can't miss our way. That
white peak with three points is at right angles anyhow to us, as it
ought to be."

Roger started the horses on, but after a short time stopped again.

"I'm not going on till we locate the trail," he announced.

"What are you going to do? Not stay here all night," protested Ernest.

"You bet I am. Ernest, we're off the track right now. We won't be able
to find the trail until daylight."

Ernest's obstinate chin set. "I'm for going on."

Roger flushed in the fading light. "I'm the leader of this expedition
and I say stop."

"Pshaw! I didn't think you were so timid, Roger," exclaimed Ernest.
"I'll go on foot and find the trail."

"Don't be a fool, Ernest," cried Roger.

But if a quick temper was Roger's besetting sin, pig-headedness was
Ernest's. He jumped down from the wagon and disappeared into the dusk.

Felicia and Roger waited for a time patiently. Then Roger shouted, half
a dozen times, "Ernest!" There was no answer.

"Darn chump!" muttered Roger. "Come on, Felicia, let's make a fire of
grease wood so he can find us."

They built the fire and an hour passed, then two, but Ernest did not
appear.

CHAPTER IV

CHARLEY

Felicia soon grew weary of the game of fire building and begged off.
Roger, with the aid of the ax, gathered a huge pile of grease wood, then
with Felicia beside him, wrapped in a blanket, he sat down before the
fire to wait.

The child, her deep eyes glowing like black rubies in the flickering
light, the lovely curves of her mouth drooping, leaned against Roger's
shoulder, for a little while, then she turned and looked up into his
face for a long minute. Roger returned the look, a little wonderingly.
Felicia's attractiveness still puzzled him.

"I love you very much," she said, "more than I do Ernest."

Roger smiled down at her. "But you must love our old Ernest too, even if
he has deserted us."

"Oh, I do love him, but it's you I think about, last thing at night!"

Felicia gazed up at Roger with a look of such mysterious depth that he
caught his breath. Felicia suddenly shivered.

"The desert's awful big! Oh, why do you suppose Charley didn't meet me?
I want Charley," with a sob.

Roger jumped to his feet and brought another blanket from the wagon. He
spread it before the fire and urged Felicia to lie down on it. This she
was persuaded to do only after Roger loaned his lap for a pillow and
she finally fell asleep, her head on his knee, his ha