he has by this time? I, myself,
gave him ten dollars; Mr. French gave him twenty-five."

At once cries came from all parts of the building. "I gave him
twenty-five." "And I ten." "And I five." And so on, Kalman keeping
count.

"I make it nearly two hundred dollars," he cried. "Has any one seen
the books? Does any one know where the money is?"

"No, no," cried the crowd.

"Then," cried Kalman, "let us enquire. We are not sheep. This is a
free country, and we are free men. The days of the old tyranny are
gone." The house rocked with the wild cheers of the excited crowd.
"Let us examine into this. Let us appoint a committee to find out
how much money has been paid and where it is."

With enthusiasm Kalman's suggestion was carried into effect. A
committee was appointed and instructed to secure the information
with all speed.

Next day Klazowski was not to be found in the colony. He had shaken
the Wakota snow from off his feet, and had departed, carrying with
him the people's hard-earned money, their fervent curses, and a
deep, deep grudge against the young man upon whom he laid the
responsibility for the collapse of his influence among the faithful
and long-suffering people of Wakota.

A few days later, to an interested and devout congregation in the
city of Winnipeg, he gave an eloquent account of his labours as
a missionary in the remote colony of Wakota, depicted in lurid
colours the persecutions he had endured at the hands of the heretic
Brown, reserving his most fervid periods for the denunciation of
the unscrupulous machinations of an apostate and arch traitor,
Kalman Kalmar, whose name would forever be remembered by his people
with infamy.

Among those who remained to congratulate and sympathize with the
orator, none was more cordial than Mr. Rosenblatt, with whom the
preacher went home to dine, and to whom, under the mellowing
influence of a third bottle, he imparted full and valuable
information in regard to Wakota, its possibilities as a business
centre, its railroad prospects, its land values, its timber limits,
and especially in regard to the character and work of Kalman
Kalmar, and the wonderful mine which the young man had discovered.

The information thus obtained Rosenblatt was careful to impart
to his friend and partner, Samuel Sprink. As a result of further
interviews with the priest and of much shrewd bargaining with
railroad contractors and officials, in early spring, before the
break up of