flush subsided.

'John thinks he's a great little josher, Miss Helen,' he said lightly.
'No doubt you'll meet Mrs. Murray at lunch; you just watch the way she
looks at John Carr!--there's the professor waiting for us. John, I'll
lay you a bet of another hat!'

'Well?' asked Carr.

'I'll bet you Jim Courtot has turned up again.'

But Longstreet had sighted them and was out in the road calling to
them, and Carr made no answer.

Chapter VII

Waiting for Moonrise

For upward of two hours Longstreet and Helen were at the store, making
their purchases. Carr said good-bye, promising to look them up at
their camp at the ridge by the time they should be ready for callers;
he shook hands warmly with the professor, and for a moment stood over
Helen, looking steadily into her eyes. She returned his regard frankly
and friendlily, but in the end flushed a little. When Carr went out,
Howard, saying that he would be back presently, went out with him.

'Two bang-up, square-shooting gents!' cried Longstreet warmly. Helen
turned upon him in amazement.

'Papa!' she gasped. 'Where on earth did you get that sort of talk?'

Longstreet smiled brightly.

'Haven't I told you, my dear.' he explained, 'that when in Rome one
should learn from the Romans?'

He led the way to the counter. It was heaped high with all sorts of
merchandise, dry goods and groceries, and hardware--anything the
purchaser might desire from ham and bacon and tinned goods to shirts
and overalls, spurs and guns. Behind it stood the proprietor, a
slant-eyed, thievish-looking Mexican, while behind him were his untidy
shelves--a further jumble of commodities. He looked his approval at
the girl, his professional interest at the father.

Longstreet frankly turned out the contents of his purse upon the
counter, his ready way of computing their resources and judging the
proper cash outlay for the present. The slant eyes grew narrower with
speculation.

'One hundred and eighty-odd dollars,' he computed approximately.
'We'll spend about a hundred with you to-day, my friend.'

'_Bueno, senor_,' agreed the Mexican. And he waved to his shelves.

Helen, who knew only too well her father's carelessness in money
matters, was not satisfied with an approximate estimate of their
resources. She counted carefully.

'You should have had nearer two hundred dollars, pops,' she told him
gently. 'Have you felt in all your pockets? I am afraid that you have
l