Stacy had thrown himself down under one of the yucca trees, but the late afternoon sun filtered through the branches, making his face look red and heated.
"You don't seem to be getting much shade from that tree," laughed the guide.
"'Bout as much as I would from a barbed wire fence," frowned Stacy.
"What do you know about barbed-wire fences?" demanded Ned.
"Me? Know all 'bout them. One night I had a falling out with one, when I was taking a short cut across the fields to get home."
"How about the apples? Did you get them?" asked Tad.
"Apples? What do you know 'bout it? Were you there, too?"
A laugh greeted the fat boy's reply.
"Come, come, young men. Are you going to make camp?" urged the Professor.
"Didn't know we were going to remain here to-night," replied Walter. "Of course we're going to make camp if that's the case. It'll be a good time to shake the alkali dust out of our belongings and from ourselves."