to meet us as far as they could. So I came back with a satisfactory
report, and the same evening we gathered those who worked for us about the
tent, and when we had handed each a roll of dollar bills Harry laid the
position before them.

"We sunk all that was left in this contract," he said, "and now when we
are transferred to British Columbia we set out almost empty-handed, with
the wrong kind of balance. It seems only fair I should tell you this
frankly. If you decide to come with us we will, if all goes well, pay at
present rates for the services of men and teams. On the other hand, if
there is any unforeseen difficulty we may have nothing to pay with, and if
any one wishes to go back to his holding I should only say he's sensible.
We, however, shall hold on as long as we have a dollar left."

"It's a toss-up," added Johnston. "You take your chances, and get what you
can, facing the music pleasantly like the rest of us if you get nothing,
which seems quite probable. Now don't jump over the edge of a ravine like
the giddy antelope, but put your heads together and think about it."

There was a laugh from one of the men, who conferred apart, and another
said: "We're coming along. There's no work for men or horses here in
winter, and we've neither money nor credit to sow in spring. Besides,
we've taken your money, you have treated us fairly, and it strikes us as
mean to back down on you now. So we're open to take the chances, and all
we ask is that the chances should figure either way. If you're cleaned
out, we get nothing; if you win we want to come in. No; we've no use for a
sliding scale to fight each other on, and I guess we'll take Contractor
Lorimer's word he'll do the square thing."

"I give it," I said simply.

"We thank you;" and when they went away I felt the weight of a double
responsibility.

"I congratulate you on your leadership of the hard-up company," said
Johnston lightly. "This is the kind of thing that appeals to me--nothing
to lose and all to win, and determined men who can do anything with axe
and saw and horseflesh to back one. So it's loose guy, up peg, on saddle,
and see what future waits us in the garden of the Pacific slope--in
mid-winter."

It was seven days later, and many things had been done, when with our
working beasts and few other possessions lurching before us in a couple
of cattle-cars, we went clattering through the Rockies at the tail of a
big freight train. It was just break