" his cab," said Sherlock Holmes " serve him to Scotland Yard And now, gentlemen," he continued, with pleasant smile, " reached the end little mystery very welcome any questions that you like now, and no danger that refuse to answer them "

PART II

_The Country Saints

CHAPTER I

GREAT ALKALI PLAIN

central portion great North American Continent there lies an arid and repulsive desert, which for many long year served as barrier against the advance of civilisation Sierra Nevada to Nebraska, and Yellowstone River north Colorado south, is region of desolation and silence Nor is Nature always in one mood grim district It comprises snow-capped and lofty mountains, and dark and gloomy valleys swift-flowing rivers which dash through jagged canons; {18} and enormous plains, which in winter are white with snow, and in summer are grey saline alkali dust They all preserve, however, the common characteristics of barrenness, inhospitality, and misery

no inhabitants land of despair band of Pawnees or of Blackfeet may occasionally traverse it to reach other hunting-grounds, but the hardiest braves are glad to lose sight awesome plains, and themselves once more upon their prairies The coyote skulks scrub, the buzzard flaps heavily air, clumsy grizzly bear lumbers dark ravines, and picks up such sustenance as it can amongst the rocks These are the sole dwellers wilderness

whole world there no more dreary view than that northern slope Sierra Blanco As far eye can reach stretches the great flat plain-land, all dusted over with patches of alkali, and intersected by clumps dwarfish chaparral bushes extreme verge horizon lie long chain of mountain peaks, with their rugged summits flecked with snow great stretch of country no sign of life, nor of anything appertaining to life no bird steel-blue heaven, no movement dull, grey earth -- above all, absolute silence Listen as one may, no shadow of sound in all that mighty wilderness; nothing but silence -- complete and heart-subduing silence

said nothing appertaining to life broad plain hardly true Looking down Sierra Blanco, one sees pathway traced out across the desert, which winds away lost extreme distance rutted with wheels and trodden down feet of many adventurers Here and there scattered white objects which glisten sun, and stand out against the dull deposit of alkali Approach, and examine them ! bones: some large and coarse, others smaller and more delicate The former have belonged to oxen, latter to men For fifteen hundred miles one may trace this ghastly caravan route scattered remains who had fallen wayside

Looking down very scene, there stood fourth of May, eighteen hundred and forty-seven, solitary traveller His appearance was such that the very genius or demon region An observer found it difficult whether nearer to forty or to sixty His face was lean and haggard, brown parchment-like skin was drawn tightly over the projecting bones; his long, brown hair and beard were all flecked and dashed with white; his eyes were sunken head, and burned with an unnatural lustre; while the hand which grasped his rifle was hardly more fleshy than that of skeleton As he stood, he leaned upon his weapon for support, and yet his tall figure massive framework bones suggested wiry and vigorous constitution His gaunt face, however, clothes, which hung so baggily over his shrivelled limbs, proclaimed what it gave him that senile and decrepit appearance The man was dying -- dying from hunger and from thirst

He had toiled painfully down the ravine, and on little elevation, vain hope of seeing some signs of water Now the great salt plain stretched before his eyes, distant belt of savage mountains, without sign anywhere of plant or tree, which might indicate the presence of moisture In all that broad landscape no gleam of hope North, and east, and west he looked with wild questioning eyes, and then he realised that his wanderings had come to an end, there, barren crag, about to die " here, as in feather bed, twenty years hence," he muttered, as he seated himself shelter of boulder

Before sitting down, he had deposited ground his useless rifle, and also large bundle tied up in grey shawl, which he had carried slung over his right shoulder It appeared somewhat too heavy strength, for in lowering it, it came down ground with some little violence Instantly there broke grey parcel little moaning cry, and there protruded small, scared face, with very bright brown eyes, and two little speckled, dimpled fists

"You've hurt me ! " said childish voice reproachfully

"Have I though," the man answered penitently, "I didn't go for " As he spoke he unwrapped the grey shawl and extricated pretty little girl of about five , whose dainty shoes and smart pink frock with its little linen apron all bespoke mother's care The child was pale and wan, but her healthy arms and legs showed that she had suffered her companion

"How now ? " he answered anxiously, for she was still rubbing the towsy golden curls which covered the back of her head

"Kiss it and make it well," she said, with perfect gravity, shoving {19} the injured part him "That's what mother used Where's mother ? "

"Mother's gone I guess you'll see her before long "

"Gone, eh ! " said the little girl "Funny, she didn't say good-bye; she 'most always did if she was just goin' over to Auntie's for tea, and now she's been away three days Say, it's awful dry, ain't it ? Ain't there no water, nor nothing to eat ? "

"No, there ain't nothing, dearie You'll just need patient awhile, and then you'll be all right Put your head up agin me like that, and then you'll feel bullier It ain't easy when your lips is like leather, but I guess I'd best let how the cards lie What's that you've got ? "

"Pretty things ! fine things ! " cried the little girl enthusiastically, holding up two glittering fragments of mica "When we goes back to home I'll give them to brother Bob "

"You'll see prettier things than them soon," said the man confidently "You just wait bit going you though -- you remember when we left the river ? "

"Oh, yes "

"Well, we reckoned we'd strike another river soon, d'ye see But somethin' wrong; compasses, or map, or somethin', and it didn't turn up Water ran out Just except little drop likes of you and -- and ----"

"And you couldn't wash yourself," interrupted his companion gravely, staring up at his grimy visage

"No, nor drink And Mr Bender, he fust , and then Indian Pete, and then Mrs McGregor, and then Johnny Hones, and then, dearie, your mother "

"Then mother's deader too," cried the little girl dropping her face in her pinafore and sobbing bitterly

"Yes, they all went except you and me Then some chance of water direction, so I heaved you over my shoulder and we tramped it together It don't seem we've improved matters There's an almighty small chance now ! "

" that going to die too ? " asked the child, checking her sobs, and raising her tear-stained face

"I guess that's size of it "

"Why didn't you say so before ? " she said, laughing gleefully " me such fright Why, , now as long die we'll be with mother again "

"Yes, , dearie "

"And you too I'll tell her how awful good you've been I'll bet she meets us door of Heaven with big pitcher of water, and lot of buckwheat cakes, hot, and toasted on both sides, like Bob and me was fond of How long will it be first ? "

"I don't know -- not very long " The man's eyes were fixed northern horizon blue vault heaven there had appeared three little specks which increased in size every moment, so rapidly did they approach They speedily resolved themselves into three large brown birds, which circled over the heads two wanderers, and then settled upon some rocks which overlooked them They were buzzards, the vultures west, whose coming forerunner of death

"Cocks and hens," cried the little girl gleefully, pointing at their ill-omened forms, and clapping her hands them rise "Say, did God make this country ? "

"In course ," said her companion, rather startled unexpected question

" the country down in Illinois, and the Missouri," the little girl continued "I guess somebody else made the country parts It's not nearly done They forgot the water trees "

"What would ye think of offering up prayer ? " the man asked diffidently

"It ain't night yet," she answered

"It don't matter It ain't quite regular, but He won't mind that, you bet You say over them ones that you used every night waggon when we was Plains "

"Why don't you say some yourself ? " the child asked, with wondering eyes

"I disremember them," he answered "I hain't said none since half the height o' that gun I guess it's never too late You say them out, and I'll stand by and come in choruses "

"Then you'll need to kneel down, and me too," she said, laying the shawl out purpose "You've got your hands up like this It makes you feel kind o' good "