Down to a Soundless Sea Read Online Free PDF Page A

fear and fatigue. Only the foal, carrying no burden, seemed willing to continue the contest, though after a sharp nip from the mare it obediently shadowed her once more.
    *  *  *
    The working heart of the post ranch lay in a protected basin between the high cliffs of the ocean to the west and the broad, stony mountains to the east. It was about noon when the boy at last spotted his destination. From a distance he could see the large barn with its corrals, outbuildings, and apple sheds.
    A dozen riders were gathered about the corrals adjusting their tack in preparation for an afternoon of hard wrangling. Some were permanent hands or neighbors from the local ranches, but others were Monterey or Salinas boys like himself. They too had made the long ride from home in order to work the ranches of the Big Sur during their summer vacations.
    It was hard work, but it promised good money for hands that knew which end of a horse gets the bit. Ready cash was always a reliable incentive for young men in need of the wherewithal to help finance their educations or families or marital ambitions.
    When the young man finally rode up he was greeted by name. Most everyone present knew him, liked him well enough, understood his habits and skills, but thought him a trifle preoccupied with worlds of his own invention. He habitually carried books in his saddlebags instead of food and was easily lured into reading on the trail while his horse plodded on.
    The sarcastic and diminutive Lupito Morales, a Salinas pal, shouted out from the open hayloft, “Where you been keeping yourself, John? We expected you last night. You missed another famous Post breakfast. Grilled venison, baked apples with honey, and lots of eggs.”
    John’s school pal Billy Witt piped in with an embarrassingquestion. “What have you done with that mare? She looks like Uncle Pepe’s mule after ten acres on a hot day. What did you bring her colt for, food?”
    Benny Ramirez laughed and winked. “Perhaps some pretty señorita gave John a cool drink and soft eyes and he could not drag himself away.”
    Lupito piped out from the loft, “Then he remembered us, in a weaker moment, of course, and rode like hell to be at our sides.” The ranch hands within earshot began to chuckle. John blushed with boyish mortification and dismounted. He loosened his saddle cinch and led the mare and foal to the water trough.
    The Old Man himself, Joe Post, came out of the barn leading his big sorrel. When he saw the tardy arrival, he handed the halter to Ramon Castro with instructions to saddle the brute “before sunset.” He then walked over to John and began to chide him for keeping bankers’ hours. John blushed again, but he met the old Indian’s eyes with a certainty of purpose.
    “Where you been, John? You know damn well we begin work around here at sunup. You’ve already missed the morning sweep. Now listen, son, it’s going to be a short season because of the rains, and I can’t spare even one man, not even a daydreaming book hound like you. How’s your mother and father getting on, by the way? God love ’em. Is Olive still working up a storm? Probably damn happy to see the tail of your horse leave the paddock for a while. Speaking of horses, you better tack your saddle to the buckskin in the last stall. Your mount looks pretty well spent. What happened?”
    Old Joe Post was not prepared for the look in John’s eyes when he turned to speak. It was as if his eyes had aged years beyond the rest of the boy. John looked directly at Mr. Post,but the old man got the definite impression that John was looking through him to some distant vision. At first John seemed reluctant to speak, but he squared his shoulders, prepared to receive the impact of disbelief.
    “I saw a bear,” John said slowly. “The biggest bear the Almighty ever created! Bigger than any grizzly I’ve ever heard of. Bigger than anything I’ve seen in books. It was resting on that great flat rock just south of