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moment's pause； without speaking or looking up； disengaged his hand
from under his chin； and slid it along； palm uppermost； on the
table beside his brother。 Thereupon Rand slowly reached forward
his left hand； the right being engaged in conveying victual to his
mouth； and laid it on his brother's palm。 The act was evidently an
habitual； half mechanical one； for in a few moments the hands were
as gently disengaged； without comment or expression。 At last Rand
leaned back in his chair； laid down his knife and fork； and；
complacently loosening the belt that held his revolver； threw it
and the weapon on his bed。 Taking out his pipe； and chipping some
tobacco on the table； he said carelessly； 〃I came a piece through
the woods with Mornie just now。〃
The face that Ruth turned upon his brother was very distinct in its
expression at that moment； and quite belied the popular theory that
the twins could not be told apart。 〃Thet gal；〃 continued Rand；
without looking up； 〃is either flighty； oror suthin'；〃 he added
in vague disgust； pushing the table from him as if it were the lady
in question。 〃Don't tell me！〃
Ruth's eyes quickly sought his brother's； and were as quickly
averted； as he asked hurriedly； 〃How？〃
〃What gets me；〃 continued Rand in a petulant non sequitur； 〃is that
YOU； my own twin…brother； never lets on about her comin' yer；
permiskus like； when I ain't yer； and you and her gallivantin' and
promanadin'； and swoppin' sentiments and mottoes。〃
Ruth tried to contradict his blushing face with a laugh of worldly
indifference。
〃She came up yer on a sort of pasear。〃
〃Oh； yes！a short cut to the creek；〃 interpolated Rand satirically。
〃Last Tuesday or Wednesday；〃 continued Ruth； with affected
forgetfulness。
〃Oh； in course； Tuesday； or Wednesday； or Thursday！ You've so many
folks climbing up this yer mountain to call on ye；〃 continued the
ironical Rand； 〃that you disremember； only you remembered enough
not to tell me。 SHE did。 She took me for you； or pretended to。〃
The color dropped from Ruth's cheek。
〃Took you for me？〃 he asked； with an awkward laugh。
〃Yes；〃 sneered Rand； 〃chirped and chattered away about OUR picnic；
OUR nose…gays； and lord knows what！ Said she'd keep them blue…
jay's wings； and wear 'em in her hat。 Spouted poetry； too；the
same sort o' rot you get off now and then。〃
Ruth laughed again； but rather ostentatiously and nervously。
〃Ruth； look yer！〃
Ruth faced his brother。
〃What's your little game？ Do you mean to say you don't know what
thet gal is？ Do you mean to say you don't know thet she's the
laughing…stock of the Ferry； thet her father's a dd old fool；
and her mother's a drunkard and worse； thet she's got any right to
be hanging round yer？ You can't mean to marry her； even if you
kalkilate to turn me out to do it； for she wouldn't live alone with
ye up here。 'Tain't her kind。 And if I thought you was thinking
of〃
〃What？〃 said Ruth； turning upon his brother quickly。
〃Oh； thet's right！ holler； swear and yell； and break things； do！
Tear round！〃 continued Rand； kicking his boots off in a corner；
〃just because I ask you a civil question。 That's brotherly；〃 he
added； jerking his chair away against the side of the cabin； 〃ain't
it？〃
〃She's not to blame because her mother drinks； and her father's a
shyster；〃 said Ruth earnestly and strongly。 〃The men who make her
the laughing…stock of the Ferry tried to make her something worse；
and failed； and take this sneak's revenge on her。 'Laughing…
stock！' Yes； they knew she could turn the tables on them。〃
〃Of course； go on！ She's better than me。 I know I'm a fratricide；
that's what I am；〃 said Rand； throwing himself on the upper of the
two berths that formed the bedstead of the cabin。
〃I've seen her three times；〃 continued Ruth。
〃And you've known me twenty years；〃 interrupted his brother。
Ruth turned on his heel； and walked towards the door。
〃That's right； go on！ Why don't you get the chalk？〃
Ruth made no reply。 Rand descended from the bed； and； taking a
