s to become a white
man, after a while, and they say that the difference between a white man
and the Indian is that the white man has to work."

"But the Indians get along without it," said Henry.

"No they don't," replied Paul. "We win all the country because we've
learned how to do things while we are working."

Yet Henry was unconvinced, and his thoughts wandered far into the black
forest and the blue haze.

The cattle pastured near the deepest of the swimming holes, and it often
fell to the lot of the boys to bring them into the palisade at sunset.
This was a duty of no little importance, because if any of the cattle
wandered away into the forest and were lost, they could not be replaced.
It was now the latter half of summer, and the grass and foliage were
fast turning brown in the heat. Late on the afternoon of one of the very
hottest days Henry and Paul went to the deepest swimming hole. There had
not been a breath of air stirring since morning; not a blade of grass,
not a leaf quivered. The skies burned like a sheet of copper.

The boys panted, and their clothing, wet with perspiration, clung to
them. The earth was hot under their feet. Quickly they threw off their
garments and sprang into the water. How cool and grateful it felt! There
they lingered long, and did not notice the sudden obscurity of the sun
and darkening of the southwest.

A slight wind sprang up presently, and the dry leaves and grass began to
rustle. There was thunder in the distance and a stroke of lightning. The
boys were aroused, and scrambling out of the water put on their
clothing.

"A storm's coming," said Henry, who was weatherwise, "and we must get
the cattle in."

These sons of the forest did not fear rain, but they hurried on their
clothing, and they noticed, too, how rapidly the storm was gathering.
The heat had been great for days, and the earth was parched and thirsty.
The men had talked in the evening of rain, and said how welcome it would
be, and now the boys shared the general feeling. The drought would be
ended. The thirsty earth would drink deep and grow green again.

The rolling clouds, drawn like a great curtain over the southwest,
advanced and covered all the heavens. The flashes of lightning followed
each other so fast that, at times, they seemed continuous; the forest
groaned as it bent before the wind. Then the great drops fell, and soon
they were beating the earth like volleys of pistol bullets. Fragments of
b