ve overlooked him. I will descend.

Morton (to OAKHURST). Do you hear?

Exit OAKHURST through gateway. MORTON closes gate, and returns to
centre. Enter JOVITA hurriedly.

Jovita. I have it here. Quick! there is a light in Don Jose's chamber;
my father is coming down. (Sees MORTON, and screams.)

Morton (seizing her.) Hush! for your own sake; for HIS; control
yourself. He is gone, but he will return. (To JOVITA, still struggling.)
Hush, I beg, Miss Jovita. I beg, I command you, my daughter. Hush!

Jovita (whispering). His voice has changed. What does this mean?
(Aloud.) Where has he gone? and why are YOU here?

Morton (slowly and seriously). He has left me here to answer the
unanswered question you asked him. (Enter Don Jose and Col. STARBOTTLE,
R. and L.) I am here to tell you that I am his father, and that he is
Alexander Morton.

TABLEAUX.

Curtain.

END OF ACT I.

ACT II.

SCENE 1.--Red Gulch. Canyon of river, and distant view of Sierras,
snow-ravined. Schoolhouse of logs in right middle distance. Ledge of
rocks in centre. On steps of schoolhouse two large bunches of flowers.
Enter STARBOTTLE, slowly climbing rocks L., panting and exhausted.
Seats himself on rock, foreground, and wipes his face with his
pocket-handkerchief.

Starbottle. This is evidently the er--locality. Here are the--er--groves
of Academus--the heights of er--Ida! I should say that the unwillingness
which the--er--divine Shakespeare points out in the--er--"whining
schoolboy" is intensified in--er--climbing this height, and
the--er--alacrity of his departure must be in exact ratio to his
gravitation. Good idea. Ged! say it to schoolma'am. Wonder what she's
like? Humph! the usual thin, weazened, hatchet-faced Yankee spinster,
with an indecent familiarity with Webster's Dictionary! And this is the
woman, Star, you're expected to discover, and bring back to affluence
and plenty. This is the new fanaticism of Mr. Alexander Morton, sen.
Ged! not satisfied with dragging his prodigal son out of merited
obscurity, this miserable old lunatic commissions ME to hunt up another
of his abused relatives; some forty-fifth cousin, whose mother he
had frozen, beaten, or starved to death! And all this to please his
prodigal! Ged! if that prodigal hadn't presented himself that morning,
I'd have picked up--er--some--er--reduced gentleman--Ged, that knew
how to spend the old man's money to better advantage. (Musing.) If this
schoolmistress wer