"She'll stop short if she catches you looking in on her," replied
the chief, with a smile. "For some reason these Indians are very
jealous of their secrets in treating snakebites. They're wizards,
though, these same red-skinned savages."

"You believe, then, that she can pull Reade through?" asked Rutter
eagerly.

"If she knows her business, and if there's any such thing as saving
the boy she'll do it," declared Mr. Thurston, as they reached
the door of the chief's tent. "Will you come inside, Rutter!
You look badly broken up."

"I am, and I shall be, just as long as Reade is in any danger,"
Rutter admitted. "Reade is a mighty fine boy and I'm fond of
him. Besides, more than a little of our success in getting the
road through on time depends on the boy."

"Is Reade really so valuable, then?"

"He goes over the course, Mr. Thurston, as rapidly as any man
in our corps, and his work is very accurately done. Moreover,
he never kicks. If you told him to work half the night, on top
of a day's work, he'd do it."

"Then Reade, if he recovers, must be watched and rewarded for
anything he does for us," murmured Mr. Thurston.

"Don't say, 'if he recovers,' chief," begged Jack. "I hate to