'he's met every superintendent
since my time; he'll meet you. Go right up and speak to him,' Bucks
says; 'it'll be all right.'"

"Oh, hell, Bill!" protested an indignant chorus.

"Well, what's er matter with you fellows? Didn't you ask me to tell
the story?" demanded Dancing angrily. "If you know it better than I
do, tell it! Give me some tobacco, Chris," said Bill, honoring with
the request the only man in the circle who had shown no scepticism,
because he spoke English with difficulty. "And say, Chris, go down and
read the bridge gauge, will you? It's close on twelve o'clock, and
he's to be called when it reaches twenty-eight feet. I said the boy
could never run the division without help from every man on it, and
that's what I'm giving him, and I don't care who knows it," said Bill
Dancing, raising his voice not too much. "Bucks says that any man that
c'n run this division c'n run any railroad on earth. Shoo! now who's
this coming here on horseback? Clouding up again, too, by gum!"

The man sent to the bridge had turned back, and behind his lantern
Dancing heard the tread of horses. He stood at one side of the
camp-fire while two visitors rode up; they were women. Dancing stood
dumb as they advanced into the firelight. The one ahead spoke: "Mr.
Dancing, don't you know me?" As she stopped her horse the light of the
fire struck her face. "Why, Mis' Sinclair!"

"Yes, and Miss Dunning is with me," returned Marion. Bill staggered.
"This is an awful place to get to; we have been nearly drowned, and
we want to see Mr. McCloud."

McCloud, roused by Marion's voice, came forward. "You were asleep,"
said she as he greeted her. "I am so sorry we have disturbed you!" She
looked careworn and a little forlorn, yet but a little considering the
struggle she and Dicksie had made to reach the camp.

Light blazed from the camp-fire, where Dicksie stood talking with
Dancing about horses.

"They are in desperate straits up at the ranch," Marion went on, when
McCloud had assured her of her welcome. "I don't see how they can save
it. The river is starting to flow into the old channel and there's a
big pond right in the alfalfa fields."

"It will play the deuce with things if it gets through there," mused
McCloud. "I wonder how the river is? I've been asleep. O Bill!" he
called to Dancing, "what water have you got?"

"Twenty-eight six just now, sir. She's a-raising very, very slow, Mr.
McCloud."

"So I am responsible for this in