He suddenly raised his hands, and, drawing her face down to his own, kissed her forehead.
"Give that to HIM," he whispered, "from ME." She turned and fled, happily for her sentiment, not hearing the feeble laugh that followed, as Dunn, in sheer imbecility, again referred to the extravagant ludicrousness of the situation.

"It is about the biggest thing in the way of a sell all round," he repeated, lying on his back, confidentially to the speck of smoke-obscured sky above him.

He pictured himself repeating it, not to Nellie--her severe propriety might at last overlook the fact, but would not tolerate the joke--but to her father! It would be one of those characteristic Californian jokes Father Wynn would admire.
To his exhaustion fever presently succeeded, and he began to grow restless.

The heat too seemed to invade his retreat, and from time to time the little patch of blue sky was totally obscured by clouds of smoke.

He amused himself with watching a lizard who was investigating a folded piece of paper, whose elasticity gave the little creature lively apprehensions of its vitality.