the expense
between us."

"Drummond?" queried Hiram. "I think I know that man. I've seen him,
anyway."

"You! Where?"

"In San Francisco. It seems that Tweet was in a restaurant there
talking to a--a waitress about coming down here. This Drummond he--he
knew that waitress, and came in to see her while Tweet was there. They
got to talking it over, I guess, and Tweet told him all about the new
railroad. The waitress told me----"

"You mean Lucy?"

Hiram's face reddened. "That was her name," he admitted. "I--I
suppose Tweet told you about her."

"A little. But I interrupted."

"Well, Lucy said Drummond had been interested in what Tweet had to say,
and he said he might look into the freighting possibilities of the new
road. He's got a string of trucks, I was told."

"What sort of a man is he, Hiram?"

"Big fellow--always seems to be having fun. He's as big as I am, but
not so awkward, I guess. He wears fine clothes. But I don't know
anything about him at all. I never spoke to him."

The outfit reached Julia in the course of time, and found that "Blacky"
Potts had set up his shop in a large circular tent, and was hammering
away briskly on his anvil. Also he had made the camp snug and
comfortable under whispering cottonwood, and had fenced off a corral
with barbed wire.

Jo at once went to the Mulligan Supply Company to learn that a message
had come to her, in their care, from Demarest. It stated that their
big construction outfit was then on its way from northern California,
and would cross to the new railroad from a point seventy-five miles to
the north. In view of the long trip, they wished to travel as light as
possible. Consequently there was another big order for Jo to freight
in ahead of them at once. What interested Jo more, though, was the
fact that Demarest ordered it delivered at the buttes, asking that a
watchman be camped there to guard the supplies, provided they arrived
ahead of the outfit.

Immediately they went to work at the loading, and in the end six wagons
were carrying capacity. The seventh lead wagon was an extra, which Jo
had decided to use only in case of a breakdown. With thirty tons of
hay, grain, case goods, and barreled provisions they started back early
the following morning. Jo's heart was light, for this was exceedingly
good business, and it was coming faster than she had dared to hope,
with so few camps established. Still, she was puzzled over the
rep