestock, and is a prosperous and growing town. creston, egypt, and bluestem are smaller growing commercial centers. mason county mason county lies on the upper reaches of puget sound, having the olympic mountains at its north, where about one-fourth of the county is in the olympic forest reserve. its total area is about square miles, and it has a population of about , . hood's canal penetrates well into the center of the county in its great bend, giving it a very long salt-water shore line. from the olympic mountains numerous streams flow into the puget sound, while others empty their waters into gray's harbor. the county is a great forest of splendid timber, which has been only to a limited degree cut out. the soil of the foothills and valleys is composed chiefly of shot clays and alluvial deposits, making good farming, stock-raising and fruit-growing lands. resources. logging and its allied industries constitute the main industries of the county, much of the logs are shipped out of the county to feed sawmills in other parts of the sound. raising and marketing oysters is an important source of wealth to the county. there is already considerable acreage for farming and stock-raising, stock finding pasturage the year round. this industry will grow as the land is cleared. the county affords splendid hunting and fishing in season. transportation. the county is so cut into by the inlets and bays of the sound that it has splendid transportation facilities by steamer to all the sound ports. the northern pacific railway reaches its southern boundary. no other railroads traverse the county but its logging railroads, which can give only a limited service. [page ] principal towns. shelton is the county seat, situated on an arm of the sound at the terminus of the logging railroad, and has about , inhabitants. steamers from its wharves reach all the parts of the sound directly or by connection with others. the logging industry, manufacturing lumber, cultivating oysters, fishing and farming are the chief industries of its people. it has four churches, good schools, a newspaper, good stocks of goods, volunteer fire department, electric lights, gravity water system. the logging industry, which centers here, employs , men and pays out $ , a month. lake cushman is a summer resort in the mountains famous for its big trout catches. allyn, on an arm of the sound, is central to much oyster lands, logging camps and fruit orchards. arcadia, also on the sound, is central to considerable stock-raising and lumbering. detroit is a prosperous village, proud of the grapes grown on some of its logged-off lands. matlock is a town on the logging railroad and central to large logging operations. okanogan county. okanogan, the largest county in the state, lies on the northern boundary just east of the cascade peaks. it has an area of , square miles and a population estimated at , . about one-fourth of the county, a district of great latent resources, is still within the colville indian reservation, but is soon to be thrown open to settlement. resources. this county is endowed with great natural resources and a delightful climate, and is destined to become thickly populated. the mountains and their foothills have large and numerous veins of metals and are covered also with extensive forests. the rolling hills of the south and center are rich in agricultural possibilities, suitable for stock, and great crops of cereals and fruits. the okanogan river and its branches drain the greater portion of the county, rising in british columbia and flowing south through the center of the county and joining the columbia river on the south boundary. the methow river drains a large portion of the western part and makes a paradise for the frontiersman along its sloping sides. transportation. until now the rivers and wagon roads are the only paths of commerce. but into this blossoming empire the railroads are looking with longing eyes. the great northern, however, has already tapped the [page ] northern boundary and projected a line down the okanogan and columbia rivers to wenatchee. other railroads will follow, as the prize is too great not to be divided. principal towns. conconully, the county seat, is situated among the foothills and mines west of the okanogan river. in addition to the mining industry, the raising of sheep and cattle is followed by the citizens. the town has a population of about people. oroville is the chief town on the railroad, near the northern border, and is the terminus of the road. it has about people and is growing. it is an important ore-shipping point, surrounded also by good fruit-raising and agricultural lands, yet unirrigated. brewster, at the junction of the columbia and okanogan rivers, has a population of about , and is an important grain and fruit-shipping point. okanogan is on the river of the same name, about midway between brewster and conconully, and to this point the steamers ply in the higher waters of the river. twisp is a growing village in the methow valley, devoted chiefly to fruit-growing and mining. it is an important distributing center. pateros has steamer connection with wenatchee, and is an importing, growing center. beck, bonaparte, anglin and bodie are other new and growing commercial centers. chesaw, in the northern part, and nespelim, in the southeastern part, are important locations. pacific county. pacific county is the extreme southern county, which borders on the ocean at the mouth of the columbia river. although a small county with only square miles, it has about miles of salt-water frontage. willapa harbor, at the northwest, is capable of being made accessible to all ocean ships, while shoalwater bay, a body of water miles long and separated from the ocean by a long slim peninsula, furnishes probably the best breeding ground in the state for oyster culture. the county at large is an immense forest, in the center of which is a range of hills dividing the watershed so that some of the streams flow into the columbia river at the south, some west into willapa harbor, and others, through the chehalis river, reach grays harbor. [illustration: plate no. .--modern sanitary dairy barn, on farm of hon. w. h. paulhamus, sumner, pierce county.] [illustration: plate no. .--views in rainier national park, reached by railroad and driveway from tacoma.] [illustration: plate no. .--san juan county views.] [illustration: plate no. .--purse seiners' camp at eagle gorge, san juan county.] resources. as already indicated, its timber and its fisheries are the great sources of wealth for the county, although stock-raising, dairying, fruit-growing and general farming are constantly growing in importance. [page ] the county probably has eleven billion feet of standing timber, and daily cuts with its sawmills about , feet of lumber and one million shingles. both native and cultivated oysters are largely marketed, as are also clams, crabs, shrimp and fish. a splendid market for all farm products is afforded by the mills and lumber camps and summer campers on the beach. transportation. the northern pacific railway reaches willapa harbor, cutting the county centrally east and west. on the long ocean beach from the mouth of the columbia river northward is a railroad about miles long, made profitable by the extensive patronage of the summer campers. added to these are the water crafts which frequent the harbor and the columbia river, and altogether make access to all parts of the county easy. cities and towns. south bend, the county seat, situated near the mouth of the willapa river, is a rapidly growing town of , people and destined to become an important ocean port. the harbor is capacious, well protected, has fine anchorage, and is handicapped only by a few feet of mud at the bottom, which uncle sam will soon remove. at low tide there is now from to feet of water in the channel of the river and at south bend it is , feet wide. south bend is the terminus of the northern pacific railway. it has electric lights, water works, good schools, fine churches, bank, sawmills, planing-mills, sash and door factories, fish canneries, newspapers, etc., and is about to build a $ , courthouse. raymond, a new manufacturing town on the harbor and railroad, a few miles from south bend, has , people and is rapidly growing in importance. raymond is not yet five years old; has a monthly payroll of $ , ; sawmills and factories representing an invested capital of $ , , , employing , men; an electric light plant; a city telephone system, owned by local capital; a salt-water fire protection system; is about to build two bridges, costing $ , each, and is adding new manufacturing plants at the rate of one a month. the city gives free factory sites, and has both rail and ocean transportation from factory locations to the markets of the world. ilwaco is a fishing post of importance near the southwest shore of the county, with population. chinook, frankfort and knabton are other fishing points on the columbia river of importance. nahcotta is an ocean summer resort. [page ] pierce county. pierce county, though not the largest, is one of the most important counties in the state. its area of , square miles occupies much of the upper reaches of puget sound on both sides and extends southeasterly, taking in the rainier national park of , , acres, and mount rainier (tacoma) , feet above sea level and less than miles from salt water, covered with eternal snow, an endless scene of majestic grandeur, giving the county a greater variety of elevations and more beautiful and startling scenery than any other county in the united states. its northeastern boundary is the white river, its southwestern boundary the nisqually river. it has about miles of salt-water shore lands, with innumerable bays and inlets and several important islands. originally one vast forest, much of it now is covered with fruitful fields of grain, grass and orchards. its climate is mild and salubrious, its soils of great variety and fertility, and its mountains and foothills full of coal and precious metals. resources. the resources of pierce county are varied and of great value. its central part is one great coal field, covered with forests, producing annually about , , tons of coal. gold, silver and copper are among its precious metals, but not extensively mined as yet. its rivers possess almost immeasurable water power. one plant on the puyallup river at electron has an ultimate capacity of , horse-power, , horse-power of which is now in use. the city of tacoma is engaged in the construction of a plant on the nisqually for municipal use, the capacity of which will be , horse-power. the , horse-power plant at snoqualmie falls also furnishes current for city lighting, street railway and manufacturing purposes in tacoma. all the cereals are successfully raised; dairying is one of the most important industries; fruit-growing, particularly in small fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, etc., is very profitable and is engaging a great deal of attention. fish are caught in quantities and shipped to eastern markets, but pierce county's greatest natural wealth is in its vast forests. an idea of the value can be had when it is said that $ , , worth of lumber was cut in in tacoma alone. in addition to these great natural resources, pierce county's commercial industries are so great as to place it in the front rank of counties of the northwest. the great sawmills, woodworking plants and factories of various kinds in the city of tacoma alone employ , people, and the value of their output last year amounted to over $ , , . . transportation. pierce county is fast becoming a network of transcontinental railroads centering in tacoma, which, coupled with the steamboat traffic on the sound, gives the county splendid traffic facilities. pierce county [page ] for years was a non-competitive railroad point, the northern pacific being the only road to enter its vast fields of wealth. within the last two years, however, the chicago, milwaukee & st. paul, the union pacific system, and the great northern, realizing the wealth of the county and the importance of tacoma as a manufacturing center, the value of her perfect harbor for shipping, the vastness of her great stretch of level tidelands for factory sites and terminal yards, and the low cost at which freight can be transferred from the rails to the sails or _vice versa_, have entered the field and are now spending $ , , on construction and terminal work in the city of tacoma. the addition of these new roads means a wonderful impetus to the trade of tacoma. the tacoma eastern railroad, a beautiful scenic route, beginning at tacoma, runs in a southeasterly direction through a wonderfully fertile country and vast forests of splendid timber, to rainier national park and mount rainier (mt. tacoma). several trolley lines are in operation, reaching all the near-by towns and connecting tacoma and seattle. in addition to these lines, many steamboats and crafts of all kinds, plying the waters of puget sound and the pacific ocean, find abundant wharfage and anchorage in the harbor of tacoma. the products of the world in large quantities pass through tacoma in process of distribution. a constant stream of small crafts, running about the waters of the county, accommodate the local traffic. cities and towns. tacoma, with a population of about , , is the county seat of pierce county, and situated on commencement bay. its harbor, one of the finest in the world, and its railroad terminals, unexcelled on the pacific coast, as already indicated, are the center of a vast commerce by rail and water. at its door is an immense amount of water power, already developed, driving her street cars and the machinery in many of her factories. coal and coke are in abundance within a few miles of the city, the coal being used extensively for steam and conveyed from the trains to the boats by immense electric bunkers. the coke is largely utilized in the largest lead and copper reduction plant on the coast. the great guggenheim smelter at tacoma reduces and turns out annually lead, copper, gold and silver worth about $ , , . along her wharves are immense elevators, grain warehouses and flouring mills. tacoma yearly ships out more grain than any other city on puget sound. in and around the city are large saw and shingle mills, which last year cut , , feet of lumber and , , shingles. her factories and shops have $ , , invested and employ , wage-earners, and her large flour mills ship their products to all parts of the world. her packing-house products amounted to $ , , in . the largest car shops west of the mississippi are located here. her downtown streets are lined by large business blocks; she has miles of street and suburban railway, and over miles of paved streets. [page ] there are four daily newspapers, banks, , acres in parks, and many beautiful and expensive public buildings. the city hall cost $ , ; the court house, $ , ; her high school building, the most beautiful on the coast, cost a half million dollars, and the united states government is completing a $ , federal building. puyallup is one of pierce county's prosperous towns, having about , population, in the wealthy puyallup valley. this is the center or a great fruit-growing district, in which the farmers have combined and market their crops through an association, sending their berries in patent refrigerator cars into far-away markets. it is also quite a large manufacturing center, with a payroll of $ , per month. buckley, with a population of , , is the center of large sawmilling, farming and mining industries. orting is a town with people, chiefly engaged in gardening and farming. the state soldiers' home is located near, and adds considerable trade to the town. sumner has a population of , , is located in the puyallup valley, and its people form a part of the farmers' association, engaged in fruit-growing, dairying and gardening. steilacoom is one of the most beautiful little summer resort towns on puget sound and is connected with tacoma by two electric lines. sylvan, gig harbor, rosedale, elgin, long branch, blanchard, and bee are very prosperous villages of pierce county, and are located on the shores of puget sound. spanaway, eatonville, alderton, elbe, meridian, kapowsin, and mcmillan are villages in the interior, on the railroads. wilkeson, south prarie, carbonado, fairfax, pittsburg, and melmont are coal-mining towns of importance. san juan county. san juan county is a group of islands lying between the waters of the straits of fuca and the gulf of georgia, off the southeast shore of vancouver island. it has about square miles of territory and about , people. there are three large islands and several smaller ones. the islands are covered with soil and timber not different from the main land adjoining. heavy timber in the forests, fine clay loams in the bottom lands, shot clay on the hillsides, big ledges of lime rock and other minerals and great shoals of fish in the waters are the foundations for prosperity for the citizens of the county. resources. the soils of the islands yield generously to good tillage, and wheat, oats, barley, potatoes and hay yield large crops. dairying is profitable. poultry-raising and fruit-growing, are especially attractive. sheep and [page ] cattle find splendid pasture. great quantities of salmon and other fish are taken in the waters, and game-deer and wild fowl--are abundant. [illustration: plate no. .--two views of the lime works at roche harbor, san juan county.] [illustration: plate no. .--a typical farm scene in skagit county.] transportation. there is no transportation save by water, but the islands are in the way of traffic from so many different directions that all parts are well served by steamboats. islands and towns. san juan island is the largest of the group, and its chief industries are farming, raising stock, salmon-fishing, and manufacturing lime. friday harbor, on this island, is the county seat and largest town, with about people. a telephone system is in operation throughout the island. roche harbor is the home of great lime kilns. orcas island is the leading fruit-growing district of the county. east sound, near the center of the island, at the foot of mount constitution, is a picturesque and charming fruit-growing section and summer resort. orcas is an important center of the fruit and sheep raising industries. lopez island is a beautiful stretch of fertile agricultural land, much of it under tillage, and is the home of a prosperous community of farmers and stock-growers. lopez is the chief commercial center, with a cannery and creamery. skagit county. skagit county is the next county to the northwest corner of the state, stretching from rosario straits to the peaks of the cascades--about miles east and west and miles north and south. its area is , square miles, with a population of about , . it is a county of great diversities in climate, topography and resources. the skagit river and its branches drain nearly the entire county from the mountains to the saltwater. its deltas are great flat fields of wonderful fertility. its valleys also, where cleared of forests, are very rich alluvial lands. its upper lands carry a great burden of forests and are full of hidden treasures. resources. the resources of the county are its forests and minerals, its agricultural products, and fishes. its great cereal crop is of oats; hops, fruits, hay and barley follow in the order named in importance, while the products of the dairy are rapidly multiplying. its minerals include the precious metals, iron, lead, coal, marble, limestone, granite, sandstone, etc. [page ] transportation. aside from its water transportation, the great northern and the northern pacific railways cross its westerly end and send a branch line through the valley of the skagit river well up towards the mountains and to the salt water at anacortes. and other roads are building, while there are miles of modern graveled wagon roads. the facilities for getting about are excellent. principal cities and towns. mt. vernon is the county seat, with about , people. it is on the great northern railway, on the navigable skagit river, and is a city of much commercial importance to the agricultural district around it. the soil in the vicinity is renowned for its great fertility and astonishing crops of oats, hay and grass. creameries and a milk-condensing plant are supported profitably to all concerned. anacortes is the chief town of the county, on the salt water. it has about , people, and is a center of lumbering and fishing. factories for drying, salting, and canning salmon, halibut, and cod are increasing industries. there is also a fertilizing plant and a plant producing charcoal and the by-products of combustion, wood alcohol, turpentine, etc. sedro-woolley, on both the northern pacific and great northern railways, has a population of , , engaged in lumber industries, fruit, and vegetables, canning, dairying and gardening. it has a monthly payroll of $ , . burlington, on the great northern railway, has , people, and factories for making various wood products, concrete blocks, lumber, shingles and condensed milk. la conner is a great oat and hay shipping point. it is at the mouth of the skagit river and on tide water, and has people. hamilton, at the head of navigation on the skagit river, is a mining and lumbering town of people. bay view, sammish, minkler, prairie, fir, and birdsview are other shipping points. baker, on a branch of the great northern railway, has people, and is a center of cement factories. [page ] skamania county. skamania county, in the south central part of the state, has its southern boundary on the columbia river, with lewis county to the north. it is chiefly within the forest reserve, and includes mount st. helens on the west and mount adams on its eastern border. altogether it has an area of , square miles, chiefly mountainous, and about , people. the north fork of the lewis river drains the most of the mountainous region, while a lot of small streams drain the southern part, emptying into the columbia river. the climate is a mean between that of eastern and western washington, and is very mild and salubrious. the soil of the valleys in the region of the columbia river is very fertile. resources. the chief resource of the county is in its timber and lumber, yet its mineral and agricultural wealth is becoming better known and appreciated yearly. the fruit raised in its valleys is of excellent flavor, early in season, and the soil is generous in its yield. splendid pasturage in the foothills encourages stock-raising, and fishing in the columbia river is profitably followed by some of the citizens. transportation. boats on the columbia river and a railroad on each side of it are the means of transportation, and ample for the residents of the county in its southern portion. the coming of the north bank railroad has given a decided stimulus to the growth of the county. development. skamania county has developed slowly and the bulk of its natural wealth is still practically untouched. its minerals, well known to be valuable, are attracting the attention of prospectors, while the forests, fisheries and farming lands will furnish a competence to hundreds of additional familles. the scenery, combined with the fishing and hunting afforded, are additional attractions that will prove alluring to many newcomers. principal towns. stevenson, a small town on the columbia river and railroad, is the county seat and has a population of about . tributary to stevenson is considerable improved land, and the people are engaged in stock-raising, fruit-growing and farming. butler is a town of about people on the railroad and river. carson, cape horn, mt. pleasant and bear prairie are smaller villages, destined to become centers of commercial distribution. [page ] snohomish county. snohomish county extends miles in width from the sound to the peaks of the cascade mountains, adjoining king county on the north. it has an area of some , square miles of territory, a population of about , people, and a great storehouse of wealth in its natural resources. it is one of the largest and richest counties in the state, with a mild and healthful climate, magnificent scenery, great diversity of landscape, innumerable water falls and plenty of game. resources. the forests of snohomish are very extensive and but little depleted. fir, cedar, hemlock and spruce are its chief trees. nearly one-half of the area of the county is heavily mineralized with veins of gold, silver, copper, lead, nickel, iron, and other ores. there are also vast ledges of marble, granite and other building stones. in diversified agricultural possibilities, few counties can excel snohomish. its general soils in its valleys are alluvial, and produce astonishing crops; about the deltas of its rivers, the riches of the salt water and the mountains have combined to make a soil that will endure for ages and annually astonish the husbandman with its generosity. upon its uplands, its clay and decaying herbage have combined for ages to create a soil wonderfully adapted to produce grass and fruits, and the industrious are luxuriating in nature's prodigality. rainfall is abundant, but not excessive, and crops of the cereals and fruits are never failures. transportation. this county is splendidly provided with transportation facilities; many steamboats ply its salt waters and part way up the three great rivers that flow into the sound. two transcontinental railroads cut the western part of the county in two. the trunk line of the great northern follows the valley of one river from the southeast to the coast, while two branch lines run up the other two great valleys, past the center of the state, toward the mountains, while a dozen spurs and short logging and coal roads act as feeders to the main lines, thus giving all the towns of the county access to all the sound markets, and those of the east and the ports of the pacific ocean. principal cities and towns. everett, situated upon a fine harbor on the shores of puget sound near the mouth of the snohomish river, is the county seat and metropolis of the county. it has a population of , , and is fast developing into a commercial and manufacturing center of importance. the largest steamers afloat can find wharfage at her docks and safe anchorage in her waters. it has upwards of , men employed in its factories and mills, with a monthly payroll aggregating $ , . [illustration: plate no. .--codfish and salmon packing plants at anacortes, skagit county.] [illustration: plate no. .--plant for the manufacture of portland cement, located in skagit county.] [illustration: plate no. .--snohomish county views.] [illustration: plate no. .--snohomish county industrial scenes.] [illustration: plate no. .--street scene in stanwood, snohomish county. a pony farm at everett, snohomish county.] [illustration: plate no. .--city and town views, snohomish county.] [page ] they are engaged in the manufacture of lumber, shingles, sash and doors; in railroad shops, pulp and paper mills, and smelters; in running tug boats, driving piles, making iron castings, and tanning hides; packing meats and fish; making turpentine, charcoal, flour, butter, and many other commodities. its banks have $ , , on deposit. its paper mills produce tons of paper daily. its smelter is a constant producer of the precious metals and their by-products. the city is substantially built, having all the conveniences of a modern city, with wide streets and wide sidewalks; has both gas and electricity for lights, and a good water system. some of its streets are paved with preserved wooden blocks and some with asphalt. everett is a sub-port of entry of the puget sound country. the united states has spent half a million dollars improving the mouth of the snohomish river for a fresh-water harbor. snohomish is a city of , people, on the snohomish river, which is navigable, and is connected with everett by a street car line. it is also on the northern pacific and great northern railways, and is the distributing center for a large agricultural district. it has a number of shingle and sawmills, and is headquarters for a good deal of the mining industry of the county. stanwood is a town of about people, on the sound and railway, in the northwestern part of the county. it is a center of farming interests and lumber industries. arlington is a mining and lumbering town on the northern pacific railway, well up toward the mountains. it has a population of , and is growing. monroe is a town of , people, on the line of the great northern railway, in the center of a large farming and milling industry. edmonds, a town of , people, is on the sound and great northern railway, near the king county line; chiefly engaged in sawing lumber and making shingles. sultan, granite falls, gold bar, darrington, and monte cristo are all centers of mining and other industries. marysville, mukilteo, silvana, getchell, and pilchuck are centers of lumbering and farming. spokane county spokane county lies in the extreme eastern section of the state. the area of the county is , square miles. transportation. the transportation facilities are the best of the inland pacific northwest. three transcontinental railroads--the northern pacific, chicago, milwaukee & st. paul, and great northern--traverse the county from east to west; a fourth transcontinental line, the oregon railway & navigation company, enters from the southwest, and a fifth transcontinental road, the spokane international (c. p. r.), enters [page ] the county from the northeast and terminates at spokane. the spokane falls & northern extends north into british columbia and to republic and oroville, wash. electric trolley lines connect spokane with the outlying towns in every direction. the total railway mileage in the county is approximately miles. topography and industries. the northern portion of the county is somewhat mountainous, and is covered with a fine growth of pine and tamarack timber; much of this section is suitable for agriculture, while all is adapted to grazing. the central part of the county is rolling and is traversed by the spokane river; the central section to the west of the city of spokane is fine agricultural land, while to the east of spokane is the spokane valley, which is rapidly being brought into a high state of cultivation by means of irrigation. there are about , acres in this valley capable of irrigation; , acres are now irrigated and under cultivation. the southern portion of the county is rolling, and comprises some of the finest agricultural land in the state. large areas of this section are utilized for wheat-raising, while here are grown the finest sugar beets in the world. lumbering is a considerable industry, while stock-raising and dairying are also extensively engaged in. over , , bushels of wheat are grown annually. the flour mills of the county have a combined capacity of , barrels daily. in fruit-growing spokane is one of the leading counties of the state. the value of the fruit produced in the county amounts to nearly $ , , annually. the following table shows the distribution of the five important fruits. _trees planted_ -- _total._ [*]apples, , , pears, , , peaches, , , cherries, , , plums and prunes, , , miscellaneous , , ------- --------- , total planted , , [footnote *: is percent. of the total number of apple trees planted in the state in .] schools. there are school districts in the county and eighteen towns where graded schools are maintained. the total valuation of assessed property with improvements ( ) is $ , , ; personal property, $ , , . [illustration: plate no. .--( ) spokane club building, spokane. ( )riverside avenue, looking east from post street, spokane.] [illustration: plate no. .--spokane river and bridge at spokane, showing fill for new concrete structure to cost $ , .] principal cities and towns. spokane, situated on the spokane river, is the county seat of spokane county, and is the metropolis of eastern washington, having a [page ] population estimated at , . spokane is the center of a great wheat-raising section and is the principal mining and commercial center between the cascades and the rocky mountains. a conservative estimate of the total value of manufactured products for is $ , , . there are over , wage-earners, receiving over $ , , annually. the principal industrial establishments are lumber mills, flour mills, machine shops, agricultural machinery, brick plants, iron works, foundries, pottery, cereal food, furniture, etc. the industrial prosperity of the city is due largely to the mines in the vicinity, the great agricultural resources of the surrounding country, and to the extensive water power which offers special inducements to manufacturers. the spokane river here has a total fall of feet, which furnishes a minimum of , horse-power, of which , horse-power is developed. there are four national banks, with a combined capital of $ , , . the city owns its own water works, from which an annual revenue of more than $ , is derived. the educational facilities are excellent. there are twenty-three public school buildings, constructed of brick and stone, and costing $ , , . there are three daily newspapers, having a combined circulation of , . here is located the u. s. circuit court; the headquarters of the u. s. district court, eastern division; u. s. military post (fort wright); the government headquarters of the postal inspector service, known as the spokane division, which includes the states of washington, montana, idaho, oregon, and the territory of alaska, and a u. s. land office. postoffice receipts for amounted to $ , . cheney, miles southwest of spokane, is a town of , people. here is located one of the state normal schools, having about students. medical lake is an important town, having the eastern washington hospital for the insane near-by, it is a noted health resort. rockford is an important agricultural town of , people. hillyard is an important place of , people, having the car shops of the great northern railway as its chief business. stevens county stevens county, in the extreme northeastern corner of the state, has an area of , square miles and a population of about , . it is a county of great and diverse resources, is splendidly watered with large rivers, the columbia bounding it on the west, and the spokane on part of its southern line. three ranges of low mountains extend across the county nearly north and south. between these the colville river and the pend d'oreille flow generally northerly through grand and beautiful valleys. [page ] resources and productions. agriculture in all its branches, lumbering and kindred pursuits, and the mining of precious metals and building stones make up its chief sources of wealth. agriculture. the farms in the colville valley are noted for their heavy hay crops, producing abundantly all the cereals, including corn, the clovers, timothy and alfalfa. dairying and stock-raising are important industries. to these the climate and soils are well adapted. some lands have been irrigated with great benefit, but the bulk of the farming is successful without irrigation. fruit-raising is receiving deep interest of late, and the county bids fair to compete for honors with the very best localities in the state for the hardier fruits. lumbering and saw-milling engage the attention of a large number of the people, the product of the mills finding a ready market in the farming region, large cities and mining camps. mining of the precious metals is a growing and an attractive industry. the ores include gold, silver, lead, copper, tungsten and iron, while quarries of limestone, marble, onyx, fire-clay, etc., abound. transportation. in addition to the navigable waters of the columbia and pend d'oreille rivers, which traverse the outskirts of the county, the great northern railway through the colville valley from the southern to the northern boundary, reaches most of the agricultural and mining centers and renders good service. the western part of the county, comparatively undeveloped, deserves much more attention. principal cities and towns. colville is both the county seat and principal town in the county, having a population of , people, and is a growing town, a distributing center on the railroad, surrounded by prosperous farming communities. northport is the center of much mining activity and has a large smelter for the reduction of ores of the precious metals. it has a population of , . chewelah is a center of agriculture, mining and lumbering industries in the center of the county, having about , people. newport, in the southeastern part of the county, is an important agricultural distributing center. a dozen other smaller towns offer great opportunities to the homeseeker. [illustration: plate no. .--raising potatoes in young orchard, spokane county.] [illustration: plate no. .--basalt columns, spokane river at spokane.] [illustration: plate no. .--stevens county views. "where the elephant drinks," a remarkable crag on the bank of the pend d'oreille river. a typical fruit ranch. flume creek falls.] [illustration: plate no. .--stevens county timber. cedar forest. white pine forest. yellow pine forest.] [page ] thurston county thurston county is known as having the state capital, olympia, within its borders, and as including the extreme southern reaches of puget sound. it is a county of wooded hills and valleys with a few open prairies well watered by mountain streams, chief of which is the nisqually, which forms its dividing line from pierce county, and the des chutes river, which makes a splendid waterfall of some feet, a few miles south of olympia. it has an area of about square miles, miles of salt-water shore, a population of about , , and a delightful climate and magnificent scenery of lofty mountains; great expanse of inland salt water, and green-clad islands and fields in every direction. resources. the county is one of the oldest settled portions of the state, and has a great variety of natural resources, among which are its timber areas, its agricultural fields, its coal mines, its fisheries, including clam and oyster beds, gray sandstone quarries, and a great variety of clays. industries. the sawmills of the county are still a very important industry and shiploads of lumber are sent out from its wharves. all the cereals and grasses yield abundant crops; root crops are extensive; fruit of great variety and fine flavor is very prominent. dairying is flourishing, the county having more dairies than any other in the state. coal mining is in its infancy, but has progressed far enough to demonstrate the existence of vast areas of lignite coal, having some six veins and having a combined thickness of feet of coal. about , sacks of oysters are annually marketed. transportation. the northern pacific railway connects olympia with all the important sound ports and the east, and all the transcontinental roads coming to the sound from the south will pass through the county. together with its salt-water deep harbors, these give the county splendid competition and variety of commercial facilities. principal cities. olympia, the chief town of the county, at once the county seat, state capital and county metropolis, is situated on one of the deep-water inlets of puget sound. its population is about , . while it has a beautiful sandstone structure, now used for capitol purposes, the state is about to erect a new capitol building, to cost $ , , . the foundation is already built. olympia has one of the u. s. land offices and the u. s. surveyor-general's office. it is lighted and furnished with power for street-car and other purposes from the power of tumwater falls. the city is a beautiful one of fine homes, shaded streets and parks, surrounded by a very prosperous agricultural community, [page ] producing great quantities of fruit, dairy and poultry products. several other smaller towns on the railroads are local centers of commercial activity. wahkiakum county wahkiakum is a small county, having only square miles of territory, located on the columbia river in the southwestern corner of the state, near the ocean. its population is about , . the county is heavily timbered and well watered. in many parts of the county the soil is exceptionally fertile. the climate is mild, but somewhat humid. in the northern part are some low mountains, from which the drainage is south through the county to the columbia river. resources. the resources of the county consist in its timber, its fertile soil, and the fish in the river and ocean. industries. logging, saw-milling, and industries growing out of these; agriculture, dairying, and fishing are the chief occupation of its people. there are several logging concerns in the county and large saw-mills. fish canneries dot its river shores; several creameries and dairies are manufacturing butter, while its farms produce hay, potatoes, fruits, cattle, hogs, poultry, eggs, and other products, chiefly for the portland market. many of its citizens are fishermen and some make considerable sums trapping fur animals in the winters. transportation. the columbia river is the great highway of the county; no railroads are within its borders or near. owing to the small area of the county, this condition is no great drawback, as all the people have ready access to the river wharves. principal towns. cathlamet, on the columbia, is the county seat, with about people, and is the chief distributing center of the county. rosburg, deep river, brookfield, altoona, and skamokawa are centers of industry. this county offers exceptional opportunities for the frontiersman. walla walla county walla walla is the county of many waters. it is the most western of the southeastern counties of the state, and is bounded north and west by the snake and columbia rivers. it has , square miles and a population of about , . the elevation varies from feet at the columbia river to , feet along its eastern border. it is a succession of plains and rolling hills, covered with bunch-grass, with some trees along the streams. its soil varies from quite sandy volcanic ash in the low lands near the columbia to a [page ] heavier clay loam in the eastern parts. in common with much of eastern washington, these lands increase in fertility with successive cultivations. the climate is mild, healthful and vigorous. [illustration: plate no. .--farm scene near colville, stevens county.] [illustration: plate no. .--view of calispell valley and pend d'oreille river, stevens county.] resources. walla walla county is essentially agricultural. its chief resource is its soil fertility. this is such that few farmers can be found who have not bank accounts. products. the annual production of wheat in walla walla county is about , , bushels. barley is also a profitable crop. oats and some corn are also raised. large crops of alfalfa hay are annually marketed, chiefly from irrigated lands. fruit of all kinds is abundant. there are , acres devoted to orchards. market gardening is an important and growing industry. transportation. there are miles of railroads in this county, both the northern pacific and oregon railroad & navigation company railroads competing for the traffic. in addition to the railroads, steamboats are plying the rivers around the edge of the county, giving additional facilities for transportation. principal cities and towns. walla walla, the county seat, has a population of about , and is the commercial center for the southeastern part of the state. its streets are paved. the city owns its own system of water, at a cost of $ , . it is lighted with electricity and gas, has large banks and business houses, u. s. land office, u. s. courts, u. s. cavalry post, an odd fellows' home, and a home for widows and orphans. there are manufacturing industries employing men, turning out $ , , of productions annually. an electric system of street cars traverses the streets and is projected into several other near-by towns. waitsburg is an important agricultural town of about , people, in the western part of the county, having both railroad systems, and ships great quantities of grain. it has large flouring mills, warehouses, fine schools and churches, and is a prosperous, thriving town. a large number of shipping points on both systems of railroads are growing commercial centers. whatcom county whatcom county lies on the boundary of british columbia, stretching from the straits of georgia to the peaks of the cascade mountains-- miles wide and miles long, the eastern half or more of the county is included in the national forest reserve, with mount baker, , feet high, in the center of the county. it is one of the important counties on tide water, and has an area of , square miles and a population of about , . [page ] the climate is not different from the general puget sound climate being mild and healthful. there are no severe storms, no sultry heat and no severe cold. resources. it is estimated that whatcom county has three billion feet of standing timber. this is its greatest source of wealth. the western half of the county, outside of the lumbering, etc., is blessed with a wealth of soil responding to the farmer's labor generously. the eastern half of the county is essentially a mountainous, forest-covered mining region, and has in store many veins of nearly all the metals. game of great variety of animals and fowls and fish are abundant. industries. the people of whatcom county are engaged in lumbering and running saw-mills, one of the largest of the state being in this county; manufacturing of various kinds from the raw products in the county, including shingle mills and shingle machinery factory, salmon canneries, planing mills, barrel factories, portland cement factory, and many others. of no small importance is farming, fruit-growing and dairying. prospecting and mining engage the attention and labor of a large number of citizens. transportation. aside from having a long salt-water coast, open to traffic from the ocean, with splendid harbors, the county is traversed in all its agricultural half by a network of railroads, by the northern pacific, great northern, b. b. and b. c. railroads. these furnish exceptional means of traffic to all industries excepting the mining. the county has also an admirable system of wagon roads, some planked, some graveled and some graded and drained, covering about miles. [illustration: plate no. .--products of thurston county waters.] [illustration: plate no. .--thurston county stick. , feet. sandstone quarry, tenino, thurston county. logging with oxen. early days in thurston county.] [illustration: plate no. .--five combined harvesters at work on a walla walla county wheat farm.] [illustration: plate no. .--ploughing the ground for wheat-growing, walla walla county.] [illustration: plate no. .--bird's-eye view of a portion of bellingham, whatcom county.] [illustration: plate no. .--typical farm scenes in whatcom county.] principal cities and towns. bellingham, on a salt-water bay of the same name, is the county seat, and commercial metropolis not only for this county but much other territory. it has a population of about , people. into it all the railroads center, while the harbor is one of the best in washington. it is largely a manufacturing town, having plants for the production of sash, doors, columns, tin cans, boilers, engines, flour and feed, canned fish, condensed milk, and many others. it is a substantial, live business community of wide-awake people, and growing rapidly. it has a gravity water system, electric lights, and gas plant. blaine is a city of about , inhabitants, situated close to the canadian line and on the great northern railway. timber and lumber manufactures are the chief sources of its prosperity. fishing and the canning of salmon are also important industries. the railroad [page ] company has recently expended considerable sums in improving its facilities. blaine is a growing community. sumas, on the canadian border, is a lumbering town of , people. lynden is an agricultural center of , citizens. ferndale is a lumber center of , people. besides, there are a dozen smaller business centers in the county, growing and prosperous. whitman county whitman county is one of the chief agricultural counties of the state, lying immediately south of spokane county and on the idaho state line, having the snake river for its southern boundary. the county is a plateau of rolling prairie lands, a large portion of which is farmed, watered by a number of streams, which are utilized for irrigation purposes in some of the bottom lands--although the rainfall is sufficient to mature crops, and no irrigation is had on the great bulk of the farms. the area is about , square miles. the population is about , . the soil is a strong mixture of volcanic ash and clay of great fertility and permanence. twenty years of wheat-growing still leaves the soil able to produce from to bushels per acre. resources. all the resources of the county originate in this splendid soil. for growing all the cereals and fruits and vegetables it has no superior. the county is well settled, and probably no county can excel whitman county in the per capita wealth of its farmers. the products of the county are varied, and include wheat, oats, barley and hay, all giving splendid yields--wheat from to bushels, oats to bushels, barley from to bushels, and hay from to tons per acre. potatoes, sugar beets and other vegetables produce fine crops. the hardier fruits, such as apples, pears, plums and cherries, are successfully raised in all parts of the county, while on the bottom lands, along the snake river, peaches, melons, etc., are produced in abundance. seventy-five carloads of fruit go out annually from one orchard. wheat gives up five and one-half million bushels to the farmers each year. oats one and three-fourths million and barley about one-half million bushels. whitman county has more banks than any county in eastern washington besides spokane. transportation. whitman county is as well, or better, provided with railroads than any agricultural county in the state. the northern pacific, o. r. & n., chicago, milwaukee & st. paul and the s. & i. railroads are all interlaced about its grain-fields. these all connect with spokane, and give access to all eastern and western markets. [page ] principal towns. colfax, the county seat, situated near the center of the county, on the railroads and palouse river, is the largest town in the county, with about , population. the town owns its own water system, has electric lights, fine court-house, banks, mills, warehouses, etc. pullman is a town of , people, near which is located the washington state college, a large educational institution supported by the state, having about , students. it is an important grain-shipping point. it has a public water system, electric lights, and is a thriving and growing commercial center. palouse is a railroad center of , people, a large shipping point for grain, live stock, fruits and pottery. oakesdale is a town of , people, having three railroads, and is an important shipping point. tekoa has a population of about , , is a railroad center, and is a large shipper of fruits and grain. garfield has a population of , , and ships much grain and other produce. rosalia has , population, and is an important grain center. this county has a dozen other shipping points where from to people are supported by the business originating on the tributary farms. yakima county yakima county is one of the large and important counties in the state, having the yakima indian reservation included within its boundaries. its area is , square miles and it has a population of about , . it is watered by the yakima river and its tributaries, and through its valleys the railroads from the east find their easiest grade toward the cascade passes. it is a county of level valleys and plateaus, having a soil made up chiefly of volcanic ash and disintegrated basaltic rocks, of great depth, which yields fabulously in cereal and grass crops, fruits and vegetables with the magic touch of irrigation. artificial watering is years old in this valley, and yet only a very small area was thus treated until the matter was taken up by the national government. but now vast areas are being provided with water, and the consequent growth and development of the county is wonderful. a series of lakes in the mountains are being utilized as reservoirs, and from these lakes the waters are being distributed in many directions in the large irrigating canals. when the projects now under way are completed, more than , acres will be under ditches. resources. yakima's wealth consists in the combination of its soil and water and climate. the county, lying east of the cascade mountains, in [page ] large part at a low elevation, receives somewhat severe heat in the summer, which gives the opportunity successfully to ripen the less hardy fruits--peaches, apricots, grapes, etc. the county has half a million bearing trees and two and one-half million young trees growing in its orchards. industries. naturally the industries of the county consist in exploiting its natural resources, and so we find yakima citizens busy in raising fruits, hay, grain, and garden vegetables, to supply the big cities of the sound. its last year's contribution will probably exceed ten million dollars in value. of the items which compose this large sum, fruit is probably chief in importance. alfalfa and grain-hay is an important item, as is also the crop of melons and potatoes. the combined fields of alfalfa and orchards make ideal bee pasturage, and yakima honey is a constant factor of barter in the sound cities. the upland farms produce quantities of all grains--wheat, oats, and barley--and some field corn is successfully raised in the warmer parts. sheep, cattle and horses are also exported. hops are a large crop. principal cities and towns. north yakima is at once the county seat and chief metropolis of the entire yakima valley, having a population of about , . it is situated on the northern pacific railway and yakima river, and is the distributing center for both merchandise and farm products for a large surrounding territory. the state fair, supported by the state, holds annual exhibits here. it has extensive fruit canneries, flour mills, lumber mills, other woodworking factories, large warehouses, paved streets, big business blocks, fine churches, schools, banks, newspapers, etc. sunnyside, a town built up among the irrigated farms, has a population of , . here are a cannery, pulp mill, creameries, etc. toppenish and mabton are commercial centers of importance of about inhabitants each, and growing. [page ] statistical appendix. statistics of the incorporated cities and towns of washington. ======================================================================= name. | county. | mayor. | clerk. -------------|-------------|------------------|------------------------ aberdeen | chehalis | e. b. benn | p. f. clarke almira | lincoln | j. c. johnson | peter wallerich anacortes | skagit | w. v. wells | m. c. baker arlington | snohomish | peter larson | homer l. huddle asotin | asotin | j. b. jones | j. p. fulton auburn | king | l. c. smith | geo. c. meade bellingham | whatcom | j. p. de mattos | f. b. graves blaine | whatcom | t. j. quirt | j. w. g. merritt bremerton | kitsap | l. e. mallette | paul mehner buckley | pierce | d. s. morris | w. b. osbourn burlington | skagit | p. m. moody | i. a. marchant camas | clarke | john cowan | f. b. barnes cashmere | chelan | c. a. huston | a. j. amos castle rock | cowlitz | t. w. robin | g. f. mcclane cathlamet | wahkiakum | j. t. nassa | t. m. nassa centralia | lewis | j. p. guerrier | w. h. hodge charleston | kitsap | n. a. palmer | m. m. bausman chehalis | lewis | wm. west | w. a. westover chelan | chelan | c. c. jackson | w. m. emerson cheney | spokane | l. walter | j. w. minnick chewelah | stevens | w. h. brownlow | t. l. montgomery clarkston | asotin | d. b. parks | e. a. bass cle elum | kittitas | l. r. thomas | s. e. willis colfax | whitman | wm. lippitt | h. bramwell colton | whitman | w. h renfro | l. f. gibbs colville | stevens | l. b harvey | a. b. sansburn conconnully | okanogan | c. h. lovejoy | wm. baines cosmopolis | chehalis | l. b. hogan | w. s. mclaughlin coulee city | grant | f. w. mccann | a. kirkpatrick creston | lincoln | f. a. duncan | d. f. peffley cunningham | adams | f. w. parker | a. j. haile davenport | lincoln | w. c. graham | lee odgers dayton | columbia | h. c. benbow | r. o. dyer deer park | spokane | w. d. phillips | r. g. cole edmonds | snohomish | jas brady | g. m. leyda elberton | whitman | r. a. cox | j. w. berkstresser ellensburg | kittitas | w. j. peed | j. j. poyser elma | chehalis | c. e. gouty | e. s. avey endicott | whitman | c. l. wakefield | m. a. sherman, jr. ephrata | grant | dr. chaffee | lee tolliver everett | snohomish | newton jones | c. c. gilman fairfield | spokane | c. a. loy | m. walser farmington | whitman | e. e. paddock | c. h. bass ferndale | whatcom | j. b. wilson | c. kelley garfield | whitman | h. s. mcclure | j. l. rogers georgetown | king | john mueller | john beek goldendale | klickitat | allen bonebrake | j. r. putman granite falls| snohomish | c. e. willoughby | c. t. smith hamilton | skagit | h. i. bratlie | s. h. sprinkle harrington | lincoln | a. g. mitchum | w. w. gwinn hartline | grant | e. a. whitney | t. e. jenkins hatton | adams | j. m. batten | w. c. sallee hillyard | spokane | m. h. gordon | j. l. cramer hoquiam | chehalis | dr. t. c. frary | z. t. wllson ilwaco | pacific | w. p. rowe | j. a. howerton index | snohomish | h. l. bartlett | h. f. wilcox kahlotus | franklin | e. r. doughty | e. l. chittenden kalama | cowlitz | a. l. watson | e. n. howe kelso | cowlitz | m. j. lord | max whittlesey kennewick | benton | l. e. johnson | g. n. calhoun kent | king | m. m. morrill | l. e. price kettle falls | stevens | h. l. childs | a. r. squire kirkland | king | r. h. collins | j. s. courtright laconner | skagit | j. f. dwelley | j. s. church lakeside | chelan | jos. darnell | s. b. russell latah | spokane | w. h. taylor | chas. white leavenworth | chelan | lewis j. nelson | g. a. hamilton lind | adams | j. t. dirstine | day imus little falls | lewis | e. c. brown | g. e. grow lynden | whatcom | walter elder | f. w. bixby mabton | yakima | t. w. howell | w. h. ashton marysville | snohomish | w. h. roberts | b. d. curtiss medical lake | spokane | m. j. grady | r. r. mccorkell milton | pierce | c. h. weekes | w. j. keller monroe | snohomish | j. h. campbell | arthur root montesano | chehalis | geo. w. winemire | r. h. fleet mt. vernon | skagit | wm. dale | j. s. bowen newport | stevens | e. s. appel | ed beitton north yakima | yakima | p. m. armbruster | j. g. brooker ========================================================= | sec'y commercial | pop. u. s. | est. pop. name. | organization. | cens. | -------------|------------------|------------|----------- aberdeen | e. beinfohr | , | , almira | | | anacortes | gus hensler | , | , arlington | lot davis | | , asotin | e. h. dammarell | | , auburn | geo. c. meade | | , bellingham | l. baldrey | , | , blaine | j. j. pinckney | , | , bremerton | r. s. hayward | | , buckley | w. b. osbourn | , | , burlington | i. a. marchant | | , camas | | | , cashmere | c. m. banker | | , castle rock | g. f. mcclane. | | , cathlamet | | | centralia | f. w. thomas | , | , charleston | a. f. shepherd | | , chehalis | h. c. coffman | , | , chelan | c. e. rusk | | cheney | l. r. houck | | , chewelah | e. d. germain | | , clarkston | r. b. hooper | | , cle elum | | | , colfax | c. r. lorne | , | , colton | j. b. ellsworth | | colville | l. e. jesseph | | , conconnully | w. s. mcclure | | cosmopolis | | , | , coulee city | g. t. walter | | creston | | | cunningham | a. j. haile | | davenport | f. w. anderson | , | , dayton | f. w. guernsy | , | , deer park | w. d. phillips | | , edmonds | e. m. allen | | , elberton | a. b. metz | | ellensburg | wayne murray | , | , elma | e. s. avey | | , endicott | | | ephrata | | | everett | e. e. johnston | , | , fairfield | o. h. loe | | farmington | c. h. bass | | ferndale | percy hood | | garfield | f. h. michaelson | | , georgetown | c. a. thorndyke | | , goldendale | c. w. ramsay | | , granite falls| w. r. moore | | hamilton | thos. conby | | harrington | | | , hartline | | | hatton | | | hillyard | j. l. cramer | | , hoquiam | w. c. gregg | , | , ilwaco | a. a. seaborg | | index | | | kahlotus | | | kalama | e. n. howe | | , kelso | w. m. signor | | , kennewick | s. z. hendersen | | , kent | b. a. bowen | | , kettle falls | e. a. blakeley | | kirkland | w. r. stevens | | laconner | w. e. schreeker | | lakeside | | | latah | chas. white | | leavenworth | | | , lind | r. s. hamilton | | , little falls | w. a. willis | | lynden | r. w. green | | , mabton | g. t. morgan | | , marysville | p. e. coffin | | , medical lake | w. h. mills | | , milton | j. s. williams | | monroe | l. p. tallman | | , montesano | | , | , mt. vernon | frank pickering | , | , newport | r. s. anderson | | , north yakima | h. p. james | , | , ==================================================== name. | transportation lines. -------------|-------------------------------------- aberdeen | n. p. ry. and steamship lines. almira | northern pacific railway. anacortes | g. n. ry. and two lines of steamers. arlington | northern pacific railway. asotin | river steamers. auburn | n. p. and mil. rys.; p. s. elec. ry. bellingham | g. n., n. p., b. b. & b. c. railways; | steamers to all sound ports. blaine | great northern railway. bremerton | steamers to seattle and tacoma. buckley | northern pacific railway. burlington | great northern railway. camas | portland & seattle ry.; river st'rs. cashmere | great northern railway. castle rock | northern pacific railway. cathlamet | steamboats. centralia | northern pacific railway. charleston | steamers to seattle. chehalis | northern pacific railway. chelan | steamers on river and lake. cheney | n. p. ry.; spokane electric ry. chewelah | s. f. & n. branch g. n. ry. clarkston | o. r. & n. and n. p. rys.; steamers. cle elum | northern pacific and milwaukee ris. colfax | o. r. & n.; s. & i. electricity. colton | branch northern pacific railway. colville | spokane falls & northern railway. conconnully | stage. cosmopolis | n. p. ry. and steamship lines. coulee city | northern pacific railway. creston | w. c. branch n. p. ry. cunningham | northern pacific railway. davenport | central washington railway. dayton | n. p. and o. r. & n. railways. deer park | great northern railway. edmonds | great northern ry. and steamers elberton | oregon railroad & nav. co.'s ry. ellensburg | northern pac. and milwaukee rys. elma | n. p. ry., two branches. endicott | oregon railroad & nav. co.'s ry. ephrata | great northern railway. everett | n. p. and g. n. rys. and steamers. fairfield | oregon railroad & nav. co.'s ry. farmington | o. r. & n. and n. p. railways. ferndale | great northern railway. garfield | o. r. & n., n. p. and s. & i. rys. georgetown | one interurban, steam railways. goldendale | spokane, portland & seattle ry. granite falls| branch of northern pacific railway. hamilton | g. n. ry.; skagit river steamers. harrington | great northern railway. hartline | northern pacific railway. hatton | northern pacific railway. hillyard | elec. interurb.; g. n. and s. f. & n. hoquiam | northern pacific ry. and steamers. ilwaco | o. r. & n. railway and steamers. index | great northern railway. kahlotus | o. r. & n. and s. p. & s. railways. kalama | northern pacific ry. and steamers. kelso | northern pacific ry. and steamers. kennewick | n. p. ry.; p. & s. ry. and steamers. kent | n. p. and mil. rys.; p. s. elec. ry. kettle falls | n. p. and o. r. & n. railways. kirkland | n. p. ry. and ferry to seattle. laconner | boat and stage. lakeside | stage and steamer. latah | oregon railroad & nav. co's ry. leavenworth | great northern railway. lind | oregon railroad & nav. co's ry. little falls | northern pacific railway. lynden | b. b. & b. c. railway. mabton | northern pacific railway. marysville | great northern ry. and steamers. medical lake | n. p. and w. w. p. electric rys. milton | puget sound electric railway. monroe | great northern railway. montesano | northern pacific railway. mt. vernon | great northern railway. newport | great northern ry. and steamers. north yakima | northern pacific railway. note .--county seats in black face type. note .--population estimates for were supplied by local authorities, the school census, upon which the estimates of this bureau are usually based, not being available at the time this publication was compiled. [illustration: plate no. .--dairying, a growing industry in whatcom county.] [illustration: plate no. .--whatcom county bulb gardens.] [page ] ======================================================================= name. | county. | mayor. | clerk. -------------|-------------|------------------|------------------------ oakesdale | whitman | r. j. neergaard | f. s. baer oakville | chehalis | j. e. fitzgerald | j. w. scott ocosta | chehalis | c. c. flowers | andrew wallace odessa | lincoln | f. j. guth | w. m. nevins okanogan | okanogan | h. j. kerr | t. b. collins olympia | thurston | mitchell harris | j. r. dever oroville | okanogan | e. a. mcmahon | c. s. taylor orting | pierce | frank lotz | c. w. van scoyoc palouse city | whitman | c. h. farnsworth | g. d. kincaid pasco | franklin | c. s. o'brien | l. d. conrad pataha | garfield | d. evens | chas. ward paulsbo | kitsap | a. b. moe | paul paulson pe ell | lewis | august mayer | c. w. boynton pomeroy | garfield | h. c. krouse | h. st. george port angeles | clallam | e. e. seevers | c. w. fields pt. orchard | kitsap | r. e. bucklin | wm. c. bading pt. townsend | jefferson | max gerson | geo. anderson prescott | walla walla | jos. utter | r. b. smith prosser | benton | albert smith | lon boyle pullman | whitman | h. v. carpenter | geo. n. henry puyallup | pierce | j. p. melrose | j. l. la plante quincy | grant | f. t. campbell | r. c. wightmar raymond | pacific | a. c. little | j. h. callahan reardan | lincoln | w. s. bliss | w. h. padley renton | king | benj. ticknor | a. w. ticknor republic | ferry | jno. stack | m. h. joseph ritzville | adams | w. r. peters | j. l. cross rockford | spokane | j. kindschuh | a. b. mcdaniel rosalia | whitman | r. p. turnley | f. s. chetal roslyn | kittitas | j. g. green | thos. ray roy | pierce | a. w. wert | c. w. elder ruston | pierce | j. p. garrison | v. d. goss seattle | king | jno. f. miller | h. w. carroll sedro-woolley| skagit | c. e. bingham | t. j. morrow shelton | mason | g. w. draham | f. c. mathewson snohomish | snohomish | c. h. lamprey | e. thistlewaite snoqualmie | king | otto reinig | south bend | pacific | w. p. cressy | c. h. mills spangle | spokane | j. h. gruenwald | m. h. sullivan spokane | spokane | c. h. moore | c. a. fleming sprague | lincoln | j. w. shearer | j. v. muzzy springdale | stevens | jacob keller | a. e. bidgood stanwood | snohomish | a. b. klaeboe | g. m. mitchell starbuck | columbia | h. a. johnson | b. a. whiting steilacoom | pierce | e. church | m. p. potter stevenson | skamania | a. fleischhauer | r. c. sly st. john | whitman | w. s. ridenour | w. s. mott sultan | snohomish | w. w. morgan | t. w. musgrove sumas | whatcom | r. s. lambert | l. van valkenburg sumner | pierce | r. r. white | e. d. swezey sunnyside | yakima | h. w. turner | h. f. wright tacoma | pierce | j. w. linck | l. w. roys tekoa | whitman | t. h. follett | j. s. woods tenino | thurston | l. j. miller | s. m. peterson toledo | lewis | j. h. douge | w. h. carpenter toppenish | yakima | c. w. grant | t. w. johnston tukwila | king | joel shomaker | e. f. greene tumwuter | thurston | a. whitemarsh | a. j. colby uniontown | whitman | peter friesoh | j. j. gans vancouver | clarke | j. p. kiggins | f. w. bier waitsburg | walla walla | r. m. breeze | j. b. lowndagin walla walla | walla walla | eugene tausick | t. d. s. hart wuputo | yakima | j. f. douglas | h. e. trimble washtucna | adams | g. w. bassett | c. e. wilson waterville | douglas | j. m. hunter | j. e. walker waverley | spokane | fred dashiell | a. l. robinson wenatchee | chelan | j. a. gellatly | s. r. sumner white salmon | klickitat | g. f. jewett | w. c. manly wilbur | lincoln | w. w. foley | t. w. maxwell wilson creek | grant | w. h. o'larey | f. e. snedicor winlock | lewis | h. a. baldwin | c. e. leonard woodland | cowlitz | l. m. love | d. w. whitlow yacolt | clarke | w. j. hoag | wm. w. eaton ========================================================= | sec'y commercial | pop. u. s. | est. pop. name. | organization. | cens. | -------------|------------------|------------|----------- oakesdale | | | , oakville | o. h. fry | | ocosta | | | odessa | h. l. cole | | , okanogan | t. b. collins | | olympia | john m. wilson | , | , oroville | f. a. de vos | | orting | m. c. hopkins | | , palouse city | g. d. kincaid | | , pasco | w. d. fales | | , pataha | | | paulsbo | paul paulson | | pe ell | p. m. watson | | , pomeroy | | | , port angeles | j. m. davis | , | , pt. orchard | | | pt. townsend | p. c. peterson | , | , prescott | t. b. grumwell | | prosser | h. w. carnahan | | , pullman | b. f. campbell | , | , puyallup | j. p. leavitt | , | , quincy | geo. w. downer | | raymond | w. r. struble | | , reardan | h. g. burns | | renton | p. w. houser | | , republic | m. h. joseph | , | , ritzville | j. l. cross | | , rockford | j. w. lowe | | , rosalla | a. a. wonnell | | , roslyn | | , | , roy | | | ruston | | | seattle | c. b. yandell | , | , | geo. e. boos | | sedro-woolley| m. b. holbrook | | , shelton | g. c. angle | | , snohomish | w. w. reed | , | , snoqualmie | | | south bend | f. g. mcintosh | | , spangle | e. c. rohweder | | spokane | l. g. monroe | , | , | a. w. jones | | sprague | j. s. freese | | , springdale | | | stanwood | l. livingstone | | , starbuck | j. b. atkinson | | steilacoom | mr. annis | | , stevenson | r. c. sly | | st. john | g. w. case, jr | | sultan | t. w. musgrove | | sumas | lars barbo | | , sumner | r. r. white | | , sunnyside | j. a. vince | | , tacoma | p. l. sinclair | , | , | o. f. cosper | | tekoa | j. p. burson | | , tenino | | | , toledo | h. h. hurst | | toppenish | j. g. hillyer | | , tukwila | e. f. greene | | tumwuter | | | , uniontown | w. h. oyler | | vancouver | h. s. bartow | , | , waitsburg | w. s. guntle | , | , walla walla | a. c. moore | , | , wuputo | | | washtucna | | | waterville | jas. g. tuttle | | , waverley | jno. reycraft | | wenatchee | d. n. gellatly | | , white salmon | j. m. lewis | | wilbur | t. w. maxwell | | , wilson creek | f. e. snedicor | | winlock | c. e. leonard | | , woodland | e. f. bryant | | yacolt | c. j. dorsey | | ==================================================== name. | transportation lines. -------------|-------------------------------------- oakesdale | n. p. and o. r. & n. railways. oakville | northern pacific railway. ocosta | steamers and railway. odessa | great northern railway. okanogan | river steamers. olympia | n. p. ry.; p. t. & s. ry.; steamers. oroville | great northern railway. orting | northern pacific railway. palouse city | four railroads. pasco | n. p. ry.: p. & s. ry.; steamers. pataha | oregon railway & nav. co's ry. paulsbo | steamers to seattle. pe ell | northern pacific railway. pomeroy | oregon railroad & nav. co's ry. port angeles | steamer and stage lines. pt. orchard | steamers, seattle and tacoma. pt. townsend | p. t. & s. ry. and sound steamer. prescott | oregon railroad & nav. co's ry. prosser | northern pacific railway. pullman | n. p. and o. r. & n. railways. puyallup | n. p. and mil. rys.; elec. line tac. quincy | great northern railway. raymond | northern pacific ry. and steamers. reardan | central washington railway. renton | steam and electric railways. republic | great northern branch line. ritzville | northern pacific railway. rockford | oregon railroad & nav. co's ry. rosalla | northern pacific and milwaukee rys. roslyn | northern pacific railway. roy | northern pacific and tac. east. rys. ruston | northern pacific ry. and steamers. seattle | n. p.; g. n.; mil.; c. p. r.; bur.; c. | & p. s.; p. s. e. rys.; s. s. lines. sedro-woolley| n. p. and g. n. rys. and steamers. shelton | steamers to olympia. snohomish | g. n., n. p. and c. p. rys.; steamers. snoqualmie | northern pacific railway. south bend | northern pacific ry. and steamers. spangle | branch northern pacific railway. spokane | n. p.; g. n.; o. r. & n.; p. & s.; spok. | int.; w. w. p. and s. & i. rys. sprague | northern pacific railway. springdale | spokane falls & northern railway. stanwood | rail and steamer. starbuck | oregon railroad & nav. co's ry. steilacoom | electric railway and steamers. stevenson | portland & seattle railway. st. john | oregon railroad & nav. co's ry. sultan | great northern railway. sumas | c. p. ry.; n. p. ry. g. n. ry. sumner | northern pacific railway. sunnyside | northern pacific railway. tacoma | n. p.; mil.; t. & e.; u. p. and g. n. | rys.; electric and s. s. lines. tekoa | o. r. & n. and milwaukee rys. tenino | northern pacific and p. t. & s. rys. toledo | northern pacific ry.; river steamer. toppenish | northern pacific railway. tukwila | puget sound electric railway. tumwuter | port townsend & southern railway. uniontown | northern pacific railway. vancouver | n. p., p. & s. rys. and steamers. waitsburg | o. r. & n. and n. p. railways. walla walla | n. p. and o. r. & n. railways. wuputo | northern pacific railway. washtucna | o. r. & n.; s., p. & s. railways. waterville | stage and steamer. waverley | o. r. & n. and electric railways. wenatchee | great northern ry.; col. river strs. white salmon | s. p. & s. ry., and river steamer. wilbur | northern pacific railway. wilson creek | great northern railway. winlock | northern pacific railway. woodland | northern pacific ry. and steamers yacolt | northern pacific railway. [page ] state officers, commisions, boards and public institutions of washington. =========================================================================== office. | name. | p. o. address. -----------------------------|--------------------------|------------------ governor | m. e. hay | olympia. governor's private secretary | frank m. dallam, jr | olympia. secretary of state | i. m. howell | olympia. assistant secretary of state | ben r. fish | olympia. auditor | c. w. clausen | olympia. deputy auditor | f. p. jameson | olympia. treasurer | john g. lewis | olympia. deputy treasurer | w. w. sherman | olympia. attorney general | w. p. bell | olympia. assistant attorney general | w. v. tanner | olympia. " " " | w. f. mcgill | olympia. " " " | geo. a. lee | spokane. commissioner of public lands | e. w. ross | olympia. assistant comm'r of public | frank c. morse | olympia. lands | | insurance commissioner | john h. shively | olympia. deputy insurance commissioner| s. a. madge | olympia. superintendent public | henry b. dewey | olympia. instruction | | assistant supt. public | j. m. layhue | olympia. instruction | | deputy supt. public | f. f. nalder | olympia. instruction | | adjutant general | geo. b. lamping | seattle. commissioner of labor | chas. f. hubbard | olympia. state librarian | j. m. hitt | olympia. law librarian | c. w. shaffer | olympia. traveling library | mrs. lou j. diven, supt. | olympia. board of control | eugene lorton | walla walla. | h. t. jones | olympia. | h. e. gilham | olympia. state grain inspector | e. c. armstrong | colfax. dairy and food commissioner | l. davies | davenport. state fish commissioner | jno. l. riseland | bellingham. commissioner of statistics | i. m. howell, ex-officio | olympia. deputy commissioner of | geo. m. allen | seattle. statistics | | horticultural commissioner | f. a. huntley | tacoma. coal mine inspector | d. c. botting | seattle. inspector of oils | f. a. clark | seattle. public printer | e. l. boardman | olympia. bank examiner | j. l. mohundro | seattle. hotel inspector | j. h. munger | seattle. a.-y.-p. e. commission | geo. e. dickson. | ellensburg. | chairman | | l. p. hornberger, sec. | seattle. | w. a. halteman, | seattle. | exec. commis. | | m. m. godman | seattle. | r. w. condon | port gamble. | j. w. slayden | steilacoom. | l. h. burnett | aberdeen. railway commission | h. a. fairchild, chairman| olympia. tax commission | t. d. rockwell, chairman | olympia. fire warden and forester | j. r. welty | olympia. highway commissioner | j. m. snow | olympia. board of accountancy | alfred lister, sec'y | tacoma. bureau inspection public | c. w. clausen, | olympia. offices | ex-officio chief | board of health | e. e. hegg, sec'y | seattle. board of barber examiners | chas. w. whisler | seattle. board of medical examiners | dr. j. clinton mcfadden, | seattle. | secy. | board of pharmacy | p. jensen, sec'y | tacoma. board of dental examiners | e. b. edgars | seattle. | | educational institutions. | | | | university of washington | thomas franklin kane, | seattle. | pres. | state college | e. a. bryan, pres. | pullman. state normal school | h. c. sampson, principal | cheney. state normal school | e. c. mathes, principal | bellingham. state normal school | w. e. wilson, principal | ellensburg. school for deaf | thos. p. clark, | vancouver. | superintendent | school for blind | geo. h. mullin, principal| vancouver. state training school | c. c. aspinwall | chehalis. | | other state institutions. | | | | soldiers' home | gen. geo. w. t. | orting. | tibbetts, com. | " " | willis l. ames, com. | port orchard. insane asylum | a. p. calhoun. supt. | fort steilacoom. " " | j. m. semple, supt. | medical lake. state penitentiary | c. s. reed, warden | walla walla. state reformatory | cleon b. roe, supt. | monroe. institution for feeble minded| s. c. woodruff, supt. | medical lake. [illustration: plate no. .--overflow wheat warehouse, at pullman, whitman county.] [illustration: plate no. .--a yakima county vineyard.] [illustration: plate no. .--yakima county potatoes-- bushels to the acre.] [illustration: plate no. .--a yakima county orchard scene.] [page ] statement showing area of state school and granted lands in each county. area sold by deeds and contracts of sale. compiled for period up to and including september , . ========================================================================== | | | | total | | total area | total | area | area sold | remaining counties. | of school | area | under | by deed | area | and granted| deeded. | contract | and under | unsold. | lands. | | of sale. | contract. | ------------|------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------ adams | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . asotin | , . | . | , . | , . | , . benton | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . chehalis | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . chelan | , . | . | , . | , . | , . clallam | , . | , . | . | , . | , . clarke | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . columbia | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . cowlitz | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . douglas | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . ferry | , . | | | | , . franklin | , . | . | , . | , . | , . garfield | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . island | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . jefferson | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . king | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . kitsap | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . kittitas | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . klickitat | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . lewis | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . lincoln | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . mason | , . | , . | . | , . | , . okanogan | , . | . | , . | , . | , . pacific | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . pierce | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . san juan | , . | . | . | . | , . skagit | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . skamania | , . | , . | . | , . | , . snohomish | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . spokane | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . stevens | , . | . | , . | , . | , . thurston | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . wahkiakum | , . | , . | . | , . | , . walla walla | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . whatcom | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . whitman | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . yakima | , . | , . | , . | , . | , . |------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------ totals | , , . | , . | , . | , . | , , . note:--the statement of total area of school and granted lands by counties includes only approved indemnity selected, approved granted lands, and school sections and in place. [page ] unappropriated federal lands of washington. =========================================================================== | area unappropriated | land | and unreserved | brief description of district |-----------------------------| character of unappropriated and | | unsur- | | and unreserved land. country. |surveyed.| veyed. | total. | -------------|---------|---------|---------|------------------------------- north yakima:| _acres._| _acres._| _acres._| benton | , | | , | rolling prairie, hilly, | | | | grazing. douglas | , | | , | grazing, prairie, hilly, | | | | and timber. kittitas | , | , | , | grazing, arid prairie, | | | | and timber. yakima | , | , | , | |---------|---------|---------| total | , | , | , | |=========|=========|=========| olympia: | | | | chehalis | , | | , | mountainous timbered lands. jefferson | | | | do. king | | | | do. kitsap | | | | do. lewis | | | | do. mason | , | | , | do. pacific | | | | do. pierce | | | | do. thurston | | | | do. |---------|---------|---------| total | , | | , | |=========|=========|=========| seattle: | | | | clallam | , | , | , | mountainous and broken; good | | | | supply of excellent timber. king | | , | , | broken and mountainous. san juan | | | | broken, with little timber. skagit | , | , | , | broken, heavily timbered, and | | | | mountainous. snohomish | | , | , | do. whatcom | | , | , | do. |---------|---------|---------| total | , | , | , | |=========|=========|=========| spokane: | | | | adams | , | | , | arid lands, valuable for fruit | | | | and grain. douglas | | l, | l, | arid lands. ferry | , | , | , | farming, grazing, timber, and | | | | mineral. lincoln | , | , | , | farming and grazing. okanogan | , | , | , | farming, grazing, and mineral. spokane | , | , | , | do. stevens | , | , | , , | mountainous, farming, and | | | | mineral. whitman | , | | , | grazing lands. |---------|---------|---------| total | , | , , | , , | |=========|=========|=========| vancouver: | | | | clarke | , | | , | timbered and agricultural. cowlitz | , | , | , | do. klickitat | , | , | , | timbered, agricultural, | | | | grazing lewis | , | , | , | timbered and agricultural. pacific | , | | , | do. skamania | , | | , | do. wahkiakum | | | | timbered. |---------|---------|---------| total | , | , | , | |=========|=========|=========| walla walla: | | | | adams | , | | , | prairie, farming, and | | | | grazing lands. asotin | , | , | , | mountainous, some timber, and | | | | prairie. benton | , | | , | desert, grazing, some timber, | | | | prairie, and farming. columbia | , | , | , | mountainous, some timber, | | | | and prairie. franklin | , | | , | prairie, grazing lands; | | | | no timber. garfield | , | , | , | farming, grazing, and timber. klickitat | , | | , | grazing and farming; some | | | | timber. walla walla| , | | , | do. whitman | , | | , | prairie, farming, and grazing | | | | lands. |---------|---------|---------| total | , | , | , | |=========|=========|=========| [page ] waterville: | | | | chelan | , | , | , | mountainous, timber, farming. douglas | , | , | , | prairie, farming, and grazing. okanogan | , | , | , | mountainous, timber, and | | | | farming. |---------|---------|---------| total | , | , | , , | |=========|=========|=========| state total | , , | , , | , , | climatic summary for washington. prepared by geo. n. salisbury, of the weather bureau at seattle. the following tables represent averages of observations, covering ten years or more. the stations included in the list are so distributed as to indicate the climatic conditions in every portion of the state. southwestern washington. station: aberdeen. ======================================================================== | | | | |_number of_| | | | _precip-_| | _days--_| | _temperature_ | | _itation_| |-----------| | _in degrees_ | | _in_ | | _with pre-_ month. | _fahrenheit_ | | _inches._| | _cipitation_ | | | | | cloudy | |-----------------------| |----------| | partly | |_prevailing_ |highest | lowest | | | snowfall | | cloudy | |_direction_ |---- |----- | | |----- | clear | | | _of the_ |mean| | date| |date| |total| | | | | | | _wind_ ----------|----|---|-----|---|----| |-----|----| |--|--|--|--|---------- january | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | w february | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | sw march | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | w april | . | | | | | | . | t| | | | | | w may | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | w june | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | w july | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | w august | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | w september | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | w october | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | w november | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | w december | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | sw & w |----|---|-----|---|----| |-----|----| |--|--|--|--|---------- sums | | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | means or\| . | |july,| |jan.| | | | | | | | | extremes/| | | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [page ] puget sound district. station: tacoma and ashford. ======================================================================== | | | | |_number of_| | | | _precip-_| | _days--_| | _temperature_ | | _itation_| |-----------| | _in degrees_ | | _in_ | | _with pre-_ month. | _fahrenheit_ | | _inches._| | _cipitation_ | | | | | cloudy | |-----------------------| |----------| | partly | |_prevailing_ |highest | lowest | | | snowfall | | cloudy | |_direction_ |---- |----- | | |----- | clear | | | _of the_ |mean| | date| |date| |total| | | | | | | _wind_ ----------|----|---|-----|---|----| |-----|----| |--|--|--|--|---------- january | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | sw february | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | sw march | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | sw april | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | sw may | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | sw june | . | | | | | | . | t| | | | | | n july | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | n august | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | n september | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | n october | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | sw november | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | sw december | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | sw |----|---|-----|---|----| |-----|----| |--|--|--|--|---------- sums | | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | means or\| . | |july,| |jan.| | | | | | | | | extremes/| | | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ eastern washington. station: spokane. ======================================================================== | | | | |_number of_| | | | _precip-_| | _days--_| | _temperature_ | | _itation_| |-----------| | _in degrees_ | | _in_ | | _with pre-_ month. | _fahrenheit_ | | _inches._| | _cipitation_ | | | | | cloudy | |-----------------------| |----------| | partly | |_prevailing_ |highest | lowest | | | snowfall | | cloudy | |_direction_ |---- |----- | | |----- | clear | | | _of the_ |mean| | date| |date| |total| | | | | | | _wind_ ----------|----|---|-----|---|----| |-----|----| |--|--|--|--|---------- january | . | | |- | | | . | . | | | | | | s february | . | | |- | | | . | . | | | | | | e & sw march | . | | |- | | | . | . | | | | | | s april | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | s & sw may | . | | | | | | . | t| | | | | | s june | . | | | | | | . | t| | | | | | sw july | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | sw august | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | s september | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | ne october | . | | | | | | . | t| | | | | | ne november | . | | |- | | | . | . | | | | | | s december | . | | |- | | | . | . | | | | | | sw |----|---|-----|---|----| |-----|----| |--|--|--|--|---------- sums | | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | means or\| . | |aug. |- |jan.| | | | | | | | | extremes/| | | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [page ] southeastern washington. station: walla walla. ======================================================================== | | | | |_number of_| | | | _precip-_| | _days--_| | _temperature_ | | _itation_| |-----------| | _in degrees_ | | _in_ | | _with pre-_ month. | _fahrenheit_ | | _inches._| | _cipitation_ | | | | | cloudy | |-----------------------| |----------| | partly | |_prevailing_ |highest | lowest | | | snowfall | | cloudy | |_direction_ |---- |----- | | |----- | clear | | | _of the_ |mean| | date| |date| |total| | | | | | | _wind_ ----------|----|---|-----|---|----| |-----|----| |--|--|--|--|---------- january | . | | |- | | | . | . | | | | | | s february | . | | |- | | | . | . | | | | | | s march | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | s april | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | s may | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | s june | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | s july | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | s august | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | s september | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | s october | . | | | | | | . | t| | | | | | s november | . | | | - | | | . | . | | | | | | s december | . | | | - | | | . | . | | | | | | s |----|---|-----|---|----| |-----|----| |--|--|--|--|---------- sums | | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | means or\| . | |aug. |- |jan.| | | | | | | | | extremes/| | | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ the irrigated washington. station: north yakima, sunnyside, ft. simcoe. ======================================================================== | | | | |_number of_| | | | _precip-_| | _days--_| | _temperature_ | | _itation_| |-----------| | _in degrees_ | | _in_ | | _with pre-_ month. | _fahrenheit_ | | _inches._| | _cipitation_ | | | | | cloudy | |-----------------------| |----------| | partly | |_prevailing_ |highest | lowest | | | snowfall | | cloudy | |_direction_ |---- |----- | | |----- | clear | | | _of the_ |mean| | date| |date| |total| | | | | | | _wind_ ----------|----|---|-----|---|----| |-----|----| |--|--|--|--|---------- january | . | | |- | | | . | . | | | | | | w february | . | | |- | | | . | . | | | | | | w march | . | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | w april | . | | | | | | . | t| | | | | | w may | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | w june | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | w july | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | w august | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | w september | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | w october | . | | | | | | . | | | | | | | w november | . | | |- | | | . | . | | | | | | w december | . | | | - | | | . | . | | | | | | sw |----|---|-----|---|----| |-----|----| |--|--|--|--|---------- sums | | | | | | | . | . | | | | | | means or\| . | |july,|- |nov.| | | | | | | | | extremes/| | | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [page ] total assessment of all property in the state of washington as equalized by the state board of equalization for the year . ============================================================== | _total real and personal property,_ |------------------------------------------------- | | | ratio | | | assessed | |assessed| | counties. | value | actual | to | *exemp- | | returned | value. | actual | tions. | | by county. | | value. | | ------------|------------|--------------|--------|-----------| adams | $ , , | $ , , | $ . |* $ , | asotin | , , | , , | . | , | benton | , , | , , | . | , | chehalis | , , | , , | . |* , | chelan | , , | , , | . | , | clallam | , , | , , | . | , | clarke | , , | , , | . |* , | columbia | , , | , , | . | , | cowlitz | , , | , , | . |* , | douglas | , , | , , | . |* , | ferry | , , | , , | . |* , | franklin | , , | , , | . |* , | garfield | , , | , , | . | , | island | , , | , , | . | , | jefferson | , , | , , | . | , | king |* , , | , , | . | , , | kitsap | , , | , , | . |* , | kittitas | , , | , , | . | , | klickitat | , , | , , | . | , | lewis | , , | , , | . | , | lincoln | , , | , , | . |* , | mason | , , | , , | . | , | okanogan | , , | , , | . | , | pacific | , , | , , | . | , | pierce | , , | , , | . | , , | san juan | , , | , , | . |* , | skagit | , , | , , | . | , | skamania | , , | , , | . | , | snohomish |* , , | , , | . | , , | spokane | , , | , , | . | , , | stevens | , , | , , | . |* , | thurston | , , | , , | . | , | wahkiakum | , , | , , | . | , | walla walla | , , | , , | . | , | whatcom | , , | , , | . |* , , | whitman | , , | , , | . | , , | yakima | , , | , , | . |* , , | |------------|--------------|--------|-----------| totals |$ , , |$ , , , | $ . |$ , , | ======================================== _exclusive of railroad and telegraph._ | ------------|-------------|------------| | aggregate | aggregate | |value of tax-| value as | counties. |able property| equalized | | as returned | by state | | by county. | board. | ------------|-------------|------------| adams | $ , , | $ , , | asotin | , , | , , | benton | , , | , , | chehalis | , , | , , | chelan | , , | , , | clallam | , , | , , | clarke | , , | , , | columbia | , , | , , | cowlitz | , , | , , | douglas | , , | , , | ferry | , , | , | franklin | , , | , , | garfield | , , | , , | island | , , | , , | jefferson | , , | , , | king | , , | , , | kitsap | , , | , , | kittitas | , , | , , | klickitat | , , | , , | lewis | , , | , , | lincoln | , , | , , | mason | , , | , , | okanogan | , , | , , | pacific | , , | , , | pierce | , , | , , | san juan | , , | , , | skagit | , , | , , | skamania | , , | , , | snohomish | , , | , , | spokane | , , | , , | stevens | , , | , , | thurston | , , | , , | wahkiakum | , , | , , | walla walla | , , | , , | whatcom | , , | , , | whitman | , , | , , | yakima | , , | , , | |-------------|------------| totals | $ , , |$ , , | ================================================================== |_railroads._| _electric_ |_telegraph._| total. | | | _rys._ | | aggregate | | value as | value as | value as |value as real| | corrected, | corrected, | corrected, |and personal | counties. |revised and |revised and |revised and | property as | |equalized by|equalized by|equalized by|equalized by | |state board.|state board.|state board.|state board. | ------------|------------|------------|------------|-------------| adams | $ , , | | $ , | $ , , | asotin | | | | , , | benton | , , | | , | , , | chehalis | , | , | , | , , | chelan | , , | | , | , , | clallam | | | , | , , | clarke | , | | | , , | columbia | , | | , | , , | cowlitz | , , | | , | , , | douglas | , , | | , | , , | ferry | , , | | | , , | franklin | , , | | , | , , | garfield | , | | | , , | island | | | | , , | jefferson | , | | , | , , | king | , , | , , | , | , , | kitsap | | | , | , , | kittitas | , , | | , | , , | klickitat | , , | | | , , | lewis | , , | | , | , , | lincoln | , , | | , | , , | mason | , | | | , , | okanogan | , | | | , , | pacific | , | | , | , , | pierce | , , | , , | , | , , | san juan | | | | , , | skagit | , , | | , | , , | skamania | , | | | , , | snohomish | , , | , | , | , , | spokane | , , | , , | , | , , | stevens | , , | | , | , , | thurston | , , | , | , | , , | wahkiakum | | | | , , | walla walla | , , | , | , | , , | whatcom | , , | , | , | , , | whitman | , , | , | , | , , | yakima | , , | , | , | , , | |------------|------------|------------|-------------| totals | $ , , | $ , , | $ , | $ , , | *exception includes the amount returned by these counties under the item "moneys on hand" allowed by the board. [page ] acknowledgement distribution of this publication at the alaska-yukon-pacific exposition has been made possible through financial assistance extended by the state a.-y.-p. e. commission. an edition of a few thousand copies only was originally contemplated, but funds provided by the state commission have enabled us to increase the quantity to , . this help thus given in extending the field of usefulness of this report is herewith gratefully acknowledged. state bureau of statistics and immigration. i. m. howell, secretary of state, _ex-officio commissioner._ geo. m. allen, _deputy commissioner._ [page ] index to descriptive matter. acknowledgment adams county agriculture asotin county bee culture benton county coal fields coal mining chehalis county chelan county clallam county clarke county columbia county cowlitz county dairying douglas county educational system - ferry county forests fisheries franklin county game garfield county government lands grant county horticulture indian lands industries of washington - introduction - irrigation - island county jefferson county king county kitsap county kittitas county klickitat county lands letter of transmittal lewis county lincoln county logged-off lands - lumbering manufacturing mason county mineral ores natural division okanogan county opportunities in washington - pacific county pierce county poultry resources of washington - san juan county scenery skagit county skamania county snohomish county soils spokane county state lands stevens county stock raising thurston county title page transportation wahkiakum county walla walla county water power whatcom county whitman county yakima county index to statistical appendix. assessed valuations by counties climatic tables - federal lands, distribution by counties - state officers, boards and commissions state lands, distribution by counties statistics of incorporated cities and towns - a hundred and sixty books by washington authors some other writers who are contributors to periodical literature lines worth knowing by heart in paper thirty-five cents in cloth fifty cents printed for the compiler copyright by susan whitcomb hassell everett, wash. printers lowman & hanford co. seattle contents page a hundred and sixty books history - travel and description - scientific and technical - fiction - juvenile - poetry - unclassified prose - other writers - lines worth knowing by heart - index to writers - foreword our state literature is strongest in local lines. first in early history and narration of personal adventure. fortunately our most important histories are written by men who have long been residents. meany, lyman, durham, snowden and bagley have themselves been a part of the story and have learned much at first-hand. their pages have a flavor of personal interest which some histories lack. the adventures of today become the history of tomorrow. even the most commonplace narration of experience in a new country has its value. those original documents, whether diary, letters, memoir or autobiography are the delight of one who has the true historian's instinct. the mythology of the tribes that eighty years ago held possession of this territory is native romance, a literary asset which has been well developed. lyman has collected the myths and legends of the peoples on the columbia. williams tells those that cluster about mount rainier. meany, curtis and other historians have enlivened their text by these romances and miss judson has made the field her own. a second treasure supply of the state lies in its natural wonders and beauties. what other state can boast of charms so varied? no other country has scenery surpassing in grandeur our mountains and forests, or more beautiful than our inland sea with its emerald shores and islands. williams is not alone in exploiting this rich treasure. a score of others have found in it the source of mood for their songs or the frame for a story or romance. in philosophic essay and the higher forms of pure belles-lettres the proportion of writings is not so large as in the old literary centers. thought and time are still requisitioned for the founding of institutions. few are the leisure-class people who pursue writing as an art. yet one who cares to investigate will discover that no other state while so young has shown a richer output of literature, in content, in scope or in character. perhaps this first published list will add to the number of those who do care to investigate. perhaps too it will result in a wider acquaintance among those who are following the same undying art. some day washington writers will band together for mutual benefit. history = . blazing the way.= ( .) emily inez denny. pioneer home-life pictured by the daughter of the early settler who wrote no. . = . columbia river, its history, its myths, its scenery, its commerce.= ( .) william dennison lyman. fully descriptive and reciting personal adventures. professor lyman, long-time teacher of history in whitman college, has lived his whole life in the country he describes. the book contains many indian legends. eighty illustrations. = . the conquerors.= ( .) rev. a. atwood. dedicated to jason lee and the pioneer missionaries who laid the foundations of american institutions in old oregon. much about lee whose missionary labors antedated marcus whitman's by two years. to some extent it touches the so-called whitman controversy, a discussion due in part to the fact that the admirers of whitman claimed too much for a patriot whose services needed no exaggeration. it has the endorsement of the washington state historical society. = . glimpses in pioneer life on puget sound.= ( .) same author. a history of the methodist episcopal church on the pacific coast. = . david s. maynard and catherine t. maynard.= ( .) t. w. prosch. biography of two of the immigrants of . mrs. maynard is honored in seattle as the founder of a free reading room which grew into the young men's christian association of the city. = . gettysburg.= ( .) captain r. k. beecham. an account of the great battle. acknowledged to be most complete and accurate as to facts and it is written with the fire of a patriot and a poet. the veteran returns to visit the battle-field where as a youth half a century before he fought for the flag. through his eyes and memories the reader sees events. = . history of puget sound country.= ( .) colonel william farland prosser. the late president of the state historical society compiled this work in two large volumes, a painstaking and valuable reference work. = . history of seattle.= ( .) clarence b. bagley. three large volumes. very comprehensive. the third volume is wholly biographical. = . in the beginning.= ( .) same author. a sketch of events in western washington while it was still a part of old oregon. published separately, also in the edition of meeker's "pioneer reminiscences." = . history of the state of washington.= ( .) edmond s. meany. the most accurate and complete history of the state. in some measure it covers the whole pacific slope. it is intended for school use but will interest any one who likes to study or read history. the story is divided into discovery, exploration, occupation, territorial days and statehood, each treated clearly and fully. the author, professor of history in the university of washington, is a hero-worshipper and extolls the daring of the adventurer and the patience and courage of the pioneer. = . vancouver's discovery of puget sound.= ( .) same author. largely the journal of the discoverer with extensive notes, many portraits and biographies of the men whose names were given to geographic features of the northwest. a most important piece of historic research. a fitting supplement to this work is = . a new vancouver journal on the discovery of puget sound, by a member of the chatham's crew.= ( .) edited by professor meany. = . united states history for schools.= ( .) shows the development of america as part of world history. this has met with general approval as a text-book. = . history of washington, the rise and progress of an american state.= ( - .) clinton a. snowden. four elegant volumes in half-leather and rich in illustrations. two later volumes issued as supplements are wholly biographical. = . the iron way.= ( .) sarah pratt carr. the story of the building of the central pacific, the first transcontinental railway. = . the cost of empire.= same author. the record of the whitman massacre. it was made the basis of the opera "narcissa" of which mrs carr's daughter, mary carr moore, wrote the music. = . life of isaac ingalls stevens.= ( .) hazard stevens. the two volumes contain much information about the early indian wars, councils and treaties. they show the simplicity of official form during the life of the first governor of the territory. = . marcus whitman, pathfinder and patriot.= ( .) rev. myron eells. the author is son of rev. cushing eells, founder of whitman college and personal friend and co-worker with whitman. = . fathers eells, or the results of years of missionary labor in washington and oregon=, by the same author, is a biography of the father. = . memoirs of orange jacobs.= ( .) written by himself after a life of eighty years, fifty-six of them spent in oregon and washington. it contains a good account of the seattle fire of . = . pioneer days on puget sound.= ( and .) arthur a. denny. an interesting autobiography and valuable for its story of the founding of seattle. = . pioneer reminiscences of puget sound, the tragedy of leschi. ( .) ezra meeker. an account of the coming of the first whites, their encounters with the red race, the first treaties with the indians, the war that followed, and the cruise of the author on puget sound fifty years ago. one edition contains bagley's in the beginning. = . the ox team; or the old oregon trail.= ( .) the story of a slow and eventful journey by ox team from the middle west to this territory more than sixty years ago. mr. meeker and his oxen have been a conspicuous feature of several western expositions and are a picturesque relic of the fast-fading pioneer life. today, ezra meeker, eighty-four years old, is crossing the continent in a "schoonermobile," a motor car built on the lines of the old-time prairie schooner. it contains a bed, a stove and a hunting outfit. he is retracing the journey of the ox cart. = . russian expansion on the pacific, - , an account of the expeditions made by the russians along the pacific.= frank alfred golder. in january the author was sent to st. petersburg to catalogue the materials in the russian archives relating to america. the work was done for the carnegie institute, department of historical research. professor golder is one of the few american historians who are familiar with the russian language and his selection was complimentary to him and to the state college. = . the siwash, their life, legends and tales.= ( .) j. a. costello, an old resident of puget sound. the material was gathered chiefly from the indians themselves. this book contains a good description of chief seattle. out of print. = . spokane and the inland empire.= ( .) mr. n. w. durham. in three large volumes. = . syllabus of continental european history from fall of rome to .= ( .) oliver huntington richardson. = . tillicum tales of thurston county.= ( .) mrs. george blankenship. full of historical material of more than local value and interest. = . washington and its swedish population.= ( .) ernst teofil skarsteadt. the author has been a resident of the state fourteen years. as newspaper man and contributor to eastern journals he has well covered the life of his fellow-countrymen in this state. he has written on subjects sociological, historical, agricultural and biographical. = . our heroes of the pen.= mr. skarsteadt considers this his most valuable work. travel and description books on alaska would fill a long shelf. three are particularly entertaining and rich in description. = . alaska, an empire in the making.= ( .) john jasper underwood. written after fourteen years continuous residence in alaska and the yukon territory. the writer, a newspaper man, sees things from the impersonal viewpoint of the journalist with a keen appetite for news. for a time he ran the "farthest north" newspaper, which sold for "ivory, gold-dust and skins." these words are characteristic of his wide-sweeping vision: "here is a land of , miles of coastline and with , miles of navigable waterways." the united states bureau of education has put this on the list as a standard work on alaska. = . alaska, its meaning to the world, its resources, its opportunities.= ( .) charles r. tuttle. a good deal of space is given to the history of the government railway legislation. it lauds the energy of the seattle chamber of commerce which conducted a successful lobby in washington city during the anxious months while the alaska railway bill hung fire in congress. = . alaska, the great country.= ( .) ella higginson. this third book is by a lady whom many love to call "our foremost story-teller and sweetest singer." it is most personal, crowded with real adventures, some of them humorous, which the reader shares vividly. mrs. higginson says, "no one writer has ever described alaska. no one writer can ever describe it, but each must do his share according to the spell the country casts upon him." her description is bright and fascinating. she is now revising it and bringing it up to date for a new edition. = . american fur trade of the far west.= ( .) hiram martin chittenden. = . yellowstone national park, historical and descriptive.= same author. no. is a history of the pioneer trading posts and early fur companies of the missouri river and rocky mountains and of overland commerce. no. is the author's best known work. a fifth edition was published in . no man has had a better opportunity to know the yellowstone than gen. chittenden who was in charge of the government work there and no writer more evenly combines the scientific mind of the practical engineer with the charm of a poetic and artistic observer. to read this is next best to seeing the park. = . the city that made itself; a literary and pictorial record of the building of seattle.= ( .) welford beaton. printed in a choice leatherbound silk-lined finely illustrated edition of three hundred copies which readily found their way to the libraries of the well-to-do. the book tells of the hills that have been laid low, of the valleys that have been filled, the tide flats that have been redeemed, of the street car lines and electric development. one chapter on the "ladies library association" shows how women laid the foundation of the public library. another chapter describes the architecture of the metropolis "from log cabin to sky scraper." = . fifteen thousand miles by stage.= ( .) carrie adell strahorn. a woman's unique experience during thirty years of pathfinding and pioneering from the missouri river to the pacific and from alaska to mexico. an unusually interesting narration of the days when travel was beset with different if not more dangers than today. the book is put out attractively with illustrations. = . guardians of the columbia.= ( .) john h. williams. = . the mountain that was god.= ( .) same author. = . yosemite and the high sierras.= ( .) same author. they are books of rare value, occupying a field by themselves. they are full of fascinating word pictures of mountain scenes. the first is of mt. hood, mt. adams and mt. st. helens. the city librarian of a massachusetts city wrote to mr. williams "we have a radiopticon in our library. i shall mount the illustrations from your book and use the text for short talks on the mountains." no. pictures rainier which is called "rainier-tacoma." john muir wrote "the glorious mountain is indebted to you for your magnificent book and so is every mountaineer." this contains the "flora of the mountain slopes" by j. b. flett. the third book is dedicated to the sierra club with an introductory poem by robert service. = . the north american indian.= ( - .) edward s. curtis. it is doubtful if any book which has to do with our state has attracted to it so much notice as these ten volumes of indian lore illustrated by superb photographs taken by the author. he spent years in getting first hand acquaintance with some of the tribes and in securing the pictures which have made him famous. theodore roosevelt wrote the preface and j. pierpont morgan subscribed $ , as an advance guarantee. = . rambles in colonial byways.= ( .) rufus rockwell wilson. = . romance of feudal chateaux.= ( .) elizabeth williams champney. this is one of a delightful series written in part before the author was a resident of the state. the others are = . romance of french abbeys.= ( .) = . romance of italian villas.= ( .) = . romance of renaissance chateaux.= ( .) = . romance of bourbon chateaux.= ( .) = . romance of roman villas.= ( .) = . romance of imperial rome.= ( .) mrs. champney also wrote great grandmothers' girls in new france and three vassar girls. = . romance of old belgium, from caesar to kaiser.= ( .) elizabeth williams champney and frere champney. a choice story full of the romance of truth. the illustrations are from rubens' paintings, photographs and original pen and ink drawings. = . seven weeks in hawaii.= ( .) minnie leola crawford. = . seven weeks in the orient.= ( .) same author. vacation letters, written by a business girl who was enjoying her trip to the full, were sent to the mother at home. they were passed on to be read by friends who saw that there was more than a personal interest in them and insisted on their publication. a chicago publisher readily accepted them. another vacation trip led to the second volume. the style is sprightly and original and photographs of the author's own taking illustrate both books. = . seven years on the pacific slope.= ( .) mrs. hugh fraser and hugh c. fraser. the writers lived in okanogan county in a little village on the methow river near its junction with the columbia. they tell of ordinary events but give a clear picture of the development of that region from to . = . reminiscences of a diplomatist's wife.= ( .) either alone or in collaboration mrs. fraser has published ten volumes. scientific and technical = . birds of washington.= william leon dawson and john hooper bowles. two elegant volumes describing species. there are three hundred original halftone illustrations. an analytical key for identification, by lynds jones. = . digest of the decisions of the supreme court of washington.= arthur remington. two volumes and supplement. = . remington and ballinger's annotated codes and statutes of washington.= two volumes and supplement. ( .) = . remington's codes and statutes of washington.= ( .) two volumes. = . elementary flora of the northwest.= ( .) theodore christian frye and george b. rigg. = . encyclopaedia of practical horticulture.= ( .) granville lowther and william worthington. three large volumes. = . english literature from widsith to the death of chaucer. a source book.= ( .) allen rogers benham. it pictures the literary world in which englishmen lived from early times to the year and represents ten years' work by the author. = . essentials of character.= ( .) edward o. sisson. a practical study of education in moral character. = . flora of the state of washington.= ( .) charles v. piper. published by the smithsonian institution. based on study of plants of the state during a period of twenty years. the most complete and accurate outline of the flora of the state. = . flora of the northwest coast.= ( .) charles v. piper and rolla kent beattie. = . forests and reservoirs in relation to stream-flow.= hiram m. chittenden. = . law, legislative and municipal reference libraries.= john b. kaiser. an elaboration of lectures delivered before library classes in the university of illinois. valuable to the student of library work and to library investigators. = . memorabilia mathematica.= ( .) robert edouard moritz. it contains no mathematics at all but a remarkable collection of facts and sayings and incidents about mathematics and mathematicians. of its selections a surprising number are interesting and many are even humorous. = . multiple money standard.= ( .) j. allen smith. = . spirit of the american government.= ( .) same author. = . outlines of general chemistry.= ( .) horace g. byers. = . parliamentary procedure.= ( .) adele m. fielde. = . political primer for new york city and state.= ( .) same author. the first book, which had been used by many classes in parliamentary law, was reprinted in seattle in . chinese fairy stories has also been reprinted. miss fielde has issued more than , pieces of literature intended for the education of washington women. the most of them have been distributed without cost. her chosen subjects were social hygiene, temperance, and direct legislation. in earlier years she wrote on the life of the ant. = . practical treatise on sub-aqueous foundations.= ( .) charles evan fowler. = . principles of education.= ( .) frederick elmer bolton. = . refutation of the darwinian theory of the origin of mankind.= john c. stallcup. = . regulation.= ( .) w. g. barnard. a series of essays on political economy. an optimistic view of the difficulties of the economic situation, encouraging the student to believe that "there is a remedy for every evil." there are chapters on land, wages, interest, profits and money. fiction = . black bear.= ( .) william h. wright. = . grizzly bear.= ( .) same author. = . the bridge of the gods.= frederick balch. the writer grew up in klickitat county. when a boy he resolved to write about the indians of the columbia and began collecting material by haunting their camps for days at a time. a lady who has lived in the state sixty-four years says "it is the only story that tells accurately of the early life of those indians." = . chaperoning adrienne; through the yellowstone.= ( .) alice harriman. this lady has distinguished herself in several ways, first as poetess and contributor to magazines, then as book publisher. other books she wrote are stories of montana, men two counties, besides poems and one juvenile work. her house has a number of first class books to its credit. she brought out lafcadio hearne's temptations of st. anthony. she took special pride in bringing out books on western topics, as the narratives of the two dennys and the story which become the opera narcissa. = . club stories.= ( .) members of federated clubs. written in competition for a prize offered by the state federation of women's clubs. of twenty-two stories submitted the twelve receiving highest rank were published. the scene of each is laid in washington so they are full of local color and have a value apart from their literary merit. first prize was won by mrs. robert j. fisher. = . every child.= ( .) gertrude fulton tooker. the author had previously published a few poems but when she was busier than ever before in her life, caring for two children, she found time to write this pleasing allegory. it deserves a welcome by all people who remember the visions and dreams of child-life. = . forest orchid and other stories.= ( .) ella higginson. = . from the land of the snow pearls.= ( .) same author. = . mariella of out-west.= ( .) same author. these are the stories of one who is widely known as our first story writer. her name became known when she won, over a thousand competitors, a mcclure prize for five hundred dollars. that story was "the takin' in of old miss lane," . since then she has written scores of stories which have appeared in many different magazines. she has handled some types which are accepted in the far east as representative of the west and are not complimentary to the good taste and social polish of this longitude. but no author of the state has been ranked so high by the reviewers and critics. all her literary work has been done in this state. she shows constantly increasing strength. = . ginsey krieder.= sarah endicott ober, nom de plume, huldah herrick. = . little tommy, or ma'am duffy's lesson.= ( .) same author. = . stacy's room, or one year's building.= ( .) same author. = . happy valley.= ann shannon monroe. tells of homesteading experiences in the sage-brush country where the author lived the life of a settler. she first attracted attention by her story, making a business woman, which appeared in saturday evening post. it is said that she has a hand in the editorial columns of the ladies home journal. = . heart of the red firs.= ( .) ada woodruff anderson. = . strain of white.= ( .) same author. = . rim of the desert.= ( .) same author. the last of these three has scenes laid in alaska, on the sound, at scenic and in the wenatchee valley. the development of the desert by irrigation into the fertile fields and the productive orchard, the tragedy of homesickness and starvation in alaska, the fatal avalanche in the cascades in the winter of - at wellington, all are woven into the story. it includes also an attack on the roosevelt-pinchot conservation policy which reflects the sentiment somewhat widely held on the pacific coast. these features have helped to give the story a wide reading near home but it is a good seller the country over. very speedily it reached a fourth edition and in its first year sales reached fifty thousand. mrs. anderson is the daughter of a washington pioneer. those who know her tell us that her home-making and family-raising are as successful as her story-writing. some one said "she is good for several things and good at them all." = . the hired man.= florence roney weir. = . busher's girl.= same author. = . in hampton roads.= ( .) charles eugene banks. a novel of the civil war. = . child of the sun.= ( .) same author. = . man with a scar.= ella holly and jessie hoskins; noms de plume, warren and alice fones. a little story from the christian science viewpoint. = . mary of magdala.= ( .) harriette gunn roberson. a fascinating story of rome and alexandria and jerusalem. told with real dramatic power. mrs. roberson has for two years edited a page in one of the publications of the baptist church under the title, heart talks to girls on making the most of life. as speaker on the chautauqua platform she has made many friends through the northwest. = . preliminaries and other stories.= ( .) cornelia atwood pratt comer. = . the daughter of a stoic.= ( .) same author, before marriage. = . a daughter of martyrs.= ( .) same author. these are short story collections. mrs. corner has of late done a good deal of magazine work of a high order, her contributions usually appearing in the atlantic. once when asked for a biography she replied, "i really haven't any. i doubt if any one ever got along so comfortably with so little biography since the world began." of the town where she used to live she said, "it was a kind of a town which drives one into the inner world in search of excitement." when a publisher asked for a photograph she wrote "i have no photographs of myself except some very old ones in storage and no time to get any new ones." = . a rocky mountain sketch.= lou gertrude diven. it introduces some characters drawn beautifully and clearly as by a master of fiction, yet there is evidence that compels the reader to feel that it is a true narrative. many stories and essays by mrs. diven are in print. = . tillicum tales.= ( .) seattle writers' club. a collection of short stories contributed by members of the club. = . unrest, a story of the struggle for bread.= ( .) w. r. parr. a tale of industrial order, the subject treated from a socialistic standpoint. = . the woman who went to alaska.= mrs. mary l. kellogg. she has written several books on alaska under the nom de plume may kellogg sullivan. her home is near matanuska in southwestern alaska where she has spent seven seasons. juvenile = . billy tomorrow.= ( .) sarah pratt carr. = . billy tomorrow in camp.= ( .) same author. = . billy tomorrow stands the test.= same author. the scene of each of the series is laid in washington. = . fingers that see.= ( .) nancy buskett. dedicated to her blind friends all over the world. it is the story of a blind girl. one learns to love the child who asks, "can people who see, see 'round corners?" and says, "lovin' isn't just feelin'. its sometimes doin' things for people." the author was once musical director in a school for the blind. at another time she edited the cynthia grey department in four northwestern dailies. = . his tribute.= ( .) florence martin eastland. illustrates the value of good cheer. = . matt of the waterfront.= ( .) same author. a story of patriotism. both have a seattle setting. = . montana the land of shining mountains.= ( .) katherine berry judson. the early history of montana, intended for school children. = . early days in old oregon.= ( .) this, miss judson's latest book, contains much material from sources never before made accessible. = . mrs. spring fragrance.= ( .) edith m. eaton (sui sin far, nom de plume). chinese stories told in a charming way. = . redcoat and redskin.= alice harriman. a boy's story of the early days of the royal northwest mounted police of canada. = . the yankee doodle book.= ( .) gertrude d. best. (nom de plume gertrude optimus.) for very little people. when the author wanted to buy some christmas books for her little friends she did not find what she liked. she was not pleased with the idea of filling children's heads with nonsense rhymes, good only to be forgotten, and the crazy pictures of children's books were not all of them to her liking. like the president of a california university, she too made a book for little people. he did it by writing rhymes still more nonsensical and impossible. she did it by putting into jingle form some facts of united states history. the pictures are attractive and true to period. the rhymes are as catchy as simple simon and jack horner, but when a child has sung these over for a few weeks he knows for keeps some people and some happenings in american history. poetry = . blue grass ballads.= william lightfoot visscher. = . harp of the south.= same author. = . in childland straying.= ( .) carrie shaw rice. her most popular poems are where the rhododendrons grow, and the rare old, fair old state of washington, read before the state press association. = . lyrics of fir and foam.= alice rollit coe. = . quiet music.= ( .) charles eugene banks. = . where brooks go softly.= ( .) same author. mr. banks is more than "the poet." he is a polished writer of essays, and a discriminating critic of the drama and the stage. = . the silesian horseherd.= ( .) a translation by oscar augustus fechter from the german of max mueller. = . songs from puget sea.= ( .) herbert bashford. written while mr. bashford was state librarian. = . song of the city.= anna louise strong. = . storm songs.= same author. these volumes contain poems revealing a strong character and a finely trained mind. miss strong has written many other verses and many essays, among them on the eve of home rule and psychology and prayer. she has been director of child welfare exhibits in american cities and in dublin, ireland. at present, - , she is exhibit expert connected with the children's bureau, u. s. department of labor. = . songs o' the sound.= alice harriman. = . songs of the olympics.= same author. = . told in the garden.= ( .) alice lockhart hughes. lyrics by mrs. hughes have been set to music by mrs. h. h. a. beach, sans souci and de koven. = . voice of april land.= ella higginson. = . when the birds go north again.= same author. this contains the four-leaf clover, her best known poem, which has been set to music by several composers and sung the country over. unclassified prose = . among student friends.= ( .) martha e. libby. = . alaskaland, a curious contradiction.= ( .) mrs. isabel ambler gilman. now a practicing lawyer in alaska. a collection of prose and poetry some of which had appeared in northwest journal of education, westerner, post-intelligencer, alaska-yukon magazine and alaska papers. = . by order of the prophet, a tale of utah.= ( .) alfred hylas henry. = . the danger in the movement toward direct legislation.= same author. = . clean and strong.= rev. e. a. king. = . friendship.= margaret goodrich. = . life's common way.= same author. these are collections of well chosen sentiments. the first was re-published a few months ago. = . george dana boardman pepper.= ( .) a biography. frederick morgan padelford. the life of a new england college president. it is one of many works which have earned for professor padelford a high place in the list of authors of pure literature. = . samuel osborn, janitor, a sketch.= ( .) same author. = . early sixteenth century lyrics.= ( .) same author. = . greek essays on the study and use of poetry.= same author. = . translations from scaliger's poetics.= ( .) same author. = . old english musical terms.= ( .) same author. the atlantic monthly published the pedigree of pegasus; cornhill magazine, browning out west and did browning whistle or sing?; suwanee review published the simple life as shakespeare viewed it; and american journal of sociology the civic control of architecture. = . hawaiian idylls of love and death.= ( .) herbert h. gowen. eleven myths, beautifully told "in the hope that the sketches may show that touch of nature which makes the whole world kin, which obliterates the distinction between white and black, between east and west, between the man of yesterday and the man of today." dr. gowen is a thorough scholar and a literary artist. during twenty years' residence in the state he has written oriental history, theology, travel, biography, fiction, (chinese), and poetry. = . outline history of china.= ( .) covers the country from the earliest times to the recognition of the republic. = . the life of adele m. fielde=, in preparation by helen norton stevens. as a permanent memorial to miss fielde, four thousand copies will be placed in public and college libraries, women's headquarters, and educational centers for girls and young women. the remaining one thousand copies will be sold by subscription. = . the mark in europe and america.= dr. enoch a. bryan. = . myths and legends of the pacific northwest.= catherine berry judson. the author is first authority in this romantic field, at least as a collector. this book treats especially of the legends of washington and oregon. = . myths and legends of alaska.= ( .) same author. = . myths and legends of california and old southwest.= ( .) same author. = . myths and legends of the great plains.= ( .) same author. = . when forests are ablaze.= same author. is dedicated to the mountaineers, whose aim it is "to preserve the beauties of the pacific northwest and who are yearly appalled by the havoc of forest fires." = . the old home.= ( .) susan whitcomb hassell. memories of home and village life in the early years of iowa and of grinnell college. = . prophets of the soul: the pioneers of life.= ( .) dr. lester l. west. sermons, like editorials and addresses and quantities of other good literature, are not included in these outlines even when published in book form. here is an exception. one christmas some friends of dr. west brought out a volume of his sermons,--five of them--under this title. they are the work of a poetic mind, choice in literary finish and with a strong spiritual appeal. = . story of a mother-love.= ( .) annette fitch-brewer. this tells a remarkable experience. when mr. and mrs. brewer were divorced the court gave the custody of their one child to the father. the mother fought, not the divorce, but for a share at least in the care of her boy. while he was spending a few days with her she fled. for five years she evaded the father's efforts to trace them while he spent large sums in detective work posting photographs of the two all over the country as "fugitives from justice." finally the arm of the law reached her, living in a little village under an assumed name. the law took the boy from his mother and in her loneliness she wrote this book. it is the experience of a bright observer who wandered thousands of miles with all her senses on the alert. = . that something.= ( .) william witherspoon woodbridge. a progressive form of mental science put in a new and original style. the writer believes in himself. what is rarer, he is teaching other people to believe in themselves. the book has met with great results. the publisher reports sales to every state in the union but three and a larger sale than any book ever published west of chicago. = . skooting skyward.= ( .) an earlier book by the same writer met with moderate success, perhaps because of the atrocious josh billings spelling which should have been buried with its originator. = . war or peace.= ( .) hiram martin chittenden. a philosophical treatment of the theme. a splendidly optimistic, logical and sane chapter is on "the future hope." = . ye towne gossip.= ( .) kenneth c. beaton. a sparkling book, the first publication in book form by "k. c. b." he made a wide acquaintance by fourteen years of newspaper work in the state. then in the daily post-intelligencer developed this form which gave him fame. many readers turned first each morning to his column on the third page to see what "k. c. b." had to say. that little morning story was always an appeal to the heart, sometimes as a fountain of tears, sometimes as a wellspring of joy. a friend writes of him "he is a temperamental freak in that he is an emotional britisher and is not the least bit ashamed of his emotions." other writers throughout the state are men and women whose pens have brought them distinction though their names have not appeared on the back of a book. some are contributors, occasional or regular, to periodical literature. some are regular staff-writers. the three we name first are on the p.-i. tom dillon wrote for mother's day an exquisite prayer which was widely copied and was read into the congressional record of . full of fine feeling. joseph blethen has published many short stories and wrote the libretto for "the alaskan," an opera produced in new york city. jack bechdolt has had boys' adventure stories in the youth's companion, articles in technical world, popular mechanics and leslie's. from general editor of a sunday edition and author of feature stories in this state he has recently been called to become feature editor of the kansas city star. frederick ritchie bechdold has had articles in mcclure, american magazine and harpers weekly. bernice e. newell, a newspaper woman of many years experience, has written exquisite bits of prose and verse. the mountain, a poem first published in review of reviews was later bound constituting the first book published in tacoma. she was regular contributor to the northwest magazine and has been in sunset, woman's home companion and the kindergarten. bertha knatvold mallett has written for colliers and century. i. newton greene has done feature and special stories for harpers weekly, success, life, technical world, smart set, and pacific motor boat. human interest stories. editorials. r. p. wood has appeared in life and in the london daily mail. warren judson brier, who has done substantial literary work before coming to the west, recently had published in the national magazine the incarceration of ambrose broadhead, a strong appeal for needed reform. he has now in preparation an american literature designed for class-room use. adele m. ballard, of town crier staff, has won an enviable reputation as art and music critic and is often quoted by chicago and new york journals. writes short stories, verses and special articles which have appeared in the lady, (london), collier's and reedy's mirror. her poems, pierrot and the concert, are of high order. ruth dunbar, formerly on seattle times, has contributions in woman's home companion and vogue, and is now on the staff of every week, new york city. m. pelton white has contributed to over fifty publications, collier's and various magazines, women's and children's periodicals, farm journals and religious publications. an order for forty children's stories was recently finished. last year's sales numbered fifty-three. goldie funk robertson has been most successful in her articles on child problems and home economics. she is now on the staff of the mothers' magazine, and has made frequent contributions to woman's home companion, life, table talk, etude and modern priscilla, sometimes using the names jane wakefield and louise st. clair. sara byrne goodwin, in competition with hundreds of story writers, took a ladies home journal prize. rosalind larson won an american magazine prize. elizabeth young wead has contributed articles to lippincott's, the independent, and country gentleman. she has just ready for publication a lineage book of the van patten family. anna brabham osborne won a prize in the club stories contest. in ten years she has sold sixty-four short stories, seven serials, and nine feature articles. they appear in the youths' companion, overland magazine, new england magazine, american magazine, christian endeavor world and the various church publications for young people. harry l. dillaway, lover of birds and bears, has contributed to shield's magazine, recreation, and pacific sportsman. for a syndicate of papers he edited "bird-lore," creating an interest which culminated in a great bird-house building contest by children. pictures of this enterprise were shown in the ladies home journal of july, . harry j. miller's humorous verses easily find their way into many newspapers of the state. lines worth knowing: the evergreen pine the rivers to the ocean flow, the sunsets burn and flee; the stars come to the darkling sky, the violets to the lea; but i stay in one lone sweet place and dream of the blue sea. the harebell blooms and is away, the salmon spawns and dies; the oriole nests and is on the wing, calling her sweet good-bys.... but i, when blossom and fruit are gone, yearn, steadfast, to the skies. i am a prayer and a praise, a sermon and a song; my leaf-chords thrill at the wind's will to nocturnes deep and strong; or the sea's far lyric melodies echo and prolong. when april newly decks my form in silken green attire, i light my candles, tall and pale, with holy scarlet fire-- and straight their incense mounts to god, pure as a soul's desire. my branches poise upon the air, like soft and level wings; my trembling leaves the wind awakes to a harp of emerald strings-- or thro' the violet silences a golden vesper sings. i am a symbol and a sign.... thro' blue or rose or gray; thro' rain and dark; thro' storms of night; thro' opaline lights of day-- slowly and patiently up to god i make my beautiful way. --higginson. enshrined "my son" .... her tone was soft with wistfulness-- "would now be twenty-one ... if he had lived." a silence fell ... and thought sped swiftly back through years of fulness and content-- save for one gray thread of loneliness. for she had never parted company with him, who left her arms bereft of her man-child. "and so," again she spoke, "i watch the youths who grow apace with him in years, and all their winning traits i seize upon, invest my son with them, and love all youth the more because i too hold in my heart a vivid memory." again the silence fell ... i turned away-- for i had glimpsed the sanctuary of a mother's soul, in which a spirit was enshrined for all eternity. --adele m. ballard long hours we toiled up through the solemn wood, beneath moss-banners stretched from tree to tree; at last upon a barren hill we stood, and, lo, above loomed majesty. --herbert bashford night on the mountain thou hear'st the star songs clear, when all is silent here, and i, asleep. spheres, ringing music rare through upper realms of air, 'round thy crowned head, may dare their vigils keep. --bernice e. newell "great mountain, who once to a pagan race meant god, make us to realize our shame, that, failing to sing praises to thy wondrous form, we stoop to quarrel o'er a name." --anon. "the mountain-lover does not always gaze at rainier and olympus. he has learned that the foot-hills have a charm and an interest of their own. and they too point upward." --club stories up, my heart the dark, dark night is gone, the lark is on the wing, from black and barren fields he soars, eternal hope to sing. and shall i be less brave, than you sweet lyric thing? from deeps of failure and despair up, up, my heart, and sing. the dark, dark year is gone; the red blood of the spring will quicken nature's pulses soon, so up, my heart, and sing. --ella higginson that something a man's success depends alone on that something. that something of his soul. abraham lincoln found it and it warmed the cold floor on which he lay and studied. it added light to the flickering glow of the wood fire, that he might see to read. it spurred him on and on and on. that something is an awful force. it made of a puny corsican the ruler of the world. it made of a thin-chested bookkeeper the money king of his age. it made of edison the great man of a great country. it made carnegie. it made woodrow wilson. it made roosevelt. it can make you. and it is now in your soul. awake it now. "that something." "no, it can't be done, it can't be done," murmured the professor. "i have drunk deeply of the cup of life, and i am now drinking of the dregs. the cup is filled but once, and when it's gone there's nothing left but old age and poverty." "you fool," cried randolph, leaning forward and shaking the little man roughly. "you almost had that something within your power, and now you sing it back to sleep with your silly song of pessimism. it's the false philosophy, that such as you sing, which has kept men in the ruts of their own digging for centuries past. wake man, wake that something within your soul." --w. w. woodbridge the game "i win," cried death with a triumphant grin. "my body, yes, but not the soul within." --harriman my mother--a prayer for the body you gave me, the bone and the sinew, the heart and the brain that are yours, my mother, i thank you. i thank you for the light in my eyes, the blood in my veins, for my speech, for my life, for my being. all that i am is from you who bore me. for your smile in the morning and your kiss at night, my mother, i thank you. i thank you for the tears you shed over me, the songs that you sung to me, the prayers you said for me, for your vigils and ministerings. all that i am is by you who reared me. for the faith you had in me, the hope you had for me, for your trust and your pride, my mother, i thank you. i thank you for your praise and your chiding, for the justice you bred into me and the honor you made mine. all that i am you taught me. for the times that i hurt you, the times i had no smile for you, the caresses that i did not give you, my mother forgive me. for your lessons i did not learn, for your wishes i did not heed, for the counsels i did not obey, my mother, forgive me. forgive me my pride in my youth and my glory in my strength that forgot the holiness of your years and the veneration of your weakness,--for my neglect, for my selfishness, for all the great debts of your love that i have not paid, mother, sweet mother, forgive me. and may the peace and the joy that passeth all understanding be yours, my mother, forever and ever. amen. --tom dillon it is not too much to believe that a permanent organization can be formed which will take over to itself the whole business of the regulation of international affairs. --chittenden "why should we ridicule, think very droll, indian legends and carved totem pole, when we, in blindness are equally odd in misconception of life and of god?" --harriman a new leaf he came to my desk with a quivering lip,-- the lesson was done, "dear teacher, i want a new leaf," he said, "i have spoiled this one." i took the old leaf, stained and blotted, and gave him a new one, all unspotted, and into his sad eyes' smiled; "do better now, my child." i went to the throne with a quivering soul,-- the old year was done, "dear father, hast thou a new leaf for me? i have spoiled this one." he took the old leaf, stained and blotted, and gave me a new one all unspotted, and into my sad heart smiled, "do better, now, my child." --carrie shaw rice the toiler's fear there is one thing i fear. not death, nor sharp disease, nor loss of friends i hold most dear, nor pain nor want,--not these. but the life of which men say, "the world has given him bread, and what gives he to the world as pay for the loaf on which he fed?" --anna louise strong the only territory the united states has ever acquired by discovery, exploration and settlement; the only territory that cost us nothing in cash by way of purchase, or by the use of military, or naval force. --snowden don't worry don't hurry or worry; be still and keep cool, for hurry and worry but make you time's fool. don't b'lieve what they tell you 'bout time's flowing stream, 'tis eternity now, dear, all else is a dream. don't seek for a heaven in far distant skies. it lies all around you just open your eyes. henry victor morgan. toot, toot, toot, everything a-quiver toot, toot, toot, look up the north river. toot, toot, toot, something new afloat. toot, toot, toot, the first steamboat. yankee doodle book. "if we believe that people are mostly dishonest, ungenerous, selfish, gossiping, troublesome, we would better be looking at ourselves and trying to find out what is the matter with us." --lou g. diven "i venture to say that if there is one lesson written more plainly than any other across the pages of human history it is this, that god cannot be forgotten with impunity,--but for all that the popular tendency is to leave god out of account. i plead for the bringing of god back into touch with human life." --keator optigrams the good we can think of is always possible. to dole out a few turkeys at christmas is good; but to have a social order where every man can buy his own turkey is vastly better. real sympathy is motional as well as emotional; energetic, as well as pathetic, taking no pleasure in "tears, idle tears." some people seem to enjoy giving publicity to their disappointments. women understand men better than men understand women. the only personalities who hold permanently the devotion and admiration of humanity are the idealists. you can preach the gospel through a handshake, a glance, a laugh, a lifting word. what we don't know, never frightens us; it is what we half-know which is the fertile seed-plot of fear. golf is an artificial substitute for man's native need for work in the open air. what we really care for in people is not their social standing nor the fashionableness of their haberdashery, but their kindness, reliability and integrity. god has no stepchildren. naked, brutal force has never settled anything yet. stoning stephen to death only gave him a more distinguished immortality. we do not want "peace at any price." we want to pay justice, truth, trust and good will for it. --hugh elmer brown a little cloud of blue came out and settled on the sod. then one cried "oh, forget-me-nots." one bowed and murmured, "god." --higginson authors named in text place where part or all of literary work was done anderson, ada woodruff, seattle, atwood, rev. a., seattle, bagley, clarence b., seattle, , , balch, frederick h., ballard, adele m., seattle, , ballinger, richard a., seattle, banks, charles eugene, seattle, , barnard, w. g., seattle, bashford, herbert, tacoma, , beaton, kenneth c., seattle, beaton, welford, seattle, beattie, rolla kent, pullman, bechdolt, frederick ritchie, seattle, bechdolt, jack, seattle, beecham, r. k., everett, benham, allen rogers, seattle, best, gertrude d., everett, , blankenship, mrs. george, olympia, blethen, joseph, olympia, bolton, frederick elmer, olympia, bowles, john hooper, tacoma, brier, prof. warren judson, everett, brown, hugh elmer, seattle, bryan, dr. enoch a., pullman, buskett, nancy, seattle, byers, horace g., seattle, carr, sarah pratt, seattle, , champney, elizabeth williams, seattle, champney, frere, seattle, chittenden, general hiram martin, seattle, , , , club women of washington, coe, alice rollit, seattle, comer, cornelia atwood pratt, seattle, costello, j. a., crawford, minnie leola, tacoma, curtis, edward s., seattle, , dawson, william leon, seattle, denny, arthur a., seattle, denny, emily inez, seattle, dillaway, harry, everett, dillon, thomas j., seattle, , diven, lou gertrude, olympia, , dunbar, ruth, olympia, durham, n. w., spokane, , eastland, florence martin, seattle, eaton, edith m., seattle, eells, myron, twana, fechter, oscar augustus, north yakima, fielde, adele m., seattle, , fisher, mrs. robert j., seattle, fitch-brewer, annette, lake stevens, flett, e. b., longmire's, fones, warren and alice (noms de plume), fowler, charles evan, seattle, fraser, mrs. hugh, winthrop, fraser, hugh c., winthrop, frye, theodore christian, seattle, gilman, isabel ambler, olympia, golder, frank alfred, pullman, goodrich, margaret, seattle, goodwin, sara byrne, seattle, gowen, herbert h., seattle, greene, i. newton, everett, harriman, alice, seattle, , , , , hassell, susan whitcomb, everett, henry, alfred hylas, north yakima, herrick, huldah (nom de plume), higginson, ella, bellingham, , , , , , holly, ella, spokane, hoskins, jessie, spokane, hughes, alice lockhart, seattle, jacobs, orange, seattle, judson, katharine berry, seattle, , , , kaiser, john b., tacoma, keator, rt. rev. f. w., tacoma, kellogg, mary l., seattle, king, rev. e. a., north yakima, knatvold, bertha (mallett), tacoma, larson, rose, north yakima, libby, martha e., spokane, lowther, granville, north yakima, lyman, william dennison, walla walla, , mallett, bertha knatvold, tacoma, meany, edmond s., seattle, , meeker, ezra, puyallup, , miller, harry j., everett, monroe, ann shannon, tacoma, morgan, henry victor, tacoma, moritz, robert edouard, seattle, newell, bernice e., tacoma, , ober, sarah endicott, optimus, gertrude (nom de plume), osborne, anna brakham, puyallup, padelford, frederick morgan, seattle, , parr, w. r., granite falls, piper, charles v., pullman, , prosch, t. w., seattle, prosser, colonel william farland, seattle, remington, arthur, olympia, rice, carrie shaw, tacoma, , richardson, oliver huntington, seattle, rigg, george b., seattle, roberson, harriett gunn, spokane, robertson, mrs. goldie funk, olympia, seattle writers' club, sisson, edward o., seattle, skarsteadt, ernst teofil, east sound, smith, j. allen, seattle, snowden, clinton a., tacoma, , , stallcup, john c., tacoma, stevens, hazard, stevens, helen norton, seattle, strahorn, carrie adell, spokane, strong, anna louise, seattle, , sui sin far (nom de plume), sullivan, may kellogg (nom de plume), tooker, gertrude fulton, seattle, tuttle, charles r., seattle, underwood, john jasper, seattle, visscher, william lightfoot, tacoma, washington state federation of women's clubs, wead, elizabeth young, orting, weir, florence roney, seattle, west, dr. lester l., everett, white, m. pelton, seattle, williams, john h., tacoma, , wilson, rufus rockwell, seattle, wood, r. p., everett, woodbridge, william witherspoon, tacoma, , worthington, william, north yakima, wright, william h., spokane, writers' club of seattle, transcriber's notes: text in bold is surrounded with equals signs: =bold=. obvious typographical errors have been corrected. note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations. see -h.htm or -h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/ / / / / / -h/ -h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/ / / / / / -h.zip) somewhere in red gap by harry leon wilson illustrated by john r. neill, f. r. gruger, and henry raleigh new york grosset & dunlap publishers [illustration: "she was standing on the centre table by now, so she could lamp herself in the glass over the mantel"] to george horace lorimer contents chapter i. the red splash of romance ii. ma pettengill and the song of songs iii. the real peruvian doughnuts iv. once a scotchman, always v. non plush ultra vi. cousin egbert intervenes vii. kate; or, up from the depths viii. pete's b'other-in-law ix. little old new york i the red splash of romance the walls of the big living-room in the arrowhead ranch house are tastefully enlivened here and there with artistic spoils of the owner, mrs. lysander john pettengill. there are family portraits in crayon, photo-engravings of noble beasts clipped from the _breeder's gazette_, an etched cathedral or two, a stuffed and varnished trout of such size that no one would otherwise have believed in it, a print in three colours of a st. bernard dog with a marked facial resemblance to the late william e. gladstone, and a triumph of architectural perspective revealing two sides of the pettengill block, corner of fourth and main streets, red gap, made vivacious by a bearded fop on horseback who doffs his silk hat to a couple of overdressed ladies with parasols in a passing victoria. and there is the photograph of the fat man. he is very large--both high and wide. he has filled the lens and now compels the eye. his broad face beams a friendly interest. his moustache is a flourishing, uncurbed, riotous growth above his billowy chin. the checked coat, held recklessly aside by a hand on each hip, reveals an incredible expanse of waistcoat, the pattern of which raves horribly. from pocket to pocket of this gaudy shield curves a watch chain of massive links--nearly a yard of it, one guesses. often i have glanced at this noisy thing tacked to the wall, entranced by the simple width of the man. now on a late afternoon i loitered before it while my hostess changed from riding breeches to the gown of lavender and lace in which she elects to drink tea after a day's hard work along the valleys of the arrowhead. and for the first time i observed a line of writing beneath the portrait, the writing of my hostess, a rough, downright, plain fashion of script: "reading from left to right--mr. ben sutton, popular society favourite of nome, alaska." "reading from left to right!" here was the intent facetious. and ma pettengill is never idly facetious. always, as the advertisements say, "there's a reason!" and now, also for the first time, i noticed some printed verses on a sheet of thickish yellow paper tacked to the wall close beside the photograph--so close that i somehow divined an intimate relationship between the two. with difficulty removing my gaze from the gentleman who should be read from left to right, i scanned these verses: song of the open road a child of the road--a gypsy i-- my path o'er the land and sea; with the fire of youth i warm my nights and my days are wild and free. then ho! for the wild, the open road! afar from the haunts of men. the woods and the hills for my spirit untamed-- i'm away to mountain and glen. if ever i tried to leave my hills to abide in the cramped haunts of men, the urge of the wild to her wayward child would drag me to freedom again. i'm slave to the call of the open road; in your cities i'd stifle and die. i'm off to the hills in fancy i see-- on the breast of old earth i'll lie. wilfred lennox, the hobo poet, on a coast-to-coast walking tour. these cards for sale. i briefly pondered the lyric. it told its own simple story and could at once have been dismissed but for its divined and puzzling relationship to the popular society favourite of nome, alaska. what could there be in this? mrs. lysander john pettengill bustled in upon my speculation, but as usual i was compelled to wait for the talk i wanted. for some moments she would be only the tired owner of the arrowhead ranch--in the tea gown of a debutante and with too much powder on one side of her nose--and she must have at least one cup of tea so corrosive that the scotch whiskey she adds to it is but a merciful dilution. she now drank eagerly of the fearful brew, dulled the bite of it with smoke from a hurriedly built cigarette, and relaxed gratefully into one of those chairs which are all that most of us remember william morris for. even then she must first murmur of the day's annoyances, provided this time by officials of the united states forest reserve. in the beginning i must always allow her a little to have her own way. "the annual spring rumpus with them rangers," she wearily boomed. "every year they tell me just where to turn my cattle out on the reserve, and every year i go ahead and turn 'em out where i want 'em turned out, which ain't the same place at all, and then i have to listen patiently to their kicks and politely answer all letters from the higher-ups and wait for the official permit, which always comes--and it's wearing on a body. darn it! they'd ought to know by this time i always get my own way. if they wasn't such a decent bunch i'd have words with 'em, giving me the same trouble year after year, probably because i'm a weak, defenceless woman. however!" the lady rested largely, inert save for the hand that raised the cigarette automatically to her lips. my moment had come. "what did wilfred lennox, the hobo poet, have to do with mr. ben sutton, of nome, alaska?" i gently inquired. "more than he wanted," replied the lady. her glance warmed with memories; she hovered musingly on the verge of recital. but the cigarette was half done and at its best. i allowed her another moment, a moment in which she laughed confidentially to herself, a little dry, throaty laugh. i knew that laugh. she would be marshalling certain events in their just and diverting order. but they seemed to be many and of confusing values. "some said he not only wasn't a hobo but wasn't even a poet," she presently murmured, and smoked again. then: "that ben sutton, now, he's a case. comes from alaska and don't like fresh eggs for breakfast because he says they ain't got any kick to 'em like alaska eggs have along in march, and he's got to have canned milk for his coffee. say, i got a three-quarters jersey down in red gap gives milk so rich that the cream just naturally trembles into butter if you speak sharply to it or even give it a cross look; not for ben though. had to send out for canned milk that morning. i drew the line at hunting up case eggs for him though. he had to put up with insipid fresh ones. and fat, that man! my lands! he travels a lot in the west when he does leave home, and he tells me it's the fear of his life he'll get wedged into one of them narrow-gauge pullmans some time and have to be chopped out. well, as i was saying--" she paused. "but you haven't begun," i protested. i sharply tapped the printed verses and the photograph reading from left to right. now she became animated, speaking as she expertly rolled a fresh cigarette. "say, did you ever think what aggravating minxes women are after they been married a few years--after the wedding ring gets worn a little bit thin?" this was not only brutal; it seemed irrelevant. "wilfred lennox--" i tried to insist, but she commandingly raised the new cigarette at me. "yes, sir! ever know one of 'em married for as long as ten years that didn't in her secret heart have a sort of contempt for her life partner as being a stuffy, plodding truck horse? of course they keep a certain dull respect for him as a provider, but they can't see him as dashing and romantic any more; he ain't daring and adventurous. all he ever does is go down and open up the store or push back the roll-top, and keep from getting run over on the street. one day's like another with him, never having any wild, lawless instincts or reckless moods that make a man fascinating--about the nearest he ever comes to adventure is when he opens the bills the first of the month. and she often seeing him without any collar on, and needing a shave mebbe, and cherishing her own secret romantic dreams, while like as not he's prosily figuring out how he's going to make the next payment on the endowment policy. "it's a hard, tiresome life women lead, chained to these here plodders. that's why rich widows generally pick out the dashing young devils they do for their second, having buried the man that made it for 'em. oh, they like him well enough, call him 'father' real tenderly, and see that he changes to the heavy flannels on time, but he don't ever thrill them, and when they order three hundred and fifty dollars' worth of duds from the boston cash emporium and dress up like a foreign countess, they don't do it for father, they do it for the romantic guy in the magazine serial they're reading, the handsome, cynical adventurer that has such an awful power over women. they know darned well they won't ever meet him; still it's just as well to be ready in case he ever should make red gap--or wherever they live--and it's easy with the charge account there, and father never fussing more than a little about the bills. "not that i blame 'em. we're all alike--innocent enough, with freaks here and there that ain't. why, i remember about a thousand years ago i was reading a book called 'lillian's honour,' in which the rightful earl didn't act like an earl had ought to, but went travelling off over the moors with a passel of gypsies, with all the she-gypsies falling in love with him, and no wonder--he was that dashing. well, i used to think what might happen if he should come along while lysander john was out with the beef round-up or something. i was well-meaning, understand, but at that i'd ought to have been laid out with a pick-handle. oh, the nicest of us got specks inside us--if ever we did cut loose the best one of us would make the worst man of you look like nothing worse than a naughty little boy cutting up in sunday-school. what holds us, of course--we always dream of being took off our feet; of being carried off by main force against our wills while we snuggle up to the romantic brute and plead with him to spare us--and the most reckless of 'em don't often get their nerve up to that. well, as i was saying--" but she was not saying. the thing moved too slowly. and still the woman paltered with her poisoned tea and made cigarettes and muttered inconsequently, as when she now broke out after a glance at the photograph: "that ben sutton certainly runs amuck when he buys his vests. he must have about fifty, and the quietest one in the lot would make a leopard skin look like a piker." again her glance dreamed off to visions. i seated myself before her with some emphasis and said firmly: "now, then!" it worked. "wilfred lennox," she began, "calling himself the hobo poet, gets into red gap one day and makes the rounds with that there piece of poetry you see; pushes into stores and offices and hands the piece out, and like as not they crowd a dime or two bits onto him and send him along. that's what i done. i was waiting in dr. percy hailey martingale's office for a little painless dentistry, and i took wilfred's poem and passed him a two-bit piece, and doc martingale does the same, and wilfred blew on to the next office. a dashing and romantic figure he was, though kind of fat and pasty for a man that was walking from coast to coast, but a smooth talker with beautiful features and about nine hundred dollars' worth of hair and a soft hat and one of these flowing neckties. red it was. "so i looked over his piece of poetry--about the open road for his untamed spirit and him being stifled in the cramped haunts of men--and of course i get his number. all right about the urge of the wild to her wayward child, but here he was spending a lot of time in the cramped haunts of men taking their small change away from 'em and not seeming to stifle one bit. "ain't this new style of tramp funny? now instead of coming round to the back door and asking for a hand-out like any self-respecting tramp had ought to, they march up to the front door, and they're somebody with two or three names that's walking round the world on a wager they made with one of the vanderbilt boys or john d. rockefeller. they've walked thirty-eight hundred miles already and got the papers to prove it--a letter from the mayor of scranton, pennsylvania, and the mayor of davenport, iowa, a picture post card of themselves on the courthouse steps at denver, and they've bet forty thousand dollars they could start out without a cent and come back in twenty-two months with money in their pocket--and ain't it a good joke?--with everybody along the way entering into the spirit of it and passing them quarters and such, and thank you very much for your two bits for the picture post card--and they got another showing 'em in front of the mormon tabernacle at salt lake city, if you'd like that, too--and thank you again--and now they'll be off once more to the open road and the wild, free life. not! yes, two or three good firm nots. having milked the town they'll be right down to the dee-po with their silver changed to bills, waiting for no. to come along, and ho! for the open railroad and another town that will skin pretty. i guess i've seen eight or ten of them boys in the last five years, with their letters from mayors. "but this here wilfred lennox had a new graft. he was the first i'd give up to for mere poetry. he didn't have a single letter from a mayor, nor even a picture card of himself standing with his hat off in front of pike's peak--nothing but poetry. but, as i said, he was there with a talk about pining for the open road and despising the cramped haunts of men, and he had appealing eyes and all this flowing hair and necktie. so i says to myself: 'all right, wilfred, you win!' and put my purse back in my bag and thought no more of it. "yet not so was it to be. wilfred, working the best he could to make a living doing nothing, pretty soon got to the office of alonzo price, choice improved real estate and price's addition. lon was out for the moment, but who should be there waiting for him but his wife, mrs. henrietta templeton price, recognized leader of our literary and artistic set. or i think they call it a 'group' or a 'coterie' or something. setting at lon's desk she was, toying petulantly with horrid old pens and blotters, and probably bestowing glances of disrelish from time to time round the grimy office where her scrubby little husband toiled his days away in unromantic squalor. "i got to tell you about henrietta. she's one of them like i just said the harsh things about, with the secret cry in her heart for romance and adventure and other forbidden things and with a kindly contempt for peaceful alonzo. she admits to being thirty-six, so you can figure it out for yourself. of course she gets her husband wrong at that, as women so often do. alonzo has probably the last pair of side whiskers outside of a steel engraving and stands five feet two, weighing a hundred and twenty-six pounds at the ring side, but he's game as a swordfish, and as for being romantic in the true sense of the word--well, no one that ever heard him sell a lot in price's addition--three miles and a half up on the mesa, with only the smoke of the canning factory to tell a body they was still near the busy haunts of men, that and a mile of concrete sidewalk leading a life of complete idleness--i say no one that ever listened to lon sell a lot up there, pointing out on a blue print the proposed site of the carnegie library, would accuse him of not being romantic. "but of course henrietta never sees lon's romance and he ain't always had the greatest patience with hers--like the time she got up the art loan exhibit to get new books for the m.e. sabbath-school library and got spud mulkins of the el adobe to lend 'em the big gold-framed oil painting that hangs over his bar. some of the other ladies objected to this--the picture was a big pink hussy lying down beside the ocean--but henrietta says art for art's sake is pure to them that are pure, or something, and they're doing such things constantly in the east; and i'm darned if spud didn't have his oil painting down and the mosquito netting ripped off it before alonzo heard about it and put the not-at-all on it. he wouldn't reason with henrietta either. he just said his objection was that every man that saw it would put one foot up groping for the brass railing, which would be undignified for a sabbath-school scheme, and that she'd better hunt out something with clothes on like whistler's portrait of his mother, or, if she wanted the nude in art, to get the horse fair or something with animals. "i tell you that to show you how they don't hit it off sometimes. then henrietta sulks. kind of pinched and hungry looking she is, drapes her black hair down over one side of her high forehead, wears daring gowns--that's what she calls 'em anyway--and reads the most outrageous kinds of poetry out loud to them that will listen. likes this omar something stuff about your path being beset with pitfalls and gin fizzes and getting soused out under a tree with your girl. "i'm just telling you so you'll get henrietta when wilfred lennox drips gracefully in with his piece of poetry in one hand. of course she must have looked long and nervously at wilfred, then read his poetry, then looked again. there before her was romance against a background of alonzo price, who never had an adventurous or evil thought in his life, and wore rubbers! oh, sure! he must have palsied her at once, this wild, free creature of the woods who couldn't stand the cramped haunts of men. and i have said that wilfred was there with the wild, free words about himself, and the hat and tie and the waving brown hair that give him so much trouble. shucks! i don't blame the woman. it's only a few years since we been let out from under lock and key. give us a little time to get our bearings, say i. wilfred was just one big red splash before her yearning eyes; he blinded her. and he stood there telling how this here life in the marts of trade would sure twist and blacken some of the very finest chords in his being. something like that it must have been. "anyway, about a quarter to six a procession went up fourth street, consisting of wilfred lennox, henrietta, and alonzo. the latter was tripping along about three steps back of the other two and every once in a while he would stop for a minute and simply look puzzled. i saw him. it's really a great pity lon insists on wearing a derby hat with his side whiskers. to my mind the two never seem meant for each other. "the procession went to the price mansion up on ophir avenue. and that evening henrietta had in a few friends to listen to the poet recite his verses and tell anecdotes about himself. about five or six ladies in the parlour and their menfolks smoking out on the front porch. the men didn't seem to fall for wilfred's open-road stuff the way the ladies did. wilfred was a good reciter and held the ladies with his voice and his melting blue eyes with the long lashes, and henrietta was envied for having nailed him. that is, the women envied her. the men sort of slouched off down to the front gate and then went down to the temperance billiard parlour, where several of 'em got stewed. most of 'em, like old judge ballard, who come to the country in ' , and jeff tuttle, who's always had more than he wanted of the open road, were very cold indeed to wilfred's main proposition. it is probable that low mutterings might have been heard among 'em, especially after a travelling man that was playing pool said the hobo poet had come in on the pullman of no. . "but i must say that alonzo didn't seem to mutter any, from all i could hear. pathetic, the way that little man will believe right up to the bitter end. he said that for a hobo wilfred wrote very good poetry, better than most hobos could write, he thought, and that henrietta always knew what she was doing. so the evening come to a peaceful end, most of the men getting back for their wives and alonzo showing up in fair shape and plumb eager for the comfort of his guest. it was alonzo's notion that the guest would of course want to sleep out in the front yard on the breast of old earth where he could look up at the pretty stars and feel at home, and he was getting out a roll of blankets when the guest said he didn't want to make the least bit of trouble and for one night he'd manage to sleep inside four stifling walls in a regular bed, like common people do. so lon bedded him down in the guest chamber, but opened up the four windows in it and propped the door wide open so the poor fellow could have a breeze and not smother. he told this downtown the next morning, and he was beginning to look right puzzled indeed. he said the wayward child of nature had got up after about half an hour and shut all the windows and the door. lon thought first he was intending to commit suicide, but he didn't like to interfere. he was telling jeff tuttle and me about it when we happened to pass his office. "'and there's another funny thing,'" he says. 'this chap was telling us all the way up home last night that he never ate meat--simply fruits and nuts with a mug of spring water. he said eating the carcasses of murdered beasts was abhorrent to him. but when we got down to the table he consented to partake of the roast beef and he did so repeatedly. we usually have cold meat for lunch the day after a rib roast, but there will be something else to-day; and along with the meat he drank two bottles of beer, though with mutterings of disgust. he said spring water in the hills was pure, but that water out of pipes was full of typhoid germs. he admitted that there were times when the grosser appetites assailed him. and they assailed him this morning, too. he said he might bring himself to eat some chops, and he did it without scarcely a struggle. he ate six. he said living the nauseous artificial life even for one night brought back the hateful meat craving. i don't know. he is undeniably peculiar. and of course you've heard about pettikin's affair for this evening?' "we had. just before leaving the house i had received henrietta's card inviting me to the country club that evening 'to meet mr. wilfred lennox, poet and nature lover, who will recite his original verses and give a brief talk on "the world's debt to poetry."' and there you have the whole trouble. henrietta should have known better. but i've let out what women really are. i told alonzo i would sure be among those present, i said it sounded good. and then alonzo pipes up about ben sutton coming to town on the eleven forty-two from the west. ben makes a trip out of alaska every summer and never fails to stop off a day or two with lon, they having been partners up north in ' . "'good old ben will enjoy it, too,' says alonzo; 'and, furthermore, ben will straighten out one or two little things that have puzzled me about this poet. he will understand his complex nature in a way that i confess i have been unequal to. what i mean is,' he says, 'there was talk when i left this morning of the poet consenting to take a class in poetry for several weeks in our thriving little city, and henrietta was urging him to make our house his home. i have a sort of feeling that ben will be able to make several suggestions of prime value. i have never known him to fail at making suggestions.' "funny, the way the little man tried to put it over on us, letting on he was just puzzled--not really bothered, as he plainly was. you knew henrietta was still seeing the big red splash of romance, behind which the figure of her husband was totally obscured. jeff tuttle saw the facts, and he up and spoke in a very common way about what would quickly happen to any tramp that tried to camp in his house, poet or no poet, but that's neither here nor there. we left alonzo looking cheerily forward to ben sutton on the eleven forty-two, and i went on to do some errands. "in the course of these i discovered that others besides henrietta had fell hard for the poet of nature. i met mrs. dr. percy hailey martingale and she just bubbles about him, she having been at the prices' the night before. "'isn't he a glorious thing!' she says; 'and how grateful we should be for the dazzling bit of colour he brings into our drab existence!' she is a good deal like that herself at times. and i met beryl mae macomber, a well known young society girl of seventeen, and beryl mae says: 'he's awfully good looking, but do you think he's sincere?' and even mrs. judge ballard comes along and says: 'what a stimulus he should be to us in our dull lives! how he shows us the big, vital bits!' and her at that very minute going into bullitt & fleishacker's to buy shoes for her nine year old twin grandsons! and the reverend mrs. wiley knapp in at the racquet store wanting to know if the poet didn't make me think of some wild, free creature of the woods--a deer or an antelope poised for instant flight while for one moment he timidly overlooked man in his hideous commercialism. but, of course, she was a minister's wife. i said he made me feel just like that. i said so to all of 'em. what else could i say? if i'd said what i thought there on the street i'd of been pinched. so i beat it home in self-protection. i was sympathizing good and hearty with lon price by that time and looking forward to ben sutton myself. i had a notion ben would see the right of it where these poor dubs of husbands wouldn't--or wouldn't dast say it if they did. "about five o'clock i took another run downtown for some things i'd forgot, with an eye out to see how alonzo and ben might be coming on. the fact is, seeing each other only once a year that way they're apt to kind of loosen up--if you know what i mean. "no sign of 'em at first. nothing but ladies young and old--even some of us older ranching set--making final purchases of ribbons and such for the sole benefit of wilfred lennox, and talking in a flushed manner about him whenever they met. almost every darned one of 'em had made it a point to stroll past the price mansion that afternoon where wilfred was setting out on the lawn, in a wicker chair with some bottles of beer surveying nature with a look of lofty approval and chatting with henrietta about the real things of life. "beryl mae macomber had traipsed past four times, changing her clothes twice with a different shade of ribbon across her forehead and all her college pins on, and at last she'd simply walked right in and asked if she hadn't left her tennis racquet there last tuesday. she says to mrs. judge ballard and mrs. martingale and me in the cut-rate pharmacy, she says: 'oh, he's just awfully magnetic--but do you really think he's sincere?' then she bought an ounce of breath of orient perfume and kind of two-stepped out. these other ladies spoke very sharply about the freedom beryl mae's aunt allowed her. mrs. martingale said the poet, it was true, had a compelling personality, but what was our young girls coming to? and if that child was hers-- "so i left these two lady highbinders and went on into the retail side of the family liquor store to order up some cooking sherry, and there over the partition from the bar side what do i hear but alonzo price and ben sutton! right off i could tell they'd been pinning a few on. in fact, alonzo was calling the bartender mister. you don't know about lon, but when he calls the bartender mister the ship has sailed. ten minutes after that he'll be crying over his operation. so i thought quick, remembering that we had now established a grillroom at the country club, consisting of a bar and three tables with bells on them, and a chinaman, and that if alonzo and ben sutton come there at all they had better come right--at least to start with. when i'd given my order i sent louis meyer in to tell the two gentlemen a lady wished to speak to them outside. "in a minute ben comes out alone. he was awful glad to see me and i said how well he looked, and he did look well, sort of cordial and bulging--his forehead bulges and his eyes bulge and his moustache and his chin, and he has cushions on his face. he beamed on me in a wide and hearty manner and explained that alonzo refused to come out to meet a lady until he knew who she was, because you got to be careful in a small town like this where every one talks. 'and besides,' says ben, 'he's just broke down and begun to cry about his appendicitis that was three years ago. he's leaning his head on his arms down by the end of the bar and sobbing bitterly over it. he seems to grieve about it as a personal loss. i've tried to cheer him up and told him it was probably all for the best, but he says when it comes over him this way he simply can't stand it. and what shall i do?' "well, of course i seen the worst had happened with alonzo. so i says to ben: 'you know there's a party to-night and if that man ain't seen to he will certainly sink the ship. now you get him out of that swamp and i'll think of something.' 'i'll do it,' says ben, turning sideways so he could go through the doorway again. 'i'll do it,' he says, 'if i have to use force on the little scoundrel.' "and sure enough, in a minute he edged out again with alonzo firmly fastened to him in some way. lon hadn't wanted to come and didn't want to stay now, but he simply couldn't move. say, that ben sutton would make an awful grand anchor for a captive balloon. alonzo wiped his eyes until he could see who i was. then i rebuked him, reminding him of his sacred duties as a prominent citizen, a husband, and the secretary of the red gap chamber of commerce. 'of course it's all right to take a drink now and then,' i says. "alonzo brightened at this. 'good!' says he; 'now it's now and pretty soon it will be then. let's go into a saloon or something like that!' "'you'll come with me,' i says firmly. and i marched 'em down to the united states grill, where i ordered tea and toast for 'em. ben was sensible enough, but alonzo was horrified at the thought of tea. 'it's tea or nice cold water for yours,' i says, and that set him off again. 'water!' he sobs. 'water! water! maybe you don't know that some dear cousins of mine have just lost their all in the dayton flood--twenty years' gathering went in a minute, just like that!' and he tried to snap his fingers. all the same i got some hot tea into him and sent for eddie pierce to be out in front with his hack. while we was waiting for eddie it occurs to alonzo to telephone his wife. he come back very solemn and says: 'i told her i wouldn't be home to dinner because i was hungry and there probably wouldn't be enough meat, what with a vegetarian poet in the house. i told her i should sink to the level of a brute in the night life of our gay little city. i said i was a wayward child of nature myself if you come right down to it.' "'good for you,' i says, having got word that eddie is outside with his hack. 'and now for the open road!' 'fine!' says alonzo. 'my spirit is certainly feeling very untamed, like some poet's!' so i hustled 'em out and into the four wheeler. then i give eddie pierce private instructions. 'get 'em out into the hills about four miles,' i says, 'out past the catholic burying ground, then make an excuse that your hack has broke down, and as soon as they set foot to the ground have them skates of yours run away. pay no attention whatever to their pleadings or their profane threats, only yelling to 'em that you'll be back as soon as possible. but don't go back. they'll wait an hour or so, then walk. and they need to walk.' "'you said something there,' says eddie, glancing back at 'em. ben sutton was trying to cheer alonzo up by reminding him of the christmas night they went to sleep in the steam room of the turkish bath at nome, and the man forgot 'em and shut off the steam and they froze to the benches and had to be chiselled off. and eddie trotted off with his load. you'd ought to seen the way the hack sagged down on ben's side. and i felt that i had done a good work, so i hurried home to get a bite to eat and dress and make the party, which i still felt would be a good party even if the husband of our hostess was among the killed or missing. "i reached the clubhouse at eight o'clock of that beautiful june evening, to find the party already well assembled on the piazza and the front steps or strolling about the lawn, about eight or ten of our prominent society matrons and near as many husbands. and mebbe those dames hadn't lingered before their mirrors for final touches! mrs. martingale had on all her rings and the jade bracelet and the art-craft necklace with amethysts, and mrs. judge ballard had done her hair a new way, and beryl mae macomber, there with her aunt, not only had a new scarf with silver stars over her frail young shoulders and a band of cherry coloured velvet across her forehead, but she was wearing the first ankle watch ever seen in red gap. i couldn't begin to tell you the fussy improvements them ladies had made in themselves--and all, mind you, for the passing child of nature who had never paid a bill for 'em in his life. "oh, it was a gay, careless throng with the mad light of pleasure in its eyes, and all of 'em milling round wilfred lennox, who was eating it up. some bantered him roguishly and some spoke in chest tones of what was the real inner meaning of life after all. henrietta templeton price hovered near with the glad light of capture in her eyes. silent but proud henrietta was, careless but superior, reminding me of the hunter that has his picture taken over in africa with one negligent foot on the head of a two-horned rhinoceros he's just killed. "but again the husbands was kind of lurking in the background, bunched up together. they seemed abashed by this strange frenzy of their womenfolks. how'd they know, the poor dubs, that a poet wasn't something a business man had ought to be polite and grovelling to? they affected an easy manner, but it was poor work. even judge ballard, who seems nine feet tall in his prince albert, and usually looks quite dignified and hostile with his long dark face and his moustache and goatee--even the good old judge was rattled after a brief and unhappy effort to hold a bit of converse with the guest of honour. him and jeff tuttle went to the grillroom twice in ten minutes. the judge always takes his with a dash of pepper sauce in it, but now it only seemed to make him more gloomy. "well, i was listening along, feeling elated that i'd put alonzo and ben sutton out of the way and wondering when the show would begin--beryl mae in her high, innocent voice had just said to the poet: 'but seriously now, are you sincere?' and i was getting some plenty of that, when up the road in the dusk i seen bush jones driving a dray-load of furniture. i wondered where in time any family could be moving out that way. i didn't know any houses beyond the club and i was pondering about this, idly as you might say, when bush jones pulls his team up right in front of the clubhouse, and there on the load is the two i had tried to lose. in a big armchair beside a varnished centre table sits ben sutton reading something that i recognized as the yellow card with wilfred's verses on it. and across the dray from him on a red-plush sofa is alonzo price singing 'my wild irish rose' in a very noisy tenor. "well, sir, i could have basted that fool bush jones with one of his own dray stakes. that man's got an intellect just powerful enough to take furniture from one house to another if the new address ain't too hard for him to commit to memory. that's bush jones all right! he has the machinery for thinking, but it all glitters as new as the day it was put in. so he'd come a mile out of his way with these two riots--and people off somewhere wondering where that last load of things was! "the ladies all affected to ignore this disgraceful spectacle, with henrietta sinking her nails into her bloodless palms, but the men broke out and cheered a little in a half-scared manner and some of 'em went down to help the newcomers climb out. then ben had words with bush jones because he wanted him to wait there and take 'em back to town when the party was over and bush refused to wait. after suffering about twenty seconds in the throes of mental effort i reckon he discovered that he had business to attend to or was hungry or something. anyway, ben paid him some money finally and he drove off after calling out 'good-night, all!' just as if nothing had happened. "alonzo and ben sutton joined the party without further formality. they didn't look so bad, either, so i saw my crooked work had done some good. lon quit singing almost at once and walked good and his eyes didn't wabble, and he looked kind of desperate and respectable, and ben was first-class, except he was slightly oratorical and his collar had melted the way fat men's do. and it was funny to see how every husband there bucked up when ben came forward, as if all they had wanted was some one to make medicine for 'em before they begun the war dance. they mooched right up round ben when he trampled a way into the flushed group about wilfred. "'at last the well-known stranger!' says ben cordially, seizing one of wilfred's pale, beautiful hands. 'i've been hearing so much of you, wayward child of the open road that you are, and i've just been reading your wonderful verses as i sat in my library. the woods and the hills for your spirit untamed and the fire of youth to warm your nights--that's the talk.' he paused and waved wilfred's verses in a fat, freckled hand. then he looked at him hard and peculiar and says: 'when you going to pull some of it for us?' "wilfred had looked slightly rattled from the beginning. now he smiled, but only with his lips--he made it seem like a mere swedish exercise or something, and the next second his face looked as if it had been sewed up for the winter. "'little starry-eyed gypsy, i say, when are you going to pull some of that open-road stuff?' says ben again, all cordial and sinister. "wilfred gulped and tried to be jaunty. 'oh, as to that, i'm here to-day and there to-morrow,' he murmurs, and nervously fixes his necktie. "'oh, my, and isn't that nice!' says ben heartily--'the urge of the wild to her wayward child'--i know you're a slave to it. and now you're going to tell us all about the open road, and then you and i are going to have an intimate chat and i'll tell you about it--about some of the dearest little open roads you ever saw, right round in these parts. i've just counted nine, all leading out of town to the cunningest mountains and glens that would make you write poetry hours at a time, with nature's glad fruits and nuts and a mug of spring water and some bottled beer and a ham and some rump steak--' "the stillness of that group had become darned painful, i want to tell you. there was a horrid fear that ben sutton might go too far, even for a country club. every woman was shuddering and smiling in a painful manner, and the men regarding ben with glistening eyes. and ben felt it himself all at once. so he says: 'but i fear i am detaining you,' and let go of the end of wilfred's tie that he had been toying with in a somewhat firm manner. 'let us be on with your part of the evening's entertainment,' he says, 'but don't forget, gypsy wilding that you are, that you and i must have a chat about open roads the moment you have finished. i know we are cramping you. by that time you will be feeling the old, restless urge and you might take a road that wasn't open if i didn't direct you.' "he patted wilfred loudly on the back a couple of times and wilfred ducked the third pat and got out of the group, and the ladies all began to flurry their voices about the lovely june evening but wouldn't it be pleasanter inside, and henrietta tragically called from the doorway to come at once, for god's sake, so they all went at once, with the men only half trailing, and inside we could hear 'em fixing chairs round and putting out a table for the poet to stand by, and so forth. "alonzo, however, had not trailed. he was over on the steps holding beryl mae macomber by her new scarf and telling her how flowerlike her beauty was. and old judge ballard was holding about half the men, including ben sutton, while he made a speech. i hung back to listen. 'sir,' he was saying to ben, 'secretary seward some years since purchased your territory from russia for seven million dollars despite the protests of a clamorous and purblind opposition. how niggardly seems that purchase price at this moment! for alaska has perfected you, sir, if it did not produce you. gentlemen, i feel that we dealt unfairly by russia. but that is in the dead past. it is not too late, however, to tiptoe to the grillroom and offer a toast to our young sister of the snows.' "there was subdued cheers and they tiptoed. ben sutton was telling the judge that he felt highly complimented, but it was a mistake to ring in that snow stuff on alaska. she'd suffered from it too long. he was going on to paint alaska as something like alabama--cooler nights, of course, but bracing. alonzo still had beryl mae by the scarf, telling her how flowerlike her beauty was. "i went into the big room, picking a chair over by the door so i could keep tabs on that grillroom. only three or four of the meekest husbands had come with us. and wilfred started. i'll do him the justice to say he was game. the ladies thought anything bordering on roughness was all over, but wilfred didn't. when he'd try to get a far-away look in his eyes while he was reciting his poetry he couldn't get it any farther away than the grillroom door. he was nervous but determined, for there had been notice given of a silver offering for him. he recited the verses on the card and the ladies all thrilled up at once, including beryl mae, who'd come in without her scarf. they just clenched their hands and hung on wilfred's wild, free words. "and after the poetry he kind of lectured about how man had ought to break away from the vile cities and seek the solace of great mother nature, where his bruised spirit could be healed and the veneer of civilization cast aside and the soul come into its own, and things like that. and he went on to say that out in the open the perspective of life is broadened and one is a laughing philosopher as long as the blue sky is overhead and the green grass underfoot. 'to lie,' says he, 'with relaxed muscles on the carpet of pine needles and look up through the gently swaying branches of majestic trees at the fleecy white clouds, dreaming away the hours far from the sordid activities of the market place, is one of the best nerve tonics in all the world.' it was an unfortunate phrase for wilfred, because some of the husbands had tiptoed out of the grillroom to listen, and there was a hearty cheer at this, led by jeff tuttle. 'sure! some nerve tonic!' they called out, and laughed coarsely. then they rushed back to the grillroom without tiptoeing. "the disgraceful interruption was tactfully covered by wilfred and his audience. he took a sip from the glass of water and went on to talk about the world's debt to poetry. then i sneaked out to the grillroom myself. by this time the chinaman had got tangled up with the orders and was putting out drinks every which way. and they was being taken willingly. judge ballard and ben sutton was now planting cotton in alaska and getting good crops every year, and ben was also promising to send the judge a lovely spotted fawnskin vest that an indian had made for him, but made too small--not having more than six or eight fawns, i judged. and alonzo had got a second start. still he wasn't so bad yet, with beryl mae's scarf over his arm, and talking of the unparalleled beauties of price's addition to red gap, which he said he wouldn't trade even for the whole of alaska if it was offered to him to-morrow--not that ben sutton wasn't the whitest soul god ever made and he'd like to hear some one say different--and so on. "i mixed in with 'em and took a friendly drink myself, with the aim of smoothing things down, but i saw it would be delicate work. about all i could do was keep 'em reminded there was ladies present and it wasn't a barroom where anything could be rightly started. doc martingale's feelings was running high, too, account, i suppose, of certain full-hearted things his wife had blurted out to him about the hypnotic eyes of this here nature lover. he was quiet enough, but vicious, acting like he'd love to do some dental work on the poet that might or might not be painless for all he cared a hoot. he was taking his own drinks all alone, like clockwork--moody but systematic. "then we hear chairs pushed round in the other room and the chink of silver to be offered to the poet, and henrietta come out to give word for the refreshments to be served. she found alonzo in the hallway telling beryl mae how flowerlike her beauty was and giving her the elk's tooth charm off his watch chain. beryl mae was giggling heartily until she caught henrietta's eye--like a cobra's. "the refreshments was handed round peaceful enough, with the ladies pressing sardine sandwiches and chocolate cake and cups of coffee on to wilfred and asking him interesting questions about his adventurous life in the open. and the plans was all made for his class in poetry to be held at henrietta's house, where the lady subscribers for a few weeks could come into contact with the higher realities of life, at eight dollars for the course, and wilfred was beginning to cheer up again, though still subject to dismay when one of the husbands would glare in at him from the hall, and especially when ben sutton would look in with his bulging and expressive eyes and kind of bark at him. "then ben sutton come and stood in the doorway till he caught wilfred's eye and beckoned to him. wilfred pretended not to notice the first time, but ben beckoned a little harder, so wilfred excused himself to the six or eight ladies and went out. it seemed to me he first looked quick round him to make sure there wasn't any other way out. i was standing in the hall when ben led him tenderly into the grillroom with two fingers. "'here is our well-known poet and _bon vivant_,' says ben to alonzo, who had followed 'em in. so alonzo bristles up to wilfred and glares at him and says: 'all joking aside, is that one of my new shirts you're wearing or is it not?' "wilfred gasped a couple times and says: 'why, as to that, you see, the madam insisted--' "alonzo shut him off. 'how dare you drag a lady's name into a barroom brawl?' says he. "'don't shoot in here,' says ben. 'you'd scare the ladies.' "wilfred went pasty, indeed, thinking his host was going to gun him. "'oh, very well, i won't then,' says alonzo. 'i guess i can be a gentleman when necessary. but all joking aside, i want to ask him this: does he consider poetry to be an accomplishment or a vice?' "'i was going to put something like that to him myself, only i couldn't think of it,' says doc martingale, edging up and looking quite restrained and nervous in the arms. i was afraid of the doc. i was afraid he was going to blemish wilfred a couple of times right there. "'an accomplishment or a vice? answer yes or no!' orders the judge in a hard voice. "the poet looks round at 'em and attempts to laugh merrily, but he only does it from the teeth out. "'laugh on, my proud beauty!' says ben sutton. then he turns to the bunch. 'what we really ought to do,' he says, 'we ought to make a believer of him right here and now.' "even then, mind you, the husbands would have lost their nerve if ben hadn't took the lead. ben didn't have to live with their wives so what cared he? wilfred lennox sort of shuffled his feet and smiled a smile of pure anxiety. he knew some way that this was nothing to cheer about. "'i got it,' says jeff tuttle with the air of a thinker. 'we're cramping the poor cuss here. what he wants is the open road.' "'what he really wants,' says alonzo, 'is about six bottles of my pure, sparkling beer, but maybe he'll take the open road if we show him a good one.' "'he wants the open road--show him a good one!' yells the other husbands in chorus. it was kind of like a song. "'i had meant to be on my way,' says wilfred very cold and lofty. "'you're here to-day and there to-morrow,' says ben; 'but how can you be there to-morrow if you don't start from here now?--for the way is long and lonely.' "'i was about to start,' says wilfred, getting in a couple of steps toward the door. "''tis better so,' says ben. 'this is no place for a county recorder's son, and there's a bully road out here open at both ends.' "they made way for the poet, and a sickening silence reigned. even the women gathered about the door of the other room was silent. they knew the thing had got out of their hands. the men closed in after wilfred as he reached the steps. he there took his soft hat out from under his coat where he'd cached it. he went cautiously down the steps. beryl mae broke the silence. "'oh, mr. price,' says she, catching alonzo by the sleeve, 'do you think he's really sincere?' "'he is at this moment,' says alonzo. 'he's behaving as sincerely as ever i saw a man behave.' and just then at the foot of the steps wilfred made a tactical error. he started to run. the husbands and ben sutton gave the long yell and went in pursuit. wilfred would have left them all if he hadn't run into the tennis net. he come down like a sack of meal. "'there!' says ben sutton. 'now he's done it--broke his neck or something. that's the way with some men--they'll try anything to get a laugh.' "they went and picked the poet up. he was all right, only dazed. "'but that's one of the roads that ain't open,' says ben. 'and besides, you was going right toward the nasty old railroad that runs into the cramped haunts of men. you must have got turned round. here'--he pointed out over the golf links--'it's off that way that mother nature awaits her wayward child. miles and miles of her--all open. doesn't your gypsy soul hear the call? this way for the hills and glens, thou star-eyed woodling!' and he gently led wilfred off over the links, the rest of the men trailing after and making some word racket, believe me. they was all good conversationalists at the moment. doc martingale was wanting the poet to run into the tennis net again, just for fun, and jeff tuttle says make him climb a tree like the monkeys do in their native glades, but ben says just keep him away from the railroad, that's all. good mother nature will attend to the rest. "the wives by now was huddled round the side of the clubhouse, too scared to talk much, just muttering incoherently and wringing their hands, and beryl mae pipes up and says: 'oh, perhaps i wronged him after all; perhaps deep down in his heart he was sincere.' "the moon had come up now and we could see the mob with its victim starting off toward the canadian rockies. then all at once they began to run, and i knew wilfred had made another dash for liberty. pretty soon they scattered out and seemed to be beating up the shrubbery down by the creek. and after a bit some of 'em straggled back. they paid no attention to us ladies, but made for the grillroom. "'we lost him in that brush beyond the fifth hole,' says alonzo. 'none of us is any match for him on level ground, but we got some good trackers and we're guarding the line to keep him headed off from the railroad and into his beloved hills.' "'we should hurry back with refreshment for the faithful watchers,' says judge ballard. 'the fellow will surely try to double back to the railroad.' "'got to keep him away from the cramped haunts of business men,' says alonzo brightly. "'i wish clay, my faithful old hound, were still alive,' says the judge wistfully. "'say, i got a peach of a terrier down to the house right now,' says jeff tuttle, 'but he's only trained for bear--i never tried him on poets.' "'he might tree him at that,' says doc martingale. "'percy,' cries his wife, 'have you forgotten your manhood?' "'yes,' says percy. "'darling,' calls henrietta, 'will you listen to reason a moment?' "'no,' says alonzo. "'it's that creature from alaska leading them on,' says mrs. judge ballard--'that overdressed drunken rowdy!' "ben sutton looked right hurt at this. he buttoned his coat over his checked vest and says: 'i take that unkindly, madam--calling me overdressed. i selected this suiting with great care. it ain't nice to call me overdressed. i feel it deeply.' "but they was off again before one thing could lead to another, taking bottles of hard liquor they had uncorked. 'the open road! the open road!' they yelled as they went. "well, that's about all. some of the wives begun to straggle off home, mostly in tears, and some hung round till later. i was one of these, not wishing to miss anything of an absorbing character. edgar tomlinson went early, too. edgar writes 'the lounger in the lobby' column for the _recorder_, and he'd come out to report the entertainment; but at one o'clock he said it was a case for the sporting editor and he'd try to get him out before the kill. "at different times one or two of the hunters would straggle back for more drink. they said the quarry was making a long detour round their left flank, trying his darndest to get to the railroad, but they had hopes. and they scattered out. ever and anon you would hear the long howl of some lone drunkard that had got lost from the pack. "about sunup they all found themselves at the railroad track about a mile beyond the clubhouse, just at the head of stender's grade. there they was voting to picket the track for a mile each way when along come the four-thirty-two way freight. it had slowed up some making the grade, and while they watched it what should dart out from a bunch of scrub oak but the active figure of wilfred lennox. he made one of them iron ladders all right and was on top of a car when the train come by, but none of 'em dast jump it because it had picked up speed again. "they said wilfred stood up and shook both fists at 'em and called 'em every name he could lay his tongue to--using language so coarse you'd never think it could have come from a poet's lips. they could see his handsome face working violently long after they couldn't hear him. just my luck! i'm always missing something. "so they come grouching back to the clubhouse and i took 'em home to breakfast. when we got down to the table old judge ballard says: 'what might have been an evening of rare enjoyment was converted into a detestable failure by that cur. i saw from the very beginning that he was determined to spoil our fun.' "'the joke is sure on us,' says ben sutton, 'but i bear him no grudge. in fact, i did him an injustice. i knew he wasn't a poet, but i didn't believe he was even a hobo till he jumped that freight.' "alonzo was out in the hall telephoning henrietta. we could hear his cheerful voice: 'no, pettikins, no! it doesn't ache a bit. what's that? of course i still do! you are the only woman that ever meant anything to me. what? what's that? oh, i may have errant fancies now and again, like the best of men--you know yourself how sensitive i am to a certain type of flowerlike beauty--but it never touches my deeper nature. yes, certainly, i shall be right up the very minute good old ben leaves--to-morrow or next day. what's that? now, now! don't do that! just the minute he leaves--g'--by.' "and the little brute hung up on her!" ii ma pettengill and the song of songs the hammock between the two jack pines at the back of the arrowhead ranch house had lured me to mid--afternoon slumber. the day was hot and the morning had been toilsome--four miles of trout stream, rocky, difficult miles. and my hostess, mrs. lysander john pettengill, had ridden off after luncheon to some remote fastness of her domain, leaving me and the place somnolent. in the shadowed coolness, aching gratefully in many joints, i had plunged into the hammock's lethe, swooning shamelessly to a benign oblivion. dreamless it must long have been, for the shadows of ranch house, stable, hay barn, corral, and bunk house were long to the east when next i observed them. but i fought to this wakefulness through one of those dreams of a monstrous futility that sometimes madden us from sleep. through a fearsome gorge a stream wound and in it i hunted one certain giant trout. savagely it took the fly, but always the line broke when i struck; rather, it dissolved; there would be no resistance. and the giant fish mocked me each time, jeered and flouted me, came brazenly to the surface and derided me with antics weirdly human. then, as i persisted, it surprisingly became a musical trout. it whistled, it played a guitar, it sang. how pathetic our mildly amazed acceptance of these miracles in dreams! i was only the more determined to snare a fish that could whistle and sing simultaneously, and accompany itself on a stringed instrument, and was six feet in length. it was that by now and ever growing. it seemed only an attractive novelty and i still believed a brown hackle would suffice. but then i became aware that this trout, to its stringed accompaniment, ever whistled and sang one song with a desperate intentness. that song was "the rosary." the fish had presumed too far. "this," i shrewdly told myself, "is almost certainly a dream." the soundless words were magic. gorge and stream vanished, the versatile fish faded to blue sky showing through the green needles of a jack pine. it was a sane world again and still, i thought, with the shadows of ranch house, stable, hay barn, corral, and bunk house going long to the east. i stretched in the hammock, i tingled with a lazy well-being. the world was still; but was it--quite? on a bench over by the corral gate crouched buck devine, doing something needful to a saddle. and as he wrought he whistled. he whistled "the rosary" shrilly and with much feeling. nor was the world still but for this. from the bunk house came the mellow throbbing of a stringed instrument, the guitar of sandy sawtelle, star rider of the arrowhead, temporarily withdrawn from a career of sprightly endeavour by a sprained ankle and solacing his retirement with music. he was playing "the rosary"--very badly indeed, but one knew only too well what he meant. the two performers were distant enough to be no affront to each other. the hammock, less happily, was midway between them. i sat up with groans. i hated to leave the hammock. "the trout also sang it," i reminded myself. followed the voice, a voice from the stable, the cracked, whining tenor of a very aged vassal of the arrowhead, one jimmie time. jimmie, i gathered, was currying a horse as he sang, for each bar of the ballad was measured by the double thud of a currycomb against the side of a stall. whistle, guitar, and voice now attacked the thing in differing keys and at varying points. jimmie might be said to prevail. there was a fatuous tenderness in his attack and the thudding currycomb gave it spirit. nor did he slur any of the affecting words; they clave the air with an unctuous precision: the ow-wurs i spu-hend with thu-hee, dee-yur heart, (the currycomb: thud, thud!) are as a stru-hing of pur-rulls tuh me-e-e, (the currycomb: thud, thud!) came a dramatic and equally soulful interpolation: "whoa, dang you! you would, would you? whoa-a-a, now!" again the melody: i count them o-vurr, ev-ry one apar-rut, (thud, thud!) my ro-sah-ree--my ro-sah-ree! (thud, thud!) buck devine still mouthed his woful whistle and sandy sawtelle valiantly strove for the true and just accord of his six strings. it was no place for a passive soul. i parted swiftly from the hammock and made over the sun-scorched turf for the ranch house. there was shelter and surcease; doors and windows might be closed. the unctuous whine of jimmie time pursued me: each ow-wur a pur-rull, each pur-rull a prayer, (thud, thud!) tuh stu-hill a heart in absence wru-hung, (thud, thud!) as i reached the hospitable door of the living-room i observed lew wee, chinese chef of the arrowhead, engaged in cranking one of those devices with a musical intention which i have somewhere seen advertised. it is an important-looking device in a polished mahogany case, and i recall in the advertisement i saw it was surrounded by a numerous enthralled-looking family in a costly drawing-room, while the ghost of beethoven simpered above it in ineffable benignancy. something now told me the worst, even as lew wee adjusted the needle to the revolving disk. i waited for no more than the opening orchestral strains. it is a leisurely rhythmed cacophony, and i had time to be almost beyond range ere the voice took up a tale i was hearing too often in one day. even so i distantly perceived it to be a fruity contralto voice with an expert sob. a hundred yards in front of the ranch house all was holy peace, peace in the stilled air, peace dreaming along the neighbouring hills and lying like a benediction over the wide river-flat below me, through which the stream wove a shining course. i exulted in it, from the dangers passed. then appeared mrs. lysander john pettengill from the fringe of cottonwoods, jolting a tired horse toward me over the flat. "come have some tea," she cordially boomed as she passed. i returned uncertainly. tea? yes. but--however, the door would be shut and the asiatic probably diverted. as i came again to the rear of the ranch house mrs. pettengill, in khaki riding breeches, flannel shirt, and the hat of her trade, towered bulkily as an admirable figure of wrath, one hand on her hip, one poising a quirt viciously aloft. by the corral gate buck devine drooped cravenly above his damaged saddle; at the door of the bunk house sandy sawtelle tottered precariously on one foot, his guitar under his arm, a look of guilty horror on his set face. by the stable door stood the incredibly withered jimmie time, shrinking a vast dismay. "you hear me!" exploded the infuriated chatelaine, and i knew she was repeating the phrase. "ain't i got to mend this latigo?" protested buck devine piteously. "you'll go up the gulch and beyond the dry fork and mend it, if you whistle that tune again!" sandy sawtelle rumpled his pink hair to further disorder and found a few weak words for his conscious guilt. "now, i wasn't aiming to harm anybody, what with with my game laig and shet up here like i am--" "well, my lord! can't you play a sensible tune then?" jimmie time hereupon behaved craftily. he lifted his head, showing the face of a boy who had somehow got to be seventy years old without ever getting to be more than a boy, and began to whistle softly and innocently--an air of which hardly anything could be definitely said except that it was not "the rosary." it was very flagrantly not "the rosary." his craft availed him not. "yes, and you, too!" thundered the lady. "you was the worst--you was singing. didn't i hear you? how many times i got to tell you? first thing you know, you little reprobate--" jimmie time cowered again. visibly he took on unbelievable years. "yes, ma'am," he whispered. "yes, ma'am," meekly echoed the tottering instrumentalist. "yes, ma'am," muttered buck devine, "not knowing you was anywheres near--" "makes no difference where i be--you hear me!" although her back was toward me i felt her glare. the wretches winced. she came a dozen steps toward me, then turned swiftly to glare again. they shuddered, even though she spoke no word. then she came on, muttering hotly, and together we approached the ranch house. a dozen feet from the door she bounded ahead of me with a cry of baffled rage. i saw why. lew wee, unrecking her approach, was cold-bloodedly committing an encore. she sped through the doorway, and i heard lew wee's frightened squeal as he sped through another. when i stood in the room she was putting violent hands to the throat of the thing. "the hours i spend with th--" the throttled note expired in a very dreadful squawk of agony. it was as if foul murder had been done, and done swiftly. the maddened woman faced me with the potentially evil disk clutched in her hands. in a voice that is a notable loss to our revivals of greek tragedy she declaimed: "ain't it the limit?--and the last thing i done was to hide out that record up behind the clock where he couldn't find it!" in a sudden new alarm and with three long steps she reached the door of the kitchen and flung it open. through a window thus exposed we beheld the offender. one so seldom thinks of the chinese as athletes! lew wee was well down the flat toward the cottonwoods and still going strong. "ain't it the limit?" again demanded his employer. "gosh all--excuse me, but they got me into such a state. here i am panting like a tuckered hound. and now i got to make the tea myself. he won't dare come back before suppertime." it seemed to be not yet an occasion for words from me. i tried for a look of intelligent sympathy. in the kitchen i heard her noisily fill a teakettle with water. she was not herself yet. she still muttered hotly. i moved to the magazine--littered table and affected to be taken with the portrait of a smug--looking prize holstein on the first page of the _stock breeder's gazette_. the volcano presently seethed through the room and entered its own apartment. ten minutes later my hostess emerged with recovered aplomb. she had donned a skirt and a flowered blouse, and dusted powder upon and about her sunburned and rather blobby nose. her crinkly gray hair had been drawn to a knot at the back of her grenadier's head. her widely set eyes gleamed with the smile of her broad and competent mouth. "tea in one minute," she promised more than audibly as she bustled into the kitchen. it really came in five, and beside the tray she pleasantly relaxed. the cups were filled and a breach was made upon the cake she had brought. the tea was advertising a sufficient strength, yet she now raised the dynamics of her own portion. "i'll just spill a hooker of this here scotch into mine," she said, and then, as she did even so: "my lands! ain't i the cynical old kate! and silly! letting them boys upset me that way with that there fool song." she decanted a saucerful of the re-enforced tea and raised it to her pursed lips. "looking at you!" she murmured cavernously and drank deep. she put the saucer back where nice persons leave theirs at all times. "say, it was hot over on that bench to-day. i was getting out that bunch of bull calves, and all the time here was old safety first mumbling round--" this was rather promising, but i had resolved differently. "that song," i insinuated. "of course there are people--" "you bet there are! i'm one of 'em, too! what that song's done to me--and to other innocent bystanders in the last couple weeks--" she sighed hugely, drank more of the fortified brew--nicely from the cup this time--and fashioned a cigarette from materials at her hand. in the flame of a lighted match mrs. pettengill's eyes sparkled with a kind of savage retrospection. she shrugged it off impatiently. "i guess you thought i spoke a mite short when you asked about nettie's wedding yesterday." it was true. she had turned the friendly inquiry with a rather mystifying abruptness. i murmured politely. she blew twin jets of smoke from the widely separated corners of her generous mouth and then shrewdly narrowed her gaze to some distant point of narration. "yes, sir, i says to her, 'woman's place is the home.' and what you think she come back with? that she was going to be a leader of the new dawn. yes, sir, just like that. five feet one, a hundred and eight pounds in her winter clothes, a confirmed pickle eater--pretty enough, even if she is kind of peaked and spiritual looking--and going to lead the new dawn. "where'd she catch it? my fault, of course, sending her back east to school and letting her visit the w.b. hemingways, mrs. h. being the well-known clubwoman like the newspapers always print under her photo in evening dress. that's how she caught it all right. "i hadn't realized it when she first got back, except she was pale and far-away in the eyes and et pickles heavily at every meal--oh, mustard, dill, sour, sweet, anything that was pickles--and not enough meat and regular victuals. gaunted she was, but i didn't suspect her mind was contaminated none till i sprung chester timmins on her as a good marrying bet. you know chet, son of old dave that has the lazy eight ranch over on pipe stone--a good, clean boy that'll have the ranch to himself as soon as old dave dies of meanness, and that can't be long now. it was then she come out delirious about not being the pampered toy of any male--_male_, mind you! it seems when these hussies want to knock man nowadays they call him a male. and she rippled on about the freedom of her soul and her downtrod sisters and this here new dawn. "well, sir, a baby could have pushed me flat with one finger. at first i didn' know no better'n to argue with her, i was that affrighted. 'why, nettie hosford,' i says, 'to think i've lived to hear my only sister's only child talking in shrieks like that! to think i should have to tell one of my own kin that women's place is the home. look at me,' i says--we was down in red gap at the time--'pretty soon i'll go up to the ranch and what'll i do there?" i says. "'well, listen,' i says, 'to a few of the things i'll be doing: i'll be marking, branding, and vaccinating the calves, i'll be classing and turning out the strong cattle on the range. i'll be having the colts rid, breaking mules for haying, oiling and mending the team harness, cutting and hauling posts, tattooing the ears and registering the thoroughbred calves, putting in dams, cleaning ditches, irrigating the flats, setting out the vegetable garden, building fence, swinging new gates, overhauling the haying tools, receiving, marking, and branding the new two--year--old bulls, plowing and seeding grain for our work stock and hogs, breaking in new cooks and blacksmiths'--i was so mad i went on till i was winded. 'and that ain't half of it,' i says. 'women's work is never done; her place is in the home and she finds so much to do right there that she ain't getting any time to lead a new dawn. i'll start you easy,' i says; 'learn you to bake a batch of bread or do a tub of washing--something simple--and there's chet timmins, waiting to give you a glorious future as wife and mother and helpmeet.' "she just give me one look as cold as all arctics and says, 'it's repellent'--that's all, just 'repellent.' i see i was up against it. no good talking. sometimes it comes over me like a flash when not to talk. it does to some women. so i affected a light manner and pretended to laugh it off, just as if i didn't see scandal threatening--think of having it talked about that a niece of my own raising was a leader of the new dawn! "'all right,' i says, 'only, of course, chet timmins is a good friend and neighbour of mine, even if he is a male, so i hope you won't mind his dropping in now and again from time to time, just to say howdy and eat a meal.' and she flusters me again with her coolness. "'no,' she says, 'i won't mind, but i know what you're counting on, and it won't do either of you any good. i'm above the appeal of a man's mere presence,' she says, 'for i've thrown off the age--long subjection; but i won't mind his coming. i shall delight to study him. they're all alike, and one specimen is as good as another for that. but neither of you need expect anything,' she says, 'for the wrongs of my sisters have armoured me against the grossness of mere sex appeal.' excuse me for getting off such things, but i'm telling you how she talked. "'oh, shucks!' i says to myself profanely, for all at once i saw she wasn't talking her own real thoughts but stuff she'd picked up from the well-known lady friends of mrs. w.b. hemingway. i was mad all right; but the minute i get plumb sure mad i get wily. 'i was just trying you out,' i says. 'of course you are right!' 'of course i am,' says she, 'though i hardly expected you to see it, you being so hardened a product of the ancient ideal of slave marriage.' "at them words it was pretty hard for me to keep on being wily, but i kept all right. i kept beautifully. i just laughed and said we'd have chet timmins up for supper, and she laughed and said it would be amusing. "and it was, or it would have been if it hadn't been so sad and disgusting. chet, you see, had plumb crumpled the first time he ever set eyes on her, and he's never been able to uncrumple. he always choked up the minute she'd come into the room, and that night he choked worse'n ever because the little devil started in to lead him on--aiming to show me how she could study a male, i reckon. he couldn't even ask for some more of the creamed potatoes without choking up--with her all the time using her eyes on him, and telling him how a great rough man like him scared 'poor little me.' chet's tan bleaches out a mite by the end of winter, but she kept his face exactly the shade of that new mahogany sideboard i got, and she told him several times that he ought to go see a throat specialist right off about that choking of his. "and after supper i'm darned if she didn't lure him out onto the porch in the moonlight, and stand there sad looking and helpless, simply egging him on, mind you, her in one of them little squashy white dresses that she managed to brush against him--all in the way of cold study, mind you. say, ain't we the lovely tame rattlesnakes when we want to be! and this big husky lummox of a chester timmins--him she'd called a male--what does he do but stand safely at a distance of four feet in the grand romantic light of the full moon, and tell her vivaciously all about the new saddle he's having made in spokane. and even then he not only chokes but he giggles. they do say a strong man in tears is a terrible sight. but a husky man giggling is worse--take it from one who has suffered. and all the time i knew his heart was furnishing enough actual power to run a feed chopper. so did she! "'the creature is so typical,' she says when the poor cuss had finally stumbled down the front steps. 'he's a real type.' only she called it 'teep,' having studied the french language among other things. 'he is a teep indeed!' she says. "i had to admit myself that chester wasn't any self-starter. i saw he'd have to be cranked by an outsider if he was going to win a place of his own in the new dawn. and i kept thinking wily, and the next p.m. when nettie and i was downtown i got my hunch. you know that music store on fourth street across from the boston cash emporium. it's kept by c. wilbur todd, and out in front in a glass case he had a mechanical banjo that was playing 'the rosary' with variations when we come by. we stopped a minute to watch the machinery picking the strings and in a flash i says to myself, 'i got it! eureka, california!' i says, 'it's come to me!' "of course that piece don't sound so awful tender when it's done on a banjo with variations, but i'd heard it done right and swell one time and so i says, 'there's the song of songs to bring foolish males and females to their just mating sense.'" the speaker paused to drain her cup and to fashion another cigarette, her eyes dreaming upon far vistas. "ain't it fierce what music does to persons," she resumed. "right off i remembered the first time i'd heard that piece--in new york city four years ago, in a restaurant after the theatre one night, where i'd gone with mrs. w.b. hemingway and her husband. a grand, gay place it was, with an orchestra. i picked at some untimely food and sipped a highball--they wouldn't let a lady smoke there--and what interested me was the folks that come in. folks always do interest me something amazing. strange ones like that, i mean, where you set and try to figure out all about 'em, what kind of homes they got, and how they act when they ain't in a swell restaurant, and everything. pretty soon comes a couple to the table next us and, say, they was just plain mr. and mrs. mad. both of 'em stall-fed. he was a large, shiny lad, with pink jowls barbered to death and wicked looking, like a well-known clubman or villain. the lady was spectacular and cynical, with a cold, thin nose and eyes like a couple of glass marbles. her hair was several shades off a legal yellow and she was dressed! she would have made handsome loot, believe me--aigrette, bracelets, rings, dog collar, gold-mesh bag, vanity case--oh, you could see at a glance that she was one of them broadway social favourites you read about. and both grouchy, like i said. he scowled till you knew he'd just love to beat a crippled step-child to death, and she--well, her work wasn't so coarse; she kept her mad down better. she set there as nice and sweet as a pet scorpion. "'a scrap,' i says to myself, 'and they've only half finished. she's threatened to quit and he, the cowardly dog, has dared her to.' plain enough. the waiter knew it soon as i did when he come to take their order. wouldn't speak to each other. talked through him; fought it out to something different for each one. couldn't even agree on the same kind of cocktail. both slamming the waiter--before they fought the order to a finish each had wanted to call the head waiter, only the other one stopped it. "so i rubbered awhile, trying to figure out why such folks want to finish up their fights in a restaurant, and then i forgot 'em, looking at some other persons that come in. then the orchestra started this song and i seen a lady was getting up in front to sing it. i admit the piece got me. it got me good. really, ain't it the gooey mess of heart-throbs when you come right down to it? this lady singer was a good-looking sad-faced contralto in a low-cut black dress--and how she did get the tears out of them low notes! oh, i quit looking at people while her chest was oozing out that music. and it got others, too. i noticed lots of 'em had stopped eating when i looked round, and there was so much clapping she had to get up and do it all over again. and what you think? in the middle of the second time i look over to these fighters, and darned if they ain't holding hands across the table; and more, she's got a kind of pitiful, crying smile on and he's crying right out--crying into his cold asparagus, plain as day. "what more would you want to know about the powers of this here piece of music? they both spoke like human beings to the scared waiter when he come back, and the lad left a five-spot on the tray when he paid his check. some song, yes? "and all this flashed back on me when nettie and i stood there watching this cute little banjo. so i says to myself, 'here, my morbid vestal, is where i put you sane; here's where i hurl an asphyxiating bomb into the trenches of the new dawn.' out loud i only says, 'let's go in and see if wilbur has got some new records.' "'wilbur?' says she, and we went in. nettie had not met wilbur. "i may as well tell you here and now that c. wilbur todd is a shrimp. shrimp i have said and shrimp i always will say. he talks real brightly in his way--he will speak words like an actor or something--but for brains! say, he always reminds me of the dumb friend of the great detective in the magazine stories, the one that goes along to the scene of the crime to ask silly questions and make fool guesses about the guilty one, and never even suspects who done the murder, till the detective tells on the last page when they're all together in the library. "sure, that's wilbur. it would be an ideal position for him. instead of which he runs this here music store, sells these jitney pianos and phonographs and truck like that. and serious! honestly, if you seen him coming down the street you'd say, 'there comes one of these here musicians.' wears long hair and a low collar and a flowing necktie and talks about his technique. yes, sir, about the technique of working a machinery piano. gives free recitals in the store every second saturday afternoon, and to see him set down and pump with his feet, and push levers and pull handles, weaving himself back and forth, tossing his long, silken locks back and looking dreamily off into the distance, you'd think he was a paderewski. as a matter of fact, i've seen paderewski play and he don't make a tenth of the fuss wilbur does. and after this recital i was at one saturday he comes up to some of us ladies, mopping his pale brow, and he says, 'it does take it out of one! i'm always a nervous wreck after these little affairs of mine.' would that get you, or would it not? "so we go in the store and wilbur looks up from a table he's setting at in the back end. "'you find me studying some new manuscripts,' he says, pushing back the raven locks from his brow. say, it was a weary gesture he done it with--sort of languid and world-weary. and what you reckon he meant by studying manuscripts? why, he had one of these rolls of paper with the music punched into it in holes, and he was studying that line that tells you when to play hard or soft and all like that. honest, that was it! "'i always study these manuscripts of the masters conscientiously before i play them,' says he. "such is wilbur. such he will ever be. so i introduced him to nettie and asked if he had this here song on a phonograph record. he had. he had it on two records. 'one by a barytone gentleman, and one by a mezzo-soprano,' says wilbur. i set myself back for both. he also had it with variations on one of these punched rolls. he played that for us. it took him three minutes to get set right at the piano and to dust his fingers with a white silk handkerchief which he wore up his sleeve. and he played with great expression and agony and bending exercises, ever and anon tossing back his rebellious locks and fixing us with a look of pained ecstasy. of course it sounded better than the banjo, but you got to have the voice with that song if you're meaning to do any crooked work. nettie was much taken with it even so, and wilbur played it another way. what he said was that it was another school of interpretation. it seemed to have its points with him, though he favoured the first school, he said, because of a certain almost rugged fidelity. he said the other school was marked by a tendency to idealism, and he pulled some of the handles to show how it was done. i'm merely telling you how wilbur talked. "nettie listened very serious. there was a new look in her eyes. 'that song has got to her even on a machinery piano,' i says, 'but wait till we get the voice, with she and chester out in the mischievous moonlight.' wasn't i the wily old hound! nettie sort of lingered to hear wilbur, who was going good by this time. 'one must be the soul behind the wood and wire,' he says; 'one rather feels just that, or one remains merely a brutal mechanic.' "'i understand,' says nettie. 'how you must have studied!' "'oh, studied!' says wilbur, and tossed his mane back and laughed in a lofty and suffering manner. studied! he'd gone one year to a business college in seattle after he got out of high school! "'i understand,' says nettie, looking all reverent and buffaloed. "'it is the price one must pay for technique,' says wilbur. 'and to-day you found me in the mood. i am not always in the mood.' "'i understand,' says nettie. "i'm just giving you an idea, understand. then wilbur says, 'i will bring these records up this evening if i may. the mezzo-soprano requires a radically different adjustment from the barytone.' 'my god!' thinks i, 'has he got technique on the phonograph, too!' but i says he must come by all means, thinking he could tend the machine while nettie and chester is out on the porch getting wise to each other. "'there's another teep for you,' i says to nettie when we got out of the place. 'he certainly is marked by tendencies,' i says. i meant it for a nasty slam at wilbur's painful deficiencies as a human being, but she took it as serious as wilbur took himself--which is some! "'ah, yes, the artist teep,' says she,'the most complex, the most baffling of all.' "that was a kind of a sickish jolt to me--the idea that something as low in the animal kingdom as wilbur could baffle anyone--but i thinks, 'shucks! wait till he lines up alongside of a regular human man like chet timmins!' "i had chet up to supper again. he still choked on words of one syllable if nettie so much as glanced at him, and turned all sorts of painful colours like a cheap rug. but i keep thinking the piece will fix that all right. "at eight o'clock wilbur sifted in with his records and something else flat and thin, done up in paper that i didn't notice much at the time. my dear heart, how serious he was! as serious as--well, i chanced to be present at the house of mourning when the barber come to shave old judge armstead after he'd passed away--you know what i mean--kind of like him wilbur was, talking subdued and cat-footing round very solemn and professional. i thought he'd never get that machine going. he cleaned it, and he oiled it, and he had great trouble picking out the right fibre needle, holding six or eight of 'em up to the light, doing secret things to the machine's inwards, looking at us sharp as if we oughtn't to be talking even then, and when she did move off i'm darned if he didn't hang in a strained manner over that box, like he was the one that was doing it all and it wouldn't get the notes right if he took his attention off. "it was a first-class record, i'll say that. it was the male barytone--one of them pleading voices that get all into you. it wasn't half over before i seen nettie was strongly moved, as they say, only she was staring at wilbur, who by now was leading the orchestra with one graceful arm and looking absorbed and sodden, like he done it unconsciously. chester just set there with his mouth open, like something you see at one of these here aquariums. "we moved round some when it was over, while wilbur was picking out just the right needle for the other record, and so i managed to cut that lump of a chester out of the bunch and hold him on the porch till i got nettie out, too. then i said 'sh-h-h!' so they wouldn't move when wilbur let the mezzo-soprano start. and they had to stay out there in the golden moonlight with love's young dream and everything. the lady singer was good, too. no use in talking, that song must have done a lot of heart work right among our very best families. it had me going again so i plumb forgot my couple outside. i even forgot wilbur, standing by the box showing the lady how to sing. "it come to the last--you know how it ends--'to kiss the cross, sweetheart, to kiss the cross!' there was a rich and silent moment and i says, 'if that chet timmins hasn't shown himself to be a regular male teep by this time--' and here come chet's voice, choking as usual, 'yes, paw switched to durhams and herefords over ten years ago--you see holsteins was too light; they don't carry the meat--' honest! i'm telling you what i heard. and yet when they come in i could see that chester had had tears in his eyes from that song, so still i didn't give in, especially as nettie herself looked very exalted, like she wasn't at that minute giving two whoops in the bad place for the new dawn. [illustration: "chester just set there with his mouth open, like something you see at one of these here aquariums"] "nettie made for wilbur, who was pushing back his hair with a weak but graceful sweep of the arm--it had got down before his face like a portière--and i took chet into a corner and tried to get some of the just wrath of god into his heart; but, my lands! you'd have said he didn't know there was such a thing as a girl in the whole kulanche valley. he didn't seem to hear me. he talked other matters. "'paw thinks,' he says, 'that he might manage to take them hundred and fifty bull calves off your hands.' 'oh, indeed!' i says. 'and does he think of buying 'em--as is often done in the cattle business--or is he merely aiming to do me a favour?' i was that mad at the poor worm, but he never knew. 'why, now, paw says "you tell maw pettengill i might be willing to take 'em off her hands at fifty dollars a head,"' he says. 'i should think he might be,' i says, 'but they ain't bothering my hands the least little mite. i like to have 'em on my hands at anything less than sixty a head,' i says. 'your pa,' i went on, 'is the man that started this here safety-first cry. others may claim the honour, but it belongs solely to him.' 'he never said anything about that,' says poor chester. 'he just said you was going to be short of range this summer.' 'be that all too true, as it may be,' i says, 'but i still got my business faculties--' and i was going on some more, but just then i seen nettie and wilbur was awful thick over something he'd unwrapped from the other package he'd brought. it was neither more nor less than a big photo of c. wilbur todd. yes, sir, he'd brought her one. "'i think the artist has caught a bit of the real just there, if you know what i mean,' says wilbur, laying a pale thumb across the upper part of the horrible thing. "'i understand,' says nettie, 'the real you was expressing itself.' "'perhaps,' concedes wilbur kind of nobly. 'i dare say he caught me in one of my rarer moods. you don't think it too idealized?' "'don't jest,' says she, very pretty and severe. and they both gazed spellbound. "'chester,' i says in low but venomous tones, 'you been hanging round that girl worse than grant hung round richmond, but you got to remember that grant was more than a hanger. he made moves, chester, moves! do you get me?' "'about them calves,' says chester, 'pa told me it's his honest opinion--' "well, that was enough for once. i busted up that party sudden and firm. "'it has meant much to me,' says wilbur at parting. "'i understand,' says nettie. "'when you come up to the ranch, miss nettie,' says chester, 'you want to ride over to the lazy eight, and see that there tame coyote i got. it licks your hand like a dog.' "but what could i do, more than what i had done? nettie was looking at the photograph when i shut the door on 'em. 'the soul behind the wood and wire,' she murmurs. i looked closer then and what do you reckon it was? just as true as i set here, it was wilbur, leaning forward all negligent and patronizing on a twelve-hundred-dollar grand piano, his hair well forward and his eyes masterful, like that there noble instrument was his bond slave. but wait! and underneath he'd writ a bar of music with notes running up and down, and signed his name to it--not plain, mind you, though he can write a good business hand if he wants to, but all scrawly like some one important, so you couldn't tell if it was meant for dutch or english. could you beat that for nerve--in a day, in a million years? "'what's wilbur writing that kind of music for?' i asks in a cold voice. 'he don't know that kind. what he had ought to of written is a bunch of them hollow slats and squares like they punch in the only kind of music he plays,' i says. "'hush!' says nettie. 'it's that last divine phrase, "to kiss the cross!"' "i choked up myself then. and i went to bed and thought. and this is what i thought: when you think you got the winning hand, keep on raising. to call is to admit you got no faith in your judgment. better lay down than call. so i resolve not to say another word to the girl about chester, but simply to press the song in on her. already it had made her act like a human person. of course i didn't worry none about wilbur. the wisdom of the ages couldn't have done that. but i seen i had got to have a real first-class human voice in that song, like the one i had heard in new york city. they'll just have to clench, i think, when they hear a good a-number-one voice in it. "next day i look in on wilbur and say, 'what about this concert and musical entertainment the north side set is talking about giving for the starving belgians?' "'the plans are maturing,' he says, 'but i'm getting up a brahms concerto that i have promised to play--you know how terrifically difficult brahms is--so the date hasn't been set yet.' "'well, set it and let's get to work,' i says. 'there'll be you, and the north side ladies' string quartet, and ed bughalter with a bass solo, and mrs. dr. percy hailey martingale with the "jewel song" from faust, and i been thinking,' i says, 'that we had ought to get a good professional lady concert singer down from spokane.' "'i'm afraid the expenses would go over our receipts,' says wilbur, and i can see him figuring that this concert will cost the belgians money instead of helping 'em; so right off i says, 'if you can get a good-looking, sad-faced contralto, with a low-cut black dress, that can sing "the rosary" like it had ought to be sung, why, you can touch me for that part of the evening's entertainment.' "wilbur says i'm too good, not suspicioning i'm just being wily, so he says he'll write up and fix it. and a couple days later he says the lady professional is engaged, and it'll cost me fifty, and he shows me her picture and the dress is all right, and she had a sad, powerful face, and the date is set and everything. "meantime, i keep them two records het up for the benefit of my reluctant couple: daytime for nettie--she standing dreamy-eyed while it was doing, showing she was coming more and more human, understand--and evenings for both of 'em, when chester timmins would call. and chet himself about the third night begins to get a new look in his eyes, kind of absent and desperate, so i thinks this here lady professional will simply goad him to a frenzy. oh, we had some sad musical week before that concert! that was when this crazy chink of mine got took by the song. he don't know yet what it means, but it took him all right; he got regular besotted with it, keeping the kitchen door open all the time, so he wouldn't miss a single turn. it took his mind off his work, too. talk about the yellow peril! he got so locoed with that song one day, what does he do but peel and cook up twelve dollars' worth of the piedmont queen dahlia bulbs i'd ordered for the front yard. sure! served 'em with cream sauce, and we et 'em, thinking they was some kind of a chinese vegetable. "but i was saying about this new look in chester's eyes, kind of far-off and criminal, when that song was playing. and then something give me a pause, as they say. chet showed up one evening with his nails all manicured; yes, sir, polished till you needed smoked glasses to look at 'em. i knew all right where he'd been. i may as well tell you that henry lehman was giving red gap a flash of form with his new barber shop--tiled floor, plate-glass front, exposed plumbing, and a manicure girl from seattle; yes, sir, just like in the great wicked cities. it had already turned some of our very best homes into domestic hells, and no wonder! decent, god-fearing men, who'd led regular lives and had whiskers and grown children, setting down to a little spindle-legged table with this creature, dipping their clumsy old hands into a pink saucedish of suds and then going brazenly back to their innocent families with their nails glittering like piano keys. oh, that young dame was bound to be a social pet among the ladies of the town, yes--no? she was pretty and neat figured, with very careful hair, though its colour had been tampered with unsuccessfully, and she wore little, blue-striped shirtwaists that fitted very close--you know--with low collars. it was said that she was a good conversationalist and would talk in low, eager tones to them whose fingers she tooled. "still, i didn't think anything of chester resorting to that sanitary den of vice. all i think is that he's trying to pretty himself up for nettie and maybe show her he can be a man-about-town, like them she has known in spokane and in yonkers, new york, at the select home of mrs. w.b. hemingway and her husband. how little we think when we had ought to be thinking our darndest! me? i just went on playing them two records, the male barytone and the lady mezzo, and trying to curse that chinaman into keeping the kitchen door shut on his cooking, with wilbur dropping in now and then so him and nettie could look at his photo, which was propped up against a book on the centre table--one of them large three-dollar books that you get stuck with by an agent and never read--and nettie dropping into his store now and then to hear him practise over difficult bits from his piece that he was going to render at the musical entertainment for the belgians, with him asking her if she thought he shaded the staccato passage a mite too heavy, or some guff like that. "so here come the concert, with every seat sold and the hall draped pretty with flags and cut flowers. some of the boys was down from the ranch, and you bet i made 'em all come across for tickets, and old safety first--chet's father--i stuck him for a dollar one, though he had an evil look in his eyes. that's how the boys got so crazy about this here song. they brought that record back with 'em. and buck devine, that i met on the street that very day of the concert, he give me another kind of a little jolt. he'd been gossiping round town, the vicious way men do, and he says to me: "'that chester lad is taking awful chances for a man that needs his two hands at his work. of course if he was a foot-racer or something like that, where he didn't need hands--' 'what's all this?' i asks. 'why,' says buck, 'he's had his nails rasped down to the quick till he almost screams if they touch anything, and he goes back for more every single day. it's a wonder they ain't mortified on him already; and say, it costs him six bits a throw and, of course, he don't take no change from a dollar--he leaves the extra two bits for a tip. gee! a dollar a day for keeping your nails tuned up--and i ain't sure he don't have 'em done twice on sundays. mine ain't never had a file teched to 'em yet,' he says. 'i see that,' i says. 'if any foul-minded person ever accuses you of it, you got abundant proofs of your innocence right there with you. as for chester,' i says, 'he has an object.' 'he has,' says buck. 'not what you think,' i says. 'very different from that. it's true,' i concedes, 'that he ought to take that money and go to some good osteopath and have his head treated, but he's all right at that. don't you set up nights worrying about it.' and i sent buck slinking off shamefaced but unconvinced, i could see. but i wasn't a bit scared. "chet et supper with us the night of the concert and took nettie and i to the hall, and you bet i wedged them two close in next each other when we got to our seats. this was my star play. if they didn't fall for each other now--shucks! they had to. and i noticed they was more confidential already, with nettie looking at him sometimes almost respectfully. "well, the concert went fine, with the hired lady professional singer giving us some operatic gems in various foreign languages in the first part, and ed bughalter singing "a king of the desert am i, ha, ha!" very bass--ed always sounds to me like moving heavy furniture round that ain't got any casters under it--and mrs. dr. percy hailey martingale with the "jewel song" from faust, that she learned in a musical conservatory at pittsburgh, pennsylvania, and "coming through the rye" for an encore--holding the music rolled up in her hands, though the lord knows she knew every word and note of it by heart--and the north side ladies' string quartet, and wilbur todd, of course, putting on more airs than as if he was the only son of old man piano himself, while he shifted the gears and pumped, and nettie whispering that he always slept two hours before performing in public and took no nourishment but one cup of warm milk--just a bundle of nerves that way--and she sent him up a bunch of lilies tied with lavender ribbon while he was bowing and scraping, but i didn't pay no attention to that, for now it was coming. "yes, sir, the last thing was this here lady professional, getting up stern and kind of sweetish sad in her low-cut black dress to sing the song of songs. i was awful excited for a party of my age, and i see they was, too. nettie nudged chet and whispered, 'don't you just love it?' and chet actually says, 'i love it,' so no wonder i felt sure, when up to that time he'd hardly been able to say a word except about his pa being willing to take them calves for almost nothing. then i seen his eyes glaze and point off across the hall, and darned if there wasn't this manicure party in a cheek little hat and tailored gown, setting with mrs. henry lehman and her husband. but still i felt all right, because him and nettie was nudging each other intimately again when professor gluckstein started in on the accompaniment--i bet wilbur thinks the prof is awful old-fashioned, playing with his fingers that way; i know they don't speak on the street. "so this lady just floated into that piece with all the heart stops pulled out, and after one line i didn't begrudge her a cent of my fifty. i just set there and thrilled. i could feel nettie and chet thrilling, too, and i says, 'there's nothing to it--not from now on.' "the applause didn't bust loose till almost a minute after she'd kissed the cross in that rich brown voice of hers, and even then my couple didn't join in. nettie set still, all frozen and star-eyed, and chester was choking and sniffling awful emotionally. 'i've sure nailed the young fools,' i thinks. and, of course, this lady had to sing it again, and not half through was she when, sure enough, i glanced down sideways and chet's right hand and her left hand is squirming together till they look like a bunch of eels. 'all over but the rice,' i says, and at that i felt so good and thrilled! i was thinking back to my own time when i was just husband-high, though that wasn't so little, lysander john being a scant six foot three--and our wedding tour to the centennial and the trip to niagara falls--just soaking in old memories that bless and bind that this lady singer was calling up--well, you could have had anything from me right then when she kissed that cross a second time, just pouring her torn heart out. 'worth every cent of that fifty,' i says. "then everybody was standing up and moving out--wiping their eyes a lot of 'em was--so i push on ahead quick, aiming to be more wily than ever and leave my couple alone. they don't miss me, either. when i look back, darned if they ain't kind of shaking hands right there in the hall. 'quick work!' i says. 'you got to hand it to that song.' even then i noticed nettie was looking back to where wilbur was tripping down from the platform, and chester had his eyes glazed over on this manicure party. still, they was gripping each other's hands right there before folks, and i think they're just a bit embarrassed. my old heart went right on echoing that song as i pushed forward--not looking back again, i was that certain. "and to show you the mushy state i was in, here is old safety first himself leering at me down by the door, with a clean shave and his other clothes on, and he says all about how it was a grand evening's musical entertainment and how much will the belgians get in cold cash, anyway, and how about them hundred and fifty head of bull calves that he was willing to take off my hands, and me, all mushed up by that song as i am telling you, saying to him in a hearty manner, 'they're yours, dave! take 'em at your own price, old friend.' honest, i said it just that way, so you can see. 'oh, i'll be stuck on 'em at fifty a head,' says dave, 'but i knew you'd listen to reason, we being such old neighbours.' 'i ain't heard reason since that last song,' i says. i'm listening to my heart, and it's a grand pity yours never learned to talk.' 'fifty a head,' says the old robber. "so, thus throwing away at least fifteen hundred dollars like it was a mere bagatelle or something, i walk out into the romantic night and beat it for home, wanting to be in before my happy couple reached there, so they'd feel free to linger over their parting. my, but i did feel responsible and dangerous, directing human destinies so brashly the way i had." there was a pause, eloquent with unworded emotions. then "human destinies, hell!" the lady at length intoned. hereupon i amazingly saw that she believed her tale to be done. i permitted the silence to go a minute, perhaps, while she fingered the cigarette paper and loose tobacco. "and of course, then," i hinted, as the twin jets of smoke were rather viciously expelled. "i should say so--'of course, then'--you got it. but i didn't get it for near an hour yet. i set up to my bedroom window in the dark, waiting excitedly, and pretty soon they slowly floated up to the front gate, talking in hushed tones and gurgles. 'male and female created he them,' i says, flushed with triumph. the moon wasn't up yet, but you hadn't any trouble making out they was such. he was acting outrageously like a male and she was suffering it with the splendid courage which has long distinguished our helpless sex. and there i set, warming my old heart in it and expanding like one of them little squeezed-up sponges you see in the drug-store window which swells up so astonishing when you put it in water. i wasn't impatient for them to quit, oh, no! they seemed to clench and unclench and clench again, as if they had all the time in the world--with me doing nothing but applaud silently. "after spending about twenty years out there they loitered softly up the walk and round to the side door where i'd left the light burning, and i slipped over to the side window, which was also open, and looked down on the dim fond pair, and she finally opened the door softly and the light shone out." again ma pettengill paused, her elbows on the arms of her chair, her shoulders forward, her gray old head low between them. she drew a long breath and rumbled fiercely: "and the mushy fool me, forcing that herd of calves on old dave at that scandalous price--after all, that's what really gaffed me the worst! my stars! if i could have seen that degenerate old crook again that night--but of course a trade's a trade, and i'd said it. ain't i the old silly!" "the door opened and the light shone out--" i gently prompted. she erected herself in the chair, threw back her shoulders, and her wide mouth curved and lifted at the corners with the humour that never long deserts this woman. "yep! that light flooded out its golden rays on the reprehensible person of c. wilbur todd," she crisply announced. "and like they say in the stories, little remains to be told. "i let out a kind of strangled yell, and wilbur beat it right across my new lawn, and i beat it downstairs. but that girl was like a sleepwalker--not to be talked to, i mean, like you could talk to persons. "'aunty,' she says in creepy tones, 'i have brought myself to the ultimate surrender. i know the chains are about me, already i feel the shackles, but i glory in them.' she kind of gasped and shivered in horrible delight. 'i've kissed the cross at last,' she mutters. "i was so weak i dropped into a chair and i just looked at her. at first i couldn't speak, then i saw it was no good speaking. she was free, white, and twenty-one. so i never let on. i've had to take a jolt or two in my time. i've learned how. but finally i did manage to ask how about chet timmins. "'i wronged dear chester,' she says. 'i admit it freely. he has a heart of gold and a nature in a thousand. but, of course, there could never be anything between him and a nature like mine; our egos function on different planes,' she says. 'dear chester came to see it, too. it's only in the last week we've come to understand each other. it was really that wonderful song that brought us to our mutual knowledge. it helped us to understand our mutual depths better than all the ages of eternity could have achieved.' on she goes with this mutual stuff, till you'd have thought she was reading a composition or something. 'and dear chester is so radiant in his own new-found happiness,' she says. 'what!' i yells, for this was indeed some jolt. "'he has come into his own,' she says. 'they have eloped to spokane, though i promised to observe secrecy until the train had gone. a very worthy creature i gather from what chester tells me, a miss macgillicuddy--' "'not the manicure party?' i yells again. "'i believe she has been a wage-earner,' says nettie. 'and dear chester is so grateful about that song. it was her favourite song, too, and it seemed to bring them together, just as it opened my own soul to wilbur. he says she sings the song very charmingly herself, and he thought it preferable that they be wed in spokane before his father objected. and oh, aunty, i do see how blind i was to my destiny, and how kind you were to me in my blindness--you who had led the fuller life as i shall lead it at wilbur's side.' "'you beat it to your room,' i orders her, very savage and disorganized. for i had stood about all the jolts in one day that god had meant me to. and so they was married, chester and his bride attending the ceremony and oscar teetz' five-piece orchestra playing the--" she broke off, with a suddenly blazing glance at the disk, and seized it from the table rather purposefully. with a hand firmly at both edges she stared inscrutably at it a long moment. "i hate to break the darned thing," she said musingly at last. "i guess i'll just lock it up. maybe some time i'll be feeling the need to hear it again. i know i can still be had by it if all the circumstances is right." still she stared at the thing curiously. "gee! it was hot getting them calves out to-day, and old safety first moaning about all over the place how he's being stuck with 'em, till more than once i come near forgetting i was a lady--and, oh, yes"--she brightened--"i was going to tell you. after it was all over, wilbur, the gallant young tone poet, comes gushing up to me and says, 'now, aunty, always when you are in town you must drop round and break bread with us.' aunty, mind you, right off the reel. 'well,' i says, 'if i drop round to break any bread your wife bakes i'll be sure to bring a hammer.' i couldn't help it. he'll make a home for the girl all right, but he does something sinful to my nerves every time he opens his face. and then coming back here, where i looked for god's peace and quiet, and being made to hear that darned song every time i turned round! "i give orders plain enough, but say, it's like a brush fire--you never know when you got it stamped out." from the kitchen came the sound of a dropped armful of stove wood. hard upon this, the unctuous whining tenor of jimmie time: oh-h-h mem-o-reez thu-hat blu-hess and bu-hurn! "you, jimmie time!" it is a voice meant for greek tragedy and a theatre open to the heavens. i could feel the terror of the aged vassal. "yes, ma'am!" the tone crawled abasingly. "i forgot myself." i was glad, and i dare say he had the wit to be, that he had not to face the menace of her glare. iii the real peruvian doughnuts the affairs of arrowhead ranch are administered by its owner, mrs. lysander john pettengill, through a score or so of hired experts. as a trout-fishing guest of the castle i found the retainers of this excellent feudalism interesting enough and generally explicable. but standing out among them, both as a spectacle and by reason of his peculiar activities, is a shrunken little man whom i would hear addressed as jimmie time. he alone piqued as well as interested. there was a tang to all the surmises he prompted in me. i have said he is a man; but wait! the years have had him, have scoured and rasped and withered him; yet his face is curiously but the face of a boy, his eyes but the fresh, inquiring, hurt eyes of a boy who has been misused for years threescore. time has basely done all but age him. so much for the wastrel as nature has left him. but art has furthered the piquant values of him as a spectacle. in dress, speech, and demeanour jimmie seems to be of the west, western--of the old, bad west of informal vendetta, when a man's increase of years might lie squarely on his quickness in the "draw"; when he went abundantly armed by day and slept lightly at night--trigger fingers instinctively crooked. of course such days have very definitely passed; wherefore the engaging puzzle of certain survivals in jimmie time--for i found him still a two-gun man. he wore them rather consciously sagging from his lean hips--almost pompously, it seemed. nor did he appear properly unconscious of his remaining attire--of the broad-brimmed hat, its band of rattlesnake skin; of the fringed buckskin shirt, opening gallantly across his pinched throat; of his corduroy trousers, fitting bedraggled; of his beautiful beaded moccasins. he was perfect in detail--and yet he at once struck me as being too acutely aware of himself. could this suspicion ensue, i wondered, from the circumstance that the light duties he discharged in and about the arrowhead ranch house were of a semidomestic character; from a marked incongruity in the sight of him, full panoplied for homicide, bearing armfuls of wood to the house; or, with his wicked hat pulled desperately over a scowling brow, and still with his flaunt of weapons, engaging a sinkful of soiled dishes in the kitchen under the eyes of a mere unarmed chinaman who sat by and smoked an easy cigarette at him, scornful of firearms? there were times, to be sure, when jimmie's behaviour was in nice accord with his dreadful appearance--as when i chanced to observe him late the second afternoon of my arrival. solitary in front of the bunk house, he rapidly drew and snapped his side arms at an imaginary foe some paces in front of him. they would be simultaneously withdrawn from their holsters, fired from the hip and replaced, the performer snarling viciously the while. the weapons were unloaded, but i inferred that the foe crumpled each time. then the old man varied the drama, vastly increasing the advantage of the foe and the peril of his own emergency by turning a careless back on the scene. the carelessness was only seeming. swiftly he wheeled, and even as he did so twin volleys came from the hip. it was spirited--the weapons seemed to smoke; the smile of the marksman was evil and masterly. beyond all question the foe had crumpled again, despite his tremendous advantage of approach. i drew gently near before the arms were again holstered and permitted the full exposure of my admiration for this readiness of retort under difficulties. the puissant one looked up at me with suspicion, hostile yet embarrassed. i stood admiring ingenuously, stubborn in my fascination. slowly i won him. the coldness in his bright little eyes warmed to awkward but friendly apology. "a gun fighter lets hisself git stiff," he winningly began; "then, first thing he knows, some fine day--crack! like that! all his own fault, too, 'cause he ain't kep' in trim." he jauntily twirled one of the heavy revolvers on a forefinger. "not me, though, pard! keep m'self up and comin', you bet! ketch me not ready to fan the old forty-four! i guess not! some has thought they could. oh, yes; plenty has thought they could. crack! like that!" he wheeled, this time fatally intercepting the foe as he treacherously crept round a corner of the bunk house. "buryin' ground for you, mister! that's all--bury-in' ground!" the desperado replaced one of the weapons and patted the other with grisly affection. in the excess of my admiration i made bold to reach for it. he relinquished it to me with a mother's yearning. and all too legible in the polished butt of the thing were notches! nine sinister notches i counted--not fresh notches, but emphatic, eloquent, chilling. i thrust the bloody record back on its gladdened owner. "never think it to look at me?" said he as our eyes hung above that grim bit of bookkeeping. "never!" i warmly admitted. "me--i always been one of them quiet, mild-mannered ones that you wouldn't think butter would melt in their mouth--jest up to a certain point. lots of 'em fooled that way about me--jest up to a certain point, mind you--then, crack! buryin' ground--that's all! never go huntin' trouble--understand? but when it's put on me--say!" he lovingly replaced the weapon--with its mortuary statistics--doffed the broad-brimmed hat with its snake-skin garniture, and placed a forefinger athwart an area of his shining scalp which is said by a certain pseudoscience to shield several of man's more spiritual attributes. the finger traced an ancient but still evil looking scar. "one creased me there," he confessed--"a depity marshal--that time they had a reward out for me, dead or alive." i was for details. "what did you do?" jimmie time stayed laconic. "left him there--that's all!" it was arid, yet somehow informing. it conveyed to me that a marshal had been cleverly put to needing a new deputy. "burying ground?" i guessed. "that's all!" he laughed venomously--a short, dry, restrained laugh. "they give me a nickname," said he. "they called me little sure shot. no wonder they did! ho! i should think they would of called me something like that." he lifted his voice. "hey! boogles!" i had been conscious of a stooping figure in the adjacent vegetable garden. it now became erect, a figure of no distinction--short, rounded, decked in carelessly worn garments of no elegance. it slouched inquiringly toward us between rows of sprouted corn. then i saw that the head surmounting it was a noble head. it was uncovered, burnished to a half circle of grayish fringe; but it was shaped in the grand manner and well borne, and the full face of it was beautified by features of a very roman perfection. it was the face of a judge of the supreme court or the face of an ideal senator. his large grave eyes bathed us in a friendly regard; his full lips of an orator parted with leisurely and promising unction. i awaited courtly phrases, richly rounded periods. "a regular hell-cat--what he is!" thus vocalized the able lips. jimmie time glowed modestly. "show him how i can shoot," said he. the amazing boogies waddled--yet with dignity--to a point ten paces distant, drew a coin from the pocket of his dingy overalls, and spun it to the blue of heaven. ere it fell the deadly weapon bore swiftly on it and snapped. "crack!" said the marksman grimly. his assistant recovered the coin, scrutinized it closely, rubbed a fat thumb over its supposedly dented surface, and again spun it. the desperado had turned his back. he drew as he wheeled, and again i was given to understand that his aim had been faultless. "good little sure shot!" declaimed boogies fulsomely. "hold it in your hand oncet," directed little sure shot. the intrepid assistant gallantly extended the half dollar at arm's length between thumb and finger and averted his statesman's face with practiced apprehension. "crack!" said little sure shot, and the coin seemed to be struck from the unscathed hand. "only nicked the aidge of it," said he, genially deprecating. "i don't like to take no chancet with the lad's mitt." it had indeed been a pretty display of sharpshooting--and noiseless. "had me nervous, you bet, first time he tried that," called boogles. "didn't know his work then. thought sure he'd wing me." jimmie time loftily ejected imaginary shells from his trusty firearm and seemed to expel smoke from its delicate interior. boogies waddled his approach. "any time they back little sure shot up against the wall they want to duck," said he warmly. "he has 'em hard to find in about a minute. tell him about that fresh depity marshal, jimmie." "i already did," said jimmie. "ain't he the hell-cat?" demanded boogles, mopping a brow that daniel webster would have observed with instant and perhaps envious respect. "i been a holy terror in my time, all right, all right!" admitted the hero. "never think it to look at me though. one o' the deceivin' kind till i'm put upon; then--good-night!" "jest like that!" murmured boogles. "buryin' ground--that's all." the lips of the bad man shut grimly on this. "say," demanded boogles, "on the level, ain't he the real peruvian doughnuts? don't he jest make 'em all hunt their--" the tribute was unfinished. "you ol' jim! you ol' jim time!" shrilly this came from lew wee, chinese cook of the arrowhead framed in the kitchen doorway of the ranch house. he brandished a scornful and commanding dish towel at the bad man, who instantly and almost cravenly cowered under the distant assault. the garment of his old bad past fell from him, leaving him as one exposed in the market-place to the scornful towels of chinamen. "you run, ol' jim time! how you think catch 'um din' not have wood?" "now i was jest goin' to," mumbled jimmie time; and he amazingly slunk from the scene of his late triumphs toward the open front of a woodhouse. his insulter turned back to the kitchen with a final affronting flourish of the towel. the whisper of boogles came hoarsely to me: "some of these days little sure shot'll put a dose o' cold lead through that chink's heart." "is he really dangerous?" i demanded. "dangerous!" boogles choked warmly on this. "let me tell you, that old boy is the real peruvian doughnuts, and no mistake! some day there won't be so many chinks round this dump. no, sir-ee! that little cutthroat'll have another notch in his gun." the situation did indeed seem to brim with the cheerfullest promise; yet something told me that little sure shot was too good, too perfect. something warned me that he suffered delusions of grandeur--that he fell, in fact, somewhat short of being the real doughnuts, either of a peruvian or any other valued sort. nor had many hours passed ere it befell emphatically even so. there had been the evening meal, followed by an hour or so of the always pleasing and often instructive talk of my hostess, mrs. lysander john pettengill, who has largely known life for sixty years and found it entertaining and good. and we had parted at an early nine, both tired from the work and the play that had respectively engaged us the day long. my candle had just been extinguished when three closely fired shots cracked the vast stillness of the night. ensued vocal explosions of a curdling shrillness from the back of the house. one instantly knew them to be indignant and chinese. caucasian ears gathered this much. i looked from an open window as the impassioned cries came nearer. the lucent moon of the mountains flooded that side of the house, and starkly into its light from round the nearest corner struggled lew wee, the chinaman. he shone refulgent, being yet in the white or full-dress uniform of his calling. in one hand he held the best gun of jimmie time; in the other--there seemed to be a well-gripped connection with the slack of a buckskin shirt--writhed the alleged real doughnuts of a possibly peruvian character. the captor looked aloft and remained vocal, waving the gun, waving jimmie time, playing them together as cymbals, never loosening them. it was fine. it filled the eye and appeased the deepest longings of the ear. then from a neighbouring window projected the heroic head and shoulders of my hostess, and there boomed into the already vivacious libretto a passionate barytone, or thereabout, of sterling timbre. "what in the name of--" i leave it there. to do so is not only kind but necessary. the most indulgent censor that ever guarded the columns of a print intended for young and old about the evening lamp would swiftly delete from this invocation, if not the name of deity itself, at least the greater number of the attributes with which she endowed it. a few were conventional enough, but they served only to accentuate others that were too hastily selected in the heat of this crisis. enough to say that the lady overbore by sheer mass of tone production the strident soprano of lew wee, controlling it at length to a lucid disclosure of his grievance. from the doorway of his kitchen, inoffensively proffering a final cigarette to the radiant night, he had been the target of three shots with intent to kill. he submitted the weapon. he submitted the writhing assassin. "i catch 'um!" he said effectively, and rested his case. "now--i aimed over his head." it was jimmie time alias little sure shot, and he whimpered the words. "i jest went to play a sell on him." the voice of the judge boomed wrathfully on this: "you darned pestering mischief, you! ain't i forbid you time and again ever to load them guns? where'd you get the ca'tridges?" "now--i found 'em," pleaded the bad man. "i did so; i found 'em." "cooned 'em, you mean!" thundered the judge. "you cooned 'em from buck or sandy. don't tell me, you young reprobate!" "he all like bad man," submitted the prosecution. "i tell 'um catch stlovewood; he tell 'um me: 'you go to haitch!' i tell 'um: 'you ownself go to haitch! he say: 'i flan you my gun plitty soon!' he do." "i aimed over the coward's head," protested the defendant. "can happen!" sanely objected the prosecution. "ain't i told you what i'd do if you loaded them guns?" roared the judge. "gentle, limping, baldheaded--" [deleted by censor.] "how many more times i got to tell you? now you know what you'll get. you'll get your needings--that's what you'll get! all day to-morrow! you hear me? you'll wear 'em all day to-morrow! put 'em on first thing in the morning and wear 'em till sundown. no hiding out, neither! wear 'em where folks can see what a bad boy you are. and swearing, too! i got to be 'shamed of you! yes, sir! everybody'll know how 'shamed i am to have a tough kid like you on the place. i won't be able to hold my head up. you wear 'em!" "i--i--i aimed above--" jimmie time broke down. he was weeping bitterly. his captor released him with a final shake, and he brought a forearm to his streaming eyes. "you'll wear 'em all day to-morrow!" again thundered the judge as the culprit sobbed a stumbling way into obscurity. "you'self go to haitch!" the unrelenting complainant called after him. the judge effected a rumbling withdrawal. the night was again calm. then i slept on the problem of the arrowhead's two-gun bad man. it seemed now pretty certain that the fatuous boogles had grossly overpraised him. i must question his being the real doughnuts of any sort--even the mildest--much less the real peruvian. but what was "'em" that in degrading punishment and to the public shame of the arrowhead he must wear on the morrow? what, indeed, could "'em" be? i woke, still pondering the mystery. nor could i be enlightened during my breakfast, for this was solitary, my hostess being long abroad to far places of the arrowhead, and the stolid mask of lew wee inviting no questions. breakfast over, i stationed myself in the bracing sunlight that warmed the east porch and aimlessly overhauled a book of flies. to three that had proved most popular in the neighbouring stream i did small bits of mending, ever with a questing eye on adjacent outbuildings, where little sure shot--_née_ time--might be expected to show himself, wearing "'em." a blank hour elapsed. i no longer affected occupation with the flies. jimmie time was irritating me. had he not been specifically warned to "wear 'em" full shamefully in the public eye? was not the public eye present, avid? boogles i saw intermittently among beanpoles in the garden. he appeared to putter, to have no care or system in his labour. and at moments i noticed he was dropping all pretense of this to stand motionless, staring intently at the shut door of the stable. could his fallen idol be there, i wondered? purposefully i also watched the door of the stable. presently it opened slightly; then, with evident infinite caution, it was pushed outward until it hung half yawning. a palpitant moment we gazed, boogles and i. then shot from the stable gloom an astounding figure in headlong flight. its goal appeared to be the bunk house fifty yards distant; but its course was devious, laid clearly with a view to securing such incidental brief shelter as would be afforded by the corral wall, by a meagre clump of buck-brush, by a wagon, by a stack of hay. good time was made, however. the fugitive vanished into the bunk house and the door of that structure was slammed to. but now the small puzzle i had thought to solve had grown to be, in that brief space--easily under eight seconds--a mystery of enormous, of sheerly inhuman dimensions. for the swift and winged one had been all too plainly a correctly uniformed messenger boy of the western union telegraph company--that blue uniform with metal buttons, with the corded red at the trouser sides, the flat cap fronted by a badge of nickel--unthinkable, yet there. and the speedy bearer of this scenic investiture had been the desperate, blood-letting, two-gun bad man of the arrowhead. it was a complication not to be borne with any restraint. i hastened to stand before the shut door of the sanctuary. it slept in an unpromising stillness. invincibly reticent it seemed, even when the anguished face of jimmie time, under that incredible cap with its nickeled badge, wavered an instant back of the grimy window--wavered and vanished with an effect of very stubborn finality. i would risk no defeat there. i passed resolutely on to boogles, who now most diligently trained up tender young bean vines in the way they should go. "why does he hide in there?" i demanded in a loud, indignant voice. i was to have no nonsense about it. boogles turned on me the slow, lofty, considering regard of a united states senator submitting to photography for publication in a press that has no respect for private rights. he lacked but a few clothes and the portico of a capitol. speech became immanent in him. one should not have been surprised to hear him utter decorative words meant for the rejoicing and incitement of voters. yet he only said--or started to say: "little sure shot'll get that chink yet! i tell you, now, that old boy is sure the real peruvian--" this was absurdly too much. i then and there opened on boogles, opened flooding gates of wrath and scorn on him--for him and for his idol of clay who, i flatly told him, could not be the real doughnuts of any sort. as for his being the real peruvian--faugh! often i had wished to test in speech the widely alleged merits of this vocable. i found it do all that has been claimed for it. its effect on boogles was so withering that i used it repeatedly in the next three minutes. i even faughed him twice in succession, which is very insulting and beneficial indeed, and has a pleasant feel on the lips. "and now then," i said, "if you don't give me the truth of this matter here and now, one of us two is going to be mighty sorry for it." in the early moments of my violence boogles had protested weakly; then he began to quiver perilously. on this i soothed him, and at the precisely right moment i cajoled. i lured him to the bench by the corral gate, and there i conferred costly cigarettes on him as man to man. discreetly then i sounded for the origins of a certain bad man who had a way--even though they might crease him--of leaving deputy marshals where he found them. boogles smoked one of the cigarettes before he succumbed; but first: "let me git my work," said he, and was off to the bunk house. i observed his part in an extended parley before the door was opened to him. he came to me on the bench a moment later, bearing a ball of scarlet yarn, a large crochet hook of bone, and something begun in the zephyr but as yet without form. "i'm making the madam a red one for her birthday," he confided. he bent his statesman's head above the task and wrought with nimble fingers the while he talked. it was difficult, this talk of his, scattered, fragmentary; and his mind would go from it, his voice expire untimely. he must be prompted, recalled, questioned. his hands worked with a very certain skill, but in his narrative he dropped stitches. made to pick these up, the result was still a droning monotony burdened with many irrelevancies. i am loath to transcribe his speech. it were better reported with an eye strictly to salience. you may see, then--and i hope with less difficulty than i had in seeing--jimmie time and boogles on night duty at the front of the little western union office off park row in the far city of new york. the law of that city is tender to the human young. night messenger boys must be adults. it is one of the preliminary shocks to the visitor--to ring for the messenger boy of tradition and behold in his uniform a venerable gentleman with perhaps a flowing white beard. i still think jimmie time and boogles were beating the law--on a technicality. of course jimmie was far descended into the vale of years, and even boogles was forty--but adults! it is three o'clock of a warm spring morning. the two legal adults converse in whispers, like bad boys kept after school. they whisper so as not to waken the manager, a blasé, mature youth of twenty who sleeps expertly in the big chair back of the railing. they whisper of the terrific hazards and the precarious rewards of their adventurous calling. the hazards are nearly all provided by the youngsters who come on the day watch--hardy ruffians of sixteen or so who not only "pick on" these two but, with sportive affectations, often rob them, when they change from uniform to civilian attire, of any spoil the night may have brought them. they are powerless against these aggressions. they can but whisper their indignation. boogles eyed the sleeping manager. "i struck it fine to-night, jimmie!" he whispered. jimmie mutely questioned. "got a whole case note. you know that guy over to the newspaper office--the one that's such a tank drama--he had to send a note up to a girl in a show that he couldn't be there." "that tank drama? sure, i know him. he kids me every time he's stewed." "he kids me, too, something fierce; and he give me the case note." "them strong arms'll cop it on you when they get here," warned jimmie. "took my collar off and hid her on the inside of it. oh, i know tricks!" "chee! you're all to the wall street!" "i got to look out for my stepmother, too. she'd crown me with a chair if she thought i held out on her. beans me about every day just for nothing anyway." "don't you stand for it!" "yah! all right for you to talk. you're the lucky guy. you're an orphan. s'pose you had a stepmother! i wish i was an orphan." jimmie swelled with the pride of orphanship. "yes; i'd hate to have any parents knocking me round," he said. "but if it ain't a stepmother then it's somebody else that beans you. a guy in this burg is always getting knocked round by somebody." "read some more of the novel," pleaded boogles, to change the distressing topic. jimmie drew a tattered paper romance from the pocket of his faded coat and pushed the cap back from his seamed old forehead. it went back easily, having been built for a larger head than his. he found the place he had marked at the end of his previous half-hour with literature. boogles leaned eagerly toward him. he loved being read to. doing it himself was too slow and painful: "'no,' said our hero in a clear, ringing voice; 'all your tainted gold would not keep me here in the foul, crowded city. i must have the free, wild life of the plains, the canter after the texas steers, and the fierce battles with my peers. for me the boundless, the glorious west!'" "chee! it must be something grand--that wild life!" interrupted boogles. "that's the real stuff--the cowboy and trapper on them peraries, hunting bufflers and injuns. i seen a film--" jimmie time frowned at this. he did not like interruptions. he firmly resumed the tale: "with a gesture of disdain our hero waved aside the proffered gold of the scoundrelly millionaire and dashed down the stairway of the proud mansion to where his gallant steed, midnight, was champing at the hitching post. at that moment--" romance was snatched from the hands of jimmie time. the manager towered above him. "ain't i told you guys not to be taking up the company's time with them novels?" he demanded. he sternly returned to his big chair behind the railing, where he no less sternly took up his own perusal of the confiscated tale. "the big stiff!" muttered jimmie. "that's the third one he's copped on me this week. a kid in this choint ain't got no rights! i got a good notion to throw 'em down cold and go with the postal people." "never mind! i'll blow you to an ice cream after work," consoled boogles. "ice cream!" jimmie time was contemptuous. "i want the free, wild life of the boundless peraries. i want b'ar steaks br'iled on the glowing coals of the camp fire. i want to be little sure shot, trapper, scout, and guide--" "next out!" yelled the manager. "hustle now!" jimmie time was next out. he hustled sullenly. boogles, alone, slept fitfully on his bench until the young thugs of the day watch straggled in. then he achieved the change of his uniform to civilian garments, with only the accustomed minor maltreatment at the hands of these tormentors. true, with sportive affectations--yet with deadly intentness--they searched him for possible loot; but only his pockets. his dollar bill, folded inside his collar, went unfound. with assumed jauntiness he strolled from the outlaws' den and safely reached the street. the gilding on the castellated towers of the tallest building in the world dazzled his blinking, foolish eyes. that was a glorious summit which sang to the new sun, but no higher than his own elation at the moment. had he not come off with his dollar? he found balm and a tender stimulus in the morning air--an air for dreams and revolt. boogles felt this as thousands of others must have felt it who were yet tamely issuing from subway caverns and the brooklyn bridge to be wage slaves. a block away from the office he encountered jimmie time, who seemed to await him importantly. he seethed with excitement. "i got one, too!" he called. "that tank drama he sent another note uptown to a restaurant where a party was, and he give me a case note, too." he revealed it; and when boogles withdrew his own treasure the two were lovingly compared and admired. nothing in all the world can be so foul to the touch as the dollar bill that circulates in new york, but these two were intrepidly fondled. "i ain't going back to change," said jimmie time. "them other kids would cop it on me." "have some cigarettes," urged boogies, and royally bought them--with gilded tips, in a beautiful casket. "i had about enough of their helling," declared jimmie, still glowing with a fine desperation. they sought the william street tunnel under the brooklyn bridge. it was cool and dark there. one might smoke and take his ease. and plan! they sprawled on the stone pavement and smoked largely. "chee! if we could get out west and do all them fine things!" mused boogies. "let's!" said jimmie time. "huh!" boogies gasped blankly at this. "let's beat it!" "chee!" said boogies. he stared at this bolder spirit with startled admiration. "me--i'm going," declared jimmie time stoutly, and waited. boogies wavered a tremulous moment. "i'm going with you," he managed at last. he blurted the words. they had to rush out to beat down his native caution with quick blows. "listen!" said jimmie time impressively. "we got money enough to start. then we just strike out for the peraries." "like the guy in the story!" boogies glowed at the adept who before his very eyes was turning a beautiful dream into stark reality. he was praying that his own courage to face it would endure. "you hurry home," commanded jimmie, "and cop an axe and all the grub you can lay your hands on." boogies fell from the heights as he had feared he would. "aw, chee!" he said sanely. "and s'pose me stepmother gets her lamps on me! wouldn't she bean me? sure she would!" "bind her and gag her," said jimmie promptly. "what's one weak woman?" "yah! she's a hellion and you know it." "listen!" said jimmie sternly. "if you're going into the wild and lawless life of the peraries with me you got to learn to get things. jesse james or morgan's men could get me that axe and that grub, and not make one-two-three of it." "them guys had practice--and likely they never had to go against their stepmothers." "do i go alone, then?" "well, now--" "will you or won't you?" boogies drew a fateful breath. "i'll take a chance. you wait here. if i ain't back in one hour you'll know i been murdered." "good, my man!" said jimmie time with the air of an outlaw chief. "be off at once." boogies was off. and boogies was back in less than the hour with a delectable bulging meal sack. he was trembling but radiant. "she seen me gitting away and she yelled her head off," he gasped; "but you bet i never stopped. i just thought of jesse james and general grant, and run like hell!" "good, my man!" said jimmie time; and then, with a sudden gleam of the practical, he inventoried the commissary and quartermaster supplies in the sack. he found them to be: one hatchet; one well-used boiled hambone; six greasy sugared crullers; four dill pickles; a bottle of catchup; two tomatoes all but obliterated in transit; two loaves of bread; a flatiron. jimmie cast the last item from him. "wh'd you bring that for?" he demanded. "i don't know," confessed boogies. "i just put it in. mebbe i was afraid she'd throw it at me when i was making my getaway. it'll be good for cracking nuts if we find any on the peraries. i bet they have nuts!" "all right, then. you can carry it if you want to, pard." jimmie thrust the bundle into boogies' arms and valiantly led a desperate way to the north river. boogies panted under his burden as they dodged impatient taxicabs. so they came into the maze of dock traffic by way of desbrosses street. the eyes of both were lit by adventure. jimmie pushed through the crowd on the wharf to a ticket office. a glimpse through a door of the huge shed had given him inspiration. no common ferryboats for them! he had seen the stately river steamer, _robert fulton_, gay with flags and bunting, awaiting the throng of excursionists. he recklessly bought tickets. so far, so good. a momentous start had been made. at this very interesting point in his discourse to me, however, boogies began to miss explosions too frequently. from the disorderly jumble of his narrative to this moment i believe i have brought something like the truth; i have caused the widely scattered parts to cohere. after this i could make little of his maunderings. they were on the crowded boat and the boat steamed up the hudson river; and they disembarked at a thriving western town--which, i gather, was yonkers--because boogies feared his stepmother might trace him to this boat, and because jimmie time became convinced that detectives were on his track, wanting him for the embezzlement of a worn but still practicable uniform of the western union telegraph company. so it was agreed that they should take to the trackless forest, where there are ways of throwing one's pursuers off the scent; where they would travel by night, guided by the stars, and lay up by day, subsisting on spring water and a little pemmican--source undisclosed. they were not going to be taken alive--that was understood. they hurried through the streets of this thriving western town, ultimately boarding an electric car--with a shrewd eye out for the hellhounds of the law; and the car took them to the beginning of the frontier, where they found the trackless forest. they reached the depths of this forest after climbing a stone wall; and jimmie time said the west looked good to him and that he could already smell the "b'ar steaks br'iling." plain enough still, perhaps; but immediately it seemed that a princess had for some time been sharing this great adventure. she was a beautiful golden-haired princess, though quite small, and had flowers in her hair and put some in the cap of jimmie time--behind the nickel badge--and said she would make him her court dwarf or jester or knight, or something; only the scout who was with her said this was rather silly and that they had better be getting home or they knew very well what would happen to them. but when they got lost jimmie time looked at this scout's rifle and said it was a first-class rifle, and would knock an indian or a wild animal silly. and the scout smoked a cigarette and got sick by it, and cried something fierce; so they made a fire, and the princess didn't get sick when she smoked hers, but told them a couple of bully stories, like reading in a book, and ate every one of the greasy sugared crullers, because she was a genuine princess, and boogies thought at this time that maybe the boundless west wasn't what it was cracked up to be; so, after they met the madam, the madam said, well, if they was wanting to go out west they might as well come along here; and they said all right--as long as they was wanting to go out west anyway, why, they might as well come along with her as with anybody else. and that chink would mighty soon find out if little sure shot wasn't the real peruvian doughnuts, because that old murderer would sure have him hard to find, come sundown; still, he was glad he had come along with the madam, because back there it wasn't any job for you, account of getting too fat for the uniform, with every one giving you the laugh that way--and they wouldn't get you a bigger one--. i left boogies then, though he seemed not to know it. his needle worked swiftly on the red one he was making for the madam, and his aimless, random phrases seemed to flow as before; but i knew now where to apply for the details that had been too many for his slender gift of narrative. at four that afternoon mrs. lysander john pettengill, accompanied by one buck devine, a valued retainer, rode into the yard and dismounted. she at once looked searchingly about her. then she raised her voice, which is a carrying voice even when not raised: "you, jimmie time!" once was enough. the door of the bunk house swung slowly open and the disgraced one appeared in all his shameful panoply. the cap was pulled well down over a face hopelessly embittered. the shrunken little figure drooped. "none of that hiding out!" admonished his judge. "you keep standing round out here where decent folks can look at you and see what a bad boy you are." with a glance she identified me as one of the decent she would have edified. jimmie time muttered evilly in undertones and slouched forward, head down. "ain't he the hostile wretch?" called buck devine, who stood with the horses. he spoke with a florid but false admiration. jimmie time, snarling, turned on him: "you go to--." i perceived that lew wee the night before had delicately indicated by a mere initial letter a bad word that could fall trippingly from the lips of jimmie. "sure!" agreed buck devine cordially. "and say, take this here telegram up to the corner of broadway and harlem; and move lively now--don't you stop to read any of them nickel liberries." i saw what a gentleman should do. i turned my back on the piteous figure of jimmie time. i moved idly off, as if the spectacle of his ignominy had never even briefly engaged me. "shoot up a good cook, will you?" said the lady grimly. "i'll give you your needings." she followed me to the house. on the west porch, when she had exchanged the laced boots, khaki riding breeches, and army shirt for a most absurdly feminine house gown, we had tea. her nose was powdered, and her slippers were bronzed leather and monstrous small. she mingled scotch whiskey with the tea and drank her first cupful from a capacious saucer. "that fresh bunch of campers!" she began. "what you reckon they did last night? cut my wire fence in two places over on the west flat--yes, sir!--had a pair of wire clippers in the whip socket. what i didn't give 'em! say, ain't it a downright wonder i still retain my girlish laughter?" but then, after she had refused my made cigarette for one of her own deft handiwork, she spoke as i wished her to: "yes; three years ago. me visiting a week at the home of mrs. w.b. hemingway and her husband, just outside of yonkers, back in york state. a very nice swell home, with a nice front yard and everything. and also mrs. w.b.'s sister and her little boy, visiting her from albany, the sister's name being mrs. l.h. cummins, and the boy being nine years old and named rupert cummins, junior; and very junior he was for his age, too--i will say that. he was a perfectly handsome little boy; but you might call him a blubberhead if you wanted to, him always being scared silly and pestered and rough-housed out of his senses by his little girl cousin, margery hemingway--mrs. w.b.'s little girl, you understand--and her only seven, or two years younger than junior, but leading him round into all kinds of musses till his own mother was that demoralized after a couple of days she said if that margery child was hers she'd have her put away in some good institution. "of course she only told that to me, not to margery's mother. i don't know--mebbe she would of put her away, she was that frightened little margery would get junior killed off in some horrible manner, like the time she got him to see how high he dast jump out of the apple tree from, or like the time she told him, one ironing day, that if he drank a whole bowlful of starch it would make him have whiskers like his pa in fifteen minutes. things like that--not fatal, mebbe, but wearing. "well, this day come a telegram about nine a.m. for mrs. w.b., that her aunt, with money, is very sick in new jersey, which is near yonkers; so she and mrs. l.h. cummins, her sister, must go to see about this aunt--and would i stay and look after the two kids and not let them get poisoned or killed or anything serious? and they might have to stay overnight, because the aunt was eccentric and often thought she was sick; but this time she might be right. she was worth all the way from three to four hundred thousand dollars. "so i said i'd love to stay and look after the little ones. i wanted to stay. shopping in new york city the day before, two bargain sales--one being hand-embroidered swiss waists from two-ninety-eight upward--i felt as if a stampede of longhorns had caught me. darned near bedfast i was! say, talk about the pale, weak, nervous city woman with exhausted vitality! see 'em in action first, say i. there was a corn-fed hussy in a plush bonnet with forget-me-nots, two hundred and thirty or forty on the hoof, that exhausted my vitality all right--no holds barred, an arm like first-growth hick'ry across my windpipe, and me up against a solid pillar of structural ironwork! once i was wrastled by a cinnamon bear that had lately become a mother; but the poor old thing would have lost her life with this dame after the hand-embroidereds. gee! i was lame in places i'd lived fifty-eight years and never knew i had. "so off went these ladies, with mrs. l.h. cummins giving me special and private warning to be sure and keep junior well out of it in case little mischievous margery started anything that would be likely to kill her. and i looked forward to a quiet day on the lounge, where i could ache in peace and read the 'famous crimes of history,' which the w.b.'s had in twelve volumes--you wouldn't have thought there was that many, would you? i dressed soft, out of respect to my corpse, and picked out a corking volume of these here crimes and lay on the big lounge by an open window where the breeze could soothe me and where i could keep tabs on the little ones at their sports; and everything went as right as if i had been in some a-number-one hospital where i had ought to of been. "lunchtime come before i knew it; and i had mine brought to my bed of pain by the swede on a tray, while the kids et theirs in an orderly and uproarious manner in the dining-room. rupert, junior, was dressed like one of these boy scouts and had his air gun at the table with him, and little margery was telling him there was, too, fairy princes all round in different places; and she bet she could find one any day she wanted to. they seemed to be all safe enough, so i took up my crimes again. really, ain't history the limit?--the things they done in it and got away with--never even being arrested or fined or anything! "pretty soon i could hear the merry prattle of the little ones again out in the side yard. ain't it funny how they get the gambling spirit so young? i'd hear little margery say: 'i bet you can't!' and rupert, junior, would say:' i bet i can, too!' and off they'd go ninety miles on a straight track: 'i bet you'd be afraid to!'--'i bet i wouldn't be!'--'i bet you'd run as fast!'--'i bet i never would!' ever see such natural-born gamblers? and it's all about what rupert, junior, would do if he seen a big tiger in some woods--rupert betting he'd shoot it dead, right between the eyes, and margery taking the other end. she has by far the best end of it, i think, it being at least a forty-to-one shot that rupert, the boy scout, is talking high and wide. and i drop into the crimes again at a good, murderous place with stilettos. "i can't tell even now how it happened. all i know is that it was two o'clock, and all at once it was five-thirty p.m. by a fussy gold clock over on the mantel with a gold young lady, wearing a spear, standing on top of it. i woke up without ever suspicioning that i'd been asleep. anyway, i think i'm feeling better, and i stretch, though careful, account of the dame in the plush bonnet with forget-me-nots; and i lie there thinking mebbe i'll enter the ring again to-morrow for some other truck i was needing, and thinking how quiet and peaceful it is--how awful quiet! i got it then, all right. that quiet! if you'd known little margery better you'd know how sick that quiet made me all at once. my gizzard or something turned clean over. "i let out a yell for them kids right where i lay. then i bounded to my feet and run through the rooms downstairs yelling. no sign of 'em! and out into the kitchen--and here was tillie, the maid, and yetta, the cook, both saying it's queer, but they ain't heard a sound of 'em either, for near an hour. so i yelled out back to an old hick of a gardener that's deef, and he comes running; but he don't know a thing on earth about the kids or anything else. then i am sick! i send tillie one way along the street and the gardener the other way to find out if any neighbours had seen 'em. then in a minute this here yetta, the cook, says: 'why, now, miss margery was saying she'd go downtown to buy some candy,' and yetta says: 'you know, miss margery, your mother never 'ets you have candy.' and margery says: 'well, she might change her mind any minute--you can't tell; and it's best to have some on hand in case she does.' and she'd got some poker chips out of the box to buy the candy with--five blue chips she had, knowing they was nearly money anyway. "and when yetta seen it was only poker chips she knew the kid couldn't buy candy with 'em--not even in yonkers; so she didn't think any more about it until it come over her--just like that--how quiet everything was. oh, that yetta would certainly be found bone clear to the centre if her skull was ever drilled--the same stuff they slaughter the poor elephants for over in africa--going so far away, with yetta right there to their hands, as you might say. and i'm getting sicker and sicker! i'd have retained my calm mind, mind you, if they had been my own kids--but kids of others i'd been sacredly trusted with! "and then down the back stairs comes this here sandy-complected, horse-faced plumber that had been frittering away his time all day up in a bathroom over one little leak, and looking as sad and mournful as if he hadn't just won eight dollars, or whatever it was. he must have been born that way--not even being a plumber had cheered him up. "'blackhanders!'" he says right off, kind of brightening a little bit. "i like to fainted for fair! he says they had lured the kids off with candy and popcorn, and would hold 'em in a tenement house for ten thousand dollars, to be left on a certain spot at twelve p.m. he seemed to know a lot about their ways. "'they got the honourable simon t. griffenbaugh's youngest that way,' he says, 'only a month ago. likely the same gang got these two.' "'how do you know?' i asks him. "'well,' he says, 'they's a gang of over two hundred of these i-talian blackhanders working right now on a sewer job something about two miles up the road. that's how i know,' he says. 'that's plain enough, ain't it? it's as plain as the back of my hand. what chance would them two defenceless little children have with a gang of two hundred blackhanders?' "but that looked foolish, even to me. 'shucks!' i says. 'that don't stand to reason.' but then i got another scare. 'how about water?' i says. 'any places round here they could fall into and get drownded?' "he'd looked glum again when i said two hundred blackhanders didn't sound reasonable; but he cheers up at this and says: 'oh, yes; lots of places they could drownd--cricks and rivers and lakes and ponds and tanks--any number of places they could fall into and never come up again.' say, he made that whole neighbourhood sound like venice, italy. you wondered how folks ever got round without gondolas or something. 'one of dr. george f. maybury's two kids was nearly drownded last tuesday--only the older one saved him; a wonder it was they didn't have to drag the river and find 'em on the bottom locked in each other's arms! and a boy by the name of clifford something, only the other day, playing down by the railroad tracks--' "i shut him off, you bet! i told him to get out quick and go to his home if he had one. "'i certainly hope i won't have to read anything horrible in to-morrow's paper!' he says as he goes down the back stoop. 'only last week they was a nigger caught--' "i shut the door on him. rattled good and plenty i was by then. back comes this silly old gardener--he'd gone with his hoe and was still gripping it. the neighbours down that way hadn't seen the kids. back comes tillie. one neighbour where she'd been had seen 'em climb on to a street car--only it wasn't going downtown but into the country; and this neighbour had said to herself that the boy would be likely to let some one have it in the eye with his gun, the careless way he was lugging it. "thank the lord, that was a trace! i telephoned to the police and told 'em all about it. and i telephoned for a motor car for me and got into some clothes. good and scared--yes! i caught sight of my face in the looking-glass, and, my! but it was pasty--it looked like one of these cheap apple pies you see in the window of a two-bit lunch place! and while i'm waiting for this motor car, what should come but a telegram from mr. w.b. himself saying that the aunt was worse and he would go to new jersey himself for the night! some said this aunt was worth a good deal more than she was supposed to be. and i not knowing the name of this town in jersey where they would all be!--it was east something or west something, and hard to remember, and i'd forgot it. "i called the police again and they said descriptions was being sent out, and that probably i'd better not worry, because they often had cases like this. and i offered to bet them they hadn't a case since yonkers was first thought of that had meant so much spot cash to 'em as this one would mean the minute i got a good grip on them kids. so this cop said mebbe they had better worry a little, after all, and they'd send out two cars of their own and scour the country, and try to find the conductor of this street car that the neighbour woman had seen the kids get on to. "i r'ared round that house till the auto come that i'd ordered. it was late coming, naturally, and nearly dark when it got there; but we covered a lot of miles while the daylight lasted, with the man looking sharp out along the road, too, because he had three kids of his own that would do any living thing sometimes, though safe at home and asleep at that minute, thank god! "it was moisting when we started, and pretty soon it clouded up and the dark came on, and i felt beat. we got fair locoed. we'd go down one road and then back the same way. we stopped to ask everybody. then we found the two autos sent out by the police. i told the cops again what would happen to 'em from me the minute the kids was found--the kids or their bodies. i was so despairing--what with that damned plumber and everything! i'll bet he's the merry chatterbox in his own home. the police said cheer up--nothing like that, with the country as safe as a church. but we went over to this blackhanders' construction camp, just the same, to make sure, and none of the men was missing, the boss said, and no children had been seen; and anyway his men was ordinary decent wops and not blackhanders--and blamed if about fifty of 'em didn't turn out to help look! yes, sir, there they was--foreigners to the last man except the boss, who was irish--and acting just like human beings. "it was near ten o'clock now; so we went to a country saloon to telephone police headquarters, and they had found the car conductor, he remembering because he had threatened to put the boy scout off the car if he didn't quit pointing his gun straight at an old man with gold spectacles setting across the aisle. and finally they had got off themselves about three miles down the road; he'd watched 'em climb over a stone wall and start up a hill into some woods that was there. and he was conductor number twenty-seven, if we wanted to know that. "we beat it to that spot after i'd powdered my nose and we'd had a quick round of drinks. the policemen knew where it was. it wasn't moisting any more--it was raining for fair; and we done some ground-and-lofty skidding before we got there. we found the stone wall all right and the slope leading up to the woods; but, my lord, there was a good half mile of it! we strung out--four cops and my driver and me--hundreds of yards apart and all yelling, so maybe the poor lost things would hear us. "we made up to the woods without raising a sign; and, my lands, wasn't it dark inside the woods! i worked forward, trying to keep straight from tree to tree; but i stumbled and tore my clothes and sprained my wrist, and blacked one eye the prettiest you'd want to see--mighty near being a blubberhead myself, i was--it not being my kids, you understand. oh, i kept to it though! i'd have gone straight up the grand old state of new york into lake erie if something hadn't stopped me. "it was a light off through the pine and oak trees, and down in a kind of little draw--not a lamplight but a fire blazing up. i yelled to both sides toward the others. i can yell good when i'm put to it. then i started for the light. i could make out figures round the fire. mebbe it's a blackhanders' camp, i think; so i didn't yell any more. i cat-footed. and in a minute i was up close and seen 'em--there in the dripping rain. "rupert, junior, was asleep, leaned setting up against a tree, with a messenger boy's cap on. and margery was asleep on a pile of leaves, with her cheek on one hand and something over her. and a fat man was asleep on his back, with his mouth open, making an awful fuss about it. and the only one that wasn't asleep was a funny little old man setting against another tree. he had on the scout's campaign hat and he held the gun across his chest in the crook of his arm. he hadn't any coat on. then i see his coat was what was over margery; and i looked closer and it was a messenger boy's coat. "i was more floored than ever when i took that in. i made a little move, and this funny old man must have heard me--he looked like one of them silly little critters that play hob with rip van winkle out on the mountain before he goes to sleep. and he cocks his ears this way and that; then he jumped to his feet, and i come forward where he could see me. and darned if he didn't up with this here air gun of rupert's, like a flash, and plunk me with a buckshot it carried--right on my sprained wrist, too! "say, i let out a yell, and i had him by the neck of his shirt in one grab. i was still shaking him when the others come to. the fat man set up and rubbed his eyes and blinked. that's all he done. rupert woke up the same minute and begun to cry like a baby; and margery woke up, but she didn't cry. she took a good look at me and she says: 'you let him alone! he's my knight--he slays all the dragons. he's a good knight!' "there i was, still shaking the little old man--i'd forgot all about him. so i dropped him on the ground and reached for margery; and i was so afraid i was going to blubber like rupert, the scout, that i let out some words to keep from it. yes, sir; i admit it. "'oh! oh! oh! swearing!' says rupert. i shall tell mother and aunt hilda just what you said!' "mebby you can get rupert's number from that. i did anyway. i stood up from margery and cuffed him. he went on sobbing, but not without reason. "'margery hemingway,' i says, 'how dare you!' and she looks up all cool and cunning, and says: 'ho! i bet i know worse words than what you said! see if i don't.' so then i shut her off mighty quick. but still she didn't cry. 'i s'pose i must go back home,' she says. 'and perhaps it is all for the best. i have a very beautiful home. perhaps i should stay there oftener.' "i turned on the blackhanders. "'did these brutes entice you away with candy?' i demanded. 'was they holding you here for ransom?' "'huh! i should think not!' she says. 'they are a couple of 'fraid-cats. they were afraid as anything when we all got lost in these woods and wanted to keep on finding our way out. and i said i bet they were awful cowards, and the fat one said of course he was; but this old one became very, very indignant and said he bet he wasn't any more of a coward than i am, but we simply ought to go where there were more houses. and so i consented and we got lost worse than ever--about a hundred miles, i think--in this dense forest and we couldn't return to our beautiful homes. and this one said he was a trapper, scout, and guide; so he built this lovely fire and i ate a lot of crullers the silly things had brought with them. and then this old one flung his robe over me because i was a princess, and it made me invisible to prowling wolves; and anyway he sat up to shoot them with his deadly rifle that he took away from cousin rupert. and cousin rupert became very tearful indeed; so we took his hat away, too, because it's a truly scout hat.' "'and she smoked a cigarette,' says rupert, still sobbing. "'he smoked one, too, and i mean to tell his mother,' says margery. 'it's something i think she ought to know.' "'it made me sick,' says rupert. 'it was a poison cigarette; i nearly died.' "'mine never made me sick,' says margery--'only it was kind of sting-y to the tongue and i swallowed smoke through my nose repeatedly. and first, this old one wouldn't give us the cigarettes at all, until i threatened to cast a spell on him and turn him into a toad forever. i never did that to any one, but i bet i could. and the fat one cried like anything and begged me not to turn the old one into a toad, and the old one said he didn't think i could in a thousand years, but he wouldn't take any chances in the far west; so he gave us the cigarettes, and rupert only smoked half of his and then he acted in a very common way, i must say. and this old one said we would have br'iled b'ar steaks for breakfast. what is a br'iled b'ar steak? i'm hungry.' "such was little angel-faced margery. does she promise to make life interesting for those who love her, or does she not? "well, that's all. of course these cops when they come up said the two men was desperate crooks wanted in every state in the union; but i swore i knew them both well and they was harmless; and i made it right with 'em about the reward as soon as i got back to a check book. after that they'd have believed anything i said. and i sent something over to the blackhanders that had turned out to help look, and something to conductor number twenty-seven. and the next day i squared myself with mrs. w.b. hemingway and her husband, and mrs. l.h. cummins, when they come back, the aunt not having been sick but only eccentric again. "and them two poor homeless boys--they kind of got me, i admit, after i'd questioned 'em awhile. so i coaxed 'em out here where they could lead the wild, free life. kind of sad and pathetic, almost, they was. the fat one i found was just a kind of natural-born one--a feeb you understand--and the old one had a scar that the doctor said explained him all right--you must have noticed it up over his temple. it's where his old man laid him out once, when he was a kid, with a stovelifter. it seemed to stop his works. "yes; they're pretty good boys. boogies was never bad but once, account of two custard pies off the kitchen window sill. i threatened him with his stepmother and he hid under the house for twenty-four hours. the other one is pretty good, too. this is only the second time i had to punish him for fooling with live ca'tridges. there! it's sundown and he's got on his wild wests again." jimmie time swaggered from the bunk house in his fearsome regalia. under the awed observation of boogles he wheeled, drew, and shot from the hip one who had cravenly sought to attack him from the rear. "my, but he's hostile!" murmured my hostess. "ain't he just the hostile little wretch?" iv once a scotchman, always terrific sound waves beat upon the arrowhead ranch house this night. at five o'clock a hundred and twenty hereford calves had been torn from their anguished mothers for the first time and shut into a too adjacent feeding pen. mothers and offspring, kept a hundred yards apart by two stout fences, unceasingly bawled their grief, a noble chorus of yearning and despair. the calves projected a high, full-throated barytone, with here and there a wailing tenor against the rumbling bass of their dams. and ever and again pealed distantly into the chorus the flute obbligato of an emotional coyote down on the flat. there was never a diminuendo. the fortissimo had been steadily maintained for three hours and would endure the night long, perhaps for two other nights. at eight o'clock i sleepily wondered how i should sleep. and thus wondering, i marvelled at the indifference to the racket of my hostess, mrs. lysander john pettengill. through dinner and now as she read a san francisco newspaper she had betrayed no consciousness of it. she read her paper and from time to time she chuckled. "how do you like it?" i demanded, referring to the monstrous din. "it's great," she said, plainly referring to something else. "one of them real upty-up weddings in high life, with orchestras and bowers of orchids and the bride a vision of loveliness--" "i mean the noise." "what noise?" she put the paper aside and stared at me, listening intently. i saw that she was honestly puzzled, even as the chorus swelled to unbelievable volume. i merely waved a hand. the coyote was then doing a most difficult tremolo high above the clamour. "oh, that!" said my enlightened hostess. "that's nothing; just a little bunch of calves being weaned. we never notice that--and say, they got the groom's mother in here, too. yes, sir, ellabelle in all her tiaras and sunbursts and dog collars and diamond chest protectors--mrs. angus mcdonald, mother of groom, in a stunning creation! i bet they didn't need any flashlight when they took her, not with them stones all over her person. they could have took her in a coal cellar." "how do you expect to sleep with all that going on?" i insisted. "all what? oh, them calves. that's nothing! angus says to her when they first got money: 'whatever you economize in, let it not be in diamonds!' he says nothing looks so poverty-stricken as a person that can only afford a few. better wear none at all than just a mere handful, he says. what do you think of that talk from a man named angus mcdonald? you'd think a scotchman and his money was soon parted, but i heard him say it from the heart out. and yet ellabelle never does seem to get him. only a year ago, when i was at this here rich place down from san francisco where they got the new marble palace, there was a lovely blow-up and ellabelle says to me in her hysteria: 'once a scotchman, always a scotchman!' oh, she was hysteric all right! she was like what i seen about one of the movie actresses, 'the empress of stormy emotion.' of course she feels better now, after the wedding and all this newspaper guff. and it was a funny blow-up. i don't know as i blamed her at the time." i now closed a window and a door upon the noisy september night. it helped a little. i went back to a chair nearer to this woman with ears trained in rejection. that helped more. i could hear her now, save in the more passionate intervals of the chorus. "all right, then. what was the funny blow-up?" she caught the significance of the closed door and window. "but that's music," she insisted. "why, i'd like to have a good record of about two hundred of them white-faced beauties being weaned, so i could play it on a phonograph when i'm off visiting--only it would make me too homesick." she glanced at the closed door and window in a way that i found sinister. "i couldn't hear you," i suggested. "oh, all right!" she listened wistfully a moment to the now slightly dulled oratorio, then: "yes, angus mcdonald is his name; but there are two kinds of scotch, and angus is the other kind. of course he's one of the big millionaires now, with money enough to blind any kind of a scotchman, but he was the other kind even when he first come out to us, a good thirty years ago, without a cent. he's a kind of second or third cousin of mine by marriage or something--i never could quite work it out--and he'd learned his trade back in ohio; but he felt that the east didn't have any future to speak of, so he decided to come west. he was a painter and grainer and kalsominer and paperhanger, that kind of thing--a good, quiet boy about twenty-five, not saying much, chunky and slow-moving but sure, with a round scotch head and a snub nose, and one heavy eyebrow that run clean across his face--not cut in two like most are. "he landed on the ranch and slowly looked things over and let on after a few days that he mebbe would be a cowboy on account of it taking him outdoors more than kalsomining would. lysander john was pretty busy, but he said all right, and gave him a saddle and bridle and a pair of bull pants and warned him about a couple of cinch-binders that he mustn't try to ride or they would murder him. and so one morning angus asked a little bronch-squeezer we had, named everett sloan, to pick him out something safe to ride, and everett done so. brought him up a nice old rope horse that would have been as safe as a supreme-court judge, but the canny angus says: 'no, none of your tricks now! that beast has the very devil in his eye, and you wish to sit by and laugh your fool head off when he displaces me.' 'is that so?' says everett. 'i suspect you,' says angus. 'i've read plentifully about the tricks of you cowlads.' 'pick your own horse, then,' says everett. 'i'd better,' says angus, and picks one over by the corral gate that was asleep standing up, with a wisp of hay hanging out of his mouth like he'd been too tired to finish eating it. 'this steed is more to my eye,' says angus. 'he's old and withered and he has no evil ambitions. but maybe i can wake him up.' 'maybe you can,' says everett, 'but are you dead sure you want to?' angus was dead sure. 'i shall thwart your murderous design,' says he. so everett with a stung look helped him saddle this one. he had his alibi all right, and besides, nothing ever did worry that buckaroo as long as his fingers wasn't too cold to roll a cigarette. "the beast was still asleep when angus forked him. without seeming to wake up much he at once traded ends, poured angus out of the saddle, and stacked him up in some mud that was providentially there--mud soft enough to mire your shadow. angus got promptly up, landed a strong kick in the ribs of the outlaw which had gone to sleep again before he lit, shook hands warmly with everett and says: 'what does a man need with two trades anyway? good-bye!' "but when lysander john hears about it he says angus has just the right stuff in him for a cowman. he says he has never known one yet that you could tell anything to before he found it out for himself, and angus must sure have the makings of a good one, so he persuades him to stay round for a while, working at easy jobs that couldn't stack him up, and later he sent him to omaha with the bunch in charge of a trainload of steers. "the trip back was when his romance begun. angus had kept fancy-free up to that time, being willing enough but thoroughly cautious. do you remember the eating-house at north platte, nebraska? the night train from omaha would reach there at breakfast time and you'd get out in the frosty air, hungry as a confirmed dyspeptic, and rush into the big red building past the man that was rapidly beating on a gong with one of these soft-ended bass-drum sticks. my, the good hot smells inside! tables already loaded with ham and eggs and fried oysters and fried chicken and sausage and fried potatoes and steaks and hot biscuits and corn bread and hot cakes and regular coffee--till you didn't know which to begin on, and first thing you knew you had your plate loaded with too many things--but how you did eat!--and yes, thank you, another cup of coffee, and please pass the sirup this way. and no worry about the train pulling out, because there the conductor is at that other table and it can't go without him, so take your time--and about three more of them big fried oysters, the only good fried ones i ever had in the world! to this day i get hungry thinking of that north platte breakfast, and mad when i go into the dining-car as we pass there and try to get the languid mulatto to show a little enthusiasm. "well, they had girls at that eating-house. of course no one ever noticed 'em much, being too famished and busy. you only knew in a general way that females was passing the food along. but angus actually did notice ellabelle, though it must have been at the end of the meal, mebbe when she was pouring the third cup. ellabelle was never right pretty to my notion, but she had some figure and kind of a sad dignity, and her brown hair lacked the towers and minarets and golden domes that the other girls built with their own or theirs by right of purchase. and she seems to have noticed angus from the very first. angus saw that when she wasn't passing the fried chicken or the hot biscuits along, even for half a minute, she'd pick up a book from the window sill and glance studiously at its pages. he saw the book was called 'lucile.' and he looked her over some more--between mouthfuls, of course--the neat-fitting black dress revealing every line of her lithe young figure, like these magazine stories say, the starched white apron and the look of sad dignity that had probably come of fresh drummers trying to teach her how to take a joke, and the smooth brown hair--he'd probably got wise to the other kind back in the social centres of ohio--and all at once he saw there was something about her. he couldn't tell what it was, but he knew it was there. he heard one of the over-haired ones call her ellabelle, and he committed the name to memory. "he also remembered the book she was reading. he come back with a copy he'd bought at spokane and kept it on his bureau. not that he read it much. it was harder to get into than 'peck's bad boy,' which was his favourite reading just then. "pretty soon another load of steers is ready--my sakes, what scrubby runts we sent off the range in them days compared to now!--and angus pleads to go, so lysander john makes a place for him and, coming back, here's ellabelle handing the hot things along same as ever, with 'lucile' at hand for idle moments. this time angus again made certain there was something about her. he cross-examined her, i suppose, between the last ham and eggs and the first hot cakes. her folks was corn farmers over in iowa and she'd gone to high school and had meant to be a teacher, but took this job because with her it was anything to get out of iowa, which she spoke of in a warm, harsh way. "angus nearly lost the train that time, making certain there was something about her. he told her to be sure and stay there till he showed up again. he told me about her when he got back. 'there's something about her,' he says. 'i suspect it's her eyes, though it might be something else.' "me? i suspected there was something about her, too; only i thought it was just that north platte breakfast and his appetite. no meal can ever be like breakfast to them that's two-fisted, and angus was. he'd think there was something about any girl, i says to myself, seeing her through the romantic golden haze of them north platte breakfast victuals. of course i didn't suggest any such base notion to angus, knowing how little good it does to talk sense to a man when he thinks there's something about a girl. he tried to read 'lucile' again, but couldn't seem to strike any funny parts. "next time he went to omaha, a month later, he took his other suit and his new boots. 'i shall fling caution to the winds and seal my fate,' he says. 'there's something about her, and some depraved scoundrel might find it out.' 'all right, go ahead and seal,' i says. 'you can't expect us to be shipping steers every month just to give you twenty minutes with a north platte waiter girl.' 'will she think me impetuous?' says he. 'better that than have her think you ain't,' i warns him. 'men have been turned down for ten million reasons, and being impetuous is about the only one that was never numbered among them. it will be strange o'clock when that happens.' 'she's different,' says angus. 'of course,' i says. 'we're all different. that's what makes us so much alike.' 'you might know,' says he doubtfully. "he proved i did, on the trip back. he marched up to ellabelle's end of the table in his other suit and his new boots and a startling necktie he'd bought at a place near the stockyards in south omaha, and proposed honourable marriage to her, probably after the first bite of sausage and while she was setting his coffee down. 'and you've only twenty minutes,' he says, 'so hurry and pack your grip. we'll be wed when we get off the train.' 'you're too impetuous,' says ellabelle, looking more than ever as if there was something about her. 'there, i was afraid i'd be,' says angus, quitting on some steak and breaking out into scarlet rash. 'what did you think i am?' demands ellabelle. 'did you think i would answer your beck and call or your lightest nod as if i were your slave or something? little you know me,' she says, tossing her head indignantly. 'i apologize bitterly,' says angus. 'the very idea is monstrous,' says she. 'twenty minutes--and with all my packing! you will wait over till the four-thirty-two this afternoon,' she goes on, very stern and nervous, 'or all is over between us.' 'i'll wait as long as that for you,' says angus, going to the steak again. 'are the other meals here as good as breakfast?' 'there's one up the street,' says ellabelle; 'a presbyterian.' 'i would prefer a presbyterian,' says angus. 'are those fried oysters i see up there?' "that was about the way of it, i gathered later. anyway, angus brought her back, eating on the way a whole wicker suitcase full of lunch that she put up. and she seemed a good, capable girl, all right. she told me there was something about angus. she'd seen that from the first. even so, she said, she hadn't let him sweep her off her feet like he had meant to, but had forced him to give her time to do her packing and consider the grave step she was taking for better or worse, like every true, serious-minded woman ought to. "angus now said he couldn't afford to fritter away any more time in the cattle business, having a wife to support in the style she had been accustomed to, so he would go to work at his trade. he picked out wallace, just over in idaho, as a young and growing town where he could do well. he rented a nice four-room cottage there, with an icebox out on the back porch and a hammock in the front yard, and begun to paper and paint and grain and kalsomine and made good money from the start. ellabelle was a crackajack housekeeper and had plenty of time to lie out in the hammock and read 'lucile' of afternoons. "by and by angus had some money saved up, and what should he do with bits of it now and then but grubstake old snowstorm hickey, who'd been scratching mountainsides all his life and never found a thing and likely never would--a grouchy old hardshell with white hair and whiskers whirling about his head in such quantities that a body just naturally called him snowstorm without thinking. it made him highly indignant, but he never would get the things cut. well, and what does this old snow-scene-in-the-alps do after about a year but mush along up the cañon past mullan and find a high-grade proposition so rich it was scandalous! they didn't know how rich at first, of course, but angus got assays and they looked so good they must be a mistake, so they sunk a shaft and drifted in a tunnel, and the assays got better, and people with money was pretty soon taking notice. "one day snowstorm come grouching down to angus and tells about a capitalist that had brought two experts with him and nosed over the workings for three days. snowstorm was awful dejected. he had hated the capitalist right off. 'he wears a gold watch chain and silk underclothes like one of these fly city dames,' says snowstorm, who was a knowing old scoundrel, 'and he says his syndicate on the reports of these two thieving experts will pay twelve hundred for it and not a cent more. what do you think of that for nerve?' "'is that all?' says angus, working away at his job in the new international hotel at wallace. graining a door in the dining-room he was, with a ham rind and a stocking over one thumb nail, doing little curlicues in the brown wet paint to make it look like what the wood was at first before it was painted at all. 'well,' he says, 'i suspected from the assays that we might get a bit more, but if he had experts with him you better let him have it for twelve hundred. after all, twelve hundred dollars is a good bit of money.' "'twelve hundred thousand,' says snowstorm, still grouchy. "'oh,' says angus. 'in that case don't let him have it. if the shark offers that it'll be worth more. i'll go into the mining business myself as soon as i've done this door and the wainscoting and give them their varnish.' "he did so. he had the international finished in three more days, turned down a job in the new bank building cold, and went into the mining business just like he'd do anything else--slow and sure, yet impetuous here and there. it wasn't a hard proposition, the stuff being there nearly from the grass roots, and the money soon come a-plenty. snowstorm not only got things trimmed up but had 'em dyed black as a crow's wing and retired to a life of sinful ease in spokane, eating bacon and beans and cocoanut custard pie three times a day till the doctors found out what a lot of expensive things he had the matter with him. "angus not only kept on the job but branched out into other mines that he bought up, and pretty soon he quit counting his money. you know what that would mean to most of his race. it fazed him a mite at first. he tried faithfully to act like a crazy fool with his money, experimenting with revelry and champagne for breakfast, and buying up the sans soosy dance hall every saturday night for his friends and admirers. but he wasn't gaited to go on that track long. even ellabelle wasn't worried the least bit, and in fact she thought something of the kind was due his position. and she was busy herself buying the things that are champagne to a woman, only they're kept on the outside. that was when angus told her if she was going in for diamonds at all to get enough so she could appear to be wasteful and contemptuous of them. two thousand she give for one little diamond circlet to pin her napkin up on her chest with. it was her own idea. "then angus for a time complicated his amateur debauchery with fast horses. he got him a pair of matched pacing stallions that would go anywhere, he said. and he frequently put them there when he had the main chandelier lighted. in driving them over a watering-trough one night an accident of some sort happened. angus didn't come to till after his leg was set and the stitches in--eight in one place, six in another, and so on; i wonder why they're always so careful to count the stitches in a person that way--and he wished to know if his new side-bar buggy was safe and they told him it wasn't, and he wanted to know where his team was, but nobody knew that for three days, so he says to the doctors and ellabelle: 'hereafter i suspect i shall take only soft drinks like beer and sherry. champagne has a bonnier look but it's too enterprising. i might get into trouble some time.' and he's done so to this day. oh, i've seen him take a sip or two of champagne to some one's health, or as much scotch whiskey in a tumbler of water as you could dribble from a medium-boilered fountain pen. but that's a high riot with him. he'll eat one of these corned peaches in brandy, and mebbe take a cream pitcher of beer on his oatmeal of a morning when his stomach don't feel just right, but he's never been a willing performer since that experiment in hurdling. "when he could walk again him and ellabelle moved to the international hotel, where she wouldn't have to cook or split kindling and could make a brutal display of diamonds at every meal, and we went down to see them. that was when angus give lysander john the scarfpin he'd sent clear to new york for--a big gold bull's head with ruby eyes and in its mouth a nugget of platinum set with three diamonds. of course lysander john never dast wear it except when angus was going to see it. "then along comes angus, junior, though poor ellabelle thinks for several days that he's elwin. we'd gone down so i could be with her. "'elwin is the name i have chosen for my son,' says she to angus the third day. "'not so,' says angus, slumping down his one eyebrow clear across in a firm manner. 'you're too late. my son is already named. i named him angus the night before he was born.' "'how could you do that when you didn't know the sex?' demands ellabelle with a frightened air of triumph. "'i did it, didn't i?' says angus. 'then why ask how i could?' and he curved the eyebrow up one side and down the other in a fighting way. "ellabelle had been wedded wife of angus long enough to know when the scotch curse was on him. 'very well,' she says, though turning her face to the wall. angus straightened the eyebrow. 'like we might have two now, one of each kind,' says he quite soft, 'you'd name your daughter as you liked, with perhaps no more than a bit of a suggestion from me, to be taken or not by you, unless we'd contend amiably about it for a length of time till we had it settled right as it should be. but a son--my son--why, look at the chest on him already, projecting outward like a clock shelf--and you would name him--but no matter! i was forehanded, thank god.' oh, you saw plainly that in case a girl ever come along ellabelle would have the privilege of naming it anything in the world she wanted to that angus thought suitable. "so that was settled reasonably, and angus went on showing what to do with your mine instead of selling it to a shark, and the baby fatted up, being stall-fed, and ellabelle got out into the world again, with more money than ever to spend, but fewer things to buy, because in wallace she couldn't think of any more. trust her, though! first the international hotel wasn't good enough. angus said they'd have a mansion, the biggest in wallace, only without slippery hardwood floors, because he felt brittle after his accident. ellabelle says wallace itself ain't big enough for the mansion that ought to be a home to his only son. she was learning how to get to angus without seeming to. he thought there might be something in that, still he didn't like to trust the child away from him, and he had to stick there for a while. "so ellabelle's health broke down. yes, sir, she got to be a total wreck. of course the fool doctor in wallace couldn't find it out. she tried him and he told her she was strong as a horse and ought to be doing a tub of washing that very minute. which was no way to talk to the wife of a rich mining man, so he lost quite a piece of money by it. ellabelle then went to spokane and consulted a specialist. that's the difference. you only see a doctor, but a specialist you consult. this one confirmed her fears about herself in a very gentlemanly way and reaped his reward on the spot. ellabelle's came after she had convinced angus that even if she did have such a good appetite it wasn't a normal one, but it was, in fact, one of her worst symptoms and threatened her with a complete nervous breakdown. after about a year of this, when angus had horned his way into a few more mines--he said he might as well have a bunch of them since he couldn't be there on the spot anyway--they went to new york city. angus had never been there except to pass from a clyde liner to jersey city, and they do say that when he heard the rates, exclusive of board, at the one ellabelle had picked out from reading the papers, he timidly asked her if they hadn't ought to go to the other hotel. she told him there wasn't any other--not for them. she told him further it was part of her mission to broaden his horizon, and she firmly meant to do it if god would only vouchsafe her a remnant of her once magnificent vitality. "she didn't have to work so hard either. angus begun to get a broader horizon in just a few days, corrupting every waiter he came in contact with, and there was a report round the hotel the summer i was there that a hat-boy had actually tried to reason with him, thinking he was a foreigner making mistakes with his money by giving up a dollar bill every time for having his hat snatched from him. as a matter of fact, angus can't believe to this day that dollar bills are money. he feels apologetic when he gives 'em away. all the same i never believed that report about the hat-boy till someone explained to me that he wasn't allowed to keep his loot, not only having clothes made special without pockets but being searched to the hide every night like them poor unfortunate zulus that toil in the diamond mines of africa. of course i could see then that this boy had become merely enraged like a wild-cat at having a dollar crowded onto him for some one else every time a head waiter grovelled angus out of the restaurant. "the novelty of that life wore off after about a year, even with side trips to resorts where the prices were sufficiently outrageous to charm ellabelle. she'd begun right off to broaden her own horizon. after only one week in new york she put her diamond napkin pincher to doing other work, and after six months she dressed about as well as them prominent society ladies that drift round the corridors of this hotel waiting for parties that never seem on time, and looking none too austere while they wait. "so ellabelle, having in the meantime taken up art and literature and gone to lectures where the professor would show sights and scenes in foreign lands with his magic lantern, begun to feel the call of the old world. she'd got far beyond 'lucile'--though 'peck's bad boy' was still the favourite of angus when he got time for any serious reading--- and was coming to loathe the crudities of our so-called american civilization. so she said. she begun to let out to angus that they wasn't doing right by the little one, bringing him up in a hole like new york city where he'd catch the american accent--though god knows where she ever noticed that danger there!--and it was only fair to the child to get him to england or paris or some such place where he could have decent advantages. i gather that angus let out a holler at first so that ellabelle had to consult another specialist and have little angus consult one, too. they both said: 'certainly, don't delay another day if you value the child's life or your own,' and of course angus had to give in. i reckon that was the last real fight he ever put up till the time i'm going to tell you about. "they went to england and bought a castle that had never known the profane touch of a plumber, having been built in the time of the first earl or something, and after that they had to get another castle in france, account of little angus having a weak throat that ellabelle got another gentlemanly specialist to find out about him; and so it went, with ellabelle hovering on the very edge of a nervous breakdown, and taking up art and literature at different spots where fashion gathered, going to italy and india's coral strand to study the dead past, and so forth, and learning to address her inferiors in a refined and hostile manner, with little angus having a maid and a governess and something new the matter with him every time ellabelle felt the need of a change. "at first angus used to make two trips back every year, then he cut them down to one, and at last he'd only come every two or three years, having his hirelings come to him instead. he'd branched out a lot, even at that distance, getting into copper and such, and being president of banks and trusts here and there and equitable cooperative companies and all such things that help to keep the lower classes trimmed proper. for a whole lot of years i didn't see either of 'em. i sort of lost track of the outfit, except as i'd see the name of angus heading a new board of directors after the reorganization, or renting the north half of scotland for the sage-hen and coyote shooting, or whatever the game is there. of course it took genius to do this with angus, and i've never denied that ellabelle has it. i bet there wasn't a day in all them years that angus didn't believe himself to be a stubborn, domineering brute, riding roughshod over the poor little wreck of a woman. if he didn't it wasn't for want of his wife accusing him of it in so many words--and perhaps a few more. "i guess she got to feeling so sure of herself she let her work coarsen up. anyway, when little angus come to be eighteen his pa shocked her one day by saying he must go back home to some good college. 'you mean england,' says ellabelle, they being at the time on some other foreign domains. "'i do not,' says angus, 'nor sweden nor japan nor east africa. i mean the united states.' 'you're jesting,' says she. 'you wrong me cruelly,' says angus. 'the lad's eighteen and threatening to be a foreigner. should he stay here longer it would set in his blood.' 'remember his weak throat,' says ellabelle. 'i did,' says angus. 'to save you trouble i sent for a specialist to look him over. he says the lad has never a flaw in his throat. we'll go soon.' "of course it was dirty work on the part of angus, getting to the specialist first, but she saw she had to take it. she knew it was like the time they agreed on his name--she could see the scotch blood leaping in his veins. so she gave in with never a mutter that angus could hear. that's part of the genius of ellabelle, knowing when she can and when she positively cannot, and making no foolish struggle in the latter event. "back they come to new york and young angus went to the swellest college ellabelle could learn about, and they had a town house and a country house and ellabelle prepared to dazzle new york society, having met frayed ends of it in her years abroad. but she couldn't seem to put it over. lots of male and female society foreigners that she'd met would come and put up with her and linger on in the most friendly manner, but ellabelle never fools herself so very much. she knew she wasn't making the least dent in new york itself. she got uncomfortable there. i bet she had that feeling you get when you're riding your horse over soft ground and all at once he begins to bog down. "anyway, they come west after a year or so, where angus had more drag and ellabelle could feel more important. not back to wallace, of course. ellabelle had forgotten the name of that town, and also they come over a road that misses the thriving little town of north platte by several hundred miles. and pretty soon they got into this darned swell little suburb out from san francisco, through knowing one of the old families that had lived there man and boy for upward of four years. it's a town where i believe they won't let you get off the train unless you got a visitor's card and a valet. "here at last ellabelle felt she might come into her own, for parties seemed to recognize her true worth at once. some of them indeed she could buffalo right on the spot, for she hadn't lived in europe and such places all them years for nothing. so, camping in a miserable rented shack that never cost a penny over seventy thousand dollars, with only thirty-eight rooms and no proper space for the servants, they set to work building their present marble palace--there's inside and outside pictures of it in a magazine somewhere round here--bigger than the state insane asylum and very tasty and expensive, with hand-painted ceilings and pergolas and cafés and hot and cold water and everything. "it was then i first see ellabelle after all the years, and i want to tell you she was impressive. she looked like the descendant of a long line of ancestry or something and she spoke as good as any reciter you ever heard in a hall. last time i had seen her she was still forgetting about the r's--she'd say: 'oh, there-urr you ah!' thus showing she was at least half iowa in breed--but nothing like that now. she could give the english cards and spades and beat them at their own game. her face looked a little bit overmassaged and she was having trouble keeping her hips down, and wore a patent chin-squeezer nights, and her hair couldn't be trusted to itself long at a time; but she knew how to dress and she'd learned decency in the use of the diamond except when it was really proper to break out all over with 'em. you'd look at her twice in any show ring. ain't women the wonders! gazing at ellabelle when she had everything on, you'd never dream that she'd come up from the vilest dregs only a few years before--helping cook for the harvest hands in iowa, feeding union pacific passengers at twenty-two a month, or splitting her own kindling at wallace, idaho, and dreaming about a new silk dress for next year, or mebbe the year after if things went well. "men ain't that way. angus had took no care of his figure, which was now pouchy, his hair was gray, and he was either shedding or had been reached, and he had lines of care and food in his face, and took no pains whatever with his accent--or with what he said, for that matter. i never saw a man yet that could hide a disgraceful past like a woman can. they don't seem to have any pride. most of 'em act like they don't care a hoot whether people find it out on 'em or not. "angus was always reckless that way, adding to his wife's burden of anxiety. she'd got her own vile past well buried, but she never knew when his was going to stick its ugly head up out of its grave. he'd go along all right for a while like one of the best set had ought to--then zooey! we was out to dinner at another millionaire's one night--in that town you're either a millionaire or drawing wages from one--and angus talked along with his host for half an hour about the impossibility of getting a decent valet on this side of the water, americans not knowing their place like the english do, till you'd have thought he was born to it, and then all at once he breaks out about the hardwood finish to the dining-room, and how the art of graining has perished and ought to be revived. 'and i wish i had a silver dollar,' he says, 'for every door like that one there that i've grained to resemble the natural wood so cunningly you'd never guess it--hardly.' "at that his break didn't faze any one but ellabelle. the host was an old train-robber who'd cut your throat for two bits--i'll bet he couldn't play an honest game of solitaire--and he let out himself right off that he had once worked in a livery stable and was proud of it; but poor ellabelle, who'd been talking about the dear countess of comtessa or somebody, and the dukes and earls that was just one-two-three with her on the other side, she blushed up till it almost showed through the second coating. angus was certainly poison ivy to her on occasion, and he'd refuse to listen to reason when she called him down about it. he'd do most of the things she asked him to about food and clothes and so forth--like the time he had the two gold teeth took out and replaced by real porcelain nature fakers--but he never could understand why he wasn't free to chat about the days when he earned what money he had. "it was this time that i first saw little angus since he had changed from a governess to a governor--or whatever they call the he-teacher of a millionaire's brat. he was home for the summer vacation. naturally i'd been prejudiced against him not only by his mother's praise but by his father's steady coppering of the same. judiciously comparing the two, i was led to expect a kind of cross between little lord fauntleroy and the late sitting bull, with the vices of each and the virtues of neither. instead of which i found him a winsome whelp of six-foot or so with scotch eyes and his mother's nose and chin and a good, big, straight mouth, and full of the most engaging bedevilments for one and all. he didn't seem to be any brighter in his studies than a brute of that age should be, and though there was something easy and grand in his manner that his pa and ma never had, he wasn't really any more foreign than what i be. of course he spoke eastern american instead of western, but you forgive him that after a few minutes when you see how nice he naturally meant to be. i admit we took to each other from the start. they often say i'm a good mixer, but it took no talent to get next to that boy. i woke up the first night thinking i knew what old silly would do her darndest to adopt him if ever his poor pa and ma was to get buttered over the right of way in some railroad accident. "and yet i didn't see angus, junior, one bit the way either of his parents saw him. ellabelle seemed to look on him merely as a smart dresser and social know-it-all that would be a cent credit to her in the position of society queen for which the good god had always intended her. and his father said he wasn't any good except to idle away his time and spend money, and would come to a bad end by manslaughter in a high-powered car; or in the alcoholic ward of some hospital; that he was, in fact, a mere helling scapegrace that would have been put in some good detention home years before if he hadn't been born to a father that was all kinds of a so-and-so old scotch fool. there you get angus, _fills_, from three different slants, and i ain't saying there wasn't justification for the other two besides mine. the boy could act in a crowd of tea-drinking women with a finish that made his father look like some one edging in to ask where they wanted the load of coal dumped. but also angus, _peer_, was merely painting the lily, as they say, when he'd tell all the different kinds of indian the boy was. that very summer before he went back to the educational centre where they teach such arts, he helped wreck a road house a few miles up the line till it looked like one of them pictures of what a zeppelin does to a rare old english drug store in london. and a week later he lost a race with the los angeles flyer, account of not having as good a roadbed to run on as the train had, and having to take too short a turn with his new car. "i remember we three was wondering where he could be that night the telephone rung from the place where kindly strangers had hauled him for first aid to the foolish. but it was the boy himself that was able to talk and tell his anxious parents to forget all about it. his father took the message and as soon as he got the sense of it he begun to get hopeful that the kid had broke at least one leg--thinking, he must have been, of the matched pacing stallions that once did himself such a good turn without meaning to. his disappointment was pitiful as he turned to us after learning that he had lit on his head but only sustained a few bruises and sprains and concussions, with the wall-paper scraped off here and there. "'struck on his head, the only part of him that seems invulnerable,' says the fond father. 'what's that?' he yells, for the boy was talking again. he listened a minute, and it was right entertaining to watch his face work as the words come along. it registered all the evil that scotland has suffered from her oppressors since they first thought up the name for it. finally he begun to splutter back--it must have sounded fine at the other end--but he had to hang up, he was that emotional. after he got his face human again he says to us: "'would either of you think now that you could guess at what might have been his dying speech? would you guess it might be words of cheer to the bereaved mother that nursed him, or even a word of comfort to the idiot father that never touched whipleather to his back while he was still husky enough to get by with it? well, you'd guess wild. he's but inflamed with indignation over the state of the road where he passed out for some minutes. he says it's a disgrace to any civilized community, and he means to make trouble about it with the county supervisor, who must be a murderer at heart, and then he'll take it up to the supreme court and see if we can't have roads in this country as good as napoleon the first made them build in france, so a gentleman can speed up a bit over five miles an hour without breaking every bone in his body, to say nothing of totally ruining a car costing forty-eight hundred dollars of his good money, with the ink on the check for it scarce dry. he was going on to say that he had the race for the crossing as good as won and had just waved mockingly at the engineer of the defeated train who was pretending to feel indifferent about it--but i hung up on him. my strength was waning. was he here this minute i make no doubt i'd go to the mat with him, unequal as we are in prowess.' he dribbled off into vicious mutterings of what he'd say to the boy if he was to come to the door. "then dear ellabelle pipes up: 'and doesn't the dear boy say who was with him in this prank?' "angus snorted horribly at the word 'prank,' just like he'd never had one single advantage of foreign travel. 'he does indeed--one of those hammersmith twin louts was with him--the speckled devil with the lisp, i gather--and praise god his bones, at least, are broke in two places!' "ellabelle's eyes shined up at this with real delight. 'how terrible!' she says, not looking it. 'that's gerald hammersmith, son of mrs. st. john hammersmith, leader of the most exclusive set here--oh, she's quite in the lead of everything that has class! and after this we must know each other far, far better than we have in the past. she has never called up to this time. i must inquire after her poor boy directly to-morrow comes.' that is ellabelle. trust her not to overlook a single bet. "angus again snorted in a common way. 'st. john hammersmith!' says he, steaming up, 'when he trammed ore for three-fifty a day and went to bed with his clothes on any night he'd the price of a quart of gin-and-beer mixed--liking to get his quick--his name was naked 'john' with never a saint to it, which his widow tacked on a dozen years later. and speaking of names, mrs. mcdonald, i sorely regret you didn't name your own son after your first willful fancy. it was no good day for his father when you put my own name to him.' "but ellabelle paid no attention whatever to this rough stuff, being already engaged in courting the hammersmith dame for the good of her social importance. i make no doubt before the maid finished rubbing in the complexion cream that night she had reduced this upstart to the ranks and stepped into her place as leader of the most exclusive social set between south san francisco and old henry miller's ranch house at gilroy. anyway, she kept talking to herself about it, almost over the mangled remains of her own son, as you might say. "a year later the new mansion was done, setting in the centre of sixty acres of well-manicured land as flat as a floor and naturally called hillcrest. angus asked me down for another visit. there had been grand doings to open the new house, and ellabelle felt she was on the way to ruling things social with an iron hand if she was just careful and didn't overbet her cards. angus, not being ashamed of his scandalous past, was really all that kept her nerves strung up. it seems he'd give her trouble while the painters and decorators was at work, hanging round 'em fascinated and telling 'em how he'd had to work ten hours a day in his time and how he could grain a door till it looked exactly like the natural wood, so they'd say it wasn't painted at all. and one day he become so inflamed with evil desire that ellabelle, escorting a bunch of the real triple-platers through the mansion, found him with his coat off learning how to rub down a hardwood panel with oil and pumice stone. gee! wouldn't i like to of been there! i suppose i got a lower nature as well as the rest of us. "after i'd been there a few days, along comes angus, _fills_, out into the world from college to make a name for himself. by ingenuity or native brute force he had contrived to graduate. he was nice as ever and told me he was going to look about a bit until he could decide what his field of endeavour should be. apparently it was breaking his neck in outdoor sports, including loop-the-loop in his new car on roads not meant for it, and delighting ellabelle because he was a fine social drag in her favour, and enraging his father by the same reasons. ellabelle was especially thrilled by his making up to a girl that was daughter to this here old train-robber i mentioned. it was looking like he might form an alliance, as they say, with this old family which had lived quite a decent life since they actually got it. the girl looked to me nice enough even for angus, junior, but his pa denounced her as a yellow-haired pest with none but frivolous aims in life, who wouldn't know whether a kitchen was a room in a house or a little woolly animal from paraguay. we had some nice, friendly breakfasts, i believe not, whilst they discussed this poisonous topic, old angus being only further embittered when it comes out that the train-robber is also dead set against this here alliance because his only daughter needs a decent, reputable man who would come home nights from some low mahogany den in a bank building, and not a worthless young hound that couldn't make a dollar of his own and had displayed no talent except for winning the notice of head waiters and policemen. old angus says he knows well enough his son can be arrested out of most crowds just on that description alone, but who is this so-and-so old thug to be saying it in public? "and so it went, with ellabelle living in high hopes and young angus busy inventing new ways to bump himself off, and old angus getting more and more seething--quiet enough outside, but so desperate inside that it wasn't any time at all till i saw he was just waiting for a good chance to make some horrible scotch exhibition of himself. "then comes the fatal polo doings, with young angus playing on the side that won, and ellabelle being set up higher than ever till she actually begins to snub people here and there at the game that look like they'd swallow it, and old angus ashamed and proud and glaring round as if he'd like to hear some one besides himself call his son a worthless young hound--if they wanted to start something. "and the polo victory of course had to be celebrated by a banquet at the hotel, attended by all the players and their huskiest ruffian friends. they didn't have the ponies there, but i guess they would of if they'd thought of it. it must have been a good banquet, with vintages and song and that sort of thing--i believe they even tried to have food at first--and hearty indoor sports with the china and silver and chairs that had been thoughtlessly provided and a couple of big mirrors that looked as if you could throw a catsup bottle clear through them, only you couldn't, because it would stop there after merely breaking the glass, and spatter in a helpless way. "and of course there was speeches. the best one, as far as i could learn, was made by the owner of the outraged premises at a late hour--when the party was breaking up--as you might put it. he said the bill would be about eighteen hundred dollars, as near as he could tell at first glance. he was greeted with hearty laughter and applause from the high-spirited young incendiaries and retired hastily through an unsuspected door to the pantry as they rushed for him. it was then they found out what to do with the rest of the catsup--and did it--so the walls and ceiling wouldn't look so monotonous, and fixed the windows so they would let out the foul tobacco smoke, and completed a large painting of the yosemite that hung on the wall, doing several things to it that hadn't occurred to the artist in his hurry, and performed a serious operation on the piano without the use of gas. the tables, i believe, was left flat on their backs. "angus, _fills_, was fetched home in a car by a gang of his roguish young playmates. they stopped down on the stately drive under my window and a quartet sung a pathetic song that run: "don't forget your parents, think all they done for you! "then young angus ascended the marble steps to the top one, bared his agreeable head to the moonlight, and made them a nice speech. he said the campaign now in progress, fellow-citizens, marked the gravest crisis in the affairs of our grand old state that an intelligent constituency had ever been called upon to vote down, but that he felt they were on the eve of a sweeping victory that would sweep the corrupt hell-hounds of a venal opposition into an ignominy from which they would never be swept by any base act of his while they honoured him with their suffrages, because his life was an open book and he challenged any son-of-a-gun within sound of his voice to challenge this to his face or take the consequences of being swept into oblivion by the high tide of a people's indignation that would sweep everything before it on the third day of november next, having been aroused in its might at last from the debasing sloth into which the corrupt hell-hounds of a venal opposition had swept them, but a brighter day had dawned, which would sweep the onrushing hordes of petty chicanery to where they would get theirs; and, as one who had heard the call of an oppressed people, he would accept this fitting testimonial, not for its intrinsic worth but for the spirit in which it was tendered. as for the nefarious tariff on watch springs, sawed lumber, and indigo, he would defer his masterly discussion of these burning issues to a more fitting time because a man had to get a little sleep now and then or he wasn't any good next day. in the meantime he thanked them one and all, and so, gentlemen, good-night. "the audience cheered hoarsely and drove off. i guess the speech would have been longer if a light hadn't showed in the east wing of the castle where angus, _peer_, slept. and then all was peace and quiet till the storm broke on a rocky coast next day. it didn't really break until evening, but suspicious clouds no bigger than a man's hand might have been observed earlier. if young angus took any breakfast that morning it was done in the privacy of his apartment under the pitying glances of a valet or something. but here he was at lunch, blithe as ever, and full of merry details about the late disaster. he spoke with much humour about a wider use for tomato catsup than was ever encouraged by the old school of house decorators. old angus listened respectfully, taking only a few bites of food but chewing them long and thoughtfully. ellabelle was chiefly interested in the names of the hearty young vandals. she was delighted to learn that they was all of the right set, and her eyes glowed with pride. the eyes of angus, _peer_, was now glowing with what i could see was something else, though i couldn't make out just what it was. he never once exploded like you'd of thought he was due to. "then come a note for the boy which the perfect-mannered englishman that was tending us said was brought by a messenger. young angus glanced at the page and broke out indignantly. 'the thieving old pirate!' he says. 'last night he thought it would be about eighteen hundred dollars, and that sounded hysterical enough for the few little things we'd scratched or mussed up. i told him he would doubtless feel better this morning, but in any event to send the bill to me and i would pay it.' "'quite right of you,' says ellabelle proudly. "'and now the scoundrel sends me one for twenty-three hundred and odd. he's a robber, net!' "old angus said never a word, but chewed slowly, whilst various puzzling expressions chased themselves acrost his eloquent face. i couldn't make a thing out of any of them. "'never patronize the fellow again,' says ellabelle warmly. "'as to that,' says her son, 'he hinted something last night about having me arrested if i ever tried to patronize him again, but that isn't the point. he's robbing me now.' "'oh, money!' says ellabelle in a low tone of disgust and with a gesture like she was rebuking her son for mentioning such a thing before the servant. "'but i don't like to be taken advantage of,' says he, looking very annoyed and grand. then old angus swallowed something he'd been chewing for eight minutes and spoke up with an entirely new expression that puzzled me more than ever. "'if you're sure you have the right of it, don't you submit to the outrage.' "angus, junior, backed up a little bit at this, not knowing quite how to take the old man's mildness. 'oh, of course the fellow might win out if he took it into court,' he says. 'every one knows the courts are just a mass of corruption.' "'true, i've heard gossip to that effect,' says his father. 'yet there must be some way to thwart the crook. i'm feeling strangely ingenious at the moment.' he was very mild, and yet there was something sinister and scotch about him that the boy felt. "'of course i'd pay it out of my own money,' he remarks generously. "'even so, i hate to see you cheated,' says his father kindly. 'i hate to have you pay unjust extortions out of the mere pittance your tight-fisted old father allows you.' "young angus said nothing to this, but blushed and coughed uncomfortably. "'if you hurt that hotel anything like twenty-three hundred dollars' worth, it must be an interesting sight,' his father goes on brightly. "'oh, it was funny at the time,' says angus boy, cheering up again. "'things often are,' says old angus. 'i'll have a look.' "'at the bill?' "'no, at the wreck,' says he. the old boy was still quiet on the outside, but was plainly under great excitement, for he now folded his napkin with care, a crime of which i knew ellabelle had broken him the first week in new york, years before. i noticed their butler had the fine feeling to look steadily away at the wall during this obscenity. the offender then made a pleasant remark about the beauty of the day and left the palatial apartment swiftly. young angus and his mother looked at each other and strolled after him softly over rugs costing about eighty thousand dollars. the husband and father was being driven off by a man he could trust in a car they had let him have for his own use. later ellabelle confides to me that she mistrusts old angus is contemplating some bit of his national deviltry. 'he had a strange look on his face,' says she, 'and you know--once a scotchman, always a scotchman! oh, it would be pitiful if he did anything peculiarly scotch just at our most critical period here!' then she felt of her face to see if there was any nervous lines come into it, and there was, and she beat it for the maid to have 'em rubbed out ere they set. "yet at dinner that night everything seemed fine, with old angus as jovial as i'd ever seen him, and the meal come to a cheerful end and we was having coffee in the looey de medisee saloon, i think it is, before a word was said about this here injured hotel. "'you were far too modest this morning, you sly dog!' says angus, _peer_, at last, chuckling delightedly. 'you misled me grievously. that job of wrecking shows genius of a quality that was all too rare in my time. i suspect it's the college that does it. i shouldn't wonder now if going through college is as good as a liberal education. i don't believe mere uneducated house-wreckers could have done so pretty a job in twice the time, and there's clever little touches they never would have thought of at all.' "'it did look thorough when we left,' says young angus, not quite knowing whether to laugh. "'it's nothing short of sublime,' says his father proudly. 'i stood in that deserted banquet hall, though it looks never a bit like one, with ruin and desolation on every hand as far as the eye could reach. it inspired such awe in the bereaved owner and me that we instinctively spoke in hushed whispers. i've had no such gripping sensation as that since i gazed upon the dead city of pompeii. no longer can it be said that europe possesses all the impressive ruins.' "angus boy grinned cheerfully now, feeling that this tribute was heartfelt. "'i suspect now,' goes on the old boy, 'that when the wreckage is cleared away we shall find the mangled bodies of several that perished when the bolts descended from a clear sky upon the gay scene.' "'perhaps under the tables,' says young angus, chirking up still more at this geniality. 'two or three went down early and may still be there.' "'yet twenty-three hundred for it is a monstrous outrage,' says the old man, changing his voice just a mite. 'too well i know the cost of such repairs. fifteen hundred at most would make the place better than ever--and to think that you, struggling along to keep up appearances on the little i give you, should be imposed upon by a crook that undoubtedly has the law on his side! i could endure no thought of it, so i foiled him.' "'how?' says young angus, kind of alarmed. "angus, _peer_, yawned and got up. 'it's a long story and would hardly interest you,' says he, moving over to the door. 'besides, i must be to bed against the morrow, which will be a long, hard day for me.' his voice had tightened up. "'what have you done?' demands ellabelle passionately. "'saved your son eight hundred dollars,' says angus, 'or the equivalent of his own earnings for something like eight hundred years at current prices for labour.' "'i've a right to know,' says ellabelle through her teeth and stiffening in her chair. young angus just set there with his mouth open. "'so you have,' says old angus, and he goes on as crisp as a bunch of celery: 'i told you i felt ingenious. i've kept this money in the family by the simple device of taking the job. i've engaged two other painters and decorators besides myself, a carpenter, an electrician, a glazier, and a few proletariats of minor talent for clearing away the wreckage. i shall be on the job at eight. the loafers won't start at seven, as i used to. don't think i'd see any son of mine robbed before my very eyes. my new overalls are laid out and my valet has instructions to get me into them at seven, though he persists in believing i'm to attend a fancy-dress ball at some strangely fashionable hour. so i bid you all good evening.' "well, i guess that was the first time ellabelle had really let go of herself since she was four years old or thereabouts. talk about the empress of stormy emotion! for ten minutes the room sounded like a torture chamber of the dark middle ages. but the doctor reached there at last in a swift car, and him and the two maids managed to get her laid out all comfortable and moaning, though still with outbreaks about every twenty minutes that i could hear clear over on my side of the house. "and down below my window on the marble porch angus, _fills_, was walking swiftly up and down for about one hour. he made no speech like the night before. he just walked and walked. the part that struck me was that neither of them had ever seemed to have the slightest notion of pleading old angus out of his mad folly. they both seemed to know the scotch when it did break out. "at seven-thirty the next morning the old boy in overalls and jumper and a cap was driven to his job in a car as big as an apartment house. the curtains to ellabelle's looey seez boudoir remained drawn, with hourly bulletins from the two swiss maids that she was passing away in great agony. angus, junior, was off early, too, in his snakiest car. a few minutes later they got a telephone from him sixty miles away that he would not be home to lunch. old angus had taken his own lunch with him in a tin pail he'd bought the day before, with a little cupola on top for the cup to put the bottle of cold coffee in. "it was a joyous home that day, if you don't care how you talk. all it needed was a crêpe necktie on the knob of the front door. that ornery old hound, angus, got in from his work at six, spotty with paint and smelling of oil and turpentine, but cheerful as a new father. he washed up, ridding himself of at least a third of the paint smell, looked in at ellabelle's door to say, 'what! not feeling well, mamma? now, that's too bad!' ate a hearty dinner with me, young angus not having been heard from further, and fell asleep in a gold armchair at ten minutes past nine. "he was off again next morning. ellabelle's health was still breaking down, but young angus sneaked in and partook of a meagre lunch with me. he was highly vexed with his pa. 'he's nothing but a scoundrelly old liar,' he says to me, 'saying that he gives me but a pittance. he's always given me a whale of an allowance. why, actually, i've more than once had money left over at the end of the quarter. and now his talk about saving money! i tell you he has some other reason than money for breaking the mater's heart.' the boy looked very shrewd as he said this. "that night at quitting time he was strangely down at the place with his own car to fetch his father home. 'i'll trust you this once,' says the old man, getting in and looking more then ever like a dissolute working man. on the way they passed this here yellow-haired daughter of the old train-robber that there had been talk of the boy making a match with. she was driving her own car and looked neither to right nor left. "'not speaking?' says old angus. "'she didn't see us,' says the boy. "'she's ashamed of your father,' says the old man. "'she's not,' says the boy. "'you know it,' says the old scoundrel. "'i'll show her,' says his son. "well, we had another cheerful evening, with ellabelle sending word to old angus that she wanted me to have the necklace of brilliants with the sapphire pendant, and the two faithful maids was to get suitable keepsakes out of the rest of her jewels, and would her son always wear the seal ring with her hair in it that she had given him when he was twenty? and the old devil started in to tell how much he could have saved by taking charge of the work in his own house, and how a union man nowadays would do just enough to keep within the law, and so on; but he got to yawning his head off and retired at nine, complaining that his valet that morning had cleaned and pressed his overalls. young angus looked very shrewd at me and again says: 'the old liar! he has some other reason than money. he can't fool me.' "i kind of gathered from both of them the truth of what happened the next day. young angus himself showed up at the job about nine a.m., with a bundle under his arm. 'where's the old man?' his father heard him demand of the carpenter, he usually speaking of old angus as the governor. "'here,' says he from the top of a stepladder in the entry which looked as if a glacier had passed through it. "'could you put me to work?' says the boy. "'don't get me to shaking with laughter up here,' says the old brute. 'can't you see i'd be in peril of falling off?' "young angus undoes his bundle and reveals overalls and a jumper which he gets into quickly. 'what do i do first?' says he. "his father went on kalsomining and took never a look at him more. 'the time has largely passed here,' says he, 'for men that haven't learned to do something, but you might take some of the burnt umber there and work it well into a big gob of that putty till it's brown enough to match the woodwork. should you display the least talent for that we may see later if you've any knack with a putty knife.' "the new hand had brought no lunch with him, but his father spared him a few scraps from his own, and they all swigged beer from a pail of it they sent out for. so the scandal was now complete in all its details. the palatial dining-room that night, being a copy of a good church or something from ancient italy, smelled like a paint shop indeed--and sounded like one through dinner. 'that woodwork will be fit to second-coat first thing in the morning,' says old angus. 'i'll have it sandpapered in no time,' says the boy. 'your sandpapering ain't bad,' says the other, 'though you have next to no skill with a brush.' 'i thought i was pretty good with that flat one though.' 'oh, fair; just fair! first-coating needs little finesse. there! i forgot to order more rubbing varnish. maybe the men will think of it.' and so on till they both yawned themselves off to their scotch renaysence apartments. ellabelle had not yet learned the worst. it seemed to be felt that she had a right to perish without suffering the added ignominy of knowing her son was acting like a common wage slave. "they was both on the job next day. of course the disgraceful affair had by now penetrated to the remotest outlying marble shack. several male millionaires this day appeared on the scene to josh angus, _peer_, and angus, _fills_, as they toiled at their degrading tasks. not much attention was paid to 'em, it appears, not even to the old train-robber who come to jest and remained to cross-examine angus about how much he was really going to clear on the job, seriously now. anything like that was bound to fascinate the old crook. "and next day, close to quitting time, what happens but this here robber chieftain's petted daughter coming in and hanging round and begging to be let to help because it was such jolly fun. i believe she did get hold of a square of sandpaper with which she daintily tried to remove some fresh varnish that should have been let strictly alone; and when they both ordered her out in a frenzy of rage, what does she do but wait for 'em with her car which she made them enter and drove them to their abode like they belonged to the better class of people that one would care to know. the two fools was both kind of excited about this that night. "the next day she breezes in again and tries to get them to knock off an hour early so she can take them to the country club for tea, but they refuse this, so she makes little putty statues of them both and drove a few nails where they would do no good and upset a bucket of paste and leaned a two-hundred-dollar lace thing against a varnished wall to the detriment of both, and fell off a stepladder. old angus caught her and boxed her ears soundly. and again she drove them through the avenues of a colony of fine old families with money a little bit older, by a few days, and up the drive to their own door. "ellabelle was peeking between the plush curtains on this occasion, for some heartless busybody during the day had told her that her son and husband was both renegades now. and strangely enough, she begun to get back her strength from that very moment--seeing that exclusive and well-known young debby-tant consorting in public with the reprobates. i'm darned if she didn't have the genius after that to treat the whole thing as a practical joke, especially when she finds out that none of them exclusives had had it long enough to look down on another millionaire merely for pinching a penny now and then. old angus as a matter of fact had become just a little more important than she had ever been and could have snubbed any one he wanted to. the only single one in the whole place that throwed him down was his own english valet. he was found helpless drunk in a greenhouse the third day, having ruined nine thousand dollars' worth of orchids he'd gone to sleep amongst, and he resigned his position with bitter dignity the moment he recovered consciousness. "moreover, young angus and this girl clenched without further opposition. her train-robber father said the boy must have something in him even if he didn't look it, and old angus said he still believed the girl to be nothing but a yellow-haired soubrette; but what should we expect of a woman, after all? "the night the job was finished we had the jolliest dinner of my visit, with a whole gang of exclusive-setters at the groaning board, including this girl and her folks, and champagne, of which angus, _peer_, consumed near one of the cut-glass vases full. "i caught him with young angus in the deserted library later, while the rest was one-stepping in the henry quatter ballroom or dance hall. the old man had his arms pretty well upon the boy's shoulders. yes, sir, he was almost actually hugging him. the boy fled to this gilded café where the rest was, and old angus, with his eyes shining very queer, he grabs me by the arm and says, 'once when he was very small--though unusually large for his age of three, mind you--he had a way of scratching my face something painful with his little nails, and all in laughing play, you know. i tried to warn him, but he couldn't understand, of course; so, not knowing how else to instruct him, i scratched back one day, laughing myself like he was, but sinking my nails right fierce into the back of his little fat neck. he relaxed the tension in his own fingers. he was hurt, for the tears started, but he never cried. he just looked puzzled and kept on laughing, being bright to see i could play the game, too. only he saw it wasn't so good a game as he'd thought. i wonder what made me think of that, now! i don't know. come--from yonder doorway we can see him as he dances.' "and ellabelle was saying gently to one and all, with her merry peal of laughter, 'ah, yes--once a scotchman, always--' "my land! it's ten o'clock. don't them little white-faced beauties make the music! honestly i'd like to have a cot out in the corral. we miss a lot of it in here." v non plush ultra sunday and a driving rain had combined to keep ma pettengill within the arrowhead ranch house. neither could have done this alone. the rain would merely have added a slicker to her business costume of khaki riding breeches, laced boots, and flannel shirt as she rode abroad; while a clement sabbath would have seen her "resting," as she would put it, in and round the various outbuildings, feeding-pens, blacksmith shop, harness-room, branding-chute, or what not, issuing orders to attentive henchmen from time to time; diagnosing the gray mule's barbed-wire cut; compounding a tonic for adolph, the big milk-strain durham bull, who has been ailing; wishing to be told why in something the water hadn't been turned into that south ditch; and, like a competent general, disposing her forces and munitions for the campaign of the coming week. but sunday--and a wildly rainy sunday--had housed her utterly. being one who can idle with no grace whatever she was engaged in what she called putting the place to rights. this meant taking out the contents of bureau drawers and wardrobes and putting them back again, massing the litter on the big table in the living-room into an involved geometry of neat piles that would endure for all of an hour, straightening pictures on the walls, eliminating the home-circles of spiders long unmolested, loudly calling upon lew wee, the chinaman, who affrightedly fled farther and farther after each call, and ever and again booming pained surmises through the house as to what fearful state it would get to be in if she didn't fight it to a clean finish once in a dog's age. the woman dumped a wastebasket of varied rubbish into the open fire, leaned a broom against the mantel, readjusted the towel that protected her gray hair from the dust--hair on week days exposed with never a qualm to all manner of dust--cursed all chinamen on land or sea with an especial and piquant blight invoked upon the one now in hiding, then took from the back of a chair where she had hung it the moment before a riding skirt come to feebleness and decrepitude. she held it up before critical eyes as one scanning the morning paper for headlines of significance. "ruined!" she murmured. even her murmur must have reached lew wee, how remote soever his isle of safety. "worn one time and all ruined up! that's what happens for trying to get something for nothing. you'd think women would learn. you would if you didn't know a few. hetty daggett, her that was hetty tipton, orders this by catalogue, no. or something, from the mail-order house in chicago. i was down in red gap when it come. 'isn't it simply wonderful what you can get for three thirty-eight!' says she with gleaming eyes, laying this thing out before me. 'i don't see how they can ever do it for the money.' she found out the next day when she rode up here in it with me and mr. burchell daggett, her husband. nothing but ruin! seams all busted, sleazy cloth wore through. but hetty just looks it over cheerfully and says: 'oh, well, what can you expect for three thirty-eight?' is that like a woman or is it like something science has not yet discovered? "that hetty child is sure one woman. this skirt would never have held together to ride back in, so she goes down as far as the narrow gauge in the wagon with buck devine, wearing a charming afternoon frock of pale blue charmeuse rather than get into a pair of my khakis and ride back with her own lawful-wedded husband; yes, sir; married to him safe as anything, but wouldn't forget her womanhood. only once did she ever come near it. i saved her then because she hadn't snared mr. burchell daggett yet, and of course a girl has to be a little careful. and she took my counsels so much to heart she's been careful ever since. 'why, i should simply die of mortification if my dear mate were to witness me in those,' says she when i'm telling her to take a chance for once and get into these here riding pants of mine because it would be uncomfortable going down in that wagon. 'but what is my comfort compared to dear burchell's peace of mind?' says she. "ain't we the goods, though, when we do once learn a thing? of course most of us don't have to learn stuff like this. born in us. i shouldn't wonder if they was something in the talk of this man shaw or shavian--i see the name spelled both ways in the papers. i can't read his pieces myself because he rasps me, being not only a smarty but a vegetarian. i don't know. i might stand one or the other purebred, but the cross seems to bring out the worst strain in both. i once got a line on his beliefs and customs though--like it appears he don't believe anything ought to be done for its own sake but only for some good purpose. it was one day i got caught at a meeting of the onward and upward club in red gap and mrs. alonzo price read a paper about his meaning. i hope she didn't wrong him. i hope she was justified in all she said he really means in his secret heart. no one ought to talk that way about any one if they ain't got the goods on 'em. one thing i might have listened to with some patience if the man et steaks and talked more like some one you'd care to have in your own home. in fact, i listened to it anyway. maybe he took it from some book he read--about woman and her true nature. according to henrietta templeton price, as near as i could get her, this shaw or shavian believes that women is merely a flock of men-hawks circling above the herd till they see a nice fat little lamb of a man, then one fell swoop and all is over but the screams of the victim dying out horribly. they bear him off to their nest in a blasted pine and pick the meat from his bones at leisure. of course that ain't the way ladies was spoken of in the aunt patty little helper series i got out of the presbyterian sabbath-school library back in fredonia, new york, when i was thirteen--and yet--and yet--as they say on the stage in these plays of high or english life." it sounded promising enough, and the dust had now settled so that i could dimly make out the noble lines of my hostess. i begged for more. "well, go on--mrs. burchell daggett once nearly forgot her womanhood. certainly, go on, if it's anything that would be told outside of a smoking-car." the lady grinned. "many of us has forgot our womanhood in the dear, dead past," she confessed. "me? sure! where's that photo album. where did i put that album anyway? that's the way in this house. get things straightened up once, you can't find a single one you want. look where i put it now!" she demolished an obelisk of books on the table, one she had lately constructed with some pains, and brought the album that had been its pedestal. "get me there, do you?" it was the photograph of a handsome young woman in the voluminous riding skirt of years gone by, before the side-saddle became extinct. she held a crop and wore an astoundingly plumed bonnet. despite the offensive disguise, one saw provocation for the course adopted by the late lysander john pettengill at about that period. "very well--now get me here, after i'd been on the ranch only a month." it was the same young woman in the not too foppish garb of a cowboy. in wide-brimmed hat, flannel shirt, woolly chaps, quirt in hand, she bestrode a horse that looked capable and daring. "yes, sir, i hadn't been here only a month when i forgot my womanhood like that. gee! how good it felt to get into 'em and banish that sideshow tent of a skirt. i'd never known a free moment before and i blessed lysander john for putting me up to it. then, proud as punch, what do i do but send one of these photos back to dear old aunt waitstill, in fredonia, thinking she would rejoice at the wild, free life i was now leading in the far west. and what do i get for it but a tear-spotted letter of eighteen pages, with a side-kick from her pastor, the reverend abner hemingway, saying he wishes to indorse every word of sister baxter's appeal to me--asking why do i parade myself shamelessly in this garb of a fallen woman, and can nothing be said to recall me to the true nobility that must still be in my nature but which i am forgetting in these licentious habiliments, and so on! the picture had been burned after giving the reverend his own horrified flash of it, and they would both pray daily that i might get up out of this degradation and be once more a good, true woman that some pure little child would not be ashamed to call the sacred name of mother. "such was aunt waitstill--what names them poor old girls had to stand for! i had another aunt named obedience, only she proved to be a regular cinch-binder. her name was never mentioned in the family after she slid down a rainspout one night and eloped to marry a depraved scoundrel who drove through there on a red wagon with tinware inside that he would trade for old rags. i'm just telling you how times have changed in spite of the best efforts of a sanctified ministry. i cried over that letter at first. then i showed it to lysander john, who said 'oh, hell!' being a man of few words, so i felt better and went right on forgetting my womanhood in that shameless garb of a so-and-so--though where aunty had got her ideas of such i never could make out--and it got to be so much a matter of course and i had so many things to think of besides my womanhood that i plumb forgot the whole thing until this social upheaval in red gap a few years ago. "i got to tell you that the wild and lawless west, in all matters relating to proper dress for ladies, is the most conservative and hidebound section of our great land of the free and home of the brave--if you can get by with it. out here the women see by the sunday papers that it's being wore that way publicly in new york and no one arrested for it, but they don't hardly believe it at that, and they wouldn't show themselves in one, not if you begged them to on your bended knees, and what is society coming to anyway? you might as well dress like one of them barefooted dancers, only calling 'em barefooted must be meant like sarcasm--and they'd die before they'd let a daughter of theirs make a show of herself like that for odious beasts of men to leer at, and so on--until a couple years later mrs. henrietta templeton price gets a regular one and wears it down main street, and nothing objectionable happens; so then they all hustle to get one--not quite so extreme, of course, but after all, why not, since only the evil-minded could criticise? pretty soon they're all wearing it exactly like new york did two years ago, with mebbe the limit raised a bit here and there by some one who makes her own. but again they're saying that the latest one new york is wearing is so bad that it must be confined to a certain class of women, even if they do get taken from left to right at asbury park and newport and other colonies of wealth and fashion, because the vilest dregs can go there if they have the price, which they often do. "red gap is like that. with me out here on the ranch it didn't matter what i wore because it was mostly only men that saw me; but i can well remember the social upheaval when our smartest young matrons and well-known society belles flung modesty to the chinook wind and took to divided skirts for horseback riding. my, the brazen hussies! it ain't so many years ago. up to that time any female over the age of nine caught riding a horse cross-saddle would have lost her character good and quick. and these pioneers lost any of theirs that wasn't cemented good and hard with proved respectability. i remember hearing jeff tuttle tell what he'd do to any of his womenfolks that so far forgot the sacred names of home and mother. it was startling enough, but jeff somehow never done it. and if he was to hear addie or one of the girls talking about a side-saddle to-day he'd think she was nutty or mebbe wanting one for the state museum. so it goes with us. my hunch is that so it will ever go. "the years passed, and that thrill of viciousness at wearing divided skirts in public got all rubbed off--that thrill that every last one of us adores to feel if only it don't get her talked about--too much--by evil-minded gossips. then comes this here next upheaval over riding pants for ladies--or them that set themselves up to be such. of course we'd long known that the things were worn in new york and even in such modern babylons as spokane and seattle; but no woman in red gap had ever forgot she had a position to keep up, until summer before last, when we saw just how low one of our sex could fall, right out on the public street. "she was the wife of a botanist from some eastern college and him and her rode a good bit and dressed just alike in khaki things. my, the infamies that was intimated about that poor creature! she was bony and had plainly seen forty, very severe-featured, with scraggly hair and a sharp nose and spectacles, and looked as if she had never had a moment of the most innocent pleasure in all her life; but them riding pants fixed her good in the minds of our lady porch-knockers. and the men just as bad, though they could hardly bear to look twice at her, she was that discouraging to the eye; they agreed with their wives that she must be one of that sort. "but things seem to pile up all at once in our town. that very summer the fashion magazines was handed round with pages turned down at the more daring spots where ladies were shown in such things. it wasn't felt that they were anything for the little ones to see. but still, after all, wasn't it sensible, now really, when you come right down to it? and as a matter of fact isn't a modest woman modest in anything?--it isn't what she wears but how she conducts herself in public, or don't you think so, mrs. ballard?--and you might as well be dead as out of style, and would lehman, the square tailor, be able to make up anything like that one there?--but no, because how would he get your measure?--and surely no modest woman could give him hers even if she did take it herself--anyway, you'd be insulted by all the street rowdies as you rode by, to say nothing of being ogled by men without a particle of fineness in their natures--but there's always something to be said on both sides, and it's time woman came into her own, anyway, if she is ever to be anything but man's toy for his idle moments--still it would never do to go to extremes in a narrow little town like this with every one just looking for an excuse to talk--but it would be different if all the best people got together and agreed to do it, only most of them would probably back out at the last moment and that smarty on the _recorder_ would try to be funny about it--now that one with the long coat doesn't look so terrible, does it? or do you think so?--of course it's almost the same as a skirt except when you climb on or something--a woman has to think of those things--wouldn't daisy estelle look rather stunning in that?--she has just the figure for it. here's this no. with the norfolk jacket in this mail-order catalogue--do you think that looks too theatrical, or don't you? of course for some figures, but i've always been able to wear--and so forth, for a month or so. "late in the fall henrietta templeton price done it. you may not know what that meant to alonzo price, choice villa sites and price's addition to red gap. alonzo is this kind: i met him the day gussie himebaugh had her accident when the mules she was driving to the mowing machine run away out on himebaugh's east forty. alonzo had took doc maybury out and passes me coming back. 'how bad was she hurt?' i asks. the poor thing looks down greatly embarrassed and mumbles: 'she has broken a limb.' 'leg or arm?' i blurts out, forgetting all delicacy. you'd think i had him pinned down, wouldn't you? not lon, though. 'a lower limb,' says he, coughing and looking away. "you see how men are till we put a spike collar and chain on 'em. when henrietta declared herself alonzo read the riot act and declared marital law. but there was henrietta with the collar and chain and pretty soon lon was saying: 'you're quite right, pettikins, and you ought to have the thanks of the community for showing our ladies how to dress rationally on horseback. it's not only sensible and safe but it's modest--a plain pair of riding breeches, no coquetry, no frills, nothing but stern utility--of course i agree.' "'i hoped you would, darling,' says henrietta. she went to miss gunslaugh and had her make the costume, being one who rarely does things by halves. it was of blue velvet corduroy, with a fetching little bolero jacket, and the things themselves were fitted, if you know what i mean. and stern utility! that suit with its rosettes and bows and frogs and braid had about the same stern utility as those pretty little tin tongs that come on top of a box of candy--ever see anybody use one of those? when henrietta got dressed for her first ride and had put on the cuban pink face balm she looked like one of the gypsy chorus in the bohemian girl opera. "alonzo gulped several times in rapid succession when he saw her, but the little man never starts anything he don't aim to finish, and it was too late to start it then. henrietta brazened her way through main street and out to the country club and back, and next day she put them on again so otto hirsch, of the e-light studio, could come up and take her standing by the horse out in front of the price mansion. then they was laid away until the grand annual masquerade ball of the order of the eastern star, which is a kind of hen masons, when she again gave us a flash of what new york society ladies was riding their horse in. as a matter of fact, henrietta hates a horse like a rattlesnake, but she had done her pioneer work for once and all. "every one was now laughing and sneering at the old-fashioned divided skirt with which woman had endangered her life on a horse, and wondering how they had endured the clumsy things so long; and come spring all the prominent young society buds and younger matrons of the most exclusive set who could stay on a horse at all was getting theirs ready for the approaching season, red gap being like london in having its gayest season in the summer, when people can get out more. even mis' judge ballard fell for it, though hers was made of severe black with a long coat. she looked exactly like that methodist minister, the old one, that we had three years ago. "most of the younger set used the mail-order catalogue, their figures still permitting it. and maybe there wasn't a lot of trying on behind drawn blinds pretty soon, and delighted giggles and innocent girlish wonderings about whether the lowest type of man really ogles as much under certain circumstances as he's said to. and the minute the roads got good the telephone of pierce's livery, feed, and sale stable was kept on the ring. then the social upheaval was on. of course any of 'em looked quiet after henrietta's costume, for none of the girls but beryl mae macomber, a prominent young society bud, aged seventeen, had done anything like that. but it was the idea of the thing. "a certain element on the south side made a lot of talk and stirred things up and wrote letters to the president of the civic purity league, who was mis' judge ballard herself, asking where this unspeakable disrobing business was going to end and calling her attention to the fate that befell sodom and gomorrah. but mis' ballard she's mixed on names and gets the idea these parties mean samson and delilah instead of a couple of twin cities, like st. paul and minneapolis, and she writes back saying what have these bible characters got to do with a lady riding on horseback--in trousers, it is true, but with a coat falling modestly to the knee on each side, and certain people had better be a little more fussy about things that really matter in life before they begin to talk. she knew who she was hitting at all right, too. trust mis' ballard! "it was found that there was almost the expected amount of ogling from sidewalk loafers, at first. as daisy estelle maybury said, it seemed as if a girl couldn't show herself on the public thoroughfare without being subjected to insult. poor daisy estelle! she had been a very popular young society belle, and was considered one of the most attractive girls in red gap until this happened. no one had ever suspected it of her in the least degree up to that time. of course it was too late after she was once seen off her horse. them that didn't see was told in full detail by them that did. most of the others was luckier. beryl mae macomber in her sport shirt and trouserettes complained constantly about the odious wretches along main street and fourth, where the post office was. she couldn't stop even twenty minutes in front of the post office, minding her own business and waiting for some one she knew to come along and get her mail for her, without having dozens of men stop and ogle her. that, of course, was during the first two weeks after she took to going for the mail, though the eternal feminine in beryl mae probably thought the insulting glances was going to keep up forever. "i watched the poor child one day along in the third week, waiting there in front of the post office after the four o'clock mail, and no one hardly ogled her at all except some rude children out from school. what made it more pitiful, leaning right there against the post office front was jack shiels, sammie hamilton, and little old elmer cox, red gap's three town rowdies that ain't done a stroke of work since the canning factory closed down the fall before, creatures that by rights should have been leering at the poor child in all her striking beauty. but, no; the brutes stand there looking at nothing much until jack shiels stares a minute at this horse beryl mae is on and pipes up: 'why, say, i thought pierce let that little bay runt go to the guy that was in here after polo ponies last thursday. i sure did.' and sam hamilton wakes up and says: 'no, sir; not this one. he got rid of a little mare that had shoulders like this, but she was a roan with kind of mule ears and one froze off.' and little old elmer cox, ignoring this defenceless young girl with his impudent eyes, he says: 'yes, sam's right for once. pierce tried to let this one go, too, but ain't you took a look at his hocks!' then along comes dean duke, the ratty old foreman in pierce's stable, and he don't ogle a bit, either, like you'd expect one of his debased calibre to, but just stops and talks this horse over with 'em and says yes, it was his bad hocks that lost the sale, and he tells 'em how he had told pierce just what to do to get him shaped up for a quick sale, but pierce wouldn't listen to him, thinking he knew it all himself; and there the four stood and gassed about this horse without even seeing beryl mae, let alone leering at her. i bet she was close to shedding tears of girlish mortification as she rode off without ever waiting for the mail. things was getting to a pretty pass. if low creatures lost to all decent instincts, like these four, wouldn't ogle a girl when she was out for it, what could be expected of the better element of the town? still, of course, now and then one or the other of the girls would have a bit of luck to tell of. "well, now we come to the crookedest bit of work i ever been guilty of, though first telling you about mr. burchell daggett, an eastern society man from cedar rapids, iowa, that had come to red gap that spring to be assistant cashier in the first national, through his uncle having stock in the thing. he was a very pleasant kind of youngish gentleman, about thirty-four, i reckon, with dark, parted whiskers and gold eyeglasses and very good habits. he took his place among our very best people right off, teaching the bible class in the m.e. sabbath-school and belonging to the chamber of commerce and the city beautiful association, of which he was made vice-president, and being prominent at all functions held in our best homes. he wasn't at all one of them that lead a double life by stopping in at the family liquor store for a gin fizz or two after work hours, or going downtown after supper to play kelly pool at the temperance billiard parlours and drink steam beer, or getting in with the bunch that gathers in the back room of the owl cigar store of an evening and tells these here suggestive stories. not that he was hide-bound. if he felt the need for a shot of something he'd go into the united states grill and have a glass of sherry and bitters brought to him at a table and eat a cracker with it, and he'd take in every show, even the dizzy belles of gotham big blonde beauty show. he was refined and even moral in the best sense of the word, but still human. "our prominent young society buds took the keenest notice of him at once, as would naturally happen, he being a society bachelor of means and by long odds the best catch in red gap since old potter knapp, of the loan and trust company, had broke his period of mourning for his third wife by marrying myrtle wade that waited on table at the occidental hotel, with the black band still on his left coat sleeve. it's no exaggeration to say that mr. burchell daggett became the most sought-after social favourite among reg gap's hoot mondy in less than a week after he unpacked his trunk. but it was very soon discovered by the bright-eyed little gangsters of the best circles that he wasn't going to be an easy one to disable. naturally when a man has fought 'em off to his age he has learned much of woodcraft and the hunter's cunning wiles, and this one had sure developed timber sense. he beat 'em at their own game for three months by the simple old device of not playing any favourite for one single minute, and very, very seldom getting alone with one where the foul stroke can be dealt by the frailest hand with muscular precision. if he took daisy estelle maybury to the chicken pie supper to get a new carpet for the presbyterian parsonage, he'd up and take beryl mae and her aunt, or gussie himebaugh, or luella stultz, to the lawn feet at judge ballard's for new uniforms for the band boys. at the bazaar of all nations he bought as many chances of one girl as he did of another, and if he hadn't any more luck than a rabbit and won something--a hanging lamp or a celluloid manicure set in a plush-lined box--he'd simply put it up to be raffled off again for the good of the cause. and none of that moonlight loitering along shaded streets for him, where the dirk is so often drove stealthily between a man's ribs, and him thinking all the time he's only indulging in a little playful nonsense. often as not he'd take two girls at once, where all could be merry without danger of anything happening. "it was no time at all till this was found out on him. it was seen that under a pleasing exterior, looking all too easy to overcome by any girl in her right mind, he had powers of resistance and evasion that was like steel. of course this only stirred the proud beauties on to renewed and crookeder efforts. every darned one of 'em felt that her innocent young girlhood was challenged, and would she let it go at that? not so. my lands! what snares and deadfalls was set for this wise old timber wolf that didn't look it, with his smiling ways and seemingly careless response to merry banter, and so forth! "and of course every one of these shrinking little scoundrels thought at once of her new riding costume, so no time at all was lost in organizing the north side riding and sports club, which mr. burchell daggett gladly joined, having, as he said, an eye for a horse and liking to get out after banking hours to where all nature seems to smile and you can let your mount out a bit over the firm, smooth road. them that had held off until now, on account of the gossip and leering, hurried up and got into line with no. in the mail-order catalogue, or went to miss gunslaugh, who by this time had a female wax dummy in her window in a neat brown suit and puttees, with a coat just opening and one foot advanced carelessly, with gauntlets and a riding crop, and a fetching little cap over the wind-blown hair and the clear, wonderful blue eyes. oh, you can bet every last girl of the bunch was seeing herself send back picture postals to her rivals telling what a royal time they was having at palm or rockaway beach or some place, and seeing the engraved cards--'mr. and mrs. burchell daggett, at home after the tenth, ophir avenue, red gap, wash.' "ain't we good when you really get us, if you ever do--because some don't. many, indeed! i reckon there never was a woman yet outside of a feeb' home that didn't believe she could be an a. no. siren if she only had the nerve to dress the part; never one that didn't just ache to sway men to her lightest whim, and believe she could--not for any evil purpose, mind you, but just to show her power. think of the tender hearts that must have shuddered over the damage they could and actually might do in one of them french bathing suits like you are said to witness in paris and atlantic city and other sinks of iniquity. and here was these well-known society favourites wrought up by this legible party, as the french say, till each one was ready to go just as far as the civic purity league would let her in order to sweep him off his feet in one mad moment. quite right, too. it all depends on what the object is, don't it; and wasn't theirs honourable matrimony with an establishment and a lawn in front of it with a couple of cast-iron moose, mebbe? "and amid all this quaint girlish enterprise and secret infamy was the problem of hetty tipton. hetty had been a friend and a problem of mine for seven years, or ever since she come back from normal to teach in the third-grade grammar school; a fine, clean, honest, true-blue girl, mebbe not as pretty you'd say at first as some others, but you like her better after you look a few times more, and with not the slightest nonsense about her. that last was hetty's one curse. i ask you, what chance has a girl got with no nonsense about her? hetty won my sympathy right at the start by this infirmity of hers, which was easily detected, and for seven years i'd been trying to cure her of it, but no use. oh, she was always took out regular enough and well liked, but the gilded youth of red gap never fought for her smiles. they'd take her to parties and dances, turn and turn about, but they always respected her, which is the greatest blight a man can put on one of us, if you know what i mean. every man at a party was always careful to dance a decent number of times with hetty and see that she got back to her seat; and wasn't it warm in here this evening, yes, it was; and wouldn't she have a glass of the punch--no, thank you--then he'd gallop off to have some fun with a mere shallow-pated fool that had known how from the cradle. it was always a puzzle to me, because hetty dressed a lot better than most of them, knowing what to wear and how, and could take a joke if it come slow, and laid herself out to be amiable to one and all. i kind of think it must be something about her mentality. maybe it is too mental. i can't put her to you any plainer than to say that every single girl in town, young and old, just loved her, and not one of them up to this time had ever said an unkind or feminine thing about her. i guess you know what that would mean of any woman. "hetty was now coming twenty-nine--we never spoke of this, but i could count back--and it's my firm belief that no man had ever proposed marriage or anything else on earth to her. wilbur todd had once endeavoured to hold her hand out on the porch at a country-club dance and she had repulsed him in all kindness but firmly. she told him she couldn't bring herself to permit a familiarity of that sort except to the man who would one day lead her to the altar, which is something i believe she got from writing to a magazine about a young girl's perplexities. and here, in spite of her record, this poor thing had dared to raise her eyes to none other than this mr. burchell daggett. there was something kind of grand and despairing about the impudence of it when you remember these here trained efficiency experts she was competing with. yet so it was. she would drop in on me after school for a cup of tea and tell me frankly how distinguished his manner was and what shapely features he had and what fine eyes, and how there was a certain note in his voice at times, and had i ever noticed that one stubborn lock of hair that stuck out back of his left ear? of course that last item settled it. when they notice that lock of hair you know the ship has struck the reef and all hands are perishing. "and it seemed that the cuss had not only shown her more than a little attention at evening functions but had escorted her to the midspring production of 'hamlet' by the red gap amateur theatrical and dramatic society. true, he had conducted himself like a perfect gentleman every minute they was alone together, even when they had to go home in eddie pierce's hack because it was raining when the show let out--but would i, or would i not, suspect from all this that he was in the least degree thinking of her in a way that--you know! "poor child of twenty-eight, with her hungry eyes and flushed face while she was showing down her hand to me! i seen the scoundrel's play at once. hetty was the one safe bet for him in red gap's social whirl. he was wise, all right--this mr. d. he'd known in a second he could trust himself alone with that girl and be as safe as a babe in its mother's arms. of course i couldn't say this to hetty. i just said he was a man that seemed to know his own mind very clearly, whatever it was, and hetty blushed some more and said that something within her responded to a certain note in his voice. we let it go at that. "so i think and ponder about poor hetty, trying to invent some conspiracy that would fix it right, because she was the ideal mate for an assistant cashier that had a certain position to keep up. for that matter she was good enough for any man. then i hear she has joined the riding club, and an all day's ride has been planned for the next saturday up to stender's spring, with a basket lunch and a romantic ride back by moonlight. of course, i don't believe in any of this spiritualist stuff, but you can't tell me there ain't something in it, mind-reading or something, with the hunches you get when parties is in some grave danger. "stella ballard it was tells me about the picnic, calling me in as i passed their house to show me her natty new riding togs that had just come from the mail-order house. she called from back of a curtain, and when i got into the parlour she had them on, pleased as all get-out. pretty they was, too--riding breeches and puttees and a man's flannel shirt and a neat-fitting norfolk jacket, and stella being a fine, upstanding figure. "'they may cause considerable talk,' says she, smoothing down one leg where it wrinkled a bit, 'but really i think they look perfectly stunning on me, and wasn't it lucky they fit me so beautifully? they're called the non plush ultra.' "'the what?' i says. "'the non plush ultra,' she answers. 'that's the name of them sewed in the band.' "'what's that mean?' i wanted to know. "'why,' says stella, 'that's latin or greek, i forget which, and it means they're the best, i believe. oh, let me see! why, it means nothing beyond, or something like that; the farthest you can go, i think. one forgets all that sort of thing after leaving high school.' "'well,' i says, 'they fit fine, and it's the only modest rig for a woman to ride a horse in, but they certainly are non plush, all right. that thin goods will never wear long against saddle leather, take my word for it.' "but of course this made no impression on stella--she was standing on the centre table by now, so she could lamp herself in the glass over the mantel--and then she tells me about the excursion for saturday and how mr. burchell daggett is enthused about it, him being a superb horseman himself, and, if i know what she means, don't i think she carries herself in the saddle almost better than any girl in her set, and won't her style show better than ever in this duck of a costume, and she must get her tan shoes polished, and do i think mr. daggett really meant anything when he said he'd expect her some day to return the masonic pin she had lifted off his vest the other night at the dance, and so on. "it was while she was babbling this stuff that i get the strange hunch that hetty tipton is in grave danger and i ought to run to her; it seemed almost i could hear her calling on me to save her from some horrible fate. so i tell stella yes, she's by far the finest rider in the whole kulanche valley, and she ought to get anything she wants with that suit on, and then i beat it quick over to the ezra button house where hetty boards. "you can laugh all you want to, but that hunch of mine was the god's truth. hetty was in the gravest danger she'd faced since one time in early infancy when she got give morphine for quinine. what made it more horrible, she hadn't the least notion of her danger. quite the contrary. "'thank the stars i've come in time!' i gasps as i rushes in on her, for there's the poor girl before her mirror in a pair of these same non plush ultras and looking as pleased with herself as if she had some reason to be. "'back into your skirts quick!' i says. 'i'm a strong woman and all that, but still i can be affected more than you'd think.' "poor hetty stutters and turns red and her chin begins to quiver, so i gentled her down and tried to explain, though seeing quick that i must tell her everything but the truth. i reckon nothing in this world can look funnier than a woman wearing them things that had never ought to for one reason or another. there was more reasons than that in hetty's case. dignity was the first safe bet i could think of with her, so i tried that. "'i know all you would say,' says the poor thing in answer, 'but isn't it true that men rather like one to be--oh, well, you know--just the least bit daring?' "'truest thing in the world,' i says, 'but bless your heart, did you suspicion riding breeches was daring on a woman? not so. a girl wearing 'em can't be any more daring after the first quick shock is over than--well, you read the magazines, don't you? you've seen those pictures of family life in darkest africa that the explorers and monkey hunters bring home, where the wives, mothers, and sweethearts, god bless 'em! wear only what the scorching climate demands. didn't it strike you that one of them women without anything on would have a hard time if she tried to be daring--or did it? no woman can be daring without the proper clothes for it,' i says firmly, 'and as for you, i tell you plain, get into the most daring and immodest thing that was ever invented for woman--which is the well-known skirt.' "'oh, ma pettengill,' cries the poor thing, 'i never meant anything horrid and primitive when i said daring. as a matter of fact, i think these are quite modest to the intelligent eye.' "'just what i'm trying to tell you,' i says. 'exactly that; they're modest to any eye whatever. but here you are embarked on a difficult enterprise, with a band of flinty-hearted cutthroats trying to beat you to it, and, my dear child, you have a staunch nature and a heart of gold, but you simply can't afford to be modest.' "'i don't understand,' says she, looking at herself in the glass again. "'trust me, anyway,' i implores. 'let others wear their non plush ultras which are no. '--she tries to correct my pronunciation, but i wouldn't stop for that. 'never mind how it's pronounced,' i says, 'because i know well the meaning of it in a foreign language. it means the limit, and it's a very desirable limit for many, but for you,' i says plainly, 'it's different. your non plush ultra will have to be a neat, ankle-length riding skirt. you got one, haven't you?' "'i have,' says she, 'a very pretty one of tan corduroy, almost new, but i had looked forward to these, and i don't see yet--' "then i thought of another way i might get to her without blurting out the truth. 'listen, hetty,' i says, 'and remember not only that i'm your friend but that i know a heap more about this fool world than you do. i've had bitter experiences, and one of them got me at the time i first begun to wear riding pants myself, which must have been about the time you was beginning to bite dents into your silver mug that aunt caroline sent. i was a handsome young hellion, i don't mind telling you, and they looked well on me, and when lysander john urged me to be brave and wear 'em outside i was afraid all the men within a day's ride was going to sneak round to stare at me. my! i was so embarrassed, also with that same feeling you got in your heart this minute that it was taking an unfair advantage of any man--you know! i felt like i was using all the power of my young beauty for unworthy ends. "'well, do you know what i got when i first rode out on the ranch? i got just about the once-over from every brute there, and that was all. if one of them ranch hands had ever ogled me a second time i'd have known it all right, but i never caught one of the scoundrels at it. first i said: "now, ain't that fine and chivalrous?" then i got wise. it wasn't none of this here boasted western chivalry, but just plain lack of interest. i admit it made me mad at first. any man on the place was only too glad to look me over when i had regular clothes on, but dress me like lysander john and they didn't look at me any oftener than they did him. not as often, of course, because as a plain human being and man's equal i wasn't near as interesting as he was.' "'but then, too,' says hetty, who had only been about half listening to my lecture, 'i thought it might be striking a blow at the same time for the freedom of woman.' "well, you know how that freedom-of-the-sex talk always gets me going. i was mad enough for a minute to spank her just as she stood there in them non plush ultras she was so proud of. and i did let out some high talk. mrs. dutton told her afterward she thought sure we was having words. "'freedom from skirts,' i says, 'is the last thing your sex wants. skirts is the final refuge of immodesty, to which women will cling like grim death. they will do any possible thing to a skirt--slit it, thin it, shorten it, hike it up one side--people are setting up nights right now thinking up some new thing to do to it--but women won't give it up and dress modestly as men do because it's the only unfair drag they got left with the men. i see one of our offended sex is daily asking right out in a newspaper: "are women people?" i'd just like to whisper to her that no one yet knows. "'if they'll quit their skirts, dress as decently as a man does so they won't have any but a legitimate pull with him, we'd have a chance to find out if they're good for anything else. as a matter of fact, they don't want to be people and dress modestly and wear hats you couldn't pay over eight dollars for. i believe there was one once, but the poor thing never got any notice from either sex after she became--a people, as you might say.' "well, i was going on to get off a few more things i'd got madded up to, but i caught the look in poor hetty's face, and it would have melted a stone. poor child! there she was, wanting a certain man and willing to wear or not wear anything on earth that would nail him, and not knowing what would do it, and complicating her ignorance with meaningless worries about modesty and daringness and the freedom of her poor sex, that ain't ever even deuce-low with one woman in a million. "and right then, watching her distress, all at once i get my big inspiration--it just flooded me like the sun coming up. i don't know if i'm like other folks, but things do come to me that way. and not only was it a great truth, but it got me out of the hole of having to tell hetty certain truths about herself that these non plush ultras made all too glaring. "'listen,' i says: 'you believe i'm your friend, don't you? and you believe anything i tell you is from the heart out and will probably have a grain of sense in it. well, here is an inspired thought: women won't ever dress modestly like men do because men don't want 'em to. i never saw a man yet that did if he'd tell the truth, and so this here dark city stranger won't be any exception. now, then, what do we see on saturday next? why, we see this here gay throng sally forth for stender's spring, the youth and beauty of red gap, including mr. d., with his nice refined odour of russia leather and bank bills of large size--from fifties up--that haven't been handled much. the crowd is of all sexes, technically, like you might say; a lot of nice, sweet girls along but dressed to be mere jolly young roughnecks, and just as interesting to the said stranger as the regular boys that will be present--hardly more so. and now, as for poor little meek you--you will look wild and western, understand me, but feminine; exactly like the coloured cigarette picture that says under it "rocky mountain cow girl." you will be in your pretty tan skirt--be sure to have it pressed--and a blue-striped sport bloose that i just saw in the la mode window, and you'll get some other rough western stuff there, too: a blue silk neckerchief and a natty little cow-girl sombrero--the la mode is showing a good one called the la parisienne for four fifty-eight--and the daintiest pair of tan kid gauntlets you can find, and don't forget a pair of tan silk stockings--' "'they won't show in my riding boots,' says hetty, looking as if she was coming to life a little. "'tush for the great, coarse, commonsense riding boots,' i says firmly; 'you will wear precisely that neat little pair of almost new tan pumps with the yellow bows that you're standing in now. do you get me?' "'but that would be too dainty and absurd,' says hetty. "'exactly!' i says, shutting my mouth hard. "'why, i almost believe i do get you,' says she, looking religiously up into the future like that lady saint playing the organ in the picture. "'another thing,' i says: 'you are deathly afraid of a horse and was hardly ever on one but once when you were a teeny girl, but you do love the open life, so you just nerved yourself up to come.' "'i believe i see more clearly than ever,' says hetty. she grew up on a ranch, knows more about a horse than the horse himself does, and would be a top rider most places, with the cheap help we get nowadays that can hardly set a saddle. "'also from time to time,' i goes on, 'you want to ask this mr. d. little, timid, silly questions that will just tickle him to death and make him feel superior. ask him to tell you which legs of a horse the chaps go on, and other things like that; ask him if the sash that holds the horrid old saddle on isn't so tight it's hurting your horse. after the lunch is et, go over to the horse all alone and stroke his nose and call him a dear and be found by the gent when he follows you over trying to feed the noble animal a hard-boiled egg and a couple of pickles or something. take my word for it, he'll be over all right and have a hearty laugh at your confusion, and begin to wonder what it is about you. "'how about falling off and spraining my ankle on the way back?' demands the awakening vestal with a gleam in her eye. "'no good,' i says; 'pretty enough for a minute, but it would make trouble if you kept up the bluff, and if there's one thing a man hates more than another it's to have a woman round that makes any trouble.' "'you have me started on a strange new train of thought,' says hetty. "'i think it's a good one,' i tells her, 'but remember there are risks. for one thing, you know how popular you have always been with all the girls. well, after this day none of 'em will hardly speak to you because of your low-lifed, deceitful game, and the things they'll say of you--such things as only woman can say of woman!' "'i shall not count the cost,' says she firmly. 'and now i must hurry down for that sport bloose--blue-striped, you said?' "'something on that order,' i says, 'that fits only too well. you can do almost anything you want to with your neck and arms, but remember strictly--a skirt is your one and only non plush ultra.' "so i went home all flushed and eager, thinking joyously how little men--the poor dubs--ever suspect how it's put over on 'em, and the next day, which was friday, i thought of a few more underhand things she could do. so when she run in to see me that afternoon, the excitement of the chase in her eye, she wanted i should go along on this picnic. i says yes, i will, being that excited myself and wanting to see really if i was a double-faced genius or wasn't i? henrietta price couldn't go on account of being still lame from her ride of a week ago, so i could go as chaperone, and anyway i knew the dear girls would all be glad to have me because i would look so different from them--like a genial old ranch foreman going out on rodeo--and the boys was always glad to see me along anyway. 'i'll be there,' i says to hetty. 'and here--don't forget at all times to-morrow to carry this little real lace handkerchief i'm giving you.' "i was at the meeting-place next morning at nine. none of the other girls was on time, of course, but that was just as well, because aggie tuttle had got her father to come down to the sale yard to pack a mule with the hampers of lunch. jeff tuttle is a good packer all right, but too inflamed in the case of a mule, which he hates. they always know up and down that street when he's packing one; ladies drag their children by as fast as they can. but jeff had the hitch all throwed before any of the girls showed up, and all began in a lovely manner, the crowd of about fifteen getting off not more than an hour late; mr. burchell in the lead and a bevy of these jolly young rascals in their non plush ultras riding herd on him. "every girl cast cordial glances of pity at poor hetty when she showed up in her neat skirt and silly tan pumps with the ridiculous silk stockings and the close-fitting blue-striped thing, free at the neck, and her pretty hair all neated under the la parisienne cow-girl hat. oh, they felt kinder than ever before to poor old hetty when they saw her as little daring as that, cheering her with a hearty uproar, slapping their non plush ultras with their caps or gloves, and then giggling confidentially to one another. hetty accepted their applause with what they call a pretty show of confusion and gored her horse with her heel on the off side so it looked as if the vicious brute was running away and she might fall off any minute, but somehow she didn't, and got him soothed with frightened words and by taking the hidden heel out of his slats--though not until mr. d. had noticed her good and then looked again once or twice. "and so the party moved on for an hour or two, with the roguish young roughnecks cutting up merrily at all times, pretending to be cowboys coming to town on pay day, swinging their hats, giving the long yell, and doing roughriding to cut each other away from the side of mr. d. every now and then, with a noisy laugh of good nature to hide the poisoned dagger. daisy estelle maybury is an awful good rider, too, and got next to the hero about every time she wanted to. poor thing, if she only knew that once she gets off a horse in 'em it makes all the difference in the world. "the dark city stranger seemed to enjoy it fine, all this noise and cutting up and cowboy antics like they was just a lot of high-spirited young men together, but i never weakened in my faith for one minute. 'laugh on, my proud beauties,' i says, 'but a time will come, just as sure as you look and act like a passel of healthy boys.' and you bet it did. "we hadn't got halfway to stender's spring till mr. d. got off to tighten his cinch, and then he sort of drifted back to where hetty and i was. i dropped back still farther to where a good chaperone ought to be and he rode in beside hetty. the trail was too narrow then for the rest to come back after their prey, so they had to carry on the rough work among themselves. "hetty acted perfect. she had a pensive, withdrawn look--'aloof,' i guess the word is--like she was too tender a flower, too fine for this rough stuff, and had ought to be in the home that minute telling a fairy story to the little ones gathered at her decently clad knee. i don't know how she done it, but she put that impression over. and she tells mr. d. that in spite of her quiet, studious tastes she had resolved to come on this picnic because she loves nature oh! so dearly, the birds and the wild flowers and the great rugged trees that have their message for man if he will but listen with an understanding heart--didn't mr. d. think so, or did he? but not too much of this dear old nature stuff, which can be easy overdone with a healthy man; just enough to show there was hidden depths in her nature that every one couldn't find. "then on to silly questions about does a horse lie down when it goes to sleep each night after its hard day's labour, and isn't her horse's sash too tight, and what a pretty fetlock he has, so long and thick and brown--oh, do you call that the mane? how absurd of poor little me! mr. daggett knows just everything, doesn't he? he's perfectly terrifying. and where in the world did he ever learn to ride so stunningly, like one of those dare-devils in a wild west entertainment? if her own naughty, naughty horse tries to throw her on the ground again where he can bite her she'll just have mr. d. ride the nassy ole sing and teach him better manners, so she will. there now! he must have heard that--just see him move his funny ears--don't tell her that horses can't understand things that are said. and, seriously now, where did mr. d. ever get his superb athletic training, because, oh! how all too rare it is to see a brain-worker of strong mentality and a splendid athlete in one and the same man. oh, how pathetically she had wished and wished to be a man and take her place out in the world fighting its battles, instead of poor little me who could never be anything but a homebody to worship the great, strong, red-blooded men who did the fighting and carried on great industries--not even an athletic girl like those dear things up ahead--and this horse is bobbing up and down like that on purpose, just to make poor little me giddy, and so forth. holding her bridle rein daintily she was with the lace handkerchief i'd give her that cost me twelve fifty. "mr. d. took it all like a real man. he said her ignorance of a horse was adorable and laughed heartily at it. and he smiled in a deeply modest and masterful way and said 'but, really, that's nothing--nothing at all, i assure you,' when she said about how he was a corking athlete--and then kept still to see if she was going on to say more about it. but she didn't, having the god-given wisdom to leave him wanting. and then he would be laughing again at her poor-little-me horse talk. "i never had a minute's doubt after that, for it was the eyes of one fascinated to a finish that he turned back on me half an hour later as he says: 'really, mrs. pettengill, our miss hester is feminine to her finger tips, is she not?' 'she is, she is,' i answers. 'if you only knew the trouble i had with the chit about that horrible old riding skirt of hers when all her girl friends are wearing a sensible costume!' hetty blushed good and proper at this, not knowing how indecent i might become, and mr. d. caught her at it. aggie tuttle and stella ballard at this minute is pretending to be shooting up a town with the couple of revolvers they'd brought along in their cunning little holsters. mr. d. turns his glazed eyes to me once more. 'the real womanly woman,' says he in a hushed voice, 'is god's best gift to man.' just like that. "'landed!' i says to myself. 'throw him up on the bank and light a fire.' "and mebbe you think this tet-à-tet had not been noticed by the merry throng up front. not so. the shouting and songs had died a natural death, and the last three miles of that trail was covered in a gloomy silence, except for the low voices of hetty and the male she had so neatly pronged. i could see puzzled glances cast back at them and catch mutterings of bewilderment where the trail would turn on itself. but the poor young things didn't yet realize that their prey was hanging back there for reasons over which he hadn't any control. they thought, of course, he was just being polite or something. "when we got to the picnic place, though, they soon saw that all was not well. there was some resumption of the merrymaking as they dismounted and the girls put one stirrup over the saddle-horn and eased the cinch like the boys did, and proud of their knowledge, but the glances they now shot at hetty wasn't bewildered any more. they was glances of pure fright. hetty, in the first place, had to be lifted off her horse, and mr. d. done it in a masterly way to show her what a mere feather she was in his giant's grasp. then with her feet on the ground she reeled a mite, so he had to support her. she grasped his great strong arm firmly and says: 'it's nothing--i shall be right presently--leave me please, go and help those other girls.' they had some low, heated language about his leaving her at such a crisis, with her gripping his arm till i bet it showed for an hour. but finally they broke and he loosened her horse's sash, as she kept quaintly calling it, and she recovered completely and said it had been but a moment's giddiness anyway, and what strength he had in those arms, and yet could use it so gently, and he said she was a brave, game little woman, and the picnic was served to one and all, with looks of hearty suspicion and rage now being shot at hetty from every other girl there. "and now i see that my hunch has been even better than i thought. not only does the star male hover about hetty, cutely perched on a fallen log with her dainty, gleaming ankles crossed, and looking so fresh and nifty and feminine, but i'm darned if three or four of the other males don't catch the contagion of her woman's presence and hang round her, too, fetching her food of every kind there, feeding her spoonfuls of aggie tuttle's plum preserves, and all like that, one comical thing after another. yes, sir; here was mac gordon and riley hardin and charlie dickman and roth hyde, men about town of the younger dancing set, that had knowed hetty for years and hardly ever looked at her--here they was paying attentions to her now like she was some prize beauty, come down from spokane for over sunday, to say nothing of mr. d., who hardly ever left her side except to get her another sardine sandwich or a paper cup of coffee. it was then i see the scientific explanation of it, like these high-school professors always say that science is at the bottom of everything. the science of this here was that they was all devoting themselves to hetty for the simple reason that she was the one and only woman there present. "of course these girls in their modest non plush ultras didn't get the scientific secret of this fact. they was still too obsessed with the idea that they ought to be ogled on account of them by any male beast in his right senses. but they knew they'd got in wrong somehow. by this time they was kind of bunching together and telling each other things in low tones, while not seeming to look at hetty and her dupes, at which all would giggle in the most venemous manner. daisy estelle left the bunch once and made a coy bid for the notice of mr. d. by snatching his cap and running merrily off with it about six feet. if there was any one in the world--except hetty--could make a man hate the idea of riding pants for women, she was it. i could see the cold, flinty look come into his eyes as he turned away from her to hetty with the pitcher of lemonade. and then beryl mae macomber, she gets over close enough for mr. d. to hear it, and says conditions is made very inharmonious at home for a girl of her temperament, and she's just liable any minute to chuck everything and either take up literary work or go into the movies, she don't know which and don't care--all kind of desperate so mr. d. will feel alarmed about a beautiful young thing like that out in the world alone and unprotected and at the mercy of every designing scoundrel. but i don't think mr. d. hears a word of it, he's so intently listening to hetty who says here in this beautiful mountain glade where all is peace how one can't scarcely believe that there is any evil in the world anywhere, and what a difference it does make when one comes to see life truly. then she crossed and recrossed her silken ankles, slightly adjusted her daring tan skirt, and raised her eyes wistfully to the treetops, and i bet there wasn't a man there didn't feel that she belonged in the home circle with the little ones gathered about, telling 'em an awfully exciting story about the naughty, naughty, bad little white kitten and the ball of mamma's yarn. "yes, sir; hetty was as much of a revelation to me in one way as she would of been to that party in another if i hadn't saved her from it. she must have had the correct female instinct all these years, only no one had ever started her before on a track where there was no other entries. with those other girls dressed like she was hetty would of been leaning over some one's shoulder to fork up her own sandwiches, and no one taking hardly any notice whether she'd had some of the hot coffee or whether she hadn't. and the looks she got throughout the afternoon! say, i wouldn't of trusted that girl at the edge of a cliff with a single pair of those no. 's anywhere near. "after the lunch things was packed up there was faint attempts at fun and frolic with songs and chorus--riley hardin has a magnificent bass voice at times and mac gordon and charlie dickman and roth hyde wouldn't be so bad if they'd let these turkish cigarettes alone--and the boys got together and sung some of their good old business-college songs, with the girls coming in while they murdered hetty with their beautiful eyes. but hetty and mr. d. sort of withdrew from the noisy enjoyment and talked about the serious aspects of life and how one could get along almost any place if only they had their favourite authors. and mr. d. says doesn't she sing at all, and she says, oh! in a way; that her voice has a certain parlour charm, she has been told, and she sings at--you can't really call it singing--two or three of the old scotch songs of homely sentiment like the scotch seem to get into their songs as no other nation can, or doesn't he think so, and he does, indeed. and he's reading a wonderful new novel in which there is much of nature with its lessons for each of us, but in which love conquers all at the end, and the girl in it reminds him strongly of her, and perhaps she'll be good enough to sing for him--just for him alone in the dusk--if he brings this book up to-morrow night so he can show her some good places in it. "at first she is sure she has a horrid old engagement for to-morrow night and is so sorry, but another time, perhaps--ain't it a marvel the crooked tricks that girl had learned in one day! and then she remembers that her engagement is for tuesday night--what could she have been thinking of!--and come by all means--only too charmed--and how rarely nowadays does one meet one on one's own level of culture, or perhaps that is too awful a word to use--so hackneyed--but anyway he knows what she means, or doesn't he? he does. "pretty soon she gets up and goes over to her horse, picking her way daintily in the silly little tan pumps, and seems to be offering the beast something. the stricken man follows her the second he can without being too raw about it, and there is the adorably feminine thing with a big dill pickle, two deviled eggs, and a half of one of these camelbert cheeses for her horse. mr. d. has a good masterly laugh at her idea of horse fodder and calls her 'but, my dear child!' and she looks prettily offended and offers this chuck to the horse and he gulps it all down and noses round for more of the same. it was an old horse named croppy that she'd known from childhood and would eat anything on earth. she rode him up here once and he nabbed a bar of laundry soap off the back porch and chewed the whole thing down with tears of ecstasy in his eyes and frothing at the mouth like a mad dog. well, so hetty gives mister man a look of dainty superiority as she flicks crumbs from her white fingers with my real lace handkerchief, and he stops his hearty laughter and just stares, and she says what nonsense to think the poor horses don't like food as well as any one. them little moments have their effect on a man in a certain condition. he knew there probably wasn't another horse in the world would touch that truck, but he couldn't help feeling a strange new respect for her in addition to that glorious masculine protection she'd had him wallowing in all day. "the ride home, at least on the part of the non plush ultra cut-ups, was like they had laid a loved one to final rest out there on the lone mountainside. the handsome stranger and hetty brought up the rear, conversing eagerly about themselves and other serious topics. i believe he give her to understand that he'd been pretty wild at one time in his life and wasn't any too darned well over it yet, but that some good womanly woman who would study his ways could still take him and make a man of him; and her answering that she knew he must have suffered beyond human endurance in that horrible conflict with his lower nature. he said he had. "of course the rabid young hoydens up ahead made a feeble effort now and then to carry it off lightly, and from time to time sang 'my bonnie lies over the ocean,' or 'merrily we roll along,' with the high, squeaky tenor of roth hyde sounding above the others very pretty in the moonlight, but it was poor work as far as these enraged vestals was concerned. if i'd been hetty and had got a strange box of candy through the mail the next week, directed in a disguised woman's hand, i'd of rushed right off to the police with it, not waiting for any analysis. and she, poor thing, would get so frightened at bad spots, with the fierce old horse bobbing about so dangerous, that she just has to be held on. and once she wrenched her ankle against a horrid old tree on the trail--she hadn't been able to resist a little one--and bit her under lip as the spasm of pain passed over her refined features. but she was all right in a minute and begged mr. d. not to think of bathing it in cold water because it was nothing--nothing at all, really now--and he would embarrass her frightfully if he said one more word about it. and mr. d. again remarked that she was feminine to her finger tips, a brave, game little woman, one of the gamest he ever knew. and pretty soon--what was she thinking about now? why, she was merely wondering if horses think in the true sense of the word or only have animal instinct, as it is called. and wasn't she a strange, puzzling creature to be thinking on deep subjects like that at such a time! yes, she had been called puzzling as a child, but she didn't like it one bit. she wanted to be like other girls, if he knew what she meant. he seemed to. "they took hetty home first on account of her poor little ankle and sung 'good night, ladies,' at the gate. and so ended a day that was wreck and ruin for most of our sex there present. "and to show you what a good, deep, scientific cause i had discovered, the next night at hetty's who shows up one by one but these four men about town, each with a pound of mixed from the bon ton handy kitchen, and there they're all setting at the feet of hetty, as it were, in her new light summer gown with the blue bows, when mr. d. blows in with a two-pound box and the novel in which love conquered all. so excited she was when she tells me about it next day. the luck of that girl! but after all it wasn't luck, because she'd laid her foundations the day before, hadn't she? always look a little bit back of anything that seems to be luck, say i. "and hetty with shining eyes entertained one and all with the wit and sparkle a woman can show only when there's four or five men at her at once--it's the only time we ever rise to our best. but she got a chance for a few words alone with mr. d., who took his hat finally when he sees the other four was going to set him out; enough words to confide to him how she loathed this continual social racket to which she was constantly subjected, with never a let-up so one could get to one's books and to one's real thoughts. but perhaps he would venture up again some time next week or the week after--not getting coarse in her work, understand, even with him flopping around there out on the bank--and he give her one long, meaning look and said why not to-morrow night, and she carelessly said that would be charming, she was sure--she didn't think of any engagement at this minute--and it was ever so nice of him to think of poor little me. "then she went back and gave the social evening of their life to them four boys that had stayed. she said she couldn't thank them enough for coming this evening--which is probably the only time she had told the truth in thirty-six hours--and they all made merry. roth hyde sang 'sally in our alley' so good on the high notes that the duttons was all out in the hall listening; and riley hardin singing 'down, diver, down, 'neath the deep blue waves!' and mac gordon singing his everlasting german songs in their native language, and charlie dickman singing a new sentimental one called 'ain't there at least one gentleman here?' about a fair young lady dancer being insulted in a gilded café in some large city; and one and all voted it was a jolly evening and said how about coming back to-morrow night, but hetty said no, it was her one evening for study and she couldn't be bothered with them, which was a plain, downright so-and-so and well she knew it, because that girl's study was over for good and all. "well, why string it out? i've give you the facts. and my lands! will you look at that clock now? here's the morning gone and this room still looking like the inside of a sheep-herder's wagon! oh, yes, and when hetty was up here this time that she wouldn't wear my riding pants down, she says. 'not only that, but i'm scrupulously careful in all ways. why, i never even allow dear burchell to observe me in one of those lace boudoir caps that so many women cover up their hair with when it's their best feature but they won't take time to do it.' "now was that spoken like a wise woman or like the two-horned galumpsis caladensis of east india, whose habits are little known to man? my lord! won't i ever learn to stop? where did i put that dusting cloth?" vi cousin egbert intervenes "it takes all kinds of foreigners to make a world," said ma pettengill--irrelevantly i thought, because the remark seemed to be inspired merely by the announcement of sandy sawtelle that the mule jerry's hip had been laid open by a kick from the mule alice, and that the bearer of the news had found fourteen stitches needed to mend the rent. sandy brought his news to the owner of the arrowhead as she relaxed in my company on the west veranda of the ranch house and scented the golden dusk with burning tobacco of an inferior but popular brand. i listened but idly to the minute details of the catastrophe, discovering more entertainment in the solemn wake of light a dulled sun was leaving as it slipped over the sagging rim of arrowhead pass. and yet, through my absorption with the shadows that now played far off among the folded hills, there did come sharply the impression that this sawtelle person was dwelling too insistently upon the precise number of stitches required by the breach in jerry's hide. "fourteen--yes, ma'am; fourteen stitches. that there alice mule sure needs handling. fourteen regular ones. i'd certainly show her where to head in at, like now she was my personal property. me, i'd abuse her shamefully. only eleven i took last time in poor old jerry; and here now it's plumb fourteen--yes, ma'am; fourteen good ones. say, you get fourteen of them stitches in your hide, and i bet--thought, at first, i could make twelve do, but it takes full fourteen, with old jerry nearly tearing the chute down while i was taking these fourteen--" i began to see numbers black against that glowing panorama in the west. a monstrous repeated itself stubbornly along the gorgeous reach of it. "yes, ma'am--fourteen; you can go out right now and count 'em yourself. and like mebbe i'll have to go down to town to-morrow for some more of that king of pain liniment, on account of lazarus and bryan getting good and lamed in this same mix-up, and me letting fall the last bottle we had on the place and busting her wide open--" "don't you bother to bust any more!" broke in his employer in a tone that i found crisp with warning. "there's a whole new case of king of pain in the storeroom." "huh!" exclaimed the surgeon, ably conveying disappointment thereby. "and like now if i did go down i could get the new parts for that there mower--" "that's something for me to worry about exclusively. i'll begin when we got something to mow." there was finished coldness in this. "huh!" the primitive vocable now conveyed a lively resentment, but there was the pleading of a patient sufferer in what followed. "and like at the same time, having to make the trip anyway for these here supplies and things, i could stop just a minute at doc martingale's and have this old tooth of mine took out, that's been achin' like a knife stuck in me fur the last fourteen--well, fur about a week now--achin' night and day--no sleep at all now fur seven, eight nights; so painful i get regular delirious, let me tell you. and, of course, all wore out the way i am, i won't be any good on the place till my agony's relieved. why, what with me suffering so horrible, i just wouldn't hardly know my own name sometimes if you was to come up and ask me!" the woman's tone became more than ever repellent. "never you mind about not knowing your own name. i got it on the pay roll, and it'll still be there to-morrow if you're helping buck get out the rest of them fence posts like i told you. if you happen to get stuck for your name when i ain't round, and the inquiring parties won't wait, just ask the chinaman; he never forgets anything he's learned once. or i'll write it out on a card, so you can show it to anybody who rides up and wants to know it in a hurry!" "huh!" the powers of this brief utterance had not yet been exhausted. it now conveyed despair. with bowed head the speaker dully turned and withdrew from our presence. as he went i distinctly heard him mutter: "huh! four-teen! four-teen! and seven! and twenty-eight!" "say, there!" his callous employer called after him. "why don't you get boogles to embroider that name of yours on the front of your shirt? he'd adore to do it. and you can still read, can't you, in the midst of your agonies?" there was no response to this taunt. the suffering one faded slowly down the path to the bunk house and was lost in its blackness. a light shone out and presently came sombre chords from a guitar, followed by the voice of sandy in gloomy song: "there's a broken heart for every light on broadway--" i was not a little pained to discover this unsuspected vein of cruelty in a woman i had long admired. and the woman merely became irrelevant with her apothegm about foreigners. i ignored it. "what about that sufferer down there in the bunk house?" i demanded. "didn't you ever have toothache?" "no; neither did sandy sawtelle. he ain't a sufferer; he's just a liar." "why?" "so i'll let him go to town and play the number of them stitches on the wheel. sure! he'd run a horse to death getting there, make for the back room of the turf club saloon, where they run games whenever the town ain't lidded too tight, and play roulette till either him or the game had to close down. yes, sir; he'd string his bets along on fourteen and seven and twenty-eight and thirty-five, and if he didn't make a killing he'd believe all his life that the wheel was crooked. stitches in a mule's hide is his bug. he could stitch up any horse on the place and never have the least hunch; but let it be a mule--say! down there right now he's thinking about the thousand dollars or so i'm keeping him out of. i judge from his song that he'd figured on a trip east to new york city or denver. at that, i don't know as i blame him. yes, sir; that's what reminded me of foreigners and bazaars and vice, and so on--and poor egbert floud." my hostess drew about her impressive shoulders a blanket of indian weave that dulled the splendours of the western sky, and rolled a slender cigarette from the tobacco and papers at her side. by the ensuing flame of a match i saw that her eyes gleamed with the light of pure narration. "foreigners, bazaars, vice, and egbert floud?" i murmured, wishing these to be related more plausibly one to another. "i'm coming to it," said the lady; and, after two sustaining inhalations from the new cigarette, forthwith she did: * * * * * it was late last winter, while i was still in red gap. the talk went round that we'd ought to have another something for the belgians. we'd had a concert, the proceeds of which run up into two figures after all expenses was paid; but it was felt something more could be done--something in the nature of a bazaar, where all could get together. the mes-dames henrietta templeton price and judge ballard were appointed a committee to do some advance scouting. that was where egbert floud come in, though after it was all over any one could see that he was more to be pitied than censured. these well-known leaders consulted him among others, and cousin egbert says right off that, sure, he'll help 'em get up something if they'll agree to spend a third of the loot for tobacco for the poor soldiers, because a belgian or any one else don't worry so much about going hungry if they can have a smoke from time to time, and he's been reading about where tobacco is sorely needed in the trenches. he felt strong about it, because one time out on the trail he lost all his own and had to smoke poplar bark or something for two weeks, nearly burning his flues out. the two mes-dames agreed to this, knowing from their menfolk that tobacco is one of the great human needs, both in war and in peace, and knowing that cousin egbert will be sure to donate handsomely himself, he always having been the easiest mark in town; so they said they was much obliged for his timely suggestion and would he think up some novel feature for the bazaar; and he said he would if he could, and they went on to other men of influence. henrietta's husband, when he heard the money wouldn't all be spent for mere food, said he'd put up a choice lot in price's addition to be raffled off--a lot that would at some future date be worth five thousand dollars of anybody's money, and that was all right; and some of the merchants come through liberal with articles of use and adornment to be took chances on. even old proctor knapp, the richest man in town, actually give up something after they pestered him for an hour. he owns the people's traction company and he turned over a dollar's worth of street-car tickets to be raffled for, though saying he regarded gambling as a very objectionable and uncertain vice, and a person shouldn't go into anything without being sure they was dead certain to make something out of it, war or no war, he knowing all about it. why wouldn't he, having started life as a poor, ragged boy and working his way up to where parties that know him is always very careful indeed when they do any business with him? some of the ladies they consulted was hostile about the tobacco end of it. mrs. tracy bangs said that no victim of the weed could keep up his mentality, and that she, for one, would rather see her tracy lying in his casket than smoking vile tobacco that would destroy his intellect and make him a loathsome object in the home. she said she knew perfectly well that if the countries at war had picked their soldiers from non-smokers it would have been all over in just a few days--and didn't that show you that the tobacco demon was as bad as the rum demon? mrs. leonard wales was not only bitter about tobacco but about any help at all. she said our hard storms of that winter had been caused by the general hatred in europe which created evil waves of malignity; so let 'em shoot each other till they got sense enough to dwell together in love and amity--only we shouldn't prolong the war by sending 'em soup and cigarettes, and so on. her idea seemed to be that if red gap would just stand firm in the matter the war would die a natural death. still, if a bazaar was really going to be held, she would consent to pose in a tableau if they insisted on it, and mebbe she could thus inject into the evil atmosphere of europe some of the peace and good will that sets the united states apart from other nations. trust cora wales not to overlook a bet like that. she's a tall, sandy-haired party, with very extravagant contours, and the thing she loves best on earth is to get under a pasteboard crown, with gilt stars on it, and drape herself in the flag of her country, with one fat arm bare, while maine, new hampshire, vermont, massachusetts, and the rest is gathered about and looking up to her for protection. mebbe she don't look so bad as the goddess of liberty on a float in the middle of one of our wide streets when the chamber of commerce is giving a greater red gap pageant; but take her in a hall, where you set close up to the platform, and she looks more like our boasted liberty has degenerated into license, or something like that. anyway, the committee had to promise her she could do something in her flag and crown and talcum powder, because they knew she'd knock the show if they didn't. this reminded 'em they had to have a program of entertainment; so they got me on the committee with the other mes-dames to think up things, me always being an easy mark. i find out right off that we're a lot of foreigners and you got to be darned careful not to hurt anybody's feelings. little bertha lehman's pa would let her be a state--colorado or nebraska, or something--but he wouldn't let her sing unless it would be a german song in the original; and hobbs, the english baker, said his tillie would have to sing "britannia rules the waves," or nothing; and two or three others said what they would and wouldn't do, and it looked like red gap itself was going to be dug up into trenches. i had to get little magnesia waterman, daughter of the coons that work in the u.s. grill, to do the main singing. she seemed to be about the only american child soprano we had. she sings right well for a kid, mostly these sad songs about heaven; but we picked out a good live one for her that seemed to be neutral. it was delicate work, let me tell you, turning down folks that wanted to sing patriotic songs or recite war poetry that would be sure to start something, with professor gluckstein wishing to get up and tell how the cowardly british had left the crew of a german submarine to perish after shooting it up when it was only trying to sink their cruiser by fair and lawful methods; and henry lehman wanting to read a piece from a german newspaper about how the united states was a nation of vile money-grubbers that would sell ammunition to the enemy just because they had the ships to take it away, and wouldn't sell a dollar's worth to the fatherland, showing we had been bought up by british gold--and so on. but i kept neutral. i even turned down an englishman named ruggles, that keeps the u.s. grill and is well thought of, though he swore that all he would do was to get off a few comical riddles, and such. he'd just got a new one that goes: "why is an elephant like a corkscrew? because there's a 'b' in both." i didn't see it at first, till he explained with hearty laughter--because there's a "b" in both--the word "both." see? of course there's no sense to it. he admitted there wasn't, but said it was a jolly wheeze just the same. i might have took a chance with him, but he went on to say that he'd sent this wheeze to the brave lads in the trenches, along with a lot of cigars and tobacco, and had got about fifty postcards from 'em saying it was the funniest thing they'd heard since the war begun. and in a minute more he was explaining, with much feeling, just what low-down nation it was that started the war--it not being england, by any means--and i saw he wasn't to be trusted on his feet. so i smoothed him down till he promised to donate all the lemonade for aggie tuttle, who was to be rebekkah at the well; and i smoothed henry lehman till he said he'd let his folks come and buy chances on things, even if the country was getting overrun by foreigners, with an italian barber shop just opened in the same block with his sanitary shaving parlour; though--thank goodness--the italian hadn't had much to do yet but play on a mandolin. and i smoothed professor gluckstein down till he agreed to furnish the music for us and let the war take care of itself. the prof's a good old scout when he ain't got his war bonnet on. he was darned near crying into his meerschaum pipe with a carved fat lady on it when i got through telling him about the poor soldiers in the wet and cold without a thing to smoke. he says: "you're right, madam; with jake frost in the trenches and no tobacco, all men should be brothers under their hides." and i got that printed in the _recorder_ for a slogan, and other foreigners come into line; and things looked pretty good. also, i got doc sulloway, who happened to be in town, to promise he'd come and tell some funny anecdotes. he ain't a regular doctor--he just took it up; a guy with long black curls and a big moustache and a big hat and diamond pin, that goes round selling indian snake oil off a wagon. doc said he'd have his musician, ed bemis, come, too. he said ed was known far and wide as the world's challenge cornetist. i says all right, if he'll play something neutral; and doc says he'll play "listen to the mocking bird," with variations, and play it so swell you'll think you're perched right up in the treetops listening to nature's own feathered songsters. that about made up my show, including, of course, the spanish dance by beryl mae macomber. red gap always expects that and beryl mae never disappoints 'em--makes no difference what the occasion is. mebbe it's an evening with shakespeare, or the landing of the pilgrim fathers, or that oratorio by elijah somebody, but beryl mae is right there with her girlish young beauty and her tambourine. you see, i didn't want it a long show--just enough to make the two-bits admission seem a little short of robbery. our real graft, of course, was to be where the young society débutantes and heiresses in charge of the booths would wheedle money out of the dazed throng for chances on the junk that would be donated. [illustration: "all sunned up like a man that knows the world is his oyster and every month's got an 'r' in it"] well, about three days before the show i went up to masonic hall to see about the stage decorations, and i was waiting while some one went down to the turf exchange to get the key off tim mahoney, the janitor--tim had lately had to do janitor work for a b'nai b'rith lodge that was holding meetings there, and it had made him gloomy and dissolute--and, while i was waiting, who should come tripping along but egbert floud, all sunned up like a man that knows the world is his oyster and every month's got an "r" in it. usually he's a kind of sad, meek coot, looking neglected and put upon; but now he was actually giggling to himself as he come up the stairs two at a time. "well, old-timer, what has took the droop out of your face?" i ask him. "why," he says, twinkling all over the place, "i'm aiming to keep it a secret, but i don't mind hinting to an old friend that my part of the evening's entertainment is going to be so good it'll make the whole show top-heavy. them ladies said they'd rely on me to think up something novel, and i said i would if i could, and i did--that's all. i'd seen enough of these shows where you ladies pike along with pincushions and fancy lemonade and infants' wear--and mebbe a red plush chair, with gold legs, that plays 'alice, where art thou?' when a person sets down on it--with little girls speaking a few pieces about the flowers and lambs, and so on, and cleaning up about eleven-twenty-nine on the evening's revel--or it would be that, only you find you forgot to pay the golden rule cash store for the red-and-blue bunting, and they're howling for their money like a wild-cat. yes, sir; that's been the way of it with woman at the helium. i wouldn't wish to be a belgian at all under present circumstances; but if i did have to be one i'd hate to think my regular meals was depending on any crooked work you ladies has done up to date." "you'd cheer me strangely," i says, "only i been a diligent reader of history, and somehow i can't just recall your name being connected up with any cataclysms of finance. i don't remember you ever starting one of these here panics--or stopping one, for that matter. i did hear that you'd had your pocket picked down to the san francisco fair." i was prodding him along, understand, so he'd flare up and tell me what his secret enterprise was that would make women's operations look silly and feminine. i seen his eyes kind of glisten when i said this about him being touched. "that's right," he says. "some lad nicked me for my roll and my return ticket, and my gold watch and chain, and my horseshoe scarfpin with the diamonds in it." "you stood a lot of pawing over," i says, "for a man that's the keen financial genius you tell about being. this lad must of been a new hand at it. likely he'd took lessons from a correspondence school. at least, with you standing tied and blinded that way, a good professional one would have tried for your gold tooth--or, anyway, your collar button. i see your secret though," i go on as sarcastically as possible: "you got the lad's address and you're going to have him here saturday night to glide among the throng and ply his evil trade. am i right or wrong?" "you are not," he says. "i never thought of that. but i won't say you ain't warm in your guess. yes, you certainly are warm, because what i'm going to do is just as dastardly, without being so darned illegal, except to an extent." well, it was very exasperating, but that was all i could get out of him. when i ask for details he just clams up. "but, mark my words," says the old smarty, "i'll show you it takes brains in addition to woman's wiles and artwork to make a decent clean-up in this little one-cylinder town." "if you just had a little more self-confidence," i says, "you might of gone to the top; lack of faith in yourself is all that's kept you back. too bad!" "all right for you to kid me," he says; "but i'd be almost willing to give you two dollars for every dollar that goes out of this hall saturday night." well, it was kind of pathetic and disgusting the way this poor old dub was leaning on his certainty; so i let him alone and went on about my work, thinking mebbe he really had framed up something crooked that would bring at least a few dollars to the cause. every time i met him for the next three days after that he'd be so puffed up, like a toad, with importance and low remarks about woman that, at last, i just ignored him, pretending i hadn't the least curiosity about his evil secret. it hurt his feelings when i quit pestering him about it, but he'd been outraging mine right along; so we split even. he'd had a good-sized room just down the hall turned over to him, and a lot of stuff of some kind carried in there in the night, and men working, with the door locked all the time; so i and the other ladies went calmly on about our own business, decorating the main hall with the flags of all nations, fixing up the platform and the booths very pretty, and giving mr. smarty egbert floud nothing but haughty glances about his hidden novelty. even when his men was hammering away in there at their work he'd have something hung over the keyhole--as insulting to us as only a man can be. saturday night come and we had a good crowd. cousin egbert was after me the minute i got my things off to come and see his dastardly secret; but i had my revenge. i told him i had no curiosity about it and was going to be awful busy with my show, but i'd try as a personal favour to give him a look over before i went home. yes, sir; i just turned him down with one superior look, and got my curtains slid back on mrs. leonard wales, dressed up like a superdreadnought in a naval parade and surrounded by every little girl in town that had a white dress. they wasn't states this time, but columbia's choicest heritage, with a second line on the program saying, "future buds and débutantes from society's home galleries." it was a line we found under some babies' photos on the society page of a great newspaper printed in new york city. professor gluckstein and his son rudolph played the "star-spangled banner" on the piano and fiddle during this feature. then little magnesia waterman, dressed to represent the queen of sheba, come forward and sung the song we'd picked out for her, with the people joining in the chorus: we're for you, woodrow wilson, one hundred million strong! we put you in the white house and we know you can't do wrong. it was very successful, barring hisses from all the germans and english present; but they was soon hushed up. then doc sulloway come out and told some funny anecdotes about two irishmen named pat and mike, lately landed in this country and looking for work, and imitated two cats in a backyard, and drawing a glass of soda water, and sawing a plank in two; and winding up with the announcement that he had donated a dozen bottles of the great indian snake oil remedy for man and beast that had been imparted to him in secret by old rumpatunk, the celebrated medicine man, who is supposed to have had it from the great spirit; and ed bemis, the world's challenge cornetist, entertained one and all; and beryl mae done her spanish dance that i'd last seen her give at the queen esther cantata in the m.e. church. and that was the end of the show; just enough to start 'em buying things at the booths. at least, we thought it would be. but what does a lot of the crowd do, after looking round a little, but drift out into the hall and down to this room where cousin egbert had his foul enterprise, whatever it was. i didn't know yet, having held aloof, as you might say, owing to the old hound's offensive manner. but i had heard three or four parties kind of gasping to each other, had they seen what that egbert floud was doing in the other room?--with looks of horror and delight on their faces. that made me feel more superior than ever to the old smarty; so i didn't go near the place yet, but herded people back to the raffles wherever i could. the first thing was lon price's corner lot, for which a hundred chances had been sold. lon had a blueprint showing the very lot; also a picture of a choice dwelling or bungalow, like the one he has painted on the drop curtain of knapp's opera house, under the line, "price's addition to red gap; big lots, little payments." it's a very fancy house with porches and bay windows and towers and front steps, and everything, painted blue and green and yellow; and a blond lady in a purple gown, with two golden-haired tots at her side, is waving good-bye to a tall, handsome man with brown whiskers as he hurries out to the waiting street car--though the car line ain't built out there yet by any means. however, lon got up and said it was a paradise on earth, a heaven of homes; that in future he would sell lots there to any native belgian at a per cent. discount; and he hoped the lucky winner of this lot would at once erect a handsome and commodious mansion on it, such as the artist had here depicted; and it would be only nine blocks from the swell little carnegie library when that, also, had been built, the plans for it now being in his office safe. quite a few of the crowd had stayed for this, and they cheered lon and voted that little magnesia waterman was honest enough to draw the numbers out of a hat. they was then drawn and read by lon in an exciting silence--except for mrs. leonard wales, who was breathing heavily and talking to herself after each number. she and leonard had took a chance for a dollar and everybody there knew it by now. she was dead sure they would get the lot. she kept telling people so, right and left. she said they was bound to get it if the drawing was honest. as near as i could make out, she'd been taking a course of lessons from a professor in chicago about how to control your destiny by the psychic force that dwells within you. it seems all you got to do is to will things to come your way and they have to come. no way out of it. you step on this here psychic gas and get what you ask for. "i already see our little home," says mrs. wales in a hoarse whisper. "i see it objectively. it is mine. i claim it out of the boundless all-good. i have put myself in the correct mental attitude of reception; i am holding to the perfect all. my own will come to me." and so on, till parties round her begun to get nervous. yes, sir; she kept this stuff going in low, tense tones till she had every one in hearing buffaloed; they was ready to give her the lot right there and tear up their own tickets. she was like a crapshooter when he keeps calling to the dice: "come, seven--come on, come on!" all right for the psychics, but that's what she reminded me of. and in just another minute everybody there thought she'd cheated by taking these here lessons that she got from chicago for twelve dollars; for you can believe it or not but her number won the lot. yes, sir; thirty-three took the deed and lon filled in her name on it right there. many a cold look was shot at her as she rushed over to embrace her husband, a big lump of a man that's all right as far up as his adam's apple, and has been clerking in the owl cigar store ever since he can remember. he tells her she is certainly a wonder and she calls him a silly boy; says it's just a power she has developed through concentration, and now she must claim from the all-good a dear little home of seven rooms and bath, to be built on this lot; and she knows it will come if she goes into the silence and demands it. say! people with any valuables on 'em begun to edge off, not knowing just how this strange power of hers might work. then i look round and see the other booths ain't creating near the excitement they had ought to be, only a few here and there taking two-bit chances on things if mrs. wales ain't going in on 'em, too; several of the most attractive booths was plumb deserted, with the girls in charge looking mad or chagrined, as you might say. so i remember this hidden evil of egbert floud's and that the crowd has gone there; and while i'm deciding to give in and gratify my morbid curiosity, here comes cousin egbert himself, romping along in his dinner-jacket suit and tan shoes, like a wild mustang. "what was i telling you?" he demands. "didn't i tell you the rest of this show was going to die standing up? yes, sir; she's going to pass out on her feet." and he waved a sneering arm round at the deserted booths. "what does parties want of this truck when they can come down to my joint and get real entertainment for their money? why, they're breaking their ankles now to get in there!" it sure looked like he was right for once in his life; so i says: "what is it you've done?" "simple enough," says he, "to a thinking man. it comes to me like a flash or inspiration, or something, from being down to that fair in san francisco, california. yes, sir; they had a deadfall there, with every kind of vice rampant that has ever been legalized any place, and several kinds that ain't ever been; they done everything, from strong-arm work to short changing, and they was getting by with it by reason of calling it ye olde tyme mining camp of ' , or something poetical like that. that was where i got nicked for my roll, in addition to about fifty i lost at a crooked wheel. i think the workers was mostly ex-convicts, and not so darned ex- at that. anyway, their stuff got too raw even for the managers of an exposition, so they had to close down in spite of their name. that's where i get my idee when these ladies said think up something novel and pleasing. just come and see how i'm taking it off of 'em." and, with that, he grabs me by the arm and rushes me down to this joint of his. at the side of the doorway he had two signs stuck up. one says, ye olde tyme saloone; and the other says, ye olde tyme gambling denne. you could of pushed me over with one finger when i looked in. he'd drew the crowd, all right. i knew then that aggie tuttle might just as well close down her rebekkah-at-the-well dive, and that no one was going to take any more chances on pincushions and tidies and knitted bed slippers. about a third of the crowd was edged up to the bar and keeping louis meyer and his father busy with drink orders, and the other two-thirds was huddled round a roulette layout across the room. they was wedged in so tight i couldn't see the table, but i could hear the little ball click when it slowed up, and the rattle of chips, and squeals from them that won, and hoarse mutters from the losers. cousin egbert rubbed his hands and giggled, waiting for me to bedeck him with floral tributes. "i suppose you got a crooked wheel," i says. "shucks, no!" says he. "i did think of it, but i'd of had to send out of town for one and they're a lot of trouble to put in, what with the electric wiring and all; and besides, the straightest roulette wheel ever made is crooked enough for any man of decent instincts. i don't begrudge 'em a little excitement for their money. i got these old bar fixings out of the spilmer place that was being tore down, and we're charging two bits a drink for whatever, and that'll be a help; and it looks to me like you ladies would of thought you needed a man's brain in these shows long before this. come on in and have a shot. i'll buy." so we squeezed in and had one. it was an old-time saloon, all right--that is, fairly old; about , with a brass foot rail, and back of the bar a stuffed eagle and a cash register. a gang of ladies was taking claret lemonades and saying how delightfully bohemian it all was; and miss metta bigler, that gives lessons in oil painting and burnt wood, said it brought back very forcibly to her the latin quarter of chicago, where she finished her art course. henrietta templeton price, with one foot on the railing, was shaking dice with three other prominent society matrons for the next round, and saying she had always been a bohemian at heart, only you couldn't go very far in a small town like this without causing unfavourable comment among a certain element. it was a merry scene, with the cash register playing like the swiss family bellringers. even the new episcopalian minister come along, with old proctor knapp, and read the signs and said they was undeniably quaint, and took a slug of rye and said it was undeniably delightful; though old proctor roared like a maddened bull when he found what the price was. i guess you can be an episcopalian one without its interfering much with man's natural habits and innocent recreations. then he went over and lost a two-bit piece on the double-o, and laughed heartily over the occurrence, saying it was undeniably piquant with old proctor plunging ten cents on the red and losing it quick, and saying a fool and his money was soon parted--yes, and i wish i had as much money as that old crook ain't foolish; but no matter. beryl mae macomber was aiding the belgians by running out in the big room to drum up the stragglers. she was now being little nugget, the miners' pet; and when she wasn't chasing in easy money she'd loll at one end of the bar with a leer on her flowerlike features to entice honest workingmen in to lose their all at the gaming tables. there was chuck-a-luck and a crap game going, and going every minute, too, with cousin egbert trying to start three-card monte at another table--only they all seemed wise to that. even the little innocent children give him the laugh. i went over to the roulette table and lost a few dollars, not being able to stick long, because other women would keep goring me with their elbows. yes, sir; that layout was ringed with women four deep. all that the men could do was stand on the outside and pass over their loose silver to the fair ones. sure! women are the only real natural-born gamblers in the world. take a man that seems to be one and it's only because he's got a big streak of woman in him, even if it don't show any other way. men, of course, will gamble for the fun of it; but it ain't ever funny to a woman, not even when she wins. it brings out the natural wolf in her like nothing else does. it was being proved this night all you'd want to see anything proved. if the men got near enough and won a bet they'd think it was a good joke and stick round till they lost it. not so my own sex. every last one of 'em saw herself growing rich on cousin egbert's money--and let the belgians look out for themselves. mrs. tracy bangs, for instance, fought her way out of the mob, looking as wild as any person in a crazy house, choking twenty-eight dollars to death in her two fists that she win off two bits. she crowds this onto tracy and makes him swear by the sacred memory of his mother that he will positively not give her back a cent of it to gamble with if the fever comes on her again--not even if she begs him to on her bended knees. and fifteen minutes later the poor little shark nearly has hysterics because tracy won't give her back just five of it to gamble again with. sure! a very feminine woman she is. tracy is a pretty good little sport himself. he says, no, and that'll be all, please, not only on account of the sacred memory of his mother but because the poor belgians has got to catch it going if they don't catch it coming; and he's beat it out to a booth and bought the twenty-five-dollar gold clock with chimes, with the other three dollars going for the dozen bottles of snake oil and the twenty street-car tickets. and now let there be no further words about it, but there was when she hears this horrible disclosure--lots of words, and the brute won't even give her the street-car tickets, which she could play in for a dollar, and she has to go to the retiring room to bathe her temples, and treats tracy all the rest of the evening like a crippled stepchild, thinking of all she could of won if he hadn't acted like a snake in the grass toward her! right after this mrs. leonard wales, in her flag and powder, begun to stick up out of the scene, though not risking any money as yet. she'd just stand there like one petrified while cash was being paid in and out, keeping away about three women of regular size that would like to get their silver down. i caught the gleam in her eye, and the way she drawed in her breath when the lucky number was called out, kind of shrinking her upper lip every time in a bloodthirsty manner. yes, sir; in the presence of actual money that dame reminded me of the great saber-toothed tiger that you see terrible pictures of in the animal books. pretty soon she mowed down a lot of her sister gamblers and got out to where leonard was standing, to tell him all about how she'd have won a lot of money if she'd only put some chips down at the right time, the way she would of done if she'd had any; and leonard said what a shame! and they drifted into a corner, talking low. i bet she was asking him if she couldn't make a claim to these here bets she'd won in her mind, and if this wasn't the magic time to get the little home or bungalow on the new lot she'd won by finding out from the chicago professor how to mould her destiny. then i lose track of the two for a minute, because judge ballard comes in escorting his sister from south carolina, that's visiting them, and invites every one to take something in her honour. she was a frail little old lady, very old-fashioned indeed, with white hair built up in a waterfall and curls over both ears, and a flowered silk dress that i bet was made in civil war times, and black lace mitts. say! she looked like one of the ladies that would of been setting in the front of a box at ford's theatre the night president lincoln was shot up! she seemed a mite rattled when she found herself in a common barroom, having failed to read cousin egbert's undeniably quaint signs; but the judge introduced her to some that hadn't met her yet, and when he asked her what her refreshment would be she said in a very brazen way that she would take a drop of anisette cordial. louis meyer says they ain't keeping that, and she says, oh, dear! she's too old-fashioned! so cousin egbert says, why, then she should take an old-fashioned cocktail, which she does and sips it with no sign of relish. then she says she will help the cause by wagering a coin on yonder game of chance. the judge paws out a place for her and i go along to watch. she pries open a bead reticule that my mother had one like and gets out a knitted silk purse, and takes a five-dollar gold piece into her little bony white fingers and drops it on a number, and says: "now that is well over!" but it wasn't over. there was excitement right off, because, outside of some silver dollars i'd lost myself, i hadn't seen anything bigger than a two-bit piece played there that night. right over my shoulder i heard heavy breathing and i didn't have to turn round to know it was cora wales. when the ball slowed up she quit breathing entirely till it settled. it must of been a horrible strain on her, for the man was raking in all the little bets and leaving the five-dollar one that win. say! that woman gripped an arm of mine till i thought it was caught in machinery of some kind! and mrs. doc martingale, that she gripped on the other side, let out a yell of agony. but that wasn't the worst of cora wales' torture. no, sir! she had to stand there and watch this little old-fashioned sport from south carolina refuse the money! "but i can't accept it from you good people," says she in her thin little voice. "i intended to help the cause of those poor sufferers, and to profit by the mere inadvertence of your toy there would be unspeakable--really no!" and she pushed back the five and the hundred and seventy-five that the dealer had counted out for her, dusted her little fingers with a little lace handkerchief smelling of lavender, and asked the judge to show her a game that wasn't so noisy. i guess cora wales was lost from that moment. she had len over in a corner again, telling him how easy it was to win, and how this poor demented creature had left all hers there because judge ballard probably didn't want to create a scene by making her take it; and mustn't they have a lot of trouble looking after the weak-minded thing all the time! and i could hear her say if one person could do it another could, especially if they had learned how to get in tune with the infinite. len says all right, how much does she want to risk? and that scares her plumb stiff again, in spite of her uncanny powers. she says it wouldn't be right to risk one cent unless she could be sure the number was going to win. of course if you made your claim on the universal, your own was bound to come to you; still, you couldn't be so sure as you ought to be with a roulette wheel, because several times the ball had gone into numbers that she wasn't holding for with her psychic grip, and the uncertainty was killing her; and why didn't he say something to help her, instead of standing there silent and letting their little home slip from her grasp? cousin egbert comes up just then, still happy and puffed up; so i put him wise to this wales conspiracy against his game. "mebbe you can win back that lot from her," i says, "and raffle it over again for the fund. she's getting worked up to where she'll take a chance." "good work!" says he. "i'll approach her in the matter." so over he goes and tries to interest her in the dice games; but no, she thinks dice is low and a mere coloured person's game. so then he says to set down to the card table and play this here canfield solitaire; she's to be paid five dollars for every card she gets up and a whole thousand if she gets 'em all up. that listens good to her till she finds she has to give fifty-two dollars for the deck first. she says she knew there must be some catch about it. still, she tries out a couple of deals just to see what would happen, and on the first she would have won thirteen dollars and on the second eight dollars. she figures then that by all moral rights cousin egbert owes her twenty-one dollars, and at least eight dollars to a certainty, because she was really playing for money the second time and merely forgot to mention it to him. and while they sort of squabble about this, with cousin egbert very pig-headed or adamant, who should come in but this sandy sawtelle, that's now sobbing out his heart in song down there; and with him is buck devine. it seems they been looking for a game, and they give squeals of joy when they see this one. in just two minutes sandy is collecting thirty-five dollars for one that he had carefully placed on no. . he gives a glad shout at this, and leonard wales and lady move over to see what it's all about. sandy is neatly stacking his red chips and plays no. once more, but no. comes up. "gee!" says sandy. "i forgot. twenty-two, of course, and likewise thirty-three." so he now puts dollar bets on all three numbers, and after a couple more turns he's collecting on , and the next time comes again. he don't hardly have time to stack his chips, they come so fast; and then it's no. once more, amid rising excitement from all present. cora wales is panting like the dying gamekeeper i once saw in the eden musée in new york city. sandy quits now for a moment. "let every man, woman, and child, come one, come all, across the room and crook the convivial elbow on my ill-gotten gains!" he calls out. so everybody orders something; tim mahoney going in behind the bar to help out. even cora wales come over when she understood no expense was attached to so doing, though taking a plain lemonade, because she said alcohol would get one's vibrations all fussed up, or something like that. cousin egbert was still chipper after this reverse, though it had swept away about all he was to the good up to that time. "three rousing cheers!" says he. "and remember the little ball still rolls for any sport that thinks he can dutch up the game!" while this drink is going on amid the general glad feeling that always prevails when some spendthrift has ordered for the house, leonard wales gets buck devine to one side and says how did sandy do it? so buck tells him and cora that sandy took eleven stitches in jerry's hide yesterday afternoon and he was playing this hunch, which he had reason to feel was a first-class one. "if i could only feel it was a cosmic certainty--" says cora. "oh, she's cosmic, all right!" says buck. "i never seen anything cosmicker. look what she's done already, and sandy only begun! just watch him! he'll cosmic this here game to a standstill. he'll have sour dough there touching him for two-bits breakfast money--see if he don't." "but eleven came only twice," says the conservative cora. "sure! but did you notice nos. and ?" says buck. "you got to humour any good hunch to a certain extent, cosmic or no cosmic." "i see," says cora with gleaming eyes; "and no. is not only what drew our beautiful building lot but it is also the precise number of my years on the earth plane." cousin egbert overheard this and snorted like no gentleman had ought to, even in the lowest gambling den. "thirty-three!" says he to me. "did you hear the big cheat? say! no gambling house on earth would have the nerve to put her right age on a wheel! the chances is ruinous enough now without running 'em up to forty-eight or so. i bet that's about what you'd find if you was to tooth her." sandy has now gone back, followed by the crowd, and wins another bet on no. . this is too much for cora's standard oil instincts. she never trusts leonard with any money, but she goes over into a corner, hikes the flag of her country up over one red stocking for a minute, and comes back with a two-dollar bill, which she splits on and ; and when wins she's mad clean through because didn't also win, and she's wasted a whole dollar, like throwing it into the atlantic ocean. "too bad, pettie!" says leonard, who was crowded in by her. "but you mustn't expect to have all the luck"--which is about the height of leonard's mental reach. "it was not luck; it was simple lack of faith," says cora. "i put myself in tune with the infinite and make my claim upon the all-good--and then i waver. the loss of that dollar was a punishment to me." now she stakes a dollar on no. alone, and when it comes double-o she cries out that the man had leaned his hand on the edge of the table while the ball was rolling and thereby mushed up her cosmic vibrations, even if he didn't do something a good deal more crooked. then she switches to no. , and that wins. she now gets suspicious of the chips and has 'em turned into real money, which she stuffs into her consort's pockets for the time being, all but two dollars that go on nos. and . and no. comes up again. she nearly fainted and didn't recover in time to get anything down for the next roll--and i'm darned if don't show! she turns savagely on her husband at this. the poor hulk only says: "but, pettie, you're playing the game--i ain't." she replies bitterly: "oh, ain't that just like a man! i knew you were going to say that!"--and seemed to think she had him well licked. then the single-o come. she says: "oh, dear! it seems that, even with the higher consciousness, one can't be always certain of one's numbers at this dreadful game." and while she was further reproaching her husband, taking time to do it good and keeping one very damp dollar safe in her hand, what comes up but old again! it looked like hysterics then, especially when she noticed buck devine helping pile sandy's chips up in front of him till they looked like a great old english castle, with towers and minarets, and so on, sandy having played his hunch strong and steady. she waited for another turn that come nothing important to any of 'em; then she drew leonard out and made him take her for a glass of lemonade out where aggie tuttle was being rebekkah at the well, because they charged two bits for it at the bar and aggie's was only a dime. the sale made forty cents aggie had took in on the evening. racing back to ye olde tyme gambling denne, she gets another hard blow; for sandy has not only win another of his magic numbers but has bought up the bar for the evening, inviting all hands to brim a cup at his expense, whenever they crave it--nobody's money good but his; so cora is not only out what she would of made by following his play but the ten cents cash she has paid aggie tuttle. she was not a woman to be trifled with then. she took another lemonade because it was free, and made len take one that he didn't want. then she draws three dollars from him and covers the three numbers with reckless and noble sweeps of her powerful arms. the game was on again. cousin egbert by now was looking slightly disturbed, or _outré_, as the french put it, but tries to conceal same under an air of sparkling gayety, laughing freely at every little thing in a girlish or painful manner. "yes," says he coquettishly; "that sandy scoundrel is taking it fast out of one pocket, but he's putting it right back into the other. the wheel's loss is the bar's gain." i looked over to size sandy's chips and i could see four or five markers that go a hundred apiece. "i admire your roguish manner that don't fool any one," i says; "but if we was to drink the half of sandy's winnings, even at your robber prices, we'd all be submerged to the periscope. it looks to me," i goes on, "like the bazaar-robbing genius is not exclusively a male attribute or tendency." "how many of them knitted crawdabs you sold out there at your booths?" he demands. "not enough to buy a single belgian a t-bone steak and fried potatoes." "is that so, indeed?" i says. "excuse me a minute. standing here in the blinding light of your triumph, i forgot a little matter of detail such as our sex is always wasting its energies on." so i call sandy and buck away from their belgian atrocities and speak sharply to 'em. "you boys ought to be ashamed of yourselves," i says--"winning all that money and then acting like old gaspard the miser in the chimes of normandy! can't you forget your natural avarice and loosen up some?" "i bought the bar, didn't i?" asks sandy. "i can't do no more, can i?" "you can," i says. "out in that big room is about eighteen tired maids and matrons of red gap's most exclusive inner circles yawning their heads off over goods, wares, and merchandise that no one will look at while this sinful game is running. if you got a spark of manhood in you go on out and trade a little with 'em, just to take the curse off your depredations in here." "why, sure!" says sandy. he goes back to the layout and loads buck's hat full of red and blue chips at one and two dollars each. "go buy the place clean," he says to buck. "do it good; don't leave a single object of use or luxury. my instructions is sweeping, understand. and if there's a harness booth there you order a solid gold collar for old jerry, heavily incrusted with jewels and his initials and mine surrounded by a wreath. also, send out a pint of wine for every one of these here maids and matrons. meantime, i shall stick here and keep an eye on my large financial interests." so buck romps off on his joyous mission, singing a little ballad that goes: "to hell with the man that works!" and sandy moves quickly back to the wheel. i followed and found cora barely surviving because she's lost nine of her three-dollar bets while sandy was away, leaving her only about a hundred winner. len was telling her to "be brave, pettie!" and she was saying it was entirely his fault that they hadn't already got their neat little home; but she would have it before she left the place or know the reason why. it just did seem as if them three numbers had been resting while sandy was away talking to me. they begin to show up again the minute he resumed his bets, and cora was crowding onto the same with a rising temperature. yes, sir, it seemed downright uncanny or miraculous the way one or the other of 'em showed up, with sandy saying it was a shame to take the money, and cora saying it was a shame she had to bet on all three numbers and get paid only on one. of course others was also crowding these numbers, though not so many as you'd think, because every one said the run must be at an end, and they'd be a fool to play 'em any farther; and them that did play 'em was mostly making ten-cent bets to be on the safe side. only sandy and cora kept right on showing up one egbert floud as a party that had much to learn about pulling off a good bazaar. it's a sad tale. cousin egbert had to send out twice for more cash, cora wales refusing to take his check on the farmers and merchants national for hers. she said she was afraid there would be some catch about it. i met egbert out in the hall after the second time she'd made him send and he'd lost much of his sparkle. "i never thought it was right to strike a lady without cause," he says bitterly; "but i'd certainly hate to trust myself with that frail out in some lonely spot, like price's addition, where her screams couldn't be heard." "that's right," i says; "take it out on the poor woman that's trying to win a nice bungalow with big sawed corners sticking out all over it, when that cut-throat sandy sawtelle has win about twice as much! that ain't the light of pure reason i had the right to expect from the bazaar king of red gap." "that's neither here nor there," says he with petulance. "sandy would of been just as happy if he'd lost the whole eighteen dollars him and buck come in here with." "well," i warns him, "it looks to me like you'd have to apply them other drastic methods you met with in this deadfall at the san francisco fair--strong-arm work or medicine in the drinks of the winners, or something like that--if you want to keep a mortgage off the old home. of course i won't crowd you for that two dollars you promised me for every one that goes out of the hall. you can have any reasonable time you want to pay that," i says. "that's neither here nor there," he says. "luck's got to turn. the wheel ain't ever been made that could stand that strain much longer." and here luella stultz comes up and says mrs. wales wants to know how much she could bet all at once if she happened to want to. i could just see cora having a sharp pain in the heart like a knife thrust when she thought what she would of win by betting ten dollars instead of one. cousin egbert answers luella quite viciously. "tell that dame the ceiling sets the limit now," says he; "but if that ain't lofty enough i'll have a skylight sawed into it for her." then he goes over to watch, himself, being all ruined up by these plungers. leonard was saying: "now don't be rash, pettie!" and pettie was telling him it was his negative mind that had kept her from betting five dollars every clip, and look what that would mean to their pile! cousin egbert give 'em one look and says, right out loud, leonard wales is the biggest ham that was ever smoked, and he'd like to meet him, man to man, outside; then he goes off muttering that he can be pushed so far, but in the excitement of the play no one pays the least attention to him. a little later i see him all alone out in the hall again. he was scrunched painfully up in a chair till he looked just like this here french metal statue called _lee penser_, which in our language means "the thinker." i let him think, not having the heart to prong him again so quick. and the game goes merrily on, with sandy collecting steadily on his hunch and cora wales telling her husband the truth about himself every time one of these three numbers didn't win; she exposed some very distressing facts about his nature the time she put five apiece on the three numbers and the single-o come up. it was a mad life, that last hour, with a lot of other enraged ladies round the layout, some being mad because they hadn't had money to play the hunch with, and others because they hadn't had the nerve. then somebody found it was near midnight and the crowd begun to fall away. cousin egbert strolls by and says don't quit on his account--that they can stick there and play their hunch till the bad place freezes over, for all he cares; and he goes over to the bar and takes a drink all by himself, which in him is a sign of great mental disturbance. then, for about twenty minutes, i was chatting with the mes-dames ballard and price about what a grand success our part had been, owing to sandy acting the fool with cousin egbert's money, which the latter ain't wise to yet. when i next notice the game a halt has been called by cora wales. it seems the hunch has quit working. neither of 'em has won a bet for twenty minutes and cora is calling the game crooked. "it looks very, very queer," says she, "that our numbers should so suddenly stop winning; very queer and suspicious indeed!" and she glared at cousin egbert with rage and distrust splitting fifty-fifty in her fevered eyes. cousin egbert replied quickly, but he kind of sputtered and so couldn't have been arrested for it. "oh, i've no doubt you can explain it very glibly," says cora; "but it seems very queer indeed to leonard and i, especially coming at this peculiar time, when our little home is almost within my grasp." cousin egbert just walked off, though opening and shutting his hands in a nervous way, like, in fancy free, he had her out on her own lot in price's addition and was there abusing her fatally. "very well!" says cora with great majesty. "he may evade giving me a satisfactory explanation of this extraordinary change, but i shall certainly not remain in this place and permit myself to be fleeced. here, darling!" and she stuffs some loose silver into darling's last pocket that will hold any more. he was already wadded with bills and sagging with coin, till it didn't look like the same suit of clothes. then she stood there with a cynical smile and watched sandy still playing his hunch, ten dollars to a number, and never winning a bet. "you poor dupe!" says she when sandy himself finally got tired and quit. "it's especially awkward," she adds, "because while we have saved enough to start our little nook, it will have to be far less pretentious than i was planning to make it while the game seemed to be played honestly." cousin egbert gets this and says, as polite as a stinging lizard, that he stands ready to give her a chance at any game she can think of, from mumblety-peg up. he says if she'll turn him and leonard loose in a cellar that he'll give her fifty dollars for every one she's winner if he don't have len screaming for help inside of one minute--or make it fifteen seconds. len, who's about the size of a freight car, smiles kind of sickish at this, and says he hopes there's no hard feelings among old friends and lodge brothers; and egbert says, oh, no! it would just be in the nature of a friendly contest, which he feels very much like having one, since he can be pushed just so far; but cora says gambling has brutalized him. then she sees the cards on the table and asks again about this game where you play cards with yourself and mebbe win a thousand dollars cold. she wants to know if you actually get the thousand in cash, and egbert says: "sure! a thousand that any bank in town would accept at par." she picks up the deck and almost falls, but thinks better of it. "could i play with my own cards?" she wants to know, looking suspicious at these. egbert says she sure can. "and in my own home?" asks cora. "your own house or any place else," says egbert, "and any hour of the day or night. just call me up when you feel lucky." "we could embellish our little nook with many needful things," says cora. "a thousand dollars spent sensibly would do marvels." but after fiddling a bit more with the cards she laid 'em down with a pitiful sigh. cousin egbert just looked at her, then looked away quick, as if he couldn't stand it any more, and says: "war is certainly what that man sherman said it was." then he watches sandy sawtelle cashing in his chips and is kind of figuring up his total losses; so i can't resist handing him another. "i don't know what us mes-dames would of done without your master mind," i says; "and yet i'd hate to be a belgian with the tobacco habit and have to depend on you to gratify it." "well," he answers, very mad, "i don't see so many of 'em getting tobacco heart with the proceeds of your fancy truck out in them booths either!" "don't you indeed?" i says, and just at the right moment, too. "then you better take another look or get your eyes fixed or something." for just then sandy stands up on a chair and says: "ladies and gents, a big pile of valuable presents is piled just at the right of the main entrance as you go out, and i hope you will one and all accept same with the welcome compliments of me and old jerry, that i had to take eleven stitches in the hide of. as you will pass out in an orderly manner, let every lady help herself to two objects that attract her, and every gent help himself to one object; and no crowding or pulling i trust, because some of the objects would break, like the moustache cup and saucer, or the drainpipe, with painted posies on it, to hold your umbrels. remember my words--every lady two objects and every gent one only. there is also a new washboiler full of lemonade that you can partake of at will, though i guess you won't want any--and thanking you one and all!" so they cheer sandy like mad and beat it out to get first grab at the plunder; and just as cousin egbert thinks he now knows the worst, in comes the girls that had the booths, bringing all the chips buck devine had paid 'em--two hundred and seventy-eight dollars' worth that egbert has to dig down for after he thinks all is over. "ain't it jolly," i says to him while he was writing another check on the end of the bar. "this is the first time us ladies ever did clean out every last object at a bazaar. not a thing left; and i wish we'd got in twice as much, because sandy don't do things by halves when his money comes easy from some poor dub that has thought highly of himself as a thinker about money matters." he pretends not to hear me because of signing his name very carefully to the check. "and what a sweet little home you'll build for the wales family!" i says. "i can see it now, all ornamented up, and with one of these fancy bungalow names up over the front gate--probably they'll call it the breakers!" but he wouldn't come back; so i left him surrounded by the wreck of his former smartiness and went home. at the door where the treasures had been massed not a solitary thing was left but a plush holder for a whisk broom, with hand-painted pansies on the front; and i decided i could live without that. tim mahoney was there, grouching round about having to light up the hall next night for the b'nai b'rith; and i told him to take it for himself. he already had six drawnwork doilies and a vanity box with white and red powder in it. as i go by the hong kong quick lunch, sandy and three or four others is up on stools; the chinaman, cooking things behind the counter, is wearing a lavender-striped silk dressing sacque and a lace boudoir cap with pink ribbons in it. yes; we'd all had a purple night of it! next day about noon i'm downtown and catch sight of cousin egbert setting in the united states grill having breakfast; so i feel mean enough to go in and gloat over him some more. i think to find him all madded up and mortified; but he's strangely cheerful for one who has suffered. he was bearing up so wonderful that i asked why. "ain't you heard?" says he, blotting round in his steak platter with a slice of bread. "well, i got even with that wales outfit just before daylight--that's all!" "talk on," i beg, quite incredulous. "i didn't get to bed till about two," he says, "and at three i was woke up by the telephone. it's this big stiff len wales, that had ought to have his head taken off because it only absorbs nourishment from his system and gives nothing in return. he's laughing in a childish frenzy and says is this me? i says it is, but that's neither here nor there, and what does he want at this hour? 'it's a good joke on you,' he says, 'for the little woman got it on the third trial.' 'got what?' i wanted to know. 'got that solitaire,' he yells. 'and it's a good joke on you, all right, because now you owe her the thousand dollars; and i hate to bother you, but you know how some women are that have a delicate, high-strung organization. she says she won't be able to sleep a wink if you don't bring it up to her so she can have all our little treasure under her pillow; and i think, myself, it's better to have it all settled and satisfactory while the iron's hot, and you'd probably prefer it that way, too; and she says she won't mind, this time, taking your check, though the actual money would be far more satisfactory, because you know what women are--" "say! he raves on like this for three minutes, stopping to laugh like a maniac about every three words, before i can get a word in to tell him that i'm a delicate, high-strung organization myself, if you come right down to it, and i can't stand there in my nightgown listening to a string of nonsense. he chokes and says: 'what nonsense?' and i ask him does he think i'd pay a thousand dollars out on a game i hadn't overlooked? and he says didn't i agree to in the presence of witnesses, and the cards is laid out right there now on the dining-room table if i got the least suspicion the game wasn't played fair, and will i come up and look for myself! and i says 'not in a thousand years!' because what does he think i am! "so then mis' wales she breaks in and says: 'listen, mr. floud! you are taking a most peculiar attitude in this matter. you perhaps don't understand that it means a great deal to dear leonard and me--try to think calmly and summon your finer instincts. you said i could not only play with my own cards at any hour of the night or day, but in my own home; and i chose to play here, because conditions are more harmonious to my psychic powers--' and so on and so on; and she can't understand my peculiar attitude once more, till i thought i'd bust. "it was lucky she had the telephone between us or i should certainly of been pinched for a crime of violence. but i got kind of collected in my senses and i told her i already had been pushed as far as i could be; and then i think of a good one: i ask her does she know what general sherman said war was? so she says, 'no; but what has that got to do with it?' 'well, listen carefully!' i says. 'you tell dear leonard that i am now saying my last word in this matter by telling you both to go to war--and then ask him to tell you right out what sherman said war was.' "i listened a minute longer for her scream, and when it come, like sweet music or something, i went to bed again and slept happy. yes, sir; i got even with them sharks all right, though she's telling all over town this morning that i have repudiated a debt of honour and she's going to have that thousand if there's any law in the land; and anyway, she'll get me took up for conducting a common gambling house. gee! it makes me feel good!" that's the way with this old egbert boy; nothing ever seems to faze him long. "how much do you lose on the night?" i ask him. "well, the bar was a great help," he says, very chipper; "so i only lose about fourteen hundred all told. it'll make a nice bunch for the belgians, and the few dollars you ladies made at your cheap booths will help some." "how will your fourteen hundred lost be any help to the belgians?" i wanted to know; and he looked at me very superior and as crafty as a fox. "simple enough!" he says in a lofty manner. "i was going to give what i win, wasn't i? so why wouldn't i give what i lose? that's plain enough for any one but a woman to see, ain't it? i give mis' ballard, the treasurer, a check for fourteen hundred not an hour ago. i told you i knew how to run one of these grafts, didn't i? didn't i, now?" wasn't that just like the old smarty? you never know when you got him nailed. and feeling so good over getting even with the wales couple that had about a thousand dollars of his money that very minute! * * * * * still from the dimly lighted bunk house came the wail of sandy sawtelle to make vibrant the night. he had returned to his earlier song after intermittent trifling with an extensive repertoire: there's a broken heart for every light on broadway, a million tears for every gleam, they say. those lights above you think nothing of you; it's those who love you that have to pay.... it was the wail of one thwarted and perishing. "ain't it the sobbing tenor?" remarked his employer. "but you can't blame him after the killing he made before. of course he'll get to town sooner or later and play this fourteen number, being that the new reform administration, with lon price as mayor, is now safely elected and the game has opened up again. yes, sir; he's nutty about stitches in a mule. i wouldn't put it past him that he had old jerry kicked on purpose to-day!" vii kate; or, up from the depths this day i fared abroad with ma pettengill over wide spaces of the arrowhead ranch. between fields along the river bottom were gates distressingly crude; clumsy, hingeless panels of board fence, which i must dismount and lift about by sheer brawn of shoulder. such gates combine the greatest weight with the least possible exercise of man's inventive faculties, and are named, not too subtly, the armstrong gate. this, indeed, is the american beauty of ranch humour, a flower of imperishable fragrance handed to the visitor--who does the lifting with guarded drollery or triumphant snicker, as may be. buck devine or sandy sawtelle will achieve the mot with an aloof austerity that abates no jot unto the hundredth repetition; while lew wee, chinese cook of the arrowhead, fails not to brighten it with a nervous giggle, impairing its vocal correctness, moreover, by calling it the "armcatchum" gate. ma pettengill was more versatile this day. the first gate i struggled with she called armstrong in a manner dryly descriptive; for the second she managed a humorous leer to illumine the term; for the third, secured with a garland of barbed wire that must be painfully untwisted, she employed a still broader humour. even a child would then have known that calling this criminal device the armstrong gate was a joke of uncommon richness. as i remounted, staunching the inevitable wound from barbed wire, i began to speak in the bitterly superior tones of an efficiency expert as we traversed a field where hundreds of white-faced herefords were putting on flesh to their own ruin. i said to my hostess that i vastly enjoyed lifting a hundred-pound gate--and what was the loss of a little blood between old friends, even when aggravated by probable tetanus germs? but had she ever paused to compute the money value of time lost by her henchmen in dismounting to open these clumsy makeshifts? i suggested that, even appraising the one reliable ranch joke in all the world at a high figure, she would still profit considerably by putting in gates that were gates, in place of contrivances that could be handled ideally only by a retired weight lifter in barbed-wire-proof armour. i rapidly calculated, with the seeming high regard for accuracy that marks all efficiency experts, that these wretched devices cost her twenty-eight cents and a half each _per diem_. estimating the total of them on the ranch at one hundred, this meant to her a loss of twenty-eight dollars and a half _per diem_. i used _per diem_ twice to impress the woman. i added that it was pretty slipshod business for a going concern, supposing--sarcastically now--that the arrowhead was a going concern. of course, if it were merely a toy for the idle rich-- she had let me talk, as she will now and then, affecting to be engrossed with her stock. "look at them white-faced darlings!" she murmured. "two years old and weighing eleven hundred this minute if they weigh a pound!" then i saw we approached a gate that amazingly was a gate. hinges, yes; and mechanical complications, and a pendant cord on each side. i tugged at one and the gate magically opened. as we passed through i tugged at the other and it magically closed. this was luxury ineffable to one who had laboured with things that seemed to be kept merely for the sake of a jest that was never of the best and was staling with use. it would also be, i hoped, an object lesson to my hostess. i performed the simple rite in silence, yet with a manner that i meant to be eloquent, even provocative. it was. "oh, sure!" spoke ma pettengill. "that there's one of your _per-diem_ gates; and there's another leading out of this field, and about six beyond--all of 'em just as _per diem_ as this one; and, also, this here ranch you're on now is one of your going concerns." she chuckled at this and repeated it in a subterranean rumble: "a going concern--my sakes, yes! it moved so fast you could see it go, and now it's went." noisily she relished this bit of verbal finesse; then permitted her fancy again to trifle with it. "yes, sir; this here going concern is plumb gone!" with active malice i asked no question, maintaining a dignified silence as i lightly manipulated a second paragon of gates. the lady now rumbled confidentially to herself, and i caught piquant phrases; yet still i forbore to question, since the woman so plainly sought to intrigue me. even when we skirted a clump of cottonwoods and came--through another perfect gate--upon a most amazing small collection of ranch buildings, dying of desertion, i retained perfect control of a rising curiosity. by unspoken agreement we drew rein to survey a desolation that was still immaculate. stables and outbuildings were trim and new, and pure with paint. all had been swept and garnished; no unsightly litter marred the scene. the house was a suburban villa of marked pretension and would have excited no comment on long island. in this valley of the mountains it was nothing short of spectacular. only one item of decoration hinted an attempt to adapt itself to environment: in the noble stone chimney that reared itself between two spacious wings a branding iron had been embedded. thus did it proclaim itself to the incredulous hills as a ranch house. flowers had been planted along a gravelled walk. while i reminded myself that the gravel must have been imported from a spot at least ten miles distant, i was further shocked by discovering a most improbable golf green, in gloomy survival. then i detected a series of kennels facing a wired dog run. this was overwhelming in a country of simple, steadfast devotion to the rearing of cattle for market. ma pettengill now spoke in a tone that, for her, could be called hushed, though it reached me twenty feet away. "an art bungalow!" she said, and gazed upon it with seeming awe. then she waved a quirt to indicate this and the painfully neat outbuildings. "a toy for the idle rich--was that it? well, you said something. this was one little _per-diem_ going concern, all right. they even had the name somewhere round here worked out in yellow flowers--broadmoor it was. you could read it for five miles when the posies got up. there it is over on that lawn. you can't read it now because the letters are all overgrown. my chinaman got delirious about that when he first seen it and wanted me to plant arrowhead out in front of our house, and was quite hurt when i told him i was just a business woman--and a tired business woman at that. he done what he could, though, to show we was some class. the first time these folks come over to our place to lunch he picked all my pink carnations to make a mat on the table, and spelled out arrowhead round it in ripe olives, with a neat frame of celery inclosing same. yes, sir!" this was too much. it now seemed time to ask questions, and i did so in a winning manner; but so deaf in her backward musing was the woman that i saw it must all come in its own way. "we got to make up over that bench yet," she said at last; and we rode out past the ideal stable--its natty weather vane forever pointing the wind to the profit of no man--through another gate of superb cunning, and so once more to an understandable landscape, where sane cattle grazed. here i threw off the depression that comes upon one in places where our humankind so plainly have been and are not. again i questioned of broadmoor and its vanished people. the immediate results were fragmentary, serving to pique rather than satisfy; a series of _hors d'oeuvres_ that i began to suspect must form the whole repast. on the verge of coherence the woman would break off to gloat over a herd of thoroughbred durhams or a bunch of sportive hereford calves or a field teeming with the prized fruits of intermarriage between these breeds. or she found diversion in stupendous stacks of last summer's hay, well fenced from pillage; or grounds for criticising the sloth of certain of her henchmen, who had been told as plain as anything that "that there line fance" had to be finished by saturday; no two ways about it! she repeated the language in which she had conveyed this decision. there could have been no grounds for misunderstanding it. and thus the annals of broadmoor began to dribble to me, overlaid too frequently for my taste with philosophic reflections at large upon what a lone, defenceless woman could expect in this world--irrelevant, pointed wonderings as to whether a party letting on he was a good ranch hand really expected to perform any labour for his fifty a month, or just set round smoking his head off and see which could tell the biggest lie; or mebbe make an excuse for some light job like oiling the twenty-two sets of mule harness over again, when they had already been oiled right after haying. furthermore, any woman not a born fool would get out of the business the first chance she got, this one often being willing to sell for a mutilated dollar, except for not wishing financial ruin or insanity to other parties. yet a few details definitely emerged. "her" name was called posnett, though a party would never guess this if he saw it in print, because it was spelled postlethwaite. yes, sir! all on account of having gone to england from boston and found out that was how you said it, though cousin egbert floud had tried to be funny about it when shown the name in the red gap _recorder_. the item said the family had taken apartments at red gap's premier hotel _de luxe_, the american house; and cousin egbert, being told a million dollars was bet that he never could guess how the name was pronounced in english, he up and said you couldn't fool him; that it was pronounced chumley, which was just like the old smarty--only he give in that he was surprised when told how it really was pronounced; and he said if a party's name was postlethwaite why couldn't they come out and say so like a man, instead of beating round the bush like that? all of which was promising enough; but then came the hereford yearlings to effect a breach of continuity. these being enough admired, i had next to be told that i wouldn't believe how many folks was certain she had retired to the country because she was lazy, just keeping a few head of cattle for diversion--she that had six thousand acres of land under fence, and had made a going concern _per diem_ of it for thirty years, even if parties did make cracks about her gates; but hardly ever getting a good night's sleep through having a "passel" of men to run it that you couldn't depend on--though god only knew where you could find any other sort--the minute your back was turned. a fat, sleek, prosperous male, clad in expensive garments, and wearing a derby hat and too much jewellery, became somehow personified in this tirade. i was led to picture him a residuary legatee who had never done a stroke of work in his life, and believed that no one else ever did except from a sportive perversity. i was made to hear him tell her that she, mrs. lysander john pettengill, was leading the ideal life on her country place; and, by jove! he often thought of doing the same thing himself--get a nice little spot in this beautiful country, with some green meadows, and have bands of large handsome cattle strolling about in the sunlight, so he could forget the world and its strife in the same idyllic peace she must be finding. or if he didn't tell her this, then he was sure to have a worthless son or nephew that her ranch would be just the place for; and, of course, she would be glad to take him on and make something of him--that is, so the lady now regrettably put it, as he had shown he wasn't worth a damn for anything else, why couldn't she make a cattleman of him? "yes, sir; that's what i get from these here visitors that are enchanted by the view. either they think my ranch is a reform school for poor chinless chester, that got led away by bad companions and can't say no, or they think, like you said, that it's just a toy for the idle rich. show 'em a shoe factory or a steel works and they can understand it's a business proposition; but a ranch--shucks! they think i've done my day's work when i ride out on a gentle horse and look pleased at the landscape." again were we diverted. a dozen alien beeves fed upon the arrowhead preserves. did i see that wattle brand--the jug-handle split? that was the timmins brand--old safety first timmins. there must be a break in his fence at the upper end of the field. made it himself likely. wouldn't she give the old penny-pincher hell if she had him here? she would, indeed! continuous muttering of a rugged character for half a mile of jog trot. then again: "cousin egbert got all fussed up in his mind about the name and always called her postle-nut. he don't seem to have a brain for such things. but she didn't mind. i give her credit for that. she was fifty if she was a day, but very, very blond; laboratory stuff, of course. you'd of called her a superblonde, i guess. and haggard and wrinkled in the face; but she took good care of that, too--artist's materials. "you know old pete--that indian you see cutting up wood back on the place. pete took a long look at her and named her the painted desert. you always hear say an indian hasn't got any sense of humour. i don't know; pete was sure being either a humourist or a poet. however, this here lady handed me a new one about my business. she thought it was merely an outdoor sport. i never could get that out of her head. even when she left she says she knows it's ripping good sport, but it's such a terrific drain on one's income, and i must be quite mad about ranching to keep it up. i said, yes; i got quite mad about it sometimes, and let it go at that. what was the use?" a voiceless interval while we climbed a trail to the timbered bench where fence posts were being cut by half a dozen of the arrowhead forces. two of these were swiftly detached and bade to repair the break in the fence by which one timmins was now profiting, the entire six being first regaled with a brief but pithy character analysis of the offender, portraying him as a loathsome biological freak; headless, i gathered, and with the acquisitive instincts of a trade rat. then we rounded back on our way to the arrow head ranch house. five miles up the narrowing valley we could see its outposts and its smoke. far below us the spick-and-span buildings of deserted broadmoor glittered newly, demanding that i be told more of them. yet for the five-mile ride i added, as i thought, no item to my slender stock. instead, when we had descended from the bench and were again in fields where the gates might be opened only by galling effort, i learned apparently irrelevant facts concerning egbert floud's pet kitten. "yes, sir; he's just like any old maid with that cat. 'kitty!' here and 'kitty!' there; and 'poor kitty, did i forget to warm its milk?' and so on. it was give to him two years ago by jeff tuttle's littlest girl, irene; and he didn't want it at first, but him and irene is great friends, so he pretended he was crazy about it and took it off in his overcoat pocket, thinking it would die anyway, because it was only skin and bones. whenever it tried to purr you'd think it was going to shake all its timbers loose. his house is just over on the other side of arrowhead pass there, and i saw the kitten the first day he brought it up, kind of light brown and yellow in colour, with some gray on the left shoulder. "well, the minute i see these markings i recognized 'em and remembered something, and i says right off that he's got some cat there; and he says how do i know? and i tell him that there kitten has got at least a quarter wildcat in it. its grandmother, or mebbe its great-grandmother, was took up to the tuttle ranch when there wasn't another cat within forty miles, and it got to running round nights; and quite a long time after that they found it with a mess of kittens in a box out in the harness room. one look at their feet and ears was all you'd want to see that their pa was a bobcat. they all become famous fighting characters, and was marked just like this descendant of theirs that cousin egbert has. and, say, i was going on like this, not suspecting anything except that i was giving him some interesting news about the family history of this pet of his, when he grabs the beast up and cuddles it, and says i had ought to be ashamed of myself, talking that way about a poor little innocent kitten that never done me a stroke of harm. yes, sir; he was right fiery. "i don't know how he come to take it that cross way, for he hadn't thought highly of the thing up to that moment. but some way it seemed to him i was talking scandal about his pet--kind of clouding up its ancestry, if you know what i mean. he didn't seem to get any broad view of it at all. you'd almost think i'd been reporting an indiscretion in some member of his family. can you beat it? heating up that way over a puny kitten, six inches from tip to tip, that he'd been thinking of as a pest and only taken to please irene tuttle! so he starts in from that minute to doctor it up and nurture it with canned soup and delicacies; and every time i see him after that he'd look indignant and say what great hands for spreading gossip us women are, and his kitten ain't got no more bobcat in its veins than what i have. "he's a stubborn old toad. irene had told him the kitten's name was kate; so he kept right on calling it that even after it become incongruous, as you might say. judge ballard was up here on a fishing trip one time and heard him calling it kate, and he says to egbert: why call it kate when it ain't? egbert says that was the name little irene give it and it's too much trouble to think up another. the judge says, oh, no; not so much trouble, being that he could just change the name swiftly from kate to cato, thus meeting all conventional requirements with but slight added labour. but egbert says there's the sentiment to think of--whatever he meant by that; and if you was to go over there to-day and he was home you'd likely hear him say: 'yes; kate is certainly some cat! why, he's at least half bobcat--mebbe three-quarters; and the fightingest devil!' what's that? yes; he's changed completely round about the wildcat strain. he's proud of it. if i was to say now it was only a quarter bob he'd be as mad as he was at first; he says anybody can see it's at least half bob. what changed him? oh, well, we're too near home. some other time." so it befell that not until we sat out for a splendid sunset that evening did i learn in an orderly manner of postlethwaite vicissitudes. ma pettengill built her first cigarette with tender solicitude; and this, in consideration of her day's hard ride, i permitted her to burn in relaxed silence. but when her trained fingers began to combine paper and tobacco for the second i mentioned broadmoor, postlethwaite, posnett, and parties in general that come round the tired business woman, harassed with the countless vexations of a large cattle ranch, telling her how wise she has been to retire to this sylvan quietude, where she can dream away her life in peace. she started easily: "that's it; they always intimate that running a ranch is mere cream puffs compared to a regular business, and they'd like to do the same thing to-morrow if only they was ready to retire from active life. mebbe they get the idea from these here back-to-nature stories about a brokendown bookkeeper, sixty-seven years old, with neuritis and gastric complications and bum eyesight, and a wife that ain't ever seen a well day; so they take every cent of their life savings of eighty-three dollars and settle on an abandoned farm in connecticut and clear nine thousand dollars the first year raising the little giant caper for boiled mutton. there certainly ought to be a law against such romantic trifling. in the first place, think of a connecticut farmer abandoning anything worth money! old timmins comes from connecticut. any time that old leech abandons a thing, bookkeepers and all other parties will do well to ride right along with him. i tell you now--" the second cigarette was under way, and suddenly, without modulation, the performer was again on the theme, posnett _née_ postlethwaite. "met her two years ago in boston, where i was suffering a brief visit with my son-in-law's aunts. she was the sole widow of a large woolen mill. that's about all i could ever make out--couldn't get any line on him to speak of. the first time i called on her--she was in pink silk pyjamas, smoking a perfecto cigar, and unpacking a bale of lion and tiger skins she'd shot in africa, or some place--she said she believed there would be fewer unhappy marriages in this world if women would only try more earnestly to make a companion of their husbands; she said she'd tried hard to make one of hers, but never could get him interested in her pursuits and pastimes, he preferring to set sullenly at his desk making money. she said to the day of his death he'd never even had a polo mallet in his hand. and wasn't that pitiful! "and right now she wanted to visit a snappy little volcano she'd heard about in south america--only she had a grown son and daughter she was trying to make companions of, so they would love and trust her; and they'd begged her to do something nearer home that was less fatiguing; and mebbe she would. and how did i find ranching now? was i awfully keen about it and was it ripping good sport? i said yes, to an extent. she said she thought it must be ripping, what with chasing the wild cattle over hill and dale to lasso them, and firing off revolvers in company with lawless cowboys inflamed by drink. she went on to give me some more details of ranch life, and got so worked up about it that we settled things right there, she being a lady of swift decisions. she said it wouldn't be very exciting for her, but it might be fine for son and daughter, and bring them all together in a more sacred companionship. "so i come back and got that place down the creek for her, and she sent out a professional architect and a landscape gardener, and some other experts that would know how to build a ranch _de luxe_, and the thing was soon done. and she sent son on ahead to get slightly acquainted with the wild life. he was a tall bent thing, about thirty, with a long squinted face and going hair, and soft, innocent, ginger-coloured whiskers, and hips so narrow they'd hardly hold his belt up. that rowdy mother of his, in trying to make a companion of him, had near scared him to death. he was permanently frightened. what he really wanted to do, i found out, was to study insect life and botany and geography and arithmetic, and so on, and raise orchids, instead of being killed off in a sudden manner by his rough-neck parent. he loved to ride a horse the same way a cat loves to ride a going stove. "i started out with him one morning to show him over the valley. he got into the saddle all right and he meant well, but that don't go any too far with a horse. pretty soon, down on the level here, i started to canter a bit. he grabbed for the saddle horn and caught a handful of bunch grass fifteen feet to the left of the trail. he was game enough. he found his glasses and wiped 'em off, and said it was too bad the mater couldn't have seen him, because it would have been a bright spot in her life. "then he got on again and we took that steep trail up the side of the cañon that goes over arrowhead, me meaning to please him with some beautiful and rugged scenery, where one false step might cause utter ruin. it didn't work, though. after we got pretty well up to the rim of the cañon he looks down and says he supposes they could recover one if one fell over there. i says: 'oh, yes; they could recover one. they'd get you, all right. of course you wouldn't look like anything!' "he shudders at that and gets off to lead his horse, begging me to do the same. i said i never tried to do anything a horse could do better, and stayed on. then he got confidential and told me a lot of interesting crimes this mater of his had committed in her mad efforts to make a companion of him. once she'd tramped on the gas of a ninety-horsepower racer and socked him against a stone wall at a turn some fool had made in the road; and another time she near drowned him in the arctic ocean when she was off there for the polar-bear hunting; and she'd got him well clawed by a spotted leopard in india, that was now almost the best skin in her collection; and once in switzerland he fell off the side of an alp she was making him climb, causing her to be very short with him all day because it delayed the trip. tied to a rope he was and hanging out there over nothing for about fifteen minutes--he must have looked like a sash weight. "then he told about learning to run a motor car all by himself, just to please the mater. the first time he made the sharp turns round their country house he took nine shingles off the corner and crumpled a fender like it was tissue paper; but he stuck to it till he got the score down to two or three shingles only. he seemed right proud of that, like it was bogey for the course, as you might say. he wasn't the greatest humourist in the world, being too high-minded, but he appealed to all my better instincts; he was trying so hard to make the grade out of respect for his bedizened and homicidal mother. "and his poor sister, that come along later, was very much like him, being severe of outline and wearing the same kind of spectacles, and not fussing much about the fripperies of dress that engross so many of our empty-headed sex and get 'em the notice of the male. her complexion was brutally honest, which was about all her very best-wishers could say for it, but she was kind-hearted and earnest, and thought a good deal about the real or inner meaning of life. what she really yearned for was to stay in boston and go to concerts, holding the music on her lap and checking off the notes with a gold pencil when the fiddlers played them. i watched her do it one night. i don't know what her notion was, keeping cases on the orchestra that way; but it seemed to give her a secret satisfaction. she was also interested in bird life and other studies of a high character, and she didn't want to be made a companion of by her rabid parent any more than brother did. they was just a couple of lambkins born to a tiger. "pretty soon the ranch buildings was all complete and varnished and polished, like you seen to-day, and the family moved in with all kinds of uniformed servants that looked unhappy and desperate. they had a pained butler in a dress suit that never once set foot outside the house the whole five months they was here. he'd of been thought too gloomy for good taste, even at a funeral. he had me nervous every time i went there, thinking any minute he was going to break down and sob. "and this lady loses no time making companions of her children that didn't want to be. first she tried to make 'em chase steers on horseback. a fact! that was one of her ideas of ranch life. when i asked her what she was going to stock her ranch with she said didn't i have some good heads of stock i could sell her? and i said yes, i had some good heads, and showed her a bunch of my thoroughbreds, thinking none but the best would satisfy her. she looked 'em over with a glittering eye and said they was too fat to run well. i didn't get her. i said it was true; i hadn't raised 'em for speed. i said i didn't have an animal on the place that could hit better than three miles an hour, and not that for long. i cheerfully admitted i didn't have a thoroughbred on the place that wouldn't be a joke on any track in the country; but i wanted to know what of it. "'how do you get any sport out of them,' demands the lady, 'if they can't give you a jolly good chase?' "that's what she asked me in so many words. i says, does she aim to breed racing cattle? and she says, where will the sport be with creatures all out of condition with fat, like mine are? it took me about ten minutes to get her idea, it was that heinous or criminal. when i did get it i sent her to old safety first; and what does she do but buy a herd of twenty yearling steers from the old crook! scrubby little runts that had been raised out in the hills and was all bone and muscle, and any one of 'em able to do a mile in four minutes flat, i guess. "old safety was tickled to death at first when he put off this refuse on her at a price not much more than double what they would have brought in a tanyard, which was all they'd ever be good for except bone fertilizer, mebbe; but he was sick unto death when he found they was just what she wanted, the skinnier the better and he could have got anything he asked for 'em. he says to me afterward why don't i train some of mine and trim her good? but i told him i'm cinched for hell, anyway, and don't have to make it tighter by torturing poor dumb brutes. "that's what it amounted to. having got angora chaps and cowboy hats for herself and offsprings, what do they do but get on ponies and chase this herd all over creation, whirling their ropes, yelling, shooting in the air--just like you see on any well-conducted ranch. once in a while the old lady herself, being a demon rider, would rope an animal and fetch it down; but brother and sister was very careful not to tangle their own ropes on anything. they didn't shoot their guns with any proper spirit, either; and when they tried to yip like cowboys they sounded like rabbits. and brother having to smoke brown-paper cigarettes, which he hated like poison and had trouble in rolling! "mother could roll 'em, all right--do it with one hand. and she urged sister to; but sister rebelled for once. the old lady admitted this was due to a fault in her early training. it seems her grandmother had been one of the old-fashioned sort; and, having studied the modern young woman of society in boston and new york, she'd promised sister a string of pearls if she didn't either smoke or drink till her twenty-first birthday. sister had not only won the pearls but had come on to twenty-eight without being like other young girls of the day, and wasn't going to begin now. so ma and brother had to do all the smoking. "after a fine morning's run following the steers they'd like as not have a little branding in the afternoon, the old-fashioned kind that ain't done in the higher ranch circles any more, where a couple of silly punchers rope an animal fore and aft and throw it, thereby setting it back at least four months in its growth. the old lady was puzzled again by me having my branding done in a chute, where the poor things ain't worried more than is necessary. i bet she thought i was a short sport, not doing a thing on my place that would look well in a moving picture. she got a lot of ripping sport out of this branding. made no difference if they was already branded, they got it again; she'd brand 'em over and over. two or three of that herd got it so often that they looked like these leather suitcases parties bring back from europe stuck all over with hotel labels. "well, this branch of sport lasted quite a while, with them steers developing speed every day till they got too fast for any one but the old lady. brother and sister would be left far behind, or mebbe get stacked up and discouraged or sprained for the day. the old dame said it was disheartening, indeed, trying to make companions of one's children when they showed such a low order of intelligence for it. still, she was fair-minded; so she had a golf links made, and put 'em at that. she wouldn't play herself, saying it was an effeminate game, good for fat old men or schoolboys, but mebbe her chits would benefit by it and get a taste for proper sports, where you can break a bone now and then by not using care. "but golf wasn't much better. sister would carry a book of poetry with her and read it as she loafed from one hit to another. the old lady near shed tears at the sight. and brother was about as bad, getting hypnotized by passing insect life and forgetting his score while prodding some new kind of bug. "the old lady said i'd never believe what a care and responsibility children was. she had wanted 'em to go in for ranching and be awfully keen about it, and look how they acted! still, she wouldn't give up. she suggested polo next; but sister said it wasn't a lady's game, making no demand upon the higher attributes of womanhood, and brother said he might go in for it if she'd let him play his on a bicycle, as being more reliable or stauncher than a pony. "so she throws up her hands in despair, but thinks hard again; and at last she says she has the right sport for 'em and why didn't she think of it before! this new idea is to bring up her pack of prize-winning beagles, the sport being full of excitement, and yet safe enough for all concerned if they'll look where they walk and not stop to read slushy poems or collect insect life. sister and brother said beagles, by all means, like drowning sailors clutching at a straw or something; and the old lady sent off a telegram. "i admit i didn't know what kind of a game beagles was, but i didn't betray the fact when she told me about it. i was over to egbert floud's place next day and i asked him. but he didn't know and he couldn't even get the name right. he says: 'you mean beetles.' i says, 'not at all'; that it's beagles. then he says i must of got the name twisted, and probably it's one of these curly horns. that's as close as he ever did come to the name; and until he actually saw the things he insisted they was either something to blow on or something that crawled. 'mark my words,' he says,'they're either a horn or a bug; and i wonder what this here blond guy will be doing next.' so i saw nothing sensible was to be had out of him, and i left him there, doddering. "then in about ten days, which was days of peace for brother and sister, because they didn't have to go in keenly for any new way of killing themselves off, what comes up but several crates of beagles, in charge of their valet or tutor! i'd looked forward to something of a thrilling or unknown character, and they turned out to be mere dogs; just little brown-and-white dogs that you wouldn't notice if you hadn't been excited by their names; kind of yapping mutts that some parties would poison off if they lived in the same neighbourhood with 'em. they all had names like rex ii and lady blessington, and so on; and each one had cost more than any three steers i had on the place. what do you think of that? they was yapping in their kennels when i first seen 'em, with the old lady as excited as they was, and brother and sister trying to look excited in order to please mother, and at least looking relieved because no fatalities was in immediate prospect. "i listened to the noise a while and acted nice by saying they was undoubtedly the very finest beagles i'd ever laid eyes on--which was the simple god's truth; and then i says won't she take one out of the cage and let him beagle some, me not having any idea what it would be like? but the old lady says not yet, because the costumes ain't come. i thought at first it was the pups that had to be dressed up, but it seems it was costumes for her and brother and sister to wear; so i asked a few more silly questions and found out the mystery. it seemed the secret of a beagle's existence was rabbits. yes, sir; they was mad about rabbits and went in keenly for 'em. only they wouldn't notice one, i gathered, if the parties that followed 'em wasn't dressed proper for it. "then we went in where we could hear each other without screaming, and the lady tells me more about it, and how beagles is her last hope of her chits ever amounting to anything in the great world of sport. if they don't go in keenly for beagles she'll just have to give up and let nature take its course with the poor things. and she said these was a-number-one beagles, being sure to get a rabbit if one was in the country. she'd just had 'em at a big fashionable country resort down south, some place where the sport attracted much notice from the simple-minded peasantry, and it hadn't been a good country for rabbits; so the beagles had trooped into a backyard and destroyed a belgian hare that had belonged to a little boy, whose father come out and swore at the costumed hunters in a very common manner, and offered to lick any three of 'em at once. "and in hurrying acrost a field to get away from this rowdy, that seemed liable to forget himself and do something they'd all regret later, they was put up a tree by a bull that was sensitive about costumes, and had to stay there two hours, with the bull trying to grub up the tree, and would of done so if his owner hadn't come along and rescued 'em. "she made it sound like an exciting sport, all right, yet nothing i thought i'd ever go in keenly for. it didn't seem like anything i'd get up in the night to indulge myself in. and i agreed with her that if her chits found beagling too adventurous, then all hope was gone and she might as well let 'em die peacefully in their beds. "two days later the costumes come along and i was kindly sent word to show up the next morning if i wanted to see some ripping sport that i'd be quite mad about and go in for keenly, and all that sort of thing, by jove! of course i go over, on account of this dame's atrocities never yet having failed to interest me, and i didn't think she'd fall down now. i felt strangely out of it, though, when i seen the costumes. ma and sister had, from the top down, black velvet jockey caps; green velvet coats with gold buttons; white pique skirts, coming to the knee; black silk stockings; and neat black shoes with white spats. brother had been abused the same, barring the white skirt, which left him looking like something out of a collection called the dolls of all nations. "i saw right off that all these clothes must be necessary--they looked so careful and expensive. yes, sir; that lady would no more of went out beagling without being draped for it than she'd of gone steer hunting without a vanity-box lashed to her saddle horn. "i sort of hung back with the awe-stricken help when the start was made. they was all out in front except the butler, who lurked in the entry looking like he'd passed a night of grief at the new-made grave of his mother. "the beagles surged all over the place the minute they was let loose, and then made for down in the willows below the house. and, sure enough, they started a cottontail down there and went in for him keenly, followed by ma and brother and sister. brother started to yell 'yoicks! yoicks!' but ma shut him off with a good deal of severity that caused him to blush at his words. it seems yoicks is a cry you give at some other critical juncture in life. when beagles start you must yell 'gone away!' in a clear, ringing voice. brother meant well, but didn't know. "anyhow, they followed those pups, and i trailed along at a decent distance on my horse; and pretty soon they got the rabbit which had been fool enough to come round in a wide circle back to where it started from. say! it was mere child's play for that plucky little band of nine dogs to clean up that rabbit. they never had a minute's fear of it and the rabbit didn't have the least chance of winning the fight, not at any stage. yes, sir! any time you see nine beagles setting on a tuckered rabbit--i don't care how wild he is--you'll know how to put your money down. "i never did see a rabbit put up a worse fight than that one did. i rode up to its fragments, and the old lady was saying how ripping it was and calling sister a mollycoddle, because here was sister crying like a baby over the rabbit's fate--a rabbit she'd never set eyes on before in her life. brother didn't look like he had gone in keenly for the sport, either. he was kind of green and yellow, like one of these parties on shipboard about the time he's saying he don't feel the boat's motion the least bit; and, anyway, he's got a sure-fire remedy for it if anything does happen. i just kind of stood around, neutral and revolted. "pretty soon the pack beagles off again with glad cries; and this time, up on the hillside, what do they start but a little spike buck that has been down to a salt lick on the creek flat! they wasn't any more afraid of him than they had been of the rabbit and started to chase him out of the country. of course they didn't do well after they got him interested. the last i saw of the race he was making 'em look like they was in reverse gear and backing up full speed. anyway, that seemed to end the sport for the day, because the dogs and the buck must of been over near the county line in ten minutes. the old lady was mad and blamed it on the valet, who come up and had to take as sweet a roasting as you ever heard a man get from a lady word painter. it seems he'd ought to have taught 'em to ignore deer. "then i lied like a lady and said it was a ripping sport that i would sure go in keenly for if i had time; and we all went back to the house and sat down to what they called a hunt breakfast. ma said at last her chits could hold up their heads in the world of sport and not be a reproach to her training. the chits looked very thoughtful, indeed. sister still had red eyes and couldn't eat a mouthful of hunt breakfast, and brother just toyed with little dabs of it. "next day i learned the pack didn't get back till late that evening, straggling in one by one, and the valet having to go out and look for the last two with a lantern. also, these last two had been treated brutally by some denizen of the wildwood. rex ii had darn near lost his eyesight and lady blessington was clawed something scandalous. brother said mebbe a rabbit mad with hydrophobia had turned on 'em. he said it in hopeful tones, and sister cheered right up and said if these two had it they would give it to the rest of the pack, and shouldn't they all be shot at once? "mother said what jolly nonsense; that they'd merely been scratched by thorns. i thought, myself, that mebbe they'd gone out of their class and tackled a jack rabbit; but i didn't say it, seeing that the owner was sensitive. afterward she showed me a lot of silver things her pets had won--eye-cups and custard dishes, and coffee urns and things, about a dozen, with their names engraved on 'em. she said it was very annoying to have 'em take after deer that way. what she wanted 'em to do was to butcher rabbits where parties in the right garments could stand and look on. "next day they tried again; and one fool rabbit was soon gone in for keenly to the renewed sound of sister's bitter sobs, and brother looking like he'd been in jail two years--no colour left at all in his face. but pretty soon the pack took up the scent of a deer again, and that was the end of another day's sport. brother and sister looked glad and resumed their peaceful sports. he hunted butterflies with a net, and she set down and looked at birds through an opera glass and wrote down things about their personal appearance in a notebook. the old lady changed to her cowboy suit and went out and roped three steers--just to work her mad off, i guess. "well, this time the beagles not only limped in at a shocking hour of the night but three of the others had had their beauty marred by a demon rabbit or something. they had been licked very thoroughly, indeed; and the old lady now said it must be a grizzly bear, and brother and sister beamed on her and said: 'what a shame!' and would they hunt again next day? for the first time they seemed quite mad about the sport. mother said they better wait till she went out and shot the grizzly, but i told her we hadn't had any grizzlies round here for years; so she said, all right, they could lick anything less than a grizzly. and they beagled again next day, with terrible and inspiring results, not only to rex ii and lady blessington again, but to two of the others that hadn't been touched before. "this left only two of the pack that hadn't been horribly abused by some unknown varmint; so a halt had to be called for three days while red cross work was done. brother and sister tried to look regretful and complained about this break in the ripping sport; but their manner was artificial. they spent the time riding peacefully round up in the cañon, pretending to look for the wild creature that had chewed their little pets. they come back one day and cheered their mother a whole lot by telling her the pack had been over the pass as far as the house of a worthy rancher, mr. floud by name. they said mr. floud didn't believe there was any bears round, and further said he greatly admired the beagles, even though at first they seriously annoyed his pet kitten. "the old lady said this was ripping of mr. floud, to take it in such a sporting way, because many people in the past had tried to make all sorts of nasty rows when her pets had happened to kill their kittens. brother said, yes; mr. floud took the whole thing in a true sporting way, and he hoped the pack would soon be well enough to hunt again. right then i detected falsity in his manner; i couldn't make out what it was, but i knew he was putting something over on mother. "two days later the dogs was fit again, and another gay hunt was had, with a rabbit to the good in the first twenty minutes, and then the usual break, when they struck a deer scent. brother said he'd follow on his horse this time and try to get whatever was bothering 'em. he didn't. he said he lost 'em. they crawled back at night, well chewed; and mother was now frantic. "there had to be another three days in bed for the cunning little murderers, after which brother and sister both went out with 'em on horseback, with the same mysterious results--except that rex ii didn't get in till next day and looked like he'd come through a feed chopper. for the next hunt, four days after that, the old lady went, too, all of 'em on horseback; but the same slinking marauder got at the pack before they could come up with it, and two of 'em had to be brought back in arms. they all stopped here on the way home to tell about the mystery. brother and sister was very cheerful and mad about the sport, but their manner was falser than ever. mother says the pack is being ruined, and she wouldn't continue the sport, except it has roused the first gleam of interest her chits has ever showed in anything worth while. i caught the chits looking at each other in a guilty manner when she says this, and my curiosity wakes up. i says next time they go out i will be pleased to go with 'em; and the old lady thanks me and says mebbe i can solve this reprehensible mystery. "in another three days they come by for me. the beagles was looking an awful lot different from what i had first seen 'em. they was not only beautifully scarred but they acted kind of timid and reproachful, and their yapping had a note of caution in it that i hadn't noticed before. so i got on my pony and went along to help probe the crime. we worked up the cañon trail and over the pass, with the pack staying meekly behind most of the time. just the other side of the pass they actually got a rabbit, though not working with their old-time recklessness, i thought. of course we had to stop and watch this. brother looked the other way and sister just set there biting her lips, with an evil gleam in her pale-blue eyes. not a beagle in the pack would have trusted himself alone with her at that minute if he'd known his business. "then we rode on down toward cousin egbert's shack, with nothing further happening and the pups staying back in a highly conservative manner. brother says that yonder is the mr. floud's place he had spoken of, and ma wants to know if he, too, goes in for ranching, and i says yes, he's awfully keen about it; so she says we'll ride over and chat with him and perhaps he can suggest some solution of the mystery in hand. i said all right, and we ride up. "cousin egbert is tipped back in a chair outside the door, reading a sunday paper. whenever he gets one up here he always reads it clean through, from murders to want ads. and he'd got into this about as far as the beauty hints and secrets of the toilet. well, he was very polite and awkward, and asked us into his dinky little shack; and the old lady says she hears he is quite mad about ranching, and he says, oh, yes--only it don't help matters any to get mad; and he finds a chair for her, and the rest of us set on stools and the bed; and just then she notices that the beagle pack has halted about thirty feet from the door, and some of 'em is milling and acting like they think of starting for home at once. "so out she goes and orders the little pets up. they didn't want to come one bit; it seemed like they was afraid of something, but they was well disciplined and they finally crawled forward, looking like they didn't know what minute something cruel might happen. "the old lady petted 'em and made 'em lie down, and asked cousin egbert if he'd ever seen better ones, or even as good; and he said no, ma'am; they was sure fine beetles. then she begun to tell him about some wild animal that had been attacking 'em, a grizzly, or mebbe a mountain lion, with cubs; and he is saying in a very false manner that he can't think what would want to harm such playful little pets, and so on. all this time the pets is in fine attitudes of watchful waiting, and i'm just beginning to suspect a certain possibility when it actually happens. "there was an open window high up in the log wall acrost from the door, and old kate jumps up onto the sill from the outside. he was one fierce object, let me tell you; weighing about thirty pounds, all muscle, with one ear gone, and an eye missing that a porcupine quill got into, and a lot of fresh new battle scars. we all got a good look at him while he crouched there for a second, purring like a twelve-cylinder car and twitching his whiskers at us in a lazy way, like he wanted to have folks make a fuss over him. and then, all at once, catching sight of the dogs, he changed to a demon; his back up, his whiskers in a stiff tremble, and his half of a tail grown double in girth. "i looked quick to the dogs, and they was froze stiff with horror for at least another second. then they made one scramble for the open door, and kate made a beautiful spring for the bunch, landing on the back of the last one with a yell of triumph. mother shrieked, too, and we all rushed to the door to see one of the prettiest chases you'd want to look at, with old kate handing out the side wipes every time he could get near one of the dogs. they fled down over the creek bank and a minute later we could see the pack legging it up the other side to beat the cars, losing kate--i guess because he didn't like to get his hide wet. "when the first shock of this wore off, here was silly old egbert, in a weak voice, calling: 'kitty, kitty, kitty! here, kitty! here, kitty!' then we notice brother and sister. brother is waving his hat in the air and yelling 'yoicks!' and 'gone away!' and 'fair sport, by jove!'--just like some crazy man; and sister, with her chest going up and down, is clapping her hands and yelling 'goody! goody! goody!' and squealing with helpless laughter. mother just stood gazing at 'em in horrible silence. pretty soon they felt it and stopped, looking like a couple of kids that know it's spanking time. "'so!' says mother. that's all she said--just, 'so!' "but she stuffed the simple word with eloquence; she left it pregnant with meaning, as they say. then she stalked loftily out and got on her horse, brother and sister slinking after her. i guess i slunk, too, though it was none of my doings. cousin egbert kind of sidled along, mumbling about kitty: "'kitty was quite frightened of the pets first time he seen 'em; but someway to-day it seemed like he had lost much of his fear--seemed more like he had wanted to play with 'em, or something.' "nobody listened to the doddering old wretch, but i caught brother winking at him behind mother's back. then we all rode off in lofty silence, headed by mother, who never once looked back to her late host, even if he was mad about ranching. we got up over the pass and the pack of ruined beagles begun to straggle out of the underbrush. a good big buck rabbit with any nerve could have put 'em all on the run again. you could tell that. they slunk along at the tail of the parade. i dropped out informally when it passed the place here. it seemed like something might happen where they'd want only near members of the family present. "i don't hear anything from broadmoor next day; so the morning after that i ride over to cousin egbert's to see if i couldn't get a better line on the recent tragedy. he was still on his sunday paper, having finished an article telling that man had once been scaly, like a fish; and was just beginning the fashion notes, with pictures showing that the smart frock was now patterned like an awning. old kate was lying on a bench in the sun, trying to lick a new puncture he'd got in his chest. "i started right in on the old reprobate. i said it was a pretty how-de-do if a distinguished lady amateur, trying to raise ranching to the dignity of a sport, couldn't turn loose a few prize beagles without having 'em taken for a hunt breakfast by a nefarious beast that ought to be in a stout cage in a circus this minute! i thought, of course, this would insult him; but he sunned right up and admitted that kate was about half to three-quarters bobcat; and wasn't he a fine specimen? and if he could only get about eight more as good he'd have a pack of beagle-cats that would be the envy of the whole sporting world. "'it ain't done!' i remarked, aiming to crush him. "'it is, too!' egbert says. 'i did it myself. look what i already done, just with kitty alone!' "'how'd it start?' i asked him. "'easy! says he. 'they took kate for a rabbit and kate took them for rabbits. it was a mutual error. they found out theirs right soon; but i bet kate ain't found out his, even to this day. i bet he thinks they're just a new kind of rabbit that's been started. the first day they broke in here he was loafin' round out in front, and naturally he started for 'em, though probably surprised to see rabbits travelling in a bunch. also, they see kate and start for him, which must of startled him good and plenty. he'd never had rabbits make for him before. he pulled up so quick he skidded. i could see his mind working. don't tell me that cat ain't got brains like a human! he was saying to himself: "is this here a new kind of rabbits, or is it a joke--or what? mebbe i better not try anything rash till i find out." "'they was still coming for him acrost the flat, with their tongues out; so he soopled himself up a bit with a few jumps and made for that there big down spruce. he lands on the trunk and runs along it to where the top begins. he has it all worked out. he's saying: "if this here is a joke, all right; but if it ain't a joke i better have some place back of me for a kind of refuge." "'so up come these strange rabbits and started to jump for him on the trunk of the spruce; but it's pretty high and they can't quite make it. and in a minute they sort of suspicion something on their part, because kate has rared his back and is giving 'em a line of abuse they never heard from any rabbit yet. awful wicked it was, and they sure got puzzled. i could hear one of 'em saying: "aw, come on! that ain't no regular rabbit; he don't look like a rabbit, and he don't talk like a rabbit, and he don't act like a rabbit!" then another would say: "what of it? what do we care if he's a regular rabbit or not? let's get him, anyway, and take him apart!" "'so they all begin to jump again and can't quite make it till their leader says he'll show 'em a real jump. he backs off a little to get a run and lands right on the log. then he wished he hadn't. old kate worked so quick i couldn't hardly follow it. in about three seconds this leader lands on his back down in the bunch, squealing like one of these italian sopranos when the flute follows her up. he crawls off on his stomach, still howling, and i see he's had a couple of wipes over the eye, and one of his ears is shredded. "'a couple of the others come over to ask him how it happened, and what he quit for, and did his foot slip; and he says: "mark my words, gentlemen; we got our work cut out for us here. that animal is acting less and less like a rabbit every minute. he's more turbulent and he's got spurs on." he goes on talking this way while the others bark at kate, and kate dares any one of 'em to come on up there and have it out, man to man. finally another lands on the tree trunk and gets what the first one got. i could see it this time. kate done some dandy shortarm work in the clinches and hurled him off on his back like the other one; then he stands there sharpening his claws on the bark and grinning in a masterful way. he was saying: "you will, will you?" "'then one of these beetles must of said, "come on, boys--all together now!" for four of 'em landed up on the trunk all to once. and kate wasn't there. he'd had the top of this fallen tree at his back, and he kites up a limb about ten feet above their heads and stretches out for a rest, cool as anything, licking his paws and purring like he enjoyed the beautiful summer day, and wasn't everything calm and lovely? it was awful insulting the way he looked down on 'em, with his eyes half shut. and you never seen beetles so astonished in your life. they just couldn't believe their eyes, seeing a rabbit act that way! the leader limps over and says: "there! what did i tell you, smarties? i guess next time you'll take my word for it. i guess you can see plain enough now he ain't no rabbit, the way he skinned up that tree." "'they calm down a mite at this, and one or two says they thought he was right from the first; and some others says: "well, it wouldn't make no difference what he was, rabbit or no rabbit, if he'd just come down and meet the bunch of us fair and square; but the dirty coward is afraid to fight us, except one at a time." the leader is very firm, though. he tells 'em that if this here object ain't a rabbit they got no right to molest him, and if he is a rabbit he's gone crazy, and wouldn't be good to eat, anyway; so they better go find one that acts sensible. and he gets 'em away, all talking about it excitedly. "'well, sir, you wouldn't believe how tickled kate was all that day. it was like he'd found a new interest in life. and next time these beetles come up they pull off another grand scrap. kate laid for 'em just this side of the creek and let 'ern chase him back to his tree. he skun up three others that day, still pursuin' his cowardly tactics of fighting 'em one at a time, and retirin' to his perch when three or four would come at once. also, when they give him up again and started off he come down and chased 'em to the creek bank, like you seen the other day, telling 'em to be sure and not forget the number, because he ain't had so much fun since he met up with a woodchuck. the next time they showed up he'd got so contemptuous of 'em that he'd leap down and engage one that had got separated from the pack. he had two of 'em darn' near out before they was rescued by their friends. "'then, a few days later, along comes the pack again--only this time they're being herded by the lad with the ginger-coloured whiskers. he gets off his horse and says how do i do, and what lovely weather, and how bracing the air is; and i says what pretty beetles he has; and he says it's ripping sport; and i says, yes; kate has ripped up a number of 'em, but i hope he don't blame me none, because my kitty has to defend himself. say, this guy brightened up and like to took me off my feet! he grabs both my hands and shakes 'em warmly for a long time and says do i think my cat can put the whole bunch on the blink?--or words to that effect. and i says it's the surest thing in the world; but why? and he says, then the sooner the better, because it's a barbarous sport and every last beetle ought to be thoroughly killed; and when they are, in case his mother don't find out the crooked work, mebbe he'll be let to raise orchids or do something useful in the world, instead of frittering his life away in the vain pursuit of pleasure. "'oh, he was the chatty lad, all right! and i felt kind of sorry for him; so i says kate would dearly love to wipe these beetles out one by one; and he says: 'capital, by jove!' and i call kitty and we pull off another nice little scrap on the fallen tree, though it's hard to make the beetles take much interest in it now, except in the way of self-defense. even at that, they're kept plenty occupied. "'say, this guy is the happiest you ever see one when kate has about four more of 'em licked to a standstill in jigtime. he says he has one more favour to ask of me: will i allow his sister to come up some day and see the lovely carnage? and i says, sure! kate will be glad to oblige any time. he says he'll fetch her up the first time the pack is able to get out again, and he keeps on chattering like a child that's found a new play-pretty. "'i can't hardly get him off the place, he's so greatful to me. he tells me his biography and about how this here blond guy has been roughing him all over europe and asia, and how it had got to stop right here, because a man has a right to live his own life, after all; and then he branches off in a nutty way to tell me that he always takes a cold shower every morning, winter and summer, and he never could read a line of sir walter scott, and why don't some genius invent a fountain pen that will work at all times? and so on, till it sounded delirious. but he left at last. "'and we had some good ripping sport when him and sister come up. i never seen such a blood-thirsty female. she'd nearly laugh her head off when kitty was gouging the eye out of one of these cunning little scamps. she said if i'd ever seen the nasty curs pile on to one poor defenseless little bunny i'd understand why she was so keen about my beetle-cat. that's what she called kate. "'kate, he got kind of bored with the whole business after that. he hadn't actually eat one yet, and mebbe that was all that kept him going--wanting to see if they'd taste any better than regular rabbits. but you bet they knew now that kate wasn't any kind of a rabbit. they didn't have any more arguments on that point--they knew darn' well he didn't have a drop of rabbit blood in his veins. oh, he's some beetle-cat, all right!' "that's cousin egbert for you! can you beat him--changing round and being proud of this mixed marriage that he had formerly held to be a scandal! "well, i go back home, and here is mother waiting for me. and she's a changed woman. she's actually give up trying to make anything out of her chits, because after considerable browbeating and third-degree stuff, they've come through with the whole evil conspiracy--how they'd got her prize-winning beagles licked by a common cat that wouldn't be let into any bench show on earth! her spirit was broke. "'my poor son,' she says, 'i shall allow to go his silly way after this outrageous bit of double-dealing. i think it useless to strive further with him. he has not only confessed all the foul details, but he came brazenly out with the assertion that a man has a right to lead his own life--and he barely thirty!' "she goes on to say that it's this terrible twentieth-century modernism that has infected him. she says that, first woman sets up a claim to live her own life, and now men are claiming the same right, even one as carefully raised and guarded as her boy has been; and what are we coming to? but, anyway, she did her best for him. "pretty soon broadmoor was closed like you seen it to-day. sister is now back in boston, keeping tabs on orchestras and attending lectures on the higher birds; and brother at last has his orchid ranch somewhere down in california. he's got one pet orchid that i heard cost twelve thousand dollars--i don't know why. but he's very happy living his own life. the last i heard of mother she was exploring the headwaters of the amazon river, hunting crocodiles and jaguars and natives, and so on. "she was a good old sport, though. she showed that by the way she simmered down about cousin egbert's cat before she left. at first, she wanted to lay for it and put a bullet through its cowardly heart. then she must of seen the laugh was on her, all right; for what did she do? why, the last thing she done was to box up all these silver cups her beagles had won and send 'em over to kate, in care of his owner--all the eye-cups and custard bowls, and so on. cousin egbert shows 'em off to every one. "'just a few cups that kate won,' he'll say. 