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you。〃
〃And never come back？〃
〃Not for sixteen years at least；〃 he laughed。
〃To a rabbit hutch； and get a confounded old
shovel 。 。 。〃
〃A ship is not so very big；〃 she taunted。
〃No； but the sea is great。〃
She dropped her head； and as if her ears had
been opened to the voices of the world； she heard；
beyond the rampart of sea…wall； the swell of yester…
day's gale breaking on the beach with monotonous
and solemn vibrations； as if all the earth had been
a tolling bell。
〃And then； why； a ship's a ship。 You love her
and leave her； and a voyage isn't a marriage。〃 He
quoted the sailor's saying lightly。
〃It is not a marriage；〃 she whispered。
〃I never took a false name； and I've never yet
told a lie to a woman。 What lie？ Why； THE lie。
Take me or leave me； I say： and if you take me；
then it is 。 。 。〃 He hummed a snatch very low；
leaning against the wall。
Oh； ho； ho Rio！
And fare thee well；
My bonnie young girl；
We're bound to Rio Grande
〃Capstan song；〃 he explained。 Her teeth chat…
tered。
〃You are cold；〃 he said。 〃Here's that affair
of yours I picked up。〃 She felt his hands about
her； wrapping her closely。 〃Hold the ends to…
gether in front；〃 he commanded。
〃What did you come here for？〃 she asked； re…
pressing a shudder。
〃Five quid；〃 he answered； promptly。 〃We let
our spree go on a little too long and got hard up。〃
〃You've been drinking？〃 she said。
〃Blind three days； on purpose。 I am not given
that waydon't you think。 There's nothing and
nobody that can get over me unless I like。 I can
be as steady as a rock。 My chum sees the paper
this morning； and says he to me： 'Go on； Harry：
loving parent。 That's five quid sure。' So we
scraped all our pockets for the fare。 Devil of a
lark！〃
〃You have a hard heart； I am afraid；〃 she
sighed。
〃What for？ For running away？ Why！ he
wanted to make a lawyer's clerk of mejust to
please himself。 Master in his own house； and my
poor mother egged him onfor my good； I sup…
pose。 Well； thenso long； and I went。 No； I
tell you： the day I cleared out； I was all black and
blue from his great fondness for me。 Ah！ he was
always a bit of a character。 Look at that shovel
now。 Off his chump？ Not much。 That's just
exactly like my dad。 He wants me here just to
have somebody to order about。 However； we two
were hard up； and what's five quid to himonce
in sixteen hard years？〃
〃Oh； but I am sorry for you。 Did you never
want to come back home？〃
〃Be a lawyer's clerk and rot herein some such
place as this？〃 he cried in contempt。 〃What！ if
the old man set me up in a home to…day； I would
kick it down about my earsor else die there be…
fore the third day was out。〃
〃And where else is it that you hope to die？〃
〃In the bush somewhere； in the sea； on a blamed
mountain…top for choice。 At home？ Yes！ the
world's my home； but I expect I'll die in a hospital
some day。 What of that？ Any place is good
enough； as long as I've lived； and I've been every…
thing you can think of almost but a tailor or a
soldier。 I've been a boundary rider； I've sheared
sheep； and humped my swag； and harpooned a
whale。 I've rigged ships； and prospected for gold；
and skinned dead bullocks；and turned my back
on more money than the old man would have
scraped in his whole life。 Ha； ha！〃
He overwhelmed her。 She pulled herself to…
gether and managed to utter； 〃Time to rest
now。〃
He straightened himself up； away from the wall；
and in a severe voice said； 〃Time to go。〃
But he did not move。 He leaned back again；
and hummed thoughtfully a bar or two of an out…
landish tune。
She felt as if she were about to cry。 〃That's
another of your cruel songs；〃 she said。
〃Learned it in Mexicoin Sonora。〃 He talked
easily。 〃It is the song of the Gambucinos。 You
don't know？ The song of restless men。 Nothing
could hold them in one placenot even a woman。
You used to meet one of them now and again； in
the old days； on the edge of the gold country； away
north there beyond the Rio Gila。 I've seen it。 A
prospecting engineer in Mazatlan took me along
with him to help look after the waggons。 A
sailor's a handy chap to have about you anyhow。
It's all a desert： cracks in the earth that you can't
see the bottom of； and mountainssheer rocks
standing up high like walls and church spires； only
a hundred times bigger。 The valleys are full of
boulders and black stones。 There's not a blade of
grass to see； and the sun sets more red over that
country than I have seen it anywhereblood…red
and angry。 It IS fine。〃
〃You do not want to go back there again？〃
she stammered out。
He laughed a little。 〃No。 That's the blamed
gold country。 It gave me the shivers sometimes
to look at itand we were a big lot of men together；
mind； but these Gambucinos wandered alone。
They knew that country before anybody had ever
heard of it。 They had a sort of gift for prospect…
ing； and the fever of it was on them too； and they
did not seem to want the gold very much。 They
would find some rich spot； and then turn their backs
on it； pick up perhaps a littleenough for a
spreeand then be off again； looking for more。
They never stopped long where there were houses；
they had no wife； no chick； no home； never a chum。
You couldn't be friends with a Gambucino； they
were too restlesshere to…day； and gone； God
knows where； to…morrow。 They told no one of
their finds； and there has never been a Gambucino
well off。 It was not for the gold they cared； it was
the wandering about looking for it in the stony
country that got into them and wouldn't let them
rest； so that no woman yet born could hold a Gam…
bucino for more than a week。 That's what the
song says。 It's all about a pretty girl that tried
hard to keep hold of a Gambucino lover； so that he
should bring her lots of gold。 No fear！ Off he
went； and she never saw him again。〃
〃What became of her？〃 she breathed out。
〃The song don't tell。 Cried a bit； I daresay。
They were the fellows： kiss and go。 But it's the
looking for a thinga something 。 。 。 Sometimes
I think I am a