and the right of way of the proposed, route. A
forty-five mile trip through heavy desert sands, over the steep grades
of an abandoned mountain road, and through heavy sands again would
inevitable, and until the new steel rails had crept to a point opposite
Julia, teams or automobile truck must supply the laborers and teams
with the necessities of life.

Jo knew little about automobile trucks, but she did not fear them.
They would give her keen competition, no doubt, at least during summer
months but a study of the mountain soil convinced her that in winter
there would be another story to tell. Anyway, she and her beautiful
freight animals must take their chance against these modern machines.
It would be a race between the tortoise and the hare; and every one
knows that the hare has gained no little reputation from the outcome of
that legendary contest.

From Julia, Jerkline Jo hurried by train to San Francisco, to the
Western office of the big contracting firm of Demarest, Spruce &
Tillou, whose headquarters were in Minneapolis. She knew Mr. Demarest
personally, and was fortunate in finding him in San Francisco upon her
arrival there.

"Well, well, well!" the big man cried jovially, as the girl was ushered
into his private office. "Gypo Jo! Heavens to Betsy! Girl, I haven't
seen you in five years. Put 'er there for old times' sake!"

"It's Jerkline Jo nowadays, Mr. Demarest," and she laughed.

Philip Demarest was a large, portly man, with a ruddy, red face,
blue-veined and kindly. He had come up from the grade, and was
eminently proud of his successful climb.

For thirty minutes he refused positively to talk business. He
preferred to sit and dwell on bygone days with the one-time queen of
Pickhandle Modock's gypo camp, to listen to the account of her father's
rise and fall and his subsequent untimely death, and of the girl's
ambitions and life in the Middle Western school. They told many a
story, these old-timers of the nomadic camps, and had many a laugh over
quaint remembrances. Then they got down to business.

Demarest listened carefully to Jo's ideas, and as she concluded he
drummed thoughtfully on his desk.

"I think myself, Jo," he said presently, "that in winter you can grab
off the money from any old automobile concern. But through the summer
months they're gonta give you a nice little run for your money. And if
they get freight there with less delay than you fail to avoid, and can
do it f