ys get back before to-morrow. I got to see about
one thing and another. She'll understand."

Therefore, when the mail wagon came down the valley an hour later, Sim
Gage was waiting for it at the end of his own lane. He had meantime
arrayed himself cap-a-pie in all the new apparel he recently had
purchased, so that he stood now reeking of discomfort, in his new hat,
his new shoes, his tight collar. Evidently something of formal
character was in his plans.

It was well toward midnight when the leisurely mail wagon arrived at
the end of its semi-weekly round and put up at the Company works. At
that hour the company doctor was not visible, so Sim found quarters
elsewhere. It was a due time after breakfast on the following morning
before he ventured to the doctor's office.

Doctor Barnes himself was engaged in bringing up his correspondence.
He was his own typist, and at the time was engaged in picking out
letter after letter upon a small typewriter with which he had not yet
acquired familiarity. He was occupied with two letters of importance.
One was going to a certain medical authority of the University from
which he himself had received his degree. It contained a certain
hypothetical question regarding diseases of the eye, upon which he
himself at the time did not feel competent to pass.

The second letter was one to his new Chief, an officer of the
reclamation engineers, at Washington. He wore again to-day the uniform
of a Major of the Army. The wheels of officialdom were revolving. The
public quality of this enterprise was well understood. That lawless
elements were afoot in that region was a fact also well recognized. To
have this dam go out now would be an injury to the peace measures of
the country. Soldiers were coming to protect it, and the soldiers must
have a commander. In the hurried times of war, when there was not
opportunity always for exactness, majors were made overnight when
needful out of such material as the Government found at hand. It might
have used worse than that of Allen Barnes to-day and here.

"Oh, there _you_ are," said he at length, turning around and finding
Sim Gage standing in the door. "What brought you down here? Anything
gone wrong?"

"Well, I ain't sure, Doc," said Sim Gage, "but like enough. One thing,
my knee hurts me considerable." In reality he was sparring for time.
"But you're dressed up for a soldier?"

"Yes. Sit down there on the operating chair," sai