ck--silver-mining. Rough lot, but you get a
stroke of luck sometimes. I've got a chance on now--me and a friend of
mine--that's first-rate."

"What brought you back to Canada?"

"Well, it was your aunt, Mrs. Harriet Sykes. Ever hear of her, George?"

Anderson shook his head.

"You must have heard of her when you were a little chap. When I left
Ayrshire in 1840 she was a lass of sixteen; never saw her since. But she
married a man well-to-do, and was left a widder with no children. And
when she died t'other day, she'd left me something in her will, and told
the lawyers to advertise over here, in Canada and the States--both. And
I happened on the advertisement in a Chicago paper. Told yer to call on
Smith & Dawkins, Winnipeg. So that was how I came to see
Winnipeg again."

"When were you there?"

"Just when you was," said the old man, with a triumphant look, which for
the moment effaced the squalor of his aspect. "I was coming out of Smith
& Dawkins's with the money in my pocket, when I saw you opposite, just
going into a shop. You could ha' knocked me down easy, I warrant ye.
Didn't expect to come on yer tracks as fast as all that. But there you
were, and when you came out and went down t' street, I just followed you
at a safe distance, and saw you go into the hotel. Afterwards, I went
into the Free Library to think a bit, and then I saw the piece in the
paper about you and that Saskatchewan place; and I got hold of a young
man in a saloon who found out all about you and those English swells
you've been hanging round with; and that same night, when you boarded
the train, I boarded it, too. See? Only I am not a swell like you. And
here we are. See?"

The last speech was delivered with a mixture of bravado, cunning, and
sinister triumph. Anderson sat with his head in his hands, his eyes on
the mud floor, listening. When it was over he looked up.

"Why didn't you come and speak to me at once?"

The other hesitated.

"Well, I wasn't a beauty to look at. Not much of a credit to you, am I?
Didn't think you'd own me. And I don't like towns--too many people
about. Thought I'd catch you somewhere on the quiet. Heard you was going
to the Rockies. Thought I might as well go round by Seattle home. See?"

"You have had plenty of chances since Winnipeg of making yourself known
to me," said Anderson sombrely. "Why did you speak to a stranger instead
of coming direct to me?"

McEwen hesitated a moment.

"Well, I wasn't s