Breck

“ So when Lucy, who is anything but worldly wise, and Will, her husband, who is a scientist and all brains, came bearing frenzied tales of Breck's indiscretions during his one year at the university where Will is now located, I simply smiled. Some people are so terribly naïve and unsophisticated!
The family's attitude toward my engagement was consistent—deeply impressed, but tainted with disapproval. Tom came way on from Wisconsin to tell me how contemptible it was for a girl to marry for position, even for so amazingly a distinguished one. ”

“ Jane thought, “what a peach of a name. I always thought Breck was a mighty little name for such a big man. I wish to [Pg 81] goodness he would tell me why he is doing what he is. And I wish I wasn’t so awfully much interested in him.”
“Are you finished now?” he smiled down at her, “because if you are, let’s get out on the street. All the men off the boats are wandering around, looking at the barometers in the different shop windows, just as if they were interested in the weather now as when on board their schooners. Poor chaps, I reckon they are at a loss for something to do. ”

“ There was a splendid chance for happiness.
"I can't marry Breck Sewall, Edith," I attempted at last. "I can't marry any one—yet."
"And what do you intend to do with yourself?" she inquired in that cold, unsympathetic way she assumes when she is angry.
"I don't know, yet. There's a chance for all sorts of good things to come true," I replied lightly.
"You've been out three years, you know," she reminded me icily.
The Sewalls occupied their English estate for several seasons. Grassmere remained closed and barred. ”

“ As they emerged, Smoke drew off one mitten, lighted a match, and glanced at the thermometer that hung beside the door. He remittened his naked hand hastily as if the frost had burned him. Overhead arched the flaming aurora borealis, while from all Dawson arose the mournful howling of thousands of wolf-dogs.
"What did it say?" Breck asked.
"Sixty below." Kit spat experimentally, and the spittle crackled in the air. "And the thermometer is certainly working. It's falling all the time. An hour ago it was only fifty-two. Don't tell me it's a stampede." ”

“ Sewall. I used to think that I could succeed in living up to her grand manners with better success than the other rather hoidenish young ladies who chanced to be the guests at Grassmere the time I was there. Mrs. Sewall is a small woman, always dressed in black, with a superb string of pearls invariably about her neck, and lots of brilliant diamonds on her slender fingers. Breck with his heavy features, black hair brushed straight back, eyes half-closed as if he was always riding in a fifty-mile gale, deep guffaw of a laugh, and inelegant speech does not resemble his mother. ”

“ I accepted Breck's character and morals as a candidate chosen for the honorable office of governor of a state must accept the condition of politics, whether they are clean or rotten. Clean politics are the exception. ”

“ BRECON, or Brecknock, a market town and municipal borough, the capital of Breconshire, Wales, 183 m. from London by rail, picturesquely situated nearly in the centre of the county, at the confluence of the Honddu with the Usk. Half a mile higher up the Tarell also falls into the Usk from the south. The ecclesiastical parish of Brecon consists of the two civil parishes of St John the Evangelist and St Mary, both on the left bank of the Usk, while St David’s in Llanfaes is on the other side of the river, and was wholly outside the town walls. ”

“ Many women marry simply because they cannot endure an arid and purposeless future.
Some people think that a girl who marries for position is hard and calculating. Why, I entered into my engagement in the exalted mood of a martyr! I didn't feel hard—I felt self-sacrificing, like a girl in royal circles whose marriage may distinguish herself and her people to such an extent that the mere question of her own personal feelings is of small importance. The more I considered marrying Breck the more convinced I became that it was the best thing I could do. ”

“ Often I have wished he would mix a bit more with us. You are the only one of the girls he even notices. Sometimes I think he isn’t awfully happy—anything you can do with him or for him, Plain Jane, will be heartily approved by the skipper, I can assure you.”
Their conversation was stopped by the appearance of Breck through the galley hatch. “If you are ready, Miss Pellew, I will be very glad to take you to the Western Union,” he said very formally. ”

“ Edith exclaimed, once behind closed doors. "I honestly think"—she stopped abruptly—"What if——" she began again, then excitedly kissed me. "You little wonder!" she said. "There's no one in the whole family to match you. I'll wager you could become a veritable gateway for us all to pass into New York society if you wanted to. You're a marvel—you are! Tell me about it." Her eyes sparkled as she gazed upon me. I realized in a flash just what the splendid thing was that I might do. Of course! How simple! I might marry Breck! ”

