Cars came and cars went, in heat and dust and some tribulation.

In a month Casey had seen the color of every State license plate in the Union, and some from Canada and Mexico.

From Needles way they came, searching their souls for words to tell Casey what they thought of it as far as they had gone.

And Casey would squint up at them from under the rim of his greasy old Stetson and grin his Irish grin.
"Cheer up, the worst is yet to come," he would chant, with never a qualm at the staleness of the slogan.

"How yuh fixed for water?
Better fill up your canteens--yuh don't wanta git caught out between here and Ludlow with a boilin' radiator and not water enough.