"
"I suppose they were alarmed at the hotel?"
"I said nothing about it," he returned, quietly, at which his
wife's face flushed. Seizing the first occasion, he exclaimed, in
a low voice: "God! How unfortunate--at this time. Were you mad?"
She looked at him and her eyes burned, but she said nothing.
XIII
CHIQUITA
The next day Kirk borrowed a shot-gun and went hunting. The events
of the night before seemed like a dream. Could it be that he had
really blundered irretrievably? Was it possible that he had
offended his best friend past forgiveness? He wanted to get away
somewhere and collect his thoughts. For the present, at least, he
wished to avoid an interview with Mrs. Cortlandt.
A mile or two beyond the railroad track, to the north and east,
began what appeared to be an unbroken wilderness, and thither he
turned his steps. Low, rolling hills lay before him, densely over-
grown and leading upward to a mountain range which paralleled the
coast until the distant haze swallowed it up. These mountains, he
reflected with a thrill of interest, led on to South America, the
land of the Incas, hidden in mystery as the forests close at hand
were veiled in faint purple. The very thought was romantic. Balboa
had strained his eyes along these self-same placid shores;
Pizarro, the swineherd, had followed them in search of Dabaiba,
that fabled temple of gold, leaving behind him a trail of blood.
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