to record as many feet of frontage as
the law will allow us. After that, you, as holding the larger share,
will see what can be done about handing it over to a company, while I
come back with provisions and get the assessment work put in. You're
going to have mighty little trouble about raising the money when
people see those specimens."

He broke off for a moment and glanced back toward the willows.

"In a way," he added, "it's rough on Grenfell."

"Ah," said Weston, quietly, "neither you nor I can be sure of that."

After that there was silence, and it seemed to both of them that the
shadows crept in closer about their flickering fire, and that the
little wind which sighed among the pine-tops had grown colder. The
camp seemed strangely empty, and, glancing around from force of habit
once or twice, they realized with a little start that there was now no
third figure sitting beside the blaze. The man who had made that weary
march with them had taken the unmarked trail.

It was two days later when they started south. Reaching a little
desolate settlement in due time, without misadventure, they limped
into it, ragged and dusty, leading the pack-horse, which was very
lame. They stopped outside a little wooden store which had a kind of
rude veranda in front of it, where the loungers sat on hot afternoons,
and a man in a white shirt and store trousers came out and leaned on
the railing. He had a hard face, and it grew a trifle more grim as he
looked at them, for the light had not quite gone, although it was late
in the evening.

"Where's Grenfell?" he asked.

"Dead," said Weston.

The man made a gesture of resignation. He had acquired his money with
some difficulty, and there was no great trade in that neighborhood,
while it not infrequently happened that his customers failed to pay
him when the Government became economical and voted no money for the
making of roads, which is the small bush rancher's chief source of
support.

"Well," he said, "I'm sorry. You're broke?"

They certainly looked it, and for a moment Weston said nothing. He was
aware that there was a spice of cruelty in this, but he was curious to
see what the man would do. It became evident that he could, at least,
face an unpleasant situation with equanimity.

"Anyway," he said, "you can come right in, and I'll get you some
supper. You can put the horse in Musgrave's stable yonder."

Then, while Devine laughed softly, Weston strode up to the vera