and was watching us with reproachful interest,
as we sat at our meal. He must have thought us very selfish.

Lunch over, we climbed back into the wagon again, after re-packing the
basket. Guard also signified his willingness to ride, now, and we went
on, much refreshed by the brief stop and the needed lunch which had
hardly lost its consolatory effect when, between one and two o'clock,
we drew up before the door of the cook's tent, on the eastern bank of
the great water-storage reservoir. The cook was busy, but signified,
after a hasty inspection, that our load was all right.

"Better take it in," he added, nodding toward one of the three men who
were lounging about in the vicinity. I suppose that this friendly
young gentleman must have been the commissary clerk, or something of
that sort. He called a man to take care of our horses, and chatted
with us pleasantly, while another man unloaded the melons. He urged us
to come into the dining-tent and let the cook "knock us up a dinner,"
but this we declined on the plea that we had already dined, and were
extremely anxious to take the homeward road as soon as possible.

"It's so late, you see," Jessie observed, consulting father's big
silver watch, which she carried.

"We have already been here some time; how late is it, Jessie?" I
asked.

"Why, it's nearly four!" Jessie made the statement in a tone of
dismay, adding: "How late it will be before we get home!"

"I can drive home a great deal faster than we came," I said.

"How far have you got to go?" inquired the clerk, who had told us that
his name was Phillips.

"Twenty miles."

"That's a good bit; but it's a moonlight night."

"Dear me! We don't care if it is," Jessie returned, rather crossly;
"we want to get home."

"You'll get home all right," Mr. Phillips assured her, easily. "I'll
have Tom put your horses in at once and here's the money for your
load." He counted out a fascinating little roll of bills, adding, as
he tendered the amount to Jessie, who promptly pocketed it, "I hope
you'll excuse my saying that you appear to be a plucky pair of girls.
If you've anything more to market--" Jessie shook her head:

"There was a reason; we were obliged to sell the melons," she ended,
lamely. The horses, fed, watered, and evidently greatly refreshed,
were, by this time, on the wagon. Mr. Phillips helped us in, and,
while doing so, his glance fell on the rifle lying under the seat. He
took up the gun and ran his