Already the procession had considerably thinned out. Some of the outfits had broken down and some had quit discouraged. The Pike’s Peak region was still 500 miles distant, and the worst of the journey lay before. However, the Hee-Haw Express had no thought of quitting. “We’ll have to travel under discipline from now on, boys,” spoke Captain Hi at noon camp. “You bear in mind I’m boss, and Billy is second boss. We’ll try to be as easy on you as we can, but what we say goes. The only person who doesn’t need to pay much attention is the cook. He’s his own boss. The rest of us will mount guard every night and follow a regular schedule. I appoint Jim the official hunter, because he’s got the best gun. Jim, you watch out for meat. Ought to see buffalo, plenty.” And Jim nodded. “Davy, you’re assistant to the cook. You get him fuel and water.” And Davy nodded. “Left-over and Billy and I’ll tend to the mules.” “What I want to know is, why don’t we ever have pie. If I’d thought we’d eat just bacon and beans and coffee all the way across to the mountains I wouldn’t have come,” squeaked Left-over, earnestly. “Sowbelly and beans will make a man of you,” growled Hi. “After you’ve stood a steady diet of that for a couple o’ months nothing can kill yuh.” And he rose. “All right; catch up, boys. Let’s be moving.” “Catch up” (or “Ketch up,” as Hi pronounced it) was the regulation signal in the freighters’ trains on the plains for harnessing the mules and oxen to the wagons. So now the span of mules were put back into their places on either side of the tongue, and Left-over climbed into the seat; it was his turn to drive. Just before sunset Left-over, peering ahead from his driver’s seat, uttered a shrill whoop and tried to whip up his mules. “Hyar! What’re you aiming to do?” demanded Captain Hi, severely. “Aw, can’t you let a feller be?” whined Left-over. “I was going on ahead, is all, and see what I could buy.” On a little hillock, before, beside the trail was what appeared to be another stage station of canvas, but the top of the tent (for wall tent it turned out to be) displayed in large black letters the sign: “Grocery.” This explained Left-over’s hurry. However, as the nearest “pilgrims” were behind he would have the grocery to himself, so Captain Hi calmed him down with―― “Don’t be so brash about it, then. If you go and kill off one of those mules we’ll put you in harness with the other one.” “And that will be a pair,” added Billy, quick as a wink. “Never mind, Left-over,” comforted the Reverend. “Maybe we can get our dried apples there and have that pie I promised you.” But as they toiled on nearer, the tent grocery seemed deserted. It had no customers and no proprietor. “Whoa!” yelled Left-over loudly, pulling down his mules opposite the tent. “Whoa, there!” And――“Hello,” he hailed shrilly.