"But I see their game now. They thought I would never hear the other side. It was the luckiest thing in the world that I stumbled into your camp last night. It was fate. Do you believe in fate?" he asked Dick. "I certainly do," answered that young man. "That is why I stuck those valuable papers--at least, they were valuable at one time--back of that glass where anyone could see them," and he told of the experiences he and his chums had gone through. In turn Mr. Cameron related some of his life's story. He was all alone in the world, having been left a small inheritance by his father. He took up the study of civil engineering, and made a success of it. It was by accident that he had been hired by Mr. Larabee's agents to make the survey, and the rest followed by a "trick of fate," as he described it. "I needed the money they promised to give me," he said, "or perhaps I should not have gone into the matter at all. I am intending to set up in business for myself, and the amount the lawyer named was very acceptable. I never stopped to think that I might be doing some one an injustice. The fact of the matter is, that I thought the trickery was on Wardell's side." "I hope you are convinced now that it was not," said Dick. "I am, perfectly. I think your Uncle Ezra, not to put too fine a point upon it, as the celebrated Mr. Snagsby would say--I think your Uncle Ezra rather put one over on me." "I believe he did," said Dick, "and I'm glad I can be the means of correcting the wrong." "And what will Uncle Ezra say when he finds it out?" asked Paul, with a chuckle. "I'm afraid," answered the young millionaire, "that he'll have a fit; won't he, Grit?" The animal growled, as he nearly always did at the mention of Mr. Larabee's name. Grit and Mr. Cameron, however, had made friends at once. They drove on for a few miles farther, stopping now and then to listen for sounds of an auto coming after them, but they heard nothing. Then, as the way was getting rough, Dick decided to light the lamps, since it was hardly possible now for the two men to see them over the desert. A short halt was made for this purpose, and then they got under way again. There was the coming of a pale light in the east, and Dick, looking toward it, said: "The sun will soon be up. We'll keep on as far as we can in the cool of the day, and then halt in the best place we can find, for the engine easily gets overheated on this sandy desert. After rest, and a breakfast, we'll keep on." All thought this was a good plan, and it was followed. They had put many miles between themselves and the two men when they slackened speed for the morning meal. The sun seemed to come up with a "pop" from the sandy waste, and immediately it was warm. "Thank goodness we haven't much more of this desert," said Dick, as he helped his chums to prepare breakfast. "We can make better time when we get on harder ground." "Are you going right into 'Frisco?" asked Innis.