The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 30, 1902, Page 10

' THE SUNDAY CALL. M and on it led them, a wilc amble straight up the pes. The minutes went by. The dry ed of a rivulet was passed; then an- en a tangle of manzanita; wild oats, full of agitated arroyo, thick with chapar- oaks. ‘and then, without r tol shots ripped out and rider with the rapidity ng discharge, and one of the forward in the saddle, both the blood jetting from at Jast, his . the roots of « & rampart, s hand. st, Dyke,” cried the e least use to fight. . ‘shot_splintering the Sheriff rode. | told—the wound- rawled out of tne hot—fell back e, dismount- rocks and eft the others, mak- r up the sides of the position to the left and rear of Dyke this moment that S. It could mot be said urage or carelessness aiiroad’s agent within evoiver. Possibly he man; possibly occupied r seat upon the mbling horse, was so_close He certainly se lying upon the « rocks and one could call a out into the open, Dyke's intrench- There was the arch-eflemy; 2 © men whom he most hated; Who bad ruined him, who had ted him and driven him to crime, had instigated tireless pursuit ose past terrible Wi ng death, he leaped up be had forgotten all el considerations, at the sight of He would die, gladly, so only ed before him. anyhow,” he shouted, as the trigger. ad the car- Geatn, certain and & ioowea, but at this, of e revolver missed fire. with an_unexpected agil- 4 trom the saddie, and, keeping between him and Dyke, ran, cking, from tree to tree. ure, Dyke fired again emptying his consequences. His wild, and _before _he fe, the whole posse was e exploded, enemy, i plans, obeying no gs of the impulse at opportunity B Christian from and the deputy from They did not fire. hey wanted. One of atched from a saddle s they tried to bind to one—four men de, to one wound- ed, exhausted by pursuit, rn down thirst, privation and nerve-racking consciousness peril 1 him from all sides, egs, at his arms, his ad clutching, ing to the ground, rolling over and ove w under W above, now staggering forward, now toppling Lack 'hrough that seram- through that twining arms, saw him from e flaming, his matted with pinned under, and now half to_one knee. balf his ene- His_colossal and the group n instant, had on its prey, d bloody, and rming, dodging, his like pistons, backed d carrying the others ed almost ev- stood nearly . his_cloghes bleeding, dripping figure, nearly free. eath, uttered an get away Behrman watched the fight complac- show obstinacy,” he it don’t show common er he might disinte- the band of foes that him, however he of comparative assailants always an arm, a leg, drawing a sec- closed in again, implacable, unconguerable, ferocious, like hounds upon & wolf. At length, two of the men managed to bring Dyke's wrists c ether to allow the candcuffs on. Ev e enough to- Sheriff to snap the 1 then, Dyke, clasping bis hands, and using the handcuffs them- sclves s & weapon, knocked down De- laney by the crushing impact of the steel bLracelets upon the cow-puncher’s fore; head. But he could mo longer proteck himself from attacks from behind, and the rista wai lly passed around his body, pinio arms to his sides. sfter this Is was useless to resist. The wounded deputy sat with his back to 8 rock. holding his broken jaw In both hands. The Sheriff’s horse. with eplintered foreleg, would have to be shot. Lelaney's head was cut from temple to cheekbone. The right wrist of the Sher- iff was all but dislocated. The other dep- uty was so exhausted he had to be helped to his horse. But Dyke was taken. He himself had s: semi-unconscioueness, unable s They sat him on _the buckskin. . Behrman supporting him, the Sheriff, on foot, leading the horse by the bridle. The enly lapsed to little procession formed and descended from the hills. turning in the direction of Bonneville. A special train, one car and an engine, would- be made up there, and the highwayman would sleep In the Visalia jail that night. Delaney «nd S. Behrman found them- elves in the rear of the cavalcade as it moved off. The cowpuncher turned to his ~hie “Well, captain,” he said, still panting, as he bound up his forehead; “well—we sot him.” Osterman cut his before any of the soon as his harves: & jackrabbit drive dance, it was wheat that summer her ranchers, and as was over organized Like Annixter's barn to be an_event in which il the countryside should take part. The drive was to begin on the most