TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 245 



fly on the wings of terror to some likely bit of cover 

 when suddenly, on the peak above us, a tatterde- 

 malion figure appeared on the sky line, and slowly 

 sauntered down to us. He showed no surprise at 

 seeing us, expressed no regret for making targets of 

 us, and he did not seem in the least inquisitive as 

 to whence we came or why. He stood leaning non- 

 chalantly on his rifle, and let us admire him ; he 

 knew we were doing so, and indeed we could not help 

 it. A great sombrero curved on the red-grey hair, 

 which fell to his shoulders, a wavy beard grew to 

 his waist, and in the interregnum between it and the 

 top of his trousers was a band of red leather stuck 

 full of cartridges. A scarf of red was knotted about 

 his throat, and ever and again we caught a glimpse 

 of a lump of Cassiar gold, big as a pigeon's egg, 

 doing duty as tie-pin. This romantic figure of the 

 mountains, who had been doing his best to send us 

 out of this world, said he guessed his bullets had 

 fallen " kinder close." He was real mad at missing 

 a fine ram, so blazed away anyhow. 



" Rather a waste of cartridges," I said, thought- 

 fully. 



" Say so, ma'am," our friend answered, " but you 

 waste them or words these times." 



He invited us to lunch with him upon the moun- 

 tains, striding on ahead the instant the invitation was 

 given, as though he were a Pied Piper we must fain 

 follow. So he was to Steve, for at the first mention 

 of food, that worthy practically ran the trail at the 

 heels of our host-to-be. Round the green slopes, 

 climbing still at an easy gradient. And set in a 



