le."

The boys did not get things ship-shape any too soon. The black clouds
were drifting in a gloomy procession over the great valley, then came
a flash that showed the expanse of the level meadow in a green-white
color and the somber pine-clad slopes, then the wind and rain
together.

CHAPTER XXII

HAIL

The storm drifted steadily northward over the valley with its
accompanying flashes of lightning, followed by volleys of rain mingled
with the shot of hail. As soon as the boys heard the hail on the
canvas roof of their tent they hustled out to put blankets on their
horses, so as to protect them from the beating hail. They moved them
under the protecting branches as much as possible and made them as
snug as they could.

"Remember the time we got into a hail storm in Kansas?" questioned Jo,
as they walked back through the beating white pellets, that were
getting larger every minute.

"That was fun," laughed Tom. "We pretended that the hail was bullets
and the one who was struck on the head was to be dead."

"You were it," declared Jo.

"I was not," said Tom decidedly.

"We will leave it to this storm to decide," said Jo.

"All right," agreed Tom.

"Jeems to be the referee," said Jo.

This was likewise acceptable to Tom. The hail was now coming faster
and of good size, about as big as the end of one's thumb, but the boys
did not seem to mind as they slouched along with their sombreros
pulled down around their ears, thus affording pretty fair protection.
Just then a big bullet of hail struck fairly on top of Tom's skull and
bounced, the others saw, about six inches into the air.

"Hurrah!" yelled Jo, "that proves it. You are it again. Isn't he
judge?" this to Jeems.

"You mean hit again, not 'it. I fear you are English," replied Jeems.

"Don't insult me," said Jo, "I'm plain U. S. Southwest. But isn't Tom
out?"

"Yes," replied Jeems, "he is."

"What!" cried Tom in great surprise, "did something strike me."

"I always thought your head was thick," replied Jo contemptuously,
"now I'm sure of it."

By this time they had reached the shelter of the tent and stood
looking out at the antics of the hail as it danced upon the hard
ground and leaped from the surface of the rocks, and spatted into fire
until a steam arose into the air. In a short time the ground was
covered with several inches of whiteness.

"Did you boys ever hear that old circus joke?" inquired Jeems, looking
musingly out at th