aged by
a fire we had, and--and the Lord knows what I haven't told her about
the damn thing." (Hart was that nervous he couldn't help speaking that
way.) "But all I've said hasn't made no difference. She's just dead
set on getting to what's left of that kindergarten, and I can't budge
her. See it she will, she says; and I guess the upshot of Hill's
chuckle-headed talk'll be to waste all the trouble we've took by
landing us in the biggest give-away that ever was!" And Hart called
for another drink, and had to set down to take it--looking pale.

All the boys felt terrible bad about the hole Hart was in; and they
felt worse because none of 'em hadn't no notion what a kindergarten
did--when it did anything--and that made 'em more ashamed Palomitas
hadn't one to show. Only Becker--Becker'd happened to come over from
Santa Cruz that night--sized it up right; and Becker shook his head
sort of dismal and said there wasn't no use even thinking about
it--and that looked like a settler, because Becker seemed to know.
Nobody didn't say nothing for a minute or two; and then Ike Williams
spoke up--he was the boss carpenter on the freight-house job, Ike
was--and said if what was wanted could be made out of boards, and made
in a hurry, he'd lay off the freight-house gang the next morning and
engage to have one ready by noon.

Santa Fe Charley'd been sitting still thinking, not saying a word.
He let out a big cuss--and Charley wasn't given to cussing--when Ike
made his offer; and then he banged his hand down on the table so hard
he set the chips to flying, and he said: "Mr. Hart, don't you
worry--we're going to put this job through!"

Everybody jumped up at that--some of 'em scrambling for the dropped
chips--asking Santa Fe what he meant to do. But Charley wouldn't
answer 'em. "Just you trust to Ike and me, Bill," he said. "We'll fix
your kindergarten all right--only you keep on telling your aunt it
ain't a good one, and how most of it got burned up in the fire. It's
luck you let on to her there'd been a fire--that makes it as easy as
rolling off a log. All you've got to do is to bring her down here at
four o'clock to-morrow afternoon--you'd better till then keep her in
the house, mending you up and making you all the pies she has a mind
to--and when she gets here the kindergarten'll be here, too!"

"Bring her here--to the Forest Queen?" Hart said, speaking doubtful.

"Bring her here--right here to the Forest Queen," Santa Fe said