clothes, which he found had been dried, and was informed by a man who appeared while he was doing it that his breakfast was waiting. Brooke wondered a little at this, for he knew that it was past the usual hour, but he made an excellent meal, and then, being shown into a compartment of the little galvanized iron shanty, found Saxton sitting at a table. The latter now wore long boots and jean, and there were pieces of discolored stone strewn about in front of him. [Pg 58] He looked up with a little nod as Brooke came in. "Feeling quite yourself again?" he said. "Yes," said Brooke, "thanks to the way your men have treated me. This is, of course, a hospitable country, but I may admit that I could scarcely have expected to be so well looked after by one I hadn't the slightest claim upon." "And you almost wondered what he did it for?" Brooke was a trifle astonished, for this certainly expressed his thoughts, but he was in no way disconcerted, and he laughed. "I should, at least, never have ventured to suggest that anything except good-nature influenced you," he said. "Still, you felt it? Well, you were considerably[Pg 59] used up when you came in, and, as I sent you to the Surveyor, who didn't seem to have any use for you, I felt myself responsible. That appears sufficient?" [Pg 59] Now, Brooke had mixed with men of a good many different stations, and he was observant, and, as might have been expected, by no means diffident. "Since you ask, I scarcely think it does," he said. Saxton laughed. "Take a cigar. That's the kind of talk I like. We'll come to the point right away." Brooke lighted a cigar, and found it good. "Thanks. I'm willing to listen as long as appears necessary," he said. "You have a kind of grievance against Devine?" "I have. According to my notion of ethics, he owes me six thousand dollars, and I shall not be quite content until I get them out of him, although that may never happen. I feel just now that it would please me especially to make him smart as well, which I quite realize, is unnecessary folly." The Canadian nodded, and shook the ash
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