tell you one thing," he said to Saxon, one day, as they drew their
horses to a halt and gazed down into Carmel Valley. "I ain't never going
to work steady for another man for wages as long as I live."

"Work isn't everything," she acknowledged.

"I should guess not. Why, look here, Saxon, what'd it mean if I worked
teamin' in Oakland for a million dollars a day for a million years and
just had to go on stayin' there an' livin' the way we used to? It'd mean
work all day, three squares, an' movie' pictures for recreation. Movin'
pictures! Huh! We're livin' movie' pictures these days. I'd sooner have
one year like what we're havin' here in Carmel and then die, than a
thousan' million years like on Pine street."

Saxon had warned the Halls by letter that she and Billy intended
starting on their search for the valley in the moon as soon as the first
of summer arrived. Fortunately, the poet was put to no inconvenience,
for Bideaux, the Iron Man with the basilisk eyes, had abandoned his
dreams of priesthood and decided to become an actor. He arrived at
Carmel from the Catholic college in time to take charge of the bungalow.

Much to Saxon's gratification, the crowd was loth to see them depart.
The owner of the Carmel stable offered to put Billy in charge at ninety
dollars a month. Also, he received a similar offer from the stable in
Pacific Grove.

"Whither away," the wild Irish playwright hailed them on the station
platform at Monterey. He was just returning from New York.

"To a valley in the moon," Saxon answered gaily.

He regarded their business-like packs.

"By George!" he cried. "I'll do it! By George! Let me come along." Then
his face fell. "And I've signed the contract," he groaned. "Three acts!
Say, you're lucky. And this time of year, too."

CHAPTER XI

"We hiked into Monterey last winter, but we're ridin' out now, b 'gosh!"
Billy said as the train pulled out and they leaned back in their seats.

They had decided against retracing their steps over the ground already
traveled, and took the train to San Francisco. They had been warned by
Mark Hall of the enervation of the south, and were bound north for their
blanket climate. Their intention was to cross the Bay to Sausalito and
wander up through the coast counties Here, Hall had told them, they
would find the true home of the redwood. But Billy, in the smoking car
for a cigarette, seated himself beside a man who was destined to deflect
them from thei