outfit; anybody ever heard of. First of all, the wagon's a peacherino.
Strong as they make 'em. It was made to order, upon Puget Sound, an' it
was tested out all the way down here. No load an' no road can strain it.
The guy had consumption that had it built. A doctor an' a cook traveled
with 'm till he passed in his checks here in Ukiah two years ago. But
say--if you could see it. Every kind of a contrivance--a place for
everything--a regular home on wheels. Now, if we could get that, an' a
couple of plugs, we could travel like kings, an' laugh at the weather."

"Oh! Billy! it's just what I've been dreamin' all winter. It would
be ideal. And... well, sometimes on the road I 'm sure you can't help
forgetting what a nice little wife you've got... and with a wagon I
could have all kinds of pretty clothes along."

Billy's blue eyes glowed a caress, cloudy and warm; as he said quietly:

"I've ben thinkin' about that."

"And you can carry a rifle and shotgun and fishing poles and
everything," she rushed along. "And a good big axe, man-size, instead of
that hatchet you're always complaining about. And Possum can lift up
his legs and rest. And--but suppose you can't buy it? How much do they
want?"

"One hundred an' fifty big bucks," he answered. "But dirt cheap at that.
It's givin' it away. I tell you that rig wasn't built for a cent less
than four hundred, an' I know wagon-work in the dark. Now, if I can put
through that dicker with Caswell's six horses--say, I just got onto that
horse-buyer to-day. If he buys 'em, who d'ye think he'll ship 'em to?
To the Boss, right to the West Oakland stables. I 'm goin' to get you to
write to him. Travelin', as we're goin' to, I can pick up bargains. An'
if the Boss'll talk, I can make the regular horse-buyer's commissions.
He'll have to trust me with a lot of money, though, which most likely he
won't, knowin' all his scabs I beat up."

"If he could trust you to run his stable, I guess he isn't afraid to let
you handle his money," Saxon said.

Billy shrugged his shoulders in modest dubiousness.

"Well, anyway, as I was sayin' if I can sell Caswell's six horses, why,
we can stand off this month's bills an' buy the wagon."

"But horses!" Saxon queried anxiously.

"They'll come later--if I have to take a regular job for two or three
months. The only trouble with that 'd be that it'd run us pretty well
along into summer before we could pull out. But come on down town an'
I'll show y