'i want to tell you he's some beetle-cat! look what he's come up to--and out of nothing, you might say!'" viii pete's b'other-in-law on the arrowhead ranch it was noon by the bell that lew wee loves to clang. it may have been half an hour earlier or later on other ranches, for lew wee is no petty precisian. ma pettengill had ridden off at dawn; and, rather than eat luncheon in solitary state, i joined her retainers for the meal in the big kitchen, which is one of my prized privileges. a dozen of us sat at the long oilcloth-covered table and assuaged the more urgent pangs of hunger in a haste that was speechless and far from hygienic. no man of us chewed the new beef a proper number of times; he swallowed intently and reached for more. it was rather like twenty minutes for dinner at what our railway laureates call an eating house. lew wee shuffled in bored nonchalance between range and table. it was an old story to him. the meal might have gone to a silent end, though moderating in pace; but we had with us to-day--as a toastmaster will put it--the young veterinary from spokane. this made for talk after actual starvation had been averted--fragmentary gossip of the great city; of neighbouring ranches in the valley, where professional duty had called him; of adolph, our milk-strain durham bull, whose indisposition had brought him several times to arrowhead; and then of squat, our youngest cowboy, from whose fair brow the intrepid veterinary, on his last previous visit, had removed a sizable and embarrassing wen with what looked to me like a pair of pruning shears. the feat had excited much uncheerful comment among squat's _confrères_, bets being freely offered that he would be disfigured for life, even if he survived; and what was the sense of monkeying with a thing like that when you could pull your hat down over it? of course you couldn't wear a derby with it; but no one but a darned town dude would ever want to wear a derby hat, anyway, and the trouble with squat was, he wished to be pretty. it was dollars to doughnuts the thing would come right back again, twice as big as ever, and better well enough alone. but squat, who is also known as timberline, and is, therefore, a lanky six feet three, is young and sensitive and hopeful, and the veterinary is a matchless optimist; and the thing had been brought to a happy conclusion. squat, being now warmly urged, blushingly turned his head from side to side that all might remark how neatly his scar had healed. the veterinary said it had healed by first intention; that it was as pretty a job as he'd ever done on man or beast; and that squat would be more of a hit then ever with the ladies because of this interesting chapter in his young life. then something like envy shone in the eyes of those who had lately disparaged squat for presuming to thwart the will of god; i detected in more than one man there the secret wish that he had something for this ardent expert to eliminate. squat continued to blush pleasurably and to bolt his food until another topic diverted this entirely respectful attention from him. the veterinary asked if we had heard about the indian ruction down at kulanche last night--kulanche springs being the only pretense to a town between our ranch and red gap--a post-office, three general stores, a score of dwellings, and a low drinking place known as the swede's. the news had not come to us; so the veterinary obliged. a dozen indians, drifting into the valley for the haying about to begin, had tarried near kulanche and bought whiskey of the swede. the selling of this was a lawless proceeding and the consumption of it by the purchasers had been hazardous in the extreme. briefly, the result had been what is called in newspaper headlines a stabbing affray. i quote from our guest's recital: "then, after they got calmed down and hid their knives, and it looked peaceful again, they decided to start all over; but the liquor was out, so that old scar-faced pyann jumps on a pony and rides over from the camp for a fresh supply. he pulled up out in front of the swede's and yelled for three bottles to be brought out to him, pronto! if he'd sneaked round to the back door and whispered he'd have got it all right, but this was a little too brash, because there were about a dozen men in the bar and the swede was afraid to sell an injin whiskey so openly. all he could do was go to the door and tell this pickled aborigine that he never sold whiskey to injins and to get the hell out of there! pyann called the swede a liar and some other things, mentioning dates, and started to climb off his pony, very ugly. "the swede wasn't going to argue about it, because we'd all come out in front to listen; so he pulled his gun and let it off over pyann's head; and a couple of the boys did the same thing, and that started the rest--about six others had guns--till it sounded like a bunch of giant crackers going off. old pyann left in haste, all right. he was flattened out on his pony till he looked like a plaster. "we didn't hear any more of him last night, but coming up here this morning i found out he'd done a regular paul revere ride to save his people; he rode clear up as far as that last camp, just below here, on your place, yelling to every injin he passed that they'd better take to the brush, because the whites had broken out at kulanche. at that, the swede ought to be sent up, knowing they'll fight every time he sells them whiskey. two of these last night were bad cut in this rumpus." "yes; and he'd ought to be sent up for life for selling it to white men, too--the kind he sells." this was sandy sawtelle, speaking as one who knew and with every sign of conviction. "it sure is enterprising whiskey. three drinks of it make a decent man want to kill his little golden-haired baby sister with an axe. say, here's a good one--lemme tell you! i remember the first time, about three, four years ago--" the speaker was interrupted--it seemed to me with intentional rudeness. one man hurriedly wished to know who did the cutting last night; another, if the wounded would recover; and a third, if pete, an aged red vassal of our own ranch, had been involved. each of the three flashed a bored glance at sandy as he again tried for speech: "well, as i was saying, i remember the first time, about three, four years ago--" "if old pete was down there i bet his brother-in-law did most of the knifework," put in buck devine firmly. it was to be seen that they all knew what sandy remembered the first time and wished not to hear it again. others of them now sought to stifle the memoir, while sandy waited doggedly for the tide to ebb. i gathered that our pete had not been one of the restive convives, he being known to have spent a quiet home evening with his mahala and their numerous descendants, in their camp back of the wood lot; i also gathered that pete's brother-in-law had committed no crime since pete quit drinking two years before. there was veiled mystery in these allusions to the brother-in-law of pete. it was almost plain that the brother-in-law was a lawless person for whose offenses pete had more than once been unjustly blamed. i awaited details; but meantime-- "well, as i was saying, i remember the first time, about three, four years ago--" sandy had again dodged through a breach in the talk, quite as if nothing had happened. buck devine groaned as if in unbearable anguish. the others also groaned as if in unbearable anguish. only the veterinary and i were polite. "oh, let him get it offen his chest," urged buck wearily. "he'll perish if he don't--having two men here that never heard him tell it." he turned upon the raconteur, with a large sweetness of manner: "excuse me, mr. sawtelle! pray do go on with your thrilling reminiscence. i could just die listening to you. i believe you was wishing to entertain the company with one of them anecdotes or lies of which you have so rich a store in that there peaked dome of yours. gents, a moment's silence while this rare personality unfolds hisself to us!" "say, lemme tell you--here's a good one!" resumed the still placid sandy. "i remember the first time, about three, four years ago, i ever went into the swede's. a stranger goes in just ahead of me and gets to the bar before i do, kind of a solemn-looking, sandy-complected little runt in black clothes. "'a little of your best cooking whiskey,' says he to the swede, while i'm waiting beside him for my own drink. "the swede sets out the bottle and glass and a whisk broom on the bar. that was sure a new combination on me. 'why the whisk broom?' i says to myself. 'i been in lots of swell dives and never see no whisk broom served with a drink before.' so i watch. well, this sad-looking sot pours out his liquor, shoots it into him with one tip of the glass; and, like he'd been shot, he falls flat on the floor, all bent up in a convulsion--yes, sir; just like that! and the swede not even looking over the bar at him! "in a minute he comes out of this here fit, gets on his feet and up to the bar, grabs the whisk broom, brushes the dust off his clothes where he's rolled on the floor, puts back the whisk broom, says, 'so long, ed!' to the swede--and goes out in a very businesslike manner. "then the swede shoves the bottle and a glass and the whisk broom over in front of me, but i says: 'no, thanks! i just come in to pass the time of day. lovely weather we're having, ain't it?' yes, sir; down he goes like he's shot, wriggles a minute, jumps up, dusts hisself off, flies out the door; and the swede passing me the same bottle and the same broom, and me saying: 'oh, i just come in to pass the time of--'" the veterinary and i had been gravely attentive. the faces of the others wore not even the tribute of pretended ennui. they had betrayed an elaborate deafness. they now affected to believe that sandy sawtelle had not related an anecdote. they spoke casually and with an effect of polished ease while yet here capitulated, as tale-tellers so often will. "i remember a kid, name of henry lippincott, used to set in front of me at school," began buck devine, with the air of delicately breaking a long silence; "he'd wiggle his ears and get me to laughing out loud, and then i'd be called up for it by teacher and like as not kept in at recess." "you ought to seen that bunch of tame alligators down to the san francisco fair," observed squat genially. "the old boy that had 'em says 'oh, yes, they would make fine pets, and don't i want a couple for ten dollars to take home to the little ones?' but i don't. you come right down to household pets--i ruther have me a white rabbit or a canary bird than an alligator you could step on in the dark some night and get all bit up, and mebbe blood poison set in." "i recollect same as if it was yesterday," began uncle abner quickly. "we was coming up through northern arizona one fall, with a bunch of longhorns and we make this here water hole about four p.m.--or mebbe a mite after that or a little before; but, anyway, i says to jeff bradley, 'jeff,' i says to him, 'it looks to me almighty like--'" sandy sawtelle savagely demanded a cup of coffee, gulped it heroically, rose in a virtuous hurry, and at the door wondered loudly if he was leaving a bunch of rich millionaires that had nothing to do but loaf in their club all the afternoon and lie their heads off, or just a passell of lazy no-good cowhands that laid down on the job the minute the boss stepped off the place. whereupon, it being felt that the rabid anecdotist had been sufficiently rebuked, we all went out to help the veterinary look at adolph for twenty minutes more. adolph is four years old and weighs one ton. he has a frowning and fearsome front and the spirit of a friendly puppy. the arrowhead force loafed about in the corral and imparted of its own lore to the veterinary while he took adolph's temperature. then adolph, after nosing three of the men to have his head rubbed, went to stand in the rush-grown pool at the far end of the corral, which the gallery took to mean that he still had a bit of fever, no matter what the glass thing said. the veterinary opposed a masterly silence to this majority diagnosis, and in the absence of argument about it there seemed nothing left for the arrowhead retainers but the toil for which they were paid. they went to it lingeringly, one by one, seeming to feel that perhaps they wronged the ailing adolph by not staying there to talk him over. uncle abner, who is the arrowhead blacksmith, was the last to leave--or think of leaving--though he had mule shoes to shape and many mules to shoe. he glanced wistfully again at adolph, in cool water to his knees, tugged at his yellowish-white beard, said it was a dog's life, if any one should ask me, and was about to slump mournfully off to his shop--when his eye suddenly brightened. "will you look once at that poor degraded red heathen, acting like a whirlwind over in the woodlot?" i looked once. pete, our indian, was apparently the sole being on the ranch at that moment who was honestly earning his wage. no one knows how many more than eighty years pete has lived; but from where we stood he was the figure of puissant youth, rhythmically flashing his axe into bits of wood that flew apart at its touch. uncle abner, beside me, had again shrugged off the dread incubus of duty. he let himself go restfully against the corral bars and chuckled a note of harsh derision. "ain't it disgusting! i bet he never saw the boss when she rode off this a.m. yes, sir; that poor benighted pagan must think she's still in the house--prob'ly watching him out of the east winder this very minute." "what's this about his brother-in-law?" i asked. "oh, i dunno; some silly game he tries to come the roots over folks with. say, he's a regular old murderer, and not an honest hair in his head! look at the old cheat letting on to be a good steady worker because he thinks the boss is in the house there, keeping an eye on him. ain't it downright disgusting!" uncle abner said this as one supremely conscious of his own virtue. he himself was descending to no foul pretense. "a murderer, is he?" i opened my cigarette case to the man of probity. he took two, crumpled the tobacco from the papers and stuffed it into his calabash pipe. "sure is he a murderer! a tough one, too." the speaker moved round a corner of the barn and relaxed to a sitting posture on the platform of the pump. it brought him into the sun; but it also brought him where he could see far down the road upon which his returning employer would eventually appear. his eyes ever haunted the far vistas of that road; otherwise he remained blissfully static. it should perhaps be frankly admitted that uncle abner is not the blacksmith of song and story and lithographed art treasure, suitable for framing. that i have never beheld this traditional smith--the rugged, upstanding tower of brawn with muscles like iron bands--is beside the point. i have not looked upon all the blacksmiths in the world, and he may exist. but uncle abner can't pose for him. he weighs a hundred and twenty pounds without his hammer, is lean to scrawniness, and his arms are those of the boys you see at the track meet of lincoln grammar school number seven. the mutilated derby hat he now wore, a hat that had been weathered from plum colour to a poisonous green--a shred of peacock feather stuck in the band--lent his face no dignity whatever. in truth, his was not an easy face to lend dignity to. it would still look foolish, no matter what was lent it. he has a smug fringe of white curls about the back and sides of his head, the beard of a prophet, and the ready speech of a town bore. the blacksmith we read of can look the whole world in the face, fears not any man, and would far rather do honest smithing any day in the week--except sunday--than live the life of sinful ease that uncle abner was leading for the moment. uncle abner may have feared no man; but he feared a woman. it was easy to see this as he chatted the golden hours away to me. his pale eyes seldom left the road where it came over a distant hill. when the woman did arrive--oh, surely the merry clang of the hammer on the anvil would be heard in abner's shop, where he led a dog's life. but, for a time at least-- "so he's one of these tough murderers, is he?" "you said it! always a-creating of disturbances up on the reservation, where he rightly belongs. mebbe that's why they let him go off. anyway, he never stays there. even in his young days they tell me he wouldn't stay put. he'd disappear for a month and always come back with a new wife. talk about your mormons! one time they sent out a new agent to the reservation, and he hears talk back and forth of pete philandering thisaway; and he had his orders from the gov'ment at washington, d.c., to stamp out this here poly-gamy--or whatever you call it; so he orders pete up on the carpet and says to him: 'look here now, pete! you got a regular wife, ain't you?' pete says sure he has; and how could he say anything else--the old liar! 'well,' says mr. agent, 'i want you to get this one regular wife of yours and lead a decent, orderly home life with her; and don't let me hear no more scandalous reports about your goings on.' "pete says all right; but he allows he'll have to have help in getting her back home, because she's got kind of antagonistic and left him. the agent says he'll put a stop to that if pete'll just point her out. so they ride down about a mile from the agency to a shack where they's a young squaw out in front graining a deerhide and minding her own business. she looked up when they come and started to jaw pete something fierce; but the agent tells her the gov'ment frowns on wives running off, and pete grabbed her; and the agent he helps, with her screeching and biting and clawing like a female demon. the agent is going to see that pete has his rights, even if it don't seem like a joyous household; and finally they get her scrambled onto pete's horse in front of him and off they go up the trail. the agent yells after 'em that pete is to remember that this is his regular wife and he'd better behave himself from now on. "and then about sunup next morning this agent is woke up by a pounding on his door. he goes down and here's pete clawed to a frazzle and whimpering for the law's protection because his squaw has chased him over the reservation all night trying to kill him. she'd near done it, too. they say old pete was so scared the agent had to soothe him like a mother." uncle abner paused to relight his pipe, meantime negotiating a doubly vigilant survey of the distant road. but i considered that he had told me nothing to the discredit of pete, and now said as much. "you couldn't blame the man for wanting his wife back, could you?" i demanded. "of course he might have been more tactful." "tactful's the word," agreed uncle abner cordially. "you see, this wasn't pete's wife at all. she was just a young squaw he'd took a fancy to." "oh!" nothing else seemed quite so fitting to say. "'nother time," resumed the honest blacksmith, "the gov'ment at washington, d.c., sent out orders for all the injun kids to be sent off to school. lots of the fathers made trouble about this, but pete was the worst of all--the old scoundrel! the agent said to him would pete send his kids peaceful; and pete said not by no means. so the agent says in that case they'll have to take 'em by force. pete says he'll be right there a-plenty when they're took by force. so next day the agent and his helper go down to pete's tepee. it's pitched up on a bank just off the road and they's a low barrier of brush acrost the front of it. they look close at this and see the muzzle of a rifle peeking down at 'em; also, they can hear little scramblings and squealings of about a dozen or fourteen kids in the tepee that was likely nestled up round the old murderer like a bunch of young quail. "well, they was something kind of cold and cheerless about the muzzle of this rifle poked through the brush at 'em; so the agent starts in and makes a regular agent speech to pete. he says the great white father at washington, d.c., has wished his children to be give an english education and learnt to write a good business hand, and all like that; and read books, and so on; and the great white father will be peeved if pete takes it in this rough way. and the agent is disappointed in him, too, and will never again think the same of his old friend, and why can't he be nice and submit to the decencies of civilization--and so on--a lot of guff like that; but all the time he talks this here rifle is pointing right into his chest, so you can bet he don't make no false motions. "at last, when he's told pete all the reasons he can think up and guesses mebbe he's got the old boy going, he winds up by saying: 'and now what shall i tell the great white father at washington you say to his kind words?' old pete, still not moving the rifle a hair's breadth, he calls out: 'you tell the great white father at washington to go to hell!' yes, sir; just like that he says it; and i guess that shows you what kind of a murderer he is. and what i allus say is, 'what's the use of spending us taxpayers' good money trying to educate trash like that, when they ain't got no sense of decency in the first place, and the minute they learn to talk english they begin to curse and swear as bad as a white man? they got no wish to improve their condition, which is what i allus have said and what i allus will say. "anyway, this agent didn't waste no more time on pete's brats. he come right away from there, though telling his helper it was a great pity they couldn't have got a good look into the tepee, because then they'd have known for the first time just what kids round there pete really considered his. of course he hadn't felt he should lay down his life in the interests of this trifling information, and i don't blame him one bit. i wouldn't have done it myself. you can't tell me a reservation with pete on it would be any nice place. look at the old crook now, still lamming that axe round to beat the cars because he thinks he's being watched! i bet he'll be mad down to his moccasins when he finds out the old lady's been off all day." uncle abner yawned and stretched his sun-baked form with weary rectitude. then he looked with pleased dismay into the face of his silver watch. "now, i snum! here she's two-thirty! don't it beat all how time flits by, as it were, when you meet a good conversationalist and get started on various topics! well, i guess like as not i better amble along over toward the little shop and see if they ain't some little thing to be puttered at round there. yes, sir; all play and no work makes jack a dull boy, as the saying is." the honest fellow achieved a few faltering paces in the general direction of his shop. then he turned brightly. "a joke's a joke, all right; but, after all, i hate to see old pete working hisself into the grave that way, even if he ain't a regular human being. suppose you loaf over there and put him wise that the madam's been off the place since sunup. the laugh's on him enough already." which showed that uncle abner had not really a bad heart. and i did even as he had said. * * * * * pete was instantly stilled by my brief but informing speech. he leaned upon his axe and gazed at me with shocked wonder. the face of the american indian is said to be unrevealing--to be a stoic mask under which his emotions are ever hidden. for a second time this day i found tradition at fault. pete's face was lively and eloquent under his shock of dead-black hair--dead black but for half a dozen gray or grayish strands, for pete's eighty years have told upon him, even if he is not yet sufficiently gray at the temples to be a hero in a magazine costing over fifteen cents. his face is a richly burnished mahogany and tells little of his years until he smiles; then from brow to pointed chin it cracks into a million tiny wrinkles, an intricate network of them framing his little black eyes, which are lashless, and radiating from the small mouth to the high cheek bones of his race. his look as he eyed me became utter consternation; then humour slowly lightened the little eyes. he lifted the eyes straight into the glare of the undimmed sun; nor did they blink as they noted the hour. "my good gosh!" he muttered; then stalked slowly round the pile of stove wood that had been spreading since morning. he seemed aggrieved--yet humorously aggrieved--as he noted its noble dimensions. he cast away the axe and retrieved some outflung sticks, which he cunningly adjusted to the main pile to make it appear still larger to the casual eye. "my good gosh!" he muttered again. "my old mahala she tell me old lady pettengill go off early this morning; but i think she make one big mistake. now what you know about that?" he smiled winningly now and became a very old man indeed, the smile lighting the myriad minute wrinkles that instantly came to life. again he ruefully surveyed the morning's work. "i think that caps the climax," said he, and grimanced humorous dismay for the entertainment of us both. i opened my cigarette case to him. like his late critic, pete availed himself of two, though he had not the excuse of a pipe to be filled. one he coyly tucked above his left ear and one he lighted. then he sat gracefully back upon his heels and drew smoke into his innermost recesses, a shrunken little figure of a man in a calico shirt of gay stripes, faded blue overalls, and shoes that were remarkable as ruins. with a pointed chip in the slender fingers of one lean brown hand--a narrow hand of quite feminine delicacy--he cleared the ground of other chips and drew small figures in the earth. "some of your people cut up in a fight down at kulanche last night," i remarked after a moment of courteous waiting. "mebbe," said pete, noncommittal. "were you down there?" "i never kill a man with a knife," said pete; "that ain't my belief." he left an opening that tempted, but i thought it wise to ignore that for the moment. "you an old man, pete?" "mebbe." "how old?" "oh, so-so." "you remember a long time ago--how long?" he drew a square in his cleared patch of earth, subdivided it into little squares, and dotted each of these in the centre before he spoke. "when modocs have big soldier fight." "you a modoc?" "b'lieve me!" "when captain jack fought the soldiers over in the lava beds?" "some fight--b'lieve me!" said pete, erasing his square and starting a circle. "you fight, too?" "too small; i do little odd jobs--when big injin kill soldier i skin um head." i begged for further items, but pete seemed to feel that he had been already verbose. he dismissed the historic action with a wise saying: "killing soldiers all right; but it don't settle nothing." he drew a triangle. indelicately then i pried into his spiritual life. "you a christian, pete?" "injin-christian," he amended--as one would say "progressive-republican." "believe in god?" "two." this was a guarded admission; i caught his side glance. "which ones?" i asked it cordially; and pete smiled as one who detects a brother liberal in theology. "injin god; christian god. injin god go like this--" he brushed out his latest figure and drew a straight line a foot long. and christian god go so--he drew a second straight line perpendicular to the first. i was made to see the line of his own god extending over the earth some fifty feet above its surface, while the line of the christian god went straight and endlessly into the heavens. "injin god stay close--christian god go straight up. whoosh!" he looked toward the zenith to indicate the vanishing line. "i think mebbe both o.k. you think both o.k.?" "mebbe," i said. pete retraced the horizontal line of his own god and the perpendicular line of the other. "funny business," said he tolerantly. "funny business," i echoed. and then--the moment seeming ripe for intimate personal research: "pete, how about that brother-in-law of yours? is he a one-god christian or a two-god, like you?" he hurriedly brushed out his lines, flashed me one of his uneasy side glances, and seemed not to have heard my question. he sprang lightly from his heels, affected to scan a murky cloud-bank to the south, ignited his second cigarette from the first, and seemed relieved by the actual diversion of laura, his present lawful consort, now plodding along the road just outside the fence. laura is ponderous and billowy, and her moonlike face of rusty bronze is lined to show that she, too, has gone down a little into the vale of years. she was swathed in many skirts, her shoulders enveloped by a neutral-tinted shawl, and upon her head was a modist toque of light straw, garlanded with pink roses. this may have been her hunt constume, for the carcasses of two slain rabbits swung jauntily from her girdle. she undulated by us with no sign. pete's glistening little eyes lingered in appraisal upon her noble rotundities and her dangling quarry. then, with a graceful flourish of the new cigarette, he paid tribute to the ancient fair. "that old mahala of mine, she not able to chew much now; but she's some swell chicken--b'lieve me!" i persisted in the impertinence he had sought to turn. "how about this brother-in-law of yours, pete?" again he was deaf. he picked up his axe, appearing to weigh the resumption of his task against a reply to this straight question. he must have found the alternative too dreadful; he leaned upon the axe, thus winning something of the dignity of labour, with none of its pains, and grudgingly asked: "mebbe some liars tell you in conversation about that old b'other-in-law?" "of course! many nice people tell me every day. they tell me all about him. i rather hear you tell me. is he a christian?" "he's one son-of-gun, pure and simple--that old feller. he caps the climax." "yes; i know all about that. he's a bad man. i hear everything about him. now you tell me again. you can tell better than liars." "one genuine son-of-gun!" persisted pete, shrewdly keeping to general terms. "oh, very well!" i rose from the log i was sitting on, yawning my indifference. "i know everything he ever did. other people tell me all the time." i moved off a few steps under the watchful side glance. it worked. one of pete's slim, womanish hands fluttered up in a movement of arrest. "those liars tell you about one time he shoot white man off horse going by?" "certainly!" "that white man still have smallpox to give all injins he travel to; so they go 'n' vote who kill him off quick, and my b'other-in-law he win it." i tried to look as if this were a bit of stale gossip. "then whites raise hell to say pete he do same. what you know about that? my old b'other-in-law send word he do same--twenty, fifty injin witness tell he said so--and now he gon' hide far off. dep'ty sheriff can't find him. that son-of-gun come back next year, raise big fight over one span mules with injin named walter that steal my mules out of pasture; and walter not get well from it--so whites say yes, old pete done that same killing scrape to have his mules again; plain as the nose on the face old pete do same. but i catch plenty injin witness see my b'other-in-law do same, and i think they can't catch him another time once more, because they look in all places he ain't. i think plenty too much trouble he make all time for me--perform something not nice and get found out about it; and all people say, oh, yes--that old pete he's at tricks again; he better get sent to walla walla, learn some good trade in prison for eighteen years. that b'other-in-law cap the climax! he know all good place to hide from dep'ty sheriff, so not be found when badly wanted--the son-of-gun!" pete's face now told that, despite the proper loathing inspired by his misdeeds, this brother-in-law compelled a certain horrid admiration for his gift of elusiveness. "what's your brother-in-law's name?" pete deliberated gravely. "in my opinion his name edward; mebbe sam, mebbe charlie; i think more it's albert." "well, what about that next time he broke out?" "whoosh! damn no-good squaw man get all injins drunk on whiskey; then play poker with four aces. 'what you got? no good--four aces--hard luck--deal 'em up!'" pete's flexible wrists here flashed in pantomime. "pretty soon injin got no mules, no blanket, no spring wagon, no gun, no new boots, no nine dollars my old mahala gets paid for three bushel wild plums from old lady pettengill to make canned goods of--only got one big sick head from all night; see four aces, four kings, four jacks. 'what you got, pete? no good. full house here. hard luck--my deal. have another drink, old top!'" "well, what did your brother-in-law do when he heard about this?" "something!" "shoot?" "naw; got no gun left. choke him on the neck--i think this way." the supple hands of pete here clutched his corded throat, fingertips meeting at the back, and two potent thumbs uniting in a sinister pressure upon his adam's apple. to further enlarge my understanding he contorted his face unprettily. from rolling eyes and outthrust tongue it was apparent that the squaw man had survived long enough to regret the inveteracy of his good luck at cards. "then what?" "man tell you before?" he eyed me with frank suspicion. "certainly; you tell, too!" "that b'other-in-law he win everything back this poor squaw man don't need no more, and son-of-gun beat it quick; so all liars say old pete turn that trick, but can't prove same, because my b'other-in-law do same in solitude. and old judge say: 'oh, well, can't prove same in courthouse, and only good squaw man is dead squaw man; so what-the-bad-place!' i think mebbe." "go on; what about that next time?" "you know already," said pete firmly. "you tell, too." he pondered this, his keen little eyes searching my face as he pensively fondled the axe. "you know about this time that son-of-gun go 'n' kill a bright lawyer in red gap? i think that cap the climax!" "certainly, i know!" this with bored impatience. "i think, then, you tell me." his seamed face was radiant with cunning. "what's the use? you know it already." he countered swiftly: "what's use i tell you--you know already." i yawned again flagrantly. "now you tell in your own way how this trouble first begin," persisted pete rather astonishingly. he seemed to quote from memory. once more i yawned, turning coldly away. "you tell in your own words," he was again gently urging; but on the instant his axe began to rain blows upon the log at his feet. sounds of honest toil were once more to be heard in the wood lot; and, though i could not hear the other, i surmised that the sledge of uncle abner now rang merrily upon his anvil. both he and pete had doubtless noted at the same moment the approach of mrs. lysander john pettengill, who was spurring her jaded roan up the long rise from the creek bottom. * * * * * my stalwart hostess, entirely masculine to the eye from a little distance, strode up from the corral, waved a quirt at me in greeting, indicated by another gesture that she was dusty and tired, and vanished briskly within the ranch house. half an hour later she joined me in the living-room, where i had trifled with ancient magazines and stock journals on the big table. laced boots, riding breeches, and army shirt had gone for a polychrome and trailing tea gown, black satin slippers, flashing rhinestone rosettes, and silk stockings of a sinful scarlet. she wore a lace boudoir cap, plenteously beribboned, and her sunburned nose had been lavishly powdered. she looked now merely like an indulged matron whose most poignant worry would be a sick pomeranian or overnight losses at bridge. she wished to know whether i would have tea with her. i would. tea consisted of bottled beer from the spring house, half a ham, and a loaf of bread. it should be said that her behaviour toward these dainties, when they had been assembled, made her seem much less the worn social leader. there was practically no talk for ten active minutes. a high-geared camera would have caught everything of value in the scene. it was only as i decanted a second bottle of beer for the woman that she seemed to regain consciousness of her surroundings. the spirit of her first attack upon the food had waned. she did fashion another sandwich of a rugged pattern, but there was a hint of the dilettante in her work. and now she spoke. her gaze upon the magazines of yesteryear massed at the lower end of the table, she declared they must all be scrapped, because they too painfully reminded her of a dentist's waiting-room. she wondered if there mustn't be a law against a dentist having in his possession a magazine less than ten years old. she suspected as much. "there i'll be sitting in doc martingale's office waiting for him to kill me by inches, and i pick up a magazine to get my mind off my fate and find i'm reading a timely article, with illustrations, about cervera's fleet being bottled up in the harbour of santiago. i bet he's got godey's lady's book for round there, if you looked for it." now a brief interlude for the ingestion of malt liquor, followed by a pained recital of certain complications of the morning. "that darned one-horse post-office down to kulanche! what do you think? i wanted to send a postal card to the north american cleaning and dye works, at red gap, for some stuff they been holding out on me a month, and that office didn't have a single card in stock--nothing but some of these fancy ones in a rack over on the grocery counter; horrible things with pictures of brides and grooms on 'em in coloured costumes, with sickening smiles on their faces, and others with wedding bells ringing out or two doves swinging in a wreath of flowers--all of 'em having mushy messages underneath; and me having to send this card to the north american cleaning and dye works, which is run by otto birdsall, a smirking old widower, that uses hair oil and perfumery, and imagines every woman in town is mad about him. "the mildest card i could find was covered with red and purple cauliflowers or something, and it said in silver print: 'with fondest remembrance!' think of that going through the red gap post-office to be read by old mis' terwilliger, that some say will even open letters that look interesting--to say nothing of its going to this fresh old otto birdsall, that tried to hold my hand once not so many years ago. "you bet i made the written part strong enough not to give him or any other party a wrong notion of my sentiments toward him. at that, i guess otto wouldn't make any mistake since the time i give him hell last summer for putting my evening gowns in his show window every time he'd clean one, just to show off his work. it looked so kind of indelicate seeing an empty dress hung up there that every soul in town knew belonged to me. "what's that? oh, i wrote on the card that if this stuff of mine don't come up on the next stage i'll be right down there, and when i'm through handling him he'll be able to say truthfully that he ain't got a gray hair in his head. i guess otto will know my intentions are honest, in spite of that 'fondest remembrance.' "then, on top of that, i had a run-in with the swede for selling his rotten whiskey to them poor injin boys that had a fight last night after they got tight on it. the swede laughs and says nobody can prove he sold 'em a drop, and i says that's probably true. i says it's always hard to prove things. 'for instance,' i says, 'if they's another drop of liquor sold to an injin during this haying time, and a couple or three nights after that your nasty dump here is set fire to in six places, and some cowardly assassin out in the brush picks you off with a rifle when you rush out--it will be mighty hard to prove that anybody did that, too; and you not caring whether it's proved or not, for that matter. [illustration: "the swede bristles up and says: 'that sounds like fighting talk!' i says: 'your hearing is perfect.'"] "'in fact,' i says, 'i don't suppose anybody would take the trouble to prove it, even if it could be easy proved. you'd note a singular lack of public interest in it--if you was spared to us. i guess about as far as an investigation would ever get--the coroner's jury would say it was the work of pete's brother-in-law; and you know what that would mean.' the swede bristles up and says: 'that sounds like fighting talk!' i says: 'your hearing is perfect.' i left him thinking hard." "pete's brother-in-law? that reminds me," i said. "pete was telling me about him just--i mean during his lunch hour; but he had to go to work again just at the beginning of something that sounded good--about the time he was going to kill a bright lawyer. what was that?" the glass was drained and ma pettengill eyed the inconsiderable remains of the ham with something like repugnance. she averted her face from it, lay back in the armchair she had chosen, and rolled a cigarette, while i brought a hassock for the jewelled slippers and the scarlet silken ankles, so ill-befitting one of her age. the cigarette was presently burning. "i guess pete's b'other-in-law, as he calls him, won't come into these parts again. he had a kind of narrow squeak this last time. pete done something pretty raw, even for this liberal-minded community. he got scared about it himself and left the country for a couple of months--looking for his brother-in-law, he said. he beat it up north and got in with a bunch of other injins that was being took down to new york city to advertise a railroad, pete looking like what folks think an injin ought to look when he's dressed for the part. but he got homesick; and, anyway, he didn't like the job. "this passenger agent that took 'em east put 'em up at one of the big hotels all right, but he subjects 'em to hardships they ain't used to. he wouldn't let 'em talk much english, except to say, 'ugh! ugh!'--like injins are supposed to--with a few remarks about the great spirit; and not only that, but he makes 'em wear blankets and paint their faces--an injin without paint and blanket and some beadwork seeming to a general passenger agent like a state capitol without a dome. and on top of these outrages he puts it up with the press agent of this big hotel to have the poor things sleep up on the roof, right in the open air, so them jay new york newspapers would fall for it and print articles about these hardy sons of the forest, the last of a vanishing race, being stifled by walls--with the names of the railroad and the hotel coming out good and strong all through the piece. "three of the poor things got pneumonia, not being used to such exposure; and pete himself took a bad cold, and got mad and quit the job. they find him a couple of days later, in a check suit and white shoes and a golf cap, playing pool in a saloon over on eighth avenue, and ship him back as a disgrace to the far west and a great common carrier. "he got in here one night, me being his best friend, and we talked it over. i advised him to go down and give himself up and have it over; and he agreed, and went down to red gap the next day in his new clothes and knocked at the jail door. he made a long talk about how his brother-in-law was the man that really done it, and he's been searching for him clear over to the rising sun, but can't find him; so he's come to give himself up, even if they ain't got the least grounds to suspect him--and can he have his trial for murder over that afternoon, so he can come back up here the next day and go to work? "they locked him up and judge ballard appointed j. waldo snyder to defend him. he was a new young lawyer from the east that had just come to red gap, highly ambitious and full of devices for showing that parties couldn't have been in their right mind when they committed the deed--see the state against jamstucker, new york reports number , pages to inclusive. "oh, he told me all about it up in his office one day--how he was going to get pete off. ain't lawyers the goods, though! and doctors? this j.w. snyder had a doctor ready to swear that pete was nutty when he fired the shot, even if not before nor after. when i was a kid at school, back in fredonia, new york state, we used to have debates about which does the most harm--fire or water? nowadays i bet they'd have: which does the most harm--doctors or lawyers? well, anyway, there pete was in jail--" "please tell in your own simple words just how this trouble began," i broke in. "what did pete fire the shot for and who stopped it? now then!" "what! don't you know about that? well, well! so you never heard about pete sending this medicine man over the one-way trail? i'll have to tell you, then. it was three years ago. pete was camped about nine miles the other side of kulanche, on the corporation ranch, and his little year-old boy was took badly sick. i never did know with what. diphtheria, i guess. and i got to tell you pete is crazy about babies. always has been. thirty years ago, when my own baby hadn't been but a few weeks born, lysander john had to be in red gap with a smashed leg and arm, and i was here alone with pete for two months of one winter. say, he was better than any trained nurse with both of us, even if my papoose was only a girl one! folks used to wonder afterward if i hadn't been afraid with just pete round. good lands! if they'd ever seen him cuddle that mite and sing songs to it in injin about the rain and the grass! anyway, i got to know pete so well that winter i never blamed him much for what come off. "well, this yearling of his got bad and pete was in two minds. he believed in white doctors with his good sense, but he believed in injin doctors with his superstition, which was older. so he tried to have one of each. there was an old rogue of a medicine man round here then from the reservation up north. he'd been doing a little work at haying on the corporation, but he was getting his main graft selling the injins charms and making spells over their sick; a crafty old crook playing on their ignorance--understand? and pete, having got the white doctor from kulanche, thought he'd cinch matters by getting the medicine man, too. at that, i guess one would of been about as useful as the other, the kulanche doctor knowing more about anthrax and blackleg than he did about sick injin babies. "the medicine man sees right off how scared pete is for his kid and thinks here's a chance to make some big money. he looks at the little patient and says yes, he can cure him, sure; but it'll be a hard job and he can't undertake it unless pete comes through with forty dollars and his span of mules. but pete ain't got forty dollars or forty cents, and the kulanche doctor has got to the mules already, having a lien on 'em for twenty-five. "pete hurried over and put the proposition up to me. he says his little chief is badly sick and he's got a fine white doctor, but will i stake him to enough to get this fine injin doctor?--thus making a cure certain. well, i tore into the old fool for wanting to let this depraved old medicine man tamper with his baby, and i warned him the kulanche doctor probably wasn't much better. then i tell him he's to send down for the best doctor in red gap at my expense and keep him with the child till it's well. i tell him he can have the whole ranch if it would cure his child, but not one cent for the injin. "well, the poor boy is about half convinced i'm right, but he's been an injin too long to believe it all through. he went off and sent for the red gap doctor, but he can't resist making another try for the injin one; and that old scoundrel holds out for his price. pete wants him to wait for his pay till haying is over; but he won't because he thinks pete can get the money from me now if he really has to have it. pete must of been crazy for fair about that time. "'all right,' says he; 'you can cure my little chief?' "the crook says he can if the money is in his hand. "'all right,' says pete again; 'but if my little chief dies something bad is going to happen to you.' "that's about all they ever found out concerning this threat of pete's, though another injin who heard it said that pete said his brother-in-law would make the trouble--not pete himself. which was likely true enough. "pete's little chief died the night the red gap doctor got up here. ten minutes later this medicine man had hitched up his team, loaded his plunder into a wagon, and was pouring leather into his horses to get back home quick. he knew pete never talks just to hear himself talk. they found him about thirty miles on his way--slumped down in the wagon bed, his team hitched by the roadside. there had been just one careful shot. as he hadn't been robbed--he had over" a hundred dollars in gold on him--it pointed a mite too strong at pete after his threat. "a deputy sheriff come up. pete said his brother-in-law had been hanging round lately and had talked very dangerous about the medicine man. he said the brother-in-law had probably done the job. but pete had pulled this too often before when in difficulties. the deputy said he'd better come along down to red gap and tell the district attorney about it. pete said all right and crawled into his tepee for his coat and hat--crawled right on out the back and into the brush while the deputy rolled a cigarette. "that was when he joined this bunch of noble redmen to advertise the vanishing romance of the great west--being helped out of the country, i shouldn't wonder, by some lawless old hound that had feelings for him and showed it when he come along in the night to the ranch where he'd nursed her and her baby. they looked for him a little while, then dropped it; in fact, everybody was kind of glad he'd got off and kind of satisfied that he'd put this bad injin, with his skull-duggery, over the big jump. "then he got homesick, like i told you, and showed up here at the door; and i saw it was better for him to give himself up and get out of it by fair and legal means. now! you got it straight that far?" i nodded. "so pete took my advice, and a couple days later i hurried down to red gap and had a talk with judge ballard and the district attorney. the judge said it had been embarrassing to justice to have my old injin walk in on 'em, because every one knew he was guilty. why couldn't he of stayed up here where the keen-eyed officers of the law could of pretended not to know he was? and the old fool was only making things worse with his everlasting chatter about his brother-in-law, every one knowing there wasn't such a person in existence--old pete having had dozens of every kind of relation in the world but a brother-in-law. but they're going to have this bright young lawyer defend him, and they have hopes. "then i talked some. i said it was true that everybody knew pete bumped off this old crook that had it coming to him, but they could never prove it, because pete had come to my place and set up with me all night, when i had lumbago or something, the very night this crime was done thirty-odd miles distant by some person or persons unknown--except it could be known they had good taste about who needed killing. "at this judge ballard jumps up and calls me an old liar and shook hands warmly with me; and cale jordan, that was district attorney then, says if mrs. pettengill will give him her word of honour to go on the witness stand and perjure herself to this effect then he don't see no use of even putting kulanche county, state of washington, to the expense of a trial, the said county already being deep in the hole for its new courthouse--but for mercy's sake to stop the old idiot babbling about his brother-in-law, that every one knows he never had one, because such a joke is too great an affront to the dignity of the law in such cases made and provided--to wit: tell the old fool to say nothing except 'no, he never done it.' and he shakes hands with me, too, and says he'll have an important talk with myron bughalter, the sheriff. "i says that's the best way out of it, being myself a heavy taxpayer; and i go see this snyder lawyer, and then over to the jail and get into pete's cell, where he's having a high old time with a sack of peppermint candy and a copy of the scientific american. i tell him to cut out the brother-in-law stuff and just say 'no' to any question whatever. he said he would, and i went off home to rest up after my hard ride. "judge ballard calls that night and says everything is fixed. no use putting the county to the expense of a trial when pete has such a classy perjured alibi as i would give him. myron bughalter is to go out of the jail in a careless manner at nine-thirty that night, leaving all cells unlocked and the door wide open so pete can make his escape without doing any damage to the new building. it seems the only other prisoner is old sing wah, that they're willing to save money on, too. he'd got full of perfumed port and raw gin a few nights before, announced himself as a prize-hatchet man, and started a tong war in the laundry of one of his cousins. but sing was sober now and would stay so until the next new year's; so they was going to let him walk out with pete. the judge said pete would probably be at the arrowhead by sunup, and if he'd behave himself from now on the law would let bygones be bygones. i thanked the judge and went to bed feeling easy about old pete. "but at seven the next morning i'm waked up by the telephone--wanted down to the jail in a hurry. i go there soon as i can get a drink of hot coffee and find that poor myron bughalter is having his troubles. he'd got there at seven, thinking, of course, to find both his prisoners gone; and here in the corridor is pete setting on the chest of sing wah, where he'd been all night, i guess! he tells myron he's a fool sheriff to leave his door wide open that way, because this bad chinaman tried to walk out as soon as he'd gone, and would of done so it pete hadn't jumped him. "it leaves myron plenty embarrassed, but he finally says to pete he can go free, anyway, now, for being such an honest jailbird; and old sing wah can go, too, having been punished enough by pete's handling. sing wah slides out quickly enough at this, promising to send myron a dozen silk handkerchiefs and a pound of tea. but not pete. no, sir! he tells myron he's give himself up to be tried, and he wants that trial and won't budge till he gets it. "then myron telephoned for the judge and the district attorney, and for me. we get there and tell pete to beat it quick. but the old mule isn't going to move one step without that trial. he's fled back to his cell and stands there as dignified as if he was going to lay a cornerstone. he's a grave rebuke to the whole situation, as you might say. then the judge and cale go through some kind of a hocus-pocus talk, winding up with both of them saying 'not guilty!' in a loud voice; and myron says to pete: 'there! you had your trial; now get out of my jail this minute.' "but canny old pete is still balking. he says you can't have a trial except in the courthouse, which is upstairs, and they're trying to cheat a poor old injin. he's talking loud by this time, and judge ballard says, all right, they must humour the poor child of nature. so myron takes pete by the wrist in a firm manner--though pete's insisting he ought to have the silver handcuffs on him--and marches him out the jail door, round to the front marble steps of the new courthouse, up the steps, down the marble hall and into the courtroom, with the judge and cale jordan and me marching behind. "we ain't the whole procession, either. out in front of the jail was about fifteen of pete's friends and relatives, male and female, that had been hanging round for two days waiting to attend his coming-out party. mebbe that's why pete had been so strong for the real courthouse, wanting to give these friends something swell for their trouble. anyway, these injins fall in behind us when we come out and march up into the courtroom, where they set down in great ecstasy. every last one of 'em has a sack of peppermint candy and a bag of popcorn or peanuts, and they all begin to eat busily. the steam heat had been turned on and that hall of justice in three minutes smelt like a cheap orphan asylum on christmas-morning. "then, before they can put up another bluff at giving pete his trial, with judge ballard setting up in his chair with his specs on and looking fierce, who rushes in but this j. waldo person that is pete's lawyer. he's seen the procession from across the street and fears some low-down trick is being played on his defenseless client. "he comes storming down the aisle exclaiming; 'your honour, i protest against this grossly irregular proceeding!' the judge pounds on his desk with his little croquet mallet and myron bughalter tells snyder, out of the corner of his mouth, to shut up. but he won't shut up for some minutes. this is the first case he'd had and he's probably looked forward to a grand speech to the jury that would make 'em all blubber and acquit pete without leaving the box, on the grounds of emotional or erratic insanity--or whatever it is that murderers get let off on when their folks are well fixed. he sputters quite a lot about this monstrous travesty on justice before they can drill the real facts into his head; and even then he keeps coming back to pete's being crazy. "then pete, who hears this view of his case for the first time, begins to glare at his lawyer in a very nasty way and starts to interrupt; so the judge has to knock wood some more to get 'em all quiet. when they do get still--with pete looking blacker than ever at his lawyer--cale jordan says: 'pete, did you do this killing?' pete started to say mebbe his brother-in-law did, but caught himself in time and said 'no!' at the same time starting for j. waldo, that had called him crazy. myron bughalter shoves him back in his chair, and cale jordan says: 'your honour, you have heard the evidence, which is conclusive. i now ask that the prisoner at the bar be released.' judge ballard frowns at pete very stern and says: 'the motion is granted. turn him loose, quick, and get the rest of that smelly bunch out of here and give the place a good airing. i have to hold court here at ten o'clock.' "pete was kind of convinced now that he'd had a sure-enough trial, and his friends had seen the marble walls and red carpet and varnished furniture, and everything; so he consented to be set free--not in any rush, but like he was willing to do 'em a favour. "and all the time he's keeping a bad little eye on j. waldo. the minute he gets down from the stand he makes for him and says what does he mean by saying he was crazy when he done this killing? j. waldo tries to explain that this was his only defense and was going on to tell what an elegant defense it was; but pete gets madder and madder. i guess he'd been called everything in the world before, but never crazy; that's the very worst thing you can tell an injin. "they work out toward the front door; and then i hear pete say: 'you know what? you said i'm crazy. my b'other-in-law's going to make something happen to you in the night.' pete was seeing red by that time. the judge tells myron to hurry and get the room cleared and open some windows. myron didn't have to clear it of j.w. snyder. that bright young lawyer dashed out and was fifty feet ahead of the bunch when they got to the front door. "so pete was a free man once more, without a stain on his character except to them that knew him well. but the old fool had lost me a tenant. yes, sir; this j.w. snyder young man, with the sign hardly dry on the glass door of his office in the pettengill block, had a nervous temperament to start with, and on top of that he'd gone fully into pete's life history and found out that parties his brother-in-law was displeased with didn't thrive long. he packed up his law library that afternoon and left for another town that night. "yes, pete's a wonder! watch him slaving away out there. and he must of been working hard all day, even with me not here to keep tabs on him. just look at the size of that pile of wood he's done up, when he might easy of been loafing on the job!" ix little old new york monday's mail for the arrowhead was brought in by the chinaman while ma pettengill and i loitered to the close of the evening meal: a canvas sack of letters and newspapers with three bulky packages of merchandise that had come by parcels post. the latter evoked a passing storm from my hostess. hadn't she warned folks time and again to send all her stuff by express instead of by parcels post, which would sure get her gunned some day by the stage driver who got nothing extra for hauling such matter? she had so! we trifled now with a fruity desert and the lady regaled me with a brief exposure of our great parcels-post system as a piece of the nerviest penny pinching she had ever known our government guilty of. because why? because these here poor r.f.d. stage drivers had to do the extra hauling for nothing. "here's old harvey steptoe with the mail contract for sixty dollars a month, three trips a week between red gap and surprise valley, forty-five miles each way, barely making enough extra on express matter and local freight to come out even after buying horse-feed. then comes parcels post, and parties that had had to pay him four bits or a dollar for a large package, or two bits for a small one, can have 'em brought in by mail for nothing. of course most of us eased up on him after we understood the hellish injustice of it. we took pains not to have things sent parcels post and when they come unbeknown to us, like these here to-night, we'd always pay him anyway, just like they was express. it was only fair and, besides, we would live longer, harvey steptoe being morose and sudden. "like when old safety first timmins got the idea he could have all his supplies sent from red gap for almost nothing by putting stamps on 'em. he was tickled to death with the notion until, after the second load of about a hundred pounds, some cowardly assassin shot at him from the brush one morning about the time the stage usually went down past his ranch. the charge missed him by about four inches and went into the barn door. he dug it out and found a bullet and two buckshot. old safety first ain't any sherlock holmes, but even doctor watson could of solved this murderous crime. when harvey come by the next night he went out and says to him, 'ain't you got one of them old mississippi yaegers about seventy-five years old that carries a bullet and two buckshot?' harvey thought back earnestly for a minute, then says,'not now i ain't. i used to have one of them old hairlooms around the house but i found they ain't reliable when you want to do fine work from a safe distance; so i threw her away yesterday morning and got me this nice new - down to goshook & dale's hardware store.' "he pulled the new gun out and patted it tenderly in the sight of old timmins. 'ain't it a cunning little implement?' he says; 'i tried it out coming up this afternoon. i could split a hair with it as far, say, as from that clump of buck-brush over to your barn. and by the way, mr. timmins,' he says, 'i got some more stuff for you here from the square deal grocery--stuff all gummed up with postage stamps.' he leans his new toy against the seat and dumps out a sack of flour and a sack of dried fruit and one or two other things. 'this parcels post is a grand thing, ain't it?' says he. "'well--yes and no, now that you speak of it,' says old safety first. 'the fact is i'm kind of prejudiced against it; i ain't going to have things come to me any more all stuck over with them trifling little postage stamps. it don't look dignified.' 'no?' says harvey. 'no,' says safety first in a firm tone. 'i won't ever have another single thing come by mail if i can help it.' 'i bet you're superstitious,' says harvey, climbing back to his seat and petting the new gun again. 'i bet you're so superstitious you'd take this here shiny new implement off my hands at cost if i hinted i'd part with it.' 'i almost believe i would,' says safety first. 'well, it don't seem like i'd have much use for it after all,' says harvey. 'of course i can always get a new one if my fancy happens to run that way again.' "so old safety first buys a new loaded rifle that he ain't got a use on earth for. it would of looked to outsiders like he was throwing his money away on fripperies, but he knew it was a prime necessity of life all right. the parcels post ain't done him a bit of good since, though i send him marked pieces in the papers every now and then telling how the postmaster general thinks it's a great boon to the ultimate consumer. and i mustn't forget to send harvey six bits for them three packages that come to-night. that's what we do. otherwise, him being morose and turbulent, he'd get a new gun and make ultimate consumers out of all of us. darned ultimate! i reckon we got a glorious government, like candidates always tell us, but a postmaster general that expected stage drivers to do three times the hauling they had been doing with no extra pay wouldn't last long out at the tail of an ... route. there'd be pieces in the paper telling about how he rose to prominence from the time he got a lot of delegates sewed up for the people's choice and how his place will be hard to fill. it certainly would be hard to fill out here. old timmins, for one, would turn a deaf ear to his country's call." lew wee having now cleared the table of all but coffee, we lingered for a leisurely overhauling of the mail sack. ma pettengill slit envelopes and read letters to an accompanying rumble of protest. she several times wished to know what certain parties took her for--and they'd be fooled if they did; and now and again she dwelt upon the insoluble mystery of her not being in the poorhouse at that moment; yes, and she'd of been there long ago if she had let these parties run her business like they thought they could. but what could a lone defenceless woman expect? she'd show them, though! been showing 'em for thirty years now, and still had her health, hadn't she? letters and bills were at last neatly stacked and the poor weak woman fell upon the newspapers. the red gap recorder was shorn of its wrapper. being first a woman she turned to the fourth page to flash a practised eye over that department which is headed "life's stages--at the altar--in the cradle!--to the tomb." having gleaned recent vital statistics she turned next to the column carrying the market quotations on beef cattle, for after being a woman she is a rancher. prices for that day must have pleased her immensely for she grudgingly mumbled that they were less ruinous than she had expected. in the elation of which this admission was a sign she next refreshed me with various personal items from a column headed "social gleanings--by madame on dit." i learned that at the last regular meeting of the ladies' friday afternoon shakespeare club, mrs. dr. percy hailey martingale had read a paper entitled "my trip to the panama-pacific exposition," after which a dainty collation was served by mine hostess mrs. judge ballard; that miss beryl mae macomber, the well-known young society heiress, was visiting friends in spokane where rumour hath it that she would take a course of lessons in elocution; and that mrs. cora hartwick wales, prominent society matron and leader of the ultra smart set of price's addition, had on thursday afternoon at her charming new bungalow, corner of bella vista street and prospect avenue, entertained a number of her inmates at tea. ma pettengill and i here quickly agreed that the proofreading on the recorder was not all it should be. then she unctuously read me a longer item from another column which was signed "the lounger in the lobby": "mr. benjamin p. sutton, the wealthy capitalist of nome, alaska, and a prince of good fellows, is again in our midst for his annual visit to his honour alonzo price, red gap's present mayor, of whom he is an old-time friend and associate. mr. sutton, who is the picture of health, brings glowing reports from the north and is firm in his belief that alaska will at no distant day become the garden spot of the world. in the course of a brief interview he confided to ye scribe that on his present trip to the outside he would not again revisit his birthplace, the city of new york, as he did last year. 'once was enough, for many reasons,' said mr. sutton grimly. 'they call it "little old new york," but it isn't little and it isn't old. it's big and it's new--we have older buildings right in nome than any you can find on broadway. since my brief sojourn there last year i have decided that our people before going to new york should see america first." "now what do you think of that?" demanded the lady. i said i would be able to think little of it unless i were told the precise reasons for this rather brutal abuse of a great city. what, indeed, were the "many reasons" that mr. sutton had grimly not confided to ye scribe? ma pettengill chuckled and reread parts of the indictment. thereafter she again chuckled fluently and uttered broken phrases to herself. "horse-car" was one; "the only born new yorker alive" was another. it became necessary for me to remind the woman that a guest was present. i did this by shifting my chair to face the stone fireplace in which a pine chunk glowed, and by coughing in a delicate and expectant manner. "poor ben!" she murmured--"going all the day down there just to get one romantic look at his old home after being gone twenty-five years. i don't blame him for talking rough about the town, nor for his criminal act--stealing a street-car track." it sounded piquant--a noble theft indeed! i now murmured a bit myself, striving to convey an active incredulity that yet might be vanquished by facts. the lady quite ignored this, diverging to her own opinion of new york. she tore the wrapper from a sunday issue of a famous metropolitan daily and flaunted its comic supplement at me. "that's how i always think of new york," said she--"a kind of a comic supplement to the rest of this great country. here--see these two comical little tots standing on their uncle's stomach and chopping his heart out with their axes--after you got the town sized up it's just that funny and horrible. it's like the music i heard that time at a higher concert i was drug to in boston--ingenious but unpleasant." but this was not what i would sit up for after a hard day's fishing--this coarse disparagement of something the poor creature was unfitted to comprehend. "ben sutton," i remarked firmly. * * * * * "the inhabitants of new york are divided fifty-fifty between them that are trying to get what you got and them that think you're trying to get what they got." "ben sutton," i repeated, trying to make it sullen. "ask a man on the street in new york where such and such a building is and he'll edge out of reaching distance, with his hand on his watch, before he tells you he don't know. in denver, or san francisco now, the man will most likely walk a block or two with you just to make sure you get the directions right." "ben sutton!" "they'll fall for raw stuff, though. i know a slick mining promoter from arizona that stops at the biggest hotel on fifth avenue and has himself paged by the boys about twenty times a day so folks will know how important he is. he'll get up from his table in the restaurant and follow the boy out in a way to make 'em think that nine million dollars is at stake. he tells me it helps him a lot in landing the wise ones." "stole a street-car track," i muttered desperately. "the typical new yorker, like they call him, was born in haverhill, massachusetts, and sleeps in new rochelle, going in on the : and coming out on the--" "i had a pretty fight landing that biggest one this afternoon, from that pool under the falls up above the big bend. twice i thought i'd lost him, but he was only hiding--and then i found i'd forgotten my landing net. say, did i ever tell you about the time i was fishing for steel head down in oregon, and the bear--" the lady hereupon raised a hushing hand. * * * * * well, as i was saying, ben sutton blew into town early last september and after shaking hands with his old confederate, lon price, he says how is the good wife and is she at home and lon says no; that pettikins has been up at silver springs resting for a couple weeks; so ben says it's too bad he'll miss the little lady, as in that case he has something good to suggest, which is, what's the matter with him and lon taking a swift hike down to new york which ben ain't seen since , though he was born there, and he'd now like to have a look at the old home in lon's company. lon says it's too bad pettikins ain't there to go along, but if they start at once she wouldn't have time to join them, and ben says he can start near enough at once for that, so hurry and pack the suitcase. lon does it, leaving a delayed telegram to henrietta to be sent after they start, begging her to join them if not too late, which it would be. while they are in louis meyer's place feeling good over this coop, in comes the ever care-free jeff tuttle and jeff says he wouldn't mind going out on rodeo himself with 'em, at least as far as jersey city where he has a dear old aunt living--or she did live there when he was a little boy and was always very nice to him and he ain't done right in not going to see her for thirty years--and if he's that close to the big town he could run over from jersey city for a look--see. lon and ben hail his generous decision with cheers and on the way to another place they meet me, just down from the ranch. and why don't i come along with the bunch? ben has it all fixed in ten seconds, he being one of these talkers that will odd things along till they sound even, and the other two chiming in with him and wanting to buy my ticket right then. but i hesitated some. lon and ben sutton was all right to go with, but jeff tuttle was a different kittle of fish. jeff is a decent man in many respects and seems real refined when you first meet him if it's in some one's parlour, but he ain't one you'd care to follow step by step through the mazes and pitfalls and palmrooms of a great city if you're sensitive to public notice. still, they was all so hearty in their urging, ben saying i was the only lady in the world he could travel that far with and not want to strangle, and lon says he'd rather have me than most of the men he knew, and jeff says if i'll consent to go he'll take his full-dress suit so as to escort me to operas and lectures in a classy manner, and at last i give up. i said i'd horn in on their party since none of 'em seemed hostile. i'd meant to go a little later anyway, for some gowns i needed and some shopping i'd promised to do for lizzie gunslaugh. you got to hand it to new york for shopping. why, i'd as soon buy an evening gown in los angeles as in portland or san francisco. take this same lizzie gunslaugh. she used to make a bare living, with her sign reading "plain and fashionable dressmaking." but i took that girl down to new york twice with me and showed her how and what to buy there, instead of going to spokane for her styles, and to-day she's got a thriving little business with a bully sign that we copied from them in the east --"madame elizabeth, robes et manteaux." yes, sir; new york has at least one real reason for taking up room. that's a thing i always try to get into ben sutton's head, that he'd ought to buy his clothes down there instead of getting 'em from a reckless devil-dare of a tailor up in seattle that will do anything in the world ben tells him to--and he tells him a plenty, believe me. he won't ever wear a dress suit, either, because he says that costume makes all men look alike and he ain't going to stifle his individuality. if you seen ben's figure once you'd know that nothing could make him look like any one else, him being built on the lines of a grain elevator and having individuality no clothes on earth could stifle. he's the very last man on earth that should have coloured braid on his check suits. however! my trunk is packed in a hurry and i'm down to the : on time. lon is very scared and jubilant over deserting henrietta in this furtive way, and ben is all ebullient in a new suit that looks like a lodge regalia and jeff tuttle in plain clothes is as happy as a child. when i get there he's already begun to give his imitation of a sioux squaw with a hare lip reciting "curfew shall not ring to-night" in her native language, which he pulls on all occasions when he's feeling too good. it's some imitation. the sioux language, even when spoken by a trained elocutionist, can't be anything dulcet. jeff's stunt makes it sound like grinding coffee and shovelling coal into a cellar at the same time. anyway, our journey begun happily and proved to be a good one, the days passing pleasantly while we talked over old times and played ten-cent limit in my stateroom, though jeff tuttle is so untravelled that he'll actually complain about the food and service in a dining-car. the poor puzzled old cow-man still thinks you ought to get a good meal in one, like the pretty bill of fare says you can. then one morning we was in new york and ben sutton got his first shock. he believed he was still on the other side of the river because he hadn't rid in a ferryboat yet. he had to be told sharply by parties in uniform. but we got him safe to a nice tall hotel on broadway at last. talk about your hicks from the brush--ben was it, coming back to this here birthplace of his. he fell into a daze on the short ride to the hotel--after insisting hotly that we should go to one that was pulled down ten years ago--and he never did get out of it all that day. lon and jeff was dazed, too. the city filled 'em with awe and they made no pretense to the contrary. about all they did that day was to buy picture cards and a few drinks. they was afraid to wander very far from the hotel for fear they'd get run over or arrested or fall into the new subway or something calamitous like that. of course new york was looking as usual, the streets being full of tired voters tearing up the car-tracks and digging first-line trenches and so forth. it was a quiet day for all of us, though i got my shopping started, and at night we met at the hotel and had a lonesome dinner. we was all too dazed and tired to feel like larking about any, and poor ben was so downright depressed it was pathetic. ever read the story about a man going to sleep and waking up in a glass case in a museum a thousand years later? that was ben coming back to his old town after only twenty-five years. he hadn't been able to find a single old friend nor any familiar faces. he ordered a porterhouse steak, family style, for himself, but he was so mournful he couldn't eat more than about two dollars' worth of it. he kept forgetting himself in dismal reminiscences. the onlysright thing he'd found was the men tearing up the streets. that was just like they used to be, he said. he maundered on to us about how horse-cars was running on broadway when he left and how they hardly bothered to light the lamps north of forty-second street, and he wished he could have some fish balls like the old sinclair house used to have for its free lunch, and how in them golden days people that had been born right here in new york was seen so frequently that they created no sensation. he was feeling awful desolate about this. he pointed out different parties at tables around us, saying they was merchant princes from sandusky or prominent elks from omaha or roystering blades from pittsburgh or boulevardeers from bucyrus--not a new yorker in sight. he said he'd been reading where a wealthy nut had seat out an expedition to the north pole to capture a certain kind of arctic flea that haunts only a certain rare fox--but he'd bet a born new yorker was harder to find. he said what this millionaire defective ought to of done with his inherited wealth was to find a male and female born here and have 'em stuffed and mounted under glass in a fire-proof museum, which would be a far more exciting spectacle than any flea on earth, however scarce and arctic. he said he'd asked at least forty men that day where they was born--waiters, taxi-drivers, hotel clerks, bartenders, and just anybody that would stop and take one with him, and not a soul had been born nearer to the old town than scranton, pennsylvania. "it's heart-rending," he says, "to reflect that i'm alone here in this big city of outlanders. i haven't even had the nerve to go down to west ninth street for a look at the old home that shelters my boyhood memories. if i could find only one born new yorker it would brace me up a whole lot." it was one dull evening, under this cloud that enveloped ben. we didn't even go to a show, but turned in early. lon price sent a picture card of the flatiron building to henrietta telling her he was having a dreary time and he was now glad he'd been disappointed about her not coming, so love and kisses from her lonesome boy. it was what he would of sent her anyway, but it happened to be the truth so far. well, i got the long night's rest that was coming to me and started out early in the a.m. to pit my cunning against the wiles of the new york department stores, having had my evil desires inflamed the day before by an afternoon gown in chiffon velvet and georgette crepe with silver embroidery and fur trimming that i'd seen in a window marked down to $ . . i fell for that all right, and for an all-silk jersey sport suit at $ . and a demi-tailored walking suit for a mere bagatelle, and a white corduroy sport blouse and a couple of imported evening gowns they robbed me on--but i didn't mind. you expect to be robbed for anything really good in new york, only the imitation stuff that's worn by the idle poor being cheaper than elsewhere. and i was so busy in this whirl of extortion that i forgot all about the boys and their troubles till i got back to the hotel at five o'clock. i find 'em in the palm grill, or whatever it's called, drinking stingers. but now they was not only more cheerful than they had been the night before but they was getting a little bit contemptuous and western about the great city. lon had met a brother real estate shark from salt lake and jeff had fell in with a sheep man from laramie--and treated him like an equal because of meeting him so far from home in a strange town where no one would find it out on him--and ben sutton had met up with his old friend jake berger, also from nome. that's one nice thing about new york; you keep meeting people from out your way that are lonesome, too. lon's friend and jeff's sheep man had had to leave, being encumbered by watchful-waiting wives that were having 'em paged every three minutes and wouldn't believe the boy when he said they was out. but ben's friend, jake berger, was still at the table. jake is a good soul, kind of a short, round, silent man, never opening his head for any length of time. he seems to bring the silence of the frozen north down with him except for brief words to the waiter ever and anon. as i say, the boys was all more cheerful and contemptuous about new york by this time. ben had spent another day asking casual parties if they was born in new york and having no more luck than a rabbit, but it seemed like he'd got hardened to these disappointments. he said he might leave his own self to a museum in due time, so future generations would know at least what the male new yorker looked like. as for the female, he said any of these blondes along broadway could be made to look near enough like his mate by a skilled taxidermist. jeff tuttle here says that they wasn't all blondes because he'd seen a certain brunette that afternoon right in this palm grill that was certainly worth preserving for all eternity in the grandest museum on earth--which showed that jeff had chirked up a lot since landing in town. ben said he had used the term "blonde" merely to designate a species and they let it go at that. lon price then said he'd been talking a little himself to people he met in different places and they might not be born new yorkers but they certainly didn't know anything beyond the city limits. at this he looks around at the crowded tables in this palm grill and says very bitterly that he'll give any of us fifty to one they ain't a person in the place that ever so much as even heard of price's addition to red gap. and so the talk went for a little, with jake berger ever and again crooning to the waiter for another round of stingers. i'd had two, so i stayed out on the last round. i told jake i enjoyed his hospitality but two would be all i could think under till they learned to leave the dash of chloroform out of mine. jake just looked kindly at me. he's as chatty as mount mckinley. but i was glad to see the boys more cheerful, so i said i'd get my lumpiest jewels out of the safe and put a maid and hairdresser to work on me so i'd be a credit to 'em at dinner and then we'd spend a jolly evening at some show. jeff said he'd also doll up in his dress suit and get shaved and manicured and everything, so he'd look like one in my own walk of life. ben was already dressed for evening. he had on a totally new suit of large black and white checks looking like a hotel floor from a little distance, bound with braid of a quiet brown, and with a vest of wide stripes in green and mustard colour. it was a suit that the automobile law in some states would have compelled him to put dimmers on; it made him look egregious, if that's the word; but i knew it was no good appealing to his better nature. he said he'd have dinner ordered for us in another palm grill that had more palms in it. jake berger spoke up for the first time to any one but a waiter. he asked why a palm room necessarily? he said the tropic influence of these palms must affect the waiters that had to stand under 'em all day, because they wouldn't take his orders fast enough. he said the languorous southern atmosphere give 'em pellagra or something. jeff tuttle says jake must be mistaken because the pellagra is a kind of a spanish dance, he believes. jake said maybe so; maybe it was tropic neurasthenia the waiters got. ben said he'd sure look out for a fresh waiter that hadn't been infected yet. when i left 'em jake was holding a split-second watch on the waiter he'd just given an order to. by seven p.m. i'd been made into a work of art by the hotel help and might of been observed progressing through the palatial lobby with my purple and gold opera cloak sort of falling away from the shoulders. jeff tuttle observed me for one. he was in his dress suit all right, standing over in a corner having a bell-hop tie his tie for him that he never can learn to do himself. that's the way with jeff; he simply wasn't born for the higher hotel life. in his dress suit he looks exactly like this here society burglar you're always seeing a picture of in the papers. however, i let him trail me along into this jewelled palm room with tapestries and onyx pillars and prices for food like the town had been three years beleagured by an invading army. jake berger is alone at our table sipping a stinger and looking embarrassed because he'll have to say something. he gets it over as soon as he can. he says ben has ordered dinner and stepped out and that lon has stepped out to look for him but they'll both be back in a minute, so set down and order one before this new waiter is overcome by the tropic miasma. we do the same, and in comes lon looking very excited in the dress suit he was married in back about . "ben's found one," he squeals excitedly--"a real genuine one that was born right here in new york and is still living in the same house he was born in. what do you know about that? ben is frantic with delight and is going to bring him to dine with us as soon as he gets him brushed off down in the wash room and maybe a drink or two thrown into him to revive him from the shock of ben running across him. ain't it good, though! poor old ben, looking for a born one and thinking he'd never find him and now he has!" we all said how glad we was for ben's sake and lon called over a titled aristocrat of foreign birth and ordered him to lay another place at the table. then he tells us how the encounter happened. ben had stepped out on broadway to buy an evening paper and coming back he was sneaking a look at his new suit in a plate-glass window, walking blindly ahead at the same time. that's the difference between the sexes in front of a plate-glass window. a woman is entirely honest and shameless; she'll stop dead and look herself over and touch up anything that needs it as cool as if she was the last human on earth; while man, the coward, walks by slow and takes a long sly look at himself, turning his head more and more till he gets swore at by some one he's tramped on. this is how ben had run across the only genuine new yorker that seemed to be left. he'd run across his left instep and then bore him to the ground like one of these juggernuts or whatever they are. still, at that, it seemed kind of a romantic meeting, like mebbe the hand of fate was in it. we chatted along, waiting for the happy pair, and jake ordered again to be on the safe side because the waiter would be sure to contract hookworm or sleeping sickness in this tropic jungle before the evening was over. jeff tuttle said this was called the louis château room and he liked it. he also said, looking over the people that come in, that he bet every dress suit in town was hired to-night. then in a minute or two more, after jake berger sent a bill over to the orchestra leader with a card asking him to play all quick tunes so the waiters could fight better against jungle fever, in comes ben sutton driving his captive new yorker before him and looking as flushed and proud as if he'd discovered a strange new vest pattern. the captive wasn't so much to look at. he was kind of neat, dressed in one of the nobby suits that look like ninety dollars in the picture and cost eighteen; he had one of these smooth ironed faces that made him look thirty or forty years old, like all new york men, and he had the conventional glue on his hair. he was limping noticeably where ben had run across him, and i could see he was highly suspicious of the whole gang of us, including the man who had treated him like he was a cockroach. but ben had been persuasive and imperious--took him off his feet, like you might say--so he shook hands all around and ventured to set down with us. he had the same cold, slippery cautious hand that every new york man gives you the first time so i says to myself he's a real one all right and we fell to the new round of stingers jake had motioned for, and to the nouveaux art-work food that now came along. naturally ben and the new yorker done most of the talking at first; about how the good old town had changed; how they was just putting up the cable building at houston street when ben left in ' , and wasn't the old everett house a good place for lunch, and did the other one remember barnum's museum at broadway and ann, and niblo's garden was still there when ben was, and a lot of fascinating memories like that. the new yorker didn't relax much at first and got distinctly nervous when he saw the costly food and heard ben order vintage champagne which he always picks out by the price on the wine list. i could see him plain as day wondering just what kind of crooks we could be, what our game was and how soon we'd spring it on him--or would we mebbe stick him for the dinner check? he didn't have a bit good time at first, so us four others kind of left ben to fawn upon him and enjoyed ourselves in our own way. it was all quite elevating or vicious, what with the orchestra and the singers and the dancing and the waiters with vitality still unimpaired. and new york has improved a lot, i'll say that. the time i was there before they wouldn't let a lady smoke except in the very lowest table d'hotes of the underworld at sixty cents with wine. and now the only one in the whole room that didn't light a cigarette from time to time was a nervous dame in a high-necked black silk and a hat that was never made farther east than altoona, that looked like she might be taking notes for a club paper on the attractions or iniquities of a great metropolis. jeff tuttle was fascinated by the dancing; he called it the "tangle" and some of it did look like that. and he claimed to be shocked by the flagrant way women opened up little silver boxes and applied the paints, oils, and putty in full view of the audience. he said he'd just as lief see a woman take out a manicure set and do her nails in public, and i assured him he probably would see it if he come down again next year, the way things was going--him talking that way that had had his white tie done in the open lobby; but men are such. jake berger just looked around kindly and didn't open his head till near the end of the meal. i thought he wasn't noticing anything at all till the orchestra put on a shadow number with dim purple lights. "you'll notice they do that," says jake, "whenever a lot of these people are ready to pay their checks. it saves fights, because no one can see if they're added right or not." that was pretty gabby for jake. then i listened again to ben and his little pet. they was talking their way up the bowery from atlantic garden and over to harry hill's place which, it seemed the new yorker didn't remember, and ben then recalled an old leper with gray whiskers and a skull cap that kept a drug store in bleecker street when ben was a kid and spent most of his time watering down the sidewalk in front of his place with a hose so that ladies going by would have to raise their skirts out of the wet. his eyes was quite dim as he recalled these sacred boyhood memories. the new yorker had unbent a mite like he was going to see the mad adventure through at all costs, though still plainly worried about the dinner check. ben now said that they two ought to found a new york club. he said there was all other kinds of clubs here--ohio clubs and southern clubs and nebraska societies and michigan circles and so on, that give large dinners every year, so why shouldn't there be a new york club; maybe they could scare up three or four others that was born here if they advertised. it would of course be the smallest club in the city or in the whole world for that matter. the new yorker was kind of cold toward this. it must of sounded like the scheme to get money out of him that he'd been expecting all along. then the waiter brought the check, during another shadow number with red and purple lights, and this lad pulled out a change purse and said in a feeble voice that he supposed we was all paying share and share alike and would the waiter kindly figure out what his share was. ben didn't even hear him. he peeled a large bill off a roll that made his new suit a bad fit in one place and he left a five on the plate when the change come. the watchful new yorker now made his first full-hearted speech of the evening. he said that ben was foolish not to of added up the check to see if it was right, and that half a dollar tip would of been ample for the waiter. ben pretended not to hear this either, and started again on the dear old times. i says to myself i guess this one is a real new yorker all right. lon prince now says what's the matter with going to some corking good show because nothing good has come to red gap since the parisian blond widows over a year ago and he's eager for entertainment. ben says "fine! and here's the wise boy that will steer us right. i bet he knows every show in town." the new yorker says he does and has just the play in mind for us, one that he had meant to see himself this very night because it has been endorsed by the drama league of which he is a regular member. well, that sounded important, so ben says "what did i tell you? ain't we lucky to have a good old new yorker to put us right on shows our first night out. we might have wasted our evening on a dead one." so we're all delighted and go out and get in a couple of taxicabs, ben and this city man going in the first one. when ours gets to the theatre ben is paying the driver while the new yorker feebly protests that he ought to pay his half of the bill, but ben don't hear him and don't hear him again when he wants to pay for his own seat in the theatre. i got my first suspicion of this guy right there; for a genuine new yorker he was too darned conscientious about paying his mere share of everything. you can say lots of things about new yorkers, but all that i've ever met have been keenly and instantly sensitive to the presence of a determined buyer. still i didn't think so much about it at that moment. this one looked the part all right, with his slim clothes and his natty cloth hat and the thin gold cigarette case held gracefully open. then we get into the theatre. of course ben had bought a box, that being the only place, he says, that a gentleman can set, owing to the skimpy notions of theatre-seat builders. and we was all prepared for a merry evening at this entertainment which the wise new yorker would be sure to know was a good one. but that curtain hadn't been up three minutes before i get my next shock of disbelief about this well-known club man. you know what a good play means in new york: a rattling musical comedy with lively songs, a tenor naval lieutenant in a white uniform, some real funny comedians, and a lot of girls without their stockings on, and so forth. any one that thinks of a play in new york thinks of that, don't he? and what do we get here and now? why, we get a gruesome thing about a ruined home with the owner going bankrupt over the telephone that's connected with wall street, and a fluffy wife that has a magnetic gentleman friend in a sport suit, and a lady crook that has had husband in her toils, only he sees it all now, and tears and strangulations and divorce, and a faithful old butler that suffers keenly and would go on doing it without a cent of wages if he could only bring every one together again, and a shot up in the bathroom or somewhere and gripping moments and so forth--i want to tell you we was all painfully shocked by this break of the knowing new yorker. we could hardly believe it was true during the first act. jeff tuttle kept wanting to know when the girls was coming on, and didn't they have a muscle dancer in the piece. ben himself was highly embarrassed and even suspicious for a minute. he looks at the new yorker sharply and says ain't that a crocheted necktie he's wearing, and the new yorker says it is and was made for him by his aunt. but ben ain't got the heart to question him any further. he puts away his base suspicions and tries to get the new yorker to tell us all about what a good play this is so we'll feel more entertained. so the lad tells us the leading woman is a sterling actress of legitimate methods--all too hard to find in this day of sensationalism, and the play is a triumph of advanced realism written by a serious student of the drama that is trying to save our stage from commercial degradation. he explained a lot about the lesson of the play. near as i could make out the lesson was that divorce, nowadays, is darned near as uncertain as marriage itself. "the husband," explains the lad kindly, "is suspected by his wife to have been leading a double life, though of course he was never guilty of more than an indiscretion--" jake berger here exploded rudely into speech again. "thai wife is leading a double chin," says jake. "say, people," says lon price, "mebbe it ain't too late to go to a show this evening." but the curtain went up for the second act and nobody had the nerve to escape. there continued to be low murmurs of rebellion, just the same, and we all lost track of this here infamy that was occurring on the stage. "i'm sure going to beat it in one minute," says jeff tuttle, "if one of 'em don't exclaim: 'oh, girls, here comes the little dancer!'" "i know a black-face turn that could put this show on its feet," says lon price, "and that waldo in the sport suit ain't any real reason why wives leave home--you can't tell me!" "i dare say this leading woman needs a better vehicle," says the new yorker in a hoarse whisper. "i dare say it, too," says jeff tuttle in a still hoarser whisper. "a better vehicle! she needs a motor truck, and i'd order one quick if i thought she'd take it." of course this was not refined of jeff. the new yorker winced and loyal ben glares at all of us that has been muttering, so we had to set there till the curtain went down on the ruined home where all was lost save honour--and looking like that would have to go, too, in the next act. but ben saw it wasn't safe to push us any further so he now said this powerful play was too powerful for a bunch of low-brows like us and we all rushed out into the open air. everybody cheered up a lot when we got there--seeing the nice orderly street traffic without a gripping moment in it. lon price said it was too late to go to a theatre, so what could we do to pass the time till morning? ben says he has a grand idea and we can carry it out fine with this new york man to guide us. his grand idea is that we all go down on the bowery and visit tough dives where the foul creatures of the underworld consort and crime happens every minute or two. we was still mad enough about that play to like the idea. a good legitimate murder would of done wonders for our drooping spirits. so ben puts it up to the new yorker and he says yes, he knows a vicious resort on the bowery, but we'd ought to have a detective from central office along to protect us from assault. ben says not at all--no detective--unless the joints has toughened up a lot since he used to infest 'em, and we all said we'd take a chance, so again we was in taxicabs. us four in the second cab was now highly cynical about ben's new yorker. the general feeling was that sooner or later he would sink the ship. then we reach the dive he has picked out; a very dismal dive with a room back of the bar that had a few tables and a piano in it and a sweet-singing waiter. he was singing a song about home and mother, that in mem-o-ree he seemed to see, when we got to our table. a very gloomy and respectable haunt of vice it was, indeed. there was about a dozen male and female creatures of the underworld present sadly enjoying this here ballad and scowling at us for talking when we come in. jake berger ordered, though finding you couldn't get stingers here and having to take two miner's inches of red whiskey, and the new yorker begun to warn us in low tones that we was surrounded by danger on every hand--that we'd better pour our drink on the floor because it would be drugged, after which we would be robbed if not murdered and thrown out into the alley where we would then be arrested by grafting policemen. even ben was shocked by this warning. he asks the new yorker again if he is sure he was born in the old town, and the lad says honest he was and has been living right here all these years in the same house he was born in. ben is persuaded by these words and gives the singing waiter a five and tells him to try and lighten the gloom with a few crimes of violence or something. the new yorker continued to set stiff in his chair, one hand on his watch and one on the pocket where his change purse was that he'd tried to pay his share of the taxicabs out of. the gloom-stricken piano player now rattled off some ragtime and the depraved denizens about us got sadly up and danced to it. say, it was the most formal and sedate dancing you ever see, with these gun men holding their guilty partners off at arm's length and their faces all drawn down in lines of misery. they looked like they might be a bunch of strict presbyterians that had resolved to throw all moral teaching to the winds for one purple moment let come what might. i want to tell you these depraved creatures of the underworld was darned near as depressing as that play had been. even the second round of drinks didn't liven us up none because the waiter threw down his cigarette and sung another tearful song. this one was about a travelling man going into a gilded cabaret and ordering a port wine and a fair young girl come out to sing in short skirts that he recognized to be his boyhood's sweetheart nell; so he sent a waiter to ask her if she had forgot the song she once did sing at her dear old mother's knee, or knees, and she hadn't forgot it and proved she hadn't, because the chorus was "nearer my god to thee" sung to ragtime; then the travelling man said she must be good and pure, so come on let's leave this place and they'd be wed. yes, sir; that's what ben had got for his five, so this time he give the waiter a twenty not to sing any more at all. the new yorker was horrified at the sight of a man giving away money, but it was well spent and we begun to cheer up a little. ben told the new yorker about the time his dog team won the all alaska sweepstake race, two hundred and six miles from nome to candle and back, the time being hours, minutes, and seconds, and showed him the picture of his lead dog pasted in the back of his watch. and jake berger got real gabby at last and told the story about the old musher going up the white horse trail in a blizzard and meeting the bishop, only he didn't know it was the bishop. and the bishop says, "how's the trail back of you, my friend?" and the old musher just swore with the utmost profanity for three straight minutes. then he says to the bishop, "and what's it like back of you?" and the bishop says, "just like that!" jake here got embarrassed from talking so much and ordered another round of this squirrel poison we was getting, and jeff tuttle begun his imitation of the sioux squaw with a hare lip reciting "curfew shall not ring to-night." it was a pretty severe ordeal for the rest of us, but we was ready to endure much if it would make this low den seem more homelike. only when jeff got about halfway through the singing waiter comes up, greatly shocked, and says none of that in here because they run an orderly place, and we been talking too loud anyway. this waiter had a skull exactly like a picture of one in a book i got that was dug up after three hundred thousand years and the scientific world couldn't ever agree whether it was an early man or a late ape. i decided i didn't care to linger in a place where a being with a head like this could pass on my diversions and offenses so i made a move to go. jeff tuttle says to this waiter, "fie, fie upon you, roscoe! we shall go to some respectable place where we can loosen up without being called for it." the waiter said he was sorry, but the bowery wasn't broadway. and the new yorker whispered that it was just as well because we was lucky to get out of this dive with our lives and property--and even after that this anthropoid waiter come hurrying out to the taxis after us with my fur piece and my solid gold vanity-box that i'd left behind on a chair. this was a bitter blow to all of us after we'd been led to hope for outrages of an illegal character. the new yorker was certainly making a misdeal every time he got the cards. none of us trusted him any more, though ben was still loyal and sensitive about him, like he was an only child and from birth had not been like other children. the lad now wanted to steer us into an allied bazaar that would still be open, because he'd promised to sell twenty tickets to it and had 'em on him untouched. but we shut down firmly on this. even ben was firm. he said the last bazaar he'd survived was their big church fair in nome that lasted two nights and one day and the champagne booth alone took in six thousand dollars, and even the beer booth took in something like twelve hundred, and he didn't feel equal to another affair like that just yet. so we landed uptown at a very swell joint full of tables and orchestras around a dancing floor and more palms--which is the national flower of new york--and about eighty or a hundred slightly inebriated débutantes and well-known broadway social favourites and their gentlemen friends. and here everything seemed satisfactory at last, except to the new yorker who said that the prices would be something shameful. however, no one was paying any attention to him by now. none of us but ben cared a hoot where he had been born and most of us was sorry he had been at all. jake berger bought a table for ten dollars, which was seven more than it had ever cost the owner, and ben ordered stuff for us, including a vintage champagne that the price of stuck out far enough beyond other prices on the wine list, and a porterhouse steak, family style, for himself, and everything seemed on a sane and rational basis again. it looked as if we might have a little enjoyment during the evening after all. it was a good lively place, with all these brilliant society people mingling up in the dance in a way that would of got 'em thrown out of that gangsters' haunt on the bowery. lon price said he'd never witnessed so many human shoulder blades in his whole history and jeff tuttle sent off a lot of picture cards of this here ballroom or saloon that a waiter give him. the one he sent egbert floud showed the floor full of beautiful reckless women in the dance and prominent society matrons drinking highballs, and jeff wrote on it, "this is my room; wish you was here." jeff was getting right into the spirit of this bohemian night life; you could tell that. lon price also. in ten minutes lon had made the acquaintance of a new york social leader at the next table and was dancing with her in an ardent or ribald manner before ben had finished his steak. i now noticed that the new yorker was looking at his gun-metal watch about every two minutes with an expression of alarm. jake berger noticed it, too, and again leaned heavily on the conversation. "not keeping you up, are we?" says jake. and this continual watch business must of been getting on ben's nerves, too, for now, having fought his steak to a finish, he says to his little guest that they two should put up their watches and match coins for 'em. the new yorker was suspicious right off and looked ben's watch over very carefully when ben handed it to him. it was one of these thin gold ones that can be had any place for a hundred dollars and up. you could just see that new yorker saying to himself, "so this is their game, is it?" but he works his nerve up to take a chance and gets a two-bit piece out of his change purse and they match. ben wins the first time, which was to of settled it, but ben says right quick that of course he had meant the best two out of three, which the new yorker doesn't dispute for a minute, and they match again and ben wins that, too, so there's nothing to do but take the new yorker's watch away from him. he removes it carefully off a leather fob with a gilt acorn on it and hands it slowly to ben. it was one of these extra superior dollar watches that cost three dollars. the new yorker looked very stung, indeed. you could hear him saying to himself, "serves me right for gambling with a stranger!" ben feels these suspicions and is hurt by 'em so he says to jeff, just to show the new yorker he's an honest sport, that he'll stake his two watches against jeff's solid silver watch that he won in a bucking contest in . jeff says he's on; so they match and ben wins again, now having three watches. then lon price comes back from cavorting with this amiable jade of the younger dancing set at the next table and ben makes him put up his gold seven-jewelled hunting-case watch against the three and ben wins again, now having four watches. lon says "easy come, easy go!" and moves over to the next table again to help out with the silver bucket of champagne he's ordered, taking jeff tuttle with him to present to his old friends that he's known for all of twenty minutes. the new yorker is now more suspicious then ever of ben; his wan beauty is marred by a cynical smile and his hair has come unglued in a couple of places. ben is more sensitive than ever to these suspicions of his new pal so he calls on jake berger to match his watch against the four. jake takes out his split-second repeater and him and ben match coins and this time ben is lucky enough to lose, thereby showing his dear old new yorker that he ain't a crook after all. but the new yorker still looks very shrewd and robbed and begins to gulp the champagne in a greedy manner. you can hear him calling jake a confederate. jake sees it plain enough, that the lad thinks he's been high-graded, so he calls over our waiter and crowds all five watches onto him. "take these home to the little ones," says jake, and dismisses the matter from his mind by putting a wine glass up to his ear and listening into it with a rapt expression that shows he's hearing the roar of the ocean up on alaska's rockbound coast. the new yorker is a mite puzzled by this, but i can see it don't take him long to figure out that the waiter is also a confederate. anyway, he's been robbed of his watch forever and falls to the champagne again very eager and moody. it was plain he didn't know what a high-powered drink he was trifling with. and ben was moody, too, by now. he quit recalling old times and sacred memories to the new yorker. if the latter had tried to break up the party by leaving at this point i guess ben would of let him go. but he didn't try; he just set there soggily drinking champagne to drown the memory of his lost watch. and pretty soon ben has to order another quart of this twelve-dollar beverage. the new yorker keeps right on with the new bottle, daring it to do its worst and it does; he was soon speaking out of a dense fog when he spoke at all. with his old pal falling into this absent mood ben throws off his own depression and mingles a bit with the table of old new york families where lon price is now paying the checks. they was the real new yorkers; they'd never had a moment's distrust of lon after he ordered the first time and told the waiter to keep the glasses brimming. jeff tuttle was now dancing in an extreme manner with a haggard society bud aged thirty-five, and only jake and me was left at our table. we didn't count the new yorker any longer; he was merely raising his glass to his lips at regular intervals. he moved something like an automatic chess player i once saw. the time passed rapidly for a couple hours more, with jake berger keeping up his ceaseless chatter as usual. he did speak once, though, after an hour's silence. he said in an audible tone that the new yorker was a human hangnail, no matter where he was born. and so the golden moments flitted by, with me watching the crazy crowd, until they began to fall away and the waiters was piling chairs on the naked tables at the back of the room. then with some difficulty we wrenched ben and lon and jeff from the next table and got out into the crisp air of dawn. the new yorker was now sunk deep in a trance and just stood where he was put, with his hat on the wrong way. the other boys had cheered up a lot owing to their late social career. jeff tuttle said it was all nonsense about its being hard to break into new york society, because look what he'd done in one brief evening without trying--and he flashed three cards on which telephone numbers is written in dainty feminine hands. he said if a modest and retiring stranger like himself could do that much, just think what an out-and-out social climber might achieve! right then i was ready to call it an absorbing and instructive evening and get to bed. but no! ben sutton at sight of his now dazed new yorker has resumed his brooding and suddenly announces that we must all make a pilgrimage to west ninth street and romantically view his old home which his father told him to get out of twenty-five years ago, and which we can observe by the first tender rays of dawn. he says he has been having precious illusions shattered all evening, but this will be a holy moment that nothing can queer--not even a born new yorker that hasn't made the grade and is at this moment so vitrified that he'd be a mere glass crash if some one pushed him over. i didn't want to go a bit. i could see that jeff tuttle would soon begin dragging a hip, and the streets at that hour was no place for lon price, with his naturally daring nature emphasized, as it were, from drinking this here imprisoned laughter of the man that owned the joint we had just left. but ben was pleading in a broken voice for one sight of the old home with its boyhood memories clustering about its modest front and i was afraid he'd get to crying, so i give in wearily and we was once more encased in taxicabs and on our way to the sacred scene. ben had quite an argument with the drivers when he give 'em the address. they kept telling him there wasn't a thing open down there, but he finally got his aim understood. the new yorker's petrified remains was carefully tucked into the cab with ben. and ben suffered another cruel blow at the end of the ride. he climbed out of the cab in a reverent manner, hoping to be overcome by the sight of the cherished old home, and what did he find? he just couldn't believe it at first. the dear old house had completely disappeared and in its place was a granite office building eighteen stories high. ben just stood off and looked up at it, too overcome for words. up near the top a monster brass sign in writing caught the silver light of dawn. the sign sprawled clear across the building and said pants exclusively. still above this was the firm's name in the same medium--looking like a couple of them hard-lettered towns that get evacuated up in poland. poor stricken ben looked in silence a long time. we all felt his suffering and kept silent, too. even jeff tuttle kept still--who all the way down had been singing about old bill bailey who played the ukelele in honolulu town. it was a solemn moment. after a few more minutes of silent grief ben drew himself together and walked off without saying a word. i thought walking would be a good idea for all of us, especially lon and jeff, so jake paid the taxi drivers and we followed on foot after the chief mourner. the fragile new yorker had been exhumed and placed in an upright position and he walked, too, when he understood what was wanted of him; he didn't say a word, just did what was told him like one of these boys that the professor hypnotizes on the stage. i herded the bunch along about half a block back of ben, feeling it was delicate to let him wallow alone in his emotions. we got over to broadway, turned up that, and worked on through that dinky little grass plot they call a square, kind of aimless like and wondering where ben in his grief would lead us. the day was well begun by this time and the passing cars was full of very quiet people on their way to early work. jake berger said these new yorkers would pay for it sooner or later, burning the candle at both ends this way--dancing all night and then starting off to work. then up a little way we catch sight of a regular old-fashioned horse-car going crosstown. ben has stopped this and is talking excitedly to the driver so we hurry up and find he's trying to buy the car from the driver. yes, sir; he says its the last remnant of new york when it was little and old and he wants to take it back to nome as a souvenir. anybody might of thought he'd been drinking. he's got his roll out and wants to pay for the car right there. the driver is a cold-looking old boy with gray chin whiskers showing between his cap and his comforter and he's indignantly telling ben it can't be done. by the time we get there the conductor has come around and wants to know what they're losing all this time for. he also says they can't sell ben the car and says further that we'd all better go home and sleep it off, so ben hands 'em each a ten spot, the driver lets off his brake, and the old ark rattles on while ben's eyes is suffused with a suspicious moisture, as they say. ben now says we must stand right on this corner to watch these cars go by--about once every hour. we argued with him whilst we shivered in the bracing winelike air, but ben was stubborn. we might of been there yet if something hadn't diverted him from this evil design. it was a string of about fifty italians that just then come out of a subway entrance. they very plainly belonged to the lower or labouring classes and i judged they was meant for work on the up-and-down street we stood on, that being already torn up recklessly till it looked like most other streets in the same town. they stood around talking in a delirious or italian manner till their foreman unlocked a couple of big piano boxes. out of these they took crowbars, axes, shovels, and other instruments of their calling. ben sutton has been standing there soddenly waiting for another dear old horse-car to come by, but suddenly he takes notice of these bandits with the tools and i see an evil gleam come into his tired eyes. he assumes a businesslike air, struts over to the foreman of the bunch, and has some quick words with him, making sweeping motions of the arm up and down the cross street where the horse-cars run. after a minute of this i'm darned if the whole bunch didn't scatter out and begin to tear up the pavement along the car-track on this cross street. ben tripped back to us looking cheerful once more. "they wouldn't sell me the car," he says, "so i'm going to take back a bunch of the dear old rails. they'll be something to remind me of the dead past. just think! i rode over those very rails when i was a tot." we was all kind of took back at this, and i promptly warned ben that we'd better beat it before we got pinched. but ben is confident. he says no crime could be safer in new york than setting a bunch of italians to tearing up a street-car track; that no one could ever possibly suspect it wasn't all right, though he might have to be underhanded to some extent in getting his souvenir rails hauled off. he said he had told the foreman that he was the contractor's brother and had been sent with this new order and the foreman had naturally believed it, ben looking like a rich contractor himself. and there they was at work, busy as beavers, gouging up the very last remnant of little old new york when it was that. ben rubbed his hands in ecstasy and pranced up and down watching 'em for awhile. then he went over and told the foreman there'd be extra pay for all hands if they got a whole block tore up by noon, because this was a rush job. hundreds of people was passing, mind you, including a policeman now and then, but no one took any notice of a sight so usual. all the same the rest of us edged north about half a block, ready to make a quick getaway. ben kept telling us we was foolishly scared. he offered to bet any one in the party ten to one in thousands that he could switch his gang over to broadway and have a block of that track up before any one got wise. there was no takers. ben was now so pleased with himself and his little band of faithful workers that he even begun to feel kindly again toward his new yorker who was still standing in one spot with glazed eyes. he goes up and tries to engage him in conversation, but the lad can't hear any more than he can see. ben's efforts, however, finally start him to muttering something. he says it over and over to himself and at last we make out what it is. he is saying: "i'd like to buy a little drink for the party m'self." "the poor creature is delirious," says jake berger. but ben slaps him on the back and tells him he's a good sport and he'll give him a couple of these rails to take to his old new york home; he says they can be crossed over the mantel and will look very quaint. the lad kind of shivered under ben's hearty blow and seemed to struggle out of his trance for a minute. his eyes unglazed and he looks around and says how did he get here and where is it? ben tells him he's among friends and that they two are the only born new yorkers left in the world, and so on, when the lad reaches into the pocket of his natty topcoat for a handkerchief and pulls out with it a string of funny little tickets--about two feet of 'em. ben grabs these up with a strange look in his eyes. "bridge tickets!" he yells. then he grabs his born new yorker by the shoulders and shakes him still further out of dreamland. "what street in new york is your old home on?" he demands savagely. the lad blinks his fishy eyes and fixes his hat on that ben has shook loose. "cranberry street," says he. "cranberry street! hell, that's brooklyn, and you claimed new york," says ben, shaking the hat loose again. "greater new york," says the lad pathetically, and pulls his hat firmly down over his ears. ben looked at the imposter with horror in his eyes. "brooklyn!" he muttered--"the city of the unburied dead! so that was the secret of your strange behaviour? and me warming you in my bosom, you viper!" but the crook couldn't hear him again, haying lapsed into his trance and become entirely rigid and foolish. in the cold light of day his face now looked like a plaster cast of itself. ben turned to us with a hunted look. "blow after blow has fallen upon me to-night," he says tearfully, "but this is the most cruel of all. i can't believe in anything after this. i can't even believe them street-car rails are the originals. probably they were put down last week." "then let's get out of this quick," i says to him. "we been exposing ourselves to arrest here long enough for a bit of false sentiment on your part." "i gladly go," says ben, "but wait one second." he stealthily approaches the greater new yorker and shivers him to wakefulness with another hearty wallop on the back. "listen carefully," says ben as the lad struggles out of the dense fog. "do you see those workmen tearing up that car-track?" "yes, i see it," says the lad distinctly. "i've often seen it." "very well. listen to me and remember your life may hang on it. you go over there and stand right by them till they get that track up and don't you let any one stop them. do you hear? stand right there and make them work, and if a policeman or any one tries to make trouble you soak him. remember! i'm leaving those men in your charge. i shall hold you personally responsible for them." the lad doesn't say a word but begins to walk in a brittle manner toward the labourers. we saw him stop and point a threatening finger at them, then instantly freeze once more. it was our last look at him. we got everybody on a north-bound car with some trouble. lon price had gone to sleep standing up and jeff tuttle, who was now looking like the society burglar after a tough night's work at his trade, was getting turbulent and thirsty. he didn't want to ride on a common street car. "i want a tashicrab," he says, "and i want to go back to that louis château room and dance the tangle." but we persuaded him and got safe up to a restaurant on sixth avenue where breakfast was had by all without further adventure. jeff strongly objected to this restaurant at first, though, because he couldn't hear an orchestra in it. he said he couldn't eat his breakfast without an orchestra. he did, however, ordering apple pie and ice cream and a gin fizz to come. lon price was soon sleeping like a tired child over his ham and eggs, and jeff went night-night, too, before his second gin fizz arrived. ben ordered a porterhouse steak, family style, consuming it in a moody rage like a man that has been ground-sluiced at every turn. he said he felt like ending it all and sometimes wished he'd been in the cab that plunged into one of the forty-foot holes in broadway a couple of nights before. jake berger had ordered catfish and waffles, with a glass of invalid port. he burst into speech once more, too. he said the nights in new york were too short to get much done. that if they only had nights as long as alaska the town might become famous. "as it is," he says, "i don't mind flirting with this city now and then, but i wouldn't want to marry it." well, that about finished the evening, with lon and jeff making the room sound like a pullman palace car at midnight. oh, yes; there was one thing more. on the day after the events recorded in the last chapter, as it says in novels, there was a piece in one of the live newspapers telling that a well-dressed man of thirty-five, calling himself clifford j. hotchkiss and giving a brooklyn address, was picked up in a dazed condition by patrolman cohen who had found him attempting to direct the operations of a gang of workmen engaged in repairing a crosstown-car track. he had been sent to the detention ward of bellevue to await examination as to his sanity, though insisting that he was the victim of a gang of footpads who had plied him with liquor and robbed him of his watch. i showed the piece to ben sutton and ben sent him up a pillow of forget-me-nots with "rest" spelled on it--without the sender's card. no; not a word in it about the street-car track being wrongfully tore up. i guess it was like ben said; no one ever would find out about that in new york. my lands! here it is ten-thirty and i got to be on the job when them hayers start to-morrow a.m. a body would think i hadn't a care on earth when i get started on anecdotes of my past. proofreaders [illustration: he worked tirelessly, as though he was determined to infuse her numb veins with his own vigor. frontispiece.] the rim of the desert by ada woodruff anderson author of "the strain of white," "the heart of the red firs," etc. with frontispiece by monte crews _to the memory of_ my mother a gentle and appreciative critic, the only one, perhaps, who re-read my previous books with pleasure and found no flaw in them, and who would have had a greater interest than any other in this publication. foreword the desert of this story is that semi-arid region east of the upper columbia. it is cut off from the moisture laden winds of the pacific by the lofty summits of the cascade mountains which form its western rim, and for many miles the great river crowds the barrier, winding, breaking in rapids, seeking a way through. to one approaching this rim from the dense forests of the westward slopes, the sage grown levels seem to stretch limitless into the far horizon, but they are broken by hidden coulees; in propitious seasons reclaimed areas have yielded phenominal crops of wheat, and under irrigation the valley of one of the two tributaries from the west, wherein lies hesperides vale, has become a garden spot of the world. to the initiated i wish to say if in the chapters touching on the alaska coal cases i have followed too literally the statements of prominent men, it was not in an effort to portray them but merely to represent as clearly as possible the alaska situation. ada woodruff anderson. contents chapter i the man who never came back ii the question iii foster too iv snoqualmie pass and a broken axle v apples of eden vi nip and tuck vii a night on the mountain road viii the bravest woman he ever knew ix the dunes of the columbia x a woman's heart-strings xi the loophole xii "whom the gods would destroy" xiii "a little streak of luck" xiv on board the aquila xv the story of the tenas papoose xvi the alternative xvii "all these things will i give thee" xviii the option xix lucky banks and the pink chiffon xx kernel and peach xxi foster's hour xxii as man to man xxiii the day of publication xxiv snowbound in the rockies and "fit as a moose" xxv the ides of march xxvi the everlasting door xxvii kismet, an act of god xxviii surrender xxix back to hesperides vale xxx the junior defendant xxxi tisdale of alaska--and washington, d.c. xxxii the other document xxxiii the calf-bound notebook the rim of the desert chapter i the man who never came back it is in october, when the trails over the wet tundra harden, and before the ice locks bering sea, that the alaska exodus sets towards seattle; but there were a few members of the arctic circle in town that first evening in september to open the clubhouse on the lake boulevard with an informal little supper for special delegate feversham, who had arrived on the steamer from the north, on his way to washington. the clubhouse, which was built of great, hewn logs, with gabled eaves, stood in a fringe of firs, and an upper rear balcony afforded a broad outlook of lake and forest, with the glaciered heights of the cascade mountains breaking a far horizon. the day had been warm, but a soft breeze, drawing across this veranda through the open door, cooled the assembly room, and, lifting one of the lighter hangings of indian-wrought elk leather, found the stairs and raced with a gentle rustle through the lower front entrance back into the night. it had caressed many familiar things on its way, for the walls were embellished with trophies from the big spaces where winds are born. there were skins of polar and kodiak bear; of silver and black fox; there were antlered heads set above the fireplace and on the rough, bark-seamed pillars that supported the unceiled roof. a frieze of pressed and framed alaska flora finished the low gallery which extended around three sides of the hall, and the massive chairs, like the polished banquet board, were of crocus-yellow alaska cedar. the delegate, who had come out to tide-water over the fairbanks-valdez trail, was describing with considerable heat the rigors of the journey. the purple parka, which was the regalia of the circle, seemed to increase his prominence of front and intensified the color in his face to a sort of florid ripeness. "yes, gentlemen," he continued, thumping the table with a stout hand and repeating the gesture slowly, while the glasses trembled, "alaska's crying need is a railroad; a single finished line from the most northern harbor open to navigation the whole year--and that is prince william sound-- straight through to the tanana valley and the upper yukon. already the first problem has been solved; we have pierced the icy barrier of the coast range. all we are waiting for is further right of way; the right to the forests, that timber may be secured for construction work; the right to mine coal for immediate use. but, gentlemen, we may grow gray waiting. what do men four thousand miles away, men who never saw alaska, care about our needs?" he leaned back in his chair, while his glance moved from face to face and rested, half in challenge, on the member at the foot of the board. "these commissioners appointed off there in washington," he added. "these carpet-baggers from the little states beyond the mississippi!" hollis tisdale, who had spent some of the hardest years of his alaska career in the service of the government, met the delegate's look with a quiet humor in his eyes. "it seems to me," he said, and his deep, expressive voice instantly held the attention of every one, "that such a man, with intelligence and insight, of course, stands the surest chance of giving general satisfaction in the end. he is at least disinterested, while the best of us, no matter how big he is, how clear-visioned, is bound to take his own district specially to heart. prince william sound alone has hundreds of miles of coast-line and includes more than one fine harbor with an ambitious seaport." at this a smile rippled around the table, and miles feversham, who was the attorney for one of the most ambitious syndicates of promoters in the north, gave his attention to the menu. but tisdale, having spoken, turned his face to the open balcony door. his parka was thrown back, showing an incongruous breadth of stiff white bosom, yet he was the only man present who wore the garment with grace. in that moment the column of throat rising from the purple folds, the upward, listening pose of the fine head, in relief against the bearskin on the wall behind his chair, suggested a greek medallion. his brown hair, close-cut, waved at the temples; lines were chiseled at the corners of his eyes and, with a lighter touch, about his mouth; yet his face, his whole compact, muscular body, gave an impression of youth--youth and power and the capacity for great endurance. his friends said the north never had left a mark of its grip on tisdale. the life up there that had scarred, crippled, wrecked most of them seemed only to have mellowed him. "but," resumed feversham quickly, "i shall make a stiff fight at washington; i shall force attention to our suspended land laws; demand the rights the united states allows her western territories; i shall ask for the same concessions that were the making of the oregon country; and first and last i shall do all i can to loosen the strangling clutch of conservation." he paused, while his hand fell still more heavily on the table, and the glasses jingled anew. "and, gentlemen, the day of the floating population is practically over; we have our settled communities, our cities; we are ready for a legislative body of our own; the time has come for home rule. but the men who make our laws must be familiar with the country, have allied interests. gentlemen,"--his voice, dropping its aggressive tone, took a honeyed insistence,--"we want in our first executive a man who knows us intimately, who has covered our vast distances, whose vision has broadened; a man big enough to hold the welfare of all alaska at heart." the delegate finished this period with an all-embracing smile and, nodding gently, leaned back again in his chair. but in the brief silence that followed, he experienced a kind of shock. foster, the best known mining engineer from prince william sound to the tanana, had turned his eyes on tisdale; and banks, lucky banks, who had made the rich strike in the iditarod wilderness, also looked that way. then instantly their thought was telegraphed from face to face. when feversham allowed his glance to follow the rest, it struck him as a second shock that tisdale was the only one on whom the significance of the moment was lost. the interval passed. tisdale stirred, and his glance, coming back from the door, rested on a dish that had been placed before him. "japanese pheasant!" he exclaimed. the mellowness glowed in his face. he lifted his eyes, and the delegate, meeting that clear, direct gaze, dropped his own to his plate. "think of it! game from the other side of the pacific. they look all right, but--do you know?"--the lines deepened humorously at the corners of his mouth--"nothing with wings ever seems quite as fine to me as ptarmigan." "ptarmigan!" feversham suspended his fork in astonishment. "not ptarmigan?" "yes," persisted tisdale gently, "ptarmigan; and particularly the ones that nest in nunatak arm." there was a pause, while for the first time his eyes swept the circle. he still held the attention of every one, but with a difference; the tenseness had given place to a pleased expectancy. then foster said: "that must have been on some trip you made, while you were doing geological work around st. elias." tisdale shook his head. "no, it was before that; the year i gave up government work to have my little fling at prospecting. you were still in college. every one was looking for a quick route to the klondike then, and i believed if i could push through the coast range from yakutat bay to the valley of the alsek, it would be smooth going straight to the yukon. an old indian i talked with at the mission told me he had made it once on a hunting trip, and weatherbee--you all remember david weatherbee--was eager to try it with me. the tlinket helped us with the outfit, canoeing around the bay and up into the arm to his starting point across nunatak glacier. but it took all three of us seventy-two days to pack the year's supplies over the ice. we tramped back and forth in stages, twelve hundred miles. we hadn't been able to get dogs, and in the end, when winter overtook us in the, mountains, we cached the outfit and came out." "and never went back." banks laughed, a shrill, mirthless laugh, and added in a higher key: "lost a whole year and--the outfit." tisdale nodded slowly. "all we gained was experience. we had plenty of that to invest the next venture over the mountains from prince william sound. but--do you know?--i always liked that little canoe trip around from yakutat. i can't tell you how fine it is in that upper fiord; big peaks and ice walls growing all around. yes."--he nodded again, while the genial wrinkles deepened--"i've seen mountains grow. we had a shock once that raised the coast-line forty-five feet. and another time, while we were going back to the village for a load, a small glacier in a hanging valley high up, perhaps two thousand feet, toppled right out of its cradle into the sea. it stirred things some and noise"--he shook his head with an expressive sound that ended in a hissing whistle. "but it missed the canoe, and the wave it made lifted us and set us safe on top of a little rocky island." he paused again, laughing softly. "i don't know how we kept right side up, but we did. weatherbee was great in an emergency." a shadow crossed his face. he looked off to the end of the room. "i guess you both understood a canoe," said banks. his voice was still high-pitched, like that of a man under continued stress, and his eyes burned in his withered, weather-beaten face like the vents of buried fires. "but likely it was then, while you was freighting the outfit around to the glacier, you came across those ptarmigan." tisdale's glance returned, and the humor played again softly at the corners of his eyes. "i had forgotten about those birds. it was this way. i made the last trip in the canoe alone, for the mail and a small load, principally ammunition and clothing, while weatherbee and the tlinket pushed ahead on one of those interminable stages over the glacier. and on the way back, i was caught in fog. it rolled in, layer on layer, while i felt for the landing; but i managed to find the place and picked up the trail we had worn packing over the ice. and i lost it; probably in a new thaw that had opened and glazed over since i left. anyhow, in a little while i didn't know where i was. i had given my compass to weatherbee, and there was no sun to take bearings from, not a landmark in sight. nothing but fog and ice, and it all looked alike. the surface was too hard to take my impressions, so i wasn't able to follow my own tracks back to the landing. but i had to keep moving, it was so miserably cold; i hardly let myself rest at night; and that fog hung on five days. the third evening i found myself on the water-front, and pretty soon i stumbled on my canoe. i was down to a mighty small allowance of crackers and cheese then, but i parcelled it out in rations for three days and started once more along the shore for yakutat. the next night i was traveling by a sort of sedge when i heard ptarmigan. it sounded good to me, and i brought my canoe up and stepped out. i couldn't see, but i could hear those birds stirring and cheeping all around. i lay down and lifted my gun ready to take the first that came between me and the sky." his voice had fallen to an undernote, and his glance rested an absent moment on the circle of light on the rafter above an electric lamp. "when it did, and i blazed, the whole flock rose. i winged two. i had to grope for them in the reeds, but i found them, and i made a little fire and cooked one of them in a tin pail i carried in the canoe. but when i had finished that supper and pushed off-- do you know?"--his look returned, moving humorously from face to face--"i was hungrier than i had been before. and i just paddled back and cooked the other one." there was a stir along the table; a sighing breath. then some one laughed, and banks piped his strained note. "and," he said after a moment, "of course you kept on to that missionary camp and waited for the fog to lift." tisdale shook his head. "after that supper, there wasn't any need; i turned back to the glacier. and before i reached the landing, i heard weatherbee's voice booming out on the thick silence like a siren at sea; piloting me straight to that one dip in the ice-wall." he looked off again to the end of the room, absently, with the far-sighted gaze of one accustomed to travel great solitudes. it was as though he heard again that singing voice. then suddenly his expression changed. his eyes had rested on a kodiak bearskin that hung against a pillar at the top of the gallery steps. the corner was unlighted, in heavy shadow, but a hand reaching from behind had drawn the rug slightly aside, and its whiteness on the brown fur, the flash of a jewelled ring, caught his attention. the next moment the hand was withdrawn. he gave it no more thought then, but a time came afterward when he remembered it. "weatherbee had noticed that fog-bank," he went on, "from high up the glacier. it worried him so he finally turned back to meet me, and he had waited so long he was down to his last biscuit. i was mighty reckless about that second ptarmigan, but the water the birds were cooked in made a fine soup. and the fog broke, and we overtook the tlinket and supplies the next morning." there was another stir along the table, then foster said: "that was a great voice of weatherbee's. i've seen it hearten a whole crowd on a mean trail, like the bugle and fife of a regiment." "so have i." it was lucky banks who spoke. "so have i. and weatherbee was always ready to stand by a poor devil in a tight place. when the frost got me"--he held up a crippled and withered hand--"it was dave weatherbee who pulled me through. we were mushing it on the same stampede from fairbanks to ruby creek, and he never had seen me before. it had come to the last day, and we were fighting it out in the teeth of a blizzard. you all know what that means. in the end we just kept the trail, following the hummocks. sometimes it was a pack under a drift, or maybe a sled; and sometimes it was a hand reaching up through the snow, frozen stiff. then it came my turn, and i lay down in my tracks. but weatherbee stopped to work over me. he wouldn't go on. he said if i was determined to stay in that cemet'ry, i could count on his company. and when he got me on my feet, he just started 'dixie,' nice and lively, and the next i knew he had me all wound up and set going again, good as new." his laugh, like the treble notes of the arctic wind, gave an edge to the story. presently foster said: "that was weatherbee; i never knew another such man. always effacing himself when it came to a choice; always ready to share a good thing. why, he made some of his friends rich, and yet in the end, after seven years of it, seven years of struggle of the worst kind, what did he have to show?" "nothing, foster; nothing but seven feet of earth up there on the edge of the wilderness." tisdale's voice vibrated gently; an emotion like the surface stir of shaken depths crossed his face. "and a tract of unimproved desert down here in eastern washington," he added. "and mrs. weatherbee," supplemented feversham quickly. "you mustn't forget her. any man must have counted such a wife his most valuable asset. here's to her! young, charming, clever; a typical american beauty!" he stopped to drain his glass, then went on. "i remember the day weatherbee sailed for alaska. i was taking the same steamer, and she was on the dock, with all seattle, to see the argonauts away. it was a hazardous journey into the unknown in those days, and scenes were going on all around--my own wife was weeping on my shoulder--but mrs. weatherbee, and she had just been married then, bridged the parting like a little trump. 'well, david,' she said, with a smile to turn a priest's head, 'good-by and good luck. come back when you've made your fortune, and i'll help you to spend it.'" the delegate, laughing deeply, reached for the port decanter to refill his glass. no one else saw the humor of the story, though the man with the maimed hand again gave an edge to the silence that followed with his strained, mirthless laugh. presently he said: "but he never came back." "no." it was foster who answered. "no, but he was on his way out to the states at last, when the end came. i don't understand it. it seems incredible that weatherbee, who had won through so many times, handicapped by the waifs and strays of the trail,--weatherbee, to whom the susitna country was an open scroll,--should have perished as he did. but it was you who found him, hollis. come, tell us all about it." tisdale shook his head. "some other time, foster. it's a long story and not the kind to tell here." "go on! go on!" the urging came from many, and banks added in his high, tense key; "i guess we can stand it. most of us saw the iron side of alaska before we saw the golden." "well, then," tisdale began reluctantly, "i must take you back a year. i was completing trail reconnaissance from the new alaska midway surveys in the susitna valley, through rainy pass, to connect with the mail route from the interior to nome, and, to avoid returning another season, kept my party late in the field. it was the close of september when we struck seward peninsula and miserably cold, with gales sweeping in from bering sea. the grass had frozen, and before we reached a cache of oats i had relied on, most of our horses perished; we arrived at nome too late for the last steamer of the year. that is how i came to winter there, and why a letter weatherbee had written in october was so long finding me. it was forwarded from seattle with other mail i cabled for, back to prince william sound, over the fairbanks-valdez trail, and out again by the winter route three thousand miles to nome. it was the middle of march when i received it, and he had asked me to buy his half interest in the aurora mine. he needed the money to go out to the states." tisdale's voice broke a little; and for a moment he looked off through the open door. "perhaps some of you remember i grub-staked him for a half share when he left the tanana to prospect down along the alaska range. after he located, i forwarded him small amounts several times to carry on development work. i never had been on the ground, but he explained he was handicapped by high water and was trying to divert the channel of a creek. in that last letter he said he had carried the scheme nearly through; the next season would pay my money back and more; the aurora would pan out the richest strike he had ever made. but that did not trouble me. i knew if weatherbee had spent two years on that placer, the gravels had something to show. the point that weighed was that he was willing to go home at last to the states. i had urged him before i put up the grub-stake, but he had answered: 'not until i have made good.' it was hardly probable that, failing to hear from me, he had sold out to any one else. from his description, the aurora was isolated; hundreds of miles from the new iditarod camp; he hadn't a neighbor in fifty miles. so i forwarded his price and arranged with the mail carrier to send a special messenger on from the nearest post. in the letter i wrote to explain my delay, i sketched a plan of my summer's work and told him how sorry i was i had missed seeing him while the party was camped below rainy pass. though i couldn't have spared the time to go to the aurora, he might have found me, had i sent an indian with word. it was the first time i had gone through his orbit without letting him know. "but after that carrier had gone, weatherbee's letter kept worrying me. it wasn't like him to complain, yet he had written he was tired of the eternal winters; he couldn't stand those everlasting snow peaks sometimes, they got to crowding him so; they kept him awake when he needed sleep, threatening him. 'i've got to break away from them, hollis,' he said, 'and get where it's warm once more; and when my blood begins to thaw, i'll show you i can make a go of things.' then he reminded me of the land he owned down here on the eastern slopes of the cascade mountains. the soil was the finest volcanic ash; the kind that grew the vineyards on vesuvius, and he meant to plant it with grapes; with orchards, too, on the bench levels. all the tract needed was water, but there was a natural reservoir and spring on a certain high plateau that could be easily tapped with a flume." tisdale paused while his glance moved slowly, singling out those who had known weatherbee. a great gentleness rested on his face, and when he went on, it crept like a caress through his voice. "most of you have heard him talk about that irrigation scheme; some of you have seen those plans he used to-work on, long alaska nights. it was his dream for years. he went north in the beginning just to accumulate capital enough to swing that project. but the more i studied that letter, the more confident i was he had stayed his limit; he was breaking, and he knew it. that was why he was so anxious to turn the aurora over to me and get to the states. finally i decided to go with the mail carrier and on to the mine. if weatherbee was still there, as i believed, we would travel to fairbanks together and take the valdez trail out to the open harbor on prince william sound. i picked up a team of eight good huskies--the weather was clear with a moon in her second quarter--and i started light, cutting my stops short; but when i left nome i had lost four days." hollis paused another interval, looking off again through the open door, while the far-sighted expression gathered in his eyes. it was as though his listeners also in that moment saw those white solitudes stretching limitless under the arctic night. "i never caught up with that carrier," he went on, "and the messenger he sent on broke trail for me all the way to the aurora. i met him on his return trip, thirty hours out from the mine. but he had found weatherbee there, and had a deed for me which david had asked him to see recorded and forwarded to me at nome. it was a relief to hear he had been able to attend to these business matters, but i wondered why he had not brought the deed himself, since he must come that way to strike the fairbanks trail, and why the man had not waited to travel with him. then he told me weatherbee had decided to use the route i had sketched in my letter. the messenger had tried to dissuade him; he had reminded him there were no road-houses, and that the traces left by my party must have been wiped out by the winter snows. but weatherbee argued that the new route would shorten the distance to open tide-water hundreds of miles; that his nearest neighbors were in that direction, fifty miles to the south; and they would let him have dogs. then, when he struck the susitna valley, he would have miles of railroad bed to ease the last stage. so, at the time the messenger left the aurora, weatherbee started south on his long trek to rainy pass. he was mushing afoot, with tyee pulling the sled. some of you must remember that big husky with a strain of st. bernard he used to drive on the tanana." "my, yes," piped little banks, and his eyes scintillated like chippings of blue glacier ice. "likely i do remember tyee. dave picked him up that same trip he set me on my feet. he found him left to starve on the trail with a broken leg. and he camped right there, pitched his tent for a hospital, and went to whittling splints out of a piece of willow to set that bone. 'i am sorry to keep you waiting,' he says to me, 'but he is a mighty good dog. he would have done his level best to see the man who deserted him through.' and he would. i'd bank my money on old tyee." tisdale nodded slowly. "but my chance to overtake david was before he secured that team fifty miles on. and i pushed my dogs too hard. when i reached the aurora, they were nearly done for. i was forced to rest them a day. that gave me time to look into weatherbee's work. i found that the creek where he had made his discovery ran through a deep and narrow canyon, and it was clear to me that the boxed channel, which was frozen solid then, was fed during the short summer by a small glacier at the top of the gorge. to turn the high water from his placer, he had made a bore of nearly one thousand feet and practically through rock. i followed a bucket tramway he had rigged to lift the dump and found a primitive lighting-plant underground. the whole tunnel was completed, with the exception of a thin wall left to safeguard against an early thaw in the stream, while the bore was being equipped with a five-foot flume. you all know what that means, hundreds of miles from navigation or a main traveled road. to get that necessary lumber, he felled trees in a spruce grove up the ravine; every board was hewn by hand. and about two-thirds of those sluice-boxes, the bottoms fitted with riffles, were finished. afterwards, at that camp where he stopped for dogs, i learned that aside from a few days at long intervals, when the two miners had exchanged their labor for some engineering, he had made his improvements alone, single-handed. and most of that flume was constructed in those slow months he waited to hear from me." tisdale paused, and again his glance sought the faces of those who had known david weatherbee. but all the circle was strung responsive. those who never had known weatherbee understood the terrible conditions he had braved; the body-wracking toil underground; the soul-breaking solitude; the crowding silence that months earlier he had felt the necessity to escape. in that picked company, the latent force in each acknowledged the iron courage of the man; but it was tisdale's magnetic personality, the unstudied play of expression in his rugged face, the undercurrent of emotion quickening through infinite tones of his voice, that plumbed the depths and in every listener struck the dominant chord. and, too, these men had bridged subconsciously those vast distances between tisdale's start from nome in clear weather, "with a moon in her second quarter," and that stop at the deserted mine, when his dogs--powerful huskies, part wolf, since they were bred in the seward peninsula--"were nearly done for." long and inevitable periods of dark there had been; perils of white blizzard, of black frost. they had run familiarly the whole gamut of hardship and danger he himself must have faced single-handed; and while full measure was accorded weatherbee, the greater tribute passed silently, unsought, to the man who had traveled so far and so fast to rescue him. "it ought to have been me," exclaimed lucky banks at last in his high treble. "i was just down in the iditarod country, less than three hundred miles. i ought to have run up once in awhile to see how he was getting along. but i never thought of dave's needing help himself, and nobody told me he was around. i'd ought to have kept track of him, though; it was up to me. but go on, hollis; go on. i bet you made up that day you lost at the mine. my, yes, i bet you broke the record hitting that fifty-mile camp." tisdale nodded, and for an instant the humor played lightly at the corners of his eyes. "it took me just seven hours with an up-grade the last twenty miles. you see, i had weatherbee to break trail. he rested a night at the camp and lost about three hours more, while they hunted a missing husky to make up his team. still he pushed out with nearly eighteen hours start and four fresh dogs, with tyee pulling a strong lead; while i wasn't able to replace even one of mine that had gone lame. i had to leave him there, and before i reached the summit of rainy pass, i was carrying his mate on my sled. but i had a sun then,--the days were lengthening fast into may,--and by cutting my stops short i managed to hold my own to the divide. after that i gained. finally, one morning, i came to a rough place where his outfit had upset, and i saw his dogs were giving him trouble. there were blood stains all around on the snow. it looked like the pack had broken open, and the huskies had tried to get at the dried salmon. tyee must have fought them off until weatherbee was able to master them. at the end of the next day i reached a miners' cabin where he had spent the night, and the man who had helped him unhitch told me he had had to remind him to feed his dogs. he had seemed all right, only dead tired; but he had gone to bed early and, neglecting to leave a call, had slept fifteen hours. i rested my team five, and late the next morning i came upon his camp-fire burning." tisdale paused to draw his hand across his eyes and met foster's look over the table. "it was there i blundered. there was a plain traveled trail from that mine down through the lowlands to susitna, and i failed to see that his tracks left it: they were partly blotted out in a fresh fall of snow. i lost six hours there, and when i picked up his trail again, i saw he was avoiding the few way houses; he passed the settlement by; then i missed his camp-fire. it was plain he was afraid to sleep any more. but he knew the susitna country; he kept a true course, and sometimes, in swampy places, turned back to the main thoroughfare. at last, near the crossing of the matanuska, i was caught in the first spring thaw. it was heavy going. all the streams were out of banks; the valley became a network of small sloughs undermining the snowfields, creating innumerable ponds and lakes. the earth, bared in patches, gave and oozed like a sponge. it was impossible to follow weatherbee's trail, but i picked it up once more, where it came into the other, along the chugach foot-hills. slides began to block the way; ice glazed the overflows at night; and at last a cold wave struck down from the summits; the track stiffened in an hour and it was hard as steel underfoot. the wind cut like swords. then came snow." tisdale looked off with his far-sighted gaze through the open door. every face was turned to him, but no one hurried him. it was a time when silence spoke. "i came on weatherbee's dogs in a small ravine," he said. "they had broken through thin ice in an overflow, and the sled had mired in muck. the cold wave set them tight; their legs were planted like posts, and i had to cut them out. two were done for." "you mean," exclaimed banks, "dave hadn't cut the traces to give his huskies a chance." tisdale nodded slowly. "but the instant i cut tyee loose, he went limping off, picking up his master's trail. it was a zigzag course up the face of a ridge into a grove of spruce. weatherbee took a course like a husky; location was a sixth sense to him; yet i found his tracks up there, winding aimlessly. it had stopped snowing then, but the first impressions were nearly filled. in a little while i noticed the spaces were shorter between the prints of the left shoe; they made a dip and blur. then i came into a parallel trail, and these tracks were clear, made since the snowstorm, but there was the same favoring of the left foot. he was traveling in a circle. sometimes in unsheltered places, where the wind swept through an avenue of trees, small drifts covered the impressions, but the dog found them again, still doubling that broad circle. finally i saw a great dark blotch ahead where the ground sloped up to a narrow plateau. and in a moment i saw it was caused by a great many fresh twigs of spruce, all stuck upright in the snow and set carefully in rows, like a child's make-believe garden." tisdale's voice broke. he was looking off again into the night, and his face hardened; two vertical lines like clefts divided his brows. it was as though the iron in the man cropped through. the pause was breathless. here and there a grim face worked. "when the dog reached the spot," hollis went on, "he gave a quick bark and ran with short yelps towards a clump of young trees a few yards off. the rim of a drift formed a partial windbreak, but he had only a low bough to cover him,--and the temperature,--along those ice-peaks--" his voice failed. there was another speaking silence. it was as though these men, having followed all those hundreds of miles over tundra and mountains, through thaw and frost, felt with him in that moment the heart-breaking futility of his pursuit. "i tried my best," he added. "i guess you all know that, but--i was too late." the warning blast of an automobile cut the stillness, and the machine stopped in front of the clubhouse, but no one at the table noticed the interruption. then banks said, in his high key: "but you hitched his dogs up with yours, the ones that were fit, and brought him through to seward. you saw him buried. thank you for that." feversham cleared his throat and reached for the decanter, "think of it!" he exclaimed. "a man like that, lost on a main traveled thoroughfare! but the toll will go on every year until we have a railroad. here's to that road, gentlemen. here's to the alaska midway and home rule." the toast was responded to, and it was followed by others. but tisdale had left his place to step through the open door to the balcony. presently foster joined him. they stood for an interval smoking and taking in those small night sounds for which long intimacy with nature teaches a man to listen; the distant voice of running water; the teasing note of the breeze; the complaint of a balsam-laden bough; the restless stir of unseen wings; the patter of diminutive feet. a wooded point that formed the horn of a bay was etched in black on the silver lake; then suddenly the moon illumined the horizon and, rising over a stencilled crest of the cascades, stretched her golden path to the shore below them. both these men, watching it, saw that other trail reaching white, limitless, hard as steel through the alaska solitudes. "at seward," said foster at last, "you received orders by cable detailing you to a season in the matanuska fields; but before you took your party in, you sent a force of men back to the aurora to finish weatherbee's work and begin operations. and the diverting of that stream exposed gravels that are going to make you rich. you deserve it. i grant that. it's your compensation; but just the same it gives a sharper edge to poor weatherbee's luck." tisdale swung around. "see here, foster, i want you to know i should have considered that money as a loan if david had lived. if he had lived--and recovered--i should have made him take back that half interest in the aurora. you've got to believe that; and i would be ready to do as much for his wife, if she had treated him differently. but she wrecked his life. i hold her responsible." foster was silent. "think of it!" hollis went on. "the shame of it! all those years while he faced privation, the worst kind, tramping alaska trails, panning in icy streams, sluicing, digging sometimes like any common laborer, wintering in shacks, she was living in luxury down here. he never made a promising discovery that he wasn't forced to sell. she spent his money faster than he made it; kept him handicapped. and all she ever gave him was a friendly letter now and then, full of herself and the gay life she led, and showing clearly how happy she could be without him. think of it, foster!" his voice deepened and caught its vibrant quality. "a fine fellow like weatherbee; so reliable, so great in a hard place. how could she have treated him as she did? damn it! how could he have thrown himself away like that, for a feather-headed woman?" foster knocked the ash from the end of his cigar. "you don't know her," he answered. "if you did, you wouldn't put it in that way." he smiled a little and looked off at the golden path on the lake. "so," he said after a moment, and his glance returned to meet tisdale's squarely, "she has absolutely nothing now but that tract of unimproved desert on the other side of the cascades." chapter ii the question sometime, high on a mountain slope, a cross current of air, or perhaps a tremor of the surface occasioned far off, starts the small snow-cap, that sliding, halting, impelled forward again, always accumulating, gathering momentum, finally becomes the irresistible avalanche. so marcia feversham, the following morning, gave the first slight impetus to the question that eventually menaced tisdale with swift destruction. she was not taking the early train with her husband; she desired to break the long journey and, after the season in the north, prolong the visit with her relatives in seattle. the delegate had left her sleeping, but when he had finished the light breakfast served him alone in the morganstein dining-room and hurried out to the waiting limousine, to his surprise he found her in the car. "i am going down to see you away," she explained; "this salt breeze with the morning tide is so delightfully fresh." there was no archness in her glance; her humor was wholly masculine. a firm mouthy brilliant, dark eyes, the heavy morganstein brows that met over the high nose, gave weight and intensity to anything she said. her husband, in coaching her for the coming campaign at washington, had told her earnestness was her strong suit; that her deep, deliberate voice was her best card, but she held in her eyes, unquestionably, both bowers. "delightful of you, i am sure," he answered, taking the seat beside her, with his for-the-public smile, "but i give credit to the air; you are looking as brilliant at this outrageous hour as you would on your way to an afternoon at bridge." then, the chauffeur having closed the door and taken his place in the machine, feversham turned a little to scrutinize her face. "now, my lady," he asked, "to what do i owe the pleasure?" "mr. tisdale," she answered directly. "of course you must see now, even if i do contrive to meet him through frederic, as you suggested, and manage to see him frequently; even if i find out what he means to say in those coal reports, when it comes to influence, i won't have the weight of a feather. no woman could. he is made of iron, and his principles were cast in the mold." "every man has his vulnerable point, and i can trust you to find hollis tisdale's." the delegate paused an instant, still regarding his wife's face, frowning a little, yet not without humor, then said: "but you have changed your attitude quickly. where did you learn so much about him? how can you be so positive about a man you never have met? whom you have seen only a time or two at a distance, on some street--or was it a hotel lobby?--in valdez or fairbanks?" "yesterday, when we were talking, that was true; but since then i have seen him at close range. i've heard him." she turned and met feversham's scrutiny with the brilliancy rising in her eyes. "last night at the clubhouse, when he told the story of david weatherbee, i was there." "you were there? impossible! that is against the rules. not a man of the circle would have permitted it, and you certainly would have been discovered before you reached the assembly hall. why, i myself was the last to arrive. frederic, you remember, had to speed the car a little to get me there. and i looked back from the door and saw you in the tonneau with elizabeth, while mrs. weatherbee kept her place in front with frederic. you were going down the boulevard to spend the evening with her at vivian court." "that was our plan, but we turned back," she explained. "we had a curiosity to see the circle seated around the banquet board in those ridiculous purple parkas. and frederic bet me a new electric runabout against the parka of silver fox and the mukluks i bought of the esquimau girl at valdez that we never could get as far as the assembly room. he waited with elizabeth in the car while we two crept up the stairs. the door was open, and we stood almost screened by that portière of indian leather, peeping in. mr. tisdale was telling the ptarmigan yarn--it's wonderful the power he has to hold the interest of a crowd of men--and the chance was too good to miss. we stole on up the steps to the gallery,--no one noticed us,--and concealed ourselves behind that hanging kodiak bearskin." "incredible!" exclaimed feversham. "but i see you arrived at the opportune moment,--when tisdale was talking. there's something occult about the personality of that man. and she, mrs. weatherbee, heard everything?" marcia nodded. "even your graceful toast to her." at this he settled back in his seat, laughing. "well, i am glad i made it. i could hardly have put it more neatly had i known she was there." "she couldn't have missed a word. we had found a bench behind the kodiak skin, and she sat straight as a soldier, listening through it all. i couldn't get her to come away; it was as though she was looking on at an interesting play. she was just as neutral and still; only her face turned white, and her eyes were wide as stars, and once she gripped the fur of the kodiak so hard i expected to see it come down. but i know she failed to grasp the vital point of the story. i mean the point vital to her. she doesn't understand enough about law. and i myself slept on it the night through before i saw. it came the moment i wakened this morning, clear and sudden as an electric flash. if david weatherbee was mentally unbalanced when he made that transfer, the last half interest in the aurora mine ought to revert to her." feversham started. he lifted his plump hands and let them drop forcibly on his broad knees. but she did not notice his surprise. they were approaching the station, and time pressed. "you know it is not a simple infatuation with frederic," she hurried on, "to be forgotten tomorrow. he has loved her passionately from the day he first met her, four years ago. he can't think of anything else; he never will do anything of credit to the family until she is his wife. and now, with david weatherbee safely buried, it seems reasonably sure. still, still, miles, this unexpected fortune held out to her just now might turn the scales. we have got to keep it from her, and if those coal claims are coming up for trial, you must frame some excuse to have them postponed." "postponed? why, we've just succeeded in gaining federal attention. we've been waiting five years. we want them settled now. it concerns frederic as well as the rest of us." "true," she answered, "even more. if those patents are allowed, he will take immediate steps to mine the coal on a large scale. and it came over me, instantly, on the heels of the first flash, that it was inevitable, if mr. tisdale had taken advantage of david weatherbee's condition--and his own story shows the man had lost his mind; he was wandering around planting make-believe orchards in the snow--you would use the point to impeach the government's star witness." "impeach the government's witness?" repeated feversham, then a sudden intelligence leaped into his face. "impeach hollis tisdale," he added softly and laughed. presently, as the chauffeur slackened speed, looking for a stand among the waiting machines at the depot, the attorney said: "if the syndicate sends stuart foster north to the iditarod, he may be forced to winter there; that would certainly postpone the trial until spring." the next moment the chauffeur threw open the limousine door, and the delegate stepped out; but he lingered a little over his good-by, retaining his wife's hand, which he continued to shake slowly, while his eyes telegraphed an answer to the question in hers. then, laughing again deeply, he said: "my lady! my lady! nature juggled; she played your brother frederic a trick when she set that mind in your woman's head." chapter iii foster too the apartment tisdale called home was in a high corner of the alaska building, where the western windows, overtopping other stone and brick blocks of the business center, commanded the harbor, caught like a faceted jewel between duwamish head and magnolia bluff, and a far sweep of the outer sound set in wooded islands and the lofty snow peaks of the olympic peninsula. next to his summer camp in the open he liked this eyrie, and particularly he liked it at this hour of the night tide. he drew his chair forward where the stiff, salt wind blew full in his face, but foster, who had found the elevator not running and was somewhat heated by his long climb to the "summit," took the precaution of choosing a sheltered place near the north window, which was closed. a shaded electric lamp cast a ring of light on the package he had laid on the table between them, but the rest of the room was in shadow, and from his seat he glanced down on the iridescent sign displays of second avenue, then followed the lines of street globes trailing away to the brilliant constellations set against the blackness of queen anne hill. "she is to be out of town a week," he said, "and i hardly liked to leave weatherbee's things with a hotel clerk; since i am sailing on the _admiral sampson_ tonight, i brought the package back. you will have to be your own messenger." "that's all right, foster; i can find another when she returns. i'll ask banks." "no." foster's glance came back from the street; his voice rang a little sharp. "take it yourself, hollis." "i can trust it with banks." tisdale paused a moment, still looking out on the harbor lights and the stars, then said: "so you are going north again; back to the copper mine, i presume?" "no, i shall be there later, but i expect to make a quick trip in to the iditarod now, to look over placer properties. the syndicate has bonded banks' claims and, if it is feasible, a dredger will be sent in next spring to begin operations on a big scale. i shall go, of course, by way of the yukon, and if ice comes early and the steamers are taken off, return by trail around through fairbanks." "i see." tisdale leaned forward a little, grasping the arms of his chair. "the syndicate is taking considerable risk in sending you to the iditarod at this time. suppose those coal cases should be called, with you winter-bound up there. why, the chugach trial couldn't go on." "i am identified with the morganstein interests there, i admit; but why should the chugach claims be classed with conspiracies to defraud the government? they were entered regularly, fifty coal claims of one hundred and sixty acres each, by as many different persons. because the president temporarily suspended alaska coal laws is no reason those patents should be refused or even delayed. our money was accepted by the government; it was never refunded." "as i thought," said tisdale softly, addressing the stars; "as i feared." then, "foster, foster," he admonished, "be careful. keep your head. that syndicate is going to worry you some, old man, before you are through." foster got to his feet. "see here, hollis, be fair. look at it once from the other side. the morgansteins have done more for alaska than they will ever be given credit for. capital is the one key to open that big, new, mountain-locked country, and the government is treating it like a boa-constrictor to be throttled and stamped out. millions went into the development of the el dorado, yet they still have to ship the ore thousands of miles to a smelter, with coal,--the best kind, inexhaustible fields of it,--at our door. and go back to mcfarlane. he put one hundred and fifty thousand into the chugach railway to bring out the coal he had mined, but he can't touch it; it's all tied up in red tape; the road is rotting away. he is getting to be an old man, but i saw him doing day labor on the seattle streets to-day. then there's the copper river northwestern. that company built a railroad where every engineer but one, who saw the conditions, said it could not be done. you yourself have called it the most wonderful piece of construction on record. you know how that big bridge was built in winter--the only time when the bergs stopped chipping off the face of the glacier long enough to set the piers; you know how haney worked his men, racing against the spring thaw--he's paying for it with his life, now, down in california. in dollars that bridge alone cost a million and a half. yet, with this road finished through the coast mountains, they've had to suspend operation because they can't burn their own coal. they've got to change their locomotives to oil burners. and all this is just because the president delays to annul a temporary restriction the previous executive neglected to remove. we have waited; we have imported from british columbia, from japan; shipped in pennsylvania, laid down at prince william sound at fifteen dollars a ton, when our own coal could be mined for two and a quarter and delivered here in seattle for five." "it could, i grant that," said tisdale mellowly, "but would it, stuart? would it, if the morganstein interests had exclusive control?" foster seemed not to have heard that question. he turned restlessly and strode across the room. "the government with just as much reason might have conserved alaska gold." tisdale laughed. "that would have been a good thing for alaska," he answered; "if a part, at least of her placer streams had been conserved. come, foster, you know as well as i do that the regulations early prospectors accepted as laws are not respected to-day. every discovery is followed by speculators who travel light, who do not expect to do even first assessment work, but only to stay on the ground long enough to stake as many claims as possible for themselves and their friends. when the real prospector arrives, with his year's outfit, he finds hundreds of miles, a whole valley staked, and his one chance is to buy or work under a lease. most of these speculators live in the towns, some of them down here in seattle, carrying on other business, and they never visit their claims. they re-stake and re-stake year after year and follow on the heels of each new strike, often by proxy. we have proof enough of all this to convince the most lukewarm senator." "you think then," said foster quickly, "there is going to be a chance, after all, for the bill for home rule?" "no." tisdale's voice lost its mellowness. "it is a mistake; it's asking too much at the beginning. we need amended mining laws; we should work for that at once, in the quickest concerted way. and, first of all, our special delegates should push the necessity of a law giving a defined length of shaft or tunnel for assessment work, as is enforced in the klondike, and ask for efficient inspectors to see that such laws as we have are obeyed." foster moved to the window and stood looking down again on the city lights. presently he said: "i presume you will see the president while you are in washington." "probably. he is always interested in the field work up there, and this season's reconnaissance in the matanuska coal district should be of special importance to him just now. the need of a naval coaling station on the pacific coast has grown imperative, and with vast bodies of coal accessible to prince william sound, the question of location should soon be solved." there was another silence, while poster walked again to the end of the room and returned. "how soon do you start east?" he asked. "within a week. meantime, i am going over the cascades into the sage-brush country to look up that land of weatherbee's." "you intend then," said foster quickly, "to take that piece of desert off mrs. weatherbee's hands?" "perhaps. it depends on the possibility of carrying out his project. i have just shipped a steam thawing apparatus in to the aurora, and that, with supplies for a winter camp, has taken a good deal of ready money. freighting runs high, whether it's from the iditarod or south from fairbanks. but spring should see expenses paid and my investment back." "from all i've heard," responded foster dryly, "you'll get your investment back with interest." "of course," said tisdale after a moment, "mrs. weatherbee will be eager to dispose of the tract; the only reason it is still on her hands is that no one has wanted to buy it at any price." "and that's just why you should." foster paused, then went on slowly, controlling the emotion in his voice, "you don't know her, hollis. she's proud. she won't admit the situation, and i can't ask her directly, but i am sure she has come to the limit. i've been trying all day, ever since i knew i must go north again, to raise enough money to make an offer for that land, but practically all i have is tied up in alaska properties. it takes time to find a customer, and the banks are cautious." tisdale rose from his chair. "foster!" he cried and stretched out his hands. "foster--not you, too." then his hands dropped, and foster drew a step nearer into the circle of light and stood meeting squarely the silent remonstrance, accusation, censure, for which he was prepared. "i knew how you would take it," he broke out at last, "but it's the truth. i've smothered it, kept it down for years; but it's nothing to be ashamed of any longer. i'd have been glad to exchange places with weatherbee. i'd have counted it a privilege to work, even as he did, for her; i could have suffered privation, the worst kind, wrung success out of failure, for the hope of her." "see here, foster,"--tisdale laid his hands on the younger man's shoulders, shaking him slowly,--"you must stop this." his hold relaxed; he stepped back, and his voice vibrated softly through the room. "how could you have said it, knowing david weatherbee as you did? no matter what kind of a woman she is, you should have remembered she was his wife and respected her for his sake." "respect? i do respect her. she's the kind of woman a man sets on a pedestal to worship and glorify. you don't understand it, hollis; you don't know her, and i can't explain; but just her presence is an appeal, an inspiration to all that's worth anything in me." tisdale's hands sought his pockets; his head dropped forward a little and he stood regarding foster with an upward look from under frowning brows. "you don't know her," foster repeated. "she's different--finer than other women. and she has been gently bred. generations of the best blood is bottled like old wine in her crystal body." he paused, his face brightening at the fancy. "you can always see the spirit sparkling through." "i remember about that blue blood," tisdale said tersely. "weatherbee told me how it could be traced back through a spanish mother to some buccaneering adventurer, don silva de y somebody, who made his headquarters in mexico. and that means a trace of mexican in the race, or at least aztec." foster colored. "the son of that don silva came north and settled in california. he brought his peons with him and made a great rancheria. at the time of the mexican war, his herds and flocks covered immense ranges. hundreds of these cattle must have supplied the united states commissary; the rest were scattered, and in the end there was little left of the estate; just a few hundred acres and a battered hacienda. but mrs. weatherbee's father was english; the younger son of an old and knighted family." "i know," answered tisdale dryly. "here in the northwest we call such sons remittance men. they are paid generous allowances, sometimes, to come to america and stay." "that's unfair," foster flamed. "you have no right to say it. he came to california when he was just a young fellow to invest a small inheritance. he doubled it twice in a few years. then he was persuaded to put his money in an old, low-grade gold mine. the company made improvements, built a flume thirty miles long to bring water to the property for development, but it was hardly finished when a state law was passed prohibiting hydraulic mining. it practically ruined him. he had nothing to depend on then but a small annuity." "meantime," supplemented tisdale, "he had married his spanish señorita and her inheritance, the old rancheria, was sunk with his own in the gold mine. then he began to play fast and loose with his annuity at the san francisco stock exchange." "he hoped to make good quickly. he was getting past his prime, with his daughter's future to be secured. but it got to be a habit and, after the death of his wife, a passion. his figure was well known on the street; he was called a plunger. some days he made fortunes; the next lost them. still he was the same distinguished, courteous gentleman to the end." "and that came on the stock exchange, after a prolonged strain. david weatherbee found him and took him home." tisdale paused, then went on, still regarding foster with that upward look from under his forbidding brows. "it fell to weatherbee to break the news to the daughter, and ten days later, on the eve of his sailing north to seattle, that marriage was hurried through." there was a silent moment, then foster said: "weatherbee loved her, and he was going to alaska; it was uncertain when he could return; married, he might send for her when conditions were fit. and her father's affairs were a complete wreck; even the annuity stopped at his death, and there wasn't an acre of her mother's inheritance left. not a relative to take her in." "i know; that is why she married weatherbee." tisdale set his lips grimly; he swung around and strode across the floor. "you see, you can't tell me anything," he said. "i know all about it. wait. listen. i am going over the mountains and look up that land of weatherbee's, and i shall probably buy it, but i want you to understand clearly it is only because i hope to carry his project through. now go north, foster; take a new grip on things; get to work and let your investments alone." after that, when foster had gone, tisdale spent a long interval tramping the floor of his breezy room. the furrows still divided his brows, his mouth was set, and a dark color burned and glowed through his tan. but deeper than his angry solicitude for foster rankled his resentment against this woman. who was she, he asked himself, that she should fix her hold on level-headed foster? but he knew her kind. feversham had called her a "typical american beauty," but there were many types, and he knew her kind. she was a brunette, of course, showing a swarthier trace of mexican with the spanish, and she would have a sort of personal magnetism. she might prove dramatic if roused, but those spanish-california women were indolent, and they grew heavy early. big, handsome, voluptuous; just a splendid animal without a spark of soul. he had stopped near the table, and his glance fell on the package in the ring of light from the shaded lamp. after a moment he lifted it and, drawing up a chair, seated himself and removed the wrapper. it covered a tin box such as he was accustomed to use in the wilderness for the protection and portage of field notes and maps. he raised the lid and took from the top a heavy paper, which he unfolded and spread before him. it was weatherbee's landscape plan, traced with the skill of a draughtsman and showing plainly the contour of the tract in eastern washington and his method of reclamation. the land included a deep pocket set between spurs of the cascade mountains. the ridges and peaks above it had an altitude of from one to six thousand feet. he found the spring, marked high in a depressed shoulder, and followed the line of flume drawn from it down to a natural dry basin at the top of the pocket. a dam was set in the lower rim of this reservoir and, reaching from it, a canal was sketched in, feeding cross ditches, distributing spillways to the orchards that covered the slopes and levels below. finally he traced the roadway up through the avenues between the trees, over the bench, to the house that commanded the valley. the mission walls, the inside court, the roomy, vine-grown portico, all the detail of foliage here had been elaborated skilfully, with the touch of an artist. the habitation stood out the central feature of the picture and, as a good etching will, assumed a certain personality. how fond david would have been of a home,--a home and children! tisdale folded the plan and sat holding it absently in his hands. his mind ran back from this final, elaborated copy to the first rough draft weatherbee had shown him one night at the beginning of that interminable winter they had passed together in the alaska solitudes. he had watched the drawing and the project grow. but afterwards, when he had taken up geological work again, they had met only at long intervals; at times he had lost all trace of weatherbee, and he had not realized the scheme had such a hold. still, he should have understood; he should have had at least a suspicion before that letter reached him at nome. and even then he had been blind. with that written proof in his hands, he had failed to grasp its meaning. the tragedy! the shame of it! that he should have hesitated,--thrown away four days. he looked off once more to the harbor, and his eyes gathered their far-sighted expression, as though they went seeking that white trail through the solitudes stretching limitless under the cold arctic night. his face hardened. when finally the features stirred, disturbed by forces far down, he had come to that make-believe orchard of spruce twigs. after a while he folded the drawing to put it away, but as his glance fell on the contents of the box, he laid the plan on the table to take up the miner's poke tucked in a corner made by a packet of letters, and drew out weatherbee's watch. it was valuable but the large monogram deeply engraved on the gold case may have made it unnegotiable. that probably was why david never had parted with it. tisdale wound it, and set the hands. the action seemed suddenly to bring weatherbee close. he felt his splendid personality there beside him, as he used to feel it still nights up under the near yukon stars. it was as though he was back to one night, the last on a long trail, when they were about to part company. he had been urging him to come out with him to the states, but weatherbee had as steadily refused. "not yet," he persisted. "not until i have something to show." and again: "no, hollis, don't ask me to throw away all these years. i have the experience now, and i've got to make good." then he spoke of his wife-- for an instant tisdale seemed to see him once more, bending to hold his open watch so that the light of the camp-fire played on her picture set in the lower rim. "you see alaska is no place for a woman like her," he said, "but she is worth waiting for and working for. you ought to understand, hollis, how the thought of her buoys me through." but it was a long time to remember a picture seen only by the flicker of a camp-fire and starshine, and the woman of tisdale's imagination clouded out the face he tried to recall. "still weatherbee was so sensitive, so fine," he argued with himself. "a woman must have possessed more than a beautiful body to have become the center of his life. she must, at the start, have possessed some capacity of feeling." he put his thumb on the spring to open the lower case, but the image so clearly fixed in his mind stayed the impulse. "what is the use?" he exclaimed, and thrusting the watch back into the bag, quickly tied the string. "i don't want to see you. i don't want to know you," and he added, pushing the poke into its place and closing the box; "the facts are all against you." chapter iv snoqualmie pass and a broken axle tisdale leaned forward in his seat in the observation car. his rugged features worked a little, and his eyes had their far-sighted gaze. scarred buttes crowded the track; great firs, clinging with exposed roots to the bluffs, leaned in menace, and above the timber belt granite pyramids and fingers shone amethyst against the sky; then a giant door closed on this vestibule of the pass, and he was in an amphitheatre of lofty peaks. the eastbound began to wind and lift like a leviathan seeking a way through. it crept along a tilting shelf, rounded a sheer spur, and ran shrieking over a succession of trestles, while the noise of the exhausts rang a continuous challenge from shoulder and crag. then suddenly a mighty summit built like a pulpit of the gods closed behind, and a company of still higher mountains encircled the gorge. everywhere above the wooded slopes towered castellated heights and spires. presently a near cliff came between him and the higher view and, with a lift and drop of his square shoulders, he settled back in his chair. he drew his hand across his eyes, the humorous lines deepened and, like one admitting a weakness, he shook his head. it was always so; the sight of any mountains, a patch of snow on a far blue ridge, set his pulses singing; wakened the wanderlust for the big spaces in god's out-of-doors. and this canyon of the snoqualmie was old, familiar ground. he had served his surveyor's apprenticeship on these western slopes of the cascades. he had triangulated most of these peaks, named some of them, and he had carried a transit to these headwaters, following his axman often over a new trail. now, far, far down between the columns of hemlock and fir, he caught glimpses of the state road on the opposite bank of the stream that, like a lost river, went forever seeking a way out, and finally, for an instant he saw a cabin set like a toy house at the wooden bridge where the thoroughfare crossed. then the eastbound, having made a great loop, found another hidden gateway and moved up to the levels above lake keechelus. the whistle signalled a mountain station, and tisdale rose and went out to the platform; when the trucks jolted to a standstill, he swung himself down to the ground to enjoy a breath of the fine air. the next moment he found himself almost upon a wrecked automobile. he saw in a flash that the road, coming through a cut, crossed the railroad track, and that in making a quick turn to avoid the end of the slowing train, the chauffeur had forced the car into the bank. the machine was still upright, but it listed forward on a broken axle. a young woman who had kept her seat in the tonneau was nursing a painful wrist, while two girls, who evidently had come through the accident unscathed, were trying to help the only man of the party up from the ground. tisdale bent to give him the support of his shoulder, and, groaning, the stranger settled against the side of his car and into a sitting position on the edge of the floor, easing an injured leg. he had also received an ugly hurt above his brows, which were heavy and black and met in an angle over a prominent nose. the lady in the tonneau and one of the girls had the same marked features and the same brilliant dark eyes, though the retreating chin, which in the man amounted to almost a blemish, in them was modified. but the last one in the party, whom tisdale had noticed first, was not like the rest. she was not like any one in the world he had seen before. from the hem of her light gray motoring coat to the crown of her big hat, she was a delight to the eyes. the veil that tied the hat down framed a face full of a piquant yet delicate charm. she was watching the man huddled against the machine, and her mouth, parted a little, showed the upper lip short with the upward curves of a bow. it was as though words were arrested, half spoken, and her eyes, shadowy under curling dark lashes, held their expression, uncertain whether to sparkle out or to cloud. after a moment the man lifted his head and, meeting her look, smiled. "i'm all right," he said, "only i've wrenched this knee; sprained it, i guess. and my head feels like a drum." "oh, i am--glad"--her voice fluctuated softly, but the sparkle broke in her eyes--"that it isn't worse. would you like a glass of ice-water from the train? a porter is coming and the conductor, too. i will ask for anything." he smiled again. "you'll get it, if you do. but what i want most just now is a glass of that port. elizabeth," and his glance moved to the other girl, "where did you put that hamper?" elizabeth, followed by the porter, hurried around to the other side of the automobile to find the basket, and tisdale moved a few steps away, waiting to see if he could be of further service. a passenger with a camera and an alert, inquiring face had come down from the day coach. he wound the film key and focussed for a closer exposure, but no one noticed him. at that moment all interest centered on the man who was hurt. "well," said the conductor at last, having looked the group and the situation over, "what's the trouble?" "looks like a broken axle, doesn't it? and possibly a broken leg." he groaned and repeated aggressively: "a broken axle. with the worst of snoqualmie pass before us, and not a garage or a repair shop within fifty miles." "you are in a fix, sure. but this train will take you through the pass to ellensburg, and there ought to be a hospital and a garage there. or--the westbound passenger, due at this siding in seven minutes"--the conductor looked at his watch--"could put you back in seattle at eight-fifteen." "make it the westbound; no hospital for me. telegraph for a drawing-room, conductor, and notify this station agent to ship the machine on the same train. and, elizabeth," he paused to take the drinking-cup she had filled, "you look up a telephone, or if there isn't a long distance, telegraph james. tell him to have a couple of doctors, hillis and norton, to meet the eight-fifteen; and to bring the limousine down with plenty of pillows and comforters." he drained the cup and dropped it into the open hamper. "now, porter," he added, "if you hurry up a cocktail, the right sort, before that westbound gets here, it means a five to you." as these various messengers scurried away, the girl who remained picked up the cup and poured a draught of wine for the lady in the tonneau. "i am so sorry, but it was the only way. do you think it is a sprain?" she asked. "yes." the older woman took the cup in her left hand. she had a deep, carrying voice, and she added, looking at the injured wrist: "it's swelling frightfully, but it saved my face; i might have had just such a hideous wound as frederic's. isn't it a relief to hear him talking so rationally?" the girl nodded. "he seems quite himself," she said gravely. but she turned to cover the mirth in her eyes; it suffused her face, her whole charming personality. then suddenly, at the moment the flow was highest, came the ebb. her glance met tisdale's clear, appraising look, and she stood silent and aloof. he looked away and, after a moment, seeing nothing further to do, started back to his train. she turned to take the empty cup, and as she closed the hamper the whistle of the westbound sounded through the gorge. tisdale walked on through the observation car to the rear platform and stood looking absently off through an aisle of alpine firs that, parklike, bordered the track. it was a long time since the sight of a pretty woman had so quickened his blood. he had believed that for him this sort of thing was over, and he laughed at himself a little. the westbound rumbled to a stop on the parallel track, he felt the trucks under him start, and an unaccountable depression came over him; the next moment he heard a soft voice directing the porter behind him, and as unaccountably his heart rose. the girl came on through the open door and stopped beside him, bracing herself with one hand on the railing, while she waved her handkerchief to the group she had left. he caught a faint, clean perfume suggesting violets, the wind lifted the end of her veil across his shoulder, and something of her exhilaration was transmitted to the currents in his veins. "good-by, elizabeth," she called. "good-by. good-by." some trainmen were getting the injured man aboard the westbound passenger, and the lady who had left the wrecked automobile to go with him sent back a sonorous "au revoir." but elizabeth, who was hurrying down from the station where she had accomplished her errand, turned in astonishment to look after the speeding eastbound. then a rocky knob closed all this from sight. the girl on the platform turned, and tisdale moved a little to let her pass. at the same time the lurching of the car, as it swung to the curve, threw her against him. it all happened very quickly; he steadied her with his arm, and she drew back in confusion; he raised his hand to his head and, remembering he had left his hat in his seat, a flush shaded through his tan. then, "i beg your pardon," she said and hurried by him through the door. tisdale stood smoothing his wind-ruffled hair and watching the receding cliff. "her eyes are hazel," he thought, "with turquoise lights. i never heard of such a combination, but--it's fine." a little later, when he went in to take his seat, he found her in the chair across the aisle. the train was skirting the bluffs of keechelus then, and she had taken off her coat and hat and sat watching the unfolding lake. his side glance swept her slender, gray-clad figure to the toe of one trim shoe, braced lightly on her footstool, and returned to her face. in profile it was a new delight. one caught the upward curl of her black lashes; the suggestion of a fault in the tip of her high, yet delicately chiseled nose; the piquant curve of her short upper lip; the full contour of the lifted chin. her hair, roughened some, was soft and fine and black with bluish tones. the temptation to watch her was very great, and tisdale squared his shoulders resolutely and swung his chair more towards his own window, which did not afford a view of the lake. he wanted to see this new railroad route through the cascades. this pass of snoqualmie had always been his choice of a transcontinental line. and he was approaching new territory; he never had pushed down the eastern side from the divide. he had chosen this roundabout way purposely, with thirty miles of horseback at the end, when the great northern would have put him directly into the wenatchee valley and within a few miles of that tract of weatherbee's he was going to see. there were few travelers in the observation car, and for a while nothing broke the silence but the clamp and rush of the wheels on the down-grade, then the man with a camera entered and came down the aisle as far as the new passenger's chair. "i hope you'll excuse me," he said, "i'm daniels, representing the _seattle press_, and i thought you would like to see this story go in straight." tisdale swung his chair a little towards the open rear door, so that he was able to watch without seeming to see the progress of the comedy. he was quick enough to catch the sweeping look she gave the intruder, aloof yet fearless, as though she saw him across an invisible barrier. "you mean you are a reporter," she asked quietly, "and are writing an account of the accident for your newspaper?" "yes." daniels dropped his cap into the next chair and seated himself airily on the arm. the camera swung by a carrying strap from his shoulder, and he opened a notebook, which he supported on his knee while he felt in his pocket for a pencil. "of course i recognized young morganstein; everybody knows him and that chocolate car; he's been run in so often for speeding about town. and i suppose he was touring through snoqualmie pass to the races at north yakima fair. there should be some horses there worth going to see." "we meant to spend a day or two at the fair," she admitted, "but we expected to motor on, exploring a little in the neighborhood." "i see. up the valley to have a look at the big irrigation dam the government is putting in and maybe on to see the great tieton bore. that would have been a fine trip; sorry you missed it." daniels paused to place several dots and hooks on his page. "i recognized miss morganstein, too," he went on, "though she was too busy to notice me. i met her when i was taking my course in journalism at the state university; danced with her at the junior prom. and the other lady, whose wrist was sprained, must have been her sister, mrs. feversham. i was detailed to interview the new alaska delegate when he passed through seattle, and i understood his wife was to join him later. she was stopping over for a visit, and the society editor called my attention to a mighty good picture of her in last sunday's issue. do you know?--" he paused, looking into the girl's face with a curious scrutiny, "there was another fine reproduction on that page that you might have posed for. the lady served tea or punch or did something at the same affair. but i can't remember her name--i've tried ever since we left that station--though seems to me it was a married one." "i remember the picture you mean; i remember. and i was there. it was a bridge-luncheon at the country club in honor of mrs. feversham. and she-- the lady you were reminded of--won the prize. so you think i resemble that photograph?" she tipped her head back a little, holding his glance with her half-veiled eyes. "what an imagination!" "of course if you did pose for that picture, it doesn't do you half justice; i admit that. but"--regarding her with a wavering doubt--"i guess i've been jumping at conclusions again. they call me the 'novelist' at the office." he paused, laughing off a momentary embarrassment. "that's why i didn't want to depend on getting your name from the society editor." "i am glad you did not. it would have been very annoying, i'm sure--to the lady. i suppose," she went on slowly, while the glamour grew in her eyes, "i suppose nothing could induce you to keep this story out of the _press_." he pursed his lips and shook his head decidedly. "i don't see how i can. i'd do 'most anything to oblige you, but this is the biggest scoop i ever fell into. the fellows detailed by the other papers to report the fair went straight through by way of the northern pacific. i was the only reporter at the wreck." "i understand, but," her voice fluctuated softly, "i dislike publicity so intensely. of course it's different with mrs. feversham. she is accustomed to newspaper notice; her husband and brother are so completely in the public eye. but since you must use the story, couldn't you suppress my name?" "oh, but how could i? the whole story hinges on you. you were driving the machine. i saw you from the train window as you came through the cut. you handled the gear like an imported chauffeur, but it was steep there on the approach, and the car began to skid. i saw in a flash what was going to happen; it made me limp as a rag. but there was a chance,--the merest hairbreadth, and you took it." he waited a moment, then said, smiling: "that was a picture worth snapping, but i was too batty to think of it in time. you see," he went on seriously, "the leading character in this story is you. and it means a lot to me. i was going to be fired; honest i was. the old man told me he wasn't looking for any _treasure island_ genius; what his paper needed was plain facts. then his big heart got the upper hand, and he called me back. 'jimmie,' he said, 'there's good stuff in you, and i am going to give you one more trial. go over to north yakima and tell us about the fair. take the new milwaukee line as far as ellensburg and pick up something about the automobile road through snoqualmie pass. but remember, cut out the fiction; keep to facts!'" "i understand," she repeated gravely, "i understand. the accident came opportunely. it was life and color to your setting and demonstrates the need of a better road. the most i can hope is that you will not exaggerate or--or put us in a ridiculous light." "i swear to that." he settled his notebook again on his knee and lifted his pencil. "nothing sensational," he added, "nothing annoying; now please give me your name." "well, then, write miss armitage." "miss armitage. thank you. miss armitage of?" "san francisco." "of san francisco; and visiting the morgansteins, of course. but going on now alone to meet the friends who are expecting you--am i right?--at north yakima." there was a brief silence, and she moved a little in her chair. "where i am going now," she said, and looked at him once more across the invisible barrier, "is another story." "i beg your pardon." daniels laughed and, rising from his perch on the chair arm, put his notebook in his pocket. "and i'm awfully grateful. if ever i can be of service to you, i hope you'll let me know." he started up the car, then paused to say over his shoulder: "the light for photography was fine; the old man will double column every illustration." "illustrations?" she started up in dismay. "oh, no. please--i couldn't endure--" but jimmie daniels, with the camera swinging to his quick step, hurried on to the vestibule. she settled back in her seat, and for a moment her consternation grew; then the humor of the situation must have dawned on her, for suddenly the sparkles danced in her eyes. her glance met tisdale's briefly and, suppress it as he tried, his own smile broke at the corners of his mouth. he rose and walked out again to the platform. this was the rarest woman on earth. she was able to appreciate a joke at her own expense. clearly she had finessed, then, in the instant she had been sure of the game, she had met and accepted defeat with a smile. but he would like to discipline that fellow daniels;--here he frowned--those films should be destroyed. still, the boy would hardly give them up peaceably and to take them otherwise would not spare her the publicity she so desired to avoid; such a scene must simply furnish fresh material, a new chapter to the story. after all, not one newspaper cut in a hundred could be recognized. it was certain she was in no need of a champion; he never had seen a woman so well equipped, so sure of herself and her weapons, and yet so altogether feminine. if foster had but known _her_. instantly, in sharp contrast to this delightful stranger, rose the woman of his imagination; the idle spendthrift who had cast her spell over level-headed foster; who had wrecked david weatherbee; and his face hardened. a personal interview, he told himself presently, would be worse than useless. there was no way to reach a woman like her; she was past appeal. but he would take that tract of desert off her hands at her price, and perhaps, while the money lasted, she would let foster alone. the train had left lake keechelus and was racing easily down the banks of the yakima. he was entering the country he had desired to see, and soon his interest wakened. he seated himself to watch the heights that seemed to move in quick succession like the endlessly closing gates of the pass. the track still ran shelf-wise along precipitous knobs and ridges; sometimes it bored through. the forests of fir and hemlock were replaced by thinning groves of pine; then appeared the first bare, sage-mottled dune. the trucks rumbled over a bit of trestle, and for an instant he saw the intake of an irrigating canal, and finally, after a last tunnel, the eastbound steamed out of the canyon into a broad, mountain-locked plateau. everywhere, watered by the brimming ditch, stretched fields of vivid alfalfa or ripe grain. where the harvesting was over, herds of fine horses and cattle or great flocks of sheep were turned in to browse on the stubble. at rare intervals a sage-grown breadth of unreclaimed land, like a ragged blemish, divided these farms. then, when the arid slopes began to crowd again, the train whistled ellensburg on the lower rim of the plain. tisdale left his seat to lean over the railing and look ahead. he was in time to catch a fleeting glimpse of jimmie daniels as he hurried out of the telegraph office and sprang on the step of a starting bus. it was here the young newspaper man was to transfer to the northern pacific, and doubtless the girl too was changing trains. the milwaukee, beyond ellensburg, passed through new, unbroken country for many miles; the stations were all in embryo, and even though she may not have resumed her journey at the pass with the intention of stopping off at the fair, the same bus was probably taking her over to the old, main traveled route down the yakima to the columbia. again that unaccountable depression came over him. he tried to throw it off, laughing at himself a little and lighting a cigar. this pretty woman had happened in his path like a flower; she had pleased his eyes for a few hours and was gone. but what possible difference could her coming and going make to him? the train started, and he settled back in his seat. the fertile fields were left behind, then presently the eastbound steamed through a gap in a sun-baked ridge and entered a great arid level. sage-brush stretched limitless, and the dull green of each bush, powdered with dust, made a grayer blotch on the pale shifting soil, that every chance zephyr lifted in swirls and scattered like ashes. sometimes a whiter patch showed where alkali streaked through. it was like coming into an old, worn-out world. the sun burned pitilessly, and when finally the train had crossed this plain and began to wind through lofty dunes, the heat pent between the slopes became stifling. the rear platform was growing intolerable, and he knew his station could not be far off. he rose to go in, but the eastbound suddenly plunged into the coolness of a tunnel, and he waited while it bored through to daylight and moved on along a shelf overlooking a dry run. then, as he turned to the open door, he saw the girl had not taken the northern pacific at ellensburg. she was still there in the observation car. her eyes were closed, and he noticed as he went forward that her breast rose and fell gently; the shorter, loose hair formed damp, cool little rings on her forehead and about her ears. she was sleeping in her chair. but a turn in the track brought the sun streaming through her window; the polished ceiling reflected the glare, and he stopped to reach carefully and draw the blind. a moment later the whistle shrieked, and the conductor called his station. he hurried on up the aisle and, finding his satchel in the vestibule, stood waiting until the car jolted to a stop, then swung himself off. but the porter followed with a suitcase and placed his stool, and the next instant the girl appeared. she carried her hat in her hands, her coat was tucked under her arm, and as she stepped down beside tisdale, the bell began to ring, the porter sprang aboard, and the train went speeding ahead. the station was only a telegraph office, flanked by a water-tank on a siding. there was no waiting hotel bus, no cab, no vehicle of any kind. the small building rose like an islet out of a gray sea. far off through billowing swells one other islet appeared, but these two passengers the eastbound had left were like a man and woman marooned. chapter v apples of eden tisdale stood looking after the train while the girl's swift, startled glance swept the billowing desert and with growing dismay searched the draw below the station. "there isn't a town in sight!" she exclaimed, and her lip trembled. "not a taxi or even a stage!" and she added, moving and lifting her eyes to meet his: "what am i to do?" "i'll do my best, madam," he paused, and the genial lines broke lightly in his face, "but i could find out quicker if i knew where you want to go." "to wenatchee. and i tho--ought--i understood--the conductor told me you were going there, and this was your stop. it was his first trip over the new milwaukee, and we trusted--to you." tisdale pursed his lips, shaking his head slowly. "i guess i am responsible. i did tell that conductor i was going to wenatchee when i asked him to drop me at this siding, but i should have explained i expected to find a saddle-horse here and take a cut-off to strike the ellensburg road. it should save an hour." he drew a government map of the quadrangle of that section from his pocket and opened it. "you see, your stop was ellensburg; the only through road starts there." he found the thoroughfare and began to trace it with his forefinger. "it crosses rugged country; follows the canyons through these spurs of the cascades. they push down sheer to the columbia. see the big bend it makes, flowing south for miles along the mountains trying to find a way out to the pacific. the river ought to be off there." he paused and swung on his heel to look eastward. "it isn't far from this station. but even if we reached it, it would be up-stream, against a succession of rapids, from here to wenatchee. a boat would be impossible." he folded the plat and put it away, then asked abruptly: "do you ride, madam?" she gave him a swift side-glance and looked off in the direction of the hidden columbia. "sometimes--but i haven't a riding habit." tisdale waited. the humor deepened a little at the corners of his mouth. there was but one passenger train each way daily on the newly opened milwaukee road, and plainly she could not remain at this siding alone all night; yet she was debating the propriety of riding through the mountains to wenatchee with him. then unexpectedly the click of a telegraph cut the stillness, and a sudden brightness leaped in her face. "a station master," she cried; "perhaps there's a telephone." and she hurried up the platform to the open office door. tisdale slowly followed. the station master, having transmitted his message, swung around on his stool, and got to his feet in astonishment on seeing the girl. "i have made a mistake," she said, with a wavering glance over the interior, "and i tho--ought, i hoped there was a telephone. but you can communicate with the nearest garage for me, can you not? or a stable--or-- somewhere. you see," and for an instant the coquetry of a pretty woman who knows she is pretty beamed in her eyes, "i really must have a taxicab or some kind of a carriage to take me back to ellensburg." the station master, who was a very young man, answered her smile and, reaching to take a coat from a peg on the wall, hastily slipped it on. "of course i could call up ellensburg," he said; "that's the nearest for a machine. but it belongs to the doctor, and even if he was in town and could spare it, it would take till dark to bring it down. it's a mean road over sandhills for thirty-five miles." "it is hardly farther than that to wenatchee," said tisdale quietly. "with good saddle-horses we should be able to make it as soon. do you know anything about the trail through to tap the ellensburg-wenatchee highway?" the station master came around the end of his desk. "so you are going to wenatchee," he exclaimed, and his face shone with a sort of inner glow. "i guess then you must have heard about hesperides vale; the air's full of it, and while land is selling next to nothing you want to get in on the ground floor. yes, sir," his voice quickened, "i own property over there, and i came that way, up the mountain road, in the spring to take this position when the milwaukee opened. but i don't know much about your cut-off; i just kept on to ellensburg and dropped down by train from there. the main road, though, was in pretty good shape. it's the old stage road that used to connect with the northern pacific, and they had to do some mighty heavy hauling over it while the mountain division of the great northern was building up the wenatchee. it keeps an easy grade, following the canyons up and up till it's six thousand feet at the divide, then you begin to drop to the columbia. and when you leave the woods, it's like this again, bunch grass and sage, sand and alkali, for twenty miles. of course there isn't a regular stage now; you have to hire." "any road-houses?" asked tisdale briefly. "no, but you come across a ranch once in awhile, and any of them would take a man in over night--or a lady." tisdale turned to the door. "i can find saddle-horses, i presume, at that ranch off there through the draw. is it the nearest?" "the nearest and the only one." the station master walked on with him to the platform. "it's a new place. they are working two teams, every day and sunday, while daylight lasts, grubbing out the sage-brush for planting. it's a pumping layout to bring water from the columbia, and they are starting with forty acres all in apples." "but they have saddle-horses?" said tisdale, frowning. "i can't tell you that. the fellow i talked with came over for freight and used one of the teams. said they couldn't spare it. but that's your only chance. i don't know of any other horses in twenty miles, unless it's a wild band that passed this morning. they stopped down the draw, nosing out the bunch grass for an hour or two, then skidooed." tisdale paused a thoughtful moment then asked: "when is the next freight due on this siding?" "two-forty-five. and say"--he slapped his knee at the sudden thought-- "that's your chance, sure. i have orders to hold them for the eastbound silk train, and they'll let you ride in the caboose up to kittitas. that's the stop this side of ellensburg, and there's a livery there, with a cross-road to strike the ellensburg-wenatchee. but, say! if you do drop off at kittitas, ask lighter to show you the colts. they are the star team in three counties. took the prize at north yakima last year for three-year-olds. they're too fly for livery work, but if you can drive, and lighter likes your looks"--the station master gave tisdale a careful scrutiny--"and you have his price, i shouldn't wonder if you could hire nip and tuck." tisdale laughed. "i see. if i can't hire them, i may be allowed the privilege to buy them. but," and he looked at his watch, "there's time to try that ranch." he started down the platform then stopped to look back at the girl who had followed a few steps from the threshold. her eyes held their expression of uncertainty whether to sparkle or to cloud, and he read the arrested question on her lips. "if there are any saddle-horses," he answered, "i will have them here before that two-forty-five freight arrives, but," and he smiled, "i am not so sure i can supply the proper riding-suit. and the most i hope for in saddles is just a small mexican." "a mexican is easy riding," she said, "on a mountain road." but she stood watching him, with the uncertainty still clouding her face, while he moved down the draw. he wore the suit of gray corduroy it was his habit to wear in open country, with leggings of russet leather, and he traveled very swiftly, with a long, easy stride, though never rapidly enough to wholly escape the dust he disturbed. once he stopped and bent to fasten a loose strap, and then he took off his coat, which he folded to carry. the pall of dust enveloped him. in it his actions gathered mystery, and his big frame loomed indistinctly like the figure of a genii in a column of smoke. the fancy must have occurred to the watcher on the platform, for it was then the sparkles broke in her eyes, and she said aloud, softly clapping her hands: "i wish--i wish it to be nip and tuck." "so do i." she started and turned, and the station master smiled. "they're beauties, you can take my word. it would be the drive of your life." he carried his office chair around the corner of the building to place for her in the shade. then his instrument called him, and for an interval she was left alone. the desert stretched before her, limitless, in the glare of the afternoon sun. if the columbia flowed in that neighborhood, it was hidden by sand dunes and decomposing cliffs of granite. there was no glimpse of water anywhere, not a green blade; even the bunch grass, that grew sparsely between the sage-brush through the draw, was dry and gray. for a while no sound but the click of the telegraph disturbed the great silence, then a hot wind came wailing out of the solitudes and passed into a fastness of the mountains. finally the station master returned. "well," he said genially, "how are you making it? lonesome, i guess." "oh," she exclaimed, "how can you, how could any human being, live in this dead, worn-out world?" "it is desolate now," he admitted, sending a thoughtful glance over the arid waste; "it must seem like the great sahara to you, coming into it for the first time and directly from the puget sound country. i remember how i felt when i struck the hesperides. why, it looked like the front door of hades to me; i said so, and i called myself all kinds of a fool. but i had sunk an even thousand dollars in a twenty-acre tract; bought it off a real estate map over in seattle, without seeing the ground." he laughed, half in embarrassment at the confession, and moved to take a more comfortable position against the wall. "i was in a railroad office in chicago," he explained, "and my father expected me to work up to the responsible position he held with the company and take it when he was through. but the western fever caught me; i wanted to come to washington and grow with the country. he couldn't talk me out of it; so he gave me that thousand dollars and told me to go and to stay till i made good." "oh," she cried, "how hard! how miserable! and you?" "why, i stayed. there wasn't anything else to do. and after i looked around the valley a little and saw the peshastin ditch and what it could do, i got busy. i found work; did anything that turned up and saved like a miser, until i was able to have the land cleared of sagebrush. it has mean roots, you know, sprawling in all directions like the branches. then i saved to make connections with the ditch and to buy trees. i set the whole twenty acres to apples--i always did like a good apple, and i had sized up the few home orchards around wenatchee--then i put in alfalfa for a filler, and that eased things, and i settled down to office work, small pay, lots of time to plan, and waited for my trees to grow. that was four years ago, five since i struck the wenatchee valley, and this season they came into bearing. now, at the end of this month, i am giving up my position with the milwaukee, cutting railroading for good, to go over and superintend the harvesting. and say"--he stood erect, the inner glow illumined his face--"i've had an offer for my crop; three hundred and fifty dollars an acre for the fruit on the trees. three hundred and fifty dollars for a four-year-old orchard! think of that! seven thousand clear for re-investment." "how splendid!" she said, and in that instant her face seemed to catch and reflect his enthusiasm. "to have waited, fought like that in the face of defeat, and to have made good." "and it's only the beginning," his voice caught a little; "an apple orchard has bigger results every year after maturity. there's a man over there on the wenatchee who is going to make a thousand dollar profit on each acre of his twelve-year orchard. you ought to see those trees, all braced up with scaffolding, only fourteen acres of them, but every branch loaded. but that orchard is an exception; they had to lift water from the river with buckets and a wheel, and most of the pioneers put in grain. their eyes are just beginning to open. but think of hesperides vale in another five years. and think what that high line ditch means. just imagine it! water, all you can use and running to waste; water spilling over in this sage-brush desert. doesn't it spell oasis? think of it! grass and flowers and shade in place of this sunbaked sand and alkali." "it sounds like a fairy tale," she said. "i can hardly believe it." "i'll show you." he hurried around to the office door and came back directly with a basket of fruit. "here are a few samples from my trees. did you ever see pink like that in a bellflower? isn't it pretty enough for a girl's cheek? and say," he held up an exceedingly large apple, nearer the size of a small pumpkin, "how's this for a rome beauty? an agent who is selling acreage for a company down the yakima offered me five dollars for that apple yesterday. he wanted it for a window display over at his seattle office. but look at these jonathans." his sensitive fingers touched the fruit lingeringly with a sort of caress, and the glow deepened in his face. "they represent the main crop. and talk about color! did you ever see wine and scarlet and gold blend and shade nicer than this?" she shook her head. "unless it was in a puget sound cloud effect at sunset. that is what it reminds me of; a handful of puget sound sunset." the station master laughed softly. "that's about it, sure. now taste one and tell me what the flavor of a wenatchee jonathan is like. no, that's not quite ripe; try this." she set her small white teeth in the crimson cheek and tested the flavor deliberately, with the gravity of an epicure, while the boy watched her, his whole nervous frame keyed by her responsiveness to high pitch. "it's like nothing else in the world," she said finally. "no, wait, yes, it is. it's like condensed wine; a blend of the best; golden angelica, red port, amber champagne, with just enough of old-fashioned cider to remind you it is an apple." the station master laughed again. "say, but you've got it all in, fine." he set the basket at her feet and stood looking down at her an uncertain moment. "i would like awfully well to send you a box," he added, and the flush of his bellflower was reflected in his cheek. she gave him a swift upward glance and turned her face to the desert. "thank you, but when one is traveling, it is hard to give a certain address." in the pause that followed, she glanced again and smiled. "i would like one or two of these samples, though, if you can spare them," she compromised; "i shall be thirsty on that mountain road." "i can spare all you'll take." "thank you," she repeated hastily. "and you may be sure i shall look for your orchard when i reach wenatchee. the fruit on the trees must be beautiful." "it is. it's worth the drive up from wenatchee just to see hesperides vale, and that special eden of mine is the core. you couldn't miss it; about ten miles up and right on the river road." "i shall find it," she nodded brightly. "i am going that way to see a wild tract in a certain pocket of the valley. i wonder"--she started and turned a little to give him her direct look--"if by any possibility it could be brought under your peshastin ditch?" he shook his head. "hardly. i wouldn't count on it. most of those pockets back in the benches are too high. some of them are cut off by ridges from one to six thousand feet. maybe your agent will talk of pumping water from the canal, but don't you bite. it means an expensive electric plant and several miles of private flume. and perhaps he will show you how easy it's going to be to tap the new high line that's building down the wenatchee and on to the plateau across the columbia thirty miles. but it's a big proposition to finance; in places they'll have to bore through granite cliffs; and if the day ever comes when it's finished far enough to benefit your tract, i doubt the water would reach your upper levels. and say, what is the use of letting him talk you into buying a roof garden when, for one or two hundred dollars an acre, you can still get in on the ground floor?" she did not answer. her eyes were turned again to the desert, and a sudden weariness clouded her face. in that moment she seemed older, and the strong light brought out two lines delicately traced at the corners of her beautiful mouth that had not been apparent before. "but, say," the young man went on eagerly, "let me tell you a little more about the vale. it's sheltered in there. the mountains wall it in, and you don't get the fierce winds off the columbia desert. the snow never drifts; it lies flat as a carpet all winter. and we don't have late frosts; never have to stay up all night watching smudge pots to keep the trees warm. and those steep slopes catch the early spring sun and cast it off like big reflectors; things start to grow before winter is gone. and i don't know what makes it so, but the soil on those low wenatchee benches is a little different from any other. it looks like the almighty made his hot beds there, all smooth and level, and just forgot to turn the water on. and take a project like the peshastin, run by a strong company with plenty of capital; the man along the canal only has to pay his water rate, so much an irrigated acre; nothing towards the plant, nothing for flume construction and repairs. and, say, i don't want to bore you, i don't want to influence you too far, but i hate to see a woman--a lady--throw her money away right in sight of a sure proposition; even if you can't go into improved orchards, any hesperides investment is safe. it means at least double the price to you within two years. i've bonded forty acres more of wild land joining my tract, and i shall plant thirty of it in the fall. the last ten will be cleared and reserved for speculation. the piece comes within a stone's throw of the great northern's tracks. there's a siding there now, and when the vale comes into full bearing, they are bound to make it a shipping station. then i'm going to plat that strip into town lots and put it on the market." he paused while her glance, returning from the desert, met his in a veiled side-look, and the flush of the bellflower again tinged his cheek. "i mean," he added, "i'd be mighty glad to let you in." the blue sparkles played under her lashes. "thank you, it sounds like riches, but--" she stopped, leaving the excuse unsaid. the station master had turned his face suddenly towards the columbia; he was not listening to her. then, presently, the sound that had caught his alert ear reached her own faintly. somewhere out in the solitudes a train had whistled. "the westbound freight!" she exclaimed softly. "isn't it the westbound freight?" he nodded. "she's signalling beverley. they'll call me in a minute." and he started around to the office door. she rose and followed to the corner to look for tisdale. midway the road doubled a knoll and was lost, to reappear, a paler streak, on the gray slope where the ranch house stood; and it was there, at the turn, she first noticed a cloud of dust. it advanced rapidly, but for a while she was not able to determine whether it enveloped a rider or a man on foot; she was certain there was no led horse. then a gust of wind parted the cloud an instant, and the sparkle suffused her whole face. he was returning as she had hoped, afoot. she stood watching the moving cloud; the man's bulk began to detach from it and gathered shape. between pauses, the click of the telegraph reached her, then suddenly the shriek of the whistle cut the stillness. the train must have crossed the columbia and was winding up through the dunes. she went along the platform and picked up her hat, which she had left on the suitcase with her coat. while she pinned it on and tied her veil over it, the freight signalled twice. it was so close she caught the echo of the thundering trucks from some rocky cut. when the call sounded a third time, it brought an answer from the silk special, far off in the direction of ellensburg. she lifted her coat and turned again to watch tisdale. he had quickened his pace, but a shade of suspense subdued the light in her face. since the whistle of the special, the telegraph instrument had remained silent, and presently she heard the station master's step behind her. "well," he said, "it's nip and tuck, sure. but say, he can sprint some. does it easy, too, like one of those cross-country fellows out of a college team. i'd back him against the freight." "if he misses it," and the suspense crept into her voice, "i must go without him, and i suppose i can be sure of a hotel at ellensburg?" "you'll find fair accommodations at kittitas. but he isn't going to miss the freight, and it will be hours saved to you if lighter lets you have the colts." she lifted her coat, and he held it while she slipped her arms in the sleeves. "i've 'most forgotten how to do this," he said; "it's so long since i've seen a girl--or a lady. i'm afraid i've bored you a lot, but you don't know how i've enjoyed it. it's been an epoch seeing you in this wilderness." "it's been very interesting to me, i'm sure," she replied gravely. "i've learned so much. i wonder if, should i come this way again, i would find all this desert blossoming?" "i shouldn't be surprised; settlement's bound to follow a new railroad. but say, look into hesperides vale while you are at wenatchee, and if my proposition seems good to you at one hundred dollars an acre, and that is what i'm paying, drop me a line. my name is bailey. henderson bailey, post-office, wenatchee, after the end of the month." he waited with expectation in his frank brown eyes, but the girl stood obliviously watching tisdale. he reached the platform and stopped, breathing deep and full, while he shook the dust from his hat. "i am sorry, madam," he said, "but their only saddle-horse pulled his rope-stake this morning and went off with the wild herd. you will have to take this freight back to kittitas." "how disappointing!" she exclaimed. "and you were forced to tramp back directly through this heat and dust." "this is the lightest soil i ever stepped on"--he glanced down over his powdered leggings and shoes; the humor broke gently in his face--"and there's just one kind deeper,--the alaska tundra." with this he hurried by her to the office. presently the freight whistled the siding, and bailey picked up the baggage and went down to make arrangements with the trainmen. the girl followed, and when tisdale came back, she stood framed in the doorway of the waiting caboose, while a brakeman dusted a chair, which he placed adroitly facing outside, so that she might forget the unmade bunks and greasy stove. "it isn't much on accommodations," he said conciliatingly, "but you can have it all to yourselves; as far as you go, it's your private car." the other train thundered into the station and past; the freight began to move, and tisdale swung himself aboard. then the station master, remembering the apples at the last moment, ran with the basket, crowned still by the rome beauty for which he had refused five dollars, and dropped it as a parting tribute at her feet. "thank you! thank you for everything!" her soft voice fluted back to bailey, and she leaned forward a little, raising her hand with a parting salute. "good-by!" then, as she settled back in her chair, her swift side-glance swept tisdale. it was incredible he had removed so much dust in that brief interval, but plainly, somewhere in that miserable station, he had found water and towels; he had not seemed more fit that morning in the observation car. the hand he laid on the wall as a brace against the rocking of the light caboose was on a level with her eyes, and they rested there. it was a strong, well-made hand, the hand of the capable draughtsman, sensitive yet controlled, and scrupulously cared for. "i hope i pass muster," he said, and the amusement played gently in his face, "for i am going to venture to introduce myself. possibly you have heard judge feversham speak of me. i am hollis tisdale--miss armitage." in the instant he hesitated on the name, she gave him another swift upward glance, and he caught a question in her eyes; then the sparkles rose, and she looked off again to the point where the railroad track was lost among the dunes. "of course i have heard of you," she admitted. "we--mrs. feversham--recognized you this morning in snoqualmie pass and would have spoken to thank you for your service had you not hurried aboard your train. she has known you by sight and has wished to meet you personally a long time. but i--i--as you must know--i--" she had turned once more to give him the direct look of her unveiled eyes, and meeting his her voice failed. the color flamed and went in her face; then, her glance falling to the basket at her feet, she bent and took the largest apple. "did you ever see such a marvel?" she asked. "it came from that station master's orchard in the wenatchee valley. he called it a rome beauty. divide it, please; let us see if the flavor is all it promises." "if it is"--and tisdale took the apple and felt in his pocket for his knife--"the ground that grew the tree is a bonanza." he waited another moment, watching the changing color in her face, then turned and walked to the upper end of the caboose, where he deliberately selected a stool which he brought forward to the door. her confusion puzzled him. had she been about to confess, as he had at first conjectured, that miss armitage was an incognito used to satisfy the _press_ reporter and so avoid publicity? it was clear she had thought better of the impulse, and he told himself, as he took the seat beside her and opened his knife, he was to have no more of her confidence than jimmie daniels. chapter vi nip and tuck bailey was right; the colts were beauties. but at the time tisdale arrived at the kittitas stables, lighter, having decided to drive them to north yakima, was putting the pair to a smart buggy. they were not for hire at double or treble the usual day rate. "i want to sell this team," the trader repeated flatly. "i don't want to winter 'em again, and my best chance to show 'em is now, down at the fair. i can keep 'em in good shape, making it in two stages and resting 'em over night on the road, and be there by noon to-morrow." one of the horses reared, lifting the stable-boy off his feet, and lighter sprang to take the bit in his powerful grasp. "steady, tuck, steady! whoa, whoa, back now, back, steady, whoa!" the animal stood, frothing a little, his beautiful coat moist, every muscle tense. "see there, now! ain't he peaceable? nothing mean under his whole hide; just wants to go. the other one will nip your fingers once in a while, if you don't watch out, but he don't mean anything, either; it's all in fun." he gave his place to the boy again and stepped back to tisdale's side, still watching his team, while a second stableman hurried to fasten the traces. "the fact is," he went on, dropping his voice confidentially, "i've got wind of a customer. he's driving through from the sound to the races in his machine. a friend of mine wired me. mebbe you know him. it's one of those morgansteins of seattle; the young feller. he saw these bays last year when they took the blue ribbon and said he'd keep an eye on 'em. they were most too fly then for crowded streets and spinning around the boulevard 'mongst the automobiles, but they're pretty well broke now. steady, nip, whoa there!" "but," said tisdale quietly, "young morganstein met with an accident this morning in snoqualmie pass. an axle was broken, and he was thrown out of his machine. his leg was injured, and he took the train back to seattle. i happened to be on the eastbound at the siding where it all occurred." lighter gave him a skeptical glance between narrowed lids. "then, if he can't come himself, i guess he'll send his man. he told that friend of mine he counted on having another look at this team." tisdale's brows contracted. "see here, i want to drive to wenatchee; what is the best you can do for me?" "why, let's see. my best livery rig is on the wenatchee road now. one of them high line fellers hired the outfit with a driver to take him through to the valley. if you'd be'n here when they started, likely they'd be'n glad to accommodate you. and the sorrels is out with a picnic to nanum canyon. that leaves the roans. they come in half an hour ago. a couple of traveling salesmen had 'em out all the forenoon, and these drummers drive like blue blazes; and it's a mean pull through to wenatchee. but wait till to-morrow and, with an early start, you can make it all right with the roans. that's the best i can do, unless you want a saddle-horse." tisdale walked back to the stalls and, convinced at a glance the jaded roans were impossible for that day, at least, stopped to look over the saddle animals. he saw that there were two promising travelers, but it would be necessary to impress an indifferent third to carry the baggage. besides, judging from all he had seen, the resources of kittitas did not include a ready-made lady's habit. he returned and stood another silent moment watching the lithe, impatient bays. finally his eyes moved to the entrance and down the road to the railroad station where miss armitage was waiting. she was seated on a bench near the door. he could distinguish her gray figure in relief against the reddish-brown wall. directly he swung around. "what is your price?" he asked. lighter's hand dropped from the edge of the buggy seat. he stepped back to the heads of his team. "you get in, harry," he said. "drive 'em five or six blocks. keep your eyes open." harry gathered the reins warily and sprang in; lighter released his hold, then hurried forward to the driveway and stood with tisdale watching the team. "ain't they a sight?" he said. and they were. their coats shone like satin in the sun; they stepped airily, spurning the dust of kittitas, and blew the ashen powder from their nostrils; then without warning the splendid span was away. tisdale repeated: "what is your price?" lighter's shrewd eyes swept his new customer over; it was as though he made an estimate of how much tisdale could pay. "five hundred dollars," he said. "five hundred--if it's spot cash." "and the outfit?" "let me see. harness is practically new; buggy first-class. i'll make it an even seven hundred for the whole business; outfit and team." there was a brief silence. as a rule, a man drawing the salary of the geological survey does not spend seven hundred dollars lightly. he bridles his impulses to own fine driving-horses until at least he has tried them. and this sum, just at that time, meant something of a drain on tisdale's bank account. he knew if he bought the weatherbee tract and reclaimed it, he must hedge on his personal expenses for a year or two; he had even talked with banks a little about a loan to open the project and keep it moving until the next season's clean-up, when the aurora should make good. he stirred, with a quick upward lift of his head, and looked once more in the direction of the station. the girl rose and began to walk the platform. tisdale swung back and met the trader's calculating gaze. "where is your bank?" he asked. the business was quickly transacted and, when lighter and his customer stepped out of the bank, harry was there, driving the bays slowly up and down the street. in the moment they waited for him to draw up, the trader looked tisdale over again. "your easiest way to get this team over to the sound is to drive through snoqualmie pass, the way you came." "but," said tisdale, knitting his brows, "i told you i wanted this team to drive to the wenatchee valley." "you can't drive on through the cascades from there and, if you try to ship these colts aboard a great northern train, you'll have trouble." "i shall probably leave them to winter in the valley. unless"--tisdale paused, smiling at the afterthought--"i decide to sell them to young morganstein when i get back to seattle." lighter laughed dryly. "i thought so. i sized you up all right at the start. i says to myself: 'he don't look like a feller to run a bluff,' and i says: 'young morganstein ain't the sort to pick up any second-hand outfit,' but i thought all along you was his man." "i see." the humor played softly in tisdale's face. "i see. but you thought wrong." lighter's lids narrowed again skeptically. "those letters you showed to identify yourself cinched it. why, one was signed by his brother-in-law, miles feversham, and your draft was on the seattle national where the morgansteins bank. but it's all right; i got my price." he nudged tisdale slyly and, laughing again, moved to the heads of the team. "now, sir, watch your chance; they're chain lightning the minute you touch the seat." tisdale was ready. at last he felt the tug of the lines in his grasp, the hot wind stung his face, and he was speeding back in the direction of the station. the girl came to the edge of the platform as he approached, and while the solitary man from the freight office caught the first opportunity to store the baggage under the seat, and the second to lift in the basket of samples from bailey's orchard, she tied her veil more snugly under her chin and stood measuring the team with the sparkles breaking in her eyes. then she gathered her skirts in one hand and laid the other lightly on the seat. "don't try to help me," she said breathlessly. "just hold them." and the next instant she was up beside him, and her laugh fluted in exhilaration as they whirled away. kittitas fell far behind. they were racing directly across the seven miles of level towards a pass in a lofty range that marked the road to wenatchee. far to the left lines of poplars showed where the irrigating canals below ellensburg watered the plain, and on the right the dunes and bluffs of the unseen columbia broke the horizon. but the girl was watching tisdale's management of the horses. "what beauties!" she exclaimed. "and nip and tuck!" her lips rippled merriment. "how well named. wait, be-- care--ful--they are going to take that ho-le. oh, would you mind giving those reins to me?" "i wish i could." he shook his head, while the amusement played gently at the corners of his mouth. "i know all about a team of huskies, and it doesn't make much difference what i have under a saddle, but these kittens in harness are rather out of my line." "then trust yourself to me; please do. i used to drive just such a pair." "oh, but your hands couldn't stand this, and those gloves would be ribbons in half an hour." "they are heavier than they look; besides, there are the shops at wenatchee!" as if this settled the matter she said: "but we must change places. now." she slipped into his seat as he rose, and took the reins dexterously, with a tightening grip, in her hands. "whoa, whoa, nip!" her voice deepened a little. "steady, tuck, steady! that's right; be a man." there was another silent interval while he watched her handling of the team, then, "i did not know there could be a pair in all the world so like pedro and don josé," she said, and the exhilaration softened in her face. "they were my ponies given me the birthday i was seventeen. a long time ago--" she sighed and flashed him a side-glance, shaking her head--"but i shall never forget. we lived in san francisco, and my father and i tried them that morning in golden gate park. the roads were simply perfect, and the sea beach at low tide was like a hardwood floor. after that we drove for the week-end to monterey, then through the redwoods to santa cruz and everywhere." she paused reminiscently. "those california hotels are fine. they pride themselves on their orchestras, and wherever we went, we found friends to enjoy the dancing evenings after table d'hôte. that was in the winter, but it was more delightful in the spring. we drove far south then, through menlo park and palo alto, where the great meadows were vivid with alfalfa, and fields on fields were yellow with poppies or blue with lupine; on and on into the peach and almond country. i can see those blossoming orchards now; the air was flooded with perfume." her glance moved from the horses out over the sage-covered levels, and the contrast must have dropped like a curtain on her picture, for the light in her face died. tisdale's look followed the road up from the plain and rested on the higher country; his eyes gathered their far-seeing gaze. he had been suddenly reminded of weatherbee. it was in those california orchards he had spent his early life. he had known that scent of the blossoming almond; those fields of poppies and lupine had been his playground when he was a child. it was at the university at palo alto that he had taken his engineering course; and it was at one of those gay hotels, on a holiday and through some fellow student, he had met the woman who had spoiled his life. the moment passed. one of the horses broke, and instantly the driver was alert. and while she alternately admonished and upbraided, with a firm manipulation of the reins, the humor began to play again in tisdale's face. they were approaching the point where the road met the highway from ellensburg, and in the irrigated sections that began to divide the unreclaimed land, harvesters were reaping and binding; from a farther field came the noise of a threshing machine; presently, as the bays turned into the thoroughfare, the way was blocked by a great flock of sheep. "oh," she exclaimed, "there must be thousands of them; how can the ones in the center breathe? whoa, nip, whoa now! do you think you are one of those lambs? and there's no chance to go around; it is fenced with barbed wire on both sides; we simply must drive through, no, let me, please. steady, now, tuck, steady, whoa." they had passed the mounted herders, and the colts broke their way playfully, dancing, curveting with bowing necks, into the midst of the flock. soon the figures of the advance shepherds loomed through the dust. they were turning the sheep into a harvested field. they rolled in over the yellow stubble like a foaming sea. far away, outlined like a sail against an island rick, the night tent of these nomads was already pitched. tisdale laughed softly. "well, madam, that was skilful piloting. a bidarka couldn't have been safer riding in a skiddery sea." "a bidarka?" she questioned, ruffling her brows. tisdale nodded. "one of those small skin canoes the alaskan natives use. and it's touchy as a duck; comes bobbing up here and there, but right-side up every time. and it's frail looking, frail as an eggshell, yet i would stake a bidarka against a lifeboat in a surf. do you know?"--he went on after a moment--"i would like to see you in one, racing out with the whitecaps up there in bering sea; your face all wet with spray, and your hair tucked away in the hood of a gray fox parka. nothing else would show; the rest of you would be stowed below in a wonderful little water-tight compartment." "it sounds delightful," she said, and the sparkles broke in her eyes. after that there was a long silence. the bays fell into an even trot. the mountains loomed near, then before them, on the limits of the plain, a mighty herd of cattle closed the road. the girl rose a little in her place and looked over that moving sea of backs. "we must drive through again," she said. "it's going to be stifling but there's no possible way around. no," she protested, when he would have taken the reins, "i'm able. i learned once, years ago, on a great ranch in southern california. i'd rather." she settled in her seat smiling a little. "it's in the blood." tisdale reached and took the whip. they had passed the drivers and were pushing into the herd. sometimes a red-eyed brute turned with lowered horns and dripping mouth, then backed slowly out of the way of the team. sometimes, in a thicker press, an animal wheeled close to the tires and, stemming the current, sounded a protest. but the young horses, less playful now, divided the great herd and came at last safely out of the smother. the road began to lift, as they rounded the first rampart of the range, and tisdale's glance fell to her hands. "those gloves are done for, as i expected," he exclaimed. "i'll wager your palms are blistered. come, own they hurt." she nodded. "but it was worth it, though you may drive now, if you wish. it's my wrists; they have been so long out of practice. you don't know how they a--che." "so," he said, when he had taken the reins, "so you are as fond of horses as this." "horses like these, yes. i haven't felt as happy and young since i gave up pedro and don josé." tisdale turned a little to look in her face. she had said "young" with the tone of one whose youth is past, yet the most conservative judge could not place her age a day over twenty-five. and she was so buoyant, so vibrant. his pulses quickened. it was as though currents of her vitality were being continually transmitted through his veins. as they ascended, the plain unfolded like a map below; harvest fields, pastures of feeding cattle or sheep, meadows of alfalfa, unreclaimed reaches of sage-brush, and, far off among her shade-trees, the roofs of ellensburg reflecting the late sun. above the opposite range that hemmed the valley southward some thunder-heads crowded fast towards a loftier snow-peak. far away across the divide, white, symmetrical, wrought of alabaster, inlaid with opal, lifted a peerless dome. "mount rainier!" exclaimed tisdale. "i knew it." her voice vibrated softly. "even at this distance i knew. it was like seeing unexpectedly, in an unfamiliar country, the head of a noble friend lifting above the crowd." tisdale's glance returned to her face. surprise and understanding shone softly in his own. she turned, and met the look with a smile. it was then, for the first time, he discovered unsounded depths through the subdued lights of her eyes. "you must have known old rainier intimately," he said. she shook her head. "not nearer than puget sound. but i have a marvelous view from my hotel windows in seattle, and often in long summer twilights from the deck of mr. morganstein's yacht, i've watched the changing alpine glow on the mountain. i always draw my south curtains first, at vivian court, to see whether the dome is clear or promises a wet day. i've learned a mountain, surely as a person, has individuality; every cloud effect is to me a different mood, and sometimes, when i've been most unhappy or hard-pressed, the sight of rainier rising so serene, so pure, so high above the fretting clouds, has given me new courage. can you understand that, mr. tisdale? how a mountain can become an influence, an inspiration, in a life?" "i think so, yes." tisdale paused, then added quietly: "but i would like to be the first to show you old rainier at close range." at this she moved a little; he felt the invisible barrier stiffen between them. "mr. morganstein promised to motor us through to the national park inn when the new government road was finished, but we've been waiting for the heavy summer travel to be over. it has been like the road to mecca since the foot of the mountain has been accessible." there was a silence, during which tisdale watched the pulling team. her manner of reminding him of his position was unmistakable, but it was her frequent reference to young morganstein that began to nettle him. why should she wish specially to motor to rainier with that black-browed, querulous nabob? why had she so often sailed on his yacht? and why should she ever have been unhappy and hard-pressed, as she had confessed? she who was so clearly created for happiness. but to tisdale her camaraderie with nature was charming. it was so very rare. a few of the women he had known hitherto had been capable of it, but they had lived rugged lives; the wilderness gave them little else. and of all the men whom he had made his friends through an eventful career, there was only foster who sometimes felt the magnitude of high places,--and there had been david weatherbee. at this thought of weatherbee his brows clouded, and that last letter, the one that had reached him at nome and which he still carried in his breast pocket, seemed suddenly to gather a vital quality. it was as though it cried out: "i can't stand these everlasting ice peaks, hollis; they crowd me so." miss armitage sat obliviously looking off once more across the valley. the thunder-heads, denser now and driving in legions along the opposite heights, stormed over the snow peak and assailed the far, shining dome. "oh," she exclaimed, "see rainier now! that blackest cloud is lifting over the summit. rain is streaming from it like a veil of gauze; but the dome still shines through like a transfigured face!" tisdale's glance rested a moment on the wonder. his face cleared. "if we were on the other side of the cascades," he said, "that weather-cap would mean a storm before many hours; but here, in this country of little rain, i presume it is only a threat." the bays began to round a curve and presently rainier, the lesser heights, all the valley of kittitas, closed from sight. they had reached the timber belt; poplars threaded the parks of pine, and young growths of fir, like the stiff groves of a toy village, gathered hold on the sharp mountain slopes. sometimes the voice of a creek, hurrying down the canyon to join the yakima, broke the stillness, or a desert wind found its way in and went wailing up the water-course. and sometimes in a rocky place, the hoof-beats of the horses, the noise of the wheels, struck an echo from spur to spur. then tisdale commenced to whistle cautiously, in fragments at first, with his glance on the playing ears of the colts, until satisfied they rather liked it, he settled into a definite tune, but with the flutelike intonations of one who loves and is accustomed to make his own melody. he knew that this woman beside him, since they had left the civilization of the valley behind, half repented her adventure. he felt the barrier strengthen to a wall, over which, uncertain, a little afraid, she watched him. at last, having finished the tune, he turned and surprised the covert look from under her curling black lashes. "i hope," he said, and the amusement broke softly in his face, "all this appraisal is showing a little to my credit." the color flamed pinkly in her face. she looked away. "i was wondering if you blamed me. i've been so unconservative--so--so--even daring. is it not true?" "no, miss armitage, i understand how you had to decide, in a moment, to take that eastbound train in snoqualmie pass, and that you believed it would be possible to motor or stage across to wenatchee from the milwaukee road." "yes, but," she persisted, "you think, having learned my mistake, i should have stayed on the freight train as far as ellensburg, where i could have waited for the next passenger back to seattle." "if you had, you would have disappointed me. that would have completely spoiled my estimate of you." "your estimate of me?" she questioned. "yes." he paused and his glance moved slowly, a little absently, up the unfolding gorge. "it's a fancy of mine to compare a woman, on sight, with some kind of flower. it may be a lily or a rose or perhaps it's a flaunting tulip. once, up in the heart of the alaska forest, it was just a sweet wood anemone." he paused again, looking off through the trees, and a hint of tenderness touched his mouth. "for instance," he went on, and his voice quickened, "there is your friend, mrs. feversham. i never have met her, but i've seen her a good many times, and she always reminds me of one of those rich, dark roses florists call black prince. and there's her sister, who makes me think of a fine, creamy hyacinth; the sturdy sort, able to stand on its own stem without a prop. and they are exotics, both of them; their personality, wherever they are, has the effect of a strong perfume." he paused again, so long that this time his listener ventured to prompt him. "and i?" she asked. "you?" he turned, and the color flushed through his tan. "why, you are like nothing in the world but a certain alaska violet i once stumbled on. it was out of season, on a bleak mountainside, where, at the close of a miserable day, i was forced to make camp. a little thing stimulates a man sometimes, and the sight of that flower blooming there when violet time was gone, lifting its head next to a snow-field, nodding so pluckily, holding its own against the bitter wind, buoyed me through a desperate hour." she turned her face to look down through the treetops at the complaining stream. presently she said: "that is better than an estimate; it is a tribute. i wish i might hope to live up to it, but sooner or later," and the vibration played softly in her voice, "i am going to disappoint you." tisdale laughed, shaking his head. "my first impressions are the ones that count," he said simply. "but do you want to turn back now?" "n--o, unless you--do." tisdale laughed again mellowly. "then it's all right. we are going to see this trip through. but i wish i could show you that alaska mountainside in midsummer. imagine violets on violets, thousands of them, springing everywhere in the vivid new grass. you can't avoid crushing some, no matter how carefully you pick your steps. there's a rocky seat half-way up on a level spur, where you might rest, and i would fill your lap with those violets, big, long-stemmed ones, till the blue lights danced in your eyes." they were doing that now, and her laugh fluted softly through the wood. for that moment the barrier between them lost substance; it became the sheerest tissue, a curtain of gauze. then the aloofness for which he waited settled on her. she looked away, her glance again seeking the stream. "i can't imagine anything more delightful," she said. a rough and steep breadth of road opened before them, and for a while the bays held his attention, then in a better stretch, he felt her swift side-glance again reading his face. "do you know," she said, "you are not at all the kind of man i was led to expect." "no?" he turned interestedly, with the amusement shading the corners of his mouth. "what did you hear?" "why, i heard that you were the hardest man in the world to know; the most elusive, shyest." tisdale's laugh rang, a low note from the depths of his mellow heart. "and you believed that?" she nodded, and he caught the blue sparkles under her drooping lids. "you know how mrs. feversham has tried her best to know you; how she sent you invitations repeatedly to dinner or for an evening at juneau, valdez, fairbanks, and you invariably made some excuse." "oh, but that's easily explained. summers, when she timed her visits to alaska, i was busy getting my party into the field. the working season up there is short." "but winters, at seattle and in washington even, it has been the same." "winters, why, winters, i have my geological reports to get in shape for the printer; interminable proofs to go over; and there are so many necessary people to meet in connection with my work. then, too, if the season has been spent in opening country of special interest, i like to prepare a paper for the geographical society; that keeps me in touch with old friends." "old friends," she repeated after a moment. "do you know it was one of them, or rather one of your closest friends, who encouraged my delusion in regard to you?" "no, how was it?" "why, he said you were the hardest man in the world to turn, a man of iron when once you made up your mind, but that mrs. feversham was right; you were shy. he had known you to go miles around, on occasion, to avoid a town, just to escape meeting a woman. and he told us--of course i can repeat it since it is so ridiculously untrue--that it was easier to bridle a trapped moose than to lead you to a ballroom; but that once there, no doubt you would gentle fine." she leaned back in her seat, laughing softly, though it was obviously a joke at her own expense as well as tisdale's. "and i believed it," she added. "i believed it--every word." tisdale laughed too, a deep undernote. "that sounds like billy foster. i wager it was foster. was it?" he asked. she nodded affirmatively. "then foster has met you." tisdale's voice rang a little. "he knows you, after all." "yes, he could hardly help knowing me. his business interests are with my closest friends, the morgansteins; they think a great deal of him. and he happens to play a remarkably good hand at bridge; we always depend on him to make up a table when he is in town." tisdale's eyes rested a thoughtful moment on the road ahead. strange foster never had mentioned her. but that showed how blind, how completely infatuated with the spanish woman the boy was. his face set austerely. then suddenly he started; his grasp tightened on the reins so that the colts sprang to the sharp grade. "do you happen to know that enchantress, too?" he asked. "whom?" questioned miss armitage. "i mean mrs. weatherbee. i believe she counts the morgansteins among her friends, and you said you were staying at vivian court, where her apartments are." "oh, yes, i know--her. i"--the color flamed and went in her face; her glance fell once more to the steep slope, searching out the narrowing stream through the trees. "i--'ve known beatriz weatherbee all my life. i--i think a great deal of her." "madam, madam!" tisdale protested, "don't tell me that. you have known her, lived near her, perhaps, in california, those years when you were growing up; shared the intimacies young girls enjoy. i understand all that, but don't say you care anything for her now." miss armitage lifted her face. her eyes did not sparkle then; they flamed. "why shouldn't i, mr. tisdale? and who are you to disparage beatriz weatherbee? you never have known her. what right have you to condemn her?" "this right, miss armitage; she destroyed david weatherbee. and i know what a life was lost, what a man was sacrificed." chapter vii a night on the mountain road they drove on for a long interval in silence. the colts, sobered by the sharp pull to the divide, kept an even pace now that they had struck the down-grade, and tisdale's gaze, hard still, uncompromising, remained fixed absently on the winding road. once, when the woman beside him ventured to look in his face, she drew herself a little more erect and aloof. she must have seen the futility of her effort to defend her friend, and the fire that had flashed in her eyes had as quickly died. it was as though she felt the iron out-cropping in this man and shrank from him baffled, almost afraid. yet she held her head high, and the delicate lines, etched again at the corners of her mouth, gave it a saving touch of decision or fortitude. but suddenly hollis drew the horses in. miss armitage caught a great breath. the way was blocked by a fallen pine tree, which, toppling from the bluff they were skirting, had carried down a strip of the road and started an incipient slide. "we can't drive around," he said at last, and the humor broke the grim lines of his mouth. "we've got to go through." she looked hastily back along the curve, then ahead down the steep mountainside. "we never could turn in this pla--ace, but it isn't possible to drive through. fate is against us." "why, i think fate favored us. she built this barricade, but she left us an open door. i must unhitch, though, to get these kittens through." as he spoke he put the reins in her hands and, springing out, felt under the seat for the halters. the girl's glance moved swiftly along the tilting pine, searching for that door. the top of the tree, with its debris of branches, rested prone on the slope below the road; but the trunk was supported by a shoulder of the bluff on which it had stood. this left a low and narrow portal under the clean bole between the first thick bough and the wall. "but the buggy!" she exclaimed. "that's the trouble." tisdale found one halter as he spoke and reached for the other. "it is getting this trap over that will take time. but i pledge myself to see you through these mountains before dark; and when we strike the levels of the columbia, these colts are going to make their record." "you mean we can't hope to reach wenatchee before dark?" her voice shook a little. "and there isn't a house in sight--anywhere. mr. tisdale, we haven't even seen another traveler on this road." "well, this is luck!" he was drawing a coil of new rope from under the seat. "this is luck! lighter must have meant to picket his horses. did i tell you he was starting to drive these bays through to the fair at north yakima? and here is a hatchet--he expected to cut fire-wood--and this looks like his lunch-box. yes,"--and he lifted the lid to glance in--"here are biscuits, sliced ham, all we need. lighter must have intended to spend a night on the road. and here is that second hitching-strap. now, we are all right: the outfit is complete." he took the precaution to tie one of the horses before he commenced to unfasten the traces, and he worked swiftly, dexterously, while the girl watched him, directing him sometimes from her seat in the buggy. presently he lifted the remaining strap, but before he could snap the hook in the ring, the colt's ears flattened back, and he gripped tisdale's hand. instantly miss armitage snatched the whip and was on her feet. "whoa, nip," she cried, and cut the vixen lightly between the ears. "whoa, now, whoa!" the young horse released his hold and broke forward, with hollis dragging at the bit. he ducked with the colt under the barrier and, keeping his feet with difficulty, ran hugging the bluff. rocks, slipping beneath the bay's incautious hoofs, rattled down the steep slope. finally mastered by that tugging weight, he settled to an unstable pace and so passed the break in the road. miss armitage had left the buggy. she followed to the opening and stood watching tisdale until, unable to find a safe hitching-place, he turned another bend. the remaining horse pulled at his halter and neighed shrilly for his mate. she went to him. after a moment she untied him and led him through the passage. he followed easily, crowding her sometimes, yet choosing his steps with the caution of a superior animal in a hard situation. midway over the break in the road, where it was narrowest, he halted with a forefoot on a perilous table of granite, feeling, testing its stability. "that's right, be careful," she admonished, allowing the strap to slacken while she, herself, balanced her weight on the rocking slab. "but it is safe enough--you see. now, now, tuck, come on." but as she started on, tisdale reappeared at the curve and, waving her hand to reassure him, she took an incautious step. the slab, relieved suddenly of her weight, tilted back and at the same instant caught on its lowered edge the weight of the following horse. he backed off, jerking the halter taut, but she kept her hold, springing again to the surface of the rock. loose splinters of granite began to clatter down the slope; then, in the moment she paused to gather her equilibrium, she felt tisdale's arm reaching around to take the strap. "creep by me," he said quietly. "no, between me and the bluff, sidewise; there's room." she gained safe ground and stood waiting while he brought the bay across. a last rain of rock struck an answering echo through the gorge. "what made you?" he asked. "you knew i would hurry back. what made you? handicapped, too, by those skirts and abominable heels." "i saw you were hurt--the vixen meant to hurt--and i knew i could manage tuck. i--i thought you might need me." her breath was coming hard and quick; her eyes were big and shadowy and, looking into their depths, the light began to play softly in his own. "you thought right," he said. "i am going to." he turned to lead the horse around to the cleft where he had left his mate. miss armitage followed. she regarded his broad back, pursing her lips a little and ruffling her brows. "it is only a bruise," he said presently over his shoulder, "and it served me right. lighter warned me of that trick." nevertheless the handkerchief with which he had wrapped the bruise was showing a red stain, and past the break in the road he changed the halter to his left hand. the hitching-place he had chosen was in a cleft formed by a divided spur of the mountain. it was roofed by the boughs of two pines, and the boles of the trees offered secure hold. she seated herself on a boulder, set benchwise against the rocky wall, and watched him critically while he tied the second horse. "how pleasant," she said intrepidly; "it is like coming unexpectedly into a room ready furnished in brown and green." tisdale turned. "i could make you comfortable in this pocket, if it came to that," he said. "it's sheltered and level as a floor, and i could make you a bed, springy and fragrant, of boughs; the camp-fire would close the door. and you needn't go hungry with lighter's lunch and your apples; or thirsty with my drinking-cup to fill down there at the stream." even before he finished speaking her brows arched in protest, and he felt the invisible barrier stiffen hard as a wall. "we really must hurry, mr. tisdale," she said, rising. "though it may be impossible to reach wenatchee to-night, we must find some sort of house. and where there is a house, there must be housekeeping and"--her voice wavered--"a woman." "of course," he answered. "and we have at least two hours of daylight left. don't worry; i am going now to hurry that carriage around." he had said "of course," but while he went back to the buggy, his mind reviewed the sordid shelters he had found in just such solitudes, where a woman's housekeeping was the exception. men in communities employed camp cooks, but most prospectors, ranchers, and cattlemen depended on themselves. there had been times when he himself had been forced to make bread. he had learned that first winter he had spent in alaska with weatherbee. at the thought of that experimental mixture, he smiled grimly. then, suddenly, he imagined this gently nurtured woman confronted by a night in such a shack as they had occupied. he saw her waiting expectantly for that impossible chaperon; and, grasping the situation, struggling pluckily to cover her amazement and dismay; he saw himself and weatherbee nerving each other to offer her that miserable fare. he hoped they would find a housekeeper at the first house on that mountain road, but that lunch of lighter's gave him a sense of security, like a reserve fund, inadequate, yet something against imminent panic. miss armitage did not return to her seat when he was gone. she fell to pacing the level; to the upper spur and back; to the lower wall and return; then, finally, it was a few yards further to the bend, to discover what progress tisdale had made. the buggy was not yet in sight, but the new rope stretched diagonally from beyond the breach in the road to a standing tree on the bluff above her, and he was at work with the hatchet, cutting away an upright bough on the fallen pine. other broken limbs, gathered from the debris, were piled along the slide to build up the edge. when his branch dropped, he sprang down and dragged it lengthwise to reinforce the rest. presently he was on the log again, reaching now for the buggy tongue, he set his knee as a brace on the stump of the limb, his muscular body bent, lifted, strained. then the front wheels rolled up across the bole; he slipped to the ground and grasped the outer one, steadying it down. after a moment, when he had taken in the slack of the line, the remaining tires slowly followed, and he began to ease the vehicle along the patched roadway. the rain of rock was renewed; fragments of granite shifted under the bulkhead of boughs; the buggy heeled lower, lower; then, at the final angle, began to right while the rope strung taut. the narrowest point was passed, and tisdale stopped a breathing space. it was characteristic of the man to see the humor of the situation in that moment while he stood wiping the perspiration from his face. jove, how foster would enjoy seeing him labor like this for a girl. he imagined the boy sitting up there at some coign of vantage on the bluff, admonishing, advising him dryly, while he laughed in his sleeve. it was undeniably funny. alone, with one of lighter's saddle-horses under him, his baggage secured behind the saddle, he might have been threading the dunes of the columbia now. this incipient slide need not have caused him ten minutes' delay, and eight, nine o'clock at the latest, would have found him putting up for the night at the hotel in wenatchee. but here he was hardly over the divide; it was almost sunset, but he was dragging a buggy by hand around a mountain top. he hoped foster never would find out what he had paid for these bays--the team of huskies that had carried him the long trek from nome to the aurora mine and on through rainy pass had cost less. still, under the circumstances, would not foster himself have done the same? she was no ordinary woman; she was more than pretty, more than attractive; there was no woman like her in all the world. to travel this little journey with her, listen to her, watch her charms unfold, was worth the price. and if it had fallen to foster, if he were here now to feel the spell of her, that spanish woman would lose her hold. then he remembered that foster knew her; she had admitted that. it was inconceivable, but he had known her at the time he confessed his infatuation for weatherbee's wife. the amusement went out of tisdale's face. he bent, frowning, to free the buggy of the rope. it was then miss armitage, exhilarated at his success, hurried forward from the bend. "oh," she cried radiantly, "how resourceful, how strong you are. it looked simply impossible; i couldn't guess what you meant to do, and now we have only to hitch the team and drive on to wenatchee. but," she added gravely and shook her head, "it was defying fate." he turned, regarding her from under still cloudy brows, though the genial lines began to deepen anew. "i told you fate was on our side. she threw those boughs there in easy reach. she might as well have said: 'there's some lumber i cut for you; now mend your road.'" "perhaps, well, perhaps," the girl laughed softly. "but if fate had said that to any other man, at least to any man i know, he would not have heard." but the columbia was still far off when darkness closed, and with sunset the thunder-heads they had watched across the kittitas valley gathered behind them. it was as though armies encamped on the heights they had left, waiting for night to pass. then searchlights began to play on the lower country; there was skirmishing along the skyline; blades flashed. at last, between the lightning flashes, the blackness was so dense it was hardly possible for tisdale to see the road, and he could not trust the nervous team to keep the track; it was necessary to stop, at least to wait until the moon should rise. but while he was preparing to tell her so, the silence was broken by the barking of a dog. instantly it was swelled by a deeper baying, and the echo rang a continuous clamor through the gorge. then a faint illumination brought out in silhouette a final bluff ahead; rounding it, they saw a low-roofed habitation, and in the open door a woman with a lamp. one of the dogs stood bristling and growling beside her; the other, barking furiously, sprang from the porch so that for a moment tisdale was busy with the plunging team. then the woman spoke, and the setter, whimpering, snapping furtively, crept back to her feet. "we have been delayed by an accident," tisdale explained briefly, "and i want you to take this lady in for the night. make her comfortable as possible, and i will see it is worth your while." "this ain't much of a road-house." the woman held the lamp higher to scrutinize the lady's face. "we only got one room, an' the best i can do is to double up with the kids an' give you my bed." "that will do very well," answered tisdale quickly. "i can take care of myself. of course there's a stable somewhere out here in the dark, and a bale or two of hay." "no, we got a shed up, but we're short on feed. we're short on 'bout everything: flour, potatoes, bacon, beans. we've just took up this here claim, an' things ain't growed. but my man's gone down to wenatchee to fetch a load." then, seeing this fact was hardly one to solace her transient guests, she laughed shortly and went into the cabin to set the lamp on a table and bring a lantern that hung on the farther wall. tisdale turned to help miss armitage down. "we may be able to find better accommodations towards the columbia, when the moon rises," he said, "but i can't be as sure of another--chaperon." then, looking into her face, he added in his minor key: "i am sorry, but you will make the best of things, i know. and the night will pass. come." she slipped down beside him and stood holding her skirts out of the powdery soil, while her wide eyes searched that interior through the open door. tisdale lifted the baggage from the buggy to the porch, then the woman returned with the lantern and, followed by the dogs, went to show him where he might stable the horses. after a moment miss armitage ventured up the low steps to the threshold. it was a portable cabin such as she had noticed from the train window at intervals where construction was incomplete along the new railroad. it was battered and weak, showing old earmarks of transportation, but it was furnished with a rusty cook-stove, some bench chairs, and two beds, which stood in the farther corners and nearly filled that half of the room. a few heavy dishes, the part of a loaf of bread, and several slices of indifferently fried bacon were on the table, between the lamp and a bucket containing a little water. presently, still holding her skirts, she crossed the grimy floor and stood inspecting with a mingled fascination and dread those ancient beds. both were destitute of linen, but one was supplied with a tumbled heap of coarse, brown blankets. in the other, beneath a frayed comforter, two small boys were sleeping. their sun-baked faces were overhung with thatches of streaked blond hair, and one restless arm, throwing off the sodden cover, partly exposed the child's day attire, an unclean denim blouse tucked into overalls. she turned in sudden panic and hurried back to the porch. in a little while she noticed her suitcase, opened it, and found her cologne; with this she drenched a fresh handkerchief and began to bathe her face and hands. then she drew one of the bench chairs through the doorway and, seating herself with her back to the room, kept on dabbing her lips and her cheeks with the cool, delicately pungent perfume, and so gathered up the remnants of her scattered fortitude. finally, when the lantern glimmered again, and she was able to distinguish the two returning figures, she had laid aside her hat and coat, and she was ready to smile, if not radiantly at least encouragingly, at tisdale as he came up the steps. the woman went in to shake out and spread the blankets with a pretence at making the bed, and he followed to the threshold, where he took a swift and closer inventory of the room. its resources were even more meager than he had supposed. he swung around and looked up through the darkness towards that sheltered cleft they had left near the pass. he did not say anything, but the girl watching him answered his thought. "i wish it had been possible. it would have been delightful--the ground was like a carpet, clean and soft and fragrant--under those pines." "i wish we had even had the forethought to bring down an armful of those boughs. but, after all, it might have been worse. at least you need not go hungry, with that lunch of lighter's and your apples, to say nothing of the sandwiches i asked the steward to make before i left the train. and to-morrow, when you are safe with your friends at wenatchee, you are going to forget this miserable experience like an unpleasant dream." "i am not ungrateful," she said quickly. "i enjoyed every moment of that drive. and besides the apples, i have tea. i always tuck a little in my suitcase when we are touring with mrs. feversham, because she uses a different blend." she bent as she spoke, to find the tea, which she produced together with a small kettle and alcohol burner. her evident desire to contribute her share, the fine show of courage that accepted and made the best of the inevitable, went straight to tisdale's heart. "tea," he repeated mellowly, "tea and all the outfit. well, that was mighty thoughtful of you. i won't even have to make a fire. but wait a minute; i am going to lift that table out here where it is cooler." with two seats, there was barely room for it on the porch. then, while he filled the kettle and lighted the burner, she spread the cloth, a fine damask towel supplied also from her baggage. on the whole it was a rather gay little supper and, considering the limitations of the menu, it bridged a long interval. tisdale, who had been accustomed to drink tea black and bitter on a hard trail, but habitually refused it socially, tasted his cup with deliberation. "miss armitage," he exclaimed, "you can't delude me. whatever this beverage may be, i am sure it is no ordinary tea." she was pouring a second cup when his glance fell from her face to her hands. they were delicately made, artistic, with wilful little thumbs, yet they impressed him with a certain resourcefulness, a strength in reserve. suddenly the light from the lantern which he had hung on a nail in the wall above the table, struck an exceedingly large ruby she wore on her left hand. it glowed blood-red, scintillated, flamed. he saw the stone was mounted with diamonds in a unique setting of some foreign workmanship, and he told himself it was probably an heirloom; it was too massive, too ornate for a betrothal ring; still he moved uneasily and set the cup down untasted. his eyes returned to her face, questioning, doubting. he was like a musician surprised to detect in a beautiful symphony the first false note. after that the conversation lagged. it was not cool on the porch. a broadside of lightning sweeping the cabin showed it stood in a narrow valley walled by precipitous, barren slopes and widening gulfwise towards the columbia desert. the pent air seemed surcharged. it was as though that table was set in a space between running dynamos, and when a stronger flash came, miss armitage instinctively grasped her chair, holding herself from contact with an unseen and terrible force. once, during an interlude, the silence was broken by a strange, faint cry. "did you hear?" she asked breathlessly. "what was it?" tisdale smiled into her troubled eyes. "why, just a cougar; lonesome, i guess, and calling his mate. but it's all right. sounds carry in these mountain gorges, and his cry was picked up by some cross wind miles from here. look at those dogs! they wouldn't stay curled up there on the ground asleep, too indifferent to prick up an ear, if a cougar, or even a coyote, were near." still she was not wholly reassured. she leaned forward, listening, trying to fathom the darkness with a lurking terror in her eyes. at last, when tisdale rose to say good night, she, too, left her chair. she laid her hand on the edge of the table as though that might steady her voice. "are you going to the stable?" she asked. "did you find a possible bed?" hollis laughed. "you needn't trouble about me. i am the sort of fellow to find the soft side of a plank. yes, it's true. there have been times when i've slept luxuriously on a board, with just my coat rolled up for a pillow." there was a brief pause while her imagination grasped the thought; then: "you must have been very tired," she said. "i was," he answered dryly and reached to take the lantern from the wall. at the foot of the steps he halted and put the light down to pick up his bag, which he opened. "here's a bunch of my handkerchiefs," he said. "they are bigger than yours. they should make you at least a pillow-case. good night." the setter rose to follow inquiringly at his heels; the lantern swung gently to his tread and, as his shape disappeared in the gloom, his whistle, sweet, soft, almost tender, fluted back to her. it was the "good night" from the opera of _martha_. and miss armitage smiled in the face of fear and turned resolutely to go in. but the next moment she was back again over the threshold. "mr. tisdale!" she called, and the currents held so long in check surged in her voice. "mr. tisdale!" instantly the lantern swung an arc. he came quickly back to the steps. "well," he said, breaking the pause, "what is the trouble?" "i know i must seem foolish--but--please don't go--yet." her position on the edge of the porch brought her face almost on a level with his. her eyes in the semi-darkness were luminously big; her face, her whole body quivered. she leaned a little towards him, and her nearness, the low, vibrant intensity of her voice, set his pulses singing. "i really can't stay in that room," she explained. "those beds all but touch, and she, the mother, has crowded in, dressed as she is, to sleep with the children. there isn't any air to breathe. i--i really can't make myself lie down--there. i had rather spend the night here on the piazza. only--please wait--until--" tisdale laughed his short, mellow note. "you mean you are afraid of the dark, or is it the cougar?" "it's both and the lightning, too. there! see how it plays along those awful heights; javelins of it; whole broadsides. i know it is foolish, but i can't help feeling it is following me. it singles me out, threatens me as though i am--guilty." "guilty? you? of what?" tisdale put down the lantern and came up the steps. "see here, miss armitage, come take your chair." he moved it around from the table and laid his hand on her arm, impelling her into the seat. "now face it out. those flashes of heat lightning are about as dangerous as the aurora borealis. you ought to know that." then, because the personal contact had set his blood racing, he moved away to the edge of the porch and stood frowning off up the gorge. he knew she covered her face with her hands; he believed she was crying, and he desired beyond all reason to take her to his heart and quiet her. he only said: "but i understand. i have seen strong men just as foolish before an electrical storm, and the bravest woman i ever knew lost her grip one still morning just from solitude." there was another silence, then suddenly she lifted her head. "i am sorry," she said, "but it is all over. i shall try my best not to annoy you any more." "annoy me? why, you haven't. what makes you think that?" tisdale turned, and the mellowness stole into his voice. "i didn't expect you to creep in and go to sleep tranquilly alongside that bunch of sage." at this she smiled. "you have found a flower to fit even her." "i never made a misfit--yet," he answered and waited, looking into her face, reading her through. "but you have doubts," she supplemented, "and i warned you i should disappoint you. i warned you at the start." tisdale laughed again, softly. "the odds were all against that alaska violet," he said, "but she weathered it through." and seating himself on the steps, he looked up again to the night-enshrouded pass. the air was cooler; a light wind, drawing down from the divide, brought a hint of dampness; it was raining somewhere, far off. "my doubts are all right," he added, "and i am going to stay here as long as you want me to." chapter viii the bravest woman he ever knew presently, during one of the interludes when darkness enveloped the gulf, she began to entertain tisdale with an experience in the sierras, a little adventure on one of those journeys with her father, when she had driven pedro and don josé. but though she told the story with composure, even with a certain vivacity and charm, as she might have narrated it to a small and intimate audience in any safe drawing-room, her self-control was a transparency through which he saw her anxiety manoeuvering, in spite of his promise, to keep him there. "strange, is it not?" she went on, "how things will take the gloss of humor, looking back. that cloudburst was anything but funny at the time; it was miserably exasperating to stand there drenched, with the comfortable quarters of the mining company in sight, cut off by an impassable washout. and it was wretched driving all those miles to our hotel in wet clothes, with not so much as a dry rug to cover us; yet afterwards, whenever i tried to tell about it, i failed to gain a shred of sympathy. people laughed, as you are doing now." "and you laughed with them," answered tisdale quickly, "because looking back you caught the right perspective. it is always so. another incident that seemed trivial in passing will loom up behind us like a cliff on the horizon. and it is so with people. the man who held the foreground through sheer egoism sinks to his proper place in obscurity, while a little, white-faced woman we knew for a day stands out of the past like a monument." his brows clouded; he turned from the lantern light to look off again to the shrouded mountain tops. "and looking back," he added, "the man you thought you knew better than the rest, the partner, friend, to whom, when you were reminded and it suited your convenience, you were ready to do a service, stands out from the shadows clearly defined. it is under the test of those high lights behind that his character shines. you wonder at his greatness. his personality takes a stronger, closer hold, and you would give the rest of your life just to go back and travel the old, hard road again with him." there was a long silence, broken once more by that far, wailing cry on the wind. miss armitage started. she laid her hand on tisdale's shoulder, the nearest object, in a tightening grip, while for a breathless moment she leaned forward, trying to penetrate the darkness of the gorge. the action seemed to remind him of her presence, and he turned to look at her. "frightened again?" he asked. her hand fell; she settled back in her seat. "n-o, not very much, but it took me off guard. it sounds so desolate, so--so--supernatural; like the cry of a doomed soul." tisdale smiled. "that describes it, but you never have heard it at close range." she shivered; her glance moved again in apprehension to the night-enshrouded pass. "have you, mr. tisdale?" "yes, lonesome nights by a mountain camp-fire, with just the wind piping down a ravine, or a cataract breaking over a spur to fill the interlude." "oh, that must have been terrifying," and the shiver crept into her voice. "but what did you do?" "why, i hurried to pull the embers together and throw on more spruce boughs. a cougar is cautious around a fire." there was another silence, then, "i was thinking of your little, white-faced woman," said miss armitage. "she baffles me. was she your bravest woman or just your anemone? would you mind telling me?" "so you were thinking of her. that's odd; so was i." tisdale changed his position, turning to lean on the edge of the porch with his elbow resting on the floor. "but it was that gordon setter there that reminded me of her. her dog had the same points, though he had been better trained." he paused briefly, then said: "she was both. she was like that small, white flower which grows in the shelter of the alaska woods--sweet and modest and frail looking--yet she was the bravest woman and the strongest when it came to endurance i ever knew." "it happened, of course, in alaska," miss armitage ventured, breaking the pause. "you knew her there?" "yes, it was in alaska and about five years ago. the season i gave up getting rich in a hurry and went back to geological work. i had spent the winter on the tanana with david weatherbee. we had staked a promising placer, and we were ready to begin sluicing with the first spring thaw, when he sold his interest unexpectedly to meet an obligation down in the states. that nettled me, and i sold out my own share to the same men and accepted a position with the department, who had written to ask me to take charge of a party working above seward. weatherbee started with me, but i left him to prospect along the headwaters of the susitna. my surveys kept me in the neighborhood of turnagain arm until midsummer, when i moved camp up the river to the mouth of an unexplored tributary. it was the kind of stream to lure a prospector or a sportsman, clear, rapid, broken by riffles and sand-bars, while the grassy shores looked favorable for elk or caribou. to bridge the delay while the last pack-horses straggled in and the men were busy pitching tents and putting things into shape, i decided to go on a short hunting trip. i traveled light, with only a single blanket rolled compactly for my shoulder strap, in case the short night should overtake me, with a generous lunch that sandy, the cook, had supplied, but at the end of two hours' steady tramping i had sighted nothing. i had reached a wooded ravine and a snow-peak, apparently the source of the stream, closed the top of the gorge. it was the heart of the wilderness, over a hundred miles from a settlement and off the track of road-houses, but a few rods on i came upon the flume and dump of a placer mine. the miner's cabin stood a little farther up the bank under a clump of spruce, but the place seemed abandoned. then i noticed some berry bushes near the sluice had been lately snapped off, where some heavy animal had pushed through, and a moment later, in the moist soil at a small spillway, i picked up the trail of a large bear. "the tracks led me up the rough path towards the cabin, but midway i came to a fallen tree. it must have been down a week or more, but no attempt had been made to clear the trail or to cut through, so, pushing up over the matted boughs, i leaped from the bole to avoid the litter beyond. at the same instant i saw under me, wedged in the broken branches, the body of my bear. he was a huge grizzly, and must have made an easy and ugly target as he lumbered across the barricade. i found one bullet had taken him nearly between the eyes, while another had lodged in the shoulder. and it was plain the shots were aimed from the window, with the rifle probably resting on the sill. "as i went on up the path, the loud baying of a dog came from the cabin, then a woman's face, young and small and very white, appeared at the window. seeing me, she turned quickly and threw open the door. the next instant her hand fell to the neck of a fine gordon setter and, tugging at his collar, she drew back and stood surveying me from head to foot. 'it's all right, madam,' i said, stopping before her. 'don't try to hold him. the bear won't trouble you any more. you made a mighty fine shot.' "'oh,' she said, and let the dog go, 'i am so glad you have come.' and she sank into a chair, shaking and sobbing." "you mean," exclaimed miss armitage breathlessly, "it was she who killed the bear?" tisdale nodded gently. "i wish i could make you understand the situation. she was not a sportswoman. she was city bred and had been carefully reared--accustomed to have things done for her. i saw this at a glance. only her extremity and the fear that the dog would be hurt nerved her to shoot." "oh, i see, i see," said miss armitage. "fate had brought her, left her in that solitary place--alone." "fate?" tisdale questioned. "well, perhaps, but not maliciously; not in jest. on second thought i would not lay it to fate at all. you see, she had come voluntarily, willingly, though blindly enough. she was one of the few women who are capable of a great love." tisdale waited, but the woman beside him had no more to say. "i saw i must give her time to gather her self-control," he went on, "so i turned my attention to the setter, who was alternately springing on me and excitedly wagging his tail. i like a good dog, and i soon had him familiarly snuffing my pockets; then he stretched himself playfully, with an inquiring, almost human yawn; but suddenly remembering the bear, he stood pointing, head up, forepaw lifted, and made a rush, baying furiously. "'it's all right, madam,' i repeated and stepped into the room. 'you made a fine shot, and that bearskin is going to make a great rug for your floor.' "she lifted her face, downing a last sob, and gave me a brave little smile. 'it isn't altogether the bear,' she explained. 'it's partly because i haven't seen any one for so long, and partly because, for a moment, i thought you were my husband. i've been worried about him. he has been gone over three weeks, and he never stayed longer than five days before. but it was a relief to have you come.' "it sounds differently when i repeat it. you lose the sweet shyness of her face, the appeal in her eyes not yet dry, and that soft minor chord in her voice that reminds me now of a wood-thrush. "'i understand,' i hurried to say, 'the solitude has grown intolerable. i know what that means, i have lived so long in the eternal stillness sometimes that the first patter of a rain on the leaves came like the tramp of an army, and the snapping of a twig rang sharp as a pistol shot.' "'you do understand,' she said. 'you have been through it. and, of course, you see my husband had to leave me. the trail up the canyon is the merest thread. it would have been impossible for me, and i should have only hindered him, now, when every day counts.' "'you mean,' i said, 'he has left his placer to prospect for the main lode above?' and she answered yes. that every gravel bar made a better showing; the last trip had taken him above the tree line, and this time he expected to prospect along the glacier at the source of the stream. sometimes erosions laid veins open, and any hour 'he might stumble on riches.' she smiled again, though her lip trembled, then said it was his limited outfit that troubled her most. he had taken only a light blanket and a small allowance of bacon and bread. "'but,' i reassured her, 'there is almost a certainty he has found game at this season of the year.' "she looked at the rifle she had set by the window against the wall. 'i haven't been able to persuade him to take the gun,' she explained, 'for a long time. he doesn't hunt any more.' she stopped, watching me, and locked her slim hands. then, 'he is greatly changed,' she went on. 'the last time he came home, he hardly noticed me. he spent the whole evening sitting with his eyes fixed on the floor--without a word. and the next morning, before i was awake, he was gone.' "at last her real fear was clear to me. there is a terrible fascination about those alaska gold streams. each gravel bar has just showing enough to lead a man on and on. he hugs the belief from hour to hour he is on the brink of a great find, until he has eyes for nothing but the colors in the sand. he forgets hunger, weariness, everything, and finally, if rescue fails him, he sinks in complete collapse. more than once i had come on such a wreck, straying demented, babbling, all but famished in the hills. and i was sorry for that little woman. i understood the pitch she must have reached to speak so freely to a passing stranger. but it was hard to find just the right thing to say, and while i stood choosing words, she hurried to explain that two days before she had taken the dog and tramped up-stream as far as she had dared, hoping to meet her husband, and that she had intended to go even farther that day, but had been prevented, as i saw, by the bear, who had prowled about the cabin the greater part of the night. the setter's continual barking and growling had failed to drive him away. "'if you had gone this morning,' i said, 'i should have missed you; then i shouldn't have known about your husband. i am on my way up this canyon, and i shall look for him. and, when i find him, i shall do my best to bring him in touch with the outside world again.'" tisdale paused. the abrupt slope that over-topped the portable cabin began to take shape in the darkness. it had the appearance of a sail looming through fog. then the shadows scattered, and the belated moon, lifting over the dunes beyond the columbia, silvered the mouth of the gorge. it was as though that other distant canyon, of which he was thinking, opened before him into unknown solitudes. miss armitage leaned forward, watching his face, waiting for the issue of the story. "and you found him?" she asked at last. "yes. in the end." tisdale's glance returned and, meeting hers, the grim lines in his face relaxed. "but there was a long and rough tramp first. she urged me to take the setter, and i saw the advantage in having a good dog with me on such a search; any cleft, or thicket, or sprinkle of boulders, might easily conceal a man's body from one passing only a few feet off--but, much as he favored me, he was not to be coaxed far from his mistress; so i suggested she should go, too. "'oh,' she said, catching at the chance, 'do you think jerry can make up for the delay, if i do? i will travel my best, i promise you.' and she led the way, picking up the faint trail and setting a pace that i knew must soon tire her, while the dog brushed by us, bounding ahead and rushing back and expressing his satisfaction in all sorts of manoeuvers. "in a little while, above the timber--the tree line is low on those alaska mountainsides--we came to a broad, grassy bog set deep between two spurs, and she was forced to give me the lead. then the canyon walls grew steeper, lifting into rugged knobs. sometimes i lost the prospector's trail in a rock-choked torrent and picked it up again, where it hung like a thin ribbon on a heather-grown slope; but it never wound or doubled if there was foothold ahead. it led up stairs of graywacke, along the brink of slaty cliffs that dropped sheer, hundreds of feet to the stream below. still she kept on pluckily, and whenever i turned to help her, i found her there at my elbow, ready. now and then in breadths of level, where it was possible to walk abreast, we talked a little, but most of the distance was covered in silence. i felt more and more sorry for her. she was so eager, patient, watchful, forever scanning the pitches on either side. and if the setter made a sudden break, scenting a bare perhaps, or starting a ptarmigan, she always stopped, waiting with a light in her face; and when he jogged back to her heels, the expectation settled into patience again. "finally we came to a rill where i urged her to rest; and when i had spread my blanket on a boulder, she took the seat, leaning comfortably against a higher rock, and watched me while i opened the tin box in which sandy had stored my lunch. she told me my cook made a good sandwich and knew how to fry a bird southern fashion. then she spoke of the virginia town where she had lived before her marriage. the trip west had been her wedding journey, and her husband, who was an architect, had intended to open an office in a new town on puget sound, but at seattle he caught the alaska fever. "'the future looked very certain and brilliant then,' she said, with her smile, 'but as long as i have my husband, nothing else counts. i could live out my life, be happy here in this wilderness, anywhere, with him. if i could only have him back--as he used to be.'" tisdale's voice softened, vibrating gently, so that the pathos of it all must have impressed the coldest listener. the woman beside him trembled and lifted her hand to her throat. "i can't remember all she told me," he went on, "but her husband had left her in seattle when he started north, and the next season, when he failed to return for her, she had sailed to seward in search of him. she had tried to influence him to give up the placer, when she saw the change in him; at least to go down to one of the coast towns and take up the work for which he had prepared, but he had delayed, with promises, until he was beyond listening to her. "'of course he may stumble on riches any hour, as he believes,' she said finally, 'but not all the comforts or luxuries in the world are worth the price.' she did not break down, as she had in the cabin, but somehow i could hear the tears falling in her voice. i can yet, and see them big and shining deep in her eyes. "but she was off again, making up the delay, before i could fasten my pack, and when i overtook her in a level stretch and halted a moment to frolic with the dog, her face brightened. then she spoke of a little trick she had taught him,--to go and meet his master and fetch his hat to her. sometimes she had hidden it in shrubs, or among rocks, but invariably he had brought it home. "at last we made a turn and saw the front of the glacier that closed the top of the gorge. the stream gushed from a cavern at the foot, and above the noise of water sounded the grinding and roaring of subterranean forces at work. once in a while a stone was hurled through. but that is impossible to explain. you must have been on intimate terms with a glacier to grasp the magnitude. still, try to imagine the ice arching that cave like a bridge and lifting back, rimmed in moraine, far and away to the great white dome. and it was all wrapped in a fine alpine splendor, so that she stopped beside me in a sort of hushed wonder to look. but i could hear her breath, laboring hard and quick, and she rocked uncertainly on her feet. i laid my hand on her arm to steady her. it was time we turned back. for half an hour i had been gathering courage to tell her so. while i hesitated, allowing her a few minutes to take in the glory, the setter ran nosing ahead, up over the wreckage along the edge of the glacier, and on across the bridge. i waited until he disappeared in a small pocket, then began: 'you know, madam, what all this color means. these twilights linger, and it will be easier traveling down-grade, but we must hurry, to have you home before dark.' "she turned to answer but stopped, looking beyond me to the bridge. then i saw the setter had caught her attention. he was coming back. his black body moved in strong relief against the ice-field, and i noticed he had something in his mouth. it seemed about the size and color of a grouse,--a ptarmigan, no doubt. then it flashed over me the thing was a hat. at the same moment i felt her tremble, and i had just time to see that her face had gone white, when she sank against me, a dead weight. i carried her a few yards to a bank of heather and laid her down, and while i was filling my folding cup at the stream, the dog bounded over the rocks and dropped the thing on her breast. it was a hat, a gray felt with a good brim, such as a prospector, or indeed any man who lives in the open, favors; but the setter's actions,--he alternately rushed towards the glacier and back to his mistress, with short yelps,--warned me to be careful, and i tucked the hat out of sight, between two stones. the dog had it out instantly, bent on giving it to her, but i snatched it from him and threw it into the torrent, where it struck upright, floating lightly on the brim, and lodged in a shallow. he followed and came bounding back with it, while i was raising the cup to her lips, and i had barely a chance to crowd it into my blanket roll when she opened her eyes. 'he had louis' hat,' she said and drifted into unconsciousness again. "i took my flask from my pocket and, blaming myself for bringing her that hard trip, mixed a draught. it revived her, and in a moment she started up. 'where is the hat?' she asked, looking about her. 'jerry had it on the ice-bridge.' "at the sound of her voice, the dog, who had been trying to get at the hat, commenced his manoeuvers to attract her across the gorge, bounding ahead, calling her with his short, excited barks, and making all the signs of a hunting dog impatient to lead to the quarry. she tried to get to her feet, but i put my hand on her shoulder. 'wait, madam,' i said. 'you must rest a little longer before you try to start back. you were so tired you fainted. and your eyes must have played you a trick.' "'you mean,' she began and stopped. "i am not much of a dissembler, and i found it hard to meet her look, but i answered with all the assurance i could muster. 'i mean, madam, you are mistaken about that hat.' "she waited a moment, watching the setter, then her glance moved back incredulously to me. 'then what excites jerry?' she asked. "'why,' i hurried to answer, 'just another bunch, of ptarmigan, probably. but while you are resting here, i will go over into that pocket to satisfy him.' "the setter, content with my company, ran ahead, and i followed him across the ice-bridge. the pocket was thickly strewn with broken rock, but at the upper end there was a clear space grown with heather. and it was there, as i feared, between a bluff and a solitary thumb-shaped boulder that the dog had found his master." tisdale paused, looking off again with clouding brows to the stormy heights. eastward the moon in a clear sky threw a soft illumination on the desert. the cry of the cougar had ceased. the electrical display was less brilliant; it seemed farther off. miss armitage moved a little and waited, watching his face. "but of course," she ventured at last, "you mixed another draught from your emergency flask. the stimulant saved his life." "no." tisdale's glance came slowly back. "he was beyond any help. a square of canvas was set obliquely on the glacier side, and that and the blanket which covered him proved the place was his camp; but the only traces of food were a few cracker or bread crumbs in a trap made of twigs, and a marmot skin and a bunch of ptarmigan feathers to show the primitive contrivance had worked. there was no wood in the neighborhood, but the ashes of a small fire showed he must have carried fuel from the belt of spruce half-way down the gorge. if he had made such a trip and not gone on to the cabin, it clearly proved his mental condition. still in the end there had been a glimmer of light, for he had torn a leaf from his notebook and written first his wife's name and then a line, out of which i was only able to pick the words 'give' and 'help' and 'states.' evidently he had tried to put the paper into his poke, which had dropped, untied, from his hand with the pencil he had used. the sack was nearly full; it had fallen upright in a fold of the blanket, so only a little of the gold, which was very coarse and rough and bright, had spilled. i made all this inventory almost at a glance, and saw directly he had left his pan and shovel in the gravels of a stream that cascaded over the wall and through the pocket to join the creek below the glacier. then it came over me that i must keep the truth from her until she was safely back at the cabin, and i put the poke in my pocket and hurried to do what i could. "the setter hampered me and was frantic when i turned away, alternately following me a few yards, whining and begging, and rushing back to his master. finally he stopped on the farther side of the ice-bridge and set up a prolonged cry. his mistress had come to meet me and she waited at the crossing, supporting herself with her hands on a great boulder, shoulders forward, breath hushed, watching me with her soul in her eyes. at last i reached her. 'madam,' i began, but the words caught in my throat. i turned and looked up at the splendor on the mountain. the air drew sharp across the ice, but a sudden heat swept me; i was wet with perspiration from head to foot. 'madam,' and i forced myself to meet her eyes, 'it is just as i expected; the dog found--nothing.' "she straightened herself slowly, still watching me, then suddenly threw her arms against the rock and dropped her face. 'come,' i said, 'we must start back. come, i want to hurry through to my camp for a horse.' "this promise was all she needed to call up her supreme self-control, and she lifted her face with a smile that cut me worse than any tears. 'i'm not ungrateful,' she said, 'but--i felt so sure, from the first, you would find him.' "'and you felt right,' i hurried to answer. 'trust me to bring him through.' "i whistled the setter, and she called repeatedly, but he refused to follow. when we started down the trail, he watched us from his post at the farther end of the ice-bridge, whining and baying, and the moment she stopped at the first turn to look back, he streaked off once more for that pocket. 'never mind,' i said, and helped her over a rough place, 'jerry knows he is a good traveler. he will be home before you.' but it was plain to me he would not, and try as i might to hurry her out of range of his cry, it belled again soon, and the cliffs caught it over and over and passed it on to us far down the gorge." there was one of those speaking silences in which the great heart of the man found expression, and the woman beside him, following his gaze, sifted the cloudy pass. she seemed in that moment to see that other canyon, stretching down from the glacier, and those two skirting the edge of cliffs, treading broken stairs, pursued by the cry of the setter into the gathering gloom of the arctic night. "it grew very cold in that gorge," he went on, "and i blamed myself for taking her that trip more and more. she never complained, never stopped, except to look back and listen for the dog, but shadows deepened under her eyes; the patient lines seemed chiseled where they had been only lightly drawn, and when she caught me watching her and coaxed up her poor little smile, i could have picked her up in my arms and carried her the rest of the way. but we reached the tree-line before she came to her limit. it was at the turn in a cliff, and i stopped, looking down across the tops of a belt of spruce, to locate the cabin. 'there it is,' i said. 'you see that little brown patch down there in the blur of green. that is your house. you are almost home.' "she moved a step to see better and stumbled, and she only saved herself by catching my arm in both hands. then her whole body fell to shaking. i felt unnerved a little, for that matter. it was a dangerous place. i had been recklessly foolish to delay her there. but when i had found a safe seat for her around the cliff, the shivering kept up, chill after chill, and i mixed a draught for her, as i had at the glacier. "'this will warm your blood,' i said, holding the cup for her. 'come, madam, we must fight the cold off for another hour; that should see you home. after i have made a good fire, i am going to show you what a fine little supper i can prepare. bear steaks at this season are prime.' "i laughed to encourage her, and because the chills were still obstinate, i hurried to unstrap my blanket to wrap around her. and i only remembered the hat when it dropped at her feet. she did not cry out but sat like a marble woman, with her eyes fixed on it. then, after a while, she bent and lifted it and began to shape it gently with her numb little fingers. she was beyond tears, and the white stillness of her face made me more helpless than any sobbing. i could think of nothing to say to comfort her and turned away, looking off in the direction of the cabin. it seemed suddenly a long distance off. "finally she spoke, slowly at first, convincing herself. 'jerry did bring it across the ice-bridge. he found louis and stayed to watch, as i thought. sir, now tell me the truth.' "i turned back to her, and it came bluntly enough. then i explained it was not an accident or anything terrible; that the end had come easily, probably the previous night, of heart failure. 'but i couldn't nerve myself to tell you up there,' i said, 'with all those miles of hard travel before you; and i am going back to-morrow, as i promised, to bring him through.' "she had nothing to say but rose and held out her hand. in a little while i began to lead her down through the belt of spruce. i moved very slowly, choosing steps, for she paid no attention to her footing. her hand rested limply in mine, and she stumbled, like one whose light has gone out in a dark place." tisdale's story was finished, but miss armitage waited, listening. it was as though in the silence she heard his unexpressed thoughts. "but her life was wrecked," she said at last. "she never could forget. think of it! the terror of those weeks; the long-drawn suspense. she should not have stayed in alaska. she should have gone home at the beginning. she was not able to help her husband. her influence was lost." "true," tisdale answered slowly. "long before that day i found her, she must have known it was a losing fight. but the glory of the battle is not always to the victor. and she blamed herself that she had not gone north with her husband at the start. you see she loved him, and love with that kind of woman means self-sacrifice; she counted it a privilege to have been there, to have faced the worst with him, done what she could." miss armitage straightened, lifting her head with that movement of a flower shaken on its stem. "every woman owes it to herself to keep her self-respect," she said. "she owes it to her family--the past and future generations of her race--to make the most of her life." "and she made the most of hers," responded tisdale quickly. "that was her crowning year." he hesitated, then said quietly, with his upward look from under slightly frowning brows: "and it was just that reason, the debt to her race, that buoyed her all the way through. it controlled her there at the glacier and gave her strength to turn back, when the setter refused to come. afterwards, in mid-winter, when news of the birth of her son came down from seward, i understood." an emotion like a transparent shadow crossed his listener's face. "that changes everything," she said. "but of course you returned the next day with a horse to do as you promised, and afterwards helped her out to civilization." "i saw louis barbour buried, yes." tisdale's glance traveled off again to the distant pass. "we chose a low mound, sheltered by a solitary spruce, between the cabin and the creek, and i inscribed his name and the date on the trunk of the tree. but my time belonged to the government. i had a party in the field, and the alaska season is short. it fell to david weatherbee to see her down to seward." "to david weatherbee?" miss armitage started. protest fluctuated with the surprise in her voice. "but i see, i see!" and she settled back in her seat. "you sent him word. he had known her previously." "no. when i left him early in the spring, he intended to prospect down the headwaters of the susitna, you remember, and i was carrying my surveys back from the lower valley. we were working toward each other, and i expected to meet him any day. in fact, i had mail for him at my camp that had come by way of seward, so i hardly was surprised the next morning, when i made the last turn below the glacier with my horse to see old weatherbee coming over the ice-bridge. "he had made a discovery at the source of that little tributary, where the erosion of the glacier had opened a rich vein, and on following the stream through graywackes and slate to the first gravelled fissure, he had found the storage plant for his placer gold. he was on his way out to have the claim recorded and get supplies and mail when he heard the baying setter and, rounding the mouth of the pocket, saw the camp and the dead prospector. afterwards, when he had talked with the woman waiting down the canyon, he asked to see her husband's poke and compared the gold with the sample he had panned. it was the same, coarse and rough, with little scraps of quartz clinging to the bigger flakes sometimes, and he insisted the strike was barbour's. he tried to persuade her to make the entry, but she refused, and finally they compromised with a partnership." "so they were partners." miss armitage paused, then went on with a touch of frostiness: "and they traveled those miles of wilderness alone, for days together, out to the coast." "yes." tisdale's glance, coming back, challenged hers. "sometimes the wilderness enforces a social code of her own. miss armitage,"--his voice vibrated softly,--"i wish you had known david weatherbee. but imagine sir galahad, that whitest knight of the whole round table, sir galahad on that alaska trail, to-day. and weatherbee was doubly anxious to reach seward. there was a letter from his wife in that packet of mail i gave him. she had written she was taking the opportunity to travel as far as seward with some friends, who were making the summer tour of the coast. but he was ready to cut the trip into short and easy stages to see mrs. barbour through. 'it's all right,' he said at the start. 'leave it to me. i am going to take this lady to my wife.'" "and--at seward?" questioned miss armitage, breaking the pause. "at seward his wife failed him. but he rented a snug cottage of some people going out to the states and had the good fortune to find a motherly woman, who knew something about nursing, to stay with mrs. barbour. it was christmas when her father arrived from virginia to help her home, and it was spring before she was able to make the sea voyage as far as seattle." "expenses, in those new, frontier towns, are so impossible; i hope her father was able"--she halted, then added hurriedly, flushing under tisdale's searching eyes, "but, of course, in any case, he reimbursed mr. weatherbee." "he did, you may be sure, if there was any need. but you have forgotten that poke of barbour's. there was dust enough to have carried her through even an alaska winter; but an old nevada miner, on the strength of that showing, paid her twenty thousand dollars outright for her interest in the claim." miss armitage drew a deep breath. "and david weatherbee, too? he sold his share--did he not--and stayed on at seward?" "yes, he wasted the best weeks of the season in seward, waiting for his wife. but she never came. she wrote she had changed her mind. he showed me that letter one night at the close of the season when he stopped at my camp on his way back to the tanana. it was short but long enough to remind him there were accounts pressing; one particularly that she called a 'debt of honor.' she hadn't specified, but i guessed directly she had been accepting loans from her friends, and i saw it was that that had worried him. to raise the necessary money, he had been obliged to realize on the new placer. his partner had been waiting to go in to the claim with him, and weatherbee's sudden offer to sell made the mining man suspicious. he refused to buy at any price. then david found an old prospector whom he had once befriended and made a deal with him. it was five hundred dollars down, and two thousand out of the first year's clean-up. and he sent all of the ready money to her and started in to make a new stake below discovery. but the inevitable stampede had followed on the nevada man's heels, and the strike turned out small. "it was one of those rich pockets we find sometimes along a glacier that make fortunes for the first men, while the rank and file pan out defeat and disappointment. there was the quartz body above, stringers and veins of it reaching through the graywackes and slate, but to handle it weatherbee must set up a stamp-mill; and only a line of pack-mules from the andes, and another line of steamships could transport the ore to the nearest smelter, on puget sound. so--he took up the long trek northward again, to the tanana. think of it! the irony of it!" tisdale rose and turned on the step to look down at her. the light from the lantern intensified the furrows between his brooding eyes. "and think what it meant to weatherbee to have seen, as he had, day after day, hour after hour, the heart of another man's wife laid bare, while to his own he himself was simply a source of revenue." miss armitage too rose and stood meeting his look. her lip trembled a little, but the blue lights flamed in her eyes. "you believe that," she said, and her voice dropped into an unexpected note. "you believe he threw away that rich discovery for the few hundreds of dollars he sent his wife; but i know--she was told--differently. she thought he was glad to--escape-- at so small a price. he wrote he was glad she had reconsidered that trip; alaska was no place for her." "madam," tisdale remonstrated softly, "you couldn't judge david weatherbee literally by his letters. if you had ever felt his personality, you would have caught the undercurrent, deep and strong, sweeping between the lines. it wasn't himself that counted; it was what was best for her. you couldn't estimate him by other men; he stood, like your white mountain, alone above the crowd. and he set a pedestal higher than himself and raised his wife there to worship and glorify. a word from her at any time would have turned the balance and brought him home; her presence, her sympathy, even that last season at the aurora mine, would have brought him through. i wish you had seen his face that day i met him below the glacier and had told him about the woman waiting down the gorge. 'my god, tisdale,' he said, 'suppose it had been my wife.'" miss armitage stood another moment, locking her hands one over the other in a tightening grip. her lip trembled again, but the words failed. she turned and walked uncertainly the few steps to the end of the porch. "you believe she might have influenced him, but i do not. oh, i see, i see, how you have measured him by your own great heart. but"--she turned towards him and went on slowly, her voice fluctuating in little, steadying pauses--"even if you were right, you might be generous; you might try to imagine her side. suppose she had not guessed his--need--of her; been able to read, as you did, between the lines. sometimes a woman waits to be told. a proud woman does." she came back the few steps. "beatriz weatherbee isn't the kind of woman you think she is. she has faults, of course, but she has tried to make the best of her life. if she made a mistake--or thought she had--no one else knew it. she braved it through. she's been high-strung, too." tisdale put up his hand. "don't say any more; don't try to excuse her to me. it's of no use. good night." but a few feet from the porch he stopped to add, less grimly: "i should have said good morning. you see how that pyramid stands out against that pale streak of horizon. there is only time for a nap before sunrise. day is breaking." she was silent, but something in the intensity of her gaze, the unspoken appeal that had also a hint of dread, the stillness of her small face, white in the uncertain light when so lately he had seen it sparkle and glow, brought him back. "i've tired you out," he said. "i shouldn't have told you that story. but this outlook to-night reminded me of that other canyon, and i thought it might help to bridge over the time. there's nothing can tide one through an unpleasant situation like hearing about some one who fared worse. and i hadn't meant to go so far into details. i'm sorry," and he held out his hand, "but it was your interest, sympathy, something about you, that drew me on." she did not answer directly. she seemed to need the moment to find her voice and bring it under control. then, "any one must have been interested," she said, and drew away her hand. "you have the story-teller's gift. and i want to thank you for making it all so clear to me; it was a revelation." chapter ix the dunes of the columbia behind them, as tisdale drove down, the heights they had crossed were still shrouded in thunder-caps, but before them the end of the wenatchee range lifted clear-cut, in a mighty promontory, from the face of the desert. already the morning sun gave a promise of heat, and as the bays rounded a knoll, miss armitage raised her hands to shade her eyes. "what color!" she exclaimed. "how barbarous! how ages old! but don't say this is the columbia, mr. tisdale. i know it is the nile. those are the ruins of thebes. in a moment we shall see the rest of the pyramids and the sphinx." tisdale brought the horses around a sand-pit in the road which began to parallel the river, rolling wide and swift and intensely blue, where the rapids ceased, then he glanced at the other shore, where fantastic columns and broken walls of granite rose like a ruined city through a red glory. "it is worth coming from new york to see, but you have traveled abroad. do you know, that disappoints me. a true american should see america first." "then i confess." the girl laughed softly. "i haven't been nearer the nile than a lantern-slide lecture and the moving-picture show. but my father knew egypt when he was a boy; maybe i've inherited some memories, too." her enthusiasm was irresistible. looking into her glowing face, the mirth-provoking lines broke and re-formed at the corners of his own mouth and eyes. "but," he explained after a moment, "this desert of the columbia is not old; it's tremendously new; so new that nature hasn't had time to take the scaffolding away. you know--do you not--this was all once a great inland sea? countless glacial streams brought wash down from the mountains, filling the shallows with the finest alluvial earth. then, in some big upheaval, one or perhaps several of these volcanic peaks poured down a strata of lava and ash. as the ice tongues receded, the streams gradually dried; only the larger ones, fed far back in the range, are left to-day." "how interesting!" her glance swept upward and backward along the heights and returned to the levels. "and naturally, as the bed of the sea was laid bare, these last streams found the lowest depression, the channel of the columbia." her quickness, her evident desire to grasp the great scheme of things, which other women received with poorly veiled indifference, often hurried to evade, warmed his scientist soul. "yes," he answered, "nature remembered, while she was busy, to construct the main flume. she might as well have said, when it was finished: 'here are some garden tracts i reclaimed for you. now get to work; show what you can do.'" "and are you going to?" her voice caught a little; she watched his face covertly yet expectantly, her breath arrested, with parted lips. "perhaps. i am on my way to find a certain garden spot that belonged to david weatherbee. he knew more about reclamation than i, for he grew up among your california orchards, but i have the plans he drew; i ought to be able to see his project through." "you mean you may buy the land, mr. tisdale, if--things--are as you expect?" "yes, provided i have mrs. weatherbee's price." "what do you consider the tract is worth?" "i couldn't make a fair estimate before i have been over the ground. seattle promoters are listing wenatchee fruit lands now, but the weatherbee tract is off the main valley. still, the railroad passes within a few miles, and the property must have made some advance since he bought the quarter section. that was over nine years ago. he was a student at stanford then and spent a summer vacation up here in the cascades with a party of engineers who were running surveys for the great northern. one day he was riding along a high ridge at the top of one of those arid gulfs, when he came to a bubbling spring. it was so cool and pleasant up there above the desert heat that he set up a little camp of his own in the shade of some pine trees that rimmed the pool, and the rest of the season he rode to and from his work. then he began to see the possibilities of that alluvial pocket under irrigation, and before he went back to college he secured the quarter section. that was his final year, and he expected to return the next summer and open the project. but his whole future was changed by that unfortunate marriage. his wife was not the kind of woman to follow him into the desert and share inevitable discomfort and hardship until his scheme should mature. he began to plan a little eden for her at the core, and to secure more capital he went to alaska. he hoped to make a rich strike and come back in a year or two with plenty of money to hurry the project through. you know how near he came to it once, and why he failed. and that was not the only time. but every year he stayed in the north, his scheme took a stronger hold on him. he used to spend long arctic nights elaborating, making over his plans. he thought and brooded on them so much that finally, when the end came, up there in the chugach snows, he set up an orchard of spruce twigs--" "i know, i know," interrupted miss armitage. "please don't tell it over again. i--can't--bear it." and she sank against the back of the seat, shuddering, and covered her eyes with her hands. tisdale looked at her, puzzled. "again?" he repeated. "but i see you must have heard the story through mr. feversham. i told it at the clubhouse the night he was in seattle." "it's impossible to explain; you never could understand." she sat erect, but tisdale felt her body tremble, and she went on swiftly, with little breaks and catches: "you don't know the hold your story has on me. i've dreamed it all over at night; i've wakened cold and wet with perspiration from head to foot, as though i--too--were struggling through those frozen solitudes. i've been afraid to sleep sometimes, the dread of facing--it-- is so strong." watching her, a sudden tenderness rose through the wonder in tisdale's face. "so you dreamed you were fighting it through with me; that's strange. but i see the story was too hard for you; feversham shouldn't have told it." he paused and his brows clouded. "i wish i could make weatherbee's wife dream it," he broke out. "it might teach her what he endured. i have gone over the ground with her in imagination, mile after mile, that long trek from nome. i have seen her done for, whimpering in a corner, like the weakest husky in the team, there at the aurora mine, and at her limit again up in rainy pass. and once lately, the night of the club supper, while i was lying awake in my room, looking off through the window to the harbor lights and the stars, i heard her crying deeply from the heart. she did not seem like herself then, but a different woman i was mighty sorry for." miss armitage turned and met his look, questioning, hardly comprehending. "that sounds occult," she said. "does it? well, perhaps it is. but a man who has lived in the big spaces has his senses sharpened. he sees farther; feels more." there was a silent moment. the colts, topping a low dune, felt the pressure of the fills on the down-grade, and the nigh horse broke, turning the front wheel into a tangle of sage. "mr. tisdale," she cried a little tremulously, "do you think this is a catboat, tacking into a squall? please, please let me drive." her effort was supreme. it relieved the tension, and when the change was made, she drew to the edge of the seat, holding her head high like that intrepid flower to which he had compared her. "you mean," she said evenly, "the terrible silence of your big spaces keys up the subjective mind. that, of course, was the trouble with mrs. barbour's husband. he allowed it to dominate him. but a man like you"--and she gave him her swift, direct look, and the shadow of a smile touched her mouth--"well-balanced, strong, would have kept the danger down. i should never be afraid--for you. but," she hurried on, "i can understand too how in the great solitudes some men are drawn together. you have shown me. i did not know before i heard your story how much a man can endure for a friend--and sacrifice." tisdale looked off over the desert. "friendship up there does mean something," he answered quietly. "mere companionship in the alaska wilderness is a test. i don't know whether it's the darkness of those interminable winters, or the monotony that plays on a man's nerves, but i have seen the closest partners get beyond speaking to each other. it's a life to bring out the good and the bad in a man; a life to make men hate; and it can forge two men together. but david weatherbee never had an enemy. he never failed a man. in a crisis he was great. if things had been reversed"--he set his lips, his face hardened--"if weatherbee had been in my place, there at nome, with a letter of mine in his hands, he wouldn't have thrown away those four days." "yes, he would. consider. he must have taken time to prepare for that terrible journey. how else could he have carried it through?" she leaned forward a little, compelling his glance, trying to reason down the tragedy in his face. "how can you blame yourself?" she finished brokenly. "you must not. i will not--let you." "thank you for saying that." tisdale's rugged features worked. he laid his hand for an instant over hers. "if any one in the world can set me right with myself, it is you." after that they both were silent. they began to round the bold promontory at the end of the wenatchee range; the badger loomed on the rim of the desert, then old baldy seemed to swing his sheer front like an opened portal to let the blue flood of the columbia through. the interest crept back to her face. between them and those guardian peaks a steel bridge, fine as a spider web, was etched on the river, then a first orchard broke the areas of sage, the rows of young trees radiating from a small, new dwelling, like a geometrical pattern. finally she said: "i would like to know a little more about mrs. barbour. did you ever see her again, mr. tisdale? or the child?" "oh, yes. i made it a point the next winter, when i was in washington, to run down into virginia and look them up. and i have always kept in touch with them. she sends me new pictures of the boy every year. he keeps her busy. he was a rugged little chap at the start, did his best to grow, and bright!"--tisdale paused, shaking his head, while the humorous lines deepened--"but he had to be vigorous to carry the name she gave him. did i tell you it was weatherbee tisdale? think of shouldering the names of two full-sized men on that atom. but she picked a nice diminutive out of it-- 'bee.' "it was a great christening party," he went on reminiscently. "she arranged it when she passed through seattle and had several hours to wait for her train. the ceremony was at trinity, that stone church on the first hill, and the bishop of alaska, who was waiting too, officiated. i was in town at the time, getting my outfit together for another season in the north, but weatherbee had to assume his responsibilities by proxy." "do you mean david weatherbee was the child's godfather?" "one of them, yes." tisdale paused, and his brows clouded. "i wish the boy had been his own. that would have been his salvation. if david weatherbee had had a son, he would be here with us now, to-day." miss armitage was silent. she looked off up the unfolding watercourse, and the great weariness tisdale had noticed that hour before dawn settled again on her face. he laid his hand on the reins. "you are tired out," he said. "come, give the lines to me. you've deceived me with all that fine show of spirits, but i've been selfish, or i must have seen. the truth is, i've been humoring this hand." "you mean," she said quickly, "this vixen did hurt you yesterday more than you would admit?" "oh, no, but the friction of the reins can make even a scratch uncomfortable after a while, and my glove is getting tight. a little peroxide, when we reach a pharmacy, will fix it all right." but miss armitage watched him doubtfully. she assured him she was not tired and that she loved to drive. had she not told him so at the start? then, as they left the promontory, her glance followed the road ahead. the bridge was no longer fine as a spider web; it was a railroad crossing of steel, and the long eaves of the great northern depot lifted near, flanked by the business blocks of a town. "wenatchee!" she exclaimed; and wavering, asked: "_isn't_ this wenatchee?" "yes, miss armitage, i am afraid that it is. you are back to civilization. a few minutes more and, if you will give me their address, you will be safe with your friends." "i did not say i had any friends in wenatchee, mr. tisdale. i am going on to hesperides vale. but please leave me at any quiet hotel. i can't thank you enough for all your kindness and patience," she went on hurriedly. "for making this trip possible. all i can hope to do is share the expense." and she found the inside pocket of her coat and drew out a small silver purse. tisdale, driving slowly, divided his attention between his team and the buildings on either side. "there is a public garage," he said, "and a rival establishment opposite. you will have no trouble to finish your trip by automobile, as you planned. it will be pleasant making the run up the valley this evening, when it is cool." miss armitage opened her purse. "the rates must be considerably higher on a rough mountain road than on the seattle boulevard, and, of course, one couldn't expect to hire nip and tuck at ordinary rates." tisdale drew in, hesitating, before a hotel, then relaxed the reins. "the building seems modern, but we may find a quiet little inn up some side street with more shade." "i presume you will drive on up the valley," she said, after a moment, "and start back to kittitas to-morrow. or will it be necessary to rest the team a day?" "i shall drive on to that tract of weatherbee's this afternoon; but i expect to take the westbound train to-night, somewhere up the valley." "i see," she said quickly and tried to cover her dismay, "you intend to ship the team back to kittitas by way of seattle. i'm afraid"--her voice broke a little, the color flushed pinkly to her forehead, her ears, and her glance fell to the purse in her lap--"but please tell me the charges." "madam," and the ready humor crinkled the corners of his mouth, "when i ship these horses back to lighter, he is going to pay the freight." she drew a quick breath of relief, but her purse remained open, and she waited, regarding tisdale with an expectant, disconcerting side-glance of her half-veiled eyes. "and the day rates for the use of the team?" she asked. for a moment he was busy turning the horses. they had reached a second hotel, but it proved less inviting than the first, and the side streets they had crossed afforded no quiet inn, or indeed any dwelling in the shade. "after all," he said, "a room and bath on the north side, with windows looking up the columbia, should make you fairly comfortable through the heat of the day." but the girl waited, and when his eyes fell to that open purse, his own color burned through the tan. there was no help for it; she must know the truth. he squared his shoulders, turning a little toward her. "there are no expenses to share, miss armitage. i-- happened to own this team, and since we were traveling the same way, i was glad to offer you this vacant seat." "do you mean you bought these horses--outright--at kittitas?" "yes, the opportunity was too good to miss." he tried to brave the astonishment in her eyes, but his glance moved directly to the colts. "and, you see, if i should buy that tract of weatherbee's, i am going to need a team." "doubtless," answered miss armitage slowly. "still, for breaking wild land or even cultivating, one would choose a steadier, heavier team. but they are beauties, mr. tisdale, and i know a man in seattle who is going to be disappointed. i congratulate you on being able to secure them." she closed the purse at last and reluctantly put it away, and she added, with the merriment dimpling her lips: "fate certainly was with me yesterday." they had reached the hotel, and as he drew up to the curb, a man came from the lobby to hold the bays. several traveling salesmen stood smoking and talking outside the entrance, while a little apart a land promoter and his possible capitalist consulted a blue print; but there was a general pause as tisdale sprang out, and the curious scrutiny of wayfarers in a small town was focussed on the arrivals. "it looks all right," he said quietly, helping her down, "but if you find anything wrong, or should happen to want me, i shall be at that other hotel until two o'clock. good-by!" he saw the surprise in her face change to swift appreciation. then "good-by," she answered and walked towards the door. but there she stopped. tisdale, looking back as he gave her suitcase to a boy, saw her lips part, though she did not speak. then her eyelids drooped, the color played softly in her face, and she turned to go in. there had been no invitation in her attitude, yet he had felt a certain appeal. it flashed over him she did not want to motor up the valley; she wished to drive on with him. too proud, too fine to say so, she was letting her opportunity go. he hurried across the pavement. "miss armitage," he said, and instantly she turned; the sparkles leaped in her eyes; she came towards him a few steps and stopped expectantly. "if i start up the valley at two"--and he looked at his watch--"that will be a rest of nearly three hours. it means the heat of the day, but if it seems better than motoring over a country road with a public chauffeur, i would be glad to have you drive for me." chapter x a woman's heart-strings "now i know the meaning of wenatchee. it's something racy, mr. tisdale, and a little wicked, yet with unexpected depths, and just the coolest, limpid hazel-green." tisdale's pulses quickened; his blood responded to her exhilaration. "yes, only"--and he waited to catch the glance she lifted from the stream--"your green is blue, and you forgot to count the sparkles in." as he spoke, the bays paced off the bridge. they sprang, gathering themselves lightly for a sharp ascent and for an interval held the driver's close attention. the town and the columbia were behind, and the road, which followed the contour of the slopes rising abruptly from the wenatchee, began a series of sudden turns; it cut shelf-wise high across the face of a ridge; spurs constantly closed after them; there seemed no way back or through, then, like an opening gate, a bluff detached from the wall ahead, and they entered another breadth of valley. in the wide levels that bordered the river, young orchards began to supplant the sage. looking down from the thoroughfare, the even rows and squares seemed wrought on the tawny background like the designs of a great carpet. sometimes, paralleling the road, the new high line canal followed an upper cut; it trestled a ravine or, stopped by a rocky cliff, bored through. where a finished spillway irrigated a mountainside, all the steep incline between the runnels showed lines on lines of diminutive trees, pluckily taking root-hold. a little after that, near an old mission, they dropped to a lower bench and passed an apple orchard in full bearing. everywhere boughs laden with a gold or crimson harvest were supported by a network of scaffolding. it was marvelous that fruit could so crowd and cling to a slender stem and yet round and color to such perfection. miss armitage slowed the horses down and looked up the shady avenues. presently a driveway divided the tract, leading to a dwelling so small it had the appearance of a toy house; but on the gatepost above the rural delivery box the name of the owner shone ostentatiously. it was "henderson bailey, hesperides vale." "do you see?" she asked. "this is that station master's orchard, where the rome beauty grew." but the team was troublesome again. the road made a turn, rounding the orchard, and began the descent to a bridge. on the right a great water-wheel, supplied with huge, scoop-shaped buckets, was lifting water from the river to distribute it over a reclaimed section. the bays pranced toward it suspiciously. "now, now, tuck," she admonished, "be a soldier." the colt sidled gingerly. "whoa, nip, whoa!" and, rearing lightly, they took the approach with a rush. as they quieted and trotted evenly off the bridge, a large and brilliant signboard set in an area of sage-brush challenged the eye. miss armitage fluted a laugh. "buy one of these choice lots," she read, with charming, slightly mocking exaggeration. "buy to-day. "to-morrow will see this property the heart of a city. "buy before the prices soar. "talk with henderson bailey. "this surely is hesperides vale," she added. the amusement went out of tisdale's face. "yes, madam, and your journey's end. probably the next post-box will announce the name of your friends." she did not answer directly. she looked beyond the heads of the team to the top of the valley, where two brown slopes parted like drawn curtains and opened a blue vista of canyon closed by a lofty snow-peak. the sun had more than fulfilled its morning promise of heat, but a soft breeze began to pull from that white summit down the watercourse. "i did not tell you i had friends in hesperides vale," she said at last. her eyes continued to search the far blue canyon, but her color heightened at his quick glance of surprise, and she went on with a kind of breathlessness. "i--i have a confession to make. i--but hasn't it occurred to you, mr. tisdale, that i might be interested in this land you are on your way to see?" his glance changed. it settled into his clear, calculating look of appraisal. under it her color flamed; she, turned her face farther away. "no," he answered slowly, "no, that had not occurred to me." "i should have told you at the beginning, but i thought, at first, you knew. afterward--but i am going to explain now," and she turned resolutely, smiling a little to brave that look. "mr. morganstein had promised, when he planned the trip to portland, that he would run over from ellensburg to look the property up. he believed it might be feasible to plat it into five-acre tracts to put on the market. of course we knew nothing of the difficulties of the road; we had heard it was an old stage route, and we expected to motor through and return the same day. so, when the accident happened to the car in snoqualmie pass, and the others were taking the milwaukee train home, i decided, on the impulse of the moment, to finish this side trip to wenatchee and return to seattle by the great northern. i admit seeing you on the eastbound influenced me. we--mrs. feversham--guessed you were on your way to see this land, and when the porter was uncertain of the stage from ellensburg, but that you were leaving the trail below kittitas, i thought you had found a newer, quicker way. so--i followed you." tisdale's brows relaxed. he laughed a little softly, trying to ease her evident distress. "i am glad you did, miss armitage. i am mighty glad you did. but i see," he went on slowly, his face clouding again, "i see mrs. weatherbee had been talking to you about that tract. it's strange i hadn't thought of that possibility. i'll wager she even tried to sell the land off a map, in seattle. i wonder, though, when this weatherbee trip was arranged to look the property over, that she didn't come, too. but no doubt that seemed too eager." the blue lights flashed in her eyes; her lip trembled. "be fair," she said. "you can afford to be--generous." "i am going to be generous, miss armitage, to you." the ready humor touched his mouth again, the corners of his eyes. "i am going to take you over the ground with me; show you weatherbee's project, his drawn plans. but afterwards, if you outbid me--" "you need not be afraid of that," she interrupted quickly. "i--you must know"--she paused, her lashes drooped--"i--am not very rich," she finessed. tisdale laughed outright. "neither am i. neither am i." then, his glance studying the road, he said: "i think we take that branch. but wait!" he drew his map from his pocket and pored over it a moment. "yes, we turn there. after that there is just one track." for an instant miss armitage seemed to waver. she sent a backward look to the river, and the glance, returning, swept tisdale; then she straightened in her seat and swung the bays into the branch. it cut the valley diagonally, away from the wenatchee, past a last orchard, into wild lands that stretched in level benches under the mountain wall. one tawny, sage-mottled slope began to detach from the rest; it took the shape of a reclining brazen beast, partly leopard, partly wolf, and a line of pine trees that had taken root in a moist strata along the backbone had the effect of a bristling mane. "that is weatherbee's landmark," said tisdale. "he called it cerberus. it is all sketched in true as life on his plans. the gap there under the brute's paw is the entrance to his vale." as they approached, the mountain seemed to move; it took the appearance of an animal, ready to spring. miss armitage, watching, shivered. the dreadful expectation she had shown the previous night when the cry of the cougar came down the wind, rose in her face. it was as though she had come upon that beast, more terrifying than she had feared, lying in wait for her. then the moment passed. she raised her head, her hands tightened on the reins, and she drove resolutely into the shadows of the awful front. "now," she said, not quite steadily, "now i know how monstrously alive a mountain can seem." tisdale looked at her. "you never could live in alaska," he said. "you feel too much this personality of inanimate things. that was david weatherbee's trouble. you know how in the end he thought those alaska peaks were moving. they got to 'crowding' him." the girl turned a little and met his look. her eyes, wide with dread, entreated him. "yes, i know," she said, and her voice was almost a whisper. "i was thinking of him. but please don't say any more. i can't-- bear it--here." so she was thinking of weatherbee. her emotion sprang from her sympathy for him. a gentleness that was almost tenderness crept over tisdale's face. how fine she was, how sensitively made, and how measureless her capacity for loving, if she could feel like this for a man of whom she had only heard. miss armitage, squaring her shoulders and sitting very erect once more, her lips closed in a straight red line drove firmly on. a stream ran musically along the road side,--a stream so small it was marvelous it had a voice. as they rounded the mountain, the gap widened into the mouth of the vale, which lifted back to an upper bench, over-topped by a lofty plateau. then she swung the team around and stopped. the way was cut off by a barbed wire fence. the enclosure was apparently a corral for a flock of angora goats. there was no gate for the passage of teams; the road ended there, and a rough sign nailed to a hingeless wicket warned the wayfarer to "keep out." on a rocky knob near this entrance a gaunt, hard-featured woman sat knitting. she measured the trespassers with a furtive, smouldering glance and clicked her needles with unnecessary force. tisdale's eyes made a swift inventory of the poor shelter, half cabin, partly shed, that evidently housed both the woman and her flock, then searched the barren field for some sort of hitching post. but the few bushes along the stream were small, kept low, doubtless, by the browsing goats, and his glance rested on a fringe of poplars beyond the upper fence. "there's no way around," he said at last, and the amusement broke softly in his face. "we will have to go through." "the wicket will take the team singly," she answered, "but we must unhitch and leave the buggy here." "and first, if you think you can hold the colts that long, i must tackle this thistle." "i can manage," she said, and the sparkles danced in her eyes, "unless you are vanquished." the woman rose and stood glowering while he sprang down and drew the wooden pin to open the wicket. then, "you keep off my land," she ordered sharply. "i will, madam," he answered quietly, "as soon as i am satisfied it is yours." "i've lived on this claim 'most five years," she screamed. "i'm homesteading, and when i've used the water seven years, i get the rights." she sprang backward with a cattish movement and caught up a gun that had been concealed in some bushes. "now you go," she said. but tisdale stayed. he stood weighing her with his steady, appraising eyes, while he drew the township plat from his pocket. "this is the quarter section i have come to look up. it starts here, you see,"--and having unfolded the map, he turned to hold it under her glance--"at the mouth of this gap, and lifts back through the pocket, taking in the slopes to this bench and on up over this ridge to include these springs." the woman, curbing herself to look at the plat, allowed the rifle to settle in the curve of her arm. "i piped the water down," she said. "this stream was a dry gully. i fenced and put up a house." "the tract was commuted and bought outright from the government over seven years ago." tisdale's voice quickened; he set his lips dominantly and folded the map. "i have copies of the field notes with me and the owner's landscape plans. and i am a surveyor, madam. it won't take me long to find out whether there is a mistake. but, before i go over the ground, i must get my horses through to a hitching-place. i will have to lower that upper fence, but if you will keep your goats together, i promise to put it back as soon as the team is through." "you let that fence alone." tisdale had started to cross the field, and she followed, railing, though the gun still rested in the hollow of her arm. "if one of those goats breaks away, the whole herd'll go wild. i can't round 'em in without my dog. he's off trailing one of the ewes. she strayed yesterday, and he'll chase the mountain through if he has to. it's no use to whistle; he won't come back without her. you let that fence be. you wouldn't dare to touch it," she finished impotently, "if i had a man." "haven't you?" tisdale swung around, and his voice dropped to its soft undernote. "that's mighty hard. who laid all that water-pipe? who built your house?" "i did," she answered grimly. "the man who hauled my load of lumber stopped long enough to help set the posts, but i did the rest." "you did?" tisdale shook his head incredulously. "my! my! made all the necessary improvements, single-handed, to hold your homestead and at the same time managed these goats." the woman's glance moved to the shack and out over the barren fields, and a shade of uncertainty crept into her passionate eyes. "the improvements don't make much of a show yet; i've had to be off so much in the mountains, foraging with the herd. but i was able to hire a boy half a day with the shearing this spring, and from now on they're going to pay. there are twenty-eight in the bunch, counting the kids, and i started with one old billy and two ewes." "my! my! what a record!" tisdale paused to look back at miss armitage, who had turned the bays, allowing them to pace down a length of road and back. "but," he added, walking on, "what led you to choose goats instead of sheep?" "i didn't do the choosing"; she moved abreast of hollis, "it was a fool man." "so," he answered softly, with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, "there is a man, after all." "there was," she corrected grimly. "the easiest fellow to be talked over under the sun; the kind always chasing off after a new scheme. first it was a mineral claim; then he banked the future on timber, and when he got tired waiting for stumpage to soar, he put up a dinky sawmill to cut his own trees. he was doing well, for him, getting out ties for a new railroad--it was down in oregon--when he saw the chance to trade for a proved-up homestead. but it was the limit when he started out to buy a bunch of sheep and came back with that old angora billy and two ewes." "i see." they were near the fence, and tisdale swerved a little to reach a stout poplar that formed the corner post. he saw that the wire ends met there and felt in his pocket for his knife. "i see. and then he left the responsibility to his wife." "the wedding hadn't come off," she said sharply. "it was fixed for the seventeenth of june, and that was only may. and i told him i couldn't risk it--not in the face of those goats." "and he?" pressed hollis gently. this thistle, isolated, denied human intercourse, was more easily handled than he had hoped. "he said it suited him all right. he had been wanting to go to alaska. nothing but that wedding had kept him back." tisdale stopped and opened his knife. "and he went?" he asked. "yes." the woman's face worked a little, and she stood looking at him with hard, tragic eyes. "he sold the homestead for what he could get to raise the money to take him to dawson. he was gone in less than twenty-four hours and before daylight, that night he left, i heard those goats _ma-a-ing_ under my window. he had staked them there in the front yard and tucked a note, with his compliments, in the door. he wrote he didn't know of anything else he could leave that would make me remember him better." tisdale shook his head. "i wish i had been there." he slipped the knife in between the ends of the wires and the bole, clawing, prying, twisting. "and you kept them?" he added. "yes, i don't know why, unless it was because i knew it was the last thing he expected. but i hated them worse than snakes. i couldn't stand it having them around, and i hired a boy to herd them out on his father's farm. then i went on helping dad, selling general merchandise and sorting mail. but the post-office was moved that year five miles to the new railroad station, and they put in a new man. of course that meant a line of goods, too, and competition. trade fell off, then sickness came. it lasted two years, and when dad was gone, there wasn't much left of the store but debt." she paused a moment, looking up to the serene sky above the high plateau. a sudden moisture softened her burning eyes, and her free hand crept to her throat. "dad was a mighty fine man," she said. "he had a great business head. it wasn't his fault he didn't leave me well fixed." tisdale laid the loosened wire down on the ground and started to work on another. "but there was the man in alaska," he said. "of course you let him know." "no, sir." her eyes flashed back to tisdale's face. "you wouldn't have caught me writing to johnny banks, then. i'm not that kind. the most i could do was to see what i could make of the goats. i commenced herding them myself, but i hadn't the face to do it down there in oregon, where everybody knew me, and i gradually worked north with them until i ended here." tisdale had dropped his knife. he stooped to pick it up. "that's where you made your mistake," he said. the woman drew a step nearer, watching his face; tense, breathless. clearly he had turned her thoughts from the fence, and he slipped the knife in farther and continued to pry and twist the wire loose. "how do you know it was a mistake?" she asked at last. tisdale laid the second wire down. "well, wasn't it? to punish yourself like this, to cheat yourself out of the best years of your life, when you knew how much banks thought of you. but you seem to have overlooked his side. do you think, when he knows how you crucified yourself, it's going to make him any happier? he carried a great spirit bottled in that small, wiry frame, but he got to seeing himself through your eyes. he was ashamed of his failures--he had always been a little sensitive about his size--and it wasn't the usual enthusiasm that started him to alaska; he was stung into going. it was like him to play his poor joke gamily, at the last, and pretend he didn't care. a word from you would have held him--you must have known that--and a letter from you afterwards, when you needed him, would have brought him back. or you might have joined him up there and made a home for him all these years, but you chose to bury yourself here in the desert of the columbia, starving your soul, wasting your best on these goats." he paused with the last loosened wire in his hands and stood looking at her with condemning eyes. "what made you?" he added, and his voice vibrated softly. "what made you?" the woman's features worked; tears filled her eyes. they must have been the first in many months, for they came with the gush that follows a probe. "you know him," she said brokenly. "you've seen him lately, up there in alaska." "i think so, yes. the johnny banks i knew in the north told me something about a girl he left down in oregon. but she was a remarkably pretty girl, with merry black eyes and a nice color in her cheeks. seems to me she used to wear a pink gown sometimes, and a pink rose in her black hair, and made a picture that the fellows busy along the new railroad came miles on sundays to see." a bleak smile touched the woman's mouth. "dad always liked to see me wear nice clothes. he said it advertised the store." then her glance fell to her coarse, wretched skirt, and the contrast struck poignantly. tisdale moved the wires back, clearing a space for the bays to pass. "there was one young engineer," he went on, as though she had not spoken; "a big, handsome fellow, who came oftener than the rest. banks thought it was natural she should favor him. the little man believes yet that when he was out of the way she married that engineer." the woman was beyond speech. tisdale had penetrated the last barrier of her fortitude. the bitterness, pent so long, fostered in solitude, filled the vent and surged through. her shoulders shook, she stumbled a few steps to the poplar and, throwing up her arm against the bole, buried her face, sobbing, in her sleeve. tisdale looked back across the field. miss armitage was holding the team in readiness at the wicket. "i am going now," he said. "you will have to watch your goats until i get the horses through. but if you will write that letter, madam, while i'm at work, i'll be glad to mail it for you." the woman looked up. a sudden hope transfigured her face. "i wish i dared to. but he wouldn't know me now; i've changed so. besides, i don't know his address." "that's so." tisdale met her glance thoughtfully. "but leave it to me. i think i can get into touch with him when i am back in seattle." miss armitage watched him as he came swiftly across the field. "oh," she cried, when he reached the waiting team, "how did you accomplish it? are you a magician?" hollis shook his head. "i only tried to play a little on her heart-strings, to gain time, and struck an unexpected chord. but it's all right. it's going to do her good." chapter xi the loophole the afternoon sun shone hot in that pocket; the arid slopes reflected the glare; heat waves lifted; the snow-peak was shut out, and when a puff of wind found the gap it was a breath from the desert. miss armitage, who had trailed pluckily after tisdale through the sage-brush and up the steep face of the bench, rested on the level, while he hurried on to find the easiest route to the high plateau and the spring. he had left her seated on a flat rock in the shade of a sentinel pine tree, looking over the vale to cerberus and the distant bit of the wenatchee showing beyond the mouth, but as he came back along the ridge, he saw she had turned her shoulder on the crouching mountain. at his far "hello!" she waved her hand to him and rose to start across the bench to meet him. he was descending a broken stairway below two granite pillars that topped a semi-circular bluff and, springing from a knob to avoid a dry runnel, he shaped his way diagonally to abridge the distance. he moved with incredible swiftness, swinging by his hands to drop from a ledge, sliding where he must, and the ease and expediency with which he accomplished it all brought the admiration sparkling to her eyes. "i am sorry," he said, as he drew near, "but there isn't any easy way. it's too bad to have traveled so far and miss the spring, for the whole project hinges on it; but the climb is impossible for you in this heat." "then you found the spring?" she asked quickly. "it was all the plans promised?" "yes." he began to walk on across the bench, suiting his steps to hers. "and weatherbee had put in a small dam there to create his first reservoir. i found his old camp, too; a foundation of logs, open now to the sky, with a few tatters left of the canvas that had roofed it over." there was a silent moment, then he added, with the emotion still playing gently in his voice: "i wish i could show you that place; the pool is crystal clear and cool, rimmed in pines, like a basin of opals." when they reached the flat rock in the shade of the pine tree, he took the reclamation plan from his inner pocket and seated himself beside her. "this is weatherbee's drawing," he said. "see how carefully he worked in the detail. this is the spring and that upper reservoir, and this lower one is a natural dry basin up there under that bluff, a little to the left of those granite chimneys; you can see its rocky rim. all it needs is this short flume sketched in here to bring the water down, and a sluice-gate to feed the main canal that follows this bench we are on. spillways would irrigate a peach orchard along this slope below us and seep out through this level around us to supply home gardens and lawn. just imagine it!" he paused, while her glance followed his brief comparisons, moving from the plan to the surface of the bench and down over the slope to the vale. "imagine this tract at the end of four years; a billowing sea of green; with peach trees in bearing on this mountainside; apples, the finest jonathans, rome beauties if you will, beginning to make a showing down there. water running, seeping everywhere; strawberries carpeting the ground between the boles; alfalfa, cool and moist, filling in; and even cerberus off there losing his sinister shape in vineyards." "then it is feasible," she exclaimed softly, and the sparkles broke subdued in her eyes. "and the price, mr. tisdale; what would you consider a fair price for the property as it stands now, unimproved?" tisdale rose. he paused to fold the drawing and put it away, while his glance moved slowly down over the vale to the goat-keeper's cabin and her browsing flock. "you must see, miss armitage," he said then, "that idea of mr. morganstein's to plat this land into five-acre tracts for the market couldn't materialize. it is out of range of the wenatchee valley projects; it is inaccessible to the railroad for the small farmer. only the man with capital to work it on a large scale could make it pay. and the property is mrs. weatherbee's last asset; she is in urgent need of ready money. you should be able to make easy terms with her, but i warn you, if it comes to bidding, i am prepared to offer seven thousand dollars." he turned, frowning a little, to look down at her and, catching those covert sparkles of her side-glance, smiled. "you may have it," she said. "wait. think it over," he answered. "i am going down to the gap now to find the surveyor's monument and trace the section line back to the top of the plateau. rest here, where it's cooler, and i will come down this way for you when i am through. think the project over and take my word for the spring; it's well worth the investment." doubtless miss armitage followed his suggestion, for she sat thoughtfully, almost absently, watching him down the slope. at the foot of the vale, the goat-woman joined him, and it was clear he again used his magic art, for presently he had her chaining for him and holding an improvised flag, while he estimated the section line. but finally, when they left the bed of the pocket and began to cross-cut up the opposite mountainside, the girl rose and looked in the direction of the spring. it was cooler; a breeze was drawing down from the upper ridge; a few thin clouds like torn gauze veiled the sky overhead; the blue lost intensity. she began to walk across the bench towards the granite chimneys. in a little while she found the dry reservoir, walled, where the plateau lifted, in the semi-circular bluff; then she stopped at the foot of an arid gully that rose between this basin and a small shoulder which supported the first needle. this was the stairway she had seen tisdale descend, and presently she commenced to climb it slowly, grasping bunches of the tenacious sage or jutting points of rock to ease her weight. the stairs ended in a sharp incline covered with debris from the decomposing pillars; splinters of granite shifted under her tread; she felt the edges cutting through her shoes. fragments began to rattle down; one larger rock crashed over the bluff into the dry basin. then, at last, she was on the level, fighting for breath. she turned, trembling, and braced herself against the broken chimney to look back. she shrank closer to the needle and shook her head. it was as though she said: "i never could go back alone." but when her glance moved to the opposite mountainside, tisdale was no longer in sight. and that shoulder was very narrow; it presented a sheer front to the vale, like the base of a monument, so that between the chimney and the drop to the gully there was little room in which to stand. she began to choose a course, picking her foothold cautiously, zigzagging as she had seen hollis do on the slope above. midway another knob jutted, supporting a second pillar and a single pine tree, but as she came under the chimney she was forced to hurry. loose chippings of granite started at every step. they formed little torrents, undermining, rushing, threatening to sweep her down; and she reached the ledge in a panic. then she felt the stable security of the pine against her body and for a moment let herself go, sinking to the foot of the tree and covering her eyes with her hands. up there a stiff wind was blowing, and presently she saw the snow-peak she had missed in the vale. the ridge lifted less abruptly from this second spur, and in a little while she rose and pushed on, lagging sometimes, stumbling, to the level of the plateau. the wenatchee range, of which it was a part, stretched bleak and forbidding, enclosing all those minor arid gulfs down to the final, long, scarred headland set against the columbia desert. she was like a woman stranded, the last survivor, on an inhospitable coast. turning to look across the valley of the wenatchee, she saw the blue and glaciered crests of the chelan mountains, and behind her, over the neck of a loftier height, loomed other white domes. and there yesterday's thunder-caps, bigger and blacker, with fringed edges, drove along the sky line. one purplish mass was streaming like a sieve. for an interval the sun was obscured, and her glance came back to the vale below where cerberus reclined, watchful, his tawny head lifted slightly between two advanced paws. suddenly the lower clouds grew brilliant, and shafts of light breaking through changed the mountain before her to a beast of brass. she turned and began to pick her way through grease brush and insistent sage towards a grove of pines. in a little while she saw water shining through the trees. she hesitated--it was as though she had come to the threshold of a sanctuary--then went on under the boughs to the opal pool. she remained in the grove a long time. when she reappeared, the desert eastward was curtained in a gray film. torn breadths of it, driven by some local current of air, formed tented clouds along the promontory. it was as though yesterday's army was marshalled against other hosts that held the chelan heights. a twilight indistinctness settled over the valley between. rain, a downpour, was near. she hurried on to the brow of the plateau, but she dared not attempt to go down around those crumbling chimneys alone. and tisdale had said he would come back this side of the vale. any moment he might appear. she turned to go back to the shelter of the pines. it was then a first electrical flash, like a drawn sword, challenged the opposite ridge. instantly a searchlight from the encamped legions played over the lower plain. she turned again, wavering, and began to run on over the first dip of the slope and along to the first pillar. there she stopped, leaning on the rock, trembling, yet trying to force down her fear. it was useless; she could not venture over that stream of shifting granite. she started back, then stopped, wavering again. after a moment she lifted her voice in a clear, long call: "mr. tis--da--le!" "i'm coming!" the answer rang surprisingly close, from the gully above the basin. soon she discovered him and, looking up, he saw her standing clear-cut against a cavernous, dun-colored cloud, which, gathering all lesser drift into its gulf, drove low towards the plateau. she turned her face, watching it, and it seemed to belch wind like a bellows, for her skirt stiffened, and the loosened chiffon veil, lifting from her shoulders, streamed like the drapery of some aërial figure, poised there briefly on its flight through space. then began cannonading. army replied to army. the advancing film from the desert, grown black, became an illuminated scroll; thin ribbons of gold were traced on it, bowknots of tinsel. the pattern changed continually. the legions repeated their fire; javelins, shafts, flew. lightning passed in vertical bolts, in sheets from ridge to ridge. then the cloud approaching the plateau spoke, and the curtain moving from the columbia became a wall of doom, in which great cracks yawned, letting the light of eternity through. the girl was flying down the slope to meet tisdale. she came with bent head, hands to her ears, skimming the pitfalls. under her light tread the loose debris hardly stirred. then, as he rounded the pillar, her pace slackened. "i am afraid," she said and stumbled. "i am afraid." and her trembling body sank against his arm; she buried her face in his coat. "take me away from this terrible place." her impact had started the splintered granite moving, but hollis swung instantly and set his back to the crumbling chimney, clinging there, staying her with his arm, until the slide stopped. "see here," he said, and his voice vibrated its soft undernote, "you mustn't lose your grip. it's all right. old mother nature is just having one of her scolding fits. she has to show the woman in her once in a while. but it's going to end, any minute, in tears." she lifted her face, and he paused, knitting his brows, yet smiling a little, mastering the terror in her eyes with his quiet, compelling gaze. "come, miss armitage," he said, "we must hurry. you will be wet through." he took her hand and began to lead her quickly down the rugged staircase. "be careful," he admonished, "this granite is treacherous." but she gave little heed to her steps; she looked back continually over her shoulder, watching the dun cloud. presently she tripped. hollis turned to steady her, and, himself looking up beyond her, caught her in his arms and ran, springing, out of the gully. the ledge he reached formed the rim of the natural reservoir and, measuring the distance with a swift glance, he let himself over, easing the drop with one hand on the rocky brink, while the other arm supported her. midway, on a jutting knob, he gathered momentary foothold, then swung to the bottom of the basin. it was all done surely but with incredible haste, while the cavernous cloud drew directly overhead. the next instant, from its brazen depths, it spoke again. the whole mountain seemed to heave. then something mighty crashed down. the basin suddenly darkened as though a trap door had closed, and tisdale, still shielding his companion, stood looking up, listening, while the reverberations rang from slope to slope and filled the vale. then silence came. miss armitage drew erect, though her hand rested unconsciously on tisdale's sleeve. the thing that roofed the basin was black, impenetrably thick; in it she saw no possible loophole of escape. "this time," she faltered, "fate is against you." her breast rose and fell in deep, hurried breaths; in the twilight of the basin her eyes, meeting his, shone like twin stars. tisdale's blood began to race; it rose full tide in his veins, "fate is with me," he answered, and bent and kissed her mouth. she shrank back, trembling, against the rocky wall; she glanced about her with the swift, futile manner of a creature helplessly trapped, then she pressed her fingers an instant to her eyes and straightened. "you never will forgive yourself," she said; not in anger, not in judgment, but in a tone so low, so sad, it seemed to express not only regret but finality. tisdale was silent. after a moment he turned to the lower side of the basin, which afforded better foothold than the wall he had descended, and began to work up from niche to ledge, grasping a chance bunch of sage, a stunted bush of chaparral that grew in a cranny, to steady himself. and the girl stood aloof, watching him. finally he reached a shelf that brought him, in touch with the obstruction overhead and stopped to take out his pocketknife, with which he commenced to create a loophole. little twigs rained down; a larger branch fell, letting the daylight through. the roof was a mesh of pine boughs. at last he closed his knife and, taking firm hold on a fixed limb, leaned to reach his other palm down to her. "come," he said, "set your foot in that first niche--no, the left one. now, give me your hand." she obeyed as she must, and hollis pushed backward through the aperture he had made, getting the bough under one armpit. "now, step to that jagged little spur; it's solid. the right one, too; there's room." she gained the upper ledge and waited, hugging the wall pluckily while he worked out on the rim of the basin and, stretching full length, with the stem of the tree under his waist, reached his arms down to her. "you will have to spring a little," he directed, "and grip my shoulders hard. now, come!" at last she was safe beside him. in another moment he was up and helped her to her feet. they stood looking towards the mountain top. the dun cloud stalking now with trailing skirts in the direction of the snow-peaks, hurled back a parting threat. "it was the pine tree," she exclaimed. "it was struck. and, see! it has carried down most of that chimney. our staircase is completely wrecked." tisdale was silent. her glance came back to him. a sudden emotion stirred her face. then all the conservatism dropped from her like a discarded cloak, and he felt her intrepid spirit respond to his own. now she understood that moment in the basin; she knew it had been supreme; she was great enough to see there was nothing to forgive. "you were right," she said, and her voice broke in those steadying pauses that carried more expression than any words. "fate was with us again. but i owe--my life--to you." "sometime," he answered slowly, smiling a little, "not now, not here, i am going to hold you to the debt. and when i do, you are going to pay me--in full." the beautiful color, that was like the pink of coral, flamed and went in her face. "we must hurry back to the team," she said and turned to finish the descent to the bench. "horses are always so nervous in an electrical storm." then suddenly, as tisdale pushed by to help her in a difficult place, she stopped. "how strange!" she exclaimed. "that terrible curtain has lifted from the desert. it threatened a deluge any minute, and now it is moving off without a drop of rain." "that's so," he replied. "a cross current of wind has turned it up the columbia. but the rain is there; it is streaming along those chelan summits in a downpour." "and look!" she cried, after a moment. "a double rainbow! see how it spans the wenatchee! it's a promise." and the turquoise lights shone once more in her eyes. "here in this desert, at last, i may come to my 'pot of gold.'" "you mean," responded tisdale, "now you have seen the spring, weatherbee's project seems possible to you. well, i have reconsidered, too. i shall not outbid you. that would favor mrs. weatherbee too much. and my interests are going to keep me in alaska indefinitely. i should be obliged to leave the plans in the hands of a manager, and i had rather trust them to you." miss armitage did not answer directly. she was watching the arch, painted higher now, less brilliantly, on the lifting film. the light had gone out of her face. all the bench was in shadow; in the valley below a twilight indistinctness had fallen. then suddenly once more cerberus stood forth like a beast of brass. she shivered. "it isn't possible," she said. "it isn't possible. even if i dared--for david's sake--to assume the responsibility, i haven't the money to carry the project through." tisdale stopped and swung around. they had reached the flat rock under the sentinel pine tree. "did you know david weatherbee?" he asked. she was silent. he put his hands in his pockets and stood regarding her with his upward look from under slightly frowning brows. "so you knew david," he went on. "in california, i presume, before he went to alaska. but why didn't you tell me so?" she waited another moment. in the great stillness hollis heard her labored breathing. she put out her hand, steadying herself on the bole of the pine, then: "i've wanted to tell you," she began. "i've tried to--but--it was impossible to make you understand. i--i hadn't the courage." her voice fluted and broke. the last word was almost a whisper. she stood before tisdale with veiled eyes, breath still coming hard and quick, the lovely color deepening and paling in her face, like a woman awaiting judgment. and it came over him in a flash, with the strength of conviction, that this beautiful, inscrutable girl wished him to know she had loved weatherbee. incredible as it seemed, she had been set aside for the spanish woman. and she had learned about david's project; he himself perhaps had told her years ago in california. and though his wife had talked with morganstein about platting the land into five-acre tracts to dispose of quickly, this woman had desired to see the property with a view to carrying out his plans. that was why she had continued the journey from snoqualmie pass alone. that was why she had braved the mountain drive with him. she had loved weatherbee. this truth, sinking slowly, stirred his inner consciousness and, wrenched in a rising commotion, something far down in the depths of him lost hold. he had presumed to think, in the infinite scheme of things, this one woman had been reserved for him. he had dared to let her know he believed so; he had taken advantage of her helpless situation, on an acquaintance of two days. his own color began to burn through the tan. "you were right," he said at last, very gently, "i never can forgive myself. i can't understand it!" he broke out then, "if you had been his wife, david weatherbee would have been safe with us here, to-day." miss armitage started. she gave him a quick, searching glance, then sank down upon the rock. she seemed suddenly exhausted, like a woman who, hard-pressed in the midst of peril, finds unexpectedly a friendly threshold. tisdale looked off to the brazen slopes of cerberus. it was the first time he had censured weatherbee for anything, and suddenly, while he brooded, protesting over that one paramount mistake, he felt himself unaccountably responsible. he was seized with a compelling desire to, in some way, make it up to her. "come," he said, "you mustn't lose heart; to-morrow, when you are rested, it will look easier. and the question of ready money need not trouble you. mrs. weatherbee has reached the point where she has got to hedge on the future. make her an offer of five thousand dollars in yearly payments, say, of fifteen hundred. she'll take it. then, if you agree, i will arrange a loan with a seattle bank. i should allow enough margin to cover the first reclamation expenses. your fillers of alfalfa and strawberries would bring swift returns, and before your orchards came into bearing, your vineyards would pay the purchase price on the whole tract." he turned to her, smiling, and surprised a despair in her face that went to his heart. "i thought, i hoped you meant to buy this land," she said. "so i did, so i do, unless you decide to. and if you undertake this project, i pledge myself to see you through." his voice caught a pleading undernote. "it rests with you. above every one it rests with you to even things for weatherbee. isn't that clear to you? look ahead five years; see this vale green and shady with orchards; the trees laden with harvest; imagine his wife standing here on this bench, surveying it all. see her waking to the knowledge she has let a fortune slip through her hands; see her, the purchase price spent, facing the fact that another woman built her faith on david weatherbee; had the courage to carry out his scheme and found it a bonanza. that is what is going to make her punishment strike home." miss armitage rose. she stood a moment watching his face, then, "how you hate her!" she said. "hate?" tisdale's laugh rang short and hard. "well, i grant it; hate is the word. i hate her so much i've known better than go where she was; i've avoided her as an electrician avoids charged wire. still, if i had found myself in weatherbee's place; if i had made his mistake and married her, she should have felt my streak of iron. i might have stayed in alaska as he did, but she would have stayed too and made a home for me, helped to fight things through." he paused and, meeting the appeal in her eyes, his face softened. "i've distressed you again," he added. "i'm sorry; but it isn't safe for me to speak of that woman; the thought of her starts my temperature rising in bounds. i want you to help me forget her. yet, down in the depths of your heart you know you blame her." "yes, i blame her." miss armitage began to walk on towards the edge of the bench. "i blame her, but not as you do. i know she tried to do right; she would have gone to alaska--if david had wished it--at the start. and she's been courageous, too. she's smiled--laughed in the face of defeat. her closest friends never knew." "you defend her. i wonder at that." tisdale passed her and turned to offer his help down the first abrupt pitch. "how you, who are the one to censure her the most, can speak for her always, as you do. but there you are like weatherbee. it was his way to take the losing side; champion the absent." "and there is where your resemblance stops," she answered quickly. "he lacked your streak of iron. of course you know about your strange likeness to him, mr. tisdale. it is so very marked; almost a dual personality. it isn't height and breadth of shoulder alone; it's in the carriage, the turn of the head; and it creeps into your eyes sometimes; it gets into your voice. the first time i saw you, it was startling." tisdale moved on, picking up the trail they had made in ascending; the humor began to play reminiscently at the corners of his mouth. "yes, i know about that resemblance. when we were on the tanana, it was 'tisdale's twin' and 'dave's double.' a man has to take a name that fits up there, and we seemed to grow more alike every day. but that often happens when two friends who are accustomed to think in the same channels are brought into continual touch, and the first year we spent in the north together we were alone for weeks at a stretch, with no other human intercourse, not a prospector's camp within a hundred miles. the most incompatible partners, under those circumstances, will pick up subconsciously tricks of speech and gesture. still, looking back, i see it was i who changed. i had to live up to weatherbee; justify his faith in me." miss armitage shook her head slowly. "that is hard to believe. whoever tried to mould you would feel through the surface that streak of iron." they had come to another precipitous place, and tisdale turned again to give her the support of his hand. the position brought his face on a level with hers, and involuntarily she stopped. "but whatever you may say, mr. tisdale," she went on, and as her palm rested in his the words gathered the weight of a pact, "whatever may--happen--i shall never forget your greatness to-day." she sprang down beside him, and drew away her hand and looked back to the summit they had left. "still, tell me this," she said with a swift breathlessness. "if it had been david weatherbee's wife up there with you when the thunderbolt struck, would it have made a difference? i mean, would you have left her to escape--or not--as she could?" tisdale waited a thoughtful moment. the ripple of amusement was gone; the iron, so near the surface, cropped through. "i can't answer that," he said. "i do not know. a man is not always able to control a first impulse, and before that pine tree fell there wasn't time to hesitate." at this she was silent. all her buoyancy, the charming camaraderie that stopped just short of intimacy, had dropped from her. it was as though the atmosphere of that pocket rose and clung to her, enveloped her like a nimbus, as she went down. in the pent heat her face seemed cold. she had the appearance of being older. the fine vertical line at the corner of her mouth, which tisdale had not noticed before, brought a tightness to his throat when he ventured to look at her. how could weatherbee have been so blind? how could he have missed the finer, spiritual loveliness of this woman? weatherbee, who himself had been so sensitive; whose intuition was almost feminine. they had reached the final step from the bench to the floor of the vale when hollis spoke again. "if you do decide to buy this land and open the project, i could recommend a man who would make a trusty manager." "oh, you don't understand," she replied in desperation "you don't understand. i should have to stay, to live in this terrible place for weeks, months at a time. i couldn't endure it. that dreadful mountain there at the gap would forever be watching me, holding me in." tisdale looked at her, knitting his brows, "i told you it was dangerous to allow yourself to feel the personality of inanimate things too much." "i know. i know. and this terrible beast"--she paused, trying to steady her voice; her whole body trembled--"would remind me constantly of those awful alaska peaks--the ones that crowded--threatened him." tisdale's face cleared. so that was the trouble. now he understood. "then it's all right"--the minor notes in his voice, vibrating softly, had the quality of a caress--"don't worry any more. i am going to buy this land of david's. trust me to see the project through." chapter xii "whom the gods would destroy" hope is an insistent thing. it may be strangled, lie cold and buried deep in the heart of a man, yet suddenly, without premonition, he may feel it rise and stretch small hands, groping towards a ray of light. so in that reminiscent hour while the train labored up through the cascades to the great tunnel, tisdale told himself this woman--the one woman for whom he must have been waiting all these years, at whose coming old and cherished memories had faded to shadows--was very near to loving him. already she knew that those mysterious forces she called fate had impelled them out of their separate orbits through unusual ways, to meet. sometime--he would not press her, he could be patient--but sometime she would surely pay him that debt. he dwelt with new interest on his resemblance to weatherbee, and he told himself it was her constancy to david that had kept her safe. then it came over him that if weatherbee had married her instead of the spanish woman, that must have been an insurmountable barrier between them to-day. as long as they lived, she must have remained sacred on her pedestal, out of reach. but how nobly partisan she was; how ready to cross swords for weatherbee's wife. that was the incredible test; her capacity for loving was great. the porter was turning on the lights. tisdale moved a little and looked across the aisle. for that one moment he was glad weatherbee had made his mistake. she was so incomparable, so adorable. any other woman must have lost attractiveness, shown at least the wear and tear of that mountain journey, but her weariness appealed to him as her buoyancy had not. she had taken off her hat to rest her head on the high, cushioned back of the seat, and the drooping curves of her short upper lip, the blue shadows under those outward curling black lashes, roused a new emotion, the paternal, in the depths of his great heart. he wished to smooth her ruffled hair; it was so soft, so vital; under the electric light it seemed to flash little answering blue sparks. then his glance fell to her relaxed palms, open in her lap, and he felt a quick solicitude over a scratch the barbed fence must have made on one small, determined thumb. they had had trouble with the horses in the vale. nip, who had broken away during the storm, had been rounded in by the goat-woman and her returning collie. the travelers found her trying to extricate his halter which had caught, holding him dangerously close, in the wire fencing. it had taken caution and long patience to free him, and more to hitch the excited team. the delay had caused them to miss the westbound evening train; they were forced to drive back and spend the night at wenatchee. and the morning oriental limited was crowded with delegates from some mystic order on an annual pilgrimage. there was no room in the observation car; tisdale was able to secure only single seats on opposite sides of the sleeper. the train rumbled through the great tunnel and came to a brief stop outside the west portal. it was snowing. some railroad laborers, repairing the track, worked in overcoats and sweaters, hat brims drawn down, collars turned up against the bitter wind. the porter opened the transoms, and a piercing draught pulled through the smoky, heat-laden car. miss armitage sat erect and inhaled a full breath. she looked across at tisdale, and the sparkles broke softly in her eyes. "it's wellington!" she exclaimed. "in a moment we shall be racing down to scenic hot springs and on along the skykomish--home." then she stopped the porter. "bring me a telegraph blank, please. i want to send a message from the springs." the limited, under way again, dropped below the cloud. great peaks and shoulders lifted everywhere; they began to make the loop around an incredibly deep and fissure-like gorge. it was a wonderful feat of railroad engineering; people on the other side of the car got to their feet and came over to see. the girl, with the yellow blank in her hand, drew close to tisdale's elbow. "oh, no," she demurred, when he rose to offer his seat, "i only want standing room just a moment. there's going to be a delightful view of scenic." the passenger beside hollis picked up his bag. "take my place," he said. "i am getting off at the springs." then presently, when she had moved into the vacated seat next the window, the peaks stood apart, and far, far below the untouched forest at the summer resort stood out darkly, with the gay eaves and gables of the hotel etched on it like a toy swiss chalet on a green plateau. "oh," she cried softly, "it never seemed as charming before; but, of course, it is coming, as we have, straight from the hot desert. there's the coolest, fragrant wood road down there, mr. tisdale, from the hotel to surprise falls. it follows the stream past deep green pools and cascades breaking among the rocks. listen. we should hear the river now." tisdale smiled. there was nothing to be heard but the echo of the running trucks and the scream of the whistle repeated from cliff and spur. they were switchbacking down the fire-scarred front of a mountain. he bent a little to look beyond her. it was as though they were coasting down a tilted shelf in an oblique wall, and over the blackened skeletons of firs he followed the course of the river out through crowding blue buttes. returning, his glance traced the track, cross-cutting up from the gorge. "i know surprise falls," he said; "and the old skykomish from start to finish. there's a point below the springs where the current boils through great flumes of granite into a rocky basin. long before the hotel was thought of, i fished that pool." "i know! i know!" she responded, glowing. "we--miss morganstein and her brother and i--found it this summer. we had to work down-stream across those fissures to reach it, but it was worth the trouble. there never was another such pool. it was like a mighty bowl full of dissolving emeralds; and the trout loved it. we caught twenty, and we built a fire on the rocks and cooked them. it was delightfully cool and shady. it was one of those golden days one never forgets; i was sorry when it was gone." she paused, the high wave of her excitement passed. "i never could live in that treeless country," she went on. "water, running as god made it, plenty of it, is a necessity to me. but please take your seat, mr. tisdale." she settled back in her place and began to date her telegram. "i am just sending the briefest message to let mrs. feversham know where i am." "the porter is coming back for it now," he answered "and thank you, but i am going in the smoking-car." as he approached the vestibule, he caught her reflection in the mirror at the end of the sleeper. she was looking after him, and she leaned forward a little with parted lips, as though she had started to call him back, but her eyes clouded in uncertainty; then suddenly, the sparkle rose. it suffused her whole face. she had met his glance in the glass. and the porter was waiting. she settled herself once more and devoted herself to the telegram. the lines in tisdale's face deepened mellowly. he believed that, now they were so near their journey's end, she wanted to be sure of an opportunity to thank him some more. "i am coming back," he said inwardly, addressing the woman in the mirror, "but i must have a smoke to keep my pulse normal." but he did not return to the sleeper, for the reason that at scenic hot springs the seattle papers were brought aboard. the copy of the _press_ he bought contained the account of the accident in snoqualmie pass. the illustrations were unusually clear, and daniels' cuts were supplemented by another labelled: "the morganstein party leaving vivian court," which also designated the group. (mrs. feversham, wife of the special delegate from alaska, in the tonneau. her sister, miss morganstein, on her right. mrs. weatherbee seated in front. frederic morganstein driving the car.) and under the central picture hollis read: "mrs. weatherbee (miss armitage?), as she drove the machine into the embankment." the paper rattled a little in his hands. his face flamed, then settled gray and very still. except that his eyes moved, flashing from the photographs to the headlines, he might have been a man hewn of granite. "one more reason why the snoqualmie highway should be improved," he read. "narrow escape of the morganstein party. mrs. weatherbee's presence of mind." and, half-way down the page, "mrs. weatherbee modestly assumes an incognito when interviewed by a representative of the _press_." but tisdale did not look at the story. he crushed the newspaper into the corner of his seat and turned his face to the window. his cigar had gone out. he laid it mechanically on the sill. so, this was the woman who had wrecked david weatherbee; who had cast her spell over level-headed foster; and already, in the less than three days he had known her, had made a complete idiot of him. suppose foster should hear about that drive through the mountains that had cost him over seven hundred dollars; suppose foster should know about that episode in the basin on weatherbee's own ground. a great revulsion came over him. presently he began to take up detail after detail of that journey. now he saw the real impulse that had led her to board the eastbound train in snoqualmie pass. she had recognized him, conjectured he was on his way to find that tract of weatherbee's; and she had determined to go over the land with him, cajole him into putting the highest estimate possible on the property. even now, there in the sleeper, she was congratulating herself no doubt on the success of her scheme. at the thought of the ease with which he had allowed himself to be ensnared, his muscles tightened. it was as though the iron in the man took shape, shook off the veneer, encased him like a coat of mail. hitherto, in those remote alaska solitudes, this would have meant the calling to account of some transgressor in his camp. he began to sift for the prime element in this woman's wonderful personality. it was not physical beauty alone; neither was it that mysterious magnetism, almost electrical, yet delicately responsive as a stringed instrument. one of these might have kept that tremendous hold on weatherbee near, but on weatherbee absent through those long, breaking years, hardly. it was something deeper; something elusive yet insistent that had made it easier for him to brave out his defeat alone in the alaska wilderness than come back to face. clearly she was not just the handsome animal he had believed her to be. had she not called herself proud? had he not seen her courage? she had a spirit to break. a soul! chapter xiii "a little streak of luck" it was not the first time jimmie daniels had entertained the society editor at the rathskeller, and that monday, though he had invited her to lunch with him in the venetian room, she asked him, as was her habit, to "order for both." "isn't there something special you'd like?" he asked generously; "something you haven't had for a long time?" "no. you are so much of an epicure--for a literary person--i know it's sure to be something nice. besides," and the shadow of a smile drifted across her face, "it saves me guessing the state of your finances." a critic would have called geraldine atkins too slender for her height, and her face, notwithstanding its girlish freshness, hardly pretty. the chin, in spite of its dimple, was too strong; the lips, scarlet as a holly berry, lacked fullness and had a trick of closing firmly over her white teeth. even her gray-blue eyes, which should have been a dreamer's, had acquired a direct intensity of expression as though they were forever seeking the inner, real you. still, from the rolling brim of her soft felt hat to the hem of her brown tailor-made, that cleared the ankles of trim brown shoes, she was undeniably chic and in the eyes of jimmie daniels "mighty nice." he was longer than usual filling out the card, and the waiter hesitated thoughtfully when he had read it, then be glanced from the young man to his companion with a comprehensive smile and hurried away. there was chilled grapefruit in goblets with cracked ice, followed by bouillon, oysters, and a delectable young duck with toast. but it was only when the man brought a small green bottle and held it for jimmie to approve the label that his guest began to arch her brows. daniels smiled his ingenuous smile. "it's just to celebrate a little streak of luck," he said. "and i owe it to you. if you hadn't been at vivian court to write up the decorations for that bridge-luncheon and happened to make that snap-shot of the morganstein party, my leading lady would have gone to the paper as miss armitage straight, and i guess that would have queered me with the chief. but that headline you introduced about mrs. weatherbee's incognito struck him right. 'well, jimmie,' he said, 'you've saved your scalp this time.'" the society editor smiled. "you were a gullible kiddie," she replied. "but it's a mystery to me how you could have lived in seattle three years without knowing the prettiest woman on the boulevard by sight." jimmie shook his head. "i haven't the shadow of an excuse, unless it was because another girl was running such a close second she always cut off my view." "think," said miss atkins quickly, disregarding the excuse, "if that name, miss armitage, had been tagged to a picture that half the town would have recognized. mrs. weatherbee is the most popular lady, socially, in seattle. when there's a reception for a new council, she's always in the receiving line; she pours tea at the tennis tournament, and it was she who led the cotillion at the charity ball. you would find her name in all the important affairs, if you read the society column." daniels nodded meekly. "it was a hairbreadth escape, and i'm mighty grateful." there was a little silence then, but after the waiter had filled the long-stemmed glasses and hurried away, she said slowly, her gray-blue eyes sifting jimmie through and through: "it looks like you've been playing cards for money, but i never should have suspected it--of you." daniels shook his head gravely. "no get-rich-quick games for me. my luck doesn't come that way. but it cost me nearly two thousand dollars to find it out. i've always meant to tell you about that, sometime. that two thousand dollars was all my capital when i came to seattle to take my course in journalism. i expected it to see me through. but, well, it was my first week at the university--fortunately i had paid the expenses of the first semester in advance--when one night a couple of fellows i knew brought me down to see the town. i didn't know much about a city then; i had grown up over in the sage-brush country, and i never had heard of a highball. to start with i had two, then i got interested in a game of roulette, and the last i remember i was learning to play poker. but i must have had more high-balls; the boys said afterwards they left me early in the evening with a new acquaintance; they couldn't get me to go home. i never knew how i got back to the dorm, and the next day, when i woke, the stubs of my checkbook showed i had signed practically all of my two thousand away." there was a brief silence. out in the main room the orchestra began to play. miss atkins was looking at jimmie, and her scarlet lips were closed like a straight cord. he drew his hand over his smooth, close-cut, dark hair and took a long draught from his glass of ice-water. "i can't make you understand how i felt about it," he went on, "but that two thousand was the price of my father's ranch over near the columbia. it stood for years of privation, heart-breaking toil, and disappointment--the worst kind. two seasons of drouth we saw the whole wheat crop blister and go to ruin. i carried water in buckets from the river up to that plateau day after day, just to keep our home garden and a little patch of grass alive. and mother carried too up that breaking slope in the desert sun. it was thinking of that made me-- all in. she worked the same way with the stock. something lacking in the soil affected the feed, and some of the calves were born without hair; their bones were soft. it baffled my father and every man along that rim of the desert, but not mother. she said doctors prescribed lime for rickety human babies, and she made limewater and mixed it with the feed. it was just the thing. she was a small woman, but plucky from start to finish. and we, dad and i, didn't know what it was costing her--till she was gone." there was another silence. in the orchestra, out beyond the palms and screens of the venetian room, the first violin was playing the _humoresque_. the girl leaned forward slightly, watching jimmie's face. her lips were parted, and an unexpected sympathy softened her eyes. "she had been a school teacher back in iowa," he resumed, "and long winter evenings and sundays when she could, she always had her books out. up to the year i was twenty, she taught me all i knew. she tried her best to make a man of me, and i can see now how she turned my mind to journalism. she said some day there was going to be an opening for a newspaper right there in the columbia desert. where a great river received the waters of another big stream, there was bound to be a city. she saw farther than we did. the high line canal was only a pipe dream then, but she believed it would come true. when she died, we hadn't the heart to stay on with the ranch, so dad gave it to me, to sell for what i could get, and went back to iowa. he said he had promised her he would give me a chance at the state university, and that was the best he could do. and, well, you see i had to come to the u. of w. to stay, and i was used to work. i did all sorts of stunts out of hours and managed to pull through the second semester. then i hiked over the mountains to the wenatchee valley and earned enough that summer vacation to tide me over the next year. i had a friend there in the sage-brush country, a station agent named bailey, who had blown a thousand dollars into a tract of desert land he hadn't seen off the map. he was the kind of fellow to call himself all kinds of a fool, then go ahead and make that ground pay his money back. he saw a way to bring it under irrigation and had it cleared and set to apples. but, while he was waiting for the trees to grow, he put in fillers of alfalfa and strawberries. he was operating for the new milwaukee railroad then, and hired me to harvest his crops. they paid my wages and the two japs i had to help, with a snug profit. and his trees were doing fine; thrifty, every one in the twenty acres. last year they began to bear, only a few apples to a tree, but for flavor and size fit for eden. this year he is giving up his position with the milwaukee; his orchards are going to make him rich. and he wrote me the other day that the old ranch i threw away is coming under the new high line ditch. the company that bought it has platted it into fruit tracts. think-of that! trees growing all over that piece of desert. water running to waste, where mother and i carried it in buckets through the sand, in the sweltering heat, up that miserable slope." the society editor drew a full breath and settled back in her chair. her glance fell to her glass, and she laid her fingers on the thin stem. jimmie refreshed himself again with the ice-water. "i didn't mean to go into the story so deep," he said, "but you are a good listener." "it was worth listening to," she answered earnestly. "i've always wondered about your mother; i knew she must have been nice. but you must simply hate the sight of cards now. i am sorry i said what i did. and i don't care how it happened, here is to that 'little streak of luck.' may it lead to the great pay-streak." she reached her glass out for jimmie to touch with his, then raised it to her lips. daniels drank and held his glass off to examine the remaining liquor, like a connoisseur. "i play cards a little sometimes," he confessed; "on boats and places where i have to kill time. but," and he brightened, "it was this way about that streak of luck. i was detailed to write up the new yacht club quarters at west seattle, with illustrations to show the finer boats at the anchorage and, while i was on the landing making an exposure of the morganstein yacht, a tender put off with a message for me to come aboard. mr. morganstein had seen me from the deck, where he was nursing his injured leg. he was lonesome, i suppose. there was no one else in sight, though as i stepped over the side, i heard a victrola playing down below. 'how are you?' he said. 'have a seat.' then he scowled down the companionway and called: 'elizabeth, stop that infernal machine, will you?' "the music was turned off, and pretty soon miss morganstein came up the stairs. she was stunning, in a white sailor suit with red fixings, eyes black as midnight; piles of raven hair. but as soon as he had introduced us, and she had settled his pillows to suit him--he was lying in one of those invalid chairs--he sent her off to mix a julep or something. then he said he presumed we were going to have a fine cut of the _aquila_ in the sunday paper, if i was the reporter who made that exposure at the time of the accident to his car. i told him yes, i was daniels, representing the _press_, and had the good fortune to be in snoqualmie pass that day. 'i was sure of it,' he said. 'watched you over there with these binoculars.' he put the glasses down on a table and opened a drawer and took out his fountain-pen and checkbook. 'that write-up was so good,' he said, handing me the blank he had filled, 'i want to make you a little present. but you are the first _press_ reporter i ever gave anything to, and i want this kept quiet.' "i thanked him, but when i looked at that check i woke up. it was for a cool hundred dollars. i tried to make him take it back; i told him my paper was paying me; besides, i couldn't accept all the credit; that you had fixed up the story and put the names right, and the first cut was yours. 'never mind,' he said, 'i have something else for your society miss to do. i am going to have her describe my new country place, when it's all in shape. takes a woman to get hold of the scenery and color schemes.' then he insisted i had earned the extra money. not one man in a hundred would have been quick enough to make that exposure, and the picture was certainly fine of the whole group. in fact, he wanted that film of the car swinging into the embankment. he wanted to have an enlargement made." "i see," said miss atkins slowly, "i see." she paused, scooping the crest from her pineapple ice, then added: "now we are getting to the core." "i told him it belonged to the paper, but i thought i would be able to get it for him," jimmie resumed. "and he asked me to bring it down to pier number three just before four this afternoon. the _aquila_ was starting for a little cruise around bainbridge island to his country place, and if i wanted to work in something about her equipment and speed, i might sail as far as the navy yard, where they would make a short stop. then he mentioned that hollis tisdale might be aboard, and possibly i would be able to pick up a little information on the coal question. these government people were 'non-committal,' he said, but there was a snug corner behind the awnings aft, where in any case i could work up my yacht club copy." "so," remarked the society editor slowly, "it's a double core." chapter xiv on board the aquila tisdale's rooms were very warm that afternoon. it was another of those rare, breezeless days, an aftermath of august rather than the advent of indian summer, and the sun streamed in at the western windows. his injured hand, his whole feverish body, protested against the heat. the peroxide which he had applied to the hurt at wenatchee had brought little relief, and that morning the increased pain and swelling had forced him to consult a surgeon, who had probed the wound, cut a little, bandaged it, and announced curtly that it looked like infection. "but i can't afford to nurse this hand"--hollis rose from the couch where he had thrown himself when he came in from the doctor's office--"i ought to be using it now." he went over and drew the blinds, but the atmosphere seemed more stifling. he needed air, plenty of it, clean and fresh in god's out-of-doors; it was being penned in these close rooms that raised his temperature. he pulled the shades up again and took a turn across the floor. then he noticed the crumpled note which, aimed left-handedly, had missed the waste basket earlier, when he opened his mail, and he went over and picked it up. he stood smoothing it on his desk. a perfume, spicy yet suggestive of roses, pervaded the sheet, which was written in a round, firm, masculine hand, under the gilt monogram, m.f. his glance ran through the lines: "i am writing for my brother, frederic morganstein, who is recuperating aboard his yacht, to ask you to join us on a little cruise around bainbridge island this afternoon at four o'clock. ever since his interests have been identified with alaska, he has hoped to know you personally, and he wishes particularly to meet you now, to thank you for your services in snoqualmie pass. in the general confusion after the accident i am afraid none of us remembered to. "we expect to touch at the navy yard and again at frederic's new villa to see how the work is coming on, but the trip should not take longer than four hours, and we are dining informally on board. "do not trouble to answer. if the salt air is a strong enough lure this warm day, you will find the _aquila_ at pier three. "very truly yours, "marcia feversham. "tuesday, september seventh." "that floating palace ought to stir up some breeze." tisdale crumpled the invitation again and dropped it deliberately in the waste basket. "and to-morrow i shall be shut up on my eastbound train." he looked at his watch; there was still half an hour to spare before the time of sailing. "after all, why not?" a little later, when he had hurried into white flannels as expeditiously as possible with his disabled hand, the suggestion crept to his inner consciousness that he might find mrs. weatherbee aboard the _aquila_. "well, why not?" he asked himself again. "why not?" and picked up his hat. so he came to pier number three and, looking down the gangway as he crossed, saw her standing in the little group awaiting him on the after deck. morganstein spoke to him and introduced him to the ladies. he did not avoid her look and, under his appraising eyes, he saw the color begin to play in her face. then her glance fell to his bandaged hand, and an inquiry rushed to her lips. but she checked the words in time and drew slowly aloof to a seat near the rail. tisdale took a place near the reclining chair of his host. when she ventured to give him a swift side-glance, his mouth set austerely. but the space between them became electrical. it was as though wireless messages passed continually between them. "look back. see how often i tried to tell you! my courage failed. believe in me. i am not the monster you thought." and always the one response: "the facts are all against you." duwamish head had dropped from sight; magnolia bluff fell far astern, and the _aquila_ steamed out into the long, broad reach of puget sound; but though the tide had turned, there was still no wind. the late sun touched the glassy swells with the changing effect of a prism. the prow of the craft shattered this mirror, and her wake stretched in a ragged and widening crack. but under the awnings frederic morganstein's guests found it delightfully cool. only jimmie daniels, huddled on a stool in the glare, outside the lowered curtain that cut him off from the breeze created by the motion of the yacht, felt uncomfortably warm. the representative of the _press_ had arrived on board in time to see tisdale come down the pier and had discreetly availed himself of the secluded place that the financier had previously put to his disposal. he had heard it told at the newspaper office that tisdale, whose golden statements were to furnish his little scoop, hollis tisdale of alaska and the geographical survey, who knew more about the coal situation than any other man, was also the most silent, baffling sphinx on record when it came to an interview. at the moment the _aquila_ came into the open, the japanese boy placed a bowl of punch, with, pleasant clinking of ice, on the wicker table before mrs. feversham, who began to serve it. like elizabeth's, the emblems on her nautical white costume were embroidered in scarlet, and a red silk handkerchief was knotted loosely on her full, boyish chest. she was not less striking, and indeed she believed this meeting on the deck of the yacht, where formalities were quickly abridged, would appeal to the out-of-doors man and pave the way to a closer acquaintance in washington. but tisdale's glance involuntarily moved beyond to the woman seated by the rail. her head was turned so that he caught the finely chiseled profile, the outward sweep of black lashes, the adorable curve of the oval chin to meet the throat. she too wore the conventional sailor suit, but without color, and this effect of purity, the inscrutable delicacy of her, seemed to set her apart from these dark, materialistic sisters as though she had strayed like a lost vestal into the wrong atmosphere. his brows relaxed. for a moment the censor that had come to hold dominion in his heart was off guard. he felt the magnetism of her personality drawing him once more; he desired to cross the deck to her, drop a word into those deep places he had discovered, and see her emotions stir and overflow. then suddenly the enthusiasm, for which during that drive through the mountains he had learned to watch, broke in her face. "look!" she exclaimed softly. "see rainier!" every one responded, but tisdale started from his chair, and went over and stood beside her. there, southward, through golden haze, with the dark and wooded bluffs of vashon island flanking the deep foreground of opal sea, the dome lifted like a phantom peak. "it doesn't seem to belong to our world," she said, and her voice held its soft minor note, "but a vision of some higher, better country." she turned to give him her rare, grave look, and instantly his eyes telegraphed appreciation. then he remembered. the swift revulsion came over him. he swung on his heel to go back to his chair, and the unexpected movement brought him in conjunction with the punch tray. the boy righted it dexterously, and she took the offered glass and settled again in her seat. but from his place across the deck, tisdale noticed a drop had fallen, spreading, above the hem of her white skirt. the red stain held his austere gaze. it became a symbol of blood; on the garment of the vestal the defilement of sacrifice. she was responsible for weatherbee's death. he must not forget that. and he saw through her. now he saw. had she not known at the beginning he was an out-of-doors man? that he lived his best in the high spaces close to nature's heart? and so determined to win him in this way? she had meant to win him. even yet, she could not trust alone to his desire to see david's project through, but threw in the charm of her own personality to swing the balance. oh, she understood him. at the start she had read him, measured him, sounded him through. that supreme moment, at the crisis of the storm, had she not lent herself to the situation, counting the price? at this thought, the heat surged to his face. he wished in that instant to punish her, break her, but deeper than his anger with her burned a fury against himself. that he should have allowed her to use him, make a fool of him. he who had blamed weatherbee, censured foster, for less. then marcia feversham took advantage of the silence and, at her first statement, jimmie daniels sat erect; he forgot his thirst, the discomfort of his position, and opened his notebook on his knee. "i understand your work this season was in the matanuska coal region, mr. tisdale; you must be able to guess a little nearer than the rest of us as to the outcome of the naval tests. is it the copper river northwestern or the prince william development company that is to have the open door?" tisdale's glance moved from the opal sea to the lady's face; the genial lines crinkled faintly at the corners of his eyes. "i believe the bering and matanuska coal will prove equally good for steaming purposes," he replied. frederic morganstein grasped the arms of his chair and moved a little, risking a twinge of pain, to look squarely at tisdale. "you mean the government may conserve both?" his voice was habitually thick and deliberate, as though the words had difficulty to escape his heavy lips. "that, sir, would lock the shackles on every resource in alaska. guess you've seen how construction and development are forced to a standstill, pending the coal decision. guess you know our few finished miles of railroad, built at immense expense and burdened with an outrageous tax, are operating under imported coal. placed an order with japan in the spring for three thousand tons." "think of it!" exclaimed marcia. "coal from the orient, the lowest grade, when we should be exporting the best. think of the handicap, the injustice put upon those pioneer alaskans who fought tremendous obstacles to open the interior; who paved the way for civilization." tisdale's face clouded. "i am thinking of those pioneers, madam, and i believe the government is going to. present laws can be easily amended and enforced to fit nearly every situation until better ones are framed. the settler and prospector should have privileges, but at the same time the government must put some restriction on speculation and monopoly." behind the awning jimmie's pencil was racing down the page, and morganstein dropped his head back on the pillow; a purplish flush rose in his face. "the trouble is," hollis went on evenly, "each senator has been so over-burdened with the bills of his own state that alaska has been side-tracked. but i know the president's interest is waking; he wants to see the situation intelligently; in fact, he favors a government-built railroad from the coast to the upper yukon. and i believe as soon as a selection is made for naval use, some of those old disputed coal claims-- some, not all--will be allowed. or else--congress must pass a bill to lease alaska coal lands." "lease alaska coal lands?" frederic started up again so recklessly he was forced to sink back with a groan. "do you mean we won't be allowed to mine any coal in alaska, in that case, except by lease?" and he added, turning his cheek to the pillow, "oh, damn!" tisdale seemed not to have heard the question. his glance moved slowly again over the opal sea and rested on the shining ramparts of the olympics, off the port bow. "constance!" he exclaimed mellowly. "the brothers! eleanor!" then he said whimsically: "thank god they can't set steam-shovels to work there and level those peaks and fill the canyons. do you know?"--his look returned briefly and the genial lines deepened-- "those mountains were my playground when i was a boy. my last hunting trip, the year i finished college, came to an untimely end up there in the gorge of the dosewallups. you see it? that shaded contour cross-cutting the front of constance." elizabeth, who had opened her workbag, looked up with sudden interest. "was there an accident?" she asked. "something desperate and thrilling?" "it seemed so to me," he said. then mrs. weatherbee rose and came over to the port rail. "i see," she said, and shaded her eyes with her hand. "you mean where that gold mist rises between that snow slope and the blue rim of that lower, nearer mountain. and you had camped in that gorge"--her hand dropped; she turned to him expectantly--"with friends, on a hunting trip?" he paused a moment then answered slowly: "yes, madam, with one of them. sandy, our old camp cook, made a third in the party." chapter xv the story of the tenas papoose tisdale paused another moment, while his far-seeing gaze sifted the shadows of constance, then began: "we had made camp that afternoon, at the point where rocky brook tumbles over the last boulders to join the swift current of the dosewallups. i am something of an angler, and sandy knew how to treat a dolly varden to divide honors with a rainbow; so while the others were pitching the tents, it fell to me to push up stream with my rod and flies. the banks rose in sharp pitches under low boughs of fir, hemlock, or cedar, but i managed to keep well to the bed of the stream, working from boulder to boulder and stopping to make a cast wherever a riffle looked promising. finally, to avoid an unusually deep pool, i detoured around through the trees. it was very still in there; not even the cry of a jay or the drum of a woodpecker to break the silence, until suddenly i heard voices. then, in a tangle of young alder, i picked up a trail and came soon on a group of squaws picking wild blackberries. they made a great picture with their beautifully woven, gently flaring, water-tight baskets, stained like pottery; their bright shawls wrapped scarfwise around their waists out of the way; heads bound in gay handkerchiefs. it was a long distance from any settlement, and they stood watching me curiously while i wedged myself between twin cedars, on over a big fallen fir, out of sight. "a little later i found myself in a small pocket hemmed by cliffs of nearly two hundred feet, over which the brook plunged in a fine cataract. above, where it cut the precipice, a hanging spur of rock took the shape of a tiger's profile, and a depression colored by mineral deposit formed a big red eye; midway the stream struck shelving rock, breaking into a score of cascades that spread out fan-shape and poured into a deep, green, stone-lined pool; stirring, splashing, rippling ceaselessly, but so limpid i could see the trout. it was a place that held me. when at last i put away my flies and started down the bank, i knew dinner must be waiting for me, but i had a string of beauties to pacify sandy. as i hurried down to the fallen tree, i heard the squaws calling to each other at a different point out of sight up the ridge; then i found a step in the rough bole and, setting my hands on the top, vaulted over. the next instant i would have given anything, the best years of my life, to undo that leap. there, where my foot had struck, left with some filled baskets in the lee of the log, lay a small papoose." tisdale's voice vibrated softly and stopped, while his glance moved from face to face. he held the rapt attention of every one, and in the pause the water along the keel played a minor interlude. behind the awning a different sound broke faintly. it was like the rustle of paper; a turned page. "the baby was bound to the usual-shaped board," hollis went on, "with a woven pocket for the feet and a broad carrying-strap to fit the head of the mother. i sat down and lifted the little fellow to my knees. i wore heavy shoes, studded with nails for mountain climbing, and the mark of my heel was stamped, cruelly, on the small brown cheek; the rim had crushed the temple." tisdale halted again, and in the silence elizabeth sighed. then, "i'll bet you didn't waste any time in that place," exclaimed morganstein. "the eyes were closed," resumed tisdale gently. "i saw the blow had taken him in his sleep, but the wantonness, the misery of it, turned me cold. then, you are right, i was seized with a panic to get away. i laid the papoose back in the place where i had found him and left my string of fish, a poor tribute, with what money i had about me, and hurried down into the bed of the brook. "the squaws were several days' travel from the reservation, but i remembered we had passed a small encampment a few miles down the river and another near the mouth of the dosewallups, where a couple of indians were fishing from canoes. i knew they would patrol the stream as soon as the alarm was given, and my only chance was to make a wide detour, avoiding my camp where they would first look for me, swim the river, and push through the forest, around that steep, pyramid peak to the next canyon. you see it?--the duckabush cuts through there to tide water. i left no trail in crossing the stony bed of the brook, and took advantage of a low basalt bluff in climbing the farther bank. it was while i was working my way over the rock into cover of the trees that the pleasant calling on the ridge behind me changed to the first terrible cry. the mother had found her dead baby. "twilight was on me when i stopped at last on the river bank to take off my shoes. i rolled them with my coat in a snug pack, which i secured with a length of fish-line to my shoulders before i plunged in. the current was swift; i lost headway, and a whirlpool caught me; i was swept under, came up grazing a ragged rock, dipped again through a riffle, and when i finally gathered myself and won out to the opposite shore, there was my camp in full view below me. i was winded, bruised, shivering, and while i lay resting i watched sandy. he stirred the fire under his kettle, put a fresh lag on, then walked to the mouth of the brook and stood looking up stream, wondering, no doubt, what was keeping me. then a long cry came up the gorge. it was lost in the rush of the rapids and rose again in a wailing dirge. the young squaw was mourning for her papoose. it struck me colder than the waters of the dosewallups. sandy turned to listen. i knew i had only to call, show myself, and the boys would be ready to fight for me every step of the trail down to the settlement; but there was no need to drag them in; i hoped they would waste no time in going out, and i found my pocket compass, set a course, and pushed into the undergrowth. "that night journey was long-drawn torture. the moon rose, but its light barely penetrated the fir boughs. my coat and shoes were gone, torn from me in the rapids, and i walked blindly into snares of broken and pronged branches, trod tangles of blackberry, and more than once my foot was pierced by the barbs of a devil's-club. dawn found me stumbling into a small clearing. i was dull with weariness, but i saw a cabin with smoke rising from the chimney, and the possibility of a breakfast heartened me. as i hurried to the door, it opened, and a woman with a milking pail came out. at sight of me she stopped, her face went white, and, dropping the bucket, she moved backward into the room. the next moment she brought a rifle from behind the door. 'if you come one step nearer,' she cried, 'i'll shoot.'" tisdale paused, and the humor broke gently in his face. "i saw she was quite capable of it," he went on, "and i stopped. it was the first time i had seemed formidable to a woman, and i raised my hand to my head--my hat was gone--to smooth my ruffled hair; then my glance fell from my shirt sleeves, soiled and in tatters, down over my torn trousers to my shoeless feet; my socks were in rags. 'i am sorry,' i began, but she refused to listen. 'don't you say a word,' she warned and had the rifle to her shoulder, looking along the sight. 'if you do, i'll shoot, and i'm a pretty good shot.' "'i haven't a doubt of that,' i answered, taking the word, 'and even if you were not, you could hardly miss at that range.' "her color came back, and she stopped sighting to look me over. 'now,' she said, 'you take that road down the duckabush, and don't you stop short of a mile. ain't you ashamed,' she shrilled, as i moved ignominiously into the trail, 'going 'round scaring ladies to death?' "but i did not go that mile. out of sight of the cabin i found myself in one of those old burned sections, overgrown with maple. the trees were very big, and the gnarled, fantastic limbs and boles were wrapped in thick bronze moss. it covered the huge, dead trunks and logs of the destroyed timber, carpeted the earth, and out of it grew a natural fernery." he turned his face a little, involuntarily seeking mrs. weatherbee. "i wish you could have seen that place," he said. "imagine a great billowing sea of infinite shades of green, fronds waving everywhere, light, beautifully stencilled elk-fern, starting with a breadth of two feet and tapering to lengths of four or five; sword-fern shooting stiffly erect, and whole knolls mantled in maidenhair." "i know, i know!" she responded breathlessly. "it must have been beautiful, but it was terrible if you were pursued. i have seen such a place. wherever one stepped, fronds bent or broke and made a plain trail. but of course you kept to the beaten road." tisdale shook his head. "that road outside the clearing was simply a narrow, little used path; and i was so dead tired i began to look for a place where i might take an hour's rest. i chose a big cedar snag a few rods from the trail, the spreading kind that is always hollow, and found the opening screened in fern and just wide enough to let me in. almost instantly i was asleep and--do you know?"--the humor broke again gently-- "it was late in the afternoon when i wakened. and i was only roused then by a light blow on my face. i started up. the thing that had struck me was a moccasin, and its mate had dropped at my elbow. then i saw a can of milk with a loaf of bread placed inside my door. but there was no one in sight, though i hurried to look, and i concluded that for some unaccountable reason that inhospitable woman had changed her opinion of me and wanted to make amends. i took a long draught of the milk--it was the best i ever tasted--then picked up one of the moccasins. it was new and elaborately beaded, the kind a woman fancies for wall decorations, and she had probably bartered with some passing squaw for the pair. but the size looked encouraging, and with a little ripping and cutting, i managed to work it on. pinned to the toe of the other, i found a note. it ran like this: 'two indians are trailing you. i sent them down-stream, but they will come back. they told me about that poor little papoose.' "i saw she must have followed me that morning, while searching for her cow, or perhaps to satisfy herself i had left the clearing, and so discovered my hiding-place. the broader track of her skirts must have covered mine through the fern." tisdale paused. the _aquila_ had come under the lee of bainbridge island. the olympics were out of sight, as the yacht, heeling to the first tide rip, began to turn into the narrows, and the batteries of fort ward commanded her bows; a beautiful wooded point broke the line of the opposite shore. it rimmed a small cove. but mrs. weatherbee was not interested; her attention remained fixed on tisdale. indeed he held the eyes of every one. then marcia feversham relieved the tension. "and the indians came back?" she asked. "oh, yes, that was inevitable; they had to come back to pick up my trail. but you don't know what a different man that rest and the moccasins made of me. in five minutes i was on the road and making my best time up the gorge, in the opposite direction. the woman was standing in her door as i passed the cabin; she put a warning finger to her lips and waved me on. in a little while the ground began to fall in short pitches; sometimes it broke in steps over granite spurs where the exposed roots of fir and hemlock twined; then i came to a place where an immense boulder, big as a house, moving down the mountain, had left a swath through the timber, and i heard the thunder of the duckabush. i turned into this cut, intending to cross the river and work down the canyon on the farther side, and as i went i saw the torrent storming below me, a winding sheet of spray. the boulder had stopped on a level bluff, but two sections, splitting from it, had dropped to the bank underneath and, tilting together in an apex, formed a small cavern through which washed a rill. it made a considerable pool and, dividing, poured on either side of the uprooted trunk of a fir that bridged the stream. the log was very old; it sagged mid-channel, as though a break had started, and snagged limbs stretched a line of pitfalls. but a few yards below the river plunged in cataract, and above i found sheer cliffs curving in a double horseshoe. it was impossible to swim the racing current, and i came back to the log. by that time another twilight was on me. the forest had been very still; i hadn't noticed a bird all day, but while i stood weighing the chances of that crossing, i heard the harsh call of a kingfisher or jay. it seemed to come from the slope beyond the bluff, and instantly an answer rose faintly in the direction of the trail. i was leaning on one of the tilted slabs, and i wormed myself around the base, to avoid leaving an impression in the wet sand, and dipped under the trailing bough of a cedar, through the pool, and crawled up into the cavern. there wasn't room to stand erect, and i waited crouching, over moccasins in water. the cedar began to sway--i had used the upper boughs to ease myself in sliding down the slab from the bluff--a fragment of granite dropped, then an indian came between me and the light. "while he stopped to examine the sand at the edge of the pool, another followed. he ventured a short distance out on the log and came back, while the first set his rifle against the trunk and sank on his hands and knees to drink. the water, roiled probably by my steps, was not to his taste, and he rejected it with a disgusted 'hwah!' when he rose, he stood looking across the pool into my cavern. i held my breath, hugging the bluff behind me like a lizard. it was so dark i doubted if even his lynx eyes could discover me, but he lifted the gun and for an instant i believed he meant to send a shot into the hole. then he seemed to think better of wasting his ammunition and led the way down-stream. they stopped on a level bank over the cataract, and in a little while i caught the odor of smoke and later of cooking trout. my cramped position grew intolerable, and finally i crept out into the pool to reconnoitre. the light of their fire showed both figures stretched on the ground. they had camped for the night. "it was useless to try to go down-stream; before dawn indians would patrol the whole canyon; neither could i double back to the dosewallups where they had as surely left a watch; my only course was to risk the log crossing at once, before the moon rose, and strike southward to the lilliwaup, where, at the mouth of the gorge, i knew the mail steamer made infrequent stops. i began to work up between the gnarled roots to the top of the trunk and pushed laboriously with infinite caution out over the channel. i felt every inch of that log, but once a dead branch snapped short in my hand, and the noise rang sharp as a pistol shot. i waited, flattening myself to the bole, but the thunder of the river must have drowned the sound; the indians did not stir. so at last i came to the danger point. groping for the break, i found it started underneath, reaching well around. caused probably by some battering bulk in the spring floods, and widening slowly ever since, it needed only a slight shock to bring it to a finish. i grasped a stout snag and tried to swing myself over the place, but there came a splitting report; and there was just time to drop astride above that stub of limb, when the log parted below it, and i was in the river. i managed to keep my hold and my head out of water, though the current did its best to suck me under. then i saw that while the main portion of the tree had been swept away, the top to which i clung remained fixed to the bank, wedged no doubt between trunks or boulders. as i began to draw myself up out of the wash, a resinous bough thrown on the fire warned me the indians were roused, and i flattened again like a chameleon on the slippery incline. they came as far as the rill and stood looking across, then went down-stream, no doubt to see whether the trunk had stranded on the riffles below the cataract. but they were back before i could finish the log, and the rising moon illuminated the gorge. i was forced to swing to the shady side of the snag. the time dragged endlessly; a wind piping down the watercourse cut like a hundred whips through my wet clothes; and i think in the end i only kept my hold because my fingers were too stiff to let go. but at last the indians stretched themselves once more on the ground; their fire burned low, and i wormed myself up within reach of a friendly young hemlock, grasped a bough, and gained shelving rock. the next moment i relaxed, all but done for, on a dry bed of needles." tisdale paused, looking again from face to face, while the humor gleamed in his own. "i am making a long story of it," he said modestly. "you must be tired!" "tired!" exclaimed elizabeth, "it's the very best story i ever heard. please go on." "of course you escaped," supplemented marcia feversham, "but we want to know how. and what was your chum doing all the time? and wasn't there another woman?" frederic morganstein rumbled a short laugh. "maybe you made the lilliwaup, but i'll bet ten to one you missed your steamer." tisdale's eyes rested involuntarily again on mrs. weatherbee. she did not say anything, but she met the look with her direct gaze; her short upper lip parted, and the color burned softly in her cheek. "i made the lilliwaup," he went on, "about two miles from the mouth, between the upper and lower falls. the river breaks in cascades there, hundreds of them as far as one can see, divided by tremendous boulders." "we know the place," said elizabeth quickly. "our first cruise on the _aquila_ was to the lilliwaup. we climbed to the upper falls and spent hours along the cascades. those boulders, hundreds of them, rose through the spray, all covered with little trees and ferns. there never was anything like it, but we called it the fairy isles." tisdale nodded. "it was near the end of that reach i found myself. the channels gather below, you remember, and pour down a steep declivity under a natural causeway. but the charm and grandeur were lost on me that day. i wanted to reach the old trail from the falls on the opposite shore, and i knew that stone bridge fell short a span, so i began to work my way from boulder to boulder out to the main stream. it was a wide chasm to leap, with an upward spring to a tilted table of basalt, and i overbalanced, slipped down, and, coasting across the surface, recovered enough on the edge to ease myself off to a nearly submerged ledge. there i stopped." he paused an instant, and his eyes sought marcia feversham's; the amusement played lightly on his flexible lips. "i had stumbled on another woman. she was seated on a lower boulder, sketching the stone bridge. i was behind her, but i saw a pretty hand and forearm, some nice brown hair tucked under a big straw hat, and a trim and young figure in a well-made gown of blue linen. then she said pleasantly, without turning her head: 'well, john, what luck?' "i drew back into a shallow niche of the rock. i had not forgotten the first impression i made on the woman up the duckabush and had no desire to 'scare ladies.' but my steamer was almost due, and i hoped john would come soon. getting no reply from him, she rose and glanced around. then she looked at her watch, put her hand to her mouth, and sent a long call up the gorge. 'joh-n. joh-n, hello!' she had a carrying, singer's voice, but it brought no answer, so after a moment she gathered up her things and started towards the bank. i watched her disappear among the trees; then, my fear of missing the steamer growing stronger than the dread of terrifying her, i followed. the trail drops precipitously around the lower falls, you remember, and i struck the level where the river bends at the foot of the cataract, with considerable noise. i found myself in a sort of open-air parlor flanked by two tents; rustic seats under a canopy of maple boughs, hammocks, a percolator bubbling on a sheet-iron contrivance over the camp-fire coals, and, looking at me across a table, the girl. 'i beg your pardon,' i hurried to say. 'don't be afraid of me.' "'afraid?' she repeated. 'afraid--of you?' and the way she said it, with a half scornful, half humorous surprise, the sight of her standing there so self-reliant, buoyant, the type of that civilization i had tried so hard to reach, started a reaction of my overstrained nerves. still, i think i might have held myself together had i not at that moment caught the voice of that unhappy squaw. it struck a chill to my bones, and i sank down on the nearest seat and dropped my face in my hands, completely unmanned. "i knew she came around the table and stood looking me over, but when i finally managed to lift my head, she had gone back to the percolator to bring me a cup of coffee. it had a pleasant aroma, and the cream with which she cooled it gave it a nice color. you don't know how that first draught steadied me. 'i am sorry, madam,' i said, 'but i have had a hard experience in these woods, and i expected to catch the mail boat for seattle; but that singing down-stream means i am cut off.' "she started a little and looked me over again with new interest. 'the squaw,' she said, 'is mourning for her papoose. it was a terrible accident. a young hunter up the dosewallups, where the indians were berrying, killed the baby in jumping a log.' "'yes, madam,' i answered, and rose and put the cup down, 'i am the man. it is harder breaking trail to the lilliwaup than coming by canoe, and the indians have beaten me. i must double back now to the duckabush. by that time, they will have given up the watch.' "'wait,' she said, 'let me think.' but it did not take her long. a turn the length of the table, and her face brightened. 'why, it's the easiest thing in the world,' she said. 'i must row you to the steamer.' then when i hesitated to let her run the risk, she explained that her party had moved their camp from the mouth of the dosewallups after these indians arrived there; they knew her; they had seen her rowing about, and she always carried a good many traps; an easel, sun umbrella, cushions, a steamer rug. i had only to lie down in the bottom of the boat, and she would cover me. and she drew back the flap of the nearest tent and told me to change my clothes for a brown suit she laid out, and canvas shoes. 'come,' she urged, 'there's time enough but none to waste; and any minute the indians may surprise you.' "she was waiting with the rug and pillows and a pair of oars when i came out, and helped me carry them to the boat which was beached a short distance below her camp. when it was launched, and i was stowed under the baggage, with an ample breathing hole through which i could watch the rower, she pushed off and fell into a long, even stroke. presently i noticed she had nice eyes, brown and very deep, and i thought her face was beautiful. it had the expressiveness, the swift intelligence that goes with a strong personality, and through all her determination, i felt a running note of caution. i knew she saw clearly while she braved the extremity. after a while her breast began to rise and fall with the exercise, her cheeks flushed, and i saw she had met the flood tide. all this time the voice of the squaw grew steadily nearer. i imagined her, as i had seen others before, kneeling on the bank, rocking herself, beating her breast. then it came over me that we were forced to hug the shore to avoid one of the reedy shallows that choked the estuary and must pass very close to her. the next moment there was a lull, and the girl looked across her shoulder and called 'clahowya!' at the same time she rested on her oars long enough to take off her hat and toss it with careless directness on my breathing hole. the squaw's answer came from above me, and she repeated and intoned the word so that it seemed part of her dirge. 'clahowya! clahowya! clahowya! wake tenas papoose. halo! halo!' the despair of it cut me worse than lashes. then i heard other voices; a dog barked, and i understood we were skirting the encampment. "after that the noise grew fainter, and in a little while the girl uncovered my face. the channel had widened; the tang of salt came on the wind; and when i ventured to raise my head a little, i saw the point at the mouth of the river looming purple-black. then, as we began to round it, we came suddenly on a canoe, drifting broadside, with a single salmon hunter crouching in it, ready with his spear. it flashed over me that he was one of the two indians who had tracked me to the duckabush; the taller one who had tried to drink at the rill; then he made his throw and at the same instant the girl's hat fell again on my face. i heard her call her pleasant 'clahowya!' and she added, rowing on evenly: 'hyas delate salmon.' the next moment his answer rang astern: 'clahowya! clahowya! hyas delate salmon.' "at last i felt the swell of the open, and she leaned to uncover my face once more. 'the steamer is in sight,' she said, and i raised my head again and saw the boat, a small moving blot with a trailer of smoke, far up the sapphire sea. then i turned on my elbow and looked back. the canoe and the encampment were hidden by the point; we were drifting off the wharf of the small town-site, almost abandoned, where the steamer made her stop. there was nothing left to do but express my gratitude, which i did clumsily enough. "'you mustn't make so much of it,' she said; 'the first thing a reservation indian is taught is to forget the old law, a life for a life.' "'i know that,' i answered, 'still i couldn't have faced the best white man that first hour, and off there in the mountains, away from reservation influences, my chances looked small. i wish i could be as sure the men who were with me are safe.' "she gave me a long, calculating look. 'they will be--soon,' she said. 'my brother robert should be on the steamer with the superintendent and reservation guard.' and she dipped her oars again, pointing the boat a little more towards the landing, and watched the steamer while i sifted her meaning. "'so,' i said at last. 'so they are there at that camp. you knew it and brought me by.' "'you couldn't have helped them any,' she said, 'and you can go back, if you wish, with the guard.' then she told me how she had visited the camp with her brother robert and had seen them bound with stout strips of elk-hide. they had explained the accident and how one of them, to give me time at the start, had put himself in my place." tisdale halted a moment; a wave of emotion crossed his face. his look rested on mrs. weatherbee, and his eyes drew and held hers. she leaned forward a little; her lips parted over a hushed breath. it was as though she braved while she feared his next words. "that possibility hadn't occurred to me," he went on, "yet i should have foreseen it, knowing the man as i did. we were built on the same lines, practically the same size, and we had outfitted together for the trip. he wore high, brown shoes spiked for mountain climbing, exactly like mine; he even matched the marks of that heel. but sandy wouldn't stand for it. he declared there was a third man who had gone up rocky brook and had not come back. one of the squaws who had seen me agreed with him, but they were bound and taken to the encampment. the next morning an indian found my coat and shoes lodged on a gravel bar and picked up my trail. the camp moved then by canoe around to the mouth of the duckabush. taking the prisoners with them, and waited for my trailers to come down. they had discovered me on the log crossing when it fell, and believed i was drowned." there was another pause. mrs. weatherbee sighed and leaned back in her chair; then mrs. feversham said: "and they refused to let your substitute go?" tisdale nodded. "he was brought with sandy along to the lilliwaup. the indians were traveling home, and no doubt the reservation influence had restrained them; still, they were staying a second night on the lilliwaup, and when robert spoke to them they were sullen and ugly. that was why he had hurried away to bring the superintendent down. he had started in his peterboro but expected to find a man on the way who would take him on in his motor-boat. once during the night john had drifted close to the camp to listen, but things were quiet, and they had bridged the morning with a little fishing and sketching up-stream. "'suppose,' i said at last, 'suppose you had been afraid of me. i should be doubling back to the duckabush now. as it is, i wouldn't give much for their opinion of me.' "'i wish you could have heard that man sandy,' she said, and--did i tell you she had a very nice smile? 'he called you true gold.' and while she went on to repeat the rest he had told her, it struck me pleasantly i was listening to my own obituary. but the steamer was drawing close. she whistled the landing, and the girl dipped her oars again, pulling her long, even strokes. i threw off the rug and sat erect, ready to ease the boat off as we came alongside. and there on the lower deck watching us stood a young fellow whom, from his resemblance to her, i knew as brother robert, with the superintendent from the reservation, backed by the whole patrol. then my old friend doctor wise, the new coroner at hoodsport, came edging through the crowd to take my hand. 'well, well, tisdale, old man,' he said, 'this is good. do you know they had you drowned--or worse?'" tisdale settled back in his chair and, turning his face, looked off the port bow. the narrows had dropped behind, and for a moment the deck of the _aquila_ slanted to the tide rip off port orchard; then she righted and raced lightly across the broad channel. ahead, off bremerton navy yard, some anchored cruisers rose in black silhouette against a brilliant sea. "and," said marcia feversham, "of course you went to the camp in a body and released the prisoners." "yes, we used the mail steamer's boats, and she waited for us until the inquest was over, then brought us on to seattle. the motor-boat took the doctor and superintendent home." "and the girl," said elizabeth after a moment, "did you never see her again?" "oh, yes." the genial lines deepened, and hollis rose from his chair. "often. i always look them up when i am in seattle." "but who was john?" "john? why, he was her husband." the olympics had reappeared; the sun dropped behind a cloud over a high crest; shafts of light silvered the gorges; the peaks caught an amethyst glow. tisdale, tracing once more that far canyon across the front of constance, walked slowly forward into the bows. the yacht touched the bremerton dock to take on the lieutenant who was expected aboard, and at the same time jimmie daniels swung lightly over the side aft. the seattle steamer whistled from her slip on the farther side of the wharf, and he hurried to the gang-plank. there he sent a glance behind and saw tisdale still standing with his back squared to the landing, looking off over the harbor. and the _press_ representative smiled. he had gathered little information in regard to the coal question, but in that notebook, buttoned snugly away in his coat, he had set down the papoose story, word for word. chapter xvi the alternative tisdale did not follow the lieutenant aft. when the _aquila_ turned into port orchard, he still remained looking off her bows. the sun had set, a soft breeze was in his face, and the sound was no longer a mirror; it fluted, broke in racy waves; the cutwater struck from them an intricate melody. northward a few thin streamers of cloud warmed like painted flames, and their reflection changed the sea to running fire. then he was conscious that some one approached behind him; she stopped at his elbow to watch the brilliant scene. and instantly the spirit of combat in him stirred; his muscles tightened like those of a man on guard. after a moment she commenced to sing very softly, in unison with the music of the waves along the keel, "how dear to me the hour when daylight dies." even subdued, her voice was beautiful. it began surely, insistently, to undermine all that stout breastwork he had reared against her these twenty-four hours. but he thrust his hands in his pockets and turned to her with that upward look of probing, upbraiding eyes. the song died. a flush rose over her face, but she met the look bravely. "i came to explain," she said. "i thought at the beginning, when we started on that drive through the mountains, you knew my identity. afterwards i tried repeatedly to tell you, but when i saw how bitterly you--hated--me, my courage failed." her lip trembled over a sighing breath, and she looked, away up the brilliant sea. tisdale could not doubt her. his mind raced back to incident on incident of that journey; in flashes it was all made clear to him. even during that supreme hour of the electrical storm had she not tried to undeceive him? he forgave her her transgressions against him; he forgave her so completely that, at the recollection of the one moment in the basin, his pulses sang. then, inside his pockets, his hands clenched, and he scourged himself for the lapse. "i was in desperate need," she went on quickly. "there was a debt--a debt of honor--i wished to pay. and mr. foster told me you were interested in that desert land; that you were going to look it over. he caught me by long distance telephone the night he sailed for alaska, to let me know. oh, it all sounds sordid, but if you have ever come to the ragged edge of things--" she stopped, with a little outward, deprecating movement of her hands, and turned again to meet tisdale's look. but he was still silent. "i believed when you knew me," she went on, "you would see i am not the kind of woman you imagined; i even hoped, for david's sake, you would forgive me. but i did not know there was such friendship as yours in the world. i thought only mothers loved so,--the great ones, the hagars, the marys. it is more than that; it is the best and deepest of every kind of love in one. i can't fathom it--unless--men sometimes are born with twin souls." it was not the influence of her personality now; it was not any magnetism. something far down in the depths of him responded to that something in her. it was as though he felt the white soul of her rising transcendent over her body. it spoke in her pose, her eloquent face, and it filled the brief silence with an insistent, almost vibrant appeal. "they are," he answered, and the emotion in his own face played softly through his voice, "i am sure that they are. weatherbee had other friends, plenty of them, scattered from the yukon territory to nome; men who would have been glad to go out of their way to serve him, if they had known; but he never asked anything of them; he saved the right to call on me. neither of us ever came as near that 'ragged edge of things' as he did, toppled on it as he did, for so long. there never was a braver fight, against greater odds, single-handed, yet i failed him." he paused while his eyes again sought that high gorge of the olympic mountains, then added: "the most i can do now is to see that his work is carried on." "you mean," she said not quite steadily, "you are going to buy that land?" "i mean"--he frowned a little--"i am going to renew my offer to finance the project for you. you owe it to david weatherbee even more than i do. go back to that pocket; set his desert blossoming. it's your only salvation." she groped for the bulwark behind her and moved back to its support. "i could not. i could not. i should go mad in that terrible place." "listen, madam." he said this very gently, but his voice carried its vibrant undernote as though down beneath the surface a waiting reserve force stirred. "i did not tell all about that orchard of spruce twigs. it was planted along a bench, the miniature of the one we climbed in the wenatchee mountains, that was crossed with tiny, frozen, irrigating canals leading from a basin; and midway stood a house. you must have known that trick he had of carving small things with his pocket-knife. then imagine that delicately modeled house of snow. it was the nucleus of the whole, and before the door, fine as a cameo and holding a bundle in her arms, was set the image of a woman." there was a silent moment. she waited, leaning a little forward, watching tisdale's face, while a sort of incredulous surprise rose through the despair in her eyes. "there were women at fairbanks and seward after the first year," he went on. "bright, refined women who would have counted it a privilege to share things, his hardest luck, with david weatherbee. but the best of them in his eyes was nothing more than a shadow. there was just one woman in the world for him. that image stood for you. the whole project revolved around you. it would be incomplete now without you." she shrank closer against the bulwark, glancing about her with the swift look of a creature trapped, then for a moment dropped her face in her hands. when she tried to say something, the words would not come. her lips, her whole face quivered, but she could only shake her head in protest again and again. tisdale waited, watching her with his upward look from under contracted brows. "what else can you do?" he asked at last. "your tract is too small to be handled by a syndicate, and now that the levels of the columbia desert are to be brought under a big irrigation project, which means a nominal expense to the grower, your high pocket, unimproved, will hardly attract the single buyer. will you, then, plat it in five-acre tracts for the seattle market and invite the--interest of your friends?" she drew erect; the danger signals flamed briefly in her eyes. "my friends can be dis-interested, mr. tisdale. it has only been through them, for a long time, i have been able to keep my hold." "there's where you made your mistake at the start; in gaining that hold. when you conformed to their standards, your own were overthrown." "that is not true." she did not raise her voice any; it dropped rather to a minor note? but a tremor ran over her body, and her face for an instant betrayed how deep the shaft had struck. "and, always, when i have accepted a favor, i have given full measure in exchange. but there is an alternative you seem to have overlooked." "i understand," he said slowly, and his color rose. "you may marry again." then he asked, without protest: "is it foster?" on occasion, during that long drive through the mountains, he had felt the varying height and thickness of an invisible barrier, but never, until that moment, its chill. then marcia feversham called her, and she turned to go down the deck. "i'm coming!" she answered and stopped to look back. "you need not trouble about mr. foster," she said. "he--is safe." chapter xvii "all these things will i give thee" frederic had suggested a rubber at auction bridge. elizabeth fixed another pillow under his shoulders and moved the card table to his satisfaction, then took a chair near the players and unfolded her crochet, while tisdale, whose injured hand excluded him from the game, seated himself beside her. he asked whimsically if she was manufacturing a cloud like the one in the west where the sun had set; but she lacked her sister's ready repartee, and, arresting her needle long enough to glance at him and back to the woolly, peach-pink pile in her lap, answered seriously: "it's going to be a hug-me-tight." the lieutenant laughed. "sounds interesting, does it not?" he said, shuffling the cards. "but calm yourself, sir; a hug-me-tight is merely a kind of sweater built on the lines of a vest." he dealt, and mrs. feversham bid a lily. from his position tisdale was able to watch mrs. weatherbee's face and her cards. she held herself erect in a subdued excitement as the game progressed; the pink flush deepened and went and came in her cheek; the blue lights danced in her eyes. repeatedly she flashed intelligence to her partner across the board. and the lieutenant began to wait in critical moments for the glance. they won the first hand. then it became apparent that he and morganstein were betting on the side, and marcia remonstrated. "it isn't that we are scrupulous alone," she said, "but we lose inspiration playing second fiddle." "come in then," suggested frederic and explained to the lieutenant: "she can put up a hundred dollars and lose 'em like a soldier." "the money stayed in the family," she said quickly. "beatriz, it is your bid." mrs. weatherbee was calculating the possibilities of her hand. her suit was diamonds; seven in sequence from the jack. she held also the three highest in clubs and the other black king. she was weak in hearts. "i bid two diamonds," she said slowly, "and, marcia, it's my ruby against your check for three hundred dollars." there was a flutter of surprise. "no," remonstrated elizabeth sharply. "no, marcia can buy the ring for what it is worth." "then i should lose the chance to keep it. three hundred will be enough to lose." and she added, less confidently: "but if you should win, marcia, it is understood you will not let the ring go out of your hands." "i bear witness," cried the lieutenant gallantly, "and we are proud to play second when a studevaris leads." but morganstein stared at her in open admiration. "you thoroughbred!" he said. "it shall stay in the family," confirmed marcia. then frederic bid two lilies, the lieutenant passed and mrs. feversham raised to three hearts. she wavered, and tisdale saw the cards tremble in her hand. "four diamonds," she said at last. the men passed, and marcia doubled. then morganstein led a lily, and the lieutenant spread his hand on the table. there were six clubs; in diamonds a single trey. but mrs. weatherbee was radiant. she moved a little and glanced back at elizabeth, inviting her to look at her hand. she might as well have said: "you see, i have only to lead out trumps and establish clubs." marcia played a diamond on her partner's second lead of spades, and led the ace of hearts, following with the king; the fourth round frederic trumped over mrs. weatherbee and led another lily. mrs. feversham used her second diamond and, returning with a heart, saw her partner trump again over mrs. weatherbee. it was miserable. they gathered in the book before the lead fell to her. the next deal the cards deserted her, and after that the lieutenant blundered. but even though the ruby was inevitably lost, she finished the rubber pluckily; the flush deepened in her cheek; the blue fires flamed in her eyes. "you thoroughbred!" morganstein repeated thickly. "you thoroughbred!" to tisdale it was unendurable. he rose and crossed to the farther side of the desk. the _aquila_, rounding the northern end of bainbridge island, had come into agate pass; the tide ran swift in rips and eddies between close wooded shores, but these things no longer caught his attention. the scene he saw was the one he had put behind him, and in the calcium light of his mind, one figure stood out clearly from the rest. had he not known this woman was a spendthrift? had he not suspected she inherited this vice from her father, that old gambler of the stock exchange. was it not for this reason he had determined to hold that last half interest in the aurora mine? still, still, she had not shown the skill of long practice; she had not played with ordinary caution. and had not elizabeth remonstrated, as though her loss was inevitable? every one had been undeniably surprised. why, then, had she done this? she had told him she was in "desperate need." could this have been the alternative to which she had referred? the _aquila's_ whistle blew, and she came around, close under a bluff, into a small cove, on the rim of which rose the new villa. the group behind tisdale began to push back chairs. he turned. the game was over, and mrs. feversham stood moving her hand slowly to catch the changing lights of the ring on her finger. then she looked at the loser. "it seems like robbery," she exclaimed, "to take this old family talisman from you, beatriz. i shall make out a check to ease my conscience." "oh, no." she lifted her head bravely like his alaska flower in the bitter wind. "i shall not accept it. my grandfather believed in the ruby devoutly," she went on evenly. "it was his birthstone. and since it is yours too, marcia, it should bring you better fortune than it has brought me. but see! the villa roof is finished and stained moss-green as it should be, against that background of firs. and isn't the big veranda delightful, with those venetian blinds?" the yacht nosed alongside the little stone quay, and preceded by the host, who was carried ashore in his chair, not without difficulty, by relays of his crew, the party made the landing. tisdale's first impression when he stepped over the threshold of the villa was of magnitude. a great fireplace built of granite blocks faced the hospitable entrance, and the interior lifted to the beamed roof, with a gallery midway, on which opened the upper rooms. the stairs rose easily in two landings, and the curving balustrade formed a recess in which was constructed a stage. near this a pipe organ was being installed. it was all luxurious, created for entertainment and pleasure, but it lacked the ostentatious element for which he was prepared. it had been understood that the visit was made at this time to allow mrs. feversham an opportunity to go through the house. she was to decide on certain furnishings which she was to purchase in new york, but it was evident to tisdale that the items she listed followed the suggestions of the woman who stood beside her, weighing with subdued enthusiasm the possibilities of the room. "imagine a splendid polar-bear rug here," she said, "with a yellowish lynx at the foot of the stairs, and one of those fine kodiak skins in front of the hearth. a couch there in the chimney corner, with a navajo blanket and pillows would be color enough." morganstein, watching her from his invalid chair, grasped the idea with satisfaction. "cut out those wilton carpets, marcia," he said. "i'll write that alaska hunter, thompson, who heads the big-game parties, to send me half a dozen bears. they mount 'em all right in seattle. now see what we are going to need in that east suite up-stairs." they went trooping up the staircase, but hollis did not hurry to follow. his glance moved to the heavy, recumbent figure of his host. he was looking up across the banisters at mrs. weatherbee as she ascended, and something in his sensuous face, the steady gleam of his round black eyes, started in tisdale's mind a sudden suspicion. she stopped to look down from the gallery railing and smiled with a gay little salute. then elizabeth called, and she disappeared through an open door. "i'd give fifty dollars to see her face when she gets to that east room," morganstein said abruptly. "but go up, mr. tisdale; go up. needn't bother to stay with me." "there's a good deal to see here," tisdale responded genially. "a man who is accustomed to spend his time as i do, gathering accurate detail, is slower than others, i suppose, and this all seems very fine to me." "it's got to be fine,--the finest bungalow on puget sound, i keep telling the architect. nothing short of that will do. listen!" he added in a smothered voice, "she's in there now." the vaulted roof carried the echoes down to tisdale as he went up the stairs. all the doors were open along the gallery; some were not yet hung, but he walked directly to the last one from which the exclamations of surprise had come. and, as he went, he heard mrs. weatherbee say: "it was glorious, like this, the day the idea flashed to my mind; but i did not dream mr. morganstein would alter the casement, for the men were hanging the french windows. why, it must have been necessary to change the whole wall. still, it was worth it, marcia, was it not?" "it certainly is unique," admitted mrs. feversham. then tisdale stopped on the threshold, facing a great window of plate glass in a single pane, designed to frame the incomparable view of mount rainier lifting above the sea. and it was no longer a phantom mountain; the haze had vanished, and the great peak loomed near, sharply defined, shining in alpine splendor. it was a fine conceit, too fine to have sprung from morganstein's materialistic brain, and tisdale was not slow to grasp the truth. the financier had reconstructed the wall to carry out mrs. weatherbee's suggestion. then it came over him that this whole building, feature by feature, had been created to win, to ensnare this woman. it was as though the wall had become a scroll on which was written: "'all these things will i give thee, if thou wilt fall down'--and marry me." suddenly the place oppressed him. he walked through the room to the smaller one of the suite and out on a broad sleeping-porch. the casement was nearly waist high, and he stood grasping the ledge and looking with unseeing eyes into a grove of firs. so this was the alternative. and this was why foster was safe. the young mining engineer, with little besides his pay, had fallen far short of her price. but the salt wind was in his face; it quieted him. he began to notice the many small intruding influences of approaching night. the bough of a resinous hemlock, soughing gently, touched his arm, and his hold on the shingles relaxed. he moved, to rest the injured hand on the casing, and its throbbing eased. his glance singled out clumps of changing maple or dogwood that flamed like small fires on the slope. then he caught the rhythm of the tide, breaking far down along the rocky bulkhead; and above, where a footbridge spanned a chasm, a cascade rippled in harmony. "nice, isn't it?" said the lieutenant, who came onto the porch with elizabeth. "that is a pergola they are building down there," she explained. "it's to be covered with virginia creeper and wistaria and all sorts of climbing things. and french doors open into it from the dining-room. a walk winds up from the end--you see it, mr. tisdale?--across the footbridge to a pavilion on the point. it is almost too dark to see the roof among the trees. mrs. weatherbee calls it the observatory, because we have such a long sweep of the sound from there, north and south. you'd think you were aboard a ship at sea, lieutenant, in stormy weather. it gets every wind that blows." the lieutenant wished to go to the pavilion, but tisdale excused himself from joining them, and was left alone again with his thoughts. then he was conscious the other women had remained in the apartment. they had come into the inner room, and mrs. feversham, having found an electric button, flooded the interior with light. on the balcony a blue bulb glowed. tisdale turned a little more and, leaning on the casement, waited for them to come through the open door. "what do you say to furnishing this suite in bird's-eye maple?" asked marcia. "with rugs and portieres in old blue." mrs. weatherbee shaded her dazzled eyes with her hand and looked critically around. "the maple would be lovely," she said, "but--do you know," and she turned to her companion with an engaging smile, "these sunrise rooms seem meant for alaska cedar? and the rugs should be not old blue, but a soft, mossy blue-green." mrs. feversham laughed. "home industry again! we don't go to new york for alaska cedar. but you are right; that pale yellow wood would be simply charming with these primrose walls, and it takes a wonderful polish. that leaves me only the rugs and hangings." she turned to go back through the wide doorway, then stopped to say: "after all, beatriz, why not see what is to be had in seattle? i had rather you selected everything for this suite, since it is to be yours." "mine?" she paused, steadying her voice, then went on with a swift breathlessness. "but i see, you mean to use when i visit you and elizabeth. these rooms, from the first, have been my choice. but i am afraid i've been officious. i've been carried away by all this beautiful architecture and the pleasure of imagining harmonious, expensive furnishings. i never have fitted a complete house; it's years since i had a home. then, too, you've spoiled me by listening to my suggestions. you've made me believe it was one way i could--well--cancel obligations." mrs. feversham raised her hand and, turning it slowly, watched the play of light on the ruby. "there isn't a stone like this in america," she said. "you don't know how i've coveted it. but you need not have worried, beatriz. i disposed of your note to frederic." "to mr. morganstein?" her voice broke a little; she rocked unsteadily on her feet. it was as though a great wind had taken her unawares. then, "i shall try to pay him as soon as possible," she said evenly. "i have the land at hesperides vale, you know, and if i do not sell it soon, perhaps he will take it for the debt." mrs. feversham dropped her hand. "beatriz! beatriz!" she exclaimed. "you know there's an easier way. come, it's time to stop this make-believe. you know frederic morganstein would gladly pay your debts, every one. you know he is building this villa for you; that he would marry you, now, to-day, if you would say the word. yet you hold him at arm's-length; you are so conservative, so scrupulous about public opinion. but no one in seattle would breathe a suggestion of blame. and it isn't as though you had worn first mourning. the wedding could be very quiet, with a long honeymoon to japan or mexico; both, if you wished. and you might come home to open this house with a reception late in may. the twilights are delightful then. come, think, bee! you've been irreproachable; the most exacting would admit that. and every one knows david weatherbee practically deserted you for years." tisdale saw her mouth tremble. the quiver ran over her face, her whole body. for an instant her lashes fell, then she lifted them and met marcia feversham's calculating look. "it was not desertion," she said. "he contributed--his best--to my support. i took all he had to give. if ever you are where people are--talking--do me the favor to correct that mistake. and, now, if you please, marcia, we will not bring david weatherbee in any more." mrs. feversham laughed a little. "i am willing, bygones are bygones, only listen to frederic." "you are mistaken, too, about mr. morganstein's motive, marcia. he built this house for all his friends and elizabeth's. he owes her something; she has always been so devoted to him." and she added, as she turned to go back to the gallery, "he knows i do not care to marry again." tisdale had not foreseen the personal drift to the conversation. and it had not occurred to him he was unobserved; the balcony light was directly over him, and he had waited, expecting they would come through to the porch, to speak to them. now he saw that from where they had stopped in the brilliant interior, his figure must have blended into the background of hemlock boughs. if they had given him any thought, they had believed he had gone down with elizabeth and the lieutenant. to have apologized, made himself known, after he grasped the significance of the situation, would only have resulted in embarrassment to them all. he allowed them time to reach the floor below. but the heat rose in his face. and suddenly, as his mind ran back over that interview in the bows of the _aquila_, his question in regard to foster seemed gross. still, still, she had said she did "not care to marry again." that one fact radiated subconsciously through the puzzling thoughts that baffled him. behind him a few splendid chords rolled through the hall to the vaulted roof, then pealed forth the overture from martha. that had been weatherbee's favorite opera. sometimes on long arctic nights, when they were recalling old times and old songs, he himself had taken plunkett's part to david's lionel. he could see that cabin now, the door set wide, while their voices stormed the white silence under the near yukon stars. his eyes gathered their absent expression. it was as though he looked beyond the park, far and away into other vast solitudes; saw once more the cliffs of nanatuk looming through fog and heard clearly, booming across the ice, the great, familiar baritone. the notes of the organ ceased. tisdale stirred like a man roused from sleep. he turned and started through to the gallery. a woman's voice, without accompaniment, was singing martha's immortal aria, _the last rose of summer_. it was beautiful. the strains, sweet and rich, flooded the hall and pervaded the upper rooms. looking down from the railing, he saw elizabeth and the lieutenant at the entrance below. the men who had installed the organ, were listening too, at the end of the hall, while beyond the open door the crew of the _aquila_ waited to carry the master aboard. as he reached the top of the stairs, mrs. feversham appeared, seated near the invalid in the center of the hall, and finally, as he came to the first landing, there was the diva herself, acknowledging the applause, sweeping backward with charming exaggeration from the front of the stage. "bravo!" shouted frederic. "bravo! encore!" she took the vacant seat at the organ, and the great notes of the _good-night_ chorus rolled to the rafters. responding to her nodding invitation, the voices of the audience joined her own. it was inspiring. tisdale stopped on the landing and involuntarily he caught up his old part. "tho' no prayer of mine can move thee yet i wish thee sweet good night; now good night, good night, good night!" she looked up in quick surprise; her hands stumbled a little on the keys and, singing on, she subdued her voice to listen to his. then, hesitating a little over the first chords, she began the final prelude, and tisdale, waiting, heard her voice waver and float out soft and full: "ah, will heaven indeed forgive me." her face was still lifted to him. it was as though her soul rose in direct appeal to him, and in that moment all his great heart went down to her in response. it was over. morganstein's heavy "bravo!" broke the silence, followed by the enthusiastic clapping of hands, mrs. weatherbee rose and started down the hall to join elizabeth and the lieutenant, but marcia detained her. "it was simply grand," she said. "i hadn't believed you had the reach or the strength of touch. this organ was certainly a fine innovation." "sure," said frederic hazily. "it will make old seattle sit up and take notice. great idea; your schemes always are. confess though, i had my doubts, when it came to this organ. i hedged and had that other jog built in over there for a piano. we can use it sometimes when we want to rag." "it is a splendid instrument; much more expensive than i thought of, i am afraid. but," and she looked back at the elaborate array of pipes with the exhilaration showing in her face, "it's like giving the firs and the sea a new voice." she passed on, and frederic's glance followed her, puzzled, but with a blended respect and admiration. when she went out with elizabeth and the lieutenant, he called his men to convey him to the yacht. marcia walked beside him. night had fallen, and the _aquila_ blazed like a fire ship. her lamps sifted the shadows and threw long, wavering flames on the tide. aft, where the table was spread, for the convenience of the host, who could not hazard the companionway, a string of electric lights illumined the deck. japanese screens, a dropped awning or two, tempered the breeze, and the array of silver and flowers, and long-stemmed glasses, promised more than the informal little dinner to which mrs. feversham had referred. she stood looking the table critically over, while the sailors settled the invalid's chair. while the rest of the party loitered in the bow, she turned to brother. "has it occurred to you," she asked, "that beatriz may be interested in some other man?" "no," answered frederic, startled. "no. hadn't thought of that--unless-- it's foster." "i don't know; he seems the most possible, if there's any one. she says she does not care to marry again. in any case, it is advisable to keep him in alaska. you might send him on from the iditarod to look over the aurora mine." and she added slowly: "beatriz weatherbee, backed by the morganstein money, will be able to carry the social end of the family anywhere; but beatriz weatherbee, holding a half interest in one of the best-paying placers in alaska in her own right--is a wife worth straining a point for." frederic's round eyes widened; his face took an expression of childlike goodness; it was the mask with which he habitually covered his avarice. then he said: "i understood hollis tisdale had exclusive, brass-bound, double-rivited possession of the aurora." "hush," cautioned marcia, "they are coming." and she added, in a still lower tone: "there is a loose rivet, but contrive to marry her before she knows." that dinner covered the homeward cruise, and from the wharf tisdale went directly to his rooms. there he telephoned the rainier-grand hotel. "give me john banks, please," he said. "yes, i mean lucky banks of alaska." and, after an interval, "hello, banks! this is tisdale talking. i want you to come up to my rooms. yes, to-night. i am starting east in the morning. thank you. good-by." he put up the receiver and brought weatherbee's box from the safe to the table under the hanging lamp. seating himself, he took out the plan of the project and spread it before him. he had not closed the lid, and presently his eyes fell on david's watch. he lifted it and, hesitating to open it, sat trying to recall that picture in the lower case. he wondered how, once having seen it, even in firelight and starshine, he could have forgotten it. the face would be younger of course, hardly more than a promise of the one he knew; still there would be the upward curling lashes, the suggestion of a fault in the nose, the piquant curve of the short, upper lip, and perhaps that pervading, illusive something that was the secret of her charm. "you were right, david, old man," he said at last, "it was a face to fight for, wait for. and madam, madam, a woman with a face like yours must have had some capacity for loving." his hand was on the spring, but he did not press it. a noise outside in the corridor arrested him. he knew it was too soon for banks to arrive, but he laid the watch back in the box and closed the lid. "you will never marry frederic morganstein," he said, and rising, began to walk the floor. "it would be monstrous. you must not. you will not. i shall not let you." chapter xviii the option vivian count stood on the first hill. the brick walls of the business center filled the levels below, and mrs. weatherbee's windows, like tisdale's, commanded the inner harbor rimmed by duwamish head, with a broader sweep of the sound beyond framed in wooded islands and the snow-peaks of the olympic peninsula. southeastward, from her alcove, lifted the matchless, solitary crest of rainier. it was the morning following the cruise on the _aquila_, and mrs. weatherbee was taking a light breakfast in her room. the small table, placed near an open casement, allowed her to enjoy both views. she inhaled the salt breeze with the gentle pleasure of a woman whose sense has been trained, through generations, to fine and delicate perfumes; her eyes caught the sapphire sparkle of the sea, and her face had the freshness and warmth of a very young girl's. the elbow length of the sleeve exposed a forearm beautifully molded, with the velvety firmness of a child's; and the wistaria shade of her empire gown intensified the blue tones in the dark masses of her hair. in short, she stood for all that is refined, bright, charming in womanhood; and not for any single type, but a blending of the best in several; the "typical american beauty" that miles feversham had named her. her glance moved slowly among the shipping. the great steamship leaving the great northern docks was the splendid liner _minnesota_, sailing for japan; the outbound freighter, laden to the gunwales and carrying a deckload of lumber, was destined for prince william sound. she represented morganstein interests. and when her eyes moved farther, in the direction of the yacht club, there again was the _aquila_, the largest speck in the moored fleet. a shadow crossed her face. she rose and, turning from the windows, stood taking an inventory that began with the piano, a steinway mellowed by age, and ended at a quaint desk placed against the opposite wall. it was very old; it had been brought in her great-grandfather's time from spain, and the carving, moorish in design, had often roused the enthusiastic comment of her friends. appraising it, her brows ruffled a little; the short upper lip met the lower in a line of resolve. she went to her telephone and found in the directory the number of a dealer in curios. but as she reached for the receiver, she was interrupted by a knock and, closing the book hastily, put it down to open the door. a bell-boy stood holding a rare scarlet azalea in full flower. in its jardiniere of satsuma ware it was all his arms could compass, and a second boy followed with the costly japanese stand that accompanied it. there was no need to read the name on the card tied conspicuously among the stiff leaves. the gift was from frederic morganstein. it had arrived, doubtless, on an oriental steamer that had docked the previous evening while the _aquila_ made her landing. mrs. weatherbee had the plant placed where the sunshine reached it through the window of the alcove, and it made a gay showing against the subdued gray of the walls. involuntarily her glance moved from it to the harbor, seeking the _minnesota_, now under full headway off magnolia bluff. it was as though, in that moment, her imagination out-traveled the powerful liner, and she saw before her that alluring country set on the farther rim of the pacific. the steamship passed from sight; she turned from the window. the boy had taken away the breakfast tray and had left a box on the table. it was modest, violet-colored, with hollywood gardens stamped on the cover, but she hurried with an incredulous expectancy to open it. for an instant the perfume seemed to envelop her, then she lifted the green waxed paper, and a soft radiance shone in her face. it was only a corsage bouquet, but the violets, arranged with a few fronds of maidenhair, were delightfully fresh. she took them out carefully. for a moment she held them to her cheek. but she did not fasten them on her gown; instead she filled a cut-glass bowl with water and set them at the open casement in the shade. a cloud of city smoke, driving low, obscured the _aquila_; the freighter bound for prince william sound rounded magnolia bluff, but clearly she had forgotten these interests; she stood looking the other way, through the southeast window, where rainier rose in solitary splendor. a subdued exhilaration possessed her. did she not in imagination travel back over the cascades to that road to wenatchee, where, rising to the divide, they had come unexpectedly on that far view of the one mountain? then her glance fell again to the violets, and she lifted the bowl, leaning her cheek, her forehead, to feel the touch of the cool petals and inhale their fragrance. she had not looked for tisdale's card, but presently, in disposing of the florist's box, she found it tucked in the folds of waxed paper. he had written across it, not very legibly, with his left hand, "i want to beg your pardon for that mistake i made. i know you never will put any man in david weatherbee's place. you are going to think too much of him. when you are ready to make his project your life work, let me know." she was a long time reading the note, going back to the beginning more than once to reconsider his meaning. and her exhilaration died; the weariness that made her suddenly older settled over her face. at last she tore the card slowly in pieces and dropped it in the box. her telephone rang, and she went over and took down the receiver. "mrs. weatherbee," she said, and after a moment. "yes. please send him up." the bell-boy had left the door ajar, and she heard the elevator when it stopped at her floor; a quick, nervous step sounded along the corridor, the door swung wider to some draught, and a short, wiry man, with a weather-beaten face, paused on the threshold. "i am lucky banks," he said simply, taking off his hat. "mr. tisdale asked me to see you got this bundle." involuntarily her glance rested on the hand that held the package in the curve of his arm, and she suppressed a shiver; the dread that the young and physically perfect always betray at the sight of deformity sprang to her eyes. "thank you for troubling," she said, then, having taken the bundle, she waited to close the door. but banks was in no hurry. "it wasn't any trouble, my, no," he replied. "i was glad of the chance. it's a little bunch of stuff that was dave's. and likely i'd have come up, anyhow," he added, "to inquire about a tract of land you own east of the mountains. i heard you talked of selling." instantly her face brightened. "yes. but come in, will you not?" she turned and placed the package on the table, and took one of two chairs near the alcove. the azalea was so near that its vivid flowers seemed to cast a reflection on her cheeks. "i presume you mean my tract in the wenatchee mountains?" she went on engagingly. "a few miles above hesperides vale." "well, yes." banks seated himself on the edge of the other chair and held his hat so as to conceal the maimed hand. "i didn't know you had but one piece. it's up among the benches and takes in a kind of pocket. it's off the line of irrigation, but if the springs turn out what i expect, it ought to be worth sixty dollars an acre. and i want an option on the whole tract for ten thousand." "ten thousand dollars?" her voice fluted incredulously. "but i am afraid i don't understand exactly what an option is. please explain, mr. banks." "why, it's this way. i pay something down, say about three thousand, and you agree to let the sale rest for well, say six months, while i prospect the ground and see how it is likely to pan out. afterwards, if i fail to buy, i naturally forfeit the bonus and all improvements." "i see," she said slowly. "i see. but--you know it is wild land; you have been over the ground?" "not exactly, but i know the country, and i've talked with a man i can bank on, my, yes." "how soon"--she began, then, covering her eagerness, said: "i agree to your option, mr. banks." he laid his hat on the floor and took out his billbook, in which he found two printed blanks, filled according to his terms and ready for her signature. "i thought likely we could close the deal right up, ma'am, so's i could catch the wenatchee train this afternoon. your name goes here above mine." she took the paper and started buoyantly to the secretary, but the little man stopped her. "read it over, read it over," he cautioned. "all square, isn't it? and sign this duplicate, too. that's right. you're quite a business woman." he laughed his high, mirthless laugh, and, taking a check from the bill-book, added some bright gold pieces which he stacked on the table carefully beside the package he had brought. "there's your three thousand," he said. "it's out of a little bunch of dust i just turned in at the assay office." "thank you." she stood waiting while he folded his duplicate and put it away, but he did not rise to go, and after a moment, she went back to her chair by the scarlet azalea. "they are doing really wonderful things in the wenatchee valley," she said graciously, willing to make conversation in consideration of that little pile of clean, new coin that had come so opportunely, "the apples are marvelous. but"--and here her conscience spoke--"you understand this tract is unreclaimed desert land; you must do everything." "yes, ma'am, i understand that; but what interests me most in that pocket is that it belonged to david weatherbee. he mapped out a project of his own long before anybody dreamed of hesperides vale. he told me all about it; showed me the plans. that piece of ground got to be the garden spot of the whole earth to him; and i can't stand back and see it parcelled out to strangers." he paused. the color deepened a little in her face; she looked away through the west window. "i thought an awful lot of dave," he went on. "i'd ought to. likely you don't know it--he wasn't the kind to talk much about himself--but i owe my life to him. _it_ had commenced"--he held up the crippled hand and smiled grimly--"when dave found me curled up under the snow, but he stayed, in the teeth of a blizzard, to see me through. and afterwards he lost time, weeks when hours counted, taking care of me,-- operated when it came to it, like a regular doctor, my, yes. and when i got to crawling around again, i found he'd made me his partner." "he had made a discovery," she asked, "while you were ill?" "yes, and you could bank on dave it was a good one. he knew the gravel every time. but we had to sell; it was the men who bought us out that struck it rich. you see, dave had heavy bills pressing him down here in the states; he never said just what he owed, but he had to have the money. and, my, when he was doing the bulk of the work, i couldn't say much. it was so the next time and the next. we never could keep a claim long enough for the real clean-up. so, when i learned to use my hand, i cut loose to try it alone." he halted again, but she waited in silence with her face turned to the harbor. "i drifted into the iditarod country," he went on, "and was among the first to make a strike. it was the luckiest move i ever made, but i wish now i had stayed by dave. i was only a few hundred miles away, but i never thought of his needing me. that was the trouble. he was always putting some other man on his feet, cheering the rest along, but not one of us ever thought of offering help to dave weatherbee. a fine, independent fellow like him. "but i sure missed him," he said. "many a time there in the iditarod i used to get to wishing we had that voice of his to take the edge off of things. why, back on the tanana i've seen it keep a whole camp heartened; and after he picked me up in that blizzard, when i was most done for and couldn't sleep, it seemed like his singing about kept me alive. sometimes still nights i can hear those tunes yet. he knew a lot of 'em, but there was _carry me back to old virginny_, and _heart bowed down_, and _you'll remember me_. i always thought that song reminded him of some girl down here in the states. he never told me so, always put me off if i said a word, and none of us knew he was married then; but when he got to singing that tune, somehow he seemed to forget us boys and the camp and everything, and went trailing off after his voice, looking for somebody clear out of sight. i know now, since i've seen you, i was likely right." still she was silent. but she moved a little and lifted her hand to the edge of the satsuma jardinière; her fingers closed on it in a tightening grip; she held her head high, but the lashes drooped over her eyes. watching her, the miner's seamed face worked. after a moment he said: "the other night i paid seven dollars for a seat at the metropolitan just to hear one of those first-class singers try that song. the scenery was all right. there were the boys and two or three women sitting around a camp-fire. and the fiddles got the tune fine, but my, my! i couldn't understand a word. seemed like that fellow was talking darn dago." at this she lifted her eyes. the shadow of a smile touched her mouth, though her lashes were wet. "and he was, mr. banks," she said brightly. "he was. i know, because i was there." banks picked up his hat and rose to his feet. "we were all mighty proud of dave," he said. "there wasn't one of us wouldn't have done his level best to reach him that last stampede; but i'm glad the chance came to hollis tisdale. there wasn't another man in alaska could have done what he did. yes, i'm mighty glad it was tisdale who--found him." he paused, holding his hat over the crippled hand, then added: "i suppose you never knew what it means to be cold." she rose. the smile had left her lips, and she stood looking into his withered face with wide eyes. "i mean so cold you don't care what happens. so cold you can lie down in your tracks, in a sixty-mile-an-hour blizzard and go to sleep." "no." she shivered, and her voice was almost a whisper. "i am afraid not." "then you can't begin to imagine what tisdale did. you can't see him fighting his way through mountains, mushing ahead on the winter trail, breaking road for his worn-out huskies, alone day after day, with just poor dave strapped to the sled." she put her hands to her ears. "please, please don't say any more," she begged. "i know--all--about it." "even about the wolves?" she dropped her hands, bracing herself a little on the table, and turned her face, looking, with that manner of one helplessly trapped, around the room. "even about the wolves?" he persisted. "no. no," she admitted at last. he nodded. "i thought likely not. hollis never told that. it goes against his grain to be made much of. he and dave was cut out of the same block. but last night in the lobby to the hotel, i happened on a fellow that met him in the pass above seward. there were four of 'em mushing through to some mines beyond the susitna. it was snowing like blazes when they heard those wolves, and pretty soon tisdale's dogs came streaking by through the smother. then a gun fired. it kept up, with just time enough between shots to load, until they came up to him. he had stopped where a kind of small cave was scooped in the mountainside and put the sled in and turned the huskies loose. he had had the time, too, to make a fire in front of the hole, but when the boys got there, his wood was about burned out, and the wolves had got dave's old husky, jack. he had done his best to help hold off the pack. there's no telling how many hollis killed; you see the rest fell on 'em soon's they dropped. it was hell. nothing but hair and blood and bones churned into the snow far as you could see. excuse me, ma'am; i guess it sounds a little rough. i'm more used to talking to men, my, yes. but the fellow who told me said hollis knew well enough what was coming at the start, when he heard the first cry of the pack. he had a chance to make a roadhouse below the pass. not one man in a thousand would have stayed by that sled." his withered face worked again. he moved to the door. "but dave would have done it." his voice took a higher pitch. "yes, ma'am, dave would have done the same for hollis tisdale. they was a team; my, yes." he laughed his hard, mirthless laugh. "well, so long," he said. she did not answer. half-way down the corridor banks looked back through the open door. she had not moved from the place where he had left her, though her face was turned to the window. a little farther on, while he waited for the elevator, he saw she had taken the package he had brought from tisdale. she stood weighing it, undecided, in her hands, then drew out the table drawer and laid it in. she paused another instant in uncertainty and, closing the drawer, began to gather up the pieces of gold. chapter xix lucky banks and the pink chiffon on his way down from vivian court, the mining man's attention was caught by the great corner show window at sedgewick-wilson's, and instantly out of the display of handsome evening gowns his eyes singled a dancing frock of pink chiffon. "she always looked pretty," he told himself, "but when she wore pink--my!" and he turned and found his way through the swinging doors. a little later the elevator had left him at the second floor. for a moment the mirrors bewildered him; they gave a sense of vastness, repeating the elegant apartment in every direction, and whichever way he glanced there was himself, seated on the edge of a chair, his square shoes set primly on the thick green carpet, his hat held stiffly over the crippled hand. then an imposing young woman sauntered towards him. "well," she said severely, "what can i show you?" banks drew himself a little stiffer. "a dress," he said abruptly in his highest key, "ready-made and pink." "what size?" "why"--the little man paused, and a blush that was nearer a shadow crossed his weather-worn face--"let me see. she's five feet seven and a quarter, in her shoes, and i judge a couple of inches wider through the shoulders than you." his glance moved to another saleswoman, who came a step nearer and stood listening, frankly amused. "you look more her figure," he added. "takes a thirty-eight." the first saleswoman brought out a simple gown of pink veiling and laid it on the rack before banks, and he leaned forward and took a fold between his thumb and forefinger, gravely feeling the texture. "this is priced at twenty-five dollars," she said. "how does that suit?" banks drew himself erect. "there's one down-stairs in the front window i like better," he said. the woman looked him shrewdly over. he had put his hat down, and her glance rested involuntarily on his maimed hand. "that pink chiffon is a hundred and twenty-five," she explained. "i can stand it; the price doesn't cut any figure, if it's what i want." he paused, nodding a little aggressively and tapping the carpet with one square foot. "the lady it's for is a mighty good judge of cloth, and i want you to show me the best you've got." she glanced at the other saleswoman, but she had turned her back--her shoulders shook--and she hurried to bring out a duplicate of the pink chiffon, which she arranged carefully on the rack. bank's face softened; he reached to touch it with a sort of caress. "this is more like it," he said; then, turning to the second girl, "but i can tell better if you'll put it on. you don't seem very busy," he added quickly, "and i'll pay you your time." "why, that's all right," she answered and came to pick up the gown. "i'll be glad to; that's what i'm here for." she disappeared, laughing, into a dressing-room, and presently the first saleswoman excused herself to wait on new customers. the girl came back transformed. she had a handsome brunette face, with merry dark eyes and a great deal of black hair arranged in an elaborate end striking coiffure. "isn't it swell?" she asked, walking leisurely before him. "but you'll have to fasten it for her; it hooks in the back." then she stopped; the fun went out of her face; her glance had fallen to his crippled hand. "i'm awfully sorry," she stammered. "of course she can manage it herself; we all have to sometimes." but the little man was rapt in the gown. "i'll take it!" he said tremulously. "it suits you great, but, my! she'll be a sight." "i'll bet she's pretty," said the girl, still trying to make amends. "i'd like to see her in this chiffon. and i guess your party will be swell." banks looked troubled. "it isn't a party; not exactly. you see she's been away from town quite a spell, and i thought likely she'd be a little short on clothes. i guess while i'm about it i may as well take along everything that naturally goes with this dress; shoes and socks and a hat and-- flannels--" he paused in uncertainty, for the girl had suddenly turned her back again. "i'd like to leave the rest to you," he added. "pick out the best; the whole outfit straight through." "i'll be glad to." the girl turned again, controlling a last dimple. "you are the thoughtfullest man i ever saw on this floor. she's in luck; but i guess you aren't married--yet." banks laughed his high, strained laugh and rose. "no," he answered briskly, "no, not exactly. but i want you to hurry out this bill of goods in time for the four-ten great northern. i can't go without it, and i'm counting on making wenatchee to-night." "wenatchee?" exclaimed the girl. "is that where you expect her to wear this chiffon? why, it's the dustiest place under the sun. take my word for it; i came from there. and, see here, they don't give big parties there; the people are just nice and friendly; it's a small town. if i were you i'd choose a tan; a veiling gown, like this first one we showed you, only tan. then you could put the difference in price into a coat;--we have some smart ones in tan,--with a light pongee duster to slip over it all, if she's driving or using a machine." banks nodded. "sure, tuck them all in; but this pink dress goes, too, and see it's on top. likely they'll go best in a trunk. now, if you will give me the bill--" he paused to take out his poke, but the girl laughed. "i can't," she said. "it will take me half an hour to foot it all up after i've picked out the things. and unless you give me a limit, i won't know where to stop. then there's the hat. i never would dare to choose that for a woman i've never seen, unless she's my style." "she is," the little man answered gravely, "that's why i picked you out when i first come in. i guess maybe the other one was nice all right, but she was a little too dried-up and froze to do." "then i know what i'd like to send; it's a hat i tried on this morning. a nice taupe--that's about the color of that sage-brush country over there and won't show the dust--and it's trimmed with just one stunning plume the same shade and a wreath of the tiniest pink french roses set under the velvet brim. it looked like it was made for me, but twelve and a half is my limit and it's twenty-five dollars. maybe you don't want to go that high." banks untied the poke and poured the remaining gold pieces on the show-case; then he found a pocket-book from which he took several crisp bills. "there's three hundred," he said briefly, "and another ten for the trunk. i want you to pick out a nice little one i can stow in the back of a one-seated automobile. the hat and this pink dress go on top; and be sure you get the outfit down to that four-ten train. good-by," he put out his hand, and a gleam of warmth touched his bleak face. "i'm glad i met you." "and so am i. good-by." she stopped gathering up the money long enough to give him her hand. "and good luck," she added. the first saleswoman, again at leisure, approached and stood looking after him as he hurried with his quick, uneven steps towards the elevator. "of all things!" she exclaimed. "he did buy that pink chiffon. who'd ever have thought he had the money or the taste. but i suppose he's one of those lucky fellows who've struck it rich in alaska." the other young woman nodded. "his gold came out of one of those pokes, and it's fresh from the mint. but i guess he's earned all he's got, every cent. i'll bet he's starved and froze; suffered ways we don't know. and he's spending it on a girl. i'd like to see her. maybe she's the cold-blooded kind that'll snub him and make fun of this chiffon." she turned into the dressing-room, and it was then banks stopped and brought out the loose change in his pockets. there was a ten dollar piece, to which he added two and a half in silver. he started back up the room, but the girl had disappeared, and, while he stood hesitating, a floor-walker approached. "have you forgotten something?" he asked politely. "yes," answered banks, "i forgot to give this money to the young lady who was waiting on me. she's likely gone to take off a pink dress i bought. but she's the one with lots of black hair and pink cheeks and a real nice smile; you couldn't miss her. and you might as well give her this; tell her it's the other twelve and a half to make up the price of that hat; a duplicate of the one we were talking about. she'll understand." he called these final words over his shoulder, for the elevator had stopped, and he hurried to catch it. going down, he looked at his watch; he had spent an hour buying that dress. but on the lower floor he noticed a telephone booth and saw a way to make up the time. "hello!" he called, pitching his voice to a treble. "this is banks, the miner you was trying to talk into buying that little red car last week; roadster i think you said 'twas. well, i want you to fire up and run down to the rainier-grand quick as you can." he listened a moment, then: "yes, likely i'll change my mind, if i get so's i can drive her all right by three p.m. i'm going east of the mountains, and if i buy i've got to ship her on the four-ten train--yes, i mean the little one with a seat to accommodate two, with a place to carry a trunk behind. now get busy and rush her down. i've got some errands to do, and i want you to hurry me around; then we'll get away from the crowd out on the boulevard where i can have a clear track to break her on." the sale was made, and the mining man must have applied himself successfully to his lesson, for the following morning, when the red car spun out of wenatchee and up the lifting valley road, a snug steamer-trunk was stowed in the box behind, and banks at the steering gear was traveling alone. to be sure the rising curves were made in sudden spurts and jerks, but his lack of skill was reinforced by a tireless vigilance gathered through breaking days of driving and mushing over hazardous trails. and he had made an early start; few wayfarers were yet astir. but at last, high up where the track doubled the summit of a slope that lifted in a bluff overhead, and on the other hand dropped precipitously to the river, the little man barely averted catastrophe. the driver and the vehicle were hidden by the curve, but at his warning honk, two percherons that blocked the way halted and, lunging at his repeated note, crowded back on the team they led. then a woman's voice shrilled: "i've got the heaviest load; you give me right of way." banks sprang out and ran forward past the horses. the driver, dressed in a skirt and blouse of khaki, was seated on a load of lumber. she held the reins high in yellow-gauntleted hands, and a rope of loosened red hair hung below a smart campaign hat. "i can't back," she exclaimed aggressively. "you got to give me right of way." "ain't there a man with the outfit?" he asked uncertainly. "no," she snapped. "do i look like i need one?" but she hurried on tremulously: "my husband's running the mill night and day, and bryant, down the valley, had to have his boxes for the apple crop. he said send the boards down, and he'd let a couple of his japs knock 'em together. so i thought with an early start and a clear track, i could drive. but you've got to turn out. i've got the heavy load." banks shook his head. "it's my first trip," he said dubiously, "and i ain't learned to back her only enough to turn 'round; and it's too narrow. but i used to drive pretty good seven or eight years ago; and i've been managing a dog team off and on ever since. let me climb up there and back your load." "you can't do it," she cried. "it's up-grade and a mean curve, and that nigh leader, for a first-class draught horse, has the cussedest disposition you ever saw. you can't back him short of a gunshot under his nose, and you got to get that buzz-wagon of yours out of sight before i can get him past." "then," said banks, and smiled grimly, "i guess it's up to me to back." he started to return to the machine but paused to add over his shoulder: "it's all right; don't you be scared. no matter what happens, you forget it and drive straight ahead." but destiny, who had scourged and thwarted the little man so many years, was in a humorous mood that day. the little red car backed down from the bend in zigzag spurts, grazing the bluff, sheering off to coast the river-ward brink; then, in the final instant, when the machine failed to respond to the lever speedily enough, a spur of rock jutting beyond the roadway eased the outer wheel. it rolled up, all but over, while the next tire met the obstruction and caught. banks laughed. "hooray!" he piped. "now swing the corner, lady! all circle to the left." "get up!" the driver shrilled. "get up, now, duke, you imp!" and the leader, balking suspiciously at the explosive machine, felt a smart touch of the whip. he plunged, sidled against the bluff and broke by. there was barely room to make that turn; the tailboard of the wagon, grating, left a long blemish on the bright body of the car, but as the load rolled on down the incline, banks churned gayly up around the bend. in less than an hour hesperides vale stretched behind him, and the bold front of cerberus lifted holding the gap. tisdale had warned him of the barbed-wire fence, and while he cautiously rounded the mountain, his old misgiving rose. what though he had made good; what though the iditarod had filled his poke many times over, the north had taken heavy toll. he had left his youth up there, and what would this smart little automobile count against a whole right hand? and this trunkful of clothes--what would it weigh against a good-sized man? still, still, though she might have taken her pick of 'em all, annabel had never married, and she had kept his goats. then he remembered tisdale had said that she too had had a hard fight, and the years must have changed her. and hadn't she herself told him, in that letter he carried in his breast pocket, that if he cared to come and see the goats, he would find his investment was turning out fine, but he needn't expect she had kept her own good looks? the little man smiled with returning confidence and, lifting his glance, saw the cabin and the browsing flock cut off by the barbed-wire fence from the road. then as he brought the car to a stop, the collie flew barking against the wicket, and a gaunt woman rose from a rock and stood shading her eyes from the morning sun. he sprang down and spoke to the dog, and instantly his tone quieted the collie, but the woman came nearer to point at the sign. "you better read that," she threatened. his hand dropped from the wicket, and he stood staring at her across the barbed wire. "i was looking for a lady," he said slowly, "but i guess likely i've made a mistake." she came another step and, again shading her eyes, stared back. a look half eager, half wistful, trembled for a moment through the forbidding tenseness of her face. "all the men i've seen in automobiles up here were looking for land," she replied defiantly. he nodded; his eyes did not move from her face, but they shone like two chippings of blue glacier ice, and his voice when he spoke piped its sharpest key. "so am i. i've got an option on a pocket somewheres in this range, and the lady i'm inquiring for happened to homestead the quarter below. it sort of overlaps, so's she put her improvements on the wrong edge. yes, ma'am, i've likely made a mistake, but, you see, i heard she had a bunch o' goats." there was a brief silence then. "anyhow, you must o' come from that surveyor," she said. "maybe he was just a smooth talker, but he had a nice face; laughing crinkles around his eyes and a way of looking at you, if you'd done a mean thing, to make you feel like the scum of the earth. but he happened to be acquainted with the man that made me a present of my first billy and ewes, and you--favor him a little." she paused, then went on unsteadily, while her eyes continued to search him. "he was about your size, but he's been up in alaska, way in the interior somewheres for years, and the letter i wrote him couldn't have reached him inside a month. i figured if he came out, he would just about catch the last steamer in october." "so he would, if he hadn't come down to seattle already." he stopped, fumbling with the pin, and threw open the wicket. "i guess i ain't changed much more'n you, annabel." the woman was silent. her chin dropped; her glance sought the earth. then banks turned to fasten the gate behind him, and she started to stalk mechanically up the field towards the cabin. "i feel all broke up," he said, overtaking her; "like i'd been struck by a blizzard. why, there was a girl down in seattle, she sold me a bill of goods that looked more like you than you do yourself. i know i got myself to blame, but i never counted for a minute on your keeping the goats." the woman stalked on a little faster, but she could not outstrip the prospector; she turned her face, in refuge, to the flock. "goats," she said unsteadily, "goats--are all right when you get used to 'em. they're something like children, i guess; a sight of trouble but good company and mighty comforting to have 'round. and they're just as different. there's old dad, the cautious looking one standing off there watching us and chewing the end of a thistle. it might as well be a toothpick, and i'll bet he's thinking: 'you can't get the best of me, no, sir.' and that piece of wisdom next to him is the professor. don't he remind you of the old schoolmaster down at the corners? and there goes johnny banks. see him? the pert little fellow chasing up the field. you never can tell where he'll turn up or what he'll do next." she laughed a dry, forced laugh, and banks echoed it in his strained key. "but we are going to get rid of 'em. they're a fine bunch--you've brought 'em up splendid, made a sight better showing than i could--but we are going to get rid of 'em, yes, ma'am, and forget 'em as quick's we can. we are going to start right now to make up those seven years." they had reached the cabin, and he stopped on the threshold. "my, my," he said softly, "don't it look homey? there's your dad's old chair, and the dresser and the melodion. i was 'fraid you'd sold that, annabel." "i could have, there's been plenty of chances, but dad gave it to me, don't you remember? the christmas i was sixteen." "my, yes, and you opened it right there, under the cherry tree, and started _home, sweet home_. i can hear it now, and the crowd joining in. i'm glad you kept it, annabel; a new one wouldn't seem just the same." "it's traveled though. you ought to have seen me moving from oregon. the old delivery wagon was heaping full." her laugh this time was spontaneous. "and old kate couldn't make more than ten miles a day. but i had a good tent, and when she had done her day's stunt, i just tied her out to feed and made camp. the hardest was keeping track of the goats, but the flock was small then, and i had two dogs." "i see," said banks. "you kept 'em ahead of the wagon when you was on the road and let 'em forage for themselves. but i'd like to have a look at old kate. she came of good stock." annabel went over and, seating herself in her father's chair, untied her sunbonnet. "kate died," she said. "i hired her out to a man down the valley, and he worked her too hard in the heat." there was a silent moment. she took off the bonnet and laid it in her lap. the light, streaming through a small window, touched her hair, which was bound in smooth, thick braids around her head. "my, my," the little man said, "ain't it a sight? i'd have known you in a minute without that bonnet down at the gate. my, but don't it make a difference what a woman wears? i'll bet i can't tell you from the girl i left in oregon when you've changed your clothes." she shook her head. "this denim is all i've got," she said, with a touch of defiance. "i wore out all i had; goats are hard on clothes." "i thought likely." his bleak face began to glow. "and i knew you was out of town away from the stores, so's i brought along a little outfit. you wait a minute, and i'll fetch it right in." he was gone before he finished speaking and returned in an incredibly short time with the trunk, which he deposited on the floor before her. then he felt in his pocket and, finding the key, fitted it and lifted the lid. it was then, for the first time, she noticed the maimed hand. "johnny!" she cried, and the pent emotion surged in her voice. "johnny, you've been--hurt." "oh, that don't amount to anything now, only the looks. i can turn out just as much work." he hurried to open the tray, but before he could remove the packing of tissue paper that enveloped the hat, she reached and took the crippled hand between her own. her fingers fluttered, caressing, while with maternal protectiveness they covered it, and she drew him back to the broad arm of her chair. the defiance had gone out of her face; her eyes were misty and tender. "you tell me what happened," she said. so came lucky banks' hour. he saw this woman who had been fond of pretty clothes, who had once worn them but was now reduced to a single frock of coarse denim, turn from the fine outfit before it was even displayed; waiting, with a wondrously comforting solicitude he never had suspected in the girl whom he had left in oregon, to hear first that miserable story of the trail. he told it briefly, but with the vividness of one whose words are coined straight from the crucible of bitter experience, and while she listened, her heart shone in her passionate eyes. "what if it had happened," she broke out at last. "if it had, johnny, it would have been my fault. i drove you into going up there. i'm responsible for this hand. i--i couldn't have stood worse than that." the little man beamed. "is that so, annabel? then i'm mighty glad weatherbee followed that stampede. nobody else would have seen my hand sticking up through the snow and stopped to dig me out. unless--" he added thoughtfully, "it was hollis tisdale. yes, likely hollis would. he was the only man in alaska fit to be dave's running mate." "do you mean that surveyor?" she asked. banks nodded. "i thought so," she said with satisfaction. "dad taught me to size people up on sight. he could tell the first minute he saw a man's face whether he was good for a bill of groceries or not; and i knew that surveyor was straight. i bet he knew you was in seattle when he got me to write. but i wish i could have a look at the other one. he must be--great." banks nodded again. "he was," he answered huskily. "he was. but he's made his last trip. i wasn't three hundred miles off, but i never thought of dave weatherbee's needing help; it took tisdale, clear off in nome, over a thousand miles, to sense something was wrong. but he started to mush it, alone with his huskies, to the iditarod and on to the aurora, dave's mine. you don't know anything about that winter trail, annabel. it means from twenty to fifty below, with the wind swooping out of every canyon, cross-cutting like knives, and not the sign of a road-house in days, in weeks sometimes. but he made it,"--banks' voice reached high pitch--"he beat the records, my, yes." "and something was wrong?" asked annabel, breaking the pause. banks nodded again. "you remember that sheepman down in oregon they brought in from the range. the one that ripped up his comforter that night at the hotel and set the wool in little rolls around the floor; thought he was tending sheep? well, that's what was happening. and hollis was two days late. dave had started for the coast; not the regular way to fairbanks and out by stage to valdez, but a new route through the alaska range to strike the susitna and on to seward. and he had fresh dogs. he was through rainy pass when tisdale began to catch up." "he did catch up?" annabel questioned again hurriedly. banks nodded once more. he drew his hand away and rose from his seat on the chair arm. his eyes were shining like blue glacier ice. "it was in a blizzard; the same as the day i lost my fingers--only--hollis--he was too late." he turned and walked unsteadily to the door and stood looking out. "i wasn't three hundred miles from the aurora," he added. "i could have been in time. i can't ever forget that." annabel rose and stood watching him, with the emotion playing in her face. "johnny!" she exclaimed at last. "oh, johnny!" she went over and put her arm protectively around his shoulders. "i know just how you feel; but you didn't drive him to it. you were just busy and interested in your work. you'd have gone in a minute, left everything, if you had known." "that's it; i ought to have known. i ought to have kept track of dave; run over once in a while to say hullo. i'd have likely seen it was coming on, then, in time. when tisdale found him, he'd been setting out little pieces of spruce, like an orchard in the snow. you see," he added after a moment, "dave always expected to come back here when he struck it rich and start a fruit ranch. he was the man who owned this pocket." a sudden understanding shone in annabel's face. "and that's why you got an option on it; you want to carry out his scheme. i'll help you, johnny, i'll do my level best." banks turned and looked at her. "that's all i want, annabel. i was a little afraid you'd be sick of the place. but, my, we can go right ahead and set a crew of men to grubbing out the sage on both sections to once. folks might have said, seeing you take up with a undersized, froze-up fellow like me, you was marrying me for my money; but they can't, no, ma'am, not when they see the valuable claim you are developing in your own right." annabel laughed. "i guess you're entitled to your turn making fun of me. but have you got money, johnny? i never thought of that." "likely not. but the annabel sure brought me luck; that name worked better than a rabbit's foot. here's a little bunch of nuggets i saved out of the first clean-up." he paused to take a small new poke from an inner pocket and, untying the string, poured the contents in her hand. "i thought likely you'd want 'em made up in a necklace with a few diamonds or mebbe emeralds mixed in." she stood looking at the shining rough pieces of gold in her palm, while a certain pride rose through the wonder in her face. "my gracious!" she exclaimed, and a spark of her lost youth revived. "my gracious. and you named your mine after me. i bet it was on account of that billy and the ewes." "likely," the little man beamed. "but more than likely it was because that strike was a sure thing, and you was behind it, annabel. my, yes, you was responsible i ever got to alaska; let alone stuck it out. sure as a grubstake, you gave me my start. now come take a look at this outfit i brought." he held the poke open while she poured the nuggets back. "i like them plain," she said, "but i never saw any made up. i leave it to you." "then i make it emeralds to match the green, and mebbe a few sparklers thrown in." he laughed gayly and, taking her arm, drew her back across the room to the open trunk; when she was seated again in the armchair, he knelt to remove the first layer of tissue packing. she took the precaution to spread one smooth sheet of it on her lap and, leaning forward, saw him uncover the plume, the entire hat. "gracious goodness!" she exclaimed tremulously, as he lifted it awkwardly to her eager hands, "ain't it splendid? i didn't know they were making them like this. i never saw such roses; why, they look alive and ready to smell; and ain't they pretty fixed this way under the brim?" she paused, turning the masterpiece slowly, like a connoisseur. "i bet i could have worn it when i was in oregon. it would have been my style. do you suppose"--she glanced at banks timidly--"i'd dare to try it if my hair was done real nice, and i had on a better dress?" "my, yes." banks laughed again excitedly, and with growing confidence opened the next compartment to display the chiffon gown. "wait till you get this on. you'll be a sight. you always was in pink." he paused to take the hat and, wheeling, placed it on the old dresser, and so made room for the frock on her lap. "now, ain't that soft and peachy and--and rich?" but annabel was silent. she lifted her eyes from the gown to johnny, and they were full of mist. then her lip quivered, and a drop splashed down on the delicate fabric. "my gracious!" she cried in consternation and, rising, held the gown off at arm's-length. "do you suppose it's going to spot?" and banks' laugh piped once more. "i guess it can stand a little salt water," he replied. "but if it can't, we can get a duplicate. and now you just take your time and pick out what you want to wear. i am going up the bench to look around and find dave's springs. it'll likely take me an hour or so, and you can be ready to start soon's i get back." "start?" she repeated. "was you counting on going somewhere?" "my, yes. i was counting on taking you a little spin down to wenatchee the first thing, and having a chicken dinner to the hotel. then, soon's we get a license and hunt up a sky man, we are going to run down to oregon and have a look at the old corners." "i never rode in an automobile," she said, glowing, "but i think i'd like it fine." "i bet you will. i bet, coming home, you'll be running the machine yourself half the time." he hurried away then, laughing his shrillest key, and annabel laid the pink chiffon back in the tray to follow him to the door. she stood smiling, though the mist alternately gathered and cleared in her eyes, watching him up the vale and waiting to see him reappear on the front of the bench. but he found her ready when he returned; and the hat was becoming beyond her hopes. it brought back in a measure the old brightness that was half a challenge in her air, so that, to the mining man, she seemed to have gone back, almost, those lost years. still, his satisfaction was tempered, and instantly she understood the cause. "the roses seemed enough pink today," she said tactfully, "till i wear off some of this tan. but i like this tan cloth awful well, don't you? it's a nice color for out-of-doors and won't show the dust. and doesn't it fit perfectly splendid? and look at these shoes. i don't see how you remembered my size. you've thought of everything. there's even an automobile veil. a lady that came out here with mr. tisdale had one about the same shade. but you'll have to help me put it on so i won't spoil this plume." she pushed the pongee coat, which was carefully folded across the back of a chair, a little aside and, seating herself before the mirror, reached to take the scarf and exposed a folded paper on the dresser. "i found that envelope pinned inside the hat," she said still diplomatically, though a touch of humor shaded her lips. "there's a ten dollar piece in it and two and a half in silver. probably it's your change." but banks turned the envelope and read pencilled across the front: "there isn't any duplicate, but thanks just the same." chapter xx kernel and peach after that little wedding journey down in oregon, banks returned to seattle to engage a crew for the first step to reclamation; combining pleasure with business, he brought annabel and registered at the new washington hotel. and here daniels, detailed to learn something in regard to the iditarod strike where, it was rumored, the morgansteins were negotiating for the miner's valuable holdings, finally traced him. "sure we have a banks of alaska with us," the clerk responded, smiling, and turned the page to show the _press_ representative the strained, left-handed signature. "he's a sawed-off specimen with a face like a peachstone; but he said if he put down his regular name, the boys likely would miss his trail." "mrs. annabel green banks hesperides vale," read jimmie. "lucky banks iditarod and hesperides vale. "this looks like my man, sure; but who is mrs. green-banks? his wife or mother?" "bride," the clerk replied laconically. "it's a sort of overdue honeymoon. but she's rather smart looking; fine eyes and tall enough to make up for him. they're a pair." "i see. kernel and peach. but hesperides vale," daniels went on thoughtfully. "why, that's in the new fruit belt over near wenatchee, my old stamping-ground." the clerk nodded. "she owns some orchard lands over there and to hear him talk, you'd think she had the money; until it comes to ordering; then the queen of sheba isn't in it. 'i guess we can stand the best room in the house,' he says. and when i showed them the blue suite and told them tarquina, the prima donna opening at the metropolitan to-night, had the companion suite in rose, it's: 'do you think you can put up with this blue, annabel?' but there comes the cameo now. no, the other way, from the street." jimmie met the prospector midway across the lobby. "mr. banks?" he began genially. "i am the lucky one this time; i came in purposely to see you. i am daniels, representing the _seattle press_. my paper is particular about the alaska news, and i came straight to headquarters to find out about the iditarod camp." banks kept on to the desk, and jimmie turned to walk with him. the clerk was ready with his key. "mrs. banks hasn't come in yet," he said, smiling. "she's likely been kept up at sedgewick-wilson's. i introduced her to a friend of mine there. i had to chase around to find a contractor that could ship his own scrapers and shovels across the range, and i thought the time would go quicker, for her, picking out clothes. but," he added, turning to the reporter, "we may as well sit down and wait for her here in the lobby." "i understand," began daniels, opening his notebook on the arm of his chair, "that your placer in the iditarod country has panned out a clear one hundred thousand dollars." "ninety-five thousand, two hundred and twenty-six," corrected the mining man, "with the last clean-up to hear from." jimmie set these figures down, then asked: "is the rumor true that the morgansteins are considering an offer from you?" "no, sir," piped the little man. "they made me an offer. i gave 'em an option on my bunch of claims for a hundred and fifty thousand. their engineer has gone in to look the property over. if they buy, they'll likely send a dredger through by spring and work a big bunch of men." there was a silent moment while jimmie recorded these facts, then: "and i understand you are interested in fruit lands east of the mountains," he said. "it often happens that way. men make their pile up there in the frozen north and come back here to washington to invest it." "likely," replied banks shortly. "likely. but it's my wife that owns the property in the fruit belt. and it's a mighty promising layout; it's up to me to stay with it till she gets her improvements in. afterwards--now i want you to get this in correct. last time things got mixed; the young fellow wrote me down bangs. and i've read things in the newspaper lately about hollis tisdale that i know for a fact ain't so." "hollis tisdale?" jimmie suspended his pencil. "so you know the sphynx of the yukon, do you?" "that's it. that's the name that blame newspaper called him. sphynx nothing. hollis tisdale is the best known man in alaska and the best liked. if the government had had the sense to put him at the head of the alaska business, there'd been something doing, my, yes." the reporter finished his period. "don't let this interview bother you," he said. "it's going into my paper straight, mr. banks, and in your own words." while he spoke, his vigilant glance rested lightly on one of the several guests scattered about the lobby. he was a grave and thoughtful man and had seemed deeply engrossed in a magazine, but he had changed his seat for a chair within speaking distance, and jimmie had not seen him turn a page. "what i was going to say, then," resumed banks, "was that afterwards, when the orchards are in shape, i am going back to alaska and take a bunch of those abandoned claims, where the miners have quit turning up the earth, and just seed 'em to oats and blue stem. either would do mighty well. the sun shines hot long summer days, and the ground keeps moist from the melting snow on the mountains. i've seen little patches of grain up there and hay ripening and standing high as my shoulder. but what they need most in the interior is stock farms, horses and beeves, and i am going to take in a fine bunch of both; they'll do fine; winter right along with the caribou and reindeer." "well, that's a new idea to me," exclaimed daniels. "alaska to me has always stood for blizzards, snow, glaciers, impregnable mountains, bleak and barren plains like the steppes of russia, and privation, privation of the worst kind." banks nodded grimly. "that's because the first of us got caught by winter unprepared. why, men freeze to death every blizzard right here in the states; sometimes it's in dakota; sometimes old new york, with railroads lacing back and forth close as shoestrings. and imagine that big, unsettled alaska interior without a single railroad and only one wagon-road; men most of the time breaking their own trails. not a town or a house sometimes in hundreds of miles to shelter 'em, if a storm happens to break. but you talk with any swede miner from up there. he'll tell you they could make a new sweden out of alaska. let us use the timber for building and fuel; let a man that's got the money to do it start a lumber-mill or mine the coal. give us the same land and mineral laws you have here in the states, and homeseekers would flock in thick as birds in springtime." the stranger closed his magazine. "pardon me," he said, taking advantage of the pause, "but do you mean that conservation is all that is keeping home-seekers out of alaska?" banks nodded this time with a kind of fierceness; his eyes scintillated a white heat, but he suppressed the imminent explosion and began with forced mildness, "my, yes. but you imagine a man trying to locate with ninety-five per cent. of the country reserved. first you've got to consider the coast range. the great wall of china's nothing but a line of ninepins to the chugach and st. elias wall. the almighty builds strong, and he set that wall to hold the pacific ocean back. imagine peaks piled miles high and cemented together with glaciers; the malispina alone has eighty miles of water front; and there's the nanatuk, columbia, muir; but the government ain't found names for more'n half of 'em yet, nor a quarter of the mountains. now imagine a man getting his family over that divide, driving his little bunch of cattle through, packing an outfit to keep 'em going the first year or so. suppose he's even able to take along a portable house; what's he going to do about fuel? is he going to trek back hundreds of miles to the seaport, like the government expects, to pack in coal? australian maybe, or japan low grade, but more likely it's pennsylvania sold on the dock for as high as seventeen dollars a ton. yes, sir, and with alaska coal, the best kind and enough to supply the united states for six hundred years, scattered all around, cropping right out of the ground. think of him camped alongside a whole forest of spruce, where he can't cut a stick." the little man's voice had reached high pitch; he rose and took a short, swift turn across the floor. the stranger was silent; apparently he was weighing this astonishing information. but daniels broke the pause. "the government ought to hurry those investigations," he said. "foster, the mining engineer, told me never but one coal patent had been allowed in all alaska, and that's on the coast. he has put thousands into coal land and can't get title or his money back. the company he is interested with has had to stop development, because, pending investigation, no man can mine coal until his patent is secured. it looks like the country is strangled in red tape." "it is," cried banks. "and one president's so busy building a railroad for the filipinos, and rushing supplies to the panama canal he goes out of office and clear forgets he's left alaska temporarily tied up; and the next one has his hands so full fixing the tariff and running down the trusts he can't look the question up. and if he could, congress is working overtime, appropriating the treasury money home in the states. there's so many government buildings to put up and harbors and rivers to dredge, it can't even afford to give us a few lights and charts, and ships keep on feeling their way and going to destruction on the alaska coast. alaska is side-tracked. she's been left standing so long she's going to rust." "if some of our senators could listen to you," said the stranger, with a swift and vanishing smile, "their eyes would be opened. but that is the trouble; alaska has had no voice. it is true each congressman has been so burdened with the wants of his own state that session after session has closed before the alaska bills were reached. we have been accustomed to look on alaska as a bleak and forbidding country, with a floating population of adventurers and lawless men, who go there with the intention to stay only long enough to reap a mineral harvest. if she had other great resources and such citizens as you, why were you not in washington to exploit her?" lucky banks shook his head. "up to this year," he said and smiled grimly, "i couldn't have made the trip without beating my way, and i guess if i went to some of those senators now and escaped being put down for an ex-convict, they'd say i was engineering a trust. they'd turn another key on alaska to keep me out." he wheeled to tramp down the lobby, then stopped. annabel had entered. annabel arrayed in a new, imported tailored suit of excellent cloth, in a shade of copenhagen blue, and a chic hat of blue beaver trimmed with paradise. instantly the mining man's indignation cooled. he put aside alaska's wrongs and hurried, beaming, to meet his wife. "why, you bought blue," he said with pleased surprise. "and you can wear it, my, yes, about as well as pink." annabel smiled with the little ironical curl of the lip that showed plainly her good sense held her steady, on the crest of that high wave whereon it had been fortune's freak to raise her. "lucile showed me a place, on the next floor of the store, where i could get the tan taken off my face while i was waiting for alterations to my suit. they did it with a sort of cold cream and hot water. there's just a streak left around my neck, and i can cover that with the necklace." she paused then added with a gentle conciliation creeping through her confidential tone: "i am going to wear the pink chiffon to-night to hear tarquina. lucile says it's all right for a box party, opening night. i like her real well. i asked her to go with us, and she's coming early, in time for dinner, at seven." "i thought you'd make a team," replied banks, delighted. "and i'm glad you asked her, my, yes. it would have been lonesome sitting by ourselves 'mongst the empty chairs." they were walking towards the elevator, and daniels, who had learned from the clerk that the important looking stranger who had seemed so interested in banks' information, was the head of the new coal commission, going north for investigation, stopped the prospector to say good-by. "i want to thank you for that interview, mr. banks," he said frankly. "i've learned more about alaska from you in fifteen minutes than i had put together in five years." "you are welcome, so's you get it in straight. but,"--and the little man drew himself proudly erect,--"i want to make you acquainted with mrs. banks, mr. daniels." "i am awfully glad to meet you, mrs. banks," said jimmie cordially, offering his hand. "i understand you are from hesperides vale, and i grew up over there in the columbia desert. it's almost like seeing friends from home." "likely," banks began, but his glance moved from the reporter to his wife and he repeated less certainly, "likely we could get him to take one of those chairs off our hands." annabel's humor rose to her eyes. "he's hired a box for carmen to-night; they were out of seats in the divans, and it worries him because our party is so small." "i'd be delighted, only,"--jimmie paused, flushing and looking intently inside his hat--"the fact is, i am going to take the society editor on my paper. we have miserable seats, the first row in the orchestra was the best they could do for us, and she has to write up the gowns. she's an awfully nice girl, and she has a little trick of keeping her copy out of sight, so the people in the house never would catch on; would you think me very bold,"--and with this he looked up directly at annabel--"if i asked you to give that place in your box to her?" he was graciously assured it would make mr. banks "easy" if they both joined the party, and annabel suggested that he bring the society editor to dinner, "so as to get acquainted" before the opera. all of which was speedily arranged by telephone. miss atkins accepted with pleasure. the dinner was a complete success; so complete that the orchestra was concluding the overture when they arrived at the theater. a little flurry ran through the body of the house when annabel appeared. mrs. feversham in the opposite box raised her lorgnette. "i wonder who they are," she said. "why, the girl in white looks like miss atkins, who writes the society news, and there is your reporter, daniels." "other man is lucky banks; stunning woman in pink must be his wife." frederic, having settled in his chair and eased his lame knee, focussed his own glasses. "george, marcia," he exclaimed, "do you see that necklace? nuggets, straight from the sluices of the annabel, i bet. nuggets strung with emeralds, and each as big as they grow. i suppose that chain is what you call barbarous, but i rather like it." "it is fit for a queen," admitted marcia. "one of those barbarian queens we read about. no ordinary woman could wear it, but it seems made for her throat." and she added, dropping her lorgnette to turn her calculating glance on her brother's face, "every woman her price." frederic laughed shortly. the purplish flush deepened in his cheeks, and his eyes rested on beatriz weatherbee. she was seated in the front of the box with elizabeth, and as she leaned forward a little, stirred by the passionate cry of the violins, her profile was turned to him. "the price doesn't cut as much figure as you think," he said. then the curtain rose. tarquina was a marvelous carmen. the society editor, who had taken her notebook surreptitiously from a silk evening bag and, under cover of a chiffon scarf, commenced to record the names and gowns of important personages, got no farther than the party in the opposite box during the first act. but she made amends in the intermission. it was then a smile suddenly softened her firm mouth, and she introduced annabel to her columns with this item. "noticeable among the out of town guests were mr. and mrs. john henry banks, who entertained a box party, following a charming dinner at the new washington. mrs. banks, a recent bride, was handsomely gowned in pink chiffon over messaline, and wore a unique necklace of nuggets which were gathered from her husband's mine near iditarod, alaska. the gold pieces were linked lengthwise, alternating with single emeralds, and the pendant was formed of three slender nuggets, each terminating in a matched diamond and emerald." while geraldine wrote this, frederic morganstein made his way laboriously, with the aid of a crutch, around to the box. "how do do, miss atkins," he said. "hello, daniels! well, mr. banks, how are you? greatest carmen ever sung in this theater, isn't it? now, keep your seat. i find it easier to stand. just came for a minute to be presented to--your wife." his venture carried. the little man, rising, said with conscious pride: "mrs. banks, allow me to make you acquainted with mr. morganstein. he's the man that holds the option on the annabel. and this is miss purdy, mr. morganstein; miss lucile purdy of sedgewick-wilson's. i see you know the rest of the bunch." "i guess it's up to me to apologize, mrs. banks," said frederic, heavily humorous. "i wouldn't believe my sister, mrs. feversham, when she told me there were some smart women in those alaska towns." he paused, laughing, while his glance moved from annabel's ironical mouth to her superb shoulders and rested on the nugget chain; then he said: "from that interview of yours in tonight's _press_, mr. banks, there isn't much the country can't produce." "likely not," responded the little man quickly. "but my wife was an oregon girl. we were engaged, my, yes, long before i saw alaska. and lately she's been living around hesperides vale. she's got some fine orchard property over there, in her own right." "is that so?" frederic's speculative look returned to annabel's face. "hesperides vale. that's in the new reclamation country, east of the mountains, isn't it? i was intending to motor through that neighborhood when this accident stopped me and put an end to the trip. they are turning out some fine apples in that valley, i understand. but it's curtain time. awfully glad i've met you; see you again. lend me your shoulder, will you, daniels--around to my box?" while they were crossing the foyer, he said: "that enlargement came out fine; you must run up to my office, while it's there to-morrow, to see it. and that was a great write-up you gave lucky banks. it was yours, wasn't it? thought so. bought a hundred copies. mrs. feversham is going to take 'em east to distribute in washington. double blue-pencilled one, 'specially for the president." jimmie smiled, blushing. "that's more than i deserve, but i'm afraid, even if it reaches his hands, he won't take the time to read it." "you leave that to mrs. feversham," replied morganstein. "saw that little scoop, too, about tisdale. he's the closest oyster on record." "the trouble was," said jimmie wisely, "he started that indian story and nobody thought to interrupt with more coal questions." "you mean he told that yarn purposely to head us off?" "that's the way it seemed to me afterwards. he spun it out, you know; it lasted to bremerton, where i got off. but it was interesting; the best i ever heard, and i took it all down, word for word. it was little use, though. the chief gave one look at my bunch of copy and warned me, for the last time, the paper wasn't publishing any novels. what i had gone aboard the _aquila_ for was to write up her equipment and, incidentally, to pick up hollis tisdale's views on alaska coal." they had reached the entrance to the morganstein box; the orchestra was playing again, the curtain began to rise on the second act, and daniels hurried back to his place. but during the next intermission, an usher brought the young reporter a note. it was written concisely on a business card, but jimmie read it through slowly a second time before he handed it to the society editor. "mrs. feversham wants to see that story," so it ran. "leave it at my office in the morning. she may take it east with her. knows some magazine people who are going to feature alaska and the northwest." after a thoughtful moment miss atkins returned the card to jimmie. "is it the indian story?" she asked. daniels nodded, watching her face. his smouldering excitement was ready to flame. "they will read it for mrs. feversham,"--geraldine's voice trembled slightly--"and they will take it. it's a magazine story. they ought to pay you handsomely. it's the best thing you ever wrote." marcia feversham saw possibilities in that story. indeed, writing jimmie from washington, she called it a little masterpiece. there was no doubt it would be accepted somewhere, though he must expect to see it cut down considerably, it was so long. then, presumably to facilitate the placing of the manuscript, she herself went over it with exceeding care, revising with her pencil, eliminating whole paragraphs, and finally fixing the end short of several pages. in the copy which her husband's stenographer prepared, the original was reduced fully a third. after that it mellowed for an interval in marcia's drawer. at the close of november, it was announced that stuart foster, the junior defendant in the first "conspiracy to defraud the government" trial, was weather-bound in alaska. this, taken in consideration with the serious illness of tisdale, on whom the prosecution relied for technical testimony, resulted in setting the case for hearing the last week in the following march. it was at this time, while hollis was lying unconscious and in delirium at a hospital, that his great wealth began to be exploited. everywhere, when inquiries were made as to his health, fabulous statements followed about the aurora. to mention the mine was like saying "open sesame!" then, finally, it was whispered and repeated with conviction by people who "wouldn't have believed it of hollis tisdale" at the beginning, that he had defrauded the widow of his dead partner--who had made the discovery and paid for it with his life--of her share. then, at last, early in december, jimmie's masterpiece was forwarded to a new magazine in new york. "_dear mr. sampson_;--" so marcia wrote-- "here is a story of western life that i believe will be of interest to you. the incident actually occurred. the man who killed the indian child, and who amused my brother's guests with the story while we were cruising lately on the _aquila_, was hollis tisdale of the geographical survey. he is probably the best known figure in alaska, the owner of the fabulously rich aurora mine. his partner, who made the discovery, paid for it with his life, and there is a rumor that his wife, who should have a half interest, is penniless. "mr. tisdale will he a leading witness for the government in the pending alaska coal cases. strange--is it not?--since a criminal is barred from testifying in a united states court. "the last issue of your magazine was most attractive. enclosed are lists of two thousand names and my check to cover that many sample copies of the number in which the story is published. march would be opportune. of course, while i do not object to any use you may care to make of this information, i trust i shall be spared publicity. "very truly, "marcia feversham." chapter xxi foster's hour frederic morganstein did not wait until spring to open his villa. the furnishings were completed, even to the kodiak and polar-bear rugs, in time to entertain a house-party at christmas. marcia, who came home for the event, arrived early enough to take charge of the final preparations, but the ideas that gave character to the lavish decorations were beatriz weatherbee's. she it was who suggested the chime of holly bells with tongues of red berries, hung by ropes of cedar from the vaulted roof directly over the stage; and saw the two great scarlet camellias that had been coaxed into full bloom specially for the capitalist placed at either end of the footlights, while potted poinsettias and small madrona trees, brought in from the bluffs above the grounds, finished the scheme with the effect of an old mission garden. then there were a hundred more poinsettias disposed of, without crowding, on the landings and inside the railing of the gallery, with five hundred red carnations arranged with oregon grape and fern in indian baskets to cap the balustrade. to one looking up from the lower hall, they had the appearance of quaint jardinière. there was not too much color. december, in the puget sound country, means the climax of the wet season when under the interminable curtain of the rain, dawn seems to touch hands with twilight. it was hardly four o'clock that christmas eve when the _aquila_ arrived with the guests from seattle, but the villa lights were on. a huge and resinous backlog, sending broad tongues of flame into the cavernous throat of the fireplace, gave to the illumination a ruddier, flickering glow. to foster, who was the first to reach the veranda, foster who had been so long accustomed to faring at alaska road-houses, to making his own camp, on occasion, with a single helper in the frosty solitudes, that view through the french window must have seemed like a scene from the arabian nights. involuntarily he stopped, and suddenly the luxurious interior became a setting for one living figure. elizabeth was there, arranging trifles on a christmas tree; and mrs. feversham, seated at a piano, was playing a brilliant bolero; but the one woman he saw held the center of the stage. her sparkling face was framed in a mantilla; a camellia, plucked from one of the flowering shrubs, was tucked in the lace above her ear, and she was dancing with castanets in the old mission garden. the next moment frederic passed him and threw open the door with his inevitable "bravo!" and instantly the music ceased; marcia started to her feet; the dancer pulled off her mantilla, and the flower dropped from her hair. "go on! encore!" he laughed. "my, but you've got that cachucha down to a science; bred, though, i guess, in your little spanish feet. you'd dance all the sense a man has out of his head." "that's the reason none of us heard the _aquila_ whistle," said marcia, coming forward. "beatriz promised to dance to-night, in a marvelous yellow brocade that was her great-grandmother's, and we were rehearsing; but she looked so like a nun, masquerading, in that gray crepe de chine, i almost forgot the accompaniment. why, mr. foster! how delightful you were able to get home for christmas." "i am fortunate," he answered, smiling. "the ice caught me in the yukon, but i mushed through to fairbanks and came on to the coast by stage. i just made the steamer, and she docked alongside the _aquila_ not fifteen minutes before she sailed. mr. morganstein brought me along to hear my report." "i guess we are all glad to have you home for christmas," said elizabeth. she moved on with her sister to meet the other guests who were trooping into the hall, and foster found himself taking mrs. weatherbee's hand. his own shook a little, and suddenly he was unable to say any of the friendly, solicitous things he had found it so easy to express to these other people, after his long absence; only his young eyes, searching her face for any traces of care or anxiety the season may have left, spoke eloquently. afterwards, when the greetings were over, and the women trailed away to their rooms, he saw he had forgotten to give her a package which he had carried up from the _aquila_, and hurried to overtake her at the foot of the stairs. "it was brought down by messenger from vivian court for you," he explained, "just as we were casting off, and i took charge of it. there is a letter, you see, which the clerk has tucked under the string." the package was a florist's carton, wide and deep, with the name hollywood gardens printed across the violet cover, but the letter was postmarked washington, d.c. "violets!" she exclaimed softly, "'when violet time is gone.'" her whole lithe body seemed to emanate a subdued pleasure, and settling the box, unopened, in the curve of her arm, she started up the staircase. foster, looking up, caught the glance she remembered to send from the gallery railing. her smile was radiant. she did not turn on the electric switch when she closed her door; the primrose walls reflected the light from the great plate-glass window, with the effect of candle glow. she put the box on a table near the casement and laid the letter aside to lift the lid. the perfume of violets rose in her face like liberated incense. the box was filled with them; bunches on bunches. she bent her cheek to feel the cool touch of them; inhaled their fragrance with deep, satisfying breaths. presently she found the florist's envelope and in it tisdale's card. and she read, written under the name in a round, plain woman's hand, "this is to wish you a merry christmas and let you know i have not forgotten the project." the sparkle went out of her face. after a moment she picked up the letter and compared the address with the writing on the card. it was the same and, seating herself by the window, she broke the seal. when she had read the first line under the superscription, she stopped to look at the signature. it was katherine purdy. she turned back and began again: "_my dear mrs. weatherbee:_ "i am the night nurse on mr. tisdale's ward. he dictated the message on his card to me, and i learned your address through ordering the violets of the seattle florist for him. it set me wondering whether he has ever let you know how desperate things were with him. he is the most unselfish man i ever saw, and the bravest that ever came on this floor. the evening he arrived the surgeons advised amputating his hand--it was a case of blood-poisoning--but he said, 'no, i am ready to take the risk; that right hand is more than half of me, my better half.' he could joke, even then. and when the infection spread to the arm, it was the same. after that it was too late to operate; just a question of endurance. and he could endure all right. my, but he was patient! i wish you could have seen him, as i did, lying here hour after hour, staring at the ceiling, asking for nothing, when every nerve in his body must have been on fire. but he won through. he is lying here still, weak and pale enough, but safe. "maybe i seem impertinent, and i suppose i am young and foolish, but i don't care; i wouldn't be hard as nails, like some in this clinic, if it was to cost me my diploma. i came from the pacific west--i am going back there as soon as i graduate--and a girl from there never can learn to bottle her feelings till she looks like a graven image. besides, i know i am writing to a western woman. but i want to say right here he never made a confidant of me, never said one word, intentionally, about you, but there were nights when his temperature was running from a hundred and four degrees that he got to talking some. most of the time he was going all over that terrible trip to find poor mr. weatherbee, and once, when he was hunting birds along some glacier, he kept hearing david singing and calling him. again he was just having the best, quiet little visit with him. my, how he loved that man! and when it wasn't david, it was you. 'i know you couldn't marry a man like morgan,' he said. 