ed gravely in answer to the questions Hazel asked him
whenever they stopped to water the horses, but he volunteered no
information beyond calling her attention to a lame foot her pony was
developing.

Several times Joe got down and examined the pony's foot, and shook his
head, with a grunt of worried disapproval. Presently as the miles went
by Hazel began to notice the pony's lameness herself, and became alarmed
lest he would break down altogether in the midst of the desert. Then
what would the Indian do? Certainly not give her his horse and foot it,
as the missionary had done. She could not expect that every man in this
desert was like the one who had cared for her before. What a foolish
girl she had been to get herself into this fix! And now there was no
father to send out search parties for her, and no missionary at home to
find her!

The dust, the growing heat of the day, and the anxiety began to wear
upon her. She was tired and hungry, and when at noon the Indian
dismounted beside a water-hole where the water tasted of sheep who had
passed through but a short time before, and handed her a package of corn
bread and cold bacon, while he withdrew to the company of the horses for
his own siesta, she was feign to put her head down on the coarse grass
and weep for her folly in coming out to this wild country alone, or at
least in being so headstrong as to stay when Amelia Ellen deserted her.
Then the thought suddenly occurred to her: how would Amelia Ellen have
figured in this morning's journey on horseback; and instead of weeping
she fell to laughing almost hysterically.

She munched the corn bread--the bacon she could not eat--and wondered if
the woman at the stopping-place had realized what an impossible lunch
she had provided for her guest. However, here was one of the tests. She
was not worth much if a little thing like coarse food annoyed her so
much. She drank some of the bitter water, and bravely ate a second piece
of corn bread and tried to hope her pony would be all right after his
rest. But it was evident after they had gone a mile or two further that
the pony was growing worse. He lagged, and limped, and stopped, and it
seemed almost cruel to urge him further, yet what could be done? The
Indian rode behind now, watching him and speaking in low grunts to him
occasionally, and finally they came in sight of a speck of a building in
the distance. Then the Indian spoke. Pointing towards the distant
building, wh