s to the crack, he could
hear all that was said. The woman looked weary and worn. Her face was a
sensitive one, and her voice kindly; but the man had the countenance
of a brute,--of a human brute. Why do we malign the so-called brute
creation, making their names a unit of comparison for base traits which
never one of them possessed?

"It seems as if I never should get to rights in this world!" said the
woman. Alessandro understood enough English to gather the meaning of
what she said. He listened eagerly. "When will the next wagon get here?"

"I don't know," growled her husband. "There's been a slide in that
cursed canon, and blocked the road. They won't be here for several days
yet. Hain't you got stuff enough round now? If you'd clear up what's
here now, then 'twould be time enough to grumble because you hadn't got
everything."

"But, John," she replied, "I can't clear up till the bureau comes, to
put the things away in, and the bedstead. I can't seem to do anything."

"You can grumble, I take notice," he answered. "That's about all you
women are good for, anyhow. There was a first-rate raw-hide bedstead
in here. If Rothsaker hadn't been such a fool's to let those dogs of
Indians carry off all their truck, we might have had that!"

The woman looked at him reproachfully, but did not speak for a moment.
Then her cheeks flushed, and seeming unable to repress the speech, she
exclaimed, "Well, I'm thankful enough he did let the poor things take
their furniture. I'd never have slept a wink an that bedstead, I know,
if it had ha' been left here. It's bad enough to take their houses this
way!"

"Oh, you shut up your head for a blamed fool, will you!" cried the man.
He was half drunk, his worst and most dangerous state. She glanced at
him half timorously, half indignantly, and turning to the children,
began feeding the baby. At that second the other child looked up, and
catching sight of the outline of Alessandro's head, cried out, "There's
a man there! There, at the window!"

Alessandro threw himself flat on the ground, and held his breath. Had
he imperilled all, brought danger on himself and Ramona, by yielding to
this mad impulse to look once more inside the walls of his home? With
a fearful oath, the half-drunken man exclaimed, "One of those damned
Indians, I expect. I've seen several hangin' round to-day. We'll have to
shoot two or three of 'em yet, before we're rid of 'em!" and he took his
gun down from the pegs