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if she had butted in on me and come to live in my house for keeps …
when I saw a queer expression come into her eyes。 In the doorway
stood an Indian boy。 He looked like her； but was younger and
slimmer。 She took him into the kitchen and they must have had a
great palaver； for he didn't leave until after dark。 Inside the
week he came back； but I missed him。 When I got home； Paloma put a
fat nugget of gold into my hand； which Vahna had sent him for。 The
blamed thing weighed all of two pounds and was worth more than five
hundred dollars。 She explained that Vahna wanted me to take it to
pay for her keep。 And I had to take it to keep peace in the house。
〃Then； after a long time； came another visitor。 We were sitting
before the fire … 〃
〃Him and the hussy；〃 quoth Mrs。 Jones。
〃And Paloma；〃 he added quickly。
〃Him and his cook and his light housekeeper sitting by the fire；〃
she amended。
〃Oh； I admit Vahna did like me a whole heap；〃 he asserted
recklessly； then modified with a pang of caution： 〃A heap more
than was good for her； seeing that I had no inclination her way。
〃Well； as I was saying； she had another visitor。 He was a lean；
tall； white…headed old Indian； with a beak on him like an eagle。
He walked right in without knocking。 Vahna gave a little cry that
was half like a yelp and half like a gasp； and flumped down on her
knees before me； pleading to me with deer's eyes and to him with
the eyes of a deer about to be killed that don't want to be killed。
Then； for a minute that seemed as long as a life…time； she and the
old fellow glared at each other。 Paloma was the first to talk； in
his own lingo； for he talked back to her。 But great Moses； if he
wasn't the high and mighty one！ Paloma's old knees were shaking；
and she cringed to him like a hound dog。 And all this in my own
house！ I'd have thrown him out on his neck； only he was so old。
〃If the things he said to Vahna were as terrible as the way he
looked！ Say！ He just spit words at her！ But Paloma kept
whimpering and butting in； till something she said got across；
because his face relaxed。 He condescended to give me the once over
and fired some question at Vahna。 She hung her head； and looked
foolish； and blushed； and then replied with a single word and a
shake of the head。 And with that he just naturally turned on his
heel and beat it。 I guess she'd said 'No。'
〃For some time after that Vahna used to fluster up whenever she saw
me。 Then she took to the kitchen for a spell。 But after a long
time she began hanging around the big room again。 She was still
mighty shy； but she'd keep on following me about with those big
eyes of hers … 〃
〃The hussy！〃 I heard plainly。 But Julian Jones and I were pretty
well used to it by this time。
〃I don't mind saying that I was getting some interested myself …
oh； not in the way Sarah never lets up letting me know she thinks。
That two…pound nugget was what had me going。 If Vahna'd put me
wise to where it came from； I could say good…bye to railroading and
hit the high places for Nebraska and Sarah。
〃And then the beans were spilled 。 。 。 by accident。 Come a letter
from Wisconsin。 My Aunt Eliza 'd died and up and left me her big
farm。 I let out a whoop when I read it； but I could have canned my
joy； for I was jobbed out of it by the courts and lawyers afterward
… not a cent to me； and I'm still paying 'm in instalments。
〃But I didn't know； then； and I prepared to pull back to God's
country。 Paloma got sore； and Vahna got the weeps。 'Don't go！
Don't go！' That was her song。 But I gave notice on my job； and
wrote a letter to Sarah here … didn't I； Sarah？
〃That night； sitting by the fire like at a funeral； Vahna really
loosened up for the first time。
〃'Don't go；' she says to me； with old Paloma nodding agreement with
her。 'I'll show you where my brother got the nugget； if you don't
go。' 'Too late；' said I。 And I told her why。
〃And told her about me waiting for you back in Nebraska；〃 Mrs。
Jones observed in cold； passionless tones。
〃Now； Sarah； why should I hurt a poor Indian girl's feelings？ Of
course I didn't。
〃Well； she and Paloma talked Indian some more； and then Vahna says：
'If you stay； I'll show you the biggest nugget that is the father
of all other nuggets。' 'How big？' I asked。 'As big as me？' She
laughed。 'Bigger than you；' she says； 'much； much bigger。' 'They
don't grow that way；' I said。 But she said she'd seen it and
Paloma backed her up。 Why； to listen to them you'd have thought
there was millions in that one nugget。 Paloma 'd never seen it
herself； but she'd heard about it。 A secret of the tribe which she
couldn't share； being only half Indian herself。〃
Julian Jones paused and heaved a sigh。
〃And they kept on insisting until I fell for … 〃
〃The hussy；〃 said Mrs。 Jones； pert as a bird； at the ready instant。
〃'No； for the nugget。 What of Aunt Eliza's farm I was rich enough
to quit railroading； but not rich enough to turn my back on big
money … and I just couldn't help believing them two women。 Gee！ I
could be another Vanderbilt； or J。 P。 Morgan。 That's the way I
thought； and I started in to pump Vahna。 But she wouldn't give
down。 'You come along with me；' she says。 'We can be back here in
a couple of weeks with all the gold the both of us can carry。'
'We'll take a burro； or a pack…train of burros；' was my suggestion。
But nothing doing。 And Paloma agreed with her。 It was too
dangerous。 The Indians would catch us。
〃The two of us pulled out when the nights were moonlight。 We
travelled only at night； and laid up in the days。 Vahna wouldn't
let me light a fire； and I missed my coffee something fierce。 We
got up in the real high mountains of the main Andes； where the snow
on one pass gave us some trouble； but the girl knew the trails；
and； though we didn't waste any time； we were a full week getting
there。 I know the general trend of our travel； because I carried a
pocket compass； and the general trend is all I need to get there
again； because of that peak。 There's no mistaking it。 There ain't
another peak like it in the world。 Now； I'm not telling you its
particular shape； but when you and I head out for it from Quito
I'll take you straight to it。
〃It's no easy thing to climb； and the person doesn't live that can
climb it at night。 We had to take the daylight to it； and didn't
reach the top till after sunset。 Why； I could take hours and hours
telling you about that last climb； which I won't。 The top was flat
as a billiard table； about a quarter of an acre in size； and was
almost clean of snow。 Vahna told me that the great winds that
usually blew； kept the snow off of it。
〃We were winded； and I got mountain sickness so bad that I had to
stretch out for a spell。 Then； when the moon come up； I took a
prowl around。 It didn't take long； and I didn't catch a sight or a