western @ivision of the Osterman ranch, whence it would proceed to the southeast, cross- ing 1 the northern part of Quien Sabe ich Annixter had sown np wheat —and ending in the hills at the headwa- ters of Broderson Creek, where a barbe- cue was to be held Early on _the morning of the day of the drive, as Harran and Presley were sad- @ling_ their horses before the stables on Los Muertos, the foreman, Phelps, re- marked “] was into town last night, and I hear that Christian has been after Ruggles early and late to have him put him in session here on Los Muertos, and De- ney is Going the same for Quien Sabe.” It was this man Christian, the real es. tate broker, and cousin of S. Behrman, one of the main actors in the drama of Dyke's capture, who had come forward as a purchaser of Los Muertos when the railroad had regraded its holdings on the ranches around Bonneville ‘e claims, of course,” Phelps went on wthat when he bought Los Muertos of the rallroad he was guaranteed posses- sion, and he wants the place in time for harvest.” e hats aimost as thin” muttered Har. ran, as he thrust the bit into his horse’s mouth, “as Delaney buying Amnixter's home ranch. That slice of Quien Sabe, sccording to the railroad's grading, is worth about ten thousand dollars—yes, T T P even fifteen, and I don’t believe Delaney is worth the price of a good horse. Why, those people don n try to preserve appearances. Where would Christian find the money to buy Los Muertos? There's no one man in all Bonneville rich enough to do it. vamned rascals! as we didn't see that Christia d Delan are 8. Behrman's right s left hands. Well, be'll get ‘em cu he cried with sud- den fierceness, “if he comes too near the machive.” “How is it, Harran,” asked Presley, the two young men rode out of the s yard, “how is it the railroad gang can do anything before the Supreme Court hands down a decision? ““Well, you know how they talk,” growl- ed Harran. “They have claimed that the cases taken up to the Supreme Court were not test cases, as we claim they are, and that because neither Annixter nor the governor appealed they've lost their cases by defauit. It's the rottenest kind of sharp practice, but it won't do good. The league is too strong. They won't dare move on us vet a while. Why, Pres, the moment they’d try to jump any of these ranches around here they woud have s.x hundred rifles cracving 2* them as guick as how-do-you-do. Why, Jt would take a regiment of U. S. so.diefs to put any one of us off our land. No, sir; they know the league means busi- ness this time.” As Presley and Harran trotted on along the county road they continually passéd or overtook other horsemen. or buggi carry-alls, buckboards or even farm Wag. ons, going in the same direction. These were full of the farming people from all the country round @bout Bonneviile. on their way to the rabbit drive—the same people seen at the barn dance—in_their Sunday finery, the girls in muslin frocks and garden hats, the men with linen dus- ters over their black clothes: the older women in prints and dotted calicoes. Many of these latter had already taken off their bonnets—the day was very hot —and, pinning them in newspapers, stow- ed them under the seats. They. tucked their handkerchiefs into the dgllars - of their dresses. or knotted them ut_their fat necks, to keep out the dus: From the axletrees of the vehicles swung care- fully covered byckets of galvanized iron, in which’ the lunch was packed. The younger children. the boys with great frilled collarg, the girls with {ll-fitting shoes cramping their feet, leaned from the sides of buggy and carry-all, eating bananas and “‘macaroons,” staring about with oxlike stolidity. Tied to the axles, the dogs followed the horses’ hoofs with lolling tongugs coated with dust. ‘The California summer lay blanket-wise and smothering over all the land. ' The hills, bone dry, were browned and parch. ed. The grasses and wild oats, sear and yellow, snapped like grass filaments un- der foot. The roads, the bordering fences, even the lower leaves and branches of the trees, were thick and gray with dust. All color had been burned from the land- scape, except in\ the irrigated patches, that in the waste of brown and dull yel- low glowed like oases. The wheat, now close to its maturity, had turned from pale yellow to golden yellow, and from that to brown. Tjike a gigantic carpet, it spread itself over all the land. ere was no.hiug ». seen but the Ilimitless sea of wheat as far es the eye could reach, dry, rustling, crisp and harsh in the rare breaths of hot wind out of the southeast. o500 PRI eV As Harran and Presley went along the county road the number of vehicles and riders increasyd. Theéy overtook and pass- ed Hooven his family in the former's farm wagon, a sadd.e Horse tied to the back bowurd. The little Dutchman, wear- ing the old frock t of Magnus Derrick ani a new broad-brimmed straw hat, sat on the front seat with Mrs. Hoaven.