id Jim.

"Indeed, it ought to with that crowd down there," I said.

"That's a good one," grinned Jim, "I wonder if those guys wouldn't
appreciate the joke. Come up here, big Injun, I want to tell you
something."

But none of them accepted Jim's cordial invitation. A few of the more
cultured and learned swore at us in bad English. But I guess all
swearing is bad English.

As the day wore on I began to suffer acutely from thirst. I shall never
forget that longing for water. It seemed as if I would be willing to
sacrifice my life for a good, full, everlasting drink of the cool
mountain stream that was gurgling only a few hundred feet away. But as
far as getting to it was concerned, it might just as well have been in
York State.

"I hope that Tom and the captain don't discover us and try to rescue
us," said Jim, "for I very much fear it would be a great risk to no
purpose."

"What do you expect to do?" I asked Jim. "We can't stand this many
days."

"We will see to-night," remarked Jim, mysteriously.

I doubt if he really had any plan in mind. This was just to encourage me
with the hope of some way of escape.

"Just look at the smoke rolling over the mountains, Jim!" I exclaimed.

It was about the middle of the afternoon and we had been so busy
reconnoitering that we probably had not discovered it at first.

"It looks like a tremendous forest fire," said Jim, "and we will see it
before night."

"What are we going to do if it comes our way?" I asked. "We will be
perfectly helpless."

CHAPTER VII

THE CAPTAIN'S RECORD

Captain Graves was a methodical man, and kept a minute record in the
form of a diary of everything that occurred from day to day.

There were volumes in his cabin on the plateau that related the
adventures and vicissitudes of his life from the time of the Mexican war
down. They were wonderfully interesting.

Here is the account of his trip with Tom and likewise the opinion that
he had formed of us three boys.

"It has been a real pleasure for me to have the three boys, Jim, Jo and
Tom, with me. One sometimes grows tired of being always alone, even when
surrounded by all the beauties of nature and even one's books fail to
interest at times.

"So it has meant a good deal to me to have the boys as my companions for
the past months, to see them through their various adventures and to
instruct them in the few things that I know well, such as woodcraft and
mountaineering.

"I have