"I know him pretty well," Charley went on, carefully, "and he's been
very kind to me. But he's never mentioned you. He's quick and queer,
he's been alone so much, and very quick with his gun."

"He won't touch me," answered Mrs. von Minden. "He's afraid of me, the
German bully."

"Tut, madam, tut!" exclaimed Gustav. "Germans no more mistreat their
vomen than other peoples."

Madam opened her eyes. "Tell that to some one who hasn't been married to
one."

"There are brutes in all nations," said Ernest. "You certainly have had
more than your share of trouble."

"Hah!" the gaunt face in the rocking chair was scornful, "I merely told
you my ranching experience. I've mined with Otto, too, and prospected
and herded sheep and cattle and run a boarding house."

"Mrs. von Minden, you can't be very comfortable in this rough camp,"
pleaded Charley. "Do come up to my comfortable house. I'd love to have a
woman visitor."

"You're very kind, my child, but I must stay here. I've been so
ordered."

"We'd better be starting back, Charley," suggested Dick. "Felicia is
getting sounder asleep every minute."

And so the party ended.

The erection of the engine house went on briskly. Before even Roger's
impatience could have demanded it, the sheet iron roof was on and
Schmidt began to putter with the doors and windows. The completed
building was not unpicturesque. The dull yellow-gray walls were topped
by a roof of red corrugated iron, with deeply projecting eaves.

Roger had bought the sheet iron from Dick, who had used considerable of
this material in the buildings round his turquoise mine. Ernest and
Gustav toiled up to the mine one morning and at night returned with a
good supply of the sheet iron. Roger made a concrete base for the
engine, at one end of the building. Gustav made two doors, one for
either end, by nailing the corrugated iron onto a wooden frame. A work
bench and shelves erected by Ernest completed the work on the engine
house except for the hanging of the doors.

The three workmen were pleased with their job and sat contemplating it
in great contentment, one evening after supper.

"The engine should be here next month," said Roger.

"That is to be of your design?" asked Gustav.

Roger nodded. "The Dean of our old college is getting it made for us. He
began work on it as soon as we closed the deal with Austin. If he
doesn't hustle we'll be ready for it before he is. We'll begin work on
the absorber,