to see you!"

He vaulted over the bar.

"Hush," she said, "Dick's sick and I've just gotten him to sleep."

"Sick! That accounts for his grouch then! Why couldn't he say so! Shall
I go for the doctor, Charley?"

"No! No! He's subject to these attacks. Did--did Ernest mind his being
cross?" In the candlelight Charley looked anxiously into Roger's face.

"Not a bit. He just wondered about it because the change came on so
suddenly. What is it? His stomach?"

"Yes, his stomach," replied Charley.

"Sure you don't want me to go for the doctor?"

Charley's voice trembled a little. "Very sure! But you can hang up the
harness for me while I hold the light." Then, as Roger obeyed with
alacrity, she asked: "What made you come up this hour of the night?"

"I couldn't sleep. Then I began to think about your brother's grouch. I
got up and took a look in this direction and saw the light. I don't know
just why I came. Restless, I guess!"

He tossed the lines over a peg and came back to take the lantern from
Charley. As the light flashed on her face he saw that she looked very
tired and that her lip was quivering. A wordless surprise swept over
Roger. The feeling he had had that Charley was like an interesting boy
whom he would wish to keep for a friend was rudely shocked by that
quivering lip. Only a girl's lip could tremble so.

"Something _is_ wrong," he said, anxiously. "Let me help you."

"You have helped me, more than you can know. Go home to bed now or you
won't be fit for work to-morrow. And that work is just about the most
important thing in this valley."

Roger could think of no adequate reply. He lowered the bars for Charley
and put them up again. The two stood in silent contemplation of the
desert night. The night wind was dying as dawn approached. Above and
below was one perfect blending of dusky blue, with only the faint fleck
of star silver to mark the sky from the earth. Roger's nerves quickened
to the wonder of the night. He turned to Charley.

"I don't feel as if I'd ever lived before," he half whispered.

"I know," replied the girl. "I don't believe a person could be a real
agnostic in the desert, do you?"

"No," said Roger, simply.

"You must go to bed," repeated Charley. "And you mustn't worry any more
about me." She turned to run quickly up the trail to the adobe.

Roger started campward.

He was wakened later in the morning by the sound of conversation.

"I'm sorry, madam, but I'm no cook,