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some one of the pioneer parties that had started over the pass had made it…and could be terrorized into submission？ I don't know； I never will know。 I have never understood the gangster mind…I simply know what to do about gangsters。
As may be； they made a fatal mistake in tackling sweet and gentle Dora。 She not only shot at the right instant； but she shot his gun out of his hand instead of taking the much easier target； his belly or chest。 Important？ Supremely so； for me。 His gun was aimed at me。 Had Dora shot him； instead of his gun； even iL her shot killed him； his last reflex would probably… certainly； I think…have caused his fingers to tighten and I would have been hit。 You can figure it from there in half a dozen ways； all bad。 …
Lucky accident？ Not at all。 Dora had him covered from the darkness of the kitchen。 When he pulled that… gun； she instantly changed her point of aim and got the gun。 It was her first…and last…gunfight。 But a true gunfighter； that girl！ The hours we had spent polishing her skill paid off。 But more rare than skill was the cool judgment with which she decided to try for the much more difficult target。 I could not train her in that； it had to be born in her。 Which itwas…if you think
…back； her father made the same sort of correct split…second decision as his last dying act。It ~was seven more years before another wagon appeared in
Happy Valley…three wagons traveling together； three families with children； true pioneers。 We …were glad to see them and I was especially happy to see thier kids。 For I had been juggling eggs。 Real eggs。 Human ova。
I was running out of time； our oldest kids were growing up。
Mine~a； you know all that the human …race has i骯rned about geics。 You know that the Howard Families are inbred from a fairly small gene pool…and that inbreeding has tended to clear them of bad genes…but you know also the high price that has been paid in defectives。 Is still being paid； I should add； everywhere there are Howards there are also sanctuaries for defectives。 Nor is there any end to it； new unfavorable mutations unnoticed until they are reinforced is the price we animals must pay for evolution。 Maybe there will be a cheaper way … someday…there was not one on New Be~。 ginnings twelve hundred years ago。
Young Zack was a husky lad whose voice was firmly baritone。 His brother； Andy； was no longer a boy soprano in our family chorus although his voice still cracked。 Baby Helen wasn't such a baby any los~ger…hadn't reached menarche； but as near as I could tell it would be any day； any day。
I mean to say that Dora and I were having to think about it； forced to consider hard choices。 Should we pack seven kids into the wagons and head back across the Rampart？ If we made it； should we put the four oldest with the Magees or someone； then e home with the younger three？ By ourselves？ Or sing the praises of Happy Valley； its beauty and its wealth； and try to lead a party of pioneers back over the range and thereby avoid such crisis in the future？
I had expected； too optimistically； that others would follow us almost at once…a year or two or three…since I had left a passable wagon trail behind me。 But I'm not one to fume over spilled milk after the horse is stolen。 What might have been was of no interest； the problem was what to do with our horny kids now that they were growing… up。
No point in talking to them about 〃sin〃 even if I were capable of such hypocrisy…which I am not； especially with kids。 Nor could I have sold the idea。 Dora would have been shocked and hurt； and her skills did not extend to lying convincingly。 Nor did I want to fill our kids with such nonsense； their angelic mother was … the happiest； most ever…ready lecher
…in Happy Valley…even more so than I and the goats…and she never pretended otherwise。 …
Should we relax and let nature take its ancient course？ Accept the idea our daughters would presently （all too soon！） mate with our sons and be prepared to accept the price？ Expect at least one defective grandchild out of ten？ I had no data on which to estimate the cost any closer than that； as Dora knew nothing about her ancestry and； while I did know a little
ab鴘t mine； I did not know enough。 All I had was that old and extremely rough thumb rule。
So we stalled。
We fell back on another sound old thumb rule： Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow if tomorrow might
… improve the odds。
So we moved into our new house while it was still not finished…but finished enough that we then had a girls' dormitory； a boys' dormitory； a bedroom for Dora and me； with adjacent nursery。
But we dtd not kid ourselves that we had solved the problem。 Instead we hauled it out into the open； made sure that the three oldest knew what the problem was and what the risks were and why it would be smart to hold off。 Nor were the younger kids shut out of this schooling； they simply were not required even to audit the course when they found themselves bored with technicalities they were too young to be interested …
in。…；…
Dora chucked in a frill； one based on something Helen Mayberry had done for her some twenty years earlier。 She announced that when little Helen achieved menarche； we would declare a ~holiday and have a party； with …Helen as' guest of honor。 From then on； every year； that day would be known as 〃Helen's Day〃 and so on for Iseult and Undine and on down the line until there was an annual holiday named for each girl。
Helen could hardly wait to pass from childhood into girlhood…and when she did； a few months later； she was unbearably smug。 Woke us all up shouting about it。 〃Mania！ Papa！ Look； it's happened！ Zack！ Andy！ Wake up！ e see！〃
If she hurt； she did not mention it。 Probably she did not； Dora wasn't subject to menstrual cramps； and neither of us told the girls to expect them。 Being myself convex instead of concave； I refrain from menting on the theory that such pains are a conditioned reflex； I don't think I'm entitled to an opinion
…you might ask Ishtar。
It also resulted in me being called on by a delegation…of two； Zack and Andy with Zack as spokesman： 〃LoOk； Papa…we think it splendid； meet； and fit our sister Helen's day to mark with joyful sounds and jollity acclaiming this our sibling's rightful heritage。 But soothly； sire； methinks…〃
〃Chop it off and say it。〃…
〃Well； how about boys！〃
By gum； I reinstituted chivalry！…
Not as a sudden inspiration。 Zack had asked a tough one； I
had to dance around it a bit before I reacbed~ a workable answer。 Sure； there are rites of passage for males as well as
…fem~les； every culture has them； even those that aren't aware of it。 When I was a boy； it was your first suit with long pants。 Then there are ones such as circumcision at puberty； ordeal by pain； killing some dread beast…endless。
None of these fitted our boys。 Some I disapproved of； some were impossible…circumcision for example。 I have this unimportant mutation； no fore