ht."

"Blake got after the first thief like a panther. He was so quick I
didn't quite see what happened, but the man reeled half-way across the
street before he fell, and when his partner saw Blake coming for him he
ran. Then, when the trouble was over, a patrol came along, and he and
Blake helped me back to my hotel. Knowing I had the money, he'd got
uneasy when I was late." Harding paused and looked meaningly at his
companion. "Later I was asked to believe that the man who went for
those two toughs with no weapon but his fists ran away under fire. The
thing didn't seem possible."

"And so you trust Blake, in spite of his story?"

"The North-West is a hard country in winter and I may find myself in a
tight place before I've finished my search," Harding answered with
grave quietness. "But if that happens I'll have a partner I can trust
my life to beside me. What's more, Mrs. Harding, who's a judge of
character, feels I'm safe with him."

Mrs. Keith was moved; his respect for his wife's judgment and his faith
in his comrade appealed to her.

"Though my opinion of Blake is not generally held, I believe you are
right," she said. "And now tell me something about your journey."

While they talked, Millicent and Blake sat in the sunshine on the slope
of the hill. Beneath them a wide landscape stretched away towards the
Ottawa valley, the road to the lonely North, and the girl, who had
never left the confines of civilization, felt a longing to see the
trackless wilds. The distance drew her.

"Your way lies up yonder," she said. "I suppose you are thinking about
it. Are you looking forward to the trip?"

"Not so much as Harding is," Blake replied. "He's a bit of an
enthusiast, and I've been in the country before. It's a singularly
rough one, and I anticipate our meeting with more hardships than
dollars."

"Which doesn't seem to daunt you."

"No," said Blake; "not to a great extent. Hardship is not a novelty to
me, and I don't think I'm avaricious. The fact is, I'm a good deal
better at spending than gathering."

"It's undoubtedly easier," the girl rejoined. "But while I like Mr.
Harding I shouldn't consider him a type of the romantic adventurer."

"You're right in a sense and wrong in another. Harding's out for
dollars, and I believe he'll get them if they're to be had. He'll
avoid adventures so far as he can, but if there's trouble to be faced,
it won't stop him. Then he has left a safe empl