ough life shoulder to shoulder with boys. Charley knew
men and she had read Roger as clearly as though his mind were an open
book. She knew that the desert would either make or ruin a man of
Roger's temperament.

Dick swung open the kitchen door. Roger rose, slowly.

"You folks had better have supper with us, to-morrow night," he
suggested.

The Prebles accepted with alacrity and Roger wandered slowly home across
the desert. He liked the Prebles, better than he had ever liked any
family but Ernest's. Patience! He'd show that tall, dark-eyed girl that
his fund was limitless.

Schmidt was worth two ordinary men, in spite of the fact that he was not
in full health, and that he was deliberate in all his movements. His
deliberation meant that he used his head to guide his hands. What with
his steady persistent following of Roger's rapid, feverish energy and of
Ernest's cheerful conscientious poddering, by mid-afternoon the engine
house walls were half finished. When Charley, carrying a great basket,
reached them about sundown, the door frames were almost covered in.

Ernest introduced Schmidt, who laughingly showed his muddy hands.

"I never saw three people who more evidently needed baths," Charley
laughed in turn. "I suppose Felicia is the worst of the lot. Where is
the child?"

"Felicia!" ejaculated Roger.

"She hasn't been here to-day," exclaimed Ernest.

Charley set the basket slowly down on the sand while her face whitened.
"She started down here at nine o'clock with her doll and her olla."

There was a moment's silence, then Roger cried cheerfully, "Well, don't
be frightened! Nothing could have happened to her. She must have gone on
an investigating trip of her own."

"I'll go after Preble," said Ernest, "and we'll take the horses and
round her up in a jiffy."

He and Gustav started immediately up the trail. Roger stopped long
enough to carry the heavy basket to the cook tent. "Look out for Miss
Preble, will you, Mrs. von Minden?" he said to that lady who was
finishing her second meal.

"I must go home," faltered Charley. "She may--Roger, look in the old
Mellish shaft." She gave a little sob and Mrs. von Minden suddenly put
her arm about her.

Roger started on a run after the others.

They overtook Dick, just as he was turning out of the lower end of the
alfalfa field into the trail. At their shout he pulled up the horses and
waited. He began to unharness before the first sentence was finished. He