“ After some rousing scenes, and especially a notable fight in which young Balfour (the story-teller) , and one Alan Breck, a Jacobite adventurer (a rare character, worthy almost of Sir Walter) , keep the round-house against the whole ship's crew, the brig is wrecked off the coast of Skye, and thence onward the theme is the Ulyssean wanderings of Balfour and Alan through the Highlands, at that time swept backwards and forwards by King George's troops on the watch for proscribed rebels—a situation much complicated by the too timely removal of an inconvenient Campbell."—The World. ”

“ There is a tract in the Cotton MSS. (Vesp. A, xiv.) , ‘De Brachan Brecheniauc et cognatione ejus,’ which states that Brecheniauc or Brecknock, in South Wales, received its name from him, and that he was son of Aulach, son of Cormac, king of Ireland. It gives him ten sons and twenty-six daughters, but while some of these sons and daughters are connected with localities in South Wales, others are stated to have founded churches or died in the north. ”

“ His forefathers had been gentlemen in England before they were gentlemen in the Valley of Virginia and his heritage of knightly blood must not be made a subject of levity. But the girl reflected only that when his dark eyes blazed and his cheeks colored with that dammed-up fury she found him a more diverting vassal than in calmer and duller moods. A zoo is more animated when the beasts are stirred into action.
"What was it that General Breckinridge said, Stuart?" She put the question innocently. "When the Newmarket cadets made their charge?" ”

“ But paddy-paws behind, where he wanted them, wouldn’t be half as nice as these good firm footy soles I stand on.
“I wouldn’t even give up my hairy tail. It’s heavy, but no one can bite it, and it’s wonderful to sleep in.” He whisked it into a billowy rug about his toes; then he finished contentedly, “I don’t mind Mother Nature making us so we can’t chase other folks, seeing that she gave us our scent so we’re not always being chased. She was perfectly fair.”
“Fair!” You ought to have seen Nibble turn his sniffy nose up at this. ”

“ Now under these circumstances and remembering the absence of several of the best horsemen in the bunch from the ranch-house, many a man would have put his saddle on the thoroughbred that morning. But Breckenbridge had managed to assimilate some of the wiles of diplomacy during these last few months and he reasoned that if there were a pursuing-party waiting for him to leave the ranch they would be prepared for that same contingency. Better let them think him unready ”

“ When they were back facing the battered bar young Breckenbridge explained, his business in no-man's-land.
“And this end of the county,” he wound up, “is sort of rough. If I'd ride around alone, packing that money, somebody's liable to get the best of me when I'm not looking for it. I've got to have a good man along to help take care of that roll. And I'd admire to have you make the trip with me.”
Curly Bill was a great deal slower at thinking than he was at drawing his gun and there was much food for thought in that bold proposition. He gazed at young Breckenbridge for some moments in silence. ”

“ In 1304, William, son of William de Breccles, and William, son of Thomas de Breccles, held 7 messuages, a mill, 88 acres of land, 10s. rent, part of it in Breckles, Stowbydon, Bekerton, Griston, and Caston. It continued sometimes in the Breccles; but in 1498, Tho. Sayve of Breccles, Gent. was buried in the chancel, and gave his manor of Breccles-Hall, in Breccles, after his wife's death, to Osbert Sayve, Gent. his son ”

“ J. Breckinridge, John C. Breckinridge, and W. C. P. Breckinridge were descended on the maternal side from the Cabells—a famous Norman family. Vide Cabell. The Breckinridge family is directly of Scottish origin. [Pg 161] The foregoing derivation rests upon the authority of the English genealogist, Doctor Henry Barber. But no American family has ever given more varied and striking illustrations of the power of inherited Norman blood. Scarcely a characteristic trait is lacking. ”

