thoughts
away from my work."

Jack Rutter said no more after that, though through the rest of
the afternoon he kept an alert lookout for signs of Pete. There
were none, however. Rather earlier than usual, on account of
the distance back to camp, Rutter knocked off work for the entire
party and the start on the return to camp was made.

Harry Hazelton was considerably excited when he heard the news
of the firing on his chum. Reade, however, appeared to be but
little interested in the subject.

Pete was not in camp that evening.

Rutter went at once to the tent of the chief, to tell him how
well the "cubs" had done during the day. Nor did Jack forget
to relate the encounter with Bad Pete.

Just as the underlings of the staff were seating themselves around
the table in their mess, Mr. Thurston thrust his head in at the
doorway.

"Reade," called the chief engineer, "I have heard about your trouble
with Pete today."

"There wasn't any real trouble, sir," Tom answered.

"Fortunately for you, Reade, Pete didn't intend to hit you. If
he had meant to do so, he'd have done it. I've seen him shoot
all the spots out of a ten of clubs. Don't provoke the fellow,
Reade, or he'll shoot you full of fancy holes. Of course it showed
both grit and coolness on your part in keeping steadily on with
your work all the time the fellow was firing at you. Still, it
was unwise to expose yourself needlessly to danger."

"I didn't consider Bad Pete particularly dangerous," Tom rejoined.

"A lawless man with a loaded revolver is hardly a safe person
to trifle with," retorted Mr. Thurston dryly.

"I see that I shall have to make a confession," smiled Tom. "It
was this way, sir. When Hazelton and I were on our way west Harry
insisted that we were coming into a dangerous country and that
we'd need firearms. So Harry bought two forty-five six-shooters
and several boxes of cartridges, too. I was provoked when I heard
about it, for we hadn't any too much money, and Harry had bought
the revolvers out of our joint treasury."

"I felt sure we'd need the pistols," interrupted Hazelton. "Today's
affair shows that I was right. Tom, you'll have to carry one
of the revolvers after this."

"I'm no gun-packer," retorted Tom scornfully. "Young men have
no business carting firearms about unless they're hunting or going
to war. Any fellow who carries a pistol as he would a lead pencil
is either a coward or a lunatic."

"I'm glad to