."

"And what is that?" inquired the engineer.

"Why, that you'll cut out saying anything about our 'brave conduct,'"
said Bert. "We're naturally modest, you see," he added jokingly, "and
anything like that bothers us."

"Well, all right. I suppose in that case I'll have to agree to your
condition," assented the other, reluctantly, "but you can't keep me from
thinking it, anyway."

"All right, then, that's agreed, and we'll let it go at that," said Bert,
with a smile, "we'll be up to see you as soon as the doctor will let us,
won't we, fellows?" turning to Dick and Tom.

Of course they were willing, so it was agreed that they should visit the
engineer's tent, the next day but one. This matter settled, the three
comrades took a cordial leave of Mr. Hartley, and made their way back to
their own quarters. Until now they had not realized how tired they were,
but before they had gotten to their room they all felt as though they
could scarcely keep awake.

They managed to defer their sleep long enough to eat a hearty supper,
however, but then "made a dash for the hay," as Tom expressed it.

It did not take them long to get to sleep that night, and they were too
tired even to discuss the exciting happenings of this eventful day.

With the characteristic recuperative power of youth, however, they were
up bright and early the next day, and all three expressed themselves as
feeling "as fit as a fiddle."

"But just the same," remarked Dick, "I feel like loafing around to-day
and taking things easy. Let's go up to the stone crushing works and
watch them. That's my idea of the most restful thing in the world--to
watch somebody else working."

"It certainly is," agreed Bert, with a laugh, "but I'm afraid the
'somebody else' might not appreciate your philosophy."

"Oh, that's all right," said Dick. "Some time when I'm working, the
other fellow is welcome to watch me, and then he'll be getting his rest."

"Huh," remarked Tom. "I'd hate to have to wait for my rest until you
started laboring. I'm afraid I'd surely die from overwork before that
happened."

"Oh, don't worry about your dying from overwork," retorted Dick, "that's
my idea of the last thing in the world to be afraid of. What do you
think, Bert?"

"Oh, I don't imagine any of us will get heart failure very soon from that
cause," laughed Bert, "but here we are at the workings already, so let's
proceed to take your 'rest cure,' Dick."

It seems hardl