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Page 48
"Grace is quite right," agreed Anne. "I am worrying about to-
morrow myself."
"I have been thinking it over," spoke up Hi Lang. "I believe I
will go out early in the morning and ride until noon. I can cover
a lot of ground in that time, and if I do not find water, the
chances are against our getting any in the direction we are going.
In that event we will head for the mountains and fight our way
through. I never knew so many water holes to fail, but the storm
is largely responsible for that condition."
"Why didn't we bring an artesian well with us? I have heard that
one could have water anywhere with one of those. Are they very
heavy to carry?" asked Emma innocently.
A shout greeted her question, and the guide brushed a hand across
his mouth to hide his silent laughter.
"What's the matter? Have I said something funny?" demanded Emma,
bristling.
"That would be impossible," answered Hippy. "No, Emma Dean, an
artesian well would be no burden to carry at all if one were able
to solve the problem of how to carry it. All the makin's are right
here, too. Hi, why didn't you bring a medium-sized artesian well
with you! I am amazed that you would neglect to find a way to
bring one along," rebuked Hippy.
"You are all making fun of me. I think you are real mean," pouted
Emma.
"We're not," protested Hippy.
"Yes, he is, dear. Hippy, stop teasing Emma. She is worn out and
irritable. By the way, Mr. Lang, what is an artesian well?" asked
Nora, which brought down another shout of laughter, this time at
her expense.
"I'm not irritable," objected Emma.
"An artesian well is a hole in the ground, Miss Dean," the guide
gravely informed her.
"I'm going to bed!" announced Emma, getting up. "Am I to sleep in
the open, or do we have tents to cover us to-night?" she asked
with much dignity.
"Ping will pitch the tents. He is getting out the canvas now,"
replied Grace. "Before I turn in I am going out to eat some more
'niggerheads.' Any one going with me?"
All signified their desire to have more of the luscious white
pulp, and in a few moments they were gorging themselves among the
bisnagas.
The moon was now well along in its first quarter, and in the cool
of the evening the Overland girls were in a frame of mind to
appreciate and enjoy the scene.
"The desert has a strange and beguiling beauty all its own,"
murmured Grace.
"Yes," agreed Elfreda. "Such an evening as this makes one forget
the awful heat, and lays hold of one's spirit. Then the silence--
no whistling of wind, no rustling of leaves. Why, I find myself
holding my breath so as not to break the silence."
"I had not observed it," retorted Grace, presenting a smiling face
to her companion. "The camp should be ready by now. I move we go
back and turn in."
"The mystery of it all, too," added Elfreda, turning to walk to
the camp.
The guide told them not to be concerned at his absence if he did
not get in until late on the following day, and the Overland
Riders sought their blankets for a rest which all needed.
The night passed without one of the girls moving, so far as any of
them could remember, when they were rudely awakened next morning.
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