the most precious experience in all his
life.

"It has been one wild spasm of delight," he said in his dryest manner
of sarcasm. "But between us, Kent, I'm glad it's no continuous
performance."

He went over the ridge, she following. A moment later they were
looking down upon the "Laughing Water" claim from that self-same
eminence from which Searle Bostwick had seen it when he rode one day
from the Indian reservation.

"This," said Van, "is home."

"Oh," said the girl, and tears sprang into her eyes.

And a very home, indeed, it presently seemed, when they came to the
shack, where Gettysburg, Napoleon, old Dave, and even Algy, the Chinese
cook, came forth to give them cordial welcome.

Beth was introduced to all as Glenmore Kent--and passed inspection.

"Brother of Miss Beth Kent," said Van, "who honored us once with a
visit to the Monte Cristo fiasco. He's been lost on the desert and
he's too done up to talk, so I want him to be fed and entertained. And
of the two requirements, the feed's more important than the vaudeville
show, unless your stunts can put a man to sleep."

Algy and Gettysburg got the impromptu breakfast together. The placer
sluices outside were neglected. Nobody wished to shovel sand for gold
when marvelous tales might be exchanged concerning the wind storm that
had raged across the hills the day before.

Indeed, as Van and Beth sat together at the board, regaling themselves
like the two famished beings they were, their three entertainers
proceeded to liberate some of the tallest stories concerning storms
that mortal ever heard.

Napoleon and Gettysburg became the hottest of rivals in an effort to
deliver something good. Gettysburg furnished a tale of a breeze in the
unpeopled wilds of Nebraska where two men's farms, fully twenty miles
apart, had undergone an astounding experience whereby a complete
exchange of their houses, barns, and sheds had been effected by a
cyclone, without the slightest important damage to the structures.

When this was concluded, Napoleon looked pained. "I think you lie,
Gett--metaphorical speakin'!" he hastened to add. "But shiver my
bowsprit if I didn't see a ship, once, ten days overdue, jest snatched
up and blowed into port two days ahead of time, and never touched
nothing all the way, I remember the year 'cause that was the winter ma
had twins and pa had guinea pigs."

"Wal," drawled Dave, who had all this time maintained a dignified
silence, "I'v