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In his hidden valley Venters awakened fro with innubirds, and his eyes opened wide upon the glorious golden shaft of sunlight shining through the great stone bridge The circle of cliffs surrounding Surprise Valley lay shrouded inthe terraces, a crea the ramparts The oak forest in the center was a pluold

He saw Bess under the spruces Upon her coth she always rose with the dawn At thethe quail she had ta-birds They fluttered as to flit down and shyly hop near the twittering quail Little gray and white rabbits crouched in the grass, now nibbling, now laying long ears flat and watching the dogs

Venters's swift glance took in the brightening valley, and Bess and her pets, and Ring and Whitie It swept over all to return again and rest upon the girl She had changed To the dark trousers and blouse she had added er resembled a boy No eye could have failed to race and beauty A glint of warleamed from her hair, and a tint of red shone in the clear dark brown of cheeks The haunting sweetness of her lips and eyes, that earlier had been illusive, a pro fact She fitted har; she was like Surprise Valley--wild and beautiful

Venters leaped out of his cave to begin the day

He had postponed his journey to Cottonwoods until after the passing of the summer rains The rains were due soon But until their arrival and the necessity for his trip to the village he sequestered in a far corner of ht of peril, of his past life, and alh to live

He did not want to knohat lay hidden in the dim and distant future Surprise Valley had enchanted him In this home of the cliff-dwellers there were peace and quiet and solitude, and another thing, wondrous as the goldenenough to understand

The solitude he had hated when alone he had now co froirl he was assi more