TUR MYSTERY OF Tllli HLU/i GOOSIl 



233 



man, and I reasoned that he probably 

 would take less care to conceal his 

 tracks on top of the wall than below, 

 where we could see and follow them. 

 To Big Pete I said that there were 

 goats upon both sides of the park, and 

 in all probability they had a short cut 

 across which I could better find on top 

 than in the valley ; this theory of mine 

 was a good one, but on account of the 

 superstitious feeling of my fellow- 

 prisoner I only advanced the idea to 

 conceal my real purpose. I discovered 

 no signs of either goat's or man's trail 

 up or down the cliff and returned dis- 

 couraged, but Pete heartened me up a 

 bit by saying that one day's work up 

 there by a poor trailer could accomplish 

 little and that we must go prepared for 

 a week's sojourn on the mountain-side 

 if we hoped for success, for even that 

 length of time would not be overmuch 

 in which to circle the park. Touching 

 a bunch of Linncea borealis which I had 

 on my coat, he asked : "Where did you 

 pick them air twin flowers?" "On the 

 edge of the cliff at the top of the trail," 

 I replied, burying my nose among the 

 blossoms to inhale the dainty almond- 

 like perfume. "Waugh?" quoth my 

 guide, and he squinted up the cliff as 

 if he were sighting a gun, "I wonder 

 if that ain't whar she got her'n?" 



"She?" I exclaimed, blushing, "What 

 are you talking about, my friend? She? 

 Why, man, is your mind wandering!" 

 "Wull, yes, it be a bit, it air a wandering 

 up tha'," he said, pointing to the top 



where the fragrant twin flowers grew. 

 "Now look here, Le-Loo," he continued, 

 "you followed my trail 'tother day and 

 saw where she had been standing, peek- 

 ing through the bushes at our cam]). 

 Well then, when I was working on your 

 pesky breeches I smelled twin flowers 

 all on a sudden, I knowed they warn't 

 any growing near camp, so I jist walked 

 around to windward an' found whar 

 she had been standing an' I also found 

 a twin flower thar, an' here 'tis," he 

 said, producing the withered blossom 

 from inside his wamus. "You must 

 have knowed she was thar, too, or why 

 did yer face get as red as your nose, 

 and what for did you go into the tent, 

 but to hide from the gal?" 



"Gal ?" I shouted. "How in the name 

 of common sense could a girl reach 

 here? Where did she come from, and 

 why did she not make herself known 

 to us?" 



"Don't know, Le-Loo, whar she 

 cum from, and guess she didn't call 

 'cause she saw that you warnt dressed 

 for company ; but she was a gurl, and 

 no squaw either, 'cause a squaw 

 wouldn't have minded your dress. 

 Come along and I'll show you some- 

 thing I guess you didn't see when you 

 followed my trail so sly." Pete led me 

 to the point where I discovered the 

 strange trail, and there in the dust on 

 the top of a flat stone which had pre- 

 viously escaped my notice could still 

 be seen the distinct prints of two little 

 moccasined feet ! 



