o your own wife or any one else's,
for that matter." And this was their way of expressing a kindly
interest.

The men were right and the women were wrong. Will did more than waste
time. He literally pitched it away. He prolonged his stays in the
village beyond all reason, and as Eve, dutifully engaged upon her
business, could not give him any of her working hours, he was forced
to seek his pleasures elsewhere. That elsewhere, in a man prone to
drink, of necessity became the saloon. And the saloon meant gambling,
gambling meant money. Sometimes he won a little, but more often he
lost.

Being a reckless player, fired by the false stimulation of Rocket's
bad whiskey, he began to plunge to recoup himself, and, as ever
happens in such circumstances, he got deeper into the mire. At first
these heavy losses had a salutary effect upon him, and he would "hit
the trail" for the hills, and once more ply his trade with a feverish
zest.

This sort of thing went on until the close of his fur season. Then he
made up his bales of pelts, and, to his horror, discovered that his
year's "catch" was reduced by over fifty per cent., while, in place of
a wad of good United States currency in his hip pocket, he had floated
a perfect fleet of I. O. U.'s, each in itself for a comparatively
small amount, but collectively a total of no inconsiderable magnitude.
And each I. O. U. was dated for payment immediately after he had
marketed his pelts.

This stress, and the life he had been living in Barnriff, caused his
mercurial temper to suffer. And as his nature soured, so all that was
worst in him began to rise to the surface. He did not blame himself.
Did ever one hear of a man blaming himself when things went wrong? No.
He blamed the fur season. The hills were getting played out. The furs
were traveling north, and, in consequence were scarce. Besides, how
could he be in Barnriff and the hills at the same time? The position
was absurd. Eve must join him and give up her business, and they must
make their home up in the hills where she could learn to trap. Or they
must live in Barnriff and he must find fresh employment.

Yes, he would certainly find out how Eve's business was prospering. If
she had shown a better turnover than he, perhaps it would be as well
for him to go into Barnriff for good. The idea rather pleased him. Nor
could he see any drawback to it except those confounded I. O. U.'s.

The next news that Barnriff had was that Will an