rough that filmy lace--and all the
desert throbbed with vibrant light.

Cool and sweet and fresh, from maiden leagues of clean, brown earth the
desert winds made whisper in grass and fragrant shrub; yucca, mesquite
and greasewood swayed--so softly, you had not known save as the long
shadows courtesied and danced.

Leo flung up his hand. The air was wine to him. A year had left the
desert still new and strange. "Gee!" he said eloquently.

Headlight nodded. "You're dead right on that point, son. If Christopher
K. Columbus had only thought to beach his shallops on the sundown side
of this here continent he might have made a name for himself. Just think
how much different, hysterically, these United States----"

"_This_ United States," corrected Pringle dispassionately. Their fathers
had disagreed on the same grammatical point.

Headlight scowled. "By Jings! 'That _this_ United Colonies are, and of
right ought to be, free and independent States,'" he quoted. "I was
goin' to give you something new to exercise your talons on. You sit
here every night, ridin' broncs and four-footin' steers, and never grab
a horn or waste a loop, not once. Sure things ain't amusin'. Some
variety and doubtful accuracy, now, would develop our guessin' gifts."

Aforesaid Smith brandished the end-gate rod. "Them speculations of yours
sorter opens up of themselves. If California had been settled first the
salmon would now be our national bird instead of the potato. Think of
Arizona, mother of Presidents! Seat of government at Milipitas; center
of population about Butte; New Jersey howlin' about Nevada trusts!" He
impaled a few beef ribs and held them over the glowing embers.

"Georgia and South Carolina would be infested by cow-persons
in decollete leather panties," said Jeff Bransford. "New York
and Pennsylvania would be fondly turning a credulous ear to the
twenty-fourth consecutive solemn promise of Statehood--with the
Senator from Walla Walla urging admission of both as one mighty
State with Maryland and Virginia thrown in for luck."

Headlight forgot his pique. "Wouldn't the railroads sound funny, though?
Needles and Eastern, Northern Atlantic, Southern Atlantic, Union,
Western, Kansas and Central Atlantic! Earnest and continuous demand for
a President from east of the Mississippi. All the prize-fights pulled
off at Boston."

"Columbus done just right," said Pringle decisively. "You fellers ain't
got no imagination a-tall. If this Wes