Angel Island

Whether Ralph's theory was correct could not, of course, be ascertained.

But in the matter of prophecy, he was absolutely vindicated. About

half-way through the morning five black spots appeared in the west. They

grew gradually to bewildering shapes and colors, for the girls came

dressed in gowns woven of brilliant flowers. And the torrents of their

beautiful hair floated loose. This time they held themselves grouped

close; they kept themselves aloof, high. But again came the sinuous

interplay of flower-clad bodies, the flashing evolution of rainbow

wings, the dazzling interweaving of snowy arms and legs. It held the men

breathless.

"They're like goldfish in a bowl," Billy Fairfax said. "I never saw such

suppleness. You wouldn't think they had a bone in their systems."

"I bet they're as strong as tigers, though," commented Addington. "I

wouldn't want to handle more than one of them at once."

"I think I could handle two," remarked Frank Merrill. He said this, not

boastfully, but as one who states an interesting fact. And he spoke as

impersonally as though the girls were machines.

Ralph Addington studied Frank Merrill's gigantic copper-colored bulk

enviously. "I guess you could," he agreed.

"Fortunately," Frank went on, "it would be impossible for such a

situation to arise. Men don't war on women."

"On the contrary," Ralph disagreed, "men always war on women, and women

on men. Why, Merrill," he added with his inevitable tone of patronage,

"aren't you wise to the fact that the war between the sexes is in

reality more bitter and bloody than any war between the races?"

But Frank did not answer. He only stared.

"Did you notice," Pete Murphy asked, "what wonderful hair they had?

Loose like that - they looked more than ever like Valkyries."

"Yes, I got that," Ralph answered. He smiled until all his white teeth

showed. "And take it from me, that's a point gained. When a woman begins

to let her hair down, she's interested."

"Well," said Honey Smith, "their game may be the same as every other

woman's you've known, but it takes a damned long time to come down to

cases. What I want to know is how many months more will have to pass

before we speak when we pass by."

"That matter'll take care of itself," Ralph reassured him. "You leave it

to natural selection."

"Well, it's a deuce of a slow process," Honey grumbled.