rout," Carrie remarked, as she cooked supper. "Jake
tried to get down to the river but couldn't make it."

"I'm afraid we'll soon miss the flour and salt pork. When they're gone
the boys will pull out," said Jim, and then forced a laugh. "Anyhow,
if Jake had got down, I doubt if he'd have caught much fish. I don't
know a good bait for boiled trout."

"The flour's not gone yet," Carrie rejoined. "We'll hold on while it
lasts and it's going farther than you think. Somehow I don't feel as
if we'd be beaten."

"We have come near it," said Jim, with rather grim humor. "One gets
used to that, and resolution counts when you're fighting a snowslide or
a flood; but we're up against another proposition now. It's so to
speak, mathematical; nothing coming in and much going out! When we
have no stores and money left we _must_ quit."

"I suppose we must, but I'd hate to see you let the job go and would
feel mean myself. After all, something may happen before we are forced
to quit," Carrie replied, and added with calm confidence: "Something is
going to happen."

"You have an optimism that can't be cured," Jim rejoined. "However, I
don't know if I'd like it cured."

He knocked out his pipe and began to cut some tobacco, but stopped
abruptly and looked up.

"What's that?" he asked as something pattered on the stiff foliage of a
juniper.

"Big drops," said Carrie. "I felt a few before."

Jim got up. The light was going and it felt cool, but the sky up the
valley was not clouded much; he could not see the other way. Then a
few large cold drops fell on his upturned face and next moment there
was a quick splashing on the dusty juniper. He drew a deep breath and
shook off his languidness.

"It's coming; heavy rain!" he cried. "We'll make good, after all. But
let's move the stores."

Carrie laughed happily. "You said I was too practical! Who's
practical now? But sometimes you get things mixed; you reckoned not
long since I was an optimist."

"I did," Jim admitted. "Practical planning and optimism make a strong
combine, and I imagine they are going to carry us through. But let's
move the stores."

He called the men, and as they got all that would spoil covered there
was a rush of cold wind and the rain beat upon the camp. It rains hard
in British Columbia and often rains long. They knew that by morning
the rocks would run water and the deluge would quench the smoldering
wreckage; it might even quench t