hed　a　soft　glamour　within　it。　　A　　hundred　ladies　and　gentlemen　from　the　inn　and　summer　cottages　flitted　　in　and　about　it。　　To　the　left　of　the　dusty　roadway　down　which　the　　hermit　had　tramped　were　the　inn　and　grill…room。　　Something　seemed　to　　be　on　there；　too。　　The　windows　were　brilliantly　lighted；　and　music　was　　playingmusic　different　from　the　two…steps　and　waltzes　of　the　casino　　band。
  A　negro　man　wearing　a　white　jacket　came　through　the　iron　gate；　with　　its　immense　granite　posts　and　wrought…iron　lamp…holders。
  〃What　is　going　on　here　to…night？〃　asked　the　hermit。
  〃Well；　sah；〃　said　the　servitor；　〃dey　is　having　de　reg'lar　Thursday…　evenin'　dance　in　de　casino。　　And　in　de　grill…room　dere's　a　beefsteak　　dinner；　sah。〃
  The　hermit　glanced　up　at　the　inn　on　the　hillside　whence　burst　suddenly　　a　triumphant　strain　of　splendid　harmony。
  〃And　up　there；〃　said　he；　〃they　are　playing　Mendelssohnwhat　is　going　　on　up　there？〃
  〃Up　in　de　inn；〃　said　the　dusky　one；　〃dey　is　a　weddin'　goin'　on。　　Mr。　　　Binkley；　a　mighty　rich　man；　am　marryin'　Miss　Trenholme；　sahde　young　　lady　who　am　quite　de　belle　of　de　place；　sah。〃
  HE　ALSO　SERVES
  If　I　could　have　a　thousand　yearsjust　one　little　thousand　yearsmore　　of　life；　I　might；　in　that　time；　draw　near　enough　to　true　Romance　to　　touch　the　hem　of　her　robe。
  Up　from　ships　men　come；　and　from　waste　places　and　forest　and　road　and　　garret　and　cellar　to　maunder　to　me　in　strangely　distributed　words　of　　the　things　they　have　seen　and　considered。　　The　recording　of　their　　tales　is　no　more　than　a　matter　of　ears　and　fingers。　　There　are　only　　two　fates　I　dreaddeafness　and　writer's　cramp。　　The　hand　is　yet　　steady；　let　the　ear　bear　the　blame　if　these　printed　words　be　not　in　　the　order　they　were　delivered　to　me　by　Hunky　Magee；　true　camp…follower　　of　fortune。
  Biography　shall　claim　you　but　an　instantI　first　knew　Hunky　when　he　　was　head…waiter　at　Chubb's　little　beefsteak　restaurant　and　cafe　on　　Third　Avenue。　　There　was　only　one　waiter　besides。
  Then；　successively；　I　caromed　against　him　in　the　little　streets　of　the　　Big　City　after　his　trip　to　Alaska；　his　voyage　as　cook　with　a　treasure…　seeking　expedition　to　the　Caribbean；　and　his　failure　as　a　pearl…fisher　　in　the　Arkansas　River。　　Between　these　dashes　into　the　land　of　　adventure　he　usually　came　back　to　Chubb's　for　a　while。　　Chubb's　was　a　　port　for　him　when　gales　blew　too　high；　but　when　you　dined　there　and　　Hunky　went　for　your　steak　you　never　knew　whether　he　would　come　to　　anchor　in　the　kitchen　or　in　the　Malayan　Archipelago。　　You　wouldn't　　care　for　his　descriptionhe　was　soft　of　voice　and　hard　of　face；　and　　rarely　had　to　use　more　than　one　eye　to　quell　any　approach　to　a　　disturbance　among　Chubb's　customers。
  One　night　I　found　Hunky　standing　at　a　corner　of　Twenty…third　Street　　and　Third　Avenue　after　an　absence　of　several　months。　　In　ten　minutes　　we　had　a　little　round　table　between　us　in　a　quiet　corner；　and　my　ears　　began　to　get　busy。　　I　leave　out　my　sly　ruses　and　feints　to　draw　　Hunky's　word…of…mouth　blowsit　all　came　to　something　like　this：
