up in the morning and dressing, about
walking, riding, even about sleep.

One morning when Thea came out from her room at seven o'clock, she found
Henry and Fred on the porch, looking up at the sky. The day was already
hot and there was no breeze. The sun was shining, but heavy brown clouds
were hanging in the west, like the smoke of a forest fire. She and Fred
had meant to ride to Flagstaff that morning, but Biltmer advised against
it, foretelling a storm. After breakfast they lingered about the house,
waiting for the weather to make up its mind. Fred had brought his
guitar, and as they had the dining-room to themselves, he made Thea go
over some songs with him. They got interested and kept it up until Mrs.
Biltmer came to set the table for dinner. Ottenburg knew some of the
Mexican things Spanish Johnny used to sing. Thea had never before
happened to tell him about Spanish Johnny, and he seemed more interested
in Johnny than in Dr. Archie or Wunsch.

After dinner they were too restless to endure the ranch house any
longer, and ran away to the canyon to practice with single-sticks. Fred
carried a slicker and a sweater, and he made Thea wear one of the rubber
hats that hung in Biltmer's gun-room. As they crossed the pasture land
the clumsy slicker kept catching in the lacings of his leggings.

"Why don't you drop that thing?" Thea asked. "I won't mind a shower.
I've been wet before."

"No use taking chances."

From the canyon they were unable to watch the sky, since only a strip of
the zenith was visible. The flat ledge about the watch-tower was the
only level spot large enough for single-stick exercise, and they were
still practicing there when, at about four o'clock, a tremendous roll of
thunder echoed between the cliffs and the atmosphere suddenly became
thick.

Fred thrust the sticks in a cleft in the rock. "We're in for it, Thea.
Better make for your cave where there are blankets." He caught her elbow
and hurried her along the path before the cliff-houses. They made the
half-mile at a quick trot, and as they ran the rocks and the sky and the
air between the cliffs turned a turbid green, like the color in a moss
agate. When they reached the blanketed rock room, they looked at each
other and laughed. Their faces had taken on a greenish pallor. Thea's
hair, even, was green.

"Dark as pitch in here," Fred exclaimed as they hurried over the old
rock doorstep. "But it's warm. The rocks hold the heat. It's going t