'you may think so, but you will not when the time comes.' and once it was, 'beatrice, beatrice, in spite of everything i can't help believing in you.' then one night, his worst before the crisis, he seemed to be helping you through some awful danger, it was a storm i think, and there were wild beasts and mountains, and at last when it was all over, he said quietly: 'you do owe your life to me, but i shall never hold you to the debt; that would be too monstrous.' and a little later it was, 'head high, hold fast, it will be a stiff fight, soldier. my dear, my dear, do you think i don't know how near you came to loving me?' i guess you know how he said that. there are certain tones in his voice that sink straight to the bottom of your heart; i couldn't keep from crying. and it seems to me that if you really knew how much he thought of you, and how sick he had been, and how he has wanted you, nothing could keep you from packing up and coming straight to washington. i know i should. i could go anywhere, through alaska or the great sahara, it wouldn't matter which, for a man, if there is one in this world, who could love me that well." beatriz weatherbee folded the letter and replaced it in the envelope. the action was mechanical, and she sat twisting it with a kind of silent emphasis, looking out into the thick atmosphere. a dash of hail struck the window; the plate glass grew opaque. then, suddenly, she lifted her arms to the table and dropped her face; her body shook. it was as though she had come at last to her blank wall; the inevitable she had so persistently evaded was upon her; there was no escape. presently some one knocked. and instantly her intrepid spirit was up, on guard. she sat erect and pressed her handkerchief swiftly to her eyes. then marcia feversham opened the door and, finding the button, flashed on the lights. "why, beatriz," she exclaimed. "are you here in the dark? you must have fallen asleep in your chair." "and dreaming." she rose, shading her eyes from the sudden glare. "but it was a wretched dream, marcia; i am glad you wakened me. where is elizabeth?" "making frederic's cocktail. he needed a bracer to go through a business meeting with stuart foster; but she will be here directly. i thought, since we are to share your rooms, we had better dress early to be out of the way. and i sent celeste in to the hallidays; elizabeth can do everything for me." "much better than celeste," she agreed. "and while you are busy, i shall go for a bracing little walk." "a walk?" echoed marcia in astonishment. "why, it's storming. hear that!" another burst of hail struck the window. mrs. weatherbee turned, listening, and so avoiding marcia's penetrating eyes, dropped her hand from her own. "i have my raincoat and cap," she said, "and a smart brush with the wind will clear my head of cobwebs." with this she hurriedly smoothed the letter and laid it between the pages of a book; lifting the violets from the table, she carried them out of the steam-heated apartment to the coolness of the sleeping-porch. mrs. feversham followed to the inner room and stood watching her through the open door. "violets!" she exclaimed. "at christmas! from wherever did they come?" "from hollywood gardens," she responded almost eagerly. "isn't it marvelous how they make the out-of-season flowers bloom? but this flurry of hail is the end of the storm, marcia; the clouds are breaking, and it is light enough to see the path above the pergola. i shall have time to go as far as the observatory." before she finished speaking, she was back in the room and hurrying on her raincoat. mrs. feversham began to lay out various toilet accessories, but presently, when the gallery door closed behind beatriz, she walked to the table near the plate-glass window and picked up the book. it was a morocco-bound edition of omar's _rubaiyat_, which she had often noticed at the apartment in vivian court, yet she studied the title deliberately, and also the frontispiece, before she turned to the pages that enclosed the letter. but it was natural that, holding both her brother's and beatriz weatherbee's interests so at heart, her scruples should be finally dispelled, and she laid the volume face down, to keep the place, while she read the night nurse's unclinical report. after that she went to the box of violets in the sleeping-porch and found tisdale's message, and she had slipped the card carefully back and stood looking meditatively off through the open casement when her sister entered from the gallery. at the same time mrs. weatherbee appeared on the path above the pergola. but she had not escaped to the solitude she so evidently had desired, for foster accompanied her. when they stopped to look down on the villa and the little cove where the _aquila_ rocked at her moorings, marcia waved her hand gaily, then turned to the brilliant room. elizabeth met her at the threshold. "what has sent beatriz out in this weather?" she asked. "why, you see,"--marcia answered with a little backward gesture to the figures on the slope,--"since this is stuart foster's first visit to the villa, he must be personally conducted through the park." "she tried her best to discourage him. they were standing at the side entrance when i came through the dining-room. she warned him first impressions were everything and that it would be blowing a gale at the observatory; besides, if frederic was waiting, she would not be responsible." "but, 'come what will, what may'"--and meeting her sister's look, marcia's eyes gathered brilliancy--"the man must have his hour." "that is what he told her. he said the syndicate had had his time and brains, he might as well add his soul, for three months steady, and now he was entitled to his hour. i wonder--" elizabeth's even voice wavered--"do you think she will refuse him?" "i haven't a doubt." and marcia crossed to the dressing-table and began to remove the shell pins from her glossy black hair. "she seemed so changed," pursued elizabeth following. "so, well, anxious, depressed, and you know how gay she was at the time the _aquila_ came. and i happened to be near them when we started up-stairs. it was plain she was glad to see him. but he gave her a package that had been forwarded from vivian court. there was a letter; it may have been from lucky banks." marcia was silent. she lifted her brush and swept it the length of her unbound hair. "if it was," resumed elizabeth, "if he has experimented far enough and wants to forfeit that bonus, i am going to buy that piece of wenatchee desert myself. the novelty mills will pay me enough for my tide lands." "no, elizabeth. you will hold on to your tide lands, every foot." mrs. feversham paused to watch her sister's eyes capitulate under the batteries of her own, then said: "but you need not worry; frederic will probably take that option off lucky banks' hands. now, please do my puffs; high, you know, so as to use the paradise aigrette." foster, too, had felt the change in mrs. weatherbee's mood since he left her at the foot of the staircase; the exhilaration that had been so spontaneous then, that had seemed to expand to take him in, was now so manifestly forced. and presently it came over him she was making conversation, saying all these neutral things about the villa and grounds to safeguard the one vital thing she feared to have him touch. "tell me about yourself," he interrupted at last. "you don't know how i've worried about you; how i've blamed myself all these slow months for leaving you as i did. of course you understood the company decided to send me in to the iditarod suddenly, with only a few hours' notice, and to reach the interior while the summer trails were passable i had to take the steamer sailing that day. i tried to find you, but you were out of town; so i wrote." "i received the letter," she responded quickly. "i want to thank you for it; it was very pleasant indeed to feel the security of a friend in reserve. but you had written if there was anything you could do, or if, any time, i should need you to let you know, and there was no reason to. i saw i had allowed you to guess the state of my finances; they had been a little depressed, i confess, but soon after you sailed, i gave an option on that desert land east of the cascades and was paid a bonus of three thousand dollars." "then tisdale did take that property off your hands, after all. i tried to make myself believe he would; but his offer to buy hinged on the practicability of that irrigation project." "i know. he found it was practicable to carry it out. but--i gave the option to mr. banks." "lucky banks," questioned foster incredulously, "of iditarod? why, he talked of a big farming scheme in alaska." "i do not know about that. but he had thought a great deal of david. they had been partners, it seems, in alaska. once, in a dreadful blizzard, he almost perished, and david rescued him. he knew about the project and offered to make the payment of three thousand dollars to hold the land until he found out whether the scheme was feasible. i needed the money very much. there was a debt it was imperative to close. so i accepted the bonus without waiting to let mr. tisdale know." foster's brows clouded. "well, why shouldn't you? tisdale has himself to blame, if he let his opportunity go." there was a silent interval. they had reached the brow of the bluff and, coming into the teeth of the wind, she dipped her head and ran to gain the shelter of the pavilion. then, while she gathered her breath, leaning a little on the parapet and looking off to the broad sweep of running sea, foster said: "it was that debt that worried me up there in the wilderness. you had referred to it the evening after the theater, a week before i went away. you called it a debt of honor. you laughed at the time, but you warned me it was the hardest kind of debt because an obligation to a friend kept one continually paying interest in a hundred small ways. you said it was like selling yourself on a perpetual instalment plan. that wasn't the first time you had spoken of it, but you seemed to feel the pressure more that night and, afterwards, up there in the north, i got to thinking it over. i blamed myself for not finding out the truth. i was afraid the loan was frederic morganstein's." he paused and drew back a step with a quick uplift of his aggressive chin. "was it?" he asked. "yes." she drew erect and turned from the parapet to meet his look. "my note came into his hands. but i see i must explain. it began in a yearly subscription to the orthopedic hospital; the one, you know, for little deformed children. i was very interested when the movement started; i sang at concerts, danced sometimes you remember, to help along the fund. and i endowed a little bed. david always seemed just on the brink of riches in those days, his letters were full of brilliant predictions, but when the second annual payment fell due, i had to borrow of elizabeth. she suggested it. she herself was interested deeper, financially, than i. all the people we knew, who ever gave to charity, were eager to help the orthopedic; the ladies at the head were our personal friends; the best surgeons were giving their services and time. i hadn't the courage to have my subscription discontinued so soon, and i expected to cancel the debt when i heard again from david. but the next spring it was the same; i borrowed again from elizabeth. after that, when she wanted to apply the sum to the hospital building fund, mrs. feversham advanced the money, and i gave my note. my bed, then, was given to a little, motherless boy. he had the dearest, most trusting smile and great, dark eyes; the kind that talk to you. and his father had deserted him. that seems incredible; that a man can leave his own child, crippled, ill, unprovided for; but it does happen, sometimes." she paused to steady her voice and looked off again from the parapet. "the surgeons were greatly interested in the case," she went on. "they were about to perform an unusual operation. all his future depended on it. so--i let my subscription run on; so much could happen in a year. the operation was a perfect success, and when the boy was ready to go, one of the orthopedic women adopted him. he is the happiest, sturdiest little fellow now. "at the end of the summer when the note fell due mrs. feversham did not care to renew it; she was going to washington and wished to use the money in new york. the desert tract was all i had, and when mr. morganstein planned the motoring trip through the mountains and down to portland, he offered to take a day to look the land over. he did not want to encumber himself with any more real estate, he said, but would advise me on its possibilities for the market. an accident to the car in snoqualmie pass obliged him to give up the excursion, and marcia disposed of the note to him. she said it could make little difference to me since her brother was willing to let the obligation rest until i was ready to meet it. i do not blame her; there are some things marcia feversham and i do not see in the same light. it isn't so much through custom and breeding; it's the way we were created, bone and spirit." her voice broke but she laid her hand on the parapet again with a controlling grasp and added evenly, "that is the reason when mr. banks came i was so ready to accept his offer." "so, that was your debt of honor!" foster began unsteadily; the words caught in his throat, and for an instant her face grew indistinct through the mist he could not keep back from his eyes. "you knew you were traveling on thin ice; the break-up was almost on you, yet you handicapped yourself with those foundlings. and you never told me. i could have taken over that subscription, i should have been glad of the chance, you must have known that, but you allowed me to believe it was a loan to cover personal expenses." she met the reproach with a little fleeting smile. "there were times when those accounts pressed, i am going to admit that, in justice to elizabeth. she always buoyed me through. i have known her intimately for years. we were at mills seminary together, and even then she was the most dependable, resourceful, generous girl in the school. i never should have had the courage to dispose of things--for money--but she offered to. once it was the bracelet that had been my great-grandmother's; the serpent, you remember, with jewelled scales and fascinating ruby eyes. the japanese consul bought it for his wife. and once it was that dagger the first american don silva wore. the design was moorish, you know, with a crescent in the hilt of unique stones. the collector who wanted it promised to give me the opportunity to redeem it if ever he wished to part with it, and elizabeth had the agreement written and signed." "like a true morganstein. but i knew how much she thought of you. i used to remind myself, up there in the iditarod wilderness, that you had her clear, practical sense and executive ability to rely on." "that has been my one rare good-fortune; to have had elizabeth. not that i depreciate my other friends," and she gave foster another fleeting smile. "there was mrs. brown who in the autumn, when i saw the necessity to give up my apartment at vivian court, asked me to stay in exchange for piano and dancing lessons. i had often taught her little girls for pleasure, they were so sweet and lovable, when they visited in my rooms. still, afterwards, i learned the suggestion came from elizabeth. now you know everything," she added with determined gaiety. "and i have had my draught of ozone. we must hurry back, or they will wonder what has become of us." she turned to the path, and the young engineer followed in silence. he did not know everything; deep in his heart the contradiction burned. whatever may have caused her exhilaration at the time the _aquila_ arrived, it was not his return, and while her explanations satisfied him that she was in no immediate financial distress, he felt that her confidence covered unplumbed depths she did not wish him to sound. they had reached the footbridge over the cascade when he said abruptly: "after all, i am glad lucky banks got ahead on the irrigation project. he will find it feasible, if any one can. he grew up on an oregon farm, and what he hasn't learned about sluicing in alaska isn't worth knowing. it leaves hollis tisdale no alternative." she turned waiting, with inquiry in her eyes. "i mean in regard to the aurora. he hasn't the saving grace of an excuse, now, not to convey that last half interest back to you." "i do not want a half interest in the aurora mine." she drew herself very straight, swaying a little on the balls of her feet. "you must not suggest it. i should not accept it even through a united states court. it belongs to mr. tisdale. he furnished the funds that made my husband's prospecting trip possible. and all the gold in alaska could not repay him for--what he did. sometimes, when i think of him alone on that terrible trail, he stands out more than a man. epics have been written on less; it was a friendship to be glorified in some great painting or bronze. but then he touched so lightly on his own part in the story; in the incense he burned to david he was obscured." foster stood watching her in surprise. the color that the wind had failed to whip back to her cheeks burned now, two brilliant spots; raindrops, or tears, hung trembling on her lashes, and through them flamed the blue fires of her eyes. "so," he said slowly, "so, tisdale did hunt you up, after all; and, of course, you had the whole hard story from him." "i heard him tell it, yes, but he left out about the--wolves." "wolves?" repeated foster incredulously. "there were no wolves. why, to be overtaken by a pack, single-handed, on the trail, is the worst that can happen to a man." she nodded. "mr. banks told me. he had talked with the miners who found him. it was terrible." a great shudder ran through her body; for a moment she pressed her fingers to her eyes, then she added with difficulty, almost in a whisper: "he was defending david." "no, no! great scott! but see here,"--foster laid his hand on her arm and drew her on down the path, "don't try to tell me any more. i understand. banks shouldn't have told you. come, remember tisdale won through. he's safe." after a silence, she said: "i doubt if you know how ill he has been." "tisdale? no, i hadn't heard." "i only learned to-day; and he has been in a washington hospital all these months. the surgeons advised amputating his hand," she went on with a tremulous breathlessness, "but he refused. he said he would take the risk; that right hand was more than half of him, his 'better half.'" involuntarily foster smiled in recognition of that dominant note in tisdale. "but he never seemed more physically fit than on the night i left seattle," he expostulated. "and there isn't a man in alaska who understands the dangers and the precautions of frostbite better than hollis tisdale does." "it was not frost; it was a vicious horse," she answered. "it happened after you saw him, on that trip to wenatchee, while he was leading the vixen over a break in the road. we were obliged to spend the night at a wretched way-house, and the hurt became infected." foster stopped. "you were obliged to spend the night?" he inquired. "yes. it happened in this way. mr. tisdale had taken the milwaukee line over the mountains, intending to finish the trip on horseback, to see the country, and i, you remember, was motoring through snoqualmie pass with the morgansteins. his train barely missed colliding with our car. mr. morganstein was injured, and the others took the westbound home with him, but i decided to board the eastbound and go on by stage to wenatchee, to see my desert tract, and return by way of the great northern. i found the stage service discontinued, so mr. tisdale secured a team instead of a saddle-horse, and we drove across." "i see." foster smiled again. so tisdale had capitulated on sight. "i see. you looked the tract over together, yet he hesitated with his offer." she did not answer directly. they had reached the pergola, and she put out her hand groping, steadying herself through the shadows. "mr. tisdale believed at the beginning i was some one else," she said then. "i was so entirely different from his conception of david weatherbee's wife. in the end he offered to finance the project if i would see it carried through. i refused." "of course you refused," responded foster quickly. "it was preposterous of him to ask it of you. i can't understand it in tisdale. he was always so broad, so fine, so head and shoulders above other men, so, well, chivalrous to women. but, meantime, while he hesitated, banks came with his offer?" "yes. while he was desperately ill in that hospital. i--i don't know what he will think of me--when he hears--" she went on with little, steadying pauses. "it is difficult to explain. so much happened on that drive to the wenatchee valley. in the end, during an electrical storm, he saved me from a falling tree. what he asked of me was so very little, the weight of a feather, against all i owe him. still, a woman does not allow even such a man to finance her affairs; people never would have understood. besides, how could i have hoped, in a lifetime, to pay the loan? it was the most barren, desolate place; a deep, dry gulf shut in by a wicked mountain--you can't imagine--and i told him i never could live there, make it my home." they were nearly through the pergola; involuntarily she stopped and, looking up at foster, the light from a japanese lantern illumined her small, troubled face. "but in spite of everything," she went on, "he believes differently. to-day his first message came from washington to remind me he had not forgotten the project. how can i--when he is so ill-- how can i let him know?" foster had had his hour; and, at this final moment, he sounded those hitherto unplumbed depths. "it will be all right," he said steadily; "wait until you see what lucky banks does. you can trust him not to stand in tisdale's way. and don't think i underrate hollis tisdale. he is a man in a thousand. no one knows that better than i. and that's why i am going to hold him to his record." chapter xxii "as man to man" in january, when mrs. feversham returned to washington, her brother accompanied her as far as wenatchee. he went prepared to offer banks as high as five thousand dollars for his option. at that time the weatherbee tract was blanketed in snow. it never drifted, because cerberus shut out the prevailing wind like a mighty door; even the bench and the high ridge beyond lifted above the levels of the vale smooth as upper floors. previous to that rare precipitation, gangs of men, put to work on both quarter sections, had removed the sage-brush and planted trees, and the new orchard traced a delicate pattern on the white carpet in rows and squares. banks had hurried the concrete lining of the basin walls, and when it became necessary to suspend construction on the flumes, he saw with satisfaction that the reservoir would husband the melting snows and so supply temporary irrigation in the early spring. all the lumber estimates had been included in his orders for building material in the autumn, and already the house on the bench showed a tiled roof above its mission walls, while down the gap and midway up the side slope of cerberus rose the shingled gables of annabel's home. to facilitate the handling of freight, the railroad company had laid a siding at the nearest point in hesperides vale; then, for the convenience of the workmen, the daily local made regular stops, and the little station bore the name of weatherbee. later, at the beginning of the year, it had become a post-office, and the federal building included a general store. also, at that time, the girders of a new brick block rose on the adjoining lots, and a sign secured to the basement wall announced: "this strictly modern building will be completed about june first. for office and floor space see henderson bailey." the financier, who had motored up the valley in a rented car, noted these indications of an embryo town with interest. "who is henderson bailey?" he asked. and the chauffeur answered with surprise: "don't you know bailey? why, he's the man that got in on the ground floor. he owns the heart of hesperides vale. that was his apple orchard we passed, you remember, a few minutes ago. but the man who is backing him on that brick block is lucky banks of alaska. they are pulling together, nip and tuck, for weatherbee." "nip--and tuck," repeated morganstein thoughtfully. "that reminds me of a young team of bays i considered buying last fall, over at north yakima. rather well named, if you knew 'em. but they were a little too gay for seattle hills and the lady i expected would drive 'em. george, though, they made a handsome showing. a dealer named lighter owned 'em, and they won the blue ribbon for three-year-olds at yakima and spokane." "i know them," replied the chauffeur. "they are owned here in the valley now; and lucky banks' wife is driving them. you can meet her most any day speeling down to the columbia to see her goats." "goats?" queried frederic. "yes, sir. didn't you know she used to keep a flock of angoras up here? it was her land before she was married. but when banks turned up with his pile and started the orchards, the goats had to go. it wouldn't have taken them a week to chew up every stick he planted. so she hired a man to winter them down on the columbia, where she could keep an eye on them. strange," the chauffeur went on musingly, "what a difference clothes make in a woman. nobody noticed her much, only we thought she was kind of touched, when she was herding those billies by herself up that pocket, but the minute banks came, she blossomed out; made us all sit up and take notice. yes, sir, she's sure some style. to see her in her up-to-date motoring-coat, veil to match, cape gloves, and up behind that team, you'd think the empress of india had the road." "just what i said first time i saw her," morganstein chuckled thickly. "or i guess it was the queen of sheba i called her. happened to be grand-opera night, and she wore a necklace made of some of banks' nuggets. george, she could carry 'em; had the throat and shoulders. it isn't the clothes that make the difference, my boy; it's the trick of wearing 'em. i know a slim little thoroughbred, who puts on a plain gray silk like it was cloth of gold. you'd think she was walking tiptoe to keep it off this darned old earth. lord, i'd like to see her in the real stuff. george, i'll do it, soon's we're married," and he laughed deeply at the notion. "i'll order a cloth of gold gown direct from paris, and i'll set a diamond tiara on her proud little head. bet it don't out-sparkle her eyes. lord, lord, she'll make 'em all stare." the chauffeur gave the financier a measuring glance from the corner of his eye, but he puckered his lips discreetly to cover a grin, and with his head still cocked sidewise, looked off to the lifting front of cerberus, whistling softly _queen among the heather_. but the tune ceased abruptly and, straightening like an unstrung bow, he swerved the machine out of the thoroughfare and brought it to a stop. it was not the empress of india who held the road, but little banks in his red car. slackening speed, he shouted back above the noise of the exhaust: "hello! is that you, mr. morganstein? i guess likely you're looking for me. but i can't stop. i've got to catch the local for wenatchee; the eastbound don't make our station, and i'm booked for a little run through to washington, d.c." "that so?" answered morganstein thoughtfully. "i came over just to look at this orchard of yours. see here, wait a minute." he unbuttoned his heavy coat and, finding a pocket, drew out a time-card. "you will have a couple of hours to waste in wenatchee between trains. give me half an hour, long enough to show me a bird's-eye view of the project--that's all i want in this snow and i guarantee to put you in wenatchee on time for your eastbound. the road is in good shape; driver knows his car." banks left his roadster and came over to the larger car. "i'll risk it since you've broke trail," he said, taking the vacant seat behind. "but i knew if i took chances with snow, in this contrary buzz-wagon of mine, she'd likely skid off the first mean curve." morganstein, laughing, changed his seat for the one beside the prospector. "it's like this, dry and firm as a floor, straight through to wenatchee. these are great roads you have in this valley; wish we had 'em on the other side the range." "i sent a scraper up from the station ahead of me," said banks. "and, driver, we may as well run up the switchback to the house. it's level there, with room to turn. and it will give you the chance to see the whole layout below," he went on, explaining to morganstein. "the property on this side the mountain belongs to my wife, but we ain't living here yet; we are stopping with folks down by the station. likely we'll move, soon's i get back from my trip. that is, if the boys get busy. seem's if i have to keep after some of them all the time. to-day it's the lathers. i've got to stop, going through weatherbee, to tell my wife to have an eye on them. they get paid by the bundle, and they told me this morning lathe would run short before they was through. i knew i had ordered an extra hundred on the architect's figgers, but i didn't say anything. just prospected 'round and came back unexpected, and caught one of them red-handed. he was tucking a bunch between the ceiling and the upper floor, without even cutting the string. i made them rip off the lathe, and there they were stored thick, a full bundle to 'bout every three they'd nailed on." "that's the way," commented morganstein, "every man of 'em will do you, if he sees a chance. mrs. banks will have to keep both eyes open, if you are leaving it to her. but it will be compensation to her, i guess, driving those bays over from the station every day. handsomest team in washington. i'll bet," and he turned his narrow eyes suddenly on banks, "lighter held you up for all they were worth." "the team belongs to hollis tisdale," answered banks. "he bought them at kittitas last fall and drove them through. they were in the valley when i came, and he asked me to look after them while he was east. my wife exercises them. she understands horses, my, yes. one of those colts had a mean trick of snapping at you if you touched the bit, but she cured him complete. and she took such a shine to that team i thought likely they'd do for a christmas present. tisdale told me in the fall if i had a good chance, to sell, so i wrote and made him an offer. but his answer never came till last night. a nurse at the hospital in washington wrote for him; he had been laid up with a case of blood-poison all winter, and it started from a nip that blame' colt gave him on the trip from kittitas. he refused my price because, seeing's the team wasn't safe for a full-sized man to drive, it went against his conscience to let them go to a lady." "he was right," said morganstein. "george, that was a lucky escape. i was within an ace of buying that team myself. but i put down tisdale's sickness to frostbite; often goes that way with a man in the north." "sure; it does." banks paused, while his glance fell to the empty fingers of his right glove. "but that colt, nip, gets the credit this time. it happened while hollis was trying to lead him over a break in the road. he said it didn't amount to anything, the night i saw him before he left seattle, but he had the hand bandaged, and i'd ought to have known it was giving him trouble." morganstein pondered a silent moment, then said slowly, "kittitas is close enough to be a suburb of ellensburg, and that's where the wenatchee stage meets the milwaukee puget sound train. friend of mine made the trip about that time; didn't say anything of a break in the road." "there's just one road through," answered banks, "and that's the one they used for hauling from the northern pacific line while this railroad was building. likely there was a stage then, but it ain't running now." frederic pondered again, then a gleam of intelligence flashed in his eyes. "did tisdale make that trip from kittitas alone?" he asked. banks shook his head. "he didn't mention any passengers. likely it was having to drive himself, after his hand was hurt, that did the mischief. anyhow, he's had a close call; fought it out sooner than let the doctors take his hand; and he never let one of us boys know. that was just the way with dave weatherbee; they was a team. but i'm going to look him up, now, soon's i can. he had to get that nurse to write for him. likely there ain't a man around to tend to his business; he might be all out of money." "i guess, with the aurora mine to back him, you needn't worry." the little man shook his head. "it will take more security than the aurora to open a bank account in washington, d.c. i ain't saying anything against dave weatherbee's strike," he added quickly, "but, when you talk alaska to those fellows off there in the east, they get cold feet." morganstein looked off, chuckling his appreciation. they had arrived at the final curve; on one side, rising from the narrow shoulder, stood annabel's new home, while on the other the mountain sloped abruptly to weatherbee's vale. banks pointed out the peach orchard on the bench at the top of the pocket; the rim of masonry, pushing through the snow, that marked the reservoir; the apple tract below. "i see," said frederic, "and this mountain we are on must be the one mrs. weatherbee noticed, looking down from that bench. reminded her of some kind of a beast!" banks nodded. "it looked like a cross between a cougar and a husky in the fall. one place you catch sight of two heads. but she'll be tamer in the spring, when things begin to grow. there's more peaches, set in narrow terraces where the road cross-cuts down there, and all these small hummocks under the snow are grapes. it's warm on this south slope and sheltered from the frosts; the vines took right ahold; and, with fillers of strawberries hurrying on the green, dave's wife won't know the mountain by summer, my, no." "presume," said the financier abruptly, "you expect to supply both tracts with water from those springs?" "my, no. this quarter section belongs to my wife, and it's up to me to make the water connections safe for her. i can do it." banks set his lips grimly, and his voice shrilled a higher key. "yes, sir, even if i have to tunnel through from the wenatchee. but i think likely i'll tap the new high line and rig a flume with one of these new-style electric pumps. and my idea would be to hollow out a nice little reservoir, with maybe a fountain, right here on this shoulder alongside the house, and let a sluice and spillways follow the road down. there'd be water handy then, and to spare, in case dave's springs happen to pinch out." morganstein's glance moved slowly over the sections of road cross-cutting the mountain below, and on up the vale to the distant bench. presently he said: "what are you building over there? a barn, or is it a winery for your grapes?" "it's neither," answered banks with sharp emphasis. "it's a regular, first-class house. dave weatherbee was counting on striking it rich in alaska when he drew the plans. the architect calls it california-spanish style. the rooms are built around a court, and we are piping for the fountain now." frederic grew thoughtful. clearly an offer of five thousand dollars for lucky banks' option on the weatherbee tract was inadequate. after a moment he said: "what is it going to cost you?" "well, sir, counting that house complete, without the furniture, seven thousand would be cheap." after that the financier was silent. he looked at his watch, as they motored down cerberus, considering, perhaps, the probabilities of a telegram reaching marcia; but he did not make the venture when they arrived in wenatchee, and the nearest approach he made to that offer was while he and banks were waiting at the station for their separate trains. they were seated together on a bench at the time, and frederic, having lighted a cigar, drew deeply as though he hoped to gather inspiration. then he edged closer and, dropping his heavy hand on the little prospector's shoulder, said thickly: "see here, tell me this, as man to man, if you found both those tracts too big to handle, what would you take for your option on the weatherbee property?" and banks, edging away to the end of the seat, answered sharply: "i can handle both; my option ain't for sale." chapter xxiii the day of publication it was a mild evening, the last in february, and jimmie, who had received two copies of the march issue of _sampson's magazine_ direct from the publisher, celebrated the event by taking the society editor canoeing on lake washington. instead of helping with the bow paddle, of which she was fully capable, miss atkins settled against the pillows facing him, with the masterpiece in her lap. the magazine was closed, showing his name among the specially mentioned on the cover, but she kept the place with her finger. she had a pretty hand, and it was adorned by the very best diamond that could be bought at hanson's for one hundred and fifty dollars. she waited, watching jimmie's stroke, while the peterboro slipped out from the boathouse and rose quartering to the swells of a passing launch. her hat was placed carefully behind her in the bow, and the light wind roughened her hair, which was parted on the side, into small rings on her forehead. it gave her an air of boyish camaraderie, and the young author's glance, moving from the magazine and the ring, swept her whole trim figure to the mannish, flat-heeled little shoes, and returned to her face. "this is my red-letter day," he said. "it's the proudest in my life," answered geraldine, and the way in which she said it made him catch his breath. "it makes me feel almost sure enough to cut loose from the _press_ and go into business for myself." "oh, i shouldn't be in a hurry to leave the paper, if i were you," she replied, "even though _sampson's_ has asked to see more of your work." "it isn't the magazine opening i am considering; though i shall do what i can in that way, of course. but what would you think of an offer to take full charge of a newspaper east of the cascades? it's so." he paused, nodding in emphasis to the confirmation. "the letter is there in my coat pocket. it's from bailey--you remember that young fellow i told you about who made an investment in the wenatchee valley. well, it seems they have incorporated a town on some of that property. his city lots are selling so fast he has raised the price three times. and they have put him up for mayor. he says it's mighty hard to run an election without a newspaper, and even if it's a late start, we will be ready next time. and the valley needs advertising; people in the east don't know where wenatchee apples grow. you understand. he will finance a newspaper--or rather he and lucky banks are going to--if i will take the management. he is holding offices now, in a brick block that is building, until he hears from me." "is it in hesperides vale, where the bankses live?" "yes. the name of the town is weatherbee. and i heard from that little miner, too." jimmie paused, smiling at the recollection. "it was a kind of supplement to bailey's letter. he thought likely i could recommend some young fellow to start a newspaper. a married man was preferred, as it was a new camp and in need of more ladies." geraldine laughed, flushing softly, "isn't that just like him?" she said. "i can see his eyes twinkling." "it sounds rather good to me," jimmie went on earnestly. "i have confidence in bailey. and it was mother's dream, you know, to see me establish a paper over there; it would mean something to me to see it realized--but--do you think you could give up your career to help me through?" geraldine was silent, and jimmie leaned forward a little, resting on his stroke. "i know i am not worth it, but so far as that goes, neither was my father; yet mother gave up everything to back him. she kept him on that desert homestead the first five years, until he proved up and got his patent, and he might have stayed with it, been rich to-day, if she had lived." "of course i like you awfully well," said geraldine, flushing pinkly, "and it isn't that i haven't every confidence in you, but--i must take a little time to decide." a steamer passed, and jimmie resumed his strokes, mechanically turning the canoe out of the trough. geraldine opened the magazine and began to scan the editor's note under the title. "why," she exclaimed tremulously, "did you know about this? did you see the proofs?" "no. what is the excitement? isn't it straight?" "listen!" miss atkins sat erect; the cushion dropped under her elbow; her lips closed firmly between the sentences she read. "'this is one of those true stories stranger than fiction. this man, who wantonly murdered a child in his path and told of it for the amusement of a party of pleasure-seekers aboard a yacht on puget sound, who should be serving a prison sentence to-day, yet never came to a trial, is hollis tisdale of the geographical survey; a man in high favor with the administration and the sole owner of the fabulously rich aurora mine in alaska. the widow of his partner who made the discovery and paid for it with his life is penniless. strange as it may seem--for the testimony of a criminal is not allowable in a united states court--hollis tisdale has been called as a witness for the government in the pending alaska coal trials!" the society editor met jimmie's appalled gaze. "it sounds muckraky," she commented, still tremulously. "but these new magazines have to do something to get a hold. this is just to attract public attention." "they'll get that, when tisdale brings a suit for libel. hope he will do it, and that the judgment will swamp them. they must have got his name from mrs. feversham." "it looks political," said geraldine conciliatingly, "as though they were striking through him at the administration." "go on," said jimmie recklessly. "let's have it over with." and geraldine launched quickly into the story. it had been mercilessly and skilfully abridged. all those undercurrents of feeling, which jimmie had faithfully noted, had been suppressed; and of david weatherbee, whom tisdale had made the hero of the adventure, there was not a word. "great guns!" exclaimed the unfortunate author at the finish. "great-- guns!" but geraldine said nothing. she only closed the magazine and pushed it under the pillow out of sight. there was a long silence. a first star appeared and threw a wavering trail on the lake. jimmie, dipping his paddle mechanically, turned the peterboro into this pale pathway. the pride and elation had gone out of his face. his mouth drooped disconsolately. "and you called this your proudest day," he broke out at last. an unexpected gentleness crept over the society editor's countenance. "it would be great to help create a city," she said then. "to start with it ourselves, at the foundations and grow." and she added very softly, with a little break in her voice: "i've decided to resign and go to weatherbee." chapter xxiv snowbound in the rockies and "fit as a moose" tisdale, who was expected to furnish important testimony in the alaska coal cases, had been served official notice at the hospital during banks' visit. the trial was set for the twenty-fourth of march and in seattle. the prospector had found him braced up in bed, and going over the final proof of his matanuska report, with the aid of a secretary. "you better go slow, hollis," he said. "you are looking about as reliable as your shadow. likely the first puff of a wind would lift you out of sight. my, yes. but i just ran over to say hello, and let you know if it's the expense that's hurrying you, there's a couple of thousand in the wenatchee bank i can't find any use for, now the water-works are done and the house. you can have it well's not. it ain't drawing any interest." and tisdale had taken the little man's hand between both his own and called him "true gold." but he was in no pressing need of money, though it was possible he might delay in refunding those sums banks had advanced on the project. he was able enough to be on his feet, but these doctors were cautious; it might be another month before he would be doing a man's work. he started west, allowing himself ample time to reach seattle by the fifteenth of march, when banks' option expired, but the fourteenth found him, after three days of delay by floods, snowbound in the rockies. the morning of the fifteenth, while the rotaries were still clearing track ahead, he made his way back a few miles to the nearest telegraph station and got into communication with the mining man. "how are you?" came the response from weatherbee. "done for? drop off at scenic hot springs, if your train comes through. she wrote she was there. came up with a little crowd for the coasting. take care of yourself, and here is to you. "lucky." and tisdale, with the genial wrinkles deepening at the corners of his eyes once more, wired: "fit as a moose. go fifteenth. close business." a judge may pronounce a sentence yet, at the same time, feel ungovernable springs of sympathy welling from the depths of his heart, and while tisdale pushed his way back to the stalled train, he went over the situation from beatriz weatherbee's side. he knew what the sale of that desert tract must mean to her; how high her hopes had flown since the payment of the bonus. looking forward to that final interview when, notwithstanding his improvements, banks should relinquish his option, he weighed her disappointment. in imagination he saw the light go out of her eyes; her lip, that short upper lip with its curves of a bow, would quiver a little, and the delicate nostril; then, instantly, before she had spoken a word, her indomitable pride would be up like a lifted whip, to sting her into self-control. oh, she had the courage; she would brave it out. still, still, he had intended to be there, not only to press the ultimate purpose, but to--ease her through. banks might be abrupt. he was sorry. he was so sorry that though he had tramped, mushed a mile, he faced about, and, in the teeth of a bitter wind, returned to the station. the snow was falling thickly; it blurred his tracks behind him; the crest of a drift was caught up and carried, swirling, into the railroad cut he had left, and a great gust tore into the office with him. the solitary operator hurried to close the door and, shivering, stooped to put a huge stick of wood in the stove. "it's too bad," he said. "forgot the main point, i suppose. if this keeps up, and your train moves to-morrow, it will be through a regular snow canyon. i just got word your head rotary is out of commission, but another is coming up from the east with a gang of shovellers. they'll stop here for water. it's a chance for you to ride back to your train." "thank you, i will wait," tisdale answered genially. "but i like walking in this mountain air. i like it so well that if the blockade doesn't lift by to-morrow, i am going to mush through and pick up a special to the coast." while he spoke, he brushed the snow from his shoulders and took off his hat and gloves. he stood another moment, rubbing and pinching his numb hands, then went over to the desk and filled a telegraph blank. he laid down the exact amount of the charges in silver, to which he added five dollars in gold. the operator went around the counter and picked up the money. for an instant his glance, moving from the message, rested on tisdale's face in curious surprise. this man surely enjoyed the mountain air. he had tramped back in the teeth of a growing blizzard to send an order for violets to hollywood gardens, seattle. the flowers were to be expressed to a lady at scenic hot springs. after that tisdale spent an interval moving restlessly about the room. he read the advertisements on the walls, studied the map of the great northern route, and when the stove grew red-hot, threw open the door and tramped the platform in the piping wind. finally, when the keyboard was quiet, the operator brought him a magazine. the station did not keep a news-stand, but a conductor on the westbound had left this for him to read. there was a mighty good yarn--this was it--"the tenas papoose." it was just the kind when a man was trying to kill time. tisdale took the periodical. no, he had not seen it aboard the train; there were so many of these new magazines, it was hard to choose. he smiled at first, that editor's note was so preposterous, so plainly sensational; or was it malicious? he re-read it, knitting his brows. who was this writer daniels? his mind ran back to that day aboard the _aquila_. aside from the morgansteins and mrs. weatherbee, there had been no one else in the party until the lieutenant was picked up at bremerton, after the adventure was told. but daniels--he glanced back to be sure of the author's name--james daniels. now he remembered. that was the irrepressible young fellow who had secured the photographs in snoqualmie pass at the time of the accident to the morganstein automobile; who had later interviewed mrs. weatherbee on the train. had he then sought her at her hotel, ostensibly to present her with a copy of the newspaper in which those illustrations were published, and so ingratiated himself far enough in her favor to gather another story from her? tisdale went over to a chair near the window and began to go over those abridged columns. he turned the page, and his lips set grimly. at last he closed the magazine and looked off through the drifting snow. he had been grossly misrepresented, and the reason was clear. this editor, struggling to establish a new periodical, had used daniels' material to attract the public eye. he may even have had political ambitions and aimed deeper to strike the administration through him. he may have taken this method to curry favor with certain moneyed men. still, still, what object had there been in leaving weatherbee completely out of the story? weatherbee, who should have carried the leading role; who, lifting the adventure high above the sensational, had made it something fine. again his thoughts ran back to that cruise on the _aquila_. he saw that group on the after-deck; rainier lifting southward like a phantom mountain over the opal sea; and westward the olympics, looming clear-cut, vivid as a scene in the tropics; the purplish blue of the nearer height sharply defined against the higher amethyst slope that marked the gorge of the dosewallups. this setting had brought the tragedy to his mind, and to evade the questions morganstein pressed, he had commenced to relate the adventure. but afterwards he had found himself going into the more intimate detail with a hope of reviving some spark of appreciation of david in the heart of his wife. and he had believed that he had. still, who else, in all that little company, could have had any motive in leaving out weatherbee? why had she told the story at all? she was a woman of great self-control, but also she had depths of pride. had she, in the high tide of her anger or pique, taken this means to retaliate for the disappointment he had caused her? the approaching work-train whistled the station. he rose and went back to the operator's desk and filled another blank. this time he addressed a prominent attorney, and his close friend, in washington, d.c. and the message ran: "see _sampson's magazine_, march, page . find whether revised or daniels' copy." toward noon the following day the express began to crawl cautiously out, with the rotaries still bucking ahead, through the great snow canyons. the morning of the sixteenth he had left spokane with the great levels of the columbia desert stretching before him. and that afternoon at wenatchee, with the white gates of the cascades a few hours off, a messenger called his name down the aisle. the answer had come from his attorney. the story was straight copy; published as received. chapter xxv the ides of march in order to prepare for the defense, miles feversham, accompanied by his wife, arrived in seattle the first week in march. the month had opened stormy, with heavy rains, and to bridge the interval preceding the trial, marcia planned an outing at scenic hot springs where, at the higher altitude, the precipitation had taken the form of snow, and the hotel advertised good skeeing and tobogganing. "make the most of it," she admonished frederic; "it's your last opportunity. if lucky banks forfeits his bonus, and you can manage to keep your head and use a little diplomacy, we may have the engagement announced before the case comes up." though diplomacy was possible only through suggestion, frederic was a willing and confident medium. he knew mrs. weatherbee had notified banks she was at scenic and, watching her that day of the fifteenth, he was at first puzzled and then encouraged that, as the hours passed and the prospector failed to come, her spirits steadily rose. elizabeth betrayed more anxiety. at evening she stood at the window in beatriz's room, watching the bold front of the mountain which the great northern tracks crosscut to cascade tunnel, when the spokane local rounded the highest curve and dropped cautiously to the first snow-sheds. the bluffs between were too sheer to accumulate snow, and against the dark background the vague outlines of the cars passed like shadows; the electric lights, blazing from the coaches, produced the effect of an aërial, fiery dragon. then, in the interval it disappeared, an eastbound challenged from the lower gorge, and the monster rushed from cover, shrieking defiance; the pawing clamp of its trucks roused the mountainside. "there is your last westbound," she said. "if your option man isn't aboard, he forfeits his bonus. but you will be ahead the three thousand dollars and whatever improvements he may have made." mrs. weatherbee stood at the mirror fastening a great bunch of violets at her belt. there was a bouquet of them on the dresser, and a huge bowl filled with them and relieved by a single red rose stood on the table in the center of the room. "that is what troubles me," she replied, and ruffled her brows. "it seems so unjust that he should lose so much; that i should accept everything without compensating him." elizabeth smiled. "i guess he meant to get what he could out of the investment, but afterwards, when he married and found his wife owned the adjoining unreclaimed tract, it altered the situation. it called for double capital and, if he hesitated and it came to a choice, naturally her interests would swing the balance." "no doubt," admitted beatriz. "and in that case,"--she turned from the mirror to watch the train--"i might deed her a strip of ground where it was discovered her tract overlapped david's. that would be a beginning." "see here." elizabeth turned, and for an instant the motherhood deep in her softened the masculine lines of her face. "don't you worry about lucky banks. perhaps he did go into the project to satisfy his conscience, but the deal was his, and he had the money to throw away. some men get their fun making over the earth. when one place is finished, they lose interest and go looking for a chance to put their time and dollars into improving somewhere else. besides,"--and she took this other woman into her abrupt and rare embrace--"i happen to know he had an offer for his option and refused a good price. now, come, marcia and frederic have gone down to the dining-room, you know. they were to order for us." but beatriz was in no hurry. "the train is on the bridge," she said and caught a quick breath. "do you hear? it is stopping at the station." elizabeth, waiting at the open door, answered: "we can see the new arrivals, if there are any, when we go through the lobby." mrs. weatherbee started across the room, but at the table she stopped to bend over the bowl of violets, inhaling their fragrance. "aren't they lovely and--prodigal enough to color whole fields?" elizabeth laughed. "frederic must have ordered wholesale, or else he forgot they were in season." beatriz lifted her face. "did mr. morganstein send these violets?" she asked. "i thought--but there was no card." "why, i don't know," said elizabeth, "but who else would have ordered whole fields of them?" mrs. weatherbee was silent, but she smiled a little as she followed elizabeth from the room. when they reached the foot of the staircase, the lobby was nearly deserted; if the train had left any guests, they had been shown already to their rooms. the morganstein table was at the farther end of the dining-room, but frederic, who was watching the door when the young women entered, at once noticed the violets at mrs. weatherbee's belt. "must have been sent from seattle on that last eastbound," he commented, frowning. "say, marcia, why didn't you remind me to order some flowers from town?" marcia's calculating eyes followed his gaze. "you would not have remembered she is fond of violets, and they seem specially made for her; you would have ordered unusual orchids or imported azaleas." frederic laughed uneasily, and a purplish flush deepened in his cheeks. "i always figure the best is never too good for her. not that the highest priced makes so much difference with her. look at her, now, will you? wouldn't you think, the way she carries herself, that little gray gown was a coronation robe? george, but she is game! acts like she expects lucky banks to drop in with a clear fifty thousand, when the chances are he's gone back on his ten. well," he said, rising as she approached, to draw out her chair, "what do you think about your customer now? too bad. i bet you've spent his alaska dust in anticipation a hundred times over. don't deny it," he held up his heavy hand in playful warning as he resumed his chair. "speculated some myself on what you'd do with it. george, i'd like to see the reins in your hands for once, and watch you go. you'd set us a pace; break all records." "oh, no, no," she expostulated in evident distress. "i shouldn't care to-- set the pace--if i were to come into a kingdom; please don't think that. i have wanted to keep up, i admit; to hold my own. i have been miserably afraid sometimes of being left behind, alone, crowded out, beaten." "beaten? you? i guess not. bet anybody ten to one you'll be in at the finish, i don't care who's in the field, even if you drop in your traces next minute. and i bet if this sale does fall through to-night, you'll be looking up, high as ever, to-morrow, setting your heart on something else out of reach." "out of reach?" she responded evenly, arching her brows. "you surprise me. you have led me to believe i am easy to please." "so you are," he capitulated instantly, "in most ways. all the same, you carry the ambitions of a duchess buttoned under that gray gown. but i like you for it; like you so well i'm going to catch myself taking that property off your hands, if banks goes back on you." he leaned towards her as he said this, smiling and trying to hold her glance, but she turned her face and looked off obliviously across the room. there were moments when even frederic morganstein was conscious of the indefinable barrier beyond which lay intrenched, an untried and repelling force. he straightened and, following her gaze, saw lucky banks enter the door. involuntarily elizabeth started, and mrs. feversham caught a quick breath. "at the eleventh hour," she said then, and her eyes met her brother's. "yes or no?" they telegraphed. it was the popular hour, an orchestra was playing, and the tables were well filled, but the mining man, marshalled by a tall and important head waitress, drew himself straight and with soldierly precision came down the room as far as the morganstein group. there, recognizing mrs. weatherbee, he stopped and, with the maimed hand behind him, made his short, swift bow. "i guess likely you gave me up," he said in his high key, "but i waited long's i dared for the through train. she's been snowed under three days in the rockies. they had her due at wenatchee by two-fifteen; then it was put off to five, and when the local came along, i thought i might as well take her." mrs. weatherbee, who had started to rise, settled back in her chair with a smile. "i had given you up, mr. banks," she said not quite steadily. then morganstein said: "how do, banks," and offered his hand. "just in time to join us. ordered saddle of yakima lamb, first on the market, dressing of fine herbs, for the crowd. suits you, doesn't it?" to which the little prospector responded: "my, yes, first class, but i don't want to put you out." "you won't," frederic chuckled; "couldn't do it if you tried." but it was elizabeth who rose to make room for the extra chair on her side of the table, and who inquired presently after his wife. "mrs. banks is fine," he answered, his bleak face glowing. "my, yes, seems like she makes a better showing now than she did at the corners seven years back." "still driving those bays?" asked frederic. the mining man nodded with reluctance. "it's no use to try to get her to let 'em alone long's they are on the place, and i couldn't sneak 'em away; she was always watching around. she thinks tisdale will likely sell when he sees she can manage the team." "so," laughed morganstein, "you'll have to come up with that christmas present, after all." "they will do for her birthday," replied banks gravely. "i picked out a new ring for christmas. it was a first-class diamond, and she liked it all right. she said," and a shade of humor warmed his face, "she would have to patronize the new manicure store down to wenatchee, if i expected her to have hands fit to wear it, and if she had to live up to that ring, it would cost me something before she was through." "and did she try the parlors?" asked elizabeth seriously. "my, yes, and it was worth the money. her hands made a mighty fine showing the first trip, and before she used up her ticket, i was telling her she'd have to wear mittens when she played the old melodion, or likely her fingers would get hurt hitting the keys." banks laughed his high, strained laugh, and morganstein echoed it deeply. "ought to have an establishment in the new town," he said. "we are going to," the prospector replied; "as soon as the new brick block is ready to open up. there's going to be manicure and hair-dressing parlors back of the millinery store. lucile, miss lucile purdy of sedgewick-wilson's, is coming over to run 'em both. she can do it, my, yes." "now i can believe you have a self-respecting and wide-awake town," commented mrs. feversham. "but is the big department store backing miss purdy?" "no, ma'am. we ain't talking about it much, but mrs. banks has put up money; she says she is the silent partner of the concern." "is that so?" questioned morganstein thoughtfully. "seems to me you are banking rather heavy on the new town." banks' eyes gleamed appreciation, but the capitalist missed his inadvertent pun. after a moment, the mining man said: "i guess the millinery investment won't break us; but there's no question about weatherbee's being a live town, and lucile can sell goods." "i presume next," said mrs. feversham with veiled irony, "we shall be hearing of you as the first mayor of weatherbee." banks shook his head gravely. "they shouldered that on to henderson bailey." "i remember," said frederic. "man who started the orchard excitement, wasn't he? got in on the ground floor and platted some of his land in city lots. naturally, he's running for mayor." "he's it," responded the mining man. "the election came off tuesday, and he led his ticket, my, yes, clear out of sight." "bet you ran for something, though," responded morganstein. "bet they had you up for treasurer." banks laughed. "there was some talk of it--my wife said they were looking for somebody that could make good if the city money fell short--but most of the bunch thought my lay was the board of control. you see, i got to looking after things to help bailey out, while he was busy moving his apples or maybe his city lots. my, it got so's when mrs. banks couldn't find me down to the city park, watching the men grub out sage-brush for the new trees, she could count on my being up-stream to the water-works, or hiking out to the lighting-plant. it's kept me rushed, all right. it takes time to start a first-class town. it has to be done straight from bedrock. but now that annabel's house up hesperides vale is built, and the flumes are in, she thinks likely she can run her ranch, and i think likely,"--the prospector paused, and his eyes, with their gleam of blue glacier ice, sought mrs. weatherbee's. hers clouded a little, and she leaned slightly towards him, waiting with hushed breath--"i think likely," he repeated in a higher key, "seeing's the alameda has to be finished up, and the fountain got in shape at the park, with the statue about due from new york, i may as well drop dave's project and call the deal off." there was a silence, during which the eyes of every one rested on beatriz. she straightened with a great sigh; the color rushed coral-pink to her face. "i am--sorry--about your loss, mr. banks," she said, then, and her voice fluctuated softly, "but i shall do my best--i shall make it a point of honor--to sometime reimburse you." her glance fell to the violets at her belt; she singled one from the rest and, inhaling its perfume, held it lightly to her lips. "you thoroughbred!" said frederic thickly. chapter xxvi the everlasting door sometime during the night of the fifteenth, the belated chinook wind began to flute through the canyon, and towards dawn the guests at scenic hot springs were wakened by the near thunder of an avalanche. after a while, word was brought that the great northern track was buried under forty feet of snow and rock and fallen trees for a distance of nearly a mile. later a rotary steamed around the high curve on the mountain and stopped, like a toy engine on an upper shelf, while the spokane local, upon which banks had expected to return to weatherbee, forged a few miles beyond the hotel to leave a hundred laborers from seattle. thin wreaths of vapor commenced to rise and, gathering volume with incredible swiftness, blotted out the plow and the snow-sheds, and meeting, broke in a storm of hail. the cloud lifted, but in a short interval was followed by another that burst in a deluge of rain, and while the slope was still obscured, a report was telegraphed from the summit that a second avalanche had closed the east portal of cascade tunnel, through which the oriental limited had just passed. at nightfall, when the work of clearing away the first mass of debris was not yet completed, a third slide swept down seven laborers and demolished a snow-shed. the unfortunate train that had been delayed so long in the rockies was indefinitely stalled. the situation was unprecedented. never before in the history of the great northern had there been so heavy a snowfall in the cascades; the sudden thaw following an ordinary precipitation must have looked serious, but the moving of this vast accumulation became appalling. all through that day, the second night the cannonading of avalanches continued, distant and near. at last came an interlude. the warm wind died out; at evening there was a promise of frost; and only the voice of the river disturbed the gorge. dawn broke still and crisp and clear. the mountain tops shone in splendor, purple cliffs stood sharply defined against snow-covered slopes, and whole companies in the lower ranks of the trees had thrown off their white cloaks. it was a day to delight the soul, to rouse the heart, invite to deeds of emulation. even frederic was responsive, and when after breakfast marcia broached a plan to scale the peak that loomed southeast of the pass, he grasped at the diversion. "we're pretty high up already, here at scenic," he commented, surveying the dome from his chair on the hotel veranda. "three or four thousand feet ought to put us on the summit. have the chance, anyhow, to see that stalled train." "of course it wouldn't be an achievement like the ascent of rainier," she tempered, "but we should have chances enough to use our alpenstocks before we're through; and it should be a magnificent view; all the great peaks from oregon to british columbia rising around." "with the columbia river below us," said elizabeth, "and all those miles of desert. we might even catch a glimpse of your new eden over there, beatriz." mrs. weatherbee nodded, with the sparkles breaking in her eyes. "i know this is the peak we watched the day i drove from wenatchee. it rose white and shining at the top of hesperides vale, and it may have another name, but i called it the everlasting door." once since their arrival at scenic hot springs they had followed, skeeing, an old abandoned railroad track, used by the great northern during the construction of the big tunnel, to the edge of the desired peak, and, at marcia's suggestion, frederic invited lucky banks to join the expedition in the capacity of captain and guide. the prospector admitted he felt "the need of a little exercise" and, having studied the mountain with field-glasses and consulted with the hotel proprietor, he consented to see them through. no doubt the opportunity to learn the situation of the oriental limited and the possibilities of getting in touch with tisdale, should the train fail to move before his return from the summit, had influenced the little man's decision. a few spikes in his shoes, some hardtack and cheese with an emergency flask in his pockets, a coil of rope and a small hatchet that might serve equally well as an ice-ax or to clear undergrowth on the lower slopes, was ample equipment, and he was off to reconnoiter the mountainside fully an hour in advance of the packer whom morganstein engaged for the first stage of the journey. when the man arrived at the foot of the sharp ascent where he was to be relieved, banks was finishing the piece of trail he had blazed and mushed diagonally up the slope to a rocky cleaver that stretched like a causeway from the timber to firm snow, but he returned with time to spare between the departure of the packer and the appearance of his party, to open the unwieldy load; from this he discarded two bottles of claret and another of port, with their wrappings of straw, a steamer-rug, some tins of pâté de foie gras and other sundries that made for weight, but which the capitalist had considered essential to the comfort and success of the expedition. there still remained a well-stocked hamper, including thermos bottles of coffee and tea, and a second rug, which he rolled snugly in the oilskin cover and secured with shoulder-straps. the eliminated articles, that he cached under a log, were not missed until luncheon, which was served on a high, spur below the summit while banks was absent making a last reconnaissance, and frederic blamed the packer. the spur was flanked above by a craggy buttress and broke below to an abyss which was divided by a narrow, tongue-like ridge, and over this, on a lower level of the opposite peak, appeared the steep roofs of the mountain station at the entrance to cascade tunnel, where, on the tracks outside the portal, stood the stalled train. it seemed within speaking distance in that rare atmosphere, though several miles intervened. after a while sounds of metal striking ice came from a point around the buttress; banks was cutting steps. then, following a silence, he appeared. but, on coming into the sunny westward exposure, he stopped, and with two fingers raised like a weather-vane, stood gazing down the canyon. his eyes began to scintillate like chippings of blue glacier. involuntarily every one turned in that direction, and frederic reached to take his field-glasses from the shelf of the buttress they had converted into a table. but he saw nothing new to hold the attention except three or four gauzy streamers of smoke or vapor that floated in the lower gorge. "looks like a train starting up," he commented, "but the limited gets the right of way as soon as there's a clear track." banks dropped his hand and moved a few steps to take the glasses from morganstein. "you're right," he replied in his high, strained key. "it ain't any train moving; it's the chinook waking up." he focussed on the oriental limited, then slowly swept the peak that overtopped the cars. "likely they dasn't back her into the tunnel," he said. "the bore is long enough to take in the whole bunch, but if a slide toppled off that shoulder, it would pen 'em in and cut off the air. it looks better outside, my, yes." "here is your coffee, mr. banks," said elizabeth, who had filled a cup from the thermos bottle, "and please take anything else you wish while i repack the basket. we are all waiting, you see, to go on." the prospector paused to take the cup, then said: "i guess likely we won't make the summit this trip. we've got to hustle to get down before it turns soft." "oh, but we must make the summit," exclaimed marcia, taking up her alpenstock. "why, we are all but there." "how does it look ahead?" inquired frederic, walking along the buttress. "heard you chopping ice." "i was cutting steps across the tail end of a little glacier. it's a gliddery place, but the going looks all right once you get past. well, likely you can make it," he added shrilly, "but you've got to be quick." the life of the trail that sharpens a man's perceptives teaches him to read individuality swiftly, and this alaskan who, the first day out on a long stampede, could have told the dominant trait of each husky in his team, knew his party as well as the risk. golf and tennis, added to a naturally strong physique, had given the two sisters nerves of steel. marcia, who had visited some of the great glaciers in the north, possessed the insight and coolness of a mountain explorer; and all the third woman lacked in physical endurance was more than made up in courage. the man, though enervated by over-indulgence, had the brute force, the animal instinct of self-preservation, to carry him through. so presently, when the buttress was passed, and the prospector uncoiled his rope, it was to mrs. feversham he gave the other end, placing morganstein next, with elizabeth at the center and mrs. weatherbee second. once, twice, banks felt her stumble, a sinking weight on the line, but in the instant he caught a twist in the slack and fixed his heels in the crust to turn, she had, in each case, recovered and come steadily on. it was only when the gliddery passage was made, the peril behind, that she sank down in momentary collapse. banks stopped to unfold his pocket-cup and take out his flask. "you look about done for," he said briskly. "my, yes, that little taste of glacier was your limit. but you ain't the kind to back out. no, ma'am, all you need is a little bracer to put you on your feet again, good as new." "i never can go back," she said, and met his concerned look with wide and luminous eyes. "unless--i'm carried. never in the world." morganstein forced a laugh. it had a frosty sound; his lips were blue. "excuse me," he responded. "anywhere else i wouldn't hesitate, but here, i draw the line." the prospector was holding the draught to her lips, and she took a swallow and pushed away the cup. it was brandy, raw, scalding, and it brought the color back to her face. "thank you," she said, and forced a smile. "it is bracing; my tensions are all screwed. i feel like climbing on to--mars." frederic laughed again. "you go on, banks," he said, relieving him of the cup; "she's all right. you hurry ahead before one of those girls walks over a precipice." he could not persuade her to take more of the liquor, so he himself drank the bracer, after which he put the cup and the flask, which banks had left, away in his own pockets. she was up, whipping down her fear. "come," she said, "we must hurry to overtake them." her steps, unsteady at first, grew sure and determined; she drew longer, deeper breaths; the pink of a wild rose flushed her cheeks. but frederic, plodding abreast, laid his hand on her arm. "see here," he said, "you can't keep this up; stop a minute. they've got to wait for us. george, that ambition of yours can spur you to the pace. never saw so much spirit done up in a small package. go off, sometime, like fourth o' july fireworks." he chuckled, looking down at her with admiration in his round eyes. "like you for it, though. george, it's just that has made you worth waiting for." she gave him a quick glance and, setting her alpenstock, sprang from his detaining hand. "see, they have reached the summit," she called. "they are waiting already for us. and see!" she exclaimed tensely, as he struggled after her. "it is going to be grand." a vast company of peaks began to lift, tier on tier like an amphitheater, above the rim of the dome, while far eastward, as they cross-cut the rounding incline, stretched those tawny mountains that had the appearance of strange and watchful beasts, guarding the levels of the desert, bare of snow. glimpses there were of the blue columbia, the racy wenatchee, but weatherbee's pocket was closed. then, presently, as they gained the summit, it was no longer an amphitheater into which they looked, but a billowing sea of cloud, out of which rose steep and inhospitable shores. then, everywhere, far and away, shone opal-shaded islands of mystery. "oh," she said, with a little, sighing breath, "these are the isles of the blest. we have come through the everlasting door into the better country." she stood looking off in rapture, but the man saw only the changing lights in her face. he turned a little, taking in the charm of pose, the lift of chin, parted lips, hand shading softly shining eyes. after a moment he answered: "wish we had. wish every other man you knew was left out, on the other side of the door." her hand fell, she gave him her sweeping look and moved to join the waiting group. banks came to meet them. "we've stayed to the limit; my, yes, it's the last call," he explained in his tense key. "there's a couple of places we don't want to see ourselves caught in when the thaw strikes. and they're getting a heavy rain down at the springs now; likely up at the tunnel it's snow or hail." he paused, turning to send a final glance into the mist, then said: "less than ten minutes ago i had a sight of that train, but you see now she's wiped off the map. it'll be a close race, my, yes. give me that stick, ma'am; you can make better time on the down-grade holding on to me." with this, he offered his able hand to mrs. weatherbee and, followed by the rest of the party, helped her swiftly down the slope. but clearly his mind was on the stalled train. "likely, hugging the mountainside, they don't see how the snow crowds overhead," he said. "and i'd ought to have taken time to run over and give 'em a tip. i'm going to, i'm going to, soon's i get you down to that old railroad track where you can make it alone." "do you mean the limited is in danger?" she asked, springing and tripping to his stride. and banks nodded grimly. "yes, ma'am. it's a hard proposition, even to a man like tisdale, who is used to breaking his own trail. he knows he's got to fight shy of the slides along that burned over switchback, but if he saw the box that train is in, he would just hike around to this side of the canyon, where the pitches are shorter, and the green trees stand some show to hold the snow, and work down to the old track to the springs." "is mr. tisdale"'--her voice broke a little--"mr. hollis tisdale on that train?" "likely, yes. he was snowbound on her in the rockies, last i heard, and 'feeling fit as a moose.' being penned up so long, he'd likely rather take a hike down to the hotel than not. it would be good for his health." and the little man piped his high, mirthless laugh. she stumbled, and he felt the hand in his tremble, but the abrupt incline of the glacier had opened before them, and he believed she dreaded to re-cross the ice. "keep cool," he admonished, releasing her to uncoil the rope again, "stand steady. just recollect if you came over this, you can get back." but when, presently, the difficult passage safely made, they rounded the crag and gained the level shoulder where they had lunched, they seemed to have arrived at a different place. the lower canyon, which not two hours before had stretched into blue distance below them, was lost in the creeping sea of cloud; the abyss at their feet gathered immensity, and the top of the timbered ridge lifted midway like a strange, floating garden. the station at cascade tunnel, all the opposite mountain, was obscured, then, while banks stood re-coiling his rope, the sounds that had disturbed the guests at scenic hot springs those previous nights rose, reverberating, through the hidden gorge. the chinook had resumed its work. the way below the spur broke in easy steps to the long and gradual slope that terminated above the cleaver of rock and, anxious to reach the unfortunate train, banks hurried on. marcia and elizabeth trailed quickly after, but mrs. weatherbee remained seated on the shelving ledge at the foot of the crag. frederic sank heavily into the place beside her and took out the flask. "you are all in," he said. "come, take this; it's diluted this time with snow." but she gave him no attention, except to push aside the cup. she waited, listening, leaning forward a little as though her wide eyes could penetrate the pall. then, torn by cross currents of wind, the cloud parted, and the mountain loomed like a phantom peak over the gulf. she started up and stood swaying gently on her feet while the trees, tall and spectral and cloaked in snow, opened rank on rank like a uniformed company. lower still, the steep roofs of the station reflected a shaft of the sun, and the long line of cars appeared clearly defined, waiting still on the tracks outside the portal. the rent in the cloud closed. she turned with a great, sighing breath. "did you see?" she said. "the train is safe." "of course." and again, having himself taken the bracer, frederic rose and returned the flask to his pocket. "so, that was troubling you; thought that train might have been struck. guess if an avalanche had come down there, we'd have heard some noise. it's safe enough here," he added. "top of this crag was built to shed snow like a church steeple." "but why are we waiting?" and glancing around, she exclaimed in dismay: "the others have gone. see! they are almost out of sight." she began to walk swiftly to the lower rim of the shoulder, and frederic followed. down the slope his sisters and banks seemed to be moving through a film. they mingled with it indistinctly as the figures in faded tapestry. but morganstein laid his hand on her arm to detain her. "what's your hurry?" he asked thickly. "all we got to do now is keep their trail. tracks are clear as day." "we shall delay them; they will wait." she tried to pass him, but they had reached the step from the spur, and he swung around to block the narrow way. "not yet," he said. "this is the moment i've been waiting for. first time in months you've given me a fair chance to speak to you. always headed me off. i'm tired of being held at arm's length. i've been patient to the limit. i'm going to know now, to-day, before we go down from this mountain, how soon you are going to marry me." she tried again to pass him but, taking incautious footing, slipped, and his arm saved her. "i don't care how soon it is," he went on, "or where. quietly at your apartments, or a big church wedding. on board the first boat sailing for yokohama, after those coal cases are settled, suits me." she struggled to free herself, then managed to turn and face him, with her palms braced against his breast. his arm relaxed a little, so that he was able to look down in her lifted face. what he saw there was not altogether anger, though aversion was in her eyes; not surprise, not wholly derision, though her lips suggested a smile, but an indefinable something that baffled, mastered him. his arm fell. "japan is fine in the spring," he said. "and we could take our time, coming back by way of hawaii to see the big volcano, with another stop-over at manila. get home to begin housekeeping at the villa in midsummer." "oh," she exclaimed at last, "do you think i am a silly girl to be dazzled and tempted? who knows nothing of marriage and the cost?" "no," he responded quickly. "i think you are a mighty clever woman. but you've got to the point where you can't hedge any more. banks has gone back on that option. if he won't buy, nobody else will. and it takes ready money to run a big ranch like that, even after the improvements are in. you can't realize on your orchards, even in the wenatchee country, short of four years. so you'll have to marry me; only way out." she gave him her swift, sweeping look, and the blue lights blazed in her eyes. "i will remember you are elizabeth's brother," she said. "i will try to remember that. but please don't say any more. every moment counts; come." morganstein laughed. as long as she parried, as long as she did not refuse outright to marry him, he must keep reasonably cool. he stooped to pick up the alpenstock she had dropped, then offered his hand down the step from the spur. "sorry i put it just that way," he said. "i'm a plain business man; used to coming straight to the point; but i guess you've known how much i thought of you all these years. had to keep on a high check-rein while weatherbee lived, and tried my best, afterwards, to give him a year's grace, but you knew just the same. know--don't you?--i might take my pick out of the dozen nicest girls in seattle to-day. only have to say the word. not one in the bunch would turn me down. but i wouldn't have one of 'em for second choice. nobody but you will do." he paused, then added with his narrow look: "and what i want, you ought to know that too, i get." she met the look with a shake of the head and forced a smile. "some things are not to be bought at any price. but, of course, i have seen--a woman does--" she went on hurriedly, withdrawing her hand. "there was a time, i confess, when i did consider--your way out. but i dared not take it; even then, i dared not." "you dared not?" frederic laughed again. "never thought you were afraid of me. never saw you afraid of anything. but i see. miserable experience with weatherbee made you little cautious. george, don't see how any man could have deserted you. trust me to make it up to you. marry me, and i'll show you such a good time weatherbee won't amount to a bad dream." "i do not wish to forget david weatherbee," she said. "george!" he exclaimed curiously. "do you mean you ever really loved him? a man who left you, practically without a cent, before you were married a month." "no." her voice was low; her lip trembled a little. "no, i did not love him--as he deserved; as i was able to love." she paused, then went on with decision: "but he did not leave me unprovided for. david weatherbee never deserted me. and, even though he had, though he had been the kind of man i believed him to be, it would make no difference. i could not marry you." there was a silence during which they continued to follow the tracks that cross-cut the slope. but morganstein's face was not pleasant to see. all the complaisancy of the egotist who has long and successfully shaped lives to his own ends was withdrawn; it left exposed the ugly inner side of the man. the trail was becoming soft; the damp of the chinook began to envelop them; already the advancing film stretched like a curtain over the sun, and the three figures that had seemed parts of a shaken tapestry disappeared. then, presently, banks' voice, muffled like a voice under a blanket, rose through the pall. and frederic stopped to put his hand to his mouth. "all right! coming!" he answered, but the shout rebounded as though it had struck a sounding board. after another plodding silence, the prospector's hail reached them again. it seemed farther off, and this time morganstein did not respond. he stopped, however, and the woman beside him waited in expectation. "suppose," he said slowly, "we are lost on this mountain to-night. make a difference to-morrow--wouldn't it?--whether you would marry me or not." the color rushed to her face and went; her breast rose and fell in deep, quick breaths, but she met his look fearlessly, lifting herself with the swaying movement from the balls of her feet that made her suddenly taller. "no." and her tone, the way in which she said it, must have stung even his small soul; then she added: "you are more brutal than i thought." she turned after that and herself sent the belated response to banks. but though she repeated the call twice, making a trumpet of her hands and with all the power of her voice, his hail did not reach them again. she started swiftly down. it was beginning to snow. frederic had nothing more to say. he moved on with her. it was as though each tried to out-travel the other, still they could not make up that delay. the snow fell in big, soft flakes that blurred the tracks they followed; soon they were completely blotted out, and though he strained his eyes continually, watching for the cleaver of rock they had climbed that morning, the landmark never appeared. finally, at the same instant, they both stopped, listening. on the silence broke innumerable small sounds like many little hurrying feet. the mountain trembled slightly. "god almighty!" he cried thickly. then came the closer rush of a considerable body, not unlike sheep passing in a fog, and panic seized him. "we've got to keep on top," he shouted and, grasping her arm, he swung her around and began to run back up the slope. in the face of this common peril, personality called a truce, and she pushed on with him blindly, leaving it to him to choose the way and set the pace. but their own tracks down the incline had filled with incredible swiftness; soon they were completely effaced. and, when the noise subsided, he stopped and looked about him, bewildered. he saw nothing but a breadth of sharply dipping slope, white, smooth as an unwritten scroll, over which hung the swaying, voluminous veil of the falling snow. he put his hands to his mouth then, and lifted his voice in a great hail. it brought no reply, but in the moment he waited, somewhere far below in those obscured depths, a great tree, splitting under tremendous pressure, crashed down, then quickly the terrific sweep and roar of a second mightier avalanche filled the hidden gorge. morganstein caught her arm once more. "we must get back to that shoulder where it's safe," he shouted. "banks will come to look us up." after that, as they struggled on up the slope, he fell to saying over and over, as long as the reverberations lasted: "almighty god!" as they ascended, the snow fell less heavily and finally ceased. it became firm underfoot, and a cross wind, starting in puffs, struck their faces sharply with a promise of frost. then strange hummocks began to rise. they were upheavals of ice, shrouded in snow. sometimes a higher one presented a sheer front shading to bluish-green. they had not passed this point with banks, but morganstein shaped a course to a black pinnacle, lifting through the mist beyond, that he believed was the crag at the shoulder. she stumbled repeatedly on the rough surface. her labored breathing in the great stillness, like the beat of a pendulum in an empty house, tried his strained nerves. he upbraided her for leaving her alpenstock down the slope. but she paid no attention. she looked back constantly; she was like a woman being led away from a locked door, moving reluctantly, listening against hope for a word or sign. so, at last, they came to the rock. it was not the crag, but a hanging promontory, where the mountain broke in a three-sided precipice. the cloud surged around it like an unplumbed sea. they crept back, and morganstein tried again to determine their position. they were too high, he concluded; they must work down a little to round the cliffs, so they took a course diagonally into the smother. then he, too, began to lose alertness; he walked mechanically, taking the line of least resistance; his head sagged forward; he saw nothing but the hummocks before him. these grew larger; they changed to narrow ridges with fissures between. after a while, one of these breaks roused him. it was exceedingly deep; he could not see either end of it. the only way was to leap, and he did it clumsily. then, with his alpenstock fixed, and his spiked heels set in the crust, he reached a hand to her. she was barely able to spring to the lower side, but it did not terrify her. one fear only possessed her. her glance, seeking, returned to the hidden canyon. but soon they were confronted by a wider and still deeper chasm. it was impossible to cross it, though it seemed to narrow upwards in the direction of the summit. he took her arm and began to ascend, looking for a way over. the pitch grew steadily sharper. they entered the thinning edge of the cloud, and it became transparent like tissue of gold. suddenly it parted, and frederic stopped, blinded by the blaze of a red sunset on snow. he closed his eyes an instant, while, to avoid the glare, he turned his face. his first glance shocked him into a sense of great peril. the two fissures ran parallel, and they were ascending a tongue of ice between. not far below, it narrowed to a point where the two crevasses, uniting, yawned in one. his knees weakened, but he managed to swing himself cautiously around. the causeway seemed to rock under his weight; then, shading his sight with his hand, he saw they were almost beneath the shoulder he had tried to reach. they had climbed too high, as he had believed, but also they had descended too far. and they had come directly down the glacier, to cross the upper end of which banks had found it necessary to use a lifeline. "be careful!" he whispered thickly, and laid his hand on her shoulder, impelling her on. "be careful, but, for god's sake, hurry!" he crowded her faster and faster up the incline; he dared not move abreast, it was so narrow. sometimes he lifted her bodily, for with every step his panic grew. beads of moisture gathered on his face, though the wind stiffened and sharpened; his own breath out-labored hers, and he cried again over and over: "god almighty!" and "almighty god!" sometimes his tone was blasphemy and sometimes prayer. but the moment came when she could not be farther pressed. her shoulder trembled under his hold, her limbs gave, and she sank down, to her knees at first, then to her elbow. even then she moved her head enough to look backward over the abyss. "the train," she whispered and, shuddering, dropped her face on her relaxed arm. morganstein ventured to glance back. ragged fragments torn from the cloud below rose swirling across the opposite mountain top, and between their edges, like a picture in a frame, appeared briefly the roofs of the little station. but where the oriental limited had stood, the avalanche had passed. "god almighty!" he repeated impotently, then immediately the sense of this appalling catastrophe whet the edge of his personal terror. "come!" he cried; "come, you can't stop here. it's dangerous. come, you'll freeze--or worse." she was silent. she made no effort to rise or indeed to move. he began to press by her and on in the direction of that safe spur. but presently another dread assailed him; the dread of the city-bred man--accustomed to human intercourse, the swing of business, the stir of social life, to face great solitudes alone. this cross-fear became so strong it turned him back in a second panic. then floundering to keep his equilibrium after an incautious step, he sat down heavily and found himself skidding towards the larger crevasse. he lifted his alpenstock and in a frenzy thrust it into the ice between his knees. it caught fast just short of the brink and held him astride, with heels dangling over the abyss. he worked away cautiously, laboriously, shaking in all his big, soft bulk; and would have given up further attempt to rescue beatriz weatherbee had he not at this moment discovered himself at her side. he had not yet tried to rise to his feet, so safe-guarding himself with the alpenstock thrust once more in the ice, he paused to take the flask from his pocket and poured all that remained of the liquor into the cup. it was a little over half full. possibly he remembered how lavish he had been with those previous draughts, for he looked at his companion with a kind of regret as he lifted the cup unsteadily to drink. then, gathering the remnants of his courage, he put his arm under her head, raising it while he forced the small surplus of brandy he had left between her lips. she revived enough under the scalding swallow to push the cup away. anywhere else he would have laughed at her feeble effort to throw off his touch; but he did not urge her to finish the draught, and, as he had done earlier that day, himself hastily drained the cup. he dropped it beside the empty flask and struggled up. "now," he said, "we've got to make that spur where it's safe. come. it isn't far; just been up to that place where banks helped us across; had to come back for you." but he was obliged to lift her to her feet and to support her up the slope. and this, even though the tongue widened above them, threw him perilously close to the crevasse. once, twice, the ice broke on the brink and dropped clinking down, down. it was impossible to make the leap again to the higher surface they had descended; unhampered, he must have been physically unfit. behind them the cloud closed over the pass and the mountain top under which the oriental limited had stood. his companion no longer looked back; she moved as mechanically though less certainly than one who walks in sleep. the fears that possessed him, that she herself had held so finely in check when they had followed banks on this glacier, did not trouble her now. her indifference to their extremity began to play on frederic's unhinged nerves. this white, blue-lipped woman was not the beatriz weatherbee he had known; who had climbed the slope with him that morning, all exhilaration, spirit, charm; whose example had challenged his endurance and held his courage to the sticking point. "why don't you say something?" he complained. "have you turned into ice? now look where you step, can't you? deuced fix you got us into, dreaming there in the clouds, when lucky banks had left the spur. come on, you bloodless ghost; come, or i'll let you stay where you drop. nice place to spend the night in. almighty god!" so, upbraiding her when she stumbled, blaming her for their plight, threatening to leave her if she should fall, and flaying himself on with renewed panic, he brought her to the top of the double crevasse and the prospector's crossing. but here, with the levels of the spur before them, her strength reached low ebb. this time he was not able to rouse her, and he threw down his alpenstock and took her in his arms, and went slipping and recovering the remaining steps. he stopped, winded, and stood her on her feet, but her body sagged limply against him, and the sight of her still face terrified him. he carried her a little farther, to the shelter of the crag, and laid her there. then he dropped to his knees beside her, and grasping her shoulders shook her, at first slowly, then swiftly, with the roughness of despair. "wake up," he cried thickly. "wake up! don't you see we're out of that hole? come, banks will be here any minute. come, wake up." she made no response. the sun had set; it was growing bitterly cold, and there was little protection under the crag. it was a place where cross winds met. torn fragments from the sea of cloud below drove against the pinnacle. it was like a lofty headland breasting rolling surf. frederic stood erect and sent his voice down through the smother in a great shout. it brought no answer, and he settled helplessly on the shelf beside her. it began to hail furiously, and he dropped his face, shielding it in his arms. the storm passed and, rousing himself, he searched his pockets vainly for a match to light his remaining cigar. later he went through them again, hoping to find a piece of chocolate--he had carried some that morning--but this, too, was without result. he fell to cursing the packer, for appropriating the port and tinned things that were missing at lunch-time. but after that he did not talk any more and, in a little while, he stretched himself beside the unconscious figure at the foot of the crag. a second cloud lifted in a flurry of snow. every hidden canyon sent out innumerable currents of air, and gales, meeting, lifted the powdery crust in swirls, wrapping them in a white sheet. finally, from far off, mingling with the skirling pipes of the wind came a different, human sound. and, presently, when the call--if call it was--was repeated, the man sat up and looked dully around. but he made no effort to reply. he waited, listening stupidly, and the cry did not reach him again. then, his glance falling to the woman, a ray of intelligence leaped in his eyes. he rose on his knees and moved her so there was room for his own bulk between her body and the rock. he had then, when he stretched himself on the snow, a windbreak. the wind rushed screaming into the vast spaces beyond the mountain top, and returning, met the opposing forces from the canyon and instantly became a whirlwind. it cut like myriads of teeth; it struck two-edged with the swish, slash of a sword; and it lifted the advancing cloud in a mighty swirl, bellied it as though it had been a gigantic sail, and shook from its folds a deluge of hailstones followed by snow. through it all a grotesque shape that seemed sometimes a huge, abnormal beetle and sometimes a beast, worked slowly around the crag, now crawling, now rearing upright with a futile napping of stiff wings, towards the two human figures. it was lucky banks, come to rescue them. a heavier blast threw him on his face, but he rose to his knees and, creeping close, squared his shoulders to protect the slighter body. at the same time the significance of the position of morganstein's unconscious bulk struck him. "you rat!" he cried with smothered fury. "you damn rat!" then he caught up a handful of snow with which he began to rub the woman's face. afterwards he removed her gloves to manipulate her cold hands. he worked swiftly, with the deftness of practice, but the results were slow, and presently he took the rug from the pack he carried and covered her while he felt in frederic's pockets for the flask he had neglected to return. "likely there wasn't a drop left when she came to need it, you brute. and i'd like to leave you here to take your chances. you can thank your luck i've got to use you." banks keyed his voice high, between breaths, to out-scale the wind, but he did not wait for a reply. before he finished speaking, he had opened his big, keen-bladed clasp-knife and commenced to cut broad strips from the rug. he passed some of these, not without effort, under morganstein's body, trussing the arms. then, wrapping the smaller figure snugly in the blanket, he lifted it on to the human toboggan he had made and bound it securely. finally he converted the shoulder-straps of his pack into a sort of steering gear, to which he fastened his life-line. these preparations had been quickly made. it was not yet dark when he worked this sled over the rim of the spur and began to descend the long slope. the violence of the wind was broken there, so that he was able to travel erect, drawing his load. after a while, when the flurry of snow had passed, a crust formed on the surface, and in steeper pitches he was obliged to let the toboggan forge ahead, using himself as a drag. with the change to colder temperature, there was no further danger of slides, and to avoid the avalanche that had turned morganstein back, the prospector shaped his course more directly into the canyon. soon he was below the clouds; between their ragged edges a few stars appeared. beyond a buttress shone a ruddy illumination. some firs stood against it darkly. it was the fire marcia and elizabeth were watching at the place where he had cached the surplus supplies that morning. it served as a beacon when the crispness ceased, and for an interval he was forced to mush laboriously through soft drifts. then he came to a first bare spot. it was in crossing this rough ground that frederic showed signs of returning consciousness. but banks gave him no attention. he had caught a strange sound on the wind. others, far off, rose while he listened. presently, looking back beyond the end of the ridge that divided the upper gorge, he saw twinkling lights. they were the lanterns of the searchers at the wrecked train. the little man did not exclaim. he did not pray. his was the anguish of soul which finds no expression. chapter xxvii kismet. an act of god afterwards, some who compared the slope where the oriental limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "it was fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the great northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at cascade tunnel "an act of god." in either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe. at noon that day, a rumor reached the stalled train that a slide at the front had struck one of the rotaries. laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber. the limited could not move within forty-eight hours, perhaps three days. tisdale picked up his bag and went out to the observation platform. he knew that to attempt to follow the railroad through those swaths the avalanches had left, under the burned skeletons of trees ready to topple at the first pressure of other bodies of snow, was to take one's life needlessly in his hands; but there was another way. the slope from the track at the portal dipped through a park of hemlock and fir, and the blaze that had swept the lower mountainside had not reached this timber; the great boughs, like fishers' nets, supported their dripping accumulations. also, at this altitude, there was no undergrowth. to make the drop directly into the canyon and follow the river down to scenic hot springs meant little more to him than a bracing tramp of a few hours. snowshoes were a necessity, and the demand at the little station had long exceeded the supply, but the operator was able to furnish the length of bale rope tisdale asked of him. from the office door, where he had curiously followed to see the line put to use, he watched the traveler secure two pliable branches of hemlock, of the same size, which he brought to the station platform, and, having stripped them of needles, bent into ovals. then, laying aside one, he commenced to weave half of the rope net-wise, filling the space in the frame he held. a sudden intelligence leaped in the agent's face. "that's simple enough," he exclaimed. "and they'll carry you as far as you want to go." tisdale smiled, nodding, and picked up the remaining frame. "strange i never saw any one try the scheme before," the operator commented. "i've weathered a good many blockades up here; seen lots of fellows, men whose time was money, bucking it out to open track. but i bet the first time this idea struck you you were up against it. i bet it's a yarn worth listening to." tisdale glanced up; the genial lines deepened. "it was a situation to clear a man's head. there was snow from three to seven feet deep ahead of me and going soft. my snowshoes, lost with the outfit at a hole in a yukon crossing, were swinging down-stream under the ice. i had two sea biscuit in my pocket and a few inches of dried venison, with the nearest road-house over fifty miles away." "well, that was hard luck," the agent shook his head gravely. "it was the best kind of luck," responded tisdale quickly, "to find myself with that rope in my hands and a nice little spruce on the bank to supply frames enough for a regiment. i was rigging a kind of derrick to ease my sled up the sharp pitch from the crossing." "i see," said the operator thoughtfully, "and the sled broke through. lost it and the outfit. but your dogs--saved them, didn't you?" "all but two." tisdale's brows contracted. "they were dragged under the ice before i could cut the traces. there was leather enough on the leaders to bind those shoes on, but"--and the humorous lines deepened again--"a couple of straps, from an old suitcase, if you happen to have one, would be an improvement." the operator hurried into the office and, after a vigorous search among the miscellaneous articles stored under his desk, found an old valise, from which he detached the desired straps. tisdale adjusted the improvised shoes. "i will send them back by a brakeman from scenic springs," he said, rising from his seat on the edge of the platform. "you can keep them for a pattern." "all right," the operator laughed. "if you do, i'll have to lay in a stock of bale rope." it was beginning to snow again, big, soft flakes, and the wind, skimming the drifts, speedily filled the broad, light rings tisdale left in his wake. a passenger with a baby in his arms stood on the observation platform, and the child held out its mittened hands to him, crowing, with little springs. they had formed an acquaintance during the delay in the rockies, which had grown to intimacy in the cascades, and hollis slipped the carrying strap of his bag over his shoulder and stopped to toss him a snowball, before he turned from the track. "good-by, joey," he said. "i am coming back for you if there's a chance." the operator, shivering, closed the door. "never saw such a man," he commented. "but if he's lived in alaska, a cascade blizzard would just be a light breeze to him." he paused to put a huge stick of wood in the stove, then, after the habit of solitary humanity, resumed his soliloquy. "i bet he's seen life. i bet, whoever he is, he's somewheres near the top of the ladder. i bet, in a bunch of men, he does the thinking. and i bet what he wants, i don't care what's piled in his way, he gets." as he descended, the trees closed behind tisdale, rank on rank, and were enveloped in the swaying curtain of the snow. always a certain number surrounded him; they seemed to march with him like a bodyguard. but he was oblivious of the peril that from the higher peak had appeared so imminent to lucky banks. when the snow-cloud lifted, the pass was still completely veiled from him, and the peak the prospector's party had ascended was then cut off by the intervening ridge. he had crossed the headwaters and was working along this slope down the watercourse, when the noise of the first avalanche startled the gorge. a little later a far shout came to his quick ear. he answered, but when another call reached him from a different point, high up beyond the ridge, he was silent. he knew a company, separated in the neighborhood of the slide, was trying to get into communication. then, in the interval that he waited, listening, began the ominous roar of the mightier cataclysm. the mountain he had descended seemed to heave; its front gave way; the ridge on which he stood trembled at the concussion. instantly, before the clamor ceased and the first cries reached him, tisdale knew what had occurred. his sense of location told him. then the fact was pressed on him that some on the unfortunate train still survived. he saw that the course he had taken from the west portal was no longer possible, but by keeping the curve of the ridge which joined the mountain slope and formed the top of the gorge, and by working upward, he should be able to gain the upper edge of the slide where rose the human sounds. he took this way. his shoulder, turned a little, met the lower boughs with the dip and push of the practiced woodsman, and even on the up-grade the distance fell behind him swiftly. always subconsciously, as he moved, he saw that baby crowing him a good-by, and the young father smiling godspeed from the observation platform; sometimes the girl mother with tender brown eyes watched him from the background. suppose their coach, which had directly preceded the observation car, had escaped; the snow-cloud, parting on the mountain top, showed that the roofs of the station still remained. after a while he noticed two men working downward from the portal along the swath of the avalanche. one, he conjectured, was the operator, but they stopped some distance above him and commenced to remove sections of the débris. then hollis saw before him some brilliant spots on the snow. they proved to be only pieces of stained glass from a shattered transom. the side of the car with denuded window casings rested a few feet higher, and a corner of the top of the coach protruded from under the fallen skeleton of a fir. the voices now seemed all around him. somewhere a man was shouting "help!" another groaned, cursing, and, deeper in the wreckage, rose a woman's muffled, continuous screaming. but, nearer than the rest, a child was crying piteously. he reached the intact portion of the crushed roof and found the baby sitting unhurt on a clear breadth of snow. the body of the father was pinned hopelessly beneath the tree, and the mother lay under the fragment of roof, an iron bar on her tender eyes. it was as though destiny, having destroyed them, whimsically threw a charmed circle around this remaining atom of the family. "well, joey," tisdale said quietly, "i've come back for you." instantly the child stopped crying and turned to listen; then, seeing tisdale, he began to crow, rocking his little body and catching up handsful of snow to demonstrate his delight. the hands and round bud of a mouth were blue. "cold, isn't it, joey?" and he took the baby in his arms. "we can't find your coat and mittens, but here is a nice blanket." he stooped, as he spoke, and pulled the blanket from under a broken door, and the child nestled its face in his neck, telling him in expressive, complaining sounds the story of his terror and discomfort. a man burrowed out of the snow above the log. his leg was injured, but he began to creep, dragging it, in the direction of the woman's voice. "i'm coming, mary," he cried. "for god's sake, stop." tisdale picked up a strip from the broken door and hurried to his aid. he put the child down and used the board as a shovel, and joey, watching from the peephole in his blanket, laughed and crowed again. up the slope the operator and his companion had extricated a brakeman, who, forgetting his own injuries, joined the little force of rescuers. at last the cries ceased. haste was no longer imperative. the remaining coaches were buried under tons of snow and debris. weeks of labor, with relays of men, might not reach them all. and it was time to let the outside world know. the telephone lines were down, the telegraph out of commission, and tisdale, with the baby to bear him company, started to carry the news to scenic hot springs. it had grown very cold when he rounded the top of the gorge. the arrested thaw hung in myriads of small icicles on every bough; they changed to rubies when the late sun blazed out briefly; the trees seemed strung with gems; the winds that gathered on the high dome above the upper canyon rushed across the summit of the ridge. they fluted every pipe, and, as though it were an enchanted forest, all the small pendants on all the branches changed to striking cymbals and silver bells. the baby slept as warm and safe in his blanket as though he had not left his mother's arms. once there came a momentary lull, and on the silence, far off--so far it seemed hardly more than a human breath drifting with the lighter current that still set towards him from the loftier peak--tisdale heard some one calling him. his pulses missed their beat and raced on at fever heat. he believed, in that halting instant, it was beatriz weatherbee. then the gale, making up for the pause, swept down in fury, and he hurried under the shelter of the ridge with the child. he told himself there had been no voice; it was an illusion. that the catastrophe, following so closely on his illness, had unhinged him a little. the morganstein party had doubtless returned to seattle at the beginning of the thaw; and even had mrs. weatherbee remained at scenic springs, it was not probable she had strayed far from the comfort and safety of the hotel. and recalling that night she had passed in the wenatchee mountains, he smiled. as twilight fell, a ruddy illumination outlined the ridge. he conjectured that the men he had heard early in the afternoon in the vicinity of the first slide were a party of belated hunters, who had camped in the upper canyon. they must have known of the greater avalanche; possibly of the disaster. they may have sent a messenger to the springs and kindled this beacon to guide any one who might choose this way to bring the news from the portal. at least they would be able to direct him to the shortest out; serve him the cup of coffee of which he was in need. so, coming to the end of the ridge where the canyons met, he turned in the direction of the fire, and found--two waiting women. their presence alone was an explanation. mrs. feversham had only to say lucky banks had led their party, in the ascent of the peak that brilliant morning, and instantly everything was clear to tisdale. the voice he had heard from the top of the ridge was not an illusion. she had called him. "it was snowing," he said, interrupting the story, "but if they left the shadow of a trail, banks found it. there are two of them, though, and up there--it's cold." then, having gone a few steps, he remembered the child and came back to put him in elizabeth's arms. "his father and mother are dead," he explained briefly, "but he hasn't a bruise. when he wakes, he is going to be hungry." so, forgetting those wearing hours of rescue work, and without the coffee for which he had intended to ask, he started on the prospector's trail. in a little while, as he skirted the foot of the slide, he heard a great commotion on the slope beyond. it was lucky banks easing his human toboggan down the last pitch to the canyon floor. the two men stood a silent moment scanning each other in the uncertain light across that load. tisdale's eyes were searching for an answer to the question he could not ask, but the prospector, breathing hard, was trying to cover the emotion tisdale's unexpected appearance had roused. "hello, hollis," he said at last. "is that you? i had to see after dave's wife, but i thought likely, when i got her to camp, i'd take a little hike up to the tunnel and look you up." but tisdale, not finding the answer for which he looked, sank to his knee beside the load and loosened the straps. then he lifted a corner of the rug that protected her face, and at the sight of it, so white, so still, his heart cried. "little soldier!" he said over and over and, as though he hoped to warm them, laid his cheek gently to her blue lips. "you called me! i heard you. i failed you, too!" then a fluttering breath steadied him. instantly the iron in the man cropped through. he felt her pulse, her heart, as though she had been some stranger from the unfortunate train and, moving her to a level place, fixed her head low and began firmly, with exceeding care, those expedients to eliminate the frost and start the circulation that banks had already hurriedly tried. his great, warm personality enfolded her; he worked tirelessly, as though he was determined to infuse her numb veins with his own vigor. when the prospector would have aided him, he wished to do everything alone, and directed the miner's attention to frederic morganstein, who showed signs of returning consciousness. but the intrepid little man failed to respond. "i guess likely he will pull through," he said dryly. "he had a pretty good shaking up coming down, and i'd better run around to camp and get a bottle of port i cached this morning. the snipe got away with my flask; used the last drop, likely, before she needed it." his voice took a higher pitch, and he added over his shoulder, as he started in the direction of the fire: "he made a windbreak of her." when he returned presently with the wine, frederic was filling the night with his complaints and groans. but neither of the men gave him any attention. that was left for marcia, who had followed the prospector. beatriz weatherbee was still unconscious. she was carried to the camp and laid in a sheltered place remote from the fire. then lucky banks volunteered to go to scenic springs with the news of the train disaster, and to bring an extra man with lanterns and a stretcher. he was well on the way when morganstein crept in. marcia found him a seat on the end of a log and, wrapping the cached rug about him, regaled him with the recovered portion of the luncheon. but it was long after that when beatriz weatherbee's eyelids fluttered open. tisdale drew a little more into the shadows, waiting, and the first to come within her range of vision was the child. he was sitting on his blanket in the strong glow, and just beyond him elizabeth, who had found a tin of cream in the cache and had been feeding him, was putting away the cup. joey faced the waking woman and, catching her look, he put out his hands, rocking gayly, and crowed. instantly a flash of intelligence lighted her face. she smiled and tried to stretch out her arms. "come!" she said. elizabeth caught up the child and placed him beside her on the rug. he put out his soft, moist fingers, touching her face curiously, with gathering doubt. then, satisfied this was not his mother, as in the uncertain light he must have supposed, he drew back with a whimper and clung to elizabeth. at the same moment mrs. weatherbee's smile changed to disappointment. "his eyes are brown, elizabeth," she said, "and my baby's were blue, like mine." and she turned her face, weeping; not hysterically, like a woman physically unstrung, but with the slow, deep sobs of a woman who has wakened from a dream of one whom she has greatly loved--and buried. chapter xxviii surrender tisdale had not seen beatriz weatherbee since she had been brought semi-conscious from the foot of the mountain, but he learned from the hotel physician the following morning that she was able to travel on the special train which was coming from seattle to transport the morganstein party home. the first inquiry, after news of the disaster reached the outside world, was from joey's grandfather, a lumberman on puget sound. put in communication with tisdale, he telephoned he would arrive at the springs on the special. so, leaving the child in charge of the housekeeper, hollis returned to the west portal, to join the little force of rescuers. it was then no longer a question of life-saving, but of identification. the swiss chalet, which had ceased to be the mecca of pleasure-seekers, had become a morgue. but lucky banks, who went with him, had received a message from mrs. weatherbee, and in the interval that tisdale was busy with long-distance and disposing of joey, the prospector went up to her room. she was pale and very weak, but she smiled as he approached her couch and held out her hand. "no, the right one," she said, and added, taking it with a gentle pressure, "i know, now, what it is--to be cold." the little man nodded. his face worked, and he hurried to conceal the maimed hand in his pocket. "but the doctor says you'll pull through good as new," he commented. "i am proud to know that; my, yes." "and i am proud of you, mr. banks. it seems incredible, but miss morganstein told me you rescued her brother, too. i've tried and tried to remember, but i am not able. you must have carried me, at least, all of the way." banks glanced at elizabeth, who was seated beyond the couch. she had laid a warning finger to her lips and shook her head. "that was dead easy coming downgrade," he answered. "and that little blow up there on the mountain top wasn't anything to speak of, alongside a regular alaska blizzard. if i'd had to weight my pockets with rocks, that would have been something doing. i might have felt then that i was squaring myself with dave weatherbee." "i understand," she said slowly, "but," and she smiled again, "i am grateful, mr. banks, just the same. perhaps, since you loved david so much, you will regard it as a kind of compensation that i am going on with the project." "is that so?" the little man beamed. "well, the house is all done and waiting, my, yes, whenever you are ready to move over." "why, beatriz," said elizabeth in alarm, "i am going to take that desert tract off your hands. i've been interested in reclamation work for months." and looking at banks, she added significantly: "i am afraid she is talking too much." "likely," replied the prospector, rising, "and i am due to take a little hike up the canyon with hollis tisdale." "mr. tisdale?" she asked, with a quick brightening of her face. "then he is quite well again. miss morganstein told me he was saved--from that unfortunate train," and she added, shivering and closing her eyes, "i remember--that." "i couldn't have got there in time," banks hurried to explain, "even if you had given up making the summit. likely i'd have got caught by the slide, and hollis was half-way to the springs and 'feeling fit as a moose' when it started. well, good-by, ma'am; take care of yourself." "good-by, mr. banks," and she smiled once more. "you may expect me at hesperides vale in a few days; as soon as my things at vivian court are packed." and she added, with the color softly warming her cheek, "mr. tisdale might like to know that. he always wished to see david's project carried through." and the little man replied from the door: "i'll tell him, ma'am, my, yes." the special, which brought other seekers besides joey's grandfather, also conveyed jimmie daniels. it was his last assignment with the _press_; he and geraldine were to be married within the week and assume the editorial position at weatherbee. and he pushed up over tisdale's trail, now become well broken, eager to make a final scoop and his best one. hours later, when he should have been back at scenic hot springs, rushing his copy through to his paper, he still remained on the slope below the west portal to carry out the brief and forceful instructions of the man who directed and dominated everybody; who knew in each emergency the one thing to do. once jimmie found himself aiding banks to wrap a woman's body in a blanket to be lowered by tackle down the mountainside. she was young, not older than geraldine, and the sight of her--rounded cheek, dimpled chin, arm so beautifully molded--all with the life snuffed out without a moment's warning--gave him a sensation of being smothered. he was seized with a compelling desire to get away, and to conquer his panic, he asked the prospector whether this man was not the superintendent of the mountain division. the mining man replied: "no, that's the railroad boss over there with the gang handling the derrick; this is tisdale, hollis tisdale of alaska and washington, d.c. you ought to have heard of him in your line of business if you never happened to see him before." then jimmie, turning to look more directly at the stranger, hastily dropped his face. "you are right," he said softly, "i've known him by sight some time." afterwards, while they were having coffee with the station master, daniels asked banks how he and tisdale happened to be at cascade tunnel. "i was putting in a little time at the springs," banks responded, "but hollis was a passenger on the stalled train. he took a notion to hike down to the hotel just ahead of the slide." "you mean that man who has taken charge out there," exclaimed the operator. "i had a talk with him before he started; he was rigging up some snowshoes. he said he was from alaska, and i put him down for one of those bonanza kings." "he is," said banks in his high key. "what he don't know about minerals ain't worth knowing, and he owns one of the finest layouts in the north, dave weatherbee's bore." "the aurora mine," confirmed daniels. "and i presume there isn't a man better known, or as well liked, in alaska." banks nodded. "dave and him was a team. the best known and the best liked in the whole country. and likely there's men on the top seats in washington, d.c., would be glad of a chance to shake hands with hollis tisdale." "i knew he was somewhere near the top," commented the operator. "he can handle men. i never saw such a fellow. why, he must have got half-way to the springs when the slide started, but he was back, climbing up along the edge of it to the wreck, almost before it quit thundering. and he took out a live baby, without a damage mark, and all its folks lying right there dead, before the rest of us got in earshot." daniels put down his sandwich and took out his neglected notebook. he gathered all the detail the ready operator could supply: how tisdale had wrapped the child in a blanket and carried him from place to place, talking to him in his nice, friendly way, amusing him, keeping him quiet, while he worked with the strength of two men to liberate other survivors. and how, when none was left to save, he had taken the baby in his arms and gone to break trail to the springs to send out news of the disaster. all that the station master and banks could not tell him, with the name and prominence of joey's family, jimmie added later at the chalet, and he finished with a skilful reference to the papoose, killed by accident so many years before. it was a great story. it went into the paper as it stood. and when the day came to leave the _press_ office, the chief, shaking hands with his "novelist," said it was a fine scoop, and he had always known jimmie had it in him to make good; he was sorry to lose him. but the society editor, reading between the lines, told him it was the greatest apology he could have made. she was proud of him. at vivian court late that afternoon, elizabeth read the story to beatriz weatherbee. her couch was drawn into the sunny alcove, where, from her pillows, she might watch the changing light on mount rainier. finally, when elizabeth finished, beatriz broke the silence. "he must have passed down the canyon while we were there." "yes, he did. he carried one end of your stretcher all the way to the springs." then elizabeth asked: "don't you remember the baby, either? he had brown eyes." "i seem to remember a child," she answered slowly, "a baby sitting in the firelight, but"--and she shook her head, "i've dreamed so many dreams." "he was a fact; a perfect dear. i should have adopted him, if his relatives hadn't been so prominent and rich. and you, too, fell instantly in love with him. you wanted him in your arms the moment you opened your eyes." elizabeth paused with a straight look from under her heavy brows and while she hesitated there was a knock at the door. she threw it open and a porter brought in one of those showy japanese shrubs in an ornate jardinière, such as frederic morganstein so often used as an expression of his regard. his card hung by a ribbon from a branch, like a present on a christmas tree, and when the boy had gone, she untied it and carried it to mrs. weatherbee. "i wish you could marry frederic and settle it all," she said. "japan is lovely in the spring." beatriz, who had taken the card indifferently, allowed it to drop without reading it. her glance rested again on the shining dome. "i told him i would ask you to see him a few moments to-night," elizabeth resumed. "he is feeling miserably. he says he was ill when we made the ascent that day and never should have left the hotel; his high temperature and the altitude affected his head. he believes he must have said things that offended or frightened you--things he wasn't responsible for." she paused, then, for a woman who had been so schooled to hold herself in hand as elizabeth morganstein, went on uncertainly: "he is just a plain business man, used to going straight to a point, but not many men care so much for a woman as he does for you. you could mold him like wax. he says all he wants now--if he did make a mistake--is a chance to wipe it out; start with a clean slate." mrs. weatherbee rose from the couch. she stood a moment meeting elizabeth's earnest look. the shadow of a smile touched her mouth, but well-springs of affection brimmed her eyes. "we cannot wipe out our mistakes, dear," she said. "they are indelible. we have to accept them, study them, use them as a rule from which to work out the problems of our lives. there is no going back, no starting over, if we have missed an easier way. elizabeth, in one hour on that mountain i saw more of the true frederic morganstein than in all the years i had known him before. in the great moments of life, i should have no influence with him. even for your sake, dear, i could not marry him. i do not want to see him any more." there was a silence, then elizabeth said: "in that case, i am going to ease things for you. i am going to buy that desert land. now, don't say a word. i am going to pay you lucky banks' price, and, of course, for the improvements whatever is right." "but it is not on the market," replied beatriz. "i told you i had decided to live there. i hoped--you would like to go with me. for awhile, at least, you might find it interesting." elizabeth tried to dissuade her. it was ridiculous. it was monstrous. she was not strong enough. it would be throwing her life away, as surely as to transplant a tender orchid to that burning sage-brush country. but in the end she said: "well, bee, then i'll go with you." chapter xxix back to hesperides vale the mayor of weatherbee stopped his new, six-passenger car at the curb in front of the completed brick block; not at the corner which was occupied by the merchants' national bank, but at the adjoining entrance, above which shone the neat gilt sign: "madame lucile's." he stood for a moment surveying the window display, which was exceedingly up-to-date, showing the prevailing color scheme of green or cerise in the millinery, softened by a background of mauve and taupe in the arrangement of the gowns. a card, placed unobtrusively in the corner of the plate glass, announced that madame lucile, formerly with sedgewick-wilson of seattle, was prepared to give personal attention to all orders. bailey himself that day was equipped in a well-made suit from the tailoring establishment on the opposite side of the building. though he had not yet gathered that avoirdupois which is associated with the dignity of office, there was in his square young frame an undeniable promise. already he carried himself with the deliberation of a man whose future is assured, and his mouth took those upward curves of one who is humorously satisfied with himself and his world. there were no customers when he entered, and since it was the hour when her assistant was out at lunch, madame, attired in a gown of dark blue velvet, her black hair arranged with elaborate care, was alone in the shop. and bailey's glance, having traveled the length of the soft green carpet to the farthest mirror, returned in final approval to her. "this certainly is swell," he said, "it's like a sample right out of chicago. but i knew you could do it, the minute mrs. banks mentioned you. why, the first time i saw you--it was on the street the day i struck wenatchee--i told myself: 'this town can't be very wild and woolly if it can turn out anything as classy as that.'" madame laughed. "i must have looked like a moving fashion plate to attract attention that way. i feel a little over-dressed now, after wearing the uniform in sedgewick-wilson's so long; but mrs. banks said i ought to wear nice clothes to advertise the store." bailey tipped back his head at that, laughing softly. "i guess your silent partner is going to be the power behind the throne, all right." madame nodded, with the humor still lingering in her brown eyes. "but it was good advice. i sold a gown like this to my first customer this morning. and she had only come in to see millinery; she hadn't meant to look at gowns. but she liked this one the moment she saw it." "is that so? well, i don't wonder. it certainly looks great--on you." madame flushed and turned her face to look off through the plate glass door. "why," she exclaimed, "you didn't tell me your new automobile had come." she moved a few steps, sweeping the car with admiring eyes. "isn't it luxurious though, and smart? but you deserve it; you deserve everything that's coming to you now, staying here, sticking it out as you have in the heat and sand. i often thought of it summer days while i was over on the sound." "you did?" questioned bailey in pleased surprise. "well, i am glad to know that. i wonder whether you ever thought over the time we tramped the railroad ties up to leavenworth to that little dance?" "often," she responded quickly. "and how we came back in the oleson wagon, riding behind with our heels hanging over, and the dust settling like powder on our party clothes. but i had the loveliest time. it was the starriest night, with moonlight coming home, and i danced every number." "seven times with me," returned the mayor. "i wanted to learn the two-step," she explained hastily. "and i wanted to teach you," he laughed. "but say, how would you like to take a little spin up the leavenworth road this evening, in the new car?" "oh, that would be delightful." madame lucile glowed. "with a party?" she asked. "well, i thought of asking daniels and his wife to go with us. i am on the way to the station now, to meet them. and mrs. weatherbee and miss morganstein are due on the same train. i promised mr. banks i would take them out to the orchards in the machine; but we are to motor around to the new bungalow first, to leave the bride and jimmie and have luncheon." "i know. mrs. banks is going to have the table in that wide veranda looking down the river. i would like to be there when they find out that dear little bungalow is their wedding present. it was perfectly lovely of mrs. banks to think of it; and of you to give them that beautiful lot on the point. you can see hesperides vale for miles and miles to the lower gap." bailey smiled. "mrs. banks said it was a good way to use up the lumber that was left over from the ranch house. and that bungalow certainly makes a great showing for the town. it raised the value of the adjoining lots. i sold three before the shingles were on the walls, and the people who bought them thought they had a snap." "all the same, it is a lovely present," said madame lucile. "there's the train, whistling up the valley," said the mayor, but he paused to ask, almost with diffidence, as he turned to the door: "say, what do you think of this tie?" "i like it." she nodded, with a reassuring smile. "and it's a nice shade for you; it brings out the blue in your eyes." the mayor laughed gaily. "i ought to wear it steady after that, but i am coming to black ones with a frock coat and silk hat. i am going to begin to-morrow, when those german scientists, on their way home from the orient, stop to see hesperides vale." "oh, i hope you will wear this nice business suit, unless they come late in the afternoon. it seems more sensible here on the edge of the desert, and even if you are the first mayor to do it, i know, the world over, there isn't another as young." bailey grew thoughtful. "the mayor in chicago always wore a prince albert. why, that long coat and silk hat stood for the office. they were the most important part of him. but good-by," he said hastily, as the train whistled again, nearer, "i'll call for you at seven." ten minutes later, the mayor stood on the station platform shaking hands with mrs. weatherbee. "say, i am surprised," he said. "i often wondered what you thought of the vale. lighter told me how you drove those colts through that day, and i was disappointed not to hear from you. you didn't let me know you had an investment already, and it never occurred to me, afterwards, that you were our mrs. weatherbee." then, introductions being over, he assisted miss morganstein into the tonneau with the bridal couple and gave the seat in front to mrs. weatherbee. he drove very slowly up the new thoroughfare, past the bailey building, where she expressed her astonishment at the inviting window display of the millinery store. he explained that offices for the _weatherbee record_ had been reserved on the second floor, and that in the hall, in the third story, the first inaugural ball was to be given the following night. it had been postponed a few days until her arrival, and he hoped he might have the privilege of leading the grand march with her. and, mrs. weatherbee having thanked him, with the pleasure dancing in her eyes, bailey pointed out the new city hospital, a tall, airy structure, brave in fresh paint, which was equipped with a resident physician and three trained nurses, including miss purdy, the milliner's sister, who was on her way from washington to join the force. after that they motored through the residence district, and mrs. weatherbee expressed greater wonder and delight at the rows of thrifty homes, each with its breadth of green lawn and budding shrubbery, where hardly six months ago had been unreclaimed acres of sage. and so, at last, they came to the city park, where the road wound smooth and firm between broad stretches of velvety green, broken by beds of blossoming tulips, nodding daffodils, clumps of landscape foliage putting forth new leaves. sprinklers, supplied by a limpid canal that followed the drive, played here, there, everywhere, and under all this moisture and the warm rays of the spring sun, the light soil teemed with awakening life. then, finally, the car skirted a low, broad mound, in which was set the source of the viaduct, a basin of masonry, brimming with water crystal clear and fed by two streams that gushed from a pedestal of stone on the farther rim. "how beautiful!" she exclaimed. "how incredible! and there is to be a statue to complete it. a faun, a water nymph, some figure to symbolize the spirit of the place." "i can't tell you much about the statue," replied bailey, watching the curve ahead. "mr. banks engaged the sculptor; some noted man in the east. he is carrying the responsibility; it was his idea. but it was to have been in place, ready to be unveiled by the fifteenth, and there was some delay." after that, the mayor was silent, devoting his attention to the speeding car. they left the park and, taking the river road, arrived presently at the bungalow. the shingles still lacked staining, the roof was incomplete, but a sprinkler threw rainbow mist over the new lawn, which was beginning to show shades of green. a creeper, planted at the corner of the veranda, already sent out pale, crinkled shoots. lucky banks came beaming down the steps, and annabel, in a crisp frock of royal blue taffeta, stood smiling a welcome as the automobile stopped. then bailey, springing down to throw open the door of the tonneau, lifted his voice to say: "and this--is the home of the editor of the _weatherbee record_ and mrs. daniels." they did not at once grasp his meaning, and the prospector made it clear as they went up to the veranda. "the house is a wedding present from mrs. banks," he said; "and mr. bailey, here, put up the lot, so's i thought this would come in handy; it will take quite a bunch of furniture." there was a silent moment while geraldine stood regarding the envelope he had put in her hand. she was looking her best in a trim, tailored suit of gray. there was a turquoise facing to the brim of her smart gray hat, but her only ornaments were a sorority pin fastened to the lapel of her coat and a gold button that secured her watch in the small breast pocket made for it. at last she looked up, an unusual flush warmed her face, and she began: "it's perfectly lovely of you--we are so surprised--we never can thank you enough." but jimmie turned away. he stood looking down the valley in the direction of that place, not very far off, where his mother had carried water up the steep slope in the burning desert sun. his forehead creased; he closed his lips tight over a rising sob. then geraldine laid her hand on his arm. "do you understand what these people have done for us?" she asked unconventionally. "did you hear?" jimmie swung around. his glance met annabel's. "i can't explain how i feel about it," he burst out, "but i know if my mother could have been here now, it--this--would have paid her for all--she missed. i don't deserve it--but geraldine does; and i pledge myself to stay by the _weatherbee record_ as long as you want me to. i don't see how i can help making good." then annabel, winking hard, hastily led the way over the house; and, presently, when the party returned to the table in the veranda, and the japanese boy she had brought from the ranch house was successfully passing the fried chicken, she wanted to know about the wedding. "yes, we tried to have it quiet," responded jimmie, "and we planned it so the taxi would just make our train; but the fellows caught on and were waiting for us at the station, full force, with their pocketfuls of rice and shoes. they hardly let us get aboard." "gracious!" exclaimed annabel. "you might as well have been married in church. you'd have looked pretty in a train and veil," she said, addressing geraldine, who was seated on her right. "not but what you don't look nice in gray. and i like your suit real well; it's a fine piece of goods; the kind to stand the desert dust. but i would have liked to see you in white, with a blaze of lights and decorations and a crowd." geraldine laughed. "we had a nice little wedding, and the young men from the office made up for their noise. they gave the porter a handsome case of silver at the last moment, to bring to me." "and," supplemented jimmie, "there was a handsome silver tea service from the chief. he told her she had been a credit to the staff, and he would find it hard to replace her. think of that coming from the head of a big daily. it makes me feel guilty. but she is to have full latitude in the new paper; society, clubs, equal suffrage if she says so; anything she writes goes with the _weatherbee record_." "if i were you, i'd have that down in writing." annabel looked from daniels to the bride, and her lip curled whimsically. "they all talk that way at first, as though the earth turned round for one woman, and the whole crowd ought to stop to watch her go by. he pretends, so far as he is concerned, she can stump the county for prohibition or lead the suffragette parade, but, afterwards, he gets to taking the other view. instead of thanking his lucky stars the nicest girl in the world picked him out of the bunch, he begins to think she naturally was proud that the best one wanted her. then, before they've been married two years, he starts trying to make her over into some other kind of a woman. why, i know one man right here in hesperides vale who set to making a garden of eden out of a sandhole in the mountains, just because it belonged to a certain girl." she paused an instant, while her glance moved to banks, and the irony went out of her voice. "he could have bought the finest fruit ranch in the valley, all under irrigation and coming into bearing, for he had the money, but he went to wasting it on that piece of unreclaimed sage desert. and now that he has got it all in shape, he's talking of opening a big farm in alaska." banks laughed uneasily. "the boys need it up there," he said in his high key. "besides, i always get more fun out of making new ground over. it's such mighty good soil here in hesperides vale things grow themselves soon's the water is turned on. it don't leave a man enough to do. and we could take a little run down to the ranch, any time; we could count on always wintering here, my, yes." annabel smiled. "he thinks by mid-summer he can take me right into the interior, in that cranky red car. and i don't know but what i am ready to risk it; there are places i'd like to see--where he was caught his first winter in a blizzard, and where he picked up the nuggets for my necklace. you remember it--don't you?--mrs. daniels. i wore it that night in seattle we went to hear carmen." "i certainly do remember. it was the most wonderful thing in the theater that night, and fit for an empress." involuntarily geraldine glanced down at her own solitary jewel. it flashed a lovely blue light as she moved her hand. annabel followed the glance. "your ring is a beauty," she said. "not many young men, just starting in business for themselves, would have thought they could afford a diamond like that." geraldine laughed, flushing a little. "it seems the finest in the world to me," she replied almost shyly. "and it ought to show higher light and color than any other; the way it was bought was so splendid." "do you mean the way the money was earned to buy it?" inquired annabel. geraldine nodded. "it was the price, exactly, of his first magazine story. perhaps you read it. it was published in the march issue of _sampson's_, and the editors liked it so well they asked to see more of his work." jimmie looked at his wife in mingled protest and surprise. he had believed she, as well as himself, had wished to have that story quickly forgotten. "it is an indian story," she pursued; "about a poor little papoose that was accidentally killed. it was a personal experience of mr. tisdale's." mrs. banks had not read it, but the prospector pushed aside his sherbet glass and, laying his arms on the table, leaned towards geraldine. "was that papoose cached under a log?" he asked softly. "and was its mother berrying with a bunch of squaws up the ridge?" "yes," smiled geraldine. "i see you have read it." "no, but i heard a couple of men size it up aboard the train coming from scenic hot springs. and once," he went on with gathering tenseness, "clear up the tanana, i heard dave and hollis talking it over. my, yes, it seems like i can see them now; they was the huskiest, cleanest-cut, openest-faced team that ever mushed a trail. it was one of those nights when the stars come close and friendly, and the camp-fire blazes and crackles straight to heaven and sets a man thinking; and tisdale started it by saying if he could cut one record out of his past he guessed the rest could bear daylight. then dave told him he was ready to stand by that one, too. and hollis said it was knowing that had taken the edge off, but it hadn't put the breath back into that papoose. of course he never suspicioned for a minute the kid was in the road when he jumped that log, and the heart went out of him when he picked it up and saw what he was responsible for. they had to tell me the whole story, and i wish you could have heard 'em. dave smoothing things when hollis got too hard on himself, and hollis chipping in again for fear i wouldn't get full weight for dave's part. and the story sure enough does hinge on him. likely that's why tisdale gave it to your magazine; to show up dave weatherbee. but those men on the train--they had the seat in front of me so's i heard it plain--lost their bearings. they left out dave and put hollis in a bad light. he was 'caught red-handed and never was brought to an honest trial.' and it was clear besides, being 'hand in glove with the secretary of the interior' he had a 'pull with the federal court.' i couldn't stand for it." the prospector's voice reached high pitch, his forehead creased in many fine lines, his eyes scintillated their blue glacier lights, and he added, striking the table with his clenched hand, "i up and says: 'it's all a damn lie.'" there was a silence. the self-possession and swiftness of the japanese boy saved the sherbet glass and its contents, but the mayor, who had been interrupted in a confidential quotation of real estate values to miss morganstein, sat staring at banks in amazement. a spark of admiration shot through the astonishment in annabel's eyes then, catching the little man's aggressive glance, she covered her pride with her ironical smile. mrs. weatherbee was the only one who did not look at banks. her inscrutable face was turned to the valley. she might never have heard of hollis tisdale or, indeed, of david. but elizabeth, who had kept the thread of both conversations, said: "you were right. there was a coroner's inquest that vindicated mr. tisdale at the time." "but," explained geraldine courageously, "that was left out of the magazine. mr. daniels took it all accurately, just as mr. tisdale told it, word for word; but the story was cut terribly. nothing at all was said of mr. weatherbee's part. we couldn't understand that, for with names suppressed, there could be no motive, and he was so clearly the leading character. but magazines have no conscience. it's anything, with the new ones at least, to catch the public eye, and they stir more melodrama into their truths than the yellow journals do. but mr. daniels apologized to mr. tisdale, and explained how he wasn't responsible for the editor's note or for printing his name, and he did his best to make it up in his report of the disaster at cascade tunnel. that story went into the _press_ straight and has been widely copied." it was in jimmie's favor that lucky banks had read the newspaper story, and also that they had had those hours of intimacy at the west portal. "well, likely you ain't to blame," the prospector admitted finally, "but there's people who don't know hollis tisdale that might believe what the magazine says. and, if i was you, i'd take a little run over to washington or new york, wherever it is--i'll put up the money--and locate that editor. i'd make him fix it right, my, yes." "i should be glad to," said daniels, brightening, "but it's possible those missing pages were lost on the way." "well, i'd find out," persisted banks. "and there's other stories i got wind of when i was in washington, d.c., and seattle, too, last time i was down, that ought to be trailed. maybe it's just politics, but i know for a fact they ain't so." the irony had gone out of annabel's face. she had seen hollis tisdale but once, yet his coming and going had marked the red-letter day of her life. her heart championed banks' fight for him. she turned her dark eyes from him to daniels. "it's too bad you tried to tell hollis tisdale's story for him," she said. "even if the magazine had got it all straight, it wouldn't have been the same as getting it first hand. it's like listening to one of those fine singers in a phonograph; you can get the tune and some of the words, and maybe the voice pretty fair, but you miss the man." with this she rose. "we are ready to go out to the orchards, mr. bailey. mr. banks and i are going to change places with the bride and groom." then from her silk bag, she brought forth a bunch of keys which she gave to geraldine. "nukui is going to stay to clear away," she explained, "and bring our car home. and when you have finished making your plans, and want to go down to see the newspaper office, he will show you a nice short cut through the park." so again the mayor's chocolate six-passenger car threaded the park and emerged this time on a straight, broad thoroughfare through hesperides vale. "this," said bailey, turning from the town, "is the alameda. they motor from wenatchee and beyond to try it. it's a pretty good road, but in a year or two, when these shade trees come into full leaf, it will be something to show." there were tufts on most of them now and on the young fruit trees that ran in geometrical designs on either side, covering the levels that last year had been overgrown with sage. as these infant orchards dropped behind and the wenatchee range loomed near, cerberus detached from the other peaks; but it was no longer a tawny monster on guard; its contour was broken by many terraces, luxuriant with alfalfa and planted with trees. "why," exclaimed mrs. weatherbee, "there is the gap. then, this must be the mountain--it reminded me once of a terrible, crouching, wild beast-- but it has changed." "yes, ma'am," responded banks, "she's looking tamer now. the peaches have taken right hold, and those fillers of strawberries are hurrying on the green. but you give 'em three years or maybe four, and take 'em in blossom time,--my, you won't know this old mountain then." a drive, cross-cutting the bold front, led to the level beneath the summit, where rose the white walls and green gables of annabel's home, but they rounded the mountain into the smaller vale. "this," said the mayor, with culminating pride, "is weatherbee orchards. it shows what money, in the right hands, can do." a soft breeze came down over the ridge as they ascended; the flume, that followed the contour of the roadway, gurgled pleasantly. everywhere along the spillways alfalfa spread thriftily, or strawberry plants sent out new tendrils. all growing things were more advanced in that walled pocket than in the outer vale; the arid gulf had become a vast greenhouse. cerberus no longer menaced. even the habitation of the goat-woman, that had been the central distraction of the melancholy picture, was obliterated. in all that charming landscape there was no discordant note to break the harmony. the car doubled the curve at the top of the bench and ran smoothly between breadths of green lawn, bordered by nodding narcissus, towards the house, which was long and low, with a tiled roof and cream-colored walls that enclosed a patio. a silence fell over the company. as they alighted, every one waited, looking expectantly at beatriz weatherbee. the music of a fountain fluted from the court, and she went forward, listening. her face was no longer inscrutable; it shone with a kind of inner illumination. but when she saw the slender column of spray and the sparkling basin, with a few semi-tropical plants grouped on the curb, a cactus, a feathery palm in a quaint stone pot, she turned, and her eyes sought elizabeth's. "it is all like the old hacienda where grandfather was born, and mother, and"-- her voice broke--"only that had adobe walls," she finished. "it is like-- coming home." "it is simply marvelous," replied elizabeth, and she added abruptly, looking at the prospector: "mr. banks, you are a problem beyond me." "it looks all right, doesn't it?" the little man beamed. "likely it would about suit dave. and i was able to stand the investment. my, yes, now your brother has bought out the annabel, what i spent wouldn't cut any figure. but," and his glance moved to the woman who had profited by the venture, "i'll likely get my money back." afterwards, when the party had inspected the reservoirs and upper flumes, beatriz found herself returning to the bench with lucky banks. it was almost sunset, and the far chelan peaks were touched with alpine fire; below them an amethyst mist filtered over the transformed vale. they had been discussing the architecture of the building. "i had often gone over the map of the project with david," she said, "but he must have drawn the plans of the house later, in alaska. it was a complete surprise. i wonder he remembered the old hacienda so accurately; he was there only once--when we were on our wedding journey." "there were a few measurements that had to be looked up," admitted banks; "but i took a little run around into lower california last winter, on my way home from washington, d.c." "you were there? you troubled to go all the way to the old rancheria for details?" "yes, ma'am. it was a mighty good grazing country down there, but the people who bought the place were making their money out of one of those fine hotels; it was put up alongside a bunch of hot springs. nobody but a couple of mexicans was living in the old house. it was in bad shape." "i know. i know. if i had been a man, it would have been different. i should have restored it; i should have worked, fought to buy back every acre. but you saw old jacinta and carlos? it was recorded in the title they should be allowed to stay there and have the use of the old home garden as long as they lived. my mother insisted on that." they had reached the level and walked on by the house towards the solitary pine tree on the rim of the bench. after a moment he said: "now dave's project is running in good shape, there isn't much left for me to do, my, no, except see the statue set up in the park." "i wanted to ask you about that, mr. banks; we passed the place on the way to the bungalow. it was beautiful. i presume you have selected a woman's figure--a lovely ceres or aphrodite?" "no, ma'am," responded banks a little sharply. "it's a full-sized man. full-sized and some over, what the sculptor who made it calls heroic; and it's a good likeness of dave weatherbee." they had reached the pine tree, and she put out her hand to steady herself on the bole. "i understand," she said slowly. "it was a beautiful-- tribute." "it looks pretty nice," corroborated the prospector. "there was a mighty good photograph of dave a young fellow on a yukon steamer gave me once, to go by. he was standing on a low bluff, with his head up, looking off like a young elk, when the boat pulled out, and the camera man snapped him. it was the day we quit the partner lay, and i was going down-stream, and he was starting for the headwaters of the susitna. tisdale told me about a man who had done first-class work in new york, and i sent that picture with a check for a starter on my order. i wrote him the price wasn't cutting any figure with me; what i wanted was the best he could do and to have it delivered by the fifteenth of march. and he did; he had it done on time; and he said it was his best work. it's waiting down in weatherbee now. hollis thought likely i better leave it to you whether to have the burying with the statue down in the park, or up here, somewhere, on dave's own ground." "do you mean," she asked, and her voice almost failed, "you have brought-- david--home?" banks nodded. "it was cold for him wintering up there in the alaska snow." "oh, i know. i've thought about--that. i should have done--as you have-- had i been able." after a moment she said: "what is there i can say to you? i did not know there were such men in the world until i knew you and hollis tisdale. of course you believed, as he did, that i was necessary to round out david's project. that is why, when it was successfully completed, you forfeited the bonus and all the investment. i may never be able to fully refund you but--shall do my best. and this other--too. mr. banks, was that mr. tisdale's suggestion? did he share that--expense--with you?" "no, ma'am, he let me have that chance when we talked it over. i had to get even with him on the project." "even with him on the project?" "yes, ma'am. he let me put up the money, but it's got to be paid back out of dave's half interest in the aurora mine. and likely, likely, that's what dave weatherbee would have wanted done." chapter xxx the junior defendant it was following a recess during the third afternoon of the trial; a jury had at last been impanelled, the attorney for the prosecution and the leading lawyer for the defense had measured swords, when stuart foster, the junior defendant in the "conspiracy to defraud the government," was called to the stand. frederic morganstein, the head of the prince william development company, straightened in his seat beside the vacated chair. he was sleekly groomed, and his folded, pinkish white hands suggested a good child's; his blank face assumed an expression of mildly protesting innocence. but the man who stepped from his shadow into the strong light of the south windows was plainly harassed and worn. his boyishness was gone; he seemed to have aged years since that evening in september when he had sailed for alaska. tisdale's great heart stirred, then his clear mind began to tally the rapid fire of questions and foster's replies. "when were you first connected with the prince william development company, mr. foster?" "in the summer of ." "you were then engaged in the capacity of mining engineer at a fixed salary, were you not?" the prosecuting attorney had a disconcerting manner of arching his brows. his mouth, taken in connection with his strong, square jaw, had the effect of closing on his questions like a trap. "yes," foster answered briefly, "i was to receive two hundred and fifty dollars a month the first year, and its equivalent in the company's stock." "did you not, at the same time, turn over to the company your interests in the chugach railway and development company?" "yes," said foster. "and was not this railroad built for the purpose of opening certain coal lands in the matanuska region, in which you held an interest?" "yes, i had entered a coal claim of one hundred and sixty acres." "all the law allowed to an individual; but, mr. foster, did you not induce others, as many as thirty persons, to locate adjoining claims with the idea that the entire group would come under one control?" foster colored. "it was necessary to co-operate," he said slowly, "in order to meet the enormous expense of development and transportation. we wished to build a narrow-gauge road--it was then in course of construction--but the survey was through the chugach mountains, the most rugged in north america. the cost of moving material, after it was shipped from the states, was almost prohibitive; ordinary labor commanded higher wages than are paid skilled mechanics here in seattle." "mr. foster, were not those coal claims located with a purpose to dispose of them in a group at a profit?" "no, sir. i have told you on account of the great expense of development it was necessary to work together; it was also necessary that as many claims as possible should be taken." the prosecution, nodding affirmatively, looked at the jury. "the more cunning and subtle the disguise," he said, "the more sure we may be of the evasion of the law. so, mr. foster, you promoted an interest in the fields, selected claims for men who never saw them; used their power of attorney?" "yes. that was in accordance with the law then in force. we paid for our coal claims, the required ten dollars an acre. the land office accepted our money, eighty thousand dollars. then the president suspended the law, and we never received our patents. about that time the chugach forest reserve was made, and we were hampered by all sorts of impossible conditions. some of us were financially ruined. one of the first locators spent one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, his whole fortune, in development. he opened his mine and had several tons of coal carried by packers through the mountains to the coast, to be shipped to seattle, to be tested on one of the government cruisers. the report was so favorable it encouraged the rest of us to stay with the venture." "mr. foster," the attorney's voice took a higher, more aggressive pitch, "were not many of those claims entered under names furnished by an agent of the morganstein interests?" "well, yes." foster threw his head with something of his old boyish defiance. he was losing patience and skill. "mr. morganstein himself made a filing, and his father. that is the reason all our holdings are now classed as the morganstein group." "and," pursued the lawyer, "their entries were incidental with the consolidation of your company with the prince william development company?" foster flushed hotly. "the prince william development company was in need of coal; no enterprise can be carried on without it in alaska. and the consolidation brought necessary capital to us; without it, our railroad was bankrupt. it meant inestimable benefit to the country, to every prospector, miner, homesteader, who must waste nerve-breaking weeks packing his outfit through those bleak mountains in order to reach the interior. but, before forty miles of track was completed, the executive withdrew all alaska coal lands from entry, and we discontinued construction, pending an act of congress to allow our patents. the material carried in there at so great a cost is lying there still, rotting away." "gentlemen, is it not all clear to you?" the prosecuting attorney flashed a glance of triumph over the jury. "do you not see in this prince william development company the long arm of the octopus that is strangling alaska? that has reached out its tentacles everywhere, for gold here, copper there; for oil, coal, timber, anything in sight? that, but for the foresight of the executive and gifford pinchot, would possess most of alaska today?" the men on the jury looked thoughtful but not altogether convinced. one glanced at his neighbor with a covert smile. this man, whom the government had selected to prosecute the coal fraud cases was undeniably able, often brilliant, but his statements showed he had brought his ideas of alaska from the atlantic coast; to him, standing in the seattle courtroom, our outlying possession was still as remote. as his glance moved to the ranks of outside listeners, who overflowed the seats and crowded the aisles to the doors, he must have been conscious that the sentiment he had expressed was at least unpopular in the northwest. faces that had been merely interested or curious grew suddenly lowering. the atmosphere of the place seemed surcharged. the following morning morganstein took the stand. though in small matters that touched his personal comfort he was arrogantly irritable, under the cross-examination that assailed his commercial methods he proved suave and non-committal. as the day passed, the prosecutor's insinuations grew more open and vindictive. judge feversham sprang to his feet repeatedly to challenge his accusations, and twice the court calmed the government's attorney with a reprimand. the atmosphere of the room seemed to seethe hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness. finally, during the afternoon session, foster was recalled. through it all tisdale waited, listening to everything, separating, weighing each point presented. it was beginning to look serious for foster. clearly, in his determination to win his suit, the prosecution was losing sight of the simple justice the government desired. and a man less dramatic, less choleric, with less of a reputation for political intrigue than miles feversham might better have defended stuart foster. foster was so frank, so honest, so eager to make the alaska situation understood. and it was not an isolated case; there were hundreds of young men, who, like him, had cast their fortunes with that new and growing country, to find themselves, after years of hardship and privation of which the outside world had no conception, bound hand and foot in an intricate tangle of the government's red tape. the evening of the fourth day the attorney for the prosecution surprised tisdale at his rooms. "thank you," he said, when hollis offered his armchair, "but those windows open to the four winds of heaven are a little imprudent to a man who lives by his voice. pretty, though, isn't it?" he paused a moment to look down on the harbor lights and the chains of electric globes stretching off to queen anne hill and far and away to magnolia bluff, then seated himself between the screen and the table that held the shaded reading lamp. "has it occurred to you, mr. tisdale," he asked, "that a question may be raised as to the legality of your testimony in these coal cases?" "no." hollis remained standing. he looked at his visitor in surprise. "please make that clear, mr. bromley," he said. the attorney smiled. "this is a trial case," he began. "a dozen others hinge on it. i was warned to be prepared for anything; so, when my attention was called to that article in _sampson's magazine_, my suspicions were instantly awake. it looked much like blackmail and, in connection with another story i heard in circulation at washington, seemed a systematic preparation to attack the government's witness. possibly you do not know it was mr. jerold, your legal adviser and my personal friend, who put me in touch with the magazine. you had wired him to find out certain facts, but he was unable to go to new york at the time and, knowing i was there for the week, he got into communication with me by telephone and asked me to look the matter up. the publishers, fearing a libel suit which would ruin them, were very obliging. they allowed me to see not only the original manuscript, but mrs. feversham's letter, which i took the trouble to copy." "mrs. feversham's letter?" tisdale exclaimed. "do you mean it was mrs. feversham who was responsible for that story?" "as it was published, yes. but daniels was not a pen name. there really was such a writer--i have taken the trouble to find that out since i arrived in seattle. he was on the staff of the _press_ and wrote a very creditable account of the catastrophe on the great northern railroad, in which glowing tribute was given you. but since then, and this is what makes the situation so questionable, he has left the paper and dropped completely out of sight." tisdale drew forward his chair and settled himself comfortably. "there is no need to worry about jimmie daniels," he said; "he is all right. i saw him at cascade tunnel; he told me he was about to be married and go to the wenatchee country to conduct a paper of his own. it's too bad there wasn't another reporter up there to tell about him. he worked like a trojan, and it was a place to try a man's mettle. afterwards, before he left, he came to me and introduced himself. he had been aboard the yacht that day i told the story. he had taken it down in his notebook behind an awning. he told me one of the ladies on board--he did not mention her name--who read his copy later, offered to dispose of it for him." "so," said the lawyer slowly, "you did tell the story; there was a papoose; the unfortunate incident really occurred." "yes," responded tisdale, "it happened in a canyon of those mountains across the sound. you can barely make out their outline to-night; but watch for them at sunrise; it's worth waiting for." then, after a moment, he said, "i told the story to show the caliber of weatherbee, the man who put himself in my place when the indians came to our camp, looking for me; but, in editing, all mention of him was cut out. daniels couldn't understand that. he said the manuscript was long, but if it was necessary to abridge in making up the magazine, why had they thrown out the finest part of the story?" "let me see," said the attorney thoughtfully, "wasn't weatherbee the name of the man you grub-staked in alaska, and who discovered the aurora mine?" tisdale bowed, then added, with the vibration playing softly in his voice: "and the name of the bravest and noblest man that ever fought the unequal fight of the north." "which proves the story was not published to exploit a hero," commented bromley. "but now," he went on brusquely, "we have arrived at the other story. do you know, mr. tisdale, it is being said in washington, and, too, i have heard it here in seattle, that though your own half interest in the aurora mine, acquired through the grub-stake you furnished weatherbee, will make you a millionaire at least, you are withholding the widow's share." this time tisdale did not express surprise. "i have had that suggested to me," he answered quietly. "but the stories of the aurora are very much inflated. it is a comparatively new mine, and though it promises to be one of the great discoveries, the expense of operating so far has exceeded the output. heavy machinery has been transported and installed, and mrs. weatherbee could not have met any part of these payments. in all probability she would have immediately disposed of an interest at a small price and so handicapped me with a partner with his own ideas of development. david weatherbee paid for the aurora with his life, and i have pledged myself to carry out his plans. but, mr. bromley, do not trouble about that last half interest. i bought it: the transfer was regularly recorded; mr. jerold has assured me it is legally mine." "i know what mr. jerold thinks," replied the attorney. "it nettled him to hear me repeat that story. 'why, it's incredible,'" he said. "'there are documents i drew up last fall that refute it completely.'" mr. bromley paused, then went on slowly: "last fall you were in a hospital, mr. tisdale, beginning a long, all but hopeless fight for your life, and it was natural you should have called in mr. jerold to settle your affairs. i inferred from his remark that you had remembered mrs. weatherbee, at least, in your will." he halted again, then added still more deliberately: "if i am right, i should like to be prepared, in case of emergency, to read such a clause in court." tisdale was silent. he rose and turned to the west windows, where he stood looking down on the harbor lights. "am i right?" persisted the attorney. hollis thrust his hands into his pockets and swung around. he stood with his chin lowered, looking at the lawyer with his upward glance from under slightly frowning brows. "well," he said at last, "suppose you are. and suppose i refuse to have my private papers read in open court?" "in that case," answered mr. bromley, rising, "i must telegraph to washington for one of the alaska coal commission to take your place. i am sorry. you were named to me at the beginning as a man who knew more about alaska coal, and, in fact, the whole alaska situation, than any other employee of the government." still, having said this, mr. bromley did not seem in any hurry to go, but stood holding his hat and waiting for a word from tisdale to redeem the situation. at last it came. "is there no other way," he asked, "than to drag my private affairs into court?" the attorney gravely shook his head. "you never can tell what a jury will do," he said. "less than a prejudice against a witness has swung a decision sometimes." hollis said no more. he went over to his safe and selected a package containing three documents held together by a rubber band. after a hesitating moment, he drew out one, which he returned to its place. the others he brought to the attorney, who carried them to the reading lamp to scan. one was a deed to the last half interest in the aurora, the one which weatherbee had had recorded, and the remaining paper was, as mr. bromley conjectured, tisdale's will; but it contained a somewhat disconcerting surprise. however, the lawyer seated himself and, spreading the paper open on the table, copied this clause. ... "the aurora mine, lying in an unsurveyed region of alaska, accessible from seward by way of rainy pass, and from the iditarod district north by east, i bequeath to beatriz silva gonzales weatherbee, to be held for her in trust by stuart emory poster for a period of five years, or until development, according to david weatherbee's plans, shall have been fully carried out. the profits, above the cost of all improvements and all operating expenses--which shall include a superintendent's salary of four thousand dollars a year to said stuart emory foster--to be paid in semi-annual dividends to said beatriz silva gonzales weatherbee." "stuart emory foster," repeated the lawyer meditatively, putting away his fountain pen. "you evidently have considerable confidence in his engineering skill, mr. tisdale." "yes." his voice mellowed, but he regarded the attorney with the upward, watchful look. "i have confidence in stuart emory foster in every way. he is not only one of the most capable, reliable mining engineers, but also one of the most respected and most trusted men in the north." there was a silence, during which mr. bromley thoughtfully folded his copy and placed it in his pocket-book. "thank you, mr. tisdale," he said finally, and rose once more. "you may not be called for several days but when you are, it is advisable that you have the original documents at hand. good night." chapter xxxi tisdale of alaska--and washington, d.c. it was evident, after his interview with hollis tisdale, that mr. bromley was in no hurry to precipitate the side issue for which he had prepared. every one who had taken coal land in the morganstein group had been on the witness stand, and many more who had not filed claims had given testimony, yet the prosecution held him in reserve. then came a day when lucky banks, recalled to tell what he knew about the chugach trail, made some astonishing statements. he had traveled that route with a partner at the end of a season in the copper river plateau. they had expected to finish the distance by the new railroad. the little man was brief but graphic. it seemed to have been a running fight with storms, glaciers, and glacial torrents to reach that narrow-gauge track before the first real september blizzard. "but we could have stood it," he concluded in his high key, "my, yes, it wouldn't have amounted to much, if we could have had firewood." "did you not know the fallen timber was at your service?" questioned mr. bromley. "provided, of course, you conformed to the laws of the reserve in building your fire and in extinguishing it when you broke camp." "there wasn't any fallen timber," responded banks dryly; "and likely we would have took it green, if there had been a tree in sight. it was getting mighty cold, nights, and with the frost in his wet clothes, a man needs a warm supper to hearten him." "what?" exclaimed mr. bromley sharply. "do you mean you saw no trees? remember you were in the chugach forest; or did you lose your way?" "no, sir. we struck the chugach railway just where we aimed to, but a mighty lot of the chugach reserve is out of timber line. that's why we banked on foster's new train to hurry us through. but we found she had quit running. the government had got wind of the scheme and sent a bunch of rules and regulations. first came a heavy tax for operating the road; and next was an order to put spark arresters on all his engines. he only had two first-class ones and a couple of makeshifts to haul his gravel cars; and his sparks would have froze, likely, where they lit, but there he was, tied up on the edge of a fill he had counted on finishing up before his crew went out for the winter, and the nearest spark arrester farther off than christmas." a ripple of amusement ran through the crowded room, but little banks stood waiting frostily. when his glance caught the judge's smile, his eyes scintillated their blue light. "likely foster would have sent his order out and had those arresters shipped around cape horn from new york," he added. "they'd probably been in time for spring travel; but he opened another bunch of mail and found there wouldn't be any more sparks. washington, d.c., had shut down his coal mine." mr. bromley had no further questions to ask. he seemed preoccupied and passed the recess that followed the prospector's testimony in pacing the corridor. lucky banks had been suggested as an intelligent and honest fellow on whom the government might rely; but his statements failed to dovetail with his knowledge of alaska and the case, and after the intermission tisdale was called. the moment he was sworn, miles feversham was on his feet. he held in his hand a magazine, in which during the recess, he had been engrossed, and his forefinger kept the place. "i object to this witness," he said sonorously and waited while a stir, like a gust of wind in a wood, swept the courtroom, and the jury straightened, alert. "i object, not because he defrauded the widow of david weatherbee out of her half interest in the aurora mine, though, gentlemen, you know this to be an open fact, but for the reason that he is a criminal, self-confessed, who should be serving a prison sentence, and a criminal's testimony is not allowable in a united states court." before he finished speaking, or the court had recovered from the shock, mr. bromley had taken a bundle of papers from his pocket and stepped close to the jury box. "this is an infamous fabrication," he exclaimed. "it was calculated to surprise us, but it finds us prepared. in ten minutes we shall prove it was planned six months ago to defame the character of the government's witness at this trial. i have here, gentlemen, a copy of the alaska record showing the transfer of david weatherbee's interest in the aurora mine to hollis tisdale; it bears the signature of his wife. but this extract from mr. tisdale's will, which was drawn shortly after his return from alaska, last year, and while he was dangerously ill in washington, proves how far it was from his intention to defraud the widow of david weatherbee." here mr. bromley read the clause. tisdale, standing at ease, with his hand resting on his chair, glanced from the attorney to foster. no mask covered his transparent face; the dark circles under his fine, expressive eyes betrayed how nearly threadbare his hope was worn. then, suddenly, in the moment he met tisdale's look, wonder, swift intelligence, contrition, and the gratitude of his young, sorely tried spirit flashed from his countenance. to hollis it became an illuminated scroll. "as to the main charge," resumed mr. bromley, "that is ridiculous. it is based on an unfortunate accident to an indian child years ago. the distorted yarn was published in a late issue of a sensational magazine. no doubt, most of you have read it, since it was widely circulated. different--isn't it?--from that other story of mr. tisdale which came down from cascade tunnel. gentlemen, i have the letter that was enclosed with the manuscript that was submitted to _sampson's magazine_. it was not written by the author, james daniels, but by a lady, who had offered to dispose of the material for him, and who, without his knowledge, substituted a revised copy." miles feversham had subsided, dumbfounded, into his chair; his self-sufficiency had deserted him; for a moment the purple color surged in his face; his chagrin overwhelmed him. but marcia, seated in the front row outside the bar, showed no confusion. her brilliant, compelling eyes were on her husband. it was as though she wished to reinforce him, and at the same time convey some urgent, vital thought. he glanced around and, reading the look, started again to his feet. he began to retract his denunciation. it was evident he had been misinformed; he offered his apologies to the witness and asked that the case be resumed. but the prosecuting attorney, disregarding him, continued to explain. "in the daniels' manuscript, gentlemen, a coroner's inquest exonerated the man who was responsible for the death of the papoose; this the magazine suppressed. i am able to offer in evidence james daniels' affidavit." then, while the jury gathered these varying ideas in fragments, lucky banks' treble rose. "let's hear what the lady wrote." and some one at the back of the courtroom said in a deep voice; "read the lady's letter." it seemed inevitable. mr. bromley had separated a letter from the bundle of papers. involuntarily marcia started up. but the knocking of the gavel, sounding smartly, insistently, above the confusion, brought unexpected deliverance. "it is unnecessary to further delay this court with this issue," announced the judge. "the case before the jury already has dragged through nearly four weeks, and it should be conducted as expeditiously as possible to a close. mr. bromley, the witness is sustained." marcia settled back in her place; miles feversham, like a man who has slipped on the edge of a chasm, sat a moment longer, gripping the arms of his chair; then his shifting look caught frederic's wide-eyed gaze of uncomprehending innocence, and he weakly smiled. "mr. tisdale," began the prosecution, putting aside his papers and endeavoring to focus his mind again on the case, "you have spent some years with the alaska division of the geological survey?" "every open season and some of the winters for a period of ten years, with the exception of three which i also spent in alaska." "and you are particularly familiar with the locality included in the chugach forest reserve, i understand, mr. tisdale. tell us a little about it. it contains vast reaches of valuable and marketable timber, does it not?" the genial lines crinkled lightly in tisdale's face. "the chugach forest contains some marketable timber on the lower pacific slopes," he replied, "where there is excessive precipitation and the influence of the warm japan current, but along the streams on the other side of the divide there are only occasional growths of scrubby spruce, hardly suitable for telegraph poles or even railroad ties." he paused an instant then went on mellowly: "gifford pinchot was thousands of miles away; he never had seen alaska, when he suggested that the executive set aside the chugach forest reserve. no doubt he believed there was valuable timber on those lofty peaks and glaciers, but i don't know how he first heard of a chugach forest, unless"--he halted again and looked at the jury, while the humor deepened in his voice--"those pennsylvania contractors, who were shipping coal around cape horn to supply the pacific navy, took the chance of there being trees in those mountains and interested the government in saving the timber--to conserve the coal." a ripple of laughter passed over the jury and on through the courtroom. even the presiding judge smiled, and mr. bromley hurried to say: "tell us something about that alaska coal, mr. tisdale. you have found vast bodies-- have you not?--of a very high grade; to compare favorably with pennsylvania coal." "the geodetic survey estimates there are over eight millions of acres of coal land already known in alaska," replied hollis statistically. "more than is contained in all pennsylvania, west virginia, and ohio combined. it is of all grades. the bonnifield near fairbanks, far in the interior, is the largest field yet discovered, and in one hundred and twenty-two square miles of it that have been surveyed, there are about ten billions of tons. cross sections show veins two hundred and thirty-one feet thick. this coal is lignite." "how about the matanuska fields?" asked mr. bromley. "the matanuska cover sixty-five thousand acres; the coal is a high grade bituminous, fit for steam and coking purposes. there are also some veins of anthracite. i consider the matanuska the best and most important coal yet discovered in alaska, and with the bering coal, which is similar though more broken, these fields should supply the united states for centuries to come." mr. bromley looked at the jury. his smile said: "you heard that, gentlemen?" then, his glance returning to the witness: "why the most important?" he asked. "because all development, all industry, in the north depends on the opening up of such a body of coal. and these fields are the most accessible to the coast. a few hundreds of miles of railroad, the extension of one or two of the embryo lines on which construction has been suspended, would make the coal available on prince william sound. used by the pacific navy, it would save the government a million dollars a year on transportation." the prosecuting attorney looked at the jury again in triumph. "and that, gentlemen, is why the prince william development company was so ready to finance one of those embryo railroads; why those matanuska coal claims were located by the syndicate's stenographers, bookkeepers, any employee down here in their seattle offices. mr. tisdale, if those patents had been allowed and the claims had been turned over to the company, would it not have given the morganstein interests a monopoly on alaska coal?" tisdale paused a thoughtful moment. "no, at least only temporarily, if at all. out of those eight millions of acres of coal land already discovered in alaska, not more than thirty-two thousand acres have been staked--only one claim, an old and small mine on the coast, has been allowed." his glance moved slowly over the jury, from face to face, and he went on evenly: "you can't expect capital to invest without some inducement. the northern pacific, the first trans-continental railroad in the united states, received enormous land grants along the right of way; but the prince william development company, which intends ultimately to bridge distances as vast, to tap the unknown resources of the alaska interior, has not asked for concessions, beyond the privilege to develop such properties as it may have acquired by location and purchase. surely the benefit that railroad would be in opening the country to settlement and in the saving of human life, should more than compensate for those few hundreds of acres of the government's coal." "mr. tisdale," said the attorney sharply, "that, in an employee of the government, is a strange point of view." tisdale's hands sought his pockets; he returned mr. bromley's look with his steady, upward gaze from under slightly frowning brows. "the perspective changes at close range," he said. "the government knows less about its great possession of alaska than england knew about her american colonies, one hundred and fifty years ago. the united states had owned alaska seventeen years before any form of government was established there; more than thirty before a criminal code was provided, and thirty-three years before she was given a suitable code of civil laws. now, to-day, there are no laws operative in alaska under which title may be acquired to coal land. alaska has yielded hundreds of millions of dollars from her placers, her fisheries, and furs, but the only thing the government ever did for alaska was to import reindeer for the use of the esquimos." another ripple of laughter passed through the courtroom; even the judge on the bench smiled. but mr. bromley's face was a study. he began to fear the effect of tisdale's astonishing statements on the jury, while at the same time he was impelled to listen. in the moment he hesitated over a question, hollis lifted his head and said mellowly: "the sins of congress have not been in commission but in omission. they are under the impression, far away there in washington, that alaska is too bleak, too barren for permanent settlement; that the white population is a floating one, made up chiefly of freebooters and outlaws. but we know the foundations of an empire have been laid there; that, allowed the use of the fuel nature has so bountifully stored there and granted a fair measure of encouragement to transportation, those great inland tundras would be as populous as sweden; as progressive as germany." his glance moved to the jury; all the nobility, the fineness, the large humanity of the man was expressed in that moment in his face; a subdued emotion pervaded his voice. "we know the men who forged a way through that mighty bulwark of mountains to the interior were brave, resourceful, determined--they had to be--but, too, they saw a broad horizon; they had patriotism; if there are any americans left who have inherited a spark of the old puritan spirit, they are the ones who have cast their fortunes with alaska." he paused again briefly, and his eyes rested on foster. "do you know?" he resumed, and his glance returned to the prosecuting attorney, "when i came out last season, i saw a ship at the terminus of the new copper river and northwestern railroad discharging australian coal. this with the great bering fields lying at their side door! the people of cordova wanted to see that road finished; the life of their young seaport depended on it-- but--that night they threw the whole of that cargo of foreign coal into the waters of prince william sound. it is referred to, now, as the 'cordova tea-party.'" in the silence that held the courtroom, tisdale stood still regarding the lawyer. his expression was most engaging, a hint of humor lurked at the corners of his mouth, yet it seemed to veil a subtle meaning. then the jury began to laugh quietly, with a kind of seriousness, and again the judge straightened, checking a smile. it was all very disturbing to mr. bromley. he had been assured by one high in the administration that he might rely on tisdale's magnetic personality and practical knowledge as well as his technical information in prosecuting the case; but while he hesitated over the question he wished to ask, tisdale said mellowly, no doubt to bridge the awkward pause: "the copper river and northwestern couldn't mine their coal, and they couldn't import any, so they changed their locomotives to oil burners." then mr. bromley said abruptly: "this is all very interesting, mr. tisdale, but it is the chugach railway and not the copper river northwestern, that bears on our case. you have been over that route, i believe?" "yes." tisdale's voice quickened. "i used the roadbed going to and from the matanuska valley. also i went over the proposed route once with mr. foster and the civil engineers." "was it, in your opinion, a bona fide railroad, mr. tisdale? or simply a lure to entice people to make coal locations in order that they might be bought after the patents were issued?" "it was started in good faith." the steel rang, a warning note, in his voice. "the largest stockholder had spent nearly a hundred thousand dollars in opening his coal claim. he was in need of immediate transportation." "this was after the chugach company consolidated with the prince william syndicate, mr. tisdale?" "no, sir. it was previous to that time. the chugach railway and development company had chosen one of the finest harbors in alaska for a terminus. it was doubly protected from the long pacific swell by the outer, precipitous shore of prince william sound. but their greatest engineering problem met them there at the start. it was necessary to cross a large glacier back of the bay. there was no possible way to build around it; the only solution was a bore under the ice. the building of such a tunnel meant labor and great expense. and it was not a rich company; it was made up principally of small stockholders, young men, just out of college some of them, who had gone up there with plenty of enthusiasm and courage to invest in the enterprise, but very little money. they did their own assessment work, dug like any coal miners with pick and shovel, cut and carried the timbers to brace their excavations under mr. foster's instructions. and when construction commenced on the railroad, they came down to do their stunt at packing over the glacier--grading began from the upper side--and sometimes they cut ties." "and meantime," said the attorney brusquely, "mr. foster, who was responsible i believe, was trying to interest other capital to build the tunnel." "yes. and meantime, the prince william syndicate started a parallel railroad to the interior from the next harbor to the southwestward. it was difficult to interest large capital with competition so close." tisdale paused; his glance moved from mr. bromley to the jury, his voice took its minor note. "stuart foster did hold himself responsible to those young fellows. he had known most of them personally in seattle; they were a picked company for the venture. he had youth and courage himself, in those days, but he knew alaska--he had been there before and made good. he had their confidence. he was that kind of man; one to inspire trust on sight, anywhere." hollis paused another instant, while his eyes turned to foster, and involuntarily, one after the other, the jury followed his look. "it was then," he added, "when other capital failed, the chugach company gave up their seaport and consolidated with the prince william syndicate." "thank you, mr. tisdale," said the attorney for the prosecution. "that is all." miles feversham had, as frederic afterward expressed it, "caught his second wind." while he listened attentively to the testimony, he made some sweeping revisions in his notes for the argument which he was to open the following day. he laughed at, while he congratulated himself, that the government's star witness, of whom he had been so afraid, should have proved so invaluable to the defense. and when court adjourned, and the trio went down the steps to the street, he assured his brother-in-law there was a chance for him to escape, under foster's cloak. to marcia he said jocularly, though still in an undertone: "'snatched like a brand from the burning!'" and he added: "my lady, had you consulted me, i should have suggested the april issue. these magazines have a bad habit of arriving too soon." frederic, released from the long day's strain, did not take this facetiousness meekly, but marcia was silent. for once the "brightest morganstein" felt her eclipse. but while they stood on the curb, waiting for the limousine to draw up, a newsboy called: "all about the alaska bill! home rule for alaska!" the special delegate bought a copy, and marcia drew close to his elbow while they scanned the message together. it was true. the bill, to which they both had devoted their energies that season in washington, had passed. feversham folded the paper slowly and met his wife's brilliant glance. it was as though she telegraphed: "now, the president must name a governor." chapter xxxii the other document the argument, which miles feversham opened with unusual brilliancy the following morning, was prolonged with varying degrees of heat to the close of another week; then the jury, out less than two hours, brought in their verdict of "not guilty." and that night, for the first time since tisdale's return, foster climbed to the eyrie in the alaska building. "i came up to thank you, hollis," he began in his straightforward way. "it was breakers ahead when you turned the tide. but," he added after a pause, "what will the president think of your views?" tisdale laughed softly. "he heard most of them before i left washington, and this is what he thinks." as he spoke, he took a letter from the table which he gave to foster. it bore the official stamp and was an appointment to that position which miles feversham had so confidently hoped, with marcia's aid, to secure. "well, that shows the president's good judgment!" foster exclaimed and held out his hand. "you are the one man broad enough to fit the place." after a moment he said, "but it is going to leave you little time to devote to your own affairs. how about the aurora?" tisdale did not reply directly. he rose and walked the length of the floor. "that depends," he said and stopped with his hands in his pockets to regard foster with the upward, appraising look from under knitting brows. "i presume, stuart, you are through with the syndicate?" foster colored. "i put in my resignation as mining engineer of the company shortly after i came out, at the beginning of the year." "and while you were in the interior," pursued tisdale, "you were sent to the aurora to make a report. what did you think of the mine?" "i thought frederic morganstein would be safe in bonding the property if he could interest you in selling; it looked better to me than even banks' strike in the iditarod. this season's clean-up should justify weatherbee." "you mean in staying on at the risk of his reason and life?" foster nodded; a shadow crossed his open face. "i mean everything but--his neglect to make final provision for his wife." tisdale frowned. "there is where you make your mistake. weatherbee persisted as he did, in the face of defeat, for her sake." foster laughed mirthlessly. "the proofs are otherwise. look at things, once, from her side," he broke out. "think what it means to her to see you realizing, from a few hundred dollars you could easily spare, this big fortune. i know you've been generous, but after all, of what benefit to her is a bequest in your will, when now she has absolutely nothing but that hole in the columbia desert? face it, be reasonable; you always have been in every way but this. i don't see how you can be so hard, knowing her now as you do." tisdale turned to the window. "i have not been as hard as you think," he said. "but it was necessary, in order to carry out weatherbee's plans, to-- do as i did." "that's the trouble." foster rose from his chair and went a few steps nearer tisdale. "you are the sanest man in the world in every way but one. but you can't think straight when it comes to weatherbee. there is where the north got its hold on you. can't you see it? look at it through my eyes, or any one's. you did for david weatherbee what one man in a thousand might have done. and you've interested lucky banks in that reclamation project; you've gone on yourself with his developments at the aurora. but there's one thing you've lost sight of--justice to beatriz weatherbee. you've done your best for him, but he is dead. hollis, old man, i tell you he is dead. and she is living. you have sent her, the proudest, sweetest woman on god's earth, to brave out her life in that sage-brush wilderness. can't you see you owe something to her?" tisdale did not reply. but presently he went over to his safe and took out the two documents that were fastened together. this time it was the will he returned to its place; the other paper he brought to foster. "i am going to apologize for my estimate of mrs. weatherbee the night you sailed north," he said. "my judgment then, before i had seen her, was unfair; you were right. but i could hardly have done differently in any case. there was danger that she would dispose of a half interest in the aurora at once, at any low price frederic morganstein might name. and you know the syndicate's methods. i did not want a morganstein partnership. but, later, at the time i had my will drawn, i saw this way." foster took the document, but he did not read it immediately; he stood looking at tisdale. "so you too were afraid of him. but i knew nothing about lucky banks' option. it worried me, those endless nights up there in the iditarod, to think that in her extremity she might marry frederic morganstein. there was a debt that pressed her. did you know about that?" "yes. she called it a 'debt of honor.'" "and you believed, as i did, that it was a direct loan to cover personal expenses. after i came home, i found out she borrowed the money originally of miss morganstein, to endow a bed in the children's hospital. think of it! and mrs. feversham, who took it off her sister's hands, transferred the note to morganstein." tisdale did not say anything, but his rugged face worked a little, and he turned again to look out into the night. foster moved nearer the reading-lamp and unfolded the document. it was a deed conveying, for a consideration of one dollar, a half interest in the aurora mine to beatriz silva gonzales weatherbee; provided said half interest be not sold, or parceled, or in any way disposed of for a period of five years. her share of the profits above operating expenses was to be paid in semi-annual dividends, and, as in the will, stuart emory foster was named as trustee. foster folded the document slowly. his glance moved to tisdale, and his eyes played every swift change from contrition to gratitude. hollis turned. "i want you to take the management of the whole mine," he said mellowly. "at a salary of five thousand a year to start with. and as soon as you wish, you may deliver this deed." foster's lips trembled a little. "you've made a mistake," he said unsteadily. then: "why don't you take it to her yourself, hollis?" he asked. tisdale was silent. he turned back to the window, and after an interval, foster went over and stood beside him, looking down on the harbor lights. his arm went up around tisdale's shoulder as he said: "if weatherbee could know everything now; if he had loved her, put her first always, as you believe, do you think he would be any happier to see her punished like this?" still tisdale was silent. then foster's arm fell, and he said desperately: "can't you see, hollis? weatherbee was greater than either of us, i grant that. but the one thing in the world you are so sure he most desired--the lack of which wrecked his life--the one thing i have tried for the hardest and missed--has fallen to you. go and ask her to sail to alaska with you. you'll need her up there to carry the honors for you. you prize her, you love her,--you know you do." chapter xxxiii the calf-bound notebook the statue was great. so tisdale told lucky banks, that day the prospector met him at the station and they motored around through the park. the sculptor himself had said he must send people to weatherbee when they wanted to see his best work. it was plain his subject had dominated him. he had achieved with the freedom of pose the suggestion of decision and power that had been characteristic of david weatherbee. quick intelligence spoke in the face, yet the eyes held their expression of seeing a far horizon. to hollis, coming suddenly, as he did, upon the bronze figure in the wenatchee sunshine, it seemed to warm with a latent consciousness. he felt poignantly a sense of david's personality, as he had known him at the crowning period of his life. "it suits me," responded banks. "my, yes, it's about as good a likeness as we can get of dave." he put on his hat, which involuntarily he had removed, and started the car on around the curve. "but it's a mighty lot like you. it crops out most in the eyes, seeing things off somewheres, clear out of sight, and the way you carry your size. you was a team." "i am sorry i missed those services," said tisdale. "i meant to be here." banks nodded. "but it all went off fine. she agreed with me it was the best place. if i was to go back to alaska, and she was off somewheres on a trip, it would be sure to get taken care of here in the park; and, afterwards, when neither of us can come around to keep things in shape any more. and i told her how the ranchers up and down the valley would get to feeling acquainted and friendly with dave, seeing his statue when they was in town; and how the fruit-buyers and the pickers, and maybe the tourists, coming and going, would remember about him and tell everybody they knew; and how the school children would ask questions about the statue, thinking he was in the same class with lincoln and washington, and be always telling how he was the first man that looked ahead and saw what water in this valley could do." "you were right, johnny. the memory of him will live and grow with this town when the rest of us are forgotten." they had turned from the park and went speeding up between the rows of new poplars along the alameda, and the prospector's eyes moved over the reclaimed vale, where acres on acres of young fruit trees in cultivated squares crowded out the insistent sage. "and this town for a fact is bound to grow," he said. then at last, when cerberus loomed near, and they entered the gap, the little man's big heart rose and his bleak face glowed, under tisdale's expressions of wonder and approbation at the advance the vineyards and orchards had made, so soon after the consummation of the project. fillers of alfalfa stretched along the spillways from the main canal like a green carpet; strawberry plants were blossoming; grapes reached out pale tendrils and many leaves. but, at the top of the pocket, where the road began to lift gently in a double curve across the front of the bench, hollis dismissed banks and his red car and walked the rest of the way. on the rim of the level, near the solitary pine tree, he stopped to look down on the transformed vale, and suddenly, once more he seemed to feel david's presence. it was as though he stood beside him and saw all this awakening, this responding of the desert to his project. almost it compensated--for those four days. almost! tisdale drew his hand across his eyes and turned to follow the drive between the rows of nodding narcissus. the irony of it! that weatherbee should have lived to find the aurora; that, with many times the needed capital in sight, he should have lost. the perfume of the flowers filled the warm atmosphere; the music of running water was everywhere. as he left the side of the flume, the silver note of the fountain came to him from the patio, then, like a mirage between him and the low spanish building, rose that miniature house he had found in the alaska wilderness, with the small snow figure before it, holding a bundle in her arms. the vision passed. but that image with the bundle was the one unfinished problem in the project he had come to solve. he entered the court and saw on his right an open door and, across the wide room, beatriz weatherbee. she was seated at a quaint secretary on which were several bundles of papers, and the familiar box that had contained david's letters and watch. at the moment tisdale discovered her, she was absorbed in a photograph she held in her hands, but at the sound of his step in the patio she turned and rose to meet him. her face was radiant, yet she looked at him through arrested tears. "i am sorry if i startled you," he said conventionally. "banks brought me from the station, but he left me to walk up the bench." "i should have seen the red car down the gap had i been at the window," she replied, "but i was busy putting away papers. freight has been moving slowly over the great northern, and my secretary arrived only to-day. it bore the trip very well, considering its age. it belonged to my great-grandfather, don silva gonzales. he brought it from spain, but elizabeth says it might have been made for this room. she is walking somewhere in the direction of the spring." while she spoke, she touched her cheeks and eyes swiftly with her handkerchief and led the way to some chairs between the secretary and the great window that overlooked the vale. tisdale did not look at her directly; he wished to give her time to cover the emotion he had surprised. "i should say the room was built for don silva's desk," he amended. "and-- do you know?--this view reminds me of a little picture of granada, a water-color of my mother's, that hung in my room when i was a boy. but this pocket has changed some since we first saw it; your dragon's teeth are drawn." "isn't it marvelous how the expression of the whole mountain has altered?" she responded. "there, at the end of the pines, that looked like a bristling mane, the green gables of mrs. banks' home have changed the contour. and the chelan peaks are showing now beyond it. that day the farther ones were obscured. but we watched the rain tramp up hesperides vale, you remember, and swing off unexpectedly to the near summits. there was a rainbow, and i said that perhaps somewhere in this valley i should find my pot of gold." "i remember. and i shouldn't be surprised if you do." "do you think i do not know i have already?" she asked. "do you think i have no appreciation, no gratitude? why, even had i been too dull to see it, elizabeth would have told me that this house alone, to say nothing of the project, must have cost a good deal of money; and that, no matter how deeply mr. banks may have felt his obligation to david, it was not in reason he should have allowed everything to revert to me. but i told him i should consider the investment as a loan, and now, since he has let me know the truth"--her voice fluctuated softly--"i shall make it a debt of honor just the same. sometime--i shall repay you." it was very clear to tisdale that though she saw the property had so greatly increased in value, and that the reclamation movement in the outer vale made the tract readily salable, she no longer considered placing it on the market. "i thought banks showed you a way easily to cancel that loan," he began. but meeting her look, he paused; his glance returned to the window while he felt in his pocket for that deed foster had refused to bring. it was going to be more difficult than he had foreseen to offer it to her. "madam," and compelling his eyes to brave hers, he slightly frowned, "your share in the aurora mine should pay you enough in dividends the next season or two to refund all that has been expended on this project." "my share in the aurora mine?" she repeated. "but i see, i see. you have been maligned into giving me the interest david conveyed to you. oh, mr. banks told me about that. how you were attacked at the trial; the use that was made of that indian story in the magazine; that monstrous editorial note." tisdale smiled. "that had nothing to do with it. this deed was drawn last year as soon as i reached washington. david knew the value of the aurora. that is the reason he risked another winter there, in the face of--all-- that threatened him. and when he felt the fight was going against him, he turned his interest over to me, not only as security on the small loan i advanced to him, but because i was his partner, and he could trust me to finish, his development work and put the mine on a paying basis. that is accomplished. there is no reason now that i should not transfer his share back to you." he rose to give her the deed, and she took it with reluctance and glanced it over. "i think it is arranged about as david would have wished," he added. "he had confidence in foster." she looked up. "mr. foster knows how i regard the matter. i told him i would not accept an interest in the aurora mine. i said all the gold in alaska could not compensate you for--what you did. besides, i do not believe as you do, mr. tisdale. i think david meant his share should be finally yours." hollis was silent. he stood looking off again over cerberus to the loftier chelan peaks. for a moment she sat regarding his broad back; her lip trembled a little, and a tenderness, welling from depths of compassion, brimmed her eyes. "you see i cannot possibly accept it," she said, and rose to return the deed to him. she had forgotten the photograph, which dropped from her lap, and tisdale stooped to pick it up. it was lying face upward on the floor, and he saw it was the picture of a child; then involuntarily he stopped to scan it, and it came over him this small face, so beautifully molded, so full of intelligence and charm, was a reproduction of weatherbee in miniature; yet retouched by a blend of the mother; her eyes under david's level brows. he put the picture in her hand and an unspoken question flashed in the look that met hers. since he had not relieved her of the deed, she laid it down on the secretary to take the photograph. "this is a picture of little silva," she said. "it would have made a difference about the share in the aurora if he had lived. he must have been provided for. david would have seen to that." "there was a child!" his voice rang softly like a vibrant string. "you spoke of him that night you were lost above scenic springs, but i thought it was a fancy of delirium. it seemed incredible that david should not have told me if he had a son." she did not answer directly, but nodded a little and moved back to her chair. "he was christened silva falconer, for my mother's father and mine," she said. "they both were greatly disappointed in not having a son. i am going to tell you about him, only it will be a long story; please be seated. and it would be easier if you would not look at me." she waited while he settled again in his chair and turned his eyes to the blue mountain tops. she was still able to see his face. "silva was over six months old when this photograph was taken," she began. "it was lost, with the letter to david that enclosed it, on some terrible alaska trail. afterwards, when the mailbag was recovered and the letter was returned to me through the dead-letter office, two years had passed, and our little boy was--gone. you must understand i expected david back that first winter, and when word came that his expedition to the interior had failed, and he had arranged to stay in the north in order to make an early start in the following spring, i did not want to spoil his plans. so i answered as gayly as i could and told him it would give me an opportunity to make a long visit home to california. i went far south to jacinta and carlos. they were caretakers at the old hacienda. my mother had managed that, with the people who bought the rancheria and built the hotel and sanitarium. jacinta had been her nurse and mine. she was very experienced. but silva was born lame. he could not use his lower limbs. a great specialist, who came to the hotel, said he might possibly recover under treatment, but if he should not in a year or two, certain cords must be cut to allow him to sit in a wheel chair, and in that case i must give up hope he would ever walk. but--the treatment was very painful--jacinta could not bear to-- torture him; i could not afford a trained nurse; so--i did everything. he was the dearest baby; so lovable. he never was cross, but he used to nestle his cheek in my neck and explain how it hurt and coax me not to. not in words, but i understood--every sound. and he understood me, i know. 'you are going to blame me, by and by, if i stop,' i would say, over and over; 'you are going to blame me for bringing you into the world.'" her voice broke; her breast labored with short, quick breaths, as though she were climbing some sharp ascent. tisdale did not look at her; his face stirred and settled in grim lines. "i could not write all this about our baby," she went on, "and i told myself if the treatment failed it would be soon enough for david to know of silva when he came home. there was nothing he could do, and to share my anxiety might hamper him in his work. he wrote glowingly of the new placer he had discovered, and that was a relief to me, for i was obliged to ask him to send me a good deal of money,--the specialist's account had been so large. i believed he would start south when the alaska season closed, for he had written i might expect him then, with his pockets full of gold dust, and i made my letters entertaining--or tried to--so he need not feel any need to hurry. at last, one morning in the bath, when silva was five months old, he moved his right limb voluntarily. i shall never forget. it renewed my courage and my faith. at the end of another month he moved the left one, and after that, gradually, full use came to them both. it was then, when the paralysis was mastered, i sent the letter that was lost. at the same time david wrote that he must spend a second winter in alaska. but before that news reached me, my reaction set in. i was so ill i was carried, unconscious, to the sanitarium. and, while i was there, silva, who had grown so sturdy and was creeping everywhere, followed his kitten into the garden, and a little later old jacinta found him in the arroyo. there was only a little water running but--he had fallen--face down." tisdale rose. meeting her look, the emotion that was the surface stir of shaken depths swept his face. then, as though to blot out the recollection, she pressed her fingers to her eyes. "and david was thousands of miles away," he said. "you braved that alone, like the soldier you are." "when i read david's letter," she went on, "he was winter-bound in the interior. a reply could not have reached him until spring. and meantime elizabeth morganstein came with her mother to the hotel. we had been, friends at boarding-school, and she persuaded me to go north to seattle with them. later, after the _aquila_ was launched in the spring, i was invited to join the family on a cruise up the inside passage and across the top of the pacific to prince william sound. it seemed so much easier to tell david everything than to write, so--i only let him know i intended to sail to valdez with friends and would go on by mail steamer to seward to visit him. that had been his last post-office address, and i believed he expected to be in that neighborhood when the season opened. but our stay was lengthened at juneau, where we were entertained by acquaintances of mrs. feversham's, and we spent a long time around taku glacier and the muir. i missed my steamer connections, and there was not another boat due within a week. but the weather was delightful, and mr. morganstein suggested taking me on in the yacht. then mrs. feversham proposed a side trip along columbia glacier and into college fiord. it was all very wonderful to me, and inspiring; the salt air had been a restorative from the start. and i saw no reason to hurry the party. david would understand. so, the second mail steamer passed us, and finally, when we reached seward, david had gone back to the interior. the rest--you know." "you mean," said tisdale slowly, "you heard about mrs. barbour." she bowed affirmatively. the color swept in a wave to her face; her lashes fell. "mrs. feversham heard about it, how david had brought her down from the interior. i saw the cabin he had furnished for her, and she herself, sewing at the window. her face was beautiful." there was a silence, then hollis said: "so you came back on the _aquila_ to seattle. but you wrote; you explained about the child?" she shook her head. "i waited to hear from david first. i did not know, then, that the letter with silva's picture was lost." tisdale squared his shoulders, looking off again to the snow-peaks above cerberus. "consider!" she rose with an outward movement of her hands, like one groping in the dark for a closed door. "it was a terrible mistake, but i did not know david as you knew him. my father, who was dying, arranged our marriage. i was very young and practically without money in a big city; there was not another relative in the world who cared what became of me. and, in any case, even had i known the meaning of love and marriage, in that hour,--when i was losing him,--i must have agreed to anything he asked. we had been everything to each other; everything. but i've been a proud woman; sensitive to slight. it was in the blood--both sides. and i had been taught early to cover my feelings. my father had adored my mother; he used to remind me she was patrician to the finger-tips, and that i should not wear my heart on my sleeve if i wished to be like her. and, when i visited my grandfather, don silva, in the south, he would say: 'beatriz, remember the blood of generations of soldiers is bottled in you; carry yourself like the last gonzales, with some fortitude.' so--at seward--i remembered." her voice, while she said this, almost failed, but every word reached tisdale. he felt, without seeing, the something that was appeal yet not appeal, that keyed her whole body and shone like a changing light and shade in her face. "i told myself i would not be sacrificed, effaced," she went on. "it was my individuality against fate. since little silva was dead, my life was my own to shape as i might. i did not hear from david for a long time; he wrote less and less frequently, more briefly every year. he never spoke of the baby, and i believed he must have heard through some friend in california of silva's death. nothing was left to tell. he never spoke of his home-coming, and i did not; i dreaded it too much. whenever the last steamers of the season were due, i nerved myself to look the passenger lists over; and when his name was missing, it was a reprieve. neither my father nor my grandfather had believed in divorce; in their eyes it was disgrace. it seemed right, for silva's sake, out of the rich placers david continued to find, he should contribute to my support. so--i lived my life--the best i was able. i had many interests, and always one morning of each week i spent among the children at the hospital where i had endowed the silva weatherbee bed." she paused so long that tisdale turned. she seemed very tired. the patient lines, fine as a thread, deepened perceptibly at the corners of her mouth. he hurried to save her further explanation. "foster told me," he said. "it was a beautiful memorial. sometime i should like to go there with you. i know you met the first expense of that endowment with a loan from miss morganstein, which of course you expected to cancel soon, when you had found david at seward. i understand how, when the note came into her brother's hands, your only chance to meet it at once was through a sale of this land. and i have thought since i knew this, that evening aboard the _aquila_, when you risked don silva's ruby, it was to make the yearly payment at the hospital." "yes, it was. but the option money from mr. banks made it possible to meet all my debts. i did not know they were only assumed--by you. though, looking back, i wonder i failed to see the truth." with this she turned and took up the photograph which she had laid on the secretary, and while her glance rested on the picture, tisdale's regarded her face. "so," he said then, "when the lost letter came back to you, you kept it; weatherbee never knew." she looked up. "yes, i kept it. by that time i believed little silva's coming and going could make little difference to him." "and you went on believing all you had heard at seward?" she bowed again affirmatively. "until you told me the true story about mrs. barbour that night on the mountain road. i know now that once he must have loved me, as you believed. this house, which is built so nearly like the old hacienda where i was born, must have been planned for me. but, afterwards, when he thought i had failed him, when he contrasted me with mrs. barbour, her devotion to her husband, it was different." she laid the photograph down again to draw the tin box forward. the letters were on the desk with david's watch, but there still remained a calf-bound notebook, such as surveyors use in field work. it fitted snugly enough for a false bottom, and she was obliged to reverse the box to remove it, prying slightly with a paper-knife. tisdale's name was lettered across the cover, and the first pages were written in his clear, fine draughtsman's hand; then the characters changed to weatherbee's. she turned to the last ones. "this is a book you left among some old magazines at david's camp," she explained. "he carried it with him until he discovered the aurora. he began to use it as a sort of diary. sometime you will want to read it all, but please read these last notes and this letter now." she waited a moment, then as he took up the letter and began to unfold it, she turned and went out into the patio. the letter was from lilias barbour. it was friendly, earnest, full of her child and a gentle solicitude for weatherbee. hollis read it through twice, slowly. the last paragraph he went over a third time. "you are staying too long in that bleak country,"--so it ran. "come back to the states, at least for a winter. if you do not, in the spring, bee and i are going to alaska to learn the reason. we owe it to you." the date was the end of august, of the same year david had written that final letter which reached him the following spring at nome. but the date on the open page of the notebook was the fifteenth of january of that winter, his last at the aurora mine. "last night i dreamed of beatriz," it began. "i thought i went down to seward to meet her, and when the steamer came, i saw her standing on the forward deck, waving her hand gaily and smiling just as she did that day i left her at seattle so long ago. then, as the ship came alongside the dock, and she walked down the gangway, and i took her hand to kiss her, her face suddenly changed. she was not beatriz; she was lilias. my god, if it had been lilias! why, she would be here now, she and little bee, filling this frozen cabin with summer." the final date was two months later. "still snowing," it ran. "snowing. god, how i want to break away from this hole. get out somewhere, where men are alive and doing things. nothing is moving here but the snow and those two black buttes out there. they keep crowding closer through the smother, watching everything i do. i've warned them to keep back. they must, or i'll blow them off the face of the earth. oh, i'll do it, if it takes all that's left of the dynamite. i won't have them threatening lilias when she comes. she is coming; she said she would, unless i went out to the states. and i can't go; i haven't heard from tisdale. i never have told her about those buttes. it's unusual; she might not believe it; she would worry and think, perhaps, i am growing like barbour. god! suppose i am. suppose she should come up here in this wilderness to find me a wreck like him. she must not come. i've got to prevent it. but i've offered my half interest in the aurora to tisdale. he will take it. he never failed me yet." tisdale closed the book and laid it down. furrows seamed his face, changing, re-forming, to the inner upheaval. after awhile, he lifted weatherbee's watch from the desk and mechanically pressed the spring. the lower case opened, but the picture he remembered was not there. in its place was the face of the other child, his namesake, "bee." out in the patio the pool rippled ceaselessly; the fountain threw its silver ribbon of spray, and beatriz waited, listening, with her eyes turned to the room she had left. at last she heard his step. it was the tread of a man whose decision was made. she sank down on the curb of the basin near one of the palms. behind her an open door, creaking in the light wind, swung wide, and beyond it the upper flume stretched back to the natural reservoir where she had been imprisoned by the fallen pine tree. his glance, as he crossed the court, moved from her through this door and back to her face. "you were right," he said. "but it would have been different if david had known about his child. his great heart was starved." she was silent. her glance fell to the fountain. a ray of sunshine slanting across it formed a rainbow. "but my mistake was greater than yours," he went on, and his voice struck its minor chord; "i have no excuse for throwing away those four days. i never can repair that, but i pledge myself to make you forget my injustice to you." at this she rose. "you were not unjust--knowing david as you did. you taught me how fine, how great he was. silva--would have been proud of his name." there was another silence. tisdale looked off again through the open door to the distant basin, and her glance returned to the fountain. "see!" she exclaimed. "a double rainbow!" "fate is with us again," he replied. "she's promising a better fight. but there is one debt more, soldier," and, catching her swift look, he saw the sparkles break softly in her eyes. "my ship sails for alaska the tenth; i shall stay indefinitely, and i want you to pay me--in full--before i go." the end [illustration: o. jacobs] _memoirs of orange jacobs_ written by himself _containing many interesting, amusing and instructive incidents of a life of eighty years or more, fifty-six years of which were spent in oregon and washington._ seattle, wash. lowman & hanford co. dedication. to the pioneers of the state of washington, whose privations nobly borne, whose heroic labors timely performed, and whose patriotic devotion to the republic, gave washington as a star of constantly increasing brilliancy to the union--this book is gratefully dedicated. contents. i. my autobiography. ii. incidents in crossing the plains in . iii. pen sketches of events, amusing, interesting and instructive of a pioneer's life on the pacific coast, extending over fifty-six years. iv. indian civilization, its true methods, its difficulties. v. indian customs, legends, logic and philosophy of life. vi. religion and reasons for some fundamental doctrines. vii. official life and some incidents connected therewith. viii. game animals and birds of the state of washington. ix. a few public addresses delivered by me. x. the result of pioneer patriotism and energy. introduction i have often been requested by my friends to write a sketch book, containing, first, my autobiography, with some of the incidents of a life already numbering eighty years and more; secondly, some of the addresses and papers made by me as a private citizen or public official; and, thirdly, some of the impressions, solemn, ludicrous and otherwise, made upon me in my contact with all the forms of the _genus homo_, principally on the pacific coast, where i have resided since --in oregon for seventeen years; in seattle, washington, thirty-eight years, plus the dimming future. i have finally concluded to undertake the delicate task. if it is ever completed and printed, i fondly hope its readers, if any, may be interested, if not instructed, by these extracts from a long experience of contact and conflict with the world. i say "conflict," because every true life is a battle for financial independence, social position and the general approval of one's fellow-men. if an autobiography could be completed by an accurate and simple statement of facts, such as one's birth, education and the prominent and distinguishing events or acts of one's career, it would be a comparatively easy task. but, even then, too great modesty might incline to dim the lustre of the paramount facts, or to narrow their beneficence; while a dominating egotism might overstate their merits and extent, and exaggerate their beneficial results. both of these are to be avoided. but where is the man so calm, so dispassionate and discriminating as to avoid the engulfing breakers on either hand? if there could be an impartial statement of the facts i have suggested, still they would be but a veil encompassing the real man. the true man would but dimly appear by implication. character, that invisible entity, like the soul, constitutes the true man. any biography that does not develop the traits, the qualities, of this invisible entity is of no value. character is complex and compound. it consists of those tendencies, inclinations, bents and impulses which come down through the line of descent and become an integral part of the man, and are therefore constitutional. these are enlarged and strengthened, or curbed and diminished or modified, by education, environment and religious belief. education possesses no creative power. it acts only on the faculties god has given. it draws them out, enlarges and strengthens them--increases their scope and power--and gives them greater breadth and deeper penetration. by education i do not mean the knowledge derived from books alone, for nature is a great teacher and educator. the continuous woods, the sunless canyon, the ascending ridges and mountain peaks, as well as the sunlit and flower-bestrewn dells and valleys--in fact all of the beautiful and variegated scenes in nature--possess an educational force and power very much, in my judgment, underestimated. man's emotional nature is enlarged--his taste for the beautiful quickened--and his love for the grand and sublime broadened and deepened by frequent intercourse with nature. byron felt this when he wrote "there is a pleasure in the pathless woods, there is a rapture on the lonely shore, there is society, where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar: i love not man the less, but nature more, from these, our interviews, in which i steal from all i may be, or have been before, to mingle with the universe, and feel what i can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal." i have mentioned environment above. it is not only a restraining and quasi-licensing, but also an educational force. there are, i fear, in every community, especially on the pacific coast, many young persons, who, lacking in fixed moral principles and habits of life like the sensitive and impressionable chameleon, assuming the color of the bark on the tree which for a time is its home--take on the moral coloring of the society in which they move, and become for a time, at least, an embodiment of its moral tone. but let the conditions change--let such persons migrate and become residents of a society of darker moral hue and of lower moral tone--and, like the chameleon, they almost immediately take on the darkened coloring and echo the lower tone. if it is their nature to command, they become leaders in a career of associated viciousness or infamously distinguished in the line of individual criminality. the general result is, however, that having broken loose from their moral moorings, they drift as hopeless, purposeless wrecks on the sea of life. during my residence on the pacific coast i have known many sad instances of this degeneration, and our own beautiful and prosperous city has not been free from such sad examples. it is a true, if not an inspired saying that "evil communications corrupt good manners." it is more emphatically true that evil associations corrupt good morals, which was probably the meaning intended by the translators. i have mentioned religious belief as an element in the formation of character. the doctrine of no religious teacher has ever exercised such a dominating and controlling force in the formation of character in the civilized world, as have the doctrines of christ. before his advent the learned world received the philosophy of aristotle, as a sufficient basis of moral doctrine and civic virtue. but that philosophy, great as it was, and impinging as it often did on the domain of absolute truth, has as a system of moral conduct, given way or been subordinated to the clear, direct yet simple enunciation of christ, summed up in that grand and universally applicable rule of individual and civil conduct: "do unto others as you would have others do unto you." a character in which this doctrine forms the basis will always respond to the demands of honor and right. these observations must answer as a preface, or, as horace greely once styled such performances, as "preliminary egotism." autobiography i was born in the genesee valley, livingstone county, state of new york, on the second day of may, a. d. . i was number two of a family of eight children,--six boys and two girls. my mother, while not in the popular sense an educated woman, having but a common-school education, had, as the philosopher hobbes termed it, a large amount of "round-about common-sense." while she gave, as a religious mother, her assent to solomon's declaration that he who spares the rod spoils the child, it was only in the most flagrant instances of disobedience that she put the doctrine in practice. she was firm, consistent, and truthful, indulging in no unfulfilled threats or promises of punishment in case of non-compliance with her orders. in fact, she acted upon the principle that certainty and not severity of punishment was the preventative of disobedience. her all-prevailing governing power was affection--love,--thus exemplifying the teaching of the master that "he who loveth me keeps my commandments." i say it now, after eighty years of memory, that we obeyed her because we loved her. she has gone to her reward. my observation and experience is that the mother's influence over her sons, if she be a true and affectionate mother, is far stronger than that of the father. her love is ever present in the conflict of life; it remains as an enduring and restraining force against evil, and a powerful impulse in favor of honor and right. someone has said that there are but three words of beauty in the english language: "mother, home, heaven." my father owned a farm of forty acres in the genesee valley, and i first saw the light of day in a plain but comfortable frame house. back of it, and between two and three rods from it, quietly ran in a narrow channel a flower-strewn and almost grass-covered spring brook, whose clear and pure waters, about a foot in depth, were used for domestic and farm purposes. i mention this brook because connected with it is my first memory. i fell into that brook one day when i was about three years old, and would have drowned had it not been for the timely arrival of my mother. as the years advanced, observation extended, experience increased and enlarged, and i became a parent myself, i have often considered how many children would have reached manhood or womanhood's estate wanting the almost divine affection and ceaseless vigilance of a mother's love. the next circumstance in my life distinctly remembered occurred some two or three months after the water-incident stated above. running and romping through the kitchen one day, i tripped and fell, striking my forehead on the sharp edge of a skillet, making a wound over an inch in length and cutting to the bone. the profuse flow of blood alarmed me; but my mother, who was not at all a nervous woman but calm, thoughtful and resourceful in the presence of difficulties, soon staunched the flow of blood and drew the bleeding lips of the gaping wound together. the doctor soon after added his skill; then nature intervened; and, to use the stately language of court, the incident, as well as the wound, was closed. i have stated these two events not as very important factors in the history of a life, but because they illustrate the teaching of mental philosophy, that memory's power of retention and in individual's ability to recall any particular fact depends upon the intensity of emotion attending that fact or event. especially is this true of our youth and early manhood, when our emotional nature is active, vigorous and strong. in after years our emotional nature is not so active and not so readily aroused; still it exists, a latent but potent factor in memory's domain. given the requisite intensity, it will still write in indelible characters the history of events on the tablets of memory. memory is of two kinds--local and philosophical. local memory is the ability to retain and recall isolated and non-associated facts. the vast mass of early facts accumulated in memory's store-house rests upon this emotional principle. as the years increase and the mind matures, other principles become purveyors for that store-house. the laws of classification and association become in after years the efficient agencies of the cultivated mind to furnish the data for reflection and generalization. the operation of these laws constitutes philosophic memory. but such facts have no pathos,--no coloring. the recalled facts of our youthful days have a thrill in them; not always of joy, sometimes of sorrow. i must, however, dismiss these imperfect thoughts on mental philosophy, and return to autobiography. my father, not being satisfied with his forty-acre farm, in the genesee valley, but being desirous of more extended land dominion, and inflamed with the glowing description of the fertile prairie and wooded plains in southern michigan, made a trip to that territory in the summer of and purchased in st. joseph county two tracts of land of acres each--one being on what was afterwards called sturgis prairie; the other, in what was known as the burr oak openings. st. joseph county, now one of the most populous in that great state, then had less than two hundred people within its large domain. near the center of the prairie, which contained five or six sections of land, there were four or five log houses--the nucleus of a thriving town now existing there. there was also quite a pretentious block-house, manifesting the existence of the fear that the perfidious savage,--like the felon wolf,--might at any time commence the dire work of conflagration and massacre. there were many indians in that section of the country. they belonged to the then numerous and powerful tribe called the pottawattomies. southern michigan is a level and low country, abounding in small and deep lakes and sluggish streams. these lakes and streams were literally filled with edible fish. deer and wild turkeys, also the prairie chicken, pheasant and quail, were abundant. strawberries, cherries, grapes, plums, pawpaws and crabapples--as well as hazelnuts, hickory nuts, black walnuts and butternuts--were everywhere in the greatest profusion in the woodlands. it was a paradise for indian habitation. i cannot omit from this a slight digression--the statement that, having lived on the frontier most of my life and having become acquainted with many indian tribes, their habits and customs, they do not, like the tiger, or many white men, slaughter just for the love of slaughtering, but for food and clothing, alone; hence, game was always plentiful in an indian country. the buffalo, those noble roamers over the plains, and which a century or less ago, existed in almost countless numbers, have nearly disappeared. the destructive fury and remorseless cupidity of the white man have done their work. the indian and the buffalo could and would, judging by the past, have co-existed forever. now the doom of annihilation awaits them both. in the spring of we started for our new home in the wilds of michigan. our outfit consisted of a wagon loaded with household goods and provisions--two yoke of oxen and a brood mare of good stock. we reached our destination in a little over a month. i say "we" and "our" because i wish it to be understood that i took my father and mother and elder brother along with me to our western home, for i thought that they might be useful there. i distinctly remember but two incidents of that journey; of not much importance, however, in the veracious history of a life. i became bankrupt in the loss of a jack-knife that a confiding friend had given me on the eve of our departure, with which i might successfully whittle my way through to the land of promise. i was inconsolable for a time. i had lost my all. my father, to alleviate my grief, promised me another. so true is it that faith in a promise, whether human or divine, assuages grief, lifts the darkening cloud, and often opens up a fountain of joy. we had to cross lake erie on our journey. the not over-palatial floating palace in which we embarked was struck by a storm. she pitched and rolled and lurched in the tumbling and foaming waters. the passengers, save myself and some of the crew, as i was informed, lurched and foamed at the mouth in unison with the turbulent waves. i was confined, for fear i might be pitched over-board; but i felt no inclination to join in the general upheaval. since that time i have journeyed much on the lakes and on the ocean, in calm and in storm, but have ever been immune from that distressing torture. we arrived at our destination on the first of june. there was no house or building of any kind on the land purchased by my father. by the kindly invitation and permission of a mr. parker, a pioneer in that country, we were permitted for the time being, to transform his wood-shed into a living abode. my father immediately commenced the cutting and the hauling of logs for a habitation of our own; but before he had completed the work he was summoned to join forces then moving westward for the subjugation of blackhawk and the hostile tribes confederated under him, who were then waging a ruthless war on the settlers of illinois. any signal success by this wily chieftain, and his confederate forces might, and probably would, have vastly increased the area of conflict and conflagration. indian fidelity as a general rule, is a very uncertain quantity. there are, i am glad to say, many noble individual exceptions, but perfidy is the general trait. vigorous action was taken by the government for the subjugation of the hostile tribes and for the capture of blackhawk. this was accomplished in the early summer of . on the morning after my father's departure i accompanied my mother to a spring about a quarter of a mile from mr. parker's house, where we obtained water for domestic purposes. mr. parker's house was on the southern edge of the prairie which was fringed by a thick growth of hazel, sumach, plums, crabapples, wild cherries and fox grapes. this fringe was narrow and only extended back from two to four rods--beyond which was the open timber. the trail to the spring was in the open timber, but close to the inner circle of the copse. nearing the spring, we saw, skulking near the outer edge of this thicket fringe, five pottawattomie warriors. they seemed to be somewhat agitated and were intently observing the movements of the white soldiers and listening to the roll of the drum and the call of the bugle. my mother hesitated at first, but went on to the spring, and, having filled her pails with water, we went back with quickened steps to the house. shortly after, these warriors came to the house. mr. parker, who imperfectly understood their language, succeeded, however, in explaining to them the meaning of this martial array, and they left, seemingly well satisfied. we saw them frequently afterwards and often purchased from them choice venison, turkey and other game birds, as well as fish, for a mere trifle. but those were troublous days and full of dire apprehension to the lone settler. every night a few, principally old men, would gather at mr. parker's house, and when the door was closed and securely fastened, the light extinguished, the few men would lay down with their loaded rifles by their side. the door was not opened in the morning until a careful reconnoissance had been made through the port-holes, of the surrounding country. apprehension has in it as much of terror as actual danger. the one is continuing--the other but momentary, and the one usually increases in its fervor, while the other disappears with its cause. my father returned after an absence of about two months. he won no military glory--he saw no hostile indians--blackhawk and his confederates having surrendered before the hostile country was reached by the command to which my father belonged. peace having been secured and confidence restored, father proceeded diligently in the erection and completion of a double log house on his own domain. i love to think of that old log house with its hewed puncheon floors and thick oaken doors, where my youth was spent. it was a home of peace, of comfort, of plenty and prosperity. its site was a beautiful one on a knoll near the great military road leading from detroit to chicago, and about midway between those cities. the next spring my father, my older brother and myself accompanying him, went to the nearby timber land and got two hundred young sugar maples, black walnuts and butternut trees that were presently planted in concentric circles around that home castle. my father did not believe in drilling ornamental trees into rank and file, like a column of soldiers. he had faith in nature's beauty and did not think it could be improved by man. nature should be subordinated to man's will only when cultivation becomes an essential element to the growth, which as a general rule holds only when the tree or plant or shrub is not indigenous to the soil. in the fall of that year i was prostrated by a large abscess in the right groin. i could neither stand on my feet, nor sit in an upright position. a pallet on the floor, or in some shady nook outdoors when the weather was propitious, was my favorite, and for most of the time my lonely, resting place. on the morning of which i am about to write, my mother was urging my father, as the abscess by its color indicated that it was ripe for the surgeon's lance, to go for a doctor to examine it and my condition, and if proper, to open it and let out the long accumulated poison. the nearest doctor lived some thirty miles away, but my father, yielding to my mother's persuasions, concluded to go. before he had arisen from his seat at the table he requested my brother to bring in some stove wood. boy-like, brother piled up such a quantity on his left arm that he could not see over it, and, bending backward, he came into the house seemingly oblivious to my location, tripped against me and fell, striking the end of the wood upon the abscess. effectually, but not in a very scientific manner, this opened it. i swooned away, and it was sometime before consciousness returned to me. as proof of my brother's surgical skill, a star-shaped scar over an inch in length, remains today. there were some mitigating circumstances, however, in this surgical work:--it saved a lonely journey and a large doctor bill. he received no compensation--but otherwise--for his effective treatment, and the resultant benefit. on account of sickness and the want of opportunity, i did not attend school until i was nine years of age. i had a large number of picture books containing stories of bears, panthers, lions and tigers. i had to hire other boys to read them to me, and this kept me in a bankrupt condition. i was frantic to be able to read them myself, and when opportunity offered i soon accomplished this purpose. when i was fourteen years of age the district school was taught by one dowling--an irishman--full six feet in height, a fine specimen of physical manhood, and an excellent teacher. he was employed by the directors not only to teach, but also, if necessary, to subjugate the rebelious spirit theretofore existing among the larger boys attending the school. his presence and firm and courteous manner dispelled all fear of insubordination. an incident occurred at that school which has remained fresh in my memory. there was a boy attending by the name of joe johnson. in age joe was between fifteen and sixteen. he was quiet, meditative, awkward--the victim of many tricks, the butt of many jokes. one day dowling ordered all who could write to turn to their desks and within half an hour to produce a verse of original poetry, or as near an approach to it as they were able to go. we had learned that for dowling to command was for us to obey. i was sitting next to joe. after meditating a few moments he rapidly wrote the following:-- "i saw the devil flying to the south, with mr. dowling in his mouth; he paused awhile and dropped the fool, and left him here to teach a common school." i looked over joe's shoulder and read as he wrote, and when he had completed the verse--oblivious to the conditions--i laughed outright. mr. dowling, with vigorous application of his hazel regulator, soon restored my reckoning, and indicated my true latitude and longitude. mr. dowling read joe's poetry to the school, to show the ingratitude of the pupil to his preceptor; but the matter was otherwise received by the older pupils, and it was dropped. this incident no doubt revealed to joe that he possessed poetic ability of the highest order. joe, after he had arrived at manhood's estate, published a small volume of poems full of wit, beauty of description, and pleasing satire. i attended the district school in the winter and worked on the farm in the spring, summer and fall, until i was eighteen years of age, when i left the farm and enrolled myself as a student at the albion college, a methodist institution strict in its discipline, thorough in its teachings, and of good repute for its excellent educational work. i was there over four years, but did not graduate because of failing health. in measuring up intellectually with a host of other young men in debate and composition, i was inspired with the faint hope that i might at least win a few victories in the actual conflict of life. i gave much attention to the languages, and was especially proficient in greek and latin. i had an inclination and love for that line of study. i did not, however, neglect the exact sciences, but i had no intuition assisting in that direction. what i know of mathematics, and my studies in that line were quite extensive, is the result of pure reasoning. if proper here, let me observe that the best teacher of the exact sciences is he who obtains a knowledge of them as i did, because he will more fully appreciate all the difficulties met with by the ordinary student. he who intuitively sees the relation of numbers, form and quantity, needs but little, if any, assistance from a teacher. it is he who, by slow and laborious process of correct reasoning, discovers or unfolds these relations, that needs the sympathetic assistance of a teacher. i left school because my physician thought i needed more ozone than greek--more oxygen and sunshine than latin, and more and better physical development for any success in life's arduous work and its strenuous conflicts. while under the care of nature's physician, i spent most of my time in hunting and fishing, with occasional work on the farm. this continued for nearly a year. the treatment was beneficial, and i enjoyed it. during this time i received an invitation from a literary society in the town to deliver before them a lecture, on such subject as i might choose and on such evening as i might designate. i accepted the invitation, and chose as my subject "the eclectic scholar." i named a day one month ahead. as this was my first appearance before a public audience, and that, too, composed of the companions and acquaintances of my youth--the most unpropitious of all audiences for a young man to face--i spent nearly the entire month in the preparation of that address. i will not attempt to give its substance or a skeleton of the topics discussed. it was published in the local paper with flattering comments, but i have neither the manuscript nor a copy. my first intention was to read it, but i finally concluded to commit it to memory, and to deliver it without the aid of the manuscript. an incident occurred in this connection that, annoying as it was to me at the time, i cannot omit. after the address had been memorized, i went to a dense copse on the land of mr. parker, selected a small opening and delivered the address with proper gesticulations to the surrounding saplings, thinking no human ear or eye heard or saw me; but i was mistaken. old man parker was out pheasant hunting. he was near me when i commenced to speak, and, quickly concealing himself, saw and heard from his ambush the whole performance. when i picked up my hat to go, he arose, came into full view, clapped his hands and said, as he approached me, "well done, orange." as i was not in a conversational mood i did not tarry. at the appointed time i had a full audience. a vote of thanks was tendered me and a request for a copy for publication. since that time i have learned that many of the great addresses of the world by orators, and statesmen, are first carefully written, then memorized, then repeated in front of mirrors, before delivery to the audiences for whom they were intended. late in the fall of this year i concluded to study law, and to make its exposition and practice my life work. with this end in view i entered the office of hon. john c. howe, of lima, la grange county, indiana. here let me say by way of parenthesis, that our esteemed brother lawyer, james b. howe of seattle, is a near relative of his. a brief description of my preceptor may be admissible. he was a quiet, somewhat reserved man, and a great student. though inclined to be taciturn, yet, when in the mood, his conversation was charming. i have often thought his mind was a little sluggish in its ordinary movement; but, let it be stimulated by an important case or a large fee, and he seemed to be, like massena, almost inspired. it is said of napoleon's great marshal that in the ordinary affairs of life he was a dull and even a stupid man; but that when he saw the smoke of battle, and heard the roar of cannon, the rattling of musketry, and saw the gleam of bayonets in the hands of the charging legions, he was seemingly inspired, and never, amid the roar and tumult of battle, made a mistake. in a sense this was true of my preceptor. he was of strong physique and could work with an intensified industry that approached genius. he possessed great power of generalization and could readily reduce complicated and voluminous facts to their proper classes, and thus completely master them. few men in american history have possessed this ability in a pre-eminent degree. i might, among the few, mention john c. calhoun and oliver p. morton of indiana. another characteristic of my preceptor was his preferential love of english reports and english authors; hence, in addition to blackstone's commentaries, i read starkey on evidence; chitty and stephen on pleadings; chitty on contracts, on notes, and bills of exchange; coke on littleton; hale's pleas to the crown; archibald on criminal law; lord redesdale's equity pleadings and jurisprudence; and seldon on practice. i read dr. lushington's admiralty reports. seemingly, i had no use for admiralty, living as i did in the inland empire; but i found such knowledge of great use after i was appointed to a judgeship in washington territory. a little brushing-up and some additional reading enabled me to try the admiralty causes brought before me to the satisfaction of the bar. i cannot close this brief reference to my law preceptor without the narration of an incident in which he was one of the principal actors. the sheriff of st. joseph county, michigan, had been elected for four consecutive terms, and it was alleged and conceded that he was a defaulter in a large amount. he had given a different set of bondsmen for each term, and the question arose which of these sets was responsible. my preceptor was employed by the county; the bondsmen, of which my father was one, employed columbus lancaster, afterwards a delegate to congress from washington territory, and one of the judges in the provisional government of oregon. lancaster was a witty and eloquent speaker and a successful trial lawyer. as the case was an important one, and the counsel distinguished, many lawyers attended the trial. at that time the laws of michigan gave three justices of the peace, sitting in bank, all of the powers, by the consent of the parties, of the superior court. this was a trial before such tribunal. but little evidence was taken, just enough to raise the legal questions involved. the argument of howe was clear, compact and to my mind conclusive. it had for its basis english authorities and cases. lancaster answered in an eloquent and witty speech, and after a brief reply from howe the case was submitted. the justices retired, but in a short time returned. their judgment was for the defendants. howe was manifestly disappointed and he said to lancaster: "i will offer this: you may choose any three from the lawyers present, and we will re-argue the question and i will agree to abide by their decision." the answer of lancaster was characteristic; he said: "i never run all day to catch a rabbit, and then let him go just to see whether i can catch him again." both of these men have long since been gathered to their fathers. they were just men and true, and in ability far above the average. i was admitted to the bar in the fall of . under the laws of michigan at that time, admission to the bar was not necessary to practice law in that state, but it was the usual and dignified course. the class seeking admission was quite a large one; most of them, in fact all of them save myself, were old lawyers seeking admission in the regular and time-sanctified order. an afternoon was given by judge wing, who presided, for the hearing of the petition of the applicants. the judge and the bar were the examiners. they all took a free hand. i thought i could discover a disposition on the part of the judge and the bar to put the old practitioners, whose knowledge of elementary principles had been somewhat dimmed by the lapse of years, at a disadvantage as compared with the accuracy of a young man fresh from the books. hence, many questions were rushed to me for a full and accurate statement of the text-books, which in most cases i was able to give, to the manifest pleasure of the examiners. we were all admitted. in anticipation of so propitious a result, we had provided a banquet for bench and bar. at its conclusion the judge said, "a motion for a new trial would be in order, and if such motion was made he would take it under advisement till the next term of the court, when he had but little doubt that it would be granted." after my admission to the bar i diligently continued my legal studies, confining myself, however, almost exclusively to american reports and authors, such as kent's commentaries; story on the constitution, on equity jurisprudence and pleadings; greenlief on evidence; gould on the form and the logic of pleadings; bishop on criminal law; and many others. i have continued this extensive reading during all of my professional career when books were at hand. looking back from a standpoint of eighty years' time, i am satisfied that i have read too much, and reflected, reasoned, analyzed, generalized and thoroughly digested too little. i often think of the saying of locke, the philosopher, that if he had read as much as other men he would have known as little as they. there is much truth in this statement. to read without thought, without reflection, without analysis and a thorough digest of what one reads, is a waste of time. more, it weakens the memory, does not accumulate knowledge, and incapacitates the mind for serious work. while i have no admiration for a correctly-styled "case lawyer," yet, were i to live my professional career over again, i would get my legal principles from a small but well-selected library of authors of established repute; and then i would consult leading cases on each topic or subject, as a help for their proper and logical application. the practice of law consists in the application of a well-defined legal principle to a certain combination of facts. whether the principle applies is a question for the courts; whether the facts that enter into the definition exist is a question for the jury. but, as i am not writing a legal treatise, i leave the topic here. my father caught the gold fever, and early in the spring of started with an ox-team across the plains to the gold-fields of california. he returned in the winter of - , having been moderately successful. for many years i had been a sufferer from neuralgia. its painful development was in the forehead. i was a pale and emaciated specimen of the genus homo, weighing less than pounds. my father was of the opinion that the air of the pacific coast was rich in ozone, and his physical appearance indicated that his judgment was sound. "go west, my son," he said; "go to oregon--not to california--for you would amount to nothing as a miner. you will be subject to a continual alkaline bath on the plains, and this will prepare you for the renovating effects of the salubrious air of the pacific coast." my father was not a physician, but i readily consented to take his prescription, provided he would pay the doctor's bill. this he willingly consented to do. i soon found three other young men who had the oregon fever in its incipient stages. it soon became fixed and constitutional, and they determined to go. a wagon was soon constructed under my father's direction--light but strong, with a bed water-tight and removable, so that it could be used as a boat for ferrying purposes; a strong cover for the wagon, and a tent which in case of storm could be fastened to the wagon to supplement the effectiveness of the cover. each furnished a span of light, tough and dark-colored horses. white was not allowed on account of their alleged want of toughness and durability. each was allowed two full suits of clothes and no more, and two pair of double blankets and no more. the object was to prevent overloading. each was to have a rifle or shotgun, or both, and a pistol and sheath-knife. i am thus particular, because in this day of railroads and pullman cars, these things are fast passing from memory. on the first of march, , we left sturgis, michigan. our first point of destination was cainesville on the missouri river. we did our own cooking and slept in our wagon when the weather was clement; at hotels and farm houses when it was inclement. none of us had ever tried our hand at cooking before, and our development along that line had a good deal of solid fact, and but little poetry in it. we could put more specific gravity into a given bulk of bread than any scientific cook on earth. taken in quantity, it would test the digestive energies of an ostrich; but we took it in homeopathic doses. we lived in the open air and survived, as our knowledge of the culinary art rapidly increased. the moral of this mournful tale is:--mothers, teach your sons to do at least ordinary cooking; they may many times bless you in the ever-shifting, and strenuous conflict of life. i was born and reared in a cold climate; but when the mercury fell, the atmosphere lost its moisture; and while the wind was fierce and biting, it was dry. you can protect yourself against such cold; but when you come to face the cold, damp, fierce and penetrating winds that sweep over the prairies of illinois and iowa when winter is departing, they find you, and chill you through any kind or reasonable quantity of clothing. on account of snow-storms we stopped for a week, in the latter part of march, at a farm-house in the outer settlements of iowa. the people were intelligent and refined. our hostess had two lovely daughters, and we young men were at home. prairie chickens were very abundant in the vicinity, and with my shotgun i more than kept the family supplied while there. our hostess was a good cook and we lived high. a short distance away was a log school-house also used for a church, and we accompanied the family to church on sunday. the minister was a methodist circuit-rider; and while he was not an eloquent man and did not, like wirt's blind preacher, in the wilds of virginia, tell us with streaming eyes that "socrates died like a philosopher, but jesus christ like a god," yet with force and emphasis he preached christ and him crucified for a sinful world. this was the first church service we had attended since leaving home, and it gave us all a touch of homesickness. as soon as the storm abated and the weather gave indications of more sunshine and less downpour, we bade adieu to our hostess and her fair daughters, and journeyed slowly onward over horrid roads towards cainesville. we arrived at this bustling outfitting town on the rd of april. we found there a large number of persons and prairie schooners, but most of them were on a voyage to the gold-fields of california. by diligent inquiry i found seventeen wagons, with an average of four persons to the wagon, whose destination was oregon. we agreed to cross the missouri river on the nd day of may, and on the afternoon of that day we were all safely landed on the western shore. we were now beyond the realm of social constraint, conventional usage, and the reign of the law. it was interesting to me to note the effect of this condition upon a few men in our party. they seemed to exult in their so-called freedom. they spoke of the restraining influence of organized society as tyranny, and of the government of law as government by force. a meeting for organization was called for that evening. i was elected chairman, and in response to a request for my views, i said, that we on the morrow were to start on a journey of over two thousand miles through an indian country; and while it was reported that the tribes through whose country we were to pass were at peace with the whites, yet it was a sound maxim, in the time of peace to be prepared for war; and that our safety, and that of our property, depended upon our strictness, watchfulness and unity of action, and these beneficial results could only be secured by organization; hence i proposed that, without being myself a candidate for any position and not desiring any, we organize ourselves into a semi-military company by the election of a captain and a first and second lieutenant. a motion was made in accordance with the views expressed by me, and seconded; i declared it open for discussion. one of the persons mentioned above, who thought he had just enhaled the air of perfect freedom, arose and said that he was opposed to the motion; he did not propose to be lorded over by any one; he would be governed by his own judgment and wishes. i replied that we did not propose to lord it over any one, but to govern in all ordinary matters by common consent, and in all matters by the laws of safety and decent morals. the motion was put and it was carried with only five dissenting votes. a vote was taken by ballot for captain, and to my astonishment i received all the votes but two--one of which was cast by myself for a gentleman who had crossed the plains and who had returned to the states to get married, and, having accomplished that purpose, was returning with his wife and an unmarried sister of hers to his home in oregon city; the other vote, presumptively, was cast by a gentleman that, on account of his military appearance and the arsenal of weapons which he carried on his person, and his alleged thirst for indian blood, we styled colonel. as the colonel was an open candidate for the office, the opinion prevailed that he had voted for himself. the first and second lieutenants were soon elected and a quasi-military organization was soon formed. the first lieutenant was unpopular with the men. he was a good man, but possessed no fitness for the position; he had much of the _fortiter in re_, but none of the _suaviter in modo_. the second lieutenant was a doctor by profession and was eminently fitted for the position; he was calm, cool in danger, discreet in words and action, and courageous in conduct. thus equipped, the next morning at eight o'clock we rolled out and made about twenty miles; we camped on a plateau covered with grass and by a brooklet of pure, cold spring water. the second and third days were but repetitions of the first. the fourth day we reached the loup fork, a large tributary of the platte. we ferried over it successfully and resumed our journey across the valley of rather low but rich land, still covered in places with a mass of tall dry grass, the fading glory of last year's beneficence. we were in the pawnee country. when we were about two and one-half or three miles from the river, from seventy-five to a hundred indians arose suddenly out of the grass, stopped our teams, and by their unearthly yelling came near stampeding our horses. we were caught unprepared. we did not expect to meet hostiles, or even troublesome indians within an hundred miles of the missouri river. many of the guns were not loaded. a lame chief, pretty well dressed in buck-skin, with a sword by his side, a pistol in his belt, a fine rifle in his hand, and a photograph of ex-president fillmore, in a metallic frame, on his breast, was in command of the indians. he, and three subordinate chiefs were standing near the head of the train, and i sent the doctor--the second lieutenant--and another discreet person to confer with them and ascertain what this meant. the other indians in open order extended the full length of the train, and were about five rods away. all had bows and arrows or firearms. they used the weapons in their movements, with incessant yelling, in a menacing manner. all things being in readiness, i went to where the doctor and his companions and the chiefs were, near the head of the train. i asked the doctor what they wanted. he answered that they wanted one cow brute, a large quantity of sugar, tobacco and corn, for the privilege of crossing their country. they were in a squatting position, marking on the ground the boundaries of the country claimed by them. i told the doctor that we had no cow brute and could not give one; that we had but little sugar and tobacco, and could spare none; that if they wanted corn to plant, we would give them a sack of shelled corn, and no more. they understood what i said, and quickly sprang to their feet and covered the doctor and myself with their guns. i had a double-barreled shotgun by my side. i seized it; but before i could get it into position, the muzzles of the guns were lowered, the yelling ceased, and the sack of corn was accepted as toll. this was to me a new and rather startling application of the doctrine of _posse comitatus_ for the enforcement of an unadjudicated demand; but i have since learned that civilized nations use battleships and cannon for that purpose. the great carlyle declares that if a person possess a quality in a high degree, whether that quality be mental or physical, he is unconscious of the fact; but if he be deficient in any quality, either moral or physical, he is always conscious of the deficiency; and, seeming to act on the supposition that what he feels so distinctly, he fears others might perceive, he is constantly hedging: therefore, a dishonest man is always talking about his honesty, and a coward about his bravery. all the men of our company behaved well but one, and that one was "the colonel." i cannot refrain from recalling an incident connected with him. i have mentioned the unmarried lady who was accompanying her sister to her western home. she was sitting in the wagon with the reins in her hand and a pistol in her lap, during all the excitement and uproar. as i passed up and down the train, i saw the colonel, either at the rear or on the side of the wagons, away from the yelling indians. the last time i passed the wagon, the colonel stuck his head out from the opposite side and asked, "what are you going to do, captain?" i said, "fight, sir, if necessary." the young lady, looking at him, exclaimed: "yes, sir; fight if necessary. get on the other side of the wagon; be a man!" although the colonel subsequently, by his conduct at shell creek, partially redeemed his reputation, yet the insinuating jeers of the men, as to which was the safer side of the wagon, kept him in hot water, and, taking my advice, he left the train after the passage of shell creek, at the first opportunity. it was a good riddance, for a coward driven to bay, and constantly wounded by the shafts of ridicule, is dangerous. our toll having been paid and the excitement having abated, we resumed our journey across the loup fork valley and over the slightly elevated high land that separate its waters from the platte. we descended from this high land by an easy grade, and made an early camp. wood, water and grass were abundant. we knew that a large ox-train, consisting of forty wagons or more and known as the hopkins train, would cross the loup fork the next morning. there were quite a number of women and children in the train; hence our gallantry, as well as our bravery, prompted assistance. further, we had concluded that it was wise to travel in larger bodies through the country of the pawnees. according to our estimate, this train would arrive at the danger point, or toll gate, between ten and eleven o'clock a. m. thirty of us volunteered to go back, to assist in case of difficulty. we were mostly mounted and ready for the start, when we saw a horseman rapidly approaching us, and we rode out to meet him. he told us that the hopkins train had been attacked by the indians, that two of his company had been seriously, if not mortally, wounded; and he asked for a doctor. the doctor was with us and readily consented to go, after returning to the wagon for instruments and medicine he might need. the rest of dashed up the gentle slope--hurry-scurry, pell-mell. at the top we slackened our speed for observation. we saw that the indians had abandoned the conflict and were hurrying to the river, on the further side of which was their village. the occasional puff and report of a white man's rifle, at long and ineffective range, no doubt quickened their speed. we struck out on an acute angle to cut them off from the river, but failed. those in boats had either reached or were near the other shore, some three or four hundred yards away; those in the water swam with the current and were practically out of danger: the boys, however, took some shots at the retreating heads. i think no indian was killed or wounded by the shooting, but some of the boys were of a different opinion. we were at the river bank but a short time; but before we left it, the lame chief and his two subalterns, mentioned above, came down to the opposite shore, raised their hands to show that they had no weapons, then jumped into a canoe and rapidly crossed the river to us. they asked permission to go up with us to see their dead and to care for their wounded. the chief said five indians were dead and many wounded. we saw but three dead and two slightly wounded. two white men were wounded--one with a flint-headed arrow in the chest, the other shot with a large ball through the fleshy part of the thigh close to the bone. although the arrow-head had entered the chest cavity, it had not pierced any vital organ, and recovery was rapid; the other wound was of a complex character, which i cannot mention, and was dangerous if not mortal. this man was slowly recovering, however, while he remained with us and under the doctor's assiduous care. what the final result was i never knew. the wounded having been attended to, the train was soon on the move for our camp. after a consultation held that evening, it was agreed that we should travel together through the pawnee country, and that i should have general control of our united forces. shell creek, which was full five days' travel ahead, was said to be one of the boundary lines separating the country of the pawnees from that of the sioux. notices stuck up along the road warned us to look out for the pawnees at shell creek. it was their last toll-collecting station. this fact and their difficulty with the hopkins train put us on our guard. from what we saw of the action of the indians, there were manifest indications, that they were collecting at shell creek. we saw every day on the opposite side of the river, long lines of them journeying towards that point. in the afternoon of the fifth day after our union, we arrived on the plain, through which the creek had cut its way to the platte river. we made a corral with our wagons, some seventy-five or eighty rods from the creek. a few small flags of different colors were floating from the top of the bank descending to the creek, indicating that the indians were there. i called for seventy-five volunteers to go with me to the crossing. i am glad to say that the colonel promptly stepped forward; and more than the requisite number offered to go. where the road crosses shell creek valley, if it is proper so to call it, it is from fifteen to twenty feet below the general face of the country, the valley not being over four or five rods in width. it is a small stream, but its shallow waters flow over a bed of treacherous quick sand. the earlier immigrants had cut down the nearly perpendicular bank so as to make the descent and ascent practicable, to and from, the narrow valley. they had also, from the nearby timber in the valley of the platte river, obtained stringers, placed them across the creek, and covered them with heavy split or hewn cottonwood puncheons. i formed my volunteers in a line, open order, and facing the crossing. in this order we marched quite rapidly towards the creek until we were eight or ten rods away, when an order of double quick was given,--we dashed down to the bank, and found from seventy-five to a hundred indians, all armed, at different points along the bank and near the crossing. we covered them with our rifles and shotguns. there was an ominous silence for a short time. they soon arose, however, and all but two crossed the creek and went to a bald knoll a short distance below the crossing. one or two started to come up to us, but we waved them off. the puncheons had been removed from the stringers and thrown into an irregular pile on the further side of the creek. two indians stood upon the pile. i asked for two young men to go down to replace the puncheons. quite a number volunteered. i selected one standing near me, and another called brad. both were stalwart and muscular. brad was a great boaster, but a noted exception to carlyle's rule. he was as courageous as a lion. the puncheons were thick, water-soaked and heavy. one of the two indians standing upon them departed as brad and his companion approached; the other, silent and sullen, maintained his position on the pile, and when brad took hold of the end of a puncheon he walked down to that end, thus compelling brad to lift him as well as the puncheon. someone said "hit him, brad." i thought the order a proper one; so i said nothing. brad, who was great in a power emanating from the shoulder and culminating in the knuckles of the hand, struck, with all his force, the indian on the point of the jaw; the indian fell to the ground a limpid heap, and did not recover until nearly all of the puncheons had been replaced. when he arose his face was covered with blood from either the effect of the blow or his fall. he walked slowly towards the knoll where the other indians were, and his appearance among them created quite a sensation and uproar. it was manifest that there was no unity of purpose, or action among them. as soon as the bridge was repaired we crossed over with four-fifths of the men; the other one-fifth went back to help bring up the train, and to assist in the crossing if necessary. i left the command with the doctor, and as the evening was fast approaching i selected a camp about one-half of a mile beyond the crossing, where grass, water and wood were plentiful. the first lieutenant superintended the camping. when i returned i found that the doctor had "the lame chief" and two other younger chiefs as prisoners. they had crossed the line marked out by him, and he retained them as hostages. the lame chief was somewhat reconciled to his lot, but the young men were taciturn and sullen. the lame chief knew english and talked it sufficiently well for us to understand him. i told him that we would give them plenty to eat, with blankets upon which they could sleep, and that we would part as friends in the morning. i told him further that if the indians attacked us that night he and the two young chiefs would be killed. i told him that he could control the indians, and that we required him to do it. all of this was said to him in a most positive and emphatic manner, and he communicated it to the younger chiefs. i asked him what so many indians, all armed, had come away from their villages and to the boundary of their country for? he said the indians had no bad feelings towards the horse-train, but they had come to make the cow-train pay for the killed and wounded in the fight at loup fork. he said that they did not expect to find us with the cowtrain. certain it is, that every circumstance pointed to the conclusion that had not our train been present, the hopkins train would have been compelled to contribute largely, or would have had another fight more disastrous, perhaps, than the first. the night was made hideous by the almost constant yelling of the indians. i remained up until eleven, when i retired, worn out and with an acute attack of neuralgic head-ache. after a time i slept or dozed, notwithstanding the uproar. the doctor also had gone to his wagon. the first lieutenant was in command. about three o'clock he came to my wagon, and requested me to get up; he feared, he said, an attack. the indians, he informed me, were already approaching us. i found that the warriors had left the strip of timber on the river and were within one hundred yards of our picket-line. i went around the camp and found nearly everyone awake and up. i then went with the lame chief and his guard to the picket-line. i told him to tell the indians, that they must not come any nearer. the chief began to speak immediately and continued to talk for two minutes or more; and while we did not understand what he said, the tumult ceased, and from thence on, comparative quiet prevailed. in the morning we gave our hostages a good breakfast and presented them with a cow brute so lame that it could not travel farther. i saw it killed. an indian with a strong, and to me almost inflexible bow, threw himself on his back, holding the steel or iron-pointed arrow with both hands against the string of the bow, and with his feet springing it sent the arrow deep into the heart of the animal, which fell at his feet. this was the first exhibition i had ever seen of the power of the bow as a weapon and life-extinguisher. at short range, with a cool nerve, with a full quiver, a person thus armed would be a dangerous foe. we got an early start the next morning. we bade our hostages good-bye without regret, and entered onto the land of the sioux with hopeful satisfaction. we journeyed full twenty miles that day, and camped on a treeless plain with good water and plenty of grass, but no wood save buffalo chips. this want of wood was to continue for hundreds of miles. it was amusing at first, to see the ladies handle the buffalo chips. they literaly cooked with their gloves on. but the principle announced by the poet soon asserted itself: "vice is a monster of so frightful mien, as to be hated, needs but to be seen; yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, we first endure, then pity, then embrace." i do not mean to say that they embraced this fuel; only that they used it as they would other fuel--simply obeying a law of necessity and enduring it. this morning we parted from the hopkins train, got an early start and made a late camp over twenty miles away. early in the commencement of our jurney to the sunset land, i organized a hunting party of four good shots, two of whom i was personally acquainted with and knew that they were well qualified for their position; the other two were chosen on the recommendation of their acquaintances and friends. this selection turned out to be not only harmonious, but a fit and proper one. they organized by the election of the doctor and myself as alternate captains, expecting that one of us would accompany them on each day's hunt. the work was exciting, with a dash of danger in it, and was arduous. heretofore there had been no opportunity for the proof of their skill. this day, having determined from our guide-book where to camp, i accompanied them to the hills. shortly after noon the hunters came across a small herd of buffalo in a gully where there was a little pool of seepage water, and succeeded in killing two--one a yearling, the other a barren cow. i was not in at the killing, but i succeeded soon after in ending the swift-bounding career of a fine antelope. we cut the meat from the carcass of the two buffalo and placed it in sacks or rather strong saddle-bags made for that purpose. the bones, neck and horns, save tongue, as well as the hide, were left to be more thoroughly cleaned and devoured by wolves, the ever-ready scavengers of the plains. my trophy of this day's hunt, minus the head and neck, was strapped to the saddle of my horse, and thus by her, grudgingly, borne into camp; but she became accustomed to such work, and protested only at the stinging tightness of the cinch. this was our first ration of fresh meat since crossing the missouri river. the meat was a treat, fat, juicy and tender. two days after this the hunters, accompanied by the doctor, at an early hour started for the hills. they returned in the early evening, each with an antelope on his saddle. they saw plenty of buffalo, but could not approach them sufficiently near to get an effective shot. the meat of the antelope, while not as rich and juicy as that of the buffalo, is in the spring of the year, when the grass is green, sweet and tender. it is of much finer grain than that of the buffalo; and the animal is more select in his appetite, eating only the finer grass, with a delicate flavoring of the finest sage, which in many cases was quite distinguishable. i remember that not many years ago the choicest beeves were steers fattened on the rich and luxuriant bunch-grass of the hills, which a week or ten days before marketing were driven to and herded in the valleys where the small sage abounds. they ate it not as a matter of first choice, but of necessity. such beef, to the epicures, was the realization of a long-felt want. the work of the hunters was strenuous, and as a partial compensation for their longer hours, and the beneficent results of the successful work by them, they were excused from guard-duty in the night. to this all agreed. on the second day after the doctor's debut as a hunter, i accompanied the hunters to the hills. we did not find game plentiful, but we occasionally caught the glimpse of an antelope bounding away out of range. the day was excessively hot. late in the afternoon, however, the hunters started a large buffalo bull from the channel of a dry creek, he ran up the channel towards me; and as he attempted to pass me a few rods away, i fired and struck him in the heart, and he staggered, lunged and fell. this was my first buffalo, and i was, of course, elated with my luck. the hunters would probably have killed him had it not been for my fortunate intervention, for they were in close pursuit on the higher plateau on either side, and were fast converging towards him. he could have scarcely run in safety, the gauntlet of four such expert riflemen. as it was, however, the honor was mine. the pelt or robe was large and very fine, but we were compelled to leave it and the stripped bones to be devoured by the waiting wolves. from thence on until we crossed the rocky mountains, we had a liberal supply of fresh meat, consisting of antelope, buffalo, a few deer, three elk, one brown bear, and one bighorn rocky mountain sheep, or goat. so far as travel was concerned, each day was but the tiresome repetition of the preceding one, with very slight variations. when we arrived at fort laramie we stopped for some three or four hours. we crossed the river and made a friendly visit to the officers of the fort. we found them to be true american soldiers and gentlemen. the commandant told us that he had heard of the pawnee difficulty, and had sent an officer and a squad of soldiers to enquire into the affair. he was very anxious to hear from us a statement of the whole matter. i gave him as full a statement as i was able to, and both of us were of the opinion that it was precipitated by the want of proper discipline and control of the men in the train. this may not be very flattering to the white men, but it is the truth, notwithstanding. i am not a military man, but i was not impressed with the idea that laramie, surrounded as it is by an amphitheatre of commanding hills, was a fit site for a fort. as against an enemy with modern artillery, i thought it to be hopelessly defenceless. as against indians it possibly might do. but then, i knew nothing of plevna, similarly situated, and so heroically defended by the turks against a superior and well-equipped russian army. leaving fort laramie, we now entered the black hills country. after a two-days' journey in the hills, finding grass, water and wood in great abundance, we concluded to rest for two days for laundry and recuperative purposes. our horses began to show the effects of the journey, and the want of their accustomed food. no animal has the power of endurance of man, unless it may be the wolf, "whose long gallop," says the poet, "can tire the hounds' deep hate and hunter's fire." on the first day of our rest i accompanied the hunters into the hills for game. about three miles from camp, on a wooded side-hill, they came across a band of fifteen or more of elk and succeeded in killing three of them. i was not in at the killing, but caught a distant view of the noble antlered monarchs of the forest, as they sped away to deeper and safer retreats in the depths of the woods. as we did not kill for the love of slaughter, but for food, we declared the day's hunt a success, and prepared our meat for transportation to the camp, in the usual manner. i have killed quite a number of elk since that time in the mountains of oregon, but i have never seen one larger than one of those, although i have seen much larger and finer antlers than adorned the heads of any of them. the purpose of the antlers, in my judgment, is not to furnish the animal a weapon in fight, but as a protection to his shoulders as he dashes through the brush in flight from an enemy or in pursuit of his mate. when he moves swiftly he elevates his nose until his face is nearly in a line with his back; the antlers, extending back on each side of the shoulders, thus affording them protection. the bucks always lead in such flights, and to a certain extent open the way; hence the females have no need, or not so much need, of such protection. somewhat disappointed with my failure to get a shot at an elk on the preceding day, i again accompanied the hunters. we made a wide circuit through the hills, some of which were covered with timber, while others were bald. that it was a country abounding in game was manifest in the signs appearing everywhere. we saw a few antelope in full flight and out of range; we also startled from his sylvan couch a black-tailed buck, being the first of the deer kind seen in our journey. one of the hunters sent a ball after him as he bounded through the brush and timber, but, unscathed, he dashed on. as the day was fast waning we turned our horses' heads campward, and commenced the ascent of quite a high hill to take an observation of our latitude and longitude, and also to determine the exact location of our camp and the best route to it. the western side of this hill was covered with brush and fallen and dead timber. while we were standing on the top viewing the topography of the surrounding country, a large cinnamon bear, affrighted by our presence, started from his lair, and in all probability his patrimonial jungle, and dashed at a furious speed down through the brush and over the logs and rocks of this steep side-hill. we emptied our rifles at him as he plunged downward at such headlong speed. but one ball struck him and that broke his right shoulder, much diminishing his speed and almost entirely destroying his climbing powers. we soon came upon him at the foot of the hill in a bad humor, but we quickly ended his career. he was in fine condition; his estimated weight was from to pounds. we removed the pelt, with his feet, and took them into camp as a matter of curiosity; we also took the meat into camp, but it was not much relished. the hide as well as most of the meat was given to begging indians. at laramie a man and his wife and one child--a little girl between seven and eight years of age--asked permission to travel with us. the man had started the year before, got as far as laramie and had remained there during the winter. his team consisted of four yoke of young oxen, well conditioned for the trip. he had a hired man to drive them. he had a band of forty heifers and cows. many of the cows were giving milk; thinking a little milk in our coffee would give it a home flavor, we readily acceded to the request. we helped him to drive his loose stock and do the milking. when we asked her, by politeness called his better half, for a small quantity of milk, we found that we were dealing with a shylock. she had milk for sale, but not to give away. we were about to strike when the husband intimated that our canteens were useful. we took the hint, and after that, somehow, our coffee changed its color. to cut this narration short, let me say that while he was six feet tall and well proportioned, he stood still higher in the class of antivertebrates--henpecked nincompoops--than any specimen of the genus homo i have ever known; and she stood higher in her class of imperious virago. how a child, sweet in her disposition, and lovable in all her ways, could be the issue of such a union, was a mystery to us all. afterwards i had the pleasure of saving the little girl from drowning in the crossing of port neuf near fort hall. a majority of the company voted to go by way of fort hall and to cross the port neuf near its junction with the snake, instead of crossing it higher up, thus keeping continuously on the highlands. i protested, but finally yielded to this almost unanimous desire. i think the agreeable companionship of some of the factors of the company with whom we had become acquainted, at soda or steamboat springs on bear river, had much to do with this determination. from the fort, where we were hospitably entertained, to the bluff and road beyond the port neuf was about five miles. the water of the snake and the port neuf had but recently overflowed the valley between the two, and left it a miry quicksand morass, almost impossible of passing. it took us three days of hard labor and strenuous efforts to reach the bluffs. the heavily-loaded wagon of the nincompoop and the virago was almost constantly mired. we had little to do with him, but with her it was a constant conflict. at last we got her wagon to the river. he was on the highlands with the loose stock. the river for twenty feet or more was from seven to ten feet in depth. with a true team and a proper wagon this space could be safely passed. her team, however, consisting of a horse and a mule, when they reached deep water made a lunge, then balked. the wagon filled with water and the current turned it over. she had insisted on driving and on having the little girl with her in the wagon. when it went over quite a number of us young men, who had been working nearly all day in our drawers and undershirts, plunged into the stream, and as we passed over the cover of the sinking wagon seized it and stripped it from its bows. close beside me the little girl popped up; i seized her, and with a few strokes took her to shore, with no damage done her save a good wetting. it was a question, for a short time, whether the virago would drown the young men who were trying to save her, or they would succeed in their efforts. i went to their assistance and we brought her to the shore, but she needed the doctor's assistance. she had in ballast more water than was necessary, and by a rolling process was forced to give it up. their team having been safely extricated--the wagon and its contents on shore, and soon transported to highlands, we found among their contents a large demijohn of first class brandy, to all appearances never opened, probably because the snake country had not been reached; and as the dominant owner of said brandy was suffering from the too free use of water, we all drank to the toast, with a delicate courtesy, for her speedy delivery. oblivious of the fearful danger of microbes, each tipped the demijohn at an angle and for a duration of time suited to the occasion. this spiritual passage having become historic, we hitched up our teams and journeyed onward to a creek about two miles distant, where we camped for the night. next morning we bade a sorrowful adieu to the sweet, and much-loved and sprightly daughter of our train and our whilom companions, and resumed our journey down the left bank of the snake river. this road led us over a desolate and treeless plain of sage-brush and grease-wood. the sun, at times, sent down its rays with scorching power. the alkaline dust, betimes rolled up in suffocating volumes. the pleasures of the chase were at an end. this dreary and waterless plain was not the abode of animal life, save the lizard, the horn toad and the rattlesnake. game was said to be plentiful in the foothills and mountains, but they were too far away. the few indians scattered along the river and the far-separated and uncertain tributaries had, i am informed, no organized tribal relation, but were the vagabonds driven off by contiguous tribes. their subsistance was precarious, consisting of fish, grasshoppers, crickets or black locusts, and an occasional rabbit. but two incidents worthy of narration occurred in our journey down the river. one was a stampede of our horses by the indians about two o'clock a. m. one of the four men detailed to guard them on that night informed me that he was unwell, and i took his place. the horses were on excellent grass a little over a mile from camp. a short time before sundown we rolled up our blankets and with our arms, departed for our night's work. we all took a careful survey of the surroundings and the horses, and then two of us rolled ourselves up in our blankets to be awakened at one o'clock a. m. promptly at that time we were called. the watchmen reported that all was well; but the horses seemed a little restless and uneasy, and the watchmen thought that wolves were prowling around in the sage-brush, and although unseen by them, the presence of the wolves was detected by the keener scent and clearer vision of the horses. the night was star light and clear. the moon, when our watch commenced, was just lifting its pale head above the eastern hills. we made a circuit of the herd and passed among and through them, for some were spanselled and others had long trail ropes about their necks. finding all things in a satisfactory condition, my companion took his position on the left of the center of the herd, and i a similar position on the right. scarcely had we got to our position when a small band, or party, of indians suddenly arose from the sage-brush about midway between us, and, with a wild whoop and flourish of blankets, startled the horses and sent them, with all the speed they were capable of making, towards the distant western hills. i fired a shot at long range in the direction of the perfidious savages, but i am quite certain that it did them no harm. they immediately disappeared, however, in the thick sage-brush, and i saw no more of them until i had succeeded in stopping the horses. i got hold of several trail-ropes, one of which belonged to my favorite riding mare; i quickly mounted her, and with a dash i was soon in front of the affrighted animals. i talked to them; they knew my voice and stopped. the horse looks to his master as his protector. i have seen many proofs of this fact in my lonely wanderings in the hills and mountains, with no companion but my faithful horse. such a horse always knows where you are; if he does not, he will take your trail and come to you. if in a strange wood, and you get separated from him, he will often whinny; but i am digressing. after having succeeded in stopping the affrighted animals, i took a careful survey of my desolate surroundings. i saw to my left three indians standing on a slightly elevated ground, and i raised my rifle to fire. they saw my movement and they quickly dropped to the ground. i sent a bullet as near as i could to the spot; and while i think it did them no injury, yet it was a notice that i was armed, and an admonition not to come within range. i was satisfied that they were unarmed, save with bows and arrows, which, to be effective, required both ambush and a short range; so, although five or six miles from camp, i was fearful of neither. i saw that the horses, hobbled or spanselled, were very much impeded in their ability to travel, only being able to go by short jumps. dismounting, i unbuckled some and cut the hobbles of others. about three miles from camp i met a rescuing party, among whom was my guard companion. i was inclined to blame him for not accompanying me in my wild race, but i have long since forgiven him. such an incident was not uncommon in the early migrations to this coast. the attempts were numerous, but generally not as successful as this one. the next day, early in the morning, as we were moving slowly along at the foot of a high and bald ridge, whose top was enveloped in fog, we heard coming from the top a shrill voice saying in prolonged accents, "steal hoss--god dam!" some thought it to be the voice of an angel; others said that if the voice was that of an angel, it must have come from a fallen angel, because the language was very improper for one retaining his first estate; while others suggested that it was nothing, but an extract, or echo from my soliloquy, as i dodged through the sage-brush and grease-wood on that awful night in hot pursuit, of our affrighted and fleeing horses. despite the plausibility of this last suggestion, i adhere to lord byron's contention that the anatheme was the nucleus of england's native eloquence; and if so, why not of indian oratory? after passing around the point of this angelic ridge, the road diverges to the westward from snake river and passes over some high, bald ridges separating it from burnt river. on the afternoon of the th of july, an oppressively hot and sultry day, our train descended from a high and volcanic table land to the narrow valley of burnt river in southeastern oregon. the way down was through a long, narrow and treeless canyon into which the sun poured with focal power. this canyon, and, in fact, burnt river valley, is the home of the festive rattlesnake. he is of the large yellow bellied species, fierce in his war moods, and deadly when, from his spiral coil battery, "he pours at once his venom and his length." impatient with the slow progress we were making, myself and three other young men that night, resolved that in the morning we would dissolve our connection with the train, and hasten, with longer marches and quickened pace, to our journey's end. accordingly, early the next morning we packed our provisions, blankets and other personal effects on our horses, and, bidding adieu to our companions, shouldered our rifles and, with reliant faith in our ability to protect ourselves, started on. our course was up the narrow, silent and gloomy valley of burnt river. the banks of the river were fringed with a stunted growth of cottonwood and poplar. on either side were high and treeless hills of red earth and rocks, the still remaining evidence of the presence of tremendous igneous agencies in the far-distant past, and which, no doubt, gave the river its name. we camped at noon on a small brooklet which came rollicking down from its canyon home until it reached the valley, and then, embosomed in willows and tall rye grass, flowed silently on to the more noisy and pretentious river. a short distance from camp in a sunny glen we discovered an abundance of service berries and black currants, large, luscious and fully ripe. having tasted no fruit of any kind for over three months, that noonday repast was not only greatly relished by us, but it awakened associations of home and home life. as we feasted we talked of sister, mother and the bright-eyed girl far away. all things enjoyable must have an end. it was time to move on. on our return to camp we came across a monster rattlesnake, coiled up and defiant in his lonely home. having heard it said that tobacco was a deadly poison to this species of snake, we concluded to stop long enough to verify or disprove this saying. we cut some long willow switches and split the smaller end, into which we fastened a quantity of strong, fine-cut chewing tobacco, moistened so that the juice would flow freely, and then presented it to his worthy snakeship with our compliments. he struck it three times viciously. we could not induce him to strike it any more. he had got a quantity of the juice and some of the tobacco in his mouth. it manifestly had taken all the viciousness out of him. he was evidently subjugated. he began slowly to uncoil, and as he lay at full length a tremor passed over him and he was seemingly dead; but for fear he might recover we bruised his head, not with our heels, but with stones. in stating this little incident i have wandered somewhat from the thread of my narrative. i do this for two reasons: first, to show that i am a lover of experimental science; and, secondly, to show that the filthy weed may be put to a good purpose. late that afternoon we made our last camp in the dismal valley of burnt river. the next morning we made an early start, and found ourselves on a high sage-brush plateau just as old sol was lifting his fiery rim above the eastern horizon. to me an alkaline plain covered with unsightly sage-brush, burnt with fervent heat, destitute of water and animate with no carol of bird, or hum of insect, is the very symbol of desolation; a silent, monotonous and dreary waste, fit only for the habitation of lizards, horned toads, and other reptiles. such, to a great extent was the prospect before us. we consulted our guide-book and learned that the only water for over forty miles was a well or spring near the road, some twenty miles distant. we pushed on. the day was intensely hot. two o'clock came, and three, and four, but no spring. we had, evidently in our headlong eagerness to make distance, overlooked it. the sun went down in a bank of clouds, whose storm-heads loomed above the blue mountains, to our left. darkness came on. the gleam of lightning and the sullen roar of distant thunder warned us that a storm was coming. the fast-ascending clouds soon covered the sky, and the darkness became intense. we called a halt, and decided to stop for the night. we unpacked our horses and turned them loose with trail-ropes fastened to their necks. by the friendly aid of the lightning we were able to spread our blankets amid the sage-brush. i must confess that as i lay that night wrapped in my blankets, with a saddle for my pillow, startled ever and anon by the lightning's fearful glare, and listened to the rolling thunder as it reverberated with many voices through the canyons of the blue mountains, a spirit of absolute loneliness came over me. i was homesick. i thought of my father's home, where there was comfort and abundance. i was also troubled with the thought that our horses might hopelessly wander away in that night of storm. but balmy sleep--tired nature's sweet restorer--soon put an end to these melancholy reflections. i slept soundly despite the storm, and did not awake until the gray streaks of morning streamed up the eastern sky. when fairly awake, i leaped from my blankets, uncovered and examined my rifle, and after buckling on my belt in which were a colt's navy revolver and hunting knife, without disturbing my companions, i started on a hunt for our horses. i soon found their trail and followed it with quickened speed. i found them about three miles from camp in a beautiful little valley covered with grass, and through which flowed a small streamlet of pure cold water. after quenching my thirst and filling my canteen, i mounted my favorite animal, and rode back to camp, the others following. i arrived at camp before my companions had awakened. i aroused them with a wild whoop, and treated them all from the contents of my canteen. we speedily packed up and hastened onward in search of green fields, and especially running brooks. about eight o'clock we came to a tributary of powder river. here we cooked our breakfast, not having eaten anything but hard tack for over twenty-four hours. we made a late camp in the afternoon of that day on grand rounde river. the evening of the next day found us on the west bank of the umatilla river. these long and forced marches had begun to tell unfavorably on our horses. i was reminded of the declaration that man had better bottom and finer staying qualities than any animal, except the wolf. enured as we were to hardship and in perfect health, with no surplus flesh, and with muscles hardened by over three thousand miles of travel, mostly on foot, the wolf even, could ill afford to give us percentage in a race that involved staying qualities. our camp being an excellent one, and grass, wood and water, as well as fish and game, being abundant, we decided to remain for three days to recruit our jaded horses. while out hunting the next day, i came upon the camp of a white man, about a mile up the valley from our camp. i made bold to appear at the door of his tent, and found a middle-aged and jolly-looking man who received me with open-handed cordiality. with a smile he told me that his name was kane, that he was the indian agent for that portion of oregon. in answer to his inquiries i told him all i remembered about myself, and he, as a compensation, gave me a brief synopsis of his personal history. the conversation soon turned on indian habits and customs; the numerical strength of the tribes in the great columbia basin, their war tendencies and their desire of, and capability for a higher civilization, at least so far as the tribes under his supervision were concerned. he argued that they had already passed from the purely savage state to the pastorial; that they were owners of large bands of horses, had made a commendable start in the acquisition of horned cattle, and were very desirious of increasing their stock. he said that quite a number of individual indians owned from one hundred to five thousand head of horses, "and to convince you," he said, "that these indians desire to advance in the line of higher civilization, i may mention the fact that a cayuse chief, the fortunate owner of over , head of horses, and has an only and lovely daughter, offers to give head of valuable horses to any respectable white american who will marry his daughter, settle down among them, and teach them agriculture." he gave a glowing description of this maidenly flower, born to blush unseen, and waste her sweetness on the bunch-grass plain. touched by the inspiration of his eloquence, i inadvertently expressed my desire to see this incomparable princess. the agent responded that he had business with the chief and that he would accompany me on the morrow to his camp, situated about six miles up the valley. nine o'clock in the morning was fixed for starting. i returned to our camp, rehearsed to my companions the incidents of the day, and took an inventory of my rather limited wardrobe. be not alarmed, gentle reader; i am not about to tell you what my attire was on that interesting occasion; suffice it to say that it was becoming to an american sovereign. at the appointed time i was at the agent's camp. two horses saddled, with ropes around their lower jaw for bridles, were in readiness. i approached the one allotted to me, but as i neared it, it snorted and shied. i inquired if it was gentle. "perfectly so," was the emphatic answer. an indian held him, however, as i volted into the saddle. he let go, and we bounded away at a furious speed. at the distance of two miles or more i found him willing to yield to the pressure on his jaw and to slacken his headlong pace. we arrived at the indian village about a. m. it was stationed on the margin of the river in a beautiful grove of timber. it consisted of a dozen or more conical shaped tents. we rode up to the front of the principal one, dismounted, and hitched our horses by dropping the trail rope to the ground. the chief came to meet us, and his reception of the agent seemed to be very cordial. i was introduced as his friend, and we shook hands and said "klahowa" to each other. we entered the tent. there was no furniture, so we were seated on a roll of bed-clothing next to the wall. an animated conversation was kept up between the chief and the agent. i did not understand the indian dialect, nor could i then speak the classic jargon; hence i had plenty of time and opportunity for observation. my eyes rolled around the somewhat contracted royal mansion. i saw there a dumpy female of middle age, with a heavy but knotted and uncombed head of hair silently engaged in ornamenting a new pair of moccasins with steel and glass beads. this could not be the princess? the agent told me that the chief desired to talk with me about the incoming emigration; i assented, the agent acting as interpreter. this conversation ending, i went out to take a more accurate survey of the village. while standing in front of the chieftain's tent, a young indian woman, riding astride of a very fine horse, approached the tent. she reined up her steed a few feet in front of me, showed a little astonishment at my presence, and lightly dismounted without any assistance from me. she tarried for a moment to pet her horse, thus giving me an excellent chance for observation. while i can not say that her form was sylph-like and elegant, yet her features were not irregular, nor was her form misshapen. she was of medium height and stood erect. her head was covered with a luxuriant growth of dark coarse hair, flowing over her shoulders and extending down to her waist. her hair was neatly combed; around her neck she had several strings of different-colored beads, large and of bogus pearls; she had on a short gown closely fitting her neck and body, and extending to her knees; it was made out of soft buckskin and was tastefully ornamented with beads, and fringed around the bottom; her lower limbs were wrapped in buckskin leggings with fringed stripes at the sides; her feet were covered with a neat pair of moccasins, ornamented with beads. such was the chieftain's daughter as i then saw her. she dashed by me and entered the tent. i soon after followed. i judged from the long and inquiring stare of the mother, and the quick and abashed look of the daughter, that the agent and chief were talking about me; and i subsequently learned that such was the fact. by invitation of the chief we stayed for dinner. i will not detain you by a description of that repast. after dinner we smoked the pipe of peace and friendship, then bade adieu to the chieftain and rode back to our camp. the next day i went up to the agent's camp and wrote for the "detroit free press" a description of the umatilla valley and the surrounding country, stated the number of indians residing there, their mode of life, their habits and customs, together with their desire for civilization. i stated the generous offer of the cayuse chief, and closed with a glowing description of the dusky princess. i mailed the letter at the dalles. in due time we arrived in the willamette valley. over three months elapsed before i received a copy of the free press containing my letter. by a strange perversion the printer had changed the word "cayuse" into "hans." this explained a mystery. quite a number of letters directed to the chief of the "hans" indians, care of the superintendent of indian affairs for oregon, had been received by him. no one knowing anything about the hans indians. these letters were afterwards published in the oregon papers. i will give from memory a synopsis of two of them. the first was written by a michigan man, and he was endorsed by lewis cass, henry ward beecher and many other noted persons. it was a plain, straight-forward letter and unconditionally accepted the chieftain's offer. he desired to be speedily notified, in order that he might come on to accept his patrimony and open his agricultural school. the other letter was written by a virginian. he was endorsed by the senators of that state and by most of its representatives in congress. a daguerreotype accompanied the letter. this gallant gentleman stated to the chief that he would scorn to accept the hand of the daughter unless he could first win her heart. he flattered himself, however, that he would have no difficulty in that matter. the whole tone of the letter was that of a regular masher. i do not know whether these letters ever reached the chief and his fair dusky daughter or not, nor do i know whether he was blessed or cursed with a white son-in-law. my belief is that the perverseness of that detroit printer obstructed the civilization of a tribe. in conclusion, the jolly indian agent was gathered to his fathers years ago. the bow has fallen from the nerveless grasp of the generous chieftain. the princess may still be alive; if so, and if her eyes by chance should fall upon these lines, she will, no doubt, remember the bashful and ungallant young man who met her in front of her royal father's mansion in the beautiful umatilla valley in . on the morning of the fifth day after our arrival in the beautiful and fertile valley of the umatilla we resumed our journey. our first point of destination was the dalles. there we replenished our nearly exhausted stock of provisions. from thence, our first camp was at the eastern base of the cascade mountains. we passed over this rugged and densely-timbered range by the barlow route. in addition to the stillness of the solemn and continuous woods, and the majestic splendor of the amphitheatre of surrounding mountains, there is the steep descent at once of laurel hill from a summit plateau to the valley of the sandy river below. while it involves some sacrifice of truth to call this the descent of a hill, it requires a greater poetic imagination, from the few stunted madronas, not laurels, standing on the western rim, of this summit table-land, to call the place laurel hill. i saw wagons with their household goods and gods descend this so-called hill. none but pioneers on whose brow and face sunshine and storm had stamped their heraldic honors, who had swam cold and turbulent mountain streams, had passed down steep, rocky and dangerous canyons, and had crossed treacherous streams of quicksand, would ever have attempted this descent. to such seasoned veterans, impossibilities had a constantly diminishing radius. with a steady yoke of oxen--or a true and biddable span of horses--with a long and strong rope fastened to the hind axle-tree of the wagon and wound around some contiguous tree and gradually loosened, the wagons were safely let down these rough and almost perpendicular descents. my information is that no wagons pass over this road now. it answers for a bridle-path and pack-trail, and no more. old mount hood, along whose southern base we passed, stood forth in her imperial grandeur. the waters of the columbia wash her northern base and the southern base of mount adams, her sister peak. a huge rock-ribbed canyon, at the bottom of which rolls the oregon, separates the two. an interesting indian tradition connected with these mountains has a narrow yet substantial footing in fact, but a broader, more airy and more poetic foundation in myth. it runs thus: prior to the tremendous conflict and convulsions mentioned herein, the waters of the columbia and of its many tributaries were confined in the great basin east of the cascade mountains. they had no outlet to the ocean. mount hood and mount adams had for ages been friends; but in process of time they became estranged. that estrangement deepened in intensity until it culminated in a tremendous conflict. they hurled giant boulders at each other. from their tops they sent against one another huge and flaming volumes of fire and molten lava. in their herculean and supreme efforts for victory they tore asunder the mountains and let the long-accumulated waters of the upper basin rush downward to the ocean. thus, was their separation made final and irrevocable. it is not in the line of this narrative to marshal the reasons for, or against the probability, or improbability, of indian legends. if i should depart from this rule in this instance, i would say that the similarity of the rocks on both sides of the great columbia river gorge; the presence of submarine shells embedded in the great eastern basin, as well as the formation of its converging ridges, and the character of its soil, lend a certain tinge of verification to a portion of this legend. the other portion may be taken as a poetic description of volcanic action, with an attendant earthquake or seismic convulsion of great intensity, and of tremendous force. from this speculation, let us return to more solid ground. there are two rivers heading near the same point, in the marshes and the highest tableland of the cascade mountains. the waters of the one, flow eastward and find the columbia by a tortuous course east of the mountains; the waters of the other, flow westward and empty in the columbia above the mouth of the willamette. the barlow road is located on the northern side of this depression, or break in the mountains. let this brief, and imperfect geographic statement serve as an introduction to the following incident: late in the fall of a large ox-train, with many loose cattle, attempted the ascent of the mountains by the eastern river, but were finally blockaded by the constantly-increasing depth of snow. there were many women and children, as well as stalwart men, in the train. the situation was perilous, threatening great suffering, and the possibility of starvation; hence, two men were deputed to cross the intervening snow-fields to the willamette valley for assistance. r. and b. were the men chosen for the difficult task; and with both of them i subsequently became well acquainted. equipped with snow-shoes, they successfully passed over the summit's ridges to the desolate base of old mt. hood. here they were enveloped in a dense fog--that most fearful of all calamities to a man in unknown woods, or mountains. even to the experienced hunter or trapper, familiar with the topography of a mountain range, or a dense forest, the coming-in or settling-down of a fog envelopment, is viewed with apprehension, and alarm. a fog obliterates all the landmarks. darkness has different shades of blackness;--the depth before you has an intensified blackness; the shadow of a mountain peak makes its huge column, or wooded side still darker. r. and b. became bewildered in the continuous fog. their provisions were exhausted, and they were subsisting on snails. r. was six feet and well proportioned--brawny and enured to toil; b. was smaller and of a more delicate constitution. r. was a pronounced skeptic; b. was a man of faith and inclined to look for safety to a higher power when immediate danger was impending: hence, while r. was eagerly hunting for food, b. was engaged in prayer. one day, deep down under the snow, r. found the slimy trail of a snail; it led directly under b.'s knee. r. pushed b. aside, saying: "get out of my way--i am nearly frantic for that snail." the game was soon captured, and r. generously divided it with his starving companion. at the conclusion of their scanty feast, b. said to r.: "you are much stronger than i am, and you will probably survive me: now, if i die, what will you do with me?" "eat you, sir: eat you!" was the emphatic reply. b., in his subsequent narration of the incident, said that the idea was so abhorrent to him that it nerved him up until their escape was made. the families were rescued, and they came down the columbia river to the willamette valley, while most of the stock was left on good pasturage east of the mountains. r. and b. have long since been gathered to their fathers. their trials, difficulties and dangers are over. may they rest in peace! crossing the sandy we arrived at foster's, situated at the west end of the barlow road and at the western base of the cascade mountains. we were now in the great willamette valley. what a change presented itself! here were green fields, meadows and pasturage lands. the breezes were moist and balmy. for over three months we had been crossing over scorched and desolate plains, encountering quite a number of sunburnt, treeless and waterless deserts. in this valley vegetation of all kinds was luxuriant and the smaller fruits abundant. for over three months we had eaten no vegetable food, and we never before so warmly appreciated the beauty and poetry of beets, onions, cabbages, potatoes and carrots. i remained in the vicinity of foster's for four days. on the evening of the fourth day a rancher by the name of baker, who lived on the clearwater offered me employment. he had let in the sunlight on about ten acres of very fertile soil in the dense forest. this he cultivated in vegetables. he took a canoe-load every day to oregon city, distant about five miles by his water route. my business was to prepare these vegetables for transportation, for which i received five dollars per day; but one morning he set me to rail making and after working a day at it i struck. he was much amused at my rail making performance. he asked me if i could shoot well; i answered that that was just to my hand. so the next day we took our rifles and went up the creek-bottom and found deer very plentiful. i shot two fine bucks while they were bounding away, and baker was much pleased by my ability in this line; so he offered me six dollars a day for every day that i would furnish him, on the bank of the creek, two deer. i successfully did this for ten days, when, the game becoming somewhat scarce in that vicinity, he wanted me to go out some six or seven miles into the foothills of the mountains. this proposition carried with it so much loneliness and isolation, that it was declined. while wandering through the valley of the clearwater and the adjacent hills, i was much struck with the wonders of petrification. i saw huge fir-logs, petrified. i can never think of what i then saw without recalling a story which i heard while delegate to congress, and at washington city. congress always makes liberal appropriations for the investigation of the flora and fauna, and the mineral indications, as well as the water supply or rainfall, in the territories, and in the desert portions of the united states. rugged old ben wade, while a senator from ohio, always opposed these appropriations as a waste of the people's money in what he styled, bug-hunting expeditions. two scientists, eminent for their learning, and known as major hayden and captain powell, were usually employed in these explorations. the major was said to be something of a martinet, while the captain was an excellent judge of human nature, and had plenty of what the philosopher locke called "round-about common-sense." while on one of these scientific exploring expeditions these two gentlemen were in the mountains near pike's peak. that country abounds in fine specimens of petrification. one day the major met a company of miners, and related to them the wonderful specimens of petrification seen by him that day. the miners listened with eloquent, but i fear insincere, attention to the major's statement. when he had concluded, one of them said: "if you will go with me, major, to the other side of the ridge, i will show you a specimen of petrification that discounts anything you have seen today." the major listened while the miner said, that at the base of a nearly perpendicular wall of rock, extending upward several hundred feet, there was an indian with a rifle in his hand pointing at an angle upward towards the rock; that both indian and rifle were petrified; that the smoke around the muzzle of the gun was petrified; and, what was more wonderful, that a short distance from the muzzle of the gun a cougar was petrified right in the air. the major showed some uneasiness as the story proceeded, and said at its conclusion: "i was inclined to believe you when you began, but now i know you are lying." the miner softly put his hand to his pistol, but, relenting, said: "you are a tenderfoot and i forgive you; but why did you say i was lying?" "because," said the major, "i know that the laws of gravitation would bring that cougar down." "the laws of gravitation be damned," said the miner, "they were petrified too." i visited oregon city with my friend, and observed the beautiful falls of the willamette and the waste of electrical and mechanical power. returning to his humble home, i bade him the next day a regretful good-bye, and with my horses started for a point in mill creek valley, six or seven miles south of salem, to the home of a friend with whom i became acquainted on the plains. this friend had taken up a claim, and i found him busily engaged in the erection of a building which might be styled in architecture as a midway between a dwelling house and a cabin. he had determined, as soon as this structure was completed, to go to the mines in southern oregon. i also concluded to try my luck in digging for gold. in the latter part of october, , in company with two other gentlemen, we started for the mines in rogue river valley, southern oregon. the habitations in the willamette valley at that time were few and far between. large bands of spanish cattle roamed over, and found ample food in the upper portion of the valley. it was dangerous for a footman to pass through that country. on horseback he was safe. but little of interest occured on this trip. my friend claimed to be and he was an expert rider. he had a large and powerful spanish horse as his riding animal. while in the umpqua valley he mounted this horse one morning without saddle or bridle on a steep hill. the horse viciously resented this breach of etiquette and plunged with stiff-legged vaults downward and sideways on the steep incline, throwing his rider over his head. the rider struck with his full weight and the momentum of the horse's motion, on his right hand, throwing the small bones, to which some of the muscles of the inner arm are attached, out of their sockets at the base of the palm of the hand. the tendency was for these muscles still further to contract--thus aggravating his injury. the nearest doctor was fifty miles away. upon examination, i concluded that these small bones ought to be forced into their proper place, if possible, before inflammation intervened. we accordingly placed the injured man upon his back on the ground, and as the operation would be very painful, the others held him securely while i forced these bones back into their sockets. then we bound the wrist tightly, so as to keep them in place. when we arrived at the doctor's he, after an examination, complimented me highly for my surgical skill, and gave me credit for saving the wrist of the injured man. on our way to the mines we passed through what is known as the canyon in the mountain-spur that separates the umpqua country from the rogue river county. people now passing through this canyon scarcely appreciate the difficulties attending the passage which then existed. the canyon is formed by two streams, both heading in a small pond or lake at the summit of the mountain; the one that flows northward is called canyon creek. it was then crossed eighty-four times by the road. the other stream flowed southward and was crossed by way of the road over sixty times. in the rainy season, and especially when the mountains were covered, or blockaded with snow, the passage was almost impossible. the passage was strewn with the wrecks of wagons and the bones of horses and mules. subsequently, congress made an appropriation of $ , for a military road through this mountain gorge. this money was faithfully expended by general hooker. the distance through the canyon is about nine miles. general hooker built the military road on the side of the mountain. in quite a number of places you can sit in the stage and look down into a nearly perpendicular and sunless abyss hundreds of feet in depth. large sums of money have since been expended by toll corporations, to keep this military road passable and in repair. we arrived at jacksonville, in southern oregon, in the first part of november. to a person who prior to that time had always been accustomed to a different order of society, and who had never visited the mines in the palmy days of california, a new social order was manifest. i state the facts and the impression they made upon me as a tenderfoot; but i ought to add that since that time, having become somewhat familiar with such scenes, my moral sense has toughened, so that my ability to "endure" is far greater now, than then, though my judgment as to the ultimate moral result of such a social order has never changed. there were in jacksonville and its immediate vicinity from seven to eight thousand men, possibly more. the coat as an article of dress had fallen into "innocuous desuetude." soft slouch hats were universally worn. there were but a few women, and most of them not angelic. the mines were rich, money was abundant, and gambling rampant. i ought not to omit the dance-halls that pointed the lurid way to perdition. i said that money was abundant; i do not mean by this that much united states gold coin was in circulation. there was a five-dollar gold piece that had its origin in oregon. it was stamped on one side with the words "united states of america," and on the reverse side with the impress of a beaver; hence, it was called "beaver money." it was of the same size of the minted half-eagle, but contained more of gold. the other piece of money in circulation was octahedron in shape or form. it was stamped on one side the same as the beaver money, and on the reverse side were the words "fifty dollars." it contained more gold than the same weight of minted coin; but the money used in nearly all transactions was gold dust; hence, every merchant, saloonkeeper or gambler had his gold scales at command. gold dust had a standard value of sixteen dollars per ounce, and purchases were paid for in gold dust. there was some silver in circulation, but the lowest denomination was twenty-five cents. a drink of milk, glass of beer or any other liquor, was twenty-five cents. sunday was partly a laundry day, but mostly a gala day. mining ceased on that day. all came to town to see the sights, to hear the news, to try their luck at the gambling tables, or to purchase supplies for the coming week. this day was a harvest day for the gambler, the saloonkeeper, and the merchant. while there was a large quantity of alcoholic beverages consumed, drunkennes was at a minimum. nearly everyone carried a pistol in his belt, and a sheath-knife in his boot. homicides were not frequent; this was due to the character possessed by the great body of miners, who acted on the great law of honor, and to the fact that to call a man a liar or to impeach the honor of his origin, or to use towards him any epithet imputing dishonor, was to invite the contents of a pistol into the accuser's physical economy. the laws of chivalry and honor were the only laws obeyed in such matters. this kind of society, rough and uncouth in its exterior, had a strong basis in the nobler principles of a chivalric manhood. it had also a poetic side, being composed principally of young men; it did not suppress the finer impulses and feelings of their better nature. as an illustration: there was located in the valley a family, consisting of husband and wife and two children. they had quite a number of cows and kept milk for sale. a large number of young men used to visit this family every sunday for the ostensible purpose of buying milk, when the real purpose was to see someone who had the form, the purity and the affection of a mother. when they left the humble abode of this mother, they talked of their own mothers, of home and its sweet recollections. the strong ligaments of a mother's love serves as a moral anchor to them in the billowy storms of life, even far away from that mother. personal property of great value, such as gold in sluice boxes, though unguarded, was perfectly secure. the sneak thief, the burglar and the robber were conspicuous by their absence. probably the certainty, promptness and severity of the punishment deterred their visitation. there were no churches in that mining town, and religious services were infrequent. i remember one incident in this line: a methodist minister, by the name of stratton, came over from california and notices were posted that he would preach the next sunday. there was a large building in process of erection for a gambling-house on the opposite side of the street from the principal gambling saloon. the roof was on this new building and a large party of us, desiring to hear the gospel again preached, fitted up this hall with seats from the unused lumber. the minister had a large audience, the seats were all filled and hundreds stood on the outside of the building. he was an able and eloquent man and presented the simple story of the gospel in a very forcible and earnest manner. when he had concluded his sermon, the contribution-box was passed around and carried across the street to the gambling saloon, and they all contributed liberally, some of them dropping into the box a fifty-dollar gold piece. as soon as he had pronounced the benediction, two mounted auctioneers, one desiring to sell a horse, the other a mule, requested the audience to remain while they offered them bargains and cried the virtues of these animals. most of the audience did remain and the bidding was quite spirited and animated; so you see that that congregation had an opportunity to hear the gospel, to buy a horse or a mule, as each man's wants might demand. civil government had not been extended over that section of the country. the only system they had was the alcalde system. this was borrowed from california, and by the californians was borrowed from the mining jurisprudence of spain. every mining community of any considerable size had its alcalde. he held his office by election, and his jurisdiction swept over the entire field of jurisprudence. there was no appeal from his judgments or decrees. jacksonville and its mining community had such an officer; his name was rogers. i think he was a lawyer, but had long since ceased to practice. he was a grey-headed and venerable-looking man. he administered the unwritten and the unclassified law of justice and equity as it appeared to him from the facts of each case heard by him. his judgments and decrees were promptly enforced; but there came a change. in the fall of ' four men in the willamette valley formed themselves into a co-partnership for mining purposes, and with their horses and provisions went to jackson creek to try their fortune at mining. at first they were not successful. provisions running low, they dispatched one of their number to the willamette valley with their horses to bring in an ample supply of provisions for the fast-approaching winter. this partner, sent on such a mission, became acquainted on his trip with a blooming damsel who had just crossed the plains. he made love to her; she reciprocated, and they were married. the season had far advanced when the honeymoon was over. he brought, however, on his delayed return an abundant supply of provisions. his partners during his absence, had located some claims, opened them and found them very rich. but on his return, while they accepted the provisions, they denied to him all accounting, and refused to acknowledge his interest in the new-found claims. he brought an action before the alcalde for an accounting and for the affirmation of his interest in the claims. the alcalde, after hearing and fully considering the facts of the case, granted both of the petitions. up to this time i had had no employment in the case and had taken but a general interest in it. the defeated parties called a miners' convention, whose declared object was the election of a judge of appeals for that and other cases. my connection with the case commenced at this point. i was employed by the successful party before the alcalde, and by others, to oppose this movement. at the appointed time nearly all of the miners of jackson creek and its vicinity assembled in convention at the appointed place. the feeling for and against the proposition was quite intensified. after the convention was organized i arose and with some trepidation addressed the large crowd. i was listened to throughout with silent and respectful attention. i took the position, first, that inasmuch as the machinery of civil government had not as yet been extended over that district of the country, the alcalde system prevailed, and thousands upon thousands of valuable properties had changed hands by virtue of the alcalde judgments and decrees and their enforcement, and the property rights of many were dependent upon the validity and stability of such judgments and decrees, all would be endangered by the proposed change; that his ministerial officers might be subject to prosecution; that under such circumstances we had better stand upon the records of the past,--records as old as the institution of mining in the united states. i further argued that if we attempted to complicate affairs by the election of a judge of appeals, and possibly by the institution of other tribunals for the correction of error, we turn a system simple in itself, and beneficent in its operations in the past, into a complicated farce. i argued in favor of the probability of the legislature, when it extended its machinery of civil government over that section of country, passing an act validating the judgments and decrees or providing for a liberal mode and time for an appeal from them. my last point, omitting others, was that this movement had its origin in, and promotion by, the parties defeated in the alcalde's court. if they had the power to secure a determination in favor of a court of appeals they certainly had power to elect the judge of appeals; that as this would be the first case to be heard by him, they certainly would not elect a judge who was not favorable to their interests; and that it had the appearance to me of a court organized to convict or to reverse. i pushed this point with every reason and every illustration and consideration that i could command. i appealed in conclusion to their native sense of justice and equity, and closed after speaking a little over an hour. i was roundly applauded. my opponent was what was known in the states as a pettifogger. i use this term not opprobriously. he was an old miner and possessed the power of rough-edged ridicule and philippics. he thought that the best way to answer my argument was to annihilate me. his description of a beardless tenderfoot coming all the way from michigan to teach veteran miners what they ought to do, or ought not to do was certainly amusing, if not overdrawn by its exaggeration. he was frequently applauded by his side. when he was through the voting commenced. the contending forces arrayed themselves on each side of a line, with a space of four or five feet between them. the pulling and hauling across the space was continuous. after several efforts to make an accurate count, it was reported to the president that there was a majority of from three to ten in favor of the proposition. the next move was to select a judge of the court of appeals. this was soon accomplished. the judge so elected notified the parties of the time and place where the appeal was to be heard. at the appointed time i appeared and filed a written protest and demurrer to his jurisdiction. when i had finished reading them he promptly, and without hearing the other party, overruled both protest and demurrer. he heard the case anew and promptly reversed the judgment of the alcalde. i think this was the only case the judge of appeals ever heard. nothing but the dignity of the office remained. in after years i became well acquainted with said judge, but i never mentioned the subject to him. a more extended account of this affair is given in one of bancroft's histories of the coast. the record or papers filed by me in this case, i have been informed, are in the archives of jackson county. two incidents occurred late in the fall of ' which as they are somewhat historical in their character and results, may bear narration. rogue river valley was unoccupied and afforded abundant pasturage for horses and mules and horned cattle. some enterprising fellow had just pre-empted all of that portion of the valley west of bear creek, and received stock for pasturage on that pre-empted domain, at so much per head. late in the fall, four fine american horses had been stolen from this pasture. the theft was immediately attributed by the owners, and by the keepers of the stock, to the indians. a party of hot-headed fellows, headed by the owners of the lost horses, went to the indian ranceree on rogue river and took four of its younger men as prisoners, or rather as hostages--threatening to kill them if the stock was not delivered within a week. the hostages were brought to jacksonville and strictly confined until the time should elapse. this action created great excitement among the indians, and to save the lives of their companions they hunted for the lost animals in every direction, but could find no trace of them. the rogue river indians gave it as their opinion that a band of klamath indians but recently in rogue river valley, on a trading expedition, had stolen the horses and driven them across the mountains to the klamath lake country. the fatal day arrived and the horses were unfound; and the determination was expressed by a large party of miners, reinforced by the gambling element, to carry the threat into execution. one of the indians asked that he might talk to the whites before he was led out to execution. his request, after some considerable opposition, was finally granted. his speech was interpreted into english and ran, as far as i remember it, about as follows: he said that neither himself nor his companions had stolen the horses, and that they knew nothing about their loss; that the white man did not claim that they stole the horses, but they were to be killed because others had stolen the white man's horses, and neither they nor their friends were able to deliver them up to the white man; that the indians had always treated the white man kindly--when he was hungry they gave him something to eat--but the white man had taken possession of their country, had driven the game far away into the mountains, had decreased the number of fish in the rivers and streams by muddying their waters, and had by the tramping of their horses and cattle destroyed the kamas and kouse upon which they largely subsisted and had entirely destroyed the grass and other seeds which they gathered in large quantities for food; that he felt like one wandering alone in the deep fog and dark timber on a mountain side, and he heard the voice of the spirits of his fathers calling to him "be quiet and brave; the great spirit will avenge you." he closed. someone moved that the punishment be mitigated to whipping. i protested against any punishment at all, but voted for the mitigation. the motion carried; the poor innocent indians were led away to receive the punishment; but i must say that the executioner of the sentence did not lay on the lash in a severe and brutal manner. the indians were told to go; and they stayed not on the order of their going, but left with good speed. such unjustified acts are pregnant with trouble, and the indian war followed soon after. there lies east of the southern portion of rogue river valley a wide slope of land free from timber and ending at the rim of the mountain, and beyond and easterly from which--there is a high mountain table land--covered with fine green timber, among which sleep verdant valleys whose arms extend like the radius of a star, in every direction. some of these valleys are wet and marshy, while others are dry and produce a rich and abundant growth of bunch grass. there was a large number of stock pastured in this section of country. occasionally a small band of the fattest and largest steers would mysteriously disappear from this range. the number disappearing increased each successive year. the cattle men became alarmed, and organized an armed and mounted patrol to keep guard and watch over their stock. in the fall of ' it was reported that some five or six fine steers were missing from their accustomed range. a search was immediately made and the trail of the missing cattle discovered. it led over the rim into the mountain basin or plateau, above referred to and across a marsh, now, and from this circumstance, called dead indian prairie, and up a narrow arm of the prairie to a mountain culmination in a lonely spot, surrounded on nearly all sides by a dense growth of tall chapparal brush. here the carcasses of the cattle, also the bodies of three indians were found, with all the indications that they had been recently killed. these patrol men said that they also found the meat of the slaughtered cattle on platforms, with a slow fire of hardwood still burning beneath them. thus the process of jerking preparatory to packing was in full operation. they gave it as their opinion that the cattle had been stolen by klamath indians, and that a party of predatory modocs came upon them a short time before the patrol men appeared, and, finding a good opportunity to supply themselves with food, shot down the klamaths; but that before they could appropriate to themselves the booty, the whites made their appearance and the modocs hid away in the chapparal brush. this theory was received by their employers as rational and satisfactory. in ' i visited this country for the first time--having heard the story, i sought the spot where the tragedy occurred. there were still the bleached bones of the cattle and the whitened skeletons of three indians. the platform was still standing, and the extinguished brands of charcoal and the ashes, of the vine-maple fire still existed. it was late in the afternoon. the sun was fast disappearing behind the western hills. i hesitated for a moment whether to take a long route by way of the narrow prairie to our camp, or to go down the brush-covered mountain sides and thus cut off at least a mile of the distance. the side of the mountain down which i determined to go, was said to be infested with grizzly. i examined my rifle and pistol, to see if they were in order and then with rapid strides commenced the descent. when about half way down i heard a rustling in the brush to my left; i turned and looked in that direction, and saw two large grizzlies on their haunches attentively surveying me. my first thought was to shoot; but as my rifle was a muzzle loader, i concluded that discretion was the better part of valor, inasmuch as there were two of them--hence i stood quiet till they dropped out of sight in the brush. i did not allow the grass to grow much under my feet, as i dodged through the chapparal brush to reach the prairie beyond. i am convinced that i could have killed one of them, but what to do with his enraged mate, was the question. i remember the answer of a young man, who, while hunting, came across a grizzly probably in her own jungle, in about the same way. he was asked why he did not shoot; his answer was, that it would be some honor for a man to kill a full grown grizzly, but a far greater honor for a grizzly to kill a man. this great basin--circular in form and some eight miles in diameter--has been visited by me in connection with hunting parties many times since. it is, or was in former years the hunter's paradise; but i am informed that the cattle men--the pre-emptor, and the homesteaders, and timber monopolizers--have extended their dominion over the luxuriant grass-producing prairies and the magnificent forests of pine, fir, hemlock and larch, and have driven the game far back into the fastnesses of the mountains. the indian kills only to satisfy his wants and with only imperfect instruments of destruction; he did not menace the entire extinction of the beasts of the field and forest, hence game of every kind existed and multiplied all around him; but to the white man, armed with a repeating rifle, and fired with a devouring avarice their doom is fixed. nothing but the intervention of the strong arm of the law can avert the decree of annihilation. having alluded to this matter once before in these sketches i will not pursue it further here. black-tail deer were abundant on this mountain plateau, and it did not take long for a party of good shots to obtain all the venison desired. we did not kill for the mere love of slaughter, but for food and for the attendant excitement and recreation of hunting. there roamed through these forests numerous small bands of elk; i say small bands, for i have never seen them here in such large herds as i have seen in the coast and olympic ranges of mountains. they seemed to exist here in family groups, ranging in number from three to seven or eight. i counted one group, however, numbering fifteen, in an exploring expedition in the dark woods near the base of snow-crowned mount mclaughlin. i had a fine opportunity to shoot a good sized buck whose head was crowned with large and fine antlers; but was so distant from camp and the ground was so rough and difficult of access, that i forebore, and seated myself on a rock to study their habits and to watch their movements. these small bands were quite difficult to find, for the elk is a great roamer, but with pluck and perseverance, and the discomforts of sleeping on their trail perhaps for one night, we were usually successful, unless the trail led into the impassable breaks in the mountains. the bear family was well represented in this mountain plateau. the black, the brown, the cinnamon, the grizzly and what is known among hunters as the mealy-nosed brown bear, were plentiful. this last species of bear, if it be proper to call them a species, i have always thought was a cross between the grizzly and the brown bear. his nose or muzzle up to his eyes is nearly white. like many crosses, he inherits all the bad qualities of his progenitors, and seemingly, none of their good qualities. in size he is between the grizzly and the brown bear. while most of the species of the bear family will run on the approach of man, unless one comes upon them suddenly in their patrimonial jungle, or a female with her cubs, the mealy-nosed bear is inclined to stand his ground, and to resent any crowding upon him. doctor livingston says, in his book of travels in africa, that if you come upon the lion in the day time, he will face you and quietly look at you; and if you stand still he will in a short time turn and look at you over his shoulder, and then commence easily to move away, and when he thinks he is out of sight he will bound off with accelerated speed. the mealy-nosed brown bear acts very much in the same manner. hunting parties sometimes have with them a leash of trained bear-dogs, and they always close the hunt in a chase for bruin. there is in this kind of sport a dash of danger, that makes it all the more exciting. hunters, like poets, are born. keenness of vision, presence of mind in case of conflict or danger, together with steadiness of nerve, are the essential characteristics of a true hunter. no practice or exercise can fully supply these qualities. i could narrate many exciting and dangerous conditions, or situations, arising from the want of some of these qualities; but as the actors may be living, i omit them. i am at liberty to narrate only my own acts and mistakes. i cannot omit from these sketches the first grizzly killed by me. myself and companion were camping on dead indian prairie, when we were informed that there were some fresh elk-tracks near a large wet prairie some three miles from our camp. we started out to hunt for these elks. we went up a narrow prairie through which flowed a small brook to a larger prairie through which this brook also flowed. the brook was fringed on each side with a thick growth of willows from three to five rods in width. we hitched our horses near the larger prairie, and my companion was to go carefully through the timber on the right hand, while i was to cross the brook and carefully scout the timber on the left hand. shortly after i had crossed the brook and got a good view of the prairie beyond, i saw a large grizzly feeding near the outer line of the willows. he was some sixty or seventy rods away. i considered for a moment, my plan of action. i had left my pistol at the camp and had only my rifle and hunting-knife. i kept in the timber out of sight until i got opposite to him and probably about forty rods away. grass on the prairie was tall, and i concluded that as i only had one shot, i would get closer to him; so i crawled through the grass towards him until i was possibly twenty rods away. he commenced to act as though all was not right, and he stood listening, reared upon his haunches, and snuffing the air. i began to get a little nervous. i desired to get a shot at or near the butt of his ear. while he was listening, however, he kept turning his head from me and towards the willows. i concluded that i could strike his heart, and quickly brought my rifle in position, and fired. he fell to the ground; i arose to my feet and commenced to reload. my rifle was muzzle-tight, and i had to carry in my pouch a bullet-starter. having got the powder in the gun and started the ball, just as i pulled the ramrod he arose to his feet. as i was in plain view, he started directly for me. casting my eye around, i saw a hemlock tree, with pendent limbs, some thirty or more rods away. i started for it with all the speed i possessed. as he was running on a kind of circle hypothenuse, i could see that he was rapidly closing the space between us. he was probably fifteen or twenty feet from me when i dropped my rifle and leaped for the branches of the tree. my aspirations were lofty just then. had he come on, he might possibly have gotten me, but i was soon out of his reach. he stopped to grasp my rifle and shook it violently. it was a half-stocked rifle, and he bit off a portion of the stock. he stayed around the tree some three or four minutes licking his wound, which i subsequently found was less than half an inch too high. it was a mortal shot, but did not produce immediate death. he suddenly leaped to his feet and dashed off to a thicket of chapparal some twelve or thirteen rods away. i descended from the tree, found my rifle to be in an effective condition, rammed down the ball, put on a cap and ran for a tree standing outside of the chapparal brush--listened and looked; and i quickly saw him. he had run into the forks of a felled tree and had all the appearance of life. i fired at the butt of his ear, but he did not move. i reloaded and carefully approached him and found him to be dead. he was poor, but was estimated to weigh some two hundred and fifty or three hundred pounds. we took his pelt, and after a good deal of persuasion and blindfolding my riding-horse took it into camp. moral: no man has the right to hunt grizzly bear with a muzzle-loading rifle and muzzle-tight at that. i have several times since then, either alone or with a hunting companion, met them, and with a remington repeater found no difficulty in commanding the situation. the winter of -' was distinguished for--so far as the memory of the oldest inhabitants recalled--its unprecedented deep fall of snow. rogue river valley is rimmed around on all sides by high ranges of mountains. these mountain ranges were rendered impassable for pack trains or other modes of transportation. the supply of provisions in the mines grew less and less, until it was nearly exhausted. flour and beef, the staples of the miners' diet, went up to a dollar a pound and more; salt was worth nearly its weight in gold. this was the result of a corner, however. in these circumstances myself and three partners, who had purchased some mining claims a considerable distance down rogue river, took our blankets, rifles and a scanty supply of provisions on our backs and started for our claims. it was with some difficulty that we were able to reach them. they were gulch claims, and if intelligently worked under fair conditions of the weather would yield about an ounce a day to each laborer. we commenced work on them, but the weather was so inclement and the snow fall so continuous that we suspended. i ought to have stated that there was quite a good log cabin on the claims. my partners all claimed to be good hunters, but showed no disposition to try or show their skill in that regard. i did all the hunting and succeeded in keeping the camp quite well supplied with venison. i finally tired of their masterly inactivity, and my strenuous work in wallowing about in the snow. i also ceased hunting. the provisions were soon exhausted. nothing was left but coffee and sugar, of which we had a fair supply. with a drink of strong coffee well saturated with sugar, and jolly in spirit, we treated the situation as a huge joke. we all started out for venison. i saw nothing during the day, but frequently heard the report of the rifles of my partners. each shot was full of hope. we all returned quite late in the evening, and the report of nothing killed was somewhat dismaying. we made, however, a cup of strong coffee--told our best stories, then rolled ourselves in our blankets to dream of home, and of our father's house, where there was bread enough and to spare. we rose early the next morning, taciturn and sad; not much conversation was indulged in. each, after his breakfast of coffee and sugar, took his own course into the woods, while i had my accustomed ill luck of seeing no game. i heard reports of my companions' rifles, but their echoes did not carry with them much of faith, or hope. i returned quite late that evening and found my companions all in the cabin. things began to look serious. we took our accustomed coffee and sugar, and soon retired to our bunks to dream of tables loaded with provisions; but some fatality always prevented us from reaching them. i was hungry, and while slowly working my way through the snow to the cabin i looked anxiously for some bird or squirrel that i might kill and eat. the next morning we held a short consultation to determine whether it was better to leave, or to make still further efforts to obtain provisions. in the afternoon of that day i saw a large buck and three does in a clump of brush above me on the mountain side. they were too far away for an effective shot--so i slowly approached them. they saw me and were somewhat disturbed by my presence. they could not go higher on account of the increasing depth of snow. i was lying on the snow with my rifle in position, watching an opportunity for a successful shot. all at once the buck left the clump of brush and came plunging down the mountain side, attempting to pass me some eight rods to my right. if i ever looked through the sights of a rifle with a desperate determination, it was then. i fired when he was nearly opposite me and he plunged headlong into the snow. i had struck him fairly in the heart, and life was immediately extinct. i got to him as soon as i could, after reloading my rifle, and cut out of his ham a piece, which i ate while it was still warm. it had the same effect upon me for a short time as a drink of strong brandy has upon an empty stomach. i cut off the saddle, threw it over my shoulder, and started for camp. it was in the dusk of the evening when i arrived. my partners were there, and when they saw me coming said nothing, but with a fixed gaze, as though to be certain of relief, fairly grabbed the saddle from my shoulders, rushed into the cabin and began to roast and eat. the roasting was not overdone. about midnight, for fear that wolf or cougar might find the portion left on the mountain side, they took my trail to where it was, and brought it in. we stayed about a week longer, but i had no difficulty in killing an abundance of venison. i did the hunting; my partners did the packing. on the last day of our stay i killed three deer, and with the echo of my last shot, the ghost of starvation, which i had imagined was standing on the clouds and pointing willametteward, disappeared in thin air. resting for two days, and in the meantime having received an offer for our claims from a company mining on the bars of rogue river, my partners were anxious to accept the offer. i first opposed it, but finally consented. my partners were not only tenderfeet, but they were subject to periodic attacks of cold feet. i drew the bill of sale, and each partner took his $ in gold dust. it was an unwise transaction, for the claims were worth much more. we all determined to go to the willamette valley. when we arrived at the road we found that many miners, especially of those living in the umpqua, or willamette valley, were returning home. the second night we stopped at what was called a hotel, about four miles south of the mouth of the canyon. it rained hard and continuously all of the second day of our journey, and we wallowed through the slush, snow and water until about o'clock p. m. before we reached our stopping-place. the next morning early, twenty-five or thirty of us were at the southern mouth of the canyon and on the creek that flows south. we found it a dashing, foaming and roaring torrent, but it had to be crossed; so eight of us, with strong poles in our hands, standing in a line, elbow to elbow, moved slowly and in unison through the tumbling waters. the worst, so far as that creek was concerned, was over. the other crossings were made without so much difficulty, or danger. it rained continuously all day. we arrived at the little lake on the summit about noon. there we commenced the descent of canyon creek proper. this has a larger, deeper and more furious current. the first crossings were accomplished without much trouble or peril; but as we descended the mountain its volume increased and its current became so swift and strong, that we were compelled to make our way, the best we could, on the steep mountain side. we crawled under logs and over logs, and in dangerous places hung onto brush to steady us. i was among the first to reach the hotel near midnight of that awful day, tired, wet and hungry. we were now in a land of plenty, and although we paid a dollar each for one meal of good, plain, solid food, we did not begrudge it. the next day we made a camp in an old deserted shack in the valley and remained there for about a week. the flood had swept away all the ferry-boats on the south umpqua, and there were no means to cross that swollen and rapid river. the ropes, or cables still remained, however. the owner of the ferry offered eight of us board, and a place to sleep in his barn, if we would assist him in the construction or rather digging out, of a canoe from a huge log which he had selected for that purpose. we accepted his proposition, and experience soon showed that most of those who had accepted his offer were quite good mechanics. one of them, who was a wagon maker by trade, was elected as boss, and every day, by the continuous stroke of ax, adz and other tools, that canoe began to assume the shape and form of the real thing. it was full thirty feet in length, and of several tons capacity. it might be classed a giant in the canoe family. it was placed upon an extemporized sleigh, and two yoke of oxen drew it to the river bank. the wire or rope extending across the river being intact, the next day the builders of this ark, or most of them, and the ferryman with his two sons, launched it; and we having deposited our blankets in it, the owner, seated in the stern, acted as captain, while two of the strongest men in the party took hold of the rope and by a hand over hand motion, to keep it straight in the current, thus attempted to work it across the river. but when the stronger current was encountered, it became impossible to hold it without filling it with water, and the command was given to let go. it rapidly shot down stream, but the captain succeeded in steering it into the willows on the side where we desired to land, though a considerable distance below, and we all seized hold of the willows and succeeded in making a landing. had we gone down stream much further, we might have been compelled to take an ocean voyage; but all is well that ends well. the captain and his two sons thought that they could reach the further shore by running diagonally across the current. we stood upon the bank and watched the operation, and saw that it was successful. i have stated probably with too much particularity this incident in order to show something of the hardships, as well as joy, of pioneering. the trip across the umpqua valley and down the willamette was a continuous wade through slush, and mud, and the steady downpour of the garnered fatness of the clouds. i had for my companion a, seemingly, intelligent man, but a pronounced pessimist, bordering on the anarchistic type. his gloomy philosophy of life added a moral chill to the prevailing dampness. i gladly bade him adieu in the hills south of salem, where i departed to the home of a friend. safely arriving there, i rested and recuperated for ten days. i had adopted the maxim, never to pay board when i had the ability or capacity to earn it. i therefore considered what it was best to do, and i determined to teach school for a time, and then to return to michigan. i drew up a simple article of agreement and went up into the waldo hills--that country being settled with families--to offer my services as a school-teacher. the prospect proved to be not very encouraging, although i offered to teach a three-months' school for five dollars a scholar, and board. three-days' effort secured but seven-and-a-half scholars. the afternoon of the third day was an alternation of rain and snow. i stopped quite late in the afternoon at the house of mr. waldo, the father of the late hon. john b. waldo. i freely stated to him the object of my visit, and he promptly told me that he did not care to subscribe. i stood for a time waiting for the storm to abate somewhat, when he suddenly asked me what state i came from; i answered "from michigan." he said laughingly that they wanted no more michigan men, or men from the north to come to this country, for they had already, by their presence, changed the climate. after a moment i asked him from what state he came; he proudly answered, "from virginia, sir." i laughingly replied "that if we had any more virginians in this country i feared we would have neither schools, nor churches, nor any other agency of civilization." he said to me: "walk into the house, and we will talk this matter over." we walked into the house; and as cervantes' work, containing the exploits of don quixote, lay on the table, the conversation turned upon that. i was quite familiar with the work, and its absurdity and wisdom, and we discussed chivalry and its social aspect, as well as its system of land tenures, together with sancho's judgment after he became governor of the island, and don quixote's profound maxims of government. by his invitation i stayed all night. he said to me the next morning that as a matter of courtesy, i should see certain friends whom he named, and that as there would be a meeting held in the school-house, which was also used as a church, he would have it publicly announced at that meeting, that school would be opened by me at that place, one week from the following monday. i followed his advice, and at the appointed time there was quite a full attendance of pupils. mr. waldo was somewhat eccentric, but in him was embodied that principle of the roman maxim, that true friendship is everlasting. i ought possibly to have stated that the first person that i called upon in my educational venture was a baldheaded and sharp-visaged man, with a family of five boys, the youngest of whom was over ten years of age. he told me that his oldest son had been almost through arithmetic, and that it would require some ability in a teacher to instruct him. i modestly informed him that i thought i could do it; but my assurances did not seem to satisfy him, and he only signed one-half of a scholar. during our conversation he told me that he was a poet, that he had crossed the plains in ' and had written an account of the trip in poetry. he said he would like to repeat a portion of that poem; but before he did so he exacted from me a promise that i would give him an honest opinion of the merits of his poem. he was a weird and skeleton-like man, and rising to his feet, and with sundry gestures, repeated his poem to me. it was a hard matter for me to keep a solemn aspect on my countenance during this recitation. i only remember two lines: "the soda springs lay on our way-- it makes good beer, i do say." when he took his seat, i stated to him briefly some of the laws of poetic composition, and then showed him how his lines failed to comply with these laws; i added, however, by way of salving his feelings, that genius knows no law, and was not to be judged by ordinary mortals. he seemed a little nettled, and replied that he had repeated his poem to a great many people, who were scholars and good judges of poetry, and that they had pronounced it a fine performance. this ended the incident. had my judgment been given before he signed one-half a scholar, it would probably have been one-tenth, or a still smaller proportion of a scholar. his boys all attended school, however, and he personally urged me to teach another quarter. on the last day of school, many of the parents came in and paid me for my services, three hundred dollars, and hired me for six-months' more teaching at the same price. i taught in all about three years in that neighborhood. my teaching career was in every way pleasant, and i have every reason to feel proud of the positions of honor and trust attained by at least three of my pupils, and by the general financial success and high moral standing of all. judge bellinger, late of the united states district court of oregon, was a pupil of mine for about a year. he was the son of poor parents, and by sheer force of intellect and study pushed his way to the front, and to the honorable position which he attained, and which he held at the time of his death. john b. waldo, recently demised, was also a pupil of mine for about two years. he was a sober, clear-headed, studious and somewhat taciturn boy, quick to perceive and prompt to act. he became judge of the supreme court of the state of oregon for one term. his decisions are models of clearness, and directness. in addition to his store of legal learning, he probably knew more of the flora and fauna, of the mountains of oregon than any other man. he was not a man of robust constitution, and his health was precarious. his death, in the prime of manhood, was deeply mourned by all who knew him. our own honored oregon dunbar, was also a pupil of mine. he was a frank, open-hearted boy, of determined will and intense application. he had what the great law-writer bishop calls a legal mind--a natural perception of the relation of legal truths--and superior powers of classification and generalization. he is eminently a fit man for the position he holds on the supreme bench of washington. long may he continue as a distinguished member of that bench--and late may be his return to heaven! with such a triumvirate of integrity, high legal attainments, and judicial honor, a teacher may well feel proud. while it is the duty of the teacher to aid and assist his pupils and to impart instruction in the various branches taught, yet this is not his whole, or principal mission. his higher and nobler mission is to arouse into action all the latent forces and qualities of his pupil's nature and to inspire him with a noble ambition to conquer in the arduous conflicts of life. if he succeeds in the accomplishment of this, he has fully performed his mission. after i ceased to teach public school in marion county, i became the private tutor of the children of r., who was at the time superintendent of indian affairs for oregon and washington. i also became to some extent his literary secretary. r., though not a learned man, had business capacity of a high order. in religious matters he was an agnostic, and he read more of shakespeare than he did of the bible. he was a man of inflexible integrity, and a capable and faithful administrative officer. he was much interested in indian civilization, and talked much of it. he was of the opinion that the system of most of the churches was wrong in principle, and not fruitful in good results. he maintained that the first move in this work of civilization was to improve the physical condition of the indian, and that the moral improvement would come as a slow, but necessary consequence. being full of the subject, he concluded to call a council of the chiefs and the principal head men of the various tribes under his jurisdiction, and to impart to them his ideas in this behalf. the time was fixed, the place named was the general council hall in the city of salem, and notices were sent out requesting their attendance. r., while he had a good residence in town, usually spent most of his time upon his fine farm in the country. at the appointed time he invited me to go with him to the council and take notes of the proceedings. when we arrived at the council chamber we found from fifty to seventy-five indians seated on the floor with their backs to the wall. after a general salutation, r. took a seat on the rostrum and requested an indian whom he knew to act as interpreter. as the interpreter could not speak in the language of the various tribes represented, the jargon was adopted as the mode of communication--all the indians understanding that. r. briefly stated to them the object of the council, and then asked the question, "did they desire fine houses, fine horses and cattle, and plenty to eat and wear": r. was a very emphatic man and spoke in short and positive sentences. the indian is a stoic, and if any emotion ever agitates him it is not betrayed in his countenance. i was much interested in the interpreter. he seemed to be full of his mission, and he imitated the tone of voice and gestures of r. having asked the question, r. himself emphatically answered that all these things that he had mentioned, and which they desired, were obtained by "work." he reminded them that many of them had visited his fine house in the city, and had seen his fine furniture and other things, and he asked: "how did i get these things?" he again answered, "by work." having concluded his short, emphatic and impulsive speech, silence prevailed for a short time. finally a chief arose and with great deliberation adjusted his blanket about him; this being accomplished, he spoke as follows: "we are very thankful for the good talk of our father; we will consider it; we cannot answer now." he suggested that one week from that time they would meet the good father at that place and tell him their conclusions. we afterwards learned that they appointed what we would call a committee. that committee, in their investigations, when they found a man engaged in some menial employment and roughly clad, followed him to his house, found that it was a very humble abode, and was not filled with fine things; then they followed up the merchant, who had many fine things and wore good clothes, to his home, and they found a fine house filled with fine furniture; they also applied the same test to the saloon keeper. neither the merchant nor the saloon keeper, according to their views, worked at all. on our way home from the council chamber i ventured to suggest to r. that most of the wealth of this world was in the hands of men who organized, or directed labor or work, and but a small pittance in the possession of those who actually performed the labor. i gave as my judgment that the indian had no conception of this work of directing and organizing labor, and that he would not consider it as work at all. at the appointed time for the answer, the spokesman for the indians narrated what i have briefly stated above, and announced very plainly and flatly as their conclusion, that what the good father had said was not true. r. was much disappointed at his failure to start a general movement upward in the line of indian civilization. i am of the opinion that his feelings went farther and impinged on the domain of actual disgust. the subject of indian civilization fell, henceforward, into innocuous desuetude. looking at the surface manifestations only, and not having the ability to look deeper into that complex machine called society, we cannot be astonished at the conclusion reached by the indian committee. while i had the honor to represent washington territory in congress, and by request of several members of the committee on indian affairs with whom i was acquainted, and while the bill reported by them was under consideration and general debate was in order, i made a speech on indian civilization. i shall not reproduce that speech here, nor give an extended synopsis of it. i commenced with the declaration that the philosophy of an indian's life was to put forth an act and to reap immediately, the result of that act; that he threw a baited hook into the water, and expected to obtain fish; that he sent an arrow or a bullet on its fatal mission, and he expected game; that he did not plant nor sow, because the time between planting or sowing, and reaping--the gathering and enjoyment of the result of his work, was too distant; that it requires the highest degree of civilization to do an act, or to make an investment, the profits of which are not to be realized until the lapse of considerable time: that this primary law inherent in an indian's philosophy of life is fundamental, and no system for his civilization can disregard it. my next cardinal proposition was that indian tribes, if civilized at all, must be civilized along the lines of their past history, habits and modes of life; that some tribes of indians subsist, and have subsisted for ages, on the products of ocean, lake and river: that these are sometimes called fish indians: that to make appropriations to teach these indians agriculture, or the successful operation of the farm, is a wasteful expenditure of public money; they are naturally sailors, and have carried the art of canoe making and sailing to a high degree of perfection; their larger canoes are models of symmetry, safety and strength; that in them they fearlessly go out on the ocean a distance of or miles to obtain halibut, codfish and fur seals. let the government, i said, if it desires to civilize these indians, build them a sailing-vessel of a hundred tons or more capacity, and they will almost intuitively learn to sail and manage it; it would act as a consort for their larger canoes and as a storehouse for the profits of the sea taken or captured by them; that with such a boat, the neah bay indians, for instance, would soon become self-supporting. my views had a respectful hearing, and influenced to some extent the policy of the government in that regard. a large number of copies of this speech were sent by me to the people of the territory, and to all our territorial papers; but none of these, so far as i know, noticed it further than to say that i had made such a speech. copious extracts from it, containing its points, were published in many of the eastern papers, while two published it in full. there was some discussion as to the soundness of my views, but generally they were approved. so far as the neah bay indians were concerned, the government did build a sailing-vessel of smaller dimensions, however, and many of the neah bay indians have like vessels of their own, and have become, to a great extent, self-supporting and prosperous. the same policy in a modified form, but in fact the development of the same idea, was adopted by rev. wilbur, agent of the yakima indians; and these indians, to a great extent, have given up their nomadic mode of life; they have small farms, and neat and comfortable houses; they have gardens, chickens and a large accumulation of domestic animals about them. they are prosperous, and slowly moving along the line to a higher civilization. civilization is a slow process. it takes all the forces, moral, intellectual, educational and religious, now in successful operation, to hold the world from falling back and to move it slowly, but surely onward and upward, to a higher plane of civilization. while it is a tedious and arduous, if not an impossible task, to make a white man, in his habits and modes of life, out of an indian, yet the descent of the white man to the modes, habits of life and appearance of an indian, is a sadly speedy process. in a trip i made to colville, washington, in there came into our camp one day a person whom i supposed at first to be an indian. he was dressed in buckskin, ornamented with fringes and beads, with a blanket over his shoulders; his hair was long and unkept, with no hat on his head and his face bronzed like that of an indian; and he was besmeared across the forehead with red ochre, or some other kind of paint. i should judge that he was years of age. at first he refused to talk, except in jargon; but after a while, when we were alone, he became more communicative, and gave me something of his history. he spoke good english. he claimed to be a graduate of one of the eastern colleges, and i have no doubt his claim was true. he had gotten into some difficulty in the states and had been living as an indian for some eight years, or more. to all appearances he was an indian; he looked like an indian and acted like one. i was in his company for some three days, and when alone he talked to me in good english; he said he loved this wild and nomadic life, with its perfect freedom from the shams and hypocrisy of so-called civilization. he said that the hills, the mountains with their snow-crowned culminations, the dark woods, the silver thread of the stream viewed from an elevated point and fringed with green as it went leaping and rollicking to its ocean home, were to him an unwritten poem, the rythm of which he enjoyed, and the lines of which he was trying to interpret. he quoted to me from byron the passage concerning the pleasures of the pathless woods, and from bryant: "where rolls the oregon, and hears no sound, save his own dashings." on the evening of the third day he rode away in the continuous woods to enjoy, i suppose, their poetry and solitude. this case illustrates the facility of the descent, by even an educated white man, to the level of an indian; retaining, however, in his soul, still glowing, some of the lights of civilization. while i was stopping at r.'s i wrote a series of eight articles for the oregonian, showing the necessity of manufacturing crevices in the country to hold the gold taken out of the gold mines, and also that which was being brought in great abundance by its citizens from california. these articles were used by the oregonian, by my implied assent, as editorials. the oregonian was the leading opposition paper in the territory, with silver-gray whig tendencies. the leading democratic paper was the statesman, published at salem, and owned and edited by asa bush, who was a sharp, pungent, and effective editorial writer. "tom drier," as the editor of the oregonian was familiarly called, was an editorial writer of considerable ability. drier usually added some introductory matter to my articles, and also some matter of amplification, or illustration. it was to me a matter of interest, and amusement, to note that the editor of the statesman was always able to point out to its readers the matter written by the oregonian's "hired man," and what was added by the editor. bush did not know who wrote these articles, nor did anybody else know except myself, r. and the editor of the oregonian. bush spoke highly of these articles and enforced, in editorials of his own, the logic and necessity of the policy recommended by them. these articles had much to do with the establishment of the first woolen mills in the state of oregon. these mills were built at salem. as the state of washington is woefully lacking, so far as manufacturing is concerned, i am tempted to recall, with a seattle application, one of the many facts embodied in the logic of those articles. seattle has a population of , , we will say. it costs at least $ . each for the feet clothing of such people for one year. this would give the sum of $ , , for boots and shoes alone. when we come to add to this the value of the leather for harness-making, for belting and the other purposes for which leather is used, we have over $ , , taken annually from the people of this city for leather, and its fabrics. the absurdity of this thing appears when we consider that we have a great abundance of hides, which are sold for a mere song, and are received back in manufactured articles. our forests are rich in tanning; in fact, the raw materials of all kinds required are abundant. any person by giving serious consideration to the subject will soon be convinced of its great importance, and the imperious necessity of action. as well might we ship the logs cut in our forests to foreign countries, or the eastern states, to be manufactured into furniture, or finished lumber, as to ship other raw materials away and receive their finished products back, paying for them the increased price, resulting from the labor performed upon them, and for the freight both ways. no country can stand such a drainage, and prosper. it was in the summer of , if i remember correctly, that i was nominated by an opposition convention to run as a candidate for the lower house of the territorial legislature in oregon. i did not attend the convention at which i was nominated, nor was i a delegate thereto. at first i hesitated about the acceptance of the nomination; but urged by my friends, i finally consented to run. the territory as well as the county, was largely democratic. the platform announced three cardinal principles: first, the most stringent regulation of the liquor traffic; second, america for americans; and thirdly, the curtailment of public expenses and the cutting-down of salaries. the first and last of these principles i heartily endorsed; the second, in the know-nothing sense, and application, i was not in favor of; furthermore, i was opposed to secret political societies. i favored an open field and a fair fight. having concluded to run, i went into the fight vigorously, and made speeches in nearly all of the precincts in the county. my canvass alarmed the democrats, and they sent some of their best speakers after me. i met them in joint debate at times, and at other times i, alone, spoke. as the time approached for election, the excitement increased, and public interest in the campaign was very much aroused. i won, during the campaign, quite a reputation for a raconteur. a point illustrated and enforced by an anecdote or story becomes an integral part of a man's mental and moral constitution. about the big bills, i told the story of the farmer who had a large flock of chickens and an equally numerous flock of ducks. he fed them with grain. he noticed that the ducks, on account of their larger and broader bills, were able to get more than their share of the food, and he came to the conclusion that in order to equalize matters, he must cut down their bills. this was just what i told the people that we proposed to do. one of the speakers sent out by the democracy found fault with every proposition announced by me, and i answered him by the narration of the story of a friend who had not seen his quondam neighbor for many months. he was so pleased at his return that he provided a feast for him. mine host had roast beef, roast mutton, roast pork and chickens. he says to john doe: "shant i help your plate with some of this roast beef, which is very juicy and fine?" "no," said john doe. "i have come to the conclusion that a man who eats beef becomes sluggish and stupid." "then shall i help you to some of the mutton?" "no," says doe, "a man who eats mutton becomes timid and cowardly." "well," says mine host, "you will certainly take some roast pork?" "no," says doe, "a man who eats pork becomes coarse and swinish." "then you will take some of the roast chicken?" "no," says doe, "of all the creatures used by man for food, the chicken is the most filthy in his diet of them all." mine host, being somewhat disgusted, called to his son sam to go out to the barn and get some eggs--"possibly this old fool would like to suck an egg or two." just before election, tickets were scattered all over the county with my name printed in every shape and form, and quite a number of these tickets had printed on them "for representative, o. jaques." the canvassers refused to count for me the last named ticket, and this defeated me. there was no other man running whose name in orthography, or sound, resembled mine. had these tickets been counted for me, they would have elected me by a small majority. i was urged to contest the election, but i refused to do it. my own opinion, as a lawyer, was that probably the judgment of the canvassing board was right; at least there was enough plausibility in its support to furnish an excuse to sustain the position of the canvassing board. not being entirely satisfied with the climate and country, and being desirous of visiting california and mexico, before my return to michigan, i quite suddenly, in the fall of , concluded to make a start. what means i had were loaned out on demand notes. to my regret i found my debtors unable to respond promptly. i concluded, however, to go to jackson county and there to await collections. i made the trip on horseback and most of the time alone. approaching canonville late in the afternoon one day i saw a lone horseman ahead of me, whose appearance indicated that he was a traveler. i increased my speed and was soon along side of him,--i said "how do you do, sir?" he turned a frowning countenance towards me and snarlingly answered, "none of your business, sir." i was not long in coming to the conclusion that possibly company was not desired by him and especially my company; so i touched the spurs to my horse and left him to his melancholy meditations. i might have been wrong in my conclusion, and i must confess that i felt a good deal as i suppose the fellow felt who was kicked out of the fourth-story window: after gathering himself up and finding that his physical economy, though somewhat bruised, was intact, he came, after deliberate reflection, to the conclusion that possibly he was not wanted up there. i stopped at a town in jackson county, bearing the euphonious name of gasberg. i rested there for a couple of weeks. the people of that settlement were contemplating the erection of a building for a high school or seminary; and they offered me $ a month to teach a six-months' school. mr. culver, quite a wealthy gentleman, offered me an additional $ a month to keep his books posted, a work i could attend to at night without interfering with the school. i concluded as i probably would have to wait until spring for my collections, to accept the offer. the district already had quite a good school-house. my scholars were mostly young men and women, and i taught everything from reading and spelling, up to and including algebra, and surveying. i never had to do with a finer lot of pupils, and my position was in every way agreeable to me. i ought possibly to state that my wife, then miss lucinda davenport, the only daughter of dr. davenport, attended that school. this added to my other employments the delightsome one of courting, and we were married on the first of january, . although we have lived together for fifty years, we never have been reconciled yet, because there never has been any occasion for a reconciliation. at the close of the first term i contracted to teach for another term of six months, as my roving disposition had dissolved into thin air. when the second term was closed, i was appointed a justice of the peace of that precinct, and i returned to the practice of law--occasionally writing for the newspapers. when the civil war commenced, the editor of the principal paper in the southern part of the state--the sentinel--was a secession sympathizer, and he and the proprietor and publisher had a fight in which the editor was seriously wounded. i was solicited by the publisher and a committee of leading union men to assume charge of the editorial department of the paper. i did so, and wrote all the editorials in the paper for over three years. the paper was a weekly, but at times, when the news was stirring, it was published semi-weekly. the paper under my control rapidly increased in circulation. the editorial work that i did while on the paper secured me an offer, when i announced my intention to resume the practice of law, from the sacramento union, then the leading paper on the pacific coast, to become one of its editorial staff at a good salary. i considered the proposition for quite a time; then concluded to decline it. had i accepted this offer, it would have changed the whole course and direction of my life, and i probably would have continued in that line of work to this day. it was while i was editor of the sentinel that a rumor was telegraphed to me that president lincoln had been assassinated. it came first merely as a rumor and i communicated it only to a few persons, anxiously waiting to hear whether it was true or not. many of the good and patriotic citizens of all parties feared a riot. i issued an extra, on the confirmation of the news, briefly stating the facts of the assassination: and every store, business house and saloon was immediately closed, and their doors draped in mourning. a meeting was shortly called, and i was invited to deliver an oration on the character and service of the lamented president. i was given three days to prepare that address. the methodist minister was also invited to deliver an address on that occasion. the crowd was immense; no church in town being large enough to hold it. my oration was published in the sentinel and other papers in the state and in some of the california papers. i have a copy of that oration; but, as i give in full the oration delivered by me in the city of seattle on the death of president garfield a more recent occurrence, i have concluded to give only the later address. i ran for the lower house of the legislature in jackson county and i was fairly elected, but was counted out; not unjustly, i do not mean to say, for on the face of the returns i was defeated by six votes. the county was largely democratic, and i ran as a republican. i said that i was fairly elected, because there was a contest in one of the precincts for the office of justice of the peace; i was the contestant's attorney, and he succeeded in his contest because he conclusively showed that thirteen illegal votes were cast against him. to have thrown them out on a contest would have elected me by seven majority. i refused to contest the election, and the matter dropped. subsequently i ran in that county for the office of county judge. after i took the field, the democrats became alarmed, and they withdrew the candidate nominated by them, in convention, and placed in his stead a mr. duncan, one of the strongest and most popular democrats in the county. he beat me by sixteen votes. the other democratic candidates were elected by majorities ranging from three hundred to four hundred. at the time mr. harding was elected united states senator for oregon i was without consultation, or being present, put in nomination for the position, and i lacked only two votes of an election. thus, while i was a hard man to beat, i was always beaten, fairly, or unfairly. i was appointed associate justice of the supreme court of washington territory in . less than a year afterwards, by unanimous recommendation of the members of the territorial legislature, i was appointed chief justice of that court, and at the expiration of that term was re-appointed chief justice. during this last term i was nominated by the republican party and elected delegate to congress. at the expiration of that term i was renominated and re-elected. to make an account of my official career complete, i ought to state that i was a member of the territorial council (the equivalent of a state senate) of washington for one term; also mayor of the city of seattle for one term; and regent of the territorial university of washington for ten years, and treasurer of the board of regents all of that time. as a member of the territorial "council" i was appointed chairman of the judiciary committee, and also chairman of the committee on education. the work on these committees was almost continuous. it absorbed all of my time for nearly every evening of the session. the iniquitous gross earning tax law, as applied to railroads, was repealed at this session. the vote on its repeal in the "council" was close--and if i were not a modest man--i would say, that i contributed largely to its repeal. i made the only elaborate argument in the "council" against its unequal, unjust, inequitable and partial provisions, discriminating in favor of centralized wealth and organized power. it was a close and hard fight in the "council" but repeal won. the school system theretofore existing in the territory, was radically remodeled at this session of the legislature. the bill as presented to the committee was the work of a selected body of teachers. in a legislative sense it was crude and in some of its provisions, intensely radical. i, in fact, re-wrote the whole bill making its retained provisions full and accurate--omitting surplus statements, and embodying many new provisions. the bill thus remodeled passed the "council" and the "house," and its essential provisions remain the law of the state today. a few general observations may be allowable: rare are the men who possess in a high degree, constructive legislative ability. every act of legislation ought by clear and accurate provisions cover every element of the subject matter stated in the title. as the act approaches this it approaches perfection. any act of legislation laying the foundation of a system--such as the school system and providing for its administration is a difficult task. the human judgment is imperfect--and prescience is limited--hence any approach to perfection in the system itself, or in its administrative provisions, is a matter of evolution of slow growth--and of the survival of the fittest. as time advances and light and knowledge increase, the dead and useless branches are pruned off and the fit and vigorous remain to blossom and bear fruit. the effective and beneficial work of delegate to congress is in the various departments of the government, and in the various committees of both houses of congress. in a new country, rapidly filling up with people, post-routes and post-offices must be provided. on the established lines there is a constant and pushing demand for an increase of service. when i was elected, the daily mail stopped at tacoma, and seattle had only a weekly mail. one of my first efforts was to increase this seattle service to a daily mail. i had some difficulty in accomplishing this object, because the postal authorities claimed that the revenues of the seattle office were not large enough to warrant such increased service. i got it increased, however, to a daily service. i had not so much difficulty in getting a daily service from seattle to victoria and way-ports. everybody on puget sound knows that port discovery is about six miles west of port townsend. port discovery was a milling town visited largely by foreign vessels and many american ships, and a large volume of business was done there. there was a stage running daily, from port townsend to port discovery and back, and it had only a weekly service. i asked for a daily service, but it at first was refused, and i notified the people interested of the result. a mr. young, the manager of the port discovery mills, stated to me in a letter that, inasmuch as the government was very poor and the people of port discovery were rich, they, out of the abundance of their wealth, would pay the additional cost, if i would secure the assent of the government to allow the contractor for the weekly service, to carry the mail daily. i showed this letter to the postmaster-general, and he, after reading it, said: "judge, i think the government can stand the increased expense, and those people shall have a daily mail;" and he ordered it. a delegate, in order to wisely and intelligently, as well as promptly, discharge his duties, ought to be a lawyer, and well acquainted especially with the land-laws of the united states and other laws pertaining to territories. he is constantly called upon to push land-claims to patent, and in this respect he becomes the attorney, without fee, of the people of the territory. there is a large volume of such business, and he must examine the papers in order to understand the status of the case and to advance it for patent. representatives from the older states have but very little of such business to demand their attention, and to consume their time. when i was elected, i do not think there was a single lighthouse, or fog signal, or foghorn, on the waters of puget sound, and i secured the establishment of quite a number of them. i forced the loosening of the grasp of the northern pacific railroad company on large quantities of the public land, and i did much to secure the passage of the law returning to purchasers one-half of the double-minimum price ($ . per acre) paid by them, which was exacted on the ground that the land so purchased was double in value by virtue of its proximity to a railroad line. this is a brief and imperfect synopsis of some of the results of my efforts as delegate. a delegate has not even the unit of political power--a vote on any measure; he can therefore form no combination to further friendly legislation in the interest of his territory. the delegates from the different territories, however, were regarded as quite an influential body of men, and were usually able, by scattering through the house, by use of personal persuasion, by attendance before committees and receiving favorable reports, to get a part, at least, of what they desired for their territories. while a member of the house of representatives i was much interested in the study of its members and its mode of operation. the popular opinion is that it is a calm and deliberative body. this is true as a general rule; but there are times, and they are not infrequent, when the house is anything else than a sedate and deliberative body of men. general benjamin f. butler had a seat back of me, and frequently, when he desired to speak, asked me to change seats with him for a time--my seat being nearer to the speaker of the house and a fine place wherein to stand and from which to be distinctly heard. on one occasion it was announced that butler would deliver a speech on the financial question. i offered him my seat for the purpose. the house was full. butler was cross-eyed and near-sighted. he commenced the delivery of his speech by reading from a manuscript. every eye was turned towards him. he always commanded the attention of the house when he spoke. in the delivery of his speech he had to keep his manuscript close to his face and to move it to the right and to the left on account of his being cross-eyed. he did not often speak from manuscript. this was his first attempt to do so at that congress. the spectacle was so novel that many members began to laugh and to interrupt him by asking him questions. he threw the manuscript on the desk, stepped out into a space nearly in front of the speaker, and gave the points of his speech without the aid of his manuscript. he was frequently interrupted, especially by the democrats; and he suggested to me the idea of a lion at bay, shaking off and striking at his opponents with caustic wit and scathing repartee. on another occasion, a gentleman from maryland, a large and portly man, who was chairman, i think, of the committee of foreign affairs, arose to introduce and briefly to explain the provisions of a bill reported from his committee. this gentleman was quite deaf, and like all deaf persons spoke in a very low tone of voice; in fact, he could not be heard six feet away from him; but he had, no doubt adopted demosthenes' idea that gestures were the levers of eloquence; and his arms would go up and down and to the right and to the left, and his eyes sometimes rolled upward and then downward to the floor. someone cried out: "is this a pantomime performance, or a public speech?" then others gathered around him, and all kinds of remarks were made concerning the performance. the speaker finally compelled the members to take their seats; whereupon the member ceased his motions, and probably his speech, and resumed his seat. this gentleman came to congress with a great reputation as an orator. probably he had been such in former years, but his deafness had destroyed his powers in that regard. i was in the house at the time that james g. blaine, then a prominent candidate for the republican nomination for president, annihilated j. proctor knott, who was chairman of the committee on the judiciary. a report had been made by that committee on a matter referred to it; it seriously reflected on blaine's honor and integrity as a man and as a member of the house of representatives. it seems to have been the intent of the majority of the committee who joined in the report, and who were all democrats, not to bring up the report for hearing, but to let it stand as damaging evidence against mr. blaine, in order to prevent his nomination, or to defeat his election, if nominated. blaine and his friends determined to expose its animus and falsity on the floor of the house, so that the refutation would go with the charge. to make this vindication, however, it was necessary for blaine to obtain the floor; this would be opposed and was opposed. in the parliamentary conflict for the floor which ensued, blaine's superior knowledge and tact succeeded, and he was recognized by the speaker. i never saw a more forlorn look of disappointment, and of sullen resignation, than that manifested in the countenances of many of his opponents, when the speaker announced that the gentleman from maine was entitled to the floor. blaine was pale, and all aflame with indignation. his voice, although at first a little tremulous, soon became clear and ringing. his sentences were compact and parliamentary. he accused that great committee of darkening its former reputation by making a report for political purposes. he further accused them of the deliberate suppression of evidence that completely exonerated him, he drew from his pocket a certified copy of such suppressed evidence, read it to the house, and waved it in triumph amid the uproarious applause of his republican colleagues, and of many democrats. he spoke in this vein for about thirty minutes. when he closed, his friends were joyous, and his enemies dismayed. among the first, personally to congratulate him, was ben hill of georgia, a distinguished member of the then extinct confederate congress. a ludicrous scene occurred in the house, when the bill making a large appropriation for the re-building of the various edifices formerly constituting william and mary's college, in the state of virginia, came up for consideration. these buildings were alternately in the possession of the union and confederate forces during the war, and were destroyed by fire while the union forces were in possession of the ground upon which they stood. most of the members of the democratic party favored this bill. a few opposed it. the republican members generally opposed the appropriation, but there were some who favored it. it was understood that when the bill came up for final passage, but one speech would be made in its favor, and that was to be made by mr. loring, of massachusetts, a republican. mr. loring had a national reputation for finished and eloquent orations. when the time arrived the house and galleries were full. mr. loring arose and partly read from a manuscript his great oration. he stated in a clear and comprehensive manner what the laws of war formerly were, and how they had been modified by the generous principles of christianity and of civilization. he stated that now as recognized by every christian and civilized nation, churches, hospitals, institutions of learning and other eleemosynary institutions were exempt from the ravages of war. he spoke in eloquent terms of the sacred walls within which poets, philosophers, statesmen, lawyers, great divines and warriors, if not born, received their inspiration and were qualified for their grand missions. he was listened to, throughout, with breathless attention. when he closed, at the expiration of a little over an hour, he was greatly applauded. i thought it the finest oration i had ever had the pleasure of hearing. the republicans were anxious to break the magnetic spell of his oratory, and to get a little time for the sober second thought, of the members to assert itself. conger, of michigan, had the ability to crowd more sarcasm, wit and scathing repartee into the same length of time than any other member of the house, and he was chosen by the republicans to break the magnetic spell of loring's great speech. he arose, and after complimenting the honorable gentleman from massachusetts on his great effort, stated that some of the buildings constituting the college, while in the possession of the rebel forces, were used as stables for their horses, that their floors were covered with excrement of such animals, that other buildings were used as hospitals for the sick and wounded, and that their walls were besmeared with blood and filth; and he sneeringly remarked, that these were the sacred walls that so inspired the eloquence of the honorable gentleman from massachusetts. after indulging in other bitter declarations of the same character, he ceased--having spoken for about thirty minutes. the virginia members were very much excited. one of their number, by the name of good, arose to reply to conger. good possessed the ability to open his mouth and, without seeming effort or preparation, to pour forth a volume of sweetened wind or a volume of scathing philippics. he denounced the honorable gentleman from michigan for preaching a gospel of hate and vengeance, which had heretofore well-nigh wrecked this glorious government, which if persisted in, would keep open the wounds and sores that under a more liberal and generous spirit were fast healing. he indulged in more of this kind of denunciation, and finally, in a supreme effort of indignation, consigned the honorable gentleman from michigan to ruined towers and castles and crumbling walls, where he could be fanned by the damp and dismal wings of bats, and listen to the hooting of owls, forever. conger, who had not resumed his seat, but stood calmly gazing at the honorable gentleman from virginia, exclaimed, with a piercing and ringing voice, "i hear them--even now." this remark was received with roars of laughter, joined in by democrats as well as republicans. mr. good tried to proceed; but when he did so, someone would exclaim, "the owls are hooting again," and poor good resumed his seat. i have noticed that some pungent remark, or sarcastic repartee is often more effective than a set speech. all remember butler's reply to "sunset" cox, when the former was frequently interrupting him. with a motion of his hand over his bald head, he exclaimed to cox: "shoo, fly! don't bother me." it was taken from one of the popular songs of the day. it hurt cox's prestige and lessened to some extent his power. cox was physically a small man, and the application carried with it an expression of contempt. holman, of indiana, on account of his objections to all bills making appropriations of money, got the name of being "the watchdog of the treasury." towards the end of his term an amendment was offered in which a near relative was much interested. the familiar "i object" was not heard, and the amendment went through with his support; whereupon a member sitting near exclaimed: "'tis sweet to hear the watchdog's honest bark bay deep-mouth'd welcome as we draw near home." in a more recent case, a gentleman from indiana, in his indignation against a gentleman from illinois, called the illinois member "an ass." this was unparliamentary language, and the indiana gentleman had to apologize and to withdraw the remark. the gentleman from illinois arose and said he did not know what was the matter with him that he should always so excite the ire of the gentleman from indiana; the gentleman from indiana replied: "if you will inquire of some veterinary surgeon, he can probably tell what is the matter with you." this was perfectly parliamentary and a complete exterminator. many people suppose congress to be an assemblage of orators. this is a great mistake. in point of ability its members are eminently respectable, and many of them distinguished in their particular line of business, profession or thought. most of the set speeches are delivered from manuscript. the matter is well considered and in most cases clearly stated; but the delivery is often dull, listless and without animation. this is particularly true of speeches founded on a dreary array of facts and statistics. while the logic of such facts or figures may be very convincing, yet in the hands of most men their presentation is very uninteresting. few men can present statistics in an interesting and captivating manner. garfield must be considered as pre-eminent among that class of men. i have heard him make a speech of over an hour in length on financial questions in which he not only presented a formidable array of statistics, but held his auditors spell-bound to its conclusion. it may be said of the orators of the house that though they are great advocates, they are not constructive statesmen; they are orators and nothing more; they are good to show the reason for a provision and skillful in their defense of it from attack. conkling, one of the most brilliant speakers in the senate, although a member of that distinguished body for many years, is not the author of any beneficial act of legislation. the career of such a man will be brilliant, but it will be brief. it is the constructive statesman who succeeds in writing his name permanently in the legislative history of his country. most of the legislation benefiting the people, or putting their rights on deeper or broader foundations, has originated with the silent workers in either house of congress. to show the listless and inanimate manner in which some speeches, truly great in their logic and in their facts, are delivered in the house, let me state an incident. a gentleman from new york, who came to congress with an established reputation as a public man, arose to address the house on the necessity of a more liberal and reciprocal trade-treaty and tariff, with the dominion of canada. in the expectation that he would address the house on the evening that was set for general debate, the house was full when he arose, and every eye was turned towards him. he read his address from manuscript. his voice was indistinct and it lacked in volume. after reading two or three pages from the manuscript before him, he seemed to be unable readily to decipher it--it having been reduced to writing by his clerk. he halted, stumbled and misread portions of it, and then re-read it to correct his mistakes. the members commenced quietly to leave their seats and to retire to the cloak-rooms. as he was a member of the committee on commerce, and had shown me many favors, i took a vacant seat near him. when the chairman announced that his time had expired, i arose and moved the chairman for the extension of his time for twenty minutes. the chairman said he heard no objection, and he extended the time of the gentleman from new york for twenty minutes more. while on my feet i looked around and saw there were not over eight members in the house, that they were all engaged in writing at their desks, and that the chairman was reading a newspaper. the next morning the speech appeared in the congressional record, and every one spoke of it as a very fine argument in favor of the policy advocated by him. my judicial career may be briefly stated. my district was the third. it was bounded on the south by the southern boundary of pierce and kitsap counties; on the east by the dividing ridge of the cascade mountains; on the north by the northern line of the territory, which was the international boundary line; and on the west by the pacific ocean. i held two terms of court annually at seattle, port townsend, and steilacoom. there was quite a volume of admiralty business. this was attended to whenever it arose, in term-time and out of term-time, in order to meet the convenience of suitors. no appeal was ever taken from my decrees in this class of business. i made it a point to clear the docket of all accumulated cases at each term. homicides were quite frequent in the district, and i rarely held a term of court without trying some person accused of murder in the first degree. there were frequent convictions for manslaughter, and for murder in the second degree, and sentences were imposed by me in accordance therewith. there were four convictions for murder in the first degree, and three executions. the facts and circumstances attending the fourth case deserve a more extensive statement. before i make such a statement let me say, that while many appeals were taken from my judgments and rulings in criminal cases, i had but two reversals charged against me in a period of between six and seven years on the territorial bench. i hope no one will detract by implication from the honor of that record, by the insinuation that i was chief justice of the appellate tribunal for most of that time. after the furor of "fifty four, forty or fight," had somewhat subsided, the treaty of washington, entered into between the united states of america and great britain, adopted and extended the line of division between the dominion of canada and the united states along the th degree of north latitude to the waters of the pacific ocean, as the northern land boundary of the united states; thence west by the principal channel or waterway to the center of the strait of juan de fuca; thence along said center line to the pacific ocean. now, it was found that there were two principal channels or waterways from the th degree to the strait of juan de fuca. these waterways were the canal de haro and the rosario straits. the canal de haro was the most western and northern waterway; the rosario strait was the most eastern and southern waterway. san juan island and other smaller islands were situated between the two. if the rosario straits were adopted as the true line, these intervening islands belonged to great britain; if, on the other hand, the canal de haro was the true line, the islands belonged to the united states. by agreement of the high-contracting parties, the german emperor was chosen as arbitrator to determine the location of the true line mentioned in the treaty. in an informal convention was entered into between the high-contracting parties by which the laws and civil officers of both nations were excluded from the territory in dispute; the islands in the meantime were to remain in the joint military occupation of the two nations. hence, there was a british military post, and also an american military post, on san juan island, fully garrisoned. this informal understanding had not the dignity or force of a treaty, and was therefore binding on the courts only as a matter of policy and comity. it was binding only in the court of honor. such being the facts, a man by the name of charles watts, an american citizen, foully murdered another american citizen near the military post of the united states. watts was arrested by the federal military authorities and held in confinement. there was a good deal of feeling and excitement over the matter. when i went to port townsend to hold court, i issued a warrant, directed to the united states marshal, to arrest said watts and to bring him to port townsend for indictment and trial. he was readily delivered by the united states military authorities to the united states marshal, and brought to port townsend. he was indicted by the grand jury for murder in the first degree, and tried and convicted at that term. he was sentenced by me to be hanged until he was dead. an appeal was taken from the final judgment in the case to the supreme court of the territory; and, upon hearing, a majority of the supreme court, consisting of judges greene and kennedy, reversed the judgment on the ground that the federal side of the court had no jurisdiction. to the general reader, it may be well to state that the territorial court had all the jurisdiction of the district and circuit courts of the united states, and such jurisdiction constituted what was called, the federal side of the court. it also had all the jurisdiction arising under the territorial laws, and the common law suited to the conditions; and this constituted the territorial side. watts was indicted and tried on the federal side of the court, and the supreme court held that he ought to have been indicted and tried on the territorial side of the court--hence the reversal. i delivered a dissenting opinion which, as the case assumed a national importance, i give in full: opinion. "as i cannot assent to the conclusion reached by the majority of the court in this case, i will state as briefly as possible the conclusion of my own mind upon the question of jurisdiction involved in the case, with my reasons therefor. "i have come to the conclusion that the united states side of the court had jurisdiction, and for the following reasons:-- " . we all agree that the phrase 'sole and exclusive jurisdiction,' as used in the crime act of a. d. , stat. , has no reference to a claim of jurisdiction made by any foreign power, but to state and federal jurisdiction, or, as we are situated, to federal, as contra-distinguished from territorial jurisdiction. we also agree that it is the duty of the judiciary to extend the jurisdiction of the laws of the united states as far as the political department of the government extends the territorial area. " . in my judgment it is the duty of the courts to construe all such conventions as that entered into between the government of the united states and great britain, with reference to the island of san juan, so as to avert the evil apprehended, and sought to be prevented. "when the convention was entered into there was imminent danger of a conflict of arms. that danger arose from two causes--the action of the military commanders of this department and the enforcement of the laws of washington territory over the disputed domain. the first danger was removed by a change of commanders. the second, by the exclusion of the laws of the territory, and that exclusion has been enforced by the military power of the government ever since. " . was it the intention then of the high-contracting parties, to exclude all law from san juan island, and to make it a secure asylum for thieves and murderers? i think not. possibly there might be some ground for the recognition of the distinction between acts _malum in se_ and _malum prohibitum_, acts which under every law, human and divine, are criminal, and those acts which are only criminal by virtue of some positive statute making them such. i infer that two civilized nations would not directly or indirectly, concur to create any such asylum. "it was the design, then, that some laws should exist and be enforced on that island. that it was the design of the government to exclude the laws of the territory is manifest by the proceedings of the convention and the action of the government from the date of the convention down to the present time. it was so understood by the military department; acquiesced in by the other departments of the government, and recognized as a fact by the courts of the territory, and by the legislature, as is evidenced by the release of the county of whatcom, within whose limits the island was included by a prior act of the legislature, from the payment of all costs for the prosecution of persons committing crime on said island. "whatever jurisdiction might have been claimed by the territory prior to the last-cited act, was virtually abandoned by it. "the exclusion of the territorial laws since the date of the convention has been open, manifest, and palpable, and i believe rightful. then, if i am correct in my conclusions, no other laws were in force on the island for the punishment of persons guilty of murder (not connected with the military), but the laws of the united states. in fact, it would follow as a logical sequence, that if the territorial laws were excluded it would be a place 'under the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the united states,' hence, the laws of the united states would be operative there. "i can see many cogent reasons why it was desirable to exclude territorial laws and territorial officials from the island. the territorial legislature represented but a small fraction of the american people and was far removed from the power which was responsible for a state of peace or war, and before measures could be disapproved by congress a conflict might be precipitated. territorial officers were not responsible, directly at least, to the supreme power. it had no control over their official conduct. all will agree that such control ought to be directly with the responsible power. that could only exist legitimately, but by the exclusion of the local jurisdiction and the operation of the national jurisdiction, modified by express convention or necessary implication. "it might be very competent and very proper in the accomplishment of the object in view, for the treaty-making power to suspend the operations of all laws for the punishment of offenders save in the cases where the acts were crimes, by the universal judgment of mankind. the power to suspend or modify must exist somewhere, or in the case of disputed jurisdiction, there could be no treaty or conventions. "all such conventions are founded on the mutual concessions of the high contracting parties. after the convention has been signed, the supreme power in our government, in order to secure its honest and faithful execution, took possession of the disputed territory, segregated from its former local jurisdiction, and administers, modifies, or suspends its own laws by its own military or judicial agents. the supreme power acts through its own functions and not through that of an inferior jurisdiction. it administers its own laws so far as such administration is not in conflict with the convention. its power is ample and it need not borrow from the inferior jurisdiction. "it can not be argued successfully that because san juan island is within the limits of washington territory, that, therefore, it can only be subject to its laws. puget sound, admiralty inlet, and one-half of the straits of fuca are within the territorial boundaries, but still many of the criminal laws of the united states extend over them. neither can the joint possession of the united states and great britain effect the question. "the high seas are in the joint possession of all the nations, and yet every nation punishes its own subjects for crimes committed there. watts is an american citizen, and the victim of his violence was also. " . i am unable to convince myself that, if one general law of the territory went to that island, but what all general laws went there. that they were not and are not permitted to go there is a fact too palpable for argument. the alternative then is presented, either that their exclusion by force has been rightful, or that the military department has been guilty of a gross usurpation. "the latter branch of the alternative ought not to be received without the clearest and most indubitable proof of its correctness. i am not contending for the doctrine that a military order is absolutely conclusive upon the courts, but it is always entitled to respectful consideration and will be presumed lawful until the contrary is shown. especially, should such be the case when the order emanates from the highest functionary of the military department, and has been long sanctioned, at least by the acquiescence of every other department of government. "to have permitted all the laws of the territorial legislature to have gone to the island would have resulted in the nullification of the convention. it would in fact have given the territorial legislature a veto on the treaty-making power of the government. could this convention have stood for a day with the extension of the taxing power of this territory over that island? every one knows that it could not. if the territorial jurisdiction extended there, it had the right to tax the property of the inhabitants thereof for territorial and other legitimate purposes. taxes are not levied upon citizens, only, but inhabitants, property-holders, residents within the jurisdiction. the rightful exercise of such a power would have been decisive of the controversy, or rather it would have been exclusive of any rightful claim to controversy. its attempted exercise would have been resisted with all the power of great britain. reverse the circumstances and let british columbia attempt to extend its taxing power over that island, and our government would resist the insult with all its military power. "on what principle could a part of the general laws of the territory go to that island, and a part not? it is of the very essence of general laws, at least, that they should be uniform and universal. if the territorial jurisdiction extended at all, it is complete and entire. it reaches all rightful subjects of legislation, and is supreme within those limits. "for the above reasons, i am of the opinion that watts was rightfully indicted under section of the crime act of , which reads as follows: 'if a person or persons, within any fort, arsenal, dockyard, magazine, or in any other place, or district or country, under the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the united states, commit the crime of wilful murder, such person or persons, on being thereof convicted, shall suffer death.' "but if there is a doubt as to whether san juan island was within the third judicial district or not, then the last clause of section of the crime act of would apply, for watts was first brought into the third judicial district and delivered to the marshal of the territory by the order of the secretary of war." immediately after the reversal i called a special term of the court at port townsend, at which watts was re-indicted on the territorial side of the court, tried, and again convicted and sentenced to be hung. he again appealed to the supreme court, but the judgment was affirmed; he then sued out a writ of error to the supreme court of the united states, and it was allowed, and it came up for hearing while i was delegate from the territory. the court was informed that watts had escaped from jail and was at large, and the supreme court refused to hear his writ of error. he has never been recaptured. after all this had transpired, the german emperor decided that the canal de haro was the true boundary line under the treaty. the british troops were withdrawn from san juan island, and peace and friendship prevailed. while i have always been in favor of liberty regulated by law, and have believed that order and security were the sure resultants of law's vigorous enforcement, yet there may be times and conditions, in frontier communities, when the suspension of the general rule, like the suspension of the great writ of habeas corpus, may be justified in the forum of reason and morals. especially, is this true when the furore of the populace is not based on race, or class prejudice, or the frenzy of religion, or party madness; but has only for its ultimate, the security of person, property and habitation. hold-ups on the streets, with pistol accompaniments, were frequent in the city of seattle; burglaries were the regular order of business; no man was safe in the streets after nightfall; in fact, fear had become so intensified that in the visitation of one neighbor to another's house after dark, the visitant, after proper precautions, was received with pistol in hand. such were the conditions, i am sorry to say, existing in the embryo city of seattle in january, , and such had been the conditions for several months previous to that time. the town was full of thugs and criminals. such a situation was intolerable. during its continuance one george reynolds, a young and popular business man, was shot down in cold blood, between seven and eight o'clock in the evening, while going down marion street to his place of business on front street, now first avenue. he was held up by two ruffians between what are now called third, and fourth avenues. his money and his other valuables were demanded by them, and upon his refusal to deliver up, he was assassinated. i have never been a believer in divine interposition or impulsions, but i must confess that on that fatal evening, and on a few other occasions my rationalism was somewhat shaken. my usual route from my residence on fourth avenue to my office on james street was down marion street. on that evening, arriving at marion street, under the influence of some occult force, or power, i stopped, looked down marion street, and saw the assassins of george reynolds standing near the west end of the block and leaning against the wall of the stacy premises. impelled by this mysterious force, i involuntarily went on to columbia street, and, when nearly opposite on the block to the south, heard the report of the shot that ended the life of reynolds. soon after i arrived at my office, i was informed that reynolds had been shot and that he was dying; that many citizens were assembling at the engine-house, and that my attendance was requested. i accompanied my informant to the engine-house and found there assembled from seventy to a hundred men, greatly excited and determined. we quickly formed ourselves into a committee of ways and means, and resolved to spare no expense, nor to omit any means for the apprehension and punishment of the guilty parties. i was elected chairman of that meeting. we also immediately sent out twenty-five armed men to patrol the streets leading out of town, and to guard, in boats, the water front. we soon after added to the patrol twenty-five more men; soon after, fifty more; and within an hour-and-one-half after the firing of the fatal shot, we had at least one hundred armed men, and detectives in the field, besides the active, vigilant, willing and intelligent regular police-force of the town. in addition, a select committee, headed by the honorable william h. white, was appointed to investigate the circumstances of the shooting, and to ascertain, as nearly as possible, the facts and circumstances identifying the guilty parties. i remained in the engine-house until after one o'clock, listening to the reports, made by patrolmen concerning suspicious characters, which were summarily examined and in most cases were dismissed as unfounded; but in a few cases the order was made to keep these suspects under strict surveillance, awaiting further developments. between one and two o'clock a. m. the report came in that the guilty parties had been arrested, delivered to the sheriff and by him locked up in the county jail. they had been found concealed under bales of hay on harrington's wharf. one had in his possession a pistol, but recently discharged. there were two of them. the news of their capture spread like wildfire. the patrolmen and other citizens came rushing in to the engine-house; and when the captors gave an account of their success, they were angrily asked, why they had delivered them to the sheriff, and why they had not brought them to the engine-house? the question was ominous. they were told that the captives were in the proper custody; and they were asked what they wanted the captives brought to the engine-house for? the reply was, that they wanted to look at them. this was still more ominous. i saw that so firm was the conviction that the parties arrested and in the rightful custody of the sheriff, were the guilty parties, that if the populace could get hold of them they would be strung up, without examination or trial. to this threatened act i was opposed, and i left the meeting and went down to my office. the light was still burning in the front room; i extinguished it, and, leaving the front door unlocked, went to the rear or consultation-room, locked the door and sat in a chair to meditate in the darkness on the situation, or condition of affairs. i had not been there long before two persons whom i recognized by their voices came into the front room and called me by name. i did not answer. they then came to the door of the consultation-room, rapped on the door, called me by my name and gave their own names. i finally admitted them. they told me that they had just left the crowd at the engine-house, and that the determination was fast approaching unity, and, if its culmination was not prevented, the captured men would be taken out of the jail and hung that night. they thought that i might prevent such an unnecessary and unwarranted ending of our grand and successful work. knowing that the sheriff was a man of nerve and courage, and fearless in the discharge of his official duty i dreaded the result of such an undertaking, and i finally consented to go. upon arriving at the engine-house i found it filled by an excited yet joyous crowd. i made my way through this crowd to the rear of the large assembly-room, and while working my way through, received something of an ovation. while yet standing, someone said: "judge, we thought you had thrown off on us." "never," i replied. "but to illustrate my position," i said, "let me tell a story: three negroes, passionately fond of hunting, and whose ambition in that regard was not fully satisfied by the capture of deer, turkey and quail in their native state, decided on a hunting-trip in the rocky mountains, to add the capture of larger and more dangerous game to their trophies. being fully equipped, they bought tickets for a recommended point in the mountains. arriving there, they left the train and went up into the dark woods, the sunless canyon, the silent coves and snow-crowned mountains, where the denizens of the wild were supposed to dwell. on the second day of their camping-trip, they came upon a large grizzly bear in a mountain cove. they fired at the grizzly and wounded him. then the scene changed, and the bear commenced to hunt them fiercely. two of them succeeded in climbing trees, but were unable to take their guns up with them. sam, the other, was pushed so closely that he was unable to tree. he ran in a circle, with the bear in close and hot pursuit. his companions, safely perched in their tree, halloed to him to run. 'sam, for god's sake, run.' one of the companions slipped down from the tree and, as sam and the bear approached him, made a successful shot and finished the race so far as bruin was concerned. sam, as soon as he could get his breath, says: 'what did you niggers mean by crying out to me, run sam, for god's sake, run? did you suppose i was such an enormous fool as to throw off on that race?'" i told two more of the most ludicrous and laughable stories that i could think of; the object being manifest: i wanted time for the sober second thought to assert itself. i continued somewhat thus: "are you afraid that the sheriff will send away the prisoners tonight, or that they will escape? if so, that can be prevented by sending twenty-five or fifty, or if you please, one hundred men, to keep watch and guard until nine o'clock tomorrow morning, when the justice has promised me to hold a public examination of the prisoners in the pavilion, where all may come and see them and hear the examination." the honorable william h. white, who was present, made a clear, earnest and forcible speech in favor of the proposition, and it was carried by a good majority. the pavilion was on the southeast corner of front and cherry streets. it was used as a church, as a court house, as a theater, and for all public meetings. it was over a hundred feet in length and about thirty feet in width. its entrance was from front street. at the appointed time justice samuel coombs was in his seat and the prisoners were present. they both pleaded not guilty. honorable william h. white and myself acted as prosecuting attorneys. a mr. holcomb, a lawyer of good standing and ability, appeared for the prisoners and sharply cross-examined the witnesses sworn on the part of the territory. the pavilion was full of spectators, among them was his honor roger s. greene, the then chief justice of the territory. when the evidence was all in, the territory waived its opening, but the prisoners' counsel made a brief argument in their behalf. the territory waived its right to reply. during the progress of the examination, the windows in the rear of the pavilion had been quietly removed. the justice, after a few moments of reflection, declared that the evidence of the prisoners' guilt was clear and convincing beyond a reasonable doubt, and the order of the court was, that they be held for trial without bail. when the justice had ceased speaking, someone--i have never learned who it was--slapped his hands together three or four times; and that immense audience rushed with one accord to the open windows in the rear, taking the prisoners along with them. judge greene, at first, seemed dazed by this sudden rush, but in a short time he started to follow the crowd. a man standing near seized him as he attempted to go, pulled down the theater curtain, threw it over the judge's head, and securely held him until the crowd was nearly all out of the building, whereupon james mcnaught quietly said: "let him go." the judge quickly rushed out of the building and down the alley to where the hanging was taking place. he seized one of the ropes and attempted to cut it, but he was soon hustled out of the crowd. governor elisha p. ferry then advised him, as he could do nothing, to go home. this he did. the man who had thrown the theater-curtain over the judge's head was asked why he did so; his answer was, that justice ought to be blind, on such an occasion especially. there were on the north side of james street two large-sized maple shade trees standing eight or ten feet apart. it was in these trees that a strong scantling had been placed, to which the prisoners were hung. as soon as the two men had been swung up, someone in the crowd cried out: "our work is not yet completed; let us hang the murderer of old man sires to the same scantling." the idea was immediately seconded, and about one-half of the crowd went up to the county jail, broke down its doors, took the murderer who was awaiting his trial, put a rope about his neck and quickly returned with him to the fatal scantling. the rope was thrown over it, and he was swung into eternity. i left the pavilion soon after the crowd had retired, and walked slowly down to james street. i arrived there just as the crowd was running down the hill with the murderer of sires. a gentleman rushed up to me as i was slowly walking across james street and said: "judge, how do you feel about this proceeding?" i answered: "as a member of judge greene's court, i feel terribly indignant; but as a private citizen, i think that i will recover." sires, who had been killed about a month before by a ruffian of the name of payne, was an aged pioneer. his life for many years had been a rough one, and slightly bordering on toughness; but he had reformed and joined the church; and as he was a man of good ability, he occasionally preached. confidence in his sincerity and genuine reform was general. he was poor, and, to aid in his support, he was given the office of policeman. while in the discharge of his duties as such, he was shot down by payne. there was no doubt of payne's guilt. a coronor's jury on the hanging was summoned. of this body i was a member and its foreman. we examined, i think, twelve witnesses. they all testified that john doe and richard roe and payne came to their death by hanging. who were present, aiding, or abetting, or counselling, or advising, or actually doing the said hanging, or in any manner participating in the same, they all swore that they did not know. finding that other and further investigation would be futile, we ceased taking testimony and joined in a verdict embodying what has been stated, with the addition that while we regretted the mode of their taking-off, yet we were certain in the death of the prisoners that the territory had lost no desirable citizens, and heaven had gained no subjects. court convened in a few days and judge greene gave the grand jury a well-prepared, able and elaborate charge, stating that everyone who participated in, or counselled, or advised, or actually performed the acts resulting in the death of these three men was at least guilty of manslaughter. he earnestly urged the grand jury to fearlessly investigate the matter, and if they were convinced that any person participated in the hanging of the three persons in any way spoken of by him, they ought to find indictments accordingly. everybody honored the judge for the faithful, fearless and full discharge of his duty in the matter; but his brave charge resulted in nothing. thus ended the second, most tragic event in the history of the city of seattle. whatever we may think of the mode of the taking-off of these three men, everyone admits that the result was beneficial. security in person, property and habitation was again enjoyed. the criminal classes silently left the town, and peace and order reigned. chinese riots the next tragic chapter in the history of seattle occured in the winter of , and is known as the chinese riots. it is not my purpose to give a detailed statement of either the cause or the facts attending them. they had no substantial cause. they sprang from race prejudice and political madness. there had been no actual or threatened invasion by the chinamen, of the rights of persons, or of property, or of personal security. in fact, the chinamen were a quiet and peaceable folk, engaged in the more humble occupations of life. they did not interfere in politics, or in the social or civic concerns of society. in numbers they were a small body as compared with the dominant race. in these circumstances it was resolved by quite a large but irresponsible faction that the chinese must go; and a notice was served upon them fixing the time of their required departure. they paid no attention to it, but continued in their peaceful avocations. at the appointed time, a large committee--headed, i am sorry to say, by two lawyers who were backed up by promise of support of their fellow conspirators--went to the chinese quarters, and, with threat of the use of force if they did not obey, compelled them to pack up their portable effects and to go to a designated wharf where they could go aboard of a steamer bound for san francisco. there was a strong line of assistants to speed their progress to the wharf, and to guard them after their arrival there. many thus, were deported. the courts soon interfered. writs of habeas corpus were granted to the chinamen, and, no cause for their restraint appearing, they were discharged. his excellency, governor watson c. squire, being in town, ordered out the militia, which under the command of the bold and fearless col. j. c. haines, who was ably assisted by general e. m. carr and others, did effective work. the _posse comitatus_ was also summoned, and it quickly responded. in the afternoon of that fatal day a conflict occurred between the opposing forces near the old new england hotel; shots were fired by both parties, and two of the rioters were seriously wounded. the flow of blood seemed to have a cooling effect on the rioters, and they slowly departed for their homes, disappointed, defeated in their purpose, and with smothered feelings of vengeance. the governor, wisely considering the actual and threatened danger existing, proclaimed martial law, suspended the writ of habeas corpus until further orders, and by telegraph requested the president of the united states to send a federal military force adequate to preserve order, to vindicate the supremacy of the treaties of the united states and the honor of the government. that military force soon appeared under the command of general gibbons, and for two weeks or more the town was under martial law. peace and order having been restored, and the sober second thought having asserted its dominion, the troops were withdrawn and all was well. thus ended the third chapter of tragedy in the history of the town (now city) of seattle. battle at seattle after my arrival in seattle in the summer of , i became much interested in seattle's local history. i had known and read of the indian war of - , and of the attack on the town of seattle by the indians on january th, , in which two white men were killed; but of the details of that attack, and of the ensuing battle, i knew nothing. i wrote to lieutenant phelps, who was an officer on the warship "decatur" at the time, and who had written and published an account of the battle, to send me his pamphlet containing such descriptive account, and he promptly and courteously complied with my request. in addition to that official statement, i obtained from many of the leading residents at the time further details, facts and information hereinafter stated. i ought possibly to state that at the request of hillory butler, a dear friend and pioneer, who was present and participated in the fight, i wrote his biography, from which the following is taken. further to understand the situation, it ought to be remembered that the side-hill fronting the bay from the east line of second street (now avenue) eastward was a dense copse of fern and brush, logs and tree tops, as well as standing timber to the top of the ridge and beyond, affording an excellent cover, or ambuscade for the indians. "in the fall of the indian tribes east of the mountains became hostile. a small force under major haller was sent into the yakima country to reduce the hostiles to subjection. this force was defeated and driven back to the dalles. this but aggravated the discontent of the indians and well-nigh precipitated a general uprising. a feeling of dread and insecurity among the settlers was everywhere present. as precautionary measures, block-houses were built and stockades constructed, in many cases none too soon. a block-house was built in seattle near where the boyd building now stands. hostile emisseries were known to be at work among the puget sound tribes. some of the tribes were known to be wavering in their allegiance to the whites and many individuals of all these tribes had joined the ranks of the hostiles. the people of seattle, however, felt quite secure for the 'decatur,' a thirty-gun united states war-ship, under the command of capt. gansworth, lay at anchor in the harbor. her crew consisted of men. there was aboard of her also a company of marines, under the immediate command of lieut. morris. notwithstanding all this, the evidence of an impending attack, became from day to day more convincing to those who calmly studied the situation, and had an accurate knowledge of the indian character. they were, however, the few; the large majority were unbelievers, and the block-house was tenantless. on the morning of the th day of february, , friendly indians brought the dire intelligence that the town was entirely surrounded with a force of from five to eight hundred hostile indians, under the command of leschi, and other hostile chiefs. even then, no other attention was paid to this startling information than the sending word to the commander of the 'decatur.' he, however, immediately acted on the information and sent lieut. morris, with the company of marines and one of the ship's guns, to the shore. they landed on the point a short distance south of where the new england hotel now stands. it was about seven o'clock in the morning. not an indian was to be seen. all work had ceased. silence reigned supreme. men, women and children quietly went to the block-house, or stood in the door-way, or beside their cabins, watching the movement of the soldiers. lieut. morris loaded his cannon with a shell and directed aim to be taken at an abandoned cabin, situate on the point a short distance beyond where the gas works now are. the aim was accurate. the shell struck the cabin, exploded, and demolished it. that shot of defiance was immediately answered by the indians, by a volley from, three to five hundred rifles. then followed a general stampede of men, women and children for the block-house or the friendly protection of the shore bank--and had it not been for the fact, that the rifles in the hands of the indians had been generally emptied by the first volley, many of the inhabitants would have fallen on their way to the sheltering bank or block-house. the indians were here, and skepticism was at an end. the smoke from the rifles indicated clearly that the front line held by the indians extended along where third street or avenue now is until marion street was past, where it curved towards the bay. it was a complete semi-circle, and every part of the then town was within easy rifle range, from said line. "the 'decatur' opened with solid shot and shells--alternating with canister and grape. all day long the roar of the decatur's cannon continued. the ground beyond third street was torn up by exploding shells--huge logs and trees were splintered by solid shot--and seemingly every space covered by showers of grape and canister, but still leschi's warriors held their lines. they kept up a desultory firing all day and continued the same until about midnight, when they withdrew as noiselessly as they came. three whites were killed during the day--young holgate was struck by a bullet between the eyes, while he was standing in the block-house door, and was instantly killed. the others were killed in the attempt to go, or return from their cabins. every house was struck by indian bullets. strange to say, no one was hit by the first general volley fired by the indians. how many indians, if any were killed or wounded, during the fight, has never been known. "when the first gun was fired mr. butler and his wife were just sitting down to breakfast. they both jumped from the table and went to the door. the bullets from the answering volley struck all around them. mrs. butler hastened to the block-house and safely reached it. butler gathered up a few valuables and followed in a short time. he, however, sought the friendly protection of logs and stumps, for the indian rifles were now reloaded and the closeness of the whizzing bullets indicated that the indians were watching his stealthy flight. he returned to his house in the same manner during the day for some portable valuables. while there, he went up stairs, but the bullets were rattling around in a manner a little too spiteful and plentiful, and he did not stay long. those of the men who had rifles, took positions behind some protecting log or friendly stump, and fired at the spot where the puff of a rifle indicated an indian warrior concealed. whether these shots were effective or not, is unknown--they often caused a cessation of firing from that ambuscade. as full of terror as were the events of that february day, the duration of its effect on the minds of the pioneer settlers of the embryo city was but brief. it was but a thrilling passage in the unwritten history of pioneer life. after the roar of the decatur's cannon and the sharp crack of the rifle had ceased, all returned to cabins and homes, and soundly slept and sweetly dreamed of the good time coming. such is pioneer life, and such the mental conditions, and characters it begets. still we cannot disguise the fact that had it not been for the presence of the war-ship decatur, with her complement of guns and fighting men, the town would have been plundered and burned, and its inhabitants would have perished in a terrible massacre. "during that fated morning chief seattle with many of his tribe lay under the cover of the friendly shore-banks, silent and stolid spectators of the raging battle. during a lull in the firing, he, to the astonishment of all, leaped upon the bank and with arms flying, and voice roaring defiance, commenced a bending, bounding and contortion war-dance of the most intensified order. the hostiles quickly got the range, but as soon as the bullets commenced to sing around him in dangerous proximity, seattle's feet flashed in air as he made a headlong plunge down the bank. seattle's war-dance was over, and he attempted no repetition of the performance on that gloomy day. many who witnessed this strange performance supposed that the old chieftain had received a mortal shot, but he had escaped without a scratch. "the indians, in giving an account afterwards, of the firing from the ship, said that they were not afraid of the solid shot and grape and canister, but the guns that 'poohed' (or shot) twice were a mystery and terror to them. this was their description of the firing and explosion of shells. "this was in harmony with the idea of the indians on the plains in their first intercourse with the immigrants. the first immigrants' trains had with them mountain howitzers mounted on strong gun carriages. the indians spoke of the bostons as a tribe of men who could shoot their wagons at them. "a kindred idea was entertained by the mexicans, of the spaniards when cortez first invaded mexico. the mexican had no written, but a pictorial language. the spaniard on his horse was pictured as one animal with two heads, four legs and two arms. this was the description which the correspondents of those days first sent to the halls of montezuma for the inspection of an affrighted monarch. "we have already stated that during the battle a large number of shells fell upon the benches between third street and the bluff beyond. most of them exploded when they struck the ground, or a log, or a tree. some of them, however, did not, but buried themselves in the earth or under the roots of huge trees, retaining all their latent forces. it is said that our friend dextor horton on one of his tours of inspection of the improvements going on in his loved city one chilly day, passed by the lots on which mr. colman's fine residence now stands. noticing a crater of fire burning in the center of a mammoth cedar stump, he drew near to it to enjoy the genial heat. as is always characteristic of man, he turned his back to the fire, parted his coat tails, and was comfortable. as the day, although cold, was clear and the bright waters of the sound were before him--the dark forests beyond and still beyond, the olympic range with its ragged ridges then snow-crowned--as he was drinking in this scene of beauty and grandeur, lo! a terrific explosion occurred. impelled by the impetus of the explosion he made a quick start and very fast time, for a short distance. convinced, however, that the shooting was over, he stopped and turned to see what had happened. the stump was gone, the fire extinguished, and he left with the mournful remark, that he had no idea the durn stump was loaded." my religious belief i believe in that system of religion which produces, in its practical operation, the best man and the best woman, the best husbands and the best wives, the best fathers and the best mothers, the most affectionate and obedient children, and the more honest and patriotic citizens and public functionaries. i care not what you may call it; by its fruit or practical results it should be judged. this is the bible rule, and it is eminently practical and just. i further believe in the existence of an allwise creator of all things--the supreme ruler of the universe. i do not believe in him as a supreme ruler located at some distant point in an immense universe, but as an omnipresent god. i believe in the immortality of man--not of his physical nature, but of that divine emanation breathed into the nostrils of man by his creater that made him a living soul. it was an emanation from god and cannot die. i do not intend to state more than one reason among many for my belief in the existence of god; but the immortality of man, founded on reason, outside of the scriptural declarations, i shall present more elaborately. when i take a survey of the universe and find all things running in the rhythm of order and harmony, i ask myself the question: what is it that produces this universal order and harmony? no answer can be given other than that it is the result of law. now, we can have no more conception of law outside of a lawmaker, than we can have of an agent without a principal or an agency. law and lawmaker, as well as agent and principal, are inseparably interlocked. the one cannot exist without the other. therefore since we must admit the existence of law, the existence of a lawmaker is a necessary logical sequence: that lawmaker, is god. as to the immortality of the soul, i offer the following reason, founded principally on grounds outside of the bible's declaration of the fact. ever since the poetic job uttered the profound question, "if a man die shall he live again?" the inquiry has been ringing down the pathway of time with increasing interest. man's immortality is usually proven by the declarations of the bible, which are supposed to reveal it as an ultimate truth. the immortality of the soul is susceptable not of demonstration, but of reasonable proof by reason itself. if we concede the existence of god with the attributes usually ascribable to such a being, and which he must necessarily possess in order to be god, such as infinite wisdom, goodness and almighty power, and if we concede further that he is the creator of man, man's immortality results as a logical sequence from such concessions. the desire of immortality, if not universal among all conditions of men, at least approaches universality. this universal desire may be called an innate property, or attribute of man's moral constitution implanted in him by his creator. it can not be true that a being with the attributes which we ascribe to god, could create man with such a desire, to tantalize him through life, and to disappoint him in death. consider the fact that nowhere in nature, from the highest to the lowest, was an instinct, an impulse, a desire implanted, but that ultimately were found the conditions and opportunities for its fullest realization. consider the wild fowl that, moved by some mysterious impulse, start on their prodigious migrations from the frozen fens of the pole and reach at last the shining south and summer seas; the fish that from tropic gulfs seek their spawning-grounds in the cool, bright rivers of the north; the bees that find in the garniture of fields and forests the treasure with which they store their cells; and even the wolf, the lion, and the tiger that are provided with their prey. look in this connection to the brevity of life; its incompleteness; its aimless, random, and fragmentary carreers; tragedies; its injustices; its sorrows and separations. then consider the insatiable hunger for knowledge; the efforts of the unconquerable mind to penetrate the mysteries of the future; its capacity to comprehend infinity and eternity; its desire for the companionship of the departed; its unquenchable aspirations for immortality--and let me ask: "why should god keep faith with the beast, the bee, the fish, and the fowl, and cheat only man?" but the logical sequence from the concessions mentioned above is not the argument in proof of man's immortality which i desire to present. the account of the creation of man as given in the bible is remarkable for its statement of the distinguishing difference between man and the rest of creation. when man was created, god breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. he created the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, the fishes in the sea and the creeping things on the earth, but none of these became living souls. this language, whether inspired or not, states the difference which now exists and which has ever existed between man and the other created things. what do we understand by soul? by soul is meant the power to think, to reflect, and to judge of the moral quality of actions and thoughts. let me take the sceptic's standard of what we should believe, and what we should not believe; that is, we ought not to believe that of which we have no evidence, and for which we can give no satisfactory reason. i proceed by a process of elimination, as will be readily seen. my first proposition, interrogatively stated, is this. is the power to think and reflect and to judge of the moral quality of thoughts and actions, a property of matter or not? if it is a property of matter, then the sands and rocks and the earth think and reflect and judge of the moral quality of actions and thoughts; but we have no reason to believe that sand, or rock, or earth thinks, or that either possesses the ability to judge of the moral quality of actions or thoughts; hence we ought not to believe it. thus we see that the general proposition is not true, and ought not to be believed. secondly--is thought and the power to judge of the moral qualities of thoughts and actions a property of organized matter? the grass and shrubs and trees are organized matter; but we have no reason to believe, and no evidence upon which such a belief can be founded, that the grass, or trees, or shrubs think, or possess any power to judge of the moral quality of things; therefore, according to the standard which we have adopted, we ought not to believe it; hence the more limited proposition is not true. thirdly--is the power to think, to reflect and to judge of the moral quality of actions and thoughts a property of animal organization? if it be, clams and oysters as animal organizations think; possess the power to reflect and to judge of the moral quality of thoughts and actions, but we have no evidence that they possess any of these powers, and consequently we ought not to believe it. fourthly--are the powers we have been considering essential to the existence of soul-life, possessed by the higher animal organizations, such as lions and tigers and domestic animals? here an important distinction must be noted. there is a thing, universally recognized as existing, called instinct. all of the actions of animals and many of the actions of human beings spring from instinct. instinct was given for self-preservation and defense. it is a sort of semi-intellect, and sometimes in the perfection of its action is equal to the highest development of soul-power; for instance, the action of a bee, purely the result of instinct, in the economy of space in the fitness of all its contrivances in making the comb, is wonderful; no improvement can be made upon it by the highest development of inventive genius. how does instinct act as contra distinguished from actions based upon the exercise of soul-power? instinct acts in a straight or direct line with its object. as an illustration,--a tiger is hungry, a man is hungry; the tiger sees a lamb--the man sees a loaf of bread in the baker's window; both, left to the impulse of instinct, would go directly to the object desired by each; the man, although cruelly hungry, as he approaches the object of his desires, says to himself, "this bread does not belong to me; it is the property of another, and i have no right to take it without his consent." here we see, in the case of the man, a soul-power acting at right angles with the impulse of instinct and controlling and governing the action of the man. it is only when men are controlled by soul-power, as against instinct, that they really are men in the higher sense of the term. with this principle thus briefly stated, and carefully separating the actions of men as well as animals springing from instinct from the actions of men springing from the soul-power, we are prepared to make the declaration that the tiger is incapable of acting on the considerations that influenced the action of the man; the rightfulness or wrongfulness of his act in seizing the lamb did not, nor could it enter at all into his action; he was affected by no consideration of right or wrong, and indeed could not be; hence we are prepared for the conclusion that the power to think, to reflect and to judge of the moral quality of acts and thoughts, is not possessed by the higher animal organization, or, in other words, that they have no soul such as we have defined it. having thus briefly shown by a process of elimination that man alone possesses the power that we have described as soul-power, we have established the first part of our argument. man alone being possessed of soul qualities, the question arises, what are the duration of these qualities? we argue that, being an emanation from god, they must of necessity partake of the nature of god, and are therefore indestructible, and eternal. but it is objected that when the body dies we see no more manifestation of soul-life. concede it, for the sake of argument. does it follow that the soul is extinct? the body was the instrument through which the soul manifested itself, just as the piano is the instrument through, or by which, a certain class or kind of music is manifested. is the impairment or destruction of the particular piano, a destruction or extinction of that music? who would thus reason? the music manifested through that piano had an existence in the mind, or soul of some person anterior to the existence of the signs made on paper by the use of which the music on the piano was produced, or manifested; and it is evident that the impairment or destruction of the piano did not destroy the music. what force, then, is there in the claim that, simply because the instrument through which the soul manifested itself is dead, the soul itself is dead, or extinct? there are many illustrations of this thought in actual life. the wonderful, almost inspired, conception of beauty, passion and anguish transferred by the artist's brush to canvas, as enduring monuments of the immortality of genius, existed in the mind of the artist before a single line of the grand conception was transferred to canvas. if there be any defect in the picture it is usually a defect of execution, not of conception. the canvas is but the means by which these conceptions of beauty, passion or anguish are manifested to the souls of others. who will argue that the destruction of the frail canvas is the destruction of these conceptions? they existed before they were transferred to canvas; its destruction does not extinguish them. it is said again, that soul-attributes are the results of that mysterious power called life, operating in connection with animal organization. but a tiger has life and animal organization, yet it is clear that he possesses no soul-qualities. besides, if soul-qualities are the result of such life and organization, the manifestation of soul-power would be in exact proportion to the strength of the forces operating to produce this resultant; hence the elephant, in which these forces exist in the larger degree, would give us the grander manifestation of intellectual and moral qualities. i have stated the objection and given a brief answer, but full enough to show the logical absurdity of the objection. but it is said that soul-qualities are the active manifestations of gray matter in the human brain. we have already seen that the power to think, to reflect, and to judge of the moral quality of thoughts and acts, is not a property of matter. none of it, by itself or in combination, possesses this power. wonderful have been the combinations and resultants of the operations of chemists, but life even in its simplest form is beyond their power. how much further beyond their power must be the production of the soul-power mentioned above! besides, this gray matter has been analyzed and its constituent elements ascertained; none of these elements in its simplest form show any trace of this power. how is it possible, then, by combination to produce that of which no trace even existed in the elements? then too, if this power is resultant, it is a law of chemistry that all resultants may be reduced back to its constituent elements. it would indeed be a wonderful achievement to reduce the power to think as a resultant, back to its constituent gases. again, take the case of a strong and healthy man suddenly killed by a bullet penetrating both ventricles of the heart; this gray matter exists intact in the brain immediately after the extinction of life. decay does not immediately affect its power. does the man think, reflect and judge of the moral qualities of thoughts and acts after the extinction of life? if so, then this soul-power exists after death, and the argument answers itself. this argument has proceeded far enough to show its line of thought. much might be added by way of illustration, details and further supporting propositions, but it is not deemed necessary. i conclude, then, that the soul is not only a unit with the power ascribed to it, but that it is also an invisible, immaterial and eternal entity or being. this is but the enumeration of the attributes of a spirit or spirit-existence. i will not attempt to repeat the reasons found in every text-book of mental philosophy and moral science to show its unity. we have seen that it is not matter; yea, more, that it is not a property of matter; therefore that it is immaterial. if immaterial and possessing the power to think and reflect, and endowed with moral sensations and perceptions--the highest and best evidences of life--it is a spirit-existence. as such, what evidence have we that a spirit-existence was ever destroyed? that it exists in manifest. existing with no evidence of its destruction or of its destructibility, we ought to believe in its immortality; hence, i conclude, if a man die, he will live again. i have had a controversy on religious subjects but once in my life. i have always desired to avoid such controversies. fixed religious opinions in the minds of others, especially of the old, i regard as sacred. to create a doubt, is to loosen them from their moral and religious moorings and to set them hopelessly adrift. after i had left school and was recuperating at my father's house, a gentleman of the name of wellover, who had known me all my life, and who was a plain man of the common people, came to my father's house to see me. his residence was in what was called the burr oak settlement, distant about six miles from the town of sturgis. he was a member of the methodist church and a very exemplary christian. he seemed to be much troubled. he said to me: "orange, you know i have been a believer in the bible and its doctrines for many years. a man has been delivering a course of lectures in the school-house in our settlement. he claims to be a greek and latin scholar, and he is attempting to show that the priests have so translated the bible that it is a deception and a fraud. now, orange," he said, "i want you to go down with me to listen to one of his lectures, and afterwards to tell me whether his translations are true or not." i said to him, "you go up to town and see william allman, who is a graduate of greenbury college, indiana, and is reputed to be a good greek scholar, and ask him to go with me. tell him to bring with him his large cooper's greek dictionary, and if he will go, i will also." he departed, and soon returned with allman. i took my large cooper's latin dictionary; we got into wellover's carriage and we went to his fine residence, took supper with him, and then went to hear the lecture of that evening. we found a good-sized audience in attendance at the school-house. the lecturer, who had passed the middle age in life, stated in his introductory remarks that he would pursue the same course as theretofore, and show, by reference to the greek and latin languages, how the priests had translated the scriptures; sometimes correctly, but in most cases, where their interests were involved, so as to create a dismal terror in the present, and perpetuate by fear, their power in the future. he said that if there were any present acquainted with these languages, he would be glad, if he made an incorrect statement, to be interrupted, and if the statement was incorrect he would correct it. he denied the existence of a god and the immortality of man. he further declared that religion, on account of its doctrine of hate and vengeance, made men crazy. i interrupted, and asked him what was the proof of the last statement; he said the proof was manifest, for that men babbled of religion, of god, immortality and hell, after they became crazy. i answered by saying that i had heard men babble of snakes in their boots, snakes in the bed and snakes everywhere in the room, but i never knew that snakes had anything to do with their madness; in fact, i said, such madness had a well-recognized and efficient cause. he said: "don't attempt to be smart, young man," and i took my seat. he further declared that if man were immortal, beasts were also, for the romans had used the word "animus" indiscriminately as to both, and that the priests had translated "animus" to mean intellect and what was called by them, the soul of man. i told him i thought he was mistaken. he rather uncourteously asked me what i knew about latin. i told him that i had some knowledge of it and that the romans used the word "mens" from which we derived our word mind, mental, and many other words of the same character, to signify the soul of man; and did not use the word "animus" for that purpose, or with that meaning. i read to him and to the audience from the dictionary the definitions of "animus" and of "mens." this drove him out of the latin language, and he and allman had a spirited and sharp and somewhat personal dispute, about some greek or pretended greek word. the controversy showed that he had no knowledge, or only a very limited knowledge, of what he was talking about. he said, after the wrangle with allman was ended, that he had been interrupted so much by the two young men from town, that he would not proceed with his lecture on that evening, but would close by telling his experience. he said that he had been a minister for eighteen years--nine years in the methodist church, and nine years in the christian or campbellite church. he divided all ministers into two classes--knaves and fools. i interrupted him again and asked him, inasmuch as he had been a minister for eighteen years and classed all ministers as knaves and fools, what class he belonged to. he hesitated a moment and said: "i am willing to confess that i belong to the class of fools." "then," i said, "that confession proves the bible to be true, for it says, 'the fool hath said in his heart, "there is no god."'" the meeting dissolved, and he lectured no more in that settlement. his pretended knowledge of the greek and latin languages was a deception and fraud. indians and their customs the indians are fast passing away, and their customs and mode of thought are passing with them and will only linger in dim tradition. for over fifty-five years i have been in close contact with many individuals of the different tribes of oregon, washington, british columbia and california and i have taken considerable interest in the study of their characteristics. i have already stated that the indian is an impassive stoic. if he has any human emotions, they are with the exception of anger, never displayed in his countenance. when angry, his countenance becomes fixed, sullen, morose and determined. he does not voice his anger, but silently nurses his wrath to keep it warm. he has no wit, but has a keen sense of the ludicrous, sometimes degenerating into short pungent sarcasm. this is the exception, not the general rule. he reasons from surface indications and has a keen perception of the absurd, or what he considers such. i have given one illustration in the narration of r.'s civilizing efforts. it is stated that an indian chief said to general isaac i. stevens, in one of his treaty conventions, "we and our fathers have always possessed this country. we have no objections to the whites coming and enjoying it with us. the country is ours. why do the whites always urge the indian to go upon reservations? the indian never tells the whites that they must go on reservations." on my return from colville in i met an indian with a fine mare. i asked him if he would sell her to me. "yes," he said, "you may have her for fifteen dollars." i had with me a surplus of blankets and coarse but warm clothing, and i offered to trade him three pair of blankets and a suit of coarse clothing for his mare. it was a cold morning, and the grass was stiff with hoar frost. he had nothing on him in the shape of clothing or wraps, with the exception of a thin calico shirt. i told him that he needed these blankets and clothes to keep him warm. i asked him if he was not cold. he answered in the yankee style by asking me if my face was cold. i told him "no." "well," says he, "i am face all over." the most thorough and extended system of esperanto which ever existed, so far as my knowledge goes, was spoken on this coast. it was an invention of the hudson bay company, and extended and was spoken by the indians generally from the northern portion of california through all of oregon and washington and british columbia, and north of that along the coast for a great distance. it was also spoken and understood by the pioneers, settlers and trappers through all this vast region. it was spartan in some of its laconisms. as an illustration: i was appointed by the court, in the trial of a criminal case in southern oregon, for the defense of three indians on the charge of grand larceny. they were indicted for horse-stealing. the proof against them was clear and satisfactory. i labored to reduce the offense from grand to petit larceny, and i succeeded, for the jury brought in a verdict of "guilty of petit larceny." the court sentenced them to three months' imprisonment each, in the county jail. when their time expired, the sheriff opened the doors and told them they might go; but, instead of going, they went to the further end of a long, narrow hall, and two of them squatted in the corners and the other between them against the wall. the sheriff came to my office and said to me, "jacobs, i want you to go with me over to the jail. i can't make those clients of yours understand that they may go." i went over with him and found them thus situated. i told them in the jargon, or esperanto, that they had paid the debt they owed to the whites and that they were free to go to their homes to see their fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters and friends. the center man--the oldest of the three--slowly arose and very emphatically spoke the following: "halo mammook, hiyu muck-a-muck, hyas close, wake klatawa." this being interpreted means: "we have nothing to do, we have plenty to eat, we think it very good, we will not go." we had to drive them out of the jail and into the road on their way home. i walked slowly back to my office meditating on the philosophy of such punishment for an indian. before i came to puget sound i had heard of a cultus potlatch. a potlatch is the giving-away of all of our earthly possessions without any hope or expectation of any return, either in kind or value. there was an indian on the sound known by the whites as indian jim. jim had a wonderful ability to accumulate property; he was an indian morgan, or rockefeller. he was an expert gambler and trader, and very industrious withal. he usually worked at the mills, where many other indians were employed, and he not only saved the money earned by himself, but obtained, by his expertness in gambling, much of the money earned by the other indians, and much of that earned by the white laborers. this money he invested in blankets--usually at victoria. some of his accumulation of gold he had changed into fifty and twenty-five cent pieces. he also purchased quite a quantity of calico and indian trinkets. when he had secured a large accumulation of such things, he gave a potlatch. the one i attended was held on the tide-flats south of seattle. as the time approached, many canoes were on the bay, headed by a joyous crowd going to the potlatch. jim was very anxious that i should attend the closing-day of the potlatch. i told him that i would go. he sent a large canoe with eight paddle-men to take me to the potlatch. so i went in style, i witnessed the closing ceremonies and jim had enough to give every one in attendance, a blanket, or piece of money, or some gaudy calico, beads or other trinkets. he even took off a pretty good suit of clothes that he was accustomed to wear and gave them away, substituting an old suit for them. he accompanied me to the city on my return. i said to him, "jim, you now are a vagabond; you have no clothes to wear, no provisions to eat, and no money." he said that that was all right; he would soon get some more. he said it was all the same as that of the whites, but it was much better than the white man's potlatch. he said that whenever he met his friends he could see in their countenance a pleasant light. he also gave me to understand that it made a sort of nobleman of him. but he said when the white man died his children make a potlatch of what he left behind him; and, being dead he could not see in their countenances that light arising from what they had received from him. i thought possibly that jim's philosophy had a touch of sarcasm, and a good deal of truth in it. in memoriam james a. garfield was elected president of the united states of america in november, , and was inaugurated on the th of march, ; was shot and mortally wounded on the nd day of july, ; and was removed to elberton, new jersey, where he lingered until september th, and on that day he died--to the great sorrow of a waiting, hopeful and sympathetic nation. no death in our history, save possibly that of lincoln, so generally and profoundly filled the hearts of the american people with sorrow as did the death of garfield. after its announcement a nation, inspired by a common impulse, at once hung out the dark emblems of sorrow. september th was appointed memorial day. on the th a public meeting was called in seattle at the old pavilion. honorable roger s. greene was elected chairman of that meeting, and he was to act as such on memorial day. myself, rev. george h. watson and honorable william h. white were invited to deliver at that time addresses on the character and public career of the fallen statesman. on the appointed day an audience of over four thousand people assembled in front of and on each side of the west end of the old occidental hotel. the officers of the day and the speakers occupied the first balcony of the hotel. the exercises were appropriately opened with prayer by rev. ellis. honorable roger s. greene made a brief but earnest and impressive address, and introduced me in the following complimentary language: "we shall hear from one to-day who can occupy an appreciative standpoint and speak of the departed president with more than common sympathy for his public purposes and deeds. "yet more. you yourselves have something to say. you seek one of yourselves to speak for you; one who not only, like the lamented dead, thinks as the people think and feels as the people feel, but one who belongs to this local community and who shares our own peculiar shade of sorrow. "such an one is here. he is a man skilled in the use of words, a man identified with yourselves, a man experienced and accomplished in public and national affairs, a man personally acquainted with james a. garfield. "fellow citizens, i introduce to you orange jacobs, your orator of to-day." thus eloquently introduced to the audience, i delivered the following address: "fellow citizens:--in arising to address you on this occasion i feel my own inability to do the subject justice; and the hollow impotence of human language to express the sentiment of national woe. we have assembled to honor the memory, to revere the character, and recount the living virtues of a fallen patriot and statesman. james a. garfield, the popular idol of the nation, is no more. his spirit has passed the bourne from whence there is no return. we have, in time of our greatest need, lost one of our greatest statesmen and purest patriots. in the mid-day of his manhood, in the midst of his usefulness, just as hope became steady, and faith reliant and sure, mr. garfield descended to the grave. his sun of life has set forever. it fell from its meridian splendor, as falls a star from the blazing galaxy of heaven. no twilight obscured its setting. "as the sun of the physical world--the brightest and grandest of all of the luminaries of the firmament sinks to rest, tingeing the clouds that stretch along the horizon with the golden glories of its declining rays, so garfield, the sun-intellect of this nation, has gone to his repose, reflecting the light of his noble deeds and unfaltering patriotism, tingeing the breaking clouds of dissention with the beauty and effulgence of hope and peace. "when the telegraph flashed over a hopeful nation the mournful news of james a. garfield's death, with the previous knowledge of the cowardly means by which it was effected, the great popular and patriotic heart momentarily ceased its pulsations, and the life-current of a nation, stood still for a moment, until the energies of patriotic vitality gathered new force to repel the effect of the stunning shock. unbelief and astonishment were succeeded by wordless sorrow, and this was mingled with emotions of patriotic vengeance. patriots in this mournful hour can brook no sympathy for the damning deed--can bear no manifestation of joy for the bloody work of the assassin. "james a. garfield was the popular representative of american patriotism. as president he possessed no powers but those freely delegated to him by his fellow-citizens. his highest duty under the constitution, and by the delegation of the people, was to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution and government established by the revolutionary fathers. in the faithful discharge of these duties, he was suddenly struck down by an assassin. the blow struck not the president alone; it reached in its rebound the popular heart of america. the shot meant the annihilation of delegated power, and as such reached the fountains of popular vitality. "the people, in the exercise of their inherent sovereignty, may elect, but if it does not suit he shall not live says the shot of the assassin. such assassinations are extremely dangerous to liberty and constitutional government. if the will of the majority is defeated in this manner, popular government will not long survive. anarchy, bloodshed and general civil war will succeed the rebound of the popular heart. the popular frenzy which developed itself in mobs in many sections of our country, on the reception of the tidings of lincoln's death, is but the logical sequence of the assassin's stroke at civil liberty and popular rights. then it behooves every well-wisher of his country, on such mournful occasions, to give emphasis and intensity to the nation's woe. for, mark you, fellow-citizens, there is a smothered volcano of wrath and vengeance in the great popular heart upon such occasions. a word may vent it, and fill all this fair land with the lava of blood and ashes. "one more preliminary consideration before i call your attention to the life, character and public services of our dead president. what will be the effect and consequence of this horrid murder, considered with reference to national affairs? no one present can fully tell. most of the ultimate consequences are too remote and recondite to be comprehended now. we must wait for the full development of the logic of events. this we know, that the time elapsing between the assassin's shot and the lamented death of his victim has been sufficient for the supremacy of reason and the subjugation of passion so far as to prevent any immediate dire results to free government. the american people, yea the anglo-saxon race, are believers in law and order. they put their trust in and found their hopes upon a liberty regulated by law. passion may triumph for an hour, but the sober-second-thought of the masses is sure to assert itself. passion has never but once in our history crystalized into revolution. it is this subordination to law, this reverence for its majesty, this reliant faith in its methods and results, that constitute the bulwark of our liberties, and make the american people capable of self-government. "james a. garfield was born on the th day of november, , in orange, cuyahoga county, state of ohio, and hence was in his fiftieth year when he died. he was a graduate of williams college, massachusetts. after his graduation he followed the profession of teacher, and was president of a literary institution in ohio for several years. he afterwards studied law, and so great was his proficiency, that in legal knowledge and forensic power he was a foeman worthy of the steel of such men as stanton, ewing, stanberry and others of national reputation at the ohio bar. he entered the union army as colonel of the nd ohio, in ; was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general january th, ; was appointed chief of the staff of the army of the cumberland, and was promoted to the rank of major-general, sept. th, ; was elected to the th congress while in the field, and was successively elected up to and including the th congress; and while holding this last position he was elected senator from the great state of ohio, to succeed judge thurman. he never took his seat, however, in the american senate, for he was nominated and elected president, before judge thurman's time expired. i ought to have mentioned that in -' he was a member of the state senate of ohio. such is a brief history of this remarkable man. "james a. garfield, in common with abraham lincoln, the patriotic and lamented douglas, and the eloquent clay, sprang from the loins of the american people. these all forced their way from poverty up to commanding positions and national renown. their genius for public affairs was triumphant over all opposition and victorious in their rising greatness. the success of such men is possible only in a government by the people. be it said to the everlasting honor of the people, and their fitness for government, that they not only recognized the ability of these men, but they gave them their affections without stint, and their hearty support in opposition to party. and to-day, from his sublime heights, he whom we commemorate beholds a manifestation of this affection, by a nation in mourning. "his knowledge, tact, and judgment made him equal to every position bestowed upon him by the partiality of his countrymen; yea, more, he was a leader in all. as a student, scholar, and teacher he stood high. as a soldier his coolness in the shock of battle, as well as his admirable foresight and judgment, won for him rapid promotion. as a legislator, debater, orator and statesman he had but few equals and no superiors. and it was in these capacities that i knew him well, as it is in the character of congressman that he is best known to the great mass of the american people, i pause for a brief time to consider some of his qualities as a legislator. "he was for many years, while the republicans had control of the house, chairman of the committee on appropriations. this was a position of the highest importance and of the most commanding influence. it gave him control of all the appropriations of the government and made his the actual leader of the house. a defeat of this committee by the house would be as disastrous to the party in power as the defeat of the ministry in england: a defeat by his own party would show such lack of unity of purpose, and of objects, and ideas on the part of the majority, as to render them incapable of carrying on the government. "firm, decided, full of expedients, and wonderful in debate, he not only carried his measures triumphantly through, but at each session strengthened his hold upon his party and the country. in the fierce contests that raged upon such occasions, he showed that his knowledge and intellect were stupendous. his quick perception grasped, his strong memory retained, and his ready logic commanded, immense sources of useful knowledge, gathered from science, reflection, the history of the past, and the stirring events of the present. in debate he rejected all rhetorical ornament, all ostentation and show. stating his premises concisely, his reasoning led to the conclusion aimed at, as irresistibly as the current of a deep and strong river leads to the sea. there was a logical force and point to his clear sentences that tended to his conclusions with the directness and certainty with which the successive steps in a mathematical demonstration point to the grand result. in making an attack or repelling an assault upon his position, he always had a mark, and his intellectual shots fell in and around that mark with effective proximity. "but while he was truly great in devising and successfully carrying through the great appropriation bills, made necessary by the enormous expenditures of the war, he was greater by far as the philosophic leader of his party. "after the power vanished from his party in the house, although his knowledge, of the principles and rules of parliamentary law was full and accurate, he rarely spoke on questions of order; but when the principles, policy, methods, or measures of the republican party were attacked, he was always put forward as their champion; and, although men will and do honestly differ about such matters, yet by the concessions of friend and foe alike, the proudest monuments of his intellectual greatness have for their base these masterly vindications. "he had a power of generalization and classification possessed by but few men. he was not a logician in the popular sense of the term. he addressed the intuitions, and consciences, of men quite as often as their reason. john c. calhoun, senators morton and bayard and garfield, stand unrivalled among american statesmen for their wonderful powers of generalization, classification, and analysis. this power made calhoun a dangerous antagonist to webster, with all his sledge-hammer strokes of logic and incisive reasoning. morton's fame and reputation rests upon this foundation alone. garfield possessed this power in a remarkable degree. it was this power that enabled him to hold popular audiences even in a two-hours' speech on the dreary topics of finance. "he gathered up the fundamental principles underlying the complicated topics of political economy, stated them with such clearness and simplicity, as not only to bring them within the comprehension of, but to make them attractive to the ordinary understanding. the most voluminous and complicated mass of facts, fused in the furnace of such an intellect, is quickly reduced to order; the good separated from the bad, the valuable from the worthless; and the principles underlying the good and valuable made manifest, like as the fire of the furnace releases the precious metal from the rock, dirt and sand by which it is surrounded, and utilizes it for purposes of commerce and civilization. "as a speaker he was always dignified and impressive. he had strong convictions, and he uttered them with courage and earnestness. he was one of the few members who could always command the attention of the house. i have seen him arise in a tumult of excitement, and as soon as the tones of his clear, ringing voice echoed through the vast hall, all was hushed, and every ear was open, and every eye was turned toward him. i was present when he delivered his great speech on the importance and necessity of standing by the resumption law and the currency of the constitution. many members were wavering, hard times were abroad in the land; bankruptcies were frequent, and enormous in amount. there was an appalling shrinkage of values, and a wild cry came up from the north, the south and the great inland west for more money. the advocates, of the policy of largely increasing the volume of the greenback currency, were jubilant; but that speech decided their fate. "the doubting were convinced, and the wavering fixed, in their determination to stand by the resumption law. resumption succeeded. the national honor was preserved. business rests upon a solid foundation and an era of prosperity prevails. to no man is the nation more indebted for this auspicious condition of affairs than to him whose untimely death we mourn to-day. "notwithstanding the earnestness and boldness of mr. garfield's utterances, everybody was his friend. they gave him credit for honesty, and sincerity. so sure it is that these qualities always command our respect, if they do not excite our admiration. "the sterling qualities which i have briefly mentioned, together with his known and accepted position on the great public questions of the day, secured mr. garfield's nomination to the presidency at the national convention, which met at chicago on the nd day of june, a. d. . his competitor, as all know, was a patriotic and illustrious union general. the contest was remarkable for its thoroughness and intensity in the doubtful states, but mr. garfield was clearly and fairly elected, and on the th of march last, was duly inaugurated. he entered on the discharge of his duties as president under the most auspicious circumstances. we were at peace with all the world. the wounds of the war had been healed, and the work of reconciliation had fairly been accomplished. prosperity reigned supreme; the good time had come and the people rejoiced. menaced by no external power and free from domestic dissensions, he could turn his entire attention to the internal machinery of government. he determined to distinguish his term of office by its purity of administration, and its economy of expenditures. only four months was he at the helm, but his achievements in that time will be remembered long, and bless the land for years. in that brief time he routed the army of contracting thieves from their entrenched position in the postoffice department, and established a standard of official integrity and honor that carried dismay to the spoils-hunter and dishonest official. but just as he had fully gathered the reins of government in his hands, and sent forth the uncompromising demand for honesty and integrity from all officials, and while preparing to enforce that demand, the assassin's bullet paralyzed his power and arrested the much-needed work of reform. that he made mistakes may be conceded, for all human judgments are imperfect; but the cold and passionless voice of history, though it may find fault or flaw, will more than satisfy those who loved him most, and will place his name among the highest and purest in the list of human rulers. "in contemplation of the solid and brilliant abilities of a great man, we often lose sight of those qualities that endear him to friends, and to the loved ones around the home circle. man may possess transcendant genius, and be the idol of the populace, and yet be selfish, unsocial and cruel at home. towering ambition may, and sometimes does, subordinate the love of wife, of children, and of parents, to its gratification. such was not the case with garfield. his home was his retreat from the storms and battles of life, where love reigned supreme. the telegram dictated by himself to his wife on the nd of july last, just after the fatal shot, was full of the holy felicities of domestic life. mrs. garfield was in elberton, where the president finally died. the telegram read: 'the president wishes me to say to you for him, that he has been seriously hurt, how seriously he cannot say. he is himself in hopes you will come to him soon. he sends love to you.' "the voice of ambition was hushed. the counsel and association of a statesman was subordinated to the presence and society of the loving and faithful wife; and how touching has been her devotion; how grand and noble her fortitude in that trying hour! some one has truthfully said that there are but three words of beauty in the english language, and they are: 'mother, home, heaven.' all know that the love and affection of our dead president for his aged mother, who by the cruel shot of the assassin, will be the chief mourner at the grave of her dear boy. these are the qualities, more than the brilliant display on the rostrum, in the forum or before enraptured thousands, that give the full measure of a noble manhood. this display may co-exist with selfishness and meanness; love and affection sanctify the noblest gifts and the loftiest aspirations. "no account of mr. garfield's character would be full and complete without a statement of his deep and fervent religious convictions. "no man with his breadth of knowledge, with his complete mastery of the processes of induction and analysis, and with his metephysical character of mind, could ever be a disbeliever in the existence of god and the immortality of man. hence we find him a member of a christian church and a regular attendant upon its services. the problem of human origin and human destiny early engaged his thoughts, and secured his profound consideration. he _believed_, and endeavored to regulate his conduct, habits, and life by divine laws. "in conclusion let me say, the hero statesman of this age, and the loved idol of this nation, has gone down to an honored grave. he died in the zenith of his reputation and glory, after a struggle which has held the admiration of the world for his heroism and manhood. he lived long enough after the fatal shot to feel the sympathy of the nation, and the deep indignation of the people, at the manner of his taking-off. he has gone to the still heights where crime and pain come not. a nation mourns his loss, and millions of freeman now and hereafter will revere his virtues and guard his fame. "though dead in the flesh he lives in the spirit, and in the affections and memory of his countrymen. "the principles and lessons he taught are his best legacy to his country. "his memory will never die until time shall be no more. the tears of a sorrowing people will water the sod that covers the remains of their loved magistrate; and from every blade of grass that grows, and from the leaf of every flower that blooms upon his grave, an avenging spirit shall arise to demand requital for the damnation of his taking-off. then at the grave of the great departed, let us tender anew our vows of fidelity to our country and to freedom, and consecrate every wish and aspiration of our hearts to an undivided and free republic, remembering that though presidents may die our country must and shall live forever. 'god reigns, and the government, at washington still lives.'" when i had finished speaking the chairman introduced rev. george herbert watson, whose address was very sympathetic and scholarly as well as impressive. the chairman next introduced the honorable william h. white, whose address was brief, earnest, patriotic and eloquent. political and not party convictions i have always been of the opinion, and have so declared in public speeches and newspaper articles, that the true policy of the pacific coast was the division of its area into small states. i will give but a few of the many reasons for such opinion, for i do not intend to go elaborately into a statement of them. the time for effective action has passed. i desire to state only enough to show the trend of my views on the subject. first, then, as to the lower house of congress. the area of the three states bordering on the pacific ocean--california, oregon and washington--is fully one-half covered by mountains. the sides of these mountains are to a certain extent covered with a heavy growth of timber and with practically impassable canyons; their ridges sharp, gravelly and sterile, with fertile coves and small valleys as yet unoccupied by either the hunter or the hardy woodsman. many cycles of years will roll away before these fertile spots will be occupied with the romantic homes of these last-named classes. the atlantic coast in the same number of degrees of latitude, commencing at the forty-fifth degree on the coast of maine and proceeding south for sixteen degrees, is covered to some extent with mountains; but as a general rule they are low as compared with our ranges. much of the land on their slopes is rich and accessible, and all of their fertile slopes, coves and small valleys have been long since occupied. i state these facts to show that in addition to natural causes the states bordering on the atlantic in the same number of degrees of north latitude, as will more fully appear, must continue to have the dominating power in the lower house of congress. the three states bordering on the pacific ocean extend over sixteen degrees of north latitude. commencing at the th degree in maine and going south sixteen degrees, thirteen states border on the atlantic. these thirteen states have a representation in the lower house of congress of members; while the three states bordering on the pacific have a representation of fourteen members. thus it is manifest that for many years to come, and possibly forever, with a slowly-diminishing power, the atlantic will have the control on all subjects of tariff, of finance, of currency and of immigration; subjects in which the pacific coast is deeply interested, and upon some of which there is not only an actual, but growing conflict of interests and convictions. add to this the further fact that washington and oregon extend inland for over four hundred and fifty miles, and california on an average of two hundred and fifty miles, and, applying the same rule of inland extension to the atlantic coast, pennsylvania and west virginia, with their thirty representatives, would be let in and added to the ; thus giving to the atlantic coast permanent control of all those vital subjects of legislation, so far at least, as the lower house of congress is concerned. it will thus be seen that a fatal mistake has been made in the political division of the pacific coast. i have confined myself strictly to the ocean-bordering states. the great inland empire, lying between the rocky mountains on the west and the alleghany range on the east, is more intimately and strongly connected by commercial and financial ties with the atlantic than with the pacific coast. as a partial compensation for this inevitable want of political power in the lower house of congress, it was the true policy, as i have declared, for the pacific coast to divide its immense territorial area into small states, so as to secure in the united states senate, an approach to equality of political power. we have seen that within sixteen degrees of north latitude on the atlantic coast there are thirteen states, bordering on the ocean, with twenty-six senators; while on the pacific coast in the same number of degrees of latitude there are but three states, with only six senators. california should have been divided into three states; oregon, into three states; and washington into three states. this would give only nine states in a far greater territorial area than that contained in the thirteen states bordering on the atlantic ocean. even then, this would give us only eighteen senators; but it would be a nearer approach to equality in political power than now. the question may be asked: are there no means by which this fatal mistake may now be remedied? as a lawyer, and being somewhat acquainted with the history of my country, i am compelled to answer, no. on the admission of a state into the union, there is an implied compact on the part of the federal government to defend such admitted state against all unlawful invasion of its territory. if there be a dispute about boundaries, it must be settled in the proper court, and the final decree of that court will be enforced by all the power of the federal government. again, the possession of power is always connected with the desire to perpetuate it, and also with a sensitive jealousy of all measures having a tendency to diminish its controlling effectiveness, or to lessen the value of the units constituting that power. the admission of every state has, to some extent, this effect; hence the demands are more exacting, and the admission more difficult, now, than heretofore. there has been but one instance in our history where a state has been divided, and the segregated portion been admitted into the union as a state; and that is the case of west virginia; but that admission was based on facts and conditions which every patriot hopes may never occur again. virginia not only claimed the right peaceably to secede from the union but to be the sole and exclusive judge not only of the existence, but also, of the sufficiency of the causes, to warrant such secession. she did all she could to make that secession effective. old virginia had by her act, and by her theory of the nature of the government under the constitution, estopped herself to deny that the forty-eight counties west of the alleghany range possessed the same right of secession--if any such right existed--that she possessed herself; she could therefore make no rightful objection. the people of the forty-eight counties were loyal to the federal government, and flag. they called a convention, adopted a constitution republican in form which was approved by nearly unanimous vote of its legal electors-- , for and only against--and under that constitution, with the name of west virginia they were admitted into the union on december st, . this was done partly as a war measure, and partly to show the disintegrating effect of the logic of secession. the state of texas requires a brief notice. she was admitted into the union as a state on december th, . by the prudential foresight of her statesmen, in a compact entered into between her and the federal government, she reserved the right to form four additional states out of her large area. she has not as yet exercised that right, but no doubt will in due time; thus securing ten senators, while the whole pacific coast, with almost twice her territorial area, has fixed its number irrevocably at six. the ram's horn incident esau sold his birthright, with all that it implied, for a mess of pottage. infant communities, whether territorial or municipal, feeling the pressure of present want, are always tempted by money-sharks to mortgage, sell, or surrender, for a mere song, rights and franchises of a constantly increasing income, and relinquish political power necessary for a legitimate assertion and protection of their rights in years to come. a striking exemplification of this short-sightedness appears in what is said above as to the formation of only three states to cover the whole pacific coast. the supplicant for this birthright, and all its prospective enormous income, finds his most congenial and hospitable host in a municipal legislature. he is usually, but not always, accompanied by the fascinating miss graftis. there are two cases in our municipal history that i will briefly note as illustrations of this tendency. in neither, so far as i know and believe, was there any graft. in both i was to some extent officially connected; in the rams-horn case painfully so; in the railroad avenue case simply as an officer and protestant. many years ago--the dates are not important--the columbia and puget sound railroad company asked the city council of seattle for the grant of a right-of-way for a railroad track down and over west street. this was the historic ram's-horn. i and a few others opposed the grant. the city council hesitated. its members desired the approval of the grant by the people, and especially by the lot-owners along the street, before they acted. a meeting was called at the pavilion to secure, if possible, such approval. the meeting was fairly attended. mr. james mcnaught, a shrewd and able man and lawyer, was attorney for the company. he read the proposed ordinance and explained its provisions, and then, with a glowing eulogy on the advantages of a railroad, closed amid the vociferous applause of the audience. i arose to oppose the grant; but as there was a continuous and determined cry of "vote!" "vote!" "vote!" "vote!" i resumed my seat. the proposed ordinance was approved by about a two-thirds vote of those present, and the city council speedily enacted it into law. the railroad company built its road from the south end of the town and laid its track down to columbia street; there it stopped, to await the result of certain condemnation proceedings. the wearers of the shoe, although voting for its purchase, soon felt its pinch, and they wanted compensation for its pain. the company threatened to go across columbia street. it was stopped by a judicial restraining order. having been elected corporation counsel, i came into the case a short time before the hearing on the motion made by the company for the vacation of this order. the former legal adviser of the city, and who had commenced the suit, i asked to continue in the case and to argue the pending motion. he did so, and made a technical and very ingenious argument against the validity of the grant. i must confess that i believed the ordinance valid, and that the objections urged against it were unsound, and i was fully convinced the court would so hold. in the mean time columbia street had been graded and macadamized. its surface was fully eighteen inches above the railroad track. being fully informed by a careful personal inspection, and thorough measurement by experts, of the exact fact, i proposed to compromise. i first proposed to allow the company to cross columbia street, but to cross at the existing grade. this would require a reconstruction of the tracks already finished, and subject the company to many suits for damages in case of their change of grade. secondly, i agreed to withdraw the pending suit if this proposal was accepted by the company. this all took place in open court, and the compromise was approved in open court; the ordinance, at the request of the company's attorney, was declared valid by the court. the compromise was also approved. the next morning, to my astonishment, a large force of men was put at work by the company to cut through columbia street; basing its action on the alleged ground that the compromise was null and void because of a mutual mistake of the facts by the parties. there was no mutual mistake. i fully knew and understood all of the facts. an incipient riot was in progress; but the interference of the police and the issuance of a restraining order soon put an end to operations. the newspapers emptied their vials of wrath on me as the principal sinner. an appeal was taken by the company to the supreme court, and that learned and unimpassioned tribunal affirmed every position taken by me in the case; it held the ordinance to be valid and the compromise binding. thus, ended the somewhat celebrated ram's-horn case, and with it that railroad across columbia street. on the publication of the decision of the supreme court, it was amusing to see my calumniators retreat to cover; still damning, however, with faint praise. railroad avenue there is one more topic of intensified local interest that i will briefly notice. i am now and always have been opposed, not to railroad avenue, which extends along the water-front of the city, but to the network of tracks permitted and authorized to be placed thereon. at the foot of columbia street, crossing railroad avenue to the west line thereof, you cross nine railroad tracks, or eighteen lines of slightly elevated railroad iron. such are the existing and authorized conditions. i have always been opposed to those conditions; first, because they are unusual, unnecessary and dangerous; unusual, because no city can be named permitting such a nuisance; unnecessary, because one track, or, to be liberal, two tracks, with spurs to the warehouses on the west and the wholesale or commission houses on the east, where the conditions permit it, would be ample, under the control of an intelligent company or management, for all the purposes of trade and commerce; dangerous, as experience has shown: the killed and injured on this interlocked system, intensified by supervening and dense fogs, speak only by groans and death-knells. i have opposed this network of tracks because instead of being an aid to travel and commerce, it is an actual obstruction of them. the idea of doing the commercial business of a million people, or one-half a million, with the accompanying passenger traffic, across nine railroad tracks, carries with it a strong implication of the absurd. in actual operation this implication becomes an irritating reality. the city council has recognized the fact and prohibited the closing by any railroad company of the mouth of any street for over five minutes; but this is only a partial aleviation, and not the removal of the obstruction or danger. railroad no. closes it for four-and-a-half minutes; railroad no. closes it for four-and-a-half minutes; no. , for the same length of time. the closing is really continuous. thus legally you can stand in the street, endure the slush and rain for at least twelve minutes to study the beauties of nature and of an enveloping fog, and enjoy the beneficence of the clouds in dropping their garnered fatness down. the irritation arising from these causes will intensify with the increase of population and the swelling of the volume of coastwise and ocean commerce. let the population of west seattle reach twenty thousand or more; let "the mosquito fleet" be doubled and ocean and coastwise steamers be multiplied, with the consequent enormous, increase of the volume of business--and the demand for the modification, or entire abolition, of this irritating nuisance will become imperative. some of the railroads have wisely noted the indications of the coming storm and have tunnelled under the city, deeming it cheaper to pay interest on permanent tunnel investments, than to pay damages for slaughter and injury on the avenue. railroad avenue is now used, to a great extent, as a train make-up yard, as a switching-ground and as a depot for loaded and empty cars. this will be continued with a constantly increasing exasperation, until the city is compelled to re-purchase at an enormous expense, that which was granted as a free gift. the great seattle fire june th, , will ever be a memorable day in the history of seattle--that being the day of the great fire which, like a besom of destruction swept out of existence a goodly portion of the embryo city. brilliant prospects, and glowing anticipations, evanished like the rainbow amid the storm of fire. nearly all the business houses were reduced to ashes; or, if any portion of their roughly serrated and toppling walls remained, they were a silent and menancing memento of the fierce power of the fire-fiend. the fire originated in a paint shop, on the water front near madison street, in the careless upsetting of a flaming pot of varnish. there was a stiff breeze from the northwest, constantly accelerated by the ever-increasing heat. the fire, easily overcoming the heroic efforts of the volunteer fire department, swept south and southeasterly, crossing second avenue at the rear end of the boston block, burning a large frame building immediately south of, and abutting upon that block; thence, in the same direction southeast nearly on a straight line, thus taking in the catholic church; thence onward to the bay, making a space swept by the fire a large triangle, with an area of from thirty to forty acres. the boston block was saved through strenuous efforts of its tenants; long scantling were carried by them into the hall on the second story. having raised the windows at the end of the hall, the south end of the frame building burning first, we succeeded by our united strength in forcing the unburned portion over into the consuming caldron of fire to the south. thus the boston block, though somewhat scorched, was saved. jacobs & jenner had their law offices near the north entrance, and during the progress of the fire many persons whose residences or places of business were along its actual or threatened track, presuming on our generosity and permission, brought armloads of portable valuables, snatched by them from the very teeth of the fire, and in an excited manner, placed them against one of the walls in the offices. so doing, they rushed out in the hope of reaching their residences or places of business again; but the surrounding wall of fire, with its intense heat, forbade. some of them soon returned and dropped into seats, and their countenances were the pictures of sadness, sorrow and despair. i said to one, a noble specimen of physical manhood and latent energy: "sir, your actions are unmanly; hope, even in your case, has not bidden the world farewell; cheer up, sir--just before dawn the darkness is the deepest." within a year from that time my admonished friend was worth far more than he was before the fire; and he often reminded me of my rebuke, as he called it. being satisfied that the offices, papers, library and furniture were safe, i locked the doors and went up to my residence on fourth avenue, where i had a commanding view of the progress of the fire. the view was grand but terrible--sublime but cruel. i never before was so impressed with the idea of annihilation, as i was in viewing that rolling, rushing, leaping and devouring volume or field of fire. in other days i had witnessed miles of fire, impelled by a fierce wind rushing over a prairie covered with tall and dry grass; but it only stirred within me the emotions of beauty, grandeur, and sublimity; there was nothing in it of terror or desolation, nothing of the wrecking of brilliant prospects, nothing of blighted hopes, nor of gloomy disappointment intensifying into despair. ever and anon, as the rushing waves of the seattle fire would roll over and envelope a drug or other store where powder or other explosives were kept, a volume of flame would shoot upward, with a deafening roar, towards the clouds, as though claiming the storm-king as its kinsman. to the owners of lots in the burned district the fire was a blessing in disguise. to them there was a smiling face behind a seemingly frowning providence. even if they were the owners of the frail wooden structure that had encumbered their lots, the structures added nothing to the value; and the rapid and unprecedented increase in the value of their holdings amply compensated for any losses by the fire. the real loosers were the renters of shops, stores or saloons, where goods, tools, materials and machinery were destroyed by the intense heat, or went up wholly in flames. but a few families lived in the zone of the fire. as to them, many kind hands soon removed their household goods beyond the danger-line. the district swept by the fire was the local habitation of the fallen angels, hoboes, and gamblers, and of that large class whose particular mode of subsistence is, and always has been, an unsolved mystery. the fallen angels and the upper class of gamblers could take care of themselves. the hoboes and the class of mysterious subsistence-men were afloat and hungry. besides these, there were a large number of worthy and needy persons whom it is always a pleasure for the good to help; hence, a free-lunch house was opened in the armory. there is always in a free-lunch a fascination that tends to increase the number of applicants therefor. this general law had no exception here. this led to a stringent examination of the right of all who appeared to partake of the generous bounty offered to the worthy and needy. this careful and necessary scrutiny soon led to a stoppage of the free-lunch business. the worthy in many cases needlessly took offense, and the baser order of fellows were loud in their denunciation of the alleged selfishness of the generous purveyors. the people of tacoma promptly and nobly rushed to the assistance of seattle, with provisions and personal services. the leading men of that city poured out their means lavishly and served as waiters at the tents erected for the feeding of the multitude. business soon revived with an enthusiastic rebound. the town was scorched, not killed. it had passed through an ordeal of fire and was found to be not wanting in true metal. work was furnished for all desiring it. the hoboes departed, and with them most of the mysterious-subsistence men. the burned district has been rebuilt with stately blocks of brick, or stone, or steel and cement, and its streets and sidewalks have been paved with brick, stone or asphalt. not a smell of fire nor sight of wooden structure remains in this once ash-covered and desolate district. game, animals and hunting with something of a reputation of a hunter, i have often been requested by eastern, as well as local sportsmen, to give an enumeration and description of the game and wild animals in this state and in oregon. i shall confine myself exclusively to this state. i have heretofore written a description and given an enumeration of the game and other wild animals in both states, but i have neither the manuscript, nor the newspaper which printed it. in again attempting an enumeration and description, i shall add some of my personal experiences, as well as those of others. there were no quail native to washington or to oregon, except the southern portion thereof--save the mountain quail, a lonely solitary bird, of about twice the size of the bob-white. its habitat is the dense copse or thicket. i have never seen them in flocks or groups, save when the mother was raising her large family of young birds. when no longer needing the mother's care, they pair off, and the young birds, or family separate. they are very alert; they are great runners, but do not, unless hotly pursued, often take to wing. when they do, they are swift flyers and dart through the narrow openings in the tangled thicket with remarkable celerity. the male bird is proud and rather aristocratic in his bearing, and flourishes on his head a beautiful top-knot. i have bagged quite a number of them, but have nearly always shot them on the run and not on the wing. they are not numerous. their flesh is delicate. the california quail was brought into washington at least fifty years or more ago. three of us--james montgomery, judge wingard and myself--in the fall of brought from pennsylvania sixteen pairs of bob-whites, which were turned loose on whidby island. this was, so far as i know, the first and last importation of the bob-white to washington. when turned loose on whidby island, they gave every indication of pleasure in being upon mother earth again. they ran about, jumped up in to the air, scratched the earth and wallowed in the dirt, and had to all appearances a play-spell, full of joy. they mixed readily with their california congeres; they have spread over western washington, and are quite numerous. the pheasant, or ruffed grouse, are natives of washington. they were very abundant in early days, but are fast disappearing. being a bird easily bagged, and the flesh being of delicate flavor, they are fast vanishing before the advance of the settlements. the game laws may arrest their slaughter and prevent their complete annihilation; but i doubt it. the crab-apple, on which they principally feed, abounded in all the valleys and in the moist and rich uplands. the ground where the crab-apple tree flourished has been cleared and a portion of their food supply has been cut off. the repeating shotgun is also helping to reduce their number; and unless the game-laws are rigorously enforced, these causes will soon sound their doom. right here i am tempted to state that the crab-apple of this country is entirely different in form and size from the same fruit in the east. here, it is not round but elongated, and is about as large as a good-sized bean. the woodcock is not an inhabitant of this state. the rail is rarely seen; but the jacksnipe is very plentiful in the late fall and up to mid-winter, when the great majority of them depart for warmer marshes. they do not breed here. this bird, in its quick and upward bound and its swift zigzag flights, is a recognized test of the sportsman's skill. snipes are often bagged here, but not in the romantic way. snipe on hot toast is a breakfast dish fit for a king. i had a sporting friend--a doctor--with whom i often went snipe-shooting. this doctor was the best snipe-shot i have ever known. his bag was always packed, while mine was comparatively lean. on one of these occasions our trip was to a tide-marsh and island south of seattle. early in the hunt we crossed a slough when the tide was out and found the birds very numerous on the new hunting-ground. the doctor brought them down right and left, while i was slowly increasing the fatness of my pouch. the doctor's success and consequent enthusiasm made him oblivious of the flight of time and of the movement of the tide. he had patients to visit, and when the sun was disappearing behind the western clouds and hills, he suddenly remembered his obligations to them. when on our return we came to the slough, we found it full and overflowing; the water was fully eight feet in depth and twenty feet or more in width. there was a good deal of floating debris in the slough, and the doctor, being a very agile man, leaped from log to log and safely made the passage to the other shore. he said to me, "come on, judge; you can easily make it." i told him that i had never prided myself on my agility. "well," he said, "i will make a bridge for you;" and with the use of a pole he gathered the floating logs together, so that in appearance they looked like a safe bridge. but i said to him, "doctor, i have all the confidence in the world in you as a physician; but you will excuse me,--i have no confidence whatever in you as a bridge-builder." he said with a little impatience, "o, quit your nonsense and come over; i will show you that the bridge is perfectly safe;" so saying, he leaped upon it and disappeared in the water. he soon re-appeared, however; and as he crawled up the slimy bank, the water spouting out of him in every direction, i said: "doctor, you look very undignified." he answered, "you go to ----," politely called hades. i went down the slough, thinking he might be slightly out of temper, and found a safe crossing. i rowed him home--issuing an occasional mandate that he should take a certain medicine, of which i carried in my breast-pocket, a bottle for such occasions. the good doctor has gone to his long home. he sleeps in the bosom of his fathers and his god. of the duck family the following species are abundant here: the teal, the mallard, widgeon, pintail, canvasback, spoonbill, sawbill and woodduck. the three last-named species breed in this country, but migrate early in the fall. formerly the mallard and teal bred here in large numbers on the tide flats and on the marshes along the creeks and rivers; but the advancement of the settler and the trapper, and the hunter with his repeating rifle, has driven them from their accustomed love-haunts, to the more secluded fens and marshes of the farther north. birds as well as humans are sensitive to disturbance in their love-affairs. the canvasback is a late and temporary visitant of our lakes, marshes, and tide flats, on his journey to the south. he remains for a time on that journey, and for a far shorter time on his return north. the impulse of love impels him to the secluded fens and marshes of the northland. the other species visit us in early winter, and are mostly gone by mid-winter. their stay is very brief on their return in the spring. in , and prior to that date, brants and wild geese--or honkers--were very plentiful in the puget sound basin. the tide flats were their favorite feeding-ground. they have been compelled by the advance of the settlements to abandon them, and in lieu thereof, they have chosen the wheat-fields in eastern washington. there has been no seeming diminution in number of either brant or geese--simply a change in their feeding grounds. the lonely cry of the loon, presaging storm or tempest, is heard from the forest-environed lakes and waters of the sound. the swan occasionally drops into our secluded lakes, and there alone, or with his mate, remains, if the environments suit him and food is plenty. the pigeon is not numerous in western nor, as i am informed, in eastern washington. he is slightly larger and wilder than his congere of the states. he is also of a deeper blue than his eastern kinsman. he is only semi-gregarious. i have never seen him in large flocks or in great numbers together. he is not hunted much and is not valued as a choice game-bird. the prairie-hen, or chicken, is not a native of and does not exist in western washington. this excellent game-bird is very numerous, or was in years agone, along the rivers and creeks in the valleys and on the rolling uplands of the great columbia river basin. the incoming of the white man, with his trained dogs and with his breech-loading and repeating shotgun, has greatly diminished its numbers. its unacquaintance with the white man and his terrible instruments of destruction made the bird an easy prey to the hunter. it was familiar to the indian, and presumably gauging fairly his destructive power, constantly increased in number. the felon coyote was a far more dangerous enemy, being a robber of its nest and devourer of its young. the bird is slightly smaller and of lighter color than his eastern congere. these birds are much prized by the epicure for the rich delicacy of their flesh. corresponding in number but larger in size is the blue grouse, of the fir and cedar forests of western washington. i hardly know how to describe this bird--one of the finest of game-birds. his habitat in the winter or rainy season is the dark, gloomy, and thick forests of fir and cedar trees. there he dwells, possibly with his chosen mate, silently and noiselessly, and in a state of semi-hibernation, until the genial warmth of spring arouses his love, and he and his mate descend to the sunny lowlands or ridges for the rearing of their numerous family. after they have found a suitable or familiar location, the male selects some fir or cedar tree, or clump of fir or cedar trees, in the vicinage, and during the nesting season keeps up a continual love-call to notify his presence, or by his silence or flight to warn her of threatened danger. when the bevy of beauties are fully hatched, the male descends from his eminence and spends his time in assisting care and watchfulness. perched on some tall tree in their immediate vicinity, he by calls warns his mate of approaching danger, and by the direction of his flight indicates a place of safety. his mate and the youngsters soon follow, if able to fly; if not, they remain under the care of the mother, deftly hidden under the leaves or grass; after which, she often flies away by short flights with simulated disabled indications, to invite pursuit; and thus save her young. when the young are fully grown and strong of wing they all depart for the deep woods, and no more is seen or heard of them until the coming spring. until the young are fully grown and the time of their departure has arrived, they are often found in large bevies or flocks; but when that time, late in the fall, has arrived, they silently depart for their winter home. killed in early spring, their flesh is so strongly tinctured with the flavor of the buds of the fir and cedar, their winter food, as to be unpalatable to most persons; but if killed in the fall, after a summer's diet of insects, seeds, grain and berries, their flesh is of a delicious flavor and greatly relished. this excellent game-bird, though decreasing in number from the general causes already stated, will, on account of its mode of existence, long escape the doom of annihilation. the sand-hill crane rarely visits western washington. he is more frequently seen in the eastern half of the state. there remains but one other game-bird for notice, and that is the sage-hen of the sage-covered valleys and plains of eastern washington. this bird does not exist west of the cascade mountains. it is anti-gregarious, save as in the consorting cares of a numerous family. when the young arrive at full growth they pair off and separate, and the family relations are no longer recognized. if the males are less numerous than the females, polygamy is allowed. this is a law, however, that runs through many of the bird families. the cock is a bird midway in size between the common domestic fowl and the turkey, and has long legs. he is a good runner. he rarely takes to the wing, and then only when hard pressed. his flight is low but swift, and he soon drops to the ground and speeds away on his legs to a place of safety. his food in winter consists of leaves and buds of the sagebrush; and when killed in the early spring his meat is too strongly impregnated with the rather acrid and unpalatable flavor of the sage, to be relished; but if bagged in the fall, after a summer's feeding on insects, seeds and grain, his flesh is savory and delicious. i ought possibly, to make a brief statement, as to the mongolian pheasant, and the chinese rice quail--both of which, in limited numbers have been brought to western washington and turned loose here. their increase has not been as great as anticipated. in oregon however, the increase of the mongolian pheasant has been phenominal. it abounds every where in the great willamette valley. it seems to love an alternation of grain fields and contiguous chaparral cover. it is emphatically a seed feeder or graniverous bird. the female, with the nursing assistance of the male, usually raises two large broods per year. this accounts for its great and rapid increase under favorable conditions. in size this bird is slightly larger than the prairie chicken--has long legs--is a rapid runner--and when it takes to wing is a low and rapid flyer. in western washington the limited number of grain fields and the absence of contiguous open ground--seems to be unfavorable to their rapid increase. still in the cultivated valleys where these conditions exist, they are fact increasing in numbers despite the fact that they are an easy prey to the pot hunter. of the china rice quail, i know accurately, but little. there were for a time a few flocks of these birds in the vicinity of seattle; but they have almost entirely disappeared. whether such disappearance is attributable to the lack of food or to the persistent activity of the trap hunter i am not able to say. they preserve their family or flock relations until late in the spring, and hence the bevy may be swept out of existence by one successful fall of the trap. from my observation and limited study of their habits, i would say that they were chaparral, or tulie birds, with their choice habitat near human habitations. in size they are slightly smaller than the bob-white and their flesh is delicious. washington is emphatically a game country. the hunter may here realize his fondest hopes. the elk, mountain sheep or goat, deer, bear--black, brown and cinnamon--cougar, lynx, wild-cat, in their native and congenial habitat--i would not forget the wolf--can always be found. i propose to notice each class briefly in its order. first, then of the elk. the mountains, with their barren ridges, their wooded slopes and sunlit coves of peavine, clover and nutritious grasses, as well as the dark forests of the foothills, are their congenial habitat. rarely are they found in the lowlands, and then only when they are forced from their mountain-home by the deepening snow. they have been styled the antlered monarchs of the forests, and this description is not inapt. if suddenly, within short range you startle from their secluded sylvan couch a band of forty, fifty or more of these antlered monarchs, with horns erect and every eye turned upon you as an enemy, you are deeply impressed with the majesty of their bearing. soon, in obedience to the danger-call of certain warning whistles, they speedily form into line under some veteran and well-recognized-leader, and speed away in single-file for miles, over a country impassable to the hunter, before a halt is called. the hunter who does not improve his chance effectively when the game is started from its couch has lost his opportunity, perhaps forever. this noble game seems to love the coast range of mountains, and there exists in large herds and numbers. this is especially true of the olympic range. if this kingly game-animal is to be saved from utter annihilation, stringent laws must not only be enacted for his protection and preservation, but must also be vigorously enforced. heretofore, they have been slaughtered in large numbers for their hides, their horns and their teeth; while their carcasses have been left where the life-struggle ended, to be devoured by the wolf, cougar, lynx or wild-cat. while the mountains bordering on the ocean seem to be preferred by this antlered monarch, yet he may be found in considerable numbers on the cascade range, especially on its timber-slope and in the dense forests on its foothills. i have killed quite a number of these noble animals, but never, under any circumstances, where i could not make uses of the carcass. i never had, or experienced any joy arising from the mere love of slaughter. with gun in hand, with hunter's blood in your veins, and noble game within easy range, it requires a high degree of moral courage to refuse to manipulate the trigger of your trusty rifle. with carniverous, or dangerous animals it is different; slaughter becomes a virtue and not a vice. the habitat of the mountain sheep, or goat is on and around the barren peaks and ranges of the higher formation of mountains. he is a wary animal, hard to approach and difficult of shot. he is always so located that a single bound puts him out of sight. if perchance, you could make an effective shot as he leaps from narrow bench, to narrow bench, down the rocky and steep side of the mountain, of what use would he be to you? i have succeeded in killing but one. i have hunted the mountain districts where they are plentiful, and i had determined to kill one if possible. i hunted slowly, cautiously and stealthily. i frequently caught sight of them leaping down the mountain side. at last i aroused one from his couch and shot him on his first jump. he rolled down the mountain-side a short distance, but with some difficulty i dragged him to the top of the ridge. his meat was sweet, juicy and delicious, greatly relished by all the party. i had, had glory enough, and never specially hunted them again. the black, brown and cinnamon bear are natives of washington, and their numbers are in the order given. a bear is a semi-carniverous animal; he lives on fish, berries, succulent and saccharine roots, larva, honey, and is especially found of pork. he appeases his appetite for fish by a nocturnal visitation of the rivers in which the salmon run, especially in the salmon season; he roams through the woods in the berry season and feeds on the toothsome food present in the forest. he unearths the yellow-jacket's scanty storehouse of honey, and consumes it and the larvae of the nest; he invades the farmer's domain and carries off some of his most promising porkers. the habitat of the brown, and cinnamon bear is the mountains and their foothills. they are not often seen unless you invade their solitary domain. i am not prepared to say what is their principal food, but suppose it to be the same as their kinsman the black bear. the cougar is a native of this state and can be found where dense thickets and dark forests exist. he is a sly, skulking and treacherous animal, mostly nocturnal in his destructive visitations. i have often gone on a brief hunting-trip into the foothills of the mountains when they were slightly covered with snow, and a dense fog would settle down, obscuring all landmarks; but, in obedience to a safe rule, have retraced my steps to the foot of the hills on my return home. on several of these occasions i have found that a cougar had come upon my trail shortly after i had entered the hills, and had stealthily and continuously followed me up to within seven, or eight rods of the point of my return. when i commenced my return, he, no doubt, leaped off into the covering brush, and, although sharply looked for by me, the dense fog and the thick brush hid him from my view. the cougar is strictly a carniverous animal. his principal food is the deer; and it is said that he requires two a month for his subsistence. that he is a good feeder is evident from the fact that he is always sleek and in excellent condition. he has a great love for the meat of the colt, and is consequently a terror to breeders in that line. he is not a hater of veal or pork, but does not prefer the latter. he is generally considered a dangerous animal, and numerous are the stories told of fortunate escapes from his ferocity. many of these stories have no foundation other than the surrounding darkness, the rustling of the leaves, or the twigs by the wind, and a lively imagination. while some of these narrations have an element of truth in them, they are generally greatly exaggerated. but let me be understood that when he is pressed by hunger and famished for want of food, i do consider the cougar a dangerous animal. few, however, are the reliable accounts of his attacks on the lonely traveler in the woods, even under such conditions. two instances have occurred since my residence in the puget sound basin, which, from my acquaintance with the parties, i am willing to vouch for. a friend temporarily stopping at mukilteo desired to go to snohomish city, a distance on an air-line of about six miles; there were two routes--one, by steamer or canoe, of full twice that distance; the other by trail almost directly through a dense forest. being an expert woodsman, he chose the latter route. he was unarmed, and had not even a pocket knife. he spoke of his defenseless condition on the eve of his departure, but he feared no danger. he had proceeded about a mile-and-a-half on his journey when, in a dense fir and cedar forest, he met a cougar in the trail. the animal commenced stealthily to crawl towards him after the manner of the cat approaching his prey, purring as he came. my friend made a loud outcry, but this did not interrupt the cougar's slow and stealthy approach. it would have been more than useless to run--so he braced himself for the final spring. when the animal came near he stood sideways to the brute; and when the cougar made a spring, he presented his left arm and the cougar seized it midway between the wrist and the elbow, and pushed him hard to throw him off his feet, but failed. being a strong and muscular man, and his right arm being free, he struck the cougar on the nose, a hard blow with his clenched fist. the cougar, however, kept his hold. summoning up all his energy, he struck the second blow on the nose of his enemy, and while it drew blood the cougar still held on. satisfied of the insufficiency of such a mode of defense, and casting his eyes about him, he saw a portion of a cedar limb standing upright in the brush several feet from him--the limb being about two inches in diameter and three feet in length--and he suffered the cougar to push him in the direction of the limb. having obtained it, he struck the cougar a powerful blow across his face, and, although the cougar winced some, the effect was for the animal to sink his teeth deeper into the imprisoned arm. my friend concentrated all of his energy and struck a second blow with his club. this blow was temporarily stunning and effective. the cougar released his hold on the bleeding arm and, dazed somewhat, disappeared in the surrounding forest. my friend retraced his steps to mukilteo, now a suburb of the busy and prosperous city of everett. one more instance: a gentleman of the name of cartwright was in former years an extensive logger on the snohomish river in the puget sound basin. at the time of the occurrence i am about to relate, he had a large logging camp about three miles above snohomish city. there had been a deep fall of snow, and he left his home and went to the logging-camp to see how the operation was affected by the unusual snow. on his return late in the afternoon, he met a large cougar in the snow-beaten trail. the cougar slowly approached him in the manner described in the first instance. mr. cartwright was wholly unarmed; he tried to alarm the cougar by a wild outcry, but to no purpose, so far as the cougar was concerned. some sixty rods away there was a bachelor's cabin. the bachelor had three fierce dogs and they promptly answered mr. cartwright's signal of danger; and their master, being at home, urged them to the rescue. when their welcome bay approached, the cougar ceased his purring, stood up, and soon leaped off into the dark forest and disappeared, very much to mr. cartwright's relief. he presently reached the river, unmoored his boat, and with the aid of a strong current soon reached his home. an experience of my own in the summer of , i accompanied a hunting and fishing party, high up into the cascade mountains. our route was along the santiam river, and we made our final camp, at the west end of a narrow prairie, that stretched along for over a mile at the foot of the mountain ridge, on the south side of the river--a short distance beyond, was the highest table land, or dividing plateau of the mountains. the fishing was excellent--the hunting--it being the month of august, was indifferent; because the black-tailed buck at that season was lying in some sunny spot on the mountain side near water and grass--hardening his horns. my companions in wandering or climbing along the brush covered sides of the mountains, had several times started a large buck who passed down the sides of the mountains by, to him, a well known but secret trail, and crossed the head of the narrow prairie, and then dashed through the thick brush by an accustomed trail to the river below. the space between this prairie and the river, was a succession of descending benches. these benches had before this time been covered with a very thick growth of fir. when this fir had reached the height of eight or ten feet, a fire ran through, and killed nearly all of it, and another growth of fir had sprung up, making the descent to the river an almost impassable tangled mass. as we were out of venison, it was proposed that i take two rifles and go to the head of this narrow prairie, while my companions should go up on the mountain side, and by the making of a great deal of noise, start this buck from his sylvan retreat, and when he came down the mountain and crossed the upper end of the prairie, i should improve the opportunity to kill him. the plan worked admirably. he came through the thick brush on the mountain side, and dashed across the prairie. when he was nearly opposite to me, i fired at him with my own rifle, but struck him a little too far back. before i could get the second rifle in my hands, he was in the brush and out of sight. i reloaded my own rifle, and went to the spot where he was when i fired, and i found that he was shot through the lungs, because the blood came out in sprays; and as it came out on both sides the bullet had evidently, passed through him. i followed him up slowly, by crawling through the brush--sometimes on my hands and knees, and at other times, after the manner of a serpent. he stopped frequently. when he did, he left a small pool of blood. my judgment was that the bullet struck him while he was stretched out, and that the skin closed at time over the mouth of the wound; and that he was bleeding internally--i concluded that as soon as he attempted to go down a steep incline, the blood would rush forward and smother him. i approached a gully or deep ravine, which he must cross, and i carefully kept a big ash tree, that stood on the rim of the gully, between me and the gully. when i arrived at the tree i stealthily looked down into the gully and saw the buck in a small open space, and also a large cougar, standing along his back intently looking at him in the face. i muffled the cock of my rifle, and soon sent a bullet through the cougar's head. he fell beside the dead buck. disregarding the safe rule of the hunter, without loading my rifle, i slipped down the steep incline and with the breech of my rifle i straightened out his tail, and was just in the act of pacing to ascertain his length from the tip of his tail to the end of the nose, for that is the hunter's rule for determining the size. just as i was in the act of doing this, a small quantity of fine white bark fell on me and all around me, i looked up and on a large limb of the ash tree, nearly directly over my head, i saw a female cougar. her hair was raised up, her back bowed, and her tail rolling. she was crouched for a spring. i kept my eyes upon her, raised my powder-horn to my mouth and pulled out the stopper with my teeth--then felt for the muzzle of the gun and poured until i thought i had powder enough, and soon after found that i did have plenty. i then took a bullet out of my pouch and rammed it down without a patch--dropped the ramrod to the ground and put a cap on the nipple. then i gently raised the gun towards her, and she showing a good deal of agitation, drew herself up into a menacing attitude as prepared to spring--but i quickly fired and she came from the limb seemingly leaping as though she had not been struck at all. i jumped back a few feet, but her nose brushed me as she was descending to the ground. she fell dead at my feet. i had my hunting-knife in my hand ready to plunge it into her if she moved--but the bullet had done its work effectually. i have always been of the opinion that i shot her just as she was in the act of making a leap upon me. i loaded my rifle and then crawled to the top of the gully, and my companions soon joined me. i rehearsed my adventure to them, and after so doing, one of them went for a pack-mule, while the others sought out a passable route through the brush to the prairie. the mule protested against his load, but blind-folding allayed his fears. a battle rarely seen late in the fall of , i accompanied the hon. p. p. prim, who was district judge for jackson and josephine counties, oregon, from jacksonville to kerbyville--the county seat of josephine county--to attend a term of court to be held at kerbyville in the last named county. the honorable james d. fay, and also other lawyers accompanied the judge to josephine court. there had been high water and sweeping floods which had rendered the crossing of the applegate river on the bridge, which was located about two miles above the applegate's junction with rogue river, dangerous and impassable. so as we were making the journey on horse back, we crossed applegate about twenty miles above the bridge and pursued our journey along and over the foothills on the left bank of the river, intending to stop at a hotel on slate creek on the left bank of the applegate, and on the north bank of said creek about two miles from said hotel. passing across the mouth of a cove in the hills, we heard to our left a noise, and looking in that direction, we saw a female cougar and a mealy-nosed brown bear engaged in a bloody battle. we stopped and watched the fight for about half an hour. the battle ground was on a gentley sloping grass-covered side hill. the bear persistently kept the upper side. the cougar kept in front of him. the cougar was forcing the fighting. the battle proceeded with almost regular rounds. the cougar paced back and forth in front of the bear for a few moments; the bear intently watching her movements, when she would make a spring; the contact was furious. sometimes they would seize each other with the jaw-hold, and to our astonishment the cougar was more than a match for the bear in this hold, and the bear made every effort to break it--throwing himself upon the ground, and digging furiously into the cougar with the claws of his hind legs. by these means he would speedily break the jaw-hold of the cougar. the hold having been broken, and the combatants having separated, the cougar would pace back and forth in front of the bear for a few moments and then leap upon him again. sometimes the bear would hug the cougar closely, and use the claws of his hind feet with terrific effect. thus the fight proceeded. both were covered with blood. the bear would quietly sit during the intermissions in the fight. as the day was fast waining, we left them still fighting, determining that we would go to slate creek--cross it--get some rifles from our host, and then return; but when we came to slate creek, we found it a raging torrent--overflowing its banks, and spreading out over its narrow valley. our host, anticipating our coming, had selected a place for our crossing of the creek. we had to swim our horses across the dangerous current for some twenty or twenty-five feet, and although we successfully made it, yet we were thoroughly wet. although our host having hunter's blood in his veins, was anxious to go to the scene of the conflict, yet we so dreaded the crossing and re-crossing of slate creek that we denied ourselves the pleasure. on our return about a week afterwards two of us stopped over at our friend's, and went with our host out to the battle ground; but we found no trace of either combatant. on my return to jacksonville i wrote up and published an account of the battle--it was signed by all who witnessed the fight--but i have not the manuscript nor its copy. we all had our opinions of the cause of the conflict. the prevailing opinion was that the bear had been interfering with the young of the cougar. the lynx, and wildcat may be briefly noted. they are both nocturnal marauders. they are rarely seen in the daytime. either of them located in a dense copse near the ranch or farm, with a forest-reach beyond, is a pestiferous nuisance which must be abated with a gun, dog, or trap, before either lamb, pig, or chicken is safe. i do not believe in poisoning. it is cowardly and dangerous. the wildcat is an intractable and untamable animal. his ferocity is never softened under the influence of kindly treatment. he is the concentrated embodiment of spite and viciousness. chained, it is always dangerous to get within the inner circle of the metallic tether. he is the pest of the deer-hunter. there is no mode of hanging up your game, if you leave it in the woods over night, which is safe from the thieving of this ever-hungry marauder. on two occasions, i have found him seated on the hams or saddle of my suspended venison, and i have shot him. on the last occasion, i did not kill but severely wound him. i approached him. he was fiercely on the warpath and tried to get to me. i put a bullet through his brain and ended his warlike career. two species of wolves are natives of washington--the everywhere present coyote, and the large dark-gray wolf of the mountains. the coyote does not in any considerable numbers visit the puget sound basin, or tributary country west of the cascade mountains. his choice habitat is the sage-brush plain, and the grassy undulations of the great columbia river basin. the mountains and their rough and sunless canyons are the habitat of the large dark-gray wolf. he also loves the depressions in the high mountain ranges where there exists usually an alternation of marsh and thick forest. his dismal howl may nearly always be heard amid the solemn stillness of these places. it was and still is dangerous to tether or hobble your horse in such a place, as the early immigrants learned to their sorrow. many a fine animal was hamstrung or seriously wounded. large packs of these wolves often follow the deer, their usual prey, to the foothills and outlying settlements. while the wolf in this country is not considered an animal dangerous to man, yet, when driven from his mountain home by hunger, and he assembles in packs in the foothills and low grounds, he may be and probably is dangerous. an experienced hunting friend of mine of the name of taylor lived on a ranch, in the early pioneer days, about a mile south of the now busy and prosperous town of north bend, in king county. this small but fertile valley in which his pioneer home was located, lay near the base of the foothills of the cascade mountains. it was his custom, after a light fall of snow, with his trusty rifle in hand, to mount his favorite riding horse, and, with a pack animal at his side, to go to the timber skirting a prairie adjacent to the foothills, to kill from one to three fat bucks, and to return the same day. on one of these occasions, carefully hunting three or four hours for game, he found no deer, but saw plenty of wolf tracks. he concluded that there had been an invasion of his hunting ground by mountain wolves, and a departure of the deer for safer feeding grounds. he immediately commenced his return to the trail where his horses were tied. soon, however, he heard the patter of feet and saw a slight movement in the brush on every side of him. a closer observation showed that he was encircled, by from fifteen to twenty mountain wolves. although a man of nerve, he confessed that he was somewhat alarmed. his situation was a novel one to him. he had a muzzle loading rifle, as he had always refused to adopt the repeating rifle because of its alleged want of accuracy. as the wolves were slowly contracting the circle surrounding him, he concluded to tree. he did so, taking his rifle up with him. the wolves formed a circle about the tree and, sitting or slowly moving about, looked intently at him as if in expectation of their coming feast. solemnly contemplating the situation, and its possible dire results, he concluded to try the effect of a shot upon this hungry pack. quickly suiting the action to the resolve, he sent a bullet crashing through the brain of one of the larger ones. the animal leaped into the air and fell dead. its companions rushed upon it and fiercely tore its body to pieces. finding that his first shot was ineffective for rescue and quickly deciding on a theory different from that which prompted the first shot, he sent a bullet into the abdomen, of one of the sitting and waiting animals. this always produces a stinging, writhing and painful wound. the animal struck, leaped into the air, wheeled around several times, and then, with a dismal and alarming howl, started off, his companions with him, on that "long gallop that can tire the hound's deep hate and the hunter's fire." my friend, thus fortunately relieved from his imprisonment, quickly descended from his perch and hastened with anxious steps to his horses--and then to his home. the most valuable and useful of all the game family to man, and especially to the pioneer, was and is the deer. without venison the table of the pioneer would be lacking in one of life's choicest and most sustaining food. of beef, pork and mutton, in any of their various forms, he had none. the rifle was his purveyor; a table furnished with delicious venison, the realization. deer are everywhere to be found in this state, and especially in the wooded country west of the dividing-ridge of the cascade mountains. while he likes open ridges and sunny coves as a roaming or feeding-ground, a dense thicket or sylvan bower is the deer's dormitory. i can say, without a breach of modesty, that i have been a great deer-hunter. i have found him in larger numbers on the islands of the sound, than elsewhere. on one of these islands, whidby, i found quite a number of pure white, and also spotted or, to use the popular expression, calico deer. before this i had doubted somewhat the existance of the pure white deer; but while hunting on that island i came in view of a large five-pronged white buck, a spotted doe--his seeming companion--and two calico fawns. i saw them from ambush, and my first impression was to shoot the buck; but i hesitated, and finally concluded not to do it. after observing them for some time, i alarmed them and they disappeared in the contiguous woods. after their departure, i went to the ranch of a pioneer-friend, and i found that he had in a small park a pure white buck and five does--some spotted, and others of the ordinary color. i learned from him that the progeny of the buck in a great majority of cases was of the usual color--sometimes calico, but rarely pure white. i tried to purchase the only pure white fawn--offering fifty dollars for it--but he refused. deer were so plentiful in pioneer days, especially on the islands of the sound, that the pioneer had to fence against them. these fences were from ten to twelve feet in height, and, as one expressed it, made water-tight. the deer is very fond of growing oats, of potatoes, which he readily digs with his sharp hoofs, of cabbage and lettuce, and other products of the field and garden. the cougar, the wolf and the lynx, the natural enemies and destroyers of the deer for food, do not exist on the islands; hence their large and, if left to natural causes, their constantly increasing numbers. the deer on the islands of the sound, as a general rule, are smaller than those on the mainland; and my observation is, that they increase in size as you go back from the shores of the sound, through the continuous woods, to the foothills and mountain-slopes. all of the deer in this state belong to what is familiarly known as the black-tailed family. it is not common in the great basin of puget sound, including therein all of the country west of the dividing-ridge of the olympic range, to find and kill a deer decidedly fat. in southern oregon i have killed what was called bench-bucks, as fat as any mutton i ever saw; but the ridges and foothills where they roam were covered with oak timber, which produced an abundant supply of acorns, of which they are very fond and upon which they plentifully feed. such food is rich and fattening. there are no oaks or acorns in this state; at most, they are so exceptional as not to deserve notice. lingering along the snow-line in the mountains, and ascending and descending with it, is a species of deer known as the mule-deer. he is so called for two reasons: first, many males have dark stripes across their shoulders and the same kind of stripes across the loin; the mule-deer has the same; secondly, the mule-deer has enormous ears, equalling, if not exceeding, in size those of the mule. his head is more like a calf's head than that of a deer. he frequently reaches in weight two-hundred-and-fifty and even three hundred pounds. he is king of the deer family. he is not often shot, as he is known, only, to the hunter and the adventurous pioneer. this concludes my brief account of the game and other animals of washington. well-considered laws have been passed by the legislature for the protection and preservation of the useful, and for the destruction of the non-useful and dangerous animals. it is hoped that these laws may be thoroughly enforced. during my residence on the pacific coast i have, on invitation, delivered many addresses before bar associations, county and state; before odd fellows' and masonic lodges and literary societies. i have pronounced obituary addresses on the life and character of persons of national, state, and local reputation. many of these i have in manuscript. i give here an address on reminiscences of the bench and bar in early days, delivered before the washington state bar association at its meeting in seattle in july, : address. "called upon at the eleventh hour to fill the place of one well qualified by education, by experience and by a wider and more extended observation than myself in the field of legal reminiscences, i feel some-what the embarrassment of the situation. the committee showed the highest appreciation of the fitness of things and of persons, when they made my friend, now recreating in the sunny clime of california, their first choice for the pleasing task now, unfortunately for the association, devolved upon me. it is a case of devolution, not evolution. i possess not that gravity of countenance, nor that dignity of demeanor, nor that solemnity of vocal utterance, so necessary to give full zest even to a well-told tale. my absent friend possesses these qualities in a high degree. "in every new and sparsely-settled country there is always a closer social intercourse between the bench and the bar, and a greater freedom of utterance, than in after-years. when population increases to the dimensions of a commonwealth, and costly court houses are built, there is connected with every court-room, a sort of 'holy of holies,' from which the judge emerges in the morning and, after the crier performs his duties, into which he enters at night. this may, and probably does, aid in the dispatch of business, but it operates as an effectual curtailment of that free-and-easy social intercourse which once existed. we rarely see the judge now except when he is fully clad with judicial thunder. i do not know that i desire a full return of the customs of other days, but i would, if i could, check this tendency to social isolation. "in those good old days, my absent friend was discussing a motion before his honor, judge greene, involving the question of whether certain alleged facts amounted to fraud. in support of his contention, my friend was reading copious extracts from _browne on the statute of frauds_. in doing so, he was constantly calling that author's name brown-e? 'why do you call that name brown-e?' asked the judge. 'it is spelled,' answered our friend, with charming gravity, 'b-r-o-w-n-e; if that is not brow-ne, i would like to know what it does spell?' 'i spell my name,' said the judge, 'g-r-e-e-n-e. you would not call me gree-ne, would you?' 'that depends,' replied our friend, 'on how your honor decides this motion.' the judge waived the contempt and joined in a general laugh. "it is a delicate matter to discuss the qualities, mental and otherwise of a living and honored brother, and i hope to be pardoned for the following: wit and humor, though distinct, are often confounded. the grave and solemn man is often full of humorous conceptions. he suppresses their utterance sometimes with difficulty. he consumes them in an internal feast of pleasure. it is an exhilerating, but lonely feast. in this there may be a tinge of selfishness; but we will not condemn. but when he opens the mental throttle and allows them to flow forth, they give pleasure to all and continue as a pleasant and fragrant memory. judge greene, though not a wit, is full of humor. his description of an 'inspector afloat,' in an admiralty case in this then district, in which he contrasted what an inspector afloat ought to do and see with what this inspector did not do or see, is an admirable specimen of genuine humor. i believe that it was published at the time, but i presume that only a few of my hearers have ever seen it. it ought to be republished. it is worth preserving. it was possibly this latent trait in the judge's mental constitution that led to the following scene: "there was an attorney at steilacoom, where court was then held, of the name of hoover. he was a bright, active young man, but his chirography resembled, in illegibility if not in form, the egyptian hieroglyphics. he filed for a client an answer to a complaint. the honorable frank clark, attorney for the plaintiff, demurred to it, because it did not state facts sufficient to constitute a defence; in fact, did not state anything; that if it did, it was wholly illegible and past finding out. as soon as mr. clark had finished reading his demurrer, the judge, who prided himself on his ability to read all forms of handwriting, asked mr. clark to hand the answer to him, saying that he thought he could read it. it was handed up to the judge. he read the first line in the body of the answer all right, but utterly broke down on the second line. he scaned the remainder of the answer deliberately and with care, then handed it to mr. hoover, asking him to read it; the judge meantime watching him with an intensified if not admiring gaze. when mr. hoover had finished the court said, 'mr. hoover, hold up your hand.' mr. hoover did so, and in that solemn position the court swore mr. hoover as to the correctness and truthfulness of his interpretation of that answer. mr. hoover has since left the profession of law and gone into the more lucrative business of banking. on account of the unjust criticism sometimes made on my own hand-manual, i feel inclined to treat him kindly. "there may be a dash of the _ego_ in the following reminiscences, but it will be seen that i was but the incident or subordinate actor, or more the victim, than otherwise. "while the third was my judicial district, i was ordered by the legislature of and to hold court in the second as well. the docket at vancouver, for various causes not necessary for me to mention, had become very much clogged. there were over two hundred cases, civil and criminal, awaiting trial. the legislature gave me six weeks to clear up that docket. i went to vancouver a little out of humor from the imposition of double duties, but with the determination to accomplish the task within the alloted time, if continued and sharp work would do it. i made myself something of a judicial tyrant during that term. i ran court from eight o'clock in the morning, with evening sessions often extending until twelve o'clock at night. motions and demurrers were read, and i heard only the party against whom i was inclined to rule on the reading. i took nothing under advisement. i limited the time of address to juries, adjusting the time according to the importance of the case and the character of the rights involved. the local and visiting bar showed their appreciation of the situation and wasted no needless time in the direct, or cross-examination of witnesses. we finished up our work on the last day of the alloted time, and of all that mass of cases heard and finally determined at that time, not one was taken to the supreme court. "quite a number of amusing incidents occured that tended to relieve the monotony and lighten the burden of our labors. by your permission, i will relate one. "a man had been indicted for a grievious assault and battery. the alleged place of the assault was in the woods near the northern limits of the town. the second witness for the prosecution was a school teacher from washougal. he was a tall and lank man, with high cheek bones, sunken cheek and eyes, and sandy hair. he had about him an air of conscious superiority. after he had been sworn, he advanced to the witness-stand which was directly to my right. before he took his seat, however, he courteously bowed to me and, with a dignified waive of his hand, saluted the court. the following was his description of the assault and battery: "'the prosecuting witness was sitting calmly and sedately on a log, when the prisoner approached with stealthy yet intrepid, steps, until he approximated in close proximity to his person, sir'--the court interrupted: 'if you can get along without making a stump speech, we will be very much obliged to you.' 'thank your honor,' he responded. 'proceed,' said the court. 'as i was remarking, the prosecuting witness was sitting calmly and sedately on a log, when the prisoner approached with stealthy, yet intrepid, steps, until he approximated in close proximity to his person, sir, when he reached forth his digits and fastened them in the capillary filaments of the prosecutor's head, and then, with a tremendous jerk, laid him prone and prostrate on the ground; then he lifted his heel high in air and sent it with such force and violence into the countenance of the prosecutor that it has left an impression indelible to this day, sir.' 'that will do,' said the court; 'you can go.' he arose with a courteous bow to the court and a wave of his right hand towards the bar, said: 'thank your honor for releasing me from the impertinence of these attorneys.' and he proudly walked out of that court house. the court surrendered its dignity for a time and joined in the storm of laughter. "pierce county, now a model of intellectual and moral progress, with a thrifty, energetic and law-abiding population, was, in early territorial days, a hotbed of local feuds frequently resulting in homicide. she had no tacoma, then, to control the spirit of lawlessness and to teach her citizens that life's truer conflicts are different, and nobler. this county was in the third judicial district, over whose courts i had the honor to preside for six years. at one of these terms of court a man of the name of walker was indicted for the murder of his nearest neighbor. walker and his said neighbor were both unmarried and lived in cabins not far apart. both were stock-raisers, and both were well advanced in years. no one saw the killing and it was, therefore, a case of circumstantial evidence. "the body of the neighbor, when found, lay near a gate that entered walker's pasture-field, and the right side, from the shoulder down to a point opposite to the navel, was perforated with shot. i will not attempt to state the circumstances on which the prosecution relied; suffice it to say, they pointed with a good deal of force to the guilt of the accused; but i will not say, in opposition to the verdict of the jury that they excluded every hypothesis of innocence. the prisoner was ably defended by judge wyche, james mcnaught, irving ballard and gov. wallace. the honorable c. m. bradshaw was the prosecuting attorney, and he was ably assisted by the hon. frank clark. the trial occupied the attention of the court for four days. on the second day of the trial, a lady tastefully dressed, but closely veiled, entered the court with the prisoner's counsel, and, when the prisoner came, took a seat by his side. she was evidently a stranger, and 'who is she?' was on the lips of everyone. at the noon recess it was learned that she was the daughter of the prisoner. day by day she appeared, took her accustomed seat, and remained a silent and mournful listener to the damaging testimony given against her father. at noon of the fourth day i thought the testimony was all in. at the call of the court after recess i was somewhat astonished by the announcement of judge wyche that he wished to put one more witness on the stand. i was still more surprised when he asked, this daughter, to take the witness-stand. she moved across the room in front of the large audience in a dignified and graceful manner, her face still veiled. before she was sworn, judge wyche requested her to remove her veil, and she did so, revealing a countenance beautiful, intelligent and sorrowful. judge wyche asked her to state her age. she answered, twenty-four. ques. 'what relation are you if any, to the prisoner?' 'he is my father.' ques. 'before you came here, how long had it been since you last saw your father?' ans. 'about fifteen years.' ques. 'are you married?' ans. 'i am.' ques. 'what is the object of your visit here?' this question was objected to, but i let it go in. 'i came,' she said, 'to persuade my aged father to go back and live with me in my eastern home, so that i could smooth his pathway to the tomb with a daughter's love and affection; but to my sorrow and astonishment, when i arrived i found him on trial for his life.' she was about to proceed, but the court stopped her. then judge wyche said: 'i want to ask you one more question. i presume that it will be objected to and you need not answer until the court permits you to do so. taking into consideration all that you have stated and all that you may know in the past, as well as in the present, of your father, what is your opinion of his sanity?' 'we object,' came quick and sharp from mr. clark; but, as he did not arise to argue the objection, judge wyche made a clear and cogent argument in favor of the admisability of the testimony, admitting that the authorities were in conflict, but claiming that the better reason was in favor of its admission. in conclusion, he repeated the testimony of the witness and drew a brief but pathetic picture of her melancholly condition. his emotion seemed to intensify as he proceeded, until they became too great for utterance, and he resumed his seat amid the profound silence of the court-room. "frank clark, who had watched this performance with the keen eye of an connoisseur, immediately arose to reply. he did not waste much time on the legal proposition, but addressed himself to the concluding portion of judge wyche's argument. he said the learned counsel for the defendant, had drawn a pathetic and melancholly picture; then with a voice trembling with seeming emotion, he asked: 'did the learned counsel say anything about the poor, lone man who fell on yonder plain, pierced by many cruel shots, with no daughter near to receive his last blessing or to close his eyes, fast glazing in death?' seemingly overcome with emotion, he resumed his seat, but no sooner had he done so than he put his hand to the corner of his mouth and said to the prosecuting attorney, in a stage whisper, distinctly audible in most of the room: 'i guess they did not beat us much in that game,' "all of the older members of bar in western washington were acquainted with i. m. hall. he was probate judge of king county for two terms, and for one term its auditor. he possessed what bishop called 'a legal mind.' while he was well read in the elements of the law, after his admission to the bar he had very little use for books other than statutes, blackstone's commentaries and kent's lectures. his knowledge of statutory law was comprehensive and wonderfully accurate, both in a historical and constructive sense. he often said that we were too much inclined to go far from home for our law; that we were fond of legal exotics. while reports were useful, their abuse was greater than their proper use. he claimed that their use had changed the members of the legal profession from a body of original and stalwart thinkers, to a body of sickly book-worms. their inquiry was not, what was the reason of the thing, but what had some court said? "it was a frequent saying of his that the principal difficulty that he met with in the practice of the law was to get the court to see the law as it was; a difficulty that many of us, no doubt, have thought at times obstructed our success; but which, with that modesty and discretion so characteristic of the profession, we have failed to voice. "mr. hall was the acknowledged wit of the bar of western washington. i might give many instances of his ability as a wit, but one must suffice. "it was the last day of a term of court at port townsend. my practice was to read over the docket on the last day of court in the presence of the attorneys, so that i could correct on my docket any omissions or mistakes. i was about to adjourn court when mr. hall said he desired to have a demurrer heard. i told him to proceed. he made a brief yet clear and plausable argument in favor of the demurrer. it involved a point of statutory construction. when he had concluded, the opposing counsel rose to reply. i told him that i did not desire to hear him; that the point presented so ably by mr. hall was not new to me; that my mind was against the construction contended for, and that i would have to overrule the demurrer. mr. hall, who had arisen to his feet, and who was manifestly a little disappointed at the ruling of the court, said that he would like to have an exception. i said: 'the court will grant you an exception with pleasure; but,' i said, 'this very question has been up before my brother greene and my brother lewis, and we all agree in our views; now, you know that we three constitute the supreme court, and, while i give you the exception with the greatest pleasure, i fear you will not make much by it.' he stood in a reflective attitude for a moment, then said: 'may it please your honor, i believe i will take the benefit of the exception, anyhow, for the tenure of office is very uncertain in this territory.' "i have heard the incident related with this sequel, that he took the case to the supreme court, that the judges mentioned were all off the bench, and the demurrer was sustained. i cannot vouch for the correctness of this sequel, however. "now, mr. president and brothers, i owe you an apology for detaining you so long with this unsubstantial matter, this unwritten poetry of the profession. i am inclined to believe, however that the actual intellectual and moral tone of a given period, as well as the social status, has no truer index than its current anecdotes. every new and formative community is marked with distinctive individualities. in the onward sweep of development and civilization, and in the largeness of population, individuality becomes fused in the general mass, and loses its salient characteristics." from an address before the same association at its annual meeting in ellensburg in i cull these extracts. "mr. chairman: "when i came to this city i was sent for by the president of this association and informed that mr. caton, on account of sickness in his family, could not be present on this occasion; and he asked the privilege of substituting my name for that of mr. caton. at first i objected. but you who are acquainted with the persuasive eloquence of the president of this association can readily come to the conclusion that i finally consented. in the words of one of lord byron's heroes, 'much i strove and much repented, and saying, i will ne'er consent--consented.' "the particular point to which i desire to direct your attention is the pioneer lawyer. i think i know something about his characteristics. in the first place he was a good fighter. his surroundings gave him inspiration in that direction. his environments were of the militant order. he was not only a good fighter, but he was a loyal fighter, and i must say from experience that he was a persistent fighter, for, after the judicial umpire had counted him out, and called the next bout, he wanted to fight on still. in the next place, he was a good reasoner, and i want to emphasize this point. he was so of necessity. he had no reports. he had to rely on his remembrance of general principles; and he learned to reason from those general principles to his conclusions; and his success at the bar depended upon the clearness of his statements and the cogency and force of his logic. the question with him was, what is the law? and he ascertained what the law was by reasoning from the general principles which he remembered, to the conclusion which he desired. if an attorney now-a-days is asked what is the law, i am afraid that it is too often the case, to use the eloquent language of the supreme court of this state, he seeks to find a case 'on all-fours.' he doesn't make any inquiry. he doesn't exercise his reasoning powers at all; he goes into the library and hunts after a case 'on all-fours' with the facts of the case he has presented to him. the learned and honored judge c. h. hanford, who has just so excellently addressed you, has stated that the law is not an exact science. i do not know but what i differ from the speaker in this regard. every profession has connected with it two things: a science, and an art. the science consists of the principles upon which that art rests. now i, as a lawyer, am prepared to maintain that the science of the law is just as accurate, just as complete, and just as reliable as any other science. as has been said, law in its practical operations is the application of principles to a certain condition of facts. there comes in the art. where different judges differ, it isn't in the science of the law, it is in the art connected with that science. "now i am wandering a little. however, i was trying to show that pioneer lawyers were forced to do their own reasoning, to rely upon their own intellectual powers. such, i understand, was the school in which lincoln graduated; and such, i am happy to say, was the school in which the honorable united states district judge of this state (judge hanford) graduated. (applause.) and he has shown today, in the fine address which he has read, that he had good training in that school, and that he early learned to do his own thinking and to arrive at sound conclusions. i know all about him. i knew him before he was a lawyer. i knew him while he was studying his profession. i knew also that there were very few books that he could command at that time. i think it is a good thing. i would say that a lawyer, a young man, should never be permitted to see a report until he has practiced at the bar for at least six or seven years. then he would learn to do his own thinking and reason from the principles laid down in the fundamental works upon the science of the law. i have spent too much time upon that point, however. "the pioneer lawyer as i knew him had a strong sense of humor about him. he had a strong sense of the ludicrous about him. circumstances contributed a great deal to the development of that sense in him. in early days there was no such thing as conventional usages. every fellow had his own fashion and followed his own will. i remember a little incident connected with what i have just stated. when james mcnaught, whom you all know, and who subsequently became attorney for one of the largest railroad corporations in the country, the northern pacific railroad company, first came to this territory, he was inclined to be a little 'dudish' in his dress. the first place he landed was at port townsend. he had a stove-pipe hat on his head--he was near sighted, and with his spectacles across his nose--went out to view the town, and, as is customary with people whose sight is thus affected, he always looked upward; and he was looking upward in port townsend as though he expected to gather a glimpse of the golden wings of a flock of angels hanging over that spiritual town. well, everybody noticed it. he was the observed of all observers. the next time the paper at port townsend came out it was with the heading, 'ecce homo,' 'behold the man,' and it gave a ludicrous description of that young attorney and his resplendent ability, notwithstanding his dude hat. everybody read it. it was a fine introduction. "when he came to seattle the boys ran out to him taking him to be the advance-agent of some show, and said to him, 'mr. when is your show going to be along?' 'what is it?' 'has it got animals in it or not?' after that mr. mcnaught relapsed back into the barbarous habits that existed on the sound at the time. there was more freedom between the court and the bar at that time than there is at the present time, more sociability. now the court comes in at a certain time from his back-room connected with the court house, where he has disappeared and shut himself up until the bailiff announces his coming, whereupon--i am speaking now of seattle--everybody arises and gently bows, and the judge takes his seat and is prepared with his judicial thunder." for twenty years i have served as president of the king county bar association. from january, , to january, , i served as judge of the superior court of the state for king county. although an octogenarian, i am still in the harness as an attorney and counsellor at law. i have now completed a general survey of my not uneventful life. i have written and collated it in my eighty-first year. in conclusion a brief retrospect limited to our country and nation, may be allowable. looking backward from a standpoint of review covering eighty years and more, and comparing the condition of the world with what it was on the second day of may, --the day of my birth--with what it is now--i am greatly impressed with the fact that in intellectual and moral growth, in the advance of civilization, in material progress and human amelioration, as well as in increase of population and in the volume of business and in glorified inventive triumphs--as well as in religious beliefs, as shown in the substitution of _love_ for _fear_ as the true basis of obedience to god and his laws--the world has moved and is still moving forward to a higher and nobler plane of civilization. steam, whose latent energies were then but little known, under the exploitations of science and inventive genius, became, and continues to be the chief motive power of the world. electricity alone now disputes its dominion. while the light of ages comes streaming down the pathway of history, it illumes the present and enlarges the scope of human knowledge, yet it gives no prophetic insight, hence, which will be the final victor is unseen. the potential energy and force which practically annihilates time and space by its fiery messages sent through the air or ocean westward, in advance of mechanical time and becomes the common and instant transmitter of intelligence--is fast developing into a motive force the full extent of whose tremendous power is as yet unknown. it may equal, if not excel steam power and thus become the motive force of the world. during the time covered by this brief retrospect, mexico has felt the conquering power of the soldiers of the model republic, its roll call has been heard in the halls of the montezumas--the northern boundary of mexico has been deliminated, with territorial concessions to our government--texas released from the dominion of mexico and made an integral part of the union by annexation and subsequent admission as a state. the war of the rebellion which threatened the territorial integrity and rightful authority of the union after a heroic conflict--has been suppressed--peace and harmony have been restored and slavery, the irritating cause removed, by emancipation--and the union today stands on a firmer, broader, and more enduring basis than ever before. peace has her victories no less renowned than war's. the silent influence of our institutions has secured the annexation of the hawaiian islands--the gem of the pacific and the outward bulwark of the pacific states. the war with spain, occasioned by her treachery, and inspired by the desire to release the cuban people from the rapacity and cruelty of her spanish tyrant--resulted in the heroic and somewhat romantic naval battle of manila bay--the capture of the philippine archipeligo--and the expulsion of spain from that group of islands. eighty years ago the settlements with a few exceptions scarcely impinged on the eastern shore of the mississippi river. since that time they have crossed that mighty flow of waters--spread out over the fertile plain to the eastern base of the rocky mountains, and in after years they have extended over the mountains and here, in the sunny clime and fruitful valleys and balmy and healthful breezes of the pacific coast, the hardy pioneer has found a final home. what a territorial basis for development--progress--empire! already several millions of hardy, enterprising and patriotic freemen are scattered over this vast domain, and westward millions more are taking and will take their way in addition to the millions to the manor born. with the constantly increasing and controlling power of the forces generated in the past, and, now successfully at work in the world and which will no doubt increase in number and in the grandeur of their results during the next eighty years--who can measure the coming power or comprehend the glory of the model republic? pioneers, washington, with all her grand resources--developed and yet to be developed--won by your privations, courage and patriotism, is your gift to the union, to be consecrated to liberty, regulated by law, forever. transcriber's notes: passages in italics are indicated by _italics_. inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation have been retained from the original. obvious typographical errors have been corrected as follows: page : "firts" changed to "first" page : "assitance" changed to "assistance" page : "attemps" changed to "attempts" page : "alcholic" changed to "alcoholic" "or" changed to "of" page : "audienc" changed to "audience" page : "opprobiously" changed to "opprobriously" page : "surrounding" changed to "surrounded" page : "reconcilation" changed to "reconciliation" page : "genral" changed to "general" page : "reyonlds" changed to "reynolds" page : "beilieve" changed to "believe" page : "fity" changed to "fifty" page : "mounth" changed to "mouth" page : "suprised" changed to "surprised" page : "to" changed to "too" punctuation has been corrected without note. generously made available by internet archive (https://archive.org) note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations. see -h.htm or -h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ / -h/ -h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ / -h.zip) images of the original pages are available through internet archive. see https://archive.org/details/mountrainierreco meanuoft transcriber's note: text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). subscripts in chemical formulas are indicated by an underscore followed by the subscripted number enclosed by curly brackets (example: sio_{ } is the formula for silicon dioxide). in chapter xii we were unable to resolve a discrepancy between h. h. mcalister and e. h. mcalister, so both were retained. mount rainier * * * * * [illustration] the macmillan company new york · boston · chicago · dallas atlanta · san francisco macmillan & co., limited london · bombay · calcutta melbourne the macmillan co. of canada, ltd. toronto * * * * * [illustration: first picture of mount rainer. drawn by w. alexander from a sketch by j. sykes, . engraved by j. landseer for vancouver's journal.] mount rainier a record of exploration edited by edmond s. meany professor of history in the university of washington. president of the mountaineers. author of "vancouver's discovery of puget sound," "history of the state of washington," etc. new york the macmillan company all rights reserved copyright, , by the macmillan company. set up and electrotyped. published november, . norwood press j. s. cushing co.