(CopvRiiJUT 1897, 1907 uv IIakper Brothers) 
LIN McLEAN 
Begun in the April Ninnber 
By Owen \\'ister 
Illustrated by II. D. Couzens 
XIV 
SEPAU’S VIGILANTE 
TESSAMINE sat by her brother until he 
^ died, twelve hours afterward, having 
spoken and known nothing. The whole 
weight of the horse had crushed him internally. 
He must have become almost instantly uncon- 
scious, being held in the saddle by his spurs, 
which had caught in the hair cinch; it may be 
that our loud cheer was the last thing of this 
world that he knew. The injuries to his body 
made impossible any taking him home, which 
his sister at first wished to do. 
“Why, I came here to bring him home,” she 
said, with a smile and tone like cheerfulness 
in wax. Her calm, the unearthly ease with 
which she spoke to any comer (and she was 
surrounded with rough kindness), embarrassed 
the listeners; she saw her calamity clear as they 
did, but was sleep-walking in it. It was Lin 
gave her what she needed — the repose of his 
strong, silent presence. He spoke no sym- 
pathy and no advice, nor even did he argue 
with her about the burial; he perceived 
.somehow that she did not really hear what was 
.said to her, and that these first griefless, 
sensible woi’ds came from some mechanism 
of the nerves; so he kept himself near her, and 
let her tell her story as she would. Once I 
heard him say to her, with the same authority 
of that first “come away:” “Now you’ve had 
enough of the talking. Come for a walk.” 
Enough of the talking — as if it were a treat- 
ment ! How did he think of that ? Jessamine, 
at any rate, again obeyed him, and I saw the 
two going quietly about in the meadows and 
along the curving brook; and that night she 
slept well. On one only point did the cow- 
puncher consult me. 
“They figured to put Nate on top of that bald 
mound,” said he. “But she has talked about 
the flowers and shade where the old folks lie, 
and where she Avants him to be alongside of 
them. I’ve not let her look at him to-day, 
for — well, she might get the way he looks now 
on her memory. But I’d like to show you 
my idea before going further.” 
Lin had indeed chosen a beautiful place, 
and so I told him at the first sight of it. 
“That’s all I wanted to knoAv,” said he. 
“I’ll fix the rest.” 
I believe he never once told Jessamine the 
body could not travel so far as Kentucky. I 
think he let her live and talk and grieve from 
hour to hour, and then led her that afternoon 
to the nook of sunlight an,d sheltering trees, 
and Avon her consent to it thus, for there Avas 
Nate laid, and there she went to sit, alone. 
Lin did not go Avith her on those Avalks. 
But noAV something neAV Avas on the fellow’s 
mind. He Avas plainly occujiied Avith it, 
Avhatever else he Avas doing, and he had some 
active cattleAvork. On my asking him if 
Jessamine Buckner had decided Avhen to 
return east, he inquired of me, angrily, Avhat 
Avas there in Kentucky she could not have in 