~ The little girl and the older daughtor Minna were behind them on a board laid 2Cruss e Sios ihe wagon. Presiey and Harran stopped to shake hands. “Say,” cricd Hooven. exhibiting an old, but extremely wei] kept, rifie, “say, bel Gott, me, I tek some schatz at dose reb- bit, you bedt. Ven he hef -htu‘: to run und sit oop soh, bei der hind lal 1! on, I 9op mit der gihn und—bing! cetch m. "The marshals won't dllow you to ghoot, Bismarck,” observed Presley, looking at Minna. Hooven doubled up with marriment. “Ho! dot's La. oL Somc fiue Judik. Me, I'm one oaf dose malrscheil mine-sellut,” he roared with delight, beating his knee. To his notion the joke was irrgsistible. All day long he could be heard repeating it. “Und Mict'r Praicelle, he say, ‘Doge mairscheil woand led you schoot, ' Bis- marck,’” und me, ach Gott, me, aindt I Ting-gelluf ome ont dose mairachell?” As the two friends rode on Presley had Yin his mind the image of Minna Hogven, very pretty in a cléan gown of pink ging- ham, a cheap straw sgllor hat from a Bonneville store on her bjue black hair. He remembered her very pale face, very red lips and eves of greenish blue—a pretty girl certainly, alwaye traling a §raup of men behind her. Her love affhirs Wwere the talk of all Los Muertos. “I hope that Hooven girl won't go to the bad,” Presley sald to Harran, “Oh, she's all right,” the other an- swered. “There's nothing vicious about Minna, and 1 guess she'll marry tha foreman ch the ditch gang, right enough." ‘Well, as a matter of course she's a good gir),” Presley hastened to reply, “lonly she's too pretty for a poor girl and her prettiness besides. That's he continued, “who would find it pretty easy to go wrong if they lived Around Caraher's was a veritable throng. Saddle horges and buggies by the score were clustered underneath thé shed or hitched to the railings in front of the watering trough. - Three of Broderson's Portuguese tenants and a couple of work- men from the tailroad shops onne- ville were on the porch, already very drunk. Continually young men, singly or in groups, came from the doorway, wiplng thelr lips with sidelong gestures of zf,. hand. The whole place exhaled the febriie bustle of the saloon on a holiday morning. The procession of teams streamed on through Bonneville, reinforced at every street corner. Along the upper road from Qulen Babe and Guagzla!nn came fresh auxiliaries, Spanish-Mexicans from the town itself—swarthy young men on caper- ing horses, dark-eyed girls and matrons, in red and black and yellow, more Portu- guese 1n brandnew overalls, smoking lon, thin cég-rs. Even Father Sarria a pu.utf “Look,” sald ley, ‘‘there goes An- nixter and Hilma. He's got his buckskin back.” The master of Quien Sabe, in %op laced boots and campai cigar in his teeth, followed alon he carry-all. Hilma and Mrs, ‘were on the back seat, youhg Vacca driving, Harran and Presley bowed, taking off their hats. “‘Hella, over the hea standin bhand. ? Say, when this thing is over and every- body starts ‘o waik into the barbecue comeé and have lunch with ug. I'll look for you, vou and Harran. Hello, Harran, where's' the governor?” * “He didn't come to-day,” Harran shouted back, as the crowd earried him further away from Annixi “Left him and old Broderson at Los Muertos.” The throng emerged Intu the open coun- try, again, spreading out upon the Osrer- man ranch. From all directions could be seen harses und bugg.es Unving act the stubble, converging upon the rendez- vous. Osterman’s ranch house was left to the esastward; the army of the guesis hurrying forward—for it began to be late —to where ‘around a, flag pole. living a red flag, a vast crowd of buggles and harses was already forming. The mar- shals began to appear. Hooven, dest e.d- ing from the farm wagon, pinned h:s white badge to his hat brim and muug’.ed his horse. Osterman, in marveéious r ding clothes of English pattern, galoped u and down upon his best thordughbred, cracking jokes with