--berwick & smith co. norwood, mass., u.s.a. to general hazard stevens early lover of the mountain, this book is affectionately dedicated preface mount rainier national park is visited annually by increasing thousands of tourists. many of them seek information about the discoveries and explorations of the mountain and its environs. much of the information sought, especially that about the origin of place names, has never been published. the annals of discovery and exploration, which have been published, have often appeared in books, pamphlets, or periodicals not easily accessible. it is the purpose of this work to gather the essential portions of the desired information within a compact, usable form. during the summer of , the mountain was for the first time encircled by a large company of travelers. small parties, carrying their luggage and provisions on their backs, had made the trip a number of times. the mountaineers club, in , conducted a party of one hundred, with fully equipped pack train and commissary, around the mountain. they camped each evening at or near the snow-line. at the daily campfires extracts were read from the original sources of the mountain's history. the interest there manifested in such records gave additional impulse to the preparation of this book. it is natural that the chronological order should be chosen in arranging the materials, beginning with the discovery and naming of the mountain by captain george vancouver of the british navy. the records are then continued to the present time. there still remains to be done much scientific work on the glaciers, snowfields, rocks, and plants within the park. it is hoped that this book may stimulate such field work as well as the publication of the results. the reader will notice that several writers in referring to the mountain use some form of the name tacoma. the editor has not hesitated to publish such names as were used in the original articles here reproduced. in all other cases he has used the name mount rainier, approved by the united states geographic board. in the separate chapters it will be noticed that the height of the mountain has been placed at varying figures. the united states geological survey has spoken on this subject with apparent official finality, giving the altitude as , feet above sea level. how this height was determined is told in the official announcement reproduced in chapter xviii of the text, with comment thereon by f. e. matthes, one of the engineers of the united states geological survey. the place names within the park have been derived from such varied sources that it is well-nigh impossible to ascertain the origin and meaning of all of them. for the first time they are here (chapter xix) gathered into a complete alphabetical arrangement with as full information as is now available. the writer would welcome further facts about any of the names. in the introductory paragraphs before each chapter, the editor has sought to express his acknowledgment for assistance rendered by others in the compilation of the work. for fear some may have been omitted he wishes here to express gratitude for all such help and to mention especially professor j. franklin jameson, director of the department of historical research of the carnegie institution of washington, for his assistance in securing photostat reproductions of a number of rare items found in the library of congress. the editor also acknowledges the assistance rendered by victor j. farrar, research assistant in the university of washington. edmond s. meany. university of washington, seattle, august, . contents chapter page i. the mountain discovered and named, by captain george vancouver, r.n. ii. first approach to the mountain, by doctor william fraser tolmie. iii. first recorded trip through naches pass, by lieutenant robert e. johnson, u.s.n., of the wilkes expedition. iv. tacoma and the indian legend of hamitchou by theodore winthrop. v. first attempted ascent, by lieutenant a. v. kautz, u.s.a. vi. first successful ascent, by general hazard stevens. vii. indian warning against demons by sluiskin, indian guide. viii. second successful ascent, by s. f. emmons. ix. explorations on the northern slopes, - by bailey willis. x. discovery of camp muir, by major e. s. ingraham. xi. exploring the mountain and its glaciers, by professor i. c. russell. xii. mcclure's achievement and tragic death, by herbert l. bruce and professor h. h. mcalister. xiii. field notes on mount rainier, by professor henry landes. xiv. glaciers of mount rainier by f. e. matthes. xv. the rocks of mount rainier by george otis smith. xvi. the flora of mount rainier by professor charles v. piper. xvii. creation of mount rainier national park memorial by scientific societies. xviii. mount rainier is , feet high by the united states geological survey. xix. place names and elevations in mount rainier national park list of illustrations first picture of mount rainier. drawn by w. alexander, from a sketch by j. sykes, . engraved by j. landseer for vancouver's journal _frontispiece_ page captain george vancouver, royal navy doctor william fraser tolmie commander charles wilkes, united states navy theodore winthrop, from the rowse crayon portrait. general august valentine kautz, united states army. general hazard stevens samuel franklin emmons bailey willis, from photograph taken in major edward sturgis ingraham professor israel cook russell professor edgar mcclure professor henry landes françois Émile matthes george otis smith professor charles vancouver piper peter rainier, admiral of the blue, royal navy mount rainier a record of explorations [illustration: captain george vancouver. royal navy.] i. the mountain discovered and named, by captain george vancouver, r.n. captain george vancouver, the great english navigator and explorer, lived but forty years, from to . he entered the british navy on the _resolution_ under captain james cook in and was with that even more famous explorer during his second and third voyages, from to . he was placed in command of the _discovery_ and _chatham_ in and sent to the northwest coast of america. on this voyage he discovered and named puget sound and many other geographic features on the western coast of america. the portions of his voyage of discovery to the north pacific ocean, giving the record of his discovery, naming, and exploration in the vicinity of mount rainier, are taken from volume ii of the second edition, published in london in , pages , , and - . [tuesday, may , .] the weather was serene and pleasant, and the country continued to exhibit, between us and the eastern snowy range, the same luxuriant appearance. at its northern extremity, mount baker bore by compass n. e.; the round snowy mountain, now forming its southern extremity, and which, after my friend rear admiral rainier, i distinguished by the name of mount rainier, bore n. [s.] e. [saturday, may , .] about noon, we passed an inlet on the larboard or eastern shore, which seemed to stretch far to the northward; but, as it was out of the line of our intended pursuit of keeping the continental shore on board, i continued our course up the main inlet, which now extended as far as, from the deck, the eye could reach, though, from the mast-head, intervening land appeared, beyond which another high round mountain covered with snow was discovered, apparently situated several leagues to the south of mount rainier, and bearing by compass s. e. this i considered as a further extension of the eastern snowy range; but the intermediate mountains, connecting it with mount rainier, were not sufficiently high to be seen at that distance. [saturday, may , .] towards noon we landed on a point on the eastern shore, whose latitude i observed to be ° ', round which we flattered ourselves we should find the inlet take an extensive eastwardly course. this conjecture was supported by the appearance of a very abrupt division in the snowy range of mountains immediately to the south of mount rainier, which was very conspicuous from the ship, and the main arm of the inlet appearing to stretch in that direction from the point we were then upon. we here dined, and although our repast was soon concluded, the delay was irksome, as we were excessively anxious to ascertain the truth, of which we were not long held in suspense. for having passed round the point, we found the inlet to terminate here in an extensive circular compact bay, whose waters washed the base of mount rainier, though its elevated summit was yet at a very considerable distance from the shore, with which it was connected by several ridges of hills rising towards it with gradual ascent and much regularity. the forest trees, and the several shades of verdure that covered the hills, gradually decreased in point of beauty, until they became invisible; when the perpetual clothing of snow commenced, which seemed to form a horizontal line from north to south along this range of rugged mountains, from whose summit mount rainier rose conspicuously, and seemed as much elevated above them as they were above the level of the sea; the whole producing a most grand, picturesque effect. the lower mountains, as they descended to the right and left, became gradually relieved of their frigid garment; and as they approached the fertile woodland region that binds the shores of this inlet in every direction, produced a pleasing variety. we now proceeded to the n. w. in which direction the inlet from hence extended, and afforded us some reason to believe that it communicated with that under the survey of our other party. this opinion was further corroborated by a few indians, who had in a very civil manner accompanied us some time, and who gave us to understand that in the north western direction this inlet was very wide and extensive; this they expressed before we quitted our dinner station, by opening their arms, and making other signs that we should be led a long way by pursuing that route; whereas, by bending their arm, or spreading out their hand, and pointing to the space contained in the curve of the arm, or between the fore-finger and thumb, that we should find our progress soon stopped in the direction which led towards mount rainier. the little respect which most indians bear to truth, and their readiness to assert what they think is most agreeable for the moment, or to answer their own particular wishes and inclinations, induced me to place little dependance on this information, although they could have no motive for deceiving us. about a dozen of these friendly people had attended at our dinner, one part of which was a venison pasty. two of them, expressing a desire to pass the line of separation drawn between us, were permitted to do so. they sat down by us, and ate of the bread, and fish that we gave them without the least hesitation; but on being offered some of the venison, though they saw us eat it with great relish, they could not be induced to taste it. they received it from us with great disgust, and presented it round to the rest of the party, by whom it underwent a very strict examination. their conduct on this occasion left no doubt in our minds that they believed it to be human flesh, an impression which it was highly expedient should be done away. to satisfy them that it was the flesh of the deer, we pointed to the skins of the animal they had about them. in reply to this they pointed to each other, and made signs that could not be misunderstood, that it was the flesh of human beings, and threw it down in the dirt, with gestures of great aversion and displeasure. at length we happily convinced them of their mistake by shewing them a haunch we had in the boat, by which means they were undeceived, and some of them ate of the remainder of the pye with a good appetite. this behavior, whilst in some measure tending to substantiate their knowledge or suspicions that such barbarities have existence, led us to conclude, that the character given of the natives of north-west america does not attach to every tribe. these people have been represented not only as accustomed inhumanly to devour the flesh of their conquered enemies; but also to keep certain servants, or rather slaves, of their own nation, for the sole purpose of making the principal part of the banquet, to satisfy the unnatural savage gluttony of the chiefs of this country, on their visits to each other. were such barbarities practiced once a month, as is stated, it would be natural to suppose these people, so inured, would not have shewn the least aversion to eating flesh of any description; on the contrary, it is not possible to conceive a greater degree of abhorrence than was manifested by these good people, until their minds were made perfectly easy that it was not human flesh we offered them to eat. this instance must necessarily exonerate at least this particular tribe from so barbarous a practice; and, as their affinity to the inhabitants of nootka, and of the sea-coast, to the south of that place, in their manners and customs, admits of little difference, it is but charitable to hope those also, on a more minute inquiry, may be found not altogether deserving such a character. they are not, however, free from the general failing attendant on a savage life. one of them having taken a knife and fork to imitate our manner of eating, found means to secrete them under his garment; but, on his being detected, gave up his plunder with the utmost good humour and unconcern. they accompanied us from three or four miserable huts, near the place where we had dined, for about four miles; during which time they exchanged the only things they had to dispose of, their bows, arrows, and spears, in the most fair and honest manner, for hawk's bells, buttons, beads, and such useless commodities. [illustration: doctor william fraser tolmie.] ii. first approach to the mountain, by doctor william fraser tolmie doctor william fraser tolmie was a medical officer in the service of the hudson's bay company. he was born at inverness, scotland, on february , , and died at victoria, british columbia, on december , . he was educated at glasgow, and when twenty years of age he joined the hudson's bay company. in , he was located at nisqually house, puget sound. it was then that he made his trip to the mountain. he later served at other posts in the pacific northwest, and was raised to the rank of chief factor in . he was then placed on the board of management of the great company. in he retired from the service. in he was married to jane, eldest daughter of chief factor john work. their descendants still live at victoria, british columbia. they, especially the son john w. tolmie, have compared this reproduction from doctor tolmie's diary with the original manuscript to insure accuracy. so far as is now known, this is the first record of a white man's close approach to mount rainier. it is pleasant to note that the new map of mount rainier national park, published by the united states geological survey, shows the peak he climbed and the creek flowing near it bearing the name of tolmie. august , . obtained mr. herron's consent to making a botanizing excursion to mt. rainier, for which he has allowed days. have engaged two horses from a chief living in that quarter, who came here tonight, and lachalet is to be my guide. told the indians i am going to mt. rainier to gather herbs of which to make medicine, part of which is to be sent to britain and part retained in case intermittent fever should visit us when i will prescribe for the indians. aug. . a tremendous thunder storm occurred last night, succeeded by torrents of rain. the thunder was very loud, and the lightening flashing completely enlightened my apartment. have been chatting with mr. herron about colonizing whidby's island, a project of which he is at present quite full--more anon. no horses have appeared. understand that the mountain is four days' journey distant--the first of which can only be performed on horseback. if they do not appear tomorrow i shall start with lachalet on foot. aug. . prairie miles n. of home. sunset. busy making arrangements for journey, and while thus occupied the guide arrived with horses. started about , mounted on a strong iron grey, my companions disposing of themselves on the other two horses, except one, who walked. we were in number. i have engaged lachalet for a blanket, and his nephew, lashima, for ammunition to accompany me and nuckalkut a poyalip (whom i took for a native of mt. rainier) with horses to be guide on the mountain after leaving the horse track, and quilniash, his relative, a very active, strong fellow, has volunteered to accompany me. the indians are all in great hopes of killing elk and chevriel, and lachalet has already been selling and promising the grease he is to get. it is in a great measure the expectation of finding game that urges them to undertake the journey. cantered slowly along the prairie and are now at the residence of nuckalkut's father, under the shade of a lofty pine, in a grassy amphitheatre, beautifully interspersed and surrounded with oaks, and through the gaps in the circle we see the broad plain extending southwards to nusqually. in a hollow immediately behind is a small lake whose surface is almost one sheet of waterlilies about to flower. have supped on sallal; and at dusk shall turn in. aug. . sandy beach of poyallipa river. slept ill last night, and as i dozed in the morning was aroused by a stroke across the thigh from a large decayed branch which fell from the pine overshadowing us. a drizzling rain fell during most of the night. got up about dawn, and finding thigh stiff and painful thought a stop put to the journey, but after moving about it felt easier. started about sunrise, i mounted on a spirited brown mare, the rest on passable animals, except nuckalkut, who bestrode a foal. made a northeasterly course through prairie. breakfasted at a small marsh on bread, sallal, dried cockels and a small piece of chevriel saved from the last night's repast of my companions (for i cannot call them attendants). the points of wood now became broader, and the intervening plain degenerated into prairions. stopped about p.m. at the abode of tekatat families, who met us rank and file at the door to shake hands. their sheds were made of bark resting on a horizontal pole, supported at each end by tripods, and showed an abundance of elk's flesh dried within. two kettles were filled with this, and, after smoking, my indians made a savage repast on the meat and bouillion, lachalet saying it was the indian custom to eat a great deal at once and afterwards abstain for a time; he, however, has twice eaten since. traded some dried meat for balls and rings, and mounting, rode off in the midst of a heavy shower. ascended and descended at different times several steep banks and passed through dense and tangled thickets, occasionally coming on a prairion. the soil throughout was of the same nature as that of nusqually. after descending a very steep bank came to the poyallip. lashima carried the baggage across on his head. rode to the opposite side through a rich alluvial plain, or miles in length and / to in breadth. it is covered with fern about feet high in some parts. passed through woods and crossed river several times. about p.m. dismounted and the horses and accoutrements were left in a wood at the river's brink. started now on foot for a house nuckalkut knew, and after traversing woods and twice crossing the torrents "on the unsteadfast footing" of a log, arrived at the house, which was a deserted one, and encamped on the dry part of river's bed, along which our course lies tomorrow. the poyallip flows rapidly and is about or yards broad. its banks are high and covered with lofty cedars and pines. the water is of a dirty white colour, being impregnated by white clay. lachalet has tonight been trying to persuade me from going to the snow on the mountain. aug. . slept well, and in the morning two salmon were caught, on which we are to breakfast before starting. after breakfast quillihaish stuck the gills and sound of the fish on a spit which stood before the fire, so that the next comer might know that salmon could be obtained there. have traveled nearly the whole day through a wood of cedar and pine, surface very uneven, and after ascending the bed of river a couple of miles are now encamped about ten yards from its margin in the wood. find myself very inferior to my companions in the power of enduring fatigue. their pace is a smart trot which soon obliges me to rest. the waters of the poyallip are still of the same colour. can see a short distance up two lofty hills covered with wood. evening cloudy and rainy. showery all day. sunday, sept. . bank of poyallip river. it has rained all night and is now, a.m., pouring down. are a good deal sheltered by the trees. my companions are all snoozing. shall presently arouse them and hold a council of war. the prospect is very discouraging. our provisions will be expended today and lachalet said he thought the river would be too high to be fordable in either direction. had dried meat boiled in a cedar bark kettle for breakfast. i got rigged out in green blanket without trousers, in indian style, and trudged on through the wood. afterwood exchanged blanket with lachalet for ouvrie's capot, which has been on almost every indian at nusqually. however, i found it more convenient than the blanket. our course lay up the river, which we crossed frequently. the bed is clayey in most parts. saw the sawbill duck once or twice riding down on a log and fired twice, unsuccessfully. have been flanked on both sides with high, pineclad hills for some time. a short distance above encampment snow can be seen. it having rained almost incessantly, have encamped under shelving bank which has been undermined by the river. immense stones, only held in situ by dried roots, form the roof, and the floor is very rugged. have supped on berries, which, when heated with stones in kettle, taste like lozenges. propose tomorrow to ascend one of the snowy peaks above. sept. . summit of a snowy peak immediately under rainier. passed a very uncomfortable night in our troglodytic mansion. ascended the river for miles to where it was shut in by amphitheatre of mountains and could be seen bounding over a lofty precipice above. ascended that which showed most snow. our track lay at first through a dense wood of pine, but we afterwards emerged into an exuberantly verdant gully, closed on each side by lofty precipices. followed fully to near the summit and found excellent berries in abundance. it contained very few alpine plants. afterwards came to a grassy mound, where the sight of several decayed trees induced us to encamp. after tea i set out with lachalet and nuckalkut for the summit, which was ankle deep with snow for / mile downwards. the summit terminated in abrupt precipice directed northwards and bearing n. e. from mt. rainier, the adjoining peak. the mists were at times very dense, but a puff of s. w. wind occasionally dispelled them. on the s. side of poyallip is a range of snow-dappled mountains, and they, as well as that on the n. side, terminate in mt. rainier, a short distance to e. collected a vasculum of plants at the snow, and having examined and packed them shall turn in. thermometer at base, deg., at summit of ascent, deg. sept. . woody islet on poyallip. it rained heavily during night, but about dawn the wind shifting to the n. e. dispersed the clouds and frost set in. lay shivering all night and roused my swarthy companions twice to rekindle the fire. at sunrise, accompanied by quilliliash, went to the summit and found the tempr. of the air deg. the snow was spangled and sparkled brightly in the bright sunshine. it was crisp and only yielded a couple of inches to the pressure of foot in walking. mt. rainier appeared surpassingly splendid and magnificent; it bore, from the peak on which i stood, s. s. e., and was separated from it only by a narrow glen, whose sides, however, were formed by inaccessible precipices. got all my bearings more correctly to-day, the atmosphere being clear and every object distinctly perceived. the river flows at first in a northerly direction from the mountain. the snow on the summit of the mountain adjoining rainier on western side of poyallip is continuous with that of latter, and thus the s. western aspect of rainier seemed the most accessible. by ascending the first mountain through a gully in its northern side, you reach the eternal snow of rainier, and for a long distance afterwards the ascent is very gradual, but then it becomes abrupt from the sugarloaf form assumed by the mountain. its eastern side is steep on its northern aspect; a few glaciers were seen on the conical portion; below that the mountain is composed of bare rock, apparently volcanic, which about yards in breadth reaches from the snow to the valley beneath and is bounded on each side by bold bluff crags scantily covered with stunted pines. its surface is generally smooth, but here and there raised into small points or knobs or arrowed with short and narrow longitudinal lines in which snow lay. from the snow on western border the poyallipa arose, and in its course down this rock slope was fenced into the eastward by a regular elevation of the rock in the form of a wall or dyke, which at the distance i viewed it at, seemed about four feet high and four hundred yards in length. two large pyramids of rock arose from the gentle acclivity at s. w. extremity of mountain, and around each the drifting snow had accumulated in large quantity, forming a basin apparently of great depth. here i also perceived, peeping from their snowy covering, two lines of dyke similar to that already mentioned. sept. . am tonight encamped on a small eminence near the commencement of prairie. had a tedious walk through the wood bordering poyallip, but accomplished it in much shorter time than formerly. evening fine. sept. . nusqually. reached tekatat camp in the forenoon and regaled on boiled elk and shallon. pushed on ahead with lachalet and quilliliash, and arrived here in the evening, where all is well. [illustration: commander charles wilkes. united states navy.] iii. first recorded trip through naches pass, by lieutenant robert e. johnson, u.s.n. the proper and official title of the united states exploring expedition, - , by common speech has been contracted to the wilkes expedition. the commander of the expedition was charles wilkes, who entered the united states navy as a midshipman on january , . on july , , he was promoted to rear-admiral on the retired list. he was born at new york city on april , , and died at washington city on february , . he was honored in europe and america for his scientific attainments, especially in connection with the expedition that now bears his name. that voyage with a squadron of american naval vessels was for the purpose of increasing the world's knowledge of geography and kindred sciences. they reached puget sound in and, while making headquarters at nisqually house of the hudson's bay company, commander wilkes sent lieutenant robert e. johnson in command of a party to cross the cascade range. search in the navy department revealed only scant information that lieutenant johnson was from north carolina. the historical commission of that state and others there have failed to find information about his subsequent career. since he speaks of obtaining a guide, it is likely that he was not the first white man to cross the cascades, but he was the first to leave us a known record. the portions of that record which bear upon mount rainier and its environs is here reproduced. commander wilkes, before giving the record of his subordinate, makes reference to the peak as follows: "the height of mount rainier was obtained by measuring a base line on the prairies, in which operation i was assisted by lieutenant case, and the triangulation gave its height, twelve thousand three hundred and thirty feet." (narrative, volume iv., page .) the final reports of the expedition were to appear in twenty-four large volumes and eleven atlases. several of the volumes were never published, and of those completed only one hundred sets were printed. the rare monographs were full of information. the first part or "narrative" in five volumes was issued in several editions. the portions here reproduced are taken from the edition by lea and blanchard, philadelphia, , volume iv., pages - and - . i have before stated that lieutenant johnson's party was ready for departure on the th may [ ]; that it consisted of lieutenant johnson, messrs. pickering, waldron, and brackenridge, a sergeant of marines, and a servant. i must do justice to the exertions of this officer in getting ready for his journey, which he accomplished in less time than i anticipated, as the delays incident to setting out on a novel expedition, and one believed by most persons to be scarcely practicable in the summer season, are great and tantalizing. in making preparations for such a journey, the indians were to be bargained with, and, as i have before had occasion to remark, are enough to tire the patience of job himself. first, the indian himself is to be sought out; then the horse is to be tried; next the price is to be discussed, then the mode of payment, and finally the potlatch: each and all are matters of grave consideration and delay, during which the indians make a business of watching every circumstance of which they can take advantage. no one can be sure of closing his bargain, until the terms are duly arranged, the potlatch given, and the horse delivered. after obtaining horses, lieutenant johnson had the saddles, alforcas, saddle-cloths, saddle-trees or pack-saddles, etc., with a variety of lashings, to prepare. for many of these we were indebted to the kindness of captain m'niel and mr. anderson.[ ] others were made on board the ship, after a pattern lent us. one of the most important persons to obtain was a good guide, and hearing of one who resided at the cowlitz river, by the name of pierre charles,[ ] he was at once sent for; but i did not think it worth while to detain the party until his arrival, as he could easily overtake it. lieutenant johnson, therefore, was directed to hurry his departure, and to set out, which he did on the th may, at noon, and proceeded to the prairie about two miles distant, where the party encamped. there is little danger on these expeditions of having too few articles: the great difficulty is to avoid having too many. it turned out as i had anticipated. the first night passed in their tent fully satisfied them of this, and taught them to dispense with all other bedding save blankets. mr. anderson rode to the encampment before night, bringing the news of the arrival of pierre charles at the fort; whereupon lieutenant johnson returned to make an agreement with him and his companion. this was done, although, as is to be supposed, their demands were exorbitant, in consequence of the belief that their services were indispensable. pierre charles's companion was a young man, named peter bercier, (a connexion of plomondon)[ ] who spoke english, and all the languages of the country. on the morning of the th, they obtained an accession to their horses, and set out on their route towards the mountains. although the possibility of crossing them was doubted, yet i felt satisfied if exertion and perseverance could effect the object, the officer who had charge of the party would succeed. this day, they made but five miles; after which they encamped, at the recommendation of pierre charles, in order that the horses might not be over-fatigued, and be able to get good pasture and water. here a number of natives visited the camp. pine trees were in large numbers, many of them upwards of one hundred and thirty feet in height. on the banks of a small stream, near their camp, were found the yellow ranunculus, a species of trillium, in thickets, with large leaves and small flowers, lupines, and some specimens of a cruciferous plant. on the st they made an early start, and in the forenoon crossed the puyallup, a stream about seventy feet wide; along which is a fine meadow of some extent, with clumps of alder and willow: the soil was of a black turfy nature. after leaving the meadow-land, they began to ascend along a path that was scarcely visible from being overgrown with gaultheria, hazel, spiræa, vaccinium, and cornus. during the day, they crossed the stehna.[ ] in the evening, after making sixteen miles, they encamped at the junction of the puyallup with the upthascap.[ ] near by was a hut, built of the planks of the arbor vitæ (thuja), which was remarkably well made; and the boards used in its structure, although split, had all the appearance of being sawn: many of them were three feet wide, and about fifteen feet long. the hut was perfectly water-tight. its only inhabitants were two miserable old indians and two boys, who were waiting here for the arrival of those employed in the salmon-fishery. the rivers were beginning to swell to an unusual size, owing to the melting of the snows in the mountains; and in order to cross the streams, it became necessary to cut down large trees, over which the packs were carried, while the horses swam over. these were not the only difficulties they had to encounter: the path was to be cut for miles through thickets of brushwood and fallen timber; steep precipices were to be ascended, with slippery sides and entangled with roots of every variety of shape and size, in which the horses' legs would become entangled, and before reaching the top be precipitated, loads and all, to the bottom. the horses would at times become jammed with their packs between trees, and were not to be disengaged without great toil, trouble, and damage to their burdens. in some cases, after succeeding in getting nearly to the top of a hill thirty or forty feet high, they would become exhausted and fall over backwards, making two or three somersets, until they reached the bottom, when their loads were again to be arranged. on the d, their route lay along the banks of the upthascap,[ ] which is a much wider stream than the puyallup. a short distance up, they came to a fish-weir, constructed as the one heretofore described, on the chickeeles,[ ] though much smaller. this part of the country abounds with arbor-vitæ trees, some of which were found to be thirty feet in circumference at the height of four feet from the ground, and upwards of one hundred feet high. notwithstanding the many difficulties encountered, they this day made about twelve miles. on the morning of the d, just as they were about to leave their camp, their men brought in a deer, which was soon skinned and packed away on the horses. this was the first large game they had obtained, having previously got only a few grouse. they had now reached the smalocho,[ ] which runs to the westward, and is sixty-five feet wide: its depth was found to be four and a half feet, which, as it was also rapid, was too great for the horses to ford and carry their loads. the indians now became serviceable to them. lieutenant johnson had engaged several that were met on their way, and they now amounted to thirteen, who appeared for a time lively and contented. this, however, was but a forerunner of discontent, and a refusal to go any farther; but with coaxing and threatening they were induced to proceed. the road or way, after passing the river, was over a succession of deep valleys and hills, so steep that it was difficult for a horse to get up and over them with a load, and the fall of a horse became a common occurrence. they were all, however, recovered without injury, although one of them fell upwards of one hundred feet; yet in consequence of his fall having been repeatedly broken by the shrubs and trees, he reached the bottom without injury to himself, but with the loss of his load, consisting of their camp utensils, &c., which were swept off by the rapid current of the river. the route lay, for several days, through forests of spruce, and some of the trees that had fallen measured two hundred and sixty-five feet in length. one of these, at the height of ten feet from the roots, measured thirty-five feet in circumference, and at the end which had been broken off in its fall, it was found to be eighteen inches in diameter, which would make the tree little short of three hundred feet when it was growing. the stems of all these trees were clear of branches to the height of one hundred and fifty feet from the ground, and perfectly straight. in many cases it was impossible to see over the fallen trees, even when on horseback, and on these, seedlings were growing luxuriantly, forcing their roots through the bark and over the body of the trunk till they reached the ground. many spruces were seen which had grown in this way; and these, though of considerable size, still retained the form of an arch, showing where the old tree had lain, and under which they occasionally rode. as may be supposed, they could not advance very rapidly over such ground, and lieutenant johnson remarks, that although he was frequently desirous of shortening the road, by taking what seemed a more direct course, he invariably found himself obliged to return to the indian trail. daylight of the th brought with it its troubles: it was found that the horses had strayed,--a disaster that the indians took quite coolly, hoping it would be the cause of their return. after a diligent search, the horses were found in places where they had sought better food, although it was scanty enough even there. during the day, the route led along the smalocho,[ ] which runs nearly east and west; and they only left its banks when they were obliged to do so by various impassable barriers. this part of the country is composed of conical hills, which are all thickly clothed with pine trees of gigantic dimensions. they made nine miles this day, without accident; but when they encamped, they had no food for the horses except fern. the animals, in consequence, seemed much overcome, as did also the indians, who had travelled the whole day with heavy loads. lieutenant johnson, by way of diverting the fatigue of the latter, got up a shooting-match for a knife, the excitement of which had the desired effect. the trees hereabout were chiefly the cotton-wood, maple, spruce, pine, and elder, and some undergrowth of raspberry, the young shoots of which the natives eat with great relish. on the th, they set out at an early hour, and found the travelling less rough, so that they reached the foot of la tête[ ] before noon, having accomplished eleven miles. lieutenant johnson with the sergeant ascended la tête, obtained the bearings, from its summit, of all the objects around, and made its height by barometer, two thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight feet: its latitude was fixed at ° ' '' n. this mountain was entirely destitute of wood; but, having been burnt over, was found strewn with huge charred trunks, and the whole ground covered with ashes. the inclination of its sides was about fifty degrees. the country around seemed one continued series of hills, and like la tête had suffered from the fire. according to the natives, although the wood on the mountains was destroyed many years since, yet it was still observed to be on fire, in some places, about two years ago. most of the tops of the distant peaks had snow on them. to the east was seen the appearance of two valleys, through which the two branches of the smalocho[ ] flow. on descending from la tête, the river was to be crossed: this was found too deep to be forded, and it consequently became necessary to form a bridge to transport the baggage, by cutting down trees. the current was found to run · miles per hour. they had been in hopes of reaching the little prairie before night, but in consequence of this delay, were forced to encamp before arriving there. the indians complained much of the want of food: many of the horses also were exhausted for the same cause, and exhibited their scanty nourishment in their emaciated appearance. on the th, they reached the little prairie at an early hour, where, after consultation, it was determined to wait a day to recruit the horses, as this was the only place they could obtain food. it was also desirable to ascertain the practicability of passing the mountain with the horses, and at the same time to carry forward some of the loads, that the horses might have as little as possible to transport. mr. waldron and pierre charles were therefore sent forward with the indians, having loads of fifty pounds each, to ascend the mountain, while lieutenant johnson remained with the camp to get observations. dr. pickering and mr. brackenridge accompanied the party of mr. waldron to the snow-line. the prairie on which they had encamped was about two and a half acres in extent, and another of the same size was found half a mile farther east. the th was employed by lieutenant johnson in determining the positions of this prairie, which proved to be in latitude ° ' '' n., and longitude ° ' w.[ ] the variation was ° ' easterly. at sunset, messengers arrived from mr. waldron, who had reached the summit at noon, and was to proceed down to the snow-line to encamp. the snow was found to be about ten feet deep, and the party crossing sank about ankle-deep, for which reason opinions varied as to the possibility of getting the horses over; but it was determined to make the trial. lieutenant johnson, therefore, set out, leaving a supply of food with an old indian and a horse, both of whom were worn out, and unable to proceed. by eleven o'clock, they were met by pierre charles and the indians, who gave some slight hopes of accomplishing the task of getting all over. lieutenant johnson determined to take only the strongest horses to the edge of the snow. at half-past p.m., they reached the best practicable encampment, being a mile beyond the place where mr. waldron had encamped two days before. the snow having melted so rapidly, lieutenant johnson, taking all things into consideration, determined, notwithstanding the forebodings of failure held out by the party that had gone before, to make the attempt. it now became necessary to push on with as much haste as possible, on account of the state of their provisions; for what with the loss sustained in fording the river, and in consumption, they were obliged to adopt an allowance. on the th, they departed, at early dawn, in order to take advantage of the firmness of the snow, occasioned by the last night's frost. they ascended rapidly, and passed over the worst of the way, the horses sinking no deeper than their fetlocks. they first passed over a narrow ridge, and then a succession of small cones, until they reached the summit. mount rainier, from the top, bore south-southwest, apparently not more than ten miles distant. a profile of the mountain indicates that it has a terminal crater, as well as some on its flanks. the barometer stood at · in.: five thousand and ninety-two feet. there was another, to the north-northeast, covered with snow, and one to the west appeared about two hundred feet higher than the place where the observations were taken. this latter had suffered from fire in the same way as la tête, and showed only a few patches of snow. to the eastward, a range of inferior height, running north and south, was in view, without snow. on the western ascent of this mountain, the pines were scrubby; but at the summit, which was a plain, about a mile in length by half a mile wide, they were straight and towering, about eighty feet in height, without any limbs or foliage, except at the top. the distance travelled over the top was about five miles. on descending the east side, the snow was much deeper and softer, but the horses managed to get along well, and without accident. lieutenant johnson, in following the party, missed the trail, and lost his way for three or four hours. on discovering the camp of those who had gone before, on the opposite side of a stream, he attempted to cross it on a log, in doing which his foot slipped, and he was precipitated into the water. although his first thought was to save the chronometer from accident, it was too late, for the watch had stopped; it was not, however, so far injured as not to be set a-going, and it continued to go during the remainder of the journey: the only use i have been able to make of his subsequent observations, was to obtain the relative meridian distances between the points visited, without the absolute longitude. it is needless to say, that i placed little or no dependence on them, in constructing the map. although the horses had, with one or two exceptions, reached the eastern side of the mountain, yet they, together with the indians, were very much exhausted. the time had now come when the indians, according to agreement, were to be paid off, and they had done much more than they agreed to do, having crossed the mountain twice. finding the necessity of retaining all the blankets that had been brought with them, in order to buy horses, lieutenant johnson proposed to the indians to receive an order on nisqually, in lieu of the immediate delivery of the blankets. this they readily assented to, and also willingly gave up those that had already been paid them, on receiving a similar order,--thus showing a spirit of accommodation highly praiseworthy. only two of them returned to nisqually, to whom were entrusted the botanical specimens, and the care of the horses left upon the road. the banks of the small streams on the eastern side of the mountain were bordered with the greatest variety of trees and shrubs, consisting of poplars, buckthorn fifty feet high, dogwood thirty to forty feet high, several species of willow, alder, two species of maple, and occasionally a yew. the undergrowth was composed of hazel, vaccinium, gaultheria, and a prickly species of aralia. the herbaceous shrubs were goodyera, neottia, viola, claytonia, corallorrhiza. the latter, however, were not in flower. the party on foot, after leaving the little prairie about half a mile, crossed the northern branch of the smalocho,[ ] which was found much swollen and very rapid. two trees were cut down to form a bridge. after this, the walking through the forest became smooth and firm, and they passed on at a rapid pace. the indians, although loaded with ninety pounds of baggage, kept up with the rest. at nightfall they encamped at the margin of the snow. on lighting their fires, they accidentally set fire to the moss-covered trees, and in a few moments all around them was a blazing mass of flame, which compelled them to change their quarters farther to windward. they had made eighteen miles. but few plants were found, the season being too early for collecting at so high an elevation. the ground was covered with spruce-twigs, which had apparently been broken off by the weight of the snow. the summit was passed through an open space about twenty acres in extent. this glade was surrounded with a dense forest of spruce trees. there was no danger in walking except near the young trees, which had been bent down by the snow, but on passing these they often broke through, and experienced much difficulty in extricating themselves, particularly the poor indians, with their heavy burdens. the breadth of snow passed over was about eight miles. at three o'clock they reached the spipen[ ] river, where they encamped: this camp was found to be two thousand five hundred and forty-one feet above the level of the sea. the vegetation appeared to our botanical gentlemen farther advanced on the east side than on the west, at the same height; the pulmonarias and several small annuals were more forward. there were only a few pine trees, and those small, seen on the west side of the ridge; and on the east side, there was a species of larch, the hackmatack of the country. while they remained at this camp, they found a pyrola, and some new ferns. the country about the spipen[ ] is mountainous and woody, with a narrow strip of meadow-land along its banks. mr. waldron had, on arriving at the camp, sent lachemere, one of the indians, down the river to an indian chief, in order to procure horses. those that remained after providing for the baggage, were consequently assigned each to two or three individuals to ride and tye on their route. on the th, they proceeded down the spipen, making a journey of eighteen miles, and passed another branch of the river, the junction of which augmented its size very considerably. its banks, too, became perpendicular and rocky, with a current flowing between them at the rate of six or seven miles an hour. after the junction, the stream was about one hundred feet broad, and its course was east-southeast. the vegetation on the east side of the mountains was decidedly more advanced than that to the west, and several very interesting species of plants were met with by the botanists, on the banks of the streams: among them were pæonia brownii, cypripedium oregonium, pentstemon, ipomopsis elegans, and several compositæ, and a very handsome flowering shrub, purshia tridentata. on the st, they continued their route over a rough country, in some places almost impassable for a horse from its steepness, and in others so marshy as to require much caution to prevent being mired. during the morning, they met two indians, who informed them that the chief of the yakima tribe was a short distance in advance, waiting to meet them, and that he had several horses. at noon they reached a small prairie on the banks of the river, where old tidias, the chief, was seen seated in state to receive lieutenant johnson; but this ceremony was unavoidably broken in upon by the necessity of getting the meridian observations. the chief, however, advanced towards him with every mark of friendship, giving the party a hearty welcome. in person he was tall, straight, and thin, a little bald, with long black hair hanging down his back, carefully tied with a worsted rag. he was grave, but dignified and graceful. when they had been seated, and after smoking a couple of pipes in silence, he intimated that he was ready for a talk, which then followed, relative to the rivers and face of the country; but little information was obtained that could be depended upon. this tribe subsist chiefly upon salmon and the cammass-root: game is very scarce, and the beaver have all disappeared. the cammass-root is pounded and made into a sort of cake, which is not unpleasant, having a sweetish taste, but it is very dry, although some of the party took a fancy to it. tidias had with him an old man almost blind, who claimed much respect, and two young men, whose dress of buckskin, profusely ornamented with beads, was much admired by the party. during the talk, the old chief expressed himself delighted to see the white men, and spoke of his own importance, his immense territory, etc., in a style of boasting, to which the indians are very much addicted. he said that he was desirous of affording all the accommodation he could to the party. but although he had eight or ten fine horses with him, he would not agree to part with them, as they were all his favourites. he was presented with a variety of articles, in return for which he gave the party a few dried salmon. towards evening, old tidias took leave of them, saying that it was not proper for an indian to encamp in the same place with a white man, and with a promise that he would have horses by ten o'clock the next day; but he had a game to play by procrastinating, in which he thoroughly succeeded. in the morning they reached the indian camp below, but no horses had arrived. it was far, they said, to tidias's house; a man could not go thither and return in the same day; no horses or salmon could be brought; no one could be permitted to go. lieutenant johnson was then told that the road he had to follow was a "hungry" road. at last the indian was induced by high offers to exchange good horses for a great number of bad ones, and finally consented to part with two more. on quitting him they became thoroughly aware that all the difficulties were owing, not to any indisposition to sell, but were created for the purpose of inducing high prices to be given. the party now branched off at right angles to their former route, lieutenant johnson heartily sick and tired of his friend tidias and his people. two more of the indians here left them. the country they entered, after passing a ridge about six hundred feet high, was quite of a different aspect, forming long sloping hills, covered with a scanty growth of pines. many dry beds of rivulets were passed, and the soil of the hills produced nothing but a long thin grass. there are, however, some small valleys where the growth of grass is luxuriant, the pines are larger, and the scenery assumed a park-like appearance. from the summit of one of the hills, a sketch of mount rainier, and of the intervening range, was obtained. on the top of the ridge they fell in with a number of spipen indians, who were engaged in digging the cammass and other roots. the latter were those of an umbelliferous plant, oblong, tuberous, and in taste resembling a parsnip. the process used to prepare them for bread, is to bake them in a well-heated oven of stones; when they are taken out they are dried, and then pounded between two stones till the mass becomes as fine as corn meal, when it is kneaded into cakes and dried in the sun. these roots are the principal vegetable food of the indians throughout middle oregon. the women are frequently seen, to the number of twenty or thirty, with baskets suspended from the neck, and a pointed stick in their hand, digging these roots, and so intently engaged in the search for them, as to pay no attention whatever to a passer-by. when these roots are properly dried, they are stored away for the winter's consumption. this day they made only fifteen miles, in a northern direction. on the d of june, they reached the yakima, after having crossed a small stream. the yakima was too deep for the horses to ford with their packs, and they now for the first time used their balsas of india-rubber cloth, which were found to answer the purpose of floating the loads across the stream. this river is one hundred and fifty feet wide, and pursues an east-southeast course, with a velocity of more than four miles an hour. at this place were found twenty migrating indians, who have their permanent residence on the banks lower down. the chief, kamaiyah, was the son-in-law of old tidias, and one of the most handsome and perfectly-formed indians they had met with. he was found to be gruff and surly in his manners, which was thought to be owing to his wish to appear dignified. these indians were living in temporary huts, consisting of mats spread on poles. among them was seen quite a pretty girl, dressed in a shirt and trousers, with moccasins of skin very much ornamented with fringe and beads. they had a number of fine horses, but could not be induced to part with any of them. lieutenant johnson had now succeeded in purchasing venison and salmon, and the party again had full allowance. on the d, they continued their route to the northward, over gradually rising ground, and lieutenant johnson having succeeded in purchasing three more horses, only three of the party were now without them, so that the riding and tye system was not quite so often resorted to as before. on this plain was seen a number of curlews, some grouse, and a large species of hare. they encamped again near the snow, and found their altitude greater than any yet reached, the barometer standing at · in.: five thousand two hundred and three feet. they had again reached the spruces and lost the pine, which was only found on the hill-sides and plains. at a.m. on the morning of the th of june, the thermometer stood at °. they on that day continued their route up the mountain and across its summit, which was here and there covered with patches of snow. i regret to record another accident to the instruments. the sergeant, to whom the barometer was intrusted by lieutenant johnson, in putting up the instrument this morning, carelessly broke it; and thus ended the barometrical experiments in the most interesting portion of the route. it is difficult to account for the scarcity of snow on a much higher elevation than they had before reached, and under circumstances which would appear to have warranted a contrary expectation. dr. pickering was induced to believe that this change in the climate is owing to the open nature of the surrounding country; its being devoid of dense forests, with but a few scattered trees and no under-brush; and the vicinity to elevated plains, and the ridge being of a less broken character. the early part of the day was cold, with showers of sleet. on the crest of the mountain they passed over swampy ground, with but a few patches of spruces: after passing which, they began to descend very regularly towards the columbia, which they reached early in the afternoon, about three miles below the pischous river.[ ] the columbia at this place is a rapid stream, but the scenery differs entirely from that of other rivers: its banks are altogether devoid of any fertile alluvial flats; destitute even of scattered trees; there is no freshness in the little vegetation on its borders; the sterile sands in fact reach to its very brink, and it is scarcely to be believed until its banks are reached that a mighty river is rolling its waters past these arid wastes. [the record of the journey to fort colville is omitted, to be resumed when the party returning draws near the environs of mount rainier. the portion omitted extends from page to in the original publication.] the party now pursued the route up the river, and in two hours reached the yakima, up whose valley they passed, encamping after making twenty-five miles. the country was rolling, and might be termed sandy and barren. mount st. helen's,[ ] with its snow-capped top, was seen at a great distance to the west. on the th, they continued their route, and at midday were overtaken by an indian, with a note informing them of the arrival of mr. drayton at wallawalla with the brigade. this was quick travelling for news in oregon; for so slow is it usually carried, that our party were the first to bring the news of the arrival and operations of the squadron in oregon. this intelligence had not previously reached wallawalla, although it is considered to be on the direct post-route to the interior, notwithstanding we had been in the country nearly two months. the news of the murder of mr. black, in new caledonia, was nearly a year in reaching some points on the coast. this was one of the warmest days they had experienced, and the thermometer under the shade of a canopy stood at °. at a short distance from the place where they stopped was a small hut, composed of a few branches and reeds, which was thought to be barely sufficient to contain a sheep; yet under it were four generations of human beings, all females, seated in a posture, which, to whites, would have been impracticable. they had just procured their subsistence for the day, and their meal consisted of the berries of the dogwood. the scene was not calculated to impress one very favourably with savage life. the oldest of these had the cartilage of the nose pierced, but the others had not; leading to the conclusion that the practice had been discontinued for some years in the nation, who still, however, retain the name. the country exhibited little appearance of vegetation; the herbage was quite dried up, and from appearances was likely to continue so throughout the season. the prevailing vegetation consisted of bushes of wormwood, stinted in growth, and unyielding. after making thirty-three miles, they encamped among loose sand, one hundred feet above the water of the river. many rattlesnakes were found in this vicinity. owing to the quantities of mosquitoes, combined with the fear of snakes, the party obtained little or no rest, and were all glad to mount their horses and proceed on their way. in the early part of the day, they arrived at the junction of the spipen with the yakima: previous to this they crossed another branch, coming in from the southwest; the waters of the latter were very turbid, of a dark-brown colour, and it was conjectured that it had its source at or near mount rainier. along its banks was seen a range of basaltic columns. the yakima was crossed during the day in canoes, the river not being yet fordable. the country, which had for some days exhibited the appearance of the tillandsia districts of peru, had now begun to acquire a tinge of green, and some scattered pine trees had become visible. some small oaks were passed, which appeared of a local character. this night they again had a number of rattlesnakes in their camp. on the th, the valley had narrowed, and the banks becoming more perpendicular, they had a great many difficulties to encounter. they stopped at the camp of old tidias, whom, it will be recollected, they had encountered after crossing the mountains, and from whom they obtained some horses. they soon afterwards arrived at the path where they had turned off to the north. the river had fallen very much during their absence, and there was a marked difference in the season, the vegetation being much more backward than in the parts they had recently visited. the berries were just beginning to ripen, while in the plains, not twenty miles distant, they were already over. old tidias determined to accompany them to nisqually, taking with him his son, and lending them several horses. the spipen, up which they passed, was now hemmed in by mountain ridges, occasionally leaving small portions of level ground. they encamped at the place they had occupied on the th of may. the vegetation, since they had passed this place, had so much advanced that they had difficulty in recognising it again. the wet prairies were overgrown with rank grass, from one to two feet in height. after a short rest at the foot of the mountain, they began its ascent, and reached the crest of the ridge in about three hours. on every side they found a low growth of shrubs, which they had not suspected when it was covered with snow, and causing the summit to differ essentially from the broad ridge they had crossed between the yakima and pischous rivers. they encamped for the night on the edge of a wet prairie, which afforded pasturage for their horses. the next day they passed through several similar prairies, and descended the western slope of the mountain, where they found more patches of snow than on the east side. this was just the reverse of what they had found on their previous passage; the season, too, was evidently much less advanced. this circumstance was supposed to be owing to the denser forest on the west, as well as the absence of elevated plains. they encamped the same night at the little prairie before spoken of, at the foot of the western slope. before reaching it, they met a party of men and women carrying a sick chief over the mountain, who was evidently dying. it was affecting to see him stretching forth his hand to them as they passed, as if desiring to be friends with all before he died. he died the same night. the two next days it rained almost constantly, but they found the road much less difficult to travel than before, and the streams were fordable, which enabled them to make more rapid progress. on the th, they passed the smalocho, and on the th reached nisqually, all well; having performed a journey of about one thousand miles without any material accident, except those that have been related as having occurred to the instruments. they traversed a route which white men had never before taken, thus enabling us to become acquainted with a portion of the country about which all had before been conjecture. they had also made a large addition to our collection of plants. [illustration: theodore winthrop. from the rowse crayon portrait.] iv. tacoma and the indian legend of hamitchou by theodore winthrop theodore winthrop was a descendant of the famous governor john winthrop, of massachusetts. he was born at new haven, connecticut, on september , , and lost his life early in the civil war near great bethel, virginia, on june , . his death was deeply mourned as of one who had given great promise of success in the field of literature. his book, _the canoe and the saddle_, has appeared in many editions. it tells of his visit to puget sound and across the cascade mountains in . in that volume he declares that the indians called the mountain, tacoma. so far as is known to the editor, that is the first place that that name for the mountain appeared in print. in addition to this interesting fact, the book is a charming piece of literature, and will endure as one of the classics on the pacific northwest. the portions here reproduced relate to the mountain. they are taken from an early edition of the book published by the john w. lovell company of new york. the edition carries no date, but the copyright notice is by ticknor and fields, . the parts used are from pages - , and - . the author's niece, elizabeth winthrop johnson, of pasadena, california, kindly furnished a photograph of rowse's portrait of her famous uncle. the large and beautiful glacier sweeping from the northeast summit past the western slope of steamboat prow now bears the name of winthrop glacier. we had rounded a point, and opened puyallop bay, a breadth of sheltered calmness, when i, lifting sleepy eyelids for a dreamy stare about, was suddenly aware of a vast white shadow in the water. what cloud, piled massive on the horizon, could cast an image so sharp in outline, so full of vigorous detail of surface? no cloud, as my stare, no longer dreamy, presently discovered,--no cloud, but a cloud compeller. it was a giant mountain dome of snow, swelling and seeming to fill the aërial spheres as its image displaced the blue deeps of tranquil water. the smoky haze of an oregon august hid all the length of its lesser ridges, and left this mighty summit based upon uplifting dimness. only its splendid snows were visible, high in the unearthly regions of clear blue noonday sky. the shore line drew a cincture of pines across the broad base, where it faded unreal into the mist. the same dark girth separated the peak from its reflection, over which my canoe was now pressing, and sending wavering swells to shatter the beautiful vision before it. kingly and alone stood this majesty, without any visible comrade or consort, though far to the north and the south its brethren and sisters dominated their realms, each in isolated sovereignty, rising above the pine-darkened sierra of the cascade mountains,--above the stern chasm where the columbia, achilles of rivers, sweeps, short-lived and jubilant, to the sea,--above the lovely vales of the willamette and umpqua. of all the peaks from california to frazer's river, this one before me was royalest. mount regnier christians have dubbed it, in stupid nomenclature perpetuating the name of somebody or nobody. more melodiously the siwashes call it tacoma,--a generic term also applied to all snow peaks. whatever keen crests and crags there may be in its rock anatomy of basalt, snow covers softly with its bends and sweeping curves. tacoma, under its ermine, is a crushed volcanic dome, or an ancient volcano fallen in, and perhaps as yet not wholly lifeless. the domes of snow are stateliest. there may be more of feminine beauty in the cones, and more of masculine force and hardihood in the rough pyramids, but the great domes are calmer and more divine, and, even if they have failed to attain absolute dignified grace of finish, and are riven and broken down, they still demand our sympathy for giant power, if only partially victor. each form--the dome, the cone, and the pyramid--has its type among the great snow peaks of the cascades. [chapter vii, beginning at page of the original publication, is entitled "tacoma."] up and down go the fortunes of men, now benignant, now malignant. _ante meridiem_ of our lives, we are rising characters. our full noon comes, and we are borne with plaudits on the shoulders of a grateful populace. _post meridiem_, we are ostracized, if not more rudely mobbed. at twilight, we are perhaps recalled, and set on the throne of nestor. such slow changes in esteem are for men of some import and of settled character. loolowcan suffered under a more rapidly fluctuating public opinion. at the camp of the road-makers, he had passed through a period of neglect,--almost of ignominy. my hosts had prejudices against redskins; they treated the son of owhhigh with no consideration; and he became depressed and slinking in manner under the influence of their ostracism. no sooner had we disappeared from the range of boston eyes than loolowcan resumed his leadership and his control. i was very secondary now, and followed him humbly enough up the heights we had reached. here were all the old difficulties increased, because they were no longer met on a level. we were to climb the main ridge,--the mountain of la tête,--abandoning the valley, assaulting the summits. and here, as owhhigh had prophesied in his harangue at nisqually, the horse's mane must be firmly grasped by the climber. poor, panting, weary nags! may it be true, the promise of loolowcan, that not far away is abundant fodder! but where can aught, save firs with ostrich digestion, grow on these rough, forest-clad shoulders? so i clambered on till near noon. i had been following thus for many hours the blind path, harsh, darksome, and utterly lonely, urging on with no outlook, encountering no landmark,--at last, as i stormed a ragged crest, gaining a height that overtopped the firs, and, halting there for panting moments, glanced to see if i had achieved mastery as well as position,--as i looked somewhat wearily and drearily across the solemn surges of forest, suddenly above their sombre green appeared tacoma. large and neighbor it stood, so near that every jewel of its snow-fields seemed to send me a separate ray; yet not so near but that i could with one look take in its whole image, from clear-cut edge to edge. all around it the dark evergreens rose like a ruff; above them the mountain splendors swelled statelier for the contrast. sunlight of noon was so refulgent upon the crown, and lay so thick and dazzling in nooks and chasms, that the eye sought repose of gentler lights, and found it in shadowed nooks and clefts, where, sunlight entering not, delicate mist, an emanation from the blue sky, had fallen, and lay sheltered and tremulous, a mild substitute for the stronger glory. the blue haze so wavered and trembled into sunlight, and sunbeams shot glimmering over snowy brinks so like a constant avalanche, that i might doubt whether this movement and waver and glimmer, this blending of mist with noontide flame, were not a drifting smoke and cloud of yellow sulphurous vapor floating over some slowly chilling crater far down in the red crevices. but if the giant fires had ever burned under that cold summit, they had long since gone out. the dome that swelled up passionately had crusted over and then fallen in upon itself, not vigorous enough with internal life to bear up in smooth proportion. where it broke into ruin was no doubt a desolate waste, stern, craggy, and riven, but such drear results of titanic convulsion the gentle snows hid from view. no foot of man had ever trampled those pure snows. it was a virginal mountain, distant from the possibility of human approach and human inquisitiveness as a marble goddess is from human love. yet there was nothing unsympathetic in its isolation, or despotic in its distant majesty. but this serene loftiness was no home for any deity of those that men create. only the thought of eternal peace arose from this heaven-upbearing monument like incense, and, overflowing, filled the world with deep and holy calm. wherever the mountain turned its cheek toward the sun, many fair and smiling dimples appeared, and along soft curves of snow, lines of shadow drew tracery fair as the blue veins on a child's temple. without the infinite sweetness and charm of this kindly changefulness of form and color, there might have been oppressive awe in the presence of this transcendent glory against the solemn blue of noon. grace played over the surface of majesty, as a drift of rose-leaves wavers in the air before a summer shower, or as a wreath of rosy mist flits before the grandeur of a storm. loveliness was sprinkled like a boon of blossoms upon sublimity. our lives forever demand and need visual images that can be symbols to us of the grandeur or the sweetness of repose. there are some faces that arise dreamy in our memories, and look us into calmness in our frantic moods. fair and happy is a life that need not call upon its vague memorial dreams for such attuning influence, but can turn to a present reality, and ask tranquillity at the shrine of a household goddess. the noble works of nature, and mountains most of all, "have power to make our noisy years seem moments in the being of the eternal silence." and, studying the light and the majesty of tacoma, there passed from it and entered into my being, to dwell there evermore by the side of many such, a thought and an image of solemn beauty, which i could thenceforth evoke whenever in the world i must have peace or die. for such emotion years of pilgrimage were worthily spent. if mortal can gain the thoughts of immortality, is not his earthly destiny achieved? for, when we have so studied the visible poem, and so fixed it deep in the very substance of our minds, there is forever with us not merely a perpetual possession of delight, but a watchful monitor that will not let our thoughts be long unfit for the pure companionship of beauty. for whenever a man is false to the light that is in him, and accepts meaner joys, or chooses the easy indulgence that meaner passions give, then every fair landscape in all his horizon dims, and all its grandeurs fade and dwindle away, the glory vanishes, and he looks, like one lost, upon his world, late so lovely and sinless. while i was studying tacoma, and learning its fine lesson, it in turn might contemplate its own image far away on the waters of whulge, where streams from its own snows, gushing seaward to buffet in the boundless deep, might rejoice in a last look at their parent ere they swept out of puyallop bay. other large privilege of view it had. it could see what i could not,--tacoma the less, mt. adams, meritorious but clumsy; it could reflect sunbeams gracefully across a breadth of forest to st. helen's, the vestal virgin, who still kept her flame kindled, and proved her watchfulness ever and anon. continuing its panoramic studies, tacoma could trace the chasm of the columbia by silver circles here and there,--could see every peak, chimney, or unopened vent, from kulshan to shasta butte. the blue mountains eastward were within its scope, and westward the faint-blue levels of the pacific. another region, worthy of any mountain's beholding, tacoma sees, somewhat vague and dim in distance: it sees the sweet arcadian valley of the willamette, charming with meadow, park, and grove. in no older world where men have, in all their happiest moods, recreated themselves for generations in taming earth to orderly beauty, have they achieved a fairer garden than nature's simple labor of love has made there, giving to rough pioneers the blessings and the possible education of refined and finished landscape, in the presence of landscape strong, savage, and majestic. all this tacoma beholds, as i can but briefly hint; and as one who is a seer himself becomes a tower of light and illumination to the world, so tacoma, so every brother seer of his among the lofty snow-peaks, stands to educate, by his inevitable presence, every dweller thereabouts. our race has never yet come into contact with great mountains as companions of daily life, nor felt that daily development of the finer and more comprehensive senses which these signal facts of nature compel. that is an influence of the future. the oregon people, in a climate where being is bliss,--where every breath is a draught of vivid life,--these oregon people, carrying to a new and grander new england of the west a fuller growth of the american idea, under whose teaching the man of lowest ambitions must still have some little indestructible respect for himself, and the brute of most tyrannical aspirations some little respect for others; carrying the civilization of history where it will not suffer by the example of europe,--with such material, that western society, when it crystallizes, will elaborate new systems of thought and life. it is unphilosophical to suppose that a strong race, developing under the best, largest, and calmest conditions of nature, will not achieve a destiny. up to tacoma, or into some such solitude of nature, imaginative men must go, as moses went up to sinai, that the divine afflatus may stir within them. the siwashes appreciate, according to their capacity, the inspiration of lonely grandeur, and go upon the mountains, starving and alone, that they may become seers, enchanters, magicians, diviners,--what in conventional lingo is called "big medicine." for though the indians here have not peopled these thrones of their world with the creatures of an anthropomorphic mythology, they yet deem them the abode of tamanoüs. tamanoüs is a vague and half-personified type of the unknown, of the mysterious forces of nature; and there is also an indefinite multitude of undefined emanations, each one a tamanoüs with a small t, which are busy and impish in complicating existence, or equally active and spritely in unravelling it. each indian of this region patronizes his own personal tamanoüs, as men of the more eastern tribes keep a private manitto, and as socrates kept a daimôn. to supply this want, tamanoüs with a big t undergoes an avatar, and incarnates himself into a salmon, a beaver, a clam, or into some inanimate object, such as a canoe, a paddle, a fir-tree, a flint, or into some elemental essence, as fire, water, sun, mist; and tamanoüs thus individualized becomes the "guide, philosopher, and friend" of every siwash, conscious that otherwise he might stray and be lost in the unknown realms of tamanoüs. hamitchou, a frowzy ancient of the squallyamish, told to dr. tolmie and me, at nisqually, a legend of tamanoüs and tacoma, which, being interpreted, runs as follows:-- hamitchou's legend "avarice, o boston tyee," quoth hamitchou, studying me with dusky eyes, "is a mighty passion. now, be it known unto thee that we indians anciently used not metals nor the money of you blanketeers. our circulating medium was shells,--wampum you would name it. of all wampum, the most precious is hiaqua. hiaqua comes from the far north. it is a small, perforated shell, not unlike a very opaque quill toothpick, tapering from the middle, and cut square at both ends. we string it in many strands, and hang it around the neck of one we love,--namely, each man his own neck. we also buy with it what our hearts desire. he who has most hiaqua is best and wisest and happiest of all the northern haida and of all the people of whulge. the mountain horsemen value it; and braves of the terrible blackfeet have been known, in the good old days, to come over and offer a horse or a wife for a bunch of fifty hiaqua. "now, once upon a time there dwelt where this fort of nisqually now stands a wise old man of the squallyamish. he was a great fisherman and a great hunter; and the wiser he grew, much the wiser he thought himself. when he had grown very wise, he used to stay apart from every other siwash. companionable salmon-boilings round a common pot had no charms for him. 'feasting was wasteful,' he said, 'and revellers would come to want.' and when they verified his prophecy, and were full of hunger and empty of salmon, he came out of his hermitage, and had salmon to sell. "hiaqua was the pay he always demanded; and as he was a very wise old man, and knew all the tide-ways of whulge, and all the enticing ripples and placid spots of repose in every river where fish might dash or delay, he was sure to have salmon when others wanted, and thus bagged largely of its precious equivalent, hiaqua. "not only a mighty fisher was the sage, but a mighty hunter, and elk, the greatest animal of the woods, was the game he loved. well had he studied every trail where elk leave the print of their hoofs, and where, tossing their heads, they bend the tender twigs. well had he searched through the broad forest, and found the long-haired prairies where elk feed luxuriously; and there, from behind palisade fir-trees, he had launched the fatal arrow. sometimes, also, he lay beside a pool of sweetest water, revealed to him by gemmy reflections of sunshine gleaming through the woods, until at noon the elk came down, to find death awaiting him as he stooped and drank. or beside the same fountain the old man watched at night, drowsily starting at every crackling branch, until, when the moon was high, and her illumination declared the pearly water, elk dashed forth incautious into the glade, and met their midnight destiny. "elk-meat, too, he sold to his tribe. this brought him pelf, but, alas for his greed, the pelf came slowly. waters and woods were rich in game. all the squallyamish were hunters and fishers, though none so skilled as he. they were rarely in absolute want, and, when they came to him for supplies, they were far too poor in hiaqua. "so the old man thought deeply, and communed with his wisdom, and, while he waited for fish or beast, he took advice within himself from his demon,--he talked with tamanoüs. and always the question was, 'how may i put hiaqua in my purse?' "tamanoüs never revealed to him that far to the north, beyond the waters of whulge, are tribes with their under lip pierced with a fishbone, among whom hiaqua is plenty as salmonberries are in the woods what time in mid-summer salmon fin it along the reaches of whulge. "but the more tamanoüs did not reveal to him these mysteries of nature, the more he kept dreamily prying into his own mind, endeavoring to devise some scheme by which he might discover a treasure-trove of the beloved shell. his life seemed wasted in the patient, frugal industry, which only brought slow, meagre gains. he wanted the splendid elation of vast wealth and the excitement of sudden wealth. his own peculiar tamanoüs was the elk. elk was also his totem, the cognizance of his freemasonry with those of his own family, and their family friends in other tribes. elk, therefore, were every way identified with his life; and he hunted them farther and farther up through the forests on the flanks of tacoma, hoping that some day his tamanoüs would speak in the dying groan of one of them, and gasp out the secret of the mines of hiaqua, his heart's desire. "tacoma was so white and glittering, that it seemed to stare at him very terribly and mockingly, and to know his shameful avarice, and how it led him to take from starving women their cherished lip and nose jewels of hiaqua, and to give them in return only tough scraps of dried elk-meat and salmon. when men are shabby, mean, and grasping, they feel reproached for their grovelling lives by the unearthliness of nature's beautiful objects, and they hate flowers, and sunsets, mountains, and the quiet stars of heaven. "nevertheless," continued hamitchou, "this wise old fool of my legend went on stalking elk along the sides of tacoma, ever dreaming of wealth. and at last, as he was hunting near the snows one day, one very clear and beautiful day of late summer, when sunlight was magically disclosing far distances, and making all nature supernaturally visible and proximate, tamanoüs began to work in the soul of the miser. "'are you brave,' whispered tamanoüs in the strange, ringing, dull, silent thunder-tones of a demon voice. 'dare you go to the caves where my treasures are hid?' "'i dare,' said the miser. "he did not know that his lips had syllabled a reply. he did not even hear his own words. but all the place had become suddenly vocal with echoes. the great rock against which he leaned crashed forth, 'i dare.' then all along through the forest, dashing from tree to tree and lost at last among the murmuring of breeze-shaken leaves, went careering his answer, taken up and repeated scornfully, 'i dare.' and after a silence, while the daring one trembled and would gladly have ventured to shout, for the companionship of his own voice, there came across from the vast snow wall of tacoma a tone like the muffled, threatening plunge of an avalanche into a chasm, 'i dare.' "'you dare,' said tamanoüs, enveloping him with a dread sense of an unseen, supernatural presence; 'you pray for wealth of hiaqua. listen!' "this injunction was hardly needed; the miser was listening with dull eyes kindled and starting. he was listening with every rusty hair separating from its unkempt mattedness, and outstanding upright, a caricature of an aureole. "'listen,' said tamanoüs, in the noonday hush. and then tamanoüs vouchsafed at last the great secret of the hiaqua mines, while in terror near to death the miser heard, and every word of guidance toward the hidden treasure of the mountains seared itself into his soul ineffaceably. "silence came again more terrible now than the voice of tamanoüs,--silence under the shadow of the great cliff,--silence deepening down the forest vistas,--silence filling the void up to the snows of tacoma. all life and motion seemed paralyzed. at last skai-ki, the blue-jay, the wise bird, foe to magic, sang cheerily overhead. her song seemed to refresh again the honest laws of nature. the buzz of life stirred everywhere again, and the inspired miser rose and hastened home to prepare for his work. "when tamanoüs has put a great thought in a man's brain, has whispered him a great discovery within his power, or hinted at a great crime, that spiteful demon does not likewise suggest the means of accomplishment. "the miser, therefore, must call upon his own skill to devise proper tools, and upon his own judgment to fix upon the most fitting time for carrying out his quest. sending his squaw out to the kamas prairie, under pretence that now was the season for her to gather their winter store of that sickish-sweet esculent root, and that she might not have her squaw's curiosity aroused by seeing him at strange work, he began his preparations. he took a pair of enormous elk-horns, and fashioned from each horn a two-pronged pick or spade, by removing all the antlers except the two topmost. he packed a good supply of kippered salmon, and filled his pouch with kinni kinnick for smoking in his black stone pipe. with his bow and arrows and his two elk-horn picks wrapped in buckskin hung at his back, he started just before sunset, as if for a long hunt. his old, faithful, maltreated, blanketless, vermilionless squaw, returning with baskets full of kamas, saw him disappearing moodily down the trail. "all that night, all the day following, he moved on noiselessly by paths he knew. he hastened on, unnoticing outward objects, as one with a controlling purpose hastens. elk and deer, bounding through the trees, passed him, but he tarried not. at night he camped just below the snows of tacoma. he was weary, weary, and chill night-airs blowing down from the summit almost froze him. he dared not take his fire-sticks, and, placing one perpendicular upon a little hollow on the flat side of the other, twirl the upright stick rapidly between his palms until the charred spot kindled and lighted his 'tipsoo,' his dry, tindery wool of inner bark. a fire, gleaming high upon the mountain-side, might be a beacon to draw thither any night-wandering savage to watch in ambush, and learn the path toward the mines of hiaqua. so he drowsed chilly and fireless, awakened often by dread sounds of crashing and rumbling among the chasms of tacoma. he desponded bitterly, almost ready to abandon his quest, almost doubting whether he had in truth received a revelation, whether his interview with tamanoüs had not been a dream, and finally whether all the hiaqua in the world was worth this toil and anxiety. fortunate is the sage who at such a point turns back and buys his experience without worse befalling him. "past midnight he suddenly was startled from his drowse, and sat bolt upright in terror. a light. was there another searcher in the forest, and a bolder than he? that flame just glimmering over the tree-tops, was it a camp-fire of friend or foe? had tamanoüs been revealing to another the great secret? no, smiled the miser, his eyes fairly open, and discovering that the new light was the moon. he had been waiting for her illumination of paths heretofore untrodden by mortal. she did not show her full, round jolly face, but turned it askance as if she hardly liked to be implicated in this night's transaction. "however, it was light he wanted, not sympathy, and he started up at once to climb over the dim snows. the surface was packed by the night's frost, and his moccasins gave him firm hold; yet he travelled but slowly, and could not always save himself from a _glissade_ backwards, and a bruise upon some projecting knob or crag. sometimes, upright fronts of ice diverted him for long circuits, or a broken wall of cold cliff arose, which he must surmount painfully. once or twice he stuck fast in a crevice, and hardly drew himself out by placing his bundle of picks across the crack. as he plodded and floundered thus deviously and toilsomely upward, at last the wasted moon gan pale overhead, and under foot the snow grew rosy with coming dawn. the dim world about the mountain's base displayed something of its vast detail. he could see, more positively than by moonlight, the far-reaching arteries of mist marking the organism of whulge beneath; and what had been but a black chaos now revealed itself into the alpine forest whence he had come. "but he troubled himself little with staring about; up he looked, for the summit was at hand. to win that summit was wellnigh the attainment of his hopes, if tamanoüs were true; and that, with the flush of morning ardor upon him, he could not doubt. there, in a spot tamanoüs had revealed to him, was hiaqua,--hiaqua that should make him the richest and greatest of all the squallyamish. "the chill before sunrise was upon him as he reached the last curve of the dome. sunrise and he struck the summit together. together sunrise and he looked over the glacis. they saw within a great hollow all covered with the whitest of snow, save at the centre, where a black lake lay deep in a well of purple rock. "at the eastern end of this lake was a small, irregular plain of snow, marked by three stones like monuments. towards these the miser sprang rapidly, with full sunshine streaming after him over the snows. "the first monument he examined with keen looks. it was tall as a giant man, and its top was fashioned into the grotesque likeness of a salmon's head. he turned from this to inspect the second. it was of similar height, but bore at its apex an object in shape like the regular flame of a torch. as he approached, he presently discovered that this was an image of the kamas-bulb in stone. these two semblances of prime necessities of indian life delayed him but an instant, and he hastened on to the third monument, which stood apart on a perfect level. the third stone was capped by something he almost feared to behold, lest it should prove other than his hopes. every word of tamanoüs had thus far proved veritable; but might there not be a bitter deceit at the last? the miser trembled. "yes, tamanoüs was trustworthy. the third monument was as the old man anticipated. it was a stone elk's head, such as it appears in earliest summer, when the antlers are sprouting lustily under their rough jacket of velvet. "you remember, boston tyee," continued hamitchou, "that elk was the old man's tamanoüs, the incarnation for him of the universal tamanoüs. he therefore was right joyous at this good omen of protection; and his heart grew big and swollen with hope, as the black salmon-berry swells in a swamp in june. he threw down his 'ikta'; every impediment he laid down upon the snow; and, unwrapping his two picks of elk-horn, he took the stoutest, and began to dig in the frozen snow at the foot of the elk-head monument. "no sooner had he struck the first blow than he heard behind him a sudden puff, such as a seal makes when it comes to the surface to breathe. turning round much startled, he saw a huge otter just clambering up over the edge of the lake. the otter paused, and struck on the snow with his tail, whereupon another otter and another appeared, until, following their leader in slow and solemn file, were twelve other otters, marching toward the miser. the twelve approached, and drew up in a circle around him. each was twice as large as any otter ever seen. their chief was four times as large as the most gigantic otter ever seen in the regions of whulge, and certainly was as great as a seal. when the twelve were arranged, their leader skipped to the top of the elk-head stone, and sat there between the horns. then the whole thirteen gave a mighty puff in chorus. "the hunter of hiaqua was for a moment abashed at his uninvited ring of spectators. but he had seen otter before, and bagged them. these he could not waste time to shoot, even if a phalanx so numerous were not formidable. besides, they might be tamanoüs. he took to his pick and began digging stoutly. "he soon made way in the snow, and came to solid rock beneath. at every thirteenth stroke of his pick, the fugleman otter tapped with his tail on the monument. then the choir of lesser otters tapped together with theirs on the snow. this caudal action produced a dull, muffled sound, as if there were a vast hollow below. "digging with all his force, by and by the seeker for treasure began to tire, and laid down his elk-horn spade to wipe the sweat from his brow. straightway the fugleman otter turned, and, swinging his tail, gave the weary man a mighty thump on the shoulder; and the whole band, imitating, turned, and, backing inward, smote him with centripetal tails, until he resumed his labors, much bruised. "the rock lay first in plates, then in scales. these it was easy to remove. presently, however, as the miser pried carelessly at a larger mass, he broke his elkhorn tool. fugleman otter leaped down, and seizing the supplemental pick between his teeth, mouthed it over to the digger. then the amphibious monster took in the same manner the broken pick, and bore it round the circle of his suite, who inspected it gravely with puffs. "these strange, magical proceedings disconcerted and somewhat baffled the miser; but he plucked up heart, for the prize was priceless, and worked on more cautiously with his second pick. at last its blows and the regular thumps of the otter's tails called forth a sound hollower and hollower. his circle of spectators narrowed so that he could feel their panting breath as they bent curiously over the little pit he had dug. "the crisis was evidently at hand. "he lifted each scale of rock more delicately. finally he raised a scale so thin that it cracked into flakes as he turned it over. beneath was a large square cavity. "it was filled to the brim with hiaqua. "he was a millionnaire. "the otters recognized him as the favorite of tamanoüs, and retired to a respectful distance. "for some moments he gazed on his treasure, taking thought of his future proud grandeur among the dwellers by whulge. he plunged his arm deep as he could go; there was still nothing but the precious shells. he smiled to himself in triumph; he had wrung the secret from tamanoüs. then, as he withdrew his arm, the rattle of the hiaqua recalled him to the present. he saw that noon was long past, and he must proceed to reduce his property to possession. "the hiaqua was strung upon long, stout sinews of elk, in bunches of fifty shells on each side. four of these he wound about his waist; three he hung across each shoulder; five he took in each hand;--twenty strings of pure white hiaqua, every shell large, smooth, unbroken, beautiful. he could carry no more; hardly even with this could he stagger along. he put down his burden for a moment, while he covered up the seemingly untouched wealth of the deposit carefully with the scale stones, and brushed snow over the whole. "the miser never dreamed of gratitude, never thought to hang a string from the buried treasure about the salmon and kamas tamanoüs stones, and two strings around the elk's head; no, all must be his own, all he could carry now, and the rest for the future. "he turned, and began his climb toward the crater's edge. at once the otters, with a mighty puff in concert, took up their line of procession, and, plunging into the black lake, began to beat the water with their tails. "the miser could hear the sound of splashing water as he struggled upward through the snow, now melted and yielding. it was a long hour of harsh toil and much backsliding before he reached the rim, and turned to take one more view of this valley of good fortune. "as he looked, a thick mist began to rise from the lake centre, where the otters were splashing. under the mist grew a cylinder of black cloud, utterly hiding the water. "terrible are storms in the mountains; but in this looming mass was a terror more dread than any hurricane of ruin ever bore within its wild vortexes. tamanoüs was in that black cylinder, and as it strode forward, chasing in the very path of the miser, he shuddered, for his wealth and his life were in danger. "however, it might be but a common storm. sunlight was bright as ever overhead in heaven, and all the lovely world below lay dreamily fair, in that afternoon of summer, at the feet of the rich man, who now was hastening to be its king. he stepped from the crater edge and began his descent. "instantly the storm overtook him. he was thrown down by its first assault, flung over a rough bank of iciness, and lay at the foot torn and bleeding, but clinging still to his precious burden. each hand still held its five strings of hiaqua. in each hand he bore a nation's ransom. he staggered to his feet against the blast. utter night was around him,--night as if daylight had forever perished, had never come into being from chaos. the roaring of the storm had also deafened and bewildered him with its wild uproar. "present in every crash and thunder of the gale was a growing undertone, which the miser well knew to be the voice of tamanoüs. a deadly shuddering shook him. heretofore that potent unseen had been his friend and guide; there had been awe, but no terror, in his words. now the voice of tamanoüs was inarticulate, but the miser could divine in that sound an unspeakable threat of wrath and vengeance. floating upon this undertone were sharper tamanoüs voices, shouting and screaming always sneeringly, 'ha, ha, hiaqua!--ha, ha, ha!' "whenever the miser essayed to move and continue his descent, a whirlwind caught him, and with much ado tossed him hither and thither, leaving him at last flung and imprisoned in a pinching crevice, or buried to the eyes in a snowdrift, or bedded upside down on a shaggy boulder, or gnawed by lacerating lava jaws. sharp torture the old man was encountering, but he held fast to his hiaqua. "the blackness grew ever deeper and more crowded with perdition; the din more impish, demoniac, and devilish; the laughter more appalling; and the miser more and more exhausted with vain buffeting. he determined to propitiate exasperated tamanoüs with a sacrifice. he threw into the black cylinder storm his left-handful, five strings of precious hiaqua." "somewhat long-winded is thy legend, hamitchou, great medicine-man of the squallyamish," quoth i. "why didn't the old fool drop his wampum,--shell out, as one might say,--and make tracks?" "well, well!" continued hamitchou; "when the miser had thrown away his first handful of hiaqua, there was a momentary lull in elemental war, and he heard the otters puffing around him invisible. then the storm renewed, blacker, louder, harsher, crueller than before, and over the dread undertone of the voice of tamanoüs, tamanoüs voices again screamed, 'ha, ha, ha, hiaqua!' and it seemed as if tamanoüs hands, or the paws of the demon otters, clutched at the miser's right-handful and tore at his shoulder and waist belts. "so, while darkness and tempest still buffeted the hapless old man, and thrust him away from his path, and while the roaring was wickeder than the roars of tens and tens of tens of bears when ahungered they pounce upon a plain of kamas, gradually wounded and terrified he flung away string after string of hiaqua, gaining never any notice of such sacrifice, except an instant's lull of the cyclone and a puff from the invisible otters. "the last string he clung to long, and before he threw it to be caught and whirled after its fellows, he tore off a single bunch of fifty shells. but upon this, too, the storm laid its clutches. in the final desperate struggle the old man was wounded so sternly that when he had given up his last relic of the mighty treasure, when he had thrown into the formless chaos, instinct with tamanoüs, his last propitiatory offering, he sank and became insensible. "it seemed a long slumber to him, but at last he awoke. the jagged moon was just paling overhead, and he heard skai-ki, the blue-jay, foe to magic, singing welcome to sunrise. it was the very spot whence he started at morning. "he was hungry, and felt for his bag of kamas and pouch of smokeleaves. there, indeed, by his side were the elk-sinew strings of the bag, and the black stone pipe-bowl,--but no bag, no kamas, no kinni kinnik. the whole spot was thick with kamas plants, strangely out of place on the mountain-side, and overhead grew a large arbutus-tree, with glistening leaves, ripe for smoking. the old man found his hardwood fire-sticks safe under the herbage, and soon twirled a light, and, nurturing it in dry grass, kindled a cheery fire. he plucked up kamas, set it to roast, and laid a store of the arbutus-leaves to dry on a flat stone. "after he had made a hearty breakfast of the chestnut-like kamas-bulbs, and, smoking the thoughtful pipe, was reflecting on the events of yesterday, he became aware of an odd change in his condition. he was not bruised and wounded from head to foot, as he expected, but very stiff only, and as he stirred, his joints creaked like the creak of a lazy paddle upon the rim of a canoe. skai-ki, the blue-jay, was singularly familiar with him, hopping from her perch in the arbutus, and alighting on his head. as he put his hand to dislodge her, he touched his scratching-stick of bone, and attempted to pass it, as usual, through his hair. the hair was matted and interlaced into a network reaching fully two ells down his back. 'tamanoüs,' thought the old man. "chiefly he was conscious of a mental change. he was calm and content. hiaqua and wealth seemed to have lost their charms for him. tacoma, shining like gold and silver and precious stones of gayest lustre, seemed a benign comrade and friend. all the outer world was cheerful and satisfying. he thought he had never awakened to a fresher morning. he was a young man again, except for that unusual stiffness and unmelodious creaking joints. he felt no apprehension of any presence of a deputy tamanoüs, sent by tamanoüs to do malignities upon him in the lonely wood. great nature had a kindly aspect, and made its divinity perceived only by the sweet notes of birds and the hum of forest life, and by a joy that clothed his being. and now he found in his heart a sympathy for man, and a longing to meet his old acquaintances down by the shores of whulge. "he rose, and started on the downward way, smiling, and sometimes laughing heartily at the strange croaking, moaning, cracking, and rasping of his joints. but soon motion set the lubricating valves at work, and the sockets grew slippery again. he marched rapidly, hastening out of loneliness into society. the world of wood, glade, and stream seemed to him strangely altered. old colossal trees, firs behind which he had hidden when on the hunt, cedars under whose drooping shade he had lurked, were down, and lay athwart his path, transformed into immense mossy mounds, like barrows of giants, over which he must clamber warily, lest he sink and be half stifled in the dust of rotten wood. had tamanoüs been widely at work in that eventful night?--or had the spiritual change the old man felt affected his views of the outer world? "travelling downward, he advanced rapidly, and just before sunset came to the prairies where his lodge should be. everything had seemed to him so totally altered, that he tarried a moment in the edge of the woods to take an observation before approaching his home. there was a lodge, indeed, in the old spot, but a newer and far handsomer one than he had left on the fourth evening before. "a very decrepit old squaw, ablaze with vermilion and decked with countless strings of hiaqua and costly beads, was seated on the ground near the door, tending a kettle of salmon, whose blue and fragrant steam mingled pleasantly with the golden haze of sunset. she resembled his own squaw in countenance, as an ancient smoked salmon is like a newly-dried salmon. if she was indeed his spouse, she was many years older than when he saw her last, and much better dressed than the respectable lady had ever been during his miserly days. "he drew near quietly. the bedizened dame was crooning a chant, very dolorous,--like this: 'my old man has gone, gone, gone,-- my old man to tacoma, has gone. to hunt the elk, he went long ago. when will he come down, down, down, down to the salmon-pot and me?' 'he has come from tacoma down, down, down,-- down to the salmon-pot and thee,' shouted the reformed miser, rushing forward to supper and his faithful wife." "and how did penelope explain the mystery?" i asked. "if you mean the old lady," replied hamitchou, "she was my grandmother, and i'd thank you not to call names. she told my grandfather that he had been gone many years;--she could not tell how many, having dropped her tally-stick in the fire by accident that very day. she also told him how, in despite of the entreaties of many a chief who knew her economic virtues, and prayed her to become mistress of his household, she had remained constant to the absent, and forever kept the hopeful salmon-pot boiling for his return. she had distracted her mind from the bitterness of sorrow by trading in kamas and magic herbs, and had thus acquired a genteel competence. the excellent dame then exhibited with great complacency her gains, most of which she had put in the portable and secure form of personal ornament, making herself a resplendent magazine of valuable frippery. "little cared the repentant sage for such things. but he was rejoiced to be again at home and at peace, and near his own early gains of hiaqua and treasure, buried in a place of security. these, however, he no longer over-esteemed and hoarded. he imparted whatever he possessed, material treasures or stores of wisdom and experience, freely to all the land. every dweller by whulge came to him for advice how to chase the elk, how to troll or spear the salmon, and how to propitiate tamanoüs. he became the great medicine man of the siwashes, a benefactor to his tribe and his race. "within a year after he came down from his long nap on the side of tacoma, a child, my father, was born to him. the sage lived many years, beloved and revered, and on his deathbed, long before the boston tilicum or any blanketeers were seen in the regions of whulge, he told this history to my father, as a lesson and a warning. my father, dying, told it to me. but i, alas! have no son; i grow old, and lest this wisdom perish from the earth, and tamanoüs be again obliged to interpose against avarice, i tell the tale to thee, o boston tyee. mayest thou and thy nation not disdain this lesson of an earlier age, but profit by it and be wise." so far hamitchou recounted his legend without the palisades of fort nisqually, and motioning, in expressive pantomime, at the close, that he was dry with big talk, and would gladly wet his whistle. [chapter viii, beginning at page of the original publication, is entitled: "sowee house--loolowcan."] i had not long, that noon of august, from the top of la tête, to study tacoma, scene of hamitchou's wild legend. humanity forbade dalliance. while i fed my soul with sublimity, klale and his comrades were wretched with starvation. but the summit of the pass is near. a few struggles more, klale the plucky, and thy empty sides shall echo less drum-like. up stoutly, my steeds; up a steep but little less than perpendicular, paw over these last trunks of the barricades in our trail, and ye have won! so it was. the angle of our ascent suddenly broke down from ninety to fifteen, then to nothing. we had reached the plateau. here were the first prairies. nibble in these, my nags, for a few refreshing moments, and then on to superlative dinners in lovelier spots just beyond. let no one, exaggerating the joys of campaigning, with horace's "militia potior est," deem that there is no compensating pang among them. is it a pleasant thing, o traveller only in dreams, envier of the voyager in reality, to urge tired, reluctant, and unfed mustangs up a mountain pass, even for their own good? in such a case a man, the humanest and gentlest, must adopt the manners of a brute. he must ply the whip, and that cruelly; otherwise, no go. at first, as he smites, he winces, for he has struck his own sensibilities; by and by he hardens himself, and thrashes without a tremor. when the cortege arrives at an edible prairie, gastronomic satisfaction will put lethean freshness in the battered hide of every horse. we presently turned just aside from the trail into an episode of beautiful prairie, one of a succession along the plateau at the crest of the range. at this height of about five thousand feet, the snows remain until june. in this fair, oval, forest-circled prairie of my nooning, the grass was long and succulent, as if it grew in the bed of a drained lake. the horses, undressed, were allowed to plunge and wallow in the deep herbage. only horse heads soon could be seen, moving about like their brother hippopotami, swimming in sedges. to me it was luxury enough not to be a whip for a time. over and above this, i had the charm of a quiet nooning on a bank of emerald turf, by a spring, at the edge of a clump of evergreens. i took my luncheon of cold salt pork and doughy biscuit by a well of brightest water. i called in no proxy of tin cup to aid me in saluting this sparkling creature, but stooped and kissed the spring. when i had rendered my first homage thus to the goddess of the fountain, Ægle herself, perhaps, fairest of naiads, i drank thirstily of the medium in which she dwelt. a bubbling dash of water leaped up and splashed my visage as i withdrew. why so, sweet fountain, which i may name hippocrene, since hoofs of klale have caused me thy discovery? is this a rebuff? if there ever was lover who little merited such treatment it is i. "not so, appreciative stranger," came up in other bubbling gushes the responsive voice of nature through sweet vibrations of the melodious fount. "never a nymph of mine will thrust thee back. this sudden leap of water was a movement of sympathy, and a gentle emotion of hospitality. the naiad there was offering thee her treasure liberally, and saying that, drink as thou wilt, i, her mother nature, have commanded my winds and sun to distil thee fresh supplies, and my craggy crevices are filtering it in the store-houses, that it may be offered to every welcome guest, pure and cool as airs of dawn. stoop down," continued the voice, "thirsty wayfarer, and kiss again my daughter of the fountain, nor be abashed if she meets thee half-way. she knows that a true lover will never scorn his love's delicate advances." in response to such invitation, and the more for my thirsty slices of pork, i lapped the aerated tipple in its goblet, whose stem reaches deep into the bubble laboratories. i lapped,--an excellent test of pluck in the days of gideon son of barak;--and why? for many reasons, but among them for this;--he who lying prone can with stout muscular gullet swallow water, will be also able to swallow back into position his heart, when in moments of tremor it leaps into his throat. when i had lapped plenteously, i lay and let the breeze-shaken shadows smooth me into smiling mood, while my sympathies overflowed to enjoy with my horses their dinner. they fed like school-boys home for thanksgiving, in haste lest the present banquet, too good to be true, prove barmecide. a feast of colossal grasses placed itself at the lips of the breakfastless stud. they champed as their nature was;--klale like a hungry gentleman,--gubbins like a hungry clodhopper,--antipodes like a lubberly oaf. they were laying in, according to the hudson's bay company's rule, supply at this meal for five days; without such power, neither man nor horse is fit to tramp the northwest. i lay on the beautiful verdant bank, plucking now dextrously and now sinistrously of strawberries, that summer, climbing late to these snowy heights, had just ripened. medical men command us to swallow twice a day one bitter pill confectioned of all disgust. nature doses us, by no means against our will, with many sweet boluses of delight, berries compacted of acidulated, sugary spiciness. nature, tenderest of leeches,--no bolus of hers is pleasanter medicament than her ruddy strawberries. she shaped them like minié-balls, that they might traverse unerringly to the cell of most dulcet digestion. over their glistening surfaces she peppered little golden dots to act as obstacles lest they should glide too fleetly over the surfaces of taste, and also to gently rasp them into keener sensitiveness. mongers of pestled poisons may punch their pills in malodorous mortars, roll them in floury palms, pack them in pink boxes, and send them forth to distress a world of patients:--but nature, who if she even feels one's pulse does it by a gentle pressure of atmosphere,--nature, knowing that her children in their travels always need lively tonics, tells wind, sun, and dew, servitors of hers, clean and fine of touch, to manipulate gay strawberries, and dispose them attractively on fair green terraces, shaded at parching noon. of these lovely fabrics of pithy pulpiness, no limit to the dose, if the invalid does as nature intended, and plucks for himself, with fingers rosy and fragrant. i plucked of them, as far as i could reach on either side of me, and then lay drowsily reposing on my couch at the summit of the cascade pass, under the shade of a fir, which, outstanding from the forest, had changed its columnar structure into a pyramidal, and had branches all along its stalwart trunk, instead of a mere tuft at the top. in this shade i should have known the tree which gave it, without looking up,--not because the sharp little spicular leaves of the fir, miniatures of that sword rome used to open the world, its oyster, would drop and plunge themselves into my eyes, or would insert their blades down my back and scarify,--but because there is an influence and sentiment in umbrages, and under every tree its own atmosphere. elms refine and have a graceful elegiac effect upon those they shelter. oaks drop robustness. mimosas will presently make a sensitive-plant of him who hangs his hammock beneath their shade. cocoa-palms will infect him with such tropical indolence, that he will not stir until frowzy monkeys climb the tree and pelt him away to the next one. the shade of pine-trees, as any one can prove by a journey in maine, makes those who undergo it wiry, keen, trenchant, inexhaustible, and tough. when i had felt the influence of my fir shelter, on the edge of the wayside prairie, long enough, i became of course keen as a blade. i sprang up and called to loolowcan, in a resinous voice, "mamook chaco cuitan; make come horse." loolowcan, in more genial mood than i had known him, drove the trio out from the long grass. they came forth not with backward hankerings, but far happier quadrupeds than when they climbed the pass at noon. it was a pleasure now to compress with the knees klale, transformed from an empty barrel with protuberant hoops, into a full elastic cylinder, smooth as the boiler of a locomotive. "loolowcan, my lad, my experienced guide, cur nesika moosum; where sleep we?" said i. "copa sowee house,--kicuali. sowee, olyman tyee,--memloose. sia-a-ah mitlite;--at sowee's camp--below. sowee, oldman chief,--dead. it is far, far away," replied the son of owhhigh. far is near, distance is annihilated this brilliant day of summer, for us recreated with hippocrene, strawberries, shade of fir and tall snow-fed grass. down the mountain range seems nothing after our long laborious up; "the half is more than the whole." "lead on, loolowcan, intelligent brave, toward the residence of the late sowee." more fair prairies linked themselves along the trail. from these alpine pastures the future will draw butter and cheese, pasturing migratory cattle there, when summer dries the scanty grass upon the macadamized prairies of whulge. it is well to remind ourselves sometimes that the world is not wholly squatted over. the plateau soon began to ebb toward the downward slope. descent was like ascent, a way shaggy and abrupt. again the boston hooihut intruded. my friends the woodsmen had constructed an elaborate inclined plane of very knobby corduroy. klale sniffed at this novel road, and turned up his nose at it. he was competent to protect that feature against all the perils of stumble and fall on the trails he had been educated to travel, but dreaded grinding it on the rough bark of this unaccustomed highway. slow-footed oxen, leaning inward and sustaining each other, like two roysterers unsteady after wassail, might clumsily toil up such a road as this, hauling up stout, white-cotton-roofed wagons, filled with the babies and lares of emigrants; but quick-footed ponies, descending and carrying light loads of a wild indian and an untamed blanketeer, chose rather to whisk along the aboriginal paths. as we came to the irregular terraces after the first pitch, and scampered on gayly, i by and by heard a welcome whiz, and a dusky grouse (_tetrao obscurus_) lifted himself out of the trail into the lower branches of a giant fir. i had lugged my double-barrel thus far, a futile burden, unless when it served a minatory purpose among the drunken klalams. now it became an animated machine, and uttered a sharp exclamation of relief after long patient silence. down came tetrao,--down he came with satisfactory thud, signifying pounds of something not pork for supper. we bagged him joyously and dashed on. "kopet," whispered loolowcan turning, with a hushing gesture, "hiu kullakullie nika nanitch;--halt, plenty birds i see." he was so eager that from under his low brows and unkempt hair his dusky eyes glared like the eyes of wild beast, studying his prey from a shadowy lair. dismounting, i stole forward with assassin intent, and birds, grouse, five noble ones i saw, engaged in fattening their bodies for human solace and support. i sent a shot among them. there was a flutter among the choir,--one fluttered not. at the sound of my right barrel one bird fell without rising; another rose and fell at a hint from the sinister tube. the surviving trio were distracted by mortal terror. they flew no farther than a dwarf tree hard by. i drew my revolver, thinking that there might not be time to load, and fired in a hurry at the lowermost. "hyas tamanoüs!" whispered loolowcan, when no bird fell or flew,--"big magic," it seemed to the superstitious youth. often when sportsmen miss, they claim that their gun is bewitched, and avail themselves of the sure silver bullet. a second ball, passing with keener aim through the barrel, attained its mark. grouse third shook off his mortal remains, and sped to heaven. the two others, contrary to rule, for i had shot the lower, fled, cowardly carrying their heavy bodies to die of cold, starvation, or old age. "the good die first,"--ay, wordsworth! among birds this is verity; for the good are the fat, who, because of their avoirdupois, lag in flight, or alight upon lower branches and are easiest shot. loolowcan bagged my three trophies and added them to the first. henceforth the thought of a grouse supper became a fixed idea with me. i dwelt upon it with even a morbid appetite. i rehearsed, in prophetic mood, the scene of plucking, the scene of roasting, that happy festal scene of eating. so immersed did i become in gastronomic revery, that i did not mind my lookout, as i dashed after loolowcan, fearless and agile cavalier. a thrust awoke me to a sense of passing objects, a very fierce, lance-like thrust, full at my life. a wrecking snag of harsh dead wood, that projected up in the trail, struck me, and tore me half off my horse, leaving me jerked, scratched, disjointed, and shuddering. pachydermatous leggins of buckskin, at cost of their own unity, had saved me from impalement. some such warning is always preparing for the careless. i soon had an opportunity to propitiate nemesis by a humane action. a monstrous trunk lay across the trail. loolowcan, reckless steeplechaser, put his horse at it, full speed. gubbins, instead of going over neatly, or scrambling over cat-like, reared rampant and shied back, volte face. i rode forward to see what fresh interference of tamanoüs was here,--nothing tamanoüs but an unexpected sorry object of a horse. a wretched castaway, probably abandoned by the exploring party, or astray from them, essaying to leap the tree, had fallen back beneath the trunk and branches, and lay there entangled and perfectly helpless. we struggled to release him. in vain. at last a thought struck me. we seized the poor beast by his tail, fortunately a tenacious member, and, heaving vigorously, towed him out of prison. he tottered forlornly to his feet, looking about him like one risen from the dead. "how now, caudal?" said i, baptizing him by the name of the part that saved his life; "canst thou follow toward fodder?" he debated the question with himself awhile. solitary confinement of indefinite length, in a cramped posture, had given the poor skeleton time to consider that safety from starvation is worth one effort more. he found that there was still a modicum of life and its energy within his baggy hide. my horses seemed to impart to him some of their electricity, and he staggered on droopingly. lucky caudal, if life is worth having, that on that day, of all days, i should have arrived to rescue him. strange deliverances for body and soul come to the dying. fate sends unlooked-for succor, when horses or men despair. luckily for caudal, the weak-kneed and utterly dejected, sowee's prairie was near,--near was the prairie of sowee, mighty hunter of deer and elk, terror of bears. there at weird night sowee's ghost was often seen to stalk. dyspeptics from feather-beds behold ghosts, and are terrified, but nightwalkers are but bugbears to men who have ridden from dawn to dusk of a long summer's day over an indian trail in the mountains. i felt no fear that any incubus in the shape of a brassy-hued indian chief would sit upon my breast that night, and murder wholesome sleep. nightfall was tumbling down from the zenith before we reached camp. the sweet glimmers of twilight were ousted from the forest, sternly as mercy is thrust from a darkening heart. night is really only beautiful so far as it is not night,--that is, for its stars, which are sources of resolute daylight in other spheres, and for its moon, which is daylight's memory, realized, softened, and refined. night, however, had not drawn the pall of brief death over the world so thick but that i could see enough to respect the taste of the late sowee. when he voted himself this farm, and became seized of it in the days of unwritten agrarian laws, and before patents were in vogue, he proved his intelligent right to suffrage and seizure. here in admirable quality were the three first requisites of a home in the wilderness, water, wood, and grass. a musical rustle, as we galloped through, proved the long grass. all around was the unshorn forest. there were columnar firs making the sowee house a hypæthral temple on a grand scale. there had been here a lodge. a few saplings of its framework still stood, but sowee had moved elsewhere not long ago. wake siah memloose,--not long dead was the builder, and viator might camp here unquestioned. caudal had followed us in an inane, irresponsible way. patiently now he stood, apparently waiting for farther commands from his preservers. we unpacked and unsaddled the other animals. they knew their business, namely, to bolt instantly for their pasture. then a busy uproar of nipping and crunching was heard. poor caudal would not take the hint. we were obliged to drive that bony estray with blows out to the supper-field, where he stood aghast at the appetites of his new comrades. repose and good example, however, soon had their effect, and eight equine jaws instead of six made play in the herbage. "alki mika mamook pire, pe nesika klatawah copa klap tsuk; now light thou a fire, and we will go find water," said loolowcan. i struck fire,--fire smote tinder,--tinder sent the flame on, until a pyre from the world's free wood-pile was kindled. this boon of fire,--what wonder that men devised a prometheus greatest of demigods as its discoverer? mortals, shrinking from the responsibility of a high destiny and dreading to know how divine the divine would have them, always imagine an avatar of some one not lower than a half-god when a gift of great price comes to the world. and fire is a very priceless and beautiful boon,--not, as most know it, in imprisonment, barred with iron, or in sooty chimneys, or in mad revolt of conflagration,--but as it grows in a flashing pyramid out in camp in the free woods, with eager air hurrying in on every side to feed its glory. in the gloom i strike metal of steel against metallic flint. from this union a child is born. i receive the young spark tenderly in warm "tipsoo," in a soft woolly nest of bark or grass tinder. swaddled in this he thrives. he smiles; he chuckles; he laughs; he dances about, does my agile nursling. he will soon wear out his first infantile garb, so i cover him up in shelter. i feed him with digestible viands, according to his years. i give him presently stouter fare, and offer exhilarating morsels of fatness. all these the hearty youth assimilates, and grows healthily. and now i educate him to manliness, training him on great joints, shoulders, and marrowy portions. he becomes erelong a power and a friend able to requite me generously for my care. he aids me in preparing my feast, and we feast together. afterward we talk,--flame and i,--we think together strong and passionate thoughts of purpose and achievement. these emotions of manhood die away, and we share pensive memories of happiness missed, or disdained, or feebly grasped and torn away; regrets cover these like embers, and slowly over dead fieriness comes a robe of ashy gray. fire in the forest is light, heat, and cheer. when ours was nurtured to the self-sustaining point, we searched to find where the sage sowee kept his potables. carefully covered up in sedges was a slender supply of water, worth concealing from vulgar dabblers. its diamond drops were hidden away so thoroughly that we must mine for them by torchlight. i held a flaring torch, while loolowcan lay in wait for the trickle, and captured it in a tin pot. how wild he looked, that youth so frowzy by daylight, as, stooping under the tall sedges, he clutched those priceless sparkles. upon the _carte du jour_ at restaurant sowee was written grouse. "how shall we have them?" said i, cook and convive, to loolowcan, marmiton and convive. "one of these cocks of the mountain shall be fried, since gridiron is not," said i to myself, after meditation. "two shall be spitted, and roasted; and, as azrael may not want us before breakfast to-morrow, the fourth shall go on the _carte de dejeuner_." "o pork! what a creature thou art!" continued i, in monologue, cutting neat slices of that viand with my bowie-knife, and laying them fraternally, three in a bed, in the frying-pan. "blessed be moses! who forbade thee to the jews, whereby we, of freer dispensations, heirs of all the ages, inherit also pigs more numerous and bacon cheaper. o pork! what could campaigners do without thy fatness, thy leanness, thy saltness, thy portableness?" here loolowcan presented me the three birds plucked featherless as plato's man. the two roasters we planted carefully on spits before a sultry spot of the fire. from a horizontal stick, supported on forked stakes, we suspended by a twig over each roaster an automatic baster, an inverted cone of pork, ordained to yield its spicy juices to the wooing flame, and drip bedewing on each bosom beneath. the roasters ripened deliberately, while keen and quick fire told upon the fryer, the first course of our feast. meanwhile i brewed a pot of tea, blessing confucius for that restorative weed, as i had blessed moses for his abstinence from porkers. need i say that the grouse was admirable, that everything was delicious, and the confucian weed first chop? even a scouse of mouldy biscuit met the approval of loolowcan. feasts cooked under the greenwood tree, and eaten by their cooks after a triumphant day of progress, are sweeter than the conventional banquets of languid christendom. after we had paid our duty to the brisk fryer and the rotund roaster grouse, nothing remained but bones to propitiate sowee, should he find short commons in elysium, and wander back to his lodge, seeking what he might devour. all along the journey i had been quietly probing the nature of loolowcan, my most intimate associate thus far among the unalloyed copper-skins. chinook jargon was indeed but a blunt probe, yet perhaps delicate enough to follow up such rough bits of conglomerate as served him for ideas. an inductive philosopher, tracing the laws of developing human thought _in corpore viti_ of a frowzy savage, finds his work simple,--the nuggets are on the surface. those tough pebbles known to some metaphysicians as innate ideas, can be studied in loolowcan in their process of formation out of instincts. number one is the prize number in loolowcan's lottery of life. he thinks of that number; he dreams of it alone. when he lies down to sleep, he plots what he will do in the morning with his prize and his possession; when he wakes, he at once proceeds to execute his plots. loolowcan knows that there are powers out of himself; rights out of himself he does not comprehend, or even conceive. i have thus far been very indulgent to him, and treated him republicanly, mindful of the heavy mesne profits for the occupation of a continent, and the uncounted arrears of blood-money owed by my race to his; yet i find no trace of gratitude in my analysis of his character. he seems to be composed, selfishness, five hundred parts;--_nil admirari_ coolness, five hundred parts;--a well-balanced character, and perhaps one not likely to excite enthusiasm in others. i am a steward to him; i purvey him also a horse; when we reach the dalles, i am to pay him for his services;--but he is bound to me by no tie of comradery. he has caution more highly developed than any quadruped i have met, and will not offend me lest i should resign my stewardship, retract gubbins, refuse payment, discharge my guide, and fight through the woods, where he sees i am no stranger, alone. he certainly merits a "teapot" for his ability in guidance. he has memory and observation unerring; not once in all our intricate journey have i found him at fault in any fact of space or time. he knows "each lane and every ally green" here, accurately as comus knew his "wild wood." moral conceptions exist only in a very limited degree for this type of his race. of god he knows somewhat less than the theologians; that is, he is in the primary condition of uninquisitive ignorance, not in the secondary, of inquisitive muddle. he has the advantage of no elaborate system of human inventions to unlearn. he has no distinct fetichism. none of the north american indians have, in the accurate sense of the term; their nomad life and tough struggle with instructive nature in her roughness save them from such elaborate fetichism as may exist in more indolent climes and countries. loolowcan has his tamanoüs. it is talipus, the wolf, a "hyas skookoom tamanoüs, a very mighty demon," he informs me. he does not worship it; that would interfere with his devotions to his real deity, number one. it, in return, does him little service. if he met talipus, object of his superstition, on a fair morning, he would think it a good omen; if on a sulky morning, he might be somewhat depressed, but would not on that account turn back, as a roman brave would have done on meeting the matinal wolf. in fact, he keeps talipus, his tamanoüs, as a kind of ideal hobby, very much as a savage civilized man entertains a pet bulldog or a tame bear, a link between himself and the rude, dangerous forces of nature. loolowcan has either chosen his protector according to the law of likeness, or, choosing it by chance, has become assimilated to its characteristics. a wolfish youth is the _protégé_ of talipus,--an unfaithful, sinister, cannibal-looking son of a horse-thief. wolfish likewise is his appetite; when he asks me for more dinner, and this without stint or decorum he does, he glares as if, grouse failing, pork and hard-tack gone, he could call to talipus to send in a pack of wolves incarnate, and pounce with them upon me. a pleasant companion this for lamb-like me to lie down beside in the den of the late sowee. yet i do presently, after supper and a pipe, and a little jargoning in chinook with my wolf, roll into my blankets, and sleep vigorously, lulled by the gratifying noise of my graminivorous horses cramming themselves with material for leagues of lope to-morrow. no shade of sowee came to my slumbers with warning against the wolf in guise of a klickatat brave. i had no ghostly incubus to shake off, but sprang up recreate in body and soul. life is vivid when it thus awakes. to be is to do. and to-day much is to be done. long leagues away, beyond a gorge of difficulty, is the open rolling hill country, and again far beyond are the lodges of the people of owhhigh. "to-day," said loolowcan, "we must go copa nika ilihee, to my home, to weenas." forlorn caudal is hardly yet a frisky quadruped. yet he is of better cheer, perhaps up to the family-nag degree of vivacity. as to the others, they have waxed fat, and kick. klale, the humorous, kicks playfully, elongating in preparatory gymnastics. gubbins, the average horse, kicks calmly at his saddler, merely as a protest. antipodes, the spiteful blunderer, kicks in a revolutionary manner, rolls under his pack-saddle, and will not budge without maltreatment. ill-educated antipodes views mankind only as excoriators of his back, and general flagellants. klickitats kept him raw in flesh and temper; under me his physical condition improves; his character is not yet affected. before sunrise we quitted the house of sowee. footnotes: [ ] captain william henry mcneill and alexander caulfield anderson, hudson's bay company men, then at nisqually house. captain mcneill was master of the famous old steamer _beaver_. mr. anderson was in charge of nisqually house. both men were honored by having their names given to islands in puget sound. [ ] pierre charles, french canadian, had been an employee of the hudson's bay company. [ ] simon plomondon was an employee of the hudson's bay company, who retired and settled in the cowlitz valley. [ ] probably the stone creek of present usage. [ ] carbon river. [ ] meaning up the carbon river and its branch called south prairie creek. [ ] chehalis river. [ ] white river. [ ] white river. [ ] lieutenant richard arnold, in pacific railway reports, volume xii, part i, page , says: "near the junction of whitewater and green rivers there is a remarkable peak called la tête, from a large rock on its slope resembling the head and neck of a man. this is an important point, as it forms the gate of the mountains on the west." modern maps shift the "water" part of the names. they are now white and greenwater rivers. [ ] white and greenwater rivers. [ ] this is an error and should read ° ' w. as naches pass is known to be ° ' and lieutenant johnson's "little prairie" was a little west of the pass. [ ] greenwater branch of white river. [ ] naches river. [ ] wenatchee river. [ ] mount adams. the two peaks were frequently confused in early writings. [illustration: general august valentine kautz. united states army.] v. first attempted ascent, by lieutenant a. v. kautz, u.s.a. august valentine kautz was born at ispringen, baden, germany, on january , . in that same year his parents came to america. on attaining manhood the son entered the army and served as a private soldier in the mexican war. at its conclusion he was appointed to the military academy at west point. graduating in , he was assigned to the fourth infantry and soon found himself in the pacific northwest. after going through the indian wars here he achieved a brilliant record in the civil war. continuing in the army, he reached the rank of brigadier-general and was for a time in command of the department of the columbia. he died at seattle on september , . it was while, as a lieutenant, he was stationed at fort steilacoom that he attempted to ascend mount rainier. his account of the trip was published in the overland monthly, may, . it is here republished by permission of the editor. while the ascent was claimed to be complete the climber says there was still higher land above him, and it is now difficult to fix the exact altitude attained. professor i. c. russell declares that professor george davidson made a statement before the california academy of sciences, on march , , to the effect that when lieutenant kautz "attempted the ascent of mount rainier in " he found his way barred by a great glacier. from this, says professor russell, it "seems that he first reported the existence of living glaciers in the united states." (see: israel c. russell: glaciers of north america; boston, ginn & company, , p. ). the portrait of general kautz was furnished by his daughter, mrs. navana kautz simpson, of cincinnati, ohio. in the summer of i was stationed at fort steilacoom, washington territory. this post was located near the village of steilacoom, on the waters of puget sound. the post and the village took their names from a little stream near by, which is the outlet of a number of small lakes and ponds emptying into the sound. quite a family of indians made their permanent home in the vicinity of this creek in former years, and were known as "_steilacoom tillicum_." according to the indian pronunciation of the name it should have been spelled "steelacoom," dwelling long on the first syllable. i was at that time a first-lieutenant, young, and fond of visiting unexplored sections of the country, and possessed of a very prevailing passion for going to the tops of high places. my quarters fronted mount rainier, which is about sixty miles nearly east of fort steilacoom in an air line. on a clear day it does not look more than ten miles off, and looms up against the eastern sky white as the snow with which it is covered, with a perfectly pyramidal outline, except at the top, which is slightly rounded and broken. it is a grand and inspiring view, and i had expressed so often my determination to make the ascent, without doing it, that my fellow-officers finally became incredulous, and gave to all improbable and doubtful events a date of occurrence when i should ascend mount rainier. my resolution, however, took shape and form about the first of july. nearly all the officers had been very free to volunteer to go with me as long as they felt certain i was not going; but when i was ready to go, i should have been compelled to go alone but for the doctor, who was on a visit to the post from fort bellingham. i made preparations after the best authorities i could find, from reading accounts of the ascent of mont blanc and other snow mountains. we made for each member of the party an _alpenstock_ of dry ash with an iron point. we sewed upon our shoes an extra sole, through which were first driven four-penny nails with the points broken off and the heads inside. we took with us a rope about fifty feet long, a hatchet, a thermometer, plenty of hard biscuit, and dried beef such as the indians prepare. information relating to the mountain was exceedingly meagre; no white man had ever been near it, and indians were very superstitious and afraid of it. the southern slope seemed the least abrupt, and in that direction i proposed to reach the mountain; but whether to keep the high ground, or follow some stream to its source, was a question. leshi, the chief of the nesquallies, was at that time in the guard-house, awaiting his execution, and as i had greatly interested myself to save him from his fate, he volunteered the information that the valley of the nesqually river was the best approach after getting above the falls. he had some hope that i would take him as a guide; but finding that out of the question he suggested wah-pow-e-ty,[ ] an old indian of the nesqually tribe, as knowing more about the nesqually than any other of his people. mount rainier is situated on the western side of the cascade range, near the forty-seventh parallel. the range to which it belongs averages about , to , feet in height, and snow may be seen along its summit-level the year round, while rainier, with its immense covering of snow, towers as high again above the range. in various travels and expeditions in the territory, i had viewed the snow-peaks of this range from all points of the compass, and since that time having visited the mountain regions of europe, and most of those of north america, i assert that washington territory contains mountain scenery in quantity and quality sufficient to make half a dozen switzerlands, while there is on the continent none more grand and imposing than is presented in the cascade range north of the columbia river. about noon on the th of july [ ] we finally started. the party consisted of four soldiers--two of them equipped to ascend the mountain, and the other two to take care of our horses when we should be compelled to leave them. we started the soldiers on the direct route, with orders to stop at mr. wren's, on the eastern limit of the nesqually plains, ten or twelve miles distant, and wait for us, while the doctor and i went by the nesqually reservation in order to pick up old wah-pow-e-ty, the indian guide. we remained all night at wren's, and the next morning entered that immense belt of timber with which the western slope of the cascade range is covered throughout its entire length. i had become familiar with the indian trail that we followed, the year previous, in our pursuit of indians. the little patches of prairie are so rare that they constitute in that immense forest landmarks for the guidance of the traveler. six miles from wren's we came to pawhtummi, a little _camas_ prairie about yards long, and in breadth, a resort for the indians in the proper season to gather the _camas_-root. six miles farther we came to a similar prairie, circular in form, not more than yards in diameter, called koaptil. another six or seven miles took us to the tanwut, a small stream with a patch of prairie bordering it, where the trail crossed. ten or twelve miles more brought us to the mishawl prairie, where we camped for the night, this being the end of the journey for our horses, and the limit of our knowledge of the country. this prairie takes its name from the stream near by, and is situated between it and the owhap on a high table-land or bluff, not more than one or two miles from where these enter the nesqually. it is perhaps half a mile long, and or yards wide at the widest point. the grass was abundant, and it was an excellent place to leave our horses. fifteen months before, i had visited this spot, and camped near by with a small detachment of troops, searching for indians who had hidden away in these forests, completely demoralized and nearly starving. a family of two or three men, and quite a number of women and children, had camped in the fork of the mishawl and nesqually, about two miles from this prairie, and were making fishtraps to catch salmon. when we fell in with them we learned that the washington territory volunteers had been before us, and with their immensely superior force had killed the most of them without regard to age or sex. our own little command in that expedition captured about thirty of these poor, half-starved, ignorant creatures, and no act of barbarity was perpetrated by us to mar the memory of that success. we accordingly camped in the mishawl prairie. when i was here before it was in march, and the rainy season was still prevailing; the topographical engineer of the expedition and i slept under the same blankets on a wet drizzly night, and next morning treated each other to bitter reproaches for having each had more than his share of the covering. now the weather was clear and beautiful, and the scene lovely in comparison. i can imagine nothing more gloomy and cheerless than a fir-forest in washington territory on a rainy winter day. the misty clouds hang down below the tops of the tallest trees, and although it does not rain, but drizzles, yet it is very wet and cold, and penetrates every thread of clothing to the skin. the summers of this region are in extraordinary contrast with the winters. clear, beautiful, and dry, they begin in may and last till november; while in the winter, although in latitude ° and °, it rarely freezes or snows--often, however, raining two weeks without stopping a permeating drizzle. on this th of july, , the weather was beautiful; it had not rained for weeks. the mishawl--a raging mountain torrent, when last i saw it--was now a sluggish rivulet of clear mountain-spring water. we started early on our journey, having made our preparations the evening before. we calculated to be gone about six days. each member of the party had to carry his own provisions and bedding; everything was therefore reduced to the minimum. each took a blanket, twenty-four crackers of hard bread, and about two pounds of dried beef. we took dogue (a german) and carroll (an irishman) with us; they were both volunteers for the trip; one carried the hatchet and the other the rope. i carried a field-glass, thermometer, and a large-sized revolver. wah-pow-e-ty carried his rifle, with which we hoped to procure some game. the soldiers carried no arms. bell and doneheh were left behind to take care of the horses and extra provisions, until our return. we each had a haversack for our provisions, and a tin canteen for water. the doctor very unwisely filled his with whisky instead of water. having sounded wah-pow-e-ty as to the route, we learned he had once been on the upper nesqually when a boy, with his father, and that his knowledge of the country was very limited. we ascertained, however, that we could not follow the nesqually at first; that there was a fall in the river a short distance above the mouth of the mishawl, and that the mountains came down so abrupt and precipitous that we could not follow the stream, and that the mountain must be crossed first and a descent made to the river above the fall. that mountain proved a severer task than we anticipated. there was no path and no open country--only a dense forest, obstructed with undergrowth and fallen timber. the sun was very hot when it could reach us through the foliage; not a breath of air stirred, and after we crossed the mishawl, not a drop of water was to be had until we got down to low ground again. we toiled from early morning until three o'clock in the afternoon before we reached the summit. as the doctor had taken whisky instead of water in his canteen, he found it necessary to apply to the other members of the party to quench his thirst, and our canteens were speedily empty. the doctor sought relief in whisky, but it only aggravated his thirst, and he poured out the contents of his canteen. the severe exertion required for the ascent brought on painful cramps in his legs, and at one time, about the middle of the day, i concluded that we should be obliged to leave him to find his way back to camp while we went on without him; but he made an agreement with wah-pow-e-ty to carry his pack for him in addition to his own, for ten dollars, and the doctor was thus enabled to go on. here was an illustration of the advantage of training. the doctor was large, raw-boned, and at least six feet high, looking as if he could have crushed with a single blow the insignificant old indian, who was not much over five feet, and did not weigh more than half as much as the doctor; but, inured to this kind of toil, he carried double the load that any of the party did, while the doctor, who was habituated to a sedentary life, had all he could do, carrying no load whatever, to keep up with the indian. early in the afternoon we reached the summit of the first ascent, where we enjoyed, in addition to a good rest, a magnificent view of the puget sound valley, with mount olympus and the coast range for a background. here on this summit, too, munching our biscuit of hard bread and our dried beef, we enjoyed a refreshing breeze as we looked down on the beautiful plains of the nesqually, with its numerous clear and beautiful little lakes. there was nothing definite except forest--of which there was a great excess--lakes, and plains of limited area, the sound, and a great background of mountains. no habitations, farms, or villages were to be seen; not a sign of civilization or human life. after a good rest we pushed on, taking an easterly course, and keeping, or trying to keep, on the spur of the mountain; the forest was so thick, however, that this was next to an impossibility. we were not loth to go down into ravines in the hope of finding some water, for we needed it greatly. it was a long time, and we met with many disappointments, before we could find enough to quench our thirst. our progress was exceedingly slow on account of the undergrowth. at sundown we camped in the grand old forest, the location being chosen on account of some water in a partially dry ravine. the distance passed over from mishawl prairie we estimated at about ten or eleven miles. on good roads thirty miles would have wearied us much less. we started early the next morning, and for a time tried to keep the high ground, but found it so difficult that we finally turned down to the right, and came upon the nesqually river about the middle of the afternoon. there was no material difference in the undergrowth, but there was an advantage gained in having plenty of water to quench our thirst. we made about ten miles this day, and camped about sundown. there seemed nothing but forest before us; dark, gloomy forest, remarkable for large trees, and its terrible solitude. but few living things were to be seen. the nesqually is a very wide muddy torrent, fordable in places where the stream is much divided by islands. we already here began to suffer from the loss of appetite, which was to us such a difficulty throughout the entire trip. even the four crackers and two ounces of dried beef, which was our daily limit, we found ourselves unable to master, and yet so much was necessary to keep up our strength. i have never been able to settle in my mind whether this was due to the sameness of the food or the great fatigue we underwent. the third morning we made an early start, and followed up the stream in almost a due east direction all day until about five o'clock, when the doctor broke down, having been unable to eat anything during the day. with considerable cramming i managed to dispose of the most of my rations. we kept the north side of the river, and had no streams to cross; in fact, there did not appear to be any streams on either side putting into the river. the valley seemed several miles in width, densely timbered, and the undergrowth a complete thicket. not more than ten miles were made by us. just before we stopped for the night, we passed through a patch of dead timber of perhaps acres, with an abundance of blackberries. opposite our camp, on the south side of the river, there was the appearance of quite a tributary coming in from the southeast. we did not get started until about eleven o'clock on the fourth morning. after cutting up a deer which wah-pow-e-ty brought in early in the morning, we dried quite a quantity of it by the fire. as we anticipated, it proved of much assistance, for we already saw that six days would be a very short time in which to make the trip. by night we reached a muddy tributary coming in from the north, and evidently having its source in the melting snows of rainier. the summit of the mountain was visible from our camp, and seemed close at hand; but night set in with promise of bad weather. the valley had become quite narrow. our camp was at the foot of a mountain spur several thousand feet high, and the river close at hand. the gloomy forest, the wild mountain scenery, the roaring of the river, and the dark overhanging clouds, with the peculiar melancholy sighing which the wind makes through a fir forest, gave to our camp at this point an awful grandeur. on the fifth morning the clouds were so threatening, and came down so low on the surrounding mountains, that we were at a loss what course to pursue--whether to follow up the main stream or the tributary at our camp, which evidently came from the nearest snow. we finally followed the main stream, which very soon turned in toward the mountain, the valley growing narrower, the torrent more and more rapid, and our progress slower and slower, especially when we were compelled to take to the timber. we often crossed the torrent, of which the water was intensely cold, in order to avoid the obstructions of the forest. sometimes, however, the stream was impassable, and then we often became so entangled in the thickets as almost to despair of farther advance. early in the evening we reached the foot of an immense glacier and camped. for several miles before camping the bed of the stream was paved with white granite bowlders, and the mountain gorge became narrower and narrower. the walls were in many places perpendicular precipices, thousands of feet high, their summits hid in the clouds. vast piles of snow were to be seen along the stream--the remains of avalanches--for earth, trees, and rocks were intermingled with the snow. as it was near night we camped, thinking it best to begin the ascent in the early morning; besides, the weather promised to become worse. the foliage of the pine-trees here was very dense, and on such a cloudy day it was dark as night in the forest. the limbs of the trees drooped upon the ground, a disposition evidently given to them by the snow, which must be late in disappearing in this region. we followed thus far the main branch of the nesqually, and here it emerged from an icy cavern at the foot of an immense glacier. the ice itself was of a dark-blue tinge. the water was white, and whenever i waded the torrent my shoes filled with gravel and sand. the walls of this immense mountain gorge were white granite, and, just where the glacier terminated, the immense vein of granite that was visible on both sides seemed to form a narrow throat to the great ravine, which is much wider both above and below. the water seems to derive its color from the disintegration of this granite.[ ] we made our camp under a pine of dense foliage, whose limbs at the outer end drooped near the ground. we made our cup of tea, and found the water boil at ° fahrenheit. night set in with a drizzling rain, and a more solitary, gloomy picture than we presented at that camp it is impossible to conceive. tired, hungry, dirty, clothes all in rags--the effects of our struggles with the brush--we were not the least happy; the solitude was oppressive. the entire party, except myself, dropped down and did not move unless obliged to. i went up to the foot of the glacier, and explored a little before night set in. i also tried to make a sketch of the view looking up the glacier; but i have never looked at it since without being forcibly reminded what a failure it is as a sketch. on the morning of the sixth day we set out again up the glacier. a drizzling rain prevailed through the night, and continued this morning. we had a little trouble in getting upon the glacier, as it terminated everywhere in steep faces that were very difficult to climb. once up, we did not meet with any obstructions or interruptions for several hours, although the slippery surface of the glacier, which formed inclined planes of about twenty degrees, made it very fatiguing with our packs. about noon the weather thickened; snow, sleet, and rain prevailed, and strong winds, blowing hither and thither, almost blinded us. the surface of the glacier, becoming steeper, began to be intersected by immense crevasses crossing our path, often compelling us to travel several hundred yards to gain a few feet. we finally resolved to find a camp. but getting off the glacier was no easy task. we found that the face of the lateral moraine was almost perpendicular, and composed of loose stones, sand, and gravel, furnishing a very uncertain foothold, besides being about fifty feet high. wah-pow-e-ty and i finally succeeded in getting up, and with the aid of the rope we assisted our companions to do the same. when we reached the top we were a little surprised to find that we had to go down-hill again to reach the mountain side. here a few stunted pines furnished us fuel and shelter, and we rested for the remainder of the day. i explored a little in the evening by ascending the ridge from the glacier, and discovered that it would be much the best route to pursue in ascending to the summit. when night set in, the solitude of our camp was very oppressive. we were near the limit of perpetual snow. the water for our tea we obtained from the melting of the ice near by. the atmosphere was very different from what it was below, and singularly clear when not obstructed by fog, rain, or snow. there were no familiar objects to enable one to estimate distance. when i caught a glimpse of the top of rainier through the clouds, i felt certain that we could reach it in three hours. the only living things to be seen were some animals, with regard to which we still labor under an error. these little creatures would make their appearance on the side of the mountain in sight of our camp, and feed upon herbage that grew on the soil where the snow left it bare. the moment anyone stirred from camp, a sound between a whistle and scream would break unexpectedly and from some unknown quarter, and immediately all the animals that were in sight would vanish in the earth. upon visiting the spot where they disappeared, we would find a burrow which was evidently the creatures' home. everywhere round the entrance we found great numbers of tracks, such as a lamb or kid would make. the animals that we saw were about the size of kids, and grazed and moved about so much like them, that, taken in connection with the tracks we saw, we jumped at once to the conclusion that they were mountain sheep, of which we all had heard a great deal, but none of our party had ever seen any. my report of these animals, which was published in the _washington republican_ on our return, was severely ridiculed by some of the naturalists who were hunting for undescribed insects and animals in that country at the time. we are still at a loss to understand the habits of the creatures, and to reconcile the split hoofs which the tracks indicated with their burrow in the earth.[ ] on the following morning--the seventh day from our camp on the mishawl--the sky showed signs of clear weather, and we began the ascent of the main peak. until about noon we were enveloped in clouds, and only occasionally did we get a glimpse of the peak. soon after midday we reached suddenly a colder atmosphere, and found ourselves all at once above the clouds, which were spread out smooth and even as a sea, above which appeared the snowy peaks of st. helens, mount adams, and mount hood, looking like pyramidal icebergs above an ocean. at first we could not see down through the clouds into the valleys. above, the atmosphere was singularly clear, and the reflection of the sun upon the snow very powerful. the summit of rainier seemed very close at hand. about two o'clock in the afternoon the clouds rolled away like a scroll; in a very short time they had disappeared, and the cascade range lay before us in all its greatness. the view was too grand and extensive to be taken in at once, or in the short time we had to observe. the entire scene, with few exceptions, was covered with forests, with here and there barren rocky peaks that rose up out of the ridges; now and then a mountain lake, much more blue than the sky, and the nesqually, winding like a thread of silver through the dark forests. from the foot of the glacier for several miles the bed of the river was very white, from the granite bowlders that covered the bed of the stream. the water, too, was of a decidedly chalkier color near its source. we had no time, however, to study the beauties that lay before us. we had already discovered that there was no telling from appearances how far we had to go. the travel was very difficult; the surface of the snow was porous in some places, and at each step we sunk to our knees. carroll and the indian gave out early in the afternoon, and returned to camp. the doctor began to lag behind. dogue stuck close to me. between four and five o'clock we reached a very difficult point. it proved to be the crest of the mountain, where the comparatively smooth surface was much broken up, and inaccessible pinnacles of ice and deep crevasses interrupted our progress. it was not only difficult to go ahead, but exceedingly dangerous; a false step, or the loss of a foot-hold, would have been certain destruction. dogue was evidently alarmed, for every time that i was unable to proceed, and turned back to find another passage, he would say, "_i guess, lieutenant, we petter go pack._" finally we reached what may be called the top, for although there were points higher yet,[ ] the mountain spread out comparatively flat, and it was much easier to get along. the soldier threw himself down exhausted, and said he could go no farther. the doctor was not in sight. i went on to explore by myself, but i returned in a quarter of an hour without my hat, fully satisfied that nothing more could be done. it was after six o'clock, the air was very cold, and the wind blew fiercely, so that in a second my hat which it carried away was far beyond recovery. the ice was forming in my canteen, and to stay on the mountain at such a temperature was to freeze to death, for we brought no blankets with us, and we could not delay, as it would be impossible to return along the crest of the mountain after dark. when i returned to where i had left the soldier, i found the doctor there also, and after a short consultation we decided to return. returning was far easier and more rapid than going. the snow was much harder and firmer, and we passed over in three hours, coming down, what required ten in going up. we were greatly fatigued by the day's toil, and the descent was not accomplished without an occasional rest of our weary limbs. in one place the snow was crusted over, and for a short distance the mountain was very steep, and required the skillful use of the stick to prevent our going much faster than we desired. the soldier lost his footing, and rolled helplessly to the foot of the declivity, thirty or forty yards distant, and his face bore the traces of the scratching for many a day after, as if he had been through a bramble-bush. we found the indian and carroll in the camp. the latter had a long story to tell of his wanderings to find camp, and both stated that the fatigue was too much for them. there was no complaint on the part of any of us about the rarity of the atmosphere. the doctor attributed to this cause the fact that he could not go but a few yards at a time, near the summit, without resting; but i am inclined to think this was due to our exhaustion. my breathing did not seem to be in the least affected. we were much disappointed not to have had more time to explore the summit of the mountain. we had, however, demonstrated the feasibility of making the ascent. had we started at dawn of day we should have had plenty of time for the journey. from what i saw i should say the mountain top was a ridge perhaps two miles in length and nearly half a mile in width, with an angle about half-way, and depressions between the angle and each end of the ridge which give to the summit the appearance of three small peaks as seen from the east or west. when viewed from north or south, a rounded summit is all that can be seen; while viewed from positions between the cardinal points of the compass, the mountain generally has the appearance of two peaks. the night was very cold and clear after our return. we had some idea of making another ascent; but an investigation into the state of our provisions, together with the condition of the party generally, determined us to begin our return on the morning of the eighth day. the two soldiers had eaten all their bread but one cracker each. the doctor and i had enough left, so that by a redistribution we had four crackers each, with which to return over a space that had required seven days of travel coming. we, of course, expected to be a shorter time getting back; but let it be ever so short, our prospect for something to eat was proportionately much more limited. we had more meat than bread, thanks to the deer the indian had killed, and we depended greatly on his killing more game for us going back: but this dependence, too, was cut off; the indian was snow-blind, and needed our help to guide him. his groans disturbed us during the night, and what was our astonishment in the morning to find his eyelids closed with inflammation, and so swollen that he looked as if he had been in a free fight and got the worst of it. he could not have told a deer from a stump the length of his little old rifle. our camp was about , or , feet below the last visible shrub; water boiled at °, and, according to an approximate scale we had with us, this indicated an elevation of , feet. we estimated the highest peak to be over , feet high. i greatly regretted not being able to get the boiling-point on the top, but it was impossible to have had a fire in such a wind as prevailed round the summit. as we returned we had more leisure to examine and clearer weather to see the glacier than we had coming up. there was no medial moraine; but an icy ridge parallel to the lateral moraines, and about midway between them, extending as far as we ascended the glacier. the lateral moraines were not continuous, but were interrupted by the walls of the spurs where they projected into the glacier; between these points the lateral moraines existed. the glacier sloped away from the ridge to the moraines, more or less sharply, and it was no easy matter to get off the ice, owing to the steepness of the moraine. the ice melted by reflection from the face of the moraine, and formed a difficult crevasse between it and the glacier. bowlders of every shape and size were scattered over the face of the glacier. large ones were propped up on pinnacles of ice; these were evidently too thick for the sun to heat through. the small bowlders were sunk more or less deeply, and surrounded by water in the hot sun; but they evidently froze fast again at night. the noise produced by the glacier was startling and strange. one might suppose the mountain was breaking loose, particularly at night. although, so far as stillness was concerned, there was no difference between day and night, at night the noise seemed more terrible. it was a fearful crashing and grinding that was going on, where the granite was powdered that whitened the river below, and where the bowlders were polished and partially rounded. the great stillness and solitude were also very oppressive; no familiar sounds; nothing except the whistle of the animal before mentioned and the noise of the glacier's motion was to be heard, and if these had not occurred at intervals the solitude would have been still more oppressive. we were glad to get down again to the nesqually, where we could hear its roar and see its rushing waters. the other members of the party were so tired and worn, however, that they seemed to observe but little, and as we were now on our homeward way, their thoughts were set only on our camp on the mishawl, with its provisions and promise of rest. the first day we passed two of the camps we had made coming up, and reached a point where we remembered to have seen a great quantity of blackberries. it was quite dark by the time we reached the little spot of dead timber--which seems to be the favorite haunt of the creeping bramble in this country--and to gather our supper of berries we built a fire at the foot of a large dead tree. speedily the flames were climbing to the top of the withered branches, and casting a cheerful light for a hundred yards round. but what we found very convenient for gathering berries proved to be a great annoyance when we wanted to sleep. during the night we were constantly moving our place of rest, at first on account of the falling embers, and finally for fear of the tree itself. blackberries are refreshing so far as the palate is concerned; but they are not very nourishing. we took our breakfast on them, and continued down the nesqually from six in the morning until six in the evening, traveling slowly because of the difficult undergrowth and our worn-out and exhausted condition. we passed another of our camps, and finally stopped at what evidently had been an indian camp. the cedar bark, always to be found in such places, we anticipated would make a shelter for us in case of rain, which the clouds promised us. no rain fell, however, and we resumed our march, continuing down the river five or six miles farther than where we first struck it, to a point where the hills came close up and overhung the water. there we camped, expecting that an easy march on the morrow would enable us to reach our camp on the mishawl. we ate our last morsel, and the next morning i was awakened by the conversation of the two soldiers. they were evidently discussing the subject of hunger, for the irishman said: "i've often seen the squaws coming about the cook-house picking the pitaties out of the slop-barrel, an' i thought it was awful; but i giss i'd do it mesilf this mornin'." the morning of the eleventh day we left the nesqually to cross over to the mishawl, and traveled on the mountain all day, until we reached the stream at night completely exhausted. we should have stopped sooner than we did, but we were almost perishing with thirst, not having had any water since we left the nesqually in the morning. what we took along in our canteens was exhausted in the early part of the day. we were not more than two miles from the camp in the prairie, and notwithstanding that we had had nothing to eat all day, except a few berries we had picked by the way, we were so exhausted that we lay down to sleep as soon as we had quenched our thirst. we started up-stream the next morning, thinking we had reached the mishawl below our camp; but soon discovering our mistake, we turned down. at this point the irishman's heart sunk within him, he was so exhausted. thinking we were lost, he wanted to lie down in the stream and "drownd" himself. he was assured that we should soon be in camp, and we arrived there very soon after, before the men left in charge of the horses were up. our first thought was of something to eat. i cautioned all about eating much at first; but from subsequent results am inclined to think my advice was not heeded. i contented myself with a half cracker, a little butter, and weak coffee; and an hour after, when i began to feel the beneficial effects of what i had eaten, i took a little more substantial meal, but refrained from eating heartily. after a short rest we caught our horses, and the doctor and i rode into steilacoom, where we arrived after a hard ride late in the afternoon. as we approached the post, we met on the road a number of the inhabitants with whom we were well acquainted, and who did not recognize us. nor were we surprised when we got a glimpse of our faces in a glass. haggard and sunburnt, nearly every familiar feature had disappeared. since the loss of my hat, my head-dress was the sleeve of a red flannel shirt, tied into a knot at the elbow, with the point at the arm-pit for a visor. our clothes were in rags; one of the doctor's pantaloon-legs had entirely disappeared, and he had improvised a substitute out of a coffee-sack. in our generally dilapidated condition none of our acquaintances recognized us until we got to the post. we passed for indians until we arrived there, where we were received by the officers with a shout at our ludicrous appearance. they were all sitting under the oak-trees in front of quarters, discussing what had probably become of us, and proposing means for our rescue, when we came up. i felt the effects of the trip for many days, and did not recover my natural condition for some weeks. the doctor and i went to the village next morning, where the people were startled at our emaciated appearance. we found that the doctor had lost twenty-one pounds in weight in fourteen days, and i had lost fourteen pounds in the same time. the doctor, while we were in the village, was taken with violent pains in his stomach, and returned to his post quite sick. he did not recover his health again for three months. the two soldiers went into the hospital immediately on their return, and i learned that for the remainder of their service they were in the hospital nearly all the time. four or five years after, carroll applied to me for a certificate on which to file an application for a pension, stating that he had not been well since his trip to the mountain. the indian had an attack of gastritis, and barely escaped with his life after a protracted sickness. i attribute my own escape from a lingering illness to the precautions i took in eating when satisfying the first cravings of hunger, on our return to camp. we are not likely to have any competitors in this attempt to explore the summit of mount rainier. packwood and mcallister, two citizens of pierce county, washington territory, explored up the nesqually, and crossed over to the head of the cowlitz river, and thence by what was called cowlitz pass (since called packwood pass), to the east side of the mountains, searching for a trail to the mining regions of the upper columbia. more recently, surveyors in the employ of the pacific railroad company have been surveying through the same route for a railway passage. when the locomotive is heard in that region some day, when american enterprise has established an ice-cream saloon at the foot of the glacier, and sherry-cobblers may be had at twenty-five cents half-way up to the top of the mountain, attempts to ascend that magnificent snow-peak will be quite frequent. but many a long year will pass away before roads are sufficiently good to induce any one to do what we did in the summer of . footnotes: [ ] his name is honored in wapowety cleaver overlooking the kautz glacier. [ ] i have no doubt that the south branch of the nachess, which flows to the east into the columbia, and that the puyallup and white rivers, which flow west into puget sound, have similar sources in glaciers, from the fact that in july they are all of a similar character with the nesqually, muddy, white torrents, at a time when little rain has fallen for months.--kautz. [ ] the burrow was made by the marmot and the split-hoof tracks in the loose earth were made by mountain goats. [ ] he here gives evidence that he had not reached the summit. [illustration: general hazard stevens.] vi. first successful ascent, by general hazard stevens general hazard stevens was born at newport, rhode island, on june , . his father was major general isaac i. stevens, and his mother, margaret (hazard) stevens, was a granddaughter of colonel daniel lyman of the revolution. in and , while the son was only thirteen years of age, he accompanied his father, then the first governor of washington territory, on treaty-making expeditions among the indian tribes. later he accompanied his father into the union army as an officer on his father's staff. he was severely wounded in the same battle where his father was killed while leading the charge at chantilly, september , . hazard stevens continued in the army, and at the end of the war he was mustered out as a brigadier general of volunteers. he then returned to washington territory and went to work to support his mother and sisters. on august , , he and p. b. van trump made the first successful ascent of mount rainier. in , he followed the other members of the family back to boston where he remained until his mother's death, a few months ago. he then returned to puget sound, and is now a successful farmer near olympia. his companion on the ascent, p. b. van trump, remained in washington. for a number of years he was a ranger at indian henry's hunting ground in the mount rainier national park. there he was a quaint and attractive figure to all visitors. in , he returned east to live among kinsfolk in new york state. the names of both stevens and van trump have been generously bestowed upon glaciers, creeks, ridges, and cañons within the mount rainier national park. general stevens prefers to call the mountain takhoma. the full account of the ascent was published by him under the title of "the ascent of mount takhoma" in the atlantic monthly for november, . it is here reproduced by permission of the editor of that magazine. mr. van trump made several ascents after that first one, and in general stevens also made a second ascent. he searched in vain for the relics he had deposited at the summit thirty-five years earlier. the rocks that were bare in were under snow and ice in . when vancouver, in , penetrated the straits of fuca and explored the unknown waters of the mediterranean of the pacific, wherever he sailed, from the gulf of georgia to the farthest inlet of puget sound, he beheld the lofty, snow-clad barrier range of the cascades stretching north and south and bounding the eastern horizon. towering at twice the altitude of all others, at intervals of a hundred miles there loomed up above the range three majestic, snowy peaks that "like giants stand to sentinel enchanted land." in the matter-of-fact spirit of a british sailor of his time, he named these sublime monuments of nature in honor of three lords of the english admiralty, hood, rainier, and baker. of these rainier is the central, situated about half-way between the columbia river and the line of british columbia, and is by far the loftiest and largest. its altitude is , feet, while hood is , feet, and baker is , feet high. the others, too, are single cones, while rainier, or takhoma,[ ] is an immense mountain-mass with three distinct peaks, an eastern, a northern, and a southern; the two last extending out and up from the main central dome, from the summit of which they stand over a mile distant, while they are nearly two miles apart from each other. takhoma overlooks puget sound from olympia to victoria, one hundred and sixty miles. its snow-clad dome is visible from portland on the willamette, one hundred and twenty miles south, and from the table-land of walla walla, one hundred and fifty miles east. a region two hundred and fifty miles across, including nearly all of washington territory, part of oregon, and part of idaho, is commanded in one field of vision by this colossus among mountains. takhoma had never been ascended. it was a virgin peak. the superstitious fears and traditions of the indians, as well as the dangers of the ascent, had prevented their attempting to reach the summit, and the failure of a gallant and energetic officer, whose courage and hardihood were abundantly shown during the rebellion, had in general estimation proved it insurmountable. for two years i had resolved to ascend takhoma, but both seasons the dense smoke overspreading the whole country had prevented the attempt. mr. philomon beecher van trump, humorous, generous, whole-souled, with endurance and experience withal, for he had roughed it in the mines, and a poetic appreciation of the picturesque and the sublime, was equally eager to scale the summit. mr. edward t. coleman, an english gentleman of victoria, a landscape artist and an alpine tourist, whose reputed experience in switzerland had raised a high opinion of his ability above the snow-line, completed the party. olympia, the capital of washington territory, is a beautiful, maple-embowered town of some two thousand inhabitants, situated at the southernmost extremity of puget sound, and west of takhoma, distant in an air line seventy-five miles. the intervening country is covered with dense fir forests, almost impenetrable to the midday sun, and obstructed with fallen trees, upturned roots and stumps, and a perfect jungle of undergrowth, through which the most energetic traveler can accomplish but eight or nine miles a day. it was advisible to gain the nearest possible point by some trail, before plunging into the unbroken forest. the nisqually river, which rises on the southern and western slopes of takhoma, and empties into the sound a few miles north of olympia, offered the most direct and natural approach. ten years before, moreover, a few enterprising settlers had blazed out a trail across the cascade range, which followed the nisqually nearly up to its source, thence deflected south to the cowlitz river, and pursued this stream in a northeastern course to the summit of the range, thus turning the great mountain by a wide circuit. the best-informed mountain men represented the approaches on the south and southeast as by far the most favorable. the nisqually-cowlitz trail, then, seemed much the best, for the nisqually, heading in the south and southwest slopes, and the cowlitz, in the southeastern, afforded two lines of approach, by either of which the distance to the mountain, after leaving the trail, could not exceed thirty miles. one august afternoon, van trump and i drove out to yelm prairie, thirty miles east of olympia, and on the nisqually river. we dashed rapidly on over a smooth, hard, level road, traversing wide reaches of prairie, passing under open groves of oaks and firs, and plunging through masses of black, dense forest in ever-changing variety. the moon had risen as we emerged upon yelm prairie; takhoma, bathed in cold, white, spectral light from summit to base, appeared startlingly near and distinct. our admiration was not so noisy as usual. perhaps a little of dread mingled with it. in another hour we drove nearly across the plain and turned into a lane which conducted us up a beautiful rising plateau, crowned with a noble grove of oaks and overlooking the whole prairie. a comfortable, roomy house with a wide porch nestled among the trees, and its hospitable owner, mr. james longmire, appeared at the door and bade us enter. the next morning we applied to mr. longmire for a guide, and for his advice as to our proposed trip. he was one of the few who marked out the nisqually-cowlitz trail years ago. he had explored the mountains about takhoma as thoroughly, perhaps, as any other white man. one of the earliest settlers, quiet, self-reliant, sensible, and kindly, a better counselor than he could not have been found. the trail, he said, had not been traveled for four years, and was entirely illegible to eyes not well versed in woodcraft, and it would be folly for any one to attempt to follow it who was not thoroughly acquainted with the country. he could not leave his harvest, and moreover in three weeks he was to cross the mountains for a drove of cattle. his wife, too, quietly discouraged his going. she described his appearance on his return from previous mountain trips, looking as haggard and thin as though he had just risen from a sick-bed. she threw out effective little sketches of toil, discomfort, and hardship incident to mountain travel, and dwelt upon the hard fare. the bountiful country breakfast heaped before us, the rich cream, fresh butter and eggs, snowy, melting biscuits, and broiled chicken, with rich, white gravy, heightened the effect of her words. but at length, when it appeared that no one else who knew the trail could be found, mr. longmire yielded to our persuasions, and consented to conduct us as far as the trail led, and to procure an indian guide before leaving us to our own resources. as soon as we returned home we went with mr. coleman to his room to see a few indispensable equipments he had provided, in order that we might procure similar ones. the floor was literally covered with his traps, and he exhibited them one by one, expatiating upon their various uses. there was his ground-sheet, a large gum blanket equally serviceable to mr. coleman as a tent in camp and a bathtub at the hotel. there was a strong rope to which we were all to be tied when climbing the snow-fields, so that if one fell into a chasm the others could hold him up. the "creepers" were a clumsy, heavy arrangement of iron spikes made to fasten on the foot with chains and straps, in order to prevent slipping on the ice. he had an ice-axe for cutting steps, a spirit-lamp for making tea on the mountains, green goggles for snow-blindness, deer's fat for the face, alpine staffs, needles and thread, twine, tacks, screws, screwdriver, gimlet, file, several medical prescriptions, two boards for pressing flowers, sketching materials, and in fact every article that mr. coleman in his extensive reading had found used or recommended by travelers. every one of these he regarded as indispensable. the alpine staff was, he declared, most important of all, a great assistance in traveling through the woods as well as on the ice; and he illustrated on his hands and knees how to cross a crevasse in the ice on two staffs. this interview naturally brought to mind the characteristic incident related of packwood, the mountain man who, as hunter and prospector, had explored the deepest recesses of the cascades. he had been engaged to guide a railroad surveying party across the mountains, and just as the party was about to start he approached the chief and demanded an advance to enable him to buy his outfit for the trip. "how much do you want?" asked the chief, rather anxiously, lest packwood should overdraw his prospective wages. "well, about two dollars and a half," was the reply; and at the camp-fire that evening, being asked if he had bought his outfit, packwood, thrusting his hand into his pocket, drew forth and exhibited with perfect seriousness and complacency his entire outfit,--a jack-knife and a plug of tobacco. half a dozen carriages rattled gayly out of olympia in the cool of the morning, filled with a laughing, singing, frolicking bevy of young ladies and gentlemen. they were the takhoma party starting on their adventurous trip, with a chosen escort accompanying them to their first camp. they rested several hours at longmire's during the heat of the day, and the drive was then continued seven miles farther, to the lacamas, an irregular-shaped prairie two miles in length by half a mile in breadth. here live two of mr. longmire's sons. their farms form the last settlement, and at the gate of mr. elkane longmire's house the road ends. a wooded knoll overlooking the prairie, with a spring of water at its foot, was selected as the camp-ground. some of the party stretched a large sail between the trees as a tent, others watered and fed the horses, and others busied themselves with the supper. two eager sportsmen started after grouse, while their more practical companions bought half a dozen chickens, and had them soon dressed and sputtering over the fire. the shades of night were falling as the party sat down on the ground and partook of a repast fit for the olympians, and with a relish sharpened by the long journey and a whole day's fast. early in the morning mr. longmire arrived in camp with two mules and a pack-horse, and our mountain outfit was rapidly made up into suitable bales and packed upon the horse and one of the mules, the other mule being reserved for longmire's own riding. we assembled around the breakfast with spirits as gay and appetites as sharp as ever. then, with many good-bys and much waving of handkerchiefs, the party broke up. four roughly clad pedestrians moved off in single file, leading their pack animals, and looking back at every step to catch the last glimpse of the bright garments and fluttering cambrics, while the carriages drove rapidly down the road and disappeared in the dark, sullen forest. we stepped off briskly, following a dim trail in an easterly course, and crossing the little prairie entered the timber. after winding over hilly ground for about three miles, we descended into the nisqually bottom and forded a fine brook at the foot of the hill. for the next ten miles our route lay across the bottom, and along the bank of the river, passing around logs, following old, dry beds of the river and its lateral sloughs, ankle-deep in loose sand, and forcing our way through dense jungles of vine-maple. the trail was scarcely visible, and much obstructed by fallen trees and underbrush, and its difficulties were aggravated by the bewildering tracks of indians who had lately wandered about the bottom in search of berries or rushes. we repeatedly missed the trail, and lost hours in retracing our steps and searching for the right course. the weather was hot and sultry, and rendered more oppressive by the dense foliage; myriads of gnats and mosquitoes tormented us and drove our poor animals almost frantic; and our thirst, aggravated by the severe and unaccustomed toil, seemed quenchless. at length we reached the ford of the nisqually. directly opposite, a perpendicular bluff of sand and gravel in alternate strata rose to the height of two hundred and fifty feet, its base washed by the river and its top crowned with firs. the stream was a hundred yards wide, waist-deep, and very rapid. its waters were icy cold, and of a milk-white hue. this color is the characteristic of glacial rivers. the impalpable powder of thousands of tons of solid rocks ground up beneath the vast weight and resistless though imperceptible flow of huge glaciers, remains in solution in these streams, and colors them milk-white to the sea. leading the animals down the bank and over a wide, dry bar of cobblestones, we stood at the brink of the swift, turbulent river, and prepared to essay its passage. coleman mounted behind van trump on the little saddle-mule, his long legs dangling nearly to the ground, one hand grasping his alpine staff, the other the neck-rope of the pack-mule, which longmire bestrode. longmire led in turn the pack-horse, behind whose bulky load was perched the other member of the party. the cavalcade, linked together in this order, had but just entered the stream when coleman dropped the neckrope he was holding. the mule, bewildered by the rush and roar of the waters, turned directly down-stream, and in another instant our two pack animals, with their riders, would have been swept away in the furious rapids, had not longmire with great presence of mind turned their erratic course in the right direction and safely brought them to the opposite shore. following the bottom along the river for some distance, we climbed up the end of the bluff already mentioned, by a steep zigzag trail, and skirted along its brink for a mile. far below us on the right rushed the nisqually. on the left the bluff fell off in a steep hillside thickly clothed with woods and underbrush, and at its foot plowed the owhap, a large stream emptying into the nisqually just below our ford. another mile through the woods brought us out upon the mishell prairie, a beautiful, oval meadow of a hundred acres, embowered in the tall, dense fir forest, with a grove of lofty, branching oaks at its farther extremity, and covered with green grass and bright flowers. it takes its name from the mishell river, which empties into the nisqually a mile above the prairie. we had marched sixteen miles. the packs were gladly thrown off beneath a lofty fir; the animals were staked out to graze. a spring in the edge of the woods afforded water, and while mr. coleman busied himself with his pipe, his flask, his note-book, his sketch-book, and his pouch of multifarious odds and ends, the other members of the party performed the duties incident to camp-life: made the fire, brought water, spread the blankets, and prepared supper. the flags attached to our alpine staffs waved gayly overhead, and the sight of their bright folds fluttering in the breeze deepened the fixed resolve to plant them on takhoma's hoary head, and made failure seem impossible. mr. coleman announced the altitude of mishell prairie as eight hundred feet by barometer. by an unlucky fall the thermometer was broken. the march was resumed early next morning. as we passed the lofty oaks at the end of the little prairie, "on that tree," said longmire, pointing out one of the noblest, "maxon's company hanged two indians in the war of ' . ski-hi and his band, after many depredations upon the settlements, were encamped on the mishell, a mile distant, in fancied security, when maxon and his men surprised them and cut off every soul except the two prisoners whom they hanged here." for eight miles the trail led through thick woods, and then, after crossing a wide "burn," past a number of deserted indian wigwams, where another trail from the nisqually plains joined ours, it descended a gradual slope, traversed a swampy thicket and another mile of heavy timber, and debouched on the mishell river. this is a fine, rapid, sparkling stream, knee-deep and forty feet wide, rippling and dashing over a gravelly bed with clear, cold, transparent water. the purity of the clear water, so unlike the yeasty nisqually, proves that the mishell is no glacial river. rising in an outlying range to the northwest of takhoma, it flows in a southwest course to its confluence with the nisqually near our previous night's camp. we unsaddled for the noon-rest. van trump went up the stream, fishing; longmire crossed to look out the trail ahead, and coleman made tea solitaire. an hour passed, and longmire returned. "the trail is blind," said he, "and we have no time to lose." just then van trump returned; and the little train was soon in readiness to resume the tramp. longmire rode his mule across the stream, telling us to drive the pack-animals after him and follow by a convenient log near by. as the mule attempted to climb a low place in the opposite bank, which offered an apparently easy exit from the river, his hind legs sank in a quicksand, he sat down quickly, if not gracefully, and, not fancying that posture, threw himself clear under water. his dripping rider rose to his feet, flung the bridle-rein over his arm, and, springing up the bank at a more practicable point, strode along the trail with as little delay and as perfect unconcern as though an involuntary ducking was of no more moment than climbing over a log. the trail was blind. longmire scented it through thickets of salal, fern, and underbrush, stumbling over roots, vines, and hollows hidden in the rank vegetation, now climbing huge trunks that the animals could barely scramble over, and now laboriously working his way around some fallen giant and traveling two hundred yards in order to gain a dozen yards on the course. the packs, continually jammed against trees and shaken loose by this rough traveling, required frequent repacking--no small task. at the very top of a high, steep hill, up which we had laboriously zigzagged shortly after crossing the mishell, the little packhorse, unable to sustain the weight of the pack, which had shifted all to one side, fell and rolled over and over to the bottom. bringing up the goods and chattels one by one on our own shoulders to the top of the hill, we replaced the load and started again. the course was in a southerly direction, over high rolling ground of good clay soil, heavily timbered, with marshy swales at intervals, to the nisqually river again, a distance of twelve miles. we encamped on a narrow flat between the high hill just descended and the wide and noisy river, near an old ruined log-hut, the former residence of a once famed indian medicine man, who, after the laudable custom of his race, had expiated with his life his failure to cure a patient. early next morning we continued our laborious march along the right bank of the nisqually. towards noon we left the river, and after thridding in an easterly course a perfect labyrinth of fallen timber for six miles, and forcing our way with much difficulty through the tangled jungle of an extensive vine-maple swamp, at length crossed silver creek and gladly threw off the packs for an hour's rest. a short distance after crossing silver creek the trail emerged upon more open ground, and for the first time the nisqually valley lay spread out in view before us. on the left stretched a wall of steep, rocky mountains, standing parallel to the course of the river and extending far eastward, growing higher and steeper and more rugged as it receded from view. at the very extremity of this range takhoma loomed aloft, its dome high above all others and its flanks extending far down into the valley, and all covered, dome and flanks, with snow of dazzling white, in striking contrast with the black basaltic mountains about it. startlingly near it looked to our eyes, accustomed to the restricted views and gloom of the forest. after our noon rest we continued our journey up the valley, twisting in and out among the numerous trunks of trees that encumbered the ground, and after several hours of tedious trudging struck our third camp on copper creek, the twin brother to silver creek, just at dusk. we were thoroughly tired, having made twenty miles in thirteen hours of hard traveling. starting at daylight next morning, we walked two miles over rough ground much broken by ravines, and then descended into the bed of the nisqually at the mouth of goat creek, another fine stream which empties here. we continued our course along the river bed, stumbling over rocky bars and forcing our way through dense thickets of willow, for some distance, then ascended the steep bank, went around a high hill over four miles of execrable trail, and descended to the river again, only two miles above goat creek. at this point the takhoma branch or north fork joins the nisqually. this stream rises on the west side of takhoma, is nearly as large as the main river, and like it shows its glacial origin by its milk-white water and by its icy cold, terribly swift and furious torrent. crossing the takhoma branch, here thirty yards wide, we kept up the main river, crossing and recrossing the stream frequently, and toiling over rocky bars for four miles, a distance which consumed five hours, owing to the difficulties of the way. we then left the nisqually, turning to the right and traveling in a southerly course, and followed up the bed of a swampy creek for half a mile, then crossed a level tract much obstructed with fallen timber, then ascended a burnt ridge, and followed it for two miles to a small, marshy prairie in a wide canyon or defile closed in by rugged mountains on either side, and camped beside a little rivulet on the east side of the prairie. this was bear prairie, the altitude of which by the barometer was feet. the canyon formed a low pass between the nisqually and cowlitz rivers, and the little rivulet near which we camped flowed into the latter stream. the whole region had been swept by fire: thousands of giant trunks stood blackened and lifeless, the picture of desolation. as we were reclining on the ground around the campfire, enjoying the calm and beatific repose which comes to the toil-worn mountaineer after his hearty supper, one of these huge trunks, after several warning creaks, came toppling and falling directly over our camp. all rushed to one side or another to avoid the impending crash. as one member of the party, hastily catching up in one hand a frying-pan laden with tin plates and cups, and in the other the camp kettle half full of boiling water, was scrambling away, his foot tripped in a blackberry vine and he fell outstretched at full length, the much-prized utensils scattering far and wide, while the falling tree came thundering down in the rear, doing no other damage, however, than burying a pair of blankets. the following day longmire and the writer went down the canyon to its junction with the cowlitz river, in search of a band of indians who usually made their headquarters at this point, and among whom longmire hoped to find some hunter familiar with the mountains who might guide us to the base of takhoma. the tiny rivulet as we descended soon swelled to a large and furious torrent, and its bed filled nearly the whole bottom of the gorge. the mountains rose on both sides precipitously, and the traces of land-slides which had gouged vast furrows down their sides were frequent. with extreme toil and difficulty we made our way, continually wading the torrent, clambering over broken masses of rock which filled its bed, or clinging to the steep hillsides, and reached the cowlitz at length after twelve miles of this fatiguing work, but only to find the indian camp deserted. further search, however, was rewarded by the discovery of a rude shelter formed of a few skins thrown over a framework of poles, beneath which sat a squaw at work upon a half-dressed deerskin. an infant and a naked child of perhaps four years lay on the ground near the fire in front. beside the lodge and quietly watching our approach, of which he alone seemed aware, stood a tall, slender indian clad in buckskin shirt and leggings, with a striped woolen breech-clout, and a singular head garniture which gave him a fierce and martial appearance. this consisted of an old military cap, the visor thickly studded with brassheaded nails, while a large circular brass article, which might have been the top of an oil-lamp, was fastened upon the crown. several eagle feathers stuck in the crown and strips of fur sewed upon the sides completed the edifice, which, notwithstanding its components, appeared imposing rather than ridiculous. a long hudson bay gun, the stock also ornamented with brass-headed tacks, lay in the hollow of the indian's shoulder. he received us with great friendliness, yet not without dignity, shaking hands and motioning us to a seat beneath the rude shelter, while his squaw hastened to place before us suspicious-looking cakes of dried berries, apparently their only food. after a moderate indulgence in this delicacy, longmire made known our wants. the indian spoke fluently the chinook jargon, that high-bred lingo invented by the old fur-traders. he called himself "sluiskin," and readily agreed to guide us to rainier, known to him only as takhoma, and promised to report at bear prairie the next day. it was after seven in the evening when we reached camp, thoroughly fagged. punctual to promise, sluiskin rode up at noon mounted upon a stunted indian pony, while his squaw and pappooses followed upon another even more puny and forlorn. after devouring an enormous dinner, evidently compensating for the rigors of a long fast, in reply to our inquiries he described the route he proposed to take to takhoma. pointing to the almost perpendicular height immediately back or east of our camp, towering three thousand feet or more overhead, the loftiest mountain in sight, "we go to the top of that mountain to-day," said he, "and to-morrow we follow along the high, backbone ridge of the mountains, now up, now down, first on one side and then on the other, a long day's journey, and at last, descending far down from the mountains into a deep valley, reach the base of takhoma." sluiskin illustrated his chinook with speaking signs and pantomime. he had frequently hunted the mountain sheep upon the snow-fields of takhoma, but had never ascended to the summit. it was impossible to do so, and he put aside as idle talk our expressed intention of making the ascent. we had already selected the indispensable articles for a week's tramp, a blanket apiece, the smallest coffee-pot and frying-pan, a scanty supply of bacon, flour, coffee, etc., and had made them up into suitable packs of forty pounds each, provided with slings like a knapsack, and had piled together under the lee of a huge fallen trunk our remaining goods. longmire, who although impatient to return home, where his presence was urgently needed, had watched and directed our preparations during the forenoon with kindly solicitude, now bade us good-by: mounted on one mule and leading the other, he soon disappeared down the trail on his lonely, homeward way. he left us the little pack-horse, thinking it would be quite capable of carrying our diminished outfit after our return from takhoma. sluiskin led the way. the load upon his shoulders was sustained by a broad band, passing over his head, upon which his heavy, brass-studded rifle, clasped in both hands, was poised and balanced. leaving behind the last vestige of trail, we toiled in single file slowly and laboriously up the mountain all the afternoon. the steepness of the ascent in many places required the use of both hand and foot in climbing, and the exercise of great caution to keep the heavy packs from dragging us over backwards. coleman lagged behind from the start, and at intervals his voice could be heard hallooing and calling upon us to wait. towards sunset we reached a level terrace, or bench, near the summit, gladly threw off our packs, and waited for coleman, who, we supposed, could not be far below. he not appearing, we hallooed again and again. no answer! we then sent sluiskin down the mountain to his aid. after an hour's absence the indian returned. he had descended, he said, a long distance, and at last caught sight of coleman. he was near the foot of the mountain, had thrown away his pack, blankets and all, and was evidently returning to camp. and sluiskin finished his account with expressions of contempt for the "cultus king george man." what was to be done? coleman carried in his pack all our bacon, our only supply of meat, except a few pounds of dried beef. he also had the barometer, the only instrument that had survived the jolts and tumbles of our rough trip. but, on the other hand, he had been a clog upon our march from the outset. he was evidently too infirm to endure the toil before us, and would not only be unable to reach, still less ascend takhoma, but might even impede and frustrate our own efforts. knowing that he would be safe in camp until our return, we hastily concluded to proceed without him, trusting to our rifles for a supply of meat. sluiskin led us along the side of the ridge in a southerly direction for two miles farther, to a well-sheltered, grassy hollow in the mountain-top, where he had often previously encamped. it was after dark when we reached this place. the usual spring had gone dry, and, parched with thirst we searched the gulches of the mountain-side for water an hour, but without success. at length the writer, recalling a scanty rill which trickled across their path a mile back, taking the coffee-pot and large canteen, retraced his steps, succeeded in filling these utensils after much fumbling in the dark and consequent delay, and returned to camp. he found van trump and the indian, anxious at the long delay, mounted on the crest of the ridge some two hundred yards from camp, waving torches and shouting lustily to direct his steps. the mosquitoes and flies came in clouds, and were terribly annoying. after supper of coffee and bread, we drank up the water, rolled ourselves in our blankets, and lay down under a tree with our flags floating from under the boughs overhead. hot as had been the day, the night was cold and frosty, owing, doubtless, to the altitude of our camp. at the earliest dawn next morning we were moving on without breakfast, and parched with thirst. sluiskin led us in a general course about north-northeast, but twisting to nearly every point of the compass, and climbing up and down thousands of feet from mountain to mountain, yet keeping on the highest backbone between the headwaters of the nisqually and cowlitz rivers. after several hours of this work we came to a well-sheltered hollow, one side filled with a broad bed of snow, at the foot of which nestled a tiny, tranquil lakelet, and gladly threw off our heavy packs, assuaged our thirst, and took breakfast,--bread and coffee again. early as it was, the chill of the frosty night still in the air, the mosquitoes renewed their attacks, and proved as innumerable and vexatious as ever. continuing our march, we crossed many beds of snow, and drank again and again from the icy rills which flowed out of them. the mountains were covered with stunted mountain-ash and low, stubby firs with short, bushy branches, and occasionally a few pines. many slopes were destitute of trees but covered with luxuriant grass and the greatest profusion of beautiful flowers of vivid hues. this was especially the case with the southern slopes, while the northern sides of the mountains were generally wooded. we repeatedly ate berries, and an hour afterwards ascended to where berries of the same kind were found scarcely yet formed. the country was much obscured with smoke from heavy fires which had been raging on the cowlitz the last two days. but when at length, after climbing for hours an almost perpendicular peak,--creeping on hands and knees over loose rocks, and clinging to scanty tufts of grass where a single slip would have sent us rolling a thousand feet down to destruction,--we reached the highest crest and looked over, we exclaimed that we were already well repaid for all our toil. nothing can convey an idea of the grandeur and ruggedness of the mountains. directly in front, and apparently not over two miles distant, although really twenty, old takhoma loomed up more gigantic than ever. we were far above the level of the lower snow-line on takhoma. the high peak upon which we clung seemed the central core or focus of all the mountains around, and on every side we looked down vertically thousands of feet, deep down into vast, terrible defiles, black and fir-clothed, which stretched away until lost in the distance and smoke. between them, separating one from another, the mountain-walls rose precipitously and terminated in bare, columnar peaks of black basaltic or volcanic rock, as sharp as needles. it seemed incredible that any human foot could have followed out the course we came, as we looked back upon it. after a few hours more of this climbing, we stood upon the summit of the last mountain-ridge that separated us from takhoma. we were in a saddle of the ridge; a lofty peak rose on either side. below us extended a long, steep hollow or gulch filled with snow, the farther extremity of which seemed to drop off perpendicularly into a deep valley or basin. across this valley, directly in front, filling up the whole horizon and view with an indescribable aspect of magnitude and grandeur, stood the old leviathan of mountains. the broad, snowy dome rose far among and above the clouds. the sides fell off in vertical steeps and fearful black walls of rock for a third of its altitude; lower down, vast, broad, gently sloping snow-fields surrounded the mountain, and were broken here and there by ledges or masses of the dark basaltic rock protruding above them. long, green ridges projected from this snow-belt at intervals, radiating from the mountain and extending many miles until lost in the distant forests. deep valleys lay between these ridges. each at its upper end formed the bed of a glacier, which closed and filled it up with solid ice. below the snow-line bright green grass with countless flowers, whose vivid scarlet, blue, and purple formed bodies of color in the distance, clothed the whole region of ridges and valleys, for a breadth of five miles. the beautiful balsam firs, about thirty feet in height, and of a purple, dark-green color, stood scattered over the landscape, now singly, now in groves, and now in long lines, as though planted in some well-kept park. farther down an unbroken fir forest surrounded the mountain and clad the lower portions of the ridges and valleys. in every sheltered depression or hollow lay beds of snow with tiny brooks and rivulets flowing from them. the glaciers terminated not gradually, but abruptly, with a wall of ice from one to five hundred feet high, from beneath which yeasty torrents burst forth and rushed roaring and tumbling down the valleys. the principal of these, far away on our left front, could be seen plunging over two considerable falls, half hidden in the forest, while the roar of waters was distinctly audible. at length we cautiously descended the snow-bed, and, climbing at least fifteen hundred feet down a steep but ancient land-slide by means of the bushes growing among the loose rocks, reached the valley, and encountered a beautiful, peaceful, limpid creek. van trump could not resist the temptation of unpacking his bundle, selecting one of his carefully preserved flies, and trying the stream for trout, but without a single rise. after an hour's rest and a hearty repast we resumed our packs, despite sluiskin's protests, who seemed tired out with his arduous day's toil and pleaded hard against traveling farther. crossing the stream, we walked through several grassy glades, or meadows, alternating with open woods. we soon came to the foot of one of the long ridges already described, and ascending it followed it for several miles through open woods, until we emerged upon the enchanting emerald and flowery meads which clothe these upper regions. halting upon a rising eminence in our course, and looking back, we beheld the ridge of mountains we had just descended stretching from east to west in a steep, rocky wall; a little to the left, a beautiful lake, evidently the source of the stream just crossed, which we called clear creek, and glimpses of which could be seen among the trees as it flowed away to the right, down a rapidly descending valley along the foot of the lofty mountain-wall. beyond the lake again, still farther to the left, the land also subsided quickly. it was at once evident that the lake was upon a summit, or divide, between the waters of the nisqually and cowlitz rivers. the ridge which we were ascending lay north and south, and led directly up to the mountain. we camped, as the twilight fell upon us, in an aromatic grove of balsam firs. a grouse, the fruit of sluiskin's rifle, broiled before the fire, and impartially divided gave a relish to the dry bread and coffee. after supper we reclined upon our blankets in front of the bright, blazing fire, well satisfied. the indian, when starting from bear prairie, had evidently deemed our intention of ascending takhoma too absurd to deserve notice. the turning back of mr. coleman only deepened his contempt for our prowess. but his views had undergone a change with the day's march. the affair began to look serious to him, and now in chinook, interspersed with a few words of broken english and many signs and gesticulations, he began a solemn exhortation and warning against our rash project. takhoma, he said, was an enchanted mountain, inhabited by an evil spirit, who dwelt in a fiery lake on its summit. no human being could ascend it or even attempt its ascent, and survive. at first, indeed, the way was easy. the broad snow-fields, over which he had so often hunted the mountain goat, interposed no obstacle, but above them the rash adventurer would be compelled to climb up steeps of loose, rolling rocks, which would turn beneath his feet and cast him head-long into the deep abyss below. the upper snow-slopes, too, were so steep that not even a goat, far less a man, could get over them. and he would have to pass below lofty walls and precipices whence avalanches of snow and vast masses of rocks were continually falling; and these would inevitably bury the intruder beneath their ruins. moreover, a furious tempest continually swept the crown of the mountain, and the luckless adventurer, even if he wonderfully escaped the perils below, would be torn from the mountain and whirled through the air by this fearful blast. and the awful being upon the summit, who would surely punish the sacrilegious attempt to invade his sanctuary,--who could hope to escape his vengeance? many years ago, he continued, his grandfather, a great chief and warrior, and a mighty hunter, had ascended part way up the mountain, and had encountered some of these dangers, but he fortunately turned back in time to escape destruction; and no other indian had ever gone so far. finding that his words did not produce the desired effect, he assured us that, if we persisted in attempting the ascent, he would wait three days for our return, and would then proceed to olympia and inform our friends of our death; and he begged us to give him a paper (a written note) to take to them, so that they might believe his story. sluiskin's manner during this harangue was earnest in the extreme, and he was undoubtedly sincere in his forebodings. after we had retired to rest, he kept up a most dismal chant, or dirge, until late in the night. the dim, white, spectral mass towering so near, the roar of the torrents below us, and the occasional thunder of avalanches, several of which fell during the night, added to the weird effect of sluiskin's song. the next morning we moved two miles farther up the ridge and made camp in the last clump of trees, quite within the limit of perpetual snow. thence, with snow-spikes upon our feet and alpine staff in hand, we went up the snow-fields to reconnoiter the best line of ascent. we spent four hours, walking fast, in reaching the foot of the steep, abrupt part of the mountain. after carefully scanning the southern approaches, we decided to ascend on the morrow by a steep, rocky ridge that seemed to lead up to the snowy crown. our camp was pitched on a high knoll crowned by a grove of balsam firs, near a turbulent glacial torrent. about nine o'clock, after we had lain down for the night, the firs round our camp took fire and suddenly burst out in a vivid conflagration. the night was dark and windy, and the scene--the vast, dim outlines of takhoma, the white snow-fields, the roaring torrent, the crackling blaze of the burning trees--was strikingly wild and picturesque. in honor of our guide we named the cascade at our feet sluiskin's falls; the stream we named glacier creek, and the mass of ice whence it derives its source we styled the little nisqually glacier. before daylight the next morning, wednesday, august , , we were up and had breakfasted, and at six o'clock we started to ascend takhoma. besides our alpine staffs and creepers, we carried a long rope, an ice-axe, a brass plate inscribed with our names, our flags, a large canteen, and some luncheon. we were also provided with gloves, and green goggles for snow-blindness, but found no occasion to use the latter. having suffered much from the heat of the sun since leaving bear prairie, and being satisfied from our late reconnoissance that we could reach the summit and return on the same day, we left behind our coats and blankets. in three hours of fast walking we reached the highest point of the preceding day's trip, and commenced the ascent by the steep, rocky ridge already described as reaching up to the snowy dome. we found it to be a very narrow, steep, irregular backbone, being solid rock, while the sides were composed of loose broken rocks and débris. up this ridge, keeping upon the spine when possible, and sometimes forced to pick our way over the loose and broken rocks at the sides, around columnar masses which we could not directly climb over, we toiled for five hundred yards, ascending at an angle of nearly forty-five degrees. here the ridge connected, by a narrow neck or saddle, with a vast square rock, whose huge and distinct outline can be clearly perceived from a distance of twenty-five miles. this, like the ridge, is a conglomerate of basalt and trap, in well-defined strata, and is rapidly disintegrating and continually falling in showers and even masses of rocks and rubbish, under the action of frost by night and melting snow by day. it lies imbedded in the side of the mountain, with one side and end projected and overhanging deep, terrible gorges, and it is at the corner or junction of these two faces that the ridge joined it at a point about a thousand feet below its top. on the southern face the strata were inclined at an angle of thirty degrees. crossing by the saddle from the ridge, despite a strong wind which swept across it, we gained a narrow ledge formed by a stratum more solid than its fellows, and creeping along it, hugging close to the main rock on our right, laboriously and cautiously continued the ascent. the wind was blowing violently. we were now crawling along the face of the precipice almost in mid-air. on the right the rock towered far above us perpendicularly. on the left it fell sheer off, two thousand feet, into a vast abyss. a great glacier filled its bed and stretched away for several miles, all seamed or wrinkled across with countless crevasses. we crept up and along a ledge, not of solid, sure rock, but one obstructed with the loose stones and débris which were continually falling from above, and we trod on the upper edge of a steep slope of this rubbish, sending the stones at every step rolling and bounding into the depth below. several times during our progress showers of rocks fell from the precipice above across our path, and rolled into the abyss, but fortunately none struck us. four hundred yards of this progress brought us to where the rock joined the overhanging edge of the vast névé or snow-field that descended from the dome of the mountain and was from time to time, as pressed forward and downward, breaking off in immense masses, which fell with a noise as of thunder into the great canyon on our left. the junction of rock and ice afforded our only line of ascent. it was an almost perpendicular gutter, but here our ice-axe came into play, and by cutting steps in the ice and availing ourselves of every crevice or projecting point of the rock, we slowly worked our way up two hundred yards higher. falling stones were continually coming down, both from the rock on our right and from the ice in front, as it melted and relaxed its hold upon them. mr. van trump was hit by a small one, and another struck his staff from his hands. abandoning the rock, then, at the earliest practicable point, we ascended directly up the ice, cutting steps for a short distance, until we reached ice so corrugated, or drawn up in sharp pinnacles, as to afford a foothold. these folds or pinnacles were about two or three feet high, and half as thick, and stood close together. it was like a very violent chop sea, only the waves were sharper. up this safe footing we climbed rapidly, the side of the mountain becoming less and less steep, and the ice waves smaller and more regular, and, after ascending about three hundred yards, stood fairly upon the broad dome of mighty takhoma. it rose before us like a broad, gently swelling headland of dazzling white, topped with black, where the rocky summit projected above the névé. ascending diagonally towards the left, we continued our course. the snow was hard and firm under foot, crisp and light for an inch or two, but solidified into ice a foot or less beneath the surface. the whole field was covered with the ice-waves already described, and intersected by a number of crevasses which we crossed at narrow places without difficulty. about half-way up the slope, we encountered one from eight to twenty feet wide and of profound depth. the most beautiful vivid emerald-green color seemed to fill the abyss, the reflection of the bright sunlight from side to side of its pure ice walls. the upper side or wall of the crevasse was some twelve feet above the lower, and in places overhung it, as though the snow-field on the lower side had bodily settled down a dozen feet. throwing a bight of the rope around a projecting pinnacle on the upper side, we climbed up, hand over hand, and thus effected a crossing. we were now obliged to travel slowly, with frequent rests. in that rare atmosphere, after taking seventy or eighty steps, our breath would be gone, our muscles grew tired and strained, and we experienced all the sensations of extreme fatigue. an instant's pause, however, was sufficient to recover strength and breath, and we would start again. the wind, which we had not felt while climbing the steepest part of the mountain, now again blew furiously, and we began to suffer from the cold. our course,--directed still diagonally towards the left, thus shunning the severe exertion of climbing straight up the dome, although at an ordinary altitude the slope would be deemed easy,--brought us first to the southwest peak. this is a long, exceedingly sharp, narrow ridge, springing out from the main dome for a mile into mid-air. the ridge affords not over ten or twelve feet of foothold on top, and the sides descend almost vertically. on the right side the snow lay firm and smooth for a few feet on top, and then descended in a steep, unbroken sheet, like an immense, flowing curtain, into the tremendous basin which lies on the west side of the mountain between the southern and northern peaks, and which is inclosed by them as by two mighty arms. the snow on the top and left crest of the ridge was broken into high, sharp pinnacles, with cracks and fissures extending to the rocks a few feet below. the left side, too steep for the snow to lie on, was vertical, bare rock. the wind blew so violently that we were obliged to brace ourselves with our alpine staffs and use great caution to guard against being swept off the ridge. we threw ourselves behind the pinnacles or into the cracks every seventy steps, for rest and shelter against the bitter, piercing wind. hastening forward in this way along the dizzy, narrow, and precarious ridge, we reached at length the highest point. sheltered behind a pinnacle of ice we rested a moment, took out our flags and fastened them upon the alpine staffs, and then, standing erect in the furious blast, waved them in triumph with three cheers. we stood a moment upon that narrow summit, bracing ourselves against the tempest to view the prospect. the whole country was shrouded in a dense sea of smoke, above which the mountain towered two thousand feet in the clear, cloudless ether. a solitary peak far to the southeast, doubtless mount adams, and one or two others in the extreme northern horizon, alone protruded above the pall. on every side of the mountain were deep gorges falling off precipitously thousands of feet, and from these the thunderous sound of avalanches would rise occasionally. far below were the wide-extended glaciers already described. the wind was now a perfect tempest, and bitterly cold; smoke and mist were flying about the base of the mountain, half hiding, half revealing its gigantic outlines; and the whole scene was sublimely awful. it was now five p.m. we had spent eleven hours of unremitted toil in making the ascent, and, thoroughly fatigued, and chilled by the cold, bitter gale, we saw ourselves obliged to pass the night on the summit without shelter or food, except our meagre lunch. it would have been impossible to descend the mountain before nightfall, and sure destruction to attempt it in darkness. we concluded to return to a mass of rocks not far below, and there pass the night as best we could, burrowing in the loose débris. the middle peak of the mountain, however, was evidently the highest, and we determined to first visit it. retracing our steps along the narrow crest of peak success, as we named the scene of our triumph, we crossed an intervening depression in the dome, and ascended the middle peak, about a mile distant and two hundred feet higher than peak success. climbing over a rocky ridge which crowns the summit, we found ourselves within a circular crater two hundred yards in diameter, filled with a solid bed of snow, and inclosed with a rim of rocks projecting above the snow all around. as we were crossing the crater on the snow, van trump detected the odor of sulphur, and the next instant numerous jets of steam and smoke were observed issuing from the crevices of the rocks which formed the rim on the northern side. never was a discovery more welcome! hastening forward, we both exclaimed, as we warmed our chilled and benumbed extremities over one of pluto's fires, that here we would pass the night, secure against freezing to death, at least. these jets were from the size of that of a large steampipe to a faint, scarcely perceptible emission, and issued all along the rim among the loose rocks on the northern side for more than half the circumference of the crater. at intervals they would puff up more strongly, and the smoke would collect in a cloud until blown aside and scattered by the wind, and then their force would abate for a time. a deep cavern, extending into and under the ice, and formed by the action of heat, was found. its roof was a dome of brilliant green ice with long icicles pendent from it, while its floor, composed of the rocks and débris which formed the side of the crater, descended at an angle of thirty degrees. forty feet within its mouth we built a wall of stones, inclosing a space five by six feet around a strong jet of steam and heat. unlike the angular, broken rocks met with elsewhere, within the crater we found well-rounded bowlders and stones of all sizes worn as smooth by the trituration of the crater as by the action of water. nowhere, however, did we observe any new lava or other evidences of recent volcanic action excepting these issues of steam and smoke. inclosed within the rude shelter thus hastily constructed, we discussed our future prospects while we ate our lunch and warmed ourselves at our natural register. the heat at the orifice was too great to bear for more than an instant, but the steam wet us, the smell of sulphur was nauseating, and the cold was so severe that our clothes, saturated with the steam, froze stiff when turned away from the heated jet. the wind outside roared and whistled, but it did not much affect us, secure within our cavern, except when an occasional gust came down perpendicularly. however, we passed a most miserable night, freezing on one side, and in a hot steam-sulphur-bath on the other. the dawn at last slowly broke, cold and gray. the tempest howled still wilder. as it grew light, dense masses of driven mist went sweeping by overhead and completely hid the sun, and enveloped the mountain so as to conceal objects scarce a hundred feet distant. we watched and waited with great anxiety, fearing a storm which might detain us there for days without food or shelter, or, worse yet, snow, which would render the descent more perilous, or most likely impossible. and when, at nine a.m., an occasional rift in the driving mist gave a glimpse of blue sky, we made haste to descend. first, however, i deposited the brass plate inscribed with our names in a cleft in a large bowlder on the highest summit,--a huge mount of rocks on the east side of our crater of refuge, which we named crater peak,--placed the canteen alongside, and covered it with a large stone. i was then literally freezing in the cold, piercing blast, and was glad to hurry back to the crater, breathless and benumbed. we left our den of refuge at length, after exercising violently to start the blood through our limbs, and, in attempting to pass around the rocky summit, discovered a second crater, larger than the first, perhaps three hundred yards in diameter. it is circular, filled with a bed of snow, with a rocky rim all around and numerous jets of steam issuing from the rocks on the northern side. both craters are inclined--the first to the west, and the latter to the east with a much steeper inclination, about thirty degrees. the rim of the second crater is higher, or the snow-field inside lower, than that of the first, and upon the east side rises in a rocky wall thirty feet above the snow within. from the summit we obtained a view of the northern peak, still partially enveloped in the driving mist. it appeared about a mile distant, several hundred feet lower than the center peak, and separated from it by a deeper, more abrupt depression or gap than that separating crater and success peaks. like the latter, too, it is a sharp, narrow ridge springing out from the main mountain, and swept bare of snow on its summit by the wind. the weather was still too threatening, the glimpses of the sun and sky through the thick, flying scud were too few and fugitive, to warrant us in visiting this peak, which we named peak takhoma, to perpetuate the indian name of the mountain. our route back was the same as on the ascent. at the steepest and most perilous point in descending the steep gutter where we had been forced to cut steps in the ice, we fastened one end of the rope as securely as possible to a projecting rock, and lowered ourselves down by it as far as it reached, thereby passing the place with comparative safety. we were forced to abandon the rope here, having no means of unfastening it from the rock above. we reached the foot of the rocky ledge or ridge, where the real difficulties and dangers of the ascent commenced, at . p.m., four and a half hours after leaving the crater. we had been seven and a half hours in ascending from this point to the summit of peak success, and in both cases we toiled hard and lost no time. we now struck out rapidly and joyfully for camp. when nearly there van trump, in attempting to descend a snowbank without his creepers, which he had taken off for greater ease in walking, fell, shot like lightning forty feet down the steep incline, and struck among some loose rocks at its foot with such force as to rebound several feet into the air; his face and hands were badly skinned, and he received some severe bruises and a deep, wide gash upon his thigh. fortunately the camp was not far distant, and thither with great pain and very slowly he managed to hobble. once there i soon started a blazing fire, made coffee, and roasted choice morsels of a marmot, sluiskin having killed and dressed four of these animals during our absence. their flesh, like the badger's, is extremely muscular and tough, and has a strong, disagreeable, doggy odor. towards the close of our repast, we observed the indian approaching with his head down, and walking slowly and wearily as though tired by a long tramp. he raised his head as he came nearer, and, seeing us for the first time, stopped short, gazed long and fixedly, and then slowly drew near, eying us closely the while, as if to see whether we were real flesh and blood or disembodied ghosts fresh from the evil demon of takhoma. he seemed both astonished and delighted to find us safe back, and kept repeating that we were strong men and had brave hearts: "skookum tilicum, skookum tumtum." he expected never to see us again, he said, and had resolved to start the next morning for olympia to report our destruction. the weather was still raw and cold. a dense cloud overhung and shrouded the triple crown of takhoma and made us rejoice at our timely descent. the scanty shelter afforded by the few balsam firs about our camp had been destroyed by the fire, and the situation was terribly exposed to the chilly and piercing wind that blew from the great ice-fields. van trump, however, was too badly hurt to think of moving that night. heating some large stones we placed them at our feet, and closely wrapped in our blankets slept soundly upon the open ground, although we awoke in the morning benumbed and chilled. we found many fresh tracks and signs of the mountain-sheep upon the snowfields, and hair and wool rubbed off upon rocks, and places where they had lain at night. the mountain-sheep of takhoma is much larger than the common goat, and is found only upon the loftiest and most secluded peaks of the cascade range. even sluiskin, a skillful hunter and accustomed to the pursuit of this animal for years, failed to kill one, notwithstanding he hunted assiduously during our entire stay upon the mountain, three days. sluiskin was greatly chagrined at his failure, and promised to bring each of us a sheep-skin the following summer, a promise which he faithfully fulfilled. the glacial system of takhoma is stupendous. the mountain is really the focal centre and summit of a region larger than massachusetts, and the five large rivers which water this region all find their sources in its vast glaciers. they are the cowlitz, which empties into the columbia; the white, puyallup, and nisqually rivers, which empty into puget sound sixty, forty, and twelve miles respectively north of olympia; and the wenass, which flows eastward through the range and empties into the yakima, which joins the columbia four hundred miles above its mouth. these are all large streams from seventy to a hundred miles in length. the white, puyallup, and cowlitz rivers are each navigable for steamboats for some thirty miles, and like the nisqually show their glacial origin by their white and turgid water, which indeed gives the former its name. the southwestern sides of the mountain furnish the glaciers which form the sources of the nisqually, and one of these, at sluiskin's falls, has been already described. the main nisqually glacier issues from the deep abyss overhung by the vast rock along the face of which our route of ascent lay, and extends in a narrow and somewhat crooked canyon for two miles. the ice at its extremity rises in an abrupt wall five hundred feet high, and a noisy torrent pours out with great force from beneath. this feature is characteristic of every glacier. the main cowlitz glacier issues from the southeast side, just to the right of our ridge of ascent. its head fills a deep gorge at the foot of the eastern front or face of the great mass of rock just referred to, and the southern face of which overhangs the main nisqually glacier. thus the heads of these glaciers are separated only by this great rock, and are probably not more than half a mile apart, while their mouths are three miles apart. several smaller glaciers serve to swell the waters of the cowlitz. in like manner the glaciers from the western side form the puyallup, and those from the northern and northwestern sides the white river. the principal white river glacier is nearly ten miles long, and its width is from two to four miles. its depth, or the thickness of its ice, must be thousands of feet. streams and rivulets under the heat of the sun flow down its surface until swallowed by the crevasses, and a lakelet of deep blue water an eighth of a mile in diameter has been observed upon the solid ice. pouring down from the mountain, the ice by its immense weight and force has gouged out a mass upon the northeastern side a mile in thickness. the geological formation of takhoma poorly resists the eroding power of these mighty glaciers, for it seems to be composed not of solid rock, but of a basaltic conglomerate in strata, as though the volcanic force had burst through and rent in pieces some earlier basaltic outflow, and had heaped up this vast pile from the fragments in successive strata. on every side the mountain is slowly disintegrating. what other peak can offer to scientific examination or to the admiration of tourists fourteen living glaciers of such magnitude, issuing from every side, or such grandeur, beauty, and variety of scenery? at daylight we broke up our camp at sluiskin's falls, and moved slowly, on account of van trump's hurt, down the ridge about five miles to clear creek, where we again regaled ourselves upon a hearty repast of marmots, or "raw dog," as van trump styled them in derision both of the viand and of the cookery. i was convinced from the lay of the country that clear creek flowed into the nisqually, or was, perhaps, the main stream itself, and that the most direct and feasible route back to bear prairie would be found by following down the valley of these streams to the trail leading from the nisqually to bear prairie. besides, it was evidently impossible for van trump, in his bruised and injured state, to retrace our rough route over the mountains. leaving him as comfortable as possible, with all our scanty stock of flour and marmots, sufficient to last him nearly a week in case of need, i started immediately after dinner, with sluiskin leading the way, to explore this new route. the indian had opposed the attempt strenuously, insisting with much urgency that the stream flowed through canyons impossible for us to traverse. he now gradually veered away from the course of the stream, until ere-long he was leading directly up the steep mountain range upon our former route, when i called him back peremptorily, and kept him in the rear for a little distance. traveling through open timber, over ground rapidly descending, we came at the end of two miles to where the stream is hemmed in between one of the long ridges or spurs from takhoma and the high mountain-chain on the south. the stream, receiving many affluents on both sides, its clear waters soon discolored by the yeasty glacial torrents, here loses its peaceful flow, and for upwards of three miles rushes furiously down a narrow, broken, and rocky bed in a succession of falls and cascades of great picturesque beauty. with much toil and difficulty we picked our way over a wide "talus" of huge, broken granite blocks and bowlders, along the foot of a vast mountain of solid granite on the south side of the river, until near the end of the defile, then crossed the stream, and soon after encountered a still larger branch coming from the north, direct from takhoma, the product, doubtless, of the glaciers on the southern and southwestern sides. fording this branch just above its confluence with the other, we followed the general course of the river, now unmistakably the nisqually, for about four miles; then, leaving it, we struck off nearly south through the forest for three miles, and emerged upon the bear prairie. the distance was about thirteen miles from where we left van trump, and we were only some six hours in traveling it, while it took seventeen hours of terribly severe work to make the mountain-route under sluiskin's guidance. without his help on the shorter route, too, it would have taken me more than twice the time it did. for the manner in which, after entering the defile of the nisqually, sluiskin again took the lead and proceeded in a direct and unhesitating course, securing every advantage of the ground, availing himself of the wide, rocky bars along the river, crossing and recrossing the milky flood which rushed along with terrific swiftness and fury, and occasionally forcing his way through the thick timber and underbrush in order to cut off wide bends of the river, and at length leaving it and striking boldly through the forest to bear prairie, proved him familiar with every foot of the country. his objections to the route evidently arose from the jealousy so common with his people of further exploration of the country by the whites. as long as they keep within the limits already known and explored, they are faithful and indefatigable guides, but they invariably interpose every obstacle their ingenuity can suggest to deter the adventurous mountaineer from exposing the few last hidden recesses that remain unexplored. mr. coleman was found safe in camp, and seemed too glad to see us to think of reproaching us for our summary abandonment. he said that in attempting to follow us he climbed up so precipitous a place that, encumbered with his heavy pack, he could neither advance nor recede. he was compelled, therefore, to throw off the pack, which rolled to the very bottom of the mountain, and being thus delivered of his necessary outfit, he was forced to return to camp. he had been unable to find his pack, but having come across some cricketer's spikes among his remaining effects, he was resolved to continue his trip to, and make the ascent of, rainier by himself; he had just completed his preparations, and especially had deposited on top of the lofty mountain which overlooked the prairie two caches, or stores, of provisions. at daylight next morning, sluiskin, with his little boy riding one of his own ponies, himself riding our little calico-colored pack-horse, now well rested and saucy, started back for van trump, with directions to meet us at the trail on the nisqually. a heavy, drizzling rain set in soon afterwards; mr. coleman, who had gone early to bring in the contents of his mountain-top caches, returned about noon with a very small bundle, and, packing our traps upon sluiskin's other pony, we moved over to the rendezvous, pitched coleman's large gum-sheet as a partial shelter, made a rousing fire, and tried to be comfortable. late in the afternoon the pony set up a violent neighing, and in a few minutes van trump, and sluiskin with his little boy behind him, rode up, drenched to the skin. by following the bed of the river, frequently crossing and recrossing, the indian had managed to ride to the very foot of the nisqually defile, when, leaving the horses in this boy's care, he hastened to van trump and carefully led and assisted him down. despite the pain of his severe hurts, the latter was much amused at sluiskin's account of our trip, and of finding mr. coleman safe in camp making tea, and for long after would repeat as an excellent joke sluiskin's remark on passing the point where he had attempted to mislead me, "skookum tenas man hiyu goddam." we sent the horses back by the indian to bear prairie for grass, there being no indications of the rain ceasing. the storm indeed lasted three days, during which we remained sheltered beneath the gum-sheet as far as possible, and endeavored to counteract the rain by heaping up our fire in front. about eight o'clock on the second morning, sluiskin reported himself with our horse, which he returned, he said, because he was about to return to his lodge on the cowlitz, being destitute of shelter and food for his family on bear prairie. he vigorously replenished the fire, declined breakfast, jeered coleman for turning back, although probably the latter did not comprehend his broken lingo, and departed. sluiskin was an original and striking character. leading a solitary life of hardships amidst these wilds, yet of unusual native intelligence, he had contrived, during rare visits to the settlements, to acquire the chinook jargon, besides a considerable stock of english words, while his fund of general information was really wonderful. he was possessed of a shrewd, sarcastic wit, and, making no pretense to the traditional gravity of his race, did not scruple to use it freely. yet beneath this he cherished a high sense of pride and personal independence. although of the blood of the numerous and powerful yakimas, who occupied the country just east of the cascades, he disdained to render allegiance to them or any tribe, and undoubtedly regarded the superintendent of indian affairs, or even the great father at washington himself, with equally contemptuous indifference. as the last rays of the sun, one warm, drowsy summer afternoon, were falling aslant the shady streets of olympia, mr. longmire's well-worn family carry-all, drawn by two fat, grass-fed horses, came rattling down the main street at a most unusual pace for them; two bright flags attached to alpine staffs, one projecting from each door, fluttered gayly overhead, while the occupants of the carriage looked eagerly forth to catch the first glimpse of welcoming friends. we returned after our tramp of two hundred and forty miles with visages tanned and sun-scorched, and with forms as lean and gaunt as greyhounds, and were received and lionized to the full, like veterans returning from an arduous and glorious campaign. for days afterward, in walking along the smooth and level pavements, we felt a strong impulse to step high, as though still striding over the innumerable fallen logs and boughs of the forest, and for weeks our appetites were a source of astonishment to our friends and somewhat mortifying to ourselves. more than two months had elapsed before mr. van trump fully recovered from his hurts. we published at the time short newspaper accounts of the ascent, and, although an occasional old puget sounder will still growl, "they say they went on top of mount rainier, but i'd like to see them prove it," we were justly regarded as the first, and as i believe the only ones up to the present time, who have ever achieved the summit of takhoma. footnote: [ ] tak-ho'ma or ta-ho'ma among the yakimas, klickitats, puyallups, nisquallys, and allied tribes of indians, is the generic term for mountain, used precisely as we use the word "mount," as takhoma wynatchie, or mount wynatchie. but they all designate rainier simply as takhoma, or the mountain, just as the mountain men used to call it the "old he." (note in the original article.) vii. indian warning against demons by sluiskin, indian guide the beautiful sluiskin falls, at the head of paradise valley, have been admired by countless visitors to the mount rainier national park. the name was bestowed upon them by stevens and van trump after their return from what the indian guide believed was sure death. before they had left him at the camp near the falls and started to climb over the snow and ice, he delivered an eloquent plea in the chinook jargon accompanied by natural but effective gestures. the speech was remembered and repeated by the white men when they returned among their friends. one of those who committed it to memory was former congressman m. c. george of oregon. he furnished a copy. general stevens in revised it, but added: "my chinook i have somewhat lost, so the rendering is probably not so correct as it might be." however, the indian speech and the translation by general stevens will likely be cherished as here reproduced. kloshe nanich, mesika kloshe tilikum. nika tikigh wawa kopa mesika. mesika tikegh klatawa saghalie takhoma, hyiu pelton. halo tilikum mamook okoke pe mitlite. hyas tyee mitlite kopa saghalie illahee kopa hyiu piah. wake tikigh tilikum chako kopa yahka illahee. ahnkuttie nika papa yahka papa, hyas skookum tyee kopa konaway yakima tilikum, klatawa wake siah yahka la tet. alta nanich piah chuck pe keekwulee tyee chako mimoluse yahka pe hyak klatawa keekwulee saghalie illahee, pe hyiu kloshe tumtum. yahka wake mamook alta, halo ikt siwash mamook klatawa. kloshe mesika klatawa, kloshe mamook. hyiu snow, kloshe klatawa snow illahee, ahnkuttie nika mimoluse takhoma mowich kloshe ooakut. alta mesika nanich klatawa hyiu stone, wake kloshe klatawa pe mesika teahwit tseepie alta mesika klatawa keekwulee pe mimoluse, keekwulee pe mimoluse. mesika klatawa hyas mesachie snow pe keekwulee hyas mesachie illahee yahka takhoma mowich halo klatawa. mesika klatawa hyas saghalie illahee hyiu stone chako, hyiu stone chako, pe mesika mimoluse pe kokshut mesika. spose mesika klatawa kopa okoke saghalie illahee alta mesika hyiu skookum pe cole wind alta yahka mahsh mesika kopa keekwulee illahee pe mimoluse mesika. spose mesika mitlite mesachie iktas hyas keekwulee tyee mitlite takhoma mesika mimoluse pe mesika mahsh okoke piah chuck. wake mesika klatawa! mesika mamook nika tumtum kwass, spose mesika klatawa takhoma saghalie. mesika mimoluse mesika spose klatawa takhoma. mesika mimoluse pe mesika tilikum sollecks kopa nika. wake klatawa! wake klatawa! spose mesika klatawa, nika mitlite mokst sun pe alta nika klatawa kopa olympia pe wawa kopa mesika tilikum alta mesika mimoluse siah saghalie takhoma. mesika potlatch pehpah kopa nika mamook kumtuks mesika mimoluse wake nika mesachie. kopet wawa nika. translation by general stevens listen to me, my good friends. i must talk to you. your plan to climb takhoma is all foolishness. no one can do it and live. a mighty chief dwells upon the summit in a lake of fire. he brooks no intruders. many years ago my grandfather, the greatest and bravest chief of all the yakima, climbed nearly to the summit. there he caught sight of the fiery lake and the infernal demon coming to destroy him, and he fled down the mountain, glad to escape with his life. where he failed, no other indian ever dared make the attempt. at first the way is easy, the task seems light. the broad snowfields, over which i have often hunted the mountain goat, offer an inviting path. but above them you will have to climb over steep rocks overhanging deep gorges where a misstep would hurl you far down--down to certain death. you must creep over steep snow banks and cross deep crevasses where a mountain goat could hardly keep his footing. you must climb along steep cliffs where rocks are continually falling to crush you, or knock you off into the bottomless depths. and if you should escape these perils and reach the great snowy dome, then a bitterly cold and furious tempest will sweep you off into space like a withered leaf. but if by some miracle you should survive all these perils the mighty demon of takhoma will surely kill you and throw you into the fiery lake. don't you go! you make my heart sick when you talk of climbing takhoma. you will perish if you try to climb takhoma. you will perish and your people will blame me. don't go! don't go! if you will go, i will wait here two days, and then go to olympia and tell your people that you perished on takhoma. give me a paper to them to let them know that i am not to blame for your death. my talk is ended. [illustration: samuel franklin emmons.] viii. second successful ascent, by s. f. emmons later in the same year, , when stevens and van trump made their first successful ascent, the achievement was also accomplished by s. f. emmons and a. d. wilson of the geological exploration of the fortieth parallel. samuel franklin emmons was born at boston on march , . he died painlessly and unexpectedly on the eve of his seventieth birthday, march , . george f. becker gave him a fervent eulogy which appeared in the transactions of the american institute of mining engineers for . he says: "there is not a geological society or even a mining camp from arctic finland to the transvaal, or from alaska to australia, where emmons's name is not honored and his authority recognized." with all his fame and ability, the biographer declares, he was modest to diffidence. his account of the ascent is in the form of a letter to his chief, clarence king, who published it in the american journal of science for march, . it is here reproduced from that source. the photograph of mr. emmons was obtained from the united states geological survey. it will be noticed that mr. emmons calls the mountain tachoma. the mountain's largest glacier, to which he refers with enthusiasm, was for a long time known by the name of white river which it feeds. it is peculiarly appropriate that that glacier should bear the name given it on the official map of the united states geological survey--emmons glacier. the glaciers of mt. tachoma, or rainier as it is more commonly called, form the principal sources of four important rivers of washington territory, viz: the cowlitz, which flows into the columbia, and the nisqually, puyallup and white rivers which empty into puget sound. in accordance with your instructions, mr. a. d. wilson and i visited this mountain in the early part of october, , and carried the work of making its complete survey, both geological and topographical, as far as the lateness of the season and the means at our disposal would permit. as the topographical work has not yet been plotted, the figures given in my notes are merely estimates, and liable to subsequent correction. i herewith transmit an abstract from my notes upon the glaciers, embracing those of rather more than half the slopes of the mountain, those on the eastern side, from the extreme southern to the extreme northern point. the summit of tachoma is formed by three peaks, a southern, an eastern, and a northwestern: of these the eastern is the highest; those on the south and northwest, being apparently a few hundred feet lower, are distant about a mile and a half to two miles from this, and separated by deep valleys. the eastern peak, which would seem to have formed originally the middle of the mountain mass, is a crater about a quarter of a mile in diameter of very perfect circular form. its sides are bare for about feet from the rim, below which they are covered by a _névé_ having a slope of from ° to °. this _névé_ extending from the shoulders of the southwestern peak to those of the northern, a width of several miles, descends to a vertical distance of about feet below the crater rim, an immense sheet of white granular ice, having the general form of the mountain surface, and broken only by long transverse crevasses, one of those observed being from one to two miles in length: it is then divided up by the several jutting rock-masses or shoulder of the mountain into the nisqually, cowlitz and white river glaciers, falling in distinct ice cascades for about feet at very steep angles, which sometimes approach the perpendicular. from the foot of these cascades flow the glaciers proper, at a more gentle angle, growing narrower and sinking deeper into the mountain as they descend. from the intervening spurs, which slope even more gradually, they receive many tributary glaciers, while some of these secondary glaciers form independent streams, which only join the main river many miles below the end of the glaciers. the nisqually, the narrowest of the three main glaciers above mentioned, has the most sinuous course, varying in direction from southwest to south, while its lower extremity is somewhat west of south of the main peak: it receives most of its tributaries from the spur to the east, and has a comparatively regular slope in its whole length below the cascades. there are some indications of dirt-bands on its surface, when seen from a considerable elevation. toward its lower end it is very much broken up by transverse and longitudinal crevasses: this is due to the fact, that it has here cut through the more yielding strata of volcanic rock, and come upon an underlying and unconformable mass of syenite. the ice front at its base is about feet in height, and the walls of lava which bound its sides rise from to feet above the surface of the ice, generally in sheer precipices. the bed of the cowlitz glacier is generally parallel to that of the nisqually, though its curves are less marked: the ice cascades in which each originates, fall on either side of a black cliff of bedded lava and breccia scarcely a thousand feet in horizontal thickness, while the mouths of the glaciers, if i may be allowed the expression, are about three miles apart. from the jutting edge of this cliff hang enormous icicles from to feet in length. the slope of this glacier is less regular, being broken by subordinate ice cascades. like the nisqually its lower extremity stretches out as it were into the forest, the slopes on either side, where not too steep, being covered with the mountain fir (_picea nobilis_) for several hundred feet above the level of the ice, while the _pinus flexilis_ grows at least feet higher than the mouth of the glacier. the general course of this glacier is south, but at its extremity it bends to the eastward, apparently deflected from its course by a cliff of older felsitic rock, more resisting than the lava. the consequence of this deflection is a predominance of longitudinal over transverse crevasses at this point, and an unusually large moraine at its western side, which rises several hundred feet above the surface of the glaciers, and partakes of the character of both lateral and terminal moraines: the main medial moraine of the glacier joins this near its lower end. this medial moraine proceeds from the cliff which bounds the ice cascade source of the glacier on the north, and brings down a dark porous lava which is only found high up on the mountain near the crater. the position of the medial moraine on the glacier would indicate that at least half its mass came from the spur on the east, which is probably the case. this spur, comprehending the whole mass between the cowlitz and white rivers glaciers, has the shape of a triangle whose apex is formed by a huge pinnacle of rock, which, as its bedding indicates, once formed part of the crust of the mountain, but now stands isolated, a jagged peak rising about feet above the glaciers at its foot, so steep that neither ice nor snow rest upon it. one of the tributaries to the cowlitz glacier from this spur brings down with it a second medial moraine, which is traceable to the mouth of the glacier, though in general these tributary glaciers bring no medial moraines. on the eastern slopes of this spur between the two above named glaciers, spread secondary glaciers, frequently of great width, but owing to the limited height of their initial points, of inconsiderable length. these end generally in perpendicular cliffs overhanging the rocky amphitheaters at the heads of the smaller streams which flow eastward into the cowlitz. looking up from the bottom of one of these amphitheaters one sees a semi-circular wall of nearly feet of sheer rock, surmounted by about feet of ice, from under which small streams of water issue, falling in silvery cascades on to the green bottom below. a ridge of high jagged peaks connects this spur with the main range of the cascade mts. in the east, and forms the water-shed between the white and cowlitz rivers. from the connecting saddle one can look northward across the brink of six glaciers, which all contribute to the white river; of these the first four come from the triangular spur already mentioned and are of comparatively little extent. the first two are, however, interesting from the vein structure which they exhibit; they both originate in an irregularly oblong basin, having the shape somewhat of an inclined ellipse, turning on its longer diameter, the outlets of the glacier being opposite the foci. seen from a high point the veins form concentric lines generally parallel to the sides of the basin; the ends of those towards the center gradually bend round, until they join together in the form of a figure , and finally just above the outlets form two small ellipses. they thus constantly preserve a direction at right angles to that of the pressure exerted, downward by the movement of the ice mass, and upward by the resistance to this movement of the rock mass between the two outlets. the main white river glacier, the grandest of the whole,[ ] pours straight down from the rim of the crater in a northeasterly direction, and pushes its extremity farther out into the valley than any of the others. its greatest width on the steep slope of the mountain must be four or five miles, narrowing towards its extremity to about a mile and a half; its length can be scarcely less than ten miles. the great eroding power of glacial ice is strikingly illustrated in this glacier, which seems to have cut down and carried away on the northeastern side of the mountain, fully a third of its mass. the thickness of rock cut away as shown by the walls on either side, and the isolated peak at the head of the triangular spur, in which the bedding of the successive flows of lava, forming the original mountain crust, is very regular and conformable, may be roughly estimated at somewhat over a mile. of the thickness of the ice of the glacier i have no data for making estimates, though it may probably be reckoned in thousands of feet. it has two principal medial moraines, which, where crossed by us, formed little mountain ridges having peaks nearly feet high. the sources of these moraines are cliffs on the steeper mountain slope, which seem mere black specks in the great white field above: between these are great cascades, and below immense transverse crevasses, which we had no time or means to visit. the surface water flows in rills and brooks, on the lower portion of the glacier, and _moulins_ are of frequent occurrence. we visited one double _moulin_ where two brooks poured into two circular wells, each about ten feet in diameter, joined together at the surface but separated below: we could not approach near enough the edge to see the bottom of either, but, as stones thrown in sent back no sound, judged they must be very deep. this glacier forks near the foot of the steeper mountain slope, and sends off a branch to the northward, which forms a large stream flowing down to join the main stream fifteen or twenty miles below. looking down on this from a high overhanging peak, we could see, as it were, under our feet, a little lake of deep blue water, about an eighth of a mile in diameter, standing in the brown gravel-covered ice of the end of the glacier. on the back of the rocky spur, which divides these two glaciers, a secondary glacier has scooped out a basin-shaped bed, and sends down an ice stream, having all the characteristics of a true glacier, but its ice disappears several miles above the mouths of the large glaciers on either side. were nothing known of the movement of glaciers, an instance like this would seem to afford sufficient evidence that such movement exists, and that gravity is the main motive power. from our northern and southern points we could trace the beds of several large glaciers to the west of us, whose upper and lower portions only were visible, the main body of the ice lying hidden by the high intervening spurs. ten large glaciers observed by us, and at least half as many more hidden by the mountain from our view, proceeding thus from an isolated peak, form a most remarkable system, and one worthy of a careful and detailed study. footnote: [ ] it is a pleasure to note that this fine glacier now bears the name of emmons. [illustration: bailey willis. from a photograph taken in .] ix. explorations on the northern slopes, - by bailey willis the northwest for april, , which was number of volume i of that magazine, contained an article by bailey willis, assistant geologist of the northern transcontinental survey. the article is entitled "canyons and glaciers. a journey to the ice fields of mount tacoma." mr. willis was born at idlewild-on-hudson, new york, on may , . it speaks well for his skill and training that he should have attained to such a position at twenty-four years of age. since then he has worked out a great career in the united states geological survey, in china and in other parts of the world. he is now professor of geology at stanford university. he has kindly revised for this publication the product of his younger years. and there has also been found a photograph of the geologist as he appeared when the surveys were made. to this day, people who visit the northern slopes and parks of the mountain become familiar with the bailey willis trail and from moraine park they get a view of the wonderful willis wall named in his honor. the puyallup river, which empties into puget sound near new tacoma, heads in three glaciers on mount tacoma. during the summer months, when the ice and snow on the mountains are thawing, the water is discolored with mud from the glaciers and carries a large amount of sediment out to commencement bay. if the coast survey charts are correct, soundings near the centre of the bay have changed from one hundred fathoms and "no bottom" in , to eighty fathoms and "gray mud" in . but when the nights in the hills begin to be frosty, the stream becomes clearer, and in winter the greater volume of spring water gives it a deep green tint. for twenty miles from the sound the valley is nearly level. the bluffs along the river are of coarse gravel, the soil is alluvium, and a well sunk a hundred feet at the little town of puyallup passed through gravel and sand to tide mud and brackish water. from the foot-hills to its mouth the river meanders over an old valley of unknown depth, now filled with material brought down by its several branches. about eighteen miles above its mouth the river forks, and the northern portion takes the name of carbon river; the southern was formerly called the south fork, but it should retain the name of puyallup to its next division far up in the mountains. a short distance above their junction both carbon river and the puyallup escape from narrow, crooked cañons, whose vertical sides, one hundred to three hundred feet high, are often but fifty feet apart. from these walls steep, heavily timbered slopes rise two hundred to eight hundred feet to the summits of the foot-hills. these cañons link the buried river basin of the lower stream with the upper river valleys. the latter extend from the heads of the cañons to the glaciers. they are apparently the deserted beds of mightier ice rivers, now shrunk to the very foot of mount tacoma. from new tacoma the entire course of the puyallup and part of carbon river are in view. across commencement bay are the tide marshes of the delta; back from these salt meadows the light green of the cottonwoods, alder and vine-maple mark the river's course, till it is lost in the dark monotone of the fir forest. no break in the evergreen surface indicates the place of the river cañons; but far out among the foot-hills a line of mist hangs over the upper valley of carbon river, which winds away eastward, behind the rising ground, to the northern side of mount tacoma. milk creek, one of its branches, drains the northwest spur, and on the western slope the snows accumulate in two glaciers, from which flow the north and south forks of the puyallup. these streams meet in a level valley at the base of three singular peaks, and plunge united into the dark gateway of the cañon. a trip to the grand snow peak from which these rivers spring was within a year a very difficult undertaking. there was no trail through the dense forest, no supply depot on the route. no horse nor donkey could accompany the explorer, who took his blankets and provisions on his back, and worked his way slowly among the towering tree trunks, through underbrush luxuriant as a tropic jungle. but last summer a good horse trail was built from wilkeson to carbon river, crossing it above the cañon, sixteen miles below the glacier, and during the autumn it was extended to the head of the puyallup. wilkeson is reached by a branch railroad from new tacoma. it is on a small tributary of carbon river, called fletts creek, at a point where the brook runs from a narrow gorge into a valley about a quarter of a mile wide. coal mines are opened at this point. the horse trail climbs at once from wilkeson to the first terrace, four hundred feet above the valley; then winds a quarter of a mile back through the forest to the second ascent of a hundred feet, and then a mile over the level to the third. hidden here beneath the thick covering of moss and undergrowth of the primeval forest, fourteen hundred feet above the present ocean level, are ancient shore lines of the sea, which has left its trace in similar terraces in all the valleys about the sound.[ ] thence the trail extends southward over a level plateau. carbon river cañon is but half a mile away on the west, and five miles from wilkeson the valley above the cañon is reached. the descent to the river is over three miles along the hillside eastward. from wilkeson to the river the way is all through a belt of forest, where the conditions of growth are very favorable. the fir trees are massive, straight and free from limbs to a great height. the larger ones, eight to twelve feet in diameter on a level with a man's head, carry their size upward, tapering very gradually, till near the top they shoot out a thick mat of foliage and the trunk in a few feet diminishes to a point. one such was measured; it stands like a huge obelisk feet, without a limb, supporting a crown of but forty feet more. the more slender trees are, curiously enough, the taller; straight, clear shafts rise to feet, topped with foliage whose highest needles would look down on trinity spire. cedars, hemlocks, spruce and white fir mingle with these giants, but they do not compete with them in height; they fill in the spaces in the vast colonnades. below is the carpet of deep golden green moss and glossy ferns, and the tangle of vines and bushes that cover the fallen trunks of the fathers of the forest. the silence of these mountains is awesome, the solitude oppressive. the deer, the bear, the panther are seldom met; they see and hear first and silently slip away, leaving only their tracks to prove their numbers. there are very few birds. blue jays, and their less showy gray, but equally impudent, cousins, the "whiskey jacks," assemble about a camp; but in passing through the forest one may wander a whole day and see no living thing save a squirrel, whose shrill chatter is startling amid the silence. the wind plays in the tree tops far overhead, but seldom stirs the branches of the smaller growth. the great tree trunks stand immovable. the more awful is it when a gale roars through the timber; when the huge columns sway in unison and groan with voices strangely human. it is fearful to lie in the utter darkness of a stormy night, listening to the pulsating rush of the wind, the moan of the forest and the crash of uprooted giants upon the ground--listening with bated breath for the report which may foretell the fall of yonder tall decaying shaft, whose thick, deep cleft bark blazed so brightly on the now dying camp fire. the effect of one such storm is seen in carbon river valley, above and below where the trail crosses. the blast followed the stream and the mountain slope on the south side; over an area eight miles long and a half a mile to a mile wide the forest is prostrate. single trees stand gaunt and charred by a recent fire, but their comrades are piled like jackstraws, the toys of the tornado. over and under each other they lie, bent and interlaced, twenty, thirty feet deep. pigmy man strained his eyes to see their tops, when they stood erect; now he vainly stands on tiptoe to look over them in their fallen majesty. to the head of carbon river from the bridge, on which the trail crosses it, is about sixteen miles. the rocky bed of the river is to yards wide, a gray strip of polished boulders between sombre mountain slopes, that rise sharply from it. the stream winds in ever-shifting channels among the stones. about six miles above the bridge milk creek dashes down from its narrow gorge into the river. the high pinnacles of the spur from which it springs are hidden by the nearer fir-clad ridges. between their outlines shines the northern peak of mount tacoma, framed in dark evergreen spires. its snow fields are only three miles distant, but carbon river has come a long way round. for six miles eastward the undulating lines of the mountains converge, then those on the north suddenly cross the view, where the river cañon turns sharply southward. three miles from this turn is crescent mountain, its summit a semi-circular gray wall a thousand feet high.[ ] at sunset the light from the west streams across the head of milk creek and carbon river, illuminating these cliffs as with the glow of volcanic fires, while twilight deepens in the valley. the next turn of the river brings mount tacoma again in view. close on the right a huge buttress towers up, cliff upon cliff, , feet, a single one of the many imposing rock masses that form the ragged spur between carbon river and milk creek. the more rapid fall of the river, the increasing size of the boulders, show the nearness of the glacier. turning eastward to the south of crescent mountain, you pass the group of trees that hide it. this first sight is a disappointment. the glacier is a very dirty one. the face is about feet long and thirty to forty feet high. it entirely fills the space between two low cliffs of polished gray rock. throughout the mass the snows of successive winters are interstratified with the summers' accumulations of earth and rock. from a dark cavern, whose depths have none of the intense blue color so beautiful in crevasses in clear ice, carbon river pours out, a muddy torrent. the top of the glacier is covered with earth about six inches deep, contributed to its mass by the cliffs on either side and by an island of rock, where a few pines grow, entirely surrounded by the ice river. the eye willingly passes over this dirty mass to the gleaming northeast spur of the mountain, where the sunlight lingers after the chill night wind has begun to blow from the ice fields. the disappointment of this view of the glacier leaves one unprepared for the beauty of that from crescent mountain. the ascent from a point a short distance down the river is steep, but not dangerous. the lower slopes are heavily timbered, but at an elevation of , feet juniper and dwarf pine are dotted over the grassy hillside. elk, deer and white mountain goats find here a pleasant pasture; their trails look like well trodden sheep paths on a new england hill. a curious badger-like animal, sitting erect on his hind legs, greets one with a long shrill whistle that would make a schoolboy envious, but trots quickly away on nearer approach. the crest of the southwest rim of the amphitheater is easily gained, and the grandeur of the view bursts upon you suddenly. eastward are the cliffs and cañons of the cascade range. northward forest-covered hill and valley reach to mount baker and the snow peaks that break the horizon line. westward are the blue waters of the sound, the snow-clad olympics and a faint soft line beyond; it may be the ocean or a fog bank above it. southward, , feet above you, so near you must throw your head back to see its summit, is grand mount tacoma; its graceful northern peak piercing the sky, it soars single and alone. whether touched by the glow of early morning or gleaming in bright noonday, whether rosy with sunset light or glimmering ghost-like, in the full moon, whether standing out clear and cloudless or veiled among the mists it weaves from the warm south winds, it is always majestic and inspiring, always attractive and lovely. it is the symbol of an awful power clad in beauty. this northern slope of the mountain is very steep, and the consolidated snow begins its downward movement from near the top. little pinnacles of rock project through the mass and form eddies in the current. a jagged ridge divides it, and part descends into the deep unexplored cañon of white river, probably the deepest chasm in the flanks of mount tacoma. the other part comes straight on toward the southern side of crescent mountain, a precipice , feet high; diverted, it turns in graceful flowing curves, breaks into a thousand ice pyramids and descends into the narrow pass, where its beauty is hidden under the ever-falling showers of rock. this rim you stand upon is very narrow; a hundred feet wide, sometimes less, between the cliff that rises , feet above the glacier and the descent of a thousand feet on the other side. snow lies upon part of this slope; stones, started from the edge, leap in lengthening bounds over its firm surface and plunge with a splash into the throat of the lakelet that lies in the amphitheater. the ice slope, dipping into the clear water, passes from purest white to deepest blue as it passes out of sight in the depths of the basin. a two days' visit to this trackless region sufficed only to see a small part of the magnificent scenery. white river cañon, the cliffs of ragged spur, the northern slope of mount tacoma, where the climber is always tempted upward, might occupy him for weeks. across the snow fields, where milk creek rises, is the glacier of the north fork of the puyallup, and the end of the horse trail we left at carbon river is within six miles of its base. when a trail is built up carbon river, the way across this divide will be found, and, with comfortable stopping places on the two rivers, the tourist can pass a delightful week amid scenery we now cross the ocean to switzerland to see. footnotes: [ ] the terraces to which reference is here made are not the work of the sea, but of lakes whose waters gathered between the mountain slopes and retreating glaciers of the ice period. see the article by h. i. bretz. geol. survey of wash., bull. , . [ ] the amphitheaters which the young geologist mistook for craters are now known to be glacier basins eroded by ice. [illustration: major edward sturgis ingraham.] x. discovery of camp muir, by major e. s. ingraham major edward sturgis ingraham has visited the mountain annually since . he has ascended to the summit seven times and has spent as many nights in the crater. it was he who gave to a number of the prominent features of the park their beautiful and enduring names. on his first ascent in the party included john muir, most famous naturalist of the pacific slope. since he found a sheltered pumice patch and suggested camping there for the night, major ingraham called it camp muir, now well known to all climbers. major ingraham prepared an account of the ascent which was published in the puget sound magazine for october, . that magazine has long since ceased to be issued. it was edited by the editor of this present work, who has rescued the article from the rare and almost forgotten files. after an extensive career as superintendent of schools, printer, militia officer and miner, major ingraham has been devoting his later years to the boy scout work, in which his love for the mountains plays an important part. a glacier on the mountain bears the name of ingraham. how that came to be, is related by him as follows: "one time when i was on the mountain encamped at the camp of the clouds, professor i. c. russell and another man, both in their shirt sleeves, came tottering into my camp at early morning. they had been caught upon the summit and had spent a shivering night in the crater. i treated them the best i knew how and they departed. when their maps came out i found that a beautiful glacier had been named for me--ingraham glacier." mount rainier, one of nature's masterpieces, is the most striking object of grandeur and beauty amidst the unsurpassed scenery of washington territory. occupying nearly a central position geographically in the territory, it is alike an object of pride to the inhabitants of the great plain of the columbia and to the dwellers on puget sound. there are other peaks that command our attention, but it is to the old monarch that we turn with unfeigned pride and exclaim, "behold a masterpiece!" the height of mount rainier, as estimated by triangulation, is , feet. this height was verified by barometer in the hands of one party that reached the summit in the month of august of the present year. from many points of view it appears a single peak; but in reality it is composed of three peaks of nearly the same height. these peaks may be designated as northern, crater and southern. they are not in direct line, but occupy apexes of an obtuse-angled triangle. the northern peak is a cone, with its apex about two miles from the summit of crater peak; the southern peak is somewhat flattened on top, and is about one and one-half miles from crater peak. crater peak, as the name suggests, has two large craters, with well-defined rims--one sloping slightly towards the northeast, and the other towards the southwest. the culminating point of this peak is a sugarloaf-shape mass of pure snow, about one hundred feet above all adjacent points. the northern and southern peaks are inaccessible, except from crater peak, owing to the precipitous condition of their sides, which are so steep that snow will not cling to them except in small patches. down these sides, during some seasons of the year, avalanches go thundering almost hourly with a roar that makes the tourist shudder with fear. the volcanic condition of mount rainier is everywhere apparent. for miles before the base is reached vast quantities of ashes, forming the greater part of the soil of that region, plainly tell of extensive eruptions; the immediate foothills are covered with masses of red and black lava; while pumice is found in great abundance upon some of the ridges. all these evidences suggest that, long ages ago, rainier was the scene of volcanic activity of immense magnitude. ascend to the top, behold the two well-defined craters, with their rims perfect; descend those walls, and try to count the many jets of steam constantly puffing forth their sulphurous odors, and one is led to believe that rainier has been active at a comparatively recent period. mount rainier, with its many glaciers, is the source of the principal rivers of western washington. from the summit of the three peaks the snow forges its way downward until it is compressed into ice; the ice in turn is compressed until it assumes that peculiar blue tint that characterizes ice under great pressure. these ice streams move slowly down the valleys, about one foot in twenty-four hours, conforming to their beds. where the bed is inclined, the glacier breaks into innumerable masses, somewhat regular, with great yawning crevasses between. while crossing one of the white river glaciers below an ice-fall i had to stand clear of a dozen bowlders that came rolling down from the brink, telling very forcibly that the glacier was moving. these glaciers plow their way down the valleys to an elevation of between and feet, and there dissolve into water. some of them terminate in a gentle incline; others present a high wall of clear ice, with the river issuing from an immense cave; still others deposit vast quantities of stones and earth, forming what is called the "terminal moraine." the glaciers of the northern peak, five in number, form the puyallup and its principal tributary, the carbon; the twelve glaciers of the eastern slope of crater peak yield the icy waters of the white and cowlitz; the glaciers of the southern peak form the several sources of the nisqually. the glaciers are from one to two miles in width, and from six to twelve miles in length. like the rivers which they form, they themselves have tributaries. when two glaciers unite, their inside lateral moraines join and form a medial moraine. the ascent of mount rainier is difficult and dangerous. three different parties have reached the summit from the south side--namely, hazard stevens and p. b. van trump in ; p. b. van trump, james longmire and mr. bailey, in ; and a party of seven, of which the writer was the projector, in august of the present year. a party of three from snohomish claim to have reached the summit by the northeast side in the summer of . several others and myself have made two attempts to reach the summit from that side, but came to an impassable crevasse at an elevation of about , feet on both occasions. on the morning of the th of last august a party of eight gentlemen left seattle for yelm with the necessary equipments and provisions for a two weeks' sojourn among the eternal hills. at yelm we secured the necessary horses to convey our outfit to the snow line on the south side. the day at yelm was clear and beautiful--mount rainier never looked so grand before. its three peaks stood out in bold relief against the sky, while its walls of ice sparkled with resplendent beauty. during the morning and evening the play of colors around its base, extending in graduated bands far towards the zenith, made our artist groan aloud because of his inability to transfer them to canvas. it took us three days from the time we left yelm to reach the longmire mineral springs. these springs were discovered by mr. james longmire in . they number twenty-five or more, and are heavily charged with carbon dioxide and other gases that combine to make the water a very pleasant drink as well as a health-giving beverage. around each spring is an incrustation of soda compounds deposited by the water. one spring, over which a rude bath-house has been constructed, pours forth a large quantity of water at a temperature of ° fahr. a bath in this water is pleasant and invigorating. the view from the springs is very beautiful. on the right is the swift flowing nisqually; on the left, a solid white wall of basaltic rock rises to a height of nearly one thousand feet; while in front, seeming only a mile away, mount rainier stands in silent majesty. there were several visitors at the springs. in the near future these springs will be sought by hundreds of invalids. we would gladly have remained at the springs for several days, but, with the old monarch so near, we could not delay. the next day found all of the party but two on the tramp. that day's work was to ascend to camp of the clouds, distant about five miles from the springs. it was no small task. the trail is steep and rugged, and has been traveled but little. about three miles from the springs it crosses the nisqually. from that point for a mile it is one of the steepest trails i have ever traveled. when the top was reached we were regaled by the sight and odor of flowers that surpassed description in odor and variety. from this point to camp of the clouds, two miles further on, our path was literally strewed with beautiful flowers. this entire region is a paradise for the botanist, and the flowers deserve a much fuller description. at last, after four days of hard tramping, we have reached permanent camp at an elevation of about , feet. here we unpack, pitch our tent and turn our jaded horses loose. here we wish all our friends with us, and here we would gladly remain a month in deep enjoyment of the grandeur and beauty around us, but our time is limited and our friends far away. monday noon, august th, we carefully prepare for the ascent. it is light artillery now--a pair of blankets, a small supply of provisions, principally chocolate, and our alpine staves complete the outfit. with cheerful hearts and steady nerves we begin the climb. it is our purpose to ascend to a height of about , feet and there make camp for the night. soon we pass the timber line. our pathway now lies over the eternal snow, broken only by a projecting spur of the mountain. after five hours of hard climbing, we come to a ridge covered with sand and pumice. from the presence of the latter we know it to be a spot comparatively free from wind, for, on account of the lightness of the pumice, it is easily blown away. here we decide to camp. two by two we go to work preparing our beds. this we do by clearing away the loose stones from a space about three by six feet, stirring the sand up with our pikes and making a wall of rocks around the cleared place. after a half hour's toil we declare our beds prepared. hastily partaking of a little chocolate and hardtack, we "turn in," although the hour is early; but the wind is rising and the sharp, stinging cold is upon us. after passing a miserable night, we break camp at : o'clock. throwing aside our blankets and part of our provisions, we begin the final ascent. our course takes us along the crest of a rocky ridge and beneath a perpendicular wall of basalt over a thousand feet in height. here the courage of one of the party failed him, and he concluded to go no farther. the most dangerous part of the ascent is along the base of this cliff. the earth pitches at an angle of ° from its base, and at three particular places this incline is not over six feet wide, ending in a perpendicular jump-off of fifteen hundred feet to the nisqually glacier below. after a half hour's crouching and crawling we get past this dangerous part of our undertaking. we must now ascend almost perpendicularly one thousand feet to the top of this wall. ordinarily steps have to be cut in the snow and ice, but on this occasion the snow lay in little drifts that served as steps. up this ladder of snow and ice, prepared by the winds, we climb, pausing every few steps "to take breath." the top is reached at last. upon consulting our barometer we find we are , feet above the sea level. a halt is ordered to put six steel brads in the sole of each boot, to prevent us from slipping on the ice and hard snow that we must now encounter. from the crest of this cliff the incline of the mountain to the summit is less than at any other point and consequently fewer crevasses, the terror of the mountaineer. bracing ourselves for the final effort, we resumed the march. on account of the continuous ascent and the rarity of the atmosphere we have to rest every twenty or thirty steps. still ascending, avoiding the crevasses by a zigzag path, we at last reach the last one, or what might more properly be called the first crevasse. this crevasse is formed by the first breaking off of the snow as it begins to slide down the mountain. the upper side is often a perpendicular wall of hard snow from ten to fifty feet high. this same crevasse, for it extends half way round the mountain, prevented our further progress on two previous occasions, when attempting to reach the summit from the northeast slope. luckily on this occasion we found a bridge that afforded us a safe passage over. from this point we can see a clear path to the summit. upward we climb to where the rim of the crater seems but a few hundred feet away. look! there is a jet of steam right ahead; one grand effort and i sit upon the rim of the crater. i shout a word of triumph which sounds strangely shrill to my companions below, who, one by one, soon gain my exalted position. the feeling of triumph that filled the heart of each one as he gained that sublime height can be realized by no one who has not been in a similar position. space precludes an extensive description of the view from our elevated position; washington, oregon and the sound and sea lay below us. a roll of clouds extending entirely around the horizon somewhat obstructed the prospect, yet added to the beauty of the scene. mts. baker, adams, hood, st. helens, and jefferson appeared above the clouds; the cascade and olympic ranges, puget sound and numerous river basins appeared below, while the smoke of distant cities completed the scene. reluctantly turning from this grand panorama of nature, i gave my attention to an examination of the craters. there are two, elliptical in shape, and from one-half to three-fourths of a mile across. their rims are bare outside, and in to an average depth of thirty feet from the crest. this is owing to the internal heat and escaping steam, which issues from a hundred jets within the circumference of the craters. the steam escapes in intermittent jets from little orifices about three-fourths of an inch in diameter. the walls of the crater in some places are quite warm, all of which plainly indicates that mount rainier is a volcano, not extinct but slumbering. the amount of steam that escapes from the crater at any one time varies with the atmospheric pressure. in fact, mount rainier is a reliable barometer, foretelling a storm with certainty. everyone who has noted the appearance of the mountain from time to time is familiar with the peculiar white cloud that is frequently seen suspended just above the summit, while no other clouds are in sight. this peculiar cloud, caused by the condensation of escaping steam, is called "rainier's cap," and is the forerunner of a storm. there was considerable snow in the craters, but it had the appearance of having recently fallen. i believe, should it cease to snow for two or three months, the crater would become entirely bare inside; but this is not possible, for it snows on mount rainier even in midsummer. our party spent about two hours on the summit. we would gladly have tarried longer, but the clouds were gradually approaching from all points, and we did not care to take the chance of spending a night in the crater. our descent in some places was even more dangerous than the ascent, owing to the falling rock. i recall with a shudder the successful dodging of a shower of bowlders on their way down from the top of a cliff two thousand feet above. they were singing as merrily as a cannon ball just shot from a thirty-pounder as they passed my head. our party left the summit about two o'clock, and some of us reached "camp of the clouds" by six o'clock, descending in four hours the same distance that we were twelve hours in covering on the upward climb. the names of the party making this very successful ascent are: john muir, p. b. van trump, a. c. warner, d. w. bass, n. o. booth, c. v. piper and e. s. ingraham. [illustration: professor israel cook russell.] xi. exploring the mountain and its glaciers, by professor i. c. russell the name of professor israel cook russell is permanently associated with mount rainier. he was one of america's noted geologists. he was born near garrattsville, new york, on december , . graduating from the university of the city of new york in , he at once began his career in science. in , he was a member of the united states party at queenstown, new zealand, to observe the transit of venus. from to , he wrought valuable work in geology for the united states geological survey. this took him to alaska and various other parts of the country. he succeeded alexander winchell as professor of geology in the university of michigan in and continued to spend his summers in field work. one of his trips was to the west indies during the eruption of mount pelee. most of his summer trips were devoted to the mountains and valleys of oregon and washington. it was during one of these trips, in the summer of , that he made the explorations of mount rainier the extensive record of which, fully illustrated, appeared in the eighteenth annual report of the united states geological survey for - . the essential portions of that record are here reproduced by permission of director george otis smith of the survey, who also kindly furnished a portrait of his former colleague. professor russell was honored with the doctor of laws degree by his alma mater and by the university of wisconsin. he died suddenly at the zenith of his power in , leaving a widow, mrs. j. augusta (olmstead) russell and three daughters. an earnest appreciation of his character and work by g. k. gilbert was published in the journal of geology, volume xiv, number , november-december, . when the mountaineers club ascended the mountain in they named in his honor russell cliff, a majestic crest near the summit and overlooking the winthrop and emmons glaciers, and later a glacier on the northern slope, near carbon glacier, was named russell glacier. the reconnaissance during which the notes for this essay were obtained began [ ] at carbonado, a small coal-mining town about miles southeast of tacoma, with which it is connected by a branch of the union [northern] pacific railroad. carbonado is situated on the border of the unbroken forest. eastward to beyond the crest of the cascade mountains is a primeval forest, the density and magnificence of which it is impossible adequately to describe to one who is not somewhat familiar with the puget sound region. from carbonado a trail, cut through the forest under the direction of willis in , leads to carbon river, a stream flowing from mount rainier, which it formerly crossed by a bridge that is now destroyed, and thence continues to the west of the mountain to busywild. a branch of this trail leads eastward to the north side of the mountain, making accessible a beautiful region near the timber line, known as spray park. our party consisted of bailey willis, geologist in charge, george otis smith and myself, assistants, and f. h. ainsworth, fred koch, william b. williams, and michael autier, camp hands. from carbonado we proceeded with pack animals along the willis trail, already mentioned, to the crossing of carbon river. we then left the main trail and went up the right bank of the river by a trail recently cut as far as the mouth of chenuis creek. at that locality our party was divided; willis and myself, taking blankets, rations, etc., and crossing the river, proceeded up its bowlder-strewn left bank to the foot of carbon glacier. the remainder of the party cut a trail along the right bank, and in the course of a few days succeeded in making a depot of supplies near where the river emerges from beneath the extremity of the glacier. the pack train was then taken back to near carbonado for pasture. the tramp from carbonado to the foot of the carbon glacier was full of interest, as it revealed the characteristics of a great region, covered with a dense forest, which is a part of the deeply dissected tertiary peneplain surrounding mount rainier. the rocks from carbonado to carbon river crossing are coal bearing. extensive mines are worked at carbonado, and test shafts have been opened at a few localities near the trail which we followed. at carbonado the river flows through a steep-sided canyon about feet deep. near where the willis trail crosses the stream the canyon broadens, is deeply filled with bowlders, and is bordered by forest-covered mountains fully , feet in elevation. on account of the dense forests, the scenery throughout the region traversed is wild and picturesque. at a few localities glimpses were obtained of the great snow-clad dome of mount rainier, rising far over the intervening tree-covered foothills. the forests of the puget sound region are the most magnificent on the continent. the moist atmosphere and genial climate have led to a wonderfully luxuriant growth, especially of evergreens. huge fir trees and cedars stand in close-set ranks and shoot upward straight and massive to heights which frequently exceed feet, and sometimes are even in excess of feet. the trees are frequently to feet or more in diameter at the height of one's head and rise in massive columns without a blemish to the first branches, which are in many instances feet from the ground. the soil beneath the mighty trees is deeply covered with mosses of many harmonious tints, and decked with rank ferns, whose gracefully bending fronds attain a length of to feet. lithe, slender maples, termed vine-maples from their habit of growth, are plentiful, especially along the small water courses. in many places the broad leaves of the devil's club (_fatsia horrida_) give an almost tropical luxuriance to the shadowy realm beneath the lofty canopies formed by the firs and cedars. [a quotation from bailey willis is omitted, as the whole article is published in this work--chapter ix.] the mighty forest through which we traveled from carbonado to the crossing of carbon river extends over the country all about mount rainier and clothes the sides of the mountain to a height of about , feet. from distant points of view it appears as an unbroken emerald setting for the gleaming, jewel-like summit of the snow-covered peak. in spite of the many attractions of the forest, it was with a sense of relief that we entered the canyon of carbon river and had space to see about us. the river presents features of geographical interest, especially in the fact that it is filling in its valley. the load of stone contributed by the glaciers, from which the stream comes as a roaring turbid flood, is greater than it can sweep along, and much of its freight is dropped by the way. the bottom of the canyon is a desolate, flood-swept area of rounded bowlders, from to yards broad. the stream channel is continually shifting, and is frequently divided by islands of bowlders, heaped high during some period of flood. many of the stream channels leading away from mount rainier are known to have the characteristics of the one we ascended, and show that the canyons were carved under different conditions from those now prevailing. the principal amount of canyon cutting must have been done before the streams were overloaded with débris contributed by glaciers--that is, the deep dissection of the lower slope of mount rainier and of the platform on which it stands must have preceded the glacial epoch. after a night's rest in the shelter of the forest, lulled to sleep by the roar of carbon river in its tumultuous course after its escape from the ice caverns, we climbed the heavily moraine-covered extremity of carbon glacier. at night, weary with carrying heavy packs over the chaos of stones that cover the glaciers, we slept on a couch of moss beautified with lovely blossoms, almost within the spray of philo falls, a cataract of clear icy water that pours into the canyon of carbon glacier from snow fields high up on the western wall of the canyon. i will ask the reader to defer the study of the glaciers until we have made a reconnaissance of the mountain and climbed to its summit, as he will then be better prepared to understand the relation of the glaciers, névés, and other features with which it will be necessary to deal. in this portion of our fireside explorations let us enjoy a summer outing, deferring until later the more serious task of questioning the glaciers. from philo falls we ascended still higher, by following partially snow-filled lanes between the long lateral moraines that have been left by the shrinking of carbon glacier, and found three parallel, sharp-crested ridges about a mile long and from to feet high, made of bowlders and stones of all shapes, which record the former positions of the glacier. along the western border of the oldest and most westerly of these ridges there is a valley, perhaps yards wide, intervening between the abandoned lateral moraine and the western side of the valley, which rises in precipices to forest-covered heights at least , feet above. between the morainal ridges there are similar narrow valleys, each of which at the time of our visit, july , was deeply snow-covered. the ridges are clothed with spruce and cedar trees, together with a variety of shrubs and flowering annuals. the knolls rising through the snow are gorgeous with flowers. a wealth of purple bryanthus, resembling purple heather, and of its constant companion, if not near relative, the cassiope, with white, waxy bells, closely simulating the white heather, make glorious the mossy banks from which the lingering snow has but just departed. acres of meadow land, still soft with snow water and musical with rills and brooks flowing in uncertain courses over the deep, rich turf, are beautiful with lilies, which seemed woven in a cloth of gold about the borders of the lingering snow banks. we are near the upper limit of timber growth, where park-like openings, with thickets of evergreens, give a special charm to the mountain side. the morainal ridge nearest the glacier is forest-covered on its outer slope, while the descent to the glacier is a rough, desolate bank of stones and dirt. the glacier has evidently but recently shrunk away from this ridge, which was formed along its border by stones brought from a bold cliff that rises sheer from the ice a mile upstream. standing on the morainal ridge overlooking the glacier, one has to the eastward an unobstructed view of the desolate and mostly stone and dirt covered ice. across the glacier another embankment can be seen, similar to the one on the west, and, like it, recording a recent lowering of the surface of the glacier of about feet. beyond the glacier are extremely bold and rugged mountains, scantily clothed with forests nearly to their summits. the position of the timber line shows that the bare peaks above are between , and , feet high. looking southward, up the glacier, we have a glimpse into the wild amphitheater in which it has its source. the walls of the great hollow in the mountain side rise in seemingly vertical precipices about , feet high. far above is a shining, snow-covered peak, which willis named the liberty cap. it is one of the culminating points of mount rainier, but not the actual summit. its elevation is about , feet above the sea. toward the west the view is limited by the forest-covered morainal ridges near at hand and by the precipitous slopes beyond, which lead to a northward-projecting spur of mount rainier, known as the mother mountains. this, our first view of mount rainier near at hand, has shown that the valley down which carbon glacier flows, as well as the vast amphitheater in which it has its source, is sunk in the flanks of the mountain. to restore the northern slope of the ancient volcano as it existed when the mountain was young we should have to fill the depression in which the glacier lies at least to the height of its bordering ridges. on looking down the glacier we see it descending into a vast gulf bordered by steep mountains, which rise at least , feet above its bottom. this is the canyon through which the water formed by the melting of the glacier escapes. to restore the mountain this great gulf would also have to be filled. clearly the traveler in this region is surrounded by the records of mighty changes. not only does he inquire how the volcanic mountain was formed, but how it is being destroyed. the study of the glaciers will do much toward making clear the manner in which the once smooth slopes have been trenched by radiating valleys, leaving mountain-like ridges between. another line of inquiry which we shall find of interest as we advance is suggested by the recent shrinkage of carbon glacier. are all of the glaciers that flow from the mountain wasting away? if we find this to be the case, what climatic changes does it indicate? from our camp among the morainal ridges by the side of carbon glacier we made several side trips, each of which was crowded with observations of interest. one of these excursions, made by mr. smith and myself, was up the snow fields near camp; past the prominent outstanding pinnacles known as the guardian rocks, one red and the other black; and through spray park, with its thousands of groves of spire-like evergreens, with flower-enameled glades between. on the bare, rocky shoulder of the mountain, where the trees now grow, we found the unmistakable grooves and striations left by former glaciers. the lines engraved in the rock lead away from the mountain, showing that even the boldest ridges were formerly ice-covered. our route took us around the head of the deep canyon through which flows cataract creek. in making this circuit we followed a rugged saw-tooth crest, and had some interesting rock-climbing. finally, the sharp divide between cataract creek and a small stream flowing westward to crater lake was reached, and a slide on a steep snow slope took us quickly down to where the flowers made a border of purple and gold about the margins of the snow. soon we were in the forest, and gaining a rocky ledge among the trees, could look down on crater lake, deeply sunk in shaggy mountains which still preserve all of their primitive freshness and beauty. snow lay in deep drifts beneath the shelter of the forest, and the lake was ice-covered except for a few feet near the margin. this was on july . i have been informed that the lake is usually free of ice before this date, but the winter preceding our visit was of more than usual severity, the snowfall being heavy, and the coming of summer was therefore much delayed. the name crater lake implies that its waters occupy a volcanic crater. willis states that nature has here placed an emerald seal on one of pluto's sally ports; but that the great depression now water-filled is a volcanic crater is not so apparent as we might expect. the basin is in volcanic rock, but none of the characteristics of a crater due to volcanic explosions can be recognized. the rocks, so far as i saw them, are massive lavas, and not fragmental scoriæ or other products of explosive eruptions. on the bold, rounded rock ledges down which we climbed in order to reach the shore, there were deep glacial scorings, showing that the basin was once deeply filled with moving ice. my observations were not sufficiently extended to enable me to form an opinion as to the origin of the remarkable depression, but whatever may have been its earlier history, it has certainly been profoundly modified by ice erosion. following the lake shore southward, groping our way beneath the thick, drooping branches which dip in the lake, we reached the notch in the rim of the basin through which the waters escape and start on their journey to mowich river and thence to the sea. we there found the branch of the willis trail leading to spray park, and turned toward camp. again we enjoyed the luxury of following a winding pathway through silent colonnades formed by the moss-grown trunks of noble trees. on either side of the trail worn in the brown soil the ferns and flowering shrubs were bent over in graceful curves, and at times filled the little-used lane, first traversed fifteen years before. the trail led us to eagle cliff, a bold, rocky promontory rising as does el capitan from the yosemite, , feet from the forest-lined canyon of mowich river. from eagle cliff one beholds the most magnificent view that is to be had in all the wonderful region about mount rainier. the scene beheld on looking eastward toward the mighty mountain is remarkable alike for its magnificence and for the artistic grouping of the various features of the sublime picture. in the vast depths at one's feet the tree-tops, through which the mists from neighboring cataracts are drifting, impart a somber tone and make the valley's bottom seem far more remote than it is. the sides of the canyon are formed by prominent serrate ridges, leading upward to the shining snow fields of the mighty dome that heads the valley. nine thousand feet above our station rose the pure white liberty cap, the crowning glory of the mountain as seen from the northward. the snow descending the northwest side of the great central dome is gathered between the ridges forming the sides of the valley, and forms a white névé from which flows willis glacier. in looking up the valley from eagle cliff the entire extent of the snow fields and of the river-like stream of ice flowing from them is in full view. the ice ends in a dirt-covered and rock-strewn terminus, just above a huge rounded dome that rises in its path. in the ice reached nearly to the top of the dome and broke off in an ice cliff, the detached blocks falling into the gulf below. the glacier has now withdrawn its terminus well above the precipice where it formerly fell as an ice cascade, and its surface has shrunk away from well-defined moraines in much the same manner as has already been noted in the case of carbon glacier. a more detailed account of the retreat of the extremity of willis glacier[ ] will be given later. from eagle cliff we continued our tramp eastward along the trail leading to spray park, climbed the zigzag pathway up the face of a cliff in front of spray falls, and gained the picturesque and beautiful parklike region above. an hour's tramp brought us again near the guardian rocks. a swift descent down the even snow fields enabled us to reach camp just as the shadows of evening were gathering in the deeper canyons, leaving the silent snow fields above all aglow with reflected sunset tints. taking heavy packs on our backs on the morning of july , we descended the steep broken surface of the most recent moraine bordering carbon glacier in its middle course, and reached the solid blue ice below. our course led us directly across the glacier, along the lower border of the rapidly melting covering of winter snow. the glacier is there about a mile across. its central part is higher than its border, and for the most part the ice is concealed by dirt and stones. just below the névé, however, we found a space about half a mile long in which melting had not led to the concentration of sufficient débris to make traveling difficult. farther down the glacier, where surface melting was more advanced, the entire glacier, with the exception of a few lanes of clear ice between the ill-defined medial moraines, was completely concealed beneath a desolate sheet of angular stones. on reaching the east side of the glacier we were confronted with a wall of clay and stones, the inner slope of a moraine similar in all respects to the one we had descended to reach the west border of the glacier. a little search revealed a locality where a tongue of ice in a slight embayment projected some distance up the wall of morainal material, and a steep climb of or feet brought us to the summit. the glacier has recently shrunk--that is, its surface has been lowered from to feet by melting. on the east side of the glacier we found several steep, sharp-crested ridges, clothed with forest trees, with narrow, grassy, and flower-strewn dells between, in which banks of snow still lingered. the ridges are composed of bowlders and angular stones of a great variety of sizes and shapes, and are plainly lateral moraines abandoned by the shrinking of the glacier. choosing a way up one of the narrow lanes, bordered on each side by steep slopes densely covered with trees and shrubs, we found secure footing in the hard granular snow, and soon reached a more open, parklike area, covered with mossy bosses of turf, on which grew a great profusion of brilliant flowers. before us rose the great cliffs which partially inclose the amphitheater in which carbon glacier has its source. these precipices, as already stated, have a height of about , feet, and are so steep that the snow does not cling to them, but descends in avalanches. above the cliffs, where the inclination is less precipitous, the snow lies in thick layers, the edges of which are exposed in a vertical precipice rising above the avalanche-swept rock-slope below. far above, and always the central object in the wild scenery surrounding us, rose the brilliant white liberty cap, one of the pinnacles on the rim of the great summit crater. our way then turned eastward, following the side of the mountain, and led us through a region just above the timber line, which commands far reaching views to the wild and rugged mountains to the northeast. this open tract, leading down to groves of spruce trees and diversified by charming lakelets, bears abundant evidence of having formerly been ice-covered, and is known as moraine park. in order to retain our elevation we crossed diagonally the steep snow slopes in the upper portion of the moraine park. midway over the snow we rested at a sharp crest of rock, and found that it is composed of light-colored granite. later we found that much of the area between the carbon and winthrop glaciers is composed of this same kind of rock. granite forms a portion of the border of the valley through which flow the glaciers just named, and furnished them with much granitic débris, which is carried away as moraines and later worked over into well-rounded bowlders by the streams flowing from the ice. the presence of granite pebbles in the course of carbon and white rivers, far below the glaciers, is thus accounted for. a weary tramp of about miles from the camp we had left brought us to the border of winthrop glacier. in the highest grove of trees, which are bent down and frequently lie prone on the ground, although still living, we selected a well-sheltered camping-place. balsam boughs furnished luxuriant beds, and the trees killed by winter storms enabled us to have a roaring camp fire. fresh trail of mountain goats and their but recently abandoned bed showed that this is a favorite resort for those hardy animals. marmots were also abundant, and frequently awakened the echoes with their shrill, whistling cries. the elevation of our camp was about , feet. from our camp on the cliffs above the west border of winthrop glacier we made excursions across that glacier and to its heavily moraine-covered extremity. the snow mantle that is spread over the region about mount rainier each winter melts first on the rugged plateau surrounding the base of the mountain, and, as the summer's heat increases, gradually withdraws up the mountain sides, but never so as to uncover the more elevated region. the snow line--that is, the position to which the lower border of the mantle of perennial snow withdraws late in summer--has an elevation of about , feet. the lower margin of the wintry covering is always irregular, however, extending farthest down on the glaciers and retreating highest on the rocks. at the time of our visit the snow had melted off of nearly all the region below our camp, leaving only dirt-stained snow banks in the more completely sheltered recesses and in deeply shaded dells in the adjacent forests. on the glaciers all the region at a greater elevation than our camp was white and free from dirt and stones, while the hard glacial ice was abundantly exposed at lower altitudes and ended in a completely moraine-covered terminus. above us all was barren, white, and wintry; below lay the flowery vales and grass parks, warm and inviting, leading to the welcome shade of noble forests. our course led upward into the frozen region. on leaving the camp on the border of winthrop glacier we began our alpine work. there were five in the party selected for the difficult task of scaling mount rainier; namely: willis, smith, ainsworth, williams, and myself. taking our blankets, a small supply of rations, an alcohol lamp, alpenstocks, a rope feet long to serve as a life line, and a few other articles necessary for traveling above timber line, we began the ascent of winthrop glacier early on the morning of july . our route was comparatively easy at the start, but became steeper and steeper as we advanced. the snow was firm and, except for the numerous crevasses, presented no great difficulties to be overcome. in several places the névé rises in domes as if forced up from beneath, but caused in reality by bosses of rock over which the glacier flows. these domes are broken by radiating crevasses which intersect in their central portions, leaving pillars and castle-like masses of snow with vertical sides. at one locality, in attempting to pass between two of these shattered domes, we found our way blocked by an impassable crevasse. considerable time was lost in searching for a practicable upward route, but at length, by making a detour to the right, we found a way which, although steep, allowed us to pass the much crevassed area and gain the sharp ridge of rock which divides the névé snow flowing from the central dome of the mountain, and marks the separation between winthrop and emmons glaciers. this prow-like promontory, rising some feet above the glaciers on either hand, we named the wedge. this is the upward pointing, acute angle of a great v-shaped portion of the lower slope of the mountain, left in bold relief by the erosion of the valleys on either side. as will be described later, there are several of these remnants about the sides of the mountain at the same general horizon, which record a somewhat definite stage in the destruction of the mountain by ice erosion. on reaching the wedge we found it an utterly desolate rocky cape in a sea of snow. we were at an altitude of about , feet, and far above timber. water was obtained by spreading snow on smooth rocks or on rubber sheets, and allowing it to melt by the heat of the afternoon sun. coffee was prepared over the alcohol lamp, sheltered from the wind by a bed sheet supported by alpenstocks. after a frugal lunch, we made shelf-like ledges in a steep slope of earth and stones and laid down our blankets for the night. from sheltered nooks amid the rocks, exposed to the full warmth of the declining sun, we had the icy slopes of the main central dome of the mountain in full view and chose what seemed the most favorable route for the morrow's climb. surrounded as we were by the desolation and solitude of barren rocks, on which not even a lichen had taken root, and pure white snow fields, we were much surprised to receive passing visits from several humming-birds which shot past us like winged jewels. they came up the valley occupied by the emmons glacier, turned sharply at the wedge, and went down the way of the winthrop glacier. what tempts these children of the sunlight and the flowers into the frozen regions seems a mystery. that the humming-birds are bold explorers was not new to me, for the reason that on several occasions in previous years, while on the snow-covered slopes of mount st. elias, far above all vestiges of vegetation, my heart had been gladdened by glimpses of their brilliant plumage. when the sun declined beyond the great snow-covered dome that towered above us, and the blue shadows crept down the previously dazzling cliffs, the air became cold and a strong wind made our perch on the rocks uncomfortable. wrapping ourselves in our blankets we slept until the eastern sky began to glow with sunrise tints. early on the morning of july [ ] we began the climb of the steep snow slopes leading to the summit of the mountain. roped together as we had been on the previous day, we slowly worked our way upward, in a tortuous course, in order to avoid the many yawning crevasses. the way was steep and difficult. some members of the party felt the effects of the rarefied air, and as we lacked experience in true alpine work our progress was slow and laborious. many of the crevasses that our course crossed were of the nature of faults. their upper rims stood several feet above their lower margins, and thus added to the difficulty of passing them. our aim at first was to traverse the névé of emmons glacier and gain the less rugged slope bordering it on the south, but the intervening region was greatly broken and, as we found after several approaches to it, utterly impassable. the climb presented no special difficulties other than the extreme fatigue incident to climbing steep snow slopes, especially while attached to a life line, and the delays necessitated by frequently turning and retracing our steps in order to get around wide crevasses. once while crossing a steep snow slope diagonally, and having a wide crevasse below us, ainsworth, who was next to the rear of the line, lost his footing and slid down the slope on his back. unfortunately, at that instant, williams, who was at the rear of the line, removed his alpenstock from the snow, was overturned by the pull on the line, and shot headfirst down the slope and disappeared over the brink of the crevasse. a strong pull came on the members of the party who were in advance, but our alpenstocks held fast, and before assistance could be extended to the man dangling in midair, he climbed the taut rope and stood unhurt among us once more. the only serious result of the accident was the loss of an alpenstock. pressing on toward the dark rim of rock that we could now and then catch glimpses of at the head of the snow slopes and which we knew to be the outer portion of the summit crater, we crossed many frail snow bridges and climbed precipitous slopes, in some of which steps had to be cut. as we neared the summit we met a strong westerly gale that chilled us and benumbed our fingers. at length, weary and faint on account of the rarity of the air, we gained the lower portion of the rim of stones marking the position of the crater. while my companions rested for a few moments in the shelter of the rocks, i pressed on up the rugged slope and gained the top of the rim. the stones exposed at the summit are bare of snow, possibly on account of the heat from below, and are rounded and their exposed surfaces polished. the smooth, black bowlders shine in the sunlight much the same as the sand-burnished stones in desert regions. here on the mountain's brow, exposed to an almost continuous gale, the rocks have been polished by drifting snow crystals. the prevailing rounded form that the stones present may be the result of weathering, or possibly is due to the manner in which the fragments were ejected from the volcano. my hasty examinations suggested the former explanation. descending into the crater, i discovered crevices from which steam was escaping, and on placing my hands on the rocks was rejoiced to find them hot. my companions soon joined me, and we began the exploration of the crater, our aim being to find the least uncomfortable place in which to take refuge from the freezing blast rather than to make scientific discoveries. the crater that we had entered is one of the smaller and more recent ones in the truncated summit of the peak, and is deeply filled with snow, but the rim is bare and well defined. the steam and heat from the rocks have melted out many caverns beneath the snow. in one of these we found shelter. the cavern we chose in which to pass the night, although irregular, was about feet long by wide, and had an arched ceiling some feet high. the snow had been melted out from beneath, leaving a roof so thin that a diffused blue light penetrated the chamber. the floor sloped steeply, and on the side toward the center of the crater there was a narrow space between the rocks and the descending roof which led to unexplored depths. as a slide into this forbidding gulf would have been exceedingly uncomfortable, if not serious, our life line was stretched from crag to crag so as to furnish a support and allow us to walk back and forth during the night without danger of slipping. three arched openings or doorways communicated with other chambers, and through these drafts of cold air were continually blowing. the icy air chilled the vapor rising from the warm rocks and filled the chamber with steam which took on grotesque forms in the uncertain, fading light. in the central part of the icy chamber was a pinnacle of rock, from the crevices of which steam was issuing with a low hissing sound. some of the steam jets were too hot to be comfortable to the ungloved hand. in this uninviting chamber we passed the night. the muffled roar of the gale as it swept over the mountain could be heard in our retreat and made us thankful for the shelter the cavern afforded. the floor of our cell was too uneven and too steeply inclined to admit of lying down. throughout the night we leaned against the hot rocks or tramped wearily up and down holding the life line. cold blasts from the branching ice chambers swept over us. our clothes were saturated with condensed steam. while one side of the body resting against the rocks would be hot, the strong drafts of air with a freezing temperature chilled the other side. after long hours of intense darkness the dome of snow above us became faintly illuminated, telling that the sun was again shining. after a light breakfast and a cup of tea, prepared over our alcohol lamp, we resumed our exploration, none the worse for the exposures of the night. following the inner rim of the crater so as to be sheltered from the gale still blowing steadily from the west, we gained its northern border and climbed to the topmost pinnacle, known as columbia's crest. this pinnacle rises about feet above the general level of the irregular rim of the crater, and is the highest point on the mountain. its elevation, as previously stated, is , feet.[ ] the magnificent view described by former visitors to this commanding station, which we had hoped would reward our efforts, was concealed beneath a canopy of smoke that covered all of the region about the mountain to a depth of about , feet. the surface of the layer of smoke was sharply defined, and appeared like an undulating sea surrounding the island on which we stood. far to the northward rose the regular conical summit of mount baker, like an isolated sea-girt island. a few of the rugged and more elevated summits, marking the course of the cascade mountains, could be discerned to the eastward. the summits of mount adams and mount st. helens were in plain view and seemingly near at hand. all of the forest-covered region between these elevated summits was blotted out by the dense, heavy layer of smoke, which rose until it met the westerly gale of the upper regions. during the ascent of mount rainier by emmons and wilson, previously referred to, more favorable atmospheric conditions prevailed than at the time of my visit, and the region about the base of the mountain was clearly revealed. in describing the view from the summit emmons says: from the northeastern rim of the crater we could look down an unbroken slope of nearly , feet to the head of the white river, the upper half or two-thirds of which was so steep that one had the feeling of looking over a perpendicular wall. [it was up this slope that the climb briefly described above was made.] the systems of glaciers and the streams which flowed from them lay spread out as on a map at our feet; radiating out in every direction from the central mass, they all with one accord curve to the westward to send their waters down toward puget sound or the lower columbia. [attention has already been directed to the westward curvature of the streams from mount rainier on reaching the tilted peneplain on which the mountain stands, and the explanation has been suggested that they are consequent streams the direction of which was determined by the original slope of the now deeply dissected plateau.] looking to the more distant country, the whole stretch of puget sound, seeming like a pretty little lake embowered in green, could be seen in the northwest, beyond which the olympic mountains extend out into the pacific ocean. the cascade mountains, lying dwarfed at our feet, could be traced northward into british columbia, and southward into oregon, while above them, at comparatively regular intervals, rose the ghost-like forms of our companion volcanoes. to the eastward the eye ranged for hundreds of miles over chain on chain of mountain ridges, which gradually disappeared in the dim, blue distance. in the truncated summit of mount rainier there are three craters. the largest one, partially filled by the building of the two others, is the oldest, and has suffered so greatly from subsequent volcanic explosions and erosion that no more than its general outline can be traced. peak success and liberty cap are prominent points on the rim of what remains of this huge crater. its diameter, as nearly as can be judged, is about - / miles. within the great crater, in the formation of which the mountain was truncated and, as previously stated, lost fully , feet of its summit, there are two much smaller and much more recent craters. the larger of these, the one in which we took refuge, is about yards in diameter, and the second, which is an incomplete circle, its rim having been broken by the formation of its more recent companion, is perhaps yards across. the rim of each now partially snow-filled bowl is well defined, and rises steeply from within to a sharp crest. the character of the inner slopes shows that much rocky material has been detached and has fallen into the cavities from which it was ejected. the rock in the crater walls is in fragments and masses, some of them well rounded and probably of the nature of volcanic bombs. in each of the smaller craters there are numerous steam jets. these show that the rock below is still hot, and that water percolating downward is changed to steam. these steam jets evidently indicate the presence of residual heat and not an actual connection with a volcanic center deep below the surface. all the evidence available tends to show that rainier is an extinct volcano. it belongs, however, to the explosive type of volcanoes, of which vesuvius is the best-known example, and there is no assurance that its energies may not be reawakened. in descending we chose the south side of the mountain, knowing from the reports of many excursionists who had ascended the peak from that direction that a practicable route could probably be found. threading our way between numerous crevasses we soon came in sight of a bold, outstanding rock mass, which we judged to be gibraltar, and succeeded in reaching it with but little difficulty. on gaining the junction of the rock with the snow fields rising above it, we found evidences of a trail, which was soon lost, however, and only served to show that our general course was the right one. a deep, narrow space between the border of nisqually glacier and the precipitous side of gibraltar, from which the snow and ice had been melted by the heat reflected from the cliffs on our left, led us down to a shelf on the lower side of the promontory, which proved a safe and easy way to the crest of a rocky rib on the mountain side which extended far down toward the dark forests in view below. gibraltar is a portion of the cone of rainier built before the explosion which truncated the mountain. it is an outstanding and very prominent rock mass, left in bold relief by the ice excavation which has carved deep valleys on each side. the rock divides the descending névé in the same manner as does the wedge, and causes a part of the snow drainage to flow to the cowlitz and the other part to be tributary to the nisqually glacier. the rocks forming gibraltar consist largely of fragments ejected from the crater above, but present a rude stratification due to the presence of lava flows. when seen from the side and at a convenient distance, it is evident that the planes of bedding, if continued upward at the same angle, would reach above the present summit of the mountain. gibraltar, like the wedge, and several other secondary peaks on the sides of mount rainier, are, as previously explained, the sharp, upward-pointing angles of large v-shaped masses of the original volcanic cone, left in bold relief by the excavation of deep valleys radiating from the central peak. on the backs, so to speak, of these great v-shaped portions of the mountain which now seem to rest against the central dome, secondary glaciers, or interglaciers as they may be termed, have excavated valleys and amphitheaters. in the v-shaped mass of which gibraltar is the apex, a broad amphitheater-like depression has been cut out, leaving a bold cliff above it. the excavation of the amphitheater did not progress far enough up the mountain to cut away the apex of the v-shaped mass, but left it with a precipice on its lower side. this remnant is gibraltar. an attempt will be made later to describe more fully the process of glacial erosion of a conical mountain, and to show that the secondary topographic features of mount rainier are not without system, as they appear at first view, but really result from a process which may be said to have a definite end in view. below gibraltar the descent was easy. our life line was no longer needed. tramping in single file over the hard surfaces of the snow field, remnants of the previous winter's snow, we made rapid progress, and about noon gained the scattered groves of spruce trees which form such an attractive feature of paradise park. fortunately, we found prof. e. s. ingraham, of seattle, and a party of friends, including several ladies, encamped in paradise park, and the hospitality of the camp was extended to us. during the afternoon we basked in the warm sunshine, and in the evening gathered about a roaring campfire and enjoyed the society of our companions, who were enthusiastic in their praise of the wonderful scenes about their camp. the southern side of mount rainier is much less precipitous than its northern face, and the open park-like region near timber line is broader, more diversified, and much more easy of access. the general elevation of the park is between , and , feet, and it is several thousand acres in extent. its boundaries are indefinite. it merges into the heavily forested region to the south, and into more alpine regions on the side toward the mountain, which towers above it on the north. to the east it is bordered by cowlitz glacier, and on the west by nisqually glacier. each of these fine ice rivers descends far below timber line. the small interglacier, known as the paradise glacier, may be considered as lying within the limits of the park. paradise park presents many and varied charms. it is a somewhat rugged land, with a deep picturesque valley winding through it. the trees grow in isolated groves. each bunch of dark-green firs and balsams is a cluster of gracefully tapering spires. the undulating meadows between the shady groves are brilliant in summer with a veritable carpet of gorgeous blossoms. in contrast to the exquisite charms of the groves and flower-decked rolling meadows are desolate ice fields and rugged glaciers which vary, through many tints and shades, from silvery whiteness to intense blue. added to these minor charms, and towering far above them, is the massive summit of rainier. at times the sublime mountain appears steel blue in the unclouded sky, or rosy with the afterglow at sunset, or all aflame with the glories of the newborn day. clouds gather about the lofty summit and transform it into a storm king. avalanches rushing down its side awaken the echoes in the neighboring forest. the appearance of the mountain is never the same on different days; indeed, it changes its mood and exerts a varying influence on the beholder from hour to hour. while the central attraction to the lover of mountain scenery in paradise park is the vast snow-covered dome of mount rainier, there are other mountains in view that merit attention. to the east rises the serrate and rugged tattoosh range, which is remarkable for the boldness with which its bordering slopes rise from the forested region about it and the angularity of its many serrate summits. this range has never been explored except by miners and hunters, who have made no record of their discoveries. it is virgin ground to the geologist and geographer. distant views suggest that the tattoosh mountains have been sculptured from a plateau, probably an upraised peneplain in which there existed a great mass of igneous rock rounded by less resistant tertiary sediments. the softer rocks have been removed, leaving the harder and more resistant ones in bold relief, to become sculptured by rain and frost into a multitude of angular peaks. this attractive, and as yet unstudied, group of peaks is in plain view from paradise park, and may be easily reached from there by a single day's tramp. many other delightful excursions are open to one who pitches his tent in the alpine meadows on the south side of mount rainier. footnotes: [ ] called the north mowich glacier on the present map. [ ] since shown to be , feet. [illustration: professor edgar mcclure.] xii. mcclure's achievement and tragic death, by herbert l. bruce and professor h. h. mcalister visitors to paradise valley, who climb above the camp of the clouds to the snowfields, are sure to be attracted to mcclure rock. it is the scene of one of the mountain's earliest tragedies, in which professor edgar mcclure of the university of oregon lost his life. he was trying to measure accurately the height of the great mountain as he had already done for mount adams and other peaks. the record of his extensive observations was computed with the greatest care by his colleague, professor h. h. mcalister of the university of oregon. an account of the work so tragically ended was prepared by herbert l. bruce. both articles were published in the seattle post-intelligencer for november , , from which paper they are here reproduced. the portrait of professor mcclure is furnished by his brother, horace mcclure, editorial writer for the seattle daily times. the height of the mountain, , feet, thus obtained, remained in use until , when the united states geological survey announced its new and latest findings to be , feet. one of the most tragic incidents in modern science was the death of professor edgar mcclure, who lost his life on mount rainier july , . occupying, as he did, the chair of chemistry in the university of oregon, his personal tastes, instincts and ambitions were essentially scientific. in addition to this he was a member of the mazamas, whose purposes in the line of scientific exploration have lent a romantic interest and a cumulative value to the geography of the northwest. the particular expedition with which professor mcclure was associated when he met his untimely death, left portland with the distinct object of making the ascent of mount rainier, recording such geographical and topographical observations as might be feasible. as a member of the expedition professor mcclure was placed in charge of the elevation department and set before himself a somewhat more distinct and definite purpose, viz., to ascertain by the most approved methods and with the most accurately graduated instruments the precise height of the famous and beautiful mountain. how well he accomplished this purpose will best appear in the subjoined letter from professor e. h. mcalister, his friend and colleague, who with infinite care and sympathetic zeal has worked out the data, which would otherwise have been undecipherable not only to the general public but to the average scholar. as he himself said when he had completed his arduous task: "i have done everything possible to wring the truth from the observations. in my judgment they should become historic on account of the probability of their great accuracy." to the accomplishment of this object professor mcclure brought all the varied resources of a ripe culture and an ardent, vigorous young manhood. his plans were all laid with the greatest care. to him their fulfillment meant not so much a personal or selfish triumph as a victory for science. the very instrument on which he most relied for accurate determinations, as will be seen from professor mcalister's statement, was not only hallowed by scientific associations, but was prepared for its high mission more lovingly and assiduously than a favorite racer would be groomed for the course. twice had it looked upon the beauties of the columbia river from the summit of mount hood, and on three other lofty peaks it had served its silent but efficient ministry to the cause of science. on one of these, mount adams, the altitude determined with this instrument was accepted by the united states government, yet a new tube was filled for it, professor mcclure himself preparing the mercury by distillation, and seeing to it that the vacuum was exceptionally perfect. that the barometer was most carefully handled at the time of observation will fully appear from the record below. it was suspended by a ring and allowed to hang until it had assumed the temperature of the surrounding air before being read. not only this, but all the subsidiary phenomena which could have the slightest bearing on the result were laboriously determined. concurrent observations were made at all salient surrounding stations, while for a week before the date of actual observation professor mcclure himself had made numerous observations both of pressure and of temperature at various sub-stations in the vicinity of mount rainier, and his collaborateur has secured simultaneous observations from seattle and portland. uniting as he did the fervor of the pioneer explorer with the accuracy of the laboratory chemist, professor mcclure was peculiarly fitted to obtain a result which bids fair to become historic. the broken barometer will appeal powerfully to every lover of science. if, as has been suggested, a monument be reared to mark the spot where the young scientist gave up his life, no fitter design could be adopted than a stone shaft bearing on its face a bas-relief of the historic instrument which he bore on his back with sacred care. it is entirely probable that this barometer, coupled with his unselfish solicitude for the safety of other members of the expedition, was the immediate cause of his death. he carried it in a double case; a wooden one which his own hands had constructed, and outside of this a strong leather tube. from the latter stout thongs enabled him to strap the instrument on his back, much as a pioneer huntsman would wear his trusty rifle. while standing on the perilous ledge whence he took the fatal plunge, he turned to sound warning to his companions whom he was leading in a search for the lost pathway down the mountain. "don't come down here; it is too steep," he called, turning so as to make his voice more audible. these were his last words. he vanished in the night and the abyss. it is likely that the tube, three and a half feet in length, caught as he turned and helped to hurl him from his precarious footing. like his own high strung frame, the delicate instrument was shattered; but neither of the twain went away from the world without leaving an imperishable record. it is interesting to note the close correspondence of his independent observations with those made by others. the height of the mountain had been measured many times before he essayed to measure it. some observers had measured it by triangulation, and others, notably major e. s. ingraham, of seattle, had given its altitude from the readings of mercurial barometers. major ingraham gave the height at , feet. it will be noticed that the result obtained by professor mcclure was just four feet greater, a remarkable coincidence at that vast altitude and among conditions of hardship, exposure and uncertainty. prior to professor mcclure's record, the latest measurement of rainier had been made by george f. hyde, of the united states geological survey, in . he pursued the method of triangulation, and, taking as his base a line at ellensburg, in connection with the sea level gauge at tacoma, he figured out the extreme height of rainier at , feet. the value of professor mcclure's determination will be heightened rather than lessened by the peculiar difficulty and rareness of scientific work in an unexplored territory and from a base which has not all the appurtenances and advantages of the older scientific stations of the east and of europe. in this respect his work is like that of agassiz and of audubon. not unlike those great masters was he in his intense and lofty devotion to science. not unlike them he wrought with rigid accuracy where others had worked almost at random. not unlike them he aroused among his friends and students the conviction that he was a born high priest of nature, whose chief mission in the world was to reveal her secrets to mankind. he offered up his life virtually a sacrifice to the cause of popular and practical science, and in as lofty a sense as ever dignified a roman arena he was a martyr to the cause of truth. to use the matchless figure employed by byron in describing the death of henry kirk white, who died a victim to his own passionate devotion to literary art, he was like the struck eagle whose own feather "winged the shaft that quivered in his heart." just in harmony with this thought came countless expressions of sympathy and condolence to the members of professor mcclure's family when the sad news of his death went abroad. one of the most touching, and, to my mind, one of the most typical of all these came from an obscure man in an obscure corner of kentucky. he was not a great man himself, as the world counts greatness, this man in kentucky; but he knew a great man when he saw him. he had known edgar mcclure; and when he heard the circumstances of his death he sat down and wrote a brief note. one sentence in it was worthy of whittier or emerson. it was this: "edgar mcclure died as he had always lived--on the mountain top." in transmitting his results to horace mcclure, brother of the deceased scientist, professor mcalister brings to a proper close a labor of love, one that is as creditable to his scholarly culture as it is to his unselfish and devoted friendship. herbert l. bruce. letter of transmission university of oregon, eugene, or., october , . mr. horace mcclure--dear sir: i herewith transmit to you for publication my report upon the observations of your late brother, professor edgar mcclure, relative to the altitude of mount rainier, the data having been referred to me for reduction and computation by yourself and by the officials of the mazama club. it is but just to myself to say that the long delay in the appearance of this report has been caused by unavoidable difficulties in the collection of subsidiary data; in particular, the comparison sheet showing the instrumental error of professor mcclure's barometer could not be found until the th of this month, when it was discovered among some effects left by him in portland. a further delay has been occasioned in obtaining a few other important data. a report approximately correct could have been made some time ago, but i felt it was due to the memory of professor mcclure's reputation for extreme accuracy that no report whatever should be published until i was able to state a result for which i could vouch as being the very best that the observations were capable of affording. the thanks of all concerned are due to mr. b. s. pague, director of the oregon weather bureau, for numerous courtesies and for his efficient aid in the collection of data. very respectfully, e. h. mcalister, professor of applied mathematics. the result for the benefit of those not interested in the scientific details of this report, it may be stated at once that the summit of mount rainier, according to professor mcclure's observations, is , feet above sea level. the altitudes of various sub-stations occupied en route will be found further on. an account of the data, with description of the methods employed in reduction and computation, is given, to indicate the degree of reliance to be placed upon the result. the principal observation to which this report refers was made by professor edgar mcclure, of the university of oregon, on the summit of mount rainier, washington, july , , at : p.m., pacific standard time. the observation consists of a reading of green's standard mercurial barometer, no. , together with readings of attached and detached thermometers. it appears that the barometer, which was suspended by a ring at the top, was allowed so to hang until it had assumed the temperature of the surrounding air, before being read; that the sky was clear at the time; and that the place of observation, the highest on the mountain, is designated as columbia crest. the barometric reading, corrected for instrumental error and temperature, was . inches; the air temperature was degrees fahrenheit. concurrent observations were made at : a.m. and hourly during the afternoon by the regular observers at seattle, portland, fort canby, the university of oregon at eugene, roseburg, and one observation at walla walla at p.m. in addition to these, during the week preceding the th professor mcclure made numerous observations both of pressure and temperature at various sub-stations in the vicinity of mount rainier, and simultaneous observations are furnished from seattle and portland. at the very outset of the work of reduction it was evident that eugene and roseburg were under an area of relatively low barometric pressure on the th, representing atmospheric conditions that did not prevail in the region of mount rainier. i therefore rejected the observations at both these places, using only those at seattle, portland, fort canby and walla walla. the strategic position of these four points will be seen at once by a glance at the map. the method followed in making the reduction was, in brief, to deduce from the observations at the four base stations surrounding the mountain the actual atmospheric conditions prevailing in the immediate region of the mountain. more specifically, the process consisted in determining the atmospheric pressure and temperature at an imaginary sea level vertically under the mountain, which level i shall subsequently call the "mean base." in this i was greatly assisted by a careful study of the daily weather charts issued by the government, mr. pague having kindly loaned me his official file for july. i thus practically had at my disposal observations from all the important points on the coast, both before and after the principal observation. with due regard to the position and direction of the isobars, and giving proper weight to the observations at each of the four base stations, i finally deduced . inches as the value of the pressure at the mean base which best satisfied all the data. it ought to be said, perhaps, that this result does not depend upon my judgment to any appreciable extent, but was legitimately worked out from the observations and isobaric lines. in determining the mean temperature of the air column extending from the mean base to the summit of the mountain, the observations made by professor mcclure during the previous week in the vicinity were so numerous and well timed as to leave far less than the usual amount of uncertainty. making due allowance for the moderate elevations of the stations, these observations show clearly that the temperature about the mountain at that time followed that of seattle very closely, and was also not much different from that of portland, but departed notably from both the heat of walla walla and the low temperature of fort canby. allowing proper weight to these facts, the observations at the base stations, with that of professor mcclure at the summit, gave degrees fahrenheit as the mean temperature of the air column. i regard the method of reduction outlined above as possessing decided advantages over any other that could be applied to the problem in hand; especially because it admits of using the isobaric charts with great freedom and effectiveness, thereby increasing the reliability of the result to a marked extent. the reduction made, there remained for the final calculation the following data: barometric pressure at the summit of rainier . inches barometric pressure at mean base . inches mean temperature of air column deg. f. latitude of mount rainer deg. min. in making the calculation i used the amplified form of laplace's formula given in the recent publications of the smithsonian institution, with the constants there adopted. perhaps for the general reader it may be important to remark that this formula, besides the barometric pressures, contains corrections for the temperature of the air column; for latitude, and for the variation of gravity with altitude in its effect on the weight of the mercury in the barometer; for the average humidity of the air; and for the variation of gravity with altitude in its effect on the weight of the air. i used the latest edition of the smithsonian tables, but afterward verified the result by a numerical solution of the formula--the altitude being, as stated at the beginning, , feet above sea level. it should be noted as an evidence of the great care and foresight with which professor mcclure planned his work and the success with which he carried it out, that the result of his observations agrees within nine feet with that obtained by the united states geological survey in , using, as we may suppose, the most refined methods of triangulation--the latter estimate being , feet. in connection with so great an altitude, nine feet is an insignificant quantity, and the close correspondence in the results of the two methods of measurement is truly remarkable. i am not inclined to regard it as accidental, but as due to the most careful work in both cases. having a full knowledge of all the available data, i am perhaps better prepared than anyone else to pass judgment upon the result set forth; and while it would be folly to give a numerical estimate of the probable error, i feel justified in saying that no single barometric determination is ever likely to prove more accurate than this one of professor mcclure's. at any rate, the outstanding error is now too small to justify the hazard of any future attempts. from the observations made by professor mcclure while en route to the summit, together with simultaneous records from seattle and portland, the following altitudes are obtained: feet above sea level eatonville kernahan's ranch , longmire springs , mazama camp , camp-no-camp , south side crater rainier , the data in these cases were not sufficient to admit an elaborate working-out of the altitude, so that the figures given are to be regarded as rather close approximations, except in the case of mazama camp, the altitude of which rests upon four observations and is correspondingly reliable. professor mcclure's barometer had a notable history in mountaineering. to quote the professor's own words: "it has twice looked upon the beauties of the columbia river from the summit of mount hood. it was the first barometer taken to the top of mount hood, and gave the true elevation, , feet, in place of , or , feet previously claimed. this barometric measurement of mount hood was made in august, , by a government party under the direction of lieutenant r. s. williamson. the second barometric measurement of mount hood was made with the same instrument in august, , by professor george h. collier." in august, , the barometer was carried by professor mcclure to the summit of diamond peak; in august, , by the writer, to the summit of the middle peak of the three sisters, in oregon, giving an altitude of , feet, not hitherto published; in july, , professor mcclure took it with the mazamas to mount adams, and in july, , to the summit of mount rainier. a new tube was filled and inserted about two years ago, professor mcclure preparing the mercury by distillation and the writer boiling it in the tube. the vacuum was exceptionally perfect. the comparison sheet previously mentioned showed that the instrument on the occasion of its last trip read . inch above standard. in thus completing the labors of professor mcclure, with whom i was so long and so intimately associated, i feel a very melancholy satisfaction. for his sake, i have spared no pains in collecting all the useful data that could be obtained, to make the result reliable to the last degree possible in such a case. i leave that result as a sufficient guarantee of the accuracy of the whole work from beginning to end. [illustration: professor henry landes.] xiii. field notes on mount rainier, by professor henry landes henry landes is professor of geology and dean of the college of science, university of washington, and he has also served as state geologist of washington, since . he was born at carroll, indiana, on december , . he graduated from the university of indiana in and obtained the master of arts degree at harvard university in . he was assistant to the state geologist of new jersey and principal of the high school at rockland, maine, before being elected to his present professorship at the university of washington in . for a year and a half, - , he was acting president of the university of washington. he has published many articles and pamphlets on geological subjects. the one here given appeared in mazama, published in december, , by the mazamas in portland, oregon. it is reproduced here with the permission of the author and of the mountaineering club. the columbia river afforded to the first people who came to washington and oregon the easiest and most feasible route across the cascade mountains. it was through this gateway that travel passed from one side of the range to the other until the advent of the railways in comparatively recent years. the early travelers along the river who were of an observing or scientific bent, noted that the rocks were, in general, dark, heavy and massive and of the class commonly known as basalt. here and there a sort of pudding stone or agglomerate was observed, which in some instances might represent a sedimentary deposit, but which here had clearly an igneous origin. the observations of the early travelers were supplemented later by the further studies of geologists; and from the facts noted along the columbia river, the generalization holds good to a great extent on the oregon side, but it is by no means true on the washington side, as has been shown by later studies. granite rocks are encountered within a few miles of the columbia river as one travels north along the cascade range. associated with these granite rocks are found rocks of a metamorphic type, such as gneiss, schists, quartzites, crystalline limestone, slate, etc. such rocks exist south of mount rainier, but are not conspicuous. north of this point, however, and throughout all of the northern cascades they form the great bulk of the rock. in other words, in the cascades of washington, igneous activity has been much more common in the region south of rainier than in that north of the mountain. when the first observations were made upon the great lava flows of southeastern washington, which form a part of the greatest lava plain in the world, it was supposed that the lava had its origin in the volcanoes of the cascades. later investigations have shown this view to be erroneous. the lava of the plain has come directly from below through great longitudinal fissures instead of through circular openings such as one finds in volcanoes. it is probable that the cascades, like most other mountains, have had several different periods of uplift. we have several notable examples of mountains which have had an initial uplift and then have been reduced to base by erosion. by a second upheaval the plain has been converted into a plateau, and this in time assumes a very rugged, mountainous character as a result of the combined forces of air and water. eventually these same forces would reduce the region to a plain again. just how many times this thing has happened in the cascades we do not know. bailey willis has shown that in the northern cascades, at least, the whole country was reduced to a plain prior to the last uplift, which took place in comparatively recent times. out of this plateau, formed by the uplifting of the plain, has arisen through the active attack of erosive forces the truly mountainous character of the district. erosion has been at the maximum in the mountains because of the heavy precipitation. precipitation in the high mountains being chiefly in the form of snow has led to the formation of glaciers, producing thereby a rapidity of erosion of the first order. the active work of ice and running water has given to the mountains an extremely rugged appearance, characterized by valleys of great depth extending into the very heart of the mountains and with precipitous divides. it must be understood that the time consumed in the uplifting of the cascades, and the conversion from plain to plateau, was of considerable duration. with the beginning of the uplift, the sluggish streams of the plain became rejuvenated, and took up actively once more the work of erosion. by the time the maximum uplift was reached, the plateau had lost to a certain degree its character of extreme levelness. the streams had already entrenched themselves in rather conspicuous valleys. it is believed that the great volcanoes of washington--rainier and its associates--began their activities about the time the uplift described above reached its maximum height. in the vicinity of rainier the rock of the old plateau is granite; and the volcano may be said to be built upon a platform of that material. on the north side of the mountain granite appears conspicuously at a height of about , feet; while on the south side it appears at points varying from , to , feet above the sea. that the surface of the granite platform was irregular and uneven may be seen in the walls of the nisqually canyon, near the lower terminus of the glacier. as one ascends the canyon to the glacier, the contact between the lava rock and the granite shows quite plainly on both the right and the left side. on the left the contact is at least , feet above that on the right side. a little way above the lower end of the glacier, on each side of the canyon, a good opportunity presents itself to study the contact of the lava and granite. the granite at this place shows clearly that it was once a land surface; and one may note weathering for a distance downward of seventy-five or one hundred feet. the upper portion of the granite shows the usual characteristics of weathering, namely, the conversion of feldspar into kaolin, the oxidation of iron, etc. at this point the lava overlying the granite is quite basic and massive. the first flow reached a thickness here of fully three hundred feet, and exhibits a fine development of basaltic structure. in following up the canyon walls one observes that the activity of the volcano for some time was characterized almost exclusively by lava flows. in the main the lava is an andesite, and is very generally of a porphyritic structure. some of the lava flows were of great extent, and reached points many miles distant from the center of the mountain. while the earlier stages of the activity of the volcano were characterized by lava flows of great thickness, by and by explosive products began to appear, and interbedded with the sheets of lava one finds bombs, lapilli, cinders, etc. it may be said in general that as the volcano grew in years it changed more and more from eruptions of the quiet type to those of the explosive character. it is plain that a long period of time was consumed in the making of that great volcanic pile, and that the eruptions were by no means continuous. it is clearly shown that after certain outflows of lava, quietude reigned for a time; that at last the surface of the rock became cool and that erosive agents broke it up into great masses of loose stones. in later flows of lava these stones were picked up and cemented into layers of pudding stone, which are styled agglomerates. rocks of an agglomerate type are well shown in the walls of gibraltar. this massive pile is largely made up of boulders, great and small, rather loosely held together by a lava cement. the work of frost and ice, expansion and contraction, loosens the boulders readily, and their constant falling from the cliffs gives to this part of the mountain's ascent its dangerous character. while this volcano belongs to a very late period in the history of the earth, it is very clear that there has been no marked activity for many thousands of years. the presence of steam, which is emitted from the hundreds of small openings about the crater, undoubtedly shows the presence of heated rock at no great distance below the surface. rock is a poor conductor, however, and cooling takes place with very great slowness after a depth of comparatively few feet is reached. like most volcanoes, the composite character of the cone is shown on mount rainier. after a certain height is reached in the building up of a cone, the rising lava in the throat, or the explosive activities within, sometimes produce an opening through the walls of the cone, and a new outlet to the surface is formed. this often gives the volcano a sort of hummocky or warty appearance, and produces a departure from the symmetrical character. in the case of rainier it seems to the writer that upon the summit four distinct craters, or outlets, are distinguishable. the first crater reached by the usual route of ascent is the largest one, and may be styled the east crater. it is nearly circular in outline, with a diameter of about one-half mile. its walls are bare of snow for nearly the whole of its circumference, but the pit is filled with snow and ice. going across the crater to the westward, one passes over what is really the highest point on the mountain, and then goes down into a smaller crater, or the west crater. this is similar in character and outline to its neighbor, but here the many jets of issuing steam are much more prominent. at a point a few hundred feet lower on the mountain-side there is a peak known as liberty cap. a cross-section of the cap is in plain view and shows very clearly that this is a minor cone or local point of eruption. it is made up of rock very similar to the main mass of the mountain; and it is likely that the volcanic activity of the mountain was centered here for some time. looking directly south from the west crater one sees at a distance of less than a mile another peak which is entirely snow-covered; but which may represent an instance parallel with that of the peak on the north side. mount rainier is so deeply covered with ice and snow that the glacial aspects of the mountain are far more conspicuous than the volcanic ones. the facts about the vulcanism and the history of the growth of the mountain are very difficult to study; and it will be a long time before they are fully known. the glaciers, on the other hand, are very conspicuous, comparatively easy of access, and the many facts concerning their extent, rate of motion, recession, or advance, may be quite readily determined. the glaciers, while very prominent at the present time, were at one time much larger than now. there are many things which go to prove that they formerly reached much farther down the valleys. from the top of the mountain one may see off to the westward for many miles south of puget sound prairies of large size, covering a great many square miles. these prairies represent the plains of gravel derived from the melting glaciers, when these stood in their vicinity. from these points of maximum extension the glaciers have slowly receded to their present position. that the glaciers are receding at the present time is a matter of common observation. at the lower end of the nisqually glacier the advancing line of vegetation is about one-fourth mile below the present limit of the ice. it is the opinion of mr. longmire that the glacier has retreated about that far since he first came to the valley, twenty-five years ago. general stevens was able to point out several instances of notable shrinkages in the glaciers, especially in the paradise glacier, since his ascent of the mountain in . it will interest students of glaciers to know that some permanent monuments have been set up at the lower end of the nisqually glacier; and that arrangements have been made whereby the retreat of the ice may be accurately measured from year to year. [illustration: franÇois Émile matthes.] xiv. glaciers of mount rainier by f. e. matthes françois Émile matthes was born at amsterdam, holland, on march , . after pursuing studies in holland, switzerland and germany, he came to the united states in and graduated from the massachusetts institute of technology in . since he has been at work with the united states geological survey, mostly in the field of topography. he has been honored by and is a member of many scientific societies. his topographic work on the maps of yosemite and mount rainier national parks made for him many appreciative friends on the pacific coast. his pamphlet on "mount rainier and its glaciers" was published by the united states department of the interior in . he secured consent for its republication in the present work. the impression still prevails in many quarters that true glaciers, such as are found in the swiss alps, do not exist within the confines of the united states, and that to behold one of these rare scenic features one must go to switzerland, or else to the less accessible canadian rockies or the inhospitable alaskan coast. as a matter of fact, permanent bodies of snow and ice, large enough to deserve the name of glaciers, occur on many of our western mountain chains, notably in the rocky mountains, where only recently a national reservation--glacier national park--was named for its ice fields; in the sierra nevada of california, and farther north, in the cascade range. it is on the last-named mountain chain that glaciers especially abound, clustering as a rule in groups about the higher summits of the crest. but this range also supports a series of huge, extinct volcanoes that tower high above its sky line in the form of isolated cones. on these the snows lie deepest and the glaciers reach their grandest development. ice clad from head to foot the year round, these giant peaks have become known the country over as the noblest landmarks of the pacific northwest. foremost among them are mount shasta, in california ( , feet); mount hood, in oregon ( , feet); mount st. helens ( , feet), mount adams ( , feet), mount rainier ( , feet), and mount baker ( , feet), in the state of washington. easily king of all is mount rainier. almost feet higher than mount shasta, its nearest rival in grandeur and in mass, it is overwhelmingly impressive, both by the vastness of its glacial mantle and by the striking sculpture of its cliffs. the total area of its glaciers amounts to no less than square miles, an expanse of ice far exceeding that of any other single peak in the united states. many of its individual ice streams are between and miles long and vie in magnitude and in splendor with the most boasted glaciers of the alps. cascading from the summit in all directions, they radiate like the arms of a great starfish. all reach down to the foot of the mountain and some advance considerably beyond. as for the plea that these glaciers lie in a scarcely opened, out-of-the-way region, a forbidding wilderness as compared with maturely civilized switzerland, it no longer has the force it once possessed. rainier's ice fields can now be reached from seattle or tacoma, the two principal cities of western washington, in a comfortable day's journeying, either by rail or by automobile. the cooling sight of crevassed glaciers and the exhilarating flower-scented air of alpine meadows need no longer be exclusive pleasures, to be gained only by a trip abroad. mount rainier stands on the west edge of the cascade range, overlooking the lowlands that stretch to puget sound. seen from seattle or tacoma, and miles distant, respectively, it appears to rise directly from sea level, so insignificant seem the ridges about its base. yet these ridges themselves are of no mean height. they rise , to , feet above the valleys that cut through them, and their crests average , feet in altitude. thus at the southwest entrance of the park, in the nisqually valley, the elevation above sea level, as determined by accurate spirit leveling, is , feet, while mount wow (goat mountain), immediately to the north, rises to an altitude of , feet. but so colossal are the proportions of the great volcano that they dwarf even mountains of this size and give them the appearance of mere foothills. in the tatoosh range pinnacle peak is one of the higher summits, , feet in altitude. that peak rises nearly , feet above the nisqually river, which at longmire has an elevation of , feet, yet it will be seen that mount rainier towers still , feet higher than pinnacle peak. from the top of the volcano one fairly looks down upon the tatoosh range, to the south; upon mount wow, to the southwest; upon the mother mountains, to the northwest, indeed, upon all the ridges of the cascade range. only mount adams, mount st. helens, and mount hood loom like solitary peaks above the even sky line, while the ridges below this line seem to melt together in one vast, continuous mountain platform. and such a platform, indeed, one should conceive the cascade range once to have been. only it is now thoroughly dissected by profound, ramifying valleys, and has been resolved into a sea of wavelike crests and peaks. mount rainier stands, in round numbers, , feet high above its immediate base, and covers square miles of territory, or one-third of the area of mount rainier national park. in shape it is not a simple cone tapering to a slender, pointed summit like fuji yama, the great volcano of japan. it is, rather, a broadly truncated mass resembling an enormous tree stump with spreading base and irregularly broken top. its life history has been a varied one. like all volcanoes, rainier has built up its cone with the material ejected by its own eruptions--with cinders and bombs (steam-shredded particles and lumps of lava), and with occasional flows of liquid lava that have solidified into layers of hard, basaltic rock. at one time it attained an altitude of not less than , feet, if one may judge by the steep inclination of the lava and cinder layers visible in its flanks. then a great explosion followed that destroyed the top part of the mountain, and reduced its height by some , feet. the volcano was left beheaded, and with a capacious hollow crater, surrounded by a jagged rim. later on this great cavity, which measured nearly miles across, from south to north, was filled by two small cinder cones. successive feeble eruptions added to their height until at last they formed together a low, rounded dome--the eminence that now constitutes the mountain's summit. it rises only about feet above the rim of the old crater, and is an inconspicuous feature, not readily identifiable from all sides as the highest point. in fact, so broad is the mountain's crown that from no point at its base can one see the top. the higher portions of the old crater rim, moreover, rise to elevations within a few hundred feet of the summit, and, especially when viewed from below, stand out boldly as separate peaks that mask and seem to overshadow the central dome. especially prominent are peak success ( , feet) on the southwest side, and liberty cap ( , feet) on the northwest side. the altitude of the main summit has for many years been in doubt. several figures have been announced from time to time, no two of them in agreement with each other; but all of these, it is to be observed, were obtained by more or less approximate methods. in the united states geological survey, in connection with its topographic surveys of the mount rainier national park, was able to make a new series of measurements by triangulation methods at close range. these give the peak an elevation of , feet, thus placing it near the top of the list of high summits of the united states. this last figure, it should be added, is not likely to be in error by more than a foot or two and may with some confidence be regarded as final. greater exactness of determination is scarcely practicable in the case of mount rainier, as its highest summit consists actually of a mound of snow the height of which naturally varies somewhat with the seasons and from year to year. this crowning snow mound, which was once supposed to be the highest point in the united states, still bears the proud name of columbia crest. it is essentially a huge snowdrift or snow dune, heaped up by the westerly winds. driving furiously up through the great breach in the west flank of the mountain, between peak success and liberty cap, they eddy lightly as they shoot over the summit and there deposit their load of snow. the drift is situated at the point where the rims of the two summit craters touch, and represents the only permanent snow mass on these rims, for some of the internal heat of the volcano still remains and suffices to keep these rock-crowned curving ridges bare of snow the better part of the year. it is intense enough, even, to produce numerous steam jets along the inner face of the rim of the east crater, which appears to be the most recently formed of the two. the center of this depression, however, is filled with snow, so that it has the appearance of a shallow, white-floored bowl some , feet in diameter. great caverns are melted out by the steam jets under the edges of the snow mass, and these caverns afford shelters which, though uninviting, are not to be despised. they have proved a blessing to more than one party that has found itself compelled to remain overnight on the summit, saving them from death in the icy gales. that mount rainier should still retain so much of its internal heat is not surprising in view of the recency of its eruptions. it is known to have been active at intervals during the last century, and actual record exists of slight eruptions in , , , and . indian legends mention a great cataclysmal outburst at an earlier period. at present the volcano may be regarded as dormant and no apprehension need be felt as to the possibility of an early renewal of its activity. the steam jets in the summit crater, it is true, as well as the hot springs at the mountain's foot (longmire springs), attest the continued presence of subterranean fires, but they are only feeble evidences as compared with the geysers, the steam jets, and the hot springs of the yellowstone national park. yet that region is not considered any less safe to visit because of the presence of these thermal phenomena. in spite of mount rainier's continued activity until within the memory of man its sides appear to have been snow clad for a considerable length of time. indeed, so intense and so long-continued has been the eroding action of the ice that the cone is now deeply ice-scarred and furrowed. most of its outer layers, in fact, appear already to have been stripped away. here and there portions of them remain standing on the mountain's flanks in the form of sharp-crested crags and ridges, and from these one may roughly surmise the original dimensions of the cone. mere details in the volcano's sculpture, these residual masses are, some of them, so tall that, were they standing among ordinary mountains, they would be reckoned as great peaks. particularly noteworthy is little tahoma, a sharp, triangular tooth on the east flank, that rises to an elevation of , feet. in its steep, ice-carved walls one may trace ascending volcanic strata aggregating , feet in thickness that point upward to the place of their origin, the former summit of the mountain, which rose almost half a mile higher than the present top. nor is the great crater rim left by the explosion that carried off the original summit preserved in its entirety. peak success and liberty cap are the only two promontories that give trustworthy indication of its former height and strength. probably they represent the more massive portions on the southwest and northwest sides, respectively, while the weaker portions to the east and south have long since crumbled away under the heavy ice cascades that have been overriding them for ages. only a few small rocky points remain upon which the snows split in their descent. the most prominent, as well as the most interesting, is the one on the southeast side, popularly known as gibraltar rock. really a narrow, wedge-shaped mass, it appears in profile like a massive, square-cut promontory. the trail to the summit of the mountain passes along its overhanging south face and then ascends by a precipitous chute between ice and rock. it is this part of the ascent that is reputed as the most precarious and hazardous. from the rim points downward the ice cover of the cone divides into a number of distinct stream-like tongues or glaciers, each sunk in a great hollow pathway of its own. between these ice-worn trenches the uneroded portions of the cone stand out in high relief, forming as a rule huge triangular "wedges," heading at the sharp rim points and spreading thence downward to the mountain's base. there they assume the aspect of more gently sloping, grassy table-lands, the charming alpine meadows of which paradise park and spray park are the most famous. separating these upland parks are the profound ice-cut canyons which, beyond the glacier ends, widen out into densely forested valleys, each containing a swift-flowing river. no less than a dozen of these ice-fed torrents radiate from the volcano in all directions, while numerous lesser streams course from the snow fields between the glaciers. thus the cone of mount rainier is seen to be dissected from its summit to its foot. sculptured by its own glacier mantle, its slopes have become diversified with a fretwork of ridges, peaks, and canyons. the first ice one meets on approaching the mountain from longmire springs lies in the upper end of the nisqually valley. the wagon road, which up to this point follows the west side of the valley, winding in loops and curves along the heavily wooded mountain flank, here ventures out upon the rough bowlder bed of the nisqually river and crosses the foaming torrent on a picturesque wooden bridge. a scant thousand feet above this structure, blocking the valley to a height of some feet, looms a huge shapeless pile of what seems at first sight only rock débris, gray and chocolate in color. it is the dirt-stained end of one of the largest glaciers--the nisqually. from a yawning cave in its front issues the nisqually stream, a river full fledged from the start. the altitude here, it should be noted, is a trifle under , feet (elevation of bridge is , feet); hence the ice in view lies more than , feet below the summit of the mountain, the place of its origin. and in this statement is strikingly summed up the whole nature and economy of a glacier such as the nisqually. a glacier is not a mere stationary blanket of snow and ice clinging inert to the mountain flank. it is a slowly moving streamlike body that descends by virtue of its own weight. the upper parts are continually being replenished by fresh snowfalls, which at those high altitudes do not entirely melt away in summer; while the lower end, projecting as it does below the snow line, loses annually more by melting than it receives by precipitation, and is maintained only by the continued accession of masses from above. the rate at which the ice advances has been determined by prof. j. n. le conte, of the university of california. in he placed a row of stakes across the glacier, and with the aid of surveying instruments obtained accurate measurements of the distances through which they moved from day to day. he found that in summer, when the movement is greatest, it averages inches per day. this figure, however, applies only to the central portion of the glacier--the main current, so to speak--for the margins necessarily move more slowly, being retarded by friction against the channel sides. the snout of the nisqually glacier, accordingly, is really composed of slowly advancing ice, but so rapid is the melting at this low altitude that it effectually counterbalances the advance, and thus the ice front remains essentially stationary and apparently fixed in place. actually, it is subject to slight back and forward movements, amounting to a foot or more per day; for, as one may readily imagine, fluctuations in snowfall and in temperature, above or below the normal, are ever likely to throw the balance one way or another. a glacier may also make periodic advances or retreats on a larger scale in obedience to climatic changes extending over many years. thus all the glaciers on mount rainier, as well as many in other parts of the world, are at present, and have been for some time, steadily retreating as the result of milder climate or of a lessening in snow supply. only so recently as the nisqually glacier reached down to the place now occupied by the bridge, and it is safe to say that at that time no engineer would have had the daring to plan the road as it is now laid. in the last years, however, the nisqually glacier has retreated fully , feet. evidences of similar wholesale recession are to be observed at the ends of the other glaciers of mount rainier, but the measure of their retreat is not recorded with the precision that was possible in the case of the nisqually glacier. eyewitnesses still live at longmire springs who can testify to the former extension of the nisqually glacier down to the site of the wagon bridge. as one continues the ascent by the wagon road a partial view of the glacier's lower course is obtained, and there is gained some idea of its stream-like character. more satisfying are the views from paradise park. here several miles of the ice stream (its total length is nearly miles) lie stretched out at one's feet, while looking up toward the mountain one beholds the tributary ice fields and ice streams, pouring, as it were, from above, from right and left, rent by innumerable crevasses and resembling foaming cascades suddenly crystallized in place. the turmoil of these upper branches may be too confusing to be studied with profit, but the more placid lower course presents a favorable field for observation, and a readily accessible one at that. a veritable frozen river it seems, flowing between smooth, parallel banks, half a mile apart. its surface, in contrast to the glistening ice cascades above, has the prevailingly somber tint of old ice, relieved here and there by bright patches of last winter's snow. these lie for the most part in gaping fissures or crevasses that run athwart the glacier at short intervals and divide its body into narrow slices. in the upper course, where the glacier overrides obstacles in its bed, the crevasses are particularly numerous and irregularly spaced, sometimes occurring in two sets intersecting at right angles, and producing square-cut prisms. farther down the ice stream's current is more sluggish and the crevasses heal up by degrees, providing a united surface, over which one may travel freely. gradually, also, the glacier covers itself with débris. angular rock fragments, large and small, and quantities of dust, derived from the rock walls bordering the ice stream higher up, litter its surface and hide the color of the ice. at first only a narrow ridge of such material--a moraine, as it is called--accompanies the ice river on each side, resembling a sharp-crested embankment built by human hands to restrain its floods; but toward the lower end of the glacier, as the ice wastes away, the débris contained in it is released in masses, and forms brown marginal bands, fringing the moraines. in fact, from here on down it becomes difficult to tell where the ice of the glacier ends at the sides and where the moraines begin. the lower part of the glacier also possesses a peculiar feature in the form of a débris ridge about midway on its back--a medial moraine. most of the way it stretches like a slender, dark ribbon, gradually narrowing upstream. one may trace it with the eye up to its point of origin, the junction of the two main branches of the glacier, at the foot of a sharp rock spur on the mountain's flank. in the last mile of the nisqually's course, this medial moraine develops from a mere dirt band to a conspicuous embankment, projecting feet above the ice. not the entire body of the ridge, however, is made up of rock débris. the feature owes its elevation chiefly to the protective influence of the débris layer on its surface, which is thick enough to shield the ice beneath from the hot rays of the sun, and greatly retards melting, while the adjoining unprotected ice surfaces are rapidly reduced. a short distance above the glacier's terminus the medial moraine and the ever-broadening marginal bands come together. no more clear ice remains exposed, irregular mounds and ridges of débris cover the entire surface of the glacier, and the moraine-smothered mass assumes the peculiar inchoate appearance that is so striking upon first view. in utter contrast with the glacier's dying lower end are the bright snow fields on the summit in which it commences its career. hard by the rock rim of the east summit crater the snows begin, enwrapping in an even, immaculate layer the smooth sides of the cinder cone. only a few feet deep at first, they thicken downward by degrees, until, a thousand feet below the crater, they possess sufficient depth and weight to acquire movement. occasional angular crevasses here interrupt the slope and force the summit-bound traveler to make wearying detours. looking down into a gash of this sort one beholds nothing but clean snow, piled in many layers. only a faint blue tinges the crevasse walls, darkening but slowly with the depth, in contrast to the intense indigo hue characteristic of the partings in the lower course of the glacier. there the material is a dense ice, more or less crystalline in texture; here it is scarcely more than snow, but slightly compacted and loosely granular--what is generally designated by the swiss term "névé." for several thousand feet down, as far as the , -foot level, in fact, does the snow retain this granular consistency. one reason for the slowness with which it compacts is found in the low temperatures that prevail at high altitudes and preclude any considerable melting. the air itself seldom rises above the freezing point, even in the middle of the day, and as a consequence the snow never becomes soft and mushy, as it does at lower levels. when snow assumes the mushy, "wet-sugar" state, it is melting internally as well as at its outer surface, owing both to the water that soaks into it and to the warming of the air inclosed within its innumerable tiny pores (which tiny air spaces, by the way, give the snow its brilliant whiteness). snow in this condition has, paradoxical though it may sound, a temperature a few tenths of a degree higher than the melting point--a fact recently established by delicate temperature measurements made on european glaciers. it is this singular fact, no doubt, that explains how so many minute organisms are able to flourish and propagate in summer on the lower portions of many glaciers. it may be of interest to digress here briefly in order to speak of these little known though common forms of life. several species of insects are among the regular inhabitants of glaciers. most of them belong to a very low order--the springtails, or _thysanura_--and are so minute that in spite of their dark color they escape the attention of most passers-by. if one looks closely, however, they may readily be observed hopping about like miniature fleas or wriggling deftly into the cavities of the snow. it seems to incommode them but little if in their acrobatic jumps they occasionally alight in a puddle or in a rill, for they are thickly clad with furry scales that prevent them from getting wet--just as a duck is kept dry by its greasy feathers. especially plentiful on the lower parts of the rainier glaciers, and more readily recognized, are slender dark-brown worms of the genus _mesenchytraeus_, about inch in length. millions and millions of them may be seen on favorable days in july and august writhing on the surface of the ice, evidently breeding there and feeding on organic matter blown upon the glacier in the form of dust. so essential to their existence is the chill of the ice that they enter several inches, and sometimes many feet below the surface on days when the sun is particularly hot, reappearing late in the afternoon. mention also deserves to be made of that microscopic plant _protococcus nivalis_, which is responsible for the mysterious pink or light, rose-colored patches so often met with on glaciers--the "red snow" of a former superstition. each patch represents a colony or culture comprising billions of individuals. it is probable that they represent but a small fraction of the total microflora thriving on the snow, the other species remaining invisible for lack of a conspicuous color. to return to the frigid upper névés, it is not to be supposed that they suffer no loss whatever by melting. the heat radiated directly to them by the sun is alone capable of doing considerable damage, even while the air remains below the freezing point. at these high altitudes the sun heat is astonishingly intense, as more than one uninitiated mountain climber has learned to his sorrow by neglecting to take the customary precaution of blacking his face before making the ascent. in a few hours the skin is literally scorched and begins to blister painfully. at the foot of the mountain the sun heat is relatively feeble, for much of it is absorbed by the dust and vapor in the lower layers of the atmosphere, but on the summit, which projects miles higher, the air is thin and pure, and lets the rays pass through but little diminished in strength. the manner in which the sun affects the snow is peculiar and distinctive. instead of reducing the surface evenly, it melts out many close-set cups and hollows, a foot or more in diameter and separated by sharp spires and crests. no water is visible anywhere, either in rills or in pools, evaporation keeping pace with the reduction. if the sun's action is permitted to continue uninterrupted for many days, as may happen in a hot, dry summer, these snow cups deepen by degrees, until at length they assume the aspect of gigantic bee cells, several feet in depth. snow fields thus honeycombed may be met with on the slopes above gibraltar rock. they are wearisome to traverse, for the ridges and spines are fairly resistant, so that one must laboriously clamber over them. most exasperating, however, is the going after a snowstorm has filled the honeycombs. then the traveler, waist deep in mealy snow, is left to flounder haphazard through a hidden labyrinth. of interest in this connection is the great snow cliff immediately west of gibraltar rock. viewed from the foot of that promontory, the sky line of the snow castle fairly bristles with honeycomb spines; while below, in the face of the snow cliff, dark, wavy lines, roughly parallel to the upper surface, repeat its pattern in subdued form. they represent the honeycombs of previous seasons, now buried under many feet of snow, but still traceable by the dust that was imprisoned with them. the snow cliff west of gibraltar rock is of interest also for other reasons. it is the end of a great snow cascade that descends from the rim of the old crater. several such cascades may be seen on the south side of the mountain, separated by craggy remnants of the crater rim. above them the summit névés stretch in continuous fields, but from the rim on down, the volcano's slopes are too precipitous to permit a gradual descent, and the névés break into wild cascades and falls. fully two to three thousand feet they tumble, assembling again in compact, sluggish ice fields on the gentler slopes below. of the three cascades that feed the nisqually glacier only the central one, it is to be observed, forms a continuous connection between the summit névés and the lower ice fields. the two others, viz. the one next to gibraltar and the westernmost of the three, terminate in vertical cliffs, over great precipices of rock. from them snow masses detach at intervals and produce thundering avalanches that bound far out over the inclined ice fields below. especially frequent are the falls from the cliff near gibraltar. they occur hourly at certain times, but as a rule at periods of one or more days. from the westernmost cascade avalanches are small and rare. indeed, as one watches them take place at long intervals throughout a summer one can not but begin to doubt whether they are in themselves really sufficient to feed and maintain so extensive an ice field as lies stretched out under them. surely much more snow must annually melt away from the broad surface of that field, exposed as it lies to the midday sun, than the insignificant avalanches can replace. were they its only source of supply, the ice field, one feels confident, would soon cease to exist. the fact is that the ice field in question is not dependent for its support on the avalanches from above. it may receive some contributions to its volume through them, but in reality it is an independent ice body, nourished chiefly by direct snow precipitation from the clouds. and this is true, in large measure, of all the ice fields lying under the ice cascades. the nisqually glacier, accordingly, is not to be regarded as composed merely of the cascading névés, reunited and cemented together, but as taking a fresh start at these lower levels. improbable though this may seem at first, it is nevertheless a fact that is readily explained. the winter snows on mount rainier are heaviest in the vicinity of its base; indeed, the snowfall at those low levels is several times greater than that on the summit. this in itself may seem anomalous. so accustomed is one to think that the snowfall on high mountains increases with the altitude that it seems strange to find a case in which the opposite is true. yet mount rainier stands by no means alone in this regard. the sierra nevada and the andes, the himalayas and the alps, all show closely analogous conditions. in each of these lofty mountain regions the precipitation is known to be heaviest at moderate altitudes, while higher up it decreases markedly. the reason is that the storm clouds--the clouds that carry most of the rain and snow--hang in a zone of only moderate elevation, while higher up the atmosphere contains but little moisture and seldom forms clouds of any great density. in the rainier region the height of the storm clouds is in large measure regulated by the relief of the cascade range; for it is really this cooling mountain barrier that compels the moisture-laden winds from the pacific ocean to condense and to discharge. it follows that the storm clouds are seldom much elevated above the sky line of the cascade mountains; they cling, so to speak, to its crest and ridges, while the cone of mount rainier towers high above them into serener skies. many a day may one look down from the summit, or even from a halfway point, such as camp muir ( , feet), upon the upper surface of the clouds. like a layer of fleecy cotton they appear, smothering the lower mountains and enveloping the volcano's base. clouds, it is true, are frequently seen gathering about the mountain's crown, usually in the form of a circular cap or hood, precursor of a general storm, but such clouds yield but very little snow. no accurate measurements have been made of the snowfall at the mountain's foot, but in the nisqually valley, at longmire springs, the winter snows are known often to exceed feet in depth. the summer heat at this low level ( , feet) is, of course, abundantly able to remove all of it, at least by the end of may. but higher up every thousand feet of elevation suffices to prolong appreciably the life of the snowy cover. in paradise park, for instance, at altitudes between , and , feet, huge snowdrifts encumber the flowering meadows until far into july. above an altitude of , feet permanent drifts and snow fields survive in certain favored spots, while at the , -foot level the snow line, properly speaking, is reached. above this line considerable snow remains regularly from one winter to the next, and extensive ice fields and glaciers exist even without protection from the sun. it is between the , and , foot levels, however, that one meets with the conditions most favorable for the development of glaciers. below this zone the summer heat largely offsets the heavy precipitation, while above it the snowfall itself is relatively scant. within the belt the annual addition of snow to the ice fields is greater than anywhere else on mount rainier. the result is manifest in the arrangement and distribution of the glaciers on the cone. by far the greater number originate in the vicinity of the , -foot level, while those ice streams which cascade from the summit, such as the nisqually, are in a sense reborn some , feet lower down. a striking example of an ice body nourished wholly by the snows falling on the lower slope of mount rainier is the paradise glacier. in no wise connected with the summit névés, it makes its start at an elevation of less than , feet. situated on the spreading slope between the diverging canyons of the nisqually on the west and of the cowlitz on the northeast, it constitutes a typical "interglacier," as intermediate ice bodies of this kind are termed. its appearance is that of a gently undulating ice field, crevassed only toward its lower edge and remarkably clean throughout. no débris-shedding cliffs rise anywhere along its borders, and this fact, no doubt, largely explains its freedom from morainal accumulations. the absence of cliffs also implies a lack of protecting shade. practically the entire expanse of the glacier lies exposed to the full glare of the sun. as a consequence its losses by melting are very heavy, and a single hot summer may visibly diminish the glacier's bulk. nevertheless it seems to hold its own as well as any other glacier on mount rainier, and this ability to recuperate finds its explanation in the exceeding abundance of fresh snows that replenish it every winter. the paradise glacier, however, is not the product wholly of direct precipitation from the clouds. much of its mass is supplied by the wind, and accumulates in the lee of the high ridge to the west, over which the route to camp muir and gibraltar rock is laid. the westerly gales keep this ridge almost bare of snow, permitting only a few drifts to lodge in sheltered depressions. but east of the ridge there are great eddies in which the snow forms long, smooth slopes that descend several hundred feet to the main body of the glacier. these slopes are particularly inviting to tourists for the delightful "glissades" which they afford. sitting down on the hard snow at the head of such a slope, one may indulge in an exhilarating glide of amazing swiftness, landing at last safely on the level snows beneath. the generally smooth and united surface of the paradise glacier, it may be added, contributes not a little to its attractiveness as a field for alpine sports. on it one may roam at will without apprehension of lurking peril; indeed one can journey across its entire width, from paradise park to the cowlitz rocks, without encountering a single dangerous fissure. this general absence of crevasses is accounted for largely by the evenness of the glacier's bed and by its hollow shape, owing to which the snows on all sides press inward and compact the mass in the center. only toward its frontal margin, where the glacier plunges over an abrupt rock step, as well as in the hump of that part known as stevens glacier, is the ice rent by long crevasses and broken into narrow blades. here it may be wise for the inexperienced not to venture without a competent guide, for the footing is apt to be treacherous, and jumping over crevasses or crossing them by frail snow bridges are feats never accomplished without risk. in the early part of summer the paradise glacier has the appearance of a vast, unbroken snow field, blazing, immaculate, in the sun. but later, as the fresh snows melt away from its surface, grayish patches of old crystalline ice develop in places, more especially toward the glacier's lower margin. day by day these patches expand until, by the end of august, most of the lower ice field has been stripped of its brilliant mantle. its countenance, once bright and serene, now assumes a grim expression and becomes crisscrossed by a thousand seams, like the visage of an aged man. over this roughened surface trickle countless tiny rills which, uniting, form swift rivulets and torrents, indeed veritable river systems on a miniature scale that testify with eloquence to the rapidity with which the sun consumes the snow. strangely capricious in course are these streamlets, for, while in the main gravitating with the glacier's slope, they are ever likely to be caught and deflected by the numerous seams in the ice. these seams, it should be explained, are lines of former crevasses that have healed again under pressure in the course of the glacier's slow descent. as a rule they inclose a small amount of dirt, and owing to its presence are particularly vulnerable to erosion. along them the streamlets rapidly intrench themselves--perhaps by virtue of their warmth, what little there is of it, as much as by actual abrasion--and hollow out channels of a freakish sort, here straight and canal-like, there making sharp zigzag turns; again broadening into profound, canoe-shaped pools, or emptying into deeper trenches by little sparkling cataracts, or passing under tiny bridges and tunnels--a veritable toy land carved in ice. but unfortunately these pretty features are ephemeral, many of them changing from day to day; for, evenings, as the lowering sun withdraws its heat, the melting gradually comes to a halt, and the little streams cease to flow. the soft babbling and gurgling and the often exquisitely melodious tinkle of dripping water in hidden glacial wells are hushed, and the silent frost proceeds to choke up passages and channels, so that next day's waters have to seek new avenues. in the region where the new crevasses open the surface drainage comes abruptly to an end. here gaping chutes of deepest azure entrap the torrents and the waters rush with musical thunder to the interior of the glacier and finally down to its bed. at its lower border the paradise glacier splits into several lobes. the westernmost sends forth the paradise river, which, turning southwestward, plunges over the sluiskin fall (named for the klickitat indian who guided van trump and hazard stevens to the mountain in , when they made the first successful ascent) and runs the length of paradise valley. the middle lobe has become known as stevens glacier (named for hazard stevens) and ends in stevens creek, a stream which almost immediately drops over a precipice of some feet--the fairy falls--and winds southeastward through rugged stevens canyon. the easternmost lobes, known collectively as williwakas glacier, send forth two little cascades, which, uniting, form williwakas creek. this stream is a tributary of the cowlitz river, as is stevens creek. immediately adjoining the paradise glacier on the northeast, and not separated from it by any definite barrier, lies the cowlitz glacier, one of the stateliest ice streams of mount rainier. it flows in a southeasterly direction, and burrows its nose deeply into the forest-covered hills at the mountain's foot. its upper course consists of two parallel-flowing ice streams, intrenched in profound troughs, which they have enlarged laterally until now only a narrow, ragged crest of rock remains between them, resembling a partition a thousand feet in height. at the upper end of this crest stands gibraltar rock. at the point of confluence of the two branches there begins a long medial moraine that stretches like a black tape the whole length of the lower course. to judge by its position midway on the glacier's back, the two tributaries must be very nearly equal in strength, yet, when traced to their sources, they are found to originate in widely different ways. the north branch, named ingraham glacier (after maj. e. s. ingraham, one of rainier's foremost pioneers), comes from the névés on the summit; while the south branch heads in a pocket immediately under gibraltar. no snow comes to it from the summit; hence we can not escape the conclusion that it receives through direct precipitation and through wind drifting about as much snow as its sister branch receives from the summit regions. like the glacier troughs below, the pocket appears to have widened laterally under the influence of the ice, and is now separated from the nisqually ice fields to the west by only a narrow rock partition, the cowlitz cleaver, as it is locally called. up this narrow crest the route to gibraltar rock ascends. the name "cleaver," it may be said in passing, is most apt for the designation of a narrow rock crest of this sort, and well deserves to be more generally used in the place of awkward foreign terms, such as arrete and grat. both branches of the cowlitz glacier cascade steeply immediately above their confluence, but the lower glacier has a gentle gradient and a fairly uneventful course. like the lower nisqually, it is bordered by long morainal ridges, and toward its end acquires broad marginal dirt bands. for nearly a mile these continue, leaving a gradually narrowing lane of clear ice between them. then they coalesce and the whole ice body becomes strewn with rock débris. the cowlitz glacier, including its north branch, the ingraham glacier, measures slightly over miles in length. throughout that distance the ice stream lies sunk in a steep-walled canyon of its own carving. imposing cliffs of columnar basalt, ribbed as if draped in corduroy, overlook its lower course. slender waterfalls glide down their precipitous fronts, like silver threads, guided by the basalt flutings. from the end of the glacier issues the muddy fork of the cowlitz river, which, joining the ohanapecosh, forms the cowlitz river proper, one of the largest streams of the cascade range. for nearly a hundred miles the cowlitz river follows a southwesterly course, finally emptying in the columbia river a short distance below portland, oregon. the name muddy fork is a most apt one, for the stream leaves the glacier heavily charged with débris and mud, and while it gradually clears itself as it proceeds over its gravelly bed, it is still turbid when it reaches the ohanapecosh. that stream is relatively clear, for it heads in a glacier of small extent and little eroding power, and consequently begins its career with but a moderate load; furthermore it receives on its long circuitous course a number of tributaries from the cascade range, all of them containing clear water. the name muddy, however, might with equal appropriateness be given to every one of the streams flowing from the ice fields of mount rainier. so easily disintegrated are the volcanic materials of which that peak is composed, that the glaciers are enabled to erode with great rapidity, even in their present shrunken state. they consequently deliver to the streams vast quantities of débris, much of it in the form of cobbles and bowlders, but much of it also in the form of "rock flour." a considerable proportion of a glacier's erosional work is performed by abrasion or grinding, its bed being scoured and grooved by the rock blocks and smaller débris held by the passing ice. as a result glacier streams ordinarily carry much finely comminuted rock, or rock flour, and this, because of its fineness, remains long in suspension and imparts to the water a distinctive color. in regions of light-colored rocks the glacier streams have a characteristic milky hue, which, as it fades out, passes over into a delicate turquoise tint. but the lavas of mount rainier produce for the most part dark-hued flour, and as a consequence the rivers coming from that peak are dyed a somber chocolate brown. a word may not be out of place here about the sharp daily fluctuations of the ice-fed rivers of the mount rainier national park, especially in view of the difficulties these streams present to crossing. there are fully a score of turbulent rivers radiating from the peak, and as a consequence one can not journey far through the park without being obliged to cross one of them. on all the permanent trails substantial bridges obviate the difficulty, but in the less developed portions of the park, fording is still the only method available. it is well to bear in mind that these rivers, being nourished by melting snow, differ greatly in habit from streams in countries where glaciers are absent. generally speaking, they are highest in summer and lowest in winter; also, since their flow is intimately dependent upon the quantity of snow being melted at a given time, it follows that in summer when the sun reaches its greatest power they swell daily to a prodigious volume, reaching a maximum in the afternoon, while during the night and early morning hours they again ebb to a relatively moderate size. in the forenoon of a warm summer day one may watch them grow hourly in volume and in violence, until toward the middle of the day they become raging torrents of liquid mud in which heavy cobbles and even bowlders may be heard booming as they roll before the current. it would be nothing short of folly to attempt to ford under these conditions, whether on horseback or on foot. in the evening, however, and still better, in the early morning, one may cross with safety; the streams then have the appearance of mere mountain brooks wandering harmlessly over broad bowlder beds. high above the ingraham glacier towers that sharp, residual mass of lava strata known as little tahoma ( , feet), the highest outstanding eminence on the flank of mount rainier. it forms a gigantic "wedge" that divides the ingraham from the emmons glacier to the north. so extensive is this wedge that it carries on its back several large ice fields and interglaciers, some of which, lying far from the beaten path of the tourist, are as yet unnamed. separating them from each other are various attenuated, pinnacled crests, all of them subordinate to a main backbone that runs eastward some miles and terminates in the cowlitz chimneys ( , feet), a group of tall rock towers that dominate the landscape on the east side of mount rainier. most of the ice fields, naturally, lie on the shady north slope of the main backbone; in fact, a series of them extends as far east as the cowlitz chimneys. one of the lesser crests, however, that running southeastward to the upland region known as cowlitz park, also gives protection to an ice body of some magnitude, the ohanapecosh glacier. considerably broader than it is long in the direction of its flow, this glacier lies on a high shelf a mile and a half across, whence it cascades down into the head of a walled-in canyon. formerly, no doubt, it more than filled this canyon, but now it sends down only a shrunken lobe. the stream that issues from it, the ohanapecosh river, is really the main prong and head of the cowlitz river. the largest and most elevated of the ice fields east of little tahoma is known for its peculiar shape as fryingpan glacier. it covers fully square miles of ground and constitutes the most extensive and most beautiful interglacier on mount rainier. it originates in the hollow east side of little tahoma itself and descends rapidly northward, overlooking the great emmons glacier and finally reaching down almost to its level. it is not a long time since the two ice bodies were confluent. the eastern portion of the fryingpan glacier drains northeastward and sends forth several cascading torrents which, uniting with others coming from the lesser ice fields to the east, form the fryingpan river, a brisk stream that joins white river several miles farther north. below the fryingpan glacier there lies a region of charming flower-dotted meadows named summerland, a most attractive spot for camping. cloaking almost the entire east side of mount rainier is the emmons glacier, the most extensive ice stream on the peak (named after samuel f. emmons, the geologist and mountaineer who was the second to conquer the peak in ). about - / miles long and - / miles wide in its upper half, it covers almost square miles of territory. it makes a continuous descent from the summit to the base, the rim of the old crater having almost completely broken down under its heavy névé cascades. but two small remnants of the rim still protrude through the ice and divide it into three cascades. from each of these dark rock islands trails a long medial moraine that extends in an ever-broadening band down to the foot of the glacier. conspicuous lateral moraines accompany the ice stream on each side. there are several parallel ridges of this sort, disposed in successive tiers above each other on the valley sides. most impressively do they attest the extent of the emmons glacier's recent shrinking. the youngest moraine, fresh looking as if deposited only yesterday, lies but feet above the glacier's surface and a scant feet distant from its edge; the older ridges, subdued in outline, and already tinged with verdure, lie several hundred feet higher on the slope. the emmons glacier, like the nisqually and the cowlitz, becomes densely littered with morainal débris at its lower end, maintaining, however, for a considerable distance a central lane of clear ice. the stream which it sends forth, white river, is the largest of all the ice-fed streams radiating from the peak. it flows northward and then turns in a northwesterly direction, emptying finally in puget sound at the city of seattle. on the northeast side of the mountain, descending from the same high névés as the emmons glacier, is the winthrop glacier. not until halfway down, at an elevation of about , feet, does it detach itself as a separate ice stream. the division takes place at the apex of that great triangular interspace so aptly named "the wedge." upon its sharp cliff edge, steamboat prow, the descending névés part, it has been said, like swift-flowing waters upon the dividing bow of a ship at anchor. the simile is an excellent one; even the long foam crest, rising along the ship's side, is represented by a wave of ice. undoubtedly the wedge formerly headed much higher up on the mountain's flank. perhaps it extended upward in the form of a long, attenuated "cleaver." it is easy to see how the ice masses impinging upon it have reduced it to successively lower levels. they are still unrelentingly at work. it is on the back of the wedge, it may be added here, that is situated that small ice body which maj. ingraham named the "interglacier." that name has since been applied in a generic sense to all similar ice bodies lying on the backs of "wedges." of greatest interest on the winthrop glacier are the ice cascades and domes. evidently the glacier's bed is a very uneven one, giving rise to falls and pools, such as one observes in a turbulent trout stream. the cascades explain themselves readily enough, but the domes require a word of interpretation. they are underlain by rounded bosses of especially resistant rock. over these the ice is lifted, much as is the water of a swift mountain torrent over submerged bowlders. immediately above each obstruction the ice appears compact and free from crevasses, but as it reaches the top and begins to pour over it breaks, and a network of intersecting cracks divides it into erect, angular blocks and fantastic obelisks. below each dome there is, as a rule, a deep hollow partly inclosed by trailing ice ridges, analogous to the whirling eddy that occurs normally below a bowlder in a brook. thus does a glacier simulate a stream of water even in its minor details. the domes of the winthrop glacier measure to feet in height. a sample of the kind of obstruction that produces them appears, as if specially provided to satisfy human curiosity, near the terminus of the glacier. there one may see, close to the west wall of the troughlike bed, a projecting rock mass, rounded and smoothly polished, over which the glacier rode but a short time ago. another feature of interest sometimes met with on the winthrop glacier, and for that matter also on the other ice streams of mount rainier, are the "glacier tables." these consist of slabs of rock mounted each on a pedestal of snow and producing the effect of huge toadstools. the slabs are always of large size, while the pedestals vary from a few inches to several feet in height. the origin of the rocks may be traced to cliffs of incoherent volcanic materials that disintegrate under the frequent alternations of frost and thaw and send down periodic rock avalanches, the larger fragments of which bound out far upon the glacier's surface. the snow immediately under these large fragments is effectually protected from the sun and does not melt, while the surrounding snow, being unprotected, is constantly wasting away, often at the rate of several inches per day. thus in time each rock is left poised on a column of its own conserving. there is, however, a limit to the height which such a column can attain, for as soon as it begins to exceed a certain height the protecting shadow of the capping stone no longer reaches down to the base of the pedestal and the slanting rays of the sun soon undermine it. more commonly, however, the south side of the column becomes softened both by heat transmitted from the sun-warmed south edge of the stone, as well as by heat reflected from the surrounding glacier surface, and as a consequence the table begins to tilt. on very hot days, in fact, the inclination of the table keeps pace with the progress of the sun, much after the manner of a sun-loving flower, the slant being to the southeast in the forenoon and to the southwest in the afternoon. as the snow pillar increases in height it becomes more and more exposed and the tilting is accentuated, until at last the rock slides down. in its new position the slab at once begins to generate a new pedestal, from which in due time it again slides down, and so the process may be repeated several times in the course of a single summer, the rock shifting its location by successive slips an appreciable distance across the glacier in a southerly direction. as has been stated, the slabs on glacier tables are always of large size. this is not a fortuitous circumstance; rocks under a certain size, and especially fragments of little thickness, cannot produce pedestals; in fact, far from conserving the snow under them, they accelerate its melting and sink below the surface. this is especially true of dark-colored rocks. objects of dark color, as is well known to physicists, have a faculty for absorbing heat, whereas light-colored objects, especially white ones, reflect it best. dark-colored fragments of rock lying on a glacier, accordingly, warm rapidly at their upper surface and, if thin, forthwith transmit their heat to the snow under them, causing it to melt much faster than the surrounding clean snow, which, because of its very whiteness, reflects a large percentage of the heat it receives from the sun. as a consequence each small rock fragment and even each separate dust particle on a glacier melts out a tiny well of its own, as a rule not vertically downward but at a slight inclination in the direction of the noonday sun. and thus, in some localities, one may behold the apparently incongruous spectacle of large and heavy rocks supported on snow pillars alongside of little fragments that have sunk into the ice. there is also a limit to the depth which the little wells may attain; as they deepen, the rock fragment at the bottom receives the sun heat each day for a progressively shorter period, until at last it receives so little that its rate of sinking becomes less than that of the melting glacier surface. nevertheless it will be clear that the presence of scattered rock débris on a glacier must greatly augment the rate of melting, as it fairly honeycombs the ice and increases the number of melting surfaces. wherever the débris is dense, on the other hand, and accumulates on the glacier in a heavy layer, its effect becomes a protective one and surface melting is retarded instead of accelerated. the dirt-covered lower ends of the glaciers of mount rainier are thus to be regarded as in a measure preserved by the débris that cloaks them; their life is greatly prolonged by the unsightly garment. in many ways the most interesting of all the ice streams on mount rainier is the carbon glacier, the great ice river on the north side, which flows between those two charming natural gardens, moraine park and spray park. the third glacier in point of length, it heads, curiously, not on the summit, but in a profound, walled-in amphitheater, inset low into the mountain's flank. this amphitheater is what is technically known as a glacial cirque, a horseshoe-shaped basin elaborated by the ice from a deep gash that existed originally in the volcano's side. it has the distinction of being the largest of all the ice-sculptured cirques on mount rainier, and one of the grandest in the world. it measures more than a mile and a half in diameter, while its head wall towers a sheer , feet. so well proportioned is the great hollow, however, and so simple are its outlines that the eye finds difficulty in correctly estimating the dimensions. not until an avalanche breaks from the -foot névé cliff above and hurls itself over the precipice with crashing thunder, does one begin to realize the depth of the colossal recess. the falling snow mass is several seconds in descending, and though weighing hundreds of tons, seemingly floats down with the leisureliness of a feather. these avalanches were once believed to be the authors of the cirque. they were thought to have worn back the head wall little by little, even as a waterfall causes the cliff under it to recede. but the real manner in which glacial cirques evolve is better understood to-day. it is now known that cirques are produced primarily by the eroding action of the ice masses embedded in them. slowly creeping forward, these ice masses, shod as they are with débris derived from the encircling cliffs, scour and scoop out their hollow sites, and enlarge and deepen them by degrees. seconding this work is the rock-splitting action of water freezing in the interstices of the rock walls. this process is particularly effective in the great cleft at the glacier's head, between ice and cliff. this abyss is periodically filled with fresh snows, which freeze to the rock; then, as the glacier moves away, it tears or plucks out the frost-split fragments from the wall. thus the latter is continually being undercut. the overhanging portions fall down, as decomposition lessens their cohesion, and so the entire cliff recedes. a glacier, accordingly, may be said, literally, to gnaw headward into the mountain. but, as it does so, it also attacks the cliffs that flank it, and as a consequence, the depression in which it lies tends to widen and to become semicircular in plan. in its greatest perfection a glacial cirque is horseshoe-shaped in outline. the carbon glacier's amphitheater, it will be noticed, consists really of two twin cirques, separated by an angular buttress. but this projection, which is the remnant of a formerly long spur dividing the original cavity, is fast being eliminated by the undermining process, so that in time the head wall will describe a smooth, uninterrupted horseshoe curve. in its headward growth the carbon glacier, as one may readily observe on the map, has encroached considerably upon the summit platform of the mountain, the massive northwest portion of the crater rim of which liberty cap is the highest point. in so doing it has made great inroads upon the névé fields that send down the avalanches, and has reduced this source of supply. on the other hand, by deploying laterally, the glacier has succeeded in capturing part of the névés formerly tributary to the ice fields to the west, and has made good some of the losses due to its headward cutting. but, after all, these are events of relatively slight importance in the glacier's career; for like the lower ice fields of the nisqually, and like most glaciers on the lower slopes of the mountain, the carbon glacier is not wholly dependent upon the summit névés for its supply of ice. the avalanches, imposing though they are, contribute but a minor portion of its total bulk. most of its mass is derived directly from the low hanging snow clouds, or is blown into the cirque by eddying winds. how abundantly capable these agents are to create large ice bodies at low altitudes is convincingly demonstrated by the extensive névé fields immediately west of the carbon glacier, for which the name russell glacier has recently been proposed. it is to be noted, however, that these ice fields lie spread out on shelves fairly exposed to sun and wind. how much better adapted for the accumulation of snow is the carbon glacier's amphitheater! not only does it constitute an admirably designed catchment basin for wind-blown snow, but an effective conserver of the névés collecting in it. opening to the north only, its encircling cliffs thoroughly shield the contained ice mass from the sun. by its very form, moreover, it tends to prolong the glacier's life, for the latter lies compactly in the hollow with a relatively small surface exposed to melting. the cirque, therefore, is at once the product of the glacier and its generator and conserver. of the lower course of the carbon glacier little need here be said, as it does not differ materially from the lower courses of the glaciers already described. it may be mentioned, however, that toward its terminus the glacier makes a steep descent and develops a series of parallel medial moraines and that it reaches down to an elevation of , feet, almost feet lower than any other ice stream on mount rainier. a beautiful cave usually forms at the point of exit of the carbon river. west of the profound canyon of the carbon river, there rises a craggy range which the indians have named the mother mountains. from its narrow backbone one looks down on either side into broadly open, semicircular valley heads. some drain northward to the carbon river, some southward to the mowich river. encircling them run attenuated rock partitions, surmounted by low, angular peaks; while cutting across their stairwise descending floors are precipitous steps of rock, a hundred feet in height. on the treads lie scattered shallow lakelets, strung together by little silvery brooks trickling in capricious courses. most impressive is the basin that lies immediately under the west end of the range. smoothly rounded like a bowl, it holds in its center an almost circular lake of vivid emerald hue--that mysterious body of water known as crater lake. let it be said at once that this appellation is an unfortunate misnomer. the basin is not of volcanic origin. it lies in lava and other volcanic rocks, to be sure, but these are merely spreading layers of the cone of mount rainier. ice is the agent responsible for the carving of the hollow. it was once the cradle of a glacier, and that ice mass, gnawing headward and deploying even as the carbon glacier does to-day, enlarged its site into a horseshoe basin, a typical glacial cirque. the lake in the center is a strictly normal feature; many glacial cirques possess such bowls, scooped out by the eroding ice masses from the weaker portions of the rock floor; only it is seldom that such features acquire the symmetry of form exhibited by crater lake. the lakelets observed in the neighboring valley heads--all of which are abandoned cirques--are of similar origin. as for the skeleton character of the dividing crests, it will be readily seen to be the outcome of the headward gnawing of opposing cirques. in some places, even, the deploying process has attenuated the ridges sufficiently to break them through. west of crater lake is an instance of a crest that has thus been breached. it is a significant fact that the empty cirques about the mother mountains lie at elevations ranging between , and , feet; that is, on an average , feet lower than the cirques on mount rainier which now produce glaciers. evidently the snow line in glacial times lay at a much lower level than it does to-day, and the ice mantle of mount rainier expanded not merely by the forward lengthening of its ice tongues but by the birth of numerous new glaciers about the mountain's foot. the large size of the empty cirques and canyons, moreover, leads one to infer that many of these new glaciers far exceeded in volume the ice streams descending the volcano's sides. the latter, it is true, increased considerably in thickness during glacial times, but not in proportion to the growth of the low-level glaciers. nor is this surprising in view of the heavy snow falls occurring on the mountain's lower slopes. there is good reason to believe, moreover, that the cool glacial climate resulted in a general lowering of the zone of heaviest snowfall. it probably was depressed to levels between , and , feet. not only the cirque glaciers about the mother mountains, but all the neighboring ice streams of the glacial epoch originated within this zone, as is indicated by the altitudes of the cirques throughout the adjoining portions of the cascade range. by their confluence these ice bodies produced a great system of glaciers that filled all the valleys of this mountain belt and even protruded beyond its western front. to these extensive valley glaciers the ice flows of mount rainier stood in the relation of mere tributaries. they descended from regions of rather scant snowfall, for the peak in those days of frigid climate rose some , feet above the zone of heaviest snowfall, into atmospheric strata of relative dryness. it may well be, indeed, that it carried then but little more snow upon its summit than it does to-day. the north mowich glacier is the northernmost of the series of ice bodies on the west flank of mount rainier. like the carbon glacier, it heads in a cirque at the base of the liberty cap massif, fed by direct snow precipitation, by wind drifting, and by avalanches. the cirque is small and shallow, not as capacious even as either of the twin recesses in the carbon glacier's amphitheater. as a consequence the ice stream issuing from it is of only moderate volume; nevertheless it attains a length of - / miles. this is due in part to the heavy snows that reënforce it throughout its middle course and in part to overflows from the ice fields bordering it on the south. these ice fields, almost extensive enough to be considered a distinct glacier, are separated from the north mowich glacier only by a row of pinnacles, the remnants evidently of a narrow rock partition or "cleaver," now demolished by the ice. the lowest and most prominent of the rock spires bears the appropriate name of "the needle" ( , feet). the débris-covered lower end of the glacier splits into two short lobes on a rounded boss in the middle of the channel. this boss, but a short time ago, was overridden by the glacier and then undoubtedly gave rise to an ice dome of the kind so numerous farther up on the north mowich glacier and also characteristic of the winthrop glacier. separated from the ice fields of the north mowich glacier by a great triangular ice field (named edmunds glacier) lies the south mowich glacier, also a cirque-born ice stream, heading against the base of the liberty cap massif. it is the shortest of the western glaciers, measuring only a scant miles. aside from the snows accumulating in its ill-shaped cirque it receives strong reënforcements from its neighbor to the south--the puyallup glacier. toward its lower end it splits into two unequal lobes, the southernmost of which is by far the longer. sharp cut rock wedges beyond its front show that when the glacier extended farther down it split again and again. the north lobe is of interest because the stream that cascades from the edmunds glacier runs for a considerable distance under it. in the near future the lobe is likely to recede sufficiently to enable the torrent to pass unhindered by its front. what especially distinguishes the puyallup glacier from its neighbors to the north is the great elevation of its cirque. the carbon, north mowich, and south mowich glaciers all head at levels of about , feet. the amphitheater of the puyallup glacier, on the contrary, opens a full , feet higher up. encircled by a great vertical wall that cuts into the liberty cap platform from the south, it has evidently developed through glacial sapping from a hollow of volcanic origin. from this great reservoir the puyallup glacier descends by a rather narrow chute. then it expands again to a width of three-fourths of a mile and sends a portion of its volume to the south mowich glacier. in spite of this loss it continues to expand, reaching a maximum width of a mile and a total length of miles. no doubt this is accounted for by the heavy snowfalls that replenish it throughout its course. its lower end consists of a tortuous ice lobe that describes a beautiful curve, flanked on the north by a vertical lava cliff. a lesser lobe splits off to the south on a wedge of rock. immediately south of the elevated amphitheater of the puyallup glacier the crater rim of the volcano is breached for a distance of half a mile. through this gap tumbles a voluminous cascade from the névé fields about the summit, and this cascade, reënforced by a flow from the puyallup cirque, forms the great tahoma glacier, the most impressive ice stream on the southwest side. separated from its northern neighbor by a rock cleaver of remarkable length and straightness, it flows in a direct course for a distance of miles. its surface, more than a mile broad in places, is diversified by countless ice falls and cataracts. a mere row of isolated pinnacles indicates its eastern border, and across the gaps in this row its névés coalesce with those of the south tahoma glacier. farther down the two ice streams abruptly part company and flow in wide detours around a cliff-girt, castellated rock mass--glacier island it has been named. the tahoma glacier, about a mile above its terminus, spits upon a low, verdant wedge and sends a lobe southward which skirts the walls of this island rock, and at its base meets again the south tahoma glacier. from here on the two ice streams merge and form a single densely débris-laden mass, so chaotic in appearance that one would scarcely take it for a glacier. numerous rivulets course over its dark surface only to disappear in mysterious holes and clefts. profound, circular kettles filled with muddy water often develop on it during the summer months, and after a brief existence empty themselves again by subglacial passages or by a newly formed crevasse. so abundant is the rock débris released by melting that the wind at times whips it up into veritable dust storms. beautifully regular moraines accompany the ice mass on both sides, giving clear evidence of its recent shrinking. the partner of the tahoma glacier, known as the south tahoma glacier, heads in a profound cirque sculptured in the flanks of the great buttress that culminates in peak success ( , feet). it is interesting chiefly as an example of a cirque-born glacier, nourished almost exclusively by direct snowfalls from the clouds and by eddying winds. in spite of its position, exposed to the midday sun, it attains a length of nearly miles, a fact which impressively attests the ampleness of its ice supply. in glacial times the glacier had a much greater volume and rose high enough to override the south half of glacier island, as is clearly shown by the glacial grooves and the scattered ice-worn bowlders on that eminence. as the glacier shrank it continued for some time to send a lobe through the gulch in the middle of the island. even now a portion of this lobe remains, but it no longer connects with the tahoma glacier. an excellent nearby view of the lower cascades of the south tahoma glacier may be had from the ice-scarred rock platform west of pyramid rock. from that point, as well as from the other heights of [indian] henrys hunting ground, one may enjoy a panorama of ice and rock such as is seen in only few places on this continent. east of the south tahoma glacier, heading against a great cleaver that descends from peak success, lies a triangular ice field, or interglacier, named pyramid glacier. it covers a fairly smooth, gently sloping platform underlain by a heavy lava bed, and breaking off at its lower edge in precipitous, columnar cliffs. into this platform a profound but narrow box canyon has been incised by an ice stream descending from the summit névés east of peak success. this is the kautz glacier, an ice stream peculiar for its exceeding slenderness. on the map it presents almost a worm-like appearance, heightened perhaps by its strongly sinuous course. in spite of its meager width, which averages about , feet, the ice stream attains a length of almost miles and descends to an altitude of , feet. this no doubt is to be attributed in large measure to the protecting influence of the box canyon. it receives one tributary of importance, the success glacier, which heads in a cirque against the flanks of peak success. this ice stream supplies probably one-third of the total bulk of the kautz glacier, as one may infer from the position of the medial moraine that develops at the point of confluence. in the lower course of the glacier this medial moraine grows in width and height until it assumes the proportions of a massive ridge, occupying about one-third of the breadth of the ice stream's surface. a singularly fascinating spectacle is that which the moraine-covered lower end of the glacier presents from the heights of van trump park. a full , feet down one looks upon the ice stream as it curves around a sharp bend in its canyon. a short distance below the glacier's terminus, the canyon contracts abruptly to a gorge only feet in width. so resistant is the columnar basalt in this locality that the ice has been unable to hew out a wider passage. not its entire volume, however, was squeezed through the narrow portal; there is abundant evidence showing that in glacial times when the ice stream was more voluminous it overrode the rock buttresses on the west side of the gorge. the name of p. b. van trump, the hardy pioneer climber of mount rainier, has been attached to the interglacier situated between the kautz and the nisqually glaciers. this ice body lies on the uneven surface of an extensive wedge that tapers upward to a sharp point--one of the remnants of the old crater rim. a number of small ice fields are distributed on this wedge, each ensconced in a hollow inclosed more or less completely by low ridges. by gradually deploying each of these ice bodies has enlarged its site, and thus the dividing ridges have been converted into slender rock walls or cleavers. in many places they have even been completely consumed and the ice fields coalesce. the van trump glacier is the most extensive of these composite ice fields. the rapid melting which it has suffered in the last decades, however, has gone far toward dismembering it; already several small ice strips are threatening to become separated from the main body. in glacial times the van trump glacier sent forth at least six lobes, most of which converged farther down in the narrow valleys traversing the attractive alpine region now known as van trump park. this upland park owes its scenic charm largely to its manifold glacial features and is diversified by cirques, canyons, lakelets, moraines, and waterfalls. in the foregoing descriptions the endeavor has been to make clear how widely the glaciers of mount rainier differ in character, in situation, and in size. they are not to be conceived as mere ice tongues radiating down the slopes of the volcano from an ice cap on its crown. there is no ice cap, properly speaking, and there has perhaps never been one at any time in the mountain's history, not even during the glacial epochs. several of the main ice streams head in the névés gathering about the summit craters, but a larger number originate in profound amphitheaters carved in the mountain's flanks, at levels fully , feet below the summit. in the general distribution of the glaciers the low temperatures prevailing at high altitudes have, of course, been a controlling factor; nevertheless in many instances their influence has been outbalanced by topographic features favoring local snow accumulation and by the heavy snowfalls occurring on the lower slopes. [illustration: george otis smith.] xv. the rocks of mount rainier by george otis smith director george otis smith of the united states geological survey was born at hodgdon, maine, on february , . he graduated from colby college in and obtained his doctor of philosophy degree from johns hopkins university in . he had begun his geological work in and from to he was assistant geologist and geologist of the united states geological survey. since he has been director of that important branch of the government work. he had been studying the rocks of mount rainier before he joined professor russell in the explorations of . the record of those studies was published at the same time as professor russell's report in the eighteenth annual report of the united states geological survey for - . with his permission the record is here reproduced in full. so far as is known to the present editor it is the most complete study yet published on the rocks of mount rainier. the earliest geological observations on the structure of mount rainier were made in by s. f. emmons, of the geological exploration of the fortieth parallel. the rock specimens collected at this time were studied later by messrs. hague and iddings, of the united states geological survey.[ ] this petrographical study showed that "mount rainier is formed almost wholly of hypersthene andesite, with different conditions of groundmass and accompanied by hornblende and olivine in places." the only other petrographical study of these volcanics is that of mr. k. oebbeke, of munich,[ ] upon a small collection made on mount rainier by professor zittel in . on the reconnaissance trips on the northern and eastern slopes of mount rainier, during the seasons of and , the writer had opportunity to make some general observations on the rocks of this mountain, and the petrographical material then collected has since been studied. the observations and collections were of necessity limited, both by the reconnaissance character of the examination and by the mantle of snow and ice which covers so large a part of this volcanic cone. two classes of rock are to be discussed as occurring on mount rainier: the lavas and pyroclastics which compose the volcanic cone and the granitic rocks forming the platform upon which the volcano was built up. volcanic rocks geologic relations on crater peak a dark line of rock appears above the snow, and here the outer slope of the crater rim is found to be covered with blocks of lava. a black, loose-textured andesite is most abundant, and from its occurrence on the edge of this well-defined crater may be regarded as representing the later eruptions of rainier. lower down on the slopes of the mountain opportunities for the study of the structure of the volcanic cone are found in the bold rock masses that mark the apexes of the interglacial areas. examples of these are little tahoma, gibraltar, cathedral rock, the wedge, and the guardian rocks. these remnants of the old surface of the cone, together with the cliffs that bound the lower courses of the glaciers, exhibit the structural relations very well. even when viewed from a distance these cliffs and peaks are seen to be composed of bedded material. projecting ledges interrupt the talus slopes and express differences of hardness in the several beds, while variations in color also indicate separate lava flows and agglomeratic deposits. gibraltar is thus seen to be composed of interbedded lavas and pyroclastics, and on the wedge a similar alternation is several times repeated, a pink agglomerate being exceptionally striking in appearance. these lava flows and beds of volcanic ejectamenta thus exposed dip away from the summit at a low angle. the steepest dip observed was in the amphitheater at the head of carbon glacier, where in the dividing spur the dip to the northeast is about °. some exceptions in the inclination of the beds were noted on the southeastern slope, where in a few cases the layers are horizontal, or even dip toward the central axis of the cone. in general, however, the volcanics composing mount rainier may be said to dip away from the summit at an angle somewhat lower than that of the slopes of the present cone. in the outlying ridges to the north, the mother range, crescent mountain, and the sluiskin mountains, the structure seems to be that of interbedded volcanics approximately horizontal. the extent of the volcanics from the center of eruption has not been determined. similar lava extends to the south, beyond the tattoosh range, and volcanics of similar composition occur to the north, in the tacoma quadrangle. the latter lavas and tuffs may have originated from smaller and less important cones, now destroyed by erosion. a radial dike was observed at only one locality, near the base of little tahoma. in several cases the lava masses, as seen in cross section, are lens-shaped, and where associated with fragmental beds have unconformable relations. this shows that some of the lava flows took the form of streams, relatively narrow, rather than of broad sheets. such a feature is in accord with the distribution of rock types. thus along ptarmigan ridge for considerable vertical and horizontal range the rock shows only slight variation. the distribution of rock types will be more fully discussed in a later paragraph. of how large a part of the lava flows the crater still remaining was the point of origin is a question to be answered only after more detailed observation has been made. the best section for the study of the succession of flows and ejectamenta is the amphitheater at the head of the carbon glacier. the , feet of rock in this bold wall would afford an excellent opportunity for this were it not that frequent avalanches preclude the possibility of geologic study except at long range. megascopic characters the volcanic rocks of rainier are of varying color and texture. dense black rocks with abundant phenocrysts of glassy feldspars, rough and coarse lavas of different tints of pink, red, and purple, and compact light-gray rocks are some of the types represented upon the slopes of this volcanic cone. in color, the majority of the rocks may be grouped together as light gray to dark gray. the black and red lavas are less common. in texture, the rainier lavas are, for the most part, compact. slaggy and scoriaceous phases are common, but probably represent only a small part of the different flows. near the guardian rocks large masses of ropy lava are found which suggest ejected bombs. agglomeratic and tuffaceous rocks are of quite common occurrence, although less important than the lavas. vesicular lavas occur at several localities, and fragments of a light-olive pumice, many as large as a foot in diameter, wholly cover some of the long, gentle slopes southeast of little tahoma and in moraine park. contraction parting or jointing is often observed, being especially characteristic of the basaltic types. the platy parting is the more common, but the columnar or prismatic parting is well exhibited at several localities. the black basaltic lava east of cowlitz glacier shows the latter structure in a striking manner. the blocks resemble pigs of iron in size and shape, and where exposed in a vertical cliff these seem to be piled in various positions. the rocks on the higher slopes of mount rainier are in general very fresh in appearance. an exception may be noted in the case of the rocks at the base of little tahoma, where some alteration is evident. the bright coloring of the surfaces of the lava blocks and the general appearance of the face of the cliff may indicate fumarole action at this point. there is also some decomposition along the inner edge of the crater rim, near the steam vents. on the lower slopes, some distance below the snow line, the freshness of the rock is not a noticeable feature, and it is seen that here weathering is of the nature of chemical decomposition as well as of mechanical disintegration. microscopic characters microscopically these lavas show more uniformity than is apparent megascopically. rocks which in color and texture appear quite diverse are found to be mineralogical equivalents. the majority of these rocks are andesites, the hypersthene-andesites predominating, as was shown by hague and iddings; but over large areas the andesites are decidedly basaltic, and, indeed, many of the lavas are basalts. the megascopic differences are mostly referable to groundmass characters, the color of the rock being dependent upon the color and proportion of glassy base present. therefore the degree of crystallization of groundmass constituents is of more importance in determining the megascopic appearance than is the mineralogical composition, and the basaltic lavas are for the most part light gray in color, while the more acid hypersthene-andesites are often black or red. in petrographic character the lavas range from hypersthene-andesite to basalt. this variation is dependent upon the ferromagnesian silicates, and four rock types are represented--hypersthene-andesite, pyroxene-andesite, augite-andesite, and basalt--any of which may carry small amounts of hornblende. a rigid separation of these rock types, however, is impossible, since insensible gradations connect the most acid with the most basic. in the same flow hypersthene-andesite may occur in one portion, while in close proximity the lava is an augite-andesite. these lavas have groundmass textures that vary from almost holo-crystalline to glassy. the felted or hyalopilitic texture is the most common, and plagioclase is the principal groundmass constituent. the feldspars are lath-shaped, often with castellated terminations. in the more basic phases anhedrons of augite and of olivine appear, and magnetite grains are usually present. flowage is often beautifully expressed by the arrangement of the slender laths of feldspar. among the phenocrysts feldspar is the most prominent. it has the usual twinning characteristic of plagioclase and belongs to the andesine-labradorite series, extinction angles proving basic andesine and acid labradorite to be the most common. zonal structure is characteristic, being noticeable even without the use of polarized light. zonal arrangement of glass inclusions testifies to the vicissitudes of crystallization, and often the core of a feldspar phenocryst is seen to have suffered corrosion by the magma and subsequently to have been repaired with a zone of feldspar more acid in composition. of the darker phenocrysts, the pyroxenes are more abundant than the olivine or hornblende. hypersthene and augite occur alone or together, and are readily distinguished by their different crystallographic habits as well as by their optical properties. the hypersthene is usually more perfectly idiomorphic and occurs in long prisms, with the pinacoidal planes best developed, while the augite is in stout prisms, usually twinned. both are light colored, and the pleochroism of the hypersthene is sometimes quite faint. according to the relative importance of these two pyroxenes, the lavas belong to different types, hypersthene-andesite, pyroxene-andesite, or augite-andesite. olivine occurs in certain of the rainier lavas, in stout prisms somewhat rounded and often with reddened borders. the usual association with apatite and magnetite crystals is noted. the olivine varies much in relative abundance, so as to be considered now an accessory and now an essential constituent, and in the latter case the rock is a basalt. hornblende is not abundant in any of the rocks studied, although typical hornblende-andesite has been described among the specimens collected by professor zittel. where it occurs it is in brown crystals, which have usually suffered magmatic alteration. in one case, where this alteration is less marked, the idiomorphic hornblende is found to inclose a crystal of labradorite, and thus must have been one of the latest phenocrysts to crystallize. it also surrounds olivine in this same rock,[ ] which is a hypersthene-andesite, the hornblende and olivine being only accessory. the different textures of these lavas are doubtless expressive primarily of diversity in the physical conditions of consolidation, but also in part of variations in chemical composition. the variations in mineralogical composition are likewise referable to these two factors, but here the latter is the more important. the hypersthene-augite olivine variation, already referred to, doubtless well expresses the chemical composition of the magma, and deserves to be taken as the chief criterion in the classification of the lavas. as was noted by hague and iddings, the hypersthene and olivine play a like rôle, the former occurring when the silica percentage is somewhat higher than in basalt. it is exceptional to find the two in the same specimen, the one being absent whenever the other is present. the following analysis[ ] of the typical hypersthene-andesite from crater peak shows the lava to be a comparatively acid andesite: analysis of hypersthene-andesite from crater peak, mount rainier per cent. sio_{ } . al_{ }o_{ } . feo . cao . mgo . na_{ }o . k_{ }o . ----- . an analysis[ ] of one of the light-gray, olivine-bearing rocks on the northern slope of the mountain gives a silica percentage of . , and is doubtless representative of the more basic of the rainier lavas. the sporadic occurrence of hornblende in these andesites is principally the result of physical conditions rather than of chemical composition. the magmatic alteration of the phenocrysts of hornblende affords evidence of this variation in consolidation conditions, a diminution of pressure with continuance of slow cooling giving rise to the magmatic alteration of the hornblende. that this change took place during the later stages of consolidation is shown by the relative age of the hornblende, noted above, and also by the fact that in one case a phenocryst of augite, where it abuts against the hornblende, has protected the latter from this alteration. the alteration is in part pseudomorphic, the hornblende retaining its characteristic outlines, but often there has been resorption. in one andesite the abundance of these remnants of hornblende and also of augite anhedrons in the groundmass may justify the conclusion that this augite andesite is of derivative origin, of the class described by washington.[ ] it may be noted also that hypersthene shows a tendency to magmatic alteration, although only rarely. in a basal flow in moraine park, the slaggy and compact phases show differences in phenocrysts as well as in groundmass. the glassy rock has hypersthene as the predominant phenocryst, while feldspar is the more important in the compact and more crystalline andesite. the distribution of the rock types described above is of interest. on the northern slope of the mountain, between willis and carbon glaciers, the characteristic lava is a gray andesite, smooth to rough in texture, and showing platy and columnar parting. hypersthene is not the prevailing pyroxene, and olivine is usually present, often in such abundance as to make the rock a basalt. in moraine park gray andesites also predominate, with both pyroxenes as phenocrysts, but here hypersthene is the more important. on the eastern slope on the wedge, between winthrop and emmons glaciers, the lavas are pyroxene-andesites and vary much in megascopic appearance, although little in microscopic characters. these rocks are quite distinct from any seen to the north. the nunatak in emmons glacier is composed of hypersthene-andesite, but on little tahoma the lava shows more variety. both augite-andesite and hypersthene-andesite occur, while at the southern end of this interglacial rock mass, just east of cowlitz glacier, the cliffs are composed of the prismatic black basalt. on crater peak, and below on gibraltar, hypersthene andesite occurs with considerable variation of color and texture. on the spurs west of nisqually glacier the andesites contain both pyroxenes, the augite being somewhat the more important. the distribution of the volcanic rocks, as determined in the study of reconnaissance collections, indicates that the cone has been built up by eruptions of lava and of fragmental material. the successive lava streams were doubtless of considerable thickness, but were limited in lateral extent. the beds of fragmental material are of the nature of flow breccias and of coarse agglomerates on the higher slopes, while tuffs occur at a greater distance from the center of eruption. this composite cone appears to be remarkably free from radial dikes, which may indicate that the volcanic energy was expended chiefly at the crater. the variation in rock types on different sides of the volcanic cone may be evidence of changes in position of the center of eruption. the destruction of an earlier crater and the eccentric position of a later would give rise to such a radial distribution of lavas as has been described above. granite occurrence the presence of an acid holocrystalline rock on the slopes of mount rainier was first reported by lieutenant kautz in , from whose accounts dr. george gibbs was led to announce the occurrence of granite as a dike in recent lavas.[ ] emmons in observed a cliff of "beautiful white syenitic granite" rising above the foot of nisqually glacier and correctly interpreted the geologic relations. in , on a reconnaissance trip, the writer identified granite among the bowlders composing the lateral moraines of carbon glacier, as well as on the surface of the glacier itself, and in the following season bowlders of granite were found to be plentiful in the river bed at the foot of this glacier. this anomaly of granite bowlders coming from a volcanic peak was also noted in the canyon of the nisqually by emmons. in the somewhat more careful study of the mount rainier rocks, search was made and the granite was found in place at several points on the northeastern slope. a biotite-hornblende-granite was observed on carbon river at the mouth of canada creek, about miles from the summit of mount rainier, and at chenuis falls, miles up the river, a finer grained holocrystalline rock occurs, apparently an aplitic phase of the granite. in the lower portion of carbon glacier, near its eastern edge, a nunatak of granite can be seen, while the same rock occurs farther to the east, beyond the older of the lateral moraines. higher on the slopes of rainier a more marked ridge of granite was traced. a knob rises above the eastern moraine of carbon glacier at an altitude of between , and , feet, and the more prominent features to the east in moraine park also owe their survival to the greater erosion-resisting power of the granite. petrographic description these granites have few features worthy of special mention. hornblende and biotite are the ferromagnesian constituents and vary much in relative importance. the variations from hornblende-granite to biotite-granite occur in the same knob or ridge, and considering all occurrences the two varieties seem to be of equal development. there is also some variation in the amount of quartz present, and in the relative importance of the orthoclase and plagioclase. all of these characters are also found in the granites of the northern cascades. relation to the volcanic rocks along the side of the knob overlooking carbon glacier the granite as seen from a distance appears to be intrusive. blocks of andesite cover the slope, deposited there by the glacier at a time when it possessed greater lateral extent, and the granite talus from above crosses this same slope in a narrow band. the relations prove less deceptive on close examination, and the granite is seen to constitute an older ridge. farther along this ridge, at the cliffs on the north-eastern edge of moraine park, the granitic rock is found over-lain by the lava. the actual contact of the two rocks is concealed by soil filling the crevice left by disintegration along the contact plane. the granite, however, exhibits no intrusive characters, while the overlying andesite becomes scoriaceous in its lower portion, although compact immediately above. this contact is on the southern side of the granite ridge, the crest of which is approximately east-west. this position of the lava contact considerably below the highest occurrence of the granite indicates that the topographic features of this old granite ridge were even more marked at the time of the eruption of the lavas and the building of the volcanic cone. above this ridge of granite on the one side tower the cliffs of bedded volcanics which compose the sluiskin mountains, and on the other is the andesite ridge bounding the canyon of winthrop glacier. thus mount rainier, although a volcanic peak, rests upon an elevated platform of granite which is exposed by erosion at a few points on the slopes of the mountain. summary the volcanic rocks of mount rainier include both lavas and pyroclastics. the breccias, agglomerates, and tuffs, although of striking appearance, are, perhaps, less important elements in the construction of the composite cone. the lavas vary much in color and texture, but these megascopic differences are referable rather to the degree of crystallization of the magma than to its chemical character. the variation in the chemical composition of the lavas expresses itself in mineralogical differences, and thus four rock types are distinguished--hypersthene-andesite, pyroxene-andesite, augite-andesite, and basalt. the distribution of these types indicates a radial arrangement of lava streams, and hypersthene-andesite is the more abundant variety of lava. granite is exposed on the slopes of rainier where erosion has cut away the overlying lava, and it is plain that the volcanic cone rests upon an elevated platform of older rock, approximately , feet above sea level. [illustration: _copyright by harris & ewing, washington, d. c._ professor charles vancouver piper] xvi. the flora of mount rainier by professor charles v. piper charles vancouver piper was born on vancouver island, at victoria, british columbia, on june , . he graduated from the university of washington in and since then has received degrees and honors from other institutions and learned societies. he was professor of botany and zoölogy at the washington agricultural college (now state college of washington) from to . he has been agrostologist in charge of forage crop investigations for the bureau of plant industry, united states department of agriculture, since . he has discovered many new forms of plant life and has published many monographs and books in the field of botany. this account of the flora of mount rainier was first published in the mazama (portland, oregon) in two articles, one in volume ii, number (april, ), and the other in volume ii, number (december, ). they are reproduced with the consent of the editor of the mazama, and professor piper has revised and amplified them for this purpose. up to an elevation of , feet or more the flanks of mount rainier are clothed in a continuous belt of somber forest, broken only where glaciers and their nascent streams have hewn pathways, or where, alas, fire has left desolate slopes marked here and there by the whitened, weather-worn shaft of some old tree, a dreary monument to its destroyed fellows. this forest is composed in its lower reaches largely of douglas spruce. scattered through it in smaller quantities one finds lovely fir, western white pine, western hemlock, a few engelmann spruces, and on the stream banks cedar and yew, and now and then a little cottonwood. at about the , -foot level the character of the forest changes. the western hemlock gives way to the larger-coned black hemlock; the douglas spruce and lovely fir are replaced by the noble fir; and the ragged-barked alaska cedar greets the eye. another thousand feet and the subalpine fir replaces its two near relatives. from this point upward, the forest, now composed only of black hemlock, alaska cedar and subalpine fir, to which in some places the white-bark pine must be added, is confined largely to the crests of ridges and straggles up the mountain in irregular broken lines. between these timbered ridges extensive grassy slopes appear, veritable flower gardens when in their glory. at , feet elevation the timber ceases to be. scraggly prostrate firs and hemlocks, sprawling as it were on the earth for shelter, mark sharply the limit of their endurance. here, too, the continuous carpet of grass and flowers ceases--and a soil of volcanic sand or powdered pumice supports a very different vegetation. at , feet the toughest mountaineer of all the flowering plants, _smelowskia ovalis_, still appears. far above this, however, even to the crater's rim, lichens trace their hieroglyphics on the rocks; and on the steam-warmed rocks of the crater two mosses find lodgment, _hypnum elegans_ hooker?, and _philonotis fontana_ bridel, the latter even in fruit. few plants grow in the dense shades of the lower forests, and these are mainly ericaceous. most plentiful are _vaccinium ovalifolium_, _v. macrophyllum_, _gaultheria ovatifolia_, _menziesia ferruginea_, _pachystima myrsinites_, _cornus canadensis_ and _clintonia uniflora_. here, too, occur several weird-looking whitish or reddish saprophytes, _monotropa hypopitys_, _pterospora andromedea_, and _corallorhiza mertensiana_. on the drier portions of the grassy slopes _lupinus subalpinus_, _castilleja oreopola_, _potentilla flabellifolia_, _pulsatilla occidentalis_, _erigeron salsuginosus_, _polygonum bistortoides_, _phyllodoce empetriformis_, _cassiope mertensiana_ and _vaccinium deliciosum_ are the most attractive plants. where the ground is springy _veratrum viride_ occurs in great clumps and _dodecatheon jeffreyi_, _caltha leptosepala_ and _ranunculus suksdorfii_ are plentiful. in the shelter of the alpine trees _rhododendron albiflorum_, _ribes howellii_ and _arnica latifolia_ flourish. along the rills _gentiana calycosa_, _arnica chamissonis_ and _mimulus lewisii_ form banks of color. on the cliffs _chelone nemorosa_, _spiraea densiflora_, _polemonium humile_ and _castilleja rupicola_ are perhaps most conspicuous. above the limit of trees, in what have been called "pumice fields," a characteristic series of plants appears. this belt ranges in altitude from , to , feet. it is best developed on the east side of the mountain, where the avalanches from little tahoma have covered great areas with more or less finely divided basalt. conspicuous plants of this region are _lupinus lyallii_, _spraguea multiceps_, _polemonium elegans_, _hulsea nana_, _erigeron aureus_, _oreostemma alpigena_, _polygonum newberryi_, _poa suksdorfii_, _draba aureola_ and _smelowskia ovalis_. the last three ascend to above camp muir, altitude , feet. the first botanist to visit mount rainier was dr. william f. tolmie, surgeon of the hudson's bay company, who reached the mountain in . he made considerable collections, which were sent to sir william hooker. among tolmie's plants were several not previously known. the writer collected on the mountain in and again in and . since then the following botanists have made collections on mount rainier: rev. e. c. smith, in and ; dr. e. l. greene, in ; mr. j. b. flett in , and since; mr. m. w. gorman in ; and mr. o. d. allen from to about . most of the work done thus far has been in paradise park and its immediate vicinity. next to this, the flora of spray park is best known. the east slopes of the peak have been partially explored, but to the knowledge of the writer no botanist has ever yet collected on the west slopes. the list of plants here given numbers species. in preparing it, longmire springs, altitude , feet, has been selected as the lowermost limit on the south side of the mountain, and crater lake, altitude about , feet, as the limit on the north side. it is quite certain that a considerable number of lowland plants will have to be added to the list here given, and it is possible that a few have been included that will have to be dropped, as the exact place of collection of some species is not clearly indicated on the labels of the specimens. unless otherwise stated, the notes are based on the writer's observations and specimens, and refer mainly to the paradise park region. there yet remains much to be done in the study of the mount rainier flora. a particularly interesting phase of it lies in the matter of altitudinal distribution of the various species. no attempt is here made to list the plants lower than the ferns. the writer has made considerable collections of the fungi, liverworts and mosses; and mr. o. d. allen has also collected the mosses. these plants should receive a larger amount of attention from botanists who visit the mountain in the future. the following plants were first described from specimens obtained on mount rainier: =petasites nivalis= greene. =luina piperi= robinson. =prenanthes stricta= greene. =oreostemma alpigena= (torrey & gray) greene. =aster amplifolius= greene. =arnica aspera= greene. =castilleja rupicola= piper. =mimulus caespitosus= greene. =veronica allenii= greenman. =pedicularis ornithorhyncha= bentham. =pedicularis contorta= bentham. =pentstemon tolmiei= hooker. =pentstemon newberryi rupicola= piper. =gentiana calycosa= grisebach. =gentiana calycosa stricta= grisebach. =hydrophyllum congestum= wiegand. =polemonium elegans= greene. =polemonium bicolor= greenman. =dodecatheon crenatum= greene. =vaccinium deliciosum= piper. =ligusticum purpureum= coulter & rose. =hesperogenia stricklandi= coulter & rose. =lupinus volcanicus= greene. =stellaria washingtoniana= robinson. =potentilla flabellifolia= hooker. =luzula arcuata major= hooker. =sitanion rigidum= j. g. smith. =sitanion rubescens= piper. =poa saxatilis= scribner & williams. the type specimens of _saxifraga tolmiei_ were collected by tolmie on the "n. w. coast." it is altogether probable that he got them on mount rainier, where the plant is so abundant. list of species =compositae.= (aster family.) =scorzonella borealis= (bongard) greene. a plant much resembling a dandelion, occurring on the north side of the mountain. =troximon alpestre= gray. a plant much resembling the dandelion, frequent on the grassy slopes at , feet altitude. =troximon aurantiacum= hooker. this species has entire mostly basal leaves, and bears a single head of orange or purple flowers. common at , to , feet. =troximon glaucum asperum= (rydberg) piper. (_agoseris leontodon asperum_ rydberg.) a species with large lemon-yellow flowers and hoary pubescent leaves. it occurs in the pumice and lava at , feet altitude and is quite abundant near the base of little tahoma. =hieracium albiflorum= hooker. a tall plant with hairy entire leaves and a rather ample corymb of white flowers. essentially a lowland plant, but occurring up to , feet altitude, especially in burnt ground. =hieracium gracile= hooker. a small hawkweed with yellow flowers in black hairy involucres. a common plant at , to , feet altitude. =cirsium edule= nuttall. plentiful on the ridges of moraine park at the limit of trees. also reported by gorman as occurring in open woods near the timber line in cowlitz canyon. this thistle is abundant at the sea level, and the roots were formerly a favorite food of the indians. =saussurea americana= d. c. eaton. a peculiar plant with leafy stems, two to four feet high, bearing a dense cluster of elongate rayless heads of purple flowers. found only on the high ridge north of the foot of cowlitz glacier. =senecio ochraceus= piper. goat mountains, allen, no. . =senecio triangularis= hooker. a tall species with triangular coarsely dentate leaves and numerous rather small heads of yellow flowers. abundant in the marsh at longmire springs and in wet places on the mountain slopes up to , feet altitude. =senecio ductoris= piper. a low species with thickish crenate leaves and deep yellow heads. found only on the moraine on the south side of cowlitz glacier. =senecio flettii= wiegand. found near cowlitz chimneys by miss winona bailey, in ; previously known only from the olympic mountains. =arnica latifolia= bongard. a smooth cordate leaved plant with one to five heads, resembling small sunflowers. not uncommon up to , feet altitude, especially in the shelter of timber. =arnica mollis= hooker. similar to the preceding, but the leaves oblong, nearly entire, and viscid glandular. abundant along the rivulets, , to , feet altitude. =arnica aspera= greene. described from specimens collected in spray park. it is very similar to _a. mollis_ hooker, but the pubescence is coarser. =arnica eradiata= (gray) heller. closely related to the preceding but easily recognized by its rayless heads. it occurs on the steep slopes above sluiskin falls. =luina hypoleuca= bentham. a beautiful suffruticose plant, six to twelve inches high, with entire oval leaves shining green above and white tomentose beneath. it was originally discovered by dr. lyall, of the international boundary survey, in the cascade mountains at the th parallel. it is not uncommon about mount rainier, occurring on perpendicular cliffs along the cowlitz glacier; in similar places on the banks of the nisqually at longmire springs; and on the gravel bars of the same river. the flowers are cream-colored. =rainiera stricta= greene. (_prenanthes stricta_ greene.) (_luina piperi_ robinson.) (_luina stricta_ robinson.) a tall plant with large oblong entire leaves and a long raceme of yellowish, rayless heads. professor greene makes it the type of a new genus _rainiera_, while dr. robinson refers it to _luina_. the plant has been collected in spray park by professor greene; on the goat mountains, allen; near mount adams, henderson; head of naches river, vasey; and on the high ridge northeast of the foot of cowlitz glacier by the writer. the statement that the plant has milky juice is an error. =petasites speciosa= (nuttall) piper. (_nardosmia speciosa_ nuttall.) abundant along streams up to , feet altitude. easily recognized by its large palmate leaves, which frequently measure a foot or more in diameter. the flowers appear very early in spring with the leaves and have an odor suggesting violets. this species is clearly distinct from the eastern _p. palmata_ (aiton) gray and was long ago well characterized by nuttall. =petasites frigida= (linnaeus) fries. (_petasites nivalis_ greene). common along rivulets , to , feet altitude. resembling the preceding species, but much smaller and with quite different leaves. =achillea lanulosa= nuttall. an alpine form of the common western yarrow. not rare in the decayed lava at , to , feet altitude. =hulsea nana= gray. a sticky plant with pinnatifid leaves and large yellow heads. plentiful on the east side of the mountain near the base of little tahoma in the pumice fields. this seems to be the northernmost limit of the plant. =anaphalis margaritacea occidentalis= greene. the well-known "everlasting flower," which occurs in dry or burnt woods up to , feet altitude. =antennaria media= greene. a small depressed cudweed, only an inch or two high. common at , feet altitude. =antennaria lanata= (hooker) greene. like the preceding but larger and more hairy. grassy slopes at , feet. common. =antennaria racemosa= hooker. collected by allen in the "upper valley of the nisqually." a much larger and greener plant than the preceding species. =erigeron salsuginosus= (richardson) gray. the common pink aster or "daisy" of the grassy slopes. one of the most conspicuous plants at , to , feet altitude, but even ascending to , feet in a much dwarfed form. =erigeron acris debilis= gray. an insignificant white-flowered species, rare at about , feet altitude. =erigeron compositus trifidus= (hooker) gray. a small pinkish aster, with the leaves cut into linear lobes. growing in decayed lava at , feet altitude. =erigeron speciosus= de candolle. a handsome species with entire ciliate leaves and rather numerous heads, with deep violet rays. collected by allen in the goat mountains, no. . =erigeron aureus= greene. (_aplopappus brandegei_ gray.) a beautiful little aster with bright golden rays, the solitary heads on scapes two or three inches tall. abundant in the pumice, , - , feet altitude. =aster ledophyllus= gray. a tall species with leafy stems, and numerous middle-sized heads with pink-purple rays. the leaves are entire, pubescent on the under side. not uncommon on the grassy slopes at , feet altitude. =aster foliaceus frondeus= gray. (_aster amplifolius_ greene.) a species with broad half-clasping leaves and deep-violet-colored rays. professor greene's type came from mount rainier, but his species seems not to differ from the plant earlier described by dr. gray. =oreostemma alpigena= (torrey & gray) greene. (_aster pulchellus_ d. c. eaton.) a low plant with narrow tufted leaves, the scapes bearing one or rarely two large heads. the rays are deep violet. the plant is common in the pumice fields at , - , feet altitude, but, strange to say, also occurs on the borders of small lakes at the foot of pinnacle peak at , feet elevation. in exposed places at high altitudes the leaves are often curiously twisted. it was originally described from the specimen collected on mount rainier by tolmie. =solidago algida= piper. a small goldenrod, two to twelve inches tall, occurring ordinarily on the faces of perpendicular cliffs at , to , feet elevation. =artemisia borealis wormskioldii= besser. a silky canescent wormwood about one foot high, its leaves pinnate; found on the north side of the mountain by flett. =artemisia richardsoniana= besser. in the synoptical flora, vol. ii, p. , this species is stated to have been collected on mount rainier by tolmie. on the sheet in the gray herbarium dr. gray has indicated that this is an error, the specimens having really been collected in the rocky mountains by burke. =campanulaceae.= (bellflower family.) =campanula rotundifolia= linnaeus. this charming and familiar blue bell is abundant on the cliffs near the foot of cowlitz glacier. =valerianaceae.= (valerian family.) =valeriana sitchensis= bongard. an abundant plant at , to , feet altitude. the leaves are pinnately compound, the rather large leaflets repandly dentate. the flowers are whitish, usually pink tinged. like other species, this valerian has a decidedly unpleasant odor, that is difficult to compare with any other. to the writer the odor is always associated with mountain meadows, doubtless because it so frequently predominates in such places. =rubiaceae.= (madder family.) =galium triflorum= michaux. a very common species of bedstraw which ascends on the lower slopes of the mountain. =galium oreganum= britton. goat mountains, allen, no. . =scrophulariaceae.= (figwort family.) =chelone nemorosa= douglas. a handsome plant with opposite serrate leaves and corymbs of purple-red flowers somewhat like those of the foxglove. dry cliffs and slopes at , feet altitude. also reported by gorman as occurring at longmire springs. =pentstemon confertus= douglas. a species with entire leaves and dense clusters of small pale yellow flowers. in its typical form the species is one to two feet tall, but on mount rainier, where it occurs at from , to , feet elevation, it is reduced to two to four inches high, but otherwise not differing from the type. =pentstemon procerus= douglas. like the above, but blue flowered. it occurs at , feet and on rainier is scarcely two inches tall, while at lower altitudes it is frequently as many feet high. this dwarf alpine form has been described by professor greene as a new species under the name of _pentstemon pulchellus_. it is an interesting fact that tolmie long ago collected on mount rainier a dwarf species which hooker named _pentstemon tolmiei_. but alas, the specimens are in fruit, and it is past finding out now whether his plant was the yellow-flowered or the blue-flowered form. most likely, however, it was the latter, as that is far more frequent than the yellow-flowered form. =pentstemon diffusus= douglas. a handsome species with serrate leaves and blue-purple flowers. mount rainier, piper . goat mountains, allen . =pentstemon ovatus= douglas. much like the preceding plant, differing essentially in the anthers. collected by allen "mountains near the upper valley of the nisqually," and by the writer on the slopes of mount rainier. =pentstemon menziesii= hooker. a dwarf prostrate plant with thickish evergreen toothed leaves and dull purple flowers, abundant on the rocks at , feet elevation. a variety with the leaves entire instead of denticulate, _p. davidsonii_ greene, also occurs on the mountain. =pentstemon rupicola= (piper) howell. much like the preceding, but with glaucous leaves and rose-colored larger flowers. the writer found it originally on the perpendicular cliffs, at the limit of trees above "camp of the clouds." =collinsia tenella= (pursh) piper. collected by flett on an old moraine along the carbon glacier. =mimulus lewisii= pursh. abundant along rills, , to , feet altitude. easily known by its opposite dentate leaves, viscid pubescence and rose-purple corollas. the original specimens were collected in idaho by the lewis and clark expedition. =mimulus breweri= (greene) rydberg. (_eunanus breweri_ greene.) a minute species with pale purple flowers, abundant on dry cliffs near "camp of the clouds." =mimulus alpinus= (gray) piper. (_m. luteus alpinus_ gray.) (_m. scouleri caespitosus_ greene.) a dwarf plant with matted stolons, the bright yellow flowers painting the cliffs wherever there is dripping water. the mount rainier plants match closely the original types collected by dr. parry in wyoming, so that professor greene's name is clearly a synonym of the earlier one of gray. =veronica alpina= linnaeus. a small plant two or three inches high, with several pairs of small, ovate, pubescent leaves, and a terminal raceme of small blue flowers. common at , to , feet altitude. =veronica cusickii= gray. a very similar plant to the above, but with larger blue flowers and smooth leaves. abundant just above "camp of the clouds." =veronica allenii= greenman. much like the preceding species, but with smaller white flowers. a new species discovered by allen "near paradise river at , feet elevation." =castilleja miniata= douglas. this vivid scarlet "painted cup" or "indian pink" is easily known by its entire leaves. not infrequent at , to , feet; also occurring at lower altitudes down to sea-level. =castilleja angustifolia hispida= (bentham) fernald. very similar to the last, but the flower spikes shorter and the leaves cut-lobed. bear prairie, allen. =castilleja rupicola= piper. like the last, but smaller, the leaves usually purplish and deeply cut, the flowers intensely scarlet and with very long beaks. on the cliffs on both sides of sluiskin falls, whence the original specimens were obtained. =castilleja oreopola= greenman. the common species of the grassy slopes, the flowers reddish-purple or occasionally white. =pedicularis bracteosa= bentham. a tall "lousewort," with fern-like leaves and a long terminal spike of greenish-white flowers. frequent in wet places up to , feet altitude. =pedicularis contorta= douglas. a yellow-flowered species not rare at , feet elevation along the nisqually glacier. first found by tolmie on mount rainier. =pedicularis surrecta= bentham. the reddish flowers with long, coiled beaks easily distinguish this plant. common in wet meadows at , feet altitude. =pedicularis ornithorhyncha= bentham. much like the preceding but with beakless flowers. originally described from mount rainier specimens collected by tolmie in , and not again seen until the writer collected them in the same place in . the plant has since been found at two or three places north of mount rainier, but all in washington. =pedicularis racemosa= douglas. the commonest species, easily known by its half prostrate habit, lanceolate leaves, and short clusters of white or pinkish twisted flowers. ranges from , to , feet elevation. =pinguiculaceae.= (butterwort family.) =pinguicula vulgaris= linnaeus. the butterwort, with its greasy entire leaves in a rosette and solitary violet flowers is not rare on moist cliffs. =labiatae.= (mint family.) =madronella discolor= greene. a very sweet-smelling plant, the only mint as yet found on the mountain. occurs on the talus of the high cliffs on the north side of cowlitz glacier. =boraginaceae.= (borage family.) =mertensia laevigata= piper. a handsome branched herb, two feet high or more. the large entire leaves and the cluster of small blue tubular flowers make it readily recognizable. frequent at , to , feet altitude. =cryptantha muriculata= (a. de candolle) greene. goat mountains, flett; a small common lowland plant with white flowers. =hydrophyllaceae.= (waterleaf family.) =hydrophyllum albifrons= heller. (_hydrophyllum congestum_ wiegand.) on the meadows near van trump glacier. =romanzoffia sitchensis= bongard. a handsome little plant with orbicular coarsely dentate leaves and a loose cluster of small white flowers. in habit much like some saxifrages. rare on wet cliffs near sluiskin falls. =phacelia nemoralis= greene. this plant occurs on rock talus along the north side of cowlitz glacier. =phacelia sericea= gray. a handsome species with silvery leaves and dense clusters of purple flowers. collected somewhere on the mountain by rev. e. c. smith in . =polemoniaceae.= (phlox family.) =phlox diffusa= bentham. a prostrate plant with acerose leaves, when in bloom forming dense masses of pale blue. common at , to , feet altitude, in rocky soil. =gilia gracilis= (douglas) hooker. growing on an old moraine along carbon glacier, flett. =gilia nuttallii= gray. a white-flowered species found by rev. e. c. smith in somewhere on the southwest slopes of the mountain. =collomia debilis= (watson) greene. not rare in talus at the base of basalt cliffs on the east side of the mountain at , feet altitude. =collomia heterophylla= hooker. found by mr. gorman on the gravelly banks of the nisqually at longmire springs; also by flett; a common lowland plant. =polemonium humile= roemer & schultes. a handsome plant with pinnate leaves and corymbs of pale blue flowers. common on the rocks at , to , feet altitude. =polemonium elegans= greene. (_p. bicolor_ greenman.) similar to the preceding, but smaller and very glandular, the blue flowers having a large yellow center. rather rare in pumice at , feet elevation. =polemonium viscosum pilosum= greenman. very much like the preceding plant. discovered by allen on the goat mountains, no. . =gentianaceae.= (gentian family.) =gentiana calycosa= grisebach. an elegant plant with deep blue bell-shaped flowers. abundant along the rills at , feet. the species was described from mount rainier specimens collected by tolmie in . grisebach also described a variety _stricta_, based on very trivial characters. =primulaceae.= (primrose family.) =dodecatheon jeffreyi= van houtte. (_d. crenatum_ greene.) (_d. viviparum_ greene.) plentiful in wet places at , to , feet elevation. professor greene's types came from spray park. =douglasia laevigata= gray. a handsome little plant forming broad mats and bearing blood-red flowers in corymbs. goat mountains, allen. =trientalis latifolia= hooker. gorman reports this plant as occurring in coniferous woods between longmire springs and paradise park. =pyrolaceae.= (indian pipe family.) =chimaphila umbellata= (linnaeus) nuttall. reported by gorman "on the trail above longmire springs, in coniferous woods." =chimaphila menziesii= (r. brown) sprengel. in deep coniferous woods, , to , feet elevation. =pyrola secunda= linnaeus. growing with the preceding. =pyrola bracteata= hooker. reported by gorman "in coniferous woods along the nisqually river at , feet." =moneses uniflora= (linnaeus) gray. in woods near the base of the mountain. =monotropa hypopitys= linnaeus. common in the dense shade of conifers along the trail above longmire's. =pterospora andromedea= nuttall. this peculiar plant occurs along the nisqually trail at about , feet altitude. =allotropa virgata= torrey & gray. this queer plant is abundant in coniferous woods on the north side of the mountain, but it is doubtful whether it comes within our limits. =ericaceae.= (heath family.) =menziesia glabella= gray. a shrub four to eight feet high, much resembling a huckleberry, but the fruit is dry. =kalmia polifolia microphylla= (hooker) piper. in wet places at , feet altitude near nisqually glacier. =phyllodoce empetriformis= (smith) d. don. the common red-flowered heather, abundant on dryish slopes at , to , feet elevation. =phyllodoce glanduliflora= (hooker) coville. much like the preceding, but the flowers yellowish-white and glandular. frequent at , to , feet elevation. =cassiope mertensiana= (bongard) donn. a low shrub growing with _phyllodoce empetriformis_, and having small pendent, bell-shaped white flowers. =harrimanella stelleriana= (pallas) coville. on the moist cliffs overlooking the nisqually glacier, at , feet elevation. this is the southernmost known station for the plant. =gaultheria shallon= pursh. the salal-berry is reported by gorman to occur in coniferous woods between longmire springs and paradise park. =gaultheria ovatifolia= gray. this species resembles a diminutive plant of the preceding, but the berries are red and spicy, and borne singly in the axils of the leaves. abundant in the coniferous woods at , to , feet elevation. =gaultheria humifusa= (graham) rydberg. much like a small plant of the preceding species, and only an inch or two high. not rare on the slopes near sluiskin falls. =rhododendron albiflorum= hooker. (_cladothamnus campanulatus_ greene). the white-flowered azalea so common in the shelter of trees at , to , feet elevation. =arctostaphylos uva-ursi= linnaeus. the kinnikinnik, essentially a lowland plant, covers the rocks at , feet altitude near nisqually glacier. =arctostaphylos nevadensis= gray. on the gravel bars of the nisqually at longmire springs. =vaccinium macrophyllum= (hooker) piper. the most valuable of all the native huckleberries. easily recognized by the nearly black, not glaucous berries, and finely serrate leaves. plentiful at , to , feet altitude. =vaccinium ovalifolium= smith. much like the preceding, but taller, the leaves entire, and the glaucous black berries not nearly so sweet. =vaccinium myrtillus microphyllum= hooker. (_v. scoparium_ leiberg.) a low, broom-like species, with small leaves and red or wine-colored berries. on dry ridges, , to , feet altitude. =vaccinium deliciosum= piper. this is the common bilberry of the alpine meadows of the cascade and olympic mountains in washington, where it is abundant at , to , feet altitude. in habit and fruit it resembles _v. caespitosum_, but in floral characters _v. ovalifolium_, to which dr. gray rather hesitatingly referred it. from this last it may readily be distinguished by its serrulate leaves and low habit, its relatively longer filaments, which in _v. ovalifolium_ are only one half as long as the anthers, and its small-seeded fruit of very different flavor. very young leaves have the serrulations tipped with small glandular appendages. =umbelliferae.= (parsley family.) =ligusticum purpureum= coulter & rose. a tall "wild parsnip," with fern-like leaves and small whitish or purple-tinged flowers. everywhere on the slopes, , to , feet elevation. =lomatium angustatum= coulter & rose. in rock talus near sluiskin falls. =lomatium triternatum= coulter & rose. a form of this variable species was found on the goat mountains by allen, no. . =angelica lyallii= watson. paradise park, , feet elevation. also common near the foot of cowlitz glacier. =sanicula septentrionalis= greene. goat mountains, allen, no. . =osmorhiza ambigua= (gray) coulter & rose. goat mountains, allen, no. . =heracleum lanatum= michaux. common at , feet elevation. =hesperogenia stricklandi= coulter & rose. an interesting plant, the type of a new genus, found in paradise park by allen and by strickland. also collected on the mountain by flett. occurs at , feet elevation. =haloragidaceae.= (water milfoil family.) =hippuris vulgaris= linnaeus. found by allen at longmire springs. =hippuris montana= ledebour. an interesting little species much resembling some mosses. it frequently mats the ground in wet places at , feet elevation. =onagraceae.= (evening primrose family.) =epilobium spicatum= lamarck. the common "fireweed," reported by gorman on the "grassy slopes, , to , feet altitude." =epilobium latifolium= linnaeus. a species with flowers like the preceding, but only four to six inches tall. found by rev. e. c. smith near the cowlitz glacier. =epilobium luteum= pursh. a yellow-flowered species common along streams, , to , feet elevation. =epilobium alpinum= linnaeus. (_e. hornemanni_ reichenbach.) common at , to , feet altitude. =epilobium anagallidifolium= lamarck. a minute species found on the tatoosh mountains by allen. =epilobium clavatum= trelease. gravelly slopes at , feet. plentiful along the cowlitz glacier. =epilobium fastigiatum= (nuttall) piper. a glaucous-leaved small species, on the gravel bars of the nisqually, and up to , feet elevation. =gayophytum ramosissimum= torrey & gray. on gravelly slopes near the foot of cowlitz glacier. =violaceae.= (violet family.) =viola palustris= linnaeus. the common swamp violet was found at narada falls by flett. =viola adunca= smith. rare in rock crevices near sluiskin falls. flowers deep violet. =viola montanensis= rydberg. like the preceding, but the leaves puberulent. near van trump glacier, at , feet altitude. =viola glabella= nuttall. a yellow-flowered species common along streams and in rich woods up to , feet altitude. =hypericaceae.= (st. johnswort family.) =hypericum bryophytum= elmer. a diminutive plant along rills at , feet elevation. =aceraceae.= (maple family.) =acer douglasii= hooker. the smooth maple is common on the headwaters of the nisqually. =celastraceae.= (staff tree family.) =pachystima myrsinites= (pursh) rafinesque. an evergreen shrub two or three feet high, having considerable resemblance to a huckleberry. common in coniferous woods at , to , feet elevation. =empetraceae.= (crowberry family.) =empetrum nigrum= linnaeus. a prostrate cespitose shrub with yew-like leaves and black berries. common on the rocks at , feet altitude. =oxalidaceae.= (oxalis family.) =oxalis oregana= nuttall. common in rich, moist woods up to , feet altitude. =oxalis trilliifolia= hooker. with the preceding, which it resembles. it may be distinguished by its scapes bearing several flowers, instead of only one, and by its narrow pods. =leguminosae.= (pea family.) =lupinus subalpinus= piper & robinson. the common lupine of the grassy slopes, , to , feet altitude. =lupinus volcanicus= greene. a small species, with hairy pubescence, growing above the limit of the preceding and below that of the following. =lupinus lyallii= watson. a lovely little plant with silvery foliage. abundant in the pumice fields at , to , feet altitude. =lathyrus pauciflorus= fernald. a wild pea with purple flowers collected by allen in the goat mountains. =lathyrus nevadensis= watson. very like the preceding but with white flowers. collected by allen, no. , on mountains near the upper valley of the nisqually. =oxytropis cusickii= greenman. goat mountains, allen, no. . =rosaceae.= (rose family.) =spiraea densiflora= nuttall. a low shrub with dense corymbs of rose-colored flowers. common in bogs at , feet, and on rock cliffs up to , feet elevation. =eriogynia pectinata= (pursh) hooker. a little shrub only two or three inches tall, forming dense mats. the plant should easily be recognized by its sharply cleft leaves and dense erect racemes of white flowers. abundant at , to , feet elevation. gorman reports it from near the "sphinx," , feet. =rubus nivalis= douglas. a trailing vine, with glossy, green, simple leaves. common in the coniferous forests at , feet altitude, where it seldom blooms. on exposed rocks and banks one rarely finds its dull red flowers or bright red, raspberry-like, sour fruit. =rubus pedatus= smith. a trailing herbaceous plant, with palmately compound leaves and strawberry-like blossoms. the smooth red fruit is sour, and consists of only a few large drupelets. common in the woods up to , feet altitude. =rubus lasiococcus= gray. much like the preceding, but with simple leaves and pubescent fruit. grows with the preceding, and up to , feet or more. =potentilla flabellifolia= hooker. the common cinquefoil of the meadows, with bright yellow buttercup-like flowers. plentiful at , feet elevation. =potentilla dissecta= pursh. this has been collected by allen on the goat mountains, no. . =potentilla glaucophylla= lehmann. near the foot of gibraltar, at , feet altitude. =potentilla villosa= pallas. a species with silvery strawberry-like leaves and bright yellow flowers. on the cliffs near the foot of little tahoma, at , feet elevation. =potentilla fruticosa tenuifolia= (willdenow) lehmann. this shrubby cinquefoil occurs along white river glacier. =sibbaldia procumbens= linnaeus. abundant on the ridge near sluiskin falls. =dryas octopetala= linnaeus. found in talus between urania and white glaciers by professor flett. this is the southernmost known station in the cascade mountains. =pyrus occidentalis= watson. this mountain ash occurs at , to , feet altitude, usually forming dense clumps. it is seldom over four feet high. from related species its dull purple glaucous fruit and dull green leaves, serrate only near the apex, easily distinguish it. =pyrus sitchensis= (roemer) piper. (_sorbus sitchensis_ roemer.) this species grows from four to fifteen feet high, and is easily known by its intense scarlet fruit and shining leaflets, which are sharply serrate to the base. the plant of the cascade mountains matches exactly with the type from sitka, and we can detect no differences in the shrub common in the blue mountains and in western idaho. this shrub has heretofore been known as _pyrus sambucifolia_ chamisso & schlechtendahl, but authentic kamtschatka specimens of this last are clearly different from our plant. =rosa nutkana= presl. this common wild rose has been collected by allen on the goat mountains, at , feet elevation. =saxifragaceae.= (saxifrage family.) =ribes howellii= greene. (_ribes acerifolium_ howell.) a small currant, two to four feet high, with pendent racemes of flowers and glaucous black fruit. common in the shelter of trees up to their limit. =ribes bracteosum= douglas. a currant with very large leaves and long, erect racemes of greenish flowers; fruit black. it is common along streams at low altitudes, and is locally known as "stink currant." gorman reports it from cowlitz canyon, near the timber line. =ribes lacustre= (persoon) poiret. this very prickly gooseberry is reported by gorman from the same locality as the preceding. =leptarrhena amplexifolia= (sternberg) seringe. a handsome plant, with a radical tuft of oblong crenate evergreen leaves, and an erect scape of small greenish flowers in a corymb. the pods when mature are usually deeply tinged with purple. common on the borders of rills at , feet, and on the wet cliffs near sluiskin falls. also reported by professor greene from spray park. =tiarella unifoliata= hooker. common in rich woods up to , feet elevation. =mitella breweri= watson. in the shelter of trees, common at , feet altitude. =mitella pentandra= hooker. much like the preceding and found in similar places. =mitella trifida= graham. found on mount rainier and on goat mountains by allen. =parnassia fimbriata= könig. a plant with radical reniform leaves and one-flowered scapes. the petals are white and fringed. not rare in moist places near sluiskin falls; also at crater lake. =heuchera glabra= willdenow. on the cliffs near camp of the clouds. =heuchera micrantha= douglas. mount rainier, _tolmie_, according to hooker. =elmera racemosa= (watson) rydberg. (_heuchera racemosa_ watson.) rock crevices at the base of little tahoma; rare. =suksdorfia ranunculifolia= (hooker) engler. rock cliffs near camp of the clouds. =saxifraga bongardi= presl. common along rills, , to , feet elevation. =saxifraga bronchialis austromontana= (wiegand) piper. abundant on rock cliffs near longmire springs, and frequent up to , feet altitude. =saxifraga marshallii= greene. rare on the cliffs near sluiskin falls. also collected on the goat mountains by mr. allen. =saxifraga odontoloma= piper. a species with reniform, coarsely dentate leaves. common along the rivulets, , to , feet altitude. =saxifraga nelsoniana= d. don. much like the preceding, but the petals oval instead of orbicular and clawed. near camp of the clouds; rare. =saxifraga mertensiana= bongard. much like _s. odontoloma_, but the leaves doubly dentate, and usually bearing bulblets among the flowers. north side of cowlitz glacier; rare. =saxifraga tolmaei= torrey & gray. abundant at , to , feet elevation, blooming as soon as the snow melts. easily known by its small, thick, entire leaves, and small white flowers, solitary on scapes an inch or two high. originally found by tolmie, from whose specimens the species was described. =saxifraga debilis= engelmann. found on mount rainier by mr. allen. this is the first record of the plant west of colorado. =saxifraga caespitosa= linnaeus. collected by flett and by allen. leaves to -lobed. =crassulaceae.= (stonecrop family.) =sedum divergens= watson. this species is easily known by its small globular leaves. common on the cliffs near sluiskin falls. =cruciferae.= (mustard family.) =draba aureola= watson. a viscid yellow-flowered species, rather rare at and near camp muir. =draba lonchocarpa= rydberg. in pumice sand at , feet altitude. =arabis lyallii= watson. common along paradise river, at , feet altitude, but also occurring in the pumice at , feet. =arabis drummondii= gray. piper no. , referable to this species, is from mount rainier. collected near the cowlitz glacier. =cardamine kamtschatica= (regel) schulz. (_c. umbellata_ greene.) a small "bitter-cress," not rare along rills at , feet elevation. =erysimum asperum= (nuttall) de candolle. a yellow-flowered plant much like a wallflower, rare at , feet altitude. it occurs also in loose rock near interglacier. =smelowskia ovalis= jones. a small, white-flowered, canescent plant, interesting because it ascends mount rainier higher than any other flowering plant. common from , to , feet altitude. one specimen was collected quite at the base of "the sphinx." =fumariaceae.= (bleeding-heart family.) =corydalis scouleri= hooker. common along streams at low elevations. =berberidaceae.= (barberry family.) =achlys triphylla= (smith) de candolle. reported by mr. gorman "on the trail from longmire springs to the park." the sweet-smelling leaves of this plant have suggested the name of "vanilla leaf." =ranunculaceae.= (buttercup family.) =thalictrum occidentale= gray. this meadow-rue is not rare near the foot of van trump glacier. =anemone drummondii= watson. collected by flett, no. , on the north side of the mountain at , feet altitude. =anemone hudsoniana= (de candolle) richardson. collected on the goat mountains by mr. allen, no. . =pulsatilla occidentalis= (watson) freyn. common on the dry slopes , to , feet elevation. flowers large, white or bluish, developing a large head of tailed carpels, which has much the appearance of a hussar's cap. =trautvetteria grandis= nuttall. a tall plant with large maple-like leaves and loose corymbs of delicate white flowers. abundant in shady woods up to , feet elevation. the pallid blossoms, in sharp contrast to the shade they dwell in, has prompted the name of "ghost flower." =ranunculus suksdorfii= gray. a bright-flowered buttercup, not rare in moist places at , feet elevation. =ranunculus verecundus= robinson. on rocky ridges at , feet altitude, flett. =caltha leptosepala= de candolle. (_c. macounii_ greene.) wet places, , to , feet; plentiful. =aquilegia formosa= fisher. the common scarlet and yellow columbine of the lowland, found on the grassy slopes at , feet elevation. =delphinium bicolor= nuttall. a handsome blue and white-flowered larkspur, found in the goat mountains by mr. allen, no. . =delphinium glaucum= watson. this larkspur is tall, three to four feet high, with rather many large leaves, and long racemes of pale blue small flowers. collected by mr. allen in the upper nisqually valley, and by the writer near crater lake. =caryophyllaceae.= (pink family.) =silene lyallii= watson. (_s. macounii_ watson.) (_s. douglasii viscida_ robinson.) distinguished from its near allies by its four-lobed petals. not rare at , feet altitude. =silene suksdorfii= robinson. a low species, with scapes mostly one-flowered. rather rare in the loose basalt talus near the base of little tahoma. =silene acaulis= linnaeus. the "moss campion" of europe, and common in the rocky mountains. collected by mr. flett near the mowich glacier. =stellaria borealis= bigelow. a prostrate chickweed, common along the paradise river, at , feet elevation. =stellaria washingtoniana= robinson. described from specimens collected by allen on the slopes of the mountain at the head of nisqually river in alder woods. =sagina occidentalis= watson. a small species of pearlwort, doubtfully referred here, occurs rarely along rivulets in paradise park. =cerastium arvense= linnaeus. goat mountains, allen, no. . =arenaria capillaris= poiret. common on the rocks at , to , feet elevation. the form with curved leaves, variety _nardifolia_ regel, is more frequent than the type. =arenaria verna= linnaeus. rather rare in the pumice on the east side of the mountain. =arenaria macrophylla= hooker. in dry woods at low altitudes. =portulacaceae.= (purslane family.) =spraguea multiceps= howell. a handsome plant, with entire spatulate leaves and dense heads of pink or purple flowers. common in the pumice fields. =claytonia sibirica= linnaeus. collected by flett somewhere near the base of the mountain. the commonest lowland "spring beauty." =claytonia asarifolia= bongard. a plant with fleshy entire leaves and small racemes of white flowers. occasional along the rivulets at , to , feet elevation. =claytonia parvifolia= mocino. on the rocks at , to , feet altitude. =claytonia lanceolata= pursh. common in the grassy meadows. the tuberous root is edible. =lewisia columbiana= (howell) robinson. goat mountains, allen. leaves fleshy, flowers rose-purple, showy. =polygonaceae.= (buckwheat family.) =oxyria digyna= (linnaeus) hill. a small plant with reniform entire leaves, and flowers and fruit like those of the common docks. not rare in rock crevices at , to , feet elevation. =polygonum minimum= watson. common at , to , feet altitude. =polygonum douglasii= greene. on a gravelly slope near the foot of cowlitz glacier. =polygonum newberryi= small. common in the pumice fields, where it is a characteristic plant. =polygonum bistortoides= pursh. very plentiful on the grassy slopes, where it is conspicuous by its dense white-flowered spikes an inch long, borne singly on slender stems a foot or two high. =eriogonum compositum= douglas. a form of this variable species occurs on the talus at the foot of the cliffs on the north side of cowlitz glacier. =eriogonum pyrolaefolium coryphaeum= torrey & gray. plentiful in the pumice fields. =betulaceae.= (birch family.) =alnus sinuata= (regel) rydberg. sitka alder. a small alder, seldom over ten or twelve feet high. common along the streams at low altitude. =salicaceae.= (willow family.) =salix scouleriana= barratt. the common upland willow; not rare up to , feet elevation. =salix sitchensis= sanson. the "silky willow" is plentiful along the nisqually at longmire springs. =salix barclayi= anderson. =salix commutata= bebb. these two willows make thickets along the rills at about , feet altitude. the leaves in the former are smooth above and glaucous beneath; in the latter pubescent on both sides. =salix nivalis= hooker. a very dwarf willow, with obtuse leaves, growing only a few inches high. found on the north side of the mountain by flett. =salix saximontana= rydberg. very similar to _salix nivalis_, but larger in every way. also found by flett on the north side of the mountain. =salix cascadensis= cockerell. (_s. tenera_ andersson.) a very dwarf rare willow with leaves acute at each end. north slope of the mountain, collected by flett. =populus trichocarpa= torrey & gray. the cottonwood occurs along the nisqually to some distance above longmire springs. =orchidaceae.= (orchis family.) =corallorhiza maculata= rafinesque. common in the coniferous woods at low altitudes. =corallorhiza mertensiana= bongard. frequent in the dense coniferous woods up to , feet. =spiranthes romanzoffiana= chamisso. a small form of this species was found in a bog on the summit of the ridge overlooking the foot of the nisqually glacier. =peramium decipiens= (hooker) piper. on the trail above longmire springs, according to mr. gorman. =limnorchis stricta= (lindley) rydberg. a tall plant with long spikes of greenish flowers. not rare in wet places at , feet elevation. =listera caurina= piper. common in mossy woods up to , feet. =listera convallarioides= (swartz) torrey. growing in moist woods near the foot of the mountain. =liliaceae.= (lily family.) =allium validum= watson. this wild onion has rootstock-like bulbs. it has been found on the north side of the mountain, and only by mr. flett. =vagnera sessilifolia= (baker) greene. common in moist woods up to , feet altitude. =streptopus curvipes= vail. common in moist woods at , feet. distinguished from the eastern _s. roseus_ by its small size, simple stems, and creeping rootstocks. =lilium columbianum= hanson. the wild tiger lily occurs on dry slopes near longmire springs and in paradise park, at , feet elevation. =fritillaria lanceolata= pursh. goat mountains, allen, no. . =erythronium montanum= watson. the white-flowered adder's tongue, so abundant in paradise park, up to , feet altitude. =erythronium parviflorum= (watson) goodding. much like the preceding, but the flowers yellow. frequent along rills at , feet. =clintonia uniflora= (schultes) kunth. abundant in the coniferous forests at , to , feet altitude. easily recognized by its tuft of two to four radical leaves, which are oblong in form, and its delicate scapes, three or four inches high, bearing a single white flower. the berry is blue. =trillium ovatum= pursh. the wake-robin is plentiful at , feet altitude. =tofieldia intermedia= rydberg. this species has been confused with both _t. glutinosa_ and _t. occidentalis_. from the former it differs principally in its seed characters, otherwise being so similar that there are no distinguishing characters in the flowering specimens. all the cascade mountain specimens apparently belong to _t. intermedia_, because no plant with the seed character of _t. glutinosa_ has as yet been found in that range of mountains. =veratrum viride= aiton. the green hellebore forms considerable clumps, three or four feet high. it is frequent on moist slopes in paradise park. =stenanthium occidentale= gray. goat mountains, allen, . also collected on mount rainier by rev. e. c. smith, in . =xerophyllum tenax= (pursh) nuttall. the so-called pine-lily or bear-grass is not rare in gravelly soil in rather open woods. straggling specimens are found up to , feet altitude. =juncaceae.= (rush family.) =juncoides glabratum= (hooker) sheldon. dry, grassy slopes at , feet. =juncoides majus= (hooker) piper. (_luzula arcuata major_ hooker.) (_juncoides piperi_ coville.) the plants referred here occur at , feet altitude, in springy places. allen, no. , and piper, , are identical with tolmie's mount rainier specimens. =juncoides parviflorum= (ehrhart) coville. common on dry slopes up to , feet elevation. =juncoides spicata= (linnaeus) kuntze. rather rare in damp places in the pumice fields, at , feet altitude. =juncus subtriflorus= (e. meyer) coville. common at , to , feet elevation. =juncus parryi= engelmann. much like the preceding, and growing along with it. =juncus mertensianus= bongard. frequent along rills even up to , feet altitude. =cyperaceae.= (sedge family.) =eriophorum polystachion= linnaeus. this "cotton-grass" occurs in the low ground around the lakes near the base of pinnacle peak. =carex paddoensis= suksdorf. springy places at , feet altitude; allen, ; piper, . =carex pyrenaica= wahlenberg. with the preceding; allen, ; piper, . =carex phaeocephala= piper. dryish places at , feet elevation; piper, . =carex preslii= bailey. common at , feet, along streams. =carex pachystachya= chamisso. this species occurs along rills in paradise park. =carex nigricans= meyer. common at , to , feet elevation. =carex rossii= boott. on the grassy ridge above sluiskin falls. =carex geyeri= boott. goat mountains, allen, . =carex mertensii= prescott. rare along stream banks at about , feet altitude. some of our specimens came from near the foot of cowlitz glacier. =carex spectabilis= dewey. (_c. invisa_ bailey.) in wet meadows at , feet elevation. =carex scopulorum= holm. with the preceding. =carex ablata= bailey. frequent in the meadows of paradise park. =carex accedens= holm. paradise park; piper, . =carex arcta= boott. mount rainier, , feet altitude; allen . =carex atrata= linnaeus. collected by allen, august , . =carex laeviculmis= meinschausen. in swamps near the foot of the mountain. =carex hepburnii= boott. a handsome little plant common at , feet altitude. =carex kelloggii= w. boott. along paradise river; piper, . =carex rigida= goodenough. allen, , and piper, , are referred here. the last-named specimens are from near the foot of pinnacle peak. =gramineae.= (grass family.) =phleum alpinum= linnaeus. the "mountain timothy" is of frequent occurrence at , to , feet altitude. =agrostis geminata= trinius. collected by allen, in . =agrostis aequivalvis= trinius. the plant referred here is common on the banks of the paradise river up to , feet. =agrostis rossae= vasey. slopes at , feet elevation; common. =agrostis humilis= vasey. abundant in springy places at , feet elevation. =calamagrostis vaseyi= beal. goat mountains, allen, and common on the rocky ridges north of cowlitz glacier. =calamagrostis scabra= presl. not rare at , feet elevation; near sluiskin falls, piper; tatoosh mountains, allen. =deschampsia atropurpurea= (wahlenberg) scheele. common at , to , feet elevation. =danthonia intermedia= vasey. common at about , feet altitude. =trisetum cernuum= trinius. moist places up to , feet altitude. =trisetum spicatum= (linnaeus) richter. rare on the ridge near camp of the clouds. =cinna latifolia= (treviranus) grisebach. common in wet ground about longmire springs. =poa arctica= r. brown. a grass doubtfully referred to this species is common at , feet elevation. =poa paddensis= williams. one of the most frequent grasses at , to , feet. =poa saxatilis= scribner & williams. on rock cliffs at , feet. the type of this species is piper no. , from above camp of the clouds. =poa suksdorfii= vasey. rather rare in the pumice at , feet elevation. =poa lettermani= vasey. on the slopes near camp muir, growing with the preceding. =festuca viridula= vasey. the finest grass on the slopes. abundant at , feet elevation. =festuca ovina supina= (schur) hackel. in the pumice fields at , feet altitude. =festuca subulata= trinius. longmire springs, in moist places. =bromus marginatus= nees. a species doubtfully referred here was collected on the mountains in by rev. e. c. smith. no specimens of it are now in our possession. =sitanion rigidum= j. g. smith. pumice fields at , feet. =sitanion glabrum= j. g. smith. common on the rocky ridges north of cowlitz glacier. =sitanion rubescens= piper. dry slopes on the south side of the mountain. =sparganiaceae.= (bur-reed family.) =sparganium minimum= fries. collected in by rev. e. c. smith, in one of the small lakes near the base of pinnacle peak. =taxaceae.= (yew family.) =taxus brevifolia= nuttall. western yew. the yew is not uncommon along the trail from longmire springs to paradise park. it does not ascend much above , feet elevation. =pinaceae.= (pine family.) =juniperus sibirica= burgsdorff. mountain juniper. the alpine juniper occurs on the banks of the nisqually, near longmire springs, and is common on the rocks up to , feet elevation. =chamaecyparis nootkatensis= (lambert) spach. alaska cedar. the alaska cedar ranges on the mountain slopes from , feet up to , feet altitude. it is far more abundant on the north side of the peak than on the south. few, if any, specimens exceed four feet in diameter, and where the trees are most abundant the trunks are only one or two feet through. =abies grandis= lindley. white fir. some trees, without cones, which were observed on the trail above longmire springs, are doubtfully referred here. they are more likely to belong to the following species. =abies amabilis= (douglas) forbes. lovely fir. the lovely fir is abundant at from , to , feet elevation. it is usually but a small tree, with beautifully symmetrical form. except when fruiting, it is difficult to distinguish from the lowland white fir. =abies nobilis= lindley. noble fir. the finest of all the firs, frequently four to six feet in diameter, without a single branch for a hundred feet or more. easily known by the deep red color of the bark when chopped into, and by the large cones, covered with reflexed bracts. abundant at , to , feet. =abies lasiocarpa= (hooker) nuttall. subalpine fir. this is the primly conical little fir so common in paradise park. it rarely occurs below , feet elevation. its dark purple pubescent cones, only two or three inches long, readily distinguish it from the preceding species. =pseudotsuga mucronata= (rafinesque) sudworth. douglas spruce. the douglas spruce is common up to , feet elevation. there is a marked tendency of the cones to be relatively shorter and thicker at this altitude, but otherwise the tree shows little variation from its lowland typical form. =tsuga heterophylla= rafinesque. western hemlock. the western hemlock is abundant at , feet altitude, but usually much smaller than when growing near the sea level. =tsuga mertensiana= (bongard) carriere. black hemlock. the black hemlock is frequent from , to , feet elevation. on the higher slopes it commonly forms clumps with the subalpine fir. when this is the case, the irregular form and dark foliage of the hemlock, usually festooned with lichens, form a pleasing contrast to the conical form and lighter foliage of the fir. =pinus albicaulis= engelmann. white-bark pine. this white-barked nut pine is abundant on the high ridge north of the cowlitz glacier. it also occurs above camp of the clouds. it rarely fruits, and when it does the cones, with their sweet edible seeds, are quickly torn to pieces by clark's crow. the trunk and branches are frequently adorned with the bright yellow lichen, _evernia vulpina_. =pinus monticola= douglas. western white pine. not uncommon at low elevations. the narrow cones, six to twelve inches long, are characteristic. =pinus contorta= douglas. lodgepole pine. reported by mr. gorman "on the moraines of the nisqually." =picea engelmanni= parry. engelmann spruce. rather a rare tree about mount rainier, at , feet elevation. in the sitka or tideland spruce the leaves are decidedly flattened; in the engelmann spruce they are nearly square in cross section. =isoetaceae.= (quillwort family.) =isoetes echinospora braunii= engelmann. common in the small lakes near the foot of pinnacle peak. =lycopodiaceae.= (club-moss family.) =lycopodium annotinum= linnaeus. a large patch of this handsome species occurs at the point where the trail first crosses paradise river above longmire springs. =lycopodium sitchense= ruprecht. common on the meadows at , feet elevation. =equisetaceae.= (horsetail family.) =equisetum limosum= linnaeus. this species occurs in the bog on top of the ridge above the foot of nisqually glacier. the old trail to the park led through this bog. =equisetum arvense= linnaeus. sterile fronds of this plant were observed at longmire springs. =equisetum robustum= a. braun. common in damp places up to , feet elevation. readily eaten by cayuses. =polypodiaceae.= (fern family.) =polypodium hesperium= maxon. not rare in rock crevices on the cliffs overlooking the lakes at the foot of pinnacle peak. =phegopteris dryopteris= (linnaeus) fee. the pretty "oak-fern" is abundant along the trail above longmire's, in deep woods. =phegopteris alpestris= (hoppe) mettenius. forming crown-like tufts in the talus at the foot of cliffs in paradise park. =dryopteris spinulosa dilatata= (hoffman) underwood. the common wood-fern is frequent in the forests at , feet altitude. =polystichum lonchitis= (linnaeus) roth. specimens of this species are in my possession from mount rainier, but the exact place of collection has passed my recollection. presumably it was found in or near paradise park. =filix fragilis= (linnaeus) underwood. diminutive specimens of this fern were collected on the cliffs at , feet altitude. rev. e. c. smith found much finer examples at a lower elevation. =cryptogramma acrostichoides= r. brown. common in the coarse gravel on the bars of the nisqually, occurring even at the foot of the glacier. =ophioglossaceae.= (adder's tongue family.) =botrychium lunaria= (linnaeus) swartz. specimens were collected by rev. e. c. smith on the north side of the mountain in . =botrychium lanceolatum= (s. g. gmelin) angstroem. longmire springs, allen, not otherwise known on the pacific coast. footnotes: [ ] am. jour. sci., d series, vol. xxvi, , pp. - . [ ] neues jahrbuch für min., etc., vol. i, , pp. - . [ ] observed by iddings: twelfth ann. rept. u. s. geol. survey, p. . [ ] hague and iddings: twelfth ann. rept. u. s. geol. survey, p. . [ ] oebbeke, _op. cit._, p. . [ ] jour. geol., vol. iv, , p. . [ ] emmons, bull. am. geog. soc., , no. , p. . xvii. creation of mount rainier national park memorial by scientific societies a surprisingly wide interest was awakened by the proposal to create a national park to include the great mass of mount rainier and its immediate surroundings. five societies appointed committees to coöperate in securing the needed legislation from congress. those committees prepared a memorial. the senate miscellaneous document, number , fifty-third congress, second session, shows that the memorial was introduced on july , , by senator watson c. squire from the state of washington. the memorial was deemed of sufficient importance to be republished in the eighteenth annual report of the united states geological survey for - . it is here reproduced from that publication. with all the interest thus manifested, it required nearly five years from the introduction of the memorial to witness the achievement of its purpose. the act of congress creating the mount rainier national park bears the date of march , . _to the senate and house of representatives of the united states of america in congress assembled:_ at a meeting of the geological society of america, in madison, wis., august , , a committee was appointed for the purpose of memorializing the congress in relation to the establishment of a national park in the state of washington to include mount rainier, often called mount tacoma. the committee consists of dr. david t. day, mr. s. f. emmons, and mr. bailey willis. at a meeting of the american association for the advancement of science, in madison, wis., august , , a committee was appointed by that body for the same purpose as above mentioned, consisting of maj. j. w. powell, prof. joseph le conte, prof. i. c. russell, mr. b. e. fernow, and dr. c. h. merriam. at a meeting of the national geographic society, held in washington, d. c., on october , , there was appointed a committee for the purpose above mentioned, consisting of hon. gardiner g. hubbard, hon. watson c. squire, mr. john w. thompson, miss mary f. waite, and miss eliza r. scidmore. at a meeting of the sierra club, held in san francisco december , , a committee for the same purpose was appointed, composed of mr. john muir, president d. s. jordan, mr. r. m. johnson, mr. george b. bayley, mr. p. b. van trump. at a meeting of the appalachian mountain club, held in boston april , , a similar committee was appointed, consisting of mr. john ritchie, jr., rev. e. c. smith, dr. charles e. fay. the committees thus appointed were instructed by the several bodies to which they belong to coöperate in the preparation of a memorial to congress, setting forth the substantial reasons for the establishment of such park. pursuant to their instructions, the committees present the following memorial to the congress, and pray that such action may be taken by the honorable senators and representatives as will secure to the people of the united states the benefits of a national park which shall include the area mentioned above. in support of their prayer they beg to submit the following statement: by proclamation of the president, in compliance with the statutes provided therefor, a pacific forest reserve has been established in the state of washington, the western portion of which is nearly coincident with the tract of land to be included in the national park for which your memorialists pray. the western part of this reserve includes many features of unique interest and wonderful grandeur, which fit it peculiarly to be a national park, forever set aside for the pleasure and instruction of the people. the region is one of such exceptional rainfall and snowfall that the preservation of its forests is of unusual importance as a protection against floods in the lower valleys; but the scenic features, which mark it out for a national park, attract tourists, who set fire to the timber. this destruction goes on notwithstanding it is a forest reserve, and will continue until protection is afforded by adequate supervision of the area, whether as a reserve or park. the reserve is traversed through the middle from north to south by the crest of the cascade range, which has an elevation varying from , to , feet. this is the divide between tributaries of puget sound, flowing west, and those of yakima river, flowing east. mount rainier, the isolated volcanic peak, , feet high, stands miles west of the divide, from which it is separated by a deep valley. the eastern half of the reserve differs from the western in climate, in flora, and in fauna, in geographic and geologic features, and in aspects of scenery. the eastern slope of the cascade range within the reserve is a mountainous region, with summits rising to a general elevation of , to , feet above the sea. it is forest covered and presents many attractions to the tourist and hunter; but it is not peculiar among the mountain regions of america either for grandeur or interest, and it is not an essential part of the area to be set apart as a national park. the western slope of the cascades within the reserve is short and steep as compared with the eastern. much of it is precipitous, particularly opposite mount rainier, where its bare walls would appear most grand were they not in the shadow of that overpowering peak. north and south of rainier this slope is more gradual and densely wooded. the western half of the pacific reserve, that portion which it is proposed shall be made a national park, is characterized by mount rainier, whose summit is but miles from the western boundary of the reserve and whose glaciers extend beyond its limits. mount tacoma is not simply a volcanic cone, peculiar for its hugeness. it was formerly a vast volcanic dome, miles in radius to the north, west, and south; but rivers have cut deep canyons, glaciers have carved ample amphitheaters back into the mass, and now many serrate ridges rising from a few hundred to , feet above the sea converge at that altitude to support the central pyramid, which towers more than , feet above its base. this grand mountain is not, like mount blanc, merely the dominant peak of a chain of snow mountains; it is the only snow peak in view, mount st. helens and mount adams being, like it, isolated and many miles distant. rainier is majestic in its isolation, reaching , to , feet above its neighbors. it is superb in its boldness, rising from one canyon , feet in miles. not only is it the grandest mountain in this country, it is one of the grand mountains of the world, to be named with st. elias, fusiyama, and ararat, and the most superb summits of the alps. eminent scientists of england and germany, who, as members of the alpine club of switzerland and travelers of wide experience, would naturally be conservative in their judgment, have borne witness to the majesty of the scenery about rainier. in professor zittel, a well-known german geologist, and prof. james bryce, member of parliament and author of the american commonwealth, made a report on the scenery about mount rainier. among other things, they said: "the scenery of mount rainier is of rare and varied beauty. the peak itself is as noble a mountain as we have ever seen in its lines and structure. the glaciers which descend from its snow fields present all the characteristic features of those in the alps, and though less extensive than the ice streams of the mount blanc or monta rosa groups are in their crevasses and séracs equally striking and equally worthy of close study. we have seen nothing more beautiful in switzerland or tyrol, in norway or in the pyrenees, than the carbon river glaciers and the great puyallup glaciers; indeed, the ice in the latter is unusually pure, and the crevasses unusually fine. the combination of ice scenery with woodland scenery of the grandest type is to be found nowhere in the old world, unless it be in the himalayas, and, so far as we know, nowhere else on the american continent." these eminent and experienced observers further say: "we may perhaps be permitted to express a hope that the suggestion will at no distant date be made to congress that mount rainier should, like the yosemite valley and the geyser region of the upper yellowstone, be reserved by the federal government and treated as a national park." but mount tacoma is single not merely because it is superbly majestic; it is an arctic island in a temperate zone. in a bygone age an arctic climate prevailed over the northwest, and glaciers covered the cascade range. arctic animals and arctic plants then lived throughout the region. as the climate became milder and glaciers melted, the creatures of the cold climate were limited in their geographic range to the districts of the shrinking glaciers. on the great peak the glaciers linger still. they give to it its greatest beauty. they are themselves magnificent, and with them survives a colony of arctic animals and plants which can not exist in the temperate climate of the less lofty mountains. these arctic forms are as effectually isolated as shipwrecked sailors on an island in mid-ocean. there is no refuge for them beyond their haunts on ice-bound cliffs. but even there the birds and animals are no longer safe from the keen sportsman, and the few survivors must soon be exterminated unless protected by the government in a national park. the area of the pacific forest reserve includes valuable timber and important water supplies. it is said to contain coal, gold, and silver. the timber on the western slope differs from that on the eastern in size and density of growth and in kinds of trees. the forests of puget sound are world-renowned for the magnitude and beauty of their hemlocks, cedars, and firs. their timber constitutes one of the most important resources of the state. nowhere are they more luxuriant than on the foothills west and north of mount rainier. but their value as timber is there subordinate to their value as regulators of floods. the puyallup river, whose lower valley is a rich hop garden, is even now subject to floods during the rapid melting of the snow on mount rainier in the limited area above timber line. in the broader area below timber line, but above , feet in elevation, the depth of snow in the winter of was to feet. protected by the dense canopy of the fir and hemlock trees this snow melts slowly and the river is high from march to june. but let the forest be once destroyed by fire or by lumbermen and the snows of each winter, melting in early spring, will annually overwhelm the puyallup valley and transform it into a gravelly waste. the same is true of white river and the nisqually. the forests of the eastern slope, tributary to the yakima, are of even greater importance as water preservers. they constitute a great reservoir, holding back the precipitation of the wet season and allowing it to filter down when most needed by crops. in the yakima valley water gives to land its value. storage of flood waters and extensive distribution by canals is necessary. the forests being preserved to control the water, the natural storage basins should be improved and canals built. for these reasons it is most important that no part of the forest reserve should be sacrificed, even though the eastern half is not included in the national park. the boundaries of the proposed national park have been so drawn as to exclude from its area all lands upon which coal, gold, or other valuable minerals are supposed to occur, and they conform to the purpose that the park shall include all features of peculiar scenic beauty without encroaching on the interests of miners or settlers. none save those who can march and camp in the primeval forest can now visit mount rainier; but it is the wilderness, not the distance, that makes it difficult of approach. on the west the distance up the nisqually river from the railroad at yelm prairie to the reserve is but miles. though heavily timbered, the valley of the nisqually affords an easy route for a railroad. the cowlitz valley also offers a line of approach without difficulty by rail, it being about miles from the railroad to the reserve. on the northwest the railroad at wilkeson is but miles from the summit of mount rainier, and the glaciers can be reached by riding miles through the great forest. on the north the cascade branch of the northern pacific railroad crosses the range, only miles in a direct line and miles along the summit from the northern limit of the reserve. on the east the city of north yakima is but miles from the summit of mount rainier. the proposed park covers a mountain region which lies across the line of travel from east to west. the railroad winds northward; the travel down the columbia river turns southward to avoid it. the great current of tourists which flows north and south through portland, tacoma, seattle, vancouver, and alaska passes to the west within sight of mount rainier, and when the grand old mountain is obscured by clouds the travelers linger to see it, or, passing regretfully on their way, know that they have missed the finest view of their trip. when a railroad is built up the nisqually or cowlitz valley to the park and connection by stages is assured northward to the cascade branch of the northern pacific railroad and eastward to yakima, the flood of travel will be diverted through the park. the point which combines accessibility with surroundings of great beauty, and which is therefore most appropriate as a hotel site, is southeast of mount rainier, on one of the spurs of the tatoosh mountains, near the cowlitz valley. to open this region to travel it would be sufficient to establish the hotel and its connections down the nisqually or cowlitz valley, together with trails to points of interest within the park. from the hotel a principal trail would extend north to the emmons and white river glaciers, which would thus be easily accessible, and thence the railroad at wilkeson could readily be reached on horseback over the old northern pacific trail. in the future, stage roads, or possibly a railroad, would be extended over the cowlitz pass to the eastern slope, north yakima would be reached via the tieton or tannum valley, and tannum lake would become a favorite resort. but the highway which would challenge the world for its equal in grand scenery would extend from the cowlitz pass northward along the crest of the range to the cascade branch. the distance is miles, in the park and beyond it to the railroad. within the reserve the summit is open and park-like. on the east is a sea of mountains; on the west is a bold descent of , feet to the valleys of cowlitz and white rivers, beyond which tacoma rises in overpowering grandeur, , feet above the road and only miles distant. a committee of your memorialists has carefully examined the existing maps of the state of washington with special reference to the position of this reserve, and finds that the boundaries of the reserve are farther east, in relation to mount rainier, than was supposed. the western boundary traverses the slope of mount rainier at altitudes of , to , feet, and the glaciers extend several miles beyond it. in order to include all of the glacial area and the immediately adjacent forest on the west, your memorialists respectfully recommend that the western boundary of the park be drawn one range west of that of the reserve, viz., at the range line between ranges and east of the willamette meridian. by this change no part of the wilkeson-carbonado coal field would be included in the park. your memorialists find, as already stated, that it is not necessary to include the eastern slope of the cascades in the park, and furthermore that it is desirable to leave the natchez pass on the north and the cowlitz pass on the south open for the construction of railroads. your memorialists therefore pray that the park be defined by the following boundaries: beginning at the northwest corner of sec. , t. n., r. e. of the willamette meridian; thence south miles more or less to the southwest corner of sec. , t. n., r. e.; thence east miles more or less to the summit of the cascade range; thence in a northerly direction to a point east of the place of beginning, and thence west miles more or less to the place of beginning. your memorialists respectfully represent that-- railroad lines have been surveyed and after the establishment of a national park would soon be built to its boundaries. the concessions for a hotel, stopping places, and stage routes could be leased and the proceeds devoted to the maintenance of the park. the policing of the park could be performed from the barracks at vancouver by details of soldiers, who would thus be given useful and healthful employment from may to october. the establishment of a hotel would afford opportunity for a weather station, which, in view of the controlling influence exerted by mount rainier on the moisture-laden winds from the pacific, would be important in relation to local weather predictions. your memorialists further represent that this region of marvelous beauty is even now being seriously marred by careless camping parties. its valuable forests and rare animals are being injured and will certainly be destroyed unless the forest reserve be policed during the camping seasons. but efficient protection of the undeveloped wilderness is extraordinarily difficult and in this case practically impossible. therefore, for the preservation of the property of the united states, for the protection from floods of the people of washington in the yakima, cowlitz, nisqually, puyallup, and white river valleys, and for the pleasure and education of the nation, your memorialists pray that the area above described be declared a national park forever. for the national geographic society: gardiner g. hubbard, _president._ for the american association for the advancement of science: j. w. powell. for the geological society of america: bailey willis. for the sierra club: john muir. for the appalachian mountain club: john ritchie, jr. washington, d.c., _june , _. xviii. mount rainier is , feet high by the united states geological survey the united states geological survey issued a bulletin for newspaper publication on january , , giving the height of the mountain as determined by the most accurate and definitive methods known. that bulletin is here given as it was then issued. at the same time f. e. matthes, topographer with the survey, sent additional comment to the sierra club of california, by whom it was published in the sierra bulletin for january, . this comment is now reproduced by permission of the sierra club. the height of the summit of mount rainier, washington, has been determined by the united states geological survey to be , feet above mean sea level. this elevation now officially displaces the former supposed height of the mountain of , feet and accords to mount rainier the distinction of being the second highest mountain peak in the united states, mount whitney, california, being the highest. the correct height of rainier was determined by a party of topographic engineers of the survey in connection with the mapping of the mount rainier national park, which was completed last summer. the topographic survey of the park was begun in by f. e. matthes, continued in by mr. matthes and george r. davis, and finished in by c. h. birdseye, w. o. tufts, o. g. taylor, and s. e. taylor. in the mapping of the summit of the mountain a terrific blizzard was encountered; in fact, two ascents of the upper portion of the mountain were necessary. the first ascent of the upper , feet was begun at o'clock a.m., august [ ], and dawn broke with every indication of developing into a beautiful day. on reaching the summit the men encountered a terrific gale, clouds enveloped the mountain, preventing observations, and by noon snow began to fall. a descent was attempted, but the party became hopelessly lost in a labyrinth of crevasses, the storm developing into a blizzard. to descend further was impossible; to remain was suicide. consequently a return to the crater was ordered, and the men reached it after a two hours' climb, utterly exhausted and nearly frozen. here they sought shelter in one of the steam caves, where during the long night they were thoroughly steamed and half frozen in turn. strenuous measures were employed by the men to keep from falling asleep and freezing to death. as it was, their fingers and ears were badly frozen. finally, with a rising barometer, they succeeded in descending , feet to a temporary camp, making the descent in three hours. here they recuperated and prepared for another ascent, which was accomplished on august , the start being made at o'clock in the morning. good weather was encountered and the mapping of the entire summit was finished by o'clock. "if anyone thinks that american glaciers are play glaciers, or that the weather which may be encountered at the summit of mount rainier in august is uniformly balmy and springlike," said mr. birdseye, whose fingers and ears were badly frosted, "let him climb mount rainier during one of its summer blizzards. the steam caves in the crater are not the pleasantest places imaginable to spend the night in, but had they not been there, not one of us would be alive today to tell the tale." comment by f. e. matthes the mountaineers of the pacific northwest will no doubt jubilate at the above announcement by the united states geological survey of the new figure for the altitude of mount rainier. it places that peak close to the top of the list of high mountains in the united states. mount rainier's closest rival on the pacific coast, mount shasta, it so happens, has just recently been beheaded by the united states coast and geodetic survey, and now can claim no more than , feet, that is, feet less than it once boasted. the great volcano of puget sound is thus left well in the lead. a review of the different figures that have been announced in the past for each of the higher peaks of the united states would almost justify one to infer that these summits have a peculiar habit of fluctuating in height from time to time. both rainier and shasta have been notorious for their inconstancy; so much so indeed that it is to be feared that the public will lose faith somewhat in the trustworthiness of altitude determinations in general. there is good reason to believe, however, that the last announcements for these two peaks are not likely to be changed again. about mount shasta, perhaps the coast survey is the only party able to speak positively; but as regards mount rainier, the geological survey feels satisfied that the new figure is the best that can be obtained with modern methods and instruments. the elevation of mount whitney ( , ft.), it may be remembered, was determined by actual leveling, but such procedure would have been impossible on mount rainier, as the most practicable route to its summit leads over many miles of snow and ice, and up a precipitous chute several hundred feet in height. on thawing snow accurate leveling is out of the question, for the instrument can not be set up so firmly that it will not settle slightly between back and fore sights. to execute this pottering kind of work in freezing weather would entail both hardship and great expense. but the obstacle that would have proved entirely insuperable to levels on mount rainier and led to the abandoning of that method is the dreaded gibraltar rock, well known to many who read this magazine [sierra club bulletin]. to carry levels up its precipitous side is for practical considerations all but impossible. it was necessary, in the case of mount rainier, to resort to long-distance methods of angulation. that is to say, sights were taken to its summit from neighboring peaks, six to eight miles distant, the altitudes of which had been carefully determined, and the positions of which with respect to the mountain's summit had been computed from a scheme of triangulation. it is not possible to execute vertical-angle measurements of this sort with the precision obtainable by leveling; at the same time by providing a sufficient number of checks and repeating each measurement many times a result can be attained that can be relied on within a foot or two. and closer than that the determination of a snowcapped peak, such as mount rainier, need scarcely be; for its actual height is bound to fluctuate by several feet from year to year and even from month to month. it is gratifying to note how closely the new trigonometric determination of mount rainier accords with the barometric one of prof. alexander mcadie ( , ft.). it is hoped that this agreement between the results of two fundamentally different methods will strengthen public faith in their reliability, and lead to the discarding of other figures (some of them much exaggerated) that have appeared in print from time to time. in closing, it may be said, that the geological survey's bulletin little more than hints at the fortitude and pluck of mr. birdseye and his party in their almost disastrous experiences on the peak. survey men are so frequently confronted by peril in their daily work, that they are not apt to write or talk about it, and as a consequence the public seldom learns the intimate details. it is to be hoped that the history of this undertaking will some day appear in full. [illustration: peter rainier. admiral of the blue, royal navy. ] xix. place names and elevations in mount rainier national park place names within a region like the mount rainier national park are produced by three causes: the first and most important is the actual need of such names by those who work within the park and by those who report upon or write about it. the second is the natural desire to honor those individuals whose achievements are worthy of commemoration. the third cause is found in the vanity of visitors. this is sometimes manifested in the harmless and often helpful desire just to be the one to name something, but usually it takes the form of a desire of visitors to write the names of themselves or their friends upon the map. the ranger who discovers from a look-out peak a distant fire near some unnamed lake or cliff hastens to a telephone, but finds his work of sending fire fighters to the place of danger much more difficult than if he could use some definite place name. trail builders and patrols continually find a similar need for names. for their own use they proceed to invent names which often stick. the mountaineers in found that a trail builder had supplied such a need by giving a beautiful waterfall near his trail the name of his favorite brand of canned peaches. more care of such matters is now being exercised by those interested working through the united states geographic board. the elevations given are taken from the official map and other government publications. in time all important heights will be definitely determined and marked. it is hoped that this compilation of the names may be improved from year to year. further facts about any of the names would be welcomed by the editor of this work. =ada creek.= a tributary of huckleberry creek near the northern boundary of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =adelaide lake.= near the north-central boundary of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =affi falls.= in lodi creek, in the north-central portion of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =alice falls.= in spukwush creek, in the northwestern portion of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =alki crest.= in the northwestern corner of the park. the name is from the chinook jargon meaning "by and by." =allen lake.= see lake allen. =alta vista.= a point near the snow line on the south-central slope. it was named by john p. hartman, who visited the place with a tacoma party in . the name is spanish and means "high view." =anvil rock.= on the southern slope, near the upper cowlitz glacier. the name is descriptive, but who suggested it has not been ascertained. elevation, , feet above sea level. =arthur peak.= in the northwestern corner of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =august peak.= near the northwestern boundary of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =avalanche camp.= on the north slope. named by a member of the mountaineers, during that club's first ascent in . elevation, , feet above sea level. =baker point.= outjutting portion of goat island mountain, overlooking emmons glacier. origin of name not ascertained. =bald rock.= on the southeastern slope, near the cowlitz divide. the name is descriptive. =barnes pass.= on western edge of the park. named in honor of the photographer, c. a. barnes, who discovered it while with j. h. weer and j. b. flett. =barrier peak.= a prolongation of governors ridge near the east-central boundary of the park. =basaltic falls.= on the southeastern slope of the mountain. one of the features of cowlitz park. named by prof. j. b. flett and h. h. garretson. =bear park.= in the northeastern corner of the park. =bee flat.= in the northwestern portion of the park, just south of chenuis mountain. =beehive.= large rock on the southeast slope. it was named by major e. s. ingraham in , who says: "it reminded me of one of those old-fashioned beehives." elevation, , feet above sea level. =beljica.= an interesting peak near the road leading from ashford to the park. the name is a composite made up of initials. in july, , a party of nine young people visiting the peak provided the name. the b was for burgon d. mesler, the e for any one of three--elizabeth drabe, elizabeth sharp and elizabeth mesler, the l for lucy k. lawall, the j for jessie k. lawall, the i for isabel mesler, the c for clara mesler, and the a for alexander mesler. =bench lake.= in the southern portion of the park. the land lying above the lake is called the bench. elevation of the lake, , feet above sea level. =berkeley park.= in the north-central portion of the park, between burroughs and skyscraper mountains. origin of name not ascertained. =berry peak.= in the northwestern corner of the park. =boulder creek.= a tributary of ohanapecosh river, in the park of the same name, on the eastern slope of the mountain. =boundary peak.= appropriately named, as it lies on the southern boundary line of the park. =brown peak.= in the northeastern corner of the park. =buel peak.= near the east-central boundary of the park. origin of name not ascertained. elevation, , feet above sea level. =burnt park.= in the northeastern corner of the park. =burroughs mountain.= on the northeast slope. it was named for the naturalist and was at first called john burroughs mountain. =butter creek.= flowing from the tatoosh range across the southern boundary of the park. =camp curtis.= on the northeast slope. named by the mountaineers in in honor of asahel curtis, leader of that club's first ascent. elevation, , feet above sea level. =camp delight.= see camp of the stars. =camp misery.= on the southern slope of the mountain at the base of the beehive. the name is descriptive. elevation, , feet above sea level. =camp muir.= on the southeast slope. named by major e. s. ingraham, in honor of the naturalist, john muir, who selected the temporary camping place during their ascent in , because the presence of pumice indicated a shelter from strong winds. elevation, , feet above sea level. =camp no camp.= on the southeastern slope, near the summit of the mountain. it is in the saddle near the summit of gibraltar. the name indicates a disappointed attempt at rest. elevation, , feet above sea level. =camp of the clouds.= on the south slope above paradise valley. named on august , , by charles e. kehoe, charles a. billings and george n. talcott of olympia. during their visit there the heavy banks of clouds parted and gave them a superb mountain view. elevation, , feet above sea level. =camp of the stars.= on the southeastern slope of the mountain, near the foot of gibraltar. it is a narrow shelf of rocks, affording space for a dozen climbers when crowded together and "feet hanging over." it was used by one of the ingraham parties, and h. e. holmes says they at first called it camp delight on account of their joy at the first rays of morning. elevation, about , feet above sea level. =canyon bridge.= in the southeastern part of the park. the muddy fork of the cowlitz river rushes through a very narrow and deep rift in the rocks. the spanning bridge gives an attractive view. =carbon glacier.= this glacier begins at the foot of willis wall on the north face of the mountain. =carbon river.= about coal was discovered on the banks of this river suggesting the name, which was also later given to the glacier from which the river has its source. =carter falls.= one of the beautiful features of the lower paradise river. named for an early guide who built the first trail to paradise valley. for years the longmires collected a fee of fifty cents from each one using the trail. it was willingly paid when it was explained that the money went to the builder of the trail. =castle rock.= in the northwestern portion of the park. named from its resemblance to an old castle. elevation, , feet above sea level. =cataract basin.= see mist park. =cataract creek.= flows from mist park to the carbon river in the northwestern portion of the park. about midway in its course are the beautiful cataract falls. =cathedral rocks.= extending southeast from the summit. it is an extensive cleaver between the upper cowlitz and ingraham glaciers. who first suggested the name has not been ascertained. elevation, , feet above sea level. =chenuis mountain.= an extensive ridge near the northern boundary of the park. on the shoulders of the mountain rest three little lakes called chenuis lakes. from the northern slopes of the mountain there rises chenuis creek, which, near its junction with the carbon river at the northwestern boundary of the park, produces the beautiful chenuis falls. the name seems to be indian, but its origin has not been ascertained. elevation of the ridge, from , to , feet above sea level. =christine falls.= on the lower portion of van trump creek. mr. van trump says the falls "were named after my daughter, christine louise, by a friend john hayes, of yelm." elevation, , feet above sea level. =cliff lake.= in the south-central portion of the park, between the tatoosh range and the boundary. =clover lakes.= in white river park, in the northwestern part of the park. =cold basin.= in the northern portion of the park, just south of grand park. =colonnade.= the ridge lying between the south mowich and the puyallup glaciers on the west-central slope of the mountain. =columbia crest.= name suggested by h. e. holmes of the ingraham party in . they had spent two nights in the crater and before leaving voted on a name for the highest part of the summit, with columbia crest as the result. it has occasionally been called the dome. by stevens and van trump it was called crater peak. elevation, , feet above sea level. =comet falls.= on the southern slope of the mountain, in van trump park. elevation, , feet above sea level. =cougar falls.= near the southern boundary of the park, in the nickel creek tributary of the cowlitz river. =cowlitz chimneys.= pointed and columnar rocks on the east-central slope. though not adjacent to the glacier or river of that name, they undoubtedly got their name from one or the other. elevation , feet above sea level. =cowlitz cleaver.= near the southern peak of the summit. it is appropriately named, as it cleaves the higher streams of ice part of which flow into puget sound and the rest into the columbia river. =cowlitz divide.= a ridge running from north to south in the southeastern corner of the park. =cowlitz glacier.= named by general hazard stevens and p. b. van trump in when they discovered it to be the source of the river by that name. it has its beginning from a group of smaller glaciers on the southeast slope of the mountain. above the glaciers lies cowlitz park. =cowlitz river.= the name appears as early as the lewis and clark reports, - , where it is spelled coweliskee. in varying forms it appears in the writings of all subsequent explorers. a tribe of indians by that name inhabited its valleys. the river finally flows southward into the columbia river. =cowlitz rocks.= a mass of rocks on the southeast slope, between the paradise and cowlitz glaciers. the rocks were named in by the veteran guide, jules stampfler, who found a name necessary to satisfy the curiosity of his companies of tourists. elevation, , feet above sea level. =crater lake.= on the northwest slope. bailey willis gave the name in . he recently wrote: "the amphitheatres which the young geologist mistook for craters are now known to be glacier basins eroded by ice." elevation, , feet above sea level. =crater peak.= see columbia crest. =crescent mountain.= on the northern slope. the name was used by bailey willis in . near the foot of this mountain lies crescent lake. =cress falls.= in the northwestern portion of the park, near spukwush creek. =crystal mountain.= on the southwestern slope of the mountain, overlooking indian henrys hunting ground. elevation, , feet above sea level. =cushman crest.= on the southern slope, overlooking nisqually glacier. named in honor of the late congressman f. w. cushman, of tacoma. =dege peak.= overlooking yakima park in the northern part of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =denman falls.= on the western slope, in st. andrews creek. named by ben longmire in honor of a. h. denman of tacoma, enthusiastic mountaineer and photographer. =devils dream creek.= on the southern slope of the mountain, a tributary of pyramid creek. origin of name not ascertained. =dick creek.= flowing from elysian fields to the carbon river in the northwestern portion of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =division rock.= at the lower end of north mowich glacier, on the northwestern slope of the mountain. =doe creek.= a tributary of ipsut creek in the northwestern portion of the park. =double peak.= near the southeastern boundary of the park. the height is marked at , feet. the name was suggested by its form. =eagle cliff.= overlooking spray creek in the northwestern portion of the park. =eagle peak.= near the south-central boundary of the park. elevation, , feet above sea level. =echo cliffs.= in the northwestern portion of the park above cataract creek. =echo rock.= on the northwest slope near russell glacier. major e. s. ingraham named it seattle rock because it may be seen from that city. he does not know who changed the name. =edith creek.= on the southern slope, a tributary of the paradise river. in , jules stampfler, the guide, was getting out a series of stereopticon views and he needed a name for that creek. he does not remember edith's full name. she was a member of one of his parties. =edmunds glacier.= on the western slope. in june, , the glaciers were visited by vice president oakes of the northern pacific railroad company and united states senator george f. edmunds of vermont. one result of that trip was an order to build what has since been known as the bailey willis trail to the northwestern slopes of the mountain. another subsequent result was the naming of the glacier in honor of senator edmunds. =elizabeth ridge.= near crater lake in the northwestern corner of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =elysian fields.= one of the beautiful park regions on the northern slope. the name was given by major e. s. ingraham in . elevation, , feet above sea level. =emerald ridge.= on the southwestern slope of the mountain, dividing the lower parts of the tahoma and south tahoma glaciers. the name is descriptive, but by whom it was first suggested has not been ascertained. =emmons glacier.= on the northeastern slope. this is the largest glacier on the mountain. for a long time it was called white glacier because it gave rise to the river of that name. the river's name came from the glacial whiteness of its waters. the present name is in honor of s. f. emmons, who, with a. d. wilson, made the second successful ascent of the mountain in . =eunice lake.= in the northwest corner of the park near tolmie peak. bailey willis named it tolmie lake in ; but it was not so mapped officially, and the name was changed to honor mrs. w. h. gilstrap of tacoma. she and her husband were frequent visitors to the crater lake region. =fairy falls.= on the southeastern slope, in the upper waters of stevens creek. elevation, , feet above sea level. =falls creek.= rises in north park and flows across the boundary at the northwestern corner of the park. =fay peak.= in the northwestern portion of the park, overlooking crater lake. elevation, , feet above sea level. the name was given in honor of miss fay fuller of tacoma, who in was the first of her sex to attain the summit of mount rainier. =fir lake.= a small lake in the southeastern corner of the park. =fish creek.= a tributary of tahoma creek in the southwestern corner of the park. =fishers hornpipe creek.= on the southern slope of the mountain, a tributary of pyramid creek. origin of name not ascertained. =flett glacier.= near ptarmigan ridge on the northwestern slope. the name is in honor of professor j. b. flett of tacoma, one of the most enthusiastic explorers of the mountain. =florence peak.= in the northwestern corner of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =frog heaven.= on the south-central slope of the mountain, to the west of narada falls. =frozen lake.= in the northern portion of the park, just south of mount fremont. =fryingpan glacier.= there are two conflicting theories about this name. one is that some campers lost a frying pan in the river, giving it that name, which was later extended to the glacier. the other is that professor i. c. russell named the glacier from its fancied resemblance to a frying pan, and that the name was later extended to the river. on the east-central slope of the mountain. =garda falls.= in granite creek, a tributary of winthrop creek, in the north-central portion of the park. named by c. a. barnes in honor of miss garda fogg of tacoma. =george lake.= see lake george. =gibraltar.= this famous and forbidding cliff of rock just southeast of the summit was named by the ingraham party in . elevation, , feet above sea level. =glacier basin.= on the northern slope of the mountain. it is a rather steep but attractive little park, with a small lake and good spring water. inter glacier is at its head and inter fork passes through it. miners at starbo camp maintain a little waterpower sawmill, and they have for years worked at prospective mines on the slopes of the basin. they have built a wagon road to their camp, by use of which tourists will soon become well acquainted with the beauties of glacier basin and the surrounding regions. elevation, , feet above sea level. =glacier island.= on the southwestern slope of the mountain. the name is descriptive, as the island lies between the lower parts of tahoma and south tahoma glaciers. =goat island mountain.= on the northeastern slope of the mountain, between emmons glacier and summer land. =goat island rock.= in the lower portion of carbon glacier, in the northwestern portion of the park. =golden lakes.= a cluster of beautiful lakes in and near sunset park, close to the west-central boundary of the park. at sundown they glow like molten gold. =gove peak.= in the northwestern portion of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =governors ridge.= toward the east-central boundary of the park. the name was suggested by superintendent ethan allen of the park. =grand park.= a high and extensive area in the northern portion of the park. the miles of relatively level ground, flower-strewn and ornamented with circular groves of alpine firs and hemlocks, with deer abundant every summer, make the name an appropriate one. elevation, , feet above sea level. =granite creek.= in the north-central portion of the park. it is a tributary of winthrop creek. =grant creek.= a tributary to spray creek in the northwestern portion of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =green lake.= in the northwestern corner of the park. =green park.= north of sourdough mountains, in the northeastern part of the park. =hall's camp.= see wigwam camp. =hayden creek.= a tributary of meadow creek in the northwestern corner of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =henrys hunting ground.= see indian henrys hunting ground. =hessong rock.= on the northwest slope overlooking spray park. it was named in honor of a photographer who lived at lake kapowsin. =hidden lake.= near white river park, in the northeastern part of the park. =howard peak.= in the northwestern corner of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =huckleberry creek.= takes its rise in the sourdough mountains and flows northward across the boundary of the park. =huckleberry park.= at the headwaters of huckleberry creek in the northeastern part of the park. =independence ridge.= extending from chenuis mountain to the northern boundary of the park. =indian bar.= a large gravel bar in ohanapecosh park on the eastern slope of the mountain. =indian henrys hunting ground.= about , a cowlitz indian began hunting mountain goats in that region. henry winsor, a pioneer mail carrier, asked his name and got an unpronounceable answer. "that's no name," said winsor, "your name is indian henry." his playful joke stuck. on the map the word "indian" is omitted, but the united states geographic board has voted to restore it. p. b. van trump said the indian's name was sotolick. =ingraham glacier.= this beautiful glacier lies between cathedral rocks and little tahoma on the southeast slope. it was named by professor i. c. russell in in honor of major e. s. ingraham of seattle. =inter glacier.= on the northeast slope. it was named by major e. s. ingraham in when he attempted but failed to ascend the mountain from the north side. the name was suggested by the glacier being hemmed in by a rim of rocks. =ipsut pass.= in the northwestern corner of the park. flowing from it to the carbon river is a stream called ipsut creek. the word is said to be a form of an indian word meaning "bear." =iron mountain.= on the southwestern slope of the mountain, overlooking indian henrys hunting ground. the name describes the masses of supposed iron stain. elevation, , feet above sea level. =jeanette heights.= on the west-central slope overlooking edmunds glacier. origin of name not ascertained. =josephine creek.= a tributary of huckleberry creek, taking its rise in green park. origin of name not ascertained. =june creek.= flows across the boundary in the northwestern corner of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =kautz glacier.= this glacier begins at the foot of peak success, the southern summit. it was named in honor of lieutenant (afterwards general) a. v. kautz, who attempted an ascent in . the creek flowing from the glacier bears the same name. =klapatche ridge.= near the west-central boundary of the park, between the north puyallup river and st. andrews creek. origin of name not ascertained. =knapsack pass.= in the northwestern portion of the park, a pass between fay peak and mother mountain from mist park to crater lake. =kotsuck creek.= flows across the east-central boundary of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =lake allen.= on the west slope of mount wow in the southwestern corner of the park. to avoid confusion, it was originally named lake o. d. allen. the name was given in honor of the veteran botanist, who was at one time a professor at yale university. =lake eleanor.= near the northern boundary of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =lake ethel.= in the north-central portion of the park, with outlet into the west fork of white river. the name was suggested by the mountaineers in as a compliment to the daughter of park ranger thomas e. o'farrell. =lake george.= on the western slope of mount wow in the southwestern corner of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =lake james.= in the north-central portion of the park, with outlet into van horn creek. the name was suggested by the mountaineers in as a compliment to the young son of thomas e. o'farrell, park ranger. =lake tom.= a small lake near arthur peak in the northwestern corner of the park. =landslide.= on the northwest of slide mountain, in the northeastern corner of the park. =lee creek.= a tributary of crater creek in the northwestern portion of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =liberty cap.= the northern peak of the summit of mount rainier. it has been claimed that stevens and van trump gave this name at the time of their first ascent in , but mr. van trump says they called it tahoma peak. one of the early uses of the present name was by bailey willis, who wrote in : "over the trees near the outlet, just to the right of this pinnacle, a pure white peak towers up into the heavens; it is the northern summit of mount tacoma,--the liberty cap." elevation, , feet above sea level. =liberty ridge.= to the west of willis wall and overlooking the head of carbon glacier near the northern summit. the name was adopted in by the engineers of the united states geological survey who made the official map of the park. it was suggested by john h. williams, author of the book entitled "the mountain that was god." =little tahoma peak.= a towering and rugged peak on the east flank of mount rainier. very few adventuresome climbers have as yet attained its summit. elevation, , feet above sea level. the only ascent known was made by prof. j. b. flett and h. h. garretson. =lodi creek.= a tributary of white river, in the north-central portion of the park. the name is said to have been given by early prospectors for minerals. =longmire springs.= near the southeastern boundary of the park. the springs were discovered by the pioneer, james longmire, who acquired title to the property and lived there until his death on september , . members of his family still maintain a resort there. the national park inn, a postoffice, park offices, and other conveniences make longmire the capital of the park. elevation, , feet above sea level. =lost creek.= flows across the northeastern boundary of the park. =louise lake.= in the south-central portion of the park between mazama ridge and tatoosh range. origin of name not ascertained. =mcclure rock.= on the southeastern slope near paradise glacier. it marks the place of the tragic death of professor edgar mcclure, of the university of oregon, in , while descending after taking barometric measurements at the summit. elevation, , feet above sea level. =mcnealey peak.= a part of sourdough mountains in the northern part of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =madcap falls.= on the southern slope of the mountain, in the paradise river between narada falls and carter falls. =maple falls.= in a creek of the same name, near the southern boundary of the park. the creek is a tributary of stevens creek. =marcus peak.= a part of sourdough mountains in the northeastern part of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =margaret falls.= on the southeast slope, between cowlitz park and cowlitz glacier. the name was in honor of one of the daughters of e. s. hall, former superintendent of the park. =marie falls.= on the southeast slope, in the upper waters of nickel creek. origin of name not ascertained. =marjorie lakes.= near the north-central boundary of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =marmot creek.= a tributary of cataract creek, draining seattle park, in the northwestern portion of the park. the name is for the whistling marmot, so plentiful in that region. =marsh lakes.= in the southern part of the park. =martha falls.= on the southeast slope. the falls were named in honor of the wife of the late elcaine longmire, by ben longmire, the son. =martin peak.= on the northwestern boundary of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =mary belle falls.= on the southeast slope in the upper waters of nickel creek. the name was suggested by superintendent ethan allen in honor of one of the daughters of e. s. hall, former superintendent of the park. =mazama ridge.= on the southern slope of the mountain, beginning at sluiskin falls. named for the oregon mountain climbing club whose main camp was pitched there in . =meadow creek.= near the northwestern boundary of the park. it rises near tolmie peak and was named by bailey willis in . =mildred point.= on the southwest slope, overlooking the foot of kautz glacier. origin of name not ascertained. =mineral mountain.= on the north-central slope of the mountain, overlooking mystic lake. the name tells the hopes of early prospectors who worked there before the national park was created. =mirror lakes.= on the southwestern slope of the mountain, in indian henrys hunting ground. =mist park.= in the northwestern portion of the park, on the shoulders of mother mountain. elevation, , feet above sea level. this park is also known as cataract basin. =moraine park.= on the northern slope, bordering carbon glacier. it was named by professor i. c. russell. =mosquito flat.= in the north-central portion of the park, near lakes james and ethel. the name indicates that the place was first visited at an unfortunate season. elevation, , feet above sea level. =mother mountain.= an extensive ridge in the northwestern portion of the park. the name came from the figure of a woman in the rock on the northeastern summit of the ridge clearly seen silhouetted against the sky by those traveling on the carbon river trail. elevation, , feet above sea level. =mount ararat.= on the southwest slope, overlooking indian henrys hunting ground. ben longmire writes: "i named it because i found there some long slabs of wood that had turned to stone and i thought they might have been part of old noah's boat. i also found a stump with a ring around it as if his rope might have been tied there. it was all stone." elevation, , feet above sea level. =mount fremont.= in the northern portion of the park at the western extremity of sourdough mountains. the origin of the name has not been ascertained. elevation, , feet above sea level. =mount pleasant.= in the northwestern portion of the park, overlooking mist and spray parks. =mount rainier.= named for admiral peter rainier of the british navy by captain george vancouver in . for his own account of the discovery and naming of the mountain, see chapter i of this book. elevation, , feet above sea level. =mount ruth.= on the northeastern slope of the mountain, overlooking the inter and emmons glaciers. the name was given in honor of ruth knapp, daughter of the prospector who built "knapp's cabin," a landmark for tourists in the glacier basin region. elevation, , feet above sea level. =mount wow.= in the southwestern corner of the park. it is sometimes called goat mountain. elevation, , feet above sea level. =mountain meadows.= in the northwestern corner of the park. the name originated with bailey willis in . elevation, , feet above sea level. =mowich glaciers.= on the western and northwestern slopes of the mountain are two beautiful glaciers known as north and south mowich. the name is from the chinook jargon, meaning "deer." who first suggested the name has not been ascertained. each glacier has its draining stream. these flow together, making mowich river, which crosses the northwestern boundary of the park. north mowich was once called willis glacier and south mowich was called edmunds glacier. =muddy fork.= on the southeastern slope of the mountain. one of several sources of the cowlitz river, it drains from the foot of the large cowlitz glacier. =myrtle falls.= on the southern slope in edith creek, a tributary of the paradise river. the name was given by jules stampfler, the guide, in . myrtle was a member of one of his parties, but he has forgotten the rest of her name. =mystic lake.= on the northern slope of the mountain, between the winthrop and carbon glaciers. it is a favorite place for campers who expect to attempt the ascent of the mountain on its northern slopes. elevation, , feet above sea level. named by prof. j. b. flett and h. h. garretson on account of a mysterious temporary whirlpool seen near its outlet. =nahunta falls.= on the south slope. at one time the falls had the name marie, but it was changed at the suggestion of secretary josephus daniels of the united states navy department. he says: "the name was familiar to me as one given by the carolina tuscarora to a river in north carolina and also to their largest fort or 'head town.'" secretary daniels obtained from the bureau of american ethnology information that the name has appeared under various spellings and may mean "tall trees" or "tall timbers." =narada falls.= on the south-central slope, the principal feature of the lower paradise river. an effort was recently made to change the name to cushman falls in honor of the late congressman f. w. cushman, a strong friend of the park. the present name is of theosophical origin. narada was a spiritual being worshipped by the brahman people in india by reason of his service to the first race of men. among modern theosophists the word has become a metaphysical subject, the greater part of which is given to esoteric students and cannot be revealed. the word itself means "uncontaminated." the wonderful beauty of the scene, in its pure and original form, suggested the name to an early group of visitors, theosophists, consisting of the following persons: professor e. o. schwägerl, mr. and mrs. george a. sheffield, mr. and mrs. arthur knight, miss ida wright (now mrs. vern mudgett), mrs. addie g. barlow and mr. henry carter. elevation, , feet above sea level. =national park inn.= at longmire springs near the southwestern entrance to the park. this attractive hotel has frequently been so overrun with guests that numerous tents have been used for sleeping quarters. these are placed in the groves of pines and firs on the bank of the nisqually river. many trips to interesting parts of the mountain are made from the inn. elevation, , feet above sea level. =natural bridge.= in the north-central portion of the park. many photographers have scrambled to the scene of this natural curiosity. elevation, , feet above sea level. =needle creek.= near the east-central boundary of the park. it is a tributary of kotsuck creek and takes its rise near the sharp cliffs of cowlitz chimneys, which may have suggested the name "needle." =needle rock.= on the northwest slope, overlooking the north mowich glacier. the name was given by professor j. b. flett from its supposed resemblance to cleopatra's needle. elevation, , feet above sea level. =nisqually glacier.= the large glacier flowing from the southern flank of mount rainier. it was named by stevens and van trump in when they found it to be the source of nisqually river. =nisqually river.= rising at the foot of nisqually glacier, it flows southwesterly through the park and empties into puget sound between tacoma and olympia. it was mentioned in the journal of john work of the hudson's bay company, as early as . the first settlement by white men on puget sound was made by the hudson's bay company near its mouth in may, . that trading post was called nisqually house. rev. myron eells, the talented missionary, says the word comes from the native word, "squally-o-bish," from the tribe of that name. =north mowich.= see mowich. =north park.= in the northwestern corner of the park. elevation, about , feet above sea level. =northern crags.= in the northwestern portion of the park, overlooking elysian fields. =observation rock.= on the northwest slope near flett glacier. in it was named observation point by prof. l. f. henderson. an extensive view of western washington is to be had from its top. elevation, , feet above sea level. =ohanapecosh glacier.= on the east-central slope of the mountain. below the glacier lies the beautiful ohanapecosh park, from which flows the river of the same name, which passes out of the park at the northeastern corner of the boundary. the name is indian, but its meaning has not been ascertained. =old desolate.= a ridge in the northwestern portion of the park between moraine and vernal parks. =ollala creek.= in the southeastern corner of the park. the name is from the chinook jargon, meaning "berries." =owyhigh lakes.= near the east-central boundary of the park. the yakima had a great war leader, chief owhigh, and this is apparently an honor for him. see narrative by theodore winthrop in this book, chapter iv. =panhandle gap.= on the east-central slope of the mountain, above the sarvent glaciers. elevation, about , feet above sea level. =panorama point.= on the southern slope of the mountain, overlooking nisqually glacier. =paradise glacier.= on the southeast slope. in , stevens and van trump called it little nisqually glacier. =paradise river.= stevens and van trump called the river glacier creek in . =paradise valley.= on the south-central slope. this is the best known part of the park. david longmire says that his mother (wife of the pioneer, james longmire) and a mrs. jameson were the first women to visit the region. as they wound up the zigzag trail through the forest they were suddenly in the midst of most wonderful mountain scenery. "o, what a paradise!" exclaimed one. "yes, a real paradise," answered the other. that was in , and the name paradise has remained in use for the valley and has also been extended to the river and the glacier from which it takes its source. =paul peak.= in the northwestern corner of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =peak success.= the southern summit of mount rainier. it was named in by stevens and van trump on the occasion of their making the first ascent of the mountain. the new map calls it point success. elevation, , feet above sea level. =pearl creek.= on the southern slope of the mountain, draining pyramid glacier into kautz creek. about midway in its course the creek plunges over what are known as pearl falls. =pigeon creek.= near the north-central boundary of the park. =pinnacle peak.= one of the most dominant peaks of the tatoosh range in the south-central portion of the park. its height is marked at , feet. on its northern slope lies an ice field called pinnacle glacier. the ascent of this peak is attempted by many visitors starting from paradise valley. =plummer peak.= near the south-central boundary of the park. the name was suggested by superintendent ethan allen in honor of the late fred g. plummer, geographer of the united states forest service. =point success.= see peak success. =prospector creek.= a tributary of huckleberry creek in the northeastern part of the park. =ptarmigan ridge.= on the northwestern slope of the mountain, lying north of the north mowich glacier and south of the flett and russell glaciers. the name was given on account of the large number of ptarmigan families found there each summer. named by prof. j. b. flett and h. h. garretson. =puyallup cleaver.= the large ridge of rocks on the western slope of the mountain, dividing the puyallup and tahoma glaciers. =puyallup glacier.= on the western slope. its name comes from the fact that it feeds one of the branches of the puyallup river. =puyallup river.= two forks of this river rise from the glaciers on the western and southwestern slopes of the mountain. the river empties into puget sound at tacoma harbor. there have been many spellings of the word in early annals. rev. myron eells says the tribe of indians living on the river called themselves "puyallupnamish." =pyramid park.= on the southern slope of the mountain, adjacent to pyramid peak. from the park flows a stream called pyramid creek, and above the park lies pyramid glacier, between south tahoma and kautz glaciers. =pyramid peak.= on the southwestern slope, overlooking indian henrys hunting ground. it was named by james l. mosman, of yelm, because of its resemblance to a perfect pyramid. the same name has been extended to a small park and glacier to the northeastward of the peak. elevation, , feet above sea level. =rainier.