Contents 



CHAPTER PAGE 



I. The Building of the 



Nest i 



II. Behind the Backlog . 15 



III. Half-Hours with Mer- 



cury and Vulcan . . 31 



IV. Low Tides 45 



V. The Case of Kate . . 61 



VI. Smoke of the H-F Bar . 73 



VII. Told in the Firelight . 89 



VIII. "Tick-Tock" Talk . . 103 



IX. An August Night ... 123 



X. Socks and Flocks . . . 137 



XI. The Pig in a Poke . . 149 



XII. A Pumpkin and a Prince 161 



XIII. The Flames that 



Clarify 179 



XIV. A Farewell "Hike" . 189 

 XV- "Taps" 203 



