pham, sure enough, and
sometimes have to wait for our cars. But we can have stuff shipped to
Upham from El Paso, and it's downhill coming back. Also, Hobby allows
this Upham project will ably assist Rincon to wake up and build us a
road up the valley."

"Hobby invented this wagon road, did he?"

"Every bit. We all chipped in to do the work. But Hob furnished the
idea. That ain't all, either. From now on, we're going to have plenty
to do, wintertimes. Mr. See, we got a factory up and ready to start.
Yessir!"

"Easy, Big Chump! You'll strain yourself."

"Straight goods--no joking."

"Must be a hell of a factory!"

"She's all right, son. A home-grown factory. You go look at her
to-morrow. Broom factory. Yessir! Every man jack of us raised a patch
of broom corn. We sell it to ourselves or buy it of ourselves,
whichever way you like it best; and anybody that wants to make brooms
does that little thing. We ship from Upham and divvy up surplus. Every
dollar's worth of broom corn draws down one dollar's share of the net
profit, and every dollar's worth of labor does just that--no more, no
less. It works out--with good faith and fair play."

"Hob?" said Johnny.

"That's the man." Adam Forbes let his hand rest for a moment on the
younger man's shoulder. "Charlie, you and me are all right in our
place--but there ain't goin' to be no such place much longer. I reckon
we ain't keepin' up with the times. So now you know why I wanted you
should go prospectin' with me. Birds of a feather gather no moss."

"I judge maybe you're right. We both of us favor Thompson's colt, and
that's a fact. Well, I am glad old Hob is making good. We had as good
a chance as he did, only he had more sense."

"Always did," said Forbes heartily. "But he ain't makin' no big sight
of money, if that's what you mean. Just making good. He's not working
for Hob Lull especially. He's working for all hands and the cook. Hob
always tries to get us to work together, like on a _'cequia_. There's
other things--a heap of 'em. We've bought a community threshing
machine. Hob has coaxed a lot of 'em into keeping bees. And he's
ribbin' us up to try a cannin' factory in a year or two, for tomatoes
and fruit. And a creamery, later. Hob is one long-headed young
people. We aim to send him to represent for us sometime."

Charlie See laughed. "Gosh! I wish you'd hurry up about it, then."

But there was no bitterness in his mirth.

V

"Never pray for rain o