Too weary to protest further, Rhoda threw herself down with her feet toward the fire and pillowed her head on her arm.  DeWitt filled his pipe and sat puffing it, with his arms folded across his knees.  Rhoda watched him for a moment or two.  She found herself admiring the full forehead, the lines of refinement about the lips that the beard could not fully conceal.

“He’s not as handsome as Kut-le,” she thought wearily, “but he’s—­he’s—­” but before her thought was completed she was asleep.

Rhoda woke at dawn and lay waiting for the stir of the squaws about the morning meal.  Then with a start she rose and looked soberly about her.  Suddenly she smiled.

“Tenderfoot!” she murmured.

DeWitt lay fast asleep by the ashes of the fire.

“If Kut-le,” she thought.  Then she stopped abruptly and stamped her foot.  “You are not even to think of Kut-le any more!” And with her cleft chin very firm she descended the trail to the spring.  When she returned, DeWitt was rising stiffly to his feet.

“Hello!” he cried.  “I was good this time.  I never closed my eyes till dawn.  I’m so hungry I could eat greasewood.  How do you feel?”

“Weak with hunger but otherwise very well.  Go wash your face, Johnny.”

DeWitt grinned and started down the trail obediently.  But Rhoda laid a detaining hand on his arm.  The sun was but a moment high.  All the mesa front lay in purple shadows, though farther out the desert glowed with the yellow light of a new day.

“I think animals come to the spring to drink,” said Rhoda.  “There were tiny wet footmarks there when I went down to wash my face.”

“Bully!” exclaimed John.  “Wait now, let’s watch.”

The two dropped to the ground and peered over the edge of the upper terrace.  The spring bubbled forth serenely, followed its shallow trough a short distance, then disappeared into the insatiable floor of the desert.  For several moments the two lay watching until at last Rhoda grew restless.  DeWitt laid a detaining hand on her arm.

“Hush!” he whispered.

A pair of jack-rabbits loped up the trail, sniffed the air tentatively, then with forelegs in the water drank greedily.  DeWitt’s right arm stiffened, there were two puffs of smoke and the two kicking rabbits rolled into the spring.

“I’m beginning to have a little self-respect as the man of the party,” said DeWitt, as he blew the smoke from his Colt.

Rhoda ran down to the spring and lifted the two wet little bodies.  John took them from her.

“If you’ll find some place for a table, I’ll bring these up in no time.”

When DeWitt came up from the spring with the dressed rabbits, he found a little fire glowing between two rocks.  Near by on a big flat-topped stone were set forth two earthen bowls, with a brown water-jar in the center.  As he stared, Rhoda came out of the building with interested face.