about a mile outside the camp they were met by Henderson,
mounted on one of the huge mules, that shone with much grooming.

The stage pulled up and Henderson dismounted and bowed.

"I come out to meet you gents," he said, in his tender voice,
"representing the Charles Tuck Club of Makon, to tell you we hope you'd
not try to go down the Canyon this afternoon, as us citizens of Makon
had got up a few speeches and such for you."

Jim and Iron Skull were even more amazed than the two visitors, and sat
staring stupidly, but the Director rose nobly to the occasion.

"Thank you," he said. "What is the Charles Tuck Club?"

Henderson mounted his mule and rode on the Director's side of the stage.

"It's the club we formed for using the phonograph and billiard tables
the Boss give us. If you gents don't care, I'll ride ahead and tell 'em
you're coming."

"Gee!" exclaimed Jim, as the mule disappeared up the broad ribbon of
road. "What do you suppose they are up to?"

"This is going some for a small camp!" said the Director. "The men
usually don't care whether I come or go."

Jim shook his head. They reached the camp shortly after Henderson and
were led by that gentleman to the club tent, where fully half the camp
was gathered. The phonograph was set to going as they came in and
following this, Baxter, the orator of the camp, got up and made a speech
of welcome that consumed fifteen minutes of time and his entire
vocabulary. It was concerned mostly with praises of Jim and his work
with the men. When he had finished, the phonograph gave them "America"
by a very determined male quartet. The perspiring Henderson then led
them to the mess tent, where a late dinner or an early supper was set
forth that had taxed the resources of the desert camp to its utmost.

It was dusk when the meal was finished, and then and then only did
Henderson allow Iron Skull to lead the visitors to their tents while he
took Jim by the arm and drew him to the crevice edge.

"Boss," he said, "not half an hour after you left, the whole dod dinged
wall on the High Point curve slid out. Well, sir, we all know'd there'd
be hell to pay for you if the two Big Bosses come and see that. We
couldn't stand for it after all you'd worried over it. We fixed up three
shifts. It's moonlight and, say, if we didn't push the face off that
slide! Old Suma-theek, why he never let his Injuns sleep! They worked
three shifts. Even at that you'd a beat us to it if we hadn't