nuous work which demanded close attention, for the hammer was
heavy, and it is far from easy to hit a drill neatly on the head,
while the man who fails to do so runs the risk of smashing the fingers
of the comrade who holds it. It was not much more pleasant when he
gripped the drill in turn, for, though the other man stood on a plank
inserted in a crevice, Weston had to kneel on a slippery slope of rock
and twist the drill each time the hammer descended. The concussion
jarred his stiffened hands and arms. The distressful stitch also was
coming back into his side, and once or twice his companion cast an
expostulating glance at him.

"You want to speed up," he said. "Guess that boss of ours knows just
how much the most is that a man can drill, and he has to do it or get
out."

Though it cost him an effort, Weston contrived to keep his companion
going until the dinner hour arrived, and he found the work a little
easier when he had eaten. Still, he was perplexed about Grenfell, who
did not understand what arrangement he had arrived at with the mine
captain. Grenfell spent the afternoon mending his own and some of
Weston's clothes, which badly needed it, and the evening meal was over
when the latter sat with the others outside the shanty wearing a
jacket which his companion had sewed. Grenfell, however, was not with
them just then. By and by the man who had desired to wreck the hotel
bar turned to Weston.

"What are you going to do with your partner?" he asked.

"I don't quite know," said Weston. "In the meanwhile he'll stay here."

"How's he going to raise his board?"

"That's not quite your business," said Weston quietly.

The man laughed good-humoredly.

"Well," he replied, "in one way I guess it isn't. Still, if you pay
your partner's board you're going to have mighty little money left.
Mended that jacket, didn't he? Won't you take it off?"

Weston wondered a little at this request, but he complied; and the man
passed the garment around to' the others, who gravely inspected the
sewed-up rents and the patches inserted in it.

"Quite neat, isn't it?" he commented.

They admitted that it was; and the chopper, handing the garment back
to Weston, smiled as though satisfied.

"I've an idea, boys," he announced.

His companions appeared dubious, but he nodded quietly.

"I've got one sure," he said. "Now, in a general way, if there's a
store handy, I've no use for mending clothes; but you have to wash
them now