= see mount rainier. =rampart ridge.= on the southern slope of the mountain. this ridge is a prominent group of crags rising above longmire springs. elevation, , feet above sea level. the nearer and higher portion of the ridge is known as the ramparts. the name is an old one, but who first suggested it has not been ascertained. elevation of the ramparts, , feet above sea level. =ranger creek.= in the northwestern corner of the park, flowing into carbon river near the ranger station at the boundary of the park. =redstone peak.= in the north-central portion of the park, between the headwaters of van horn creek and white river. =reese's camp.= on the south-central slope of the mountain, in paradise park. for a number of years john l. reese has accommodated visitors in a log and canvas hotel with numerous tents for sleeping rooms. the name of his camp has grown so familiar that other names are forgotten. the site of his hotel was once known as theosophy ridge. beginning with , the rainier national park company, a new corporation composed of prominent citizens, will supplant reese's camp with a modern hotel and will provide garages, lunch-stations and other conveniences for the tourists. the elevation at reese's camp is , feet above sea level. =reflection lakes.= on the south-central slope of the mountain. these lakes are visited by all who make the trip to pinnacle peak from paradise valley. elevation, , feet above sea level. =register rock.= on the rim of the crater, where there is securely fastened in the rocks a record on which all successful climbers by way of the gibraltar route sign their names. elevation, , feet above sea level, or feet below columbia crest, the actual summit. =ricksecker point.= on the southern slope. it was named in honor of eugene ricksecker, the engineer, who had charge of building the government road in the park. elevation, , feet above sea level. =round pass.= near the southwestern boundary of the park. it is understood that the name is to be changed to halls pass in honor of former superintendent e. s. hall. =rushingwater creek.= flows from the golden lakes across the west-central boundary of the park. =russell cliff.= at the summit, east of liberty cap. it was named by the mountaineers club, during an ascent in , in honor of professor i. c. russell. =russell glacier.= on the northern slope, just west of carbon glacier. it was named in honor of professor i. c. russell. =rust ridge.= in the northwestern corner of the park. =st. andrews park.= on the southwestern slope of the mountain. among the first campers in that region was a group of choir boys from st. mark's (episcopal) church of seattle. it is said that they called the place st. andrews park. the stream flowing out of it is now called st. andrews creek, and high up on the western slope is st. andrews rock, at the entrance to sunset amphitheatre. =st. elmo pass.= on the north slope, through the ridge that divides the winthrop and inter glaciers. it was named by major e. s. ingraham, who says: "in , i camped on the ridge with my party. during the night a great thunderstorm arose and we could hear the peals of thunder below. a couple of boys who were with the party were sleeping above us. suddenly they called out that the storm was over because they could see the stars. i, too, saw stars, but i did not think they were real. i got up and began to investigate. what the boys thought were stars was st. elmo fire which had settled on their alpenstocks. even the cooking utensils were aflame with it, and our heads shone. i explained the phenomenon and the place was called st. elmo pass." elevation, , feet above sea level. =st. jacobs lake.= a small lake in the southeastern corner of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =sarvent glaciers.= two small but interesting glaciers on the east-central slope, draining into fryingpan creek. they were named in honor of henry m. sarvent, the engineer, who made the first detailed map of the mountain. =scarface.= near the north-central boundary of the park. the name is descriptive. elevation, , feet above sea level. =seattle park.= a small but beautiful area in the northwestern portion of the park between the russell and carbon glaciers. it was named for the city of seattle. =shadow lake.= on the east-central slope of the mountain, east of burroughs mountain. elevation, , feet above sea level. =shaw creek.= a tributary of white river near the eastern boundary of the park. origin of name not ascertained. =silvan island.= on the south side of emmons glacier. named by prof. j. b. flett. =silver falls.= in the southeastern corner of the park. =skyscraper mountain.= in the north-central portion of the park, overlooking berkeley park. it is a recent name and comes from its supposed resemblance to a modern style of architecture. elevation, , feet above sea level. =slide mountain.= in the northeastern corner of the park. elevation, , feet above sea level. =sluiskin falls.= on the southeastern slope, in the upper waters of paradise river. named by stevens and van trump, in , in honor of their indian guide. elevation, , feet above sea level. =sluiskin mountain.= in the north-central portion of the park, overlooking vernal park. evidently an additional, though later, honor for the indian guide of stevens and van trump. elevation, , feet above sea level. =snow lake.= near the southern boundary of the park. =sotolick point.= on the southwest slope. the name is spelled "satulick" on the map. it was suggested by p. b. van trump, who says sotolick was the name of indian henry. elevation, , feet above sea level. =south mowich.= see mowich. =south tahoma.= see tahoma. =spray falls.= on the northwestern slope of the mountain. the highest and most beautiful falls on the north side of the mountain. it was probably named when the bailey willis trail was built by it in . the abundant water breaks into a mass of spray. elevation, , feet above sea level. =spray park.= above spray falls lies this extensive and most beautiful park. its elevation is from , to , feet above sea level. several lakes drain into spray creek, which produces spray falls. the name originated at the falls and was later extended to the creek and park. =spukwush creek.= flowing from chenuis mountain to carbon river in the northwestern portion of the park. the name seems to be indian, but its origin has not been ascertained. =squaw lake.= on the southwestern slope of the mountain, near the entrance to indian henrys hunting ground. it is said that the squaw camped there while her hunter husband went further up the slopes for his game. =starbo camp.= in glacier basin, on the northern slope of the mountain. it is named for the miner who has maintained a camp there for a number of years. further information is given under the head of glacier basin. =steamboat prow.= on the north slope of the mountain. the appropriateness of this name is apparent to any who have visited the upper ice fields of the winthrop and emmons glaciers. the pointed cliff seems to be buffeting a sea of ice. elevation, , feet above sea level. =stevens glacier.= on the southeastern slope, adjoining paradise glacier. the name is in honor of general hazard stevens who, with p. b. van trump, made the first ascent of the mountain in . the creek flowing from the glacier is called stevens creek; its deep bed is stevens canyon, and the overlooking crags are stevens ridge. =stevens peak.= near the southern boundary of the park. the name is probably an additional honor for general hazard stevens. elevation, , feet above sea level. =success glacier.= on the southern slope of the mountain, flowing into kautz glacier. between success glacier and south tahoma glacier lies a ridge called success cleaver. for the origin of the name see peak success. =summer land.= one of the mountain's most beautiful parks, on the east-central slope, above fryingpan creek. it was named by major e. s. ingraham in . =sunbeam falls.= on the southern slope of the mountain, in a tributary of stevens creek. =sunrise ridge.= appropriately named as being at the northeastern edge of the park. a stream flowing from the ridge is called sunrise creek. elevation, about , feet above sea level. =sunset amphitheatre.= a huge cirque extending up toward liberty cap on the western side of the mountain. from it flow the puyallup and tahoma glaciers. =sunset park.= so named because it extends to the west-central boundary of the park. =sweet peak.= in the northwestern corner of the park. origin of name not ascertained. elevation, , feet above sea level. =sylvia falls.= on the southeastern slope, in stevens creek. ben longmire, who is quite a wag, says: "bill stafford named some falls, sylvia falls, after his sweetheart, and she has not spoken to him since." =tahoma glacier.= on the southwest slope of the mountain, beginning at sunset amphitheatre and draining into the south fork of the puyallup river. just south of this glacier is another called south tahoma glacier, which drains into tahoma creek, which in turn flows into the nisqually river at the southwestern corner of the park. the name is one of the forms of the word tacoma. stevens and van trump gave the name to what is now known as liberty cap at the summit. the name is also applied to a most prominent peak on the eastern slope of the mountain. see little tahoma. =tamanos mountain.= near the east-central boundary of the park. the name is apparently one way of spelling the chinook jargon word meaning "spirit." =tato falls.= on the southern slope, near the foot of nisqually glacier. the name was suggested by superintendent ethan allen. =tatoosh range.= near the south-central boundary of the park. the indian word is said to mean "nourishing breast." a stream from the mountains is called tatoosh creek. highest elevation, at unicorn peak, , feet above sea level. =tenas creek.= flowing from mount wow across the boundary in the southwest corner of the park. the name is from the chinook jargon meaning "little." =the burn.= near the southern boundary of the park. the name is too suggestive of a departed forest. =the castle.= a part of the tatoosh range, in the southern portion of the park. =the fan.= on the southeastern slope, just south of the lower part of cowlitz glacier. it is a lake whose name was suggested by its shape. =the palisades.= a ridge jutting northwestward from sourdough mountains, in the northeastern part of the park. =the ramparts.= see rampart ridge. =the wedge.= on the north slope of the mountain, between the winthrop and emmons glaciers. a large mass with steamboat prow at the upper or "sharpened" edge. named by prof. i. c. russell and his party in . =theosophy ridge.= see reese's camp. =tilicum point.= on the northwestern slope of the mountain, a part of ptarmigan ridge. the name is from the chinook jargon, meaning "friend." elevation, , feet above sea level. =tirzah peak.= a portion of chenuis mountain near the northwestern boundary of the park. origin of name not ascertained. elevation, , feet above sea level. =tokaloo rock.= on the western slope, at the lower end of puyallup cleaver. origin of name not ascertained. elevation, , feet above sea level. =tolmie peak.= in the northwestern corner of the park. it is named in honor of dr. william fraser tolmie, the hudson's bay company surgeon, who was the first white man to approach the mountain. it was in that he climbed this peak. in , bailey willis wrote: "the point remained unvisited for fifty years; last summer i was able to identify it and named it tolmie peak." a near-by stream is called tolmie creek. elevation of the peak, , feet above sea level. =trixie falls.= on the southeastern slope, in cowlitz park. the name was suggested by superintendent ethan allen in honor of one of the daughters of former superintendent e. s. hall. =tumtum peak.= in the southwestern corner of the park, visible to all on the road to and from longmire. the name is from the chinook jargon, meaning "heart," and was suggested by the form of the mountain. elevation, , feet above sea level. =twin falls.= on the southeastern slope of the mountain, in the lower part of cowlitz park. =tyee peak.= a part of chenuis mountain in the northwestern portion of the park. the name is from the chinook jargon, meaning "chief." elevation, , feet above sea level. =unicorn peak.= where the tatoosh range approaches the south-central boundary of the park, this peak rises to a height of , feet. on its western flank is an ice field called unicorn glacier. =van horn creek.= on the northern slope, toward the boundary of the park. the name was suggested by thomas e. o'farrell, park ranger, in honor of rev. f. j. van horn, one of the mountaineers' party of . the beautiful falls in the creek received the same name. elevation of the falls, about , feet above sea level. =van trump glacier.= on the southern slope. it is named in honor of p. b. van trump who, with general hazard stevens, made the first ascent of the mountain in . the creek flowing from the glacier has the same name, and the flower-strewn region above the creek is called van trump park. elevation of the park, about , feet above sea level. =vernal park.= in the north-central portion of the park, just south of sluiskin mountain. =virginia peak.= near the northwestern boundary of the park. origin of name not ascertained. elevation, , feet above sea level. =wahpenayo peak.= between the tatoosh range and the south-central boundary of the park. origin of name not ascertained. elevation, , feet above sea level. =wallace peak.= a portion of chenuis mountain near the northwestern boundary of the park. origin of name not ascertained. elevation, , feet above sea level. =wapowety cleaver.= on the southern slope, overlooking kautz glacier. mr. van trump says that wapowety was the indian guide of lieutenant a. v. kautz during his attempted ascent in . elevation, about , feet above sea level. =washington cascades.= on the southern slope of the mountain, in the paradise river above narada falls. =wauhaukaupauken falls.= on the east slope, in ohanapecosh park. this is one of the remarkable features of the mountain streams. the meaning and origin of the indian name have not been ascertained. =weer rock.= on the western slope. the name does not appear on the map, but it is said to have been agreed upon as an honor to j. h. weer, of tacoma, who has done extensive exploration work upon and around the mountain. he was leader of the mountaineers, in , when the first large party encircled the mountain at snow-line. =white river.= this river drains most of the glaciers on the northeastern slopes of the mountain. with a grand sweep around the mountain, the river flows through its valley to unite with the black river near seattle, becoming the duwamish river, which empties into puget sound at seattle harbor. its name came from the glacial character of the water. =white river park.= lying between sourdough mountains and sunrise ridge in the northeastern part of the park. =whitman glacier.= on the eastern slope of the mountain flowing from the side of little tahoma. the name is in honor of doctor marcus whitman, who gave his life as a missionary among the indians. he, his wife, and twelve others were murdered by the indians near walla walla in . the ridge of rocks east of the glacier is called whitman crest. =wigwam camp.= in indian henrys hunting ground, on the southwestern slope of the mountain. for several years a tent and log-cabin camp has been maintained here by george b. hall for the accommodation of visitors. elevation, , feet above sea level. =willis wall.= on the northern face of the mountain at the head of carbon glacier. the great vertical cliff, , feet high, over which avalanches of snow crash throughout the summer months, is one of the attractive features of the great mountain. it was named in honor of bailey willis, on account of his extensive explorations in . =williwakas glacier.= on the southeastern slope of the mountain, flowing from paradise glacier. the stream draining the glacier is known as williwakas creek. origin of name not ascertained. =wilson glacier.= on the southern slope, above nisqually glacier. it was named in honor of a. d. wilson, who, with s. f. emmons, made the second ascent of the mountain in . =windy gap.= in the northern portion of the park, between the ridges of chenuis and crescent mountains. =winthrop glacier.= on the northern slope, where its head joins that of emmons glacier. it is named in honor of theodore winthrop, who passed close by the mountain in and recorded his observations in his book entitled "the canoe and the saddle." the same name is given to a creek that drains this glacier into white river. the glacier was formerly mapped as white glacier. =wright creek.= a tributary of fryingpan creek, taking its rise near the cowlitz chimneys, on the eastern slope of the mountain. origin of name not ascertained. =yakima park.= on the northeastern slope, on the shoulders of sourdough mountains. the name is that of a tribe of indians living east of the cascade mountains. it has there been used as the name of a county and a city. =yellowstone cliffs.= in the northwestern portion of the park, at the southeastern end of chenuis mountain. printed in the united states of america. the following pages contain advertisements of books by the same author or on kindred subjects. _by the same author_ =vancouver's discovery of puget sound= by edmond s. meany _illustrated, vo, $ . _ a carefully edited and extra-illustrated reproduction of the edition of vancouver's "journal" of discoveries on the northwest coast. this is preceded by a life of the great navigator, and accounts of others who made explorations in that region. a large number of portrait-plates additional to the reproduction of those in the original journal, and several maps, embellish the work. "a remarkably interesting volume--the most valuable addition to american history that ever came out of the pacific northwest, if not indeed from the whole pacific coast."--_seattle daily times._ "a noteworthy addition to the subject of americana in its largest sense."--_review of reviews._ "an excellent specimen of the best historical work, written with fairness and impartiality."--_san francisco chronicle._ _by the same author_ =united states history for schools= by edmond s. meany _cloth, mo, $ . _ a complete and well-balanced treatment of united states history. industrial and social changes, rather than the traditional grouping of topics on changes of administration, etc., have determined the division of the subject into periods and of the periods into chapters. the space devoted to wars has been reduced to the minimum and more space has been given to the record of the nation's political, industrial, and social progress, emphasizing the advancement of the united states within the last fifty years. it presents american history as a part of world history. the treatment covers all the important points required by the committee of eight in its report to the american historical association. the style is vivid and interesting; the sentences are short and vigorous and the paragraphs are topical units. the book abounds in illuminating "side lights" always interesting and relevant. suggestions for collateral study and reading are provided and study questions are given at the close of each chapter. _by the same author_ =a history of the state of washington= by edmond s. meany _illustrated, decorated cloth, vo, $ . _ _school edition. ill., mo, $ . _ an interesting and valuable work on the growth and development of the state of washington, especially timely on account of the present exposition. it is not, however, an account of the isolated growth of one state, but in a great measure the history of the whole pacific slope. "it would be difficult to exaggerate the interest and charm of these vivid pages, written, as they were, under the spell and inspiration of a new world."--_literary digest._ _by william herbert hobbs_ professor of geology, university of michigan =earth features and their meaning= =a textbook for cultural courses on general geology= _profusely illustrated, vo, $ . _ "the purpose of 'earth features and their meaning,' by professor w. h. hobbs, is primarily to furnish a readable work on miscellaneous topics of modern geology and physical geography. in his preface the author lays stress on the fact that the book is a series of readings to stimulate the traveler to appreciate the landscape wherever he may go. a special emphasis is laid upon earthquakes, volcanoes, the work of water, desert processes, and glaciers.... "the book is noteworthy for the importance given to the experimental method in geology, for good reading references at the end of each chapter, for an unusually good analysis of weathering and the surface processes of dry regions, such as dune accumulations in the deserts, and for original treatment of glaciation."--_nation._ "the subject matter is presented in such an interesting and intelligent manner that the general reader and student will receive from its study such an understanding of the subject that he will be able, in his travels, to recognize many of the earth's features about which he has read. the landscapes which are represented are very largely those which are along the routes of travel. much stress has been placed on the dependence of the chief geological processes of a region, upon the general climatic conditions there existing.... "this is a book which should be possessed by every teacher of earth science and geology, whether in secondary school or college. it deserves and doubtless will have a large circulation."--_school science and mathematics._ "the book is an excellent reference volume for students who are interested in a simple outline of geology. the volume has been tested in class work and should prove its worth."--_bulletin of american geographical society._ =characteristics of existing glaciers= _illustrated, cloth, vo, $ . _ "every geographer and geologist interested in ice will appreciate these clear descriptions and excellent illustrations of the earth's great glaciers--they make up into a most presentable book."--_nature._ the macmillan company publishers - fifth avenue new york * * * * * transcriber's note: obvious typographical errors were corrected. hyphenation variants present in the original were retained. author/subject illustrations have been re-positioned to the beginning of chapters to which they pertain. company information at bottom of each ad page was reduced to one placement at the end of the ads. mammals of washington by walter w. dalquest university of kansas publications museum of natural history vol. , pp. - , figures in text april , university of kansas lawrence ( ) mammals of washington [illustration: mount rainier from indian henry's hunting ground, july, . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer. no. .)] mammals of washington by walter w. dalquest (contribution from the museum of natural history, university of kansas) university of kansas publications museum of natural history volume , pp. - , figures in text april , university of kansas lawrence university of kansas publications, museum of natural history editors: e. raymond hall and donald f. hoffmeister volume , pp. - . figures in text april , university of kansas lawrence, kansas printed by ferd voiland jr., state printer topeka, kansas [illustration: decoration] - contents page introduction physiographic provinces of the state distributional areas climate and vegetation life-zones and ecology geologic history of washington the faunas speculation as to emigrational history of the mammals speculation as to the later distributional history of the mammals explanation of treatment check list of mammals accounts of species and subspecies addenda bibliography index illustrations topography figure page mount rainier from indian henrys _frontispiece_ . cascade mountains at canadian boundary . columbia river one mile south of kellers ferry . cascade mountains in chelan national forest . mount rainier, yakima park . columbia river in stevens county . blue mountains, washington . north side of mount rainier . mount rainier: cowlitz chimneys . a "pothole" crowded by drifting sand . arctic-alpine life-zone on mount rainier . humid subdivision of the transition life-zone . timbered, arid subdivision of the transition life-zone . upper sonoran life-zone . canadian life-zone . mcdowell lake. little pend oreille wildlife refuge . pend oreille river near newport . rocky bluff along north bank of the columbia river mammals figure page . gibbs shrew-mole . coast mole and townsend mole . coast mole . long-eared bat: female with young . boulder cave: habitat of long-eared bats . female black bear and two cubs . black bear in "hibernation" . fisher . wolverine . wolverine: dried pelt . river otter . badger . coyote . cougar or mountain lion: skin . cougar or mountain lion: pelts . canadian lynx . trapper's catch of nine canadian lynx . bobcat . townsend chipmunk . golden-mantled ground squirrel . feeding station of douglas squirrel . northern flying squirrel . northern pocket gopher . giant mounds formed by pocket gophers . food cache of northern pocket gopher . beaver . beaver lodge and pond . cottonwood pole carved by beaver . road flooded by beavers . deer mouse . pennsylvania meadow mouse . runways of townsend meadow mice . muskrat . mountain beaver . big jumping mouse in hibernation . elk . group of elk . white-tailed deer . white-tailed deer: fawn . left antler of white-tailed deer . antlers of white-tailed deer . mule deer . black-tailed deer . mountain goat . group of mountain goats distribution maps . mammalian distributional areas . life-zones of washington . extent of vashon-wisconsin ice . gibbs shrew-mole . townsend mole . coast mole . cinereous shrew . merriam shrew and trowbridge shrew . wandering shrew . dusky shrew . mountain water shrew . bendire water shrew and pigmy shrew . big myotis . yuma myotis . fringe-tailed myotis and keen myotis . long-eared myotis . hairy-winged myotis . california myotis . small-footed myotis . silver-haired bat . long-eared bat . western pipistrelle . big-brown bat . hoary bat . pallid bat . black bear . grizzly bears . raccoon . western marten . fisher . ermine . long-tailed weasel . mink . wolverine . river otter . civet cat . striped skunk . badger . red fox . coyote . wolf . cougar . canadian lynx . bobcat . least chipmunk . yellow-pine chipmunk . townsend chipmunk a. marmots b. townsend and washington ground squirrels . columbian and beechey ground squirrels . golden-mantled ground squirrels . western gray squirrel . red and douglas squirrels . northern flying squirrel . great basin pocket mouse . ord kangaroo rat . northern pocket gopher . beaver . northern grasshopper mouse . western harvest mouse . deer mouse . bushy-tailed wood rat . northern lemming mouse . heather vole . gapper and california red-backed mice . pennsylvania meadow mouse . montane and townsend meadow mice . long-tailed meadow mouse . water rat . creeping mouse . muskrat . mountain beaver . big jumping mouse . porcupine . pika . snowshoe rabbit . black-tailed jack rabbit . nuttall cottontail introduction mammals of washington are of especial interest to the naturalist because many of them are recent immigrants; much of washington was buried under thick glacial ice until relatively recently and many of the mammals, therefore, have inhabited the area only since the ice disappeared. the evolution or development of certain subspecies, in washington, has certainly occurred within the last few thousand years. to be able thus to date such evolutionary changes as have occurred is of course a matter both of importance and interest to zoölogists. the evolutionary changes in several species are relatively great. in color, for example, the bobcat in the humid coastal area of western washington is notable for its dark coloration, whereas in the more arid area of southeastern washington it is remarkably pale and of a different subspecies. within the limits of the state of washington, elevations ranging from sea level to more than , feet occur. since different elevations have their characteristic mammals, more kinds are found in washington than in other areas of corresponding size that lack such topographic diversity. expressed in terms of the life-zone concept, washington includes faunas ranging from the upper sonoran life-zone to those of the arctic-alpine life-zone. the basis for a study of the mammals of washington was laid in by w. p. taylor and w. t. shaw in the "provisional list of the land mammals of the state of washington." bailey's "mammals and life zones of oregon" and "the recent mammals of idaho" by w. b. davis deal with the habits and distribution of mammals in the areas bordering washington on the south and east, and were very useful in the organization of the present report. the study was first planned from the taxonomic and ecologic point of view. such a study, of necessity, involves the classification and distribution of the forms concerned. classification has required more work than any other part of the study and has been, in a sense, the nucleus of the study. nevertheless, as the report began to take form it was recognized that the part dealing with classification and other purely technical aspects of the paper probably would be uninteresting to the average reader. therefore it was felt that a greater impetus to the study of the mammals of washington would be given by reducing the taxonomic accounts to the minimum and dealing principally with the problems of distribution. as originally planned, the present report was to be of joint authorship by dr. victor b. scheffer of the united states fish and wildlife service, seattle, and the writer. the press of other work prevented dr. scheffer from devoting as much time as he had planned to the project. he has, however, contributed his field notes, specimens, and photographs, and in many other ways assisted in the project. field work on mammals of washington was carried out by the writer from to but a decision to prepare a complete report was not reached until . intensive field work was done between and . in august, , the author took up residence at berkeley, california. drafting of the manuscript was begun at that time as a student under professor e. raymond hall. war conditions and the press of other work delayed completion. subsequently, the manuscript was put in final form at the university of kansas. many persons in addition to dr. scheffer have given assistance in the course of this work. dr. e. raymond hall, in particular, encouraged the project and gave assistance in various ways including critical attention to the manuscript. i am indebted also to dr. trevor kincaid and mrs. martha flahaut of the university of washington, dr. seth b. benson and dr. alden h. miller of the university of california, dr. h. h. t. jackson of the u. s. fish and wildlife service, dr. george e. hudson of the charles r. conner museum, mr. burton lauckhart of the state of washington department of game, and mr. ernest booth of walla walla college. mrs. peggy b. dalquest typed and edited the several preliminary drafts of the manuscript and aided in the laboratory and field work. thanks are due also to many others, including game protectors, hunters and trappers, who have given assistance. the names of some of them are mentioned in the following pages. approximately ten thousand specimens of mammals were used. in decreasing order, according to the number of specimens studied from washington, the following collections are to be mentioned: materials obtained principally from southern washington in the years to as a result of the interest of miss annie m. alexander and dr. e. raymond hall; these materials are in the university of california museum of vertebrate zoölogy. the writer's own collection which at one time numbered , specimens was the second source. the residue, the part not destroyed by fire at the writer's home in the spring of , in seattle, now is in the museum of vertebrate zoölogy at the university of california and the museum of natural history at the university of kansas. the other collections are those of the biological surveys of the united states fish and wildlife service, the washington state museum at seattle, the charles r. conner museum at washington state college, and the museum of natural history at the university of kansas. in the latter collection are some materials obtained nearly half a century ago by the late l. l. dyche, some recently taken specimens added by reason of the provision for work of this kind by the university of kansas endowment association and, as noted above, a part of the author's original collection. selected specimens from several other collections have been used and these are indicated in the text when particular reference is made to the specimens. most of the specimens studied were conventional study skins with skulls. in some instances skeletons, skins alone, skulls alone, or entire animals preserved in alcohol have been used. physiographic provinces of the state the state of washington was divided into seven physiographic provinces by culver ( ). culver points out that the physiography, though complicated in detail, is basically simple. the state, including puget sound and other inland waters, is nearly rectangular in shape and is , square miles in area. its western boundary is the pacific ocean. politically, it is bounded on the north by the united states-canadian boundary ( ° north lat.), on the east by the state of idaho, and on the south by the state of oregon. the cascade mountain range, or cascade mountains province, runs from the northern to the southern boundary and divides the state into two sections, of which the eastern is slightly the larger. the mountain range trends approximately ° east of north and continues uninterruptedly into british columbia, but on the south the columbia river separates the washington cascades from the cascades of oregon. near the northern border of the state the range is wide, extending from the mount baker range on the west to mount chopaka, miles to the east. in the central part of the state it is more compact, being some miles wide in the vicinity of mount rainier. farther south it expands to approximately miles. the cascades of washington possess five great volcanic cones. these are mount baker ( , feet elevation) on the north, glacier peak ( , feet) in the north-central part, mount rainier ( , feet) in the central area, and mount adams ( , feet) and mount st. helens ( , feet) on the south. excluding these volcanic peaks, the crests of the cascades have a relatively uniform level descending from an average of , feet at the north to , feet at the south. ranges jutting southeastwardly from the north-central cascades parallel elongate intermontane valleys. these include the entiat and wenatchee mountains. the latter range reaches the columbia river and forms an important barrier to mammalian movements. there is an extensive area of anticlinal ridges extending from the southern cascades to the columbia river. this area includes the horse heaven and other hills. most of it is drained by the yakima river and is termed, in this report, the yakima valley area. [illustration: fig. . cascade mountains at canadian boundary, looking west along boundary trail. monument in foreground, headwaters of ashnola river in broad valley at right. (forest service photo, no. .)] the puget sound trough, or puget sound province, is immediately west of and parallel to the cascade mountains. it is part of a structural downwarp that extends southward into oregon. most of the area is below , feet elevation, and much of the northern part is below sea level and therefore flooded by the marine waters of puget sound. the most prominent feature of this area is puget sound. this is a glacially-carved and drowned river valley, studded with islands, peninsulas, fjords and bays that all possess a general north-south orientation resulting from the direction of ice movement. puget sound is connected with the pacific ocean by the strait of juan de fuca, a wide channel separating the state of washington and vancouver island. the san juan islands represent the glaciated remnants of mountains that, in preglacial time, may have connected the mountains on vancouver island with the cascades of washington. the san juan islands lie at the junction of puget sound, the strait of georgia, and the strait of juan de fuca. as a result of a boundary dispute and subsequent arbitration, the islands were apportioned, on the basis of the deepest channel separating them, between canada and the united states. the american portion includes more than islands. these vary in size from mere rocks above high tide to orcas island, square miles in area. the olympic peninsula, or olympic province, lies between puget sound and the pacific ocean. the strait of juan de fuca separates this peninsula from vancouver island on the north. in the south the valley of the chehalis river is a convenient boundary for the province. the central portion of the peninsula is occupied by the olympic mountain range. this range is nearly oblong in shape, measuring some miles east to west by miles north to south. the mountains are extremely rough and jagged. they rise from sea level to above , feet. the highest peak, mount olympus, is , feet in elevation. south of the olympic province and west of the puget sound trough is an area of low, rough hills. culver called it the willapa hills province. the northern third of the land east of the cascade mountains, or northeastern washington, is termed the okanogan highland province by culver. its southern boundary is set at the east-west flow of the spokane and columbia rivers. the outstanding physiographic feature of this area is its division into north-south trending areas of lowland with intervening highlands and mountain ranges. the rivers are, from east to west, the clark fork, colville, columbia, kettle, san poil and okanogan. not all intervening highlands are separately designated as mountains. among these named are the pend oreille, huckleberry, kettle river, and okanogan ranges. the part of eastern washington south of the okanogan highland province, save the extreme southeastern corner of the state, constitutes the columbia lava province. this is an extensive, relatively level plateau that lies mainly below , feet elevation. the plateau consists of gently folded lava flows that reach a depth of , feet in some places (russell, ) and slope inward from the east, north, and, in part, the west (flint, ). these horizontal layers of basalt are extremely resistant to erosion by other than large rivers. two great gashes cross the plateau diagonally from the northeast to the southwest; these are moses coulee and the grand coulee. these old coulees are the former valleys of the columbia river, and were formed at the time when the course of the river was successively blocked by the advance of pleistocene ice. the snake river crosses the southern edge of the columbia lava province and separates the plateau proper from an area of similar land to the southward. [illustration: fig. . columbia river one mile west of kellers ferry, washington, elevation , feet, april , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] the blue mountains province is an area of relatively small extent in the extreme southeastern corner of the state of washington. there, the province concerned constitutes, as it were, a northward extension of the blue mountains of oregon. the mountains rise to only , feet elevation in the washington part of the blue mountains province. distributional areas the physiographic provinces are areas of land form. the form of the land has a considerable effect on the temperature, humidity, drainage, weathering, soil, and other non-organic features that combine to produce the various life-zones and influence the distribution of mammals. one might therefore expect a close correlation of mammalian distributional areas with physiographic provinces. although there is a correlation, it is not exact because the distribution of mammals is influenced also by certain other factors. among these are historical factors and isolation by geographic barriers. [illustration: fig. . mammalian distributional areas of washington. a. western washington. b. cascade mountains. c. northeastern washington. d. blue mountains. e. southeastern washington. f. yakima valley. g. columbian plateau.] the cascade mountains province of culver includes the yakima valley area. this province contains two completely different mammalian distributional areas. the higher mountains possess a boreal, alpine fauna; the cascade range itself is called the cascade area in this report. the yakima valley area possesses a desert fauna derived from the desert of eastern oregon. the land west of the cascades is separated into three physiographic provinces, the puget sound, willapa hills, and olympic mountains province. the differences between the mammalian faunas of the puget sound and willapa hills provinces are slight. the olympic mountains possess a few species not found in the lower areas. the similarities of the faunas of the three provinces far outnumber their differences, and it seems best to consider them subdivisions of one distributional area. [illustration: fig. . cascade mountains in chelan national forest, looking southwest at straight ridge; cataract creek (methow watershed) at left. (forest service photo. no. .)] the okanogan highland province extends, from a physiographic point of view, west of the okanogan river valley. this valley, however, is a fairly efficient barrier to mammals. thus the part of the state east of the okanogan valley and north of the east-west flow of the spokane and columbia rivers may be called the northeastern washington distributional area. the columbia lava province includes the land both north and south of the snake river. since the snake river serves as a barrier to some species, it seems better to term the area north of the snake river the columbian plateau area and that to the south the southeastern washington distributional area. the blue mountains province and the blue mountains distributional area are the same. [illustration: fig. . yakima park (or sunrise park), elevation , feet, mount rainier, august , . (photo by th photo section, washington national guard, no. - a- .)] [illustration: fig. . columbia river at hunters ferry, stevens county, washington, april , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer. no. .)] [illustration: fig. . blue mountains, umatilla national forest, washington, looking north-northeast across al williams ridge to tucannon river; . (forest service photo, no. .)] physiographic provinces distributional areas cascade mountains { cascade mountains { yakima valley puget sound } willapa hills } western washington olympic mountains } okanogan highlands northeastern washington columbia lava { columbian plateau { southeastern washington blue mountains blue mountains climate and vegetation the life-zone theory of plant and animal distribution was proposed by merriam ( ). merriam's life-zones have been severely criticized by many authors, especially because an error was made in computing some of the data on temperature. however, zonation of vegetation and animals is obvious in washington, and the life-zone concept has been employed in washington by numerous botanists and zoölogists. among them are: piper ( ), taylor and shaw ( ), jones ( , ) and st. john ( ). the higher parts of the cascade mountains are in the arctic-alpine life-zone. this is the area of wind-swept ridges, living glaciers, and permanent snow fields. trees are absent but a few shrubs are present; these include: _juniperus sibirica_, _salix cascadensis_, _salix nivalis_, _gaultheria humifusa_, _empetrum nigrum_, and the heathers, _phyllodoce glanduliflora_, _cassiope mertensiana_ and _cassiope stelleriana_. jones ( ) lists a total of species of plants from the arctic-alpine life-zone of mount rainier. many of these plants are most abundant in the next life-zone lower, and are of but incidental occurrence in the arctic-alpine life-zone. no mammalian species is resident but individuals of several species regularly visit and occasionally breed there. below the arctic-alpine the hudsonian life-zone stretches the entire length of the cascades. temperatures are low, especially in winter; then the thermometer does not rise above zero for weeks at a time. the average annual temperature at paradise, feet, mt. rainier, is . ° (all temperatures given here are in degrees fahrenheit). snowfall is heavy. the average yearly snowfall, for four years, at mt. baker lodge, at feet elevation, whatcom county, was inches; at goat lake, feet, snohomish county, inches; tye, stevens pass, feet, king county, inches; paradise, feet, mt. rainier, inches. the deepest snow recorded at paradise was feet, inches on april , . following the spring thaws the mountain passes are opened to travel, usually in april or may, although nightly temperatures in april and may are still below zero. spring precipitation is heavy, the monthly average for a twelve-year period at paradise being . inches in april and . inches in may. summer temperatures are high in the daytime, when the sun beats down through the rarefied atmosphere, but cool at night when accumulated heat is lost through the thin atmospheric blanket. in summer precipitation is light, averaging, at paradise, . inches in june, . inches in july, and . inches in august. in the autumn the temperature, both daily and nightly, drops somewhat, and rain and cloudiness are the rule. at paradise the average precipitation in september is . inches and in october . inches. the winter snows usually arrive by the middle of november. trees that are characteristic of parts of the hudsonian life-zone include the alpine fir (_abies lasiocarpa_), mountain hemlock (_tsuga mertensiana_), alaska cedar (_chamaecyparis nootkatensis_) and white-barked pine (_pinus albicaulis_). the following shrubs are listed by jones ( ) as common in the hudsonian life-zone on mt. rainier: _salix barclayi_, _salix commutata_, _juniperus sibirica_, _alnus sinuata_, _ribes howellii_, _lutkea pectinata_, _potentilla fruticosa_, _sorbus occidentalis_, _spiraea densiflora_, _pachistima myrsinites_, _arctostaphylos nevadensis_, _arctostaphylos uva-ursi_, _cassiope mertensiana_, _cassiope stelleriana_, _phyllodoce empetriformis_, _rhododendron albiflorum_ and _gaultheria ovalifolia_. [illustration: fig. . north side of mount rainier, , feet, with mount adams at left and mount st. helens at right. june , . (photo by th photo section, washington national guard, no. - a- .)] there are extensive coniferous forests in the canadian life-zone, still lower on the mountain slopes. this is an area of lesser temperature extremes than is the hudsonian life-zone. the average annual temperature at longmire, feet, mt. rainier, is . °. the average temperature for the winter months, however, is below freezing. in july and august the temperatures are high, especially in the daytime. the eighteen year average for longmire during these months is . °. snow is regular but the fall is lighter than in the hudsonian life-zone. the annual average, over a period of nineteen years, is . inches at longmire. precipitation is similar to that in the hudsonian life-zone, averaging perhaps slightly less. in the cascades the typical feature of the canadian life-zone is the extensive coniferous forest that extends, almost without a break, the entire length of the cascades on both sides of the main crest. in addition to douglas fir, the following trees occur in this forest: western hemlock (_tsuga heterophylla_), amabalis fir (_abies amabalis_), white pine (_pinus monticola_) and noble fir (_abies nobilis_). other plants include _vaccinnium ovalifolium_, _vaccinnium membranaceum_, _menziesia ferruginea_, _alnus sinuata_, _acer circinatum_, _sorbus cascadensis_, _cornus canadensis_, _clintonia uniflora_, _stenauthium occidentale_, _galium oreganum_, and _prenanthes lessingii_. saprophytes abundant in, if not confined to, this zone are listed by jones as: _monotropa uniflora_, _monotropa hypopitys_, _allotropa virguta_, _newberrya congesta_, _pterospora andromedea_, _corallorrhiza maculata_, _corallorrhiza mertensiana_ and _corallorrhiza striata_. west of the canadian life-zone in the western cascades, the coniferous forests merge with the lowland forests of western washington. to the east of the canadian life-zone in the eastern cascades, there is a distinct change to a more arid climate and flora. at leavenworth, feet, chelan county, the annual average precipitation is but . inches and at cle elum, feet, but . inches. temperatures are higher, the annual average of the above two localities being . ° and . ° respectively. the winter months are cold, with the average temperature in january and february below freezing. in summer the averages in july and august at leavenworth are . ° and . °, with the average maximum being . ° and . °. snowfall is heavy, the yearly average at leavenworth being . inches and at cle elum . inches. the effect of this more arid climate is seen in the vegetation. the dense douglas fir forest, is replaced by more open forests of yellow pine (_pinus ponderosus_). groves of oak (_quercus garryana_) are found near streams. the open forests give way to the extensive grasslands bordering the desert. the transition of vegetation is similar to that occurring in the yakima valley area. in the yakima valley area, arid conditions prevail. the average yearly precipitation at yakima is . inches. only in november, december and january may more than one inch of precipitation be expected monthly. snow may be expected in the winter months and the yearly average snowfall is . inches. winter temperatures are low, the average for december and january being but slightly above freezing. summer temperatures are extreme; the july average is . ° and the average maximum for the same month is °. the highest temperature recorded is °. the open pine forests of the eastern cascades give way to grasslands. grasses of several species are common but the bunchgrass (_agropyron spicatum_) is most important. other plants include the primrose (_oenothera pallida_), lupines (_lupinus_), and _mertensia_. in ravines and near watercourses such shrubs as hawthorn (_crataegus douglasii_), service-berry (_amelanchier cusickii_, _amelanchier utahensis_), aspen (_populus tremuloides_), syringa (_philadelphus lewisii_), snowberry (_symphoricarpos albus_), choke-berry (_prunus melanocarpa_) and elderberry (_sambucus caerulae_) form thickets. lower in the valley the vegetation is xerophytic, similar to that of the columbian plateau. sagebrush (_artemisiae tridentata_) is dominant. other shrubs include rabbit brush (_chrysothamnus nauseosus_, _chrysothamnus viscidiflorus_), hop sage (_grayia spinosa_), black sage (_purshia tridentata_) and greasewood (_sarcobatus vermiculatus_). [illustration: fig. . mount rainier. washington: cowlitz chimneys from base of dege peak, july , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] climatic conditions in the olympic mountains are, in general, similar to those of the higher cascade mountains. there is a limited area of arctic-alpine life-zone on mount olympus. the principal life-zone is the hudsonian. the canadian merges with the lowland humid-transition and is difficult to ascertain as a separate zone. in the hudsonian life-zone the average temperatures are low. winter climate is bitter and the snow lies deep. in the absence of government weather stations in the olympics, detailed descriptions of climatic conditions can not be given. vegetation of the hudsonian life-zone of the olympic mountains is, in general, similar to that of the same life-zone of the cascades (see jones, , botanical survey of the olympic peninsula). the lowlands of western washington have a cool, humid climate. the average annual temperature of the area varies little from °. in winter the temperature, especially in january and february, commonly drops below the freezing point at night. summer temperatures are moderate, rarely reaching °. snowfall is light, averaging about inches. the prevailing winds are from the west and are moisture-laden. they rise over the olympic mountains and loose heavy rains along the coastal area of the lowlands. the average annual precipitation at la push, clallam county, is . inches; at clearwater, jefferson county, . inches; at aberdeen, grays harbor county, . inches; at south bend, pacific county, . inches. in contrast, the more inland areas receive less than half as much precipitation. the yearly average at bellingham is . inches; at seattle, . inches; at tacoma, . inches; at vancouver, clark county, . inches. the outstanding feature of the vegetation of western washington is the coniferous forest. previous to the logging activities a dense cover of douglas fir, western hemlock and red cedar spread almost unbroken over the area. the openings in the forest and the marshy ravines and river valleys supported growths of underbrush and deciduous trees so dense and luxuriant as to compare with a tropical jungle. in the dense rain forests along the coast, mosses and lichens develop an understory vegetation many inches deep and clothe the branches of the forest trees. the mild temperature and excessive rainfall cause some species that usually are of bush or shrub size to reach the proportions of small trees. in some places one can climb twenty feet from the ground in a huckleberry tree, the trunk of which is five inches in diameter. the coniferous forest is made up of several species of trees. most important among these are the western hemlock (_tsuga heterophylla_), douglas fir (_pseudotsuga taxifolia_), and red cedar (_thuja plicata_). locally the western yew (_taxus brevifolia_), lodgepole pine (_pinus contorta_) and spruce (_picea sitchensis_) may be common. deciduous trees are numerous and include several willows (_salix_ sp.), aspen (_populus tremuloides_), hazel (_corylus californica_), alder (_alnus oregona_), oak (_quercus garryana_), broadleaf maple (_acer macrophyllum_), vine maple (_acer circinatum_), and flowering dogwood (_cornus nuttallii_). mosses and ferns are abundant. the sword fern (_polystichum munitum_) and bracken (_pteridium aquilinum_) are especially common. space prevents listing all but a fraction of the typical shrubs but these include huckleberry (_vaccinium parvifolium_, _vaccinium ovatum_), oregon grape (_berberis nervosa_), salal (_gaultheria shallon_), rose (_rosa gymnocarpa_), thimbleberry (_rubus parviflorus_), salmonberry (_rubus spectabilis_), blackcap raspberry (_rubus leucodermis_) and wild blackberry (_rubus macropetalus_). the higher parts of some of the ranges of northeastern washington are in the hudsonian life-zone, but most of the mountains are in the canadian life-zone. the valleys are in the transition life-zone. climatic conditions are similar to those of the eastern slopes of the cascades. winter temperatures are low, the average for december, january and february being below freezing. summer temperatures are high, the july average for colville being . ° and the july average maximum being . °. vegetation consists principally of coniferous forests in the mountains and deciduous woods in the valleys. among the interesting features of the vegetation are the extensive stands of almost pure larch (_larix occidentalis_). in most respects the flora closely resembles that of the blue mountains. the blue mountains of southeastern washington differ from other ranges in washington in their relative aridity. there are few streams and a single river drains the area. there are no government weather stations in the blue mountains. the winter temperatures are low and the snow deep and lasting. summer temperatures are high and humidity and precipitation low. coniferous forests of the type of arid regions form the principal tree cover. typical plant species include the white fir (_abies grandis_), alpine fir (_abies lasiocarpa_), larch (_larix occidentalis_), spruce (_picea columbiana_), and such shrubs as fool huckleberry (_menziesia ferruginea_), _pachystima myrsinites_, dogwood (_cornus canadensis_), wild current (_ribes petiolare_), mountain mahogany (_cercocarpus ledifolius_), spirea (_spiraea_ sp.), lupines (_lupinus_) of several species, maple (_acer douglasii_), buckbrush (_ceanothus sanguineus_), sticky brush (_ceanothus velutinus_), and huckleberry (_vaccinium membranaceum_). [illustration: fig. . a "pothole" being crowded by drifting sand, ten miles south of moses lake, washington, march , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] the columbian plateau and southeastern washington present desert conditions. at odessa, feet, lincoln county, the average annual precipitation is only . inches, and only in the winter may more than one inch of precipitation per month be expected. the average temperature is . °. in the winter the average is below freezing but in july it is . °. the average maximum for july is ° and an extreme of ° is recorded. walla walla, feet, has a higher annual precipitation ( . inches) but higher temperature (yearly average . °, july average . °, average july maximum . °, extreme °). winter temperatures on the columbian plateau are low. the january average at odessa is . ° and at walla walla . ° the average yearly snowfall at odessa is . inches and at walla walla . inches. vegetation of the columbian plateau and southeastern washington is of the desert type. a few pines and junipers grow in favored places. along streams the cottonwood (_populus hastata_) and willow (_salix_) of several species are common. most typical are grasses and shrubs such as the bunch grass (_agropyron inerme_, _agropyron spictatum_), foxtail (_alopecurus aequalis_), cheat grass (_bromus tectorum_), saltbrush (_atriplex truncata_), greasewood (_sarcobatus vermiculatus_) mustard (_arabis_ sp., _brassica_ sp.), sagebrush (_artemisia rigida_, _artemisia tridentata_), rabbit brush (_chrysothamnus nauseosus_, _chrysothamnus viscidiflorus_) and cactus (_opuntia polyacantha_). the arid climate of the columbian plateau affects, to some extent, surrounding areas. thus the yakima valley area, the columbia valley, where it borders the plateau, and the okanogan valley possess vegetation typical of the columbia plateau. life-zones and ecology the transition life-zone is the principal life-zone in washington. it is divisible into three subdivisions: humid, arid-timbered and arid-grasslands (fig. ) subdivisions. the humid and arid-timbered subdivisions of the transition life-zone are closely related in some respects but different in others. they are separated by the cascade mountains. all of the transition life-zone west of the cascades belongs to the humid subdivision and the timbered transition life-zone east of the cascades belongs to the arid-timbered subdivision. [illustration: fig. . life-zones of washington. arctic-alpine not shaded. a. hudsonian and canadian (mapped together). b. forested transition (humid and arid subdivisions). c. arid-grasslands of the transition. d. upper sonoran.] the arid-grasslands are of minor geographic extent. although this subdivision is relatively distinct as concerns the distribution of plants, insects and birds, it is of little importance as concerns the distribution of mammals. for the most part, the mammals occupying it are more representative of surrounding areas. large parts of the arid-grasslands have been taken over for agriculture, especially wheat raising. perhaps the greatest extent of the arid-grasslands existing in a natural state is along the eastern cascade mountains and along the eastern side of the columbian plateau. these are truly transition areas, situated where the arid pine forests are replaced by open, sagebrush desert. [illustration: fig. . arctic-alpine life-zone, mount rainier, washington: cowlitz glacier from elevation of , feet. (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer. no. .)] the upper sonoran life-zone includes the desert areas of washington (figure d). its principal extent is the central columbian plateau. from the central columbian plateau, fingerlike projections of desert extend along the principal valleys. the arctic-alpine life-zone occurs in the high olympic mountains and on the higher peaks of the cascades. this is shown on the life-zone map, fig. , as white, unshaded areas. the mammalian faunas of the hudsonian and canadian life-zones resemble each other closely. the boundary between them is too complex to permit separating them on a small-scale map. consequently they are mapped together on fig. as a. the humid subdivision of the transition life-zone this subdivision is remarkably uniform in composition over western washington. the greatest difference is in precipitation. rainfall along the coast is heavier than that in the interior. consequently vegetation is more dense and luxuriant along the coast. four habitats may be distinguished in the humid subdivision and further subdivision is possible. the dominant and most extensive habitat is the forest. dominant mammalian species include: _peromyscus maniculatus_, _sorex trowbridgii_, _sorex obscurus_, _tamiasciurus douglasii_, _clethrionomys californicus_, _aplodontia rufa_, _glaucomys sabrinus_ and _odocoileus hemionus_. mammals are scarce and nocturnal forms prevail. as a rule, a line of mouse traps set in a forest habitat will take principally _peromyscus maniculatus_ with a few _sorex trowbridgii_ and _sorex obscurus_ and rarely a _clethrionomys californicus_. in some places, especially where the moss is deep, a line of mouse traps will catch only shrews. [illustration: fig. . humid subdivision of the transition life-zone, headley's marsh, five miles east of granite falls, washington, june , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] a second important habitat is the deciduous jungle. this differs from the forest habitat in that the dominant trees are of the deciduous type and in that understory vegetation, such as shrubs and annuals, is dense. the jungle habitat occurs in ravines and in valleys of streams and rivers and, in general, covers the lower, poorly drained portions of the humid subdivision of the transition life-zone. mammals are abundant and varied in the jungle habitat. the deer mouse (_peromyscus maniculatus_) is the most common mammal but a line of mouse traps might also catch: _neurotrichus gibbsii_, _scapanus orarius_, _sorex vagrans_, _microtus oregoni_, or _zapus p. trinotatus_. the mountain beaver, snowshoe rabbit, and townsend chipmunk also occur there. the prairies form a third habitat. these areas of native grasslands are of minor extent but are the principal home of several races of gophers and the townsend mole (_scapanus townsendii_). deer and elk also browse on the prairies. [illustration: fig. . timbered arid subdivision of the transition life-zone, kettle falls on the columbia river (now beneath coulee dam backwater), stevens county, washington, june , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] a fourth habitat is the marsh. in it there is here included the sphagnum bogs and marshy shores of lakes and streams. this habitat is characterized by damp ground, standing water, and dense vegetation. typical mammalian species include the water shrew (_sorex bendirii_), townsend meadow mouse, muskrat and mink. other habitats, such as aerial for the bats and aquatic for the beaver and otter, might be listed. the arid timbered subdivision of the transition life-zone in washington the arid timbered subdivision of the transition life-zone is the open, pine forest. because of the aridity of this habitat, marshes and streamside thickets are uncommon, but where habitats of this kind do occur they have a fauna distinct from that of other habitats. the pine forest habitat includes many diurnal species, such as the red squirrel, yellow-pine chipmunk, and columbian ground squirrel. the white-tailed deer occurs here and, for most of the year, the mule deer. snowshoe rabbits are usually present. near rocks the bushy-tailed wood rat is common. mice are scarce, probably because of the open nature of the surface of the ground. a night's trapping usually yields only a few _peromyscus maniculatus_. the mammalian fauna of the marshes and streamside thickets is similar. shrews including _sorex vagrans_ and _sorex obscurus_ are uncommon. meadow mice, including _microtus pennsylvanicus_, _microtus longicaudus_, and more rarely _microtus montanus_, are taken. the arid grasslands subdivision of the transition life-zone this subdivision is so much utilized by man where it occupies any considerable areas, and is of such a transitional nature elsewhere, that it is important for only a few native wild mammals. the sagebrush vole (_lagurus curtatus_) seems to be confined to the arid grasslands. the white-tailed jack rabbit is now found principally in the arid grasslands, but its confinement there has resulted probably from competition with the black-tailed jack rabbit. the montane meadow mouse (_microtus montanus_) is the only common, representative species. many species from the upper sonoran life-zone extend into the arid grasslands where conditions are suitable. these include _reithrodontomys megalotis_, _perognathus parvus_, _citellus washingtoni_ and _marmota flaviventris_. a few species more typical of the arid timbered subdivision of the transition life-zone stray onto the arid grasslands. _citellus columbianus_ and _microtus longicaudus_ may be included here. the upper sonoran life-zone the sagebrush desert in washington is relatively uniform in nature. several different habitats may be distinguished, such as sandy areas, open sage, dense sage, stony ground, and talus. qualitatively, however, the mammalian fauna of these areas is surprisingly similar. quantitatively, there are great differences. for example, the grasshopper mouse is rare in the open sage areas with hard, claylike soil but common on drifted sand. the harvest mouse is common in dense sage but rare in open sage or in open, sandy areas. mammals are abundant on the sagebrush desert and typical species include: the black-tailed jack rabbit, nuttall cottontail, ord kangaroo rat, great basin pocket mouse, townsend ground squirrel, washington ground squirrel. marshes are not uncommon on the columbian plateau and elsewhere in the upper sonoran life-zone in washington. they do not possess a fauna that is strictly upper sonoran but instead contain species more typical of the arid-timbered subdivision of the transition life-zone. meadow mice found in desert marshes include _microtus montanus_ and _microtus pennsylvanicus_. the only shrew we have found is _sorex vagrans_. the harvest mouse (_reithrodontomys megalotis_) is often abundant in marshes. [illustration: fig. . upper sonoran life-zone, sand and basalt cliffs along the east bank of the columbia river, at vantage, washington, . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] the canadian life-zone the canadian life-zone is a relatively uniform area in which the forest habitat is most important. talus and swift, cold streams bring some typical mammalian species into the canadian life-zone from the hudsonian. mammals are usually common; they are abundant only in the upper portion of the life-zone. arboreal species and forms adapted to life beneath the forest cover are dominant. the douglas squirrel, red squirrel, northern flying squirrel and townsend chipmunk are typical arboreal species. traps set beneath the trees might catch _peromyscus maniculatus_, _clethrionomys gapperi_, _neotoma cinerea_, _sorex obscurus_, or _sorex trowbridgii_. [illustration: fig. . canadian life-zone forest on mount rainier, washington, elevation , feet, september , . western hemlock, douglas fir, western red cedar, and grand fir. (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] the hudsonian life-zone in washington the hudsonian life-zone is of greater diversity than any other. frost and steep slopes have formed great masses of talus and, in this talus, certain species of mammals, such as _ochotona princeps_, _marmota caligata_ and _marmota olympus_ are found. other species, such as the golden-mantled ground squirrels, mountain chipmunk, bushy-tailed wood rat, red-backed mouse and long-tailed meadow mouse find the talus an ideal home. glacial action has produced, in the hudsonian life-zone, numerous level or concave areas that contain small lakes and slow-moving streams. dense, herbaceous vegetation is abundant nearby. small mammals abound and a line of mouse traps will almost certainly catch a few such typical species as: _sorex palustris_, _sorex obscurus_, _microtus oregoni_, _microtus richardsoni_, _microtus longicaudus_ and _zapus princeps_ as well as the ever present _peromyscus maniculatus_. the shrew-mole or heather vole might also be taken, though the latter is more apt to be found in nearby heather meadows. table . distribution of mammals in washington by life-zones. _a._ abundant. _c._ common. _r._ rare. column headers: a: humid transition b: arid-timbered transition c: arid-grasslands transition d: upper sonoran e: canadian f: hudsonian ===========================================+===+===+===+===+===+=== species and subspecies. | a | b | c | d | e | f -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- neurotrichus gibbsii gibbsii | | | | | ? | c -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- gibbsii minor | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- scapanus townsendii | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- orarius orarius | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- orarius schefferi | | | | c | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- orarius yakimensis | | | | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- sorex cinereus cinereus | | r | | | r | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- cinereus streatori | r | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- merriami merriami | | | | r | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- trowbridgii trowbridgii | a | | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- trowbridgii destructioni | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- vagrans vagrans | a | | | | r | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- vagrans monticola | | c | c | a | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- obscurus obscurus | | | | | r | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- obscurus setosus | c | | | | c | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- palustris navigator | | | | | c | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- bendirii bendirii | a | | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- bendirii albiventer | c | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- microsorex hoyi washingtoni | | r | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- myotis lucifugus carissima | | | c | c | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- lucifugus alascensis | a | | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- yumanensis sociabilis | | | c | c | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- yumanensis saturatus | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- keenii keenii | r | | | | r | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- evotis evotis | | r | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- evotis pacificus | r | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- thysanodes thysanodes | | | | r | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- volans longicrus | c | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- volans interior | | c | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- californicus californicus | | | r | r | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- californicus caurinus | a | c | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- subulatus melanorhinus | | | r | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- lasionycteris noctivagans | a | a | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- corynorhinus rafinesquii townsendii | r | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- rafinesquii intermedius | | r | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- pipistrellus hesperus hesperus | | | | r | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- eptesicus fuscus bernardinus | a | a | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- lasiurus cinereus cinereus | r | r | r | r | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- antrozous pallidus cantwelli | | | r | r | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- ursus americanus altifrontalis | a | c | | | a | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- americanus cinnamomum | | a | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- chelan | | | | | r | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- procyon lotor psora | a | | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- lotor excelsus | | r | r | c | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- martes caurina caurina | | | | | a | c -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- caurina origenes | | | | | a | c -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- pennanti | r | | | | r | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- mustela erminea invicta | | c | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- erminea gulosa | | | | | c | c -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- erminea murica | | r | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- erminea fallenda | r | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- erminea streatori | r | | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- erminea olympica | r | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- frenata nevadensis | | c | c | c | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- frenata effera | | a | c | c | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- frenata washingtoni | | | | | c | c -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- frenata altifrontalis | a | | | | c | c -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- vison energumenos | c | c | c | c | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- gulo luscus luteus | | | | r | r | r -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- lutra canadensis pacifica | c | r | r | r | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- spilogale gracilis saxatilis | | | r | r | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- gracilis latifrons | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- mephitis mephitis hudsonica | | a | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- mephitis major | | | r | r | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- mephitis notata | | c | r | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- mephitis spissigrada | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- taxidea taxus taxus | | c | c | c | r | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- vulpes fulva cascadensis | | | | | | r -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- canis latrans lestes | c | a | a | a | c | r -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- latrans incolatus | | a | c | c | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- lupus fuscus | r | r | r?| | r | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- felis concolor missoulensis | | c | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- concolor oregonensis | c | c | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- lynx canadensis | | | | | r | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- rufus fasciatus | a | | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- rufus pallescens | | a | c | c | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- tamias minimus scrutator | | | | c | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- minimus grisescens | | | | r | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- amoenus caurinus | | | | | a | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- amoenus felix | | | | | a | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- amoenus ludibundus | | | | | a | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- amoenus affinis | | a | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- amoenus canicaudus | | a | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- amoenus luteiventris | | c | | | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- ruficaudus simulans | | c | | | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- townsendii townsendii | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- townsendii cooperi | | c | | | a | r -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- marmota monax petrensis | | | | | r | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- flaviventris avara | | r | c | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- caligata cascadensis | | | | | r | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- olympus | | | | | c | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- citellus townsendii townsendii | | | | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- washingtoni | | | c | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- columbianus columbianus | | a | c | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- columbianus ruficaudus | | a | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- beecheyi douglasii | | a | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- lateralis tescorum | | | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- lateralis connectens | | | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- saturatus | | c | | | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- tamiasciurus hudsonicus richardsoni | | a | | | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- hudsonicus streatori | | a | | | a | r -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- douglasii douglasii | a | a | | | a | c -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- sciurus griseus griseus | c | c | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- glaucomys sabrinus oregonensis | c | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- sabrinus fuliginosus | | | | | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- sabrinus columbiensis | | a | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- sabrinus latipes | | a | | | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- sabrinus bangsi | | r | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- perognathus parvus parvus | | | c | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- parvus lordi | | | c | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- parvus columbianus | | | | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- dipodomys ordii columbianus | | | | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- thomomys talpoides devexus | | | | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides columbianus | | | | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides aequalidens | | | a | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides wallowa | | | | | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides fuscus | | a | c | r | c | c -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides yakimensis | | | c | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides shawi | | | | | c | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides immunis | | | | | a | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides limosus | | c | a | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides douglasii | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides glacialis | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides tacomensis | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides pugetensis | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides tumuli | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides yelmensis | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides couchi | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- talpoides melanops | | | | | c | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- castor canadensis leucodonta | a | a | | c | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- canadensis idoneus | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- onychomys leucogaster fuscogriseus | | | | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- reithrodontomys megalotis megalotis | | | c | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- peromyscus maniculatus oreas | a | | | | a | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- maniculatus hollisteri | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- maniculatus austerus | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- maniculatus rubidus | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- maniculatus gambelii | | c | r | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- maniculatus artemisiae | | a | r | r | c | c -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- neotoma cinerea occidentalis | | c | r | a | c | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- cinerea alticola | | c | | | a | c -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- synaptomys borealis wrangeli | | | | | | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- phenacomys intermedius intermedius | | | | | c | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- intermedius oramontis | | | | | c | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- clethrionomys gapperi saturatus | | r | | | a | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- gapperi idahoensis | | r | | | a | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- gapperi nivarius | | | | | a | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- californicus occidentalis | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- microtus pennsylvanicus funebris | | a | r | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- pennsylvanicus kincaidi | | | | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- montanus nanus | | | a | c | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- montanus canescens | | c | a | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- townsendii townsendii | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- townsendii pugeti | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- longicaudus halli | | a | c | c | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- longicaudus macrurus | r | | | | c | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- richardsoni arvicoloides | | | | | c | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- richardsoni macropus | | | | | c | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- oregoni oregoni | a | | | | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- ondatra zibethicus osoyoosensis | a | a | | c | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- zibethicus occipitalis | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- zapus princeps oregonus | | | | | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- princeps kootenayensis | | | | | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- princeps idahoensis | | | | | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- princeps trinotatus | a | | | | c | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- aplodontia rufa rufa | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- rufa rainieri | | | | | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- erethizon dorsatum epixanthum | | a | r | c | a | r -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- dorsatum nigrescens | | a | r | c | a | r -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- ochotona princeps cuppes | | | | | | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- princeps fenisex | | | | | | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- orinceps brunnescens | | | | | c | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- lepus townsendii townsendii | | | c | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- californicus deserticola | | | c | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- americanus washingtonii | a | | | | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- americanus cascadensis | | c | | | a | c -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- americanus pineus | | c | | | a | c -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- americanus columbiensis | | a | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- sylvilagus nuttallii nuttallii | | | | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- idahoensis | | | | a | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- cervus canadensis roosevelti | a | | | | a | r -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- canadensis nelsoni | | c | | | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- odocoileus virginianus leucurus | a | | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- virginianus ochrourus | | a | | | | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- hemionus hemionus | | a | | | a | c -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- hemionus columbianus | a | | | | c | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- ovis canadensis canadensis | | a | a | a | a | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- canadensis californiana | | a | a | a | a | -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- oreamnos americanus americanus | | | | | | a -------------------------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+--- geologic history of washington the composition of the mammalian fauna of any area is dependent on several factors. these include the composition of the original fauna, species which have since invaded the area, and quantitative and qualitative changes that have occurred in the area. the latter two factors refer to changes in relative numbers or extermination of species through environmental changes or competition with other forms and evolutionary changes that have occurred in the species making up the mammalian fauna. our knowledge and understanding of the distribution and history of the species of mammals occurring in washington decreases rapidly as we go back in time. the distribution of the modern fauna at the present time is fairly well known. the distribution of species years ago is less well understood. this is especially true of certain game species and carnivores whose distribution has been altered by man. our knowledge of the distribution of mammals in the pleistocene and earlier times is based on fossil skeletons. such knowledge must necessarily be meager, for conditions favorable to fossilization and the preservation of fossils until their subsequent discovery by man, were not of common occurrence. in the cascades and in eastern washington, the miocene was a time of orogeny and great volcanism. great flows of lava, , feet thick in the snake river area (russell, ), emerging from fissures in the snake river area, formed the columbian plateau. the columbian basalt slopes inward centripetally from the eastern, northern, and western margins of the columbian plateau with an average descent of feet to the mile (flint, ). the dip of the lava flows results in the basalt-marginal course of the spokane and columbia rivers today, along the northern edge of the columbian plateau. the earlier part of the pliocene was a period of erosion and deformation. in the early pleistocene the five great volcanic cones of the cascades, mount baker, glacier peak, mount rainier, mount adams and mount st. helens were formed. in eastern washington a gentle folding of the miocene lava flows occurred. the folding took place slowly and the columbia river in its course along the eastern edge of the cascades cut through the folds as they formed, making a series of water gaps. farther south, the simcoe-frenchman hills anticline seems to have arisen more rapidly and the columbia river was forced eastward before it became impounded and rose over the barrier and plunged down, tearing out the great wallula water gap (flint, ). this gap is a mile wide, eight miles long and, in places, a thousand feet deep. the impounding of the columbia by the simcoe-frenchman hills anticline resulted in a lake several hundred miles in area. sediments deposited in this lake form the ringold formation. the ringold formation possesses a very early pleistocene mammalian fauna. the pleistocene was a time of great change in the mammalian fauna of the world. unfortunately the beautiful glacial sequence revealed in europe and the mississippi valley cannot be detected in washington. in western washington the deposits of the last continental glaciation and fluvial deposits of the last interglacial period almost everywhere obscure evidence of earlier glaciations. deposits of an earlier glaciation, named admiralty by bretz ( ), have been detected in places. deposits of greater age, that may represent a still earlier glaciation, have been noted. in eastern washington the only definite proof of multiple glaciation is of one glaciation preceding the last. this is the spokane glaciation of bretz ( ). that multiple glaciation in the sequence reported from the mississippi valley affected washington seems probable. the lack of evidence of a complete sequence is negative evidence. in western washington the earliest glacial deposits might be beneath the later deposits or they may have been removed or reworked by subsequent glaciations, whereas in eastern washington they may have been removed by subsequent glaciation and erosion. the time interval between the two known glaciations appears to have been of greater duration than the recent. the drift of the earlier period is sometimes found covered by the till of the later glaciation, and preserved by it. the early material is deeply weathered and all save the hardest pebbles and quartzites, for example, are rotten and disintegrate at the touch. in contrast, the later deposits are almost unweathered. pebbles are hard, and ring when struck. a zone of leaching and oxidation of the finer materials reaches a depth of some inches, below which the till is fresh. two names are currently applied to the last continental glaciation of the state of washington. that west of the cascade mountains, studied and described by bretz ( ), was termed "vashon." the interglacial cycle preceding it was called "puyallup." the glaciation of eastern washington has been called "wisconsin," after the mississippi valley terminology, by several writers. papers by flint ( , ) describe and map it. the vashon and wisconsin glaciations probably occupied the same time interval, although this has not certainly been established. in the present report i have used the term "vashon-wisconsin" in speaking of the entire period, or the glaciers both east and west of the cascades together. vashon, alone, is restricted to western washington and wisconsin to eastern washington. [illustration: fig. . extent of vashon-wisconsin ice over washington. the wisconsin and vashon glaciers have been connected through the mount rainier section of the cascades because it is thought that few or no mammalian species lived in the cascades north of mount rainier while the ice was in place. data generalized from flint ( ), bretz ( ), culver ( ) and other sources.] the vashon glaciation seems to have consisted of an ice dome centering in puget sound (the puget glacier of bretz, ) and flooding the lowlands from the olympic mountains to the cascade mountains. the southern edge of the puget glacier was slightly south of the present terminus of puget sound. fingerlike projections of ice were forced up valleys of the western cascades and the northern and eastern olympics. some of these upward moving fingers of ice met and coalesced with valley glaciers descending from the mountains. at the southern edge of the glacier, the black hills and porcupine hills remained above the ice although partially surrounded by it. the wisconsin glacier, according to flint ( ), was a great piedmont glacier, fed by valley glaciers from the cascades and coast ranges to the west and the rockies to the east. it extended from the idaho boundary to the cascade mountains. from the canadian boundary it sloped down to an approximate elevation of some feet at republic and to feet on the northern edge of the columbian plateau which was the southern edge of the glacier. the kettle river mountains, in almost the center of the glacier, remained a peninsula or driftless area that divided the glacier into two lobes. the pend oreille, huckleberry and other mountain ranges, formed nunataks, or islands above the ice, at the southern part of the glacier. the behavior of valley glaciers in the northern cascade mountains during vashon-wisconsin time, seems to have been variable. some depression of the snow line, at least in the north, seems probable. the vashon glacier impinged on the eastern, northern and to some extent the western, slopes of the olympic mountains. late pleistocene valley glaciers in the olympics, however, seem to have been inconsequential. the time of the retreat of the vashon-wisconsin glaciers is a subject of special interest to the mammalogist in that it represents time for invasion and dispersal of species and in that it represents generations of individuals upon which natural selection might act. it is generally agreed that a period of approximately ten thousand years has elapsed since the retreat of the vashon-wisconsin glaciers from washington. information on the climate of the state of washington previous to the period of the last continental glaciation is understandably meager. bretz ( ) considers the puyallup period a time of excessive precipitation and erosion. bits of lignite from puyallup sediments seem to be of douglas fir. presumably the climate was slightly warmer and more humid than it is today. vegetation possibly consisted of coniferous forests. with the advance of the vashon ice, mammals north of the ice border were all or mostly eliminated. climatic conditions south of the border of the ice probably were strongly affected by it. remains of mammoths have been found in vashon till. the presence of many non-boreal species of mammals in southwestern washington indicates their persistence there and that conditions therefore were not intolerable for them. probably the climate of southwestern washington was cool and dry. fir, spruce, and douglas fir may have been the dominant trees. hansen ( a: ) found evidence from studies of pollen that coniferous forests were growing in west-central oregon in late glacial time. these pollen studies of postglacial peat bogs by henry p. hansen give evidence of postglacial climatic changes. hansen points out ( b, c) that climatic changes west of the cascades were probably slight because of the influence of the pacific ocean. pollen profiles indicate an early, cool, dry climate followed by a warmer one and increasing humidity. the present climate may be considered cool and humid. most of western washington lies in the humid subdivision of the transition life-zone. [illustration: fig. . mcdowell lake, little pend oreille wildlife refuge, stevens county, washington, september , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] the pre-wisconsin climate of eastern washington is unknown. from the loessial nature of the palouse soil (bryan, ), a preglacial deposit, the area would seem to have been arid, probably a grassland or a sagebrush desert. if the fossil fauna discovered at washtuckna lake, adams county, is of this period, the forest conditions of the blue mountains were slightly more extensive than at present. the glacial climate of the columbian plateau in wisconsin time was probably cool and arid. pollen studies by hansen ( , ) indicate increasing dryness and warmth since the retreat of the wisconsin ice. present-day climate on the columbian plateau is warm and dry. the plateau is principally a sagebrush desert. the glaciated area to the north is cooler and more humid, supporting extensive forests of yellow pine and other conifers. the faunas we have mentioned elsewhere that three different mammalian faunas occur in washington. these may be described as follows. . the great basin fauna. this fauna is best typified by such genera as _perognathus_ and _dipodomys_. species that, at least in washington, are confined to this fauna are: _sorex merriami_ _tamias minimus_ _myotis thysanodes_ _perognathus parvus_ _myotis subulatus_ _dipodomys ordii_ _pipistrellus hesperus_ _onychomys leucogaster_ _antrozous pallidus_ _reithrodontomys megalotis_ _taxidea taxus_ _lagurus curtatus_ _marmota flaviventris_ _lepus californicus_ _citellus townsendii_ _sylvilagus nuttallii_ _citellus washingtoni_ _sylvilagus idahoensis_ the break between the great basin fauna and the other two faunas is extremely sharp, probably as a consequence of a sharp break in the flora. . the pacific coastal fauna. the mammals of the humid coastal district range from the fraser river, british columbia, southward to the vicinity of monterey bay, california. in washington typical genera are _aplodontia_, _neurotrichus_ and _scapanus_. the following species are typical of the pacific coastal fauna in washington: _neurotrichus gibbsii_ _tamiasciurus douglasii_ _scapanus townsendii_ _sciurus griseus_ _sorex trowbridgii_ _clethrionomys californicus_ _sorex bendirii_ _microtus townsendii_ _marmota olympus_ _microtus oregoni_ _tamias townsendii_ _aplodontia rufa_ some species which range outside this faunal area have strongly marked races confined to it. _glaucomys sabrinus oregonensis_ and _lepus americanus washingtonii_ are examples. the pacific coastal fauna is a forest fauna. like the great basin fauna, it reaches its northern limit of distribution in washington and is better represented farther south. unlike the great basin fauna, the break between the pacific coastal and the surrounding fauna is not sharp, because forests continue into the more boreal faunal areas to the north and east. there, some mingling of coastal and rocky mountain faunas occurs. . rocky mountain fauna. if this fauna be thought of as including mammals of the rocky mountains of the united states, and also those of the subarctic faunal area to the east of these mountains in canada, the species in washington are as follows: _sorex palustris_ _synaptomys borealis_ _microsorex hoyi_ _phenacomys intermedius_ _lynx canadensis_ _clethrionomys gapperi_ _marmota caligata_ _microtus richardsoni_ _citellus lateralis_ _ochotona princeps_ _citellus columbianus_ _lepus americanus_ _tamias amoenus_ _rangifer montanus_ _tamiasciurus hudsonicus_ _oreamnos americanus_ _glaucomys sabrinus_ of the three, the great basin fauna is the most distinct. only about twenty species which occur within the great basin faunal area, occur also outside of it in one or both of the two other faunal areas. most of these twenty are subspecifically different in the great basin faunal area as contrasted with one or both of the other areas. each of the other two areas has no less than species that are not restricted to it. speculation as to emigrational history of the mammals the present fauna of the state of washington was derived in part from asia and in part from native forms. great changes occurred in early pleistocene through emigration. by the late pleistocene most of the mammals now occurring in the state of washington were as they are today. the greatest changes that seem to have occurred in the late pleistocene are the extinctions of numerous groups, locally or totally. among the carnivores, matthew ( : ) reports remains of the great lion, _felis atrox_, associated with such familiar species as the badger, cougar, lynx and mountain goat. the great lion was very similar to the modern african lion but was fully a fourth larger. associated with the great lion in the california tar pits are the carnivorous short-faced bears (_tremarctotherium_), as large as the alaskan brown bears; dire wolves (_aenocyon_), larger than timber wolves; and saber-tooth tigers (_smilodon_). these forms were probably also present in washington in the late pleistocene. matthew (_loc. cit._) reports remains of the giant beaver, _castoroides_, from the silver lake deposit of oregon. this great beaver, as large as a black bear, was doubtless a resident of washington also. peccaries, camels, bison, horses and giant ground sloths have been recorded from pleistocene deposits of washington and nearby areas. of the elephant tribe, the mastodon and several species of mammoths were present. these extinct forms have doubtless exerted some influence on the past distribution of mammals in washington and possibly have had an effect on the distribution of members of the living fauna. one species of the mammoth, at least, existed in washington in postglacial time. remains of this form, _elephas columbi_, have been found in vashon till. the three faunas of washington can be placed in two categories. one is sonoran, essentially a desert type, and occupies the columbian plateau. the other two are forest faunas, predominantly boreal in complexion, and are closely related. the rocky mountain fauna is found in the blue mountains and in northeastern washington. the pacific coastal fauna is found in western washington. the ice sheets of vashon-wisconsin time descended southward to southern puget sound and to the northern edge of the columbian plateau. if the area of the ice sheet be superimposed on a map of distributional areas of washington, it is seen that the area occupied by the rocky mountain fauna in northeastern washington is eliminated. thus, at the maximum descent of wisconsin ice, the rocky mountain type of mammalian fauna was found only in extreme southeastern washington. no point of contact between the forest fauna of the rocky mountains and the fauna of the pacific coast exists, anywhere, because desert areas, or at least barren plains, lie between them from the border of the glaciers south to mexico. for the entire period, perhaps thousands of years long, while the glaciers were in place, the two forest faunas were separated. repeated separation of the faunas by successive glaciations is thought to be responsible for many of the differences now existing between them. following the retreat of the ice, the pacific coastal fauna extended its range northward to the fraser river and, in part, into the cascade mountains. the rocky mountain fauna invaded northeastern washington and boreal canada, including the pacific coast north of the fraser river. certain parts of the rocky mountain fauna also invaded the cascade mountains. inasmuch as the cascades were invaded by species from both faunas, a detailed analysis of the mammals existing there now seems justified. several significant features of the composition of the mammal fauna of the cascades are apparent. first, several species typical of the pacific coastal fauna are present, such as _neurotrichus gibbsii_, _sorex trowbridgii_, _sorex bendirii_, _tamias townsendii_, _microtus oregoni_ and _aplodontia rufa_. each of these species has no close relatives in the rocky mountain fauna and, save perhaps _sorex trowbridgii_, occupies a unique ecological niche and has no counterpart in the rocky mountain fauna. a second group includes species with close relatives in both the rocky mountain and pacific coastal faunas. this group is remarkable in that it is composed of either very closely related species or very strongly differentiated subspecies in each fauna. for example, the golden-mantled ground squirrel (_citellus saturatus_) of the cascade mountains is specifically distinct from _citellus lateralis_. supposedly the cascade form was isolated in the southern cascades during vashon-wisconsin time. the douglas squirrel (_tamiasciurus douglasii_) of the cascades, which has a red belly, is the same as the squirrel of the lowlands of western washington but is specifically distinct from the red squirrel (_tamiasciurus hudsonicus_) of the rocky mountain fauna, which has a white belly. in the extreme northeastern cascades the two species come together. they do not interbreed but seem to compete, for they do not occur together. the flying squirrel (_glaucomys sabrinus fuliginosus_) of the cascades is only slightly differentiated from other races of the rocky mountain fauna but is much different, as are all rocky mountain races, from the western washington subspecies (_glaucomys s. oregonensis_). the red-backed mouse of the cascades is _clethrionomys gapperi_, a species distinct from _clethrionomys californicus_ of western washington. the jumping mouse of the cascades is _zapus princeps trinotatus_, the same race that occurs in western washington. it is quite distinct from, and has previously been considered a species separate from, the races of the rocky mountain fauna. the snowshoe rabbit of the cascades is closely related to other races of the rocky mountain fauna but is distinct from _l. a. washingtonii_ of western washington. the pika (_ochotona princeps_) of the cascades was apparently isolated in the southern part of the range during the glaciation. after the retreat of the glaciers it extended its range northward. competition between two subspecies has resulted in parallel distributions due to relative body size. the two races freely intergrade and the differences between them are not so great as in the other forms mentioned. the third group of mammalian species of the cascades is composed of species typical of the rocky mountain fauna such as: _marmota caligata_, _synaptomys borealis_, and _orcamnos americanus_. each has no ecological counterpart in the pacific coastal fauna. each is absent from the cascades of oregon. we interpret the mixture of faunas in the cascades as follows: the vashon-wisconsin ice sheet was in place for a long period of time, longer, probably, than the recent. during this time, forest mammals of the pacific coast were isolated from forest mammals farther east by glaciers to the north and desert to the east. changes took place in both of the separated forest faunas. certain species, perhaps, such as the mammoth, became extinct. other forms were exterminated then or at an earlier time in one fauna or the other. if _aplodontia_, _neurotrichus_ or _scapanus_ occurred in the rocky mountain faunal area, it lived in an inland area of rigorous climate, and disappeared there because it was unable to adapt itself to the cold. in the mild climate caused by proximity of the ocean, mild even in vashon-wisconsin time to judge from evidence yielded by study of fossil pollens, primitive forms such as moles, the bendire shrew, and mountain beaver persisted along the coast, where there were no boreal conditions. some alpine forms, such as _marmota olympus_, _ochotona princeps brunnescens_ and _citellus saturatus_ persisted in the olympic or cascade mountains as relic species. on the whole, however, the glacial divergence resulted in a boreal forest fauna and a temperate forest fauna. in addition to change in component species, there were evolutionary changes in the species themselves. in some these were considerable, as shown by the differences between related forms of the two faunas. in most species, however, evolutionary changes have resulted in only subspecific differences. following the retreat of the glaciers and the establishment of vegetation on the deglaciated areas, movements of the faunas occurred. the rocky mountain fauna spread northward and westward, to northeastern washington and, in canada to the pacific, occupying most of the land exposed by the glaciers. the pacific coastal fauna spread northward only as far as the relatively slight barrier of the fraser river. the cascade mountains became a "no-man's land." the pika and golden-mantled ground squirrel of the southern cascades spread northward. boreal rocky mountain forms with no ecologic competitors from the pacific coastal fauna occupied the cascades. also, coastal species with no rocky mountain competitors occupied the cascades. nevertheless, some competition between members of the two faunas ultimately occurred, and in instances where closely related forms occurred in the two faunas, one or the other prevailed in the cascade range. for example, the douglas squirrel and big jumping mouse are now established in that range, but the relative of each occurring in the rocky mountains is present in the extreme northeastern cascades. it is possible that in these two cases, the related form occurring in the rocky mountains has just entered the area and that competition has just begun. with regard to the flying squirrel, red-backed mouse and snowshoe rabbit, the more boreal rocky mountain representatives have definitely displaced the coastal forms. certain mass movements of mammals are popularly believed to have occurred with the advance of the ice sheets of the pleistocene. the boreal birds and plants on higher peaks of the cascades and the sierra nevada of california are thought to represent relics of faunas that moved northward. such mass movements probably did occur and there is some evidence of their occurrence in washington. probably the pre-wisconsin flora of coastal british columbia consisted of coniferous forest similar to that of western washington today. if this were the case, the mammalian species in british columbia corresponded closely to those of western washington. an influx of such a fauna into coastal washington would scarcely be evident today if, indeed, it was noticeable even then. in eastern washington, forest species forced southward would come upon the barren, inhospitable plains and deserts of the columbian plateau. the greater part of the southward moving forms found refuge in the cascade mountains where, for most of wisconsin time, they were isolated in the southern cascades. examples are _sorex palustris_, _martes caurina_, _martes pennanti_, _gulo luscus_, _vulpes fulva_, _lynx canadensis_, _tamias amoenus_, _thomomys talpoides_ (_douglasii_ group), _phenacomys intermedius_, _microtus richardsoni_ and _ochotona princeps_. in each of these species little or no subspecific variation has occurred between the populations in the cascades of washington and the cascades of oregon. while the ice sheet existed in washington there may have been relatively little movement of the mammalian fauna. there is definite evidence of a brief contact between the rocky mountain fauna of the blue mountains and the fauna of the southern cascades. for example, the pocket gopher of southeastern washington (_thomomys talpoides aequalidens_) is most closely related to the gopher of the simcoe anticline, and the long-tailed meadow mouse (_microtus longicaudus halli_) of the blue mountains closely resembles the meadow mouse of the yakima valley. mammals of the blue mountains and those of the southern cascades may have come into contact on the simcoe-horseheaven hills anticline, which now stretches miles from the cascades to the wallula water gap. excepting the easternmost miles, it is timbered. east of the columbia, a continuation of the anticline and other hills reaches to the blue mountains. supposedly, in wisconsin time, this anticline possessed a more humid climate and the habitat was essentially the same as that of an alpine meadow today. the forms on the two ends of the anticline that are closely related inhabit humid, meadow habitat. in an earlier paper, dalquest and scheffer ( : ) named this connection the simcoe bridge. its existence was so strongly indicated by the distribution of pocket gophers in washington that we supposed that the study of many other species would show that they crossed this bridge. however, study of additional species shows that for them the simcoe bridge was of only slight importance; there appears to have been but little mingling of the fauna of the blue mountains and the cascades by way of the bridge. the columbia river probably acted as an effective barrier to many forms that might otherwise have utilized it. the forms that did cross on this bridge are species known to be active in winter and to emigrate over considerable areas through tunnels under the snow (davis, : ). the pocket gopher and long-tailed meadow mouse may have crossed the columbia, under a cover of snow, when the river was frozen over. the columbia has frozen over at the wallula water gap in historic times. [illustration: fig. . pend oreille river (or clark fork of the columbia) from a point near newport, washington, looking south, june , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] great movements of mammal species came after the retreat of the vashon-wisconsin ice. the greatest of these was the spread of the rocky mountain fauna northward and eastward to the pacific. in this process, northeastern washington was inhabited by animals that probably came from idaho and montana. some of the species from farther north, as for example the caribou, may first have been forced into idaho and montana by the glaciers. the invasion of northeastern washington probably was not a mass movement of an entire fauna, because invasion seems to be still going on. as yet the woodchuck and striped ground squirrel of the pend oreille mountains have not crossed the columbia river, a relatively minor barrier in northeastern washington. the mountains west of the columbia are occupied instead by the yellow-bellied marmot, a member of the great basin fauna, and there is no ecologic counterpart in these mountains of the golden-mantled ground squirrel. also the invasion of the cascade mountains by a number of rocky mountain species may have been an intermittant or gradual movement. the red squirrel and rocky mountain subspecies of jumping mouse now are present in the extreme northeastern cascades, where they possibly arrived relatively recently. the squirrel is competing with the coastal species already present and may eventually supplant it. the same may be true of the two forms of jumping mouse. the invasion by the rocky mountain fauna was rapid as compared with that of the pacific coastal fauna. evidence of this was presented in an earlier paper (dalquest and scheffer, : ), where it was shown that the gophers of the _douglasii_ group, isolated during the vashon time in the southern cascades, made only a few feeble postglacial movements and then only when conditions were ideal. in this same time the _fuscus_ group of gophers moved from idaho and virtually surrounded the range of the _douglasii_ group. this tendency to immobility seems to have been characteristic of every member of the pacific coastal fauna. if the retreat of the vashon and wisconsin glaciers occurred at the same time, both faunas had an equal opportunity to invade the deglaciated area. yet, the pacific coastal fauna actually moved northward along the coast only to the fraser river area, and slightly farther in the cascades. possibly the two glaciers retreated at different times. the wisconsin glacier was a piedmont glacier, fed by valley glaciers to the west and east, and may have disappeared when the feeder glaciers dried up. the vashon glacier was instead an ice cap, supposedly self-supporting much in the same manner as is the greenland ice cap, and may have persisted longer than the wisconsin glacier. if it did persist longer it formed a barrier to the northward emigration of coastal species of mammals. possibly, also, the whole of the pacific coastal fauna possessed an inherent sluggishness resulting from their long residence in the uniform climate and habitat of the pacific coast. certainly the species show today great habitat specialization as compared with species of the rocky mountain fauna. also, there are fewer individual mammals per unit of area in western washington than in northeastern washington. the persistence of the vashon glacier, an inherent lack of incentive to emigrate, or retention of a favorable environment, may account for the relatively small area invaded by the pacific coastal fauna. the olympic mountains, on the olympic peninsula, rise above the timber-line and are surrounded by forested lowlands which in a sense isolates this mountain range. early workers, notably elliot, obtained specimens of mammals from the olympics and described numerous races, principally, it appears, on the supposition that because the range was somewhat isolated it should possess a unique fauna. subsequent revisions of groups of mammals have indicated that most of the names proposed, on the basis of specimens from the olympics, were either invalid or pertained to mammals found also in the cascades. the mammals of the olympic peninsula appear to be divisible into three groups. a majority of them fall within the first group, namely coastal races possessing wide ranges in the lowlands of western washington. the second group consists of species of the rocky mountain fauna but with close relatives in the cascades. the third group includes but two forms, both unique and found only on the olympic peninsula. the first group includes nonalpine forms of the lowlands surrounding the olympic mountains. for the most part these are identical with races of the puget sound area. a few are slightly differentiated from the mammals of the puget sound area but are the same as mammals from southwestern washington. as will be shown later, some differentiation in the pacific coastal fauna has occurred. this is thought to be evolution _in situ_, rather than the result of mass movements. many nonalpine coastal mammals occur in alpine habitat in the olympics. the second group consists of species of the rocky mountain fauna. their relationship to the mammals of the cascades is indicated in the two parallel columns below. olympics cascades _sorex palustris navigator_ _sorex palustris navigator_ _martes caurina caurina_ _martes caurina caurina_ _martes pennanti_ _martes pennanti_ _tamias amoenus caurinus_ _tamias amoenus ludibundus_ _phenacomys intermedius oramontis_ _phenacomys intermedius oramontis_ _clethrionomys gapperi nivarius_ _clethrionomys gapperi saturatus_ only two of these are racially distinct from their relatives in the cascades. of these the chipmunk is a plastic species and breaks down into many races in washington. the chipmunks of the olympics and of mt. rainier are so similar that howell ( : ) considered them as identical and mapped mount rainier as an isolated part of the range of the olympic form (see account of _t. a. caurinus_). the relationship of the red-backed mice, also, is close, but has been obscured by the usual assumption of relationship between _californicus_ (_occidentalis_) and _gapperi_. the principal difference between the alpine forms is the pallor of _nivarius_. this pallor of mammals in general from the olympic mountains is noteworthy, but in the red-backed mouse is exceptionally noticeable. this pallor is discussed beyond in the paragraphs dealing with differentiation. mention should be made here of _myotis keenii_. this is a species which seems to have extended its range to washington from the north. the power of flight, of course, removes it from consideration in attempting to reconstruct routes followed by terrestrial mammals. the route of the pocket gopher (_thomomys_) in emigrating from the cascades to the olympics (dalquest and scheffer, : ), was over the outwash train of the mount rainier glaciers, especially the nisqualli glacier, to the extensive outwash aprons of the vashon glacier around southern puget sound, and thence into the olympic mountains. under the conditions in early postglacial time this invasion route, hereinafter termed the puget bridge, around the pleistocene lake russell (present puget sound), is thought to have been mainly an alpine meadow. indeed, the isolated prairies remaining today are the unforested remnants of the outwash aprons (see dalquest and scheffer, : ) and possess several species of alpine plants, notably the shooting star, camas, and bear grass. if the vashon glacier remained in place considerably longer than the wisconsin glacier, these rocky mountain species may have invaded the cascades from northeastern washington and travelled around the southern edge of the puget glacier or of lake russell. the close relationship of the races involved, however, suggests that the emigration took place much more recently. the barriers to such movement even today are slight, consisting principally of narrow areas of forest. for the water shrew, an almost continuous water habitat still exists, by way of the nisqualli river, streams in the puget sound area, and the satsop river in the olympics. tree-living forms such as the fisher and marten might easily travel the intervening distance today, and, by going along the forests north of the chehalis river, reach the olympics without crossing more than small streams and virtually without descending to the ground. chipmunks and mice probably utilized the prairie or meadow area of the puget bridge, as did the gophers. considering the long existence of the puget bridge, it is surprising that such forms as the pika, water rat and golden-mantled ground squirrel did not cross to the olympics. these forms are, however, species of the higher or eastern slopes of the cascades. the third group of olympic mammals includes the white-bellied water shrew and the olympic marmot, both indigenous forms. the bendire water shrew, _sorex bendirii albiventer_, is not restricted to alpine habitat but occurs throughout the olympic peninsula. its nearest relative is _s. b. bendirii_ of the rest of western washington. _s. b. albiventer_ differs from _bendirii_ only in possessing a partially white ventral surface. we can only conclude that the white belly of _albiventer_ is a mutation that the local environment has favored and that the characters have, therefore, spread through the population on the olympic peninsula. occasional specimens are taken with dark bellies characteristic of _bendirii_ (jackson, : ). the olympic marmot, _marmota olympus_, specifically distinct, and apparently the only preglacial relic species of alpine mammal in the olympics, is most nearly related to _marmota vancouverensis_ of the unglaciated mountains of vancouver island, british columbia. both _olympus_ and _vancouverensis_ are close relatives of _marmota caligata_ which ranges southward into the cascades of washington. the columbia river in its course westward through the cascade mountains, might be expected to act as a highway for the movement of mammals, but the extent to which it has done so seems to be slight, at least in postglacial time. the pocket gopher of southwestern washington reached the area about vancouver from the southern cascades by way of meadows on the gravel terraces of wisconsin glacial drift. no other mammal seems to have extended this far. several great basin species, such as the cottontail, extend westward in the valley of the columbia to the vicinity of bingen. the mammals of western oregon and southwestern washington are closely similar as are the plants and climate, despite the fact that the broad columbia river courses through the area and did so all through recent and pleistocene times. many species would be expected to have crossed this barrier by swimming and rafting, and that they did so is indicated by the large number of mammals which are identical or very closely related on the two sides of the river. mammals which seem not to differ on the two sides of the river include: _scapanus townsendii_ _citellus beecheyi_ _scapanus orarius_ _tamias townsendii_ _sorex trowbridgii_ _sciurus griseus_ _sorex vagrans_ _glaucomys sabrinus_ _canis lupus_ _castor canadensis_ _felis concolor_ _microtus townsendii_ _lynx rufus_ _microtus oregoni_ _mephitis mephitis_ _ondatra zibethicus_ _spilogale gracilis_ _zapus princeps_ _procyon lotor_ _odocoileus hemionus_ _ursus americanus_ the following mammals are subspecifically distinct in western washington and western oregon: washington oregon _sorex bendirii bendirii_ _sorex bendirii palmeri_ _sorex obscurus setosus_ _sorex obscurus bairdi_ _neotoma cinerea occidentalis_ _neotoma cinerea fusca_ _peromyscus maniculatus austerus_ _peromyscus maniculatus rubidus_ _clethrionomys californicus _clethrionomys californicus occidentalis_ californicus_ _microtus longicaudus macrurus_ _microtus longicaudus abditus_ _aplodontia rufa rufa_ _aplodontia rufa pacifica_ the following species are found in western oregon but do not occur in western washington: _vulpes fulva_ _phenacomys albipes_ _urocyon cinereoargenteus_ _microtus canicaudus_ _neotoma fuscipes_ _thomomys bulbivorus_ _phenacomys silvicola_ _lepus californicus_ _phenacomys longicaudus_ _sylvilagus bachmani_ several of these mammals which occur south of the river but not north of it are common on the south bank, a few miles from favorable but uninhabited territory on the north. seemingly the pre-vashon faunas of western oregon and washington were similar. some species became extinct in washington in the course of vashon isolation. others persisted. the very close relationship of the mammals of the first group indicates some crossing of the river. the best known of such crossings was that of the beechey ground squirrel which, previous to , was unknown in washington. in , when there was no man-made bridge at white salmon, it crossed the river and since has spread over an area of at least square miles. the distribution of the mountain beavers is unusual in that the form in the lowlands of washington is indistinguishable from the subspecies in the cascades of oregon. the mammals that are racially distinct on the two sides of the columbia river merit careful scrutiny. the _peromyscus_ of the two sides more closely resemble one another than those of southern oregon resemble those of northern oregon or than those of southern washington resemble those of northern washington. for _peromyscus maniculatus_, the columbia river is simply a convenient boundary for the separation of two slightly different races. the oregon race of the bushy-tailed wood rat is a coastal type but the washington form is the same as that of eastern washington. seemingly the more eastern race spread to an unoccupied habitat in western washington. other races that differ on the two sides of the columbia probably developed while separated by the river. [illustration: fig. . rocky bluff along north bank of the columbia river near lyle. washington. march . . habitat of beechey ground squirrel and yellow-bellied marmot. (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer. no. .)] the san juan islands now possess a limited mammalian fauna. unfortunately the activities of man have somewhat changed the native populations, especially by the introduction of the domestic rabbit which is now a serious pest in the islands. the douglas squirrel, present on blakeley island, is said to have been introduced and one resident claims to have first brought it to the island. two different persons claim credit for introducing the townsend chipmunk on orcas island but do not account for its presence on lopez island. the three mammals most abundant and widely distributed in the islands are _sorex vagrans_, _peromyscus maniculatus_ and _microtus townsendii_. these species, at least, probably reached the islands at an early time. the two last named are now subspecifically distinct from their mainland relatives. other mammals which probably were established before the arrival of the white man include the mink, otter, beaver, muskrat, raccoon and black-tailed deer. the great basin fauna of eastern washington exists as three units, one on the columbian plateau, another in southeastern washington and the third in the yakima valley area. the desert species of the yakima valley are more closely related to the species of eastern oregon than they are to those of the columbian plateau. in a number of respects the columbian plateau gives indications of age. the ground squirrel, _citellus washingtoni_, is related to, but specifically distinct from _citellus townsendii_ of the yakima valley and eastern oregon. _perognathus parvus lordi_ is a well-marked race, as is _microtus pennsylvanicus kincaidi_ and _thomomys talpoides devexus_. we suppose that these species were present on the columbian plateau at least through the recent and probably through all of wisconsin time. the loess deposits of eastern washington seem to have been laid down in wisconsin and recent times. these indicate an arid climate which, although probably cool, was probably not so cold as to exterminate these species. on the other hand, some species that are now abundant on the columbian plateau seem to have arrived there relatively recently. the black-tailed jack rabbit, for example, was unknown in eastern washington before when it appeared in walla walla county. in it crossed the snake river on ice and invaded the columbian plateau where it rapidly spread over the whole area. in january, , it crossed the columbia in two places and spread over the yakima valley. the known facts of this movement were sufficiently impressive to cause the author to study rather closely the distribution of mammals in this area. the collection of bones from a cave along the columbia river near vantage, grant county, on the columbian plateau, is especially helpful in this respect. this cave was first visited in . it had been the habitat of owls, bats, and primitive man. the floor of the cave was buried under from one to three feet of bat guano, much of which had been hauled away for fertilizer. here and there we found traces of fire and occasional piles of mussel shells. some arrowheads and one beautiful obsidian spear head were found, all buried in guano and about midway between the floor and the top of the deposit. remains of mammals were abundant through the bat guano, and apparently had been brought to the cave both by man and owls. the jaw of a mountain sheep was found. this species was known to be present when the first settlers reached the area (cowan, : ). the remains of smaller mammals included gopher, pocket mouse, muskrat, meadow mouse, deer mouse, coyote and white-tailed jack rabbit. no remains of cottontail, black-tailed jack rabbit or harvest mouse were found. the absence of the cottontail was especially surprising, in that fully thirty skulls of white-tailed jack rabbits were noted. the grasshopper mouse (_onychomys_) was also absent, but this species is not common. the two rabbits and the harvest mouse, however, are abundant in the area today. the cottontail and harvest mouse have only recently been recorded from the okanogan valley of british columbia (cowan and hatter, : ). the black-tailed jack rabbit has never been taken there. apparently then, some species have only recently entered the upper sonoran life-zone of eastern washington. they have, of course, reached the state from oregon. the first step in the invasion probably was the occupation of southeastern washington. no barrier prevents mammals from reaching southeastern washington from eastern oregon but the columbia to the north and west prevents them from occupying the yakima valley, and the snake river prevents them from reaching the columbian plateau. the kangaroo rat, great basin striped skunk and great basin spotted skunk now are at this stage of invasion. the second stage was the crossing of the columbia river to the yakima valley. this has been accomplished by the black-tailed jack rabbit and, earlier, by the pocket mouse, _perognathus parvus parvus_, and ground squirrel, _citellus townsendii_. the third stage was the crossing of the snake river and occupation of the columbian plateau. the final stage is the crossing of the northern columbia river and occupation of the okanogan valley. speculation as to the later distributional history of the mammals whereas it is probable that a few of the species now occurring in washington evolved there, most are immigrants from other areas. the success of a given species in any area is dependent on numerous factors which may be classified under food, shelter from the elements, protection from enemies and safe breeding places. the factors may be of an inorganic nature, such as climate, soil and exposure or they may be organic, such as vegetation, competition for food and response to enemies. abundance results in population pressure and a tendency for the range of a species to expand. mammalian populations are dynamic and change in accordance with alterations in environment. because the later geologic history of the state of washington was violent, with resultant changes in climate and geography, the mammalian populations and the distribution of the species have changed much. with changes in environment, rare species may become common; common and widespread species may become rare or extinct; species foreign to the area may enter, become established and affect the distribution of other forms. subspecies are groups of individuals with similar genetic components or are groups of microgeographic races. in instances where the phenotypic expression of these similar genetic factors, or the "characters," are, as a unit, uniformly different from those of animals of the same species in another geographic area, it is convenient to give recognition to the two kinds by separate subspecific name. intergradation between two geographically adjacent subspecies occurs, directly or where impassable barriers separate them, indirectly by way of one or more other subspecies. subspecies of mammals are geographic races, which means that to warrant recognition by subspecific name, there must be a logical geographic range in addition to morphological characters. timofeef-ressovsky ( , ) advances the theory of harmoniously stabilized gene-complexes to account for the persistence of subspecies. the persistence of subspecies as genetic units has been best explained, i feel, by sumner ( : - ) who theorizes as follows: . the number of young produced by a subspecies is greater than the carrying capacity of the land they occupy, at least at certain times or in some years. . population pressure results, with a tendency of individuals to emigrate outwards, to the border of the range of the subspecies, where the population pressure is less. . the outward moving tendency keeps the center of the range of the subspecies genetically "pure." . the peripheral wave continues, as long as favorable habitat is encountered, until an oppositely directed wave of another race is encountered. . areas of intergradation represent local mingling of genetic factors and do not affect the "pure" individuals of the central part of the range of the subspecies. certain aspects of this hypothesis are strongly supported by the distribution of mammals in washington. witness the rapid invasion of _citellus beecheyi_ and _lepus californicus_ in washington, and the eastern cottontail in western washington and the domestic rabbit in the san juan islands. the volume of the "wave of population pressure" where no opposing force is met, is scarcely believable. in seven years the eastern cottontails released in southwestern washington multiplied from a maximum of individuals to a minimum of , . competition between subspecies where their ranges come into contact seems to be exceptional. _peromyscus maniculatus oreas_ and _p. m. austerus_ seem to afford an example of this. however, in a few cases subspecies seem to be determined in part by adaptation to restricted environments; each race lives only where local conditions favor its respective adaptations. in the pocket gophers, where restricted habitat and fossorial habits cause numerous microgeographic races, these microgeographic races may be potential subspecies. this is especially true in the puget sound area, where six races occur in a small area. these races meet all the requirements of subspecies and are recognized as such. it should be pointed out, however, that these races and probably many other races produced by isolation, may represent degenerative mutations of the type mentioned by wright (in huxley, ). the principal differences of such races seem to have resulted from the loss of factors of original multiple factor series, with resultant homogeneity of the race. inherent variability is another thing that has to be taken into account when considering the differentiation of the mammals of washington into subspecies. the pocket gopher is an extremely plastic species, especially in washington, whereas the douglas squirrel is less so. the flying squirrels, the yellow-pine chipmunk and the snowshoe rabbit are the other plastic species. these species are not so likely to break up into numerous subspecies over all of their ranges as they are in washington where in a small area the topography is highly varied. the range of the one subspecies, _tamias amoenus amoenus_, to the southeast of washington is larger than the combined ranges of all six races occurring in washington but, so far as i can see, the topography and environment are no more varied in washington than in the mentioned area to the southeast of it. the range of one subspecies, _lepus americanus americanus_, in canada is several times larger than the entire state of washington, in which four races are found. the shrews are poor subjects for a study of differentiation, principally because their small size makes it difficult to see morphological variations that may be present. the difficulty is increased because cranial sutures become ossified at an early age. although it is difficult to evaluate the differentiation in them, there is some. the bats, especially the _myotis_, are less restricted by geographic barriers than are terrestial mammals. nevertheless, obvious differentiation exists. the larger predatory mammals and the artiodactyls are able to move over large areas, at least in the breeding season, but in these animals also, some differentiation has occurred. the greatest changes, other than the extinctions, to occur in the mammalian fauna of washington since the late pleistocene, are changes in distribution. the interglacial cycle preceding the vashon-wisconsin glaciation was of far greater duration than the recent. presumably the mammalian fauna had, from a distributional standpoint, reached a relatively stable condition. the descent of the vashon-wisconsin ice destroyed the stability and set parts of the fauna in motion. probably no stability was reached before the ice began to recede, and when it did so the previous movements of the various species were, at least in part, reversed. stability has not yet been reached by the mammalian fauna of washington. great changes have occurred in historic times and other changes probably are under way at present. in the following pages an attempt has been made to interpret the probable late pleistocene and recent distributional history of the species of mammals occurring in washington. the interpretations are made in the light of what is known of the physical history of the state and are to be accepted as such rather than as evidence for the conclusions made concerning the physical history of the state of washington and adjacent areas. scapanus townsendii.--probably this animal was confined to the humid transition life-zone of the pacific coast since the pliocene. scapanus orarius.--this species probably had a history similar to that of _townsendii_ up to the late pleistocene. it seems slightly more adaptable than _townsendii_, and to be able to extend higher into the mountains. the distribution of the subspecies _orarius_ is almost exactly that of _s. townsendii_. in oregon, _orarius_ extended eastward over the cascades where the subspecies _schefferi_ developed. perhaps this subspecies developed since the pleistocene and since that time extended along the columbia river valley to southeastern washington. the race _yakimensis_, in the yakima valley area, is closely related to _schefferi_, and seemingly could have been developed from a stock of _schefferi_ that migrated westward across the simcoe bridge. neurotrichus gibbsii.--the history of _neurotrichus_ in north america was probably similar to that of the two species of _scapanus_. it tolerates environmental differences to about the same degree that _scapanus orarius_ does but occurs much farther south (monterey county, california) than _s. orarius_. this may be because _neurotrichus_ has no counterpart to compete with it in the south, whereas _scapanus orarius_ must compete in northern california with the morphologically similar _scapanus latimanus_. _s. orarius_ stops short at this place and _s. latimanus_ occupies all the territory to the south. the shrew-mole of the lowland of washington (_n. g. minor_) probably became distinct from the mountain subspecies (_gibbsii_) in vashon-wisconsin time. sorex cinereus.--it is reasonable to suppose that the cinereous shrew had a continuous range across the forested area of british columbia in pre-wisconsin time. without having been isolated, the dark coastal race (_streatori_) may have developed from the wider-ranging inland _cinereus_, as a response to the denser, humid, coastal forest-habitat, after having been forced southward to washington by the vashon glaciation. since that time it is presumed to have reoccupied the coast of british columbia and southern alaska. this coastal race might have developed in vashon time, while isolated in southwestern washington. the cascades are populated by a race of the rocky mountain fauna, _s. c. cinereus_, which probably entered the cascades from northeastern washington or british columbia in recent time. the absence of the species in western oregon, its rarity in western washington, and its abundance farther north suggest a northern origin and northward rather than southward postglacial movement. had the full species _cinereus_ been a preglacial resident of western washington we would expect _streatori_ or a race related to it to occur in the cascades. sorex merriami.--the periphery of the range of this member of the great basin fauna may have been in southeastern washington since pre-wisconsin time. sorex trowbridgii.--this shrew is a typical pacific coastal species with an extensive range along the pacific coast south of washington. the washington population may have been isolated in southwestern washington during vashon time or may have crossed the columbia into washington from western oregon early in the recent. since the retreat of the ice it has extended northward to southern british columbia and eastward to the eastern side of the cascades. save for crossing the cascades its postglacial movements have been slight, as is typical of pacific coastal species. the race _destructioni_ probably has been isolated on destruction island for several thousand years. sorex vagrans.--this species probably has had a continuous range over the western united states since the late pleistocene. the dark coastal race (_vagrans_) probably was differentiated from the paler races of the great basin in response to the more humid climate along the coast. sorex obscurus.--the history of this shrew of alpine predilection probably corresponded closely to that of _sorex cinereus_. the derivation of the dark, long-tailed, coastal race (_s. o. setosus_) from the smaller, paler, inland race (_obscurus_) probably occurred before vashon-wisconsin time. _sorex o. setosus_ is one of a complex of races distributed along the pacific coast from alaska to california. sorex palustris.--this species has a wide range in north america and extends southward in the cascade-sierra nevada chain to southern california. its extensive range at present in this mountain chain suggests that it was resident in the cascades previous to wisconsin time. mountain water shrews probably reached the olympic mountains from the cascades by way of the puget bridge in early recent time. sorex bendirii.--this pacific coastal species probably had a history very similar to that of _neurotrichus_ and _scapanus orarius_. the difference between the bendire water shrews of western washington and western oregon indicates that the washington population was separated from the shrews of western oregon during vashon time. the white-bellied race of the olympic peninsula is probably of local origin. microsorex hoyi.--the washington record of this shrew at loon lake, stevens county, is in an area where mammals typical of the rocky mountain fauna occur. myotis lucifugus.--the dark race of this species (_alascensis_) may have persisted through the glacial period in southwestern washington. the race _carissima_, of the great basin fauna, may have entered the state since the glacial period, from the south, of course. habitat selection determines their range at present. myotis yumanensis.--the dark, coastal race (_saturatus_) seems to be an established member of the pacific coastal fauna. unlike _lucifugus_, the coastal race is not found east of the cascades. the race _sociabilis_, of the great basin, has doubtless entered the desert of eastern washington from eastern oregon. myotis keenii.--the southernmost record station for this north coastal species is on the olympic peninsula of washington. it probably developed in the humid, northern part of the pacific coastal area previous to the last pleistocene glaciation and extended its range to the south in vashon-wisconsin time. the range of tolerance in _m. k. keenii_ seems to be more restricted than that of _m. lucifugus alascensis_. myotis evotis.--in washington, the distribution of this bat is similar to that of _myotis lucifugus_. the dark, forest race probably originated in the north-coastal region. the paler race, that developed in the southwest, entered eastern washington from oregon. myotis thysanodes.--in washington this species has been recorded only in the southeastern part where the great basin fauna occurs. it probably originated in the southwestern united states, and a point in british columbia a little way north of washington marks the northern edge of its natural range. myotis volans and myotis californicus.--remarks made about _myotis lucifugus_ apply also to these two species. myotis subulatus.--the northwestern periphery of the range of this species seems to be in eastern washington. lasionycteris noctivagans.--undifferentiated subspecifically from coast to coast, no basis is provided for judging the route by which this species entered the state. pipistrellus hesperus.--the northwestern periphery of the range of this bat, also, lies in eastern washington. eptesicus fuscus.--big brown bats from both eastern and western washington seem to have been derived from the pacific coastal race of the species. presumably it extended its range westward across the cascades in early post-pleistocene time. lasiurus cinereus.--no speculation as to the distributional history of the hoary bat seems justified at present. corynorhinus rafinesquii.--the dark, coastal race of this bat probably persisted in southwestern washington and western oregon through vashon time and moved northward in the recent. the paler _intermedius_ probably invaded eastern washington from eastern oregon in the recent. antrozous pallidus.--this species strays into eastern washington from oregon as part of the great basin fauna. ursus americanus.--the dark, western race of the black bear (_altifrontalis_) and the paler, inland race (_cinnamomum_) were probably separated by a glacial divergence. the inland race has entered northeastern washington in the recent with other members of the rocky mountain fauna. ursus chelan, etc.--the apparent past distribution of _chelan_ indicates it to have invaded washington from british columbia since the pleistocene. the apparent absence of grizzly bears from the southern cascades and western washington may indicate their absence from these areas immediately before pre-vashon time, or their extermination in or shortly after that period. procyon lotor.--the raccoon of western washington seems to be the pacific coastal race which occurs also in western oregon and northwestern california. this indicates that the coastal race (_psora_) was confined to the coastal area south of washington during vashon time and has only recently reinvaded western washington. it is possible, though less likely, that raccoons existed in southwestern washington during vashon time but did not develop racial characters, or that the columbia was crossed so frequently that genetic differences were dispersed throughout the entire population. reasons why the second hypothesis is inadequate are: ( ) raccoons range but little north of the state of washington, both east and west of the cascades. ( ) raccoons of western washington and the area about san francisco bay, california, are as much alike as are raccoons from southwestern washington and northwestern oregon. it is thought that raccoons, if resident in western washington since interglacial time, would have developed strong racial characters, and the fact that they have not indicates that they have entered the state at a relatively recent date. the raccoon of eastern washington (_excelsus_) is a member of the great basin fauna and has probably included southeastern washington in its natural range for a long period of time. the raccoon has not extended its normal range into northeastern washington, although it is seemingly ideal raccoon habitat; only an occasional vagrant occurs there. a stock of raccoons from which emigrants might come has existed in southeastern washington and the yakima valley for some time. the columbia river might serve as a highway by which emigrants could reach northeastern washington. martes caurina.--the earlier distributional history of the western marten has been postulated by davis ( : - ), who stated: "when the ancestral stock split into the two groups, the one that gave rise to _americana_ may have pushed eastward across canada to the atlantic coast; the other, giving rise to _caurina_, may have migrated southward along the sierra nevada-cascade and rocky mountains. perhaps the great ice sheet was instrumental in pushing _americana_ eastward and separating it geographically from _caurina_." the present occurrence of _americana_ in alaska and british columbia is thought to have been by invasion from the east in postglacial time. davis' theory seems basically correct but subject to correction in detail. the presence of _caurina_ in the southern rocky mountains suggests that it is not a pacific coastal species in the common sense. had _americana_ occupied northern british columbia in pre-wisconsin time, it and not _caurina_ would be expected to occur in the southern rocky mountains today, for the form found in british columbia almost certainly would have been forced into the rockies. the range now occupied by _caurina_ in the rocky mountains is so extensive as to suggest that martens could not have migrated into all of it from the pacific coast since vashon time, even had the region been unoccupied by any species of marten. the presence of _americana_ in alaska and british columbia suggests that it arrived in those areas before _caurina_ and that had the rocky mountains been unoccupied by martens in pre-wisconsin time, _americana_ and not _caurina_ would have reached the rockies first. it appears that _caurina_ occupied much of western north america in pre-wisconsin time and was forced southward into the southern rocky mountains and along the pacific coast by vashon-wisconsin ice. the separation of _americana_ and _caurina_ may be supposed to have occurred before the pre-vashon-wisconsin interglacial interval, perhaps by a glacier similar to but antedating the vashon-wisconsin glaciation. the martens of western washington (_martes caurina caurina_) are a coastal race. those of northeastern washington belong to a race of the rocky mountain fauna, and are referred to _m. c. origenes_. davis ( : ) refers the martens of idaho to _martes caurina caurina_. i have compared specimens from idaho with animals trapped for fur from the pacific coast proper and feel that the animals from northeastern washington and those from idaho are more like _origenes_ than _caurina_, although perhaps not typical. the animals from the pacific coast proper are _caurina_ and have darker heads and brown instead of yellow patches on the throat. martes pennanti.--fishers are found throughout the cascade mountains and probably were widely distributed over western north america in pre-wisconsin time. mustela erminea.--the distribution of ermines along the coast of northern california and in the cascade-sierra nevada of oregon and california indicates, as does their differentiation there, that they ranged southward to these areas before and during vashon-wisconsin time. in immediate pre-vashon-wisconsin time, the dark race _streatori_ probably occurred in western washington. the race _murica_ probably occurred in the blue mountains then, as it does today, but probably occurred also in the cascades of washington. the descent of the vashon glaciers probably displaced _streatori_ from the northern part of its range, at least temporarily. in the cascades, _murica_ was likewise forced southward. ermines related to the northern _richardsonii_ were forced into northern washington and idaho by the wisconsin ice. they probably were unable to live on the barren, unglaciated plains of eastern washington but persisted in idaho. the ranges of the three forms at the maximum extent of the vashon-wisconsin may be reconstructed as follows: _streatori_ in southwestern washington; _murica_ in the southern cascades and the blue mountains; _invicta_ stock in northern idaho. while so isolated, the ermines of the southern cascades probably mingled, to a certain extent, with _streatori_ and developed the characters that now separate _gulosa_ from both _murica_ and _streatori_. the intermediate nature of _gulosa_ has been mentioned by hall ( : ). the retreat of the ice allowed _streatori_ to move north and _invicta_ to move north and east into washington and the northeastern cascades. to a lesser extent, _gulosa_ may have moved north. the poorly-marked race _olympica_ probably evolved from _streatori_ in the recent. it is difficult to account for the dark race _fallenda_. it must have evolved from _streatori_ in the recent but the origin of such a strongly marked race in such a short time is surprising. it might be mentioned that a similarly differentiated race of chipmunk, _eutamias amoenus felix_, occupies much the same range. mustela frenata.--the long-tailed weasels of the pacific coast behave as a plastic group and clearly show the effect of the vashon-wisconsin divergence. the range of the coastal race, _altifrontalis_, indicates that it was isolated in southwestern washington during vashon time. in that period, or shortly after, it extended its range southward but only along the extreme, coastal area of oregon (see hall, : ). following the retreat of the ice it extended its range northward to the deglaciated area of western washington. also following the retreat of the ice, a great basin subspecies (_nevadensis_) extended its range northward. this race seems to have been more adaptable and successful than other kinds of great basin mammals, for it extended its range farther northward, eastward and westward than most. a third race, _washingtoni_, was isolated in the southern cascade mountains during vashon time and became differentiated from both _altifrontalis_ and _nevadensis_. it is now found in the cascades from central oregon north to mount rainier. it is difficult to see why it did not extend its range to include the northern cascades when the glacial ice left, but it did not. instead _altifrontalis_ entered the northern cascades from the west and _nevadensis_ did the same from the east. weasels obtained in habitats north of mt. rainier are intergrades between _altifrontalis_ and _nevadensis_. one is reminded here of the _douglasii_ group of _thomomys talpoides_ in which subspecies did not move north of mt. rainier in postglacial time. the area north of mt. rainier was populated instead by gophers of the _fuscus_ group, subspecies of which invaded the area from the east. perhaps mt. rainier itself served as a barrier to alpine mammals in the immediate post-pleistocene. perhaps _mustela f. washingtoni_ will eventually extend its range northward, displacing the _altifrontalis-nevadensis_ intergrades from the habitats to which _washingtoni_ may be better adapted. the blue mountains of southeastern washington are occupied by a weasel (_effera_) that has a more extensive range in eastern oregon. the range of this race has probably not changed materially for a long period of time. one would expect the weasels from extreme northeastern washington to be referable to the race _oribasa_, of the rocky mountain fauna. instead they are intermediate between that race and the great basin race, _nevadensis_. apparently _nevadensis_ was so dynamic and adaptable that it actually entered the geographic ranges of surrounding races for some distance. in view of sumner's theory for the retention of subspecies, one might say that the population pressure of _nevadensis_ on the periphery of its range is stronger than the opposing pressure of some surrounding races. mustela vison.--pending a review of the minks of north america, little can be said concerning their historical distribution in the state of washington. from the general range of the species in western north america, one would expect some effect of the vashon-wisconsin divergence to be apparent. there is some evidence for this. minks from idaho and adjacent parts of british columbia are distinctly less reddish than minks from the area about puget sound, as noted by davis ( : ). gulo luscus.--the range of the subspecies _luteus_, peculiar to the cascades and sierra nevada suggest that the wolverine may have been forced southward in the cascades and there isolated during vashon time. the differences separating the southern race from the northern may have been developed while the two populations were isolated. the range of the wolverine was probably more extensive in glacial and immediate postglacial time than at present. lutra canadensis.--the otter of western washington seems to be a member of the pacific coastal fauna. little can be said regarding the distributional history of the species in the state, for specimens from eastern washington are not numerous enough to permit of a person certainly establishing their systematic position. spilogale gracilis.--the western race of the civet cat (_latifrons_) seems to be a coastal race, isolated in southwestern washington and western oregon during vashon time. the eastern race, _saxatilis_, is a race of the great basin fauna, that has entered the state from oregon and that will probably extend its range to the north. mephitis mephitis.--of the four subspecies of skunks occurring in washington, two seem to have been resident in the state during vashon time. the western race, _spissigrada_, was probably isolated in southwestern washington and extended its range northward, in the deglaciated area of western washington, after the retreat of the ice. another race (_notata_) was probably isolated in the southeastern cascades and adjacent oregon. _m. m. hudsonica_ of the rocky mountain fauna entered the northeastern part of washington after the ice retreated from there. a race of the great basin fauna, _major_, entered southeastern washington from oregon and may eventually extend its range farther north. it is interesting to note that both of the western races, _spissigrada_ and _notata_, both of which probably developed in washington during vashon time, occupy limited ranges in adjacent oregon (bailey, : ). taxidea taxus.--this species has probably long been resident on the columbian plateau and in southeastern washington. for the early distributional history of the species see hall ( : ). pleistocene remains, referable to this race, have been found in franklin county. vulpes fulva.--the red fox of the cascades was probably isolated there during vashon time by glacial ice. its range extends southward in the cascades to oregon. the fox of eastern washington is probably a member of the rocky mountain fauna that lived in the blue mountains of southeastern washington in wisconsin time and that emigrated to northeastern washington in recent time. canis latrans.--the distributional history of the coyote in washington is not clear. canis lupus.--the dark wolf (_fuscus_) of western washington is probably a coastal race. the race that may have occurred in northeastern washington probably was an invader from the rocky mountain fauna, and the race that possibly occurred in southeastern washington would be assumed to have long been a resident of the area. felis concolor.--the cougar of western washington is a coastal race, probably developed while isolated in southwestern washington and western oregon. the cougar of northeastern washington probably entered the state with other rocky mountain species, early in the recent. the cougar of the blue mountains of southeastern washington has probably long been resident there. lynx rufus.--the bobcat of western washington seems to be a coastal race that was isolated in either southwestern washington or western oregon by vashon ice. it has since extended its range into southern british columbia. the bobcat of eastern washington seems to be a member of the great basin fauna that has spread to some forested areas on the periphery of the more arid life-zones. lynx canadensis.--the lynx is an element of a northern fauna that was probably forced southward into the cascades and rocky mountains. its range was probably more extensive, as is indicated by the scattered records of its occurrence in oregon (bailey, : ). marmota monax.--the woodchuck invaded northeastern washington in the early recent with the rocky mountain fauna. marmota flaviventris.--the yellow-bellied marmot is a typical member of the faunas of the great basin and the southern rocky mountains. it has doubtless entered southeastern washington from eastern oregon at an early time. in northeastern washington, west of the columbia river, it occupies alpine habitat, but it does not occur farther east, where _marmota monax_ is found, or in the cascades where _marmota caligata_ lives. the yellow-bellied marmots are great wanderers, and commonly are found in scattered outcrops far out on the columbian plateau. there is even one record for western washington, near bellingham, whatcom county. this individual must have crossed some low pass in the cascades from the area about lake chelan. there are records of eastern washington birds occurring in this same area, so it seems likely that the marmot was a natural stray and not an animal that escaped from captivity. marmota caligata.--the absence of the hoary marmot from the cascades of oregon, and the presence there of _marmota flaviventris_, indicates that the species did not occur in the southern cascades of washington during vashon time. presumably the hoary marmot is a member of the fauna of the northern rocky mountains and entered the cascades of washington in the recent, after which it spread widely and rapidly owing to lack of competition with any established species of marmot. marmota olympus.--this species has probably lived in the olympic mountains since pre-vashon time. citellus washingtoni.--this ground squirrel has probably lived on the columbian plateau since before wisconsin time. citellus townsendii.--the townsend ground squirrel probably entered the yakima valley area from oregon. the differences between it and its relatives in oregon indicate a considerable period of isolation but one far shorter than the period during which _washingtoni_ is presumed to have been isolated from _townsendii_. citellus columbianus.--the columbian ground squirrel might have been forced southward in the rocky mountain area by the wisconsin glaciation, might have lived in southeastern washington since then, and might have invaded northeastern washington in the recent with other species of the rocky mountain fauna. citellus beecheyi.--this ground squirrel is known to have entered washington about from oregon. citellus saturatus.--the mantled ground squirrel of the cascades probably evolved, from the _lateralis_ stock, as a separate species while isolated in the southern cascades during vashon time. it is a poorly differentiated species and may actually be instead a strongly marked subspecies. citellus lateralis.--the golden-mantled ground squirrels of northeastern and southeastern washington are closely similar. it is deduced that _connectens_ of southeastern washington developed the differences that characterize it while isolated, from the main stock, in the blue mountains area of washington and oregon. the race found in extreme northeastern washington (_tescorum_) probably reached that area in relatively recent times. its range in washington is more restricted than that of several other members of the rocky mountain fauna; areas of suitable habitat west of the columbia river are not inhabited by these ground squirrels. its range in washington is almost exactly that of (_marmota monax_). tamias minimus.--the least chipmunk of the yakima valley is the same race (_scrutator_) as that occupying the great basin area of oregon and nevada. it must have crossed the columbia in relatively recent times. had it been resident in the isolated yakima valley area for any considerable period of time, the development of distinctive racial characters there would be expected. perhaps, then, it has not been resident there as long as has the townsend ground squirrel which, though closely related to the ground squirrel of eastern oregon, is racially distinct. the least chipmunk of the columbian plateau is thought to be racially distinct from its relatives in the yakima valley and eastern oregon. probably it reached the plateau very early in the recent. it has probably not been separated from the parent stock as long as has the ground squirrel (_citellus washingtoni_) of the plateau. the ground squirrel is specifically rather than racially distinct. tamias amoenus.--the distributional picture of the yellow pine chipmunks in washington is complex. (fig. .) certain habits of these mammals doubtless have modified what was probably the original postglacial distribution of the species. chipmunks are diurnal and natural selective factors for color possibly operate more strongly on animals active by day than on nocturnal animals. yellow pine chipmunks are neither forest nor desert inhabitants. indeed, dense forests or open deserts serve as barriers to their distribution. they prefer brush lands, open woods, and other habitats where there is food and cover but abundant sunlight. in such habitats they are almost independent of altitude, temperature and humidity. they live in the olympic mountains where rainfall is heavy and humidity high. they live and breed at considerable altitudes in the cascades, even in the crater of mount rainier, where snow, ice and freezing conditions exist the year around. on the other extreme, they occupy the low, open pine forests and brush lands at the lower edge of the arid transition life-zone where temperatures, in summer, are high and rainfall scarce. we find in the present distribution of the species in the cascade-sierra nevada chain and the rocky mountains, indication that the species had a wide geographic range over western north america previous to the vashon-wisconsin glacial interval. probably the range of the species extended in an arc, from the rocky mountains across northern washington to the cascades, around the basaltic plateau desert in eastern washington and oregon. presumably the descent of the vashon-wisconsin glaciers broke this arc into two parallel geographic ranges, the rocky mountains and the cascade-sierra nevada chain, with a desert area between. almost every species of forest-dwelling animal had its range separated into two parts by the southward movement of the glaciers. most of these forest-dwelling species were composed of relatively homogeneous stocks, although the yellow pine chipmunk probably was not. the extensive range of tolerance of the yellow pine chipmunk to altitude and climate and its unique habitat requirements cause it to meet radically different natural selective factors. the predators of the chipmunks near wenatchee, chelan county, would include: rattlesnake, gopher snake, badger, striped skunk, prairie falcon, red-tailed hawk and other predominantly desert-dwelling species. the chipmunks at stevens pass, in the mountains to the west, would have to contend with: marten, black bear, goshawk, bald eagle and other alpine predators. at the present time, the chipmunk of the eastern cascades is racially distinct from that of the higher cascades. geologic and botanical evidence indicates that the columbian plateau was a desert in pre-wisconsin time. we suppose that a transition from alpine conditions in the cascades to desert conditions on the columbian plateau existed even in pre-wisconsin times. we suppose also that the chipmunk existed in this transition area and in the cascades before wisconsin time and in the southern and southeastern cascades during wisconsin time. we further suppose that the differences separating the transition area race (_tamias amoenus affinis_) from the mountain race (_t. a. ludibundus_) came about through natural selection and not as a result of geographic isolation. the principal difference between the two is the paler color of the race in the transition area. the descent of the vashon-wisconsin glaciers, then, found two races of the yellow pine chipmunk in the cascades. chipmunks living north of the columbian plateau, in northern washington and british columbia, were probably forced southward onto the inhospitable plains of the plateau and exterminated. farther east, north of northeastern washington, chipmunks from the north were probably forced southward to compete with resident chipmunks. the range of _tamias amoenus luteiventris_ in washington, idaho and montana is most unusual (see howell, ; davis, ). from a compact range in montana, two long fingers reach northward and westward. the western finger crosses idaho to end in the blue mountains of oregon and washington. the northern finger crosses northern idaho, northeastern washington and extends on into southern british columbia. between these two fingers of the range of _luteiventris_ another race (_canicaudus_) is found. this race occupies a more lowland area than does _luteiventris_. the range of _luteiventris_ in the northern rocky mountains is extensive. presumably this race occupied an area farther north in pre-wisconsin time and was forced southward to its present range by the wisconsin glaciers. the original population occupying extreme eastern washington and adjacent idaho was _tamias amoenus canicaudus_. the pre-wisconsin range of this race might have been more extensive. at any rate, _luteiventris_ which was driven southward displaced _canicaudus_, or some other race of chipmunk, from much of the rocky mountains south of the glacier. the northern chipmunks were adapted to more boreal conditions and perhaps otherwise better suited to environmental conditions of the northern rocky mountains. a small population of the older established race (_canicaudus_) persisted in lowland areas of eastern washington and adjacent idaho. regarding the range of _canicaudus_, surrounded by the range of _luteiventris_ on three sides and faced by desert on the west, davis ( : ) writes, "it may be that, of these two races, _luteiventris_ has a greater range of tolerance to environmental conditions and, thus, is able to succeed in areas to which _canicaudus_ is not adapted. this inference is supported by the fact that _luteiventris_ occupies a large range which is diversified geographically and climatically, whereas _canicaudus_ seems to be limited to a much smaller, more nearly uniform area." seemingly _canicaudus_ now exists only in an area ideally suited to it, and one where it can successfully compete with the generally more adaptable and successful _luteiventris_. the maximum extent of the glacial ice, then, found _luteiventris_ the dominant chipmunk in the northern rocky mountains, with an isolated population of _canicaudus_ in eastern washington and adjacent idaho. the topography of the ground moraine exposed by the retreat of the vashon-wisconsin glaciers was a barrier to many species of mammals. the rough, rocky surface with thin soil probably first supported mosses and grasses, then brush, and later trees. the earlier stages of plant succession on the deglaciated ground probably presented ideal habitat for yellow pine chipmunks. certainly the races immediately adjacent to the glaciers extended their ranges farther north than many species. in eastern washington, _t. a. luteiventris_ spread to the northeastern corner of the state and on into british columbia. in the northern cascades, _t. a. affinis_ spread northward and eastward, across the okanogan river, into northeastern washington as far as the range of _luteiventris_. the chipmunk of the higher cascades (_ludibundus_) likewise extended its range northward into british columbia. in the northwestern cascades of northern washington and southern british columbia, a richly-colored race, _t. a. felix_, now occupies a limited geographic range. this race doubtless originated from _ludibundus_ stock but the method of its development is unknown. perhaps in early postglacial time, selective factors developed in chipmunks of the western slopes of the cascade mountains the rich, dark color of _felix_. the ancestral _ludibundus_ may have given rise to a pale race, _affinis_, in the arid eastern cascades and a dark race, _felix_, on the humid western slope of the cascades. this seems improbable for there is no trend to darker color on the western border of the range of _ludibundus_ south of the range of _felix_, and instead, _affinis_ may have given rise to _ludibundus_. a more appealing hypothesis is that a local mutation in some _ludibundus_ stock so changed the range of tolerance of a portion of the population that it was allowed to enter the more dense habitat along the coast north of the fraser river and, there, isolated by habitat selection, it developed the characters of _felix_. population pressure later forced it eastward until the eastern border of its range again met the range of the ancestral race, _ludibundus_. the chipmunks of the olympic mountains probably reached their present range from the cascades. their probable path of emigration was westward from mt. rainier, along the glacial outwash train of nisqualli glacier, to the moraine and outwash apron of the vashon glacier and thence to the olympics. so similar are the chipmunks of mt. rainier and the olympic mountains that howell ( ) included mt. rainier in the range of _caurinus_. briefly summarized, the probable pre-vashon-wisconsin distribution of chipmunks of the species _tamias amoenus_ in washington was: _ludibundus_ in the higher cascades; _affinis_ in the eastern cascades; _canicaudus_ in eastern washington and adjacent idaho; and _luteiventris_ in the area north of the range of _canicaudus_. the descent of the vashon-wisconsin ice restricted but did not materially alter the ranges of _ludibundus_ or _affinis_. on the east, _luteiventris_ was forced southward to compete with _canicaudus_ and displaced it over a large region, especially in mountainous areas. following the retreat of the ice, _luteiventris_, _affinis_, and _ludibundus_ extended their ranges northward over the deglaciated territory. a stock of _ludibundus_ that moved westward from mt. rainier became isolated and gave rise to _caurinus_. in some less obvious development, _ludibundus_ stock gave rise to _felix_ north of the fraser river in the cascades. tamias ruficaudus.--until a better understanding of the range of this chipmunk and its relation to other _tamias_ is gained, uncertainty will remain concerning its distribution in the past. tamias townsendii.--this is a typical coastal species that ranges southward, along the coast, to california. the lowland race of western oregon and washington (_townsendii_) probably occurred no farther north than southwestern washington when the vashon glacier was in place. chipmunks of this species in the cascades and in the southern olympic mountains probably developed independently the slightly paler color that separates _cooperi_ from _townsendii_. the tendency for species of the pacific coastal fauna of the cascades and the olympic mountains to be paler than their lowland relatives is widespread. after the retreat of the ice, both races probably moved northward. perhaps because of its alpine adaptations, _cooperi_ has moved farther than _townsendii_. also, _townsendii_, in the lowlands, ranges to the fraser river, a barrier not encountered by _cooperi_. sciurus griseus.--this species of the pacific coastal fauna probably entered washington from oregon since the retreat of the vashon glacier. it has probably entered the state in relatively recent times. tamiasciurus hudsonicus.--the two species of red squirrels, _t. hudsonicus_ and _t. douglasii_, are specifically distinct and probably became differentiated in the pleistocene when southward moving glaciers cut in two the range of the ancestral stock. the morphological differences are too great, comparatively, to have occurred during the vashon-wisconsin divergence. _t. hudsonicus_ probably occupied a range in pre-wisconsin time that included the rocky mountains and areas to the north. glacial ice probably restricted the range of _hudsonicus_ in wisconsin time but after the retreat of the ice _hudsonicus_ moved northward to reoccupy its former range. it also moved westward across northern washington to the cascades, where it met the range of _douglasii_. farther north, it moved westward to the pacific, thus occupying an area that, in pre-vashon time, probably was occupied by _douglasii_. tamiasciurus douglasii.--the douglas squirrel probably occupied the coastal region of oregon, washington and british columbia in pre-vashon time. the descent of the ice restricted its range to southwestern washington and areas to the south. after the retreat of the ice it moved northward somewhat but, like other coastal species, the movement was slow. meanwhile _hudsonicus_ from the rocky mountain fauna, had spread to the coast of british columbia. glaucomys sabrinus.--this flying squirrel is a plastic species. it inhabits all of the forested parts of washington. the distributional picture presented by the races (fig. ) which occur in washington is complicated. the ranges of of these lie principally outside the state of washington. the race _oregonensis_ occupies washington and oregon west of the cascades; _fuliginosus_ occupies the cascades of washington, oregon and southern british columbia; _columbiensis_ occupies the interior valleys of british columbia and adjoining washington; _latipes_ occupies the northern rocky mountains of british columbia, northern idaho and extreme northeastern washington; and _bangsi_ occupies the blue mountains of washington and oregon and a wide range in idaho and eastward. the differences separating the race _oregonensis_ from other subspecies found in washington are relatively great. this lowland race is smaller and richer in color. the other races exhibit slight but relatively constant differences. the relatively great difference between _oregonensis_ and the other races indicates that _oregonensis_ was isolated from the remainder of the species for a considerable time. presumably _oregonensis_ was a strongly differentiated coastal race in pre-vashon time and occupied most of western washington and oregon. the descent of the vashon ice restricted the range of _oregonensis_ to southwestern washington and western oregon. the descent of the ice forced a northern race, _fuliginosus_, southward into the range of _oregonensis_. the northern race, adapted to boreal conditions, was able to compete successfully with the established _oregonensis_ only in mountainous areas. in the cascade mountains, _fuliginosus_ extended its range southward to southern oregon. the descent of the wisconsin ice in eastern washington forced the flying squirrels of adjacent british columbia southward into the rocky mountains. these squirrels were probably closely related to _fuliginosus_, or to _bangsi_, which latter race already may have been established farther south in the rocky mountains. the blue mountains of southeastern washington were probably inhabited by _bangsi_ in wisconsin times, or even earlier. the retreat of the vashon-wisconsin glaciers allowed the flying squirrels to extend their ranges northward. in western washington _oregonensis_ moved to southern british columbia. in the cascade mountains the more boreal _fuliginosus_ moved much farther northward and, north of the okanogan valley, spread eastward to the arid, interior valleys of british columbia. subsequent differentiation in the population of the arid, interior valleys developed the slightly differentiated race _columbiensis_. farther east, flying squirrels from the northern rocky mountains moved northward. northeastern washington and adjacent british columbia were occupied by _latipes_, derived from _bangsi_. thomomys talpoides.--views as to the probable historical distribution of this plastic group have been presented in an earlier report (dalquest and scheffer, : - ). this may be briefly summarized as follows. previous to vashon-wisconsin times, pocket gophers occupied at least the cascade mountains and the columbian plateau of washington. the race occupying the columbian plateau, _devexus_, was probably racially distinct in pre-wisconsin time. the descent of the vashon-wisconsin glaciers isolated gophers in the southern cascades. three racial stocks developed there: _shawi_ in the mount rainier area; _limosus_ in the columbia river valley south of the cascades; and _immunis_ in the mountainous area between the other two races. at the maximum extent of the wisconsin ice, gophers from the columbia river valley (_limosus_) were able to cross the simcoe bridge and reach the blue mountains. with the retreat of the wisconsin ice, the simcoe bridge was closed. gophers isolated in the blue mountains developed the racial characters of _acqualidens_ and those between the blue mountains and the columbia river intergraded with the desert race, _devexus_. these intergrades, which have, also, some characters of their own, bear the name _columbianus_. gophers in the southern cascades (_limosus_) moved westward on prairie-like river terraces to clark county where, isolated, they became racially distinct (_douglasii_). gophers from the mount rainier area (_shawi_) moved westward on glacial outwash trains to the extensive outwash aprons of the vashon glaciers in the area about puget sound. here they multiplied and spread to the olympic mountains. growth of forest on the original outwash apron broke the area into numerous isolated prairies. gophers in the olympic mountains (_melanops_) were isolated from those in the area about puget sound. six distinct races originated on the isolated prairie (_glacialis_, _tacomensis_, _pugetensis_, _yelmensis_, _tumuli_, _couchi_). following the retreat of the glacial ice from eastern washington, pocket gophers from the blue mountains of oregon (_wallowa_) moved northward into washington and gophers from the rocky mountain fauna of idaho moved onto the deglaciated part of northeastern washington. from northeastern washington they spread westward to the cascades and thence southward to meet the native gophers of the cascades in the yakima valley area. no racial differentiation in these gophers occurred; all are referable to _fuscus_. where _fuscus_ and the native gophers came together in the yakima valley, a new race, _yakimensis_, developed. perognathus parvus.--three races of the pocket mouse occur in washington. two of these (_lordi_ and _columbianus_) occur on the columbian plateau. like many desert species that occur on the columbian plateau, the pocket mice are rather different than their relatives in eastern oregon. presumably they have been isolated on the plateau since before vashon-wisconsin times. the range of the pocket mouse of southeastern washington, _perognathus parvus parvus_, is continuous with the range of the race in oregon. this same race occurs in the yakima valley, whence it probably arrived from oregon in relatively recent time. the distribution of pocket mice on the columbian plateau, in eastern oregon and in the yakima valley resembles that of the least chipmunk in those areas. it is also similar to, but of more recent origin than, that of the ground squirrels, _citellus washingtoni_, and _townsendii_. dipodomys ordii.--this kangaroo rat enters the desert area of southeastern washington from oregon. it may be expected eventually to cross the columbia river to the yakima valley and the snake river to the columbian plateau. castor canadensis.--two races of beavers occur in washington. one, found in southwestern washington and northwestern oregon, is dark with a short, wide skull. the other, ranging over most of the state, is paler with a longer, narrower skull. the form now found in southwestern washington and adjacent oregon (_idoneus_) was probably isolated there by the vashon glaciation and developed its characters while isolated. the other race, _leucodonta_, was probably widely spread in wisconsin time. beavers are present in moses lake, in almost the center of the columbian plateau. beavers might well have lived in the streams of melt water that emerged from the wisconsin glacier. the beavers of western washington, save those in the extreme southwest, are like the beavers of eastern washington. it seems likely that the race _leucodonta_ originated north of the state of washington and was forced southward by the vashon-wisconsin glaciers. this northern race, adapted to boreal conditions, competed with the resident coastal race, _idoneus_, and occupied much of its range. the distribution of the races of muskrat in washington closely resembles that of the beavers. onychomys leucogaster.--the desert-dwelling grasshopper mouse has doubtless entered eastern washington and the yakima valley from eastern oregon at a relatively recent time. reithrodontomys megalotis.--the harvest mouse, like the grasshopper mouse, seems to have entered washington from oregon at a relatively recent date. within the last ten years it has extended its range into the okanogan valley in british columbia. peromyscus maniculatus.--six subspecies of _peromyscus maniculatus_ occur in the state of washington. the geographic range of one of these (_rubidus_) lies mainly in the states of california and oregon and includes, so far as is known, a single small island in the columbia river that is politically within the state of washington. another (_hollisteri_) is restricted to certain islands in northern puget sound and obviously has become subspecifically differentiated in postglacial time. the remaining four subspecies, namely _oreas_, _austerus_, _artemisiae_ and _gambelii_, have extensive geographic ranges. these subspecies are not confined to their geographic ranges by geographic barriers. deer mice occur in the deep forests and the open desert, on high mountains and in low valleys, and are almost everywhere the commonest species of mammal present. the study of several populations of deer mice from any general area usually shows small but constant differences between them. dice ( : ) studied stocks of deer mice from nine localities in southeastern washington and found significant differences between several of them. a statistical study of mice from the san juan islands shows that the population of almost every island is different in one or more respects from the mice of any other island. geographically separated populations of "wild caught" mice of the subspecies _austerus_, of the mainland, were statistically compared and significant differences were found between these populations, too. small, differentiated populations are to be found in many parts of the state, and each subspecies appears to be an assemblage of such tiny genetic units. these genetic units probably are the microgeographic races of debzhansky ( ). they have been intensively studied by sumner ( a, b) and dice. an especially important paper by the latter author ( ) summarizes much of the available information on speciation in _peromyscus_ and clearly discusses the microgeographic races of _peromyscus_. the numerous microgeographic races of _peromyscus maniculatus_ in washington present diverse combinations of characters which could result from the random fixation and elimination of genes (wright. : - ). such a hypothesis, however, requires at least partial isolation of the populations involved. the mechanism of such isolation, in such populations of deer mice as we have studied, is not readily apparent. some microgeographic races are not separated by noticeable geographic or ecologic barriers and the distance between their ranges is not too great to be traversed by a deer mouse. the tendency to remain on a home range may have the same effect as isolation would be supposed to have. the work of murie and murie ( : - , : ) is enlightening in this respect. these authors found that mice residing in a locality tended to remain in that locality; individuals trapped and marked were retaken in the same locality a year later. individuals released some distance from the point of capture remained where released or returned to the point of capture. transported individuals did not spread at random. the home instinct was developed in young as well as in old mice. two mice in the gray pelage, four to eight weeks old, returned to their home ranges from distances one and two miles away. the authors fix the home range of an individual _peromyscus m. artemisiae_ in teton county, wyoming, at approximately one hundred yards in diameter. this home-range instinct is essentially a lack of incentive for individual mice to emigrate to new localities where mice of the same species are already established. this may partly account for the microgeographic races of deer mice in washington. dice ( : ) pointed out that, except in color, the differences in nine stocks of mice from southeastern washington could not be correlated with environmental factors. we have found this to be true of microgeographic races throughout the state of washington. of the four subspecies of deer mice that occupy extensive geographic ranges in washington, one, _oreas_, is a long-tailed form that seems not to intergrade with _austerus_, a neighbor in western washington that has a tail of moderate length. these two and _gambelii_, a short-tailed form with which _oreas_ intergrades, are easily distinguished. in eastern washington two short-tailed subspecies, _gambelii_ and _artemisiae_, are currently recognized. the taxonomic relationships of these two subspecies are complex. the subspecies _gambelii_ has an extensive geographic range in oregon and california. these mice, with short tails, occur in the wallula water gap of southeastern washington and on the columbian plateau. to the west the desert conditions of the columbian plateau fade into the transition life-zone forests of the eastern cascade mountains. the pale, short-tailed desert mice (_gambelii_) gradually change to the dark, long-tailed subspecies, _oreas_, that occupies the cascade mountains. north of the columbian plateau, in northeastern washington, the deer mice are darker and relatively longer-tailed than on the columbian plateau. some populations are distinctly reddish, almost as reddish as _oreas_. although assigned to _artemisiae_, they are almost identical with populations of deer mice from the eastern cascade mountains, known to be intergrades between _oreas_ and _gambelii_. this fact, and the presence of surprisingly _oreas_-like characters in some microgeographic races in extreme northeastern washington, may indicate that the race called _artemisiae_ is a group of intergrades between _gambelii_ and an _oreas_-like mouse that has become extinct. intergradation between _gambelii_ and _artemisiae_ is normal and takes place gradually where the ranges of the two subspecies meet. the same is true of intergradation between _oreas_ and _gambelii_ in the eastern cascade mountains. west of the cascade mountains the range of _oreas_ meets the range of _austerus_. these two subspecies appear not to interbreed in nature, since no intergrades were taken at any of the numerous localities in western washington where the mice were trapped. pure populations of the two subspecies exist within a few miles of each other. in the valley of the skykomish river, in the western cascades mountains, from the town of skykomish, king county, to the lowlands to the west, only _austerus_ was found. in the coniferous forests of the mountains above skykomish, only _oreas_ was taken. several pairs, each an _oreas_ and an _austerus_ of the other sex, were kept from four to six months, and one pair was kept for a year, but they did not reproduce. the _oreas_ were from the upper skykomish valley and the _austerus_ were from seattle, king county. along the border of the ranges of the two subspecies in the skykomish river valley, a definite habitat preference was noted. the coniferous forests were occupied by _oreas_ and brush or deciduous forests by _austerus_. within the range of _austerus_ and within the range of _oreas_ only one subspecies is found whether the habitat be coniferous forest or thickets of alder and willow, but where the ranges of the two subspecies meet _austerus_ occurs only in the thickets of aspen and willow and _oreas_ occurs only in the coniferous forest. the morphological characters that separate _oreas_ from _austerus_, namely, larger size, richer color, and longer tail, are all features that might be associated with a more arboreal existence in dark, coniferous forests. our observations show that _oreas_ is, to a large extent, arboreal. traps nailed to tree trunks six to eight feet from the ground and set for flying squirrels often caught _oreas_ in the skykomish river valley. on one occasion i walked up a leaning tree trunk to set a trap, fifty feet from the ground on the trunk of another tree that was upright. an _oreas_ was found in this trap the next morning. svihla ( : ) relates how a specimen of _oreas_ that escaped from a live trap took refuge in a tree when pursued. we have set numerous traps for flying squirrels in the area about puget sound. as far as memory and field notes serve, we have never taken _austerus_ in these traps. our observations on the habits of _austerus_ are much more abundant than those on _oreas_, but for _austerus_ no evidence of arboreal activities has been obtained. there are, then, two subspecies that do not interbreed, each capable of existing in any ecologic niche that will support deer mice. where the ranges of the two subspecies come together, they compete. the large size, richer color, longer tail, and perhaps arboreal habits of _oreas_ give it an advantage in coniferous forests. the small size and dark color of _austerus_ give it an advantage in other habitats, especially, perhaps, in winter, when the deciduous trees have shed their leaves. the differences separating _austerus_ from _oreas_ would be expected to have developed under complete isolation. that _oreas_ developed from _austerus_ or _austerus_ from _oreas_ seems impossible. a glance at the distribution map (fig. ) shows that the range of _austerus_ clearly separates the range of _oreas_ into two segments. the range of _austerus_ tapers out to the north, east and west. on the south _austerus_ intergrades with _rubidus_ from oregon, a subspecies from which it is but slightly differentiated. the geographic behavior of the four subspecies of deer mice that occupy extensive areas in washington may be summarized as follows: _p. m. gambelii_ occupies southeastern washington and intergrades normally with _oreas_ in the eastern cascade mountains and with _artemisiae_ at the northern edge of the columbian plateau; _artemisiae_, occupying northeastern washington, closely resembles populations of mice that are known to be intergrades between _oreas_ and _gambelii_ and itself intergrades with both _oreas_ and _gambelii_; _oreas_ occupies most of western washington, intergrades with its neighbors _artemisiae_ and _gambelii_ to the east, but does not intergrade with _austerus_, its morphologically more similar neighbor in the west; _austerus_ occupies a range in western washington that is almost surrounded by the range of _oreas_, a subspecies with which it apparently does not interbreed. the relations of these four subspecies appear to be the result of certain great changes in the range of deer mice in the pacific northwest that occurred during and since the last pleistocene glaciation. we reconstruct these changes as follows. in the puyallup interglacial cycle, just previous to the last (vashon-wisconsin) continental glaciation, clines, or gradual transitions existed in the ranges of the deer mice along the pacific coast. the small, dark, short-tailed mice of the coastal redwood forests of california and oregon became gradually larger, redder and longer-tailed to the north, climaxing in a large, red, long-tailed form in the spruce forests of southern alaska and northern british columbia. a similar cline existed inland. small, pale, short-tailed mice of the great basin became increasingly larger, darker, and longer-tailed to the north, reaching a maximum in the spruce forests of northern british columbia. the development and advance of the vashon-wisconsin ice sheet exterminated mice over much of british columbia and the northern united states. long-tailed northern mice were forced southward and contacted the southern, short-tailed forms. the preglacial clines were thus destroyed. what might be the southern part of the western cline may be noted in the deer mice of western oregon today. from the southern coast of oregon the mice (_p. m. rubidus_) do become larger, redder and longer-tailed to the north. the climax of this cline is now reached in _austerus_, of the puget sound area of washington. the cline is not continued farther northward because the range of _oreas_ is encountered. the advance of the vashon-wisconsin ice from the north probably forced species of mammals southward, ahead of it, including the long-tailed northern deer mice which generation by generation encountered progressively shorter-tailed forms of resident mice. perhaps the unfamiliar, and certainly the extremely frigid, conditions in the fore of the glacier exterminated the short-tailed individuals but favored the long-tailed mice, since the latter originally were adapted to a boreal environment. the climax of the ice advance found the glaciers just within the political limits of the united states and found the long-tailed mice spread before the ice front. in western washington the vashon glacier advanced as far south as the southern edge of the puget sound area. long-tailed northern mice advancing before it reached the columbia river. this glacially swollen stream served as a natural barrier and prevented their southward extension. at this time the northern mice had traversed more than half the length of the original western cline. the northern mice, originating in a boreal habitat a thousand miles away, were unable to interbreed with the southern mice and such individuals as might have crossed the columbia river never became established in oregon. during the existence of the glacier in western washington, the long-tailed northern emigrants competed with the resident deer mice of western washington to the total elimination of the resident mice. the retreat of the vashon glacier from washington found the northern mice in complete control of that part of the state from the pacific ocean to the cascade mountains. in eastern washington the wisconsin glacier advanced south to the northern edge of the columbian plateau. northern mice advancing before it probably did not survive on the treeless plateau but existed in forested areas of northern idaho and driftless areas of northern washington. no natural barriers separated the northern mice from the pale, short-tailed forms. the nonuniform topography perhaps allowed more mingling of the two types where climatic conditions permitted. intergradation in some places as well as competition and elimination of one form or another in other places occurred. following the withdrawal of the vashon ice and the establishment of soil and forests on the deglaciated land, the long-tailed mice of western washington (_p. m. oreas_) apparently spread northward, unhindered by competition, until they reached southern alaska. the deep coniferous forests of western washington presented conditions acceptable to _oreas_ and it persisted there despite postglacial changes in climate. postglacial changes in climate did, however, permit the dark, short-tailed mice (_rubidus_) to cross the columbia river and to become established in suitable habitats, namely the deciduous jungles of the river valleys. from these points the mice spread northward through the lowlands of western washington, infiltrating the range of _oreas_, competing with it, and driving it from the lowlands. this movement is in progress today. by logging and clearing of lands for agriculture man has considerably speeded the invasion of the southern mice. slight differentiation of the short-tailed mice north of the columbia river (_austerus_) separates them from their parent race, _rubidus_. in the dense forests along the pacific coast of washington, _austerus_ did not become established. this area includes most of the land west of puget sound. there is a narrow band of _austerus_ that extends along the eastern and part of the northern edge of the olympic peninsula, where they have probably invaded in relatively recent time. on the oregon side of the columbia river the range of _rubidus_ is continuous from the pacific to the cascades. on the washington side of the river, _oreas_ extends from the pacific to eastern wahkiakum county, where the range of _austerus_ starts. at the border of the ranges of the two subspecies, ecological conditions determine the ranges; _oreas_ occurs in the douglas fir and hemlock forests and _austerus_ occurs in the jungles of alder and salmonberry in the stream valleys. the range of _austerus_ extends from eastern wahkiakum county east along the columbia, to western klickitat county. in a north-south strip across the columbia, through the ranges of _rubidus_ in oregon and _austerus_ in washington, normal intergradation is apparent. by gradual degrees _rubidus_ changes to _austerus_. in a north-south strip farther west, through the ranges of _rubidus_ and _oreas_, the same transition of the oregon _rubidus_ is seen, namely an approach toward _austerus_. the cline is, of course, abruptly terminated by the range of the dissimilar _oreas_. on puget island, a small island lying in the columbia river in western wahkiakum county and politically within the state of washington (see scheffer, ) a population of deer mice occurs that resembles _rubidus_ more closely than _austerus_. this island lies in the river between the ranges of _rubidus_ and _oreas_. the lack of intergradation between these two subspecies has probably kept the puget island population pure _rubidus_. puget island is a junglelike lowland locally known as "tideland." the san juan islands of northern puget sound were thoroughly glaciated in wisconsin time and probably were under thousands of feet of ice when the vashon glacier was at its maximum extent. the subspecies of deer mouse occurring there now is _hollisteri_, a race similar to _oreas_ in color, body size and cranial characters and probably derived from _oreas_. _p. m. hollisteri_ differs from both _oreas_ and _austerus_ in its much shorter tail. shortness of tail is apparently a product of insularity in northwest coastal mice. the transition from long-tailed mainland mice to short-tailed island mice is shown by hall ( a: ). when _oreas_ first occupied the area about puget sound (this area is occupied by _austerus_ today) some individuals probably reached the san juan islands soon thereafter. contact between _oreas_ and _hollisteri_ is now prevented by the presence of _austerus_ between their ranges. of course, a water barrier separates _austerus_ from _hollisteri_ but _austerus_ does occur in pure form on some islands in puget sound (not on any of the san juan islands), for instance, on whidby island. one wonders why _austerus_ has not established itself on some of the san juan islands but considering the degree of difference between _hollisteri_ and _austerus_, i doubt that the two would interbreed if they did occur together. on vancouver island, british columbia, a short-tailed, _austerus_-type of mouse occurs in the lowlands and a long-tailed, _oreas_-type of mouse in the mountains. vancouver island is a large island ( , square miles). apparently a stock of _austerus_ from the mainland reached vancouver island and were able to find suitable habitat and compete with and drive out the established _oreas_ in the manner that they probably did in the western washington lowlands. the large vancouver island offers far more variety of habitat and opportunity for establishment of emigrating mice than do the smaller san juan islands, the largest of which is orcas ( square miles). following the withdrawal of the wisconsin ice from eastern washington, numerous minor movements and adjustments of deer mice seem to have taken place. long-tailed, _oreas_-type of mice were exterminated on the columbian plateau if, indeed, they ever became established there. long-tailed mice did apparently become established in driftless areas and forested areas to the south of the drift border. with the establishment of soil and forests on the deglaciated land, the short-tailed _gambelii_ and the long-tailed mice became thoroughly intermixed. in some areas, especially near the type locality of _artemisiae_, the _gambelii_ characters of the mixture predominate at the present time. deer mice from the okanogan valley differ from _gambelii_ only in slightly larger size and darker color. in other areas, notably near metaline, pend oreille county, the _oreas_ characters of the mixture dominate at the present time. mice from here are large and red and differ from typical _oreas_ in having relatively short tails. other less marked segregations of characters are numerous, in idaho and british columbia as well as in washington. cowan ( ) has described _peromyscus m. alpinus_, isolated in a mountainous area of british columbia. this seems to be a form derived from _oreas_-type stock. with the reëstablishment of soil and forests on the deglaciated land of british columbia north of washington, a northward extension of the _gambelii-oreas_ mixture occurred. another invasion was taking place at this time, however. _peromyscus m. arcticus_ spread onto the deglaciated land from the north or east, ahead of artemisiae (the _gambelii-oreas_ mixture). this new invader intergraded with _artemisiae_ as well as with _oreas_. further collecting and studies are required in this area before the relationships of the three subspecies can be completely understood. if geographic ranges are assigned to the named subspecies of deer mice that occur in washington, it must, in part, be done arbitrarily. the deer mice of the san juan islands are all referred to the subspecies _hollisteri_. only puget island, wahkiakum county, is considered to be inhabitated by _rubidus_. the boundary between the ranges of _austerus_ and _oreas_ is sharply defined and further collecting by resident naturalists should result in detailed mapping of the boundary. the ranges and distribution of the deer mice of eastern washington are less clearly defined than those of western washington. _peromyscus m. gambelii_ exists in its purest state on the columbian plateau. here the columbia river makes a convenient boundary to the west. pure _peromyscus m. oreas_ exist in the cascade mountains. in the area between the columbian plateau and the cascades the deer mice are variously intermediate between _gambelii_ and _oreas_ and, over most of the area, are nearest to _gambelii_. this might be considered a natural area of intergradation such as commonly occurs between the ranges of subspecies. these intergrades, however, are similar to _peromyscus m. artemisiae_ and the area occupied by these intermediates is connected on the north with the range of _artemisiae_. thus osgood ( : ) regards specimens from easton and wawawai, in the area of intergradation, as _artemisiae_ or intergrades between _gambelii_ and _artemisiae_. taylor and shaw ( : ) include the entire area of _intergradation_ in the range of _artemisiae_. this treatment, although convenient to the student of geographic variation, is apt to conceal the evolutionary and historical influences. these influences may be appreciated better if the intergrades from each locality are referred to the subspecies they most closely resemble. the specimens upon which the name _artemisiae_ was based came from a narrow tongue of zonally lower country that extends northward from the range of the lighter-colored _gambelii_. as might be expected, topotypes are lighter in color than specimens from the north, west and east. nevertheless, the type locality is within a geographic area that is occupied principally by a darker race, _artemisiae_, to the north of _gambelii_. the topotypes of _artemisiae_ may be considered to be intermediate between _gambelii_ and the darker, northern race. thus the name _artemisiae_ becomes available for the mice of the general area in question. the mice of the area immediately to the east of the type locality, in washington and presumably in british columbia and idaho also, are essentially a mixture of the subspecies _gambelii_ and a now mostly extinct and unnamed race that probably resembled _oreas_. local variations of populations from within this area are extreme but some segregation of color and length of tail has taken place. mice from mountainous areas resemble _oreas_ while mice from the lowlands resemble _gambelii_, or, more exactly, mice from coniferous forests resemble _oreas_ while mice from other areas resemble _gambelii_. south of the area of racial mixture in northeastern washington, in the blue mountains of southeastern washington, the deer mice are like _gambelii_ except in slightly darker color. mice from the blue mountains are darker and browner than _gambelii_, not more reddish. there is no indication of adulteration with _oreas_ stock. since the blue mountains are a forested area and are far south of the drift border, we suppose that deer mice existed there through the last glacial period and that their dark color is an adaptation to forest habitat. mice similar to those of the blue mountains have an extensive range in idaho (davis : ). these mice have relatively uniform racial characters and constitute a "good" subspecies. at present the deer mice of northern washington, southeastern british columbia, northern idaho, northeastern oregon, western montana and northwestern wyoming are called _artemisiae_. the mice of this extensive area are, however, of two genetic types: that type with mixed racial characters that lives in northeastern washington and probably also farther east along the wisconsin drift border, and that type that occurs farther south in idaho and seems to constitute a stable subspecies. the separation of these two types may be desirable. detailed study of the deer mice from the area now assigned to the range of _artemisiae_ may show that the name _subarcticus_ (_peromyscus texanus subarcticus_ allen, ) is applicable to the southern form. the type with mixed racial characters must be called _artemisiae_. if the two types are eventually separated, the mice from the blue mountains of washington will be referable to the southern form. neotoma cinerea.--the wood rat found over most of washington. _neotoma c. occidentalis_, probably entered the state from eastern oregon early in the recent and spread over most of the state. the wood rat of the blue mountains (_alticola_) probably developed from _occidentalis_. a coastal race of the wood rat (_fusca_) occurs in western oregon. this race, if it occurred in western washington in pre-vashon time, was eliminated in vashon time or subsequently. in oregon it lives in deep forests (bailey, : ). in washington _occidentalis_ occupies but a small part of the ecologic niche occupied by _fusca_ in oregon. elimination of _fusca_ from washington through competition with _occidentalis_ seems highly improbable. should _fusca_ ever cross the columbia river and become established it would probably spread to a considerable part of western washington. synaptomys borealis.--the lemming mouse seems now to be retreating northward and was an arctic species forced southward by the vashon-wisconsin glaciers. unlike other alpine species, it seems to be unable to exist for long in isolated mountain areas. phenacomys intermedius.--the heather vole, like the lemming mouse, probably was forced southward by the vashon-wisconsin glaciers. in the cascade and rocky mountains it found suitable habitat and spread southward to almost the lower end of the sierra nevada in california. the cascade race moved eastward on the puget bridge to the olympic mountains after the retreat of the vashon ice, and northward in the cascades. northeastern washington was reinvaded by the subspecies of the rocky mountain fauna. clethrionomys gapperi and californicus.--the two species of red-backed mouse found in washington were probably distinct in pre-vashon times. at the maximum extent of the vashon ice, _californicus_ was probably found in western oregon and _gapperi_ in the blue mountains, where _idahoensis_ was developed, and in the southern cascades (_cascadensis_). during or shortly after vashon time, _gapperi_ crossed the puget bridge to become established in the olympic mountains. after the retreat of the ice, _gapperi_ moved northward and eastward from the cascades and _californicus_ crossed to western washington from oregon and displaced _gapperi_ from the lowlands. hinton ( : ) separated the american _clethrionomys_ into three groups, suggesting that old world counterparts of each group exist. davis ( : ) gives an excellent analysis of the emigrational history of the american species, and points out the close relationship of the siberian and arctic-american forms. he suggests that the _rutilus_ group invaded arctic-america from siberia at the close of the last glaciation. two other groups are recognized by davis, who assumes that both arose from a common ancestral stock and divided into two stems, one of which (_gapperi_ group) followed the main rocky mountain course southward and worked eastward across canada while the other (_californicus_ group) followed down the pacific coast. davis states, "this southward extension of range in america probably took place in the pleistocene, but almost certainly the present southern range of the genus in the west was not reached until late in, or after, that period." our studies of the _clethrionomys_ of washington indicate the essential correctness of davis' conclusions. the separation of the two groups, however, probably was caused by southward moving glaciers and the separation of the mice into two stocks closely paralleled the divergence of other groups, such as that of the snowshoe rabbits. the two groups of red-backed mice are more sharply separated than was thought by davis. the intermediate color of the back of _c. g. idahoensis_, mentioned by davis, seems to be merely coincidental. the essential difference in the two groups is the sharply marked red band of the _gapperi_ group as opposed to the general red area on the dorsal surface of the _californicus_ group. _clethrionomys gapperi nivarius_ has been considered a derivative of _occidentalis_ because the range of the latter surrounds the olympic mountains, where _nivarius_ is found. considering the immediate post-pleistocene movements of mammals from the cascades to the olympic mountains, so clearly illustrated in _thomomys_, _tamias amoenus_, and _phenacomys_, a means is indicated by which _clethrionomys_ of the _gapperi_ group might have reached the olympics. the apparent lack of intergradation between _occidentalis_ and _nivarius_ gives proof of their relatively distant relationship. _c. nivarius_ seems not to have been derived from _occidentalis_, and apparently does not belong to the _californicus_ group. it belongs instead to the _gapperi_ group, and i consider it to be a subspecies of _gapperi_. in no sense is it intermediate between the two groups. the other form considered by davis to be intermediate between the two groups is _caurinus_. this mouse has not yet been taken in washington, although it may eventually be found on point roberts, on the fraser river delta. its distribution is paralleled by that of many other mammals that are definitely not of the pacific coastal fauna. the _californicus_ group, i feel, contains only the races of _clethrionomys californicus_, while the _gapperi_ group contains _c. gapperi_ and its races, including _caurinus_, and possible other species. possibly intergradation occurs between _c. californicus occidentalis_ and _c. gapperi_. nevertheless, i fail to find evidence of such intergradation. i have taken _c. gapperi nivarius_ and _c. californicus occidentalis_ within ten miles of each other, but each retained its distinctive characters with no evidence of intergradation. in the case of _c. gapperi saturatus_ and _c. californicus occidentalis_ the proof is less conclusive. in spite of numerous attempts to trap _clethrionomys_ in the area geographically intermediate between their ranges, i have taken none. though common along the coast, _occidentalis_ becomes progressively scarcer to the east, being rare in the vicinity of seattle and apparently absent from the western base of the cascades. so far as is known, the ranges of _caurinus_ and _occidentalis_ are separated by the fraser river. microtus pennsylvanicus and montanus.--the pennsylvania meadow mouse is closely related to _microtus montanus_. certain races of _montanus_, notably those from southern oregon, california, and northern nevada, closely resemble _pennsylvanicus_ externally and cranially. from the central part of its range northward, _montanus_ becomes progressively less like _pennsylvanicus_. the races _nanus_ and _canicaudus_ are quite different from _pennsylvanicus_ both externally and cranially, and in addition the anterior loop of the second molar is less constricted; often it is not constricted at all. _microtus pennsylvanicus_ and _microtus montanus_ occur together over parts of the northern rocky mountains. where the two species came together, _pennsylvanicus_ occurs with races of _montanus_ that are most unlike it. _microtus pennsylvanicus kincaidi_ closely resembles races of _microtus montanus_ that occur in southern oregon, california, and nevada. it is larger, darker, and longer-furred than _microtus pennsylvanicus funebris_ from washington. seemingly _pennsylvanicus_ and _montanus_ diverged previous to vashon-wisconsin time. the stock that gave rise to _montanus_ spread over the great basin while _pennsylvanicus_ ranged farther east. some of the _montanus_ stock worked northward in the rocky mountains. _microtus pennsylvanicus_ had meanwhile moved westward to the rocky mountains. the two stocks met and behaved as full species. _microtus pennsylvanicus_ probably occupied northeastern washington in the interglacial cycle preceding the recent. the advance of the wisconsin ice eliminated most of these mice. the glacier dammed the columbia river and caused it to turn southward from its basalt-marginal course and take a path over the columbian plateau. along this glacial river a population of _microtus_ persisted to become _kincaidi_. while the wisconsin ice was at its maximum extent, _microtus montanus_ from the blue mountains crossed the simcoe bridge to the yakima valley and the eastern cascade mountains. the closing of the simcoe bridge isolated these mice, which subsequently became slightly differentiated, as _canescens_. another stock moved westward along the columbia river to western oregon. this stock is now called _microtus canicaudus_ but is probably racially rather than specifically distinct from _microtus montanus nanus_. with the retreat of the wisconsin ice, _montanus_ extended its range northward from the yakima valley along the eastern cascade mountains to extreme southern british columbia. _microtus pennsylvanicus funebris_ entered northeastern washington with other elements of the rocky mountain fauna. at present, _pennsylvanicus_ occurs in northeastern washington while _montanus_ is found in southeastern washington and the eastern cascade mountains. the okanogan river valley separates their ranges. eventually _montanus_ may extend its range to northeastern washington and _pennsylvanicus_ to the cascades, the two forms occurring together as they do in montana, idaho and colorado. the isolation of _kincaidi_ on the columbian plateau seems complete and the probability of its range reaching that of its related species seems slight. microtus longicaudus.--the later distributional history of the long-tailed meadow mouse is not yet clear. microtus townsendii.--this pacific coastal species probably lived west of the sierra nevada-cascade mountains since the early pleistocene. it has extended its range northward since the retreat of the vashon ice and has reached some of the islands in puget sound and the strait of georgia. this species seems to be related to _microtus richardsoni_ but the two species probably separated at an early time. microtus richardsoni.--the water rat of the cascade mountains seems to be have been forced southward into washington and oregon by the descent of the vashon-wisconsin glaciers where it became isolated from the water rat of the northern rocky mountains. after the retreat of the ice, both forms have moved northward. bailey ( ) records _macropus_ from bonner county, idaho, not far from northeastern washington but in washington up to this time, _macropus_ has been recorded only from the blue mountains of the southeastern part of the state. microtus oregoni.--the later historical distribution of the creeping mouse was probably the same as that of _townsendii_. lagurus curtatus.--the distribution of this species of the great basin fauna has probably changed little if any since the late pleistocene. ondatra zibethicus.--the distribution of the two races of muskrat that occur in washington is almost exactly that of the beavers. probably one form was isolated in southwestern washington and northwestern oregon during vashon time and another, more adaptable, race occurred in eastern washington. after the retreat of the ice the adaptable race spread widely but the muskrats of the lower columbia river changed their range little or not at all. aplodontia rufa.--the race of _aplodontia_ found in the cascades of washington was probably confined to the southern cascades in vashon time and has since spread northward to reoccupy the range as far north as southern british columbia. the presence of a mountain beaver in western washington that is indistinguishable from the race _rufa_, found in the cascades of oregon, is most surprising. in oregon, _pacifica_ occurs in the western lowlands and _rufa_ in the mountains to the east. in washington _rufa_ occurs in the western lowlands and _rainieri_ in the mountains to the east. the offset in range of _rufa_ seems best explained by assuming that all of western washington was once occupied by mountain beavers (_rufa_) that spread from the cascades of oregon to the cascades of washington and thence to the western washington lowlands. this must have occurred early in the interglacial cycle preceding the vashon glaciation. while confined to the southern cascades, _rainieri_ developed the larger size that now separates it from the ancestral _rufa_ that occurs to the west and south of it. zapus princeps.--the coastal race of the jumping mouse was probably distinct from the more inland population before vashon-wisconsin times. the differences between them were probably accentuated while the vashon-wisconsin glaciers separated their ranges. the western race (_trinotatus_) was isolated in the southern cascades and southwestern washington. after the retreat of the glaciers, _trinotatus_ moved northward through western washington and the cascades into british columbia. the race _kootenayensis_ of the adjacent rocky mountains moved eastward through northeastern washington to the cascades. the race _oregonus_, found in the blue mountains, has probably been resident there since it evolved from the populations to the east. erethizon dorsatum.--i have inadequate basis for speculation concerning the historical distribution of the porcupine. ochotona princeps.--the descent of the wisconsin ice separated the western pikas into two populations. one was confined to the cascade-sierra nevada system and another to the rocky mountains. two races are now found in the cascades of washington. one, _brunnescens_, inhabits the higher cascades and another, _fenisex_, the eastern edge of the cascades. the range of _brunnescens_ extends southward into oregon while the range of _fenisex_ extends farther north in british columbia than does that of _brunnescens_. the principal difference between the two races is the smaller size and paler color of _fenisex_. in washington, _fenisex_ occupies a slightly more arid habitat than _brunnescens_. further, _fenisex_ lives in talus principally of basaltic rock while _brunnescens_ lives in talus of granitic rock. the basaltic talus is more finely fractured, offering smaller crevices in which pikas can conceal themselves. the granitic rock, on the other hand, forms talus composed of fragments of large size. freshly fractured granite is pale, whitish gray. after weathering, however, it becomes blackish as the more soluble, pale feldspars are removed, leaving the black hornblend and biotite exposed. freshly fractured columbian basalt is blackish but, after weathering, becomes rusty, reddish brown. in washington the two races maintain their distinctiveness because selective factors in the basalt talus of the eastern cascades favor the smaller size and paler color of _fenisex_ while in the higher cascades, selective factors in the granitic batholith favor larger size and darker color. the present range of _brunnescens_ in oregon indicates that this race was the pre-wisconsin resident of the cascades of at least southern washington. probably _fenisex_ evolved in the arid interior of british columbia. in color _fenisex_ is intermediate between the dark _brunnescens_ and the pale _cuppes_ of the western spurs of the rocky mountains. probably _fenisex_ was forced southward into the eastern cascades by the wisconsin ice and inhabited the area east of the range of _brunnescens_. this eastern area was not occupied by _brunnescens_ because the basaltic talus was of small size. after the retreat of the ice, _fenisex_ (adapted to more arid habitat than _brunnescens_), spread northward to the relatively dry valleys of the interior of british columbia. the distinctness of _brunnescens_ and _fenisex_ is maintained by selective factors of the habitats they occupy but the zone of intergradation between the two is broad. a tendency towards paleness is noticeable in specimens from as far west as the eastern side of mount rainier. the pikas in the rocky mountain area have given rise to a number of races. the pale, small race of northern idaho, _cuppes_, entered northeastern washington with other members of the great basin fauna after the retreat of the ice. lepus townsendii.--the white-tailed jack rabbit has probably lived on the columbian plateau ever since or even before the time when the wisconsin ice bordered the plateau on the north. lepus americanus.--snowshoe rabbits were probably spread over forested parts of washington in pre-wisconsin time. a coastal race, _washingtonii_, was probably distinct from the remainder of the species at an early time. it, and its kindred races _klamathensis_ and _tahoensis_, are very different from races derived later from the rocky mountain fauna. from this it is deduced that _washingtonii_ was a member of the pacific coastal fauna before the advance of the last continental glaciers. the snowshoe rabbits now found in the cascade mountains of washington are racially distinct from populations occurring to the north and east, but are more closely related to the northern and eastern rabbits than they are to _washingtonii_. this race, _cascadensis_, probably lived in the area north of the state of washington in pre-wisconsin interglacial time. the snowshoe rabbit of northeastern washington was probably a race having an extensive range in the rocky mountains from which _pineus_ in the blue mountains developed. the descent of the vashon-wisconsin glaciers found _washingtonii_ restricted to western oregon. it might have persisted also in southwestern washington but, had this been the case, we would expect a broader zone of intergradation between _washingtonii_ and _cascadensis_ than actually exists. the glaciers forced _cascadensis_ southward into the cascades of southern washington. the difference between _washingtonii_ and _cascadensis_ and the narrow zone of intergradation between them, indicate that the two races were not in contact in pre-vashon time. the presence in the cascades of oregon of a race related to _washingtonii_ rather than _cascadensis_ also supports this view. the snowshoe rabbits of northeastern washington were probably eliminated from areas where the ice was in place. the effect of the glaciers in nearby areas was probably less on snowshoe rabbits than upon other species. following the retreat of the glaciers, _washingtonii_ reinvaded western washington and spread northward through the lowlands to the fraser river. in the cascades, _cascadensis_ moved even farther north. _l. a. pineus_ of the rocky mountain fauna invaded northeastern washington from adjacent areas to the south. another race, _columbiensis_, spread from the interior valleys of british columbia to the western part of northeastern washington in probably relatively recent times. the post-wisconsin history of the distribution of this race is uncertain. lepus californicus.--the black-tailed jack rabbit occurs throughout the sagebrush areas of eastern washington, except in the okanogan valley. it invaded washington from the south recently (couch, : ). the first blacktails were thought to have entered walla walla county about . here they were checked by the snake river. about they crossed the snake river, on ice, and by had spread over much of the columbian plateau. in january, , they crossed the columbia river in two places, on ice jams, and by had spread north and west over the sagebrush areas between the columbia river and the cascade mountains. when couch, in , published his account, he predicted that the blacktail would eventually spread to the okanogan valley. this has not yet occurred although it is still to be expected. it should be noted that the migrational history of the black-tailed jack rabbit is known only because the animal is large, spectacular, and diurnal, and therefore noticed by resident ranchers, and because the facts came to the notice of a competent biologist. migration of a less conspicuous mammal, for example, a mouse, would rarely be detected. sylvilagus nuttallii.--the cottontail might have been resident on the columbian plateau during wisconsin time but probably it invaded, or perhaps reinvaded, the plateau from eastern oregon in the recent. sylvilagus idahoensis.--too little is known about this rabbit in washington to hazard a guess as to its recent distributional history. cervus canadensis.--the elk emigrated from siberia to north america in the late pleistocene but previous, certainly, to vashon-wisconsin time. probably the coastal race was distinct from the interior population in the preceding interglacial cycle. the descent of the last continental glaciers, in washington, separated the elk of the pacific coastal fauna from the rocky mountain fauna. after the retreat of the ice the coastal race moved northward to southern british columbia and the rocky mountain race moved northward and westward through british columbia. northeastern washington was reoccupied by the rocky mountain elk. remains of elk have been found associated with human artifacts on the northern part of the columbian plateau. the plateau is poorly suited to elk but a few may have persisted there until late historic time. the remains may have been brought by indians from northeastern washington. the remains included teeth and portions of the skull and it seems unlikely that these would have been carried any great distance. odocoileus hemionus.--the american deer probably evolved in north america. in this respect they are unlike the elk, moose and caribou, all of which emigrated from asia to america in the pleistocene. _odocoileus hemionus_ and _virginianus_ probably diverged from a common stock in the pliocene. the black-tailed deer was probably a member of the pacific coastal fauna at an early time and distinct from the mule deer before the last interglacial cycle. probably the mule deer lived in the eastern cascades and on part of the columbian plateau in wisconsin time. they occur on the plateau in limited numbers at present and their remains have been found associated with human artifacts in the grand coulee area. odocoileus virginianus.--the white-tailed deer ranges from the atlantic to the pacific and from canada to mexico. the species was probably abundant in the pacific northwest in the pleistocene, perhaps in vashon-wisconsin time, but has since largely given way to the black-tailed and mule deer. the race _o. v. leucurus_ now occupies an extremely small range. the accounts of early naturalists indicate that it was more abundant and had a wider range years ago. probably _leucurus_ was once an important member of the pacific coastal fauna. the inland race, _ochrourus_, is a typical member of the rocky mountain fauna. it and _leucurus_ were probably derived from a common ancestor in the late pleistocene. alce americanus.--the moose occurs in washington as a casual wanderer from the rocky mountain fauna to the east. rangifer montanus.--the caribou occurs in northeastern washington as a winter migrant from the north. it was probably of more regular and extensive occurrence in the past. antilocapra americana.--the antelope probably was a casual wanderer to southeastern washington and perhaps to the columbian plateau from eastern oregon before white man reached washington. bison bison.--the buffalo, like the antelope, probably occurred in southeastern washington and on the columbian plateau only as a casual wanderer from oregon in postglacial time. ovis canadensis.--mountain sheep reached north america from asia in the pleistocene. by vashon-wisconsin time they had spread southward, perhaps to mexico. the descent of the vashon-wisconsin ice in washington presumably separated the _canadensis_ and _californiana_ type of sheep, the former being confined to the rocky mountain fauna and the latter to the cascade-sierra nevada chain and adjacent parts of the great basin. mountain sheep probably persisted in the southern cascades of washington and on the columbian plateau during vashon-wisconsin times. after the retreat of the ice, these sheep (_californiana_) moved northward slightly, both in the cascades and on the columbian plateau. remains of sheep are to be found with human artifacts in the grand coulee area today. when white man first reached the state, sheep existed throughout the cascades and on part of the columbian plateau. only a pitiful remnant remains in the extreme northern cascades. mountain sheep of the rocky mountain race probably existed in small numbers in the blue mountains of southeastern washington until historic times. sheep from the blue mountains or adjacent idaho invaded northeastern washington shortly after that region was freed from wisconsin ice. these sheep were exterminated shortly after the coming of the white man. oreamnos americanus.--fossil remains of the mountain goat have been discovered at washtuckna lake, associated with those of the lion, horse, and camel. probably the mountain goat had an extensive range in washington at the time of a glacial advance previous to the wisconsin glaciation. in wisconsin time the mountain goat was confined to the southern cascades. strangely enough, it seems not to have crossed the columbia river to become established in the cascades of oregon. after the retreat of the ice it moved northward through the cascades. a mountain goat recently taken in northeastern washington seemingly wandered to the area from idaho. explanation of treatment the order of arrangement of the following accounts is that of miller ( ) with some modifications. for example, the chiroptera are arranged according to tate ( ), the sciuridae according to bryant ( ) and the cetacea according to scheffer ( ). a few other minor changes are included. although the principal purpose of this report is to describe and interpret the distribution of the various species and races of mammals that occur in washington, a brief description and account of the habits of the animals is included. each species account begins with a description, based principally on external characters. this is followed by pertinent information regarding the range of the species, its relationships within the genus and a brief account of its habits. the habits are dealt with in most detail for the species that are of greatest economic importance. the accounts of subspecies are largely technical. the account of the type specimen is rather complete. subspecific diagnoses are brief, stating often only the principal racial characters. standard external measurements are usually given for each subspecies. all measurements, unless otherwise stated, are in millimeters and weights are in grams. specimens are adult, unless otherwise stated. no formal list of specimens examined is included. localities from which specimens have been examined are usually shown on the distribution maps by solid circles. open circles indicate localities from which specimens, not examined by me, have been recorded by other persons. most of these records are published but a few are based on authentic trappers' reports, photographs, or other evidence. unusual occurrences of animals outside their natural ranges are not shown on the maps. not every record from well within the range of a subspecies has been plotted, but care has been taken to plot all records of occurrences from peripheral areas. when more than one race of a species occurs in washington, specimens from localities where the geographic range of one subspecies meets or approaches that of another are listed as "marginal occurrences" in the paragraph on the distribution of the race to which they are best referred. marginal occurrences are listed from north to south and from west to east. the authority for the record, if published, is given. when the record is based on specimens examined by the author, the collection containing the specimen is indicated as follows: (e.s.b.) ernest s. booth collection. college place, washington. (j.m.e.) j. m. edson collection, bellingham, washington. (k.u.) university of kansas, museum of natural history, lawrence, kansas. (m.v.z.) museum of vertebrate zoölogy, university of california, berkeley, california. (u.s.n.m.) united states national museum, washington, d. c. specimens from the biological surveys collection are included here. (v.b.s.) victor b. scheffer collection. united states national museum, washington, d. c. (w.s.c.) washington state college, charles r. conner museum, pullman, washington. (w.s.m.) washington state museum, university of washington, seattle, washington. (w.w.d.) walter w. dalquest collection, seattle, washington. in all, kinds (species and subspecies) of mammals are listed for the state of washington. of these, kinds (opossum, eastern gray squirrel, fox squirrel, kinds of old world rats, house mouse, nutria, and eastern cottontail) have been introduced into washington from elsewhere. the dog of the indians might be listed as a tenth introduced species. the grizzly bear, the sea otter, the wolf, the moose, one race of mountain sheep, one race of mountain goat, and, if they ever occurred in the state, the pronghorn antelope and bison, are nearly or completely extinct in washington. mammals other than cetaceans possibly occurring in washington, but of which satisfactory record is lacking, are mentioned in a hypothetical list at the end of the accounts of species. of the kinds of native mammals, known to occur in the state, are marine ( pinnipeds, cetaceans). the living, native, land mammals include orders, families, genera and full species. check list of mammals class mammalia--mammals order marsupalia--marsupials family didelphiidae--opossums genus =didelphis= linnaeus--opossums _didelphis virginiana virginiana kerr_ opossum order insectivora--insectivores family talpidae--moles genus =neurotrichus= gunther--shrew-mole _neurotrichus gibbsii gibbsii_ (baird) } _neurotrichus gibbsii minor_ dalquest } gibbs shrew-mole and burgner } genus =scapanus= pomel--western american moles _scapanus townsendii_ (bachman) townsend mole _scapanus orarius orarius_ true } _scapanus orarius yakimensis_ dalquest } coast mole and scheffer } _scapanus orarius schefferi_ jackson } family soricidae--shrews genus =sorex= linnaeus--long-tailed shrews _sorex cinereus cinereus_ kerr } _sorex cinereus streatori_ merriam } cinereous shrew _sorex merriami merriami_ dobson merriam shrew _sorex trowbridgii trowbridgii_ baird } _sorex trowbridgii destructioni_ scheffer } trowbridge shrew and dalquest } _sorex vagrans vagrans_ baird } _sorex vagrans monticola_ merriam } wandering shrew _sorex obscurus obscurus_ merriam } _sorex obscurus setosus_ elliot } dusky shrew _sorex palustris navigator_ (baird) mountain water-shrew _sorex bendirii bendirii_ (merriam) } _sorex bendirii albiventer_ merriam } bendire water-shrew genus =microsorex= coues--pigmy shrew _microsorex hoyi washingtoni_ jackson pigmy shrew order chiroptera--bats family vespertilionidae--vespertilionid bats genus =myotis= kaup--mouse-eared bats _myotis lucifugus carissima_ thomas } _myotis lucifugus alascensis_ miller } big myotis _myotis yumanensis sociabilis_ } h. w. grinnell } _myotis yumanensis saturatus_ miller } yuma myotis _myotis keenii keenii_ (merriam) keen myotis _myotis evotis evotis_ (h. allen) } long-eared myotis _myotis evotis pacificus_ dalquest } _myotis thysanodes thysanodes_ miller fringe-tailed myotis _myotis volans longicrus_ (true) } hairy-winged myotis _myotis volans interior_ miller } _myotis californicus caurinus_ miller } california myotis _myotis californicus californicus_ } (audubon and bachman) } _myotis subulatus melanorhinus_ (merriam) small-footed myotis genus =lasionycteris= peters--silver-haired bat _lasionycteris noctivagans_ (le conte) silver-haired bat genus =corynorhinus= h. allen--long-eared bats _corynorhinus rafinesquii townsendii_ } long-eared bat (cooper) } _corynorhinus rafinesquii intermedius_ } h. w. grinnell } genus =pipistrellus= kaup--pipistrelles _pipistrellus hesperus hesperus_ (h. allen) western pipistrelle genus =eptesicus= rafinesque--serotine bats _eptesicus fuscus bernardinus_ rhoads big brown bat genus =lasiurus= gray--hairy-tailed bats _lasiurus cinereus cinereus_ (beauvois) hoary bat genus =antrozous= h. allen--nyctophiline bats _antrozous pallidus cantwelli_ bailey pallid bat order carnivora family ursidae--bears genus =ursus= linnaeus--bears _ursus americanus altifrontalis_ elliot } _ursus americanus cinnamomum_ } black bear (audubon and bachman) } _ursus chelan_ merriam grizzly bear family procyonidae--raccoons and allies genus =procyon= storr-raccoons _procyon lotor psora_ gray } _procyon lotor excelsus_ nelson and } raccoon goldman } family mustelidae--weasels and allies genus =martes= pinel--martens and fisher _martes caurina caurina_ (merriam) } western marten _martes caurina origenes_ (rhoads) } _martes pennanti_ (erxleben) fisher genus =mustela= linnaeus--weasels, ferrets and minks _mustela erminea invicta_ hall } _mustela erminea fallenda_ hall } _mustela erminea olympica_ hall } ermine _mustela erminea streatori_ (merriam) } _mustela erminea gulosa_ hall } _mustela erminea murica_ (bangs) } _mustela frenata washingtoni_ (merriam) } _mustela frenata altifrontalis_ hall } _mustela frenata effera_ hall } long-tailed weasel _mustela frenata nevadensis_ hall } _mustela vison energumenos_ (bangs) mink genus =gulo= pallas--wolverines _gulo luscus luteus_ elliot wolverine genus =lutra= brisson--river otters _lutra canadensis pacifica_ rhoads } _lutra canadensis vancouverensis_ goldman } river otter genus =enhydra= fleming--sea otter _enhydra lutris nereis_ (merriam) sea otter genus =spilogale= gray--civet cats or spotted skunks _spilogale gracilis saxatilis_ merriam } civet cat or _spilogale gracilis latifrons_ merriam } spotted skunks genus =mephitis= geoffroy and cuvier--striped skunks _mephitis mephitis hudsonica_ richardson } _mephitis mephitis major_ (howell) } _mephitis mephitis notata_ (howell) } striped skunk _mephitis mephitis spissigrada_ bangs } genus =taxidea= waterhouse--american badger _taxidea taxus taxus_ (schreber) badger family canidae--foxes, coyote, wolves and dogs genus =vulpes= oken--foxes _vulpes fulva cascadensis_ merriam red fox genus =canis= linnaeus--coyote, wolves and dogs _canis latrans testes_ merriam } _canis latrans incolatus_ hall } coyote _canis lupus fuscus_ richardson wolf _canis familiaris_ linnaeus dog family felidae--cats genus =felis= linnaeus--true cats _felis concolor oregonensis_ rafinesque } cougar or _felis concolor missoulensis_ goldman } mountain lion genus =lynx= kerr--lynxes and bobcats _lynx canadensis canadensis_ kerr canadian lynx _lynx rufus fasciatus_ rafinesque } _lynx rufus pallescens_ merriam } bobcat order pinnipedia--seals and walruses family otariidae--eared seals genus =zalophus= gill--californian sea lions _zaluphus californianus_ (lesson) california sea lion genus =eumetopias= gill--steller sea lion _eumetopias jubata_ (schreber) steller sea lion genus =callorhinus= gray--alaska fur seal _callorhinus ursinus cynocephalus_ (walbaum) alaska fur seal family phocidae--hair seals genus =phoca= linnaeus--hair seals _phoca vitulina richardii_ (gray) hair seal order rodentia--rodents family sciuridae--squirrels and allies genus =tamias= illiger--chipmunks _tamias minimus scrutator_ (hall and } hatfield) } least chipmunk _tamias minimus grisescens_ (howell) } _tamias amoenus caurinus_ (merriam) } _tamias amoenus felix_ rhoads } _tamias amoenus ludibundus_ (hollister) } _tamias amoenus affinis_ allen } yellow-pine chipmunk _tamias amoenus canicaudus_ (merriam) } _tamias amoenus luteiventris_ allen } _tamias ruficaudus simulans_ (howell) red-tailed chipmunk _tamias townsendii townsendii_ bachman } _tamias townsendii cooperi_ baird } townsend chipmunk genus =marmota= blumenbach--marmots _marmota monax petrensis_ howell woodchuck _marmota flaviventris avara_ (bangs) yellow-bellied marmot _marmota caligata cascadensis_ howell hoary marmot _marmota olympus_ (merriam) olympic marmot genus =citellus= oken--ground squirrels _citellus townsendii townsendii_ (bachman) townsend ground squirrel _citellus washingtoni_ howell washington ground squirrel _citellus columbianus columbianus_ (ord) } _citellus columbianus ruficaudus_ howell } columbian ground squirrel _citellus beecheyi douglasii_ (richardson) beechey ground squirrel _citellus lateralis tescorum_ (hollister) } _citellus lateralis connectens_ (howell) } golden-mantled ground _citellus saturatus_ (rhoads) } squirrel genus =sciurus= linnaeus--tree squirrels _sciurus griseus griseus_ ord western gray squirrel _sciurus carolinensis hypophaeus_ merriam eastern gray squirrel _sciurus niger_ linnaeus, subsp.? fox squirrel genus =tamiasciurus= trouessart--red squirrels _tamiasciurus hudsonicus streatori_ } (allen) } _tamiasciurus hudsonicus richardsoni_ } red squirrel (bachman) } _tamiasciurus douglasii douglasii_ } (bachman) } douglas squirrel genus =glaucomys= thomas--american flying squirrels _glaucomys sabrinus oregonensis_ } (bachman) } _glaucomys sabrinus bangsi_ (rhoads) } northern flying _glaucomys sabrinus columbiensis_ howell } squirrel _glaucomys sabrinus latipes_ howell } _glaucomys sabrinus fuliginosus_ (rhoads) } family heteromyidae--pocket mice, kangaroo mice and kangaroo rats genus =perognathus= weid--pocket mice _perognathus parvus parvus_ (peale) } great basin pocket _perognathus parvus lordi_ (gray) } mouse _perognathus parvus columbianus_ merriam } genus =dipodomys= gray--kangaroo rats _dipodomys ordii columbianus_ (merriam) ord kangaroo rat family geomyidae--pocket gophers genus =thomomys= weid--smooth-toothed pocket gophers _thomomys talpoides devexus_ hall and } dalquest } _thomomys talpoides columbianus_ bailey } _thomomys talpoides aequalidens_ } dalquest } _thomomys talpoides wallowa_ hall } and orr } _thomomys talpoides fuscus_ merriam } _thomomys talpoides yakimensis_ hall } and dalquest } _thomomys talpoides shawi_ taylor } _thomomys talpoides immunis_ hall and } dalquest } northern pocket _thomomys talpoides limosus_ merriam } gopher _thomomys talpoides douglasii_ } (richardson) } _thomomys talpoides glacialis_ dalquest } and scheffer } _thomomys talpoides tacomensis_ taylor } _thomomys talpoides pugetensis_ dalquest } and scheffer } _thomomys talpoides tumuli_ dalquest } and scheffer } _thomomys talpoides yelmensis_ merriam } _thomomys talpoides couchi_ goldman } _thomomys talpoides melanops_ merriam } family castoridae--beavers genus =castor= linnaeus--beavers _castor canadensis leucodonta_ gray } _castor canadensis idoneus_ jewett and } beaver hall } family muridae--rats and mice genus =onychomys= baird--grasshopper mice _onychomys leucogaster fuscogriseus_ } northern grasshopper anthony } mouse genus =reithrodontomys= giglioli--american harvest mice _reithrodontomys megalotis megalotis_ } western harvest (baird) } mouse genus =peromyscus= gloger--white-footed mice _peromyscus maniculatus oreas_ bangs } _peromyscus maniculatus hollisteri_ } osgood } _peromyscus maniculatus austerus_ (baird) } _peromyscus maniculatus rubidus_ osgood } deer mouse _peromyscus maniculatus gambelii_ (baird) } _peromyscus maniculatus artemisiae_ } (rhoads) } genus =neotoma= say and ord--wood rats _neotoma cinerea occidentalis_ baird } bushy-tailed wood rat _neotoma cinerea alticola_ hooper } genus =synaptomys= baird--lemming mice _synaptomys borealis wrangeli_ merriam northern lemming mouse genus =phenacomys= merriam--heather voles and tree mice _phenacomys intermedius intermedius_ } merriam } heather vole _phenacomys intermedius oramontis_ } rhoads } genus =clethrionomys= tilesius--red-backed mice _clethrionomys gapperi saturatus_ } (rhoads) } _clethrionomys gapperi idahoensis_ } (merriam) } gapper red-backed _clethrionomys gapperi cascadensis_ } mouse booth } _clethrionomys gapperi nivarius_ } (bailey) } _clethrionomys californicus } california red-backed occidentalis_ (merriam) } mouse genus =microtus= schrank--meadow mice _microtus pennsylvanicus funebris_ dale } pennsylvania meadow _microtus pennsylvanicus kincaidi_ } mouse dalquest } _microtus montanus nanus_ (merriam) } montane meadow _microtus montanus canescens_ bailey } mouse _microtus townsendii townsendii_ } (bachman) } townsend meadow _microtus townsendii pugeti_ dalquest } mouse _microtus longicaudus halli_ ellerman } long-tailed meadow _microtus longicaudus macrurus_ merriam } mouse _microtus richardsoni arvicoloides_ } (rhoads) } water rat _microtus richardsoni macropus_ (merriam) } _microtus oregoni oregoni_ (bachman) creeping mouse genus =lagurus= gloger--short-tailed voles _lagurus curtatus pauperrimus_ (cooper) sagebrush vole genus =ondatra= link--muskrat _ondatra zibethicus osoyoosensis_ (lord) } _ondatra zibethicus occipitalis_ (elliot) } muskrat genus =rattus= fischer--old world rats _rattus rattus rattus_ (linnaeus) } roof rat _rattus rattus alexandrinus_ (geoffroy) } _rattus norvegicus norvegicus_ (erxleben) norway rat genus =mus= linnaeus--house mice _mus musculus_ linnaeus, subsp.? house mouse family aplontidae--mountain beaver genus =aplodontia= richardson--mountain beaver _aplodontia rufa rufa_ (rafinesque) } _aplodontia rufa rainieri_ merriam } mountain beaver family dipodidae--jumping mice and allies genus =zapus= coues--jumping mice _zapus princeps trinotatus_ rhoads } _zapus princeps kootenayensis_ anderson } big jumping mouse _zapus princeps idahoensis_ davis } _zapus princeps oregonus_ preble } family erethizontidae--american porcupines genus =erethizon= cuvier--north american porcupine _erethizon dorsatum epixanthum_ brandt } porcupine _erethizon dorsatum nigrescens_ allen } family chinchillidae bennett--chinchillas and allies genus =myocastor= kerr--nutria _myocastor coypus_ (molina), subsp.? nutria order lagomorpha--pikas, hares and rabbits family ochotonidae--pikas genus =ochotona= link--pikas _ochotona princeps cuppes_ bangs } _ochotona princeps fenisex_ osgood } pika _ochotona princeps brunnescens_ howell } family leporidae--hares and rabbits genus =lepus= linnaeus--hares _lepus townsendii townsendii_ bachman white-tailed jack rabbit _lepus americanus washingtonii_ baird } _lepus americanus cascadensis_ nelson } snowshoe rabbit _lepus americanus pineus_ dalquest } _lepus americanus columbiensis_ rhoads } _lepus californicus deserticola_ mearns black-tailed jack rabbit genus =sylvilagus= gray--cottontails and allies _sylvilagus nuttallii nuttallii_ (bachman) nuttall cottontail _sylvilagus floridanus_ (allen), subsp.? florida cottontail _sylvilagus idahoensis_ (merriam) pigmy rabbit order artiodactyla--even-toed ungulates family cervidae--deer and allies genus =cervus= linnaeus--american elk or wapiti _cervus canadensis roosevelti_ merriam } elk or wapiti _cervus canadensis nelsoni_ bailey } genus =odocoileus= rafinesque--northern deer _odocoileus virginianus ochrourus_ bailey } _odocoileus virginianus leucurus_ } white-tailed deer (douglas) } _odocoileus hemionus hemionus_ } (rafinesque) } mule deer or _odocoileus hemionus columbianus_ } black-tailed deer (richardson) } genus =alce= gray--moose and old-world elk _alce americana shirasi_ nelson moose genus =rangifer= hamilton-smith--reindeer and caribou _rangifer arcticus montanus_ seton-thompson caribou family bovidae--cattle, sheep, goats and allies genus =bison= hamilton-smith--bison _bison bison oregonus_ bailey bison genus =ovis= linnaeus--sheep _ovis canadensis canadensis_ shaw } mountain sheep _ovis canadensis californiana_ douglas } genus =oreamnos= rafinesque--mountain goat _oreamnos americanus americanus_ } mountain goat (blainville) } _oreamnos americanus missoulae_ allen } order cetacea--whales and porpoises family ziphiidae--beaked whales genus =berardius= duvernoy--beaked whales _berardius bairdii_ stejneger baird beaked whale genus =mesoplodon= gervais--beaked whales _mesoplodon stejnegeri_ true stejneger beaked whale family delphinidae--porpoises genus =delphinus= linnaeus--dolphins _delphinus bairdii_ dall baird porpoise genus =lissodelphis= gloger--right-whale porpoises _lissodelphis borealis_ (peale) } northern right-whale } porpoise genus =lagenorhynchus= gray--striped porpoises _lagenorhynchus obliquidens_ gill striped porpoise genus =grampus= gray--killer whales _grampus rectipinna_ (cope) pacific killer genus =grampidelphis= iredale and troughton _grampidelphis griseus_ (cuvier) grampus genus =globicelphalus= hamilton--blackfishes _globicephalus scammonii_ (cope) blackfish genus =phocoena= cuvier--harbor porpoises _phocoena vomerina_ (gill) harbor porpoise genus =phocoenoides= andrews--dall porpoises _phocoenoides dalli_ (true) dall porpoise family physeteridae--sperm whales genus =physeter= linnaeus--sperm whale _physeter catodon_ linnaeus sperm whale family kogiidae--pigmy sperm whale genus =kogia= gray--pigmy sperm whale _kogia breviceps_ (blainville) pigmy sperm whale family rhachianectidae--gray whale genus =rhachianectes= cope--gray whale _rhachianectes glaucus_ (cope) gray whale family balaenopteridae--finback whales genus =balaenoptera= lacépède--finback whales _balaenoptera physalus_ (linnaeus) finback whale _balaenoptera borealis_ lesson pollack whale _balaenoptera acutorostrata_ lacépède pike whale genus =sibbaldus= gray--blue whale _sibbaldus musculus_ (linnaeus) blue whale genus =megaptera= gray--humpbacked whales _megaptera novaeangliae_ (borowski) humpback whale family balaenidae--baleen whales genus =eubalaena= gray--baleen whales _eubalaena sieboldii_ (gray) pacific right whale accounts of species and subspecies =didelphis virginiana virginiana= kerr opossum _didelphis virginiana_ kerr. anim. kingd., p. , . _type locality._--virginia _description._--slightly smaller than a house cat; body in older animals heavy and fat; tail long, naked, scaled and prehensile. ears large, naked and black with white tips; muzzle elongate and pointed; color of fur variable; overhair usually white and underfur white tipped with black; guard hairs long and coarse but underfur soft and dense; forefoot with opposable thumb; females with abdominal pouch. _remarks._--the opossum has been introduced from the eastern united states into california and oregon and has become well established in those states. recent records from clear lake, skagit county, and south bend, pacific county, indicate that the opossum is now resident in washington and it may be expected to increase and spread (scheffer, ). the animals may also enter the area about walla walla from oregon. the source of the opossums which have appeared in washington is not yet known. of this animal, dr. carl hartman ( : ) has written: "in the popular mind, the generation of no animal is so shrouded in mystery as that of the opossum. throughout the country, among both whites and negroes, deeply rooted tradition has it that the opossum copulates through the nose and that the female blows the fruit of conception into the pouch. other myths relating to details of the reproductive process in this species are current among the people. "the growth of such legends need not surprise one, however, for the early birth of the embryos and the use of the pouch as an incubator certainly challenge the imagination. these phenomena attract the attention because they are unique, differing from the familiar method of rearing the young obtaining among the higher mammals, including man. familiarity breeds contempt; the ordinary ceases to be marvelous. thus on account of its rareness and its 'different' character the opossum, our only marsupial, figures in the folklore to a prominent degree." =neurotrichus gibbsii= gibbs shrew-mole _description._--the shrew-mole is tiny, possessing a head and body - / to inches long and a tail about - / inches in length. the body is relatively stout but is less cylindrical than that of _scapanus_. the eyes are nearly buried in the fur. the nose is long and pointed. the legs are short and the forefeet wide and powerful. the tail is thick, constricted at the base and clothed with short, stiff bristles. the fur is short and posteriorly directed. in color the shrew-mole is dark slate, almost black. [illustration: fig. . gibbs shrew-mole (_neurotrichus gibbsii minor_), female in captivity; seattle, washington, september , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] _remarks._--shrew-moles inhabit moist habitats from sea level to , feet. they are burrowing mammals and prefer to live in soft earth, free of sod. in the lowlands of western washington, shrew-moles are most abundant in damp, shady ravines where the vegetation includes deciduous trees and dense underbrush with but little grass. in the mountains, shrew-moles are usually found near streams or rock slides, where the larger annuals grow densely on soil that is deep, soft, and free of turf. vertically they range from the humid transition life-zone through the canadian, and well into the hudsonian life-zone. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the gibbs shrew-mole in washington. a. _neurotrichus gibbsii gibbsii._ b. _neurotrichus gibbsii minor._] shrew-moles are both diurnal and nocturnal. they rest or sleep periodically, the length of their rest or sleep being longer when much food is eaten, and the intervals between their periods of rest or sleep is longer when less food is eaten. owls and snakes appear to be their principal enemies. predatory mammals eat some shrew-moles, and probably kill many that they do not eat. shrew-moles are completely blind, and their long, prehensile nose guides all their activity. their ordinary movements on the surface of the ground are slow and cautious. when frightened they break into a scuttling rush which ends beneath a leaf or bit of bark where the animal becomes motionless. shrew-moles, on the surface of the ground, make considerable noise. they construct molelike burrows, but these are not as extensive or complicated as those of moles. the shrew-mole hunts for food in shallow trenches that it makes just under the layer of dead leaves and vegetable debris that covers the ground in their habitat. the food of the shrew-moles includes earthworms, isopods, insect larvae, soft-bodied insects, and other animal matter. some vegetable matter is eaten. breeding takes place at all seasons of the year, save perhaps in december and january. embryos vary from one to four. the nest of a shrew-mole at seattle, king county, consisted of a handful of damp leaves in a cavity of a rotten, punky, alder stump. the nest contained four half-grown young. =neurotrichus gibbsii gibbsii= (baird) _urotrichus gibbsii_ baird, mamm. n. amer., p. , . _neurotrichus [sic] gibbsii_ günther, proc. zool. soc. london, pl. , . _neurotrichus gibbsii_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., ( ): , . _neurotrichus gibbsii_ bryant, zoe. : , february, . _neurotrichus gibbsii gibbsii_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _type._--obtained at naches pass, , ft., pierce county, washington, by g. gibbs on july , (see dalquest and burgner, ); type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--size relatively large; tail relatively long; foreclaws straight on ventral surface. _measurements._--two females from tye, , ft., stevens pass, king county, average: total length, . ; length of tail, ; length of hind foot, . _distribution._--the cascade mountains, from british columbia south, and destruction island, jefferson county. records of occurrence are baker lake (j. m. e.), tye (m. v. z.), and mount rainier (mount rainier ntl. park mus.) _remarks._--shrew-moles are present on destruction island, a small island in the pacific off the coast of jefferson county. these moles are large, and are like _gibbsii_. it is thought, however, that this resemblance is due to convergent evolution rather than a once-continuous range with _gibbsii_. it is significant that a shrew (_sorex trowbridgii destructioni_), the only other native land mammal on the island, differs from its mainland counterpart in much the same way as does _neurotrichus g. gibbsii_ from _neurotrichus g. minor_. =neurotrichus gibbsii minor= dalquest and burgner _neurotrichus gibbsii_ minor dalquest and burgner, murrelet, : , april , . _type._--obtained on the university of washington campus, seattle, king county, washington, by w. w. dalquest on may , ; type in the museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--size small; tail short; foreclaws light and weak as compared to those of _gibbsii_, with ventral surfaces curved. _measurements._--eighty-five specimens (males and females) from seattle, king county, average: total length, . ; length of tail, . ; length of hind foot, . . _distribution._--the lowlands of western washington. marginal records are: mt. vernon (jackson, : ), cottage lake (w.w.d.) and yacolt (m. v.z.). genus =scapanus= pomel moles [illustration: fig. . coast mole (_scapanus orarius orarius_) left and townsend mole (_scapanus townsendii_) right; puyallup. washington, may, . (fish and wildlife service photo by t. h. scheffer, no. b- .)] moles are of stocky build and have cylindrical, rounded bodies. the eyes are tiny, nearly concealed in the fur. they have no external ears. the legs are short; the forefeet wide, spadelike, and armed with powerful claws. the fur is erect, not posteriorly directed. the color of the fur is deep bluish or brownish slate. the short, nearly naked tail is pale pink or whitish. moles of this genus are found only along the pacific coast of north america from southern canada south into baja california. =scapanus townsendii= (bachman) townsend mole _scalops townsendii_ bachman. jour. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, (pt. ): , . _scapanus tow[n]sendii_ pomel. arch. sci. phys. nat., geneva, (ser. ): , . _scapanus townsendii_ true. proc. u. s. nat. mus., ( ): , . _type._--probably obtained at fort vancouver. clark county. washington, by j. k. townsend. a cotype was obtained on may . ; type in academy of natural sciences of philadelphia. _measurements._--three males and females from southwestern washington average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , ; weight , grams. _distribution._--the lowlands of western washington. marginal occurrences are: sauk (jackson. : ); skykomish (jackson, : ) and yacolt (m.v.z.). _remarks._--_scapanus townsendii_ occurs only in a narrow belt extending from southwestern british columbia to northwestern california. it seems to prefer a generally damper habitat than the smaller-sized coast mole, although both species are sometimes found in the same locality. the larger mole is abundant in the meadows on the flood plains of rivers at low elevations, and on the glacial outwash prairies. it is often numerous in the fir forests, although its workings and mounds are less conspicuous there. the bodies of nine drowned individuals were found in a well by an old cabin in dense fir forest near duvall, king county. townsend moles occasionally occur in the canadian life-zone, as at staircase on the north side of lake cushman in mason county where workings were observed, but most records are from the humid division of the transition life-zone. the townsend mole is mainly nocturnal. if ridges of its runways are crushed down, they usually remain so throughout the day and are rebuilt the following night. only about ten per cent of the ridges that were crushed were rebuilt in the daytime, and most of these were repaired in the early morning. the species is almost completely subterranean. some individuals are crushed on highways by cars, showing that these moles occasionally travel on the surface of the ground. townsend moles throw up numerous mounds, each usually containing about a cubic foot of earth. the mounds commonly are built just about as far apart as a man can step. the general direction as well as the twists and turns of a mole's burrow can usually be determined from the mounds. townsend moles also construct ridges on the surface of the ground by pushing up sod in building a tunnel just below the grass roots. smaller ridges are less commonly made by coast moles. more extensive tunnels, constructed deeper in the earth, serve as living quarters. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the townsend mole, _scapanus townsendii_, in washington.] according to wight ( : ), scheffer ( : ) and moore ( : ), the food of this large mole includes earthworms and ground-inhabiting insects, insect larvae, spiders, centipedes, flesh, and small amounts of soft vegetation. scheffer ( : ) found that the large mole breeds in february and produces from two to four young at a litter, with an average of three. =scapanus orarius= coast mole _description._--the coast mole is almost identical with the larger mole in form of body but is smaller. head and body are about - / and tail about - / inches in length. the coast mole occupies all of the territory inhabited by the townsend mole and ranges slightly farther northward, southward and eastward. however it does not range east of the boundaries of the three pacific coast states or british columbia. the mounds and workings of the coast mole are smaller than those of the townsend mole and consequently are less noticed. it seems less prone to make numerous mounds, a pace apart, than the larger mole, and burrows tend to extend deeper in the ground. upthrust ridges are less commonly built by _orarius_ than by _townsendii_. [illustration: fig. . coast mole (_scapanus orarius orarius_). freshly killed; seattle, washington, june , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] jackson ( : ) mentions the possibility of ecologic differences between _orarius_ and _townsendii_. there are some differences in habitat and habits. the coast mole seems to live deeper in the ground, prefers better drained soil, and is less colonial than the townsend mole. these are average differences, however, and the two species commonly occur together. another difference is that the larger mole rarely enters the dense deciduous woods, such as the brush-grown alder and dogwood jungles along the stream valleys. i have taken the coast mole in such localities, and often have found their workings there. the surface of a nearby meadow may be dotted with mounds of both species, but the larger mole seems not to enter ground that is thickly grown with brush. the coast mole ascends to greater altitudes in the cascade mountains than does the townsend mole. like the larger mole the coast mole feeds principally on earthworms and insects (moore, : ). on september , , in a ravine at seattle, in two baited traps set six inches apart, a creeping mouse (_microtus oregoni_) and a coast mole were found. the mouse had come to the bait and been caught. the mole had seemingly emerged from the ground through a tunnel a foot away and had been attracted to the body of the mouse. it had eaten an area a half inch in diameter and three-quarters of an inch deep into the body of the mouse just behind the shoulder, when in shifting its position it had become caught in the unsprung trap behind it. when found the mole lay dead with its nose inside the body of the mouse and its back broken. this is the only case known to me of a coast mole appearing voluntarily on the surface of the ground. never have i found coast moles crushed on the highway; several townsend moles so killed have been found. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the coast mole in washington. a. _scapanus orarius orarius._ b. _scapanus orarius yakimensis._ c. _scapanus orarius schefferi._] the coast mole seems to breed very early in the spring. males with swollen testes are found late in january. the young usually number four and are born in late march or early april. the breeding season seems to be the same as that of _townsendii_ but the number of young to a litter may average slightly greater. =scapanus orarius orarius= true _scapanus orarius_ true. proc. u. s. nat. mus., : , december , . _scapanus orarius orarius_ jackson, n. amer. fauna, : , september , . _type._--obtained at shoalwater (= willapa) bay, pacific county, washington, by j. g. cooper on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--color dark bluish; frontal region of skull not inflated. _measurements._--eight males and two females from seattle, king county, average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , . ; weight . , . . _distribution._--western washington. marginal occurrences are: skykomish (b.s.c.), merritt (b.s.c.), wenatchee (b.s.c.), lester (jackson, : ) and yacolt (m.v.z.). =scapanus orarius yakimensis= dalquest and scheffer _scapanus orarius yakimensis_ dalquest and scheffer, murrelet, : , september , . _type._--obtained / mile north of union gap, yakima county, washington, by j. a. gray, jr., on july , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--color pale, grayish; skull narrow with inflated frontal region. _measurements._--six specimens (males and females) from selah, yakima county, average: total length ; length of tail ; length of hind foot . . the type specimen weighed grams. _distribution._--the yakima valley area; recorded from the type locality northwestward to easton (b.s.c.). =scapanus orarius schefferi= jackson _scapanus orarius schefferi_ jackson, n. amer. fauna, : , september , . _type._--obtained at walla walla, walla walla county, washington, by t. h. scheffer on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--large size; pale color; large, wide skull with inflated frontal area. _measurements._--six topotypes average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . . _distribution._--southeastern washington; recorded from fort walla walla (jackson, : ), walla walla (jackson, : ) and dayton (m.v.z.). genus =sorex= linnaeus long-tailed shrews shrews have tiny eyes, almost concealed in the fur. the body is slim; the nose elongate and pointed. the legs are short and the feet small and weak. the fur is short but soft and posteriorly directed. the cinereous shrew, for example, is about inches in length, of which the tail comprises - / inches. the upper parts are dark grayish brown and the underparts dull gray. shrews of the genus _sorex_ are cosmopolitan in distribution. in north america they range from the arctic south to central america. three subgenera are recognized by jackson ( : ), all three of which are represented in the state of washington. the twelve subspecies present occupy numerous habitats, and their ranges include almost all of the state. jackson pointed out ( : ) that "no other group of american mammals having a wide distribution, and in many localities an abundance of individuals, is so little known to the nonprofessional mammalogist as the long-tailed shrews." in washington, especially in the coastal area of western washington, shrews are widespread and abundant in many habitats. in some places they are the most common mammal present. in spite of this their presence is often unsuspected by persons that are otherwise alert to the animal life around them. this is even more surprising when one takes into account the facts that long-tailed shrews are diurnal as well as nocturnal and are less apt to detect the presence of man than are most other species of mammals. an important factor making long-tailed shrews inconspicuous is their small size, and contributing factors include their rapid movements and dull colors. on several occasions the writer, after seeing a long-tailed shrew vanish soundlessly under a log or into a patch of dead leaves, was left wondering if one actually had been seen or if instead his imagination had conjured up an animal from a dust mote or wind-blown leaf. the environment of the long-tailed shrews, except for the water shrews, is the zone at the very surface of the earth, just beneath the layer of moss, grass, dead leaves, and decaying vegetation. the removal of the covering vegetative layer reveals a maze of tiny tunnels, the branchings and complexities of which are infinite. tiny traps baited with oats or meat and set in these runways catch the long-tailed shrews that inhabit them. the food of long-tailed shrews is varied. it is principally soft-bodied insects, insect pupae, and earthworms. at times a considerable quantity of soft vegetation and some seeds are eaten. recent studies (moore, : ) have shown that by destroying seeds some shrews may adversely affect the reforestation of some coniferous trees. shrews readily eat meat, and often destroy the small mammals, including other shrews, taken in the mammal collector's traps. hamilton ( : ) found that in one species of long-tailed shrew in the united states individuals rarely lived more than one year. this seems not to be true of at least some of the species found in washington. parasites, internal or external, are not commonly found on long-tailed shrews. they are regularly eaten by owls and snakes, but most carnivorous mammals, though they readily kill them, rarely eat them. =sorex cinereus= kerr cinereous shrew the cinereous shrew ranges over most of alaska, canada and the northern half of the united states. a number of subspecies have been described, of which two have been reported from washington. the cinereous shrew is of medium size and difficult to distinguish from the dusky and wandering shrews, especially in eastern washington, without studying the skulls. in _cinereus_ the fourth unicuspid tooth is smaller than the third; in _vagrans_ and _obscurus_ it is larger. the relatively narrow rostrum of _cinereus_ also serves to separate it from the other two species. the cinereous shrew seems to be less restricted to the vicinity of streams and marshes than _sorex vagrans_, resembling _sorex obscurus_ and _sorex trowbridgii_ in this respect. in washington it seems to be rare and has not been taken by the writer. published records for _sorex c. cinereus_ indicate that this race is, in washington, confined to mountainous areas. the coastal race, _streatori_, seems to be confined to the humid area. =sorex cinereus cinereus= kerr _sorex arcticus cinereus_ kerr. anim. kingd., p. , . _sorex cinereus cinereus_ jackson. jour. mamm., : , february , . _type._--none. name based on the account of a shrew seen at fort severn, canada, by j. r. forster in . _racial characters._--small size and pale color. _measurements._--seven males and females from indian point lake, british columbia, average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail . , . ; hind foot . , . . _distribution._--northeastern washington (metaline and loon lake, jackson, : ) and the cascades from whatcom pass (jackson, : ) southward to conrad meadows (jackson, : ). there is a specimen in the collection of the california academy of sciences, from mt. rainier. _remarks._--this is the most wide-ranging subspecies of shrew, being recorded from alaska, canadian provinces and states (jackson, : - ). in the more northern and eastern parts of its range it is sometimes the commonest shrew. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the cinereous shrew in washington. a. _sorex cinereus cinereus._ b. _sorex cinereus streatori._] =sorex cinereus streatori= merriam _sorex personatus streatori_ merriam. n. amer. fauna, : , december . . _sorex cinereus streatori_ jackson. jour. mamm., : . february , . _type._--obtained at yakutat, alaska, by c. p. streator on july , ; type in the united states national museum. _racial characters._--larger and darker than _sorex cinereus cinereus_. _measurements._--five females from alta lake, british columbia, average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . . _distribution._--the western part of the northern cascades (glacier, jackson, : ) and the olympic peninsula (neah bay south to cedarville, jackson, : ). _remarks._--this shrew seems to occupy the same range as _sorex obscurus setosus_ but is rare where _obscurus_ is common. =sorex merriami merriami= dobson merriam shrew _sorex merriami_ dobson. monogr. insectivora, pt. , fasc. , pl. , fig. , may, . _sorex merriami merriami_ benson and bond. jour. mamm., : , august , . _type._--obtained on little bighorn river, about a mile and a half above fort custer, crow indian reservation, montana, by charles e. bendire on december , ; type in united states national museum. _measurements._--of type: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . (after jackson, : ). _distribution._--a single specimen of this rare shrew is known from washington. jackson ( : ) states that it "was collected by george g. cantwell, november , , at the entrance to an old badger digging on top of a 'high bunch grass hill' at starbuck (altitude feet), columbia county, wash." _description._--similar to _sorex cinereus_ but upper parts pale grayish and underparts white. the merriam shrew has been recorded from but a few localities in the western united states. it is one of the rarest of the small mammals known to occur in north america. all the known specimens have been found in desert areas. =sorex trowbridgii= baird trowbridge shrew _description._--the trowbridge shrew closely resembles the cinereous shrew in body form but possesses a longer tail. the head and body of adults measure about - / inches and the tail about inches. the trowbridge shrew may be separated from all other small shrews that occur in washington by its dark bluish upper parts and bluish or slaty underparts. the tail is distinctly bicolor. trowbridge shrews occur from southern british columbia south to central california. their distribution, to the south, is more extensive than that of many members of the pacific coastal fauna. they are forest animals, ranging widely over the dry ground beneath the fir forest, where they are usually the only shrews present. they are abundant in ravines and in some swampy woods when other shrews are absent, but they avoid open meadows or marshes. vertically, they occur from the humid division of the transition life-zone to the hudsonian life-zone. these little shrews do not live well in captivity and i have learned relatively little concerning their habits from live specimens. they seem to be slower-moving and less aggressive than the wandering shrew. population studies showed that the trowbridge shrew is unable to compete with the wandering shrew in ravine habitats (dalquest, a: ). the principal food of the trowbridge shrew includes soft-bodied insects and insect pupae. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the merriam and trowbridge shrews in washington. a. _sorex merriami merriami._ b. _sorex trowbridgii trowbridgii._ c. _sorex trowbridgii destructioni._] moore ( ) has shown that shrews eat the seeds of the douglas fir and may be a serious check on the reproduction of this important tree. the trowbridge shrew is the most abundant shrew in the fir forests and probably constitutes the principal shrew that might be classed as a pest. a specimen containing embryos was taken near shelton, mason county, on april , . males with enlarged, greenish testes were taken in april of , and . specimens obtained in other months showed no indications of breeding. =sorex trowbridgii trowbridgii= baird _sorex trowbridgii_ baird, rept. pacific r. r. survey, (pt. ): , . _type._--two cotypes were obtained at astoria, clatsop county, oregon. the skin of one (the lectotype) was entered in the u. s. national museum catalogue in july, , and the skull in january, . the other was obtained by j. wayne on july , . _racial characters._--small size and narrow skull. _measurements._--the average measurements of adults from king county, washington, are: total length . ; length of tail . ; hind foot . . _distribution._--forested areas from the pacific coast eastward through the cascades to stehekin (jackson, : ), mi. s. blewitt pass (jackson, : ) and satus pass (m.v.z.). =sorex trowbridgii destructioni= scheffer and dalquest _sorex trowbridgii destructioni_ scheffer and dalquest, jour. mamm., : , august , . _type._--obtained on destruction island, jefferson county, washington, by v. b. scheffer on april , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--large size and wide skull. _measurements._--thirty topotypes average: total length . ; length of tail . ; hind foot . ; weight . grams. _distribution._--known only from destruction island, acres in area, lying miles off the washington coast. =sorex vagrans= baird wandering shrew _description._--this species closely resembles the cinereous shrew in body form. its head and body measure about - / inches; the tail slightly less than inches. in summer the upper parts are reddish brown and the underparts gray tinged with brownish. in winter the upper parts are more dusky. several races of the wandering shrew range over western north america from southwestern british columbia south to southern mexico. two races occur in the state of washington. marshy areas and damp places are the habitat of the wandering shrew. cattail and tule marshes, sphagnum bogs, and meadows are favored. they frequent streams through forests but rarely are taken in places away from water. on some of the san juan islands, wandering shrews were found along the beaches where they were feeding on the amphipods that live in the dead seaweed and litter at the high tide line. in a favorable habitat, wandering shrews may be the most abundant mammal present. specimens are occasionally taken in per cent or more of a mammal collector's traps. the preference of the wandering shrew for damp areas makes it more or less independent of life-zones, for marshy areas, whether in transition, canadian, or upper sonoran life-zones, present comparable ecological conditions. broadbrooks ( : ) found that captives taken at seattle ate rolled oats, apple, fresh or cooked meat, sow bugs, centipedes, earthworms, frogs (_hyla regilla_), a salamander (_plethodon vehiculum_), and small, black slugs (_arean arean_). wandering shrews proved incapable of destroying snails (_helisoma occidentalis_) and large slugs. the captive shrews kept by broadbrooks ate an average of . times their own weight in food each day. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the wandering shrew in washington. a. _sorex vagrans vagrans._ b. _sorex vagrans monticola._] the wandering shrew changes from winter to summer pelage in a few days, seemingly in the second week of october (dalquest, : ). the spring molt occurs rapidly but perhaps at a less regular date. rarely a midsummer molt occurs. the earliest evidence of breeding in a wandering shrew was discovered on january , . most adult females taken in february, march, april and may were pregnant. embryos were less often found in summer and fall, but one pregnant female was taken in november. embryos varied in number from to with an average of six. =sorex vagrans vagrans= baird _sorex vagrans_ baird, rept. pacific r. r. survey, (pt. ): , . _sorex suckleyi_ baird, rept. pacific r. r. survey, (pt. ): , (type from steilacoom pierce county, washington). _type._--obtained at willapa bay [shoalwater bay], pacific county, washington, by j. g. cooper; entered in u. s. nat. mus. catalogue on october , . _racial characters._--dark color. _measurements._--twenty-five males and females from seattle, king county, average, respectively: total length . , ; length of tail . , ; hind foot . , . . _distribution._--this is the common marsh shrew of western washington and occurs from the pacific ocean east to the cascades at lake keechelus (w.s.m.) and mi. nw white salmon (jackson, : ). =sorex vagrans monticola= merriam _sorex monticolus_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , september , . _sorex vagrans monticola_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , december , . _type._--obtained on san francisco mountain, ft. altitude, coconino county, arizona, by c. h. merriam and v. bailey on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--pale color. _measurements._--five males and females from selah, yakima county, average, respectively: total length , . ; length of tail . , . ; hind foot . , . _distribution._--eastern washington. the range of this shrew extends west to bauerman ridge (jackson, : ), merritt (w.w.d.) and maryhill (m.v.z.). _remarks._--a series of shrews from moses lake, grant county, differs from _monticola_ in larger size and darker color. they agree rather closely with _sorex r. amoenus_ from california and nevada. because they are isolated from that subspecies it seems best to consider them a microgeographic race referable to _monticola_. =sorex obscurus= merriam dusky shrew _description._--the dusky shrew is similar in form of body to the cinereous shrew. the length of head and body is about - / inches. the tail is about - / inches. the upper parts are rusty or reddish brown. the underparts are brownish gray. the dusky shrew differs from the wandering shrew in possessing a slightly longer body and longer tail, but in eastern washington the two species are almost indistinguishable. dusky shrews range from northern alaska to southern new mexico, and from the rocky mountains to the pacific ocean. thirteen subspecies are recognized by jackson ( : ), of which two occur in washington. records of the dusky shrew are not available from the arid subdivision of the transition or the upper sonoran life-zones. it occurs sparingly in the humid subdivision of the transition and is common in the canadian and hudsonian life-zones. the habitat of the dusky shrew is varied. near seattle, king county, several specimens were trapped in marshes where _sorex vagrans_ was abundant. near stevens pass, king county, two were taken in a marsh; two others were trapped in a dry, coniferous forest; one was taken in a small bed of heather on a barren mountain top; and another was found dead in a pan of pancake batter in camp. two specimens were trapped along a small stream at dewey lake, mt. rainier, yakima county. four specimens were caught in traps set in a talus slope on a dry hillside at the north fork of the quinault river, jefferson county. three others were trapped in dense, rain-forest thickets along the ocean at la push, jefferson county. these records indicate that the dusky shrew has a wider environmental range than other washington shrews. despite this wide range of tolerance the dusky shrew is common only locally, except in the hudsonian life-zone. little is known of the habits of dusky shrews but they seem to be as diurnal as they are nocturnal. at wolf bar, north fork of the quinault river, jefferson county, a dusky shrew was seen on the packed-earth floor of an old trapper's cabin. a hat was carefully dropped over the live animal but, when the hat was lifted, the shrew was found dead. in an old cabin at stevens pass, king county, a dusky shrew was found dead one morning in a pan of flapjack batter prepared the evening before. as this pan was on a table about three feet from the floor, the shrew must have climbed to the table by way of the rough cabin wall, but how the animal managed to scale the side of the pan is a mystery. slipp ( : ) discovered the nest of a dusky shrew between round pass and lake george, feet elevation, in mt. rainier national park, on july , . the nest was in a rotten fir log inches in diameter. the nest, a ball of dry grass the size of a man's fist, had no central cavity or passages, the occupants "merely pushed through wherever they wished." seven young shrews were found in and near the nest. though the eyes of the young were still closed, they were able to creep about and squeal. a specimen obtained miles west-southwest of guler, skamania county, contained embryos on july , . [illustration: fig. . distribution of the dusky shrew in washington. a. _sorex obscurus obscurus._ b. _sorex obscurus setosus._] =sorex obscurus obscurus= merriam _sorex vagrans similis_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , july , (not of hensel, ). _sorex obscurus_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , december , (substitute for _similis_ merriam). _type._--obtained on timber creek, , ft., lemhi mountains, lemhi county, idaho, by v. bailey and b. h. dutcher on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--tail relatively short, color pale. _measurements._--thirteen males and females from indian-point lake, british columbia, average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , . . _distribution._--northeastern washington west, according to jackson ( : ), to pasayten river, stehekin and wenatchee. because specimens from tye, king county, and mt. stuart, easton and lake keechelus are clearly referable to _s. o. setosus_, the specimens recorded by jackson ( : ), from easton and signal peak, are mapped in the range of _setosus_. =sorex obscurus setosus= elliot _sorex setosus_ elliot, field columb. mus. publ. . zoöl. ser., : . march, . _sorex obscurus setosus_ jackson, proc. biol. soc. washington. : . november , . _sorex obscurus bairdi_ jackson, n. amer. fauna, : . july , . _type._--obtained at happy lake, clallam county, washington, by d. g. elliot on august , ; type in field museum of natural history. _racial characters._--tail long, color dark. _measurements._--twelve males and females from southwestern washington average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , . ; weight . , . grams. _distribution._--western washington, east through the cascades to barron (jackson, : ), cascade river (jackson : ) and satus pass (w. w. d.). =sorex palustris navigator= (baird) mountain water shrew [illustration: fig. . distribution of the mountain water shrew. _sorex palustris navigator_, in washington.] _neosorex navigator_ baird, rept. pacific r. r. survey, (pt. i): , . _sorex (neosorex) palustris navigator_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , december , . _sorex palustris navigator_ stephens, california mammals, p. , june, . _type._--obtained at head of yakima river, kittitas county, washington, by j. g. cooper on august , ; type in united states national museum. _measurements._--two males and females from washington average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , ; weight?, . grams. _distribution._--mountainous areas of entire state, including the olympic mountains, from elwah (jackson, : ) south to quinault river (jackson, : ); the cascades from tomyhoi lake (w. w. d.) south to mi. n. carson (jackson, : ); northeastern washington from shovel creek (w. w. d.) south to gifford (jackson, : ); the blue mountains at godman springs (m. v. z.) and hompeg falls (m. v. z.). _description._--in general form of body the mountain water shrew resembles the cinereous shrew but is perhaps more stocky. it is a large shrew, nearly as large as a house mouse. the head and body measure about inches; the tail also is about inches long. the fur is exceedingly soft. the upper parts are blackish in color, lightly frosted with paler hairs. the underparts, from throat to vent, are whitish tinged with gray or brown. the stiff, curved fringe of bristles on the outer part of the hind foot serves as an aid in swimming. mountain water shrews range over much of canada and in mountainous areas of the western united states extend south to arizona. the subspecies found in washington ranges over all of the western united states. the mountain water shrew is primarily a mammal of the hudsonian and canadian life-zones. it sometimes descends to the transition life-zone along clear, cold streams where conditions are similar to those in the canadian life-zone. the favored habitats of the mountain water shrew are the clear, cold streams of the alpine cirques and gushing streams on the mountain sides. in the pools and waterfalls, and among the rocks and mosses that border them, the larvae of aquatic insects, upon which the mountain water shrew feeds, are abundant. svihla ( : ) observed that the fur of a swimming water shrew gathered air bubbles and "it had difficulty in forcing its way down to the bottom [of an aquarium]. on reaching the bottom it literally stood on its long flexible nose which was thrust into the sand and debris, searching for food, its feet kicking rapidly in order to maintain this position. a change in direction was brought about by a twist of the body. to come to the surface again it merely stopped kicking and immediately rose like a cork." the buoyancy of the water shrew allows it to float in the water, like a duck. jackson ( : ) observed a water shrew run across the surface of a small pool. near stevens pass a water shrew dashed from under a stone and ran, did not swim, across the surface of a small, deep pool to escape in a burrow on the other side. according to jackson, an air bubble held in each foot supports the shrew on the surface of the water. a mountain water shrew observed at shovel creek, ferry county, was as agile on land as any other species of shrew. in summary, water shrews are able to swim, dive, float like a duck, and walk on the surface of the water as well as walk on land. the food of the mountain water shrew includes snails, leeches, and the larvae of aquatic insects. mice caught in traps are sometimes eaten by water shrews. svihla (_loc. cit._) found a captive water shrew unable to capture pollywogs and minnows kept in the same aquarium. =sorex bendirii= (merriam) bendire water shrew _description._--the bendire water shrew is similar in form of body to the cinereous shrew but possesses a more stocky body which, with the head, measures about - / inches long; the tail is about - / inches long. the bendire water shrew closely resembles also the mountain water shrew but has a longer body and shorter tail. the upper parts are blackish in color, not lightly frosted with gray hairs. the hind feet lack the fringe of stiff, curved bristles characteristic of the mountain water shrew. the underparts are black in the race _s. b. bendirii_. in the race _albiventer_ the throat is blackish but the abdomen is pale gray tinged with brownish. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the bendire water shrew and the pigmy shrew in washington. a. _sorex bendirii bendirii._ b. _sorex bendirii albiventer._ c. _microsorex hoyi washingtoni._] bendire water shrews are restricted to the pacific coast of north america from southern british columbia to northern california. generally they are found at elevations lower than are mountain water shrews. they are typically mammals of the humid division of the transition life-zone but often occur in the canadian life-zone. they occupy marshes, swamps, damp ravines, and the banks of slow-moving streams. little is known of their habits, except what has been deduced from the circumstances of their capture. they seem less aquatic than the mountain water shrew. near jackson guard station on the hoh river, jefferson county, one was taken by setting traps on dense beds of water cress that floated in a slow-moving stream. the animal must have swum or walked on the surface of the mat of vegetation. near paradise lake, king county, several were caught in a deep, dark, red cedar swamp. one was caught in a marsh nearby. nothing is known of the food habits of the bendire water shrew. =sorex bendirii bendirii= (merriam) _atophyrax bendirii_ merriam, trans. linn. soc. new york, : , august , . _atophyrax bendirei_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., ( ): , . _sorex bendirii_ dobson, monog. insectivora, part , fasc. , pl. , . _neosorex bendirii bendirii_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _type._--obtained approximately mile from williamson river, miles southeast of fort klamath, klamath county, oregon, by c. c. bendire on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--underparts everywhere sooty black. _measurements._--ten males and females from southwestern washington average, respectively: total length . , . ; length of tail . , . ; hind foot . , . ; weight . , . grams. _distribution._--the southern cascades and the lowlands of western washington, exclusive of the olympic peninsula. marginal localities on the west include mt. vernon (jackson, : ), bothell (w.s.m.), renton (m.v.z.), puyallup (w.w.d.), steilacoom (jackson, : ) and oakville (jackson, : ). =sorex bendirii albiventer= merriam _sorex (atophyrax) bendirii albiventer_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , december , . _neosorex bendirii albiventer_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _sorex bendirii albiventer_ jackson, n. amer. fauna, : , july , . _type._--obtained at lake cushman, mason county, washington, by c. p. streator on july , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--area on abdomen whitish. _measurements._--a male from near the type locality measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . one from potlatch, mason county, measures ; ; . _distribution._--the olympic peninsula of washington. marginal localities on the south are: potlatch (m.v.z.) and lake quinault (jackson, : ). =microsorex hoyi washingtoni= jackson pigmy shrew _microsorex hoyi washingtoni_ jackson, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , november , . _type._--obtained at loon lake, stevens county, washington, by v. bailey on september , ; type in united states national museum. _measurements._--of type: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . _distribution._--in washington, known only from the type specimen which was "found dead in a trail in dry pine woods" (jackson, : ). _description._--the pigmy shrew is similar in form of body to the cinereous shrew but smaller. the head and body are about - / inches in length; the tail is about inch long. the upper parts are reddish brown and the underparts are gray. these tiny mammals range widely across central canada and northern united states from the atlantic nearly to the pacific, and north to central alaska. a single species is known, one race of which occurs in washington. the subspecies is known from but two specimens: the type and an individual from montana (koford, : .) genus =myotis= kaup mouse-eared bats _description._--the genus _myotis_ may be separated from all other bats that occur in washington by the presence of teeth (dental formula i. - / - , c. - / - , p. - / - , m. - / - = ). their small size separates them from all other genera save _pipistrellus_, from which _myotis_ may be distinguished by the straight, rather than hooked, anterior border of the tragus. species of _myotis_ found in washington vary considerably in size, but all are less than mm. in total length. the upper parts are various shades of brown in color. the ears, when laid forward, always extend to the nostrils or beyond. this genus is one of the most widely ranging groups of recent mammals. it occurs on all continents, including australia and many of the larger islands. of the american species recognized by miller and allen ( ), eight occur in the state of washington. they are low-flying forms and as a rule appear relatively late in the evening. their flight is rapid and erratic. they often hunt over the surfaces of streams, pools, and lakes. some kinds hunt in the shade of forest trees and these are especially difficult to collect. others hunt the brushy canyons and coulees of the desert areas of eastern washington. grinnell ( : - ) points out that, although bats are not subject to isolation by topographic barriers, as most wingless mammals are, they may be restricted by ecologic barriers in the same way as are other small mammals. this is particularly true of _myotis_ in washington. of the eight species in the state, five are represented by one subspecies west of the cascade mountains and another, paler subspecies in the more arid country east of the cascades. the mobility of bats makes it difficult to determine their origin and migrational history. five of the _myotis_ found in washington seem to belong to the pacific coastal fauna, and to have been isolated south of the last continental glacier. complete isolation is unlikely as these species occur in the cascade mountains as well as in the pacific coastal faunal area, and three occur also in the blue mountains of southeastern washington. the differentiation of the coastal type of _myotis_ may have come about through habitat selection, of the type discussed by miller ( : ). one western washington _myotis_ (_m. keenii_) seems to belong to a northern fauna, and to have extended its range south to washington. all seven species of the desert-living _myotis_ found in eastern washington have subspecies which seem to have been derived from the great basin faunal area. =myotis lucifugus= (le conte) big myotis _myotis lucifugus_ is represented by two geographic races in washington. the species ranges across canada and the united states, from the atlantic to the pacific and from the northern limit of tree growth to southern mexico. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the big myotis in washington. a. _myotis lucifugus alascensis._ b. _myotis lucifugus carissima._] it usually proves rather difficult to separate _myotis lucifugus_, on the basis of external features, from other species with which it may occur. its large foot ( - mm.), short ear (when laid forward not extending past nose) and the absence of a keel on the calcar separate it from all species except _myotis yumanensis_. from the latter species, _lucifugus_ may be distinguished by the gradually rather than abruptly rising forehead, as seen in cleaned skulls, and by more shiny, metallic color of fur. little is known of the habits of this bat in washington. it usually appears after dusk, and most specimens are shot over ponds or lakes, where the reflection of light from the sky on the water allows the hunter enough light to sight a gun. a few specimens were collected in deep forests. its flight and feeding habits are not known to differ from those of other species with which it was associated, except at the south end of lake chelan, chelan county, where two individuals were shot as they hovered near the tops of pine trees and seemed to be picking insects from the branches. i have never found this bat in its daytime retreat. a specimen taken at sportman's lake, san juan county, held one embryo on june , . =myotis lucifugus carissima= thomas _myotis (leuconoë) carissima_ thomas, ann. and mag. nat. hist., (ser. ): , may, . _myotis lucifugus carissima_ cary, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _type._--obtained at yellowstone lake, yellowstone national park, wyoming by j. darling in september, ; type in british museum. _racial characters._--color pale, rather "brassy" in tone; distal border of interfemoral membrane paler than proximal part. _measurements._--four specimens from eastern washington average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; height of tragus . . _distribution._--east of the eastern base of the cascade mountains, save for the blue mountains of southeastern washington. western records are stehekin (miller and allen, : ) and vantage (w. w. d.) =myotis lucifugus alascensis= miller _myotis lucifugus alascensis_ miller, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _vespertilio gryphus lucifugus_ allen, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , march , (part specimens from washington). _type._--obtained at sitka, alaska, by c. p. streator on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--color dark, almost bronze; wing and tail membranes uniformly dark in color. _measurements._--five specimens from san juan county, washington, average: total length . ; length of tail . ; hind foot ; ear ; height of tragus ; weight . grams. _distribution._--from the eastern base of the cascade mountains west of the pacific, and the blue mountains of southeastern washington. marginal occurrences listed by miller and allen ( : ) are chilliwack river, lake wenatchee, and lyle. =myotis yumanensis= (h. allen) yuma myotis _description._--the present species closely resembles _myotis lucifugus_ and specimens in worn pelage can not be distinguished from that species unless the cleaned skulls are examined. in fresh pelage, _yumanensis_ is duller than _lucifugus_. _myotis yumanensis_ ranges from southern british columbia to central mexico west of the mississippi river. four races are recognized by miller and allen ( : ). [illustration: fig. . distribution of the yuma myotis in washington. a. _myotis yumanensis saturatus._ b. _myotis yumanensis sociabilis._] the habits of _myotis yumanensis_ and _myotis lucifugus_ appear to be the same. in washington the two species are commonly found together. in western washington, _myotis yumanensis_ seems to be more common than _myotis lucifugus_. in the san juan islands a _yumanensis_ was found hiding in the attic of an old cabin on blakeley island. a specimen of long-eared bat was taken at the same place. another yuma myotis was caught behind a door of a mill on blakeley island (dalquest, : ). this species shares with _myotis californicus_ the habit of apparently drinking salt water. a specimen obtained at sportsmans lake, san juan county, held one embryo on june , . one from peavine pass, blakeley island, san juan county, held one embryo on june , . =myotis yumanensis sociabilis= h. w. grinnell _myotis yumanensis sociabilis_ h. w. grinnell, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , december , . _type._--obtained at old fort tejon, kern county, california, by j. grinnell on july , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial character._--color pale. _measurements._--two males and females from selah, yakima county, average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; height of tragus . _distribution._--eastern washington generally. marginal records on the west are: stehekin (miller and allen, : ), and selah (w.w.d.). [illustration: fig. . distribution of the fringe-tailed myotis and the keen myotis in washington. a. _myotis thysanodes thysanodes._ b. _myotis keenii keenii._] =myotis yumanensis saturatus= miller _myotis yumanensis saturatus_ miller, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _type._--obtained at hamilton, skagit county, washington, by t. s. palmer on september , ; type in united states national museum. _racial character._--color dark. _measurements._--eighteen adults of both sexes from san juan county, washington, average: total length . ; length of tail . ; hind foot . ; ear ; height of tragus . ; weight . grams. _distribution._--from the eastern base of the cascade mountains to the pacific. this is the commonest _myotis_ found in western washington. marginal localities are: hamilton (miller and allen, : ), and goldendale (miller and allen, : ). =myotis keenii keenii= (merriam) keen myotis _vespertilio subulatus keenii_ merriam, amer. nat., : , september, . _myotis subulatus keenii_ miller, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _myotis keenii keenii_ miller and allen, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , may , . _type._--obtained at masset, graham island, queen charlotte islands, british columbia, by j. h. keen in ; type in united states national museum. _measurements._--miller and allen ( : ) list the measurements of a male from sol duc hot springs, clallam county, and a specimen of unknown sex from lake cushman, jefferson county, as, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , . ; ear?, . . _distribution._--only the olympic peninsula, where it has been recorded by miller and allen ( : ) from sol duc hot springs and lake cushman. _description._--_myotis keenii_ is similar, in general, to _myotis lucifugus_ and _myotis yumanensis_, but the ears are longer and when laid forward reach about mm. past the nose rather than ending at the nostrils. the foot is of medium size (about mm.) and no keel is present on the calcar. the distribution of this species is given by miller and allen ( : ) as "northern north america from the limits of tree growth south in the east to south carolina and arkansas, and in the west to northwestern washington." i have not observed this bat in washington and know nothing of its habits. its distribution is most unusual. its range seems to lie only in the glaciated area of western british columbia and northern washington. =myotis evotis= (h. allen) long-eared myotis _description._--the distinguishing feature of _myotis evotis_ is its long ears, which, when laid forward, reach mm. in front of the nose. _myotis thysanodes_ and _myotis keenii_, other species in which the ears are rather long, have the ears ending less than mm. anterior to the nose when laid forward. the foot of _myotis evotis_ is of moderate size ( to mm.). this species ranges over the western united states, from british columbia to central mexico. two subspecies of this interesting bat are recognized, both of which occur in washington. though i have hunted for this species of bat in washington on numerous occasions, i have taken no specimens. in the summer of , _myotis_ identified as this species because of their large ears, were seen flying at midnight in the light of searchlights over lake washington canal at seattle. mary greer gave us a specimen which was struck by her auto near baker lake, whatcom county. according to miss greer, the specimen was seen "hovering in the road, like a large moth." the time was about midnight. this evidence indicates that the species does its hunting late at night, when ordinary methods of hunting bats are useless, and may account for the scarcity of specimens from the state. nevertheless, collectors from the california museum of vertebrate zoölogy took specimens in the blue mountains where the bats flew slowly, in rather straight courses, to feet from the ground. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the long-eared myotis in washington. a. _myotis evotis evotis._ b. _myotis evotis pacificus._] this species has not, so far as is known, been taken in washington in its daytime retreat. daniel bonell saved two specimens from under slabs of loose bark on old, dead snags near tillamook, oregon. davis ( : ) reported them as hiding in the daytime in a cave in craters of the moon national monument, idaho. whitlow and hall ( : ) report specimens found in an old cabin near pocatello, idaho, two of them containing one embryo each. =myotis evotis evotis= (h. allen) _vespertilio evotis_ allen, smithsonian misc. coll., (no. ): , june, . _myotis evotis_ miller, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _myotis evotis evotis_ miller and allen, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _type._--description based on a series of specimens, one of which came from monterey, california. this locality was designated the type locality by miller ( : ). _racial character._--color pale. _measurements._--two males and specimens of unknown sex from the blue mountains, columbia county, average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . ; ear ; height of tragus ; weight . grams. _distribution._--the blue mountains area, of southeastern washington; recorded from south touchet (miller and allen, : ) and godman springs (w. s. m.). _remarks._--miller and allen ( : ) record the dark race of _myotis evotis_ from the blue mountains. specimens examined by me are much paler than _pacificus_ and most of them are indistinguishable from specimens of _evotis_ from california. =myotis evotis pacificus= dalquest _vespertilio evotis_ allen, smithsonian misc. coll., (no. ): , june, (part specimens from puget sound). _myotis evotis evotis_ miller and allen, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , may , . _myotis evotis pacificus_ dalquest, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , february , . _type._--obtained from - / miles east and miles north of yacolt, clark county, washington, by john chattin on august , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial character._--color dark. _measurements._--five specimens from the type locality average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . ; ear . ; height of tragus ; weight . grams. _distribution._--western washington from the cascade mountains westward. marginal occurrences are: baker lake (w. w. d.) and easton (miller and allen, : ). =myotis thysanodes thysanodes= miller fringe-tailed myotis _myotis thysanodes_ miller, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _myotis thysanodes thysanodes_ miller and allen, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , may , . _type._--obtained at old fort tejon, kern county, california, by t. s. palmer on july , ; type in united states national museum. _measurements._--two males and females from vernon, british columbia, average, respectively: total length . , ; length of tail . , ; hind foot . , ; ear . , ; height of tragus , . _distribution._--in washington known only from the southeastern border of the state, namely from dayton (w. s. m.) and anatone (miller and allen, : ). _description._--_myotis thysanodes_ resembles _myotis evotis_, but differs in larger size, smaller ear (reaching less than mm. past nose when laid forward), and in possessing a well developed fringe of hairs along the border of the caudal membrane. this species of bat ranges over western north america from southern british columbia to southern mexico. two geographic races are currently recognized, only one of which occurs in the united states. this bat is not recorded by davis ( ) as occurring in idaho and has been found only once in oregon. the only published account of the habits of _thysanodes_ seems to be that of palmer (in miller, : , also grinnell, ) who found adults and young of various sizes in company with _myotis yumanensis_ in the attic of an old adobe building near old fort tejon, california, in july, . the specimens obtained in washington and british columbia came from dry areas of pine forest. =myotis volans= (h. allen) hairy-winged myotis _description._--this species, in washington, may be easily recognized by its relatively large size and the presence of a distinct keel on the side of the calcar, posterior to the foot. four subspecies of _myotis volans_ are recognized by miller and allen ( : ). these range over western north america from southern alaska to southern mexico. two subspecies occur in washington. the record stations in washington for the pale, southern race are all in arid places and the dark, coastal race is a forest animal. most of the specimens taken by me (all of the dark race) were in clearings or along roads through timber near the crests of hills. they appeared relatively late in the evening, after the big-brown and the silver-haired bats had been in the air for some time. often they were taken in company with _myotis lucifugus_ and _myotis yumanensis_. they were appreciably larger than those species and their flight was slower and less erratic. they usually flew in relatively straight lines or large circles at from ten to forty feet from the ground. at lake kapowsin, pierce county, they were attracted by swishing a long pole in the air. at renton, king county, one was shot as it hunted insects at a city street light several hours after dark. =myotis volans longicrus= (true) _vespertilio longicrus_ true, science, : , . _vespertilio nitidus longicrus_ h. allen, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , march , . _myotis lucifugus longicrus_ miller, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _myotis longicrus_ lyon and osgood, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , january , . _myotis volans longicrus_ miller and allen, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , may , . _type._--obtained in the "vicinity of puget sound, washington" by d. s. jordan, and catalogued in the u. s. national museum on december , . _racial character._--color dark. _measurements._--a female from miles northeast of kelso, cowlitz county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; height of tragus . _distribution._--from the eastern base of the cascade mountains to the pacific. marginal records (from miller and allen, : ) are oroville, entiat, and carson. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the hairy-winged myotis in washington. a. _myotis volans longicrus._ b. _myotis volans interior._] =myotis volans interior= miller _myotis longicrus_ interior miller, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , october , . _myotis volans interior_ miller and allen, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , may , . _type._--obtained miles south of twining, taos county, new mexico, by vernon bailey on july , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--smaller and paler than _myotis v. longicrus_. _measurements._--four males and a female from the blue mountains, columbia county, average: total length ; length of tail . ; hind foot?; ear ; height of tragus . . _distribution._--known only from the blue mountains area of the southeastern part of the state, from walla walla (e. s. b.) east to anatone (miller and allen, : ). _remarks._--of specimens available from the blue mountains, are like _interior_ and is like _longicrus_. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the california myotis in washington. a. _myotis californicus californicus._ b. _myotis californicus caurinus._] =myotis californicus= (audubon and bachman) california myotis _description._--_myotis californicus_ may be separated from all _myotis_ that occur in washington, except _myotis subulatus_, by its small foot (about mm.). it is the only small-footed bat found in western washington. in eastern washington, where _myotis subulatus_ occurs, the cleaned skulls of the two species must be compared before certain identification of some specimens is possible. the skull of _m. californicus_ possesses a higher cranium and more abruptly rising forehead than that of _m. subulatus_. four geographic races of this bat recognized by miller and allen ( : ) range from southern alaska southward over western north america to southern mexico. two subspecies occur in washington. _myotis californicus_, in western washington, often occurs in company with _myotis yumanensis_, _lucifugus_, and _volans_. in flight it cannot be distinguished from _m. yumanensis_ or _m. lucifugus_. most of our specimens were collected over water, for these bats usually fly rather late and can be shot most easily where their reflection on the water assists the hunter in aiming. they are usually not common, one or two being taken at a single locality. this species, like _myotis yumanensis_, seems to drink salt water. on may , , a living specimen was caught under a loose piece of bark on a dead tree. =myotis californicus caurinus= miller _vespertilio nitidus_ h. allen, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, p. , (part of the specimens were from fort steilacoom, pierce co., washington). _myotis californicus caurinus_ miller, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _type._--obtained at masset, graham island, queen charlotte islands, british columbia, by j. h. keen in ; type in united states national museum. _racial character._--color reddish-brown. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the small-footed myotis, _myotis subulatus melanorhinus_, in washington.] _measurements._--eight specimens, including both sexes, from the san juan islands, san juan and skagit counties, average: total length . ; length of tail . ; hind foot . ; ear?; height of tragus . ; weight . grams. _distribution._--western washington east through the northern cascades to chelan, blue creek and colville (miller and allen, : ) in northeastern washington, and, farther south, east to mount rainier (miller and allen, : ) and carson (miller and allen, : ). =myotis californicus californicus= (audubon and bachman) _vespertilio californicus_ audubon and bachman, jour. acad. nat. sci., philadelphia, (ser. , ser. , pt. ): , . _myotis californicus_ miller, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _type._--none designated. type locality fixed at monterey, monterey county, california, by miller and allen ( : ). _racial character._--color pale. _measurements._--a female from crooked river, crook county, oregon, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; height of tragus ; weight . grams. _distribution._--recorded only from the eastern part of the state. westernmost records, according to miller and allen ( : ) are: orondo, goldendale and lyle. =myotis subulatus melanorhinus= (merriam) small-footed myotis _vespertilio melanorhinus_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , september , . _myotis subulatus melanorhinus_ miller and allen, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , may , . _type._--obtained on san francisco mountain, ft. elevation, coconino county, arizona, by c. h. merriam and v. bailey on august , ; type in united states national museum. _measurements._--three males and females from eastern washington average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; height of tragus . one weighed . grams. _distribution._--desert areas of eastern washington, including the columbian plateau and the lower columbia river valley. marginal records are: mi. s grand coulee dam (w. w. d.) in the north, wenatchee (w. w. d.) in the northwest, lyle (w. w. d.) in the southwest, and bly (miller and allen, : ) in the southeast. _description._--_myotis subulatus_ is closely similar to _myotis californicus_, but is more orange in color and has the skin on the face more nearly black. specimens cannot be identified with certainty until the cleaned skulls are examined. the more flattened cranium and less abruptly rising forehead separate _myotis subulatus_ from _m. californicus_. this species is confined to the united states and northern mexico. two races are recognized by miller and allen ( ), of which one occurs in washington. it is the commonest bat in the desert of eastern washington. it lives far from trees on plains and in sandy or rocky areas, emerging rather early in the evening. it is not difficult to shoot. its flight is erratic. the animal usually hunts in large, irregular circles at to feet from the ground. it has not been found in its daytime retreat but may hide in crevices in rocky outcrops. near vantage, grant county, individuals were shot as they hung up in a concrete underpass to digest food. the stomachs of specimens taken were so crammed with the remains of insects that their abdomens were greatly distended. the underpass seemed to be only a resting place, not inhabited by day. others were taken when they came to rest in the loft of a barn at selah, yakima county. they usually did not arrive at the barn until an hour after sunset and were still present there at midnight. =lasionycteris noctivagans= (le conte) silver-haired bat _v[espertilio]. noctivagans_ le conte, mcmurtrie's cuvier, anim. kingd., : , . _vesperugo noctivagans_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., : , . _lasionycteris noctivagans_ allen, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , march , . _type._--none designated; described from a specimen obtained in the "eastern united states." _measurements._--five males from san juan county, washington, average: total length . ; length of tail . ; hind foot . ; ear ; height of tragus . ; weight . grams. _distribution._--forested areas of the entire state. this species is migratory and first appears about the middle of may. september th is the latest recorded occurrence, when one was seen at seattle, king county. marginal records are: sportsmans lake (w. w. d.), in the northwest; carson (taylor and shaw, : ) in the southwest; pass creek pass (w. w. d.) in the northeast; and bly (taylor and shaw, : ) in the southeast. _remarks._--the chocolate-brown color phase of the silver-haired bat is most common east of the cascade mountains, while almost all specimens from western washington represent the black phase. this medium-sized bat is the darkest-colored species living in the state, ranging from chocolate-brown to nearly black. numerous white-tipped hairs give the upper parts a frosted appearance. the upper surface of the interfemoral membrane is well furred, a character shared only with _lasiurus_. the dental formula (i. - / - , c. - / - , p. - / - , m. - / - = ) is the same as that of _corynorhinus_. the small ears and short tragus immediately distinguish the silver-haired bat from the long-eared bat. the genus _lasionycteris_ contains but a single species, of which no geographic races have been described. it ranges across north america from coast to coast and from central canada southward, in forested areas, nearly to mexico. this species is known to be migratory, and southern records probably do not represent breeding individuals. in washington these bats have been taken in the transition, canadian, and hudsonian life-zones. they were found near clearings in forests of open pine woods in the arid section of eastern washington, near mountain hemlock thickets in the high mountains, and in the dense rain-forests of the pacific coastal area. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the silver-haired bat. _lasionycteris noctivagans_, in washington.] the size and flight of the silver-haired bats are distinctive, and after some experience it is possible to identify them in the air. it is an early flier, usually appearing just after the swallows roost. they fly at a considerable height, rarely coming within forty feet of the ground. the wings are moved with a "fluttery" motion, and their flight is interrupted by frequent short glides. they fly more rapidly than the big brown-bats, and twist and dart sideways more frequently. compared with big brown-bats, silver-haired bats are relatively gregarious, and six to a dozen individuals were seen in the same area. they generally hunt in sweeping circles, from fifty to one hundred yards in diameter. in the daytime the silver-haired bats hide beneath slabs of loose bark on dead trees. near cottage lake, king county, two individuals were found beneath the bark on an old, lightning-blasted stub. the dark color of the bats blended with the charred surface of the stub. this species feeds mainly on forest insects and for this reason is probably of considerable value to man. the stomachs of specimens were usually crammed with the remains of small, soft-bodied insects. =corynorhinus rafinesquii= (lesson) long-eared bat _description._--diagnostic characters of the long-eared bat are: medium size (total length about inches); dull, grayish-brown color; exceptionally long ears (over inch from notch); thin, tissue-like membranes; and paired "lumps" on the rostrum. the dental formula is: i. - / - , c. - / - , p. - / - , m. - / - = . [illustration: fig. . long-eared bat (_corynorhinus rafinesquii intermedius_), female with young; boulder cave, kittitas county, washington, july , . (fish and wildlife service photo by t. h. scheffer, no. b- .)] long-eared bats range from southern british columbia to southern mexico. three species are listed by miller ( : ), one of which (_rafinesquii_) is divisible into five geographic races. this bat is colonial and is not uncommonly found in caves, mine shafts, and darkened attics of old buildings. it is of scattered distribution throughout the state. in washington its distribution in winter is unknown. a specimen from friday harbor, san juan county, taken in march, , indicates that it hibernates in the state. whitlow and hall ( : ) give a detailed account of individuals found hibernating in winter near pocatello, idaho. [illustration: fig. . entrance to boulder cave, inhabited by long-eared bats (_corynorhinus_); kittitas county, washington, may , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] john k. townsend ( : ) mentions that the "great-eared bat" at the forts of the columbia river district (fort vancouver) were protected by the "gentlemen of the hudson's bay company for their services in destroying the _dermestes_ which abound in their fur establishments." townsend mentions also that the long-eared bats seldom left the "storehouses attached to the forts," even at night. my own observations are similar, in that at boulder cave, kittitas county, on july , , when not less than long-eared bats were present in the cave, i watched the entrances to the cave until an hour after dark but no bats were seen to emerge. all of the specimens available from washington were caught in their daytime hiding place. the number of long-eared bats at boulder cave has decreased in recent years. on july , , bats were so abundant that were captured with a single sweep of a butterfly net (t. h. scheffer, : ). on july , , it was estimated that there were slightly more than in the cave. on june , , the number was less, probably about . little is known of the food habits of the long-eared bat. the stomach of a specimen from blakeley island, san juan county, was crammed with the remains of insects, including the wing scales of _lepidoptera_ and the wings of small diptera. scheffer noted that the long-eared bats at boulder cave were nearly ready to give birth to young on july , , and were carrying naked young a week later. on july , , at the same locality, females contained nearly full-term embryos. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the long-eared bat in washington. a. _corynorhinus rafinesquii townsendii._ b. _corynorhinus rafinesquii intermedius._] =corynorhinus rafinesquii townsendii= (cooper) _plecotus townsendii_ cooper, ann. lyc. nat. hist. new york, : , november, . _corynorhinus macrotis townsendii_ miller, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _corynorhinus megalotis townsendii_ g. m. allen, bull. mus. comp. zoöl., : , april, . _corynorhinus rafinesquii townsendii_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _type._--probably obtained at fort vancouver, clark county, washington; type not now in existence. _racial character._--dark color. _measurements._--a male from blakeley island, san juan county, measured: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . ; ear . ; tragus . ; weight grams. _distribution._--western washington, from blakeley island (w. w. d.) in the north, south to seattle (w. w. d.) and fort vancouver. =corynorhinus rafinesquii intermedius= h. w. grinnell _corynorhinus rafinesquii intermedius_ h. w. grinnell, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , december , . _corynorhinus rafinesquii townsendii_ dalquest, jour. mamm., : , may , . _type._--obtained at auburn, placer county, california, by j. c. hawver on july , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--paler and duller than _townsendii_. _measurements._--one male and females from miles east of tonasket, okanogan county, average: total length , length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . ; tragus . _distribution._--scattered localities in the arid subdivision of the transition life-zone of eastern washington, from mi. e tonasket (w. w. d.) on the north to boulder cave (w. w. d.) on the west and spokane (w. s. c.) on the east. _remarks._--of specimens in the university of kansas, museum of natural history, those from selah (not plotted on distribution map), yakima county, are paler than those from boulder cave, yakima county, but both series are paler than specimens from the coast of oregon. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the western pipistrelle, _pipistrellus hesperus hesperus_, in washington.] =pipistrellus hesperus hesperus= (h. allen) western pipistrelle _scotophilus hesperus_ h. allen, smithsonian misc. coll., (no. ): , june, . _vesperugo hesperus_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., : , . _pipistrellus hesperus_ miller, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _type._--obtained at old fort yuma, imperial county, california, by g. h. thomas; catalogued in u. s. national museum on october , . _measurements._--a specimen from maryhill, klickitat county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; height of tragus ; weight . grams. two males from vantage, grant county, average: . ; . ; ; ; . _distribution._--known only from along the snake and columbia rivers of south-central washington; recorded from vantage (w.w.d.), south to maryhill (m.v.z.), and east to almota (taylor and shaw, : ). _description._--this is the smallest bat found in washington, its body being approximately - / inches long and the tail - / . it may be separated from _myotis_ by the bent tragus and by the possession of rather than teeth. the dental formula is: i. - / - , c. - / - , p. - / - , m. - / - = . the genus _pipestrellus_ is cosmopolitan in distribution. the few records for the single subspecies found in washington indicate that it is a casual, though probably regular, summer visitant from the south. two western pipistrelles were shot at vantage, grant county, on july , . they flew in slow circles about feet from the ground. no breeding records are known from the state. =eptesicus fuscus bernardinus= rhoads big brown-bat _eptesicus fuscus bernardinus_ rhoads, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, : , february , . _eptesicus fuscus pallidus_ engels, amer. midland nat., : , may, (part specimens from washington). _type._--obtained near san bernardino, san bernardino county, california, by r. b. herron on may , ; type in academy of natural sciences of philadelphia. _measurements._--three males and females from washington average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . ; ear . ; height of tragus . _distribution._--forested areas of the entire state of washington. marginal localities are san juan island (w.w.d.) in the northwest, carson (taylor and shaw, : ), in the southwest, newport (w.w.d.) in the northeast, and grand ronde river (taylor and shaw, : ) in the southeast. _remarks._--specimens from both eastern and western washington vary greatly in color, and series of specimens from eastern washington average little, if any, paler than series from western washington. washington specimens most closely resemble specimens from california of the race _bernardinus_ and average darker than _pallidus_. _description._ the big brown-bat may be distinguished from other bats by its large size (about - / inches), rich, brown color, and small ears (reaching only to nostril when laid forward). it possesses teeth, the dental formula being: i. - / - , c. - / - , p. - / - , m. - / - = . bats of the genus _eptesicus_ are cosmopolitan in distribution. a single species occurs in north america, of which engels ( ) recognizes four races in western united states. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the big brown-bat, _eptesicus fuscus bernardinus_, in washington.] the big brown-bat appears early in the evening, often before the swallows have retired. this, and its large size, makes it relatively easy to study. it is principally a forest bat but also is found in towns and cities. it is common in seattle and hunts around street lights and about the trees in the city parks. in its more natural habitat it flies over trees and clearings. big brown-bats were repeatedly timed, with a car's speedometer, at miles an hour as they flew down a road lined with tall trees. this is a greater speed than that at which they usually hunt. when the speed of the car was increased the bats dodged sideways, around the car. at lesser speeds they pulled ahead and escaped. big brown-bats are less gregarious, when hunting, than some bats. one or two may be found in a small area, the limits of which are definitely fixed. we noted this repeatedly near cottage lake, king county, where the big brown-bats hunted along roads through second-growth conifers. the bats patrolled back and forth along a section of a road about a quarter of a mile in length. when a bat reached the end of its personal territory, it would wheel and return. on six successive trips a bat turned, to retrace its course, at points less than feet distant from the point of the first turn. when the bat approached the turning point on the seventh trip, a bat from the adjoining strip of road approached the area. the two animals fluttered about each other with shrill squeaks, audible feet away. the fluttering and squeaking continued for nearly a minute, after which both bats resumed their hunting. darkness concluded the observations. on several occasions we stood on a road patrolled by a big brown-bat. the bat immediately detected the watcher and fluttered about his head and face. big brown-bats ignore other species of bats hunting on their territory. indeed, such comparatively slow flyers could scarcely drive the more speedy bats away. two _eptesicus_, kept in captivity for several weeks, exhibited very different personalities. one was shy and sullen. it cowered in the back of its cage and attempted to bite when handled. it would eat only small quantities of finely scraped liver tendered to it on a spoon. if a bit of liver adhered to its face it would shake violently and refuse to eat more. when it had eaten its fill, it would seize the spoon in its teeth and spill the remaining food. the second specimen was tame and greedy. it ate insects, liver, earthworms, and even pieces of flesh. after two days in captivity it learned to come to the door of its cage at a person's approach and open its mouth, in anticipation of food. if it dropped bits of liver on which it was chewing it would descend from the top of its cage to retrieve them, squeaking indignantly while doing so. it also descended to the floor of the cage to lap water from a dish. it habitually hung head downward from the roof of its cage, but reversed its position when evacuating urine or feces. engler ( : ) discovered that big brown-bats will kill and eat smaller bats, at least in captivity. =lasiurus cinereus cinereus= (beauvois) hoary bat _vespertilio cinereus_ (misspelled _linereus_) beauvois, catal. raisonné mus. peale, philadelphia, : (p. of english edition by peale and beauvois). _lasiurus cinereus_ h. allen, smithsonian misc. coll., (no. ): , . _atalapha cinerea_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., : , . _type._--none designated. type locality pennsylvania, probably near philadelphia. _measurements._--ten specimens from california average: total length . ; length of tail . ; hind foot . ; ear ; height of tragus . ; weight (of ) . grams. _distribution._--recorded from seattle (w.s.m.) to the north, westport (w.s.m.) to the west and pullman (w.s.m.) to the east. [illustration: fig. . record stations for the hoary bat, _lasiurus cinerea_, in washington.] _remarks._--the hoary bat is the largest and most distinctively marked kind of bat in the state. adults are usually more than inches in total length. the fur is exceptionally long and soft. the wing-membranes are thick and leathery. the posterior half of the wing-membrane is black; the anterior half is pale. the interfemoral membrane is furred. dorsally the color of the fur is mottled white and seal-brown, giving a silvery-gray effect. the ears are short and thick; the feet short and wide. the dental formula is: i. - / - , c. - / - , p. - / - , m. - / - = . the genus _lasiurus_ is found in north america, south america, and the hawaiian islands. _lasiurus cinereus_ ranges from british columbia to southern south america. osgood ( : ) records two subspecies from chile. information on the natural history of the hoary bat is meager. it was observed in the kettle river mountains, but none was obtained. it flew erratically and rapidly and did not appear until darkness had set in. at least two were seen above a road through a forest of western larch and ponderosa pine. probably it breeds in the mountains of northeastern washington and in the northern cascades. the hoary bat is migratory, leaving the state in august and september, rarely lingering until early october. it winters along the coast of central and southern california (dalquest, : ). =antrozous pallidus cantwelli= bailey pallid bat _antrozous pallidus cantwelli_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _type._--obtained at rogersburg, asotin county, washington, by g. g. cantwell on may , ; type in united states national museum. _measurements._--a male from the south bank of the columbia river, opposite fallbridge, klickitat county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; height of tragus ; weight . grams. _distribution._--recorded only from localities near the columbia and snake rivers in eastern washington; from wenatchee (w.w.d.) south and east to bly and rogersburg (taylor and shaw, : ). _description._--_antrozous pallidus_ is more likely to be confused with _corynorhinus_ than with any other kind of bat and can be distinguished from _corynorhinus_ by its larger size ( - / to inches), lighter color, thick and leathery membranes, and shorter, wider ears. _antrozous_ lacks the prominent "lumps" on the rostrum, characteristic of the long-eared bat. the dental formula is: i. - / - , c. - / - , p. - / - , m. - / - = . the genus _antrozous_ is confined to western united states and northwestern mexico. two species are recognized by miller ( : ). one of these (_pallidus_) includes three geographic races. a single race is known to occur in washington. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the pallid bat, _antrozous pallidus cantwelli_, in washington.] the pallid bat chooses a crevice in a cliff, cave, or building as its daytime hiding place. like _corynorhinus_, it is colonial. the basalt cliffs of eastern washington offer such ideal hiding places that pallid bats are seldom seen and consequently little is known of their habits. in the southwestern united states, pallid bats are more abundant and better known. h. w. grinnell ( : ) notes that the floor of a roost of pallid bats was strewn each morning with the heads, wings, and legs of insects. most numerous were the remains of the jerusalem cricket (_stenopelmatus_), a flightless insect that the bats must have secured on the ground. engler ( : ) found that in captivity, pallid bats would kill and eat smaller bats and lizards confined with them. bailey ( : ) believes that the young of this bat are born in late june and early july. one or two young constitute a litter. =ursus americanus= pallas black bear _description._--the black bear is the largest carnivore found in washington if the grizzly is extinct there. the exact size of the adult male black bear is somewhat in question. few actual weights are on record of washington bears. grinnell, dixon and linsdale ( : ) paid special attention to the maximum weight of black bears in california and concluded that few ever exceeded pounds. the total length of the largest black bear among specimens from the entire pacific coastal area, especially from california and alaska, they give as feet, inches (_op. cit._, p. ). it may safely be assumed that few individuals ever reach a length of six feet. females are smaller; recorded weights of adults rarely exceed pounds. the largest males have hind feet from to - / inches in length. [illustration: fig. . female black bear (_ursus americanus altifrontalis_), and two cubs, near big four inn, mt. baker national forest, washington, july, . (forest service photo by r. l. fromme.)] the black bear, including its closely related species, the mexican bear, _ursus machetes_, ranges over alaska, canada, the united states and northern mexico. the distinction between the black and grizzly bears has been listed under the account of _ursus chelan_. the fur of black bears in the cascade mountains in the fall is long, sleek and glossy but rather stiff. in the spring and early summer the fur of animals at mount rainier often appeared coarse, wooly and patchy or rubbed on older animals. some smaller bears possessed sleek, well-groomed pelts. bears from the lowland areas are said to possess poor pelts because of constant abrasion in the forests. in the fall, when the salmon are spawning, the bears are said by trappers to roll in decayed fish until they "smell so bad you can't come near them" and their fur is matted and "crawling with lice." it is now known that the cinnamon bear, sometimes called brown bear, is merely a color phase of the black bear. the brown phase varies in color from a rich, dark reddish brown to a pale cinnamon brown. cowan ( : ) has recorded the geographic variation in the brown and black coats of the bears of british columbia and, in part, of washington. on the olympic peninsula the brown phase is rare. old residents have told me of seeing but a few brown bears in their life. i have seen only black bears in the lowlands of western washington. cowan (_loc. cit._) lists , black and brown bears from fort nisqually, pierce county, between and . in the cascade mountains the brown phase is not uncommon, perhaps one out of five bears seen being brown. in northeastern washington the brown and black phases are about equal in number, and some trappers state that the browns are more numerous. cowan lists , black and , brown bears from fort colville between and . the black bear occurs in a variety of habitats in washington. it seems to be absent only from the treeless areas of eastern washington, and is most abundant in the cascade mountains and olympic mountains where food is abundant and men are few. it is not uncommon throughout the timbered lowlands of northeastern washington and western washington, however, and shows a surprising ability to exist unnoticed near the larger cities. in the dense, junglelike forests of southwestern washington it is numerous. jackson ( : ) estimates that , black bears live in washington, more than in any other state. the habits of the black bear have changed greatly where it has come into contact with man. at mount rainier national park black bears now ignore people, save to beg for food. in the cascades the bears are wild but so seldom see men that in many places they live much as they did hundreds of years ago. in the lowlands of western washington they are in daily contact with evidence of man or his guns. as a result they are silent and shy, rarely being seen. [illustration: fig. . black bear (_ursus americanus altifrontalis_), in "hibernation," mt. baker region, washington, about . (john e. candle photo, courtesy "field and stream.")] the black bear in the mountains is active sometimes by day and sometimes by night. probably it is principally nocturnal but active by day only when the food obtained at night is insufficient to meet the needs of the animal. in the lowlands it is almost completely nocturnal. in the mountains it enters upon its winter sleep with the first snows or, if the snows are late, when the huckleberries are gone. ordinarily black bears are in "hibernation" by the middle of november. in the lowlands of western washington they are active until after the salmon spawning season, and probably do not "hibernate" before the middle of december and may not do so at all. in the mountains they emerge from the winter sleep in may; in the lowlands they emerge in february or march. the black bear is omnivorous in the truest sense of the word. because the animal is of large size it requires much nourishment. this is obtained by eating large quantities of material with low food value. material eaten passes rapidly through the digestive tract and often only easily digested parts seem to be utilized. feces commonly contain complete and undigested berries and seeds or almost undigested pieces of apples or other fruit. the principal food of the black bear in washington is berries. many species are eaten, but the huckleberry (_vaccinium_ sp.) is favored. other food items are: _gaultheria shallon_ (pulpy fruit); oregon grape, _berberis nervosa_ (flowers and fruit); salmonberry, _rubus parviflorus_ (leaves and fruit); leaves of several plants, including _rubus macropetalus_ and other thorny kinds; grass, succulent plants, and roots. insects are eaten and most feces show remains of a few. in june, , near cle elum, kittitas county, a species of sword-tailed cricket fully two inches in length was abundant, and droppings of a bear there were composed entirely of the remains of these crickets. fish, especially spawning salmon, are important food. when salmon are spawning the bears in the vicinity feed on nothing else. warm-blooded vertebrates probably are eaten but none of the many bear droppings examined by me contained remains of birds or mammals. bennett, english and watts ( : ) found few mammals to be eaten by bears studied by them in pennsylvania. locally bears kill pigs and sheep, smash bee-hives and raid fruit trees. the large size and sometimes awkward appearance of black bears combine to give a comic note to some of their natural actions. a bear in full flight, lumbering along a trail with head swinging from side to side and hind feet stretching past the forelegs at each stride, is more apt than not to amuse the observer. near stevens pass, a large black bear was observed lying on its back in a mud wallow. this was an oval opening in the ground in a meadow of heather and huckleberry near a small stream. the wallow was approximately feet long, feet deep and feet wide. the bear was immersed in muddy water with only its head and feet visible. it seemed well content and comfortable, shifting its bulk occasionally and waving its paws. when a stray breeze brought to the bear the scent of my companion and myself the animal's contentment vanished and it hastily made a frantic effort to depart. it had wedged itself deeply in the hole, and as it twisted and turned in attempting to sit up, waves of water gushed from the wallow. eventually escaping from its wallow, the bear half ran and half rolled to the cover of alders feet away. this particular wallow had been in use by bears for some time, as was attested by old droppings at its edge and by its well-worn condition. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the black bear in washington. a. _ursus americanus altifrontalis._ b. _ursus americanus cinnamomum._] the fact that washington has the largest population of black bears of the states in the union is due, largely, i feel, to abundant natural cover, food, such as salmon and huckleberries, and an intelligent game code. in california and some other states the black bear has been considered a fur bearer, to be trapped with steel traps. this is permitted in spite of the fact that their pelts bring but a few dollars, usually less than ten. their sale scarcely repays the trapper for his labor in preparing the hide. townsend ( : ) remarked on the ease with which bears could be trapped in california although in the same area they were so shy that they could seldom be shot. as a result of trapping, the number of bears in some states has been dangerously reduced. in washington the bear is a game animal, to be hunted with a rifle for a few weeks in the fall when the pelt and flesh are at their best. as a result bears are numerous and can be hunted with fair chances of success. =ursus americanus altifrontalis= elliot _ursus altifrontalis_ elliot, field columb. mus. publ. , zoöl. ser. : , june, . _euarctos altifrontalis_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _ursus americanus americanus_ taylor and shaw, mammals and birds of mount rainier national park, u. s. nat. park service, washington, p. , . _euarctos americanus altifrontalis_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _ursus americanus altifrontalis_ hall, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , march , . _type._--obtained at lake crescent, olympic peninsula, clallam county, washington, by d. g. elliot in ; type in field museum of natural history. _racial characters._--color dark, almost always black instead of brown; skull wide, high and heavy; molar teeth wide and heavy. _distribution._--from the eastern base of the cascade mountains westward to the pacific. marginal occurrences are chelan (w.w.d.) and signal peak (taylor and shaw, : ). =ursus americanus cinnamomum= audubon and bachman _ursus americanus var. cinnamomum_ audubon and bachman, quadrupeds of north america, : , . _euarctos cinnamomum_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _euarctos americanus cinnamomum_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _ursus americanus cinnamomum_ hall, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , march , . _type._--obtained near the mouth of jim ford creek, lower clearwater river, western idaho (bailey, : ) by lewis and clark on may , . _racial characters._--resembling _altifrontalis_ but skull and molar teeth narrower; color even in black phase paler and browner; brown and black phases of approximately equal incidence. _distribution._--northeastern washington and the blue mountains of southeastern washington, occurring westward as far as republic (taylor and shaw, : ). =ursus chelan= merriam grizzly bear _ursus chelan_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , september , . _type._--obtained in township n. range e. willamette meridian, wenatchee national forest, chelan county, washington, by d. s. rice on september , ; type in united states national museum. _measurements._--the skull of the type, an old male, measures: basal length ; occipito-nasal length ; palatal length ; zygomatic breadth ; interorbital breadth . _distribution._--probably once from the stevens pass area north to british columbia. possibly still remaining in the mountains between mount baker and lake chelan. _remarks._--grizzly bears occurred in the lowlands of oregon (bailey, : ) and california (grinnell, dixon and linsdale, : ) but there is no record of their ever having occurred in the lowlands of western washington. bears of the genus _ursus_ range over europe, asia and north america. no less than kinds of grizzly and big brown bears are recognized for north america by merriam ( ). they are closely related to the brown bears of asia. the kinds of black bears of north america are now thought to belong to but one species, namely _americanus_, and have no close relatives in eurasia. [illustration: fig. . probable past distribution of grizzly bears in washington. a. _ursus chelan._ b. _ursus canadensis._ c. _ursus idahoensis._] the grizzly is the largest carnivorous mammal in north america. from the black bear the grizzly may be distinguished in life by the prominent muscular hump on the shoulders. another feature is the long, slim, gently curved claws of the forefoot as compared with the shorter, stouter and sharply curved or hooked foreclaws of the black bear. the grizzly is much larger than the black bear. cranially, the grizzly differs in possessing a larger skull with lower frontal area, higher, more extensive sagittal crest, more posteriorly jutting occipital condyles and much longer tooth row. the color of both species is variable. some grizzly bears from alaska and british columbia are dark brown, almost as black as a black bear. others are pale cinnamon with the longer guard hairs pale gray. individuals of this frosted appearance popularly are known as "silver tips." in washington, the black bear varies in color from glossy black, through various shades of brown to a pale cinnamon. the grizzly bear is extinct over most of washington. a few may remain in remote parts of the northern cascades, and are regularly listed on the game census reports of the mount baker national forest. nevertheless, i have found no one who has seen an undoubted grizzly bear in washington. the type specimen was obtained well up in the cascade mountains where the animals, like those in british columbia, feed on roots, berries, marmots, pikas and other vegetable and animal life. =procyon lotor= (linnaeus) raccoon _description._--the raccoon is a relatively large carnivore with a stout, heavy body. large adults measure three feet in length and weigh up to pounds. the legs are of moderate length. the broad head tapers sharply to a pointed muzzle. the ears are erect, broad, low and rounded; the tail is long, about one-half the length of the head and body, bushy and round; the hind feet are large, flat and naked-soled but the forefeet are smaller with long, slim, handlike toes. the color of the body is a grizzled gray heavily washed with black on the back and sides. a jet-black "mask" across the eyes, sharply outlined by white muzzle and forehead, is the most distinctive feature of the head. the tail is alternately marked with six or seven black and five or six yellowish gray bands. the long, loose guard hairs give the body a shaggy appearance. the fur of the wrists is short, smooth, coarse, and directed downward. the raccoon is not an aquatic mammal, yet it is closely associated with water, whether it be streams, rivers, lakes or the ocean. the favored habitat of the raccoon is the shore line. it is a wader and, if it can be considered as specialized for any occupation, it is wading in mud and shallow water. its long toes, naked feet, and short-haired wrists are admirable adapted for walking on muddy bottoms or in shallow water. the coon is also at home on land. it moves swiftly and silently and when chased by dogs can cover miles in a few hours. it is an agile climber and lives in dens well up in trees. the raccoon is almost completely nocturnal. individuals are occasionally seen in the morning or evening, especially, when the tide is low along the ocean beach or puget sound. near fall city, king county, a small raccoon was seen eating a crayfish at : p.m. on a warm, sunny june day. in the eastern united states raccoons sleep during much of the winter, and probably they do the same in eastern washington. in western washington they are active most of the winter. some trappers stated that the animals "hole up" in spells of unusually cold weather. along the tolt river, miles southeast of duvall, king county, their tracks were seen daily in january, , although the temperature fell well below freezing each night. washington is near the northern limit of the range of the raccoon. the animal is reasonably common in western washington, and ranges well up into the cascade mountains. the highest altitudinal record available is longmire, mount rainier national park (taylor and shaw, ). raccoons are not uncommon in southeastern washington and in the yakima valley. they follow the columbia river northward, as shown by tracks at wenatchee on two occasions. the river valleys that flow into the columbia in northeastern washington seem admirably adapted for raccoons but the animal is rare there. trappers who have lived and trapped in northeastern washington for many years tell of seeing tracks at intervals of years along the okanogan, san poil, colville and kettle rivers. several stated that tracks had been seen more often in recent years. northeastern washington seems to be the peripheral range of the species, occupied at rare intervals by animals wandering north from the columbia river. the food habits of raccoons are almost as varied as those of black bears. animal matter forms their diet over most of the year; along stream courses crayfish, fish, thin-shelled fresh-water mussels, frogs (_hyla_ and _rana_), and aquatic insects are eaten. along beaches fish brought in by the tide, crustaceans, and mussels (_mytilus edulis_) are taken; small sharks appear not to be eaten. a recently dead dogfish that lay on the beach at whidby island, island county, was ringed by the tracks of a raccoon but had not been eaten. the shore crabs (_hemigrapsus nudus_ and _hemigrapsus oregonensis_) are a favored food and regular items of diet. the edible crab (_cancer productus_) is also eaten and in the san juan islands the porcelain crab (_petrolisthes eriomerus_) was commonly eaten. small mammals and birds are eaten regularly by this race of raccoon in california (grinnell, dixon and linsdale, : ), and the eggs and young of wild birds are sought in the spring (_op. cit._: ). the ability of the raccoon as a climber makes it a particular menace to nesting birds. berries, including domestic blackberries and salmonberries, are eaten in quantity when available. apples are dearly loved and the trees and orchards of abandoned ranches are regularly visited. the fondness of the raccoon for green corn is well known. insects are present in small quantities in most droppings and in the late summer some feces were composed entirely of the remains of grasshoppers. chickens, ducks, young turkeys and eggs are stolen and individuals become extremely adept at raiding hen-houses. at one time, about , the raccoon became scarce in western washington as a result of heavy trapping and high price of the pelts. a closed season was strictly enforced until it again became common. the price received by the trapper for raw furs of raccoon has since been rather low, from two to ten dollars. with fur prices in this range, the number of raccoons probably will not be reduced to a dangerously low level by trapping, but instead may be expected to furnish a regular winter income to the trappers who do trap for it. raccoons are known to breed in their first year of life (pope, : ). =procyon lotor psora= gray _procyon psora_ gray, ann. and mag. nat. hist., : . december, . _procyon psora pacifica_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , october , (type from lake keechelus, kittitas county, washington). _procyon proteus_ brass, aus dem reiche der pelze, p. , . _procyon lotor pacifica_ taylor and shaw, occ. pap. chas. r. conner mus., no. : . december, . _procyon lotor psora_ grinnell, dixon, and linsdale, fur-bearing mamm. california, univ. california press, berkeley, p. , july , . _type locality._--sacramento, sacramento county, california. _racial characters._--medium size; dark color; smoothly rounded skull. _measurements._--a female from forks, clallam county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; weight - / lbs. a female and males, young animals of the year, taken between november and december , average: ; ; ; weight (of ) - / lbs. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the raccoon in washington. a. _procyon lotor psora._ b. _procyon lotor excelsus._] _distribution._--from the western slope of the cascade mountains westward. marginal occurrences are lake keechelus (type locality) and mount rainier (taylor and shaw, : ). _remarks._--the range of variation in color and cranial characters of coastal raccoons is large. i am unable to find any character or average difference to separate the raccoons of western washington from those of northern california. =procyon lotor excelsus= nelson and goldman _procyon lotor excelsus_ nelson and goldman, jour. mamm., : , november , . _type._--obtained on upper owyhee river, near the mouth of the north fork in southeastern oregon by j. w. fisk on april , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _psora_ but larger; body paler and grayer; skull larger, heavier and more angular. _distribution._--southeastern washington, the valleys of the snake and yakima rivers and the valley of the columbia river north to northeastern washington. marginal records, from reports of trappers, include the okanogan river, okanogan county, wenatchee, chelan county, and selah, yakima county. _remarks._--the assignment of the raccoons of northeastern washington to _excelsus_ is tentative for i have seen no specimens. =martes caurina= merriam western marten _description._--the marten is slightly smaller and slimmer than a house cat, and at first glance resembles a large squirrel. the legs are longer, the body stouter and the fur more fluffy than those of a mink or weasel. adult males weigh from two to two and a half pounds, and females from one and a half to two pounds. males are slightly more than two feet in total length and females about inches, the tail comprising one-third or more of the total length. the head is broad and narrows rapidly to a sharp muzzle. the ears are large, erect and prominent. the feet are large with stout toes and long, sharply curved pinkish-white claws. the body and head are rich golden brown, the tail, wrists, feet and muzzle being darker. the western marten ranges from british columbia southward through idaho and washington to california. a closely related species, _americana_, is found in alaska, the eastern united states and canada. martens and fishers may be distinguished from weasels and minks by the presence of rather than teeth in the upper jaw and instead of teeth in the lower jaw. the western marten is arboreal. its principal habitat in washington is the canadian life-zone forests of the olympic, cascade and blue mountains and the various ranges in the northeastern part of the state. at one time it ranged near sea level along the densely forested coastal belt and may still do so in the more rugged parts of the willapa hills. the marten is both diurnal and nocturnal. in mount rainier national park the species has become quite tame and may be seen in the daytime. many of the small mammals upon which it feeds are diurnal, but others are nocturnal. the marten is active throughout the year. trappers report that during a storm the marten "holes up in rock slides" where it lives on conies and chipmunks until the storm passes. it spends a large part of its time in trees, and travels through them for long distances. it climbs more skillfully than the tree squirrels upon which it feeds. on the ground or on snow the marten travels in bounds, a yard at a leap, and its characteristic bounding gait forms tracks that are distinctive and easily followed. mammals of the weasel family mostly are not gregarious but the marten is exceptional in that in the winter it travels in bands of to animals. individuals composing these bands are inclined to wander but nevertheless the whole band travels in a definite general direction at a good rate of speed. travel-ways or "runs" may be used by more than one band, and a run may extend for many miles, perhaps for as many as . a band of martens may take two weeks to complete the circuit, but usually returns to the starting point in less than a week. most runs are about "half-way up the mountain," or midway between the crest of the hill or timber-line and the floor of the stream valley below. in summer the marten ranges higher; it lives in the trees just below timber-line and in the talus slides near timber-line. when the snows are unusually late the martens may keep to these higher areas until november. the food of the marten consists principally of small mammals and probably birds; the staple food in winter is the douglas squirrel. in summer they feed on pikas, mantled ground squirrels and chipmunks. mice, also, are eaten. the deer mouse, _peromyscus maniculatus_, is usually abundant about old cabins and is successfully used as bait by trappers. wood rats and flying squirrels are also eaten, the latter being especially important in certain areas. the tracks of martens that had been following snowshoe rabbits were seen on several occasions but the martens had turned off before a kill was made. in every instance the rabbit tracks indicated that the animals were hopping leisurely and browsing; apparently the tracks were made some time before the marten began to follow them. martens are inquisitive, and to judge from their tracks in snow they investigate almost every object that they pass; a fallen mound of snow, branch, bit of moss, log or isolated tree is apt to be visited. failing to find a meal in or around one of these objects, the marten visits the next object that catches its eye. seemingly the animal always is giving concentrated attention to some definite object although the attention can shift in an instant when a more interesting object comes in to view. as a result the trail of a marten in the snow is an intricate affair composed of numerous straight lines and sharp turns. the trapping of martens is specialized work, engaged in by professional trappers that follow trap lines many miles in length. trappers commonly have a base cabin and one or two shelters situated a day's march apart, the trap-line is set in a circle, requiring one to three days' travel by the trapper to complete the circuit. the standard "set" for marten in the cascades consists of an opening to inches wide, inches high and inches deep chopped into the side of a dead stub. the hole is cut as high as the trapper can reach. a trap is set in the opening and bait is placed in the back of the hole. a sapling to inches in diameter inclined at an angle of ° from the ground to the hole completes the set. as the snow deepens, new holes are chopped higher up on the stub. such sets seen in the summer may consist of six or seven holes spaced a foot apart. the chips from the holes are left lying on the snow and are said to attract the animals. bait commonly consists of flying squirrel, red squirrel or deer mouse. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the western marten in washington. a. _martes caurina caurina._ b. _martes caurina origenes._] the value of the marten's pelt fluctuates from year to year. in recent years average pelts have sold at from ten to twenty dollars each. the number of individuals taken by a trapper varies with the trapper's skill and energy and the location of the trap line. the largest catch made by one trapper in a single winter, of which i know, was animals, taken near mt. adams. =martes caurina caurina= (merriam) _mustela caurina_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _martes caurina caurina_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _type._--obtained near grays harbor, grays harbor county, washington, by l. c. toey on february , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--color dark; throat patch bright orange or brownish. _distribution._--from the cascade mountains westward. marginal localities are (from taylor and shaw, : ) head of cascade river, riverside, chelan, easton and trout lake. the record from chelan seems doubtful, and the specimen may have come from somewhere around lake chelan, rather than from the town of that name. _remarks._--skulls of martens from many localities in western north america were studied in an effort to determine the relationship of the eastern pine marten (_martes americana_) and the western marten. east of the rocky mountains the ranges of the two species approach closely, but each retains distinctive characters, notably the shape of the auditory bullae. the two species have not been taken together and the possibility of intergradation exists. on the basis of the evidence at hand, the two should be regarded as full species until positive proof of intergradation is established. in the absence of sufficient material, the marten of the cascades is referred to _martes caurina caurina_. fur graders distinguish between a dark "coast marten" and a paler "cascade marten." =martes caurina origenes= (rhoads) _mustela caurina origenes_ rhoads, proc. acad. at sci. philadelphia, : , september , . _martes caurina origenes_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _type._--obtained at marvine lodge, garfield county, colorado, by e. t. seton on september , ; type in academy of natural sciences of philadelphia. _racial characters._--paler than _caurina_ with grayer head and yellow or white rather than deep orange or brown throat patch. _distribution._--mountainous areas of northeastern washington and the blue mountains of southeastern washington. trappers have reported this marten from the mountains near republic, ferry county. =martes pennanti= (erxleben) fisher [_mustela_] _pennanti_ erxleben, syst. regni. anim., : , . _martes pennanti pennanti_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _mustela canadensis pacifica_ rhoads, trans. amer. philos. soc., n.s., : , september, (type from lake keechelus, kittitas county, washington). _martes pennanti pacifica_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _martes pennanti_ grinnell, dixon and linsdale, fur-bearing mamm. california, univ. california press, berkeley, p. , july , . _type locality._--eastern canada. _distribution._--originally forested areas from the eastern base of the cascades westward and possibly the blue mountains of southeastern washington and the mountains of northeastern washington; now probably confined to the cascade and olympic mountains. [illustration: fig. . fisher (_martes pennanti_). -year-old male in captivity; new westminster, b. c., march , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] _remarks._--the fisher is the size of a large cat. in general proportions it resembles the marten. adult males measure about - / feet in length; the tail comprises inches of this. adult females are slightly less than feet in length of which the tail makes up approximately inches. males weigh up to lbs. and females about - / pounds (grinnell, dixon and linsdale, : ). the fisher has a slim body, bushy tail, short legs, large feet, and wide, low and triangular head. the ears are low, wide, rounded and erect. the fur is an ashy, brownish gray in color with an overwash of blackish caused by long, dark hairs. the head is slightly paler than the body. the feet, rump and tail are darkest. the claws are strong and sharply curved. the fisher is found in wooded parts of north america, extending southward in the cascade-sierra nevada chain to central california. its near relatives are the martens. it is active all year. like the marten, it is active by day and probably also by night. in spite of absolute protection for several years, the fisher is rare in washington, and seems never to have been common. in consequence relatively little is known of its habits, and the little that is known has been reported by fur-trappers. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the fisher, _martes pennanti_, in washington.] the fisher seems not to live in bands as does the marten. most of the actual records of fishers trapped are at higher altitudes but are misleading because most trappers agree that the fisher occupied a lower zone, altitudinally, than does the marten. there are old records of its occurrence near sea level (scheffer, : ). the animals are usually taken in marten sets or in traps set especially for fishers by trappers who find their tracks on their marten trap lines. since marten trappers are almost the only persons who travel in the mountains in winter, and since they operate mostly above the areas where fishers live, relatively few fishers are reported. fishers are said to feed on chipmunks, squirrels, mice, birds and other small, warm-blooded animals, and to climb trees and catch squirrels in their natural habitat. also, fishers are said to catch and kill martens. their tracks in the snow resemble the marten's in that the hind feet land in the same places as the forefeet; both animals bound rather than walk. the pelt of the fisher commands a high price. the smaller sized, females, are the more valuable. the price paid for pelts fluctuates widely and has ranged from as low as twelve dollars to as high as one hundred dollars in recent years. in washington more fishers live in the olympic peninsula and the northern cascade mountains than elsewhere. a few may occur in northeastern washington, the blue mountains and the willapa hills. the name _pacifica_ was regarded by grinnell, dixon, and linsdale ( : ) as a synonym of _pennanti_. =mustela erminea= linnaeus ermine _description._--though it is similar in general characters and proportions to the long-tailed weasel, the ermine is much smaller and has a relatively shorter tail. it is darker and less reddish or yellowish in summer. adult males measure about inches in length, of which - / inches is the length of the tail. females measure about inches and have tails inches long. the upper parts are chocolate brown; the underparts are white or pale yellow. along the coast of washington, the pale color of the underparts is more restricted in the ermine than in the long-tailed weasel. the dark brown tail has a black tip. ermines east of the summit of the cascades become pure white in winter, save for the black tail tip. west of the summit of the cascades the winter pelt is similar to the summer pelt but is slightly paler with denser underfur. ermines in america range from the arctic southward, in mountainous areas, to the southern end of the sierra nevada in california, and in the rocky mountains to northern new mexico. in washington they are found over the entire state except the arid parts of eastern washington, where only the long-tailed weasel occurs. so far as my observations go, the ermine is principally nocturnal in washington; i have seen only one abroad in the daytime. it dashed from a roadside thicket near glacier, whatcom county, and was crushed beneath the wheels of a car. taylor and shaw ( : ) note several instances of diurnal activity of the ermines at mount rainier national park. the ermine seems to feed principally upon mice. its small size adapts it to entering burrows that larger weasels cannot enter. it probably eats chipmunks, birds, and other small, warm-blooded animals. ermines climb readily and are often taken in traps set in trees for martens. near skykomish, king county, william hoffman took two ermines in traps set in burrows of mountain beavers. the mountain beavers were needed for use as bait on his trap line. the traps were reset and later caught mountain beavers. seemingly the ermines were traveling through the burrows, perhaps to catch the mice which utilize the burrows as highways, rather than to prey upon mountain beavers. it is difficult to see how the tiny ermine could kill an adult mountain beaver, which outweighs it many times. should the incisors of the mountain beaver close even once upon an ermine it would most certainly be seriously wounded or killed. judging by the forest habitat occupied by the ermine in washington, one might expect its principal food to consist of deer mice (_peromyscus maniculatus_), red-backed mice (_clethrionomys_) and meadow mice (_microtus_). in observing the activities and habits of mammals in their natural habitat, i have often relied on tracking in fresh snow. strangely enough, tracks of ermines were seldom found, and the few that were seen came from beneath a log, bush or wind-fall and disappeared beneath similar cover, rarely extending feet on the surface of the snow. the larger, long-tailed weasels often traveled for miles on the surface of the snow. possibly the ermines were following the burrows of mice through the snow, or perhaps they kept beneath the surface from fear of owls. this suggests a reason why ermines are so seldom seen abroad. they may be following burrows and runways of mice and seldom come to the surface of the ground. on november , , we saw three ermines and two long-tailed weasels taken by a trapper on deception creek near stevens pass, king county. all were in the white winter coat. in december, , we obtained two ermines at skykomish, king county, miles west of stevens pass. these were in the brown winter coat. in that area the break between the brown and white winter coat seems to come just west of the main cascade summit, or at the same point that the break occurs between the brown and white winter coats of the long-tailed weasel. ermine skins have little value and usually bring from to cents. they are saved incidentally by trappers, for it takes but a few moments to skin and prepare them. they possess the strong, musk odor so typical of the long-tailed weasel. =mustela erminea invicta= hall _mustela erminea invicta_ hall, jour. mamm., : , february , . _type._--obtained at benewah, benewah county, idaho, by w. t. shaw on october , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--largest of the washington ermines; winter coat entirely white; upper lips white; black of tail more than half length of tail vertebrae. _measurements._--ten males and females from central idaho average, respectively (hall, ): total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , . . _distribution._--northeastern washington and the northeastern cascades, west to chilliwack river and hannegan pass (hall, : ). =mustela erminea fallenda= hall _mustela erminea fallenda_ hall, jour. mamm., : , february , . _type._--obtained at huntingdon, british columbia, by c. h. young on may , ; type in national museum of canada. _racial characters._-size large; winter coat usually brown; pale color of underparts much restricted; color of upper parts dark; color of lips variable; tail with more than distal half black. _measurements._--seven males and females average, respectively (hall, : ): total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , . _distribution._--the extreme north coast of washington, from the canadian boundary south through whatcom county (hall, : - ). _remarks._--the range of this ermine is similar to that of the yellow-pine chipmunk, _eutamias amoenus felix_. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the ermine in washington. a. _mustela erminea invicta._ b. _mustela erminea murica._ c. _mustela erminea gulosa._ d. _mustela erminea fallenda._ e. _mustela erminea streatori._ f. _mustela erminea olympica._] =mustela erminea olympica= hall _mustela erminea olympica_ hall, jour. mamm., : , february , . _type._--obtained near head of sol duc river, clallam county, washington, by v. bailey, on april , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _streatori_ but smaller, especially females. _measurements._--twelve males and females average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , . (hall, : ). _distribution._--the olympic peninsula, extending southeastward to olympia. =mustela erminea streatori= (merriam) _putorius streatori_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , june . . _mustela streatori streatori_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _mustela cicognanii streatori_ taylor and shaw, occ. pap. chas. r. conner mus., no. : , december, . _mustela erminea streatori_ hall, jour. mamm., : , february , . _type._--obtained at mount vernon, skagit county, washington, by d. r. lucky on february , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _fallenda_ but pale color of underparts less restricted; tail with less than distal half black. _measurements._--two males and females from extreme southwestern washington average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , . ; ear , ; weight . , . _distribution._--the lowlands of western washington; north to skagit county and whidby island (taylor and shaw, : ), southward and westward to ilwaco (m.v.z.) and eastward to carson (u.s.n.m.). =mustela erminea gulosa= hall _mustela erminea gulosa_ hall, journ. mamm., : , february , . _type._--obtained at trout lake, klickatat county, washington, by p. schmid on february , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _invicta_ but smaller; winter coat usually white; tail less than one-half black; upper lips white. _measurements._--five males from mount rainier, and females from the cascade mountains, average, respectively (hall, : ): total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , . . _distribution._--the cascade mountains. known from skykomish (w.w.d.) and southward to mount adams (trout lake, hall, : ). =mustela erminea murica= (bangs) _putorius (arctogale) muricus_ bangs, proc. new england zoöl. club, : , july , . _mustela muricus_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _mustela cicognanii lepta_ taylor and shaw, occ. pap. chas. r. conner mus., no. : , december, . _mustela cicognanii muricus_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _mustela erminea murica_ hall, jour. mamm., : , february , . _type._--obtained at echo, el dorado county, california, by w. w. price and e. m. nutting on july , ; type in museum of comparative zoölogy. _racial characters._--similar to _invicta_ but smaller and paler. _measurements._--a young female from stay-a-while spring, columbia county, measured: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; weight . . a female from butte creek, columbia county, measured: ; ; . a male from baker creek, white pine county, nevada, measured: ; ; ; . ; weight . . _distribution._--the blue mountains of southeastern washington. _remarks._--two specimens available from the blue mountains are darker than typical _murica_. =mustela frenata= lichtenstein long-tailed weasel _description._--male long-tailed weasels measure about inches in total length of which inches is the length of the tail. females are smaller, measuring about inches in length with a tail inches long. the body is long and exceedingly thin. the legs are short and stout with rather large feet and strong, curved claws. the tail is well-furred, not tapered, but lacks the bushy appearance of the tail of the fisher. the head is low, wide at the base and abruptly tapering to the muzzle. the ears are erect, low and rounded. the fur is short but dense and rather soft. in summer the color of the head, back, sides and outside of the legs is brown. the throat, chest, underside of body and insides of legs are yellow or orange. in winter they may be entirely white, save for the black tip of the tail. the tail is slightly darker than the back in summer and possesses a long black tip. long-tailed weasels do not hibernate even in the coldest parts of washington. they are active both by day and by night, apparently doing their hunting at the time of day or night when they can most easily obtain food. in the cascade mountains where diurnal mammals such as squirrels, chipmunks and pikas are common, weasels are not uncommonly seen by day. in the lowlands of western washington, where they feed on more nocturnal mammals, they are seldom seen. the long-tailed weasel is relatively unspecialized in habits. they climb readily and skillfully. they are active on the surface of the ground and follow the burrow systems of fossorial animals such as gophers and mountain beavers. weasels seen in the wild rarely exhibit fear of man but rather are curious and apt to watch his actions. weasels are also often hit by cars and the number so killed seems to me to be out of proportion to their actual numbers. in moving on the surface of the ground the weasel arches its back and contracts the body until the four feet are rather close together. when the long neck and small head are held upright the animal presents a surprisingly giraffelike appearance. when climbing, the long, slim body has a snakelike appearance. a weasel travels swiftly and erratically in a series of bounds and seems always to know where the next hole is situated. the weasel has been accused of killing birds and doubtless does so when opportunity presents itself. however, in washington i have no actual evidence of its killing birds other than domestic fowls. at republic, ferry county, a companion and i saw a weasel enter the burrow of a ground squirrel (_citellus columbianus_). the following day we returned to the area. the weasel was not seen but a ground squirrel dashed into the hole at our approach. seemingly the ground squirrel had eluded the weasel. at conconully, okanogan county, we set a number of gopher traps in an alfalfa field. the following morning an adult male long-tailed weasel was found in a trap but not a gopher was taken. near moses lake, grant county, an adult male weasel was caught in a gopher trap, but no gophers were taken. at shelton, mason county, gopher traps were set. at daylight the following morning the first trap visited was found to be pulled into the burrow. when a gentle tug was given the wire fastening the trap, a decisive jerk at the other end showed that the catch was alive. if trapped gophers that pull the traps back into their burrows are pulled out by main strength, their skins are often torn and damaged. therefore an attempt was made to reach into the burrow and pull back the sod. an adult female long-tailed weasel promptly fastened its teeth into my forefinger and clung on, bulldog fashion, to be lifted into the air with the attached trap swinging. when the left hand was used to force the animal to release its grip, it fastened onto the left thumb. with right thumb and forefinger i forced it to release its grip, but was unable to elude its teeth which again fastened to my right forefinger. only by laying it on the ground and crushing its chest with my foot could i free myself from the vicious little beast. no gophers were taken in traps set less than feet from where the weasel was trapped. in the three instances mentioned above, weasels had seemingly killed all the gophers in their immediate vicinity. as regards the gophers near moses lake, none was found a year later in the area where the weasel was taken and only old, abandoned burrows were seen. t. h. scheffer ( : ) records other instances of the capture of weasels in gopher burrows. at the northern limits of the city of seattle, steel traps were set for mountain beavers in a rather dense colony of these mammals. well-used burrows indicated that approximately individuals were present. the following morning an exceptionally large male weasel was found in a trap, but all others were empty. the traps were left out for two additional nights but no mountain beavers were taken. a month later the colony seemed abandoned and no evidence of recent digging was noted. it could only be concluded that the weasel had killed the animals comprising the colony. a large mountain beaver weighs three or four pounds, which is or times as much as a weasel. edson ( : ) recounts trapping weasels in burrows of mountain beavers near bellingham, whatcom county. near forks, clallam county, a weasel was seen pursuing a young snowshoe rabbit (_lepus americanus washingtonii_) along the edge of a concrete highway. as our car approached and passed the animals, they separated, the weasel retreating to the cover of horsetail (_equisetum_) beside the road. the car was stopped feet ahead. as we emerged the weasel dashed from cover to intercept the rabbit in the center of the road. the weasel knocked the rabbit to its side and, placing its feet on the rabbit's shoulders, bit fiercely at its neck. it then dashed back to the cover of the horsetails. the rabbit stood up, made two hops and died. it was approximately two weeks old. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the long-tailed weasel in washington. a. _mustela frenata washingtoni._ b. _mustela frenata altifrontalis._ c. _mustela frenata nevadensis._ d. _mustela frenata effera._] the pelts of weasels bring the trapper from twenty-five cents to a dollar and a half. only skins in the white winter coat command the higher price. they are usually taken in traps set for other animals. in the western part of the state, long-tailed weasels do not turn white in the winter; the back is slightly less reddish than in summer and the underparts are pale yellow or white or may be both yellow and white. from the summit of the cascades eastward weasels become white. the break in winter color seems to occur slightly west of the main summit of the cascades. specimens taken by marten trappers at tye and scenic, near stevens pass, were white on november , , but specimens from skykomish and baring, miles to the west, were brown. the long-tailed weasel possesses a distinctive odor. it results from a glandular secretion and, although it has no great carrying power or lasting quality, it does affect some persons strongly. it is a heavy, rather sickening scent. the gestation period of _mustela f. nevadensis_ has been recorded as more than days (hall, b: ). the gestation period of the long-tailed weasel of eastern united states has been recorded as more than days. three to five young are born in a litter, usually four. =mustela frenata nevadensis= hall _mustela arizonensis_ taylor and shaw, occ. pap. chas. r. conner mus., no. : , december, . _mustela washingtoni_ taylor and shaw, in part, occ. pap. chas. r. conner mus., no. : , december, . _mustela frenata nevadensis_ hall, carnegie inst. washington, publ. : , november , . _type._--obtained miles east of baker, white pine county, nevada, by e. r. hall and w. c. russell on may , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--size medium; colors pale; back near brussels brown in summer, chin white and underparts yellow, rarely orange; color in winter white with black tip on tail. _measurements._--a male from neppel, grant county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . two males from yakima, yakima county, average: ; ; . ; ; weight . . a female from ellensburg and one from miles east of ellensburg, kittitas county, average: ; ; ; . _distribution._--from the high cascades eastward, save for the blue mountains area. marginal occurrences are barron (hall, : ) and easton (w. w. d.). _remarks._--specimens from the northern cascades are intergrades between _nevadensis_ and the form to the west, _altifrontalis_. specimens from extreme northeastern washington might be referred to _oribasa_ bangs as readily as to _nevadensis_. =mustela frenata effera= hall _mustela frenata effera_ hall, carnegie inst. washington, publ. : , november , . _type._--obtained at ironside, malheur county, oregon, by h. e. anthony on september , ; type in american museum of natural history. _racial characters._--similar to _nevadensis_ in color but smaller, with smaller, lighter skull. color in winter white with black tip on tail. _measurements._--a female from prescott, walla walla county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . _distribution._--southeastern washington, south of the snake river. specimens from walla walla and prescott have been examined. =mustela frenata washingtoni= (merriam) _putorius washingtoni_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , june , . _mustela washingtoni_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _mustela frenata washingtoni_ hall, carnegie inst. washington, publ. : , november , . _type._--obtained at trout lake, skamania county, washington, by d. n. kaegi on december , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--color rich, dark; hind feet free of color of underparts. _measurements._--a male from spray park, pierce county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . _distribution._--higher cascades from mt. rainer (m. v. z.) south to mt. adams (taylor and shaw, : ). =mustela frenata altifrontalis= hall _mustela saturata_ taylor and shaw, occ. papers chas. r. conner mus., no. : , december, . _mustela frenata altifrontalis_ hall, carnegie inst. washington, publ. : , november , . _type._--obtained at tillamook, tillamook county, oregon, by a. walker on july , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--similar to _nevadensis_ but darker above in summer and richer orange beneath; winter color of upper parts dark brown, underparts pale yellow or white. _measurements._--four males and females from western washington average, respectively: total length . , ; length of tail , . ; hind foot , ; ear , . ; weight , . grams. _distribution._--from the cascade mountains to the pacific. marginal occurrences are rockport (hall, : ) and tye (w. w. d.). =mustela vison energumenos= (bangs) mink _putorius vison energumenos_ bangs, proc. boston soc. nat. hist., : , march, . _mustela vison energumenos_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _type._--obtained at sumas, british columbia, by a. c. brooks on september , ; type in museum of comparative zoölogy. _measurements._--a male from seattle, king county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; weight pound, ounces. _distribution._--throughout the state save for the columbian plateau; recorded from neah bay (taylor and shaw, : ) in the northwest, ilwaco (m.v.z.) in the southwest, metaline (w.w.d.) in the northeast, and the blue mountains (dice, : ) in the southeast. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the mink, _mustela vison energumenos_, in washington.] _description._--because of the value and lasting popularity of its fur, the mink is known to all. few persons, however, recognize the animal in the wild. the mink possesses the long, slim body and short, rather stout legs of a weasel but has a more bushy tail. the mink is larger than the weasel. large males weigh up to pounds; females - / pounds. males measure about feet in length, of which the tail comprises eight inches. females measure about inches and have tails inches long. the color is rich, dark reddish or chocolate brown. the underparts are slightly paler than the back. there are usually small white markings on the chin, chest or other part of the ventral surface. these markings sometimes take the form of narrow white lines. the mink ranges from the atlantic to the pacific and from alaska south to florida, new mexico and central california. it is active throughout the year and is principally, though not exclusively, nocturnal. mcmurry ( : ) records three mink seen at : p. m. on august , , at packwood lake, lewis county, one of which was carrying a garter snake two feet in length. this mustelid is semiaquatic, living along rivers, streams, lakes and salt water and spends most of its time along the shore, on muddy or sandy beaches. in this respect it resembles the raccoon. whereas the raccoon spends a part of its time on the land, the mink spends a corresponding amount of its time in the water. it is an excellent swimmer, able to overtake and capture fish in the water. in the san juan islands minks have forsaken the shoreline and roam over the uplands, feeding on the abundant, feral domestic rabbits. i found evidence of their presence far inland, miles from water, in grassy and bushy wastes; along the beaches their tracks were rarely seen. along puget sound, minks spend part of their time on the beaches, feeding on dead fish and other marine animal life. these animals, however, seem to live along the rivers and streams flowing into the sound. along the ocean coast, some minks seem to live exclusively in the marine shoreline habitat. the mink ascends some distance into the cascade and olympic mountains along the larger watercourses. there are reliable reports of minks from heart lake and lake dorothy, king county, high in the cascades. these animals were seen in the summer but they may live in higher parts of the cascades, at least about some of the larger lakes throughout the year. as far as is known there are no minks on the columbian plateau. the food probably varies with locality. along the ocean beaches they eat dead sea birds, stranded fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. along puget sound their tracks are commonly seen following the caked, decaying seaweed and debris that collects at the high tide mark. svihla and svihla ( : ) captured a mink that was feeding on the beach of the olympic peninsula. this individual, in captivity, was able to open and feed on clams. fur trappers report that minks feed on mountain beavers, and that the flesh of the mountain beaver is the best bait for attracting minks. along streams and lakes, minks are thought to feed on mice, birds, fish, crayfish and thin-shelled, fresh-water mussels. the muskrat forms an important item of diet near the larger lakes and streams. muskrats trapped near seattle were often attacked by minks and either eaten or so slashed and torn that their pelts were worth but a fraction of what they would bring in an undamaged condition. the tracks of a mink noted in freshly fallen snow about a garbage dump on the shore of lake washington, seattle, indicated that the animal had been hunting house rats, which were numerous there. minks are not uncommon in the marshes along lake washington near the university of washington campus, seattle, where i discovered evidence of their preying on ducks and coots. the ducks included mallards and green-winged teal, species most apt to alight in small pools in the rushes where a mink might find cover. i found the fresh tracks of one mink about a half-eaten golden tench inches long. the tench is a fish of the sucker tribe, introduced into the lake. tracks of minks are not uncommonly seen along rivers and streams under conditions that indicate they were hunting crayfish. the raw pelt of the mink sells usually at from to dollars. the fur is in constant demand and fluctuates in price less than most furs. the average trapper takes a few minks each year along with his catch of muskrats, raccoons, and skunks but some trappers have taken as many as minks in a winter in areas where the animal is especially numerous. =gulo luscus luteus= elliot wolverine _gulo luteus_ elliot, field columb. mus., publ. , zoöl. ser. : , december, . _gulo luscus luteus_ grinnell, dixon, and linsdale, fur-bearing mamm. california, univ. california press, berkeley, p. , july , . _type._--obtained on mt. whitney, tulare county, california, by e. heller; type in field museum of natural history. _measurements._--the dried skin of a wolverine taken miles south of riverside, okanogan county, was feet in length. the animal weighed pounds (scheffer, : ). _distribution._--timber-line region of the cascades mountains. from robinson creek (scheffer, : ) south to mount rainier (taylor and shaw, : ). _remarks._--specimens from washington are intermediate in character between _luteus_ and the race inhabiting british columbia, although available skulls are closer to _luteus_. [illustration: fig. . wolverine (_gulo luscus_), mounted specimen, male, trapped by billy robinson about on billy robinson creek, okanogan county, washington. (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] _description._--large males measure more than three feet in length, of which the tail makes up inches; they weigh as much as pounds (grinnell, dixon and linsdale, : ). the body is wide and stocky; the tail is short; the legs, especially the forelegs, are short, thick and powerful; the feet are large and are armed with long, curved claws; the head is wide; the jaws are powerful with heavy teeth. the pelage is long and rather shaggy. face, legs, back and terminal portion of the tail are dark, blackish brown but the forehead is grayish, contrasting with the dark color of face and top of the head. two broad, yellowish-brown bands begin on the side of the shoulders and pass back, low on the sides, to the hips where they join across the back and base of the tail. the wolverines, nominally of several species, form a compact group that ranges over the boreal regions of the old and new world. in north america they range southward from the arctic to california and colorado. [illustration: fig. . wolverine (_gulo luscus_), male, trapped by reuben r. lamb, march , , three miles south of riverside, washington; reported to weigh pounds; dried pelt × feet. (reuben r. lamb photo.)] [illustration: fig. . distribution of the wolverine, _gulo luscus luteus_, in washington.] the wolverine is adapted to boreal conditions and is most abundant in the arctic. in the cascades it occurs only at or near timber-line. except the wolf and the possibly extinct grizzly bear, the wolverine is the rarest carnivore in washington. probably it has been rare since the retreat of the continental glaciers, for suitable habitat for wolverines is not abundant and each animal requires a large area over which to range. an unusual record, possibly of a wandering animal, is given by scheffer ( : ). this is of an adult male taken in the okanogan valley miles south of riverside, okanogan county, on march , . =lutra canadensis= (schreber) river otter _description._--the otter has the long body of many mustelids, but is specialized for aquatic life. males are slightly larger than females. large adults measure more than - / feet in length, of which the tail comprises inches. the largest adults may weigh as much as pounds. the body is elongate but rather plump. the forelimbs are small and laterally placed. the hind legs are the heavier, and are situated posteriorly. the feet are large and webbed for swimming. the tail is long, thick at the base and gradually tapering to a narrow tip. the head is small and rounded. the ears are tiny and the eyes are of moderate size. the upper lips are large, somewhat spaniel-like, and support a mustache of stiff vibrissae. the fur is short, dense and soft. the tail is sleek with short, posteriorly-directed fur, and is not bushy. the fur is rich, dark chocolate brown in color, slightly paler on the animal's underparts than on its upper parts. otters range over eurasia, north america and south america. those occurring in north america north of mexico are thought to belong to a single species, _canadensis_. several species from tropical america may eventually be shown to also be races of _canadensis_. the aquatic habits of the otter allow it to exist in several life-zones, in both marine and fresh-water habitats. the principal environment is the streams, rivers and lakes of the transition life-zone, but along the larger rivers, otters range up into the canadian life-zone and along the snake and columbia rivers they enter the upper sonoran life-zone. they are active throughout the year. as we have observed them, they are principally nocturnal. otters are extremely powerful swimmers. tracks along the north fork of the tolt river, king county, showed where otters had entered water that flowed over a stony bottom at the velocity of rapids. their occurrence in the tolt, skykomish and snoqualmie rivers where these are swift mountain streams indicates exceptional swimming ability. after emerging from the water, an otter often follows along the shore, sometimes for miles. in the san juan islands the otters have taken to a marine existence. in the summer of , abundant opportunity offered to observe the otters at thatcher bay, blakely island. here, in the evening, bats were shot as they flew over the calm water of the bay. specimens killed were retrieved by rowing out to them with a dory. for the first two nights bats were collected and retrieved without incident. on the third night, several of the bats vanished between the time they were killed and the time that the boat was launched from the rocky beach. the presence of a shark or other large fish was at first suspected, but observation showed a group of three or possibly four otters to be the thieves. on succeeding nights the animals became bolder. a dead bat became the object of a race between otters and collector. they completely ignored shouts, dodged stones hurled at them, and stole almost all the bats shot. only a sense of humor and desire to study the animals saved them from a load of fine shot. bat collecting was given up in disgust. these otters were remarkably seallike in many actions. in swimming their heads, shoulders and part of their back were exposed. in resting in the water, only the round head remained above the surface. they were never seen to float prone on the surface or rest on their backs, as does the sea otter. they were noisy swimmers, splashing with paws or heads as they dived. their eyesight was remarkable. stones the size of a walnut were hurled at them from distances as short as feet. all were dodged with little effort. in this connection the experience of two trappers who caught an otter in the samamish river near woodinville, king county, is interesting. the trap holding the otter had been attached by a wire feet long to a pole on the bank. the wire was detached from the pole; while one trapper held the wire, the other tried to strike the otter with an oar as the boat drifted over deep water. the otter was free to swim and dive for the length of the wire and trap chain. it detected, and evaded by dodging or diving, every blow directed at it and not until the animal tired, a half hour later, could it be killed. the trappers then noted that the splashing of oars and otter had nearly filled the boat with water. the trappers were exhausted. the otters of blakely island were not unique in occupying a marine habitat. at strawberry bay, cypress island, on july , , fishermen brought in a "strange animal" caught by them at black rock, a tiny bare and isolated islet miles to the west. the heavy box holding the animal was opened, disclosing a very frightened young otter. questioned, the fishermen stated that four young and one adult had been seen in the surf. they had thought the animals a species of seal, and were somewhat surprised at being successful in their attempts to catch one. the otter was too young to fare for itself and was kept in camp in the hope that it might be reared and released. it ate a few fresh herring and candlefish and drank some condensed milk. it refused whole salmon and sea bass but ate some skinned and boned strips of these fish. it died a week after it was captured. this young otter made a ticking sound, almost a chirp. a variety of crying and whimpering sounds were also made, and when petted it grunted in satisfaction. if surprised or when first picked up it gave a deep harsh growl, unexpectedly vicious in sound, for such a small animal. the otters at blakely island fed on a great variety of food. the only food they were actually seen to eat was candlefish, a slim silvery fish inches in length. on several occasions an otter was seen swimming with the head of a candlefish held fast in its mouth and the fish's body extending out in a silvery bow. many feces of these otters were composed entirely of the feathers of grebes and scoters. these birds were probably not killed by the otters but died a natural death or were shot by men. at that camp scarcely a day passed in which at least one person was not seen firing a . caliber rifle from a cabin cruiser into the flocks of scoters at the mouth of the bay. dead sea birds were common on the shore and doubtless furnished food for otters as they did for crows and eagles. the majority of the otter feces examined at blakely island were composed of the remains of invertebrates. the small mussel (_mytilus edulis_) was most abundant. crabs formed an important part of their diet. strangely enough the shore crab (_hemigrapsus nudus_) and the porcelain crab (_petrolisthes eriomerus_) were seldom eaten though they were abundant beneath the rocks upon which the feces were found, and formed the principal food item of raccoons. these species of invertebrates live beneath rocks and the raccoon probably reaches beneath the rocks to catch the crabs with its handlike forefeet, as the otter is unable to do. the edible crab (_cancer productus_) and kelp crab (_telmessus cheiragonus_) were most often eaten by otters. also eaten were snails (_margarites_, _littorina_), bitter oysters (_pododesmus macroschisma_), unidentified pelecypods, barnacles (_balanus_), one chiton (_mopalia muscosa_), and once a starfish. the invertebrate remains, save for the snails, were crushed and broken. fish of many species were abundant in these waters. salmon were often seen leaping near the playing otters. yet no scales or other remains of fish were detected in the feces. candlefish possess tiny scales that could probably be seen by microscopic examination only. as for the bird remains, the quantity of feathers consumed is notable. the otters apparently do not pluck birds, as do minks. indeed, of the material eaten, the food value by volume seems extraordinarily low. a great quantity must be eaten to nourish an animal as large and as active as an otter. the number of fecal droppings seen each morning indicates that this is the case. [illustration: fig. . river otter (_lutra canadensis pacifica_), trapped in columbia national forest, washington, february, . (adolph roth photo.)] seems extraordinarily low. a great quantity must be eaten to nourish an animal as large and as active as an otter. the number of fecal droppings seen each morning indicates that this is the case. the favored food of the otter in fresh water streams and lakes is the crayfish. the greater part, perhaps per cent, of otter feces seen in the lowlands of western washington, were composed of crayfish remains. some fish are also eaten and locally otters may do damage among the steelhead trout. even worse, from the fisherman's standpoint, they frighten and scatter the schools of steelhead trout. frogs are eaten, as well as the thin-shelled mussels. the feathers of coots were twice seen in otter feces near cottage lake, king county. the fur of the otter is dense and beautiful but the skin is rather heavy. changes in styles cause great fluctuation in the value of the otter's pelt. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the river otter in washington. unshaded _lutra canadensis pacifica_. shaded _lutra canadensis vancouverensis_.] =lutra canadensis pacifica= rhoads _lutra hudsonica pacifica_ rhoads, trans. amer. philos. soc., n. s., : , september, . _lutra canadensis pacifica_ allen, bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : , november , . _type._--obtained at lake keechelus, kittitas county, washington (altitude , , rather than , feet as stated in original citation); type in academy of natural sciences of philadelphia. _measurements._--an adult male from the lower calawah river, near forks, clallam county, measured (skinned carcass): total length ; length of tail ; weight (entire) pounds. a male from puget island, wahkiakum county, measured (skinned carcass): total length ; length of tail . a female from satsop, grays harbor county, measured (skinned carcass): total length ; length of tail . a female from calawah river near forks, clallam county, measured: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; weight - / pounds. _distribution._--watercourses throughout the state, scarcer east of the cascades; recorded at forks (v. b. s.) in the northwest, puget island (v. b. s.) in the southwest, colville (taylor and shaw, : ) in the northeast, and touchet (taylor and shaw, : ) in the southeast. =lutra canadensis vancouverensis= goldman _lutra vancouverensis_ goldman, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , november , . _type._--obtained at quatsino, vancouver island, british columbia, by h. o. berg in ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--no adults, referred to this race from washington, have been examined. said to have broader skull than _pacifica_. _measurements._--the only available specimen, a young female from black rock, san juan county, measured: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . _distribution._--the san juan islands of northern puget sound and adjacent marine waters. _remarks._--the otters of the san juan islands are referred to this race on geographical grounds. numerous islands connect vancouver island with the san juan islands, and intervening channels are not too wide for otters to swim. adult material may show that the otters of the san juan islands are referable to _pacifica_ or to an undescribed race rather than to _vancouverensis_. =enhydra lutris nereis= (merriam) sea otter _latax lutris nereis_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , october , . _enhydra lutris nereis_ grinnell, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , january , . _type._--obtained on san miguel island, santa barbara islands, by g. m. mcguire in ; type in united states national museum. _distribution._--formerly occurred along the ocean coast of washington. now extinct there. _description._--adult sea otters reach a length of six feet. the body is stout, long and round; the tail is short, flattened and about a foot in length. the legs are short and thick. the hind feet are webbed for swimming. the head is rounded with small eyes and ears, and a seallike mustache of stiff bristles on the muzzle. the upper lip is thick and heavy, drooping over the sides of the mouth in a spaniel-like fashion. the fur is long, soft and extremely dense. the color of the body is various shades of rich, dark brown. scattered white hairs often give the coat a frosted appearance. the heads of the adults are pale grey, occasionally almost white. the sea otter once ranged from the gulf of california north along the west coast of north america to alaska, the aleutian islands, siberia and japan. it is now found only in a small area along the coast of california and in remote islands of the north pacific. once abundant along the coast of washington, it is now completely extinct there. the habits of sea otters living on the california coast in the vicinity of carmel have been described by fisher ( : - ). available information on the sea otter in washington has been given by scheffer ( b: - ). the search for sea-otter skins influenced the exploration and settlement of the northwest. captain james cook obtained skins of sea otter at nootka sound, vancouver island, in . the mouth of the columbia river was discovered by captain robert gray on may , , while trading for sea otter skins. according to scheffer, the bulk of the sea-otter population on the washington coast was concentrated between the mouth of the columbia river and point grenville at the mouth of the quinault river. the otters were found several miles from land in extensive kelp beds. the principal food of the sea otter in washington seems to have been the short-spined purple sea urchin (_strongylocentrotus purpuratus_). the animals were social, living in herds of up to individuals. they never came out on land, living, sleeping, and bringing forth their young on the kelp beds of the open ocean. the single young was born at any month of the year. =spilogale gracilis= merriam civet cat or spotted skunk _description._--the civet cat is slightly less than inches in total length, of which the tail constitutes inches. large, fat animals may weigh more than a pound. the body is long and moderately stout, heavier than that of the weasel but slimmer than that of the striped skunk. the tail is long with long, plumelike fur. the legs are slender and of moderate length. the feet are small with long claws. the head is small and triangular with low, erect ears and large, bright eyes. the fur is short but soft and silky. the ground color of the civet cat is black. wavy lines and spots of white or salmon intercept the black in a complex pattern. variations in color patterns include width of stripes, waviness of stripes, and breaking up of the stripes into spots. _spilogale_ is restricted to america; it ranges from southern british columbia south into central america. several species are now recognized, but additional material probably will show intergradation between some of them and reduce the number. the name "spotted skunk" is seldom used by trappers or other persons familiar with the animal. nor is it appropriate, for the distinctive color pattern is composed of short stripes. neither is the term "civet cat" appropriate, for the true civet is found in asia. the name civet cat is well established, however, and will doubtless remain in general use. the civet cat is principally a lowland animal, but has been recorded from the nisqually entrance of mt. rainier national park (brockman, : ). its rather generalized habits allow it to exist in areas that will not support larger carnivores or species with specialized food habits. it dwells in areas of thickets, brushy tangles or deep woods. in southeastern washington it lives in rocky places as well as in river-side thickets of willow and cottonwood. where conditions are suitable it ranges up into the canadian life-zone but is most abundant in the transition life-zone. the civet cats, in contrast to the striped skunks, are exclusively nocturnal. they are active the year around in western washington but move about less in spells of unusually cold weather. we have taken them, however, in freezing weather. in spite of their abundance and wide range, civet cats are known to few persons other than trappers, perhaps because of their exclusively nocturnal habits. they do occasionally make people aware of themselves by taking up residence about old buildings. they are rather noisy at times. at the tolt river, miles southeast of duvall, king county, we were asleep in an old building when a stamping noise from the next room awakened us. investigation revealed a civet cat indulging in a series of short, stiff-legged hops. the forefeet were held slightly ahead and six or eight hops made. the animal would then relax, turn, and prance off in a new direction. the amount of noise made by its feet striking the board floor was surprising. the civet cat seemed to enjoy the noise it made, and the prancing may have been a method of playing. trapped civet cats have been seen to make a similar but shorter series of hops at the trapper's approach, which might have been a warning. in the case described, however, the noise of the animal's actions was heard before the animal was seen and presumably when it was unaware of human presence. the civet cat also makes a drumming noise similar to the drumming of a wood rat. this was heard twice from wild animals that did not suspect an observer's presence, and once from a captive animal. while an animal was drumming i never had the opportunity to watch the actions closely enough to describe them. apparently the drumming is done with the forefeet. the civet cat is said to be a good climber and to do some of its hunting in trees. one trapped civet cat climbed to the limit of a trap chain and wire in a low bush near cottage lake, king county, but, in washington, i have no other evidence of this animal climbing. near cottage lake, we took a civet cat in a trap set beneath inches of water at the side of a stream. the animal had either been swimming or wading. trapped civet cats rarely dig holes near the traps, as striped skunks often do. one caught near ocean park, pacific county, did dig a hole beneath a log and forced earth and leaves over the entrance. i walked within a few feet of the animal in searching for the trap. not until the trap chain was seen did i find the civet cat. none was taken in traps set in mountain beaver burrows, although i have caught both striped skunks and weasels in such burrows. some trappers state that the musk of the civet cat smells different from that of the striped skunk. i think the odor is slightly more acrid and that it does not carry so far as the skunk musk. the civet cat is far more active and nervous than the striped skunk. whereas the striped skunk almost never throws its scent when trapped, the civet cat almost invariably does so, apparently when the trap closes about its legs. striped skunks in traps move slowly and steadily but civet cats jump, roll and squirm erratically. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the civet cat in washington. a. _spilogale gracilis latifrons._ b. _spilogale gracilis saxatilis._] in the winter of a large male civet cat was taken near cottage lake, king county. it had been killed and partially eaten in the trap. the ground about the set was torn up, indicating that the civet cat had put up a fight. the area for many feet about smelled of skunk musk. the body of the civet cat was used for bait and the trap reset. the following morning a large male striped skunk was in the trap. its skin bore superficial cuts in several places about its neck and rump, and it was doubtless the animal that had killed the civet cat. under ordinary circumstances a striped skunk could scarcely catch the far swifter and more agile civet cat. one civet cat in a trap was killed and partly eaten by a horned owl. save for dislodging a few feathers, the civet cat seemed to have done little damage to the owl. the thick cover inhabited by the civet cat ordinarily protects it from owls. dead civet cats run over by cars on the highway are rarely seen. the stomach of a specimen from ocean park, pacific county, contained the remains of three red-backed mice (_clethrionomys_ _californicus_). the stomachs of most specimens trapped were empty. mice, birds and insects probably constitute the bulk of the food. notes on the early life of _spilogale interrupta_, a species related to the one occurring in washington, have been published by crabb ( : - ). the fur of the civet cat is of little value; in recent years trappers have received from fifteen cents to a dollar for large pelts. because of its habit of throwing scent when in the traps, most trappers discard the animals without skinning them. =spilogale gracilis saxatilis= merriam _spilogale saxatilis_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _spilogale gracilis saxatilis_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , november , . _type._--obtained at provo, utah county, utah, by v. bailey on november , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--size small; white areas extensive, especially on tail but white triangle on head small; white areas less often tinged with salmon or orange than _latifrons_. _measurements._--howell ( : ) gives the measurements of a male from harney, oregon, and the average of females from oregon as, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , . _distribution._--southeastern washington, north to kamiak butte (taylor and shaw, : ). =spilogale gracilis latifrons= merriam _spilogale phenax latifrons_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _spilogale olympica_ elliot, field columb. mus., publ. , zoöl. ser. : , march, (type from lake sutherland, clallam county, washington). _spilogale phenax olympica_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , november , . _spilogale gracilis latifrons_ grinnell, dixon and linsdale, fur-bearing mamm. california, univ. california press, berkeley, p. , july , . _type._--obtained at roseburg, douglas county, oregon, by t. s. palmer on july , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--larger than _saxatilis_ with less extensive white markings, especially on tail, but white markings on head larger; white usually tinged with salmon or pale orange. _measurements._--means for four males, from pacific county, are total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . ; ear . one weighed grams. _distribution._--western washington from the western edge of the cascades westward. marginal records, given by taylor and shaw ( : ) are hamilton, on the north; lake keechelus, on the east; and carson, on the south. _remarks._--comparison of adult specimens of civet cats from western washington and western oregon shows no reliable character for recognition of two races. no difference in tail length exists. narrowness of rostrum was the only diagnostic character found by howell ( : ) to separate _latifrons_ and _olympica_. we have carefully compared civet cats from western oregon, southwestern washington and the area about seattle. some local variation exists but overlapping is great and specimens from washington do not have rostra that average narrower than specimens from oregon. =mephitis mephitis= (schreber) striped skunk _description._--the striped skunk is a heavy-bodied animal about the size of a house cat. the legs are of moderate length and stout and the hind feet are large. the claws of the forefeet are long, strong and curved. the head is small and pointed, with small eyes and ears. the tail is long, nearly equal in length to the head and body. the fur is long, soft and shiny, and is jet black with sharply contrasting white markings. these consist of a narrow stripe on the forehead, a broad band on the neck that diverges into two stripes on the back. the two lateral stripes fuse on the rump. the tail has long black hairs some of which are white at the base. striped skunks range over north america from central canada southward to southern mexico. two species are recognized by hall ( : ), namely _mephitis_ and _macroura_. the latter species is found in mexico and parts of the southwestern united states. skunks are principally nocturnal but are sometimes active in the morning and evening, especially on cloudy days. they prefer relatively open country such as logged-over land, old fields and river-side and streamside thickets. their dens usually consist of old _aplodontia_ burrows or burrows which they, themselves, dig under stumps or log jams, the floors of old buildings or among rocks. they feed on a variety of animals and wild fruit. along puget sound they wander over the beaches when the tide is out, eating stranded fish, crustaceans and other marine animals. the purple shore crab (_hemigrapusus nudus_) forms a staple article of diet. along streams and rivers they wander along low, muddy banks and sand bars searching for fish, crayfish, insects and insect larvae. the larger water beetles (_dytiscidae_) are often eaten; feces are at times composed entirely of their shells. for the most part, however, skunks have no regular food habits but eat such insects, small mammals, birds or refuse as are available. the skunk is famous for the musk which it uses as a defensive weapon. this highly volatile liquid is ejected from two small, nipplelike ducts situated in the edge of the anus. the consistency, color, and distance to which the musk can be discharged varies with the amount thrown. the first discharge or two is usually a fine, pale yellow spray, which can be accurately directed to a distance of feet. the third discharge consists of small drops of heavy, bright-yellow liquid that travels an arching curve, feet high, reaching a maximum distance of about feet. later discharges consist of heavy yellow mucus and can be thrown only a few feet. as many as seven or eight discharges are possible. skunk musk is acrid and pungent in order. in quantity or at close range it is choking. in small quantities it is not unpleasant. it is extremely lasting, sometimes being noticeable for months on clothes or buildings. it is soluble in gasoline and clothes may be de-scented by several washings in that fluid. the striped skunk is an even-tempered animal. its defensive fluid is discharged only when it is cornered or attacked. a trapped skunk rarely releases musk. a man, by speaking softly and moving slowly, can come within a distance of six feet of a trapped skunk. experienced trappers utilize this fact to approach and shoot trapped skunks through the head or neck and so produce odorless furs. the skunk is potentially a source of considerable income to trappers in washington. the value of their furs varies with the demand but large prime skins usually bring from $ to $ . in eastern washington, where trapping for coyotes and other terrestrial mammals is carried on, the skunks taken incidentally are an important source of revenue. in western washington they are often abundant but are seldom trapped. the most sought pelts in western washington are the mink, muskrat and raccoon; all semiaquatic species. skunks are rarely taken in traps set for these mammals and few trappers bother to set overland trap lines for skunks. the young of the striped skunk usually number four to six. they are born in late may or early june in western washington; possibly later in eastern washington. =mephitis mephitis hudsonica= richardson _mephitis americana_ var. _hudsonica_ richardson, fauna boreali-americana, : , . _mephitis hudsonica_ bangs, proc. boston soc. nat. hist., : , july , . _chincha hudsonica_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _mephitis mephitis hudsonica_ hall, carnegie inst. washington, publ. : , november , . _type._--obtained on the "plains of the saskatchewan, canada." _racial characters._--size moderate; stripes diverging anteriorly on back of neck; tail long with white stripe reaching well out, nearly to tip; zygomatic arches nearly parallel. _measurements._--howell ( : ) gives the average of males from saskatchewan, montana and wyoming, and of females from montana and idaho, as, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , . _distribution_.--northeastern washington and the eastern edge of the northern cascades, south probably to the wenatchee mountains. recorded west to oroville (w. w. d.) and timentwa (w. w. d.) and south to spokane (taylor and shaw, : ). =mephitis mephitis major= (howell) _chincha occidentalis major_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _mephitis mephitis major_ hall, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , april , . [illustration: fig. . distribution of the striped skunk in washington. a. _mephitis mephitis hudsonica._ b. _mephitis mephitis major._ c. _mephitis mephitis notata._ d. _mephitis mephitis spissigrada._] _type._--obtained at fort klamath, klamath county, oregon, by b. l. cunningham on january , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--slightly larger than _hudsonica_ with white stripes diverging on shoulders rather than neck. _measurements._--a young male from mile north of burbank, walla walla county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; weight grams. _distribution._--southeastern washington, south of the snake river and east of the columbia river, occurring west to burbank (m. v. z.). =mephitis mephitis notata= (howell) _chincha occidentalis notata_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _mephitis mephitis notata_ hall, carnegie inst. washington, publ. : , november , . _type._--obtained at trout lake, south base of mt. adams, klickitat county, washington, by p. schmid on march , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _hudsonica_ but larger; stripes narrower, diverging anteriorly on neck or back of head; tail shorter, sometimes without long, white hairs. _measurements._--howell ( : ) gives the average of adult males from trout lake, klickitat county, as: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . _distribution._--the columbia river valley of the southern cascades from the wind river east to the snake river and the yakima valley area (trappers' reports). =mephitis mephitis spissigrada= bangs _mephitis spissigrada_ bangs, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , march , . _mephitis foetulenta_ elliot, field columb. mus., publ. , zoöl. ser., : , march, (type from laguna, near port angeles, clallam county, washington). _chincha occidentalis spissigrada_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _mephitis mephitis spissigrada_ hall, carnegie inst. publ. : , november , . _type._--obtained at sumas [prairie], british columbia, by a. brooks on september , ; type in museum of comparative zoölogy. _racial characters._--similar to _hudsonica_ but larger; stripes broader, usually diverging on shoulders; hairs of stripes often cream color or yellowish near base; end of tail usually white. _measurements._--an adult male from - / miles southeast of chinook, pacific county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . a female from the same place and one from renton, king county, average: ; ; ; . _distribution._--lowlands of western washington. this form rarely goes far into the mountains except along the valleys of the larger rivers. marginal records are skykomish (w. w. d.) and washougal river (w. w. d.). =taxidea taxus taxus= (schreber) badger _ursus taxus_ schreber, saugethiere, : , . _taxidea taxus_ rhoads, amer. nat., : , june, . _taxidea taxus neglecta_ taylor and shaw, occ. pap. chas. r. conner mus., no. : , december, . _taxidea taxus taxus_ hall, carnegie inst. washington, publ. : , november , . _type._--none. type locality probably southwest of hudson bay (hall, : ). _measurements._--two males from northern nevada measure, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; ear , ; weight , pounds. _distribution._--of general distribution over open country east of the cascades. marginal records are wauconda (taylor and shaw, : ), chelan (taylor and shaw, : ), goldendale (w. w. d.) and "divide above trout lake" (trapper's photograph). [illustration: fig. . badger (_taxidea taxus taxus_), tame animal in seattle, washington. january , . captured at lakeside, chelan county, and photographed at approximate age of ten months; subadult male. (eloise kuntz photo.)] _description._--the badger is the size of a small dog, measuring up to inches in total length and weighing up to pounds. the body is heavy, powerful and remarkably flat and compressed. the tail and legs are short. the forelegs are thick and strong, armed with long heavy claws for digging. the ears are wide and low. the color of the upper parts is a grizzled yellowish brown, not unlike the color of the yellow-bellied marmot. the underparts are buffy, often with a white area on the abdomen. the legs, feet, top of head, ears, and small areas on the cheeks are blackish. triangular areas about the eyes are buffy. a white stripe extends from the nose pad backwards, between the eyes, to the shoulders and serves as the best recognition mark. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the badger, _taxidea taxus taxus_, in washington.] badgers are found over central and western united states, canada and northern mexico. they are commonest on the plains and desert, principally because the burrowing mammals upon which they feed are most abundant there. the badger is a powerful and rapid digger, being able to overtake and capture mice, ground squirrels, and even pocket gophers. perry ( : - ) in her interesting accounts of the habits of a pet badger obtained at lakeside, chelan county, found the animal powerful enough to dig through a concrete floor! evidence of badger's activities are usually seen at any ground squirrel colony in eastern washington. this evidence consists of large holes in the ground. rarely a horizontal tunnel begins at the depth of two to four feet and extends for an unknown distance. earth removed in excavating is heaped beside one or both of the narrower sides of the surface opening. in examining badger workings in ground squirrel colonies i have been impressed by the fact that most of the holes ended not more than four or five feet from the entrances--perhaps at the places where the ground squirrel nests were located, although it may be that the digging of the badger so terrified the squirrels that they dashed out in an attempt to escape past the badger, before he reached the nests. kangaroo rats and pocket mice often attempt to escape by dashing past a person when he is excavating their burrows. the power of the short, thick and slightly bowed foreleg of the badger is tremendous. the claws are stout and fully an inch long. the animal is able to break up and remove at a scoop, the baked, claylike loess of the columbian plateau. clods of this same material are so firm that only by twisting and exerting considerable power was i able to break them. the soil a foot beneath the sunbaked crust is softer and more easily worked. it is difficult to estimate the size of badger populations. in the arid land of eastern washington their diggings may exist almost unchanged for many years. interviews with professional trappers serve to indicate their range and numbers as follows: southeastern edge of the cascades and yakima valley, not common, rarely straying up into mountains--average trapper's catch, only one to three a year; okanogan valley and northeastern edge of cascades, not common--average trapper's catch is six to ten a year, occasional trappers catching as many as ; columbia, kettle river, and other valleys in northeastern washington, uncommon, a few records only; columbian plateau, fairly common--average professional trapper's yearly catch includes to badgers; southeastern washington, now rare because of overtrapping, formerly common. trappers state that the badgers taken in northeastern washington are usually classified as "hair badger" by fur buyers and bring only a dollar or two. the badgers of the eastern cascades are "fur" badgers but do not bring top prices. the badgers of the columbian plateau bring the best prices. seemingly some geographic variation exists among badgers in washington. those from the more humid areas of northeastern washington and the eastern cascades are darker and bring poorer prices than the paler "silver" badgers of the more open desert areas. the principal food of the badger in washington seems to be ground squirrels, _citellus washingtoni_, _townsendii_, _columbianus_, or _saturatus_, depending on locality. pocket mice, gophers, and other mammals are also eaten, as are grasshoppers, sword-tailed crickets, other insects, and birds. young of badgers number to and are born in late april, may, or early june. =vulpes fulva cascadensis= merriam red fox _vulpes cascadensis_ merriam, proc. washington acad. sci., : , december , . _vulpes fulvus cascadensis_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _type._--obtained at trout lake, klickitat county, washington, by p. schmid on march , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--skull heavy, narrow; color yellowish. _measurements._--a male from crater lake, klamath county, oregon, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; weight pounds. _distribution._--from trout lake northward, through the higher cascades, to loomis (taylor and shaw, : ). _description._--the red fox of the cascades is large and measures about feet in total length, of which the tail comprises inches. the body is slender and doglike; the legs long and slim; the tail thick and bushy, and the ears are large and erect. in the red phase the red fox of the cascades is distinctly more yellowish than the red fox of the eastern united states; the head is especially yellow. the body has more red on the shoulder area than posteriorly, and is darkest on the rump. the tail is rather pale with a dusky, not black, area distally and a white tip. the ears are dusky. the lower legs and feet are black. the throat, chest and underparts are white. the "cross" phase, according to cowan ( : - ), is rather common in the cascades. in cross foxes the color is darker, brown rather than yellowish, and the area from the nape of the neck back between the shoulders, including a bar across the shoulders, is deep blackish or grayish brown. in a pelt that is stretched out a cross is formed by the dark areas. the black and silver phases of the red fox are also said by cowan to be relatively common in the cascades, constituting per cent of the population. of , foxes traded at fort colville, in northeastern washington, only per cent were silver or cross. one fox, trapped in okanogan county, is said by its captor to have been black above and straw colored beneath, with no white on the body. red foxes range from alaska and northern canada well southward into the united states. related forms occur in eurasia. the red fox of washington is an alpine animal, ranging at or slightly below timber-line. here food is abundant in summer and fall but must be scarce in winter. in winter its habitat is difficult for man to reach and few persons penetrate the dangerous terrain where the fox lives. a few professional trappers regularly catch foxes in the cascades but know little of their habits. the feces of red foxes examined by taylor and shaw on mt. rainier contained remains of insects and berries (taylor and shaw, : ). the red fox is rare in washington; it lives in inaccessible territory and its fur is not especially valuable. the animal is of relatively little economic importance. the brood den of a red fox found by livezey and evendan ( : ) near corvallis, oregon, was two-thirds of the way up a -foot hill in a strip of oaks (_quercus garryana_). well-packed trails led to an entrance concealed in poison oak (_rhus diversiloba_). remains of a turkey, ground squirrels, and a jack rabbit were found near the den. the entrance was inches wide and inches high. the tunnel tapered to inches in diameter and was feet long. seven pups, males and females, were found in the den. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the red fox in washington. a. _vulpes fulva cascadensis._ b. _vulpes fulva macroura._ (see p. .)] =canis latrans= say coyote _description._--the coyote is a large carnivore, about the size and general proportions of a small collie dog but with bushier tail, and more slender body. adults measure about four feet in length, of which the tail comprises a fourth. adult males weigh about pounds. the color is somewhat variable, yellowish, buffy, or grayish. the muzzle and backs of the ears are more reddish, and the legs brown. the tail is yellowish gray with a dusky tip. the throat, chest and underparts are white. [illustration: fig. . coyote (_canis latrans lestes_), in trap, miles southeast of mckenna, washington, april , . (fish and wildlife service photo by g. r. bach, no. .)] the coyote ranges from alaska southward, over western north america, to central america. at the present time the coyote ranges over almost all of washington, except for the highest parts of the mountains and the dense forest areas of western washington. according to available information it was not found about puget sound or the olympic peninsula until relatively recent times. some old trappers are of the opinion that coyotes did not come into western washington until the timber wolves became rare there. the scarcity of the timber wolves seems to coincide with settlement, clearing and lumbering. probably coyotes did not become common in western washington until lumbering provided extensive clearings and open areas more suitable to them than forest. certainly coyotes and wolves existed together in eastern washington. it is difficult to determine whether coyotes were completely absent from western washington in the early days or simply scarce. the glacial prairies of the puget sound area provide suitable habitat for coyotes and coyotes are abundant there at the present time. if coyotes were present at all in western washington in the early days it is reasonable to suppose that they would have been common on the prairies. yet i was told by an old trapper who had lived near scotts prairie, mason county, for many years, that he had never seen or _heard_ coyotes there until about . although a coyote might be mistaken for a small wolf, the call, as this trapper pointed out, is distinctive. the principal habitat requirement of the coyote seems to be extensive areas of open country. this it finds in the desert area of the columbian plateau, the open forests of northeastern washington and the eastern cascades, and in the extensive timbered and burned-over lands in western washington. in summer coyotes range well up into the hudsonian life-zone of the cascade and olympic mountains. their principal range is lower, in the transition and upper sonoran life-zones. the coyotes are both nocturnal and diurnal. in the vicinity of human habitations they are most active at night. in the heat of the day they take refuge in brushy areas or small gullies. many actions of the coyote are doglike, and were it not for the large, round, bushy tail, a coyote might easily be mistaken for a dog. the tail is carried in a drooped position with the tip bowed slightly backwards. when badly frightened and running at full speed the tail is stretched out straight behind. the ordinary gait is a purposeful trot with the head held erect, the ears pricked up, and the legs moving smoothly and effortlessly. near moses lake, grant county, i watched a coyote trot along the side of one of a series of small sand dunes. at the report of the small shotgun fired at it, the coyote's dignified trot changed to terrified bounds, its feet dug into the dune, throwing showers of sand into the air, as it crossed several successive dunes in full flight before turning to take advantage of the shelter of a draw between two dunes. a coyote chased by an automobile attained a speed of miles an hour for a short distance (zimmerman, : ). i have not watched a coyote stalk game, but as described to me it creeps up to within a few yards of its prey and catches it with a sudden dash. in hunting a jack rabbit, the coyote is said to pursue it, taking advantage of short cuts, until close enough to seize it. better known than the coyote itself is its howl--several doglike barks, each successive one of a series shorter and higher pitched, the last one ending in a long, drawn-out howl. in the winter of the coyotes near cottage lake, king county, were especially vociferous. they ordinarily began to howl about p.m., but could be induced to howl earlier by imitating their call. their howling was a signal for all nearby ranchers' dogs to howl in reply. in the desert areas of eastern washington i heard coyotes most often just at dusk or at dawn. the coyote is principally carnivorous, feeding on any mammals and birds easy to kill. it willingly eats carrion, even when much decayed. large insects such as grasshoppers and crickets are eaten when they are abundant and easily caught. fruit and berries are eaten when available. sperry ( ) reported on the analysis of the contents of , coyote stomachs from various places in the united states, , of the stomachs being from washington. the following information is from his report on all of the , stomachs: rabbits formed one-third of the food; _microtus_ was found in per cent of the stomachs; _peromyscus_ in per cent; _neotoma_ in per cent. _reithrodontomys_ were found in of the , stomachs and in insignificant numbers. _onychomys_ occurred in of the , stomachs; _clethrionomys_ in . _ondatra_ occurred in of the , . two muskrats were in stomachs obtained from washington. _citellus_ (exclusive of _beecheyi_, _lateralis_, and _saturatus_) were found in per cent and were locally important; _citellus beecheyi_ occurred in stomachs, including from washington; _citellus lateralis_ and _saturatus_ occurred in stomachs, including from washington. _marmota_ were found in per cent of the stomachs. they were included in stomachs from washington but the number was not reported. _tamias_ (= _eutamias_) were found in stomachs from western united states and were present in per cent of the , stomachs from washington. _sciurus_ and _tamiasciurus_ occurred in stomachs. included were _tamiasciurus douglasii_, a _tamiasciurus hudsonicus_, and a _sciurus griseus_ from washington. _glaucomys_ occurred in washington-taken coyotes, of a total of from the entire united states. _perognathus_ occurred in per cent of the stomachs, and individuals were represented. they were found in per cent of the , washington stomachs. _thomomys_ occurred in per cent of the stomachs examined and in per cent of the stomachs from washington. _erethizon_ appeared in per cent of the stomachs ( records), including some from washington. _aplodonta_ occurred in only stomachs, all taken in washington. locally, it is concluded, mountain beavers are important coyote food. house mice occurred in but five stomachs, including from washington. _zapus_ did not occur in coyote stomachs from washington. domestic sheep and goats formed per cent of the food of washington coyotes. calves occurred in stomachs of coyotes from washington. pigs occurred in . deer formed per cent, by volume, of coyote food in washington. a part of the stock and deer reported was doubtless carrion. one shrew was found in the stomach of a coyote from washington, and two stomachs contained moles. a house cat was eaten by one washington coyote, and another coyote had eaten a raccoon. birds occurred in per cent of the stomachs examined but formed only a small part by volume. poultry formed one-fourth of this volume. reptiles formed . per cent of the food eaten by coyotes and occurred in per cent of the stomachs. a coyote from washington had eaten a garter snake. no frogs were found in coyote stomachs. a coyote from washington had eaten a salamander. another had eaten a fish. insects formed . per cent of the total food eaten by coyotes. fruit formed . per cent. carrion constituted . per cent of the total food eaten. it is extremely difficult to draw conclusions regarding the economic value of any species. much depends on the outlook of the individual, his occupation, the locality where the animal occurs and local conditions there. furthermore it is impossible to understand and fairly weigh all the factors involved. coyotes destroy game and stock. they also eat carrion and destroy sick animals, thus preventing the spread of disease. they eat jack rabbits which are pests, and snowshoes and cottontails which are game. they eat mice, which are a pest in agricultural areas, a benefit on rangelands where they destroy weed seeds, and of neutral importance elsewhere. to analyze the economic value of the coyote, the economic importance of all animals on which it feeds must be considered and the "good" and "bad" balanced--a well-nigh impossible task. in any event, the coyote has been judged and found guilty. coyotes are controlled by poison, trapping, and bounty. in spite of control measures the coyote is holding its own in numbers or increasing. stimulated in part by the bounty, professional trappers take many coyotes each year in washington. the pelts fluctuate in value from year to year but a large, prime skin usually brings from to dollars. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the coyote in washington. a. _canis latrans lestes._ b. _canis latrans incolatus._] =canis latrans lestes= merriam _canis lestes_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , march , . _canis latrans lestes_ taylor and shaw, mamm. and birds mt. rainier nat. park, p. , . _type._--obtained in the toyabe mountains near cloverdale, nye county, nevada, by v. bailey on november , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--frontal region of skull only slightly concave. _measurements._--a male from miles south of ephrata, grant county, on the columbian plateau, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; weight - / lbs. a female from miles northeast of goldendale, klickitat county, in the southern cascades, measured: ; ; ; weight lbs. a female from cashmere, chelan county, in the northern cascades, measured: ; ; ; . a female from the middle fork of the nooksack river, whatcom county, in western washington, measured: total length ; length of tail . _distribution._--suitable areas of the entire state, except for northeastern washington. _remarks._--pending a revision of the coyotes, those of western washington are referred to _lestes_. =canis latrans incolatus= hall _canis latrans incolatus_ hall, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , november , . _type._--obtained at isaacs lake, , ft. elevation, bowron lakes region, british columbia, by t. t. and e. b. mccabe on october , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--similar to _lestes_ but frontal region more concave. _measurements._--a male from miles east of tonasket, okanogan county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . _distribution._--northeastern washington, west to okanogan and conconully (w. w. d.). _remarks._--several series of coyote skulls from northeastern washington are more variable than series of _lestes_ from california and _incolatus_ from british columbia. the "dish-faced" character of _incolatus_ is more strongly represented in some coyotes from northeastern washington than in topotypes of _incolatus_ but others are more like _lestes_. in average measurements they are nearer _incolatus_. =canis lupus fuscus= richardson timber wolf _canis lupus_ var. _fusca_ richardson, mammalia, zoölogy, captain beechey's voyage of the blossom, p. , . _lupus gigas_ townsend, jour. acad. sci. philadelphia, : , november, (type from near vancouver, clark county, washington). _canis gigas_ miller, smithsonian misc. coll., (no. ): , june , . _canis occidentalis gigas_ taylor and shaw, birds and mamm. mt. rainier nat. park, p. , . _canis lycaon gigas_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _type locality._--banks of the columbia below the dalles in oregon or washington. _racial characters._--a large, relatively dark colored wolf with wide skull and heavy dentition. _distribution._--probably occurred from the eastern base of the cascades westward to the pacific. now extinct over most of its range. [illustration: fig. . probable past distribution of the wolf in washington. a. _canis lupus fuscus._ b. _canis lupus columbianus._ c. _canis lupus irremotus._] _description._--the wolf is a large carnivore of the general proportions of a large collie dog. wolves closely resemble coyotes but are larger, with stouter body, larger feet, thicker muzzle and more massive, powerful skull and teeth. the fur of wolves is long and rather stiff. in general color of the body they resemble coyotes, but the underparts are less white and the legs and feet are more contrastingly reddish. wolves of the species _canis lupus_ range over the northern parts of both the old and new world. in america they are found from the arctic south into mexico. wolves occurred in western, northeastern and southeastern washington. they seem not to have occurred on the columbian plateau. wolves are generally associated with the larger, hooved mammals upon which they feed. in washington these probably once included the elk, deer, mountain sheep and mountain goat. hooved animals, except mountain sheep and deer, may not have occurred on the columbian plateau in historic times, and even the deer and sheep probably were scarce. there was probably little food for wolves on the plateau. the early settlers found wolves to be common and a serious pest. by they had nearly disappeared. in the settled parts of western washington they were doubtless exterminated at an early date but it is difficult to account for their disappearance on the olympic peninsula. to the best of my knowledge, two wolves killed on the north fork of the quinault river in , or a few years earlier, were the last ones from that peninsula. previously they were common and i doubt that man killed them all; perhaps some introduced disease, such as rabies, brought about their extinction. in the cascade area they probably still exist in small numbers and in remote places. there are said to be some near mount adams. they have been reported from mount rainier as recently as . trappers state that there are a few in the northern cascades, between lake chelan and mount baker. there are no recent records for southeastern washington. the last wolves killed on the columbian plateau were two taken at wahluke, grant county, on september , . only rumors--no authentic reports--of wolves are available from northeastern washington in recent years. the reappearance of the caribou there may attract wolves from british columbia. any report of wolves, even from experienced trappers, is open to some question. an unusually large coyote often is mistaken for a wolf. a large, wild and wolflike dog is even more likely to be mistaken for a wolf. the wolf no longer is an important element in the mammalian fauna of washington and will probably never be so again. the species, like the grizzly bear, is nearly extinct in the state. =canis familiaris= linnaeus dog _canis familiaris_ linnaeus, syst. nat., ed. , : , . _type locality._--sweden. dogs were present with aboriginal man in washington, previous to the arrival of the white man. for greater detail see bailey ( ), suckley and gibbs ( ) and allen ( ). =felis concolor= linnaeus cougar or mountain lion [illustration: fig. . cougar or mountain lion (_felis concolor missoulensis_), skin mounted as a rug; shot on mill creek, pend oreille county, washington, february , , by ralph johnson. skin now measures: snout to tip of tail cm., span between tips of forepaws cm., tail cm.; male. (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] _description._--the cougar is a large cat and has the general proportions of the house cat. large cougars measure more than seven feet in length of which the tail comprises two feet. large males weigh more than pounds. females are smaller and lighter than males. in color the head, back, tail and outside of the legs are reddish brown. the throat, underparts and inside of the legs are white. the tip of the tail, or area near the tip, is black or blackish. cougars, often called mountain lions, pumas and panthers, range from canada to southern south america. the cougar feeds extensively upon deer and its habits and habitat are accordingly specialized. it is active in both winter and summer and zonally ranges from the transition through the canadian to the hudsonian life-zones. [illustration: fig. . cougar or mountain lion (_felis concolor oregonensis_), adults and young taken by dewey schmid in white salmon valley, washington, about december , , and january , . two bobcats show at extreme right. (dewey schmid photo.)] the number of deer killed by the average cougar is unknown. some trappers believe that a cougar kills a deer at least every other day while others feel that only one a week is taken. other food is eaten when available. because cougars kill deer, they are incessantly warred upon by hunters and sportsmen. bounties, often generous, have long been paid in washington. although many cougars are killed each year they are still numerous in many areas. so many remote areas in the mountains are not easily accessible to man and dogs that the cougar, as a species, probably will persist for many years. a cougar is one of the most secretive animals in the wilds. rarely are individuals seen by man. they are difficult to trap, principally because they are such wide-ranging animals and partly because they prefer to feed on fresh deer meat and hence are not apt to be attracted to trap bait. for these same reasons they are difficult to poison. by using poisoned hamburger, a government agent did poison one near leavenworth, chelan county. the principal method of killing cougar is to hunt them with packs of especially trained hounds which pursue the cougar until it takes refuge in a tree or other supposed place of safety, where it is shot. a common gait is a swift, smooth trot in which the body is kept low and the tail droops with the terminal part bent backwards. a wild cougar seen near leavenworth, chelan county, traveled with effortless speed until fired upon. at the sound of the shot it made two great bounds and disappeared into the brush fringing a canyon. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the cougar in washington. a. _felis concolor oregonensis._ b. _felis concolor missoulensis._] although the cougar is a large and powerful carnivore it almost never makes unprovoked attacks upon man. an exception was the cougar that partially devoured a thirteen-year old boy near lake chelan, chelan county (finley, : - ). the hunting range of an individual cougar is many miles in extent. these ranges are traveled periodically and any particular area may be visited regularly every few days. the cougars may travel many miles each night in search of deer. their ranges must overlap to a certain extent for as many as have been taken from a single drainage area. over most of the year they are solitary but breeding females may attract several males and hunters occasionally capture a female and several males at one locality. breeding occurs in almost any month of the year. the young are cared for by the female and follow her for perhaps a year. young individuals have been taken at the same time and in the same locality as an adult female and several adult males that supposedly were breeding. there are from one to three young in a litter. for the first months of their life cougar kittens are spotted. in this they differ from the young of the bobcat which are plain or slightly mottled and do not become spotted until later in life. cougar kittens differ further from bobcat kittens in possessing a long tail. the pelage of the cougar is short and of no value as fur although the skins often are sold at a good price as trophies when prepared as rugs. =felis concolor oregonensis= rafinesque _felix [sic] oregonensis_ rafinesque, atlantic journal, : , . _felis hippolestes olympus_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , july , (type from lake cushman, mason county, washington). _felis oregonensis_ stone, science, n. s., : , january , . _felis oregonensis oregonensis_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _felis concolor oregonensis_ nelson and goldman, jour. mamm., : , november , . _type locality._--"oregon mountains, or east or west of them." _racial characters._--light, rounded skull, dark color, extensive black on tip of tail and short, rather coarse fur. _distribution._--from the eastern base of the cascade mountains westward to the pacific. marginal records are (trappers' specimens): ruby, leavenworth, and goldendale. =felis concolor missoulensis= goldman _felis concolor missoulensis_ goldman, jour. mamm., : , june , . _type._--obtained miles southwest of missoula, missoula county, montana, by r. and c. thompson, on december , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--a large cougar with heavy, wide skull, pale color and rather long, soft fur. _distribution._--northeastern washington west at least to republic (w.w.d.) and the blue mountains of southeastern washington. _remarks._--goldman ( : ) states "between the rocky mountains and the cascade range _missoulensis_ intergrades with _oregonensis_." my own comparison of specimens reveals differences of considerable magnitude between the cougars of western and northeastern washington. i suppose that intergradation takes place in a limited area in, and west of, the okanogan river valley in washington. [illustration: fig. . canadian lynx, _lynx canadensis_, male, taken february , , on baldy mountain, northwest idaho, by lloyd robinson of sandpoint. (ross a. hall photo.)] =lynx canadensis canadensis= kerr canadian lynx _lynx canadensis_ kerr, anim. kingd., : systematic catalogue inserted between pages and (description, p. ), . _lynx borealis canadensis_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., : , . _lynx canadensis canadensis_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _type locality._--eastern canada. _measurements._--a female from buttermills creek, twisp river, okanogan county, measured: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . _distribution._--higher parts of the cascade mountains, blue mountains and mountains of northeastern washington, recorded from oroville on the north (w. w. d.) to mount adams (taylor and shaw, : ) on the south. [illustration: fig. . canadian lynx (_lynx canadensis_), catch of nine, with two coyotes, taken by lester fairbrother in hills west of oroville, washington, march, . (lester fairbrother photo.)] _description._--the canadian lynx weighs about pounds and is catlike in general proportions but differs in possessing longer, stouter legs, much larger feet, a short tail, tufted ears and long, very soft fur. the pelage of the upper parts is soft gray with a slightly yellowish tone; the ears and tail are black; and the underparts are gray with indistinct black spots. the pelage is shorter and more reddish in summer. bailey ( : ) records a maximum weight of pounds. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the canadian lynx, _lynx canadensis_, in washington.] the lynx ranges over the forested parts of north america from the arctic south into the northern united states. it has a restricted range in washington, occurring in the same areas as does the red fox. although the lynx is an important fur bearer in canada and alaska, it is unimportant in washington because only a few are trapped each winter. most of the natural range is in the remote and wilder parts of the mountains. here, each of several trappers regularly takes a dozen or more each year. mr. lester fairbrother of oroville, okanogan county, regularly traps lynxes in the northern cascades. they are taken in wooded areas where snowshoe rabbits, their principal food in winter, are abundant. in the more accessible parts of the animal's range, such as the blue mountains and the mountains of northeastern washington, lynxes are rare. as much as sixty dollars each is offered for large skins. =lynx rufus= (schreber) bobcat _description._--the average male bobcat weighs approximately pounds. the female is about one-fourth lighter. a bobcat has longer, stouter legs and larger feet than a house cat and a short tail. the ears are short, with pointed tufts of hair. [illustration: fig. . bobcat (_lynx rufus fasciatus_), two-year-old male captured as a kit near lyman, washington, in the spring of , by earl scott; photographed march , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] bobcats range from southern canada south to central mexico. whereas the canadian lynx occupies the boreal region, the bobcat occupies the temperate region. it is thought to be principally nocturnal but is occasionally active by day. one that i watched near lake samamish, king county, when it was unaware of my presence, was decidedly uncatlike as it strolled with a smooth but stiff-legged gait on a forest trail, with head held up, short tail erect and wagging back and forth with each step. the general impression was of a large, extremely long-legged animal. there was nothing stealthy in its movements. another individual seen in the same locality on a later date saw me. as it bounded away the body was kept low and the legs were bent with the forelegs appearing almost bowlegged. like many other carnivores, each bobcat has a home range which varies with the available food supply. the range may include deep forest, dense thickets and open grasslands, but country with considerable edge-environment seems to be preferred to dense cover, and rocky areas to smooth soil. perhaps the abundance of mice and wood rats attracts bobcats to the rocks, but the cover afforded is also a factor. the bobcat is almost universally regarded as a predator and the state of washington now offers a bounty on it. the animals doubtless do kill a certain amount of game, but kill also other animals which man regards as pests because they interfere with reforestation and growing of food crops. one of the best natural checks on these pests is the bobcat which, in certain areas, does more good than harm. where doing damage to game or livestock bobcats may be eliminated by trapping or hunting with dogs. trappers report that bobcats have a poor sense of smell but very keen sight. they are easily trapped. the fur is soft and handsome but does not wear well. fur buyers designate the large, pale bobcats of eastern washington as lynx cats and reserve the name bobcat for the more reddish race of western washington. immature and unprime pelts from eastern washington also are classed as "bobcat." the difference between the pale bobcat of eastern washington and the dark race of western washington is greater than that which separates many subspecies. dewey smith of guler, klickitat county, showed me skins of bobcats taken on his trap-line along the white salmon river, which drains southward to the columbia, and over into the watershed of the lewis river. bobcats from the white salmon river were pale and gray, and those from along the lewis river were more reddish. the difference was striking. a very few intermediate skins indicated that interbreeding occurs. the geographic variation between the two races is reminiscent of that in the snowshoe rabbits of the western cascades. =lynx rufus fasciatus= rafinesque _lynx fasciatus_ rafinesque, amer. monthly mag., : , november, . _lynx fasciatus fasciatus_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _lynx rufus fasciatus_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _type locality._--near mouth of the columbia river on "netul" river (lewis and clark river) near astoria (bailey, : ). _racial characters._--size moderate; fur short; color distinctly reddish. _measurements._--a male from forks, clallam county, measured: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; weight - / pounds. _distribution._--from the cascade mountains westward, including the valleys of rivers draining westward in the cascades. marginal occurrences are: skykomish (w. w. d.), mt. rainier (taylor and shaw, : ) and headwaters of lewis river (w. w. d.). [illustration: fig. . distribution of the bobcat in washington. a. _lynx rufus fasciatus._ b. _lynx rufus pallescens._] =lynx rufus pallescens= merriam _lynx fasciatus pallescens_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _lynx rufus uinta_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _lynx rufus pallescens_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _type._--obtained at trout lake, klickitat county, washington, by d. kaegi on january , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--size large; skull heavy with extensive crests and ridges; fur long and soft; color pale, more grayish and less reddish than in _fasciatus_. _distribution._--from the cascade mountains eastward, including the valleys of rivers in the cascades which drain southward and eastward. marginal records of occurrences are oroville (w. w. d.), lake keechelus (taylor and shaw, : ) and trout lake (w. w. d.). =zalophus californianus= (lesson) california sea lion _otaria californiana_ lesson, dict. class nat. hist., : , . _zalophus californianus_ allen, monogr. n. amer. pinnipeds, u. s. geol. and geogr. surv. terr., misc. publ., : , . _type locality._--california. _distribution._--rare or casual along the coast of washington. _description._--adult males are to feet in length and females about feet. bulls weigh as much as , pounds, and females up to pounds. both fore and hind limbs are modified for swimming; they are flippers directed posteriorly. the body is cylindrical and streamlined, the neck thick and the head small. adult males possess a high sagittal crest resulting in a high forehead. eyes and ears are small. the reddish brown pelage is short and coarse. females are darker than the males. the california sea lion occurs along the pacific coast from mexico to northern california and has been recorded from oregon (bailey, : ), washington and british columbia (greenwood, newcombe, and fraser, : - ). it is of rare or casual occurrence along the coast of washington. =eumetopias jubata= (schreber) steller sea lion _phoca jubata_ schreber, säugthiere, : , . _eumetopias stelleri_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., ( ): , . _eumetopias jubata_ allen, bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : , march , . _type locality._--north pacific ocean. _distribution._--ocean coast, breeding on small, rocky islets such as the quillayute needles. _description._--the steller sea lion resembles the california sea lion but is larger. old bulls are from to feet in length and weigh from , to , pounds, perhaps even a ton. females are to feet in length and may weigh up to pounds. the female steller sea lion is nearly as large as the male of the california sea lion. the bull steller sea lion lacks the high forehead characteristic of the california sea lion, and the body is heavier and stouter, especially in the neck and chest. bulls are distinctly bicolored, the head, neck and chest being cinnamon and the rest of the body darker. females are a uniform dark brown color. the steller sea lion makes a loud, deep roaring sound. steller sea lions occur along the coast of asia south to japan and the coast of north america from the bering strait south to central california. the range thus meets and overlaps that of the california sea lion. steller sea lions are splendid swimmers and spend much of their time in the surf. they often lie in the water a few yards from where the waves pound some jagged cliff, retaining their dangerous position without discernible effort. they are curious and will raise their head and neck vertically out of the water to observe a passing boat. much time is spent beneath the surface, presumably hunting fish. they sometimes leap up out of the water in an arching dive or may simply lower their heads beneath the surface and appear several minutes later at another place. they may come to the surface with a porpoiselike roll, breathe, and again dive. many of their actions seem inspired by playfulness--a means of working off excess energy. sea lions haul out on a number of rocky islands along the coast. they are slow and clumsy on land. their rear flippers can be directed forward and so give them some assistance in moving about. when startled they are able, with much struggling, to move with fair speed to the water. they can dive from considerable heights. the studies of greenwood, newcombe and fraser ( : - ) show that the steller sea lions eat a great variety of marine fish and other sea life. included in their diet are squid, starfish, crabs, clams, mussels, salmon, herring, flounder, rock cod, sea bass and dogfish. they seem not to be selective in their food habits but eat the food most easily available at the time. unfortunately this is occasionally salmon in nets or traps and for this reason fishermen usually kill sea lions on sight. the number of sea lions along the coast of washington has been greatly reduced by shooting and dynamiting the animals on their hauling-out grounds. there is no doubt that sea lions do occasionally eat salmon, especially in traps or nets. they also become entangled in the nets, and damage them. on the other hand, investigations of their food habits have shown that they do not eat any great number of salmon or other important food fishes. they are a relatively harmless and exceedingly interesting animal and might well be preserved in numbers exceeding their present population. until relatively recent times the sea lion was an important source of food to the indians living along the ocean coast. the bones of sea lions are often the most numerous vertebrate remains in shell mounds. the steller sea lion now breeds only in a few places along the coast of washington. they are polygamous and each of the stronger bulls has eight or ten cows in his harem. fierce battles between bulls are said to take place in the breeding season, late in may. a single pup is born after a gestation period of about one year. pups are darker in color than adults. =callorhinus ursinus cynocephalus= (walbaum) alaska fur seal _siren cynocephalus_ walbaum, petri artedi sueci genera pisc., p. , . _callorhinus ursinus_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., ( ): , . _callorhinus alascanus_ jordan and clark, fur seals and fur seal islands of the north pacific, pt. , p. , november, . _callotaria ursina cynocephala_ stejneger, george wilhelm steller, harvard univ. press, p. , . _type locality._--pribilof islands, alaska. _distribution._--breeds on the pribilof islands, alaska. abundant off the coast of washington on migration. _description._--the difference in the size of male and female fur seals is great. males are about feet in length when fully grown but the females are only about feet long. males weigh up to pounds but females only about pounds. in general appearance the fur seal resembles the sea lion but the fur is longer, denser and softer. males are very dark brown in color. females and young are grayish brown. the fur seal, like the sea lion, can reverse its hind flippers and use them to a certain extent in walking. the alaskan fur seal breeds on the pribilof islands, alaska. the seals emerge from the water to certain favored hauling-out places in may and june. they leave the islands in november to begin their long migration. the bulls spend the winter off the coast of alaska south of the aleutians but the females and young travel south to the ocean off california. in the spring they start north, arriving off the coast of washington in february, march and april. young, rarely adults, are washed up on the ocean beaches of washington (scheffer, : ). the united states government, by international treaty, manages the fur seal herds on a sustained yield basis and pelagic sealing by independent hunters is prohibited. indians are allowed to take the fur seals on migration but are subject to certain restrictions. modern boats, outboard motors and guns are prohibited. indians living on the coast of washington hunt the fur seals from dugout canoes. the weapons are double-headed harpoons with long cedar shafts. one harpoon head is at the tip of the shaft and the other is on a short fork that projects downward and forward at a ° angle from the main shaft. the harpoon is thrown with the aid of hand grips at the end of the shaft. the seal is recovered by rawhide lines connected to the harpoon heads. the hunters leave shore at dawn and travel ten to twenty miles from land, at which distance the seal herds are usually encountered. the hunting is dangerous work and is carried on only by skilled and brave men. relatively calm weather is required. the flesh of the seals is eaten and the skins sold. schultz and rafn ( : - ) examined the stomachs of fur seals taken within miles of la push, washington, in march, april and may, . food found included squids, shrimps, herring and lampreys. =phoca vitulina richardii= (gray) hair seal or harbor seal _halicyon richardii_ gray, proc. zoöl. soc. london, p. , . _phoca richardii_ allen, bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : , december , . _phoca richardii richardii_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _phoca vitulina richardii_ doutt, ann. carnegie mus., : , may , . _type._--described from a specimen obtained at the fraser river, british columbia, probably on march , , by c. b. wood and another obtained by wood at queen charlotte sound, british columbia, in (see scheffer and slipp, : ); type in british museum of natural history. _distribution._--puget sound, the strait of juan de fuca and the coast of washington, extending at times up the columbia river to the dalles. has been recorded in lake washington, seattle (bonham, : ). _description._--adults are about feet in length and weigh up to pounds; males are approximately a quarter larger than females. the hair seals differ from the sea lions and fur seals in a number of respects. the body is widest in the midsection rather than in the chest. the neck is short and slim. the eyes are large and there are no external ears. the hind flippers are not reversible but are permanently directed posteriorly. the pelage is short, stiff, and directed posteriorly. the ground color is silver gray or yellow; usually it is yellow, blotched and marbled with black, dusky or gray. hair seals range over the northern atlantic and pacific oceans, occurring southward along the pacific coast of north america to central mexico. six races are recognized by doutt ( : ). the hair seal is the common seal in puget sound, the strait of juan de fuca and on the ocean coast. scheffer and slipp ( : ) estimate that , live along the coast of washington. hair seals are social to some degree but are often seen singly. in puget sound, where there are relatively few hauling-out areas, they rarely leave the water but on the ocean coast they emerge to bask on the reefs. on destruction island, jefferson county, v. b. scheffer and i watched a herd of about animals that lay on a reef exposed by low tide. according to the lighthouse keeper the reef was occupied daily by these seals. scheffer and slipp (_loc. cit._, p. ) report herds of up to hair seals. in puget sound to seals seem to be the usual number in a herd, but occasionally there are as many as . hair seals often exhibit curiosity concerning small boats; the seals lie in the water with only their round heads above the surface, staring at the boat for many minutes. constant shooting has made them shy and any quick movement will cause them to dive; several dived instantly when i pointed either a stick or gun at them. hair seals are less spectacular than sea lions. when basking on rocks the seals are silent. when an observer is yet a long distance away the seals raise their small heads and remain on the alert. when they take to the water, they travel with a jerking motion. in the water one rarely sees more than their heads. when they dive they usually sink below the surface, never making the spectacular arching dive so typical of the sea lions. at useless bay, whidby island, island county, a herd of five or six hair seals was studied in july, . these animals played and slept in the shallow water beneath a high, forested bluff and could be watched from the bluff above. the seals seemed to gather here in the early afternoon. much of their time was spent sleeping on the surface with the body in a bowed position and drifting freely. occasional waving of the rear flippers kept them from drifting away. they played a great deal, splashing, diving and swimming in circles or spirals. occasionally one would dive down to swim slowly along just above the bottom. at times one would put on a sudden burst of speed, apparently in pursuit of some fish, rarely continued for more than or feet after which the seal usually rose to the surface to resume play. never did i see one with a fish in its mouth and these pursuits, if pursuits they were, seemed to have been prompted more by a spirit of play than by hunger. a young seal was kept as a pet for several weeks at friday harbor, san juan county. it was tame and affectionate but decidedly temperamental. it demanded constant attention and whimpered, cried or moaned if left alone. it was more active by night than by day and made a characteristic mooing cry, which continued at intervals throughout the night. this habit led to its eventual disposal. the temper of this young seal was shown by its actions when it encountered strands of kelp while swimming. if the kelp strands held back its progress it would turn back, seize the kelp in its teeth and bite viciously. never did it attempt to bite persons. the hair seal was generally thought to feed almost exclusively on salmon, but the work of scheffer ( : - ) showed this view to be incorrect. of hair seal stomachs examined, all of which were full, only two contained salmon. in a later study (scheffer and sperry, : - ), only two of stomachs examined contained salmon. other food items were tomcod, flounder, sculpin, herring, shiner, hake, skate, blenny, unidentified fish, squid, octopus, shrimp, crab and starfish. in spite of scheffer's work, hair seals are killed at every opportunity by fisherman and boatman. bounties were paid on their scalps for many years, and more than , bounties were paid for each of several years previous to . their small, round heads bobbing on the waves offer a poor target and many seals, after having been fired at, become extremely shy. they seem to be holding their own in numbers at the present time. scheffer and slipp ( : ) found that the young were born in late may along the ocean coast and in june and july in puget sound. the young seal mentioned as having been kept captive at friday harbor was obtained from an indian on july , , and was said to be two weeks old at the time. the indian said that he had watched the birth of the young and then killed the mother for bounty. on july the young seal weighed approximately pounds and was in good health. the seal could swim well. it was said to have been born "on the rocks" at long island, san juan county. the seal drank milk from a baby's bottle but refused fresh scallops, clams and fish of several species. when put into a large, screened box sunk in the water it at once investigated the other animals in the box. it showed no fear of a large bull cod weighing pounds, or of a -pound skate and several sharks feet long but seemed to be frightened by a large octopus weighing about pounds. in swimming, the front flippers were held flat against the body and the actual swimming was accomplished by the vertically-held rear flippers and the rapid swinging of the hips. its eyes were very dark brown, almost black, but soft and appealing. the bases of the vibrissae were thick and soft. the belly was silvery white and unspotted. the sides and back were iron gray spotted with dark, bluish gray, the whole overlaid with a silvery tint. the claws were long, round, and sharply pointed. when sleeping, the seal usually lay on its side, occasionally upon its back or belly. the front flippers were held tight to its sides but the back flippers were held straight back with the digits bent inward at right angles and laid so that the right digits were against the left. in moving on land the front flippers were folded into fists and used to push the animal forward while the body was moved by snakelike motions of the hips. it breathed in short gasps. genus =tamias= illiger chipmunks the chipmunks of asia and western north america have usually been separated under the generic name _eutamias_ from those of the genus _tamias_ of eastern america. ellerman ( : ) placed both in the same genus and bryant ( : - ) reached the same conclusions after intensive study of american sciurids. bryant's treatment is followed here. the sciurid genera as they occur in washington, are listed by bryant as follows: _tamias_, _marmota_, _citellus_, _sciurus_, _tamiasciurus_, _glaucomys_. this order, rather than that of miller ( ) is used here. four species of _tamias_ are listed for washington: _minimus_ represented by two subspecies; _amoenus_, by six; _ruficaudus_ by one; and _townsendii_, by two. chipmunks from washington vary in size from less than inches in total length to more than inches in total length. some race of chipmunk occurs in almost every part of washington. their striped color pattern serves as a universal recognition mark. the somewhat similarly striped mantled ground squirrel is often mistakenly called chipmunk. the mantled ground squirrel is larger than any chipmunk, has but two dark stripes as compared with five dark stripes of chipmunks, and has a plain, reddish head unlike the distinctly striped head of _tamias_. like most members of the squirrel family, chipmunks are active by day and are therefore better known to man than are most of the other kinds of small mammals, most of which are nocturnal. the attractive color and sprightly actions of chipmunks make them a delightful feature of the outdoors. they feed on fruit, seeds, and fungus and eagerly eat food that can be begged or stolen from man. they have been known to kill mice and they have been accused of destroying nests and eggs of birds. they often eat insects and occasionally eat the flesh of mice or other chipmunks held in collector's traps. chipmunks climb trees and bushes readily but only _townsendii_ can be called arboreal, and even it prefers to climb on stumps and dead trunks rather than in living trees. all species are fond of climbing about rocky outcrops and talus slides. the call of the chipmunks is a birdlike cheep. in _minimus_ it is shrill and uttered rapidly, but it is low-pitched and is uttered by _townsendii_ with longer intervals between the notes. the call of _amoenus_ is of an intermediate nature. young of chipmunks vary in number from four to six. nests are constructed of dry grass and are placed under rocks, logs, and in burrows in the ground. there are four pairs of mammae, one pectoral, two abdominal, and one inguinal. =tamias minimus= bachman least chipmunk _description._--the least chipmunk is the smallest chipmunk found in washington. the head and body of adults measure about - / inches; the tail about - / inches. its fur is short and sleek. the dorsal stripe is black; the upper pale stripe is buffy gray; the lower dark stripe is rich brown; the lower stripe is white. the sides are pale buff and the head, rump and thighs are buffy gray. the tail is brownish above, yellowish beneath. _tamias minimus_ has a wide range, being found from the cascade-sierra nevada chain to the great lakes and from northern canada to central arizona and new mexico. two races occur in washington, both in the sagebrush desert area. least chipmunks are only locally common in washington. i have found them in areas where the soil was firmly packed and sagebrush the dominant vegetation. all were far from water. two miles west of vantage, kittitas county, several were found near an old sheep corral, where one took shelter in a pile of boards. in my experience, least chipmunks are wary and difficult to collect. many times as i crept silently through the sagebrush chipmunk after chipmunk scampered with tail aloft into a hole at the base of same sage bush, each far out of gunshot, voicing alarmed chirps. the extreme caution of least chipmunks, as compared with other species, is doubtless a necessary adaptation to living in an exposed situation. the open sagebrush desert is a favored hunting place of hawks and eagles; also coyotes, wildcats, and badgers sometimes abound there. all these probably find the least chipmunk a suitable food item and only the most cautious chipmunk survives to reproduce. the least chipmunk has been timed at a speed of miles per hour (cottam and williams, : ). the food of the least chipmunk in eastern washington is almost entirely seeds of the annuals that flourish briefly in the spring. insects probably are eaten and one specimen had the remains of two scorpions in its stomach. =tamias minimus scrutator= (hall and hatfield) _eutamias minimus pictus_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , november , . _eutamias minimus scrutator_ hall and hatfield, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , february , . _tamias minimus scrutator_ ellerman, fam. and genera of living rodents, british mus. nat. hist., p. , june , . [illustration: fig. . distribution of the least chipmunk in washington. a. _tamias minimus scrutator._ b. _tamias minimus grisescens._] _type._--obtained near blanco mountain, ft. elevation, mono county, california, by j. grinnell on july , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--buffy color; wide dark stripes and narrow pale stripes. _measurements._--a male and a female from sunnyside, yakima county, measure respectively; total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; ear , . _distribution._--the sagebrush areas west of the columbia river. present in scattered and widely separated areas, ranging, according to howell ( : ), north to ellensburg and south to wiley city. this species is a member of the great basin fauna that entered the state from oregon. the population in washington is now isolated north and west of the columbia river but seems not to differ from least chipmunks from oregon and nevada. =tamias minimus grisescens= (howell) _eutamias minimus grisescens_ howell, jour. mamm., : , february , . _tamias minimus grisescens_ ellerman, fam. and genera of living rodents, british mus. nat. hist., p. , june , . _type._--obtained at farmer, douglas county, washington, by j. a. loring, on july , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _scrutator_ but smaller; more grayish, less buffy in color, dark stripes narrower and pale stripes wider. _measurements._--seven topotypes and near topotypes average: total length ; length of tail . ; hind foot . ; ear . . _distribution._--known only from the columbian plateau. this race is rare and though we hunted for it in localities where specimens have been collected, including the type locality, it was found but twice. ranchers living in the area know the chipmunk but see individuals only occasionally. marginal occurrences are douglas (howell, : ), vantage (v. b. s.) and pasco (howell, : ). _remarks._--the geographic range of this race is separated from that of _scrutator_ by the columbia river and many miles of country uninhabited by chipmunks of this species. =tamias amoenus= allen yellow-pine chipmunk _description._--the yellow-pine chipmunk resembles the least chipmunk but is larger. the underside of the tail is more ochraceous, less yellowish. the color of the sides varies considerably in the various races. the stripes are narrow and sharply delineated, the dorsal one being black. next lower is a grayish stripe, followed by one of brownish black. the lower stripe is white. the underparts, in most races, are white but in _luteiventris_ are buffy. the geographic range of the species is west of the great plains from central british columbia to central california. there are twelve races, six of them occurring in washington. the yellow-pine chipmunk is a small animal, being but little larger than the least chipmunk, and much smaller than _townsendii_. externally it may be separated from the townsend chipmunk by its small size, sleek, appressed pelage and brighter color. separation from _minimus_ is more difficult but, in the washington races of _minimus_, the colored fur of the underside of the tail is pale yellowish while in _amoenus_ it is more ochraceous or buffy. so far as is known, the two species do not occur together in washington. the yellow-pine chipmunks live in open woods, brushy areas, clearings, and rocky outcrops. suitable conditions are abundant in mountainous areas and the distribution of mountain ranges affects the distribution of these chipmunks. where yellow pine forests descend to relatively low altitudes, the chipmunks enter the lowlands. such conditions are present in some places along the eastern base of the cascades, the inter-mountain river valleys of northeastern washington, and along the central-eastern border of the state. yellow-pine chipmunks are sprightly and active. they seem always to be moving restlessly about, running, investigating for food, and watching for enemies. they are far tamer than the least chipmunks, usually allowing the observer to approach within twenty feet or closer. some, after coaxing, will take food from a person's hand. near stevens pass, king county, numbers of _tamias townsendii cooperi_ and _tamias amoenus ludibundus_, apparently on good terms, were feeding together on blue huckleberries which grew in abundance on an extensive snowslide area. the yellow-pine chipmunks had been drawn from surrounding open areas by the berries, while the townsend chipmunks had been attracted from the forest by the same food. the nervous movements of _amoenus_ contrasted strongly with the more sedate behavior of _townsendii_. at the observer's close approach the yellow-pine chipmunks went scampering off through the brush and tangles of logs and branches, to emerge again and watch from a hundred feet away. the same individuals, when repeatedly followed, always remained in sight. most of the townsend chipmunks, when frightened, ran into the nearest dense cover and vanished, not to appear again. a goodly number, perhaps ten per cent, climbed high up in fir trees. none of the yellow-pine chipmunks took refuge in trees. the yellow-pine chipmunk is usually found at considerable altitude and consequently there is deep snow and bitter cold in winter where it lives. hibernation is probably complete. seemingly these chipmunks depend on stored food rather than on accumulated fat to tide them over the winter, for animals collected in autumn are no fatter than those taken in the spring. svihla ( b: ) found that _tamias a. canicaudus_, hibernating in captivity at pullman, whitman county, awoke at intervals to eat stored food. the time of retirement of yellow-pine chipmunks for the winter seems to coincide with the coming of winter weather. in mid-november of one year, when no snow had yet fallen in the cascades, yellow-pine chipmunks were common near stevens pass, although their actions were noticeably slow. in another autumn, when the winter snows came early, i looked in vain for chipmunks in october where they had been common earlier. george c. cantwell noted a yellow-pine chipmunk at republic, ferry county, on november , , after the ground was "well frozen," but apparently free of snow (howell, : ). like other species that hibernate, they, at times, seem to become active in winter; j. b. flett reported seeing a yellow-pine chipmunk at longmire, mt. rainier, on february , , and again on march (howell, _loc. cit._, p. ). at deer park, clallam county, at timber-line, several _tamias townsendii cooperi_ were active in early april, , but only one _tamias amoenus_ was seen. in the previous june they were abundant there and _townsendii_ was scarce. i have watched these chipmunks eat the berries of the red huckleberry (_vaccinium parvifolium_), salmonberry (_rubus spectabilis_), thimbleberry (_rubus parviflorus_), devil's club (_fatsia horrida_), and mountain ash (_sorbus cascadensis_ and _s. occidentalis_). of these, the blue huckleberry (_vaccinum occidentale_ and _v. membranaceum_) are probably the most important to the chipmunks. at sherman creek pass, in the kettle river mountains, ferry county, i watched a pika (_ochotona_) busily harvesting wild raspberry plants (_rubus leucodermis_), and laying them in a pile under a rock. a yellow-pine chipmunk waited under the rock and ate the ripe berries from each branch as it was laid away. a brood nest of the yellow-pine chipmunk was discovered by shaw ( : ) at hurricane ridge, clallam county. the entrance was a hole - / inches in diameter constructed among the grass and alpine flowers of a meadow at , feet elevation. the burrow itself was inches in diameter, and had a turning-around pocket inches from the entrance. the nest was situated just beneath the sod, feet from the entrance. the nest chamber was inches high by - / inches in diameter and in the shape of a "round-bottomed flask." it was filled snugly with nest material composed of a grasslike sedge (_carex spectabilis_) mixed with feathers of the blue grouse. earth excavated from the nest cavity had been forced upwards through the sod in the manner of a mole in forming mounds. the single burrow was unbranched. seven young of about to days of age were found in the nest. =tamias amoenus caurinus= (merriam) _eutamias caurinus_ merriam, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, p. , october , . _eutamias amoenus caurinus_ howell, jour. mamm., : , august , . _tamias amoenus caurinus_ ellerman, fam. and genera of living rodents, british mus. nat. hist., p. , june , . _type._--obtained at timber-line, head of sol duc river, olympic mountains, clallam county, washington, by c. h. merriam and vernon bailey on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--small size and pale color. _measurements._--seven males and females from deer park, clallam county, average: total length . ; length of tail . ; hind foot . ; ear . _distribution._--higher parts of the olympic mountains, from deer park (w. w. d.) south to head of dosewallips river (howell, : ). =tamias amoenus felix= rhoads _tamias quadrivittatus felix_ rhoads, amer. nat., : , october, . _eutamias quadrivittatus felix_ miller and rehn, proc. boston soc. nat. hist., : , december , . _eutamias amoenus felix_ howell, jour. mamm., : , august , . _tamias amoenus felix_ ellerman, fam. and genera of living rodents, british mus. nat. hist., p. , june , . [illustration: fig. . distribution of the yellow-pine chipmunk in washington. a. _tamias amoenus luteiventris._ b. _tamias amoenus canicaudus._ c. _tamias amoenus affinis._ d. _tamias amoenus ludibundus._ e. _tamias amoenus felix._ f. _tamias amoenus caurinus._] _type._--obtained at church mountain, british columbia, near the united states boundary by allan brooks on august , ; type in philadelphia academy of natural sciences. _racial characters._--large size and rich, dark color. _measurements._--ten topotypes average: total length . ; length of tail . ; hind foot . ; ear . . _distribution._--the extreme northwestern cascades, north and west of mt. baker. _remarks._--this richly-colored coastal race barely enters washington. it is abundant near goldrun pass and tomyhoi lake, whatcom county, just south of the international boundary. =tamias amoenus ludibundus= (hollister) _eutamias ludibundus_ hollister, smithsonian misc. coll., (no. ): , december , . _eutamias amoenus ludibundus_ howell, jour. mamm., : , august , . _tamias amoenus ludibundus_ ellerman, fam. and genera of living rodents, british mus. nat. hist., p. , june , . _type._--obtained at yellowhead lake, , ft., british columbia, by n. hollister on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--moderate size, brownish rump, ochraceous sides. _measurements._--five males and females from the higher parts of the cascades average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; ear . , . ; weight , . grams. _distribution._--the higher cascade mountains. marginal records are: barron (howell, : ), lyman lake (howell, : ), cascade tunnel (w. w. d.), mt. stuart (w. w. d.), lake kachees (w. w. d.), boulder cave (w. w. d.), and mt. st. helens (howell, : ). _remarks._--at the higher altitudes this race seems to be the equivalent of _affinis_. the latter race lives in relatively arid yellow pine forests and _ludibundus_ occupies more moist and varied habitats higher in the mountains. =tamias amoenus affinis= allen _tamias quadrivittatus affinis_ allen, amer. mus. nat. hist. bull., : , june, . _eutamias quadrivittatus affinis_ miller and rehn, proc. boston soc. nat. hist., : , december , . _eutamias amoenus affinis_ howell, jour. mamm., : , august , . _tamias amoenus affinis_ ellerman, fam. and genera of living rodents, british mus. nat. hist., p. , june , . _type._--obtained at ashcroft, british columbia, by c. p. streator on july , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--small size, grayish color including rump, and white underparts. _measurements._--fourteen males and females from washington average: total length . ; length of tail . ; hind foot . ; ear . . _distribution._--the eastern slope of the cascade mountains. marginal records on the west are: bald mountain (howell, : ), mazama (howell, : ), hart lake (howell, : ), lake wenatchee (w. w. d.), mi. s. dryden (w. w. d.), blewett pass (w. w. d.), mi. n. w. ellensburg (w. w. d.), wenas creek (w. w. d.), mt. adams (howell, : ), and lyle (howell, : ). marginal occurrences on the east are: mt. chopaka (howell, : ), mi. e. tonasket (w. w. d.) and omak lake (howell, : ). =tamias amoenus canicaudus= (merriam) _eutamias canicaudus_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , may , . _eutamias amoenus_ canicaudus howell, jour. mamm., : , august , . _tamias amoenus canicaudus_ ellerman, fam. and genera of living rodents, british mus. nat. hist., p. , june , . _type._--obtained at spokane, spokane county, washington, by c. p. streator, on april , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--large size, pale color, grayish tail, white or buffy underparts. _measurements._--thirteen topotypes average: total length . ; length of tail . ; hind foot . ; ear . _distribution._--the pine-covered lowlands along the central-eastern border of the state, ranging, according to howell ( : ), from spokane county south to pullman. =tamias amoenus luteiventris= allen _tamias quadrivittatus luteiventris_ allen, amer. mus. nat. hist. bull., : , june, . _eutamias quadrivittatus luteiventris_ miller and rehn, proc. boston soc. nat. hist., : , december , . _eutamias amoenus luteiventris_, howell, jour. mamm., : , august , . _tamias amoenus luteiventris_ ellerman, fam. and genera of living rodents, british mus. nat. hist., p. , june , . _type._--obtained at chief mountain lake (waterton lake), alberta ( - / mi. n. united states boundary) by elliott coues on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--small size, rich color, buffy underparts. _measurements._--twelve males and females from the blue mountains, columbia county, average respectively: total length , ; length of tail . , ; hind foot . , . ; ear . , ; weight . , . grams. _distribution._--the blue mountains of southeastern washington, and the pend oreille mountains of northeastern washington, west to eureka, in the kettle river mountains, ferry county (howell, : ), and south to newport (w. w. d.). =tamias ruficaudus simulans= (howell) red-tailed chipmunk _eutamias ruficaudus simulans_ howell, jour. mamm., : , august , . _tamias ruficaudus simulans_ ellerman, fam. and genera of living rodents, british mus. nat. hist., p. , june , . _type._--obtained at coeur d'alene, kootenai county, idaho, by c. p. streator on june , . _measurements._--six males and females from northeastern washington average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . ; ear . _distribution._--northeastern washington, reported from pend oreille, stevens and ferry counties by howell ( : ). _description._--the red-tailed chipmunk closely resembles _tamias amoenus_. from _t. a. luteiventris_ and _t. a. canicaudus_ it differs principally in larger size, wider brain case and especially in its pure white underparts. from _t. a. affinis_ it differs in richer coloration, especially the brownish rather than gray rump. the differences separating it from _amoenus_ are slight, and only adult specimens can be identified in the field. according to howell ( : ) this species occurs in northern idaho, western montana, northeastern washington, southeastern british columbia and extreme southwestern alberta. two subspecies are recognized, only one of which occurs in washington. a number of large, white-bellied chipmunks have been taken in northeastern washington that answer well to the description of _ruficaudus_. also, there are a number of specimens that i cannot definitely identify as either _amoenus_ or _ruficaudus_. some buff-bellied chipmunks from idaho are as large, and possess brain cases as wide, as specimens from washington unhesitatingly called _ruficaudus_, while some white-bellied individuals match _amoenus luteiventris_ in all other characters. when all the specimens available from pend oreille, stevens and ferry counties are separated into _amoenus_ and _ruficaudus_ and the skulls are examined, it is noticeable that all the _ruficaudus_ are old, fully adult animals and that most of the _amoenus_ are younger, showing less wear on the teeth. perhaps the buffy underparts are lost with increasing age. this leads to the suspicion that _ruficaudus_, as applied to chipmunks in washington, is a synonym of _amoenus_. until considerable material is collected in northeastern washington, showing individual and age variation, it seems best to retain the name _ruficaudus_. most of the specimens referable to _ruficaudus_ were taken in talus slides high in the pend oreille mountains. a smaller series was collected at a lower altitude in open pine forests near pend oreille lakes, stevens county. i could detect no difference between _amoenus_ and _ruficaudus_ in habitat or habits. =tamias townsendii= bachman townsend chipmunk _description._--the townsend chipmunk is the largest of the chipmunks that occur in washington. head and body measure about - / inches; the tail about - / inches. the fur of the townsend chipmunk is more lax and less sleek than that of other species. the upper parts are duller and darker ochraceous. stripes are wide and not sharply delineated. the dark stripes are deep chestnut or blackish. the upper pale stripe is pale buffy gray; the lower is whitish. the tail is blackish frosted with white above and rich ochraceous below. underparts are dull white. the townsend chipmunk ranges from the fraser river in southern british columbia through western washington and oregon, to central california. like other members of the pacific coastal fauna which extend southward to california, its geographic range extends farther inland to the south and geographic variation is greater; races are listed by johnson ( : ) in california. the townsend chipmunk is the largest and darkest chipmunk in washington. over much of its range it is the only chipmunk found although in some mountainous areas both _townsendii_ and _amoenus_ occur together. the larger size and richer coloration, especially the rich tawny color of the underside of the tail, separate townsend chipmunks from _amoenus_. [illustration: fig. . townsend chipmunk (_tamias townsendii cooperi_), captured on goat creek, , feet, western cascade mountains near chinook pass, washington, september , , by earl j. larrison; photographed february , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] townsend chipmunks are closely associated with the coniferous forest where they live in clearings and tangles of underbrush such as on steep hillsides, fire slashings, snowslide areas or mountain glades. though capable of swift movement, they are less nervous and active than other chipmunks. rarely are they as abundant, even locally, as other species, and the home range of an individual seems to be larger than that of an _amoenus_ or a _minimus_. rarely are more than two seen in a locality. their more sedentary habits make them less conspicuous than other species. in the fall, when berries are dried out and seeds are ripe, they are most often seen. the townsend chipmunk seems to be the most arboreal species found in washington and individuals are not uncommonly seen in trees. the brushy cover inhabited by townsend chipmunks protects them from most hawks while their diurnal habits prevent owls from feeding on them. predatory mammals probably constitute their greatest menace. a weasel (_mustela frenata_) was seen to follow a townsend chipmunk into a pile of timbers near cottage lake, king county, and another was seen carrying a dead townsend chipmunk at stevens pass, king county. tracks around an area of blood and fur showed where a mink (_mustela vison_) had killed a townsend chipmunk near cottage lake, king county. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the townsend chipmunk in washington. a. _tamias townsendii townsendii._ b. _tamias townsendii cooperi._] shaw ( : ) discovered the brood nest of a townsend chipmunk on hurricane ridge, clallam county, , feet elevation. the burrow was in a cool, damp area among surface runs of moles (_scapanus_), and led to an underground nest among the roots of a tree. the nest was formed of the gray, moss-like lichen (_usnea_), lined within with sedge leaves (_carex spectabilis_) and covered outside with leaves of the same sedge. a turning-about chamber was constructed near the entrance. the burrow was single and not branched. three young, only two or three days old, were in the nest. =tamias townsendii townsendii= bachman _tamias townsendii_ bachman, jour. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, (pt. ): , . _tamias quadrivittatus townsendii_ allen, proc. boston soc. nat. hist., : , . _tamias asiaticus_ var. _townsendii_ allen, monog. n. amer. rodentia, rept. u. s. geol. surv. terr., : , . _eutamias townsendii_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , july , . _type._--lectotype obtained near the lower mouth of the willamette river, multnomah county, oregon, by j. k. townsend in ; in philadelphia academy of natural sciences. _racial characters._--color of sides rich tawny; dark stripes black or dark brown, and pale stripes cinnamon; underside of tail tawny. _measurements._--fifteen males and females from western washington average, respectively: total length . , . ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , . ; ear . , . ; weight , . grams. _distribution._--the humid coastal belt of western washington, from the western base of the cascade mountains to the pacific, exclusive of the olympic mountains. when a. h. howell revised the chipmunks in , he employed a concept of a subspecies different from the writer's own. the locality records listed by howell ( : - ) for _tamias townsendii townsendii_ and _t. t. cooperi_ are not in agreement with howell's own distribution map (_op. cit._: ). when the localities listed by howell are plotted on a map of washington, the ranges of the two races overlap in some critical areas. not all of the material examined by howell was seen by the writer, and, consequently, the ranges shown in fig. are plotted, in part, on geographic grounds. marginal localities on the east, so plotted, for _t. t. townsendii_, are: hamilton (u. s. n. m.), mi. e. monroe (w. w. d.), redmond (w. w. d.), roy (u. s. n. m.), and vancouver (u. s. n. m.). =tamias townsendii cooperi= baird _tamias cooperi_ baird, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, : , . _tamias townsendii_ var. _cooperi_ baird, mamm. n. amer., p. , . _eutamias cooperi_ lyon, smithsonian misc. coll., : , june , . _eutamias townsendii cooperi_ howell, jour. mamm., : , august , . _type._--cotypes obtained at klickitat pass, , ft., skamania county, washington, by j. s. cooper in july, ; in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _t. t. townsendii_ but paler with pale stripes whitish rather than cinnamon. _measurements._--ten males and females from the cascades average, respectively: total length . , . ; length of tail . , . ; hind foot , . ; ear , ; weight , . grams. _distribution._--the higher and eastern cascade mountains and the olympic mountains. marginal localities along the cascades probably include: swamp creek (u. s. n. m.), index (w. s. c.), north bend (u. s. n. m.), mt. st. helens (u. s. n. m.), and yacolt (m. v. z.). =marmota monax petrensis= howell woodchuck _marmota monax petrensis_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , april , . _type._--obtained at revelstoke, british columbia, by w. spreadborough on may , ; type in united states national museum. _measurements._--howell ( : ) gives the measurements of an adult male (the type) as: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . an adult female from barkerville, british columbia, measured: total length ; length of tail ; and hind foot . _distribution._--the pend oreille mountains, pend oreille county. the woodchuck was seen and positively identified in northeastern washington but no specimens were collected. _description._--the woodchuck is the smallest member of the genus _marmota_ that occurs in washington. adults are about inches in length, of which the tail comprises inches. the body is stout and plump. the legs are short. the ears are low and rounded. the eyes are large but not prominent. the fur is rather stiff but dense. the upper parts are cinnamon, frosted with white-tipped guard hairs. the underparts are tawny. there is no white bar across the nose. woodchucks occur from alaska to idaho and eastward to the atlantic, extending southward in the eastern united states. miller ( : - ) lists seven subspecies, one of which enters the extreme northeastern corner of washington. the habits of the eastern woodchuck (_marmota monax rufescens_) have been studied by hamilton ( : - ), but the northern races are less well known. cowan ( : - ) gives observations on the habits, nests and burrows of _marmota monax canadensis_. =marmota flaviventris avara= (bangs) yellow-bellied marmot _arctomys flaviventer avarus_ bangs, proc. new england zoöl. club, : , july , . [_marmota flaviventer_] _avarus_ trouessart, catal. mamm., viv. foss., suppl., p. , . _marmota flaviventris avara_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _type._--obtained at okanogan, british columbia, by a. c. brooks on july , ; type in museum of comparative zoölogy. _measurements._--a male from miles north of entiat, chelan county, measured: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . _distribution._--from the eastern edge of the cascade mountains eastward, except, apparently, extreme northeastern washington. marginal records are: okanogan (w. w. d.) in the north, wenas (w. w. d.) in the west, pasco (m. v. z.) in the south, and mi. s. w. pullman (howell, : ) in the east. _description._--the yellow-bellied marmot is similar to the woodchuck but is slightly larger. it is decidedly paler in color, less reddish, but possesses white-tipped hairs on the dorsal surface, as does the woodchuck. the yellow-bellied marmot also differs from the woodchuck in having a distinct white bar on the nose. its pelage is coarse and rather thin. the yellow-bellied marmot is typically an animal of the basalt talus of eastern washington but occurs in mountainous areas in northeastern washington. these animals are usually found near streams, ponds, lakes, or rivers. they wander considerably, however, and are often found far from water. their wandering habits probably account for their presence near temporary streams and ponds on the columbian plateau. when these temporary sources of water dry up in july or early august, the marmots go into hibernation. edson ( : ) records a marmot from bellingham, whatcom county, far west of the usual range of the species. the "ground hog" is often hunted for sport and sometimes for food. near centers of human population the yellow-bellied marmots are extremely shy. along the highways of the columbia river on any sunday in june, it is not unusual to see a dozen cars in an hour, moving slowly past a talus slide while eager hunters scan the rocks for marmots. in the late afternoon, when the marmots leave the protection of the talus slides to drink at the river, they fall easy prey to rifles with telescope sights. near cities in eastern washington yellow-bellied marmots have become partially nocturnal. couch ( : - ) attempted to excavate several dens of yellow-bellied marmots, but decided to leave the task "to some future road-building crew." embryos found by couch numbered three to six. couch thought the young were born about march in the snake river area and about april in the upper okanogan area. the young appear above ground approximately days after birth. the yellow-bellied marmots enter aestivation from late june to early august, depending on the locality and local conditions. they are active longer in northeastern washington. couch records a yellow-bellied marmot seen in okanogan county on october , but regards this as exceptional. the marmots near wenatchee, chelan county, emerge from their burrows in early march (march to , from reports of residents in , ). couch ( : ) gives february to march as the date of appearance. a principal requirement for marmots is the presence of rocks. at cle elum, kittitas county, i took a marmot from an alfalfa field where a farmer had placed all the surface stones in a loose pile. fifteen miles east of tonasket, okanogan county, marmots were living in the stones piled by road builders to support the ends of a small bridge. a hundred feet away another marmot was living under an abandoned building. a high, convenient rock near their burrow serves the yellow-bellied marmots as a look-out post. these look-out posts seem, in many cases, to have been used by many generations of marmots, for their feces sometimes fill nearby crevices to a depth of several feet and cover the look-out rock itself. the glacial boulders on the plateau between the okanogan river and omak lake, okanogan county, furnish the best examples of look-out posts. these numerous isolated boulders, ten to fifty feet in diameter and ten to thirty feet high, each seem to furnish shelter to one or more marmots. well-worn trails lead from the boulders to burrows and feeding areas. the food of the yellow-bellied marmot includes grasses and succulent plants found in their habitat. fondness for alfalfa makes them a serious pest in some areas, for their large size enables them to make considerable inroads on a field. natural enemies probably include most larger predaceous mammals. hawks and eagles probably kill their young. near tonasket, okanogan county, robert dalquest surprised a coyote as it ran across a small wash. a shot caused the coyote to drop a half-grown marmot which it had been carrying. =marmota caligata cascadensis= howell hoary marmot _marmota caligata cascadensis_ howell, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , february , . _type._--obtained on mt. rainier, , ft., pierce county, washington, by a. k. fisher on august , ; type in united states national museum. _measurements._--a young adult male from stevens pass, king county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . _distribution._--the cascade mountains, ranging from mt. baker (w. w. d.) and mt. chopaka (taylor and shaw, : ) south to mt. adams (taylor and shaw, : ). _description._--the hoary marmot is the largest of the american marmots; adults are inches or more in length, of which the tail makes up about inches. the pelage is dense and rather woolly. the upper parts are not frosted with white-tipped hairs, but are gray washed with blackish. the head is blackish with white facial markings, and the shoulders, legs and underparts are gray. the tail is dark reddish brown. hoary marmots range from alaska south to washington and idaho. howell ( : - ) recognizes seven races of this species. [illustration: fig. a. distribution of marmots in washington. a. _marmota monax petrensis._ b. _marmota flaviventris avara._ c. _marmota caligata cascadensis._ d. _marmota olympus._] this mammal of the higher altitudes rarely goes below the hudsonian life-zone. it is most common in the talus slides at the lower edge of the arctic-alpine life-zone. like other marmots, it prefers to live amid loose boulders. the steep talus or "scab rock" slides in the glacial cirques provide an ideal habitat. the crevices and caves beneath the rocks offer concealment for young and adults. a large boulder with a flat top is usually selected as a look-out. well-worn trails lead from the talus slides to nearby grassy slopes. when surprised in the open, the hoary marmot exhibits a peculiar bounding run, reminiscent of that of tree squirrels. the short tail "follows through" in the leaps. in the rock slides the hoary marmot is surprisingly agile. the clear, shrill whistle of the hoary marmot is familiar to all who penetrate its haunts. the whistle is remarkably similar to the whistle of a person. locally the hoary marmot is known as "whistler" or "whistle pig." individuals emerge from hibernation early in june; most adults retire again by the middle of september. on september , , a young of the year was shot and few were seen where they had been common in june. all were shy. only one adult was seen. large hawks and eagles commonly hunt over the rock slides inhabited by marmots, and probably kill very young individuals. only the larger predators such as bear, cougar, wolf, coyote, lynx, and bobcat would be expected to kill an adult hoary marmot. =marmota olympus= (merriam) olympic marmot _arctomys olympus_ merriam, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, p. , october , . [_marmota_] _olympus_ trouessart, catal. mamm., viv. foss. suppl., p. , . _type._--obtained at timber-line, head of sol duc river, clallam county, washington, by c. h. merriam, on august , ; type in united states national museum. _measurements._--two small but adult females from deer park, clallam county, measure respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; ear , . _distribution._--this species is confined to the olympic mountains. _description._--the olympic marmot closely resembles the hoary marmot, and differs in being slightly larger, and reddish or rusty brown where the hoary marmot is gray. it lacks the blackish overwash of the hoary marmot. the nose is whitish. although the olympic marmot belongs to the hoary marmot group it is a distinct species, most closely related to the marmot of the mountains of vancouver island. its habits differ but little from those of the hoary marmot. it lives in burrows in talus slides and boulder piles near timber line. a few burrows are dug beneath logs. well worn trails lead from burrows to feeding grounds on nearby grassy slopes and heather meadows. high rocks or logs serve as lookouts. the alarm whistle is similar to that of the hoary marmot. =citellus townsendii townsendii= (bachman) townsend ground squirrel; sage rat _spermophilus townsendii_ bachman, jour. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, : , . _spermophilus mollis yakimensis_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , march , . [_citellus mollis_] _yakimensis_ trouessart, cat. mamm., sup., p. , . _citellus townsendii townsendii_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , may , . [illustration: fig. b. distribution of the townsend and washington ground squirrels in washington. a. _citellus townsendii townsendii._ b. _citellus washingtoni._] _type._--obtained on the western bank of the columbia river "about miles above its mouth" (probably near the mouth of the walla walla or touchet river; more exactly, opposite wallula, in benton county, washington) by j. k. townsend in july, ; type in academy of natural sciences of philadelphia. _measurements._--ten adults from mabton and north yakima, yakima county, average: total length . ; length of tail . ; hind foot . . _distribution._--the upper sonoran life-zone area of the yakima valley from ellensburg (howell, : ) south to the columbia at kennewick (w. w. d.). _remarks._--this race is probably derived from _c. t. mollis_ of oregon, from which it is but slightly differentiated. it was known for many years as _citellus mollis yakimensis_. for use of the name _townsendii_ see howell ( : ). the head and body are about - / inches long and the tail is about inches in length. the head is large with low, rounded ears and large eyes. the neck is distinctly constricted and the body is plump. adults are "pot-bellied." the legs are short and the feet small. the tail is short, round at the base but bushy throughout the rest of its length. the pelage is short and rather harsh. in color the upper parts are yellowish gray flecked with tiny, pale dots. the underparts are buffy. the face, thighs and tail are reddish buff. ground squirrels occur in parts of europe, asia, and much of western north america. howell ( : - ) recognizes eight subgenera and thirty-one species in north america. three subgenera occur in washington, namely: _citellus_, the spotted ground squirrels, represented by _citellus townsendii_, _citellus washingtoni_ and _citellus columbianus_; _otospermophilus_, the long-tailed ground squirrels, represented by _citellus beecheyi_; and _callospermophilus_, the striped ground squirrels, represented by _citellus lateralis_ and _citellus saturatus_. all ground squirrels are diurnal and consequently are familiar to man. most species bear local names and the striped or mantled ground squirrels are often mistaken for chipmunks. some species are destructive to crops, especially grain. in addition they harbor sylvatic plague. economically the genus _citellus_ is of great importance in washington. all washington ground squirrels live in burrows which they construct themselves. the life histories of the two striped species are less well known than those of the more economically important species. all species hibernate. the striped species disappear in october and reappear the following march. this can be called true hibernation. the long-tailed ground squirrels probably hibernate at high altitudes but aestivate in more arid localities. in washington the douglas ground squirrel occupies an area that is relatively temperate and humid. they may hibernate or aestivate, depending on local conditions, or they may remain active all year. the spotted ground squirrels disappear in midsummer and sleep (aestivate) until the following spring, for in their arid habitat the disappearance of green food in late summer and fall makes living conditions almost as unfavorable as in winter. townsend ground squirrels range from central washington south to southern nevada and from the cascade mountains east to eastern idaho and central utah. five races are recognized, only one of which occurs in washington, where it is confined to the upper sonoran life-zone. it occupies the sagebrush area, being most common where the sage is in scattered clumps separated by grassy areas. occasionally these squirrels occupy extensive grasslands where sage is scarce and in the yakima area may enter pastures and fields. they live in colonies, often with more than ten separate burrows to the acre. burrows are dug in dusty ground, either near sage bushes or in openings among them. well-worn trails lead from feeding places to openings of burrows. mouths of burrows are usually situated on flat ground and are surrounded by a rim of excavated earth four to six inches high. if located on a slope, the excavated earth collects as a mound on the lower side, and serves as a look-out post for the squirrels. burrows excavated by scheffer are described by howell ( : ). one reached a depth of - / feet at a point where it branched feet from the entrance. one branch led to the nest chamber three feet to the right of the main tunnel. the other reached a depth of six feet at a point feet from the entrance, then turned upwards at a degree angle and reached the surface through a partly obstructed entrance, feet from the original entrance. the nest chamber was - / inches in diameter and filled with a perfectly dry nest of fine grass, partly broken and shredded. food consists of soft green vegetation and seeds. foods listed by howell ( : ) include: _sphaeralida munroana_, _plantago purshii_, _bromus tectorum_, _agropyron pauciflorum_, _oryzopsis hymenoides_, _norta altissima_, _artemisiae spinescens_, sunflower, alfalfa, wheat, barley, potato, beets, carrots, lettuce, and insects (grasshoppers, cicadas). in , these squirrels were reported to have practically destroyed a ten-acre field of beets at white swan, yakima county. aestivation of older individuals begins in late may and the last young disappear in early june. the squirrels appear again in late january, before the snow has disappeared (scheffer, : ). the voice of the townsend ground squirrel is a faint, high pitched "pe-eee-ep," of remarkable carrying power for so faint a sound, and extremely difficult to trace to its source. scheffer (in howell, _op. cit._, p. ) mentions also a chirping sound and a chatter of alarm which i have not heard. five to seven embryos were found in specimens collected near yakima. scheffer ( : ) found the number of fetuses in pregnant females from the kennewick area to vary from to with an average of . . francis ( : ) reported tularemia in this species. they probably harbor also sylvatic plague. =citellus washingtoni= howell washington ground squirrel; sage rat _citellus washingtoni washingtoni_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , may , . _citellus washingtoni loringi_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , may , (type from douglas, douglas county, washington). _type._--obtained at touchet, walla walla county, washington, by c. p. streator on may , ; type in united states national museum. _distribution._--the columbian plateau and southward into oregon, ranging from farmer (howell, : ) and moses coulee (w. w. d.) south to wallula (m. v. z.). _measurements._--fifteen specimens from the vicinity of the type locality average: total length . ; length of tail ; hind foot . . a male from miles west of pasco, franklin county, weighed grams. _remarks._--_citellus w. loringi_ allegedly differs from typical _washingtoni_ in smaller size. the specimens collected by us from within the range of _loringi_ are as large as those from farther south. _c. w. loringi_ is regarded as a synonym of _c. w. washingtoni_. _description._--the washington ground squirrel closely resembles the townsend ground squirrel in size and appearance. it differs principally in color. the upper parts are brownish gray marked with distinct white spots, and the underparts are buffy. the face, thighs and tail are dull reddish. this species is closely related to the townsend ground squirrel but its habitat is more varied. it is most common in areas of low sage bushes surrounded by grasslands and on extensive grasslands, but occurs also in sandy places, wheat fields, and rocky hillsides. the animals live in colonies, in some places or more individuals to the acre. they occur also as scattered individuals or small colonies in smaller areas of suitable habitat. for example, along the highway from farmer, douglas county, to waterville, a distance of miles, a band of natural grass, feet or less in width, lies between the road and the extensive wheat fields beyond. this strip of natural cover possessed about one _citellus_ to each feet along most of its length. the squirrels were often seen sitting on rolls of wire drift fence, used to keep snow drifts from the road in winter but in summer rolled into bundles feet in diameter and left standing at intervals of one each feet. the squirrels had constructed their burrow entrances beneath these rolls and used the rolls as look-out posts. at my approach they would dodge into the rolls of wire and, unless scared, remained in the wire roll. by approaching carefully and overturning the rolls i was able to trap and capture a good series of living specimens. burrows, nests, habits, and food of this species seem identical to those of _townsendii_. aestivation dates seem to be the same (scheffer, : - ). the hibernation of this species has been discussed in detail by svhila ( : - ). food species listed by scheffer at wallula (howell, : ) are identical to those of _townsendii_ at kennewick, across the columbia river (see account of _townsendii_). scheffer ( : - ) examined pregnant females of this species and found the fetuses to vary from to in number, with an average of . =citellus columbianus= (ord) columbian ground squirrel _description._--the columbian ground squirrel has the general body proportions, large head, large eyes, low, rounded ears, plump body and short tail of the townsend ground squirrel, but is much larger. the head and body of an adult measure about inches and the tail about inches. the upper parts are grayish buff mottled with round white dots. the underparts and forefeet are pale ochraceous. the back of the head and neck are gray. the face, thighs and tail are reddish. the columbian ground squirrel occupies inland mountainous areas from central british columbia to central oregon and idaho and from eastern washington and oregon to western montana and southwestern alberta. it is closely related to the arctic ground squirrels of the _citellus parryii_ group, which are in turn related to the siberian forms, _buxtoni_ and _stejnegeri_. the habitat of the columbian ground squirrel is varied but is usually more humid than that of the townsend and washington ground squirrels. the most arid of the lands occupied by them in washington are the grasslands and wheat fields of the poulouse country and the eastern border of the state. in northeastern washington they live in meadows and grasslands in the valleys, in openings in the coniferous forest at higher altitudes and in parks and alpine meadows almost to timber-line on the mountains. some individuals were in brushy places or even in forests, far from grassy clearings. near republic, ferry county, a columbian ground squirrel was killed as it ran along a log in dense larch woods. its burrows were found in a tangle of brush and fallen logs. no clearings, meadow or grassland existed nearby. narrow bands of cleared land beside roads and railroad tracks are extensively used by these squirrels. where small meadows or pastures occur, this species lives in dense colonies. if grasslands are extensive it lives in loose colonies, often with considerable distances between individual burrow systems. in the mountains the squirrels are scattered or live in small groups. burrows of the columbian ground squirrel are often constructed in the open. mouths of burrows, especially if the animals are living in colonies, usually are marked by a large pile of excavated earth. if, however, there is some large object on the surface of the ground, such as a stone, stump, or log, the entrance to the burrow is located beside this. such objects are often undermined and made to settle, eventually becoming buried. the squirrels live under houses, and the yards of abandoned ranch buildings are often infested with them. the burrows of the columbian ground squirrel have been described by shaw ( , b, , a, b, e, ) and bailey ( : ). two types of burrows are constructed, summer burrows and hibernation dens. summer burrows are used year after year, perhaps by succeeding generations of squirrels. they vary considerably but usually are or inches in diameter and possess several entrances. the depth to which the burrow descends, as well as the number of forks and subsidiary burrows, depends to some extent on the whims of the individual squirrel and the length of time the burrow has been occupied. usually the burrow reaches a depth of four feet and two or more branches are present. a turning-about chamber is present, not far from the entrance. here a startled squirrel can turn about and watch the entrance and, if the alarm was false, the squirrel resumes its activities above ground. nests are above the level of the main burrow system and thus are protected from flooding by rain or melting snow. stored food and excrement are deposited in separate compartments. escape entrances, concealed in grass and weeds, for use in case the burrow is invaded, are dug from beneath the surface of the ground and thus are unmarked by any telltale mound of earth. separate dens are used for aestivation. while the squirrel is in aestivation the entrances to the summer burrow are solidly plugged with tamped earth. aestivation dens are short and may or may not communicate with the summer burrow. shaw ( b: ) measured such dens and found the aestivation cell to average feet inches beneath the surface with extreme depths of inches and feet inches. ordinarily a drainage burrow is dug beneath the level of the nest. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the columbian and beechey ground squirrels in washington. a. _citellus columbianus columbianus._ b. _citellus columbianus ruficaudus._ c. _citellus beecheyi douglasii._] the time and length of aestivation is variable. old males enter aestivation before the females and young, and emerge earlier in the spring. in the lowlands, as about pullman, whitman county, the squirrels begin to disappear in mid july. in the mountains of northeastern washington they are active until late august. they emerge again in late february or early march. shaw ( b) mentions that food is occasionally stored in aestivation dens of male squirrels. this food is not eaten in the winter but in the spring, when the squirrels awaken. the gestation period was determined by shaw ( c: ) as days. two to five, rarely seven, young are born. the average litter is about . . mating occurs in late march and the young are born about the middle of april. most green vegetation occurring in its habitat is food for the columbian ground squirrel. bulbs, seeds, fruit, berries, grain, clover, alfalfa, and garden truck are eagerly eaten. the squirrels are especially fond of wheat and great damage results from their depredations. in northeastern washington some wheat fields are almost entirely destroyed. shaw ( g) showed that one squirrel destroyed an average of more than pounds of wheat in a season. when populations range as high as ten squirrels to the acre, little wheat is left. in montana the columbian ground squirrel is a known reservoir of rocky mountain spotted fever (birdseye, : - ) while sylvatic plague has been reported in this species in oregon (meyer, : ). control of the columbian ground squirrel by traps, poison, and shooting is only locally successful. =citellus columbianus columbianus= (ord) _arctomys columbianus_ ord, guthrie's geography, d american edition, : (description, p. ), . _spermophilus columbianus_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , july , . _citellus columbianus_ allen, bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : , october , . _type._--none designated. description based on lewis and clark's account of animals taken by them between the forks of the clearwater and kooskooskie rivers, idaho. _racial characters._--smaller size and paler color than in _ruficaudus_. _measurements._--five females from northeastern washington average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . ; ear . _distribution._--northeastern washington, from mi. e. tonasket (w. w. d.) east to pass creek pass (u. s. n. m.) and south to pullman (w. s. c.) along the eastern edge of the state. =citellus columbianus ruficaudus= howell _citellus columbianus ruficaudus_ howell, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , december , . _type._--obtained at wallowa lake, wallowa county, oregon, by g. g. cantwell on april , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _citellus columbianus columbianus_ but tail redder, especially above, and red color everywhere deeper. _distribution._--restricted to the blue mountains of extreme southeastern washington. _remarks._--this is at best a slightly differentiated race and upon further study, animals assigned to it may prove unworthy of recognition as a distinct subspecies. =citellus beecheyi douglasii= (richardson) beechey ground squirrel _arctomys? (spermophilus?) douglasii_ richardson, fauna boreali-americana, : , . _spermophilus douglasii_ f. cuvier, sup. a l'hist. natur. buffon, : , . [_spermophilus grammurus_] var. _douglasii_ allen, proc. boston soc. nat. hist., : , . _citellus v[ariegatus]. douglasii_ elliot, field columb. mus. publ. , zoöl. ser. : , may, . _citellus beecheyi douglasi_ grinnell, proc. california acad. sci., (ser. ): , august , . _otospermophilus grammurus douglasii_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _citellus douglasii_ taylor and shaw, _occ._ papers chas. r. conner mus., no. : , december, . _citellus beecheyi douglasii_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , may , . _type._--none. description based on a hunter's skin from "banks of the columbia," probably near the dalles, wasco county, oregon. _measurements._--a male and females from klickitat county, average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; ear , . _distribution._--the columbia river valley from goldendale (w. w. d.) west to the white salmon river (w. w. d.). _remarks._--ground squirrels have been common on the oregon side of the columbia river for a long time. the specimen upon which the description was based was presumably obtained there in the early 's. yet the species did not become established in washington until years later, in about . the head is large with eyes and ears of moderate size. the body is rather stout; thicker than that of a tree squirrel but slimmer than that of the columbian ground squirrel. head and body are about inches in length and the tail is about inches long. the upper parts are dark brownish or blackish gray heavily marked with white spots. a triangular area at the shoulders is clear black outlined in whitish. the head and neck are grayish brown. the underparts are buffy. the tail is gray above and buffy beneath. this species belongs to the subgenus _otospermophilus_. externally the species _beecheyi_ differs from _citellus washingtoni_, _townsendii_, and _columbianus_, all of which belong to the subgenus _citellus_, in possessing more slender limbs, a longer, thinner body, a rather bushy tail that is nearly two-thirds, rather than less than half, the length of the body, and larger, more prominent ears. the beechey ground squirrel lacks also the hazel color of nose and thigh that is characteristic of the subgenus _citellus_ in washington. _citellus beecheyi_ ranges from the southern edge of the state of washington southward through western oregon and california into northern lower california. it is a western coastal species and reaches eastward only as far as nevada. a related species, _citellus variegatus_, occurs farther inland, from utah, colorado, and texas, southward to central mexico. eight subspecies of _citellus beecheyi_ are recognized by howell ( ), all but three of which are restricted to california. at present the beechey ground squirrel occupies a limited area of washington, which it has invaded in recent years (scheffer and dalquest, : ). however, it is extending its range and may be expected eventually to occupy a considerable part of the state. the habitat of this ground squirrel is varied. it occupies a more humid terrain than do most members of the genus. at the present time it is most common in grassy fields and rocky outcrops along the columbia river. it is common also in the open oak groves on the hillsides back from the river valley and some individuals were seen near guler, well up on the slopes of mount adams. as observed in washington, its favored habitat is about rock outcrops and talus slides near extensive fields or grasslands. in california and oregon, however, it occurs among other places, in scattered fields and meadows of the coniferous forests in the humid subdivision of the transition life-zone. the range of tolerance of the species is such that it might extend its range into much of western washington, including the puget sound area. it may be expected to move northward through the eastern cascades. because of its limited range and the short time of its establishment, the beechey ground squirrel has been studied little in washington. according to howell ( : ), this race is less prolific and abundant than other members of the species. of the beechey ground squirrel, certainly the subspecies _c. b. douglasii_, is less common, locally and over wide areas, in its range in california and oregon, than are the subspecies _c. b. beecheyi_ and _c. b. fisheri_ in california. in washington, on the other hand, _douglasii_ is locally abundant, perhaps more so than elsewhere. the habits of this race in california have been studied by grinnell and dixon ( : - ). burrows have been excavated near eugene, oregon, and the findings published (edge, : - ). burrows were dug on sloping or well-drained ground. mounds of earth at the entrances were usually inconspicuous but well-worn trails led to the burrows. the burrows entered the ground at an angle of ° for about two feet, then flattened out horizontally for six feet or more. the burrows were from to feet deep, usually about feet. ordinary burrows had a single entrance but some older burrows had two or more. burrows branched frequently. nest chambers were of the shape of a flattened sphere inches in diameter. frequently more than one nest was found in a burrow, but only one was in use at a time. some nests were infested with fleas. nests frequently contained food. most of the burrows observed by me had their entrances beside rocks or oak roots. in alfalfa fields near bingen and lyle, klickitat county, the burrows were in open fields and the entrances were marked by large mounds of earth. in actual diameter the burrows seemed smaller than those of _citellus columbianus_. aestivation and hibernation of the ground squirrels in the lower columbia river valley seem unnecessary, for the climate is temperate and humid. it is not established that _douglasii_ hibernates in other parts of its range where the climate is mild. specimens shot at white salmon in early march were lean and gave no evidence of having hibernated. the beechey ground squirrel is an excellent climber; i have seen individuals in oak trees on a number of occasions. they like to sit on fence posts and when alarmed descend head foremost, with speed and agility. in running on the ground their movements are more graceful than those of _citellus columbianus_ but are unlike the flowing, bounding run of tree squirrels. near white salmon and lyle, these ground squirrels were eating burr clover (_medicago_), grasses (_bromus_), and alfalfa. in some places they do considerable damage to alfalfa fields. they probably eat acorns and are said to eat some insects. in california the young are born in may and number five to seven. no disease has been recorded for this subspecies but a related form in california (_citellus b. beecheyi_) is known to harbor plague (kellogg, : ) and tularemia (mccoy, : - ). =citellus lateralis= (say) golden-mantled ground squirrel _description._--the head and body measure about inches and the tail about inches. the head is large and rounded with eyes and ears of moderate size. the body is stouter than that of a chipmunk. the tail is long and well furred. upper parts are buffy gray with one pale stripe bordered by two black stripes extending from shoulders to rump, and the underparts are buffy. the head and shoulders are tawny. the tail is buffy beneath and darker above. externally golden-mantled ground squirrels somewhat resemble chipmunks but actually are no more closely related to chipmunks than are other ground squirrels. they are larger than chipmunks and their stripes differ in that there is but one pale stripe on each side bordered with black stripes rather than two pale stripes, and in that the stripes end at the shoulders rather than continuing on to the face. these ground squirrels are distributed in mountainous areas of western north america from central british columbia south to central arizona and new mexico. a closely related species (_citellus madrensis_) occupies a limited area in northern mexico and another lives in the cascades of washington. there are two subspecies of _lateralis_ in washington, each with a major part of its range outside of washington. this species inhabits mountain clearings, parks and talus slides, where it is most common about rocks, stumps, and logs. its fondness for talus slides and outcrops has earned it the common name of "rock squirrel" in some places. entrances to burrows are usually beside a rock, stump, or root, or are concealed under talus slides. a burrow excavated by hatt ( ) in colorado was three inches in diameter at the entrance and uniformly two inches in diameter for the rest of its length. most of the burrow was inches beneath the surface. the tunnel branched twice and contained one pocket, probably a turning or passing chamber, in addition to the nest. "a runway surrounded the nest on three sides, from which there were four passages leading in. the nest cavity was inches deep, the nest not filling the space available, but occurring more as a mat in the bottom of a cup." the habits of this ground squirrel in washington are little known. since it occupies areas that are cold and under deep snow in winter, it probably hibernates. according to howell ( : ) these animals become fat in the fall and must retire for the winter about the middle of september. the food habits of these ground squirrels in washington are little known. in the pend oreille mountains, pend oreille county, i found them eating the fruit of the western raspberry (_rubus leucodermis_). howell lists, as food of this species, the seeds of yellow pine and douglas fir, serviceberries, other berries and seeds, grain, mushrooms, and several kinds of insects. =citellus lateralis tescorum= (hollister) _callospermophilus lateralis tescorum_ hollister, smithsonian misc. coll., (no. ): , december , . _citellus lateralis tescorum_ elliot, check-list mamm. n. amer., supp., p. , . _type._--obtained at the head of moose pass branch, smoky river, alberta (near moose pass, british columbia), , ft., by n. hollister on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--large size, gray color. _measurements._--a female from pass creek pass, pend oreille county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . _distribution._--known only from the pend oreille mountains, pend oreille county, at pass creek pass (w. w. d.). [illustration: fig. . distribution of golden-mantled ground squirrels in washington. a. _citellus lateralis tescorum._ b. _citellus lateralis connectens._ c. _citellus saturatus._] =citellus lateralis connectens= (howell) _callospermophilus chrysodeirus connectens_ howell, jour. mamm., : , may , . _citellus lateralis connectens_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , may , . _type._--obtained at homestead, oregon, by h. h. sheldon on june , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _c. l. tescorum_ but browner, more buffy and less grayish, mantle brighter, size slightly smaller. _measurements._--seven males from northeastern oregon average (howell, : ): total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . ; ear . (dry). an adult female from godman springs, columbia county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . _distribution._--the blue mountains of extreme southeastern washington. _remarks._--this race differs markedly from the subspecies that occupies northeastern washington, but differs but little from _citellus l. chrysodeirus_ of the cascades of oregon. =citellus saturatus= (rhoads) golden-mantled ground squirrel _tamias lateralis saturatus_ rhoads, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, : , april , . [_spermophilus lateralis_] _saturatus_ elliot, field columb. mus. publ. , zoöl. ser., : , . _citellus lateralis saturatus_ elliot, field columb. mus. publ. , zoöl. ser., : , . _callospermophilus lateralis saturatus_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _citellus saturatus_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , may , . _type._--obtained at lake keechelus, ft., kittitas county, washington, by a. rupert, in september, ; type in academy of natural sciences of philadelphia. _measurements._--ten males from the cascade mountains average: total length ; length of tail . ; hind foot . ; ear (dry). the weights of males and females average, respectively: grams; . grams. _distribution._--the higher and eastern cascade mountains from barron (howell, : ) and bauerman ridge (howell, : ) south to cleveland (howell, : ) and goldendale (w. w. d.). _remarks._--the golden-mantled ground squirrel of the cascades is similar to _citellus lateralis_ but is larger and duller-colored. head and body are about inches in length and the tail is about - / inches long. the upper parts are brownish gray with one pale and two dark stripes on each side. head and shoulders are tawny. the underparts are dull buffy gray. _citellus saturatus_ occupies the cascade mountains of washington and southern british columbia. it inhabits talus slides and clearings. the rock embankment of the great northern railroad between the cascade tunnel and leavenworth, chelan county, is a favored habitat and the population along the railroad probably averages one squirrel each hundred yards. to the east it extends well into the transition life-zone, being abundant in clearings in the open forest of yellow pine. in places its range nearly reaches the upper sonoran life-zone. a few miles east of leavenworth, chelan county, we found this squirrel in chapparal and brush, principally composed of _ceanothus creneatus_. here the animals were unusually abundant and formed a colony almost as dense as colonies of _citellus washingtoni_. entrances of burrows are usually placed beside rocks, stumps or logs. in the area near leavenworth, mentioned above, entrances to burrows were in the open or among roots of bushes. the entrances to many burrows are doubtless concealed under talus slides. no complete records of excavations of burrows are available. one burrow, uncovered by road construction operations three miles east of scenic, chelan county, was dug in the earth-filled cleft of a great granite boulder. the cleft was feet wide at the surface of the ground but narrowed until at a depth of six feet the stones were in contact. the cleft was at least yards long. the burrow descended at an angle of degrees, to a depth of three feet. here the construction work had passed the cleft, but digging into the almost vertical wall uncovered the nest at the end of a horizontal tunnel two feet farther on. it was a matted cup of dry grass with two fresh, green fern fronds lying loose in the cup. two divergent burrows emerged on opposite sides of the nest cavity, but a fall of the loose, gravelly soil prevented further observation. the body of the occupant, crushed and mangled by the steam-shovel scoop, was that of a small male. [illustration: fig. . golden-mantled ground squirrel (_citellus saturatus_), captured when young at tye, washington, by earl j. larrison, june , ; photographed february , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] in spite of their vivacious appearance, these squirrels are rather sedentary. when undisturbed they move leisurely over rocks and stumps, pausing often, and occasionally sitting on their hindquarters to gaze about for minutes at a time. they are good climbers and often ascend smooth-barked trees to heights of feet or more. at the approach of danger they descend and enter the nearest burrow. in august these ground squirrels become exceedingly fat and by late september only a few may be seen, basking in the midday sun. these take alarm at the slightest excuse. all have usually gone into hibernation by october . the food includes the berries of salal, huckleberry, mountain ash, and seeds of lupine. near liberty, kittitas county, a squirrel killed by a car had its cheek pouches stuffed with garden peas. the source of its loot was doubtless the garden of a farmhouse feet away. numerous individuals are run over by cars, and on many occasions i have found other individuals eating the sun-dried flesh of their mates, parents, or young. these cannibals are often run over while so engaged, and it is not unusual to find two or three dead on a section of pavement feet in length. economically this species is of little importance. its principal enemies probably include hawks, weasels, martens, bobcats and coyotes. =sciurus griseus griseus= ord western gray squirrel _sciurus griseus_ ord, jour. de phys., : , . _sciurus griseus griseus_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _type._--none. described from a squirrel seen by lewis and clark. type locality, the dalles, wasco county, oregon. _measurements._--a female from midway between satus pass and goldendale, klickitat county, measured: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; weight grams. _distribution._--southwestern washington north to the glacial prairies near tacoma (w. w. d.); the columbia river valley of the southern cascades; the eastern edge of the cascades north to lake chelan (taylor and shaw, : ). [illustration: fig. . distribution of the western gray squirrel, _sciurus griseus_, in washington.] _description._--this is the largest tree squirrel found in washington. the head and body measure about inches, and the tail about inches. the body is long and slender. the fur is long and soft, that on the tail being exceptionally long. the upper parts are silvery gray and the underparts white. the western gray squirrel is restricted to the region of the pacific coast and ranges from central washington south to northern lower california. three subspecies are recognized, only one of which occurs in washington. like the red squirrels, the western gray squirrel is arboreal. its favored habitat is the oak woods rather than coniferous forest. its range in washington is largely regulated by the distribution of oaks, especially the garry oak (_quercus garryana_). altitudinally it ranges from near sea level at puget sound to above , feet elevation in the eastern cascade mountains. it seems to be restricted to the transition life-zone. the habits of the western gray squirrel are modified by its arboreal existence. homes consist of holes in hollow trees or outside nests of sticks and twigs. it is extremely active in trees and travels from tree to tree on branches that seem scarcely strong enough to bear the weight of so large an animal. the oak woods in washington are usually rather open and the trees more scattered than is the case in coniferous forests. consequently gray squirrels must more often descend to the ground than douglas and red squirrels. on the ground, western gray squirrels travel in smooth leaps each of two feet or more in length. the long tail is held out behind and "follows through" the animal's leaps in a remarkable way. the tip of the tail may be descending from the previous leap while the animal's fore parts are already at the height of a new jump. this results in a "flowing" movement that is extremely graceful. the squirrel may stop momentarily to dig in the ground or search for an acorn. at such times the tail is immediately switched up, over the back. the western gray squirrel is able to drop unharmed for considerable distances. near fort lewis, pierce county, a gray squirrel was cornered in a tall fir tree and an agile friend volunteered to climb the tree. the squirrel ascended to the very topmost branches. when only a few feet separated them the squirrel leaped far out into the air. its legs were stretched out stiffly, the tail was extended and the body slightly arched. it struck the ground with an audible thud and bounced fully inches. at the height of its bounce, the squirrel's legs began moving rapidly, and it struck the ground the second time at a full run. the principal food is acorns, although the seeds of the douglas fir and probably other conifers are eaten. four embryos were found by victor b. scheffer in a specimen from klickitat county on march , . =sciurus carolinensis hypophaeus= merriam eastern gray squirrel _sciurus carolinensis hypophaeus_ merriam, science, : , april , . _type._--obtained at elk river, sherburne county, minnesota. _description._--size large, slightly smaller than the western gray squirrel; color of upper parts less silvery, more reddish, especially on the dorsal area and top of the tail. _remarks._--the eastern gray squirrel was introduced at woodland park, seattle, in . the original stock ( pairs) came from minneapolis, minnesota. it has spread through the nearby woods, around green lake, cowan park, and to the woods on the university of washington campus. occasional individuals are found outside the city limits, but the species seems not to spread away from the city. =sciurus niger= linnaeus subsp? fox squirrel [_sciurus_] _niger_ linnaeus, syst. nat., ( th ed.): , . _description._--similar in size and appearance to the eastern gray squirrel but upper parts more reddish and underparts reddish orange rather than white. _remarks._--occasional fox squirrels are encountered near seattle where they have been introduced from the southeastern united states. the source and date of the introduction are unknown. =tamiasciurus hudsonicus= (erxleben) red squirrel _description._--the head and body of the red squirrel measure about - / inches, the tail about inches. it may be recognized by its trim body, bushy tail and white underparts. the upper parts are reddish gray, reddest on the dorsal area. the red color of the center of the back extends to the tail. a black line separates the dark upper parts from the white underparts. red squirrels range over north america from the northern limit of tree growth south through the united states to tennessee and north carolina. a related species, _douglasii_, is found along the pacific coast from british columbia to california. the genus _tamiasciurus_ differs from _sciurus_ of washington in lacking a penis bone or baculum. there are other fundamental differences in anatomy (see mossman, lawlah and bradley, : - ). the habitat of the red squirrels is the coniferous forests from which they rarely stray. zonally they range through the transition and canadian life-zones into the hudsonian life-zone. red squirrels are arboreal and most of their habits are modified by arboreal existence. they are swift and agile climbers, able to travel from tree to tree on slender twigs or by leaping as much as ten feet to span the distance from one branch to another. they ascend and descend trees head first. they hang by their hind feet, high in the air, to clip the cones of conifers. if cornered in a tree they leap far out and, by extending the legs and tail stiffly, fall to the ground unharmed by leaps of fifty feet or more. [illustration: fig. . douglas squirrel (_tamiasciurus douglasii douglasii_): feeding station with remnants of douglas fir cone, longmire, washington, elevation , feet, june , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] the homes of red squirrels are woodpecker holes or other holes in hollow trees. more rarely they build outside nests of twigs and branches, about two feet in diameter, or add onto old nests of crows or jays. most nests and holes are some distance from the ground but some holes are between roots on the ground itself. the food consists principally of the seeds of coniferous trees, especially douglas fir and various species of pines. cones are clipped when green or just before ripening and are either allowed to fall to the ground to be retrieved later or are at once carried to a favored feeding place to be consumed. cones are held between the forepaws while the squirrel sits on its hind feet, tail curved up over its back, and rapidly clips the cone apart to get the seeds it contains. the cone is rotated between the paws and a steady stream of husks drops to the ground. soon only the core is left and this too joins the husks on the ground. favored feeding stations are used continually, perhaps by generation after generation of squirrels, and debris from thousands of cones accumulates in great piles. cones are stored. in the vicinity of a favored feeding place, at times virtually every hiding place is filled with green cones. cones may be jammed into cracks or crevices in logs or stumps without effort at concealment or may be carefully covered with leaves or dry needles. many are placed in craterlike pits dug in the ground. most of these pits probably are later covered over but many are left open to the weather. hollows in trees are probably also used for storage, as are holes dug into the piles of accumulated cone debris beneath feeding stations. other food eaten by squirrels includes hazelnuts, berries, maple seeds, and mushrooms. a variety of fruits and seeds are doubtless eaten when opportunity offers. red squirrels do not hibernate. in the lowlands they are active all winter long but are noticeably shy and quiet. in the mountains they disappear after the snow falls but tracks may be seen in the snow about their dens and occasional individuals are seen. specimens collected at this time are not fat, as would be the case if hibernation had been interrupted. seemingly they stay close to their homes and feed on stored food. the call of the red squirrel is harsher, more metallic, than that of the douglas squirrel. the common call is a rolling "bur-r-r," starting loud but fading out entirely in a half minute. a lower-pitched "pauf" is uttered at intervals when the squirrel is going about its business. the danger cry is a loud "pee-ee," not unlike the call of a red-tailed hawk but less shrill. a low pitched "chauf-chauf-chauf," repeated at intervals of about two seconds, is occasionally given in the fall of the year. =tamiasciurus hudsonicus streatori= (allen) _sciurus hudsonicus streatori_ allen, bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : , july , . _t[amiasciurus]. h[udsonicus]. streatori_ howell, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , august , . _type._--obtained at ducks, british columbia; type in american museum of natural history. _racial characters._--similar to _richardsoni_ but smaller and darker, redder above. _measurements._--seven males from north-central washington average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . _distribution._--northeastern washington. marginal occurrences are (from taylor and shaw, : ): beaver creek, ruby creek, and head of lake chelan. _remarks._--this race reaches washington from the interior of british columbia. intergradation between _hudsonicus streatori_ and _h. richardsoni_ takes place over much of northeastern washington. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the red squirrel and douglas squirrel in washington. a. _tamiasciurus hudsonicus richardsoni._ b. _tamiasciurus hudsonicus streatori._ c. _tamiasciurus douglasii douglasii._] =tamiasciurus hudsonicus richardsoni= (bachman) _sciurus richardsoni_ bachman, proc. zoöl. soc. london, p. , . _sciurus hudsonius richardsoni_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., : , . _sciurus hudsonicus richardsoni_ allen, bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : , july , . _sciurus hudsonicus richardsoni_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _tamiasciurus hudsonicus richardsoni_ svihla and svihla, murrelet, : , december , . _type._--obtained at the head of the big lost river, custer county, idaho. _racial characters._--color paler, especially on back. _measurements._--four males and females average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; ear , ; weight , . _distribution._--the blue mountains of southeastern washington. =tamiasciurus douglasii douglasii= (bachman) douglas squirrel _sciurus douglasii_ bachman, proc. zoöl. soc. london, p. , . _sciurus hudsonius douglasii_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., : , . _sciurus douglasii douglasii_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _sciurus douglasii cascadensis_ taylor and shaw, occ. papers chas. r. conner mus., no. : , december, . _tamiasciurus douglasii_ holdenried, jour. mamm., : , november , . _type._--obtained near the mouth of the columbia river by david douglas. _measurements._--fifteen males and females from the lowlands of western washington average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , . ; hind foot , . ; ear . , . ; weight , grams. _distribution._--from the eastern base of the cascade mountains westward to the pacific. marginal occurrences are: nooksack river (taylor and shaw, : ), lake wenatchee (w. w. d.) and wenatchee (taylor and shaw, : ). _remarks._--squirrels from the puget sound area are slightly less intensely colored than specimens from the ocean coast and the olympic mountains. those from the higher and eastern cascade mountains are paler still. when, however, squirrels from the cascades of washington are compared with individuals of the race inhabiting the cascades of oregon, it is apparent that the washington squirrels are nearest to _douglasii_. the pale tips of the hairs in the tail of the oregon race are strikingly white while in washington specimens they are orange or yellow. the douglas squirrel resembles the red squirrel in size and proportions but differs in being dusky olive (less reddish) on the upper parts and orange instead of white on the underparts. douglas squirrels range from southern british columbia southward to lower california. they are confined to the pacific coastal region. although closely related to _tamiasciurus hudsonicus_, no intergradation with that species has been found. the rich coloration of the douglas squirrel matches the background of the humid forests it inhabits. it occurs at sea level along the ocean coast, the shores of puget sound and on some islands in puget sound. it ranges through the transition and canadian life-zones well into the hudsonian. it makes its home in holes in trees or in nests constructed of conifer twigs, needles and bark. old nests of birds may be modified and taken over, but most outside nests seem to have been made entirely by the squirrel. nests are usually placed near the top of denser fir and cedar trees. nests are hemispherical in shape, inches or more in diameter, and open on top. the central cup, inches in diameter, is lined with strips of inner bark of red cedar coiled but unshredded. nests in holes are usually some distance from the ground, but the entrances to some are at ground level. the habits of the douglas squirrels vary with the season. in spring they are shy. they rarely call and are skillful in keeping branches or tree trunks between themselves and persons. in june and july they become bolder, calling more frequently and moving about more. in september and october they become exceptionally bold. they call almost incessantly from late morning until early afternoon, and spend considerable time on the ground. the call notes of the douglas squirrel are similar to those of the red squirrel but are softer, more slurred. the common call is the long, trilling "burr," loud at first and becoming gradually softer. on hot afternoons in late summer a barking "pauf" note is given. this sound is repeated several times at intervals of a minute or so. it has remarkable carrying power. the danger signal is a loud, explosive "pe-ee." another common call is a short barking or chirping "bauf" with a musical, questioning sound. this is repeated at intervals of a few seconds when the presence of danger is suspected. at times it, rather than the loud danger signal, is given also when a person is sighted. a low chirping note is often given while the squirrel is busily at work. this is made while the squirrel is moving about. other calls described are made from a standing or sitting position and are accompanied by a jerk or a flick of the tail. the douglas squirrel eats seeds of the douglas fir, seeds of maple, hazelnuts, dogwood berries and mushrooms. the berries of forest shrubs, such as the red huckleberry, salal and oregon grape, may also be eaten. two broods of young may be born in a year. the first is born in early june. embryos found from june to varied in number from to . a nursing female was taken as early as june , , and one was taken as late as october , . douglas squirrels commonly have a few fleas and to ticks at the bases of the ears. no lice, cases of mange, or serious infestations of parasites have been seen. =glaucomys sabrinus= (shaw) northern flying squirrel [illustration: fig. . northern flying squirrel (_glaucomys sabrinus_), probably from near seattle, in woodland park zoo, seattle, washington, january , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] _description._--the northern flying squirrel is slightly smaller than the red squirrel (_tamiasciurus_). the head and body measure about inches and the tail about inches. the most distinctive feature is the loose fold of skin that stretches from the wrist of the foreleg to the ankle of the hind leg. the fur is extremely soft and plushlike. it is not separated into guard hair and underfur, and because all hairs are of approximately the same length, the fur appears extremely sleek. the fur of the tail is of the same texture as that on the body but is dorso-ventrally compressed. the eyes are large and dark. the color of the upper parts varies from reddish brown in some races to brownish gray in others. the underparts are buffy gray. flying squirrels range over the forested parts of north america from guatemala to alaska and northern canada and from the atlantic to the pacific. a closely related genus (_pteromys_) occurs in europe. two species are found in north america. the small _volans_ ranges in eastern united states, mexico, and guatemala, while the larger _sabrinus_ occurs in parts of the western united states, most of canada, and central alaska. near the great lakes the two species occur in the same area, probably in different habitats. howell ( : ) recognized subspecies of _sabrinus_, five of which were recorded in the state of washington. one of these (_olympicus_) proves to be a synonym of an earlier-named subspecies but another form (_bangsi_), not recorded for washington by howell, has been found in the blue mountains in the southeastern corner of the state (taylor and shaw, : ). flying squirrels are strictly arboreal and occur only in woods and forests. they prefer areas where trees grow close together and to considerable heights. older woods with dead stubs and hollow trees are preferred. they occasionally invade attics of cabins and other habitations of man. the old forestry building on the university of washington campus, later the home of the washington state museum, was inhabited by flying squirrels for many years. several specimens preserved in the museum prove the poor judgment of the animal in choosing a natural history museum as a home. relatively little is known of the detailed habits of _glaucomys sabrinus_ although the life history of the eastern _glaucomys volans_ has been described. flying squirrels are active all winter, even in the high mountains. they are often caught in traps set for fur bearers and, where trapping is an important means of livelihood, they are serious pests. flying squirrels do not actually fly but only glide through the air. the loose fold of fur between their limbs is stretched by extending the legs. with it the flying squirrel is able to sail yards or more. the flat tail serves as a rudder and allows the squirrel to change direction while in flight. glides end with an upward swoop, allowing the squirrel to alight, head upwards, on a tree trunk slightly lower than their starting point. unlike other members of the squirrel family, flying squirrels are completely nocturnal. they are seen in the daytime only when frightened from their retreats. homes consist principally of old woodpecker holes or other cavities in trees. they are said to build outside nests, similar to those of tree squirrels, but i have found none of these in washington. the animals can be frightened from their holes by pounding on the bases of trees in which their nests are situated. certain holes seem to be preferred nesting places. near cottage lake, king county, two flying squirrels were taken from a woodpecker hole in succeeding years. cowan ( b: ) discovered remains of nests of flying squirrels in a single hollow tree near alta lake, british columbia. according to cowan, hollow trees are used in winter but the young are born in outside nests of shredded bark and lichens. the young usually number and are born in may and june. [illustration: fig. . distribution of flying squirrel in washington. a. _glaucomys sabrinus oregonensis._ b. _glaucomys sabrinus fuliginosus._ c. _glaucomys sabrinus columbiensis._ d. _glaucomys sabrinus latipes._ e. _glaucomys sabrinus bangsi._] only once have i heard the voice of a flying squirrel. near dewey lake, yakima county, the squirrels were unusually abundant in the black hemlock and douglas fir forests of the mountain sides. here a birdlike twittering note caught my attention and occasional dark, sailing shapes were glimpsed against the clear sky. eight traps set in the afternoon and visited at p. m. held two flying squirrels. in the morning another was in a trap. seemingly the squirrels are active most of the night. the food consists principally of conifer seeds and probably other nuts, seeds, and fruit. they eat the meat bait of traps set for fur bearers and probably eat the eggs of birds. =glaucomys sabrinus oregonensis= (bachman) _pteromys oregonensis_ bachman, jour. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, : , . _sciuropterus alpinus oregonensis_ rhoads, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, p. , june, . _sciuropterus alpinus olympicus_ elliot, field columb. mus. publ. , zoöl. ser., : , february , (type from happy lake, clallam county, washington). _glaucomys sabrinus oregonensis_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , june , . _glaucomys sabrinus olympicus_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , june , . _type._--obtained "in pine [= conifer] woods of the columbia near the sea" by j. k. townsend in . probably near st. helen, columbia county, oregon (rhoads, : ). _racial characters._--small size, rich color. _measurements._--a male from cottage lake, king county, measured: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . a female from miles southeast of sequim, clallam county, measured: ; ; ; ear . a male from quilcene, jefferson county, measured: ; ; . _distribution._--western washington west of the cascade mountains. the locality records for flying squirrels in the northern cascade mountains, given by taylor and shaw ( : ), when plotted on a distribution map, show overlapping of ranges in this area. the ranges of the three races involved have been drawn on the accompanying map (fig. ) on the basis of geographic probability and are subject to revision because the specimens from this area have not been examined. marginal records that may apply to _g. s. oregonensis_ are, from taylor and shaw ( : ): nooksack river, rockport, north bend and skamania. _remarks._--of all the races occurring in washington, _oregonensis_ is the most distinct. _glaucomys s. olympicus_ elliot must be regarded as a synonym of _oregonensis_. =glaucomys sabrinus bangsi= (rhoads) _sciuropterus alpinus bangsi_ rhoads, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, p. , june, . _glaucomys sabrinus bangsi_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , june , . _type._--obtained in idaho county, idaho, by harbison and bargamin on march , ; type in philadelphia academy of natural sciences. _racial characters._--similar to _oregonensis_ but larger and paler throughout. _measurements._--a female from wildcat spring, columbia county, measured: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; weight grams. _distribution._--found only in the blue mountains of extreme southeastern washington. =glaucomys sabrinus columbiensis= howell _glaucomys sabrinus columbiensis_ howell, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , may , . _type._--obtained at okanogan, british columbia, by allan brooks on may , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--larger than _oregonensis_ and paler. similar to _bangsi_ but paler, especially beneath, and less reddish above. _measurements._--howell ( : ) gives the average of two subadult topotypes as: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . _distribution._--northeastern washington, probably extending, from records of taylor and shaw ( : ), west to mazama and stehekin and east to molson. =glaucomys sabrinus latipes= howell _glaucomys sabrinus latipes_ howell, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , may , . _type._--obtained at glacier, british columbia, by j. a. loring, on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _bangsi_ and _columbiensis_ but with larger feet and grayer color. _measurements._--howell ( : ) gives the average of specimens as: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . . _distribution._--the pend oreille mountains of extreme northeastern washington, north (from records of taylor and shaw, : - , as revised) to sullivan lake and south to loon lake. =glaucomys sabrinus fuliginosus= (rhoads) _sciuropterus alpinus fuliginosus_ rhoads, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, p. , june, . _glaucomys sabrinus fuliginosus_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , june , . _type._--obtained at martin station, kittitas county, washington, by allan rupert in march, ; type in philadelphia academy of natural sciences. _racial characters._--similar to _columbiensis_ but underparts darker and tail paler. larger and paler than _oregonensis_. _measurements._--three females from the cascades average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . ; ear . _distribution._--the cascade mountains, according to taylor and shaw ( : ), as revised here, east to entiat river and south to carson. =perognathus parvus= (peale) great basin pocket mouse _description._--great basin pocket mice are slightly larger than house mice. the ears are tiny and round; the tail is relatively long, slightly longer than the head and body; the forefeet are small but the hind feet are large and powerful, more than one-fourth as long as the head and body. they have relatively large, fur-lined, external cheek pouches. the color of the upper parts varies with the subspecies from blackish olive-gray to buffy olive-gray; a line of clear buff or buffy-olive extends along the lower part of side, separating the darker color of the upper parts from the white underparts; the tail is short-haired, blackish above, olive beneath. pocket mice of the genus _perognathus_ range from mexico northward to british columbia. only one species, _parvus_, occurs in washington where it is represented by three subspecies. pocket mice are most common in the upper sonoran life-zone in sandy areas dotted with desert shrubs. they are found occasionally in dry, grassy places in the arid transition life-zone. they may be locally abundant in rocky areas and are often trapped high on talus slides, many yards from the nearest soil. gray ( : - ) estimates their numbers on the sagebrush areas of the yakima valley at per acre. they are completely nocturnal. their ordinary movements are rather slow and specimens studied by the aid of a searchlight usually crept quietly into the protection of the nearest desert shrub. the trail of a pocket mouse in soft sand may be recognized by the distinctive mark left by the dragging tail. burrows of pocket mice usually are at the bases of shrubs where tough roots furnish protection. they are kept closed during the day by means of a plug of fresh earth or sand. openings may often be recognized by a fan-shaped pile of fresh sand before the hole. burrows excavated were usually less than four feet in length and branched from two to four times. no nests were found in the burrows but one contained a few fresh stalks of desert annuals. the air in the burrows seemed warm and humid. the pouches of pocket mice from washington often contain the fresh, green tips of desert plants, grass seeds, seeds of plants other than grasses, and plant leaves. because of their occasional great abundance, pocket mice may be a menace to agriculture. fortunately much of their habitat is unsuited to farming. in washington pocket mice breed in march and april. from to embryos were found in pregnant females. =perognathus parvus parvus= (peale) _cricetodipus parvus_ peale, u. s. explor. exped., (mamm. and ornith.): , . _perognathus parvus_ cassin, u. s. explor. exped., (mamm. and ornith.): , . _perognathus parvus parvus_ miller, bull. u. s. nat. mus., : , april , . [illustration: fig. . distribution of the great basin pocket mouse in washington. a. _perognathus parvus parvus._ b. _perognathus parvus columbianus._ c. _perognathus parvus lordi._] _type._--probably obtained in the neighborhood of the dalles, wasco county, oregon. _racial characters._--size small; upper parts brownish-buff washed with blackish or, in gray phase, ashy gray washed with blackish; sides buffy yellow; a buffy spot often present on throat; tail blackish above, olive below; facial markings usually brownish-buff but in older animals indistinct and washed with blackish. _measurements._--thirty-one males and females from washington average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , . ; ear , . _distribution._--southeastern washington south of the snake river, the area on the north side of the columbia river in klickitat county, and the yakima valley area as far north as the vantage, kittitas county (w. w. d.). other marginal records are: kennewick (w. w. d.), atilla (w. w. d.) and walla walla (e. s. b.). _remarks._--dichromatism seems to be rather common in _perognathus p. parvus_--so common that osgood ( : ) recognized both a "red" and a "gray" phase. anderson ( : ) found no dichromatism in _p. p. lordi_ in british columbia. a single specimen from the grand coulee at dry falls, grant county, does show dichromatism. it is even more red than the reddest topotypes of _parvus_ examined. seemingly the recessive gene for red is still present in _lordi_, or has mutated anew. when present, the color is deeper and brighter than in the parent population, in keeping with the heavier pigmentation of the race _lordi_. =perognathus parvus lordi= (gray) _abromys lordi_ gray, proc. zoöl. soc. london, p. , . _perognathus lordi_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _perognathus lordi lordi_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _perognathus parvus lordi_ davis, recent mamm. of idaho, p. , caxton printers, caldwell, idaho, april , . _type._--obtained in southern british columbia (probably near lake osoyoos) by j. k. lord, probably in . _racial characters._--size large; color of upper parts buffy-olive, washed with blackish; sides buff-olive; facial markings absent or, if present, indistinct and pale olive; tail blackish above, olive below. _measurements._--twenty-nine males and females average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , . ; ear . , . . _distribution._--okanogan valley and the columbian plateau, except for the southwestern part. marginal localities are: vantage, grant county (w. w. d.), mi. s. moses lake (w. w. d.), washtucna (m. v. z.) and pullman (m. v. z.). _remarks._--there are constant differences between _perognathus parvus parvus_ and _perognathus parvus lordi_. the latter is larger, darker, and differs slightly in average cranial measurements. the snake river, the columbia river, and the wenatchee mountains separate the geographic ranges of the two subspecies and prevent intergradation between them. nevertheless their close similarity and probable common origin indicate that both belong to one species, namely _parvus_. =perognathus parvus columbianus= merriam _perognathus columbianus_ merriam, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, p. , september , . _perognathus lordi columbianus_, osgood, n. amer. fauna, : , september , . _type._--obtained at pasco, franklin county, washington, by clark p. streator on may , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--size and color as in _lordi_ but skull considerably wider in mastoid region. _measurements._--twenty-one male and female topotypes average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , . ; ear , . _distribution._--the vicinity of the type locality and the part of the columbian plateau north of the snake and east of the columbia rivers. _remarks._--this race is separated from _parvus_ by river barriers and the two do not intergrade. it differs significantly from _lordi_ only in the wider mastoid region. no barrier separates the range of _lordi_ from that of _parvus_, and the two races intergrade over a wide area (north to moses lake, east to washtucna). the race _columbianus_ must have originated _in situ_ from _lordi_. the habitat of _columbianus_ seems not to differ from that of _parvus_ or _lordi_. =dipodomys ordii columbianus= (merriam) ord kangaroo rat _perodipus ordi columbianus_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , june , . _dipodomys ordii columbianus_ grinnell, jour. mamm., : , may , . _type._--obtained at umatilla, umatilla county, oregon, by c. p. streator on october , ; type in united states national museum. _measurements._--fourteen males and females from walla walla county average, respectively: total length . , . ; length of tail . , . ; hind foot . , . ; ear . , . ; weight . , . grams. _distribution._--western walla walla county from the oregon boundary north to the snake river and on blalock island in the columbia river, benton county. