had. In the day he had worked at his new trade, in the
evening he had plugged away at night-school, making up for lost time. He
had doffed his flannel shirt and timber boots for the garb of the city,
and as he looked at himself in the glass that morning he grinned again.

The next day Jack Sawtooth showed up, tired out, fresh from the
wilderness. He had received the General's telegram three days before,
had not stopped for the letter following, but had said farewell to his
father and joined a freight sledge down to Athabasca Landing, to seek
out Charlie at Calgary.

"Glad to meet you," exclaimed Charlie when his visitor was dubiously
announced by his landlady. The Cree boy was lithe, straight as an arrow,
open-browed and keen of eye, with none of the somber gravity of his
Indian blood. "I hardly thought you'd get here so quickly."

"I didn't know what was up," smiled Jack. "Say, this is a neat little
room! Where did you get the bead-work? Why, you must be an old-timer!
Mr. Schoverling has not written me very often, and only mentioned you a
few times."

"I've knocked around quite a bit," admitted Charlie, glancing at the
Indian bead-work and the pictures of camp and trail that hung on his
wall. "Don't you know where we're going?"

The other shook his head.

"We're going elephant hunting in Africa," laughed Charlie. Jack stared
at him.

"Africa? Say, Collins, don't try to give me heart-failure that way! What
is it now, honest?"

"You wait," chuckled Charlie, bringing out the explorer's letter and
reading over all that related to the trip. Not until Jack had set eyes
on it himself would he believe that Charlie was in earnest. Then he sat
back and stared again.

"Me--in Africa! Great Scott, am I dreaming or just crazy? Does he mean
it?"

Charlie produced the good-sized check in evidence, and Jack's amazement
soon gave way to calm acceptance of the situation.

"Then we'll go to Africa, unless I wake up and find myself snowed in
somewhere along the trap line. When do we go?"

"Catch the Overland to-night, if you're ready," returned Charlie
promptly. Jack gave a single glance at the other's neat clothing and
shook his head.

"Not much. I got enough attention coming through town," and he pointed
to the jack he had deposited in the corner. "Look here, Chuck," he fell
readily into the common abbreviation for Charlie then prevalent, "you
fit me out with a rig like yours, in the morning. You know the ropes and
I