"
The boys laughed. "You don't think we can keep this up all summer,
do you?" exclaimed, Ned. "Even 'greaser' cooks are better than
having nothing to eat. And up there," nodding toward the north,
"there won't be any cooks."
"Don't forget," interrupted Elmer, "camp--camp--well, my camp. When
you get dar dar'll be a good meal waitin' you and when you git outen
de mountains I'll still be dar waitin' wid eatin's."
The boys laughed again.
"Like as not," suggested Alan, "if you get all that truck up there.
You'll certainly have enough. But don't you bother about the eating.
You just watch the water and the gasoline."
"Till de snow flies," exclaimed Elmer with emphasis.
"Which, right there," dryly remarked Ned as he disposed of the last
of a generous slice of melon, "is rather indefinite."
When Buck, whose real name they had discovered to be William
Bourke--easily corrupted into "Buck"--appeared, the boys had a delicate
job before them. Inquiry had quickly shown them that Buck's twenty-five
years on the old Santa Fe trail as guide and an active service in the
army as scout easily made him the man to conduct Elmer to the north.
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