Thirlwell will pay you what you're worth. We'll
make no further promise, but if you like, you can tell us anything you
think important."

"Miss Strange knows," said Drummond with a curious smile. "You want to
remember that I told Stormont the creek runs _south_. She does run
south, for a piece, but she turns and goes down a valley to the east."

"Then it's hard to see your object for playing the crook with Stormont,
though I don't suppose he'd have done the square thing if you had put
him on the right track," Scott remarked. "However, that's not our
business. You'll find room and some blankets in the bunk-house."

Drummond left them and Thirlwell said, thoughtfully, "It's plain that he
deceived Stormont by telling him the creek flowed south. This would make
the fellow think the ore was on our side of the last height of land, but
if the water goes east, it must run into the James Bay basin on the
other slope. That's something of a clue, but I see a risk in keeping
Drummond here. Suppose he makes friends with Driscoll?"

"Driscoll doesn't make friends," Scott rejoined and added with a
twinkle: "Then as you don't admit there is a lode, it's not worth while
to wonder whether the lad could tell Black Steve anything useful."

"We'll let that go," Thirlwell replied, and when Scott strolled away
read Agatha's letter again with keen satisfaction. It was a charming,
frank letter, and he thrilled as he noted her trust in him.

Drummond went to work next morning and Thirlwell, allowing for some
awkwardness at first, thought he would earn his pay, while a doubt he
had felt about the prudence of engaging him was presently removed. Going
to the smith's shop one afternoon, he heard angry voices and stopped to
see what was going on. The smithy, which stood at the edge of the
clearing round the mine, was a rude log shack without a door. It was
generally rather dark, but just then a ray of sunshine struck in and the
charcoal fire on the hearth glowed a dull red. The smith leaned on his
hammer, watching Driscoll and Drummond, who confronted each other close
by.

Driscoll was heavy and muscular, Drummond wiry and thin, but as they
stood, highly strung, Thirlwell noted the athletic symmetry of both
figures. Driscoll had, no doubt, acquired it by travel in the woods, and
Drummond by inheritance from Indian forefathers. The older man's limbs
and body had the fine proportions of a Greek statue, and since he did
not move one could not se