They tried to guess at its location.
The treeless ridge on which they were now standing ran like a belt
outside the Hills. They journeyed along its summit until late in the
afternoon, and then all at once found the city of Rapid lying below
them at the mouth of a mighty cañon, like a toy village on fine velvet
brown.
In the city they separated, Mary going to the McPhersons', Bennington
to the hotel. It was now near to sunset, so it was agreed that
Bennington was to come round the following morning to get her. At the
hotel Bennington spent an interesting evening viewing the pioneers with
their variety of costume, manners, and speech. He heard many good
stories, humorous and blood-curdling, and it was very late before he
finally got to bed.
The immediate consequence was that he was equally late to breakfast. He
hurried through that meal and stepped out into the street, with the
intention of hastening to Dr. McPherson's for Mary, but this he found
to be impossible because of the overcrowded condition of the streets.
The sports of the day had already begun. From curb to curb the way was
jammed with a dense mass of men, women, and children, through whom he
had to worm his way. After ten feet of this, he heard his name called,
and looking up, caught sight of Mary herself, perched on a dry-goods
box, frantically waving a handkerchief in his direction.
"You're a nice one!" she cried in mock reproach as he struggled toward
her. Her eyes were bright and her cheeks flew red signals of enjoyment.
Bennington explained.
"I know. Well, it didn't matter, any way. I just captured this box.
Climb up. There's room. I've lost the doctor and Mrs. McPherson
already."
Two mounted men, decorated with huge tin marshals' badges, rode slowly
along forcing the crowd back to the right and to the left. The first
horse race was on. Suddenly there was an eager scramble, a cloud of
dust, a swift impression of dim ghostlike figures. It was over. The
crowd flowed into the street again.
The two pressed together, hand in hand, on the top of the dry-goods
box. They laughed at each other and everything. Something beautiful was
very near to them, for this was the Pioneer's Picnic, and both
remembered that the Pioneer's Picnic marked the limit of many things.
"What's next? What's next?" she called excitedly to a tall young
cattleman.
The cowboy looked up at her, and his face relaxed into a pleased smile.
"Why, it's a drillin' match over in the next street, miss," he answered
politely. "You'd better run right along over and get a good place." He
glanced at de Laney, smiled again, and turned away, apparently to
follow his own advice.