Roger nodded. "I'll take my turn at it to-morrow. Did you see Schmidt?"
"Yes, and he suggested that if we'd tie Preble's team to our wagon, he'd drive a load back for us, so only you would need to come in."
"We can't afford to have Schmidt come out here now," sighed Roger.
"Let him come!" murmured the visitor, still with closed eyes. "He will be provided for. It's a great work and must go on."
Roger jerked himself to his feet. "Let's go outside, Ern," he exclaimed.
Madam opened her eyes for a moment to say, "Send the child in to wash the dishes!"
Ernest turned a chuckle into a hiccough and followed Roger over to the well. "Roger, it won't cost much to keep him for a week and that provides for getting Hackett's team back and stopping that expense."
Roger nodded. "Let's leave those dishes on the table till she does 'em or we have to get lunch."
"O. K.! There she goes into her tent. Rog, she's plain crazy. Well, what do we tackle to-day?"
"We'd better get the pump ready and then start to build the engine house. I want it big enough to include the laboratory."
"Right-o! Dick suggested we save lumber by making the engine house of adobe. He says the sand storms that'll blow next month will ruin our apparatus if we don't cover it well."
"Where'll we get the adobe?" asked Roger.
"He said that that layer of clay we struck about four feet down in the well is extra fine adobe and that he'll show us how to handle it. I wonder how long he'll be sick, poor chap! Was Dick ever sick this way before, Felicia?" he called.
"Lots of times!" the child called back. "Oh, Ernest, here's a little, little bundle that's so soft it can't be a machine. Can't I open it? It might be for me."
"Go ahead!" replied Ernest.
"If the adobe won't take too long, I like the idea," said Roger. "But with our new financial problem, we're working against time."
"Oh, isn't it awful. Nothing but dish cloths for Charley!" shrieked Felicia.
"She'll have all the small items in those wagons in a hard knot," exclaimed Roger. "Felicia! Come and help unpack the pump, there's a good girl!"
When the wagon had been unloaded, the two men began the installation of the pump. By noon they had not finished the job. Roger had infinite patience with machinery. Ernest practically none.
"You'd have kicked the face off any human being that acted as mulish as this pump, Rog," growled Ernest. "Hang the thing! Let's throw it away and get a good one."