terrors of his unequal chase at the sound of
Melissa's voice, looked and winked and wagged his approval, and the two
comrades darted up the bank with mingled and highly similar yaps of
release.

Melissa quickened her steps, following the path until she heard the
sound of voices and the ring of tools in the depths below. Then she
turned, and made her way through the underbrush down the bank.

Suddenly she heard a loud, prolonged whistle and the sound of hurrying
feet. She stood still until the footsteps had died away. Then the sharp
report of an explosion shook the ground beneath her feet, and huge
pieces of rock came crashing through the trees about her. The girl gave
a shrill, terrified scream, and fell cowering upon the ground. Almost
before the echo had ceased, Sterling sprang through the chaparral, his
face white and his lips set.

"My God, child, are you hurt?" he said, dropping on his knees beside
her.

"No, I ain't hurt," she faltered, "but I was awful scared. I didn't know
you was blastin' here; I thought it was on up at the tunnel."

"It was until this morning. We are going to put in a dam." He frowned
upon her, unable to free himself from alarm. "I did not dream of any one
being near. What brought you so far up the canon?"

"I brung you the pick."

She stooped toward it, and two or three drops of blood trickled across
her hand.

"You are hurt, see!" said Sterling anxiously.

The girl turned back her sleeve and showed a trifling wound.

"I must 'a' scratched it on the Spanish bayonet when I fell. It's no
difference. Nothin' struck me. Lysander's gettin' ready to irrigate; he
said if you wanted any more tools sharpened, I could fetch 'em down to
the forge."

The young man showed a preoccupied indifference to her message.
Producing a silk handkerchief, fabulously fine in Melissa's eyes, he
bound up the injured wrist, with evident pride in his own deftness and
skill.

"Are you quite sure you are able to walk now?" he asked kindly.

"Why, I ain't hurt a bit; not a speck," reiterated the girl, her eyes
widening.

Her companion's face relaxed into the suggestion of a smile. He helped
her up the bank, making way for her in the chaparral, and tearing away
the tangled ropes of the wild-grape vines.

"Tell your father not to send you above the camp again," he said gently,
when she was safe in the path; "one of the men will go down with the
tools."

Melissa stood beside the flume a moment, irresolut