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the ord kangaroo rat, _dipodomys ordii columbianus_, in washington.] _description._--the kangaroo rat with a body about the size of that of a chipmunk has an exceptionally large head and large, black eyes. the forelegs and forefeet are tiny but the hind feet and legs are large and powerful. the hind foot is almost a third as long as the head and body. the tail is long, longer than the head and body. kangaroo rats possess fur-lined, external cheek pouches, like those of the pocket mice. the upper parts are soft buff in color. the underparts and a stripe on each flank are white. the tail is dusky above and below, with white sides; it is tufted at the tip. kangaroo rats are typical of the desert regions of the southwestern united states, where numerous species and subspecies are found. a single subspecies of the wide-ranging species _ordii_ occurs into southeastern washington, where it is restricted to sandy areas in the upper sonoran life-zone. in the soft, drifted sand along the columbia river where sagebrush and other desert shrubs are low and widely spaced kangaroo rats are abundant. these rats are strictly nocturnal. when individuals are dug from their burrows in the daytime they usually hop about in a dazed manner and appear to be blinded by sunlight. near wallula, walla walla county, these rats were caught at night with a butterfly net as they stood "paralyzed" in the beam of a powerful searchlight. such night hunting was unsuccessful on cloudy or windy nights when kangaroo rats seem not to move about. as might be guessed from their powerful hind legs, kangaroo rats travel in bounds. near wallula, where we watched them in their natural habitat, they traveled, when unfrightened, in slow hops, each hop followed by a pause. as they struck the surface of the ground an audible thud could be heard for a distance of several feet. after each jump they paused for a second or so, perhaps to allow a pursuing enemy to over-run them. near wallula the burrows of kangaroo rats were dug in large mounds of wind-blown sand. the burrows entered these natural mounds horizontally and branched two or three times. their average length was about five feet. no nests or food stores were discovered although several kangaroo rats were caught as they burst from entrances at sides of the mounds. all entrances to burrows were plugged with soft sand. the air in the burrows seemed warm and humid. food found in the cheek pouches of kangaroo rats from washington included the seeds of desert annuals, short sections of sprouts of an unidentified plant, grass seeds, and the leaves of the hop-sage. a female taken march , , contained embryos. =thomomys talpoides= (richardson) northern pocket gopher _description._--the pocket gopher is a fossorial animal, being but slightly less adapted to an underground existence than the moles. the body is stout, the legs short and the head broad. the tail is short, sparsely haired, cylindrical and blunt-ended. the fur is soft and dense. the eyes are small and the ears tiny and naked. the incisor teeth are external, being separated from the mouth cavity by a furry strip of skin. like the pocket mouse and kangaroo rat, the pocket gopher possesses external, fur-lined cheek pouches. the openings of these begin just below and posterior to the nostrils, sweep out and down in a semicircle, and end at the chin posterior to the base of the lower incisors. they extend laterally to the shoulders and easily accommodate a fifty-cent piece. [illustration: fig. . northern pocket gopher (_thomomys talpoides yelmensis_), from two miles southwest of tenino, washington, january , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] the family geomyidae is composed of eight genera, so similar in appearance that the name "pocket gopher" is applied to all of them. the family is confined to north and central america. three genera occur in the united states but only one, _thomomys_, occurs in washington. _thomomys_ is restricted to western north america where it ranges from central canada south to the southern edge of the table land of mexico. several hundred kinds of _thomomys_ have been described and as systematic work with this genus has been continued, more and more kinds, originally thought to be species, are found to intergrade and to be only subspecies. all of the kinds of pocket gophers occurring in washington belong to a single species. the pocket gopher is principally nocturnal or crepuscular but sometimes it is active at midday, especially if the day be dark and cloudy. pocket-gopher activity is indicated by fresh mounds of earth on the surface of the ground. rarely, an observer may see movement of plants as the gopher molests the roots of the plants, or even see the head and shoulders of an animal that partly emerges from an open burrow. the ordinary gopher mound consists of less than a cubic foot of earth. the earth is forced up from a single opening and usually is pushed out in one direction. in consequence it forms in a fan-shaped pile about the opening, and the last load forms a circular plug above and to one side of the burrow opening. when so much earth has been forced out of one opening that expulsion of additional loads of earth is overly difficult, the burrow is extended slightly to one side, or even extended into the newly formed mound, and another fan formed. usually not more than three coalesced fans form a mound, but where the soil is exceedingly soft and fluffy, hundreds of fans may form a composite mound and the one mound may include a cubic yard of earth. large composite mounds probably are formed gradually over a period of weeks or even months. the earth in a fresh gopher mound is usually "scratched," and gives the appearance of having been sieved. pebbles weighing more than grams are included in material ejected from burrows. the entrances to the burrows of gophers are usually solidly plugged with earth. the plug may be from a few inches to more than a foot in length. at times a burrow entrance may appear to be open, but in such cases investigation will usually reveal it to be plugged some distance back--sometimes several feet. in contrast to the gopher mounds described above, the mounds of moles are not fan-shaped but volcano-shaped. the earth from a mole's burrow is forced straight upwards, whence it falls to either side. later loads are pushed up from beneath, raising the entire mound, with the last material ejected at the center and bottom. the earth of a fresh mole-mound is not of fine texture but instead is "clotted" and, if damp, gives the mound a fractured appearance. when mounds are older, perhaps changed by rain and sun, their identity as of mole-origin or pocket gopher-origin is more difficult to establish. in such cases, if no fresh mounds can be found, the observer must rely on the spacing of the mounds. mole-mounds are spaced along a burrow, about as far apart as a man can step. gopher mounds are irregularly spaced, and the course of the burrow cannot be traced merely by observing the arrangement of the mounds as can that of the mole. in addition to mounds, gopher burrows have plugged openings where a gopher has come to the surface, probably to cut plants. such entrances are marked by a plug of earth several inches long. mounds and feeding entrances of the gopher burrow are usually not constructed in the main burrow system itself, but at the ends of lateral burrows of varying length. if one traces the burrow back from the mound, a junction with the main, better-constructed burrow is found. the junction is usually t-shaped, with the lateral burrow at right angles to the main burrow. more rarely the junction has a y-shape. [illustration: fig. . giant mounds raised by pocket gophers on mima prairie, thurston county, washington, july , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] the burrow system of the pocket gopher may be divided into three main parts. these are the laterals, just discussed, the main burrow, and the deep nesting burrow. the main burrow is a sinuous tube or tunnel at a relatively uniform depth, that marks the extent of the gopher's home territory. this tunnel may branch, or even intersect. as it is extended in one direction, the earth excavated by the gopher may in part be thrust into an unused portion of the burrow. the deep, nesting burrows may be used only in the breeding season. they are connected with the main tunnel system but descend to a greater depth. usually they descend into the harder, consolidated layers of soil below the zone where plant roots penetrate. here chambers are constructed in which nests and food are stored. usually a vertical shaft is dug in the burrow ahead of the nest to lead rain water away from the nest. in areas where gophers live in a thin layer of soil underlain by a more or less impenetrable layer of rock, clay or gravel, it has been suggested that they form unique structures known as mima mounds. the formation of these mounds has been discussed in detail elsewhere (dalquest and scheffer, : - ). at least in the breeding season the gophers work mainly and make their nest where the soil is deepest. in the vicinity of this nest, considerable mounding and cultivation of soil ensues. this stimulates plant growth in the area. much observation indicates that cultivation of earth by gophers stimulates plant growth to a greater extent than the depredations of the gopher deplete the ensuing growth. thus the gopher, by cultivation of the soil in the area about its burrow, stimulates the growth of vegetation and so increases his own food supply. consequently there is but little incentive for the gopher to leave the vicinity of the nest. the gopher does, however, construct lateral tunnels into surrounding areas. earth from these lateral tunnels is, in part, thrown to the surface in mounds and in part transported back to fill the abandoned burrows near the nest. the earth from the burrows about the nest was earlier ejected on the surface. slowly, then, earth is transported from surrounding areas to burrows in the vicinity of the original nest. each succeeding generation finds in the vicinity of the original nest, better food and deeper soil, while areas surrounding the nest possess thinner soil and less vegetation. over a period of thousands of generations of gophers, large mounds, known as mima mounds, are formed. since the removal of earth from the surrounding areas and its accumulation in the mima mound are chance affairs, the contours of the mound are smooth and flowing while the contours of the intermound areas are smoothly convex. the pocket gophers in washington are economically important. in truck and flower gardens they are a pest, especially if the crop be bulb plants. in grain fields they are a pest because their mounds cover considerable grain and are apt to clog or dull the knife of the mower. in fields of young alfalfa they are apt to crop back the plant more rapidly than it can grow. once the alfalfa plant is well established, however, the cultivation resulting from activities of gophers, some persons believe, stimulates the plant to such an extent that it grows larger and healthier in spite of the gopher's feeding on it. in the white salmon valley, klickitat county, i examined numerous alfalfa fields. the most luxuriant growth was invariably in fields where gophers were common. in these fields, the largest plants were those in the immediate vicinity of gopher activity. the commensal relation between the gopher and alfalfa was understood by many farmers, who forbade us to take gophers for specimens from their fields. several told us that they always trapped the gophers from the fields of young alfalfa and from hay meadows but encouraged their presence in fields of older alfalfa. [illustration: fig. . food cache of northern pocket gopher (_thomomys talpoides tacomensis_), from chamber four inches below surface of ground, tacoma, washington, december , . contents grams (about liters) of roots, principally quackgrass, _agropyron repens_. (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] another economic factor is the gopher's removal of certain weeds from grazing land. a number of introduced weeds form dense rosettes that prevent the growth of grass from several square inches of ground and themselves lie so close to the ground as to be unavailable as food to grazing stock. these weeds seem to be favored food of gophers which cut not only the rosettes but the roots of the weeds as well. in irrigated parts of eastern washington the gopher is a serious pest. it burrows in the banks of the main ditches, causing cave-ins and occasional breaks with resultant water loss. the mounds of gophers fill in the smaller channels and divert the streams. constant attention is necessary to keep the ditches free of gopher mounds. in uncultivated land the gopher is a distinct asset unless the land is near enough to cultivated land to serve as a reservoir of pests. in the mountains and on the desert the gopher cultivates and keeps the soil soft and stimulates the growth of water-retaining vegetation, thus preventing rapid run-off and erosion and keeping the flow of springs and streams constant. boulders, logs, and other obstructions are undermined and, as a result of gopher activity, in time sink under the surface of the ground. thus a larger surface is available for plant growth. lastly the gopher furnishes an important food source for certain fur-bearing mammals and eases the predator pressure on game species. the subspecies of pocket gopher occupying the puget sound area are highly restricted in their habitat preference; they occur only on the grassy prairies of the glacial outwash aprons. they do not occur in woods, brush or even small openings on the borders of the prairies. the alpine forms occupy the mountain meadows and are slightly less selective in their habits. it should be noted that in western washington the forests are far more open at higher altitudes than at low elevations. the races inhabiting the desert are found in open areas, often in sandy places. they occur more rarely in areas where the soil is baked and claylike, and then usually in the vicinity of springs or watercourses. the race _t. t. fuscus_ has a wide range of tolerance as regards environmental factors; it occurs near wenatchee in essentially desert conditions, in alpine meadows of northeastern washington, and in many habitats at intermediate elevations. it occurs also in brushy areas and is often abundant in open pine forests. since the gopher usually has a narrow range of tolerance as regards its environmental adaptations, this has resulted in considerably more isolation than is the case with other mammals, and has probably contributed to the formation of the many subspecies. within the range of almost every race, microgeographic races, or local populations with distinctive characters, are found. many subspecies of _thomomys_ are probably the result of chance fixation of genetic characters already present in a more genetically variable ancestral population, and the loss of other genetic factors. such races might be considered degenerative (see dalquest and scheffer, : ). [illustration: fig. . distribution of the northern pocket gopher in washington. a. _thomomys talpoides devexus._ b. _thomomys talpoides columbianus._ c. _thomomys talpoides aequalidens._ d. _thomomys talpoides wallowa._ e. _thomomys talpoides fuscus._ f. _thomomys talpoides yakimensis._ g. _thomomys talpoides shawii._ h. _thomomys talpoides immunis._ i. _thomomys talpoides limosus._ j. _thomomys talpoides douglasii._ k. _thomomys talpoides pugetensis._ l. _thomomys talpoides tacomensis._ m. _thomomys talpoides glacialis._ n. _thomomys talpoides tumuli._ o. _thomomys talpoides yelmensis._ p. _thomomys talpoides couchii._ q. _thomomys talpoides melanops._] the history of the pocket gophers of washington has been traced previously (dalquest and scheffer, , ). it may be briefly summarized as follows: at the close of vashon-wisconsin times, gophers were found in the southern cascades, on the simcoe bridge, the columbian plateau, and in southeastern washington. following the retreat of the ice, the gophers in the mount rainier area spread westward on the outwash of the nisqually and perhaps other glaciers to the vashon outwash about southern puget sound and thence to the olympic mountains. in the southern cascades, gophers spread westward on glacial terraces of the columbia river to the vicinity of vancouver, clark county. the establishment and growth of the forests split up the original populations, and continued spread of forest has exterminated many units. all the races in the lowlands of western washington face extermination as the prairies are reclaimed by forest. pocket gophers also invaded northeastern washington from idaho and spread westward to the cascades, thence southward until the native gophers were encountered north of mount rainier and in the yakima valley. the invading gophers nearly surrounded the columbian plateau. t. h. scheffer ( b: - ) found the gestation period of the pocket gopher to be approximately days. no second brood is raised in washington. near kennewick, yakima county, the young are born from february to april. the average number of embryos found in female gophers was . . near olympia, thurston county, the young are born from march to june. the average number of embryos from females was . . =thomomys talpoides devexus= hall and dalquest _thomomys talpoides devexus_ hall and dalquest, murrelet, : , april , . _thomomys talpoides ericaeus_ goldman, jour. mamm., : , may , (type from badger mountains, douglas county, washington). _type._--obtained mile west-southwest of neppel (now moses lake), grant county, washington, by w. w. dalquest on may , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--size medium; ears tiny; color of upper parts pale brownish gray; underparts white; postauricular spots dark. _measurements._--two male and female topotypes average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; weight , grams. _distribution._--the columbian plateau. marginal occurrences of the races of pocket gophers occurring in washington are not listed here because they have recently been placed on record (dalquest and scheffer, : - , - ). _remarks._--this is the smallest and palest race of pocket gopher found in washington. =thomomys talpoides columbianus= bailey _thomomys fuscus columbianus_ bailey, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , july , . _thomomys columbianus_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , november , . _thomomys talpoides columbianus_ goldman, jour. mamm., : , may , . _type._--obtained at touchet, walla walla county, washington, by c. p. streator on september , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--larger and brighter in color than _devexus_. near ochraceous orange in color. _measurements._--five male and three female topotypes average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , . _distribution._--walla walla county, between the snake river and the oregon boundary and from the columbia river east to the columbia county line. =thomomys talpoides aequalidens= dalquest _thomomys talpoides aequalidens_ dalquest, murrelet, : , may , . _type._--obtained at abel place, , ft., miles south-southeast of dayton, columbia county, washington, by s. h. lyman, on april , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--large size, very dark color. _measurements._--the average of four male topotypes and the measurements of one female topotype are, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , . _distribution._--southeastern washington east of the range of _columbianus_ and north of the higher parts of the blue mountains. =thomomys talpoides wallowa= hall and orr _thomomys quadratus wallowa_ hall and orr, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , march , . _thomomys talpoides wallowa_ goldman, jour. mamm., : , may , . _type._--obtained at catherine creek, miles east of telocaset, , ft., union county, oregon, by r. t. orr on june , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--similar to _devexus_ but much darker. similar (in washington) to _aequalidens_ but much smaller. _measurements._--four males and females from mountain top and stay-a-while spring, columbia county, average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , . _distribution._--the higher parts of the blue mountains. _remarks._--washington specimens referred to this race are intermediate between _wallowa_ and _aequalidens_ but are colored like _aequalidens_. =thomomys talpoides fuscus= merriam _thomomys clusius fuscus_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , july , . _thomomys myops_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , july , (type from conconnully, okanogan county, washington). _thomomys fuscus fuscus_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , november , . _thomomys talpoides fuscus_ hall and dalquest, murrelet, : , april , . _type._--obtained at the head of big lost river, custer county, idaho, by b. h. dutcher on september , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _devexus_ but upper parts rich tawny in color. _measurements._--three males and females from newport, pend oreille county, average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , . _distribution._--along the eastern border of the state to the north of the snake river, northeastern washington, and the northeastern cascades. =thomomys talpoides yakimensis= hall and dalquest _thomomys talpoides yakimensis_ hall and dalquest, murrelet, : , april , . _thomomys talpoides badius_ goldman, jour. mamm., : , may , (type from wenatchee, chelan county, washington). _type._--obtained at selah, yakima county, washington, by p. burgner, on november , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--similar to _fuscus_ but more orange, less red. _measurements._--four male and female topotypes average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , . _distribution._--the eastern edge of the cascades from the wenatchee mountains south to the simcoe anticline. =thomomys talpoides shawi= taylor _thomomys douglasii shawi_ taylor, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , june , . _thomomys talpoides shawi_ hall and dalquest, murrelet, : , april , . _type._--obtained at owyhigh lakes, mount rainier, pierce county, washington, by g. g. cantwell, on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--a large, tan-colored pocket gopher, similar to _aequalidens_ but paler. _measurements._--two male and female topotypes average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , . _distribution._--the higher cascade mountains from mount rainier southward. southern limits of range unknown. =thomomys talpoides immunis= hall and dalquest _thomomys talpoides immunis_ hall and dalquest, murrelet, : , april , . _type._--obtained miles south of trout lake, klickitat county, washington, by w. w. dalquest on july , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--similar to _shawi_ but paler and grayer. _measurements._--two males and females from morrison springs ranger station, skamania county, average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , . _distribution._--the cascade mountains from the vicinity of mount adams north. the zone of intergradation between _shawi_ and _immunis_ is in the rugged, inaccessible mountains between mount rainier and mount adams. =thomomys talpoides limosus= merriam _thomomys limosus_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , july , . _thomomys talpoides limosus_ goldman, jour. mamm., : , may , . _type._--obtained at white salmon, klickitat county, washington, by j. a. loring on june , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _immunis_ but darker with smaller, shorter skull. _measurements._--one male and female topotypes average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , . _distribution._--the lower columbia river valley, from the type locality east to the columbian plateau. =thomomys talpoides douglasii= (richardson) _geomys douglasii_ richardson, fauna boreali-american, : , . _geomys fuliginosus_ schinz, syn. mamm., : , (type from "habitat ad fluvium columbia"). _thomomys douglasii_ allen, bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : , april , . _thomomys douglasi douglasi_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , november , . _thomomys talpoides douglasii_ goldman, jour. mamm., : , may , . _type._--obtained at fort vancouver (now the city of vancouver), clark county, washington, by david douglas, probably in . probably not now in existence. _racial characters._--a medium-sized, yellowish gopher with tiny, pointed ears and very small postauricular patches. _measurements._--two male and female topotypes average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; and weight , grams. _distribution._--known only from clark county. =thomomys talpoides glacialis= dalquest and scheffer _thomomys talpoides glacialis_ dalquest and scheffer, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , august , . _type._--obtained miles south of roy, pierce county, washington, by w. w. dalquest, on december , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--a dark, yellowish-brown gopher with orange-tinged underparts. _measurements._--twenty male and female topotypes average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; and weight , grams. _distribution._--known only from roy prairie, pierce county. =thomomys talpoides tacomensis= taylor _thomomys douglasii tacomensis_ taylor, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , september , . _thomomys talpoides tacomensis_ goldman, jour. mamm., : , may , . _type._--obtained miles south of tacoma, pierce county, washington, by g. g. cantwell on december , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--a large, dark form; rich hazel in color with large, black postauricular patches and ochraceous underparts. _measurements._--thirteen male and female topotypes average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; and weight , grams. _distribution._--restricted to the area about steilacoom and tacoma, pierce county, washington. =thomomys talpoides pugetensis= dalquest and scheffer _thomomys talpoides pugetensis_ dalquest and scheffer, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , august , . _type._--obtained miles south of olympia, thurston county, washington, by w. w. dalquest, on december , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _glacialis_ but underparts not tinged with orange and conspicuous dusky areas present on sides of neck. _measurements._--fourteen male and female topotypes average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; and weight , grams. _distribution._--known only from the type locality. =thomomys talpoides tumuli= dalquest and scheffer _thomomys talpoides tumuli_ dalquest and scheffer, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , august , . _type._--obtained on rocky prairie, miles north of tenino, thurston county, washington, by w. w. dalquest on january , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _pugetensis_ but grayer, less yellow. _measurements._--eleven male and female topotypes average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; and weight , grams. _distribution._--known only from the type locality. =thomomys talpoides yelmensis= merriam _thomomys douglasi yelmensis_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , january , . _thomomys douglasii yelmensis_ taylor, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , september , . _thomomys talpoides yelmensis_ goldman, jour. mamm., : , may , . _type._--obtained at tenino, thurston county, washington, by c. p. streator on october , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--a rather small, yellowish race with whitish underparts. _measurements._--twenty-one male and female topotypes average, respectively; total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; and weight , grams. _distribution._--known only from grand mound prairie (type locality), vail prairie, near vail, and rochester prairie, near rochester, all in thurston county. =thomomys talpoides couchi= goldman _thomomys talpoides couchi_ goldman, jour. mamm., : , may , . _type._--obtained on scotts prairie, miles north of shelton, mason county, washington, by l. k. couch, on june , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--a small race; rich hazel in color. _measurements._--thirteen male and female topotypes average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; and weight , grams. _distribution._--known only from the type locality and from lost lake prairie, near satsop, mason county. =thomomys talpoides melanops= merriam _thomomys melanops_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , january , . _thomomys douglasi melanops_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , november , . _thomomys talpoides melanops_ goldman, jour. mamm., : , may , . _type._--obtained at head of sol duc river, clallam county, washington, by v. bailey on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--most like _shawi_ but smaller, with larger postauricular patches and dusky areas on side of head. _measurements._--a male topotype measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . _distribution._--higher olympic mountains. =castor canadensis= kuhl beaver _description._--the beaver is the largest rodent occurring in washington. large individuals weight approximately pounds. they are heavily-built, robust animals with large heads and short necks. the large, flat, naked tail immediately separates them from all other mammals occurring in the state. the forelegs are short and the forefeet handlike. the hind legs are long, thick and powerful. the hind feet are large and webbed for swimming. the ears are small and the eyes, although of moderate size, are not prominent. the incisors are large and prominent with a distinct yellow or orange color. the close, dense underfur is overlaid with long, lax, rather stiff overfur or guardhairs. [illustration: fig. . beaver (_castor canadensis_). silvana, washington, august , . (fish and wildlife service by leo k. couch, no. b- .)] beavers are found in europe, asia and north america. in america they range from alaska to mexico and from the atlantic to the pacific. many american subspecies have been described, all thought to belong to a single species. beavers live in streams and lakes of washington under diverse climatic conditions. they are perhaps most abundant in the western washington lowlands where there are numerous watercourses. in the cascade mountains they are found well up into the canadian life-zone, where the streams are swift and clear with stony bottoms. the highest altitudinal record known to us is reflection lake, mt. rainier, , feet (brockman, : ). farther east, in the timbered regions of the eastern cascades and in northeastern washington, beavers live in deeper, more sluggish streams. abundant beaver signs were noted at the junction of the snake and columbia rivers where the animals were occupying one of the hottest, most desertlike portions of the state. they are found in moses lake, in the center of the arid columbian plateau. beavers once occurred in the san juan islands and have recently been reintroduced there. [illustration: fig. . beaver (_castor canadensis_): lodge and beaver pond, elbe, washington, august , . (t. h. scheffer photo.)] the part the beaver played in man's exploration of the state of washington is a story in itself. the establishment of fort vancouver and fort spokane and other settlements was principally due to the trade in beaver pelts. these forts served as headquarters for douglas, suckley, townsend, nuttall and other early naturalists who contributed so greatly to the knowledge of the mammalian fauna of the western united states. [illustration: fig. . cottonwood pole carved by beaver, lake wenatchee, washington, may , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] trapping for fur drastically reduced the number of beavers in washington. after trapping was prohibited they were slow in recovering and, until about , they were uncommon. after that date they seemed to increase rapidly, becoming abundant about . the present system of removing beavers only from areas where they are doing damage, and then only under strict supervision from the state department of game, has held their numbers at a high level. the food of the beaver varies greatly with locality. along the columbia river, in eastern washington, cottonwood (_populus hastata_) and willow (_salix_ sp.) seem to constitute favorite foods. few other trees grow in this arid region. on puget island, near the mouth of the columbia, willow, alder (_alnus oregonus_) and probably other shrubs are eaten. in the many streams that run from the western cascade mountains to puget sound, various species of willow seem to be the principal food eaten. some alder, cascara, douglas fir, red huckleberry and salmonberry are eaten. in some streams on the eastern slope of the cascades, coniferous trees, including douglas fir, yellow pine (_pinus ponderosa_), and red cedar (_thuja plicata_) are used. beaver dams are abundant in certain sections of washington, notably the area between the cascade mountains and puget sound. dams several hundred feet in length were seen in the valley of cherry creek, miles northeast of duvall, king county. however, in most parts of the state few dams are built. no dams are necessary in the larger streams and lakes while the smaller mountain streams possess a gradient too steep for successful damming. spring floods and high water following rains would destroy such dams. true beaver houses, or lodges, are seldom seen in washington. in the larger streams, rivers and lakes the beavers are "bank beavers," living in burrows with underwater entrances. in the mountain streams, log jams furnish protection. great piles of logs and debris accumulate at bends of streams in periods of high water. these jams commonly contain large, well-anchored key logs and persist for years. back-cutting by the stream often forms deep pools before the jams while the sloping bank opposite may support willows and alders. thus beavers may find a home, food, and a protecting pool of deep water at a log jam. in periods of low water, and when meandering of the stream causes it to leave the log jam, canals are constructed by the beavers to connect the log jam with the stream. where dams are built a few lodges may occur. for the most part, however, the beavers dig holes in the bank or in small islands that result from their dam-building activities. burrows are occasionally easy to locate because of the mud and sticks laid on the ground above. at best these sticks form a layer only a few inches thick and are too loosely packed to furnish any additional protection. they probably represent a concession to the beavers' lodge-building instincts. the beaver probably breeds in january. a specimen from cle elum, taken on march , contained embryos and one from the teanaway river near cle elum held embryos on february . one from swauk creek, kittitas county, on the eastern slope of the cascades, had embryos on february . a young beaver was born to a captive animal on may . its mother was taken at soos creek in southeastern king county. this baby weighed grams. the majority of the beavers trapped are small animals, measuring from to mm. (total length) in february, and weighing from to pounds. these are kits, probably one and two years old. it is rather difficult to divide these animals into two age groups but probably the first year young ( to months old) weigh from to pounds and measure between and mm. in total length. two-year olds ( to months) measure from to mm. and weigh from to pounds. they measure approximately mm. the third year, when they become adult, and weigh in the neighborhood of pounds. individuals occasionally weigh more than pounds; these are probably old adults. damage by beavers is limited. their dams occasionally flood roads and rarely fields. in some parts of eastern washington, where fruit raising is an important industry, an individual beaver may cause considerable damage by cutting valuable trees. ornamental trees may be damaged near the larger cities. beavers living in lake washington in almost the center of the city of seattle, caused some damage to ornamental trees on the university of washington golf course. canals and dams in small streams and ditches in areas where stock raising is practiced, flood stock food and sometimes form mudholes or bogs where stock might be trapped. where individual beavers are doing damage they are trapped and killed, or are live-trapped and transported to more favorable habitats. in places where any beaver may be potentially dangerous, as in the fruit-growing areas of eastern washington or stock-raising areas in western washington, their numbers should be kept down by continued trapping. [illustration: fig. . forest road flooded by beavers which built a dam on the upstream (left) side of a bridge; tronson creek, blewett pass, wenatchee national forest, may , . (fish and wildlife service by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] probably the greatest value of beavers lies in the impounding of water by their dams. this is especially true in the arid mountains of eastern washington and in the logged-off or burned-over parts of western washington. these ponds prevent erosion, raise the water table and so stimulate the growth of vegetation, insure greater regularity of stream flow, provide suitable water for trout and muskrats as well as some breeding grounds for waterfowl. on burned-over or logged-off land, the greatest, and often the only, growth of new conifers is in the vicinity of beaver ponds. in the vicinity of beaver dams, rich growths of willows and other deciduous vegetation provides food and cover for deer and fur-bearing mammals. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the beaver in washington. a. _castor canadensis leucodonta._ b. _castor canadensis idoneus._] trapping of beaver for their fur at present is not a private enterprise but controlled trapping by the state adds to public funds. =castor canadensis leucodonta= gray _castor canadensis leucodonta_ gray, ann. and mag. nat. hist., (ser. ): , october, . _castor canadensis pacificus_ rhoads, trans. amer. philos. soc., (n. s.): , september, (type from lake keechelus, kittitas county, washington). _type._--obtained by dr. robert brown, probably on vancouver island, british columbia. _racial characters._--large size; reddish color; elongate skull. _distribution._--found over all but the southwestern corner of the state. the most westward locality from which specimens have been examined is lake crescent (u. s. n. m.). _remarks._--the good series of beaver skulls available from several areas of washington has led to careful comparison of washington material with specimens from vancouver island. skulls from extreme southwestern washington are small and decidedly short, being referable to the race _idoneus_. no satisfactory way of distinguishing between the others could be found and all are consequently referred to the earliest named form, _leucodonta_. =castor canadensis idoneus= jewett and hall _castor canadensis idoneus_ jewett and hall, jour. mamm., : , february , . _type._--obtained at foley creek, tributary to nehalem river, tillamook county, oregon, by c. leach on december , ; type in california museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _description._--similar to _leucodonta_ but smaller, darker, with shorter and wider skull. _distribution._--lowlands near the mouth of the columbia river. specimens from puget island (u. s. n. m.) have been examined. =onychomys leucogaster fuscogriseus= anthony northern grasshopper mouse _onychomys leucogaster fuscogriseus_ anthony, bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : , march , . _type._--obtained at ironside, malheur county, oregon, by h. e. anthony, in ; type in american museum of natural history. _measurements._--nine males and females from franklin, benton, and walla walla counties, washington, average, respectively: total length . , . ; length of tail . , . ; hind foot . , . ; ear . , . ; weight . , . grams. _distribution._--the columbian plateau, southeastern washington, and the yakima valley, ranging north to douglas (taylor and shaw, : ), west to yakima (m. v. z.), east to asotin (taylor and shaw, : ) and south to wallula (taylor and shaw, : ). [illustration: fig. . distribution of the northern grasshopper mouse, _onychomys leucogaster fuscogriseus_, in washington.] _description._--a mature grasshopper mouse is slightly larger than a house mouse; the head and body measure about inches and the tail about - / inches; it may be recognized by the rather plump body, naked ears, short, thick and tapering tail and soft, dense fur. the upper parts of adults are buffy. younger animals are blue-gray above. underparts and tail are white. grasshopper mice of two species range over much of northern mexico and the western united states. the species occurring in washington, _leucogaster_, is found from southern manitoba to northern mexico, and from the pacific states east to north dakota. this species is characteristic of the upper sonoran life-zone, and usually is associated with sagebrush and greasewood. it prefers open areas of sand and avoids heavy cover, and seems to be strictly nocturnal. it eats vegetation, seeds, insects, or the flesh of other mice. according to bailey ( : ), grasshopper mice pursue, catch and kill other mice. they hunt by scent and follow tracks like a wolf. they make a sound, or "call," like a miniature wolf howl. they are said to be rather docile and make friends with humans quickly. on some occasions grasshopper mice are locally abundant, but for the most part they are rather uncommon over their range. usually one is taken in about traps set in suitable habitats. they do not hibernate; one was caught at moses lake, grant county, on a freezing winter night. the grasshopper mouse is almost always associated with the pocket mouse (_perognathus parvus_), deer-mouse (_peromyscus maniculatus_), and often the harvest mouse (_reithrodontomys megalotis_). the same snakes, owls, and carnivorous mammals that prey on these mice doubtless eat also the grasshopper mouse. r. d. svihla ( : ) determined the gestation period of lactating grasshopper mice captured at lind, adams county, as , and days. a non-lactating female gave birth to a litter in days. young varied from to in number and were pink and hairless at birth, with eyes and ears closed. =reithrodontomys megalotis megalotis= (baird) western harvest mouse _reithrodon megalotis_ baird, mamm. n. amer., p. , . _reithrodontomys megalotis nigrescens_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , june , (type from payette, idaho). _reithrodontomys megalotis megalotis_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _type._--obtained between janos, chihuahua, and san luis springs, new mexico, by c. b. r. kennerly, in ; type in united states national museum. _measurements._--five males and females, showing moderate wear on the third upper molars, from walla walla county, average, respectively: total length , . ; length of tail . , . ; hind foot . , . ; weight (males only) . grams. a female, mm. long, from grant county, weighed . grams. over the range of _megalotis_ in the united states, males average consistently larger than females in length of the hind foot and consistently less in length of head and body. _distribution._--the columbian plateau, the upper sonoran life-zone area west of the columbia river and south of the wenatchee mountains in kittitas, yakima, and benton counties, the north side of the columbia river in klickitat county, and okanogan county east of the okanogan river. marginal localities are: timentwa (w. w. d.) on the north, maryhill (m. v. z.) on the west, wallula (m. v. z.) on the south, and colfax (taylor and shaw, : ) on the east. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the western harvest mouse, _reithrodontomys megalotis megalotis_, in washington.] _remarks._--harvest mice from the states of washington, oregon, idaho, utah, nevada, california, arizona, and new mexico were examined to ascertain the validity of the name _reithrodontomys megalotis nigrescens_ howell (type from payette county, idaho). no cranial characters or measurements could be found to separate _nigrescens_ from _megalotis_. specimens from washington, oregon, and west-central idaho, within the range ascribed to _nigrescens_, averaged slightly darker in color with a more distinct, blackish dorsal line than specimens from new mexico. this difference is slight, and specimens from any one locality vary greatly in color. some washington specimens are as pale as the palest material from new mexico, and some of the darkest _nigrescens_ can be matched by specimens of _megalotis_ from arizona and new mexico. this slight color variant is not worthy of recognition as a distinct subspecies, and i agree with howell ( : ) that _nigrescens_ is a synonym of _megalotis_. _description._--the western harvest mouse is about the size and shape of the common house mouse. the length of the tail is approximately equal to the length of the head and body. the tail is slim and lightly haired. the upper parts are brownish buff lightly washed with blackish. a faint but distinct dark dorsal stripe is usually present. the underparts are white. from _mus_ and _peromyscus_, _reithrodontomys_ can be distinguished by the grooves on the anterior face of the upper incisors and the long brown hairs at the bases of the ears. this genus reaches the extreme northern limit of its distribution in the state of washington, where it ranges to the canadian border. a single subspecies occurs in washington. the harvest mouse is a resident of the upper sonoran life-zone and it is most abundant in dense growths of grass, weeds, and other vegetation. along the yakima river, near ellensburg, it was abundant in thick, river-side jungle. near yakima many specimens were taken in a marsh of cattails and tules. in the grand coulee they live in thick grass. near moses lake several were found in their nests in a thick growth of tumbleweed. harvest mice occur also, although never in great numbers, in relatively open areas. at the potholes near moses lake, grant county, a few were caught on sand dunes among scattered bushes of sage. they were taken on sagebrush flats in several localities. gray ( : ) estimates their numbers in the sagebrush area of the yakima valley at per acre. where harvest mice live in dense vegetation they make small runways and food piles similar to those of _microtus_ but in more open areas they leave no perceptible signs. near yakima the nest of a harvest mouse was found among the roots of an overturned apple tree. this nest was an irregular ball composed of fine grasses and shredded bark closed above, with a side entrance and a central cavity three inches in diameter. near moses lake three nests of harvest mice were discovered on the ground under cover of a dense growth of tumbleweed, and six live harvest mice were captured in the same area. these nests were cuplike, open above, and were composed of dry grasses, bits of weeds, and newspaper. the smoothly rounded inner cups measured about three inches in diameter. embryos were found in harvest mice in washington from march to april and numbered to . =peromyscus maniculatus= (wagner) deer mouse _description._--the deer mouse is slightly larger than the house mouse, the head and body measuring from - / to inches. the length of the tail varies considerably in the several races, ranging from approximately - / inches in _gambelii_ to inches or more in some individuals of _oreas_. the eyes are large and protrude slightly. the ears are large, erect and naked. the tail is sparsely furred with short, posteriorly directed hairs. the color of the upper parts varies from yellowish buff in _gambelii_ to reddish brown in _oreas_ and dusky in _austerus_. young deer mice are gray or bluish gray above. underparts and feet are white. the tail is bicolored, being dusky above and white below. [illustration: fig. . deer mouse (_peromyscus maniculatus austerus_), in captivity, seattle, washington, september , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] in washington _peromyscus_ may be separated from other naked-eared mice by ungrooved teeth and slightly tapering, bicolor tail. nearly every part of north america is inhabited by one or more kinds of _peromyscus_. the single species, _maniculatus_, which occurs in washington, ranges from the atlantic to the pacific and from the arctic to tropical mexico. osgood ( : ) remarks: "... it is probable that a line, or several lines, could be drawn from labrador to alaska and thence to southern mexico throughout which not a single square mile is not inhabited by some form of this species." deer mice are the most abundant mice in washington. they occur at sea level on the ocean beaches and above timber-line, even breeding in the arctic-alpine life-zone. they occur on the islands in puget sound, the lowland marshes and deciduous thickets of western washington, the great conifer forests, the alpine cirques and mountain parks, and the deserts of eastern washington. almost everywhere they are the commonest mammal encountered. they make their homes in city dwellings, under logs or in hollow trees in the forest, in the burrows of larger rodents and, if necessary, in burrows of their own construction. nests are usually cup-shaped masses of soft material, to inches in diameter with central cavities to inches in diameter. materials utilized include dry grass, shredded bark, rope, rags, newspaper, moss, cattail fluff, fur, wool, and feathers. one nest discovered in the attic of an old building near coulee city, grant county, consisted of the mummified body of a wood rat (_neotoma cinerea_). the fur of the arched body of the rat formed one side of the nest, while the fur of the far side of the body had been plucked to form the remainder. in the extensive marshes along lake washington, king county, deer mice occupy the ball-shaped nests of tule wrens (_telamtodytes palustris_). these are constructed entirely of fragments of cattail leaves and cattail fluff and are placed in the cattail rushes about four feet above the wet ground of the marsh. other deer mouse nests were found in an unused typewriter, in the pocket of an old coat, in a window frame, under a piece of tar paper on the ground, in a cavity in the ground under a board, between a ceiling and a loose bit of roofing paper, under rocks and logs, in hollows in logs, and in an unused nest of a wood rat. where plant cover is dense, nests are placed on the surface of the ground, as under thick growths of tumbleweed (_salsola_) in eastern washington. deer mice are definitely nocturnal. of thousands of specimens trapped only a few were taken in the daytime. two of these were taken in a rock slide at pass creek pass, pend oreille county, on the same day, and some unusual conditions may have incited them to travel in daylight. deer mice are active throughout the winter and their lacy footprints are seen on the snow in below-freezing weather. they are mainly terrestial but one race (_oreas_) is at least partly arboreal for it is often taken in traps set in trees for flying squirrels. one was caught in a trap set feet from the ground. all are good climbers, and _oreas_ is perhaps the best. one was watched as it climbed the rough cedar shake wall of a cabin, ran upside-down across three feet of rough ceiling, and descended the opposite wall head first. they are equally agile in climbing rocks and cliffs. the ordinary gait of the deer mouse is a steady run. when frightened it may leap a distance of one foot or more. when surprised in its nest it usually remains in the vicinity, hopping about in confusion, returning time after time to the exposed nest. the food of deer mice consists principally of vegetable material such as seeds, nuts, berries, and the soft parts of fleshy plants. mushrooms and lichens are eaten. insect remains are present in small quantities in most stomachs examined. flesh is also eaten and small mammals caught in traps are often eaten by deer mice. cannibalism appears to be common only in captivity. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the deer mouse in washington. a. _peromyscus maniculatus oreas._ b. _peromyscus maniculatus austerus._ c. _peromyscus maniculatus hollisteri._ d. _peromyscus maniculatus gambelii._ e. _peromyscus maniculatus artemisiae._] deer mice are often heavily parasitized by tapeworms and roundworms. virtually all of the deer mice taken on jones island in the san juan islands had livers so infected by the eggs of a nematode worm as to be swollen to several times their natural size, and had a yellow, crystalline appearance. the maggots of parasitic flies often occur in the anal and genital region of deer mice, effectively sterilizing some individuals. predatory snakes, birds, and mammals doubtless kill and eat deer mice. strangely enough, although deer mice may be the commonest mammal in an area, the pellets of owls collected in the same area usually contain the remains of relatively few deer mice. the impact of owls seems to be greatest upon mice, such as _microtus_, which follow definite runways. the breeding season of the deer mouse extends over most of the spring and summer. growth and development of the young of _peromyscus m. oreas_ have been discussed by a. svihla ( a). embryos found varied in number from to with a mean of . . =peromyscus maniculatus oreas= bangs _peromyscus oreas_ bangs, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , march , . _peromyscus akeleyi_ elliot, field columb. mus. publ. ., zoöl. ser., : . february , (type from elwha river, olympic mountains, washington). _peromyscus maniculatus oreas_ osgood, n. amer. fauna, : , april , . _type._--obtained on church mountain, , ft., mt. baker range, near the u. s. boundary, british columbia, by allan brooks on august , ; type in museum of comparative zoölogy. _racial characters._--size large; tail more than per cent of total length; color of upper parts reddish. _measurements._--twenty-five males and females average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . ; ear . . _distribution._--from the cascade mountains west to the pacific ocean, save for the puget sound area and a narrow band extending southward nearly to the columbia river. marginal localities along the west side of puget sound are: deer park (w.w.d.), lake cushman (w.w.d.), and kelso (m.v.z.). marginal localities on the west side of the cascade mountains are: tomyhoi lake (w.w.d.), forks of skykomish river (w.w.d.), north bend (w.w.d.), mt. st. helens (v.b.s.) and yacolt (m.v.z.). marginal localities on the east slope of the cascade mountains are: grouse creek (w.w.d.), lake wenatchee (w.w.d.), easton (w.w.d.), morrison springs ranger station (w.w.d.) and wind river c.c.c. camp (w.w.d.). =peromyscus maniculatus hollisteri= osgood peromyscus maniculatus hollisteri osgood, n. amer. fauna, : , april , . _type._--obtained at friday harbor, san juan island, san juan county, washington, by n. hollister on october , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _oreas_ but darker, less reddish, and with much shorter tail. length of tail about per cent of total length. _measurements._--populations of deer mice on the various islands vary slightly in average measurements. the average measurements of males and females from san juan island, males and females from blakeley island, and males and females from cypress island, are respectively: total length , , ; length of tail , , ; hind foot . , , . ; ear . , . , . ; weight , , grams. _distribution._--the san juan islands, san juan and skagit counties, in northern puget sound. =peromyscus maniculatus austerus= (baird) _hesperomys austerus_ baird, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, : , . _sitomys americanus austerus_ allen, bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : , august , . _p[eromyscus]., austerus_ bangs, amer. nat., : , january , . _peromyscus maniculatus austerus_ osgood, n. amer. fauna, : , april , . _type._--obtained at old fort steilacoom, pierce county, washington, by j. g. suckley, probably on january , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _oreas_ but smaller with relatively shorter tail; tail narrower at base, less sharply bicolor; upper parts duller, browner, less reddish. in _oreas_ the tail is usually more than mm. in _austerus_ the tail is usually less than mm. _measurements._--twenty-seven males and females from seattle, king county, average: total length . ; length of tail . ; hind foot ; ear . the average weight of adults is grams. _distribution._--the puget sound area and south to the columbia river in a narrow band through the lowlands. marginal localities on the west side of puget sound are: port angeles (w.w.d.), bremerton (w.w.d.), miles north of shelton (w.w.d.), tenino (w.w.d.) and mouth of klama river (m.v.z.). marginal localities on the east side of puget sound are: bellingham (w.w.d.), arlington (w.w.d.), everett (w.w.d.), miles east of monroe (w.w.d.), fall city (w.w.d.), and vancouver (w.w.d.). =peromyscus maniculatus rubidus= osgood _peromyscus oreas rubidus_ osgood, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , december , . _peromyscus maniculatus rubidus_ osgood, n. amer. fauna, : , april , . _type._--obtained at mendocino city, california, by j. a. loring on november , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--closely similar to _austerus_ but paler with longer skull. specimens from washington are almost purplish-brown in appearance. _measurements._--six males and females from puget island, wahkiakum county, average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . ; ear . . _distribution._--this is the deer mouse of the humid coastal belt of oregon and california. it enters washington only at puget island, wahkiakum county, in the columbia river. =peromyscus maniculatus gambelii= (baird) _peromyscus gambelii_ baird, mamm. n. amer., pacific r. r. reports, : , . _sitomys americanus gambelii_ allen, bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : , august , . _p[eromyscus]., t[exanus]. gambelii_ mearns, proc. u. s. nat. mus., : , march , . _peromyscus maniculatus gambeli_ osgood, n. amer. fauna, : , april , . _type._--obtained at monterey, monterey county, california, by w. p. trowbridge; skin catalogued on january , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--size small; tail short; color pale, varying from buffy gray to rich buff; rarely dark reddish brown. _measurements._--twenty-five males and females average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . ; ear . . _distribution._--the columbian plateau. intergradation with _oreas_ occurs between the columbia river and the cascade mountains. marginal records on the west are: chelan (w.w.d.), leavenworth (w.w.d.), cle elum (w.w.d.), satus pass (w.w.d.), lyle (v.b.s.). marginal localities on the north are: chelan (w.w.d.), miles north of coulee (w.w.d.), sprague (v.b.s.) and steptoe butte (m.v.z.). =peromyscus maniculatus artemisiae= (rhoads) _sitomys americanus artemisiae_ rhoads, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, p. , october , . _peromyscus texanus artemisiae_ miller and rehn, proc. boston soc. nat. hist., : , december, . _peromyscus maniculatus artemisiae_ osgood, n. amer. fauna, : , april , . _type._--obtained at ashcroft, british columbia, by s. n. rhoads on july , ; type in philadelphia academy of sciences. _racial characters._--similar to _gambelii_ but darker, more reddish; often with longer tail. _measurements._--ten males and females from northeastern washington average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . . _distribution._--northeastern washington and the blue mountains of southeastern washington, extending west, in northeastern washington, to conconully (w.w.d.) and south to duly lake (w.w.d.). =neotoma cinerea= ord bushy-tailed wood rat _description._--the bushy-tailed wood rat is slightly larger than the common norway or brown rat. the head and body measure about - / inches and the tail about - / inches. it resembles the deer mouse in general proportions. the ears are large and naked and the black eyes are large and protruding. the tail is bushy, squirrel-like. the feet are small and have furry soles. the fur is soft and silky. adults are brownish gray above with white underparts and a gray tail. young individuals have blue-gray upper-parts. wood rats range over most of north america. they exhibit great variation, especially in the southwestern united states. the bushy-tailed species occurs in the western united states and canada. wood rats are notorious for invading buildings in the mountains and in the desert. however, their natural habitat is broken rock or talus. this habitat preference accounts for their distribution in washington, for talus is common except in the humid subdivision of the transition life-zone. wood rats are probably most abundant in the talus slides of the columbian plateau, especially in the canyon of the columbia river and in moses and grand coulees. they are common in all the mountainous areas in the state where high altitudes and steep slopes result in the accumulation of talus. wood rats range from sea level to , feet elevation on mount rainier and from the upper sonoran to the arctic-alpine life-zones. great horned owls and probably all of the carnivores that share the range of the wood rat prey on it to some extent. sperry ( : ) lists _neotoma_ in four per cent of , coyote stomachs gathered throughout the united states. wood rats in washington are definitely nocturnal and are rarely seen in daylight. on january , , however, near colville, stevens county, a companion and i were sitting on the porch of a deserted shack eating lunch. suddenly a wood rat darted out of the open door into the full sunlight and tugged at a can, containing a few drops of tomato juice, which one of us was holding in his hand. when the rat looked up and saw the human, it hastily retreated. the wood rat has a habit of flattening its body tightly against the ground when observed and also of "drumming" with its feet when excited. this habit is shared by the snowshoe rabbit and the spotted skunk. a captive specimen "drummed" by lifting its back feet, alternately, about one-half inch from the surface of a piece of wood and striking downward with surprising power. the agility of the wood rat was demonstrated near wallula where we watched a specimen by the light of a flashlight as it climbed an almost vertical rock wall, taking advantage of small fractures for toe-holds. wood rats are far from noiseless in their nocturnal activities. near moses coulee, douglas county, wood rats were heard from a distance of feet as they scampered back and forth through a concrete culvert under the highway. many species of wood rats build complicated stick houses in which they live. in washington, elaborate stick houses are sometimes built but are usually not occupied. in the attic of an old building near pend oreille lakes, stevens county, two large and complicated houses were discovered. these were built of sticks, paper and other debris and measured more than three feet in diameter. three small, cup-shaped nests resembling those of a bird, made of soft grasses, moss, and shredded paper were found on the attic floor ten feet or more from the stick houses. these nests gave every indication of being used, while the piles of sticks contained no nests and seemed never to have been occupied. near moses lake, grant county, a wood rat house built in the rafters of an old shed was constructed entirely of tumbleweeds (_salsola pestifer_). this house was spherical in shape and measured more than five feet in diameter. it appeared to be unoccupied and a wood rat, probably its builder, was living under the floor of the shed. most wood rat houses consist of a half-dozen sticks arranged in a crevice in a rock pile or a cave. wood rats were placing fresh material on a house in the wenatchee national forest on january , , when there was two feet of snow on the ground and the temperature was hovering around zero. the house measured about one cubic yard and consisted of _ceanothus_ leaves and steins, with some twigs of fir (_abies_). it was built under a bunk in a broken-down cabin left by deer hunters. the collecting habit of the wood rat has gained it the name "pack-rat." taylor ( a: ) lists the following materials from a wood rat nest on mt. rainier: _nesting material_: rags, leaves, paper, thumb of a glove, string, thongs, oakum; _food_: apple core, onion peel, bacon rind, raisins, bars of chocolate, figs, puff balls, bread crust, meat scraps, cantaloupe rind, potatoes, dried apricots, lemons, mushrooms, beans, peanuts, banana, lumps of sugar; _miscellaneous_: dime, coffee can cover, paraffin from jelly glass, bones, pieces of candles and several cakes of soap. as a rule only one or two wood rats are trapped at a given locality, indicating that the species is not gregarious. the presence of wood rats in a building, cave, mine tunnel, or talus slide can be detected in several ways. the white, mineral-like incrustation formed by the urine of many generations of wood rats is usually conspicuous on rocks near their homes. a strong musky odor pervades the atmosphere in every habitat occupied by wood rats. wood rat feces, consisting of hard, black cylinders one-half inch long and three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, are invariably found scattered on stones or exposed areas of ground. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the bushy-tailed wood rat in washington. a. _neotoma cinerea occidentalis._ b. _neotoma cinerea alticola._] the food of the bushy-tailed wood rat is varied and includes insects and vegetation. a captive specimen that escaped in the university of washington zoölogical laboratories killed and ate a number of lizards. embryos found from april to june varied in number from to . =neotoma cinerea occidentalis= baird _neotoma occidentalis_ baird, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, p. , . _neotoma cinerea occidentalis_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , july , . _type._--obtained at shoalwater bay (willapa bay), pacific county, washington, by j. g. cooper, in june, ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--size large; color of upper parts cinnamon brown. _measurements._--a male and a female from glade creek, / mile north of the columbia river, benton county, measure, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; ear , ; weight . , . grams. _distribution._--throughout the state except in the blue mountains. _remarks._--specimens from the olympic mountains and western washington are slightly duller-colored than specimens from eastern washington and young from western washington are more bluish, less gray, than young individuals from the columbian plateau. the specimens from the columbian plateau show some resemblance to _alticola_. specimens from northeastern washington are more like typical _occidentalis_. =neotoma cinerea alticola= hooper _neotoma cinerca alticola_ hooper, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , may , . _type._--obtained at parker creek, , ft., warner mountains, modoc county, california, by n. b. stern on june , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--similar to _neotoma c. occidentalis_ but slightly paler, with paler hind feet and narrower sphenopalatine vacuities. _measurements._--a female from stay-a-while spring, columbia county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; weight grams. _distribution._--southeastern washington, south of the snake river. _remarks._--the only adult specimen available from the blue mountains shows well the characters attributed to _alticola_. =synaptomys borealis wrangeli= merriam northern lemming mouse _synaptomys (mictomys) wrangeli_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , march , . _synaptomys (mictomys) truei_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , march , (type from skagit valley, skagit county, washington). _synaptomys borealis wrangeli_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , june , . _type._--obtained at wrangel, alexander archipelago, alaska, by c. p. streator on september , ; type in united states national museum. _racial character._--dark color. _distribution._--the northwestern cascades, from mt. baker northward. _remarks._--the relationship of this race to _artemisiae_ remains to be worked out. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the northern lemming mouse in washington. a. _synaptomys borealis wrangeli._ b. possible range of _synaptomys borealis artemisiae_.] _description._--lemming mice may be recognized by their short, thick bodies, slightly larger than the bodies of the common house mouse (_mus_); short tails, which are less than per cent of their total length; small, inconspicuous ears; and grooved upper incisors. mice of the genus _synaptomys_ range over much of boreal north america. two species and eleven races are recognized by howell ( b: ). _synaptomys borealis_ ranges westward across canada from labrador to the pacific coast and from alaska south to washington. the lemming mice are terrestrial and inhabit runways similar to those of meadow mice (_microtus_). they are alpine in distribution. shaw ( : - ) found them among typical annual herbs in a cold, boggy mountain valley. other than this, nothing is known of the species in washington. indeed little is known of the life history of any member of the genus. the lemming mouse possesses four pairs of mammae, two pectoral and two inguinal. it is the most primitive of the microtines. it seems to be of boreal origin but is not known from the old world. it was evidently forced southward by the pleistocene glaciers into washington and is now retreating northward in the wake of the ice. the only specimens recorded from washington are from the northern border of the state. =phenacomys intermedius= merriam heather vole _description._--heather voles are heavy-bodied, short-legged mice, closely similar in general appearance to other microtines that occur in washington. their dull, brownish upper parts, lacking a distinct reddish dorsal stripe, separate them from the red-backed mice (_clethrionomys_) and the lack of grooves on their upper incisors separates them from _synaptomys_. their relatively short tail ( per cent or less of their total length) separates them from most meadow mice (_microtus_). there are no external characters which serve to separate them from all species of _microtus_ and the teeth must be examined certainly to identify _phenacomys_. in _microtus_ the angles between the cusps of the inner and outer sides of the lower molars are of approximately equal depth, but in _phenacomys_ the angles on the inner side of the lower molars are at least twice as deep as those of the outer side of the jaw. in addition the molars of _phenacomys_ are rooted while those of _microtus_ are not. the heather voles and their relatives are primitive microtines that range through boreal north america including the higher parts of the rocky mountains and the cool area along the pacific coast. several species are included in the genus: an arctic form (_ungava_), a lowland pacific coastal species (_albipes_), two tree-inhabiting species (_longicaudus_ and _silvicola_) and a mountain species (_intermedius_). thus far only _intermedius_ has been found in washington but further search may reveal that one or more of the arboreal species and possibly _albipes_ are also present. heather voles are alpine animals, seldom occurring below the hudsonian life-zone. they are rare as compared with most microtines, and are seldom taken in traps, even by the experienced collector of small mammals. evidence of their presence is most often found in the dense meadows of heather (_cassiope_ and _phyllodoce_) high on the mountains. here their feces, runways, and old winter nests are not uncommon, and heather voles may be far more abundant than trapping records indicate. they are not restricted to the vicinity of heather, however, for one of my specimens was taken in a marshy willow thicket near stevens pass in king county, one in a patch of skunk-cabbage in a grassy glacial cirque near tomyhoi lake in whatcom county, and one at the edge of a snowbank on a steep hillside at deer park, clallam county. in each of these places, however, there were heather meadows within a thousand yards. shaw ( a: - ) also found the heather mouse on "comparatively dry hill slopes" and reports that it "rather characteristically occurs in such log-tangled areas as former fire zones." [illustration: fig. . distribution of the heather vole in washington. a. _phenacomys intermedius oramontis._ b. _phenacomys intermedius intermedius._] the winter nests of _phenacomys intermedius_ are placed on the surface of the ground and in the season when occupied are deeply buried under the snow. they are spherical or oval in shape, six to eight inches in diameter and with a side entrance. one examined by shaw was "formed of white heather twigs, the interstices being filled with leaves of huckleberry." it was "lined with finely shredded grass." all those examined by me were composed of grass and lichens. the principal foods of the heather vole seem to be white heather (_cassiope mertensiana_) and huckleberry (_vaccinium_). red heather (_phyllodoce empetriformis_) is not eaten. shaw also lists beargrass (_xerophyllum tenax_) and lousewort (_pedicularis_) as eaten. a burrow excavated and figured by shaw, was slightly more than a yard long and contained four young in a nest situated but a few inches from one of the three entrances. the nest was made of grass and moss. a female taken at tye, king county, contained embryos on may , . one taken at pass creek pass, pend oreille county, contained small embryos on june , . =phenacomys intermedius intermedius= merriam _phenacomys intermedius_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _phenacomys intermedius intermedius_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _type._--obtained miles north-northwest of kamloops, , ft. elevation, british columbia, by g. m. dawson on october , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--size small; color of upper parts brownish gray; skull small. _measurements._--a female from pass creek pass, pend oreille county, measured: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; weight grams. _distribution._--known only from extreme northeastern washington at pass creek pass (w.w.d.) and the blue mountains. =phenacomys intermedius oramontis= rhoads _phenacomys oramontis_ rhoads, amer. nat., : , october, . _phenacomys olympicus_ elliot, field columb. mus. publ. , zoöl. ser., : , february , (type from happy lake, , ft., clallam county, washington). _microtus (lagurus) pumilus_ elliot, field columb. mus. publ. , zoöl. ser., : , february , (type from happy lake, , ft., clallam county, washington). _phenacomys intermedius olympicus_ howell, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _phenacomys intermedius oramontis_ anderson, canadian field nat., : , june , . _type._--obtained on church mountain, , ft., mt. baker range, british columbia, just north of international boundary, by a. c. brooks on august , ; type in philadelphia academy of natural sciences. _racial characters._--similar to _intermedius_ but darker, browner above and deeper gray beneath; skull large and heavy. _measurements._--a female from tye, king county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . a female from tomyhoi lake, whatcom county, measures: ; ; ; . _distribution._--the cascade and olympic mountains, from tomyhoi lake (w. w. d.) on the north, to mt. adams (taylor and shaw, : ) on the south. =clethrionomys gapperi= (vigors) gapper red-backed mouse _description._--red-backed mice are heavy-bodied, short-tailed and short-legged mice, similar in general appearance to the meadow mice (_microtus_). unlike the meadow mice, they possess rooted molars, a primitive character. they do not have grooved incisors, like _synaptomys_, or the great difference in the depth of the angles of the lower molars that characterizes both _synaptomys_ and _phenacomys_. externally _clethrionomys_ may be recognized by the broad red dorsal area from which they obtain their common name. their sides are grayish or dusky and the undersides buffy white. the red-backed mice, including more than one species, range over the boreal parts of the old and new world. in america they are found in most of alaska, canada and the northern united states, and extend southward in the rocky mountains and along the pacific coast. the one species _clethrionomys gapperi_ ranges across southern canada from the atlantic to the pacific, extending southward in forested areas to new mexico. they usually live in clearings in the forest. in the pend oreille mountains _saturatus_ was common in damp, mossy talus slides, along with _microtus longicaudus_ and _phenacomys intermedius_. the _clethrionomys_ outnumbered the two latter species combined by to . in nearby forest, red-backed mice were scarce but no other microtines were found. in the kettle river mountains a week later, red-backed mice were rare. a single specimen was taken in a damp place in the forest; none was found in talus slides. near stevens pass, king county, in the cascades, _cascadensis_ was taken in equal numbers in talus slides and under logs in the forest. near dewey lake, yakima county, in the cascades, i took them only in an extensive grassy meadow. in the blue mountains i found _idahoensis_ in the dense chaparral, far from forests. unlike _microtus_, red-backed mice do not make runways, although they sometimes follow the runways of other mammals. taylor ( b: ) found red-backed mice breeding on mount rainier from early july to the middle of september. one female gave birth to four young in a nest in his duffle bag. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the gapper and california red-backed mice in washington. a. _clethrionomys gapperi saturatus._ b. _clethrionomys gapperi idahoensis._ c. _clethrionomys gapperi nivarius._ d. _clethrionomys gapperi cascadensis._ e. _clethrionomys californicus occidentalis._] =clethrionomys gapperi saturatus= (rhoads) _evotomys gapperi saturatus_ rhoads, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, p. , october , . [_clethrionomys gapperi_] _saturatus_ whitlow and hall, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , september , . _type._--obtained at nelson, british columbia, by s. n. rhoads on august , ; type in philadelphia academy of sciences. _racial characters._--size small, about mm. in total length; tail short, about one-third of total length; ears large, projecting above fur; color of head and sides gray tinged with yellowish; back with distinct red stripe; underparts whitish tinged with buff. _measurements._--five males and females from pass creek pass, pend oreille county, average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . ; ear . _distribution._--northeastern washington from sherman creek pass (w. w. d.) on the west to pass creek pass on the east. =clethrionomys gapperi idahoensis= (merriam) _evotomys idahoensis_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , july , . _clethrionomys gapperi idahoensis_ whitlow and hall, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , september , . _type._--obtained at sawtooth (alturas) lake, , ft., blaine county, idaho, by c. h. merriam and v. bailey, on october , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _saturatus_ but brain case longer and narrower and dorsal area more reddish. _measurements._--seven males and females from the blue mountains average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , . ; ear . , . ; weight . , . grams. _distribution._--the blue mountains of southeastern washington. =clethrionomys gapperi cascadensis= booth _evotomys gapperi saturatus_ taylor and shaw, occ. pap. chas. r. conner mus., no. : , december, . _clethrionomys gapperi cascadensis_ booth, murrelet, : , august , . _type._--obtained miles south of blewett pass, , ft. elevation, kittitas county, washington, by g. g. cantwell, on october , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--dark and dull with underparts dull buffy. _measurements._--ten adults from the cascade mountains average (booth, : ): total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . _distribution._--the cascade mountains, according to booth (_loc. cit._, p. ), from hannegan pass south to mount adams. marginal localities listed are: swamp creek, glacier peak, mckenna, and mt. st. helens. these, and other localities listed by booth are not plotted on the accompanying distribution map (fig. ). =clethrionomys gapperi nivarius= (bailey) _evotomys nivarius_ bailey, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , may , . _evotomys gapperi nivarius_ taylor and shaw, occ. papers chas. r. conner mus., no. : , . _clethrionomys nivarius_ svihla, murrelet, : , may, . _type._--obtained on the northwest slope of mt. ellinor, , ft. elevation, mason county, washington, by c. p. streator, on july , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _saturatus_ but paler throughout. _measurements._--two males and a female from mile northwest of lake cushman, mason county, average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . _distribution._--the olympic mountains, from sol duc hot springs (w.s.m.) south and west at least to staircase, on lake cushman (w.w.d.). =clethrionomys californicus occidentalis= (merriam) california red-backed mouse _evotomys occidentalis_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , october , . _evotomys pygmaeus_ rhoads, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, p. , october , (type from mouth of nisqually river, pierce county, washington). _evotomys gapperi occidentalis_ taylor and shaw, occ. papers chas. r. conner mus., no. : , . _clethrionomys occidentalis_ hall, murrelet, : , september, . _type._--obtained at aberdeen, grays harbor county, washington, by t. s. palmer, on august , ; type in united states national museum. _measurements._--ten males and females average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . . _distribution._--the lowlands of western washington, east at least to cottage lake (w. w. d.). _remarks._--specimens from the type locality of _occidentalis_ and other places along the ocean coast are larger and brighter in color than specimens from farther inland, but the difference appears to me to be insufficient to warrant subspecific separation of the two lots. _clethrionomys californicus_ resembles _clethrionomys gapperi_ but is darker and duller in color with the red dorsal area more obscured and forming less of a stripe. _c. californicus_ is found in the forested lowlands of western washington, oregon, and northern california, and in the cascades of oregon. in washington, it is confined entirely to the forest where it is trapped under logs and on the layer of dead needles at the bases of conifers. mice of this species were numerous in the forest along the pacific coast on the long beach peninsula and at aberdeen, grays harbor county. at lost lake prairie, mason county, at the southeastern base of the olympic mountains, they were rather scarce, but were the only mammals taken in the deep woods. near shelton, mason county, at the eastern edge of the olympic mountains, a number of specimens were taken along with twice as many _peromyscus maniculatus_. at cottage lake, king county, near seattle, they were rare, comprising about two per cent of the mammals taken in two weeks' trapping. almost nothing was learned of the habits of these mice. they seem to be rigidly restricted to a habitat where few plants other than trees grow. the stomachs examined contained pasty masses of finely chewed white vegetation with occasional gray particles that might have been bits of lichens. the mice do not make runways like those of _microtus_. =microtus pennsylvanicus= (ord) pennsylvanian meadow mouse _description._--the upper parts are dark blackish brown and the underparts grayish or whitish. the tail comprises about a fourth of the total length and the foot does not exceed mm. these two features separate it from most other species of meadow mice. from _microtus oregoni_ it may be separated by its larger size, blackish color and well-developed eyes. from _microtus montanus_ it differs in being larger, darker, and in having a closed posterior loop on the innerside of the second upper molar. [illustration: fig. . pennsylvania meadow mouse (_microtus pennsylvanicus kincaidi_), from ten miles south of moses lake, washington, april , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] _microtus pennsylvanicus_ is the most common meadow mouse of the eastern united states. it ranges westward through canada and southward in the rocky mountains. a number of races occur in this extensive range. in northeastern washington the eastern meadow mouse is locally common, being confined to marshes and damp meadows. well-used runways are made through the dense vegetation and piles of feces and blades of grass are deposited therein. a number of broods are raised in a season, for young of many different ages are taken together in midsummer. on the columbian plateau this mouse lives in marshy areas about lakes and potholes. narrow trails are constructed through the dense vegetation. it burrows in damp earth and some occupied burrows are half-full of seepage water. cuttings found in runways show that the mice feed on a variety of plants, including sedge (_carex_). in the moses lake area the breeding season begins in march. embryos found march , , varied from to in number. this species is cyclically abundant. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the pennsylvania meadow mouse in washington. a. _microtus pennsylvanicus funebris._ b. _microtus pennsylvanicus kincaidi._] =microtus pennsylvanicus funebris= dale _microtus pennsylvanicus modestus_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , june , . _microtus drummondii_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , june , . _microtus pennsylvanicus funebris_ dale, jour. mamm., : , august , . _type._--obtained at coldstream. , ft., - / miles southeast of vernon. british columbia, by t. p. maslin. jr., on august , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--size medium; color reddish brown; fur short, harsh; skull small and narrow. _measurements._--three males from newport, pend oreille county, average: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . . _distribution._--northeastern washington, west to conconully (taylor and shaw, : ) and east to newport (w. w. d.). _remarks._--specimens from northeastern washington are larger and darker, more reddish and less gray, than _drummondii_. they are larger, more reddish, and have relatively narrower skulls, than _modestus_ from colorado and idaho. they closely resemble _funebris_ from south-central british columbia, and are best referred to that race. rand ( : ) considers _funebris_ a synonym of _modestus_ but i feel is incorrect in doing so. =microtus pennsylvanicus kincaidi= dalquest _microtus montanus kincaidi_ dalquest, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , september , . _type._--obtained at the potholes, miles south of moses lake, grant county, washington, by w. w. dalquest on march , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--large size; dark blackish color; long fur; wide, angular skull. _measurements._--six male and female topotypes average, respectively: total length . , . ; length of tail . , . ; hind foot . , . ; ear . , . . _distribution._--the columbian plateau, in the grand coulee area. =microtus montanus= (peale) montane meadow mouse _description._--montane meadow mice have short tails, flaring zygomatic arches, and heavily ridged skulls. they are small, about - / inches long, and buffy-gray in color. their short tails, less than one-third the length of head and body, and gray color separate them from all other washington meadow mice. montane meadow mice are widely distributed in the southwestern united states, where numerous races are found. they occupy damp meadows and marshes in the arid subdivision of the transition life-zone of eastern washington. they seem to require deep, dense cover of grasses, reeds, or sedges, near water. they are usually associated with harvest mice (_reithrodontomys megalotis_), wandering shrews (_sorex vagrans monticola_), and muskrats (_ondatra zibethica_). hawks and owls are their principal enemies, but predatory mammals and snakes probably kill many. montane meadow mice evidently are both diurnal and nocturnal; specimens were taken in the daytime as well as at night, and captives were active periodically day and night. captives were extremely quick in their movements. if disturbed they sat up on their haunches and chattered indignantly. it was almost impossible to handle them without being bitten. the trails of montane meadow mice are narrower than those of other meadow mice, and appear to be used the year around. burrows are numerous where the mice are plentiful. a heap of damp earth marks the entrance to each burrow. one nest of _m. m. canescens_ near lake chelan, chelan county, was under a log on a small knoll in a marsh. the nest was round, about inches in diameter, and was composed of cattails, grasses, and moss. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the montane and townsend meadow mice in washington. a. _microtus montanus nanus._ b. _microtus montanus canescens._ c. _microtus townsendii townsendii._ d. _microtus townsendii pugeti._] _microtus montanus nanus_ (merriam) _arvicola (mynomes) nanus_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , july , . _microtus nanus_ miller, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , april , . _microtus nanus nanus_ miller, bull. u. s. nat. mus., : , april , . _microtus montanus nanus_ hall, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , august , . _type._--obtained in the pahsimeroi mountains, , ft., custer county, idaho, by c. h. merriam and v. bailey on september , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--size medium; color of upper parts brownish gray; sides paler; underparts grayish white. _measurements._--a large male from prescott, walla walla county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . a female from prescott, walla walla county, and a female from pullman, whitman county, average: ; ; . . _distribution._--southeastern washington, westward as far as miles east of wallula (m.v.z.). =microtus montanus canescens= bailey _microtus nanus canescens_ bailey, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , april , . _microtus montanus canescens_ hall, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , august , . _type._--obtained at conconully, okanogan county, washington, by j. a. loring, on september , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--size small; color of upper parts pale brownish gray; sides yellowish gray. this race differs from _microtus m. nanus_ in generally paler, less brownish coloration. it does not differ from _nanus_ in any distinctive cranial features. _measurements._--two male and female topotypes average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , . ; hind foot, . , . . a series of males and females from selah, yakima county, average, respectively: total length . , . ; length of tail . , . ; hind foot . , . ; ear . , . ; weight . , . grams. _distribution._--the eastern foothills of the cascade mountains from the british columbian boundary south, probably to the columbia river. recorded east to benton city (taylor and shaw, : ). _remarks._--a large series from selah, yakima county, is somewhat intermediate between _nanus_ and _canescens_. these specimens from south of the wenatchee mountains are, however, more like _canescens_ in color than they are like _nanus_. bailey ( : ) records a specimen of this race from north yakima as _microtus canicaudus_. =microtus townsendii= (bachman) townsend meadow mouse _description._--the townsend meadow mouse is a large-bodied, long-furred mouse with a tail of moderate length. head and body measure about inches, the tail about - / inches. the legs are short and the ears scarcely project through the fur on the head. in summer the color is dark reddish-brown. the winter color is dark brownish-black. underparts are paler, more grayish brown, than are the upper parts. the tail is sparsely haired. townsend meadow mice occur west of the cascade mountains in california, washington, oregon, british columbia, and on some british columbian and washington islands. the habitats of the two races of the townsend meadow mice found in washington are wholly in the humid subdivision of the transition life-zone but vary somewhat in nature. the race _townsendii_ lives in marshes or damp meadows, under cover of deep, rank vegetation. these mice avoid forested areas or dry brush, but sometimes occur in dry grass when it is deep enough to conceal them from enemies. the race _pugeti_ has been recorded from meadows, salt marshes, driftwood strewn on sea-beaches, areas of sparse, dry grass, and piles of rocks. townsend meadow mice are as diurnal as they are nocturnal; specimens have been trapped at almost all hours of the day and night. their ordinary method of traveling is a slow run. when startled they make a dash for the nearest cover, into which they dive headlong. they make considerable noise while moving about and often may be heard from several feet away. captives in the laboratory seemed rather dull and stupid as compared with other meadow mice. [illustration: fig. . runways of townsend meadow mice (_microtus townsendii_) worn to grooves in the damp soil at seattle; may , ; dense cover of cattails has been burned off (w. w. dalquest photo).] in the fall, winter, and early spring the townsend meadow mice keep to their runways. these runways are used by successive generations of mice, and often are worn into ditches several inches deep. in the late spring and summer, when the grass and other vegetation in their habitat is tall and rank, offering complete concealment, the runways are abandoned and cuttings of rejected food are found scattered over the surface of the ground. the food of the townsend meadow mice includes the succulent leaves and stems of many grasses and annuals. near seattle the staple summer food is the velvet grass (_holcus lanatus_), although many other plants, including the horsetail (_equisetum arvense_), are eaten. in winter the common cattail is eaten. couch ( : ) found caches of the roots of mint (_mentha canadensis_) stored by this species. as much as quarts was found in a single cache. the cup-shaped nests of townsend meadow mice near seattle were below ground. embryos were found from may to may and varied in number from to with a mean of . in the san juan islands the nests of _m. t. pugeti_ were under driftwood. =microtus townsendii townsendii= (bachman) _arvicola townsendii_ bachman, jour. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, (pt. ): , . _arvicola occidentalis_ peale, u. s. expl. exped., mammalogy, p. , (type from puget sound). _m[icrotus]. townsendi_ miller, n. amer. fauna, : , july , . _microtus townsendii townsendii_ svihla and svihla, murrelet, : , may, . _type._--obtained on the columbia river (probably on or near sauvie island, multnomah county, oregon); type in philadelphia academy of natural sciences. _racial characters._--size large; skull narrow in interorbital region. _measurements._--eight males and females from clark and pacific counties, southwestern washington, average, respectively: total length . , . ; length of tail . , . ; hind foot . , . ; ear . , . ; weight . , . grams. thirteen males and females from seattle average, respectively: . , . ; . , . ; . , . ; . , . . _distribution._--the lowlands of western washington from bellingham (j.m.e.) south to puget island (v.b.s.). =microtus townsendii pugeti= dalquest _microtus townsendii pugeti_ dalquest, murrelet, : , april , . _type._--obtained at neck point, northwest corner of shaw island, san juan county, washington, by d. h. johnson, on july , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--size small; skull wide in interorbital region, averaging about . mm. ( . - . ); basi-sphenoid truncate posteriorly; upper incisors strongly curved. _measurements._--two males and females average: total length . ; length of tail . ; hind foot . ; ear . . _distribution._--found only on the san juan islands, san juan and skagit counties. _remarks._--the islands occupied by this race of mouse were heavily glaciated by the last continental glacier (vashon). mice of the species _townsendii_ apparently migrated to the islands early in the recent era, and under isolation developed the differences which now separate them from the mainland population. =microtus longicaudus= (merriam) long-tailed meadow mouse _description._--the several races of this species vary from small to large in size. their bodies are relatively longer and slimmer than those of the other meadow mice that occur in washington. their most distinctive feature is the long tail, only slightly shorter than the head and body. their fur is rather coarse. the color varies from grayish brown to dull reddish brown with a brighter brown dorsal stripe. the tail is bicolor; black or dark brown above, yellowish below. the underparts are whitish gray. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the long-tailed meadow mouse in washington. a. _microtus longicaudus macrurus._ b. _microtus longicaudus halli._] long-tailed meadow mice are widely distributed over the western united states, canada, and alaska. in washington the long-tailed meadow mouse has been taken in many habitats. one specimen was taken along a small, temporary stream through sagebrush in the upper sonoran life-zone. others were found in marshes and near water in the arid subdivision of the transition life-zone. in the humid subdivision of the transition life-zone they are not uncommon in damp areas along the ocean coast, but are rather rare in dry, grassy habitats. in the canadian and hudsonian life-zones they are fairly common in forest-free, grassy places, being most abundant near talus slides. altitudinally they range from sea level to , feet. long-tailed meadow mice are rather rare. several were taken in the daytime at round top mountain, pend oreille county, and two others were taken in daytime two miles south of tenino, thurston county. however most of the specimens were caught at night. long-tailed meadow mice do not, at least ordinarily, make trails as do other meadow mice. specimens are usually taken unexpectedly, and intensive trapping in the area where a specimen or two is taken rarely yields additional individuals. two specimens taken in the cascade mountains in september were pregnant; one contained two embryos and the other four. =microtus longicaudus halli= ellerman _microtus mordax angustus_ hall, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , april , (not of thomas, ). _microtus longicaudus angustus_ goldman, jour. mamm., : , november , . _microtus mordax halli_ ellerman, fam. and genera of living rodents, british mus. nat. hist., : , march , (new name for _microtus mordax angustus_ hall). _type._--obtained at godman springs, , ft., blue mountains, columbia county, washington, by s. h. lyman, on september , ; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--size small; color of sides pale grayish brown; brown dorsal stripe conspicuous; tail relatively short. _measurements._--four males and females from eastern washington average, respectively: total length . , . ; length of tail . , . ; hind foot . , . . _distribution._--from the blue mountains of southeastern washington north, along the eastern edge of the state, to british columbia, and thence west, north of the columbia river, to the cascades, and south along the eastern edge of the cascades to the wenatchee mountains. marginal occurrences are: pasayten river (taylor and shaw, : ), hart lake (taylor and shaw, : ), blewett pass (w.w.d.), boulder cave (w.w.d.), and satus pass (w.w.d.). _remarks._--four specimens from satus pass, klickitat county, are somewhat intermediate between this race and _macrurus_, and indicate that _halli_ crossed the columbia river when an alpine meadow land extended from the simcoe anticline to southeastern washington. one specimen from selah, yakima county, is colored somewhat like _halli_, and is smaller than _macrurus_. possibly the _halli_ type of meadow mouse spread northward to the yakima valley. this specimen was taken in the upper sonoran life-zone. a specimen from the arid transition zone at naches, yakima county (taken in almost canadian life-zone habitat), is like _macrurus-halli_ intergrades from the higher cascade mountains. =microtus longicaudus macrurus= merriam _microtus macrurus_ merriam, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, p. , october , . _microtus mordax macrurus_ dice, murrelet, : , may, . _microtus longicaudus macrurus_ goldman, jour. mamm., : , november , . _type._--obtained at lake cushman, mason county, washington, by c. p. streator on june , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--size large; tail relatively long, almost as long as head and body; color of upper parts dull brown; dorsal stripe obscure; underparts gray. _measurements._--two males and females from the olympic mountains and the coast of washington, average, respectively: total length . , . ; length of tail . , . ; hind foot . , . ; ear . , . . _distribution._--the olympic mountains, the coast region of western washington, and the cascade mountains, save in the southeastern part. marginal occurrences are: sauk (taylor and shaw, : ), tye (w.w.d.), naches river (w.w.d.), and wind river (w.w.d.). _remarks._--specimens from the cascade mountains are referred to _macrurus_ but are intermediate between that race and _halli_. =microtus richardsoni= (de kay) water rat _description._--this is the largest meadow mouse found in washington. it is too large to be called a mouse and the term water rat, applied to it by merriam, suits it well. it is the only washington microtine measuring more than inches in total length. the upper parts are dark, reddish brown in color; the underparts are grayish brown. the tail comprises about one-third of the total length. this species of meadow mouse ranges from canada south to colorado in the rocky mountains and in the cascades south into oregon. the water rats are strictly alpine animals, occurring about streams, marshes and damp meadows. in the cascade mountains they are most common in the glacial cirques where tiny streams flow through grassy meadows to plunge over the lip of the cirque on a rocky course of cascades to the valley below. here their broad trails occur along the stream banks, commonly entering the water where it is swift. these trails are well-worn roads, usually about four inches wide but often wider. the burrows of the water rat are about three inches in diameter and are constructed with no effort at concealment; large mounds of earth mark their entrances. freshly dug burrows are so abundant that it seems likely more are dug than are actually inhabited. burrows are often dug beneath rocks. the water rat is mainly nocturnal but not uncommonly is seen in the daytime. twice i cornered a water rat away from its burrow and each time it escaped by swimming. the rats swam with great speed but with much splashing. one dived under the surface of a small pool and disappeared. stones along the bank were pulled out until the rat was captured in a small chamber at the end of a burrow. the burrow entered the bank at the base of a large stone six inches beneath the surface. this burrow resembled a miniature muskrat burrow and apparently had been dug when the rat was under water. like _phenacomys_, the water rat constructs sub-snow nests on the surface of the ground. these are recognizable by their large size and by piles of ovoid droppings a quarter of an inch in length. these nests are loosely built and fall apart soon after the snow melts. the water rat is sometimes a pest to the mammal collector for they spring mouse traps set for other mammals without becoming caught. at times the greater part of an entire trap line was thus rendered ineffective by these mammals. fully adult animals are uncommon in collections for a rat trap or steel trap is needed to take them and these items, when packed on back up mountains to water-rat habitat, are usually set for still larger animals. racey (racey and cowan, : h ) recounting his difficulty in securing specimens when no suitable traps were at hand, writes: "killed one with my hands, shot another, and a third was stunned by a mouse trap." taylor and shaw ( : ) list food eaten by the water rat on mount rainier as the avalanche lily, dogtooth violet, _ligusticum purpureum_, _valeriana sitchensis_, _polygonum bistortoides_, _petasites frigida_, _phyllodoce empetriformis_, _potentilla flabellifolia_, _aster_ sp., grass, wild clover, conifer seeds, two kinds of blueberry (_vacinnium_) and _xerophyllum tenax_. racey and cowan ( ) list foods eaten in the cascades of southern british columbia as _lupinus polyphyllus_, _senecio balsamitae_, _pedicularis bractiosa_ and _arnica alpinus_. a female from dewey lake, yakima county, contained embryos on september , . one from tye, king county, had embryos on september , . =microtus richardsoni arvicoloides= (rhoads) _aulacomys arvicoloides_ rhoads, amer. nat., : , february, . _microtus richardsoni arvicoloides_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , june , . _type._--obtained at lake keechelus, kittitas county, washington, by a. rupert in september, . rhoads gives the altitude as , ft. this apparently is an error, for the elevation of the lake is , ft. and the summit of snoqualmie pass, to the west, is , ft. probably , ft. was intended; type in philadelphia academy of natural sciences. _racial characters._--size large; color of upper parts dark reddish brown; underparts paler. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the water rat in washington. a. _microtus richardsoni arvicoloides._ b. _microtus richardsoni macropus._] _measurements._--a female from tomyhoi lake, whatcom county, measured: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . a female from tye, king county, measured: ; ; ; . _distribution._--the cascade mountains, from tomyhoi lake (w.w.d.) south to potato hill (taylor and shaw, : ). =microtus richardsoni macropus= (merriam) _arvicola (mynomes) macropus_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , july , . _microtus richardsoni macropus_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , june , . _microtus richardsonii macropus_ taylor and shaw, occ. pap. chas. r. conner mus., no. : , december, . _type._--obtained in the pashimeroi mountains, , ft., custer county, idaho, by c. h. merriam and v. bailey in ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _arvicoloides_ but slightly smaller and redder. _measurements._--a female from stay-a-while spring, columbia county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . _distribution._--the blue mountains of southeastern washington. =microtus oregoni oregoni= (bachman) creeping mouse _arvicola oregoni_ bachman, jour. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, : , . _microtus oregoni_ miller, n. amer. fauna, : , july , . _microtus morosus_ elliot, field columb. mus. publ. , zoöl. ser., : , february , (type from boulder lake, , ft., clallam county, washington). _microtus oregoni oregoni_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _microtus oregoni cantwelli_ taylor, jour. mamm., : , august , (type from glacier basin, , ft., mt. rainier, pierce county, washington). [illustration: fig. . distribution of the creeping mouse, _microtus oregoni oregoni_, in washington.] _type._--obtained at astoria, clatsop county, oregon, by j. k. townsend in ; type in philadelphia academy of natural sciences. _measurements._--ten males and females from southwestern washington, average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , . ; ear . , . ; weight . , . grams. _distribution._--the cascade mountains, the olympic mountains, and the lowlands of western washington. _remarks._--a large series of topotypes of _microtus o. oregoni_ in the california museum of vertebrate zoölogy, and the rather large series from cowlitz county, washington, show a wide range of variation in color, size, and cranial characters. specimens from the cascade and olympic mountains seem to average a bit paler than topotypes of _oregoni_, but are not worthy of recognition as distinct races. too few topotypes of _microtus o. serpens_ from british columbia are available to judge the status of that race with any certainty, but specimens from northwestern washington are certainly _oregoni_. _description._--the creeping mouse is a small species of general microtine form. the head and body measure about inches and the tail about - / inches. the ears are small and the eyes tiny, nearly buried in the fur. the fur is short and rather rough. it does not lie back smoothly, thereby giving a woolly appearance. the upper parts are reddish or grayish brown and the underparts are grayish white. the nondescript appearance suggests a young rather than adult mouse. the creeping mouse (subgenus _chilotus_) is restricted to the pacific coast and ranges from british columbia to california. in washington it occupies almost every conceivable "mouse" habitat in its range, including wet marshes, damp ravines, dry forest, damp, mossy forest, meadows, alpine meadows and fields of short grass. it is rare in all but the latter habitat. in fields of short or dry grass it is often abundant. in the cascade mountains it was in relatively dry places along streams or rock slides. altitudinally it ranges from sea level to at least , feet, and from the humid transition well into the hudsonian life-zones. creeping mice construct tiny tunnels among the grass roots and seldom venture out of them. in suitable habitat the surface of the ground beneath the grass is a maze of these tunnels, which cross, intersect, and divide in a complex network. an observer standing in a field occupied by creeping mice can scarcely conceive of the extent and perfection of the tiny tunnel system at his feet. creeping mice lived but a day or two in captivity. save for the bits of grass blades left in their runways, little is known of their food or other life habits. their nests are round balls of dry grasses placed in cavities under logs. none of the many examined possessed a lining of softer materials. embryos found in pregnant females from april to may numbered from to . =lagurus curtatus pauperrimus= (cooper) sagebrush vole _arvicola pauperrima_ cooper, amer. nat., : , december, . _arvicola pauperrimus_ merriam, n. amer. fauna, : , july , . _l[agurus]. pauperrimus_ thomas, ann. and mag. nat. hist., ser. , : , april, . _microtus pauperrimus_ bailey, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _lemmiscus pauperrimus_ davis, recent mamm. idaho, caxton printers, p. , april , . _lemmiscus curtatus pauperrimus_ goldman, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , july , . _type._--obtained on the "plains of the columbia" near the snake river, southwestern washington by j. g. cooper on october , . probably from the bunchgrass hills near wallula (old fort walla walla), walla walla county: type in united states national museum. _measurements._--bailey ( : ) gives the average of adults from the vicinity of antelope, oregon, as: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . _distribution._--known in washington only from the type and a specimen from badger mountains, miles southwest of waterville (taylor and shaw, : ). _remarks._--this rare vole is the smallest microtine rodent in washington. the head and body measure about inches and the tail about inch. the upper parts are grayish or yellowish brown and the underparts grayish. the upper incisors are not grooved and the inner and outer angles of the molars are about equal in length. mice of the genus _lagurus_ occur in siberia and in prairie areas of the northwestern united states and canada. the sagebrush vole inhabits the upper sonoran life-zone. it prefers upland areas of low sagebrush with sparse grass. poorly formed runways and small piles of feces indicate its presence. the type of _lagurus pauperrimus_ was obtained in southwestern washington years ago, and a single additional record has since been obtained. nothing is known of its habits in washington. the life history of related forms has been reported on by hall ( : - ) from nevada and moore ( : - ) from oregon. davis ( : ) raised the subgenus _lemmiscus_ thomas (for american forms) to generic rank and goldman ( : ) accepted this usage. comparison of the siberian and american species reveals but three impressive differences: the dorsal stripe of the siberian mice, the greater development of prisms in the molars of the american species, and the presence of cement in the angles of the molars of the siberian specimens and its lack in the american. these differences seem to be of no more than subgeneric value. goldman ( : ) showed that all american _lagurus_ belong to a single species. =ondatra zibethicus= (linnaeus) muskrat _description._--the muskrat is a large aquatic rodent. head and body measure about inches; the tail about inches. the body is plump and the head small. eyes and ears are relatively small. the forefeet are small and handlike with furred wrists. the hind feet are large with webbed toes and naked wrists. the tail is narrow, constricted at the base and flattened vertically. it is scaled and possesses scattered, stiff hairs. the underfur is dense and soft. the guard hair is stiff and shiny. the upper parts are rich, dark brown. the underparts are gray washed with cinnamon. [illustration: fig. . muskrat (_ondatra zibethicus osoyoosensis_), male, lake washington, seattle, october , ; weight grams on november , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] muskrats are found in canada and the united states. they are lowland animals, rarely ranging into the canadian life-zone. their aquatic habitat makes them relatively independent of temperature, and consequently they occur in both the transition and upper sonoran life-zones. the muskrat is well adapted to aquatic life. the toes of the large hind feet are webbed at the base, the hind feet are turned slightly outward, a fringe of stiff bristles at the rear edge of each foot furnishes additional aid in swimming, and the laterally compressed tail makes it an efficient rudder. in the water the surface of the fur flattens down to entrap air in the dense underfur, keeping the body dry. the typical habitat of the muskrat is slow-moving water or still water, such as in lakes, ponds, marshes and sluggish rivers and streams. muskrats occur commonly, though not in large numbers, in more swiftly moving streams. in puget sound and the san juan islands they occupy a marine habitat. in the extensive marshes along lake washington, king county, muskrats are abundant. they occupy sluggish water, often water polluted by garbage and sewage. in these marshes, banks suitable for the construction of burrows are absent and houses are made of cattail stalks and leaves. the food of these marsh-living muskrats consists principally of cattail and other marsh vegetation. in contrast to the marsh-occupying muskrats, muskrats along the open, marsh-free shores of the lake live in deep clear water where waves lap the shore. these muskrats live exclusively in burrows dug in the banks and feed upon fresh-water mussels. in still greater contrast were muskrats living miles away, near cottage lake, king county. here we found them in small clear streams, to feet wide. depth of the water varied from a few inches to three feet. the streams flowed through meadows, pastures and junglelike, deciduous woods. muskrats were slightly more common along wooded stretches than in open areas. some were trapped where the streams flowed at high velocity over shallow, gravel bottoms. the animals lived in burrows and fed upon fresh-water mussels and a variety of plants. near richmond beach, snohomish county, muskrats took up residence in a small tidal pool along puget sound. the nearest fresh water stream large enough to support a muskrat was two miles away. two muskrats were trapped here. investigation of a tidal pool a mile to the north disclosed unmistakable muskrat signs. traps set in the culvert connecting the pool with puget sound at high tide took several specimens. study showed that the muskrats were not living in the pool but among the large boulders forming the breakwater for the great northern railroad, along the sound itself. they were feeding on marine mussels (_mytilus_). these mussels lived in the salt water of the sound, not in the tidal pool. at peavine pass, blakely island, in the san juan islands, muskrats were living in the swift tidal current and deep, marine waters. several were seen in late afternoon. all were swimming parallel to the shore about feet out. here also they fed on _mytilus_, but their homes were not discovered. certainly they were not living in the tidal pool at flat point, a half-mile away. in the interior of blakely island a colony of muskrats was discovered living in a marsh of about one acre. in the rainy season the ground of the marsh was covered with less than one inch of water. residents said that in the dry season springs kept the ground moist. muskrats were living in burrows whose entrances descended at a -degree angle and were filled with water. the ground about some occupied burrows was dry, the only water visible being in the burrow itself. a variety of marsh vegetation provided food. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the muskrat in washington. a. _ondatra zibethicus osoyoosensis._ b. _ondatra zibethicus occipitalis._] burrows of muskrats always have entrances under water. usually they enter a vertical bank to inches below water line and occasionally feet below it. about half the burrows excavated near lake washington, king county, had a single entrance. about per cent had double or triple entrances situated to feet apart and converging within a yard to a single burrow. about per cent had double burrows more than feet in length. burrows were from to inches in diameter. nest chambers were from to inches in diameter, spherical, and from to feet from the burrow entrance. the nests themselves were bulky, loose masses of cattail leaves. embryos found in late february and early march numbered to . because it is abundant, widely spread and easy to trap, the muskrat is one of the most important fur bearers in the state. the fur is relatively stable in value. in recent years the average skin has brought the trapper slightly less than a dollar. muskrat flesh is eaten and sold on the market in the eastern united states but has never been popular in washington. the muskrat does little damage to agriculture, most complaints arising from its burrows which interfere with irrigation ditches. =ondatra zibethicus osoyoosensis= (lord) _fiber osoyoosensis_ lord, proc. zoöl. soc. london, p. , . _f[iber]. z[ibethicus]. osoyoosensis_ hollister, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , february , . _ondatra zibethica osoyoosensis_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _type._--obtained at osoyoose lake, british columbia, on british columbia-washington boundary at head of okanogan river, by j. k. lord, in or . _racial characters._--color of the upper parts rich, dark brown. _measurements._--two males and a female from seattle, king county, average and measure respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , ; weight pounds ounces and pounds ounces. _distribution._--eastern washington generally and all but the southern part of western washington. specimens from as far southwest as tenino (w.w.d.) are typical of _osoyoosensis_. =ondatra zibethicus occipitalis= (elliot) _fiber occipitalis_ elliot, field columb. mus. publ. , zoöl. ser., : , april, . _ondatra zibethica occipitalis_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _type._--obtained at florence, lane county, oregon, by e. heller, in ; type in chicago natural history museum. _racial characters._--similar to _osoyoosensis_ but redder; fur shorter and interpterygoid spaces of skull narrower. _measurements._--a male from chinook, pacific county, measures: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; weight grams. _distribution._--the southwestern corner of the state, extending north to aberdeen (v.b.s.) and east to cathlamet (v.b.s.). =rattus rattus= (linnaeus) roof rat _description._--size large, total length approximately mm.; tail long, naked, comprising per cent or more of total length; color sooty black or brown; in brown phase, whitish beneath. the roof rat became established in central america some years ago, and entered the united states (english colonies) late in the seventeenth century. subsequent to the introduction of the norway rat the roof rat decreased in numbers and is now found only in restricted areas. =rattus rattus rattus= (linnaeus) _[mus] rattus_ linnaeus, syst. nat., (ed. ): , . _rattus rattus_ hollister, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , june , . _type._--from uppsala, sweden. _remarks._--in washington i have taken specimens of the roof rat in the san juan islands and in the coniferous forests on the west slope of the cascades. in the latter area it seems to be widely spread and to live in the wild. =rattus rattus alexandrinus= (geoffroy) _mus alexandrinus_ geoffroy, catal. mam. du mus. nat. d'hist. nat. paris, p. , . _r[attus]. rattus alexandrinus_ hinton, jour. bombay nat. hist. soc., : , december , . _type._--from alexandria, egypt. _remarks._--this subspecies seems to be rare in washington. my specimens are all from small, isolated islands in the san juan group. all were taken in the vicinity of human habitations. _r. r. alexandrinus_ resembles _r. r. rattus_, differing only in brown color of upper parts. =rattus norvegicus norvegicus= (erxleben) norway rat _[mus] norvegicus_ erxleben, syst. regni anim., : , . _rattus norvegicus_ hollister, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , june , . _type._--from norway. _description._--larger, heavier-bodied and coarser-furred than the black rat or roof rat with shorter, heavier tail. the tail is less than per cent of the total length. the color of the back is dull, reddish brown, the sides are paler and the underparts are dirty gray. _remarks._--the norway rat was absent from the pacific coast of the united states before . it probably reached the coast slightly after that date. it is common about all large cities in washington. in the western part of the state it lives along streams and marshes under feral conditions. =mus musculus= linnaeus, subsp? house mouse _[mus] musculus_ linnaeus, syst. nat., (ed. ): , . _description._--size small; tail about per cent of total length, naked; ears small, about mm. in height; upper incisors not grooved; color of upper parts reddish or grayish brown; underparts brown or gray. _remarks._--the house mouse became established in north america soon after its settlement by europeans. it is now common throughout the state of washington, principally near human habitations, but often lives in the wild. races of the house mouse have been dealt with by schwartz and schwartz ( : - ), and by nichols ( : - ), but lack of adequate material prevents subspecific identification of house mice from washington at this time. =aplodontia rufa= (rafinesque) mountain beaver _description._--the mountain beaver is a stout-bodied animal about inches in length, with a tiny tail that is almost invisible externally. the head is large, wide and low with small eyes, small ears and long vibrissae. the legs are short and heavy, but the forefeet are small and handlike; the hind feet are large and powerful. the claws of both forefeet and hind feet are long and strong. the pelage is short, coarse and rough. the upper parts are dark reddish brown and the underparts are grayish brown. the feet are pink. [illustration: fig. . mountain beaver (_aplodontia rufa rufa_), seattle, washington, march , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] mountain beavers are confined to the pacific coast and range from southern british columbia to central california. the genus contains a single species of which taylor ( ) recognized nine races. the principal habitat of the mountain beaver is clearings at the edge of coniferous forests. the animals are most abundant near springs, streams and damp places, although they are not aquatic. the tangled jungles of deciduous trees and shrubs that grow in the ravines and stream valleys of the puget sound area present optimum habitat. they occur also on hillsides, on logged-off land and along roadside clearings. in the mountains they occur in thickets and forests, always, in our experience, near streams. the most conspicuous evidence of the presence of mountain beavers is their burrows. these are large tunnels, four to eight inches in diameter. to each set of tunnels there are numerous entrances, some partly concealed in brush or beside logs or stumps, and some are in the open. those in the open are less used as entrances than as places for receiving the loose earth which the animals excavate. a pile may contain nearly a cubic yard of earth and stones. many of the burrows are shallow, and cave-ins are common. breaks in the roof of a burrow are not repaired, although debris is removed from the burrow itself. the burrows seem not to be constructed according to a system, but are extended to take in whatever brush, logs or other cover is available. they are commonly dug through damp or muddy soil. small streams flow through some burrows. such partly flooded runs seem to be favored by the animals. the nest of a mountain beaver excavated by scheffer ( : ), under the roots of a fallen tree, was oval in shape, twenty inches high and inches wide. the nest was protected from flooding by a basal chamber, or basin, six inches beneath the nest. two drainage tunnels lead away from this basal chamber. the nest was composed of the leaves and stems of bracken laced together with grass and fine twigs. two other nests examined by scheffer measured by inches and by inches. both were about two feet beneath the surface. around puget sound the mountain beavers mate in early march. the young number two to three, rarely four, per litter and are born in early april. mountain beavers enter water readily but wade rather than swim. they are rather noisy, splashing in water and breaking twigs or rustling leaves on the ground. they climb bushes and saplings, clipping off branches for food as they ascend. according to scheffer ( : ) they leave the stubs of branches attached to the trunk to facilitate their descent. twice a mountain beaver was found several feet up in a sapling. in both saplings the animal had clipped the branches close to the trunk and was desperately reaching with its hind feet for missing branches. when the observer came near, one animal squealed, tumbled to the ground, and scurried frantically to its burrow. although principally nocturnal, mountain beavers are not infrequently active by day, especially in the fall. at this season they harvest food and spread it on logs to dry. the cured hay is removed to their burrows for nesting material and food. in winter mountain beavers are more restricted in habits and are rarely seen by day. presumably they feed on stored food at this time but they forage somewhat. in winter they eat such evergreen shrubs as salal (_gaultheria shallon_) and oregon grape (_berberis nervosa_). they eat also the bark of trees, especially that of the willow (_salix_). under cover of snow, in the mountains, they burrow to some extent and pack excavated earth in snow burrows. the melting of the snow in the spring reveals the earth core, six to eight inches in diameter and two to four feet long. several such earth cores were forked, showing that part of the earth had been pushed into a branching burrow. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the mountain beaver in washington. a. _aplodontia rufa rufa._ b. _aplodontia rufa rainieri._] the mountain beaver holds its food in its forefeet, squirrel-like, when it eats. its food consists of the leaves and bark of woody plants and entire herbs, including roots. the mountain beaver is the only mammal so far as known that eats the bracken fern. it feeds on the branches of coniferous trees, including douglas fir, red cedar, and hemlock. such thorny species as the blackberry, blackcap and devil's club are eaten. the odiferous skunk cabbage and the stinging nettle are on its bill of fare. a list of its food would include most plants found in its habitat, and we know of no species that it refuses as food. the mountain beaver is more of a nuisance than a pest. in most of its range there is but little farming although where crops are raised the mountain beaver may do some damage. it undermines roads and trails and defiles springs and streams. control is simple for the animals readily enter steel traps set in their burrows. =aplodontia rufa rufa= (rafinesque) _anisonyx? rufa_ rafinesque, amer. monthly mag., : , november, . _haplodon rufus_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., ( ): , . _aplodontia rufa_ merriam, ann. new york acad. sci., : , may, . _aplodontia olympica_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , january , (type from lake quiniault, grays harbor county, washington). _aplodontia rufa grisea_ taylor, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , may , (type from renton, king county, washington). _aplodontia rufa rufa_ taylor, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , may , . _type._--none. based on a description by lewis and clark. taylor ( : ) regarded as typical specimens collected at "marmot, clackamas county, oregon (western slope of mount hood, not far from the columbia river)." _racial characters._--size small; skull small. _measurements._--eight males and females, from the area about puget sound, average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail . , . ; hind foot . , ; ear , . ; weight , grams. _distribution._--western washington, between puget sound and the cascade mountains and southward. marginal localities are: bellingham (u.s.n.m.), sauk (u.s.n.m.), forks of skykomish river (w.w.d.), north bend (u.s.n.m.), and mouth of klama river (m.v.z.). _remarks._--individual variation in mountain beavers is considerable. two weakly defined races are recognized in washington. =aplodontia rufa rainieri= merriam _aplodontia major rainieri_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , january , . _[haplodontia rufa] raineri_ elliot, field columb. mus. publ. , zoöl. ser., : , . _[aplodontia rufa] raineri_ trouessart, catal. mamm., viv. foss., suppl. p. , . _aplodontia rufa columbiana_ taylor, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , (type from hope, british columbia). _type._--obtained at paradise creek, , ft., mount rainier, pierce county, washington, by v. bailey on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--similar to _rufa_ but larger with larger skull. _measurements._--three males and a female from tye, king county, average and measure respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; ear , . _distribution._--the higher cascade mountains from the columbia river northward to the canadian boundary. marginal localities are: canyon creek (u.s.n.m.), cascade pass (u.s.n.m.), tye (w.w.d.), mt. rainier (u.s.n.m.), mt. st. helens (u.s.n.m.), and yacolt (m.v.z.). _remarks._--intergradation between _rufa_ and _raineri_ is seen in specimens from the area between stevens pass and skykomish, king county. =zapus princeps= allen big jumping mouse [illustration: fig. . big jumping mouse (_zapus princeps trinotatus_) in hibernation. puyallup, washington, january , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] _description._--the big jumping mouse is a medium-sized mouse, slightly larger than the house mouse, with an exceptionally long, tapering tail. head and body measure about inches and the tail about inches. the body is slender with a small head, small eyes and small, naked ears. the forefeet are small and handlike but the hind feet are large with long, powerful legs. the long, naked tail is smoothly tapering to a narrow point. the fur is short, posteriorly directed, stiff and bristlelike. the dorsal area is dusky, the sides are orange or yellow, and the underparts are creamy white. each upper incisor tooth has a groove on its anterior face. jumping mice are boreal mammals occurring in wooded regions ranging from the arctic region southward to north carolina, new mexico and california. jumping mice are of rather general distribution in washington, being only locally common. they are partial to damp, boggy areas but avoid true swamps. they occur in clearings in the forests in the puget sound area and in meadows in river bottoms and in jungles in ravines. they reach their greatest abundance in the boggy meadows and glacial cirques of the mountains and spread out from such areas to seemingly less favored habitat on dryer slopes and heather meadows. unlike many species, they do not seem to inhabit talus slides. they are entirely absent from the eastern washington desert. sometimes the jumping mouse walks on all four feet but the ordinary means of progression is by short hops on the hind feet alone. when startled they travel in great bounds, covering six feet or more at a jump. when jumping they make considerable noise, swishing or rustling through the grass and landing with an audible thud. the long tail serves as a balancing organ. a specimen whose tail had been lost was reported by svihla and svihla ( : ) to turn somersaults in the air and invariably to land on its back rather than its feet. jumping mice become very fat and hibernate in middle summer or early fall. in the lowlands they disappear by late july but in the mountains they remain active until the middle of september. they spend the winter in nests of grass several feet beneath the surface. a hibernating individual figured by flahaut ( : ) was curled in a ball, head down with the tail wrapped completely around the greatest circumference of the ball. near seattle the principal food of the jumping mouse was the velvet grass (_holchus lanatus_), and the seeds of grasses and the broad-leaved dock. the fruit of the blackberry (_rubus macropetalus_) is eaten and occasional individuals are seen with the chin stained a deep purple from the juice. the new-born young of the jumping mouse were reported by svihla and svihla ( : ) to average . grams in weight. they are pink, hairless, lacking even the facial vibrissae, with eyes closed and ears folded. =zapus princeps trinotatus= rhoads _zapus trinotatus_ rhoads, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, , p. , january , . _zapus imperator_ elliot, field columb. mus. publ. , zoöl. ser., : , february , (type from sieg's ranch, elwha river, olympic mountains, clallam county, washington). _type._--obtained on lulu island, mouth of fraser river, british columbia, by s. n. rhoads on may , ; type in philadelphia academy of natural sciences. _racial characters._--similar to _oregonus_ but brighter; sides orange; underparts creamy white; buffy area often present on chest. _measurements._--twenty males and females from western washington average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , . ; ear . , . ; weight . , . grams. _distribution._--western washington and the cascade mountains, east in the northern cascades at least to tomyhoi lake (w.w.d.). _remarks._--actual intergrades between _trinotatus_ and _kootenayensis_ have not been examined but the differences separating the two forms are of the degree that usually distinguish subspecies. since _trinotatus_ occurs in the high cascades as far east as mount baker, at least, and _kootenayensis_ probably occurs in the northeastern cascades, the two forms doubtless come together in the rugged, inaccessible area between these two localities. further collecting will probably show a narrow zone of intergradation in extreme western okanogan county. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the big jumping mouse in washington. a. _zapus princeps oregonus._ b. _zapus princeps idahoensis._ c. _zapus princeps kootenayensis._ d. _zapus princeps trinotatus._] =zapus princeps kootenayensis= anderson _zapus princeps kootenayensis_ anderson, ann. rept. nat. mus. canada for , p. , november . . _type._--obtained on green mountain, , ft., miles north of rossland, west kootenay district, british columbia, by r. m. anderson, on july , ; type in national museum of canada. _racial characters._--similar to _oregonus_ but paler; yellow more faded. _measurements._--twenty females, including topotypes, average (anderson, : ): total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . . _distribution._--northeastern washington. specimens from sullivan lake (e.s.b.) have been examined. =zapus princeps idahoensis= davis _zapus princeps idahoensis_ davis, jour. mamm., : , august , . _type._--obtained miles east of warm lake, , feet elevation, valley county, idaho, by w. b. davis; type in museum of vertebrate zoölogy. _racial characters._--similar to _kootenayensis_ but brighter in color, more ochraceous. similar to _oregonus_ but paler, more yellowish. _measurements._--davis ( : ) gives the measurements of six adult topotypes as: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot . _distribution._--a single specimen in the charles r. conner museum from kamiak butte, whitman county, is referable to this race. =zapus princeps oregonus= preble _zapus princeps oregonus_ preble, n. amer. fauna. : , august , . _type._--obtained at elgin, union county, oregon, by e. a. preble, on may , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--small size, pale color. _measurements._--three males and females from the blue mountains average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot . , . ; ear , ; weight , grams. _distribution._--the blue mountains of southeastern washington. =erethizon dorsatum= (linnaeus) porcupine _description._--the porcupine is one of the largest rodents found in washington, being exceeded in size only by the beaver. its body is heavy and stocky, its legs short, its tail long and thick and its eyes small. it is best known for the modified hairs, or quills, of its tail and dorsal area. these vary in greatest diameter from one-sixteenth to three-sixteenths of an inch and from three-quarters of an inch to five inches in length. they are ivory-white with black tips. in addition to quills, the porcupine possesses wooly, black underfur and long, banded guard hair. the bands of the guard hairs are black and yellow, varying in width. commonly they are of a single color, black, yellow or brown. porcupines range over virtually all wooded parts of north america north of mexico, in and above the transition life-zone. the canadian porcupines have been studied by anderson and rand ( a) and intergradation between the eastern _dorsatum_ and the western _epixanthum_ has been shown. the porcupines are commonly considered to be forest animals. however, they are rather rare in the denser coniferous forests. in the more open areas on the cascade mountains, especially on the eastern slopes, they are not uncommon. they are rather common in the coniferous forests of northeastern washington and the blue mountains. they seem to be rather common also in desert areas at the southern edge of the columbian plateau. the huge incisors of the porcupine are adapted to feeding on bark. they do feed on bark to a certain extent in washington, but it is my observation that more herbs and bushes are eaten than bark. in areas where porcupines are common, trees are commonly girdled, usually close to the top. trees girdled in this manner in the kettle river mountains included western larch, ponderosa pine, and grand fir. the tops of some trees were killed. the ordinary walking gait of the porcupine is a slow deliberate walk in which he appears to waddle somewhat. they can increase their speed to a slow trot. they are slow, deliberate climbers, ascending and descending trees with head upward. they are able also to climb rocks and cliffs, sometimes being seen on the tops of large boulders. despite their large size, porcupines are not commonly seen. they are mainly nocturnal and, in the daytime, find concealment high in the branches of some conifer or a cave between the rocks in a talus slide. while encamped near sherman creek pass in the kettle river mountains my companion and i heard a crunching of gravel from the road fifty feet away. we listened intently, wondering what person would be abroad in the mountains at midnight. in the vicinity of our car, concealed from our view by trees, the noise stopped, to be followed a few minutes later by a rasping and clattering that could be heard far away. we raced to the car to discover a large porcupine crouched on the running board by a pile of "pick-up" antlers of the white-tailed deer left there by us. the "porkie" had been chewing on these, heedless of the noise made by the loose antlers clashing against the metal side of the car. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the porcupine, _erethizon epixanthum_ in washington. boundaries between ranges of subspecies are uncertain.] in washington the single young is born late in may or early in june. there are two pairs of mammae, both pectoral, of which only the anterior are functional. =erethizon dorsatum epixanthum= brandt _erethizon epixanthus_ brandt, mem. acad. imp. sci. st. pétersbourg, ser. , (sci. nat. vol. = =): , . _erethizon dorsatus epixanthus_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., : , . _erethizon epixanthum epixanthum_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _erethizon dorsatum epixanthum_ anderson and rand, canadian jour. research, : , september , . _type._--none. type locality california. _racial characters._--size large, total length of adults approximately inches; tail long (nearly one-third of total length), thick, heavy and spiny; body stout; legs short; claws long and curved; ears and eyes small; body spines short, thick and most abundant on posterior part of back, longer and more slender on sides and shoulders; guard hairs of shoulders and sides long, almost concealing spines; fur of underparts shorter; color variable, brown, black or yellow. in winter the fur is longer and woolly, concealing spines. _distribution._--the columbian plateau and the blue mountains. _remarks._--anderson and rand ( a: ) ascribe two races to washington. with inadequate material myself to verify this ascription. i think it probable that the northern forest porcupine and the great basin animal are racially different. in consequence the available names, _nigrescens_ and _epixanthum_, are here applied, pending a revision of the entire genus. =erethizon dorsatum nigrescens= allen _erethizon epixanthus nigrescens_ allen, bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : , october , . _erethizon epixanthum nigrescens_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , april , . _erethizon dorsatum nigrescens_ anderson and rand, canadian jour. research, : , september , . _type._--obtained on the shesley river, british columbia, by m. p. anderson on august , ; type in american museum of natural history. _measurements._--a female from sherman creek pass, ferry county, measured: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear . a female from tye, king county, measured: ; ; ; weight pounds. _distribution._--forested parts of the state, exclusive of the blue mountains. _remarks._--porcupines are extremely rare west of the cascades but are occasionally reported from as far west as the olympic peninsula. =myocastor coypus= (molina) subsp? coypu, nutria _mus coypus_ molina, sagg. stor. nat. chili, p. , . _myocastor coypus_ kerr, anim. kingd., p. , . _type locality._--chile. _description._--size large, slightly smaller than a beaver; color rich, reddish brown; tail long, round; hind feet webbed for swimming. _remarks._--the nutria, a native of south america, has been brought to the united states and raised commercially on "fur farms." the species has become established in the wild in several localities in western washington and at the colville indian reservation in northeastern washington. for further details see larrison ( ). =ochotona princeps= (richardson) pika or cony _description._--the pika is of guinea-pig size, with a short, chunky body about mm. in length. the tail is represented externally merely by a tuft of white fur. the short, wide head has large, circular ears, large black eyes, and long whiskers. the legs are short and the soles of the feet are furred. the color of the washington races varies from grayish-yellow to dark reddish brown. like rabbits, all pikas have two pairs of upper incisors. the second pair, located just in back of the first, is small and delicate. _ochotona_ is a wide-ranging genus with many more species in asia and extreme eastern europe than in north america. three races of the species _princeps_ occur in the state of washington, where they are confined to the cascade, kettle river, and pend oreille mountains. the ranges of all three races extend northward into british columbia; one (_brunnescens_) occurs also in oregon, and one (_cuppes_) in idaho. in washington pikas live only in talus slides and rock piles, where they find refuge from most of the carnivores that prey on small mammals. their distribution in the state seems to be regulated by the distribution of talus slides, and areas free of talus act as effective barriers to pikas. they are abundant throughout the cascades but are absent from the olympic mountains although conditions there are well suited to them. probably the lowlands of western washington which, owing to moderate temperature and low relief, have little talus and exposed rock, serve as a barrier. the columbian plateau is also free of pikas. this may be due to the relative scarcity of talus as compared with mountainous areas, and the fact that much of the talus on the plateau is composed of fragments of basalt too small to afford the shelter needed by pikas. the aridity of the columbian plateau may contribute to the absence of pikas, although this seems unlikely in view of the fact that they occur on arid lands in nevada and elsewhere. altitudinally, pikas range from feet, in clark county, to , feet on mt. rainier, pierce county, and on round top mountain, pend oreille county. they occur from the arid subdivision of the transition life-zone, at milk creek, kittitas county, to the upper edge of the hudsonian life-zone, at glacier basin, mt. rainier. generally speaking, they are mammals of the mountains. common enemies of the pikas are the weasel (_mustela frenata_), marten (_martes caurina_), and hawks of several species. pikas are active by day, especially in the early morning. their call note is a short "eek!" which carries a long distance. this squeaking note is often heard throughout the night when rain threatens their drying hay. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the pika in washington. a. _ochotona princeps brunnescens._ b. _ochotona princeps fenisex._ c. _ochotona princeps cuppes._] vegetation used as food, either for immediate consumption or for winter use, includes almost all grasses, vines, shrubs, and trees available near the pika's home. the subalpine lupines are especially favored. even such a thorny growth as the devil's club (_oplopanax horridum_) is eaten. heather (_phyllodoce, cassiope_) has not been found in any of the numerous hay piles examined, even when it is the commonest plant in the vicinity. large bundles of plants are carried in the pika's mouth. the forefeet do not assist in transporting the load. if intended for immediate consumption, the plants are deposited on one of last year's hay piles and are eaten at leisure. the eating habits of the pika are rabbitlike. a large leaf is seized at the tip and drawn into the mouth with rapid chewing motions without assistance from the forefeet. plants destined to become hay are carefully spread out and exposed to the sun. in cloudy or rainy weather the exposed plants are gathered and stored under large rocks, to be reëxposed for curing when the weather improves. large hay piles often include more than fifty pounds of perfectly cured grasses, annuals, bushes and evergreens. no record of embryos is available for washington pikas, but a male with enlarged testes was taken at lake keechelus, kittitas county, on march , . half-grown young of _fenisex_ were taken at sawtooth mountain, skamania county, on july , , and of _brunnescens_ at slate creek, whatcom county, on august , . nearly full-grown young of _fenisex_ are reported taken at bald mountain, head of ashnola river, okanogan county, on september , . young _cuppes_ of several sizes were taken at sherman creek pass, ferry county, on september , . the breeding season possibly extends from march to august with a tendency to be earlier at lower elevations. =ochotona princeps cuppes= bangs _ochotona cuppes_ bangs, proc. new england zoöl. club, : , june , . _ochotona princeps cuppes_ a. h. howell, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _type._--obtained by allan brooks at the monashee divide, , feet, gold range, british columbia, on august , ; type in museum of comparative zoölogy. _racial characters._--smallest and palest of the washington pikas; total length less than inches; color of upper parts grayish-yellow, grayest on posterior third of back; underparts pale buff; skull small, but with relatively wide zygomatic and interorbital regions. _measurements._--eight males and females from round top mountain, pend oreille county, average, respectively: total length . , . ; hind foot . , . ; ear . , . ; one adult male from the same locality weighed . grams. _distribution._--this pika has been found at round top mountain (w.w.d.) and pass creek pass (w.w.d.) in northeastern washington. =ochotona princeps fenisex= osgood _lagomys minimus_ lord, proc. zoöl. soc. london, p. , (not of schinz, ). _ochotona minimus_ bangs, proc. new england zoöl. club, : , june , . _ochotona fenisex_ osgood, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , march , (substitute for _minimus_ lord). _ochotona princeps fenisex_ a. h. howell, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _type._--obtained by j. k. lord at "ptarmigan hill," near head of ashnola river, cascade range, british columbia, in early fall of (?); type in british museum. _racial characters._--size and color intermediate between _brunnescens_ and _cuppes_; length about inches; color of upper parts near pinkish cinnamon, becoming gray on posterior third of back; underparts washed with buff; skull of medium size and proportions. _measurements._--nine males and females from okanogan and chelan counties average, respectively: total length . , . ; hind foot . , . ; ear . , . . _distribution._--specimens referable to this race occur from the british columbian boundary south, through the eastern cascade mountains. along the western border of its range, _fenisex_ becomes larger and darker, merging into the race _brunnescens_. marginal records are: hidden lakes (u.s.n.m.), lyman lake (u.s.n.m.), mt. stuart (w.w.d.), easton (u.s.n.m.), mt. aix (u.s.n.m.), steamboat mt. (m.v.z.). =ochotona princeps brunnescens= howell _ochotona fenisex brunnescens_ a. h. howell, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , may , . _ochotona princeps brunnescens_ a. h. howell, n. amer. fauna. : , august , . _type._--obtained by george g. cantwell at lake keechelus, kittitas county, washington, on august , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--largest and darkest of the three races of washington pikas; total length inches or more; color of upper parts rich cinnamon, heavily washed with blackish; posterior part of back slightly paler; underparts buffy cinnamon; skull large and heavy with wide zygomatic arches but relatively narrow interorbital region and relatively narrow across maxillary tooth rows. _measurements._--eight males and females from within three miles of stevens pass, king and chelan counties, average, respectively: total length . , . ; hind foot . , . ; ear . , . . the average weights of males and females from mi. s e tumtum mountain, clark county, are . and . grams, respectively. _distribution._--from the british columbia boundary south to the columbia river and from the western cascades east to the area of intergradation with _fenisex_. marginal occurrences are: whatcom pass (u.s.n.m.), stevens pass (w.w.d.), keechelus (u.s.n.m.), cowlitz pass (u.s.n.m.), tumtum mountain (m.v.z.). =lepus townsendii townsendii= bachman white-tailed jack rabbit _lepus townsendii_ bachman, jour. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, (pt. ): , pl. , . _lepus campestris townsendi_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , july , . _lepus townsendii townsendii_ hollister, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , march , . _type._--obtained by j. k. townsend at old fort walla walla (present town of wallula), walla walla county, washington; type in philadelphia academy of natural sciences. _measurements._--a male from miller's island, klickitat county, in the columbia river, measured: total length ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; weight . grams. _distribution._--previously found over the grasslands of eastern washington. now restricted and scarce except in the okanogan valley. _remarks._--the white-tailed jack rabbit is the largest rabbit in the state, adults measuring or more inches in length. the long legs and long ears accentuate the impression of large size. its body is more bulky than that of its relative, the black-tailed jack rabbit. in summer the pelage of the upper parts is dark gray and in winter it is white over nearly the entire body. the white-tailed jack rabbit occurs from southern saskatchewan south to extreme northern new mexico, and from eastern washington east to wisconsin. a single race occurs in washington. in eastern washington "whitetails" favor the hilly, bunchgrass territory of the arid subdivision of the transition and upper sonoran life-zones. in winter they descend to the lower sagebrush valleys. the principal enemies of the white-tailed jack rabbit are the eagle, coyote, and bobcat. of , stomachs of coyotes from washington, sperry ( : ) found that percent contained rabbits, including jack rabbits, snowshoe hares, and cottontails. in the daytime, white-tailed jack rabbits hide in forms which consist of shallow holes dug at the bases of bushes or beside rocks. they feed in the morning, evening, and in the night along wide, well-defined trails through the bunchgrass. if startled from their forms they dash off in bounding, erratic leaps, skimming away until lost to sight. a whitetail has been timed at a speed of miles per hour (cottam and williams, : ). the early explorers and settlers found the white-tailed jack rabbits abundant in eastern washington. with the invasion and spread of the black-tailed jack rabbit, and the reduction of native bunchgrass through overgrazing by livestock, the whitetail has become rare. in several years of field work on the columbian plateau, i saw none. near wallula, the type locality, residents had not seen whitetails for years, but thought there might be a few left "back in the hills." there are thought to be a few left near ellensburg and yakima. only in the okanogan valley are the whitetails holding their own; they are reasonably common there. in winter they come down from the hills on to the sagebrush flats along the okanogan river in okanogan county. in january it is not unusual to see as many as five in a day's drive. when, as will most certainly occur, the black-tailed jack rabbit enters the okanogan valley, the splendid whitetail may be expected to disappear from washington. because this species has been so reduced in numbers, no distributional map has been included. taylor and shaw ( : ) give its range as: "north to oroville, east to pullman, south to asotin, walla walla, and kennewick, and west to lake chelan (manson), yakima valley, and klickitat county." this range is similar to that of the nuttall cottontail (fig. ). =lepus americanus= erxleben snowshoe rabbit _description._--the appearance, size, and proportions of the snowshoe rabbit are similar to those of the belgian hare. the body is about inches in length, the ears are midway in size between those of the cottontail and the jack rabbit, and the feet are relatively long and the tail is short. in summer the color of the upper parts is reddish brown, varying with the subspecies. the winter pelage of _lepus a. washingtonii_ is a slightly paler brown than the summer coat. in the other three races in washington the winter coat is entirely white, except for the dusky borders of the ears. snowshoe rabbits occur in alaska, canada, and the northern united states, from the atlantic to the pacific. they are absent in desert or prairie regions but range far southward in the united states in mountainous areas. they are found throughout washington, except on the columbian plateau and in the okanogan river valley. none of the four races found in washington is restricted exclusively to the state. snowshoe rabbits live only in wooded areas. their habitat varies from dense, impenetrable rain-forests along the ocean to the alpine parks, dotted with trees, of the hudsonian life-zone. they occur in humid and arid subdivisions of the transition, canadian, and hudsonian life-zones. altitudinally they range from sea level to , feet (mt. rainier). enemies of the snowshoe rabbit include the coyote, bobcat, lynx, long-tailed weasel, and great horned owl. snowshoe rabbits are largely nocturnal or crepuscular in habit. they are secretive and slip away quietly at the least threat of danger. persons often live for years in localities where snowshoe rabbits are abundant without seeing a live individual. those that are seen ordinarily have been startled from their forms at midday, or surprised while feeding on clover along a highway in the early morning. more commonly they are seen crossing a road in the lights of an automobile. tracks, easily found after a fresh snowfall, give some indication of their numbers in any locality. little information is available on the fluctuations of numbers of snowshoe rabbits in washington. floyd thornton, a trapper living at forks, clallam county, states that they were numerous in , scarce in - , and fairly common in - . more rabbits are seen shortly after the breeding season than at other times of the year. from april - , , i saw none on a highway extending about miles along the west coast of the olympic peninsula, but on june - here counted dead on the road and saw running across it. one was about one-third grown and another two-thirds grown. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the snowshoe hare in washington. a. _lepus americanus washingtonii._ b. _lepus americanus cascadensis._ c. _lepus americanus columbiensis._ d. _lepus americanus pineus._] the snowshoe rabbits are classed as game animals in washington but few people hunt them. their winter food includes buds and needles of hemlock, douglas fir, and probably other evergreens. annuals, grasses, and shrubs, as well as douglas fir needles, are eaten in the summer. snowshoe rabbits do some damage by eating the bark of trees and the boughs of newly planted evergreens. together with rodents they are responsible for serious damage to plantations of douglas fir and hemlock on the olympic peninsula. at least in summer, they are heavily parasitized by fleas and ticks and may in addition carry tularemia, or rabbit fever. scheffer ( : - ) found that the young were born from may to july in the puget sound area and that there were from to , usually per litter. =lepus americanus washingtonii= baird _lepus washingtonii_ baird, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, : , . [_lepus americanus_] var. _washingtoni_ j. a. allen, proc. boston soc. nat. hist., : , february , . _lepus americanus washingtoni_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., : , . _type._--obtained by g. suckley at steilacoom, pierce county, washington, on april , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--size small for a snowshoe rabbit; color of upper parts dark, in summer between sayal brown and cinnamon, in winter slightly paler, near pale cinnamon buff (capitalized color terms in the accounts of the lagomorphs are after ridgway, color standards and color nomenclature, washington, d. c., ); underparts white; soles of feet usually stained yellowish, brownish, or blackish. _measurements._--two males and females from the olympic peninsula average, respectively: total length , . ; hind foot , . weight of a mm. male from the same locality - / lbs. _distribution._--this snowshoe rabbit occupies the humid subdivision of the transition life-zone of western washington from the british columbian boundary south to the columbia river. marginal occurrences are (from dalquest, : ): mt. vernon, paradise lake, lake kapowsin, and white salmon. =lepus americanus cascadensis= nelson _lepus bairdi cascadensis_ nelson, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , december , . _lepus americanus cascadensis_ racey and cowan, ann. rept. provincial mus. british columbia, p. h , . _type._--obtained by w. c. colt near hope, british columbia, on june , ; type in museum of comparative zoölogy. _racial characters._--size medium for a snowshoe rabbit; color of upper parts in summer near orange cinnamon; head paler, sharply marked off from body; underparts white. color in winter: entire body pure white except for dusky borders of ears and eyelids. _measurements._--three males and females from kittitas county, washington, average, respectively: total length , ; hind foot , . _distribution._--the cascade mountains from the british columbia boundary south to mount adams. marginal occurrences are: skykomish (dalquest, : ), vance (dalquest, : ) and mi. w guler (w.w.d.). =lepus americanus pineus= dalquest _lepus americanus pineus_ dalquest, jour. mamm., : , may , . _type._--obtained by p. g. putnam at cedar mountain (now moscow mountain), latah county, idaho, on may , ; type in university of michigan, museum of zoölogy. _racial characters._--size small for a snowshoe rabbit; in summer, upper parts cinnamon brown, with sides slightly paler and rump patch blackish; color of the head between sayal brown and cinnamon; hips light olivaceous buff; chest-band light cinnamon; ears blackish, often edged with white. in winter the color of the entire body is white, save for the dusky edges of the ears and the blackish eyelids. the color of the underfur in winter is usually pale pinkish cinnamon, rarely light vinaceous cinnamon or orange cinnamon, with the basal portion slaty. _measurements._--two males and females, from northeastern washington, average, respectively: total length , ; hind foot . , . the average measurements of males and females from the blue mountains are: , ; , . _distribution._--the pine forests of the arid subdivision of the transition life-zone along the eastern border of washington, in the blue mountains, and in the forested parts of northeastern washington as far west as the kettle river range. western records of occurrence are (dalquest, : ): deep lake, colville, calispel peak. =lepus americanus columbiensis= rhoads _lepus americanus columbiensis_ rhoads, proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, p. , june, . _type._--obtained by s. n. rhoads at vernon, british columbia, on july , ; type in philadelphia academy of natural sciences. _racial characters._--size large; color in summer: upper parts near cinnamon brown, sides and head slightly paler; top of tail and small rump-patch blackish; chest-band pale cinnamon brown; hips light ochraceous buff; chin and belly white. _measurements._--a male from molson, okanogan county, measures: total length ; length of tail . a male and a female from danville, ferry county, measure, respectively: , ; , . _distribution._--only a small part of the range of this rabbit lies within the state of washington; the greater part is in british columbia. in washington it occupies the timbered areas north of the columbia river, east of the okanogan river, and west of the kettle river range. records are (dalquest, : ): molson, danville and republic. in the paper, the latter locality was erroneously listed under _pineus_. =lepus californicus deserticola= mearns black-tailed jack rabbit _lepus texianus deserticola_ mearns, proc. u. s. nat. mus., : , june , . _lepus texianus wallawalla_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , july , (type from touchet, walla walla county, washington). _lepus californicus deserticola_ nelson, n. amer. fauna, : , august , . _type._--obtained at western edge of colorado desert, imperial county, california; type in american museum of natural history. _measurements._--three males and females from union gap, yakima county, average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; ear , . two females from the same locality weighed and - / pounds, respectively. _distribution._--the columbian plateau, southeastern washington, and the yakima valley area. the northernmost locality record is moses coulee (w.w.d.). _remarks._--the blacktail is the commonest jack rabbit of the west. it is larger than the domestic rabbit and its enormous ears, long, gangling legs, and bounding gait make it appear even larger than it really is. its iron-gray color, black tail and black ear tips match its sagebrush habitat. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the black-tailed jack rabbit, _lepus californicus deserticola_, in washington.] black-tailed jack rabbits reach the northern limit of their distribution on the columbian plateau of eastern washington. they extend from washington south to the valley of mexico and from the pacific coast east to missouri (nelson, : ). about races are recognized, of which only one is native to washington. the blacktail is restricted to the upper sonoran life-zone. seldom is it found far from sagebrush (_artemisia_) and rabbitbrush (_chrysothamus_). it is well adapted to desert life, and is able to withstand the bitterly cold winters and hot, dry summers of eastern washington. blacktails are active in the evening, night, morning, and cooler parts of the day. in the daytime they crouch in forms consisting of shallow depressions at the bases of shrubs. blacktails eat the twigs and leaves of sagebrush, rabbitbrush, other desert shrubs, and grasses. they are particularly fond of alfalfa and cultivated crops, of which they destroy great quantities. they are serious pests during periodic years of abundance. some measure of their abundance may be gained by counting the bodies of jack rabbits killed by cars on well-traveled highways through sagebrush areas. in years of abundance these may number to per mile, while in years of scarcity these may number only one or two. black-tailed jack rabbits are susceptible to numerous parasites and diseases including tularemia. diseased rabbits are especially noticeable during years of abundance. jack rabbits are almost never used as food although many are shot for sport or to protect crops. the black-tailed jack rabbit is a swift runner. cottam and williams ( : ) timed individuals while running under varying conditions. full speeds for to yards varied from to miles per hour. the maximum speed was attained by two individuals, each for yards. embryos found in march numbered , and . =sylvilagus nuttallii nuttallii= (bachman) nuttall cottontail _lepus nuttallii_ bachman, jour. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, : , . _lepus artemisia_ bachman, jour. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia, : , (type from wallula, walla walla county, washington). [_lepus sylvaticus_] var. _nuttallii_ allen, proc. boston soc. nat. hist., : , february , . _lepus sylvaticus nuttalli_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., : , . _sylvilagus (sylvilagus) nuttallii_ lyon, smithsonian misc. coll., (no. ): , june , . _sylvilagus nuttalli_ nelson, n. a. fauna, : , august , . _type._--obtained near mouth of malheur river, malheur county, oregon. by t. nuttall in august, ; type in philadelphia academy of natural sciences. _measurements._--two males and females from moses lake, grant county, average, respectively: total length , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; ear . , . _distribution._--the columbian plateau, okanogan valley, yakima valley and columbia valley in southeastern washington; in general, the sagebrush area of eastern washington; north in the okanogan river valley to oroville and in the columbia valley to kettle falls (w.w.d., records not all shown on map). _remarks._--nuttall cottontails are small, grayish-brown rabbits with relatively short, rounded ears and short legs. their small size and small ears, which lack black tips, distinguish them from jack rabbits where the two occur together. [illustration: fig. . distribution of the nuttall cottontail. _sylvilagus nuttallii nuttallii_, in washington.] the genus _sylvilagus_ is found in both north and south america. the species _nuttallii_, with three subspecies, is restricted to the western part of the united states. it ranges from southern canada south to central new mexico and from western south dakota west to the cascades. a single race occurs in washington. nuttall cottontails depend on cover for concealment from enemies. they frequent thick stands of tall sagebrush, riparian thickets, or rocky coulees. seldom are they encountered in the open. in the sand-dune areas near moses lake cottontails were abundant in the dense, thorny thickets about potholes and in areas of tall sagebrush. they are especially common near the talus at the bases of the walls of grand coulee, and moses coulee where they do not hesitate to enter crevices in rock slides for protection. indeed, cottontails are abundant everywhere within their range in the state of washington, where suitable cover and food are present. they seem to be confined to the upper sonoran life-zone. cottontails are most active at night, as is attested by the number killed then by automobiles on highways. the greatest number are seen by observers in the morning and evening but it is not unusual to see an animal feeding at midday. when startled they dash for the nearest thicket or pile of rocks with their tiny white tails erect. they travel in relatively straight lines and do not dash from side to side in flight as do jack rabbits. they sometimes seek concealment by "freezing" motionlessly in plain sight. when feeding undisturbed they travel by slow hops. the trails of cottontails are characteristic of thickets in sagebrush country. the trails are narrow, less than four inches wide, and often enter thickets of strong, thorny growths which can scarcely be penetrated by man. near okanogan lake the trails of cottontails were found among greasewood bushes on hard-packed gravel. trails are usually most abundant in thickets near water. permanent trails are not made through low sagebrush or over sandy areas where the animals prefer to pick their way when traveling from one clump of cover to another. nuttall cottontails probably eat many desert grasses, annuals, and shrubs; observation indicates that sagebrush (_artemisiae tridentata_) and rabbit brush (_chrysothamnus nauseosus_) are particularly important as food. the young of cottontails in washington seem to vary from one to four per litter and are born between april and june. =sylvilagus floridanus= (allen) subsp.? florida cottontail _lepus sylvaticus floridanus_ allen, bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : , october , . _sylvilagus floridanus_ lyon, smithsonian misc. coll., (no. ): , june , . _description._--slightly larger than the sagebrush cottontail; smaller than the snowshoe rabbit; ears small; color of upper parts pinkish cinnamon-brown; sides pale grayish-cinnamon; underparts white; nape of neck cinnamon; chest band paler cinnamon; tail brown above, white beneath; forefeet and sides of hind feet cinnamon. _remarks._--the florida cottontail is not native to the state of washington but has been introduced at several localities. it is spreading rapidly at the present time. points of introduction include pullman, whitman county ( - ); battleground, clark county ( ); auburn, king county ( ); and whidby island, island county ( ). at least two subspecies (_mearnsi_, _alacer_) have been introduced and a third (_similis_) may have been introduced. for further information on introduced cottontails see dalquest ( b: - ). =sylvilagus idahoensis= (merriam) pigmy rabbit _lepus idahoensis_ merriam. n. amer. fauna, : , july , . _brachylagus idahoensis_ lyon, smithsonian misc. coll., (no. ): , june , . _sylvilagus idahoensis_ grinnell, dixon and linsdale, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , october , . _type._--obtained in the pahsimeroi valley, custer county, idaho, by v. bailey and b. h. dutcher on september , ; type in united states national museum. _distribution._--known only from the central part of the columbian plateau. _description._--the pigmy rabbit is a tiny species, differing from the cottontail in smaller size, paler, grayer color, shorter ears and smaller legs. the pigmy rabbit is restricted to the great basin region. no subspecies has been described. it is rare and of local occurrence in washington, having been recorded only from the central part of the columbian plateau. orr ( ), who studied the species in california, found them only in stands of tall, dense sage (_artemisiae tridentata_). it is a burrowing form, not straying far from its hole. =cervus canadensis= (erxleben) elk or wapiti _description._--the elk, next to the moose, is our largest deer. the legs of the elk are slender. the tail is a short, pointed stub a few inches long. the neck is thick in proportion to the head. both males and females possess the canine teeth familiar as "elk tooth charms." only the males possess antlers. these are huge, slender beams that curve up, out and back with the basal tine or "dog killer" and four to six points on each antler. the antlers are deciduous and are shed annually. the body is grayish or tan in color. the head, neck, chest and legs are rich, dark brown, strongly contrasting with the paler body. the distinctive rump patch is pale tan or white. in the past the elk was found over most of the forested areas of washington. lumbering, agriculture and settlement as well as excessive hunting removed it from parts of eastern washington and all except the most inaccessible parts of the lowlands of western washington. only in the cascade and olympic mountains and the coastal strip between the columbia river and the olympic mountains, did the elk survive in appreciable numbers. conservationists and a more enlightened game policy began to protect the elk at the turn of the century. it was already too late to save the species in eastern washington, where it seems never to have been truly abundant and where relatively open country afforded little protection from the high-powered rifle. in the dense, rugged forests of western washington a sizable number remained on the olympic peninsula and these, under protection, increased to their present numbers. the dense, tangled forests of the southwestern coastal area and the western cascades lack conditions suitable to support truly large elk herds. these areas probably now have as large an elk population as can safely be supported and fed. the elk of eastern washington had disappeared or nearly disappeared by . the race originally occurring there was the rocky mountain form; it has been reintroduced from montana and wyoming into northeastern washington and the blue mountains area. these plantings have not been very successful. introduced in the eastern cascades, however, the rocky mountain elk thrived and increased on what was probably once the peripheral range of the coastal elk. the habits of the elk are best known from the herds in the olympic mountains and on the rattlesnake game refuge in the eastern cascade mountains. here the animals are numerous and relatively tame. their habits seem to differ somewhat in the forests of the lowlands from those of the animals in the higher olympics where the topography and climate are very different. [illustration: fig. . elk or wapiti (_cervus canadensis nelsoni_), banff, alberta, october, . (g. a. thomas photo.)] the elk is a social animal, gathering in herds over most of the year. the old males leave the herds in the spring but seem to stay in small bands while their antlers are growing. in the olympic mountains, herds of or more animals have been seen. in the lowlands there are ordinarily from five to ten in a herd. [illustration: fig. . group of elk or wapiti (_cervus canadensis nelsoni_), banff, alberta, october , . (g. a. thomas photo.)] the elk is a browsing animal, feeding on twigs and leaves of deciduous trees, shrubs and evergreens. in spring and summer it eats grasses and succulent annuals, but in winter twigs and needles of evergreens, perennial ferns, dry grass and even moss is utilized. to a certain extent the elk are migratory, ascending to the open meadows of the hudsonian life-zone in the early summer and returning to the dense forests of the transition and lower canadian life-zones with the winter snows. the lowland elk make no such migrations, merely leaving the riverbottom jungles when the leaves are off the deciduous plants growing there, and live in the coniferous timber. in the forests the elk is capable of swift and almost silent movement. it is an eerie experience to trail a herd of elk through a dense forest in a winter rain, knowing that a number of the large animals are within a few feet, moving swiftly but silently away. when a herd is feeding and does not suspect the presence of an observer, the animals rustle branches, break twigs, snort and wheeze as they breathe. the antlers of the males are shed in march. the bulls retire from the herd until the new horns are well grown, in late august or september. breeding takes place in september or october and the young are born the following april or may. =cervus canadensis roosevelti= merriam _cervus roosevelti_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , december , . _cervus canadensis occidentalis_ taylor and shaw, occ. papers chas. r. conner mus., : , december, . _type._--obtained on mount elaine, mason county, washington, by h. and c. emmet on october , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--a large, dark elk with short, heavy antlers. _measurements._--the type measured, in the flesh (bailey, : ): total length , ; tail ; ear (dry) . _distribution._--from the cascade mountains westward; possibly occurred formerly in the eastern cascades, and perhaps still present there, in places, or mixed with introduced _nelsoni_. _remarks._--for use of the name _roosevelti_ rather than _occidentalis_ see bailey ( : ). =cervus canadensis nelsoni= bailey _cervus canadensis canadensis_ taylor and shaw, occ. papers chas. r. conner mus., : , december, . _cervus canadensis nelsoni_ bailey, proc. biol. sec. washington, : , november , . _type._--obtained at yellowstone national park, wyoming, by j. pitcher; died in captivity on september , ; type in united states national museum. _description._--smaller and paler than _roosevelti_ with longer, slimmer antlers. _distribution._--formerly occurred in northeastern washington and the blue mountains of southeastern washington. since then exterminated and reintroduced to both areas from the rocky mountains. also introduced and established in the eastern cascades. =odocoileus virginianus= (boddaert) white-tailed deer _description._--the white-tailed deer differs from the black-tailed and mule deer in several anatomical details. the tail is long, wide, and when the animal is frightened is carried upright with the long, white hair of the underside spread out. the antlers of the buck are not of a biramous system of branching but instead consist of a main beam which curves sharply out and forward, remaining low. all subsidiary tines, save the basal one, emerge from the dorsal side of the main beam. the basal tine is usually a spurlike point arising vertically from the main beam not far from the base of the antler. in exceptional specimens the basal tine is large and divided into several points. the body of the "whitetail" is more smoothly rounded, and more graceful, than that of the mule deer. [illustration: fig. . white-tailed deer (_odocoileus virginianus leucurus_), doe at least nine years old, kept as a pet by mrs. jack hovis, puget island, washington, december , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] white-tailed deer range from canada south to panama and from the atlantic to the pacific. their range is much more extensive to the east and south than that of the "blacktail" and mule deer. in western washington the whitetail occupies a limited habitat near the mouth of the columbia river. its geographic range was probably somewhat greater in the past. its habitat includes the low, damp, marshy islands and floodplain of the columbia. blacktail range in the wooded hills surrounding the whitetail's range but rarely enter it to compete with the whitetail (scheffer, a: ). in northeastern washington the whitetail shows the same tendency to occupy low, marshy areas and valleys. the habitat preference of the whitetail in northeastern washington is less exact than in western washington, for the species ranges up from the valleys into the forests of larch and cottonwood of the transition life-zone. its habitat includes denser forest and brushy areas. rarely does it occur in the open type of forest occupied by the mule deer. [illustration: fig. . white-tailed deer (_odocoileus virginianus ochrourus_): fawn kept as a pet by l. e. borud, ione, washington, june , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] in washington the whitetail is not an important game animal. the race occurring in western washington is characterized by small size and small antlers. further, its total population is estimated at but to individuals. the whitetail of northeastern washington is larger and possesses larger antlers. indeed, some antlers from ferry county are the largest antlers of whitetail that i have ever seen. nevertheless, the whitetail of northeastern washington is smaller than the mule deer and far less common. the habitat is dense and difficult to traverse. the animal is shy and silent, fleeing soundlessly when approached. for these reasons most hunters in northeastern washington prefer to hunt the mule deer. [illustration: fig. . white-tailed deer (_odocoileus virginianus ochrourus_): left antler found on ground at park rapids, pend oreille county, washington, october , . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] =odocoileus virginianus ochrourus= bailey _odocoileus virginianus macrourus_ taylor and shaw, occ. papers chas. r. conner mus., : , december, . _odocoileus virginianus ochrourus_ bailey, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , april , . [illustration: fig. . white-tailed deer (_odocoileus virginianus leucurus_), antlers of large buck killed in the fall of at cathlamet, washington, by paul lewis. (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer. no. .)] _type._--obtained at coolin, south end of priest lake, bonner county, idaho, by f. lemmer on december , ; type in united states national museum. _racial characters._--a large, pale white tail with large, low antlers and distinctive cranial features. _measurements._--the type, an adult male, measures (bailey, . p. ): total length , ; tail ; hind foot ; ear (dry) . _distribution._--northeastern washington. probably once occurred in southeastern washington. =odocoileus virginianus leucurus= (douglas) _cervus leucurus_ douglas, zoöl. jour., : , . _odocoileus leucurus_ thompson, forest and stream, : , october , . _odocoileus virginianus leucurus_ lydekker, cat. ung. mamm. british mus., : , . _type._--obtained on the north umpqua river, oregon, by david douglas on october , ; type originally, and perhaps still, in british museum. _racial characters._--a small, handsome whitetail with slender, erect antlers and brownish or grayish color. _measurements._--a young adult female from mile south of skamokawa, wahkiakum county, measured: total length , ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear ; weight pounds. _distribution._--previously occurred over much of southwestern washington; now confined to the banks and islands of the columbia river in wahkiakum county. =odocoileus hemionus= (rafinesque) mule deer and black-tailed deer _description._--the mule and black-tailed deer are among deer of medium to large size. adult mule deer may weigh up to pounds while some fully adult blacktail bucks may weigh as little as pounds. the body is heavily muscled, the legs long and the tail only about inches in length. the ears are long, from to inches from notch to tip. the head is long and the male has well-developed antlers. the first antlers are almost straight spikes. those of the second year are bent slightly outward and forward and are equally or subequally forked with the anterior branch usually the stouter. in the third year the anteriolateral curvature is more pronounced and one or both of the forks again fork. in succeeding years forks are larger and more numerous but the essential biramous arrangement of forking is maintained. the "blacktail" and mule deer are strongly marked races. the blacktail differs from the mule deer in: smaller size; darker color, especially on face and tail; tail dark brown above with dark tip rather than whitish with black tip; tail haired beneath, not naked for half its length; antlers smaller and lighter; and skull and teeth smaller. mule deer and black-tailed deer range over western north america from southeastern alaska southward into northern mexico. they inhabit forested parts of the state of washington. blacktails occupy the san juan islands, the islands in puget sound, the olympic mountains, the lowlands of western washington, and the cascade mountains. mule deer occupy the cascades, including their eastern slope, northeastern and southeastern washington and parts of the columbian plateau. over this large range there is considerable local geographic variation. jackson ( : - ) estimated that , blacktail and , mule deer live in washington. thus washington is second only to california in number of blacktail and ranks fifth in number of mule deer. individual variation over the range of the mule deer is considerable but no trends of variation are distinguishable. mule deer from the blue mountains, northeastern washington and the eastern cascades are essentially similar. there is geographic variation as well as great individual variation in the black-tailed deer of washington. the deer of the san juan islands and the islands of puget sound are smaller and darker than those of the mainland and possess smaller, lighter antlers. the deer of whidby island are sometimes contemptuously referred to by residents as jackrabbit deer. fully grown bucks on the islands weigh in the neighborhood of pounds, rarely exceeding pounds, whereas bucks on the mainland commonly weigh more than pounds dressed. [illustration: fig. . mule deer (_odocoileus hemionus hemionus_), subadult male from okanogan county, washington, raised in captivity; photographed june , , on hurricane ridge, olympic national park. (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] the dividing line between the ranges of the black-tailed and mule deer in general is the summit of the cascade mountains. in summer the two races come together and doubtless mingle in the cascades but as fall approaches they migrate. the mule deer moves eastward to the yellow-pine areas on the lower slopes while the blacktails descend westward to the denser douglas fir and hemlock forests on the western flanks of the cascades. in the breeding season the two races are separated. however, as shown by cowan ( a: ), in the pemberton valley, british columbia, the two forms occur together during the breeding season and intergradation occurs there. intergradation occurs also in the lake wenatchee area of chelan county. observation of hunters' specimens showed some undoubted intergrades among the more abundant, typical mule deer. both the mule deer and blacktail have a characteristic bounding gait, unlike the smooth run of the white-tailed deer. the tail is usually held down, rarely erect. when not frightened they move with dainty steps, making little noise. [illustration: fig. . black-tailed deer (_odocoileus hemionus columbianus_), buck resting at midday, van trump park, mt. rainier, washington, august, . (fish and wildlife service photo by victor b. scheffer, no. .)] the black-tailed deer in certain areas is more nocturnal than diurnal. they feed principally in the early morning and evening. in the olympic mountains, on the north fork of the quinault river, in july, , blacktails were watched feeding and playing until midnight. also in december, , deer, near the forks of the skykomish river, were moving about, browsing as late as p. m. while a light snow was falling. in the san juan islands, in the summer of , deer were observed feeding at all hours of the day. the blacktail lives in some of the most dense jungle areas of western washington. on whidby island and some of the san juan islands the brush and vines grow so densely that a man can scarcely penetrate them. were it not for the deer trails, formed by generations of deer, our small mammal investigations would have been far more difficult. the blacktail lives also in the dense forests where fir, hemlock and cedars grow to heights of more than feet. here lack of light allows only ferns and moss to form an understory vegetation. these forests often clothe the steep glacial hills and the trails of the deer on such hills show them to be adept climbers. deer trails generally avoid fallen trees and other obstacles. when startled, however, a stump, fence or log is easily leaped by a blacktail. often they are in small bands of to individuals, but almost as often are solitary, or in pairs. the habitat of the mule deer is generally more open than that of the blacktail. in the summer, it may occupy rough and rugged country; in the higher cascades individuals were found in the rocky and brushy country and in open glades and meadows. farther east they were in the open yellow-pine forests where extensive grassy slopes, free of trees, existed. in some parts of northeastern washington they lived in the larch and lodgepole pine forests almost dense enough to be "blacktail country." in the okanogan valley and on the northwestern corner of the columbia plateau mule deer lived in open prairie country where a few cottonwoods and willows were the only trees. the mule deer seem more social than the blacktail. in the late summer they gather in bands of to or more. in winter, under pressure of hunger, they gather in herds and raid haystacks and pastures. farmers in the methow valley, okanogan county, report herds of to mule deer about a single haystack. the mule deer and blacktail are the principal game mammals of the state of washington. thousands of hunters enter the woods each year in search of a buck. eastern washington is the favored hunting grounds for that is the home of the mule deer, the larger size of which makes it a more desirable trophy. also the open country which it inhabits makes hunting more productive. sums spent on equipment, gasoline and hunting licenses are tremendous but the feeling is that the return in recreational value and venison are worth the cost. a few casualties result each year among the army of deer hunters. =odocoileus hemionus hemionus= (rafinesque) _cervus hemionus_ rafinesque, amer. month. mag., : , october, . _cariacus macrotis_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., : , . _odocoileus hemionus_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , april , . _odocoileus hemionus macrotis_ bailey, national geographic, : , . _type locality._--vicinity of big sioux river, south dakota. _racial characters._--large size, pale color. _measurements._--two adult males from stay-a-while spring, columbia county, measure respectively: total length , , , ; length of tail , ; hind foot , ; ear , ; length of metatarsal gland , . _distribution._--summit of cascades eastward, in forested areas, exact limits not certainly known. =odocoileus hemionus columbianus= (richardson) _cervus macrotis_ var. _columbiana_ richardson, fauna boreali-americana, : , . _cariacus columbianus_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., ( ): , . _cervus columbianus_ baird, u. s. pacific r. r. exp. and surveys, p. , . _eucervus columbianus_ gray, ann. and mag. nat. hist., (ser. ): , . _odocoileus columbianus_ merriam, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , april , . _odocoileus columbianus columbianus_ swarth, univ. california publ. zoöl., : , february , . _odocoileus hemionus columbianus_ cowan, california fish and game, : , july, . _type._--obtained at cape disappointment, pacific county, washington, by lewis and clark on november , (cowan, a: ). _racial characters._--small size, dark color. _distribution._--summit of cascades westward, including islands in puget sound and san juan islands; exact limits of range uncertain. =alce americana shirasi= nelson moose _alces americanus shirasi_ nelson, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , april , . _type._--obtained near the snake river, lincoln county, wyoming, by j. shire on december , ; type in united states national museum. _distribution._--casual wanderer into northeastern washington from canada. _remarks._--the moose is the largest north american deer. its large size and huge, palmate antlers serve to separate it from any other member of the deer tribe. moose range from northern united states to central canada and alaska. the european elk and the american moose are subspecies of the same species. the moose is of only casual occurrence in washington. the latest authentic record for washington is a bull that wandered southward and westward from canada until it was killed on an indian reservation in ferry county. other moose are reported to have wandered into northeastern washington from canada in past years. dice ( ) was told that moose once occurred in the blue mountains of southeastern washington but there is no confirmation of this report. =rangifer arcticus montanus= seton-thompson caribou _rangifer montanus_ seton-thompson, ottawa naturalist, : - , august, . _rangifer arcticus montanus_ jacobi, erganzungsband, zoöl. anz., : , november, . _type._--obtained near revelstoke, selkirk range, british columbia. _distribution._--rare or casual along the canadian boundary in northeastern washington. _remarks._--the caribou is a rather stout-bodied deer with large hoofs, short, rounded muzzle and long, erect, flattened antlers. caribou and their relatives, the reindeer, range over arctic europe, asia, greenland and america. in north america they range from the atlantic to the pacific and from the northern border of the united states northward into the arctic. the caribou was, until recent years, a regular winter resident in small numbers in northeastern washington near the canadian boundary. their wintering grounds in washington were said to have been destroyed by fire in and the species has appeared in the state only casually since then. two were killed in by hunters who thought they were deer. caribou are protected by law in washington. =bison bison oregonus= bailey bison _bison bison bison_ taylor and shaw, occ. papers chas. r. conner mus., : , december, . _bison bison oregonus_ bailey, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , april , . _type._--skull and skeleton picked up at malheur lake, oregon, by g. m. benson in november, ; type in united states national museum. _distribution._--perhaps casual in eastern washington before coming of the white man. _remarks._--bison, or buffalo, occurred in southeastern oregon but disappeared before white men reached the country (bailey, : ). gibbs ( : ) was told by an indian hunter in that a lost bull had been killed in the grand coulee (state of washington) years before but that "this was an extraordinary occurrence, perhaps before unknown." in the days before horses reached the indian tribes of eastern washington and oregon, wandering bison from herds in oregon probably strayed into washington, in somewhat the manner that the moose today stray in from canada. =ovis canadensis= shaw mountain sheep _description._--the mountain sheep is the size of a small deer. the horns of the males are massive spirals. those of the females are smaller, curve upward and backward, rarely forming a semicircle. the horns are permanent structures, enlarged each year by growth at the base. growth is irregular, probably as the result of seasonal reproductive activities. as a result the horns are "ringed" with concentric ridges. the color of the upper parts is dark, grayish brown. the face is paler, yellowish brown. the outer sides of the legs are dark brown. the rump, abdomen, and insides of legs are white. mountain sheep of the genus _ovis_ are abundantly represented in asia. two species occur in north america, _ovis dalli_ in alaska, and _ovis canadensis_ in western north america. they range from alaska south to northern mexico. in the past the mountain sheep inhabited most of the eastern cascade mountains, the blue mountains, pend oreille mountains, and the cliffs of the columbia river valley in eastern washington. they occurred on the eastern or columbian plateau side of the river and therefore probably occupied the cliffs of moses coulee and the grand coulee. their habitat seems thus to have included rocky areas from the upper sonoran to the hudsonian life-zones. at the present time they are extinct over most of their range. a small band still remains in the extreme northeastern cascades near mount chopaka. little has been published concerning the habits of the mountain sheep in washington. in caves along the columbia river in grant county, bones of sheep are found in association with stone arrowheads and other human artifacts. presumably the sheep were killed and eaten by the indians. the history of the mountain sheep in north america is outlined by cowan ( : ). the genus is thought to have crossed from asia to america by the land bridge now under bering strait in the early pleistocene and spread southward through the rockies. the advance of the glacial ice forced them farther southward and the southern (_canadensis_) sheep were separated from their relatives farther north. the present differences between the rocky mountain and western sheep seem to have resulted from separation by glaciers during wisconsin time. =ovis canadensis canadensis= shaw _ovis canadensis_ shaw, nat. misc., vol. , text to pl. , about december, . _type._--obtained in the mountains on bow river; w. b. davis ( : ) gives dew river near exshaw, alberta. _racial characters._--large size; heavy, closely coiled horns. _measurements._--cowan ( : ) gives the measurements of a fully adult ( -year old) ram from colorado as: total length , ; length of tail ; hind foot ; ear (dry) . _distribution._--now extinct in washington. cowan (_op. cit._: ) refers to this race as the sheep that formerly occurred in the blue mountains. this view seems logical but i feel that the sheep formerly occurring in the pend oreille mountains of extreme northeastern washington should, on the basis of geographic probability, also be referred to _canadensis_. =ovis canadensis californiana= douglas _ovis californianus_ douglas, zoöl. jour., : , . _ovis californica_ richardson, fauna boreali-americana, : , . _ovis californiana_ biddulph, proc. zoöl. soc. london, p. , . _ovis canadensis californiana_ lydekker, the sheep and its cousins, p. , . _type._--obtained from near mount adams, yakima county, washington, by d. douglas on august , ; type in british museum. _racial characters._--similar to _canadensis_ but smaller with more slender, spreading horns and horn tips less blunt. _measurements._--cowan ( : ) gives the measurements of a ram, five years old, from owens valley, california, as: total length, , ; length of tail, ; hind foot, . _distribution._--formerly occupied the eastern cascades, the valley of the columbia and possibly the cliffs bordering moses coulee and the grand coulee. now it is found only near mt. chopaka in the extreme northeastern cascades. =oreamnos americanus= (blainville) mountain goat _description._--the mountain goat is of deer-size, with a stout body and a pronounced hump on the shoulders. the legs are short but the hoofs are large with large dewclaws. the neck is short and thick. the head is large and goatlike in appearance. the tail is tiny. the horns are slim, round and curve up and slightly backwards. they are hollow and are permanent structures, added to each year. the body is snow white, consisting of long, soft wool, which is longer and coarser on forelegs, neck and chin than on the body. males have a distinct beard. mountain goats range from washington and idaho north to alaska. their nearest relatives are the old-world antelopes, especially the alpine species of europe and asia. the mountain goat is an animal of the high mountains. their habitat is the bare-rock cliffs and rock-strewn slopes of the arctic-alpine and hudsonian life-zones. where extensive, open rocky areas occur they descend to the canadian life-zone. even in winter they keep to the high cliffs where steep slopes and strong winds keep the snow from the plants on which they feed. mountain goats are considered a game animal in canada and idaho. the species has been protected in washington for many years. as a result they are common, although not present in numbers sufficient to withstand hunting. the high country which they occupy is unsuited to any of man's domestic animals and no reason is apparent at present why the mountain goat should not be protected and conserved for many years. [illustration: fig. . mountain goat (_oreamnos americanus americanus_), old female, lake chelan, washington, march , . (forest service photo by oliver t. edwards, no. .)] in spite of the protection accorded them, the mountain goat has not become tame. in driving over stevens pass, king county, one can, with the aid of glasses, usually pick out one or more mountain goats on nearby mountains. nevertheless, i have never seen one within yards of a highway, nor heard of one being killed by cars on a highway. the mountain goat does not, as a rule, allow close approach by man. at goat basin, deception creek, king county, circumstances are particularly favorable for goats and several are usually to be seen. while studying them on several occasions, i was never able to get truly close to them. on the few occasions when i came upon a band unexpectedly, they rapidly went over the mountain or up the nearest cliff. [illustration: fig. . group of mountain goats (_oreamnos americanus americanus_), northern cascade mountains, washington. (forest service photo, no. .)] when unfrightened, these mountain goats spent much time standing, or lying with forefeet folded under them, looking into space. for such large animals they seemed to spend little time feeding. at intervals of about five minutes they plucked the ferns or other plants that grew in abundance on ledges or in tiny crevices in the cliffs. some animals did browse for several minutes at a time. they seemed rather particular as to their food, plucking only one or two stems from a clump of vegetation. the ordinary movements of the mountain goats are deliberate. they rarely move more than a few feet at a time. they climb with sure-footed ease but usually slowly. in climbing, the forelegs are spread and the knees are bent. the animal moves as if it were climbing steps. the greatest action is in the knee joints. if surprised in the open they run with a smoother gait, the legs moving from the shoulder and hip. if near a cliff they climb rapidly, jumping when necessary, and rarely stop while in sight. evidence of the presence of mountain goats is usually seen in the form of tufts and strands of wool. their wool becomes caught in bushes and rough rocks and seemingly pulls out easily. the range of the mountain goat in washington includes the entire cascade range from mt. adams and mt. saint helens north to the canadian boundary. they extend west to mt. baker, mt. higgins and mt. index and east to lake chelan and, in the wenatchee range, east of mt. stuart, perhaps almost to the columbia river. dice ( : ) was told that mountain goats once occurred in the blue mountains of southeastern washington. we know of no suitable goat country in the blue mountains of washington and feel that the report was probably based on an erroneous identification. there is a single record, supported by specimen, of a mountain goat from northeastern washington. this individual probably wandered into washington from northern idaho, montana, or adjacent british columbia. =oreamnos americanus americanus= (blainville) _ovis montanus_ ord, guthrie's geol., d amer. ed., p. , (preoccupied). _r[upicapra]. americana_ blainville, bull. sci. soc. philomath, paris, p. , . _mazama dorsata_ rafinesque, amer. month. mag., : , (new name for _ovis montanus_ ord). _mazama montana_ true, proc. u. s. nat. mus., ( ): , . _oreamnos montanus_ merriam, science, n. s., : , . _oreamnos montanus montanus_ miller, u. s. nat. mus. bull., : , december , . _oreamnos americanus americanus_ hollister, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , december , . _type._--none. descriptions all based on _ovis montanus_ ord who, in turn, based his description on the account of skins seen by lewis and clark on the columbia river of washington or oregon. as the mountain goat is not known to have ever occurred in oregon in recent times, the type locality is probably near mt. adams, washington, the point where goats come nearest the columbia. _measurements._--the measurements of a large male killed "west of north yakima" were reported by a. s. harmer as: feet inches from tip of nose to tip of tail; horns inches; weight pounds (outdoor life, : ). _distribution._--throughout the higher cascade mountains. =oreamnos americanus missoulae= allen _oreamnos montanus missoulae_ allen, bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : , february , . _oreamnos americanus missoulae_ hollister, proc. biol. soc. washington, : , december , . _type._--obtained at missoula, missoula county, montana; type in american museum of natural history. _distribution._--a single record for northeastern washington. seemingly a rare wanderer from outside the state. order cetacea whales and porpoises because victor b. scheffer and john w. slipp have in preparation a detailed account of cetaceans properly ascribable to washington, members of this order here are not treated in as much detail as are other native mammals. =berardius bairdii= stejneger baird beaked whale _description._--length about feet; mandibles elongate, "beak-like"; one or two large teeth at tip of lower jaw; dorsal fin small and situated posteriorly; color black but abdomen occasionally grayish. _remarks._--this rare whale is known from a few specimens recorded from alaska south to california. =mesoplodon stejnegeri= true stejneger beaked whale _description._--similar to the previous species in proportions but smaller; length about feet. differs in possessing one large flat tusk in lower jaw. _remarks._--known only from a specimen from alaska and another from the coast of oregon. =delphinus bairdii= dall dolphin _description._--a slender porpoise about or feet long; long, narrow beak with - conical teeth; color above black tinged with greenish; sides gray; belly and throat white. _remarks._--recorded from california and probably ranges into washington in off-shore waters. =lissodelphis borealis= (peale) right whale porpoise _description._--a small, beaked porpoise lacking a dorsal fin; color black with narrow white area from breast to tail; length about feet. _remarks._--a rare species described from waters miles off the mouth of the columbia river. =lagenorhynchus obliquidens= gill striped porpoise _description._--length about feet; beak not prominent; - conical teeth in each jaw; anterior edge of dorsal fin curved; color of upper parts greenish black; sides with one white or gray stripe posteriorly; underparts white. _remarks._--this is the common porpoise in the straits of juan de fuca from about the vicinity of port townsend to the ocean and in immediate off-shore waters. one specimen was obtained miles off grays harbor. rarely seen in puget sound. =grampus rectipinna= (cope) killer whale _description._--a large porpoise, - feet in length; dorsal fin high and nearly straight; teeth large, conical, above, below; color black above with white patch on side anteriorly. _remarks._--the killer is common in puget sound and off the ocean coast. both the killer and the true blackfish are locally termed "blackfish." =grampidelphis griseus= (cuvier) grampus _description._--a round-headed porpoise about feet in length; dorsal fin high and narrow; to teeth in each jaw; color black, occasionally with white head or with body mottled with white and gray. _remarks._--an off-shore species, probably not uncommon off the coast of washington at times. =globicephalus scammonii= (cope) blackfish _description._--a large, stout-bodied, round-headed porpoise about feet in length. teeth large; - in lower jaw; - in upper jaw. color black. differs from the killer whale in possessing a low, long dorsal fin rather than a high, erect one. _remarks._--the blackfish is a colonial species, often common in puget sound. it is frequently confused with the killer whale. =phocoena vomerina= (gill) harbor porpoise _description._--a small, stout-bodied porpoise with a rounded head. length to feet. teeth small, slightly flattened; about above, below; color blackish or brownish to liver color. _remarks._--small schools of harbor porpoises are common in puget sound, among the san juan islands, and in the straits of juan de fuca. this is the commonest inshore porpoise but, because of its smaller size, is less well known to most persons than are the blackfish and killer whale. =phocoenoides dalli= (true) dall porpoise _description._--a small porpoise, about feet in length, with pointed head and moderately stout body. teeth small, above and below. color greenish black with flanks or posterior sides white. _remarks._--a rare off-shore species. =physeter catodon= linnaeus sperm whale _description._--a toothed whale about feet long; head enormous, squarish; teeth conical, or fewer in lower jaw. _remarks._--occurs off the coast of washington and rarely enters the straits of juan de fuca. =kogia breviceps= (blainville) pigmy sperm whale _description._--similar to the sperm whale in proportions but less than feet in length. _remarks._--a rare species whose habits are little known. the available information concerning this species in the atlantic has been summarized by allen ( ). =rhachianectes glaucus= (cope) gray whale _description._--a relatively slender whale, about feet in length; dorsal fin absent; baleen short, yellow in color; color of body mottled gray or blackish. _remarks._--the gray whale was once abundant and occurred off the coast of washington in spring and summer migrations. hunted until now rare. =balaenoptera physalus= (linnaeus) finback whale _description._--a relatively slender whale, up to feet in length; dorsal fin far posterior, prominent; baleen in two slabs, well developed, about two feet in length and gray in color; color of body blackish or brownish above, white below. _remarks._--recorded off-shore. =balaenoptera borealis= lesson sei or pollack whale _description._--similar to the finback whale but dorsal fin larger; baleen dark; body dark blue or brownish; belly with restricted white area. _remarks._--recorded off-shore. =balaenoptera acutorostrata= lacépède pike whale _description._--a small whalebone whale, about feet in length; body slender; head pointed; pectoral fin well developed and prominent; baleen short, white; color black above, white beneath. _remarks._--a rare species that has been recorded from washington. =sibbaldus musculus= (linnaeus) blue whale or sulphur-bottom whale _description._--largest of the whales; length up to feet; body slender; head flat above, rounded beneath; dorsal fin slender but prominent; baleen in two series, heavy and black; belly with numerous longitudinal ridges; color bluish black above, yellow beneath. _remarks._--probably uncommon off-shore. =megaptera novaeangliae= (borowski) humpback whale _description._--a medium-sized, stout-bodied whale up to feet in length; dorsal fin low, not prominent; head flat above, rounded beneath; prominent "hump" at back of head; belly with numerous longitudinal ridges; baleen small; color blackish or grayish above, paler below; body characteristically blotched with patches of whitish barnacles. _remarks._--the humpback is the commonest whale off the coast of washington, often coming into northern puget sound. =eubalaena sieboldii= (gray) pacific right whale _description._--a large whale, - feet in length, with enormous, rounded head; dorsal fin absent; belly lacking longitudinal ridges; baleen blackish, feet in length; color uniformly blackish. _remarks._--a much hunted species now probably rare off shore. hypothetical list mammals other than cetaceans possibly occurring in washington of which satisfactory record is lacking . _ursus canadensis_ merriam, grizzly bear.--this species has been recorded from kootenay lake, british columbia, miles northeast from the northeastern corner of the state of washington and may have occurred in northeastern washington. . _ursus idahoensis_ merriam, grizzly bear.--recorded by merriam ( : ) from the wallowa mountains, oregon. this form may have occurred in the blue mountains of southeastern washington. . _vulpes fulva macroura_ baird, red fox.--reported from the blue mountains and northeastern washington; no specimen recorded. . _canis lupus columbianus_ goldman, wolf.--possibly occurred in northeastern washington in historic time, and perhaps is occasionally still found there. . _canis lupus irremotus_ goldman, wolf.--perhaps once occurred in southeastern washington. . _mirounga angustirostris_ (gill), sea elephant.--may occur as a casual wanderer off the coast of washington. the home of this species is lower california but a dead specimen was washed upon the shore of prince of wales island, alaska (willett, : ). . _perognathus parvus laingi_ anderson, great basin pocket mouse.--probably present in the mountains east of lake osoyoos in washington, but no specimens have yet been collected. . _synaptomys borealis artemisiae_ anderson, northern lemming mouse.--probably present in the cascades of northern okanogan county but no specimens have yet been obtained. . _antilocapra americana_ (ord) subsp?, pronghorned antelope.--this species is restricted to north america and once ranged over much of the plains region of the western part of the continent. taylor and shaw ( : ) included the antelope in their list of washington mammals with the statement "now extirpated within state; the former range of the pronghorn included much of the plains country of eastern washington." so far as known to me, there is no record by any of the early explorers of antelope killed or seen in what is now washington. no bones of antelope have been discovered in caves in eastern washington. ogden ( : ) mentions an antelope killed in oregon a day's journey south of the dalles. this record is fairly close to washington and indicates that antelope might have occurred at least in southeastern washington in historic times. addenda . the antelope (_antilocapra americana_) has been introduced into the yakima valley by the state of washington, department of game. . the elephant seal (_mirounga angustirostris_) has been discovered off the coast of washington (seattle _times_, april , , p. ). . the yellow-pine chipmunk of the blue mountains has been described as a new subspecies, _eutamias [tamias] amoenus albiventris_ booth, murrelet, (no. ): , . type locality wickiup spring, miles west of anatone, asotin-garfield county boundary. bibliography allen, g. m. . dogs of the american aborigines. harvard col., bull. mus. comp. zoöl., : - , pls. . pigmy sperm whale in the atlantic. field mus. nat. hist., zoöl. ser., : - , figs. in text. allen, j. a. . on a collection of mammals from the san pedro martin region of lower california, with notes on other species, particularly of the genus _sitomys_. bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : - . anderson, r. m. . five new mammals from british columbia. ann. rept. canadian nat. mus. for , pp. - , pl. anderson, r. m., and rand, a. l. a. variation in the porcupine (genus _erethizon_) in canada. canadian jour. research, : - , figs. in text. b. status of the richardson vole (_microtus richardsoni_) in canada. canadian field-nat., : - . bailey, v. . revision of the american voles of the genus _microtus_. n. amer. fauna, : - , pls., figs. in text. . wild animals of glacier national park: the mammals. u. s. nat park serv. bull., pp. - , pls., figs. in text. . the mammals and life zones of oregon. n. amer. fauna, : - , pls., figs. in text. baird. s. f. . mammals. gen. rept., zoölogy of the several pacific r. r. routes, pp. xxv-xxxii, - ; 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( ), xxvi + , figs. in text; vol. ( ) xii + , figs, in text. elliot, d. g. . catalogue of mammals from the olympic mountains, washington, with descriptions of new species. field columb. mus. publ., , zoöl. ser., : - , pls. - , numerous figs. in text. engels, w. l. . distribution of races of the brown bat (_eptesicus_) in western north america. amer. mid. nat., : - , fig. in text. engler, c. h. . carnivorous activities of big brown and pallid bats. jour. mamm., : - . english, e. h. . mammals of austin pass, mount baker. mazama, : - , illustrated. finley, w. l. . with the birds and animals of rainier. mazama, : - , pls. . cougar kills a boy. jour. mamm., : - . fisher, e. m. . habits of the southern sea otter. jour. mamm., : - . flahaut, m. r. . unusual location of hibernating jumping mice. murrelet, : - , fig. flint, r. f. . glacial features of the southern okanogan region. bull. geol. soc. amer., vol. , pp. - , pls. - , figs. in text. . pleistocene drift border in eastern washington. bull. geol. soc. amer., vol. , pp. - , pls., fig. in text. . summary of late-cenozoic geology of southeastern washington. amer. jour. science, ser. , vol. , pp. - . francis, e. . the occurrence of tularaemia in nature as a disease of man. u. s. publ. health serv., hyg. lab. bull. : - . furlong, e. l. . the exploration of samwel cave. amer. jour. sci., ser. , : - , figs. in text. gibbs, g. see suckley, g., and gibbs, g. . gidley, j. w., and gazin, c. l. . new mammalia in the pleistocene fauna from cumberland cave. jour. mamm., : - . . the pleistocene vertebrate fauna from cumberland cave, maryland. u. s. nat. mus. bull. , pp. i-vi + - , pls. - , figs. goldman, e. a. . remarks on voles of the genus _lemmiscus_, with one described as new. proc. biol. soc. washington, vol. , pp. - . . two new races of the puma. jour. mamm., : - . gray, j. a. jr. . rodent populations in the sagebrush desert of the yakima valley, washington. jour. mamm., : - . greenwood, w. h., newcomb, f. c. and fraser, c. m. . sea-lion question in british columbia. contr. canadian biol., sessional paper no. a., pp. xv + , photographs. grinnell, j. . the burrowing rodents of california as agents in soil formation. jour. mamm., : - , pls. - . grinnell, j., and dixon, j. . natural history of the ground squirrels of california. california state comm. hort., monthly bull., : - , col. pls., figs. in text. grinnell, j., dixon, j., and linsdale, j. m. . fur-bearing mammals of california. univ. california press, berkeley, vols., pp. xii + xiv + , col. pls., figs. in text. grinnell, h. w. . a synopsis of the bats of california. univ. california publs. zoöl., : - , pls. - , figs. in text. hall, e. r. . notes on the life history of the sagebrush meadow mouse (_lagurus_). jour. mamm., : - . . mustelid mammals from the pleistocene of north america with systematic notes on some recent members of the genera mustela, taxidea and mephitis. carnegie inst. washington. publ. , pp. - , pls., figs. a. variation among insular mammals of georgia strait, british columbia. amer. nat., : - , figs. b. gestation period in the long-tailed weasel. jour. mamm., : - . . a new genus of american pliocene badger, with remarks on the relationships of badgers of the northern hemisphere. carnegie inst. washington, publ. , pp. - , pls., figs. in text. . four new ermines from the pacific northwest. jour. mamm., : - , fig. hamilton, w. j. . the life history of the rufescent woodchuck, marmota monax rufescens howell. carnegie mus. ann., : - , pls., figs. . the biology of the smoky shrew (_sorex fumeus fumeus_ miller). zoologica, : - , pls. hanson, h. p. . pollen analysis of a bog near spokane, washington. bull. torrey bot. club., : - , fig. in text. . paleoecology of a montane peat deposit at bonaparte lake, washington. northwest science, : - . a. paleoecology of a peat deposit in west central oregon. amer. jour. botany, : - . fig. in text. b. further studies of post pleistocene bogs in the puget lowlands of washington. bull. torrey bot. club., : - . figs. in text. c. a pollen study of post pleistocene lake sediments in the upper sonoran life zone of washington. amer. jour. sci., : - , fig. hartman, c. . breeding habits, development, and birth of the opossum. smithsonian rept. for , pp. - , pls. hatt, r. t. . notes on the ground-squirrel, callospermophilus. u. michigan, mus. zoöl., occ. papers , pp. - 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, pls., figs. . revision of the american chipmunks (genera _tamias_ and _eutamias_). n. amer. fauna, : - , pls., figs. . revision of the north american ground squirrels with a classification of the north american sciuridae. n. amer. fauna, : - , pls., figs. . |review of "the recent mammals of idaho" by william b. davis|. jour. mamm., : - . huxley, j. s. (edited by). . the new systematics. oxford univ. press, pp. viii + , figs. in text. jackson, h. h. t. . a review of the american moles. n. amer. fauna, : - , pls., figs. . a taxonomic review of the american long-tailed shrews (genera _sorex_ and _microsorex_). n. amer. fauna, :i-vi + - , pls., figs. . big-game resources of the united states, - . u. s. dept. interior, fish and wildlife research rept. : - , figs. in text. johnson, d. h. . systematic review of the chipmunks (genus _eutamias_) of california. univ. california publs. zoöl., : - , pls., figs. jones, g. n. . a botanical survey of the olympic peninsula, washington. univ. washington publs. biol., : - , pls. . the flowering plants and ferns of mount rainier. univ. washington publs. biol., : - , pls. kellogg, l. . pleistocene rodents of california. univ. california publs., bull. dept. geol., : - , figs. in text. kellogg, w. h. . rodent plague in california. jour. amer. med. assoc. : - . koford, c. b. . microsorex hoyi washingtoni in montana. jour. mamm., : . larrison, e. j. . pocket gophers and ecological succession in the wenas region of washington. murrelet, : - , figs. . feral coypus in the pacific northwest. murrelet, : - , fig. livezey, r., and evenden, f., jr. . notes on the western red fox. jour. mamm., : - . matthew, w. d. . list of the pleistocene fauna from hay springs, nebraska. bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : - . mccoy. g. w. . a plague-like disease of rodents. u. s. publ. health and marine-hosp. serv., pub. health bull., : - . mcmurry, f. b. . mink observations at packwood lake. murrelet, : . merriam, c. h. . the geographic distribution of life in north america. ann. rept. smiths. inst. for , pp. - . . review of the grizzly and big brown bears of north america (genus _ursus_) with description of a new genus, vetularctos. n. amer. fauna, : - , pls. merriam, j. c. . the fauna of rancho la brea, pt. , occurrence. mem. univ. california, : - , pls. - . merriam, j. c., and bulwalda, j. p. . age of strata referred to the ellensburg formation in the white bluffs of the columbia river. univ. california publs. bull. dept. geol., : - , pl. meyer, k. f. . the sylvatic plague committee. amer. jour. pub. health, : - . miller, a. h. . habitat selection among higher vertebrates and its relation to intraspecific variation. amer. nat., : - . miller, g. s., jr. . revision of the north american bats of the family vespertilionidae. n. amer. fauna, : - , pls., figs. . list of north american recent mammals, . u. s. nat. mus. bull. , pp. xvi + . miller, g. s., jr., and allen, g. m. . american bats of the genera myotis and pizonyx. u. s. nat. mus. bull. , pp. - , pl., fig., maps. moore, a. w. . food habits of the townsend and coast moles. jour. mamm., : - , pl. . wild animal damage to seed and seedlings on cut-over douglas fir lands of oregon and washington. u. s. dept. agri., tech. bull. , pp. - , figs. in text. . shrews as a check on douglas fir regeneration. jour. mamm., : - , pl. . notes on the sage mouse in eastern oregon. jour. mamm., : - . mossman, h. w., lowlah, j. w., and bradley, j. a. . the male reproductive tract of the sciuridae. amer. jour. anat., vol. , pp. - , pls., figs. murie, o. j., and murie, a. . travels of peromyscus. jour. mamm., : - , fig. . further notes on travels of peromyscus. jour. mamm., : - . nelson, e. w. . the rabbits of north america. n. amer. fauna, : - , pls., figs. nichols, d. g. . further consideration of american house mice. jour. mamm., : - . ogden, p. s. . the peter skene ogden journals. quart. oregon hist. soc., : - . orr, r. t. . the rabbits of california. occas. papers, california acad. sci., : - , pls., figs. in text. osgood, w. h. . revision of the pocket mice of the genus _perognathus_. n. amer. fauna, : - , pls., figs. . revision of the mice of the american genus _peromyscus_. n. amer. fauna, : - , pls., figs. . the mammals of chile. field mus. nat. hist., zoöl. ser., vol. , publ. , pp. - , figs., maps. pardee, j. t., and bryan, k. . geology of the latah formation in relation to the lavas of the columbia plateau near spokane, washington. _in_ u. s. geol. surv. prof. paper , pp. - , pls., fig. in text. paschall, s. e. . mountain beaver (haplodontia or aplodontia). mountaineer, : - , illustration. perry, m. l. . notes on a captive badger. murrelet, : - , fig. piper, c. v. . flora of the state of washington. cont. u. s. nat. herb., : - , pls., map in pocket. pope, c. h. . attainment of sexual maturity in raccoons. jour. mamm., : . racey, k., and cowan, i. m. . mammals of the alta lake region of southwestern british columbia. ann. rept. prov. mus. british columbia , pp. h -h , pls., fig. in text. rand, a. l. . canadian forms of the meadow mouse (_microtus pennsylvanicus_). canadian field nat., : - . rhoads. s. n. . a revision of the west american flying squirrels. proc. acad. nat. sci. philadelphia , pp. - . russell, i. c. . a geological reconnaisance in central washington. bull. u. s. geol. surv. , pp. - , pls., figs. in text. sampson, a. . wild animals of the mt. rainier national park. sierra club bull., : - . scheffer, t. h. . american moles as agriculture pests and as fur producers. u. s. dept. agri., farm. bull. (revised ), pp. - , figs. . precarious status of the seal and sea-lion on our northwest coast. jour. mamm., : - . . mountain beavers in the pacific northwest: their habits, economic status and control. u. s. dept. agric., farm. bull. , pp. - , figs. . bat matters. murrelet, , (no. ): - , figs. . habits and economic status of the pocket gophers. u. s. dept. agric., tech. bull. , pp. - , pls. . weasels and snakes in gopher burrows. murrelet, : . . breeding of the washington varying hare. murrelet, : - . a. pocket mice of oregon and washington in relation to agriculture. u. s. dept. agric., tech. bull. , pp. - , pls., fig. b. breeding records of pacific coast pocket gophers. jour. mamm., : - . . ground squirrel studies in the four-rivers country, washington. jour. mamm., : - , pls. scheffer, t. h., and sperry, c. c. . food habits of the pacific harbor seal, phoca richardii. jour. mamm., : - . scheffer, v. b. . notes on the wolverine and fisher in the state of washington. murrelet, : - , figs. . fur seal in willapa harbor. murrelet, : , fig. a. a newly located herd of pacific white-tailed deer. jour. mamm., : - , pl. b. the sea otter on the washington coast. pacific northwest quart., october, , pp. - , figs. . wolverine captured in okanogan county, washington. murrelet, : , fig. . a list of the marine mammals of the west coast of north america. murrelet, : - . . the opossum settles in washington state. murrelet, : - . scheffer, v. b., and dalquest, w. w. . present distribution of the douglas ground squirrel in washington. murrelet, : . scheffer, v. b., and slipp, j. w. . the harbor seal in washington state. amer. mid. nat., : - , figs. schultz, l. p., and rafn, a. m. . stomach contents of fur seals taken off the coast of washington. jour. mamm., : - . schwartz, e., and schwartz, h. k. . the wild and commensal stocks of the house mouse, mus musculus linnaeus. jour. mamm., : - . scott, w. b. . a history of land mammals in the western hemisphere. macmillan co., new york, pp. xiv + , figs. in text. shaw, w. t. . the columbian ground squirrel. (_citellus columbianus columbianus_). california state comm. hort., monthly bull. , pp. - , col. pl. vi. figs. - . a. alpine life of the heather vole (phenacomys olympicus). jour. mamm., : - , pls. - . b. the home life of the columbian ground squirrel. canadian field nat., : - , figs. a. the seasonal differences of north and south slopes in controlling the activities of the columbian ground squirrel. ecology, : - , figs. in text. b. duration of the aestivation and hibernation of the columbian ground squirrel (_citellus columbianus_) and sex relations of the same. ecology, : - , figs. c. breeding and development of the columbian ground squirrel. jour. mamm., : - , pls. - . d. the columbian ground squirrel as a handler of earth. the sci. monthly, : - , figs. in text. e. the food of ground squirrels. amer. nat., : - , figs. in text. f. a life history problem and a means for its solution. jour. mamm., : - , pls. - . g. observations on the hibernation of ground squirrels. jour. agric. research, : - , figs. in text. h. the hibernation of the columbian ground squirrel. canadian field nat., : - , - , figs. i. the marmots of hannegan pass. nat. hist., : - , unnumbered photographs. . age of the animal and slope of the ground surface, factors modifying the structure of hibernation dens of ground squirrels. jour. mamm., : - , pl., figs. . the lemming mouse in north america and its occurrence in the state of washington. murrelet, (no. ): - , figs. . brood nests and young of two western chipmunks in the olympic mountains of washington. jour. mamm., : - , pls. fig. sinclair, w. j. . a preliminary account of the exploration of the potter creek cave, shasta county, california. science, : - . slipp, j. w. . nest and young of the olympic dusky shrew. jour. mamm., : - . smith, g. o. . ellensburg folio (no. ). u. s. geol. surv., geol. atlas of the u. s. sperry, c. c. . food habits of the coyote. u. s. dept. interior, wildlife research bull. , pp. - , pls., figs. in text. stager, k. e. . notes on the resting place of pipistrellus hesperus. jour. mamm. : - . st. john, h. . flora of southeastern washington. student book corp., pullman, washington, pp. xxv + , front (map) illus. st. john, h., and jones, g. n. . an annotated catalogue of the vascular plants of benton county, washington. northwest science, : - , illustrated. stock, c. . the pleistocene fauna of hawver cave. univ. california publs. bull. dept. geol., : - , figs. in text. . rancho la brea: a record of pleistocene life in california. los angeles mus. publ. , pp. - , figs. in text. suckley, g., and gibbs, g. . report upon the mammals collected on the survey. repts. expls. and surveys ... route for a railroad, from the mississippi river to the pacific ocean, ... - , pacific r. r. rept., vol. , book , pt. , zoöl. rept., no. , chap. , pp. - , pls. (for chaps. - ). sumner, f. b. a. the role of isolation in the formation of a narrowly localized race of deer-mice (peromyscus). amer. nat., : - . b. several color "mutations" in mice of the genus peromyscus. genetics, : - , fig. in text. . genetic, distributional and evolutionary studies of the subspecies of deer mice (_peromyscus_). bibliographia genetica, : - , figs. in text. svihla, a. . a comparative life history study of the mice of the genus _peromyscus_. univ. michigan mus. zoöl., misc. publs. , pp. - . . notes on the deer-mouse. _peromyscus maniculatus oreas_ (bangs). murrelet, : - . . the mountain water shrew. murrelet, : - . a. development and growth of peromyscus maniculatas oreas. jour. mamm., : - , figs. b. notes on the hibernation of a western chipmunk. jour. mamm., : - . . breeding habits of townsend's ground squirrel. murrelet, : - . svihla, a., and svihla, r. d. . mink feeding on clams. murrelet, : . . notes on the jumping mouse zapus trinotatus trinotatus rhoads. jour. mamm., : - . . annotated list of the mammals of whitman county, washington. murrelet, : - . svihla, r. d. . breeding and young of the grasshopper mouse (onychomys leucogaster fuscogriseus). jour. mamm., : - . tate, g. h. h. . review of the vespertilionine bats, with special attention to genera and species of the archbold collections. bull. amer. mus. nat. hist., : - , figs. in text. taylor, w. p. . revision of the rodent genus _aplodontia_. univ. california publs. zoöl., : - , pls. - , figs. in text. a. the wood rat as a collector. jour. mamm., : - . b. a novel nesting place of the red-backed mouse. jour. mamm., : . . some birds and mammals of mount rainier. the mountaineer, : - , illustrated. . a distributional and ecological study of mount rainier, washington. ecology, : - , figs. in text. taylor, w. p., and shaw, w. t. . mammals and birds of mount rainier national park. u. s. dept. interior, nat. park service, u. s. govt. printing office, washington, d. c., pp. - . . provisional list of the land mammals of the state of washington. occ. papers charles r. conner mus. no. , pp. - . timofeeff-ressovsky, n. w. . the genographical work with _epilachna chrysomelina_, etc. proc. th international congress genetics, : . . mutations and geographical variation, _in_ the new systematics, ed. j. s. huxley, oxford univ. press, pp. - , figs. in text. townsend, c. h. . field-notes on the mammals, birds and reptiles of northern california. proc. u. s. nat. mus., : - . pl., unnumbered figs. in text. townsend, j. k. . narrative of a journey across the rocky mountains, to the columbia river ... reprint in early western travels, - , r. g. thwaits, ed., a. h. clark co., cleveland, : - , pl., . weaver, c. e. . tertiary stratigraphy of western-washington and northwestern oregon. univ. washington publs. geol., : - , pls. whitlow, w. b., and hall, e. r. . mammals of the pocatello region of southeastern idaho. univ. california publs. zoöl., : - , figs. wight, h. m. . food habits of the townsend's mole, scapanus townsendii (bachman). jour. mamm., : - . willett, g. . elephant seal in southeastern alaska. jour. mamm., : . wilson, r. w. a. pleistocene mammalian fauna from the carpinteria asphalt. carnegie inst. washington, publ., : - . b. a rodent fauna from the later cenozoic beds of southwestern idaho. carnegie inst. washington, publ., : - , pls., figs. in text. wright, s. . the roles of mutation, interbreeding, crossbreeding and selection in evolution. proc. th internat. congress genetics, : - , figs. young, s. p., and goldman, e. a. . the wolves of north america. amer. wildlife inst., washington, d. c., xx + pp., pls., figs. in text. zimmerman, r. s. . a coyote's speed and endurance. jour. mamm., : . _transmitted august , ._ index abromys lordi, accounts of species, acutorostrata, balaenoptera, addenda, aequalidens, thomomys talpoides, affinis, eutamias amoenus, tamias amoenus, akeleyi, peromyscus, alascanus, callorhinus, alascensis, myotis lucifugus, alaska fur seal, albiventer, neosorex bendirii, sorex bendirii, albiventris, tamias amoenus, alce, americana, shirasi, alces, americanus, shirasi, alexandrinus, mus, rattus rattus, alpinus, sciuropterus, alticola, neotoma cinerea, altifrontalis, euarctos, mustela frenata, ursus, americana, alce, antilocapra, , martes, mephitis, rupicapra, americanus, euarctos, lepus, oreamnos, sitomys, ursus, amoenus, eutamias, tamias, angustirostris, mirounga, , angustus, microtus, anisonyx rufa, antelope, , antilocapra americana, , antrozous, cantwelli, pallidus, aplodontia, columbiana, grisea, olympica, raineri, rainieri, rufa, arctic-alpine life-zone, arcticus, rangifer, sorex, arctomys, avarus, columbianus, douglasii, flaviventer, olympus, arean arean, arizonensis, mustela, artemisia, lepus, artemisiae, peromyscus maniculatus, sitomys americanus, synaptomys borealis, artiodactyla, arvicola, macropus, nanus, occidentalis, oregoni, pauperrimus, townsendii, arvicoloides, aulacomys, microtus, asiaticus, tamias, atophyrax bendirii, aulacomys arvicoloides, austerus, hesperomys, peromyscus, sitomys americanus, avara, marmota flaviventris, avarus, arctomys flaviventer, badger, badius, thomomys talpoides, baird beaked whale, bairdi, lepus, sorex obscurus, bairdii, berardius, delphinus, balaenoptera, acutorostrata, borealis, physalus, balanus, bangsi, glaucomys sabrinus, sciuropterus alpinus, bat, big-brown, hoary, long-eared, pallid, silvery-haired, bats, mouse-eared, beaked whale, baird, stejneger, bear, black, grizzly, , beaver, mountain, beechey ground squirrel, bendirei, atophyrax, bendirii, atophyrax, sorex, neosorex, berardius bairdii, bernardinus, eptesicus fuscus, bibliography, big, brown bat, jumping mouse, myotis, bison, bison, oregonus, bison, bison, black bear, blackfish, black tailed, deer, jack rabbit, blue whale, bobcat, borealis, balaenoptera, lissodelphis, lynx, synaptomys, brachylagus idahoensis, breviceps, kogia, brown bat, big, brunnescens, ochotona princeps, bushy-tailed wood rat, california, myotis, red-backed mouse, sea lion, californiana, ovis, californianus, otaria, ovis, zalophus, californicus, clethrionomys, lepus, myotis, vespertilio, callorhinus, alascanus, cynocephalus, ursinus, callospermophilus, chrysodeirus, connectens, lateralis, saturatus, tescorum, callotaria ursina cynocephala, campestris, lepus, canadensis, castor, cervus, lutra, lynx, mustela, ovis, canadian, life-zone, lynx, cancer productus, , canescens, microtus montanus, canicaudus, eutamias amoenus, tamias amoenus, canis, columbianus, familiaris, fuscus, gigas, incolatus, irremotus, latrans, lestes, lupus, lycaon, occidentalis, cantwelli, antrozous pallidus, microtus oregoni, cariacus, hemionus, macrotis, caribou, carissima, myotis lucifugus, carnivora, carolinensis, sciurus, cascadensis, clethrionomys gapperi, lepus americanus, sciurus, vulpes, castor, canadensis, idoneus, pacificus, leucodonta, cat, civet, catodon, physeter, caurina, martes, mustela, caurinus, eutamias, myotis californicus, tamias amoenus, cervus, canadensis, columbianus, hemionus, leucurus, macrotis, nelsoni, occidentalis, roosevelti, cetacea, check list, cheiragonus, telmessus, chelan, ursus, chincha, hudsonica, major, occidentalis, spissigrada, chipmunk, least, red-tailed, townsend, yellow-pine, , chipmunks, chiroptera, cicognanii, mustela, cinerea, atalapha, neotoma, cinereus, lasiurus, sorex, vespertilio, cinnamomum, euarctos, ursus, citellus, beecheyi, columbianus, connectens, douglasii, lateralis, loringi, mollis, ruficaudus, saturatus, tescorum, townsendii, washingtoni, yakimensis, civet cat, clethrionomys, californicus, cascadensis, gapperi, idahoensis, nivarius, occidentalis, saturatus, climate and vegetation, clusius, thomomys, columbian ground squirrel, columbianus, arctomys, canis lupus, cariacus, cervus, citellus, eucervus, odocoileus, perognathus, spermophilus, thomomys, columbiensis, glaucomys sabrinus, lepus americanus, concolor, felis, connectens, callospermophilus chrysodeirus, citellus lateralis, cony, cooperi, eutamias, tamias, coots, corynorhinus, macrotis, megalotis, intermedius, rafinesquii, townsendii, cottontail, florida, nuttall, couchi, thomomys talpoides, cougar, coyote, coypu, crayfish, , creeping mouse, curtatus, lagurus, lemmiscus, cuppes, ochotona, cynocephala, callotaria, cynocephalus, callorhinus, siren, dall porpoise, dalli, phocenoides, deer, black-tailed, mouse, mule, white-tailed, delphinus bairdii, dermestes, deserticola, lepus californicus, destructioni, sorex trowbridgii, devexus, thomomys talpoides, didelphis virginiana, dipodomys, columbianus, ordii, distributional, areas, history, dog, dolphin, dorsata, mazama, dorsatum, erethizon, douglas squirrel, douglasii, arctomys, citellus, geomys, otospermophilus grammurus, sciurus, spermophilus, tamiasciurus, thomomys, drummondii, microtus, dytiscidae, ecology, life-zones and, edulis, mytilus, , effera, mustela frenata, elk, emmigrational history, energumenos, mustela vison, putorius vison, enhydra lutris nereis, epixanthum, erethizon, eptesicus, bernardinus, fuscus, pallidus, erethizon, dorsatum, epixanthum, epixanthus, nigrescens, ericacus, thomomys talpoides, eriomerus, petrolisthes, , ermine, erminea, mustela, euarctos, altifrontalis, americanus, cinnamomum, eubalaena sieboldii, eumetopias, jubata, stelleri, eutamias, affinis, albiventris, amoenus, canicaudus, caurinus, cooperi, felix, grisescens, ludibundus, luteiventris, minimus, pictus, quadrivittatus, ruficaudus, scrutator, simulans, townsendii, evotis, myotis, vespertilio, evotomys, gapperi, idahoensis, nivarius, occidentalis, pygmaeus, saturatus, excelsus, procyon lotor, fallenda, mustela erminea, familiaris, canis, fasciatus, lynx, faunas, great basin, pacific coastal, rocky mountain, felis, concolor, hippolestes, olympus, oregonensis, missoulensis, felix, eutamias amoenus, tamias amoenus, fenisex, ochotona, fiber, occipitalis, osoyoosensis, zibethicus, finback whale, fisher, flaviventris, marmota, florida cottontail, floridanus, lepus sylvaticus, sylvilagus, flying squirrel, northern, foetulenta, mephitis, fox, red, squirrel, frenata, mustela, fringe-tailed myotis, fuliginosus, geomys, glaucomys sabrinus, fulva, vulpes, funebris, microtus pennsylvanicus, fur seal, fuscogriseus, onychomys leucogaster, fuscus, canis lupus, eptesicus, thomomys, gambelii, hesperomys, peromyscus maniculatus, sitomys americanus, gapperi, clethrionomys, evotomys, gapper red-backed mouse, geologic history, geomys, douglasii, fuliginosus, gibbsii, neurotrichus, , urotrichus, gigas, canis, lupus, glacialis, thomomys talpoides, glaciation, glaucomys, bangsi, columbiensis, fuliginosus, latipes, olympicus, oregonensis, sabrinus, glaucus, rhachianectes, globicephalus scammonii, goat, mountain, golden-mantled ground squirrel, , gopher, northern pocket, gracilis, spilogale, grammurus, otospermophilus, spermophilus, grampidelphis griseus, grampus rectipinna, grampus, grasshopper mouse, northern, gray squirrel, eastern, western, gray whale, great basin pocket mouse, grisea, aplodontia rufa, grisescens, eutamias minimus, tamias minimus, griseus, grampidelphis, sciurus, ground squirrel, beechey, columbian, golden-mantled, , townsend, washington, gryphus, vespertilio, gulosa, mustela erminea, hair seal, hairy-winged myotis, halli, microtus longicaudus, haplodon rufus, haplodontia, raineri, rufa, harbor, porpoise, seal, harvest mouse, western, heather vole, helisoma occidentalis, hemigrapsus, oregonensis, nudus, , , hemionus, cervus, odocoileus, hesperomys, austerus, gambelii, hesperus, pipistrellus, scotophilus, vespertilio, hippolestes, felis, hoary marmot, hollisteri, peromyscus maniculatus, house mouse, hoyi, microsorex, hudsonian life-zone, hudsonica, chincha, lutra, mephitis, hudsonicus, sciurus, tamiasciurus, humpback whale, hyla, regilla, hypophaeus, sciurus carolinensis, hypothetical list, idahoensis, brachylagus, clethrionomys gapperi, evotomys, lepus, sylvilagus, zapus princeps, idoneus, castor canadensis, immunis, thomomys talpoides, imperator, zapus, incolatus, canis latrans, insectivora, interior, myotis volans, intermedius, corynorhinus rafinesquii, phenacomys, invicta, mustela erminea, irremotus, canis lupus, jack rabbit, black-tailed, white-tailed, jubata, eumetopias, phoca, jumping mouse, big, kangaroo rat, ord, keen myotis, keenii, myotis, vespertilio, killer whale, kincaidi, microtus pennsylvanicus, kogia breviceps, kootenayensis, zapus princeps, lagenorhynchus obliquidens, lagomorpha, lagomys minimus, lagurus, curtatus, pauperrimus, laingi, perognathus parvus, lasionycteris noctivagans, latax lutris nereis, lateralis, callospermophilus, citellus, spermophilus, tamias, latifrons, spilogale, latipes, glaucomys sabrinus, latrans, canis, lemming mouse, northern, lemmiscus, curtatus, pauperrimus, lepta, mustela cicognanii, lepus, americanus, artemisia, bairdi, californicus, campestris, cascadensis, columbiensis, deserticola, floridanus, nuttallii, pineus, sylvaticus, texianus, townsendii, lestes, canis, leucodonta, castor canadensis, leucogaster, onychomys, leucurus, cervus, odocoileus, life-zones and ecology, limosus, thomomys, lion, mountain, lissodelphis borealis, littorina, long-eared myotis, long-tailed, meadow mouse, shrews, weasel, longicaudus, microtus, longicrus, myotis, vespertilio, lordi, abromys, perognathus, loringi, citellus washingtoni, lotor, procyon, ludibundus, eutamias, tamias amoenus, lucifugus, gryphus, myotis, vespertilio, lupus gigas, lupus, canis, luteiventris, eutamias amoenus, tamias amoenus, lutra, canadensis, hudsonica, pacifica, vancouverensis, lutris, enhydra, latax, lycaon, canis, lynx, borealis, canadensis, fasciatus, pallescens, rufus, uinta, lynx, canadian, machetes, ursus, macropus, arvicola, microtus, mynomes, macroschisma, pododesmus, macrotis, cariacus, cervus, corynorhinus, odocoileus hemionus, macroura, vulpes fulva, macrurus, microtus, major, chincha occidentalis, mephitis mephitis, maniculatus, peromyscus, margarites, marmot, hoary, olympic, yellow-bellied, marmota, avara, flaviventris, monax, olympus, petrensis, marsupalia, marten, western, martes, americana, caurina, origenes, pacifica, pennanti, mazama, dorsata, montana, megalotis, corynorhinus, reithrodon, reithrodontomys, megaptera novaeangliae, melanops, thomomys, melanorhinus, myotis, vespertilio, mephitis, americana, foetulenta, hudsonica, major, mephitis, notata, spissigrada, mephitis, mephitis, merriami, sorex, mesoplodon stejnegeri, microsorex, hoyi, washingtoni, microtus, angustus, arvicoloides, canescens, cantwelli, drummondii, funebris, halli, kincaidi, longicaudus, macropus, macrurus, modestus, montanus, mordax, morosus, nanus, oregoni, pauperrimus, pennsylvanicus, pugeti, richardsonii, townsendii, minimus, eutamias, ochotona, lagomys, tamias, minor, neurotrichus, mirounga angustirostris, , missoulae, oreamnos americanus, missoulensis, felis concolor, modestus, microtus pennsylvanicus, mole, coast, gibbs shrew-, shrew-, townsend, mollis, citellus, spermophilus, monax, marmota, montana, mazama, montane meadow mouse, montanus, microtus, oreamnos, rangifer, monticola, sorex vagrans, monticolus, sorex, moose, mopalia muscosa, mordax, microtus, morosus, microtus, mountain, beaver, goat, lion, sheep, mouse, big jumping, california red-backed, creeping, deer, gapper red-backed, grasshopper, northern, great basin pocket, harvest, western, house, jumping, big, lemming, northern, long-tailed meadow, meadow, montane meadow, northern grasshopper, northern lemming, pennsylvania meadow, pocket, great basin, red-backed, california, red-backed, gapper, townsend meadow, western harvest, mouse-eared bats, mule deer, murica, mustela erminea, muricus, mustela, putorius, mus, alexandrinus, musculus, norvegicus, rattus, muscosa, mopalia, musculus, mus, sibbaldus, muskrat, mustela, altifrontalis, arizonensis, canadensis, caurina, cicognanii, effera, energumenos, erminea, fallenda, frenata, gulosa, invicta, lepta, murica, nevadensis, olympica, origenes, pacifica, pennanti, saturata, streatori, washingtoni, mynomes, macropus, nanus, myops, thomomys, myotis, big, california, californicus, carissima, caurinus, evotis, fringe-tailed, hairy-winged, interior, keen, keenii, long-eared, longicrus, lucifugus, melanorhinus, pacificus, saturatus, sociabilis, small-footed, subulatus, thysanodes, volans, yuma, yumanensis, mytilus edulis, , nanus, arvicola, microtus, navigator, neosorex, sorex palustris, neglecta, taxidea taxus, nelsoni, cervus canadensis, neosorex, albiventer, bendirii, navigator, neotoma, alticola, cinerea, occidentalis, nereis, enhydra lutris, latax lutris, neurotrichus, gibbsii, minor, nevadensis, mustela frenata, niger, sciurus, nigrescens, erethizon dorsatum, reithrodontomys megalotis, nitidus, vespertilio, , nivarius, clethrionomys gapperi, evotomys, noctivagans, lasionycteris, vespertilio, vesperugo, northern, flying squirrel, grasshopper mouse, lemming mouse, pocket gopher, norvegicus, mus, rattus, norway rat, notata, mephitis mephitis, novaeangliae, megaptera, nudus, hemigrapsus, , , nutria, nuttall cottontail, nuttallii, lepus, sylvilagus, obliquidens, lagenorhynchus, obscurus, sorex, occidentalis, arvicola, canis, cervus canadensis, chincha, clethrionomys californicus, evotomys, helisoma, neotoma, occipitalis, fiber, ondatra zibethicus, ochotona, brunnescens, cuppes, fenisex, minimus, princeps, ochrourus, odocoileus virginianus, odocoileus, columbianus, hemionus, leucurus, macrotis, ochrourus, virginianus, olympic marmot, olympica, aplodontia, mustela erminea, spilogale, olympicus, glaucomys sabrinus, phenacomys, sciuropterus alpinus, olympus, felis, marmota, ondatra, occipitalis, osoyoosensis, zibethicus, onychomys, fuscogriseus, leucogaster, opossum, oramontis, phenacomys, orarius, scapanus, ord kangaroo rat, ordii, dipodomys, perodipus, oreamnos, americanus, missoulae, montanus, oreas, peromyscus, oregonensis, felis, glaucomys sabrinus, hemigrapsus, pteromys, sciuropterus alpinus, oregoni, arvicola, microtus, oregonus, bison, zapus princeps, origenes, martes caurina, osoyoosensis, fiber, ondatra, otaria californianus, otter, river, sea, ovis, californiana, canadensis, pacific right whale, pacifica, lutra hudsonica, martes pennanti, mustela canadensis, procyon lotor, pacificus, castor canadensis, myotis evotis, pallescens, lynx, pallidus, antrozous, eptesicus fuscus, palustris, sorex, panther, parvus, cricetodops, perognathus, pauperrimus, arvicola, lagurus, lemmiscus, microtus, pennanti, martes, mustela, pennsylvanian meadow mouse, pennsylvanicus, microtus, perodipus, columbianus, ordii, perognathus, columbianus, laingi, lordi, parvus, peromyscus, akeleyi, americanus, artemisiae, austerus, gambelii, hollisteri, maniculatus, oreas, rubidus, texianus, personatus, sorex, petrensis, marmota monax, petrolisthes eriomerus, , phenacomys, intermedius, oramontis, olympicus, phoca, jubata, richardii, vitulina, phocena vomerina, phocenoides dalli, physalus, balaenoptera, physeter catodon, physiographic provinces, pictus, eutamias minimus, pigmy, rabbit, sperm whale, pika, pike whale, pineus, lepus americanus, pinnipedia, pipistrelle, western, pipistrellus hesperus, pocket, gopher, northern, mouse, great basin, podedesmus macroschisma, plecotus townsendii, plethodon vehiculum, pollack whale, porcupine, porpoise, dall, harbor, right whale, striped, porpoises, princeps, ochotona, zapus, procyon, excelsus, lotor, pacifica, proteus, psora, productus, cancer, , pronghorned antelope, proteus, procyon, psora, procyon, pteromys oregonensis, pugetensis, thomomys talpoides, pugeti, microtus townsendii, puma, pygmacus, evotomys, quadratus, thomomys, quadrivittatus, eutamias, tamias, rabbit, black-tailed jack, jack, pigmy, snowshoe, white-tailed jack, raccoon, rafinesquii, carynorhinus, raineri, aplodontia, haplodontia, rainieri, aplodontia rufa, rana, rangifer, arcticus, montanus, rat, bushy-tailed wood, kangaroo, ord, norway, ord kangaroo, roof, sage, water, wood, bushy-tailed, rattus, alexandrinus, norvegicus, rattus, rattus, mus, rattus, rectipinna, grampus, red-backed mouse, california, gapper, red, fox, squirrel, regilla, hyla, reithrodon megalotis, reithrodontomys, megalotis, nigrescens, richardii, halicyon, phoca, richardsonii, microtus, sciurus, tamiasciurus, right, whale, pacific, whale porpoise, river otter, rhachianectes glaucus, rodentia, roof rat, roosevelti, cervus, rubidus, peromyscus maniculatus, rufa, aplodontia, anisonyx, haplodon, ruficaudus, citellus columbianus, eutamias, tamias, rufus, haplodon, lynx, rupicapra americana, sabrinus, glaucomys, sage rat, sagebrush vole, saturata, mustela, saturatus, callospermophilus lateralis, citellus, clethrionomys gapperi, evotomys gapperi, myotis yumanensis, spermophilus, tamias, saxatilis, spilogale, scalops townsendii, scammonii, globicephalus, scapanus, orarius, schefferi, townsendii, yakimensis, schefferi, scapanus orarius, sciuropterus, alpinus, bangsi, olympicus, oregonensis, sciurus, cascadensis, carolinensis, douglasii, griseus, hudsonicus, hypophaeus, niger, richardsonii, streatori, scotophilus hesperus, scrutator, eutamias minimus, tamias minimus, sea lion, california, steller, sea otter, seal, alaska fur, fur, alaska, hair, harbor, sei whale, setosus, shawi, thomomys talpoides, sheep, mountain, shirasi, alce americanus, shrew, bendire, cinereous, dusky, long-tailed, -mole, merriam, mountain, pigmy, trowbridge, wandering, water, , shrew-mole, gibbs, shrews, long-tailed, sibbaldus musculus, sieboldii, eubalaena, silvery-haired bat, similis, sorex vagrans, simulans, eutamias ruficaudus, tamias ruficaudus, siren cynocephalus, sitomys, americanus, artemisiae, austerus, gambelii, skunk, spotted, striped, small-footed myotis, snowshoe rabbit, sociabilis, myotis yumanensis, sorex, , albiventer, areticus, bairdi, bendirei, bendirii, cinereus, destructioni, merriami, monticola, monticolus, navigator, obscurus, palustris, personatus, setosus, similis, streatori, suckleyi, trowbridgii, vagrans, sperm whale, spermophilus, columbianus, douglasii, grammurus, lateralis, mollis, saturatus, townsendii, spilogale, gracilis, latifrons, olympica, saxatilis, spissigrada, chincha occidentalis, mephitis, spotted skunk, squirrel, beechey ground, columbian ground, douglas, eastern gray, flying, northern, fox, golden-mantled ground, , gray, eastern, gray, western, northern flying, red, townsend ground, washington ground, western gray, steelhead trout, stejneger beaked whale, stejnegeri, mesoplodon, steller sea lion, stenopalmatus, streatori, mustela, putorius, sciurus, sorex cinereus, tamiasciurus, striped, porpoise, skunk, subulatus, myotis, , vespertilio, suckleyi, sorex, sulphur-bottom whale, sylvaticus, lepus, sylvilagus, floridanus, idahoensis, nuttallii, synaptomys, artemisiae, borealis, truei, wrangeli, tacomensis, thomomys talpoides, talpoides, thomomys, tamias, affinis, albiventris, amoenus, asiaticus, canicaudus, caurinus, cooperi, felix, grisescens, lateralis, ludibundus, luteiventris, minimus, quadrivittatus, ruficaudus, saturatus, scrutator, simulans, townsendii, tamiasciurus, douglasii, hudsonicus, richardsonii, streatori, taxidea, neglecta, taxus, taxus, taxidea, ursus, telmessus cheiragonus, tescorum, callospermophilus lateralis, citellus lateralis, texanus, peromyscus, texianus, lepus, thomomys, aequalidens, badius, clusius, columbianus, couchi, devexus, douglasii, ericaeus, fuscus, glacialis, immunis, limosus, melanops, myops, pugetensis, quadratus, shawi, tacomensis, talpoides, tumuli, wallowa, yakimensis, yelmensis, thysanodes, myotis, timber wolf, townsend, ground squirrel, meadow mouse, townsendii, arvicola, citellus, corynorhinus, corynorhinus rafinesquii, eutamias, lepus, microtus, plecotus, scalops, scapanus, spermophilus, tamias, transition life-zone, trinotatus, zapus, trout, steelhead, trowbridgii, sorex, truei, synaptomys, tumuli, thomomys talpoides, uinta, lynx, upper sonoran life-zone, urotrichus, gibbsii, ursina, callotaria, ursinus, callorhinus, ursus, altifrontalis, americanus, canadensis, cinnamomum, chelan, idahoensis, machetes, taxus, vagrans, sorex, vancouverensis, lutra, vegetation, climate and, vehiculum, plethodon, vespertilio, californicus, cinereus, evotis, gryphus, hesperus, keenii, lucifugus, longicrus, nitidus, , noctivagans, subulatus, vesperugo, hesperus, noctivagans, virginiana, didelphis, virginianus, odocoileus, vitulina, phoca, volans, myotis, vole, heather, sagebrush, vomerina, phocena, vulpes, cascadensis, fulva, macroura, wallowa, thomomys talpoides, wallawalla, lepus texianus, wapiti, washington ground squirrel, washingtoni, citellus, microsorex hoyi, mustela, putorius, washingtonii, lepus, water rat, weasel, long-tailed, western, gray squirrel, harvest mouse, pipistrelle, whale, baird beaked, blue, finback, gray, humpback, killer, pacific right, pigmy sperm, pike, pollack, sei, sperm, sulphur-bottom, stejneger beaked, whales, white-tailed, deer, jack rabbit, wolf, timber, woodchuck, wood rat, bushy-tailed, wrangeli, synaptomys, yakimensis, citellus mollis, scapanus orarius, thomomys talpoides, yellow-bellied marmot, yelmensis, thomomys talpoides, yuma myotis, yumanensis, myotis, zalophus californianus, zapus, idahoensis, imperator, kootenayensis, oregonus, princeps, trinotatus, zibethicus, fiber, ondatra, transcriber's notes: bold text marked as = ... = italic text marked as _ ... _ legend for column headers (table ) inserted. obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected, but other variations in spelling and punctuation remain unchanged. generously made available by the internet archive/american libraries.) transcriber's note: captions have been added to some illustrations. the spelling has been harmonized. obvious printer errors have been repaired. [illustration: alaska-yukon-pacific exposition, seattle. main building, general view.] [illustration: john edward chilberg. vice president, the scandinavian american bank, seattle washington. president, alaska-yukon-pacific exposition, june st to october , .] to my scandinavian friends, now residents of the puget sound country: ten years have now elapsed since the "scandinavians on the pacific" was published, and inasmuch as i now have the opportunity of inserting a few pages, outlining in brief some of the changes that are manifest since the publication of the book, i deem it proper to do so. "scandinavians on the pacific" was my first literary effort. some of the verses contained in the book were written in a hasty manner, hence found it advisable to rewrite them, coining them into better and more uniform metre, and later they appeared in my book of poems, "echoes from dreamland," which may be found in the seattle public library, in the library of the university of washington, and in the libraries of eastern universities and colleges. the opportunity of outlining the interesting changes that have taken place in that period, and being enabled to make the addition a part of the original book, comes to me by the generous suggestion of mr. f. p. searle, manager of the ballard office of the scandinavian american bank, ballard station, seattle, washington, as it is mr. searle's intention to present the book to all of his scandinavian customers and friends. in the year , while completing the history contained in the original part of this book, i could not have conceived of the wonderful changes that have been made throughout the whole northwest, and more particularly in the city of seattle. during the time i was writing the book, one of my very pleasant headquarters was the scandinavian american bank, then located at the corner of first avenue and yesler way, in the building that is now occupied by the state bank of seattle, and it is a source of a great deal of satisfaction to me, that with a few exceptions, all the officers and employees of the scandinavian american bank are still with the grand institution, which has developed from a very modest bank of that date, into one of the largest and most successful banking institutions in the state of washington. first in my mind is mr. andrew chilberg, to whom i dedicated this book, and mentioned at the time that he was president of the bank, and can still make the statement that he occupies the same honored position; also mr. james f. lane, cashier, and quite a number of the old time employees. mr. a. h. soelberg, however, is now connected with the state bank of seattle, in the capacity of vice president and cashier. it is not my intention to confine the additional pages wholly to the scandinavian american bank; but the associations were so pleasant, that it naturally comes to my mind in a very vivid way, and before i leave the subject entirely, i wish to speak of john edward chilberg, who at the time the book was published, was known only as being an energetic business man, in common with a great many others then residing in seattle. he is now the vice president of the scandinavian american bank, and the most of his success has been to the benefit of seattle, as it was through his foresight and faith in the future development of this city that he brought about the erection of the first sky scraper, which is the alaska building, and the present home of the scandinavian american bank, and it was through his energy that such a large proportion of alaska's resources were obtained for seattle. in looking at his picture, as one of the chilberg family, representing four generations, which is found on page , it would indeed be a shrewd judge of appearances that could have foreseen the success that this man has made for himself, and for seattle. without going into details of the many enterprises that he was identified with, which represent some of the finest improvements in seattle, i will close my autobiographical sketch of mr. chilberg, by calling attention to the successful way that he managed the affairs of the alaska-yukon-pacific exposition, as president of that successful fair, and all scandinavians residing in this wonderful part of the united states, can feel justifiably proud of the fact that it was a descendant of their race who had so much to do with the wonderful improvements that have been evidence in seattle during the past ten years, and it is indeed a pleasure for me to place his picture at this day and date along with those of other prominent scandinavians. one of the most wonderful changes in seattle is the gigantic regrade work, which in a short time will so change the topography of the city, that residents who left the city ten years ago, would on their return, have hard work in locating old land marks. i understand that to take the united states as a whole, this city is one of the best advertised cities west of chicago, and one cannot visit any other city without being made aware that the majority of the people know all about seattle. of course these reports must be of recent date, as the "alaska-yukon-pacific exposition" was the real advertising factor, as it certainly was the most grandly arranged, and most successful fair that it has ever been my privilege to see. as i look through this book, written so many years ago, i am made aware of the old time citizens who have been called home, yet feel that all who have not had opportunity to read the early history of the scandinavians in this part of the country, will derive a great deal of pleasure in being able to refresh their memories, and to those scandinavians who have recently settled in this part of the country, the book will no doubt be the means of many re-unions of friendship formed in other parts of the world. in concluding this short sketch, permit me to add "greetings from puget sound," a poem which i wrote some months ago, and which was published on a post card, and copyrighted by the scenic library company. thos. ostenson stine. greetings from puget sound. land and sea united greet us, greeting all in words sublime; and with magic touches lift us, on the sunny wings of time. over hills and laughing waters plumage songsters hang and soar; from their hearts with gladness panting greetings ever shake and pour. in the distance mellow cloudlets float around the old rainier, mixing with his locks of silver in the balmy atmosphere. and we hear snoqualmie yonder calling, calling, loud and free. in a voice which shakes with welcome he is calling to the sea. from the mountain's snow-clad bosom brooklets winding seaward sing; and the silver-braided wildwoods tingle with the joy of spring. breezes playing with the sea-nymphs kiss the wooded land with glee, and the golden shore is warbling with the music of the sea. morning steals serenely on us, melting in from east to west, and the diamonds on the water, burning, leap from crest to crest. when the sun departs in westland firs and pines in silence weep; fold their flaming wings in slumber to the music of the deep. mountains looking seaward charm us on the shore of puget sound; cataracts with music fill us, breezes waft the fragrance round. hillocks green and valleys blooming and the diamond-studded sea laugh and sing with salutation in a strain of harmony. rivers, lakes and orchards laden mingle with the fields of gold, and the fir and spruce and hemlock in their verdure wealth unfold. mountains hold the treasure tempting, and the valleys ever green teem with blooms of inspiration by the sun-kissed shore serene. --thos. ostenson stine. copyright, , by the scenic library co. press of denny-coryell company seattle, wash. errata. page , sixth line from bottom, should be _its briny breast_, not her briny breast. page , third line from bottom, should be slaughter, not staughter. page , under the cut should be _dr. eiliv janson_, not eliiv. page , thirteenth line from top, should be _the st of may, _, not . page , tenth line from top, should be _examen_, not examin. page , third line from top (in some of the copies), should be _successful_, not sucsessful. page , second paragraph are too many commas. page , third line, second paragraph, should be _solor_, not sotor. page , under the cut (in a few copies) should be _fairhaven_, not fairhavan. page , twelfth line (in a few copies) should be _reconnoitered_, not reconnitered. page , second line from bottom, should be _legislature_, not legislation. scandinavians on the pacific, puget sound. by thos. ostenson stine, b. s. p. o. box , seattle, wash. an evening on puget sound. a vocal stretch of sapphire glow, a sunset radiance of melted gold, where silvery ripples softly laugh, making music the whole night through. in a livery of green thy banks proudly stand, the weeping pine and mocking hemlock lay shadows on thy starry breast, where loving breezes play. high in the clouds rear the snow-capped sentinels, listening to thy melancholy chimes, at their feet smile the lilies, and through the deep blue sail the sea-gulls. copyright, . [illustration: andrew chilberg.] to andrew chilberg, consul for sweden and norway and president of the scandinavian american bank of seattle, as a token of respect for your friendship and your integrity of character, i dedicate this volume. thos. o. stine. [illustration: dr. ivar janson. an eminent surgeon of seattle.] preface. on solicitation of prominent scandinavian-americans, a year ago, i undertook to write a volume or two, entitled, "scandinavians on the pacific." at the launching of this idea an untold number rallied around me with sweet tongues, but many who pretended to furnish historical data fabricated delusive smiles of impertinent selfishness. others, however, have been frank in ushering kind assistance. the author is indebted to the following gentlemen for willing advice and information: john blaauw, editor of tacoma tidende, tacoma; george bech, author of "hæng ham," etc., seattle; rev. t. j. moen, fairhaven, and n. p. leque, stanwood. t. o. s. [illustration: wonderful scene on the great northern in cascade mountains.] contents. introduction. chapter i. the pacific coast. chapter ii. the first scandinavian pioneers. chapter iii. scandinavians in seattle--pioneers and prominent citizens. chapter iv. scandinavians in seattle--societies--press--prominent citizens--churches. chapter v. scandinavians in ballard. chapter vi. scandinavians in tacoma. chapter vii. scandinavians in tacoma--societies--press--prominent citizens--churches. chapter viii. scandinavians in everett. chapter ix. scandinavians at stanwood. chapter x. scandinavians in stillaguamish valley. chapter xi. scandinavians at cedarhome. chapter xii. scandinavians in skagit valley. chapter xiii. scandinavians in bellingham bay. chapter xiv. scattered scandinavian communities--poulsbo and other places. [illustration: a scene in the north pacific.] illustrations. page anderson, c. g. w. anderson, j. f. anderson, graebert anderson, oscar a group of representative ladies arntson, j. m. a scene of pioneer life a rustic bridge another scene of the wenatchee a puget sound cedar a miner at his cabin a musician on skagit river a scene in the washington woods a scene in the harbor of seattle a scene in the north pacific an island near whatcom bank, scandinavian american bennie, jr., d. g. bech, george blaauw, john bull, prof. olof chilberg, andrew, frontispiece christensen, lars and wife crogstad, andrew n. crogstad, mrs. wilhelmina a. coltom, m. o. church, n. d. baptist church, n. d. lutheran church, swedish m. e. church, swedish baptist church, stanwood, n. d. l. eggan, james engquist, frank enger, t. t. elvrum, l. p. and wife everett in its infancy fishing in bellingham bay foss, louis hanson, l. g. and wife hansen, hans hals, john i. hals' shingle mill hevly, e. a. hallberg, p. a. janson, dr. eiliv janson, dr. ivar, frontispiece johnson, iver johnson, rev. john johnson, john knudson, knud knatvold, h. e. langland, s. s. leque, n. p. logging family standing on a cedar stump lindberg, gustaf lundberg, a. mining scenes moldstad, n. j. mt. baker mt. rainier mt. index morling house nelson, n. b. nicklason, g. nogleberg, john nogleberg's studio orphans' home ox logging pacific lutheran university prestlien bluff pioneers among wild beasts quevli, dr. c. ranch, jorgen eliason's residence of olaf rydjord residence of n. m. lien rosling, eric edw. rynning, dr. j. l. rude, h. p. and family rialto block stanwood l. m. sangkor stanwood creamery samson, s. sandahl, c. n. sandegren, t. steamer advance soelberg, axel h. skagit river snoqualmie fall the cedarhome school the norman school thompson, s. a. the baltic lodge the th of may committee the chilberg family the wild wenatchee the university of washington walters, carl o. western washington native snowshoe hare wonderful scene on the g. n. [illustration: a group of representative ladies. miss anna myhre--seattle miss minnie anderson--fir miss lottie stromberd--seattle miss bertha korstad--silverdale miss augusta stromberd--seattle miss emma sandstrom--seattle miss martha anderson & miss henrietta klackstead--seattle miss petra & emma halverson--tacoma] introduction. viking brave on land or sea, dauntless hero of liberty, while ages hang on bearded clay, among the great thy name shall sway. chroniclers shall paint thee in shades resplendent, thy fame as the pine shall sway independent, nations shall rise from lethargy old to tune the feats of the norsemen bold. suns of the south reflect thy rays, they breathe thy prowess on wild-flying sprays, but their light shall wane with ages to come, the stars of the future shall pale proud rome. the foam-crest brine thy daring spells, thy wings have climbed impetuous swells, in tempests wild o'er main afar, thy only guide the burning star. iceland and greenland hast thou found, with valor to thy honor crowned, the faroes in the salty deep, and others that in the ocean sleep. thy scepter has on sicily swayed, thy brawny arms with albion played, and normandy to thy venture shines, with royal courts and eglantines. beyond the sea maid's unkempt hair, lay forests rich and jewels rare, undreamt by kings of fame and power, "for the shore," shouts leif, "spite storm and shower." _vinland_ for the norseman brave, the honor he to his country gave, born with thee, an unknown strand, america, sweet freedom's land. _from "an ode to the land of the vikings."_--_stine._ the author does not aim to lift the scandinavians into an air of ungained merit, he does not aim to clothe them with undeserved encomium, but seeks to paint their dues in a straightforward way, thoughtless of sailing the sea of hyperbole, or entering any strait of unearned exploit. in order, however, to give the reader a clear conception of the spirit, the intrepidity, the characteristic worth of the northern peoples, my pen cannot refrain from plowing into the annals of the past. history is plain and authentic on the subject, and the same chivalric blood ebbs through the veins of the vikings today as of yore. they have shared and do share the burdens of adventure, discovery and colonzation. they have nurtured their sons and daughters with patriotic zeal, and unfurled to their love the folds of freedom. they have braved the foam-crest waves minus compass and sympathy--stars of night and sun of day guided them over the traceless billows. their dauntless sails have wafted in sun and storm from shore to shore and woven together distant climes. from the dawn of navigation and soldiery the scandinavians have evinced skill and dexterity, filled with a whim to roam, see and conquer. they were, perhaps, sometimes rough in their daring expeditions, but always actuated with a will to plant the scepter of liberty and to raise the standard of civilization. in the valorous naddodd discovered iceland, and fourteen years later a republic form of government was established, which flourished four centuries. in erik the red discovered greenland, and in the name of his native country, norway, took possession of the frozen territory, and unfolded to the breeze the banner of liberty. "to the west! to the west!" thought leif erikson, son of erik the red, "spite waves and breakers," and in the year pointed the bow of his bark for the shore of america, landed at helluland, now known as newfoundland. he reconnoitered the coast as far south as massachusetts, and christened the new world, _vinland_. not here do the vikings stop. in thorwald erikson set sail for vinland, spent three years exploring the green-clad banks of new england with zealous desire to unveil to his countrymen the characteristic features of the new possession. in a collision with the skrællings (indians) his precious life was blown out, the first european to succumb to the arrows of the red race. not here do their voyages for the new world cease. the sagas plainly picture their pilgrimages across the howling waste for vinland in , , , , . true, the scandinavians have been heroes on sea, but no less so on land. king gustavus adolphus, of sweden, poured his life blood on the battlefield of lutzen, not for military glory, but to liberate millions of innocent souls from the fire of tyranny, the poisonous hands of the chief of superstition, the narrow-minded philip ii., of spain. he was not only a military genius but the father of his people, a benefactor of humanity. in a company of swedes colonized in the new world, who made the hills and forests of delaware ring with the music of their picks and axes. as years rolled by emigration started from sweden, norway and denmark. the wilderness of america was their object, the building of homes their love. they braved the interior, fought the lion and the bear, conquered the frowning forests and subdued the spreading prairies. first huts of logs and sods, then quaint dwellings rose to mark their energy. fields and gardens smiled, school-houses reared the air, and happy lads and lasses pranced their way to school to drink freely from the fountain of knowledge. home, sweet home echoed from rocks and trees. the frontier was their chance, and thither they steered their lots. they knew how to swing the axe and use the hoe, climb mountains and make themselves contented in the most hazardous exposure. what to them the soft pillow? when a stone was near at hand. they slept under the blue sky and drank health from the floating clouds. a home for my son and daughter, or my sweetheart, gave them fresh courage. not only a home, but a pleasant home in a congenial clime, where the heaven smiles serenely, where the rose-bud bursts and thrives the year round. thunder and cyclones had shaken their tranquility. more peaceful air, tired of the friction and disagreement in the upper regions, and fire that seems eager to eat the whole firmament. away from the boisterous thunderbolts which make it a business to blast and burn every cloud. "to the west! sweet westland!" rolled in their souls, where the air is pure, where the birds sing, where the scenery is grand. to the west! sweet westland! where freedom reigns, where forests clothe the untrod plains, and flowers and fragrance blow beneath peaks of crystal snow. sweet westland! broad and free, how i love to dwell in thee! where jeweled brows look o'er the lea, and rhyming streams leap down to the sea, where man is himself and courts no king, and axes swords, and bloodless swing. sweet westland! broad and free, how i love to dwell in thee! to the west! sweet westland by the sea, where music swells the wooded lea, where work is plenty and wealth to gain in clearing land and planting grain. sweet westland! broad and free, how i love to dwell in thee! the author. [illustration: skagit river near sedro-woolley.] the pacific coast. chapter i. high and noble stands the rocky, looking downward, where jeweled brows hang, where silvery waves make music on the deep, or the sea maid shakes her streaming locks. as early as the brave balboa hurled his exploring eyes over the watery waste and in the name of spain declared the discovery of the mighty ocean. but, alas! the valorous spaniard received only scoff and scorn for his adventure and hardship, and at last the cold world saw fit to lead him to the judgment block for the unknown depth beyond. a later date, in , juan de fuca, a greek pilot, in the service of spain, discovered the beautiful strait which bears his name, the gateway to the picturesque puget sound. in captain kendrick, an american explorer, was reconnoitering along the pacific coast, entered the strait of fuca, steered his boat into the strait of georgia and queen charlotte sound, and depicted the characteristic features of the land-locked waters. in the united states government sent the lewis and clark expedition across the rocky to ascertain more minutely as to the climate and the feasibility for settlement. when the country was explored, and a sprinkling of pioneers had spread themselves in the most favorable localities, tidings of the complication between our government and great britain reached them. war clouds were hanging in the air prognostic of determining the ownership of their terra firma. an amicable settlement, however, was brought about and the present boundary between washington and british columbia was fixed. a petition was sent to congress praying for closer relationship in the union, and in the territory of oregon was organized. the flux of immigration fast settled the attractive sylva on the sound and the rolling prairies east of the cascades. the territory being too large, and the country north of columbia was sliced off and made to struggle for itself. the promoters of the scheme were vigilant and got things to move their own way, and after all, they didn't do anything worse than to give this vigorating child of uncle sam the ever-cherished appellation _washington_. my washington. beautiful evergreen, home of the free, sunshine of my fancy thee, where fragrance swells the breeze, and freedom rings from rocks and trees. my washington, sweet gem of the sea, land of the future, and home of the free. i love thy peaks in twilight hue, in silver rays rear to my view, i love thy brooks, thy laughing fjord, thy waving fields in grain of gold. my washington, sweet gem of the sea, land of the future, and home of the free. i love thee, my land, i'll serve thee true, i'll look for thy wants, i'll be with you, through sun and storm my heart is thine, sweet hills of fir and vine. my washington, sweet gem of the sea, land of the future, and home of the free. we've plenty of soil, silver and gold, aye, fields and forests of wealth untold, only our hearts for thee could rise, of thee i sing, my paradise. my washington, sweet gem of the sea, land of the future, and home of the free. [illustration: mount index--on the great northern line, washington.] the scenery of washington is grand and inviting. the cascade runs through the bosom of the state, cutting her in twain, and throws his rugged spurs into oregon and california. the majestic rainier rears through the clouds to a height of , feet, wearing a hood of perpetual snow, which changes to a verdant fringe as it runs downward, clothing his feet with evergreen. mount adams has pushed his head upward , feet, and baker has reached an elevation of , , while st. helen stopped feet above sea level. to the westward is a less conspicuous attraction, the coast range, which skirts the ocean and varies in height from to feet. between these mountain ranges sweeps a fertile basin, carpeted with an unparalleled forest, fir, cedar, spruce and hemlock rise skyward to a skeptical giddiness. some stretch their forms feet into the air. logs are piled upon one another, sleeping like angry mammoths at the feet of gigantic trees. the more tender offsprings shoot up between these lazy monsters, and some take delight to grow on their decaying frames. into the fleecy clouds the noble firs stand, their austere forms spread shadows on the strand, and music floats on high, from silvery waves to the sky. where tender shoots in gladness smile on moss-bearded logs in pile; abreast with flowers they grow and sway in sisterhood from day to day. [illustration: a puget sound cedar.] the fjords of norway are sublime, and puget sound is equally so. what can be more soul-stirring and soul-inspiring than a merry sheet of water rippling for hundreds of miles into a land of verdure, making sweet music day and night? what can be more angelic and soothing to the soul than the songs of the waves? where can you find more poesy than in the pearl-set crests rolling like melted gold upon gilded pebbles? a clittering, clattering steal through the air, even in the calm of night dulcet strains come to cheer the ear. a soft whisper seems to spring from every flower. the forest is alive with melodies, hills and mountains echo back the harps of the deep. [illustration: an island near whatcom.] sing loud ye waves of dancing pearls, leap frisk ye winds from heaven's throat, for the jeweled strand, melodious land. laugh ye fir, spruce and hemlock, play ye breezes with their wings, in freedom's air, in sun so fair. smile ye flowers in gladness free, i kiss your lips and love you true, sweet daisies mellow, in coats of yellow. burst ye rose-buds to a fresh-born day, and drink from heaven's eye serene, sweet beams of rainbow tint, emblems of god, i weep and wait. lift high your heads ye stately hills, scatter smiles where music floats, by the opal sea, the land of the free. [illustration: snoqualmie fall. by courtesy of the great northern.] rivers and falls are no less sublime than the sound, and compare in grandeur with the famous streams and cataracts of switzerland and scandinavia. the columbia ranks with the most picturesque rivers in the world, being of great value to commerce, fleets of steamers ride on its bosom day and night with merchandise from foreign climes, and grain, fruit and other produce raised west of the rocky. snoqualmie, snohomish, skagit and others are also navigable and invite the attention of wonder-seekers. [illustration: the wild wenatchee and the great northern in tumwater canyon.] snoqualmie fall is one of nature's masterpieces, and bespeaks grandeur and sublimity. the water shoots into the air, tumbles down a royal precipice, whirls, foams and splashes, fills heaven with thunder and the soul with awe and admiration. the tumwater fall is likewise grand and awe-inspiring, stunning in music and bewitching in scenery. [illustration: another scene of the wenatchee and the great northern in tumwater canyon.] storms seldom visit the pacific, and thunder rarely finds a rich medium in the balmy clouds. but, terror! when a storm is propagated on yonder deep, and sets the ocean boiling and shivering up shallow bays, and springs into the forest like an unchained demon, then the whole heaven shakes and trembles. firs and cedars tumble like dead giants, knocking each other to the ground in the fashion of heartless heathens. blasts upon blasts swell through the air and roll along the mountain ridges not dissimilar to jove's chariot. ay, you speak of awe and fright when a prairie fire gets sway on the central plain, but when the guest of good and evil gains access to the washington forest in the month of august or september a hell is witnessed similar to that painted by ranting trumpeters. flames rise skyward and with the aid of winds set the trees flaring and howling as in the clutches of a thousand devils. the fertility of the pacific forest is something incredulous, the quantity and quality of lumber produced are astounding to all not familiar with this country. even a conservative estimate would make many curious speculators drunk with figures. in the state of washington forests spread over thirteen million acres of land. west of the cascades is a stretch of ten million, clothing hills and dells from canada to columbia river with valuable fir, cedar, spruce, pine, hemlock and tamarack, while on the east side three million acres of forest land are scattered along the rivers and mountain slopes. saw mills and shingle factories are being kept busy the year round. more than one billion feet of lumber are turned out annually and shipped to all parts of the globe. the shingle industry is something phenomenal. factories are whistling and piping everywhere throughout the cedar districts, and thousands of men find lucrative employments. [illustration: a scene in the washington woods.] mining is an important pursuit, rugged brows smile with independent richness. moss-bearded ledges of the precious metal run into the heart of the cascades. the index districts teem with mineral wealth, and lake chelan shines with doubtless yields. iron ore rests in the bosom of the sound country from the green feet of old rainier to the dashing waves of the pacific. as you cross the divide for eastern washington, you find paying veins running in different directions. coal is a natural consequence, which in no manner puzzles the minds of geologists. from days of yore luxuriant vegetation has robed plains and valleys to impenetrable density. the death of rich forests has built beds of astonishing thickness, and the formation of coal has resulted to a marked degree. [illustration: a miner at his cabin.] agriculture and horticulture invite attention. the rolling prairies between the rocky and the cascades are especially adapted for the raising of cereals. wheat yields from to bushels per acre, oats from to , rye from to . irrigation has been practiced with wonderful success around wenatchee. the feasibility of applying nature itself is remarkable. here and there meander silvery streams of clear water, which are made to spread over fertile tracts of land at any time, and to any part wanted. no longing for showers to quench and sweeten the thirsty soil bothers the farmer in this section. irrigation is so easily practiced, and the crops thus raised are so enormous, may it be grain or fruit, that the eastern agriculturist cannot conceive our natural advantages. why linger on the hungry prairies of the east, freezing your lives out, when opportunities like these are extended to you? here you can get a pleasant home, for a small trifle, where the air is mild and soothing, where the soil is rich and easily cultivated. the sound country is equally productive. ay, inexhaustible. the washington fruit is known the world over for quality and quantity. magnificent orchards adorn every farm, and the smaller ranches, too, enjoy the presence of wealthy apple, pear and plum trees. when you throw your eye upon puget sound, and behold the fleet of fish barges, rolling upon her briny breast, a reminiscence of the coast of norway steals into your soul. cohorts of men, mostly scandinavians, resort to the waves for subsistence. herring and salmon throng the water in rich abundance. shoals of the latter race along the shores, fighting their way up streams to spawn. some become savory prey for bears, cougars and wolves, others die a respectable death, or return to their natural abode--the ocean. the halibut plays master among the smaller species, and grows fat at their diminution. he cares nothing for streams or shallow bays, but gambols friskily amidst the salty billows. [illustration: mining scenes on the great northern, near index, washington.] all the gold and silver in the bowels of the earth, and all the glittering nuggets shining on her bosom did not ruffle the serenity, or affect the wonted vagrancy of the indians. to them the forest was a nuisance and the saw mill a scarecrow. the singing brook was worthless and the rolling river valueless, save as mothers of trout. they had no love for higher aspiration, no instinct for advancement, no aim to better their condition, no foresight to provide against the pitiless influence of cold or heat, no sagacity, no frugality, no thought of tomorrow, no pile of subsistence for a rainy day or helpless age, troubled their minds. life was to them a ceaseless dream of nothingness. superstition was their god and pride, reason a casual stranger which rooted not in their souls. what has changed this sad drudgery of the indians to a social commonwealth? what has spurned the fiend of superstition to a shameful death? what has invited reason and common sense to dwell peacefully in our hearts? what has lifted the world from the thorny plane of priesthood? what has wrested from the priestly hand the scepter of government? our forefathers knew it and provided for its development. the pioneers of washington had tested it, and prescribed it for the coming generations. the log schoolhouse rose to their sweet recollection of childhood days, then a frame building, then a brick edifice. high schools were established, a state university was erected, normal schools were founded, an agricultural college and school of science was built. [illustration: the university of washington.] the first scandinavian pioneers. chapter ii. dashed from shore to shore, on the pacific evermore, now sunk in grave or bent with years, dauntless pioneers. no class of people or nation deserves the title, cosmopolitan, better than the vikings. their names mingle with the history of england, france, russia and italy, and in the western hemisphere we find them all over. to trace up the first scandinavian that touched the shore of washington is difficult, if not impossible. no doubt but scandinavians made stoppings along the coast on their fishing expeditions to the north before any white man had dreamt to pin his hopes to the north pacific. and it is probable, too, that some adventurous spirit of viking blood had been washed with american polish, and passed as a yankee in the lewis and clark expedition. it is safe to conjecture, however, that some straggler from the sea-beaten shores of scandinavia shared the sufferings with the trappers of the hudson bay company, or partook of the hardships in john jacob astor's expeditions for the mouth of columbia river. these companies were made up of heterogeneous crews. the mercurial french canadian, the acute yankee, the jolly englishman, the stern german, joined hands for the furfields, and it seems reasonable that some hardy scandinavian, too, was likely to abandon his fireside, turn his back on civilization, and yield consent to a more romantic life. a motley combine known as the russian fur company had established an emporium on the pacific coast, and a number of trading posts in the interior, ere the close of the eighteenth century, and it is authentically evidenced that scandinavians and finlanders constituted the minor force of the regiment of trappers and navigators. let it suffice to say, however, that these brave adventurers regardless of genealogical type did much to sow information in the old world of the evergreen land west of the rocky; and suffer it to be known that the probability is that some intrepid scandinavian sacrificed his life in search for peltry, and that his bones rest in peace beneath the green turf in the pacific forest. this brings us to the influx of permanent settlers. mrs. frederic meyer.--one of the first white women that breathed the air of pierce county was mrs. frederic meyer, a norwegian by birth. she left her mother's hearth in toten while a tender bud, fresh as a rose with blooms of white and purple blushing on her cheeks. few women are of true romantic nature, their hearts, as a rule, are attached to social affiliation around the fireside, but mrs. meyer figures as a typical exception. those that have known her well speak with kind tongues, pronouncing her a model of her sex, chivalric in spirit, and brave, but warm at heart. according to reliable information obtained in tacoma, she lit her feet on the green-trimmed shore, where the city of destiny now looms, forty odd years ago. she was married to an estimable german. [illustration: a scene of pioneer life.] hood's canal anderson.--hood's canal anderson was a peculiar composition of strange fancy. he was born in denmark, and from childhood showed an insatiable passion for the sea, which ripened into irresistible lust. while a lad of vernal years he left his native seat to be dashed on the briny waves from port to port. he saw the crystal ice of lofoten, the huge glaciers of greenland, the thirsty greens of india, the foul bogs of china, the flowery vales of japan, the rich gold fields of australia, the teeming meadows of new zealand. he was tossed from continent to continent, from island to island. about forty-five years ago he drifted ashore near port discovery, and under veil of night put wings to his feet for the forest. the fascinating aspect of the country and the aromatic sylva poured streams of delight into his soul. as he stood in the early morn, gazing around in mingled awe and admiration, he was surrounded by a red race, who, at first, gave vent to the horrible dilemma of converting his heart to ashes or treating him as a slave, but his ingenious demeanor turned their sanguinity to laughter, and anderson became their curious jocularity which melted to favoritism. he strolled with the train of vagabonds alternately fishing and hunting up streams and canoeing the sound. thus ten years were dragged out of his longevity without mingling with white men. his longing for civilization vanished little by little, and the life of celibacy settled heavily on his heart. he was a friend of the chief and an admirer of his daughter, and it took only the big canoe to seal the bargain. anderson was rather long-headed for the red heathens, and got the best of every deal. he was now the possessor of the biggest canoe, save the royal ship, and was looked upon as independently opulent. only a word would change his life for better or worse. finally he took the delicate step and offered the huge dug-out in trade for the young princess, which was accepted with loud eclat. the ban of the nuptial day was made public. the bride spared no tiptoeing to make it highly royal. first was a coat of red paint, then purple, tinged with green. a carefully administered shampoo of oil followed, then a crands of wild flowers was critically twined to her wealth of black locks with a few quills set on end in the most confused bewilderment. of course, anderson did not fancy the odorous coat of his intended, nor her pert of etiquette, but being as those things were incidental to the dynasty, he darted approbation with his blue eyes, thinking, "costume is not permanent." from this time the chivalric dane became a leader. he piloted the royal squadron to hood's canal, where he squatted on a piece of land, hence the sobriquet--hood's canal anderson. he became attached to his wife, and she reciprocated with equal depth of conjugality, and shaped her costume to meet his liking, yet uncle sam pried into their warm nestling by passing a law to either separate or marry according to his code. of course, anderson had to marry his wife the second time, which he did like a loyal citizen. he took his corpulent queen, placed her in the stern of the big canoe, and paddled to seabold, where they were united in holy ties by harry shafer, uncle sam's matrimonial agent. anderson bears the honor of being the first white man on puget sound concubined to a squaw in accordance with the laws of the united states. he was industrious and elevated compared with his station, turned a wooded bit of ground to a flowery garden, and in a corner, beneath a weedy sod, he rests unsung. peter friberg.--peter friberg, like hood's canal anderson, has walked the highway of frontier trials. he was born in sweden, but when a mere youth sought the waves. after years of trying experiences he found himself on puget sound, among the floating flatheads, about the same time anderson landed, but perchance drifted off with another flock of red skins, consequently the two contemporaries were ignorant of each others wanderings till later years, when they accidently met and shook hands. peter friberg also threw his heart to a squaw, and with her he barged along the shores making depredation on salmon and halibut, finally pinning his future to a happy point running into the bosom of the sound, near salmon bay. martin toftezen.--about two-and-forty years ago, a son of norway anchored his canoe on the north side of whidbey island. his name has been pinned to its soil among the first on record. he was a pioneer of heart and courage--chivalrous martin toftezen. he had drifted around the horn on a ship, and was tossed into the mouth of puget sound, where the breath of the deep calmed to a gentle zephyr, and the wings of speed flapped in disconsolation. the bark was dashed ashore by the angry billows, caused by the agitating tide, and toftezen stood in a transport of mingled awe and perturbation. nature was grand, enchantingly sang the ripples up the fascinating arm, and mad in grandeur reared the snow-capped peaks, flinging smiles of welcome. "why reject the poetic landscape? nature's sweetness will smite the blue forehead of dreary solitude." these thoughts rolled in his fancy, and up the sound he paddled, and settled on the green tail, where he wore out his life. peter andrias peterson.--no man on the pacific coast ever endured more hardships than the personage in question--peter andrias peterson--who, about a year ago fell prey to an incidental injury, and was carried over the stream for the unknown sea beyond. he was born in denmark, , and cast on the cold billows to struggle for himself at the age of fifteen. a few years later he stepped ashore in england, where he took a course in navigation to enable himself to cope more successfully with the foam-crest surges. he embarked a ship for india and australia. in the latter place his mind was engrossed with exciting reports from the gold fields, and thither he flew, a fugitive of the sea. success smiled on his brow, and wealth crowded into his hands; but riches easily won are not highly treasured. in a wildcat scheme he sunk his fortune, and before the dawn of a fresh week his thousands were in the hands of others. this catastrophe, brought about by sheer mishap, drove him back to the sea, and, in , landed at victoria, british columbia. a buoyant spirit, though wounded with ill-luck, will soar to felicity and breathe vigor on green fields. peterson was delighted with the verdure that greeted his vision, and took a canoe excursion around the sound. on returning to victoria, he was struck with the gold fever which raged desperately in the cascades and sound country. he compromised with his floating thoughts, bent his energy on a prospecting tour, and in two days flocked together sixteen men. in his customary adroitness he took command of the little army of gold seekers, and bore into the forest, but when two hundred and twenty-five miles from victoria, thirteen of them lost courage and returned to the city. peterson and his two companions proceeded up a small stream for some days, and to their astonishment, one gray evening, fell upon four white men actively engaged in picking gold nuggets. they staked out a claim, glimpses of luck commenced to play on their cheeks, but died ere a fortnight had gone to rest in the pensive dream of growing forgetfulness. their ration was getting low, and to save themselves from falling victims to pitiless starvation, they raked together their pelf, and returned to victoria. in the spring an english syndicate mustered a regiment of fresh recruits, a man of spirit and agility was wanted to head an expedition into the mountains, and peterson was offered the responsibility, as he had already gained fame as a daring adventurer. it was suggested to seek a new field, and a guide was secured to usher them along. first, however, was to hunt up an easy pass, and to accomplish this, a knot of fourteen men, headed by peterson, was dispatched into the wilderness. they fought their way through murky vales and climbed moss-bearded brows, the day sunk behind the horizon and night wrapped them in darkness. thus they continued; but, alas! the guide disappears. the others rambled through treacherous woods, thoughtless of any hazard. hours were consumed climbing over angry logs and chasing through witching dingles, but the guide was neither heard nor sighted. the thirteen brave were lost in the forest where gloomy giants stretched into a ghastly stillness, broken only by deceiving owls sailing over their heads on disconsolate wings. for eight days they wandered without a morsel to eat; grouse and pheasant were drumming through the air, and deer gambolled in listless droves, but only to whet their keen appetite. their fire-locks were empty like their stomachs. after darkness comes sunshine, and to their exhileration tumbled into an unknown mining camp. they were received as friends and immediately treated to a savory table. one of the unfortunates being so greedy for the palatable viands that he rose in the night to gormandize a heap of pan-cakes, left from supper, and shortly after fell juicy feed for the grave and worms. a new plan was formulated, two scotchmen were sent back to victoria for provision, and the others remained at the camp. a couple of months elapsed, and twenty-four miners halted at the gold-seeking hamlet where the unlucky retinue joined them. the company, now numbering thirty-four, resumed their pilgrimage in an easterly direction for nearly two hundred miles. the landscape swept up into jutting brows and gray-headed peaks, and the forest fringed into a scabby shrub of hungry appearance. the change in nature cast cold currents into their souls, but soon melted into delight. a beautiful stream grated their ears, and thither they flocked. nature was now sweetness and grandeur, and fortune seemed to smile from every leaf and twig. the blue heaven hung over them, here and there dipped with shades of purple; the sun sent down his wealth of beams to kiss their hardy cheeks; and the clear stream was busy making music as it tumbled down jeweled precipices to swell the deep. they drank hope and aspiration from the poetic environment, and each, as a loyal soldier, embarked his assigned duty with happiness in his heart. gold was not doubted, before a month had slipped away, the precious metal glittered in rich veins. a frontier mining camp, in the heart of savages, is a continuous scene of sunshine and storm, of joy and despair. precaution must be the watchword of every individual, early and late; a careless step might betray them to the altar of cruel slaughter. the book-keeper had been appointed custodian of the fire arms, who, in a thoughtless way, or to satisfy his greed, bargained the ammunition to the indians. oh, terror! the happy camp was turned to a lake of blood. one sad night, in the early part of winter, the savages stealthily fell upon the camp, and like thieves entered the lodges, pointed their ill-gotten fire-pieces against innocent breasts, and quenched the light within. peterson and two scotchmen escaped the murderous fire, naked they ran, not dissimilar to deer over the snow, the former dashed into the river where ten thousand pug devils, sitting in its bosom, bleeded his feet, and the latter chased down the bank of the stream as in an elopement from hell. after a month of severest suffering and hardship they reached the gate of safety--victoria--blood-stained and scraggy, hardly able to combat the icy angel of death. the gold fever had ceased to ebb through their veins. the two scotchmen returned to their dear fatherland, and peterson built a boat and sailed for stillaguamish where he sleeps in peace under the green turf, three miles from stanwood. fred landstone.--in swedish, fredrik landsten, a man of nomadic spirit and fine intellect, was born in sweden, and in the spring of manhood ascended the horizon of sea-faring exploits. in he landed at san francisco, and a year later stept ashore at port discovery, washington. a score of years on the rolling brine had changed his mind for terra firma. he resorted to logging camps and saw mills, working hard until , when he retired on a piece of land three miles from poulsbo, where he still resides, slowly wearing out the balance of his years. [illustration: the chilberg family of four generations--all living. john charles chilberg is behind the vase of flowers and his wife the second to his left.] charles john chilberg (not john charles as shown under the illustration).--white with a wealth of snowy locks, and seven-and-four scores of years hanging on his back, yet nimbly he frisks about on his beautiful farm at pleasant ridge, skagit county. this aged pioneer of unusual endurance and grit, keen intellect and warm soul, was born in halland, near laholm, sweden, , came to america, , and located in iowa. in he visited pike's peak, colorado, and in left his family again, a loving wife and children, for the west with a view to find a more congenial clime. for some time he traveled in montana, crossed the rocky, and came to puget sound, . the sweet-scenting forest and the balmy heaven awakened his love for perambulation of the pacific, from british columbia to the golden state. he resolved to make his future abode west of the cascades, and in returned to iowa to remove his family to washington, arriving at pleasant ridge the following spring. mrs. charles john chilberg and three of her sons, joseph, john h. and charles f., came to the pacific in the spring of , and isaac and b. a. a few months later. james p. chilberg has climbed the horizon of pioneer adventures. in he landed in california, in traveled in oregon, and in beheld the rippling sound and the washington forest. in nelson chilberg took a survey of the pacific and three years subsequent his brother andrew threw his eyes upon the mighty ocean. andrew nelson.--a jolly fellow, familiarly known as dogfish nelson, was among the first scandinavian pioneers. he was born in denmark, , and landed as a sailor at port ludlow in . like many others he was attracted by the country, and to drive away monotony took an indian woman for wife, as white women were almost unknown on the coast at that time. nelson has encountered many obstacles in his cruising among the red skins and fierce brutes, but always managed to play the hero. he has been industrious and convivial, and a flowery nest in brown's bay bespeaks his rank. hans hansen, a dane, who resides at alki point, near seattle, has earned a footing among the early scandinavian pioneers. his years on the pacific reach pretty nigh two scores. knut knutson, a native of norway, and also a resident of alki point, came to puget sound over thirty years ago, and has passed through days of sun and storm. c. e. norager, likewise of norse birth, places his disembarkation on the pacific about forty years back. chapter iii. seattle, the metropolis of washington, and the busiest city on the pacific coast, has a romantic history, as well as a history of thrift and progress. thirty-five years ago only a few log cabins set on the shore of elliott bay, inhabited by a handful of pioneers. bears and cougars danced around their huts, and indians skulked in lazy hordes at their threshold. how changed! to day the queen city is spread over about fifty square miles of land, overlooking the melodious puget sound, and dots the green borders of three fresh-water lakes with snug cottages. she has a population of about , , of which a large per cent are scandinavians. [illustration: a scene in the harbor of seattle.] the first scandinavian that visited elliott bay, of which we have any authentic account, was peter friberg, formerly mentioned. shortly after came c. e. norager and others referred to in the previous chapter. charles john chilberg made a survey of the bay in , when only a saw mill and a sprinkling of shanties marked the presence of white men. in , edward gunderson, a native of norway, crossed the rocky to make seattle his future habitation, which was then in its early embryo. the same year, amund amunds, born in racine county, wis., of norwegian parents, removed to the city from cowlitz county where he had disembarked two years prior. amunds grew opulent and invited the love of all his associates. he was director and first vice-president of the scandinavian american bank of seattle, and heavily interested in real estate. he was an energetic worker in the ancient order of united workmen, and received the highest honor--grand receiver of the jurisdiction of washington. he died four years ago and his funeral was a solemn event. in , nelson chilberg, son of charles john chilberg, made an appearance, and three years later his brother andrew was attracted to the coast, as referred to in the previous chapter, and started the first scandinavian store in seattle, in company with j. p. chilberg. the prospect was glittering and ere a year had died nelson joined them in grocery business, the firm being chilberg brothers. andrew chilberg soon rose to popularity, became one of seattle's most prominent citizens, and an honor to the scandinavians. [illustration: scandinavian-american bank of seattle.] he was born in laholm, sweden, march , . when a lad of one year he crossed the atlantic with his parents, settling near ottumwa, iowa, where he received his early education in the common schools. in he left ottumwa with his father and older brother, nelson, for pike's peak, colorado, remaining two years, then returned to iowa. in he crossed the rocky with a wagon train, arriving in sacramento after a journey of five months, september th. his health was harassed by exposure and hardship in crossing the plains, and as an alternative of recovery worked on a farm two years. mr. chilberg was anxious to complete his education, and in returned to iowa via nicaragua and new york. after taking a course in college he obtained a teacher's certificate and engaged in teaching, but abandoned the profession after three years of successful experience to enter a more lucrative position in ottumwa. in he journeyed to seattle, where he still resides, embarking in grocery business in company with his brother, the firm being chilberg brothers. three years subsequent to his arrival in the city, he was elected to the city council, in appointed vice-consul for sweden and norway, in chosen county assessor, and in intrusted with the responsibility of city treasurer. in he was named city passenger and ticket agent for the northern pacific railroad, but resigned, , to accept the presidency of the scandinavian american bank of seattle. in he was elected to the board of education, and the following year assumed the presidential chair. he was married to an estimable lady, miss mary nelson, in iowa, november , . they have one son, eugene, who is a young man of fine training, being educated in the seattle high school, washington agricultural college and school of science, and washington state university. peter wickstrom.--with the first brigade of scandinavians, peter wickstrom marched in the front rank. he was born in sweden, , arrived in st. paul, minnesota, , and four years later beheld the city of portland, oregon, and the same year located in seattle. louis and henry peterson.--the peterson brothers were among the early scandinavians and the first to engage in the art of photography in the city of seattle. they were born in norway but sailed for america while young boys, arriving in chicago, , where they resided nineteen years, leaving for seattle, . martin c. mortensen.--mortensen was a native of denmark, and arrived in seattle the same year as the peterson brothers. he came to america, , and two years later landed in san francisco, spending six years in that city, then journeyed northward. christian c. plough.--vice-consul christian c. plough is one of seattle's most highly respected citizens. he was born in denmark, , and came to america, , selecting chicago for his first stopping place, but after two months of abode in the windy city he removed to nebraska, where he stayed one year. the pacific was his aim and thither he went, disembarked in olympia, via san francisco by boat, , where he remained three weeks. portland, oregon, had attracted considerable attention as a city of business prospect, and plough again picked together his effects to resume another journey. he stayed in portland three years then removed to seattle. in he was appointed vice-consul for denmark, served with honor until when he was compelled to resign on account of ill health. christian geerstsen, a man of honor and intelligence, came to america in company with plough, and also arrived in seattle together. he was born in denmark, . ben jensen, now a resident of san juan county, arrived in seattle when a dense forest clothed the principal streets. he was born in norway, came to america while a youth, and has proved a worthy factor to his adopted country. ole egge, also a native of norway, has shared the hardships of the early pacific. he is a man of intelligence, and enjoys the respect of his countrymen. his son peter is a bright man of mechanical ingenuity, and landed in seattle with his parents. in the more recent years, scandinavians in seattle have made great progress in professional and business circles. in politics, too, they have commanded notice, and in science and letters attention. e. h. evenson is the incumbent county auditor, and h. p. rude councilman-at-large. e. h. evenson was born at whitewater, wisconsin, in the year . his early life was spent on a farm in waupaca county, wisconsin. at the age of he began to teach in the common schools in his neighborhood, and with the money thus earned he started on a six years' course at decorah college, iowa, from which he graduated in the spring of ' . during all this time he taught common schools at intervals, and during vacations worked in the harvest fields of minnesota and earned the money with which to pay his college expenses. having finished his course at decorah college he entered the state university of wisconsin, from which he graduated with the class of ' . in the fall of the same year, mr. evenson secured a position as teacher in milton college, milton, wisconsin, where he remained for three years; at the end of that period he removed to madison, south dakota, to fill a place as teacher in the state normal school at that city, which position he occupied for two years; he was then elected county superintendent of schools for lake county, in which capacity he served two terms. at the close of the last term he made another move west, to puget sound, and settled on acres of land near the town of kent, where he now resides with his family. he is at present serving his second term as auditor of king county. mr. evenson is a firm believer in the "single tax" theories of henry george; that is, in placing all taxes on ground rents. the justice of that method, he claims, is based on the following self-evident truths: " st: that whatever the individual produces, belongs to the individual, and whatever the community produces, belongs to the community. " d: that the general rise in land value, commonly called ground rents, is caused by the growth of the community and its competition for work, and therefore, by right, belongs to the community. " d: that, as taxes are needed for the welfare of the community, it is only in accordance with natural and divine law that the community makes use of this common fund before it resorts to the confiscation of what properly belongs to the individual. " th: that it is not only unjust in principle, but injurious to the last degree in practice, that one man is taxed more for making land useful and employing labor on it, than another is taxed for holding land idle and keeping labor off it. " th: that to tax labor or its products, is to discourage industry. " th: that to tax land values to their full amount will compel every individual controlling natural opportunities to either utilize them by the employment of labor, or abandon them to others; that it will thus provide opportunities of work for all men, and secure to each the full reward of his labor." [illustration: h. p. rude and family.] h. p. rude, the fearless councilman-at-large, of seattle, was born in toten, norway, march , . he graduated from the public school at the age of fifteen, later took a course in higher education at a private institution. from boyhood he manifested native pluck which his career plainly reveals. unlike most boys, he spent his leisure studying and learning the tailoring trade. seeing that the seat of his birth being too narrow for cosmopolitan development, he planned for the national capital against the will of his father. in a confidential manner he obtained two crowns from his grandfather, and under veil of night walked forty-two miles, arriving at dahl station, eidsvold, at ope of dawn, from whence he took the train to christiania. though only a youth of fifteen, he found employment in a leading tailoring establishment, and attended school during evenings. in he emigrated to america, after making a short stop in chicago, he proceeded to redwing, minnesota, to visit relatives who lived fifteen miles out in the country, in the state of wisconsin. unable to articulate an english sentence, "but where there is a will there is a way," crossed the river with an indian, found the road by means of a guide-post, and stalked the unknown distance. after a pleasant reunion with friends and relatives, he returned to redwing, worked for some time at his trade, then embarked in business for himself. his next move was to minneapolis, where he found employment in a fashionable store. he joined the tailors' union, having a membership of , and within a year became its president, and subsequently was chosen a delegate to the trade and labor assembly. he resigned from the union to engage in business of his own which he followed for some time. after disposing of his interests in minneapolis, he traveled in the surrounding cities, then crossed the rocky, arriving in seattle, , during the transient boom of anacortes, which attracted him to that place, but returned to seattle ere long. he worked for awhile as cutter, then started a tailoring establishment of his own. for years he had been alert to public affairs, and in was elected councilman from the sixth ward, the fusion stronghold, with a large majority. he was renominated by the republican party, but councilman-at-large, and elected with an increased vote. on resignation of mayor wood, he was instrumental in placing judge thomas j. humes into the mayor's chair. to the credit of mr. rude it must be said that he has ascended to his political honors unsought, and that his record is emblematic of honesty and ability. he has been opposing the perpetuity of the gambling hells in the lower strata of the city in such a manner that even his political enemies had to commend his course. his famous resolution made the tenderloin district shiver with fear, while honest men and women bowed with gratitude. the following is taken from a leading daily of seattle: "h. p. rude, councilman-at-large, is entitled to great credit for his endeavor to put a quietus to certain classes of crime so often indulged in the various places of resort in the lower part of the city." mr. rude's influence among the members of the city council is made conspicuous by his representation on the several committees. he is chairman of the police license and revenue committee, and a valuable member on the committees of finance, corporation, labor, public buildings and grounds, and harbor and wharf. he was married, , in minnesota, to miss lina sophia larsen, a lady of lofty character, to whom he was betrothed in norway. she was born in eidswold, november , , of highly respected parents, and emigrated to america a few months subsequent to the arrival of her husband. they have four children, henry m. rude, born in wisconsin, march , . the other three are natives of minnesota, george a. rude, born may , , lillie palma rude, february , , and morris o. rude, april , . j. h. ekstrand, a true son of sweden, and an ex-minister of the m. e. church, is a seattle pioneer. he came to the united states more than two scores of years ago, and has been influential in both church and political circles. e. a. seaburg, a native of sweden, has likewise given keen vigilance to public affairs, always a stalwart republican. as regards men of scholarly attainment, rev. m. a. christensen ranks among the most polished on puget sound. he is an accomplished linguist and an eloquent pastor of the emmanuel lutheran church. h. m. korstad, a graduate of the university of washington, is also master of several languages and a deep student of ethics and psychology. he was born in the united states, but his parents hail from valders, norway. his sister, bertha korstad, is a prominent teacher in the public schools of kitsap county. [illustration: n. b. nelson.] [illustration: rialto block. occupied by frederick, nelson and munro.] n. b. nelson.--very few have been more successful in business than the personage in question--n. b. nelson--of the firm, frederick, nelson and munro. he is a man of a lucky mixture--business, integrity, and sociability. mr. nelson was born in kristianstad, sweden, july , , and like most boys in that country received a thorough schooling. from boyhood he had nursed a liking to see america, and in landed in colorado, minus means, a stranger in a new world, and worst of all unable to converse with the general public, but picked up the language with marked rapidity. he bent his energy to farming, following the pursuit for several years in garfield county, but at the same time gave keen eye to public affairs, and served the people as county commissioner for three years. his attention was engrossed with the progress of the pacific, and thither he journeyed, , and shortly after embarked in furniture business on pike street in a store less than twenty by sixty. at present the firm of frederick, nelson and munro occupies the rialto block, in the very heart of the city, covering , square feet, more than two and a half acres of household goods. the traffic of the firm is immense, exceeding every establishment of its nature north of san francisco. mr. nelson was married, , to an accomplished young lady, miss teckla johnson, born in ronneby, blekinge, sweden. they have two boys, frederick creigh nelson and chester munro nelson. [illustration: axel h. soelberg.] axel h. soelberg, bank cashier and a respected citizen of seattle, was born at ness hedemarken, norway, on march , . he received a common school education, graduating at the age of fourteen. in he secured a position in the store of jevanord brothers in brumundalen, with whom he remained until in the spring of , when he emigrated for america. he arrived in minneapolis on the morning of may th. a short time previous, a number of norwegian-american citizens of minneapolis had organized the state sash and door manufacturing company, and mr. soelberg was offered the position as book-keeper a few days after his arrival in the city. he served in this capacity for about two years, then was elected secretary of the firm, and two years later vice-president. in the spring of , when the scandinavian american bank of seattle was organized, he was tendered the position as book-keeper in the bank, and accepting, mr. soelberg found himself in seattle on one of the first days in april of that year. at the annual meeting in , he was elected cashier of the bank, which position he now holds. mr. soelberg is a man of literary aptitude as well as of business capacity, has contributed largely to the seattle daily times and other leading papers. he could have won laurels on the field of letters as well as business notice in the world of traffic. in january, , he was married to miss olga wickstrom, an accomplished young lady of seattle. they have a beautiful home in one of the finest parts of the city. [illustration: dr. eiliv janson.] drs. ivar and eiliv janson.--every scandinavian is familiar with the name, kristofer janson, the eminent norwegian poet and novelist. no less a halo of the minstrel car, light brave janson sows afar, at thy torch superstition weeps, dogmas wilt in deftly labored heaps. the god of nature, love and truth, flash on thy wing to age and youth, with gilded rod and silver tongue, thou riftst the creeds of ages long. from "an ode to the land of the vikings." the two doctors in question are sons of this noble author, ivar being born in bergen, norway, march , , and eiliv in sel, gudbrandsdalen, may , . both received their early education by private tuition, and in emigrated with their parents to america, settling in minneapolis. they took advantage of the splendid school facilities offered by that city as preparation for the state university of minnesota, where they graduated, , with the degree of doctor of medicine, m. d. their collegiate records bespeak scholarly distinction which have been made more emphatic by subsequent years. immediately after graduation, dr. ivar janson was appointed assistant professor in the medical department at his alma mater, but resigned the chair to take a move westward, arriving in seattle, , where he enjoys an enviable practice, being recognized as a leading surgeon on the pacific. his brother, dr. eiliv janson, steered his fortune to astoria, oregon, in the fall following his graduation, and soon rose to be one of the most beloved physicians in the city. his ability invited the attention of the public, and his practice grew immensely, being the largest in that part of the state. the last year he has spent studying at the universities of europe, in berlin, dresden, munich, copenhagen and paris, and will join his brother in seattle next june. the two doctors have evinced the genius of their father, but in a different direction, the sire a poet, the sons surgeons and physicians. the former has climbed the ladder of fame, the latter are climbing it. they are both married to ladies of rare abilities and accomplishments. mrs. ivar janson is one of seattle's most gifted vocalists. "think for yourself" is a soul-inspiring motto, and is applicable to the janson family. in spite of angry opposition and glittering pelf the rich mind of kristofer janson has scattered sunbeams of truth and thought. he has sought to lift his countrymen upon the plane of reason and brotherly love. the sons have imbred their father's soul of thought and sympathy, which the public echo in more eloquent words than my pen. [illustration: c. n. sandahl.] c. n. sandahl.--washington is dependent on the science of horticulture, fruit is her future. any man willing to bend his heart to the soil is a valuable exponent in the upbuilding of the country. few men have done more in this line than the well-known floriculturist and nurseryman, c. n. sandahl, of , second avenue, seattle. he was born in horsens, denmark, ; acquired his education in the public schools of his fatherland, and in the smiling book of nature, where real knowledge teems to an intelligent eye. in he emigrated to america, spent ten years in ohio and minnesota, pursuing his chosen vocation, then journeyed to washington and located in seattle. after a careful scrutiny of the country he engaged in floriculture and nursery, which occupation he is following with notable ability. mr. sandahl is a man of business capacity as well as of scientific propensity, and honest and honorable. [illustration: s. s. langland.] samuel s. langland.--quiet of disposition but deep in thought, modest in demeanor but aggressive in argument. the above words unfold mr. langland's characteristic, an able lawyer of seattle. he was born near stavanger, norway, august , , and emigrated with his parents to minnesota in the spring of . his early boyhood experienced the various hardships and vicissitudes incident to pioneer life. at the age of fifteen he launched out for himself, choosing as a means of support the apprenticeship of a tailor in mancato, in which capacity he labored a year and a half. from whence he went to st. paul, a stranger in an unwont sphere. english defied his tongue, but soon melted to his grasping intellect. he worked at his trade about two years, but to ascend to a higher stage of culture, he converted his energy to loftier aims, worked for his board and attended private school, paying for his tuition by doing janitor work, sweeping and keeping the schoolhouse in order. after two years of assiduous study in this institution, he entered the classical course of four years in the st. paul high school which he completed in three. in the fall of he was matriculated in the same course at the state university, graduating with honor in june, . at the commencement exercises he distinguished himself by delivering the most thoughtful and eloquent oration of the class, his subject being "is man advancing?" for which he received compliments from the faculty and leading men of the state present on that occasion. his struggles at the university with poverty symbolize an indomitable will. he toiled evenings and saturdays sawing wood and doing other manual labor, his vacations were spent canvassing, or in the harvest field. after darkness comes sunshine, and the year following his graduation he was appointed professor of english literature in the augsburg seminary. in he studied law in st. paul, was admitted to bar, and practiced for some time at moorhead, minnesota, where he made rapid progress, being nominated prosecuting attorney on the democratic ticket, but as that party was in the minority he went to defeat with the rest of the candidates. at moorhead he was married to an estimable lady, miss esther annette hutchison, and in december of moved to puget sound as an alternative to regain health and vigor. since he has been practicing law in seattle with growing promise, his specialty being real estate litigation. [illustration: a. lundberg.] a. lundberg.--the person of this sketch, the educated artificial limb manufacturer, a. lundberg, was born in kalstad, sweden, , where he received a good schooling and learned his benefactory profession. at the age of twenty-one he set sail for america, locating in minneapolis, where he stayed until , working at his trade. from whence he moved to spokane, washington, residing in that city eight years. seattle had attracted notice as an appropriate seat for a man of science and mechanical ingenuity, and thither he migrated in , establishing his headquarters in sullivan building, first avenue. mr. lundberg is the only artificial limb manufacturer in the state of washington; he was educated for this work in early youth and has followed it uninterruptedly. in many instances he has wrought out wondrous results, cured cases that defied medical science. he was married in minneapolis, january , , to a pleasant lady, miss anna dahlgren. they have three children, evalin, denalda and marie. [illustration: c. g. w. anderson.] c. g. w. anderson.--men are destined for divers avenues, but a thoughtful man will follow the course of his inclination in the climax upward, and success will smile as he proceeds. mr. c. g. w. anderson seems to have incorporated this maxim. he was born in sweden, september , , where he enjoyed the benefit of a good schooling and a healthy course in the curriculum of experience. at the age of twenty-six he left his native soil for the new world, arriving in the united states, april , . after ten years of various employment in the eastern states he came to seattle, engaging in hotel business on the corner of terrace and fifth avenue, where the anderson looms in emphasis of the proprietor's energy. mr. anderson is a man of a genial disposition, social and affable and in all respects an honored citizen. [illustration: oscar anderson.] oscar anderson.--a man of honor and integrity is a worthy adjunct to any community. oscar anderson belongs to this type which his career bespeaks. he was born in karlskrona, sweden, january , , where he received a thorough education in the public schools. from boyhood he showed talents attributive only to the soul of the genius. in he entered the hardware business, but abandoned it after two years of experience to pursue the vocation of his forte--jewelry and mechanism. in he engaged in business for himself which he continued successfully until . during all these years he was employed by the swedish navy mending and adjusting the chronometers of the men-of-war. in the russian government engaged his ingenuity, and on one occasion he worked three days and three nights repairing the chronometers of the navy for which he received a remuneration of crowns. in he spent considerable time traveling in denmark, partly for pleasure and partly for studying the conditions of the country, copenhagen being the center of interest where he enjoyed himself for a few months. the following year he sold out his business in sweden and emigrated for america, locating in seattle, a stranger in a strange country, but ere long his native "pluck" was manifested, and a fine establishment at pike street emphasizes his ingenuity and business ability. [illustration: p. a. hallberg.] p. a. hallberg.--experience is the best teacher, a college course of mere theories gives little knowledge of the world. a course in fighting the billows of the deep, or wrestling with the stumps of the forest, is of more practical worth than a head crammed with deceased tongues, or theoretical airships. p. a. hallberg corroborates my view with his personal experience. he was born in skone, sweden, , and in his early teens sought the waves. he visited china and other oriental climes, faced the angry surges of cape horn, and dashed ashore at san pedro, california, from whence he sailed northward, navigated for some time as mate on puget sound, also served in the government marine. after years of sea-faring life he turned his attention to terra firma, located in seattle and commenced new pursuits. he worked for three years in the union bakery, then spent some time in a meat market, and in bought the union bakery, and four years later removed to second avenue, between pike and union, where he is doing a large business. mr. hallberg is a man who has won the respect of the people of seattle by his integrity of character and straight business method. [illustration: john nogleberg's studio and fine art store. (five separate departments.)] [illustration: john nogleberg.] john nogleberg, a gifted artist, portrait, figure and landscape painter, of seattle, was born in kongsberg, norway, february , . he received a splendid education in his native country in music, science and art, and in emigrated to america, locating in chicago, where he studied at the academy of fine art and at the art institute. after nine years of close application to his chosen profession, he moved to seattle, where he has the largest establishment of its kind west of chicago, engaging constantly a number of employees in the different departments. at the beginning of he moved into his elegant building on second avenue, near union street, but from the present indication of business his beautiful apartments will soon prove too small. he is an athlete and an intense lover of nature. the soul of grandeur and sublimity seems to be a part of his being, which his masterpieces plainly reflect. he is fond of outdoor sport, fishing and hunting give him pleasant hours of recreation. he is an active member of the y. m. c. a., and a promoter of the norwegian-danish m. e. church. in a word, mr. nogleberg is a true gentleman as well as an artistic genius, being strictly temperance and of noble aims and integrity. [illustration: hans hansen.] hans hansen, manager of the union fish company, and a man of indomitable will power, was born in norway, july , , where he laid his foundation for an active career. in he arrived in minneapolis and six years later beheld the city of seattle. he settled on a homestead in the quillayute valley, but returned to the queen city after a few years of experience at farming. in he was elected to the legislature, and became noted for his opposition to fish traps, and his earnest support of hon. george turner for united states senator. he has been a frequent contributor to the different papers on political and reform topics. in religion he is a methodist. scandinavians in seattle. chapter iv. societies--press--prominent citizens--churches. scandinavians in seattle have contributed largely to the social feature of life. they have organized a number of societies, some flourished immensely for some time, then died a natural death, others have continued to prosper through sun and storm. the normanna literary and social club was among the first norwegian societies, but alas! only a few days of sunshine then clouds and dispersion. the baltic lodge, i. o. g. t., was placed on record february , , and has since its birth drank vigor from the fountain of wholesome reform. in a word, it is the healthiest scandinavian society in the city of seattle, and some of the members merit gratitude for their indefatigable work. g. nygard, gust. thompson, ole finnoy, martin erickson, ole larsen, james eggan, anton peters, b. h. miller, peter peterson, w. t. hillestad, a. zaar, and belle and lena egge, christina newgard, augusta and lottie stromberg, mrs. emma eggan, ida peters and matilda iverson have sacrificed both time and energy for the advancement of the temperance cause. [illustration: the baltic lodge, i. o. g. t., on a picnic.] a swedish society, baptized svea, the st of may, , had but a few struggles with the chilly world. the following year it withered into oblivion unsung. nordmændenes sangforening (norwegian singing society) was organized in november, the same year, but soon gave signs of ephemeral existence. the sagatun was born the year after, lingered on a narrow path for a while, finally fell into an innocent grave. the swedish club, organized in , is a healthy and vigorous society. from its embryo to the present time it has had a smooth run of sunshine and prosperity. it takes unity of hearts and energy to steer a social fleet through all sorts of weather from the tiny stream of embarkation into the calm sea of triumph. the swedish club has accomplished this. the object of the organization is exclusively fraternal, to unite the swedish elements in the city by friendly ties, and to extend a warm hand to those coming within its reach from other cities or climes. the first officers were: h. e. humer, prest., rudolph alm, v. prest., david petree, r. sec., g. edinholm, f. sec., andrew chilberg, treasurer, a. t. lundberg, librarian, hugo hettengren, m. c. at its rift of morn only thirty-two names smiled on the recording scroll, while now two hundred members in good standing bespeak its strength, with the following incumbent officers: j. m. johnson, prest., n. j. nyquist, v. prest., a. zaar, r. sec., h. j. norden, f. sec., n. b. nelson, treasurer, a. t. lundberg, librarian, j. nyman, m. c., and p. j. melin, otto roseleaf and d. nordstrom, trustees. the danish brotherhood, a national league of high standard, aiming to benefit and to educate, found admission to washington about eleven years ago. the seattle lodge , was organized april , , with eleven chartered members, which now numbers one hundred and fifty. the danish sisterhood, an auxiliary to the danish brotherhood, has taken steps in the right direction, working to sweeten and strengthen the ties of love and mutual amicability. the norwegian workingmen's society sprang into existence about eight years ago, and lived through many scenes of joy and pathos, now flourishing, now trembling to its foundation. alas! detonating meteors exploded within its labyrinth and gloomy melancholy spread her black veil, an oratorical flower dropped here, and a declamatory bloom there, at last the tree of support shivered in chilly desolation, and withered into nothingness. [illustration: the th of may committee, . a. dahl, h. p. rude, erik frisch, n. a. christof, frank oleson, jacob a. hendricks.] the norse club, organized three years ago, has reveled in healthy sunshine, and smiling tendrils have encircled its prop. the th of may, , bespeaks its culmination. the celebration of norwegian independence under its banner was a marked event among the scandinavians. thousands of people gathered at madison park, seattle, from all parts of the sound, to participate in perpetuating the memory of the norse heroes. honor is due to the following gentlemen for launching and piloting this social ship into a haven of safety: h. p. rude, c. m. thuland, frank oleson, christian bolgen, a. j. thuland, a. h. soelberg, b. a. clausen, n. a. christof, a. scottness, theodore pederson and julius sunde. fremad, the social wing of the norwegian lutheran church, has lived through many upheavals, and yet looks forward with unclouded eyes. the other scandinavian churches have their inviting adjuncts, but of more recent date, which tender valuable aids to their respective mothers. [illustration: james eggan.] scandinavians in seattle have been fortunate in having men and women gifted and willing to make the social feature of life entertaining and successful. of all the gaudy society flowers, no one merits more applause than the genial photographer, james eggan. he was born in osterdalen, norway, , came to america in , locating in the city of minneapolis. from boyhood he evinced unusual talent as a comedian and as an artist. he could have gathered jewels on the stage as well as in the photographic studio. in , he set out for the pacific, and after taking a survey of the picturesque puget sound, selected seattle as his future abode. though only a youth of seventeen, yet he soon invited the attention of the public in both the social and the artistic world. not only is mr. eggan possessed of natural endowments as a photographer and as a reciter, but is a true type of integrity and honesty. very few cities of three decades in the united states can boast of more short-lived scandinavian newspapers than seattle. the scandinavian publishing company was the first on record, and issued two scandinavian weeklies, viz., vestra posten and washington posten, which yet live and thrive. this company dissolved, and from its dissolution sprang two others; the swedish publishing company, issuing vestra posten and a norwegian concern of similar nature, publishing washington posten. vestra posten was founded by n. p. lind and t. sandegren, and washington posten by frank oleson, assisted by julius sunde. the former is at present in the hands of n. g. lind, j. w. martin and a. olson, who have raised the paper to a high standard. the latter is owned and edited by a. j. thuland. c. m. thuland, now lawyer, also gave heed to journalism. he turned out seattle tidende and the north, but both fell into an early tomb. julius and engward sunde organized and published fram, which blossomed and bore fruit, but one sad day it was stretched on a lazy bier and wheeled to the grave. folketidende popped into existence about four years ago but through some intrigue it died and was buried minus tears and ceremony. folkets blad was the next of the ephemeral journals; it was born in , lingered through a few sunny months, then swallowed, without pity, by tacoma tidende. [illustration: george bech.] anent men of literary ability among the scandinavians, george bech, without doubt, stands in the first rank. he is a well-known author, musician and business man of seattle, born in roeskilde, denmark, april , . after finishing his education in the state school, , he was awarded the degree of a. m., and the following year took examin philosophicus, ph. m., at the university of copenhagen; studied mathematics for some time, then went into business, trading in norway, sweden and germany, but always assiduously at work during leisure writing poems and novels for the different journals of denmark and norway. in the latter country he made acquaintance with olaf lofhus, editor of "bergens tidende," to whose paper he frequently contributed, and johan sverdrup, then president of the national storthing, in whose house he was a welcome guest. in he left copenhagen, arriving in seattle, august , where he found a rich field for his literary talent, for some time contributing to local and other papers, then editor of folkedidende, and later folkets blad. he has written an exquisite dramatic work, "hæng ham," and a song, "old glorious glory," which he has also put to music. it is mr. bech's ambition to have his song adopted as a national hymn. he was married in may, , and has one son, sixteen years old. [illustration: graebert andersen.] graebert anderson, an eloquent ex-minister of the m. e. church, and a gifted writer, was born in denmark, . after graduating from the public schools, he spent some time in private study, with a view of entering some academy, but instead of carrying out his plan, he left for america, when about eighteen years old. shortly after his arrival in the new world, he commenced to prepare for the ministry of the m. e. church at the university in evanston, illinois. here he spent five years, then migrated to the pacific, where he has been recognized as the most eloquent pulpit orator among the scandinavians on the coast, and has served as expounder of the gospel in the largest norwegian-danish churches, namely in oakland and eureka, california, and tacoma and seattle, washington. two years ago he resigned from the ministry to devote his time to journalism. in he was married to miss lottie h. christensen, a lady of fine education, a teacher in the public schools of racine, wisconsin. they reside in seattle, where mr. anderson is interested in newspaper business, being secretary of the tacoma tidende publishing company, with office in coleman building, first avenue, seattle. [illustration: rev. john johnson. presiding elder of the swedish m. e. church.] [illustration: swedish m. e. church, seattle.] [illustration: swedish baptist church, seattle.] [illustration: norwegian-danish lutheran church, seattle.] [illustration: norwegian-danish baptist church, seattle.] scandinavians have been liberal in their contributions to religious worship. eight scandinavian churches in the city of seattle join to confirm this fact. the various denominations are represented: lutheran, methodist, baptist, and mission friends. there are one swedish and two norwegian-danish lutheran churches, one swedish and one norwegian-danish baptist churches, one swedish and one norwegian-danish methodist churches, and one swedish mission church. scandinavians in ballard. chapter v. ballard merits the appellation, city of smokestacks. no small town west of the rocky has more factories. saw mills and shingle mills are sending clouds of smoke into the air day and night, and brigades of industrious men are busily engaged. the city has been regarded by many as a suburb of seattle, but this is a misinterpretation. true, ballard is near seattle, and is connected to it by a well-equipped street railway, but has its own government. the first scandinavian who touched salmon bay, half a mile below ballard, was probably peter friberg. in gustaf anderson pitched his tent on a green spot near the rippling water where he yet resides. he was born in sweden, crossed the atlantic in , and spent several years in chicago before coming to the pacific. he is a man of intelligence and holds a respectable rank among the people. ole schildstad, a native of norway, and highly respected, arrived simultaneously. in those early days ballard was undreamt. the smoke which now curls above its bustle did not enter the calm of the pioneers' hearts. they were contented with the peregrination of daily necessity. few scandinavians then stalked the dense forest which clad the turf where five thousand people now dwell midst noise and progress, but today over one thousand vikings mingle in the various walks of life in the town. [illustration: john johnson.] john johnson, the leading merchant and an intelligent and honored citizen, is a native of norway, being born march , , midway between trondhjem and levanger, where he received his early education. at the age of ten he emigrated to america, locating at muskegon, michigan, attended the public schools three years, worked in a saw mill four years, and clerked in a grocery store seven years. in he launched into business for himself which he is pursuing with marked success. during the same year he was married at muskegon to a cultured young lady, miss magna nelson, whose parents hail from tromso, norway. in mr. johnson moved to ballard and immediately embarked in grocery business. his large establishment and business method plainly reflect his ability, and a multitudinous circle of friends bespeaks his generosity and integrity of character. [illustration: frank engquist.] frank engquist, the well-known merchant tailor of ballard, was born in sweden, , received a fine education in his native country, and in crossed the atlantic for the united states, settling at moline, illinois, where he remained one and a half years. his next journey was to minneapolis, where he found employment in one of the largest tailoring establishments in the city. in he migrated to seattle, washington, and shortly after resumed his chosen occupation. he was attracted by the fascinating aspect of the sound, and abandoned his business to try his hand at agriculture in rolling bay. the gigantic trees and stubborn stumps plucked the laurels of his fancy, and in started business in ballard, where he is permanently located. mr. engquist is an expert workman, honest and intelligent, and what is still loftier, a perfect gentleman. p. e. paulson, a genial business man, was born in norway, . his father was a prominent educator, having been engaged in school work about forty years. mr. paulson enjoyed the benefit of an excellent education, and in sailed for america, locating in rock county, minnesota. after two years of various occupation he arrived in sioux falls, south dakota, where he stayed two years. the pacific exercised a peculiar charm, and thither he emigrated, making skagit valley his first stopping place, and afterward located in ballard, where he now resides. mr. paulson is a leading member of the foresters of america and other organizations. he is a man of a kind disposition, and universally respected. i. c. olson is a true type of honesty and individual character. he was born in norway, and for years resided in minneapolis. he came to the coast in , settling in ballard. in he was elected to the legislature, where he distinguished himself as a man of integrity and sound judgment. thomas anderson is a rising grocer, and a prominent member of the norwegian baptist church, revs. o. l. hoien and g. berg are well liked and earnest ecclesiastics. rev. martin berg is editor of kongeriget and an eloquent advocate of christian principles. [illustration: a rustic bridge at point defiance park, tacoma.] scandinavians in tacoma. chapter vi. tacoma, or the city of destiny, is the second city in population in the state of washington, and the first in natural grandeur. it is situated on fine terraces, commanding a beautiful view of commencement bay and the sound for miles distance. mt. rainier, or tacoma, towers over the city, and his head of snow and checkered bosom fills the soul with awe and wonder. pride of the west, austere and grand, the noblest in freedom's land, to thee my soul is turning, in sapphire flames thou burning; like spheres that walk the solar planes, thy mellow blaze through heaven rains, siren in cloudland high, scene bewitching to my eye. how thy cheeks hang in a silvery glow! awful in look is thy head of snow; in thy face i read heaven's mighty arm, the power of god that bids thee charm, a landscape rich in song and flowers, in rhyming pine and vocal bowers, in dancing ripples of laughing gold, in streams of music leaping bold. [illustration: mount rainier, or tacoma.] scandinavians have made tacoma their stronghold, about , dwell within the city boundary. some rank among the most thrifty and highly esteemed citizens. they also bear the honor of being among the early pioneers who gave light and courage to subsequent settlers. mrs. fredric meyer, a native of norway, previously alluded to, was one of the first white women to alight in pierce county. anton malm, born in sweden, came to the coast in , and mingled with the first pioneers of tacoma. the scandinavian business and professional men of tacoma merit kind consideration. they have risen to prominence and invited the confidence and respect of all regardless of nationality. a biographical history of the most prominent confronts itself. they are exemplary men, and their rise to affluence and influence in an honest, straightforward manner is worthy of emulation. [illustration: professor olof bull.] professor olof bull.--there are but few whose souls are imbued with divine strains. music like poetry is born with a man. when ole bull was asked, "who taught you to play so sweetly?" he answered, "norge's hoie fjeld og dybe dale" (norway's high mountains and deep dales). the name of olof bull is synonymous to that of ole bull. the former came from sweden, the latter from norway. prof. olof bull was born in undersvik, helsingland, sweden, march , . his parents were olof and katarina bull, his father is dead but his mother still lives. from early childhood he evinced extraordinary talent for music which was cultivated to a marked degree under a. sorenson and other masters. in he sailed for america, arriving in st. paul, where he rapidly gained fame as a genius violinist. in he organized the "olof bull concert company" which scattered divine music the land over, and rose to enviable reputation. in he was appointed musical director of the boston opera, which he resigned in a year to accept the professorship of violin in the chicago musical college, where he remained until , when he journeyed to tacoma to be installed as musical director of tacoma theatre, which chair he is filling with distinction. professor olof bull is a genius as a violinist, and greater still a man of character, kind and compassionate. o. b. selvig.--the esteemed cashier of the metropolitan bank of tacoma, o. b. selvig, was born near drammen, norway, in . he received a fine education, and at the age of seventeen bid farewell to his native seat for america, arriving in kandiyohi county, minnesota, with his parents. young selvig, like others who come to a new country with scanty means, had to do his own rustling. he worked in different places at hard manual labor up to , when he secured a position in the postoffice at willmar, and two years later received the appointment of postmaster, and shortly after became head agent for the american express company. he served faithfully for seven years in this capacity, then resigned to accept a more lucrative employment in the kandiyohi county bank. in the fall of he migrated to tacoma, washington, and after cultivating acquaintance with influential men in the city, he was tendered a position in the metropolitan bank, and soon rose to cashier. mr. selvig is not only a man of business, but of honor as well; one beloved and respected by all. [illustration: h. e. knatvold.] h. e. knatvold.--in the fall of , the scandinavian american bank of tacoma was organized, with a capital stock of $ , , raised partly in tacoma and partly in the east. h. e. knatvold, well known in business circles, was elected cashier and general manager of the institution. he was born in drammen, norway, september , , where he obtained his early education. at the age of fourteen he sailed with his parents for the united states, settling in freelom county, minnesota. he engaged in farm work, and spent his leisure studying, thus acquiring a fair knowledge of english. at the age of twenty-one he removed to albert lea, where he secured a clerkship in a store. to prepare himself to cope more efficiently with the surges of the world, he relinquished his position to take a course in western college, iowa, and shortly after embarked in hardware business in albert lea. in he crossed the rocky for the pacific, locating in tacoma. he engaged in farming and real estate which he followed successfully until , when he was ushered into the chair of cashier in the scandinavian american bank, which position he has filled with credit ever since. mr. knatvold is a man of honor and energy. [illustration: dr. c. quevli.] dr. c. quevli.--it is a conceded fact that c. quevli, of tacoma, is one of the most highly learned doctors on the pacific. he was born in blakjer, norway, june , . when six years old he left his fatherland with his parents for america, locating in jackson county, minnesota, where he received the education that the common schools could afford, then took a course at st. olof's college, northfield, afterward entered the state university of minnesota, where he graduated with the degree of m.d. he launched into a successful practice at lamberton, minnesota, but his soul was thirsting for more knowledge, and to satisfy this he sailed for christiania, norway, where he took a post-graduate course. on returning to the united states he selected tacoma for his future abode. here he practiced three years, then returned to europe to continue his studies at the university of berlin, from whence he crossed the channel to england, and took a post-graduate course in kings college and hospital of london. afterward he traveled in france and other european countries before voyaging to america. dr. c. quevli is a physician of enviable reputation, but that is not all; he is a gentleman beloved and honored. empires rise to fall again, but truth and love never die; greater the man with sunshine in his soul, than kings who woo the fading star of fame. [illustration: dr. j. l. rynning.] dr. j. l. rynning.--the well-known doctor and professor of physiology in the pacific lutheran university, j. l. rynning (formerly dr. j. l. jensen), of tacoma, has gained friends and eminence in his chosen profession. he was born in iowa, , of norwegian parents, who removed to the frontier of minnesota while he was an infant of one year. young rynning did not enjoy the opportunities that most boys have. the schoolhouse was unknown to him until ten years of age. when time offered a rural schooling he took advantage of it as preparation for the public school of rushford, later studied at the academy of madison, wisconsin, and luther college, decorah, iowa. he had a whim for the west, and migrated to montana where he engaged in school work. mines, too, invited his notice, and during his vacation of held the superintendency of a silver mine in montana. mining, however, was abandoned for a more professional career, and in graduated from rush medical college in chicago with the degree of medicinæ doctor, m. d. immediately after graduation he located at butte, montana, where he practiced for some time. in he was married in minnesota to miss marie ellertson, a lady of fine training, and took a wedding trip to the pacific. he foresaw the great future of the country, and removed to stanwood, washington, to follow his profession. when the lutheran university was established at parkland, he removed to tacoma to tender his aid to the institution. in this city he is permanently located, encircled with a multitude of friends. dr. rynning is a man of heart as well as ability, honest, kind and sympathetic. [illustration: eric edw. rosling.] eric edw. rosling.--tacoma has reason to feel proud of the personage of my pen, eric edw. rosling, one of the ablest lawyers on the coast. he was born in stockholm, sweden, march , , and came to boston with his parents while a young boy. from infancy he displayed extraordinary talents, which subsequent years have made more realistic. after acquiring a liberal education he entered the boston university law school, where he graduated with honors, completing a three years course in two. in mr. rosling arrived in tacoma and at once manifested the same tireless energy which characterized his success at college. as a lawyer he has but few equals, his logical and oratorical endowments make him especially fit for the eminent profession he is pursuing. he is a man of literary taste and studious habit which his large law and private libraries join to emphasize. in he was appointed by the supreme court of washington as chairman of the committee to examine applicants for admission to the bar. in politics he is a republican, but has refused to accept any political office save the office of city prosecuting attorney during huson's administration. twice he has been elected to the board of education and has filled with distinction its presidential chair. his deep interest in educational and church work has made him a valuable factor throughout the pacific. his oration at the willamette chautauqua assembly, oregon city, in july, , and his address at the national educational association, los angeles, , placed him before the nation as an eloquent speaker and a finished scholar. he was married at tacoma, december , , to miss minnie belle lincoln, an accomplished lady of boston. they have three children and a beautiful home in the finest part of the city. [illustration: j. m. arntson.] j. m. arntson.--self-made men, as a rule, become the leaders in a free country where ability shines with unclouded luster. the individual in question, j. m. arntson, a rising lawyer of tacoma, is a representative of this class. he was born on a farm in waukesha county, wisconsin, , where his parents, johannes and mekaline, settled in , they being among the first norwegian emigrants to that part of the state. when eight years of age his parents removed to the central part of minnesota where they engaged in general merchandise business. here young arntson was reared and trained for a mercantile career, his education was obtained in the public schools and by private instruction. he was married at willmar, minnesota, , to miss annie m. olson, a lady of heart and character, and the next year joined the army of homeseekers, attracted to the shores of puget sound, and settled in tacoma, washington. since coming to this city he has been engaged in various pursuits, first grocery then real estate. from youth he had possessed an inclination for law, and to yield to his forte, he closed out his business, and devoted his whole time to legal acquirements. in he was admitted to bar, and immediately embarked in practice which has constantly grown more promising. in he received the appointment as clerk of police court, and in connection with the duties of his office continues a lucrative practice. though mr. arntson was born and raised in america, yet he has been a warm friend of the norwegians, always ready to extend a helping hand when needed. he is delighted with norwegian literature, being conversant with social and political problems. [illustration: gustaf lindberg.] gustaf lindberg, a representative business man of tacoma, was born in vermland, sweden, november , , received a careful education, and at the age of fourteen embarked in business as clerk in his native place. in he chose the national capital of sweden for his abode, where he obtained a clerkship with the firm of c. a. schweder. being of studious nature and industrious habit, he worked faithfully during day, and attended school during evening, thus acquiring a store of useful learning and applicable experience. in he left the land of his birth for america, locating in tacoma, where he found employment with the grocery firm of forbes & wose. after two years of service with this company, he joined his brother john in the grocery business, now a leading establishment on the corner of eleventh and g streets. mr. lindberg is a prominent factor in the swedish-lutheran church and a worthy member of the tacoma chamber of commerce, and in all respects an honored citizen and a true gentleman. [illustration: s. samson.] s. samson.--for being a young man few have displayed steadier habits and more business capacity than the congenial proprietor of the people's hotel and restaurant, pacific avenue, tacoma. he was born in ostra torsa, kronoberg, sweden, november , , where he enjoyed the training of splendid school facilities. in he crossed the stormy atlantic, and selected tacoma for his permanent location. during his early time in the new world he shared the vicissitudes of circumstances, ever converting his leisure to useful acquirements. the language was foreign to him, but being of docile aptitude this obstacle did not long impede his progress, soon he could handle the english tongue with ease and fluency. business seemed to be his forte, which he embarked in some years ago and has followed with marked success. he is a member of the tacoma chamber of commerce and owns considerable real estate in the city. mr. samson has always been awake to the interest of the pacific, and especially his own town. he is a worthy citizen and enjoys the respect of the people. scandinavians in tacoma. chapter vii. societies--press--prominent citizens--churches. a number of scandinavian societies have sprung into existence in tacoma the last two decades. the valhalla, a swedish fraternal and beneficial organization, was the first that blossomed into prosperity. it was organized december , , with g. f. linquist, president, h. nyman, vice-president, h. ohlin, secretary, w. p. sundberg, treasurer, r. bomen, financial secretary, charles berg, master of ceremony. only few signed the constitution at its early launching, but has gradually increased in membership to in good standing. a praise-worthy band, known as the "swedish valhalla military band," was founded by the society to grace its work with sweet music. the norwegians organized a lodge of similar nature as the valhalla, baptized, the ancient order of vikings, which, too, embarked with a handful of supporters, but through perseverance and wise management bloomed into one of the best norwegian societies in the state. the aim of this compact is broad and laudable, being like that of the i. o. o. f., or other secret organizations of high standard. the vikings was born in with the following hard workers in the lead: john blaauw, thomas knudson, g. o. sande, ed. haug and sam haug. the danish brotherhood was instituted in march, , with fifteen members, and has flourished these years remarkably. at present it has sixty on the roll, with a flowery adjunct, the danish sisterhood, which has tendered the fraternal order kind assistance. haabet, a norwegian literary society, has grown in vigor and number, and is proving valuable to literary culture. the incumbent officers are: con. bjorklund, prest., jacob slippern, v. prest., h. hansen, sec., john blaauw, treasurer, g. o. sande, librarian, hans tokelsen, editor. the norden, i. o. g. t., founded in early days, wrought out many disagreeable obstacles, and planted seeds of moral purity, but the panic of recent years scattered the prop of support to the four wings of the world, and the pretty flowers that wont to grace the hall found pleasure in other spheres. week after week the lodge trembled on flirting arms, which little by little gave heed to other diversions, and death on wooly wings devoured the civilizing factor. the scandinavian temperance society lived through many years of gnawing resistance. from it floated mighty words of wholesome advice, but friends of the alcoholic hell, robed with smiling garbs of infernal warp, plucked the sweet blooms of future hope, and planted in their souls the stings of ruin. as days wore away, the poisonous influence from the saloon den bewitched the sprightly stripling and the hoary hair, and the temperance workers, the noblest of heroes, were too few to feed the fire of interest, and the organization withered and died. the scandinavian press, of tacoma, is growing into popularity. the first scandinavian newspaper on record in the city was, "tacoma budstikken," a norwegian-danish weekly, founded in december, , by p. o. bergan, but enjoyed only a short period of sunshine. the tacoma tidende was launched july , , and ripened into a norwegian-danish state paper. from infancy it was in the hands of dirk blaauw who bid fair at journalism, but a year ago it was transferred to his brother john who has steeped it with journalistic fire, comparing in merit with the big eastern weeklies. it takes a man of a congenial nature, ability and "push" to make journalism a success, and these qualities manifest themselves every day in the editor of tacoma tidende. [illustration: john blaauw.] john blaauw was born in bergen, norway, , but when an infant of two years he went with his parents to christiania, where he resided till he reached the age of seventeen, save two and a half years he spent in edinburgh, scotland. in he emigrated to america, making seattle his destination. right after the great fire he embarked in scandinavian journalism, and has practically followed it ever since. no man is better informed of the condition and natural resources on the pacific coast than editor john blaauw. he has traveled in every county from british columbia to the golden state. he has made tacoma tidende an honor to the coast and a valuable source of information to thousands of people throughout the united states. he is of a genial disposition, kind and serviceable. though always busy, yet glad to receive visitors, and willing to impart all possible knowledge. much of his time is consumed in replying to letters concerning the pacific country. tacoma tribunen, a swedish weekly of considerable merit, was brought to light in april, , by the swedish publishing company. t. sandegren was installed as editor, and has ever since filled the chair with credit. [illustration: t. sandegren.] t. sandegren was born near halmstad, sweden, in , where he enjoyed the benefit of a good common school education. at the age of twenty he graduated from lund college, and three years later took the degree of a. b. at the university of lund. journalism was his forte which he embarked immediately after graduation. in he crossed the atlantic for the united states, locating in minnesota, where he obtained a position as teacher in the military school at fort snelling. in he migrated to seattle, and in company with n. p. lind organized vestra posten. the following year he was appointed editor of tacoma tribunen, and three years later assumed the ownership of the paper, which he is conducting with marked ability. the pacific herold, edited by e. berrum, is a pleasing journal, published at the pacific lutheran university. mr. berrum has had years of experience in the journalistic field. for half a decade or more he represented "skandinaven" on the pacific. a word concerning scandinavian churches may not be out of place at this point. in spite of a new country and adverse circumstances, nine of them pierce the air of the city of destiny. there are three lutheran churches, two norwegian-danish, and one swedish; two methodist churches, one norwegian-danish, and one swedish; two baptist churches, one scandinavian and one swedish; a swedish mission church, and a scandinavian free church. [illustration: pacific lutheran university.] to the south of tacoma smiles the village of parkland, the stronghold of the norwegian synod, where the pacific lutheran university stands as a pride to the place. the aim of the institution is to give thorough instruction in the various branches taught in the public schools and academies, including science, art and music. it is operated under the banner of the norwegian lutheran synod, and sound christian principles are made the basis of all the work. rev. b. harstad may be rightly called the "father of the institution," and prof. n. j. hong deserves the appellation "faithful manager." [illustration: ox logging.] scandinavians in everett. chapter viii. few cities during the short longevity of eight years have blossomed like everett. in it sprang into life midst the greatest of stir and excitement, and has ever since enjoyed the presence of healthy sunbeams and steady prosperity. everett is the county seat of snohomish county, spread over a pleasant stretch of land between snohomish river and a beautiful bay of the sound, affording an excellent fresh-water harbor and an equally laudable salt-water haven. the city has a population of about eight thousand, many of whom are scandinavians. john brue was among the early pioneers, and one of the founders of the norwegian lutheran church located at that place. for years he was engaged in business in everett, but disposed of his interests to take possession of a nice farm near stanwood. [illustration: t. t. enger.] t. t. enger, a bright business man, merchant tailor, was also one of the first to establish himself in the embryo city. he was born in hoff, sotor, norway, , but moved with his parents to aasnes when one and a half years of age, where he received his early education, graduating from the public schools at fifteen. his father, also, t. t. enger, was a prominent citizen and manager of h. schulze's estate, the largest in that part of norway. young enger left his native seat for christiania to learn the tailoring trade, and in emigrated to america, arriving at madison, wisconsin, september , where he remained two years working at his trade. his next move was to minneapolis, and in migrated to the pacific, settling in seattle, washington. shortly after his arrival he was married to miss maria olson, a worthy lady of norse ancestry. the transient fame of anacortes startled the country, and thither mr. enger went to engage in business, but in january, , sold out and removed to everett, where he is conducting a fine tailoring establishment. mr. enger is a man of energy and "push," reliable and respected. he is a prominent member of the knights of pythias, and holds notable standing in the republican party. [illustration: l. p. elvrum and wife.] few men have passed through the trials that l. p. elvrum has, the genial landlord of everett. he was born in stordalen, near trondjem, norway, , where he received a good education. at the age of nineteen he went to sea, and was dashed uninterruptedly on the pitiless waves for four years. three times he weathered the north cape. in he sailed for america, spent one year in minnesota, then journeyed to the pacific, settling at stanwood, washington. he sought the forest for employment, worked four years at logging, then embarked in general merchandise in silvana, and immediately received the appointment of postmaster. in he was married to miss martha beck, an estimable lady of cedarhome. when everett commenced to bespeak business prospects, mr. elvrum sold out his interests at silvana and went thither to start a hotel. he is the proprietor of the "north star," one of the most respectable taverns in the city. mr. elvrum is a man of business nature, social and congenial, honest and a true gentleman. he has had many ups-and-downs, but his motto has been, "try and continue trying and you will succeed at last." a motto that every man ought to drink into his soul for ready application in the various turns of life. there are also other scandinavians in everett who shine in business and social circles. a. o. solberg is a leading jeweler, and o. alseth a genial clerk and a popular member of the lutheran church; martin dahl is a well-known merchant tailor, and j. a. johansen a progressive grocer. everett has within its limit two scandinavian churches, a norwegian lutheran, previously alluded to, and a scandinavian methodist, which was built in . rev. p. m. ellefsen, a methodist missionary, visited everett, , and the following year organized a congregation of ten members which now numbers thirty. rev. o. heggen was the first appointed minister to occupy the pulpit, who was succeeded by the eloquent rev. o. o. twede. a young peoples' society was organized some years ago which has grown healthy and vigorous; at present it has a membership of forty. among the leading members of the methodist congregation we find e. a. olson, swede, l. carlsen, a. thompsen, h. helgesen, and mrs. h. helgesen, norwegians. [illustration: everett in its infancy.] scandinavians at stanwood. chapter ix. stanwood is the largest scandinavian community in the state of washington, situated in snohomish county, on a delta-like angle, where the skagit and the stillaguamish rivers meet to mingle their blue volumes. a navigable tongue of the sound ripples up the flat, where daily steamers gracefully ride for the proud city. to the east and west from this thriving villa a panorama of inexhaustible fertility spreads out before your eye, dotted with quaint dwellings, here and there flecked with rich orchards, and slowly sweeps up forming what is generally termed highland, where a swedish colony smiles with flowery gardens and beautiful farms. stanwood compares in magnitude and importance with the eastern scandinavian settlements, but differs vastly from them in spirit. here is more life, more freedom, and english the prevailing language, especially among the younger folks. in , the time that eller graham, a native of norway, disembarked at the mouth of skagit river, a white man was a curiosity. doubtless graham was the first scandinavian to seek the wilderness for a nestling place, though it is probable that martin toftezen, who landed on whidbey island twelve years prior, had made a reconnoissance of both skagit and stillaguamish rivers. sivert guligson brekhus threw anchor where the stillaguamish disembogues its waters, , but made his permanent habitation ten miles up the river. two years later o. b. iverson made his appearance as government surveyor, and almost simultaneously n. p. leque, nils eide and a. danielson landed in fair-sized canoes. these pioneers had the sagacity and foresight to unfold the future, and bought three hundred acres of land together. the first named, o. b. iverson, was elected to represent snohomish county in the territorial legislature, where his keen intellect made palpable impressions. he now resides in olympia, and is an active member of the government surveying staff. [illustration: n. p. leque.] n. p. leque is a highly respected citizen, a gentleman in the true sense of the word. he was born in kinservik, hardanger, norway, may , , but moved with his parents to ulvik when two years old. after receiving a good common school education, he entered the normal school in voss, where he graduated with honor in . the following year he engaged in teaching, but abandoned it after two years of successful experience. the th of april, , he was married to miss maria lindebrekke, a lady of fine intellect and noble aims, and the same year sailed for america, settling at vermillion, clay county, south dakota, where he embarked in farming. the smiling pacific created a desire for another journey, and july , , he paraded the streets of tacoma, with his family. he made a perambulation of the country, and in located on a beautiful island, which bears his name. in he was elected county commissioner, served with distinction for two years, and declined renomination. he has been and is a valuable member of the lutheran church of stanwood, and has always sought to enhance the best interests of the community, morally and otherwise. for some time he has been president of the stanwood co-operative creamery. peter leque, a close relative of n. p. leque, is doubtless one of the most popular scandinavians on the pacific coast. he was born in norway, but came to america in his early years, and received a fine education in the common schools and at the state university of washington. ever since he has resided on leque island, hard by stanwood. he is a man of a grasping mind and elevated thoughts, a hard worker and a faithful representative of the common people. a man that the public has picked out to fill responsible positions on the merit of honesty and ability. in he was elected county surveyor, in county assessor, and in county auditor. o. k. melby, proprietor of melby hotel, and a man of intelligence and fine training, has shared the struggles of pioneer life. he was born in norway, came to the coast , made a visit to stanwood, and the following year located in the embryo villa permanently, being the first scandinavian to engage in hotel business in this part of the state. john brygger, a. j. brue, peter gunderson, christian joergensen, martin larson, iver egge, c. toftezen, l. t. land, o. j. finley, ole ryan, thomas brue and john brue are among the early settlers and the most prominent citizens. they are all independent farmers and potent factors in the upbuilding of the country. [illustration: norwegian lutheran church of stanwood.] [illustration: stanwood lutherske meningheds sangkor. c. p. lien a. egge miss p. johnson b. s. lien o. j. lien miss m. gunderson miss e. egge rev. l. c. foss o. e. brue a. brue g. j. holte miss m. s. lien o. j. finley a. gunderson miss h. naas miss a. floe e. egge g. naas] the norwegian lutheran church of stanwood is the oldest of the lutheran churches on puget sound. it was organized twenty-three years ago by rev. l. carlson, and has enjoyed the services of revs. emil christensen, p. isberg and c. joergensen. at present it is in charge of rev. l. c. foss who has done much for christianity and the lutheran doctrine. he is a friend of the young people as well as of the old, the guiding spirit of the young people's society and a talented musician. the norwegian singing society is the pride of the community, and has scattered laurels of accomplishment along the sound. on many occasions it has been called to seattle and other places to cheer and entertain the people with sweet melodies. the progress and success of the scandinavian business men of stanwood are well known. s. a. thompson's establishment affords credit to the town, and knud knudson's drug and jewelry store compares nicely with similar concerns in the larger cities. b. willard, the popular dairyman, hails from denmark. his energy and keen intellect have always been at willing option for the good of his adopted country. a. tackstrom, the genial postmaster, was born in sweden, and has been of practical usefulness to his city. edward foss traces his birthplace to norway, but has resided for years in stanwood. he is a mechanic by trade, and a gentleman in demeanor. h. c. anderson, the wealthy klondiker, who resides near the city, is a conspicuous factor, especially in agricultural developments. the genial photographer, j. t. wagness, has gained a standing among the people as a man of ingenuity in his chosen profession. biographical sketches of men who have worked themselves up in an honorable way would doubtless be of interest to the readers. such men as s. a. thompson, knud knudson, and others merit a place among the most prominent scandinavians on the pacific coast. [illustration: s. a. thompson.] s. a. thompson was born in norway, , where he received a splendid school education. in he arrived in america, locating at story city, iowa, remaining two years, then chose moorhead, minnesota, for his habitation. after a stay of four years in this city he migrated to holdstead in the same state where he spent two years. up to this time mr. thompson had been engaged in sundry occupations, clerking and manual labor, always devoting his leisure to the acquirement of an education. in he landed in stanwood, and immediately embarked in business. for some time he was connected with shingle mills, entered irvine's store, clerked five years, and may , , assumed possession of the whole firm. mr. thompson is a man of genial nature, kind and social, at the same time energetic, which his business career plainly emphasizes. [illustration: knud knudson.] knud knudson, the gifted jeweler and drug merchant, was born in modum, norway, . after learning the watchmaking trade, he sailed for america, arriving in valley city, north dakota, , where he worked at his trade one year. he was touched by reports from caselton, packed together his effects and moved thither, engaged in business for two years, then took another trip, viz., to chamberlain, south dakota, but one and a half years sufficed at this place. washington was now the absorbing question, and in located in stanwood, and established the first jewelry store in the city. in he launched into drug business in connection with his already lucrative engagement. mr. knudson is a leading business man, always busy and attentive, reliable and respected. n. m. lien is one of the typical norwegians on the sound--honored and intelligent--wealthy and conscientious. he came to america in , spent eleven years in minnesota, twelve years in north dakota, then journeyed to stanwood, washington. he owns a magnificent farm, running pretty nigh into the heart of the city, golden with waving cereals and smiling flowers, and spreads out in an easterly direction. [illustration: residence of n. m. lien.] olaf rydjord is a lucrative farmer, one and a half miles up stillaguamish river from stanwood. he was born in norway, came to stanwood, , with little or no means. now he possesses a beautiful farm, and ranks among the prosperous scandinavians. he is also a man of honor and ambition. [illustration: residence of olaf rydjord.] one of the most laudable institutions in snohomish county is the stanwood co-operative creamery, it bespeaks the thrift and standard of the farmers. this enterprise originated with rev. c. joergensen, who deserves the applause of the whole community for his indefatigable energy. mr. joergensen is an ex-minister of the lutheran faith, armed with a liberal education and divers experience. he held the presidency of the stanwood co-operative creamery until his election as commissioner of snohomish county. [illustration: stanwood co-operative creamery.] the stanwood co-operative creamery has carried away many honors since , the date of its commencement. it took the first prize, , at the county fair of pierce county, held in tacoma, also the first prize in ellensburg, , at the state dairy association. the output of butter has gradually increased, at present averaging about eighteen thousand pounds per month. [illustration: d. g. bennie, jr.] d. g. bennie, jr., manager of the stanwood co-operative creamery, has engraved his good will on the hearts of the community. his business methods are commendable, emphatic of honesty and ability. he was born in boston, massachusetts, december , , came to the pacific coast, , embarked in logging and farming, and in the spring of he was elected to his present position, which he has filled with entire satisfaction. [illustration: m. o. coltom.] m. o. coltom, superintendent of the butter-making department, is a worthy gentleman, who has filled his calling with credit to himself and the association. he was born in toten, norway, forty-three years ago, came to america, , and to the coast, . he has been connected with the creamery since its infancy, and has always been vigilant to the best interests of the enterprise. john lund, also a native of norway, has been a faithful assistant to mr. coltom, for years he has served in his present capacity with honor. stanwood is surrounded by thrifty scandinavian farmers, the earliest have already been mentioned. some of the more recent who have added laurels to agriculture are: ole naas, peter peterson, t. k. logan, o. alseth, anton f. anderson, otto coltom, oluf, john and gunder otterson, engbret olson, peter holte, n. b. thomle, louis christiansen and others. stanwood, as stated before, is largely populated with scandinavians; in addition to the number previously noted we find many good citizens, namely: herman hafstad, connected with the stanwood hardware company, carl ryan, clerk in eureka grocery, fred ryan, clerk in thompson's store. peter o. wold and ivar opdal are representative norwegians, well liked and respected. bert gunderson is an intelligent young man; the members of the norwegian singing society rank among the best of young people, saul olson, ole mellum, elias brue, sam lovik, halvor anderson; john melkild, peter brandall and others bespeak norse integrity. a. b. klaeboe, now a gold seeker in alaska, was once a leading business man of this city. twelve years ago he established the first drug store in stanwood, which he managed with notable success for a number of years. he was born in norway where he graduated from college with distinguished scholarship. scandinavians in stillaguamish valley. chapter x. the stillaguamish valley, spreading out for a considerable distance on both sides of the wandering river, which starts in the green-clad hills, looming up in the southeast, and leaps gracefully downward to the city of stanwood, where it disembogues its waters, is a fertile plain, running through the forest for twenty-five miles, adorned with royal farms and three happy villas--florence, norman and silvana. thirty years ago this noble stretch was the home of wild beasts, but now settled by a jolly populace. here the scandinavians found a field that hit their fancies--plenty of work and rich soil. the first scandinavian to brave this wilderness was sivert guligson brekhus, a native of voss, norway, who emigrated to america, , spent eleven years in the east combatting for success in divers avenues, and in entered the mouth of the stillaguamish river. he proceeded up the stream which was choked with angry snags and stubborn logs. no less than four jams impeded his progress. mr. brekhus has been a man of unusual strength, and possessed of a heart that knew no fear. on one occasion, in early days, a red savage attacked him in stanwood. mr. brekhus was alone which gave his heathen aggressor, surrounded by a bloodthirsty horde of his race, lust for blood, and, like a devil in flames, seized a manageable piece of timber and sought to convert the white man to a heap of jelly. the brave vossing approached him and the following words burst from his lips, "hvis du inhji parsa dig ska eg slaa huvu ini majin paa dig." the red skins understood the depth of his voice, and skulked away. ah! picture to yourself the hardship! all the provisions had to be canoed from seattle, and four boats were required to reach mr. brekhus' ranch. many struggles did this valorous pioneer pass through. once he carried a barrel of herring on his shoulders over the four jams, and at another time a big cook stove. iver furness, father of john furness, the norman merchant, has also partaken of the trials and difficulties common to pioneer encounters. as early as he dates his first peregrination on stillaguamish river. like other adventurers he endured many days of hardship, anxiety and worry. supplementary to the toil for subsistence, the savages cast chilly currents through his soul. the sauk indians, ravaging in skagit county, were dreaded like devils. one day the report reached the home of iver furness, while relishing a healthy dinner, that the sauks were paddling up the river for a bloody massacre. mrs. furness was thrown into a trance of fright, rushed for the door with knife in hand to take refuge in the woods. johnny, her son, grabbed the fire-lock to protect their home, but, lo! it was only an indian scare. [illustration: iver johnson.] iver johnson, the pioneer merchant of silvana, and the popular county commissioner, was born in opdal, norway, . after graduating from the public schools, he took a course in the higher branches of learning by private tuition, and in sailed for the united states, selecting south dakota for his first abode in the new world. in he took another step westward, locating at port gamble, washington, where he worked in saw mills for two years. returning to south dakota, he was married to martha haugan, a charming young lady, but to his sorrow she withered for the grave after four years of matrimonial happiness. he recrossed the rocky mountain the same year, settling in the stillaguamish valley, worked in logging camps and cleared land for some time, then embarked in general merchandise at silvana, the first store in the stillaguamish valley. he sold out his interests at silvana to accept a clerkship in d. o. pearson's store in stanwood, which he abandoned after five years of faithful service to assume the position as deputy county auditor. in he was elected to the office of county commissioner of snohomish county in which capacity he is now working with credit to himself and to his constituents. he was married the second time, in , to miss maria funk, an accomplished lady of norse extraction. halvor helvy, an intelligent farmer near silvana, figures among the first pioneers. he was born in norway, and came to stillaguamish from south dakota, . [illustration: e. a. hevly.] e. a. hevly, the popular merchant of florence, and one of the brightest business men on the sound, was born in opdal, norway, february , , came to america, , and the same year landed on the pacific coast. after receiving a common school education, he took a course in the state university of washington. for years he was employed as clerk, but in became the sole owner of a large mercantile establishment, which he is conducting with marked ability. mr. hevly is a congenial man, honest, honorable and energetic. [illustration: john i. hals.] john i. hals, proprietor of hals' shingle mill, located across the river from florence, is a true type of norse manhood. he was born in norway, came to stanwood, , worked four years in a saw mill at utsalady, and in bought from munson, johnson and company a shingle mill standing one mile east of stanwood, the first scandinavian shingle mill in snohomish county. cedar timber was getting scarce and a change of location became advantageous. to effect this he sold his mill, bought eighty acres of land further up the river, and built a new mill, of which mr. hals is the sole owner. the author does not believe in plowing up the field of exaggeration, and so far as the personage in question is concerned no occasion affords an opportunity. the men working for mr. hals speak in more eloquent language than my pen. in a word, mr. hals is a gentleman, kind, intelligent and generous. [illustration: john i. hals' shingle mill.] round florence are also other scandinavians who have scattered light of melioration. flowery meadows and royal dwellings join to pronounce their industry and rank of intelligence. mr. myro is an early pioneer and a thrifty dane, taral larsen is a prosperous farmer, a native of norway, who has shared the struggles of frontier life, ed. hanson, also a norwegian by birth, has been a valuable factor in the community, especially in the promotion of education. as we proceed up the river we find an unbroken settlement of well-to-do scandinavians, who sought the wilderness to make homes. engebret and sven stenson, sivert and rasmus knutson and s. erickson were among the first. l. o. stubb, a prominent farmer and a man of ability and influence, has given valuable service to the community. he has been one of the foremost men to look after the interest of education. he was born in norway, came to dogfish bay, washington, , and the same year settled near norman. [illustration: the norman public school. the first public school in the stillaguamish valley above florence: built, , burnt .] iver n. prestlien, the pioneer of prestlien bluff, so named to perpetuate his memory, was born in norway, and settled on his present location, , when the inviting slope was a gloomy forest. he has done much for the upbuilding of the community, educationally and otherwise. [illustration: prestlien's bluff. the schoolhouse is behind the big stump.] john furness, previously alluded to, an able business man, in company with mr. engdahl, at norman, has spared no energy for the good of the public schools and the country in general. andrew estby, o. b. lee, h. hereim and others have also lent willing assistance. cornelius n. langsjoen, elias tangen, julius lund, andrew prestlien, john ingebretson, and others have contributed heart and hand to better frontier gloom. two fine lutheran churches, one at silvana and the other across the river, emphasize the moral and intellectual standard of the people. [illustration: logging family standing on a cedar stump.] scandinavians at cedarhome. chapter xi. three miles east of stanwood smiles a beautiful villa, which fifteen years ago received the baptism cedarhome. it seems as though nature in her wisdom long, long ago took special pains to prepare a plot for this smoothly sloping panorama. if it had been whittled out to order for a quiet, sober and intelligent people nothing more consistent could have been expected. in early days a dense forest clothed this spot, and savage brutes ruled unrestrained. but some forty years ago the irascible agent--fire--resolved to show his power, which he did like an unchained demon. he sent his red flames from tree to tree, consuming big and small, save some stubborn giants, which remained black skeletons in melancholy loneliness. bears, cougars, wild-cats, and other inhabitants of the forest picked up their feet and with lightning speed sought the mountains for refuge. [illustration: pioneers among wild beasts.] the once rich sylva, where evergreen and foliage were wont to join in sweet choruses, was now a charcoal desert with a few angry monsters frowning in the air, squealing and cracking to the breath of every breeze. years elapsed, the sun sent down his gentle beams, the clouds unlocked their opulent stores, and the parched earth drank her fill, and gave birth to shoots that blossomed into a carpet of green. ah, all a change! the chilly appearance of yesterday is today sunshine. a fresh sylva, besprinkled with flowers, smiles to our joy, and birds wheel on happy wings, pouring their hearts into dulcet music, and loving zephyrs come to woo the tender growth. in arn olson, a native of norway, made a perambulation of the country lying east of stanwood with the object in view of finding a suitable bit of ground for a home, arriving where cedarhome now smiles he resolved to pitch his permanent lot among the green bushes. almost simultaneously, martin larsen, a norwegian by birth, braved the interior, remained one year, then located on the stanwood flat, three miles north of the city. it was not until the following year that cedarhome commenced to echo the presence of white men. before only a faint sound now and then rose to indicate human existence. among the first who anchored their fortunes at this place was john anderson, who left sweden in for chicago, but was soon seized with a whim to see and try other climes. both south and west were fields of attraction, and to satisfy his romantic nature he took in the whole country. in he stood in the city of seattle gazing with wonder at the novelties about him. a reconnoissance of salmon bay hit his liking, but shortly after settled on acres of land at cedarhome, then called burn. mr. john anderson may be rightly termed the father of cedarhome, and yet, though his flowing beard has silvered to a halo of snow, he contributes the fall of his life to daily duties. august anderson has passed through experiences not dissimilar to those of john anderson. he, too, was born in sweden, came to america in his prime of life, and in cast his lot in the forest. he has shared the ups-and-downs of frontier struggles, always a faithful supporter of the methodist church. andrew gustaf bergquist made his appearance a few months subsequent to the arrival of john and august anderson. he is a native of sweden, where he spent his boyhood, but like thousands of others sought the new world. mr. bergquist has been alert to the interests of the community, educationally and morally. for years he has been a member of the school board. now, gloomy loneliness! where art thine "blues and longings?" no jollier crowd beneath the blue roof of heaven than a bunch of pioneers. buoyant in spirit, strong at arms, the forest fell to their axes. trails were swamped and cabins erected to their comforts. cohorts of eager land-seekers from all climes perambulated wealthy vales and green-besprinkled knolls, and among these was p. o. norman, who had landed in seattle, , but spent two years reconnoitering the coast ere he located at cedarhome. love of work and progress is the spur of a new country. as population increased so did the burden of responsibility augment. morality and education could not be neglected. mr. norman contributed from his fund of experience and learning, acquired in his native country, sweden, and in the state of nebraska where he had served as school trustee and county commissioner. [illustration: the cedarhome public school. the dwelling to the right is the residence of e. o. yngve.] a craving had manifested for a union of worship, and in a methodist congregation was organized, forming a circuit with seattle. rev. andrew farrell was called as pastor, who expounded the gospel in the two places on alternate sundays. in mr. norman drew up a petition citing for a separation from seattle and the formation of a circuit with skagit. the petition was granted by the bishop, and the rev. o. e. olander was secured as clergyman. absolute independence has always been the longing of the soul. the congregation was now ripe for a divorce from skagit, which was granted, , and a beautiful church was built, which stands as a pride to the village. the methodist doctrine has proven relishing, and credit is due to the following faithful workers: p. o. norman, john anderson, august anderson, andrew g. bergquist, john lovegren, n. g. carlson, w. m. anderson, n. o. ekstran, magnus haglund, andrew olson and john olson. the most promising feature of a church is a healthy, wide-awake young people's society. not only as an instrumentality to invite to share the glory in heaven, but to cultivate literature and music, to cherish each others peculiarities and trend of thoughts. these societies are not exclusively for the blooms of a few springs, often lingering fall with hoary hair wields the guiding staff. the most eloquent and active supporter of the young people's society at this place is john lovegren, though he has blushed about twelve summers of matrimonial happiness. of course, others have scattered sunbeams, and without their appellation the narrative would not be complete. william m. anderson has filled the presidential chair, and misses minnie johnson, annie anderson, alice carlson, annie, lizzie and emma yngve, minnie bergquist, mabel peterson, annie and jennie olson, and mrs. edith dacke have graced the organization with sweet music and poetry. messrs. andrew bergquist, a. p. dacke, charley edeen, john carlson and walter jensen have contributed able assistance. the cedarhome literary society, which has been in existence about three years, has scattered literary light through the community. the organizers and star members are: e. c. nicklason, j. h. swanson, thomas munson, j. c. jensen, charley and axel ek, eric, mannie and eddie lindstrom, iver and simon olson, jacob and andrew settre, andrew olson, kettle levison, lewis sandstrom, eddie, eli and ove eliason, and andrew anderson. the willing participants among the ladies are: misses minnie nicklason, mary jensen, hilma and hulda ek, and josie settre. no pioneer has endured more hardship than mathias munson, a native of norway. for thirty-five years he dashed on the merciless waves from port to port, finally making his home in the wilderness of washington. six-and-four scores of years rested on his shoulders at his death, one year ago, yet strong and lively. he was an example of courage and endurance, and is said to have saved many lives during his sea-faring years. ole jensen, born and educated in denmark, bid farewell to his mother country seventeen years ago, landed in seattle and shortly after settled at cedarhome. "to do and dare" was his motto; the huge forest fell, and a nice home smiles to his comfort. john olson also arrived at cedarhome about seventeen years ago. he is a native of sweden and has devoted most of his time to farming, being a prominent member of the methodist church. cedarhome is no longer a nucleus of yearning bachelors, but a thrifty town surrounded by gardens and meadows. three religious denominations are strongly represented, the methodists, previously mentioned, the baptists and the lutherans. [illustration: g. nicklason.] g. nicklason, a pioneer of the skagit valley and a popular merchant of cedarhome, was born in sweden, but left his native country at the twilight of manhood. after filling sundry vocations of hardship in the east, his attention was drawn to the pacific, settling in the skagit valley, , where he labored hard clearing land and farming. a beautiful farm in that locality bespeaks his industry. in he moved to cedarhome to engage in general merchandise--business of his liking--in which he has proved himself a master. the fertile forest awakened acute calculation in his mind, and in company with carl o. walters started a lumber factory capable of turning out both lumber and shingle. mr. nicklason is a man of energy and ability, honest and strictly attentive to business. [illustration: carl o. walters.] carl o. walters, g. nicklason's partner in lumber manufacturing, was born in gottland, sweden, may , , where he received his education, graduated from the public schools at the age of fifteen. for three years he served in the navy of sweden, spent two years traveling in his native country for the purpose of studying the natural resources and the varied conditions. the sea was a pleasing attraction to him; visited all the countries of europe, and at the age of twenty-two embarked a ship for the new world, sailed for some time on the atlantic coast, rounded cape horn, and landed in the golden gate, . he dashed on the waves up the coast as far as british columbia. after eight years of navigation he stept ashore, engaged in carpentry, worked in seattle and british columbia, most of the time as contractor. in the latter place he spent considerable time prospecting for coal, employed by the vancouver coal co. twelve years ago he located at cedarhome, turned his attention to farming served as deputy county assessor, and gradually drifted into lumber and shingle business, an occupation congenial to mechanical ingenuity, which is mr. walters' forte, being born with mechanical aptitude as well as with social and conversational endowments. [illustration: mr. and mrs. l. g. hanson.] l. g. hanson, the present deputy county assessor, was born in skone, sweden, , emigrated to america in early manhood, . after some years of ups-and-downs in the south, he planted his fortune at cedarhome, nine years ago, and has ever since taken an active part in public improvements. he has been a stanch supporter of the public schools and an advocate for good roads. for years he has served as school director and road supervisor, and in he was appointed deputy county assessor. e. o. yngve, a man of affluence and influence in his native country, sweden, crossed the salty billows for america ten years ago. he has been alert to the interest of his adopted country, and always glad to usher the welfare of his people to the front. frank a. peterson is likewise a man cut out for frontier life where energy and strong arms are required. he is a native of sweden, but came to south dakota in his early days, stayed there for some years, and in landed in seattle, and two years later joined his countrymen at cedarhome. he has been awake to the interest of the public schools and the welfare of the community in general; for years he has been a member of the school board. his brother john is also a good citizen. john ek, too, belongs to the category of frontier soldiers who delight in converting the forest into fields of gold and smiling gardens. he was born in sweden and came to cedarhome, . round the village live a number of good citizens and industrious farmers; viz., oluf johnson, sivert wold, rasmus settre, k. k. erdahl, n. o. lindstrom, p. g. johnson, olof anderson, levi levison, ole johnson, robert johnson, p. l. anderson, ole husby, erik johnson, p. m. arentzen, c. p. hemmingsen, a. evenson, b. evenson, and others. aaron larson, a native of sweden, who resides on a pleasant ranch about three miles east of cedarhome, is a highly accomplished musician. his daughter cora is likewise displaying extraordinary talents for divine strains. [illustration: western washington native snowshoe hare.] scandinavians in skagit valley. chapter xii. sweetest and loveliest of flowery vales, where plenty teems and joy hails, where waving fields of golden grain merrily smile in sun and rain. the skagit valley is a stretch of inexhaustible fertility, commencing at the mouth of the river and running northward for scores of miles, and spreads out, east and west, into a plain beautifully embellished with proud farms, and mostly populated with scandinavians. six miles up the river rests the town of fir, a bustling village, surrounded by a rich farming community. ole j. borseth is the leading business man of the town, who located here, , and in engaged in general merchandise. he is a native of norway, where he was bred and educated. [illustration: morling house. owned by knut h. opdal, the first scandinavian hotel in the skagit valley.] knut h. opdal, also born in norway, arrived in , and shortly afterward embarked in hotel business. he and his wife are representatives of norse simplicity and integrity, imbued with love for their native country, and patriotic and loyal to the stars and stripes. [illustration: j. f. anderson.] j. f. anderson was one of the first settlers. he was born in sweden, left his native land during the early summer of maturity, and located in the state of iowa. in he landed in port townsend on prince alfred, and immediately proceeded to the skagit valley, settling on north fork. after a year of hard work he moved with his family to seattle in order to give his children the advantages of good schooling. at the close of six years they returned to the skagit, locating on south fork, where fir now stands. in a flood rushed over the country, swept along everything save some stubborn buildings, the crop was destroyed, and havoc spread in all directions. "never give in," says the sage, which is applicable to mr. and mrs. j. f. anderson. "onward" was their motto, and two beautiful homes shine to their honest efforts one at seattle and one at fir. their children, who are now combating with the turmoils of the world, are well educated and highly respected. jennie is married and lives in seattle; axel and eric are connected with the polson and wilson hardware co., established in seattle and la conner; victor is married to an esteemed lady, miss marie paulson, and runs the farm; minnie is postmistress at fir and a teacher of music, howard sleeps in the grave, and otto stays home. [illustration: andrew n. crogstad.] andrew n. crogstad, a leading citizen, a man of honor and intelligence, has shared the difficulties of the frontier. he was born in trondhjem, norway, , received a good schooling and in february, , left his fatherland for dunn county, wisconsin, and five years later disembarked in the skagit valley. he turned his attention to logging and farming. a beautiful farm, surrounded by a wealthy orchard, stands as a pride to his energy. he has seen days of romantic awfulness, once hazardous, but now pleasing reminiscences. the flood has always been a dread, and many frights has it caused. one fourth of july mr. crogstad went to fir to celebrate the independence of his adopted country. the morning was bright and prognostic of a pleasant time. returning home during gray twilight, a seething, rolling sound floated down on the breeze, and ere they realized the cause, water crept up to their feet. the ladies were frightened out of their wits and took to screaming, which seems to be their only alternative in time of danger. mr. crogstad and his companion understood the predicament, slung the ladies on their backs and pranced home, thus avoiding a disastrous outcome. [illustration: mrs. wilhelmina augusta crogstad.] in he was married to an estimable lady, miss wilhelmina augusta jensen, born in scleswig, holstein, , of danish parentage, and came to america, . they have five children, four girls and one boy; alvina, emma, lottie, clara and maurice. one not accustomed to pioneer life in the forest can hardly conceive its many romantic features. to live on the bank of a big river, rolling and moaning in tireless monotony, and huge trees praying and howling to the wroth of the wind, and frisky brutes gamboling in wild frolics, and indians skulking in stealthy moods, is something awe-inspiring. on a jolly morning, charles mann, the pioneer merchant of fir, reconnoitered in the woods behind his store, and to his awe, stumbled into a hideous infernal, which was afterwards discovered to be an indian cemetery. ah, terror! hundreds of indians were hanging in the trees, some nude skeletons, some with the hearts torn out of their mutilated frames; owls and crows were sailing on evil wings among the ghastly dead, and horror seemed to reign in every bush. this finding startled the whole town, and into the woods rushed young and old; flames sprang into the air and swept through the forest, and the dead indians dropped from a hanging hell into a burning one. the flood of spread consternation throughout the community. the water leaped down from the mountains in savage fury and scattered the dykes to the briny billows, busy hugging the beach below. houses set sailing down the valley in tipsy joltings, and logs went chasing each other in mad bewilderment for the sea. the deluge broke into mann's store and rose to the depth of three feet. mr. mann was alone in the store, and to drive away loneliness grabbed the fish line and commenced angling, caught two mountain trouts by the counter. during the same flood mrs. mann was sitting in the fir hotel chatting with some friends, and before they were aware of the enormity of the water they went sailing on their chairs around the room. in and around fir live a number of scandinavians who have witnessed frontier encounters, but their early struggles have become pleasing revels for a fanciful imagination, as the late years have crowned their efforts with success. olof polson, a son of sweden, and at present mayor of la conner, was along with the first brigade of pioneers that scattered themselves in the valley. ole lonke, born in norway, and a prosperous farmer, about a mile from fir, located here over twenty years ago. ole johnson, also a native of norway, has resided here over two decades, and peter olson dates his arrival still further back. among the more recent settlers who have proved valuable exponents are: john hanson, august johnson, even handstad, john kragnes, ole kvande, knut lange, sivert sande, ole olson, lars engen, g. o. branstad, lars and nils danielson and elik johnson. proceeding up the river we find many scandinavian pioneers who rank among the most prominent citizens; viz., peter egtvet, ole n. lee, frank tollefson and magnus anderson. at skagit city, n. erickson, alfred, edwin and herman johnson are representative farmers who have spared no time for the upbuilding of the country. rev. john johnson, presiding elder of the swedish methodist church, who resides at this place, is a noted man, being a gifted rhetorician and an able pulpit orator. to the east of this happy village spreads out a fertile plain which sweeps up into a proud elevation, called pleasant ridge, the home of the old pioneer, charles john chilberg, and two of his sons, isaac and james. here we find also a number of other scandinavians who have shared the burden of early struggles. four miles up the river from skagit city stands the jolly city of mt. vernon, which has within its boundary many prominent men from the shores of norway and sweden. the two leading merchants of the city are norwegians--louis foss and n. j. moldstad. [illustration: louis foss.] louis foss is well known throughout the pacific country, being the first scandinavian state senator in washington. he was born in norway, , received a liberal education, graduated from college at nineteen, and shortly after emigrated to america, locating in wisconsin. he worked four years as scaler of logs on chippewa river; went to the dakota black hills during the excitement of , where he remained two years working in the mines. from whence he went to zumbrota, minnesota, to assume the management of a large merchandise store, in which capacity he labored faithfully for five years. his name had acquired a favorable clang among the people and the city of fosston was christened to his honor. in he disposed of his interests in minnesota and moved to tacoma, washington, where he engaged in real estate, and entered mercantile business at mt. vernon and buckley. five years later he was elected state senator from pierce county, and served his state with honor for four years. at the expiration of his senatorship he removed with his family to mt. vernon, where he now resides, and owns a big mercantile establishment, the fair. he has also a large store of similar kind in anacortes which his eldest son is managing. mr. foss is not only a man of business aptitude, but also a man of character, fidelity and honor. [illustration: n. j. moldstad.] n. j. moldstad merits the appellation of "progressive business man." he was born in vestre toten, norway, april , , where he obtained his early education. july , , he sailed for america, settling at de forest, wisconsin, and shortly after entered his brother's dry goods store. his next move was to lanesborough, minnesota, where he secured a clerkship with a big mercantile firm, afterwards assumed a similar vocation in minneapolis. from whence he turned his attention to north dakota, embarking in store and banking business for himself. the pacific had become a fascinating field, sold out, and crossed the rocky, locating in tacoma, where he established a shoe store. another journey seemed to emphasize business progress, disposed of his establishment in tacoma and engaged in dry goods and clothing in mt. vernon. the last years he has also given due consideration to the alaska gold fields, being interested in several claims around dawson. in he took a trip to europe, traveled in england, france, germany and the scandinavian countries. in he was married to an estimable lady in mt. vernon, and spent his honeymoon journeying in california, the southern states and new york, visited washington and shook hands with president mckinley. on returning took in chicago and other large cities. mr. moldstad is a republican in politics and has been delegate to county and state conventions, but has scoffed at the idea of seeking any office. he is like mr. louis foss, of the same city, in being a true gentleman, respected and respectable. [illustration: a musician on skagit river.] scandinavians in bellingham bay. chapter xiii. it is but few places where nature has been so kind and lavishing with her store of grandeur as in bellingham bay. sweet in music, the happy ripples dance to kiss the pebbled borders of the twin cities--new whatcom and fairhaven. above the din of their tumults stands the white-haired mt. baker with a snowy hood drawn down his broad shoulders, throwing glimpses of awe over a gay landscape. about four miles from these sister cities smiles lake whatcom, where living gondolas ride on its glassy bosom from shore to shore. [illustration: mt. baker, seen from fairhaven.] in early days scandinavians gave heed to this happy land of verdure and songs. about forty years ago they visited the bay and reconnoitered the country. everson, a norwegian by birth, was among the first pioneers. the last ten years a number of norwegians, swedes and danes have located in both new whatcom and fairhaven, and rank among the leading business men of the two cities. [illustration: fishing in bellingham bay.] o. b. barba, a prominent lawyer of new whatcom, born in norway, but raised and educated in wisconsin, came here, , and has steadily invited the confidence of his countrymen and the people in general. ole oien has the honor of being the first scandinavian elected to county office in whatcom county. he was born in toten, norway, came to bellingham bay several years ago, and at the last election was chosen to the office of county clerk. he is a man of energy and intelligence, and may rise to higher trust and honor in the gift of the people. olaf udness and charley erholm, the former born in norway and the latter in finland, emigrated here, . they are proprietors of the pacific steam laundry, and prominent in business and social circles. thomas dahlquist, a native of sweden, and one of the leading grocers in new whatcom, landed in bellingham bay, , and has gained the esteem of all the people. his wife was born in norway and is regarded as the foremost scandinavian lady in the city. john larsen, owner of the only first-class music store in bellingham bay, is an able business man. his wife is an influential member of the norwegian synod church. a. g. wickman, born in sweden, cast his eye for the first time over bellingham bay, august , . he is a man of keen intellect and sound judgment, and possesses the air of a true gentleman. he is a merchant tailor and enjoys a lucrative business. p. osberg and george martinsen are well-known contractors, the firm being osberg and martinsen. my pen would not be true to these gentlemen without the following assertion: "osberg and martinsen's ingenious work has commanded technical honor to the scandinavians." p. jacobsen, a son of denmark, is likewise a man of mechanical aptitude. he is a skillful blacksmith and a true gentleman. in fairhaven we find many popular scandinavians, men who are held in high esteem by the people. rev. t. j. moen is one who enjoys the respect and love of the community. he was born in talgen, norway, where he received his early education. in he graduated from hamar seminarium, among the highest in scholarship, and two years later emigrated to america, where he secured a position as teacher of religion. his ambition was to be a minister of the gospel, and in entered augsburg seminarium, spent one year in the academic department, then stept into the theological college and graduated with honor after three years of diligent study. he came to new whatcom seven years ago as pastor of the united lutheran church, and has met with success in his responsible vocation. mrs. t. j. moen, a lady of intelligence and fine training, was born in rollag, numedal, norway, and came to america while a lass of six years. at the age of nineteen she was united in holy matrimony to rev. t. j. moen. she is an earnest worker in the sunday school, likewise attentive to her fireside duties. j. m. scarseth and chris. grue, proprietors of the wisconsin grocery, rank as the foremost merchants of fairhaven. scarseth was born in wisconsin of norwegian parents and grue in norway. they came to bellingham bay, . henry christian engeberg is a dane by birth, a fine scholar and a careful druggist. he is a graduate of the university of copenhagen and came to fairhaven ten years ago. b. w. benson, a real estate dealer, is a man of true norse type, social, honest and intelligent. he was born in norway, and came to bellingham bay, . a. l. stenvig, the only merchant tailor in fairhaven, traces his birthplace to norway. he came to this city ten years ago, worked for others at first, but now owns a paying establishment. gust. linden, a native of sweden, o. m. c. henning and chris. keel, born in norway, have been in fairhaven since , and have worked themselves up from meager circumstances to affluence and honor. they are representatives of the industrial classes, possessed of mechanical ingenuity and prominent members of the lutheran church. mrs. henning, wife of o. m. c. henning, is a woman of learning and elevated character, being an energetic worker in the united lutheran church. her oldest daughter, mrs. richard, is a popular teacher in the city schools of fairhaven. scattered scandinavian communities, poulsbo and other places. chapter xiv. at poulsbo bay the rippling bells are ringing, the druid woods are singing, and mellow throats hang on the air pouring their hearts into music rare. ever ringing, ever singing, at poulsbo bay. nature's soul in rapture smiling, hillocks green the sunbeams climbing; when morning bursts on pearl-set wing, the vocal harps of the forest sing, sweet freedom's air, in sunshine fair, at poulsbo bay. jingle, jingle, ever chiming, sea and land together rhyming, sweet poets untaught singing, nature's god to me is ringing. rapture chiming, grandeur smiling, at poulsbo bay. on a sunny slope slowly rising from the merry sheet of golden water, stands the town of poulsbo, in kitsap county, about twenty-five miles northwest from seattle. a smiling tongue of the sound is rippling into the land, and here and there a green nose is pushing itself into the brine as trying to contest with the elements of the deep. sweet melodies spring from the laughing ripples, and sail on the wings of lazy zephyrs to cheer the ears of the village. this musical bay is a natural abode for scandinavians who are wont to the songs of happy fjords. as early as , ole stubb stranded his skiff on the shore of this vocal stretch for permanent nestling. he was born in norway, and has witnessed days of divers struggles, interlaced with days of sunshine. a year later fred landstone pinned his lot to a piece of land about ten miles east of poulsbo, and in jorgen eliason was attracted to the bay, and has ever since been instrumental in shaping the affairs of the community. he is a native of norway, landed in michigan, , and has proved himself a man of honor and intellectual capacity, a true representative of norse simplicity and manhood. i. b. moe arrived simultaneously and has been a potent factor in a multitude of enterprises. [illustration: jorgen eliason's ranch.] torge jensen, a prominent citizen of poulsbo, a man of integrity and intelligence, was a member of the early brigade of pioneers. he was born in norway and came to poulsbo from south dakota. he has been one of the foremost men to look after the interest of the place, educationally and otherwise. nils olson, also of norse birth, merits a footing among the first settlers and deserves the encomium due a man of honesty and noble aims. among the business men of poulsbo, adolph hostmark carries the honor of being the first merchant. he erected a store fifteen years ago, and conducted a general merchandise establishment until his death. some years subsequent lars christensen engaged in mercantile business and his career has been an uninterrupted success, characteristic of industry and uprightness. [illustration: lars christensen and wife.] lars christensen was born in thisted, denmark, , received a common school education, spent years on a large plantation as foreman and assistant manager. in he emigrated to america, selecting marquette, michigan, as his favorable place for dwelling. he worked on the docks and at other manual labor until , when he migrated to brookings county, south dakota, where he engaged in farming. after twelve years of varied experiences on the dakota prairies he turned his attention to the pacific, arriving in poulsbo, , where he embarked in clearing land and ranching. a beautiful place in the heart of the smiling villa bespeaks his pluck and industry. in he launched into general merchandise, which he later converted into a dry goods store. mr. christensen has always been a prominent member of the lutheran church and a true republican in politics, and in every walk of life a loyal citizen, honest, intelligent and respected. he was married to an estimable lady in denmark. they have one son, c. p. christensen, who was born in denmark, , and came to america with his parents. he has inherited the traits of a noble father and mother and ranks among the best of men, endowed with a fine intellect and moral integrity. poulsbo has achieved what no other community on the coast has ventured to do. while the villa was in its early embryo a knot of pioneers organized and incorporated the poulsbo wharf and storage company, and built a substantial dock and warehouse, accessible by any steamer. the first steamer that cleaved the bosom of the deep between poulsbo and seattle was the quickstep, owned by john j. hansen, who later built hattie hansen. but to burst the chains of monopolized transportation, and to usher pecuniary relief to the toiling farmers, a sprinkling of valorous hearts, headed by thomas hegdahl and nils olson, perfected the organization of the poulsbo-colby transportation company, and built the beautiful steamer--advance--which plies daily between poulsbo and seattle. [illustration: steamer advance.] the following are officers of the poulsbo-colby transportation company; j. a. mcpherson, president; peter erlandson, vice-president; c. p. christensen, secretary; l. christensen, treasurer; j. w. russell, manager. poulsbo has had its religious upheavals but aside from these fanatical revolutions it has scattered seeds of christian principles. a fine lutheran church tops a pleasant hillock as evidence of this statement. rev. i. tollefsen was summoned to the bay as the first gospel expounder who unveiled the gems of the old book according to augsburgian theology. into his footsteps dropped rev. h. langeland who is yet a beloved representative of the supreme being in the charming town of poulsbo. many of the trance reports which have taken speedy wings for other climes have not been absolutely true. in justice to rev. h. langeland my pen cannot evade the declaration that he is a gentleman and a true christian. the orphans' home, organized eight years ago, looms magnificently on a nicely trimmed knoll, overlooking a wizard landscape. rev. tollefsen is the father of the institution, but the people in general have given to it their unreserved support. [illustration: orphans' home at poulsbo.] during recent years, poulsbo has made quick strides forward, no less than four stores and two hotels combine to signalize its progress. langeland and eliason are thrifty grocers; alf hostmark conducts an establishment of similar nature; thos. hegdahl is a prosperous furniture dealer and l. christensen a dry goods merchant. the farmers around poulsbo have tendered ready hands to any project tending to advance the interest of their villa. steiner thoreson and t. paulson have been active exponents in the divers avenues of melioration, and a. v. paulson, an ex-teacher of the public schools, has never been lagging when a new enterprise was to be rooted. ole thompson, a. talakson, a. o. hagan, chris. williams and ole nelson figure among the early settlers. they are thrifty farmers and have contributed their time and energy for the good of the community. nils atleson, though recent colonist, has shared the burden of pushing the place to the front. he is the leader of the united lutheran church, and a man of intelligence and pluck. k. g. steen and others have also proved worthy factors where skill and energy shine pre-eminently. the country surrounding poulsbo is mostly peopled with scandinavians. pearson, across the bay, is a thriving community, principally settled with intelligent swedes, who have spared no time to make their terra firma attractive. breidablik, the home of the paulson family, is an inviting place. as we recede further from poulsbo we come to seabold where many scandinavians breathe happiness and prosperity. a short distance from this village lives c. sanders, who was born in sweden and came to port madison thirty-five years ago. there are also other old settlers as a. m. anderson and chas. olson. across a pleasant elevation of land slowly falling to the sea we find the flower-besprinkled rollingbay, where some early pioneers contend happily with the wild billows of the world. martin sunnes, dona falk, andrew sornsen, nils peterson, peter bye, t. siverson, mrs. hanna johnson and c. johnson were the first adventurers. there are other scattered scandinavian settlements, but let it suffice, for this volume, by taking a step to shelton, mason county. here we find the well-known professor g. b. gunderson and other prominent scandinavians. prof. gunderson has served the people of his county as superintendent of the public schools and as representative in the legislation, with marked ability and success. transcriber's note the punctuation and spelling from the original text have been faithfully preserved. forests of mount rainier national park [illustration] department of the interior office of the secretary for sale by the superintendent of documents, government printing office, washington, d.c. price, cents. publications on mount rainier national park sold by the superintendent of documents. remittances for these publications should be by money order, payable to the superintendent of documents, government printing office, washington, d.c., or in cash. checks and postage stamps can not be accepted. features of the flora of mount rainier national park, by j.b. flett. . pages, including illustrations. cents. contains descriptions of the flowering trees and shrubs in the park. mount rainier and its glaciers, by f.e. matthes. . pages, including illustrations. cents. contains a general account of the glaciers of mount rainier and of the development of the valleys and basins surrounding the peak. panoramic view of mount rainier national park, by inches, scale mile to the inch. cents. the forests of mount rainier national park. by g.f. allen, _united states forest service_. general statement. the remarkable development of the forests about the base of mount rainier results from climatic conditions peculiarly favorable to tree growth. the winters are mild and short. the ocean winds that pass through the gaps of the coast range are laden with moisture which falls in the form of rain or snow on the west slope of the cascades. the trees are nourished by this moisture through a long season of annual growth, and form an evergreen forest which is, in some respects, the most remarkable in the world. this forest, distinguished by the extraordinary size and beauty of the trees and by the density of the stand, extends into the deep valleys of the rivers which have their sources in the glaciers. on the dividing ridges and in the upper stream basins the composition and character of the forest change with the increasing severity of the climate. the distribution of the different species of trees according to the intervals of altitude at which they occur separate the forests of the mount rainier national park into different types. the lines of separation are to some extent also determined by complex conditions of slope, exposure, and moisture. the successive forest belts are uniform in the composition of their central areas, but blend and overlap where they come together. the low valleys of the main and west forks of white river, of the carbon, the mowich, the nisqually, and the ohanopecosh are covered with a dense and somber forest of fir, hemlock, and cedar. the trees, pushing upward for light, are very tall and free from limbs for more than half their height. their tops form a continuous cover which the sunshine rarely penetrates, and on which the light snows of early winter fall and melt, without reaching the ground. even in midsummer the light is soft and shaded, and the air cool and humid. in the wintertime the young growth is sheltered from wind and the severity of the cold is tempered by the protecting mountain ranges. saved from fire by the uniform dampness of the air the trees grow until they decay and fall from old age. they are succeeded by the suppressed younger trees. the forest remains mature, not uniformly sound and vigorous, yet not decreasing as a whole in size and volume. individuals perish, but the character of the forest is constant. the deep alluvial soil covered with moss and decayed vegetation nourishes a luxuriant tangled undergrowth of vine maple, willow, and devil's-club. the forest floor is covered with a deep layer of decayed vegetation and is encumbered with fallen and mossy logs and upturned stumps. the explorer who leaves the trails must be a strong and active man if he can carry his pack or miles in a long summer day. ascending from the river bottoms to the lower slopes of the dividing ridges the forest becomes more open and the trees are smaller. salal, oregon grape, and huckleberry bushes take the place of the taller undergrowth of the valleys. up to , feet the douglas fir and the hemlock still are the dominant species. above this altitude new species are found intermingled with the trees typical of the lowland, but forming a distinct forest type. the noble and amabilis fir appear, sometimes growing in pure stands, but more often associated with the douglas fir and western hemlock at the lower limits of the type, and with alpine fir and mountain hemlock at the upper limit. nearly all the trees of this type have deep and wide-spreading roots which serve to hold in place the surface deposit of volcanic pumice which covers the slopes of the mountain. evidence afforded by the after effects of forest fires in other parts of the cascades indicates that the destruction of the forest on the mountain sides is followed by erosion. heavy rains and the melting of the upper snow banks by warm chinook winds combine to produce a surface run-off that denudes the steeper declivities down to the underlying bedrock. at elevations above , feet the lowland trees have disappeared entirely. subalpine species adapted to withstand the burden of deep snow take their place. mountain hemlock, alpine fir, and engelmann spruce grow singly and in scattered groups or form open groves alternating with grassy parks and rocky ridges. the symmetrical outline of the slender pyramidal crowns and rapidly tapering trunks of the spruce and alpine fir trees that stand singly on the greensward of the open parks bring to mind the closely trimmed cultivated evergreens that adorn city parks and lawns. their lower branches reach the ground and the tops terminate in slender upright spires. as timber line is approached tree growth is confined to dwarfed and flattened mountain hemlocks, alpine firs, and the white-bark pines firmly rooted among the crevices of the rocks. the extreme limit of tree growth on mount rainier is , feet above sea level. there is no well-defined timber line. scattered clumps of low stunted trees occur up to , feet. a few very small and flattened mountain hemlocks grow above this elevation. a very large part of the area above , feet consists of glaciers, talus slopes, barren rocky peaks, and open parks. basins at the heads of canyons in the high mountains are usually treeless, on account of the great depth of snow which accumulates in them during the winter. on the steep, smooth upper inclines the snow banks frequently slip and form slides which acquire momentum as they rush down the mountain side and break and carry away large trees. repeated snowslides in the same place keep the slopes nonforested, and their track is marked by light green strips of brush and herbage. the transition of the forest from its lowland to its extreme alpine type is one of the most interesting features of a visit to the mountain. entering the park at the western boundary close to the nisqually river the road skirts the base of the lightly timbered spurs and passes into a forest of large and old douglas fir and western hemlock. red cedars grow along the streams that cross the road. little yew trees and vine maples mingle with the young conifers that form the undergrowth; the gloom of the forest is occasionally relieved by the white bark of alders and the smooth gray stems of the cottonwoods that grow on the sandy bank of the nisqually. after the road crosses the rainier fork, noble fir and amabilis fir appear, but the douglas fir and western hemlock are still the prevailing species. above longmire springs the noble and amabilis fir, mixed with western hemlock, become the dominant type. the trees are shorter and the branches heavier. mountain ash and yellow cypress grow on the margin of the mountain streams. huckleberry bushes take the place of the taller undergrowth of the valley. above narada falls the forest is more open, and the trees are still smaller. mountain hemlock and alpine fir succeed the trees of the lower slope. little glades and mountain meadows are seen. they become larger and more numerous and the traveler soon enters the open park of paradise valley, in which are but scattered groves of trees. the same successive altitudinal types are met in ascending to moraine and grand parks by way of the carbon valley, and in following the mowich watershed, crater lake, and spray park routes. approaching the park from the east the routes pass through open western yellow pine forests and western larch stands. since mount rainier is west of and apart from the summit line, these species which are peculiar to the eastern slope are not found within the limits of the park. effects of fire. [illustration: fig. .--whitened spectral monuments of a former forest which was swept by a severe forest fire in . taken along the road to camp of the clouds at an altitude of , feet. photograph by a.h. barnes.] notwithstanding the shortness of the summer season at high altitudes, the subalpine forests in some parts of the park have suffered severely from fire (fig. ). the bare white trunks of fire-killed amabilis and alpine firs bear witness to numerous fires which occurred from time to time before the regulations governing the park went into effect. the little resin pockets in the bark of these trees blaze fiercely for a short time and the heat separates the bark from the trunk. in this way the tree is killed, although the naked trunk is left untouched by fire. the destruction of the alpine forest in this way is often erroneously attributed to disease or to the depredations of insects. there has been little apparent change in the alpine burns within the last years. reforestation at high altitudes is extremely slow. the seed production is rather scanty and the ground conditions are not favorable for its reproduction. it will take more than one century for nature to replace the beautiful groves which have been destroyed by the carelessness of the first visitors to the mountain. at low elevations the forest recovers more rapidly from the effects of fire. between the subalpine areas and the river valleys there are several large ancient burns which are partly reforested. the most extensive of these tracts is the muddy fork burn. it is crossed by the stevens canyon trail from reflection lakes through the ohanopecosh hot springs. this burn includes an area of square miles in the park and extends north nearly to the glaciers and south for several miles beyond the park boundary nearly to the main cowlitz river. the open sunlit spaces and wide outlooks afforded by reforested tracts of this character present a strong contrast to the deep shades and dim vistas of the primitive forest. on the whole they have a cheerful and pleasing appearance, very different from the sad, desolate aspect of the alpine burns which less kindly conditions of climate and exposure have kept from reforestation. the original forest was fire killed many years before the coming of the white man. a few naked and weather beaten stubs are still standing. only the larger of the fallen trunks remain, and these are rotten except for a few seasoned and weatherworn shells. the second growth is of all ages, from seedlings to trees to inches in diameter. vine maple, willow, and mountain ash have sprung up along the streams and the hillsides are covered with huckleberry bushes and a variety of grasses and flowering plants. similar old burns are found on the ridge between huckleberry creek and white river, in the northeastern part of the park, and on the ridge between tahoma creek and kautz creek below henrys hunting ground. the old burns in the middle altitudes of the park occupy regions once frequented by the klickitat indians. every summer parties of hunters and berry pickers from the sagebrush plains crossed the cascades with their horses. they followed the high divides and open summits of the secondary ridges until they came around to the open parks about mount rainier where they turned their horses out to graze and made their summer camp. the woman picked huckleberries and the men hunted deer and goats. they made great fires to dry their berries and kindled smudges to protect their horses from flies. it was also their custom to systematically set out fires as they returned. burning made the country better for the indians. the fires kept down the brush and made it more accessible. deer could be more easily seen and tracked and the huckleberry patches spread more widely over the hills. no considerable part of the lower forests of the park has been burned. the principal danger is from lightning. however, few of the trees struck are ignited and these fires are usually extinguished by the rain. on account of the coolness of the air and its greater humidity the fire danger in the forests on the lower slopes of mount rainier seems much less than it is in corresponding situations in the main range of the cascades. age and dimensions of trees. trees grow more rapidly at low altitudes than at higher and cooler elevations. under similar conditions some species increase in size faster than others, but the rate of growth depends principally upon environment. the average increase at the stump in valley land is about inch in years. a douglas fir growing along the stage road between the park boundary and longmire's, at the age of to years may have a breast diameter of inches and yield feet of saw timber. but many of the trees of this size may be much older on account of having grown in the shade or under other adverse conditions. the trees between and years of age are often to inches in diameter and may yield an average of from , to , board feet. the largest douglas firs are sometimes over years old and to inches in diameter. such trees when sound will produce over , feet of lumber. the western red cedar has a shorter and more tapering trunk and its volume in board feet is proportionally smaller. a tree inches in diameter and feet high contains about , board feet. the size of the trees decreases rapidly at higher elevations. in the subalpine forest the annual growth is very small. at elevations of , feet the white-bark pine requires years to attain a diameter of or inches. the annual rings are so close together that they can not be distinguished without a magnifying glass. descriptions of species. douglas fir (pseudotsuga taxifolia). the douglas fir (figs. , , , and ) is the best known and the most important timber tree of western north america. it is found from british columbia southward to northern mexico. the finest forests occur in oregon and washington at low elevations. the douglas fir is common in the park up to , feet, sometimes in nearly pure stands, but more often mixed with other species. it grows in all situations. in the higher mountains it prefers warm southern exposures and is seldom found on wind-swept ridges. it seeds annually, but most profusely at intervals three or four years apart. the red squirrels gather and store large quantities of the cones in order to provide a supply of the seeds for their winter rations. the growth of the young tree is very rapid. as the tree becomes older the rate of growth varies with the situation and the character of the soil so that the size does not closely determine the age of the tree. [illustration: fig. .--douglas fir (_pseudotsuga taxifolia_).] the douglas fir is a long-lived tree, and specimens are occasionally found to feet high and over feet in diameter and between and years in age. it reaches its greatest height and most perfect proportions in mature even-age stands growing on fairly moist well-drained bench lands. under these conditions it is a very tall and beautiful tree. the trunk is straight, round, and free from branches for two-thirds of its height and tapers gently to the crown. the dark-brown deep-furrowed bark is to inches thick at the base of the tree. the douglas fir ranks first among the trees of the pacific slope in importance for the production of lumber. it is often sold under the name of oregon pine. lumber dealers class the coarse-grained reddish wood produced by the young growth in open forests as "red fir." the older growth produced when the forest is more dense is a finer grained and more valuable wood, sold under the name of "yellow fir." [illustration: fig. .--douglas fir (_pseudotsuga taxifolia_).] the douglas fir is used for nearly all purposes where durability, strength, and hardness are desirable. it is made into dimension timbers, lumber, flooring, and is particularly adapted for masts and spars. the lumber is shipped by rail to the middle western states. the foreign cargo shipments are made to all parts of the world. the greatest amount goes to australia, the west and east coasts of south america, china, the united kingdom, and europe, japan, and the south sea islands. coastwise shipments are made to california, alaska, and panama. large quantities of the seed of this tree are sent to europe, where the douglas fir is grown for timber and for ornament. western red cedar (thuja plicata.)[ ] [illustration: fig. .--douglas fir (_pseudotsuga taxifolia_).] the western red cedar (title page and fig. ) ranges from south-eastern alaska to northern california. it is a common tree in the park. it occurs in patches along the river bottoms where the flat scalelike foliage is conspicuous among the needle-shaped leaves of the hemlock and fir. the bark is fibrous in appearance and may be readily separated into long strips. the trunks of the older trees are swelled and irregularly fluted at the base. the leaves are fragrant and the wood has a pleasing aromatic odor. nearly all the large trees are hollow at the butt. the roots spread laterally to a great distance, but extend only for a short distance below the surface of the ground. the tree is easily overthrown by the wind and usually grows in sheltered localities. on account of the thinness of the bark it is easily killed by fire. [illustration: fig. .--two big douglas firs and a western red cedar (on the left) along the road up the nisqually valley, mount rainier national park. photograph by a.h. denman.] the red cedar flourishes on fertile and well-watered soils near sea level, where it grows to an enormous size. in the park it is a smaller tree, to feet high and rarely more than or feet through above the swollen butt. it grows occasionally up to an altitude of , feet, but is a small and insignificant tree in the high mountains. in the sapling stage the red cedar grows rapidly. the mature tree increases very slowly in size. it exceeds all other trees in the cascades in longevity. individuals more than years old are not uncommon and there is a well-authenticated instance where the annual rings indicated a growth of more than , years. while the red cedar forms no great proportion of the forest of the pacific northwest, it is peculiarly valuable to the pioneer on account of the durability of the wood and the ease with which it can be split into boards, shakes, and planking. the early settlers used cedar split by hand as a substitute for sawn lumber in flooring and finishing their cabins and for the tables and shelves with which they were furnished. the indians hollowed the great trunks with fire and made them into canoes, some of which were large and seaworthy enough to be used on the sound and in making voyages along the coast. they wove the fibrous roots into baskets that carried water and plaited the bark into matting. the wood of the red cedar is reddish brown in color. it is soft, light, and very brittle, but very durable. it is extensively used for shingles, the manufacture of which forms one of the important industries of the state. the clear logs are sawed into lumber used for siding, interior and exterior finish, moldings, tank stock, and similar purposes. common logs are utilized for shingles. in many localities the entire tree is cut into -inch bolts, which are hauled to the mills or floated to them down the streams. the western red cedar makes excellent posts and rails for farm fences. the young trees are used for telegraph and telephone poles. western hemlock (tsuga heterophylla). next to the douglas fir the western hemlock is the most abundant tree in the forests of oregon and washington. it occurs from alaska southward to northern california. about mount rainier it is found up to an altitude of , feet. in the river valleys in moist situations it is a large tree, sometimes reaching a height of feet and a diameter of feet. on the high ridges it is stunted. it grows best on moist deep soils in dense forests, but thrives under almost all conditions of soil and exposure if provided with plenty of moisture. western hemlock (figs. and ) is usually associated with douglas fir and red cedar, but sometimes forms a forest of nearly pure growth. the hemlock produces abundant seed each year, although it is more prolific at irregular intervals. the seeds germinate readily on decayed moss and rotten wood as well as upon the mineral soil. seedlings frequently grow on fallen logs and extend their vigorous roots around the side until they reach the ground and become firmly anchored in it. young hemlocks thrive in the shade. on logged-off areas which have not been burned over and which are partially shaded by uncut trees, the reproduction of hemlock springs up, to the exclusion of the more valuable douglas fir. [illustration: fig. .--the lower slope forest, near longmire springs, altitude , feet, here composed largely of western hemlock (_tsuga heterophylla_); the tree on the extreme left is a douglas fir (_pseudotsuga taxifolia_). photograph by a.h. barnes.] the hemlock is long lived and grows slowly. the largest trees are from to years old and are usually hollow-hearted. the bark is thin and the tree very easily killed by ground fire. the wood of the hemlock is tough, light, and straight grained. it is not as durable as the douglas fir and decays rapidly when exposed to the weather. the clear lumber is suitable for interior finish. the wood is also used for flooring, joists, lath, and paper pulp. the common and rough lumber does not find a ready market, except for the limited amount used in temporary construction. the western hemlock is, however, superior to the eastern hemlock, and its value will probably be recognized as its usefulness for many purposes becomes better known. western white pine (pinus monticola). [illustration: fig. .--a forest of douglas fir, with an understory of western hemlock, on the lower slopes of the hills, mount rainier national park. photograph by a.h. denman.] the western white pine (fig. ) is found from southern alaska to northern california. in the park it occurs occasionally up to , feet. it usually grows on level benches and gentle slopes associated with douglas fir, western hemlock, and noble and amabilis fir. it reaches its best development at elevations of from , to , feet, where it attains a height of feet and a diameter of inches. the shaft is straight, cylindrical, and clear of limbs. it bears a small, narrow crown of drooping branches. in open areas, where it is exposed to sunlight, its mode of growth is wholly different. the trunk is short, rapidly tapering, and bears wide-spreading branches nearly to the ground. at high elevations the western white pine is very short and stunted. [illustration: fig. .--western white pine (_pinus monticola_). diameter inches, height feet.] although the western white pine is not a common tree in the park, it is often noticed on account of its abundance of slender, pendant cones, to inches long. they mature every two years and shed their seed early in september. the seed are provided with long wings and are often carried by the wind for a great distance from the parent tree. the wood is light, soft, free from pitch, and the most valuable of any of the pines of the cascades. it is used for interior finish, pattern making, and other purposes. the supply of this tree is so limited that it is not of great commercial importance in the mount rainier region. amabilis fir (abies amabilis).[ ] amabilis fir (figs. and ) ranges from southern alaska to oregon. it is abundant in the park at elevations from , to , feet on level bench lands, and gentle slopes with a northern exposure. it is rarely found in unmixed stands, but is usually associated with western hemlock, douglas fir, and noble fir. the largest trees are to feet high and to feet in diameter. in dense forests the stem is free from branches for to feet. [illustration: fig. .--amabilis fir (_abies amabilis_).] at altitudes over , feet, small amabilis firs often occur in clusters and open groves. the trunk is covered with branches which grow to the ground, turning downward and outward in long graceful curves, admirably adapted to withstand the pressure of the frozen snow. the foliage is a deep and brilliant green, forming a strong contrast to the dark-purple cones. the seeds ripen each year early in october. like the seed of the other alpine species of trees that grow in the cold and humid climate of the high cascades, they soon lose their vitality when stored in dry places. the amabilis fir is grown in europe as an ornamental tree. under cultivation it loses much of the natural grace and beauty which it acquired in adapting itself to the deep snows and long winters of its native environment. [illustration: fig. .--the forests of western hemlock, amabilis fir, and other species, on the middle slopes of the mountains, along the crater lake trail, mount rainier national park. photograph by geo. o. ceasar.] the bark is thin and the tree is easily killed by fire. the wood is straw colored, compact, and straight grained. it is not strong and splits easily. it is sold to some extent under the name of larch or mixed with inferior grades of fir and hemlock. the lumber is of little value commercially. noble fir (abies nobilis). the noble fir (figs. and ) is a common mountain tree in the western parts of washington and oregon. like amabilis fir, it is usually called larch by lumbermen. about mount rainier it grows at elevations of from , to , feet in dense stands associated with amabilis fir, western hemlock, and douglas fir. the noble fir avoids steep side hills and exposed situations. in moist soils on flats and gentle slopes it often reaches a height of from to feet. the tall and upright trunk supports a rounded crown of bluish green foliage, which is very noticeable among the purer green leaves of its associates. the branches are short, thick, and crowded with stiff, flattened leaves, which turn upward and outward. the light-green bract-covered cones are sometimes inches long and nearly inches thick. they ripen early in september. seed is borne every year, although in some seasons it is much more abundant than in others. [illustration: fig. .--noble fir (_abies nobilis_).] [illustration: fig. .--noble fir (_abies nobilis_), feet in diameter.] the wood is strong, close grained, and elastic. it is used for lumber and particularly for inside finishing. the noble fir is a slow-growing and long-lived tree. old trees in mixed forests are easily distinguished from the associated species by the ashy-brown outer bark broken into large irregular plates. alpine fir (abies lasiocarpa).[ ] [illustration: fig. .--a cluster of alpine firs (_abies lasiocarpa_), whose spire-shaped crowns are characteristic, at , feet altitude, in cowlitz park, mount rainier national park. photograph by a.h. barnes.] the alpine fir (fig. ) ranges from alaska to new mexico. it is a common tree in the park at elevations above , feet. it is a tree of the high mountains and with the white bark pine and the mountain hemlock, is found up to the limit of arborescent life. it demands moisture and is generally restricted to regions of deep snowfall. the alpine fir occurs in unmixed stands, but is often associated with the mountain hemlock. at the lower levels of its range it is a fair-sized tree or feet high. the crown of deep-green foliage is broad at the base and tapers to the top, where it terminates in a slender, pointed tip. at its upper limit it becomes a stunted shrub, with wide extended branches resting on the ground. the alpine fir bears upright clusters of deep-purple cones. it seeds sparingly each year. the seasons of heavy seed production occur at intervals of three or four years. the wood is soft and splits easily. it is of no commercial value. the tree is easily killed by fire, which blisters the thin bark and frequently springs into the drooping lower branches. grand fir (abies grandis.)[ ] the grand fir (fig. ), like several other species, is generally given the name of white fir on account of its smooth, light-colored bark. it is a common tree in the river bottoms from british columbia south to northern california. in the mount rainier national park it occurs up to , feet. the grand fir is a moisture-loving tree and is usually found firmly rooted in deep alluvial bottom lands along the banks of streams. with the douglas fir, hemlock, and red cedar it forms the dense forest characteristic of the lower mountain valleys. in favorable conditions the grand fir grows to a height of from to feet and is a noble and stately tree. the trunk tapers rapidly and bears a rounded pyramidal crown. in dense forests the trunk is clear for half its height, but where the trees stand in the open it carries its branches nearly to the ground. the leaves are a bright and shining green. the large light-green cones mature early in the fall. the wood is soft and very heavy before it is seasoned. it rots in a very short time when laid on the ground. when dry it is white, coarse-grained, light, and odorous. it is used for interior finish and for crates and packing boxes, but is of little value commercially. engelmann spruce (picea engelmanni). the engelmann spruce (fig. ) is a mountain tree ranging from british columbia to arizona and new mexico. it is common along the summit and on the east side of the cascade range and occurs on the northeastern and eastern slopes of mount rainier at elevations of from , to , feet. this tree requires a moist soil and prefers cool northern exposures. up to , feet it commonly grows in sheltered basins at the head of canyons and in stream valleys. at its upper limits it is common on flats and depressions and about lakes on level summits. it avoids steep mountain sides and exposed situations. [illustration: fig. .--grand fir (_abies grandis_).] the engelmann spruce is easily distinguished from its associates by its stiff, bluish-green pointed leaves, which prick the hand when they are grasped. in the mountain parks it is a handsome tree to feet high. when it stands apart from other trees the lower branches are thick and long and extend to the ground. the crown is very broad at the base, but narrow and spirelike at the top. the engelmann spruce reaches its best development at low elevations, where it often grows in dense, pure stands. under these conditions it reaches a height of feet. the bole is straight and free from limbs and the top is short and compact. [illustration: fig. .--engelmann spruce (_picea engelmanni_).] the young cones are massed in upright green and purple clusters at the tips of the upper branches. they are notable for the purity and brilliance of their coloring. as they mature they become pendant and fade to a light brown. the seed is produced in abundance nearly every year, although small and seedling trees are not usually numerous. the wood is soft, white, compact, and even grained. it is free from pitch and odor. it is valuable for boxing, cooperage, and certain kinds of finish. it is also an excellent material for the tops of violins and other stringed instruments. the engelmann spruce is, however, of little importance as a timber tree on account of its scarcity and the scattered stands in which it grows. it is a long-lived tree unless attacked by fire, to which it is very vulnerable. [illustration: fig. .--a group of yellow cypresses (_chamaecyparis nootkatensis_) on the high slopes of mount rainier national park, altitude about , feet. photograph by a.h. barnes.] yellow cypress (chamaecyparis nootkatensis). yellow cypress (fig. ) ranges from the seacoast of southern alaska south to the mountains of washington and oregon. it occurs in the park up to the elevation of , feet. it is common on northern exposures, along streams, and in basins at the head of canyons. it also grows on crests and ridges, where the frequent showers and fogs supply the moisture which it demands. in sheltered localities it grows to a height of or feet, but it is commonly a small tree with, a bent and twisted stem, which, with its pendulous branches, presents a somewhat scrubby appearance. the foliage is green, sometimes with a bluish tinge. it resembles that of the common western red cedar, but the leaves are sharper, more pointed, and rougher to handle. the small, rounded, inconspicuous cones are produced somewhat sparingly. the bark of the young tree is red. on the mature tree it becomes gray and fibrous. the wood is yellow, close grained, and aromatic. unlike that of the western red cedar, the trunk is usually sound to the center. the wood is used for boat building and cabinetwork. it is very durable. the yellow cypress grows very slowly, particularly at high elevations. the number of annual rings on trees to inches in diameter indicate that they are over years old. lodgepole pine (pinus contorta). lodgepole pine (fig. ) is widely distributed from alaska to lower california and eastward through the rockies to dakota and colorado. it occurs sparingly in the park up to , feet above sea level. it adapts itself easily to the different conditions of soil, moisture, and exposure. [illustration: fig. .--lodgepole pine (_pinus contorta_), inches in diameter.] this tree varies greatly in the different regions where it is found. about mount rainier it does not often exceed to feet in height and is often a much smaller tree. it produces cones at the age of to years. the foliage is a yellowish green. at high elevations the leaves have a peculiar whorled appearance which gives it a different aspect from that of the other pines. the short, heavily limbed trunk bears no resemblance to the tall and slender shaft of the lodgepole pine of the rocky mountains. the root system is shallow and the tree is easily fire killed. the wood of the variety which grows in the park is of no commercial value. [illustration: fig. .--the feathery foliage of mountain hemlock (_tsuga mertensiana_), grand park, mount rainier national park. photograph by a.h. denman.] mountain hemlock (tsuga mertensiana). the mountain hemlock (figs. , , and ) is found on the pacific coast from the sierras of california to the northern part of alaska where it grows at sea level. on mount rainier it occurs at altitudes of from , to , feet. it forms dense forests under , feet, where it is often a fair-sized tree to feet high. with the ascent of the mountain it diminishes in height and the branches become gnarled and twisted. near timber line the trunk is dwarfed and bent at the base and the crown becomes a flattened mass of branches lying close to the ground (fig. ). [illustration: fig. .--two solitary mountain hemlocks (_tsuga mertensiana_), spray park, mount rainier national park. photograph by geo. o. ceasar.] the mountain hemlock is abundant on high, rocky ridges, but the best stands are on cool, moist soil at the heads of ravines, on flats, and on gentle slopes with a northern exposure. this tree seeds every year. in good seed years the upper branches are laden with a profusion of beautiful, deep-purple cones, often in such abundance as to bend down the branchlets with their weight. the reproduction is slow. in the high mountains the trees are buried in snow from october to late in june, and the growing season is very short. white-bark pine (pinus albicaulis). [illustration: fig. .--a gnarled, wind-swept mountain hemlock (_tsuga mertensiana_), near the upper limits of tree growth, spray park, mount rainier national park. photograph by a.h. denman.] the white-bark pine (fig. ) grows close to timber line in the mountains of the pacific coast from british columbia to southern california. in the canadian rockies it extends north to the fifty-third parallel. it is the most alpine of all the pines. its lower limit on mount rainier is about , feet above sea level. in sheltered places where the soil is deep the trees are sometimes to feet high and inches in diameter. the trunks are free from limbs for or feet. the outer bark, from which the tree derives its name, consists of thin, light-gray scales. as the white-bark pine advances up the mountain its habit changes rapidly. the stem shortens and becomes gnarled and twisted. the tough, flexible branches reach the ground and spread over it to a great distance from the tree. on rocky summits and the bleak crests of wind-swept ridges the twisted trunk and branches are quite prostrate and the crown is a dense flattened mass of foliage. the roots of the tree are deep, long, and tenacious. they spread wide and deep and cling so firmly to the rocks that the tree is rarely overthrown by the violent winds that sweep over the mountain. [illustration: fig. .--a white-bark pine (_pinus albicaulis_) in its characteristic mountain habitat, mount rainier national park. photograph by a.h. denman.] the thick, purple cones require two years to mature. they ripen early in september and produce chocolate-brown seeds a little larger than a grain of corn. they are much relished by the klickitat indians, who go to considerable pains to secure them. the wood is close grained and resinous. it makes excellent fuel for the camp fires of sheep herders and mountain travelers. western yew (taxus brevifolia).[ ] the western yew is found from southern alaska to northern california. it occurs in the park up to , feet, growing in rich, gravelly soil on moist flats and benches and in deep ravines. it is a small branching tree, rarely over feet high. the bark is purple or reddish brown. the branches extend almost to the ground. it bears a small, bright, amber-red berry. the dark-brown or red heartwood is very tough, hard and heavy. it takes a fine polish and is used for fancy cabinetwork. the indians use it for spear handles, bows, and fishhooks. [illustration: fig. .--broadleaf maple (_acer macrophyllum_).] deciduous trees. the silva of the western cascades is rich in evergreens remarkable for their size and beauty. the deciduous trees are few and insignificant. the forests of the park are almost wholly coniferous. vine maple and willow are found as undergrowth. on the margins of rivers there are occasional groves of alders and cottonwoods. the lighter hues of the branching trunks and the changing tints of the foliage in these patches of broad-leaved woodland present a pleasing diversity to the evergreen forest. broadleaf maple (_acer macrophyllum_) (fig. ), the largest of the pacific coast maples, ranges from alaska to southern california. near sea level it often attains a height of or feet. in the park it is a short-stemmed, branching tree, occasionally found on the borders of streams. it grows at elevations under , feet. [illustration: fig. .--vine maple (_acer circinatum_).] vine maple (_acer circinatum_) (fig. ) is abundant from british columbia to northern california. on rich river bottoms it is sometimes to feet high and inches in diameter. in the park it is usually a bush or low shrub with a bent and curiously crooked stem, growing along streams and as undergrowth in the forest. it is very common up to , feet. in autumn the leaves are a bright scarlet. the wood is tough and elastic and makes a hot and lasting fire. [illustration: fig. .--red alder (_alnus oregona_).] [illustration: fig. .--black cottonwood (_populus trichocarpa_).] red alder (_alnus oregona_) (fig. ) occurs from alaska to southern california. it is common about mount rainier, in river bottoms, on the banks of large streams, and in swampy places. it usually grows to a height of or feet. the bark varies from nearly white to light gray. it is the most abundant of all the deciduous trees in the park. black cottonwood (_populus trichocarpa_) (fig. ) is common from alaska to southern california. it is occasionally found in the park up to , feet. it grows along streams and on sandy river bottoms often associated with the alder. the leaves are almost always in motion, very gentle winds being sufficient to make them twinkle and turn. the wood is soft, but tough and compact. it is used for staves, woodenware, wood pulp, trunks, barrels, and for drawer bottoms. footnotes [ ] this species is known as arbor vitæ in glacier park. [ ] this species is known as silver fir in crater lake park. [ ] this species is known as balsam in glacier and yellowstone parks. [ ] this species is known as silver fir in yellowstone and glacier parks. [ ] this species is known as oregon yew in crater lake national park and as yew in yellowstone and glacier parks. index to species described. [roman numerals indicate pages containing descriptions; italic numerals indicate pages containing illustrations.] _abies amabilis_ - , _ _, _ _ _grandis_ , _ _ _lasiocarpa_ - , _ _ _nobilis_ - , _ _, _ _ _acer circinatum_ , _ _ _macrophyllum_ , _ _ alder, red (_alnus oregona_) , _ _ _alnus oregona_ , _ _ alpine fir (_abies lasiocarpa_) - , _ _ amabilis fir (_abies amabilis_) - , _ _, _ _ arbor vitæ. _see_ western red cedar. balsam. _see_ alpine fir. black cottonwood (_populus trichocarpa_) - , _ _ broadleaf maple (_acer macrophyllum_) , _ _ cedar, western red (_thuja plicata_) - , _ _ _chamaecyparis nootkatensis_ - , _ _ cottonwood, black (_populus trichocarpa_) - , _ _ cypress, yellow (_chamaecyparis nootkatensis_) - , _ _ douglas fir (_pseudotsuga taxifolia_) - , _ _, _ _, _ _, _ _, _ _, _ _ engelmann spruce (_picea engelmanni_) - , _ _ fir, alpine (_abies lasiocarpa_) - , _ _ amabilis (_abies amabilis_) - , _ _, _ _ douglas (_pseudotsuga taxifolia_) - , _ _, _ _, _ _, _ _, _ _, _ _ grand (_abies grandis_) , _ _ noble (_abies nobilis_) - , _ _, _ _ silver. _see_ fir, amabilis; fir, grand. grand fir (_abies grandis_) , _ _ hemlock, mountain (_tsuga mertensiana_) - , _ _, _ _, _ _ western (_tsuga heterophylla_) - , _ _, _ _, _ _ larch. _see_ noble fir; amabilis fir. lodgepole pine (_pinus contorta_) - , _ _ maple, broadleaf (_acer macrophyllum_) , _ _ vine (_acer circinatum_) , _ _ mountain hemlock (_tsuga mertensiana_) - , _ _, _ _, _ _ noble fir (_abies nobilis_) - , _ _, _ _ oregon yew. _see_ western yew. _picea engelmanni_ - , _ _ pine, lodgepole (_pinus contorta_) - , _ _ western white (_pinus monticola_) - , _ _ white-bark (_pinus albicaulis_) - , _ _ _pinus albicaulis_ - , _ _ _contorta_ - , _ _ _monticola_ - , _ _ _populus trichocarpa_ - , _ _ _pseudotsuga taxifolia_ - , _ _, _ _, _ _, _ _, _ _, _ _ red alder (_alnus oregona_) , _ _ cedar, western (_thuja plicata_) - , _ _ silver fir. _see_ amabilis fir; grand fir. spruce, engelmann (_picea engelmanni_) - , _ _ _taxus brevifolia_ - _thuja plicata_ - , _ _ _tsuga heterophylla_ - , _ _, _ _, _ _ _mertensiana_ - , _ _, _ _, _ _ vine maple (_acer circinatum_) , _ _ western hemlock (_tsuga heterophylla_) - , _ _, _ _, _ _ red cedar (_thuja plicata_) - , _ _ white pine (_pinus monticola_) - , _ _ yew (_taxus brevifolia_) - white-bark pine (_pinus albicaulis_) - , _ _ white pine, western (_pinus monticola_) - , _ _ yellow cypress (_chamaecyparis nootkatensis_) - , _ _ yew, oregon. _see_ yew, western. western (_taxus brevifolia_) - the centralia conspiracy by ralph chaplin [illustration: cover] a tongue of flame the martyr cannot be dishonored. every lash inflicted is a tongue of flame; every prison a more illustrious abode; every burned book or house enlightens the world; every suppressed or expunged word reverberates through the earth from side to side. the minds of men are at last aroused; reason looks out and justifies her own, and malice finds all her work is ruin. it is the whipper who is whipped and the tyrant who is undone.--emerson. murder or self-defense? this booklet is not an apology for murder. it is an honest effort to unravel the tangled mesh of circumstances that led up to the armistice day tragedy in centralia, washington. the writer is one of those who believe that the taking of human life is justifiable only in self-defense. even then the act is a horrible reversion to the brute--to the low plane of savagery. civilization, to be worthy of the name, must afford other methods of settling human differences than those of blood letting. the nation was shocked on november , , to read of the killing of four american legion men by members of the industrial workers of the world in centralia. the capitalist newspapers announced to the world that these unoffending paraders were killed in cold blood--that they were murdered from ambush without provocation of any kind. if the author were convinced that there was even a slight possibility of this being true, he would not raise his voice to defend the perpetrators of such a cowardly crime. but there are two sides to every question and perhaps the newspapers presented only one of these. dr. frank bickford, an ex-service man who participated in the affair, testified at the coroner's inquest that the legion men were attempting to raid the union hall when they were killed. sworn testimony of various eyewitnesses has revealed the fact that some of the "unoffending paraders" carried coils of rope and that others were armed with such weapons as would work the demolition of the hall and bodily injury to its occupants. these things throw an entirely different light on the subject. if this is true it means that the union loggers fired only in self-defense and not with the intention of committing wanton and malicious murder as has been stated. now, as at least two of the union men who did the shooting were ex-soldiers, it appears that the tragedy must have resulted from something more than a mere quarrel between loggers and soldiers. there must be something back of it all that the public generally doesn't know about. there is only one body of men in the northwest who would hate a union hall enough to have it raided--the lumber "interests." and now we get at the kernel of the matter, which is the fact that the affair was the outgrowth of a struggle between the lumber trust and its employees--between organized capital and organized labor. a labor case and so, after all, the famous trial at montesano was not a murder trial but a labor trial in the strict sense of the word. under the law, it must be remembered, a man is not committing murder in defending his life and property from the felonious assault of a mob bent on killing and destruction. there is no doubt whatever but what the lumber trust had plotted to "make an example" of the loggers and destroy their hall on this occasion. and this was not the first time that such atrocities had been attempted and actually committed. isn't it peculiar that, out of many similar raids, you only heard of the one where the men defended themselves? self-preservation is the first law of nature, but the preservation of its holy profits is the first law of the lumber trust. the organized lumber workers were considered a menace to the super-prosperity of a few profiteers--hence the attempted raid and the subsequent killing. what is more significant is the fact the raid had been carefully planned weeks in advance. there is a great deal of evidence to prove this point. there is no question that the whole affair was the outcome of a struggle--a class struggle, if you please--between the union loggers and the lumber interests; the former seeking to organize the workers in the woods and the latter fighting this movement with all the means at its disposal. in this light the centralia affair does not appear as an isolated incident but rather an incident in an eventful industrial conflict, little known and less understood, between the lumber barons and loggers of the pacific northwest. this viewpoint will place centralia in its proper perspective and enable one to trace the tragedy back to the circumstances and conditions that gave it birth. but was there a conspiracy on the part of the lumber interests to commit murder and violence in an effort to drive organized labor from its domain? weeks of patient investigating in and around the scene or the occurrence has convinced the present writer that such a conspiracy has existed. a considerable amount of startling evidence has been unearthed that has hitherto been suppressed. if you care to consider labor's version of this unfortunate incident you are urged to read the following truthful account of this almost unbelievable piece of mediaeval intrigue and brutality. the facts will speak for themselves. credit them or not, but read! the forests of the northwest the pacific northwest is world famed for its timber. the first white explorers to set foot upon its fertile soil were awed by the magnitude and grandeur of its boundless stretches of virgin forests. nature has never endowed any section of our fair world with such an immensity of kingly trees. towering into the sky to unthinkable heights, they stand as living monuments to the fecundity of natural life. imagine, if you can, the vast wide region of the west coast, hills, slopes and valleys, covered with millions of fir, spruce and cedar trees, raising their verdant crests a hundred, two hundred or two hundred and fifty feet into the air. when columbus first landed on the uncharted continent these trees were already ancient. there they stood, straight and majestic with green and foam-flecked streams purling here and there at their feet, crowning the rugged landscape with superlative beauty, overtopped only by the snow-capped mountains--waiting for the hand of man to put them to the multitudinous uses of modern civilization. imagine, if you can, the first explorer, gazing awe-stricken down those "calm cathedral isles," wondering at the lavish bounty of our mother earth in supplying her children with such inexhaustible resources. but little could the first explorer know that the criminal clutch of greed was soon to seize these mighty forests, guard them from the human race with bayonets, hangman's ropes and legal statutes; and use them, robber-baron like, to exact unimaginable tribute from the men and women of the world who need them. little did the first explorer dream that the day would come when individuals would claim private ownership of that which prolific nature had travailed through centuries to bestow upon mankind. but that day has come and with it the struggle between master and man that was to result in centralia--or possibly many centralias. lumber--a basic industry it seems the most logical thing in the world to believe that the natural resources of the earth, upon which the race depends for food, clothing and shelter, should be owned collectively by the race instead of being the private property of a few social parasites. it seems that reason would preclude the possibility of any other arrangement, and that it would be considered as absurd for individuals to lay claim to forests, mines, railroads and factories as it would be for individuals to lay claim to the ownership of the sunlight that warms us or to the air we breathe. but the poor human race, in its bungling efforts to learn how to live in our beautiful world, appears destined to find out by bitter experience that the private ownership of the means of life is both criminal and disastrous. lumber is one of the basic industries--one of the industries mankind never could have done without. the whole structure of what we call civilization is built upon wooden timbers, ax-hewn or machine finished as the case may be. without the product of the forests humanity would never have learned the use of fire, the primitive bow and arrow or the bulging galleys of ancient commerce. without the firm and fibrous flesh of the mighty monarchs of the forest men might never have had barges for fishing or weapons for the chase; they would not have had carts for their oxen or kilns for the fashioning of pottery; they would not have had dwellings, temples or cities; they would not have had furniture nor fittings nor roofs above their heads. wood is one of the most primitive and indispensable of human necessities. without its use we would still be groping in the gloom and misery of early savagery, suffering from the cold of outer space and defenseless in the midst of a harsh and hostile environment. from pioneer to parasite so it happened that the first pioneers in the northern were forced to bare their arms and match their strength with the wooded wilderness. at first the subjugation of the forests was a social effort. the lives and future prosperity of the settlers must be made secure from the raids of the indians and the inclemency of the elements. manfully did these men labor until their work was done. but this period did not last long, for the tide of emigration was sweeping westward over the sun-baked prairies to the promised land in the golden west. [illustration: fir and spruce trees the wood of the west coast abound with tall fir trees. practically all high grade spruce comes from this district also. spruce was a war necessity and the lumber trust profiteered unmercifully on the government. u.s. prisons are full of loggers who struck for the hour day in .] towns sprang up like magic, new trees were felled, sawmills erected and huge logs in ever increasing numbers were driven down the foaming torrents each year at spring time. the country was new, the market for lumber constantly growing and expanding. but the monopolist was unknown and the lynch-mobs of the lumber trust still sleeping in the womb of the future. so passed the not unhappy period when opportunity was open to everyone, when freedom was dear to the hearts of all. it was at this time that the spirit of real americanism was born, when the clean, sturdy name "america" spelled freedom, justice and independence. patriotism in these days was not a mask for profiteers and murderers were not permitted to hide their bloody hands in the folds of their nation's flag. but modern capitalism was creeping like a black curse upon the land. stealing, coercing, cajoling, defrauding, it spread from its plague-center in wall st., leaving misery, class antagonism and resentment in its trial. the old free america of our fathers was undergoing a profound change. equality of opportunity was doomed. a new social alignment was being created. monopoly was loosed upon the land. fabulous fortunes were being made as wealth was becoming centered into fewer and fewer hands. modern capitalism was entrenching itself for the final and inevitable struggle for world domination. in due time the social parasites of the east, foreseeing that the forests of maine, michigan and wisconsin could not last forever, began to look to the woods of the northwest with covetous eyes. [illustration: cedar trees of the northwest with these giants the logger daily matches his strength and skill. the profit-greedy lumber trust has wasted enough trees of smaller size to supply the world with wood for years to come.] stealing the people's forest land the history of the acquisition of the forests of washington, montana, idaho, oregon and california is a long, sordid story of thinly veiled robbery and intrigue. the methods of the lumber barons in invading and seizing its "holdings" did not differ greatly, however, from those of the steel and oil kings, the railroad magnates or any of the other industrial potentates who acquired great wealth by pilfering america and peonizing its people. the whole sorry proceeding was disgraceful, high-handed and treacherous, and only made possible by reason of the blindness of the generous american people, drugged with the vanishing hope of "success" and too confident of the continued possession of its blood-bought liberties. and do the lumber barons were unhindered in their infamous work of debauchery, bribery, murder and brazen fraud. as a result the monopoly of the northwestern woods became an established fact. the lumber trust came into "its own." the new social alignment was complete, with the idle, absentee landlord at one end and the migratory and possessionless lumber jack at the other. the parasites had appropriated to themselves the standing timber of the northwest; but the brawny logger whose labor had made possible the development of the industry was given, as his share of the spoils, a crumby "bindle" and a rebellious heart. the masters had gained undisputed control of the timber of the country, three quarters of which is located in the northwest; but the workers who felled the trees, drove the logs, dressed, finished and loaded the lumber were left in the state of helpless dependency from which they could only extricate themselves by means of organization. and it is this effort to form a union and establish union headquarters that led to the tragedy at centralia. the lumber barons had not only achieved a monopoly of the woods but a perfect feudal domination of the woods as well. within their domain banks, ships, railways and mills bore their private insignia-and politicians, employers' associations, preachers, newspapers, fraternal orders and judges and gun-men were always at their beck and call. the power they wield is tremendous and their profits would ransom a kingdom. naturally they did not intend to permit either power or profits to be menaced by a mass of weather-beaten slaves in stag shirts and overalls. and so the struggle waxed fiercer just as the lumberjack learned to contend successfully for living conditions and adequate remuneration. it was the old, old conflict of human rights against property rights. let us see how they compared in strength. the triumph of monopoly the following extract from a document entitled "the lumber industry," by the honorable herbert knox smith and published by the u.s. department of commerce (bureau of corporations) will give some idea of the holdings and influence of the lumber trust: "ten monopoly groups, aggregating only one thousand, eight hundred and two holders, monopolized one thousand, two hundred and eight billion eight hundred million ( , , , , ) board feet of standing timber--each a foot square and an inch thick. these figures are so stupendous that they are meaningless without a hackneyed device to bring their meaning home. these one thousand, eight hundred and two timber business monopolists held enough standing timber; an indispensable natural resource, to yield the planks necessary (over and above manufacturing wastage) to make a floating bridge more than two feet thick and more than five miles wide from new york to liverpool. it would supply one inch planks for a roof over france, germany and italy. it would build a fence eleven miles high along our entire coast line. all monopolized by one thousand, eight hundred and two holders, or interests more or less interlocked. one of those interests--a grant of only three holders--monopolized at one time two hundred and thirty-seven billion, five hundred million ( , , , ) feet which would make a column one foot square and three million miles high. although controlled by only three holders, that interest comprised over eight percent of all the standing timber in the united states at that time." the above illuminating figures, quoted from "the i.w.a. in the lumber industry," by james rowan, will give some idea of the magnitude and power of the lumber trust. [illustration: "topping a tree" after one of these huge trees is "topped" it is called a "spar tree"--very necessary in a certain kind of logging operations. as soon as the chopped-off portion falls, the trunk vibrates rapidly from side to side sometimes shaking the logger to certain death below.] opposing this colossal aggregation of wealth and cussedness were the thousands of hard-driven and exploited lumberworkers in the woods and sawmills. these had neither wealth nor influence--nothing but their hard, bare hands and a growing sense of solidarity. and the masters of the forests were more afraid of this solidarity than anything else in the world--and they fought it more bitterly, as events will show. centralia is only one of the incidents of this struggle between owner and worker. but let us see what this hated and indispensable logger-the productive and human basis of the lumber industry, the man who made all these things possible, is like. the human element--"the timber beast" lumber workers are, by nature of their employment, divided into two categories--the saw-mill hand and the logger. the former, like his brothers in the eastern factories, is an indoor type while the latter is essentially a man of the open air. both types are necessary to the production of finished lumber, and to both union organization is an imperative necessity. sawmill work is machine work--rapid, tedious and often dangerous. there is the uninteresting repetition of the same act of motions day in and day out. the sights, sounds and smells of the mill are never varied. the fact that the mill is permanently located tends to keep mill workers grouped about the place of their employment. many of them, especially in the shingle mills, have lost fingers or hands in feeding the lumber to the screaming saws. it has been estimated that fully a half of these men are married and remain settled in the mill communities. the other half, however, are not nearly so migratory as the lumberjack. sawmill workers are not the "rough-necks" of the industry. they are of the more conservative "home-guard" element and characterized by the psychology of all factory workers. the logger, on the other hand, (and it is with him our narrative is chiefly concerned), is accustomed to hard and hazardous work in the open woods. his occupation makes him of necessity migratory. the camp, following the uncut timber from place to place, makes it impossible for him to acquire a family and settle down. scarcely one out of ten has ever dared assume the responsibility of matrimony. the necessity of shipping from a central point in going from one job to another usually forces a migratory existence upon the lumberjack in spite of his best intentions to live otherwise. what is a casual laborer? the problem of the logger is that of the casual laborer in general. broadly speaking, there are three distinct classes of casual laborers: first, the "harvest stiff" of the middle west who follows the ripening crops from kansas to the dakotas, finding winter employment in the north, middle western woods, in construction camps or on the ice fields. then there is the harvest worker of "the coast" who garners the fruit, hops and grain, and does the canning of california, washington and oregon, finding out-of-season employment wherever possible. finally there is the northwestern logger, whose work, unlike that of the middle western "jack" is not seasonal, but who is compelled nevertheless to remain migratory. as a rule, however, his habitat is confined, according to preference or force of circumstances, to either the "long log" country of western washington and oregon as well as california, or to the "short log" country of eastern washington and oregon, northern idaho and western montana. minnesota, michigan, and wisconsin are in what is called the "short log" region. [illustration: a logger of the pacific northwest this is a type of the men who work in the "long log" region of the west coast. his is a man's sized job, and his efforts to organize and better the working conditions in the lumber industry have been manly efforts--and bitterly opposed.] as a rule the logger of the northwest follows the woods to the exclusion of all other employment. he is militantly a lumberjack and is inclined to be a trifle "patriotic" and disputatious as to the relative importance of his own particular branch of the industry. "long loggers," for instance, view with a suspicion of disdain the work of "short loggers" and vice versa. "lumber-jack" the giant killer but the lumber-jack is a casual worker and he is the finished product of modern capitalism. he is the perfect proletarian type--possessionless, homeless, and rebellious. he is the reverse side of the gilded medal of present day society. on the one side is the third generation idle rich--arrogant and parasitical, and on the other, the actual producer, economically helpless and denied access to the means of production unless he "beg his lordly fellow worm to give him leave to toil," as robert burns has it. the logger of the northwest has his faults. he is not any more perfect than the rest of us. the years of degradation and struggle he has endured in the woods have not failed to leave their mark upon him. but, as the wage workers go, he is not the common but the uncommon type both as regards physical strength and cleanliness and mental alertness. he is generous to a fault and has all the qualities lincoln and whitman loved in men. in the first place, whether as faller, rigging man or on the "drive," his work is muscular and out of doors. he must at all times conquer the forest and battle with the elements. there is a tang and adventure to his labor in the impressive solitude of the woods that gives him a steady eye, a strong arm and a clear brain. being constantly close to the great green heart of nature, he acquires the dignity and independence of the savage rather than the passive and unresisting submission of the factory worker. the fact that he is free from family ties also tends to make him ready for an industrial frolic or fight at any time. in daily matching his prowess and skill with the products of the earth he feels in a way, that the woods "belong" to him and develops a contempt for the unseen and unknown employers who kindly permit him to enrich them with his labor. he is constantly reminded of the glaring absurdity of the private ownership of natural resources. instinctively he becomes a rebel against the injustice and contradictions of capitalist society. dwarfed to ant-like insignificance by the verdant immensity around him, the logger toils daily with ax, saw and cable. one after another forest giants of dizzy height crash to the earth with a sound like thunder. in a short time they are loaded on flat cars and hurried across the stump-dotted clearing to the river, whence they are dispatched to the noisy, ever-waiting saws at the mill. and always the logger knows in his heart that this is not done that people may have lumber for their needs, but rather that some overfed parasite may first add to his holy dividends. production for profit always strikes the logger with the full force of objective observation. and is it any wonder, with the process of exploitation thus naked always before his eyes, that he should have been among the very first workers to challenge the flimsy title of the lumber barons to the private ownership of the woods? the factory worker and the lumber-jack without wishing to disparage the ultimate worth of either; it might be well to contrast for a moment the factory worker of the east with the lumber-jack of the pacific northwest. to the factory hand the master's claim to the exclusive title of the means of production is not so evidently absurd. around him are huge, smoking buildings filled with roaring machinery--all man-made. as a rule he simply takes for granted that his employers--whoever they are--own these just as he himself owns, for instance, his pipe or his furniture. only when he learns, from thoughtful observation or study, that such things are the appropriated products of the labor of himself and his kind, does the truth dawn upon him that labor produces all and is entitled to its own. [illustration: logging operations look around you at the present moment and you will see wood used for many different purposes. have you ever stopped to think where the raw material comes from or what the workers are like who produce it? here is a scene from a lumber camp showing the loggers at their daily tasks. the lumber trust is willing that these men should work-but not organize.] it must be admitted that factory life tends to dispirit and cow the workers who spend their lives in the gloomy confines of the modern mill or shop. obedient to the shrill whistle they pour out of their clustered grey dwellings in the early morning. out of the labor ghettos they swarm and into their dismal slave-pens. then the long monotonous, daily "grind," and home again to repeat the identical proceeding on the following day. almost always, tired, trained to harsh discipline or content with low comfort; they are all too liable to feel that capitalism is invincibly colossal and that the possibility of a better day is hopelessly remote. most of them are unacquainted with their neighbors. they live in small family or boarding house units and, having no common meeting place, realize only with difficulty the mighty potency of their vast numbers. to them organization appears desirable at times but unattainable. the dickering conservatism of craft unionism appeals to their cautious natures. they act only en masse, under awful compulsion and then their release of repressed slave emotion is sudden and terrible. not so with the weather-tanned husky of the northwestern woods. his job life is a group life. he walks to his daily task with his fellow workers. he is seldom employed for long away from them. at a common table he eats with them, and they all sleep in common bunk houses. the trees themselves teach him to scorn his master's adventitious claim to exclusive ownership. the circumstances of his daily occupation show him the need of class solidarity. his strong body clamours constantly for the sweetness and comforts of life that are denied him, his alert brain urges him to organize and his independent spirit gives him the courage and tenacity to achieve his aims. the union hall is often his only home and the one big union his best-beloved. he is fond of reading and discussion. he resents industrial slavery as an insult. he resented filth, overwork and poverty, he resented being made to carry his own bundle of blankets from job to job; he gritted his teeth together and fought until he had ground these obnoxious things under his iron-caulked heel. the lumber trust hated him just in proportion as he gained and used his industrial power; but neither curses, promises nor blows could make him budge. he knew what he wanted and he knew how to get what he wanted. and his boss didn't like it very well. the lumber-jack is secretive and not given to expressed emotion--excepting in his union songs. the bosses don't like his songs either. but the logger isn't worried a bit. working away in the woods every day, or in his bunk at night, he dreams his dream of the world as he thinks it should be--that "wild wobbly dream" that every passing day brings closer to realization--and he wants all who work around him to share his vision and his determination to win so that all will be ready and worthy to live in the new day that is dawning. in a word the northwestern lumber-jack was too human and too stubborn ever to repudiate his red-blooded manhood at the behest of his masters and become a serf. his union meant to him all that he possessed or hoped to gain. is it any wonder that he endured the tortures of hell during the period of the war rather than yield his red card--or that he is still determined and still undefeated? is it any wonder the lumber barons hated him, and sought to break his spirit with brute force and legal cunning--or that they conspired to murder it at centralia with mob violence--and failed? why the loggers organized the condition of the logger previous to the period of organization beggars description. modern industrial autocracy seemed with him to develop its most inhuman characteristics. the evil plant of wage slavery appeared to bear its most noxious blossoms in the woods. the hours of labor were unendurably long, ten hours being the general rule--with the exception of the grays harbor district, where the eleven or even twelve hour day prevailed. in addition to this men were compelled to walk considerable distances to and from their work and meals through the wet brush. not infrequently the noon lunch was made almost impossible because of the order to be back on the job when work commenced. a ten hour stretch of arduous labor, in a climate where incessant rain is the rule for at least six months of the year, was enough to try the strength and patience of even the strongest. the wages too were pitiably inadequate. the camps themselves, always more or less temporary affairs, were inferior to the cow-shed accommodations of a cattle ranch. the bunk house were over-crowded, ill-smelling and unsanitary. in these ramshackle affairs the loggers were packed like sardines. the bunks were arranged tier over tier and nearly always without mattresses. they were uniformly vermin-infested and sometimes of the "muzzle-loading" variety. no blankets were furnished, each logger being compelled to supply his own. there were no facilities for bathing or the washing and drying of sweaty clothing. lighting and ventilation were of course, always poor. in addition to these discomforts the unorganized logger was charged a monthly hospital fee for imaginary medical service. also it was nearly always necessary to pay for the opportunity of enjoying these privileges by purchasing employment from a "job shark" or securing the good graces of a "man catcher." the former often had "business agreements" with the camp foreman and, in many cases, a man could not get a job unless he had a ticket from a labor agent in some shipping point. it may be said that the conditions just described were more prevalent in some parts of the lumber country than in others. nevertheless, these prevailed pretty generally in all sections of the industry before the workers attempted to better them by organizing. at all events such were the conditions the lumber barons sought with all their power to preserve and the loggers to change. organization and the opening struggle a few years before the birth of the industrial workers of the world the lumber workers had started to organize. by , when the above mentioned union was launched, lumber-workers were already united in considerable numbers in the old western afterwards the american labor union. this organization took steps to affiliate with the industrial workers of the world and was thus among the very first to seek a larger share of life in the ranks of that militant and maligned organization. strike followed strike with varying success and the conditions of the loggers began perceptibly to improve. scattered here and there in the cities of the northwest were many locals of the industrial workers of the world. not until , however, were these consolidated into a real industrial unit. for the first time a sufficient number of loggers and saw mill men were organized to be grouped into an integral part of the one big union. this was done with reasonable success. in the following year the american federation of labor attempted a similar task but without lasting results, the loggers preferring the industrial to the craft form of organization. besides this, they were predisposed to sympathize with the ideal of solidarity and industrial democracy for which their own union had stood from the beginning. the "timber beast" was starting to reap the benefits of his organized power. also he was about to feel the force and hatred of the "interests" arrayed against him. he was soon to learn that the path of labor unionism is strewn with more rocks than roses. he was making an earnest effort to emerge from the squalor and misery of peonage and was soon to see that his overlords were satisfied to keep him right where he had always been. strange to say, almost the first really important clash occurred in the very heart of the lumber trust's domain, in the little city of aberdeen, grays harbor county--only a short distance from centralia, of mob fame! [illustration: eugene barnett (after the man-hunt) coal miner. born in north carolina. member of u.m.w.a. and i.w.w. went to work underground at the age of eight. self educated, a student and philosopher. upon reaching home barnett, fearful of the mob, took to the woods with his rifle. he surrendered to the posse only after he had convinced himself that their purpose was not to lynch him.] this was in . a strike had started in the saw mills over demands of a $ . daily wage. some of the saw mill workers were members of the industrial workers of the world. they were supported by the union loggers of western washington. the struggle was bitterly contested and lasted for several weeks. the lumber trust bared its fangs and struck viciously at the workers in a manner that has since characterized its tactics in all labor disputes. the jails of aberdeen and adjoining towns were filled with strikers. picket lines were broken up and the pickets arrested. when the wives of the strikers with babies in their arms, took the places of their imprisoned husbands, the fire hose was turned on them with great force, in many instances knocking them to the ground. loggers and sawmill men alike were unmercifully beaten. many were slugged by mobs with pick handles, taken to the outskirts of the city and told that their return would be the occasion of a lynching. at one time an armed mob of business men dragged nearly four hundred strikers from their homes or boarding houses, herded them into waiting boxcars, sealed up the doors and were about to deport them en masse. the sheriff, getting wind of this unheard-of proceeding, stopped it at the last moment. many men were badly scarred by beatings they received. one logger was crippled for life by the brutal treatment accorded him. but the strikers won their demands and conditions were materially improved. the industrial workers of the world continued to grow in numbers and prestige. this event may be considered the beginning of the labor movement on grays harbor that the lumber trust sought finally to crush with mob violence on a certain memorable day in centralia seven years later. following the aberdeen strike one or two minor clashes occurred. the lumber workers were usually successful. during this period they were quietly but effectually spreading one big union propaganda throughout the camps and mills in the district. also they were organizing their fellow workers in increasing numbers into their union. the lumber trust, smarting under its last defeat, was alarmed and alert. [illustration: bert faulkner american. logger. years of age. member of the industrial workers of the world since . was in the hall when raid occurred. faulkner personally knew grimm, mcelfresh and a number of others who marched in the parade. he is an ex-soldier himself. the prosecution used a great deal of pressure to make this boy turn state's evidence. he refused stating that he would tell nothing but the truth. at the last moment he was discharged from the case after being held in jail four months.] a massacre and a new law but no really important event occurred until . at this time the union loggers, organized in the industrial workers of the world, had started a drive for membership around puget sound. loggers and mill hands were eager for the message of industrial unionism. meetings were well attended and the sentiment in favor of the organization was steadily growing. the a.f. of l. shingle weavers and longshoremen were on strike and had asked the i.w.w. to help them secure free speech in everett. the ever-watchful lumber interests decided the time to strike had again arrived. the events of "bloody sunday" are too well known to need repeating here. suffice to say that after a summer replete with illegal beatings and jailings five men were killed in cold blood and forty wounded in a final desperate effort to drive the union out of the city of everett, washington. these unarmed loggers were slaughtered and wounded by the gunfire of a gang of business men and plug-uglies of the lumber interests. true to form, the lumber trust had every union man in sight arrested and seventy-four charged with the murder of a gunman who had been killed by the cross-fire of his own comrades. none of the desperadoes who had done the actual murdering was ever prosecuted or even reprimanded. the charge against the members of the industrial workers of the world was pressed. the case was tried in court and the industrialists declared "not guilty." george vanderveer was attorney for the defense. the lumber interests were infuriated at their defeat, and from this time on the struggle raged in deadly earnest. almost everything from mob law to open assassination had been tried without avail. the execrated one big union idea was gaining members and power every day. the situation was truly alarming. their heretofore trustworthy "wage plugs" were showing unmistakable symptoms of intelligence. workingmen were waking up. they were, in appalling numbers, demanding the right to live like men. something must be done something new and drastic--to split asunder this on-coming phalanx of industrial power. but the gun-man-and-mob method was discarded, temporarily at least, in favor of the machinations of lumber trust tools in the law making bodies. big business can make laws as easily as it can break them--and with as little impunity. so the notorious washington "criminal syndicalism" law was devised. this law, however, struck a snag. the honest-minded governor of the state, recognizing its transparent character and far-reaching effects, promptly vetoed the measure. after the death of governor lister the criminal syndicalism law was passed, however, by the next state legislature. since that time it has been used against the american federation of labor, the industrial workers of the world, the socialist party and even common citizens not affiliated with any of these organizations. the criminal syndicalism law registers the high water mark of reaction. it infringes more on the liberties of the people than any of the labor-crushing laws that blackened russia during the dynasty of the romanoffs. it would disgrace the anti-celestial legislation of hell. the eight hour day and "treason" nineteen hundred and seventeen was an eventful year. it was then the greatest strike in the history of the lumber industry occurred-the strike for the eight hour day. for years the logger and mill hand had fought against the unrestrained greed of the lumber interests. step by step, in the face of fiercest opposition, they had fought for the right to live like men; and step by step they had been gaining. each failure or success had shown them the weakness or the strength of their union. they had been consolidating their forces as well as learning how to use them. the lumber trust had been making huge profits the while, but the lumber workers were still working ten hours or more and the logger was still packing his dirty blankets from job to job. dissatisfaction with conditions was wider and more prevalent then ever before. then came the war. as soon as this country had taken its stand with the allied imperialists the price of lumber, needed for war purposes, was boosted to sky high figures. from $ . to $ . per thousand feet is quite a jump; but recent disclosures show that the government paid as high as $ . per thousand for spruce that private concerns were purchasing for less than one tenth of that sum. gay parties with plenty of wild women and hard drink are alleged to have been instrumental in enabling the "patriotic" lumber trust to put these little deals across. due to the duplicity of this same bunch of predatory gentlemen the airplane and ship building program of the united states turned out to be a scandal instead of a success. out of , feet of spruce delivered to a massachusetts factory, inspectors could only pass feet as fit for use. keep these facts and figures in mind when you read about what happened to the "disloyal" lumber workers during the war-and afterwards. [illustration: mrs. elmer smith and baby girl mrs. elmer smith is the cultured daughter of a washington judge. since elmer smith got into trouble many efforts have been made to induce his wife to leave him. mrs. smith prefers, however, to stick with her rebel lawyer whom she loves and admires.] discontent had been smouldering in the woods for a long time. it was soon fanned to a flame by the brazen profiteering of the lumber trust. the loggers had been biding their time--rather sullenly it is true--for the day when the wrongs they had endured so patiently and so long might be rectified. their quarrel with the lumber interests was an old one. the time was becoming propitious. in the early summer of the strike started. sweeping through the short log country it spread like wild-fire over nearly all the northwestern lumber districts. the tie-up was practically complete. the industry was paralyzed. the lumber trust, its mouth drooling in anticipation of the many millions it was about to make in profits, shattered high heaven with its cries of rage. immediately its loyal henchmen in the wilson administration rushed to the rescue. profiteering might be condoned, moralized over or winked at, but militant labor unionism was a menace to the government and the prosecution of the war. it must be crushed. for was it not treacherous and treasonable for loggers to strike for living conditions when uncle sam needed the wood and the lumber interests the money? so woodrow wilson and his coterie of political troglodytes from the slave-owning districts of the old south, started out to teach militant labor a lesson. corporation lawyers were assembled. indictments were made to order. the bloodhounds of the department of "justice" were unleashed. grand juries of "patriotic" business men were impaneled and did their expected work not wisely but too well. all the gun-men and stool-pigeons of big business got busy. and the opera bouffe of "saving our form of government" was staged. industrial heretics and the white terror for a time it seemed as though the strikers would surely be defeated. the onslaught was terrific, but the loggers held out bravely. workers were beaten and jailed by the hundreds. men were herded like cattle in blistering "bull-pens," to be freed after months of misery, looking more like skeletons than human beings. ellensburg and yakima will never be forgotten in washington. one logger was even burned to death while locked in a small iron-barred shack that had been dignified with the title of "jail." in the northwest even the military were used and the bayonet of the soldier could be seen glistening beside the cold steel of the hired thug. union halls were raided in all parts of the land. thousands of workers were deported. dozens were tarred and feathered and mobbed. some were even taken out in the dead of night and hanged to railway bridges. hundreds were convicted of imaginary offenses and sent to prison for terms from one to twenty years. scores were held in filthy jails for as long as twenty-six months awaiting trial. the espionage law, which never convicted a spy, and the criminal syndicalism laws, which never convicted a criminal, were used savagely and with full force against the workers in their struggle for better conditions. by means of newspaper-made war hysteria the profiteers of big business entrenched themselves in public opinion. by posing as " % americans" (how stale and trite the phrase has become from their long misuse of it!) these social parasites sought to convince the nation that they, and not the truly american unionists whose backs they were trying to break, were working for the best interests of the american people. our form of government, forsooth, must be saved. our institutions must be rescued from the clutch of the "reds." thus was the war-frenzy of their dupes lashed to madness and the guarantees of the constitution suspended as far as the working class was concerned. so all the good, wise and noisy men of the nation were induced by diverse means to cry out against the strikers and their union. the worst passions of the respectable people were appealed to. the hoarse blood-cry of the mob was raised. it was echoed and re-echoed from press and pulpit. the very air quivered from its reverberations. lynching parties became "respectable." indictments were flourished. hand-cuffs flashed. the clinking feet of workers going to prison rivaled the sound of the soldiers marching to war. and while all this was happening, a certain paunchy little english jew with moth-eaten hair and blotchy jowls the accredited head of a great labor union glared through his thick spectacles and nodded his perverse approval. but the lumber trust licked its fat lips and leered at its swollen dividends. all was well and the world was being made "safe for democracy!" [illustration: britt smith american. logger. years old. had followed the woods for twenty years. smith made his home in the hall that was raided and was secretary of the union. when the mob broke into the jail and seized wesley everest to torture and lynch him they cried, "we've got britt smith!" smith was the man they wanted and it was to break his neck that ropes were carried in the "parade." not until everest's body was brought back to the city jail was it discovered that the mob had lynched the wrong man.] autocracy vs. unionism this unprecedented struggle was really a test of strength between industrial autocracy and militant unionism. the former was determined to restore the palmy days of peonage for all time to come, the latter to fight to the last ditch in spite of hell and high water. the lumber trust sought to break the strike of the loggers and destroy their organization. in the ensuing fracas the lumber barons came out only second best--and they were bad losers. after the war-fever had died down--one year after the signing of the armistice--they were still trying in centralia to attain their ignoble ends by means of mob violence. but at this time the ranks of the strikers were unbroken. the heads of the loggers were "bloody but unbowed." even at last, when compelled to yield to privation and brute force and return to work, they turned defeat to victory by "carrying the strike onto the job." as a body they refused to work more than eight hours. secretary of war baker and president wilson had both vainly urged the lumber interests to grant the eight hour day. the determined industrialists gained this demand, after all else had failed, by simply blowing a whistle when the time was up. most of their other demands were won as well. in spite of even the disque despotism, mattresses, clean linen and shower baths were reluctantly granted as the fruits of victory. but even as these lines are written the jails and prisons of america are filled to overflowing with men and women whose only crime is loyalty to the working class. the war profiteers are still wallowing in luxury. none has ever been placed behind the bars. before he was lynched in butte, frank little had said, "i stand for the solidarity of labor." that was enough. the vials of wrath were poured on his head for no other reason. and for no other reason was the hatred of the employing class directed at the valiant hundreds who now rot in prison for longer terms than those meted out to felons. william haywood and eugene debs are behind steel bars today for the same cause. the boys at centralia were conspired against because they too stood "for the solidarity of labor." it is simply lying and camouflage to attempt to trace such persecutions to any other source. these are things america will be ashamed of when she comes to her senses. such gruesome events are paralleled in no country save the germany of kaiser wilhelm or the russia of the czar. this picture of labor persecution in free america--terrible but true--will serve as a background for the dramatic history of the events leading up to the climactic tragedy at centralia on armistice day, . while in washington... all over the state of washington the mobbing, jailing and tar and feathering of workers continued the order of the day until long after the cessation of hostilities in europe. the organization had always urged and disciplined its members to avoid violence as an unworthy weapon. usually the loggers have left their halls to the mercy of the mobs when they knew a raid was contemplated. centralia is the one exception. here the outrages heaped upon them could be no longer endured. in yakima and sedro woolley, among other places in , union men were stripped of their clothing, beaten with rope ends and hot tar applied to the bleeding flesh. they were then driven half naked into the woods. a man was hanged at night in south montesano about this time and another had been tarred and feathered. as a rule the men were taken unaware before being treated in this manner. in one instance a stationary delegate of the industrial workers of the world received word that he was to be "decorated" and rode out of town on a rail. he slit a pillow open and placed it in the window with a note attached stating that he knew of the plan; would be ready for them, and would gladly supply his own feathers. he did not leave town either on a rail or otherwise. in seattle, tacoma and many other towns, union halls and print shops were raided and their contents destroyed or burned. in the former city in , men, women and children were knocked insensible by policemen and detectives riding up and down the sidewalks in automobiles, striking to right and left with "billy" and night stick as they went. these were accompanied by auto trucks filled with hidden riflemen and an armored tank bristling with machine guns. a peaceable meeting of union men was being dispersed. [illustration: loren roberts american. logger. years old. loren's mother said of him at the trial: "loren was a good boy, he brought his money home regularly for three years. after his father took sick he was the only support for his father and me and the three younger ones." the father was a sawyer in a mill and died of tuberculosis after an accident had broken his strength. this boy, the weakest of the men on trial, was driven insane by the unspeakable "third degree" administered in the city jail. one of the lumber trust lawyers was in the jail at the time roberts signed his so-called "confession." "tell him to quit stalling," said a prosecutor to vanderveer, when roberts left the witness stand. "you cur!" replied the defense attorney in a low voice, "you know who is responsible for this boy's condition." roberts was one of the loggers on seminary hill.] in centralia, aberdeen and montesano, in grays harbor county, the struggle was more local but not less intense. no fewer than twenty-five loggers on different occasions were taken from their beds at night and treated to tar and feathers. a great number were jailed for indefinite periods on indefinite charges. as an additional punishment these were frequently locked in their cells and the fire hose played on their drenched and shivering bodies. "breech of jail discipline" was the reason given for this "cruel and unusual" form of lumber trust punishment. in aberdeen and montesano there were several raids and many deportations of the tar and feather variety. in aberdeen in the fall of during a "patriotic" parade, the battered hall of the union loggers was again forcibly entered in the absence of its owners. furniture, office fixtures, victrola and books were dumped into the street and destroyed. in the town of centralia, about a year before the tragedy, the union secretary was kidnapped and taken into the woods by a mob of well dressed business men. he was made to "run the gauntlet" and severely beaten. there was a strong sentiment in favor of lynching him on the spot, but one of the mob objected saying it would be "too raw." the victim was then escorted to the outskirts of the city and warned not to return under pain of usual penalty. on more than one occasion loggers who had expressed themselves in favor of the industrial workers of the world, were found in the morning dangling from trees in the neighborhood. no explanation but that of "suicide" was ever offered. the whole story of the atrocities perpetrated during these days of the white terror, in all probability, will never be published. the criminals are all well known but their influence is too powerful to ever make it expedient to expose their crimes. besides, who would care to get a gentleman in trouble for killing a mere "wobbly"? the few instances noted above will, however, give the reader some slight idea of the gruesome events that were leading inevitably to that grim day in centralia in november, . weathering the storm through it all the industrialists clung to their red cards and to the one big union for which they had sacrificed so much. time after time, with incomparable patience, they would refurnish and reopen their beleaguered halls, heal up the wounds of rope, tar or "billy" and proceed with the work of organization as though nothing had happened. with union cards or credentials hidden in their heavy shoes they would meet secretly in the woods at night. here they would consult about members who had been mobbed, jailed or killed, about caring for their families--if they had any--about carrying on the work of propaganda and laying plans for the future progress of their union. perhaps they would take time to chant a rebel song or two in low voices. then, back on the job again to "line up the slaves for the new society!" through a veritable inferno of torment and persecution these men had refused to be driven from the woods or to give up their union--the industrial workers of the world. between the two dreadful alternatives of peonage or persecution they chose the latter--and the lesser. can you imagine what their peonage must have been like? sinister centralia but centralia was destined to be the scene of the most dramatic portion of the struggle between the entrenched interests and the union loggers. here the long persecuted industrialists made a stand for their lives and fought to defend their own, thus giving the glib-tongued lawyers of the prosecution the opportunity of accusing them of "wantonly murdering unoffending paraders" on armistice day. centralia in appearance is a creditable small american city--the kind of city smug people show their friends with pride from the rose-scented tranquility of a super-six in passage. the streets are wide and clean, the buildings comfortable, the lawns and shade trees attractive. centralia is somewhat of a coquette but she is as sinister and cowardly as she is pretty. there is a shudder lurking in every corner and a nameless fear sucks the sweetness out of every breeze. song birds warble at the outskirts of the town but one is always haunted by the cries of the human beings who have been tortured and killed within her confines. a red-faced business man motors leisurely down the wet street. he shouts a laughing greeting to a well dressed group at the curb who respond in kind. but the roughly dressed lumberworkers drop their glances in passing one another. the fear is always upon them. as these lines are written several hundred discontented shingle-weavers are threatened with deportation if they dare to strike. they will not strike, for they know too well the consequences. the man-hunt of a few months ago is not forgotten and the terror of it grips their hearts whenever they think of opposing the will of the moloch that dominates their every move. around centralia are wooded hills; men have been beaten beneath them and lynched from their limbs. the beautiful chehalis river flows near by; wesley everest was left dangling from one of its bridges. but centralia is provokingly pretty for all that. it is small wonder that the lumber trust and its henchmen wish to keep it all for themselves. well tended roads lead in every direction, bordered with clearings of worked out camps and studded with occasional tree stumps of great age and truly prodigious size. at intervals are busy saw mills with thousands of feet of odorous lumber piled up in orderly rows. in all directions stretches the pillared immensity of the forests. the vistas through the trees seen enchanted rather than real--unbelievable green and of form and depth that remind one of painted settings for a maeterlinck fable rather than matter-of-fact timber land. the high priests of labor hatred practically all of this land is controlled by the trusts; much of it by the eastern railway and lumber company, of which f.b. hubbard is the head. the strike of almost ruined this worthy gentleman. he has always been a strong advocate of the open shop, but during the last few years he has permitted his rabid labor-hatred to reach the point of fanaticism. this hubbard figures prominently in centralia's business, social and mob circles. he is one of the moving spirits in the centralia conspiracy. the eastern railway and lumber company, besides large tracts of land, owns saw-mills, coal mines and a railway. the centralia newspapers are its mouthpieces while the chamber of commerce and the elks' club are its general headquarters. the farmers' & merchants' bank is its local citadel of power. in charge of this bank is a sinister character, one uhlman, a german of the old school and a typical prussian junker. at one time he was an officer in the german army but at present is a " % american"--an easy metamorphosis for a prussian in these days. his native born "brother-at-arms" is george dysart whose son led the posses in the man-hunt that followed the shooting. in centralia this bank and its hun dictator dominates the financial, political and social activities of the community. business men, lawyers, editors, doctors and local authorities all kow-tow to the institution and its prussian president. and woe be to any who dare do otherwise! the power of the "interests" is a vengeful power and will have no other power before it. even the mighty arm of the law becomes palsied in its presence. [illustration: lumberworkers union hall, raided in the first of the two halls to be wrecked by centralia's terrorists. this picture was not permitted to be introduced as evidence of the conspiracy to raid the new hall. judge wilson didn't want the jury to know anything about this event.] the farmers' & merchants' bank is the local instrumentality of the invisible government that holds the nation in its clutch. kaiser uhlman has more influence than the city mayor and more power than the police force. the law has always been a little thing to him and his clique. the inscription on the shield of this bank is said to read "to hell with the constitution; this is lewis county." as events will show, this inspiring maxim has been faithfully adhered to. one of the mandates of this delectable nest of highbinders is that no headquarters of the union of the lumber workers shall ever be permitted within the sacred precincts of the city of centralia. the loved and hated union hall now the loggers, being denied the luxury of home and family life, have but three places they can call "home." the bunkhouse in the camp, the cheap rooming house in town and the union hall. this latter is by far the best loved of all. it is here the men can gather around a crackling wood fire, smoke their pipes and warm their souls with the glow of comradeship. here they can, between jobs or after work, discuss the vicissitudes of their daily lives, read their books and magazines and sing their songs of solidarity, or merely listen to the "tinned" humor or harmony of the much-prized victrola. also they here attend to affairs of their union--line up members, hold business and educational meetings and a weekly "open forum." once in awhile a rough and wholesome "smoker" is given. the features of this great event are planned for weeks in advance and sometimes talked about for months afterwards. [illustration: the scene of the armistice day tragedy this is what was left of the union hall the loggers tried to defend on november th. three of the raiders, grimm, mcelfresh and cassagranda, were killed in the immediate vicinity of the doorway. several others were wounded while attempting to rush the doors.] these halls are at all times open to the public and inducements are made to get workers to come in and read a thoughtful treatise on industrial questions. the latch-string is always out for people who care to listen to a lecture on economics or similar subjects. inside the hall there is usually a long reading-table littered with books, magazines or papers. in a rack or case at the wall are to be found copies of the "seattle union record," "the butte daily bulletin," "the new solidarity," "the industrial worker," "the liberator," "the new republic" and "the nation." always there is a shelf of thumb-worn books on history, science, economics and socialism. on the walls are lithographs or engravings of noted champions of the cause of labor, a few photographs of local interest and the monthly bulletins and statements of the union. invariably there is a blackboard with jobs, wages and hours written in chalk for the benefit of men seeking employment. there are always a number of chairs in the room and a roll top desk for the secretary. sometimes at the end of the hall is a plank rostrum--a modest altar to the goddess of free speech and open discussion. this is what the loved and hated i.w.w. halls are like--the halls that have been raided and destroyed by the hundreds during the last three years. remember, too, that in each of these raids the union men were not the aggressors and that there was never any attempt at reprisal. in spite of the fact that the lumber workers were within their legal right to keep open their halls and to defend them from felonious attack, it had never happened until november , that active resistance was offered the marauders. this fact alone speaks volumes for the long-suffering patience of the logger and for his desire to settle his problems by peaceable means wherever possible. but the centralia raid was the straw that broke the camel's back. the lumber trust went a little too far on this occasion and it got the surprise of its life. four of its misguided dupes paid for their lawlessness with their lives, and a number of others were wounded. there has not since been a raid on a union hall in the northwestern district. it is well that workingmen and women throughout the country should understand the truth about the armistice day tragedy in centralia and the circumstances that led up to it. but in order to know why the hall was raided it is necessary first to understand why this, and all similar halls, are hated by the oligarchies of the woods. the issue contested is whether the loggers have the right to organize themselves into a union, or whether they must remain chattels--mere hewers of wood and helpless in the face of the rapacity of their industrial overlords--or whether they have the right to keep open their halls and peacefully to conduct the affairs of their union. the lumber workers contend that they are entitled by law to do these things and the employers assert that, law or no law, they shall not do so. in other words, it is a question of whether labor organization shall retain its foothold in the lumber industry or be "driven from the woods." pioneers of unionism it is hard for workers in most of the other industries--especially in the east--to understand the problems, struggles and aspirations of the husky and unconquerable lumber workers of the northwest. the reason is that the average union man takes his union for granted. he goes to his union meetings, discusses the affairs of his craft, industry or class, and he carries his card--all as a matter of course. it seldom enters his mind that the privileges and benefits that surround him and the protection he enjoys are the result of the efforts and sacrifices of the nameless thousands of pioneers that cleared the way. but these unknown heroes of the great struggle of the classes did precede him with their loyal hearts and strong hands; otherwise workers now organized would have to start the long hard battle at the beginning and count their gains a step at a time, just as did the early champions of industrial organization, or as the loggers of the west coast are now doing. the working class owes all honor and respect to the first men who planted the standard of labor solidarity on the hostile frontier of unorganized industry. they were the men who made possible all things that came after and all things that are still to come. they were the trail blazers. it is easier to follow them than to have gone before them--or with them. they established the outposts of unionism in the wilderness of industrial autocracy. their voices were the first to proclaim the burning message of labor's power, of labor's mission and of labor's ultimate emancipation. their breasts were the first to receive the blows of the enemy; their unprotected bodies were shielding the countless thousands to follow. they were the forerunners of the solidarity of toil. they fought in a good and great cause; for without solidarity, labor would have attained nothing yesterday, gained nothing today nor dare to hope for anything tomorrow. [illustration: seminary hall the union hall looks out on this hill, with tower avenue and an alley between. it is claimed that loggers, among others loren roberts, bert bland and the missing ole hanson, fired at the attacking mob from this position.] the block house and the union hall in the northwest today the rebel lumberjack is a pioneer. just as our fathers had to face the enmity of the indians, so are these men called upon to face the fury of the predatory interests that have usurped the richest timber resources of the richest nation in the world. just outside centralia stands a weatherbeaten landmark. it is an old, brown dilapidated block house of early days. in many ways it reminds one of the battered and wrecked union halls to be found in the heart of the city. the evolution of industry has replaced the block house with the union hall as the embattled center of assault and defense. the weapons are no longer the rifle and the tomahawk but the boycott and the strike. the frontier is no longer territorial but industrial. the new struggle is as portentous as the old. the stakes are larger and the warfare even more bitter. the painted and be-feathered scalp-hunter of the sioux or iroquois were not more heartless in maiming, mutilating and killing their victims than the "respectable" profit-hunters of today--the type of men who conceived the raid on the union hall in centralia on armistice day--and who fiendishly tortured and hanged wesley everest for the crime of defending himself from their inhuman rage. it seems incredible that such deeds could be possible in the twentieth century. it is incredible to those who have not followed in the bloody trail of the lumber trust and who are not familiar with its ruthlessness, its greed and its lust for power. as might be expected the i.w.w. halls in washington were hated by the lumber barons with a deep and undying hatred. union halls were a standing challenge to their hitherto undisputed right to the complete domination of the forests. like the blockhouses of early days, these humble meeting places were the outposts of a new and better order planted in the stronghold of the old. and they were hated accordingly. the thieves who had invaded the resources of the nation had long ago seized the woods and still held them in a grip of steel. they were not going to tolerate the encroachments of the one big union of the lumber workers. events will prove that they did not hesitate at anything to achieve their purposes. the first centralia hall in the year a union hall stood on one of the side streets in centralia. it was similar to the halls that have just been described. this was not, however, the hall in which the armistice day tragedy took place. you must always remember that there were two halls raided in centralia; one in and another in . the loggers did not defend the first hall and many of them were manhandled by the mob that wrecked it. the loggers did defend the second and were given as reward a hanging, a speedy, fair and impartial conviction and sentences of from to years. no member of the mob has ever been punished or even taken to task for this misdeed. their names are known to everybody. they kiss their wives and babies at night and go to church on sundays. people tip their hats to them on the street. yet they are a greater menace to the institutions of this country than all the "reds" in the land. in a world where mammon is king the king can do no wrong. but the question of "right" or "wrong" did not concern the lumber interests when they raided the union hall in . "yes, we raided the hall, what are you going to do about it," is the position they take in the matter. during the strike the two lumber trust papers in centralia, the "hub" and the "chronicle" were bitter in their denunciation of the strikers. repeatedly they urged that most drastic and violent measures be taken by the authorities and "citizens" to break the strike, smash the union and punish the strikers. the war-frenzy was at its height and these miserable sheets went about their work like czarist papers inciting a pogrom. the lumber workers were accused of "disloyalty," "treason," "anarchy"--anything that would tend to make their cause unpopular. the abolitionists were spoken about in identical terms before the civil war. as soon as the right atmosphere for their crime had been created the employers struck and struck hard. it was in april, . like many other cities in the land centralia was conducting a red cross drive. among the features of this event were a bazaar and a parade. the profits of the lumber trust were soaring to dizzy heights at this time and their patriotism was proportionately exalted. there was the usual brand of hypocritical and fervid speechmaking. the flag was waved, the government was lauded and the constitution praised. then, after the war-like proclivities of the stay-at-home heroes had been sufficiently worked upon; flag, government and constitution were forgotten long enough for the gang to go down the street and raid the "wobbly" hall. dominating the festivities was the figure of f.b. hubbard, at that time president of the employers' association of the state of washington. this is neither hubbard's first nor last appearance as a terrorist and mob-leader--usually behind the scenes, however, or putting in a last minute appearance. [illustration: avalon hotel, centralia from this point elsie hornbeck claimed she identified eugene barnett in the open window with a rifle. afterwards she admitted that her identification was based only on a photograph shown her by the prosecution. this young lady nearly fainted on the witness stand while trying to patch her absurd story together.] the raid it had been rumored about town that the union hall was to be wrecked on this day but the loggers at the hall were of the opinion that the business men, having driven their secretary out of town a short time previously, would not dare to perpetrate another atrocity so soon afterwards. in this they were sadly mistaken. down the street marched the parade, at first presenting no unusual appearance. the chief of police, the mayor and the governor of the state were given places of honor at the head of the procession. company g of the national guard and a gang of broad-cloth hoodlums disguised as "elks" made up the main body of the marchers. but the crafty and unscrupulous hubbard had laid his plans in advance with characteristic cunning. the parade, like a scorpion, carried its sting in the rear. along the main avenue went the guardsmen and the gentlemen of the elks club. so far nothing extraordinary had happened. then the procession swerved to a side street. this must be the right thing for the line of march had been arranged by the chamber of commerce itself. a couple of blocks more and the parade had reached the intersection of first street and tower avenue. what happened then the mayor and chief of police probably could not have stopped even had the governor himself ordered them to do so. from somewhere in the line of march a voice cried out, "let's raid the i.w.w. hall!" and the crowd at the tail end of the procession broke ranks and leaped to their work with a will. in a short time the intervening block that separated them from the union hall was covered. the building was stormed with clubs and stones. every window was shattered and every door was smashed, the very sides of the building were torn off by the mob in its blind fury. inside the rioters tore down the partitions and broke up chairs and pictures. the union men were surrounded, beaten and driven to the street where they were forced to watch furniture, records, typewriter and literature demolished and burned before their eyes. an american flag hanging in the hall, was torn down and destroyed. a victrola and a desk were carried to the street with considerable care. the former was auctioned off on the spot for the benefit of the red cross. james churchill, owner of a glove factory, won the machine. he still boasts of its possession. the desk was appropriated by f.b. hubbard himself. this was turned over to an expressman and carted to the chamber of commerce. a small boy picked up the typewriter case and started to take it to a nearby hotel office. one of the terrorists detected the act and gave warning. the mob seized the lad, took him to a nearby light pole and threatened to lynch him if he did not tell them where books and papers were secreted which somebody said had been carried away by him. the boy denied having done this, but the hoodlums went into the hotel, ransacked and overturned everything. not finding what they wanted, they left a notice that the proprietor would have to take the sign down from his building in just twenty-four hours. then the mob surged around the unfortunate men who had been found in the union hall. with cuffs and blows these were dragged to waiting trucks where they were lifted by the ears to the body of the machine and knocked prostrate one at a time. sometimes a man would be dropped to the ground just after he had been lifted from his feet. here he would lay with ear drums bursting and writhing from the kicks and blows that had been freely given. like all similar mobs this one carried ropes, which were placed about the necks of the loggers. "here's and i.w.w." yelled someone. "what shall we do with him?" a cry was given to "lynch him!" some were taken to the city jail and the rest were dumped unceremoniously on the other side of the county line. since that time the wrecked hall has remained tenantless and unrepaired. grey and gaunt like a house in battle-scarred belgium, it stands a mute testimony of the labor-hating ferocity of the lumber trust. repeated efforts have since been made to destroy the remains with fire. the defense had tried without avail to introduce a photograph of the ruin as evidence to prove that the second hall was raided in a similar manner on armistice day, . judge wilson refused to permit the jury to see either the photographs or the hall. but in case of another trial...? evidently the lumber trust thought it better to have all traces of its previous crime obliterated. the raid of did not weaken the lumber workers' union in centralia. on the contrary it served to strengthen it. but not until more than a year had passed were the loggers able to establish a new headquarters. this hall was located next door to the roderick hotel on tower avenue, between second and third streets. hardly was this hall opened when threats were circulated by the chamber of commerce that it, like the previous one, was marked for destruction. the business element was lined up solid in denunciation of and opposition to the union hall and all that it stood for. but other anti-labor matters took up their attention and it was some time before the second raid was actually accomplished. there was one rift in the lute of lumber trust solidarity in centralia. business and professional men had long been groveling in sycophantic servility at the feet of "the clique." there was only one notable exception. a lawyer--and a man a young lawyer had settled in the city a few years previous to the armistice day tragedy. together with his parents and four brothers he had left his home in minnesota to seek fame and fortune in the woods of washington. he had worked his way through mcalester college and the law school of the university of minnesota. he was young, ambitious, red-headed and husky, a loving husband and the proud father of a beautiful baby girl. nature had endowed him with a dangerous combination of gifts,--a brilliant mind and a kind heart. his name was just plain smith--elmer smith--and he came from the old rugged american stock. smith started to practice law in centralia, but unlike his brother attorneys, he held to the assumption that all men are equal under the law--even the hated i.w.w. in a short time his brilliant mind and kind heart had won him as much hatred from the lumber barons as love from the down-trodden,--which is saying a good deal. the "interests" studied the young lawyer carefully for awhile and soon decided that he could be neither bullied or bought. so they determined to either break his spirit or to break his neck. smith is at present in prison charged with murder. this is how it happened: smith established his office in the first guarantee bank building which was quite the proper thing to do. then he began to handle law suits for wage-earners, which was altogether the reverse. caste rules in centralia, and elmer smith was violating its most sacred mandataries by giving the "working trash" the benefit of his talents instead of people really worth while. warren o. grimm, who was afterwards shot while trying to break into the union hall with the mob, once cautioned smith of the folly and danger of such a course. "you'll get along all right," said he, "if you will come in with us." then he continued: "how would you feel if one of your clients would come up to you in public, slap you on the back and say 'hello, elmer?'" "very proud," answered the young lawyer. [illustration: elmer smith attorney at law. old american stock--born on a homestead in north dakota. by championing the cause of the "under-dog" in centralia smith brought down on himself the wrath of the lumber trust. he defended many union men in the courts, and at one time sought to prosecute the kidnappers of tom lassiter. smith is the man warren o. grimm told would get along all right, "if you come in with us." he bucked the lumber trust instead and landed in prison on a trumped-up murder charge. smith was found "not guilty" by the jury, but immediately re-arrested on practically the same charge. he is not related to britt smith.] [illustration: wesley everest logger. american (old washington pioneer stock). joined the industrial workers of the world in . a returned soldier. earnest, sincere, quiet, he was the "jimmy higgins" of the centralia branch of the lumberworkers union. everest was mistaken for britt smith, the union secretary, whom the mob had started out to lynch. he was pursued by a gang of terrorists and unmercifully manhandled. later--at night--he was taken from the city jail and hanged to a bridge. in the automobile, on the way to the lynching, he was unsexed by a human fiend--a well known centralia business man--who used a razor on his helpless victim. even the lynchers were forced to admit that everest was the most "dead game" man they had ever seen.] some months previous smith had taken a case for an i.w.w. logger. he won it. other cases in which workers needed legal advice came to him. he took them. a young girl was working at the centralia "chronicle." she was receiving a weekly wage of three dollars which is in defiance of the minimum wage law of the state for women. smith won the case. also he collected hundreds of dollars in back wages for workers whom the companies had sought to defraud. workers in the clutches of loan sharks were extricated by means of the bankruptcy laws, hitherto only used by their masters. an automobile firm was making a practice of replacing ford engines with old ones when a machine was brought in for repairs. one of the victims brought his case to smith. and a lawsuit followed. this was an unheard-of proceeding, for heretofore such little business tricks had been kept out of court by common understanding. a worker, formerly employed by a subsidiary of the eastern lumber & railway company, had been deprived of his wages on a technicality of the law by the corporation attorneys. this man had a large family and hard circumstances were forced upon them by this misfortune. one of his little girls died from what the doctor called malnutrition--plain starvation. smith filed suit and openly stated that the lawyers of the corporation were responsible for the death of the child. the indignation of the business and professional element blazed to white heat. a suit for libel and disbarment proceedings were started against him. nothing could be done in this direction as smith had not only justice but the law on his side. his enemies were waiting with great impatience for a more favorable opportunity to strike him down. open threats were beginning to be heard against him. a union lecturer came to town. the meeting was well attended. a vigilance committee of provocateurs and business men was in the audience. at the close of the lecture those gentlemen started to pass the signal for action. elmer smith sauntered down the aisle, shook hands with the speaker and told him he would walk to the train with him. the following morning the door to smith's office was ornamented with a cardboard sign. it read: "are you an american? you had better say so. citizens' committee." this was lettered in lead pencil. across the bottom were scrawled these words: "no more i.w.w. meetings for you." in an event occurred which served further to tighten the noose about the stubborn neck of the young lawyer. on this occasion the terrorists of the city perpetrated another shameful crime against the working class--and the law. blind tom--a blemish on america tom lassiter made his living by selling newspapers at a little stand on a street corner. tom is blind, a good soul and well liked by the loggers. but tom has vision enough to see that there is something wrong with the hideous capitalist system we live under; and so he kept papers on sale that would help enlighten the workers. among these were the "seattle union record," "the industrial worker" and "solidarity." to put it plainly, tom was a thorn in the side of the local respectability because of his modest efforts to make people thing. and his doom had also been sealed. early in june the newsstand was broken into and all his clothing, literature and little personal belongings were taken to a vacant lot and burned. a warning sign was left on a short pole stuck in the ashes. the message, "you leave town in hours, u.s. soldiers, sailors and marines," was left on the table in his room. with true wobbly determination, lassiter secured a new stock of papers and immediately re-opened his little stand. about this time a centralia business man, j.h. roberts by name, was heard to say "this man (lassiter) is within his legal rights and if we can't do anything by law we'll take the law into our own hands." this is precisely what happened. on the afternoon of june th, blind tom was crossing tower avenue with hesitating steps when, without warning, two business men seized his groping arms and yelled in his ear, "we'll get you out of town this time!" lassiter called for help. the good samaritan came along in the form of a brute-faced creature known as w.r. patton, a rich property owner of the city. this christian gentleman sneaked up behind the blind man and lunged him forcibly into a waiting oakland automobile. the machine is owned by cornelius mcintyre who is said to have been one of the kidnapping party. "shut up or i'll smash your mouth so you can't yell," said one of his assailants as lassiter was forced, still screaming for help, into the car. turning to the driver one of the party said, "step on her and let's get out of here." about this time constable luther patton appeared on the scene. w.r. patton walked over to where the constable stood and shouted to the bystanders, "we'll arrest the first person that objects, interferes or gets too loud." "a good smash on the jaw would do more good," suggested the kind-hearted official. "well, we got that one pretty slick and now there are two more we have to get," stated w.r. patton, a short time afterwards. blind tom was dropped helpless in a ditch just over the county line. he was picked up by a passing car and eventually made his way to olympia, capital of the state. in about a week he was back in centralia. but before he could again resume his paper selling he was arrested on a charge of "criminal syndicalism." he is now awaiting conviction at chehalis. before his arrest, however, lassiter engaged elmer smith as his attorney. smith appealed to county attorney herman allen for protection for his client. after a half-hearted effort to locate the kidnappers--who were known to everybody--this official gave up the task saying he was "too busy to bother with the affair, and, besides, the offense was only 'third degree assault' which is punishable with a fine of but one dollar and costs." the young lawyer did not waste any more time with the county authorities. instead he secured sworn statements of the facts in the case and submitted them to the governor. these were duly acknowledged and placed on file in olympia. but up to date no action has been taken by the executive to prosecute the criminals who committed the crime. "handle these i.w.w. cases if you want to," said a local attorney to elmer smith, counsel for one of the banks, "but sooner or later they're all going to be hanged or deported anyway." [illustration: where barnett's rifle was supposed to have been found eugene barnett was said to have left his rifle under this sign-board as he fled from the scene of the shooting. it would have been much easier to hide a gun in the tall brush in the foreground. in reality barnett did not have a rifle on november th and was never within a mile of this place. prosecutor cunningham said he had "been looking all over for that rifle" when it was turned over to him by a stool pigeon. strangely enough cunningham knew the number of the gun before he placed hands on it.] smith was feathering a nest for himself--feathering it with steel and stone and a possible coil of hempen rope. the shadow of the prison bars was falling blacker on his red head with every passing moment. his fearless championing of the cause of the "under dog" had won him the implacable hatred of his own class. to them his acts of kindness and humanity were nothing less than treason. smith had been ungrateful to the clique that had offered him every inducement to "come in with us". a lawyer with a heart is as dangerous as a working man with his brains. elmer smith would be punished all right; it would just be a matter of time. the indifference of the county and state authorities regarding the kidnapping of blind tom gave the terrorists renewed confidence in the efficacy and "legality" of their methods. also it gave them a hint as to the form their future depredations were to take. and so, with the implied approval of everyone worth considering, they went about their plotting with still greater determination and a soothing sense of security. the conspiracy develops the cessation of hostilities in europe deprived the gangsters of the cloak of "patriotism" as a cover for their crimes. but this cloak was too convenient to be discarded so easily. "let the man in uniform do it" was an axiom that had been proved both profitable and safe. then came the organization of the local post of the american legion and the now famous citizen's protective league--of which more afterwards. with the signing of the armistice, and the consequent almost imperceptible lifting of the white terror that dominated the country, the organization of the loggers began daily to gather strength. the chamber of commerce began to growl menacingly, the employers' association to threaten and the lumber trust papers to incite open violence. and the american legion began to function as a "cats paw" for the men behind the scenes. why should the beautiful city of centralia tolerate the hated union hall any longer? other halls had been raided, men had been tarred and feathered and deported--no one had ever been punished! why should the good citizens of centralia endure a lumberworkers headquarters and their despised union itself right in the midst of their peaceful community? why indeed! the matter appeared simple enough from any angle. so then and there the conspiracy was hatched that resulted in the tragedy on armistice day. but the forces at work to bring about this unhappy conclusion were far from local. let us see what these were like before the actual details of the conspiracy are recounted. there were three distinct phases of this campaign to "rid the woods of the agitators." these three phases dovetail together perfectly. each one is a perfect part of a shrewdly calculated and mercilessly executed conspiracy to commit constructive murder and unlawful entry. the diabolical plan itself was designed to brush aside the laws of the land, trample the constitution underfoot and bring about an unparalleled orgy of unbridled labor hatred and labor repression that would settle the question of unionism for a long time. the conspiracy--and a snag first of all comes the propaganda stage with the full force of the editorial virulence of the trust-controlled newspapers directed against labor in favor of "law and order," i.e., the lumber interests. all the machinery of newspaper publicity was used to vilify the lumber worker and to discredit his union. nothing was left unsaid that would tend to produce intolerance and hatred or to incite mob violence. this is not only true of centralia, but of all the cities and towns located in the lumber district. centralia happened to be the place where the tree of anti-labor propaganda first bore its ghastly fruit. space does not permit us to quote the countless horrible things the i.w.w. was supposed to stand for and to be constantly planning to do. statements from the lips of general wood and young roosevelt to the effect that citizens should not argue with bolshevists but meet them "head on" were very conspicuously displayed on all occasions. any addle-headed mediocrity, in or out of uniform, who had anything particularly atrocious to say against the labor movement in general or the "radicals" in particular, was afforded every opportunity to do so. the papers were vying with one another in devising effectual, if somewhat informal, means of dealing with the "red menace." supported by, and partly the result of this barrage of lies, misrepresentation and incitation, came the period of attempted repression by "law". this was probably the easiest thing of all because the grip of big business upon the law-making and law-enforcing machinery of the nation is incredible. at all events a state's "criminal syndicalism law" had been conveniently passed and was being applied vigorously against union men, a.f. of l. and i.w.w. alike, but chiefly against the lumber workers' industrial union, no. , of the industrial workers of the world, the basic lumber industry being the largest in the northwest and the growing power of the organized lumberjack being therefore more to be feared. [illustration: his uncle planned it dale hubbard, killed in self-defense by wesley everest, armistice day, . f. hubbard, a lumber baron and uncle of the dead man, is held to have been the instigator of the plot in which his nephew was shot. hubbard was martyrized by the lumber trust's determination "to let the men in uniform do it."] no doubt the lumber interests had great hope that the execution of these made-to-order laws would clear up the atmosphere so far as the lumber situation was concerned. but they were doomed to a cruel and surprising disappointment. a number of arrests were made in washington, oregon, idaho, montana and even nevada. fifty or sixty men all told were arrested and their trials rushed as test cases. during this period from april th to october th, , the lumber trust saw with chagrin and dismay each of the state cases in turn either won outright by the defendants or else dismissed in the realization that it would be impossible to win them. by october th george f. vanderveer, chief attorney for the defense, declared there were not a single member of the i.w.w. in custody in washington, idaho or montana under this charge. in seattle, washington, an injunction was obtained restraining the mayor from closing down the new union hall in that city under the new law. thus it appeared that the nefarious plan of the employers and their subservient lawmaking adjuncts, to outlaw the lumber workers union and to penalize the activities of its members, was to be doomed to an ignominious failure. renewed efforts--legal and otherwise furious at the realization of their own impotency the "interests" launched forth upon a new campaign. this truly machiavellian scheme was devised to make it impossible for accused men to secure legal defense of any kind. all labor cases were to be tried simultaneously, thus making it impossible for the defendants to secure adequate counsel. george f. russell, secretary-manager of the washington employers' association, addressed meetings over the state urging all washington prosecuting attorneys to organize that this end might be achieved. it is reported that governor hart, of washington, looked upon the scheme with favor when it was brought to his personal attention by mr. russell. however, the fact remains that the lumber trust was losing and that it would have to devise even more drastic measures if it were to hope to escape the prospect of a very humiliating defeat. and, all the while the organization of the lumber workers continued to grow. in washington the situation was becoming more tense, momentarily. many towns in the heart of the lumber district had passed absurd criminal syndicalism ordinances. these prohibited membership in the i.w.w.; made it unlawful to rent premises to the organization or to circulate its literature. the employers' association had boasted that it was due to its efforts that these ordinances had been passed. but still they were faced with the provocative and unforgettable fact, that the i.w.w. was no more dead than the cat with the proverbial nine lives. where halls had been closed or raided the lumber workers were transacting their union affairs right on the job or in the bunkhouses, just as though nothing had happened. what was more deplorable a few union halls were still open and doing business at the same old stand. centralia was one of these; drastic measures must be applied at once or loggers in other localities might be encouraged to open halls also. as events prove these measures were taken--and they were drastic. the employers show their fangs that the employers' association was assiduously preparing its members for action suitable for the situation is evidenced by the following quotations from the official bulletin addressed privately "to members of the employers' association of washington". note them carefully; they are published as "suggestions to members" over the written signature of george f. russell secretary-manager: june th, .--"provide a penalty for idleness ... common labor now works a few days and then loafs to spend the money earned ... active prosecution of the i.w.w. and other radicals." april th, .--"keep business out of the control of radicals and i.w.w.... overcome agitation ... closer co-operation between employers and employees ... suppress the agitators ... hang the bolshevists." may st, .--"if the agitators were taken care of we would have very little trouble ... propaganda to counteract radicals and overcome agitation ... put the i.w.w. in jail." june th, .--"make some of the seattle papers print the truth ... get rid of the i.w.w.'s." july nd, .--"educate along the line of the three r's and the golden rule, economy and self denial ... import japanese labor ... import chinese labor." july st, .--"deport about ten russians in this community." august st, .--"personal contact between employer and employee, stringent treatment of the i.w.w." october th, . "there are many i.w.w.s--mostly in the logging camps...." october st, .