At these last words the flap of the tent was parted and a woman came out, the professor's wife, in fact. She looked very tired and much troubled.
"What is this?" she asked querulously. "Have we got to start again to-night?"
Wilbur took off his hat.
"I beg your pardon," he said, "I did not know there were ladies in the party." He turned to the professor. "I suppose if it will bother them I'll have to let you stay. But if it hadn't been for that I'd have turned every beast you've got out into the forest and let them rustle for themselves."
"Yes, you would!" said the guide. "An' what would I have had to say?"
"Nothing," said Wilbur, "except that I'd have you arrested for touching U. S. property." He turned to the professor: "How did you get here?" he said.
"Up that road," said the older man, pointing to the southwest.
"And why didn't you camp a couple of miles down? There's much better ground down there."
"The guide said there was no place at all, and he didn't know anything about this camp, either, and we thought we would have to go on all night."
Wilbur snorted.