t was passing in his comrade's mind, and knew
that Alton had not kept silence because of the risk to himself, for
whatever was done the chances were equally against him.

"I'm afraid we can't contradict you, but we shall discover to-morrow
whether you are right or not," he said.

Alton's glance grew a little less direct. "I would stop you if I
could."

"Of course," said Seaforth, smiling. "Still, you see you can't, and
when you go out mining with feather-brained companions must take the
consequences."

Alton, who said nothing further, apparently went to sleep, and there
was silence in the tent save for the roar of water and the rattle of
Okanagan's knife.

They launched the canoe with the first of the daylight, dragging her
through the crackling ice fringe under the bitter frost, and as they
slid down the smooth green flow towards the stupendous rent in the
mountain side the river poured through, Okanagan glanced towards it and
then at the still figure lying huddled in the blankets in the bottom of
the canoe.

"That, I figure, is one of the most useful men in the Dominion, and
between Somasco and the place in England he has a good deal in his
hands," he said.

Seaforth understood him, and smiled grimly. "We brought nothing into
this world--and we'll be very close to the next one in a few more
minutes," he said. "Hadn't you better get way on, Tom?"

They dipped the paddles, and the canoe slid on smoothly under the clear
sunlight and the frost towards the film of mist where the oily green
now broke up into the mad white tumult that poured down the canon.
Then the strokes quickened, the craft lurched beneath them, and the
sunlight was blotted out as they plunged into spray-filled dimness.
High through the vapour towered smooth walls of stone, and the river
that rebounded from them was piled in a white track of foam midway
between. The canoe swept onwards down it apparently with the speed of
a locomotive, and Seaforth, crouching in the bows, gripped his paddle
with bleeding fingers that had split at the knuckles with the frost.
He watched the smooth walls whirl by him mechanically, and remembered
that the canon could not last forever. There was comfort in the
reflection, because the miles would melt behind them at the pace they
travelled at. That was so long as the stream flowed straight and even,
but he did not care to contemplate what would happen if it foamed over
any obstacle.

For a time he saw noth