The Valley of the Moon

er the dangerous course he and Hall had traveled,

his way: Suppose you had a foot to fall on each side, an' it was soft hay. They'd be nothing to stop you. You wouldn't fall. You'd go like a streak. Then it's just the same if it's a mile down on each side. That

crowd will be like,

ather flock together. They won't be

ey greeted its return with laughter of joy in that another happy day had begun. They made no plans, but fished, gathered mussels and abalones, and climbed among the rocks as the moment moved them. The abalone meat they pounded religiously to a verse of doggerel impr

ly said. "An' you an' me never played at all all the time

, only everything is too good not to be up. And now you just play at chopping some

here he had been lying prone, digging

sigh of regret. "The rains'll come any time now.

loing for her without result, he climbed to the road. Half a mile away, he saw her astride

din'-see them saddle marks," he grumbled, when she at last

r on a horse before. It was glorious!

married woman'd tackle a strange horse that way, especially if she'd never ben on one. An' I ain

ried. They arrived in a roar of good spirits, tripping one another down the slippery trail and engulfing Saxon and Billy in a comradeship as artless and warm as the sunshine itself. Saxon was appropriated by the girls-she could not realize them women; and they m

f them had been to Honolulu, and knew the instrument, confirming Mercedes' definition of ukulele as "jumping flea." Also, they knew Hawaiian songs she had learned from Mercedes, and soon, t

d stones came down in unison on the white meat, and all voices were uplifted in the Hymn to the Abalone. Old verses all sang, occasionally some one sang a fresh verse al

d bear no acrimony Because our ob-

d at ob-ject. "She speaks the language

girls, and the Iron Man with the basilisk eyes of greenish-gray, whom Saxon r

And some like macaroni; But bring me

e Or brandy by the pony; But I will tr

And some on alimony. But our tom-cat

axon learned, was an artist who sold his paintings at five hundred apie

e In deep sea matrimony; Race suicid

and these the actors, she and Billy having blundered into the scene in some incomprehensible way. Much of wit she sensed which she did not understand. Much she did understand. And she was aware that brains were playing as she had never seen brains play before. The puritan streak in her training was astonished and shocked

sicians. One man, with a refined and delicate face-a dramatic critic on a great San Francisco daily, she was told-introduced a feat which all the men tried and failed at most ludicrously. On the beach, at regular intervals,

at tossing the caber. Jim Hazard beat him in putting the heavy "rock." Mark Hall out-jumped him standing and running. But at the standing high back-jump Billy did come first. Despite the handicap of his weight, this victory was due to his splendid back a

ame they had learned was Pete Bideaux. "I c

clinched with giant champions like Jim Jeffries and Jack Johnson, and met the weight of their strength, but never had he encountered

g. Of course, you had no chance with him at his own game. He's wrestled in the music halls in London with Ha

c, Hazard and Hall boxed in fantastic burlesque, then, gloves in hand, looked for

the gloves for him. "He's old American French, and he's got a devil of a tem

"; "Just light tapping, you know," were admo

I get rapped I do get a bit hot. But don't mind me. I can't he

y. There was no weight in Billy's blows, only a light and snappy tingle; but their incessant iteration told on the Iron Man's temper. In vain the onlookers warned him to go easy. His face purpled with anger, and his blows became savage. But Billy went on, tap, tap, tap, calmly, gently, imperturbably. The Iron Man lost control, and rushed and plunged, delivering

humor. It had been a splendid exhibition on Billy's part. His mastery of the sport, coupled with his self-control, had m

ense songs with the ukulele. Nor was it long, catching their spirit, ere she was singing to them and teaching them quaint songs of early days which she had herself lea

ecame an immedia

die is on every wagon sheet; The sand within your throat, the du

Hog or Die," Mark Hall claimed t

' a ten-mule team, But when he woke he heaved a sig

future. Billy surprised him by saying he was ready at any time. Forthwith the crowd clamored for the race. Hall offered to bet on himself, but there were no ta

" he said to Hall, "but not at t

azard's," Hall demurred. "Though I'

g," Billy held

bets-even with Billy, and

r runners to pass each other, so it was arranged to time the men, Hal

tch of sand at that speed. Billy darted forward thirty seconds later, and reached the foot of the rock when Hall was half way up. Whe

hope neither of them breaks a neck. I wouldn't take that

ces swimming in a storm on C

torted. "You haven't so f

end. Those on the beach were certain that the poet had gained in the

y now?" he cried excite

there was no gap. Billy was on his heels, and on his heels he stayed, in to sho

aster. He's a wooz of a sprinter. He could beat me ten times outa ten, except for accident. He was hung up at the jump by a big se

the first time in the history of Bierce's Cove that two men made t

luke," Bill

nd raised a general laugh by rippling chords on the ukul

mischievous way His

ing the protesting sea-lions and taking possession of their surf-battered stronghold. Billy follo

all he knows about the surf. And he's wild to box with you.

. Saxon and Billy watched them disappear, on horses and behind horses, over the top of the first hill, and th

"An' there's one thing sure: I never had such a day

s hand to Saxon,

't know it was like that. The Iron Man was at your mercy all the time, and you kept it

Why, honest to God, Saxon, in the singin' you was the whole show, along

cial triumph, and the

onishing the fine stock that had crossed the Plains. He told me a lot about those times and the people I didn't know. And he's re

drivin' at. He said he had a little shack he lived in while the house was buildin'. The Iron Man's livin' in it now, but he's goin' away to some Catholic college to study to be a priest, an' Hall said the shack'd be ours as long as we wanted to use it. An' he said I could do what the Iron Man was doin

Carmel wouldn't be so bad to pass the rainy season in.

ly assented. "Carmel's the third place now that's offered. Well,

an," Saxon

moment. "Just the same a dub, too, has a bet

eople existed?" Saxon pondered. "It's jus

ich poet that'd trip up a foot-racer

wonder that he'd make this crowd. Say, he's got some sister, if anybody'd ride up on a sea-lion an' ask

as Billy who broke the silence, and what he sai

don't care if I never s