‘A man’s that got it in head to own a place… got get-up in his hide… Beyond that under their shirts they’re all just alike. In the dark you couldn’t know one from the next.’

Mr Tom was calling for a new dance, ‘Swing your partners!’ and couples were standing in place. Ellen was missed from the group and voices called to her, her name leaping from the huddled throng, and then the throng broke and swept toward her, Dorine, Eli, Sebe and Elmer dragging her back across the shards to the moonlit space of the dance. But when Jonas did not come to dance with her but lingered back of Mr Townley, leaning against a tree, she gave herself to Sebe and danced the set with him. The new dance caught up all the vigour of every former one and raced with wild frolic over the loamy sand which had been packed to a hard floor. The dance ran away from the music and interposed steps of its own, and now and then Mr Townley would add a line or a refrain and make a rhyme.

Kiss the gal that’s on your arm.

Forward and back and home you go,

Kiss her Sebe don’t be so slow.

In the dance Ellen turned her cheek to the men unless they fought roughly and gained her mouth, and then her whole being rushed upward to her lips, but above, far above, her lonely anger flashed for she wanted only Jonas.

A wind began to blow, arising among the hills to the west, beyond the river. The dance swept forward more wantonly, the men circling around the girls, scraping a foot as cocks woo. Sebe kissed Ellen over and over, but she hardly knew who held her or who released, or who carried her around the circle in arms. Jonas stood against his tree. She would not care if the dance had her or if it carried her away into the dark of the woods or over the river. She gave herself up to the dance not caring if the end of it never came. It swirled around her confusion and plucked it into greater chaos. She let the dance do what it would, and if it asked for her mouth she gave that, now careless and willing, or if it wanted her laugh or her smile or her arms. The wind blew and she felt as if she turned about in the centre of a great wind, the other persons of the dance being but arms of the wind or limbs or the wind’s ribbons or clothing. Her own mouth was in the wind, blown with its currents, ready for any gale, curving to any kiss that came to it. Then the wind was fraying the beech sand and blinding her eyes. It blew out the lantern that hung on the tree beside the fire of the men, leaving Jonas in the dark. The women were gathering up the utensils and calling, were stamping out the fire, and some of the men ran toward the horses. A great cloud rolled over the sky and the moon went out. Dust and dead leaves poured across the air. The dance had melted away into the certainty of the wind. Mr Jim slipped his guitar into its sack und ran for his horses. Then Jonas’s horse took fright at the deep bolts of thunder and pulled back upon its bridle until the leather snapped and it was free to run, but Elmer caught it before it was away. Ellen was taken into the wagon with Dorine and several others, and the horses set swiftly off up the hill lane, the wagon jolting over the stones. There were few goodbyes and these were lost in the crackling of broken twigs and the pelting of dust and the rolling of the thunder. A cooler wind came with the storm and the girls shivered in their thin dresses. Ellen scarcely saw the others depart for the dust was heavy in her eyes, but she knew when Jonas swung on his wild little horse and went leaping off under the swaying trees.