Presley, however, had not been wholly inattentive.

While his memory was busy reconstructing the details of the drama of the shepherd's life, another part of his brain had been swiftly registering picture after picture that Vanamee's monotonous flow of words struck off, as it were, upon a steadily moving scroll.

The music of the unfamiliar names that occurred in his recital was a stimulant to the poet's imagination.

Presley had the poet's passion for expressive, sonorous names.

As these came and went in Vanamee's monotonous undertones, like little notes of harmony in a musical progression, he listened, delighted with their resonance .-- Navajo, Quijotoa, Uintah, Sonora, Laredo, Uncompahgre--to him they were so many symbols.