p here, I think. There's no road from here on, and I rather
want daylight. Perhaps then we will decide not to go on. How would a
cup of coffee suit you? I can get out enough plunder for a meal."

"I can sure do the rest," Johnny cheerfully declared. "Cook it and eat
it too. Where's there any water?"

"There's a creek over here a few yards. I'll get a bucket." With his
trouble-light suspended from the top of the car, Cliff moved a roll of
blankets and a bag that had jolted out of place. In a moment he had
all the necessary implements of an emergency camp, and was pulling out
cans and boxes of supplies that opened Johnny's eyes. Evidently Cliff
had come prepared to camp for some time.

Over coffee and bacon and bread Johnny learned some things he had
wanted to know. They were in the heart of the country which Cliff had
shown him on the relief map, miles from the beaten trail of tourists,
but within fifteen miles of the border.

"There's a cabin somewhere near here that we can use for headquarters,"
Cliff further explained. "And to-day a Mexican will come and take
charge of camp and look after our interests while we are over the line.
I have ordered a quantity of gas that will be brought here and stored
in a safe place, and there is a shelter for the plane. I merely want
you to look over the ground, make sure of the landing possibilities,
and fix certain landmarks in your mind so that you can drop down here
without making any mistake as to the spot. When that is done we will
return and bring your airplane over. It is only about a hundred and
forty miles from Los Angeles, air line. You can make that easily
enough, I suppose?"

"I don't see why not. A hundred and forty miles ain't far, when you're
lined out and flying straight for where you're going."

"No. Well, one step at a time. We'll just repack this, so that we can
move on to the cabin as soon as it's light enough. I don't think it
can be far."

Daylight came and showed them that the cabin was no more than a long
pistol shot away. Johnny looked at Cliff queerly. City man he might
be--city man he certainly looked and acted and talked, but he did not
appear to rely altogether upon signposts and street-corner labels to
show him his way about. Just who and what was the fellow, anyway?
Something more than a high-class newspaper man, Johnny suspected.

That cabin, for instance, might have been built and the surroundings
ordered to suit their p