Angel Island

The others stopped, petrified. They scowled, bending an intent gaze

through the brilliant noon sunshine.

"Sure I get it!" Billy answered in a low tone. "There's something

there."

"I don't." Honey shaded his eyes.

"Nor I." Pete squinted.

"Well, I don't see anything," Ralph said impatiently. "But providing you

fellows aren't nuts, what the devil can it be?"

"It's - " Billy began. Then, "My God!" he ended.

Something white glimmered at the end of the trail. It grew larger,

bulked definitely, filled the opening.

"Julia!" Billy gasped.

"And she's - she's - ." Honey could not seem to go on.

"Walking," Billy concluded for him.

"And Peachy!" Ralph exclaimed.

"And why - and - and - - ." It was Pete who stopped for breath this time.

"And she's walking!" Ralph concluded for himself.

"And Clara! And Lulu! And Chiquita!" they greeted each one of the women

as fast as they appeared. And in between them came again and again their

astonished "And walking!"

The five women were walking, and walking with no appearance of effort,

swiftly, lightly, joyously. Julia, at the head, moved with the frank,

free, swinging gait of an Amazon. Peachy seemed to flit along the

ground; there was in her progress something of the dipping, curving

grace of her flight. Clara glided; her effect of motionless movement was

almost obsidian. Chiquita kept the slow, languid gait, both swaying and

pulsating, of a Spanish woman. Lulu trotted with the brisk, pleasing

activity of a Morgan pony.

Their skirts had been shortened; they rippled away from slim ankles. The

swathing, wing-like draperies had disappeared; their slit sleeves

fluttered away from bare shoulders. The women did not pause. They came

on steadily, their eyes fixed on the group of men.

The faces in that group had changed in expression. Ralph's became black

and lowering. Honey looked surprised but interested; his color did not

vary; Billy turned a deep brick-red. Pete went white. Frank Merrill

alone studied the phenomenon with the cool, critical eye of scientific

observation.

The women paused at a little distance where the path dipped to coil

around a little knoll. They abandoned the path to climb this knoll; they

climbed it with surprising ease; they almost flew up the sides. They

stood there silently grouped about Julia. For an instant the two parties

gazed at each other.

Then, "What does this mean, Peachy?" Ralph asked sternly.

Julia answered for Peachy.

"It means - rebellion," she said. " It means that we have decided among

ourselves that we will not permit you to cut Angela's wings. It means

that rather than have you do that, we will leave you, taking our

children with us. If you will promise us that you will not cut Angela's

wings nor the wings of any child born to us, we in our turn will promise

to return to our homes and take our lives up with you just where we left

off."