“ The name Brecknock is an anglicized form of Brycheiniog, the Welsh name of the territory of Brychan (whence the alternative form of Brecon) , a Goidelic chieftain, who gained possession of the Usk valley in the 5th century. The Welsh name of the town, on the other hand, has always been Aber-Honddu (the estuary of the Honddu) . There is no evidence of any settlement on the site of the present town prior to about 1092, when Bernard Newmarch, after defeating Bleddin ab Maenarch, built here a castle which he made his residence and the chief stronghold of his new lordship. ”

“ And by this time their furry skins were feeling pretty tight. “There’s this about honey,” Stripes drawled, “you never know when you’ve had enough until you’ve had too much. Seems like we’d better stop off awhile.”
“Uh-huh,” mumbled Tad Coon, just a little bit doubtfully, because he’d never had enough to find out. The most he ever dares to do is to snoop out a mouthful and run. But he followed Stripes down to Doctor Muskrat’s pond, and they took a good drink and cleaned up their paws and their whiskers. ”

“ The times were brisk; one shooting came so fast on the heels of its predecessor that every affair in its turn swiftly passed from public attention. By the time that Deputy Sheriff Breckenbridge arrived with the facts people were turning their minds to the big Benson stage hold-up. And so Buckskin Frank's story lived, and to this day in speaking of that bad man the old-timers give him grudging credit for having slain the big “He Wolf.” ”

“ Bob jumped to his feet. “Look here. We can’t sit here idle, waiting to be tossed toward one bank or the other, while all the time we may be skidding along toward a falls. I can’t hear any roar indicating one near at hand. Just the same, this river is running mighty fast, and there may be a falls ahead. Let’s get some of these poles together and try to rig up a stern sweep to guide us inshore.”
“That’s the idea,” approved Frank. “It’s about our only chance to save the raft, and if we don’t do it we may soon all be in the water trying to swim to shore.” ”

“ A partly fenced roadway, with some scattered houses on the river bank, but no barbed-wire entanglements, impeded his movements. The introduction of such pleasant devices was left for a higher civilization!
[Pg 108] The column was in motion. The steady onward tramp, tramp of this thin red line, raw recruit and grizzly veteran shoulder to shoulder, struck fear into the heart of the unfortunate Hull. The prospect, though his troops outnumbered the British three to one, was clearly war to the knife. Brock's meaning was apparent. Should he or should he not accept the Englishman's challenge? ”

“ Our first long excursion was to Berck. After having left the Abbeville road and entered that of Berck, we saw scarcely any more cultivated fields. It looked to me like the desert, as I imagined it. There were hillocks of shifting sand, amid which were very small hamlets. Berck came last, and was the most lamentable of all. The village was composed of miserable huts, inhabited by poor sailor-fishermen, whom Liénard called “primitive men,” and who lived solely by the product of their fishing. These huts, spread out at distances, were in a forlorn condition and falling to pieces. ”

“ Scarcely had he stepped ashore on the left bank than the sound of revolver fire, ahead and seemingly close at hand, was heard. Frank jumped back into the boat.
“Put me ashore on the other side,” he said. “I’ll go up the trail. That shooting can’t be far away.”
“Be careful,” warned Jack, anxiously, as his young chum again leaped ashore.
A quarter of an hour passed, during which Jack and Bob busied themselves stringing the aerial between two trees on opposite sides of the stream. They stopped work frequently to listen. One more burst of firing was heard, and a faint sound of shouting. ”

“ But, caught in a current setting into the channel between the island and the left bank of the river, they could see as they drew closer to the island that just below the rocks lay a cove with a shelving sandy shore.
They were still some distance above this point, and Bob believed they could maneuver the raft into the cove before being swept beyond it and into the rocks which began not far away. He said as much to the others, who nodded agreement, then he leaped to position at the steering oar. Three of the blacks helped him swing the clumsy but effective sweep and hold it in position. ”

“ I'm headin' for Arizona—cattle country. I'm a cowman by trade."
"You are also a very good man with a gun. I need men like you. How would you like to work for me?"
It had worked, Brek thought exultantly. Pretending to be about to leave town had removed all suspicion from Sagginer's mind.
"Why, I reckon I might stay if the pay was good," Brek said thoughtfully. "Long as a man makes a livin', it don't matter much what he does."
"I will make it well worth your while, Mr. Calhoun."
Brek drew his breath in sharply, fighting the temptation to shoot Sager where he sat. ”