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The master was silent。 Had this dull； narrow…minded partisan
stumbled upon a truth that had never dawned upon his own broader
comprehension？ Had this selfish savage and literally red…handed
frontier brawler been moved by some dumb instinct of the power of
gentleness to understand his daughter's needs better than he？ For
a moment he was staggered。 Then he thought of Cressy's later
flirtations with Joe Masters； and her concealment of their meeting
from her mother。 Had she deceived her father also？ Or was not the
father deceiving him with this alternate suggestion of threat and
of kindlinessof power and weakness。 He had heard of this cruel
phase of Southwestern cunning before。 With the feeble sophistry of
the cynic he mistrusted the good his scepticism could not
understand。 Howbeit； glancing sideways at the slumbering savagery
of the man beside him； and his wounded hand； he did not care to
show his lack of confidence。 He contented himself with that
equally feeble resource of weak humanity in such casesgood…
natured indifference。 〃All right；〃 he said carelessly； 〃I'll see
what can be done。 But are you quite sure you are fit to go home
alone？ Shall I accompany you？〃 As McKinstry waived the suggestion
with a gesture； he added lightly； as if to conclude the interview；
〃I'll report progress to you from time to time； if you like。〃
〃To ME；〃 emphasized McKinstry； 〃not over THAR；〃 indicating the
ranch。 〃But p'rhaps you wouldn't mind my ridin' by and lookin' in
at the school…room winder onct in a while？ Ahyou WOULD；〃 he
added； with the first deepening of color he had shown。 〃Well；
never mind。〃
〃You see it might distract the children from their lessons；〃
explained the master gently； who had however contemplated with some
concern the infinite delight which a glimpse of McKinstry's fiery
and fatuous face at the window would awaken in Johnny Filgee's
infant breast。
〃Well； no matter！〃 returned McKinstry slowly。 〃Ye don't keer； I
s'pose； to come over to the hotel and take suthin'？ A julep or a
smash？〃
〃I shouldn't think of keeping you a moment longer from Mrs。
McKinstry；〃 said the master； looking at his companion's wounded
hand。 〃Thank you all the same。 Good…by。〃
They shook hands； McKinstry transferring his rifle to the hollow of
his elbow to offer his unwounded left。 The master watched him
slowly resume his way towards the ranch。 Then with a half uneasy
and half pleasurable sense that he had taken some step whose
consequences were more important than he would at present
understand； he turned in the opposite direction to the school…
house。 He was so preoccupied that it was not until he had nearly
reached it that he remembered Uncle Ben。 With an odd recollection
of McKinstry's previous performance； he approached the school from
the thicket in the rear and slipped noiselessly to the open window
with the intention of looking in。 But the school…house； far from
exhibiting that 〃kam〃 and studious abstraction which had so touched
the savage breast of McKinstry； was filled with the accents of
youthful and unrestrained vituperation。 The voice of Rupert Filgee
came sharply to the master's astonished ears。
〃You needn't try to play off Dobell or Mitchell on MEyou hear！
Much YOU know of either； don't you？ Look at that copy。 If Johnny
couldn't do better than that； I'd lick him。 Of course it's the
penit ain't your stodgy fingersoh； no！ P'r'aps you'd like to
hev a few more boxes o' quills and gold pens and Gillott's best
thrown in； for two bits a lesson？ I tell you what！ I'll throw up
the contract in another minit！ There goes another quill busted！
Look here； what YOU want ain't a pen； but a clothes…pin and a split
nail！ That'll about jibe with your dilikit gait。〃
The master at once stepped to the window and； unobserved； took a
quick survey of the interior。 Following some ingenious idea of his
own regarding fitness； the beautiful Filgee had induced Uncle Ben
to seat himself on the floor before one of the smallest desks；
presumably his brother's； in an attitude which； while it certainly
gave him considerable elbow…room for those contortions common to
immature penmanship； offered his youthful instructor a superior
eminence； from which he hovered； occasionally swooping down upon
his grown…up pupil like a mischievous but graceful jay。 But Mr。
Ford's most distinct impression was that； far from resenting the
