the honor and glory of all California, and the United States, and the
white race everywhere for you to beat him, but if any harm should come
to you I would always feel that I shouldn't have urged it."

"Now that's foolishness," said Donald earnestly. "If I am such a dub
that I didn't have the ambition to think up some way to beat a Jap
myself, no matter what happens you shouldn't regret having been the one
to point out to me my manifest duty. Dad is a Harvard man, you know, and
that is where he's going to send me, and in talking about it the other
night I told him about you, and what you had said to me. He's the
greatest old scout, and was mightily interested. He went at once and
opened a box of books in the garret and dug out some stuff that will be
a big help to me. He's going to keep posted and see what he can do; he
said even worse things to me than you did; so you needn't feel that you
have any responsibility; besides that, it's not proved yet that I can
beat Oka Sayye."

"Yes, it is!" said Linda, sending a straight level gaze deep into his
eyes. "Yes, it is! Whenever a white man makes up his mind what he's
going to do, and puts his brain to work, he beats any man, of any other
color. Sure you're going to beat him."

"Fat chance I have not to," said Donald, laughing ruefully. "If I don't
beat him I am disgraced at home, and with you; before I try very long in
this highly specialized effort I am making, every professor in the high
school and every member of my class is bound to become aware of what
is going on. You're mighty right about it. I have got to beat him or
disgrace myself right at the beginning of my nice young career."

"Of course you'll beat him," said Linda.

"At what hour did you say I should come, Saturday?"

"Oh, come with the lark for all I care," said Linda. "Early morning in
the desert is a mystery and a miracle, and the larks have been there
just long enough to get their voices properly tuned for their purest
notes."

Then she turned and hurried away. Her first leisure minute after
reaching home she went to the library wearing one of Katy's big aprons,
and carrying a brush and duster. Beginning at one end of each shelf, she
took down the volumes she intended to sell, carefully dusted them, wiped
their covers, and the place on which they had stood, and then opened and
leafed through them so that no scrap of paper containing any notes or
memoranda of possible value should be overlooked. It