And here's to the hearts that it brings us!"

Whispering Smith rose before the applause subsided. "I ask you to
drink this, standing, in condensed milk."

"Have we enough to stand in?" interposed Dicksie.

"If we stand together in trouble, that ought to be enough," observed
McCloud.

"We're doing that without rising, aren't we?" asked Marion. "If we
hadn't been in trouble we shouldn't have ventured to this camp
to-night."

"And if you had not put me to the trouble of following you--and it was
a lot of trouble!--_I_ shouldn't have been in camp to-night," said
Whispering Smith.

"And if _I_ had not been in trouble this camp wouldn't have been here
to-night," declared McCloud. "What have we to thank for it all but
trouble?"

A voice called the superintendent's name through the tent door. "Mr.
McCloud?"

"And there is more trouble," added McCloud. "What is it, Bill?"

"Twenty-eight and nine tenths on the gauge, sir."

McCloud looked at his companions. "I told you so. Up three-tenths.
Thank you, Bill; I'll be with you in a minute. Tell Cherry to come and
take away the supper things, will you? That is about all the water we
shall get to-night, I think. It's all we want," added McCloud,
glancing at his watch. "I'm going to take a look at the river. We
shall be quiet now around here until half-past three, and if you,
Marion, and Miss Dunning will take the tent, you can have two hours'
rest before we start. Bill Dancing will guard you against intrusion,
and if you want ice-water ring twice."

CHAPTER XXII

A TALK WITH WHISPERING SMITH

When Whispering Smith had followed McCloud from the tent, Dicksie
turned to Marion and caught her hand. "Is this the terrible man I have
heard about?" she murmured. "And I thought him ferocious! But is he as
pitiless as they say, Marion?"

Marion laughed--a troubled little laugh of surprise and sadness.
"Dear, he isn't pitiless at all. He has unpleasant things to do, and
does them. He is the man on whom the railroad relies to repress the
lawlessness that breaks out in the mountains at times and interferes
with the operating of the road. It frightens people away, and prevents
others from coming in to settle. Railroads want law and order. Robbery
and murders don't make business for railroads. They depend on settlers
for developing a country, don't you know; otherwise they would have no
traffic, not to speak of wanting their trains and men let alone. When
M