gh raised from the
ground on four by four supports. It covered several hundred square feet
and sloped very gently to carry the flow of oil. It was covered with
double layers of window sash. The task of laying this was considerable
and in spite of the men's best efforts, the breakage was large enough to
use up practically all the reserve glass. But the most trying task of
all was that of making the great trough leak proof with asphaltum. Even
after the rest of the job was done and the huge cold frame lay gleaming
mightily in the desert sun, the men still puttered with leaks in the
trough, which they tested by pouring water over in lieu of the oil which
would ultimately form the flow.

Roger and Ernest were at work on this task one morning when Gustav
returned with a barrel of water from the ranch. Before driving back with
the team he came excitedly round the corner of the engine house.

"The alfalfa vas up already!" he shouted. "A little shadow of green on
yellow sand. Lieber Gott! vat a country! And the kleine Felicia almost
eating it like a little rabbit. And Dick talks like it vas golt. And he
vas vorried. He says a sand storm vas coming to-day. Look!"

Gustav pointed down the valley to the south. A gray blue haze, not
unlike a sea fog, was slowly advancing.

"Fasten up the tents. I go back mit the horses," said Gustav,
disappearing as abruptly as he had arrived.

"If any one thinks a little thing like a sand storm can stop work on the
plant, he's mistaken," grunted Roger. "Anyhow Dick said one wasn't due
for six weeks."

Ernest looked from the approaching gray cloud to Roger's obstinate
mouth, shrugged his shoulders and daubed another brush full of hot
asphaltum over a crack.

Suddenly a hot blast of air took their hats off. The tent gave a boom.
The window-sash resting against the engine house wall fell with a
tinkling crack. Without a word the two men ran to close the tent. When
they had finished, the whole world was a swirling dust cloud through
which they could not perceive each other when ten feet apart.

"Make for the engine house!" roared Ernest. "I'll fetch the old lady."

He was better than his word for he brought not only the madam, but her
rocking chair and a book. Certainly no one could have accused their
visitor of being a trial. She took the storm with the utmost philosophy
and spoke scarcely a hundred words until the storm was over.

When he had stowed Mrs. von Minden and her rocker inside E