AROUND THE FIRE 57 
discussions. His personality and attitude had 
piqued my curiosity more than once. Indeed, the 
non-committal youth with the sensitive features and 
the punctilious manners was a mystery to all. His 
past was unknown. His very name, rumour whis- 
pered, was assumed. But this is not uncommon in 
New Mexico, even in our effete generation and it is 
not considered the part of wisdom to remark upon 
any such eccentricity. 
Since his departure from Hillsboro the packer- 
musician had appeared distrait and ill at ease, at 
times dejected and at times restless and nervous. 
We thought perhaps that he felt uneasy without his 
violin, which, to our disappointment, he had in- 
sisted on leaving behind. Brown, however, main- 
tained that his partner ‘‘missed his licker,’’ and that 
it was only a question of days before he would be im- 
pelled by his inner craving to go ‘‘on one’? again. 
