III-I

On an afternoon of the second autumn
following Lettice's death Gordon was fetching
home a headstall resewn by Peterman.
The latter, in a small shed filled with the penetrating
odor of dressed leather at the back of the hotel, exercised
the additional trade of saddler. General
Jackson ambled at Gordon's heel.

The dog had grown until his shoulder reached
the man's knee; he was compact and powerful, with
a long, heavy jaw and pronounced, grave whiskers;
the wheaten color of his legs and head had lightened,
sharply defining the coarse black hair upon his back.

October was drawing to a close: the autumn had
been dry, and the foliage was not brilliantly colored,
but exhibited a single shade of dusty brown that,
in the sun, took the somber gleams of clouded gold.
It was warm still, but a furtive wind, stirring the
dead leaves uneasily over the ground, was momentarily
ominous, chill.

The limp rim of a felt hat obscured Gordon's
features, out of the shadow of which protruded
his lean, sharp chin. His heavy shoes, hastily

[[281]]

p280 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p281w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p282

v?