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give her my love。〃
〃Which one？〃 asked the boy； with a swift glance of mischief。 〃I've
got four。〃
〃The one that's like you；〃 returned Hamlin； with prompt exactitude。
〃Now； where's the 'bresh' you spoke of？〃
〃Keep along the edge until you come to the log…slide。 Foller that；
and it'll lead you into the woods。 But ye won't go far； I tell ye。
When you have to turn back； instead o' comin' back here； you kin
take the trail that goes round the woods； and that'll bring ye out
into the stage road ag'in near the post…office at the Green Springs
crossin' and the new hotel。 That'll be war ye'll turn up； I
reckon；〃 he added； reflectively。 〃Fellers that come yer gunnin'
and fishin' gin'rally do；〃 he concluded； with a half…inquisitive
air。
〃Ah？〃 said Mr。 Hamlin； quietly shedding the inquiry。 〃Green
Springs Hotel is where the stage stops； eh？〃
〃Yes； and at the post…office；〃 said the boy。 〃She'll be along here
soon；〃 he added。
〃If you mean the Santa Cruz stage；〃 said Hamlin； 〃she's here
already。 I passed her on the ridge half an hour ago。〃
The boy gave a sudden start； and a quick uneasy expression passed
over his face。 〃Go 'long with ye！〃 he said； with a forced smile：
〃it ain't her time yet。〃
〃But I SAW her；〃 repeated Hamlin； much amused。 〃Are you expecting
company？ Hullo！ Where are you off to？ Come back。〃
But his companion had already vanished in the thicket with the
undeliberate and impulsive act of an animal。 There was a momentary
rustle in the alders fifty feet away； and then all was silent。 The
hidden brook took up its monotonous murmur； the tapping of a
distant woodpecker became suddenly audible； and Mr。 Hamlin was
again alone。
〃Wonder whether he's got parents in the stage； and has been playing
truant here；〃 he mused； lazily。 〃Looked as if he'd been up to some
devilment； or more like as if he was primed for it。 If he'd been a
little older； I'd have bet he was in league with some road…agents
to watch the coach。 Just my luck to have him light out as I was
beginning to get some talk out of him。〃 He paused； looked at his
watch； and straightened himself in his stirrups。 〃Four o'clock。 I
reckon I might as well try the woods and what that imp calls the
'bresh；' I may strike a shanty or a native by the way。〃
With this determination； Mr。 Hamlin urged his horse along the faint
trail by the brink of the watercourse which the boy had just
indicated。 He had no definite end in view beyond the one that had
brought him the day before to that localityhis quest of the
unknown poetess。 His clue would have seemed to ordinary humanity
the faintest。 He had merely noted the provincial name of a certain
plant mentioned in the poem； and learned that its habitat was
limited to the southern local range； while its peculiar nomenclature
was clearly of French Creole or Gulf State origin。 This gave him a
large though sparsely…populated area for locality； while it
suggested a settlement of Louisianians or Mississippians near the
Summit； of whom； through their native gambling proclivities； he was
professionally cognizant。 But he mainly trusted Fortune。 Secure in
his faith in the feminine character of that goddess； he relied a
great deal on her well…known weakness for scamps of his quality。
It was not long before he came to the 〃slide〃a lightly…cut or
shallow ditch。 It descended slightly in a course that was far from
straight； at times diverging to avoid the obstacles of trees or
boulders； at times shaving them so closely as to leave smooth
abrasions along their sides made by the grinding passage of long
logs down the incline。 The track itself was slippery from this；
and preoccupied all Hamlin's skill as a horseman； even to the point
of stopping his usual careless whistle。 At the end of half an hour
the track became level again； and he was confronted with a singular
phenomenon。
He had entered the wood； and the trail seemed to cleave through a
far…stretching； motionless sea of ferns that flowed on either side
to the height of his horse's flanks。 The straight shafts of the
trees rose like columns from their hidden bases and were lost again
in a roof of impenetrable leafage； leaving a clear space of fifty
feet between； through which the surrounding horizon of sky was
perfectly visible。 All the light that entered this vast sylvan
hall came from the sides； nothing permeated from above； nothing
radiated from below； the height of the crest on which the wood was
placed gave it this lateral illumination； but gave it also the
profound isolation of some temple raised by long…forgotten hands。
In spite of the height of these clear shafts； they seemed dwarfed
by the expanse of the wood； and in the farthest perspective the
base of ferns and the capital of foliage appeared almost to meet。
As the boy had warned him； the slide had turned aside； skirting the
wood to follow the incline； and presently the little trail he now
followed vanished utterly； leaving him and his horse adrift breast…
high in this green and yellow sea of fronds。 But Mr。 Hamlin；
imperious of obstacles； and touched by some curiosity； continued to
advance lazily； taking the bearings of a larger red…wood in the
centre of the grove for his objective point。 The elastic mass gave
way before him； brushing his knees or combing his horse's flanks
with wide…spread elfin fingers； and closing up behind him as he
passed； as if to obliterate any track by which he might return。
Yet his usual luck did not desert him here。 Being on horseback； he
found that he could detect what had been invisible to the boy and
probably to all pedestrians； namely； that the growth was not
equally dense； that there were certain thinner and more open spaces
that he could take advantage of by more circuitous progression；
always； however； keeping the bearings of the central tree。 This he
at last reached； and halted his panting horse。 Here a new idea
which had been haunting him since he entered the wood took fuller
possession of him。 He had seen or known all this before！ There
was a strange familiarity either in these objects or in the
impression or spell they left upon him。 He remembered the verses！
Yes； this was the 〃underbrush〃 which the poetess had described： the
gloom above and below； the light that seemed blown through it like
the wind； the suggestion of hidden life beneath this tangled
luxuriance； which she alone had penetrated；all this was here。
But； more than that； here was the atmosphere that she had breathed
into the plaintive melody of her verse。 It did not necessarily
follow that Mr。 Hamlin's translation of her sentiment was the
correct one； or that the ideas her verses had provoked in his mind
were at all what had been hers： in his easy susceptibility he was
simply thrown into a corresponding mood of emotion and relieved
himself with song。 One of the verses he had already associated in
his mind with the rhythm of an old plantation melody； and it struck
his fancy to take advantage of the solitude to try its effect。
Humming to himself； at first softly； he at last grew bolder； and
let his voice drift away through the stark pillars of the sylvan
colonnade till it seemed to suffuse and fill it with no more effort
than the light which strayed in on either side。 Sitting thus； his
hat thrown a little back from his clustering curls； the white neck
and shoulders of his horse uplifting him above the crested mass of
fern； his red sash the one fleck of color in their olive depths； I
am afraid he looked much more like the real minstrel of the grove
than the unknown poetess who transfigured it。 But this； as has
been already indicated； was Jack Hamlin's peculiar gift。 Even as
he had previously outshone the vaquero in his borrowed dress； he
now silenced and supplanted a few fluttering blue…jaysrightful
tenants of the woodwith a more graceful and airy presence and a
far sweeter voice。
The open hor