piece of chalk from the shelf； drew a line on the floor； dividing
the cabin in two equal parts。
〃You can have the east half；〃 he said； as he climbed slowly back
into bed。
This mysterious rite was the usual termination of a quarrel between
the twins。 Each man kept his half of the cabin until the feud was
forgotten。 It was the mark of silence and separation； over which
no words of recrimination； argument； or even explanation； were
delivered； until it was effaced by one or the other。 This was
considered equivalent to apology or reconciliation； which each were
equally bound in honor to accept。
It may be remarked that the floor was much whiter at this line of
demarcation； and under the fresh chalk…line appeared the faint
evidences of one recently effaced。
Without apparently heeding this potential ceremony； Ruth remained
leaning against the doorway； looking upon the night； the bulk of
whose profundity and blackness seemed to be gathered below him。
The vault above was serene and tranquil； with a few large far…
spaced stars； the abyss beneath； untroubled by sight or sound。
Stepping out upon the ledge； he leaned far over the shelf that
sustained their cabin； and listened。 A faint rhythmical roll；
rising and falling in long undulations against the invisible
horizon； to his accustomed ears told him the wind was blowing among
the pines in the valley。 Yet； mingling with this familiar sound；
his ear； now morbidly acute； seemed to detect a stranger inarticulate
murmur； as of confused and excited voices； swelling up from the
mysterious depths to the stars above； and again swallowed up in the
gulfs of silence below。 He was roused from a consideration of this
phenomenon by a faint glow towards the east； which at last
brightened； until the dark outline of the distant walls of the
valley stood out against the sky。 Were his other senses
participating in the delusion of his ears？ for with the brightening
light came the faint odor of burning timber。
His face grew anxious as he gazed。 At last he rose； and re…entered
the cabin。 His eyes fell upon the faint chalk…mark； and； taking
his soft felt hat from his head； with a few practical sweeps of the
brim he brushed away the ominous record of their late estrangement。
Going to the bed whereon Rand lay stretched； open…eyed； he would
have laid his hand upon his arm lightly； but the brother's fingers
sought and clasped his own。 〃Get up；〃 he said quietly； 〃there's a
strange fire in the Canyon head that I can't make out。〃
Rand slowly clambered from his shelf； and hand in hand the brothers
stood upon the ledge。 〃It's a right smart chance beyond the Ferry；
and a piece beyond the Mill； too；〃 said Rand； shading his eyes with
his hand； from force of habit。 〃It's in the woods where〃 He
would have added where he met Mornie； but it was a point of honor
with the twins； after reconciliation； not to allude to any topic of
their recent disagreement。
Ruth dropped his brother's hand。 〃It doesn't smell like the
woods；〃 he said slowly。
〃Smell！〃 repeated Rand incredulously。 〃Why； it's twenty miles in a
bee…line yonder。 Smell； indeed！〃
Ruth was silent； but presently fell to listening again with his
former abstraction。 〃You don't hear anything； do you？〃 he asked
after a pause。
〃It's blowin' in the pines on the river；〃 said Rand shortly。
〃You don't hear anything else？〃
〃No。〃
〃Nothing likelikelike〃
Rand； who had been listening with an intensity that distorted the
left side of his face； interrupted him impatiently。
〃Like what？〃
〃Like a woman sobbin'？〃
〃Ruth；〃 said Rand； suddenly looking up in his brother's face；
〃what's gone of you？〃
Ruth laughed。 〃The fire's out；〃 he said； abruptly re…entering the
cabin。 〃I'm goin' to turn in。〃
Rand； following his brother half reproachfully； saw him divest
himself of his clothing； and roll himself in the blankets of his
bed。
〃Good…night； Randy！〃
Rand hesitated。 He would have liked to ask his brother another
question； but there was clearly nothing to be done but follow his
example。
〃Good…night； Ruthy！〃 he said； and put out the light。 As he di