everybody, chafling, joshing, his great mouth distended in a perpetual grin of amiability. “Stop here, stop here,’™ he vociferated,, dashing along in front of Presley and Harran, waving his crop. The procession came to a halt, the horses' heads pointing eascward. THe line: began to be formed, The marshals perspiring, shouting, fre ting, galloping about, urging this one fur- ward, ordering this one back, ranged the thousands of conveyances and ‘cavallers in a long line, shaped llke a Wide open crescent, 1ts wings, under the command of lleutenants, were slglitly advanced. v out before its center Osterman tuok his place, deligh beyond expression at his conspjcuousness, posing for the gal- lery, making his horse. dance. “Wail, aindt dey gowun to gommence den bretty soohn,” exclaimed Mrs. Hoo- ven, who had taken her husband’s placé on the forward seat of the wagon. “I° never was_ so. warm,” murmured Minna, fanning herself with her hat. All seemad in readiness. For miles over the flat ex&anle of stubble, curved the inter- mingb) nes of horses and vehlcles. At 8 guess n.;ar{y five thousand people wer: present. The drive was one of the larges ev&s held. But no- start was made: im- mohilized, the vast crescent stuck motiou- less under the blazing sun. ere and there could be heard voices uplifted in jo}s(u)l:r lnumnlnt'mwe. bod ‘Oh, I say, get a move on, some| i " LAl nbnrd." “Say, I'll take root hvln 8cme took malicious pl false alarms. “Ah, here we go.” “Oft, at last.” 3 “We're oft."” nvariably these jokes fooled some one in the line. An old man, of some old wo. man, nervous, hard of hearing, always gathered up the reins and started off, only to be hustled and ordered back linto the line by the nearest marehal 'his pretty soon.” leasure in starting gu:;e;v;l"‘ nre‘v{er“!hfledu"‘t’o produce'ih :‘t,: ec a) on those near aj Eyerybody :.-i’.n& at the hlund’hr, the joker jeering audibly.. - 2 Hey, come back ‘un." “Oh, he's easy.” “Den't be in a hurry, grandpa.” “Say, you want to drive all the rabbits "t drive rabbits without do-funn:.’ What's tlle do-funny?" “Oh, gay, ske don't know what the do- funny is. We can't start without it, sure. Pete went back to zet it.” . you're joking me, there's no such B “Well, aren't we walting for 1t?” **Oh, look, look,” cried some women in a covered rig. ‘‘See, they are stariing al- 1eady ‘'way over there.' 1n Tfact, It did appear as if the far ex- tremity of the Mne was in metion. Dust rose in the air above it. ““They are siarting. Why don't we start?"”’ “No, they've stopped. False alarm.” hey’'ve not, either. Why don't we move?” But as one or two began to move off the nearest marshal shouted wrathfully: “Get back there, get back there.” “Well, they've staited over there.” “Get back, I tell you."” i “Where's the ‘do-funny?’ “‘Sa we're going to miss it hey ve all startad over there.” A ieutenant came galloping along id front of the line, shouting: all. cre, what's the matter here? Why don't you start?”’ There wus & great shout. Everybody simultaneousiy uttered a proionged “We're oft.” “Here we go for sure this time." “Remember to keep the glignment” roared the lieutenant. “Don’t g0 too fast.” And the marshals, rushing here and there on their sweating horses to points where the line bulged farward, shouted, waving their arms: “Nat too fast, ot tog tast. s * Keep back there. * * * Here, keep coiser together here. Do you want to let all the rabbits run back be- tween you?" A great confused sound rose into the air —the creaking of axles, the jolt of iron tires over the dry clods, the c.ick of brit- tle stubtle under the horses’ hoof, the barking of dogs, the shouts of conversa- tion and laughter. The entire line, horses, buggies, wagons, gigs, dogs, men and boys on foot, and armed with clubs, moved slowly across the fields, semding up a cloud of white dust, that hung above the scene like smoke. A brisk gayety was in the air. Every one was in the best of humor, call- ing from team to team, .laughing, sky- larking, joshing. Garnett of the Ruby Fancho and Gethings of the San Pablo, hoth on horseback, founa themselves side by side. Ignoring the drive and the spirit oi’ the accasian, they kept up a prolonged and serious cunverng‘l‘on on an expected rige in the price of wheat. Dabney, also on horseback, followed them, listening at- tentively to every word, but hazarding no remark. 