rves eventually, to see the other teams moving
placidly along ahead of her, but now she and Hiram had caught up again.

She spoke about it when they camped for the midday rest. It was Hiram
who made reply.

"I was wondering at their speed, too, Jo," he said. "The rest of 'em
were all way ahead of me and out o' sight for twenty minutes, maybe."

There followed a bantering conversation on the relative merits of the
various teams, with minute explanation by the foremost skinners as to
just why it was impossible for such miserable animals as the whites and
the blacks to keep in sight of the rest. And for the time being, this
ended the incident.

They left the delicately scented mountain country in due course and
took up the long, weary journey over the desert. When they were near
enough to the buttes to make out objects at their feet it became plain
to all that the big outfit of Demarest, Spruce & Tillou had arrived and
pitched its camp.

Shortly after they became aware of this a machine was discovered coming
toward them from the distant tents. Then another put in an appearance,
following the first. Jo now heard the cough of motors behind her, and,
looking back, saw two trucks.

The first machine coming from the camps swung from the road when it
neared Blink Keddie and waited, panting, until the outfit had passed
it. Only the driver was in it, a man Jerkline Jo had never before
seen. He lifted his hat politely as her whites rolled past, and she
thanked him for his patience. Then he moved his car into the road and
continued on toward the trucks. Looking back, Jo saw that all three
stopped when they came together.

Now, from ahead, came the second car, and at the wheel sat
Twitter-or-Tweet. He signaled Keddie to stop, and the outfit came to a
halt.

"Hello, Jo, and fellas!" cried the beaming Mr. Tweet, descending from
his car. "The man who just passed you in the touring car is Mr.
Richard Huber, one of our first citizens. He's Ragtown's first
merchant. He's gone to direct the trucks to come to Greater Ragtown
with their loads. For, folks, Ragtown is moving in a body, with its
traps on burros' and men's backs and in wagons and flivvers to the
Tweet-to-be. Talked Huber out o' leasing, and sold him fifteen town
lots, by golly! Half down, balance in three years--seven and a half
per cent interest on deferred payments. Man of discernment. I'll
proclaim to the high, green mountains! I'm on my way to co