ink alike about the Almighty's
share in this transaction. If this isn't the devil's work, I don't know
the gentleman."

Uncle Sid made no immediate reply. A little later they entered the Las
Cruces office. Helen looked up as the door opened. A frank cordial smile
illumined her face as she recognized her callers.

"Hello, Ralph! It's about time you came in. If you'd waited much longer,
I'd have asked for a letter of introduction." She turned to Uncle Sid
with the same cordial smile. "Well Captain, I see you aren't dry-docked
yet."

"No. My seams ain't started yet. What water there is in these parts is
just as wet as any."

"Oh we've got plenty of water here and we're going to have more."

"Yes, I guess you have, such as 'tis. Good enough for old-fashioned
sailin' craft. But when folks ain't satisfied with goin' as fast as
God's wind blows 'em, an' they put in engines an' boilers, the dum
water's liable to eat holes in their boilers an' blow 'em up." He looked
around the room curiously. "There's a power o' steam escapin' around
here. Where's 'Lige? Look's as if 'Lige had got a hole eat in his
boilers, an' me an' Ralph's come in to see if we can help patch 'em up."

Helen noted the keen, old eyes and the humorous wrinkles that for all
their humor were yet hard.

"He hasn't been in this morning; I expect him every moment."

Uncle Sid turned to Winston.

"It's your watch, Ralph. You take the wheel."

Winston felt reassured to a certain extent, by Helen's perfectly natural
manner. There were the same frank eyes, the same friendly smile that he
knew so well. Did she know all that they wished to know or was she as
ignorant as they of all but public gossip? He was going to find out.

"I suppose you know, Helen," he began soberly, "that there are some
pretty ugly rumors about Elijah flying around Ysleta?"

"Yes, I do know." Helen's face grew hard.

"How much truth is there in them?"

Helen met Winston's piercing look squarely.

"I don't know any more than you know." There was no apparent hesitation
in her manner, but her thoughts were busy anticipating what was to come.

Ralph made an impatient gesture.

"We can talk till doomsday, Helen, and you can answer and tell us
nothing, if you choose. You know we are not gossips, and you know that
we are Elijah's friends."

"Why didn't you say that to start with?" Helen flashed back. "You began
asking me questions and I answered your questions truthfully."

Uncle S