Спрут: Каліфорнійська історія

           Yetnothingstirred;exceptforthelonelyfigurebeyondtheherdtherewasnooneinsight.Hestartedonagain,andinhalfadozenstepsfoundhimselflookingoverhisshoulder.Withoutknowingwhy,helookedtowardtheshepherd;thenhaltedandlookedasecondtimeandathird.Hadtheshepherdcalledtohim?Presleyknewthathehadheardnovoice.Brusquely,allhisattentionseemedriveteduponthisdistantfigure.Heputoneforearmoverhiseyes,tokeepoffthesun,gazingacrosstheinterveningherd.Surely,theshepherdhadcalledhim.Butatthenextinstanthestarted,utteringanexclamationunderhisbreath.Thefar-awayspeckofblackbecameanimated.Presleyremarkedasweepinggesture.Thoughthemanhadnotbeckonedtohimbefore,therewasnodoubtthathewasbeckoningnow.Withoutanyhesitation,andsingularlyinterestedintheincident,Presleyturnedsharplyasideandhurriedontowardtheshepherd,skirtingtheherd,wonderingallthetimethatheshouldanswerthecallwithsolittlequestion,solittlehesitation.

           ButtheshepherdcameforwardtomeetPresley,followedbyoneofhisdogs.Asthetwomenapproachedeachother,Presley,closelystudyingtheother,begantowonderwherehehadseenhimbefore.Itmusthavebeenaverylongtimeago,upononeofhispreviousvisitstotheranch.Certainly,however,therewassomethingfamiliarintheshepherd’sfaceandfigure.Whentheycameclosertoeachother,andPresleycouldseehimmoredistinctly,thissenseofapreviousacquaintancewasincreasedandsharpened.

           Theshepherdwasamanofaboutthirty-five.Hewasveryleanandspare.