4 Mrs. Derrick and Hilma sat in the back seat ot the carry-all, behind young Vacea. Mrs. Derrick, a little distur) by such o great cancoufse of peofle, rightened at the {dea of the killing of 80 many rabbits, drew back in her place, her young girl eyes troubled and filled with a vague dis- tress. Hilma, "l mu?h“axtclted. leaned rom- the -all, xious to see every- {hlnl, nvmcfiinc ot fabbits, .‘skxng in- numerable questions of Annixter, who rode at her cld:]. Sk ; The change that ha. len progressing in Milma ever since the night of r Sheed ous barn dance now seémed, .to be ap- proaching its climax; first the girl, theén the woman, last of all the mother. Con- sclous dignity, a new element in her ch?r— acter, developed. The shrinking, the timid- ity of the girl jyst awakening to the con- selousn of her sex, passed away from Rer,” - confusion, the troublous com- lexity of the woman, a mystery aven to erseif, disappeared. Matherhood dawr- ed, the old sim Ioi?y of her maiden S K 15 . 1 vt e, e of orance, kmledge. the ,hnp“clty of the perfect, of tge simplicity greatness. . She looked the world fearlessty in the ey At last the confusion of her ideas, like fright- ened birds, rese ) ad; itself, and she emerged from the trouble calm, serene, entering Intp her divine right, like a queen into the rule of a realm of per- petual peace. And with this, with the knowledge that the crown hung poised above her head, there came uponp Hilma a gentleness | finitely ‘beautiful, infinitely pathetic; a sweetness that touched all who came riear her with the softness of.a caress. She moved surrounded by an invisible at- moephere of love. Love was in her wido- cpened brown eyes, love—the dim reflec- tion of that descending crown poised over her head—radiated in a faint luster from her dark, thick hair. Around her beauti- ful neck, sloping to her shoulders with full, graceful curved,’ love lay encircled like a neckace—love. that was beyond words, sweet, breathed from her parted Hps. From her white, large arms down- ward to her pink finger tips—love, an in- vigible electric fluid, disengaged itself, subtle, alluring. In the velvety huskiness of hér voice love vibrated like 'a note of unknown music. Annixter, her uncouth, rugged husband, living in this influence of a wife, who was_also a mother, at all hours, toucned to the quick by this sense of nobility, of gcntleness of love, the instincts of & father already clutching and tugging at his heart, was trembling on the verge of a mighty transformation. The hardness and inhumanity of the man was fast breaking up. One night, returning late to the ranch house afier a compuisory visit to the city, he had come upon Hilma asleep. - He had never forgotten that nizht. A realization of his boundless hap- piness in this love he gave and recelved, the thought that Hilma trusted him, krowlcdge of his own unworthiness, vast and humble thankfulness that his God had chosen him of all men for this great jov, had brought him to his knees for the first time in all his troubled, rest- less life of combat and aggression. He prayed, he knew not what—vague words, wordless thoughts, resolving fiercely to do right, to make some return for God's gift thua placed within his hands. Where once Annixter.-had thought only of himself, he now thought only of Hil- ma. The time when this thought of an- other should broaden and widen into thought of others was yet to come; but already it bad expanded to inelude the unborn child—already, as in the case of Mrs. Dyke, it had broadened to enfold another child and another mother bound tc him by no ties other than those of humanity" and pity. Tn time, starting from this point It would reach out more and more till it should take in all men and women, and the intolerant, selfish man, while retaining all of his native strength, should become tolerant and generous, kind and forgiving. For the moment. however, the two na- tuq struggled within bim. A fight was {o-be fought, one more, the last, the flercest; the attack of the enemy who menaced his very home and hearth was to be resisted. Then, peace attained, ar- rested development would once more pro- ceed. Hilma looked from the carryall, - ning the open plain in front g( me"::;. vanvc&ixg line ol;he drive, “Where are the rabbits?" she asl Anpixter. “I don’t see any at l]l."l“d . “They are way ahead of us yet,” he sald. “Here, take the glasses. = e passed over his field gla: adjusted them. o A “'Oh, yes."” she aried. “T = five or six, but oh, so far off. “The beggars run 'way aheéad at first.” should’ say