pile of wood ashes and lifted two or three large thick
cakes from the hot stones beneath. He broke off a piece from one and
when it cooled began to eat.

"I imagine this is the best bannock that was ever made in the bush," he
remarked.

"Do you feel you must be nice?"

"No," said Jim. "In a way, I don't care if I'm nice or not. The
bannock is first grade; I think that's all that matters. If you don't
mind, I'll take another bit."

Carrie laughed. "Looks as if one could make you happy by giving you
things to eat! But let's see if the trout are fried; I've got the
spider full."

She put the fish on a big tin plate and while she made coffee Jim beat
a piece of iron that hung from a branch. The sharp, ringing notes
pierced the shadows and half-dressed men came out of the shack and
plunged down the slope to the river.

"Some of them would be mad if they knew I'd roused them out ten minutes
early," Jim remarked. "A breakfast like this, however, is too good to
spoil. Now if you'll let me have the coffee, I'll take the truck
along."

He came back with the empty plates in about a quarter of an hour, for
Canadian choppers do not loiter over meals, and Carrie, sitting on the
hearth log, looked up anxiously.

"Well?" she asked, "were the boys satisfied?"

"They were. I don't think I could have stood for it if they were not.
One allowed he hoped Probyn would keep the cook we lost. The others
were enthusiastic."

Carrie blushed. "I'm glad. I was tired when things went wrong last
night."

"The trouble is, you can't go on. It's one thing to superintend, and
cook a meal now and then, but quite another to cook all the time."

"But this is what I want to do."

"It can't be allowed," Jim declared.

Carrie put down the forks she was cleaning. "You look very firm and
solemn, but you can't bluff me. Are you and Jake very rich?"

"You know we're not rich."

"If you want to put your contract over, you have got to work, and it's
obvious you can't work and cook. Then, if you bring in a man to cook,
he couldn't do much else and wages are high. Aren't they high?"

"I suppose they are," Jim agreed.

"Very well! I came because I wanted to be useful, and if you won't let
me, I'll go back. Then Jake and one of the boys would have to go down
with me to the railroad. That would be awkward, wouldn't it?"

"It certainly would be awkward. Do you mean you'll insist on taking
two of us away from the job unless