w the way--which you don't. You'd wander around in the heat and the
sand--well, you're pretty helpless without me, all right, or the plane.
I sabe that better than you do. You've got to do about as I say, because
you haven't got the nerve to kill me, even if I gave you the chance.
Sneaking off with the plane is about as much as you're game for.

"Well, the point is this: I don't want to take any mean advantage of
you. I can't afford to pay you what your services are really worth, as
pilot--and there's no reason why I should. But--well, I ain't quite broke
yet. I'll give you twenty-five dollars for helping me out, in case what I
want to do only takes a day or two days. If it takes more, I'll give you
ten dollars a day. It isn't much, but it helps when you're broke."

Bland permitted the sour droop of his lips to ease into a grin.
"Now you're coming somewhere near the point, bo," he said. "But ten
dollars--say! Ten dollars ain't street-car fare. Not in little old L.A.
Make it twenty, bo, and you're on."

"I'll make it nothing if ten dollars a day don't suit you!" Johnny
declared hotly. "Why, damn your dirty hide, that's as much as I make in a
_week_! And listen! I expect to sit in the back seat--and I'll have two
guns on me."

"Aw, ferget them two guns!" Bland surrendered. "This is sure the gunniest
country I ever stopped in. Even the Janes--"

"Shut up!"

"Oh, well, I'll sign up for ten, bo. It ain't eatin' money, but it'll
maybe help buy me the makin's of a smoke now and then."

"Well, get up, then. I'll get us some breakfast, and we'll go. It's going
to be still to-day--and hot, I think. You better get up."

"Aw, that's right! You've got the upper hand, and so you can go ahead and
abuse me like a dog--and I ain't got any come-back. It was Bland this
and that, when you wanted the plane repaired. Now you've got it, and it's
git-ta-hell and git busy. Pull a gun on me, beat me up--accuse me of
things I never done--drag me outa bed before daylight--" His self-pitying
whine droned on monotonously, but he nevertheless got into his clothes
and pottered around the plane by the light of the lantern and the flaring
fire Johnny started.

The one praiseworthy thing he could do he did conscientiously. He
inspected carefully the control wires, went over the motor and filled the
radiator and the gas tank, and made sure that he had plenty of oil. His
grumbling did not in the least impair his efficiency. He replaced the
propel