e of mind. Although it was very
late, little groups lingered outside the tents, and at intervals angry
voices were heard. Summers set out for the railroad to communicate by
telegraph with his employer, and Thurston retired to his tent, where he
went peacefully to sleep. Awakening later than usual, he listened with
apparent unconcern to Mattawa Tom, who aroused him, with the warning:

"It's time you were out. Them fellows are coming along for their
money. The boys called up a big roll, as soon as the lumber gang
marched in, and, though there was considerable wild talking, the
sensible ones allowed it was no more use kicking."

"That's all right," averred Thurston, who paid the departing
malcontents and was glad to get rid of them, knowing that the
lumbermen, who were mostly poor settlers, had small sympathy with the
mutineers and that he would have at least a balance of power. He set
the men to work immediately lengthening the wing of the log slide and
the wedge guards of the piers. He himself toiled as hard as any two
among them, and, to the astonishment of all, completed the big task
before the week was past.

"I hardly like to say what it has cost me, but no log of any length
could jam itself in the new pass," he said to Summers.

"You're an enterprising man," was the answer. "Savine is a bit of a
rustler, too, and you'll have a chance of explaining things to him
to-morrow. I have had word from him that he's coming through."

CHAPTER VIII

A REST BY THE WAY

It was afternoon when Julius Savine, accompanied by Summers, had
entered Thurston's tent. On the way from the railroad, Summers had
explained to the contractor all that had happened. Geoffrey rose to
greet Savine, glancing at his employer with some curiosity, for he had
not met him before. Savine was a man of quick, restless movements and
nervous disposition. The gray that tinged his long mustache, lightly
sprinkled his hair, gave evidence of his fifty years of intense living.
He was known to be not only a daring engineer, but a generally
successful speculator in mining and industrial enterprises.
Nevertheless, Geoffrey fancied that something in his face gave a hint
of physical weakness.

"I have heard one or two creditable things about you, and thought of
asking you to run up to my offices, but I'm glad to meet you now," said
Savine with a smile, adding when Thurston made a solemn bow, "There,
I've been sufficiently civil, and I see y