“If you don’t know how to do anything other than transit work,” Rutter declared, “the chief can use all your time at that. He’ll be pleased when I tell him that you’re at least as good surveyors as I am. And, Reade, I see from your notes that you knew how to measure across a pond that your chainmen couldn’t ford.” “Mr. Price taught me that trick, back in Gridley,” Tom responded. Suddenly Jack Rutter sprang to his feet sniffing vigorously. “Boys,” he announced, “an adventure is coming our way. Can you guess what it is?” Tom and Harry gazed at him blankly. CHAPTER V TOM DOESN’T MIND “ARTILLERY” “I give it up,” Reade replied. “Well, it’s dinner time,” declared Rutter, displaying the face of his watch. “Do we have to walk all the way back to camp?” queried Harry, who knew that no provisions had been brought with them. “No; camp is going to be brought to us,” smiled Rutter. “At least, a part of the camp will be brought here. Look up the trail there, at that highest rise. Do you see dust near there?” “Yes,” nodded Tom. “A burro pack-train, conveying our food and that of the other surveying parties ahead of us,” nodded Rutter. “You’ll find the cook’s helper, Bob, in charge of it.” “Is that the way the meals are brought out every day?” asked Hazelton. “No; but now we’re getting pretty far from camp, and it would waste a lot of our time to go back and forth. So our noon meals will come by burro route. Tomorrow or the day after the camp will be moved forward.” “How long before that train will be here?” Tom wanted to know. “Probably ten minutes,” guessed Rutter. “Then I’m going to see if I can’t find some little stream such as I’ve passed this morning,” Tom went on. “I want to wash before I’m introduced to clean food.” “I’ll go along presently,” nodded Harry to his chum. “There’s something about the spirit level on this transit of mine that I want to inspect.” So Tom Reade trudged off into the brush alone. After a few minutes he returned. “That burro outfit in sight?” he called, as he neared the trail. “No,” answered Rutter. “But it’s close. Once in a while I can hear a burro clicking his hoofs against stones.” Harry appeared two minutes later, just as the foremost burro, with Bob by its head, put in an appearance about fifty yards away. “All ready for you, Bob,” called Rutter good-humoredly. “You gentlemen of the engineer corps are always ready,” grunted the cook’s helper. A quick stop was made, Bob unloading tin plates, bowls and cups. “Soup!” cried Rutter in high glee. “This is fine living for buck engineers, Bob!” “There’s even dessert,” returned the cook’s helper gravely, exposing an entire apple pie. There was also meat, still fairly warm, as well as canned vegetables in addition to potatoes. A pot of hot coffee finished the repast that Bob unloaded at this point. “Everything but napkins!” chuckled Rutter, as he and the boys quickly “set table” on the ground.