Evening star., 1936-05-02
INSTALLNIENT XIV.

7-HE waking dream became real
dream. and Tamara slept deep
and awakened in the delicious
l. dewy freshness of the Summer
morning with no time for further in
trospection. The whole house was astir
by 8 o'clock and at they were all at
the small tree-shaded church that
. stood at turn of the road-Tam in a
soft fiowered chiffon of dim dark blues
and lighter blues. with brimmed blue
hat Mary in stiff blue linen; George
looking browner than ever in white
fannels.
Fifteen minutes later George and
Tamara kissed the others good-by and
climbed into the waiting car. With a
final wave from Tamara's hand they
went down the shady road and turned
into the highway The miles began to
slide by; the closely packed environs
of San Francisco were gone; they
struck out westward across the long
bridge that spanned the upper bay and
the marshes and caught the first hot
breath of the tremendous reaches of
the fruited valley beyond.
There was stop at the Lake Hotel
to freshen and change and to enjoy
with ravenous appetites the impromptu
meal of eggs and corn and fresh hot
rolls. Then Tam appeared once again
in the camping regalia of jeans and
sweater, red handkerchief and brim.
med hat, lineup and bowie knife, and
the late afternoon rocking chair sit
ters on the wide hotel veranda saw the
= tall. lean cowboy lead up the horses
and Tam and George mount them and
the little cavalcade set off for the tim
berline country.
The outfit" was composed of the
3 Iaconic Roy and his nephew, young
Roy. four horses and four pack mules.
In Roy's kyacks. strapped securely
with greasy, heavy belts to the mules,
was the entire camp equipment-a
dressing tent, the canvas bags and the
sleeping bags, the stove and pans and
groceries, the guns and fishing tackle.
The long shadows of the horses legs
and their own shadows lay before them
as they turned eastward, and the glory
of the late Summer afternoon pos
kessed a hushed and dreaming world.
Hits all of miles to camp; that
goin' to be too much for Mis- Davis?"
Roy had asked; Tam had said eagerly
that it would not be at all too far.
She loved riding and she loved Sally,
the big, gentle mare who was carry
ing her so high and so lightly. Wall.
! brung some stuff where kin break
1t out SOS you two kin camp down
anywheres if ye git too tired!' Roy
had said, expectorating. He had not
spoken again for the first magical
mile-a mile of silence and fragrance
and beauty along an old dirt road
that had once led the feet Of pioneers
into the gold mountains.
Presently he said abruptly: Guess
you'd better put her at that bank,
Mis- Davis!"
"Put?" Tam asked refining in, her
eyebrows raised. There was, to be
sure, an effect of the earth and the
roots on the steep bank at her right
having been scrambled over or dragged
down, but she could not conceive of
putting Sally at it. However, Sally
knew the road if her rider did not,
and with a great straining of mighty
fianks and a general struggling of
great firm hoofs Sally was up it, and
Tam, breathless and laughing and
3 twisting about to see how the men
made the grade, was riding straight
uphill through scattered pines and
jumpers and among great boulders
exquisitely decorated with moses and
vines. On and on and on. She felt
that she could go no farther when
after the endless time Roy said.
"Wall. sir. we're bout halfway" But
she would not weaken, and she
Strengthened her back and eased an
aching knee by putting her leg across
the pummel of the Mexican saddle