so. See. them run—little ks. Every now and then thev sit up ears straight up in the afr. > ‘Here, look, Hilma! There goes one From- out of the ‘ound apparentl; some twenty veards distant, a SIeAt JacK sprang into view, bounding away with tremendous leaps, his black-tipped ears erect. He disappeared, his gray gmdy 1o ng Oltulf against the gray of the ground. T can see h, a big fellow. “Hi yonflel"tlI Innother," yes; oh, look at him run.” From off the surface of the ground, at first a:rnzmly empty of all life and seemingly uUnable to affard hiding place for so much as a fleld mouse. jackrab- bits started up at every moment as the line went forward. ‘At first they appeared singly and at long intervals; then twos and threes, ds the drive continued to ad- vance They leaped across the plain and stopped in the distance, sitting up with st ht ears, then ran again, were Joindd by others fiush to the Boll—~their ears flatiened: s d up again, ran to the side, turmed back once more, darted away with incredible swiftness. and were lost to view only to be replaced by a score of athers. Gradually the number of jacks to be seen over the expanse of stubble in front of the line of teams increased. Their an- ties were infinite. No two acted precise- Jy alike. Some lay stubbornly close in a ttle depression between two clods, till the horses’ hoofs were all but upon them, then sprang out from their b ng place at the last second. Others ran forward but a few yards at a time ng to take flight, scenting fore them than b forced up at the last with lightning alacrity in turning back to scuttle teams, taking desperate chances. en as this occurred it was the signal for & great uproar. “Don’t let him get through: don’t let him get through.” “Look out for him; there he goes.” Horns* were blown, g, tin_pans clemorously beaten. > jack es- caped, or, confused b a back again, fle depended on the Once even a b fair into Mrs. the carry-ail, flash. 3 “Poor frightened thing, and for a long time tained upon her knees ti e the four little paws quiv. ex- citement, and the feel of trembling furry bedy, with its wildly o Beare, pressed against her ow By noon the number of rabbits discerni- ble by Annixter's field glasses on ahead was far into the thousand at seem- ed to be ground resolved itself, when seen through the glasses > 2 maze of small, moving bodies. le Juckin doubling, running back derness of agitated ears, twinkiing legs. The curved line of vehicles began t a little; Osterman’s ranch was hind, the drive continued on over Sabe. As the day advanced the rabbits, sing- ularly enough, became less wild. 'When flushed they no longer ran so far nor so fast, limping off instead a few feot at a time, and crouching down, their ears close upon thefr backs. Thus it was that by degrees the teams began to close on the main herd. At every instant the numbers. increased. It was no = longer thousands; it was tens of thousands. The earth was allve with rahbita. . Denser and denser grew the throng. In all directions nething was to be seen but the loose mass of the moving jacks. The horns of the crescent of teams began to contract. Far off the corrals came into s.ght. The disintegrated mass of rabbits commenced, as it were, to solidify, to coagulate. At first, each jack was some three feet distant from his neares bor, but this ished to t then' to one, the The rabbits began other. Then the strange s was no longer a herd cov It was a sea, whipped int tossing incessantly, leaping, tated by unseen ces. Att expected tameness of the once vanished. Throughou tions of the herd eddies of te: burst forth. A wouid ensue a blind, gether of thousand and a furic pierced by the rabbit in distres: The line of vehicles was halte forwasd now meant to trample bits under foot. The drive came to a standstill while the herd entered ral. This took time, for the rabb: b, now too crowded to run. Howeve like an opened sluice gate, the extending flanks of the entrance of the corral slow- Iy engulfed the herd. The mass, packed tight as ever, by degrees diminished, pre- cisely as a pool of water when a dam is opened. The last stragglers went in with a fush and the gate was dropped. “Come, just have a look in here,” called Annixter. Hilma, descending from the carry-all and joined by Presley and Harran, ap- proached and looked over the high board fence. “Oh, did you ever see anything that?’ she exclaimed. The corral, a really large inclosure, had proved all too small for