“Hippy, tell me, did you dream anything when you were asleep out there after being shot?” whispered Emma.
“Yes. I dreamed that an imponderable quantity appeared suddenly out of the nowhere and gave me an awful wallop,” retorted Hippy.
“I think you are real mean,” pouted Emma. “Good-night! Don’t forget to remember what you dream about tonight, for it may be of great importance to us.”
“Huh!” muttered Hippy.
Soon after that the camp became quiet and every Overlander, except Nora, was sound asleep. Jim-Sam, however, were just outside holding a heated argument over the occurrences of the evening. Jim blamed Sam for shooting into the bushes and thus starting the row that ended in the wounding of one of their party.
“Why, you miserable galoot, you ain’t got the sense of a flea!” retorted Sam. “If it hadn’t been fer me, you’d been quarrelin’ with the angels right this minute. Some folks ain’t got brains enough to know nothin’.”
“You said it,” agreed Jim. “I’ve knowed that ever since I’ve been with ye.”
The argument was continued at intervals all the rest of the night, and until at break of day they saw the cowpunchers ride off down the valley at a brisk gallop. Jim then built up the fire and began preparing for breakfast. The odors of the cooking soon awakened the Overlanders, and one by one they turned out rubbing the sleep out of their eyes.
Emma Dean’s face, however, was glowing and her eyes were full of sparkle.
“Oh, girls,” she cried. “I had the most wonderful dream last night. What do you think? It was a most adorable dream. I dreamed that I was engaged to the nicest man and—”