t to bed in the bunk-house, warmed with hot drinks and
blankets, and soothed until they fell asleep.

The lumberjacks stood about awkwardly, and the Indian hovered near, his
stolid face reflecting no emotion. Spike was the only jack present who
apparently was indifferent to the scene. At midnight Willy motioned to
the girls to go.

"Me watch. Big Friends wake up morning. No sick," he said.

"Willy's suggestion is a good one," agreed Elfreda. "There is little the
matter with either except shock and exhaustion. Let's go!"

Grace nodded.

"Boys, we thank you very much," she said, turning to the lumberjacks.
"Mr. Wingate and Mr. Gray would have lost their lives had it not been,
for you and Willy. They will not forget. Neither shall we. Good-night."

At dawn when Hippy awakened, Willy Horse was still sitting by him,
puffing his pipe.

"Dam go out," observed the Indian between puffs.

"So I heard it rumored," yawned Hippy.

"Big Friend go out."

"Seems to me that I heard something about that too. How is Captain
Gray?"

"Other Big Friend all right."

"Are the jacks awake?" asked Hippy.

"Git up now."

"Tell them to come here."

When the half-dressed lumberjacks came over to his cot, Hippy eyed them
sternly.

"You're a fine bunch of ladies' men, aren't you? Dance the light
fantastic while your bosses are trying to save the dam."

The jacks grinned sheepishly.

"What are you loafing around here for? Why don't you get out and start
work on a new dam? You needn't think a little thing like a busted dam is
going to stop Wingate & Gray. Go on now! You know what to do. We two are
the only ones who've got a right to be lazy this morning. Wait a
moment! Come back here!" commanded Hippy as his men started to go away.

"I take back what I said. You aren't ladies' men at all. You are a bunch
of confounded rough-necks. Shake paws!" Hippy put out a hand, but was
sorry for it afterwards, for the bear-like grips of the lumberjacks
left it a "pulp," as Hippy Wingate expressed it.

Work on a new dam was begun that very day. Tom and Hippy, though lame
and sore, and, at odd moments, a little dizzy, were at the dam all day
long directing the work of clearing away the wreck while part of their
force cut fresh spiles in the woods. The lumberjacks, wet to the skin,
worked with tremendous force and to good purpose, for the organization
that Tom Gray had developed and systematized, was as near a perfectly
working machine as it