the number of rabbits collected by the drive. Inside it was a living, moving, leaping, breathing, twisting ma The rabbits were packed two, three a. four feet deep. They were in constant movement; those beneath struggling to the top, those on top sinking and disappearing below their fellows. All ‘wildness, all fear of man, seemed to have entirely disappeared. Men and boys, reaching over the sides of the corral, picked up & jack In each hand, holding them by the ears, while two reporters from San Francisco papers took pheto- graphs of the scene. The noise made by the tens of thousands of moving bodies was as a noise of wind in a forest, while from the hot and sweating mass there rose a strange odor, penetrating, am- moniacal, savoring of wild life. On signal the killing began. Dogs. that had been brought there for that purpose when let into the corral refused, as had been half expected, to do the work. They snuffed curiously at the pfle, then backed like off, disturbed, perplexed. it the men and toys—Portuguese for the most part— ‘were more eager. Annixter drew Hilma away, and, indeed, most of the le %ot the Barbecus At ence. LoD "ot In the corral, however, the killing went forward. Armed with a club in each hand, the young fellows from Guadala- jara and Bonneville and th from the ranches leaped o the corral. They walked unsteadily upon the myriad of crowding bodies underfoot, or, as space was cleared, sank almost waist deep into the mass that leaped and squirmed about them. Blindly, furiously, they struck and struck. The Anglo-Saxon spéctators round about drew back in dis- st, but the hot, degenrated blood of 'ortuguese, Mexican and mixed Sgunun{ boiled up in excitement at this wholesale llgu hterl. " R ut only a few of the participants of the drive cared to look on. All the guests betook themselves some quarter of a mile farther on into the hills, The picnic and barbecue were to be held around the spring where Broderson Creek took its rise. Already two entire beeves were roasting there; teams were hitched, saddles removed, and men, wom- en and chiidren, a great throng, spread out under the shade of the live ocaks. A vast confused clamor rose in the air, a babel of talk, a clatter of tin plates, of knives and forks. Bottles were uncorked, napkins and. oilcloths spread over the ground. The men lit pipes and cigars, the women seized the occasion to nurse their‘bables. Osterman, ubiquitous as ever, resplend- ent in his boots and English riding breeches, moved about between the groups, keeping up an endless flow of talk, cracking jokes, winking, nudging, gesturing, putting his tongue in his cheek, ne\':r at a loss for a reply, playing the goat. ““That josher, Osterman, always at his monkey-shines, but a good fellow for all that; brainy, too. Nothing stuck up about him either, like Magnus Derriek.” “Everything all right, Buck?’ inquired Osterman, coming up to where Annixter, Hilma and Mrs. Derrick were sitting dawn to their lunch. “Yes, yes; everything right. But we've no_corkscrew.” “No screw-cork—no scare-crow? Here you are,”” and he drew from his pocket a silver-plated jackknife with a corkscrew attachment. Harran and Presley came up, bearing between them a great smoking, roasted portion of beef just off the fire. Hilma hastened to put forward a huge china platter. Osterman had a joke to crack with the two boys, a joke that was rather broad, but as he turned about the wofds almost on his lips, his glance fell upon ‘Hilma herseif, whom he had not seen for mors than two months. She had handed Pres- ley the gln!(er. and was now sitting with her back against the tree, between two boles of the roots. The position was a little elevated and the supporting roots on either side of her were like the arms of a great chair—a chair of state. She sat thus, as on a throne. raised above the rest, the radiance of the unseen crown of motherhood glowing fromi her forehead, the beauty of the perfect woman sur- rounding her like a glory. And the josh died away on Osterman’s lips. and unconsciously and swiftly he bared his head. Something was passing thege in the air about him that he did not understand, something. however. that imposed reverence and profound respect. For the first time in his life, embarrass- ment seized upon him, upon this joker, this wearer of clothes, this teller of fun- ny stories, with his large, red ears, bald head and comic actor’s face. He stam- mered “confusedly and took himself away, 3