hem, and will promptly take advantage of you. One must, not
for a moment, let them feel that he is not master of the situation and
of them. You will discover that sooner or later."

By night the bunk-house was ready for occupancy, though the bunks were
not yet in place and the men would be obliged to sleep on the floor for
one night at least. After a hearty supper, well cooked under the
observant eyes of Tom Gray, the lumberjacks retired to their shack, and
the sound of the fiddle and the shuffle of dancing feet, accompanied by
shouts and yells, rose from the bunk-house, which was located near
enough to the Overland Riders' camp to enable them to hear, and to see,
if they wished, what was going on.

Willy Horse was the guest of the Overlanders, though he refused to eat
with them, and sat all the evening by the fire saying never a word,
which is the Indian's idea of friendly conversation.

On the following day, under Tom Gray's supervision, the construction of
the dam for the new owners was begun across a narrow part of the river,
a little upstream from the Overland camp. In order to lower the water in
the river while they were driving the spiles, Tom had the men put the
gates in place in the dam built further up the stream by the
timber-pirates. This, in the low condition of the river, would keep the
water back for several days and give Tom's men a better opportunity to
build his dam.

Henry had made several cautious visits to the scene of operations, which
he viewed from the high branches of a tall pine, and, upon descending,
soundly boxed the ears of a lumberjack who attempted to make friends
with him.

"Tom," said Grace one evening after a few hours spent by her watching
the work, "who is the short, thick-set lumberjack with the red hair?"

"The one with the peculiar squint in his eye?"

"Yes. That is the man."

"The men call him Spike. I don't know what the rest of the name is.
Why?"

"I don't like his looks. Then again there is something about him that
reminds me of someone that I have seen--I mean in unpleasant
circumstances."

"I fear our guide has prejudiced you against lumberjacks, and I know
that she has taught Henry to hate the whole tribe. One shouldn't look
for drawing-room manners in a lumberjack. We have a loyal gang of men,
men who will fight for us, if necessary, and who certainly can work.
That, it appears to me, is the answer."

"Very well. I shall keep my eye on him, just the same. Hark