ly, Clara?"

"Honestly, Henry. If you give out on the road I shall try to emulate that
husky woman in history who carried her husband on her back, do you
remember?" Then, suddenly, her eyes filled with tears. "Henry, you've been
awfully patient with me. If you really want to embark on the seas of
matrimony with such a shaky thing as I am----"

"Clara, I never thought it would come about like this or I would have
smashed this cussed knee ages ago! My dearest girl, my face is dirty and
yours is dirtier, but I'm going to kiss you, and then we'll take another
whack at hobbling to Casa Grande."

The ranch-house stood dark and uninviting except for the dim light of the
fire which shone through the broken windows of the living-room, but the
sound of the piano came to their ears as they neared it.

"He's composing," said Clara, softly.

"Yes, he would be," said Hard, unsympathetically. "They always do work it
off that way, don't they?"

"Work what off?" demanded Clara, instantly.

"Anything that happens to them," said Hard, cheerfully. "You artistic
fellows are queer, you know, Clara. Don't try to wriggle out of it."

"I shan't," replied Clara, promptly. "But let me warn you, my lad, you
haven't made me want to give up my music yet. I'm still going back to have
a try at it."

"Bully for you! Of course you are. And I'm going with you, either to help
you do it, or to make you fall in love with me so deeply that you'll want
to give it up."

Clara laughed softly and laid her hand on his arm. "Henry, if you can do
that, I'll be the happiest woman in the world. Please try!"

CHAPTER XVIII

BACK TO ATHENS

Mendoza and Tom walked toward the Casa Grande ranch-house with fearful
hearts.

"Dark as a pocket," commented Tom. "You set down here, Mendoza, while I go
around in back." From the side, a faint light was visible from the
dining-room of the house. "Hullo, what have we here?" ejaculated the
engineer. At the same time, he saw a man's figure coming toward him; a
very familiar figure. "Hard!" he gasped, darting forward and knocking the
load of firewood from Hard's arms with the fervency of his greeting.

"Hullo, Tom!" Hard returned the handshake quite as heartily. "Glad to see
you. We were beginning to think we were marooned on this place."

"We?" Tom's face lit up. "You're all right? All of you? Didn't none of you
get killed by them Yaquis?"

"Why, didn't Scott tell you?" demanded Hard, with sudden anxiety.