“It is,” said Adair shortly, not failing to remark that the barrel-bodied, black-bearded man seemed to recognize and to be expecting him.

“’Tis two hours gone they all are,” was the oily-voiced explanation.  “Up the grade and over to Copah.  But they’ll be back to-morrow, Heaven savin’ thim, and we’ll make you comfortable here—­as comfortable as we can.”

“That will be quickly done,” said Adair, swinging down from the engine step.  “Just give me a horse and tell me which way they have gone, and I’ll overtake them.”

But here the barrel-bodied one spread his hands helplessly.

“’Tis just our luck!” he protested, in the keenest self-reproach.  “There isn’t a horse or a mule in camp that you could get a mile an hour out of.  In fact, I’m thinking there isn’t anny horses at all!”

XXII

THE MAN ON HORSEBACK

Since the weather was rather threatening, and the promise of October in the inter-mountain region is not to be lightly trifled with, Mr. Colbrith pressed for an early start on the seventeen-mile buckboard jaunt to Copah over the detour survey.

It was by his express command that the private-car party was called at daybreak, and that breakfast was served in the Nadia at six o’clock.  And at seven sharp, which chanced to be the precise time of day when Adair’s commandeered Italians were spiking the last of the displaced rails into position at the gap in the track thirty-three miles away, the buckboards were drawn up at the steps of the president’s car.

For reasons charitable, as well as practical, Ford had planned to leave Frisbie out of this second dance of attendance upon the president.  The track-layers were well up toward the head of Horse Creek gulch, with Brissac to drive; but during the night the Louisianian had reported in with a touch of mountain fever, and Ford had asked Frisbie to go up and take his place.

This was one of Ford’s peg-drivings for the day; and another was timed for the moment of outsetting.  For conveyances for the party there were the two double-seated buckboards used on the canyon trip the previous day, and one other with a single seat; but there were only two drivers, the third man, who had brought the single-seated rig from Copah, having been prevailed upon by Ford to disappear.

Ford directed the distribution of the trippers arbitrarily, and was amazed when the president acquiesced without protest.  Mr. Colbrith, the doctor’s wife, and Penfield, were to go in the leading vehicle; Aunt Hester Adair, Miss Van Bruce, and the doctor, in the second; and Ford drove the single-seated third, with Miss Alicia for his companion.

“I think you must have taken Uncle Sidney unawares,” said Alicia, when the caravan was toiling at a slow footpace along the rough wagon road paralleling the Horse Creek grade.

“You mean that he might have objected to your driver?  You are a whole lot safer with me than you would be with one of those livery-stable helpers up ahead.”