d Jim that such a basket was worth a great deal of money.
He had learned the art of making such from Moon Face, who had travelled
sometimes to the distant railway line and sold them to tourists. It was
so tightly woven it would hold water; and in his pride over his
handiwork the weaver would have poured a dipper of it into the basket to
prove his statement.

"No, no! The poor little thing has had more than its share of water!
Best save the rest for yourself!" protested Jim, with a feeble attempt
at a joke.

Alaric desisted then, hung the dipper back on the tank, seized the
basket in one hand and Jose in the other and strode away. The last
glimpse Jim had of them showed poor little Jose's fat legs being swung
along, touching the ground only now and then, as they utterly failed to
keep up with his father's pace.

Left alone, Jim lay still a long time, idly fingering some bits of rock
which the child had scattered upon his blanket. He felt very cold; and
again, in another moment, he seemed to be burning up. He thought of the
water in the tank. He was desperately thirsty, his throat growing dry,
his lips swelling; and alternately he longed to dip his head in that
barrel and drink--drink--drink! then shivered with disgust remembering
the various uses the stale fluid had been put to. Finally, sleep, or
unconsciousness, overcame him and for many days he knew no more.

CHAPTER XII

PLAY THAT WAS WORK AND WORK THAT WAS PLAY

The silence that followed Leslie's frightened cry, as he hurled himself
to the ground beside the old man he had struck, lasted but an instant.
Then, recovering their scattered wits, Herbert and Monty stooped and
lifted the Captain's head.

The movement roused him and he opened his eyes, drawing a long breath as
he did so and trying to speak. But he couldn't do that yet; nor, indeed,
till Dorothy had come back with a glass of water, for which she had
instantly run to the house as Captain Lemuel fell.

Dipping her fingers in the water she moistened his lips, and when he
parted them as if demanding more, she gently dropped some between them.
He swallowed with an effort but, presently, his strength returned and he
tried to rise. The lads helped him and were overjoyed when he said,
quite clearly and with a touch of his native humor:

"Ain't so tough as I thought. Eh, what? Lessen a little tenderfoot
like--Why, what's he down for? Tried it on himself?"

At the sound of his victim's voice an inf