is eyes; he knew why the street
was deserted and the knowledge pleased him.

None of the Settlement was in Joe's restaurant, but the presence of the
two strangers who had come with the girl saved it from utter desertion.
They were finishing a light meal as Drennen entered and looked up at
him curiously. Drennen saw a quick glance interchanged. He knew the
meaning of this, too, knew that the story of his strike had gone its
way to them, that because of those nuggets which even now weighted his
pocket he was a marked man, a man to be reckoned with, to be watched,
to be followed, to be fawned upon if possible. He frowned at Sefton's
nod and took his place at the lunch counter.

Presently the younger of the two, Captain Sefton's companion, got up
and came to Drennen's side, offering his hand.

"I am glad to see you around again," he said, pleasantly.

Drennen did not look toward him.

"Some more coffee, Joe," he said shortly.

The young fellow stared at him a moment, a quick retort upon his lips.
It was checked however by Sefton saying quickly:

"Come on, Lemarc. It's none of your funeral if a man wants to be left
alone. Let's go find Ygerne."

Ygerne. So that was her name, Drennen thought as he stirred two
heaping spoons of sugar into his coffee and out of the corner of his
eye watched the two men go out. Well, what was the difference? One
name would do as well as another and she was an adventuress like the
rest of them in this land of hard trails. Else why should she be here
at all, and with men like Lemarc and Sefton? Had he not distrusted all
men by sweeping rule these two at least he would have distrusted for
the craft in their eyes.

He drank his second cup of coffee, stuffed his old pipe full of coarse
tobacco and went outside. Sefton and Lemarc had passed out of sight.
Drennen hesitated just a second, pausing at the door. He was pitifully
weak. He supposed that the thing for him to do was to crawl back to
his bunk for the remainder of the day and the long night to follow. He
clamped his pipe stem hard between his teeth. He'd do nothing of the
kind. Did strength, any more than anything else in the world, come to
a man who lay on his back and waited for it? He needed exercise.

So he strolled down through the quiet Settlement, turned into the trail
which leads upward along old Ironhead's flank, driving his body
mercilessly to the labour of the climb. There was a spot he knew where
he coul