enough for that; and again, we thought it like
the roar of a cataract, but it was too changeful for the cataract; and
then we would decide, speaking in sleepy voices, that it could be
compared with nothing but itself. My mind was entirely preoccupied by
the noise. I hearkened to it by the hour, gapingly hearkened, and let my
cigarette go out. Sometimes the wind would make a sally nearer hand, and
send a shrill, whistling crash among the foliage on our side of the
glen; and sometimes a back-draught would strike into the elbow where we
sat, and cast the gravel and torn leaves into our faces. But for the
most part, this great, streaming gale passed unweariedly by us into Napa
Valley, not two hundred yards away visible by the tossing boughs,
stunningly audible, and yet not moving a hair upon our heads. So it blew
all night long while I was writing up my journal, and after we were in
bed, under a cloudless, starset heaven; and so it was blowing still next
morning when we rose.

It was a laughable thought to us, what had become of our cheerful
wandering Hebrews. We could not suppose they had reached a destination.
The meanest boy could lead them miles out of their way to see a
gopher-hole. Boys we felt to be their special danger; none others were
of that exact pitch of cheerful irrelevancy to exercise a kindred sway
upon their minds: but before the attractions of a boy their most
settled resolutions would be wax. We thought we could follow in fancy
these three aged Hebrew truants wandering in and out on hilltop and in
thicket, a demon boy trotting far ahead, their will-o'-the-wisp
conductor; and at last about midnight, the wind still roaring in the
darkness, we had a vision of all three on their knees upon a
mountain-top around a glow-worm.

III

THE RETURN

Next morning we were up by half-past five, according to agreement, and
it was ten by the clock before our Jew boys returned to pick us up:
Kelmar, Mrs. Kelmar, and Abramina, all smiling from ear to ear, and full
of tales of the hospitality they had found on the other side. It had not
gone unrewarded; for I observed with interest that the ship's kettles,
all but one, had been "placed." Three Lake County families, at least,
endowed for life with a ship's kettle. Come, this was no misspent
Sunday. The absence of the kettles told its own story: our Jews said
nothing about them; but, on the other hand,