CHAPTER XXI

Graham, riding solitary through the redwood canyons among the hills that overlooked the ranch center, was getting acquainted with Selim, the eleven-hundred-pound, coal-black gelding which Dick had furnished him in place of the lighter Altadena. As he rode along, learning the good nature, the roguishness and the dependableness of the animal, Graham hummed the words of the "Gypsy Trail" and allowed them to lead his thoughts. Quite carelessly, foolishly, thinking of bucolic lovers carving their initials on forest trees, he broke a spray of laurel and another of redwood. He had to stand in the stirrups to pluck a long- stemmed, five-fingered fern with which to bind the sprays into a cross. When the patteran was fashioned, he tossed it on the trail before him and noted that Selim passed over without treading upon it. Glancing back, Graham watched it to the next turn of the trail. A good omen, was his thought, that it had not been trampled.

More five-fingered ferns to be had for the reaching, more branches of redwood and laurel brushing his face as he rode, invited him to continue the manufacture of patterans, which he dropped as he fashioned them. An hour later, at the head of the canyon, where he knew the trail over the divide was difficult and stiff, he debated his course and turned back.

Selim warned him by nickering. Came an answering nicker from close at hand. The trail was wide and easy, and Graham put his mount into a fox trot, swung a wide bend, and overtook Paula on the Fawn. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What is the horse's name?
2. Who's riding him?
3. Where?
4. What music is running through his mind?
5. What brushed his face?
6. From what tree?
7. What did he make as he rode?
8. What did he do with it?
9. Where?
10. How did the horse react?
11. Was that a bad sign?
12. What was it?
13. What did he keep doing?
14. For how long?
15. What did the horse do then?
16. Of what?
17. What replied?
18. From whom?
19. Who was there?
20. What was her horse's name?
21. What did Graham do when he saw them?
22. How was the path?
Answer: 1. Selim
2. Graham
3. through the redwood canyons
4. Gypsy Trail"
5. branches
6. redwood
7. a cross
8. he tossed it
9. on the trail
10. Selim passed over without treading upon it
11. No
12. A good omen
13. the manufacture of patterans
14. An hour
15. warned him
16. the trail
17. an answering nicker
18. close at hand
19. Paula
20. Fawn
21. put his mount into a fox trot
22. wide and easy

Washington (CNN) -- At one time, Susan Rice seemed to be on a trajectory that would take her to the secretary of state's office in President Barack Obama's second term.

But that trajectory changed Thursday when the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations withdrew her name from consideration to succeed current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In a letter to the president, Rice explained her decision to pull herself out of the running.

"I am highly honored to be considered by you for appointment as Secretary of State," the letter read. "However, if nominated, I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly -- to you and to our most pressing national and international priorities. That trade-off is simply not worth it to our country. ... Therefore, I respectfully request that you no longer consider my candidacy at this time."

A former administration official with knowledge of Rice's decision said this was Rice's decision; the White House did not ask her to stand down.

Obama said that while he regretted Rice's decision to withdraw he would continue to rely on her advice.

Rice's path began decades ago with the help of family friend Madeleine Albright, the woman who became the first female secretary of state.

Benghazi talking points omitted link to al Qaeda

Albright, while serving under President Bill Clinton, recommended that he tap Rice for a high-level State Department post on African affairs in the late 1990s.

Albright had previously served with Rice's mother, Lois Rice, on a school board in Washington and watched Rice grow up with her own daughters. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who was headed to be Secretary of State before Clinton?
2. Who pulled herself out of the running?
3. Who was considering her appointment ?
4. Did he ask her to stand down?
5. Who was her family friend?
6. Who was the first female secretary of state?
7. Serving under whom?
8. Who was Rice's mother?
9. Did she know Madeling Albright?
10. How"
11. Who would Rice have succeeded if she took the position?
Answer: 1. Madeleine Albright
2. Susan Rice
3. Obama
4. No
5. Madeleine Albright
6. Madeleine Albright
7. Bill Clinton
8. Lois Rice
9. Yes
10. served a school board
11. Hillary Clinton

CHAPTER VIII.

A DISCOVERY.

While the boys were at work in this manner, Stuyvesant making his ladder, and Phonny his cage, they suddenly heard some one opening the door. Wallace came in. Phonny called out to him to shut the door as quick as possible. Wallace did so, while Phonny, in explanation of the urgency of his injunction in respect to the door, pointed up to the squirrel, which was then creeping along, apparently quite at his ease, upon one of the beams in the back part of the shop.

"Why, Bunny," said Wallace.

"His name is not Bunny," said Phonny. "His name is Frink."

"Frink," repeated Wallace. "Who invented that name?"

"I don't know," replied Phonny, "only Beechnut said that his name was Frink. See the cage I am making for him."

Wallace came up and looked at the cage. He stood a moment surveying it in silence. Then he turned toward Stuyvesant.

"And what is Stuyvesant doing?" said he.

"He is making a ladder."

"What is it for, Stuyvesant?" said Wallace.

"Why, it is to go upon the loft, in the hen-house," said Phonny, "though I don't see what good it will do, to go up there."

"So it is settled, that _you_ are going to have the hen-house," said Wallace, looking toward Stuyvesant.

"Yes," said Stuyvesant.

Here there was another long pause. Wallace was looking at the ladder. He observed how carefully Stuyvesant was making it. He saw that the cross-bars were all exactly of a length, and he knew that they must have been pretty accurately measured. While Wallace was looking on, Stuyvesant was measuring off the distances upon the side pieces of the ladder, so as to have the steps of equal length. Wallace observed that he did this all very carefully. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. How many boys were at work?
2. Which one entered the area last?
3. What other creature was in the room?
4. What was its name?
5. Was Wallace building a ladder?
6. Who will have the hen-house?
7. When he enters does Wallace leave the door open?
8. What is Phonny building?
9. For who?
10. Did Phonny give him his name?
11. How did he know the name?
12. Did Stuyvesant work in a careless manner?
13. What was he doing at the end of the story?
Answer:
1. Three
2. Wallace
3. squirrel,
4. Frink."
5. to go into the henhouse loft
6. Stuyvesant.
7. no
8. a cage
9. "Ithe squirrel
10. no
11. Beechnut said
12. no
13. making the ladder side pieces