e purposes of a Universal
Bath Company, Limited, to `ablutionise'--that was his word, I assure
you--the whole world."

"Nonsense, you are joking!" said Mr Rawlings, thinking the other was
trying to chaff him.

"Not a bit of it--`that's a fact,' as our American friend there would
say," replied the young Englishman, nodding in the direction of Seth
Allport to show that he had already noticed his pronunciation and mode
of speech.

"All right," said Mr Rawlings. "I can credit your financier coining
the new word ablutionise; but I can't exactly stomach the `Universal
Bath Company' quite! I am an old soldier, however; so proceed, and I
promise not to be very much surprised at any of your traveller's tales!"

"Really, I am not exaggerating at all," said Ernest Wilton. "That
ignorant purse-proud fellow wished to start a company for almost
everything we came across in our route. I need not add that he wasn't
an American."

"No, it's only Englishmen that make themselves such fools over here,"
replied Mr Rawlings, heaving a sigh, as if he thought himself one of
the number for having anything to do with the Minturne Creek venture.
"If they have any bad points at home, they get them more developed by
the passage across the ocean. What is the old Latin adage we used to
learn at school--eh?"

"`Coelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt,'" quoted the young
engineer. "`Those who travel abroad may change their scene of action,
but can't alter their own minds.'"

"Yes, that's it," replied Mr Rawlings. "But go on with your journey."

"Well," continued the other, "when we had done the Warm Springs, one of
the scientific gentlemen, who wanted to make soap cheap, I presume,
suggested that the exploring party should proceed to the celebrated
Alkali Desert in Idaho, which I daresay you've heard of?"

"I have," answered Mr Rawlings. "It's to the south of the Snake River,
just below Boise City and the Salmon River Mountains. My poor cousin
Ned was there a year or two prospecting, he told me."

"Indeed!" said the young engineer. "Then I've no doubt you liked the
place as little as I did. And as for those Snake Indians, they're the
worst lot I ever came across yet."

"They are so," said Mr Rawlings. "Born thieves, every one--at least, I
have got Ned's word for it."

"I was grateful to them for one thing, however," said Ernest Wilton,
laughing again at the recollection. "They so disgusted our great
English company-