est your claims on. So if it comes to
trial, you'll all win; you're bound to. I told Kate Price so--and those
other old hens, yesterday, and that's what we had the row over."

"My money's on you, girl," Andy told her, grinning. "How are the
wounded?"

"The wounded? Oh, they've clubbed together this morning and are washing
hankies and collars and things, and talking about me. And they have
snouged every speck of water from the barrel--I paid my share for the
hauling, too--and the man won't come again till day after tomorrow with
more. Fifty cents a barrel, straight, he's charging now, James. And you,
boys with a great, big, long creekful of it that you can get right
in and swim in! I've come over to borrow two water-bags of it, if you
please, James I never dreamed water was so precious. Florence Hallman
ought to be made to lie on one of these dry claims she's fooled us into
taking. I really don't know, James, what's going to become of some of
these poor farmers. You knew, didn't you, that Mr. Murphy spent nearly
two hundred dollars boring a well--and now it's so strong of alkali they
daren't use a drop of it? Mr. Murphy is living right up to his name and
nationality, since then. He's away back there beyond the Sands place,
you know. He has to haul water about six miles. Believe me, James,
Florence Hallman had better keep away from Murphy! I met him as I was
coming out from town, and he called her a Jezebel!"

"That's mild!" Andy commented dryly. "Get down, why don't you? I want
you to take a look at the inside of my shack and see how bad I need a
housekeeper--since you won't take my word for it. I hope every drop of
water leaks outa these bags before you get home. I hope old Mister falls
down and spills it. I've a good mind not to let you have any, anyway.
Maybe you could be starved and tortured into coming down here where you
belong."

"Maybe I couldn't. I'll get me a barrel of my own, and hire Simpson
to fill it four times a week, if you please! And I'll put a lid with a
padlock on it, so Katie dear can't rob me in the night--and I'll use a
whole quart at a time to wash dishes, and two quarts when I take a bath!
I shall," she asserted with much emphasis, "lie in luxury, James!"

Andy laughed and waved his hand toward One Man Creek. "That's all
right--but how would you like to have that running past your house, so
you could wake up in the night and hear it go gurgle-gurgle? Wouldn't
that be all right?"

Rosemary