derogatory position and the abuse that accompanied it； Uncle Ben
not only beamed upon his persecutor with unquenchable good humor；
but with undisguised admiration； and showed not the slightest
inclination to accept his proposed resignation。
〃Go slow； Roop；〃 he said cheerfully。 〃You was onct a boy yourself。
Nat'rally I kalkilate to stand all the damages。 You've got ter
waste some powder over a blast like this yer； way down to the bed
rock。 Next time I'll bring my own pens。〃
〃Do。 Some from the Dobell school you uster go to；〃 suggested the
darkly ironical Rupert。 〃They was iron…clad injin…rubber； warn't
they？〃
〃Never you mind wot they were；〃 said Uncle Ben good…humoredly。
〃Look at that string of 'C's' in that line。 There's nothing mean
about THEM。〃
He put his pen between his teeth； raised himself slowly on his
legs； and shading his eyes with his hand from the severe
perspective of six feet； gazed admiringly down upon his work。
Rupert； with his hands in his pockets and his back to the window；
cynically assisted at the inspection。
〃Wot's that sick worm at the bottom of the page？〃 he asked。
〃Wot might you think it wos？〃 said Uncle Ben beamingly。
〃Looks like one o' them snake roots you dig up with a little mud
stuck to it；〃 returned Rupert critically。
〃That's my name。〃
They both stood looking at it with their heads very much on one
side。 〃It ain't so bad as the rest you've done。 It MIGHT be your
name。 That ez； it don't look like anythin' else；〃 suggested
Rupert； struck with a new idea that it was perhaps more professional
occasionally to encourage his pupil。 〃You might get on in course o'
time。 But what are you doin' all this for？〃 he asked suddenly。
〃Doin' what？〃
〃This yer comin' to school when you ain't sent； and you ain't got
no call to goyou； a grown…up man！〃
The color deepened in Uncle Ben's face to the back of his ears。 〃Wot
would you giv' to know； Roop？ S'pose I reckoned some day to make a
strike and sorter drop inter saciety easyeh？ S'pose I wanted to
be ready to keep up my end with the other fellers； when the time
kem？ To be able to sling po'try and read novels and sicheh？〃
An expression of infinite and unutterable scorn dawned in the eyes
of Rupert。 〃You do？ Well；〃 he repeated with slow and cutting
deliberation； 〃I'll tell you what you're comin' here for； and the
only thing that makes you come。〃
〃What？〃
〃It'ssomegirl！〃
Uncle Ben broke into a boisterous laugh that made the roof shake；
stamping about and slapping his legs till the crazy floor trembled。
But at that moment the master stepped to the perch and made a quiet
but discomposing entrance。
CHAPTER IV。
The return of Miss Cressida McKinstry to Indian Spring and her
interrupted studies was an event whose effects were not entirely
confined to the school。 The broken engagement itself seemed of
little moment in the general estimation compared to her resumption
of her old footing as a scholar。 A few ill…natured elders of her
own sex； and naturally exempt from the discriminating retort of Mr。
McKinstry's 〃shot…gun；〃 alleged that the Seminary at Sacramento had
declined to receive her； but the majority accepted her return with
local pride as a practical compliment to the educational facilities
of Indian Spring。 The Tuolumne 〃Star；〃 with a breadth and eloquence
touchingly disproportionate to its actual size and quality of type
and paper； referred to the possible 〃growth of a grove of Academus
at Indian Spring； under whose cloistered boughs future sages and
statesmen were now meditating；〃 in a way that made the master feel
exceedingly uncomfortable。 For some days the trail between the
McKinstrys' ranch and the school…house was lightly patrolled by
reliefs of susceptible young men； to whom the enfranchised Cressida；
relieved from the dangerous supervision of the Davis…McKinstry
clique； was an object of ambitious admiration。 The young girl
herself； who； in spite of the master's annoyance； seemed to be
following some conscientious duty in consecutively arraying herself
in the different dresses she had bought； however she may have
tantalized her admirers by this revelation of bridal finery； did not
venture to bring them near the limits of the play…ground。 It
struck the master with some surprise that Indian Spring did not seem
to trouble itself in regard to his own privileged relations with its
rustic enchantress； the young men clearly