--(a little over a week before the centralia raid.) "run your business or quit ... business men and tax payers of vancouver, washington, have organized the loyal citizen's protective league; opposed to bolsheviki and the soviet form of government and in favor of the open shop ... jail the radicals and deport them ... since the armistice these radicals have started in again. only two communities in washington allow i.w.w. headquarters." (!!!) [illustration: arthur mcelfresh a centralia druggist. his wife warned him not to march to the union headquarters because "she knew he'd get hurt." mcelfresh is the man said to have been shot inside the hall when the mob burst through the door.] december st, . "get rid of all the i.w.w. and all other un-american organizations ... deport the radicals or use the rope as at centralia. until we get rid of the i.w.w. and radicals we don't expect to do much in this country ... keep cleaning up on the i.w.w.... don't let it die down ... keep up public sentiment..." these few choice significant morsels of one hundred percent (on the dollar) americanism are quoted almost at random from the private bulletins of the officials of the iron heel in the state of washington. here you can read their sentiments in their own words; you can see how dupes and hirelings were coached to perpetrate the crime of centralia, and as many other similar crimes as they could get away with. needless to say these illuminating lines were not intended for the perusal of the working class. but now that we have obtained them and placed them before your eyes you can draw your own conclusion. there are many, many more records germane to this case that we would like to place before you, but the oligarchy has closed its steel jaws upon them and they are at present inaccessible. men are still afraid to tell the truth in centralia. some day the workers may learn the whole truth about the inside workings of the centralia conspiracy. be that as it may the business interests of the northwest lumber country stand bloody handed and doubly damned, black with guilt and foul with crime; convicted before the bar of public opinion, by their own statements and their own acts. failure and desperation let us see for a moment how the conspiracy of the lumber barons operated to achieve the unlawful ends for which it was designed. let us see how they were driven by their own failure at intrigue to adopt methods so brutal that they would have disgraced the head-hunter; how they tried to gain with murder-lust what they had failed to gain lawfully and with public approval. the campaign of lies and slander inaugurated by their private newspapers failed to convince the workers of the undesirability of labor organization. in spite of the armies of editors and news-whelps assembled to its aid, it served only to lash to a murderous frenzy the low instincts of the anti-labor elements in the community. the campaign of legal repression, admittedly instituted by the employers' association, failed also in spite of the fact that all the machinery of the state from dog-catcher down to governor was at its beck and call on all occasions and for all purposes. having made a mess of things with these methods the lumber barons threw all scruples to the winds--if they ever had any--threw aside all pretension of living within the law. they started out, mad-dog like, to rent, wreck and destroy the last vestige of labor organization from the woods of the northwest, and furthermore, to hunt down union men and martyrize them with the club, the gun, the rope and the courthouse. it was to cover up their own crimes that the heartless beasts of big business beat the tom-toms of the press in order to lash the "patriotism" of their dupes and hirelings into hysteria. it was to hide their own infamy that the loathsome war dance was started that developed perceptibly from uncomprehending belligerency into the lawless tumult of mobs, raids and lynching! and it will be an everlasting blot upon the fair name of america that they were permitted to do so. the centralia tragedy was the culmination of a long series of unpunished atrocities against labor. what is expected of men who have been treated as these men were treated and who were denied redress or protection under the law? every worker in the northwest knows about the wrongs lumberworkers have endured--they are matters of common knowledge. it was common knowledge in centralia and adjoining towns that the i.w.w. hall was to be raided on armistice day. yet eight loggers have been sentenced from twenty-five to forty years in prison for the crime of defending themselves from the mob that set out to murder them! but let us see how the conspiracy was operating in centralia to make the armistice day tragedy inevitable. the maelstrom--and four men centralia was fast becoming the vortex of the conspiracy that was rushing to its inevitable conclusion. event followed event in rapid succession, straws indicating the main current of the flood tide of labor-hatred. the commercial club was seething with intrigue like the court of old france under catherine de medici; only this time it was industrial unionism instead of huguenots who were being marked for a new night of st. bartholomew. the heresy to be uprooted was belief in industrial instead of religious freedom; but the stake and the gibbet were awaiting the new idea just as they had the old. the actions of the lumber interests were now but thinly veiled and their evil purpose all too manifest. the connection between the employers' association of the state and its local representatives in centralia had become unmistakably evident. and behind these loomed the gigantic silhouette of the employers' association of the nation--the colossal "invisible government"--more powerful at times than the government itself. more and more stood out the naked brutal fact that the purpose of all this plotting was to drive the union loggers from the city and to destroy their hall. the names of the men actively interested in this movement came to light in spite of strenuous efforts to keep them obscured. four of these stand out prominently in the light of the tragedy that followed: george f. russell, f.b. hubbard, william scales and last, but not least, warren o. grimm. [illustration: warren o. grimm warren o. grimm, killed at the beginning of the rush on the i.w.w. hall. at another raid on an i.w.w. hall in grimm was said by witnesses to have been leading the mob, "holding two american flags and dancing like a whirling dervish." his life-long friend, frank van gilder, testified: "i stood less than two feet from grimm when he was shot. he doubled up, put his hands to his stomach and said to me: 'my god, i'm shot.'" "what did you do then?" "i turned and left him."] the first named, george f. russell, is a hired manager for the washington employers' association, whose membership employs between , and , workers in the state. russell is known to be a reactionary of the most pronounced type. he is an avowed union smasher and a staunch upholder of the open shop principle, which is widely advertised as the "american plan" in washington. incidentally he is an advocate of the scheme to import chinese and japanese cooley labor as a solution of the "high wage and arrogant unionism" problem. f. b. hubbard, is a small-bore russell, differing from his chief only in that his labor hatred is more fanatical and less discreet. hubbard was hard hit by the strike in which fact has evidently won him the significant title of "a vicious little anti-labor reptile." he is the man who helped to raid the union hall in centralia and who appropriated for himself the stolen desk of the union secretary. his nephew dale hubbard was shot while trying to lynch wesley everest. william scales is a centralia business man and a virulent sycophant. he is a parochial replica of the two persons mentioned above. scales was in the quartermaster's department down on the border during the trouble with mexico. because he was making too much money out of uncle sam's groceries, he was relieved of his duties quite suddenly and discharged from the service. he was fortunate in making france instead of fort leavenworth, however, and upon his return, became an ardent proselyte of russell and hubbard and their worthy cause. also he continued in the grocery business. [illustration: hizzoner, the jedge in his black robe, like a bird of prey, he perched above the courtroom and ruled always adversely to the cause of labor. appointed to try men accused of killing other men whom he had previously eulogized judge john m. wilson did not disappoint those who appointed him. in open court vanderveer told him. in open court vanderveer told this man: "there was a time when i thought your rulings were due to ignorance of the law. that will no longer explain them."] warren o. grimm came from a good family and was a small town aristocrat. his brother is city attorney at centralia. grimm was a lawyer, a college athlete and a social lion. he had been with the american forces in siberia and his chief bid for distinction was a noisy dislike for the worker's & peasants' republic of russia, and the i.w.w. which he termed the "american bolsheviki". during the raid on the centralia hall grimm is said to have been dancing around "like a whirling dervish" and waving the american flag while the work of destruction was going on. afterwards he became prominent in the american legion and was the chief "cat's paw" for the lumber interests who were capitalizing the uniform to gain their own unholy ends. personally he was a clean-cut modern young man. shadows cast before on june th, the following notice appeared conspicuously on the first page of the centralia hub: meeting of business men called for friday evening "business men and property owners of centralia are urged to attend a meeting tomorrow in the chamber of commerce rooms to meet the officers of the employers' association of the state to discuss ways and means of bettering the conditions which now confront the business and property interests of the state. george f. russell, secretary-manager, says in his note to business men: 'we need your advice and your co-operation in support of the movement for the defense of property and property rights. it is the most important question before the public today.'" at this meeting mr. russell dwelt on the statement that the "radicals" were better organized than the property interests. also he pointed out the need of a special organization to protect "rights of property" from the encroachments of all "foes of the government". the non-partisan league, the triple alliance and the a.f. of l. were duly condemned. the speaker then launched out into a long tirade against the industrial workers of the world which was characterized as the most dangerous organization in america and the one most necessary for "good citizens" to crush. needless to state the address was chock full of % americanism. it amply made up in forcefulness anything it lacked in logic. so the "citizens' protective league" of centralia was born. from the first it was a law unto itself--murder lust wearing the smirk of respectability--judge lynch dressed in a business suit. the advent of this infamous league marks the final ascendancy of terrorism over the constitution in the city of centralia. the only things still needed were a secret committee, a coil of rope and an opportunity. f.b. hubbard was the man selected to pull off the "rough stuff" and at the same time keep the odium of crime from smirching the fair names of the conspirators. he was told to "perfect his own organization". hubbard was eminently fitted for his position by reason of his intense labor-hatred and his aptitude for intrigue. the following day the centralia daily chronicle carried the following significant news item: business men of county organize representatives from many communities attend meeting in chamber of commerce, presided over secretary of employers' association. "the labor situation was thoroughly discussed this afternoon at a meeting held in the local chamber of commerce which was attended by representative business men from various parts of lewis county. "george f. russell, secretary of the employers' association, of washington, presided at the meeting. "a temporary organization was effected with f. b. hubbard, president of the eastern railway & lumber company, as chairman. he was empowered to perfect his own organization. a similar meeting will be held in chehalis in connection with the noon luncheon of the citizens' club on that day." [illustration: "special prosecutor" c.d. cunningham, attorney for f.b. hubbard and various lumber interests, took charge of the prosecution immediately. he was the father of much of the "third degree" methods used on witnesses. vanderveer offered to prove at the trial that cunningham was at the jail when wesley everest was dragged out, brutally mutilated and then lynched.] the city of centralia became alive with gossip and speculation about this new move on the part of the employers. everybody knew that the whole thing centered around the detested hall of the union loggers. curiosity seekers began to come in from all parts of the county to have a peep at this hall before it was wrecked. business men were known to drive their friends from the new to the old hall in order to show what the former would look like in a short time. people in centralia generally knew for a certainty that the present hall would go the way of its predecessor. it was just a question now as to the time and circumstances of the event. warren o. grimm had done his bit to work up sentiment against the union loggers and their hall. only a month previously--on labor day, ,--he had delivered a "labor" speech that was received with great enthusiasm by a local clique of business men. posing as an authority on bolshevism on account of his siberian service grimm had elaborated on the dangers of this pernicious doctrine. with a great deal of dramatic emphasis he had urged his audience to beware of the sinister influence of "the american bolsheviki--the industrial workers of the world." a few days before the hall was raided elmer smith called at grimm's office on legal business. grimm asked him, by the way, what he thought of his labor day speech. smith replied that he thought it was "rotten" and that he couldn't agree with grimm's anti-labor conception of americanism. smith pointed to the deportation of tom lassiter as an example of the "americanism" he considered disgraceful. he said also that he thought free speech was one of the fundamental rights of all citizens. "i can't agree with you," replied grimm. "that's the proper way to treat such a fellow." the new black hundred on october th the centralia hub published an item headed "employers called to discuss handling of 'wobbly' problem." this article urges all employers to attend, states that the meeting will be held in the elk's club and mentioned the wrecking of the union hall in . on the following day, october th, three weeks before the shooting, this meeting was held at the hall of the benevolent and protective order of elks--the now famous elks' club of centralia. the avowed purpose of this meeting was to "deal with the i.w.w. problem." the chairman was william scales, at that time commander of the centralia post of the american legion. the i.w.w. hall was the chief topic of discussion. f.b. hubbard opened up by saying that the i.w.w. was a menace and should be driven out of town. chief of police hughes, however, cautioned them against such a course. he is reported to have said that "the i.w.w. is doing nothing wrong in centralia--is not violating any law--and you have no right to drive them out of town in this manner." the chief of police then proceeded to tell the audience that he had taken up the matter of legally evicting the industrialists with city attorney c.e. grimm, a brother of warren o. grimm, who is said to have told them, "gentlemen, there is no law by which you can drive the i.w.w. out of town." city commissioner saunders and county attorney allen had spoken to the same effect. the latter, allen, had gone over the literature of the organization with regard to violence and destruction and had voluntarily dismissed a "criminal syndicalist" case without trial for want of evidence. [illustration: lewis county's legal prostitute herman allen, prosecuting attorney of lewis county. he stood at the corner during the raid and received papers stolen from the hall. there is no record of his having protested against any illegal action. he turned over his office to the special prosecutors and acted as their tool throughout. during the entire trial he never appeared as an active participant.] hubbard was furious at this turn of affairs and shouted to chief of police hughes: "it's a damned outrage that these men should be permitted to remain in town! law or no law, if i were chief of police they wouldn't stay here twenty-four hours." "i'm not in favor of raiding the hall myself," said scales. "but i'm certain that if anybody else wants to raid the i.w.w. hall there is no jury in the land will ever convict them." after considerable discussion the meeting started to elect a committee to deal with the situation. first of all an effort was made to get a workingman elected as a member to help camouflage its very evident character and make people believe that "honest labor" was also desirous of ridding the town of the hated i.w.w. hall. a switchman named henry, a member of the railway brotherhood, was nominated. when he indignantly declined, hubbard, red in the face with rage, called him a "damned skunk." the inner circle scales then proceeded to tell the audience in general and the city officials in particular that he would himself appoint a committee "whose inner workings were secret," and see if he could not get around the matter that way. the officers of the league were then elected. the president was county coroner david livingstone, who afterwards helped to lynch wesley everest. dr. livingstone made his money from union miners. william scales was vice president and hubbard was treasurer. the secret committee was then appointed by hubbard. as its name implies it was an underground affair, similar to the black hundreds of old russia. no record of any of its proceedings has ever come to light, but according to best available knowledge, warren o. grimm, arthur mcelfresh, b.s. cromier and one or two others who figured prominently in the raid, were members. at all events on november th, five days before the shooting, grimm was elected commander of the centralia post of the american legion, taking the place of scales, who resigned in his favor. scales evidently was of the opinion that a siberian veteran and athlete was better fitted to lead the "shock troops" than a mere counter-jumper like himself. there is no doubt but the secret committee had its members well placed in positions of strategic importance for the coming event. the following day the tacoma news tribune carried a significant editorial on the subject of the new organization: "at centralia a committee of citizens has been formed that takes the mind back to the old days of vigilance committees of the west, which did so much to force law-abiding citizenship upon certain lawless elements. it is called the centralia protective association, and its object is to combat i.w.w. activities in that city and the surrounding country. it invites to membership all citizens who favor the enforcement of law and order ... it is high time for the people who do believe in the lawful and orderly conduct of affairs to take the upper hand ... every city and town might, with profit, follow centralia's example." the reference to "law and orderly conduct of affairs" has taken a somewhat ironical twist, now that centralia has shown the world what she considers such processes to be. no less significant was an editorial appearing on the same date in the centralia hub: "if the city is left open to this menace, we will soon find ourselves at the mercy of an organized band of outlaws bent on destruction. what are we going to do about it?" and, referring to the organization of the "secret committee," the editorial stated: "it was decided that the inner workings of the organization were to be kept secret, to more effectively combat a body using similar tactics." the editorial reeks with lies; but it was necessary that the mob spirit should be kept at white heat at all times. newspaper incitation has never been punished by law, yet it is directly responsible for more murders, lynching and raids than any other one force in america. [illustration: the stool pigeon tom morgan, who turned state's evidence. there is an historical precedent for morgan. judas acted similarly, but judas later had the manhood to go out and hang himself. morgan left for "parts unknown."] the plot leaks out by degrees the story of the infamous secret committee and its diabolical plan leaked out, adding positive confirmation to the many already credited rumors in circulation. some of the newspapers quite openly hinted that the i.w.w. hall was to be the object of the brewing storm. chief of police hughes told a member of the lewis county trades council, william t. merriman by name, that the business men were organizing to raid the hall and drive its members out of town. merriman, in turn carried the statement to many of his friends and brother unionists. soon the prospective raid was the subject of open discussion,--over the breakfast toast, on the street corners, in the camps and mills--every place. so common was the knowledge in fact that many of the craft organizations in centralia began to discuss openly what they should do about it. they realized that the matter was one which concerned labor and many members wanted to protest and were urging their unions to try to do something. at the lewis county trades council the subject was brought up for discussion by its president, l. f. dickson. no way of helping the loggers was found, however, if they would so stubbornly try to keep open their headquarters in the face of such opposition. harry smith, a brother of elmer smith, the attorney, was a delegate at this meeting and reported to his brother the discussion that took place. secretary britt smith and the loggers at the union hall were not by any means ignorant of the conspiracy being hatched against them. day by day they had followed the development of the plot with breathless interest and not a little anxiety. they knew from bitter experience how union men were handled when they were trapped in their halls. but they would not entertain the idea of abandoning their principles and seeking personal safety. every logging camp for miles around knew of the danger also. the loggers there had gone through the hell of the organization period and had felt the wrath of the lumber barons. some of them felt that the statement of secretary of labor wilson as to the attitude of the industrial workers of the world towards "overthrowing the government," and "violence and destruction" would discourage the terrorists from attempting such a flagrant and brutal injustice as the one contemplated. [illustration: "oily" abel suave and slimy as a snake; without any of the kindlier traits of nature, w.h. abel, sounded the gamut of rottenness in his efforts to convict the accused men without the semblance of a fair trial. abel is notorious throughout washington as the hireling of the lumber interests. in he prosecuted "without fee" all laboring men on strike and is attorney for the cosmopolis "penitentiary" so called on account of the brutality with which it treats employes. located in one of the small towns of the state abel has made a fortune prosecuting labor cases for the special interests.] regarding the deportation of i.w.w.'s for belonging to an organization which advocates such things, secretary of labor wilson had stated a short time previously: "an exhaustive study into the by-laws and practices of the i.w.w. has thus far failed to disclose anything that brings it within the class of organizations referred to." other of the loggers were buoyed up with the many victories won in the courts on "criminal syndicalism" charges and felt that the raid would be too "raw" a thing for the lumber interests even to consider. all were secure in the knowledge and assurance that they were violating no law in keeping open their hall. and they wanted that hall kept open. of course the question of what was to be done was discussed at their business meetings. when news reached them on november th of the contemplated "parade" they decided to publish a leaflet telling the citizens of centralia about the justice and legality of their position, the aims of their organization and the real reason for the intense hatred which the lumber trust harbored against them. such leaflet was drawn up by secretary britt smith and approved by the membership. it was an honest, outspoken appeal for public sympathy and support. this leaflet--word for word as it was printed and circulated in centralia--is reprinted below: to the citizens of centralia we must appeal [illustration: the chief fink frank p. christensen, who was the "fixer" for the prosecution. as assistant attorney general he used his office to intimidate witnesses and in the effort to cover up actions of the mob. he is reported to have been responsible for the recovery and burial of everest's body, saying: "we've got to bring in that body and bury it. if the wobs ever find out what was done and get it they'll raise hell and make capital of it."] "to the law abiding citizens of centralia and to the working class in general: we beg of you to read and carefully consider the following: "the profiteering class of centralia have of late been waving the flag of our country in an endeavor to incite the lawless element of our city to raid our hall and club us out of town. for this purpose they have inspired editorials in the hub, falsely and viciously attacking the i.w.w., hoping to gain public approval for such revolting criminality. these profiteers are holding numerous secret meetings to that end, and covertly inviting returned service men to do their bidding. in this work they are ably assisted by the bankrupt lumber barons of southwest washington who led the mob that looted and burned the i.w.w. hall a year ago. "these criminal thugs call us a band of outlaws bent on destruction. this they do in an attempt to hide their own dastardly work in burning our hall and destroying our property. they say we are a menace; and we are a menace to all mobocrats and pilfering thieves. never did the i.w.w. burn public or private halls, kidnap their fellow citizens, destroy their property, club their fellows out of town, bootleg or act in any ways as law-breakers. these patriotic profiteers throughout the country have falsely and with out any foundation whatever charged the i.w.w. with every crime on the statute books. for these alleged crimes thousands of us have been jailed in foul and filthy cells throughout this country, often without charge, for months and in some cases, years, and when released re-arrested and again thrust in jail to await a trial that is never called. the only convictions of the i.w.w. were those under the espionage law, where we were forced to trial before jurors, all of whom were at political and industrial enmity toward us, and in courts hostile to the working class. this same class of handpicked courts and juries also convicted many labor leaders, socialists, non-partisans, pacifists, guilty of no crime save that of loyalty to the working class. "by such courts jesus the carpenter was slaughtered upon the charge that 'he stirreth up the people.' only last month i.w.w. were indicted in seattle as strike leaders, belonging to an unlawful organization, attempting to overthrow the government and other vile things under the syndicalist law passed by the last legislature. to exterminate the 'wobbly' both the court and jury have the lie to every charge. the court held them a lawful organization and their literature was not disloyal nor inciting to violence, though the government had combed the country from chicago to seattle for witnesses, and used every pamphlet taken from their hall in government raids. "in spokane members were indicted in the superior court for wearing the i.w.w. button and displaying their emblem. the jury unanimously acquitted them and the court held it no crime. "in test cases last month both in the seattle and everett superior courts, the presiding judge declared the police had no authority in law to close their halls and the padlocks were ordered off and the halls opened. "many i.w.w. in and around centralia went to france and fought and bled for the democracy they never secured. they came home to be threatened with mob violence by the law and order outfit that pilfered every nickel possible from their mothers and fathers while they were fighting in the trenches in the thickest of the fray. "our only crime is solidarity, loyalty to the working class and justice to the oppressed." "let the men in uniform do it" on november th, the centralia post of the american legion met with a committee from the chamber of commerce to arrange for a parade-another "patriotic" parade. the first anniversary of the signing of the armistice was now but a few days distant and centralia felt it incumbent upon herself to celebrate. of course the matter was brought up rather circumspectly, but knowing smiles greeted the suggestion. one business man made a motion that the brave boys wear their uniforms. this was agreed upon. the line of march was also discussed. as the union hall was a little off the customary parade route, scales suggested that their course lead past the hall "in order to show them how strong we are." it was intimated that a command "eyes right" would be given as the legionaries and business men passed the union headquarters. this was merely a poor excuse of the secret committeemen to get the parade where they needed it. but many innocent men were lured into a "lynching bee" without knowing that they were being led to death by a hidden gang of broad-cloth conspirators who were plotting at murder. lieutenant cormier, who afterwards blew the whistle that was the signal for the raid, endorsed the proposal of scales as did grimm and mcelfresh--all three of them secret committeemen. practically no other subject but the "parade" was discussed at this meeting. the success of the project was now assured for it had placed into the hands of the men who alone could arrange to "have the men in uniform do it." the men in uniform had done it once before and people knew what to expect. the day following this meeting the centralia hub published an announcement of the coming event stating that the legionaires had "voted to wear uniforms." the line of march was published for the first time. any doubts about the real purpose of the parade vanished when people read that the precession was to march from the city park to third street and tower avenue and return. the union hall was on tower between second and third streets, practically at the end of the line of march and plainly the objective of the demonstrators. [illustration: bridge from which everest was hanged from this bridge, over the chehalis river, wesley everest was left dangling by a mob of business men. automobile parties visited this spot at different times during the night and played their headlights on the corpse in order better to enjoy the spectacle.] "decent labor"--hands off! a short time after the shooting a virulent leaflet was issued by the mayor's office stating that the "plot to kill had been laid two or three weeks before the tragedy," and that "the attack (of the loggers) was without justification or excuse." both statements are bare faced lies. the meeting was held the th and the line of march made public of the th. the loggers could not possibly have planned a week and a half previously to shoot into a parade they knew nothing about and whose line of march had not yet been disclosed. it was proved in court that the union men armed themselves at the very last moment, after everything else had failed and they had been left helpless to face the alternative of being driven out of town or being lynched. about this time eyewitnesses declare coils of rope were being purchased in a local hardware store. this rope is all cut up into little pieces now and most of it is dirty and stained. but many of centralia's best families prize their souvenir highly. they say it brings good luck to a family. a few days after the meeting just described william dunning, vice president of the lewis county trades and labor assembly, met warren grimm on the street. having fresh in his mind a recent talk about the raid in the labor council meetings, and being well aware of grimm's standing and influence, dunning broached the subject. "we've been discussing the threatened raid on the i.w.w. hall," he said. "who are you, an i.w.w.?" asked grimm. dunning replied stating that he was vice president of the labor assembly and proceeded to tell grimm the feeling of his organization on the subject. "decent labor ought to keep its hands off," was grimm's laconic reply. the sunday before the raid a public meeting was held in the union hall. about a hundred and fifty persons were in the audience, mostly working men and women of centralia. a number of loggers were present, dressed in the invariable mackinaw, stagged overalls and caulked shoes. john foss, an i.w.w. ship builder from seattle, was the speaker. secretary britt smith was chairman. walking up and down the isle, selling the union's pamphlets and papers was a muscular and sun-burned young man with a rough, honest face and a pair of clear hazel eyes in which a smile was always twinkling. he wore a khaki army coat above stagged overalls of a slightly darker shade,--wesley everest, the ex-soldier who was shortly to be mutilated and lynched by the mob. "i hope to jesus nothing happens" the atmosphere of the meeting was already tainted with the terror. nerves were on edge. every time any newcomer would enter the door the audience would look over their shoulders with apprehensive glances. at the conclusion of the meeting the loggers gathered around the secretary and asked him the latest news about the contemplated raid. for reply britt smith handed them copies of the leaflet "we must appeal" and told of the efforts that had been made and were being made to secure legal protection and to let the public know the real facts in the case. "if they raid the hall again as they did in the boys won't stand for it," said a logger. "if the law won't protect us we've got a right to protect ourselves," ventured another. "i hope to jesus nothing happens," replied the secretary. wesley everest laid down his few unsold papers, rolled a brown paper cigarette and smiled enigmatically over the empty seats in the general direction of the new one big union label on the front window. his closest friends say he was never afraid of anything in all his life. none of these men knew that loggers from nearby camps, having heard of the purchase of the coils of rope, were watching the hall night and day to see that "nothing happens." the next day, after talking things over with britt smith, mrs. mcallister, wife of the proprietor of the roderick hotel from whom the loggers rented the hall, went to see chief of police hughes. this is how she told of the interview: "i got worried and i went to the chief. i says to him 'are you going to protect my property?' hughes says, 'we'll do the best we can for you, but as far as the wobblies are concerned they wouldn't last fifteen minutes if the business men start after them. the business men don't want any wobblies in this town.'" the day before the tragedy elmer smith dropped in at the union hall to warn his clients that nothing could now stop the raid. "defend it if you choose to do so," he told them. "the law gives you that right." it was on the strength of this remark, overheard by the stool-pigeon, morgan, and afterwards reported to the prosecution, that elmer smith was hailed to prison charged with murder in the first degree. his enemies had been certain all along that his incomprehensible delusion about the law being the same for the poor man as the rich would bring its own punishment. it did; there can no longer be any doubt on the subject. [illustration: carting away wesley everest's body for burial after the mutilated body had been cut down in laid in the river for two days. then it was taken back to the city jail where it remained for two days more--as an object lesson--in plain view of the comrades of the murdered boy. everest was taken from this building to be lynched. during the first week after the tragedy this jail witnessed scenes of torture and horror that equaled the worst days of the spanish inquisition.] the scorpion's sting november th was a raw, gray day; the cold sunlight barely penetrating the mist that hung over the city and the distant tree-clad hills. the "parade" assembled at the city park. lieutenant cormier was marshal. warren grimm was commander of the centralia division. in a very short time he had the various bodies arranged to his satisfaction. at the head of the procession was the "two-fisted" centralia bunch. this was followed by one from chehalis, the county seat, and where the parade would logically have been held had its purpose been an honest one. then came a few sailors and marines and a large body of well dressed gentlemen from the elks. the school children who were to have marched did not appear. at the very end were a couple of dozen boy scouts and an automobile carrying pretty girls dressed in red cross uniforms. evidently this parade, unlike the one of , did not, like a scorpion, carry its sting in the rear. but wait until you read how cleverly this part of it had been arranged! the marchers were unduly silent and those who knew nothing of the lawless plan of the secret committee felt somehow that something must be wrong. city postmaster mccleary and a wicked-faced old man named thompson were seen carrying coils of rope. thompson is a veteran of the civil war and a minister of god. on the witness stand he afterwards swore he picked up the rope from the street and was carrying it "as a joke." it turned out that the "joke" was on wesley everest. "be ready for the command 'eyes right' or 'eyes left' when we pass the 'reviewing stand'," grimm told the platoon commanders just as the parade started. the procession covered most of the line of march without incident. when the union hall was reached there was some craning of necks but no outburst of any kind. a few of the out-of-town paraders looked at the place curiously and several business men were seen pointing the hall out to their friends. there were some dark glances and a few long noses but no demonstration. "when do we reach the reviewing stand?" asked a parader, named joe smith, of a man marching beside him. "hell, there ain't any reviewing stand," was the reply. "we're going to give the wobbly hall 'eyes right' on the way back." the head of the columns reached third avenue and halted. a command of 'about face' was given and the procession again started to march past the union hall going in the opposite direction. the loggers inside felt greatly relieved as they saw the crowd once more headed for the city. but the centralia and chehalis contingents, that had headed the parade, was now in the rear--just where the "scorpion sting" of the parade had been located! the danger was not yet over. "let's go! at 'em, boys!" the chehalis division had marched past the hall and the centralia division was just in front of it when a sharp command was given. the latter stopped squarely in front of the hall but the former continued to march. lieutenant cormier of the secret committee was riding between the two contingents on a bay horse. suddenly he placed his fingers to his mouth and gave a shrill whistle. immediately there was a hoarse cry of "let's go-o-o! at 'em, boys!" about sixty feet separated the two contingents at this time, the chehalis men still continuing the march. cromier spurred his horse and overtook them. "aren't you boys in on this?" he shouted. at the words "let's go," the paraders from both ends and the middle of the centralia contingent broke ranks and started on the run for the union headquarters. a crowd of soldiers surged against the door. there was a crashing of glass and a splintering of wood as the door gave way. a few of the marauders had actually forced their way into the hall. then there was a shot, three more shots ... and a small volley. from seminary hill and the avalon hotel rifles began to crack. [illustration: elks club, centralia it was here that the centralia conspiracy was hatched and the notorious "secret committee" appointed to do the dirty work.] the mob stopped suddenly, astounded at the unexpected opposition. out of hundreds of halls that had been raided during the past two years this was the first time the union men had attempted to defend themselves. it had evidently been planned to stampede the entire contingent into the attack by having the secret committeemen take the lead from both ends and the middle. but before this could happen the crowd, frightened at the shots started to scurry for cover. two men were seen carrying the limp figure of a soldier from the door of the hall. when the volley started they dropped it and ran. the soldier was a handsome young man, named arthur mcelfresh. he was left lying in front of the hall with his feet on the curb and his head in the gutter. the whole thing had been a matter of seconds. "i had no business being there" several men had been wounded. a pool of blood was widening in front of the doorway. a big man in officer's uniform was seen to stagger away bent almost double and holding his hands over his abdomen. "my god, i'm shot!" he had cried to the soldier beside him. this was warren o. grimm; the other was his friend, frank van gilder. grimm walked unassisted to the rear of a nearby soft drink place from whence he was taken to a hospital. he died a short time afterwards. van gilder swore on the witness stand that grimm and himself were standing at the head of the columns of "unoffending paraders" when his friend was shot. he stated that grimm had been his life-long friend but admitted that when his "life-long friend" received his mortal wound that he (van gilder), instead of acting like a hero in no man's land, had deserted him in precipitate haste. too many eye witnesses had seen grimm stagger wounded from the doorway of the hall to suit the prosecution. van gilder knew at which place grimm had been shot but it was necessary that he be placed at a convenient distance from the hall. it is reported on good authority that grimm, just before he died in the hospital, confessed to a person at his bedside: "it served me right, i had no business being there." a workingman, john patterson, had come down town on armistice day with his three small children to watch the parade. he was standing thirty-five feet from the door of the hall when the raid started. on the witness stand patterson told of being pushed out of the way by the rush before the shooting began. he saw a couple of soldiers shot and saw grimm stagger away from the doorway wounded in the abdomen. the testimony of dr. bickford at the corner's inquest under oath was as follows: "i spoke up and said i would lead if enough would follow, but before i could take the lead there were many ahead of me. someone next to me put his foot against the door and forced it open, after which a shower of bullets poured through the opening about us." dr. bickford is an a.e.f. man and one of the very few legionaires who dared to tell the truth about the shooting. the centralia business element has since tried repeatedly to ruin him. in trying to present the plea of self defense to the court, defense attorney vanderveer stated: "there was a rush, men reached the hall under the command of grimm, and yet counsel asks to have shown a specific overt act of grimm before we can present the plea of self-defense. would he have had the men wait with their lives at stake? the fact is that grimm was there and in defending themselves these men shot. grimm was killed because he was there. they could not wait. your honor, self defense isn't much good after a man is dead." the prosecution sought to make a point of the fact that the loggers had fired into a street in which there were innocent bystanders as well as paraders. but the fact remains that the only men hit by bullets were those who were in the forefront of the mob. through the hall window how the raid looked from the inside of the hall can best be described from the viewpoint of one of the occupants, bert faulkner, a union logger and ex-service man. faulkner described how he had dropped in at the hall on armistice day and stood watching the parade from the window. in words all the more startling for their sheer artlessness he told of the events which followed: first the grimacing faces of the business men, then as the soldiers returned, a muffled order, the smashing of the window, with the splinters of glass falling against the curtain, the crashing open of the door ... and the shots that "made his ears ring," and made him run for shelter to the rear of the hall, with the shoulder of his overcoat torn with a bullet. then how he found himself on the back stairs covered with rifles and commanded to come down with his hands in the air. finally how he was frisked to the city jail in an automobile with a business man standing over him armed with a piece of gas pipe. eugene barnett gave a graphic description of the raid as he saw it from the office of the adjoining roderick hotel. barnett said he saw the line go past the hotel. the business men were ahead of the soldiers and as this detachment passed the hotel returning the soldiers still were going north. the business men were looking at the hall and pointing it out to the soldiers. some of them had their thumbs to their noses and others were saying various things. [illustration: city park, centralia at this place the parade assembled that started out to raid the union hall and lynch its secretary.] "when the soldiers turned and came past i saw a man on horseback ride past. he was giving orders which were repeated along the line by another. as the rider passed the hotel he gave a command and the second man said: 'bunch up, men!' "when this order came the men all rushed for the hall. i heard glass break. i heard a door slam. there was another sound and then shooting came. it started from inside the hall. "as i saw these soldiers rush the hall i jumped up and threw off my coat. i thought there would be a fight and i was going to mix in. then came the shooting, and i knew i had no business there." later barnett went home and remained there until his arrest the next day. in the union hall, besides bert faulkner, were wesley everest, roy becker, britt smith, mike sheehan, james mcinerney and the "stool pigeon," these, with the exception of faulkner and everest, remained in the hall until the authorities came to place them under arrest. they had after the first furious rush of their assailants, taken refuge in a big and long disused ice box in the rear of the hall. britt smith was unarmed, his revolver being found afterwards, fully loaded, in his roll-top desk. after their arrest the loggers were taken to the city jail which was to be the scene of an inquisition unparalleled in the history of the united states. after this, as an additional punishment, they were compelled to face the farce of a "fair trial" in a capitalistic court. wesley everest but destiny had decided to spare one man the bitter irony of judicial murder. wesley everest still had a pocket full of cartridges and a forty-four automatic that could speak for itself. this soldier-lumberjack had done most of the shooting in the hall. he held off the mob until the very last moment, and, instead of seeking refuge in the refrigerator after the "paraders" had been dispersed, he ran out of the back door, reloading his pistol as he went. it is believed by many that arthur mcelfresh was killed inside the hall by a bullet fired by everest. in the yard at the rear of the hall the mob had already reorganized for an attack from that direction. before anyone knew what had happened everest had broken through their ranks and scaled the fence. "don't follow me and i won't shoot," he called to the crowd and displaying the still smoking blue steel pistol in his hand. "there goes the secretary!" yelled someone, as the logger started at top speed down the alley. the mob surged in pursuit, collapsing the board fence before them with sheer force of numbers. there was a rope in the crowd and the union secretary was the man they wanted. the chase that followed probably saved the life, not only of britt smith, but the remaining loggers in the hall as well. running pell-mell down the alley the mob gave a shout of exaltation as everest slowed his pace and turned to face them. they stopped cold, however, as a number of quick shots rang out and bullets whistled and zipped around them. everest turned in his tracks and was off again like a flash, reloading his pistol as he ran. the mob again resumed the pursuit. the logger ran through an open gateway, paused to turn and again fire at his pursuers; then he ran between two frame dwellings to the open street. when the mob again caught the trail they were evidently under the impression that the logger's ammunition was exhausted. at all events they took up the chase with redoubled energy. some men in the mob had rifles and now and then a pot-shot would be taken at the fleeing figure. the marksmanship of both sides seems to have been poor for no one appears to have been injured. dale hubbard this kind of running fight was kept up until everest reached the river. having kept off his pursuers thus far the boy started boldly for the comparative security of the opposite shore, splashing the water violently as he waded out into the stream. the mob was getting closer all the time. suddenly everest seemed to change his mind and began to retrace his steps to the shore. here he stood dripping wet in the tangled grasses to await the arrival of the mob bent on his destruction. everest had lost his hat and his wet hair stuck to his forehead. his gun was now so hot he could hardly hold it and the last of his ammunition was in the magazine. eye witnesses declare his face still wore a quizzical, half bantering smile when the mob overtook him. with the pistol held loosely in his rough hand everest stood at bay, ready to make a last stand for his life. seeing him thus, and no doubt thinking his last bullet had been expended, the mob made a rush for its quarry. "stand back!" he shouted. "if there are 'bulls' in the crowd, i'll submit to arrest; otherwise lay off of me." [illustration: blind tom lassiter tom lassiter is the blind news dealer who was kidnapped and deported out of town in june, , by a gang of business men. his stand was raided and the contents burned in the street. he had been selling the seattle union record, the industrial worker and solidarity. county attorney allen said he couldn't help to apprehend the criminals and would only charge them with third degree assault if they were found. the fine would be one dollar and costs! lassiter is now in jail in chehalis charged with "criminal syndicalism."] no attention was paid to his words. everest shot from the hip four times,--then his gun stalled. a group of soldiers started to run in his direction. everest was tugging at the gun with both hands. raising it suddenly he took careful aim and fired. all the soldiers but one wavered and stopped. everest fired twice, both bullets taking effect. two more shots were fired almost point blank before the logger dropped his assailant at his feet. then he tossed away the empty gun and the mob surged upon him. the legionaire who had been shot was dale hubbard, a nephew of f.b. hubbard, the lumber baron. he was a strong, brave and misguided young man--worthy of a nobler death. "let's finish the job!" everest attempted a fight with his fists but was overpowered and severely beaten. a number of men clamoured for immediate lynching, but saner council prevailed for the time and he was dragged through the streets towards the city jail. when the mob was half a block from this place the "hot heads" made another attempt to cheat the state executioner. a wave of fury seemed here to sweep the crowd. men fought with one another for a chance to strike, kick or spit in the face of their victim. it was an orgy of hatred and blood-lust. everest's arms were pinioned, blows, kicks and curses rained upon him from every side. one business man clawed strips of bleeding flesh from his face. a woman slapped his battered cheek with a well groomed hand. a soldier tried to lunge a hunting rifle at the helpless logger; the crowd was too thick. he bumped them aside with the butt of the gun to get room. then he crashed the muzzle with full force into everest's mouth. teeth were broken and blood flowed profusely. a rope appeared from somewhere. "let's finish the job!" cried a voice. the rope was placed about the neck of the logger. "you haven't got guts enough to lynch a man in the daytime," was all he said. at this juncture a woman brushed through the crowd and took the rope from everest's neck. looking into the distorted faces of the mob she cried indignantly, "you are curs and cowards to treat a man like that!" there may be human beings in centralia after all. wesley everest was taken to the city jail and thrown without ceremony upon the cement floor of the "bull pen." in the surrounding cells were his comrades who had been arrested in the union hall. here he lay in a wet heap, twitching with agony. a tiny bright stream of blood gathered at his side and trailed slowly along the floor. only an occasional quivering moan escaped his torn lips as the hours slowly passed by. "here is your man" later, at night, when it was quite dark, the lights of the jail were suddenly snapped off. at the same instant the entire city was plunged in darkness. a clamour of voices was heard beyond the walls. there was a hoarse shout as the panel of the outer door was smashed in. "don't shoot, men," said the policemen on guard, "here is your man." it was night now, and the business men had no further reason for not lynching the supposed secretary. everest heard their approaching foot steps in the dark. he arose drunkenly to meet them. "tell the boys i died for my class," he whispered brokenly to the union men in the cells. these were the last words he uttered in the jail. there were sounds of a short struggle and of many blows. then a door slammed and, in a short time the lights were switched on. the darkened city was again illuminated at the same moment. outside three luxurious automobiles were purring them selves out of sight in the darkness. the only man who had protested the lynching at the last moment was william scales. "don't kill him, men," he is said to have begged of the mob. but it was too late. "if you don't go through with this you're an i.w.w. too," they told him. scales could not calm the evil passions he had helped to arouse. but how did it happen that the lights were turned out at such an opportune time? could it be that city officials were working hand in glove with the lynch mob? defense attorney vanderveer offered to prove to the court that such was the case. he offered to prove this was a part of the greater conspiracy against the union loggers and their hall,--offered to prove it point by point from the very beginning. incidentally vanderveer offered to prove that earl craft, electrician in charge of the city lighting plant, had left the station at seven o'clock on armistice day after securely locking the door; and that while craft was away the lights of the city were turned off and wesley everest taken out and lynched. furthermore, he offered to prove that when craft returned, the lights were again turned on and the city electrician, his assistant and the mayor of centralia were in the building with the door again locked. these offers were received by his honor with impassive judicial dignity, but the faces of the lumber trust attorneys were wreathed with smiles at the audacity of the suggestion. the corporation lawyers very politely registered their objections which the judge as politely sustained. the night of horrors after everest had been taken away the jail became a nightmare--as full of horrors as a madman's dream. the mob howled around the walls until late in the night. inside, a lumber trust lawyer and his official assistants were administering the "third degree" to the arrested loggers, to make them "confess." one at a time the men were taken to the torture chamber, and so terrible was the ordeal of this american inquisition that some were almost broken--body and soul. loren roberts had the light in his brain snuffed out. today he is a shuffling wreck. he is not interested in things any more. he is always looking around with horror-wide eyes, talking of "voices" and "wires" that no one but himself knows anything about. there is no telling what they did to the boy, but he signed the "confession." its most incriminating statement must have contained too much truth for the prosecution. it was never used in court. when interviewed by frank walklin of the seattle union record the loggers told the story in their own way: "i have heard tales of cruelty," said james mcinerney, "but i believe what we boys went through on those nights can never be equaled. i thought it was my last night on earth and had reconciled myself to an early death of some kind, perhaps hanging. i was taken out once by the mob, and a rope was placed around my neck and thrown over a cross-bar or something. "i waited for them to pull the rope. but they didn't. i heard voices in the mob say, 'that's not him,' and then i was put back into the jail." john hill lamb, another defendant, related how several times a gun was poked through his cell window by some one who was aching to get a pot shot at him. being ever watchful he hid under his bunk and close to the wall where the would-be murderer could not see him. britt smith and roy becker told with bated breath about everest as he lay half-dead in the corridor, in plain sight of the prisoners in the cells on both sides. the lights went out and everest, unconscious and dying, was taken out. the men inside could hear the shouts of the mob diminishing as everest was hurried to the chehalis river bridge. [illustration: bert bland logger. american. (brother of o.c. bland.) one of the men who fired from seminary hill. bland has worked all his life in the woods. he joined the industrial workers of the world during the great strike of . bert bland took to the hills after the shooting and was captured a week later during the man hunt.] none of the prisoners was permitted to sleep that night; the fear of death was kept upon them constantly, the voices outside the cell windows telling of more lynchings to come. "every time i heard a footstep or the clanking of keys," said britt smith, "i thought the mob was coming after more of us. i didn't sleep, couldn't sleep; all i could do was strain my ears for the mob i felt sure was coming." ray becker, listening at britt's side, said: "yes, that was one hell of a night." and the strain of that night seems to linger in their faces; probably it always will remain--the expression of a memory that can never be blotted out. when asked if they felt safer when the soldiers arrived to guard the centralia jail, there was a long pause, and finally the answer was "yes." "but you must remember," offered one, "that they took 'em out at tulsa from a supposedly guarded jail; and we couldn't know from where we were what was going on outside." "for ten days we had no blankets," said mike sheehan. "it was cold weather, and we had to sleep uncovered on concrete floors. in those ten days i had no more than three hours sleep." "the mob and those who came after the mob wouldn't let us sleep. they would come outside our windows and hurl curses at us, and tell each of us it would be our turn next. they brought in wesley everest and laid him on the corridor floor; he was bleeding from his ears and mouth and nose, was curled in a heap and groaning. and men outside and inside kept up the din. i tried to sleep; i was nearly mad; my temples kept pounding like sledge-hammers. i don't know how a man can go through all that and live--but we did." all through the night the prisoners could hear the voices of the mob under their cell windows. "well, we fixed that guy everest all right," some one would say. "now we'll get roberts." then the lights would snap off, there would be a shuffling, curses, a groan and the clanking of a steel door. all the while they were being urged to "come clean" with a statement that would clear the lumber trust of the crime and throw the blame onto its victims. mcinerney's neck was scraped raw by the rope of the mob but he repeatedly told them to "go to hell!" morgan, the stool-pigeon, escaped the torture by immediate acquiescence. someone has since paid his fare to parts unknown. his "statement" didn't damage the defense. [illustration: ray becker logger, american born. twenty-five years of age. studied four years for the ministry before going to work in the woods. his father and brother are both preachers. becker joined the industrial workers of the world in and has always been a strong believer in the cause of the solidarity of labor. he has the zeal of a prophet and the courage of a lion. defended himself inside the hall with an ivor johnson, , until his ammunition was exhausted. he surrendered to the authorities--not the mob.] the human fiend but with the young logger who had been taken out into the night things were different. wesley everest was thrown, half unconscious, into the bottom of an automobile. the hands of the men who had dragged him there were sticky and red. their pant legs were sodden from rubbing against the crumpled figure at their feet. through the dark streets sped the three machines. the smooth asphalt became a rough road as the suburbs were reached. then came a stretch of open country, with the chehalis river bridge only a short distance ahead. the cars lurched over the uneven road with increasing speed, their headlights playing on each other or on the darkened highway. wesley everest stirred uneasily. raising himself slowly on one elbow he swung weakly with his free arm, striking one of his tormentors full in the face. the other occupants immediately seized him and bound his hands and feet with rope. it must have been the glancing blow from the fist of the logger that gave one of the gentlemen his fiendish inspiration. reaching in his pocket he produced a razor. for a moment he fumbled over the now limp figure in the bottom of the car. his companions looked on with stolid acquiescence. suddenly there was a piercing scream of pain. the figure gave a convulsive shudder of agony. after a moment wesley everest said in a weak voice: "for christ's sake, men; shoot me--don't let me suffer like this." on the way back to centralia, after the parade rope had done its deadly work, the gentlemen of the razor alighted from the car in front of a certain little building. he asked leave to wash his hands. they were as red as a butcher's. great clots of blood were adhering to his sleeves. "that's about the nastiest job i ever had to do," was his casual remark as he washed himself in the cool clear water of the washington hills. the name of this man is known to nearly everybody in centralia. he is still at large. the headlight of the foremost car was now playing on the slender steel framework of the chehalis river bridge. this machine crossed over and stopped, the second one reached the middle of the bridge and stopped while the third came to a halt when it had barely touched the plankwork on the near side. the well-dressed occupants of the first and last cars alighted and proceeded at once to patrol both approaches to the bridge. lynching--an american institution wesley everest was dragged out of the middle machine. a rope was attached to a girder with the other end tied in a noose around his neck. his almost lifeless body was hauled to the side of the bridge. the headlights of two of the machines threw a white light over the horrible scene. just as the lynchers let go of their victim the fingers of the half dead logger clung convulsively to the planking of the bridge. a business man stamped on them with a curse until the grip was broken. there was a swishing sound; then a sudden crunching jerk and the rope tied to the girder began to writhe and twist like a live thing. this lasted but a short time. the lynchers peered over the railing into the darkness. then they slowly pulled up the dead body, attached a longer rope and repeated the performance. this did not seem to suit them either, so they again dragged the corpse through the railings and tied a still longer rope around the horribly broken neck of the dead logger. the business men were evidently enjoying their work, and besides, the more rope the more souvenirs for their friends, who would prize them highly. this time the knot was tied by a young sailor. he knew how to tie a good knot and was proud of the fact. he boasted of the stunt afterwards to a man he thought as beastly as himself. in all probability he never dreamed he was talking for publication. but he was. the rope had now been lengthened to about fifteen feet. the broken and gory body was kicked through the railing for the last time. the knot on the girder did not move any more. then the lynchers returned to their luxurious cars and procured their rifles. a headlight flashed the dangling figure into ghastly relief. it was riddled with volley after volley. the man who fired the first shot boasted of the deed afterwards to a brother lodge member. he didn't know he was talking for publication either. on the following morning the corpse was cut down by an unknown hand. it drifted away with the current. a few hours later frank christianson, a tool of the lumber trust from the attorney general's office, arrived in centralia. "we've got to get that body," this worthy official declared, "or the wobs will find it and raise hell over its condition." the corpse was located after a search. it was not buried, however, but carted back to the city jail, there to be used as a terrible object lesson for the benefit of the incarcerated union men. the unrecognizable form was placed in a cell between two of the loggers who had loved the lynched boy as a comrade and a friend. something must be done to make the union men admit that they, and not the lumber interests, had conspired to commit murder. this was the final act of ruthlessness. it was fruitful in results. one "confession," one judas and one shattered mind were the result of their last deed of fiendish terrorism. [illustration: the burial of the mob's victim no undertaker would handle everest's body. the autopsy was performed by a man from portland, who hung the body up by the heels and played a hose on it. the men lowering the plank casket into the grave are union loggers who had been caught in the police drag net and taken from jail for this purpose.] no undertaker could be found to bury everest's body, so after two days it was dropped into a hole in the ground by four union loggers who had been arrested on suspicion and were released from jail for this purpose. the "burial" is supposed to have taken place in the new cemetery; the body being carried thither in an auto truck. the union loggers who really dug the grave declare, however, that the interment took place at a desolate spot "somewhere along a railroad track." another body was seen, covered with ashes in a cart, being taken away for burial on the morning of the twelfth. there are persistent rumors that more than one man was lynched on the eve of armistice day. a guard of heavily armed soldiers had charge of the funeral. the grave has since been obliterated. rumor has it that the body has since been removed to camp lewis. no one seems to know why or when. "as comical as a corner" an informal inquest was held in the city jail. a man from portland performed the autopsy, that is, he hung the body up by the heels and played a water hose on it. everest was reported by the corner's jury to have met his death at the hands of parties unknown. it was here that dr. bickford let slip the statement about the hall being raided before the shooting started. this was the first inkling of truth to reach the public. coroner livingstone, in a jocular mood, reported the inquest to a meeting of gentlemen at the elks' club. in explaining the death of the union logger, dr. livingstone stated that wesley everest had broken out of jail, gone to the chehalis river bridge and jumped off with a rope around his neck. finding the rope too short he climbed back and fastened on a longer one; jumped off again, broke his neck and then shot himself full of holes. livingstone's audience, appreciative of his tact and levity, laughed long and hearty. business men still chuckle over the joke in centralia. "as funny as a funeral" is no longer the stock saying in this humorous little town; "as comical as a coroner" is now the approved form. the man-hunt acting on the theory that "a strong offensive is the best defense," the terrorists took immediate steps to conceal all traces of their crime and to shift the blame onto the shoulders of their victims. the capitalist press did yeoman service in this cause by deluging the nation with a veritable avalanche of lies. for days the district around centralia and the city itself were at the mercy of a mob. the homes of all workers suspected of being sympathetic to labor were spied upon or surrounded and entered without warrant. doors were battered down at times, and women and children abused and insulted. heavily armed posses were sent out in all directions in search of "reds." all roads were patrolled by armed business men in automobiles. a strict mail and wire censorship was established. it was the open season for "wobblies" and intimidation was the order of the day. the white terror was supreme. an associated press reporter was compelled to leave town hastily without bag or baggage because he inadvertently published dr. bickford's indiscreet remark about the starting of the trouble. men and women did not dare to think, much less think aloud. some of them in the district are still that way. to eugene barnett's little home came a posse armed to the teeth. they asked for barnett and were told by his young wife that he had gone up the hill with his rifle. placing a bayonet to her breast they demanded entrance. the brave little woman refused to admit them until they had shown a warrant. barnett surrendered when he had made sure he was to be arrested and not mobbed. o.c. bland, bert bland, john lamb and loren roberts were also apprehended in due time. two loggers, john doe davis and ole hanson, who were said to have also fired on the mob, have not yet been arrested. a vigorous search is still being made for them in all parts of the country. it is believed by many that one of these men was lynched like everest on the night of november th. [illustration: court house at montesano--and a little "atmosphere" the trial was held on the third floor of the building as you look at the picture. the soldiers were sent for over the head of the judge by one of the lumber trust attorneys of the prosecution. their only purpose was to create the proper "atmosphere" for an unjust conviction.] hypocrisy and terror the reign of terror was extended to cover the entire west coast. over a thousand men and women were arrested in the state of washington alone. union halls were closed and kept that way. labor papers were suppressed and many men have been given sentences of from one to fourteen years for having in their possession copies of periodicals which contained little else but the truth about the centralia tragedy. the seattle union record was temporarily closed down and its stock confiscated for daring to hint that there were two sides to the story. during all this time the capitalist press was given full rein to spread its infamous poison. the general public, denied the true version of the affair, was shuddering over its morning coffee at the thought of i.w.w. desperadoes shooting down unoffending paraders from ambush. but the lumber interests were chortling with glee and winking a suggestive eye at their high priced lawyers who were making ready for the prosecution. jurymen were shortly to be drawn and things were "sitting pretty," as they say in poker. adding a characteristic touch to the rotten hypocrisy of the situation came a letter from supreme court judge mcintosh to george dysart, whose son was in command of a posse during the manhunt. this remarkable document is as follows: kenneth mackintosh, judge the supreme court, state of washington olympia. george dysart, esq., centralia, wash. my dear dysart: november , . i want to express to you my appreciation of the high character of citizenship displayed by the people of centralia in their agonizing calamity. we are all shocked by the manifestation of barbarity on the part of the outlaws, and are depressed by the loss of lives of brave men, but at the same time are proud of the calm control and loyalty to american ideals demonstrated by the returned soldiers and citizens. i am proud to be an inhabitant of a state which contains a city with the record which has been made for centralia by its law-abiding citizens. sincerely, (signed) kenneth mackintosh. "patriotic" union smashing not to be outdone by this brazen example of judicial perversion, attorney general thompson, after a secret conference of prosecuting attorneys, issued a circular of advice to county prosecutors. in this document the suggestion was made that officers and members of the industrial workers of the world in washington be arrested by the wholesale under the "criminal syndicalism" law and brought to trial simultaneously so that they might not be able to secure legal defense. the astounding recommendation was also made that, owing to the fact that juries had been "reluctant to convict," prosecutors and the bar association should co-operate in examining jury panels so that "none but courageous and patriotic americans" secure places on the juries. this effectual if somewhat arbitrary plan was put into operation at once. since the tragedy at centralia dozens of union workers have been convicted by "courageous and patriotic" juries and sentenced to serve from one to fourteen years in the state penitentiary. hundreds more are awaiting trial. the verdict at montesano is now known to everyone. truly the lives of the four legion boys which were sacrificed by the lumber interests in furtherance of their own murderous designs, were well expended. the investment was a profitable one and the results are no doubt highly gratifying. but just the same the despicable plot of the attorney general is an obvious effort to defeat the purpose of the courts and obtain unjust convictions by means of what is termed "jury fixing." there may be honor among thieves but there is plainly none among the public servants they have working for them! [illustration: mike sheenan born in ireland. years old. has been a union man for over fifty years, having joined his grandfather's union when he was only eight. has been through many strikes and has been repeatedly black-hated, beaten and even exiled. he was a stoker in the navy during the spanish war. mike sheehan was arrested in the union hall, went through the horrible experience in the city jail and was found "not guilty" by the jury. like elmer smith, he was re-arrested on another similar charge and thrown back in jail.] the only sane note sounded during these dark days, outside of the startling statement of dr. bickford, came from montana. edward bassett, commander of the butte post of the american legion and an over-seas veteran, issued a statement to the labor press that was truly remarkable: "the i.w.w. in centralia, wash., who fired upon the men that were attempting to raid the i.w.w. headquarters, were fully justified in their act. "mob rule in this country must be stopped, and when mobs attack the home of a millionaire, of a laborer, or of the i.w.w., it is not only the right but the duty of the occupants to resist with every means in their power. if the officers of the law can not stop these raids, perhaps the resistance of the raided may have that effect. "whether the i.w.w. is a meritorious organization or not, whether it is unpopular or otherwise, should have absolutely nothing to do with the case. the reports of the evidence at the coroner's jury show that the attack was made before the firing started. if that is true, i commend the boys inside for the action that they took. "the fact that there were some american legion men among the paraders who everlastingly disgraced themselves by taking part in the raid, does not affect my judgment in the least. any one who becomes a party to a mob bent upon unlawful violence, cannot expect the truly patriotic men of the american legion to condone his act." vanderveer's opening speech defense attorney george vanderveer hurried across the continent from chicago to take up the legal battle for the eleven men who had been arrested and charged with the murder of warren o. grimm. the lumber interests had already selected six of their most trustworthy tools as prosecutors. it is not the purpose of the present writer to give a detailed story of this "trial"--possibly one of the greatest travesties on justice ever staged. this incident was a very important part of the centralia conspiracy but a hasty sketch, such as might be portrayed in these pages, would be an inadequate presentation at best. it might be well, therefore, to permit mr. vanderveer to tell of the case as he told it to the jury in his opening and closing arguments. details of the trial itself can be found in other booklets by more capable authors. vanderveer's opening address appears in part below: may it please the court and gentlemen of the jury:--as you have already sensed from our examination of you and from a question which i propounded to counsel at the close of his statement yesterday, the big question in this case is, who was the aggressor, who started the battle? was it on the one side a deliberately planned murderous attack upon innocent marchers, or was it on the other side a deliberately planned wicked attack upon the i.w.w., which they merely resisted? that, i say, is the issue. i asked counsel what his position would be in order that you might know it, and that he said was his position, that he would stand and fall and be judged by it, and i say to you now that is our position, and we will stand or fall and be judged by that issue. in order that you may properly understand this situation, and the things that led up to it, the motives underlying it, the manner in which it was planned and executed, i want to go just a little way back of the occurrence on november th, and state to you in rough outline the situation that existed in centralia, the objects that were involved in this case, the things each are trying to accomplish and the way each went about it. there has been some effort on the part of the state to make it appear it is not an i.w.w. trial. i felt throughout that the i.w.w. issue must come into this case, and now that they have made their opening statement, i say unreservedly it is here in this case, not because we want to drag it in here, but because it can't be left out. to conceal from you gentlemen that it is an i.w.w. issue would be merely to conceal the truth from you and we, on our part, don't want to do that now or at any time hereafter. the i.w.w. is at the bottom of this. not as an aggressor, however. it is a labor organization, organized in chicago in , and it is because of the philosophy for which it stands and because of certain tactics which it evolves that this thing arose. [illustration: james mcinerney logger. born in county claire, ireland. joined the industrial workers of the world in . was wounded on the steamer "verona" when the lumber trust tried to exterminate the union lumberworkers with bullets at everett, washington. mcinerney was one of those trapped in the hall. he surrendered to officers of the law. while in the city jail his neck was worn raw with a hangman's rope in an effort to make him "confess" that the loggers and not the mob had started the trouble. mcinerney told them to "go to hell." he is irish and an i.w.w. and proud of being both.] a labor movement on trial the i.w.w. is the representative in this country of the labor movement of the rest of the world it is the representative in the united states of the idea that capitalism is wrong: that no man has a right, moral or otherwise, to exploit his fellow men, the idea that our industrial efforts should be conducted not for the profits of any individual but should be conducted for social service, for social welfare. so the i.w.w. says first, that the wage system is wrong and that it means to abolish that wage system. it says that it intends to do this, not by political action, not by balloting, but by organization on the industrial or economical field, precisely as employers, precisely as capital is organized on the basis of the industry, not on the basis of the tool. the i.w.w. says industrial evolution has progressed to that point there the tool no longer enforces craftsmanship. in the place of a half dozen or dozen who were employed, each a skilled artisan, employed to do the work, you have a machine process to do that work and it resulted in the organization of the industry on an industrial basis. you have the oil industry, controlled by the standard oil; you have the lumber industry, controlled by the lumbermen's association of the south and west, and you have the steel and copper industry, all organized on an industrial basis resulting in a fusing, or corporation, or trust of a lot of former owners. now the i.w.w. say if they are to compete with our employers, we must compete with our employers as an organization, and as they are organized so we must protect our organization, as they protect themselves. and so they propose to organize into industrial unions; the steel workers and the coal miners, and the transportation workers each into its own industrial unit. this plan of organization is extremely distasteful to the employers because it is efficient; because it means a new order, a new system in the labor world in this country. the meaning of this can be gathered, in some measure, from the recent experiences in the steel strike of this country, where they acted as an industrial unit; from the recent experiences in the coal mining industry, where they acted as an industrial unit. instead of having two or three dozen other crafts, each working separately, they acted as an industrial unit. when the strike occurred it paralyzed industry and forced concessions to the demands of the workers. that is the first thing the i.w.w. stands for and in some measure and in part explains the attitude capital has taken all over the country towards it. in the next place it says that labor should organize on the basis of some fundamental principle; and labor should organize for something more than a mere bartering and dickering for fifty cents a day or for some shorter time, something of that sort. it says that the system is fundamentally wrong and must be fundamentally changed before you can look for some improvement. its philosophy is based upon government statistics which show that in a few years in this country our important industries have crept into more than two-thirds of our entire wealth. seventy-five per cent of the workers in the basic industry are unable to send their children to school. seventy-one per cent of the heads of the families in our basic industries are unable to provide a decent living for their families without the assistance of the other members. twenty-nine per cent of our laborers are able to live up to the myth that he is the head of the family. the results of these evils are manifold. our people are not being raised in decent vicinities. they are not being raised and educated. their health is not being cared for; their morals are not being cared for. i will show you that in certain of our industries where the wages are low and the hours are long, that the children of the working people die at the rate of to per thousand inhabitants under the age of one year because of their undernourishment, lack of proper housing and lack of proper medical attention and because the mothers of these children before they are born and when the children are being carried in the mother's womb that they are compelled to go into the industries and work and work and work, and before the child can receive proper nourishment the mother is compelled to go back into the industry and work again. the i.w.w.'s say there must be a fundamental change and that fundamental change must be in the line of reorganization of industry, for public service, so that the purpose shall be that we will work to live and not merely live to work. work for service rather than work for profit. [illustration: james mcinerney (after he had undergone the "third degree".) mcinerney had a rope around his neck nearly all night before this picture was taken. one end of the rope had been pulled taut over a beam by his tormentors. mcinerney had told them to "go to hell." "it's no use trying to get anything out of a man like that," was the final decision of the inquisitors.] to kill an ideal... some time in september, counsel told you, the i.w.w., holding these beliefs, opened a hall in centralia. back of that hall was a living room, where britt smith lived, kept his clothes and belongings and made his home. from then on the i.w.w. conducted a regular propaganda meeting every saturday night. these propaganda meetings were given over to a discussion of these industrial problems and beliefs. from that district there were dispatched into nearby lumber camps and wherever there were working people to whom to carry this message--there were dispatched organizers who went out, made the talks in the camps briefly and sought to organize them into this union, at least to teach them the philosophy of this labor movement. because that propaganda is fatal to those who live by other people's work, who live by the profits they wring from labor, it excited intense opposition on the part of employers and business people of centralia and about the time this hall was opened we will show you that people from seattle, where they maintain their headquarters for these labor fights, came into centralia and held meetings. i don't know what they call this new thing they were seeking to organize--it is in fact a branch of the merchants' and manufacturers' association of the united states, a national organization whose sole purpose is to fight and crush and beat labor. it was in no sense a local movement because it started in seattle and it was organized by people from seattle, and the purpose was to organize in centralia an organization of business men to combat this new labor philosophy. whether in the mouths of the i.w.w., or nonpartisan league, or the socialists, it did not make any difference; to brand anybody as a traitor, un-american, who sought to tell the truth about our industrial conditions. the two raids in the fall of , the i.w.w. had a hall two blocks and a half from this hall, at the corner of first and b streets. there was a red cross parade, and that hall was wrecked, just as was this hall. these profiteering gentlemen never overlook an opportunity to capitalize on a patriotic event, and so they capitalized the red cross parade that day just as they capitalized the armistice day parade on november , and in exactly the same way as on november . and that day, when the tail-end of the parade of the red cross passed the main avenue, it broke off and went a block out of its way and attacked the i.w.w. hall, a good two-story building. and they broke it into splinters. the furniture, records, the literature that belongs to these boys, everything was taken out into the street and burned. [illustration: o. c. bland logger. american. resident of centralia for a number of years. has worked in woods and mills practically all his life. has a wife and seven children. bland was in the arnold hotel at the time of the raid. he was armed but had cut his hand on broken glass before he had a chance to shoot. since his arrest and conviction his family has undergone severe hardships. the defense is making an effort to raise enough funds to keep the helpless wives and children of the convicted men in the comforts of life.] now, what was contemplated on armistice day? the i.w.w. did as you would do; it judged from experience. patience no longer a virtue when the paraders smashed the door in, the i.w.w.'s, as every lover of free speech and every respecter of his person--they had appealed to the citizens, they had appealed to the officers, and some of their members had been tarred and feathered, beaten up and hung--they said in thought: "patience has ceased to be a virtue." and if the law will not protect us, and the people won't protect us, we will protect ourselves. and they did. and in deciding this case, i want each of you, members of the jury, to ask yourself what would you have done? there had been discussions of this character in the i.w.w. hall, and so have there been discussions everywhere. there had never been a plot laid to murder anybody, nor to shoot anybody in any parade. i want you to ask yourself: "why would anybody want to shoot anybody in a parade," and to particularly ask yourself why anyone would want to shoot upon soldiers? he who was a soldier himself, wesley everest, the man who did most of the shooting, and the man whom they beat until he was unconscious and whom they grabbed from the street and put a rope around his neck, the man whom they nearly shot to pieces, and the man whom they hung, once dropping him ten feet, and when what didn't kill him lengthened the rope to feet and dropped him again--why would one soldier want to kill another soldier, or soldiers, who had never done him nor his fellows any harm? i exonerate the american legion as an organization of the responsibility of this. for i say they didn't know about it. the day will come when they will realize that they have been mere catspaws in the hands of the centralia commercial interests. that is the story. i don't know what the verdict will be today, but the verdict ten years hence will be the verdict in the lovejoy case; that these men were within their rights and that they fought for a cause, that these men fought for liberty. they fought for these things for which we stand and for which all true lovers of liberty stand, and those who smashed them up are the real enemies of our country. this is a big case, counsel says, the biggest case that has ever been tried in this country, but the biggest thing about these big things is from beginning to end it has been a struggle on the one side for ideals and on the other side to suppress those ideals. this thing was started with hubbard at its head. it is being started today with hubbard at its head in this courtroom, and i don't believe you will fall for it. vanderveer's closing argument there are only two real issues in this case. one is the question: who was the aggressor in the armistice day affray? the other is: was eugene barnett in the avalon hotel window when that affray occurred? we have proven by unimpeachable witnesses that there was a raid on the i.w.w. hall in centralia on november --a raid, in which the business interests of the city used members of the american legion as catspaws. we have shown that warren o. grimm, for the killing of whom these defendants are on trial, actually took park in that raid, and was in the very doorway of the hall when the attack was made, despite the attempts of the prosecution to place grimm feet away when he was shot. we have proven a complete alibi for eugene barnett through unshaken and undisputable witnesses. he was not in the avalon hotel during the riot; he was in the roderick hotel lobby; he had no gun and he took no part in the shooting. in my opening statement, i said i would stand or fall on the issue of: who was the aggressor on armistice day? i have stood by that promise, and stand by it now. mr. abel, specially hired prosecutor in this trial, made the same promise. so did herman allen, the official lewis county prosecutor, who has been so ingloriously shoved aside by mr. abel and his colleague, mr. cunningham, ever since the beginning here. but a few days ago, when the defense was piling up evidence showing that there was a raid on the i.w.w. hall by the paraders, mr. abel backed down. why were the shots fired? i was careful in the beginning to put him on record on that point; all along i knew that he and mr. allen would back down on the issue of who was the aggressor; they could not uphold their contention that the armistice day paraders were fired upon in cold blood while engaged in lawful and peaceful action. what possible motive could these boys have had for firing upon innocent marching soldiers? it is true that the marchers were fired upon; that shots were fired by some of these defendants; but why were the shots fired? [illustration: john lamb logger. american. joined the industrial workers of the world in . lamb was in the arnold hotel with o.c. bland during the raid on the hall. neither of them did any shooting. john lamb has lived for years in centralia. he is married and has five children who are left dependent since the conviction.] there is only one reason why--they were defending their own legal property against unlawful invasion and attack; they were defending the dwelling place of britt smith, their secretary. and they had full right to defend their lives and that property and that home against violence or destruction; they had a right to use force, if necessary, to effect that defense. the law gives them that right; and it accrues to them also from all of the wells of elementary justice. the law says that when a man or group of men have reason to fear attack from superior numbers, they may provide whatever protection they may deem necessary to repel such an attack. and it says also that if a man who is in bad company when such an attack is made happens to be killed by the defenders, those defenders are not to be considered guilty of that man's death. so they had the troops come, to blow bugles and drill in the streets where the jury could see; their power, however wielded, was great enough to cause governor hart to send the soldiers here without consulting the trial judge or the sheriff, whose function it was to preserve law and order here--and you know, i am sure, that law and order were adequately preserved here before the troops came. "fearful of the truth" they tried the moth-eaten device of arresting our witnesses for alleged perjury, hoping to discredit those witnesses thus in your eyes because they knew they couldn't discredit them in any regular nor legitimate way. fearful of the truth, the guilty ones at centralia deliberately framed up evidence to save themselves from blame--to throw the responsibility for the armistice day horror onto other men. but they bungled the frame-up badly. no bolder nor cruder fabrication has ever been attempted than the ridiculous effort to fasten the killing of warren grimm upon eugene barnett. [illustration: court room in which the farcical "trial" took place this garish room in the court house at montesano was the scene of the attempted "judicial murder" that followed the lynching. the judge always entered his chambers through the door under the word "transgression": the jury always left through the door over which "instruction" appears. in this room the lumber trust attorneys attempted to build a gallows of perjured testimony on which to break the necks of innocent men.] these conspirators were clumsy enough in their planning to drive the i.w.w. out of town; their intent was to stampede the marching soldiers into raiding the i.w.w. hall. but how much more clumsy was the frame-up afterward--the elaborate fixing of many witnesses to make it appear that grimm was shot at tower avenue and second street when he actually was shot in front of the hall; and to make it appear that ben casagranda and earl watts were shot around the corner on second street, when they were actually shot on tower avenue, close to the front of the hall. these conspirators were clumsy enough in their planning to drive the i.w.w. out of town; their intent was to stampede the marching soldiers into raiding the i.w.w. hall. but how much more clumsy was the frame-up afterward--the elaborate fixing of many witnesses to make it appear that grimm was shot at tower avenue and second street when he actually was shot in front of the hall; and to make it appear that ben casagranda and earl watts were shot around the corner on second street, when they were actually shot on tower avenue, close to the front of the hall. then, you will remember, i compelled elsie hornbeck to admit that she had been shown photographs of barnett by the prosecution. she would not have told this fact, had i not trapped her into admitting it; that was obvious to everybody in this courtroom that day. you have heard the gentlemen of the prosecution assert that this is a murder trial, and not a labor trial. but they have been careful to ask all our witnesses whether they were i.w.w. members, whether they belonged to any labor union, and whether they were sympathetic towards workers on trial for their lives. and when the answer to any of these questions was yes, they tried to brand the witness as one not worthy of belief. their policy and thus browbeating working people who were called as witnesses is in keeping with the tactics of the mob during the days when it held centralia in its grasp. you know, even if the detailed story has been barred from the record, of the part f.r. hubbard, lumber baron, played in this horror at centralia. you have heard from various witnesses that the lumber mill owned by hubbard's corporation, the eastern railway and lumber company, is a notorious non-union concern. and you have heard it said that w.a. abel, the special prosecutor here, has been an ardent and active labor-baiter for years. hubbard wanted to drive the i.w.w. out of centralia. why did he want to drive them out? he said they were a menace. and it is true that they were a menace, and are a menace--to those who exploit the workers who produce the wealth for the few to enjoy. why were ropes carried? was there a raid on the hall before the shooting? dr. frank bickford, a reputable physician, appeared here and repeated under oath what he had sworn to at the coroner's inquest--that when the parade stopped, he offered to lead a raid on the hall if enough would follow,--but that others pushed ahead of him, forced open the door, and then the shots came from inside. and why did the rev. h.w. thompson have a rope? thompson believes in hanging men by the neck until they are dead. when the state employers' association and others wanted the hanging law in washington revived not long ago, the reverend thompson lectured in many cities and towns in behalf of that law. and he has since lectured widely against the i.w.w. did he carry a rope in the parade because he owned a cow and a calf? or what? why did the prosecution need so many attorneys here, if it had the facts straight? why were scores of american legion members imported here to sit at the trial at a wage of $ per day and expenses? they have told you this was a murder trial, and not a labor trial. but vastly more than the lives of ten men are the stakes in the big gamble here; for the right of workers to organize for the bettering of their own condition is on trial; the right of free assemblage is on trial; democracy and americanism are on trial. in our opening statement, we promised to prove various facts; and we have proven them, in the main; if there are any contentions about which the evidence remains vague, this circumstance exists only because his honor has seen fit to rule out certain testimony which is vital to the case, and we believed, and still believe, was entirely material and properly admissible. but is there any doubt in your minds that there was a conspiracy to raid the i.w.w. hall, and to run the industrial workers of the world out of town? even if the court will not allow you to read the handbill issued by the i.w.w., asking protection from the citizens of centralia have you any doubt that the i.w.w. had reason to fear an attack from warren grimm and his fellow marchers? and have you any doubt that there was a raid on the hall? when i came into this case i knew that we were up against tremendous odds. terror was loose in centralia; prejudice and hatred against the i.w.w. was being systematically and sweepingly spread in grays harbor county and throughout the whole northwest; and intimidation or influence of some sort was being employed against every possible witness and talesman. [illustration: george vanderveer this man single handed opposed six high priced lumber trust prosecutors in the famous trial at montesano. vanderveer is a man of wide experience and deep social vision. he was at one time prosecuting attorney for king county, washington. the lumber trust has made countless threats to "get him." "a lawyer with a heart is as dangerous as a workingman with brains."] not only were unlimited money and other resources of the lewis county commercial interests banded against us, but practically all the attorneys up and down the pacific coast had pledged themselves not to defend any i.w.w., no matter how great nor how small the charge he faced. our investigators were arrested without warrant; solicitors for our defense fund met with the same fate. and when the trial date approached, the judge before whom this case is being heard admitted that a fair trial could not be had here, because of the surging prejudice existent in this community. then, five days later, the court announced that the law would not permit a second change of venue, and that the trial must go ahead in montesano. in the face of these things, and in the face of all the atmosphere of violence and bloodthirstiness which the prosecution has sought to throw around these defendants, i am placing our case in your hands; i am intrusting to you gentlemen to decide upon the fate of ten human beings--whether they shall live or die or be shut away from their fellows for months or years. but i am asking you much more than that--i am asking you to decide the fate of organized labor in the northwest; whether its fundamental rights are to survive or be trampled underfoot. the lumber trust wins the jury on saturday evening, march th, the jury brought in its final verdict of guilty. in the face of the very evident ability of the lumber interests, to satisfy its vengeance at will, any other verdict would have been suicidal--for the jury. the prosecution was out for blood and nothing less than blood. day by day they had built the structure of gallows right there in the courtroom. they built a scaffolding on which to hang ten loggers--built it of lies and threats and perjury. dozens of witnesses from the chamber of commerce and the american legion took the stand to braid a hangman's rope of untruthful testimony. some of these were members of the mob; on their white hands the blood of wesley everest was hardly dry. and they were not satisfied with sending their victims to prison for terms of from to years, they wanted the pleasure of seeing their necks broken. but they failed. two verdicts were returned; his honor refused to accept the first; no intelligent man can accept the second. here is the way the two verdicts compare with each other: elmer smith and mike sheehan were declared not guilty and loren roberts insane, in both the first and second verdicts. britt smith, o.c. bland, james mcinerney, bert bland and ray becker were found guilty of murder in the second degree in both instances, but eugene barnett and john lamb were at first declared guilty of manslaughter, or murder "in the third degree" in the jury's first findings, and guilty of second degree murder in the second. the significant point is that the state made its strongest argument against the four men whom the jury practically exonerated of the charge of conspiring to murder. more significant is the fact that the whole verdict completely upsets the charge of conspiracy to murder under which the men were tried. the difference between first and second degree murder is that the former, first degree, implies premeditation while the other, second degree, means murder that is not premeditated. now, how in the world can men be found guilty of conspiring to murder without previous premeditation? the verdict, brutal and stupid as it is, shows the weakness and falsity of the state's charge more eloquently than anything the defense has ever said about it. but labor says, "not guilty!" but another jury had been watching the trial. their verdict came as a surprise to those who had read the newspaper version of the case. no sooner had the twelve bewildered and frightened men in the jury box paid tribute to the power of the lumber trust with a ludicrous and tragic verdict than the six workingmen of the labor jury returned their verdict also. those six men represented as many labor organizations in the pacific northwest with a combined membership of many thousands of wage earners. the last echoes of the prolonged legal battle had hardly died away when these six men sojourned to tacoma to ballot, deliberate and to reach their decision about the disputed facts of the case. at the very moment when the trust-controlled newspapers, frantic with disappointment, were again raising the blood-cry of their pack, the frank and positive statement of these six workers came like a thunderclap out of a clear sky,--"not guilty!" the labor jury had studied the development of the case with earnest attention from the beginning. day by day they had watched with increasing astonishment the efforts of the defense to present, and of the prosecution and the judge to exclude, from the consideration of the trial jury, the things everybody knew to be true about the tragedy at centralia. day by day the sordid drama had been unfolded before their eyes. day by day the conviction had grown upon them that the loggers on trial for their lives were being railroaded to the gallows by the legal hirelings of the lumber trust. the labor jury was composed of men with experience in the labor movement. they had eyes to see through a maze of red tape and legal mummery to the simple truth that was being hidden or obscured. the lumber trust did not fool these men and it could not intimidate them. they had the courage to give the truth to the world just as they saw it. they were convinced in their hearts and minds that the loggers on trial were innocent. and they would have been just as honest and just as fearless had their convictions been otherwise. it cannot be said that the labor jury was biased in favor of the defendants or of the i.w.w. if anything, they were predisposed to believe the defendants guilty and their union an outlaw organization. it must be remembered that all the labor jury knew of the case was what it had read in the capitalist newspapers prior to their arrival at the scene of the trial. these men were not radicals but representative working men--members of conservative unions--who had been instructed by their organizations to observe impartially the progress of the trial and to report back to their unions the result of their observations. read their report: labor's verdict labor temple, tacoma, march , , : p.m. the labor jury met in the rooms of the labor temple and organized, electing p. k. mohr as foreman. present: j.a. craft, w.j. beard, otto newman, theodore mayer, e.w. thrall and p.k. mohr. . on motion a secret ballot of guilty or not guilty was taken, the count resulting in a unanimous "not guilty!" . shall we give our report to the press? verdict, "yes." [illustration: labor's silent jury w.j. beard, central labor council, tacoma: paul k. mohr, central labor council, seattle: theodore meyer, central labor council, everett: e.w. thrall, brotherhood of railway trainmen, centralia: john a. craft, metal trades council, seattle.] . was there a conspiracy to raid the i.w.w. hall on the part of the business interests of centralia? verdict, "yes." there was evidence offered by the defense to show that the business interests held a meeting at the elk's club on october , , at which ways and means to deal with the i.w.w. situation were discussed. f.b. hubbard, chief of police hughes and william scales, commander of the american legion at centralia, were present. prosecuting attorney allen was quoted as having said, "there is no law that would let you run the i.w.w. out of town." chief of police hughes said, "you cannot run the i.w.w. out of town; they have violated no law." f.g. hubbard said, "it's a damn shame; if i was chief i would have them out of town in hours." william scales, presiding at the meeting, said that although he was not in favor of a raid, there was no american jury that would convict them if they did, or words to that effect. he then announced that he would appoint a secret committee to deal with the i.w.w. situation. . was the i.w.w. hall unlawfully raided? verdict, "yes." the evidence introduced convinces us that an attack was made before a shot was fired. . had the defendants a right to defend their hall. verdict, "yes." on a former occasion the i.w.w. hall was raided, furniture destroyed and stolen, ropes placed around their necks and they were otherwise abused and driven out of town by citizens, armed with pick handles. . was warren o. grimm a party to the conspiracy of raiding the i.w.w. hall? verdict, "yes." the evidence introduced convinces us that warren o. grimm participated in the raid of the i.w.w. hall. . to our minds the most convincing evidence that grimm was in front of and raiding the i.w.w. hall with others, is the evidence of state witness van gilder who testified that he stood at the side of grimm at the intersection of second street and tower avenue, when, according to his testimony, grimm was shot. this testimony was refuted by five witnesses who testified that they saw grimm coming wounded from the direction of the i.w.w. hall. it is not credible that van gilder, who was a personal and intimate friend of grimm, would leave him when he was mortally wounded, to walk half a block alone and unaided. . did the defendants get a fair and impartial trial? verdict, "no." the most damaging evidence of a conspiracy by the business men of centralia, of a raid on the i.w.w. hall, was ruled out by the court and not permitted to go to the jury. this was one of the principal issues that the defense sought to establish. also the calling of the federal troops by prosecuting attorney allen was for no other reason than to create atmosphere. on interviewing the judge, sheriff and prosecuting attorney, the judge and the sheriff informed us that in their opinion the troops were not needed and that they were brought there without their consent or knowledge. in the interview mr. allen promised to furnish the substance of the evidence which in his opinion necessitated the presence of the troops the next morning, but on the following day he declined the information. he, however, did say that he did not fear the i.w.w., but was afraid of violence by the american legion. this confession came after he was shown by us the fallacy of the i.w.w. coming armed to interfere with the verdict. also the presence of the american legion in large numbers in court. theodore meyer, everett central labor council; john o. craft, seattle metal trades council; e.w. thrall, brotherhood of railway trainmen, centralia; w.j. beard, tacoma central labor council; otto newman, portland central labor council; p.k. mohr, seattle central labor council. the above report speaks for itself. it was received with great enthusiasm by the organizations of each of the jurymen when the verdict was submitted. on march th, the seattle central labor council voted unanimously to send the verdict to all of the central labor assemblies of the united states and canada. not only are the loggers vindicated in defending their property and lives from the felonious assault of the armistice day mob, but the conspiracy of the business interests to raid the hall and the raid itself were established. the participation of warren o. grimm is also accepted as proved beyond doubt. doubly significant is the statement about the "fair and impartial trial" that is supposed to be guaranteed all men under our constitution. nothing could more effectively stamp the seal of infamy upon the whole sickening rape of justice than the manly outspoken statements of these six labor jurors. perhaps the personalities of these men might prove of interest: e. w. thrall, of the brotherhood of railway trainmen, centralia, is an old time and trusted member of his union. as will be noticed, he comes from centralia, the scene of the tragedy. otto newman, of the central labor council, portland, oregon, has ably represented his union in the c.l.c. for some time. w.j. beard is organizer for the central labor council in tacoma, washington. he is an old member of the western federation of miners and remembers the terrible times during the strikes at tulluride. john o. craft is president of local , international union of steam operating engineers, of which union he has been a member for the last ten years. mr. craft has been actively connected with unions affiliated with the a.f. of l. since . theodore meyer was sent by the longshoremen of everett, washington. since he has been a member of the a.f. of l.; prior to that time being a member of the national sailors and firemen's union of great britain and ireland, and of the sailors' union of australia. p. k. mohr represents the central labor council of seattle and is one of the oldest active members in the seattle unions. mr. mohr became a charter member of the first bakers' union in and was its first presiding officer. he was elected delegate to the old western central labor council in . at one time mr. mohr was president of the seattle labor council. at the present time he is president of the bakers' union. such are the men who have studied the travesty on justice in the great labor trial at montesano. "not guilty" is their verdict. does it mean anything to you? wesley everest torn and defiant as a wind-lashed reed, wounded, he faced you as he stood at bay; you dared not lynch him in the light of day, but on your dungeon stones you let him bleed; night came ... and you black vigilants of greed,... like human wolves, seized hand upon your prey, tortured and killed ... and, silent, slunk away without one qualm of horror at the deed. once ... long ago ... do you remember how you hailed him king for soldiers to deride-- you placed a scroll above his bleeding brow and spat upon him, scourged him, crucified...? a rebel unto caesar--then as now-- alone, thorn-crowned, a spear wound in his side! --r.c. in "n.y. call." [illustration: fort decatur, january , ] blazing the way or true stories, songs and sketches of puget sound and other pioneers by emily inez denny with illustrations by the author and from authentic photographs seattle: rainier printing company, inc. copyright by emily inez denny published to my dear father and mother, faithful friends and counselors, whose pioneer life i shared, this book is affectionately dedicated by the author a star stood large and white awest, then time uprose and testified; they push'd the mailed wood aside, they toss'd the forest like a toy, that great forgotten race of men, the boldest band that yet has been together since the siege of troy, and followed it and found their rest. --miller preface blazing the way. in the early days when a hunter, explorer or settler essayed to tread the mysterious depths of the unknown forest of puget sound, he took care to "blaze the way." at brief intervals he stopped to cut with his sharp woodman's ax a generous chip from the rough bark of fir, hemlock or cedar tree, leaving the yellow inner bark or wood exposed, thereby providing a perfect guide by which he retraced his steps to the canoe or cabin. as the initial stroke it may well be emblematical of the beginnings of things in the great northwest. i do not feel moved to apologize for this book; i have gathered the fragments within my reach; such or similar works are needed to set forth the life, character and movement of the early days on puget sound. the importance of the service of the pioneers is as yet dimly perceived; what the pilgrim fathers were to new england, the pioneers were to the pacific coast, to the "nations yet to be," who, following in their footsteps, shall people the wilds with teeming cities, a "human sea," bearing on its bosom argosies of priceless worth. it does contain some items and incidents not generally known or heretofore published. i hope others may be provoked to record their pioneer experiences. i have had exceptional opportunities in listening to the thrice-told tales of parents and friends who had crossed the plains, as well as personal recollections of experiences and observation during a residence of over fifty years in the northwest, acknowledging also the good fortune of having been one of the first white children born on puget sound. every old pioneer has a store of memories of adventures and narrow escapes, hardships bravely endured, fresh pleasures enjoyed, rude but genial merrymakings, of all the fascinating incidents that made up the wonder-life of long ago. chronology is only a row of hooks to hang the garments of the past upon, else they may fall together in a confused heap. not having a full line of such supports on which to hang the weaving of my thoughts--i simply overturn my indian basket of chips picked up after "blazing the way," they being merely bits of beginnings in the northwest. e. i. denny. * * * * * note--the poem referred to on page will appear in another work.--author. index part i--the great march chapter page i. crossing the plains ii. down the columbia in ' iii. the settlement at alki iv. founding of seattle and indian war v. the murder of mccormick vi. killing cougars vii. pioneer child life viii. marching experiences of esther chambers ix. an olympia woman's trip across the plains in x. captain henry roeder on the trail part ii--men, women and adventures i. song of the pioneers ii. biographical notes and sketches, john denny, sarah latimer denny iii. david thomas denny iv. the first wedding on elliot bay v. louisa boren denny v_a_ madge decatur denny v_b_ anna louisa denny v_c_ william richard boren vi. arthur a. denny, mary a. denny vii. henry van asselt of duwamish viii. thomas mercer ix. dr. henry a. smith, the brilliant writer x. famous indian chiefs part iii--indian life and settlers' beginnings i. savage deeds of savage men ii. pioneer jokes and anecdotes iii. trails of commerce iv. building of the territorial university v. a chehalis letter, penned in ' vi. some pioneers of port townsend vii. personnel of the pioneer army synopsis of incidents. part i. page chapter i--crossing the plains--names of the denny company attacked by indians at american falls chapter ii--a narrow escape from going over the cascades about to sink in the cold waters of the columbia chapter iii--tramping a long trail landing of j. n. low, d. t. denny and lee terry at sgwudux (west seattle) exploring the duwampsh river names of party from "exact" chapter iv--a visit from wolves a flight to fort decatur battle of seattle story of john i. king's capture chapter v--a tragedy of the trail chapter vi--a hair-raising hunt for a cougar chapter vii--seeking the dead among the living the strawberry of memory three little girls and a pioneer "fourth" a rescue from drowning chapter viii--frontier experiences chapter ix--placating indians on the plains chapter x--capt. roeder's meeting with the bandit joaquin part ii. chapter i--poem--song of the pioneers chapter ii--a notable pioneer reformer, john denny chapter iii--a tireless foundation builder, david thomas denny threats from anti-chinese agitators his own account of arrival on elliott bay surrounded by indians trials and triumph chapter iv--a lively celebration of the first wedding on elliott bay story of a bear hunt chapter v--indian courtship on the day of battle chapter vi--discovery of shilshole or salmon bay an escape from murderous savages defense with a hatchet chapter vii--immune because of indian superstition chapter viii--saving an auburn-haired girl chapter ix--a grand description of a vast forest fire poem--"the mortgage" poem--"pacific's pioneers" chapter x--hanging of leschi poem--"the chief's reply" part iii. chapter i--shooting of lachuse the fight at fort nesqually abbie casto's fate chapter ii--how the old shell blew up a stump and cautioned mr. horton mr. beaty and the cheese chapter iii--poem--"the beaver's requiem" chapter iv--poem--"the voice of the old university bell" chapter v--charming description of early days on the chehalis chapter vi--founding of port townsend chapter vii--a number of noted names poem--"hail, and farewell" illustrations i fort decatur, jan. , frontispiece ii chips picked up facing page iii bargaining with indians at alki " " iv indian canoes sailing with north wind " " v log cabin in the swale " " vi where we wandered long ago " " vii a visit from our tillicum " " viii sarah, john and loretta denny " " ix david thomas denny " " x sons of l. b. and d. t. denny " " xi louisa b. denny " " xii a flower garden planted by l. b. denny " " xiii daughters of d. t. and l. b. denny " " xiv erythronium of lake union " " xv types of indian houses " " xvi last voyage of the lumei " " xvii a few artifacts of p. s. indians " " xviii ship belle isle " " xix rev. blaine, c. d. and wm. r. boren " " xx mrs. l. c. low " " blazing the way part i.--the great march chapter i crossing the plains. with faith's clear eye we saw afar in western sky our empire's star, and strong of heart and brave of soul, we marched and marched to reach the goal. unrolled a scroll, the great, gray plains, and traced thereon our wagon trains; our blazing campfires marked the road as night succeeding night they glowed. --song of the pioneers. the noble army of courageous, enduring, persistent, progressive pioneers who from time to time were found threading their way across the illimitable wilderness, forty or fifty years ago, in detached companies, often unknown and unknowing each other, have proved conclusively that an age of marvelous heroism is but recently past. [illustration: "chips picked up after blazing the way"] the knowledge, foresight, faith and force exhibited by many of these daring men and women proclaimed them endowed with the genius of conquerors. the merely physical aspect of the undertaking is overpowering. to transport themselves and their effects in slow and toilsome ways, through hundreds of miles of weary wilderness, uninhabited except by foes, over beetling mountain ranges, across swift and dangerous rivers, through waterless deserts, in the shadow of continual dread, required a fortitude and staying power seldom equaled in the history of human effort. but above and beyond all this, they carried the profound convictions of christian men and women, of patriots and martyrs. they battled with the forces of nature and implacable enemies; they found, too, that their moral battles must be openly fought year after year, often in the face of riotous disregard of the laws of god and man. arrived at their journey's end, they planted the youngest scions of the tree of liberty; they founded churches and schools, carefully keeping the traditions of civilization, yet in many things finding greater and truer freedom than they had left behind. the noblest of epics, masterpieces of painting, stupendous operas or the grandest spectacular drama could but meagerly or feebly express the characters, experiences and environment of those who crossed the plains for the pacific slope in the midst of the nineteenth century. "a mighty nation moving west, with all its steely sinews set against the living forests. hear the shouts, the shots of pioneers! the rended forests, rolling wheels, as if some half-checked army reels, recoils, redoubles, comes again, loud-sounding like a hurricane." --joaquin miller. it is my intention to speak more especially of one little company who were destined to take a prominent part in the laying of foundations in the state of washington. previous to , glowing accounts of the fertility, mildness, beauty and general desirability of oregon territory, which then included washington, reached the former friends and acquaintances of farley pierce, liberty wallace, the rudolphs and others who wrote letters concerning this favored land. added to the impression made thereby, the perusal of fremont's travels, the desire for a change of climate from the rigorous one of illinois, the possession of a pioneering spirit and the resolution was taken, "to the far pacific coast we will go;" acting upon it, they took their places in the great movement having for its watchword, "westward ho!" john denny, a kentuckian by birth, a pioneer of indiana and illinois, whose record as a soldier of , a legislator in company and fraternal relations with lincoln, baker, gates and trumbull, distinguished him for the most admirable qualities, was the leading spirit; his wife, sarah latimer denny, a tennessean, thrifty, wise, faithful and far-seeing, who had for many widowed years previous to her marriage to john denny, wrought out success in making a home and educating her three children in illinois, was a fit leader of pioneer women. these, with their grown-up sons and daughters, children and grandchildren, began the great journey across the plains, starting from cherry grove, knox county, illinois, on april th, . four "prairie schooners," as the canvas-covered wagons were called, three of them drawn by four-horse teams, one with a single span, a few saddle horses and two faithful watchdogs, whose value is well known to those who have traveled the wilds, made up the train. the names of these brave-hearted ones, ready to dare and endure all, are as follows: john denny, sarah latimer denny and their little daughter, loretta; a. a. denny, mary a. denny and their two children, catherine and lenora; c. d. boren, mrs. boren and their daughter, gertrude; the only unmarried woman, miss louisa boren, sister of mrs. a. a. denny and c. d. boren; c. crawford and family; four unmarried sons of john denny, d. t. denny, james, samuel and wiley denny. the wrench of parting with friends made a deep and lasting wound; no doubt every old pioneer of the pacific coast can recall the anguish of that parting, whose scars the healing years have never effaced. the route followed by our pioneers was the old emigrant road along the north side of the platte river, down the columbia and up the willamette to portland, oregon territory, which they afterwards left for their ultimate destination, puget sound, where they found nature so bountiful, a climate so moderate and their surroundings so ennobling that i have often heard them say they had no wish to return to dwell in the country from whence they came. past the last sign of civilization, the mormon town of kanesville, a mile or two east of the missouri river, the prairie schooners were fairly out at sea. the great missouri was crossed at council bluffs by ferryboat on the th of may. the site of the now populous city of omaha was an untrodden waste. from thence they followed the beaten track of the many who had preceded them to california and oregon. hundreds of wagons had ground their way over the long road before them, and beside this road stretched the narrower beaten track of the ox-drivers. on the platte, shortly after crossing the missouri, a violent thunderstorm with sheets of rain fell upon them at night, blowing down their tents and saturating their belongings, thereby causing much discomfort and inconvenience. of necessity the following day was spent in drying out the whole equipment. it served as a robust initiation in roughing it; up to that time they had carefully dressed in white night robes and lay down in neatly made beds, but many a night after this storm were glad to rest in the easiest way possible, when worn by travel and too utterly weary of the long day's heat and dust, with grinding and bumping of wheels, to think of the niceties of dainty living. for a time spring smiled on all the land; along the platte the prairies stretched away on either hand, delightfully green and fresh, on the horizon lay fleecy white clouds, islands of vapor in the ethereal azure sea above; but summer came on apace and the landscape became brown and parched. the second day west of the missouri our train fell in with a long line of eighteen wagons drawn by horses, and fraternizing with the occupants, joined in one company. this new company elected john denny as captain. it did not prove a harmonious combination, however; discord arose, and nowhere does it seem to arise so easily as in camp. there was disagreement about standing guard; fault was found with the captain and another was elected, but with no better results. our pioneers found it convenient and far pleasanter to paddle their own canoes, or rather prairie schooners, and so left the contentious ones behind. long days of travel followed over the monotonous expanse of prairie, each with scarcely varying incidents, toils and dangers. the stir of starting in the morning, the morning forward movement, the halt for the noonday meal, cooked over a fire of buffalo chips, and the long, weary afternoon of heat and dust whose passing brought the welcome night, marked the journey through the treeless region. at one of the noonings, the hopes of the party in a gastronomic line were woefully disappointed. a pailful of choice home-dried peaches, cooked with much care, had been set on a wagon tongue to cool and some unlucky movement precipitated the whole luscious, juicy mass into the sand below. it was an occurrence to make the visage lengthen, so far, far distant were the like of them from the hungry travelers. fuel was scarce a large part of the way until west of fort laramie, the pitch pine in the black hills made such fires as delight the hearts of campers. in a stretch of two hundred miles but one tree was seen, a lone elm by the river platte, which was finally cut down and the limbs used for firewood. when near this tree, the train camped over sunday, and our party first saw buffaloes, a band of perhaps twenty. d. t. denny and c. d. boren of the party went hunting in the hills three miles from the camp but other hunters had been among them and scattered the band, killing only one or two; however they generously divided the meat with the new arrivals. our two good hunters determined to get one if possible and tried stalking a shaggy-maned beast that was separated from the herd, a half mile from their horses left picketed on the grassy plain. shots were fired at him without effect and he ran away unhurt, fortunately for himself as well as his pursuers. one of the hunters, d. t. denny, said it might have been a very serious matter for them to have been charged by a wounded buffalo out on the treeless prairie where a man had nothing to dodge behind but his own shadow. on the prairie before they reached fort laramie a blinding hailstorm pelted the travelers. d. t. denny, who was driving a four-horse team in the teeth of the storm, relates that the poor animals were quite restive, no doubt suffering much from their shelterless condition. they had been well provided for as to food; their drivers carried corn which lasted for two hundred miles. the rich grass of five hundred miles of prairie afforded luxurious living beyond this, and everywhere along the streams where camp was made there was an abundance of fresh herbage to be found. many lonely graves were seen, graves of pioneers, with hopes as high, mayhap, as any, but who pitched their silent tents in the wilderness to await the judgment day. a deep solemnity fell upon the living as the train wound along, where on the side of a mountain was a lone grave heaped up with stones to protect it from the ravages of wolves. tall pines stood around it and grass and flowers adorned it with nature's broidery. several joined in singing an old song beginning "i came to the place where the white pilgrim lay, and pensively stood by his tomb, when in a low whisper i heard something say, 'how sweetly i sleep here alone.'" echoed only by the rustling of the boughs of scattered pines, moving gently in the wind. as they approached the upheaved mountainous country, lively interest, a keen delight in the novelty of their surroundings, and surprise at unexpected features were aroused in the minds of the travelers. a thoughtful one has said that the weird beauty of the wind river mountains impressed her deeply, their image has never left her memory and if she were an artist she could faithfully represent them on canvas. a surprise to the former prairie dwellers was the vast extent of the mountains, their imaginations having projected the sort of mountain range that is quite rare, a single unbroken ridge traversed by climbing up one side and going down the other! but they found this process must be repeated an indefinite number of times and over such roughness as their imaginations had never even suggested. what grinding, heaving and bumping over huge boulders! what shouting and urging of animals, what weary hours of tortured endurance dragged along! one of them remembers, too, perhaps vaguely, the suffering induced by an attack of the mysterious mountain fever. the desert also imposed its tax of misery. only at night could the desert be safely crossed. starting at four o'clock in the afternoon they traveled all the following night over an arid, desolate region, the green river desert, thirty miles, a strange journey in the dimness of a summer night with only the star-lamps overhead. in sight of the river, the animals made a rush for the water and ran in to drink, taking the wagons with them. often the names of the streams crossed were indicative of their character, suggestive of adventure or descriptive of their surroundings. thus "sweetwater" speaks eloquently of the refreshing draughts that slaked the thirst in contrast with the alkaline waters that were bitter; burnt river flowed past the blackened remains of an ancient forest and bear river may have been named for the ponderous game secured by a lucky hunter. by july of the train reached old fort hall, composed of a stockade and log houses, situated on the snake river, whose flood set toward the long-sought pacific shore. while camped about a mile from the fort the superintendent wrote for them directions for camping places where wood and water could be obtained, extending over the whole distance from fort hall to the dalles of the columbia river. he told james denny, brother of d. t. denny, that if they met indians they must on no account stop at their call, saying that the indians of that vicinity were renegade shoshones and horse thieves. on the morning of the fifth of july an old indian visited the camp, but no significance was attached to the incident, and all were soon moving quietly along in sight of the snake river; the road lay on the south side of the river, which is there about two hundred yards wide. an encampment of indians was observed, on the north side of the river, as they wound along by the american falls, but no premonition of danger was felt, on the contrary, they were absorbed in the contemplation of the falls and basin below. dark objects were seen to be moving on the surface of the wide pool and all supposed them to be ducks disporting themselves after the manner of harmless water fowl generally. what was their astonishment to behold them swiftly and simultaneously approach the river bank, spring out of the water and reveal themselves full grown savages! with guns and garments, but few of the latter probably, on their heads, they swam across and climbed up the bank to the level of the sage brush plain. the leader, attired in a plug hat and long, black overcoat flapping about his sinewy limbs, gun in hand, advanced toward the train calling out, "how-de-do! how-de-do! stop! stop!" twice repeating the words. the captain, grandfather john denny, answered "go back," emphasizing the order by vigorous gestures. mindful of the friendly caution of the superintendent at fort hall, the train moved on. the gentleman of the plains retired to his band, who dodged back behind the sagebrush and began firing at the train. one bullet threw up the dust under the horse ridden by one of the company. the frightened women and children huddled down as low as possible in the bottoms of the wagons, expecting the shots to penetrate the canvas walls of their moving houses. in the last wagon, in the most exposed position, one of the mothers sat pale and trembling like an aspen leaf; the fate of the young sister and two little daughters in the event of capture, beside the danger of her own immediate death were too dreadful to contemplate. in their extremity one said, "o, why don't they hurry! if i were driving i would lay on the lash!" when the indians found that their shots took no effect, they changed their tactics and ran down along the margin of the river under shelter of the bank, to head off the train at a point where it must go down one hill and up another. there were seven men with five rifles and two rifle-pistols, but these would have been of little avail if the teams had been disabled. d. t. denny drove the forward wagon, having one rifle and the pistols; three of the men were not armed. all understood the maneuver of the indians and were anxious to hurry the teams unless it was captain john denny, who was an old soldier and may have preferred to fight. sarah denny, his wife, looked out and saw the indians going down the river; no doubt she urged him to whip up. the order was given and after moments that seemed hours, down the long hill they rushed pell-mell, without lock or brake, the prairie schooners tossing like their namesakes on a stormy sea. what a breathless, panting, nightmare it seemed! if an axle had broken or a linchpin loosened the race would have been lost. but on, madly careening past the canyon where the indians intended to intercept them, tearing up the opposite hill with desperate energy, expecting every moment to hear the blood-curdling warwhoop, nor did they slacken their speed to the usual pace for the remainder of the day. as night approached, the welcome light of a campfire, that of j. n. low's company, induced them to stop. this camp was on a level near a bluff; a narrow deep stream flowed by into the snake river not far away. the cattle were corraled, with the wagons in a circle and a fire of brushwood built in the center. around the denny company's campfire, the women who prepared the evening meal were in momentary fear of receiving a shot from an ambushed foe, lit as they were against the darkness, but happily their fears were not realized. weary as the drivers were, guards were posted and watched all night. the dogs belonging to the train were doubtless a considerable protection, as they would have given the alarm had the enemy approached. one of the women went down to the brook the next morning to get water for the camp and saw the tracks of indian ponies in the dust on the opposite side of the stream. evidently they had followed the train to that point, but feared to attack the united forces of the two camps. after this race for life the men stood guard every night; one of them, d. t. denny, was on duty one-half of every other night and alternately slept on the ground under one of the wagons. this was done until they reached the cayuse country. on burnt river they met thirty warriors, the advance guard of their tribe who were moving, women, children, drags and dogs. the indians were friendly and cheeringly announced "heap sleep now; we are _good_ indians." the denny and low trains were well pleased to join their forces and traveled as one company until they reached their journey's end. the day after the indian attack, friendly visits were made and mrs. j. n. low recalls that she saw two women of denny's company frying cakes and doughnuts over the campfire, while two others were well occupied with the youngest of the travelers, who were infants. there were six men and two women in low's company and when the two companies joined they felt quite strong and traveled unmolested the remainder of the way. an exchange of experiences brought out the fact that low's company had crossed the missouri the third day of may and had traveled on the south side of the platte at the same time the denny company made their way along the north side of the same stream. at a tributary called big blue, as mrs. low relates, she observed the clouds rolling up and admonished her husband to whip up or they would not be able to cross for days if they delayed; they crossed, ascended the bluffs where there was a semicircle of trees, loosed the cattle and picketed the horses. by evening the storm reached them with lightning, heavy thunder and great piles of hail. the next morning the water had risen half way up tall trees. the indians stole the lead horse of one of the four-horse teams and mrs. low rode the other on a man's saddle. many western equestriennes have learned to be not too particular as to horse, habit or saddle and have proven also the greater safety and convenience of cross-saddle riding. in the black hills while traveling along the crest of a high ridge, where to get out of the road would have been disastrous, the train was met by a band of indians on ponies, who pressed up to the wagons in a rather embarrassing way, bent apparently upon riding between and separating the teams, but the drivers were too wise to permit this and kept close together, without stopping to parley with them, and after riding alongside for some distance, the designing but baffled redskins withdrew. the presence of the native inhabitants sometimes proved a convenience; especially was this true of the more peaceable tribes of the far west. on the umatilla river the travelers were glad to obtain the first fresh vegetable since leaving the cultivated gardens and fields of their old homes months before. one of the women traded a calico apron for green peas, which were regarded as a great treat and much enjoyed. farther on, as they neared the columbia, captain low, who was riding ahead of the train, met indians with salmon, eager to purchase so fine a fish and not wishing to stop the wagon, pulled off an overshirt over his head and exchanged it for the piscatorial prize. the food that had sustained them on the long march was almost military in its simplicity. corn meal, flour, rice (a little, as it was not then in common use), beans, bacon and dried fruits were the main dependence. they could spend but little time hunting and fishing. on bear river "david" and "louisa" each caught a trout, fine, speckled beauties. "david" and the other hunters of the company also killed sage hens, antelope and buffalo. after leaving the missouri river they had no opportunity to buy anything until they reached the snake river, where they purchased some dried salmon of the indians. chapter ii down the columbia in ' . after eighty days travel over one thousand seven hundred sixty-five miles of road these weary pilgrims reached the mighty river of the west, the vast columbia. at the dalles, the road across the plains was finished, from thence the great waterways would lead them to their journey's end. it was there the immigrants first feasted on the delicious river salmon, fresh from the foaming waters. the indians boiled theirs, making a savory soup, the odor of which would almost have fed a hungry man; the white people cooked goodly pieces in the trusty camp frying pan. not then accustomed to such finny monsters, they found a comparison for the huge cuts as like unto sides of pork, and a receptacle for the giant's morsels in a seaworthy washingtub. however, high living will pall unto the taste; one may really tire of an uninterrupted piscatorial banquet, and one of the company, a. a. denny, declared his intention of introducing some variety in the bill of fare. "plague take it," he said, "i'm tired of salmon--i'm going to have some chicken." but alas! the gallinaceous fowl, roaming freely at large, had also feasted frequently on fragments no longer fresh of the overplus of salmon, and its flavor was indescribable, wholly impossible, as the french say. it was "fishy" fish rather than fowl. at the dalles the company divided, one party composed of a majority of the men started over the mountains with the wagons and teams; the women and children prepared to descend the river in boats. in one boat, seated on top of the "plunder" were mrs. a. a. denny and two children, miss louisa boren, mrs. low and four children and mrs. boren and one child. the other boat was loaded in like manner with a great variety of useful and necessary articles, heaped up, on top of which sat several women and children, among whom were mrs. sarah denny, grandmother of the writer, and her little daughter, loretta. a long summer day was spent in floating down the great canyon where the majestic columbia cleaves the cascade range in twain. the succeeding night the first boat landed on an island in the river, and the voyagers went ashore to camp. during the night one of the little girls, gertrude boren, rolled out of her bed and narrowly escaped falling into the hurrying stream; had she done so she must have certainly been lost, but a kind providence decreed otherwise. re-embarking the following day, gliding swiftly on the current, they traversed a considerable distance and the second night approached the cascades. swifter and more turbulent, the rushing flood began to break in more furious foam-wreaths on every jagged rock, impotently striving to stay its onward rush to the limitless ocean. sufficient light enabled the observing eye to perceive the writhing surface of the angry waters, but the boatmen were stupified with drink! all day long they had passed a bottle about which contained a liquid facetiously called "blue ruin" and near enough their ruin it proved. i have penned the following description which met with the approval of one of the principal actors in what so nearly proved a tragedy: it was midnight on the mighty columbia. a waning moon cast a glowworm light on the dark, rushing river; all but one of the weary women and tired little children were deeply sunken in sleep. the oars creaked and dipped monotonously; the river sang louder and louder every boat's length. drunken, bloated faces leered foolishly and idiotically; they admonished each other to "keep 'er goin'." the solitary watcher stirred uneasily, looked at the long lines of foam out in midstream and saw how fiercely the white waves contended, and far swifter flew the waters than at any hour before. what was the meaning of it? hark! that humming, buzzing, hissing, nay, bellowing roar! the blood flew to her brain and made her senses reel; they must be nearing the last landing above the falls, the great cascades of the columbia. but the crew gave no heed. suddenly she cried out sharply to her sleeping sister, "mary! mary! wake up! we are nearing the falls, i hear them roar." "what is it, liza?" she said sleepily. "o, wake up! we shall all be drowned, the men don't know what they are doing." the rudely awakened sleepers seemed dazed and did not make much outcry, but a strong young figure climbed over the mass of baggage and confronting the drunken boatmen, plead, urged and besought them, if they considered their own lives, or their helpless freight of humanity, to make for the shore. "oh, men," she pleaded, "don't you hear the falls, they roar louder now. it will soon be too late, i beseech you turn the boat to shore. look at the rapids beyond us!" "thar haint no danger, miss, leastways not yet; wots all this fuss about anyhow? no danger," answered one who was a little disturbed; the others were almost too much stupified to understand her words and stood staring at the bareheaded, black haired young woman as if she were an apparition and were no more alarmed than if the warning were given as a curious mechanical performance, having no reference to themselves. repeating her request with greater earnestness, if possible, a man's voice broke in saying, "i believe she is right, put in men quick, none of us want to be drowned." fortunately this penetrated their besotted minds and they put about in time to save the lives of all on board, although they landed some distance below the usual place. a little farther and they would have been past all human help. one of the boatmen cheerfully acknowledged the next day that if it "hadn't been fur that purty girl they had a' gone over them falls, shure." the other boat had a similar experience; it began to leak profusely before they had gone very far and would soon have sunk, had not the crew, who doubtless were sober, made all haste to land. my grandmother has often related to me how she clasped her little child to her heart and resigned herself to a fate which seemed inevitable; also of a mrs. mccarthy, a passenger likewise, becoming greatly excited and alternately swearing and praying until the danger was past. an inconvenient but amusing feature was the soaked condition of the "plunder" and the way the shore and shrubbery thereon were decorated with "hiyu ictas," as the chinook has it, hung out to dry. finding it impossible to proceed, this detachment returned and took the mountain road. a tramway built by f. a. chenoweth, around the great falls, afforded transportation for the baggage of the narrowly saved first described. there being no accommodations for passengers, the party walked the tramroad; at the terminus they unloaded and stayed all night. no "commodious and elegant" steamer awaited them, but an old brig, bound for portland, received them and their effects. such variety of adventure had but recently crowded upon them that it was almost fearfully they re-embarked. a. a. denny observed to captain low, "look here, low, they say women are scarce in oregon and we had better be careful of ours." presumably they were, as both survive at the present day. from a proud ranger of the dashing main, the old brig had come down to be a carrier of salt salmon packed in barrels, and plunder of immigrants; as for the luckless passengers, they accommodated themselves as best they could. the small children were tied to the mast to keep them from falling overboard, as there were no bulwarks. beds were made below on the barrels before mentioned and the travel-worn lay down, but not to rest; the mosquitos were a bloodthirsty throng and the beds were likened unto a corduroy road. one of the women grumbled a little and an investigation proved that it was, as her husband said, "nothing but the tea-kettle" wedged in between the barrels. another lost a moccasin overboard and having worn out all her shoes on the way, went with one stockinged foot until they turned up the willamette river, then went ashore to a farmhouse where she was so fortunate as to find the owner of a new pair of shoes which she bought, and was thus able to enter the "city" of portland in appropriate footgear. after such vicissitudes, dangers and anxiety, the little company were glad to tarry in the embryo metropolis for a brief season; then, having heard of fairer shores, the restless pioneers moved on. chapter iii the settlement at alki. midway between port townsend and olympia, in full view looking west from the city of seattle, is a long tongue of land, washed by the sparkling waves of puget sound, called alki point. it helps to make elliott bay a beautiful land-locked harbor and is regarded with interest as being the site of the first settlement by white people in king county in what was then the territory of oregon. _alki_ is an indian word pronounced with the accent on the first syllable, which is _al_ as in altitude; _ki_ is spoken as _ky_ in silky. alki means "by and by." it doth truly fret the soul of the old settler to see it printed and hear it pronounced al-ki. the first movement toward its occupancy was on this wise: a small detachment of the advancing column of settlers, d. t. denny and j. n. low, left portland on the willamette, on the th of september, , with two horses carrying provisions and camp outfit. these men walked to the columbia river to round up a band of cattle belonging to low. the cattle were ferried over the river at vancouver and from thence driven over the old hudson bay company's trail to the mouth of cowlitz river, a tributary of the columbia, up the cowlitz to warbass landing and on to ford's prairie, a wide and rich one, where the band were left to graze on the luxuriant pasturage. on a steep, rocky trail along the cowlitz river, denny was following along not far behind a big, yellow ox that was scrambling up, trying vainly to get a firm foothold, when low, foreseeing calamity, called to him to "look out!" denny swerved a little from the path and at that moment the animal lost its footing and came tumbling past them, rolling over several times until it landed on a lower level, breaking off one of its horns. here was a narrow escape although not from a wild beast. they could not then stop to secure the animal although it was restored to the flock some time after. from ford's prairie, although footsore and weary, they kept on their way until olympia was reached. it was a long tramp of perhaps two hundred fifty miles, the exact distance could not be ascertained as the trail was very winding. as described by one of our earliest historians, olympia then consisted of about a dozen one-story frame cabins, covered with split cedar siding, well ventilated and healthy, and perhaps twice as many indian huts near the custom house, as olympia was then the port of entry for puget sound. the last mentioned structure afforded space on the ground floor for a store, with a small room partitioned off for a postoffice. our two pioneers found here lee terry, who had been engaged in loading a sailing vessel with piles. he fell in with the two persistent pedestrians and thus formed a triumvirate of conquerors of a new world. the pioneers tarried not in the embryo city but pushed on farther down the great inland sea. with captain fay and several others they embarked in an open boat, the captain, who owned the boat, intending to purchase salmon of the indians for the san francisco market. fay was an old whaling captain. he afterwards married mrs. alexander, a widow of whidby island, and lived there until his death. the little party spent their first night on the untrod shores of sgwudux, the indian name of the promontory now occupied by west seattle, landing on the afternoon of september th, , and sleeping that night under the protecting boughs of a giant cedar tree. on the th, low, denny and terry hired two young indians of chief sealth's (seattle's) tillicum (people), who were camped near by, to take them up the duwampsh river in a canoe. safely seated, the paddles dipped and away they sped over the dancing waves. the weather was fair, the air clear and a magnificent panorama spread around them. the whole forest-clad encircling shores of elliott bay, untouched by fire or ax, the tall evergreens thickly set in a dense mass to the water's edge stood on every hand. the great white dome of mount rainier, , feet high, before them, toward which they traveled; behind them, stretched along the western horizon, towiat or olympics, a grand range of snow-capped mountains whose foothills were covered with a continuous forest. entering the duwampsh river and ascending for several miles they reached the farther margin of a prairie where low and terry, having landed, set out over an indian trail through the woods, to look at the country, while denny followed on the river with the indians. on and on they went until denny became anxious and fired off his gun but received neither shot nor shout in answer. the day waned, it was growing dark, and as he returned the narrow deep river took on a melancholy aspect, the great forest was gloomy with unknown fears, and he was alone with strange, wild men whose language was almost unintelligible. nevertheless, he landed and camped with them at a place known afterward as the maple prairie. morning of the th of september saw them paddling up the river again in search of the other two explorers, whom they met coming down in a canoe. they had kept on the trail until an indian camp was reached at the junction of black and duwampsh rivers the night before. all returned to sgwudux, their starting point, to sleep under the cedar tree another night. on the evening of the th a scow appeared and stopped near shore where the water was quite deep. two women on board conversed with captain fay in chinook, evidently quite proud of their knowledge of the trade jargon of the northwest. the scow moved on up elliott bay, entered duwampsh river and ascended it to the claim of l. m. collins, where another settlement sprang into existence. on the th the pioneers moved their camp to alki point or sma-qua-mox as it was named by the indians. captain fay returned from down the sound on the forenoon of the th. that night, as they sat around the campfire, the pioneers talked of their projected building and the idea of split stuff was advanced, when captain fay remarked, "well, i think a log house is better in an indian country." "why, do you think there is any danger from the indians?" he was quickly asked. "well," he replied, with a sly twinkle in his eye, "it would keep off the stray bullets when they _poo mowich_" (shoot deer). these hints, coupled with subsequent experiences, awoke the anxiety of d. t. denny, who soon saw that there were swarms of savages to the northward. those near by were friendly, but what of those farther away? one foggy morning, when the distance was veiled in obscurity, the two young white men, lee and david, were startled to see a big canoe full of wild indians from away down the sound thrust right out of the dense fog; they landed and came ashore; the chief was a tall, brawny fellow with a black beard. they were very impudent, crowding on them and trying to get into the little brush tent, but lee terry stood in the door-way leaning, or braced rather, against the tree upon which one end of the frail habitation was fastened. the white men succeeded in avoiding trouble but they felt inwardly rather "shaky" and were much relieved when their rude visitors departed. these indians were skagits. the brush shelter referred to was made of boughs laid over a pole placed in the crotch of another pole at one end, the other end being held by a crotch fastened to a tree. in it was placed their scanty outfit and supplies, and there they slept while the cabin was building. a townsite was located and named "new york," which no doubt killed the place, exotics do not thrive in the northwest; however, the name was after changed to alki. d. t. denny and lee terry were left to take care of the "townsite" while j. n. low returned with captain fay to olympia and footed it over the trail again to the columbia. he carried with him a letter to a. a. denny in portland, remarkable as the first one penned by d. t. denny on puget sound, also in that upon it and the account given by low depended the decision of the rest of the party to settle on the shores of the great inland sea. the substance of the letter was, "come as soon as you can; we have found a valley that will accommodate one thousand families," referring to that of the duwampsh river. these two, david t. denny and lee terry, proceeded to lay the foundation of the first cabin built on elliott bay and also the first in king county. their only tools were an ax and a hammer. the logs were too heavy for the two white men to handle by themselves, and after they were cut, passing indians, muscular braves, were called on to assist, which they willingly did, mr. denny giving them bread as a reward, the same being an unaccustomed luxury to them. several days after the foundation was laid, l. m. collins and "nesqually john," an indian, passed by the camp and rising cabin, driving oxen along the beach, on their way to the claim selected by collins on the fertile banks of the duwampsh river. when d. t. denny and lee terry wrote their names on the first page of our history, they could not fully realize the import of their every act, yet no doubt they were visionary. sleeping in their little brush tent at night, what dreams may have visited them! dreams, perhaps, of fleets of white-winged ships with the commerce of many nations, of busy cities, of throngs of people. probably they set about chopping down the tall fir trees in a cheerful mood, singing and whistling to the astonishment of the pine squirrels and screech owls thus rudely disturbed. their camp equipage and arrangements were of the simplest and rudest and mr. denny relates that lee terry would not cook so he did the cooking. he made a "johnny cake" board of willow wood to bake bread upon. fish and game were cooked before the camp fire. the only cooking vessel was a tin pail. one evening old duwampsh curley, whose indian name was su-whalth, with several others, visited them and begged the privilege of camping near by. permission given, the indians built a fire and proceeded to roast a fine, fat duck transfixed on a sharp stick, placing a large clam shell underneath to catch the gravy. when it was cooked to their minds, curley offered a choice cut to the white men, who thanked him but declined to partake, saying that they had eaten their supper. old curley remembered it and in after years often reminded his white friend of the incident, laughing slyly, "he! he! boston man halo tikke siwash muck-a-muck" (white man do not like indian's food), knowing perfectly well the reason they would not accept the proffered dainty. j. n. low had returned to portland and terry went to olympia on the return trip of collins' scow, leaving david t. denny alone with "new york," the unfinished cabin and the indians. for three weeks he was the sole occupant and was ill a part of the time. meanwhile, the families left behind had not been idle, but having made up their minds that the end of their rainbow rested on puget sound, set sail on the schooner "exact," with others who intended to settle at various points on the inland sea, likewise a party of gold hunters bound for queen charlotte's island. they were one week getting around cape flattery and up the sound as far as alki point. it was a rough introduction to the briny deep, as the route covered the most tempestuous portion of the northwest coast. well acquainted as they were with prairie schooners, a schooner on the ocean was another kind of craft and they enjoyed (?) their first experience of seasickness crossing the bar of the columbia. as may be easily imagined, the fittings were not of the most luxurious kind and father, mother and the children gathered socially around a washing tub to pay their respects to neptune. the gold miners, untouched by mal de mer, sang jolly songs and played cards to amuse themselves. their favorite ditty was the round "three blind mice" and they sang also many good old campmeeting songs. poor fellows! they were taken captive by the indians of queen charlotte's island and kept in slavery a number of years until victorians sent an expedition for their rescue, paid their ransom and they were released. [illustration: bargaining with indians at alki, ] on a dull november day, the thirteenth of the month, this company landed on alki point. there were a. a. denny, his wife, mary boren denny, and their three little children; miss louisa boren, a younger sister of mrs. denny; c. d. boren and his family; j. n. low, mrs. low and their four children and wm. n. bell, mrs. sarah bell and their family. john and sarah denny with their little daughter, loretta, remained in oregon for several years and then removed to the sound. on that eventful morning the lonely occupant of the unfinished cabin was startled by an unusual sound, the rattling of an anchor chain, that of the "exact." not feeling well he had the night before made some hot tea, drank it, piled both his own and lee terry's blankets over him and slept long and late. hearing the noise before mentioned he rose hastily, pushed aside the boards leaned up for a door and hurried out and down to the beach to meet his friends who left the schooner in a long boat. it was a gloomy, rainy time and the prospect for comfort was so poor that the women, except the youngest who had no family cares, sat them down on a log on the beach and wept bitter tears of discouragement. not so with miss louisa boren, whose lively curiosity and love of nature led her to examine everything she saw, the shells and pebbles of the beach, rank shrubbery and rich evergreens that covered the bank, all so new and interesting to the traveler from the far prairie country. but little time could be spent, however, indulging in the luxury of woe as all were obliged to exert themselves to keep their effects from being carried away by the incoming tide and forgot their sorrow in busily carrying their goods upon the bank; food and shelter must be prepared, and as ever before they met the difficulties courageously. the roof of the cabin was a little imperfect and one of the pioneer children was rendered quite uncomfortable by the more or less regular drip of the rain upon her and in after years recalled it saying that she had forever after a prejudice against camping out. david t. denny inadvertantly let fall the remark that he wished they had not come. a. a. denny, his brother, came to him, pale with agitation, asking what he meant, and david attempted to allay his fears produced by anxiety for his helpless family, by saying that the cabin was not comfortable in its unfinished state. the deeper truth was that the sound country was swarming with indians. had the pioneers fully realized the risk they ran, nothing would have induced them to remain; their very unconsciousness afterward proved a safeguard. the rainy season was fairly under way and suitable shelter was an absolute necessity. soon other houses were built of round fir logs and split cedar boards. the householders brought quite a supply of provisions with them on the "exact;" among other things a barrel of dried apples, which proved palatable and wholesome. sea biscuit, known as hard-bread, and potato bread made of mashed potatoes and baked in the oven were oft times substitutes for or adjuncts of the customary loaf. there was very little game in the vicinity of the settlement and at first they depended on the native hunters and fishermen who brought toothsome wild ducks and venison, fresh fish and clams in abundance. one of the pioneers relates that some wily rascals betrayed them into eating pieces of game which he afterward was convinced were cut from a cougar. the indians who brought it called it "mowich" (deer), but the meat was of too light a color for either venison or bear, and the conformation of the leg bones in the pieces resembled _felis_ rather than _cervus_. but the roasts were savory, it was unseemly to make too severe an examination and the food supply was not then so certain as to permit indulgence in an over-nice discrimination. the inventive genius of the pioneer women found generous exercise in the manufacture of new dishes. the variations were rung on fish, potatoes and clams in a way to pamper epicures. clams in fry, pie, chowder, soup, stew, boil and bake--even pickled clams were found an agreeable relish. the great variety of food fishes from the kingly salmon to the tiny smelt, with crabs, oysters, etc., and their many modes of preparation, were perpetually tempting to the pioneer appetite. the question of food was a serious one for the first year, as the resources of this land of plenty were unknown at first, but the pushing pioneer proved a ready and adaptable learner. flour, butter, syrup, sugar, tea and coffee were brought at long intervals over great distances by sailing vessels. by the time these articles reached the settlement their value became considerable. game, fish and potatoes were staple articles of diet and judging from the stalwart frames of the indians were safe and substantial. trading with the indians brought about some acquaintance with their leading characteristics. on one occasion, the youngest of the white women, louisa boren, attempted to barter some red flannel for a basket of potatoes. the basket of "wapatoes" occupied the center of a level spot in front of the cabin, backed by a semicircle of perhaps twenty-five indians. a tall, bronze tyee (chief) stood up to wa-wa (talk). he wanted so much cloth; stretching out his long arms to their utmost extent, fully two yards. "no," she said, "i will give you so much," about one yard. "wake, cultus potlatch" (no, that is just giving them away) answered the indian, who measured several times and insisted that he would not trade for an inch less. out of patience at last, she disdainfully turned her back and retired inside the cabin behind a mat screen. no amount of coaxing from the savages could induce her to return, and the disappointed spectators filed off, bearing their "hyas mokoke" (very valuable) potatoes with them, no doubt marveling at the firmness of the white "slanna" (woman). a more successful deal in potatoes was the venture of a. a. denny and j. n. low, who traveled from alki to fort nesqually, in a big canoe manned by four indians and obtained fifty bushels of little, round, red potatoes grown by indians from seed obtained from the "sking george" men. the green hides of beeves were spread in the bottom of the canoe and the potatoes piled thereon. returning to alki it was a little rough and the vegetables were well moistened with salt chuck, as were the passengers also, probably, deponent saith not. it is not difficult for those who have traveled the sound in all kinds of weather to realize the aptness of the expression of the chinese cook of a camping party who were moving in a large canoe; when the waves began to rise, he exclaimed in agitation, "too littlee boat for too muchee big waters." it is well to bear in mind that the "sound" is a great inland sea. a tenderfoot's description of the water over which he floated, the timorous occupant of a canoe, testifies that it looked to him to be "two hundred feet deep, as clear as a kitten's eye and as cold as death." all the different sorts of canoes of which i shall speak in another chapter look "wobbly" and uncertain, yet the indians make long voyages of hundreds of miles by carefully observing the wind and tide. a large canoe will easily carry ten persons and one thousand pounds of baggage. one of these commodious travelers, with a load of natives and their "ictas" (baggage) landed on a stormy day at alki and the occupants spent several hours ashore. while engaged with their meal one of them exclaimed, "nannitch!" (look) at the same time pointing at the smoke of the campfire curling steadily straight upward. without another word they tumbled themselves and belongings aboard and paddled off in silent satisfaction. the ascending column of smoke was their barometer which read "fair weather, no wind." the white people, unacquainted with the shores, tides and winds of the great inland sea, did well to listen to their indian canoemen; sometimes their unwillingness to do so exposed them to great danger and even loss of life. the indians living on elliott bay were chiefly the indigenous tribe of d'wampsh or duwampsh, changed by white people into "duwamish." they gave abundant evidence of possessing human feeling beneath their rough exterior. one of the white women at alki, prepared some food for a sick indian child which finally recovered. the child's father, "old alki john," was a very "hard case," but his heart was tender toward his child, and to show his gratitude he brought and offered as a present to the kind white "slanna" (woman) a bright, new tin pail, a very precious thing to the indian mind. of course she readily accepted his thanks but persuaded him to keep the pail. savages though they were, or so appeared, the indians of elliott bay were correctly described in these words: "we found a race, though rude and wild, still tender toward friend or child, for dark eyes laughed or shone with tears as joy or sorrow filled the years. their black-eyed babes the red men kissed and captive brothers sorely missed; with broken hearts brown mothers wept when babes away by death were swept." --song of the pioneers. but there were amusing as well as pathetic experiences. the indians were like untaught children in many things. their curiosity over-came them and their innocent impertinence sometimes required reproof. in a cabin at alki one morning, a white woman was frying fish. warming by the fire stood "duwampsh curley;" the odor of the fish was doubtless appetizing; curley was moved with a wish to partake of it and reached out a dark and doubtful-looking hand to pick out a piece. the white woman had a knife in her hand to turn the pieces and raised it to strike the imprudent hand which was quickly and sheepishly withdrawn. had he been as haughty and ill-natured as some savages the result might have been disastrous, but he took the reproof meekly and mended his manners instead of retaliating. now and then the settlers were spectators in dramas of indian romance. "old alki john" had a wife whose history became interesting. for some unknown reason she ran away from puyallup to alki. her husband followed her, armed with a hudson bay musket and a frame of mind that boded no good. while a. a. denny, d. t. denny and alki john were standing together on the bank one day old john's observing eye caught sight of a strange indian ascending the bank, carrying his gun muzzle foremost, a suggestive position not indicative of peaceful intentions. "nannitch" (look) he said quietly; the stranger advanced boldly, but old john's calm manner must have had a soothing effect upon the bloodthirsty savage, as he concluded to "wa-wa" (talk) a little before fighting. so the gutturals and polysyllables of the native tongue fairly flew about until evidently, as mr. d. t. denny relates, some sort of compromise was effected. not then understanding the language, he could not determine just the nature of the arrangement, but has always thought it was amicably settled by the payment of money by "old alki john" to her former husband. this indian woman was young and fair, literally so, as her skin was very white, she being the whitest squaw ever seen among them; her head was not flattened, she was slender and of good figure. possibly she had white blood in her veins; her indian name was "si-a-ye." being left a widow, she was not left to pine alone very long; another claimed her hand and she became mrs. yeow-de-pump. when this one joined his brethren in the happy hunting ground, she remained a widow for some time, but is now the wife of the indian zacuse, mentioned in another place. there were women cabin builders. each married woman was given half the donation claim by patent from the government; improvement on her part of the claim was therefore necessary. on a fine, fair morning in the early spring of , two women set forth from the settlement at alki, to cross elliott bay in a fishing canoe, with indians to paddle and a large dog to protect them from possible wild animals in the forest, for in that wild time, bears, cougars and wolves roamed the shores of puget sound. landed on the opposite shore, the present site of seattle, they made their way slowly and with difficulty through the dense undergrowth of the heavy forest, there being not so much as a trail, over a long distance. arrived at the chosen spot, they cut with their own hands some small fir logs and laid the foundation of a cabin. while thus employed the weather underwent a change and on the return was rather threatening. the wind and waves were boisterous, the canine passenger was frightened and uneasy, thus adding to the danger. the water washed into the canoe and the human occupants suffered no little anxiety until they reached the beach at home. one of the conditions of safe travel in a canoe is a quiet and careful demeanor, the most approved plan being to sit down in the bottom of the craft and _stay there_. to have a large, heavy animal squirming about, getting up and lying down frequently, must have tried their nerve severely and it must have taken good management to prevent a serious catastrophe. the bell family were camped at that time on their claim in a rude shelter of indian boards and mats. the handful of white men at alki spent their time and energy in getting out piles for the san francisco market. at first they had very few appliances for handling the timber. the first vessel to load was the brig leonesa, which took a cargo of piles, cut, rolled and hauled by hand, as there were no cattle at the settlement. there were also no roads and lee terry went to puyallup for a yoke of oxen, which he drove down on the beach to alki. never were dumb brutes better appreciated than these useful creatures. but the winter, or rather rainy season, wore away; as spring approached the settlers explored the shores of the sound far and near and it became apparent that alki must wait till "by and by," as the eastern shore of elliott bay was found more desirable and the pioneers prepared to move again by locating donation claims on a portion of the land now covered by a widespread city, which will bring us to the next chapter, "the founding of seattle and indian war." the following is a brief recapitulation of the first days on puget sound; in these later years we see the rapid and skillful construction of elegant mansions, charming cottages and stately business houses, all in sight of the spot where stood the first little cabin of the pioneer. the builders of this cabin were d. t. denny, j. n. low and lee terry, assisted by the indians, the only tools, an ax and a hammer, the place alki point, the time, the fall of . they baked their bread before the fire on a willow board hewed from a piece of a tree which grew near the camp; the only cooking vessel was a tin pail; the salmon they got off the indians was roasted before the fire on a stick. the cabin was unfinished when the famous landing was made, november th, , because j. n. low returned to portland, having been on the sound but a few days, then lee terry boarded collins' scow on its return trip up sound leaving d. t. denny alone for about three weeks, during most of which time he was ill. this was low's cabin; after the landing of bell, boren and a. a. denny and the others of the party, among whom were low and c. c. terry, a roof was put on the unfinished cabin and they next built a. a. denny's and then two cabins of split cedar for bell and boren and their families. when they moved to the east side of elliott bay, bell's was the first one built. w. n. bell and d. t. denny built a. a. denny's on the east side, as he was sick. d. t. denny had served an apprenticeship in cabin building, young as he was, nineteen years of age, before he came to puget sound. the first of d. t. denny's cabins he built himself with the aid of three indians. there was not a stick or piece of sawed stuff in it. however, by the august following his marriage, which took place january rd, , he bought of h. l. yesler lumber from his sawmill at about $ . per m. to put up a little board house, sixteen by twenty feet near the salt water, between madison and marion streets, seattle. this little home was my birthplace, the first child of the first white family established at elliott bay. mr. and mrs. d. t. denny had been threatened by indians and their cabin robbed, so thought it best to move into the settlement. chapter iv founding of seattle and indian war. the most astonishing change wrought in the aspect of nature by the building of a city on puget sound is not the city itself but the destruction of the primeval forest. by the removal of the thick timber the country becomes unrecognizable; replaced by thousands of buildings of brick, wood and stone, graded streets, telephone and electric light systems, steam, electric and cable railways and all the paraphernalia of modern civilization, the contrast is very great. the same amount of energy and money expended in a treeless, level country would probably have built a city three times as large as seattle. in february, , bell, boren and the dennys located claims on the east side of elliott bay. others followed, but it was not until may, , that c. d. boren and a. a. denny filed the first plat of the town, named for the noted chief, "seattle." the second plat was filed shortly after by d. s. maynard. maynard was a physician who did not at first depend on the practice of his profession; perhaps the settlers were too vigorous to require pills, powders and potions, at any rate he proposed to engage in the business of packing salmon. the settlers at alki moved over to their claims in the spring of , some of them camping until they could build log cabins. finally all were well established and then began the hand to hand conflict for possession of the ground. the mighty forest must yield to fire and the ax; then from the deep bosom of the earth what bounty arose! the indians proved efficient helpers, guides and workers in many ways. one of the pioneers had three indians to help him build his cabin. to speak more particularly of the original architecture of the country, the cabins, built usually of round logs of the douglas fir, about six inches in diameter, were picturesque, substantial and well suited to the needs of the pioneer. a great feature of the seattle cabin was the door made of thick boards hewed out of the timber as there was no sawmill on the bay until h. l. yesler built the first steam sawmill erected on the sound. this substantial door was cut across in the middle with a diagonal joint; the lower half was secured by a stout wooden pin, in order that the upper half might be opened and the "wa-wa" (talk) proceed with the native visitor, who might or might not be friendly, while he stood on the outside of the door and looked in with eager curiosity, on the strange ways of the "bostons." the style of these log cabins was certainly admirable, adapted as they were to the situation of the settler. they were inexpensive as the material was plentiful and near at hand, and required only energy and muscle to construct them; there were no plumber's, gas or electric light bills coming in every month, no taxes for improvements and a man could build a lean-to or hay-shed without a building permit. the interiors were generally neat, tasteful and home-like, made so by the versatile pioneer women who occupied them. these primitive habitations were necessarily scattered as it was imperative that they should be placed so as to perfect the titles of the donation claims. sometimes two settlers were able to live near each other when they held adjoining claims, others were obliged to live several miles away from the main settlement and far from a neighbor, in lonely, unprotected places. what thoughts of the homes and friends they had left many weary leagues behind, visited these lonely cabin dwellers! the husband was engaged in clearing, slashing and burning log heaps, cutting timber, hunting for game to supply the larder, or away on some errand to the solitary neighbor's or distant settlement. often, during the livelong day the wife was alone, occupied with domestic toil, all of which had to be performed by one pair of hands, with only primitive and rude appliances; but there were no incompetent servants to annoy, social obligations were few, fashion was remote and its tyranny unknown, in short, many disagreeable things were lacking. the sense of isolation was intensified by frequently recurring incidents in which the dangers of pioneer life became manifest. the dark, mysterious forest might send forth from its depths at any moment the menace of savage beast or relentless man. the big, grey, timber wolf still roamed the woods, although it soon disappeared before the oncoming wave of invading settlers. generally quite shy, they required some unusual attraction to induce them to display their voices. on a dark winter night in , the lonely cabin of d. t. and louisa denny was visited by a pair of these voracious beasts, met to discuss the remains of a cow, belonging to w. n. bell, which had stuck fast among some tree roots and died in the edge of the clearing. how they did snarl and howl, making the woods and waters resound with their cries as they greedily devoured the carcass. the pioneer couple who occupied the cabin entered no objection and were very glad of the protection of the solid walls of their primitive domicile. the next day, mr. denny, with dog and gun, went out to hunt them but they had departed to some remote region. on another occasion the young wife lay sick and alone in the cabin above mentioned and a good neighbor, mrs. sarah bell, from her home a mile away, came to see her, bringing some wild [a]pheasant's eggs the men had found while cutting spars. while the women chatted, an indian came and stood idly looking in over the half-door and his companion lurked in the brush near by. [footnote a: ruffed grouse.] john kanem, a brother of the chief, pat kanem, afterward told the occupants of the cabin that these indians had divulged their intention of murdering them in order to rob their dwelling, but abandoned the project, giving as a reason that a "haluimi kloochman" (another or unknown woman) was there and the man was away. surely a kind providence watched over these unprotected ones that they might in after years fulfill their destiny. during the summer of , before the indian war, mr. and mrs. d. t. denny were living in a log cabin in the swale, an opening in the midst of a heavy forest, on their donation claim, to which they had moved from their first cabin on elliott bay. dr. choush, an indian medicine man, came along one day in a state of ill-suppressed fury. he had just returned from a government "potlatch" at the tulalip agency. in relating how they were cheated he said that the indians were presented with strips of blankets which had been torn into narrow pieces about six or eight inches wide, and a little bit of thread and a needle or two. the indians thereupon traded among themselves and pieced the strips together. he was naturally angry and said menacingly that the white people were few, their doors were thin and the indians could easily break them in and kill all the "bostons." all this could not have been very reassuring to the inmates of the cabin; however they were uniformly kind to the natives and had many friends among them. just before the outbreak a troop of indians visited this cabin and their bearing was so haughty that mrs. denny felt very anxious. when they demanded "klosh mika potlatch wapatoes," (give us some potatoes) she hurried out herself to dig them as quickly as possible that they might have no excuse for displeasure, and was much relieved when they took their departure. one indian remained behind a long time but talked very little. it is supposed that he thought of warning them of the intended attack on the white settlement but was afraid to do so because of the enmity against him that might follow among his own people. gov. stevens had made treaties with the indians to extinguish their title to the lands of the territory. some were dissatisfied and stirred up the others against the white usurpers. this was perfectly natural; almost any american of whatever color resents usurpation. time would fail to recount the injuries and indignities heaped upon the indians by the evil-minded among the whites, who could scarcely have been better than the same class among the natives they sought to displace. as subsequently appeared, there was a difference of opinion among the natives as to the desirability of white settlements in their domain: leschi, coquilton, owhi, kitsap, kamiakin and kanasket were determined against them, while sealth (seattle) and pat kanem were peaceable and friendly. the former, shrewd chieftains, well knew that the white people coveted their good lands. one night before the war, a passing white man, david t. denny, heard indians talking together in one of their "rancherees" or large houses; they were telling how the white men knew that the lands belonging to tseiyuse and ohwi, two great yakima chiefs, were very desirable. cupidity, race prejudice and cruelty caused numberless injuries and indignities against the indians. in spite of all, there were those among them who proved the faithful friends of the white race. hu-hu-bate-sute or "salmon bay curley," a tall, hawk-nosed, eagle-eyed indian with very curly hair, was a staunch friend of the "bostons." thlid kanem or "cut-hand" sent lake john che-shi-a-hud to shilshole to inform this "curley," who lived there, of the intended attack on seattle. curley told ira w. utter, a white settler on shilshole or salmon bay, and brought him up to seattle in his own canoe during the night. "duwampsh curley" or su-whalth, appears in a very unfavorable light in bancroft's history. my authority, who speaks the native tongue fluently and was a volunteer in active duty on the day of the battle of seattle, says it was not curley who disported himself in the manner therein described. i find this refreshing note pencilled on the margin: "now this is all a lie about curley." curley rendered valuable assistance on the day of the fight. d. t. denny saw him go on a mission down the bay at the request of the navy officers, to ascertain the position of the hostiles in the north part of the town. "old mose" or show-halthlk brought word to seattle of the approach of the hostile bands in january, . but i seem to anticipate and hasten to refer again to the daily life of the founders of seattle. trade here, as at alki, consisted in cutting piles, spars and timber to load vessels for san francisco. these ships brought food supplies and merchandise, the latter often consisting of goods, calicoes, blankets, shawls and tinware, suitable for barter with the indians to whom the settlers still looked for a number of articles of food. bread being the staff of life to the white man, the supply of flour was a matter of importance. in the winter of this commodity became so scarce, from the long delay of ships carrying it, that the price became quite fancy, reaching forty dollars per barrel. pork likewise became a costly luxury; a. a. denny relates that he paid ninety dollars for two barrels and when by an untoward fate one of the barrels of the precious meat was lost it was regarded as a positive calamity. left on the beach out of reach of high tide, it was supposed to be safe, but during the night it was carried away by the waves that swept the banks under the high wind. at the next low tide which came also at night, the whole settlement turned out and searched the beach, with pitchwood torches, from the head of the bay to smith's cove, but found no trace of the missing barrel of pork. an extenuating circumstance was the fact that a large salmon might be purchased for a brass button, while red flannel, beads, knives and other "ictas" (things) were legal tender for potatoes, venison, berries and clams. domestic animals were few; i do not know if there was a sheep, pig or cow, and but few chickens, on elliott bay at the beginning of the year . as late as , charles prosch relates that he paid one dollar and a half for a dozen eggs and the same price for a pound of butter. there were no roads, only a few trails through the forest; a common mode of travel was to follow the beach, the traveler having to be especially mindful of the tide as the banks are so abrupt in many places that at high tide the shore is impassable. the indian canoe was pressed into service whenever possible. very gradually ways through the forest were tunneled out and made passable, by cutting the trees and grubbing the larger stumps, but small obstructions were disdained and anything that would escape a wagon-bed was given peaceable possession. of the original settlement, j. n. low and family remained at alki. d. t. and louisa denny, who were married at the cabin home of a. a. denny, january rd, , moved themselves and few effects in a canoe to their cabin on the front of their donation claim, the habitation standing on the spot for many years occupied by numerous "sweetbrier" bushes, grown from seeds planted by the first bride of seattle. stern realities confronted them; a part of the time they were out of flour and had no bread for days; they bought fish of the indians, which, together with game from the forest, brought down by the rifle of the pioneer, made existence possible. and then, too, the pioneer housewife soon became a shrewd searcher for indigenous articles of food. among these were nettle greens gathered in the woods. in their season the native berries were very acceptable; the salmonberry ripening early in june; dewberries and red and black huckleberries were plentiful in july and august. the first meal partaken of in this cabin consisted of salt meat from a ship's stores and potatoes. they afterward learned to make a whole meal of a medium sized salmon with potatoes, the fragments remaining not worth mention. the furniture of their cabin was meager, a few chairs from a ship, a bedstead made of fir poles and a ship's stove were the principle articles. one window without glass but closed by a wooden shutter with the open upper half-door served to light it in the daytime, while the glimmer of a dog-fish-oil lamp was the illumination at night. the stock consisted of a single pair of chickens, a wedding present from d. s. maynard. the hen set under the door-step and brought out a fine brood of chicks. the rooster soon took charge of them, scratched, called and led them about in the most motherly manner, while the hen, apparently realizing the fact that she was literally a rara avis prepared to bring out another brood. mr. and mrs. d. t. denny while visiting their friends at alki on one occasion witnessed a startling scene. an indian had come to trade, "old alki john," and a misunderstanding appears to have arisen about the price of a sack of flour. the women, seated chatting at one end of the cabin, were chilled with horror to see the white man, his face pale with anger and excitement, raise an ax as if to strike the indian, who had a large knife, such as many of them wore suspended from the wrist by a cord; the latter, a tall and brawny fellow, regarded him with a threatening look. fortunately no blow was struck and the white man gradually lowered the ax and dropped it on the floor. the indian quietly departed, much to their relief, as a single blow would likely have resulted in a bloody affray and the massacre of all the white people. at that time there were neither jails, nor courthouse, no churches, but one sawmill, no steamboats, railways or street cars, not even a rod of wagon road in king county, indeed all the conveniences of modern civilization were wanting. there were famous, historic buildings erected and occupied, other than the cabin homes; the most notable of these was fort decatur. the commodious blockhouse so named after the good sloop-of-war that rescued the town of seattle from the hostiles, stood on an eminence at the end of cherry street overlooking the bay. at this time there were about three hundred white inhabitants. the hewn timbers of this fort were cut by d. t. denny and two others, on the front of the donation claim, and hauled out on the beach ready to load a ship for san francisco, but ultimately served a very different purpose from the one first intended. the mutterings of discontent among the indians portended war and the settlers made haste to prepare a place of refuge. the timbers were dragged up the hill by oxen and many willing hands promptly put them in place; hewn to the line, the joints were close and a good shingle roof covered the building, to which were added two bastions of sawed stuff from yesler's mill. d. t. denny remembers the winter was a mild one, and men went about without coats, otherwise "in their shirtsleeves." while they were building the fort, the u. s. sloop-of-war _decatur_, sailed up the bay with a fair breeze, came to anchor almost directly opposite, swung around and fired off the guns, sixteen thirty-two-pounders, making thunderous reverberations far and wide, a sweet sound to the settlers. several of the too confident ones laughed and scoffed at the need of a fort while peace seemed secure. one of these doubters was told by mrs. louisa denny that the people laughed at noah when he built the ark, and it transpired that a party was obliged to bring this objector and his family into the fort from their claim two miles away, after dark of the night before the battle. a few nights before the attack, a false alarm sent several settlers out in fluttering nightrobes, cold, moonlight and frosty though it was. mr. hillory butler and his wife, mrs. mcconaha and her children calling to the former "wait for me." it is needless to say that mr. butler waited for nobody until he got inside the fort. the excitement was caused by the shooting of jack drew, a deserter from the decatur. he was instantly killed by a boy of fifteen, alone with his sister whom he thus bravely defended. this was milton holgate and the weapon a shotgun, the charge of which took effect in the wanderer's face. as the report rang out through the still night air it created a panic throughout the settlement. a family living on the eastern outskirts of the village at the foot of a hill were driven in and their house burned. the men had been engaged in tanning leather and had quite a number of hides on hand that must have enriched the flames. the owners had ridiculed the idea that there was danger of an indian attack and would not assist in building the fort, scoffed at the man-of-war in the harbor and were generally contemptuous of the whole proceeding. however, when fired on by the indians they fled precipitately to the fort they had scorned. one of them sank down, bareheaded, breathless and panting on a block of wood inside the fort in an exceedingly subdued frame of mind to the great amusement of the soldiery, both captain and men. the first decided move of the hostiles was the attack on the white river settlers, burning, killing and destroying as is the wont of a savage foe. joe lake, a somewhat eccentric character, had one of the hairbreadth escapes fall to his share of the terrible times. he was slightly wounded in an attack on the cox home on white river. joe was standing in the open door when an indian not far away from the cabin, seeing him, held his ramrod on the ground for a rest, placed his gun across it and fired at joe; the bullet penetrated the clothing and just grazed his shoulder. a man inside the cabin reached up for a gun which hung over the door; the indian saw the movement and guessing its purpose made haste to depart. the occupants of the cox residence hurriedly gathered themselves and indispensable effects, and embarking in a canoe, with energetic paddling, aided by the current, sped swiftly down the river into the bay and safely reached the fort. beside the decatur, a solitary sailing vessel, the bark brontes, was anchored in the harbor. those to engage in the battle were the detachments of men from the decatur, under lieutenants drake, hughes, morris and phelps, ninety-six men and eighteen marines, leaving a small number on board. a volunteer three months' company of settlers of whom c. c. hewitt was captain, wm. gilliam, first lieutenant, d. t. denny, corporal and robert olliver, sergeant, aided in the defense. a number of the settlers had received friendly warning and were expecting the attack, some having made as many as three removals from their claims, each time approaching nearer to the fort. mr. and mrs. d. t. denny forsook their cabin in the wilderness and spent an anxious night at the home of w. n. bell, which was a mile or more from the settlement, and the following day moved in to occupy a house near a. a. denny's, where the frye block now stands. from thence they moved again to a little frame house near the fort. yoke-yakeman, an indian who had worked for a. a. denny and was nicknamed "denny jim," played an important part as a spy in a council of the hostiles and gave the warning to captain gansevoort of the decatur of the impending battle. mr. and mrs. blaine, the pioneer m. e. minister, and his wife, who was the first school teacher of seattle, went on board the man-of-war on the nd of january, , with their infant son, from their home situated where the boston block now stands. on the morning of the th, while not yet arisen, she was urging her husband to get a boat so that she might go ashore; he demurred, parleying, with his hand upon the doorknob. just then they heard the following dialogue: mr. h. l. yesler (who had come aboard in some haste): "captain, a klootchman says there are lots of indians back of tom pepper's house." captain gansevoort (who was lying in his berth): "john bring me my boots." h. l. yesler: "never mind captain, just send the lieutenant with the howitzer." captain g.: "no sir! where my men go, i go too john bring me my boots." and thus the ball opened; a shell was dropped in the neighborhood of "tom pepper's house" with the effect to arouse the whole horde of savages, perhaps a thousand, gathered in the woods back of the town. unearthly yells of indians and brisk firing of musketry followed; the battle raged until noon, when there was a lull. a volume of personal experiences might be written, but i will give here but a few incidents. to a number of the settlers who were about breakfasting, it was a time of breathless terror; they must flee for their lives to the fort. the bullets from unseen foes whistled over their heads and the distance traversed to the fort was the longest journey of their lives. it was remembered afterward that some very amusing things took place in the midst of fright and flight. one man, rising late and not fully attired, donned his wife's red flannel petticoat instead of the bifurcated garment that usually graced his limbs. the "pants" were not handy and the petticoat was put on in a trice. louisa boren denny, my mother, was alone with her child about two years old, in the little frame house, a short distance from the fort. she was engaged in baking biscuits when hearing the shots and yells of the indians she looked out to see the marines from the decatur swarming up out of their boats onto yesler's wharf and concluded it was best to retire in good order. with provident foresight she snatched the pan from the oven and turned the biscuits into her apron, picked up the child, emily inez denny, with her free hand and hurried out, leaving the premises to their fate. fortunately her husband, david t. denny, who had been standing guard, met her in the midst of the flying bullets and assisted her, speedily, into the friendly fort. a terrible day it was for all those who were called upon to endure the anxiety and suspense that hovered within those walls; perhaps the moment that tried them most was when the report was circulated that all would be burned alive as the indians would shoot arrows carrying fire on the roof of cedar shingles or heap combustibles against the walls near the ground and thus set fire to the building. to prevent the latter maneuver, the walls were banked with earth all around. but the indians kept at a respectful distance, the rifle-balls and shells were not to their taste and it is not their way to fight in the open. a tragic incident was the death of milton holgate. francis mcnatt, a tall man, stood in the door of the fort with one hand up on the frame and jim broad beside him; milton holgate stood a little back of mcnatt, and the bullet from a savage's gun passed either over or under the uplifted arm of mcnatt, striking the boy between the eyes. quite a number of women and children were taken on board the two ships in the harbor, but my mother remained in the fort. the battle was again renewed and fiercely fought in the afternoon. toward evening the indians prepared to burn the town, but a brisk dropping of shells from the big guns of the decatur dispersed them and they departed for cooler regions, burning houses on the outskirts of the settlement as they retreated toward the duwamish river. [illustration: indian canoes sailing with north wind] leschi, the leader, threatened to return in a month with his bands and annihilate the place. in view of other possible attacks, a second block house was built and the forest side of the town barricaded. fort decatur was a two-story building, forty feet square; the upper story was partitioned off into small rooms, where a half dozen or more families lived until it was safe or convenient to return to their distant homes. each had a stove on which to cook, and water was carried from a well inside the stockade. there were a number of children thus shut in, who enlivened the grim walls with their shifting shadows, awakened mirth by their playfulness or touched the hearts of their elders by their pathos. like a ray of sunlight in a gloomy interior was little sam neely, a great pet, a sociable, affectionate little fellow, visiting about from corner to corner, always sure of attention and a kindly welcome. the marines from the man-of-war spoiled him without stint. one of the sergeants gave his mother a half worn uniform, which she skilfully re-made, gold braid, buttons and all, for little sam. how proud he was, with everybody calling him the "little sergeant"; whenever he approached a loquacious group, some one was sure to say, "well, sergeant, what's the news?" when the day came for the neely family to move out of the fort, his mother was very busy and meals uncertain. he finally appealed to a friend, who had before proven herself capable of sympathy, for something to appease his gnawing hunger, and she promptly gave him a bowl of bread and milk. down he sat and ate with much relish; as he drained the last drop he observed, "i was just so hungry, i didn't know how hungry i was." poor little sam was drowned in the duwampsh river the same year, and buried on its banks. laura bell, a little girl of perhaps ten years, during her stay in the fort exhibited the courage and constancy characterizing even the children in those troublous times. she did a great part of the work for the family, cared for her younger sisters, prepared and carried food to her sick mother who was heard to say with tender gratitude, "your dear little hands have brought me almost everything i have had." both have passed into the beyond; one who remembers laura well says she was a beautiful, bright, rosy cheeked child, pleasant to look upon. in unconscious childhood i was carried into fort decatur, on the morning of the battle, yet by careful investigation it has been satisfactorily proven that one lasting impression was recorded upon the palimpsest of my immature mind. a shot was accidentally fired from a gun inside the fort, by which a palefaced, dark haired lady narrowly escaped death. the bullet passed through a loop of her hair, below the ear, just beside the white neck. her hair was dressed in an old fashioned way, parted in the middle on the forehead and smoothly brushed down over the ears, divided and twisted on each side and the two ropes of hair coiled together at the back of the head. like a flashlight photograph, her face is imprinted on my memory, nothing before or after for sometime can i claim to recall. a daughter, the second child of david t. and louisa denny, was born in fort decatur on the sixteenth of march, , who lived to mature into a gifted and gracious womanhood and passed away from earth in christian faith and hope on january seventeenth, . other children who remained in the fort for varying periods, were those of the jones, kirkland, lewis, mcconaha and boren families. of the number of settlers who occupied the fort on the day of the battle, the following are nearly, if not quite all, the families: wm. n. bell, mrs. bell and several young children; john buckley and mrs. buckley; d. a. neely and family, one of whom was little sam neely spoken of elsewhere; mr. and mrs. hillory butler, gratefully remembered as the best people in the settlement to visit and help the sick; the holgates, mrs. and miss holgate, lemuel holgate, and milton holgate who was killed; timothy grow, b. l. johns and six children, whose mother died on the way to puget sound; joe lake, the kirkland family, father and several daughters; wm. cox and family and d. t. denny and family. during the indian war, h. l. yesler took yoke-yakeman, or "denny jim," the friendly indian before mentioned, with him across lake washington to the hiding place of the sammumpsh indians who were aiding the hostiles. yesler conferred with them and succeeded in persuading the indians to come out of their retreat and go across the sound. while returning, denny jim met with an accident which resulted fatally. intending to shoot some ducks, he drew his shotgun toward him, muzzle first, and discharged it, the load entering his arm, making a flesh wound. through lack of skill, perhaps, in treating it, he died from the effects, in curley's house situated on the slope in front of fort decatur toward the bay. this indian and the service he rendered should not be forgotten; the same may be appropriately said of the faithful spokane of whom the following account has been given by eye witnesses: "at the attack of the cascades of the columbia, on the th of march, , the white people took refuge in bradford's store, a log structure near the river. having burned a number of other buildings, the indians, yakimas and klickitats, attempted to fire the store also; as fast as the shingles were ignited by burning missiles in the hands of the indians, the first was put out by pouring brine from a pork barrel, with a tin cup, on the incipient blazes, not being able to get any water. "the occupants, some wounded, suffered for fresh water, having only some ale and whisky. they hoped to get to the river at night, but the indians illuminated the scene by burning government property and a warehouse. "james sinclair, who was shot and instantly killed early in the fight, had brought a spokane indian with him. this indian volunteered to get water for the suffering inmates. a slide used in loading boats was the only chance and he stripped off his clothing, slid down to the river and returned with a bucket of water. this was made to last until the th, when, the enemy remaining quiet the spokane repeated the daring performance of going down the slide and returning with a pailful of water, with great expedition, until he had filled two barrels, a feat deserving more than passing mention." on elliott bay, the cabins of the farther away settlers had gone up in smoke, fired by the hostile indians. some were deserted and new ones built far away from the sound in the depths of the forest. it required great courage to return to their abandoned homes from the security of the fort, yet doubtless the settlers were glad to be at liberty after their enforced confinement. one pioneer woman says it was easy to see _indians_ among the stumps and trees around their cabin after the war. many remained in the settlement, others left the country for safer regions, while a few cultivated land under volunteer military guard in order to provide the settlement with vegetables. the yesler mill cookhouse, a log structure, was made historical in those days. the hungry soldiers after a night watch were fed there and rushed therefrom to the battle. while there was no church, hotel, storehouse, courthouse or jail it was all these by turns. no doubt those who were sheltered within its walls, ran the whole gamut of human emotion and experience. in the puget sound weekly of july th, , published in seattle, it was thus described: "there was nothing about this cook house very peculiar, except the interest with which old memories had invested it. it was simply a dingy-looking hewed log building, about twenty-five feet square, a little more than one story high, with a shed addition in the rear, and to strangers and newcomers was rather an eye-sore and nuisance in the place--standing as it did in the business part of the town, among the more pretentious buildings of modern construction, like a quaint octogenarian, among a band of dandyish sprigs of young america. to old settlers, however, its weather-worn roof and smoke-blackened walls, inside and out, were vastly interesting from long familiarity, and many pleasant and perhaps a few unpleasant recollections were connected with its early history, which we might make subjects of a small volume of great interest, had we time to indite it. suffice it to say, however, that this old cook house was one among the first buildings erected in seattle; was built for the use of the saw mill many years since, and though designed especially for a cook house, has been used for almost every conceivable purpose for which a log cabin, in a new and wild country, may be employed. "for many years the only place for one hundred miles or more along the eastern shores of puget sound, where the pioneer settlers could be hospitably entertained by white men and get a square meal, was yesler's cook house in seattle, and whether he had money or not, no man ever found the latch string of the cook house drawn in, or went away hungry from the little cabin door; and many an old puget sounder remembers the happy hours, jolly nights, strange encounters and wild scenes he has enjoyed around the broad fireplace and hospitable board of yesler's cook house. "during the indian war this building was the general rendezvous of the volunteers engaged in defending the thinly populated country against the depredations of the savages, and was also the resort of the navy officers on the same duty on the sound. judge lander's office was held in one corner of the dining room; the auditor's office, for some time, was kept under the same roof, and, indeed, it may be said to have been used for more purposes than any other building on the pacific coast. it was the general depository from which law and justice were dispensed throughout a large scope of surrounding country. it has, at different times, served for town hall, courthouse, jail, military headquarters, storehouse, hotel and church; and in the early years of its history served all these purposes at once. it was the place of holding elections, and political parties of all sorts held their meetings in it, and quarreled and made friends again, and ate, drank, laughed, sung, wept, and slept under the same hospitable roof. if there was to be a public gathering of the settlers of any kind and for any purpose, no one ever asked where the place of meeting was to be, for all knew it was to be at the cook house. "the first sermon, by a protestant, in king county was preached by the rev. mr. close in the old cook house. the first lawsuit--which was the trial of the mate of the franklin adams, for selling ship's stores and appropriating the proceeds--came off, of course, in the old cook house. justice maynard presided at this trial, and the accused was discharged from the old cook house with the wholesome advice that in future he should be careful to make a correct return of all his private sales of other people's property. "who, then, knowing the full history of this famous old relic of early times, can wonder that it has so long been suffered to stand and moulder, unused, in the midst of the more gaudy surroundings of a later civilization? and who can think it strange, when, at last, its old smoky walls were compelled to yield to the pressure of progression, and be tumbled heedlessly into the street, that the old settler looked sorrowfully upon the vandal destruction, and silently dropped a tear over its leveled ruins. peace to the ashes of the old cook house." while the pioneers lingered in the settlement, they enjoyed the luxury of living in houses of sawed lumber. time has worked out his revenges until what was then disesteemed is much admired now. a substantial and picturesque lodge of logs, furnished with modern contrivances is now regarded as quite desirable, for summer occupation at least. the struggle of the indians to regain their domain resulted in many sanguinary conflicts. the bloody wave of war ran hither and yon until spent and the doom of the passing race was sealed. seattle and the whole puget sound region were set back ten years in development. toilsome years they were that stretched before the pioneers. they and their families were obliged to do whatever they could to obtain a livelihood; they were neither ashamed nor afraid of honest work and doubtless enjoyed the reward of a good conscience and vigorous health. life held many pleasures and much freedom from modern fret besides. as one of them observed, "we were happy then, in our log cabin homes." long after the incidents herein related occurred, one of the survivors of the white river massacre wrote the following letter, which was published in a local paper: "burgh hill, ohio, sept. .--i notice occasionally a pioneer sketch in the post-intelligencer relating some incident in the war of - . i have a vivid recollection of this, being a member of one of the families concerned therein. i remember distinctly the attack upon the fort at seattle in january, . though a child, the murdering of my mother and step-father by the indians a few weeks before made such an impression upon my mind that i was terror-stricken at the thought of another massacre, and the details are indelibly and most vividly fixed in my mind. when i read of the marvelous growth of seattle i can hardly realize that it is possible. i add my mite to the pioneer history of seattle and vicinity. "i was born in harrison township, grant county, wisconsin, november , . when i was five months old my father started for the gold diggings in california, but died shortly after reaching that state. in the early part of my mother married harvey jones. in the spring of we started for washington territory, overland, reaching our destination on white river in the fall, having been six months and five days in making the trip. our route lay through iowa, nebraska, wyoming, idaho, oregon and washington territory. to speak in detail of all my recollections of this journey would make this article too lengthy. "my step-father took up land on white river some twenty miles up the stream from seattle. at that time there were only five or six families in the settlement, the nearest neighbor to us being about one-fourth mile distant. during the summer of i went some two and a half miles to school along a path through the dense woods in danger both from wild animals and indians. some of the settlers became alarmed at reports of hostile intentions by the indians upon our settlement and left some two weeks before the outbreak. among those who thought their fears groundless and remained was our family. "on sunday morning, october , , while at breakfast we were surprised, and the house surrounded by a band of hostile indians, who came running from the grass and bushes, whooping and discharging firearms. they seemed to rise from the ground so sudden and stealthy had been the attack. our family consisted of my step-father (sick at the time), my mother, a half-sister, not quite four years old, a half-brother, not quite two, a hired man, cooper by name, and myself. "as soon as the indians began firing into the house my mother covered us children over with a feather bed in the corner of one of the rooms farthest from the side attacked. in a short time it became evident we were entirely at the mercy of the savages, and after a hurried consultation between my mother and the hired man, he concluded to attempt to escape by flight; accordingly he came into the room where i was, and with an ax pried off the casing of the window and removed the lower sash, and then jumped out, but as was afterward learned he was shot when only a few rods from the house. "my step-father was shot about the same time inside the house while passing from his room to the one in which my mother was. in a short time there appeared to be a cessation of the firing, and upon looking out from under the bed over us i saw an indian in the next room carrying something out. soon we were taken out by them. i did not see my mother. we were placed in the charge of the leader of the band who directed them in their actions. they put bedclothes and other combustible articles under the house and set fire to them, and in this way burned the house. when it was well nigh burned to the ground, we were led away by one of the tribe, who in a short time allowed us to go where we pleased. i first went to the nearest neighbor's, but all was confusion, and no one was about. i then came back to the burned house. "i found my mother a short distance from the house, or where it had stood, still alive. she warned me to leave speedily and soon. i begged to stay with her but she urged me to flee. we made a dinner of some potatoes which had been baked by the fire. i carried my little half-brother and led my half-sister along the path to where i had gone to school during the summer, but there was no one there. i went still further on, but they, too, had gone. i came back to the school house, not knowing what to do. it was getting late. i was tired, as was my sister. my little brother was fretful, and cried to see his mother. i had carried him some three and a half or four miles altogether. "while trying to quiet them i saw an indian coming toward us. he had not seen us. i hid the children in the bushes and moved toward him to meet him. i soon had the relief to recognize in him an acquaintance i had often seen while attending school. we knew him as dave. he told me to bring the children to his wigwam. his squaw was very kind, but my sister and brother were afraid of her. in the night he took us in a canoe down the river to seattle. i was taken on board the man-of-war, decatur, and they were placed in charge of some one in the fort. an uncle, john smale, had crossed the plains when we did, but went to california. he was written to about the massacre, and reached us in june, . we went to san francisco and then to the isthmus, and from there we went to new york city. from there we were taken to wisconsin, where my sister and brother remained. i was brought back to ohio in september, . they both died in october, , of diphtheria, in wisconsin." "john i. king, m. d." chapter v. the murder of mccormick. the shores of lake union, in seattle, now surrounded by electric and steam railways, sawmills and manufactories, dwellings and public buildings, were clothed with a magnificent, dense, primeval forest, when the adventurous pioneers first looked upon its mirror-like surface. the shadowy depths of the solemn woods held many a dark and tragic secret; contests between enemies in both brute and human forms were doubtless not infrequently hidden there. many men came to the far northwest unheralded and unknown to the few already established, and wandering about without guides, unacquainted with the dangers peculiar to the region, were incautious and met a mysterious fate. for a long time the "pioneer and democrat," of olympia, washington, one of the earliest newspapers of the northwest, published an advertisement in its columns inquiring for james montgomery mccormick, sent to it from pennsylvania. it is thought to have been one and the same person with the subject of this sketch. even if it were not, the name will do as well as any other. one brilliant summer day in july of , a medium sized man, past middle age, was pushing his way through the black raspberry jungle on the east side of lake union, gathering handfuls of the luscious fruit that hung in rich purple clusters above his head. a cool bubbling spring, that came from far up the divide toward lake washington, tempted him and stooping down he drank of the refreshing stream where it filled a little pool in the shadow of a mossy log. glancing about him, he marked with a keen delight the loveliness of the vegetation, the plumy ferns, velvet mosses and drooping cedars; how grateful to him must have been the cool north breeze wandering through the forest! no doubt he thought it a pleasant place to rest in before returning to the far away settlement. upon the mossy log he sat contentedly, marveling at the stillness of the mighty forest. the thought had scarcely formed itself when he was startled by the dipping of paddles, wild laughter and vociferous imitations of animals and birds. a canoe grated on the beach and after a brief expectant interval, tramping feet along the trail betokened an arrival and a group of young indians came in sight, one of whom carried a hudson bay musket. "kla-how-ya" (how do you do), said the leader, a flathead, with shining skin recently oiled, sinister black brows, and thick black hair cut square and even at the neck. at first they whistled and muttered, affecting little interest in his appearance, yet all the while were keenly studying him. the white man had with him a rifle, revolver and camp ax. the young savages examined the gun, lifting it up and sighting at a knot-hole in a distant tree; then the ax, the sharp edge of which they fingered, and the revolver, to their minds yet more fascinating. they were slightly disdainful as though not caring to own such articles, thereby allaying any fears he may have had as to their intentions. being able to converse but little with the natives, the stranger good-naturedly permitted them to examine his weapons and even his clothing came under their scrutiny. his garments were new, and well adapted to frontier life. when he supposed their curiosity satisfied, he rose to go, when one of the indians asked him, "halo chicamum?" (have you any money?) he incautiously slapped his hip pocket and answered "hiyu chicamum" (plenty of money), perhaps imagining they did not know its use or value, then started on the trail. they let him go a little way out of sight and in a few, half-whispered, eager, savage words agreed to follow him, with what purpose did not require a full explanation. noiselessly and swiftly they followed on his track. one shot from the musket struck him in the back of the head and he fell forward and they rushed upon him, seized the camp ax and dealt repeated blows; life extinct, they soon stripped him of coat, shirt, and pantaloons, rifled the pockets, finding $ and a few small trinkets, knife or keys. with the haste of guilt they threw the body still clothed in a suit of undergarments, behind a big log, among the bushes and hurried away with their booty, paddling swiftly far up the lake to their camp. a dark, cloudy night followed and the indians huddled around a little fire, ever and anon starting at some sound in the gloomy forest. already very superstitious, their guilt made them doubly afraid of imaginary foes. on a piece of mat in the center of the group lay the money, revolver, etc., of which they had robbed the unfortunate white man. they intended to divide them by "slahal," the native game played with "stobsh" and "slanna" (men and women), as they called the round black and white disks with which they gambled. a bunch of shredded cedar bark was brought from the canoe and the game began. all were very skillful and continued for several hours, until at last they counted the clothes to one, all the money to another, and the revolver and trifles to the rest. one of the less fortunate in a very bad humor said "the game was not good, i don't want this little 'cultus' (worthless) thing." "o, you are stupid and don't understand it," they answered tauntingly, thereupon he rolled himself in his blanket and sulked himself to sleep, while the others sat half dreamily planning what they would do with their booty. very early they made the portage between lakes union and washington and returned to their homes. but they did not escape detection. only a few days afterward an indian woman, the wife of hu-hu-bate-sute or "salmon bay curley," crossed lake union to the black raspberry patch to gather the berries. creeping here and there through the thick undergrowth, she came upon a gruesome sight, the disfigured body of the murdered white man. scarcely waiting for a horrified "achada!" she fled incontinently to her canoe and paddled quickly home to tell her husband. hu-hu-bate-sute went back with her and arrived at the spot, where one log lay across another, hollowed out the earth slightly, rolled in and covered the body near the place where it was discovered. suspecting it was the work of some wild, reckless indians he said nothing about it. their ill-gotten gains troubled the perpetrators of the deed, brought them no good fortune and they began to think there was "tamanuse" about them; they gave the revolver away, bestowed the small articles on some unsuspecting "tenas" (children) and gave a part of the money to "old steve," whose indian name was stemalyu. the one who criticised the division of the spoils, whispered about among the other indians dark hints concerning the origin of the suddenly acquired wealth and gradually a feeling arose against those who had the money. quarreling one day over some trifle, one of them scornfully referred to the other's part of the cruel deed: "you are wicked, you killed a white man," said he. the swarthy face of the accused grew livid with rage and he plunged viciously at the speaker, but turning, eel-like, the accuser slipped away and ran out of sight into the forest. an old indian followed him and asked "what was that you said?" "o nothing, just idle talk." "you had better tell me," said the old man sternly. after some hesitation he told the story. the old man was deeply grieved and so uneasy that he went all the way to shilshole (salmon bay) to see if his friend hu-hu-bate-sute knew anything about it and that discreet person astonished him by telling him his share of the story. by degrees it became known to the indians on both lakes and at the settlement. meanwhile the wife of the one accused in the contention, took the money and secretly dropped it into the lake. one warm september day in the fall of the same year, quite a concourse of indians were gathered out doors near the big indian house a little north of d. t. denny's home in the settlement (seattle); they were having a great "wa-wa" (talk) about something; he walked over and asked them what it was all about. "salmon bay curley," who was among them, thereupon told him of the murder and the distribution of the valuables. shortly after, w. n. bell, d. t. denny, dr. maynard, e. a. clark and one or two others, with curley as a guide, went out to the lake, found the place and at first thought of removing the body, but that being impossible, dr. maynard placed the skull, or rather the fragments of it, in a handkerchief and took the two pairs of spectacles, one gold-rimmed, the other steel-rimmed, which were left by the indians, and all returned to the settlement to make their report. investigation followed and as a result four indians were arrested. a trial before a justice court was held in the old felker house, which was built by captain felker and was the first large frame house of sawed lumber erected on the site of seattle. at this trial, klap-ke-lachi jim testified positively against two of them and implicated two others. the first two were summarily executed by hanging from a tall sharply leaning stump over which a rope was thrown; it stood where the new england hotel was afterward built. a young indian and one called old petawow were the others accused. petawow was carried into court by two young indians, having somehow broken his leg. there was not sufficient evidence against him to convict and he was released. c. d. boren was sheriff and for lack of a jail, the young indian accused was locked in a room in his own house. not yet satisfied with the work of execution, a mob headed by e. a. clark determined to hang this indian also. they therefore obtained the assistance of some sailors with block and tackle from a ship in the harbor, set up a tripod of spars, cut for shipment, over which they put the rope. in order to have the coast clear so they could break the "jail," a man was sent to boren's house, who pretended that he wished to buy some barrels left in boren's care by a cooper and stacked on the beach some distance away. the unsuspecting victim of the ruse accompanied him to the beach where the man detained him as long as he thought necessary, talking of barrels, brine and pickling salmon, and perhaps not liking to miss the "neck-tie party," at last said, "maybe we'd better get back, the boys are threatening mischief." taking the hint instantly, boren started on a dead run up the beach in a wild anxiety to save the indian's life. in sight of the improvised scaffold he beheld the indian with the noose around his neck, e. a. clark and d. livingston near by, a sea captain, who was a mere-on-looker, and the four sailors in line with the rope in their hands, awaiting the order to pull. the sheriff recovered himself enough to shout, "drop that rope, you rascals!" "o string him up, he's nothing but a siwash," said one. "dry up! you have no right to hang him, he will be tried at the next term of court," said boren. the sailors dropped the rope, boren removed the noose from the neck of the indian, who was silent, bravely enduring the indignity from the mob. the majesty of the law was recognized and the crowd dispersed. the indian was sent to steilacoom, where he was kept in jail for six months, but when tried there was no additional evidence and he was therefore released. returning to his people he changed his name, taking that of his father's cousin, and has lived a quiet and peaceable life throughout the years. sad indeed seems the fate of this unknown wanderer, but not so much so as that of others who came to the northwest to waste their lives in riotous living and were themselves responsible for a tragic end of a wicked career, so often sorrowfully witnessed by the sober and steadfast. of the participants in this exciting episode, d. t. denny, c. d. boren and the indian, whose life was so promptly and courageously saved by c. d. boren from an ignominious death, are (in ) still living in king county, washington. chapter vi. killing cougars. it was springtime in an early year of pioneer times. d. t. and louisa denny were living in their log cabin in the swale, an opening in the midst of the great forest, about midway between elliott bay and lake union. not very far away was their only neighbor, thomas mercer, with his family of several young daughters. on a pleasant morning, balmy with the presage of coming summer, as the two pioneers, david t. denny and thomas mercer, wended, their way to their task of cutting timber, they observed some of the cattle lying down in an open space, and heard the tinkling bell of one of the little band wandering about cropping fresh spring herbage in the edge of the woods. they looked with a feeling of affection at the faithful dumb creatures who were to aid in affording sustenance, as well as a sort of friendly companionship in the lonely wilds. after a long, sunny day spent in swinging the ax, whistling, singing and chatting, they returned to their cabins as the shadows were deepening in the mighty forest. [illustration: log cabin in the swale] in the first cabin there was considerable anxiety manifested by the mistress of the same, revealed in the conversation at the supper table: "david," said she, "there was something wrong with the cattle today; i heard a calf bawl as if something had caught it and 'whiteface' came up all muddy and distressed looking." "is that so? did you look to see what it was?" "i started to go but the baby cried so that i had to come back. a little while before that i thought i heard an indian halloo and looked out of the door expecting to see him come down to the trail, but i did not see anything at all." "what could it be? well, it is so dark now in the woods that i can't see anything; i will have to wait until tomorrow." early the next morning, david went up to the place where he had seen the calves the day before, taking "towser," a large newfoundland dog with him, also a long western rifle he had brought across the plains. not so many rods away from the cabin he found the remnants of a calf upon which some wild beast had feasted the day previous. there were large tracks all around easily followed, as the ground was soft with spring rains. towser ran out into the thick timber hard after a wild creature, and david heard something scratch and run up a tree and thought it must be a wild cat. no white person had ever seen any larger specimen of the feline race in this region. he stepped up to a big fir log and walked along perhaps fifty feet and looking up a giant cedar tree saw a huge cougar glaring down at him with great, savage yellow eyes, crouching motionless, except for the incessant twitching, to and fro, of the tip of its tail, as a cat does when watching a mouse. right before him in so convenient a place as to attract his attention, stood a large limb which had fallen and stuck into the ground alongside the log he was standing on, so he promptly rested his gun on it, but it sank into the soft earth from the weight of the gun and he quickly drew up, aiming at the chest of the cougar. the gun missed fire. fearing the animal would spring upon him, he walked back along the log about twenty feet, took a pin out of his coat and picked out the tube, poured in fresh powder from his powder horn and put on a fresh cap. all the time the yellow eyes watched him. advancing again, he fired; the bullet struck through its vitals, but away it went bolting up the tree quite a distance. another bullet was rammed home in the old muzzle loader. the cougar was dying, but still held on by its claws stuck in the bark of the tree, its head resting on a limb. receiving one more shot in the head it let go and came hurtling down to the ground. towser was wild with savage delight and bit his prostrate enemy many times, chewing at the neck until it was a mass of foam, but not once did his sharp teeth penetrate the tough, thick hide. hurrying back, david called for mercer, a genial man always ready to lend a hand, to help him get the beast out to the cabin. the two men found it very heavy, all they could stagger under, even the short distance it had to be carried. as soon as the killing of the cougar was reported in the settlement, two miles away, everybody turned out to see the monster. mrs. catherine blaine, the school teacher, who had gone home with the mercer children, saw the animal and marveled at its size. henry l. yesler and all the mill hands repaired to the spot to view the dead monarch of the forest, none of whom had seen his like before. large tracks had been seen in various places but were credited to timber wolves. this cougar's forearm measured the same as the leg of a large horse just above the knee joint. such an animal, if it jumped down from a considerable height, would carry a man to the ground with such force as to stun him, when he could be clawed and chewed up at the creature's will. while the curious and admiring crowd were measuring and guessing at the weight of the cougar, mr. yesler called at the cabin. he kept looking about while he talked and finally said, "you are quite high-toned here, i see your house is papered," at which all laughed good-naturedly. not all the cabins were "papered," but this one was made quite neat by means of newspapers pasted on the walls, the finishing touch being a border of nothing more expensive than blue calico. at last they were all satisfied with their inspection of the first cougar and returned to the settlement. a moral might be pinned here: if this cougar had not dined so gluttonously on the tender calf, which no doubt made excellent veal, possibly he would not have come to such a sudden and violent end. had some skillful taxidermist been at hand to mount this splendid specimen of felis concolor, the first killed by a white man in this region, it would now be very highly prized. some imagine that the danger of encounters with cougars has been purposely exaggerated by the pioneer hunters to create admiring respect for their own prowess. this is not my opinion, as i believe there is good reason to fear them, especially if they are hungry. they are large, swift and agile, and have the advantage in the dense forest of the northwest pacific coast, as they can station themselves in tall trees amid thick foliage and pounce upon deer, cattle and human beings. several years after the killing of the first specimen, a cow was caught in the jaw by a cougar, but wrenched herself away in terror and pain and ran home with the whole frightened herd at her heels, into the settlement of seattle. the natives have always feared them and would much rather meet a bear than a cougar, as the former will, ordinarily, run away, while the latter is hard to scare and is liable to follow and spring out of the thick undergrowth. in one instance known to the pioneers first mentioned in this chapter, an indian woman who was washing at the edge of a stream beat a cougar off her child with a stick, thereby saving its life. in early days, about or ' , a mr. t. cherry, cradling oats in a field in squowh valley, was attacked by a cougar; holding his cradle between him and the hungry beast, he backed toward the fence, the animal following until the fence was reached. a gang of hogs were feeding just outside the enclosure and the cougar leaped the fence, seized one of the hogs and ran off with it. a saloon-keeper on the snohomish river, walking along the trail in the adjacent forest one day with his yellow dog, was startled by the sudden accession to their party of a huge and hungry cougar. the man fled precipitately, leaving the dog to his fate. the wild beast fell to and made a meal of the hapless canine, devouring all but the tip of his yellow tail, which his sorrowing master found near the trail the next day. a lonely pioneer cabin on the columbia river was enclosed by a high board fence. one sunny day as the two children of the family were playing in the yard, a cougar sprang from a neighboring tree and caught one of the children; the mother ran out and beat off the murderous beast, but the child was dead. she then walked six or seven miles to a settlement carrying the dead child, while leading the other. what a task! the precious burden, the heavier load of sorrow, the care of the remaining child, the dread of a renewed attack from the cougar and the bodily fatigue incident to such a journey, forming an experience upon which it would be painful to dwell. many more such incidents might be given, but i am reminded at this point that they would appropriately appear in another volume. since the first settlement there have been killed in king county nearly thirty of these animals. c. brownfield, an old settler on lake union, killed several with the aid of "jack," a yellow dog which belonged to d. t. denny for a time, then to a. a. denny. c. d. boren, with his dog, killed others. moses kirkland brought a dog from louisiana, a half bloodhound, with which henry van asselt hunted and killed several cougars. d. t. denny killed one in the region occupied by the suburb of seattle known as ross. it had been dining off mutton secured from dr. h. a. smith's flock of sheep. it was half grown and much the color of a deer. toward lake washington another flock of sheep had been visited by a cougar, and mr. wetmore borrowed d. t. denny's little dog "watch," who treed the animal, remaining by it all night, but it escaped until a trap was set, when, being more hungry than cautious, it was secured. chapter vii. pioneer child life. the very thought of it makes the blood tingle and the heart leap. no element was wanting for romance or adventure. indians, bears, panthers, far journeys, in canoes or on horseback, fording rivers, camping and tramping, and all in a virgin wilderness so full of grandeur and loveliness that even very little children were impressed by the appearance thereof. the strangeness and newness of it all was hardly understood by the native white children as they had no means of comparing this region and mode of life with other countries and customs. traditions did not trouble us; the indians were generally friendly, the bears were only black ones and ran away from us as fast as their furry legs would carry them; the panthers did not care to eat us up, we felt assured, while there was plenty of venison to be had by stalking, and on a journey we rode safely, either on the pommel of father's saddle or behind mother's, clinging like small kittens or cockleburs. familiarity with the coquettish canoe made us perfectly at home with it, and in later years when the tenderfoot arrived, we were convulsed with inextinguishable laughter at what seemed to us an unreasoning terror of a harmless craft. [illustration: where we wandered long ago] ah! we lived close to dear nature then! our play-grounds were the brown beaches or the hillsides covered with plumy young fir trees, the alder groves or the slashings where we hacked and chopped with our little hatchets in imitation of our elders or the father of his country and namesake of our state. running on long logs, the prostrate trunks of trees several hundred feet long, and jumping from one to another was found to be an exhilarating pastime. when the frolicsome chinook wind came singing across the sound, the boys flew home built kites of more or less ambitious proportions and the little girls ran down the hills, performing a peculiar skirt dance by taking the gown by the hem on either side and turning the skirt half over the head. facing the wind it assumed a balloonlike inflation very pleasing to the small performer. it was thought the proper thing to let the hair out of net or braids at the time, as the sensation of air permeating long locks was sufficient excuse for its "weirdness" as i suppose we would have politely termed it had we ever heard the word. instead we were more likely to be reproved for having such untidy heads and perhaps reminded that we looked as wild as indians. "as wild as indians," the poor indians! how they admired the native white children! without ceremony they claimed blood brotherhood, saying, "you were born in our 'illahee' (country) and are our 'tillicum' (people). you eat the same food, will grow up here and belong to us." often we were sung to sleep at night by their "tamanuse" singing, as we lived quite near the bank below which many indians camped, on elliott bay. i never met with the least rudeness or suffered the slightest injury from an indian except on one occasion. walking upon the beach one day three white children drew near a group of indian camps. almost deserted they were, probably the inhabitants had gone fishing; the only being visible was a boy about ten years of age. snarling out some bitter words in an unknown tongue, he flung a stone which struck hard a small head, making a slight scalp wound. such eyes! they fairly glittered with hatred. we hurried home, the victim crying with the pain inflicted, and learned afterward that the boy was none of our "tillicum" but a stranger from the snohomish tribe. what cruel wrong had he witnessed or suffered to make him so full of bitterness? the indian children were usually quite amiable in disposition, and it seemed hard to refuse their friendly advances which it became necessary to do. in their primitive state they seemed perfectly healthy and happy little creatures. they never had the toothache; just think of that, ye small consumers of colored candies! unknown to them was the creeping horror that white children feel when about to enter the terrible dentist's den. they had their favorite fear, however, the frightful "statalth," or "stick siwash," that haunted the great forest. as near as we could ascertain, these were the ghosts of a long dead race of savages who had been of gigantic stature and whose ghosts were likewise very tall and dreadful and very fond of chasing people out of the woods on dark nights. plenty of little white people know what the sensation is, produced by imagining that something is coming after them in the dark. i have seen a big, brawny, tough looking indian running as fast as he could go, holding a blazing pitchwood torch over his head while he glanced furtively over his shoulder for the approaching statalth. both white and indian children were afraid of the northern indians, especially the stickeens, who were head-takers. we were seldom panic stricken; born amid dangers there seemed nothing novel about them and we took our environment as a matter of course. we were taught to be courageous but not foolhardy, which may account for our not getting oftener in trouble. the boys learned to shoot and shoot well at an early age, first with shot guns, then rifles. sometimes the girls proved dangerous with firearms in their hands. a sister of the writer learned to shoot off the head of a grouse at long range. a girl schoolmate, when scarcely grown, shot and killed a bear. my brothers and cousin, wm. r. boren, were good shots at a tender age and killed numerous bears, deer, grouse, pheasants, ducks, wild pigeon, etc., in and about the district now occupied by the city of seattle. the wild flowers and the birds interested us deeply and every spring we joyfully noted the returning bluebirds and robins, the migrating wren and a number of other charming feathered friends. the high banks, not then demolished by grades, were smothered in greenery and hung with banners of bloom every succeeding season. we clambered up and down the steep places gathering armfuls of lillies (trillium), red currant (ribes sanguineum), indian-arrow-wood (spiraea), snowy syringa (philadelphus) and blue forgetmenots and the yellow blossoms of the oregon grape (berberis glumacea and aquifolium), which we munched with satisfaction for the _soursweet_, and the scarlet honeysuckle to bite off the honeyglands for a like purpose. the salmonberry and blackberry seasons were quite delightful. to plunge into the thick jungle, now traversed by pike street, seattle, was a great treat. there blackberries attained brobdignagian hugeness, rich and delicious. on a saturday, our favorite reward for lessons and work well done, was to be allowed to go down the lovely beach with its wide strip of variegated shingle and bands of brown, ribbed sand, as far as the "three big stones," no farther, as there were bears, panthers and indians, as hereinbefore stated, inhabiting the regions round about. one brilliant april day we felt very brave, we were bigger than ever before, five was quite a party, and the flowers were o! so enchanting a little farther on. two of us climbed the bank to gather the tempting blossoms. our little dog, "watch," a very intelligent animal, took the lead; scarcely had we gained the top and essayed to break the branch of a wild currant, gay with rose colored blossoms, when watch showed unusual excitement about something, a mysterious something occupying the cavernous depths of an immense hollow log. with his bristles up, rage and terror in every quivering muscle, he was slowly, very slowly, backing toward us. although in the woods often, we had never seen him act so before. we took the hint and to our heels, tumbled down the yielding, yellow bank in an exceedingly hasty and unceremonious manner, gathered up our party of thoroughly frightened youngsters and hurried along the sand homeward, at a double quick pace. hardly stopping for a backward glance to see if the "something" was coming after us, we reached home, safe but subdued. not many days after the young truants were invited down to an indian camp to see the carcass of a cougar about nine feet long. there it lay, stretched out full length, its hard, white teeth visible beyond the shrunken lips, its huge paws quite helpless and harmless. it is more than probable that this was the "something" in the great hollow log, as it was killed in the vicinity of the place where our stampede occurred. evidently watch felt his responsibility and did the best he could to divert the enemy while we escaped. the dense forest hid many an unseen danger in early days and it transpired that i never saw a live cougar in the woods, but even a dead one may produce real old fashioned fright in a spectator. having occasion, when attending the university, at the age of twelve, to visit the library of that institution, a strange adventure befell me; the selection of a book absorbed my mind very fully and i was unprepared for a sudden change of thought. turning from the shelves, a terrible sight met my eyes, a ferocious wild beast, all its fangs exhibited, in the opposite corner of the room. how did each particular hair stand upright and perspiration ooze from every pore! a moment passed and a complete collapse of the illusion left the victim weak and disgusted; it was only the stuffed cougar given to the faculty to be the nucleus of a great collection. the young washingtonians, called "clam-diggers," were usually well fed, what with venison, fish, grouse and berries, game of many kinds, and creatures of the sea, they were really pampered, in the memory of the writer. but it is related by those who experienced the privations incident to the first year or two of white settlement, that the children were sometimes hungry for bread, especially during the first winter at alki. fish and potatoes were plentiful, obtained from the indians, syrup from a vessel in the harbor, but bread was scarce. on one occasion, a little girl of one of the four white families on elliott bay, was observed to pick up an old crust and carry it around in her pocket. when asked what she intended to do with that crust, with childish simplicity she replied, "save it to eat with syrup at dinner." not able to resist its delicious flavor she kept nibbling away at the crust until scarcely a crumb remained; its dessicated surface had no opportunity to be masked with treacle. to look back upon our pioneer menu is quite tantalizing. the fish, of many excellent kinds, from the "salt-chuck," brought fresh and flapping to our doors, in native baskets by indian fishermen, cooked in many appetizing ways; clams of all sizes from the huge bivalves weighing three-quarters of a pound a piece to the tiny white soup clam; sustain me, o my muse, if i attempt to describe their excellence. every conceivable preparation, soup, stew, baked, pie, fry or chowder was tried with the happiest results. the puget sound oyster, not the stale, globe-trotting oyster of however aristocratic antecedents, the enjoyment in eating of which is chiefly as a reminiscence, but the fresh western oyster, was much esteemed. the crab, too, figured prominently on the bill of fare, dropped alive in boiling water and served in scarlet, _a la naturel_. a pioneer family gathered about the table enjoying a feast of the stalk-eyed crustaceans, were treated to a little diversion in this wise. the room was small, used for both kitchen and diningroom, as the house boasted of but two or three rooms, consequently space was economized. a fine basket of crabs traded from an indian were put in a tin pan and set under the table; several were cooked, the rest left alive. as one of the children was proceeding with the dismemberment necessary to extract the delicate meat, as if to seek its fellows, the crab slipped from her grasp and slid beneath the table. stooping down she hastily seized her crab, as she supposed, but to her utter astonishment it seemed to have come to life, it _was_ alive, kicking and snapping. in a moment the table was in an uproar of crab catching and wild laughter. the mother of the astonished child declares that to this day she cannot help laughing whenever she thinks of the crab that came to life. it was to this home that john and sarah denny, and their little daughter, loretta, came to visit their son, daughter and the grandchildren, in the winter of - . grandmother was tall and straight, dressed in a plain, dark gown, black silk apron and lace cap; her hair, coal black, slightly gray on the temples; her eyes dark, soft and gentle. she brought a little treat of oregon apples from their farm in the waldo hills, to the children, who thought them the most wonderful fruit they had ever seen, more desirable than the golden apples of hesperides. we were to return with them, joyful news! what visions of bliss arose before us! new places to see and all the nice things and good times we children could have at grandfather's farm. when the day came, in the long, dark canoe, manned by a crew of indians, we embarked for olympia, the head of navigation, bidding "good-bye" to our friends, few but precious, who watched us from the bank, among whom were an old man and his little daughter. a few days before he had been sick and one of the party sent him a steaming cup of ginger and milk which, although simple, had proved efficacious; ere we reached our home again he showed his gratitude in a substantial manner, as will be seen farther on. at one beautiful resting place, the canoe slid up against a strip of shingle covered with delicate shells; we were delighted to be allowed to walk about, after sitting curled up in the bottom of the canoe for a long time, to gather crab, pecten and periwinkle shells, even extending our ramble to a lovely grove of dark young evergreens, standing in a grassy meadow. the first night of the journey was spent in steilacoom. it was march of and it was chilly traveling on the big salt water. we were cold and hungry but the keeper of the one hotel in the place had retired and refused to be aroused, so we turned to the only store, where the proprietor received us kindly, brought out new blankets to cover us while we camped on the floor, gave us bread and a hot oyster stew, the best his place afforded. his generous hospitality was never forgotten by the grateful recipients who often spoke of it in after years. i saw there a "witches' scene" of an old indian woman boiling devilfish or octopus in a kettle over a campfire, splendidly lit against the gloom of night, and all reflected in the water. at the break of day we paddled away over the remainder of the salt-chuck, as the indians call the sea, until stetchas was reached. stetchas is "bear's place," the indian name for the site of olympia. from thence the mail stage awaited us to cowlitz landing. the trip over this stretch of country was not exactly like a triumphal progress. the six-horse team plunged and floundered, while the wagon sank up to the hub in black mud; the language of the driver has not been recorded. at the first stop out from olympia, the tilley's, famous in the first annals, entertained us. at a bountiful and appetizing meal, one of the articles, boiled eggs, were not cooked to suit grandfather john denny. with amusing bluntness he sent the chicken out to be killed before he ate it, complaining that the eggs were not hard enough. mrs. tilly made two or three efforts and finally set the dish down beside him saying, "there, if that isn't hard enough you don't deserve to have any." the long rough ride ended at warbass' landing on the cowlitz river, a tributary of the columbia, and another canoe trip, this time on a swift and treacherous stream, was safely made to monticello, a mere little settlement. a tiny steamboat, almost microscopic on the wide water, carried us across the great columbia with its sparkling waves, and up the winding willamette to portland, oregon. from thence the journey progressed to the falls below oregon city. at the portage, we walked along a narrow plank walk built up on the side of the river bank which rose in a high rounded hill. its noble outline stood dark with giant firs against a blue spring sky; the rushing, silvery flood of the willamette swept below us past a bank fringed with wild currants just coming into bloom. at the end of the walk there stood a house which represented itself as a resting place for weary travelers. we spent the night there but alas! for rest; the occupants were convivial and "drowned the shamrock" all night long; as no doubt they felt obliged to do for wasn't it "st. patrick's day in the mornin'?" most likely we three, the juveniles, slumbered peacefully until aroused to learn that we were about to start "sure enough" for grandfather's farm in the waldo hills. at length the log cabin home was reached and our interest deepened in everything about. so many flowers to gather as they came in lively processional, blue violets under the oaks, blue-flags all along the valley; such great, golden buttercups, larkspurs, and many a wildling we scarcely called by any name. all the affairs of the house and garden, field and pasture seemed by us especially gotten up, for our amusement and we found endless entertainment therein. if a cheese was made or churning done we were sure to be "hanging around" for a green curd or paring, a taste of sweet butter or a chance to lift the dasher of the old fashioned churn. the milking time was enticing, too, and we trotted down to the milking pen with our little tin cups for a drink of fresh, warm milk from the fat, lowing kine, which fed all day on rich grasses and waited at the edge of the flower decked valley for the milkers with their pails. as summer advanced our joys increased, for there were wild strawberries and such luscious ones! no berries in after years tasted half so good. some artist has portrayed a group of children on a sunny slope among the hills, busy with the scarlet fruit and called it "the strawberry of memory"; such was the strawberry of that summer. one brilliant june day when all the landscape was steeped in sunshine we went some distance from home to gather a large supply. it is needless to say that we, the juvenile contingent, improved the opportunity well; and when we sat at table the following day and grandfather helped us to generous pieces of strawberry "cobbler" and grandmother poured over them rich, sweet cream, our satisfaction was complete. it is likely that if we had heard of the boy who wished for a neck as long as a giraffe so that he could taste the good things all the way down, we would have echoed the sentiment. mentioning the giraffe, of the animal also we probably had no knowledge as books were few and menageries, none at all. no lack was felt, however, as the wild animals were numerous and interesting. the birds, rabbits and squirrels were friendly and fearless then; the birds were especially loved and it was pleasing to translate their notes into endearments for ourselves. but the rolling suns brought round the day when we must return to our native heath on puget sound. right sorry were the two little "clam-diggers" to leave the little companion of delightful days, and grandparents. with a rush of tears and calling "good-bye! good-bye!" as long as we could see or hear we rode away in a wagon, beginning the long journey, full of variety, back to the settlement on elliott bay. ourselves, and wagon and team purchased in the "web-foot" country, were carried down the willamette and across the sweeping columbia on a steamer to monticello. there the wagon was loaded into a canoe to ascend the cowlitz river, and we mounted the horses for a long day's ride, one of the children on the pommel of father's saddle, the other perched behind on mother's steed. the forest was so dense through which we rode for a long distance that the light of noonday became a feeble twilight, the way was a mere trail, the salal bushes on either side so tall that they brushed the feet of the little riders. the tedium of succeeding miles of this weird wilderness was beguiled by the stories, gentle warnings and encouragement from my mother. the cicadas sang as if it were evening, the dark woods looked a little fearful and i was advised to "hold on tight and keep awake, there are bears in these woods." the trail led us to the first crossing of the cowlitz river, where father hallooed long and loud for help to ferry us over, from a lonely house on the opposite shore, but only echo and silence returned. the deep, dark stream, sombre forest and deserted house made an eerie impression on the children. the little party boarded the ferryboat and swimming the horses, alongside crossed without delay. the next afternoon saw us nearing the crossing of the cowlitz again at warbass landing. the path crossed a pretty open space covered with ripe yellow grass and set around with giant trees, just before it vanished in the hurrying stream. father rode on and crossed, quite easily, the uneven bed of the swift river, with its gravelly islands and deep pools. when it came our turn, our patient beast plunged in and courageously advanced to near the middle of the stream, wavered and stood still and seemed about to go down with the current. how distinctly the green, rapid water, gravelly shoals and distant bank with its anxious onlookers is photographed on my memory's page! only for a moment did the brave animal falter and then sturdily worked her way to the shore. mr. warbass, with white face and trembling voice, said "i thought you were gone, sure." his coat was off and he had been on the point of plunging in to save us from drowning, if possible. willing hands helped us down and into the hospitable home, where we were glad to rest after such a severe trial. a sleepless night followed for my mother, who suffered from the reaction common to such experience, although not panic stricken at the time of danger. it was here i received my first remembered lesson in "meum et tuum." while playing under the fruit trees around the house i spied a peach lying on the ground, round, red and fair to see. i took it in to my mother who asked where i got it, if i had asked for it, etc. i replied i had found it outdoors. "well, it isn't yours, go and give it to the lady and never pick up anything without asking for it." a lesson that was heeded, and one much needed by children in these days when individual rights are so little regarded. the muddy wagon road between this point and olympia over which the teams had struggled in the springtime was now dry and the wagon was put together with hope of a fairly comfortable trip. it was discovered in so doing that the tongue of the vehicle had been left at monticello. not to be delayed, father repaired to the woods and cut a forked ash stick and made it do duty for the missing portion. at olympia we were entertained by mr. and mrs. dickinson with whom we tarried as we went to oregon. my mother preferred her steed to the steamer plying on the sound; that same trip the selfsame craft blew up. on horseback again, we followed the trail from olympia to the duwampsh river, over hills and hollows, out on the prairie or in the dark forest, at night putting up at the house of a hospitable settler. from thence we were told that it was only one day's travel but the trail stretched out amazingly. night, and a stormy one, overtook the hapless travelers. the thunder crashed, the lightning flamed, sheets of rain came down, but there was no escape. a halt was called at an open space in a grove of tall cedar trees, a fire made and the horses hitched under the trees. the two children slept snugly under a fir bark shed made of slabs of bark leaned up against a large log. father and mother sat by the fire under a cedar whose branches gave a partial shelter. some time in the night i was awakened by my mother lying down beside me, then slept calmly on. the next morning everything was dripping wet and we hastened on to the duwampsh crossing where lived the old man who stood on the bank at seattle when we started. what a comfort it was to the cold, wet, hungry, weary quartette to be invited into a dry warm place! and then the dinner, just prepared for company he had been expecting; a bountiful supply of garden vegetables, beets, cabbage, potatoes, a great dish of beans and hot coffee. these seemed veritable luxuries and we partook of them with a hearty relish. a messenger was sent to seattle to apprise our friends of our return, two of them came to meet us at the mouth of the duwampsh river and brought us down the bay in a canoe to the landing near the old laurel (madrona) tree that leaned over the bank in front of our home. the first fourth of july celebration in which i participated took place in the old m. e. church on second street, seattle, in . early in the morning of that eventful day there was hurrying to and fro in the dennys' cottage, on seneca street, embowered in flowers which even luxuriant as they were we did not deem sufficient. the nimble eldest of the children was sent to a flower-loving neighbor's for blossoms of patriotic hues, for each of the small americans was to carry a banner inscribed with a strong motto and wreathed with red, white and blue flowers. large letters, cut from the titles of newspapers spelled out the legends on squares of white cotton, "freedom for all," "slavery for none," "united we stand, divided we fall," each surrounded with a heavy wreath of beautiful flowers. arrived at the church, we found ourselves a little late, the orator was just rounding the first of his eloquent periods; the audience, principally men, turned to view the disturbers as they sturdily marched up the aisle to a front seat, and seeing the patriotic family with their expressive emblems, broke out in a hearty round of applause. although very young we felt the spirit of the occasion. the first commencement exercises at the university took place in . it was a great event, an audience of about nine hundred or more, including many visitors from all parts of the sound, victoria, b. c., and portland, oregon, gathered in the hall of the old university, then quite new. i was then nine years of age and had been trained to recite "barbara frietchie," it "goes without the saying" that it was received with acclaim, as feeling ran high and the hearts of the people burned within them for the things that were transpiring in the south. still better were they pleased and much affected by the singing of "who will care for mother now," by annie may adams, a lovely young girl of fifteen, with a pure, sympathetic, soprano voice and a touching simplicity of style. how warm beat the hearts of the people on this far off shore, as at the seat of war, and even the children shouted, sang and wept in sympathy with those who shed their lifeblood for their country. the singing of "red, white and blue" by the children created great enthusiasm; war tableaux such as "the soldier's farewell," "who goes there?" "in camp," were well presented and received with enthusiastic applause, and whatever apology might have been made for the status of the school, there was none to be made for its patriotism. our teachers were unionists without exception and we were taught many such things; "rally round the flag" was a favorite and up went every right hand and stamped hard every little foot as we sang "down with the traitor and up with the stars" with perhaps more energy than music. the children of my family, with those of a. a. denny's, sometimes held "union meetings;" at these were speeches made that were very intense, as we thought, from the top of a stump or barrel, each mounting in turn to declaim against slavery and the confederacy, to pronounce sentence of execution upon jeff. davis, captain semmes, et al. in a way to have made those worthies uneasy in their sleep. every book, picture, story, indeed, every printed page concerning the war was eagerly scanned and i remember sitting by, through long talks of grandfather john denny with my father, to which i listened intently. we finally burned semmes in effigy to express our opinion of him and named the only poor, sour apple in our orchard for the confederate president. for a time there were two war vessels in the harbor, the "saranac" and "suwanee," afterwards wrecked in seymour narrows. the suwanee was overturned and sunk by the shifting of her heavy guns, but was finally raised. both had fine bands that discoursed sweet music every evening. we stood on the bank to listen, delighted to recognize our favorites, national airs and war songs, from "just before the battle, mother" to "star spangled banner." other beautiful music, from operas, perhaps, we enjoyed without comprehending, although we did understand the stirring strains with which we were so familiar. in those days the itinerant m. e. ministers were often the guests of my parents and many were the good natured jokes concerning the fatalities among the yellow-legged chickens. on one occasion a small daughter of the family, whose discretion had not developed with her hospitality, rushed excitedly into the sitting room where the minister was being entertained and said, "mother, which chicken shall i catch?" to the great amusement of all. one of the reverend gentlemen declared that whenever he put in an appearance, the finest and fattest of the flock immediately lay down upon their backs with their feet in the air, as they knew some of them would have to appear on the festal board. like children everywhere we lavished our young affections on pets of many kinds. among these were a family of kittens, one at least of which was considered superfluous. an indian woman, who came to trade clams for potatoes, was given the little "pish-pish," as she called it, with which she seemed much pleased, carrying it away wrapped in her shawl. her camp was a mile away on the shore of elliott bay, from whence it returned through the thick woods, on the following day. soon after she came to our door to exhibit numerous scratches on her hands and arms made by the "mesachie pish-pish" (bad cat), as she now considered it. my mother healed her wounds by giving her some "supalel" (bread) esteemed a luxury by the indians, they seldom having it unless they bought a little flour and made ash-cake. now this same ash-cake deserves to rank with the southern cornpone or the western johnny cake. its flavor is sweet and nut-like, quite unlike that of bread baked in an ordinary oven. the first christmas tree was set up in our own house. it was not then a common american custom; we usually called out "christmas gift," affecting to claim a present after the southern "christmas gif" of the darkies. one early christmas, father brought in a young douglas fir tree and mother hung various little gifts on its branches, among them, bright red lady apples and sticks of candy; that was our very first christmas tree. a few years afterward the whole village joined in loading a large tree with beautiful and costly articles, as times were good, fully one thousand dollars' worth was hung upon and heaped around it. when the fourth time our family returned to the donation claim, now a part of the city of seattle, we found a veritable paradise of flowers, field and forest. the claim reached from lake union to elliott bay, about a mile and a half; a portion of it was rich meadow land covered with luxuriant grass and bordered with flowering shrubs, the fringe on the hem of the mighty evergreen forest covering the remainder. hundreds of birds of many kinds built their nests here and daily throughout the summer chanted their hymns of praise. robins and wrens, song-sparrows and snow birds, thrushes and larks vied with each other in joyful song. the western meadow larks wandered into this great valley, adding their rich flute-like voices to the feathered chorus. woodpeckers, yellow hammers and sap-suckers, beat their brave tattoo on the dead tree trunks and owls uttered their cries from the thick branches at night. riding to church one sunday morning we beheld seven little owls sitting in a row on the dead limb of a tall fir tree, about fourteen feet from the ground. winking and blinking they sat, silently staring as we passed by. rare birds peculiar to the western coast, the rufous-backed hummingbird, like a living coal of fire, and the bush-titmouse which builds a curious hanging nest, also visited this natural park. the road we children traveled from this place led through heavy forest and the year of the drouth ( ) a great fire raged; we lost but little time on this account; it had not ceased before we ran past the tall firs and cedars flaming far above our heads. returning from church one day, when about half way home, a huge fir tree fell just behind us, and a half mile farther on we turned down a branch road at the very moment that a tree fell across the main road usually traveled. the game was not then all destroyed; water fowl were numerous on the lakes and bays and the boys of the family often went shooting. rather late in the afternoon of a november day, the two smaller boys, taking a shot gun with them, repaired to lake union, borrowed a little fishing canoe of old tsetseguis, the indian who lived at the landing, and went to look at some muskrat traps they had set. it was growing quite dark when they thought of returning. for some reason they decided to change places in the canoe, a very "ticklish" thing to do. when one attempted to pass the other, over went the little cockle-shell and both were struggling in the water. the elder managed to thrust one arm through the strap of the hunting bag worn by the younger and grasped him by the hair, said hair being a luxuriant mass of long, golden brown curls. able to swim a little he kept them afloat although he could not keep the younger one's head above water. his cries for help reached the ears of a young man, charles nollop, who was preparing to cook a beefsteak for his supper--he threw the frying pan one way while the steak went the other, and rushed, coatless and hatless, to the rescue with another man, joe raber, in a boat. an older brother of the two lads, john b. denny, was just emerging from the north door of the big barn with two pails of milk; hearing, as he thought, the words "i'm drowning," rather faintly from the lake, he dropped the pails unceremoniously and ran down to the shore swiftly, found only an old shovel-nosed canoe and no paddle, seized a picket and paddled across the little bay to where the water appeared agitated; there he found the boys struggling in the water, or rather one of them, the other was already unconscious. arriving at the same time in their boat charley nollop and joe raber helped to pull them out of the water. the long golden curls of the younger were entangled in the crossed cords of the shot pouch and powder flask worn by the older one, who was about to sink for the last time, as he was exhausted and had let go of the younger, who was submerged. their mother reached the shore as the unconscious one was stretched upon the ground and raised his arms and felt for the heart which was beating feebly. the swimmer walked up the hill to the house; the younger, still unconscious, was carried, face downward, into a room where a large fire was burning in an open fireplace, and laid down before it on a rug. restoratives were quickly applied and upon partial recovery he was warmly tucked in bed. a few feverish days followed, yet both escaped without serious injury. mrs. tsetseguis was much grieved and repeated over and over, "i told the oleman not to lend that little canoe to the boys, and he said, 'o it's all right, they know how to manage a canoe.'" tsetseguis was also much distressed and showed genuine sympathy, following the rescued into the house to see if they were really safe. the games we played in early days were often the time-honored ones taught us by our parents, and again were inventions of our own. during the rebellion we drilled as soldiers or played "black man;" by the latter we wrought excitement to the highest pitch, whether we chased the black man, or returning the favor, he chased us. the teeter-board was available when the neighbor's children came; the wonder is that no bones were broken by our method. the longest, strongest, douglas fir board that could be found, was placed across a large log, a huge stone rested in the middle and the children, boys and girls, little and big, crowded on the board almost filling it; then we carefully "waggled" it up and down, watching the stone in breathless and ecstatic silence until weary of it. our bravado consisted in climbing up the steepest banks on the bay, or walking long logs across ravines or on steep inclines. the surroundings were so peculiar that old games took on new charms when played on puget sound. hide-and-seek in a dense jungle of young douglas firs was most delightful; the great fir and cedar trees, logs and stumps, afforded ample cover for any number of players, from the sharp eyes of the one who had been counted "out" with one of the old rhymes. the shadow of danger always lurked about the undetermined boundary of our play-grounds, wild animals and wild men might be not far beyond. we feared the drunken white man more than the sober indian, with much greater reason. even the drunken indian never molested us, but usually ran "amuck" among the inhabitants of the beach. neither superstitious nor timid we seldom experienced a panic. the nearest indian graveyard was on a hill at the foot of spring street, seattle. it sloped directly down to the beach; the bodies were placed in shallow graves to the very brow and down over the face of the sandy bluff. all this hill was dug down when the town advanced. the children's' graves were especially pathetic, with their rude shelters, to keep off the rain of the long winter months, and upright poles bearing bits of bright colored cloth, tin pails and baskets. over these poor graves no costly monuments stood, only the winds sang wild songs there, the sea-gulls flitted over, the fair, wild flowers bloomed and the dark-eyed indian mothers tarried sometimes, human as others in their sorrow. but the light-hearted indian girls wandered past, hand in hand, singing as they went, pausing to turn bright friendly eyes upon me as they answered the white child's question, "ka mika klatawa?" (where are you going?) "o, kopa yawa" (o, over yonder), nodding toward the winding road that stretched along the green bank before them. without a care or sorrow, living a healthy, free, untrammeled life, they looked the impersonation of native contentment. the social instinct of the pioneers found expression in various ways. a merry party of pioneer young people, invited to spend the evening at a neighbor's, were promised the luxury of a candy-pull. the first batch was put on to boil and the assembled youngsters engaged in old fashioned games to while away the time. unfortunately for their hopes the molasses burned and they were obliged to throw it away. there was a reserve in the jug, however, and the precious remainder was set over the fire and the games went on again. determined to succeed, the hostess stirred, while an equally anxious and careful guest held the light, a small fish-oil lamp. the lamp had a leak and was set on a tin plate; in her eagerness to light the bubbling saccharine substance and to watch the stirring-down, she leaned over a little too far and over went the lamp directly into the molasses. what consternation fell upon them! the very thought of the fish-oil was nauseating, and that was all the molasses. there was no candy-pulling, there being no grocery just around the corner where a fresh supply might be obtained, indeed molasses and syrup were very scarce articles, brought from a great distance. the guests departed, doubtless realizing that the "best laid plans ... gang aft agley." the climate of puget sound is one so mild that snow seldom falls and ice rarely forms as thick as windowglass, consequently travel, traffic and amusement are scarcely modified during the winter, or more correctly, the rainy season. unless it rained more energetically than usual, the children went on with their games as in summer. the long northern twilight of the summertime and equally long evenings in winter had each their special charm. the pictures of winter scenes in eastern magazines and books looked strange and unfamiliar to us, but as one saucy girl said to a tenderfoot from a blizzard-swept state, "we see more and deeper snow everyday than you ever saw in your life." "how is that?" said he. "on mount rainier," she answered, laughing. even so, this magnificent mountain, together with many lesser peaks, wears perpetual robes of snow in sight of green and blooming shores. when it came to decorating for christmas, well, we had a decided advantage as the evergreens stood thick about us, millions of them. busy fingers made lavish use of rich garlands of cedar to festoon whole buildings; handsome douglas firs, reaching from floor to ceiling, loaded with gay presents and blazing with tapers, made the little "clam-diggers'" eyes glisten and their mouths water. in the garden the flowers bloomed often in december and january, as many as twenty-six varieties at once. one new year's day i walked down the garden path and plucked a fine, red rosebud to decorate the new year's cake. the pussy-willows began the floral procession of wildlings in january and the trilliums and currants were not far behind unless a "cold snap" came on in february and the flowers _dozed on_, for they never seem to _sleep_ very profoundly here. by the middle of february there was, occasionally, a general display of bloom, but more frequently it began about the first of march, the seasons varying considerably. the following poem tells of favorite flowers gathered in the olden time "i' the spring o' the year!" in the summertime we had work as well as play, out of doors. the garden surrounding our cottage in , overflowed with fruits, vegetables and flowers. nimble young fingers were made useful in helping to tend them. weeding beds of spring onions and lettuce, sticking peas and beans, or hoeing potatoes, were considered excellent exercise for young muscles; no need of physical "culchuah" in the school had dawned upon us, as periods of work and rest, study and play, followed each other in healthful succession. having a surplus of good things, the children often went about the village with fresh vegetables and flowers, more often the latter, generous bouquets of fragrant and spicy roses and carnations, sweet peas and nasturtiums, to sell. two little daughters in pretty, light print dresses and white hats were flower girls who were treated like little queens. there was no disdain of work to earn a living in those days; every respectable person did something useful. for recreation, we went with father in the wagon over the "bumpy" road when he went to haul wood, or perhaps a long way on the county road to the meadow, begging to get off to gather flowers whenever we saw them peeping from their green bowers. driving along through the great forest which stood an almost solid green wall on either hand, we called "o father, stop! stop; here is the lady-slipper place." "well, be quick, i can't wait long." dropping down to the ground, we ran as fast as our feet could carry us to gather the lovely, fragrant orchid, calypso borealis, from its mossy bed. when the ferns were fully grown, eight or ten feet high, the little girls broke down as many as they could drag, and ran along the road, great ladies, with long green trains! [illustration: a visit from our tillicum] we found the way to the opening in the woods, where in the midst thereof, grandfather sat making cedar shingles with a drawing knife. huge trees lay on the ground, piles of bolts had been cut and the heap of shingles, clear and straight of the very best quality, grew apace. very tall and grand the firs and cedars stood all around, like stately pillars with a dome of blue sky above; the birds sang in the underbrush and the brown butterflies floated by. among all the beautiful things, there was one to rivet the eye and attention; a dark green fir tree, perhaps thirty feet high, around whose trunk and branches a wild honeysuckle vine had twined itself from the ground to the topmost twig. it had the appearance of a giant candelabrum, with the orange-scarlet blossoms that tipped the boughs like jets of flame. many a merry picnic we had in blackberry time, taking our lunch with us and spending the day; sometimes in an indian canoe we paddled off several miles, to smith's cove or some other likely place. it was necessary to watch the tide at the cove or the shore could not be reached across the mudflat. once ashore how happy we were; clambering about over the hills, gathering the ripe fruit, now and then turning about to gaze at the snowy sentinel in the southern sky, grand old mount rainier. how wide the sparkling waters of the bay! the sky so pure and clear, the north wind so cool and refreshing. the plumy boughs stirred gently overhead and shed for us the balsamic odors, the flowers waved a welcome at our feet. in the winter there was seldom any "frost on the rills" or "snow on the hills," but when it did come the children made haste to get all the possible fun out of the unusual pastime of coasting. mothers were glad when the chinook wind came and ate up the snow and brought back the ordinary conditions, as the children were frequently sick during a cold spell. now the tenderfoot, as the newcomer is called in the west, is apt to be mistaken about the chinook wind; there is a wet south wind and a dry south wind on puget sound. the chinook, as the "natives" have known it, is a dry wind, clears the sky, and melts and dries up the snow at once. wet south wind, carrying heavy rain often follows after snow, and slush reigns for a few days. perhaps this is a distinction without much difference. storms rarely occur, i remember but two violent ones in which the gentle south wind seemed to forget its nature and became a raging gale. the first occurred when i was a small child. the wind had been blowing for some time, gradually increasing in the evening, and as night advanced becoming heavier every hour. large stones were taken up from the high bank on the bay and piled on the roof with limbs broken from tough fir trees. thousands of giant trees fell crashing and groaning to the ground, like a continuous cannonade; the noise was terrific and we feared for our lives. at midnight, not daring to leave the house, and yet fearing that it might be overthrown, we knelt and commended ourselves to him who rules the storm. about one o'clock the storm abated and calmly and safely we lay down to sleep. the morning broke still and clear, but many a proud monarch of the forest lay prone upon the ground. electric storms were very infrequent; if there came a few claps of thunder the children exclaimed, "o mother, hear the thunder storm!" "well, children, that isn't much of a thunder storm; you just ought to hear the thunder in illinois, and the lighting was a continual blaze." our mother complained that we were scarcely enough afraid of snakes; as there are no deadly reptiles on puget sound, we thrust our hands into the densest foliage or searched the thick grass without dread of a lurking enemy. the common garter snake, a short, thick snake, whose track across the dusty roads i have seen, a long lead-colored snake and a small brown one, comprise the list known to us. walking along a narrow trail one summer day, singing as i went, the song was abruptly broken, i sprang to one side with remarkable agility, a long, wiggling thing "swished" through the grass in an opposite direction. calling for help, i armed myself with a club, and with my support, boldly advanced to seek out the serpent. when discovered we belabored it so earnestly that its head was well-nigh severed from its body. it was about five feet long, the largest i had even seen, whether poisonous or not is beyond my knowledge. there are but two spiders known to be dangerous, a white one and a small black "crab" spider. a little girl acquaintance was bitten by one of these, it was supposed, though not positively known; the bite was on the upper arm and produced such serious effects that a large piece of flesh had to be removed by the surgeon's knife and amputation was narrowly escaped. a mysterious creature inhabiting lake union sometimes poisoned the young bathers. one of my younger brothers was bitten on the knee, and a lameness ensued, which continued for several months. there was only a small puncture visible with a moderate swelling, which finally passed away. the general immunity from danger extends to the vegetable world, but very few plants are unsafe to handle, chief among them being the panax horridum or "devil's club." so the happy pioneer children roamed the forest fearlessly and sat on the vines and moss under the great trees, often making bonnets of the shining salal leaves pinned together with rose thorns or tiny twigs, making whistles of alder, which gave forth sweet and pleasant sounds if successfully made; or in the garden making dolls of hollyhocks, mallows and morning glories. chapter viii. marching experiences of esther chambers. the following thrilling account, written by herself and first published in the "weekly ledger" of tacoma, washington, of june , , is to be highly commended for its clear and forcible style: "my father, william packwood, left missouri in the spring of with my mother and four children in an ox team to cross the plains to oregon. "my mother's health was very poor when we started. she had to be helped in and out of the wagon, but the change by traveling improved her health so much that she gained a little every day, and in the course of a month or six weeks she was able to get up in the morning and cook breakfast, while my father attended his team and did other chores. i had one sister older than myself, and i was only six years old. my little sister and baby brother, who learned to walk by rolling the water keg as we camped nights and mornings, were of no help to my sick mother. "the company in which we started was captain gilliam's and we traveled quite a way when we joined captain ford's company, making upward of sixty wagons in all. "our company was so large that the indians did not molest us, although we, after letting our stock feed until late in the evening, had formed a large corral of the wagons, in which we drove the cattle and horses, and stood guard at night, as the indians had troubled small companies by driving off their stock, but they were not at all hostile to us. "we came to a river and camped. the next morning we were visited by indians, who seemed to want to see us children, so we were terribly afraid of the indians, and, as father drove in the river to cross, the oxen got frightened at the indians and tipped the wagon over, and father jumped and held the wagon until help came. we thought the indians would catch us, so we jumped to the lower part of the box, where there was about six inches of water. the swim and fright i will never forget--the indian fright, of course. "i was quite small but i do remember the beautiful scenery. we could see antelope, deer, rabbits, sage hens and coyotes, etc., and in the camp we children had a general good time. all joined at night in the plays. one night mr. jenkins' boys told me to ask their father for his sheath knife to cut some sticks with. when using it on the first stick, i cut my lefthand forefinger nail and all off, except a small portion of the top of my finger, and the scar is still visible. "on another evening we children were having a nice time, when a boy by the name of stephen, who had been in the habit of hugging around the children's shoulders and biting them, hugged me and bit a piece almost out of my shoulder. this was the first time i remember seeing my father's wrath rise on the plains, as he was a very even-tempered man. he said to the offending boy, 'if you do that again, i shall surely whip you.' "a few days later we came to a stream that was deep but narrow. mr. stephens, this boy's father, was leading a cow by a rope tied around his waist and around the cow's head for the purpose of teaching the rest of the cattle to swim. the current being very swift, washed the cow down the stream, dragging the man. the women and children were all crying at a great rate, when one of the party went to mrs. stephens, saying, 'mr. stephens is drowning.' 'well,' she replied, 'there is plenty of more men where he came from.' mr. stephens, his cow and all lodged safely on a drift. they got him out safely, but he did not try to swim a stream with a cow tied to his waist again. "we could see the plains covered with buffalo as we traveled along, just like the cattle of our plains are here. "one day a band of buffalo came running toward us, and one jumped between the wheel cattle and the wheels of the wagon, and we came very near having a general stampede of the cattle; so when the teamsters got their teams quieted down, the men, gathering their guns, ran and killed three of the buffalo, and all of the company were furnished with dried beef, which was fine for camping. "we came to a place where there was a boiling spring that would cook eggs, and a short distance from this was a cold, clear spring, and a short distance from this was a heap of what looked like ashes, and when we crossed it the cattle's' feet burned until they bawled. another great sight i remember of seeing was an oil spring. "then we reached the blue mountains. snow fell as we traveled through them. "we then came down in the grande ronde valley, and it seemed as if we had reached a paradise. it was a beautiful valley. here indians came to trade us dried salmon, la camas cakes and dried crickette cakes. we traded for some salmon and the la camas cakes, but the crickette cakes we did not hanker after. "a man in one train thought he would fool an indian chief, so he told the indian he would swap his girl sixteen years old, for a couple of horses. the bargain was made and he took the horses, and the indian hung around until near night. when the captain of the company found out that the indian was waiting for his girl to go with him, the captain told the man that we might all be killed through him, and made him give up the horses to the chief. the indian chief was real mad as he took the horses away. "we went on down to the dalles, where we stopped a few days. there was a mission at the dalles where two missionaries lived, brewer and waller. we emigrants traded some of our poor, tired cattle off to them for some of their fat beef, and some coarse flour chopped on a hand mill, like what we call chop-feed nowadays. "then we had to make a portage around the falls, and the women and children walked. i don't remember the distance, but we walked until late at night, and waded in the mud knee-deep, and my mother stumped her toe and fell against a log or she might have gone down into the river. we little tots fell down in the mud until you'd have thought we were pigs. "the men drove around the falls another way, and got out of provisions. "my father, seeing a boat from the high bluffs, going down to the river hailed it, and when he came down to the boat he found us. he said he had gotten so hungry that he killed a crow and ate it, and thought it tasted splendid. he took provisions to the cattle drivers and we came on down the river to fort vancouver. it rained on us for a week and our bedclothes were drenched through and through, so at night we would open our bed of wet clothes and cuddle in them as though we were in a palace car, and all kept well and were not sick a day in all of our six months' journey crossing the plains. my mother gained and grew fleshy and strong. "next we arrived in what is now the city of portland, which then consisted of a log cabin and a few shanties. we stayed there a few days to dry our bedding. "then we moved out to the tualatin plains, where we wintered in a barn, with three other families, each family having a corner of the barn, with fire in the center and a hole in the roof for the smoke to go out. my father went to work for a man by the name of baxton, as all my father was worth in money, i think, was twenty-five cents, or something like that. he arrived with a cow, calf and three oxen, and had to support his family by mauling rails in the rain, to earn the wheat, peas and potatoes we ate, as that was all we could get, as bread was out of the question. shortly after father had gone to work my little brother had a rising on his cheek. it made him so sick that mother wanted us little tots to go to the place where my father was working. it being dark, we got out of our way and went to a man, who had an indian woman, by the name of williams. in the plains there are swales that fill up with water when the heavy rains come, and they are knee deep. i fell in one of these, but we got to mr. williams all right. but when we found our neighbor we began crying, so mr. williams persuaded us to come in and he would go and get father, which he did, and father came home with us to our barn house. my little brother got better, and my father returned to his work again. "among the settlers on the tualatin plains were mr. lackriss, mr. burton, mr. williams and general mccarver, who had settled on farms before we came, and many a time did we go to their farms for greens and turnips, which were something new and a great treat to us. "often the indians used to frighten us with their war dances, as we called them, as we did not know the nature of indians, so, as general mccarver was used to them, we often asked him if the indians were having a war dance for the purpose of hostility. he told us, that was the way they doctored their sick. "general mccarver settled in tacoma when the townsite was first laid out and is well known. he died in tacoma, leaving a family. "after we moved out to the tualatin plains, many a night when father was away we lay awake listening to the dogs barking, thinking the indians were coming to kill us, and when father came home i felt safe and slept happily. "in the spring of my father took a nice place in west yamhill, about two miles from the willamette river and we had some settlers around, but our advantage for a school was poor, as we were too far from settlers to have a school, so my education, what little i have, was gotten by punching the cedar fire and studying at night, but, however, we were a happy family, hoping to accumulate a competency in our new home. "one dog, myself and elder sister and brother were carrying water from our spring, which was a hundred yards or more from our house, when a number of indians came along. we were afraid of them and all hid. i hid by the trail, when an old indian, seeing me, yelled out, 'adeda!' and i began to laugh, but my sister was terribly frightened and yelled at me to hide, so they found all of us, but they were friendly to us, only a wretched lot to steal, as they stole the only cow we had brought through, leaving the calf with us without milk. "my father was quite a hunter, and deer were plenty, and once in a while he would get one, so we did get along without milk. during the first year we could not get bread, as there were no mills or places to buy flour. a canadian put up a small chop mill and chopped wheat something like feed is chopped now. "my father being a jack-of-all-trades, set to work and put up a turning lathe and went to making chairs, and my mother and her little tots took the straw from the sheaves and braided and made hats. we sold the chairs and hats and helped ourselves along in every way we could and did pretty well. "one day, while my father's lathe was running, some one yelled 'stop!' a large black bear was walking through the yard. the men gave him a grand chase, but bruin got away from them. "my father remained on this place until the spring of , when he and a number of other families decided to move to puget sound. during that winter they dug two large canoes, lashed them together as a raft or flatboat to move on, and sold out their places, bought enough provisions to last that summer, and loading up with their wagons, families and provisions, started for puget sound. "coming up the cowlitz river was a hard trip, as the men had to tow the raft over rapids and wade. the weather was very bad. arriving at what was called the cowlitz landing we stayed a few days and moved out to the catholic priest's place (mr. langlay's) where the women and children remained while the men went back to oregon for our stock. they had to drive up the cowlitz river by a trail, and swim the rivers. my father said it was a hard trip. "on arriving at puget sound we found a good many settlers. among them, now living that i know of, was jesse ferguson, on bush prairie. we stayed near mr. ferguson's place until my father, mcallister and shager, who lives in olympia, took them to places in the nisqually bottoms. my father's place then, is now owned by isaac hawk. "mr. mcallister was killed in the indian war of - , leaving a family of a number of children, of whom one is mrs. grace hawk. the three families living in the bottom were often frightened by the saucy indians telling us to leave, as the king george men told them to make us go, so on one occasion there came about indians in canoes. they were painted and had knives, and said they wanted to kill a chief that lived by us by the name of quinasapam. when he saw the warriors coming he came into our house for protection, and all of the indians who could do so came in after him. mr. shager and father gave them tobacco to smoke. so they smoked and let the chief go and took their departure. if there were ever glad faces on this earth and free hearts, ours were at that time. "my father and mr. mcallister took a job of bursting up old steamboat boilers for dr. tolmie for groceries and clothing, and between their improving their farms they worked at this. while they were away the indians' dogs were plenty, and, like wolves, they ran after everything, including our only milch cow, and she died, so there was another great loss to us, but after father got through with the old boilers, he took another job of making butter firkins for dr. tolmie and shingles also. this was a great help to the new settlers. the hudson bay company was very kind to settlers. "in the gold fever began to rage and my father took the fever. i was standing before the fire, listening to my mother tell about it, when my dress caught fire, and my mother and mrs. shager got the fire extinguished, when i found my hair was off on one side of my head and my dress missing. i felt in luck to save my life. "in the spring of all arrangements were made for the california gold mines and we started by land in an ox team. we went back through oregon and met our company in yamhill, where we had lived. they joined our company of about thirty wagons. portions of our journey were real pleasant, but the rest was terribly rough. in one canyon we crossed a stream seventy-five times in one day, and it was the most unpleasant part of our journey. "after two months' travel we arrived in sacramento city, cal., and found it tolerably warm for us, not being used to a warm climate. "father stayed in california nearly two years. our fortune was not a large one. we returned by sea to washington and made our home in the nisqually bottom. "on april , , i was married to a man named g. w. t. allen and lived with him on whidby island seven years, during which time four children were born. we finally agreed to disagree. only one of our children by my first husband is living. she is mrs. l. l. andrews of tacoma, washington. he is in the banking business. on july , , i was married to my present husband, mclain chambers. we have lived in washington ever since. we have had nine children. our oldest, a son, i. m. chambers, lives on a farm near roy, wash. others are married and live at roy, yelm and stampede. we have two little boys at home. have lost three within the last three years. we live a mile and a half southeast of roy, wash. "i have lived here through all the hostilities of the war. dr. tolmie sent wagons to haul us to the fort for safety. my present husband was a volunteer and came through with a company of scouts, very hungry. they were so hungry that when they saw my mother take a pan of biscuits from the stove, one of them saying, 'excuse me, but we are almost starved,' grabbed the biscuits from the pan, eating like a hungry dog. "i suppose you have heard of the murder of col. i. n. ebey of whidby island? he was beheaded by the northern or fort simpson indians and his family and george corliss and his wife made their escape from the house by climbing out of the windows, leaving even their clothes and bushwhacking it until morning. i was on whidby island about seven miles from where he was killed, that same night, alone with my little girl, now mrs. andrews. when one of our neighbors called at the gate and said, 'colonel ebey was beheaded last night,' i said 'captain barrington, it cannot be, as i have been staying here so close by alone without being disturbed.' shortly after the indians came armed, and one of them came up to me, shaking a large knife in his hand saying, 'iskum mika tenas and klatawa copa stick or we will kill you.' i said to him, 'i don't understand; come and go to the field where my husband and an indian boy are,' but they refused to go and left me soon. i started for the field with my child, and the further i went the more scared i got until when i reached my husband, i cried like a child. he ran to the house and sent a message to the agent on the reservation, but they skipped out of his reach, and never bothered me again, but i truly suffered as though i were sick, although i stayed alone with a boy eight or nine years old." "a boy of seven who came to show his father the way." in the same columns with the preceding sketch appeared r. a. bundy's story of his juvenile adventures: "i will try to give an account of my trip crossing the plains in the pioneer days. you need not expect a flowery story, as you will observe before i get through. the chances for an education in those days were quite different from what they are today. here goes with my story, anyway: "my father left his old home in the state of illinois in the month of april in the year . as i was a lad not seven years of age until the th of the month, of course i was obliged to go along to show the old man the way. "we were all ready to start, and a large number of others that were going in the same train had gathered at our place. there were also numerous relatives present to bid us good-bye, and warn us of the big undertaking we were about to embark in, and tell of the dangers we would encounter. but a lad of my age always thinks it is a great thing to go along with a covered wagon, especially if 'pap' is driving. i crawled right in and did not apprehend anything dangerous or wearisome about a short trip like that. i will have to omit dates and camping places, as i was too young to pay any attention to such things; and you may swear that i was always around close. everything went along smoothly with me for a short time. riding in a covered wagon was a picnic, but my father's team was composed of both horses and cattle, and the oxen soon became tenderfooted and had to be turned loose and driven behind the wagons. "about this time a. l. mccauley, whose account of the trip has appeared in the 'ledger,' fell in with the train. he thought himself a brave man and as he had had a 'right smart' experience in traveling, especially since the war broke out, and was used to going in the lead and had selected a great many safe camping places for himself during that time, the men thought he would be a good man to hide from the indians, so he was elected captain. he went ahead and showed my old man the way. i being now relieved of this responsibility, stayed behind the train and drove the tenderfooted oxen. when mccauley found a camping place i always brought up the rear. "that was not quite so much of a picnic as some of us old-timers have nowadays at shilo. i found out after driving oxen a few days, that i was going 'with' the old man. "for a week or two my job was not as bad as some who have never tried it might imagine. but six months of travel behind the wagons barefooted, over sagebrush, sand toads, hot sand and gravel, rattlesnakes, prickly pears, etc., made me sometimes wish i had gone back home when the old dog did, or that 'pap' had sold me at the sale with the other property. in spite of my disagreeable situation, however, i kept trudging alone, bound to stay with the crowd. i thought my lot was a rough one when i saw other boys older than myself riding and occasionally walking just for pleasure. i could not see where the fun came in, and thought that if the opportunity was offered i could stand it to ride all the time. i thought i had the disadvantage until the indians got all the stock. "i remember one night that our famous captain said he had found us a good, safe camping place. the next morning the people were all right but the horses and cattle were all gone. for a while it looked like the whole train would have to walk. i did not care so much for myself but i thought it would be hard on those that were not used to it. "during the day the men got a part of the horses back, and i was feeling pretty good, thinking the rest would get to ride, but along in the afternoon my joyful mood was suddenly changed. all the men, excepting a few on the sick list, were out after the stock, when the captain and some other men came running into camp as fast as their horses could carry them. the captain got off his horse, apparently almost scared to death. he told the women that they would never see their men again; that the indians were coming from every direction. that was in the wood river country, and it made me feel pretty bad after walking so far. we were all frightened, and some boys and myself found a hiding place in a wagon. we got under a feather bed and waited, expecting every minute that the indians would come. they did not come so we came out and found that the captain was feeling rather weak and had laid down to have a rest. shortly after we came out, one of the men came in leading an indian pony. it was then learned that the captain and some of the men with him had been running from some of the men belonging to the train, thinking they were indians. they found all their horses but two and captured two indian ponies. the next day we journeyed on and i felt more like walking, knowing that the others could ride. we did not meet with any other difficulty that seriously attracted my attention. "we arrived on the touchet at waitsburg in october or november, and don't you forget it, i had spent many a hot, tiresome day, having walked all the way across the plains." chapter ix an olympia woman's trip across the plains in . mrs. c. j. crosby of olympia, washington, contributes this narrative of her personal experience, to the literature of the northwest: "it was in the early spring of ' that my father took the emigrant fever to come west, to what was then termed oregon territory, and get some of uncle sam's land which was donated to any one who had the perseverance and courage to travel six long weary months, through a wild, savage country with storms and floods as well as the terrible heat and dust of summer to contend against. our home was in covington, indiana, and my father, jacob smith, with his wife and five children, myself being the eldest, started from there the th day of march for a town called council bluffs on the missouri river, where all the emigrants bought their supplies for their long journey in the old time prairie schooner. our train was composed of twenty-four wagons and a good number of people. a captain was selected, whose duty it was to ride ahead of the train and find good camping place for the day or night, where there was plenty of wood, water and grass. "the first part of our journey we encountered terrible floods, little streams would suddenly become raging torrents and we were obliged to cross them in hastily-constructed boats; two incidents i distinctly remember. "we had traveled all day and in the evening came to a stream called the elk horn, where we had some trouble and only part of the train crossed that night--we were among the number; well, we got something to eat as best we could, and being very tired all went to bed as early as possible; the river was a half mile from where we camped, but in the night it overflowed and the morning found our wagons up to the hubs in water, our cooking utensils floating off on the water, except those that had gone to the bottom, and all the cattle had gone off to find dry ground, and for a while things in general looked very discouraging. however, the men started out at daylight in search of the stray cattle, soon found them and hitched them to the wagons and started for another camping place, and to wait until we were joined by those who were left behind the night before. we all rejoiced to leave that river as soon as possible, but not many days expired before we came to another river which was worse than the first one--it was exceedingly high and very swift, but by hard work and perseverance they got all the wagons across the river without any accident, with the exception of my father's, which was the last to cross. they got about half way over when the provision wagon slid off the boat and down the river it went. well, i can hardly imagine how any one could understand our feelings unless they had experienced such a calamity; to see all the provisions we had in the world floating away before our eyes and not any habitation within many hundred miles of us; for a while we did indeed feel as though the end had come this time sure. we could not retrace our footsteps, or go forward without provisions; each one in the train had only enough for their own consumption and dare not divide with their best friend; however, while they were debating what was best to do, our wagon had landed on a sandbar and the men waded out and pulled it ashore. it is needless for me to say there was great rejoicing in the camp that day; of course, nearly everything in the wagon was wet, but while in camp they were dried out. fortunately the flour was sealed up in tin cans; the corn meal became sour before it got dry, but it had to be used just the same. in a few days we were in our usual spirits, but wondering what new trials awaited us, and it came all too soon; the poor cattle all got poisoned from drinking alkali water; at first they did not know what to do for them, but finally someone suggested giving them fat bacon, which brought them out all right in a day or two. then their feet became very sore from constant traveling and thorns from the cactus points, and we would be obliged to remain in camp several days for them to recruit. "as we proceeded farther on our way we began to fear the indians, and occasionally met strolling bands of them all decked out with bows and arrows, their faces hideous with paint and long feathers sticking in their top-knots, they looked very fierce and savage; they made us understand we could not travel through their country unless we paid them. so the men gave them some tobacco, beads and other trinkets, but would not give them any ammunition; they went away angry and acted as though they would give us trouble. "some of the men stood guard every night to protect the camp as well as the horses and cattle, as they would drive them off in the night and frequently kill them. "thus we traveled from day to day, ever anxious and on the lookout for a surprise from some ambush by the wayside, they were so treacherous, but kind providence protected us and we escaped the fate of the unfortunate emigrants who preceded us. "fortunately there was but little sickness in our train and only one death, that of my little brother; he was ill about two weeks and we never knew the cause of his death. at first it seemed an impossibility to go away and leave him alone by the wayside, and what could we do without a coffin and not any boards to make one? a trunk was thought of and the little darling was laid away in that. the grave had to be very deep so the wild animals could not dig up the body, and the indians would plunder the graves, too, so it was made level with the ground. we felt it a terrible affliction; it seemed indeed the climax of all we had endured. it was with sad hearts we once again resumed our toilsome journey. "we saw the bones of many people by the wayside, bleaching in the sun, and it was ever a constant reminder of the dear little one that was left in the wilderness. however, i must not dwell too long over this dark side of the picture, as there was much to brighten and cheer us many times; there were many strange, beautiful things which were a great source of delight and wonder, especially the boiling springs, the water so hot it would cook anything, and within a short distance springs of ice water, and others that made a noise every few minutes like the puffing of a steamer. then there were rocks that resembled unique old castles, as they came into view in the distance. all alone in the prairie was one great rock called independence rock; it was a mile around it, half a mile wide and quite high in some places; there were hundreds of emigrants' names and dates carved on the side of the rock as high as they could reach. it reminded one of a huge monument. i wonder if old father time has effaced all the names yet? "in the distance we saw great herds of buffalo and deer; the graceful, swift-footed antelope was indeed a sight to behold, and we never grew tired of the lovely strange flowers we found along the road. "the young folks, as well as the old, had their fun and jokes, and in the evening all would gather 'round the campfire, telling stories and relating the trials and experiences each one had encountered during the day, or meditating what the next day would bring forth of weal or woe. thus the months and days passed by, and our long journey came to an end when we reached the dalles on the columbia river, where we embarked on the small steamer that traveled down the river and landed passengers and freight at a small place called the cascades. at this place there was a portage of a half mile; then we traveled on another steamer and landed in portland the last day of october, the year , remained there during the winter and in the spring of came to puget sound with a number of others who were anxious for some of uncle sam's land. "olympia, a very small village, was the only town on the sound except fort steilacoom, where a few soldiers were stationed. we spent a short time in olympia before going to whidby island, where my father settled on his claim, and we lived there five years, when we received a patent from the government, but before our home was completed he had the misfortune to break his arm, and, not being properly set, he was a cripple the remainder of his life." in there were a couple of log houses at alki point, occupied by mr. denny and others; they called the "town" new york. we went ashore from the schooner and visited them. to the above properly may be added an account published in a seattle paper: "mrs. c. j. crosby, of olympia, gives the following interesting sketch of her early days on whidby island: "as i am an old settler and termed a moss-back by those who have come later, i feel urged to relate a few facts pertaining to my early life on whidby island in the days of . my father, jacob smith, with his wife and five children, crossed the plains the year of . we started from covington, indiana, on the th day of march and arrived in portland, oregon, the last day of october. "we remained there during the winter, coming to olympia the spring of , where we spent a short time before going down to the island. my father settled on a claim near pen's cove, and almost opposite what is now called coupeville. we lived there five years, when he sold his claim to capt. swift for three thousand five hundred dollars and we returned to olympia. "the year ' we found several families living on the island; also many bachelors who had settled on claims. i have heard my mother say she never saw the face of a white woman for nine months. my third sister was the second white child born on the island. i remember once we did not have any flour or bread for six weeks or more. we lived on potatoes, salmon and clams. finally a vessel came in the sound bringing some, but the price per barrel was forty-five dollars and it was musty and sour. mother mixed potatoes with the flour so that we could eat it at all, and also to make it last a long time. "there is also another incident impressed on my memory that i never can forget. one morning an indian came to the house with some fish oil to sell, that and tallow candles being the only kind of light we had in those days. she paid him all he asked for the oil, besides giving him a present, but he wanted more. he got very angry and said he would shoot her. she told him to shoot and took up the fire shovel to him. meantime she told my brother to go to a neighbor's house, about half a mile distant, but before the men arrived the indian cleared out. however, had it not been for the kindness of the indians we would have suffered more than we did." from other published accounts i have culled the following: "peter smith crossed the plains in and settled near portland. when it was known the indians would make trouble, mr. smith, being warned by a friendly indian, took his family to fort steilacoom and joined the 'home guard,' but shortly afterward joined a company of militia and saw real war for three months. "just before the hostilities in , two indians visited his house. one of them was a magnificent specimen of physical manhood and chief of his tribe. they wanted something to eat. now several settlers had been killed by indians after gaining access to their houses, but, nothing daunted, mrs. smith went to work and prepared a very fine dinner, and mr. s. made them sandwiches for their game bag, putting on an extra allowance of sugar, and appeared to be as bold as a lion. he also accepted an invitation to visit their camp, which he did in their company, and formed a lasting friendship. "the mince, fruit and doughnuts did their good work. "during the war mr. smith had his neck merely bruised by a bullet. on his return home he found the indians had been there before him and stolen his hogs and horses and destroyed his grain, a loss of eleven hundred dollars, for which he has never received any pay." chapter x. capt. henry roeder on the trail. capt. roeder came by steamer to portland and thence made his way to olympia overland from the mouth of the cowlitz river. this was in the winter of . the story of this journey is best told in the words of the veteran pioneer himself, who has narrated his first experiences in the then territory of oregon as follows: "in company with r. v. peabody, i traveled overland from the mouth of the cowlitz, through the mud to olympia. we started early in december from portland. it took us four days to walk from the cowlitz river to olympia, and it was as hard traveling as i have ever seen. old residents will remember what was known as sanders' bottom. it was mud almost to your waist. we stopped one night with an old settler, whose name i cannot now recall, but whom we all called in those days 'old hardbread.' on the skookumchuck we found lodging with judge ford, and on arriving at olympia we put up with mr. sylvester, whose name is well known to all the old residents on the sound. i remember that at olympia we got our first taste of the puget sound clam, and mighty glad we were, too, to get a chance to eat some of them. "from olympia to seattle we traveled by indian canoe. i remember distinctly rounding alki point and entering the harbor of elliott bay. i saw what was, perhaps, the first house that was built, where now stands the magnificent city of seattle. this was a cabin that was being erected on a narrow strip of land jutting out into the bay, which is now right in the heart of seattle. dr. maynard was the builder. it was situated adjoining the lot at commercial and main streets, occupied by the old arlington just before the fire of . the waters of the sound lapped the shores of the narrow peninsula upon which it was built, but since then the waters have been driven back by the filling of earth, sawdust and rock, which was put on both sides of the little neck of land. "after a few days' stay here, peabody and i journeyed by indian canoe to whatcom. we carried our canoe overland to hood canal. on the second day out we encountered a terrible storm and put into shelter with a settler on the shore of the canal. his name was o'haver, and he lived with an indian wife. we had white turnips and dried salmon for breakfast and dried salmon and white turnips for dinner. this bill of fare was repeated in this fashion for three days, and i want to tell you that we were glad when the weather moderated and we were enabled to proceed. "we were told that we could procure something in the edible line at port townsend, but were disappointed. the best we could obtain at the stores was some hard bread, in which the worms had propagated in luxuriant fashion. this food was not so particularly appetizing, as you may imagine. a settler kindly took pity on us and shared his slender stock of food. thence we journeyed to whatcom, where i have resided nearly ever since." capt. roeder told also before he had finished his recital of an acquaintance he had formed in california with the noted spanish murderer and bandit, joaquin, and his tribe of cutthroats and robbers. joaquin's raids and his long career in crime among the mining camps of the early days of california are part of the history of that state. capt. roeder was traveling horseback on one occasion between marysville and rush creek. this was in . the night before he left marysville the sheriff and a posse had attempted to capture joaquin and his band. the authorities had offered a reward of $ , for joaquin and $ , for his men, dead or alive. the sheriff went out from marysville with a cigar in his mouth and his sombrero on the side of his head, as if he were attending a picnic. it was his own funeral, however, instead of a picnic, for his body was picked out of a fence corner, riddled with bullets. "i was going at a leisurely gait over the mountain road or bridle path that led from marysville to rush creek," said capt. roeder. "suddenly, after a bend in the road, i found myself in the midst of a band of men mounted on bronchos. they were dark-skinned and of spanish blood. immediately i recognized joaquin and 'three-fingered jack,' his first lieutenant. my heart thumped vigorously, and i thought that it was all up with me. i managed somehow to control myself and did not evince any of the excitement i felt or give the outlaws any sign that i knew or suspected who they were. "one of the riders, after saluting me in spanish, asked me where i was from and whither i was traveling. i told them freely and frankly, as if the occurrence were an everyday transaction. learning that i had just come from marysville, the seat of their last outrage, they inquired the news. i told them the truth--that the camp was in a state of great excitement, due to the late visit of the outlaw, joaquin, and his band; that the sheriff had been murdered and three or four miners and others in the vicinity had been murdered and robbed. it was joaquin's pleasant practice to lariat a man, rob him and cut his throat, leaving the body by the roadside. they asked me which way joaquin had gone and i told them that he was seen last traveling towards arizona. as a matter of fact, the outlaw and his band were then traveling in a direction exactly opposite from that which i had given. "my replies apparently pleased them. 'three-fingered jack' proposed a drink, after asking me which way i traveled. i said, 'i would have proposed the compliment long ago had i any in my canteen,' whereat jack drew his own bottle and offered me a drink. "you may imagine my feelings then. i knew that if they believed i had recognized them they would give me poison or kill me with a knife. i took the canteen and drank from it. you may imagine my joy when i saw jack lift the bottle to his lips and drain it. then i knew that i had deceived them. we exchanged adieus in spanish, and that is the last i saw of joaquin and his associate murderers." part ii. men, women and adventures chapter i. song of the pioneers. with faith's clear eye we saw afar in western sky our empire's star and strong of heart and brave of soul, we marched and marched to reach the goal. unrolled a scroll, the great gray plains, and traced thereon our wagon trains, our blazing campfires marked the road as each succeeding night they glowed. gaunt hunger, drouth, fierce heat and cold beset us as in days of old great dragons sought to swallow down adventurous heroes of renown. there menaced us our tawny foes, where any bank or hillock rose; a cloud of dust or shadows' naught seemed ever with some danger fraught. weird mountain ranges crossed our path and frowned on us in seeming wrath; their beetling crags and icy brows well might a hundred fears arouse. impetuous rivers swirled and boiled, as though from mischief ever foiled. at length in safety all were crossed, though roughly were our "schooners" tossed. with joy we saw fair puget sound, white, glistening peaks set all around. at alki point our feet we stayed, (the women wept, the children played). on chamber's prairie, whidby's isle, duwamish river, mile on mile away from these, on lake or bay the lonely settlers blazed the way for civilization's march and sway. the mountains, forests, bays and streams, their grandeur wove into our dreams; our thoughts grew great and undismayed, we toiled and sang or waiting, prayed. as suns arose and then went down we gazed on rainier's snowy crown. god's battle-tents gleamed in the west, so pure they called our thoughts above to heaven's joy and peace and love. we found a race tho' rude and wild, still tender toward friend or child, for dark eyes laughed or shone with tears as joy or sorrow filled the years; their black-eyed babes the red men kissed and captive brothers sorely missed. with broken hearts, brown mothers wept when babes away by death were swept. chief sealth stood the white man's friend, with insight keen he saw the end of struggles vain against a foe whose coming forced their overthrow. for pity oft he freed the slaves, to reasoning cool he called his braves; but bitter wrongs the pale-face wrought-- revenge and hatred on us brought. * * * * * with life the woods and waters teemed, a boundless store we never dreamed, of berries, deer and grouse and fish, sufficient for a gourmand's wish. our dusky neighbors friendly-wise brought down the game before our eyes; they wiled the glittering finny tribe, well pleased to trade with many a jibe. we lit the forests far and wide with pitchwood torches, true and tried, we traveled far in frail canoes, cayuses rode, wore indian shoes, and clothes of skin, and ate clam stews, clam frys and chowder; baked or fried the clam was then the settler's pride; "clam-diggers" then, none dared deride. * * * * * a sound arose our hearts to thrill, from whirring saws in yesler's mill; the village crept upon the hill. on many hills our city's spread, as fair a queen as one that wed the adriatic, so 'tis said. our tasks so hard are well nigh done-- today our hearts will beat as one! each one may look now to the west for end of days declared the best, since sunset here is sunrise there, our heavenly home is far more fair. as up the slope of coming years time pushes on the pioneers, with peace may e'er our feet be shod and press at last the mount of god. e. i. denny. seattle, june, . chapter ii. biographical notes and sketches. john denny. as elsewhere indicated, only a few of the leading characters will be followed in their careers. of these, john denny is fittingly placed first. john denny was born of pioneer parents near lexington, kentucky, may th, . in he was a volunteer in col. richard m. johnson's regiment of mounted riflemen, and served through the war, participated in the celebrated battle of the thames in canada, where tecumseh was killed and the british army under proctor surrendered. disaster fell upon him, the results of which followed him throughout his life. the morning gun stampeded the horses in camp while the soldiers were still asleep, and they ran over john denny where he lay asleep in a tent, wounding his knee so that the synovial fluid ran out and also broke three of his ribs. in he removed to putnam county, indiana, then an unknown wilderness, locating six miles east of greencastle, where he resided for the succeeding twelve years. he is remembered as a leading man of energy and public spirit. in he removed to illinois and settled in knox county, then near the frontier of civilization, where he lived for the next succeeding sixteen years, during which time he represented his county in both branches of the state legislature, serving with lincoln, douglas, baker, yates, washburn and trumbull, with all of whom he formed warm personal friendships, which lasted through life, despite political differences. in , at an age when most men think they have outlived their usefulness and seek the repose demanded by their failing physical strength, accompanied by his children and grandchildren, he braved the toils and perils of an overland journey to this then remote wilderness upon the extreme borders of civilization and settled upon a farm in marion county, oregon, while his sons, arthur a. and david t., took claims on elliott bay and were among the founders of seattle, where they command universal respect for their intelligence, integrity and public spirit, arthur having represented the territory as delegate in congress and served several terms in the territorial legislature. david has held many responsible public positions, including probate judge and regent of the university, and is respected by all as a clear-headed and scrupulously honest man and most estimable citizen. john denny remained in oregon about six years, but held no official position there, for the reason that he was an uncompromising whig and oregon was overwhelmingly democratic, including among the leaders of the democratic party george h. williams, judge deady, gov. gibbs and much of the best intellect of the state. he, however, entered warmly into the political discussions of the times, and many incidents are remembered and many anecdotes told of the astonishment and discomfiture of some of the most pretentious public speakers when meeting the unpretending pioneer farmer in public discussion. he was a natural orator and had improved his gift by practice and extensive reading. few professional men were better posted in current history and governmental philosophy or could make a better use of their knowledge in addressing a popular audience. in he removed to seattle, and from that time on to the day of his death was a recognized leader in every enterprise calculated to promote the prosperity of the town or advance its educational and social interests. no public measure, no public meeting to consider public enterprise, was a success in which he was not a central figure, not as an assumed director, but as an earnest co-operator, who enthused others by his own undaunted spirit of enterprise, and when past eighty years of age his voice was heard stirring up the energies of the people, and by his example, no less than his precepts, he shamed the listless and selfish younger men into activity and public spirit. when any special legislative aid was desired for this section, john denny was certain to be selected to obtain it; by his efforts mainly the territorial university was located at this place. he passed his long and active life almost wholly upon the frontiers of civilization, not from any aversion to the refinements and restraints of social life, for few men possessed higher social qualities or had in any greater degree the nicer instincts of a gentleman--he held a patent of nobility under the signet of the almighty, and his intercourse with others was ever marked by a courtesy which betokened not only self-respect but a due regard for the rights and opinions of others. he was impelled by as noble ambition as ever sought the conquest of empire or the achievement of personal glory--the subduing of the unoccupied portions of his country to the uses of man, with the patriotic purpose of extending his country's glory and augmenting its resources. his first care in every settlement was to establish and promote education, religion and morality as the only true foundation of social as well as individual prosperity, and with all his courage and manly strength he rarely, if ever, was drawn into a lawsuit. john denny was of that noble race of men, now nearly extinct, who formed the vanguard of western civilization and were the founders of empire. their day is over, their vocation ended, because the limit of their enterprise has been reached. among the compeers of the same stock were dick johnson, harrison, lincoln, harden and others famous in the history of the country, who only excelled him in historic note by biding their opportunities in waiting to reap the fruits of the harvest which they had planted. he was the peer of the best in all the elements of manhood, of heart and brain. in all circumstances and surroundings he was a recognized leader of men, and would have been so honored and so commanded that leading place in public history had he waited for the development of the social institutions which he helped to plant in the western states, now the seat of empire. all who entered his presence were instinctively impressed by his manhood. yet no man was less pretentious or more unostentatious in his intercourse with others. he reverenced his manhood, and felt himself here among men his brethren under the eye of a common father. he felt that he was bound to work for all like a brother and like a son. so he was brave, so he was true, so his integrity was unsullied, so not a stain dims his memory; so he rebuked vice and detested meanness and hated with a cordial hate all falsehood, all dishonesty and all trickery; so he was the chivalrous champion of the innocent and oppressed; so he was gentle and merciful, because he was working among a vast family as a brother "recognizing the great father, who sits over all, who is forever truth and forever love." such words as these were said of him at the time of his death, when the impressions of his personality were fresh in the minds of the people. he entered into rest july th, . it is within my recollection that the keen criticisms and droll anecdotes of john denny were often repeated by his hearers. the power with which he swayed an audience was something wonderful to behold; the burning enthusiasm which his oratory kindled, inciting to action, the waves of convulsive laughter his wit evoked were abundant evidence of his influence. in repartee, he excelled. at one time when a. a. denny was a member of the territorial legislature, john denny was on his way to the capital to interview him, doubtless concerning some important measure; he received the hospitality of a settler who was a stranger to him and moreover very curious with regard to the traveler's identity and occupation. at last this questioning brought forth the remarkable statement that he, john denny, had a son in the lunatic ass-ylum in olympia whom he intended visiting. the questioner delightedly related it afterward, laughing heartily at the compliment paid to the legislature. in a published sketch a personal friend says: "he was so full of humor that it was impossible to conceal it, and his very presence became a mirth-provoking contagion absolutely irresistible in its effects. "let him come when he would, everybody was ready to drop everything else to listen to a story from uncle john. "he went home to the states during the war, via the isthmus of panama. on the trip down from san francisco the steamer ran on a rock and stuck fast. of course, there was a great fright and excitement, many crying out 'we shall all be drowned,' 'lord save us!' etc. amid it all uncle john coolly took in the chances of the situation, and when a little quiet had been restored so he could be heard by all in the cabin, he said: 'well, i reckon there was a fair bargain between me and the steamship company to carry me down to panama, and they've got their cash for it, and now if they let me drown out here in this ornery corner, where i can't have a decent funeral, i'll sue 'em for damages, and bust the consarned old company all to flinders.' "this had the effect to divert the passengers, and helped to prevent a panic, and not a life was lost. "in early life he had been a whig and in illinois had fought many a hard battle with the common enemy. he had represented his district repeatedly in the legislature of that state, and he used to tell with pride, and a good deal of satisfaction, how one day a handful of the whigs, old abe and himself among the number, broke a quorum of the house by jumping from a second-story window, thereby preventing the passage of a bill which was obnoxious to the whigs. "the democrats had been watching their opportunity, and having secured a quorum with but few of the whigs in the house, locked the doors and proposed to put their measure through. but the whigs nipped the little game in the manner related." after lincoln had become president and john denny had crossed the plains and pioneered it in oregon and washington territories, the latter visited the national capital on important business. while there mr. denny attended a presidential reception and tested his old friend's memory in this way: forbidding his name to be announced, he advanced in the line and gave his hand to president lincoln, then essayed to pass on. lincoln tightened his grasp and said, "no you don't, john denny; you come around back here and we'll have a talk after a while." on the stump he was perfectly at home, never coming off second best. his ready wit and tactics were sure to stand him in hand at the needed moment. [illustration: sarah denny, john denny, s. loretta denny] in one of the early campaigns of washington territory, which was a triangular combat waged by republicans, democrats and "bolters," john denny, who was then a republican, became one of the third party. at a political meeting which was held in seattle, at which i was present, a young man recently from the east and quite dandyish, a republican and a lawyer, made quite a high-sounding speech; after he sat down john denny advanced to speak. he began very coolly to point out how they had been deceived by the rascally republican representative in his previous term of office, and suddenly pointing his long, lean forefinger directly at the preceding speaker, his voice gathering great force and intensity, he electrified the audience by saying, "and no little huckleberry lawyer can blind us to the facts in the case." the audience roared, the "huckleberry lawyer's" face was scarlet and his curly locks fairly bristled with embarrassment. the hearers were captivated and listened approvingly to a round scoring of the opponents of the "bolters." he was a fearless advocate of temperance, or prohibition rather, of woman suffragists when they were weak, few and scoffed at, an abolitionist and a determined enemy of tobacco. i have seen him take his namesake among the grandchildren between his aged knees and say, "don't ever eat tobacco, john; your grandfather wishes he had never touched it." his oft-repeated advice was heeded by this grandson, who never uses it in any form. he was tall, slender, with snow-white hair and a speaking countenance full of the most glowing intelligence. when the news came to the little village of seattle that he had returned from washington city, where he had been laboring to secure an appropriation for the territorial university, two of his little grandchildren ran up the hill to meet him; he took off his high silk hat, his silvery hair shining in the fair sunlight and smiled a greeting, as they grasped either hand and fairly led him to their home. a beautiful tribute from the friend before quoted closes this brief and inadequate sketch: "he sleeps out yonder midway between the lakes (washington and union), where the shadows of the cascades in the early morning fall upon the rounded mound of earth that marks his resting place, and the shadows of the olympics in the early evening rest lovingly and caressingly on the same spot; there, where the song birds of the forest and the wild flowers and gentle zephyrs, laden with the perfume of the fir and cedar, pay a constant tribute to departed goodness and true worth." sarah latimer denny. the subject of this sketch was a tennessean of an ancestry notable for staying qualities, religious steadfastness and solid character, as well as gracious and kindly bearing. on her father's side she traced descent from the martyr, hugh latimer, and although none of the name have been called to die at the stake in the latter days, washington latimer, nephew of sarah latimer denny, was truly a martyr to principle, dying in andersonville prison during the rebellion. the prevailing sentiment of the family was patriotic and strongly in favor of the abolition movement. one of the granddaughters pleasurably recalls the vision of joseph latimer, father of sarah, sitting in his dooryard, under the boughs of a great balm of gilead tree, reading his bible. left to be the helper of her mother when very young, by the marriage of her elder sister, she quickly became a competent manager in household affairs, sensible of her responsibilities, being of a grave and quiet disposition. she soon married a young baptist minister, richard freeman boren, whose conversion and call to the ministry were clear and decided. his first sermon was preached in the sitting room of a private house, where were assembled, among others, a number of his gay and pleasure-loving companions, whom he fearlessly exhorted to a holy life. his hands were busy with his trade of cabinetmaking a part of the time, for the support of his family, although he rode from place to place to preach. a few years of earnest christian work, devoted affection and service to his family and he passed away to his reward, leaving the young widow with three little children, the youngest but eighteen months old. in her old age she often reverted to their brief, happy life together, testifying that he never spoke a cross word to her. she told of his premonition of death and her own remarkable dream immediately preceding that event. while yet in apparently perfect health he disposed of all his tools, saying that he would not need them any more. one night, toward morning, she dreamed that she saw a horse saddled and bridled at the gate and some one said to her that she must mount and ride to see her husband, who was very sick; she obeyed, in her dream, riding over a strange road, crossing a swollen stream at one point. at daylight she awoke; a horse with side-saddle on was waiting and a messenger called her to go to her husband, as he was dangerously ill at a distant house. exactly as in her dream she was conducted, she traversed the road and crossed the swollen stream to reach the place where he lay, stricken with a fatal malady. after his death she returned to her father's house, but the family migrated from tennessee to illinois, spent their first winter in sangamon county, afterward settling in knox county. there the brave young pioneer took up her abode in a log cabin on a piece of land which she purchased with the proceeds of her own hard toil. the cabin was built without nails, of either oak or black walnut logs, it is not now known, with oak clapboards, braces and weight-poles and puncheon floor. there was one window without glass, a stick and clay mortar chimney, and a large, cheerful fireplace where the backlogs and fore-sticks held pyramids of dancing, ruddy flames, and the good cooking was done in the good old way. by industry and thrift everything was turned to account. the ground was made to yield wheat, corn and flax; the last was taken through the whole process of manufacture into bed and table linen on the spot. sheep were raised, the wool sheared, carded, spun, dyed and woven, all by hand, by this indefatigable worker, just as did many others of her time. they made almost every article of clothing they wore, besides cloth for sale. great, soft, warm feather beds comforted them in the cold illinois winters, the contents of which were plucked from the home flock of geese. as soon as the children were old enough, they assisted in planting corn and other crops. the domestic supplies were almost entirely of home production and manufacture. soap for washing owed its existence to the ash-hopper and scrap-kettle, and the soap-boiling was an important and necessary process. the modern housewife would consider herself much afflicted if she had to do such work. and the sugar-making, which had its pleasant side, the sugar camp and its merry tenants. about half a mile from the cabin stood the sugar maple grove to which this energetic provider went to tap the trees, collect the sap and finally boil the same until the "sugaring off." a considerable event it was, with which they began the busy season. one of the daughters of sarah latimer denny remembers that when a little child she went with her mother to the sugar camp where they spent the night. resting on a bed of leaves, she listened to her mother as she sang an old camp meeting hymn, "wrestling jacob," while she toiled, mending the fire and stirring the sap, all night long under dim stars sprinkled in the naked branches overhead. other memories of childish satisfaction hold visions of the early breakfast when "uncle john" came to see his widowed sister, who, with affectionate hospitality, set the "johnny-cake" to bake on a board before the fire, made chocolate, fried the chicken and served them with snowy biscuits and translucent preserves. for the huge fireplace, huge lengths of logs, for the backlogs, were cut, which required three persons to roll in place. cracking walnuts on the generous hearth helped to beguile the long winter evenings. a master might have beheld a worthy subject in the merry children and their mother thus occupied. if other light were needed than the ruddy gleams the fire gave, it was furnished by a lard lamp hung by a chain and staple in the wall, or one of a pallid company of dipped candles. sometimes there were unwelcome visitors bent on helping themselves to the best the farm afforded; one day a wolf chased a chicken up into the chimney corner of the boren cabin, to the consternation of the small children. wolves also attacked the sheep alongside the cabin at the very moment when one of the family was trying to catch some lambs; such savage boldness brought hearty and justifiable screams from the young shepherdess thus engaged. the products of the garden attached to this cabin are remembered as wonderful in richness and variety; the melons, squashes, pumpkins, etc., the fragrant garden herbs, the dill and caraway seeds for the famous seedcakes carried in grandmothers' pockets or "reticules." in addition to these, the wild fruits and game; haws, persimmons, grapes, plums, deer and wild turkey; the medicinal herbs, bone-set and blood-root; the nut trees heavily laden in autumn, all ministered to the comfort and health of the pioneers. the mistress was known for her generous hospitality then, and throughout her life. in visiting and treating the sick she distanced educated practitioners in success. never a violent partisan, she was yet a steadfast friend. one daughter has said that she never knew any one who came so near loving her neighbor as herself. just, reasonable, kind, ever ready with sympathetic and wholesome advice, it was applicably said of her, "she openeth her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness." as the years went by the children were sent to school, the youngest becoming a teacher. toilsome years they were, but doubtless full of rich reward. afterward, while yet in the prime of life, she married john denny, a kentuckian and pioneer of indiana, illinois and finally of oregon and washington. with this new alliance new fields of effort and usefulness opened before her. the unusual occurrence of a widowed mother and her two daughters marrying a widower and his two sons made this new tie exceeding strong. with them, as before stated, she crossed the plains and "pioneered it" in oregon among the waldo hills, from whence she moved to seattle on puget sound with her husband and little daughter, loretta denny, in . the shadow of pioneer days was scarcely receding, the place was a little straggling village and much remained of beginnings. as before in all other places, her busy hands found much to do; many a pair of warm stockings and mittens from her swift needles found their way into the possession of the numerous grand and great-grandchildren. in peaceful latter days she sat in a cozy corner with knitting basket at hand, her bible in easy reach. her mind was clear and vigorous and she enjoyed reading and conversing upon topics old and new. her cottage home with its blooming plants, of which "grandmother's calla," with its frequent, huge, snowy spathes, was much admired, outside the graceful laburnum tree and sweet-scented roses, was a place that became a mecca to the tired feet and weary hearts of her kins-folk and acquaintances. with devoted, filial affection her youngest daughter, s. loretta denny, remained with her until she entered into rest, february th, . chapter iii. david thomas denny. david thomas denny was the first of the name to set foot upon the shores of puget sound. born in putnam county, indiana, march th, , he was nineteen years of age when he crossed the plains with his father's company in . he is a descendant of an ancient family, english and scotch, who moved to ireland and thence to america, settling in berk's county, pa. his father was john denny, a notable man in his time, a soldier of , and a volunteer under william henry harrison. the long, rough and toilsome journey across the plains was a schooling for the subsequent trials of pioneer life. young as he was, he stood in the very forefront, the outmost skirmish line of his advancing detachment of the great army moving west. the anxious watch, the roughest toil, the reconnaissance fell to his lot. he drove a four-horse team, stood guard at night, alternately sleeping on the ground, under the wagon, hunted for game to aid in their sustenance, and, briefly, served his company in many ways with the energy and faithfulness which characterized his subsequent career. with his party he reached portland in august, ; from thence, with j. n. low, he made his way to olympia on puget sound, where he arrived footsore and weary, they having traveled on foot the hudson bay company's trail from the columbia river. from olympia, with low, lee terry, captain fay and others, he journeyed in an open boat to duwampsh head, which has suffered many changes of name, where they camped, sleeping under the boughs of a great cedar tree the first night, september th, . the next day denny, terry and low made use of the skill and knowledge of the native inhabitants by hiring two young indians to take them up the duwampsh river in their canoe. he was left to spend the following night with the two indians, as his companions had wandered so far away that they could not return, but remained at an indian camp farther up the river. on the th they were reunited and returned to their first camp, from which they removed the same day to alki point. a cabin was commenced and after a time, low and terry returned to portland, leaving david thomas denny, nineteen years of age, the only white person on elliott bay. there were then swarms of indians on the sound. for three weeks he held this outpost of civilization, a part of the time being far from well. so impressed was he with the defenselessness of the situation that he expressed himself as "sorry" when his friends landed from the schooner "exact" at alki point on the th of november, . no doubt realizing that an irretrievable step had been taken, he tried to reassure them by explaining that "the cabin was unfinished and that they would not be comfortable." many incidents of his early experience are recorded in this volume elsewhere. he was married on the rd of january, , to miss louisa boren, one of the most intelligent, courageous and devoted of pioneer women. they were the first white couple married in seattle. he was an explorer of the eastern side of elliott bay, but was detained at home in the cabin by lameness occasioned by a cut on his foot, when a. a. denny, w. n. bell and c. d. boren took their claims, so had fourth choice. for this reason his claim awaited the growth of the town of seattle many years, but finally became very valuable. it was early discovered by the settlers that he was a conscientious man; so well established was this fact that he was known by the sobriquet of "honest dave." like all the other pioneers, he turned his hand to any useful thing that was available, cutting and hewing timber for export, clearing a farm, hauling wood, tending cattle, anything honorable; being an advocate of total abstinence and prohibition, _he never kept a saloon_. he has done all in his power to discountenance the sale and use of intoxicants, the baleful effects of which were manifest among both whites and indians. every movement in the early days seems to have been fraught with danger. d. t. denny traveled in a canoe with two indians from the seattle settlement in july, , to bush's prairie, back of olympia, to purchase cattle for a. a. denny, carrying two hundred dollars in gold for that purpose. he risked his life in so doing, as he afterward learned that the indians thought of killing him and taking the money, but for some unknown reason decided not to do the deed. he was a volunteer during the indian war of - , in company c, and with his company was not far distant when lieut. slaughter was killed, with several others. those who survived the attack were rescued by this company. on the morning of the battle of seattle, he was standing guard near fort decatur; the most thrilling moment of the day to him was probably that in which he helped his wife and child into the fort as they fled from the indians. although obliged to fight the indians in self-defense in their warlike moods, yet he was ever their true friend and esteemed by them as such. he learned to speak the native tongue fluently, in such manner as to be able to converse with all the neighboring tribes, and unnumbered times, through years of disappointment, sorrow and trouble, they sought his advice and sympathy. for a quarter of a century the hand-to-hand struggle went on by the pioneer and his family, to conquer the wilds, win a subsistence and obtain education. by thrift and enterprise they attained independence, and as they went along helped to lay the foundations of many institutions and enterprises of which the commonwealth is now justly proud. david thomas denny possessed the gifts and abilities of a typical pioneer; a good shot, his trusty rifle provided welcome articles of food; he could make, mend and invent useful and necessary things for pioneer work; it was a day, in fact, when "adam delved" and "eve" did likewise, and no man was too fine a "gentleman" to do any sort of work that was required. having the confidence of the community, he was called upon to fill many positions of trust; he was a member of the first board of trustees of seattle, treasurer of king county, regent of the territorial university, probate judge, school director, etc., etc. although a republican and an abolitionist, he did not consider every democrat a traitor, and thereby incurred the enmity of some. party feeling ran high. at that time (during the rebellion) there stood on pioneer place in seattle a very tall flagstaff. upon the death of a prominent democrat it was proposed to half-mast the flag on this staff, but during the night the halyards were cut, it was supposed by a woman, at the instigation of her husband and others, but the friends of the deceased hired "billie" fife, a well-known cartoonist and painter, to climb to the top and rig a new rope, a fine sailor feat, for which he received twenty dollars. the first organizer of good templar lodges was entertained at mr. denny's house, and he, with several of the family, became charter members of the first organization on october th, . he was the first chaplain of the first lodge of i. o. g. t. organized in seattle. in after years the subject of this sketch became prominent in the prohibition movement; it was suggested to him at one time that he permit his name to be used as prohibition candidate for governor of the state of washington, but the suggestion was never carried out. he would have considered it an honor to be defeated in a good cause. he also became a warm advocate of equal suffrage, and at both new york and omaha m. e. general conferences he heartily favored the admission of women lay delegates, and much regretted the adverse decision by those in authority. the old pioneers were and are generally broad, liberal and progressive in their ideas and principles; they found room and opportunity to think and act with more freedom than in the older centers of civilization, consequently along every line they are in the forefront of modern thought. for its commercial development, seattle owes much to david thomas denny, and others like him, in perhaps a lesser degree. in the days of small beginnings, he recognized the possibilities of development in the little town so fortunately located. his hard-earned wealth, energy and talents have been freely given to make the city of the present as well as that which it will be. d. t. denny made a valuable gift to the city of seattle in a plot of land in the heart of the best residence portion of the city. many years ago it was used as a cemetery, but was afterward vacated and is now a park. he landed on the site of seattle with twenty-five cents in his pocket. his acquirement of wealth after years of honest work was estimated at three million. not only his property, money, thought and energy have gone into the building up of seattle, but hundreds of people, newly arrived, have occupied his time in asking information and advice in regard to their settling in the west. [illustration: david thomas denny] he was president of the first street railway company of seattle, and afterward spent thousands of dollars on a large portion of the system of cable and electric roads of which the citizens of seattle are wont to boast, unknowing, careless or forgetting that what is their daily convenience impoverished those who built, equipped and operated them. he and his company owned and operated for a time the consolidated electric road to north seattle, cedar street and green lake; the cable road to queen anne hill, and built and equipped the "third street and suburban" electric road to the university and ravenna park. the building and furnishing of a large sawmill with the most approved modern machinery, the establishing of an electric light plant, furnishing a water supply to a part of the city, and in many other enterprises he was actively engaged. for many years he paid into the public treasury thousands of dollars for taxes on his unimproved, unproductive real estate, a considerable portion of which was unjustly required and exacted, as it was impossible to have sold the property at its assessed valuation. as one old settler said, he paid "robber taxes." when, in the great financial panic that swept over the country in , he obtained a loan of the city treasurer and mortgaged to secure it real estate worth at least three times the sum borrowed, the mob cried out against him and sent out his name as one who had robbed the city, forsooth! this was not the only occasion when the canaille expressed their disapproval. previous to, and during the anti-chinese riot in seattle, which occurred on sunday, february th, , he received a considerable amount of offensive attention. in the dark district of seattle, there gathered one day a forerunner of the greater mob which created so much disturbance, howling that they would burn him out. "we'll burn his barn," they yelled, their provocation being that he employed chinese house servants and rented ground to mongolian gardeners. the writer remembers that it was a fine garden, in an excellent state of cultivation. no doubt many of the agitators themselves had partaken of the products thereof many times, it being one of the chief sources of supply of the city. the threats were so loud and bitter against the friends of the chinese that it was felt necessary to post a guard at his residence. the eldest son was in oregon, attending the law school of the university; the next one, d. thos. denny, jr., not yet of age, served in the militia during the riot; the third and youngest remained at home ready to help defend the same. the outlook was dark, but after some serious remarks concerning the condition of things, mr. denny went up stairs and brought down his winchester rifle, stood it in a near corner and calmly resumed his reading. as he had dealt with savages before, he stood his ground. at a notorious trial of white men for unprovoked murder of chinese, it was brought out that "mr. david denny, he 'fliend' (friend) of chinese, injun and nigger." during the time that his great business called for the employment of a large force of men, he was uniformly kind to them, paying the highest market price for their labor. some were faithful and honest, some were not; instead of its being a case of "greedy millionaire," it was a case of just the opposite thing, as it was well known that he was robbed time and again by dishonest employes. when urged to close down his mill, as it was running behind, he said "i can't do it, it will throw a hundred men out of employment and their families will suffer." so he borrowed money, paying a ruinous rate of interest, and kept on, hoping that business would improve; it did not and the mill finally went under. a good many employes who received the highest wages for the shortest hours, struck for more, and others were full of rage when the end came and there were only a few dollars due on their wages. neither was he a "heartless landlord," the heartlessness was on the other side, as numbers of persons sneaked off without paying their rent, and many built houses, the lumber in which was never paid for. according to their code it was not _stealing_ to rob a person supposed to be wealthy. the common remark was, "old denny can stand it, he's got lots of money." the anarchist-communistic element displayed their strength and venom in many ways in those days. they heaped abuse on those, who unfortunately for themselves, employed men, and bit the hand that fed them. their cry was "death to capitalists!" they declared their intention at one time of hanging the leading business men of seattle, breaking the vaults of the bank open, burning the records and dividing lands and money among themselves. but the reign of martial law at the culmination of their heroic efforts in the anti-chinese riot, brought them to their senses, the history of which period may be told in another chapter. from early youth, david thomas denny was a faithful member of the m. e. church, serving often in official capacity and rendering valuable assistance, with voice, hand and pocketbook. twice he was sent as lay delegate to the general conference, a notable body of representative men, of which he was a member in and again in . the conference of met in new york city and held its sessions at the metropolitan opera house. his family accompanied him, crossing the continent by the canadian pacific r. r. by way of montreal to new york. in the latter place, they met their first great sorrow, in the death, after a brief illness, of the beloved youngest daughter, the return and her burial in her native land by the sundown seas. soon followed other days of sadness and trial; in less than a year, the second daughter, born in fort decatur, passed away, and others of the family, hovered on the brink of the grave, but happily were restored. loss of fortune followed loss of friends as time went on, but these storms passed and calm returned. he went steadfastly on, confident of the rest that awaits the people of god. at the age of sixty-seven he was wide awake, alert and capable of enduring hardships, no doubt partly owing to a temperate life. in late years he interested himself in mining and was hopeful of his own and his friends' future, and that of the state he helped to found. while sojourning in the cascade mountains in , david t. denny wrote the following: "ptarmigan park: on sept. th, , just forty years ago, leander terry, an older brother of c. c. terry, john n. low and i, landed on what has since been known as freeport point, now west seattle. we found chief sealth with his tribe stopping on the beach and fishing for salmon--a quiet, dignified man was sealth. "we camped on the point and slept under a large cedar tree, and the next morning hired a couple of young indians to take us up the duwampsh river; stayed one night at the place which was afterward taken for a claim by e. b. maple, then returned and camped one night at our former place on the point; then on the morning of the th of september went around to alki point and put down the foundation of the first cabin started in what is now king county. looking out over elliott bay at that time the site where seattle now stands, was an unbroken forest with no mark made by the hand of man except a little log fort made by the indians, standing near the corner of commercial and mill streets. "since that day we have had our indian war, the crimean war has been fought, the war between prussia and austria, that between france and prussia, the great southern rebellion and many smaller wars. "then to think of the wonderful achievements in the use of electricity and the end is not yet. "i should like to live another forty years just to see the growth of the sound country, if nothing else. i fully believe it is destined to be the most densely populated and wealthiest of the united states. one thing that leads me to this conclusion is the evidence of a large aboriginal population which subsisted on the natural productions of the land and water. reasoning by comparison, what a vast multitude can be supported by an intelligent use of the varied resources of the country and the world to draw from besides." and again he wrote: "ptarmigan park, sept. th, : just forty years ago yesterday, j. n. low, lee terry and myself laid the foundation of the first cabin started in what is now king county, washington, then thurston county, oregon territory. "vast have been the changes since that day. "looking back it does not seem so very long ago and yet children born since that have grown to maturity, married, and reared families. "many of those who came to elliott bay are long since gone to their last home. lee terry has been dead thirty-five years, capt. robert fay, twenty or more years, and j. n. low over two years, in fact most of the early settlers have passed away: john buckley and wife, jacob maple, s. a. maple, wm. n. bell and wife, c. c. terry and wife, a. terry, l. m. collins and wife, mrs. kate butler, e. hanford, mother holgate, john holgate and many others. if they could return to seattle now they would not know the place, and yet had it not been for various hindrances, the indian war, the opposition of the n. p. r. r. and the great fire, seattle would be much larger than it now is, the country would be much more developed and we would have a larger rural population. "however, from this time forward, i fully believe the process of development will move steadily on, especially do i believe that we are just commencing the development of the mineral resources of the country. undoubtedly there has been more prospecting for the precious metals during than ever before all put together. "in the silver creek region there has been, probably, six hundred claims taken and from all accounts the outlook is very favorable. also from cle elum and swauk we have glowing accounts. "in the ptarmigan park district about fifty claims have been taken, a large amount of development work done and some very fine samples of ore taken out." (signed) d. t. denny. in the seattle daily times of september th, . "just fifty years ago today. "on september , , mr. d. t. denny, now living in this city, was greeted on the shores of elliott bay by chief seattle. "fifty years ago today, the first white settlers set foot in king county. "fifty years ago today, a little band of pioneers rounded alki point and grounded their boat at west seattle. chief seattle stalked majestically down the beach and greeted them in his characteristic way. during the ensuing week they were guests of a western sachem, the king of puget sound waters, and never were white men more royally entertained. "at that time chief seattle was at the height of his popularity. with a band of five hundred braves behind him, he stood in a position to command the respect of all wandering tribes and of the first few white men, whose heart-hungering and restlessness had driven them from the civilization of the east, across the plains of the middle west, to the shores of the pacific. "as mr. denny is essentially the premier of this country, it would not be out of order to give a glimpse of his early history. he is the true type of pioneer. although he is somewhat bent with age, and his hair is white with the snows of many winters, nevertheless, he still shows signs of that ruggedness that was with him in the early western days of his youth. not only is he a pioneer, but he came from a family of pioneers. years and years ago his ancestors crossed the atlantic and landed on the atlantic coast. not satisfied with the prevailing conditions there, they began to push westward, settling in what is now pennsylvania. as the country became opened up and settled, this denny family of hardy pioneers again turned their faces to the westward sun, and this time indiana made them a home, and still later illinois." the start westward. it was in the latter state that mr. d. t. denny and his brother first began to hear stories of the willamette valley. wonderful tales were being carried across the plains of the fertility of the land around the columbia river and the spirit of restlessness that had been characteristic of their ancestors began to tell upon them, and after reading all they could find of this practically unknown wilderness, they bade farewell to their illinois friends, and started off across the plains. the start was made on the th day of april, , from knox county, illinois. d. t. denny was accompanied by his older brother a. a. denny, and family. they drove two four-horse teams, and a two-horse wagon, and ten days after the start had been made they crossed the missouri river. the fourth of july, , found them at fort hall on snake river, montana, an old hudson bay trading station. on the th day of august, they reached the dalles, oregon, and there, after a brief consultation, they decided to separate. mr. a. a. denny here shipped the wagons and his family down the river on some small vessel they were fortunate enough to find there, while mr. d. t. denny took the horses and pushed over the cascade mountains. he followed what was then known as the old barlow road and reached portland on the th day of august. they decided to stay in portland for a few days, until they could learn more about the country than they then knew, and it was in that city that the subject of this sketch worked his first day for money. he helped thomas carter unload a brig that had reached port from boston, receiving the sum of three dollars for his labors, and it was the "biggest three dollars he ever earned in his life," so he said. while at portland they began to hear stories of puget sound, and after a brief consultation, the denny brothers and mr. john n. low, who had also made the journey across the plains, decided to investigate the country that now lies around the queen city of the west. off for elliott bay. as a. a. denny had his family to look after, it was decided that mr. low and d. t. denny would make the trip, and as a consequence, on the th day of september they ferried low's stock across the river to what was then fort vancouver. from there they followed the hudson bay trail to the cowlitz river, and up the cowlitz to ford's prairie. leaving their stock there for a short time, they pushed on to olympia, now the capital of the state. when they reached olympia they found capt. r. c. fay and george m. martin on the point of leaving down sound to fish for salmon, and messrs. low, denny and terry arranged to come as far as the duwamish river with them. the start was made. there was no fluttering of flags nor booming of cannon such as marked the departure of columbus when he left for a new country, and in fact this little band of men, in an open boat, little dreamed that they would ultimately land within a stone's throw of what was destined to become one of the greatest cities in the west. fifty years ago today they camped with chief seattle on the promontory across the bay. they slept that night under the protecting branches of a cedar tree, and on the morning of the th they hired two of seattle's braves to paddle them up the river in a dugout canoe. they spent that day in looking over the river bottoms, where are now situated the towns of maple prairie and van asselt. there were no settlements there then, and nothing but giant pines and firs greeted their gaze for miles. it was a wonderful sight to these hardy eastern men, and as they wished to know something more of the country, messrs. low and terry decided to leave the canoe and depart on a short tour of exploration. one, two and three hours passed and they failed to put in an appearance. in vain did mr. denny fire his gun, and yell himself hoarse, but he was compelled to spend the night in the wilderness with the two indians. decided to locate. the next day, however, or to be explicit, on the th of september, he was gratified at the appearance of his friends on the river bank. they had become lost the night before, and falling in with a band of indians, had spent the night with them. having seen enough of the country to become convinced that it was the place for them, they returned to what is now west seattle for the night. after the sun had disappeared behind the olympics, they heard a scow passing the point, which afterwards they found contained l. m. collins and family, who had pushed on up the river and settled on the banks of the duwamish. on the morning of the th they decided to take up claims back of alki point, and on that day started to lay the foundation of the first cabin in king county. having decided to settle on elliott bay, mr. low determined to return to portland for his family, whereupon mr. denny wrote the following letter to his brother and sent it with him: "we have examined the valley of the duwamish river and find it a fine country. there is plenty of room for one thousand settlers. come on at once." by the time mr. low had reached portland, william bell and c. d. boren had also become interested in the puget sound district, and therefore messrs. low, denny, bell and boren, with their families, hired a schooner to take them down the columbia, up on the outside, in through the strait, and up the sound to alki, reaching the latter point on the th of november, . in speaking of those early pioneer days, mr. denny said: "we built up quite a settlement over on alki, and the indians of course came and settled around us. no, we were not molested to any great extent. i remember that on one night, our women folks missed a lot of clothing they had hung out to dry, and i at once went to their big chief and told him what had happened. in a very short time not only were the missing articles returned to us, but a lot that we didn't know were gone." whisky caused trouble. "in those early days, in all my experience with indians, i have always found them peaceable enough as long as they left whisky alone. of course we had trouble with them, but it was always due to the introduction of the white man's firewater, which has been more than a curse to the red man. "when we reached here, the indians were more advanced than one would have naturally supposed. we were able to buy berries, fish and game of them, and potatoes also. great fine tubers they were too, much better than any we had ever been able to raise back in illinois. in fact i don't know what we would have done during the first two winters had it not been for the indians. "but talk about game," he continued, a glow coming to his face as the old scenes were brought up to him, "why, i have seen the waters of elliott bay fairly black with ducks. deer and bear were plentiful then and this was a perfect paradise for the man with a rod or gun. never, i am sure, was there a country in which it was so easy to live as it was in the puget sound district fifty years ago." "in coming across the plains, mr. denny, were you attacked by indians, or have any adventures out of the ordinary?" was asked. "well," said he meditatively, "we did have one little brush that might have ended with the loss of all our lives. it was just after leaving fort hall, in montana. we had come up to what i think was called the american falls. while quite a distance away we noticed the water just below the falls was black, with what we supposed were ducks, but as we drew nearer we saw they were indians swimming across with one hand and holding their guns high in the air with the other. we turned off slightly and started down the trail at a rattling rate. we had not gone far when a big chief stepped up on the bank. he was dressed mainly in a tall plug hat and a gun, and he shouted, 'how do, how do, stop, stop!' well, we didn't, and after repeating his question he dropped behind the sage brush and opened fire. "my brother lay in my wagon sick with mountain fever, and that, of course, materially reduced our fighting force. had they succeeded in shooting down one of our horses, it would, of course, have been the end of us, but fortunately they did not and we at last escaped them. no, no one was wounded, but it was the worst scrape i ever had with the indians, and i hope i will never have to go through a similar experience again. it isn't pleasant to be shot at, even by an indian." recognized the spot. "in ," said mr. denny, "i went east over the great northern. i was thinking of my first experience in montana when i reached that state, when all of a sudden we rounded a curve and passed below the falls. i knew them in a minute, and instantly those old scenes and trying times came back to me in a way that was altogether too realistic for comfort. no, i have not been back since. "mr. prosch, mr. ward and myself," continued this old pioneer, "had intended to take our families over to alki today and hold a sort of a picnic in honor of what happened fifty years ago, but of course my sickness has prevented us from doing so. i don't suppose we will be here to celebrate the event at the end of another fifty years, and i should have liked to have gone today. instead, i suppose i shall sit here and think of what i saw and heard at alki point just fifty years ago. i can live it over again, in memories at least. "now, young man," concluded mr. denny, not unkindly, "please get the names of those early pioneers and the dates right. a seattle paper published a bit of this history a few days ago, and they got everything all mixed up. this is the story, and should be written right, because if it isn't, the story becomes valueless. i dislike very much to have the stories and events of those early days misstated and misrepresented." in , mr. denny had the arduous task of personally superintending the improvement of the old snoqualmie road around the shore of lake kichelas and on for miles through the mountains, building and repairing bridges, making corduroy, blasting out rocks, changing the route at times; after much patient effort and endurance of discomfort and hardship, he left it much improved, for which many a weary way-farer would be grateful did they but know. in value the work was far beyond the remuneration he received. during the time he was so occupied he had a narrow escape from death by an accident, the glancing of a double-bitted ax in the hands of a too energetic workman; it struck him between the eyes, inflicting a wound which bled alarmingly, but finally was successfully closed. the next year he camped at lake kichelas in the interests of a mining company, and incidentally enjoyed some fishing and prospecting. it was the last time he visited the mountains. gradually some maladies which had haunted him for years increased. as long as he could he exerted himself in helping his family, especially in preparing the site for a new home. he soon after became a great sufferer for several years, struggling against his infirmities, in all exhibiting great fortitude and patience. his mind was clear to the last and he was able to converse, to read and to give sound and admirable advice and opinions. almost to the last day of his life he took interest in the progress of the nation and of the world, following the great movements with absorbing interest. he expressed a desire to see his friends earnest christians, his own willingness to leave earthly scenes and his faith in jesus. so he lived and thus he died, passing away on the morning of november th, , in the seventy-second year of his age. he was a great pioneer, a mighty force, commercial, moral and religious, in the foundation-building of the northwest. in a set of resolutions presented by the pioneer association of the state of washington occur these words: "the record of no citizen was ever marked more distinctly by acts of probity, integrity and general worth than that of mr. d. t. denny, endearing him to all the people and causing them to regard him with the utmost esteem and favor." on the morning of november th, , there appeared in the post-intelligencer, the following: "david thomas denny, who came to the site of seattle in , the first of his name on puget sound, died at his home, a mile north of green lake, at : yesterday morning. all the members of his family, including john denny, who arrived the day before from alaska, were at the bedside. until half an hour before he passed away mr. denny was conscious, and engaged those about him in conversation." married in a cabin. the story of the early life of the denny brothers tallies very nearly with the history of seattle. mr. and mrs. david denny were married in a cabin on the north end of a. a. denny's claim near the foot of lenora street, january , . the next morning the couple moved to their own cabin--built by the husband's hands--at the foot of what is now denny way. the moving was accomplished in a canoe. though they professed a great respect for david denny, the indians were numerous and never very reliable. in a year or two, therefore, the family moved up nearer the sawmill and little settlement which had grown up near the foot of cherry street. d. t. denny had meanwhile staked out a very large portion of what is now north seattle--a plat of three hundred and twenty acres. later he made seven additions to the city of seattle from this claim. in it was a wilderness of thick brush, but the pioneer moved his family to his farm on the present site of recreation park in that year. the indian war had occurred the winter before and the red men were quiet, having received a lesson from the blue jackets which were landed from the united states gunboat decatur. three or four years later the family moved to a cottage at the corner of second avenue and seneca street. in the early ' s they moved to the large home at the corner of dexter and republican streets, where the children grew up. in the family took possession of the large house standing on queen anne avenue, known as the denny home, which was occupied by the family until a few years ago, when they moved to fremont and later to the house where mr. denny died, in licton park, some distance north of green lake. until about ten years ago david t. denny was considered the wealthiest man in seattle. his large property in the north end of the city had been the source of more and more revenue as the town grew. when the needs of the town became those of a big city he hastened to supply them with energy and money. his mill on the shores of lake union was the largest in the city, when seattle was first known as a milling town. the establishment of an electric light plant and a water supply to a part of the city were among the enterprises which he headed. the cable and horse car roads were consolidated into a company headed by d. t. denny more than a decade ago. in the effort to supply the company with the necessary funds mr. denny attempted to convert much of his property into cash. at that time an estimate of his resources was made by a close personal friend, who yesterday said that the amount was considerably over three million dollars, which included his valuable stock in the traction companies. in the hard times of ' mr. denny was unable to realize the apparent value of his property, and a considerable reduction of his fortune was a result. since then he has been to a great extent engaged in mining in the cascade mountains, and for the past three years has been closely confined to his home by a serious illness. among the gifts of d. t. denny to the city of seattle is denny park. denny way, the denny school and other public places in seattle bear his name. d. t. denny was a liberal republican always. he was at one time a member of the board of regents of the territorial university, the first treasurer of king county, probate judge for two years and for twelve years a school director of district no. , comprising the city of seattle. several of those who were associated with david t. denny during the time when he was in active business and a strong factor in local affairs have offered estimates of his character and of the part he took in the founding and building of the city. said col. william t. prosser: "it is sad to think that david t. denny will no more be seen upon the streets of the city he assisted in founding more than fifty years ago. during all that time he was closely identified with its varying periods of danger, delayed hopes and bitter disappointments, as well as those of marvelous growth, activity and prosperity. the changing features of the city were reflected in his own personal history. the waves of prosperity and adversity both swept over him, yet throughout his entire career he always maintained his integrity and through it all he bore himself as an energetic and patriotic citizen and as a christian gentleman." judge thomas burke: "d. t. denny had great faith in seattle, and his salient characteristic was his readiness in pushing forward its welfare. i remember him having an irreproachable character--honest, just in all his dealings and strong in his spirit. in illustration of his strong feeling on the temperance question i remember that he embodied a clause in the early deeds of the property which he sold to the effect that no intoxicating liquors were to be sold upon the premises. yes, he was a good citizen." charles a. prosch: "although mr. denny's later years were clouded by financial troubles, reverses did not soil his spirit nor change his integrity. he was progressive to the last and one of the most upright men i know." d. b. ward: "i first met david denny in and i have known him more or less intimately ever since. i know him to have possessed strict integrity, unswerving purpose and cordial hospitality. my first dinner in seattle was eaten at his home--where a baked salmon fresh from the sound was an oddity to me. his financial troubles some years ago grew out of his undaunted public spirit. he was president of the first consolidated street car system here, and in his efforts to support it most of his property was confiscated. i knew him for a strong, able man." judge orange jacobs: "mr. denny was a quiet man, but he carried the stamp of truth. he was extremely generous, and as i remember, he possessed a fine mind. in his death i feel a personal, poignant grief." rev. w. s. harrington: "d. t. denny was a man of much more than average ability. he thought much and deeply on all questions which affected the welfare of man. he was retiring and his strength was known to few. but his integrity was thorough and transparent and his purpose inflexible. even though he suffered, his spirit was never bitter toward his fellows, and his benefactions were numerous. above all, he was a christian and believed in a religion which he sought to live, not to exhibit. his long illness was borne with a patience and a sweetness which commanded my deep respect and admiration." samuel l. crawford: "a man with the courage to fight for his convictions of right and with a marvelous capacity for honest work--such is the splendid heritage david t. denny has left to his sorrowing family. when but years of age he walked from the columbia river to puget sound, driving a small band of stock ahead of him through the brush. "no sooner had his party settled and the log cabin been completed than david commenced looking for more work, and, like all others who seek diligently, he was successful, for early in december of that year the brig leonesa, capt. daniel s. howard, stopped at alki point, seeking a cargo of piling for san francisco. david t. denny, william n. bell, c. d. boren, c. c. terry, j. n. low, a. a. denny and lee terry took the contract of cutting the piling and loading the vessel, which they accomplished in about two weeks, a remarkably short time, when the weather and the lack of teams and other facilities are taken into consideration. "other vessels came for cargo and mr. denny became an expert woodsman, helping to supply them with piling from the shores. in mr. denny, in company with his brother arthur and some others, came over to elliott bay and laid the foundation of seattle, the great city of the future. mr. denny, being a bachelor, took the most northerly claim, adjoining that of w. n. bell, and built a cabin near the shore, at the foot of what is now denny way. the indians being troublesome, he moved into a small house beside that of his brother on the site of the present stevens hotel. "in the meantime he married a sister of c. d. boren, and a small family commenced to spring up around him, thus requiring larger quarters. in mr. denny built a large frame house on the southwest shore of lake union, on a beautiful knoll. he cleared up a large portion of his claim, and for many years engaged in farming and stock-raising. he afterward built a palatial home on his property at the foot of queen anne hill, midway between lake union and the sound, but this he occupied only a short time. in , in company with his brother arthur, mr. denny discovered salmon bay. "mr. denny was a just man and always dealt fairly with the indians. for this reason the indians learned to love and respect him, and for many years they have gone to him to settle their disputes and help them out of their difficulties with the whites and among themselves. "as seattle grew, david denny platted much of his claim and sold it off in town lots. he built the western mill at the south end of lake union and engaged extensively in the building and promotion of street railways. he had too many irons in the fire, and when the panic came in - it crippled him financially, but he gave up his property, the accumulation of a lifetime of struggle and work, to satisfy his creditors, and went manfully to work in the mountains of washington to regain his lost fortune. his heroic efforts were rapidly being crowned with success, as he is known to have secured a number of mines of great promise, on which he has done a large amount of development work during the past few years. "in the death of david t. denny, seattle loses an upright, generous worker, who has always contributed of his brain, brawn and cash for the upbuilding of the city of which he was one of the most important founders." dexter horton's tribute. "'i have known mr. denny for fifty years. a mighty tree has fallen. he was one of the best men, of highest character and principle, this city ever claimed as a citizen. that is enough.' "by father f. x. prefontaine, of the church of our lady of good help: 'i have known mr. denny about thirty-six or thirty-seven years. i always liked him, though i was more intimately acquainted with his brother, hon. a. a. denny, and his venerable father, john denny. his father in his time impressed me as a fine gentleman, a great american. he was a man who was always called upon at public meetings for a speech and he was a deeply earnest man, so much so that tears often showed in his eyes while he was addressing the people.' "hon. boyd j. tallman, judge of the superior court: 'i have only known mr. denny since , and i always entertained the highest regard for him. he was a man of firm conviction and principle and was always ready to uphold them. though coming here to help found the town, he was always ready to advocate and stand for the principle of prohibition and temperance on all occasions. while there were many who could not agree with him in these things, every manly man felt bound to accord to mr. denny honesty of purpose and respect for the sincerity of his opinion. i believe that in his death a good man has gone and this community has suffered a great loss.'" c. b. bagley talks. "clarence b. bagley, who as a boy and man has known mr. denny for almost the full number of years the latter lived at seattle, was visibly overcome at the news of his death. mr. bagley would gladly have submitted a more extended estimate than he did of mr. denny's life and character, but he was just hurrying into court to take his place as a juryman. "'mr. denny was one of the best men seattle ever had. he was a liberal man, ever ready to embark his means in enterprises calculated to upbuild and aid in the progress of seattle. he was a man of strong convictions, strong almost to obstinacy in upholding and maintaining cherished principles he fully believed. "'mr. denny suffered reverses through his willingness to establish enterprises for the good of the whole city. he built the western mill at lake union when the location was away in the woods, and eventually lost a great deal of money in it during the duller periods of the city's life. he also lost a great deal of money in giving this city a modern street railway system. his character as an honorable man and christian always stood out boldly, his integrity of purpose never questioned.' "lawrence j. colman, son of j. m. colman, the pioneer, said: 'our family has known mr. denny for thirty-one years, ever since coming to seattle. we regarded him as an absolutely upright, conscientious and christian man, notwithstanding the reverses that came to him, in whom our confidence was supreme, and one who did not require his character to be upheld, for it shone brightly at all times by its own lustre.'" samuel coombs talks. "s. f. coombs, the well-known pioneer, had known mr. denny since , about forty-five years. 'it was to mr. denny,' said mr. coombs, 'that the indians who lived here and knew him always went for advice and comfort and to have their disputes settled. their high estimate of the man was shown in many ways, where the whites were under consideration. mr. denny was a man whom i always admired and greatly respected. he afforded me much information of the resident indians here and around salmon bay, as he was intimately acquainted with them all. "'at one time mr. denny was reckoned as seattle's wealthiest citizen. when acting as deputy assessor for andrew chilberg, the city lying north of mill street, now yesler way, was my district to assess. denny's holdings, d. t. denny's plats, had the year previous been assessed by the acre. the law was explicit, and to have made up the assessment by the acre would have been illegal. mr. denny's assessed value the year before was fifty thousand dollars. the best i could do was to make the assessment by the lot and block. for the year i assessed two hundred and fifty thousand. recourse was had to the county commissioners, but the assessment remained about the same. just before his purchase of the seattle street car system he was the wealthiest man in king county, worth more than five hundred thousand dollars. "'of mr. denny it may be said that if others had applied the golden rule as he did, he would have been living in his old home in great comfort in this city today.'" life of david denny. "fifty-two years and two months ago david thomas denny came to seattle, to the spot where seattle now stands enthroned upon her seven hills. mr. denny, the last but one of the little band of pioneers--some half dozen men first to make this spot their home--has been gathered to his fathers; 'has wrapped the mantle of his shroud about him and laid down to pleasant dreams.' gone is a man and citizen who perhaps loved seattle best of all those who ever made seattle their home. this is attested by the fact that from the time that mr. denny first came to elliott bay it has been his constant home. never but once or twice during that long period of time did he go far away, and then for but a very short time. once he went as far away as new york--and that proved a sad trip--and once, in recent years, to california. both trips were comparatively brief, and he who first conquered the primeval forest that crowned the hills around returned home full of intense longing to get back and full of love for the old home. "mr. denny lived a rugged, honorable, upright life--the life of a patriarch. he bore patiently a long period of intense suffering manfully and without murmur, and when the end approached he calmly awaited the summons and died as if falling away into a quiet sleep. so he lived, so he died. "few indeed who can comprehend the extent of his devotion to seattle. living in seattle for the last two years, yet for that period he never looked once upon the city which he helped to build. about that long ago he moved from his home which he had maintained for some years at fremont, to the place where he died, licton springs, about a mile north of green lake. said mr. denny as he went from the door of the old home he was giving up for the new: 'this will be the last time i will ever look upon seattle,' and mr. denny's words were true. he never was able to leave again the little sylvan home his family--his wife, sister and children--had raised for him in the woods. there, dearly loved, he was watched over and cared for by the children and by the wife who had shared with him for two-score-and-ten years the joys and sorrows, the ups and downs that characterized his life in a more marked degree than was the experience of any other of the pioneers who first reached this rugged bay. "mr. denny was once, not so very long ago, a wealthy man--some say the wealthiest in the city--but he died poor, very poor; but he paid his debts to the full. once the owner in fee simple of land upon which are now a thousand beautiful seattle homes, he passed on to his account a stranger in a strange land, and without title to his own domicile. when the crisis and the crash came that wrecked his fortune he went stoutly to work, and if he ever repined it was not known outside of the family and small circle of chosen friends. that was about fourteen years ago, and up to two years ago mr. denny toiled in an humble way, perhaps never expecting, never hoping to regain his lost fortune. those last years of labor were spent, for the most part, at the denny mine on gold creek, a mine, too, in which he had no direct interest or ownership, or in directing work upon the snoqualmie pass road. he came down from the hills to his sick bed and to his death. "mr. denny's life for half a century is the history of the town. without the dennys there might have been no seattle. of all the band that came here in the fall of , they seemed to have taken deepest root and to have left the stamp of their name and individuality which is keen and patent to this day." [illustration: sons of d. t. and louisa denny victor w. s. d. thomas john b.] came from illinois. "the dennys came from illinois, from some place near springfield, and crossing iowa, rendezvoused at what was then kanesville, now council bluffs. they came by way of fort hall and the south pass, along the south side of the snake river, where, at or near american falls, they had their first and only brush with the indians. there was only desultory firing and no one was injured. the party reached the dalles august , . the party separated there, low, boren and a. a. denny going by river to portland, arriving august . in september, low and d. t. denny drove a herd of cattle, those that drew them across the plains, to chehalis river to get them to a good winter range. these men came on to the sound and here they arrived before the end of that month. after looking around some, low went away, having hired mr. denny, who was an unmarried man, to stay behind and build low a cabin. this was done and on september th, , the foundation of this first cabin was laid close to the beach at alki point. "a. a. denny, low, boren, bell and c. c. terry arrived at alki point, joining d. t. denny. that made a happy little family, twenty-four persons, twelve men and women, twelve children and one cabin. in this they all resided until the men could erect a second log cabin. by this time the immediate vicinity of the point had been stripped of its building logs and the men had to go back and split shakes and carry them out of the woods on their backs. with these they erected two 'shake' or split cedar houses that, with the two log cabins, provided fair room for the twenty-four people. "during that winter the men cut and loaded a small brig with piles for san francisco. the piles were cut near the water and rolled and dragged by hand to where they would float to the vessel's side. there were no oxen in the country at that time and the first team that came to elliott bay was driven along the beach at low tide from up near tacoma." surrounded by indians. "the first winter spent at alki point the settlers were almost constantly surrounded with one thousand indians armed with old hudson bay company's muskets. this company maintained one of its posts at nisqually, pierce county, and traded flintlocks and blankets with the indians all over western washington, taking in trade their furs and skins. the indians from far and near hearing of the settlement of whites came and camped on the beach nearly the whole winter. "in addition to the indians of this bay the muckleshoots, green rivers, snoqualmies, tulalips, port madisons and likely numerous other bands were on hand. at one time the muckleshoots and snoqualmies lined up in front of the little cluster of whites and came near engaging in a battle, having become enraged at one another. the whites acted as peacemakers and no blood was spilled. "in those days the government gave what was known as donation claims, one hundred sixty acres to a man, and an equal amount to the women. in the spring of the dennys, bell and boren, came over to this side and took donation claims. boren located first on the south, his line being at about the line of jackson street. a. a. denny came next and bell third. shortly after d. t. denny located, taking a strip of ground from the bay back to lake union and bounded by lines north and south which tally about with denny way on the south and mercer street on the north. later mr. denny bought the eastern shore of lake union, extending from the lake to the portage between union and washington. "mr. denny's first house on this side of the bay, built presumably in the spring of , was located on the beach at the foot of what is now denny way in north seattle. this was a one-story log cabin. it was on the bluff overlooking the bay and the woods hemmed it in, and it was only by cutting and slashing that one could open a way back into the forest." mr. denny's farm. "some time later mr. denny begun his original clearing for a farm at what is now the vicinity of third avenue north and republican street, and also in the early years of residence here--about or --built a home on the site of what is now occupied by modern business houses at second avenue and seneca street. "it seems to have been mr. denny's plan to work out on his farm at third avenue and republican street during the dry summer season and to reside down in the settlement in the winter. the farm at third avenue and republican street grew apace until in after years it became the notable spot in all the district of what is now north seattle. after the arrival on the coast of the chinaman it was leased to them for a number of years, and became widely known as the china gardens. mr. denny does not seem to have planted orchard to any extent here, but at second and seneca he had quite an orchard. forming what later became a part of the original d. t. denny farm was a large tract of open, boggy land running well through the center of mr. denny's claim from about third avenue down to lake union. this was overgrown largely with willow and swamp shrubs. in ancient times it was either a lake or beaver marsh, and long after the whites came, ducks frequented the place. the house built at second avenue and seneca street by mr. denny was a small one-story structure of three or four rooms. "in mr. denny built another homestead of the d. t. denny family at this place. it was, after its completion, one of the most commodious and important houses in the city. this house was built overlooking lake union, instead of the bay. the site selected was on what is now dexter avenue and republican street. this house still stands, a twelve or fourteen-room house, surrounded by orchard and grounds." built a new home. "mr. denny lived at the lake union home until just after the big fire here in , when he began the erection and completed a fine mansion on queen anne avenue, with fine grounds, but he did not long have the pleasure of residing here. the unfortunate business enterprises in which he soon found himself engulfed, swept away his vast wealth, and 'honest dave,' as he had become familiarly to be known, was left without a place wherein to rest his head." these tributes also recite something of the story of his life: "he was one of the original locators of donation claims on elliott bay, within the present limits of seattle. the two dennys, david and his brother, arthur, now deceased; dr. maynard, carson d. boren and w. n. bell, were the first locators of the land upon which the main portion of seattle now rests. all of them, save boren, have passed away, and boren has not lived in seattle for many years; so it may be said that david denny was the last of the seattle pioneers. of his seventy-one years of life, fifty-two were passed on puget sound and fifty-one in the city of seattle, in the upbuilding of which he bore a prominent part. "with his original donation claim and lands subsequently acquired, mr. denny was for many years the heaviest property owner in actual acreage in seattle. most of his holdings had passed into the hands of others before his death. in his efforts to build up the city he engaged in the promotion of many large enterprises, and was carrying large liabilities, although well within the limit of his financial ability, when the panic of ten years ago rendered it impossible to realize upon any property of any value, and left equities in real property covered even by light mortgages, absolutely valueless. in that disastrous period he, among all seattle's citizens, was stricken the hardest blow, but he never lost the hope or the energy of the born pioneer, nor faith in the destinies of the city which he had helped to found. his name remains permanently affixed to many of the monuments of seattle, and he will pass into history as one of the men who laid the foundations of one of the great cities of the world, and who did much in erecting the superstructure. "in the enthusiasms of early life the ambitious men and women of america turn their faces toward 'the setting sun' and bravely assume the task of building homes in uninhabited places and transforming the wilderness into prosperous communities. those who undertake such work are to be listed among god's noblemen--for without such men little progress would be made in the development of any country. "for more than a hundred years one of the interesting features of life in the united states is that connected with pioneering. the men and women of energy are usually possessed with an adventurous spirit which chafes under the fixed customs and inflexible conservatism of the older communities, and longs to take a hand in crowding the frontier toward the pacific. "the poet has said that only the brave start out west and only the strong success in getting there. thus it is that those, who, more than a half century ago, elected to cross the american continent were from the bravest of the eastern or middle portion of the united states. many who started turned back; others died by the wayside. only the 'strong' reached their destination. "of this class was the small party which landed at alki point in the late summer of and began the task of building up a civilization where grew the gigantic forests and where roamed the dusky savage. of that number was david t. denny, the last survivor but one, c. d. boren, of the seven men who composed the first white man's party to camp on the shores of elliott bay. "it requires some stretch of the imagination to view the surroundings that enveloped that band of hardy pioneers and to comprehend the magnitude of the task that towered before them. it was no place for the weak or faint-hearted. there was work to do--and no one shirked. "since then more than fifty years have come and gone, and from the humble beginnings made by david t. denny and the others has grown a community that is the metropolis of the pacific northwest and which, a few years hence, will be the metropolis of the entire pacific coast. that this has been the product of these initial efforts is due in a large measure to the energy, the example, the business integrity and public spirit of him whose demise is now mourned as that of the last but one of the male survivors of that little party of pioneers of . "the history of any community can be told in the biographies of a few of the leading men connected with its affairs. the history of seattle can be told by writing a complete biography of david t. denny. he was among the first to recognize that here was an eligible site for a great city. he located a piece of land with this object in view and steadfastly he clung to his purpose. when a public enterprise was to be planned that would redound to the growth and prestige of seattle he was at the front, pledging his credit and contributing of his means. "then came a time in the growth of cities on the pacific coast when the spirit of speculation appeared to drive men mad. great schemes were laid and great enterprises planned. some of them were substantial; some of them were not. with a disposition to do anything honorable that would contribute to the glory of seattle, david t. denny threw himself into the maelstrom with all of his earthly possessions and took chances of increasing his already handsome fortune. then came the panic of and mr. denny was among many other seattle men who emerged from the cataclysm without a dollar. "subsequent years made successful the enterprise that proved the financial ruin of so many of seattle's wealthy, but it was too late for those who had borne the brunt of the battle. others came in to reap where the pioneers had sown and the latter were too far along in years to again take up the struggle of accumulating a competence. his declining years were passed in the circle of loving friends who never failed to speak of him as the personification of honesty and integrity and one whose noble traits of character in this respect were worthy of all emulation." the following is an epitaph written for his tomb: "david thomas denny, born march th, , died nov. th, . the first of the name to reach puget sound, landing at duwampsh head, sept. th, . a great pioneer from whose active and worthy life succeeding generations will reap countless benefits." "he giveth his beloved sleep." the early days of the state, or rather, territory, of washington produced a distinct type of great men, one of whom was david thomas denny. had washington a poet to tell of the achievements of her heroic founders and builders a considerable epic would be devoted to the remarkable career and character of this noble man. at the risk of repetition i append this slight recapitulation: the first of the name to set foot on puget sound, _oregon territory_, september th, , he then evinced the characteristics more fully developed in after years. he had crossed the plains and then from portland proceeded to puget sound by the old hudson bay trail. he landed at duwampsh head where now is west seattle, and there met and shook hands with chief sealth, or old seattle as the whites called him. he helped to build the first cabin home at alki point. he alone was the committee of reception when the notable party landed from the "exact." he ran the race of the bravest of the brave pioneers. beginning at the very bottom of the ladder, he worked with his hands, as did the others, at every sort of work to be found in a country entirely unimproved. a ready axman, a very nimrod, a natural linguist, he began the attack on the mighty forest, he slew wild animals and birds for food, he made friends with the native tribes. he builded, planted, harvested, helped to found schools, churches, government and civilized society. always and everywhere he embodied and upheld scriptural morality and temperance. many now living could testify to his untiring service to the stranded newcomers. employment, money, credit, hospitality, time, advice, he gave freely to help and encourage the settlers following the pioneers. he was probate judge, county treasurer, city councilman, regent of the university, school director for twelve years, etc., etc. he administered a number of estates with extreme care and faithfulness. david t. denny early realized that seattle was a strategic site for a great city and by thrifty investments in wild land prepared for settlements sure to come. after long years of patient toil, upright dealing and wise management, he began to accumulate until his property was worth a fortune. with increasing wealth his generosity increased and he gave liberally to carry on all the institutions of a civilized community. david t. denny gave "denny park" to the city of seattle. denny school was named for him, as is perfectly well known to many persons. as prosperity increased he became more active in building the city and lavished energy, toil, property and money, installing public enterprises and utilities, such as water supply, electric lights, a large sawmill, banks, street railways, laying off additions to the city, grading and improvements, etc., etc. then came , the black year of trade. thousands lost all they possessed. david t. denny suffered a martyrdom of disappointment, humiliation, calumny, extreme and undeserved reproach from those who crammed themselves with securities, following the great money panic in which his immense holdings passed into the hands of others. he was a soldier of the indian war and was on guard near the door of fort decatur when the memorable attack took place on january th, . the fort was built of timbers hewn by d. t. denny and two others, taken from his donation claim. these timbers were brought to seattle, then a little settlement of about three hundred people. there he helped to build the fort. many persons have expressed a desire to see a fitting memorial erected to the memory of seattle's "fairy prince," founder and defender, david thomas denny. i feel the inadequacy of these fragmentary glimpses of the busy life of this well known pioneer. i have not made a set arrangement of the material as i wished to preserve the testimony of others, hence there appear some repetitions; an accurate and intimate biography may come in the future. logically, his long, active, useful life in the northwest, might be divided into epochs on this wise: st. the log cabin and "claim" era, in which, within my own memory, he was seen toiling early and late, felling the forest giants, cultivating the soil, superintending indian workers and bringing in game, killed with his rifle. nd. the farm-home era, when he built a substantial house on his part of the donation claim, near the south end of lake union, obtained cattle (famous jersey stock of california), horses, etc. the home then achieved by himself and his equally busy wife, was one to be desired, surrounded as it was by beautiful flowers, orchards, wide meadows and pastures, and outside these, the far-spreading primeval forest. rd. town-building. the west end of the claim, belonging to louisa denny, was first platted; other plats followed, as may be seen by reference to seattle records. commercial opportunities loomed large and he entered upon many promising enterprises. all these flourished for a time. th. . the failure of baring bros., as he told me repeatedly, began it--theirs being the result of having taken bonds of the argentine republic, and a revolution happening along, $ , , . went by the board; a sizable failure. partly on account of this and partly on account of the vast advantage of the lender over the borrower, and partly through the vast anxiety of those who held his securities, they were able to distribute among themselves his hard-earned fortune. "a certain man went down from jerusalem to jericho and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment and wounded him and departed leaving him half dead." the deficiency judgment also loomed large and frequent and his last days were disturbed by those who still pressed their greedy claims, even following after his death, with a false, unjust and monstrous sale of the cemetery in which he lies buried! but he is with the just men made perfect. law, custom and business methods have permitted, from time immemorial, gross injustice to debtors; formerly they were imprisoned; a man might speedily pay his debts, if in prison! the deficiency judgment and renewal of the same gives opportunity for greedy and unprincipled creditors to rob the debtor. there should be a law compelling the return of the surplus. when one class of people make many times their money out of the misfortunes of others, there is manifestly great inequality. the principles of some are to grab all they can, "skin" all they can, and follow up all they can even to the _graveyard_. "these things ought not so to be." th. in the end he laid down all earthly things, and in spite of grief and suffering, showed a clear perception and grasp of justice, mercy and truth. chapter iv the first wedding on elliott bay. concerning this notable occurrence many interesting incidents were recorded by an interviewer who obtained the same from the lips of david thomas denny. "on january rd, , mr. and mrs. david t. denny celebrated their forty-second wedding anniversary--and the anniversary of the first wedding in seattle--in their home at 'decatur terrace' ( temperance street), seattle, with a gathering of children, grandchildren, relatives and friends that represented four distinctive generations. "one of the notable features of the evening was the large gathering of pioneers who collectively represented more years of residence in seattle than ever were found together before. [illustration: louisa b. denny] "what added interest to the occasion was the historical fact that mr. and mrs. denny were the first couple married in seattle, and the transition from the small, uncouth log cabin, built forty-three years ago by the sturdy young pioneer for his bride, to the present beautiful residence with all its modern convenience in which the respected couple are enjoying the fruits of a well spent life, was the subject of many congratulations from the friends of the honored host and hostess who remembered their early trials and tribulations. all present were more or less connected with the history of seattle, all knew one another's history, and with their children and grandchildren the gathering, unconventional in every respect, with the two-year-old baby romping in the arms of the octogenarian, presented a colossal, happy family reunion. "the old pioneer days were not forgotten, and one corner of the reception room was made to represent the interior of a cabin, lined with newspapers, decorated with gun, bullet pouch and powder horn and measure, a calico sunbonnet, straw hat and hunting shirt. "a table was set to represent one in the early fifties, namely, two boards across two boxes, for a table, a smoked salmon, a tin plate full of boiled potatoes, some sea biscuits and a few large clams. such a meal, when it was had, was supposed to be a feast. "many other relics were in sight; a thirty-two pound solid shot, fired by the sloop-of-war decatur among the indians during the uprising; a ten-pound shot belonging to dr. maynard's cannon; a pair of enormous elk's horns belonging to a six hundred and thirty-pound elk killed by mr. d. t. denny, september th, , in the woods north west of green lake; the first bible of the family from which the eldest daughter, miss emily inez, learned her letters; an old-fashioned indian halibut hook, an ingenious contrivance; an old family bible, once the property of the father of david t. denny, bearing the following inscription on the inside cover: 'the property of j. denny, purchased of j. strange, august the th, , price - / cents. putnam county, indiana.' "also a number of daguerreotypes of mr. and mrs. d. t. denny in the early years of their married life, taken in the fifties, and one of w. g. latimer and his sister. "all these and many more afforded food for conversation and reminiscences on the part of the old pioneers present. "an informal programme introduced the social intercourse of the evening. harold denny, a grandson of the hosts and son of mr. john b. denny, made an address to his grandparents, giving them the greeting of the assembly in these words: "'o fortunate, o happy day,' the people sing, the people say, the bride and bridegroom, pioneers, crowned now with good and gracious years serenely smile upon the scene. the growing state they helped to found unto their praise shall yet redound. o may they see a green old age, with every leaf a written page of joy and peace from day to day. in good, new times not far away may people sing and people say, 'heaven bless their coming years; honor the noble pioneers.' "the chief diversion was afforded by the sudden entrance of a band of sixteen young men and women gorgeously dressed as indians, preceded by a runner who announced their approach. they were headed by capt. d. t. davies who acted as chief. the band marched in true indian file, formed a circle and sat down on the floor with their 'tamanuse' boards upon which they beat the old time music and sang their indian songs. after an impressive hush, the chief addressed their white chief, denny, in the chinook language, wishing mr. and mrs. denny many returns of the auspicious occasion. "mr. denny, who is an adept in the indian languages, replied in the same tongue, thanking his dark brethren for their good intentions and speaking of the happy relations that always existed between the whites and the indians until bad white men and whisky turned the minds and brains of the indians. the council then broke up and took their departure. "the marriage certificate of mr. and mrs. denny is written on heavy blue paper and has been so carefully preserved that, beyond the slight fading of the ink, it is as perfect as when first given in the dense forests on the shores of elliott bay. it reads as follows: "'this may certify that david denny and louisa boren were joined in marriage at the residence of arthur a. denny in the county of king and territory of oregon, by me in the presence of a. a. denny and wife and others, on this rd day of january, . d. s. maynard, j. p.' "another historical event, apropos right here, was the death and burial of d. s. maynard early in . "the funeral services were conducted march , , by rev. john f. damon in yesler's pavilion, then located at what is now cherry and front streets. the funeral was under the auspices of st. john's lodge, of which dr. maynard was a member. the remains were escorted to what is now denny park--the gift to the city, of mr. david t. denny--and the casket was deposited and kept in the tool house of that place until the trail could be cut to the new masonic--now lake view--cemetery. maynard's body was the first interred there. "miss louisa boren, who married mr. david t. denny, was the younger sister of a. a. denny's wife and came across the plains with the denny's in . "the house of a. a. denny, in which the marriage took place, was located near the foot of what is now bell street, and was the first cabin built by a. a. denny when he moved over from alki point. seattle was then a dense forest down to the water's edge, and had at that time, in the spring of , only three cabins, namely: c. d. boren's, the bride's brother; w. n. bell's and a. a. denny's. boren's stood where now stands the merchant's national bank, and bell's was near the foot of battery street. "at first the forests were so dense that the only means of communication was along the beach at low tide; after three or four months, a trail was beaten between the three cabins. david lived with his brother, but he built himself a cabin previous to his marriage, near the foot of denny way, near and north of bell's house. to this lonely cabin in the woods, he took his bride and they lived there until august, , eking out an existence like the other pioneers, chopping wood, cutting piles for shipment, living on anyhow, but always managing to have enough to eat, such as it was, with plenty of pure spring water. "in august, of , he built a cabin on the spot where now the frye block stands and they passed the winter of there. "in the spring of he built another cabin further east on the donation claim, east of what is now box street, between mercer and republican, and they moved into it, remaining there until near the time of the indian outbreak. "mr. denny had acquired a knowledge of the various indian dialects, and through this learned much of the threatened outbreak, and moved his family in time back to the house on the frye block site, which was also near the stockade or fort that stood at the foot of cherry street. during the greater part of the winter of the women in the settlement lived in the fort, and mrs. denny passed much of the time there. "after the indian trouble was over the denny's moved out again to their outside cabin. the indians making the trouble were the swunumpsh and the klickitats, from east of the mountains; the sound indians, the duwampsh and the suquampsh, were friendly and helped the whites a great deal. sealth or seattle belonged to the suquampsh tribe and his men gave the first warning of the approach of the hostile indians. "mr. and mrs. david t. denny have had eight children, four daughters and four sons. one son died shortly after birth, and all the others grew to maturity, after which the father and mother were called to mourn the loss of two daughters. two daughters and three sons survive, namely: miss emily inez, mrs. abbie d. lindsley, mr. john b. denny, mr. d. thomas denny and mr. victor w. s. denny. "the sons are all married and nine out of ten grandchildren were present last evening to gladden the hearts of grandpa and grandma denny. the absent members of the family group were mrs. john b. denny and daughter, in new york on a visit. "'people in these days of modern improvements and plenty know nothing of the hardships the pioneer of forty years ago had to undergo right here,' said mr. denny. "'nearly forty years of life in a dense forest surrounded by savages and wild beasts, with the hardest kind of work necessary in order to eke out an existence, was the lot of every man and woman here. it was a life of privation, inconveniences, anxieties, fears and dangers innumerable, and required physical and mental strength to live it out. of course, we all had good health, for in twenty-four years' time we only had a doctor four times. our colony grew little by little, good men and bad men came in and by the time the indians wanted to massacre us we had about three hundred white men, women and children. we got our provisions from ships that took our piles and then the indians also furnished us with venison, potatoes, fish, clams and wild fowl. flour, sugar and coffee we got from san francisco. when we could get no flour, we made a shift to live on potatoes.' "in speaking of cold weather, mr. denny recalled the year of , when it was an open winter until march , but that night fourteen inches of snow fell and made it the coldest winter, all in that one month. the next severe winter was that of - , which was about the coldest on record. during those cold spells the pioneers kept warm cutting wood. "the unique invitations sent out for this anniversary, consisted of a fringed piece of buck-skin stretched over the card and painted ' , ankuti. , okoke sun.' they were well responded to, and every room in the large house was filled with interested guests, from the baby in arms to the white haired friend of the old people. pioneers were plenty, and it is doubtful if there ever was a gathering in the city of seattle that could aggregate so many years of residence in the queen city of the west on the shores of elliott bay. "arranged according to families, and classing those as pioneers who came prior to the indian war of - , the following list will be found of historical value: "rev. and mrs. d. e. blaine, pioneers; a. a. denny, brother of d. t. denny; loretta denny, sister of d. t. denny; lenora denny, daughter of a. a. denny; rev. and mrs. daniel bagley, pioneers of , oregon, seattle ; mrs. clarence b. bagley, daughter of thomas mercer, ; c. b. bagley, pioneer, oregon, seattle ; hillory butler, pioneer; mrs. gardner kellogg, daughter of bonney, pierce county ; walter graham, pioneer; rev. geo. f. whitworth, pioneer; thomas mercer, oregon, seattle ; david graham, ; mrs. susan graham, daughter of thomas mercer; mrs. s. d. libby, wife of captain libby, pioneer; george frye, ; mrs. katherine frye, daughter of a. a. denny; sophie and bertie frye, granddaughters of a. a. denny; mrs. mamie kauffman dawson, granddaughter of wm. n. bell, pioneer; mr. and mrs. d. b. ward, pioneers (mrs. ward, daughter of charles byles, of thurston county, ); mrs. abbie d. lindsley, daughter of d. t. and louisa denny; the bryans, all children of edgar bryan, a pioneer of thurston county; j. w. george, pioneer ; orange jacobs, pioneer of oregon." in another chapter it has been shown how d. t. denny was the first of the name to reach puget sound. not having yet attained his majority he was required to consider, judge and act for himself and others. like the two spies, who entered the promised land in ancient days, low and denny viewed the goodly shores of puget sound for the sake of others by whom their report was anxiously awaited. as before stated, low returned to carry the tidings of the wonderful country bordering on the inland sea, while david t. denny, but nineteen years of age, was left alone, the only white person on elliott bay, until the exact came with the brave families of the first settlers. from that time on he has been in the forefront of progress and effort, beginning at the very foundation of trade, business enterprises, educational interests, religious institutions and reforms. from the early conditions of hard toil in humble occupations, through faith, foresight and persistence, he rose to a leading position in the business world, when his means were lavished in modern enterprises and improvements through which many individuals and the general public were benefited, said improvements being now in daily use in the city of seattle. one of these is the third street and suburban electric railway, built and equipped by this energetic pioneer and his sons. the old donation claim having become valuable city property, the taxation was heavy to meet the expenses of extravagant and wasteful administration partly, and partly incidental to the phenomenal growth of the city, consequently both mr. and mrs. d. t. denny have paid into the public treasury a considerable fortune, ten or twelve thousand a year for ten years, twenty thousand for grades, six thousand at a time for school tax and so on--much more than they were able to use for themselves. * * * * * a fascinating volume would recount their hunting adventures, as all, father and sons, are fine shots; game, both large and small, swarmed about the present site of seattle in the early days. indeed, for many years the bounty of nature failed not; as late as , ruffed grouse or "pheasants," blue grouse, brown and black bears were numerous seven or eight miles north of seattle, a region then untenanted wilds. the women folk were not always left behind on hunting expeditions, and the pioneer mother, and daughters, too, quite often accompanied them. into this primeval wilderness, to a mineral spring known and visited by the indians in times past and called by them licton, came the father, mother and eldest son to enjoy all they might discover. the two hunting dogs proved necessary and important members of the party by rousing up a big black bear and her cubs near the spring,--but we will let the pioneer mother, mrs. louisa denny, tell the tale as she has often told it in the yesterdays: "we were out in the deep forest at the mineral spring the indians call 'licton'; the two dogs, prince and gyp, treed a black bear cub in a tall fir on the farther side of the brook, a little way along the trail; the hunters pressed up and fired. receiving a shot, the cub gave a piercing scream and, tumbling down, aroused the old bear, which, though completely hidden by the undergrowth, answered it with an enraged roar that sounded so near that the hunters fled without ceremony. i sat directly in the path, on the ends of some poles laid across the brook for a foot bridge, very calmly resting and not at all excited--as yet. my boy yelled to me, at the top of his voice, 'get up a tree, mother! get up a tree, quick! the old bear is coming!' hearing a turmoil at the foot of the big tree, where the dogs, old bear and two cubs were engaged in a general melee, i also thought it best to 'get up a tree.' we dashed across the brook and climbed up a medium sized alder tree--the boy first, myself next, and my husband last and not very far from the ground. we could hear the bear crashing around through the tall bushes and ferns, growling at every step and only a little way off, but she did not come out in sight. the dogs came and lay down under the tree where we were. two long, weary hours we watched for bruin, and then, everything being quiet, climbed down, stiff and sore, parted the brushes cautiously and reconnoitered. one climbed up a leaning tree to get a better view, but there was no view to be had, the woods were so thick. we crept along softly until we reached the foot of the big fir, and there lay the wounded cub, dead! the hunters dragged it a long distance, looking back frequently and feeling very uncertain, as they had no means of knowing the whereabouts of the enemy. i walked behind carrying one of the guns. perhaps i was cruel in asking them if they looked behind them when they tacked the skin on the barn at home! however, it was certainly a case of discretion better than valor, as one weapon was only a shotgun and the rank undergrowth gave no advantage. it seemed to make everybody laugh when we told of our adventure, but i did not think the experience altogether amusing, and i shall never forget that mother-bear's roar. they have killed plenty of big game since; my two younger boys shot a fine, large black bear whose beautiful skin adorns my parlor floor and is much admired." this is but one incident in the life of a pioneer woman, the greater portion of whose existence has been spent in the wilds of the northwest. in perils oft, in watchings many, in often uncongenial toil, louisa boren denny spent the years of her youth and prime, as did the other pioneer mothers. "what a book the story of my life would make!" she exclaimed in a retrospective mood--yet, like the majority of the class she typifies, she has left the book unwritten, while hand and brain have been busy with the daily duties pressing on her. a childhood on the beautiful, flower-decked, virgin prairie of illinois, in the log cabin days of that state, the steadfast pursuit of knowledge until maturity, when she went out to instruct others, the breaking of many ties of friendship to accompany her relatives across the plains, the joy of new scenes so keenly appreciated by the observant mind, the self-denials and suffering inevitable to that stupendous journey and the reaching of the goal on puget sound, at once the beginning and the ending of eventful days, might be the themes of its opening chapters. her marriage and the rearing of beautiful and gifted children, in the midst of the solemn and noble solitudes of nature's great domain, where they often wandered together hand in hand, she the gentle teacher, they the happy learners, green boughs and fair blossoms bending near--yes, the toil, too, as well as pleasure, in which the willing hands wrought and tireless feet hastened to and fro in the service of her god, all these things i shared in are indelibly written on my memory's pages, though they be never recorded elsewhere. and while she wrought, she thought many times in the latter years, spoken opinions have shown that she has originated ideas of progress and reform that have been subsequently brought before the public as initiative and original, but were no less original with her. mrs. louisa denny was a member of the famous grand jury, with several other women of the best standing; during their term the gamblers packed their grip-sacks to leave seattle, as those "old women on the jury" were making trouble for them. for many years she was called upon or volunteered to visit the sick, anon to be present at a surgical operation, and with ready response and steady nerve complied. generous to a fault, hospitable and kind, in countless unknown deeds of mercy and unrecorded words, she expressed good-will toward humanity, and the recipients, a goodly company, might well arise up and call her "blessed." a separate sketch is given in which the life of the first bride of seattle is more fully set forth. chapter v. louisa boren denny, the first bride of seattle, was born in white county, illinois, on the st of june, , and is the daughter of richard freeman boren and sarah latimer boren. her father, a young baptist minister, died when she was an infant, and she has often said, "i have missed my father all my life." a religious nature seems to have been inherited, as she has also said, "i cannot remember when i did not pray to god." her early youth was spent on the great prairies, then a veritable garden adorned with many beautiful wild flowers, in the log cabin with her widowed, pioneer mother, her sister mary and brother carson. she learned to be industrious and thrifty without parsimony; to be simple, genuine, faithful. in the heat of summer or cold of winter she trudged to school, as she loved learning, showing, as her mind developed, a natural aptitude and taste for the sciences; chemistry, philosophy, botany and astronomy being her especial delights. of a striking personal appearance, her fair complexion with a deep rose flush in the cheeks, sparkling eyes, masses of heavy black hair, small and perfect figure, would have attracted marked attention in any circle. her temperate and wholesome life, never given to fashion's follies, retained for her these points of beauty far beyond middle life, when many have lost all semblance of their youth and have become faded and decrepit. her school life merged into the teacher's and she took her place in the ranks of the pioneer instructors, who were truly heroic. she taught with patience the bare-foot urchins, some of whom were destined for great things, and boarded 'round as was the primitive custom. going to camp meetings in the summer, lectures and singing schools in the winter were developing influences in those days, and primitive pleasures were no less delightful; the husking-bees, quilting parties and sleigh rides of fifty years ago in which she participated. in , when she was twenty-four years of age, she joined the army of pioneers moving west, in the division composed of her mother's and step-father's people, her mother having married john denny and her sister mary, a. a. denny. [illustration: flower garden planted by louisa b. denny] with what buoyant spirits, bright with hope and anticipation, they set out, except for the cloud of sorrow that hovered over them for the parting with friends they left behind. but they soon found it was to be a hard-fought battle. louisa boren, the only young, unmarried woman of the party, found many things to do in assisting those who had family cares. her delight in nature was unlimited, and although she found no time to record her observations and experiences, her anecdotes and descriptions have given pleasure to others in after years. she possessed dauntless courage and in the face of danger was cool and collected. it was she who pleaded for the boat to be turned inshore on a memorable night on the columbia river, when they came so near going over the falls (the cascades) owing to the stupefied condition of the men who had been imbibing "blue ruin" too freely. when the party arrived at alki point on puget sound, although the outlook was not cheerful, she busied herself a little while after landing in observing the luxuriant and, to her, curious vegetation. she soon made friends with the indians and succeeded admirably in dealing with them, having patience and showing them kindness, for which they were not ungrateful. it transpired that the first attempt at building on the site of seattle, so far as known to the writer, is to be credited to louisa boren and another white woman, who crossed elliott bay in a canoe with indian paddlers and a large dog to protect them from wild animals. they made their way through an untouched forest, and the two women cut and laid logs for the foundation of a cabin. as she was strikingly beautiful, young and unmarried, both white and indian braves thought it would be a fine thing to win her hand, and intimations of this fact were not wanting. the young indians brought long poles with them and leaned them up against the cabin at alki, the significance of which was not at first understood, but it was afterward learned that they were courtship poles, according to their custom. the white competitors found themselves distanced by the younger denny, who was the first of the name to set foot on puget sound. on january rd, , in the cabin of a. a. denny, on the east side of elliott bay, louisa boren was married to david t. denny. in order to fulfil law and custom, david had made a trip to olympia and back in a canoe to obtain a marriage license, but was told that no one there had authority to issue one, so he returned undaunted to proceed without it; neither was there a minister to perform the ceremony, but dr. maynard, who was a justice of the peace, successfully tied the knot. among the few articles of wearing apparel it was possible to transport to these far-off shores in a time of slow and difficult travel, was a white lawn dress, which did duty as a wedding gown. the young couple moved their worldly possessions in an indian canoe to their own cabin on the bay, about a mile and a half away, in a little clearing at the edge of the vast forest. here began the life of toil and struggle which characterized the early days. then came the indian war. a short time before the outbreak, while they were absent at the settlement, some indians robbed the cabin; as they returned they met the culprits. mrs. denny noticed that one of them had adorned his cap with a white embroidered collar and a gray ribbon belonging to her. the young rascal when questioned said that the other one had given them to him. possibly it was true; at any rate when george seattle heard of it he gave the accused a whipping. the warnings given by their indian friends were heeded and they retired to the settlement, to a little frame house not far from fort decatur. on the morning of the battle, january th, louisa boren denny was occupied with the necessary preparation of food for her family. she heard shots and saw from her window the marines swarming up from their boats onto yesler's wharf, and rightly judging that the attack had begun she snatched the biscuits from the oven, turned them into her apron, gathered up her child, two years old, and ran toward the fort. her husband, who was standing guard, met her and assisted them into the fort. a little incident occurred in the fort which showed her strong temperance principles. one of the officers, perhaps feeling the need of something to strengthen his courage, requested her to pour out some whisky for him, producing a bottle and glass; whether or no his hand was already unsteady from fear or former libations, she very properly refused and has, throughout her whole life, discouraged the use of intoxicants. a number of the settlers remained in the fort for some time, as it was unsafe for them to return to their claims. on the th of march, , her second child was born in fort decatur. with this infant and the elder of two years and three months, they journeyed back again into the wilderness, where she took up the toilsome and uncertain life of the frontier. "there was nothing," she has said, "that was too hard or disagreeable for me to undertake." all the work of the house and even lending a hand at digging and delving, piling and burning brush outside, and the work was done without questioning the limits of her "spere." they removed again to the edge of the settlement and lived for a number of years in a rose-embowered cottage on seneca street. accumulating cares filled the years, but she met them with the same high courage throughout. her sons and daughters were carefully brought up and given every available advantage even though it cost her additional sacrifice. her half of the old donation claim became very valuable in time as city property, but the enormous taxation robbed her to a considerable extent of its benefits. the manner of life of this heroic mother, type of her race, was such as to develop the noblest traits of character. the patience, steadfastness, courage, hopefulness and the consideration for the needs and trials of others, wrought out in her and others like her, during the pioneer days, challenge the admiration of the world. i have seen the busy toil, the anxious brow, the falling tears of the pioneer woman as she tended her sick or fretful child, hurried the dinner for the growing family and the hired indians who were clearing, grubbing or ditching, bent over the washtub to cleanse the garments of the household, or up at a late hour to mend little stockings for restless feet, meanwhile helping the young students of the family to conquer the difficulties that lay before them. the separation from dearly loved friends, left far behind, wrought upon the mind of the pioneer woman to make her sad to melancholy, but after a few years new ties were formed and new interests grasped to partially wear this away, but never entirely, it is my opinion. she traveled on foot many a weary mile or rode over the roughest roads in a jolting, springless wagon; in calm or stormy weather in the tip-tilting indian canoes, or on the back of the treacherous cayuse, carrying her babes with her through dangerous places, where to care for one's self would seem too great a burden to most people, patient, calm, uncomplaining. the little brown hands were busy from morning to night in and about the cabin or cottage; seldom could a disagreeable task be delegated to another; to dress the fish and clams, dig the potatoes in summer as needed for the table, pluck the ducks and grouse, cook and serve the same, fell to her lot before the children were large enough to assist. moreover, to milk the cows, feed the horses, chop wood occasionally, shoot at predatory birds and animals, burn brush piles and plant a garden and tactfully trade with the indians were a few of the accomplishments she mastered and practiced with skill and success. in the summer time this mother took the children out into the great evergreen forest to gather wild berries for present and future use. while the youngest slept under giant ferns or drooping cedar, she filled brimming pails with the luscious fruit, salmonberry, dewberry or huckleberry in their seasons. here, too, the older children could help, and there was an admixture of pleasure in stopping to gather the wild scarlet honeysuckle, orange lilies, snowy philadelphus, cones, mosses and lichens and listening to the "blackberry bird," as we called the olive-backed thrush, or the sigh of the boughs overhead. the family dog went along, barking cheerfully at every living thing, chasing rabbits, digging out "suwellas" or scaring up pheasants and grouse which the eldest boy would shoot. it was a great treat to the children, but when all returned home, tired after the day's adventure, it was mother's hands prepared the evening meal and put the sleepy children to bed. everywhere that she has made her home, even for a few years, she has cultivated a garden of fragrant and lovely flowers, a source of much pleasure to her family and friends. the old-fashioned roses and hollyhocks, honeysuckles and sweet williams grew and flourished, with hosts of annuals around the cottage on seneca street in the ' s, and at the old homestead on lake union the old and new garden favorites ran riot; so luxuriant were the japan and ascension lilies, the velvety pansies, tea, climbing, moss and monthly roses, fancy tulips, english violets, etc., etc., as to call forth exclamations from passersby. some were overheard in enthusiastic praise saying, "talk about florida! just look at these flowers!" the great forest, with its wealth of beautiful flowers and fruitful things, gave her much delight; the wild flowers, ferns, vines, mosses, lichens and evergreens, to which she often called our attention when we all went blackberrying or picnicing in the old, old time. the grand scenery of the northwest accords with her thought-life. she always keenly enjoys the oft-recurring displays of wonderful color in the western sky, the shimmering waves under moon or sun, the majestic mountains and dark fir forests that line the shores of the inland sea. in early days she was of necessity everything in turn to her family; when neither physician nor nurse was readily obtainable, her treatment of their ailments commanded admiration, as she promptly administered and applied with excellent judgment the remedies at her command with such success that professional service was not needed for thirty years except in case of accident of unusual kind. she looked carefully to the food, fresh air, exercise and bathing of her little flock with the most satisfying results. she believes in the house for the people, not the people for the house, and has invariably put the health and comfort of her household before her care for things. her mind is one to originate and further ideas of reform and eagerly appropriate the best of others' conclusions. ever the sympathetic counsellor and friend of her children in work and study, she shared their pastimes frequently as well. she remembers going through the heavy forest which once surrounded lake union with her boys trout-fishing in the outlet of the lake; while she poked the fish with a pole from their hiding places under the bank the boys would gig them, having good success and much lively sport. on one trip they had the excitement of a cougar hunt; that is, the cougar seemed to be hunting them, but they "made tracks" and accomplished their escape; the cougar was afterward killed. several other of her adventures are recounted elsewhere. it would require hundreds of pages to set forth a moving picture of the stirring frontier life in which she participated. louisa boren denny is a pioneer woman of the best type. her charities have been many; kind and encouraging words, sympathy and gifts to the needy and suffering; her nature is generous and unselfish, and, though working quietly, her influence is and has ever been none the less potent for good. "peace hath her victories no less renowned than war." of the victories over environment and circumstances much might be written. the lack of comforts and conveniences compelled arduous manual toil and the busy "brown hands" found many homely duties to engage their activities. in and out of the cabins the high-browed pioneer mothers wrought, where now the delicate dames, perhaps, indolently occupy luxuriant homes. it is impossible for these latter to realize the loneliness, wildness and rudeness of the surroundings of the pioneer women. instead of standing awed before the dauntless souls that preceded them, with a toss of the head they say, "you might endure such things but we couldn't, _we are so much finer clay_." the friends they left behind were sorely regretted; one pioneer woman said the most cruel deprivation was the rarity of letters from home friends, the anxious waiting month after month for some word that might tell of their well-being. neither telegraph nor fleet mail service had then been established. the pioneer woman learned to face every sort of danger from riding rough water in an indian canoe to hunting blackberries where bears, panthers and indians roamed the deep forest. one said that she would not go through it again for the whole state of washington. each was obliged to depend almost wholly on herself and was compelled to invent and apply many expedients to feed and clothe herself and little ones. there was no piano playing or fancy work for her, but she made, mended and re-made, cooked, washed and swept, helped put in the garden or clear the land, all the time instructing her children as best she could, and by both precept and example, inculcating those high principles that mark true manhood and womanhood. the typical band of pioneer women who landed on alki point, all but one of whom sat down to weep, have lived to see a great city built, in less than a half century, the home of thousands who reap the fruits of their struggles in the wilderness. the heroic endurance with which they toiled and waited, many years, the tide in their affairs, whereby they attained a moderate degree of ease, comfort and freedom from anxiety, all so hardily won, is beyond words of admiration. the well-appointed kitchen of today, with hot and cold water on tap, fine steel range, cupboards and closets crowded with every sort of cunning invention in the shape of utensils for cooking, is a luxurious contrast to the meager outfit of the pioneer housewife. as an example of the inconvenience and privations of the early ' s, i give the following from the lips of one of the pioneer daughters, sarah (bonney) kellogg: "when we came to steilacoom in , we lived overhead in a rough lumber store building, and my mother had to go up and down stairs and out into the middle of the street or roadway and cook for a numerous family by a stump fire. she owned the only sieve in the settlement, a large round one; flour was $ . a barrel and had weevils in it at that, so every time bread was made the flour had to be sifted to get them out. the sieve was very much in demand and frequently the children were sent here or there among the neighbors to bring it home. "we had sent to olympia for a stove, but it was six weeks before it reached its destination." think of cooking outdoors for six weeks for a family of growing children, with only the fewest possible dishes and utensils, too! any woman of the present time may imagine, if she will, what it would be to have every picture, or other ornament, every article of furniture, except the barest necessities for existence, the fewest possible in number, every fashionable garment, her house itself with its vines and shrubbery suddenly vanish and raise her eyes to see without the somber forest standing close around; within, the newspapered or bare walls of a log cabin, a tiny window admitting little light, a half-open door, but darkened frequently by savage faces; or to strain her ears to catch the song, whistle or step of her husband returning through the dark forest, fearing but hoping and praying that he may not have fallen on the way by the hand of a foe. she might look down to see her form clad in homely garments of cotton print, moccasins on her feet, and her wandering glance touch her sunbonnet hanging on a peg driven between the logs. now and then a wild cry sounds faintly or fully over the water or from the sighing depths of the vast wilderness. an unusual challenge by ringing stentorian voices may call her to the door to scan the face of the waters and see great canoes loaded with brawny savages, whose intentions are uncertain, paddled swiftly up the bay, instead of the familiar sound of steam whistles and gliding in of steamships to a welcome port. should it be a winter evening and her companion late, they seat themselves at a rude table and partake of the simplest food from the barely sufficient dishes, meanwhile striving to reassure each other ere retiring for the night. so day after day passed away and many years of them, the conditions gradually modified by advancing civilization, yet rendered even more arduous by increasing cares and toils incident upon the rearing and educating of a family with very little, if any, assistance from such sources as the modern mother has at her command. physicians and nurses, cooks and house-maids were almost entirely lacking, and the mother, with what the father could help her, had to be all these in turn. in all ordinary, incipient or trifling ailments they necessarily became skillful, and for many years kept their families in health with active and vigorous bodies, clear brains and goodly countenances. the pioneer women are of sterling worth and character. the patience, courage, purity and steadfastness which were developed in them presents a moral resemblance to the holy women of old. pioneer men are generally liberal in their views, as was witnessed when the suffrage was bestowed upon the women of washington territory several years ago. chapter va. a native daughter, born in fort decatur. madge decatur denny was born in fort decatur, in the year of the indian war, on march th, ; to those sheltering walls had the gentle mother, louisa boren denny, fled on the day of battle. ushered into the world of danger and rude alarms, her nature proved, in its development, one well suited to the circumstances and conditions; courage, steadfastness and intrepidity were marked traits in her character. far from being outwardly indicated, they were rather contrasted by her delicate and refined appearance; one said of her, "madge is such a dainty thing." madge was a beautiful child, and woman, too, with great sparkling eyes, abundant golden-brown curls and rosy cheeks. what a picture lingers in my memory!--of this child with her arms entwined about the slender neck of a pet fawn, her eyes shining with love and laughter, her burnished hair shimmering like a halo in the sunlight as she pattered here and there with her graceful playfellow. the indians admired her exceedingly, and both they and the white people of the little settlement often remarked upon her beauty. in early youth she showed a keen intellectuality, reading with avidity at ten years such books as irving's "life of washington," "history of france," "pilgrim's progress," sir walter scott's "lay of the last minstrel" and "lady of the lake." from that time on she read every book or printed page that fell in her way; a very rapid reader, one who seemed to take in a page at a few glances, she ranged happily over the fields of literature like a bright-winged bird. poetry, fiction, history, bards, wits, essayists, all gave of their riches to her fresh, inquiring young mind. the surpassing loveliness and grandeur of the "world in the open air" appealed to her pure nature even in extreme youth; her friends recall with wonder that when only two and a half years of age she marked the enchantment of a scene in oregon, of flowery mead, dark forest and deep canyon, under a bright june sky, by plucking at her mother's gown and lisping, "look! mother, look! so pitty!" (pretty). [illustration: daughters of d. t. and louisa denny emily inez madge decatur anna louisa mrs. abbie denny-lindsley] and such a lover of flowers! from this same season when she gathered armfuls of great, golden buttercups, blue violets, scarlet columbines, "flags" and lilies from the sunny slopes of the waldo hills, through her youth, on the evergreen banks of puget sound where she climbed fearlessly about to pluck the purple lupine, orange honeysuckle, oregon grape and sweet wild roses, was her love of them exemplified. very often she walked or rode on horseback some distance to procure the lovely lady's slipper (calypso borealis), the favorite flower of the pioneer children. a charming letter writer, she often added the adornment of a tiny group of wild flowers in the corner, a few yellow violets, fairylike twin-flowers or lady's slippers. at one time she had a large correspondence with curious young eastern people who wished to know something of the far northwest; to these she sent accurate and graphic descriptions of tall trees, great mountains, waterfalls, lakes and seas, beasts, birds and fishes. she possessed no mean literary talent; without her knowledge some of her letters strayed into print. a very witty one was published in a newspaper, cut out and pasted in the scrapbook of an elocutionist, and to her astonishment produced as a "funny piece" before an audience among whom she sat, the speaker evidently not knowing its author. a parody on "poe's raven" made another audience weep real tears in anguished mirth. every felicitous phrase or quaint conceit she met was treasured up, and to these were added not a few of her own invention, and woe betide the wight who accompanied her to opera, concert or lecture, for her _sotto voce_ comments, murmured with a grave countenance, were disastrous to their composure and "company manners." it must be recorded of her that she gave up selfish pleasures to be her mother's helper, whose chief stay she was through many years. in her last illness she said, with much tenderness, "mother, who will help you now?" madge was a true _lady_ or _loaf-giver_. every creature, within or without the domicile, partook of her generous care, from the pet canary to the housedog, all the human inhabitants and the stranger within the gates. moreover, she was genuine, nothing she undertook was slighted or done in a slipshod manner. her taste and judgment were accurate and sound in literature and art; her love of art led her to exclaim regretfully, "when we are dead and gone, the landscape will bristle with easels." a scant population and the exigencies of the conditions placed art expression in the far future, yet she saw the vast possibilities before those who should be so fortunate as to dwell in the midst of such native grandeur, beauty and richness of color. like many other children, we had numerous pets, wild things from the forest or the, to us, charming juvenile members of the barnyard flocks. when any of these succumbed to the inevitable, a funeral of more or less pomp was in order, and many a hapless victim of untoward fate was thus tearfully consigned to the bosom of mother earth. on one occasion, at the obsequies of a beloved bird or kitten, i forget which, madge, then perhaps six years of age, insisted upon arranging a litter, draped with white muslin and decorated with flowers, and followed it, as it was borne by two other children, singing with serious though tearless eyes, "we're traveling to the grave to lay this body down, and the last word that i heard him speak was about jerusalem," etc. she was so thoroughly in earnest that the older children refrained from laughing at what some might have thought unnecessary solemnity. madge had her share of adventures, too; one dark night she came near drowning in lake washington. having visited the newcastle coal mines with a small party of friends and returned to the lake shore, they were on the wharf ready to go on board the steamer. in some manner, perhaps from inadequate lighting, she stepped backward and fell into the water some distance below. the water was perhaps forty feet deep, the mud unknown. several men called for "a rope! a rope!" but not a rope could they lay their hands on. after what seemed an age to her, a lantern flashed into the darkness and a long pole held by seven men was held down to her; she grasped it firmly and, as she afterward said, felt as if she could climb to the moon with its assistance--and was safely drawn up, taken to a miner's cottage, where a kind-hearted woman dressed her in dry clothing. she reached home none the worse for her narrow escape. her nerves were nerves of steel; she seldom exhibited a shadow of fear and seemed of a spirit to undertake any daring feat. to dare the darkness, climb declivities, explore recesses, seemed pleasures to her courageous nature. at snoqualmie falls, in the archipelago de haro, in the jupiter hills of the olympic range, she climbed up and down the steep gorges with the agility of the chamois or our own mountain goat. the forest, the mountain, the seashore yielded their charm to her, each gave their messages. in a collection which she culled from many sources, ranging from sparkling gayety to profound seriousness, occur these words: "i saw the long line of the vacant shore the sea-weed and the shells upon the sand and the brown rocks left bare on every hand as if the ebbing tide would flow no more. then heard i more distinctly than before, the ocean breathe and its great breast expand, and hurrying came on the defenseless land, the insurgent waters with tumultuous roar; all thought and feeling and desire, i said love, laughter, and the exultant joy of song have ebbed from me forever! suddenly o'er me they swept again from their deep ocean bed, and in a tumult of delight and strong as youth, and beautiful as youth, upbore me." it must have been that "bird and bee and blossom taught her love's spell to know," and then she went away to the "land where love itself had birth." chapter vb. like a forest flower. anna louisa denny. anna was the fourth daughter of d. t. and louisa boren denny. in infancy she showed a marked talent for music, signifying by her eyes, head and hands her approval of certain tunes, preferring them to all others. before she was able to frame words she could sing tunes. when a young girl her memory for musical tones was marvelous, enabling her to reproduce difficult strains while yet unable to read the notes. possessed of a pure, high, flexible soprano voice, her singing was a delight to her friends. upon hearing famous singers render favorite airs, her pleasure shone from every feature, although her comments were few. on the long summer camping expeditions of the family, the music books went along with her brothers' cornets, possibly her own flute, and many a happy hour was spent as we drove leisurely along past the tall, dark evergreens, or floated on the silvery waters of the sound, with perhaps a book of duets open before us, singing sweet songs of bird, blossom and pine tree. while the other daughters were small and delicately formed, anna grew up to be a tall, statuesque woman of a truly noble appearance, with a fair face, a high white forehead crowned by masses of brown hair, and a countenance mirthful, sunny, serious, but seldom stern. a certain draped marble statue in the metropolitan museum in new york bears a striking resemblance to anna, but is not of so noble a type. childhood in the wild northwest braved many dangers both seen and unseen. while returning late one summer night through the deep forest to our home after having attended a concert in which the children had taken part, anna, then a little girl of perhaps seven or eight years, had a narrow escape from some wild beast, either a cougar or wildcat. her mother, who was leading her a little behind the others, said that something grabbed at her and disappeared instantly in the thick undergrowth; grasping her hand more firmly she started to run and the little party, thoroughly frightened, fairly flew along the road toward home. in this north country it is never really dark on a cloudless summer night, but the heavy forests enshroud the roads and trails in a deep twilight. anna, like her sister madge, was a daring rider and they often went together on long trips through the forest. at one time each was mounted on a lively indian pony, both of which doubtless had seen strange things and enjoyed many exciting experiences, but were supposed to be quite lamblike and docile. some reminiscence must have crossed their equine minds, and they apparently challenged each other to a race, so race they must and race they did at a lightning speed on the home run. they came flying up the lane to the house (the homestead on lake union) in a succession of leaps that would have made pegasus envious had he been "thar or tharabouts." their riders stuck on like cockleburrs until they reached the gate, when a sudden stop threw anna to the ground, but she escaped injury, the only damage being a wrecked riding habit. anna made no pretension to great learning, yet possessed a well-balanced and cultivated mind. with no ado of great effort she stood first in her class. at a notable celebration of decoration day in seattle, she was chosen to walk beside the teacher at the head of the school procession; both were tall, handsome young women, carrying the school banner bearing the motto, "right, then onward." it was to this school, which bore his own name, that her father presented a beautiful piano as a memorial of her; it bears the words, from her own lips, "i believe in jesus," in gold letters across the front. in she accompanied her family across the continent to the eastern coast, where she expected to be reunited with a friend, a young girl to whom she was much attached, but it was otherwise ordered; after a brief illness in new york city, she passed away and was brought back to her own loved native land, by the sun-down-seas. afar in a forest nook she rests, where wildwood creatures pass by, the pine trees wave and the stars sweep over, waiting, watching for the day toward which the whole creation moves. * * * * * they wandered through the wonderful forest, by lake, fern-embroidered stream and pebble seashore, gazed on the glistening mountains, the sparkling waves, the burning sunsets, shining with such jewel colors as to make them think of the land of hope, the new jerusalem. and the majestic snow-dome of mountain rainier which at the first sight thereof caused a noted man to leap up and shout aloud the joy that filled his soul; they lived in sight of it for years. * * * * * it might be asked, "does the environment affect the character and mental development, even the physical configuration?" we answer, "yes, we believe it does." the fine physique, the bright intellectuality, the lovely character of these daughters of the west were certainly in part produced and developed by the wonderful world about them. simple, pure, exalted natures ought to be, and we believe are, the rule among the children of the pioneers of puget sound and many of their successors. * * * * * in this time of gathering up portraits of fair women, i cannot help reverting to the good old times on puget sound, when among the daughters of the white settlers ugliness was the exception, the majority possessing many points of beauty. bright, dark eyes, brilliant complexions, graceful forms, luxuriant hair and fine teeth were the rule. the pure air, mild climate, simple habits and rational life were amply proved producers of physical perfection. old-timers will doubtless remember the handsome bonney girls, the misses chambers, the misses thornton, eva andrews, mary collins, nellie burnett, alice mercer, the dennys, noticeable for clear white skin and brilliant color, with abundant dark hair, gertrude and mary boren with rosy cheeks and blue eyes; blanche hinds, very fair, with large, gray eyes, and others i cannot now name, as well as a number of beautiful matrons. every settlement had its favored fair. perhaps because women were so scarce, they were petted and indulged and came up with the idea that they were very fine porcelain indeed; they were all given the opportunities in the reach of their parents and were quite fastidious in their dress and belongings. * * * * * of the other children of d. t. and louisa boren denny, john b. is a well educated and accomplished man of versatility, a lawyer, musician, and practical miner. d. thomas is an electrician; was a precocious young business man who superintended the building of an electric street railway when under twenty-five years of age. victor w. s., a practical miner, assayer and mining expert, who has been engaged in developing gold and silver mines. abbie d., an artist and writer, who has published numerous articles, a fine shot with the rifle and an accomplished housewife; and e. i. denny, the author of this work, who is not now engaged in writing an autobiography. all, including the last mentioned, are fond of wild life, hunting, camping and mountain climbing, in which they have had much experience and yearly seek for more. chapter vc. one of the courageous youths. william richard boren was one of the boy pioneers. he was born in seattle on the th of october, . the children necessarily shared with their parents and guardians the hardships, dangers, adventures and pleasures of the wild life of the early days. when his father, carson d. boren, went to the gold diggings, william came to the d. t. denny cottage and remained there for some time. as there was then no boy in the family (there were three little girls) he stepped into usefulness almost immediately. to bring home the cows, weed in the garden, carry flowers and vegetables to market, cut and carry wood, the "chores" of a pioneer home he helped to do willingly and cheerfully. every pair of hands must help, and the children learned while very young that they were to be industrious and useful. it required real fortitude to go on lonely trails or roads through the dark, thick forest in the deepening twilight that was impenetrable blackness in the wall of sombre evergreens on either hand. some children seem to have little fear of anything, but it was different with william; he was afraid; as he graphically described it, he "_felt as if something would catch him in the back_." but he steadfastly traveled the dark trails, showing a remarkable quality of courage. his sensations cannot be attributed to constitutional timidity altogether, as there were real dangers from wild beasts and savage men in those days. he would often go long distances from the settlement through the great forest as the shadows were darkening into night, listening breathlessly for the welcome jingle of the bells of the herd, or anxiously to snapping twigs and creaking of lodged trees or voices of night-birds. but when the cattle were gathered up and he could hear the steady tinkle of the leader's bell, although to the eye she was lost in the dusk in the trail ahead, he felt safe. he calmly faced dangers, both seen and unseen, in after years. by the time he was twelve or fourteen he had learned to shoot very well with the shotgun and could bring home a fine bunch of blue grouse or "pheasants" (ruffed grouse). late one may evening he came into the old kitchen, laden with charming spoils from the forest, a large handful of the sweet favorite of the pioneer children, the lady's slipper or calypso borealis, and a bag of fat "hooters" for the stew or pie so much relished by the settlers. the majority of the pioneer boys were not expected to be particular as to whether they did men's work or women's work, and william was a notable example of versatility, lending a hand with helpless babies, cooking or washing, the most patient and faithful of nurses, lifting many a burden from the tired house-mother. he was a total abstainer from intoxicants and tobacco, and to the amusement of his friends said he "could not see any sense in jumping around the room," as he described the social dance. it surprised no one, therefore, that he should grow up straight and vigorous, able to endure many hardships. william was a very nimrod by the time he reached his majority, a fine shot with the rifle and successful in killing large game. as he came in sight one day on the trail to our camp in the deep forest, he appeared carrying the blackest and glossiest of bear cubs slung over one shoulder. i called to him, "halt, if you please, and let me sketch you right there." he obligingly consented and in a few moments bear, gun and hunter were transferred to paper. and a good theme it was; with a background of dark firs and cedars, in a mass of brightest green ferns, stood the stalwart figure, clad in vivid scarlet and black, gun on one shoulder and bear cub on the other. william boren was an active and useful member of the m. e. or "white church" in seattle many years ago. this was the first church established in seattle. he removed from the settlement and lived on a ranch for a number of years. for a time in youth he was in the mining district; while there he imposed upon himself heavy burdens, packing as much as two hundred pounds over the trail. this was probably overexertion; also in later years, heavy lifting in a logging camp may have helped break his naturally strong constitution. many muscular and vigorous persons do not realize the necessity for caution in exertion. i have seen strong young men balancing their weight against the "hold" of huge stumps, by hanging across a large pole in mid-air. during his ranch life he was waylaid, basely and cruelly attacked and beaten into insensibility by two ruffians. most likely this caused the fatal brain trouble from which he died in january, , at the home of his sister, gertrude boren, who through a long illness cared for him with affectionate solicitude. * * * * * "o bearded, stalwart, westmost men, a kingdom won without the guilt of studied battle; that hath been your blood's inheritance. * * * * * "yea, time, the grand old harvester, has gathered you from wood and plain. we call to you again, again; the rush and rumble of the car comes back in answer. deep and wide the wheels of progress have passed on; the silent pioneer is gone." chapter vi. arthur a. denny. (born june th, , died january th, .) a ponderous volume of biography could scarcely set forth the journeyings, experiences, efforts, achievements and character of this well-known pioneer of the northwest coast. he was one of the foremost of the steadfast leaders of the pioneers. a long, useful and worthy life he spent among men, the far-reaching influence of which cannot be estimated. when he passed away both private citizens and public officials honored him; those who had known him far back in his youth and through the intervening years said of the eulogies pronounced upon his life, "well, it is all true, and much more might be said." a. a. denny was a son of john denny and brother of david thomas denny; each of them exerted a great influence on the life and institutions of the northwest. from sketches published in the local papers i have made these selections: "the dennys are a very ancient family of england, ireland and scotland. the present branch traces its ancestry from ireland to america through great-grandparents, david and margaret denny, who settled in berks county, pennsylvania, previous to the revolutionary war. there robert denny, the grandfather of a. a. denny was born in . in early life he removed to frederick county, virginia, where in he married rachel thomas; and about removed to and settled in mercer county, kentucky. "there john denny, father of the deceased, was born may , , and was married august , , to sarah wilson, daughter of bassel and ann (scott) wilson, who was born in the old town of bladensburg, near washington city, february , . her parents came to america in an early day. "their paternal and maternal grandparents served in the revolutionary war. the former belonged to washington's command at the time of braddock's defeat. "john denny was a soldier in the war of , being in col. richard m. johnson's regiment of kentucky volunteers. he was also an ensign in capt. mcfee's company, and was with gen. harrison at the battle of the thames, when proctor was defeated and the noted tecumseh killed. he was a member of the illinois legislature in and , with lincoln, yates, bates and others, who afterwards became renowned in national affairs. in politics he was first a whig and afterward a republican. for many years he was a justice of the peace. he died july th, , when years of age. his first wife died march st, , when years of age. "about john denny and his family removed to washington county, indiana, and settled near salem, where arthur a. denny was born june th, . one year later they removed to putnam county, six miles east from greencastle, where they remained twelve years, and from there went to knox county, illinois. mr. a. a. denny has said of his boyhood: "'my early education began in the log schoolhouse so familiar to the early settler in the west. the teachers were paid by subscription, so much per pupil, and the schools rarely lasted more than half the year, and often but three months. among the earliest of my recollections is of my father hewing out a farm in the beech woods of indiana, and i well remember that the first school that i attended was two and a half miles from my home. when i became older it was often necessary for me to attend to home duties half of the day before going to school a mile distant. by close application i was able to keep up with my class. "'my opportunities to some extent improved as time advanced. i spent my vacations with an older brother at carpenter and joiner work to obtain the means to pay my expenses during term time.'" a. a. denny was married november , , to mary ann boren, to whom he has paid a graceful and well-deserved tribute in these words: "she has been kind and indulgent to all my faults, and in cases of doubt and difficulty in the long voyage we have made together she has always been, without the least disposition to dictate, a safe and prudent adviser." he held many public offices, each and all of which he filled with scrupulous care, from county supervisor in illinois in to first postmaster of seattle in . he was elected to the legislature of washington territory, serving for nine consecutive sessions, being the speaker of the third; was registrar of the u. s. land office at olympia from to . he was a member of the thirty-ninth congress, being a delegate from washington territory. even in his age he was given the unanimous vote of the republicans for u. s. senator from the state of washington. his business enterprises date from the founding of the city of seattle and are interwoven with its history. he was a volunteer in the war against the indians and had some stirring experiences. in his book, "pioneer days on puget sound," he gives a very clear and accurate account of the beginning of the trouble with the indians and many facts concerning the war following. he found, as many others did, good and true friends, as well as enemies, among the indians. on page of the work mentioned may be found these words: "i will say further, that my acquaintance and experience with the puget sound indians proved them to be sincere in their friendship, and no more unfaithful and treasonable than the average white man, and i am disposed to believe that the same might be truthfully said of many other indians." with regard to the dissatisfied tenderfoot he says: "all old settlers know that it is a common occurrence for parties who have reached here by the easy method of steamer or railway in a palace car to be most blindly unreasonable in their fault-finding, and they are often not content with abusing the country and climate, but they heap curses and abuse on those who came before them by the good old method of ninety or a hundred days crossing the plains, just as though we had sent for them and thus given them an undoubted right to abuse us for their lack of good strong sense. then we all know, too, that it as been a common occurrence for those same fault-finders to leave, declaring that the country was not fit for civilized people to live in; and not by any means unusual for the same parties to return after a short time ready to settle down and commence praising the country, as though they wanted to make amends for their unreasonable behavior in the first instance." there are a good many other pithy remarks in this book, forcible for their truth and simplicity. as the stories of adventure have an imperishable fascination, i give his own account of the discovery of shilshole or salmon bay: "when we selected our claims we had fears that the range for our stock would not afford them sufficient feed in the winter, and it was not possible to provide feed for them, which caused us a great deal of anxiety. from statements made by the indians, which we could then but imperfectly understand, we were led to believe that there was prairie or grass lands to the northwest, where we might find feed in case of necessity, but we were too busy to explore until in december, , when bell, my brother, d. t. denny, and myself determined to look for the prairie. it was slow and laborious traveling through the unbroken forest, and before we had gone far bell gave out and returned home, leaving us to proceed alone. in the afternoon we unexpectedly came to a body of water, and at first thought we had inclined too far eastward and struck the lake, but on examination we found it to be tidewater. from our point of observation we could not see the outlet to the sound, and our anxiety to learn more about it caused us to spend so much time that when we turned homeward it soon became so dark that we were compelled to camp for the night without dinner, supper or blankets, and we came near being without fire also, as it had rained on us nearly all day and wet our matches so that we could only get fire by the flash of a rifle, which was exceedingly difficult under the circumstances." d. t. denny remembers that a. a. denny pulled some of the cotton wadding out of his coat and then dug into a dead fir tree that was dry inside and put it in with what other dry stuff they could find, which was very little, and d. t. denny fired off his gun into it with the muzzle so close as to set fire to it. he also relates that he shot a pheasant and broiled it before the fire, dividing it in halves. a. a. denny further says: "our camp was about midway between the mouth of the bay and the cove, and in the morning we made our way to the cove and took the beach for home. of course, our failing to return at night caused great anxiety at home, and soon after we got on the beach we met bell coming on hunt of us, and the thing of most interest to us just then was he had his pockets filled with hard bread. "this was our first knowledge of shilshole bay, which, we soon after fully explored, and were ready to point newcomers in that direction for locations." old salmon bay curley had told them there was grass in that region, which was true they afterward learned, but not prairie grass, it was salt marsh, in sufficient quantity to sustain the cattle. speaking of the indians, he tells how they settled around the cabins of the whites at alki until there were perhaps a thousand, and relates this incident: "on one occasion during the winter, nelson (chief pialse) came with a party of green river and muckilshoot indians, and got into an altercation with john kanem and the snoqualmies. they met and the opposing forces, amounting to thirty or forty on a side, drew up directly in front of low's house, armed with hudson bay muskets, the two parties near enough together to have powder-burnt each other, and were apparently in the act of opening fire, when we interposed and restored peace without bloodshed, by my taking john kanem away and keeping them apart until nelson and his party left." his daughter, lenora denny, related the same incident to me. she witnessed it as a little child and remembers it perfectly, together with her fright at the preparations for battle, and added that kanem desired her father at their conference behind the cabin just to let him go around behind the enemy's line of battle and stab their chief; nobody would know who did it and that would be sufficient in lieu of the proposed fight. mr. denny dissuaded him and the "war" terminated as above stated. in the fall of , the indians exhibited more and more hostility toward the whites, and narrow escapes were not uncommon before the war fairly broke out. about this time as a. a. denny was making a canoe voyage from olympia down the sound he met with a thrilling experience. when he and his two indian canoemen were opposite a camp of savages on the beach, they were hailed by the latter with: "who is it you have in the canoe and where are you going?" spoken in their native tongue. after calling back and forth for some little time, two of them put out hastily in a canoe to overtake the travelers, keeping up an earnest and excited argument with one of mr. denny's indians, both of whom he observed never ceased paddling. one of the strangers was dressed up in war-paint and had a gun across his lap; he kept up the angry debate with one of the travelers while the other was perfectly silent. finally the pursuers were near enough so that one reached out to catch hold of the canoe when denny's men paddled quickly out of reach and increased their speed to a furious rate, continuing to paddle with all their might until a long distance from their threatening visitors. although mr. denny did not understand their speech, their voices and gestures were not difficult to interpret; he felt they wished to kill him and thought himself lost. he afterward learned that his canoeman, who had answered the attacking party, had saved his life by his courage and cunning. the savages from the camp had demanded that mr. denny be given up to them that they might kill him in revenge for the killing of some indians, saying he was a "hyas tyee" (great man) and a most suitable subject for their satisfaction. he had answered that mr. denny was not near so high up nor as great as some others and was always a good friend of the indians and then carried him to a place of safety by fast and furious paddling. the one who was silent during the colloquy declared afterward that he said nothing for fear they would kill him too. this exhibition of faithfulness on the part of indian hirelings is worthy of note in the face of many accusations of treachery on the part of their race. it is my opinion that arthur armstrong denny led an exemplary life and that he ever desired to do justice to others. if he failed in doing so, it was the fault of those with whom he was associated rather than his own. a leading trait in his character was integrity, another was the modesty that ever accompanies true greatness, noticeable also in his well known younger brother, d. t. denny; neither has been boastful, arrogant or grasping for public honors. a. a. denny fought the long battle of the pioneer faithfully and well and sleeps in an honored grave. mary a. denny. mary ann boren (denny) was born in tennessee, november th, , the first child of richard boren and sarah latimer boren (afterward denny). her grandfather latimer, a kind hearted, sympathetic man, sent a bottle of camphor to revive the pale young mother. this camphor bottle was kept in the family, the children resorting to it for the palliation of cuts and bruises throughout their adolescence, and it is now preserved by her own family as a cherished relic, having seen eighty years and more since its presentation. after the death of her father, leaving her mother a young widow with three small children, they lived in illinois as pioneers, where mary shared the toils, dangers and vicissitudes of frontier life. was not this the school for the greater pioneering of the farthest west? november rd, , she married arthur a. denny, a man who both recognized and acknowledged her worth. when she crossed the plains in with the denny company, mrs. denny was a young matron of twenty-nine years, with two little daughters. the journey, arduous to any, was peculiarly trying to her with the helpless ones to care for and make as comfortable as such tenting in the wilds might be. at fort laramie her own feet were so uncomfortable in shoes that she put on a pair of moccasins which david t. denny had bought of an indian and worn for one day. mrs. denny wore them during the remainder of the journey to portland. one incident among many serves to show her unfaltering courage; an indian reached into her wagon to take the gun hung up inside: mrs. mary a. denny pluckily seized a hatchet and drew it to strike a vigorous blow when the savage suddenly withdrew, doubtless with an increased respect for white squaws in general and this one in particular. the great journey ended, at portland her third child, rolland h., was born. if motherhood be a trial under the most favorable circumstances, what must it have been on the long march? on the stormy and dangerous trip from portland on the schooner exact, out over the bar and around cape flattery to the landing at alki point, went the little band with this brave mother and her babe. on a drizzly day in november, the th, , she climbed the bank at alki point to the rude cabin, bare of everything now considered necessary to begin housekeeping. they were imperfectly protected from the elements and the eldest child, catharine, or kate as she was called, yet remembers how the rain dropped on her face the first night they slept in the unfinished cabin, giving her a decided prejudice against camping out. the mother's health was poor and it became necessary to provide nourishment for the infant; as there were no cows within reach, or tinned substitutes, the experiment of feeding him on clam juice was made with good effect. louisa boren denny, her sister, then unmarried, relates the following incident: "at alki point one day, i stood just within the door of the cabin and mary stood just inside; both of us saw an indian bob up from behind the bank and point his gun directly at my sister mary and almost immediately lower it without firing." mary a. denny, when asked recently what she thought might have been his reason for doing so replied, "well, i don't know, unless it was just to show what he could do; it was indian jim; i suppose he did it to show that he could shoot me if he wanted to." probably he thought to frighten her at least, but with the customary nerve of the pioneer woman, she exhibited no sign of fear and he went his way. they afterward learned that on the same evening there had been some trouble with the indians at the maple place and it was thought that this indian was one of the disaffected or a sympathizer. mrs. mary a. denny moved about from place to place, living first in the cabin at alki point, then a cabin on elliott bay, on the north end of their claim, then another cabin near the great laurel tree, on the site of the stevens hotel, seattle. after a time the family went to olympia. her husband was in the land office, was a member of the territorial legislature and delegate to congress; all the while she toiled on in her home with her growing family. they returned to seattle and built what was for those times a very good residence on the corner of pike street and first avenue, where they had a fine orchard, and there they lived many years. after having struggled through long years of poverty, not extreme, to be sure, but requiring much patient toil and endurance, their property became immensely valuable and they enjoyed well deserved affluence. mrs. mary a. denny's family consists of four sons and two daughters; orion o., the second son, was the second white child born in seattle. catherine (denny) frye, the elder daughter, was happily married in her girlhood and is the mother of a most interesting family. rolland h., orion o., a. wilson and charles l. denny, the four sons, are prominent business men of seattle. mrs. denny makes her home with lenora, the younger unmarried daughter, at her palatial residence in seattle. the last mentioned is a traveled, well read woman of most sympathetic nature, devoted to her friends, one who has shown kindness to many strangers in times past as they were guests in her parents' home. chapter vii. henry van asselt of duwamish. in the post-intelligencer of december th and th, , appeared the following sketches of this well known pioneer: "at the ripe old age of , with the friendship and affection of every man he knew in this life, henry van asselt, one of the founders of king county, and one of the four of the first white men to set foot on the shores of elliott bay, died yesterday morning at his home, on fifteenth avenue, of paralysis. mr. van asselt, with samuel and jacob maple and l. m. collins, landed in a canoe september th, , at the mouth of the duwamish river, where it enters the harbor of seattle. they had come from the columbia river and were more than two months in advance of arthur denny, one of the pioneer builders of the city of seattle. van asselt's name is perpetuated through the town of van asselt, adjoining the southern limits of the city. he was well known all over the puget sound country, and he was the last living member of one of the first bands of white arrivals, on the shores of elliott bay. "mr. van asselt was a hollander, having been born in holland april , , two years after the battle of waterloo. he was in his early youth a soldier in the holland army during its dispute with belgium. an expert marksman and an indefatigable huntsman, he came to america in , on a sailing schooner, and a year later was traveling the trail from the central west to california. instead of going to the land of gold and sunshine, van asselt headed north, reaching the columbia river in the fall of . a year later found him crossing the columbia river, after a short sojourn in the mining camps of northern california. with three companions, l. m. collins, jacob and samuel maple, henry van asselt made the perilous journey from the columbia river to the sound, where, near olympia, he boarded a canoe, and after two days' traveling reached the mouth of the duwamish river. ascending the stream to the junction of the white and black rivers, a distance of only a few miles, he staked out a donation land claim of acres in the heart of the richest section of the duwamish valley." said values increased. "the sturdy hollander cleared the valley of its primeval forest of firs, and made it truly blossom with farm products of every description. the land today ( ) is worth $ , an acre and upwards. at his death, the aged pioneer, the last of his generation, had in his own name some odd acres of this land. not many weeks ago he had sold twenty-four acres of the old homestead as the site of the new rolling mill and foundry to be constructed by the vulcan iron works. "mr. van asselt was not the least interesting, by any means, of the old pioneers of king county. in fact, until his death he was the last living member of the first group of white men to set foot on the shores of elliott bay. he was a very devout man, and in the late years of his life, when he had retired from active business, it was his custom to spend part of every sunday at the county jail, reading to the prisoners excerpts from holy writ and giving them words of hopefulness and cheer. this duty was performed for many years as regularly as was his attendance at the methodist protestant church, in this city, of which he had been for thirty years a member. it is to be said of the dead pioneer that he was universally loved and respected, and it was his proudest boast that he had never made an enemy in his life. this was literally true. "crossing the plains in , young van asselt was of great assistance to his party in procuring game and in driving the hostile indians away, because of his superior marksmanship, which he had acquired as a hunter on the estates of wealthy residents of his native country. he landed at oregon city, ore., in september, , and the ensuing winter he spent in mining in california. he accumulated a considerable sum, and, lured by stories of the richness and vastness of the great northwest, he returned to portland in , and, crossing the columbia, made his way to the sound country. on this trip he was accidentally wounded, the bullet being imbedded in his shoulder. in the days of the indian troubles on the sound, van asselt was safe from the attacks of the hostiles, who held him in superstitious reverence because of the fact that he carried a bullet in his body. they believed that he could not be killed by a tomahawk. this fact, perhaps, had much to do with his escape from assassination at the hands of the hostiles in the indian war of . "jacob and samuel maple, who with l. m. collins accompanied mr. van asselt to puget sound, have been dead many years. arthur a. denny has been gathered to his fathers, along with many others of the old pioneers of king county and washington. van asselt is the last of that hardy race that opened the wilderness on puget sound and made it blossom like the rose. "the news of the death of van asselt was received as a sad blow among the people of van asselt, where the aged pioneer spent the greater portion of his days in the house which still stands as a monument to his rugged pioneer days. in van asselt the people speak the name of the pioneer with reverence on account of the many charities he extended to the poor during his lifetime, and also on account of the many acts which he did in pioneer days to save and maintain the peaceful relations with the savages. "the marriage of mr. and mrs. van asselt was celebrated in this county, on christmas evening . all of those present at the wedding have now passed away with a few exceptions. "mr. van asselt leaves a wife, mrs. mary jane maple van asselt; a son, dr. j. h. van asselt; two daughters, mrs. j. h. benadom, of puyallup, and dr. nettie van asselt burling, and a grandson, floyd julian, son of mrs. mary adriane van asselt julian, who died in . mr. van asselt also leaves a brother, rev. garrett van asselt, of utrecht, holland, and several sisters in holland. "the following were selected as active pallbearers: william p. harper, dexter horton, d. b. ward, o. j. carr, isaac parker, m. r. maddocks. the honorary pallbearers were: edgar bryan, rev. daniel bagley, f. m. guye, joseph foster, william carkeek, judge orange jacobs. "as illustrative of the regard and esteem in which this pioneer was held by those who knew him best, dexter horton, the well known banker and capitalist, who met mr. van asselt in , said last night: "'mr. van asselt was a man of sterling character. his word was as good as a government bond. i knew him almost from the beginning of his life here. he was one of the kindliest men i ever met. "'for fifteen years after i came to seattle i conducted a general merchandise store here. there were mighty few of us here in those early times and we were all intimately acquainted. i dare say that when a newcomer had resided on the sound, anywhere from olympia to the strait of fuca, for thirty days, i became acquainted with him. they dropped in here to trade, traveling in indian canoes. there never was a man of them that i did not trust to any reasonable extent for goods, and my losses on that account in fifteen years' dealing with the early settlers were less than $ , . this is sufficient testimony as to the character and integrity of the men who, like van asselt, faced the privations and dangers of the western trail to find homes for themselves on the pacific coast. "'mr. van asselt located on a level farm in the duwamish valley on his arrival here. he was a man of great energy and thrift, and soon had good and paying crops growing. he used to bring his produce to seattle, either by indian canoe, or afterwards, when a trail was cut under the brow of the hill, by teams. this produce was readily disposed of, as we had a large number of men working in the mills and few to supply their necessities. "'i remember that after he had lived here for several years he moved to town and established a cabinet maker's shop. he was an expert in that line of work. i have an ancient curly maple bureau which he made for me, and mrs. a. a. denny has another. they are beautifully fashioned, van asselt being well skilled in the trade. doubtless others among the old-timers here have mementos of his handicraft. "'van asselt was of the type of men who blazed the path for generations that followed them to the pacific coast. his integrity was unchallenged, and his charities were numerous and unostentatious. he used to give every worthy newcomer work on his ranch, and many an emigrant in those days got his first start from henry van asselt.' "samuel crawford knew mr. van asselt intimately since . he said last night: "'henry van asselt, or uncle henry, as we all called him, spent the winter of - with my great-great-grandfather, robert moore, at oregon city, ore., or more properly speaking, on the west shore of the willamette, just across from oregon city. mr. van asselt told me this himself. moore kept a large place, which was a sort of rendezvous for the immigrants, and many a man found shelter at his ranch. he gave them work enough to keep them going, and van asselt found employment with him that winter, making shingles from cedar bolts with a draw knife. "'mr. van asselt was one of the best men that ever lived. his word was as good as gold, and he never overlooked a chance to do a friend a favor. while he spoke english with difficulty, on occasion he could make a good speech, and he always took a deep interest in public affairs. there was probably no important public question involving the interests of seattle and the puget sound country but that mr. van asselt had his say. he did not care for public office, however, but preferred to go along in his quiet way, doing all the good that was possible. he firmly believed in the future of seattle, which he loved dearly, and i remember many years ago of his purchase of two blocks of ground on renton hill, in the vicinity of the residence where he passed the last years of his life. this was nearly twenty years ago.' "thomas w. prosch had known mr. van asselt for many years. he, too, paid a tribute to his fine character, and rugged honesty. 'six years ago,' said mr. prosch, 'i went to talk with mr. van asselt regarding his early experiences on the sound. he told me of his long and arduous trip across the plains in , and of his escapades with the indians then and afterward. he said himself that he believed he led a charmed life, as the indians took many a shot at him, but without avail. he was a dead shot himself, and the indians had great respect for his skill. he was a very determined man, and undoubtedly had a great influence over the savages. "'mr. van asselt told me that he met hill harmon, a well known oregon settler, in the spring of , and together they crossed the columbia and came to olympia. from there they went with two or three others to nesqually, where they met luther m. collins, one of the first settlers in king county. collins endeavored to persuade them to locate near him, but they wanted a better place. finally collins brought them to the duwamish valley and located them here. one of the party bought collins' place at nesqually, and he came here to locate with van asselt and the others. collins' family was the first white family to establish a home in king county.'" chapter viii. thomas mercer. thomas mercer was born in harrison county, ohio, march , , the eldest of a large family of children. he remained with his father until he was twenty-one, gaining a common school education and a thorough knowledge of the manufacture of woolen goods. his father was the owner of a well appointed woolen mill. the father, aaron mercer, was born in virginia and was of the same family as general mercer of revolutionary fame. his mother, jane dickerson mercer, was born in pennsylvania of an old family of that state. the family moved to princeton, ill., in , a period when buffalo were still occasionally found east of the mississippi river, and savage indians annoyed and harassed outlying settlements in that region. a remarkable coincidence is a matter of family tradition. nancy brigham, who later became mr. mercer's wife, and her family, were compelled to flee by night from their home near dixon at the time of the black hawk war, and narrowly escaped massacre. in , about twenty years later, her daughters, the youngest only eight years old, also made a midnight escape in seattle, two thousand miles away from the scene of their mother's adventure, and they endured the terrors of the attack upon the village a few days later when the shots and shouts of the thousand painted devils rang out in the forest on the hillside from a point near the present gas works to another near where madison street ends at first avenue. crossing the plains. in april, , a train of about twenty wagons, drawn by horses, was organized at princeton to cross the plains to oregon. in this train were thomas mercer, aaron mercer, dexter horton, daniel bagley, william h. shoudy, and their families. some of these still live in or near seattle and others settled in oregon. mr. mercer was chosen captain of the train and discharged the arduous duties of that position fearlessly and successfully. danger and disease were on both sides of the long, dreary way, and hundreds of new made graves were often counted along the roadside in a day. but this train seemed to bear a charmed existence. not a member of the original party died on the way, although many were seriously ill. only one animal was lost. as the journey was fairly at an end and western civilization had been reached at the dalles, oregon, mrs. mercer was taken ill, but managed to keep up until the cascades were reached. there she grew rapidly worse and soon died. several members of the expedition went to salem and wintered there, and in the early spring of mercer and dexter horton came to seattle and decided to make it their home. mr. horton entered immediately upon a business career, the success of which is known in california, oregon and washington, and mr. mercer settled upon a donation claim whose eastern end was the meander line of lake union and the western end, half way across to the bay. mercer street is the dividing line between his and d. t. denny's claims, and all of these tracts were included within the city limits about fifteen years ago. mr. mercer brought one span of horses and a wagon from the outfit with which he crossed the plains and for some time all the hauling of wood and merchandise was done by him. the wagon was the first one in king county. in he went to oregon for the summer and while there married hester l. ward, who lived with him nearly forty years, dying last november. during the twenty years succeeding his settlement here he worked hard clearing the farm and carrying on dairying and farming in a small way and doing much work with his team. in portions of the farm came into demand for homes and his sales soon put him in easy circumstances and in later years made him independent, though the past few years of hard times have left but a small part of the estate. the old home on the farm that the indians spared when other buildings in the county not protected by soldiers were burned, is still standing and is the oldest building in the county. mr. d. t. denny had a log cabin on his place which was not destroyed--these two alone escaped. the indians were asked, after the war, why they did not burn mercer's house, to which they replied, "oh, old mercer might want it again." denny and mercer had always been particularly kind to the natives and just in their dealings, and the savages seem to have felt some little gratitude toward them. in the early ' s mr. mercer and rev. daniel bagley were co-workers in the anti-slavery cause with owen lovejoy, of princeton, who was known to all men of that period in the great middle west. later mr. mercer joined the republican party and has been an ardent supporter of its men and measures down to the present. he served ten years as probate judge of king county, and at the end of that period declined a renomination. in early life he joined the methodist protestant church and has ever been a consistent member of that body. rev. daniel bagley was his pastor fifty-two years ago at princeton, and continued to hold that relation to him in seattle from until , when he resigned his seattle pastorate. to mr. mercer belongs the honor of naming the lakes adjacent to and almost surrounding the city. at a social gathering or picnic in he made a short address and proposed the adoption of "union" for the small lake between the bay and the large lake, and "washington" for the other body of water. this proposition was received with favor and at once adopted. in the early days of the county and city he was always active in all public enterprises, ready alike with individual effort and with his purse, according to his ability, and no one of the city's thousands has taken a keener interest or greater pride than he in the recent development of the city's greatness, although he could no longer share actively in its accomplishment. he was exceedingly anxious to see the canal completed between salt water and the lakes. his oldest daughter, mrs. henry parsons, lives near olympia, and is a confirmed invalid. the second daughter was the first wife of walter graham, of this place, but died in . the next younger daughters, mrs. david graham and mrs. c. b. bagley, lived near him and cared for him entirely since the death of mrs. mercer last november. in all the collateral branches the aged patriarch leaves behind him here in king county fully half a hundred of relatives of greater or lesser degrees of kinship. his generosity and benevolence have ever been proverbial. the churches, y. m. c. a., orphanages and other objects of public benevolence and private charity have good cause to remember his liberality. in a period of five years he gave away at least $ , in public and private donations. judge mercer was a charter member of the pioneers' association, and took great interest in its affairs. he always made a special effort to attend the annual meeting, until the last two years, when his health would not permit. another of the band of hardy pioneers who laid the foundation of the great commonwealth bounded by california on the south, british columbia on the north, the rocky mountains on the east and the illimitable pacific toward the setting sun, has gone to rest. "judge thomas mercer died yesterday morning, may th, at : o'clock, after a brief illness, at his home in north seattle, within a stone's throw of the old homestead where he and his four motherless daughters, all mere children, settled in the somber and unbroken forest two score and five years ago, when the seattle of today consisted of a sawmill, a trading post and less than a half hundred white people."--(from post-intelligencer of may th, .) for many years we looked across the valley to see the smoke from the fire on the mercer hearthstone winding skyward, for they were our only neighbors. even for this, we were not so solitary, nor quite so lonely as we must have been with no human habitation in our view. and then we felt the kindly presence, sympathy we knew we could always claim, the cheerful greetings and friendly visits. when his aged pastor, rev. daniel bagley, with snowy locks, stood above his bier and a troop of silver-haired pioneers in tearful silence harkened, he told of fifty years of friendship; how they crossed the plains together, and of the quiet, steady, christian life of thomas mercer. he said, "whatever other reasons may have been given, that he understood some indians to say the reason they did not burn mercer's house during the war, was that mercer was 'klosh tum-tum,' (kind, friendly, literally a good heart), and 'he wawa-ed sahale tyee' (prayed to the heavenly chief or great spirit). thus did he let his light shine; even the savages beheld it." in closing a touching, suggestive and affectionate tribute, he quoted these lines: "o what hath jesus bought for me! before my ravish'd eyes rivers of life divine i see, and trees of paradise; i see a world of spirits bright, who taste the pleasures there; they all are robed in spotless white, and conqu'ring palms they bear." hester l. mercer. when a child i often visited this good pioneer woman--so faithful, cheerful, kind, self-forgetful. with busy hands she toiled from morning to night, scarcely sitting down without some house-wifely task to occupy her while she chatted. of a very lively disposition, her laugh was frequent and merry. a more generous, frank and warm-hearted nature was hard to find, the demands made upon it were many and such as to exhaust a shallow one. her experiences were varied and thrilling, as the following account from the seattle post-intelligencer of november th, , will show: "there is something in the life of this pioneer woman that makes a lasting impression upon the minds of those who consider it. mrs. mercer's general life differed somewhat from the lives of many pioneer women in that she was always a pioneer. many had given up an existence in the thickly settled portions of the east to accept the burdensome, half-civilized life of the west. they had at least once known the joys of civilization. it was not so with mrs. mercer. she was a pioneer from the time she was ushered into the world. "she was born in kentucky. go back years in the life of that state and you will get something of its early history. those who lived there that long ago were pioneers. her father and mother were jesse and elizabeth ward. they were of that staunch, sturdy people that struggled to obtain a home and accumulate a little fortune in the southern country. jesse ward at the age of joined a regiment of kentucky volunteers which was a part of jackson's army at the defense of new orleans in . "mrs. mercer was born in hartford, the county seat of ohio county, kentucky. she was but a little tot when her mother died. "her father married again, and children, issues of the second marriage, had been born before mr. ward and his family said good-bye to old kentucky or in reality, young kentucky, and moved to arkansas. that was in . there they lived until and hester mercer had a chance of proving her true womanhood. the family had settled near batesville, independence county. at that time the county had much virgin soil and it was not a hard matter to figure up the population of the state. mrs. mercer seemed to be the head of the family. while the male members of the family were at work clearing land and establishing what they thought would be a permanent home, she was busily occupied in making clothes for herself and others of the family. and what a task it was in those days to make clothes. crude machinery, in the settled states of the east, turned out with what was considered wonderful rapidity, cloth for garments. but the common people of the west knew nothing of the details of such luxuries. [illustration: erythronium of lake union] "mrs. mercer, then hester ward, took the wool from the sheep, cleaned it, wove it, dyed the cloth, cut and made it into clothing for her father and brothers. when she wanted a gown she could have it, that is, after she had gone into the fields, picked the necessary cotton, developed it into dress goods and turned the goods into a garment. "mr. d. b. ward, a half brother of mrs. mercer, has in his possession pieces of the goods out of which she made her gowns when a girl. "in , mr. ward, having heard so much of the great opportunities that were offered to the pioneer who would accept life in the far west, started with his family and a party of other pioneers across the great western plains. stories without end could be told of the adventures and incidents, the results of that long journey. there were nine children of mr. ward in his party. the start was made march , , and on september , waldo hills, near salem, oregon, was reached. "the indians, of course, figured in the life of the wards while they were crossing the plains, just as they seemed to come into the life of every other band of pioneers that undertook the journey. when about eight miles, by the emigrant route, east of the north platte, mr. ward's party encountered a big band of arapahoes. every one was a warrior. they were in full war regalia and dangling from their belts were dozens of scalps. they had been in battle with their enemies, the blackfeet and snake river indians the day before. crowned with victory, they were on their way home to celebrate. "the ward party had been resting in the woods and were about breaking camp to continue their journey when the indian braves made their appearance. they insisted that they were friendly, but their behavior was not wholly consistent. they crowded in and about the wagons, wanted this and that and finally became impudent because their requests were denied. "the ward party had an old bugler with them; when he placed his lips to the bugle something that bordered on music came from the instrument. while the indians were making their presence known the old bugler grabbed up his bugle and let out several blasts, which echoed and re-echoed around. the leaves trembled, the trees seemed to shake and the indian braves, who did not fear an encounter with a thousand blackfeet, were dumbfounded. their heads went up in the air, the ears of their horses shot forward. the leader of the braves murmured a few words in his native tongue and then like the wind those braves were gone. if the great white father had appeared, as they probably expected he would, he would have had to travel many miles to find the arapahoes. "the ward party was soon out of the woods, when they met another band. the old chief was with them. he was mounted on a white mule and produced a copy of a treaty with the government to show that his people loved the white men. "down in the valley through which the pioneers were compelled to travel they saw many little tents. other indians were camped there. the old chief and his party accompanied the emigrants. every indian showed an ugly disposition. the emigrants were compelled to stop in the midst of the tents in the valley. the old chief explained through an interpreter that his people had just come back from a great battle. they were hungry, he said, and wanted food and the emigrants would have to give it to them, for were not these whites, he said, passing through the sacred land of the indian? "the ward party was a small one, it could muster but men. each man was well armed, but the indians were mixing up with them and it would have been impossible to get together for united action. it was necessary to submit to the wishes of the indians. bacon, sugar, flour and crackers were given up and the old chief divided them among his people. "while this division was being made young braves were busying themselves by annoying the members of the party. among the white people was a young woman who had charge of two horses attached to a light covered wagon. several of the braves took a fancy to her. they gave the whites to understand that any woman who could drive horses was all right and must not go any farther. mr. ward and his men had a hard time keeping the indians from stealing the girl. once they crowded about her and for a time it was thought she would be taken by force. the white men and several of the women went to her rescue. mrs. mercer was in the rescue party. she shoved the indians right and left and in the end the girl was rescued and smuggled into a closed wagon, where she remained concealed for some hours. "another young woman in the party had beautiful auburn hair. an indian warrior took a fancy to her, thought she was the finest woman he had ever seen, and said that his people would compromise if she were given to him for a wife. again there was trouble and the girl had to be hidden in a closed wagon. "the indians kept up their annoyance of the party for some time, but finally their hunger got the better of them and they sat down to eat the food which the ward party had under compulsion given them. "the indian chief consented that the white people should take their departure. they were quick to do so and were soon some distance from the indian camp. "after the wards reached oregon, hester settled down to pioneer life with the other members of the family, but in the fall of , thomas mercer, then probate judge of king county, washington territory, wooed and won her and they were married. the wedding was one of the important affairs of early days. rev. daniel bagley, of this city, performed the ceremony. after mr. and mrs. mercer came to seattle they took up their residence in a little house on first avenue, near washington street. the mercer home at present occupies a block of the old donation claim. the home is on lombard street between prospect and villard avenues. "when mr. and mrs. mercer came to seattle, john denny and wife and james campbell and wife accompanied them. the three families swelled the population to thirteen families. "d. b. ward, a half brother of mrs. mercer, also came with them. "'seattle was not a very big city in those days,' said mr. ward recently in discussing the matter. 'i remember that soon after my arrival i thought i would take a walk up in the woods. i went to the church, which stood where at present is the boston national bank building. i found windows filled with little holes. it was a great mystery to me. i went down town and made inquiry about it and was told that every hole represented a bullet fired by the indians during the fight three years before.' "mrs. mercer was a woman of many grand qualities; she never permitted any suffering to go on about her if she were in a position to relieve it. she was a good friend of the poor and did many kind acts of which the world knew but little." in the latter years of her life she was a patient, uncomplaining invalid, and finally entered into rest on the th of november, , having lived in seattle for thirty-nine years. she was buried with honor and affection; the pallbearers were old pioneers averaging a forty years' residence in the same place; d. t. denny, the longest, being one of the founders, for forty-five years; they were dexter horton, t. d. hinckley, d. t. denny, edgar bryan, david kellogg and hans nelson. mr. mercer, at the age of (in ), still survives her, passing a peaceful old age in the midst of relatives and friends. chapter ix. dr. henry a. smith, the brilliant writer. this well known pioneer joined the "mighty nation moving west" in . from portland, the wayside inn of weary travelers, he pushed on to puget sound, settling in on elliott bay, at a place known for many years as smith's cove. being a gifted writer he has made numerous contributions to northwestern literature, both in prose and poetry. in a rarely entertaining set of papers entitled "early reminiscences," he brings vividly to the minds of his readers the "good old times" on elliott bay, as he describes the manner of life, personal adventure, odd characters and striking environment of the first decade of settlement. in them he relates that after the white river massacre, he conveyed his mother to a place of safety, by night, in a boat with muffled oars. to quote his own words: "early the next morning i persuaded james broad and charley williamson, a couple of harum-scarum run-away sailors, to accompany me to my ranch in the cove, where we remained two weeks securing crops. we always kept our rifles near us while working in the field, so as to be ready for emergencies, and brave as they seemed their faces several times blanched white as they sprang for their guns on hearing brush crack near them, usually caused by deer. one morning on going to the field where we were digging potatoes, we found fresh moccasin tracks, and judged from the difference in the size of the tracks that at least half a dozen savages had paid the field a visit during the night. as nothing had been disturbed we concluded that they were waiting in ambush for us and accordingly we retired to the side of the field farthest from the woods and began work, keeping a sharp lookout the while. soon we heard a cracking in the brush and a noise that sounded like the snapping of a flintlock. we grabbed our rifles and rushed into the woods where we heard the noise, so as to have the trees for shelter, and if possible to draw a bead on the enemy. on reaching shelter, the crackling sound receded toward salmon bay. but fearing a surprise if we followed the sound of retreat, we concluded to reach the bay by way of a trail that led to it, but higher up; we reached the water just in time to see five redskins land in a canoe, on the opposite side of the bay where the crooks' barn now stands. after that i had hard work to keep the runaways until the crop was secured, and did so only by keeping one of them secreted in the nearest brush constantly on guard. at night we barred the doors and slept in the attic, hauling the ladder up after us. sometimes, when the boys told blood-curdling stories until they became panicky by their own eloquence, we slept in the woods, but that was not often. "in this way the crops were all saved, cellared and stacked, only to be destroyed afterward by the torch of the common enemy. "twice the house was fired before it was finally consumed, and each time i happened to arrive in time to extinguish the flames, the incendiaries evidently having taken to their heels as soon as the torch was applied." while yet new to the country he met with an adventure not uncommon to the earliest settlers in the great forest, recorded as follows: "i once had a little experience, but a very amusing one, of being 'lost.' in the summer of , i concluded to make a trail to seattle. up to that time i had ridden to the city in a 'chinook buggy.' one bright morning i took a compass and started for seattle on as nearly a straight line as possible. after an hour's travel the sun was hid by clouds and the compass had to be entirely relied upon for the right course. this was tedious business, for the woods had never been burned, and the old fallen timber was almost impassable. about noon i noticed to my utter astonishment, that the compass had reversed its poles. i knew that beds of mineral would sometimes cause a variation of the needle and was delighted at the thought of discovering a _valuable iron mine_ so near salt water. a good deal of time was spent in breaking bushes and thoroughly marking the spot so that there would be no difficulty in finding it again, and from that on i broke bushes as i walked, so as to be able to easily retrace my steps. from that place i followed the compass _reversed_, calculating, as i walked, the number of ships that would load annually at seattle with pig-iron, and the amount of ground that would be eventually covered at the cove with furnaces, rolling mills, foundries, tool manufacturing establishments, etc. "as night came on i became satisfied that i had traveled too far to the east, and had passed seattle, and the prospect of spending a night in the woods knocked my iron calculations into pi. soon, however, i was delighted to see a clearing ahead, and a shake-built shanty that i concluded must be the ranch that mr. nagle had commenced improving some time before, and which, i had understood, lay between seattle and lake washington. when i reached the fence surrounding the improvements, i seated myself on one of the top rails for a seat and to ponder the advisability of remaining with my new neighbor over night, or going on to town. while sitting thus, i could not help contrasting his improvements with my own. the size of the clearing was the same, the house was a good deal like mine, the only seeming difference was that the front of his faced the west, whereas the front of mine faced the east. while puzzling over this strange coincidence, my own mother came out of the house to feed the poultry that had commenced going to roost, in a rookery for all the world like my own, only facing the wrong way. 'in the name of all that's wonderful!' i thought, 'what is she doing here? and how did she get here ahead of me?' just then the world took a spin around, my ranch wheeled into line, and, lo! i was sitting on my own fence, and had been looking at my own improvements without knowing them." and from this he draws a moral and adorns the tale with the philosophic conclusion that people cannot see and think alike owing to their point of view, and we therefore must be charitable. until accustomed to it and schooled in wood-craft, the mighty and amazing forest was bewildering and mysterious to the adventurous settler; however, they soon learned how not to lose themselves in its labyrinthine depths. dr. smith is a past master in description, as will be seen by this word-picture of a fire in a vast pitchy and resinous mass of combustible material. i have witnessed many, each a magnificent display. "washington beats the world for variety and magnificence of awe inspiring mountains and other scenery. i have seen old ocean in her wildest moods, have beheld the western prairie on fire by night, when the long, waving lines of flame flared and flashed their red light against the low, fleecy clouds till they blossomed into roseate beauty, looking like vast spectral flower gardens, majestically sweeping through the heavens; have been in the valley of the river platte, when all the windows of the sky and a good many doors opened at once and the cloud-masked batteries of the invisible hosts of the air volleyed and thundered till the earth fairly reeled beneath the terrific cannonade that tore its quivering bosom with red-hot bombs until awe-stricken humanity shriveled into utter nothingness in the presence of the mad fury of the mightiest forces of nature. but for magnificence of sublime imagery and awe-inspiring grandeur a forest fire raging among the gigantic firs and towering cedars that mantle the shores of puget sound, surpasses anything i have ever beheld, and absolutely baffles all attempts at description. it has to be seen to be comprehended. the grandest display of forest pyrotechnics is witnessed when an extensive tract that has been partly cleared by logging is purposely or accidentally fired. when thus partly cleared, all the tops of the fir, cedar, spruce, pine and hemlock trees felled for their lumber remain on the ground, their boughs fairly reeking with balsam. all inferior trees are left standing, and in early days when only the very choicest logs would be accepted by the mills, about one-third would be left untouched, and then the trees would stand thicker, mightier, taller than in the average forest of the eastern and middle states. "i once witnessed the firing of a two thousand acre tract thus logged over. it was noon in the month of august, and not a breath of air moved the most delicate ferns on the hillsides. the birds had hushed their songs for their midday siesta, and the babbling brook at our feet had grown less garrulous, as if in sympathy with the rest of nature, when the torch was applied. a dozen or more neighbors had come together to witness the exhibition of the unchained element about to hold high carnival in the amphitheater of the hills, and each one posted himself, rifle in hand, in some conspicuous place at least a quarter of a mile from the slashing in order to get a shot at any wild animal fleeing from the 'wrath to come.' "the tract was fired simultaneously on all sides by siwashes, who rapidly circled it with long brands, followed closely by rivers of flame in hot pursuit. "as soon as the fire worked its way to the massive winrows of dry brush, piled in making roads in every direction, a circular wall of solid flame rose half way to the tops of the tall trees. soon the rising of the heated air caused strong currents of cooler air to set in from every side. the air currents soon increased to cyclones. then began a race of the towering, billowy, surging walls of fire for the center. driven furiously on by these ever-increasing, eddying, and fiercely contending tornadoes, the flames lolled and rolled and swayed and leaped, rising higher and higher, until one vast, circular tidal wave of liquid fire rolled in and met at the center with the whirl and roar of pandemoniac thunder and shot up in a spiral and rapidly revolving red-hot cone, a thousand feet in mid-air, out of whose flaring and crater-like apex poured dense volumes of tarry smoke, spreading out on every side, like unfolding curtains of night, till the sun was darkened and the moon was turned to blood and the stars seemed literally raining from heaven, as glowing firebrands that had been carried up by the fierce tornado of swirling flame and carried to immense distances by upper air currents, fell back in showers to the ground. the vast tract, but a few moments before as quiet as a sleeping infant in its cradle, was now one vast arena of seething, roaring, raging flame. the long, lithe limbs of the tall cedars were tossing wildly about, while the strong limbs of the sturdier firs and hemlocks were freely gyrating like the sinewy arms of mighty giant athletes engaged in mortal combat. ever and anon their lower, pitch-dripping branches would ignite from the fervent heat below, when the flames would rush to the very tops with the roar of contending thunders and shoot upward in bright silvery volumes from five to seven hundred feet, or double the height of the trees themselves. hundreds of these fire-volumes flaring and flaming in quick succession and sometimes many of them simultaneously, in conjunction with the weird eclipse-like darkness that veiled the heavens, rendered the scene one of awful grandeur never to be forgotten. "so absorbed were we all in the preternatural war of the fiercely contending elements that we forgot our guns, our game and ourselves. * * * * * "the burnt district, after darkness set in, was wild and weird in the extreme. the dry bark to the very tops of the tall trees was on fire and constantly falling off in large flakes, and the air was filled ever and anon with dense showers of golden stars, while the trees in the environs seemed to move about through the fitful shadows like grim brobdignags clad in sheeny armor." having witnessed many similar conflagrations i am able to say that the subject could scarcely be better treated. through the courtesy of the author, dr. h. a. smith, i have been permitted to insert the following poem, which has no doubt caused many a grim chuckle and scowl of sympathy, too, from the old pioneers of the northwest: "the mortgage. "the man who holds a mortgage on my farm and sells me out to gratify his greed, is shielded by our shyster laws from harm, and ever laud for the dastard deed! though morally the man is really worse than if he knocked me down and took my purse; the last would mean, at most, a moment's strife, the first would mean the struggle of a life, and homeless children wailing in the cold, a prey to want and miseries manifold; then if i loot him of his mangy pup the guardians of the law will lock me up, and jaundiced justice fly into a rage while pampered piety askance my rags will scan, and shylock shout, 'behold a dangerous man!' but notwithstanding want to heaven cries, and villains masquerade in virtue's guise, and liberty is moribund or dead-- except for men who corporations head-- one little consolation still remains, the human race will one day rend its chains." in transcribing indian myths and religious beliefs, dr. smith displays much ability. after having had considerable acquaintance with the native races, he concludes that "many persons are honestly of the opinion that indians have no ideas above catching and eating salmon, but if they will lay aside prejudice and converse freely with the more intelligent natives, they will soon find that they reason just as well on all subjects that attract their attention as we do, and being free from pre-conceived opinions, they go directly to the heart of theories and reason both inductively and deductively with surprising clearness and force." dr. smith exhibits in his writings a broadly charitable mind which sees even in the worst, still some lingering or smothered good. dr. smith is one of a family of patriots; his great-grandfather, copelton smith, who came from germany to america in and settled in or near philadelphia, pa., fought for liberty in the war of the revolution under general washington. his father, nicholas smith, a native of pennsylvania, fought for the stars and stripes in . two brothers fought for old glory in the war of the rebellion, and he himself was one of the volunteers who fought for their firesides in the state, then territory of washington. "a family of fighters," as he says, "famous for their peaceful proclivities when let alone." the varied experiences of life in the northwest have developed in him a sane and sweet philosophy, perhaps nowhere better set forth in his writings than in his poem "pacific's pioneers," read at a reunion of the founders of the state a few years ago, and with which i close this brief and inadequate sketch: "pacific's pioneers. "a greeting to pacific's pioneers, whose peaceful lives are drawing to a close, whose patient toil, for lo these many years, has made the forest blossom as the rose. "and bright-browed women, bonny, brave and true, and laughing lasses, sound of heart and head, who home and kindred bade a last adieu to follow love where fortune led. "i do not dedicate these lines alone to men who live to bless the world today, but i include the nameless and unknown the pioneers who perished by the way. "not for the recreant do my numbers ring, the men who spent their lives in sport and spree, nor for the barnacles that always cling to every craft that cruises freedom's sea. "but nearly all were noble, brave and kind, and little cared for fame or fashion's gyves; and though they left their sunday suits behind they practiced pure religion all their lives. "their love of peace no people could excel, their dash in war the poet's pen awaits; their sterling loyalty made possible pacific's golden galaxy of states. "they had no time to bother much about contending creeds that vex the nation's hub, but then they left their leather latches out to every wandering arab short of grub. "cut off from all courts, man's earthly shield from harm, they looked for help to him whose court's above, and learned to lean on labor's honest arm, and live the higher law, the law of love. "not one but ought to wear a crown of gold, if crowns were made for men who do their best amid privations cast and manifold that unborn generations may be blest. "among these rugged pioneers the rule was equal rights, and all took special pride in 'tending mother nature's matchless school, and on her lessons lovingly relied. "and this is doubtless why they are in touch with nature's noblemen neath other skies; and though of books they may not know as much their wisdom lasts, as nature never lies. "and trusting god and his unerring plan as only altruistic natures could their faith extended to their fellow man, the image of the author of all good. "since nature here has done her best to please by making everything in beauty's mold, loads down with balm of flowers every breeze, and runs her rivers over reefs of gold, "it seems but natural that men who yearn for native skies, and visit scenes of yore, are seldom satisfied till they return to roam the gardens of the gods once more! "and since they fell in love with nature here how fitting they should wish to fall asleep where sparkling mountain spires soar and spear the stainless azure of the upper deep. "and yet we're saddened when the papers say another pioneer has passed away! and memory recalls when first, forsooth, we saw him in the glorious flush of youth. "how plain the simple truth when seen appears, no wonder that faded leaves we fall! this is the winter of the pioneers that blows a wreath of wrinkles to us all! "a few more mounds for faltering feet to seek, when, somewhere in this lovely sunset-land like some weird, wintry, weather-beaten peak some rare old roman all alone will stand. "but not for long, for ere the rosy dawn of many golden days has come and gone, our pine-embowered bells will shout to every shore 'pacific's pioneers are now no more!' "but lovely still the glorious stars will glow and glitter in god's upper deep like pearls and mountains too will wear their robes of snow just as they did when we were boys and girls. "ah well, it may be best, and is, no doubt, as death is quite as natural as birth and since no storms can blow the sweet stars out, why should one wish to always stay on earth? "especially as god can never change, and man's the object of his constant care and though beyond the pleiades we range his boundless love and mercy must be there." chapter x. famous indian chiefs. sealth or "old seattle," a peaceable son of the forest, was of a line of chieftains, his father, schweabe, or schweahub, a chief before him of the suquampsh tribe inhabiting a portion of the west shore of puget sound, his mother, a duwampsh of elliott bay, whose name was wood-sho-lit-sa. sealth's birthplace was the famous oleman house, near the site of which he is now buried. oleman house was an immense timber structure, long ago inhabited by many indians; scarcely a vestige of it now remains. it was built by sealth's father. chief sealth was twice married and had three sons and five daughters, the last of whom, angeline, or ka-ki-is-il-ma, passed away on may , . in an interview she informed me that her grandfather, schweabe, was a tall, slim man, while sealth was rather heavy as well as tall. sealth was a hunter, she said, but not a great warrior. in the time of her youth there were herds of elk near oleman house which sealth hunted with the bow or gun. the elk, now limited to the fastnesses of the olympic mountains, were also hunted in the cove south of west seattle, by englishmen, sealth's cousin, tsetseguis, helping, with other indians, to carry out the game. angeline further said that her father, "old seattle," as the white people called him, inherited the chiefship when a little boy. as he grew up he became more important, married, obtained slaves, of whom he had eight when the dennys came, and acquired wealth. of his slaves, yutestid is living ( ) and when reminded of him she laughed and repeated his name several times, saying, "yutestid! yutestid! how was it possible for me to forget him? why, we grew up together!" yutestid was a slave by descent, as also were five others; the remaining two he had purchased. it is said that he bought them out of pity from another who treated them cruelly. sealth, keokuk, william and others, with quite a band of duwampsh and suquampsh indians, once attacked the chimacums, surrounded their large house or rancheree at night; at some distance away they joined hands forming a circle and gradually crept up along the ground until quite near, when they sprang up and fired upon them; the terrified occupants ran out and were killed by their enemies. on entering they found one of the wounded crawling around crying "ah! a-ah!" whom they quickly dispatched with an ax. a band of indians visited alki in , who told the story to the white settlers, imitating their movements as the attacking party and evidently much enjoying the performance. about the year , sealth set himself to avenge the death of his nephew, almos, who was killed by owhi. with five canoe loads of his warriors, among whom was curley, he ascended white river and attacked a large camp, killed more than ten men and carried the women and children away into captivity. at one time in olympia some renegades who had planned to assassinate him, fired a shot through his tent but he escaped unhurt. dr. maynard, who visited him shortly after, saw that while he talked as coolly as if nothing unusual had occurred, he toyed with his bow and arrow as if he felt his power to deal death to the plotters, but nothing was ever known of their punishment. sealth was of a type of puget sound indian whose physique was not by any means contemptible. tall, broad shouldered, muscular, even brawny, straight and strong, they made formidable enemies, and on the warpath were sufficiently alarming to satisfy the most exacting tenderfoot whose contempt for the "bowlegged siwash" is by no means concealed. many of the old grizzly-haired indians were of large frame and would, if living, have made a towering contrast to their little "runts" of critics. neither were their minds dwarfed, for evidently not narrowed by running in the grooves of other men's thoughts, they were free to nourish themselves upon nature and from their magnificent environment they drew many striking comparisons. not versed in the set phrases of speech, time-worn and hackneyed, their thoughts were naive, fresh, crude and angular as the frost-rended rocks on the mountain side. a number of these indians were naturally gifted as orators; with great, mellow voices, expressive gestures, flaming earnestness, piteous pathos and scorching sarcasm, they told their wrongs, commemorated their dead and declared their friendship or hatred in a voluminous, polysyllabic language no more like chinook than american is like pigeon english. the following is a fragment valuable for the intimation it gives of their power as orators, as well as a true description of the appearance of sealth, written by dr. h. a. smith, a well known pioneer, and published in the seattle sunday star of october , : "old chief seattle was the largest indian i ever saw, and by far the noblest looking. he stood nearly six feet in his moccasins, was broad-shouldered, deep-chested and finely proportioned. his eyes were large, intelligent, expressive and friendly when in repose, and faithfully mirrored the varying moods of the great soul that looked through them. he was usually solemn, silent and dignified, but on great occasions moved among assembled multitudes like a titan among lilliputians, and his lightest word was law. "when rising to speak in council or to tender advice, all eyes were turned upon him, and deep-toned, sonorous and eloquent sentences rolled from his lips like the ceaseless thunders of cataracts flowing from exhaustless fountains, and his magnificent bearing was as noble as that of the most civilized military chieftain in command of the force of a continent. neither his eloquence, his dignity nor his grace was acquired. they were as native to his manhood as leaves and blossoms are to a flowering almond. "his influence was marvelous. he might have been an emperor but all his instincts were democratic, and he ruled his subjects with kindness and paternal benignity. "he was always flattered by marked attentions from white men, and never so much as when seated at their tables, and on such occasions he manifested more than anywhere else his genuine instincts of a gentleman. "when governor stevens first arrived in seattle and told the natives that he had been appointed commissioner of indian affairs for washington territory, they gave him a demonstrative reception in front of dr. maynard's office near the water front on main street. the bay swarmed with canoes and the shore was lined with a living mass of swaying, writhing, dusky humanity, until old chief seattle's trumpet-toned voice rolled over the immense multitude like the reveille of a bass drum, when silence became as instantaneous and perfect as that which follows a clap of thunder from a clear sky. "the governor was then introduced to the native multitude by dr. maynard, and at once commenced in a conversational, plain and straightforward style, an explanation of his mission among them, which is too well understood to require recapitulation. "when he sat down, chief seattle arose, with all the dignity of a senator who carries the responsibilities of a great nation on his shoulders. placing one hand on the governor's head, and slowly pointing heavenward with the index finger of the other, he commenced his memorable address in solemn and impressive tones: "'yonder sky has wept tears of compassion on our fathers for centuries untold, and which to us, looks eternal, may change. today it is fair, tomorrow it may be overcast with clouds. my words are like the clouds that never set. what seattle says the chief washington can rely upon, with as much certainty as our pale-face brothers can rely upon the return of the seasons. the son of the white chief says his father sends us greetings of friendship and good-will. this is kind, for we know he has little need of our friendship in return, because his people are many. they are like the grass that covers the vast prairie, while my people are few and resemble the scattering trees of a storm-swept plain. "'the great, and i presume good, white chief sends us word that he wants to buy our lands, but is willing to allow us to reserve enough to live on comfortably. this indeed appears generous, for the red man no longer has rights that he need respect, and the offer may be wise also, for we are no longer in need of a great country. "'there was a time when our people covered the whole land as the waves of a wind-ruffled sea covers its shell-paved shore. that time has long since passed away with the greatness of tribes almost forgotten. i will not mourn over our untimely decay, or reproach my pale-face brothers with hastening it, for we, too, may have been somewhat to blame. "'when our young men grew angry at some real or imaginary wrong and disfigured their faces with black paint, their hearts also are disfigured and turned black, and then cruelty is relentless and knows no bounds, and our old men are not able to restrain them.' "he continued in this eloquent strain and closed by saying: 'we will ponder your proposition and when we have decided we will tell you, but should we accept it i here and now make this first condition: that we shall not be denied the privilege, without molestation, of visiting at will the graves of our ancestors and friends. every part of this country is sacred to my people; every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove has been hallowed by some fond memory or some sad experience of my tribe. "'even the rocks that seem to lie dumb, as they swelter in the sun, along the silent seashore in solemn grandeur, thrill with memories of past events, connected with the fate of my people and the very dust under our feet responds more lovingly to our footsteps than to yours, because it is the ashes of our ancestors and their bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch, for the soil is rich with the life of our kindred. at night when the streets of your cities and villages shall be silent and you think them deserted they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled and still love this beautiful land. the white man will never be alone. let him be just and deal kindly with my people, for the dead are not altogether powerless.'" concerning the well-known portrait of sealth, clarence bagley has this to say: "it was in the early summer of that the original picture which is now so much seen of the old chief was taken. i think i probably have a diary giving the day upon which the old chief sat for his picture. an amateur artist named e. m. sammis had secured a camera at olympia and coming to seattle established himself in a ramshackle building at the southeast corner of what is now main and first avenue south. old chief seattle used often to hang about the gallery and scrutinize the pictures with evident satisfaction. i myself spent not a little time in and about the gallery and on the particular day the picture of the old chief was taken, was there. it occurred to the photographer to get a picture of the chief. the latter was easily persuaded to sit and it is a wrong impression, that has become historic, that the indians generally were afraid of the photographer's art, considering it black magic. "the chief's picture was taken and i printed the first copy taken from the negative. there may possibly have been photographs taken of the old chief at a later date, but i do not remember any, certainly none earlier, that i ever knew of." with regard to sealth's oratory, d. t. denny relates that when the chief with his "tillicum" camped on the "point" near the site of the new england hotel, often in the evening he would stand up and address his people. d. t. denny's home was near the site of the stevens hotel (marion and first avenue, seattle), and many indians were camped near by. when these heard chief sealth's voice, they would turn their heads in a listening attitude and evidently understood what he was saying, although he was about three-fourths of a mile away, such was the resonance and carrying power of his voice. my father has also related to me this incident: sealth and his people camped alongside the little white settlement at alki. while there one of his wives died and a. a. denny made a coffin for the body, but they wrapped the same in so many blankets that it would not go in and they were obliged to remove several layers, although they probably felt regret as the number of wrappings no doubt evidenced wealth and position. d. t. denny was well acquainted with george seattle, or see-an-ump-kun, one of sealth's sons, who was a friendly, good-natured indian, married to a woman of the sklallam tribe. the other surviving son when the whites arrived, was called jim seattle. thlid kanem was a cousin of sealth. on the th of june, , the famous old chieftain joined the great majority. he had outlived many of his race, doubtless because of his temperate habits. if, as the white people concluded, he was born in , his age was eighty years. it might well have been greater, as they have no records and old indians show little change often in twenty or twenty-five years, as i have myself observed. in some leading pioneers of seattle erected a monument to his memory over his grave in the port madison reservation. a christian emblem it is, a cross of italian marble adorned with an ivy wreath and bears this legend: "seattle chief of the suqamps and allied tribes, died june , . the firm friend of the whites, and for him the city of seattle was named by its founders." also on the side opposite, "baptismal name, noah sealth, age probably years." leschi. leschi was a noted nesqually-klickitat chief, who at the head of a body of warriors attacked seattle in . other chiefs implicated were, kitsap, kanasket, quiemuth, owhi and coquilton. leschi being accused of influencing the indians at seattle, who were friendly, in january, , an attempt was made to capture him by captain keyes of fort steilacoom. keyes sent maloney and his company in the hudson bay company's steamer "beaver" to take him prisoner. they attempted to land but leschi gathered up his warriors and prepared to fight. being at a decided disadvantage, as but a few could land at a time, the soldiers were obliged to withdraw. keyes made a second attempt in the surveying steamer "active;" having no cannon he tried to borrow a howitzer from the "decatur" at seattle, but the captain refused to loan it and keyes returned to get a gun at the fort. leschi prudently withdrew to puyallup, where he continued his warlike preparations. followed by quite an army of hostile indians, he landed on the shore of lake washington, east of seattle, at a point near what is now called leschi park, and on the th of january, , made the memorable attack on seattle. the cunning and skill of the indian in warfare were no match for the white man's cannon and substantial defenses and leschi was defeated. he threatened a second attack but none was ever made. by midsummer the war was at an end. by an agreement of a council held in the yakima country, between col. wright and the conquered chiefs, among whom were leschi, quiemuth, nelson, stahi and the younger kitsap, they were permitted to go free on parole, having promised to lead peaceable lives. leschi complied with the agreement but feared the revenge of white men, so gave himself up to dr. tolmie, as stated elsewhere. dr. tolmie was chief factor of the hudson bay company. he came from scotland in with another young surgeon and served in the medical department at fort vancouver several years. dr. tolmie was a prominent figure at fort nesqually, a very influential man with the indians and distinguished for his ability; he lived in victoria many years, where he died at a good old age. [illustration: types of indian houses] a special term of court was held to try leschi for a murder which it could not be proven he committed and the jury failed to agree. he was tried again in march, , convicted and sentenced to be hanged on the th of june. the case was carried up to the supreme court and the verdict sustained. again he was sentenced to die on the nd of january, . a strong appeal was made by those who wished to see justice done, to gov. mcmullin, who succeeded gov. stevens, but a protest prevailed, and when the day set for execution arrived, a multitude of people gathered to witness it at steilacoom. but the doomed man's friends saw the purpose was revenge and a sharp reproof was administered. the sheriff and his deputy were arrested, for selling liquor to the indians, before the hour appointed, and held until the time passed. greatly chagrined at being frustrated, the crowd held meetings the same evening and by appealing to the legislature and some extraordinary legislation in sympathy with them, supplemented by "ground and lofty tumbling" in the courts, leschi was sentenced for the third time. on the th of february, , worn by sickness and prolonged imprisonment he was murdered in accordance with the sentiment of his enemies. no doubt the methods of _savage_ warfare were not approved, but that did not prevent their hanging a man on parole. on july rd, , a large gathering of indians assembled on the nesqually reservation. over one thousand were there. they met to remove the bones of leschi and quiemuth to the reservation. the ceremonies were very impressive; george leschi, a nephew of leschi and son of quiemuth, made a speech in the indian tongue. he said the war was caused by the whites demanding that the nesqually and puyallup indians be removed to the quiniault reservation on the pacific coast, and their reservation thrown open for settlement. it was in battling for the rights of their people and to preserve the lands of their forefathers, he said, that the war was inaugurated by the indian chiefs. pat kanem. the subject of this sketch was one of the most interesting characters brought into prominence by the conflict of the two races in early days of conquest in the northwest. that he was sometimes misunderstood was inevitable as he was self-contained and independent in his nature and probably concealed his motives from friend and foe alike. the opinion of the indians was not wholly favorable to him as he became friendly to the white people, especially so toward some who were influential. pat kanem was one of seven brothers, his mother a snoqualmie of which tribe he was the recognized leader, his father, of another tribe, the soljampsh. it is said that he planned the extermination or driving out of the whites and brought about a collision at old fort nesqually in , when leander wallace was killed, he and his warriors having picked a quarrel with the indians in that vicinity who ran to the fort for protection. it seems impossible to ascertain the facts as to the intention of the snoqualmies because of conflicting accounts. some who are well acquainted with the indians think it was a quarrel, pure and simple, between the indians camped near by and the visiting snoqualmies, without any ulterior design upon the white men or upon the fort itself. also, leander wallace persisted in boasting that he could settle the difficulty with a club and contrary to the persuasions of the people in the fort went outside, thereby losing his life. four of pat kanem's brothers were arrested; and although one shot killed wallace, two indians were hung, a proceeding which would hardly have followed had they been white men. john kanem, one of pat kanem's brothers, often visited mr. and mrs. d. t. denny afterward, and would repeat again and again, "they killed my brother" (kluskie mem-a-loose nika ow). a snoqualmie indian in an interview recently said that qushun (little cloud) persuaded pat kanem to give up his brother so that he might surely obtain and maintain the chiefship. whatever may have been his attitude at first toward the white invaders he afterward became their ally in subduing the indian outbreak. as a. a. denny recounts in his valuable work "pioneer days on puget sound," pat kanem gave him assurance of his steadfast friendship before the war and further demonstrated it by appearing according to previous agreement, accompanied by women and children of the tribe, obviously a peace party, with gifts of choice game which he presented on board to the captain of the "decatur." with half a hundred or more of his warriors, his services were accepted by the governor and they applied themselves to the gruesome industry of taking heads from the hostile ranks. eighty dollars for a chief's head and twenty for a warrior's were the rewards offered. lieut. phelps, gratefully remembered by the settlers of seattle, thus described his appearance at olympia, after having invested some of his pay in "boston ictas" (clothes): "pat kanem was arrayed in citizen's garb, including congress gaiters, white kid gloves, and a white shirt with standing collar reaching half-way up his ears, and the whole finished off with a flaming red neck-tie." pat kanem died while yet young; he must have been regarded with affection by his people. years afterward when one of his tribe visited an old pioneer, he was given a photograph of pat kanem to look at; wondering at his silence the family were struck by observing that he was gazing intently on the pictured semblance of his dead and gone chieftain, while great tears rolled unchecked down the bronze cheeks. what thoughts of past prosperity, the happy, roving life of the long ago and those who mingled in it, he may have had, we cannot tell. studah. studah, or williams, was one of three sons of a very old duwampsh chief, "queaucton," who brought them to a. a. denny asking that he give them "boston" names. he complied by calling them tecumseh, keokuk and william. the following sketch was written by rev. g. f. whitworth, a well-known pioneer: "william, the chief of the surviving indians of the duwampsh tribe, died at the indian camp on cedar river on wednesday, april . he was one of the few remaining indians who were at all prominent in the early settlement of this country, and is almost, if not actually, the last of those who were ever friendly to the whites. his father, who died about the time that the first white settlements were made in this country, was the principal or head chief of the duwamish indians. he left three sons, tecumseh, keokuk and william. all of whom are now dead. tecumseh, presumably the eldest son, succeeded his father, and was recognized as chief until he was deposed by capt. (now gen.) dent, u. s. a., who acted under authority of the united states government in relation to the indians, at that time. he had some characteristics which seemed to disqualify him for the office, while on the other hand william seemed pre-eminently fitted to fill the position, and was therefore chief and had been recognized both by whites and indians up to the time of his death. "at the time of the indian war, he, like seattle and curley, was a true friend of the whites. the night before seattle was attacked there was a council of war held in the woods back of the town, and william attended that council, and his voice was heard for peace and against war. he was always friendly to the whites, and for nearly forty years he has been faithful in his friendship to e. w. smithers, to whom i am indebted for much of the information contained in this article. "those who knew william will remember that he was distinguished for natural dignity of manner. he was an earnest and sincere catholic, was a thoroughly good indian, greatly respected by his tribe, and having the confidence of those among the whites who knew him. william was an orator and quite eloquent in his own language. on one occasion shortly after capt. hill, u. s. a., came to the territory, some complaints had been made to the superintendent, which were afterwards learned to be unfounded, asking to have the duwamish indians removed from black river to the reservation. capt. hill was sent to perform this service, and went with a steamer to their camp, which was on mr. smither's farm, a little above the railroad bridge. the captain was accompanied by united states agent finkbonner, and on his arrival at the camp addressed the indians, through an interpreter, informing them of the nature of his errand, and directing them to gather their 'ictas' without delay and go on board the steamer, to be at once conveyed to the reservation. william and his indians listened respectfully to the captain, and when he had closed his remarks william made his reply. "his speech was about an hour in length, in which his eloquence was clearly exhibited. he replied that the father at olympia or the great father at washington city, had no right to remove his tribe. they were peaceful, had done no wrong. they were under no obligation to the government, had received nothing at its hands, and had asked for nothing; they had entered into no treaty; their lands had been taken from them. this, however, was their home. he had been born on cedar river, and there he intended to remain, and there his bones should be laid. they were not willing to be removed. they could not be removed. he might bring the soldiers to take them, but when they should come he would not find them, for they would flee and hide themselves in the 'stick' (the woods) where the soldiers could not find them. capt. hill found himself in a dilemma, out of which he was extricated by mr. smithers, who convinced the captain that the complaints were unfounded, and that with two or three exceptions those who had signed the complaint and made the request did not reside in that neighborhood, but lived miles away. they were living on mr. smithers' land with his consent, and when he further guaranteed their good behavior, and mrs. smithers assured him that she had no fears and no grievance, but that when mr. smithers was away she considered them a protection rather than otherwise, the captain concluded to return without them, and to report the facts as he found them. "william's last message was sent to mr. smithers a few days before he died, and was a request that he would see that he was laid to rest as befitted his rank, and not allow him to be buried like a seedy old vagrant, as many of the newcomers considered him to be. "it is hardly necessary for me to say that this request was faithfully complied with, and that on friday, april , his remains were interred in the indian burying ground near renton. the funeral was a large one, indians from far and near coming to render their last tribute of respect to his memory. "from the time of his birth until his death he had lived in the region of cedar and black rivers, seventy-nine years. "his successor as chief will be his nephew, rogers, who is a son of tecumseh." "angeline." ka-ki-is-il-ma, called angeline by the white settlers, about whom so much has been written, was a daughter of sealth. in an interview, some interesting facts were elicited. angeline saw white people first at nesqually, "king george" people, the indians called the hudson bay company's agents and followers. she saw the brothers of pat kanem arrested for the killing of wallace; she said that sealth thought it was right that the two snoqualmies were executed. when a little girl she wore deerskin robes or long coats and a collar of shells; in those days her tribe made three kinds of robes, some of "suwella," "shulth" or mountain beaver fur, and of deer-skins; the third was possibly woven, as they made blankets of mountain sheep's wool and goat's hair. angeline was first married to a big chief of the skagits, dokubkun by name; her second husband was talisha, a duwampsh chief. she was a widow of about forty-five when americans settled on elliott bay. two daughters, chewatum or betsy and mamie, were her only children known to the white people, and both married white men. betsy committed suicide by hanging herself in the shed room of a house on commercial street, tying herself to a rafter by a red bandanna handkerchief. betsy left an infant son, since grown up, who lived with angeline many years. mary or mamie married wm. deshaw and has been dead for some time. it has been said that some are born great, some achieve greatness, while others have greatness thrust upon them. of the last described class, angeline was a shining representative. souvenir spoons, photographs, and cups bearing her likeness have doubtless traveled over a considerable portion of the civilized world, all of the notoriety arising therefrom certainly being unsought by the poor old indian woman. newspaper reporters, paragraphers, and magazine writers have never wearied of limning her life, recounting even the smallest incidents and making of her a conspicuous figure in the literature of the northwest. it quite naturally follows that some absurd things have been written, some heartless, others pathetic and of real literary value, although it has been difficult for the tenderfoot to avoid errors. upon the event of her death, which occurred on sunday, may st, , a leading paper published an editorial in which a brief outline of the building of the city witnessed by angeline was given and is here inserted: "angeline, as she had been named by the early settlers, had seen many wonders. born on the lonely shores of an unknown country, reared in the primeval forest, she saw all the progress of modern civilization. she saw the first cabin of the pioneer; the struggles for existence on the part of the white man with nature; the hewing of the log, then the work of the sawmill, the revolt of the aboriginal inhabitants against the intruder and the subjugation of the inferior race; the growth from one hut to a village; from village to town; the swelling population with its concomitants of stores, ships and collateral industries; the platting of a town; the organization of government; the accumulation of commerce; the advent of railroads and locomotives; of steamships and great engines of maritime warfare; the destruction of a town by fire and the marvelous energy which built upon its site, a city. where there had been a handful of shacks she saw a city of sixty thousand people; in place of a few canoes she saw a great fleet of vessels, stern-wheelers, side-wheelers, propellers, whalebacks, the charleston and monterey. she saw the streets lighted by electricity; saw the telephone, elevators and many other wonders. * * * * * "death came to her as it does to all; but it came as the precursor of extinction, it adds another link in the chain which exemplifies the survival of the fittest." these comments are coldly judicial and exactly after the mind of the unsympathetic tenderfoot or the "hard case" of early days. in speaking of the "survival of the fittest" and the "subjugation of the inferior race" a contrast is drawn flattering to the white race, but any mention of the incalculable injury, outrages, indignities and villainies practiced upon the native inhabitants by evil white men is carefully avoided. angeline "saw" a good many other things not mentioned in the above eulogy upon civilization. she saw the wreck wrought by the white man's drink; the indians never made a fermented liquor of their own. angeline said that her father, sealth, once owned all the land on which seattle is built, that he was friendly to the white people and wanted them to have the land; that she was glad to see fine buildings, stores and such like, but not the saloons; she did not like it at all that the white people built saloons and joe, her grandson, would go to them and get drunk and then they made her pay five dollars to get him out of jail! however, i will not dwell here on the dark side of the poor indians' history, i turn therefore to more pleasant reminiscence. ankuti (a great while ago) when the days were long and happy, in the time of wild blackberries, two pioneer women with their children, of whom the writer was one, embarked with angeline and mamie in a canoe, under the old laurel (madrona) tree and paddled down elliott bay to a fine blackberry patch on w. n. bell's claim. after wandering about a long while they sat down to rest on mossy logs beside the trail. they sat facing the water, the day was waning, and as they thought of their return one of them said, "o look at the canoe!" it was far out on the shining water; the tide had come up while the party wandered in the woods and the canoe, with its stake, was quite a distance from the bank. mamie ran down the trail to the beach, took off her moccasins and swam out to the canoe, her mother and the rest intently watching her. then she dived down to the bottom; as her round, black head disappeared beneath the rippling surface, angeline said "now she's gone." but in a few moments we breathed a sigh of relief as up she rose, having pulled up the stake, and climbed into the canoe, although how she did it one cannot tell, and paddled to the shore to take in the happy crew. this little incident, but more especially the scene, the forms and faces of my friends, the dark forest, moss-cushioned seats under drooping branches, and the graceful canoe afloat on the silvery water--and it _did_ seem for a few, long moments that mamie was gone as angeline said in her anxiety for her child's safety showing she too was a human mother--all this has never left my memory! angeline lived for many years in her little shanty near the water front, assisted often with food and clothing from kindly white friends. she had a determination to live, die and be buried in seattle, as it was her home, and that, too, near her old pioneer friends, thus typifying one of the dearest wishes of the indians. she was one of the good indian washerwomen, gratefully remembered by pioneer housewives. these faithful servitors took on them much toil, wearing and wearisome, now accomplished by machinery or chinese. the world is still deceived by the external appearance; but even the toad "ugly and venomous" was credited with a jewel in its head. now angeline was ugly and untidy, and all that, but not as soulless as some who relegated her to the lowest class of living creatures. a white friend whom she often visited, mrs. sarah kellogg, said to the writer, "angeline lived up to the light she had; she was honest and would never take anything that was offered her unless she needed it. i always made her some little present, saying, 'well, angeline, what do you want? some sugar?' 'no, i have plenty of sugar, i would like a little tea.' so it was with anything else mentioned, if she was supplied she said so. i had not seen her for quite a while at one time, and hearing she was sick sent my husband to the door of her shack to inquire after her. sure enough she lay in her bunk unable to rise. when asked if she wanted anything to eat, she replied, 'no, i have plenty of muck-amuck; arthur denny sent me a box full, but i want some candles and matches.' "she told me that she was getting old and might die any time and that she never went to bed without saying her prayers. "during a long illness she came to my house quite often, but was sent away by those in charge; when i was at last able to sit up, i saw her approaching the house and went down to the kitchen to be ready to receive her. as usual i inquired after her wants, when she somewhat indignantly asked, 'don't you suppose i can come to see you without wanting something?' "one day as she sat in my kitchen a young white girl asked before her, in english, of course, 'does angeline know anything about god?' she said quickly in chinook, 'you tell that girl that i know god sees me all the time; i might lie or steal and you would never find it out, but god would see me do it.'" in her old age she exerted herself, even when feeble from sickness, to walk long distances in quest of food and other necessities, stumping along with her cane and sitting down now and then on a door-step to rest. all the trades-people knew her and were generally kind to her. at last she succumbed to an attack of lung trouble and passed away. having declared herself a roman catholic, she was honorably buried from the church in seattle, rev. f. x. prefontaine officiating, while several of the old pioneers were pallbearers. a canoe-shaped coffin had been prepared on which lay a cross of native rhododendrons and a cluster of snowballs, likely from an old garden. a great concourse of people were present, many out of curiosity, no doubt, while some were there with real feeling and solemn thought. her old friend, mrs. maynard, stood at the head of the grave and dropped in a sprig of cedar. she spoke some encouraging words to joe foster, betsy's son, and angeline's sole mourner, advising him to live a good life. and so angeline was buried according to her wish, in the burying ground of the old pioneers. yutestid. after extending numerous invitations, i was pleasantly surprised upon my return to my home one day to find mr. and mrs. yutestid awaiting an interview. in the first place this indian name is pronounced _yute-stid_ and he is the only survivor (in ) of chief sealth's once numerous household. his mother was doubtless a captive, a cowichan of british columbia; his father, a puget sound indian from the vicinity of olympia. he was quite old, he does not know how old, but not decrepit; angeline said they grew up together. [illustration: last voyage of the lumei] he is thin and wiry looking, with some straggling bristles for a beard and thick short hair, still quite black, covering a head which looks as if it had been flattened directly on top as well as back and front as they were wont to do. this peculiar cranial development does not affect his intelligence, however, as we have before observed in others; he is quick-witted and knows a great many things. yutestid says he can speak all the leading dialects of the upper sound, soljampsh, nesqually, puyallup, snoqualmie, duwampsh, snohomish, but not the sklallam and others north toward vancouver. several incidents related in this volume were mentioned and he remembered them perfectly, referred to the naming of "new york" on alki point and the earliest settlement, repeating the names of the pioneers. the murder at bean's point was committed by two soljampsh indians, he said, and they were tried and punished by an indian court. he remembers the hanging of pat kanem's brothers, kussass and quallawowit. "long ago, the indians fight, fight, fight," he said, but he declared he had never heard of the duwampsh campaign attributed to sealth. yutestid was not at the battle of seattle but at oleman house with sealth's tribe and others whom gov. stevens had ordered there. he chuckled as he said "the bad indians came into the woods near town and the man-of-war (decatur) mamoked pooh (shot) at them and they were frightened and ran away." lachuse, the indian who was shot near seneca street, seattle, he remembered, and when i told him how the indian doctor extracted the buckshot from the wounds he sententiously remarked, "well, sometimes the indian doctors did very well, sometimes they were old humbugs, just the same as white people." oleman house was built long before he was born, according to his testimony, and was adorned by a carved wooden figure, over the entrance, of the great thunder bird, which performed the office of a lightning rod or at least prevented thunder bolts from striking the building. when asked what the medium of exchange was "ankuti" (long ago), he measured on the index finger the length of pieces of abalone shell formerly used for money. in those days he saw the old women make feather robes of duck-skins, also of deer-skins and dog-skins with the hair on; they made bead work, too; beaded moccasins called "_yachit_." the old time ways were very slow; he described the cutting of a huge cedar for a canoe as taking a long time to do, by hacking around it with a stone hammer and "chisel." before the advent of the whites, mats served as sails. i told him of having seen the public part of black tamanuse and they both laughed at the heathenism of long ago and said, "we don't have that now." yutestid denied that _his_ people ate dog when making black tamanuse, but said the sklallams did so. "if i could speak better english or you better chinook i could tell you lots of stories," he averred. chinook is so very meager, however, that an interpreter of the native tongue will be necessary to get these stories. they politely shook hands and bade me "good-bye" to jog off through the rain to their camping place, indian file, he following in the rear contentedly smoking a pipe. yutestid is industrious, cultivating a patch of ground and yearly visiting the city of seattle with fruit to sell. the chief's reply. yonder sky through ages weeping tender tears o'er sire and son, o'er the dead in grave-banks sleeping, dead and living loved as one, may turn cruel, harsh and brazen, burn as with a tropic sun, but my words are true and changeless, changeless as the season's run. waving grass-blades of wide prairie shuttled by lithe foxes wary, as the eagle sees afar, so the pale-face people are; like the lonely scattering pine-trees on a bleak and stormy shore, few my brother warriors linger faint and failing evermore. well i know you could command us to give o'er the land we love, with your warriors well withstand us and ne'er weep our graves above. see on whulch the south wind blowing and the waves are running free! once my people they were many like the waves of whulch's sea. when our young men rise in anger, gather in a war-bent band, face black-painted and the musket in the fierce, relentless hand, old men pleading, plead in vain, their dark spirits none restrain. if to you our land we barter, this we ask ere set of sun, to the graves of our forefathers, till our days on earth are done, we may wander as our hearts are wandering till our race is run. speak the hillsides and the waters, speak the valleys, plains and groves, waving trees and snow-robed mountains, speak to him where'er he roves, to the red men's sons and daughters of their joys, their woes and loves. by the shore the rocks are ringing that to you seem wholly dumb, ever with the waves are singing, winds with songs forever come; songs of sorrow for the partings death and time make as of yore, songs of war and peace and valor, red men sang on whulch's shore. see! the ashes of our fathers, mingling dust beneath our feet, common earth to you, the strangers, thrills us with a longing sweet. fills our pulses rhythmic beat. at the midnight in your cities empty seeming, silent streets shall be peopled with the hosts of returning warriors' ghosts. tho' i shall sink into the dust, my warning heed; be kind, be just, or ghosts shall menace and avenge. part iii. indian life and settlers' beginnings. chapter i. savage deeds of savage men. at bean's point, opposite alki on puget sound, an indian murdered, at night, a family of indians who were camping there. the puyallups and duwampsh came together in council at bean's point, held a trial and condemned and executed the murderer. old duwampsh curley was among the members of this native court and likely sealth and his counsellors. one of the family escaped by wading out into the water where he might have become very cool, if not entirely cold, if it had not been that captain fay and george martin, a swedish sailor, were passing by in their boat and the indian begged to be taken in, a request they readily granted and landed him in a place of safety. again at bean's point an indian was shot by a white man, a scandinavian; the charge was a liberal one of buckshot. some white men who went to inquire into the matter followed the indian's trail, finding ample evidence that he had climbed the hill back of the house, where he may have been employed to work, and weak from his wounds had sat down on a log and then went back to the water; but his body was never found. it was supposed that the murderer enticed him back again and when he was dead, weighted and sunk him in the deep, cold waters of the sound. at one time there was quite a large camp of indians where now runs seneca street, seattle, near which was my home. it was my father's custom to hire the indians to perform various kinds of hard labor, such as grubbing stumps, digging ditches, cutting wood, etc. for a while we employed a tall, strong, fine-looking indian called lachuse to cut wood; through a long summer day he industriously plied the ax and late in the twilight went down to a pool of water, near an old bridge, to bathe. as he passed by a clump of bushes, suddenly the flash and report of a gun shattered the still air and lachuse fell heavily to the ground with his broad chest riddled with buckshot. there was great excitement in the camp, running and crying of the women and debate by the men, who soon carried him into the large indian house. he was laid down in the middle of the room and the medicine man, finding him alive, proceeded to suck the wounds while the tamanuse noise went on. a distracted, grey-haired lum-e-i, his mother, came to our house to beg for a keeler of water, all the time crying, "mame-loose lachuse! achada!" two of the little girls of our family, sleeping in an old-fashioned trundle bed, were so frightened at the commotion that they pulled the covers up over their heads so far that their feet protruded below. the medicine man's treatment seems to have been effective, aided by the tamanuse music, as lachuse finally recovered. the revengeful deed was committed by a port washington indian, in retaliation for the stealing of his "klootchman" (wife) by an indian of the duwampsh tribe, although it was not lachuse, this sort of revenge being in accordance with their heathen custom. "jim keokuk," an indian, killed another indian in the marsh near the gas works; he struck him on the head with a stone. jim worked as deck hand on a steamer for a time, but he in turn was finally murdered by other indians, wrapped with chains and thrown overboard, which was afterward revealed by some of the tribe. there were many cases of retaliation, but the indians were fairly peaceable until degraded by drink. the beginning of hostilities against the white people on the sound, by some historians is said to have been the killing of leander wallace at old fort nesqually. one of them gives this account: "prior to the whitman massacre, owhi and kamiakin, the great chiefs of the upper and lower yakima nations, while on a visit to fort nesqually, had observed to dr. tolmie that the hudson bay company's posts with their white employes were a great convenience to the natives, but the american immigration had excited alarm and was the constant theme of hostile conversation among the interior tribes. the erection in , at fort nesqually, of a stockade and blockhouse had also been the subject of angry criticism by the visiting northern tribes. so insolent and defiant had been their conduct that upon one afternoon for over an hour the officers and men of the post had guns pointed through the loop-holes at a number of skawhumpsh indians, who, with their weapons ready for assault, had posted themselves under cover of adjacent stumps and trees. "shortly before the shooting of wallace, rumors had reached the fort that the snoqualmies were coming in force to redress the alleged cruel treatment of why-it, the snoqualmie wife of the young nesqually chief, wyampch, a dissipated son of lahalet. "dr. tolmie treated such a pretext as a mere cloak for a marauding expedition of the snoqualmies. "sheep shearing had gathered numbers of extra hands, chiefly snohomish, who were occupying mat lodges close to the fort, besides unemployed stragglers and camp followers. "on tuesday, may , , about noon, numbers of indian women and children fled in great alarm from their lodges and sought refuge within the fort. a snoqualmie war party, led by pat kanem, approached from the southwestern end of the american plains. dr. tolmie having posted a party of kanakas in the northwest bastion went out to meet them. "tolmie induced pat kanem to return with him to the fort, closing the gate after their entrance." the following is said to be the account given by the hudson bay company's officials: "the gate nearest the mat lodges was guarded by a white man and an indian servant. while dr. tolmie was engaged in attending a patient, he heard a single shot fired, speedily followed by two or three others. he hastily rushed to the bastion, whence a volley was being discharged at a number of retreating indians who had made a stand and found cover behind the sheep washing dam of segualitschu creek. through a loop-hole the bodies of an indian and a white man were discernible at a few yards distance from the north gate where the firing had commenced. "he hastened thither and found wallace breathing his last, with a full charge of buckshot in his stomach. the dying man was immediately carried inside of the fort. "the dead indian was a young skawhumpsh, who had accompanied the snoqualmies. "the snohomish workers, as also the stragglers, had been, with the newly arrived snoqualmies, in and out of the abandoned lodges, chatting and exchanging news. a thoughtless act of the indian sentry posted at the water gate, in firing into the air, had occasioned a general rush of the snohomish, who had been cool observers of all that had passed outside. "walter ross, the clerk, came to the gate armed, and seeing kussass, a snoqualmie, pointing his gun at him, fired but missed him. kussass then fired at wallace. lewis, an american, had a narrow escape, one ball passing through his vest and trousers and another grazing his left arm. "quallawowit, as soon as the firing began, shot through the pickets and wounded tziass, an indian, in the muscles of his shoulder, which soon after occasioned his death. "the snoqualmies as they retreated to the beach killed two indian ponies and then hastily departed in their canoes. "at the commencement of the shooting, pat kanem, guided by wyampch, escaped from the fort, a fortunate occurrence, as, upon his rejoining his party the retreat at once began. "when dr. tolmie stooped to raise wallace, and the snoqualmies levelled their guns to kill that old and revered friend, an indian called 'the priest' pushed aside the guns, exclaiming 'enough mischief has already been done.' "the four indians of the snoqualmie party whose names were given by snohomish informers to dr. tolmie, together with kussass and quallawowit, were afterward tried for the murder of wallace." their names were whyik, quallawowit, kussass, stahowie, tatetum and quilthlimkyne; the last mentioned was a duwampsh. eighty blankets were offered for the giving up of these indians. the snoqualmies came to steilacoom, where they were to be tried, in war paint and parade. the officials came from far; down the columbia; up the cowlitz, and across to puget sound, about two hundred miles in primitive style, by canoe, oxcart or cayuse. the trial occupied two days; on the third day, the two condemned, kussass and quallawowit, were executed. one shot wallace, _two_ indians were hung; leschi, a leader in the subsequent war of , looked on and went away resenting the injustice of taking two lives for one. other indians no doubt felt the same, thus preparing the way for their deadly opposition to the white race. it certainly seems likely that the "pretext" of the snoqualmies was a valid one as wyampch, the young nesqually chief, was a drunkard, and why-it, his snoqualmie wife, was no doubt treated much as indian wives generally in such a case, frequently beaten and kicked into insensibility. the snoqualmies had been quarreling with the nesquallies before this and it is extremely probable that, as was currently reported among old settlers, the trouble was among the indians themselves. there are two stories also concerning wallace; first, that he was outside quietly looking on, which he ought to have known better than to do; second, that he was warned not to go outside but persisted in going, boasting that he could settle the difficulty with a club, paying for his temerity with his life. a well known historian has said that the "different tribes had been successfully treated with, but the indians had acted treacherously inasmuch as it was well known that they had long been plotting against the white race to destroy it. this being true and they having entered upon a war without cause, however, he (gov. stevens) might sympathize with the restlessness of an inferior race who perceived that destiny was against them, he nevertheless had high duties toward his own." now all this was true, yet there were other things equally true. not all the treachery, not all the revenge, not all the cruelty were on the side of the "inferior" race. even all the inferiority was not on one side. the garbled translation by white interpreters, the lying, deceit, nameless and numberless impositions by lawless white men must have aroused and fostered intense resentment. that there were white savages here we have ample proof. when col. wright received the conquered spokane chiefs in council with some the pipe of peace was smoked. after it was over, owhi presented himself and was placed in irons for breaking an agreement with col. wright, who bade him summon his son, qualchin, on pain of death by hanging if his son refused to come. the next day qualchin appeared not knowing that the order had been given, and was seized and hung without trial. evidently kamiakin, the yakima chief, had good reason to fear the white man's treachery when he refused to join in the council. the same historian before mentioned tells how col. wright called together the walla wallas, informed them that he knew that they had taken part in recent battles and ordered those who had to stand up; thirty-five promptly rose. four of these were selected and hung. now these indians fought for home and country and volunteered to be put to death for the sake of their people, as it is thought by some, those hung for the murder of whitman and his companions, did, choosing to do so of their own free will, not having been the really guilty ones at all. quiemuth, an indian, after the war, emerged from his hiding place, went to a white man on yelm prairie requesting the latter to accompany him to olympia that he might give himself up for trial. several persons went with him; reached olympia after midnight, the governor placed him in his office, locking the door. it was soon known that the indian was in the town and several white men got in at the back door of the building. the guard may have been drowsy or their movements very quiet; a shot was fired and quiemuth and the others made a rush for the door where a white man named joe brannan stabbed the indian fatally, in revenge for the death of his brother who had been killed by indians some time before. three of the indian leaders in western washington were assassinated by white men for revenge. leschi, the most noted of the hostile chiefs on the sound, was betrayed by two of his own people, some have said. i have good authority for saying that he gave himself up for fear of a similar fate. he was tried three times before he was finally hung after having been kept in jail a long time. evidently there were some obstructionists who agreed with the following just and truthful statement by col. g. o. haller, a well-known indian fighter, first published in the seattle post-intelligencer: "the white man's aphorism 'the first blow is half the battle,' is no secret among indians, and they practice it upon entering a war. indeed, weak nations and indian tribes, wrought to desperation by real or fancied grievances, inflict while able to do so horrible deeds when viewed by civilized and christ-like men. war is simply barbarism. and when was war refined and reduced to rules and regulations that must control the indian who fights for all that is dear to him--his native land and the graves of his sires--who finds the white man's donation claim spread over his long cultivated potato patch, his hog a trespasser on his old pasture ground and his old residence turned into a stable for stock, etc.? "leschi, like many citizens during the struggle for secession, appealed to his instincts--his attachment to his tribe--his desire, at the same time to conform to the requirements of the whites, which to many of his people were repulsive and incompatible. he decided and struck heavy blows against us with his warriors. since then we have learned a lesson. [illustration: a few artifacts of puget sound indians] "gen. lee inflicted on the union army heavy losses of life and destruction of property belonging to individuals. when he surrendered his sword agreeing to return to his home and become a law-abiding citizen, gen. grant protected him and his paroled army from the vengeance of men who sought to make treason odious. this was in and but the repetition of the indian war of . "col. geo. wright, commanding the department of the columbia, displayed such an overwhelming force in the klickitat country that it convinced the hostile indians of the hopelessness of pursuing war to a successful issue, and when they asked the terms of peace, col. wright directed them to return to their former homes, be peaceful and obey the orders of the indian agents sent by our government to take charge of them, and they would be protected by the soldiers. "the crimes of war cannot be atoned by crimes in cold blood after the war. two wrongs do not make a right. "leschi, though shrewd and daring in war, adopted col. wright's directions, dropped hostilities, laid aside his rifle and repaired to puget sound, his home. "like lee, he was entitled to protection from the officers and soldiers. but leschi, on the sound, feared the enmity of the whites, and gave himself up to dr. tolmie, an old friend, at nesqually--not captured by two indians of his own tribe and delivered up. then began a crusade against leschi for all the crimes of his people in war. "on the testimony of a perjured man, whose testimony was demonstrated, by a survey of the route claimed by the deponent, to be a falsehood, he was found guilty by the jury, not of the offense alleged against him, for it was physically impossible for leschi to be at the two points indicated in the time alleged; hence he was a martyr to the vengeance of unforgiving white men." i remember having seen the beautiful pioneer woman spoken of in the following account first published in a seattle paper. the castos were buried in the old burying ground in a corner next the road we traveled from our ranch to school. this is the article, head-lines and all: "john bonser's death recalls an indian massacre. beautiful abbie casto's fate. how death came upon three pioneers of squak valley--swift vengeance on the murderers. "the death of john bonser, one of the earliest pioneers of oregon, at sauvie's island, near portland, recently, recalls one of the bloodiest tragedies that ever occurred in king county and one which will go down in history as the greatest example the pioneers had of the evil effect of giving whisky to the indians. the event is memorable for another reason, and that is that the daughter of john bonser, wife of william casto, and probably the most beautiful woman in the territory, was a victim. "'i don't take much stock in the handsome, charming women we read about,' said c. b. bagley yesterday, 'but mrs. casto, if placed in seattle today with face and form as when she came among us in , would be among the handsomest women in the city, and i shall never forget the sensation created in our little settlement when messengers arrived from squak valley, where the castos moved, with the news that mrs. casto, her husband and john holstead had been killed by indians, and that a friendly klickitat had slain the murderers. "the first impression was that there had been an uprising among the treacherous natives and a force, consisting of nearly all the able-bodied men in the community, started for the scene of the massacre. "it is a hard matter for the people of metropolitan seattle to carry themselves back, figuratively speaking, to , and imagine the village of that period with its thirty families. "the boundaries were limited to a short and narrow line extending along the water front not farther north than pike street. the few houses were small and unpretentious and the business portion of the town was confined to commercial street, between main and yesler avenue. "at that time and even after the great fire in , yesler avenue was known as mill street, the name having originated from the fact that yesler's mill was located at its foot. where the magnificent dexter horton bank building now stands stood a small wooden structure occupied by dexter horton as a store, and where the national bank of commerce building, at the corner of yesler avenue and commercial street, stood the mill store of the yesler-denny company. s. b. hinds, a name forgotten in commercial circles, kept store on commercial street, between washington and main streets. charles plummer was at the corner of main and commercial, and j. r. williamson was on the east side of commercial street, a half block north. this comprised the entire list of stores at that time. the forests were the only source to which the settlers looked for commercial commodities, and these, when put in salable shape, were often-times compelled to await means of transportation to markets. briefly summed up, spars, piles, lumber and hop-poles were about all the sources of income. "at that time there was no 'blue book,' and, in fact women were scarce. it is not surprising then that the arrival of william casto, a man aged years and a true representative of the kentucky colonel type, with his young wife, the daughter of john bonser, of sauvies island, columbia river, near portland, should have been a memorable occasion. mrs. casto was a natural not an artificial beauty--one of those women to whom all apparel adapts itself and becomes a part of the wearer. every movement was graceful and her face one that an artist would have raved about--not that dark, imperious beauty that some might expect, but the exact opposite. her eyes were large, blue and expressive, while her complexion, clear as alabaster, was rendered more attractive by a rosy hue. she was admired by all and fairly worshipped by her husband. it was one of those rare cases where disparity in ages did not prevent mutual devotion. "in the spring of the year that casto came to seattle he took up a ranch in the heart of squak valley, where the tibbetts farm now lies. here he built a small house, put in a garden and commenced clearing. in order to create an income for himself and wife he opened a small trading post and carried on the manufacture of hoop poles. the valley was peculiarly adapted to this business, owing to the dense growth of hazel bush, the very article most desired. "'casto did most of his trading with san francisco merchants and frequently received as much as $ , for a single shipment. such a business might be laughed at in , but at that time it meant a great deal to a sparsely settled community where wealth was largely prospective. it is a notable fact that, even in the early days when north seattle was a howling wilderness and large game ran wild between the town limits and lake washington, the advantages of that body of water were appreciated and a successful effort was made by henry l. yesler, l. v. wyckoff and others to connect the one with the other by a wagon road. the lake terminus was at a point called fleaburg, now known as the terminus of the madison street cable line. fleaburg was a small indian settlement, and according to tradition derived its name from innumerable insects that made life miserable for the inhabitants and visitors. the many miles of travel this cut saved was greatly appreciated by the squak settlers, because it was not only to their advantage in a commercial sense, but also made them feel that they were much nearer to the mother settlement. another short cut was made by means of a foot path starting from coal creek on the eastern shore of the lake. this was so rough that only persons well acquainted with the country would have taken advantage of it. while it was not practical, yet it furnished means of reaching the settlement, in case of necessity, in one day, whereas the water route took twice as long. "'even at that time the great fear of the settlers, who were few in number, was the indians. if a young man in seattle went hunting his mother cautioned him to 'be very careful of the indians.' many people now living in or about the city will remember that in the fall of there were fears of an indian uprising. how the rumors started or on what they were founded would be hard to state, nevertheless the fact remains that there was a general feeling of uneasiness. during the summer there had been trouble on the snohomish river between white men and members of the snohomish tribe. three of the latter were killed, and among them a chief. these facts alone would have led a person well versed in the characteristics of the washington indian to look for trouble of some kind, although to judge from what direction and in what manner would have been difficult. "'casto at that time had several of the snohomish indians working for him, but the thought of fear never entered his mind. he had great influence over his workmen and was looked up to by them as a sort of white 'tyee' or chief. any one that knew casto could not but like him, he was so free-hearted, kind and considerate of every person he met, whether as a friend and equal or as his servant. he had one fault, however, which goes hand in hand the world over with a free heart--he loved liquor and now and then drank too much. he also got in the habit of giving it to the indians in his employ. on several occasions the true indian nature, under the influence of stimulants, came out, and it required all his authority to avoid bloodshed. his neighbors, who could be numbered on the fingers of both hands, with some to spare, cautioned him not to give 'a redskin whisky and arouse the devil,' but he laughed at them, and when they warned him of treachery, thought they spoke nonsense. he would not believe that the men whom he treated so kindly and befriended in every conceivable manner would do him harm under any conditions. he reasoned that his neighbors did not judge the character of the native correctly and underestimated his influence. there was no reason why he should not give his indians liquor if he so desired. "'he acted on this decision on the afternoon of november , , and then went to his home for supper. the indians got gloriously drunk and then commenced to thirst for blood. in the crowd were two of the snohomish tribe, bloodthirsty brutes, and still seeking revenge for the death of their tribesmen and chief on the snohomish river the summer previous. their resolve was made. casto's life would atone for that of the chief, his wife and friend, john holstead, for the other two. they secretly took their guns and went to casto's house. the curtain of the room wherein all three were seated at the supper table was up, and the breast of casto was in plain view of the assassins. there was no hesitation on the part of the indians. the first shot crashed through the window and pierced casto in a vital spot. he arose to his feet, staggered and fell upon a lounge. his wife sprang to his assistance, but the rifle spoke again and she fell to the floor. the third shot hit holstead, but not fatally, and the indians, determined to complete their bloody work, ran to the front door. they were met by holstead, who fought like a demon, but at length fell, his body stabbed in more than twenty places. not content with the slaughter already done, the bloodthirsty wretches drove their knives into the body of casto's beautiful wife in a manner most inhuman. having finished their bloody work of revenge they left the house, never for a moment thinking their lives were in danger. in this particular they made a fatal error. "the shots fired had attracted a klickitat indian named aleck to the scene. as fate had it, he was a true friend to the white man and held casto, his employer, in high regard. it took him but a brief period to comprehend the situation, and he determined to avenge the death of his master, wife and friend. he concealed himself, and when the bloody brutes came out of the house he crept up behind them. one shot was enough to end the earthly career of one, but the other took to his heels. aleck followed him with a hatchet he had drawn from his belt, and, being fleeter of foot, caught up. then with one swift blow the skull of the fleeing indian was cleft, and as he fell headlong to the ground aleck jumped on him, and again and again the bloody hatchet drank blood until the head that but a few minutes before had human shape looked like a chipped pumpkin. "while this series of bloody deeds was being enacted the few neighbors became wild with alarm, and, thinking that an indian war had broken out, started for seattle immediately. the band was made up of a mr. bush and family and three or four single men who had ranches in the valley. "they reached seattle the morning of the th and told the news, stating their fears of an indian uprising. a party consisting of all the able-bodied men in the town immediately started for the scene of the tragedy by the short cut, and arrived there in the evening. the sight that met their eyes was horrible. in the bushes was found the body of the indian who had been shot, and not far distant were the remains of the other, covered with blood and dirt mixed. in the house the sight was even more horrible. holstead lay in the front room in a pool of clotted blood, his body literally punctured with knife wounds, and in the adjoining room, on a sofa, half reclining, was the body of casto. on the floor, almost in the middle of the room, was mrs. casto, beautiful even in death, and lying in a pool of blood. "the coroner at that time was josiah settle, and he, after looking around and investigating, found that the only witnesses he had were an old squaw, who claimed to have been an eye witness to the tragedy, and aleck, the klickitat. the inquest was held immediately, and the testimony agreed in substance with facts previously stated. the jury then returned the following verdict: "'territory of washington, county of king, before josiah settle, coroner. "'we, the undersigned jurors summoned to appear before josiah settle, the coroner of king county, at squak, on the th day of november, , to inquire into the cause of death of william casto, abbie casto and john holstead, having been duly sworn according to law, and having made such inquisition after inspecting the bodies and hearing the testimony adduced, upon our oath each and all do say that we find that the deceased were named william casto, abbie casto and john holstead; that william casto was a native of kentucky, abbie casto was formerly a resident of sauvies island, columbia county, ore., and john holstead was a native of wheeling, va., and that they came to their deaths on the th of november, , in this county, by knives and pistols in the hands of indians, the bodies of the deceased having been found in the house of william casto, at squak, and we further find that we believe john taylor and george, his brother, indians of the snoqualmie tribe, to have been the persons by whose hands they came to their deaths.' "the bodies were brought to seattle and buried in what is now known as the denny park, then a cemetery, north seattle. since then they have been removed to the masonic cemetery. "the news of the murder was sent to john bonser, in oregon, and he came to the town at once. for several weeks after the event the columns of the seattle _gazette_ were devoted in part to a discussion of the question of selling and giving liquor to the indians, the general conclusion being that it was not only against the law but a dangerous practice. "out of the killing by aleck of the two snohomish indians grew a feud which resulted in the death of aleck's son. the old man was the one wanted, but he was too quick with the rifle and they never got him. he died a few years ago, aged nearly ninety years." so we see that whisky caused the death of six persons in this case. the lower sound indians were, if anything, more fierce and wild than those toward the south. george martin, the swedish sailor who accompanied capt. fay, in , said that he saw sklallam indians dancing a war dance at which there appeared the head of one of their enemies, which they had roasted; small pieces of it were touched to their lips, but were not eaten. in an early day when ira w. utter lived on salmon bay, or more properly _shilshole_ bay, he was much troubled by cougars killing his cattle, calves particularly. thinking strychnine a good cure he put a dose in some lights of a beef, placed on a stick with the opposite end thrust in the ground. "old limpy," an indian, spied the tempting morsel, took it to his home, roasted and ate the same and went to join his ancestors in the happy hunting grounds. this indian received his name from a limp occasioned by a gunshot wound inflicted by lower sound indians on one of their raids. he was just recovering when the white people settled on elliott bay. the very mention of these raids must have been terrifying to our indians, as we called those who lived on the upper sound. on one occasion as a party of them were digging clams on the eastern shore of admiralty inlet, north of meadow point, they were attacked by their northern enemies, who shot two or three while the rest _klatawaw-ed_ with all the _hyak_ (hurry) possible and hid themselves. chapter ii. pioneer jokes and anecdotes. in early days, the preachers came in for some rather severe criticisms, although the roughest of the frontiersmen had a genuine reverence for their calling. ministers of the gospel, as well as others, were obliged to turn the hand to toil with ax and saw. now these tools require frequent recourse to sharpening processes and the minister with ax on shoulder, requesting the privilege of grinding that useful article on one of the few grindstones in the settlement occasioned no surprise, but when he prepared to grind by putting the handle on "wrong side to," gave it a brisk turn and snapped it off short, the disgust of the owner found vent in the caustic comment, "well, if you're such a blame fool as that, i'll never go to hear you preach in the world!" james g. swan tells of an amusing experience with a neah bay indian chief, in these words: "i had a lively time with old kobetsi, the war chief, whose name was kobetsi-bis, which in the makah language means frost. i had been directed by agent webster to make a survey of the reservation as far south as the tsoess river, where kobetsi lived, and claimed exclusive ownership to the cranberry meadows along the bank of that river. he was then at his summer residence on tatoosh island. the makah indians had seen and understood something of the mariner's compass, but a surveyor's compass was a riddle to them. "a slave of kobetsi, who had seen me at work on the cranberry meadows, hurried to tatoosh island and reported that i was working a tamanuse, or magic, by which i could collect all the cranberries in one pile, and that peter had sold me the land. this enraged the old ruffian, and he came up to neah bay with sixteen braves, with their faces painted black, their long hair tied in a knot on top of their heads with spruce twigs, their regular war paint, and all whooping and yelling. the old fellow declared he would have my head. peter and the others laughed at him, and i explained to him what i had been about. he was pacified with me, but on his return to tatoosh island he shot the slave dead for making a fool of his chief." the same writer is responsible for this account of a somewhat harsh practical joke; the time was november, , the place port angeles bay, in a log cabin where captain rufus holmes resided: "uncle rufus had a chum, a jolly, fat butcher named jones, who lived in port townsend, and a great wag. he often visited uncle rufus for a few days' hunt and always took along some grub. on one occasion he procured an eagle, which he boiled for two days and then managed to disjoint. when it was cold he carefully wrapped the pieces in a cabbage leaf and took it to uncle rufus as a wild swan, but somewhat tough. the captain chopped it up with onions and savory herbs and made a fine soup, of which he partook heartily, jones contenting himself with some clam fritters and fried salmon, remarking that it was his off day on soup. after dinner the wretched wag informed him that he had been eating an eagle, and produced the head and claws as proof. this piece of news operated on uncle rufus like an emetic, and after he had earnestly expressed his gastronomic regrets, jones asked with feigned anxiety, 'did the soup make you sick, uncle rufus?' "not to be outdone, the captain made reply, 'no, not the soup, but the thought i had been eating one of the emblems of my country.'" a young man of lively disposition and consequently popular, was the victim of an april fool joke in the "auld lang syne." very fond he was of playing tricks on others but some of the hapless worms turned and planned a sweet and neat revenge, well knowing it was hard to get ahead of the shrewd and witty youth. a "two-bit" piece, which had likely adorned the neck or ear of an indian belle, as it had a hole pierced in it, was nailed securely to the floor of the postoffice in the village of seattle, and a group of loungers waited to see the result. early on the first, the young man before indicated walked briskly and confidently in. observing the coin he stooped airily and essayed to pick it up, remarking, "it isn't everybody that can pick up two bits so early in the morning!" "april fool!" and howls of laughter greeted his failure to pocket the coin. with burning face he sheepishly called for his mail and hurried out with the derisive shout of "it isn't everybody that can pick up two bits so early in the morning, ha! ha! ha!" ringing in his ears. such fragments of early history as the following are frequently afloat in the literature of the sound country: "they voted themselves guns. "how pioneer legislators equipped themselves to fight the indians. "if the state legislature should vote to each member of both houses a first-class rifle, a sensation indeed would be created. but few are aware that such a precedent has been established by a legislature of washington territory. it has been so long ago, though, that the incident has almost faded from memory, and there are but few of the members to relate the circumstances. "it was in , when i was a member of the council, that we passed a law giving each legislator a rifle," said hon. r. s. robinson, a wealthy old pioneer farmer living near chimacum in jefferson county, while going to port townsend the other night on the steamer rosalie. being in a reminiscent humor, he told about the exciting times the pioneers experienced in both dodging indians and navigating the waters of puget sound in frail canoes. "it was just preceding the indian outbreak of - , the settlers were apprehensive of a sudden onslaught," continued mr. robinson. "gov. stevens had secured from the war department several stands of small arms and ammunition, which were intended for general distribution, and we thought one feasible plan was to provide each legislator with a rifle and ammunition. many times since i have thought of the incident, and how ridiculous it would seem if our present legislature adopted our course as a precedent, and armed each member at the state's expense. things have changed considerably. in those days guns and ammunition were perquisites. now it is stationery, lead pencils and waste baskets." among other incidents related by a speaker whose subject was "primitive justice," was heard this story at a picnic of the pioneers: "an instance in which i was particularly interested being connected with the administration of the sheriff's office occurred in what is now shoshone county, idaho, but was then a part of washington territory. a man was brought into the town charged with a crime; he was taken before the justice at once, but the trial was adjourned because the man was drunk. the sheriff took the prisoner down the trail, but before he had gone far the man fell down in a drunken sleep. a wagon bed lay handy and this was turned over the man and weighted down with stones to prevent his escape. the next morning he was again brought before the justice, who, finding him guilty, sentenced him to thirty days confinement _in the jail from whence he had come_ and to be fed on bread and water." no doubt this was a heavy punishment, especially the water diet. an incident occurred in that historic building, the yesler cook house, never before published. a big, powerful man named emmick, generally known as "californy," was engaged one morning in a game of fisticuffs of more or less seriousness, when bill carr, a small man, stepped up and struck emmick, who was too busy with his opponent just then to pay any attention to the impertinent meddler. nevertheless he bided his time, although "bill" made himself quite scarce and was nowhere to be seen when "californy's" bulky form cast a shadow on the sawdust. after a while, however, he grew more confident and returned to a favorite position in front of the fire in the old cook house. he was just comfortably settled when in came "californy," who pounced on him like a wildcat on a rabbit, stood him on his head and holding him by the heels "chucked" him up and down like a dasher on an old-fashioned churn, until carr was much subdued, then left him to such reflections as were possible to an all but cracked cranium. it is safe to say he did not soon again meddle with strife. this mode of punishment offers tempting possibilities in cases where the self-conceit of small people is offensively thrust upon their superiors. the village of seattle crept up the hill from the shore of elliott bay, by the laborious removal of the heavy forest, cutting, burning and grubbing of trees and stumps, grading and building of neat residences. in the clearing of a certain piece of property between fourth and fifth streets, on columbia, seattle, now in the heart of the city, three pioneers participated in a somewhat unique experience. one of them, the irrepressible "gard" or gardner kellogg, now well known as the very popular chief of the fire department of seattle, has often told the story, which runs somewhat like this: mr. and mrs. gardner kellogg were dining on a sunday, with the latter's sister and her husband, mr. and mrs. o. c. shorey, as they often did, at their home on third avenue. it was a cold, drizzly day, but in spite of that "gard" and mr. shorey walked out to the edge of the clearing, where the dense young fir trees still held the ground, and the former was soon pushing up a stump fire on his lots. as he poked the fire a bright thought occurred to him and he observed to his companion that he believed it "would save a lot of hard work, digging out the roots, to bring up that old shell and put it under the stump." the "old shell" was one that had been thrown from the sloop-of-war "decatur" during the indian war, and had buried itself in the earth without exploding. in excavating for the kellogg's wood house it had been unearthed. mr. shorey thought it might not be safe if some one should pass by: "o, nobody will come out this way this miserable day; it may not go off anyway," was the answer. so the shell was brought up and they dug under the roots of the stump, put it in and returned to the shorey residence. when they told what they had done, it was, agreed that it was extremely unlikely that anyone would take a pleasure walk in that direction on so gloomy a day. meanwhile a worthy citizen of the little burgh had gone roaming in search of his stray cow. as before stated, it was a chilly, damp day, and the man who was looking for his cow, mr. dexter horton, for it was none other than he, seeing the fire, was moved to comfort himself with its genial warmth. he advanced toward it and spread his hands benignantly as though blessing the man that invented fire, rubbed his palms together in a mute ecstasy of mellow satisfaction and then reversed his position, lifted his coat-tails and set his feet wide apart, even as a man doth at his own peaceful hearthstone. the radiant energy had not time to reach the marrow when a terrific explosion took place. it threw earth, roots and splinters, firebrands and coals, yards away, hurled the whilom fire-worshiper a considerable distance, cautioned him with a piece of hot iron that just missed his face, covered him with the debris, mystified and stupefied him, but fortunately did not inflict any permanent injury. as he recovered the use of his faculties the idea gained upon him that it was a mean, low-down trick anyhow to blow up stumps that way. he was very much disgusted and refused very naturally to see anything funny about it; but as time passed by and he recovered from the shock, the ludicrous side appeared and he was content to let it be regarded as a pioneer pleasantry. the innocent perpetrator of this amazing joke has no doubt laughed long and loud many times as he has pictured to himself the vast astonishment of his fellow townsman, and tells the story often, with the keenest relish, to appreciative listeners. yes, to be blown up by an old bomb-shell on a quiet sunday afternoon, while resting beside a benevolent looking stump-fire that not even remotely suggested warlike demonstrations, was rather tough. how bean's point was named. opposite alki point was a fine prairie of about forty acres to which c. c. terry at first laid claim. some of the earliest settlers of the first mentioned locality crossed the water, taking their cattle, ploughed and planted potatoes on this prairie. terry subsequently settled elsewhere and the place was settled on by a large man of about sixty years, a nova scotian, it was supposed, who bore the name of _bean_. this lonely settler was a sort of spiritualist; in fort decatur, while one of a group around a stove, he leaned his arm on the wall and when a natural tremor resulted, insisted that the "spirits" did it. after the war he returned to his cabin and while in his bed, probably asleep, was shot and killed by an indian. since then the place has been known as bean's point. dr. h. a. smith, the happiest story-teller of pioneer days, relates in his "early reminiscences" how "dick atkins played the dickens with poor old beaty's appetite for cheese" in this engaging manner: "one day when he (dick atkins) was merchandising on commercial street, seattle, as successor to horton & denny, he laid a piece of cheese on the stove to fry for his dinner. a dozen loafers were around the stove and among them mr. beaty, remarkable principally for his appetite, big feet and good nature. and he on this occasion good-naturedly took the cheese from the stove and cooled and swallowed it without waiting to say grace, while dick was in the back room, waiting on a customer. when the cheese was fairly out of sight, beaty grew uneasy and skedadled up the street. when atkins returned and found his cheese missing, and was told what became of it, he rushed to the door just in time to catch sight of beaty's coat-tail going into dr. williamson's store. without returning for his coat or hat, off he darted at full speed. beaty had fairly got seated, when dick stood before him and fairly screamed: "'did you eat that cheese?' "'wal--yes--but i didn't think you'd care much.' "'care! care! good thunder, no! but i thought _you_ might care, as i had just put a double dose of arsenic in it to kill rats.' "'don't say!' exclaimed beaty, jumping to his feet, 'thought it tasted mighty queer; what can i do?' "'come right along with me; there is only one thing that can save you.' "and down the street they flew as fast as their feet would carry them. as soon as they had arrived at the store, atkins drew off a pint of rancid fish-oil and handed it to beaty saying, 'swallow it quick! your life depends upon it!' "poor beaty was too badly frightened to hesitate, and after a few gags, pauses and wry faces he handed back the cup, drained to the bitter dregs. 