ered back a second cry broke from him. Had he
circled back to Munson's corral?

His heart in his throat, he felt hurriedly along the top wire to a post,
and reached upward. A gasp of relief greeted the discovery that the top
of the post was well within his reach. The corral posts were not less
than eight or nine feet, with wires to the top.

A further cheering idea followed. On the ride to the Antelope viaduct he
had noted a three-wire fence similar to this paralleling the right-of-way
for several miles. Perhaps this was the same fence?

If he only knew its direction!

Dropping to the ground for a brief rest, Alex set his brains at recalling
every bit of woods or plains lore he had ever heard or read of for the
telling of direction.

It was a puff of air against his cheek that suggested the answer.

The prevailing wind! What was it here?

Southwest!

In a moment he was on his knees at the foot of the adjacent fence-post.

On the farther side, half covering the dead grass, was a small eddy of
sand!

Hopefully Alex hastened to the next post. _The same!_

To make doubly sure, he tried the third, and with an exulting, "_The same
again!_" started to his feet, and struck on, whistling gaily, confident
he was heading due north, and that this was the same fence he had seen
along the new embankment.

A further cheering thought occurred to the young operator presently. The
construction-train should not be far from the stretch of road which
paralleled the fence!

Onward he pushed through the darkness at a steady, swinging gait, feeling
frequently for the fence, to make sure he was not wandering.

For what seemed several hours Alex had been walking, when a faint light
appeared in the sky. It was to his right. His plainsmanship had not put
him amiss.

As the light brightened he gazed anxiously ahead. The ragged, thin-posted
fence stretched unbroken to the northern horizon. He had hoped the light
would reveal the swing to the east, and the dark shape of the
construction-train.

Alex continued steadily ahead, however, buoying up his lagging energies
with pictures of a hot, appetizing meal and a pleasant meeting with Jack
and the rest of his friends on the train. And finally, when the sun had
been some time above the horizon, he uttered a shout. Far in front, but
distinct in the beautifully clear air, the fence turned abruptly to the
east. And less than a mile sun-ward was a long dark shape and columns of
smoke ris