was always free-handed. Perhaps he felt just now unusually
sympathetic towards these victims of the high-handed methods of
Macdonald. From his pocket he took a small leather purse and gave a
piece of gold to each of them.

"Just as a loan to carry you for a couple of days till you get something
to do," he suggested.

Northrup demurred, but after a little pressure accepted the
accommodation.

"I pay you soon back," he promised.

Trelawney laughed recklessly. He had been drinking.

"You bet. Me too."

His companion flashed a look of warning at him and explained that they
were going down the river to look for work outside of the district.

Suddenly Trelawney broke loose and began to curse Macdonald with a
bitterness that surprised the Government agent. What struck him most,
though, was the obvious anxiety of Northrup to quiet his partner and to
gloss over what he had said. Thinking of it later, Gordon wondered why
the Dane, who had as much cause to hate Macdonald as the other, should
be at such pains to smooth down the man and explain away his threats.

Elliot bought an automatic revolver next morning and a box of
cartridges. He was not looking for trouble, but he intended to be
prepared for it when trouble came looking for him. With a rifle he was a
fair shot, but he lacked experience with the revolver. In the afternoon
he walked out of town and practiced shooting at tin cans for a half an
hour. On his way back he met Peter Paget.

The engineer came straight to the subject in his mind.

"Selfridge came to see me last night. He told me about the trouble
between you and Macdonald, Gordon. You must leave town till he cools
down. Macdonald is a bad man with a gat."

"Is he?"

"You can drop down the river on business for a few weeks. After a
while--"

His friend looked at him coolly. "I can, but I'm not going to. Where do
you get this stuff about me being a quitter, Pete?"

Peter laid a hand on his shoulder. "Now, look here, Gordon. Don't be a
kid and foolhardy. Duck. I'm your friend--"

"You're his, too, aren't you?"

"Yes, of course, but--"

"All right. Tell him to duck. There'll be no trouble of my making. But
if he starts any I'll be there. Macdonald doesn't own the earth, you
know. I've been sent up here by Uncle Sam on business, and you can bet
your last dollar I'll stay on the job till I'm through."

"Of course you've got to finish your job. But it doesn't all have to be
done right here. Just for