figure
on the camper's bed. Yet the outdoor sense of Tom Osby told him that
his companion was not asleep.

"I was just thinking" said Tom Osby, at length, scarce turning his head
as he accosted Dan Anderson, "that since watermelons don't grow very
much up here in the mountings, we might take a load of passengers back
home with us."

"Passengers?" A voice came from the blankets.

"Yes. Whole bunch of them railroad folks comin' up on the mornin'
train from El Paso. Old man and the girl both, and a lawyer fellow,
Barkley, I believe his name is. I reckon he's attoreney for the road."

Deep silence greeted this. Tom reached forward and picked up a brand
to light his pipe more thoroughly.

"I just want to thank you," said he, "for comin' along down here to
take care of me."

CHAPTER XII

THE PRICE OF HEART'S DESIRE

_Concerning Goods, their Value, and the Delivery of the Same_

In the morning the travellers arose with the sun, and after breakfast
Tom Osby began methodically to break camp as though preparing for the
return up-country. Neither made reference to any event occurring since
their arrival, or which might possibly occur in the near future. Dan
Anderson silently watched his partner as he busied himself gearing up
his horses. All was nearly ready for the start on their journey down
the east side of the Sacramentos, when they heard afar a faint and
wheezy squeak, the whistle of a railway train climbing up the opposite
slope.

"There's the choo-choo cars," said Tom, "comin' a-rarin' and
a-pitchin'. The ingine has to side-step and back-track about eight
times to get up the grade. Didn't notice my old grays a-doin' that
none, when we come up, did you? I'm the railroad for our town, and
I've got that one beat to a frazzle. Now listen to that thing, Dan;
that's the States comin' to find us out." Dan Anderson made no reply.

"Well, let her come," Tom resumed cheerfully; "I come from Georgy, and
in that country, it ain't considered perlite to worry if you've got one
square meal ahead. Which, by the way, reminds me that that's about all
we've got ahead now. You just set here with the team a while, while I
take a _pasear_ down the canon to see if I can get a deer for supper
to-night. I hope the old railroad ain't scared 'em all away. Besides,
we might as well stay here for a hour or so anyway, now, and see what
the news is, since the cars has got in."

He tapped the muzzle of his old rifl