ul woman had outwitted the tireless wardens of the
prairie, and, in spite of the law's vigilance and deadly cold, smuggled
her faithless husband safe across the border.

We stayed at Moran's Hotel that night, and Mrs. Moran acted with unusual
good-nature, in the circumstances, for she not only suffered Minnie to
leave her at the commencement of the busy season, but bestowed many small
presents upon her, and it was with difficulty that I avoided giving her
husband an order for sufficient implements to till the whole of the
Fairmead district.

"Now that you're here you had better make sure of a bargain while you have
a chance," he said. "Say, as a matter of friendship I'll put them in at
five per cent. under your best offer from Winnipeg."

Though I wished them both good fortune, satisfaction was largely mingled
with my regret when the next day I stood in the little station looking
after the train which bore Lee and his daughter back to his self-imposed
task in smoky Stoney Clough. Neither of them ever crossed my path again;
but still Harry and I discuss the old man's doings, and Aline says that
there was a trace of the hero hidden under his most unheroic exterior.

Not long after this Calvert called on us, and spent two days at Fairmead
before he went east again. He explained his visit as follows: "The Day
Spring will have to get on as best it can without my services. The fact
is, I can't stand its owner any longer. I was never very fond of him--no
one is, but I liked poor Ormond, and stayed for his sake. So, informing
the Colonel that he could henceforward run the mine himself, I pulled out
hoping to get a railroad appointment in Winnipeg. By the way, there is
trouble brewing between him and your uncle."

Aline nodded toward me meaningly, and Calvert continued:

"Our tunnel leads out beside one boundary of the Day Spring claim. I must
explain that of late we found signs that, in spite of a fault, the best of
the reef stretched under adjoining soil, and it was only owing to
disagreements with his men, and my refusal, that the Colonel neglected to
jump the record of a poor fellow who couldn't put in the legal
improvements. He had intended to do so; while I believe the miner, who
fell sick, told your uncle. This will make clear a good deal; you should
remember it. Well, to work our adit we had to make an ore and dirt dump on
adjacent land; and we'd hardly started it than two men began felling
timber right across our s