nald, "it is impossible for me to get away;
I'm a working man and not my own master."

Then the colonel, who was sitting on the platform, rose and begged to be
heard. "Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I ain't a Canadian--"

"Never mind! You can't help that," sang out a man from the back, with a
roar of laughter following.

"But if I weren't an American, I don't know anything that I'd rather
be." (Great applause.) "Four weeks ago I wouldn't have taken your
province as a gift. Now I only wish Uncle Sam could persuade you to
sell." (Cries of "He hasn't got money enough. Don't fool yourself.")
"But I want to say that this young man of mine," pointing to Ranald,
"has given you good talk, and if you want him to go East, why, I'll let
him off for a spell." (Loud cheers for the colonel and for Macdonald.)

A week later a great meeting in Victoria indorsed the New Westminster
resolutions with the added demand that the railway should be continued
to Esquinalt according to the original agreement. Another delegate was
appointed to represent the wishes of the islanders, and before Ranald
had fully realized what had happened he found himself a famous man, and
on the way to the East with the jubilant colonel.

"What was the great idea, Colonel, that struck you at Yale?" inquired
Ranald, as they were fairly steaming out of the Esquinalt harbor.

"This is it, my boy!" exclaimed the colonel, slapping him on the back.
"This here trip East. Now we've got 'em over the ropes, by the great
and everlasting Sammy!" the form of oath indicating a climax in the
colonel's emotion.

"Got who?" inquired Ranald, mystified.

"Them gol-blamed, cross-road hayseeds down East." And with this the
colonel became discreetly silent. He knew too well the sensitive pride
of the man with whom he had to deal, and he was chiefly anxious now that
Ranald should know as little as possible of the real object of his going
to British Columbia.

"We've got to make the British-American Coal and Lumber Company know the
time of day. It's gittin'-up time out in this country. They were talkin'
a little of drawin' out." Ranald gasped. "Some of them only," the
colonel hastened to add, "but I want you to talk like you did the other
night, and I'll tell my little tale, and if that don't fetch 'em then
I'm a Turk."

"Well, Colonel, here's my word," said Ranald, deliberately, "if the
company wish to withdraw they may do so, but my future is bound up with
that of the West, and