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taken away； the house and its contents were consumed where they stood。
With a feeling of horror and desperation Key at last ventured to disturb
two or three of the blackened heaps that lay before him。 But they were
only vestiges of clothing； bedding； and crockerythere was no human
trace that he could detect。 Nor was there any suggestion of the original
condition and quality of the house； except its size： whether the ordinary
unsightly cabin of frontier 〃partners；〃 or some sylvan cottagethere was
nothing left but the usual ignoble and unsavory ruins of burnt…out human
habitation。
And yet its very existence was a mystery。 It had been unknown at
Collinson's； its nearest neighbor； and it was presumable that it was equally
unknown at Skinner's。 Neither he nor his companions had detected it in
their first journey by day through the hollow； and only the tell…tale window
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at night had been a hint of what was even then so successfully concealed
that they could not discover it when they had blundered against its rock
foundation。 For concealed it certainly was； and intentionally so。 But
for what purpose？
He gave his romance full play for a few minutes with this question。
Some recluse； preferring the absolute simplicity of nature； or perhaps
wearied with the artificialities of society； had secluded himself here with
the company of his only daughter。 Proficient as a pathfinder； he had
easily discovered some other way of provisioning his house from the
settlements than by the ordinary trails past Collinson's or Skinner's； which
would have betrayed his vicinity。 But recluses are not usually
accompanied by young daughters； whose relations with the world； not
being as antagonistic； would make them uncertain companions。 Why not
a wife？ His presumption of the extreme youth of the face he had seen at
the window was after all only based upon the slipper he had found。 And
if a wife； whose absolute acceptance of such confined seclusion might be
equally uncertain； why not somebody else's wife？ Here was a reason for
concealment； and the end of an episode； not unknown even in the
wilderness。 And here was the work of the Nemesis who had overtaken
them in their guilty contentment！ The story； even to its moral； was
complete。 And yet it did not entirely satisfy him； so superior is the
absolutely unknown to the most elaborate theory。
His attention had been once or twice drawn towards the crumbling
wall of outcrop； which during the conflagration must have felt the full
force of the fiery blast that had swept through the hollow and spent its fury
upon it。 It bore evidence of the intense heat in cracked fissures and the
crumbling debris that lay at its feet。 Key picked up some of the still warm
fragments； and was not surprised that they easily broke in a gritty； grayish
powder in his hands。 In spite of his preoccupation with the human
interest； the instinct of the prospector was still strong upon him； and he
almost mechanically put some of the pieces in his pockets。 Then after
another careful survey of the locality for any further record of its vanished
tenants； he returned to his horse。 Here he took from his saddle…bags； half
listlessly； a precious phial encased in wood； and； opening it； poured into
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IN A HOLLOW OF THE HILLS
another thick glass vessel part of a smoking fluid； he then crumbled some
of the calcined fragments into the glass； and watched the ebullition that
followed with mechanical gravity。 When it had almost ceased he drained
off the contents into another glass； which he set down； and then proceeded
to pour some water from his drinking…flask into the ordinary tin cup which
formed part of his culinary traveling…kit。 Into this he put three or four
pinches of salt from his provision store。 Then dipping his fingers into the
salt and water； he allowed a drop to fall into the glass。 A white cloud
instantly gathered in the colorless fluid； and then fell in a fine film to the
bottom of the glass。 Key's eyes concentrated suddenly； the listless look
left his face。 His fingers trembled lightly as he again let the salt water
fall into the solution； with exactly the same result！ Again and again he
repeated it； until the bottom of the glass was quite gray with the fallen
precipitate。 And his own face grew as gray。
His hand trembled no longer as he carefully poured off the solution so
as not to disturb the precipitate at the bottom。 Then he drew out his knife；
scooped a little of the gray sediment upon its point； and emptying his tin
cup； turned it upside down upon his knee； placed the sediment upon it； and
began to spread it over the dull surface of its bottom with his knife。 He
had intended to rub it briskly with his knife blade。 But in the very action
of spreading it； the first stroke of his knife left upon the sediment and the
cup the luminous streak of burnished silver！
He stood up and drew a long breath to still the beatings of his heart。
Then he rapidly re…climbed the rock； and passed over the ruins again； this
time plunging hurriedly through； and kicking aside the charred heaps
without a thought of what they had contained。 Key was not an unfeeling
man； he was not an unrefined one： he was a gentleman by instinct； and had
an intuitive sympathy for others； but in that instant his whole mind was
concentrated upon the calcined outcrop！ And his first impulse was to see
if it bore any evidence of previous examination； prospecting； or working
by its suddenly evicted neighbors and owners。 There was none： they had
evidently not known it。 Nor was there any reason to suppose that they
would ever return to their hidden home； now devastated and laid bare to
the open sunlight and open trail。 They were already far away； their guilty
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personal secret would keep them from revisiting it。 An immense feeling
of relief came over the soul of this moral romancer； a momentary
recognition of the Most High in this perfect poetical retribution。 He ran
back quickly to his saddle…bags； drew out one or two carefully written；
formal notices of preemption and claim； which he and his former
companions had carried in their brief partnership； erased their signatures
and left only his own name； with another grateful sense of Divine
interference； as he thought of them speeding far away in the distance； and
returned to the ruins。 With unconscious irony； he selected a charred post
from the embers； stuck it in the ground a few feet from the debris of
outcrop； and finally affixed his 〃Notice。〃 Then； with a conscientiousness
born possibly of his new religious convictions； he dislodged with his
pickaxe enough of the brittle outcrop to constitute that presumption of
〃actual work〃 upon the claim which was legally required for its
maintenance； and returned to his horse。 In replacing his things in his
saddle…bags he came upon the slipper； and for an instant so complete was
his preoccupation in his later discovery； that he was about to throw it away
as useless impedimenta； until it occurred to him； albeit vaguely； that it
might be of service to him in its connection with that discovery； in the way
of refuting possible false claimants。 He was not aware of any faithlessness
to his momentary romance； any more than he was conscious of any
disloyalty to his old companions； in his gratification that his good fortune
had come to him alone。 This singular selection was a common