ow the men from the Camps, and they me. With the
knowledge of them came an ever-increasing regard and admiration for
those simple, uncomplaining, hard-working, easily led world-wanderers,
who, most of them, were ever ready to gamble all they had on the toss
of a coin or the throw of a die and, if they lost, laugh, and start off
afresh.

That there were evilly disposed men among them,--men who would stop at
nothing,--men who, already, had stopped at nothing,--I knew, but with
most of them, their hearts were good.

Joe Clark did not honour me with a visit for many a day after our first
encounter. Almost I had begun to congratulate myself that he had
decided to let slumbering dogs lie, when, one afternoon, as I was
sorting the newly arrived and scanty mail, I was surprised to find a
letter bearing the name of Dow, Cross & Sneddon of Vancouver and
addressed:--

Mr. George Bremner,
Superintendent, Golden Crescent Trading Co.,
Golden Crescent Bay, B. C.

Hello! I thought; Joe Clark at last has been putting some of his
threats into execution. Now for the fireworks!

I opened the envelope and found that my conjecture was a wrong one and
that Joe Clark's knife for me,--if he had one,--was not yet sharpened.

"Dear Sir," the letter ran,

"We have received a letter from Messrs. Eldergrove & Price, Solicitors
for the property adjoining that of the Golden Crescent Co.'s, informing
us that some friends of the owner have permission from him to occupy
his house at Golden Crescent. This refers to the house in proximity to
the wharf and the store. It is at present boarded up.

"Two Japanese women will arrive by the steamer _Cloochman_ at the end
of the week to open up, air, clean out the house and put it in order.
These cleaners will return to Vancouver by the same steamer on her
southward journey the following week.

"This letter is written simply to inform you of the facts, so that you
may know that nothing illegal is going on.

"Of course, we are in no way interested in this property.

"Yours truly,
"DOW, CROSS & SNEDDON."

I showed the letter to Jake, who expressed a fear that the Bay was
becoming "a damned pleasure resort," as this would make the second time
in five years that visitors had been staying in that house. On the
strength of the news, he drank an extra half-cup of whisky, then said,
for decency's sake he would row out and bring the Japs ashore when the
_Cloochman_ came in.

Two sh