HE DID EAT XII.OLD MIZZOU RESIGNS XIII.THE SPIRES OF STONE XIV.THE PIONEER'S PICNIC XV.THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN XVI.A

Old Mizzou tried, by adroit questioning, to find out just why de Laney had been sent West.

There was, in reality, not enough to keep one man busy, and surely Old Mizzou considered himself quite competent to attend to that.

Then for three hours he and Old Mizzou prospected.

By a mental process, unnecessary to trace here, he modified his first views, and permitted Old Mizzou to get the mail.

One day Old Mizzou brought him a blue-print map.

When he returned to the Holy Smoke camp he found Old Mizzou in earnest conversation with a peculiar-looking stranger, whose hand he was promptly requested to shake.

"Mr. Lawton is from Old Mizzou, too, afore he moved to Illinoy," commented Davidson.

" "Stay t' grub!" urged Old Mizzou heartily.

," said Old Mizzou with emphasis.

After supper Bennington and Old Mizzou played cribbage by the light of a kerosene lamp.

" "Yas?" observed Old Mizzou with indifference.

"Wall, so Mis' Lawton sez," chuckled Mizzou.

I wouldn't hev you go back East without knowin' all about 'em for anythin' in the worl', I likes ye thet much!" Old Mizzou paused to wipe away a sympathetic tear with a rather uncertain hand.

" Old Mizzou rambled on in like fashion most of the evening, to Bennington's great amusement, and, though next morning he was quite himself again, he still clung to the idea that Bennington should examine the pony.

So he abandoned Aliris: A Romance of all Time, for the morning, and drove down to Spanish Gulch with Old Mizzou.

Mizzou saw no difficulty, however, when the matter was laid before him.

How should Old Mizzou know that?

Old Mizzou, who had listened silently but with a twinkle in his eye, went to hunt up Bennington.

Old Mizzou said this was cheap.

Old Mizzou disappeared in the direction of the corral, where he was joined presently by the man Arthur. CHAPTER VII THE MEETING AT THE ROCK

Old Mizzou had wandered off up the gulch.

After breakfast Old Mizzou, as usual, went out to feed the horses, and Bennington, through sheer idleness, accompanied him.

Old Mizzou shouted something, and scrambled excitedly to the house.

Old Mizzou said it was the grating of boulders as they were rolled along the bed of the stream.