  〃Speaking　of　the　next　election；〃　said　Hunky；　〃did　you　ever　know　much　　about　Indians？　No？　I　don't　mean　the　Cooper；　Beadle；　cigar…store；　or　　Laughing　Water　kind…I　mean　the　modern　Indianthe　kind　that　takes　　Greek　prizes　in　colleges　and　scalps　the　half…back　on　the　other　side　in　　football　games。　　The　kind　that　eats　macaroons　and　tea　in　the　　afternoons　with　the　daughter　of　the　professor　of　biology；　and　fills　up　　on　grasshoppers　and　fried　rattlesnake　when　they　get　back　to　the　　ancestral　wickiup。
  〃Well；　they　ain't　so　bad。　　I　like　'em　better　than　most　foreigners　that　　have　come　over　in　the　last　few　hundred　years。　　One　thing　about　the　　Indian　is　this：　when　he　mixes　with　the　white　race　he　swaps　all　his　own　　vices　for　them　of　the　pale…facesand　he　retains　all　his　own　virtues。　　　Well；　his　virtues　are　enough　to　call　out　the　reserves　whenever　he　lets　　'em　loose。　　But　the　imported　foreigners　adopt　our　virtues　and　keep　　their　own　vicesand　it's　going　to　take　our　whole　standing　army　some　　day　to　police　that　gang。
  〃But　let　me　tell　you　about　the　trip　I　took　to　Mexico　with　High　jack　　Snakefeeder；　a　Cherokee　twice　removed；　a　graduate　of　a　Pennsylvania　　college　and　the　latest　thing　in　pointed…toed；　rubber…heeled；　patent　　kid　moccasins　and　Madras　hunting…shirt　with　turned…back　cuffs。　　He　was　　a　friend　of　mine。　　I　met　him　in　Tahlequah　when　I　was　out　there　during　　the　land　boom；　and　we　got　thick。　　He　had　got　all　there　was　out　of　　colleges　and　had　come　back　to　lead　his　people　out　of　Egypt。　　He　was　a　　man　of　first…class　style　and　wrote　essays；　and　had　been　invited　to　　visit　rich　guys'　houses　in　Boston　and　such　places。
  〃There　was　a　Cherokee　girl　in　Muscogee　that　High　Jack　was　foolish　　about。　　He　took　me　to　see　her　a　few　times。　　Her　name　was　Florence　Blue　　Featherbut　you　want　to　clear　your　mind　of　all　ideas　of　squaws　with　　nose…rings　and　army　blankets。　　This　young　lady　was　whiter　than　you　　are；　and　better　educated　than　I　ever　was。　　You　couldn't　have　told　her　　from　any　of　the　girls　shopping　in　the　swell　Third　Avenue　stores。　　I　　liked　her　so　well　that；　I　got　to　calling　on　her　now　and　then　when　High　　Jack　wasn't　along；　which　is　the　way　of　friends　in　such　matters。　　She　　was　educated　at　the　Muscogee　College；　and　was　making　a　specialty　of　let's　seeethyes；　ethnology。　　That's　the　art　that　goes　back　and　　traces　the　descent　of　different　races　of　people；　leading　up　from　　jelly…fish　through　monkeys　and　to　the　O'Briens。　　High　Jack　had　took　up　　that　line　too；　and　had　read　papers　about　it　before　all　kinds　of　　riotous　assembliesChautauquas　and　Choctaws　and　chowder…parties；　and　　such。　　Having　a　mutual　taste　for　musty　information　like　that　was　what　　made　'em　like　each　other；　I　suppose。　　But　I　don't　know！　　What　they　　call　congeniality　of　tastes　ain't　always　it。　　Now；　when　Miss　Blue　　Feather　and　me　was　talking　together；　I　listened　to　her　affidavits　　about　the　first　families　of　the　Land　of　Nod　being　cousins　german　　（well；　if　the　Germans　don't　nod；　who　does？）　to　the　mound…builders　of　　Ohio　with　incomprehension　and　respect。　　And　when　I'd　tell　her　about　　the　Bowery　and　Coney　Island；　and　sing　her　a　few　songs　that　I'd　heard　　the　Jamaica　niggers　sing　at　their　church　lawn…parties；　she　didn't　look　　much　less　interested　than　she　did　when　High　Jack　would　tell　her　that　　he　had　a　pipe　that　the　first　inhabitants　of　America　originally　arrived　　here　on　stilts　after　a　freshet　at　Tenafly；　New　Jersey。