'there now,' said dick, 'go home and to bed, and if you are alive in the morning come around and report yourself.' "after he was gone one of the spectators asked if the cheese was really poisoned. "'no,' replied dick, 'and i intended telling the gormand it was not, but when i saw that look of gratitude come into his face as he handed back the empty cup, my heart failed me, and my revenge became my defeat.' 'no, gentlemen, beaty is decidedly ahead in this little game. i never before was beaten at a game of cold bluff after having stacked the cards myself. i beg you to keep the matter quiet, gentlemen.' but it was always hard for a dozen men to keep a secret." these same "early reminiscences" contain many a merry tale, some "thrice told" to the writer of this work, of the people who were familiar figures on the streets of seattle and other settlements, in the long ago, among them two of the rev. j. f. devore, with whom i was acquainted. "when he lived in steilacoom, at a time when that city was even smaller than it is now, a certain would-be bully declared, with an oath, that if it were not for the respect he had for the 'cloth,' he would let daylight through his portly ministerial carcass. thereupon the 'cloth' was instantly stripped off and dashed upon the ground, accompanied with the remark, 'the "cloth" never stands in the way of a good cause. i am in a condition, now sir, to be enlightened.' but instead of attempting to shed any light into this luminary of the pulpit, whose eyes fairly blazed with a light not altogether of this world, the blustering bully lit out down the street at the top of his speed." the following has a perennial freshness, although i have heard it a number of times: "when olympia was a struggling village and much in need of a church, this portly, industrious man of many talents took upon himself the not overly pleasant task of raising subscriptions for the enterprise, and in his rounds called on mr. crosby, owner of the sawmill at tumwater, and asked how much lumber he would contribute to the church. mr. crosby eyed the 'cloth' a moment and sarcastically replied, 'as much as _you_, sir, will raft and take away between this and sundown.' 'show me the pile!' was the unexpected rejoinder. then laying off his coat and beaver tile he waded in with an alacrity that fairly made mr. crosby's hair bristle. all day, without stopping a moment, even for dinner, his tall, stalwart form bent under large loads of shingles, sheeting, siding, scantling, studding and lath, and even large sills and plates were rolled and tumbled into the bay with the agility of a giant, and before sundown mr. crosby had the proud satisfaction of seeing the 'cloth' triumphantly poling a raft toward olympia containing lumber enough for a handsome church and a splendid parsonage besides. "mr. crosby was heard to say a few days afterward that no ten men in his employ could, or would, have done that day's work. meeting the divine shortly afterwards, mr. crosby said, 'well, parson, you can handle more lumber between sunrise and dark than any man i ever saw.' "'oh,' said the parson, 'i was working that day for my maker.' "moral: never trust pioneer preachers with your lumber pile, simply because they wear broadcloth coats, for most of them know how to take them off, and then they can work as well as pray." this conjuror with the pen has called up another well known personality of the earliest times in the following sketch and anecdote: "dr. maynard was of medium size. he had blue eyes, a square forehead, a strong face and straight black hair, when worn short, but when worn long, as it was when whitened by the snows of many winters, it was quite curly and fell in ringlets over his shoulders. add to this description, a long, gray beard, and you will see him as he appeared on our streets when on his last legs. when 'half seas over,' he overflowed with generous impulses, would give away anything within reach and was full of extravagant promises, many of which were out of his power to fulfill. he once owned alki point and sometimes would move there in order to 'reform,' but seldom remained longer than a month or six weeks. alki point was covered with huge logs and stumps, excepting a little cleared ground near the bay where the house stood. but when the doctor saw it through his telescopic wine-glasses it was transformed into a beautiful farm with broad meadows covered with lowing herds and prancing steeds whose 'necks were clothed with thunder.' "one day, in the fall of , while viewing his farm through his favorite glasses, david stanley, the venerable salmon bay hermit, happened along, when maynard gave him a glowing description of his alki point farm as he himself beheld it just then, and wound up by proposing to take the old man in partnership, and offered him half of the fruit and farm stock for simply looking after it and keeping the fences in repair. the temptation to gain sudden riches was too much for even his unworldliness of mind, and he made no delay in embarking for alki point with all his worldly effects. his object in living alone, was, he said, to comply with the injunction to keep one's self 'unspotted from the world,' but the doctor assured him that the change would not seriously interfere with his meditations, inasmuch as few people landed at alki point, notwithstanding its many attractions. "the day of his departure for the mecca of all his earthly hopes turned out very stormy. it was after dark before he reached the point, and on trying to land his boat filled with water. he lost many of his fowls and came near losing his life in the boiling surf. after getting himself and his 'traps' ashore, he built a fire, dried his blankets, fried some bacon, ate a hearty supper and turned in. "the excitement of the day, however, prevented sleep, and he got up and sat by the fire till morning. as soon as it was light he strolled out to look at the stock, but to his surprise, only a bewildering maze of logs and interminable stumps were to be seen where he expected to behold broad fields and green pastures. the only thing he could find resembling stock were--to use his own language--'an old white horse, stiff in all his joints and blind in one eye, and a little, runty, scrubby, ornery, steer calf.' after wandering about over and under logs till noon, he concluded he had missed the doctor's farm, and returned to the beach with the intention of pulling further around, but seeing some men in a boat a short distance from shore, he hailed it and inquired for dr. maynard's farm. charley plummer was one of the party and he told the old man that he had the honor of being already upon it. stanley explained his object in being there, and after a fit of rib-breaking laughter, mr. plummer advised him to return to salmon bay as soon as possible, which he did the very next day. "the old man had a keen sense of the ludicrous, and joined heartily in the laugh, saying he had been taken in a great many times in his life, but never in so laughable manner as on this occasion. a few days afterward as charley plummer was sitting in dr. maynard's office the hermit put in an appearance. 'good afternoon, doctor,' said he, with an air of profound respect. 'why, how do you do, uncle stanley, glad to see you--how does the poultry ranch prosper? by the way, have you moved to alki point yet?' 'o, yes, i took my traps, poultry and all, over there several days ago, and had the pleasure of meeting mr. plummer there. did he mention the circumstances?' 'no,' said the doctor, 'he just came in. how did you find things?' "'to tell the truth, doctor, i couldn't rest until i could see you and thank you from the bottom of my heart for the inestimable blessing you have conferred upon me.' "at this demonstration of satisfaction uttered with an air of profound gratitude, the doctor leaned back complacently in his easy chair, while an expression of benignant self-approval illuminated his benevolent face. "'yes,' continued he, 'i can never be sufficiently grateful for the benefit your generosity has already been to me individually, besides it bids fair to prove a signal triumph for religion and morality, and it may turn out to be a priceless contribution to science.' "at the utterance of this unexpected 'rhapsody' the doctor turned with unalloyed delight, and seeing that the old man hesitated, he encouraged him by saying, 'go on, uncle, go right along and tell all about it, although i can't understand exactly how it can prove a triumph for religion or science.' "'well,' continued the old man with solemn countenance, 'my orthodoxy has been a little shaky of late, in fact i have seriously doubted the heavenly origin of various forms of inspiration, but when i got to alki point and looked around my skepticism fell from my eyes as did the scales from the eyes of saul of old.' "'yes,' interrupted the doctor, 'the scenery over there is really grand and i have often felt devotional myself while contemplating the grand mountain scenery----' "'scenery? well--yes, i suppose there is some scenery scattered around over there, but it isn't that.' "'no, well what was it, uncle?' "'why, sir, as i was saying, when i get a chance to fairly look around i was thoroughly satisfied that nothing but a miracle, in fact, nothing short of the ingenuity and power of the almighty could possibly have piled up so many logs and stumps to the acre as i found on your _farm_.' "here the doctor's face perceptibly lengthened and a very dry laugh, a sort of hysterical cross between a chuckle and a suppressed oath, escaped him, but before he had time to speak the old man went on: "'so much for the triumph of religion, but science, sir, will be under much weightier obligations to us when you and i succeed in making an honest living from the progeny of an old blind horse and a little, miserable runty steer calf.' "this was too much for the doctor and springing to his feet he fairly shouted, 'there, there, old man, not another word! come right along and i will stand treat for the whole town and we will never mention alki point again.' "'no, thank you,' said the hermit, dryly, 'i never indulge, and since you have been the means of my conversion you ought to be the last man in the world to lead me into temptation, besides our income from the blind horse and runty steer calf will hardly justify such extravagance.' "hat and cane in hand he got as far as the door, when maynard called to him saying, 'look here, old man, i hope you're not offended, and if you will say nothing about this little matter, i'll doctor you the rest of your life for nothing.' "after scratching his head a moment the hermit looked up and naively answered, 'no, i'm not mad, only astonished, and as for your free medicine, if it is all as bitter as the free dose you have just given me, i don't want any more of it,' and he bowed himself out and was soon lost to the doctor's longing gaze. with eyes still fixed on the door he exclaimed, 'blast my head if i thought the old crackling had so much dry humor in him. come, charley, let's have something to brave our nerves.'" among the unfortunate victims of the drink habit in an early day was poor old tom jones. nature had endowed him with a splendid physique, but he wrecked himself, traveling downward, until he barely lived from hand to mouth. he made a house on the old conkling place, up the bay toward the duwampsh river, his tarrying place. having been absent from his customary haunts for a considerable time, it was reported that he was dead. in the village of seattle, some marauder had been robbing henroosts and tom jones was accused of being the guilty party. grandfather john denny told one of his characteristic stories about being awakened by a great commotion in his henhouse, the lusty cocks crowing "tom jo-o-o-ones is dead! tom jo-o-o-ones is dead!" rejoicing greatly that they were henceforth safe. d. t. denny gathered up seven men and went to investigate the truth of the report of his demise. they found him rolled up in his blankets, in his bunk, not dead but helplessly sick. when they told him what they had come for--to hold an inquest over his dead body, the tears rolled down his withered face. they had him moved nearer town and cared for, but he finally went the way of all the earth. another of the army of the wretched was having an attack of the "devil's trimmings," as grandfather john denny called them, in front of a saloon one day and a group stood around waiting for him to "come to"; upon his showing signs of returning consciousness, _all but one_ filed into the saloon to get a nerve bracer. d. t. denny, who relates the incident, turned away, he being the only temperance man in the group. chapter iii. trails of commerce. samuel l. simpson wrote this sympathetic poem concerning the old hudson bay company's steamer beaver, the first steam vessel on the north pacific coast. she came out from london in and is well remembered by puget sound pioneers. in she went on the rocks in burrard inlet, british columbia. the beaver's requiem. "forlorn in the lonesome north she lies, that never again will course the sea, all heedless of calm or stormy skies, or the rocks to windward or a-lee; for her day is done and her last port won let the wild, sad waves her minstrel be. "she will roam no more on the ocean trails, where her floating scarf of black was seen like a challenge proud to the shrieking gales by the mighty shores of evergreen; for she lies at rest with a pulseless breast in the rough sea's clasp and all serene. "how the world has changed since she kissed the tide of the storied thames in the georgian reign, and was pledged with wine as the bonny bride of the west's isle-gemmed barbaric main-- with a dauntless form that could breast the storm as she wove the magic commercial chain. "for science has gemmed her brow with stars from many and many a mystic field, and the nations have stood in crimsoned wars and thrones have fallen and empires reeled since she sailed that day from the thames away under god's blue sky and st. george's shield. "and the world to which, as a pioneer, she first came trailing her plume of smoke, is beyond the dreams of the clearest seer that ever in lofty symbols spoke-- in the arts of peace, in all life's increase, and all the gold-browed stress invoke. "a part of this was a work of hers, in a daring life of fifty years; but the sea-gulls now are her worshipers, wheeling with cries more sad than tears, where she lies alone and the surges moan-- and slowly the north sky glooms and clears. "and may we not think when the pale mists glide, like the sheeted dead by that rocky shore, that we hear in the rising, rolling tide the call of the captain's ring once more? and it well might be, so forlorn is she, where the weird winds sigh and wan birds soar." the development of the most easily reached natural resources was necessarily first. the timber and fisheries were a boundless source of wealth in evidence. as early as , a sawmill run with power afforded by the falls of the des chutes at tumwater, furnished lumber to settlers as a means of profit. the first cargo was taken by the brig _orbit_ in , to san francisco, she being the first american merchant vessel in the carrying trade of puget sound. the brig _george emory_ followed suit; each carried a return cargo of goods for trade with the settlers and indians. at first the forest-fallers had no oxen to drag the timbers, after they were hewn, to the water's edge, but rolled and hauled them by hand as far as practicable. it was in this manner that the brig _leonesa_ was loaded with piles at alki in the winter of - , by the dennys, terry, low, boren and bell. lee terry brought a yoke of oxen to complete the work of loading, from puyallup, on the beach, as there was no road through the heavy forest. several ships were loaded at port townsend, where the possession of three yoke of oxen gave them a decided advantage. one ship, the _g. w. kendall_, was sent from san francisco to puget sound for ice. it is needless to say the captain did not get a cargo of that luxury; he reported that water did not freeze in puget sound and consoled the owner of the ship by returning with a valuable cargo of piles. the cutting of logs to build houses and the grubbing of stumps to clear the land for gardens alternated with the cutting of piles. in the clearing of land, the indians proved a great assistance; far from being lazy many of them were hard workers and would dig and delve day after day to remove the immense stumps of cedar and fir left after cutting the great trees. the settlers burned many by piling heaps of logs and brush on them, others by boring holes far into the wood and setting fire, while some were rent by charges of powder when it could be afforded. the clearing of land in this heavily timbered country was an item of large expense if hired, otherwise of much arduous toil for the owner. the women and children often helped to pile brush and set fires and many a merry party turned out at night to "chunk up" the blazing heaps; after nightfall, their fire-lit figure flitting hither and yon against the purple darkness, suggested well-intentioned witches. cutting down the tall trees, from two hundred fifty to four hundred fifty feet, required considerable care and skill. sometimes we felt the pathos of it all, when a huge giant, the dignified product of patient centuries of growth, fell crashing, groaning to the earth. this side of the subject, is presented in a poem "the lone fir tree," not included in this volume. when finally the small patches of land were cleared, planted and tended, the returns were astonishing, such marvelous vegetables, small fruits and flowers, abundant and luxuriant, rewarded the toiler. nature herself, by her heaps of vegetation, had foreshown the immense productiveness of the soil. in the river valleys were quite extensive prairies, which afforded superior stock range, but the main dependence of the people was in the timber. in h. l. yesler came, who built the first steam sawmill on puget sound, at seattle. other mills sprang up at port ludlow, port gamble, port madison and port blakely, making the names of meigs, pope, talbot, keller, renton, walker, blinn and others, great in the annals of sawmilling on puget sound. this very interesting account concerning yesler's sawmill and those who worked in it in the early days was first published in a seattle paper many years ago: "the other day some of parke's men at work on the foundation of the new union block on front, corner of columbia street, delving among ancient fragments of piles, stranded logs and other debris of sea-wreck, long buried at that part of the waterfront, found at the bottom of an excavation they were making, a mass of knotted iron, corroded, attenuated and salt-eaten, which on being drawn out proved to be a couple of ancient boom-chains. "the scribe, thinking he might trace something of the history of these ancient relics, hunted up mr. yesler, whom, after considerable exploration through the mazes of his wilderness on third and jefferson streets, he found, hose in hand, watering a line of lilies, hollyhocks, penstemons, ageratums, roses, et al. "the subject of the interview being stated, mr. yesler proceeded to relate: 'yes, after i got my mill started in , the first lot of logs were furnished by dr. maynard. he came to me and said he wanted to clear up a piece on the spit, where he wanted to lay out and sell some town lots. it was somewhere about where the new england and arlington now stand. the location of the old mill is now an indeterminate spot, somewhere back of z. c. miles' hardware store. the spot where the old cookhouse stood is in the intersection of mill and commercial streets, between the colman block and gard. kellogg's drug store. hillory butler and bill gilliam had the contract from maynard, and they brought the logs to the mill by hand--rolled or carried them in with handspikes. i warrant you it was harder work than hillory or bill has done for many a day since. afterwards, judge phillips, who went into partnership with dexter horton in the store, got out logs for me somewhere up the bay. "'during the first five years after my mill was started, cattle teams for logging were but few on the sound, and there were no steamboats for towing rafts until . capt. john s. hill's "_ranger no. _," which he brought up from san francisco, was the first of the kind, and george a. meigs' little tug _resolute_, which blew up with capt. johnny guindon and his crew in , came on about the same time. a great deal of the earliest logging on the sound was done exclusively by hand, the logs being thrown into the water by handspikes and towed to the mill on the tide by skiffs. "'in hillory butler took a contract to get me out logs at smith's cove. george f. frye was his teamster. in the fall of and spring and summer of , edward hanford and john c. holgate logged for me on their claims, south of the townsite toward the head of the bay. t. d. hinckley was their teamster, also jack harvey. on one occasion, when bringing in a raft to the mill, john lost a diary which he was keeping and i picked it up on the beach. the last entry it contained read: "june , . started with a raft for yesler's mill. fell off into the water." i remember i wrote right after "and drowned," and returned the book. i don't know how soon afterward john learned from his own book of his death by drowning. "'the indian war breaking out in the fall of ' put a stop to their logging operations, as of all the rest. "'the indians killed or drove off all the cattle hereabouts and burned the dwellings of hanford, holgate and bell on the borders of the town, besides destroying much other property throughout the country. "'the logging outfits in those days were of the most primitive and meager description. rafts were fastened together by ropes or light boom-chains. supplies of hardware and other necessaries were brought up from san francisco by the lumber vessels on their return trips as ordered by the loggers. i remember on one occasion edmund carr, john a. strickler, f. mcnatt and john ross lost the product of a season's labor by their raft getting away from them and going to pieces while in transit between the mill and the head of the bay. my booming place was on the north side of the mill along the beach where now the foundations are going up for the toklas & singerman, gasch, melhorn and lewis brick block. there being no sufficient breakwater thereabouts in those times, i used often to lose a great many logs as well as boom-chains and things by the rafts being broken up by storms. "'my mill in the pioneer times before the indian war furnished the chief resource of the early citizens of the place for a subsistence. "'when there were not enough white men to be had for operating the mill, i employed indians and trained them to do the work. george frye was my sawyer up to the time he took charge of the _john b. libby_ on the whatcom route. my engineers at different times were t. d. hinckley, l. v. wyckoff, john t. moss and douglass. arthur a. denny was screw-tender in the mill for quite a while; d. t. denny worked at drawing in the logs. nearly all the prominent old settlers at some time or other were employed in connection with the mill in some capacity, either at logging or as mill hands. i loaded some lumber for china and other foreign ports, as well as san francisco.'" the primitive methods, crude appliances and arduous toil in the early sawmills have given place to palaces of modern mechanical contrivance it would require a volume to describe, of enormous output, loading hundreds of vessels for unnumbered foreign ports, and putting in circulation millions of dollars. as a forcible contrast to mr. yesler's reminiscence, this specimen is given of modern milling, entitled "sawing up a forest," representing the business of but one of the great mills in later days ( ) at work on puget sound: "the best evidence of the revival of the lumber trade of the sound, is to be found at the great blakeley mill, where four hundred thousand feet of lumber is being turned out every twenty-four hours, and the harbor is crowded with ships destined for almost all parts of the world. "one of the mill officials said, 'we are at present doing a large business with south american and australian ports, and expect with proper attention to secure the south african trade, which, if successful, will be a big thing. we have the finest lumber in the world, and there is no reason why we should not be doing five times the business that is being done on the sound. why, there is some first quality and some selected norway lumber out there on the wharf, and it does not even compare with our second quality lumber.' "the company has at present ( ) men employed and between $ , . and $ , . in wages is paid out every month. "the following vessels are now loading or are loaded and ready to sail: "bark columbia, for san francisco, , feet; ship aristomene, for valparaiso, , , feet; ship earl burgess, for amsterdam, , , feet; bark mercury, for san francisco, , , feet; ship corolla, for valparaiso, , , feet; barkentine katie flickinger, for fiji islands, , feet; bark matilda, for honolulu, , feet; bark e. ramilla, for valparaiso, , feet; ship beechbank, for valparaiso, , , feet. "to load next week: "barkentine george c. perkins, for sidney, n. s. w., , feet; bark guinevere, for valparaiso, , feet. "those to arrive within the next two weeks: "bark antoinette, for valparaiso, , feet; barkentine j. l. stanford, for melbourne, , , feet; ship saga, for valparaiso, , , feet; bark george f. manson, for shanghai, china, , feet; ship harvester, for south africa, , , feet." shingle making was a prominent early industry. the process was slow, done entirely by hand, in vivid contrast with the great facility and productiveness of the modern shingle mills of this region; in consequence of the slowness of manufacture they formerly brought a much higher price. it was an ideal occupation at that time. after the mammoth cedars were felled, sawn and rived asunder, the shingle-maker sat in the midst of the opening in the great forest, towering walls of green on all sides, with the blue sky overhead and fragrant wood spread all around, from which he shaped the thin, flat pieces by shaving them with a drawing knife. cutting and hewing spars to load ships for foreign markets began before . as recorded in a san francisco paper: "in , the bark anadyr sailed from utsalady on puget sound, with a cargo of spars for the french navy yard at brest. in the same ship took a load from the same place to an english navy yard. "to china, spain, mauritius and many other places, went the tough, enduring, flexible fir tree of puget sound. the severe test applied have proven the douglas fir to be without an equal in the making of masts and spars. "in later days the fram, of arctic fame, was built of puget sound fir." the discovery and opening of the coal mines near seattle marks an epoch in the commerce of the northwest. as early as coal was found and mined on a small scale east of seattle. the first company, formed in - , was composed of old and well-known citizens: d. bagley, g. f. whitworth and selucius garfield, who was called the "silver-tongued orator." others joined in the enterprise of developing the mines, which were found to be extensive and valuable. legislation favored them and transportation facilities grew. the names of mcgilvra, yesler, denny and robinson were prominent in the work. tramways, chutes, inclines, tugboats, barges, coalcars and locomotives brought out the coal to deep water on the sound, across lakes washington and union, and three pieces of railroad. a long trestle at the foot of pike street, seattle, at which the ship "belle isle," among others, often loaded, fell in, demolished by the work of the teredo. the writer remembers two startling trips up the incline, nine hundred feet long, on the east side of lake washington, in an empty coal car, the second time duly warned by the operatives that the day before a car load of furniture had been "let go" over the incline and smashed to kindlingwood long before it reached the bottom. the trips were made amidst an oppressive silence and were never repeated. the combined coal fields of washington cover an area of one thousand six hundred fifty square miles. since the earliest developments great strides have been made and a large number of coal mines are operated, such as the black diamond, gilman, franklin, wilkeson, the u. s. government standard, carbonado, roslyn, etc., with a host of underground workers and huge steam colliers to carry an immense output. the carrying of the first telegraph line through the dense forest was another step forward. often the forest trees were pressed into service and insulators became the strange ornaments of the monarchs of the trackless wilderness. pioneer surveyors, of whom a. a. denny was one, journalists, lawyers and other professional men, with the craftsmen, carpenters who helped to repair the decatur and build the fort, masons who helped to build the old university of washington, and other industrious workers brought to mind might each and every one furnish a volume of unique and interesting reminiscence. the women pioneers certainly demand a work devoted to them alone. simultaneously with the commercial and political development, the educational and religious took place. the children of the pioneers were early gathered in schools and the parents preceded the teachers or supplemented their efforts with great earnestness. books, papers and magazines were bountifully provided and both children and grown people read with avidity. for many years the mails came slowly, but when the brimming bags were emptied, the contents were eagerly seized upon, and being almost altogether eastern periodical literature, the children narrowly escaped acquiring the mental squint which o. w. holmes speaks of having affected the youth of the east from the perusal of english literature. the pioneer mail service was one of hardship and danger. the first mail overland in the sound region was carried by a. b. rabbeson in , and could not have been voluminous, as it was transported in his pockets while he rode horseback. a well known mail carrier of early days was nes jacob ohm or "dutch ned," as every one called him. he, with his yellow dog and sallow cayuse, was regarded as an indispensable institution. all three stood the test of travel on the trail for many years. the yellow canine had quite a reputation as a panther dog, and no doubt was a needed protection in the dark wild forest, but he has long since gone where the good dogs go and the cayuse probably likewise. "ned" was somewhat eccentric though a faithful servant of the public. in common with other forerunners of civilization he was a little superstitious. one winter night, grown weary of drowsing by his bright, warm fireplace in his little cabin, he began to walk back and forth in an absent-minded way, when suddenly his hair fairly stood on end; there were two stealthy shadows following him every where he turned. in what state of mind he passed the remainder of the night is unknown, but soon after he related the incident to his friends evincing much anxiety as to what it might signify. probably he had two lights burning in different parts of the room or sufficiently bright separate flames in the fireplace. doubtless it remained a mystery unexplained to him, to the end of his days. the pioneer merchants who traded with the indians, and swapped calico and sugar for butter and eggs, with the settlers, pioneer steamboat men who ran the diminutive steamers between olympia and seattle, pioneer editors, who published tri-weeklies whose news did not come in daily, pioneer milliners who "did up" the hats of the other pioneer women with taste and neatness, pioneer legislators, blacksmiths, bakers, shoemakers, foundry men, shipbuilders, etc., blazed the trails of commerce where now there are broad highways. chapter iv building of the territorial university. early in , the university commissioners, rev. d. bagley, john webster and edmund carr, selected the site for the proposed building, ten acres in seattle, described as a "beautiful eminence overlooking elliott bay and puget sound." a. a. denny donated eight and a fraction acres, terry and lander, one and a fraction acres. the structure was fifty by eighty feet, two stories in height, beside belfry and observatory. there were four rooms above, including the grand lecture room, thirty-six by eighty feet, and six rooms below, beside the entrance hall of twelve feet, running through the whole building. the president's house was forty by fifty, with a solid foundation of brick and cement cellar; the boarding house twenty-four by forty-eight, intended to have an extension when needed. a supply was provided of the purest spring water, running through one thousand four hundred feet of charred pump logs. buildings of such dimensions were not common in the northwest in those days; materials were expensive and money was scarce. it was chiefly through the efforts of john denny that a large appropriation of land was made by congress for the benefit of the new-born institution. although advanced in years, his hair as white as snow, he made the long journey to washington city and return when months were required to accomplish it. by the sale of these lands the expense of construction and purchase of material were met. the land was then worth but one dollar and a half per acre, but enough was sold to amount to $ , . . at that time the site lay in the midst of a heavy forest, through which a trail was made in order to reach it. of the ten-acre campus, seven acres were cleared of the tall fir and cedar trees at an expense of two hundred and seventy-five dollars per acre, the remaining three were worse, at three hundred and sixteen dollars per acre. the method of removing these forest giants was unique and imposing. the workers partially grubbed perhaps twenty trees standing near each other, then dispatched a sailor aloft in their airy tops to hitch them together with a cable and descend to terra firma. a king among the trees was chosen whose downfall should destroy his companions, and relentlessly uprooting it, the tree-fallers suddenly and breathlessly withdrew to witness a grand sight, the whole group of unnumbered centuries' growth go crashing down at once. they would scarcely have been human had they uttered no shout of triumph at such a spectacle. to see but one great, towering fir tree go grandly to the earth with rush of boughs and thunderous sound is a thrilling, pathetic and awe-inspiring sight. about the center of the tract was left a tall cedar tree to which was added a topmast. the tree, shorn of its limbs and peeled clean of bark, was used for a flagstaff. the old account books, growing yearly more curious and valuable, show that the majority of the old pioneers joined heartily in the undertaking and did valiant work in building the old university. they dug, hewed, cleared land, hauled materials, exchanged commodities, busily toiled from morn to night, traveled hither and yon, in short did everything that brains, muscle and energy could accomplish in the face of what now would be deemed well nigh insurmountable obstacles. the president of the board of commissioners, the rev. d. bagley, has said that in looking back upon it he was simply foolhardy. "why, we had not a dollar to begin with," said he; nevertheless pluck and determination accomplished wonders; many of the people took the lands at one dollar and a half an acre, in payment for work and materials. clarence b. bagley, son of rev. d. bagley, is authority for the following statement, made in : "forty-eight persons were employed on the work and nearly all the lumber for the building was secured from the mills at port blakeley and port madison, while the white pine of the finishing siding, doors, sash, etc., came from a mill at seabeck, on hood canal. i have been looking over the books my father kept at that time and find the names of many persons whom all old-timers will remember. i found the entry relating to receiving , brick from capt. h. h. roeder, the price being $ . per thousand, while lime was $ per barrel and cement $ . per barrel. another entry shows that seven gross of ordinary wood screws cost in that early day $ . . capt. roeder is now a resident of whatcom county. the wages then were not very high, the ordinary workman receiving $ and $ . per day and the carpenters and masons $ per day. "on the th of march, john pike and his son, harvey pike, began to clear the ground for the buildings and a few days later james crow and myself commenced. the pikes cleared the acre of ground in the southeast corner and we cleared the acre just adjoining, so that we four grubbed the land on which the principal building now stands. all the trees were cut down and the land leveled off, and the trees which now grace the grounds started from seeds and commenced to grow up a few years later and are now about twenty-five years old. among the men who helped clear the land were: hillory butler, john carr, w. h. hyde, edward richardson, l. holgate, h. a. atkins, jim hunt, l. b. andrews, l. pinkham, ira woodin, dr. josiah settle, parmelee & dudley, and of that number that are now dead are carr, hyde, holgate, atkins and parmelee and dudley. mr. crow is now living at kent and owns a good deal of property there. mr. carr was a relative of the hanfords. mr. holgate was a brother of the holgate who was killed in seattle during the indian war, being shot dead while standing at the door of the fort. he was an uncle of the hanfords. mr. atkins was mayor of the town at one time. "r. king, who dressed the flagstaff, is not among the living. the teamsters who did most of the hauling were hillory butler, thomas mercer and d. b. ward, all of whom are still living. william white was blacksmith here then and did a good deal of work on the building. he is now living in california and is well-to-do, but his son is still a resident of seattle. thomas russell was the contractor for putting up the frame of the university building. he died some time since and of his estate there is left the russell house, and his family is well known. john dodge and john t. jordan did a good deal of the mason work, both of whom are now dead, but they have children who still live in this city. the stone for the foundation was secured from port orchard and the lime came from victoria, being secured here at a large cost." george austin, who raised the flagstaff and put the top on, has been dead many years. dexter horton and yesler, denny & co. kept stores in those days and furnished the nails, hardware and general merchandise. mr. horton's store was where the bank now stands and the store of yesler, denny & co. was where the national bank of commerce now stands. l. v. wyckoff, the father of van wyckoff, who was sheriff of the county for many years, did considerable hauling and draying. he also is dead. frank mathias was a carpenter and did a good deal of the finishing work. he died in california and his heirs have since been fighting for his estate. h. mcalear kept a stove and hardware store and furnished the stoves for the building. he is now dead and there has been a contest over some of his property in the famous hill tract in this city. d. c. beatty and r. h. beatty, not relatives, were both carpenters. the former is now living on a farm near olympia and the latter is in the insane asylum at steilacoom. ira woodin is still alive and is the founder of woodinville. in the early days mr. woodin and his father owned the only tannery in the country, which was located at the corner of south fourth street and yesler avenue, then mill street. o. j. carr, whose name appears as a carpenter, lives at edgewater. he was the postmaster of the town for many years. o. c. shorey and a. p. delin, as "shorey & delin," furnished the desks for the several rooms and also made the columns that grace the front entrance to the building. plummer & hinds furnished some of the materials used in the construction. george w. harris, the banker, auditor of the lake shore road, is a stepson of mr. plummer. jordan and thorndyke were plasterers and both have been dead for many years. david graham, who did some of the grading, is still living in seattle. a. s. mercer did most of the grading with mr. graham. mr. mercer is a brother of thomas mercer, who brought out two parties of young ladies from the atlantic coast by sea, many of whom are married and are now living in seattle. harry hitchcock, one of the carpenters, is now dead. harry gordon was a painter and was quite well known for some years. he finally went east, and i think is still living, although i have not heard from him for many years. of the three who composed the board of university commissioners mr. carr and mr. webster are dead. all the paint, varnishes, brushes, etc., were purchased in victoria and the heavy duties made the cost very high; in fact, everything was costly in those days. an entry is made of a keg of lath nails which cost $ , and a common wooden wheelbarrow cost $ . the old bell came from the east, and cost, laid down in seattle, $ . it cost $ to put in position, and thus the whole cost was nearly $ . it is made of steel and was rung from the tower for the first time in march, . the only tinner in the place covered the cupola where hung the bell. its widely reaching voice proclaimed many things beside the call to studies, fulfilling often the office of bell-buoy and fog-horn to distracted mariners wandering in fog and smoke, and giving alarm in case of fire. the succeeding lines set forth exactly historical facts as well as expressing the attachment of the old pupils to the bell and indeed to the university itself: the voice of the old university bell. a vibrant voice thrilled through the air, now here, now there, seemed everywhere; my young thoughts stirred, laid away in a shroud, and joyfully rose and walked abroad. it was long ago in my youth and pride, when my young thoughts lived and my young thoughts died, and often and over all unafraid they wander and wander like ghosts unlaid. through calm and storm for many a year, i faithfully called my children dear, and honest and urgent have been my tones to hurry the laggard and hasten the drones, but earnest and early or lazy and late they toiled up the hill and entered the gate, across the campus they rushed pell-mell at the call of the old university bell. if danger menaced on land or sea, the note of warning loud and free; or a joyous peal in the twilight dim of the new year's dawn, after new year's hymn. if a ship in the bay floated out ablaze, or the fog-wreaths blinded the mariner's gaze, safe into port they steered them well, cheered by the old university bell. when lincoln the leader was stricken low, o! a darker day may we never know, a bitter wail from my heart was wrung to float away from my iron tongue, on storm-wing cast it traveled fast, above me writhed the flag half-mast. my children wept, their fathers frowned, with clenched hands looked down to the ground, for the saddest note that ever fell from the throat of the old university bell. but deep was the joy and wild was the clamor, with leaping hot haste they hurried the hammer, when the battles were fought and the war was all over, o'er the north and the south did the peace angels hover; my children sang sweetly and softly and low "the union forever, is safe now we know," the years they may come and the years they may go, and hearts that were loyal will ever be so. there's a long roll-call, i ring over all that have harkened and answered in the old hall; adams and andrews, (from a unto z, alphabetic arrangement as any can see), bonney and bagley and mercer and hays, francis and denny in bygone days, hastings and ebey, the oregon strongs, and many another whose name belongs to fame and the world, or has passed away to realms that are bright with endless day. the presidents ruled with a right good will, mercer and barnard, whitworth and hill, anderson, powell, gatch and hall, harrington now and i've named them all. witten and thayer, hansee and lee, the wise professors were fair to see, they strictly commanded, did study compel at the call of the old university bell. osborne, mccarty, thornton and spain, with their companions in sunshine and rain, back in the seventies, might tell what befell at the ring of the old university bell. the eighties came on and the roll-call grew longer emboldened with learning, my voice rang the stronger; the day of commencement saw young men and maids proudly emerge from the classic shades where oft they had heard and heeded well the voice of the old university bell. they bore me away to a shrine new and fine, where the pilgrims of learning with yearning incline; enwrapped they now seem, in a flowery dream, the stars of good fortune so radiant beam. of the long roll call not one is forgot, if sorrow beset them or happy their lot; my wandering children all love me so well, their life-work done, they'll wish a soft knell might be tolled by the old university bell. such is the force of habit that it was many years before i could shake off the inclination to obey the imperative summons of the old university bell. with other small children, i ran about on the huge timbers of the foundation, in the dusk when the workmen were gone, glancing around a little fearfully at the dark shadows in the thick woods, and then running home as fast as our truant feet could carry us. the laying of the cornerstone was an imposing ceremony to our minds and a significant as well as gratifying occasion to our elders. the speeches, waving of flags, salutes, masonic emblems and service with the music rendered by a fine choir, accompanied by a pioneer melodeon, made it quite as good as a fourth of july. all the well-to-do ranchers and mill men sent their children from every quarter. the ebeys of whidby island, hays of olympia, strongs of oregon, burnetts of down sound and dennys of seattle, beside the children of many other prominent pioneers, received their introduction to learning beneath its generous shelter. a cheerful, energetic crowd they were with clear brains and vigorous bodies. the school was of necessity preparatory; in modern slang, a university was rather previous in those days. but all out-of-doors was greater than our books when it came to physical geography and natural history, to say nothing of botany, geology, etc. observing eyes and quick wits discovered many things not yet in this year of grace set down in printed pages. a curious thing, and rather absurd, was the care taken to instruct us in "bounding" new hampshire, vermont and all the rest of the eastern states, while owing to the lack of local maps we were obliged to gain the most of our knowledge of washington by traveling over it. the first instruction given within its walls was in a little summer school taught by mrs. o. j. carr, which i attended. previous to this my mother was my patient and affectionate instructor, an experienced and efficient one i will say, as teaching had been her profession before coming west. asa mercer was at the head of the university for a time, followed by w. e. barnard, under whose sway it saw prosperous days. a careful and painstaking teacher with a corps of teachers fresh from eastern schools, and ably seconded in his efforts by his lovely wife, a very accomplished lady, he was successful in building up the attendance and increasing the efficiency of the institution. but after a time it languished, and was closed, the funds running low. under the rev. f. h. whitworth it again arose. it was then run with the common school funds, which raised such opposition that it finally came to a standstill. d. t. denny was a school director and county treasurer at the same time, but could not pay any monies to the university without an order from the county superintendent. on one occasion he was obliged to put a boy on horseback and send him eleven miles through the forest and back, making a twenty-two mile ride, to obtain the required order. the children and young people who attended the university in the old times are scattered far and wide, some have attained distinction in their callings, many are worthy though obscure, and some have passed away from earthly scenes. we spoke our "pieces," delivered orations, wrote compositions, played ball games of one or more "cats" and many old-fashioned games in and around the big building and often climbed up to the observatory to look out over the beautiful bay and majestic mountains. that glistening sheet of water often drew the eyes from the dull page and occasionally an unwary pupil would be reminded in a somewhat abrupt fashion to proceed with his researches. one afternoon a boy who had been gazing on its changing surface for some minutes, caught sight of a government vessel rounding the point, and jumped up saying excitedly, "there's a war ship a-comin'!" to the consternation though secret delight of the whole school. "well, don't stop her," dryly said the teacher, and the boy subsided amid the smothered laughter of his companions. cupid sometimes came to school then, as i doubt not he does in these days, not as a learner but distracter--to those who were his victims. it's my opinion, and i have it from st. catherine, he should have been set on the dunce block and made to study malthus. two notable victims are well remembered, one a lovely blonde young girl, a beautiful singer; the other as dark as a spaniard, with melting black eyes and raven tresses. they did not wait to graduate but named the happy day. the blonde married a democratic editor, well known in early journalism, the other a very popular man, yet a resident of seattle. the whole of the second story of the university consisted of one great hall or assembly room with two small ante-rooms. here the school exhibitions were held, lectures and entertainments given. christmas trees, sunday schools, political meetings and i do not know what else, although i think no balls were ever permitted in those days, a modern degeneration to my mind. the old building has always been repainted white until within a few years and stood among the dark evergreen a thing of dignity and beauty, the tall fluted columns with doric capitals being especially admired. but changes will come; a magnificent, new, expensive and ornate edifice has been provided with many modern adjuncts--and the old university has been painted a grimy putty color! the days of old, the golden days, will never be forgotten by the students of the old university, which, although perhaps not so comfortable or elegant nor of so elevated a curriculum as the new, compassed the wonderful beginnings of things intellectual, sowing the seed that others might harvest, planting the tree of knowledge from which others should gather the fruit. chapter v. a chehalis letter, penned in ' . mound prairie, chehalis river, near mr. ford's tavern, lewis county, oregon territory. nov. . my dear elizabeth: i believe this is the first letter i have addressed to you since we removed from wisconsin, and i feel truly thankful to say that through the infinite mercy of god both my family and self have been in the enjoyment of excellent, uninterrupted health. the last letter we received from wisconsin was from my brother thomas, complaining of our long silence. we found, too, that mr. james' long letter, containing an account of our route--arrival in oregon--our having made a claim on the clackamas, with description of it--and all our progress up to february last, had been received. so here begins the next chapter. about the middle of march we removed into our new log house; here we found everything necessary to make a homestead comfortable and even delightful--a beautiful building spot on a pleasant knoll of considerable extent--a clear brook running along within a few yards of our door; and surrounded by the grandest mountain scenery--and more than that, decidedly healthy. within walking distance of oregon city and milwaukee, and eight miles from portland. with all these advantages the boys could not reconcile themselves to it on account of the great lack of grass which prevails for twenty miles 'round. brush of all description, hazel, raspberry, salal, rose, willow and fern grow to a most gigantic size. and in february what appeared to us and others--a kind of grass--sprang up quickly over the ground and mountain side; nor was it 'till may, when it blossomed out, that we discovered what we hoped would be nourishment for our cattle, was nothing more than the grass iris, and fully accounted for the straying of our cattle and the constant hunt that was kept up by our neighbors and selves after cattle and horses. in fact we soon found that this was no place for cattle until it had been subdued and got into cultivation. to make the matter worse we were every now and then in the receipt of messages and accounts from our friends and acquaintances who were located, some in umpqua, some in the willamette valley, some at puget sound. those from umpqua sent us word that there was grass enough all winter, on one claim for a thousand head of cattle. mr. lucas in the callipooiah mountains at the head of the willamette, sent us pressing invitations to come up and settle by him, where he had grass as high as his knees in february. in the willamette the first rate places were all taken up. samuel and billy joined in begging their father to make a tour north or south to see some of these desirable places. finally he was induced, though rather reluctantly (so well he liked our pleasant home and so confident was he of raising grass and grain) to visit one or the other after harvest. we finished our harvest in july and in august mr. j., accompanied by billy, set off on a journey of exploration to the north. the land route lay along the north bank of the columbia for sixty miles to the mouth of the cowlitz, then thirty miles up that river over indian trails, all but impassable. this brought them into the beautiful prairies of puget sound, sixty or seventy miles through which brought them to that branch of the pacific. they returned after an absence of between three and four weeks. so well were mr. james and billy pleased with the country that they made no delay on their return in selling out their improvements which they had an opportunity of doing immediately. we had milked but two cows during the summer, but even with the poor feed we had, i had kept the family in butter and sold $ worth, but then i had fifty cents and five shillings per pound. as to my poultry, i obtained with some difficulty the favor of a pullet and a rooster for $ . . in march i added another hen to my stock, and so rapidly did they increase, that in september i had, small and big, eighty. after keeping six pullets and a rooster for myself, i made $ . off the rest, so you may judge by a little what much will do in oregon. well, it is time for me to take you on board the batteaux, as i wish you all had been on the th of september, when we set sail down the willamette from milwaukee. after two days we entered the columbia, one of the noblest of rivers. after three days, with a head wind all the time, we entered the mouth of the cowlitz, a beautiful stream, but so swift that none but indians can navigate it. we had to hire five indians for $ . to take us up. four days brought us to what is called the upper landing of the cowlitz. here ended our river travel--by far the most pleasant journey i ever made. there we met samuel and billy who with tom had taken the cattle by the trail. we halted at a mr. jackson's, where we stopped for a fortnight, while mr. j. and the boys journeyed away in search of adventures and a claim. on the banks of the chehalis, miles north of where we stopped and miles south of the sound, they found a claim satisfactory in every respect to all parties, and what was not a little, we found a cabin a great deal better than the one we found last winter. the indians told us that _tennes_ (white) jack, who _momicked_ (worked) it had _clatawawed_ (traveled or went) to california in quest of _chicamun_ (metal) and had never _chacooed_ (come back), so we entered on _tennes_ jack's labours. as a farm and location, this certainly exceeds our most sanguine expectations. i often thought last year that we had bettered our conditions from what they were in wisconsin, and now i think we have improved ours ten times beyond what we then were. our claim is along the banks of the chehalis, a navigable river which empties into the pacific at grays harbor, about miles below us. a settlement is just commenced at the mouth of the river and a sawmill is erected miles below us, or rather is building. these are all the settlements on the river below us, and our nearest neighbor above us is miles up. a prairie of miles long and varying in width from to miles stretched away to the north of us, watered with a beautiful stream of water and covered with grass at this time as green as in may. a stream of water flows within a few yards of our house, so full of salmon that tom and johnny could with ease catch a barrel in an hour; they are from to lbs. in a fish. besides which we have a small fish here very much resembling a pilchard. we are blessed with the most beautiful springs of water, one of which will be enclosed in our door yard. as far as i can learn there are in the thickest settled parts of this portion of oregon, about one family in a township--many towns are not so thickly settled. we are the only inhabitants of this great prairie except a few indians who have a fishing station about a mile from us. these are on very friendly terms with us, supplying us with venison, wild fowl and mats at a very reasonable price, as we are the only customers and we in return letting them have what _sappalille_ (flour) and molasses we can at a reasonable price, which they are always willing to pay. soap is another article i am glad to see in request among them. and it affords them no little amusement to look at the plates of the encyclopedia. but i fear it will be long before they will be brought to _momick_ the _illahe_ (earth). they are the finest and stoutest set of indians we have seen. we converse with them by means of a jargon composed of english, french and chinook, and which the indians speak fluently, and we are getting to _waw-waw_ (speak) pretty well. my children, i am thankful to say, look better than i ever saw them in america; they have not had the least symptoms of any of the diseases that they were so much afflicted with in wisconsin. and now, my dear elizabeth, if wishing would bring you here, you should soon be here in what appears to me to be one of the most delightful portions of the globe. but then, ever since i have been in america i have regarded a mild climate as a "pearl of great price" in temporal things and felt willing to pay for it accordingly and i have not had the least reason to think i have valued it too high. many and many a year has passed since i have enjoyed life as i have since i have been in oregon. i should have told you that the chehalis is one of the most beautiful rivers in oregon. our claim stretches a mile along the north bank of it. it flows through quite an elevated part of the country. our house, though within a few rods of the river, has one of the finest views in oregon, the prairie stretching away to the north like a fine lawn, skirted on each side by oak and maple, at this time in all the brilliant hues of autumn; behind, on gently rising hills, forests of fir and cedar of most gigantic height and size; farther still to the northeast rises the ever snow-clad mountains of rainier and st. helens, on the opposite side to the southwest of the coast range, so near that we can see the trees on them. so magnificent are those immense snow mountains that none but those who have seen them can form any idea of it. this prairie takes its name from a remarkable mound about a mile from our house; it stands in about acres and is feet high, with a pure spring half way up. the rest of the prairie is almost level without a spring except in the margin. the soil of the mound, as well as some of the margin, has just enough clay to make it a rich and excellent soil; the rest of the prairie is deficient in clay; it has a rich black mould overlaying two feet deep, resting on substratum of sand and gravel, which in some places is so mixed with the soil as to give it the name of a gravelly prairie. you might have the choice of fifty such prairies as this and some better on this river. farmers were never better paid in the world, even my little dairy of two cows has for the month past turned me in, at least i have sold butter to the amount of two and a half bushels of wheat a day at wisconsin prices of cents, and have by me pounds for which i shall have at least cents or $ . per pound. i now milk three cows; we have four; and mr. james means to add two more and a few sheep. mr. j. sold the worst yoke of cattle he had for $ . . cows are worth from $ . to $ . ; sheep are from $ . to $ . ; chickens, cents to $ . each; eggs, cents per dozen; dry goods and groceries just the same as in the states; wheat $ . per bushel. we left our wheat on the clackamas to be threshed. they, samuel and billy, are now preparing to put in ten acres of fall wheat, potatoes are $ . per bushel. indians easy to hire, both men and women, at reasonable wages. extensive coal mines of excellent quality have been discovered within miles of this place. but all these things are secondary in my estimation compared with the climate, which is allowed by all english to be superior to their native clime. it makes me very sad to think how we are separated as a family, never to meet again (at least in all probability) under one roof. o, that we may all meet at least at the right hand of god, let this be our sole concern and our path will be made plain in temporals. you have the advantage of us in schools, churches and society, but i feel quite patient to wait the arrival of those blessings in addition to those we enjoy. this letter will be accompanied by a paper to mr. mcnaves, "_the columbian_," published at olympia, puget sound. mr. james has just written an article for it, entitled the "rainy season." i wonder how amy and edward are getting on; how i wish they were here. do you think they will ever come over? should any of you (of course i include any old friends and acquaintances at caledonia) determine on removing to this part, the instructions in my husband's letter are the best we can give. there has been great suffering on the road this year. we have seen a great many families who came through in a very fair manner, some of them without even the loss of a single head of cattle; these were among the first trains; among the latter the loss of cattle and lives was awful. some horrid murders were committed on the road, for which the murderers were tried and shot or hung on the spot. the papers say there will be fifteen thousand added to the population of oregon by this year's emigration. it is in contemplation to open a road through from grand ronde on to puget sound, which will shorten the distance at least miles and out of the very worst of the road. samuel and billy are determined to come to meet you on the new route with jack and dandy, and more if wanted. now we are settled in earnest you shall hear from us oftener and hope we shall the same from you. give my kindest and best love to mother. one old lady, about her age, crossed the plains when we did; she was alive and well when we left the other side of the columbia. i must introduce to you an old acquaintance--the rooks--caw! caw! caw! all around us. we have a rookery on our farm. it is now the th of nov., a fortnight since i wrote the above, in hopes that it would be on its passage to wisconsin ere this, but was disappointed of sending to the postoffice. weather warm and sunshiny as may, two or three white frosts that vanished with the rising of the sun are all we have had, not the slightest prospect of sleighing nearer than the slopes of mt. rainier. i have just asked all hands for the dark side of oregon, not one could mention anything worth calling such. mr. j. says the shades are so light as to be invisible. the grey squirrel on the south of the columbia was the most formidable enemy to the farmer; more of that when i write next. my kindest love to all the dear children; how i long to see them all again, particularly anna; o, that she may be a very good girl. richard and allan often talk of writing to avis and lydia. how are mr. and mrs. welch and family? how gladly would i welcome them to my humble cabin. i cannot help thinking, too, that mrs. w. and i could enjoy ourselves here on the green sward and in looking at the beautiful evergreen shrubs and plants on the banks of the chehalis, though we might be overtaken by a mild sprinkling. a canoe on the waters of that beautiful stream would help to compensate for the loss of a sleigh on the snows of wisconsin, particularly when it can be enjoyed at the same season of the year. but i suppose i must look upon all this as a utopian dream, as i expect few if any of you would barter your comfortable house for a log cabin; well, it is my home, and i hope i have not given you an exaggerated description of it. i wished my husband to write a more particular description of the soil and its productions than i could give, but he was in no writing mood. he says the prairies as far as he has seen are not equal to iowa or illinois, but for climate and health he thinks oregon equals if not surpasses most parts of the world. * * * * * well, i must bid you good-bye, with kind regards to mr. and mrs. drummond, with all my other friends in yorkville, mr. moyle and susan, with all my friends and acquaintances in caledonia. i will write again, all's well, about christmas, and hope you will attend to the same rate and write once in a month. farewell my dear sister. yours in true affection, a. m. james. p. s.--if jane and dick are married, i will risk saying that the best thing they can do is to come here. all the children send their love to you all. i should be thankful for a few flower seeds. chapter vi some pioneers of port townsend. in port townsend and seattle papers of appeared the following items of history pertaining to settlers of port townsend: "port townsend, feb. , .--on friday, february , there is to be held in port townsend a reunion of old settlers to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the landing at this place of some of the first white families to settle on puget sound north of the little town of steilacoom. "much interest is being manifested in the coming celebration among the old-timers on puget sound, many of whom have already responded to invitations that have been sent them. most of these letters contain interesting anecdotes or references touching the past. one of them is from judge e. d. warbass, of san juan county, who writes from 'idlewild,' his country home, near friday harbor, under date of february . in his letter to j. a. kuhn, whom he addresses as 'my dear ankutty tillikum,' he says: "'this is my birthday, born in a. d. . please figure up the time for yourself. i have just finished my breakfast and chores, and will get this letter off on the o'clock mail. i am sincerely obliged for the honor of being invited to come to the port townsend celebration and to prepare and read some reminiscences of my experiences during all these years. i hope to be able to do so, and will, if i can, but you know i am no longer the same rollicking ed, but quite an old man. however, i am willing to contribute my mite towards making your celebration a success, and weather and health permitting, will be there. delate mika siam.' "a. a. plummer, sr., and henry bacheller came to port townsend by sailing vessel from san francisco, in the fall of , and remained here during the winter. a few days after they arrived here, l. b. hastings and f. w. pettygrove came in overland from portland, carrying their blankets on their backs. they soon decided to return to portland and bring their families over. mr. hastings arranged with plummer and bacheller to build a cabin for him by the time he returned. "he and pettygrove went back to portland, and soon afterward mr. hastings bought the schooner mary taylor. he made up a party of congenial people, and on february , , the mary taylor sailed from the columbia river with the following named persons, and their families, on board: l. b. hastings, f. w. pettygrove, benjamin ross, david shelton, thomas tallentyre and smith hayes. the last named had no family. "on february the schooner passed in by cape flattery, and on the afternoon of the th came upon the hudson bay settlement on vancouver island, at victoria. present survivors of the trip, who were then children, recall how their fathers lifted them up to their shoulders and pointed out the little settlement, telling them at the same time that that country belonged to england, and of their own purpose of crossing over to the american side and there establishing a home for themselves. that night the schooner dropped anchor in port townsend bay. "early next morning--february --the schooner was boarded by quincy a. brooks, deputy collector and inspector of customs. mr. brooks had arrived here only a few hours ahead of the mary taylor, coming from olympia and bringing with him the following customs inspectors: a. m. poe, h. c. wilson and a. b. moses. these men had been sent here by the collector of customs to investigate stories of smuggling being carried on between the hudson bay company and indians on the sound. the customs officials were camped on the beach. with them were b. j. madison and william wilton, the former of whom later settled here. a. a. plummer and henry bacheller were also camped on the beach here at the same time, having been here since their arrival from san francisco in the preceding fall. [illustration: ship "belle isle" loading coal, ] "early in the forenoon of february all on board the schooner mary taylor were landed on the beach and immediately began the work of carving out homes for themselves in what was then a wilderness thickly inhabited by indians. mr. hastings found his cabin ready for occupancy, all but the roof, which had not been put on. a temporary roof was constructed and the family moved in. that night twelve inches of snow fell, it being the first snow that had fallen here during the entire winter. mr. hastings' schooner afterward made several trips between the columbia river and the sound, bringing additional families here. "the present survivors of the mary taylor's passengers are the following: l. w. d. shelton and his sister, mary, oregon c. hastings, frank w. hastings, maria hastings littlefield, benj. s. pettygrove and sophia pettygrove mcintyre. all but mr. shelton and his sister and oregon c. hastings are residents of port townsend. "oregon c. hastings was born in illinois in , and crossed the plains in with his parents. he is living in victoria. "benjamin s. pettygrove is a native of portland, oregon, where he was born on september , . he was the first white male child born in portland. "frank w. hastings was born in portland on november , . "sophia pettygrove was born in portland on november , . she was married on her th birthday to captain james mcintyre, who lost his life a few weeks ago in the wreck of the steamship bristol in alaskan waters. "judge j. a. kuhn is the moving spirit in the matter of these pioneers' reunions and in the organization of native sons and native daughters lodges. he made a promise to g. morris haller of seattle, as far back as , he says, that he would take up the organizations referred to, in the interest of history and research. the matter remained dormant, however, till the year , when, on march , of that year, he instituted in port townsend, jefferson camp no. , native sons of washington, with members present. the camp now has members. on july , , he instituted in port townsend, lucinda hastings parlor no. , native daughters of washington. there are now in the state nine camps of native sons and four parlors of native daughters. "a. a. plummer, sr., now deceased, was one of the fathers of port townsend and was considered quite a remarkable man. he was born in the state of maine, march , , and was a veteran of the mexican war. he fought under col. stevens in that conflict and at its close went to california, going from there to portland by sailing vessel in . "major quincy a. brooks was the second deputy collector of customs ever sworn into the service in the puget sound district. in january, , he succeeded elwood evans as deputy collector for the district. the collector of customs was then simpson p. moses, of cincinnati, ohio, and the custom house was located at olympia." at the reunion on the st of february, , many things were brought to light. "among the many stories of early days and reminiscences recalled at the pioneers' gathering one of the most interesting was mr. shelton's story of the trip of the mary taylor from portland to port townsend. mr. shelton had committed his reminiscences to manuscript as follows: "'fifty years ago, some time about the first of february, the little -ton schooner mary taylor left portland, ore., for puget sound, having on board the families of l. b. hastings, f. w. pettygrove, david shelton, thomas tallentyre, benjamin ross and smith hayes. mr. hayes had no family here, but i think he had a family in the east. mr. ross had one son, about years old. "'our little craft was navigated by captain hutchinson and a crew of four or five men. the families were all old acquaintances. those of hastings, ross and shelton crossed the plains together in , and concluded to cast their fortunes together again in their last great move, which was to this country. "'we lay at astoria several days, waiting for a favorable opportunity to cross the bar. we made three trials before we ventured out to sea and were three or four days getting up to cape flattery, where we lay quite a while in a calm. we found here that we were in soundings, and some of the party commenced fishing, but all they could catch were dog fish, which we tried to eat, but we found that they were not the kind of fish that we cared about. "'our first sight of indians in this part of the country was off neah bay. we were drifting near waadah island, when canoes came swarming out of their village in the bay. we had heard ugly stories about this tribe, and prepared for them by stacking our arms around the masts, to be handy in case of need. they were clamorous to come on board, but we thought that they were as well off in their canoes as they would be anywhere else. some of our party sauntered along the deck with guns in their hands, in view of the indians. "'the indians then wanted to trade fish for tobacco and trinkets. a few pieces of tobacco were thrown into their canoes and then they commenced throwing fish aboard, and such fish for a landsman to look at! there were bull-heads, rock-cod, kelp-fish, mackerel, fish as flat as your hand, and skates, and other monstrosities, the likes of which the most of our party had never seen before, and when our old cook dished them up for us at dinner we found that they were fine and delicious. there is where we made the acquaintance of sea-bass and rock-cod, and we have cultivated their acquaintance ever since. there were also mussels and clams among the lot, which we found to be very good. we were surrounded by another lot of indians near clallam bay, with about the same performances and with the same results as at neah bay.' "another incident that i recall happened near dungeness spit. a couple of canoes filled with indians came alongside and as there was only a few of them they were allowed to come on board. the tyee of the crowd introduced himself as lord jim. he wore a plug hat, a swallowtailed coat, a shirt and an air of immense importance. i suppose he had secured his outfit as a 'cultus potlatch' from persons he had met. he had evidently met several white people in his time, as he had a number of testimonials as to his character as a good indian. i remember of hearing one of his testimonials read and it impressed me as having come from one who had studied the indian character to some effect. it read something like this: "'to whom it may concern: this will introduce lord jim, a noted indian of this part of the country. look out for him or he will steal the buttons off your coat.' a further acquaintance with lord jim seemed to inspire the belief that the confidence of the writer was not misplaced. "shortly after we left lord jim we sailed along protection island, one of the beauty spots of the strait of juan de fuca. somewhere along here another thing happened--trivial in its nature--the memory of which has stayed with me all these years. mr. pettygrove was walking the deck in a meditative manner, when he happened to feel that he needed a cigar. he called to his son, ben, about six years old, and told him to bring him some cigars. ben wanted to know how many he should get. his father told him to get as many as he had fingers on both hands. ben, proud of his commission, darted away and soon returned with eight cigars. his father looked at them a moment and said: 'how is this; you have only brought me eight cigars?' 'well,' said ben, 'that is all the fingers i have.' 'no,' said his father, 'you have ten on both your hands.' 'why, no i haven't,' said ben, 'two of them are thumbs,' and i guess ben was right. "the next morning, after passing dungeness spit, we found our vessel anchored abreast of what is now the business part of port townsend, which was then a large indian village. that was february , , fifty years ago today. how it stirs the blood and quickens the memory to look back over those eventful years--eventful years for our state, our pacific coast and our entire country--and these years have been equally eventful for the little band that landed here that day so full of hope and energy. "our fathers and mothers are all gone to their well-earned rest and reward. of the thirteen children that were with them at that time nine are still living, and i am proud of the fact that they are all respectable citizens of the community in which they live. they have seen all the history of this part of the country that amounts to much and in their humble way have helped to make it. they have helped conquer the wilderness and the savages and have done their share in laying the foundation of what will be one of the greatest states of our union. their fathers were men of honesty and more than ordinary force of character, as their deeds and labors in behalf of their country and families show, and the mothers of blessed memory--their children never realized the power for good they were in this world until they were grown and had families of their own, but they know it now. they know now how they encouraged their husbands when dark days came; how they cheerfully shared the trials and hardships incident to those early pioneer days, and when brighter fortunes came they exercised the same helpful guiding influence in their well ordered, comfortable homes that they did in their first log cabins in the wilderness." chapter vii. personnel of the pioneer army. a long roll of honor i might call of the brave men and women who dared and strove in the wild northwest of the long ago. if i speak of representative pioneers, those unnamed might be equally typical of the bold army of "forest-felling kings," "forest-fallers" as well as "fighters," like those northland men of old. there are the names of denny, yesler, phillips, terry, low, boren, butler, bell, mercer, maple, van asselt, horton, hanford, mcconaha, smith, maynard, frye, blaine and others who felled the forest and laid foundations at and near seattle; briggs, hastings, van bokkelin, hammond, pettygrove with others founded port townsend, while lansdale, crockett, alexander, cranney, kellogg, hancock, izett, busby, ebey and coupe, led the van for whidby island; eldridge and roeder at bellingham bay; toward the head of navigation, mcallister, bush, simmons, packwood, chambers, shelton, are a few of those who blazed the way. the blows of the sturdy forest-felling kings rang out from many a favored spot on the shores of the great inland sea, cheerful signals for the thousands to come after them. [illustration: william r. boren rev. d. e. blaine carson d. boren] these, and the long list of the here unnamed, waged the warfare of beginnings, which required such large courage, independence, persistence, faith and uncompromising toil, as the velvet-shod aftercomers can scarcely conceive of. simultaneously with the early subjugation of the country, the political, educational, commercial and social initiatory movements were made of whose present development the people of puget sound may well be proud. since the organization of the washington pioneer association in october, , the old pioneers and their children have met year by year in the lavish month of june to recount their adventures, toils and privations, and enjoy the sympathy begotten of similar experiences, in the midst of modern ease and plenty. a concourse of this kind in seattle evoked the following words of appreciation: "no organization, no matter what its nature might be, could afford the people of seattle more gratification by holding its assemblage in their midst than is afforded them by the action of the pioneers' association of washington territory in holding its annual gathering in this city. unlike conventions and gatherings in which only a portion of the community is interested, the meeting of the pioneers is interesting to all. to some, of course, the event is of more importance than to others, but all have an interest in the pioneers' association, all have a pride in the achievement of its members, and all can feel that they are the beneficiaries of the struggle and hardships of which the pioneers tell. "the reminiscences of the pioneers from the history of the first life breathings of our commonwealth--of a commonwealth which, though in its infancy, is grand indeed, and which gives promise of attaining greatness in the full maturity of its powers of which those who laid the foundations of the state scarcely dreamed. the pioneers are the fathers of the commonwealth; their struggles and their hardships were the struggles and the hardships of a state coming into being. they cleared the forests, not for themselves alone, but for posterity and for all time. as they subdued a wild and rugged land and prepared it to sustain and support its share of the people of the earth, each blow of their ax was a blow destined to resound through all time, each furrow turned by their ploughshares that the earth might yield again and again to their children's children so long as man shall inhabit the earth. no stroke of work done in the progress of that great labor was done in vain. none of the mighty energy was lost. each tree that fell, fell never to rise. each nail driven in a settler's hut was a nail helping to bind together the fabric of the community. each day's labor was given to posterity more surely than if it had been sold for gold to be buried in the earth and brought forth by delighted searchers centuries hence. "it is for this that we honor the pioneers. it is for this that we are proud and happy to have them meet among us. we are their heirs. our inheritance is the fruit of their labor, the reward of their fortitude, the recompense of their hardships. the home of today, the center of comfort and contentment, the very soul of the state, could not have been but for the log cabins of forty years ago. the imposing edifice of learning, the complete system of education, could not have been but for the crude school house of the past. the churches and religious institutions of today are the result of the untiring and unselfish labors of the itinerant preacher who wandered back and forth, now painfully picking his way through the forest, now threading with his frail canoe the silver streams, now gliding over the calm waters of the sound, ever laying broad and deep the true foundations of the grand civilization that was to be. the flourishing cities, the steel rails that bind us to the world, the stately steamers that, behemoth-like, journey to and fro in our waters,--these things could not be but for the rude straggling hamlets, the bridle path cut with infinite labor through the most impenetrable of forests, and the canoe which darted arrow-like through gloomy passages, over bright bays and up laughing waters. "all honor to the pioneers--all honor and welcome. we say it who are their heirs, we whose homes are on the land which they reclaimed from the forests, we who till the fields that they first tilled, we whose pride and glory is the grand land-locked sea on which they gazed delighted so many years ago. welcome to them, and may they come together again and again as the years pass away. when their eyes are dim with age and their hair is as white as the snows that cover the mountains they love, may they still see the land which they created the home of a great, proud people, a people loving the land they love, a people honoring and obeying the laws that they have honored and obeyed so long, a people honoring, glorying in, the flag which they bore over treeless plains, over lofty mountains, over raging torrents, through suffering and danger, always proudly, always confidently, always hopefully, until they planted it by the shore of the western sea in the most beautiful of all lands. may each old settler, as he journeys year by year toward the shoreless sea, over whose waters he must journey away, feel that the flag which he carried so far and so bravely will wave forever in the soft southwestern breeze, which kisses his furrowed brow and toys with his silvery hair. may he feel, too, that the love of the people is with him, that they watch him, lovingly, tenderly, as he journeys down the pathway, and the story of his deeds is graven forever on their minds, and love and honor forever on their hearts." and so do i, a descendent of a long line of pioneers in america, reiterate, "honor the pioneers." [illustration: mrs. lydia c. low] lydia c. low. mrs. low was one of the party that landed at alki, nov. th, , having crossed the plains with her husband and children. i have heard her tell of seeing my father, d. t. denny, the lone white occupant of alki, as she stepped ashore from the boat that carried the passengers from the schooner. the lows did not make a permanent settlement there, but moved to a farm back of olympia, thence to sonoma, cal., and back again to puget sound, where they made their home at snohomish for many years. mrs. low was the mother of a large family of nine children, who shared her pioneer life. some died in childhood, accidents befell others, a part were more fortunate, yet she seemed in old age serene, courageous, undaunted as ever, faithful and true, lovely and beloved. she passed from earth away on dec. th, , her husband, john d. low, having preceded her a number of years before. other pioneers. both mr. and mrs. izett of whidby island are pioneers of note. mrs. izett crossed the plains in , and in came to the sound on a visit, at the same time mr. izett happened to arrive. he persuaded her not to return to her old home. mr. izett in went to india from england by way of cape horn, and two years later came to seattle. for four years he secured spars for the british government at utsalady. in he built the first boat of any size to be constructed on puget sound. this was a -ton schooner, and she was built at oak harbor. in he framed two of the first columbia river steamers. mrs. izett is a sister of mrs. f. a. chenoweth, whose husband was a judge, with four associates, of the first washington territorial tribunal. another of the members was judge mcfadden. mr. izett knew well gen. isaac i. stevens, the first governor of the territory. he came to washington in the fall of , and issued his first proclamation as governor the following february. the legislature met soon after. j. w. maple. john wesley maple was not only one of the oldest settlers of this (king) county, but he was one of its most prominent men. he figured to some extent in political life, but during the last few years had retired to the homestead by the duwamish, where his father had settled after crossing the plains nearly fifty years ago, and where he himself met his death yesterday. (in march of .) he was born in guernsey county, ohio, january , . as a little boy he spent his childhood days near the farm of the mckinleys, and often during his later years he was fond of relating apple stealing expeditions in which he indulged as a little boy, and for which the father of the late president mckinley often chastised him. from ohio his father, jacob maple, moved to keokuk, ia., where he lived near the farm on which mayor humes, of seattle, was reared. in , jacob maple, the father, and samuel maple, the brother of john w., came to puget sound. in the rest of the family followed them. in crossing the plains john w. maple was made captain of the four wagon trains which were united in the expedition. he guided them to pendleton, ore., where they separated. thence he came to the duwamish river, where his father and brother had settled. later mr. maple and samuel snyder took up a homestead on squak slough. a few years after that mr. maple went to ellensburg. he finally returned to spend the rest of his life on the homestead. held many offices. in the early days he was several times elected to county offices. he was at one time supervisor for the road district extending from yesler way to o'brien station and to renton. in he was elected treasurer of king county on the populist ticket. he furnished a bond of $ , , . at the end of his term a shortage was found. every cent of this was finally made good by him to those who stood on his bond. in mr. maple received a complimentary vote on the part of several members of the state legislature for the office of united states senator. for this office his neighbors indorsed him, and august toellnor, of van asselt, was sent by them to olympia to see what could be done to further the candidacy. since the end of his term as treasurer mr. maple has held no office, save that of school director in his district. only a week ago mr. maple announced to his friends that he had left the populist party and had returned to the republican party, to which he had belonged prior to the wave of populism which swept over the west in the early nineties. during all of his life he was an ardent student of literature, and he possessed one of the finest libraries in the state. he was known as a strong orator, and was during his younger days an exhorter in the methodist protestant church, of which he was a member. mr. maple was married twice. his first wife, who died more than twenty years ago, was elizabeth snyder, a daughter of samuel snyder, one of the oldest residents of the duwamish valley. six children were the fruit of this union, charles, alvin b., cora, now mrs. frank patten; dora, now mrs. charles norwich; bessie, now dead, and clifford j. maple. his second wife was minnie borella. three children were born to her, telford c., lelah and beulah maple. of his brothers and sisters the following are living: mrs. katherine van asselt and mr. eli b. maple, of this city; mrs. jane cavanaugh, of california; mrs. elvira jones and mrs. ruth smith, of kent, and aaron maple, who now lives on the old maple homestead in iowa. charles prosch and thomas prosch. "the summer in which the gold excitement broke out in the colville country, in ," said thomas prosch, "several members of a party of gold hunters from seattle were massacred by the indians in the yakima valley while on their way to the gold fields. the party went through snoqualmie pass in crossing the mountains. the territorial legislature sent word to washington and the government undertook to punish the guilty tribes by a detachment of troops under maj. haller. this was defeated and war followed for several years. it was most violent in king county in and , and in eastern washington in and . the principal incidents in the west were the massacre of the whites in and the attack upon seattle the following year. in col. steptoe sustained a memorable defeat on the eastern side of the mountains, and the hostilities were terminated by the complete annihilation of the indian forces in the same locality the following year by col. wright. he killed , horses and hanged many of the indians besides the frightful carnage of the battlefield." mr. prosch and his father, charles prosch, with several other members of his family, arrived in the state and in seattle between the years and . gen. m. m. carver, the founder of tacoma, who was mrs. thomas prosch's father, came to the territory in with dr. whitman, who was massacred, with applegate and nesmith. time and strength would fail me did i attempt to obtain and record accounts of many well known pioneers; i must leave them to other more capable writers. however, i will briefly mention some who were prominent during my childhood. the hortons, dexter horton and mrs. horton, the latter a stout, rosy-cheeked matron whose house and garden, particularly the dahlias growing in the yard, elicited my childish admiration. i remember how certain little pioneer girls were made happy by a visit from her, at which time she fitted them with her own hands some pretty grey merino dresses trimmed with narrow black velvet ribbon. also how one of them was impressed by the sorrow she could not conceal, the tears ran down her cheeks as she spoke of a child she had lost. one family have never forgotten the santa claus visit to their cottage home, the same being impersonated by dexter horton, who departed after leaving some substantial tokens of his good will. the pioneer ministers of the gospel were among the most fearless of foundation builders. reverends wm. close, alderson, franklin, doane, bagley, whitworth, belknap, greer, mann, atwood, hyland, prefontaine, and others; of rev. c. alderson, who often visited my father and mother, hon. allen weir has this to say: "i remember very clearly when, during the 'sixties,' brother alderson used to visit the settlement in which my father's family lived at dungeness, in clallam county, washington territory. he was then stationed at white river, twelve miles or more south of seattle. there was no tacoma in those days. to reach dungeness, brother alderson had to walk over a muddy road a dozen miles or more to seattle, then by the old steamer eliza anderson to port townsend, and then depend upon an indian canoe twenty-five miles to the old postoffice at elliot cline's house. after his arrival it would require several days to get word passed around among the neighbors so as to get a preaching announcement circulated. sometimes he would preach at mr. cline's house, sometimes at alonzo davis', and sometimes at my father's. he was literally blazing the trail where now is an highway. the first announcement of these services in the dungeness river bottom was when a bearded, muddy-booted old bachelor from long prairie stopped to halloo to father and interrupt log piling and stump clearing long enough to say: 'h-a-y! mr. weir! the's a little red-headed englishman goin' to preach at cline's on sunday! better go an' git your conschense limbered up.' everybody knew the road to cline's. at each meeting the audience was limited to the number of settlers within a dozen miles. all had to attend or proclaim themselves confirmed heathen. the preacher, who came literally as the 'voice of one crying in the wilderness,' was manifestly not greatly experienced at that time in his work--but he was intensely earnest, courageous, outspoken, a faithful messenger; and under his ministrations many were reminded of their old-time church privileges 'back in old mizzoory,' in 'kentuck,' or in 'eelinoy,' or elsewhere. i remember that to my boyish imagination it seemed a wonderful amount of 'grit' was required to carry on his gospel work. he made an impression as an honest toiler in the vineyard, and was accepted at par value for his manly qualities. he was welcomed to the hospitable homes of the people. if we could not always furnish yellow-legged chickens for dinner we always had a plentiful supply of bear meat or venison. "after brother alderson returned to oregon i never met him again, except at an annual conference in albany (in , i think it was), but i always remembered him kindly as a sturdy soldier of the cross who improved his opportunities to administer reproof and exhortation. the memory is a benediction." of agreeable memory is mrs. s. d. libby, to whom the pioneer women were glad to go for becoming headgear--and the hats were very pretty, too, as well as the wearers, in those days. good straw braids were valued and frequently made over by one who had learned the bleacher's and shaper's art in far illinois. a little pioneer girl used often to rip the hats to the end that the braids might be made to take some new and fashionable form. "the beautiful bonney girls," emmeline, sarah and lucy, afterward well known as mrs. shorey, mrs. g. kellogg and mrs. geo. harris, might each give long and interesting accounts of early times. others i think of are the john ross family, whose sons and daughters are among the few native white children of pioneer families of seattle (the ross family were our nearest neighbors for a long time, and good neighbors they were, too); the peter andrews family, the maynards, who were among the earliest and most prominent settlers; mrs. maynard did many a kindness to the sick; the samuel coombs family, of whom "sam coombs," the patriarch, known to all, is a great lover and admirer of pioneers; ray coombs, his son, the artist, and louisa, his daughter, one of the belles of early times; the l. b. andrews family; mr. andrews was a friend of grandfather john denny, and himself a pioneer of repute; his fair, pleasant, blue-eyed daughter was my schoolmate at the old u., then new; the hanfords, valued citizens, now so distinguished and so well known; mrs. hanford's account of the stirring events of early days was recognized and drawn from by the historian bancroft in compiling his great work; the de lins; the burnetts, long known and much esteemed; the sires family; the harmons, woodins, campbells, plummers, hinds, weirs of dungeness, later of olympia, of whom allen weir is well known and distinguished; yes, and port gamble, port madison, steilacoom and olympia people, what volumes upon volumes might have been, might be written--it will take many a basket to hold the chips to be picked up after their and our _blazing the way_. hail, and farewell. heroic pioneers! of kings and conquerors fully peers; well may the men of later day proclaim your deeds, crown you with bay; forest-fallers, reigning kings, in that far time that memory brings. nor savage beast, nor savage man, majestic forests' frowning ban, could palsy arms or break the hearts, till wilds gave way to busy marts; you served your time and country well, let tuneful voices paeans swell! o, steadfast pioneers! bowed 'neath the snows of many years, your patient courage never fails, your strong true prayers arise, e'en from the heavenly trails to "mansions in the skies." to noble ones midst daily strife, and those who've crossed the plains of life, far past the fiery, setting sun, the dead and living loved as one, (tolls often now the passing bell) we greeting give and bid farewell. o mother pioneers! we greet you through our smiles and tears; you laid foundations deep, climbed oft the sun-beat rocky steep of sorrow's mountain wild, descended through the shadowy vales led by the little child. within, without your cabins rude as toiling builders well you wrought, with busy hands and constant hearts, and eager children wisdom taught; long be delayed the passing bell, long be it ere we say "farewell!" beloved pioneers! whom glory waits in coming years, you planted here with careful hand the youngest scion in our land cut from the tree of liberty; to fullest stature it shall grow, with fruitful branches bending low, your worth then shall the people know. when all your work on earth is done, your marches o'er and battles won, (no more will toll the passing bell) they'll watch and wait at heaven's gate to bid you hail! and nevermore, farewell! * * * * * transcriber notes: punctuation has been normalized. footnote has been moved closer to its reference. archaic and alternate spellings have been retained with the exception of those listed below: page : "intenton" changed to "intention" (it is my intention to). page : "desirablity" changed to "desirability" (beauty and general desirability). page : "strivinig" changed to "striving" (impotently striving to stay). page : "clapsed" changed to "clasped" (how she clasped her little child). page : "capt" changed to "cape" (around cape flattery and up the sound). page : "comformation" changed to "conformation" (and the conformation of the leg bones). page : "to" changed to "too" (too littlee boat for too muchee big waters). page : "of" changed to "off" (the salmon they got off the indians). page : "[a]pheasant'" changed to "[a]pheasant's" (bringing some wild [a]pheasant's eggs the men). page : "funiture" changed to "furniture" (the furniture of their cabin). page : "buldings" changed to "buildings" (historic buildings erected and occupied). page : "to" changed to "too" (where my men go, i go too). page and : "klikitats" changed to "klickitats" to match spelling using in other places in the book. page and : "whiskey" changed to "whisky" to match spelling in other places in the book. page : "descrtuction" changed to "destruction" (looked sorrowfully upon the vandal destruction). page : "wth" changed to "with" (not yet satisfied with the work of execution). page : "exhilirating" changed to "exhilarating" (found to be an exhilarating pastime). page : "baloonlike" changed to "balloonlike" (a balloonlike inflation). page : "prespiration" changed to "perspiration" (and perspiration ooze from every pore). page : "necleus" changed to "nucleus" (to be the nucleus of a great collection). page : "isnt'" changed to "isn't" (well, it isn't yours). page : "denny's" changed to "dennys'" (to and fro in the dennys' cottage). page : "childrens'" changed to "children's" (the children's graves) page : "occured" changed to "occurred" (the first occurred when i was a small child). page : "well-night" changed to "well-nigh" (its head was well-nigh severed from its body). page : "swop" changed to "swap" (so he told the indian he would swap his girl). page : "cattles'" changed to "cattle's" (the cattle's feet burned) page : "taulatin" changed to "tualatin" (then we moved out to the tualatin plains). page : "was" changed to "what" (arriving at what was called) page : "already" changed to "all ready" (we were all ready to start). page : "hasty-constructed" changed to "hastily-constructed" (to cross them in hastily-constructed boats). page : "hardlly" changed to "hardly" (i can hardly imagine how any one could understand). page : "convenince" changed to "convenience" (what is their daily convenience). page : "withour" changed to "without" (and without murmur). page : "culumny" changed to "calumny" (humiliation, calumny, extreme and underserved). page : "reptitions" changed to "repetitions" (hence there appear some repetitions). page : "setlement" changed to "settlement" (the women in the settlement). page : "flower-decekd" changed to "flower-decked" (flower-decked virgin prairie). page : "shore" changed to "short" (a short time before). page : "diging" changed to "digging" (digging out "suwellas"). page : "others" changed to "others'" (best of others' conclusions). page : "accidently" changed to "accidentally" (he was accidentally wounded). page : "tims" changed to "times" (few of us here in those early times). page : "obejct" changed to "object" (and man's the object of his constant care). page : "have" added to text (and would, if living, have made). page : "pollysyllabic" changed to "polysyllabic" (polysyllabic language not more like). page : "explantion" changed to "explanation" (an explanation of his mission). page : "rememben" changed to "remember" (but i do not remember any). page : "supose" changed to "suppose" (don't you suppose i can). page : "rythmic" changed to "rhythmic" (fills our pulses rhythmic beat). page : "protuded" changed to "protruded" (their feet protruded below). page : "or." changed to "ore." for consistency (columbia county, ore.) page : "tself" changed to "itself" (and had buried itself in the earth). page : "ecstacy" changed to "ecstasy" (in a mute ecstasy of mellow satisfaction). page : "atkin" changed to "atkins" (dick atkins). page : "orothodoxy" changed to "orthodoxy" ('my orthodoxy has been a little shaky of late). page : "hundrd" changed to "hundred" (at three hundred and sixteen dollars per acre). page : "foolhardly" changed to "foolhardy" (he was simply foolhardy). page : "finishishing" changed to "finishing" (while the white pin of the finishing). page : "the the" changed to "the" (and the family moved in). page : "childred" changed to "children" (their children never realized). page : "massacreed" changed to "massacred" (who was massacred). transcriber notes: words contained within underscores indicate that they were italized in the original. example: _first_. additional notes can be found at the end of this project. some of the tables have been modified to fit in the space allowed. [illustration: upper snoqualmie falls, feet high.] a report on washington territory by w. h. ruffner, ll.d. illustrated [illustration] new york seattle, lake shore and eastern railway copyright, by seattle, lake shore and eastern railway press of fleming · brewster & alley · new york preface. the matter of this report on washington territory is so arranged that the reader, by referring to the table of contents, can turn at once to any particular topic. the report is divided into six chapters, to wit: _first_, itinerary, which mentions briefly the places i visited, and the dates. _second_, a general account of washington territory, which includes something of its history, its location, and its great pacific market. under the last of these heads is given a large body of facts which will surprise any one who has not studied the peculiar commercial advantages of our pacific states, and above all, of puget sound. there is also given some account of the topography, climate, soils and natural vegetation, with special stress upon the great forests of the puget sound basin. the lumber industry is next described, followed by a somewhat full account of agricultural products, especially those of the great plain of the columbia river. finally, in this division, something is said of the available labor of the country. _third_, geology of washington territory. in one division i endeavor to give the historical and structural geology of the territory, and in another division i give the economic geology. in the latter i describe the beds of coal, iron ore, granite, limestone and marble, and also the ores of the precious and base metals as they have been discovered in all parts of the territory. _fourth_, the special interests of the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway are discussed. i begin with seattle, to show its advantages as a terminus. i then say something of the terminal property owned by this company, and of the suburban interests of many kinds, such as residences, parks, gardens and industrial works which are likely to grow up along the first twenty miles of this railway. i then take up the great timber interest along the line, which, in its magnitude and value, will give this road pre-eminence over all others. the agricultural products along the line are next spoken of. i then take up the great coal interest which will minister so largely to the road--an interest whose magnitude can be readily inferred from the fact that this railway will pass through, or near, five and perhaps six distinct coal fields between puget sound and the columbia river. i next show the advantages which this road will have in the development of the great magnetic iron-ore beds on both sides of the cascade mountains, and also the remarkable juxtaposition of ore, flux and fuel, which are found in the snoqualmie valley. attention is also called to the business which is likely to arise from the limestones, marble and granite for building and monumental purposes. finally, i call attention to the great advantage which this road will have, or, at least, may have, in controlling the large and increasing business connected with the mines of precious and base metals, which are being opened north and east of this line. _fifth_, cities and towns are briefly noticed which will, or may, bear an important relation to the seattle road. _sixth_, a supplementary chapter, giving latest information. w. h. ruffner. lexington, va. index. page itinerary great plain, --cascade mountains, --hop ranch, --snoqualmie pass, --guye mines, --mt. logan, --denny mines, --salal prairie, --moss bay co., --raging river, --gilman mines, --blakeley mills, --wilkeson mines, --kirke's coal mines, --portland, --spokane falls, --good weather, . general account of washington territory historical denny, of denny mines, --causes of delay in settlement, --population of washington territory, . location and market majority of the human race in the countries of the pacific, --change in the currents of trade, --the china trade, --the trade of the amoor river, japan, etc., --the new railroad across siberia to st. petersburg, --the american pacific states have decisive advantages over all others in controlling the pacific trade, --advantages in distances, . rough estimates of distances advantage in productions, --coastwise trade, --south american trade, --large existing trade, . table--ports of the pacific showing total value of exports of domestic merchandise for year ending june , , june , , and total value of imports of merchandise for year ending june , , june , . principal exports of domestic merchandise, year ending june , appendix--list of exports of domestic merchandise, year ending june , . exported from the seven customs districts of the pacific, --list of imports of merchandise, year ending june , . imported into the seven customs districts of the pacific approximate population in the year of the world topography of washington territory puget sound, --lake washington, --west washington and east washington, --coeur d'alene mountains, --the great plateau, --coulées, --columbia and snake rivers, . altitudes in washington territory climate the climate of washington territory, --mild and equable, --rainfall, --no blizzards or cyclones, --differences between east and west washington, --chinook wind, . soils soils all fertile, . table showing the means of the daily maximum and minimum temperatures in degrees fahrenheit table showing the average precipitation at stations of the signal service a remarkable soil, . natural vegetation vast vegetation, --deciduous trees, --larch, --extraordinary evergreen forests, --douglas fir, or oregon pine, --the best of ship timber, --white cedar, --beautiful house lumber, --hemlock spruce, --tanners wanted, --white pine, --balsam fir, --large supply of canada balsam, --the yew, --the superior timber of snoqualmie valley, --range for horses and cattle, . lumbering magnitude of the lumber business, --vast extent of the lumber market, --the great saw-mills, --profits and prices, . agriculture clearing the land, --demand for agricultural products, --large crops, --hop-growing on a large scale, --the changed agricultural conditions of east washington, --irrigation in the yakima valley, --varied crops, --the great plain, --boundaries, --early history, --area and population, --amazing wheat crops: surpassing all other states, --railroads overwhelmed with freight, --price of wheat and cost of production, --also barley and oats, --the soil a natural fertilizer, --quality of the wheat, --the market in england, china, and other asiatic ports, --astonishing growth of vegetables, --crops without rain, --west (not east) washington to be the great cattle country, --tree-planting, . labor good supply of labor, but more wanted, --wages, . the geology of washington territory historical and structural the western coast regions younger than the rocky mountains and appalachians, --an outlying continent, --the rise of the west coast, --the rocks and minerals of the cascade mountains, --the metamorphic rocks of doubtful origin, --the coal beds, --the volcanic mountains and their great activity, --the wonderful cañon of the columbia river, --the great sheets of basalt, --origin of the rich soil of east washington, --the volcanoes not wholly extinct, --glacial drift, . economic geology i. coal thickness of the coal measures, --fifteen workable seams, --different kinds of coal described, --the chemical changes in coal beds, --deficient nomenclature, --lignite an unsuitable name for the coals of washington territory, --the coking quality not general in these coals, but found in some, --analyses of washington territory coals, . the collieries authorities, . analyses of representative samples of washington territory coals and lignites the different mines, . _a._ carbon river group anthracite, coking and gas coals, . _b._ the green river group the common point, equidistant between tacoma and seattle, --franklin and black diamond mines, --the kirke or moss bay company (english) mines, . _c._ the cedar river group cedar river mines, --talbot and renton mines, --newcastle mine, --cost of mining, --large production, --misrepresentation, --correction by mr. whitworth, . _d._ the squak creek, raging river, and snoqualmie group gilman mines, --structure of squak mountain, --peculiar advantages for mining possessed by the gilman mines, --seattle coal and iron company, --seven seams, --details, --good coal, --another good coal seam, --and another, --large body of valuable coal, --washington mines, --raging river coals, --details, --snoqualmie mountain coal group, --details, --good coking coal, --also good coking coal, --large and valuable bed, --another good bed, --geological relations, --this the bottom group, . _e._ the yakima and wenatchie group yakima or roslyn coal field, --coal on the wenatchie, --coal under the great bend country, . _f._ bellingham bay, skagit river, and other coal fields the first mining on bellingham bay, --coal on skagit river, --coal south of puget sound, --total shipments of coal from washington territory, . _g._ coal seams in british columbia coal on vancouver's island, . ii. iron ore the iron ores, --the great magnetic ore beds of cascade mountains, --resembles the cranberry ore deposits, --guye mine on mount logan, --denny mine, --chair peak, or kelly mine, --middle fork mines, --all easily reached from seattle, lake shore and eastern railway, --cle-ellum ore beds, --burch's ore bed, --dudley ore bed, --undoubtedly large beds of steel ores, --of superior quality, . analyses of snoqualmie iron ores proved by analysis to be unsurpassed, if equaled, . comparative analyses of steel ores improved processes, . iii. granite, limestone and marble granite, --marble and limestone, . iv. the precious and base metals precious metals on cascade mountains, --on cle-ellum river, --large copper vein in stevens county, --precious metals on methow river, --the rich mines of okanogan, --the mines in the colville region, --the old dominion mine, --the daisy mine, --young america company, --the little dalles, --coeur d'alene mines, --the large tonnage from and to the mines, . special remarks on the country and its resources along the line of the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway seattle commercial and manufacturing advantages, --good climate, --good population, --high civilization, --railroad lines, --the chief ship-building centre, --seattle better located than san francisco, . the terminal property of the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway unrivalled terminal property, . suburban interests but two entrances by land, --superiority of the northern suburbs, --factories of the future, --ship canal, . timber superiority of the timber on the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway, --the forests described, --forests of raging river, --forests near hop ranch, --superior to the long leaf forests of the southern states and of the mississippi bottom, --trees ten feet in diameter, --average nearly five feet in diameter and feet high, --lumber product per acre, . agricultural products agricultural freights, --produce of hop ranch, --farming, fruit and grazing lands, --hops, barley and beer, --the two great railroads, --the great bend country, --douglas county, --lincoln county, --spokane county, --price of farming lands, --tonnage, . coal the seattle railway passes five coal fields, --largest shipments from the gilman mines, --superior mining advantages of the gilman mines, --mr. whitworth's testimony, --cost of mining coal, --cost at gilman mines, --prices of coal, . iron ore handling the iron ores, --furnace sites, --salal prairie, --charcoal cheaply produced, --quantity of charcoal to the ton of iron, --bessemer ores commonly distant from fuel, --high cost of lake superior ores, --cost of producing ore in pennsylvania, --cost of bessemer-pig in snoqualmie valley, --large market for steel rails, . the other minerals limestone, --marble, granite, sandstones, slates, --precious and base metals, --okanogan, colville and kootenai, --coeur d'alene, --transportation lines to the mining regions, . cities and towns the only competition is between tacoma and seattle, --advantages of seattle, --towns of east washington, --spokane falls and its fine prospects, --mr. paul f. mohr's article, --sprague, colfax, and lewiston, --notes on the colfax country, --lewiston, --walla walla, . branches and routes for the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway railroad branches, --the palouse country, --arguments for the palouse branch, --manitoba railroad, . supplementary chapter, giving latest information rapid growth of seattle and spokane falls, --change in the location of the railroad, . report from f. h. whitworth, esq., civil and mining engineer on seattle, etc. population of seattle, --new manufacturing establishments, --new steamers, --the iron company at work, --coking coals, --new discoveries of iron ore, --lumber business growing, --population and freights increasing, --labor strike at gilman mine, --gilman coal seams, --progress of the west coast railroad, --resources of the country along the new line across cady's pass, --progress in building the road, --cable railway in seattle, --southern pacific railroad supposed to be coming to seattle harbor, . report from e. a. routhe, esq., concerning spokane falls, etc. growth of spokane falls, --prodigious development of the mining interest, . report from paul f. mohr, esq., concerning the cady's pass and wenatchie route i. engineering features engineering details of the new route, . ii. resources mr. mohr's account of the resources of the new route, iii. scenery list of illustrations. upper snoqualmie falls. frontispiece. lake washington--showing mount ranier in the distance. facing page . a view of the forest. facing page . indians gathering hops. facing page . bridge over the spokane river. facing page . lower snoqualmie falls. facing page . entrance to gilman coal mine. facing page . coal-bunkers on seattle harbor. facing page . a train-load of logs. facing page . hay-making in washington territory. facing page . view of the city of spokane falls. facing page . view of seattle and the harbor. facing page . list of maps. map of asia and pacific ocean. facing page . map of wilkeson coalfield. facing page . map of the city of seattle. facing page . map of spokane falls. facing page . map of washington territory. in pocket, inside back cover. map of united states. in pocket, inside back cover. itinerary. [sidenote: great plain.] [sidenote: cascade mountains.] [sidenote: hop ranch.] i entered washington territory, by way of the northern pacific railroad, on the morning of october , , coming first to the valley of the spokane river, and spending the entire day in traversing the plains of eastern washington, reaching pasco junction a little after nightfall. i crossed the cascade mountains on the switchback, and arrived at tacoma about noon of the th, at which point i took a puget sound steamer, and landed at seattle about four p.m. the same day. the next morning, accompanied by mr. f. h. whitworth, engineer, and mr. f. m. guye, i went out on the columbia and puget sound railroad to the end of the road, near newcastle, where we took horses, and reached hop ranch, on the snoqualmie river, the same night. october .--proceeded up the south fork of the snoqualmie river, and reached the engineers' camp near the top of cascade mountain, at snoqualmie pass. distances by rail and by wagon road: seattle to coal creek, near newcastle, twenty miles; coal creek to squak valley, five miles; squak to falls city, ten miles; falls city to hop ranch (or snoqualmie) six miles; hop ranch to engineers' camp, twenty-six miles; camp to summit, five miles. [sidenote: snoqualmie pass.] the railroad on which i left seattle is a narrow-gauge coal road. between its terminus and squak valley is a high mountain spur. the proportion of cleared land along this whole line is not large in comparison with the forests of evergreen timber, but there are many farms of great fertility, some of them large. the timber increases in quantity and size nearly to the top of the mountain. on these points i shall speak fully hereafter. my object in thus hastening to the cascade mountains was to make my observations first at the point where i was most likely to be interrupted by bad weather. i found the engineers, headed by mr. thompson, busily engaged in making the location of the railroad, beginning at snoqualmie pass (the summit), and working westward and downward, so as to connect with their finished work in the neighborhood of hop ranch. [sidenote: guye mines.] [sidenote: mt. logan.] spending the night of october at the camp, i went next morning to the guye iron mines, which were one mile from the line of the railroad. the outcrops of ore and limestone lie high on a mountain, which i named mount logan, in honor of general t. m. logan, who seems to have been among the first of the eastern men to put faith in the resources of this remarkable region. i returned in the evening to the engineers' camp. [sidenote: denny mine.] the next day, november , i spent visiting the denny mine, two miles from the railroad line, and also high on a mountain, and again returned to camp. the chair peak mine (also called the kelley mine), thirteen miles distant from the railroad, and guye's mine on middle fork mountain, six miles distant, i did not visit, owing to want of time. [sidenote: salal prairie.] [sidenote: moss bay co.] november .--first rain. we returned down the mountain, and stopped for an hour at salal prairie, where we found a large camp occupied by the employees of the moss bay iron and steel company, of england, who expected to build iron furnaces on this admirable location.[a] this night we spent at hop ranch, a description of which is given hereafter. [a] this wealthy company has since determined to establish its works on lake washington, at kirkland. november .--spent the most of this day in examining the coking coal beds on snoqualmie mountain, three miles from hop ranch, and reached falls city that night, pausing by the way to look upon that wonderful sight, the snoqualmie river falls, feet high. [sidenote: raging river.] november .--left the line of the railroad and went up raging river ten miles, where i visited the coal openings, and spent the night at the miners' camp. the raging river valley and mountain-sides are covered with large timber. [sidenote: gilman mines.] november .--descended raging river valley six miles to the line of the railroad, which we followed to the gilman coal mines, on squak, passing a bed of ochreous earth, which might have value for paint, and may lead to a bed of iron-ore. at camp gilman i looked at all the openings which were accessible, and observed the preparations making for large mining. spent the night at tibbett's in squak valley, two miles distant. november .--returned to seattle. november .--in seattle. [sidenote: blakeley mills.] november .--crossed puget sound to the great blakeley lumber mills, and also examined mrs. guye's large collection of the minerals of washington territory. november .--made short excursions in and around seattle, including a trip on the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway, fourteen miles out. [sidenote: wilkeson mines.] november .--went to the wilkeson coal mines, where i found the only coke ovens i saw in the territory. november .--returned to seattle by way of tacoma, where i met mr. peter kirke, the partner and agent of the moss bay company, who is preparing to erect a steel plant; but whether he intended to build at salal prairie or at cle-ellum, i could not ascertain. in fact, i am not sure that he had then determined in his own mind. november .--excursions around seattle, especially around the borders of the lakes. november .--the first sunday i have been able to observe like a christian. november and .--collecting information and constructing maps. november .--out on the line of the s. l. s. & e. railway eighteen miles. [sidenote: kirke's coal mines.] november .--to kirke's coal mines on green river. by rail as far as the franklin coal mines, passing the renton, cedar mountain and black diamond mines. at franklin mines, took horses to the green river mines, seven miles, where we spent the night at mr. kirke's camp. november .--last evening and to-day, examined all the openings on mr. kirke's property, and one opening on section , sugar-loaf mountain, owned by mr. whitworth and others; and took the northern pacific railroad cars at the common point, and got back to seattle the same night. november .--in seattle working on maps. november .--sunday. november .--remained in seattle. november .--went to portland, oregon. i will here say that mr. f. h. whitworth accompanied me on all my trips away from seattle, and superintended the construction of my large maps, which were made in his own office. i found him a most obliging gentleman, and exceedingly well informed about the country. he was untiring also in collecting for me such information as he did not already possess. judge burke, mr. leary, mr. mackintosh, governor squire, judge lewis, dr. minor (the mayor), etc., were exceedingly attentive, judge burke especially so. other citizens, such as chancellor jones, ex-governor ferry, mr. arthur a. denny (the oldest citizen on puget sound), mr. f. m. guye, dr. cumming, mr. haller, etc., were cordial, and ready to do me any service. indeed, the citizens of seattle, so far as i became acquainted with them, showed themselves in enthusiastic sympathy with the new railroad enterprise. [sidenote: portland.] november .--spent the day in visiting the oswego iron works, six miles from portland, in company with mr. s. g. reed, president of the oregon iron and steel company. the only point of special interest connected with these unfinished iron-works, is that mr. reed is looking forward impatiently to the progress of the s. l. s. & e. road, expecting to receive from it magnetic ore for mixture, also limestone and coke. november .--ascended the columbia river by steamer, with six miles of portage, to the dalles, where i took the northern pacific train for spokane falls, having daylight from pasco junction. november .--nothing could be more unjust to the country than the location of the northern pacific railroad, which runs most of the way to spokane falls in a _coulée_ (or dry river bed), which completely hides most of the farming land from the traveler. [sidenote: spokane falls.] november .--in spokane falls, which i found to be a rapidly growing city of , to , people, who are pressing the interests of the town with amazing energy. mr. routhe, president of the board of trade; mr. cannon, president of the bank of spokane falls; mr. paul f. mohr, mr. curtis, mr. nash, and quite a number of other prominent citizens, called upon me, and showed the liveliest interest in the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway. i collected here a mass of valuable information concerning the agricultural and mineral resources of eastern washington; this being an important centre of trade for farmers and miners. november .--sunday. november , and .--went out on the spokane falls and palouse railroad to the palouse river country. at garfield i took the train to colfax, which i found to be also a flourishing place, and wide awake in reference to the seattle road. the citizens here were also ready to do all in their power to aid the enterprise. december .--arrived at walla walla, another of the great wheat centres, where i found leading citizens well informed as to the new railroad, but not indulging much hope of its coming within striking distance, except in the remote contingency of snake river valley being selected as the route of the manitoba railroad. [sidenote: good weather.] december .--in the afternoon came south fifty miles, to pendleton, in oregon, and on the morning of the d started for home by way of the oregon short line and union pacific. by this time the earth was covered with a light snow; but upon the whole, the weather during my trip was pleasant--certainly not so much falling weather as i had a right to expect, and no severe cold. thus i was five weeks and two days in washington territory. the entire trip, from the time i left lexington until my return, was seven weeks and two days. miles traveled, , . a general account of washington territory. historical. [sidenote: denny, of denny mines.] [sidenote: causes of delay in settlement.] the first white man who ever settled near the site of seattle (mr. arthur a. denny) now lives in that city, and can scarcely be called an old man. the country remained unsettled so long, partly because of its inaccessibility from the east, and partly because it was disputed territory between the united states and great britain. it became a separate territory only in . no transcontinental line of railroad touched any part of washington territory until four years ago, when the northern pacific passed across the eastern part of the territory, and united with the road along the columbia river, which had been built by the oregon railway and navigation company, and which had barely entered this territory. following this line to portland, oregon, and then completing the road from portland, northward, the railroad reached puget sound at tacoma by this circuitous route in . the northern pacific railroad has, during the present year ( ), succeeded in reaching tacoma by a more direct, though still angular, line, crossing the cascade mountains at stampede pass. [illustration: map of asia and pacific ocean.] whilst thus comparatively unknown and inaccessible, it is not surprising that population should at first come in slowly. those who came to western washington were chiefly lumbermen. since that time farmers have settled large tracts of country, commerce has become large, and now every interest is going forward with great rapidity. [sidenote: population of washington territory.] the population in was , . governor semple, in his report for , puts the population at , , which shows a gain in seven years of over per cent. but the governor himself declares that the enumerations made since are unreliable, and it is claimed by intelligent gentlemen in seattle that the present population exceeds , . it is increasing rapidly day by day. the fact seems suddenly to have burst upon the country at large that here, in this neglected corner, is a wide region offering perhaps the richest inducements to immigration of any part of the united states. location and market. (this should be read with a map of asia and pacific ocean.) in spite of oriental exclusiveness, now broken down, the asiatic trade has always formed a large element in the commerce of the world, and has long been sought by the great maritime powers of europe, especially by england. for this she conquered india, and seized upon many islands of the ocean. for this she battered in the gates of china, and established herself permanently at hong kong, at the entrance to the river of canton. [sidenote: majority of the human race in the countries of the pacific.] [sidenote: change in the currents of trade.] in these countries, and upon these islands, live more than half the human race, and with all the barbarism of some, and the old-fashioned civilization of even the best, the large majority of these people are producers of a multitude of articles wanted by the civilized world. and of late these peoples have become possessed with a strange desire to avail themselves of the products of european and american art. this market will not only grow rapidly in its demands, but the currents of trade will be diverted from europe to america. in fact, the settlement of the west coast of america inaugurated a revolution greater than that which substituted the voyage around the cape of good hope for the camel train across the asiatic continent. it gave america a standpoint from which she would ultimately wrest the bulk of the vast trade of the orient from europe. the cutting of the suez canal mended the hold of england and other maritime european states on the oriental market, in fact secured for them the advantage of a shorter line to the southern asiatic market as far as the malay peninsula; but as for the rest of that great market included in the pacific islands, the chinese empire, japan and siberia, the revolutionary movement has commenced, whereby the bulk of that trade will be taken from england and holland by the merchants of san francisco and puget sound. [sidenote: the china trade.] the trade of china alone has been estimated at $ , , per annum, the greater part of which is absorbed by england, and the annual value of the export and import trade of england with the pacific islands has been put at $ , , . this already immense market may and will be enlarged, especially in china, by means of railroad and steamboat connections, which will bring to the coast the products of the interior sections. much of the china trade now goes overland into and through india, and also through siberia, to be consumed by the way, or pushed through to the termini of european railroads and ship-lines which are reaching to get it. and, as the transportation becomes better, so will the production increase. railroad building, until lately forbidden in china, has now commenced, and will, in the nature of the case, go on rapidly. the result will be to bring most of the trade to the pacific coast, and thus reverse all the interior movements. even the capital of the empire, the great peking, and the productive region around it, have depended largely on the overland trade to europe, and especially on the great russian market opened annually at novgorod. it only needs a railroad from the back country, through peking direct to the coast, to bring this large trade under american control. mr. james g. swan (hawaiian consul) has written a valuable pamphlet on the regions drained by the amoor river, in which he shows that there is an immense trade "now lying dormant in siberia, mongolia, manchooria, northern china, corea and japan, which will be brought into active life and diverted to the american shore of the north pacific ocean by the great continental railroads which will have the outlet of their commerce through the straits of fuca." he gives the population of these countries as follows: siberia , , mongolia , , manchooria , , japan , , ---------- total , , [sidenote: the trade of the amoor river, japan, etc.] the amoor river, with its great chinese tributary, the songaree, furnishes over , miles of steamboat navigation (a second mississippi), but, owing to a great bend to the south, the amoor can be reached by a short line of railroad from the russian port vladivostock, or poisette harbor. japan lies on the way from puget sound to the region referred to. major collins, some years ago, said in a letter to secretary marcy concerning this market: "one item, cotton fabrics, might be introduced to the amount of millions yearly; then there are many products of these countries that could be received in exchange. this must be done through the amoor and its affluents. it can hardly be estimated what a revolution in trade and commerce can be effected in this region; and the fondness of the people for luxuries and foreign merchandise being very great, if the means of procuring them were facilitated and the prices cheapened, the consumption would be immense, and in a few years a trade of many millions would be effected." major collins thought that these people would consume annually five dollars per head of american goods; mr. swan estimates two dollars per head. these goods would be paid for in silks, tea, rice, furs, skins, wax, fossil ivory, plumbago, tin, precious stones, naval stores, etc. it is said that the overland trade of north china to russia now requires for its transportation a caravan line of , camels and bullocks, and , horses, and that the siberian trade is as large as that of china. the tea sold at novgorod amounts to $ , , each annual fair. the caravan tea is preferred to the ship tea, which is said to be injured by the voyage through the tropics; another argument for the north american route. [sidenote: the new railroad across siberia to st. petersburg.] since mr. swan's pamphlet, the news comes that the russian government is now actively engaged in building a railroad from st. petersburg across siberia to vladivostock on the japan sea; and the expectation is general that this imperial power will seize corea so as to bring the terminus of her railroad to ninsen at the south point of corea. all the great trade which will thus be developed is in addition to the existing trade of china and the islands, and will probably swell the china, japan and russian trade to over $ , , , to which is to be added the australian and island trade, which already is, no doubt, over $ , , . now comes the practical question, who are to handle this vast trade of $ , , annually? [sidenote: the american pacific states have decisive advantages over all others in controlling the pacific trade.] no one nation exclusively, of course. the dutch and other small powers will have a little of it; but the only contest will be between england and the american pacific coast. england has the lion's share now, but this great nation will hereafter labor under too many disadvantages in its contest with america. america has the needful capital, material, pluck and energy, and enjoys certain decisive advantages, as, for example-- . in distance, which of itself would in this case decide the matter; . in the local production of certain staple articles which will be in great demand, and which england cannot supply so cheaply, if at all, such as lumber, meats, flour, canned goods, cheap cottons, and agricultural and other machinery, which, if not cheaper, can be more readily adapted to the wants of the market; . in possessing the back country of eastern america, whereby the entire united states become tributary both ways to the pacific commerce; to which may be added, . the ever-flowing river in the pacific ocean, flowing in a circle from japan to the american coast and back--the famous kuro shiwo, or japanese current; a current which gives a gain to every ship of twenty miles a day in distance; the current which brings the disabled japanese junks to the american coast. [sidenote: advantage in distances.] the half-way point on the pacific side between america and england is the malay peninsula. this leaves even australia and all of oceanica nearer to us than to england, and all of china, japan and siberia thousands of miles nearer to us. hong kong and canton are the english headquarters in china, and yet our pacific coast is , miles nearer to these than england is. it is also , miles nearer to shanghai, which is a more important port than canton, because of its greater nearness to the rice and tea producing sections. the advantages are still greater in respect to peking, japan, vladivostock, the terminus of the projected russian railway, and the entire country drained by the amoor. our commerce is now within thirty days of the coast of china, and will be in less than ten days when the fast mail and express and passenger steamers are launched. i insert a table of distances, which is full of significance. rough estimates of distances. miles puget sound to mouth of amoor river , " " " vladivostock , " " " shanghai , " " " canton , " " " singapore , " " " s. w. point of australia , san francisco to vladivostock , " " " shanghai , " " " canton , " " " singapore , " " " s. w. point of australia , " " " st. petersburg via vladivostock , st. petersburg to vladivostock , san francisco to calcutta , liverpool to mouth of amoor river , " " vladivostock , " " shanghai , " " canton , " " s. w. point of australia , " " singapore , " " calcutta , liverpool and puget sound are about equally distant from west coast of the malay peninsula. miles new york to canton, via puget sound , " " shanghai " " " , to , by this it will be seen that new york, by way of puget sound, is , miles nearer to canton than liverpool is, and nearly , miles nearer to shanghai. mr. swan makes the distance from the pacific coast less than i have given. it should also be noted that puget sound has the advantage of distance over san francisco also. [sidenote: advantage in productions.] puget sound has also the advantage over all competitors of being able to produce a large bulk of the materials for commerce in its own vicinity. in this report there will be a large array of facts concerning the present and future productions of washington territory, which will amply confirm and illustrate the above statement. the only real competitor of puget sound on the american coast is british columbia, but british columbia cannot vie with washington territory in the production of the materials of commerce, and canada at large furnishes no such background as the united states. [sidenote: coastwise trade.] it will, of course, not be overlooked, that in the great coastwise trade which the pacific states have and must always have with each other, they will minister to each other's prosperity. and here it will be shown that puget sound will have the advantage in supplying the wants of others. [sidenote: south american trade.] in addition to these is the foreign trade along the coast of british columbia, mexico, central america, and all the pacific states of south america. chili is a prosperous state. she has nearly doubled the volume of her trade in ten years. from to her exports went up from $ , , to $ , , , and her imports from $ , , to $ , , . the united states imports over $ , , of goods from the pacific side of south america, and exports about $ , , to these states. england, however, gets the most of the west south american trade, so that here again we must enter the lists with britannia. already the contest has begun, and our pacific states must bear off the palm sooner or later. [sidenote: large existing trade.] thus it is evident that a vast field of commercial enterprise is wide open to the people of washington territory as well as to oregon and california. and our commercial statistics show what handsome progress has already been made. taking both exports and imports, there is already a business of $ , , done by the seven pacific ports of entry. san francisco is now far ahead of the others, and this city has nothing to fear from any other port except puget sound, which will gain upon her rapidly and ultimately surpass her. washington territory has all that california has on which to trade, and a great deal besides; and has the advantage of position. when our commercial statistics were made up, puget sound had no direct railroad communication with her own back country east, much less a transcontinental line. a very different story will be told a few years hence. i here insert a table of summaries which show that the commercial revolution is now in operation. -------------------+-------------------------+------------------------- | total value of | total value of | exports of domestic | imports of ports | merchandise | merchandise of the pacific. | for year ending | for year ending +------------+------------+------------+------------ | june , | june , | june , | june , | . | . | . | . -------------------+------------+------------+------------+------------ humboldt, cal. | $ , | | $ , | oregon | , , | | , | puget sound, w. t. | , , | | , | san diego, cal. | , | | , | san francisco, cal.| , , |$ , , | , , |$ , , willamette, oregon | , , | | , | wilmington, cal. | , | | , | -------------------+------------+------------+------------+------------ |$ , , | |$ , , | -------------------+------------+------------+------------+------------ in the latest report to which i have access, san francisco is the only one of the pacific ports mentioned separately. much of the exports above reported to the credit of oregon really came down the columbia river from the eastern part of washington territory; and the great bulk of the exports from san francisco consists of wheat, flour, and other breadstuffs, an item in which washington territory can surpass all competitors. the following table shows the principal items of export from the pacific ports. let it be noted that in respect to the production of the larger items, to wit, wheat and flour, wood and its manufactures, animals, iron and steel and their manufactures, machinery of all sorts, fish, etc., washington territory can surpass all competitors. principal exports of domestic merchandise, year ending june , . -------------------+------------+------------------------------------- ports on the | approximate| pacific. | values. | -------------------+------------+------------------------------------- humboldt, cal. | $ , | wood, and manufactures of. | | |{ , , | canned salmon. oregon, oregon |{ , | wheat and flour. |{ , | wood, and manufactures of. | | |{ , | wood, and manufactures of. puget sound, w. t. |{ , | wheat and flour. |{ , | animals. | | |{ , | animals. san diego, cal. |{ , | wood, and manufactures of. |{ , | machinery. | | |{ , , | wheat, flour, and other breadstuffs. |{ , , | manufactures of iron and steel. |{ , | fish. |{ , | ginseng. san francisco, cal.|{ , | cotton manufactures. |{ , | wood, and manufactures of. |{ , | fruit. |{ , | gunpowder, etc. |{ , | medicines, etc. | | |{ , , | wheat. willamette, oregon |{ , | flour and breadstuffs. |{ , | wood, and manufactures of. | | wilmington, cal. |{ , | wheat. |{ , | honey. -------------------+------------+------------------------------------- note.--humboldt, oregon, san diego, willamette, and wilmington have almost no exports except those included in this list. puget sound and san francisco have a great variety of exports. appendix. list of exports of domestic merchandise, year ending june , . exported from the seven customs districts of the pacific. agricultural implements. animals. art works. bark, and extract for tanning. billiard tables, etc. blacking. bones, hoofs, horns, etc. books, maps, etc. brass, and manufactures of. breadstuffs, wheat, etc. bricks. broom-corn, brooms and brushes. candles. carriages, and parts of. cars, passenger and freight. casings for sausages. chemicals, drugs, dyes, and medicines. clocks and watches. coal. coffee and cocoa, ground or prepared, and chocolate. copper, and manufactures of. cotton, manufactures of. earthen, stone, and china ware. eggs. fancy articles. fertilizers. fish. flax, hemp, jute, and manufactures of. fruits. furs and fur-skins. glass and glassware. glucose, or grape-sugar. glue. grease, and all soap stock. gunpowder, and other explosives. hair, and manufactures of. hides, and skins other than furs. hay. honey. hops. ice. india-rubber and gutta-percha, and manufactures of. ink. instruments and apparatus for scientific purposes. iron and steel, and manufactures of. jewelry, and manufactures of gold and silver. lamps, etc. lead, and manufactures of. leather, and manufactures of. lime and cement. malt liquors. marble and stone, and manufactures of. matches. musical instruments. naval stores. oakum. oil-cake and oil-cake meal. oils. ore, gold and silver bearing. paraffine and paraffine wax. paints and painters' colors. paper, and manufactures of. plated ware. provisions (comprising meat and dairy products). quicksilver. rags. rice. salt. seeds--timothy, etc. silk, and manufactures of. soap. spermaceti and spermaceti wax. spices, ground and prepared. spirits, whisky, etc. spirits of turpentine. starch. stationery, except paper. stereotype and electrotype plates. straw and palm-leaf, and manufactures of. sugar and molasses. tin, manufactures of. tobacco, and manufactures of. trunks, valises, etc. umbrellas, etc. varnish. vegetables. vessels sold to foreigners. vinegar. wax (bees'). wine. wood, and manufactures of. zinc (pigs, bars, plates, and sheets). list of imports of merchandise, year ending june , . imported into the seven customs districts of the pacific. animals. articles, the growth, produce or manufacture of the united states, returned. art works. art works, the production of american artists. books, etc. brass, and manufactures of. brushes. buttons, some kinds of. cement. chemicals, drugs and dyes. clays, etc. clocks, and parts of. coal, bituminous. cocoa, coffee. confectionery. copper, and manufactures of. corsets. cotton, manufactures of. cotton, unmanufactured. dairy products. diamonds, uncut. earthen, stone, and china ware. eggs. fancy articles. farinaceous substances, and preparations of. fish, a few. flax, hemp, jute, etc., and manufactures of. fruits and nuts, some. furs and fur-skins, undressed. furs, dressed, and manufactures of. glass and glassware. household and personal effects, clothing, tools, etc., of persons arriving from foreign countries. hair, hats and bonnets, etc. india-rubber and gutta-percha. iron, steel, and manufactures of. jewelry, manufactures of gold, silver, and precious stones. lead, and manufactures of. leather, and manufactures of. malt liquors. marble and stone, manufactures of. meats, prepared, of all kinds, and extracts, etc. metals, some. musical instruments, and parts of. oil, animal and vegetable. opium, and other medicines. paints and colors. paper, and manufactures of. paper stock, crude. plaster-of-paris, unground. rice. salt. seeds. silk, manufactures of. silk, unmanufactured. soap. some breadstuffs. spices, ground. spices, unground. spirits, distilled and spirituous. sponges. sugar and molasses. tea. tin (bars, blocks, etc.). tobacco, and manufactures of. vegetables, some, in natural state, in brine, preserved, etc. wines. wood, and manufactures of. wood, unmanufactured. wools, hair of the alpaca goat, etc., and manufactures of. zinc, spelter or tutenegue, and manufactures of. approximate population in the year of the world , , , japan, siberia, chinese empire, anam, siam, oceanica, india , , mexico, central america , , u. s. of colombia, ecuador, peru, bolivia, chili, patagonia , , canada , , ----------- total , , topography of washington territory. washington territory will make one of the largest states of the union. it is larger than england and wales combined, as will be seen by the following table: washington territory , square miles. new york , " " virginia , " " england and wales , " " the shape of the territory is regular, having the general form of a parallelogram, with its longer axis running east and west. its relief is simple. along the pacific coast runs the coast range of mountains from the mouth of the columbia river to the straits of juan de fuca. in this range there is only one practicable opening from the interior, which is the trough of the chehalis river, which terminates in gray's harbor. the bar here, as at the mouth of columbia river, forms a serious obstruction to the entrance of vessels drawing more than twenty feet of water. sixty miles east of the coast range, and parallel to it, runs the cascade range, which divides the territory by a north and south line. it is a lofty range, presenting a serrated outline, whose lower depressions are , to , feet above tide, while summits of , to , feet are common; and at intervals still higher peaks raise their snow-covered heads from , to , feet. between the cascade mountains and the coast range lies puget sound, with its outlet through the strait of fuca. south of this sound, and on each side, are wide spaces of flat and rolling country, with numerous and somewhat disconnected mountains of comparatively small size, though some of them rise as high as , feet. these mountains show many natural terraces, which may be the result of land-slides. [sidenote: puget sound.] [illustration: lake washington--showing mount ranier in the distance--on line of seattle, lake shore and eastern railway.] [sidenote: lake washington.] the puget sound basin is exceedingly well supplied with streams and lakes; whilst the sound itself, with its sheltered position, its deep water, and indented shore-line, is one of the most interesting and valuable inland bodies of water in the world. it has a broad outlet to the ocean. lake washington is a beautiful and navigable sheet of water. there are numerous other lakes scattered over the territory, enlivening its scenery and often affording convenient waterways. quite a number of the rivers emptying into puget sound are partially navigable for small steamers. the rivers and creeks generally have bottom-lands, which are sometimes narrow, and sometimes wide. cowlitz river flows south into the columbia river. it has fine bottom-lands, and its valley may be regarded as a prolongation and complement of the willamette valley, oregon. [sidenote: west washington and east washington.] all the country lying west of the crest-line of the cascade mountains is known as west washington, and is quite different in topography, as in many other respects, from the country known as east washington, which name applies to all of the territory lying east of the cascade axis. east washington is a rectangular plateau, set in a frame of mountains, and drained by the columbia river and its tributaries. the cascade range being the west side of the frame, the north side is formed by irregular spurs which run out at right angles from the cascade mountains along the canada border, and connect with the cabinet mountains. the east side of the frame is in idaho, and consists chiefly of the coeur d'alene mountains. on the south lie the blue mountains, which are partly in washington territory, but chiefly in oregon. the mountains on the north have a few peaks , to , feet high, and many of the dividing ridges are high, steep and rugged. much of the region is described, however, as high plateau country, dotted over with small, conical mountains. it abounds in streams of water, generally small. a strip of arable land runs on the east side of the columbia river from the mouth of the spokane river to the mouth of the colville river and the valleys of colville and the little spokane river are highly spoken of as agricultural regions. the elevation of these river valleys is from , to , feet above tide-water. [sidenote: coeur d'alene mountains.] passing to the east side, we find the plateau country at its north corner extending to the idaho line where the foot-hills of the rocky mountains begin, and soon rise into the coeur d'alene mountains, which--being the local name for part of the bitter root range--is a part of the western branch of the rocky mountains. the coeur d'alene river and lake belong to the columbia river basin, and are so naturally connected in mining and trading interests with washington territory, that in another connection i shall have much to say of the coeur d'alene country, as also of the colville country, and other parts of the mountain rim. south of the coeur d'alene lake the plateau country extends far into idaho, and gives to that state its best farming lands. the blue mountains which mark the southern limit of the plateau in washington territory do not extend more than half-way across the plain, leaving a long projection of the plateau to extend southward into oregon. [sidenote: the great plateau.] [sidenote: coulées.] the shape of the plateau in washington territory is an irregular square with a diameter each way of about miles. followed into idaho and oregon, the diameters would reach miles. its surface is generally smooth, but there are frequent patches of rock, and sometimes large areas are roughened by rocky outcrops. the plateau is elevated and rolling, rising from , to , feet above the surface of columbia river. its elevations usually are mere swells, except along the precipitous edges of coulées. i know of only one mountain upon it, and that is quite a small one; but it served as a refuge for lieutenant steptoe and his handful of soldiers when attacked by the indians; and hence is called steptoe butte. the surface of the plain is scarred in a number of places with coulées, or dry river-beds, which are cut down twenty to one hundred feet, and sometimes more, and their sides are usually marked by bluffs, often of rock. these coulées are an advantage, or a disadvantage, in road-making, according to whether the road goes with, or across, the coulée. the northern pacific railroad found it convenient to use one of them for a long distance. the deepest cuts in the plateau are made by its rivers. of these the columbia is chief. this river, as already intimated, has cut a channel for itself along the north and west edge of the plain from , to , feet below the general level. the snake river, which is the largest affluent of the columbia, has numerous branches, all cut deep into the basalt which underlies the plain. [sidenote: columbia and snake rivers.] the columbia and snake are both steamboat rivers, but navigation is interrupted by rocky rapids, which prevent through lines of steamers. the columbia is one of the largest rivers in the world, and has abundant water for steamboats from its mouth to a point in canada, north of farwell, where it is crossed by the canadian pacific railway, and steamboats run at intervals to the most northerly point; and there are navigable stretches not yet used for boats which will have steamers in connection with future railroads. the steamers on snake river are very useful, and run to lewiston, in idaho, and perhaps further. this plateau, or great plain of the columbia, as it is called sometimes, is a most interesting and important region, concerning which i shall have much to say under subsequent heads. altitudes in washington territory. feet. mount ranier (tacoma) , mount baker , mount adams , mount st. helens , natchess pass , stampede pass, summit , tunnel, stampede pass , snoqualmie pass , kechelus lake , kachess lake , ellensburg , yakima city ainsworth palouse junction sprague , spokane falls , colville , fort spokane , okinagane lake , great plain of columbia river , to , snake river, n. p. r. r. colfax , dayton , walla walla , wallula junction climate. [sidenote: the climate of washington territory.] climate is a matter of temperature, moisture and atmospheric dynamics. the general law of temperature is that the farther north the colder the weather; and yet currents of water and prevailing winds may give to the country a climate geographically belonging to quite a different latitude. we know how this is with england, which, judged by latitude, ought to be colder than maine, but which, in fact, has one of the mildest and most equable climates in the world. england is farther north than washington territory, which latter is in the latitude of france; but it is also in the latitude of montana, dakota and maine, states remarkable for sudden changes and for terrible cold. but it is well known that our pacific states, at least on their western borders, have a temperature free from extremes in both summer and winter. taking july and january as the hottest and coldest months, it will be found that the average temperature at san francisco and puget sound is from ° to ° cooler than it is in the rocky mountains and in new england during the same months. and on the other hand, taking january as the coldest month, we find that bismarck, denver, new england, etc., are ° to ° colder than the points on the pacific. in other words, that the range of the thermometer between extremes averages near ° more in the east than it does in the west in the localities named; a very great difference when we consider comfort, health, cost of living, and opportunity to labor in the open air. [sidenote: mild and equable.] this greater mildness and equability of temperature on the pacific coast is to be ascribed to the winds and currents of the great ocean. during the summer the winds come from the northwest, and during the winter from the southwest and south. much influence in tempering the cold of winter is ascribed also to the japan current, mentioned under a former head. it does for the pacific coast what the gulf stream does for england. the same causes regulate also the rainfall on the pacific coast. in one respect there is the same peculiarity along the whole coast, namely, dry summers and, comparatively, wet winters. there is, however, a gradual increase in the amount of rainfall northward from san diego to sitka; so that when we reach washington territory we do not find the excessive dryness which characterizes the summer climate of california. [sidenote: rainfall.] the figures of different authorities do not agree exactly as to the precipitation on the pacific coast: for example, in the older volume on rain tables, published by the smithsonian institution, the annual rainfall and melted snow on puget sound, measured at steilacoom, near olympia, from to , amounted to . inches. governor semple, however, gives from sergeant mcgovern, in charge of the station, a total of . inches annually, measured at olympia from to . but i find in the report of the chief signal officer to the war department for , that the average from july , , to december, , for olympia, was . inches. this difference of nine inches is partly accounted for by the fact that the precipitation in the subsequent years not included in the report of the signal service bureau, namely, , and , averaged only . inches, which would, in great measure, relieve the discrepancy. it will probably turn out on further observation that inches is about the total annual rainfall for puget sound. but according to the report of the chief signal officer for , we have the following annual totals: san diego, . ; san francisco, . ; portland, oregon, . ; puget sound, . ; sitka, alaska, . inches. comparing these with points farther east, we have bismarck, dakota, . ; denver, . ; sandusky, ohio, . ; new haven, connecticut, . ; norfolk, virginia, . inches. the value of rainfall depends more on its distribution among the months than on its annual aggregate. england has but inches rain per annum, but it comes at such times as makes it most effective. the rains on the pacific coast are not distributed in the most favorable way for agriculture--the summers being too dry. at san diego there is less than one-third of an inch in the three summer months, and still less at san francisco. on puget sound, for that time, the fall is . . in washington territory the spring rains are as abundant as in the atlantic states, and the summer breezes seem laden with moisture. [sidenote: no blizzards or cyclones.] [sidenote: differences between east and west washington.] in respect to cold waves, winds and storms, washington territory is singularly favored. there is nothing to correspond with the blizzards, northers, hurricanes and cyclones which trouble some other states. even ordinary thunder-storms are rare. the climate of east washington is different from that of west washington, and yet, when compared with that of montana and dakota, it will be seen that it is really transitional and intermediate between the climates on each side. the range of thermometer from the heat of july to the cold of january is, at bismarck, °; at spokane falls, °, and on puget sound, °. and, in like manner, the amount of rain is intermediate between the heavy rainfall of the sound and the lighter rains of the rocky mountain country. the explanation of this is, that while the cascade range, like all high mountains, condenses the moisture of the air on the windward side and changes its temperature, yet this range is not sufficiently high and cold to have the effect of the himalayas or the andes in depriving the leeward lands of rain. the mountain rim of the plateau country has not the moisture which distinguishes the west side of the cascade, and it varies in its amount at different places. some statements have already been made in reference to the dryness and summer heat of the yakima valley on the east flank of the main mountain. the mountains running along the canada line have probably a better summer climate than the east side of the main mountain. i do not know how it is with the coeur d'alene and blue mountains, but the climate of the plateau has no unusual character in the matter of temperature. half of the states of the union have as great or greater extremes; but the plateau has less than half the precipitation of puget sound, as shown in the tables given on pages and . and the rainfall in the summer is so scant that one would not, _a priori_, expect any form of vegetation to progress at all. these meteorological phenomena render almost unaccountable the facts of agriculture, which will be given hereafter. [sidenote: chinook wind.] the chinook wind, which springs up in winter and melts the snow on the plateau, and to some extent in the mountains, is simply a southerly wind, such as is common in the mississippi valley and even on the atlantic seaboard. in the pacific states it does not, from the descriptions, appear to differ from the breezes of the coast, except in its greater strength and steadiness. i heard an intelligent gentleman, residing in spokane falls, say that he thought the chinook was a disadvantage in winter, as it caused a disagreeable thaw, and so relaxed the human system as to render it more sensitive to cold; but generally the chinook is enjoyed in east washington. soils. [sidenote: soils all fertile.] the arable soils of washington territory, so far as i could see, or otherwise learn, may be classified as follows, to wit: _a._ humus; _b._ alluvium; _c._ drift; _d._ loam; _e._ basalt. _a._ humus. in west washington the whole country is top-dressed with vegetable mould, derived obviously from the heavy growth which has covered the surface for ages. of course there are bare spots, and where the growth has been light, the top-dressing is thin; but the mountain sides, the hills, and notably the low grounds, are overlaid from one to ten inches, and often much more, with this vegetable mould. table showing the means of the daily maximum and minimum temperatures in degrees fahrenheit. the means are obtained by dividing the sum of the daily readings of the maximum and minimum self-registering thermometers by the number of days in the month. ====================+=========================================+ | | +-------------+-------------+-------------+ | july. | aug. | sept. | stations. +-------------+-------------+-------------+ | mean. | mean. | mean. | +------+------+------+------+------+------+ | max. | min. | max. | min. | max. | min. | --------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ bismarck, dak. | . | . | . | . | . | . | dayton, w. t. | . | . | . | . | . | . | denver, col. | . | . | . | . | . | . | lewiston, idaho | . | . | . | . | . | . | new haven, conn. | . | . | . | . | . | . | norfolk, virginia. | . | . | . | . | . | . | olympia, w. t. | . | . | . | . | . | . | portland, oregon. | . | . | . | . | . | . | san diego, cal. | . | . | . | . | . | . | sandusky, ohio | -- | -- | . | . | . | . | san francisco, cal. | . | . | . | . | . | . | sitka, alaska | . | . | . | . | . | . | spokane falls, w. t.| . | . | . | . | . | . | washington city. | . | . | . | . | . | . | ====================+======+======+======+======+======+======+ ====================+=========================================+ | | +-------------+-------------+-------------+ | oct. | nov. | dec. | stations. +-------------+-------------+-------------+ | mean. | mean. | mean. | +------+------+------+------+------+------+ | max. | min. | max. | min. | max. | min. | --------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ bismarck, dak. | . | . | . | . | . | . | dayton, w. t. | . | . | . | . | . | . | denver, col. | . | . | . | . | . | . | lewiston, idaho | . | . | . | . | . | . | new haven, conn. | . | . | . | . | . | . | norfolk, virginia. | . | . | . | . | . | . | olympia, w. t. | . | . | . | . | . | . | portland, oregon. | . | . | . | . | . | . | san diego, cal. | . | . | . | . | . | . | sandusky, ohio | . | . | . | . | . | . | san francisco, cal. | . | . | . | . | . | . | sitka, alaska | . | . | . | . | . | . | spokane falls, w. t.| . | . | . | . | . | . | washington city. | . | . | . | . | . | . | ====================+======+======+======+======+======+======+ ====================+=========================================+ | | +-------------+-------------+-------------+ | jan. | feb. | march. | stations. +-------------+-------------+-------------+ | mean. | mean. | mean. | +------+------+------+------+------+------+ | max. | min. | max. | min. | max. | min. | --------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ bismarck, dak. | . | . | . | . | . | . | dayton, w. t. | . | . | . | . | . | . | denver, col. | . | . | . | . | . | . | lewiston, idaho | . | . | . | . | . | . | new haven, conn. | . | . | . | . | . | . | norfolk, virginia. | . | . | . | . | . | . | olympia, w. t. | . | . | . | . | . | . | portland, oregon. | . | . | . | . | . | . | san diego, cal. | . | . | . | . | . | . | sandusky, ohio | . | . | . | . | . | . | san francisco, cal. | . | . | . | . | . | . | sitka, alaska | . | . | . | . | . | . | spokane falls, w. t.| . | . | . | . | . | . | washington city. | . | . | . | . | . | . | ====================+======+======+======+======+======+======+ ====================+=========================================+ | | +-------------+-------------+-------------+ | april. | may. | june. | stations. +-------------+-------------+-------------+ | mean. | mean. | mean. | +------+------+------+------+------+------+ | max. | min. | max. | min. | max. | min. | --------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ bismarck, dak. | . | . | . | . | . | . | dayton, w. t. | . | . | . | . | . | . | denver, col. | . | . | . | . | . | . | lewiston, idaho | . | . | . | . | . | . | new haven, conn. | . | . | . | . | . | . | norfolk, virginia. | . | . | . | . | . | . | olympia, w. t. | . | . | . | . | . | . | portland, oregon. | . | . | . | . | . | . | san diego, cal. | . | . | . | . | . | . | sandusky, ohio | . | . | . | . | . | . | san francisco, cal. | . | . | . | . | . | . | sitka, alaska | . | . | . | . | . | . | spokane falls, w. t.| . | . | . | . | . | . | washington city. | . | . | . | . | . | . | ====================+======+======+======+======+======+======+ table showing the average precipitation at stations of the signal service, computed from the commencement of observations at each, to and including december, . taken from the report of the chief signal officer to the war department for . ==========================+================+======+======+======+ stations. | established. | jan. | feb. |march.| | | | | | --------------------------+----------------+------+------+------+ bismarck, dak. | sept. , | . | . | . | dayton, wash. terr. | july , | . | . | . | denver, colorado | nov. , | . | . | . | lewiston, idaho | july , | . | . | . | new haven, conn. | dec. , | . | . | . | norfolk, virginia | jan. , | . | . | . | olympia, wash. terr. | july , | . | . | . | portland, oregon | nov. , | . | . | . | san diego, cal. | nov. , | . | . | . | sandusky, ohio | aug. , | . | . | . | san francisco, cal. | march , | . | . | . | sitka, alaska | march , | . | . | . | spokane falls, wash. terr.| feb. , | . | . | . | washington city | nov. , | . | . | . | ==========================+================+======+======+======+ ==========================+======+======+======+======+======+ stations. |april.| may. | june.| july.| aug. | | | | | | | --------------------------+----------------+------+------+---+ bismarck, dak. | . | . | . | . | . | dayton, wash. terr. | . | . | . | . | . | denver, colorado | . | . | . | . | . | lewiston, idaho | . | . | . | . | . | new haven, conn. | . | . | . | . | . | norfolk, virginia | . | . | . | . | . | olympia, wash. terr. | . | . | . | . | . | portland, oregon | . | . | . | . | . | san diego, cal. | . | . | . | . | . | sandusky, ohio | . | . | . | . | . | san francisco, cal. | . | . | . | . | . | sitka, alaska | . | . | . | . | . | spokane falls, wash. terr.| . | . | . | . | . | washington city | . | . | . | . | . | ==========================+======+======+======+======+======+ ==========================+======+======+======+======+=======+ stations. | sept.| oct. | nov. | dec. |total | | | | | |inches.| --------------------------+------+------+------+------+-------+ bismarck, dak. | . | . | . | . | . | dayton, wash. terr. | . | . | . | . | . | denver, colorado | . | . | . | . | . | lewiston, idaho | . | . | . | . | . | new haven, conn. | . | . | . | . | . | norfolk, virginia | . | . | . | . | . | olympia, wash. terr. | . | . | . | . | . | portland, oregon | . | . | . | . | . | san diego, cal. | . | . | . | . | . | sandusky, ohio | . | . | . | . | . | san francisco, cal. | . | . | . | . | . | sitka, alaska | . | . | . | . | . | spokane falls, wash. terr.| . | . | . | . | . | washington city | . | . | . | . | . | ==========================+======+======+======+======+=======+ _b._ alluvium. this includes the transported matter of the bottom-lands, the swales, and the tidal flats. here we have humus, not only as a top-dressing, but also intermixed, and sometimes constituting a large proportion of the soil for a considerable depth. no land could be richer than this, and its relative proportion to the whole is larger than would be inferred even from the great number of streams, for it includes the lowlands about puget sound and the lakes. the mountain streams have, with some exceptions, but little alluvial land. there are areas of swale, or wet bottom-lands, which may be drained to advantage. the tidal flats along the sound are peculiarly fertile, because enriched by both vegetable and animal matter, including calcareous shells and fish bones. owing to this great fertility, and the ease with which large areas are reclaimed by dykes, their convenience to transportation, and, it may be added, the labor of clearing the forest lands, the work of dyking these flats has been commenced, especially in snohomish and skagit counties, and it is thought that two hundred thousand acres may thus be redeemed from the water. alluvial lands constitute but a small feature in east washington. _c._ drift. the origin of these gravel soils is given hereafter, under the head of geology. they constitute the hill lands, as distinguished from the bottom lands and sound flats on the one hand, and the mountain lands on the other. they are composed of sand, clay, gravel, and some large boulders. rarely the gravel predominates so as to render the land unfit for cultivation. sometimes there are only clay and sand, and sometimes chiefly clay. this soil, though not equal to the alluvium, or to the basaltic land, is much better than glacial precipitate usually is. it gave all the indications of a fertile soil, resembling the best hay lands of massachusetts, which have the same glacial origin. its natural growth is luxuriant, and when cleared it inclines to clothe itself in white clover and the grasses. it is said to be specially adapted to fruits and vegetables. _d._ loam. i mean by this a clay soil containing fine-grained sand enough to make it friable. this is the soil made by the slates and sandstones of the coal measures, and is generally found on the highlands above the drift. it is a medium land as to quality, but valuable for the tendency to grass, which characterizes all the lands of west washington. much of it will make good cropping land. there is a great deal of it. it is found high on the cretaceous hills and mountains, often extending to the top. [sidenote: a remarkable soil.] _e._ basalt. this is the magic soil of the great plain (or plateau) of the columbia. and it is found also in large areas on the cascade mountains. it has an ashy look and texture; sometimes black, but generally of ashen hue. rarely it is compact and clayey. there are perhaps twenty thousand square miles of this basaltic land; enough of itself to make a medium-sized state. of course there are inequalities in the productiveness of this land. the basaltic rock in many places crops out, as mentioned under the head of topography, and there are coulées and galled spots. i cannot say what proportion of the surface is rendered valueless by these irregularities. the outcropping basalt does not destroy the value of the land; for the soil spaces between the rocks may be greater than the rock spaces, and whilst unfit for the plough, they may be suited to trees, or cattle range. but, judging by all that i saw and heard, i should think that the smooth land considerably predominates over the rough. certainly there is more smooth, comparatively level, fertile, productive, and easily cultivated land here in proportion to the whole area than i have ever seen elsewhere. the great plain of east colorado is a vast and beautiful stretch of country, but it is unproductive without irrigation. taking everything into consideration, the plateau of east washington seems to me to be unequaled in combined extent and productiveness. this subject of soils will be incidentally continued in connection with the next two heads. natural vegetation. [sidenote: vast vegetation.] here the two sides of the cascade mountains must again, as under other heads, be considered separately. the natural vegetation of the west side is vast rather than varied. wherever the sun touches the ground, one may expect to see grass; chiefly white clover and green sward, which seem to be indigenous to the country. there are, of course, many herbs and shrubs which need not be mentioned in a report like this. the ferns of the snoqualmie bottoms, for size, remind one of the tree ferns of the carboniferous period, though, of course, not so large. many of them were seven feet high, which is five feet higher than i ever saw elsewhere. the sal-al is a low shrub, almost herbaceous, and semi-procumbent, of brown foliage, bearing a berry and belonging to the wintergreen family, though much larger than the wintergreen of the alleghenies. the sal-al abounds on the little prairie which bears its name. the mosses are most abundant and luxuriant in the deep, moist shades of the evergreen forests, and i noticed that the cayuse ponies fed upon them as eagerly as reindeer upon the iceland mosses. [sidenote: deciduous trees.] deciduous trees are rare, but not wholly wanting. the cottonwood grows to rather extra size. the alder, which is only a large bush in the alleghenies, here becomes a tree, perhaps thirty feet high. i saw some small maples. it is said that there are groves of oak and maple of sufficient size to cut for lumber. [illustration: a view of the forest on the line of the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway.] [sidenote: larch.] the larch (tamarack) is interspersed among the evergreens on the cascade mountains, and attains good size. the american larch is rather more slender in habit than the european variety, but it has a heavy, close-grained wood, and is regarded as specially suited for railroad ties--an important point in this country. it is also reported to make durable fence-posts and ground sills. in europe its bark is valued for tanning next to oak bark, and the two are used together. the venice turpentine comes from the resinous sap of the larch. the older trees are better than the younger ones for durability. but with regard to this class of trees, results depend much on incidental circumstances. larch is one of the woods used in europe for making gas. these are the only deciduous trees i know of in washington territory, except fruit trees. [sidenote: extraordinary evergreen forests.] evergreens constitute the bulk of the great forests, and i shall name these in the order of their importance: douglas (or red) fir, white cedar, hemlock spruce, white pine, balsam (or white) fir and yew. [sidenote: douglas fir, or oregon pine.] [sidenote: the best of ship timber.] the douglas fir constitutes the greater part of the forests, but not so large a proportion as seven-eighths, as stated in the census report, but more than one-third, which is the proportion given in hough's forestry report. the wood of this tree is yellow when young, and hence some persons make two varieties out of the same tree. when older, it becomes an orange color, but not red like the heart of the sweet gum and red cedar. it is, however, usually called the red fir. the tree yields a clear yellow resin, which is not at present collected. its timber is of the best quality, greatly superior to that of the fir tribe generally, probably superior to that of any other fir-tree in the world. the firs shade into each other by an almost insensible gradation, and are much modified by soil and climate, and names have been multiplied unnecessarily. the fir, like the larch, must be studied in each locality in order to determine its value. the firs of sweden and norway make good masts and spars, and soft, light boards; but the boards are apt to split and are not strong enough for ship-work. but the timber of the douglas fir is heavy, strong and firm, and well suited to ship-building, as has been abundantly demonstrated on puget sound. for all ordinary building purposes this timber has a world-wide reputation. it is often called the "oregon pine." its growth as a tree is luxuriant on good soil, and often gigantic. i saw many single specimens which i estimated at feet in height and to feet in diameter. when disconnected, they have the usual conical shape of the firs, with limbs branching from the ground, but it is rare to see such specimens in washington territory, as the forests are so dense there is no room for limbs, except near the top. the trunks stand as straight and regular as posts set with a plumb-line. this crowding often prevents the full development of the trunk also, except on the most moist and fertile lands. the absence of lower branches insures a great length of lumber free from knots. [sidenote: white cedar.] [sidenote: beautiful house lumber.] the white cedar is a variety of the well-known arbor vitæ of the eastern states, but there is a wonderful difference in the size and habits of the tree on the two sides of the continent. on the atlantic side it may, under very favorable circumstances, reach fifty feet in height, but usually it is dwarfish and crooked. but in washington territory the white cedar is the peer of the douglas fir, and its largest specimens perhaps exceed the latter somewhat in diameter. it is also next in abundance and value. its wood is soft, light and cream-colored. it splits with remarkable ease and regularity, so that the pioneer with axe and frow can prepare all the timbers needed for his house. for shingles it is fully equal to its congener, the cypress; and for house-facings and some kinds of furniture it is the favorite wood. [sidenote: hemlock spruce.] [sidenote: tanners wanted.] hemlock spruce is not so abundant, but it constitutes a noticeable element in the snoqualmie valley forests. it seems to be exactly the same tree which so abounds in our eastern and northern lake states, and is common in the moist valleys all along the appalachian mountains. it is called hemlock in the northern states, and spruce in the southern. its wood, though unsuited for many purposes, is largely used in the north for the frames of cheap buildings and also for fencing-plank, and its bark is in great demand for tanning, especially for making the red sole leather. it is also used for tanning upper leather and calf-skins, though its light leather is not so good as that made from the oak barks. the hemlock bark has not been considered quite equal to the chestnut-oak (or rock oak) bark for any tanning purposes, but in virginia the price is usually the same. it certainly makes good sole leather. the logger in washington territory neglects this tree, and there are no tanneries yet to call for it, but this will soon be changed, and the hemlock will take its position, not only as the most beautiful of the evergreens, but as among the most useful. this tree does not attain as great size as the two above mentioned, but i observed many specimens ranging from four to five feet in diameter. [sidenote: white pine.] the general character of the white pine is well known. i saw but a few of them, and they not specially good. i doubt whether this tree forms an important feature in these forests. [sidenote: balsam fir.] [sidenote: large supply of canada balsam.] the balsam (or white) fir abounds on the higher slopes of the cascade mountains, and it is so balsamic that it will receive attention from the collectors of "canada balsam," which is becoming increasingly popular for many purposes, especially in mounting specimens for the microscope. such forests as lie near the snoqualmie pass will not long remain unnoticed. the wood is white and easily worked, but the trees do not rank in size or value with those previously mentioned. [sidenote: the yew.] the yew is found sparingly on the mountain heights; but, though interesting, it seems to have no economic value. [sidenote: the superior timber of snoqualmie valley.] as to the extent of these evergreen forests, they may be said to cover west washington with almost unbroken continuity, though they vary in density and the size of the trees, some tracts containing little or no mill-timber. in my travels, which were, of course, quite limited, i saw no forests which answered the usual unqualified descriptions, except in the snoqualmie valley, and here they far exceeded my expectation, as will be shown in the detailed description, given hereafter, of the country lying along the line of the seattle, lake shore & eastern railway. the finest forests lie between puget sound and the crest of the cascade mountains, though even in this area there are variations. and after all the chopping and sawing--of which more will be told later--the forests as yet show but little diminution. east of the cascade range the forests are smaller, and confined to the mountain sides. there are some narrow belts of pine along the northern edge of the great plain of the columbia, which furnish a little lumber for local uses; but these will soon be worked out. the mountain rim lying along the canada line is said to be covered with forest, some of it heavy. the douglas fir, the yellow pine, the white pine, and the larch are all to be found there. there are also skirts of the same timber along the spokane river. and, at wide intervals, there are strips and bunches of scrubby yellow pine on the great plain, which is, however, generally treeless. the spurs and ridges of the blue mountains are thinly covered with small pines and larches. there are some areas of mill-timber on the east and southeast flanks of the cascade mountains. [sidenote: range for horses and cattle.] the flora of the great plateau presents a strange appearance to the traveler. the vegetation is short and scanty, the chief growth being the "sage-brush," a dwarfish, dead-looking shrub, with a hard, crooked stem, of no value as forage, but which is sometimes used for fuel when nothing else is to be had. there are said to be some medicinal, and also some edible, plants; but the only thing of any value is the dry, thin, short, bunch grass which furnishes a fattening food for horses and cattle; though many acres are required to support an animal, and close grazing is rapidly destroying this resource. indeed, the tract is so barren and desert-like in appearance that in the geographies of my boyhood it was put down as a part of the great american desert. and yet, as will be seen hereafter, this is probably the most productive upland in america. lumbering. lumbering was the first industry of washington territory. even food was imported for a time. logging began on puget sound, and went up such streams as afforded transportation and water-power. steam-power soon became the chief reliance for sawing, but water-power will be largely used when the railroads penetrate inland. logging and sawing are separate branches of business, which may or may not be carried on by the same parties. and so with transportation to the mill and to market. large concerns carry on all the branches, even to the building and owning of ships. [sidenote: magnitude of the lumber business.] governor semple gives the capacity of the washington territory saw-mills in as , , feet of lumber per annum, of which the puget sound mills produce , , feet. of this, they (puget sound mills) sent , , feet to california; , , to boston, mass.; , feet to other atlantic ports, and over , , feet to foreign ports. among foreign ports, london received , feet, and the rest went to mexico, south america, china, australia, and other pacific islands. mr. cyrus walker, of the puget mill company, port ludlow, in a letter which i have from him, says: [sidenote: vast extent of the lumber market.] "it is safe to say that the lumber market of the sound may be considered all countries and ports on the pacific ocean." but it may make a more vivid impression of the pacific market for me to give a list of the ports to which shipments have been actually made in the last year by the lumber dealers of puget sound. this list i get not only from public documents, but directly from the millers and port officials: melbourne, callao, sydney, guaymas, iquique, taku, hilo, h. i., san francisco, townsville, west coast, brisbane, sandwich islands, new caledonia, mollendo, montevideo, honolulu, valpa, suava, feejee is., kahalui, cadera, chili, san diego, san pedro, hong kong, enseneda, mex., falmouth, shanghai, autofogasta, rio de janeiro, broken bay, adelaide, coquimbo. this is not a complete list of all the ports visited by the lumber ships of puget sound, and by no means represents the business of the future, which will increase as fast as the mills can be built to furnish the lumber. [sidenote: the great saw-mills.] no one without seeing it can have an adequate idea of the magnitude of the operations of one of the great saw-mills of puget sound. the puget mill company, for the first ten months of last year, sawed on an average , feet every day of ten working hours. i visited the port blakely mills, just across the sound from seattle. there i found a fleet of ships in the harbor, owned chiefly by the company; also, ships building on the stocks; railroads going out to the logging camps; a basin for receiving the logs, and a mill, with four separate tracks, bringing the logs in at one end, and carrying out the lumber at the other. a high iron trestle carried off the slabs to an enormous fire which never ceased to burn, where all this waste was consumed. around the mill was quite a town, in which a large number of races and nationalities were represented. this mill cut about , , feet in . up to the th of november it had shipped as follows: to california, , , feet; to south america, , , feet; to sandwich islands, , , feet; to australia, , , feet; to feejee islands, , feet; and used at home for ship-building, railroads, etc., , , feet. the tacoma mill company and the washington mill company produced the following lumber, etc., during and the first ten months of : lumber. lath. piles. feet. no. linear ft. tacoma mill , , , , , washington mill , , , , , there were other large mills whose statistics i was not able to get in time. mr. walker thinks that the cut of all the mills on puget sound averages , , feet per day; all of which finds ready sale. [sidenote: profits and prices.] i was not able to ascertain the profits of these mills, but there can be no doubt that, with proper management, the profits are very good. the seattle wholesale prices were as follows: lumber, common, per thousand feet $ " sized, " " " " flooring $ to dressed lumber, per thousand feet to laths to shingles to agriculture. [sidenote: clearing the land.] [sidenote: demand for agricultural products.] [sidenote: large crops.] [sidenote: hop-growing on a large scale.] after hearing of the forests in west washington, one cannot be surprised to learn that the agricultural interest develops slowly in this part of the territory. even after the logger has taken what he wants, there remains a heavy mass of vegetation which is expensive to clear away. a thorough clearing, including the removal of stumps, costs $ to $ per acre; and yet this is sometimes done for hops, hay and vegetables. but the common way is to "slash and burn," at an expense of ten to fifteen dollars an acre. this clears off everything but stumps, and such trees as may be reserved for the mill or other purposes. there are fine farms in every direction, but i had no means of ascertaining the proportion of cleared land, or of the agricultural population. the natural fertility of the soil, the high prices of produce, and the rapidly growing demand, both foreign and local, will tempt to a wasteful destruction of timber in order to prepare the ground for crops. there need be no doubt as to the extraordinary productiveness of the soils, even beyond that of the same quality of lands elsewhere; because the climatic conditions are extra favorable for the growth of all crops suited to the country. there are some crops, such as corn, lima beans and sweet potatoes, which are contra-indicated. the cool summer nights check the maturing of these. wheat, also, is not suited, though produced to some extent. but for almost everything else the conditions favor extra production. the conditions could scarcely be better for grass and hay. the scantiness of the summer rains is more than compensated for by the long growing seasons in fall and spring. no soil and climate could be better for oats and potatoes. the reported yield of these three staples would be called fabulous if not established by good testimony. three tons of hay, bushels of oats, and bushels of potatoes per acre are above the average, but by no means reach the maximum on the best lands. most fruits do well. in the production of hops west washington has become celebrated as to quality and yield per acre. this is probably the largest of the agricultural interests in this part of the territory, and was at one time enormously profitable. present prices are thought to leave some margin, but not much. [illustration: indians gathering hops, washington territory, on line of seattle, lake shore and eastern railway.] [sidenote: the changed agricultural conditions of east washington.] [sidenote: irrigation in the yakima valley.] as heretofore remarked, the agricultural conditions change suddenly on crossing the cascade mountains to the eastward; and this change begins at the crest line, and is more marked on the mountain side and near its base than anywhere else. the winters are longer and more severe, and the summers drier and hotter. there is natural pasturage similar to that of the plateau country, coming up to the timber line, the lower edge of which is high on the mountain. much of this mountain land, though covered scantily with sage brush and bunch grass, is really fertile, and, besides supporting cattle, can be made to bring fair crops of wheat and other things; but the rainfall is so insufficient that irrigation is necessary for the development of any large agricultural interest. fortunately, in the large basin of the yakima, irrigating streams are abundant, and its enterprising people are availing themselves of this happy resource. by reference to a good map it will be seen that the yakima river is made up of an unusual number of streams. a group of these come together near ellensburg, and another group near the town of north yakima; and there are said to be large bodies of land susceptible of irrigation by these streams. the ellensburg valley is thirty miles long, and about ten miles wide; and is the best agricultural section in kittitas county. it is claimed that forty bushels of wheat to the acre can be produced here without irrigation; and that , , bushels of wheat were actually produced in this basin in . hay, hops, vegetables, berries and fruits also do well naturally, but with irrigation the product is uniformly large. there are four irrigating canals in the valley. the teanaway ditch company has one fifty miles long which can water , acres of land. the ellensburg ditch company has a ditch ten miles long, covering , acres. mr. bull has one six miles long, and the owners of the new roller mill have two and a half miles of ditch. next below kittitas is yakima county, which contains a number of fertile valleys, and also good uplands, and is well supplied with irrigating streams, which have already been brought into use. two large ditches are drawn from the natchess river. ditches are also taken from the ahtanum, which is the principal hop-raising section. a plateau, three by ten miles, between the cowiche and natchess, will all be irrigated. the moxee valley is largely owned by eastern and other capitalists, who seem to be expending much money in the improvement of the country. this company has fourteen miles of ditch. [sidenote: varied crops.] by the help of these ditches the people of yakima valley are producing corn, which under the hot sun of the locality perfects its product. tobacco has been tried also with fair results. and the moxee county will try the dairy business. there is a disposition also to try improved breeds of cattle. the spirit of enterprise has resulted largely from the passage of the northern pacific railroad along the yakima valley; but at the same time the greatest obstacle in the way of irrigation lies in the ownership of alternate sections by this railroad. the yakima indians have good lands, and klickatat county is well spoken of. sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peaches, grapes, and other things requiring much heat, are said to thrive in the lower parts of the yakima valley. [sidenote: the great plain.] [sidenote: boundaries.] we enter now the last grand division of the country, the great plain, or, more strictly, plateau of the columbia river. in spite of its unpromising aspect, this is the chief agricultural region of the pacific states. to get the exact boundary, find the point (a little below wallula junction) where washington and oregon both corner on the columbia river. from this point, follow the columbia up to the mouth of spokane river; follow spokane river up to the idaho line; follow the idaho line south to the oregon line; follow the oregon line due-west to the beginning, and within these lines lies the region which is destined to be the granary of the pacific states. [sidenote: early history.] the settlement of this plain began near walla walla, where a christian mission was established by whitman, the hero and martyr, who saved this country to the united states. hence the most thickly populated part of the plain is between the oregon line and snake river. this region was supplied with transportation by the oregon railway and navigation company. the largest agricultural production is here. [sidenote: area and population.] immigration next moved north of snake river into the valley of the palouse river, and here we have the next largest area of production. when the northern pacific railroad came in from the east, the new-comers entered the great bend country, which is the northern half of the plain. the chief settlement here is in spokane and lincoln counties, which cover nearly half of the great bend. douglas county covers the remainder, and is beginning to be settled. there are ten counties on the plateau, with an aggregate area of , square miles and a population of , . of this population, , is south of the snake river, , north of snake river, and , in the great bend, including spokane falls. [sidenote: amazing wheat crops: surpassing all other states.] the great staple of this country is wheat, though almost every crop is grown, and most of them with remarkable results. corn is grown only south of snake river, where it yields thirty bushels to the acre. the average yield of wheat year by year for the entire territory is put by governor squire at twenty-five bushels, and no one who knows the country can regard this otherwise than as a moderate estimate. this average places washington territory beyond comparison first among the states of america, and, so far as i can learn, second only to england among other nations. england, by the highest manuring, has brought her wheat product up to thirty bushels, which is double the average of former years. by the census of , washington territory, as a whole, leads all the other states. the following tables give the average of ten of the chief wheat-producing states: wheat, per acre. bushels. california . dakota . minnesota . new york . ohio . pennsylvania . virginia . washington territory . oregon . illinois . the year was the worst wheat year ever known in washington territory: its crop averaged sixteen and a half bushels. [sidenote: railroads overwhelmed with freight.] it is thought that the wheat crop of east washington for will exceed , , bushels. it certainly went far beyond the ability of the railroads to carry it away before winter. the most amazing glut of freight i have ever seen was along the railroads in walla walla county. not only were the depots crowded to the roof, but piles of sacks larger than the depots stood outside. it was a common sight through the whole snake river country to see , sacks of wheat in one pile outside of the depots. [sidenote: price of wheat and cost of production.] the price of wheat runs from cents to cents a bushel; whilst the cost of production on good land need not exceed cents a bushel. mr. hamilton, of colfax, has a farm which he cultivates entirely by hired labor, and he told me that the cost of his wheat was from cents to cents, and that his profit was $ per acre. good farms about colfax can be rented out at $ . per acre for the whole farm. mr. miles c. moore, of walla walla, probably the most exact business man of that region, farms largely by hiring labor. he gave me the following statement of his own operations: wheat growing and delivering. _dr._ cost of ploughing, per acre $ cost of twice harrowing and sowing seed, - / bushel thirteen sacks at cents keeping up fences harvesting and hauling five miles to depot, cents per bushel ------ $ _cr._ by bushels per acre at cents $ cost of production ------ profit $ this product could not be expected on inferior lands, but with the working farmer the cost of production is less. the yield of wheat on the best lands of east washington is large--almost beyond belief. mr. houghton, attorney for the spokane falls and palouse railroad, told me that he had known of bushels of wheat being raised on ten acres; that it was measured by a committee. mr. miles c. moore has known , acres to average fifty bushels. a farmer (apparently honest) told me that he had raised seventy-five bushels to the acre over his whole wheat area. his crop was harvested by the acre, and the area measured by the county surveyor. it was all sold, except seed. thus he got both area and product accurately. many more instances were stated to me on good authority. but there are different grades of fertility in these lands as in other lands, and the amount of rainfall makes a difference also. wallula has but twelve inches of rain, and is unproductive. there must be fifteen inches for wheat. walla walla has seventeen, and is productive. nearer to the blue mountains the rainfall is thirty to thirty-five inches; here are the largest crops. spokane falls has twenty-one inches. yet where else on the earth can such crops be raised even occasionally? i have been growing wheat for thirty-five years on good land in the valley of virginia, and i never could reach thirty bushels to the acre on a single field; and i do not believe that my neighbors can do better than i do. we count twenty bushels an extra crop. [sidenote: also barley and oats.] besides wheat, these lands produce barley of superior quality, weighing fifty pounds to the bushel, at the rate of fifty to sixty bushels per acre, and oats weighing thirty-eight pounds to the bushel at the same rate per acre. the weight of wheat is sixty pounds to the bushel. barley sells at cents per pounds, and is largely shipped east to be made into beer. the wheat usually grown is the little club, a short, strong white wheat; but the little giant, red chaff and chili giant are productive. spring wheat is generally sown, but winter wheat is probably best. blue stem brings five cents extra in portland. freight, $ a ton from walla walla to portland; thirty-three bushels counted a ton. the wheat here has no enemies--no fly, nor rust, nor weeds, nor lodging. [sidenote: the soil a natural fertilizer.] much of the land has been cultivated for sixteen years without rest or manure, and without diminution of crop; but the best farmers prefer to rest and cultivate in alternate years. by the latter system the ploughing is done in the off-year, and the land left a naked fallow. this is thought to cleanse the land and renew its strength. and in some cases in which lands have an excess of alkali, their productiveness increases with cultivation. sometimes the land contains as much as eighteen pounds of potash to the cubic yard; which fact, by the way, suggests the possibility of leaching the land to procure potash and other alkalies. [sidenote: quality of the wheat.] the wheat of the pacific coast has per cent. less gluten in it than the eastern wheat, and this practically shuts it out of the eastern market. nitrogen in washington territory wheat is per cent. to per cent., whilst in the eastern it is per cent. to per cent., and inferior in quality. the true gluten is too brittle. it is better than the california wheat, however, which has per cent. to per cent. less nitrogenous matter, and the gluten inferior in quality. but the california wheat makes a whiter flour than the washington territory wheat, which is an advantage in selling. it should be remarked that the term nitrogen, when applied technically to wheat, includes true gluten, the phosphates, and all albuminoids, and excludes starch, sugar and water, which latter comprise about seventy-two per cent. of the wheat. still, the washington territory wheat-grower has the advantage in quantity per acre, which gives him a better profit than is now made in california or any eastern state. the price at spokane falls varies from cents to cents per bushel, which would give the farmer $ to $ . per acre for his crop, which is more than the average eastern farmer gets, whilst the cost of production ought to be, and ultimately will be, less. [sidenote: the market in england, china, and other asiatic ports.] flour is sent to england, by cape horn, at a cost of $ . per barrel from spokane falls, and in liverpool brings within cents a barrel as much as the minneapolis flour, and it is also shipped to china and other asiatic ports, where it seems destined to supersede rice for bread. china raises wheat, but not nearly enough for home consumption. the asiatic and oceanic market will, ultimately, want all the wheat of our pacific states. [sidenote: astonishing growth of vegetables.] [sidenote: crops without rain.] besides the cereals, vegetables of nearly all kinds grow to great size on this plateau. those requiring a more uniformly warm temperature, such as tomatoes, sweet potatoes, beans and peanuts, do best in the region lying south of the snake river, which is much less elevated than the country north and east. and this is true also of peaches, grapes, and other fruits requiring similar conditions. but as regards most vegetables, especially roots, and also fruits, the plateau generally is very productive. this is almost unaccountable in view of the fact that after the first of june there is little or no rain until late in the fall. whilst rain seems to be necessary to start the small seeds, large crops of potatoes are sometimes raised without a drop of rain. the moisture must come partly from the soil, which has retained the winter water, and partly from the deposition of moisture by the sea-air which comes through the gap in the cascade mountains and penetrates the deep, loose soil. mr. paul f. mohr has measured a parsnip four feet long and eight inches across the top. i saw potatoes in colfax, thirty of which filled a bushel measure. as before intimated, i doubt whether the plateau can ever become a good grass and hay country. for long forage, besides straw, the people must depend upon the cereals mowed in the green state. [sidenote: west (not east) washington is to be the great cattle country.] for this reason the plateau, as will also be the case with the great plains eastward, can never carry the number of cattle that can be grazed in a grass country. a farmer told me it required fifteen acres of bunch grass to support one horse or steer, whilst in a grass country three acres are ample, and on the best sods one acre is sufficient. still, the bunch grass is, and ought to be, utilized. and the areas of unimproved land are so vast that the herds of cattle, horses and sheep which range upon them altogether constitute a large item of wealth. and on these treeless plains the effort seems to be to train the cattle and horses to live like buffaloes and wild horses in both summer and winter. [sidenote: tree-planting.] the tree problem will, i think, work out satisfactorily, though, of course, no such trees can ever be produced there as abound in west washington. walla walla is embowered in trees of artificial growth. the lombardy poplar seems to have been most successful. at various points i saw plantations of box elder, and was told that this tree is easily grown. the cottonwood is said to grow readily. captain john mcgowan reports the successful culture of locust, walnut, maple and catalpa in lincoln county. he says, also, that the plum, peach, apricot, apple, pear and grape succeed: and so with strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. all these fruits are grown about spokane falls, but i think that the grape and peach sometimes fail to mature. a good many plantations of trees have been set out under the timber-culture act of congress, but it is thought that much imposition has been practised on the government by the failure to take proper care of the trees after they were planted. the truth about the whole matter seems to be that, with proper care, trees of most varieties may be grown on the plateau, but that they will grow slowly and not attain large size. i might add many details concerning the products of this wonderful country, but these will suffice as illustrations. labor. [sidenote: good supply of labor, but more wanted.] under this head i will merely say that, though the laboring population of washington territory is very mixed and has not the settled character of labor in the old states, and though many more laborers could find employment, there does not seem to be any special deficiency of this class, and the high wages that are paid will, no doubt, bring in more workmen as they are wanted. [sidenote: wages.] governor squire, in his report for , page , gives quite a detailed list of wages, which shows that the rates are at least fifty per cent. higher than in the middle states, and double what is paid in the southern atlantic states. farm laborers get from $ to $ a month and board. loggers pay from $ to $ per month to common hands, and $ to $ to teamsters. skilled labor receives high wages, and railway contractors sometimes have to pay $ to $ . per day for common hands. servant girls are scarce, and wanted, at $ a month and board. hotel servants get from $ to $ a month. chinamen are extensively employed for family servants. many of them are tolerable cooks, and get $ a month and board. indians are working more than formerly. the men "slash" the forests, pick hops, etc. squaws always were industrious--had to be! the sandwich islands, as well as china and japan, furnish some laborers. the employers are favorable to this class of immigrants, whilst the white laborers are bitterly opposed to them. canada will continue to employ cheap chinese labor, and thus place our pacific states at a disadvantage, if the present policy of excluding chinese labor is continued. [illustration: bridge over the spokane river, seattle, lake shore and eastern railway.] the geology of washington territory. historical and structural. i shall not say much about the historical geology of washington territory, because it contains some problems which have never been adequately studied, and which i had no opportunity to investigate. it is to be hoped that the regular work of the government survey may soon be extended to this important region. hitherto it has been neglected. a few able geologists such as joseph le conte, pumpelly, newberry, bailey willis, and some others, have made visits to the country on special errands; but except the treatise of bailey willis in vol. xv. of the census reports, and some brief allusions to the country in systematic works on general geology, i had nothing to guide me as to the structure of the country, or the age of its deposits. for all practical purposes, however, i had no difficulty in understanding the work i had to do. [sidenote: the western coast regions younger than the rocky mountains and appalachians.] [sidenote: an outlying continent.] [sidenote: the rise of the west coast.] all agree that the country west of the rocky mountains proper, and including nearly all of california, oregon, and washington territory, is geologically younger than the main range, and younger than the appalachian country. at the close of the carboniferous period proper, the rocky mountain range constituted a separate continent, with a sea covering what is now the main mississippi valley, including the wide plains immediately east of the rocky mountains, and connecting, probably, with the polar sea, whilst the pacific ocean washed the western edge of this rocky mountain continent; so that until after that period there were no wahsatch and uintah mountains, no sierra nevada and cascade range, no coast range, and, of course, none of the intervening country. it is quite possible, however, that there was a third continent lying west of the present continent in what is now ocean, from whose waste the sediments were derived which were afterwards elevated and became the land now included in the three states bordering the pacific, whilst the mother continent, which furnished the sediments, sank beneath the ocean. if there were such an outlying continent, additional force is given to the views of dr. george f. becker, endorsed by dr. c. a. white, and to some extent anticipated by prof. j. d. whitney, which render it probable on other grounds that the two great lines of mountains, viz., the sierra nevada and cascade range and the coast range, began their upward movement simultaneously during the early ages of the juro-trias. the rise of these mountain lines was gradual and marked by reverse movements, whereby, after appearing above the surface, they sank and rose alternately, receiving fresh sediments, which, especially in the washington territory region and part of oregon and california, when above water, became clothed with an enormous vegetation which was packed into coal-beds, layer after layer. in the lapse of time these all came above the surface. the mountains grew higher and higher, attended by intense heat in the axes of the ranges, and at different periods, down almost to the present, exhibiting volcanic action on an enormous scale. at other periods, a large portion of the region was visited by ice-floods, succeeded by water-floods, which top-dressed great areas with a mingled deposit of gravel, sand and mud, and carried away vast blocks of the rocky substance of the country, and cut deep channels in all the highlands. as washington territory is now presented to us, it exhibits a scene of mountains, lowlands, and elevated plateaus, which are full of interest and variety. some general account of its topography has already been given. [illustration: lower snoqualmie falls, feet high, on line of seattle, lake shore and eastern railway.] [sidenote: the rocks and minerals of the cascade mountains.] the core of these high ranges is chiefly rock originally stratified, which has been metamorphosed by heat, and perhaps inside of all, with branches bursting out at various places, are plutonic rocks which have never been stratified. this is the state of things on the top of the cascade range, near snoqualmie pass, as well as on some subordinate peaks and ranges. on mount logan, the denny mountain, etc., are large bodies of syenitic granite whose age i have no means of determining. associated with this are quartzites of fine grain, and extremely hard, porphyries, and serpentinoid and chloritic rocks of different sorts, in which are imbedded the magnetic iron ores; and also large beds of crystalline limestone, both fine and coarse grained. crossing these, at various angles, are veins containing the precious and base metals. [sidenote: the metamorphic rocks of doubtful origin.] whether these rocks are palæozoic or archæan in their origin, or whether they are simply the metamorphosed strata of the upper juro-trias, or the lower cretaceous, is a question for future study. these plutonic and metamorphic rocks are believed to extend through the mountainous region lying north of the columbia river; and they are reported also in the coeur d'alene mountains. it is quite certain that on both flanks of the cascade mountains we find in their natural state cretaceous conglomerates, sandstones, and shales bearing coal, at least in their upper beds. the deposits on the east side of the mountain have been much grooved and denuded, until we find only small areas of the cretaceous strata on the yakima and the wenatchie rivers, and the peshastan ridge between, with a patch of the coal-bearing rocks on the yakima, and another on the wenatchie. on the west side of the mountain range, the cretaceous and coal-bearing areas are much larger. [sidenote: the coal beds.] the coal deposits of all the cretaceous regions of the west are regarded as belonging to the laramie period which closed the cretaceous age, and constitutes a transition period between the cretaceous and tertiary. but i do not regard this question as settled. the inferior lignites of the rocky mountains, and the semi-lignites which constitute the upper beds of the washington cretaceous coal properly belong to the laramie period; but to include the underlying bituminous coals in the same group may be a matter of question. more will be said in reference to these coal beds under the next head. the western coal-bearing rocks begin on outlying mountains, standing at the west foot of the main cascade range. these outlyers are irregular in size, height and direction; but many of them are , to , feet in height, and they are found in groups, separated by denuded spaces, from the cascade mountains to the pacific ocean, and from the canada line nearly to the columbia river. the largest and most important field, however, lies south of the snoqualmie river and between puget sound and the cascade mountains. some of the coals found in the most southern part of the field, and on the coast range, are referred to the tertiary period. a smaller and wholly undeveloped field lies on the skagit river, and another on, and west of bellingham bay. similar beds are found on vancouver's island. coal-bearing strata are found also on the chehalis, des chutes, nisqually and cowlitz rivers. whilst some of these southern and western strata are referred to the tertiary period, there has been no systematic study of their geologic relations. [sidenote: the volcanic mountains and their great activity.] it seems to be settled, however, that the lofty volcanic mountains which form conspicuous features in the scenery of the cascade range, were active in the tertiary period, and not only built their own crests , to , feet high, but inundated much of the surrounding country with lava to an amazing breadth and depth. in this region, mount baker, mount ranier (also called mount tacoma), mount st. helens and mount adams in washington territory, and mount hood in oregon, were the centres of the grandest operations; and so continued for ages. [sidenote: the wonderful cañon of the columbia river.] we see gigantic results of this activity in the cañon , to over , feet deep, which the columbia river has cut through this volcanic matter in its passage through the cascade mountains. this volcanic deposit consists of brown basalt, which in cooling crystallized into vertical, polygonal prisms, or columns, which have been sculptured by the weather into endlessly varied forms, beautiful, fantastic, and grand; altogether presenting a scene, or succession of scenes, for twenty-five miles, such as can nowhere else be equaled on the american continent, unless it be near by, on a tributary of the columbia, the des chutes river of oregon. [sidenote: the great sheets of basalt.] this great pile of basalt was built up by a succession of overflows of lava, the joints of which are plainly visible. the basaltic area, though perhaps thickest here, continues with a thickness of , to , feet up the columbia for hundreds of miles; indeed the whole plateau, or prairie country of east washington, which is a quadrilateral of some miles in diameter, is but a continuation of the great lava-sheet seen at the cascades and the dalles. through it the columbia and snake rivers have cut deep channels; and other, though shallower channels, have been cut across the surface of the plateau by departed streams. [sidenote: origin of the rich soil of east washington.] whether the extremely fertile soil which overlies the basalt in east washington is a top-dressing of volcanic ashes, or is decomposed basalt, cannot readily be determined. it cannot be referred to the glacial period, as i observed no appearance of drift anywhere except in the valley of spokane river. such a wide spread of lava is not unexampled in view of somewhat similar overflows now occurring at intervals in the sandwich islands, where lava runs and spreads itself like water. these hawaiian flows are mentioned by captain c. f. dutton in his report of the zuni plateau. a ledge of sandstone belonging to the meiocene tertiary is visible under the basalt at the lower cascade in the columbia river; and a stratum of iron ore and vegetable matter is found on the willamette at oswego, lying horizontally between great masses of basalt, showing a long interval between overflows. [sidenote: the volcanoes not wholly extinct.] these eruptions probably continued with diminishing force until near the present time. it is reported that mount hood has sent out smoke or steam since the settlement of oregon. the crater of mount ranier was visited by two gentlemen within a few years, and a night spent in its bottom by the side of a jet of steam. such, at least, is the account given by one of them, mr. stevens. [sidenote: glacial drift.] the quaternary or drift period has left abundant, though by no means universal, traces of its presence. as before intimated, i saw no relics of it in east washington, except a deposit of rather small, generally very small, and well-rounded quartz gravel, thickly strewing, and really forming, the flats bordering spokane river. this gravel macadamizes the streets of the city of spokane falls, and the neighboring roads, so as to make them firm at all seasons. these gravelly bottoms are not tillable except in a few spots. the undulating country north and east of puget sound is in many places deeply covered with drift material which shows the effect of both ice and water. blocks of partially rounded granite several feet in diameter are found on the hills around seattle. this gravel deposit is not often found on high points, but there is a ridge in the cascade mountains, near salal prairie, which is thickly bestrewed at an elevation of , feet. this, however, was quite exceptional, and may be the lateral moraine of a local glacier. the deposit around seattle is not only easy to cultivate (its soil being a light blue loam), but seems fertile. the bottom lands are free from gravel. so much for the general geology. economic geology. note.--the location of the coal-fields and collieries mentioned in the following pages may be seen on an accompanying map. under the head of economic geology, i shall describe with more detail the mineral beds which have a commercial value, and in the following order:--i. coal; ii. iron ore; iii. granite, limestone, and marble; iv. precious and base metals. [sidenote: thickness of the coal measures.] i. coal.--the thickness of the coal measures of the puget sound basin is estimated by bailey willis at something like , feet, though he admits the obvious possibility of error in the calculation by reason of undiscovered faults. we may fairly expect them, however, to be thicker than the same group in the rocky mountains, which measure about , feet. as heretofore remarked, the sediments become thinner from west to east. of course, the maximum thickness is not to be expected in every locality. mr. willis's estimate was made in the wilkeson and green river fields, and really did not reach the limit of the coal-bearing rocks. the coal rocks of the cedar river and snoqualmie basin have never, so far as i know, been estimated, but probably this group is equal in thickness to that of any other part of the field. the difficulty of measurement arises from the numerous fractures and changes of strike which exist. [sidenote: fifteen workable seams.] the number of distinct workable seams of coal of three feet and upwards, belonging to the measures, may safely be put down at not less than fifteen. [sidenote: different kinds of coal described.] before considering the quality of these coals, i will, for better understanding, make some prefatory statements in regard to the character of coals generally. charcoal has greater purity than mineral coals usually have, because there is nothing in the charcoal except what naturally belongs to the woody matter. mineral coal, however, having been buried in water, mud, and sand, must, almost of necessity, have some mixture of foreign matter, either slate, which is simply hardened mud; silica, which may have been derived from sand; iron and sulphur, some of which may have been in the wood, but most of it, probably, introduced in solutions; to which should be added, unexpelled oxygen, which is not only useless as fuel, but which combines with a portion of the contained hydrogen, and forms water in the substance of the coal. the proportion of ash in coals of the same class is usually determined by the amount of slate in the coal, in addition to the mineral matter which belonged originally to the vegetable material from which the coal was formed. in the pure state, the proportion of ash increases as the transformation of woody fibre goes on from peat to anthracite. [sidenote: the chemical changes in coal beds.] it is worth while to note what are the changes which take place in the vegetable matter during the process. it may be described in a word as a progressive loss of oxygen, and by this loss the coal becomes richer, for the reason just given. the deoxidizing process is carried on by means of chemical changes in the substance of the coaly matter. the oxygen combining with a certain proportion of the carbon, forms carbon di-oxide, or carbonic acid gas; and a certain other portion, combining with hydrogen, forms water. both of these are volatile in their character, and gradually escape. another loss is effected by the combination of hydrogen and carbon, forming marsh gas. we have deadly proof that these combinations are in progress in all coal mines by the occurrence of "choke-damp" and "fire-damp," which are the miners' names for these gases. [sidenote: deficient nomenclature.] unfortunately, we have no settled nomenclature for the varieties of coal, excepting the broad names lignite or brown coal, bituminous coal, and anthracite. even the term "bituminous" is scientifically inaccurate, there being, in fact, no bitumen in any coal. but it is applied to such coals as contain more oxygen and volatile combustible matter and water than anthracite, and less of these elements than lignite. the term lignite is made to include a great variety of substances, covering the lignites of the juro-trias of james river (dutch gap), which retain not only the structure, but the appearance of decaying wood; the lignites of the state of mississippi, which are of the same geologic age as those of the rocky mountains, but which, owing to their watery and crumbly character, are unfit for market; the lignites of the grand and moreau rivers of dakota, which are reported to have no commercial value; the lignites of bozeman, montana, which are really valuable, but soon break down into chips and grits; the lignites of green river, wyoming, which are firm, bright, lump coals; and the lignites of king county, washington territory, many of which are hard, bright, steam and shipping coals. and when brought to the laboratory, it is found that chemically these lignites vary even more than they do optically. [sidenote: lignite an unsuitable name for the coals of washington territory.] this want of a varied nomenclature is to be regretted, because it sometimes handicaps a good coal with an inferior name. it is only of late that the laramie or cretaceous coals of washington territory have been divided into lignites, bituminous coals, and anthracites. these grade into each other so insensibly that it would be impossible to classify them sharply. none of the lignites which i saw were as low in grade as the typical lignite. the woody structure was quite discernible in some samples of the franklin coal, and less in the newcastle and green river; but in respect to the two latter, i could not with the naked eye discern more of the woody structure than i have seen in some of the west virginia coals, which belong to the carboniferous period. i sat by fires of newcastle and neighboring coals for a month, and observed no unusual amount of smoke, and no peculiar odor. by analysis, these coals show a larger percentage of oxygen than the typical bituminous coal, but decidedly less than is found in the brown coal of germany, or in some of the lignites of montana. they need a new name. their heating power is not so great as that of the bituminous coals of the same region. their streak and powder are less black, and their fracture more conchoidal, but not decidedly so. the bituminous coals have the usual cubical fracture. the wilkeson readily breaks down into small cubes. the lignites are black and lustrous. they come out as lumpy as ordinary coal, and, when exposed to weather, do not break up into powder and grits like ordinary lignite. this is true, at least, of the newcastle coal. [sidenote: the coking quality not general in these coals, but found in some.] the coking quality of these coals cannot be determined by calculating the proportion between the fixed carbon and the volatile, combustible matter. i am not sure that professor fraser's fuel ratio tables are a safe guide in any case. so far as now known, only a few of the washington territory coals can be made into good coke. on this point, however, we have only laboratory and rough field tests, excepting at the wilkeson mines, where twenty-five ovens were turning out a superior quality of coke, as proved by every test save the use of it in high furnace stacks, in which there had been no opportunity for trial. it is claimed by many persons that seams on green river, skagit, yakima, and snoqualmie will furnish good coking coal. the coal on snoqualmie mountain, near hop ranch, has not been studied, but it certainly has the external characteristics of good coking coal, and mr. peter kirke made a rough trial of it in an earth-pit with decidedly encouraging results. somewhat similar coal is found on raging river, but where opened, so much slate was interleaved with the coal that washing would be necessary before use. more will be said hereafter with regard to these coals; but the remark may be repeated here in respect to the entire puget sound basin, that much additional examination is necessary before its coals will be fully understood. the variations in character of these are not owing entirely, or even chiefly, to their relative ages, but also to the conditions to which they have been subjected, especially in respect to heat. this metamorphic agency has acted not only in the body of the cascade mountains, but all through the coal-fields, where faults, flexures, and intrusive rocks have occasioned changes in the original condition of the coal-beds, giving results along the whole scale of metamorphism from lignite to anthracite. [sidenote: analyses of washington territory coals.] i here introduce (on the opposite page) a table of analyses made in washington city from representative samples of washington territory coals and lignites selected by mr. bailey willis during the examination which he made of this field for the census bureau, and found in vol. xv. of the census reports. the collieries. i will now give some account of the principal coal seams which have been worked in washington territory, namely, those in the field lying east and southeast of puget sound; and in so doing i shall add to my own knowledge all information from any reliable sources. unfortunately, the sources of information are few. [illustration: entrance to gilman coal mine on the line of the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway.] [sidenote: authorities.] in the report of bailey willis to professor pumpelly for the census bureau, we have the best account extant of the carbon river and green river basins. mr. willis spent three years in his examination, assisted by topographical engineers. he made numerous trial-pits and borings with diamond drill, and forwarded samples to washington city for analysis. mr. f. h. whitworth, of seattle, accompanied me in my excursions, and prepared maps which are filed herewith. mr. whitworth has probably more practical knowledge of the puget sound coal basin than any one else. a small volume on the pacific coal field was prepared some years ago by mr. w. a. goodyear. and governor squire's lucid and intelligent reports contain valuable information upon the coal, and all the other interests of washington territory. governor semple has also, in his report for , given us the latest official information. analyses of representative samples of washington territory coals and lignites. key for sites: a miles city, dakota. b newcastle, washington territory. c vein (?) g. r. c. d vein , g. r. c. e vein (?), g. r. c. f vein xviii. g. r. c. g vein ix. g. r. c. h vein vi. g. r. c. i vein iii. g. r. c. j upper yakima river, wash'n ter. k carbon station, wyoming territory. l rock springs, wyoming territory. m wingate vein, carbonado. n vein cxxiii. w. c. o vein xviii. w. c. p vein v. w. c. q vein i. w. c. r vein lviii. b. b. c. s vein xliv. b. b. c. t vein _d_, carbon river, w. c. u skagit river, washington territory. v raton, new mexico. w el moro, new mexico. abbreviations for final row (coke): wls worthless exc excellent b&f black and friable ra poor rather poor ======================+=============================+=================+ | lignites. | bituminous | bituminous | | | lignites. | coals. | +-----+-----+-----------------+-----------------+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | a | b | j | k | l | u | v | w | ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ original sample no. | | | -- | -- | -- | | -- | -- ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ moisture | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | volatile hydro-carbons| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | fixed carbon | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ash | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | f. c.--v. h. c. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | | | | | | | | | | coke | none| none| fair| ----| ----| ra | good| good| | | | | | | poor| | | ======================+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+ ======================+=========================================+ | lignites. | +-----+-----+-----------------+-----------+ | green river field, washington ter. | |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ original sample no. | | | | | | | | ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ moisture | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | volatile hydro-carbons| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | fixed carbon | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ash | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | f. c.--v. h. c. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | | | | | | | | | coke | none| none| none| poor| none| none| wls | | | | | | [b] | [c] | | ======================+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+ [b] produced fragile coke in field test. [c] produced fragile coke in field test. ======================+===============================================+ | bituminous coals. | +-----------------------------------------------+ | wilkeson field, washington territory. | +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----------+ | | | | | altered by| | | | | | | | intrusive | | | | | | | | rocks. | | | | | | | +-----+-----+ | | | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ original sample no. | | | | | | | | | ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ moisture | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | volatile hydro-carbons| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | fixed carbon | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ash | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | f. c.--v. h. c. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | | | | | | | | | | coke | very| none| exc | exc | poor| b&f | none| none| | good| [d] | | | [e] | | | | ======================+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+ [d] produced first-class coke in field test. [e] produced first-class coke in field test. note.--g. r. c.--green river column. w. c.--wilkeson column. b. b. c.--busy brook column. [sidenote: the different mines.] in my brief sketches, i shall group the coal-beds as follows: _a_, carbon river group; _b_, the green river group; _c_, cedar river group; _d_, the squak, raging river, and snoqualmie groups; _e_, the yakima and wenatchie group; _f_, bellingham bay, skagit river, etc.; _g_, british columbia group. [sidenote: anthracite, coking and gas coals.] _a. carbon river group._--these beds lie on south prairie creek and carbon river, tributaries of the puyallup river. anthracite coal in thin beds is reported high up on carbon river, near the base of mount ranier; the result of metamorphism. also undeveloped outcrops of soft coal at numerous points on the same river. there are, however, only three collieries at work in this group. one is called the carbonado mines, which are on the carbon river. three miles north, a little east, are the famous wilkeson mines; and two miles northwest of wilkeson, are the south prairie mines, on south prairie creek. (see map.) [illustration: map of wilkeson coalfield] these coal-beds stand at high angles (fifty degrees and upwards), and dip in different directions. at carbonado, there are four seams in pairs, separated by carbon river, two of which dip to the south, and two to the north. at the south prairie mines there are two seams, one of which dips to the east, and the other to the west. at wilkeson there are three seams, all of which dip to the west. mr. willis interprets this coal-field as being a dome-like anticlinal, with compressed and crumpled sides, whose major axis runs nearly north and south. the wilkeson and south prairie mines are on the line of the major axis, whilst the carbonado mines are in a group of subordinate short folds lying south of the main line. the anticline extends to nisqually river, and shows two other coal areas south of carbon river, the coal of which is said to resemble the wilkeson coal. the carbon river coal-field first having been almost engulphed by volcanic uplifts and overflows, and almost buried by glacial drift, is now visible only in narrow strips along creeks, and at intervals along the carbon river. owing probably to the heating of its beds, we find in this little field the coal which stands highest in reputation for coking and heating qualities. there are some differences in the coal at the three mines. that at south prairie was sold chiefly for making gas. the best of the wilkeson coal is made into coke, and is in demand beyond the supply. the price is $ . a ton at the ovens. the entire product of the carbonado mines is said to go to the central pacific railway. it is impossible to say what may be under the drift; but, to all appearance, the amount of coal here is not large, and the beds are sadly faulted, and pitch deep into the ground. [sidenote: the common point, equidistant between tacoma and seattle.] _b. the green river group._--i include in this group the black diamond and franklin collieries, the kirke or moss bay company mines, and the sugar loaf mountain beds. this, as well as the carbon river field, is nearly equidistant from tacoma and seattle, being about thirty miles in a right line from each place. the carbon river basin is geologically associated with mount ranier; the green river basin with the outliers or foot ridges of the cascade mountains. the latter are much more approachable than the former. at the east edge of this field, the northern pacific railroad emerges from the cascade mountains, having come down the cañon of green river. this point is known as "the common point," because the cities of tacoma and seattle are about equally distant, and the routes afford equally good grades from this point. the narrow gauge road from seattle now comes to the franklin mines, and by continuing it a few miles to connect with the northern pacific there would be railroad connection to seattle as well as to tacoma. the river here cuts through the coal measures, leaving the less valuable part of the field on the south side. the area of this field is roughly estimated at fifty square miles. it contains all, or nearly all, the grades of coal from lignite to bituminous; the variety of coal depending upon the degree of local disturbance. as a rule, so long as the coal is not crushed, the more pitched and flexed the rocks, the better the coal; which fact indemnifies the miner for extra expense in mining. here, the tendency is for the seams to become steeper and more broken from west to east; _i.e._, as they approach the foot-hills of the cascade mountains. the strata in lizard mountain on the south side, however, form an exception. here the strata are nearly horizontal. [sidenote: franklin and black diamond mines.] the franklin mines are on the north bank of green river and at the south edge of what has been known as the mckay basin, and the black diamond mines are on, or near, the north edge of the same small, oval synclinal basin. from this basin the dips become steeper toward the mountain, where kirke's beds stand at a high angle. on the west edge of the green river basin, say a mile west of franklin, there is an outcrop of lignite. the coal of the franklin and black diamond mines is bituminous lignite. the kirke coal, or at least part of it, as judged by the eye, may be called bituminous coal, though not so much deoxidized as the wilkeson. the coals mined in this basin are firm, black and shiny; they burn freely, and make but little dust. they have not, however, so far as tested, the heating power or coking qualities of the wilkeson coal. two seams are worked at franklin, and three at black diamond. all of the seams worked are above four feet. a number of volcanic dikes and flows are found in and around this basin. [sidenote: the kirke or moss bay company (english) mines.] the kirke or moss bay company mines are six miles east of franklin, and within a mile of green river. they lie against the mountain. the strike of the mountain is northwest. the coal beds dip toward the mountain at a high angle. there are five seams of from five to fifteen feet in thickness; one of them (no. ) may be said to be over forty-seven feet in thickness, though not all good coal, as the details given below will show. the top of the outcrops above sea-level are as follows: feet. no. no. , no. , no. , no. , some places on the outcrop rise much higher. the base of the mountain is about five hundred feet above sea-level. no shipping has been done from here. a gang of miners was at work opening the beds, with the special view of testing their coking qualities in order to be used, if practicable, by the moss bay company for smelting the steel ores of the cascade mountains. the only seam well opened when i was there (nov. th and th) was no. , which is a large bed and shows an excellent quality of bituminous coal. the bed shows the side and end (or "tooth") structure. the coal is very black and moderately lustrous, and breaks readily into small rectangles of less than an inch. its coking qualities have not been tested. nos. and are said to be softer and more powdery, and may possibly be better for coke than no. . they have an available thickness of about ten feet each. the details of no. are as follows: roof, black shale. ft. ins. coal bone coal hard slate coal bone coal bone coal soft parting / coal bone and coal coal bone coal bone / coal bone / coal bone and coal coal - / bone coal sandstone bottom. ----------- total ft. / ins. there is a natural exposure of no. , the "big seam," which i saw on the mountain-side above the miners' camp, and took the following details: no. , big seam, descending. ft. ins. coal bone - / coal bone coal bone - / coal bone / coal bone - / coal bone nigger-head and coal bone - / coal bone / coal bone coal bone coal bone - / coal bone / coal bone - / coal bone - / coal bone / coal bone / coal shale - / coal bone impure bituminous matter - / coal, clean and good ----------- total ft. ins. the kirke mines are sixteen miles from salal prairie, and two miles from the northern pacific railroad at the common point. the route has been surveyed by the northern pacific railroad. adjoining the kirke, or moss bay company property, is a section of coal land (no. ) on sugar loaf mountain, owned by parties in seattle, who offer it at $ , . there are a number of seams on the property, but i could examine only one which had been opened near the foot of the mountain. it is a good seam of bituminous coal, of the same character with the kirke coal. i took the following details: sandstone roof. ft. ins. coal soft shale / coal soft clay / coal soft material, mining. coal - / slate / coal bone / coal bone / coal bone / coal bone coal - / bone - / coal hard slate floor. ---------- total ft. - / ins. _c. the cedar river group._--this group consists of the cedar river mines, nineteen miles from seattle by rail, the renton and talbot mines, ten miles, and the newcastle, eighteen miles. these coals are in the same river basin, and are all high grade lignites. [sidenote: cedar river mines.] the first shipment made from the cedar river mines was in july, . there are two good seams here, one of which measures eleven feet. the outcrop curves from a south to a southwest strike. the dip is ° toward the east. [sidenote: talbot and renton mines.] the talbot and renton mines, ten miles from seattle, are on the same seam, but, owing to faults and other causes, they have not been worked of late. the seam is seven to nine feet of good coal, resembling the newcastle, but has a bad roof, and soon reaches water. the dip is to the southeast at the grade of ° to °. the outcrop curves as at cedar mountain. this always bodes trouble. [sidenote: newcastle mine.] the principal mine in this basin is the newcastle, from which more coal by far has been mined than from any other. its present annual output is equaled only by the carbonado mines, which are pressed to their full capacity by the central pacific railroad. the newcastle coal is a high grade lignite, of firm texture, shining black color, and angular fracture. it is not a coking coal, but has a wide and established reputation for grate, stove, and boiler uses. it is the typical "seattle" coal, and is sold chiefly in oregon and california. (to-day, owing to scarcity, it would bring $ per ton in los angeles). it has not the heating power of bituminous coal, but it is greatly superior to many of the lignitic coals. many difficulties have been met with in the mining at newcastle, the most of which seem to have been owing to the necessity for mining on the down grade, or fall of the coal; and the mines being now , feet deep. i was twice at these mines, but, owing to the just previous destruction of the hoisting machinery, i could not make an examination. an additional difficulty was that the mine had taken fire. [sidenote: cost of mining.] the cost of mining at newcastle has ranged from cents to $ . per ton, averaging about $ . . [sidenote: large production.] according to governor squire, in , the beds mined at newcastle were, beginning at the lowest, feet, feet, and feet in thickness. the dip is ° to ° northward, and the trend north ° west. governor semple gives the following as the output of the newcastle mines from june , , to june , : , , , , , , , , , --------- total , , average per year , "the great falling off in the output for is attributable mainly to the labor troubles of that year, the mine being closed for several months; also the abandonment of the workings from the no. vein." the slope has now been sunk to a depth of feet, and the mine is being operated entirely from this level. when this lift is finished, it is thought that several others of equal depth can be sunk as the basin is likely to be very deep. [sidenote: misrepresentation.] after writing the foregoing, i received a volume issued annually by the united states geological survey on the mineral resources of the united states for ; and on page i read with surprise the following statements in regard to the newcastle mines of washington territory: "considerable iron pyrites is present in this coal, which fact, added to the chaff-like character of the coal for igniting, causes much annoyance and cost to the mine from fires. coal, or the mine refuse, piled in large quantities quickly ignites." i knew when i was in the territory that the mine was on fire, as i have heretofore stated; but i heard no intimation of spontaneous combustion. in fact, i was told that it was accidental. i wrote at once to mr. david t. day, of the government survey, who is the present editor of this valuable work, asking his authority for such statements concerning this mine as had never, so far as i knew, been made before; though the mines have been described, or mentioned, in all the preceding volumes of the same work, and were mentioned with approval by bailey willis, goodyear, and all other writers on the resources of washington territory. moreover, that i had spent weeks in the neighborhood of the mines, and never heard anything of iron pyrites or spontaneous combustion. mr. day replied that he had no personal knowledge on the subject; but that those statements had been furnished him by mr. james f. jones, who is connected with some mining operations along the northern pacific railway. i wrote also to mr. f. h. whitworth, of seattle, calling his attention to the above statements, and asking what was the truth of the matter. i received his reply just in time to insert in this report. i copy below all that he says on the subject, which puts a different face on the matter. [sidenote: correction by mr. whitworth.] "no, i do not think there is any of any consequence of iron pyrite in the newcastle mines. nor do i consider that the fires in the mine originated in the decomposition of the pyrites. the fire in the mine originally started in the 'gob,' close to the furnace used for ventilation, and where the ashes of the furnace were thrown. therefore, i have always believed that the fire was not spontaneous in its origin. the fire originated in the upper water level 'lift.' but it was led down into the second and third 'lifts' by carelessly breaking through the chain pillar, and thus letting the fire down. several years before the fire started in the mine, and about three-quarters of a mile, or a mile, west of the point where it started, by careless mining and drawing of pillars, there was a 'squeeze,' and the mine heated; the result, i think, of the crush; but the mine did not fire. while you were out here the mines were in danger of firing, and when the cause was not the proximity of the present fire--but that, too, i think, was brought on by reckless mining. running their 'breasts' feet wide and more, and leaving only skeleton pillars, a 'squeeze,' of course, resulted, and the crushing produced the heat, and it did finally fire. the crushing being so great that the top work came down to within five or six inches of the bottom, you see easily producing crushing sufficient to cause fire. "but the coal does fire outside spontaneously, or rather the slack does, when it is piled in considerable quantities, and after a year or more of exposure. the combustion in the slack piles usually commences in the firing of the shaley cap rock, which is thrown in with the slack as the rock disintegrates, or as that process goes on with the 'nigger-heads' thrown into the slack pile. and yet i feel satisfied that the slack piles fire when there appears to be almost none of the rock or 'nigger-head' in it. two conditions, i think, are required: first, that the slack particles be small, and second, that large quantities of water be present. and i have supposed the heat and firing was caused by changing of the conditions; small particles of slack by disintegration to much smaller particles. "and yet it may be possible that there may be sulphur in the form of pyrite present in sufficient quantity to do its work. very semi-occasionally, very seldom, i have seen in the sulphur streaks some slight indications of pyrite; but generally the sulphur streaks, or balls, seem to be composed almost entirely of sand, with very little sulphur, and some coaly matter. "the coal never has fired on shipboard. "i remember that, several years, ago mr. howard, of the o. i. co., had collected and stored in his yard in san francisco, cal., in one pile, several thousand tons of newcastle coal, and was carrying it for some time in stock, and that he complained that his coal was heating, and feared fire. since then they [have not] stowed in such large piles, nor carried stock so long. "no, sir; the sulphur that we rooted [out] at gilman was not in form of pyrite, nor have i seen any so far. i do not fear spontaneous combustion, because in the newcastle, when it has occurred, it has resulted from carelessness." this statement from mr. whitworth is certainly satisfactory on the main point, namely, that there is nothing in this suggestion which need diminish the reputation of the newcastle coal as a stocking and shipping coal. in , mr. jones (the same man) made a special report to governor squire on the coals of washington territory, in which he describes the newcastle coal, speaking of it most highly, and saying nothing of spontaneous combustion. he uses the following language concerning the newcastle coal: "the coal is taken from three beds, and is commercially known as the 'seattle lignite,' having a bright lustre and good fracture. it is a good and choice fuel for steam generating and for domestic use. the condition of the coal adds much to its value." [sidenote: gilman mines.] _d. the squak creek, raging river, and snoqualmie group._--these are not all in the same hydrographic basin, but they are considered together because they are the coals which will be reached by the seattle, lake shore and eastern railroad. a great outcrop of coal seams occurs in the valley of squak creek in the mountain spur which lies between squak and the newcastle mines. these seams are now being opened by the seattle coal and iron company, and are known as "the gilman mines." [sidenote: structure of squak mountain.] the geological structure of the squak mountain and its coal seams is peculiar. with all their local irregularities, the general trend of the coal-bearing rocks in washington territory is north and south; so determined by the line of the cascade mountains, which is the main axis of elevation, with numerous subordinate and parallel axes. but on squak mountain we find the whole group of rocks and coal seams whirled at right angles to the general line. in other words, their general direction is east and west, instead of north and south, and the rocks lie in regular order against their central axis, dipping northward at a high angle, and showing no fault, so far as i know, except, possibly, a vertical fracture somewhere in the mountain, as suggested by a change of ° in the strike at a point about one mile west of the outcrop on squak. if the fracture exists, it does not follow that there is any serious dislocation. these coal seams are thus carried almost squarely across the spur from squak creek to coal creek, or from the gilman mines to the newcastle mines. the simple explanation is, that, in the upheaval of the country, the squak mountain was made by a cross axis of elevation which runs east and west, or at right angles with the cascade mountains. its metamorphic core shows itself along the crest of the mountain. [sidenote: peculiar advantages for mining possessed by the gilman mines.] the part of the mountain which holds the coal seams is a high spur which puts off at right angles northward from the crest or backbone, and continues to lake washington, a distance of five miles. at the point where the spur leaves the backbone, it may be , or , feet high, and it declines gradually to the lake, and then makes a bluff shore-line. on the east side of the spur on squak creek it is steep, whilst on the west side, next newcastle, it drops off more gradually. this difference of grade occasions a great difference in the economy of mining on the two sides. on the east, or squak creek side, the ends of the seams are boldly presented, showing in diagonal parallel lines extending from the top of the spur to the creek level, an average exposure of, say, feet in elevation. here the entries are being driven in horizontally near the water level, and the future progress of the mining will be inward and upward instead of downward and sidewise, as at newcastle. the entries will all be on the horizontal line crossing the seams. the extreme distance, , feet. the length of the seams on the company's land is about two miles. depth below water level, indefinite. no shipments have yet been made from squak creek, raging river, or snoqualmie mountain, but active developing work has been in progress since september last at the gilman mines (forty miles from seattle), and shipping will begin shortly. a switch of only yards in length is required from the main line of railway to reach the outcrop of the coal, and there is every natural advantage for mining. [sidenote: seattle coal and iron company.] [sidenote: seven seams.] [sidenote: details.] the seattle coal and iron company own this property, which consists of , acres underlaid by seven coal seams, five of which will be mined ultimately, three in the beginning. i was able to examine three seams which will be mined at first, and give the following details. top seam, no. , descending: roof, rich bituminous black slate, containing streaks of-- ft. ins. coal bone - / coal slate, variable - / coal clay - / coal clay, variable - / coal clay, mining coal ---------- total, good ft. - / ins. [sidenote: good coal.] this is a good seam of coal, five feet six inches of which can be depended on for shipping. the coal is dull-black in color, and easily mined. the bottom is soft sandstone. overlying the roof-slate, is sandstone. the seam here is said to be one foot thicker than it is at newcastle. [sidenote: another good coal seam.] seam no. has been uncovered by the diggings on the railroad, and happens to be at an [illustration: coal-bunkers of the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway, on seattle harbor.] unfortunate place for showing the coal. a stump, partly silicified, with part of its bark lignified, had been taken out of the coal bed, and on each side of it was a tapering band of "nigger-head," tapering from eight inches at the stump to nothing at the distance of five feet six inches from the stump. selecting an average place, i got the following section, descending: good roof of argilaceous sandstone. ft. ins. bone coal nigger-head, local coal coal, sulphurous coal bone - / coal black slate floor. ---------- total ft. - / ins. judging from this outcrop, which i suspect does not do full justice to the bed, at least six feet of merchantable lignitic coal may be depended on from this seam. [sidenote: and another.] andrew's bed could only be seen at a point feet above the railroad. it is nearest to the metamorphic axis of the mountain, and hence is the bottom seam in the group. it is said to be wanting at newcastle. the coal is in two benches, descending: upper bench. slate roof: ft. ins. coal bone - / coal bone coal pyrite - / coal slate coal ---------- total ft. - / ins. lower bench. ft. ins. fire-clay coal clay coal clay - / coal bone coal ---------- total ft. - / ins. the lower bench would probably be neglected for the present, but the upper bench is worthy of immediate development. the coal is of good quality. perhaps on analysis it would be classed with bituminous coals, although the woody structure is discernible in places. it burns freely. the outcrop of this bed is visible lower down the creek in a crushed condition. [sidenote: large body of valuable coal.] my visit was rather premature for a proper study of the group; but there can be no doubt that there is here a large body of valuable coal. the quantity is estimated by the mining engineer, mr. whitworth, at , , tons. i saw no other coal beds in the territory so favorably situated for mining and loading. of course, coal standing at an angle of forty degrees cannot be mined so cheaply as if it were horizontal; but all the mines in washington territory must contend with this disadvantage, and in all cases coming under my observation, except this one, the mining had to be done on the down grade, which involved much hoisting, pumping, bad air, etc., which can be avoided at the gilman mines. an incidental advantage, also, is that the squak valley furnishes any amount of timber for building, propping, railroad ties, etc., and when more generally cultivated, a superabundance of agricultural products. the experience of newcastle, and the rapid growth of the market, indicate that these mines may be enlarged in their operations, almost without limit. [sidenote: washington mines.] washington mines, on one of the upper branches of squak creek, show the outcroppings of three seams of lignite coal, dipping s. of w. i did not visit this place, but was informed that a company, known as the washington coal company, was engaged in cutting these seams; but i am not informed as to what are their prospects. [sidenote: raging river coals.] the raging river coals. six miles east of gilman mines, where the railroad enters the raging river valley, is found another group of coal seams, older than the squak coals, and perhaps corresponding in age with the franklin and black diamond coals, though apparently more bituminous than they. raging river is about twelve miles long, and the railroad first approaches it about midway its length. there are indications of local metamorphism, if not intrusion, visible in the rocks between squak creek and raging river, and this is further indicated by an outcrop of anthracite at the north end of the coal seams, within a mile of the road. mr. whitworth represents this anthracite seam as five feet thick, but crushed and fragile. its structure is laminated, and it breaks into small cubes. he spoke, also, of another seam of anthracite high up on raging river, three feet thick, with three inches slate six inches from the top. he mined in on this for thirty feet without observing any change. the outcrop of this group of coal seams extends from near the line of the railroad, up the west side of the valley, parallel with the river, and about a mile from it, and lying in high hills. this coal property is also owned by the seattle coal and iron company. the principal mining camp is near the head of the valley, ten miles above falls city, six miles above the line of railway. here i saw the coal seams, which had been uncovered without having been cut into sufficiently to determine fully their character. one seam is open in a ravine, half way up the mountain, but most of them near the top, at an elevation of about feet above the river. there are at least six seams, and if the one on the mountain side be a different seam, there are seven. the coal generally is of good quality: bituminous, with cubical fracture; but its value is greatly diminished by numerous slate partings, and some of the seams are too thin for profitable mining. the dip is to the southwest at high angles: about eighty degrees on the mountain side--less in the top seams. [sidenote: details.] the seam on the mountain side showed a total thickness of seven feet with sandstone over and under; but of this there was only about feet inches of good coal in a body, and the rest coal and slate interleaved. near the top of the mountain there are six seams open near a rivulet, and quite near together. reaching the top of the mountain, i found the upper opening (geologically the under opening), no. , to contain about two feet of good black coal, with one slate parting of an inch thick. no. . this seam shows a total thickness of eight feet, but it contains so many slate partings that i could not estimate the bed highly. no. . here i saw fifteen inches of coal, with slate partings. no. . an irregular bed, four to seven feet in thickness, crushed, and probably dislocated, and so slaty as to be of doubtful value. no. . another crushed and irregular exposure, four to six feet thick. the coal looks better, and promises to be a good seam when found in its natural state. no. . a two-foot seam resembling no. . mr. whitworth furnished me the following details of an opening near the camp on raging river, which was not in a condition to be seen during my visit, but which has since been gone in upon for about fifteen feet. from bed-rock, ascending: ft. ins. clay coal, crushed black bone coal, crushed black bone coal, hard sand rock coal, good bone coal, good bone - / coal, good bone coal, crushed clay and rock (diminishing) coal, crushed strike, north, - / ° east. dip ° to south. mr. whitworth says that the coal improved as he went in, and he is quite hopeful about this seam. but his record reads to me like the description of a slide; still it may not be so. the show upon the whole, as seen by me, was not satisfactory--and yet the beds might possibly improve inward; and if the coal should coke well, it might pay to wash it; as could easily be done at raging river. [sidenote: snoqualmie mountain coal group.] the snoqualmie coal group outcrops some hundreds of feet up the west side of snoqualmie mountain, and about three miles southwest of hop ranch. the outcrop has been traced perhaps one mile. there are five seams here running north and south with the strike of the mountain rocks. the seams dip west at an angle of °, _i.e._, away from the axis of the mountain. [sidenote: details.] [sidenote: good coking coal.] seam no. is the third seam from the bottom. a side entry had been driven in on the coal for feet, but water now barred the entrance and prevented a thorough scrutiny of the seam. its thickness was about feet inches, of which there was a band of lignitic coal of three-quarters of an inch near the top, and five inches of the same near the bottom. the weathered outcrop of this, as of the coal-beds of washington territory generally, had a brownish hue, but the fresh surfaces showed a good black bituminous coal. it lies firm and regular in its bed. when dug and handled, it goes to small pieces, and may generally be crushed to powder in the hand; which, of itself, is no bad sign of a good coking coal. seam no. , the second seam from the bottom, descending: ft. ins. roof, slate bone coal fine-grained sandstone, average natural coke bituminous shale coal bottom, sandstone. the coal of this seam is soft, black and lustrous. an entry was driven in feet, which required much propping, the roof being bad. at the end of this distance we came squarely against a wall of sandstone, showing a fault. at this point six inches of the top coal is thrown up vertically, which showed that the seam thus far had dropped, and that the continuation was to be looked for at a higher level. mining upward through the soft material, the coal had been again struck at an elevation of feet, but not the full thickness of the seam, and not in its true position; but after following it upward feet more the seam was found in its natural state. there seems to be no slate in this seam, but occasionally there is found in it a ball of "nigger-head," or hard sulphurous matter, from the size of a man's head down. [sidenote: also good coking coal.] an experiment of coking this coal in a small pit at the mouth of this bank was made by mr. kirke and his coal-bank manager, with as satisfactory results as could be expected from so imperfect a trial. i found pieces of the coke lying near, and saw better samples which have been brought from here. while, of course, the coke thus made is not the best quality, it certainly promises well. [sidenote: large and valuable bed.] seam no. , descending: roof, fine-grained sandstone, under which is seven inches black slate. ft. ins. coal slate coal slate coal slate argillaceous and ferruginous rock coal - / bone coal (main bench) of good quality nigger-head coal slate - / coal, good slate and clay lignite (brown coal) bituminous slate coal / nigger-head - / clay and bony slate coal nigger-head - / coal / bituminous slate coal slate coal slate and sandstone bottom. --------------- total ft. - / in. [sidenote: another good bed.] seam no. is only partially exposed, the workings having caved in; but enough of the seam was visible to show that it was a bright, soft, friable, bituminous coal, of good quality, containing some slate and nigger-head. its fracture would be called _dicey_ by some geologists, because it breaks readily into small cubes, even smaller than dice. the seam is probably about five feet in thickness. [sidenote: geological relations.] this group probably corresponds geologically with the kirke mines, on green river; but, judging by the eye, it is a more bituminous coal and better suited to coking. the large bed here may correspond with one of the large beds at the kirke mines. i fear that faults are numerous in the coal rocks of this group, which, of course, would add to the expense of mining. but if, as expected, it furnishes a good smelting coke, the field will be extremely valuable from its contiguity to the magnetic ores of the cascade mountains and the scarcity of coking coals. this property was for sale when i visited it, and would have been sold but for a claim of ownership set up by the northern pacific railroad, which, however, in the opinion of good lawyers, had no foundation. [sidenote: this the bottom group.] this is the bottom group of the washington territory coal field. it will be seen that, taking the gilman group, the raging river group, and the snoqualmie group on one line, and the cedar river, carbon river, and green river group on another line, it may be fairly claimed that there are at least fifteen working seams of three feet and upward in the washington territory coal field. _e. the yakima and wenatchie group._ this field lies on the east flank of the cascade mountains, on the waters of the yakima and its tributaries, cle-ellum and teanaway. it is believed to extend also into the wenatchie valley, although the area here is probably disconnected from the yakima area. i purposely refrained from visiting this region, and for my statements i am indebted chiefly to bailey willis, f. h. whitworth, charles burch, and mr. jamieson of the kirke mines. [sidenote: yakima or roslyn coal field.] the yakima area lies north of the yakima river, near to the northern pacific railroad, and to the projected line of the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway, and extends about sixty miles east and west, and six miles north and south. its dip is gentle, say twelve to twenty degrees. it holds three coal seams of feet inches, and feet and feet respectively. there is not much evidence of fracture in any part of the field. the total thickness of the coal-bearing rocks is estimated by bailey willis to be , feet. this is evidently the lower part of the coal series, the upper part having been carried away. the best seam is mined at roslyn, four miles north of the northern pacific railroad, in the interest of that railroad. the seam here furnishes upward of four feet of good coal. the coal is bituminous, dull black, firm, and free burning. mr. jamieson thinks it will not make good coke. others, however, think that it will, and these are supported partially by the laboratory test in washington city, d. c. (see table of coal analyses, page .) it is called in the table roslyn coal. this coal is used chiefly in the locomotives; but the popular demand for it is very great in the plateau country of east washington. [sidenote: coal on the wenatchie.] i have no knowledge of the coal on wenatchie river except what i obtained from mr. burch, who says that there are two seams of coal exposed in that valley, one of eight feet and one of three feet. the coal-bearing rocks extend for thirty-five miles up the river, and have a width of ten miles. [sidenote: coal under the great bend country.] the coal is reported by mr. burch to appear east of the columbia river, opposite to the fields just described, and to disappear under the basalt. if so, here is a resource for the future. concerning the importance of this coal field to the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway, i will speak in another connection. [sidenote: the first mining on bellingham bay.] _f. bellingham bay, skagit river, and other coal fields._ the first shipping of coal from washington territory was done from the seahome mines, on bellingham bay, puget sound, about twenty-five miles south of the canada line. the mines were very badly managed; they took fire on several occasions. the coal was of the lignitic grade, but not of the best quality, and when other mines of better coal were opened the bellingham bay mines were closed. it is reported that coking coal has been found some distance back from the bay. [sidenote: coal on skagit river.] coal has also been found on skagit river, which, i suspect, from a sample which i saw and from what i heard (some of it), is good, and possibly might coke well. one of the coal properties is held by a. ford and others. the following description is furnished by mr. norman b. kelly. it is found about three miles north of the skagit river, and about five miles from sedro. the country is hilly. there are at least six or eight coal seams, perhaps more. those examined run from eighteen inches to thirty inches, and are thought to be clean coal. the seams lie between sandrocks. the outcrops begin near the level of the valley, and continue in a series to an altitude of feet above the valley. the highest outcrops are those of the lowest seams geologically. the strike is north sixty degrees west. at the foot of the hill, the seams dip forty-five degrees to the southwest, but the angle becomes steeper on the mountain side, until finally they are vertical. all the outcrops are within , feet horizontal distance. blacksmiths use the coal and pronounce it equal to cumberland. it cokes readily in the open fire; burns with a bright, hot, but small flame, and seems to leave but little ash. of course, the thinness of these seams is an objection. there is coal, also, upon the south side of the river; but there has been but little development in this field. an analysis of this coal is given in the table preceding, but i cannot say from what seam the sample was derived. the following analysis of coal of the crystal mine, near sterling, is said to have been made by mr. wm. g. tenne, assayer, of portland, oregon: coke . combustible gases . ash . moisture . a very fine showing. [sidenote: coal south of puget sound.] it has long been known that there are considerable areas of coal south and southwest of puget sound. but they have not been very highly esteemed, the coals being lignite of not the best quality. there are at least two seams of seven to twelve feet thickness, and they lie at an angle of five degrees, with good roof and floor. some effort is now making on skookumchuck and chehalis rivers to develop these seams. [sidenote: total shipments of coal from washington territory.] governor semple, in his report for , gives as the total shipment for the year ending june , , the amount , tons. and he gives as the total output of coal from all the washington territory mines from the beginning of shipments to june , : mines. tons. newcastle , , franklin , black diamond , renton , talbot , cedar river , carbonado , south prairie , wilkeson , bucoda , roslyn , bellingham bay (estimated) , clallam bay ---------- total , , i have now given a sketch of all the coal mines and coal areas of washington territory, and will conclude with a few words on the coal of vancouver's island. [sidenote: coal on vancouver's island.] _g._ _coal seams in british columbia._ the productive coal field is on vancouver's island, on the east side of the gulf of georgia. there are three mines in operation as given below: annual output. short tons. nanaimo colliery , wellington colliery , east wellington colliery , this coal is marketed chiefly in california. the coal is lignitic; and yet it is said to coke well. it is also good stocking coal. the beds dip from ° to ° southward. the cost of transportation to san francisco is about the same as from seattle, and the cost of delivering on board ship about the same as from the newcastle mines. the tariff of cents per ton on foreign coal is regarded with satisfaction by the coal men of washington territory. the repeal of this tariff would inflict a heavy blow upon the mining industry of the territory. [sidenote: the iron ores.] ii. iron ore.--the iron ores of washington territory consist of bog ore, brown ore (limonite), some red, or specular ore (hematite), and magnetic ore (magnetite). the bog ore has been found in considerable quantities underlying the flats bordering puget sound, and has been worked in a furnace on bellingham bay. these ores, no doubt, come from the decomposition of the limonites, the magnetites and the basaltic rocks of the high lands, especially on the cascade mountains. these bellingham bay ores generally have an excess of phosphorus, and yield about per cent. of metallic iron. brown ore is reported on the skagit river, sufficiently abundant, perhaps, but not containing more than per cent. metallic iron. i saw a remarkable deposit of brown ore on the willamette, near portland, oregon. it is a horizontal stratum varying from to feet in thickness, lying between masses of basalt. it has been worked in the oswego furnace, but yielded only about per cent. metallic iron. i did not see any specular ore in place in washington territory, but saw samples, said to have been brought from near the middle fork of snoqualmie river. [sidenote: the great magnetic ore beds of cascade mountains.] [sidenote: resembles the cranberry ore deposits.] but unquestionably the most important, as well as the largest, are the magnetic ore beds on the cascade mountains. these ores are found , to , feet above the chief water-courses on those high ridges and peaks which make up the cascade range along the headwaters of the snoqualmie, on the west side of the mountain, and of the yakima on the east flank of the mountain. these ores are underlaid by syenite and quartzite, and overlaid by limestone. the ore itself is found in conditions similar to that of the cranberry ore in the unaka mountains of north carolina; that is, it lies in pockets of various sizes in hornblendic, porphyritic and epidotic rocks. [sidenote: guye mine on mount logan.] i visited two exposures of this ore, one on mount logan and the other on mount denny. these are only a mile or two from the line of the railroad. on mount logan there was only one large outcrop of iron-bearing rocks, but float was seen at numerous points on the mountain. the main exposure showed an ore-bearing rock, presenting a horizontal front some sixty feet in length, and forty to fifty feet in height or thickness. at one place a considerable area in this space seemed to be pure ore. for the rest, the pockets were smaller, and, of course, the amount of rock proportionally larger. what is to be found on going in from the surface can never be told in advance in ore beds of this sort. in working the great mine of cranberry, north carolina, the largest body of ore was reached to feet from the surface. this bed of ore is known as the summit, or guye mine. its elevation is , feet above the grade of the lake shore railroad, and about , feet above the small stream at the foot of the mountain. there would be no difficulty in building an inclined plane from the ore bank to the small valley below. the snow in winter might interfere with mining. ascending the mountain above the main exposure, i found what seemed to be another level of iron ore feet higher; but possibly it may be the same bed displaced. still higher appeared to be a third level of ore, and higher still, i observed a little float ore at a point nearly , feet above the grade of the railroad, on what may be called the summit of mount logan, at a point which my barometer made , feet above puget sound. [sidenote: denny mine.] the denny mine is on a different mountain, somewhat farther to the west, but about the same distance from the railroad. it is reached also by a narrow valley from which a steep ascent of nearly , feet is made to the main exposure, which shows an edge of pure fine-grained magnetite, about twenty feet thick, with limestone above, and also beneath, apparently. fragments of epidote, porphyry and flinty quartzite lay around. the limestone did not show so large here as on mount logan. the ore dips steeply toward the south, and seemed to encrust the mountain for a distance of, perhaps, feet, but with a somewhat broken surface. it then passed with its limestone under quartzite cliffs which crest the mountain. the bed might have been followed around the mountain, where it is said to show at a number of places. it seemed to pass into a matrix of chert. [sidenote: chair peak, or kelly mine.] i did not visit the chair peak, or kelly mine, which is some miles distant; but i conversed with probably every man who ever saw it, some half a dozen, including mr. whitworth, who made a survey of the property. it is reported as probably the largest and purest of all the deposits of magnetic ore, and lies at about the same height on the mountains. this ore would come out by way of the middle fork of snoqualmie. [sidenote: middle fork mines.] i did not visit guye's other mine, which lies high, perhaps , feet above middle fork. mr. guye represents it as similar in character to the bed elsewhere, with the addition of some brown and red ore. the other deposits mentioned i received no description of. [sidenote: all easily reached from seattle, lake shore and eastern railway.] none of these mines have been developed beyond the uncovering of a face. as yet there is no furnace for smelting them, and no means provided for bringing them off the mountains. there is no difficulty about reaching them with spur railroads and inclined planes. it has occurred to me as possible that a narrow gauge railroad might reach all of these mines, without heavy grades, by starting at the highest point of the lake shore road and following the divides from mountain to mountain. this, however, can only be determined by a special reconnaissance. [sidenote: cle-ellum ore beds.] there are large deposits of iron ore also on the east side of the cascade mountains, not far from the crest line, on the waters of the cle-ellum river. three distinct beds are reported. they are all in the valley of the cle-ellum river. the upper bed is situated about eight miles above cle-ellum lake, on the main and east fork of the cle-ellum river. this bed has been described to me by mr. whitworth and mr. burch. the distance from the northern pacific railroad is twenty-five miles, following the cle-ellum valley. it is within sixteen miles of the most distant location made of the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway; and by another route which has been spoken of, this railroad would pass close to the ore bed. mr. whitworth says concerning it: "the ledge is well defined, and is traced and located about two miles, its course being nearly north and south. it is apparently from forty to sixty feet in width, and pitches at about an angle of ° to the west. the casing rock is porphyry. the deposit is evidently extensive. the ore appears rich, is magnetic, and is reported to assay from - / to per cent. i obtained samples of the rock, from which satisfactory tests can be, no doubt, obtained." the elevation of the iron ore outcrop is estimated at , feet, which would place it nearly on a level with the summit of snoqualmie pass; but it is only about feet above the local water-level. mr. burch says concerning this ore bed, which has now been bought by mr. kirke for the moss bay company, that the strike of the bed is northeast, whilst the outcrop runs northwest. the ore is in five or more separate beds, each bed being on an average forty to fifty feet thick, and the beds separated by rock. the ore can be followed but a short distance along the strike. [sidenote: burch's ore bed.] burch's iron ore bed approaches the cle-ellum river about four miles below the kirke bed, and extends in a northeast direction to the headwaters of boulder creek, a distance of five miles. the outcrop crosses three high ridges. the dip is south, at an angle of °. the width is at least twenty feet. a ferruginous limestone lies against the ore on the south side. the limestone is or feet thick. it seems to overlie the iron bed. its outside or top layers are pure blue limestone. a gray sandstone, rather soft, overlies the limestone, and over this comes a coal-bearing rock in which are dykes of gray iron ore, some of them standing out of the ground or feet. the magnetic iron ore is associated with hornblende and quartzite. all rocks dip south. mr. burch says that this ore resembles the kirke ore, but has some of the characteristics of hematite. mr. guye talks in the same way about his iron ore on middle fork. at one point, not far from cle-ellum river, a bed of gray iron ore crosses the magnetic ore at right angles. this gray ore is not well understood. it may be an altered copper lode. the main ore bed is more strongly magnetic near the intersection than it is elsewhere. i may here remark that mr. burch reports considerable float of rich magnetite on the shores of lake chelan. [sidenote: dudley ore bed.] i have no description of the dudley iron ore bed, but it is said to be large, and of the best quality. its location is also in the cle-ellum valley, between burch's bed and the lake, and within four or five miles of the lake. this information i get through a letter written from cle-ellum to mr. whitworth. i have no personal knowledge of these cle-ellum beds. [sidenote: undoubtedly large beds of steel ores.] there can be no doubt as to the existence in the cascade mountains along this line of superior iron ore in large quantities, the most of which is suited to the manufacture of steel. [sidenote: of superior quality.] there can be no doubt as to the superior quality of the snoqualmie iron ores. analysis shows that they rank with the best steel ores in their large percentage of metallic iron and small admixture of deleterious impurities. of the following tables, the first gives all the reliable analyses i could obtain of the ores of the snoqualmie region of the cascade mountains. those reported from mr. kirke and mr. dewey are of high authority. those from mr. jenner are given in governor squire's report for , and are probably equally reliable. analyses of snoqualmie iron ores. ----------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------- kind. | locality. | silica. | metallic | sulphur. |phosphorus. | | | iron. | | ----------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------- | {summit.| . | . | . - / | . | mt. { " | . | . | . | . - / }[ ] magnetite.| logan { " | . | . | . - / | . - / } | { " | . | . | . - / | . } [ ] | { " | . | . | . | . } | +----------+----------+----------+----------- | average | . | . - / | . - / | . - / bog | | | | | ironstone.| { | . | . | traces | . } | middle{ | . | . | . | ---- } [ ] micaceous.| fork { | . | . | . | trace } |(guye).{ | . | . | . | trace } hematite. | { | . | . | . | trace } | | | | | | { no. | . | . | . | . | denny { no. | . | . | . | . [ ] magnetite.| mt. { no. | . | . | . | . | { no. | . | . | . | . | { no. | . | . | . | . | { no. | . | . | . | . | +----------+----------+----------+----------- | average | . - / | . - / | . - / | . - / ----------+---------------+----------+----------+----------+----------- authorities: . dewey (chemist). . reported by kirke. . reported by chas. k. jenner, from a philadephia chemist. [sidenote: proved by analysis to be unsurpassed, if equaled.] by way of comparison, i next introduce a table of analyses, which begins with what mr. phineas barnes, in his report on the steel industry of the united states ( ), gives as a typical steel ore from the best american mines. the second analysis gives the average of fourteen analyses of the best lake superior steel ores. the third is a typical steel ore from the iron mountain of missouri. the fourth is the average of all the analyses of the magnetic ores of the snoqualmie valley, which name i give to them to distinguish them from similar ores on the east side of the cascade mountains, of which i have no analyses: comparative analyses of steel ores. ------------------+--------------+---------+-----------+----------- |metallic iron.| sulphur.|phosphorus.| silica. ------------------+--------------+---------+-----------+----------- typical steel ore | . - / |. - / | . - / | . - / lake superior | . | ---- | . | . iron mountain | . |. | . | . snoqualmie | . - / |. - / | . - / | . - / ------------------+--------------+---------+-----------+----------- this showing places the snoqualmie ores in the front rank of american steel ores; indeed, it shows a little higher in metallic iron, and a little lower in phosphorus, than any of the others. these analyses are, of course, made from the ore proper; _i.e._, without any addition of the matrix, or gangue-rock, in which the ores are imbedded. with all magnetites of this type it is only in exceptional spots that much of the ore can be gotten, free from the enclosing rock. under ordinary circumstances something like per cent. of the ore sent to the furnace will be gangue-rock. there is reason to hope, however, that ere long there will be a practical method for separating the rock from the ore, and at the same time getting rid of most of the sulphur. at cranberry, n. c., the ore is now roasted and stamped into small bits, and an experiment has been made of passing the ore through a jigger, whereby the hornblendic and other enclosing rocks were separated by the pulsations of the water, as in coal washing. [sidenote: improved processes.] the lackawanna iron and coal company, pennsylvania, has been separating the ore from the rock with good results. the same has been done at crown point, n. y., lion mountain, near plattsburg, n. y., negaunee, mich., and beach glen, n. j. the process is really one of concentration, in some respects similar to that pursued with the refractory ores of the precious and base metals. the ore is first calcined sufficiently to make it friable. it is then crushed, by a blake or other rock-breaker, and is finally sluiced, or jigged, or both. the aim is to produce a bessemer concentrate which would yield per cent. or more metallic iron, and at the same time get rid of whatever phosphorus might be in the gangue-rock. in the best experiments the object was more than accomplished. the concentrate contained per cent. of metallic iron, the middlings per cent., and the tailings per cent. this experiment was made with a refractory adirondack magnetite, which was so intermixed with hornblende, quartz, mica, etc., that the ore might be described as a hornblendic gneiss, carrying a large proportion of magnetite. no doubt experience will teach some way of saving the ore that is now wasted in the tailings. thus we may hope to see removed in a short time the only practical difficulty in working the crystalline magnetites, such as those of snoqualmie, and many others. [sidenote: granite.] iii. granite, limestone and marble.--what is here called granite is really syenite. it is found high on the mountains, associated, as already intimated, with the magnetic iron ore, and with hard quartzite, porphyry, epidote, hornblende, and limestone largely marbleized. this group of rocks forms the core of the cascade mountains, and hence underlies all the coal-bearing rocks to the westward. the group has been assigned by some geologists to the archæan age; but it is possible that they are metamorphosed strata of the silurian, or some subsequent period. some of this syenite has a large proportion of quartz, which gives it a light appearance; but in other places the hornblende crystals are of good size and in full proportion, and the feldspar is of the orthoclase variety, which gives a mixture of three colors, and makes fully as handsome a stone as the quincy granite. limestone is reported as existing in some of the islands in puget sound, where it is burnt into lime; but i have met with no particular account of it. [sidenote: marble and limestone.] the limestone and marble associated with the iron ore on the cascade mountains has already been alluded to. it is of fine quality, very abundant, and easily quarried. it will have great value for flux and commercial lime. it is also beautiful in color, varying from the purest white to blue, and mixtures of the two colors. in texture it is sometimes exceedingly fine grained, and in others crystallized into a true and beautiful marble, which, so far as can be judged by eye, would be well adapted to both inside and outside finishing and statuary. on mount logan the limestone deposit almost covers the mountain above the lower line of the iron ore, and is so exposed as to be quarried with the greatest ease. the same association of limestone in heavy beds with iron ore seems to exist also on the cle-ellum, as mentioned by mr. burch. this gentleman spoke to me, also, of a very beautiful and easily burned limestone in the wenatchie valley. large beds of limestone also exist in connection with the precious and base metals, which are next to be described. in the colville country limestone seems to abound. [sidenote: precious metals on cascade mountains.] iv. the precious and base metals.--in the cascade mountains, and in the mountains north of the plateau country of east washington, and in the coeur d'alene mountains, within the border of idaho, occur numerous veins bearing gold, silver, copper, lead, sulphur and iron. discoveries on cascade mountain proper have been made on both sides, chiefly in the region of the iron ore. those at the denny and chair peak mines have been most spoken of. professor mason, of the "rennselaer polytechnic institute," troy, new york, gives the following assay of two samples sent from the chair peak claim of kelly, wilson & co.: st. silver . oz. per ton. d. silver . both % copper. professor price, of san francisco, also assayed a sample from the same vein. silver $ . per ton. [sidenote: on cle-ellum river.] metallic veins are found also in connection with iron ore on cle-ellum river. mr. burch reports a copper and silver lode, and also two lodes of gold and silver, in this neighborhood. he reports the ores as high grade, of good, workable thickness, and outcropping for several thousand feet. there is a gray ore in the same region, the character of which has not yet been determined. this has already been mentioned as lying close to the iron ore, and may possibly be metamorphosed chalcopyrite. mr. burch thinks that the silver ores will run from forty to eighty ounces, while in some spots the richness is very extraordinary. the lead ore in association ranges from fifteen to forty per cent. [sidenote: large copper vein in stevens county.] the same gentleman, who is a resident of the okinagane region, reports a remarkable lode of copper ore running due south across stevens county, from the canada line to the columbia river. it shows a plain outcrop for about forty miles. the vein carries both native and gray copper and a small percentage of silver. [sidenote: precious metals on methow river.] reports, apparently authentic, are made of numerous other veins of metal in the same region, particularly in the valley of the methow river and the valley of the okinagane river. the colville region, beginning fifty miles north of spokane falls, is well known as a rich mining centre. what i know of these regions i learned from the oral or written testimony of men who had seen what they described, and some of them residents of the localities. the basin of the methow river has been but little prospected, and although i gathered many favorable items concerning the mineral deposits there, i met but one man who had personally examined the country, and he confirmed the favorable reports. he said the ores were similar to those on the okinagane, but were more abundant. [sidenote: the rich mines of okinagane.] the okinagane country is well known, hundreds of men having been at work there last summer, and some of its mines, particularly the ruby and arlington, having become notable for their richness. among my informants are mr. burch and mr. thomas lothian, who both reside on the okinagane river; and also mr. j. e. clayton, mining engineer, who made a professional report on the country, which was printed in the spokane falls _review_. the mining district is on conconnully creek (misnamed salmon river), which enters okinagane river from the northwest, about twenty miles from its mouth. there are two wagon roads to the conconnully, one from spokane falls, with a branch from sprague, distance miles, on which stages ran last summer. another road starts from ellensburg on the yakima, and is miles long. with an expenditure of a few thousand dollars on the channel of the okinagane, the mouth of the conconnully could be reached from the columbia by light-draught steamers, from which a railway fifteen miles long would reach the mines. mr. burch says that he and his father sounded the river, and also the columbia, and that steamers can start at rock island rapids and go to the mouth of the conconnully, and, in flush water, can ascend the creek. mr. clayton makes the same statement as to the river. the country rocks in the mining districts are of the same character as those associated with the iron ore on mount logan and the denny mountain--hard metamorphic and plutonic rocks. the principal mineral lode is described by mr. clayton as "composed of true quartz gangue carrying the silver ore in disseminated grains of black sulphurets of silver, with some copper-silver glance, and a brittle sulphuret, resembling tennantite, giving a dark, red, powdery streak, approaching the characteristics of dark antimonial ruby silver. in addition to this is found galena and zinc-blende." assays made by mr. wm. h. fuller, of spokane falls, gave for first-class ore from this lode: silver, $ . , and gold, $ . = $ . value per ton. second-class ore assayed $ . silver and cents gold. mr. slater thinks that one-third of the vein will yield first-class ore. it is a rich vein, averaging eight feet so far as opened. there are two or three lodes in the district. years will be required to ascertain their limits. but all the indications point to large mining operations in the okinagane country as soon as the transportation can be supplied. my chief authority for the following statements concerning the colville region is mr. kearney, one of the firm of kearney brothers, owners of the two largest mines of that country, namely, the old dominion and the daisy. i incorporate some statements also from two articles published in the spokane falls _review_, one by w. e. sullivan, and the other by j. b. slater. [sidenote: the mines in the colville region.] the colville region is the east end of stevens county, the part lying east of the columbia river and north of spokane falls. its chief town ( inhabitants) is called colville, from the fort of that name which was situated there. it is ninety-one miles north of spokane falls. between the two points there is almost a continuous valley of great productiveness. the mineral region begins at chewelah, fifty miles north of spokane falls, and continues at least forty miles north of colville. granite, porphyry, and limestone are found here, as in the other metalliferous regions. in some cases the ores are in slate and quartz; in others, in granite and porphyry; in still others, limestone. some of the ores are iron carbonates, carrying silver, gold, and lead in paying quantities. in other cases, as at the old dominion mines, the ore exists in the form of a chloride and black sulphate in limestone walls. rich mines of argentiferous galena were discovered last summer three or four miles east of chewelah, and vigorously developed at numerous points. seven miles west of chewelah shafts were sunk on a rich vein, three feet wide, of gray copper and silver chloride. the eagle mine was the first discovery, and is the most noted. it is black metal, containing galena, silver, and gold. altogether, there are said to be two hundred mining claims, more or less developed, in the district around chewelah. [sidenote: the old dominion mine.] the mines in the colville district are very numerous. the old dominion mine is six miles east of the town. it is on an -foot fissure vein, which assays ounces silver, per cent. galena, and $ . gold to the ton of ore. there are ten mines in the old dominion group; and mr. slater states that the $ , worth of silver reported as the product of washington territory in , all went from the old dominion group. [sidenote: the daisy mine.] the daisy mine is twenty-four miles southward from colville. the vein here is feet wide, with a streak of ore in it inches wide, which widens to feet inches at the bottom of the shaft. this shaft is feet deep. seventy-five feet from the top of the shaft, a tunnel has been run off horizontally in five feet of ore. the assay reported for the daisy ore gives silver ounces, gold $ . , lead per cent., and iron per cent. it is self-fluxing. [sidenote: young america company.] sixteen miles and a half northward from colville, near the columbia river, a rich discovery of silver-lead ore has been made by the young america consolidated company. the vein averages five feet, runs northeast and southwest, and has been shafted through ore to the depth of feet. a test showed ounces of silver and per cent. of lead. a number of other openings have been made on the lode. [sidenote: the little dalles.] the little dalles, thirty-eight miles north of colville, is another neighborhood rich in mineral. the ores are galena and lead carbonate, with silver. on bruce creek, and east of bruce creek, twelve miles north of colville, are similar veins. a smelter of twenty tons capacity has been erected at colville, which affords encouragement to mining; but it is not satisfactory to the largest owners. smelting should be done on a large scale, and in a centre of large business. there can be no doubt that here, also, will be a region of great activity and large production as soon as it is connected by rail with spokane falls. i have indicated the mining localities on the map accompanying this report as nearly as my information would allow, but only an approximation is expected. [sidenote: coeur d'alene mines.] the region that just now is attracting most attention is the coeur d'alene country, because the mines are more developed; and they are more developed because the miners have better transportation than exists in the colville and the other mineral regions. some thousands of men were at work last season on the streams entering the lake, particularly on the south fork of the coeur d'alene river. at spokane falls i was able to get reliable information concerning the region, and would mention as chief among my authorities mr. s. s. glidden, at one time well known in alabama as an able iron manufacturer, now proprietor of the tiger mine, on canyon creek, which empties into one branch of coeur d'alene river. by reference to the map, the following description may be readily understood: the coeur d'alene mountains, river and lake are in idaho territory, near the line of washington territory. the drainage is through spokane river into the columbia. the distance from the nearest point on the lake to spokane falls is twenty-five miles. the coeur d'alene river has two branches, on both of which mining has been done, but most largely on the south fork. previous to , all the mining on this fork was done at eagle, beaver, delta, murray, etc., and was chiefly gold placer mining, which was not particularly remunerative. placer mining has also been done on the south fork; but the chief ores on this branch are argentiferous galena, with some gold in quartz. a large number of claims have been worked into since the beginning in , and the increase of mining population has been going on rapidly. mr. glidden thought that there were ten thousand people last fall in the coeur d'alene mining country. the veins are accessible and very thick, some of them as much as forty feet. the ores usually carry to per cent. of lead, to ounces of silver, and often about $ . in gold to the ton of ore. the veins are true fissures, and strike across the country rocks, which are principally porphyry and quartzite. the strike of the main veins runs parallel to the river, and at a distance of two to six miles from it. there are many cross gulches which cut the veins at right angles, and thus present vertical faces which offer the best facilities for prospecting and for mining. the veins have been opened at so many places as to put beyond doubt their continuity on long lines, and their great abundance. in fact, the indications point to a development resembling that made near leadville. [sidenote: the large tonnage from and to the mines.] some of the ore must be concentrated, and much of it must be shipped in bulk to the reduction works. such tonnage is considered the best possible for a railroad. the ore can be carried in any kind of car, and is not subject to theft or any sort of damage; and yet its precious character enables it to bear higher freight rates than pig-iron. there are no fluxes in the country outside of the ore itself, and it will be more economical to carry the ore out than to bring in fluxes. the smelting of the ores on the ground would be further embarrassed by the difficulty in getting fuel. the timber is in patches, and often inaccessible; hence charcoal would be costly, and there is no coke to be gotten anywhere near. the smelting of mixed ores of this sort is a very complicated process, requiring quite a number of different elements, and can be most economically conducted on a large scale, and by the mixture of various different ores. hence the advantage of having these works at some great centre where ores of many kinds may be brought. in the establishment of such a centre, of course, reference should be had to commercial and trading facilities. a large mining community in one place and a large commercial and manufacturing community in another, involves large transportation of crude materials, and of manufactured products, of food, and of passengers. as yet, the coeur d'alene mining is in its early infancy. means of transportation are partially furnished by means of water and short narrow-gauge railroads, but they are insufficient. shipments now are small, but they will rapidly increase, and mr. glidden thinks that in three years , tons of ore will come out _daily_, and as many tons of freight go in--certainly a splendid outlook for business. in _concluding_, as i have now done, the general statement in regard to the physical resources of washington territory, i would remark, that all the facts stated heretofore have a close relation to the interests of the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway and its friends, and that the remainder of this report will consist in practical applications of the facts to the railroad and personal interests involved. [illustration: city of seattle, washington territory.] special remarks on the country and its resources along the line of the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway. seattle. [sidenote: commercial and manufacturing advantages.] [sidenote: good climate.] concerning this city of , to , inhabitants, i need not repeat what has been so well said in the reports of governor squire, and of united states officers who have examined and reported to the government with regard to this location--notably, gen. isaac i. stephens, gen. george b. mcclellan, gen. nelson a. miles, and others; also by the seattle chamber of commerce. its location, its harbor, its people, its commerce and manufactures, its solid and rapid growth, and its local relation to all the great natural resources of the territory, give to seattle advantages which cannot be equaled by any other port on the sound. its climate, as to temperature, both in winter and summer, is remarkable. it is pleasantly cool in summer, and in winter rarely severe. its only drawback is an excess of moisture for perhaps four months of the winter season. but this is preferable to the violent storms and deep snows and extreme cold to which the eastern plains and the upper mississippi country are subject, and which sometimes attack new york and the new england states. on puget sound there are no blizzards nor cyclones, and rarely so much as an inch of snow. the medical testimonies give a very favorable hill of health. the industries of city and country are prosecuted with less interruption from weather than in any of the states east of the rocky mountains. the annual rainfall is not greater, not so great, indeed, as in some parts of the atlantic seaboard. it is not so well distributed among the months as it is eastward; but outdoor work rarely stops on puget sound. [sidenote: good population.] [sidenote: high civilization.] the population of seattle struck me as exceedingly good. her controlling classes are men of character, intelligence and substance. the appearance of the stores, the streets, the offices, and factories, would do credit to an old city. water, electric lights, street railways, good fire companies, well organized police, handsome residences, churches, schools--all attest the progress of her civilization. her wharves and railroad depots are crowded with business. the special pride of the city seems to be her schools, public and private. her large and handsome school buildings seem purposely to have been placed in the most prominent positions. her public school system is well organized and supported. the university of the territory is located here, and in full operation. these things, considered together, augur most favorably for the future of this young city. [sidenote: railroad lines.] her growth will be rapidly accelerated by the extension of her railroads. besides her coal roads, she will soon be practically the connecting point of certainly two, and perhaps three, transcontinental railroad lines. she now has railroad connection with the northern pacific, and will shortly be connected with the canadian pacific by the west coast road. but the road that will do most for seattle, indeed, the road which of itself would make a city at its sound terminus, is the seattle, lake shore and eastern railroad. this will be true if the road never crosses the limits of washington territory; but no doubt it will ultimately cross the continent, or at least have close transcontinental connections. when these roads are thus extended, they will bring vast quantities of lumber, and of mineral and agricultural products, and carry in exchange foreign and domestic products for the supply of the rural and mining population, to say nothing of the great eastern trade. her coastwise and foreign trade have already been discussed. [sidenote: the chief ship-building centre.] puget sound must also become the chief ship-building centre of the continent, and the possession by seattle of the great fresh-water lakes so close to the sound, and the fact that here will be the point where the bessemer pig-iron and its products will be manufactured, will give this point advantage over all others on the sound. seattle will build ships for england, new england, south america, asia, and the islands of the ocean; and just here will first be seen the dawning of the new day which will come to our american merchant marine, of late so depressed. and the government itself must sooner or later establish on lake washington a navy-yard where ships can be built of the best material at minimum cost; and where her ships out of commission can lie landlocked, secure from the teredo and the corroding effects of sea-water, and can at once get rid of their barnacles. [sidenote: seattle better located than san francisco.] seattle can have no rival on the pacific coast except san francisco, which has the only good harbor and entrance outside of puget sound, but which has no coal, nor iron, nor timber, and whose back-country does not equal the snoqualmie valley of east washington for agricultural and mineral capabilities. the terminal property of the seattle, lake shore and eastern railroad. [sidenote: unrivalled terminal property.] the city and suburban property which the railroad has secured is singularly valuable, and will afford every facility for city and foreign business. it is correctly described in the documents of the company. no future road can acquire such facilities. they approach a monopoly of great value. suburban interests. [sidenote: but two entrances by land.] [sidenote: superiority of the northern suburbs.] there can be practically but two railroad entrances to seattle, one from the south, and the other from the north, owing to the bluff ground on which the city is built, with puget sound in front and lake washington in the rear. the roads from the existing coal mines and from the northern pacific enter from the south; the lake shore road enters from the north. suburban improvements will no doubt be extended both north and south. but it seemed to me that for residences and amusements the northern end has the advantage, as the high lands are more convenient to the railroad, and command fine views of those beautiful lakes on the east, and of the sound on the west. here will be the pleasant drives, the place for sailing, rowing and swimming; for open-air games, picnics, etc. on the east side of lake washington will be vegetable and fruit gardens and dairies, whose products will reach the city by this railroad; to all of which have been added the powerful influence of the moss bay operations. the logging business begins in sight of the city, and a number of logging camps were already in operation along the first twenty miles of the railroad. after the loggers, follow the farmers. already a surprising number of people have established homes in this direction. [sidenote: factories of the future.] [sidenote: ship canal.] near the sound and a little distance from the city will be great saw-mills, grain elevators, canneries, and, in time, fish-oil and fertilizer mills, tanneries, smelting furnaces, sulphuric acid and other chemical works. and here will be the ship canal connecting the lakes with the sound, and the shipyards of the future. [illustration: a train-load of logs on the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway.] timber. [sidenote: superiority of the timber on the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway.] the great lumber interest will have a larger and richer field on the seattle, lake shore and eastern railroad than on any other through line in washington territory. on the line of the northern pacific railroad the timber is abundant, but too small for the mill, except in a very few spots. the other roads show but little left close by, and the trees never had the size of those of snoqualmie valley. the west coast road, which will be tributary to the lake shore railroad, will pass through good forests; but, according to my information, the forests on the line of the lake shore road are the very best in washington territory. the forest of mill timber beginning in sight of seattle, continues with some intermissions to the top of the cascade mountains. it increases in size and quantity to a point far up on the mountain side, and the trees continue of good size all the way to the top. crossing the cascade mountains, on the east side the trees are quite numerous, but smaller than on the west side, though some of them can be sawed. continuing eastward, the trees get fewer and smaller, and change from fir to ordinary yellow and bull pine. in the plateau country of the great bend there are only scattered groups of stunted trees to be seen, and, excepting a few skirts along the bluffs of the columbia, no forests of mill timber are to be met with until after passing the idaho line. [sidenote: the forests described.] i will now review this timber belt with more particularity. after leaving seattle, there is a somewhat elevated country between the lakes and puget sound, which is largely covered with mill timber of medium size. perhaps two feet and a half would be about the average diameter of the logs. here, as everywhere, the principal timber, and that most cut and valued, are the douglas fir and the white cedar. [sidenote: forests of raging river.] continuing along lake samamish, and up squak creek, these forests continue on both sides at some distance off. a large body of moderately sized timber runs off toward the northeast, covering the hills which lie in front of the mountain range. passing the gilman mines, we meet but little large timber until we enter the valley of raging river. here there is an almost unbroken forest of splendid timber, extending from near the mouth as far up as i went, namely, ten miles from the mouth. the mill timber here would average from six to ten inches more in diameter than that we passed near lake washington; and there seemed to be a vast body of it in this valley. as far up on the hill or mountain side as i went, or could see, the trees retain their large size. at the upper coal mines i found this to be the case to the mountain top, or feet above the river. the trees were not only large, and thick on the ground, but extremely tall and free from knots. i was told that the heavy forest continued a considerable distance above the upper coal mines. [sidenote: forests near hop ranch.] [sidenote: superior to the long leaf forests of the southern states and of the mississippi bottom.] in the snoqualmie valley proper are to be found the largest forests and the largest trees. the farmers and hop-growers have destroyed thousands of acres of the finest timber trees on the continent, but many, many thousand acres still remain unbroken. between falls city and hop ranch the wagon road passed through two or three miles of this magnificent timber. turning from the road, i ascended the snoqualmie mountain, and all the way up to the coal openings i traveled in the densest forest of the largest trees i had ever seen. passing the cleared country about hop ranch, i again plunged into one of these monstrous forests, and traveled three or four miles through it without a break. the sun never touches the earth in these forests. the trees rise to the height of feet or upward, and lock their branches together far overhead, shutting out the sunlight and awing the traveler. their trunks seem to stand absolutely straight and plumb from the ground to the top. i had studied the long-leafed pine forests of georgia, alabama, and mississippi. i had traveled for a hundred miles through that marvelous forest on the yazoo delta, where it seemed to me that nature had done her utmost in covering the ground with vast and lofty trees; but here in the snoqualmie valley i traveled through forests that for the size, height, and number of trees to the acre, as much exceeded the forests of the yazoo bottom as the latter exceeded all other forests i had ever seen. the snoqualmie forest also exceeds all others i have known in the immense quantity of its fallen timber, which renders locomotion off of the trails extremely slow and difficult. the railroad ascends the south fork of the snoqualmie. i did not go up the middle fork, but was told that the timber is fine in that valley also. [sidenote: trees ten feet in diameter.] [sidenote: average nearly five feet in diameter and feet high.] the little salal prairie, five or six miles long, and six miles from hop ranch, breaks the continuity of the forests, but with that exception, it continues to the pass of the mountain. as to the size of the trees, i feel sure that i saw hundreds that would average ten feet in diameter. i measured two that were by no means singular, and one gave a circumference of thirty-three feet (equal to eleven feet diameter), and the other not much less. there is no doubt that many of these trees are feet in height. i think it likely that the average height of the mill timber on the line of the road from raging river, for two-thirds of the way up the main mountain (a distance of over twenty-five miles), is feet, and feet of this clear of limbs, and hence of knots. and i think that the average diameter of the butt-cuts of the mill timber would be near five feet. i found my greatest difficulty in estimating by the eye the average number of trees to an acre. i can only say that i not only never saw so many, but i never conceived it possible for such a number of large trees to be supported by the soil of an acre of ground. it was not unusual to see many trees of six to eight feet in diameter standing within ten feet of each other. i knew, of course, that there were single trees in california, and elsewhere, larger than any single specimens to be found here, but i did not know before going to washington territory that such forests as these were to be found on the face of the earth. [sidenote: lumber product per acre.] i shall leave to men better versed in the details of the lumber business than i to estimate the quantity of sawed lumber which would be yielded by an acre of such timber, and by the many thousands of acres which lie on, or near, the line of this railroad. somebody published that the average yield of the washington territory forests would be , feet to the acre, and this may be, because there is much small and scattered timber; but if this amount be multiplied by six, it would not do justice to the forests i saw in the snoqualmie valley. there are single trees that would make , feet of lumber. it is fortunate that the fir and cedar timber are preferred by the lumbermen, as these varieties constitute the larger portion of the forest. undoubtedly the hemlock will all be wanted at an early day, and so of the larch and the less abundant trees, both evergreen and deciduous. the bearing of these facts on the interests of the railroad are obvious. such bodies of timber, standing close to the road for a distance of eighty miles, would of itself guarantee the success of the road for a generation to come. and there is everything favorable in the position of the timber with reference to the track, especially if the track, in ascending the mountain, can be kept near the river. it is to be hoped that the timber along the right of way will be saved for sawing. it would be no small item in paying for the road. there will promptly spring up along the whole line both logging-camps and saw-mills. besides those already in operation, i heard of some large new enterprises projected. the demand for lumber is so insatiable, and the profits of the business so good, that an extensive fresh field like this will be entered with avidity by an army of lumbermen. agricultural products. [sidenote: agricultural freights.] the agricultural interest is not so large at present on the west side of the cascade range, as the timber, coal and iron interests, but it is growing, and will become exceedingly important. east of the cascade mountains this will be the chief railroad interest in the beginning, though ultimately it will be surpassed by the tonnage of the mines. i have heretofore described the soils and vegetable products of west washington, but would say specially with regard to the belt we are considering, that it is destined to be a fine agricultural region. the bottom lands of squak creek, and of snoqualmie river, including all its branches and tributaries, are extremely fertile, and suited to produce the largest crops of grass, oats, barley, hops, and roots of almost every sort, besides most of the overground vegetables. [sidenote: produce of hop ranch.] at my request, mr. wilson, the manager, and one of the owners of the hop ranch, furnished me the following written statement concerning that estate, which, although larger than any other on the route, is not richer than many other places of smaller size. mr. wilson's letter. snoqualmie, w. t., nov. , . dr. ruffner. _dear sir_: in response to your request, i make the following memoranda. our hop farm consists of , acres of rich alluvial soil; acres in hops, which produce from , to , pounds per acre. we also raise acres of oats, producing sixty to seventy-five bushels per acre. from to acres in hay, producing about three tons to the acre. also large quantities of vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, turnips and onions. all kinds of root vegetables are prolific except sweet potatoes. fruits, such as apples, pears, prunes, plums, and berries of all kinds, are in abundance. last year we had over , bushels of apples. [illustration: hay-making in washington territory along line of seattle, lake shore and eastern railway.] at present we ship in about tons per year of merchandise and supplies, and ship out, in the way of hops and other things, from to tons per year. this we could double if we had railroad facilities for shipping. we employ during the winter--that is, in november, december and january--about forty men; the rest of the year, from to , men and women. the keeping up of this supply of labor, which all comes from seattle, would be quite an item to the traffic of a railroad. i presume you know that where there are a large number of people employed, they are continually coming and going. in speaking with a railroad contractor the other day, he told me that in order to keep men at work, he had to keep , on the road. this will also be an important item when the mines are working above here. there are a great many items of interest to which i might call your attention, but i will confine myself to the above at present. yours, very respectfully, t. g. wilson, secretary and manager of the hop growers' association. [sidenote: farming, fruit and grazing lands.] besides the bottom lands, there are large areas of what might be called table-lands, north and northeast of the lakes, which are top-dressed with glacial drift, but which will be well adapted to the crops of the country, and especially to fruits. and besides the table-lands, the smaller mountains are generally adapted to agriculture, and especially to grazing. my impression, as heretofore stated, is that, ultimately, west washington will become a great grazing region, though it is generally supposed that east washington is to be the chief cattle country. but the mild and equable climate, and the abundance of rain, ensures abundant forage summer and winter in west washington. this will be important for the feeding of cities farther south, as well as for sending canned and refrigerator beef far and wide over the pacific ocean. the growth of vegetables, especially of root crops, is something phenomenal on both sides of the cascade mountains, and will furnish a large item of commerce, as is shown already by the large shipments of potatoes from seattle, and the multiplication of canneries. [sidenote: hops, barley and beer.] the hop interest is a large one, but the low prices of the last year or two have checked the progress of this industry. breweries have already been established at seattle, and elsewhere on puget sound, and, as the chief materials for beer (barley and hops) are produced here so cheaply and abundantly, we may expect puget sound beer to become quite a large item of commerce. the snoqualmie and squak valleys have as yet but a scattered agricultural population, but ultimately farms will be opened along all the streams, and even high up on the cascade mountains. [sidenote: the two great railroads.] on the east side of the cascade mountains the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway will closely parallel the northern pacific railroad for a short distance in the yakima river valley, but will probably leave it soon after entering the most productive part. the route, however, may be varied to suit circumstances, and as to this point no doubt would be if the talk of making ellensburg the state capital should become serious. the remark may here be thrown in that this meeting of the two railroads in the yakima valley will be no disadvantage to the seattle road, as the distance to puget sound is about the same, and the incidental advantages are in favor of seattle. [sidenote: the great bend country.] [sidenote: douglas county.] crossing the columbia river, the railway will enter the great plateau which has been so fully described, and if the passage should be made at rock island rapids, it will cross the plateau at its widest part. nothing more need be said as to the great agricultural capabilities of the plateau country. the great bend, or northern limb of the plateau, is more extensive than the southern division, but it is a much less settled country, owing partly to want of transportation, and partly to want of water. this scarcity of water in douglas county was formerly thought to be incurable without a resort to artesian wells; but experiment has shown that wells of good water can be obtained at moderate depths, as i was informed by mr. smith, a resident of the county, and by mr. nash, the lawyer, who owns property there. the population and, consequently, the business of this large county is limited at present, but it has a large body of good land in it, which will attract settlers before long. its soil is of the same character as that of other parts of the plateau; but the general impression seemed to be that it was not quite equal to the land of the snake river basin, or to the adjoining county of lincoln, owing in part to a larger proportion of rough land. i do not, however, consider this question by any means as settled. the best area for wheat is supposed to be that which borders on lincoln county. if the route for the seattle railway which is preferred by mr. mohr, should be adopted, it would pass across the northern part of the county, by many persons considered the best part, and leave the great body of the county out of reach to the southward. [sidenote: lincoln county.] lincoln county, through the length of which the road must pass, is universally admitted to be among the best agricultural counties on the plateau. it is also settling up rapidly, and has become a large producer of wheat, even at the disadvantage of a long haul in wagons. mr. curtis, who buys much of the lincoln county wheat for his mill at spokane falls, says that the average yield of wheat is twenty-five bushels per acre, though in (the year of failure) it fell to sixteen and one-half bushels. captain mcgowan, of lincoln county, also gave twenty-five bushels as the average crop, and said this would hold good for the whole period since the settlement of the county, including the bad year . [sidenote: spokane county.] [sidenote: price of farming lands.] by reference of the official map showing the wheat areas, it will be seen that the seattle railway passes through the middle of these areas in both lincoln and spokane counties. the testimony was entirely favorable in regard to horticultural and pomological products, as well as to the agricultural, in the strict sense. the population of the three counties, douglas, lincoln and spokane, was put by governor semple at nearly , ; about , of which was in lincoln and spokane. much land has been bought with a view to settlement as well as speculation, and this would be occupied and cultivated _pari passu_ with the progress of the railroad, and there yet remains much good land which can be bought at low prices, say from one dollar to five dollars an acre, and will attract settlers. farming lands here will have market at the mines north of the columbia river, at spokane falls, where there will be a large city, as well as large mills, and at seattle, where there will be a large demand not only for the city, but for shipping. [sidenote: tonnage.] no reliable estimates can now be made as to what business this great bend country will furnish ten to twenty years hence. we have only this to guide us, namely, that the part of the plateau which lies south of the northern pacific railroad now furnishes , tons of wheat for transportation annually, besides other freight and passengers; and it has not reached one-half of its producing capacity. mr. mohr estimates the income from mail and express as one-fifth the income from freight, and passenger fares as one-quarter of the whole amount from tonnage. though the country lying north of the northern pacific railroad is much larger in area than that which lies south of it, it may not average as well, and cannot all be controlled by one railroad; but it will certainly furnish large tonnage; much more than is common in agricultural regions. at present the product of wheat in this region is estimated at , bushels, but this amount would probably be doubled the first year after the railroad comes, and rapidly increased afterward. much of the mining business already crosses this territory, and will, no doubt, greatly increase. coal. [sidenote: the seattle railway passes five coal fields.] i have, under the head of economic geology, described so fully the coal deposits of washington territory, especially the beds along the line of the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway, that it remains only to show the application of these facts to the interests of this railway. the road passes five, if not six, separate coal fields between seattle and the columbia river, namely, the squak or gilman mines, miles from seattle; the washington mines, miles; the raging river, to miles; the snoqualmie mountain, miles; the yakima (or roslyn), miles; and perhaps the wenatchie, miles. so far as appears at present, the seattle railway will have a monopoly of all these fields except the yakima or roslyn. this it will share with the northern pacific; but it will have exclusive control of the market between the yakima and spokane falls, which will be almost wholly dependent upon coal for fuel. also, it will furnish whatever of this coal may be wanted by the mining country north of the columbia. and in the spokane falls market it will have the advantage of bringing the coal by a route fifty miles shorter. the coal on the west side of the cascade mountains will go to seattle for consumption and shipment, except so much as may be wanted for iron making, and other manufacturing purposes along the line of the road. coke will be in demand for furnaces, foundries, engines, etc., in seattle, spokane falls, and many other places. but its largest consumption will be in iron furnaces which will be erected for smelting the ores of the cascade mountains. [sidenote: largest shipments from the gilman mines.] [sidenote: superior mining advantages of the gilman mines.] the largest shipments will be from the gilman mines for domestic and steam-boiler purposes. the coal must, of course, come in competition with other coals which are mined within the basin of puget sound, but it has an advantage over all competitors in the ease, safety, and cheapness with which it can be mined. this will not, of course, be realized for the first few months whilst driving the entries, but when the mines shall have been fully opened i think it will be without rival in the cost of production. this will be evident from the following report made to me by mr. whitworth, showing the disadvantages in the mode of working the other mines of the territory. the terrible explosion which has lately occurred in the deep mines of vancouver's island shows that the canadians are also working at a disadvantage. mr. whitworth's letter. [sidenote: mr. whitworth's testimony.] "at cedar river the coal is all hoisted from a slope, and the gangways run at right angles to the slope, and the 'brests' at right angles to the gangways, or parallel to the slope, or nearly so. the angle of the pitch is about °. and the cars are run up to the 'brests' to the working face of the coal, and coal shoveled into the cars. a movable windlass or drum allows the loaded car to haul the empty one up to face of coal. "at black diamond the coal is all hoisted from a slope; gangways at right angles to slope, and 'brests' at right angles to gangways, and parallel to slope. this pitch is a little steeper, about ° or °, but not sufficiently steep for the coal to run. therefore it has to be shoveled down the slope of the 'brest,' or the 'brest' floor temporarily ironed; and is loaded into car from 'brest' chute. "franklyn has both systems, hoisting up a slope, and working on a water-level gangway. they have two slopes, one outside and one inside. this pitch is ° and more. gangways run on the strike of veins, and 'brests' up the pitch. coal runs freely on the floor of 'brests.' "what it costs now to mine at newcastle i do not know. the cost of coal above the water-level gangway put into the railroad cars varies from cents (one month only) to $ . per ton; $ . about the average. for the first six months i do not think we (at gilman) can calculate less than $ . per ton. "the veins which they work or have worked at newcastle are no. --no. , as it is called, which is really nos. and united--and bagley vein. no. is worked out on two lifts, the water level, and the one below. the third lift they have not cross-cut to it, as the slope is on no. . no. is almost closed on third lift east of coal creek. first two lifts, of course, are worked out. and west of coal creek the working has progressed nearly to the boundary of their land, and passed the division of the vein into parts and ; so that they are getting but little coal out of it. but most of the coal comes from bagley. bagley is never worked, or but slightly, when the others are furnishing plenty of coal. bagley there consists of two portions of about seven feet each, with one to two feet of rock and slate between. in the lower bench there is about four or four and a half feet of good coal; the rest is bony. and in the upper bench there is from three to four feet of good coal, and the balance bony. when they are pressed for coal there is a strong temptation to mine and ship the entire fourteen feet of coal, and bony coal, as it all looks quite well. this temptation, i know, under the old administration, was sometimes yielded to, and i have supposed such was the case now. in fact, in getting that coal some time since for home use, i have several times seen the straight bagley from top to bottom in the ton. no. . the united vein at its best is ten and a half feet, between splendid walls, about one and a half inch mining on the bottom, and a parting near the centre one inch thick. that never disappeared, but increased both ways until the veins were finally separated. no. separate was about five feet clean, at least with no permanent partings. no. , about four and a half feet of coal with a three-inch streak of fine clay eighteen inches from the top, the balance clean." so much from mr. whitworth. [sidenote: cost of mining coal.] governor semple puts the prime cost of the coal of the puget sound basin generally at from $ . to $ . per ton, delivered at tide-water; which is, i suspect, below the fact. james f. jones, in charge of mines on the northern pacific railroad in the puget sound basin, reports the cost per ton at the mines delivered on the cars as ranging from $ . to $ . per ton, averaging $ . . the minimum of cost is reached when the seams are of good thickness and comparatively free from slate, and can be entered on the end by a level entry above water and be mined upward; to which may be added natural pitch enough in the seams for the coal to be self-loading; that is, to run by gravity from the upper gangways to the cars on the main entry. and to these conditions may be added a number of different parallel seams close together with their bluff ends all coming up to a line in the most convenient way for entry and delivery. it is rarely the case that such an assemblage of favorable conditions can be found, and where they exist the successful future of the property is absolutely assured. [sidenote: cost at gilman mines.] in my opinion, the gilman coal seams combine all the advantages above mentioned, and if allowed ordinary rates of transportation, can always be mined at a profit. as long as the newcastle seams could be worked above water-level the average cost per ton was $ . , but they never had the same advantages there as at gilman, and most of their mining has been downward. $ . per ton is certainly high enough for gilman after the entries are driven in sufficiently for large operations. if mr. whitworth succeeds in putting out the coal at $ . for the first six months, as he thinks he can, there need be no fear as to the future. [sidenote: prices of coal.] the selling price of coal on puget sound has ranged from $ . to $ . a long ton in former years, averaging $ . --the price being the same for the product of all the different mines. mr. whitworth reports the price this winter at $ . a ton for all (including newcastle), except cedar river, which is $ . . the distances from puget sound to portland and to san francisco, the principal markets, are: to san francisco, between and miles by water; to portland, by water, and by rail. there is now rail connection all the way to san francisco. the average cost of sending coal to san francisco, either from puget sound or vancouver's island, is $ . . the usual price in san francisco and portland has been from $ . to $ . for coarse, and from $ . to $ . for small. on the st of february, , the cargo price in san francisco was--for coos bay coal, $ . ; seattle coal, $ ; south prairie, $ ; nanaimo (domestic), $ ; nanaimo (steam), $ ; lehigh, $ ; cumberland, $ . these figures make it evident that a good margin of profit may be calculated on from the gilman coal. mr. whitworth will not be able to get his bunkers up until he has his road in operation to the mines; but, with temporary chutes, he can load tons a day from the time the road opens, say march th. in six weeks after beginning he expects to increase to tons a day, and one month later he can make the output tons a day. as the headings are driven in the product can be increased to almost any desired amount. the washington mines, on squak creek, i did not see; and concerning the raging river mines i have no settled convictions. as to the coking coal on snoqualmie mountain, we may expect important developments. undoubtedly the new road will promptly enter upon a large and increasing coal business. iron ore. [sidenote: handling the iron ores.] [sidenote: furnace sites] [sidenote: salal prairie.] [sidenote: charcoal cheaply produced.] the question here respecting iron ores along this road is not as to their quantity, or quality, or as to their utilization, but only as to what road or roads will handle the business that will arise from this source. naturally the bulk of it belongs to the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway, and at one time there seemed to be no doubt that large iron-works would at once be established at salal prairie by the moss bay company, of england; but the east shore of lake washington has finally been settled upon for the great plant of this wealthy company; which of itself will go far to establish the natural monopoly which the lake shore railway seems to have of the ores on the west side of cascade mountains. and in regard to the magnetic ores generally, this road, from its location, would seem to be master of the situation. all the iron ore on the west side of the mountain is owned by men whose interests are identified with seattle, and with this line of railroad. the best point for manufacture in itself considered, the best chance for fuel, the best line for transportation, the best point for trading and for shipment, are all on the line of the seattle railway. good furnace sites may be found at many points, but salal prairie is a spot which seems to have been set apart by nature for a manufacturing town. it lies near the intersection of the valleys of the south fork and middle fork branches of snoqualmie river, is about six miles long and three miles wide, is flat, dry, salubrious, and well supplied with water. it has a natural outlet to the south, as well as to the east and west, is convenient to the iron ore and limestone of both the middle and south fork, and not far distant from the ores of cle-ellum. it is less than ten miles from snoqualmie coking coal, and fifteen miles from the green river coals. and, what i think is a still better resource for fuel, it is in the midst of the great snoqualmie forests, where saw-mills will soon be felling the timber, and providing an endless supply of slabs and refuse tree-tops, from which charcoal could be manufactured at very small expense. it is well known that charcoal is the best of all fuels for making iron, because of its freedom from damaging impurities. its expensiveness generally prevents its being much used now, but here the cost need not exceed five cents per bushel, and to bushels would suffice for a ton of iron. the only question concerning the charcoal made from fir timber is as to its ability to bear the burden in a tall stack. it is becoming common now to utilize the by-products of wood, formed during its conversion into charcoal, by a process which makes the charcoal stronger. but all difficulty on this point can be relieved by conforming the size of the furnace-stack to the strength of the charcoal. this is the only fuel which has ever been used on the pacific coast for the smelting of iron ores. these enterprises have not been particularly successful thus far, rather because of the inferior quality of the ore, than from any defect in the fuel. the bog ore and the limonites which were used at irondale, near the canada line, and at oswego on the willamette, were generally low in iron and high in phosphorus, and the bog ores were soon exhausted. [sidenote: quantity of charcoal to the ton of iron.] at irondale, near port townsend, recourse has been had to a refractory ore obtained on texada island, in victoria sound, on which a duty of seventy-five cents a ton has to be paid, and which requires a large amount of fuel for smelting it, perhaps as much as bushels of charcoal. but mr. h. t. blanchard, who is interested in the irondale works, says in a late letter (november , ): "it is perfectly safe to rate charcoal at six cents per bushel, and the quantity necessary to make a ton of pig-metal not to exceed bushels, with a good chance of getting it down to ninety bushels per ton with fair ores." [sidenote: bessemer ores commonly distant from fuel.] the iron ores of the cascade mountains will be taken to some extent to mix with the inferior ores near the coast, but they will be chiefly worked into bessemer-pig and steel rails. steel-making ores are not common anywhere, and are widely separated from fuel, which makes them very costly in the states east of the rocky mountains. this well-known fact is alluded to by mr. swank, in his report on the iron trade of , in the following words: "it is also a fact worthy of notice, for which geologists may find a reason, that nowhere in this country are our best steel-making ores found in proximity to mineral fuel, either anthracite or bituminous, while in some parts of the lake superior region, even timber suitable for the manufacture of charcoal is almost wholly wanting." [sidenote: high cost of lake superior ores.] the most important deposits of steel ores in the united states are on lake superior and in missouri; but these ores are smelted chiefly by the connellsville coke of pennsylvania, which is to miles distant. the cranberry ores of north carolina are some hundreds of miles from fuel. a late number of the _iron trade review_ quotes the prices of ore at cleveland, ohio, the principal receiving point of lake superior ores, as follows: specular and magnetic bessemer, per ton $ . to $ . bessemer hematites " . to . [sidenote: cost of producing ore in pennsylvania.] the same authority gives the cost of the ore and coke necessary for the production of a ton of iron in mahoning valley district, at $ . for the ore and $ . for the coke = $ . . to this must be added about $ . for flux, labor, management, interest and repairs, making a total of $ . as the cost of producing one ton of pig-metal. [sidenote: cost of bessemer-pig in snoqualmie valley.] thus the superior advantages of the snoqualmie valley are readily seen. here are steel ores, two kinds of fuel, and the limestone in close proximity. putting the fuel at more than i think it would cost; putting the cost of mining the ore at the maximum cost at cranberry, n. c., and freight at double price, and we have as the cost of a ton of bessemer-pig, as follows: ore $ fuel flux labor and management interest and repairs ------ $ [sidenote: large market for steel rails.] this is lower than the present cost of producing bessemer-pig anywhere in the united states, according to the best of my information; and at the same time the market is better. the demand for steel rails in the rocky mountain country and in the pacific states is, and will be, large and permanent, while the demand in china and other foreign countries will constantly increase. and so will it be with machinery and tools of all kinds, agricultural, mining and manufacturing. this demand will be both domestic and foreign, and constantly enlarging. and it may be safely asserted that no railroad exists, or can be built anywhere in the pacific states, which will compare with the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway in its control of the iron business. the other minerals. [sidenote: limestone.] [sidenote: marble, granite, sandstones, slates.] i have already said so much as to the convenience and excellence of the limestone beds associated with the magnetic ores, that i will only allude to them here as constituting the great resource for furnace-flux, for building-stone, for lime, and for monumental and ornamental marble. this will be an important item for transportation. the granite, also, will be wanted for building, and for paving blocks. there are, no doubt, quartzites, sandstones and slates which will be in request; some for the supply of silica needed for tempering fire-clay (which latter is reported to have been found on cedar river in large quantity and of good quality); some for road metal; some for paving; some for building. [sidenote: precious and base metals.] in this group, however, the great resource is in the ores of the precious and base metals, which have been fully described under a former head. too little is known of the silver and lead and gold ores of the snoqualmie valley to lay much stress upon them. the indications do not justify us in ranking them with the ores of the columbia valley. the gold placer mining of the yakima country makes no large show so far. the silver, lead and copper ores, described by mr. burch, may develop largely, but as yet no calculations can be made as to their value in supplying tonnage. this field ranks with the wenatchie, chelan, and methow regions, being undeveloped, and yet so full of promise as to deserve careful attention. [sidenote: okinagane, colville and kootenai.] the mines of the okinagane and colville regions promise large results. all this mineral region, up to and including the okinagane, lies fairly within the patronage ground of the seattle railway as it pursues its course to spokane falls. the colville and coeur d'alene, to which may now be added the kootenai, mining regions, constitute a large area lying north and east of spokane falls, and offer themselves as possible routes for the manitoba railway, but chiefly as tempting fields for railroad enterprises. the city of spokane falls is deeply interested in bringing in the trade of these growing mines, and the seattle railway corporation may wisely consider the prizes here offered. [sidenote: coeur d'alene.] [sidenote: transportation lines to the mining regions.] railroad building has begun in the coeur d'alene country. the coeur d'alene railway and navigation company have constructed a narrow-gauge road from the old mission, near the junction of the north and south forks of the coeur d'alene river, a distance of about thirty-five miles. the tonnage is said to be much greater than this narrow-gauge can handle at present. from the old mission, which is now the terminus of the narrow-gauge road, the ores are taken by steamboat and barges down the coeur d'alene river, and up the lake to fort coeur d'alene, where connection is made with the spokane falls and idaho railroad, running from fort coeur d'alene to hauser junction, on the main line of the northern pacific railway. this arrangement enables the mines to send out and bring in their freight, but it is not satisfactory. there seems to be an opening for a line from spokane falls directly into that country. it would cost $ , a mile, by mr. mohr's calculation, and would be seventy-five miles long. if, however, it be true, as reported, that the northern pacific railroad will make a cut-off from missoula across the coeur d'alene mountains, this field will be occupied; which, however, is not probable. the chewelah, colville, summit, metalline and kootenai mining districts could all be reached by a line from spokane falls by way of colville and little dalles. and by running a spur from colville to a point below kettle falls on the columbia river, control could be gained, first, of the navigation between mahkin rapids and kettle falls, and also the long stretch of navigable river from the little dalles to death rapids in canada, crossing the canadian pacific railroad at farwell. it is calculated that miles of navigation would thus be opened by the addition of a piece of track twenty-five miles long, connecting the kootenai river with arrowhead lake. a new discovery of silver-lead ores, made on the kootenai outlet river, is making a great stir just now. the body of ore is said to be the largest yet discovered. we shall expect the manitoba people to be looking into this development. there is also some talk of the mining region on both sides of kettle river, near the canada line. the pend d'oreille district is also promising. all this is suggested as food for thought and investigation. cities and towns. [sidenote: the only competition is between tacoma and seattle.] the location of port townsend puts that town out of the general competition. the same is true of olympia. whatcom, or some possible town near the line between whatcom and skagit counties, might grow into consequence if made the terminus of some transcontinental road. this point, however, is involved in the larger question of the course of the manitoba railroad. with the present outlook, the only two competing towns on puget sound are tacoma and seattle. the former has the advantage of being the terminus of the northern pacific railroad, and of having large private capital to advance its interests. these have made the town all that it is. it is handsomely laid out, and well built. it has an elegant hotel, and a population said in tacoma to be , , and in seattle to be , . the harbor has water enough, but the landing is bad; there being no level ground available for wharves or business houses near the water. a mere roadway, cut out of the high bluff, furnishes the only line of communication. the town is one to two hundred feet above the water and above the main railroad depot, and must be reached by a long, steep road. tacoma is twenty-six miles farther from the sea than seattle, has a back country of inferior resources, and has no advantage in distances from the east. [sidenote: advantages of seattle.] seattle has already been described. it has probably double the population of tacoma, and more than double the business. it has flat ground enough for commercial purposes. in its position, its harbor, its relations to the back country, its materials for trade, commerce, manufactures, its present and prospective railroad connections, it surpasses all present and future competitors on puget sound. there will be mining and trading towns at numerous points between seattle and salal prairie. [sidenote: towns of east washington.] the towns on the east flank of the cascade mountains may have a future; _i.e._, cle-ellum, ellensburg, and north yakima. they have a chance for the state capital, and there may be manufacturing as well as mining towns near the iron ore, and other mineral beds. small places will also spring up at the mouth of the wenatchie and the okinagane, and at the termini of the steamboat landings. the county seat of lincoln cannot remain at sprague. wheatland would have a chance for that. [illustration: view of the city of spokane falls, eastern terminus seattle, lake shore and eastern railway.] [sidenote: spokane falls and its fine prospects.] assuming that spokane falls is the objective point of the seattle railway, i will give a somewhat full account of this thriving young city. in it had inhabitants; in it had over , . in the northern pacific railroad reached there, and since that date the town has grown continuously. it will be a large city, as will be obvious if its advantages be considered. these are chiefly: i. its water-power; ii. its agricultural relations; iii. its mining surroundings; iv. its railroad prospects; v. its good ground for building. [sidenote: mr. paul f. mohr's article.] i. its water-power.--the value of this water-power arises partly from the volume of water and its great fall, and also its uniformity, and its freedom from disturbing causes. the river falls in a succession of cascades amounting to feet within the limits of the city. mr. paul f. mohr has published an intelligent article on the subject, from which i quote the following statements: "to arrive at the available number of horse-power which the spokane river could furnish at this point, assuming , horse-power as the gross power of the river, and deducting per cent. therefrom, would leave , horse-power as a most conservative and minimum estimate. "the city of minneapolis used in , as nearly as i can ascertain, about , horse-power, and minneapolis is probably the largest flour-milling point in the world. "the industries requiring most power are, in their order, as follows: lumber, flour, iron and steel, paper, woolen goods and worsted goods, with several industries consuming a comparatively small amount of power, not necessary to mention. of the industries above named, all but the iron and steel industries can be followed at this point, and, in fact, the flouring, paper and woolen industries belong to this section of the country." it is claimed that the spokane river at the falls never rises more than six feet, and never freezes. the river here has cut so deeply into the basalt, that there must be combination among the riparian owners in order to draw the water to good mill sites, and invite manufacturers to use the power. mr. mohr urges this. two flour-mills are now there turning out about barrels of flour a day; also saw-mills, and, i think, a dynamo for electric lights, etc.; but, of course, these use but a small part of the power, which, if fully utilized, in such ways as are suggested by mr. mohr, would of itself create a large city. ii. agricultural relations.--spokane falls has a promising agricultural country on all sides. the pend d'oreille region has good agricultural capabilities, though the best lands there are in the indian reservation. the country north of spokane falls, in the direction of colville, is spoken of as a fertile valley, having more rain than the plateau country, much of it limestone soil, specially productive in hay and wheat. the wheat is harder than the plateau wheat, and contains a larger proportion of gluten; hence it is desired as a mixture for the wheat that is usually brought to the spokane falls mills. turning to the great plateau, we find that the rich palouse river country, since the construction of the spokane falls and palouse railroad finds its readiest market at spokane falls. and now that the seattle, lake shore and eastern railroad is striking out through the great bend, another portion of this great producing region will be brought within easy reach. iii. mining interests.--i need here only refer to the fact that spokane falls is situated centrally with regard to the mines of precious and base metals heretofore described. evidently the business from the mines of chewelah, colville, little dalles, kootenai, etc., must come here except so far as it may be diverted to a tide-water city which would smelt their ores and sell them goods. no doubt the canadian pacific will handle some of the business of the kootenai mines. similar remarks may be made with regard to the mines of the coeur d'alene country, with the qualification that a road crossing the mountain, say to missoula, would divert some of the trade to helena or butte city. the miners of okanogan, methow, etc., would be nearest to spokane falls, but would be or miles on the way to puget sound, which would divide the trade. iv. railroad prospects.--the northern pacific railroad, a transcontinental line, already passes through spokane falls. if the cut-off through the coeur d'alene country should be made, it would be equivalent to an additional road. the spokane falls and palouse railway joins the northern pacific at marshall, only nine miles from the city, and its general course points directly toward it. the road across the great bend has been commenced. the road to colville, little dalles, etc., will inevitably be made at an early day. this would make it really the centre of six roads, counting the northern pacific as two. v. building grounds.--the city is built and building on both sides of the river, and stands on a level, dry, gravelly plain, a mile or more in width, rising into wooded hills. in other words, it has all that can be desired for situation. [sidenote: sprague, colfax, and lewiston.] sprague, colfax, and lewiston claim attention as indicating the points in a proposed branch line of railroad, leaving the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway somewhere in the great bend country. shops of the northern pacific railroad are in sprague, which fact is an endorsement of the locality. its population is over , . the town standing in a coulée, there are no indications of fertility of soil in sight. here the timber belts seem to end, and no trees are seen for miles eastward. it occupies an intermediate position between the great wheat areas of whitman county on the south and of lincoln on the north. stage lines leave here for colfax (south) and for davenport and other towns in the great bend (north), and also for the okanogan mines. colfax is about forty miles southwest from sprague. it is on the palouse river, in a narrow valley where there is scarcely room for a town. the bordering hills are steep; the surrounding country is some or feet higher than the town. it is claimed, however, that there are good grades to be had for railroads going in any direction. the town has a population of , to , , and is evidently prosperous. it has water-power and wheat-mills. the railroad agent in the town says that his cash receipts for freight average $ , a day. knapp, burrell & co. told me that they brought in carloads of freight annually in the regular course of their business. i felt surprised at the statement. this firm does a farmers' business in barbed wire, wagons, all sorts of agricultural machinery and implements, grain-bags, etc., etc. mr. hamilton imports groceries to the amount of $ , . coal is $ . a ton. lumber is scarce and high, and freights enormous. a citizen told me that he had paid $ . freight from portland on a lot of lumber that cost $ . in that city. another marvelous story was that a citizen paid $ . a ton for coal in st. paul and $ . a ton to bring it to colfax. [sidenote: notes on the colfax country.] in asking about the surrounding country, i made the following notes: one-half the country is arable. the non-arable land is grazed by horses, sheep and cattle. wool, an important item. of the arable land, one-tenth is under the plough; of this, three-fourths is put in wheat, and one-fourth in oats and barley--more barley than oats. very fine root crops. average of wheat, bushels per acre; oats, to bushels. price of wheat, cents; freight to portland, cents, making $ . a ton. peaches mature. can raise corn, but it does not pay to shuck it. there is a continuous wheat area of townships, equal to , square miles, taking in a little of idaho. [sidenote: lewiston.] lewiston, in idaho, came into being during the days of placer mining, and now depends on agricultural business. it has about , people, and may become important by reason of its location at the junction of the clearwater and snake rivers. the transcontinental line that may some day be built through wyoming might pass through lewiston. [sidenote: walla walla.] walla walla is the oldest, and was long regarded the best of all the towns of east washington. it is beautifully situated in a fertile country; has about , inhabitants; is well laid off and built, and has a more staid and settled population than any other town there. this is true, also, of the farming population around walla walla, many of whom have comfortable homes. the town has some water-mills; and an astonishing amount of "truck" is raised and shipped in this neighborhood. the city has not grown much of late, and, except its agricultural surroundings, there is nothing especially to give it prosperity. branches and routes for the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway. [sidenote: railroad branches.] the building of the west coast railroad will be a happy circumstance for the lake shore road. skagit county, and especially whatcom county, have large resources, and the preoccupation of this ground may discourage other parties from any attempt to build up a commercial city on bellingham bay. a branch from the northern pacific at the common point to salal prairie would not hurt, and might help the seattle, lake shore and eastern road. besides the short spurs to the mines on the west side of the cascade mountains, there may be needed branches up cle-ellum, and other rivers, to mines. i cannot see the wisdom of a branch to the walla walla country, which could be reached only by paralleling the northern pacific down the yakima river, or else by striking off in the great bend, and crossing the northern pacific and its palouse branch, and then snake river, to reach a country already occupied by the oregon railway and navigation company, and lying over miles nearer to the tidal market along a down grade, than by the seattle road with its mountain crossing. [sidenote: the palouse country.] a branch into the palouse country would have more to recommend it. it is nearer, and competition will be on more equal terms. there are now three railroads in the palouse country: namely, the oregon railway and navigation company's road from palouse junction to moscow, idaho, passing through colfax; the farmington branch of this road, from colfax to farmington, and the spokane and palouse, which runs from marshall, on the northern pacific, to genesee. but a road passing through sprague and colfax to lewiston would cross some rich, unoccupied territory, and everywhere would compete for business on fair terms. whilst i was in colfax, at my suggestion, the town was canvassed as to the annual amount of its freight. the aggregate amount paid by fifteen firms reached $ , , and the balance was estimated at $ , , making $ , . five firms claimed to handle annually , , bushels of wheat, making , tons. these figures seem large for so small a place as colfax. the length of this branch would, of course, be affected by the location of the main line across great bend. if the main line should take the route preferred by mr. mohr, wheatland would probably be the nearest starting-point. this would be all the better for spokane falls; but for the long haul to puget sound, it would seem to be more desirable for the junction to be farther west. [sidenote: arguments for the polouse branch.] to my mind, the chief arguments for building this branch are, first, that it would be a start for the transcontinental road across wyoming and nebraska, and then, so to speak, it would be stretching out one wing of the bat with a view to catching the manitoba bug. the other wing of the bat would be the colville branch. the eccentric bug would inevitably hit one or other of these wings, and when once caught, would be held. [sidenote: manitoba railroad.] concerning these manitoba people, we may assume that they will think with regard to the routes according to the facts of nature. the direct line across the kootenai country would strike the colville branch, but in the opinion of able engineers the difficulties are so nearly insurmountable, that this is least likely to be chosen of all the routes. the cut-off from missoula to spokane falls by way of lake coeur d'alene, seems manifestly the best route for this road, that is, if it be not already pre-empted by the northern pacific; but strong reasons are given to show that the northern pacific will not, and cannot, make this cross line; in which case, we might almost conclude that the manitoba will cross here, and inevitably join the seattle road. the only other crossing left would be the lolo pass, which would be still more out of their direction, and would give them no better chance for an independent line to tide-water than the more northern routes. the fact is, that the late strategic movement of the seattle railway in seizing upon the key to the great bend country made it master of the situation. supplementary chapter, giving latest information. [sidenote: rapid growth of seattle and spokane falls.] it is now just one year since i left washington territory, and i am glad to be able to report, on the best authority, that the great interests heretofore described have progressed, some of them with accelerating speed. the city of seattle has added , to her population, and spokane falls , to hers. mining has spread its area, multiplied its diggings, and gone forward at every point amazingly. agriculture during the past year has not advanced with equal rapidity. this is easily accounted for by the influences of the mines and cities. the crops were fair, but not as large as in some former years; but no fears need be entertained with regard to this great interest. [sidenote: change in the location of the railroad.] the trunk line of the seattle, lake shore & eastern railway will cross the cascade mountains at cady's pass instead of at snoqualmie pass as originally designed, and reach the columbia river by the wenatchie valley. crossing the great river near the mouth of the wenatchie, where it is thought that a city will be developed, and passing along the northern limb of the great bend country, it will connect with the other end of the road which is now under construction to wheatland. [illustration: view of seattle and the harbor, washington territory, showing docks of the seattle, lake shore and eastern railway.] a report from paul f. mohr, chief engineer, in regard to this new line, is embraced in this chapter. something is said about the wenatchie valley, also, by mr. whitworth. but the original line is by no means abandoned. it has probably reached hop ranch before this time, and will be continued through the great timber belt, passing salal prairie, at least as far as the iron and marble beds on mt. logan. no doubt in time the road will cross snoqualmie pass, and continue to the mineral beds on the cle-ellum and elsewhere. i have obtained the following interesting and valuable reports from mr. whitworth, who has been frequently mentioned in this report, mr. routhe, president of the board of trade of the city of spokane falls, and paul f. mohr, esq., chief engineer. report from f. h. whitworth, esq., civil and mining engineer on seattle, etc. seattle, w. t., oct. , . i now proceed to answer your questions. . present population of seattle, and commercial growth? [sidenote: population of seattle.] [sidenote: new manufacturing establishments.] a census was taken in june of this year, and the total enrolled was , . i presume it was safe to say that the population then was , , and that now it is from , to , , for although houses have been built very rapidly, there is not a house, or a room hardly, that is not occupied. there are now seven brick-yards in operation, each manufacturing from , to , per day. two boiler-works have been added to the manufacturing interests since you were here. three saw-mills, besides four on the line of the seattle, lake shore & eastern railway between here and gilman, have been built, and all have more than they can do. a new fish-canning establishment has been started, and is in successful operation. a pile-creosoting works, an extensive shipyard works, a shingle mill, and a timber-preserving works and saw-mill are all under way on the north side of salmon bay. [sidenote: new steamers.] the _alaskan_ and the _t. j. potter_, two magnificent steel steamers, and the _harry bailey_ and _hassalo_, good-sized passenger steamers, besides three or four tugs, and an extra steamer on the alaska route, as well as an extra steamer every second or third week for freight from san francisco, have been added to the seattle fleet since you were here. . the moss bay company. [sidenote: the iron company at work.] there seems to be no question but that the location on the eastern shore of lake washington is definite. a contract has been made with denny, and with those holding with guy, but not with guy himself. i understand that no contract has been made with, or for, any other one, although mr. kirk has been and is still examining all other places. mr. kirk, and mr. williams, another of the firm, are living on the grounds at kirkland, and have a force of men preparing the grounds, the position of the different buildings having all been located. brick and other material is being placed on the ground. they have entered into contract to roll for the seattle, lake shore & eastern railway , tons steel at kirkland, to be delivered within the next twelve months. they, however, will bring the blooms from moss bay for this. [sidenote: coking coals.] coke is the fuel mr. kirk wants, and thinks he will have. but i do not think that the question of coke supply is settled yet. mr. kirk's property that we visited (section ) is, so far, not developing as they had hoped. mr. kirk has disposed of his interest there. the smith coking ovens that we visited at wilkeson are still producing a small amount of coke. one or two other veins have been opened at wilkeson recently, and the company opening are proposing to put up ovens, and work and coke their coal. it probably will make about the same quality of coke as the smith mine. the only coal that has been analyzed and stands that test for coke, is section , near kirk's section . we got some samples of it, you remember. the snoqualmie coal has been taken possession of by a mr. niblock, who talks now of going to work to open. that, you know, cokes well in the open air. the following is the cross-section of our best veins at ruffner, or raging river, section . roof, sandstone: ft. ins. mixed coal and slate coal (clean) rock coal rock coal total, coal, ft. in., rock, in.; which seems to be very strong coking coal. this bench can be worked to advantage, i think. we have another, also, of about three feet of coal, clean, and it is underlaid with three feet of fire-clay, which probably will be as valuable as coal. i have burned some of the brick, and sent some away to be tested. no further discovery has been made in the neighborhood of the denny or guy mines. at the "chair peak" iron mines, owned by mr. wilson, kelly, _et al._, as they have examined further, the deposit has shown itself much larger than at first supposed. it is about two and a half miles from the guy lode, on mt. logan. [sidenote: new discoveries of iron ore.] some quite extensive iron deposits have been discovered on the west side of the sound, nearly due west from seattle. they have not yet been analyzed. what is thought to be a very rich deposit of iron has just recently been found on one of the islands in the san juan group, within the territory of the united states, said to equal the texada deposit in british columbia, which the iron works at irondale, near point townsend, use. the irondale furnace commenced work again about a month since. in regard to the precious metals: there have been no developments of importance on this side of the mountain. the okanogan, salmon river, coeur d'alene and colville mines promise richer and richer as they are more developed. [sidenote: lumber business growing.] . the activity in the lumber business is unabated--is on the increase. the increase of the lumber mills, that i have mentioned in the first part of this letter, indicates _that_. the traffic on the railroad, both in logs and manufactured lumber, is much larger than had been anticipated, and is increasing. in july the road hauled , , feet of logs. september log haul was about ten per cent. greater. i could not get the exact figures to-day. [sidenote: population and freights increasing.] . spokane falls is still growing very rapidly, and now claims , to , inhabitants, and is building very substantially. along the line of railroad on this side of the mountain the country is filling up, of course, with small ranches or home-makers, and those already on the line are making increased clearings, and will therefore have more to ship. the following shows something of what is being done in july: "coal freight, , tons; miscellaneous, , ; passenger traffic, $ , ; and the advance has been about the same as in logs, except on coal." [sidenote: labor strike at gilman mine.] [ . mr. whitworth next gives an account of certain difficulties and troubles, chiefly with miners, which ended in a "strike" that was somewhat prolonged, but he thought the men would soon go to work on the company's terms. of course, the high hopes concerning these mines (gilman) had not been realized. mr. w. proceeds as follows:] [sidenote: gilman coal seams.] on the smith, or no. vein, we had just got the gangway driven far enough to turn rooms. the andrews vein we were driving the gangway entirely in the coal, but were not yet far enough to turn rooms. nos. and veins had gotten, with the gangway, well in under the hill, and was looking very fine, and turning out good coal. with the prospect of no. , or smith vein, and andrews vein, i am still well pleased. on the vein in section , just across the valley, i have started in a tunnel to open it; have already driven about sixty feet through the rock, and have about seventy feet still to go. this tunnel is still going on, not having been stopped by the 'strike.' [sidenote: progress of the west coast railroad.] the west coast railroad is completed to snohomish city, and trains run regularly, the bridge across the river being completed only about ten days ago. both passenger and freight traffic is much larger than anticipated. they are grading, and expect to have ready for service yet this fall, five miles beyond snohomish. along most of the entire line the timber is very fine and abundant, and a great deal of the land adjacent is rich agricultural. [sidenote: resources of the country along the new line across cady's pass.] . concerning the new line across cady's pass and down wenatchie valley. [after some remarks respecting grades, etc., mr. whitworth proceeds as follows:] on this [west] side of the mountain [cascade] the timber reaches right up nearly to the summit, as in the snoqualmie, and the reports are this region is rich in coal, and probably also in iron, with some indications of precious metals. soon after crossing the divide the line will reach the very rich agricultural valley of the wenatchie, which is called "the garden of eastern washington," and traverse its entire length. and it will pass within a comparatively short distance of the mineral districts on the northern slope of that range called mt. stuart. i have heard that there were numerous indications of coal near the mouth of the wenatchie on both sides of the columbia. this, too, will be the nearest main line to the rich mineral district of salmon river, or okanogan, as well as all that northern mineral belt which extends to the rockies, and will strike the heart of the big bend wheat-fields. it will also be eighty miles shorter than the other line. true, ellensburg and the cle-ellum district will be missed, but i think this will be more than compensated for by those i have spoken of. . of the progress of the work. [sidenote: progress in building the road.] on this side of the mountains no work except surveys has been done on this line. at spokane falls the bridge across the river, and about forty miles of track is finished, and they are now operating, i believe, with very encouraging prospects. on the snoqualmie line they are pushing on. the trains now run regularly to raging river. the bridge across that stream is not yet completed, but will probably be by the st of november, and it is expected that the trains will be running to the hop ranch by december st. the branch or spur up raging river to the ruffner mine, on section , is located, and some little work has been done, but it is not being prosecuted at present, so i do not expect we will be able to get out any coal from there before next spring or early summer. [sidenote: cable railway in seattle.] another item showing the prosperity of seattle, is the opening of a five-mile circuit of cable road to lake washington, which occurred last saturday. i will send you some papers giving some items that may be of interest. [sidenote: southern pacific railroad supposed to be coming to seattle harbor.] a syndicate of men prominent in the southern pacific railroad management purchased milton point, the land directly west, across seattle bay, from the town, and are clearing it off, and say they will make extensive improvements over there in the near future. they are building a large ferry steamer, and have a franchise to run a ferry hourly between town and the front. it is to be on the route by december st. report says that the southern pacific is coming in there. at smith cove quite a little town is building up, and property is advancing all around there. report from e. a. routhe, esq., concerning spokane falls, etc. spokane falls, oct. , . [sidenote: growth of spokane falls.] our city has progressed in growth splendidly since you were here. there are now fully , inhabitants. the census of july st showed , . about $ , , have been expended in buildings this year. eight business blocks of brick and granite have been built this season. one of these cost $ , . four of these blocks are three stories, three are four stories, and one five stories. [illustration: spokane falls, washington territory.] forty miles of the seattle, lake shore & eastern railway will be completed between here and the big bend by december st. the iron, engines and cars are nearly all here, and the farmers in lincoln county are greatly rejoiced at the opportunity for shipping their grain and stock to market. [sidenote: prodigious development of the mining interests.] the development in the mines this year has been greater than all the work done heretofore. the gold mines near murray, idaho, have yielded beyond the hopes of all interested in them. i saw four gold bricks, at the first national bank, said to contain $ , . these were from one mine, a south fork mine of the coeur d'alene. the kootenai country is now reached by steamer after leaving the northern pacific road at sand point. a good deal of development work is progressing, and the ore is being shipped out daily. it is mostly silver-bearing galena. a new town just above the british line on the kootenai lake has been started. it is called "nelson." i shall send you some formulated data at an early date. the crops have been good, though not so good as last year. emigration to the farming sections does not come in as fast as we would like--in fact, not as rapidly as to the towns. i think it will be better after the election. report from paul f. mohr, esq., chief engineer of the seattle, lake shore & eastern railway, concerning the cady's pass and wenatchie route. spokane falls, w. t., dec. , . the following is a report of the proposed line from west coast branch to mouth of wenatchie river: i. engineering features. [sidenote: engineering details of the new route.] the proposed line will leave the west coast branch at a point six miles south of snohomish city, running east, crossing the snohomish river on drawbridge at the junction of the snoqualmie and skykomish rivers: thence up the right bank of skykomish on a per cent. ( . feet per mile) grade, a distance of forty miles from point of beginning. thirty-five miles of per cent. ( . feet per mile) grade carries the line to cady's pass and mouth of tunnel. the tunnel will be , feet long, in granite rock; probably little or no lining will be necessary. descending to the east by a per cent. grade, following the wenatchie river, a distance of twenty miles. descending and level grades alternate for the next twenty-five miles, where , feet of tunneling will be required in the divide between the wenatchie and chumstick rivers. this tunnel saves eight miles of distance in the following eighteen miles, and avoids entering the box cañon of the wenatchie, a difficult and expensive piece of work. the development in the chumstick valley is especially easy. thence into the wenatchie valley again, on a per cent. grade, a distance of twenty-seven miles, to the mouth of the wenatchie river. a summary of the distances and grades shows a very prettily balanced scheme for operating cheaply and effectively. summary of distances and grades. distance. grade. west coast branch to end of % grade, m. × % end of % grade to tunnel, m. × % tunnel section, , ft. tunnel to foot of % grade, m. - % foot of % grade to wenatchie m. - % (or less.) the introduction of per cent. grades, though higher than the water grades of the wenatchie and skykomish rivers, is justified as balanced against the per cent. mountain grades and the saving effected thereby in the bench country, which prevails along both rivers mentioned. while tunnel is being driven, a per cent. cross-over through cady's pass can be cheaply put in if necessary. ii. resources. [sidenote: mr. mohr's account of the resources of the new route.] west of the cascade range the road will pass through a densely wooded district, through which, with the additional aid of transportation facilities by river now existing, an immense logging industry will be created. the red fir and white cedar now being taken out are superior in quality to those of any section of this coast. each mile as opened will therefore become an immediate source of income. considerable prospects and discoveries of gold and silver have already been found, and a number of men are now at work making such developments as are practicable in the absence of transportation facilities. with the opening of the road a heavy mineral traffic will be developed in the future. near the summit large deposits of iron are sure to be found, judging from the extraordinary local magnetic variations. twenty miles west of the summit are iron-soda springs, which will no doubt become quite famous. east of the cascade summit the country tributary to the road is covered with open, fine forests; the timber is principally second growth yellow and black pine, in tall and straight trees, forming very valuable timber. this prevails for forty miles east of the summit. the remaining country to the mouth of the wenatchie river is rich agricultural land, fairly well settled up between the cascade summit and the mouth of the wenatchie river. very extensive indications of coal and iron are found; and along all of the tributaries of the wenatchie considerable deposits of precious metals have been discovered, which will no doubt be rapidly developed in the future. this entire section of country has been well known to miners and prospectors for the past twenty years, but the total lack of transportation facilities has thus far prevented any considerable development of mining properties. at the confluence of the wenatchie river with the columbia river (which will likewise be the crossing point for the seattle, lake shore & eastern railway) we find the columbia river is navigable as far up as the okanogan country. a large city is destined to spring up at this point, which will control, by means of the columbia river, a very extensive tributary country. the valleys of the entiat, chelan, methow, okanogan, and other rivers, which drain an extraordinary mineral belt, with occasionally fine districts of agricultural land, will provide an enormous quantity of freight for the road. none of this freight will be able to find an outlet except by this road, by reason of the fact that very swift and rocky rapids, which begin about twelve miles south of our crossing and continue for some fifty miles, will for at least a great many years prevent practicable or profitable navigation to points below our crossing. iii. scenery. the aesthetic side of railroading has undoubtedly a large commercial value, and in this instance it will be secured without additional expense. it will certainly prove a valuable factor in the obtainment of passenger traffic. from the city of seattle to the columbia river an ever changing succession of magnificent and surprising views will meet the eye of the traveler. indeed, i believe that the scenic attractions of the seattle, lake shore & eastern railway will stand pre-eminent among all the railroads on this coast. * * * * * mr. mohr's report opens up a region almost unknown heretofore, which is shown to abound in the finest timber, to possess superior agricultural lands, and to give indications of rich deposits of coal, iron, and the precious metals. all the reports i have seen from washington territory confirm the impressions i first received in regard to its wonderful resources. w. h. ruffner lexington, va., dec. , . seattle, w. t., jan. , . dr. w. h. ruffner. _dear sir_: in relation to your request for such additional data as may be of interest in connection with your report, especially such data as relate to the changes in population since the time of your visit here a little over a year ago, likewise relating to new developments in the plans of the seattle, lake shore & eastern railway co. and other matters of interest, i respectfully state the following: the immigration into washington territory since december, , has been very heavy, and while there are no statistics showing the number of immigrants, except such as have taken up their residence in the towns and cities, i am, i feel sure, not far from the truth, when i estimate their number at , . of this number, spokane falls has received about , seattle " " " , tacoma " " " , the remaining number may be assumed to have been distributed about as follows: to the various small towns east of the cascade mountains , to the various small towns west of the cascade mountains , to the agricultural and mining regions east of the cascade mountains , to the agricultural, timber, and mining region west of the cascade mountains , the usual proportion between the populations of country and towns in western states and territories is as three to one (roughly estimated); this would indicate that the towns and cities have received more than their fair proportion of the entire immigration, and this is true. the consequence will, therefore, undoubtedly be that of the immense immigration predicted for the year a correspondingly larger percentage will reach the rich agricultural, mineral, and timber lands of washington territory, and thus restore the proper balance. since mr. whitworth's report and yours, an additional cable railroad and an electric street railway have been started at seattle, and quite a number of new enterprises have been commenced. at spokane falls considerable terminal facilities for the seattle, lake shore & eastern railway have been added, a system of warehouse and mill tracks has been agreed upon between the northern pacific railroad co. and the seattle, lake shore & eastern railway co. to be built and operated jointly by the two companies, a new cable street railroad has been projected and partly built, and about five miles of street railway has been placed in operation. extensive improvements in the development of the water power are in progress, several new bridges have been built, and a general air of prosperity pervades the place. to indicate the importance of the business of spokane falls it is only necessary to state the fact that this city has paid nearly $ , , to the northern pacific railroad during the year for freights and passages. the seattle, lake shore & eastern railway co. has decided to build a branch line from some point near the crossing of the grand coulee to the okanogan mines (conconnully district), about seventy miles, work to be commenced as soon as the main line shall be completed. this feeder will command a very extensive business, perhaps equal to the enormous business of the coeur d'alene mines which is now enjoyed by the northern pacific railroad. since mr. whitworth's last report to you, considerable development work has been done upon the grand ridge mines - / miles east of gilman and adjacent to our railroad; the vein developed is four feet thick and furnishes a hard, compact coal, superior for domestic purposes to any coal yet found in that section. shipments commenced last month, and the prospects for a heavy output are very flattering. the spokane division of the seattle, lake shore & eastern railway, extending from spokane westwardly, a distance of forty-five miles, is practically finished; trains are running regularly, and as soon as our motive-power and cars can be disengaged from the work of "ballasting" we will be able to do considerable business. very respectfully yours, paul f. mohr, chief engineer. * * * * * transcriber notes: missing punctuation has been added and obvious punctuation errors have been corrected without note. archaic, obsolete and misspelled words have not been changed. oregon, washington and alaska. sights and scenes for the tourist. by e.l. lomax, general passenger agent, union pacific system. omaha, neb. [illustration: oregon, washington and alaska. sights and scenes for the tourist.] [illustration: union pacific overland. sights and scenes in oregon, washington and alaska for tourists. compliments of the passenger department, union pacific system, omaha, neb.] list of agents. albany, n.y.-- maiden lane--j.d. tenbroeck. trav. pass. agt. boston, mass.-- washington st.--w.s. condell, new england freight and passenger agent. j.s. smith, traveling passenger agent. e.m. newbegin, traveling freight and passenger agent. a.p. massey, passenger and freight solicitor. buffalo, n.y.-- - / exchanges st.--s.a. hutchison, trav. pass. agt. butte, mont.--corner main and broadway--general agt. cheyenne, wyo.--c.w. sweet, freight and ticket agent. chicago, ill.-- south clark st.--w.h. knight, gen'l agt. p. and f. dep'ts. t.w. young, traveling passenger agent. w.t. holly, city passenger agent. alfred mortessen & co., european immigration agts., kinzie st. cincinnati, ohio-- west th st.--j.d. welsh, gen'l agt. p. and f. dep'ts. h.c. smith, traveling freight and passenger agent. cleveland, ohio--kennard house.--a.g. shearman, t. f. and p. agt. colorado springs, colo.--e.d. baxter, gen'l agt d., t. & ft. w. r.r. columbus, ohio--n.w. cor. gay and high sts.--t.c. hirst, trav. pass. agt. council bluffs, iowa-- first ave.--a.j. manderson, general agt. r.w. chamberlain, passenger agent, transfer depot. j.w. maynard, ticket agent, transfer depot. a.t. elwell, city ticket agent, broadway. dallas, tex.--h.m. de hart, general agent d., t. & ft. w. r.r. denver, colo.-- larimer st.--f.i. smith, gen'l agt. d., t. & ft. w. r.r. geo. ady, general passenger agent, colo. div. and d., t. & ft. w. r.r. f.b. semple, ass't gen'l pass. agt, colo. div. and d., t. & ft. w. r.r. c.h. titus, traveling passenger agent. r.p.m. kimball, city ticket agent. des moines, iowa-- th st.--e.m. ford, traveling passenger agent. detroit, mich.-- griswold st.--d.w. johnston, michigan pass. agt. helena, mont.-- north main st.--a.e. veazie, city ticket agent. indianapolis, ind.--room jackson place.--h.o. webb, traveling passenger agent. kansas city, mo.-- th and broadway.--j.b. frawley, div. pass. agt. j.b. reese, traveling passenger agent. f.s. haacke, traveling passenger agent. h.k. proudfit, city passenger agent. t.a. shaw, ticket agent, union ave. a.w. millspaugh, ticket agent, union depot. c.a. whittier, city ticket agent, main st. liverpool, england-- water st.--s. stamford parry, general european agent. london, england--thos. cook & sons, european passenger agents, ludgate circus. los angeles, cal.-- north spring st.--john clark, agt. pass. dep't. a.j. hechtman, agent freight department. louisville, ky.-- west main st.--n. haight, traveling pass. agent. new orleans, la.-- st. charles st.--c.b. smith, general agent d., t. & ft. w. r.r. d.m. rea, traveling agent d., t. & ft. w. r.r. new york city-- broadway--r. tenbroeck, general eastern agent. j.f. wiley, passenger agent. f.r. seaman, city passenger agent. ogden, utah--union depot--c.a. henry, ticket agent. c.e. ingalls, traveling passenger agent. olympia, wash.-- d st. wharf.--j.c. percival, ticket agent. omaha, neb.-- th and farnam sts.--m.j. greevy, trav. pass. agt. harry p. deuel, city passenger and ticket agent, farnam st. j.k. chambers, depot ticket agent, th and marey sts. philadelphia, pa.-- south th st.--d.e. burley, trav. pass. agt. l.t. fowler, traveling freight agent. pittsburg, pa.-- wood st.--h.e. passavant, t. f. and p. a. thos. s. spear, traveling freight and passenger agent. portland, ore.--cor. d and oak sts.--t.w. lee, gen'l passenger agent, pacific div. a.l. maxwell, general agent traffic department. harry young, traveling passenger agent. geo. s. taylor, city ticket agent. cor. st and oak sts. port townsend, wash.--union wharf--h.l. tibbals, jr., ticket agt. pueblo, colo.--e.r. harding, general agent d., t. & ft. w. r.r. st. joseph, mo.--f.l. lynde, general pass. agent, st. j. & g.i. r.r. div. w.p. robinson, jr., general freight agent, st. j. & g.i. r.r. div. st. louis, mo.-- north th st.--j.f. aglar, gen'l agt. f. and p. dep't. e.r. tuttle, traveling passenger agent. e.s. williams, city passenger agent. c.c. knight, freight contracting agent. salt lake city, utah-- main st.--j.v. parker, assistant general freight and passenger agent, mountain div. san francisco, cal.-- montgomery st.--w.h. hurlburt, assistant general passenger agent, mo. riv. div. s.w. eccles, general agent freight department. c.l. hanna, traveling passenger agent. h. frodsham, passenger agent. j.f. fugazi, italian emigrant agent, montgomery ave. seattle, wash.--a.c. martin, city ticket agent. o.f. briggs, ticket agent, dock. sioux city, iowa-- fourth st.--d.m. collins, general agent. geo. e. abbot, city ticket agent. spokane falls, wash.-- riverside ave.--perry griffin, passenger and ticket agent. tacoma, wash.-- pacific ave.--e.e. ellis, gen'l agt. f. and p. dep'ts. trinidad, colo.--g.m. jacobs, general agent d., t. & ft. w. r.r. victoria, b.c.-- government st.--g.a. cooper, ticket agent. whatcom, wash.--j.w. alton, gen'l agent freight and pass. dep'ts. j.a.s. reed, general traveling agent, south clark st., chicago. albert woodcock, general land commissioner, omaha, neb. e.l. lomax, general passenger agent, ) omaha, neb. jno. w. scott, ass't general passenger agent, ) * * * * * pullman's palace car company now operates this class of service on the union pacific and connecting lines. double drawing pullman palace car rates between berths room new york and chicago $ . $ . new york and st. louis . . boston and chicago . . chicago and omaha or kansas city . . chicago and denver . . st. louis and kansas city . . st. louis and omaha . . kansas city and cheyenne . . council bluffs, omaha or kansas city and denver . . council bluffs or omaha and cheyenne . . council bluffs, omaha or kansas city and salt lake city . . council bluffs, omaha or kansas city and ogden . . council bluffs, omaha or kansas city and butte . . council bluffs, omaha or kansas city and portland . . c. bluff, omaha or k. city and san francisco or los angeles . . cheyenne and portland . . denver and leadville . ... denver and portland . . denver and los angeles . . denver and san francisco . . pocatello and butte . . for a section, twice the double berth rates will be charged. the private hotel, dining, hunting and sleeping cars of the pullman company will accommodate from to persons, allowing a full bed to each, and are fitted with such modern conveniences as private, observation and smoking rooms, folding beds, reclining chairs, buffets and kitchens. they are "_just the thing_" for tourists, theatrical companies, sportsmen, and private parties. the hunting cars have special conveniences, being provided with dog-kennels, gun-racks, fishing-tackle, etc. these cars can be chartered at following rates per diem (the time being reckoned from date of departure until return of same, unless otherwise arranged with the pullman company): less than ten days. per day. per day. hotel cars $ . private or hunting cars $ . buffet cars . private cars with buffet . sleeping cars . dining cars . ten days or over, $ . per day less than above. hotel, buffet, or sleeping cars can also be chartered for continuous trips without lay-over between points where extra cars are furnished (cars to be given up at destination), as follows: where berth rate is $ . , car rate will be $ . " " " . , " " " " . " " " . , " " " " . for each additional berth rate of cents, car rate will be increased $ . . above rates include service of polite and skillful attendants. the commissariat will also be furnished if desired. such chartered cars must contain not less than persons holding full first-class tickets, and another full fare ticket will be required for each additional passenger over . if chartered "per diem" cars are given up _en route_, chartering party must arrange for return to original starting point free, or pay amount of freight necessary for return thereto. diagrams showing interior of these cars can be had of any agent of the company. pullman dining cars are attached to the council bluffs and denver vestibuled express, daily between council bluffs and denver, and to "the limited fast mail," running daily between council bluffs and portland, ore. meals. all trains, except those specified above (under head of pullman dining cars), stop at regular eating stations, where first-class meals are furnished, under the direct supervision of this company, by the pacific hotel company. neat and tidy lunch counters are also to be found at these stations. buffet service. particular attention is called to the fine buffet service offered by the union pacific system to its patrons. pullman palace buffet sleepers now run on trains nos. , , , and . * * * * * sights and scenes in oregon, washington and alaska. oregon is a word derived from the spanish, and means "wild thyme," the early explorers finding that herb growing there in great profusion. so far as we have any record oregon seems to have been first visited by white men in ; captain cook coasted down its shores in . captain gray, commanding the ship "columbia," of boston, mass., discovered the noble river in , which he named after his ship. astoria was founded in ; immigration was in full tide in ; territorial organization was effected in , and oregon became a state on th february, . it has an area of , square miles, and is miles long by miles wide. there are , , acres of arable and grazing land, and , , acres of forest in the state. the union pacific railway will sell at greatly reduced rates a series of excursion tickets called "columbia tours," using portland as a central point. stop-over privileges will be given within the limitation of the tickets. first columbia tour: portland to "the dalles," by rail, and return by river. second columbia tour: portland to astoria, ilwaco, and clatsop beach, and return by river. third columbia tour: portland to port townsend, seattle, and tacoma by boat and return. fourth columbia tour: portland to alaska and return. fifth columbia tour: portland to san francisco by boat. portland is a very beautiful city of , inhabitants, and situated on the willamette river twelve miles from its junction with the columbia. it is perhaps true of many of the growing cities of the west, that they do not offer the same social advantages as the older cities of the east. but this is principally the case as to what may be called boom cities, where the larger part of the population is of that floating class which follows in the line of temporary growth for the purposes of speculation, and in no sense applies to those centers of trade whose prosperity is based on the solid foundation of legitimate business. as the metropolis of a vast section of country, having broad agricultural valleys filled with improved farms, surrounded by mountains rich in mineral wealth, and boundless forests of as fine timber as the world produces, the cause of portland's growth and prosperity is the trade which it has as the center of collection and distribution of this great wealth of natural resources, and it has attracted, not the boomer and speculator, who find their profits in the wild excitement of the boom, but the merchant, manufacturer, and investor, who seek the surer if slower channels of legitimate business and investment. these have come from the east, most of them within the last few years. they came as seeking a better and wider field to engage in the same occupations they had followed in their eastern homes, and bringing with them all the love of polite life which they had acquired there, have established here a new society, equaling in all respects that which they left behind. here are as fine churches, as complete a system of schools, as fine residences, as great a love of music and art, as can be found at any city of the east of equal size. [illustration: portland, ore. on the union pacific ry.] but while portland may justly claim to be the peer of any city of its size in the united states in all that pertains to social life, in the attractions of beauty of location and surroundings it stands without its peer. the work of art is but the copy of nature. what the residents of other cities see but in the copy, or must travel half the world over to see in the original, the resident of portland has at his very door. the city is situate on gently-sloping ground, with, on the one side, the river, and on the other a range of hills, which, within easy walking distance, rise to an elevation of a thousand feet above the river, affording a most picturesque building site. from the very streets of the thickly settled portion of the city, the cascade mountains, with the snow-capped peaks of hood, adams, st. helens, and rainier, are in plain view. as the hills to the west are ascended the view broadens, until, from the extreme top of some of the higher points, there is, to the east, the valley stretching away to the cascade mountains, with its rivers, the columbia and willamette; in the foreground portland, in the middle distance vancouver, and, bounding the horizon, the cascade mountains, with their snow-clad peaks, and the gorge of the columbia in plain sight, whilst away to the north the course of the columbia may be followed for miles. to the west, from the foot of the hills, the valley of the tualatin stretches away twenty odd miles to the coast range, which alone shuts out the view of the pacific ocean and bounds the horizon on the west. to the glaciers of mt. hood is but little more than a day's travel. the gorge of the columbia, which in many respects equals, and in others surpasses the far-famed yosemite, may be visited in the compass of a day. the upper willamette, within the limits of a few hours' trip, offers beauties equaling the rhine, whilst thirty-six hours gives the lower columbia, beside which the rhine and hudson sink into insignificance. in short, within a few hours' walk of the heart of this busy city are beauties surpassing the white mountains or adirondacks, and the grandeur of the alps lies within the limits of a day's picnicking. there is no better guarantee of the advantageous position of portland than the wealth which has accumulated here in the short period which has elapsed since the city first sprang into existence. theory is all very well, but the actual proof is in the result. at the taking of the census of , portland was the third wealthiest city in the world in proportion to population; since that date wealth has accumulated at an unprecedented rate, and it is probable it is to-day the wealthiest. among all her wealthy men, not one can be singled out who did not make his money here, who did not come here poor to grow rich. portland enjoys superb advantages as a starting-point for tourist travel. after the traveler has enjoyed the numerous attractions of that wealthy city, traversed its beautiful avenues, viewed a strikingly noble landscape from "the heights," and explored those charming environs which extend for miles up and down the willamette, there remains perhaps the most invigorating and healthful trip of all--a journey either by stream, sound, or sea. there must ever remain in the mind of the tourist a peculiarly delightful recollection of a day on the majestic columbia river, the all too short run across that glorious sheet of water, puget sound, or the fifty hours' luxurious voyage on the pacific ocean, from portland to san francisco. beginning first with the columbia river, the traveler will find solid comfort on any one of the boats belonging to the union pacific railway fleet. this river division is separated into three subdivisions: the lower columbia from portland to astoria, the middle columbia from portland to cascade locks, and the upper columbia from the cascades to the dalles. * * * * * the upper columbia. _first tour_.--passengers will remember that, arriving at the dalles, on the union pacific railway, they have the option of proceeding into portland either by rail or river, and their ticket is available for either route. [illustration: a glimpse of mount adams, washington. as seen from the union pacific ry.] the river trip will be found a very pleasant diversion after the long railway ride, and a day's sail down the majestic columbia is a memory-picture which lasts a life-time. it is eighty-eight miles by rail to portland, the train skirting the river bank up to within a few miles of the city. by river, it is forty-five miles to the upper cascades, then a six-mile portage via narrow-gauge railway, then sixty miles by steamer again to portland. the boat leaves the dalles at about in the morning, and reaches portland at in the evening. the accommodations on these boats are first-class in every respect; good table, neat staterooms, and courteous attendants. this tour is planned for those who may wish to start from portland by the union pacific railway. take the evening train from portland to the dalles. arriving at the dalles, walk down to the boat, which lies only a few yards down stream from the station. sleep on board, so that you may be ready early in the morning for the stately panorama of the river. another plan is to give a day to the interesting country in the near vicinity. the dalles proper of the columbia begin at celilo, fourteen miles above this point, and are simply a succession of rapids, until, nearing the dalles station, the stream for two and a half miles narrows down between walls of basaltic rock feet across. in the flood-tides of the spring the water in this chasm has risen feet. the word "dalles" is rather misleading. the word is french, "dalle," and means, variously, "a plate," "a flagstone," "a slab," alluding to the oval or square shaped stones which abound in the river bed and the valley above. but the early french hunters and trappers called a chasm or a defile or gorge, "dalles," meaning in their vernacular "a trough"--and "dalles" it has remained. there is a quaint indian legend connected with the spot which may interest the curious, and it runs something on this wise, clark's fork and the snake river, it will be remembered, unite at ainsworth to form the columbia. it flows furiously for a hundred miles and more westward, and when it reaches the outlying ridges of the cascade chain it finds an immense low surface paved with enormous sheets of basaltic rock. but here is the legend: the legend of the dalles. in the very ancient far-away times the sole and only inhabitants of the world were fiends, and very highly uncivilized fiends at that. the whole northwest was then one of the centres of volcanic action. the craters of the cascades were fire breathers and fountains of liquid flame. it was an extremely fiendish country, and naturally the inhabitants fought like devils. where the great plains of the upper columbia now spread was a vast inland sea, which beat against a rampart of hills to the east of the dalles. and the great weapon of the fiends in warfare was their tails, which were of prodigious size and terrible strength. now, the wisest, strongest, and most subtle fiend of the entire crew was one fiend called the "devil." he was a thoughtful person and viewed with alarm the ever increasing tendency among his neighbors toward fighting and general wickedness. the whole tribe met every summer to have a tournament after their fashion, and at one of these reunions the devil arose and made a pacific speech. he took occasion to enlarge on the evils of constant warfare, and suggested that a general reconciliation take place and that they all live in peace. the astonished fiends could not understand any such unwarlike procedure from _him_, and with one accord, suspecting treachery, made straight at the intended reformer, who, of course, took to his heels. the fiends pressed him hard as he sped over the plains of the dalles, and as he neared the defile he struck a titanic blow with his tail on the pavement--and a chasm opened up through the valley, and down rushed the waters of the inland sea. but a battalion of the fiends still pursued him, and again he smote with his tail and more strongly, and a vaster cleft went up and down the valley, and a more terrific torrent swept along. the leading fiends took the leap, but many fell into the chasm--and still the devil was sorely pursued. he had just time to rap once more and with all the vigor of a despairing tail. and this time he was safe. a third crevice, twice the width of the second, split the rocks, riving a deeper cleft in the mountain that held back the inland sea, making a gorge through the majestic chain of the cascades and opening a way for the torrent oceanward. it was the crack of doom for the fiends. essaying the leap, they fell far short of the edge, where the devil lay panting. down they fell and were swept away by the flood; so the whole race of fiends perished from the face of the earth. but the devil was in sorry case. his tail was unutterably dislocated by his last blow; so, leaping across the chasm he had made, he went home to rear his family thoughtfully. there were no more antagonists; so, perhaps, after all, tails were useless. every year he brought his children to the dalles and told them the terrible history of his escape. and after a time the fires of the cascades burned away; the inland sea was drained and its bed became a fair and habitable land, and still the waters gushed through the narrow crevices roaring seaward. but the devil had one sorrow. all his children born before the catastrophe were crabbed, unregenerate, stiff-tailed fiends. after that event every new-born imp wore a flaccid, invertebrate, despondent tail--the very last insignium of ignobility. so runs the legend of the dalles--a shining lesson to reformers. leaving the dalles in the morning, a splendid panorama begins to unfold on this lordly stream--"achilles of rivers," as winthrop called it. it is difficult to describe the charm of this trip. residents of the east pronounce it superior to the hudson, and travelers assert there is nothing like it in the old world. it is simply delicious to those escaped from the heat and dust of their far-off homes to embark on this noble stream and steam smoothly down past frowning headlands and "rocks with carven imageries," bluffs lined with pine trees, vivid green, past islands and falls, and distant views of snowy peaks. there is no trip like it on the coast, and for a river excursion there is not its equal in the united states. the isle of the dead. twelve miles below "the dalles" there is a lonely, rugged island anchored amid stream. it is bare, save for a white monument which rises from its rocky breast. no living thing, no vestige of verdure, or tree, or shrub, appears. and captain mcnulty, as he stood at the wheel and steadied the "queen," said: "that monument? it's victor trevet's. of course you never heard of him, but he was a great man, all the same, here in oregon in the old times. queer he was, and no mistake. member of one of the early legislatures; sort of a general peacemaker; everybody went to him with their troubles, and when he said a lawsuit didn't go, it didn't, and he always stuck up for the indians, and always called his own kind 'dirty mean whites.' i used to think that was put on, and maybe it was, but anyhow that's the way he used to talk. and a hundred times he has said to me, 'john, when i die, i want to be buried on memaloose isle.' that's the 'isle of the dead,' which we just passed, and has been from times away back the burial place of the chinook indians. it's just full of 'em. and i says to him, 'now, vic., it's fame your after.' 'john,' says he, 'i'll tell you: i'm not indifferent to glory; and there's many a big gun laid away in the cemetery that people forget in a year, and his grave's never visited after a few turns of the wheel; but if i rest on memaloose isle, i'll not be forgotten while people travel this river. and another thing: you know, john, the dirty, mean whites stole the indian's burial ground and built portland there. everyday the papers have an account of mr. bigbug's proposed palace, and how indian bones were turned up in the excavation. i won't be buried alongside any such dirty, mean thieves. and i'll tell you further, john, that it may be if i am laid away among the indians, when the great day comes i can slip in kind of easy. they ain't going to have any such a hard time as the dirty whites will have, and maybe i won't be noticed, and can just slide in quiet along with their crowd.' "and i tell you," said the honest captain, as he swung the "queen" around a sharp headland, and the monument and island vanished, "he has got his wish. he don't lay among the whites, and there isn't a day in summer when the name of vic. trevet ain't mentioned, either on yon train or on a boat, just as i am telling it to you now. when he died in san francisco five years ago, some of his old friends had him brought back to 'the dalles,' and one lovely sunday (being an off day) we buried him on memaloose isle, and then we put up the monument. his earthly immortality is safe and sure, for that stone will stand as long as the island stays. she's eight feet square at the base, built of the native rock right on the island, then three feet of granite, then a ten-foot column. it cost us $ , , and vic. is bricked up in a vault underneath. yes, sir, he's there for sure till resurrection day. queer idea? why, blame it all, if he thought he could get in along with the chinooks it's all right, ain't it? don't want a man to lose any chances, do you?" [illustration: multnomah falls, columbia river, ore. on the union pacific ry.] so much has been said of this mighty river that the preconceived idea of the tourist is of a surging flood of unknown depth rushing like a mountain torrent. the plain facts are that the lower columbia is rather a placid stream, with a sluggish current, and the channel shoals up to eight feet, then falling to twelve, fifteen and seventeen feet, and suddenly dropping to feet of water and over. in the spring months it will rise from twenty-five to forty feet, leaving driftwood high up among the trees on the banks. the tide ebbs and flows at portland from eighteen inches to three feet, according to season, and this tidal influence is felt, in high water, as far up as the cascades. it is fifty miles of glorious beauty from "the dalles" to the cascades. here we leave the steamer and take a narrow-gauge railway for six miles around the magnificent rapids. at the foot of the cascades we board a twin boat, fitted up with equal taste and comfort. the middle columbia. swinging once more down stream we pass hundreds of charming spots, sixty miles of changeful beauty all the way to portland; multnomah falls, a filmy veil of water falling feet into a basin on the hillside and then feet to the river; past the rocky walls of cape horn, towering up a thousand feet; past that curious freak of nature, rooster rock, and the palisades; past fort vancouver, where grant and sheridan were once stationed, and just at sunset leaving the columbia, which by this time has broadened into noble dimensions, we ascend the willamette twelve miles to portland. and the memory of that day's journey down the lordly river will remain a gracious possession for years to come. the legend of the cascades. there is a quaint indian legend concerning the cascades to the effect that away back in the forgotten times there was a natural bridge across the river--the water flowing under one arch. the great spirit had made this bridge very beautiful for his red children; it was firm, solid earth, and covered with trees and grass. the two great giants who sat always glowering at each other from far away (mount adams and mount hood) quarreled terribly once on a time, and the sky grew black with their smoke and the earth trembled with their roaring. and in their rage and fury they began to throw great stones and huge mountain boulders at one another. this great battle lasted for days, and when the smoke and the thunderings had passed away and the sun shone peacefully again, the people came back once more. but there was no bridge there. pieces of rock made small islands above the lost bridge, but below that the river fretted and shouted and plunged over jagged and twisted boulders for miles down the stream, throwing the spray high in air, madly spending its strength in treacherous whirlpools and deep seductive currents--ever after to be wrathful, complaining, dangerous. the stoutest warrior could not live in that terrible torrent. so the beautiful bridge was lost, destroyed in this titan battle, but far down in the water could be seen many of the stately trees which the great spirit caused to remain there as a token of the bridge. these he turned to stone, and they are there even unto this day. the theory of the scientists, of course, runs counter to the pretty legend. science usually does destroy poetry, and they tell us that a part of the mountain slid into the river, thus accounting for the remnant of a forest down in the deep water. moreover, pieces which have been recovered show the wood to be live timber, and not petrified, as the poetic fiction has it. the columbia has not changed in the centuries, but flows in the same channel here as when in the remote ages the lava, overflowing, cut out a course and left its pathway clear for all time. below the lower cascades a sea-coral formation is found, grayish in color and not very pretty, but showing conclusively its sea formation. sandstone is also at times uncovered, showing that this was made by sea deposit before the lava flowed down upon it. this oregon country is said to be the largest lava district in the world. the basaltic formations in the volcanic lands of sicily and italy are famous for their richness, and oregon holds out the same promise for agriculture. the lava formation runs from portland to spokane falls, as far north as tacoma, and south as far as snake river--all basaltic formation overlaid with an incomparably rich soil. [illustration: bridal veil falls, columbia river, ore. on the union pacific ry.] the trip from portland by rail to "the dalles," if the tourist should chance not to arrive in portland by the union pacific line from the east, will be found charming. it is eighty-eight miles distant. multnomah falls is reached in thirty-two miles; bonneville, forty-one miles, at the foot of the cascades; five miles farther is the stupendous government lock now in process of building around the rapids; hood river, sixty-six miles, where tourists leave for the ascent of mount hood. it is about forty miles through a picturesque region to the base of the mountain. then from hood river, an ice-cold stream, twenty-two miles into "the dalles," where the steamer may be taken for the return trip. in this eighty-eight miles from portland to "the dalles" there are twelve miles of trestles and bridges. the railway follows the columbia's brink the entire distance to within a few miles of the city. the scenery is impressively grand; the bluffs, if they may be so called, are bold promontories attaining majestic heights. one timber shute, where the logs come whizzing into the river with the velocity of a cannon-ball, is , feet long, and it is claimed a log makes the trip in twenty seconds. the lower columbia. _second tour_.--while the upper columbia abounds in scenery of wild and picturesque beauty, the tourist must by no means neglect a trip down the lower river from portland to astoria and ilwaco, and return. the facilities now offered by the union pacific in its splendid fleet of steamers render this a delightful excursion. on a clear day, one may enjoy at the junction of the willamette with the columbia a very wonderful sight--five mountain peaks are on view: st. helens, mt. jefferson, mt. adams, mt. hood, and mt. rainier. st. helens, queen of the cascade range, a fair and graceful cone. exquisite mantling snows sweep along her shoulders toward the bristling pines. not far from her base, the columbia crashes through the mountains in a magnificent chasm, and mt. hood, the vigorous prince of the range, rises in a keen pyramid some , feet. small villages and landing-places line the shores, almost too numerous to mention. there are, of the more important, st. johns, st. helens, columbia city, kalama, rainier, westport, cathlamet, knappa, and astoria at the mouth, a busy place of , people. salmon canneries there are without number. it is about miles by the chart from portland to astoria. across the bay is the pretty town of ilwaco. ft. canby and cape disappointment look across to ft. stevens and point adams. from astoria, one may drive eighteen miles to clatsop beach, famous for its clams, crab, and trout, and ben holliday's hotel. but the fullest enjoyment is obtained by making a round trip, including a lay-over at ilwaco all night, and returning to portland next day, and sleeping on board the boat. a railway runs from the town to the outside beach, a mile and a half distant. there is a drive twenty-five miles long up this long beach to shoal water bay, which is beautiful beyond description. this district is the great supply point for oysters, heavy shipments being made as far south as san francisco. sea bathing, both here and at clatsop beach, is very fine. the boats of the union pacific ry. on the columbia leave nothing to be desired. the "t.j. potter," a magnificent side-wheel steamer, made her first trip in july, . she is feet long, feet beam, and feet hold, with a capacity of passengers. the saloon and state-rooms are fitted with every convenience, and handsomely decorated. the "potter" was built entirely in portland, and the citizens naturally take great pride in the superb vessel. in august, , this steamer made the run from her berth at portland to the landing stage at astoria in five hours and thirty-one minutes. then there are two night passenger boats from portland down, the "r.r. thompson" and the "s.g. reed," both stern-wheelers of large size, spacious, roomy boats, well appointed in every particular. the thompson is feet long, feet beam, and , tons measurement. in addition to these, there are two day mail passenger and freight boats; they handle the way traffic; the larger boats above mentioned make the run direct from portland to astoria without any landings. some random notes. a mistaken idea has possessed many tourists that the puget sound steamers start from portland; they leave tacoma for all points on the sound, and tacoma is about miles by rail from portland. one steamer sails every twelfth day from portland to seattle. one steamer per month leaves portland for alaska, but she touches at port townsend before proceeding north. one steamship leaves tacoma for alaska during the season of , about every fifteen days, from june to september. the ocean steamers sail every fourth day from portland to san francisco. there are semi-weekly boats between portland and corvallis, and tri-weekly between portland and salem. on the sound there are three boats each way, daily (except sunday), between tacoma and seattle; one boat each way, daily (except sunday), between tacoma and victoria; one boat each way, daily (except sunday), between seattle and whatcom, and one boat, daily (except sunday), between whatcom and seminahmoo. only one class of tickets is sold on the river and sound boats; on the ocean steamers there are two classes: cabin and steerage. the steerage passengers on the ocean steamers have a dining-room separate from the first-class passengers--on the lower deck--and are given abundance of wholesome food, tea and coffee. on river and sound boats, a ticket does not include meals and berths, but it does on the ocean voyage, or the alaska trip. the usual price for meals is cents, and they will be found uniformly excellent. breakfast, lunch, and a o'clock dinner are served. the price of berths on these boats runs from cents for a single berth to $ per day for the bridal chamber. no liquors of any kind are kept on sale on any river or sound steamer, but a small stock of the best brands will be found on the ocean steamers. state-rooms on the river and sound steamers are provided with one double lower and one single upper berth. passengers can, if they choose, purchase the full accommodation of a state-room. the steerage capacity of each of the three ocean steamers is about . the diagram of the ocean steamers and the night boats to astoria can always be found at the union ticket office of the union pacific railway in portland, corner first and oak streets. tourists receive more than an ordinary amount of attention on these steamers, more than is possible to pay them on a railway train. the pursers will be found polite and obliging, always ready to point out places of interest and render those little attentions which go so far toward making travel pleasant. on river and sound boats, the forward cabin is generally the smoking-room, the cabin amidships is used for a "social hall," and the "after saloon" is always the ladies' cabin. all union pacific steamers in the ocean service are heated with steam and lighted with electricity; all have pianos and a well-selected library. the beds on these boats are well-nigh perfect, woven-wire springs and heavy mattresses. they are kept scrupulously clean--the company is noted for that--and the steerage is as neat as the main saloon. one hundred and fifty pounds of baggage is allowed free on board both boats and trains. boats leaving terminal points at any time between p.m. and a.m., arrange so that passengers can go on board after p.m. and retire to their state-rooms, thus enjoying an unbroken night's rest. sea-sickness is never met with on the sound, and very rarely on the voyage from portland to san francisco. on the pacific, the ship is never out of sight of land, and the sea is as smooth as a mill-pond. the heaviest swell encountered is going over the columbia river bar. the ocean is uniformly placid during the summer months. the trip, with its freedom from the dust, rush, and roar of a train, and the inexorable restraint one always feels on the cars, is a delightful one, and with larger comforts and more luxurious surroundings, one enjoys the added pleasure of courteous and thoughtful service from the various officers of the ship. taking the "columbia" as a sample of the class of steamships in the union pacific fleet, we notice that she is feet long, , horse-power, nearly , tonnage, has state-rooms, and can accommodate saloon and steerage passengers. steam heat and electric light are used. in the first plant from edison's factory was put on board the "columbia," at that time a great curiosity, she being the first ship to use the incandescent light. [illustration: crater lake, ore. reached via the union pacific ry.] crater lake. crater lake is situate in the northwestern portion of klamath county, oregon, and is best reached by leaving the southern pacific railroad at medford, which is miles south of portland, and about ninety miles from the lake, which can be reached by a very good wagon road. the lake is about six miles wide by seven miles long, but it is not its size which is its beauty or its attraction. the surface of the water in the lake is , feet above the level of the sea, and is surrounded by cliffs or walls from , to over , feet in height, and which are scantily covered with timber, and which offer at but one point a way of reaching the water. the depth of the water is very great, and it is very transparent, and of a deep blue color. toward the southwestern portion of the lake is wizard island, feet high, circular in shape, and slightly covered with timber. in the top of this island is a depression, or crater--the witches' caldron-- feet deep, and feet in diameter, which was evidently the last smoking chimney of a once mighty volcano, and which is now covered within, as without, with volcanic rocks. north of this island, and on the west side of the lake, is llao rock, reaching to a height of , feet above the water, and so perpendicular that a stone may be dropped from its summit to the waters at its base, nearly one-half mile below. so far below the surrounding mountains is the surface of the waters in this lake, that the mountain breezes but rarely ripple them; and looking from the surrounding wall, the sky and cliffs are seen mirrored in the glassy surface, and it is with difficulty the eye can distinguish the line where the cliffs leave off and their reflected counterfeits begin. oregon national park. townships , , , , and , in ranges and east of the willamette meridian, are asked to be set apart as the oregon national park. this area contains crater lake and its approaches. the citizens of oregon unanimously petitioned the president for the reservation of this park, and a bill in conformity with the petition passed the united states senate in february, . * * * * * _third tour_.--from portland to port townsend, seattle, and tacoma. washington is miles long by about wide. the first actual settlement by americans was made at tumwater in . prior to this, the country was known only to trappers and fur traders. territorial government was organized in , and washington was admitted as a state, november, . the state is almost inexhaustibly rich in coal and lumber, and has frequently been called the "pennsylvania of the pacific coast." the precious metals are also found in abundance in many districts. the yield of wheat is prodigious. apples, pears, apricots, plums, prunes, peaches, cherries, grapes, and all berries flourish in the greatest profusion. certain it is that there is no other locality where trees bear so early and surely as here, and where the fruit is of greater excellence, and where there are so few drawbacks. at the centennial exposition, washington territory fruit-tables were the wonder of visitors and an attractive feature of the grand display. this territory carried off seventeen prizes in a competitive contest where thirty-three states were represented. it is a pleasant journey of miles through the pine forests from portland to tacoma. any one of the splendid steamers of the union pacific may be taken for a trip to victoria. leaving tacoma in the morning, we sail over that noble sheet of water, puget sound. the hills on either side are darkly green, the sound widening slowly as we go. seattle is reached in three hours, a busy town of , people, full of vim, push, and energy. twenty million dollars' worth of property went up in flame and smoke in seattle's great fire of june , . the ashes were scarcely cold when her enthusiastic citizens began to build anew, better, stronger, and more beautiful than before. a city of brick, stone, and iron has arisen, monumental evidence of the energy, pluck, and perseverance of the people, and of their fervent faith in the future of seattle. then port townsend, with its beautiful harbor and gently sloping bluffs, "the city of destiny," beyond all doubt, of any of the towns on the sound. favored by nature in many ways, townsend has the finest roadstead and the best anchorage ground in these waters, and this must tell in the end, when advantages for sea trade are considered. victoria, b.c., is reached in the evening, and we sleep that night in her majesty's dominions. the next day may be spent very pleasantly in driving and walking about the city, a handsome town of , people. [illustration: cascades, from the oregon shore, columbia river. on the union pacific ry.] a thorough system of macadamized roads radiates from victoria, furnishing about miles of beautiful drives. many of these drives are lined with very handsome suburban residences, surrounded with lawns and parks. esquimalt, near victoria, has a fine harbor. this is the british naval station where several iron-clads are usually stationed. there is also an extensive dry-dock, hewn out of the solid rock, capacious enough to receive large vessels. in the evening after dinner, one can return to the steamer and take possession of a stateroom, for the boat leaves at four in the morning. when breakfast time comes we are well on our return trip, and moving past port townsend again. the majestic straits of fuca, through which we have passed, are well worth a visit; it is a taste of being at sea without any discomfort, for the water is without a ripple. as we steam homeward there is a vision which has been described for all time by a master hand. "one becomes aware of a vast, white shadow in the water. it is a giant mountain dome of snow in the depths of tranquil blue. the smoky haze of an oregon august hid all the length of its lesser ridges and left this mighty summit based upon uplifting dimness. only its splendid snows were visible high in the unearthly regions of clear, noonday sky. kingly and alone stood this majesty without any visible comrade, though far to the north and south there were isolated sovereigns. this regal gem the christians have dubbed mount rainier, but more melodious is its indian name, 'tacoma.'" a legend of tacoma. theodore winthrop, in his own brilliant way, tells a quaint legend of tacoma, as related to him by a frowsy siwash at nisqually. "tamanous," among the native indians of this section, is a vague and half-personified type of the unknown and mysterious forces of nature. there is the one all-pervading tamanous, but there are a thousand emanations, each one a tamanous with a small "t." each indian has his special tamanous, who thus becomes "the guide, philosopher, and friend" of every siwash. the tamanous, or totem, types himself as a salmon, a beaver, an elk, a canoe, a fir-tree, and so on indefinitely. in some of its features this legend resembles strongly the immortal story of rip van winkle; it may prove interesting as a study in folk-lore. "avarice, o, boston tyee!" quoth the siwash, studying me with dusky eyes, "is a mighty passion. know you that our first circulating medium was shells, a small perforated shell not unlike a very opaque quill toothpick, tapering from the middle, and cut square at both ends. we string it in many strands and hang it around the neck of one we love--namely, each man his own neck. and with this we buy what our hearts desire. hiaqua, we call it, and he who has most hiaqua is wisest and best of all the dwellers on the sound. "now, in old times there dwelt here an old man, a mighty hunter and fisherman. and he worshipped hiaqua. and always this old man thought deeply and communed with his wisdom, and while he waited for elk or salmon he took advice within himself from his demon--he talked with tamanous. and always his question was, 'how may i put hiaqua in my purse?' but never had tamanous revealed to him the secret. there loomed tacoma, so white and glittering that it seemed to stare at him very terribly and mockingly, and to know of his shameful avarice, and how it led him to take from starving women their cherished lip and nose jewels of hiaqua, and give them in return tough scraps of dried elk-meat and salmon. his own peculiar tamanous was the elk. one day he was hunting on the sides of tacoma, and in that serene silence his tamanous began to talk to his soul. 'listen!' said tamanous--and then the great secret of untold wealth was revealed to him. he went home and made his preparations, told his old, ill-treated squaw he was going for a long hunt, and started off at eventide. the next night he camped just below the snows of tacoma, but sunrise and he struck the summit together, for there, tamanous had revealed to him, was hiaqua--hiaqua that should make him the greatest and richest of his tribe. he looked down and saw a hollow covered with snow, save at the centre, where a black lake lay deep in a well of purple rock, and at one end of the lake were three large stones or monuments. down into the crater sprang the miser, and the morning sunshine followed him. he found the first stone shaped like a salmon head; the second like a kamas root, and the third, to his great joy, was the carven image of an elk's head. this was his own tamanous, and right joyous was he at the omen, so taking his elk-horn pick he began to dig right sturdily at the foot of the monument. at the sound of the very first blow he made, thirteen gigantic otters came out of the black lake and, sitting in a circle, watched him. and at every thirteenth blow they tapped the ground with their tails in concert the miser heeded them not, but labored lustily for hours. at last, overturning a thin scale of rock, he found a square cavity filled to the brim with hiaqua. "he was a millionaire. "the otters retired to a respectful distance, recognizing him as a favorite of tamanous. "he reveled in the treasure, exulting. deep as he could plunge his arm, there was still more hiaqua below. it was strung upon elk sinews, fifty shells on a string. but he saw the noon was passed, so he prepared to depart. he loaded himself with countless strings of hiaqua, by fifties and hundreds, so that he could scarcely stagger along. not a string did he hang on the tamanous of the elk, or the salmon, or the kamas--not one--but turned eagerly toward his long descent. at once all the otters plunged back into the lake and began to beat the waters with their tails; a thick, black mist began to rise threateningly. terrible are the storms in the mountains--and tamanous was in this one. instantly the fierce whirlwind overtook the miser. he was thrown down and flung over icy banks, but he clung to his precious burden. utter night was around him, and in every crash and thunder of the gale was a growing undertone which he well knew to be the voice of tamanous. floating upon this undertone were sharper tamanous voices, shouting and screaming, always sneeringly, 'ha, ha, hiaqua!--ha, ha, ha!' whenever the miser attempted to continue his descent the whirlwind caught him and tossed him hither and thither, flinging him into a pinching crevice, burying him to the eyes in a snow drift, throwing him on jagged boulders, or lacerating him on sharp lava jaws. but he held fast to his hiaqua. the blackness grew ever deeper and more crowded with perdition; the din more impish, demoniac, and devilish; the laughter more appalling; and the miser more and more exhausted with vain buffeting. he at last thought to propitiate exasperated tamanous, and threw away a string of hiaqua. but the storm was renewed blacker, louder, crueler than before. string by string he parted with his treasure, until at the last, sorely wounded, terrified, and weak, with a despairing cry, he cast from him the last vestige of wealth, and sank down insensible. [illustration: rooster rock, columbia river, ore. on the union pacific ry.] "it seemed a long slumber to him, but at last he woke. he was upon the very spot whence he started at morning. he felt hungry, and made a hearty breakfast of the chestnut-like bulbs of the kamas root, and took a smoke. reflecting on the events of yesterday, he became aware of an odd change in his condition. he was not bruised and wounded, as he expected, but very stiff only, and his joints creaked like the creak of a lazy paddle on the rim of a canoe. his hair was matted and reached a yard down his back. 'tamanous,' thought the old man. but chiefly he was conscious of a mental change. he was calm and content. hiaqua and wealth seemed to have lost their charm for him. tacoma, shining like gold and silver and precious stones of gayest lustre, seemed a benign comrade and friend. all the outer world was cheerful, and he thought he had never wakened to a fresher morning. he rose and started on his downward way, but the woods seemed strangely transformed since yesterday; just before sunset he came to the prairie where his lodge used to be; he saw an old squaw near the door crooning a song; she was decked with many strings of hiaqua and costly beads. it was his wife; and she told him he had been gone many, many years--she could not tell how many; that she had remained faithful and constant to him, and distracted her mind from the bitterness of sorrow by trading in kamas and magic herbs, and had thus acquired a genteel competence. but little cared the sage for such things; he, was rejoiced to be at home and at peace, and near his own early gains of hiaqua and treasure buried in a place of security. he imparted whatever he possessed--material treasures or stores of wisdom and experience--freely to all the land. every dweller came to him for advice how to spear the salmon, chase the elk, or propitiate tamanous. he became the great medicine man of the siwashes and a benefactor to his tribe and race. within a year after he came down from his long nap on the side of tacoma, a child, my father, was born to him. the sage lived many years, revered and beloved, and on his death-bed told this history to my father as a lesson and a warning. my father dying, told it to me. but i, alas! have no son; i grow old, and lest this wisdom perish from the earth, and tamanous be again obliged to interpose against avarice, i tell the tale to thee, o boston tyee. mayst thou and thy nation not disdain this lesson of an earlier age, but profit by it and be wise!" so far the siwash recounted his legend without the palisades of fort nisqually, and motioning, in expressive pantomime, at the close, that he was dry with big talk and would gladly "wet his whistle." the town of tacoma contains about , inhabitants, and is in a highly prosperous condition. from here one may start on the grand alaskan tour, winding up through all the wonders of sound and strait, bay and ocean, to the far north summerland--a trip of most entrancing interest. the return from tacoma to portland may be made by either rail or boat. so much has already been said in preceding pages about puget sound that it would seem the subject might be somewhat overdone. but it still remains to be said that justice can never be done to the scenic glories of this beautiful inland sea. the views from different points, and from almost every point on the sound, are of sublime grandeur. on the east are the cascade mountains, ranging from , to , feet in height, mount rainier for tacoma, (as it is also called) being of the latter altitude, and only third in height of the mountains of the united states. on the west are the olympic mountains, the highest peaks of which reach up to , feet. both ranges, brilliantly snow-crowned, are within view at the same time from various points, and the scenery in its entirety, with its continual changefulness and features of sublimity, can not be excelled. strangers and travelers who have visited every part of the world never leave the deck of the steamers while going through the waters of the sound country. in noting a single feature, mount rainier, senator george f. edmunds wrote as follows: "i have been through the swiss mountains, and am compelled to own that there is no comparison between the finest effects exhibited there and what is seen in approaching this grand and isolated mountain. i would be willing to go miles again to see that scene. the continent is yet in ignorance of what will be one of the grandest show places, as well as sanitariums. if switzerland is rightly called the play-ground of europe, i am satisfied that around the base of mt. rainier will become a prominent place of resort, not for america only, but for the world besides, with thousands of sites for building purposes that are nowhere excelled for the grandeur of the view that can be obtained from them, with topographical features that would make the most perfect system of drainage both possible and easy, and with a most agreeable and health-giving climate." a more enthusiastic writer says: "puget sound scenery is the grandest scenery in the world. one has here in combination the sublimity of switzerland, the picturesqueness of the rhine, the rugged beauty of norway, the breezy variety of the thousand islands of the st. lawrence, or the hebrides of the north sea, the soft, rich-toned skies of italy, the pastoral landscape of england, with velvet meadows and magnificent groves, massed with floral bloom, and the blending tints and bold color of the new england indian summer. features with which nothing within the vision of another city can be placed in comparison are the olympic range of mountains in front of seattle, and the sublime snow peaks of the rainier, baker, adams, and st. helens, with their glaciers and robes of eternal white, and the great falls of the snoqualmie, feet high, near by." [illustration: mount st. helens, washington, from near mouth of the willamette river. reached via the union pacific ry.] the geography and topography of this sheet are alone a wonder and a study. glance upon the map. the elements of earth and water seem to have struggled for dominion one over the other. the strait of juan de fuca and the gulf of georgia to the south narrow into admiralty inlet; the inlet penetrates the very heart of the territory, cutting the land into most grotesque shapes, circling and twisting into a hundred minor inlets, into which flow a hundred rivers, fed in their turn by myriads of smaller creeks and bayous--a veritable network of lakes, streams, peninsulas, and islands which, with the mountain ranges backing the landscapes on either hand, can not fail to be picturesque in the extreme. here on the placid bosom of this inland sea, the pleasure seeker can enjoy all the delights and exhilarating influences of ocean travel without its inconveniences. no sea sickness, no proneness to reflect on "to be or not to be," but, amid the bracing breezes, the steady, easy glide of the commodious steamer over pleasant waters, takes him through scenes as fair as the poet's brightest dreams. this "mediterranean of the pacific" throughout its length and breadth is adorned with heavily-wooded and fantastically-formed islands. the giant firs are the tallest and straightest in the world. here the "great eastern" came for her masts, and here thousands of ships obtain their spars yearly. to repeat, the scenery is indeed something unsurpassed. a ride over these placid waters, in and out, around rocky headlands, among woody mountains, along beautiful beaches and graceful tongues of velvety meadows--all 'neath the shadows of towering, snow-clad peaks, is a delight worth days of travel to experience. it enraptures the artist and enthuses even ordinarily prosy folks. there is no single feature wanting to make of such places as tacoma, seattle, and port townsend, the most delightful and agreeable watering places in the world. surrounded by magnificent and picturesque scenery, with beautiful drives and lovely bays for yachting purposes, with splendid fishing and sport of every description to be had, with a climate that would charm a misanthrope, why should they not become the favorite resorts on the great west coast? these facts led to the building of the magnificent hotel tacoma, at a cost of a quarter of a million dollars. other such caravansaries will follow, and in time puget sound will be famous the world over for its incomparable attractions for the health and pleasure seeker. the average traveler has but a faint idea of the wonderful resources of this grand empire. puget sound has about , miles of shore line, and all along this long stretch is one vast and almost unbroken forest of enormous trees. the forests are so vast that, although the saw-mills have been ripping , , feet of lumber out of them every year for the past ten years, the spaces made by these inroads seem no more than garden patches. an official estimate places the amount of standing timber in that area at , , , feet, or a thousand years' supply, even at the enormous rate the timber is now being felled and sawed. in the vicinity of olympia, the capital of washington, are a number of popular resorts for sportsmen and campers--beautiful lakes filled with voracious trout, and streams alive with the speckled mountain beauties. the forests abound in bear and deer, while grouse, pheasants, quail, and water-fowl afford fine sport to the hunter of small game. the new empire of eastern washington. the recent extensions of the union pacific system have aided in the most important way the development of the richest and most fertile lands of eastern washington. the great plains of the upper columbia, stretching from the river away to the far north, are incomparably rich, the soil of great depth and wondrous fertility, rainless harvests, and a luxuriance of farm and garden produce which is almost tropical in its wealth. this favored region has been for years known as the palouse country, and is reached from portland via pendleton, on the main line of the union pacific ry. from pendleton to spokane falls on the north the soil is rich beyond belief; a black, loamy deposit so deep that it seems well-nigh inexhaustible. this heavy soil predominates in the valleys, and while the uplands are not so rich, still immense crops of wheat are raised. for hundreds of miles on this new division of the union pacific the country is a perfect garden land of wheat and fruit, and these farms are often of mammoth proportions. here are , , acres of land possessing all the requirements and advantages of climate and soil for the making of one vast wheat-field. the enormous yield of , , bushels of wheat has been harvested in one valley. the authentic figures of the crop yield in this splendid country seem almost incredible. fifty thousand bushels of wheat have been raised on , acres of land. as low as bushels and as high as - / bushels of wheat to the acre have been harvested in this section. the average covered seems to be from to bushels per acre, and no fertilizers of any sort being required. the berry in its full maturity is very solid, weighing from to pounds per bushel, this being from five to nine pounds over standard weight. while wheat is the staple product, oats are also grown, the yield being very heavy. rye, barley, and flax are also successfully cultivated. clover, bunch-grass, and alfalfa grow finely. in the growing of fruits and vegetables this grand empire of eastern washington is quite unsurpassed. at one of the recent agricultural fairs a farmer exhibited varieties of fruits, vegetables, and cereals. these included the best qualities of yellow nansemond sweet potatoes, mammoth melons of all varieties, eggplant, sorghum and syrup cane, broom-corn, tobacco, grapes, cotton, peanuts, and many other things, some of which do not attain to so high a degree of excellence elsewhere farther north than the carolinas. peaches, apples, and prunes of superior quality delighted the eye. peaches had been marketed continuously, from, the same orchards, from the th of july to the th of october. there were hanging in the pavilion diplomas awarded at the new orleans exposition to citizens in this valley for exhibits of the best qualities and greatest varieties of corn, wheat, oats, barley, and hops. the advantage to the farmer of rainless harvesting months is obvious. the wheat is all harvested by headers, leaving the straw on the ground for its enrichment. thus binding, hauling, and sacking are largely dispensed with. the grain, when threshed, is piled on the ground in jute sacks, saving the expense of granaries and hauling to and from them. these jute sacks cost for each bushel of grain about cents, which is far less than farmers elsewhere are subjected to in hauling their grain to and from granaries and through a system of elevators until it reaches shipboard. here, as well as in western washington, most vegetables grow to an enormous size, and are of superior quality when compared with the same varieties grown in the east. those kinds that require much heat, as melons, tobacco, peppers, egg-plants, etc., grow to great perfection. the root crops--beets, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, turnips, etc.--yield prodigiously on the fertile bottom-land soils, without much care besides ordinary cultivation. the table beet soon gets too large for the dinner-pot. it is nothing unusual for a garden beet to weigh ten pounds, and they often grow to eighteen or twenty pounds' weight. mangel wurzel, the stock beet, sometimes grows to forty and fifty pounds' weight, if given room and proper cultivation. they may easily be made to produce twenty-five tons per acre on good soil. all other vegetables, such as parsnips, carrots, peas, beans, tomatoes, onions, cabbages, celery, and cauliflower, are perfectly at home on every farm of eastern washington. market gardening is becoming quite an important pursuit, and holds out particularly high inducements to the farmer, because of the superb market now afforded by the non-producing mineral and timber regions, easily accessible in this and adjacent territories. there are over , square miles of arable land in this magnificent region, and there has never been a crop failure since its settlement. outside of government lands prices range at from $ to $ per acre for unimproved, and from $ to $ for improved lands. [illustration: horse tail falls, ore. on the union pacific ry.] along the line of union pacific in this grand new empire will be found many energetic, thriving young towns, all possessing those social and educational facilities which are now a part of every western village. pendleton, on the main line, is a wide-awake, bustling young city, situated in a fine agricultural district. walla walla, athena, weston, waitsburg, dayton, pullman, garfield, latah, tekoa, colfax, moscow, farmington, and rockford are all thriving towns, and are already good distributing centers. the last-named town enjoys the advantage of being in the center of a fine lumber district, and within a circuit of five miles from rockford there are ten saw-mills, besides an inexhaustible supply of mica. crossing the border into idaho, rich silver and lead mines are found along the coeur d'alene river. rockford is twenty-four miles from spokane falls, and has about , population; its elevation is , feet. four miles distant is the boundary of the coeur d'alene reservation, a lovely tract, thirty by seventy miles in extent, embracing beautiful coeur d'alene lake and the three rivers, st. joseph, st. marys, and coeur d'alene, which empty into it. there about indians on this reservation, and they enjoy the proud distinction of being the only tribe who refuse government aid. they have been offered the usual rations, but preferred to remain independent. they live in houses, farm quite extensively, and use all kinds of improved farm machinery; many of them are quite wealthy. the lake is one of the prettiest sheets of water on the continent; its waters are full of salmon, and in the heavy pine woods are many varieties of game, from quail to grizzly bear and elk. the town of rockford will in the near future assume importance as a tourist point, both from its own healthy and picturesque location, and its nearness to coeur d'alene lake. a government commission is now at work on a settlement with the indians, whereby the whole or a part of this noble domain will be thrown open to the public. the peculiar attractions of coeur d'alene must in a short time render it a much sought for resort. spokane falls is one of those miracles possible only in the alert, aggressive west. when mr. hayes was inaugurated it was a blank wilderness. not a single civilized being lived within a hundred miles of it. one day in a white man came along in a "bull team," saw the wild rapids and the mighty falls of the spokane river, reflected on the history of st. paul and minneapolis with their little falls of st. anthony, looked at the tide of immigration just turning toward the farther northwest, and concluded he would sit right down where he was and wait for a city to grow around him. this far-sighted pioneer is still living within earshot of those rumbling falls, and they make a cheerful music for him. the city is there with him, , people, and he can draw a check to-day good for $ , , . for several years his eyes fell on nothing but gravel-beds and foamy waters. now, as he looks around, he sees mills and factories, railroad lines to the north, south, east, and west, churches, theatres, school-houses, costly dwellings and stores, paved streets, and all that makes living easy and comfortable. the greater part of this has come within his vision since . but even then there was quite a village. after this pioneer had spent a lonely year or two on his homestead, two other men came along. they were friends, who, upon an outing, had chanced to meet. they were captivated by the waterfall, and by what the pioneer told them of the fine fanning lands in the adjacent country, and they offered each to take a third of his holding. then they began to advertise, and to place adventurous farmers on homestead claims. they were wise in their day and generation, and they worked harder to fill the country with grain-producers than to sell real estate around the falls. they soon had their reward. the merchants were quickly provided with store-houses, rental values were kept low, every inducement was offered that could possibly stimulate building activity, and in three years the farming country was made to perceive that spokane was its natural point of entry and of shipment. the turbulent waters of the spokane river, a clear and beautiful mountain stream, were caught above the falls, and directed wherever the factories and mills that had been established above them required their services. four large flouring-mills quickly took advantage of the rich opportunity growing out of this unique situation. from two enormous agricultural areas they are enabled to draw their supplies of grain, flour, therefore, being manufactured for the farmers more cheaply at spokane: than anywhere else. this circumstance alone exercised a large influence in giving the new town a hold upon the country districts. these constitute more than a region--they are really a grand division of the state, and form what is known as the great plain of the columbia river. the coeur d'alene mines have reached a high and profitable state of development. these mines extend over a comparatively limited area. they are close together, and their ores, producing gold, silver, and lead, are all similar. their output for the last three years has been quite remarkable, and has placed the coeur d'alene district among the foremost lead-producing regions in the country. gold, associated with iron, and treated by the free-milling process, is largely found in the northern part of the district, but the greatest amount of tonnage is derived from the southern country, where the galena silver mines, a dozen or more in number, have been discovered. that minerals in large quantity existed in this country has been known for years. but the want of railroad facilities for a long while prevented any serious effort to get at them. the matter of transportation is now laid at rest, and within the last three years $ , , has been spent in development. the returns have already more than justified the investment. tributary to spokane, and reached by the various railroads now in operation, are five other mining districts, at colville, okanagan, kootenai, metaline, and pend d'oreille. they are in various stages of development, but their wealth and availability have been clearly ascertained. spokane's population, in a degree greater than that of most all these new cities, consists of young men and young women from the new england and middle states. they have enjoyed a remarkable and wholly uninterrupted period of prosperity. some of them have grown quickly and immensely rich from real estate operations, but the great majority have yet to realize on their investments because of the large sacrifices they have made in building up the city. they are to-day in an admirable position. as they have made money they have spent it; spent it in street railroads, in the laying out of drives, in the building of comfortable houses, in the establishment of electrical plants, and in a large number of local improvements, every one of which has borne its part in making the city attractive. wonderful vitality. it has been well said of spokane falls, that "it was another fire-devastated city that did not seem to know it was hurt." if washington can stand the loss of millions of dollars in its four great fires of the year, at cheney, ellensburg, seattle, and spokane, it is the strongest evidence that its recuperative powers have solid backing. it does seem to stand the loss, and actually thrive under it. the great fire at spokane falls on the th of august, , burned most of the business portion of the city. four hundred and fifty houses of brick, stone, and wood were destroyed, entailing a loss, according to the computation of the local agent of r.g. dun & co., of about $ , , . the insurance in the burned district amounted to $ , , . no people were ever in better condition to meet disaster, and none ever met it with braver hearts or with quicker and more resolute determination to survive the blow. the city was in the midst of a period of marvelous prosperity. its population was increasing rapidly, many fine buildings were in process of construction, its trade was extending over a vast region of country which was being penetrated by new railroads centering within its limits, and there were flowing to it the rich fruits of half a dozen prosperous mining districts. [illustration: oneonta gorge, columbia river, ore. on the union pacific ry.] its working people were all employed at good wages, and money was abundant with all classes. hardly had the sun of the day following the fire risen upon the scene of smoking desolation, when preparations began for rebuilding. it was felt at once that the city would be rebuilt more substantially and more handsomely than before. the rebuilding of spokane commenced on a very extensive scale; the city will be entirely restored within twelve months, and far more attractively than ever before. the class of buildings erected are of a very superior character. the new opera house has been modeled after the broadway theatre, new york; the new hotel spokane, a structure creditable not only to the city, but to the entire pacific northwest; five national bank buildings, at a cost of $ , each; upon the burned district have arisen buildings solid in substance, and beautiful architecturally, varying from five to seven stories in height, and costing all the way from $ , to $ , . this sturdy young giant of the north arises from her ashes stronger, more attractive, more substantial, than before. and there is abundant reason for solid faith in the future of spokane falls. it is the metropolis of a region , square miles in extent, including , square miles of washington, or all that portion east of the cascade mountains, more than half of idaho, the northern and eastern portions of oregon, a large part of montana, and as much of british columbia as would make a state as large as new york. it is the distributing point for the coeur d'alene, the colville, the kootenai, and the okanagan mining districts, all of which are in a prosperous condition, and all of which are yielding rich and growing tributes of trade. it has adjacent to it the finest wheat-growing country in the world, producing from to bushels per acre. it has adjacent to it a country equally rich in the production of fruits and vegetables. it has adjacent to it the finest meadow lands between the cascade and rocky mountains. it has adjacent to it extensive grazing lands, on which are hundreds of thousands of cattle, sheep, and horses. it has, adjacent to it, on lakes pend d'oreille and coeur d'alene, inexhaustible quantities of white pine, yellow pine, cedar and tamarack, the manufacturing of which into lumber is one of the important industries of the city, and a source of great future income. it has a power in the falls of the spokane river second to none in the united states, and capable of supplying construction room and power for different mills and manufactories. the entire electric lighting plant of the city, the cable railway system, the electric railway system, the machinery for the city water works, and all the mills and factories of the city--the amount of wheat which was last year ground into flour exceeding , tons--are now operated by the power from the falls. one company alone, the washington water power company, having a capital of $ , , , is now spending upward of $ , in the construction of flumes and other improvements for the accommodation of new mills and factories. most fortunately for the city, all the milling properties and improvements on the falls and along the river were saved from the fire. the city has a water-works system which cost nearly half a million dollars, and which is capable of supplying , , gallons daily, or as much as the supply of minneapolis when it had a population of , , or as much as the present supply of denver with a population of , , and more than the city of portland, oregon, with a population of , . a bird's-eye view of spokane falls. it requires no very profound knowledge of western geography, no very lengthy study of the state of washington, to enable anyone to understand without difficulty some of the minor reasons why spokane falls should become a great and important city, the metropolis of a vast surrounding country. a glance at the map will show the mountain range that extends up through the idaho panhandle, and then along the british columbia frontier, to the east and north of the city. these mountains are incalculably rich in ores of all kinds, and would amply suffice to make a denver of spokane falls, even if she had no other natural resources to draw from. the spokane river is the outlet of lake coeur d'alene, a sheet of water sixty miles by six, which is fed by the st. joseph, st. mary and coeur d'alene rivers, and which flows through a vast plain until it empties its waters into the columbia, the mississippi of the pacific coast. from its point of junction with the spokane, the columbia makes a big bend in its course until the snake river is reached, when it turns once more westward, and flows on to empty into the pacific ocean. south of the city, stretching westward for some distance from the mountains, and extending in a southerly direction to the clearwater and snake rivers, is a vast country comprising millions of acres, through which the palouse river and its tributary streams meander, and which is known as the palouse valley, a country of unlimited agricultural resources. in the center of all this immense territory is located spokane falls, like the hub in the center of a wheel. the word immense is not used unwittingly, for the mountains and plains and valleys make up a country that in europe would be called a nation, and in new england would form a state. only a far-off corner of the union, it may seem to some readers, yet there are powerful empires which possess less natural resources than it can call its own. the city itself lies on both sides of the spokane river, at the point where that stream, separated by rocky islands into five separate channels, rushes onward and downward, at first being merely a series of rapids, and then tumbling over the rocks in a number of beautiful and useful waterfalls, until the several streams unite once again for a final plunge of sixty feet, making a fall of feet in the distance of half a mile. this waterfall, with its immense power, would alone make a city; engineers have estimated its force at , horse-power, and it is so distributed that it can be easily utilized. [illustration: a fish wheel, columbia river. on the union pacific ry.] * * * * * _fourth tour_.--to alaska. the native islanders called the mainland "al-ay-ek-sa," which signifies "great country," and the word has been corrupted into "alaska." this immense empire, it will be remembered, was sold by russia to the united states october , , for $ , , . the country was discovered by vitus behring in . alaska has an area of , square miles, and is nearly one-fifth as large as all the other states and territories combined. it is larger than twelve states the size of new york. the best time to visit alaska is from may to september. the latter month is usually lovely, and the sea beautifully smooth, but the days begin to grow short. the trip occupies about twenty-five days. as the rainfall in alaska is usually very large, it naturally follows that an umbrella is a convenient companion. a gossamer for a lady and a mackintosh for a gentleman, and heavy shoes, and coarse, warm and comfortable clothing for both should be provided. there are no "palace" hotels in alaska. one will have no desire to remain over there a trip. the tourist goes necessarily when and where the steamer goes, will have an opportunity to see all there is of note or worth seeing in southeastern alaska. the steamer sometimes goes north as far as chilcat, say up to about the th degree of north latitude. the pleasure is not so much in the stopping as in the going. one is constantly passing through new channels, past new islands, opening up new points of interest, until finally a surfeit of the grand and magnificent in nature is reached. a correspondent of a western journal signing himself "emerald" has written a description of this alaskan tour in september, . it is so charmingly done, so fresh, so vivid, and so full of interesting detail, that it is given herewith entire: on steamship "george w. elder," puget sound, september, . we have all thought we were fairly appreciative of the wealth and wonders of uncle sam's domain. at niagara we have gloried in the belief that all the cataracts of other lands were tame; but we changed our mind when we stood on the brink of great shoshone falls. in yellowstone the proudest thought was that all the world's other similar wonders were commonplace; and at yosemite's inspiration point the unspeakable thrill of awe and delight was richly heightened by the grand idea that there was no such majesty or glory beyond either sea. but after all this, we now know that it yet remains for the alaskan trip to rightly round out one's appreciation and admiration of the size and grandeur of our native land. some of our most delighted _voyageurs_ are from portland, maine. when they had journeyed some , miles to omaha they imagined themselves at least half way across our continent. then, when they had finished that magnificent stretch of some , miles more from omaha to portland, oregon, in the palace cars of the union pacific, they were quite sure of it. of course, they confessed a sense of mingled disappointment and eager anticipation when they learned that they were yet less than half way. they learned what is a fact--that the extreme west coast of alaska is as far west of sitka as portland, maine, is east of portland, oregon, and the further fact that san francisco lacks , mile's of being as far west as uncle sam's "land's end," at extreme western alaska. it is a great country; great enough to contain one river--the yukon--about as large as the mississippi, and a coast line about twice as long as all the balance of the united states. it is twelve times as large as the state of new york, with resources that astonish every visitor, and a climate not altogether bad, as some would have it. the greatest trouble is that during the eighteen years it has been linked to our chain of territories it has been treated like a discarded offspring or outcast, cared for more by others than its lawful protector. but, like many a refugee, it is carving for itself a place which others will yet envy. but, to our trip. there are seven in our party, mainly from chicago. after a week of delightful mountaineering at idaho springs, in platte cañon, and other union pacific resorts in colorado, we indulged in that delicious plunge at garfield beach, salt lake, and, en route to portland over the union pacific ry., quaffed that all but nectar at soda springs, idaho, and dropped off a day to take a peep, at shoshone falls, which, in all seriousness, have attractions of which even our great niagara can not boast. we found that glorious dash down through the palisades of the columbia, and the sail, through the entrancing waterways of puget sound, a fitting prelude to our recent alaskan journey. the alaskan voyage is like a continuous dream of pleasure, so placid and quiet are the waters of the landlocked sea and so exquisitely beautiful the environment. the route keeps along the east shore of vancouver island its entire length, through the gulf of georgia, johnstone strait, and out into queen charlotte sound, where is felt the first swell of old ocean, and our staunch steamship "elder" was rocked in its cradle for about four hours. oftentimes we seemed to be bound by mountains on every side, with no hope of escape; but the faithful deck officer on watch would give his orders in clear, full tones that brought the bow to some passage leading to the great beyond. in narrow straits the steamer had to wait for the tide; then would she weave in and out, like a shuttle in a loom, among the buoys, leaving the black ones on the left and the red ones on the right, and ever and anon they would be in a straight line, with the wicked boulder-heads visible beneath the surface or lifting their savage points above, compelling almost a square corner to be turned in order to avoid them. at such times the passengers were all on deck, listening to the captain's commands, and watching the boat obey his bidding. from victoria to tongas narrows the distance is miles, and here was the first stop for the tourists. the event here was going ashore in rowboats, and in the rain, only to see a few dirty indians--a foresight of what was to follow--and a salmon-packing house not yet in working order. from tongas narrows to fort wrangel, thousands of islands fill the water, while the mainland is on the right and prince of wales island on the extreme left. fort wrangel. like all alaska towns, it is situated at the base of lofty peaks along the water's edge at the head of moderately pretty harbors. it seems to be the generic home of storms, and the mountains, the rocks, the buildings, and trees, and all, show the weird workings of nature's wrath. in it was a thriving town where miners outfitted for the mines of the stikeen river and cassian mines of british columbia; but that excitement has temporarily subsided, and the $ , government buildings are falling in decay. the streets are filled with debris, and everything betokens the ravages of time. the largest and most grotesque totem poles seen on the trip here towered a height of fifty feet. those poles represent a history of the family and the ancestry as far as they can trace it. if they are of the wolf tribe a huge wolf is carved at the top of the pole, and then on down with various signs to the base, the great events of the family and the intermarriages, not forgetting to give place to the good and bad gods who assisted them. the genealogy of a tribe is always traced back through the mother's side. the totem poles are sometimes very large, perhaps four feet at the base. when the carving is completed they are planted firmly in front of the hut, there to stay until they fall away. at the lower end, some four feet from the ground, there is an opening into the already hollowed pole, and in this are put the bones of the burned bodies of the family. it is only the wealthier families who support a totem pole, and no amount of money can induce an indian to part with his family tree. [illustration: sitka harbor, alaska. reached via the union pacific ry.] the graves of those not having totems are found in clusters, or scattered on the mountain sides, or anywhere convenience dictates. the bones are put in a box with all the belongings of the deceased, and then deposited anywhere. the natives are exceedingly superstitious and jealous in their care of the dead, and would sooner die than molest or steal from a grave. that tourists who are supposed to be civilized, refined, and christianized should steal from them is a crime which should never be tolerated, as it was among the passengers of our steamer. the natives have a belief that all bodies cremated turn into ravens, and that probably accounts to them for the endless number of those birds in alaska. ravens are sacred birds to them, and are never molested in anyway. there are other methods of disposing of the dead in different parts of alaska. the bones are sometimes put in a canoe and raised high in the air on straddles; again, in trees above the reach of prowling animals, or set adrift in a discarded canoe. juneau--the treadwell mine. after leaving wrangel the steamer anchored off salmon bay to lighter eighty tons of salt for fishermen, then on to juneau and douglas islands. here was the same general appearance of location, the gigantic background of densely wooded mountains, the tide-washed streets, on broken slopes, the dirty native women with their wares for sale, with prices advanced per cent, since the steamer whistled, and behind them their stern male companions, goading them on to make their sales, and stealthily kicking them in their crouched positions if they came down on their prices to an eager but economical tourist. juneau is the only town of any importance on the mainland. it has arisen to that dignity through the quality of its mines, and it is now the mining centre of alaska. here we found edward i. parsons, of san francisco, erecting an endless-rope tramway for conducting ores to a ten-stamp mill now under construction. mr. parsons has had large experience in this line, and his tales of "tramway life" in mexico are intensely thrilling and full of interest. it is to be hoped that the good people of juneau will see to it that he does not have to eat the native dishes, as he did in the land of the greasers. the festive dog is all right in his place, but rather revolting to an epicure. the famous treadwell gold mine lies across the bay, on douglas island. it is noted, not so much for its richness per ton, but for its vast extent. the -stamp mill makes such a deafening noise that there is no fear that the curious minded will cause employés to waste any time answering questions, for nothing can be heard but the rise and fall of the great crushers and the crunching of the ores. the ore is so plentiful that an addition of stamps is being added to the present capacity. the hole blasted by the miners looks like the crater of a huge volcano without the circling top, and sloping down to an apex from which is the tunnel to the mill. the treadwell yields about $ , per month, and will double that when the mill is completed. there are many pleasant homes in juneau, and some of its society people are charming indeed. the business houses carry some large stocks of goods, and outfitting for the interior mines in the yukon country is all done at this place. there are two weekly papers, one the _mining record_, an eight-page, bright, newsy paper which deserves a liberal support. one of the most novel and grotesque features of the entire trip was a dance given by the indians at a "potlatch," a term applied to any assemblage of good cheer, although in its primary sense it means a gift. a potlatch is given at the outset, or during the progress of some important event, such as the building of a new house, confirming of a sub-chief, or celebrating any good fortune, either of peace or war. in this instance, a sub-chief was building a new house, and the frame work was inclosed in rough boards with no floor laid. there is never but one entrance to an indian hut. this is in front, and elevated several feet from the ground, so that you must go down from the door-sill inside as well as out. no windows were yet in the building, and it was really in a crude state. these grand festivities last five days, and this was the second day of merry-making. there are two tribes at juneau, located at each extreme of the town. the water was black with canoes coming to the feast and dance, bringing gifts to the tyhee, who, in return, gives them gifts according to their wealth, and a feast of boiled rice and raisins and dog-meat. the richest men of the tribe dressed, in the rear of the building, in the wildest and most fantastic garbs, some in skins of wild animals. there was a full panoply of blankets, feathers, guns, swords, knives, and, as a last resort, an old broom was covered with a scarlet case. jingling pendant horns added to their usual order, and the savage faces were painted with red and black in hideous lines. anything their minds could shape was rigged for a head-dress, and finally, when all was ready, they ran with fiendish yells toward the beach, some twenty yards, and there behind a canvas facing the water they began their strange dance. only one squaw was with them, and she was the wife of the tyhee (chief) giving the feast. the medicine man had a large bird with white breast, called the loon. while dancing he picked the white feathers and scattered them on the heads of the others. the other squaws were sitting on the ground in long rows in front of the canoes reaching to the water's edge, about feet below. their music was a wild shout or croon by all the tribe, and the dancing is a movement in any irregular way, or a swaying motion given to the time given by the voices, and they only advanced a few inches in an hour's time. the tribe approaching in canoes had their representative men dressed in the same styles, only gayer, if possible. when the canoes glided onto the beach, four abreast, it was the signal to drop the canvas hiding the host and party, and advance a little distance to meet them. then they broke ranks and made way for the visitors to approach the house with their gifts of blankets or other valuables for the tyhee. most of the indians convert their riches into blankets. these nations, seen by the tourist in an ordinary trip to alaska, seem very much the same in all points visited. none of them are poor, all have some money, and many have wealth counted by thousands. to be sure, some of them are in a measure christianized, but the odors arising from the homes of the best of them are such as a civilized nose never scented before. rancid grease, dried fish, pelts, decaying animals, and human filth made the strongest perfume known to the commercial or social world. [illustration: granville channel, alaska. reached via the union pacific ry.] the squaws, if they were in mourning or in love, would have their faces painted black with oil and tar. then again, a great many wear a wooden or ivory pin thrust through the lip just below the fleshy part. it is worn for ornament, the same as ear-rings or nose-rings, and is called a labret. the missionary work done among them is a commendable one, but it seems a hopeless task. their houses are always built with one object in view, to be able to tie the canoe to the front door. a long row of huts just above high-tide line can always be safely called a rancherie in that country. their food is brought by the tide to their very doors, and the timbered mountains abound in wild game, and offer ample fuel for the cutting. chilcot, or pyramid harbor, is about twelve hours run from juneau, and it is here the famous chilcot blanket is made from the goat's wool, woven by hand, and dyed by native dyes, and worked from grotesque patterns. here, also, are two of the largest salmon canneries in alaska, and here, indeed, were we in the land of the midnight sun. the hours passed quickly by as the supposed night wore away. at midnight the twilight was so bright that one could read a newspaper easily. then the moon shone in the clear sky with all regal splendor until . in the morning, when old sol again put in his claims for admission. he lifted his golden head above the snowy peaks, and spirited away the uncertain light of unfolding dawn by drawing the curtains of the purpling east, and sending floods of radiance upon the entire world. it was a sight never to be forgotten, if seen but once in a lifetime. onward once again when the tide was in, and our next awakening was on the grand glacier fields. the greatest sight of the entire trip, or of any other in america, now opened out before many eager eyes. for several days, icebergs had been seen sailing along on the smooth surface from the great glaciers, and speeding to the southern seas like phantom ships. as the ship neared the bay, these huge bergs increased in size and number, with such grotesque and weird shapes, that the mind is absorbed in shaping turrets, ghosts, goblins, and the like, each moment developing more and more of things unearthly, until the heart and eyes seem bursting with the strain, when suddenly a great roar, like the shock of an explosion of giant powder, turns the eyes to the parent glacier to see the birth of these unnatural forms. they break from the icy wall with a stupendous crash, and fall into the water with such force as to send our great ship careening on her side when the swell from the disturbed waters strikes her. the muir glacier is the one that occupies the most attention, as it is the most accessible to tourists. it rises to a perpendicular height of feet, and stretches across the entire head of the glacier bay, which is estimated from three to five miles in width. the muir and davidson glaciers are two arms of that great ice field extending more than miles in length, covering more area than all switzerland, and any one of the fifteen subdivisions of the glacial stream is as large as the great rhone glacier. underlying this great ice field is that glacial river which bears these mountains of ice on its bosom to the ocean. with a roar like distant artillery, or an approaching thunder-storm, the advancing walls of this great monster split and fall into the watery deep, which has been sounded to a depth of some feet without finding anchor. the glacial wall is a rugged, uneven mass, with clefts and crevices, towering pinnacles and domes, higher than bunker hill monument, cutting the air at all angles, and with a stupendous crash sections break off from any portion without warning and sink far out of sight. scarcely two minutes elapse without a portion falling from some quarter. the marble whiteness of the face is relieved by lines of intense blue, a characteristic peculiar to the small portions as well as the great. going ashore in little rowboats, the vast area along the sandy beach was first explored, and it was, indeed, like a fairy land. there were acres of grottoes, whose honey-combed walls were most delicately carved by the soft winds and the sunlight reflections around and in the arches of ice, such as are never seen except in water, ice, and sky. mountains of ice, remnants of glaciers, along the beach, stood poised on one point, or perchance on two points, and arched between. these icebergs were dotted with stones imbedded; great bowls were melted out and filled with water, and little cups made of ice would afford you a drink of fresh water on the shore of this salt sea. at five o'clock in the morning, with the sun kissing the cold majestic glacier into a glad awakening from its icy sleep, the ascent was begun. too eager to be among the first to see the top, many started without breakfast, while others chose the wiser part, and waited to be physically fortified. the ascent is not so difficult as it is dangerous. there is no trail and no guide, and many a step had to be retraced to get across or around some bottomless fissure. for some distance the ground seemed quite solid. soon it was discovered that there was but a thin covering of dirt on the solid ice below; but anon in striking the ground with the end of an alpine stick it would prove to be but an inch of ice and dirt mixed, and a dark abyss below which we could not fathom. it is to be hoped, for the good of future tourists, that there are not many such places, or that they may soon be exposed so they can be avoided. reaching the top after a tedious and slippery climb, there was a long view of icy billows, as if the sea had suddenly congealed amid a wild tempestuous storm. deep chasms obstructed the way on all sides, and a misstep or slip would send one down the blue steps where no friendly rope could rescue, and only the rushing water could be heard. to view the solid phalanxes of icy floes, as they fill the mountain fastnesses and imperceptibly march through the ravines and force their way to the sea, fills one with awe indescribable. the knowledge that the ice is moving from beneath one's feet thrills one with a curious sensation hard to portray. below, it seems like the constant wooing of the sea that wins the offering from this wealth of purity, instead of the voluntary act of this giant of the arctic zone. for twenty-four hours the awful grandeur of these scenes was gloried in, when captain hunter gave the order to draw the anchor and steam away. the whistles call the passengers back to the steamer, where they were soon comparing specimens, viewing instantaneous photographs, hiding bedraggled clothing, casting away tattered mufflers, and telling of hair-breadth escapes from peril and death. many a tired head sought an early pillow, and floated away in dreams of ghoulish icebergs, until the call for breakfast disclosed to opening eyes that the boat was anchored in the beautiful harbor of sitka. the steamer's whistle is the signal for a holiday in all alaska ports, and sitka is no exception to the rule. six o'clock in the morning, but the sleepy town had awakened to the fact of our arrival, and the inhabitants were out in force to greet friends or sell their canoes. there are some , people living in sitka, including all races. the harbor is the most beautiful a fertile brain can imagine. exquisitely moulded islands are scattered about in the most enchanting way, all shapes and sizes, with now and then a little garden patch, and ever verdant with native woods and grasses and charming rockeries. as far out as the eye can reach the beautiful isles break the cold sea into bewitching inlets and lure the mariner to shelter from evil outside waves. the village nestles between giant mountains on a lowland curve surrounded by verdure too dense to be penetrated with the eye, and too far to try to walk--which is a good excuse for tired feet. the first prominent feature to meet the eye on land is a large square house, two stories high, located on a rocky eminence near the shore, and overlooking the entire town and harbor. once it was a model dwelling of much pretension, with its spacious apartments, hard-wood six-inch plank floors, elaborately-carved decorations, stained-glass windows, and its amusement and refreshment halls. all betoken the former elegance of the russian governor's home, which was supported with such pride and magnificence as will never be seen there again. the walls are crumbling, the windows broken, and the old oaken stairways will soon be sinking to earth again, and its only life will be on the page of history. [illustration: devil's thumb, alaska. reached via the union pacific ry.] the mission-school hospital, chapel, and architectural buildings occupied much of the tourists' time, and some were deeply interested. there are eighteen missionaries in sitka, under the presbyterian jurisdiction, trying to educate and christianize the indians. they are doing a noble work, but it does seem a hopeless task when one goes among the indian homes, sees the filth, smells the vile odors, and studies the native habits. these indians, like the other tribes, are not poor, but all have more or less money. many are rich, having more than $ , in good hard cash, yet the squalor in which they live would indicate the direst poverty. the stroll to indian river, from which the town gets its water supply, is bewitching. the walk is made about six feet through an evergreen forest, the trees arching overhead, for a distance of two miles, and is close to the bay, and following the curve in a most picturesque circle. the water is carried in buckets loaded on carts and wheeled by hand, for horses are almost unknown in alaska. there are probably not more than half a dozen horses and mules in all alaska--not so much because of the expense of transportation and board, as lack of roads and the long, dark days and months of winter, when people do not go out but very little. all the packing is done in all sections of alaska by natives carrying the packs and supplies on their backs. sitka's most interesting object is the old greek church, located in the middle of the town, and also in the middle of the street. its form is that of a greek cross, with a copper-covered dome, surmounted by a chime-bell tower. the inside glitters with gold and rare paintings, gold embroidered altar cloths and robes; quaint candelabra of solid silver are suspended in many nooks, and an air of sacred quiet pervades the whole building. there were no seats, for the russians remain standing during the worship. service is held every sabbath by a russian priest in his native language, and the church is still supported by the russian government. indeed, russia does more for the advancement of religion than does our own government for alaska. the walk through the indian ranch was but a repetition of the other towns, only that they were wealthier and uglier, if possible, than the other tribes. the hydahs are very powerfully built, tall, large boned, and stout. two days were spent in visiting and trafficking with these people. then the anchor came up, and soon a silver trail like a huge sea serpent moved among the green isles, and followed us once more--now on the homeward sail. but one new place of importance was made on the home trip, and that was at killisnoo. when the steamer arrived, the evening after leaving sitka, the city policeman met us at the wharf and invited us to visit his hut. of course, he was a native, who expected to sell some curios. over his door was the following: "by the governor's commission, and the company's permission, i am made the grand tyhee of this entire illahee. "prominent in song and story, i've attained the top of glory. as saginaw i am known to fame, jake is but my common name." the time when he attained his fame and glory must have been when he and his wife were both drunk one night, and he put the handcuffs on his wife and could not get them off, and she had to go to sitka to be released. he appears in at least a dozen different suits while the steamer is in port, and stands ready to be photographed every time. killisnoo used to be a point where , barrels of herring oil were put up annually. the industry is now increasing again. natural wealth. and this reminds me that i am almost neglecting a reference to alaska's vast resources in forests, metals, furs, and fish. there are , , of acres densely wooded with spruce, red and yellow cedar, oregon pine, hemlock, fir, and other useful varieties of timber. canoes are made from single trees, sixty feet long, with eight-feet beams. gold, silver, lead, iron, coal, and copper are encountered in various localities. though but little prospected or developed, alaska is now yielding gold at the rate of about $ , , per year. there is a respectable area of island and mainland country well adapted to stock-raising, and the production of many cereals and vegetables. the climate of much of the coast country is milder than that of colorado, and stock can feed on the pastures the year round. but, if alaska had no mines, forests, or agriculture, its seal and salmon fisheries would remain alone an immense commercial property. the salmon are found in almost any part of these northern waters where fresh water comes in, as they always seek those streams in the spawning season. there are different varieties that come at stated periods and are caught in fabulous numbers, sometimes running solid ten feet deep, and often retarding steamers when a school of them is overtaken. at idaho inlet mr. van gasken brought up a seine for the ancon tourists containing salmon for packing. at nearly every port the steamer landed there was either one or more canning or salt-packing establishments for salmon. of these, , , pounds were marketed last year. besides the salmon there is the halibut, black and white cod, rock cod, herring, sturgeon, and many other fish, while the waters are whipped by porpoises and whales in large numbers all along the way. governor swineford estimates the products of the alaska fisheries last year at $ , , . the seal fisheries are still , miles west of sitka. st. paul and st. george islands are the best breeding places of the seals, sea lions, sea otter, and walrus. these islands are in a continuous fog in summer, and are swept by icy blasts in winter. there are many interesting facts connected with these islands and the habits of these phocine kindred, but space is limited. suffice that , seals are killed each year for commercial purposes. over , , seal pups are born every year, and when they leave for winter quarters they go in families and not altogether. an average seal is about six feet long, but some are found eight feet long and weigh from to pounds. the work of catching is all done between the middle of june and the first of august. the fur company are supposed to pay our government $ for each pelt. these hides are at once shipped to london to be dyed and made ready to be put on the market in the united states. in fact, alaska seems full to overflowing with offerings to seekers of fortune or pleasure. its coast climate is mild, with no extreme heat, because of the snow-clad peaks which temper the humid air, and never extreme cold, because of the japan current that bathes its mossy slopes and destroys the frigid wave before it does its work. three thousand miles along this inland sea has revealed scenes of matchless grandeur--majestic mountains (think of snow-crowned st. elias, rising , feet from the ocean's edge), the mightiest glaciers, world's of inimitable, indescribable splendor. it is a trip of a lifetime. there is none other like it, and our party unanimously resolves that the tourist who fails to take it misses very much. * * * * * _fifth tour_.--from portland to san francisco by steamer is one of the most enjoyable trips offered the tourist in point of safety and comfort, and the service is exceptionally fine. the steamers "oregon," "columbia," and "state of california" are powerful iron steamers, built expressly for tourist travel between portland and san francisco. the traveler will find this fifty-hour ocean voyage thoroughly enjoyable; the sea is uniformly smooth, no greater motion than the long swell of the pacific, and the boats are models of neatness and comfort. it affords a grand opportunity to run down the california coast, always in sight of land, and derive the invigorating exhilaration of an ocean trip without any of its discomforts. among the many points of interest to be seen are the picturesque columbia river bar, the beautiful ocean beach at clatsop, the towering heights of cape hancock, the lonely mid-ocean lighthouse at tillamook rock, the historical rogue river reef, cape mendocino, humboldt bay, point arena, and last, but not least, the world-renowned golden gate of san francisco. [illustration: moonlight at the old block house, columbia river. on the union pacific ry.] the steamships of this company are all new, modern-designed iron vessels, supplied with steam steering apparatus, electric light and bells, and all improved nautical appliances. the state-rooms, cabins, salons, etc., are elaborately furnished throughout, the whole presenting an unrivaled scene of luxurious ocean life. the advantages of this charming ocean trip to the tourist are most obvious; there is the healthful air of the grand old pacific ocean, complete freedom from dust, heat, cinders, and all the discomforts which one meets in midsummer railway travel. * * * * * standard publications by the passenger department of the union pacific railway. the passenger department of the union pacific railway will take pleasure in forwarding to any address, free, of charge, any of the following publications, provided that with the application is enclosed the amount of postage specified below for each publication. all of these books and pamphlets are fresh from the press, many of them handsomely illustrated, and accurate as regards the region of country described. they will be found entertaining and instructive, and invaluable as guides to and authority on the fertile tracts and landscape wonders of the great empire of the west. there is information for the tourist, pleasure and health seeker, the investor, the settler, the sportsman, the artist, and the invalid. the western resort book. send cents for postage. this is a finely illustrated book describing the vast union pacific system. every health resort, mountain retreat, watering place, hunter's paradise, etc., etc., is depicted. this book gives a full and complete detail of all tours over the line, starting from sioux city, council bluffs, omaha, st. joseph, leavenworth, or kansas city, and contains a complete itinerary of the journey from either of these points to the pacific coast. sights and scenes. send cents postage for each pamphlet. there are five pamphlets in this set, pocket folder size, illustrated, and are descriptive of tours to particular points. the set comprises "sights and scenes in colorado;" utah; idaho and montana; california; oregon, washington, and alaska. each pamphlet, deals minutely with every resort of pleasure or health within its assigned limit, and will be found bright and interesting reading for tourists. facts and figures. send cents postage for each pamphlet. this is a set of three pamphlets, containing facts and figures relative to kansas, nebraska, and colorado respectively. they are more particularly meant for intending settlers in these fertile states and will be found accurate in every particular; there is a description of all important towns. vest pocket memorandum book. send cents for postage. a handy, neatly gotten-up little memorandum book, very useful for the farmer, business man, traveler, and tourist. calendar, . send cents for postage. an elegant calendar for the year , suitable for the office and counting room. comprehensive pamphlets. send cents postage for each pamphlet. a set of pamphlets on colorado, wyoming, montana, utah, idaho, oregon, and washington. these books treat, of the resources, climate, acreage, minerals, grasses, soil, and products of these various empires on an extended scale, entering very fully upon an exhaustive treatise of the capabilities and promise of the places described. they have been very carefully compiled, and the information collated from official reports, actual settlers, and residents of the different states and territories. theatrical diary. send cents for postage. this is a theatrical diary for - , bound in turkey morocco, gilt tops, and contains a, list of theatres and opera houses reached by the union pacific system, seating capacity, size of stage, terms, newspapers in each town, etc., etc. this diary is intended only for the theatrical profession. commercial salesman's expense book. send cents for postage. a neat vest pocket memorandum book for --dates, cash accounts, etc., etc. outdoor sports and pastimes. send cents for postage. a carefully compiled pamphlet of some thirty pages, giving the complete rules of this year, for lawn tennis, base ball, croquet, racquet, cricket, quoits, la crosse, polo, curling, foot ball, etc., etc. there are also diagrams of a lawn tennis court and base ball diamond. this pamphlet will be found especially valuable to lovers of these games. map of the united states. send cents for postage. a large wall map of the united states, complete in every particular, and compiled from the latest surveys; just published; size, x inches; railways, counties, roads, etc., etc. stream, sound and sea. send cents for postage. a neat, illustrated pamphlet descriptive of a trip from the dalles of the columbia to portland, ore., astoria, clatsop beach; through the strait of juan de fuca and the waters of the puget sound, and up the coast to alaska. a handsome pamphlet containing valuable information for the tourist. wonderful story. send cents for postage. the romance of railway building. the wonderful story of the early surveys and the building of the union pacific. a paper by general g.m. dodge, read before the society of the army of the tennessee, september, . general sherman pronounces this document fascinatingly interesting and, of great historical value, and vouches for its accuracy. gun club rules and revised game laws. send cents for postage. this valuable publication is a digest of the laws relating to game in all the western states and territories. it also contains the various gun club rules, together with a guide to all western localities where game of whatsoever description may be found. every sportsman should have one. "the oldest inhabitant." send cents for postage. this is a buffalo head in sepia, a very artistic study from life. it is characterized by strong drawing and wonderful fidelity. a very handsome acquisition for parlor or library. crofutt's overland guide, no. . send $ . . this book has just been issued. it graphically describes every point, giving its history, population, business resources, etc., etc., on the line of the union pacific hallway, between the missouri river and the pacific coast, and the tourist should not start west without a copy in his possession. it furnishes in one volume a complete guide to the country traversed by the union pacific system, and can not fail to be of great assistance to the tourist in selecting his route, and obtaining complete information about the points to be visited. a glimpse of great salt lake. send cents for postage. this is a charming description of a yachting cruise on the mysterious inland sea, beautifully illustrated with original sketches by the well-known artist, mr. alfred lambourne, of salt lake city. this startling phenomena of sea and cloud and light and color are finely portrayed. this book touches a new region, a voyage on great salt lake never before having been described and pictured. general folder. no postage required. a carefully revised general folder is issued regularly every month. this publication gives condensed through time tables; through car service; a first-class map of the united states, west of chicago and st. louis; important baggage and ticket regulations of the union pacific railway, thus making a valuable compendium for the traveler and for ticket agent in selling through tickets over the union pacific railway. the pathfinder. no postage required. a book of some fifty pages devoted to local time cards; containing a complete list of stations with the altitude of each; also connections with western stage lines and ocean steamships; through car service; baggage and pullman sleeping car rates and the principal ticket regulations, which will prove of great value as a ready reference for ticket agents to give passengers information about the local branches of the union pacific railway. alaska folder. no postage required. this folder contains a brief outline of the trip to alaska, and also a correct map of the northwest pacific coast, from portland to sitka, alaska, showing the route of vessels to and from this new and almost unknown country. [illustration: oregon, washington and alaska. sights and scenes for the tourist.] [illustration: tourist map of union pacific and connecting lines.] the discards [illustration] by he-mene ka-wan: "old wolf" (lucullus virgil mcwhorter) price, cents [illustration: supplement to _the discards_ copyright we yallup wa ya cika =chief of the ahtanum clan of the yakimas, deceased dec. , = see the chief's memorial to the "higher officials," april , , in which he prayed for simple justice relative to his stolen water rights. the venerable chieftain passed over the last trail, still hoping for the relief that never came. see lyman's hist. yakima valley, vol i, pp - . continued crime against the yakimas, . price c.] the discards _by he-mene ka-wan: "old wolf"_ author of "the crime against the yakimas" "border settlers of northwestern virginia" "rebellion (?) of the yakimas" "the continued crime against the yakimas" by the rivers of babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered zion. we hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. for there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, sing us one of the songs of zion.--psalms : - - . _foreword_ an explanation is the only excuse for this little publication. =the discards= were primarily to appear in the second or summer season number of =the american indian tepee=, a quarterly launched for the avowed purpose of combating the manifest evils of the indian bureau; the fraud and graft imposed with impunity on the child-minded tribesmen by the robber speculator, land thief and all round crooks who swarm the reservations; as well as creating a deeper sentiment of respect for the red race by giving first hand the indian side of life; his poetry, music, philosophy and tribal history. as an adopted yakima, the chief editorship was tendered me and was accepted with no thought of compensation other than the satisfaction of attempting to do something for a greatly maligned and hampered people. the first editorial in the initiative number of the =tepee=, reveals the faith that was placed in the declared purpose of the management, which would now appear as mere ostentation. this became more apparent as work on the second number progressed. reproductions foreign to the vital indian cause were given precedence over "fighting" originality; and when the wolf =howled=, he was summarily =bounced= by the fox, who then assumed full control as both manager and editor. the contribution by =hal-ish ho-sat=: klickitat for "old wolf"; was the first of a series of hitherto unpublished legends of the yakimas and kindred tribes contemplated for the =tepee=. this, with some editorials, one or two incomplete, were retained and made use of, while the =discards=, a few in galley proof, were returned to me. the editorial explanation of my severance with the =tepee= was in bad taste and my own card was censored to suit the drawing. perhaps the wolf was too strenuous and the =discards= had no place in =the tepee's= pages. doubtless the manager will receive laudation from certain elements for his action; but believing it good at times that the public be made acquainted with disagreeable facts, such as contained in some of these rejects, they are here offered as mere samples of far reaching conditions. if "elasticity of indian bureau promises" appear unworthy of credence, there are the abandoned allotments, parched and dry, still in evidence, as well as voluminous correspondence on file in the indian department. the pie from the indian bureau bakery may look appetizing and palatable on the printed menu. lift the crust! then--shield your nose as you watch 'em crawl. the "consideration" from the honest business man for poor lo's heritage ofttimes shows glitteringly munificent. insert the probe! gilded illusion--"mess of pottage"--vermin infested and stenchful. and all this under a government of the people ($), by the people ($$) and for the people ($$$). =he-mene ka-wan=: "old wolf". (l. v. mcwhorter). july , _that "same old howl"_ many of the yakimas are wondering how long it takes the indian department to make good a promise. tribesmen have waited vainly the years for a consummation of pledges made, while others, sore at heart and foot weary have passed over the last trail with thoughts embittered by the memory of wanton indifference, if not actual connivance of the department officials in the brazen robberies which they have suffered. ugly, sombre facts have been unearthed in the no distant past, while others are incubating for an unsavory hatching. fraudulent land deals and theft of irrigation waters are common complaints. the riparian right to water established by long usage, is a joke when applied to the indian. during the vital irrigation period of may, present year, the editor personally looked into conditions of one indian ditch on the ahtanum. three indian allottees, louis mann, william adams and joe yemowat, dependent in part upon this ditch, had not been able to obtain a drop of water, while white renters above them had been receiving a full flow for a month. mr. clyde stevens, a heavy renter, had "soaked" a forty acre field the second time, while two other renters were getting water galore. in one instance a secret way was discovered taking a heavy flow. in marked contrast to the luxuriant crops on these lands, were those of the indians, parched and withered. while the indian department has no jurisdiction over the distribution of the water in this particular ditch it =does= have jurisdiction over the leased lands and has the power to evict any undesirable tenant. why does it allow a water-hog to fatten at the expense of those whom it holds in its iron grasp? if the injun "hollers" he is branded as a troublesome complainer and peace disturber. intimidated and helpless, he suffers deep wrongs in stolid silence. a husky, in an altercation with one of the looters in question, took unreasonable abuse rather than come to blows. when asked why he did this, he replied: "i am not afraid of him--the shrimp. i could break him in two. it is his law that i am afraid of. i know what an injun would get in court. i have a family to live for. our agent is supposed to protect us in our rights. he does nothing. he knows that the white man has no right to the water in this, our injun ditch. he knows that it is being stolen from us. this white water thief is protected. he says that mr. carr is a fine man. of course he should speak well of mr. carr. look at this water thief's crop, this mr. stevens and others. they are fine while our crops are scorched for water. when only injuns were on this ditch we had no trouble. all got water, dividing with each other. i was driven from the medicine valley country because mr. reece b. brown stole all my water eleven years ago. the indian department knew of it, but the department is afraid of mr. brown or stands in with him in that grab. i came over here on the ahtanum to farm and now they steal my water here. the =shoyahpoo= is a hog. he takes all and squeals for more." it takes no careful observer to ride through the ahtanum reservation lands and pick out the indian tilled lands from those of white owners and lessors. the former invariably present a withered appearance, while those of the whites show fine crops, resultant from sufficient water. there may be exceptions to this rule, but the cases are few. one fair minded white man said, when questioned: "the indians get the dirty end of the water deal. the ditch tender has lands leased down near the lower end of the canal. he has, so he was heard to say, now finished irrigating his crops for the present, and turned his water to the orchards owned by whites. it is not right to have an interested man distributing this water." [illustration: =louis charles mann= recognized head of the ahtanum clan of yakimas. from "the crime against the yakimas." (copyrighted)] mr. lew perkins is ditch tender for the ahtanum section in controversy. his crops on indian leased lands show that they have suffered no dearth of water this season. it is hard to conceive that the indian officials are blind to conditions so openly apparent. in the ahtanum situation, the gross injustice suffered by these indians in stolen water rights, was exposed in an illustrated article in an eastern journal of , copies, under the caption: =the continued crime against the yakimas=. promises from the powers that be was the only result. louis mann was referred to by mr. dorrington, indian inspector, as: "howling the same old howl that he has put up for ten years." does it redound to the credit of the indian department that one of its wards should howl vainly for simple justice even for one year? apropos to this question is the following letter. mr. l. m. holt is chief engineer, indian reclamation service. mr. lee referred to is supervisor of ditches for the yakima agency. l. m. holt, yakima, wash., july th, dear mr. holt: i have been deprived from my irrigation waters, my neighbors steal my water and i have been studying where to make my report to, as you have all grades of employees on this irrigation system. as there is earth without water no living man can farm his dry lands in the spring, and the white man has no better system in his body or being he is no better than i am why i write you so because he dies just the same as poor injuns die so therefore i see why you turn all the water for his side and leave us destitute helpless. do you be satisfied if i go up to the head gate and burst up the head gate and get my share of this irrigation waters for my crops. is the white man looking for war path about this irrigation system? i am all time wondering where all these white people came from. they must have come where people are starving and they grab everything they come to. where did they come from any way, from above the clouds or from hell? this puzzles me. everything they want to themselves, and they are hogging all the time. their hunger for more money is not filled; they all time want more, and as i hear them often say "damn the indians" now, but where them white devils go when they do die, and who is the man on this earth can tell me i lie. oh, no, i have been studying these subject for many years, white man ways of living is no good to me, i hate it but i cannot help it, as every year i am fussing about this irrigation system. now the earth and water is all time here, but me, i shall be gone where everybody go time they do die, and i want to live right while living, now i am losing acres in wheat and acres in alfalfa, now who can protect my rights about this irrigation system. you want cash down every time and from the start my irrigation waters been cut short all time. now i have six seven rows, that is all for my $ . and how do you expect any man to be a farmer that way. it seems to me the government is robbing me out of my money. i want to find out who is the man betrayed my rights on this irrigation system on this ahtanum creek. since all the ahtanum creek is a reservation stream all the creek is ours in first place, and secretary garfield robbed us time he gave our water to the whites at the ahtanum academy. white ladies sang a song to him for more hiyou chuck. was this fine scheme and now we are robbed today. who will help us out. mr. lee has power to rob us out of our irrigation system, he is the man told the head gate man to shut off. i learn this from one of my white man friends. i remember one time of seeing mr. lee at old man seluskin house time he told the old man seluskin he was a man from washington, d. c. to help the indians on this reservation on the irrigation system, now this day this very same man is no help to us injuns. i am not mad at him when i write you this. now this irrigation system is too far beyond the law, don't you take me for a bunch of coyotes. look out, do what is right. i am a person just the same as whites are: we all live by eating same food, and i want to be in a right living while living on this earth. i was there in your office twice but you was gone. i want to see you but i do not know when. i shall see what can be done toward protecting our irrigation system on this ahtanum valley, and you know this earth and water was here and thereon it was the injuns, and this will be all. i am your truly poor friend, louis mann. as a substance of fact no white man has a right to any of the water from this indian ditch, yet year after year the thefts go on unpunished. is it any wonder that the indian has learned to look upon the agent as a conniver with the white man to loot and despoil him of his own? the lame excuse that such things go on unknown to the indian officials is to be taken with a mountain of allowance. these ahtanum indians have for years clamored for justice, and have in turn been branded by the inspectors as "howlers." such treatment makes bolshevik and i. w. w. of white people. _elasticity of indian bureau promises_ note: this article was added to after discardure by the =tepee=. there is an unmistakable national wide agitation looking to the complete abolition of the indian bureau. the insistent outcry of the indian against flagrant injustice suffered at the hands of this political incubus with its army of , employees, is reaching the rank and file of the people and already the czars are visioning the handwriting on the wall. but as yet the masses know practically nothing about reservation conditions, know nothing about the inner workings of the agencies, know nothing about the blundering incompetency if not down-right dishonesty of many of the acting officials. methods employed in letting grazing permits to outside stockmen, leasing of agricultural lands and the distribution of irrigation water, too often appear shady and questionable. on the yakima reservation, wash., water rights of long standing have been ignored, the entire flow of indian constructed canals seized upon, confiscated by the department or openly stolen by unprincipled scoundrels who apparently have a stand in with the "higher ups." why foster a bureau which will tolerate and countenance such brazen and uncovered thievery of the only means by which an indian can make use of his lands? a bureau under which apparently a rich and powerful "system" has sprung up and is operating. a single case: near white swan, nine indian eighty acre allotments were receiving water from a ditch of their own construction, tapping medicine valley. indian homes were established on all these tracts, each irrigating from ten to sixty acres. some had planted small orchards, others were gardening and raising grain. about eleven years ago, one reece b. brown bought at a low figure the umtouch allotment on the west, the first receiving water from the ditch. mr. brown, who has been connected with divers litigations connected with reservation deals, boldly appropriated (?) all the water from the lower eight allotments, diverting it to his own land which was planted to orchard. the agent knew of the "appropriation." he did nothing--for the indians. i personally called the attention of the acting engineer of the indian reclamation service to the robbery. an "investigator" looked the situation over. looked, and nothing more. the commissioner of indian affairs was appealed to. an investigation and promises--nothing more. the aid of the secretary of the interior was invoked. an "investigation" and more promises--nothing more. in i was told by superintendent carr that suit had been instituted in the federal court for the recovery of this water, and a subsequent letter from the assistant indian commissioner in reply to an inquiry, stated that such suit was "pending." the case has never progressed beyond this "pending" stage. evidently the "pending" cord was most carefully selected for its stretching and wearing qualities. is the indian bureau a party to the crime? or is it only afraid of the reputed millionaire water "appropriator"? so far the "investigations" have all been conducted by the indian bureau officials only. will a higher tribunal be invoked before another planting moon shall have arrived? in a very full account of this most disgusting affair was given by me in an eastern journal of , copies, under the caption: =the continued crime against the yakimas=. this brought out a feeble renewal of never-to-be-kept-promises from the department. water by the wapato canal would cover these lands "next year" in any event. several "next years" have passed and these lands are still powder-dry, while the orchards planted on the umtouch allotment have flourished and brought returns, nourished by stolen water. the other eight allotments are also producing--fine second growth desert sage. the houses are tumbling to decay, the fencing in some instances disappearing beneath the drifting sand dunes--fitting monument to the cowardly, vacillating policy of an obsolete bureau. of late the department has ignored all local letters touching brown's seizure of the indian water and the "pending" suit, but goaded and cornered by a boston philanthropist, the hon. cato sells while not conceding a crime, has agreed that the water "diminished" in that particular ditch; but points pridefully to departmental activity in bringing water to the lands "this season" by the wapato canal; or by the storage system of medicine valley or toppenish creek "next year." nay more! another "investigation" by supt. carr and federal district attorney, francis h. garrecht, actually took place in a yakima hotel lobby last spring, where it was found that: "differences of opinion between white settlers and indians regarding water rights along medicine creek have arisen;" and that "it is probable that cases which have already been in court will again have to come up for adjudication." later in response to an inquiry, mr. garrecht intimates that some time and some where some body may be summoned to give testimony in a possible suit against the reservation water hog. during all these weary years, the indians, who have not died, have been buoyed up by these worthless and hollow promises of "water next year;" inducing some of them, especially luke wappet, to repeatedly plant fields only to meet with disappointment and loss of both seed and labor. wappet had sixty acres under cultivation until brown stole the indian ditch dry. last spring i saw him toiling on a ditch hoping to bring water from another source, but met with failure. his wheat crop withered and blasted as on former occasions. forty acres of simon goudy's allotment lies just east of the wappet tract, and on the extreme tail of the looted medicine valley ditch. goudy had this north forty under cultivation, now returned to desert sage and weeds. instead of this land being covered by the wapato canal as repeatedly promised, the waterway has been constructed along the east line of his ranch, which irrigates from the west. goudy cannot irrigate the fraction of an acre from this "bring-water-to-you-next-year" canal. not only this, but the canal embankment completely closes all avenue of escape for waste water from his south forty acres, heretofore utilized by his neighbor, simon george, indian, whose land adjoins him on the east. simon george received his water through goudy's lateral, which was severed by the canal. the flimsy, half-sized flume constructed over the canal by the indian service for the purpose of a waterway, broke down within a few hours after water had been turned into it. mr. george was compelled to rebuild the flume, enlarging it to capacity at his own expense. his loss in damaged crops because of this delay was not inconsiderable. [illustration: =simon george rebuilding worthless flume placed by indian service across wapato canal= showing the embankments of the canal which completely bars the escape of simon goudy's waste water] approximately four acres of goudy's land was taken by the canal right of way, soil being appropriated even beyond the fenced limits, leaving the surface so lowered as to swamp and become worthless. for this right of way, goudy received not one dollar for either ground or damages sustained. running midway from west to east through goudy's allotment is the dry bed of a small creek, which carries water contingent only on the heaviest snows of winter. the wapato canal completely blocks this water way, but a gap has been left in the west, or near embankment for the purpose of permitting any possible flow of the creek to enter the canal. this of course allows the canal to empty into the dry bed, filling it to within a few hundred feet of goudy's west line. this former dry depression, which goudy always kept free from waste water, is thus converted into a veritable lagoon, unfordable and which in time will develop into a mosquito-breeding, willow-grown swamp. mr. goudy irrigates his south forty acres from the paiute ditch, which was constructed by indians under the supervision of james h. wilbur, agent, for the paiute prisoners of war brought to the yakima reservation at the close of the bannock uprising in . the paiutes running away, the ditch was turned over to the yakimas by agent wilbur, and has been used by them unmolested during the intervening forty one years. mr. goudy built his own lateral more than a quarter of a century ago. this year, during the vital irrigating season of may, three several "ditch tenders" called upon him, ordering him not to use such a volume of water, although water was running waste down the main creek bed. the indian refused to obey the injunction. it appeared to him that it was not enough that he had been despoiled of water for half of his ranch by a seemingly upheld thief, but the government was now bent on ruining, or confiscating his remaining water supply. the danger point had been reached and the "ditch tenders" were afterwards conspicuous by their absence on the goudy lateral. perhaps the "tenders" had a vision of an outraged indian with a winchester near that same spot on a former occasion, when the foreman of the railroad construction gang suddenly realized that his health was in jeopardy should he insist too strenuously on entering goudy's field before settlement of right of way damages. [illustration: =simon goudy, allottee= robbed of his medicine valley ditch eleven years ago, acres of his ranch, where once he harvested sacks of fine wheat, is now, thanks to indian bureau efficiency, a desert waste of drifting sands and useless sage.] as stated, mr. goudy has no outlet for his waste drainage, and about four acres of growing wheat and alfalfa became flooded in consequence. this he saved by cutting the canal bank, the overflow escaping through the vent. earlier in the season and before irrigation, i had, at the instance of mr. goudy, called the attention of the indian service engineer, mr. l. m. holt, to the fact that mr. goudy had not been provided with an outlet for his waste flow; and the reply was: "we do not expect him to have any waste water." it was not known at that time that an attempt would be made to curtail his paiute source of water. thus we see how simon goudy, allottee, has been damaged thousands of dollars, as land values are computed in that section, how he has suffered not only at the hands of an unrestrained water-thief, but also from the very bureau officials sworn to protect him in his vested rights as a ward of the government. he recalls bitterly how he was refused patent for his south forty acres when the white swan branch of the n. p. railroad was under construction, when he thought by realizing on it as a town site. soon after he was waited on by a committee of "business men" who assured him that they could easily obtain the coveted patent for him, provided he first contract the land to them. now, that there is no longer an opportunity to realize on it as a town site, he is importuned by the bureau to accept a patent and become a full fledged citizen of--his own native land. can the most prejudiced of "indian haters" find excuse for the treatment accorded simon goudy by the indian department? and yet there are other potential facts which would lend color to goudy's contention that he has incurred the divine displeasure of the bureau officials and has been singled out as an object of dirt and spite. as incredulous as this may seem there are grounds for the conjecture. petty annoyances and discriminations suffered by goudy are many and manifold. the agency thrasher has more than once refused to thrash his crop until all others were attended to. last year it passed and repassed his stack yard, compelling him at additional cost of time and money to procure another machine lest his grain damage by possible rain as on a former occasion. but mr. goudy is not the only allottee to suffer by this "past-all-understanding" methods of the indian service. there are other yakimas on the paiute ditch. louis mann has two inherited eighties below the goudy lateral and this year has experienced unlooked for trouble. the wapato canal carries water to the paiute, and a charge has been levied against the water users. the agency claims that not more than one fifth of the water used is now supplied by the paiute source, but a fairer estimate would place it at one half. the indians contend that they have always had sufficient water from the paiute alone, that the indian service has seized upon their forty-one year-old ditch without their knowledge or consent, and are now charging them for water which they can not get in sufficient quantity for their crops. personal observation discloses the astounding fact that the head gate of the mann lateral is under lock and key, that the intake is at a very low pressure, affording a water supply inadequate for the crops planted, and not on par with the money demanded of him by the departmental authorities; while lower down on the paiute the lateral head gate in use by whites is without lock and is under an exceedingly high pressure, insuring to the users thereof the full and unlimited control of their own water supply. can any fair minded citizen blame an indian for putting up "the same old howl that he has howled for the last ten years?" apropos to the foregoing facts are the following communications which are self-explanatory. the =neekass canal= is the paiute ditch. the name used is that pertaining to the surrounding country: "where horses were left." =indian water users of the piute ditch in council= white swan, wash., may , . mr. don m. carr: at this meeting today, we protest and oppose to reclamation service to enter their water into our neekass ditch. let reclamation keep out from our neekass canal. our flood water we have been using this water from the simcoe creek for years, and our prior riparian rights was there before reclamation service came. indians used this simcoe creek water for years now, we want you to protect our rights. we are shamed to see this reclamation let our crops go to hell, what kind of people are these reclamation service where do they come from, they are all to crush us down and what can we do to save our crops, we are trying our best to do what is right, our great father of washington d. c. want to see us be a farmers that is us injuns but not to take away our water with which we been irrigating our lands for years, and where ever the reclamation service constructed the ditches at their own funds, and we do not kick about it we are willing to pay the assessments to the water charges but here we hate to bring an injunction suit to the reclamation service. i want you to see and to protect our rights, you do not want to see me and my neighbors be loosing our crops, because the reclamation service are the only persons to live on this earth they are hungry after the dollars and their hunger is not filled. we do bitterly here protest and oppose to see our ditch be grabbed away, and let us go to hell and of course where the reclamation service build their own ditches, and it is their own sole rights to collect the assessment from the lands watered, but not on this ditch which we have been using for years can you do any assistance? i am feeling very bad i hate to loose my hard labor and seed, i want you to stop interfering our rights let the reclamation service leave us all alone. sincerely your friend louis mann, =simon goudy, george simon, shepherd peter, and guy howard= took this letter to mr. carr. * * * * * l. m. holt, yakima, wash., july , . reclamation service, yakima, wash. dear sir: i have received a notice (bill for money due) no. w½ sw¼ and se¼ sw¼ and sw¼ se¼ - - and i was investigating the number of my allotments and i have found. well my friend now my mistake (understanding) is this way. i am water user on this piute ditch for solid years before you enter your water into this ditch without my consent and your ditch tenders bother me from my own water, and i am wondering who must be too damn white on your office, and he do not understand what is on this earth prior riparian rights to water. i am a man want to do what is right, i am not waiting to beat some one in my ranching business. that mr. holt you consider my talking to you in this writing i am not crazy when i am writing this to you today. i want to know who did put this assessment to me and charging me $ . . that ditch was constructed before the first allotment was made to the indians, and am i mistaken in my mind to be a man holder of that water as a man to have a prior riparian rights to my water on these two allotments, which your employees has a charge to me. do you think you will make me to pay you for my own water? do you think you have a right to grabble my prior riparian rights? now here is the question, is your power right to crush me down as you see fit? i do not want to be too damn smart, i know where you build or constructed ditches with government funds, you have sole rights to put the assessment charges to lands and i am willing to pay, but where i am using this water for years do not think you have founded the indian ditch that is owned by the dead indians. look out man! the earth and water are all time here but me i am not all time here. like my little son which you have seen time you was to my house. the little boy was buried yesterday at o'clock p. m. and every one of us to die, and we of course every one of us want is money. but let us see where we are at, some times yet i will call to your office when i am in town. well the earth and water before i was born, and next is me before your reclamation service came. do not be too white and too damn smart. recognize my being first water user along this piute ditch. when james h. wilbur being agent and when he left he was shaking my hands and he was talking to me good bye and he told me at that time "take care the ditch it is yours my boy, he said to me this that ditch was built for the piutes, but the piutes ran away, and now is yours, that water will give you money and support for your living," and so from that time we use that ditch and water, and do you rather let us have the litigation of the injunction suit? i am no renter of them two allotments, i am the owner of the land and the water for years. i am not writing a foolish talk. i mean business, i am of course a red man and by being is same and the rest have and i will die same. no difference i am talking about my rights. very truly your friend, louis mann, r. , box . * * * * * yakima, wash., july , . dear mcwhorter my white brother: i am not feeling good yet. i cannot forget my dearest child in my poor family, one that was loved by all in my family, and it will take some time to get over this lamentations over the loss of the beloved dearest son. i know that i am to die yet myself but i cannot help this my dearest white brother. we all of course have to die on this earth, and if honest on this earth we may meet our loved one gone before us. well brother i was over to see f. j. mapes to my old ranch yesterday, and i have seen my irrigation water none on my head gate, and i am wondering could any man on this face of the earth irrigate acres with one inch by inches of water, now they have done me dirtiest trick them reclamation service outfit. i don't give a damn who ever is in this service all of course they come from the old world where white people are starving, this is my understanding from the papers i read. now if i was sleeping indian i would loose all my crops over there all of it, but as my neighbors carry water through my premises and if my hired man maybe to steal water this our own water, and this awful shame way of using reclamation service tricks, to civilize me. oh what a white mans rulings. very soon he will run me down, and what is the right way to bringing me to citizenship? learn me first to steal? which i never like it in my life, well brother no man can civilize me this way, bad whites are combined to run down indians like a wolf runs down deer when wolf is awful hungry, i have been studying these things, and one of my neighbor crops went to hell there adjoining my place, that is mr guy howard he is an injun man. i wish you would make a trip with me there and see that guy howards crops, and have it taken a picture, what a damn nice piece of the work the reclamation service done with this injun, starve the mans crops because no money in advance, while the reclamation service committed a crime enter their water into our ditch without our consent. piute ditch was build with indian money for the piute indians who were brought here from malhiuer from oregon by the agent james h. wilbur, and with help by some of our yakima indians with teams and wagons. i have forgotten now, may be old man peter klickitat was in that trip, well brother may be to damn white rullers in this reclamation service, and to dirty heart tricks with this service, this government is polished with black when such water lords are in this service, now brother if you had time to go with me over this coming sunday, you would come to my place in the first car that comes out in the morning, and we would start out from my place with a hack drive over there and back in the evening. i am yours very truly brother louis mann. * * * * * [illustration: =hum ishuma--"morning dove" of the okanogans= author of cogewea, an unpublished manuscript romance of the great montana cattle range photo and copyright by j. w. langdon, ] * * * * * =howlin' wolf=: "what is this 'lo business' engaged in by recbe-brown of the forked tongue? he whose 'medicine' started with a sudden blaze; he who can rob the 'nation's wards' without hindrance; he who takes from the widow and orphan their last wampum bead, their last bite of grub; he who clouds the head of the injun with fire water and then steals his only blanket and shirt, leaving him naked before his tribe. "who is this miller of the wampum lodge? this miller who grinds the ignorant injun instead of grain for bread; he who once tallied at the agency but now counts wampum for a banker of his own kind. "who is this ain't worthy, the oily? he who sells his chu-chu wagon, double price to the foolish yakimas. who are these men without shame or honor?" * * * * * =growlin' bear=: "this lo(est) business engaged in by he of the forked tongue and he of the wampum lodge, is cheatin' the injun, stealin' his land and water. they are the =lal-a-wish=: the wolves tearin' and rendin', robbin' and thievin' despoilin' unhindered alike the ignorant, drunken brave and the toil-worn widow, takin' the last piece of jerk from the orphaned papoose. want and misery! hunger and nakedness stalks the trail of their making. "ain't-worth-a-dam, the oily, is a coyote from the trap-pen sneakin' in the wake of forked tongue and grindin' miller, watchin' their signalin' to jump the last bone left their victim lo. "how this done? growlin' bear don't know; injun don't know. maybe injun bureau know, maybe agency know! maybe deacon lawyer the dirty of yakima can tell. blind talk-wire from washington, d. c.--yakima--toppenish--everywhere. =christian shooyahpo= too crooked-smart for pagan injun. ugh! the smell is bad." * * * * * a certain deacon attorney who is making it possible for an unscrupulous sales agent to collect from the ignorant, childish minded yakimas the robber commission of $ above the regular set price of an automobile, should have been a chemist. he is such a good "mixer;" prayin' and thievin', thievin' and prayin'; stirrin' all in the same bowl. thankful to providence for providin' this easy channel of wealth wherein the shekels may be garnered, this forked tongued double talented deacon, who like a buckwheat grain presents a face from whatever angle viewed, pays to the lord a regular tithe. doubtless this is perfectly legitimate and right, else it would not be tolerated by the church, but it occurs to some of the worldly minded that it is not accordin' to the traditional narrow and straight path. "growlin' bear" is of the opinion that if the white man's god is partner to such a deal, he had better keep his own books and be on the lookout in the final roundup, or the deacon lawyer will sure "slick ear" on him. but then "growlin' bear," primitive and uneducated, still sticks to his breech clout and moccasins. he is not supposed to understand the higher civilization. what is an injun for if not to be skinned by the "superior" race? * * * * * last winter three young girls deserted from the yakima agency school. two of them reached home, the other one, whose parents resided in a distant part of the reservation, died near white swan from cold and exposure. no adequate attempt, it is alleged, was made by the agency to locate the runaways, and the parents of the missing child supposed her to be at the school. two weeks later her body was found with eyes picked out by the magpies. was there an investigation?--an inquest? if so who ever heard of it? the story leaked out through indian channels alone. indian agency efficiency and care! indian bureauism! one dead injun child and the carrion birds the fatter for their feast. * * * * * if the "incompetent" indian has it tough in this life where he is so well cared (?) for by the bureau, can his condition be imagined in the happy beyond?--a land void of both injun agents and fleas. * * * * * an interesting, though pathetic scene was enacted in the superior court in yakima recently. sahpamequick twatentush, a young indian was on trial for his life for killing sheowit a "bad" medicine man who had cast a death spell over his infant boy. advised by two medicine women, who had been summoned to treat the child, that they could render no aid unless the man remove his evil spell, the distressed father rode twenty miles horseback to entreat sheowit to come to the rescue. the medicine man refused, and according to the testimony of an eye witness, and that of the accused himself, he mocked at the sorrow of the father, stating that he had sent an evil spirit into his child's body and that it would die. he angrily exclaimed: "i am a strong man! i want to kill somebody all the time! i have killed your child and i will kill you!" with this he drew a hatchet from beneath his blanket and made an attempt to strike the young man; who dodged and backed away. the enraged medicine man followed him, striking once or twice with the hatchet. it was then that the indian drew his pistol and killed his assailant. the medicine man was of bad repute, having killed two or more men. for one of the crimes he had served a term in the penitentiary. during the trial, many interesting points concerning the philosophy of the yakimas were brought to light. it is needless to say that the sympathy of the public was with the defendant, who sat stoical during the trial in full tribal costume. it took the jury but ten minutes to bring in a verdict of not guilty. barring self defense, the young man in taking the life of sheowit, had but followed an ancient law of his tribe. it was suggested, by one who attended the trial, that it might serve a good purpose could this unwritten yakima tamanwit be enforced against some of the quack m. d.s among the whites. * * * * * as a side light on the prevailing belief in the powers of the medicine man, the following communication is given. mr. l. v. mcwhorter, july , . my white brother: in god's will i was to live on this earth for a short time and i am about to lose my nice little son, senator leo. he is having awful time talking, repeating the words of the indian doctors and this matter nearly set me crazy, and if it was not for my religion i would take my gun and kill the bad indian doctors, but my great god is on my side and he shall save my little boy's soul, but of course, the body will be buried to rot and decay and that my religion tell me this: thou shall not kill, and i tried my best to save him, but white man doctor can not cure the boy because the boy had indian doctor sick to which white man has no belief, but this is true as you understand indian ways. old man tom is a bad one. he killed my mother-in-law and one little child for me. i can not do no further to reach a cure for my little dear son. i had priest there yesterday giving the little boy blessing and extreme unctions so the boy will die holy. the indian doctors are killing us right and left this day. this is no lie and i do not know how long the little son live and he will go. he get some times unconscious and this is all my brother. the sick child died four days later. * * * * * the curse of =shakerism= on the yakima reservation is well illustrated in the following. a young married woman stricken in confinement, was, for three days and nights "doctored" by one of the "priests", or "preachers" by noisy incantations and ringing of bells, assisted by many "helpers". at the end of that period the poor sufferer was released by death. think of this and lend your moral and financial aid to the mission now being established at white swan. * * * * * the tepee association is a body of its own, entirely distinct and separate from the =mission= being established on the yakima reservation. the =tepee= will work in unison with the mission and kindred organizations for the uplift of the indian and for a more liberal recognition of his rights. not only must the coming indian be prepared by education for a higher plane in life, but the public must also be enlightened to his needs and to the fact that the indian can =never be= a man until delivered from the unreasonable trammelings of the indian bureau. that body must be reformed or dethroned. note--will the =tepee= return to its original declared principal of battling for a better recognition of the rights of its people?; or is it to follow the less rugged trail of mediocre so recently determined on? the true warrior never shows his heels at the first sound of the enemy guns. * * * * * the tipi order of america opened a new council in tacoma (tahoma) during the planting moon. it started with charter members, many of them identified with the i. o. r. m. * * * * * "let my people go!" wassaja. * * * * * the yakima council of tipi order is planning for a big pow-wow and shoot. buffalo ben is chief of the council's gun-warriors, and has scored some high marks in clay pigeon shooting. from a humane point of view, it is regrettable that the clay bird is not substituted for the living victim in all sports. * * * * * what is the tipi order of america? * * * * * the american commercial bank of wapato, wash., is a red hot nail in the oft repeated assertion that the indian is void of business qualities. humane work for the first time in history, has reached the yakimas through the efforts of the yakima county humane society. recently two of its officers attended a round-up of wild range horses at the "ten cent corral" near the agency where they found some of the animals being "broke" by the usual method of keeping them tethered for three or four days without food or water. it was explained to the indians that this could not be allowed, that under no circumstances must an animal be so confined for more than hours. with but one or two exceptions the warning was received kindly, many of the indians expressing their approbation. the brutality of the branding corral, where the young colts are trampled and maimed, ofttimes killed outright, was also supervised. this part of the work fell to mr. simon goudy, a half-blood volunteer officer. here there was some friction, and it is said, a delegation of indians laid complaint before their superintendent, with what result is not known further than that the humane society received no official notice of action by the agency. later, in reply to a communication from the society setting forth its desire to promote humane education among the yakimas, supt. carr expressed his unqualified approval and pledged to lend his support to the movement within the resources at his command. thus the way is paved and if properly handled, many of the ghastly features of the yakima roundup will be eliminated. * * * * * the yakima humane society has in its ranks two indian volunteer officers helping to enforce humane laws on the yakima reservation, and instructing their people in the ways of kindness to animals. the first of their race to enter this field in the northwest, their action is bound to have a salutary influence among their own tribesmen. look elsewhere for the "savage" than the yakima. * * * * * mrs. jennie r. nichols, of tacoma, wash., field worker of the american humane society, attended the national parent-teachers' association at madison, wisconsin, during rose moon. the result of mrs. nichols' ten days effort with that body may be summarized thus: a speech before the assembly which aroused intense interest. getting through a resolution placing this great body of , educators solidly back of humane education. a board of managers in this department of education, mrs. nichols, chairman. the newly elected president of the association pledged her support of this new departure, realizing that such education means the elimination of much crime and all around better citizenship. mrs. nichols' accreditation as the most active field humane worker in the united states is borne out by the success of her indefatigable efforts at the great madison convention, was loyally supported by mrs. c. a. varney, president of the washington state parent-teachers' association. since indian children are more in attendance at our public schools each succeeding year, this new feature of humane education is bound to have telling effect on the minds of the youth of the first americans. * * * * * out on a rock crowned desert mountain in the okanogan country, far from water lies the shriveled form of a coyote with one foot clamped in the rusted jaws of a government trap. the chain, with its triple flukes anchored to a sage brush, is taut and twisted, attesting the awful strugglings of the animal before death came to its release. trapped in mid-summer, the agony of that coyote can not be imagined, as day after day passed with the scorching rays of a hell-sizzling sun beating down upon it. obviously a war of extermination against certain predatory animals is justifiable, but there is nothing more brutal than the modern methods of trapping. notwithstanding, we have the amazing spectacle of dr. william t. hornaday, naturalist, advocating that this brutalizing pursuit be taken up by the boy scouts; and the suggestion is sanctioned by the executive board of that fine organization. god created man and all kinds of animal life, but he did not create the steel trap. * * * * * the catch of salmon at top-tut, now known as prosser, on the yakima river this year was unusually heavy. under the treaty of , it would appear that the right to take fish at this, their ancient fishing grounds, is assured the indians, but a state law interferes and the authorities tacitly permitted the yakimas a certain number of days in which to catch and cure a winter's supply of this, their favorite food. the fish is both dried and salted. it is hoped that the next legislature will restore to the yakimas their right to fish at top-tut, built especially for them in the beginning by speelyi. the state federation of women's clubs, meeting in convention at wenatchee, wash., june , unanimously passed resolutions requesting the coming legislature to enact some measure which will permit the yakimas to take fish hereafter unmolested at top-tut during the salmon season. * * * * * pursuant to a recent ordinance passed by the city commission of yakima, no dog is to bark, no cow to moo nor rooster to crow within the corporate limits after night fall, under penalty of a fine not to exceed $ with possible imprisonment. the next sane move is to enact a tamanawit against the cooing of babies and the early carol of robin red breast. the dulcet yodel of the tom cat, the musical purr of the open muffler and the rhythmical chime of the flat car wheel is symphony plenty a-nuff for the city denizens. * * * * * one way of looking at it help on the yakima reservation has been extremely scarce during the harvest season this year. a rancher came to wapato and entering a pool room saw two young indians taking life easy. he accosted them, enquiring if they wanted work, offering them substantial wages if they would help him a few days. the indians exchanged glances and one of them spoke: "no! you white people came here, we did not want you. you made all this work, all this trouble. you can do the work yourselves; it is your business." * * * * * "=inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.=" (matthew - .) but matthew, like james was only writing the words of the master long before columbus discovered america, before the injun was even thought of, maybe invented. * * * * * the serpent's slimy trail a favorite method of swindling is to inveigle the indian into encumbering an allotment with a mortgage which will seldom if ever be redeemed, thus obtaining the land by foreclosure. the following gives an inkling to this mode of "stalking" by the financial gun-man. central bank of toppenish mrs. lucy james toppenish, wash., july , . harrah, wash. dear madam: i note that you have received and recorded patent in fee to your allotment in section - - near harrah, and in this connection, wish to advise that if you desire to either borrow money on the property or sell the same, we would be pleased to talk with you at any time it is convenient. we are in a position to place suitable farm loans for three or five years at favorable rates of interest with prompt service. awaiting the opportunity of serving you, i am sincerely yours, h. b. miller, cashier. mrs. james' deed was filed for record june , . her "friend" lost no time in his offer of financial assistance (?). nasty intrigue. mr. h. m. gilbert is president of the central bank of toppenish. * * * * * "let the white man get all the water he can in this life, for he is going where it is awfully hot and dry."--=louis mann= in =the continued crime against the yakimas=. * * * * * "water is life. =tahoma=, the =big white mountain! the= source of water. when i die, the earth will take care of my body." =chief sluskin=, the yakima. * * * * * watchman, what of the night? hon. cato sells recently visited the yakima indian reservation ostensibly in the interest of the indian, but so far as can be learned no indian was consulted, no tribesman invited to council, none permitted to air their many just grievances. none knew of his coming and but few learned of his going, and this, through a few friendly whites. perhaps the commissioner had not the time to devote to his red wards. banquets with officials and speculators in indian lands could not be foregone. in toppenish a few of the yakimas were informed of the stranger's personnel as he and his "escorts," or "body guard," as one observer commented, stepped into the agency car and was whirled away. one of the tribesmen exclaimed: "what does this mean? why does our commissioner do this thing? i thought he was =our= commissioner, to look after =us=. what is he here for? what is he doing? i know some of those men with him. i know who they are, what they are doing to the injuns. we want to tell mr. sells something about how we are treated, how we are robbed, but mr. carr keeps him from us. why is this? what is wrong with mr. sells." let mr. cato sells explain his course to this untutored yakima. there is "something rotten in denmark" when an indian who has a thousand dollars due him at the agency is compelled to borrow fifty dollars with which to purchase grain sacks before he can thrash his wheat crop. * * * * * "=it is hell to be an injun!=" was the rueful self diagnosis of a yakima allottee as he dejectedly surveyed his torn hog fence and ruined garden, ground and demolished by one of the government dredges. the crew, finding a bridge on the public road possibly unsafe, had, without consulting the indian or asking his permission, opened his fence, entered his premises with the many toned machine, passed over a part of his garden, obliterating it, leaving the fence broken permitting his hogs to scatter at large. the indian was not aware of this occurrence until hours afterwards when he found his hogs wandering on the highway. when the dredge-crew was spoken to he was referred to the indian farmer. when this official was approached, he was referred to the agency superintendent. appealing to this worthy, he was informed that he "knew nothing about it." and yet it is expected of the indian that he be law abiding, show love and reverence for the flag and the government--to lick the hand that vivisects him. surely it is "hell to be an injun." * * * * * that sawmill the yakima indian reservation has timber valued at more than three million dollars, and yet the yakimas have no way of making domestic or commercial use of this wealth. building material must be obtained from local dealers at high cost. the saw mill built by the government in compliance with treaty stipulations, burned more than a quarter century ago "under very suspicious circumstances," so the indians declare, and has never been replaced. under date of april , , mr. c. f. hauke, chief clerk of the indian office, in answer to an inquiry, wrote louis mann: "the sawmill is to be put into shape for operation at an early date." no move has ever been made to redeem that "black and white" promise. it will be remembered that at that time the department was over anxious to secure yakima signatures which would permit the looting of the tribesmen to the tune of undetermined millions. the signatures were not forthcoming and the sawmill promise turned out to be another indian bureau fabrication. * * * * * it should redound to the credit of the yakima indians who refused to accompany the pack train under the supervision of head packer anderson, who served the mountaineer club on its outing in the olympic mountains this season. anderson packed for the club in its tour of tahoma last year, with three or four yakimas and their horses. the indians, usually considered hard horse masters, got their fill of anderson's mode of over-loading and driving the long stretches of steep and rugged trail, ofttimes occupying seventeen hours without food or rest. the horses, with raw and sore backs, staggered under stacks of dunnage, leaving the trail red with blood from their worn and unshod feet. the personal effects of preachers, professors and teachers were included in those packs. on a previous outing of the club, anderson's packers mutinied. the mountaineers are winning an unenviable reputation for this brutal treatment of its yearly pack-train. what is the washington state humane bureau for that it does not interfere with this lawless disregard of the humane laws? transcriber's notes: text in bold is enclosed with equals signs: =bold=. text in italics is enclosed with underscores: _italics_. obvious typographical errors have been corrected as follows: page : expalnation changed to explanation malined changed to maligned summarly changed to summarily gally changed to galley volumnous changed to voluminous oftimes changed to ofttimes potage changed to pottage page : imbittered changed embittered page : consumation changed to consummation wonton changed to wanton connivence changed to connivance on changed to one into changed to in two page : leassors changed to lessors man changed to mann refered changed to referred redown changed to redound page : appropose changed to apropos refered changed to referred grabbe changed to grab couds changed to clouds tao changed to to dont changed to don't page : journalo f changed to journal of siezure changed to seizure page : compeled changed to compelled page : alhtough changed to although page : incured changed to incurred compeling changed to compelling appropose changed to apropos page : useing changed to using ripirian changed to riparian irregating changed to irrigating assesment changed to assessment useing changed to using interferreing changed to interfering sincerey changed to sincerely ennter changed to enter ripirian changed to riparian page : irregation changed to irrigation irregate changed to irrigate dont changed to don't useing changed to using ue changed to me seal changed to steal con changed to can page : hinderance changed to hindrance pappoose changed to papoose page : effiency changed to efficiency beief changed to belief page : bessing changed to blessing regretable changed to regrettable liviing changed to living page : oftimes changesd to ofttimes outroight changed to outright deelgation changed to delegation resutl changed to result summerized changed to summarize page : reelase changed to release rythmical changed to rhythmical page : rceorded changed to recorded tribesfan changed to tribesman timet o changed to time to page : oftimes changed to ofttimes sevetneen chenged to seventeen