Book 1
Chapter I
JustafterpassingCaraher’ssaloon,ontheCountyRoadthatransouthfromBonneville,andthatdividedtheBrodersonranchfromthatofLosMuertos,PresleywassuddenlyawareofthefaintandprolongedblowingofasteamwhistlethatheknewmustcomefromtherailroadshopsnearthedepotatBonneville.Instartingoutfromtheranchhousethatmorning,hehadforgottenhiswatch,andwasnowperplexedtoknowwhetherthewhistlewasblowingfortwelveorforoneo’clock.Hehopedtheformer.Earlythatmorninghehaddecidedtomakealongexcursionthroughtheneighbouringcountry,partlyonfootandpartlyonhisbicycle,andnownoonwascomealready,andasyethehadhardlystarted.Ashewasleavingthehouseafterbreakfast,Mrs.DerrickhadaskedhimtogoforthemailatBonneville,andhehadnotbeenabletorefuse.
Hetookafirmerholdofthecorkgripsofhishandlebars—theroadbeinginawretchedconditionaftertherecenthaulingofthecrop—andquickenedhispace.Hetoldhimselfthat,nomatterwhatthetimewas,hewouldnotstopforluncheonattheranchhouse,butwouldpushontoGuadalajaraandhaveaSpanishdinneratSolotari’s,ashehadoriginallyplanned.
Therehadnotbeenmuchofacroptohaulthatyear.HalfofthewheatontheBrodersonranchhadfailedentirely,andDerrickhimselfhadhardlyraisedmorethanenoughtosupplyseedforthewinter’ssowing.