  〃But　I　was　going　to　tell　you　more　about　High　Jack。
  〃About　six　months　ago　I　get　a　letter　from　him；　saying　he'd　been　　commissioned　by　the　Minority　Report　Bureau　of　Ethnology　at　Washington　　to　go　down　to　Mexico　and　translate　some　excavations　or　dig　up　the　　meaning　of　some　shorthand　notes　on　some　ruinsor　something　of　that　　sort。　　And　if　I'd　go　along　he　could　squeeze　the　price　into　the　expense　　account。
  〃Well；　I'd　been　holding　a　napkin　over　my　arm　at　Chubb's　about　long　　enough　then；　so　I　wired　High　Jack　'Yes'；　and　he　sent　me　a　ticket；　and　　I　met　him　in　Washington；　and　he　had　a　lot　of　news　to　tell　me。　　First　　of　all；　was　that　Florence　Blue　Feather　had　suddenly　disappeared　from　　her　home　and　environments。
  〃'Run　away？'　I　asked。
  〃'Vanished；'　says　High　Jack。　　'Disappeared　like　your　shadow　when　the　　sun　goes　under　a　cloud。　　She　was　seen　on　the　street；　and　then　she　　turned　a　corner　and　nobody　ever　seen　her　afterward。　　The　whole　　community　turned　out　to　look　for　her；　but　we　never　found　a　clew。'
  〃'That's　badthat's　bad；'　says　I。　　'She　was　a　mighty　nice　girl；　and　　as　smart　as　you　find　em。
  〃High　Jack　seemed　to　take　it　hard。　　I　guess　he　must　have　esteemed　Miss　　Blue　Feather　quite　highly。　　I　could　see　that　he'd　referred　the　matter　　to　the　whiskey…jug。　　That　was　his　weak　pointand　many　another　man's。　　　I've　noticed　that　when　a　man　loses　a　girl　he　generally　takes　to　drink　　either　just　before　or　just　after　it　happens。
  〃From　Washington　we　railroaded　it　to　New　Orleans；　and　there　took　a　　tramp　steamer　bound　for　Belize。　　And　a　gale　pounded　us　all　down　the　　Caribbean；　and　nearly　wrecked　us　on　the　Yucatan　coast　opposite　a　　little　town　without　a　harbor　called　Boca　de　Coacoyula。　　　Suppose　the　　ship　had　run　against　that　name　in　the　dark！
  〃'Better　fifty　years　of　Europe　than　a　cyclone　in　the　bay；'　says　High　　Jack　Snakefeeder。　　So　we　get　the　captain　to　send　us　ashore　in　a　dory　　when　the　squall　seemed　to　cease　from　squalling。
  〃'We　will　find　ruins　here　or　make　'em；'　says　High。　　'The　Government　　doesn't　care　which　we　do。　　An　appropriation　is　an　appropriation。'
  〃Boca　de　Coacoyula　was　a　dead　town。　　Them　biblical　towns　we　read　　aboutTired　and　Siphonafter　they　was　destroyed；　they　must　have　　looked　like　Forty…second　Street　and　Broadway　compared　to　this　Boca　　place。　　It　still　claimed　1300　inhabitants　as　estimated　and　engraved　on　　the　stone　court…house　by　the　census…taker　in　1597。　　The　citizens　were　　a　mixture　of　Indians　and　other　Indians；　but　some　of　'em　was　light…　colored；　which　I　was　surprised　to　see。　　The　town　was　huddled　up　on　the　　shore；　with　woods　so　thick　around　it　that　a　subpoena…server　couldn't　　have　reached　a　monkey　ten　yards　away　with　the　papers。　　We　wondered　　what　kept　it　from　being　annexed　to　Kansas；　but　we　soon　found　out　that　　it　was　Major　Bing。
  〃Major　Bing　was　the　ointment　around　the　fl