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slowed a little, as if it had spent itself, then picked up strength again and plunged into the ocean. When Sol and Bonnie were gone, Myers often sat in the sun in a lawn chair out back and looked up the valley toward the peaks. Once he saw an eagle soaring down the valley, and on another occasion he saw a deer picking its way along the riverbank.
    He was sitting out there like that one afternoon when a big flatbed truck pulled up in the drive with a load of wood.
    You must be Sol’s roomer, the man said, talking out the truck window.
    Myers nodded.
    Sol said to just dump this wood in the backyard and he’d take care of it from there.
    I’ll move out of your way, Myers said. He took the chair and moved to the back step, where he stood and watched the driver back the truck up onto the lawn, then push something inside the cab until the truck bed began to elevate. In a minute, the six-footlogs began to slide off the truck bed and pile up on the ground. The bed rose even higher, and all of the chunks rolled off with a loud bang onto the lawn.
    The driver touched the lever again and the truck bed went back to its normal place. Then he revved his engine, honked, and drove away.
    What are you going to do with that wood out there? Myers asked Sol that night. Sol was standing at the stove frying smelt when Myers surprised him by coming into the kitchen. Bonnie was in the shower. Myers could hear the water running.
    Why, I’m going to saw it up and stack it, if I can find the time between now and September. I’d like to do it before the rain starts.
    Maybe I could do it for you, Myers said.
    You ever cut wood before? Sol said. He’d taken the frying pan off the stove and was wiping the fingers of his left hand with a paper towel. I couldn’t pay you anything for doing it. It’s something I was going to do anyway. Just as soon as I get a weekend to my name.
    I’ll do it, Myers said. I can use the exercise.
    You know how to use a power saw? And an ax and a maul?
    You can show me, Myers said. I learn fast. It was important to him that he cut the wood.
    Sol put the pan of smelt back on the burner. Then he said, Okay, I’ll show you after supper. You had anything to eat yet? Why don’t you have a bite to eat with us?
    I ate something already, Myers said.
    Sol nodded. Let me get this grub on the table for Bonnie and me, then, and after we eat I’ll show you.
    I’ll be out back, Myers said.
    Sol didn’t say anything more. He nodded to himself, as if he was thinking about something else.
    Myers took one of the folding chairs and sat down on it and looked at the pile of wood and then up the valley at themountains where the sun was shining off the snow. It was nearly evening. The peaks thrust up into some clouds, and mist seemed to be falling from them. He could hear the river crashing through the undergrowth down in the valley.
    I heard talking, Myers heard Bonnie say to Sol in the kitchen.
    It’s the roomer, Sol said. He asked me if he could cut up that load of wood out back.
    How much does he want to do it? Bonnie wanted to know. Did you tell him we can’t pay much?
    I told him we can’t pay anything. He wants to do it for nothing. That’s what he said, anyway.
    Nothing? She didn’t say anything for a time. Then Myers heard her say, I guess he doesn’t have anything else to do.
    Later, Sol came outside and said, I guess we can get started now, if you’re still game.
    Myers got up out of the lawn chair and followed Sol over to the garage. Sol brought out two sawhorses and set them up on the lawn. Then he brought out a power saw. The sun had dropped behind the town. In another thirty minutes it would be dark. Myers rolled down the sleeves of his shirt and buttoned the cuffs. Sol worked without saying anything. He grunted as he lifted one of the six-foot logs and positioned it on the sawhorses. Then he began to use the saw, working steadily for a while. Sawdust flew. Finally he stopped sawing and stepped back.
    You get the