d try to go to sleep." He moistened a big handkerchief and sopped
water on his head and over his heaving chest, and after a few drinks the
big frame relaxed and the man lay sleeping like a child. But in his
dreams he was still lost and running across the desert, he started and
twitched his arms; and then he began to mutter and fumble in the sand
until at last he sat up with a jerk.

"Where's that rock?" he demanded, "by grab, she's half gold--I'm going
to take it and bash out his brains!" He rose to his knees and scrambled
about and the boy dropped his hand to his gun. "I'm going to _kill_
him!" raved the man, "the danged old lizard-herder--he went off and left
me to die!"

He felt about in the dirt and grabbed up the chunk of quartz, which he
had lost in his last delirium.

"Look at _that_!" he exclaimed thrusting it out to the boy, "the
richest danged quartz in the world! I've got a ledge of it, kid, enough
to make us both rich--and John Calhoun never forgets a friend! No, and
he never forgets an enemy--the son of a goat don't live that can put one
over on _me_! You just wait, Mister Dusty Rhodes!"

"Oh, was that Dusty Rhodes?" the boy piped up eagerly. "I was watching
from the point and I _thought_ it was his outfit--but I don't think
I've ever seen you. Were you glad when you saw my fire?"

"You bet I was, kid," the man answered gravely, "I reckon you saved my
life. My name is John C. Calhoun."

He held out his hand and after a moment's hesitation the boy reached out
and took it.

"My name is Billy Campbell and we live in Jail Canyon. My mother will be
coming down soon--that is, if she can catch our other mule."

"Glad to meet her," replied Calhoun still shaking his hand, "you're a
good kid, Billy; I like you. And when your mother comes, if it's
agreeable to her, I'd like to take you along for my pardner. How would
that suit you, now--I've just made a big strike and I'll put you right
next to the discovery."

"I--I'd like it," stammered the boy hastily drawing his hand away,
"only--only I'm afraid my mother won't let me. You see the boys are all
gone, and there's lots of work to do, and--but I do get awful lonely."

"I'll fix it!" announced Calhoun, pausing to take another drink, "and
anything I've got, it's yours. You've saved my life, Billy, and I never
forget a kindness--any more than I forget an injury. Do you see that
rock?" he demanded fiercely. "I'm going to follow Dusty Rhodes to the
end of the w