, and the
soporific sound acted hypnotically upon his sleep-hungry brain. He
caught himself yawning, and suddenly threw down the wrench.

"Aw, hell!" he muttered disgustedly, and went and crawled under the
back of the car where it was shady.

The sun was nearly down when Casey awoke and crawled out. Mack Nolan
was still curled comfortably in the car, his back against the bed roll.
He opened his eyes and yawned when Casey leaned and looked in upon him.

"By Jove, that was a fine sleep I had," he announced cheerfully,
lifting himself up and dangling his legs outside the car. "Strike
anything yet?"

"Naw." Casey's grunt was eloquent of the mood he was in.

"Get the car fixed all right?" Mack Nolan's cheerfulness seemed
nothing less than diabolical to Casey.

"Naw." Then Casey added grimly, "I'm stuck. I dunno what ails the
damned thing. Have to send to Vegas fer new parts, I guess. It's only
three miles out here to the road. Mebby you better hike over to the
highway an' ketch a ride with somebody. I might send in for a timer
an' some things, too. No use waitin' fer me, Nolan--can't tell how
long I'll be held up here."

Mack Nolan climbed out of the car. Casey's spirits rose instantly.
Nolan came forward and looked down at the engine as casually as he
would glance at a nickel alarm clock.

"She was hitting all right when you backed down here," Nolan remarked
easily. "I'll just take a look at her myself. Fords are cranky
sometimes. But I've assembled too many of them in the factory to let
one get the best of me in the desert."

Casey could almost hear his heart when it slumped down into his boots.
But he wasn't licked yet.

"Aw, let the darned thing alone till we eat," he said, pushing his hat
forward to hurry his wits.

"Well--I can throw a Ford together in the dark, if necessary," smiled
Mack Nolan. "Eat, it is, if you want it that way. That breakfast I put
away seems to have sharpened my appetite for supper. Tell you what,
Ryan. I'll do a little trouble-shooting here while you cook supper.
How'll that be?"

That wouldn't be, if Casey could prevent it. His pale, narrow-lidded
eyes dwelt upon Nolan unwinkingly.

"Well, mebby I'm kind of a crank about my car," he hedged, with a
praiseworthy calmness. "Fords is like horses, to me. I drove stage all
m' life till I took to prospectin'--an' I never could stand around and
let anybody else monkey with my teams. I ain't a doubt in the world,
Mr.