t midnight," he said.

"My apology!" politely replied Blake. "I know how you must feel about
it. But I hope you will excuse me. I saw that you, like Ashton, needed
a full night's sleep, and so did not disturb you."

The puncher looked away and muttered: "I'm responsible for you to Mr.
Knowles. He sent me here to guard you."

"That is true. Of course you will say it's owing to no fault of mine
that we have come through the night safely. Well, we have a big day's
work before us. May I ask you to call Ashton? Breakfast is ready."

At this the puncher sullenly went to rouse the sleeper. Ashton came
out rubbing his eyes; but after a dip in the pool, he declared himself
restored by his long sleep and ready for a day's work. During the
night his bandage had come loose. He would have tossed it away, but
Blake insisted upon re-dressing the wound. He did so with as much
skill and almost as much gentleness as had his wife.

When Blake and Ashton left the camp, the puncher was leading the
horses across to load their first packs. The two levelmen walked
briskly up the valley, carrying only enough food and water to last
themselves until evening, when Gowan was to have the camp moved to the
top of High Mesa.

Beginning from his bench-mark at the foot of the mountain, Blake
carried the level line slantingly up the ridge side. The work was slow
and tedious, since the telescope of the level could never be on a
horizontal line either higher or lower respectively than the top and
bottom of the thirteen-foot rod. This necessitated setting-up the
instrument every few feet during the steepest part of the ascent.

They saw nothing of Gowan, who had chosen a more roundabout but easier
trail. At midmorning, however, they were overtaken by Genevieve and
Isobel and Thomas Herbert Vincent Leslie Blake. Knowles had started
for Stockchute to seek the aid of the sheriff and his Indian
prisoners. The ladies divided the ascent into several stages, riding
ahead of the surveyors and resting in the shade of a rock or pine
until the men had passed them.

Near noon, when the levels had been carried up close to the top of
High Mesa, Gowan rode down to the party to inquire where the new camp
was to be pitched.

"I've brought up a lot this trip," he stated. "I can fetch the rest by
sundown, if I don't have to meander all over the mesa with these first
packs."

"Where did you leave the packhorses?" asked Blake.

"Up along the canyon where Ashton sh