d.

"Now," said Hill, "spin your yarn. I'm just pinin' to hear those
adventures."

Roldan appreciated the sarcasm, but was too secure in the wealth of the
past month to resent it. He began at the beginning and told the story
with his curious combination of reserve and dramatic fire. As he had
already told it several times it ran glibly off his tongue and had
several inevitable embellishments. The man, whose cold blue eyes had
wandered at first, finally fixed themselves on Roldan; and his whole
face gradually softened. When Roldan finished with his and Adan's
rescue by Don Tiburcio's vaquero, he held out his hand and said
solemnly,--

"Shake."

Roldan allowed his hand to be gripped by that hairy paw; he was too
elated to resent it as a familiarity.

"You've got pluck," continued Hill, "and I respect pluck mor' 'n
anything else on earth. You're a man and a gentleman, and Californy'll
be proud of you yet. Got any more?"

Roldan related the tale of Rafael's prowess with the bull, his own
encounter with the bear, and Adan's timely interference. Hill then
shook the hands of the two other boys, and told them that as long as he
had a roof above his head they could share it, and that he'd do
anything to help them but steal horses, so help him Bob. Roldan then
told the tale of the earthquake and stampede.

"Ugh!" exclaimed Hill, with a shudder. "That's one thing I can't
abide--your earthquakes. I tell you it's enough to take the grit outen
a grizzly to hear the land sliden on the mountain and the big redwoods
that has got their roots about the bed-rock come roarin' down. When an
earthquake comes I go and stand in the middle of the creek so as I can
see what's comin' all round. Once I was on the side of the mountain
when one of those shakes come and I slid down twenty feet before I
could stop myself. It's just the one thing that has happened to me that
I can't help thinkin' about. Well, what kin I do for you? You're
welcome to stay here, but this hut ain't no great shakes for such as
you. Be you goin' home, now that the conscription's over?"

"No!" said Roldan, emphatically, "we are not. There are other reasons
why we must go to Los Angeles as quickly as we can. Could you get us
three horses?"

"I could get them from the priest--"

"No! no!"

"Why, what's the row with the priest? Got in his black books? I
shouldn't like to do that myself."

"You said just now that you would do anything for us. Would you even
hide