n' me on the road till we find that valley of the moon."

Next morning, early, they drove out of Ukiah. Possum sat on the seat
between them, his rosy mouth agape with excitement. They had originally
planned to cross over to the coast from Ukiah, but it was too early
in the season for the soft earth-roads to be in shape after the winter
rains; so they turned east, for Lake County, their route to extend
north through the upper Sacramento Valley and across the mountains into
Oregon. Then they would circle west to the coast, where the roads by
that time would be in condition, and come down its length to the Golden
Gate.

All the land was green and flower-sprinkled, and each tiny valley, as
they entered the hills, was a garden.

"Huh!" Billy remarked scornfully to the general landscape. "They say a
rollin' stone gathers no moss. Just the same this looks like some outfit
we've gathered. Never had so much actual property in my life at one
time--an' them was the days when I wasn't rollin'. Hell--even the
furniture wasn't ourn. Only the clothes we stood up in, an' some old
socks an' things."

Saxon reached out and touched his hand, and he knew that it was a hand
that loved his hand.

"I've only one regret," she said. "You've earned it all yourself. I've
had nothing to do with it."

"Huh!--you've had everything to do with it. You're like my second in a
fight. You keep me happy an' in condition. A man can't fight without
a good second to take care of him. Hell, I wouldn't a-ben here if it
wasn't for you. You made me pull up stakes an' head out. Why, if it
hadn't been for you I'd a-drunk myself dead an' rotten by this time, or
had my neck stretched at San Quentin over hittin' some scab too hard
or something or other. An' look at me now. Look at that roll of
greenbacks"--he tapped his breast--"to buy the Boss some horses. Why,
we're takin' an unendin' vacation, an' makin' a good livin' at the same
time. An' one more trade I got--horse-buyin' for Oakland. If I show I've
got the savve, an' I have, all the Frisco firms'll be after me to buy
for them. An' it's all your fault. You're my Tonic Kid all right, all
right, an' if Possum wasn't lookin', I'd--well, who cares if he does
look?"

And Billy leaned toward her sidewise and kissed her.

The way grew hard and rocky as they began to climb, but the divide was
an easy one, and they soon dropped down the canyon of the Blue Lakes
among lush fields of golden poppies. In the bottom