nted with the mountains
it would have been a hardship. Mile after mile Scott's hardy pony
covered with no apparent effort. Bob did not urge him, and before
midnight the white tents of the construction camp were visible in the
moonlight. Scott went directly to the telegraph office, and after
sending his message hunted up food and quarters for his beast and a
sleeping-bunk for himself.

At daylight he was astir and sought breakfast before making inquiries
and riding back to his party. On the edge of the camp stood a sort of
restaurant, made up of a kitchen tent with a dismantled box-car body
as an annex.

In this annex the food was served. It was entered from one side door,
while the food was brought from the kitchen through the other side
doorway of the car.

Into this crowded den Bob elbowed an unobtrusive way and seated
himself in a retired corner. He faced the blind end of the car, and
before him on the wall was tacked a fragment of a mirror in which he
could see what was going on behind him. And without paying any
apparent attention to anything that went on, nothing escaped him.

Next to where he sat, a breakfast of coffee and ham and eggs had been
already served for somebody, apparently on an order previously given.
At the opposite end of the car a small space was curtained off as a
wash-room. Scott ordered his own breakfast and was slowly eating it
when he noticed through the little mirror, and above and beyond the
heads of the busy breakfasters along the serving-counter, a large man
in the wash-room scrubbing his face vigorously with a towel.

Each time Scott looked up from his breakfast into the mirror the man
redoubled his efforts to do a good job with the towel, hiding his face
meantime well within its folds. The scout's curiosity was mildly
enough aroused to impel him to watch the diligent rubbing with some
interest. He saw, too, presently that the man was stealing glances out
of his towel at him and yet between times intently rubbing his face.

This seemed odd, and Scott, now eying the man more carefully, noted
his nervousness and wondered at it. However, he continued to enjoy his
own meal. The waiter who had served him, hurried and impatient, also
noticed the waiting breakfast untouched and called sharply to the man
in the wash-room that his ham was served and, with scant regard for
fine words, bade him come eat it.

This urgent invitation only added to the ill-concealed embarrassment
of the stallin