our helpers laughing and slapping each other's backs, knee deep all
of them in a stream that gushed into the ditch from the new well.

"My luck has turned!" roared Dick. "My luck has turned! Look at it! Look
at it! It will water fifty acres. I'll bet there won't be an inch of
water left in the range. Wow!" and he plunged full length into the
little crystal stream, his helpers following suit with a shout.

It was the signal for a general recess. And the men, including Roger,
took a ducking and returned to work steaming but unspeakably
rejuvenated. The sudden appearance of the water seemed to Roger like a
happy omen for the whole endeavor and it would have been difficult to
tell who was the most enthusiastic for the rest of the day, Roger or
Dick.

Rabbit Tail's week was a full seven days. At five o'clock Sunday
afternoon, the absorber was finished. The old tool shed stood remade,
roughly to be sure, but securely, into an engine house. The condenser
was half finished, the engine was standing in its new home, dismantled
in parts but quite ready for Roger to adjust when the new parts should
arrive.

When the old iron triangle called supper, Rabbit Tail sauntered up to
Roger.

"Good job, Boss, huh?"

"Fine! The best ever! Rabbit Tail, the country is missing some wonderful
mechanics and engineers in not getting you Indians interested in
civilization."

The old chief grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "To-night, we go," he
said.

"Let me keep Jo and the other three machinists," pleaded Roger. "I'm
sure they'll be interested in finishing the condenser for me."

"Ask 'em," grunted Rabbit Tail.

"Come along," said Roger and he strode over to the bench where the four
Indians were fitting together the condenser pipe. They looked up and
grinned affably at Roger.

"Rabbit Tail says you fellows may stay and help me finish this
condenser, if you will. I know I can find the money to pay you for it.
How about it?"

Jo, the spokesman, was a tall thin Indian, with a fine brow and
intelligent eyes.

"No, I guess we'll go on back to camp, Mr. Moore," he said.

"But I thought you were interested in what I am trying to put over,"
exclaimed Roger.

"So we are. It's always interesting to learn what you whites are trying
to do. You work so fearfully hard that we Indians are always curious to
find out the idea back of the work. But as for helping you do the
work--well, it's like this, you folks are always mighty interested in