"Oh, shut up, Ham!" and Rex threw a discarded flapjack at Ham's head,
with such good aim that it landed squarely over his big mouth. "You are
enough to give the dumps to a man with the tooth-ache."

When the laugh that followed this admirable use of valuable ammunition
had quieted down, Dickson turned to Mr. Conroyal.

"I think I would like to have another look at that skin map," he said.

"Certain, get the map, Thure," and Mr. Conroyal turned to Thure.

Thure hesitated a moment, and then, catching sight of Mrs. Dickson's
little tent and receiving a smiling nod from her, he quickly entered the
tent, and a few minutes later came out with the skin map in his hand,
and handed it to Mr. Dickson.

Pedro, who was standing near, washing the few supper dishes in a
gold-pan, started a little and almost visibly pricked up his ears at the
first mention of the skin map, and his evil eyes followed Thure into the
tent, with an intensity of look that was well for him was unseen by his
employers.

Dickson took the map and spread it out on his knees, where the light of
the camp-fire shone full upon it; and soon all were gathered around him,
yes, all, even Pedro, who had softly left his dish washing and
tip-toeing up to the heads bending absorbedly over the map, was now
striving to secure a glimpse of the skin map directly from over the big
shoulders of Ham.

Suddenly Ham straightened up his huge frame, with such a sudden jerk,
that one of his shoulders came in so violent a contact with the point of
Pedro's chin that the Mexican was lifted off his feet and thrown flat on
his back to the ground.

"Wal, I'll be durned!" and Ham stared down in astonishment on the fallen
Mexican. "Thought I heer'd someone breathin' over my shoulder. Now what
might you be dewin' down thar?" and the eyes that glared down into
Pedro's face began to glow angrily.

"I--I" stammered Pedro, as he staggered a little dizzily to his feet,
both hands holding onto his head. "I but try to see what make so great
interest to senors, when sudden up comes that great body and hit chin,
like bunt of big bull, and knock head to ground. I did but follow my
head, senor."

"Jest follered y'ur head, did you?" and Ham's anger vanished in roars of
laughter, at the words of the unfortunate Mexican and the looks on his
face, in which he was heartily joined by all the others, all except Mrs.
Dickson, who inquired solicitously of Pedro if he was much hurt.

But Pedro's cur