A few days later a detachment of arrived to relieve Captain Wendell and his men. The new troop was to stay , as the troubles at the border were continuing and Mr. Whitney had found it impracticable to get of any other nationality than Mexicans.  
The bunch of Mexicans Jerry had sent off on the wild goose chase the night of the raid came straggling into camp during the early hours of the morning, to find that a tight ring of guards had been made around their section of the lower camp. When they attempted to get through they were put under arrest and during the day were loaded on a train and shipped to the border to be sent back into their native country. The captured bandits were delivered to General Pershing’s headquarters to await trial.
 
Bob and Jerry were happy. The companionship which they had formed during the days of the and which had been interrupted, now was cemented still further. Hoyt had been allowed by his father to come back to the dam and the trio had great times together.
 
On Sundays Bob’s and Jerry’s usual plan was to go up to Thaddeus Holman’s and spend the day with Link O’Day, who had taken a great fancy to Bob. Ted, of course, went home. But Bob realized that the reason O’Day was good to him was that he was Jerry’s friend. There was something more than comradeship between Jerry and the tall cattleman; it was more the relation of a younger and elder brother.
 
This had a good effect on Jerry. It was as if he had found what he had told Bob in the Labyrinth he most wanted—someone to belong to, a family. He was becoming less serious, less self-contained.
 
Link O’Day talked a lot about the Northwest and especially of the . He seemed to have a great love of forests. Jerry grew more and more interested.
 
“I’d like that,” he said one day as the trio were loafing away the afternoon in the shade of Holman’s bunkhouse, “and I think I’ll drift up that way and tackle it.”
 
“And leave the Service?” put in Bob. “I don’t see how you could. It’s the finest—”
 
“We know how you feel!” Link O’Day laughed. “According to you, Rockefeller hasn’t anything on the youngest of an engineer so long as the cub is one of the Service’s . Therefore your opinion isn’t worth anything in this case.”
 
“Seriously, Bob,” went on Jerry, “the Service is good stuff, but I haven’t the same sort of feeling about it that you have. Boss Whitney is great to work for and—and all that, but I’m not so sure that there isn’t something else to do that I would like a heap better. This business, for instance. It listens good to me. Big trees, the song of the band saws, all the rest of it Link has been telling us about. And if Link would only go along—”
 
“Wouldn’t be surprised if I did,” said Link with a smile. “I’m getting a little tired of cows now. If you really want to go, Jerry, I’ll start along with you any time.”
 
“You will?” The boy was overjoyed. “That’s great! You’d better begin getting your stuff together ’cause I’m going to call for you just as soon as Boss Whitney will let me go.”
 
Bob made one last effort.
 
“But, Jerry, how about the Labyrinth? We found it—don’t you want to have a hand in what happens next?”
 
For a moment Jerry seemed to hesitate. Then he answered:
 
“That’s the only thing I’ll really be sorry for—and leaving you, old man. But after all, it was you who was responsible for the trip. I just went because you dared me into it. No, Bob, if Link will go North with me, I’ll have to pass up the Labyrinth.”
 
“All right,” said Bob laughing. “I reckon you’re lost. I’m beat, but I sure hope you will find that you picked the right thing for yourself.”
 
The next day, when Jerry came to Mr. Whitney to tell him of his decision, Bob was there. The engineer listened to the boy and when he had finished told him that he could leave when it was most convenient.
 
“I’ve known for a long time, Jerry, that you were not a born engineer like Bob Hazard here, but you’ve been a good rodman and I hate to lose you. Besides, I won’t soon forget what you did for us in the Mexican mix-up. But everyone must do what he thinks is best. Good luck to you!”
 
After Jerry left, the work went on and the main dam grew higher and higher each day. Bob became in the things Mr. Whitney gave him to do and by the time summer came near its close he felt that............