d at
a little wooden sink; still others selected and lit lanterns from a
pendant row near the window, and followed old Jackson out of doors. They
were the teamsters.

"You'll find the old man in the office," said Jackson.

Thorpe made his way across to the small log cabin indicated as the
office, and pushed open the door. He found himself in a little room
containing two bunks, a stove, a counter and desk, and a number of
shelves full of supplies. About the walls hung firearms, snowshoes, and
a variety of clothes.

A man sat at the desk placing figures on a sheet of paper. He obtained
the figures from statistics pencilled on three thin leaves of beech-wood
riveted together. In a chair by the stove lounged a bulkier figure,
which Thorpe concluded to be that of the "old man."

"I was sent here by Shearer," said Thorpe directly; "he said you might
give me some work."

So long a silence fell that the applicant began to wonder if his
question had been heard.

"I might," replied the man drily at last.

"Well, will you?" Thorpe inquired, the humor of the situation overcoming
him.

"Have you ever worked in the woods?"

"No."

The man smoked silently.

"I'll put you on the road in the morning," he concluded, as though this
were the deciding qualification.

One of the men entered abruptly and approached the counter. The writer
at the desk laid aside his tablets.

"What is it, Albert?" he added.

"Jot of chewin'," was the reply.

The scaler took from the shelf a long plug of tobacco and cut off two
inches.

"Ain't hitting the van much, are you, Albert?" he commented, putting
the man's name and the amount in a little book. Thorpe went out, after
leaving his name for the time book, enlightened as to the method of
obtaining supplies. He promised himself some warm clothing from the van,
when he should have worked out the necessary credit.

At supper he learned something else,--that he must not talk at table.
A moment's reflection taught him the common-sense of the rule. For one
thing, supper was a much briefer affair than it would have been had
every man felt privileged to take his will in conversation; not to speak
of the absence of noise and the presence of peace. Each man asked for
what he wanted.

"Please pass the beans," he said with the deliberate intonation of a man
who does not expect that his request will be granted.

Besides the beans were fried salt pork, boiled potatoes, canned corn,
mince pie, a