d up and Gordon laughed a soft laugh, while Wheeler waved
his hand.

"Anyone can bid for timber rights," he declared. "Now, our folks are
open for any business, and we have got a mill. It's not going to cost
much to put a shingle-splitting plant in. We have easy water-carriage
to the Inlet, where a schooner can load, and the Charters people would
have to tow their raw material right along to their mill. Besides,
that Inlet's a blame awkward place to get a schooner in. It's quite
clear to me we could cut shingles way cheaper than they could." He
paused for a moment. "Yes," he said, "if there's milling cedar near
the valley, our folks will make their bid. If Charters wants those
rights, he'll have to put up the money, and it's quite likely we'll
take them up in spite of him if I'm satisfied with my prospecting. In
that case, we're not going to worry you about the canyon. In fact, we
would probably make you a proposition at so much the log for running
the trees down for us."

He filled his pipe again, and Nasmyth looked at him with relief in his
eyes.

CHAPTER XXVIII

A PAINFUL DUTY

Three months had slipped away since the evening on which Wheeler had
discussed the subject of shingle-splitting with his companions.
Nasmyth stood outside the shanty in the drenching rain. He was very
wet and miry, and his face was lined and worn, for the three months of
unremitting effort had left their mark on him. Wheeler had secured the
timber rights in question, and that was one difficulty overcome, but
Nasmyth had excellent reasons for believing that the men who had cast
covetous eyes upon the valley had by no means abandoned the attempt to
get possession of at least part of it.

He had had flood and frost against him, and his money was rapidly
running out. A wild flood swept through the canyon. The heading was
filled up, so that no one could even see the mouth of it, and half the
rock he had piled upon the shingle had been swept into the rapid,
where it had formed a dam among the boulders that could be removed
only at a heavy expenditure of time and powder when the water fell. He
was worn out in body, and savage from being foiled by the swollen
river at each attempt he made, but while the odds against him were
rapidly growing heavier he meant to fight.

A Siwash Indian whom he had hired as messenger between the canyon and
the settlement had just arrived, and Gordon, who stood in the doorway
of the shanty, took a newspa