working order," he again
pointed to the dam, "Ysleta will make good in time."

"I know it," Winston's voice was regretful, "but the beginning, end and
middle of this whole business, is a hunted man who dares not show his
face, even to those whom he had every reason to believe were his
friends."

The man looked sharply at Winston.

"You mean 'Lige Berl?"

"Yes, the best man of us all."

"You're right there. And say, Ralph, you just listen. We all know about
this Pacific business. It was a mistake on 'Lige's part, that's all.
He'll make good, if he gets a chance, and by God, we're going to stand
by and see that he gets it."

Winston's grasp tightened on the hand he held.

"It's all straightened out now, if we only knew where he was."

The work at the dam called for Winston's attention. As he passed through
a bowing, smiling group, he came face to face with Helen. She was
laughing and chatting with some Ysleta acquaintances. She darted an
eager, inquiring look at Winston as he came towards her. In obedience to
an unvoiced bidding, she joined Winston as he passed by. Beyond the
hearing of the group, her look changed to one of anxiety.

"Have you seen anything of Elijah?" she asked.

"Not a thing. Helen, I'm worried about Elijah. He has been home, but has
gone again and I can't find him in the mountains. I have sent men
everywhere."

There were tears in Helen's eyes. They did not fall; they only softened
and intensified their depths.

"I hoped to see him here. If we could only get word to him about
Seymour." After a moment's hesitation, she added: "I have had several
strange letters from him, but no clue as to where they were sent from."

Winston's glance wandered to the group of Ysleta men.

"It just crushes me, Helen, to think that these men are actually truer
to Elijah than I have been."

"No, don't blame yourself too much. I know more now than I did when you
and Uncle Sid held me up that day in the office, and--Oh, I cannot talk
about it, Ralph! It is all unspeakably awful."

Helen turned abruptly away and joined Uncle Sid at the foot of the great
derrick which was to swing the last stone into place.

Winston glanced quickly at her, but she was talking eagerly with Uncle
Sid, her somber mood apparently quite gone. He turned inquiringly to the
foreman, who nodded his head in reply.

"Come, Helen; they are ready for us." He took Helen by the arm to steady
her, and together they started out over the