apathetic attitude by the fire.

A shout from the road at last proclaimed the return of Yuba Bill and his
helpers. It had the singular effect of startling the party into a vague
and uneasy consciousness of indiscretion, as if it had been the voice
of the outer world of law and order, and their manner again became
constrained. The leave-taking was hurried and perfunctory; the
diplomatic Heckshill again lapsed into glittering generalities about
"the best of friends parting." Only the expressman lingered for a moment
on the doorstep in the light of the fire and the girl's dancing eyes.

"I hope," he stammered, with a very youthful blush, "to come the next
time--with--with--a better introduction."

"Uncle Harry's," she said, with a quick laugh and a mock curtsey, as she
turned away.

Once out of hearing, the party broke into hurried comment and criticism
of the scene they had just witnessed, and particularly of the fair
actress who had played so important a part, averring their emphatic
intention of wresting the facts from Yuba Bill at once, and
cross-examining him closely; but oddly enough, reaching the coach and
that redoubted individual, no one seemed to care to take the initiative,
and they all scrambled hurriedly to their seats without a word. How far
Yuba Bill's irritability and imperious haste contributed to this, or a
fear that he might in turn catechise them kept them silent, no one
knew. The cynically observant passenger was not there; he and the sole
occupant of the box-seat, they were told, had joined the clearing party
some moments before, and would be picked up by Yuba Bill later on.

Five minutes after Bill had gathered up the reins, they reached the
scene of obstruction. The great pine-tree which had fallen from the
steep bank above and stretched across the road had been partly lopped
of its branches, divided in two lengths, which were now rolled to either
side of the track, leaving barely space for the coach to pass. The
huge vehicle "slowed up" as Yuba Bill skillfully guided his six horses
through this narrow alley, whose tassels of pine, glistening with wet,
brushed the panels and sides of the coach, and effectually excluded any
view from its windows. Seen from the coach top, the horses appeared to
be cleaving their way through a dark, shining olive sea, that parted
before and closed behind them, as they slowly passed. The leaders were
just emerging from it, and Bill was gathering up his slackened rei