cutt
an' his Eureka Paper Company--now he must have gone to quite a little
bother, first an' last, an' some expense. Too bad! But I won't worry
about that--he ought to 'tend to his bankin'. Guess I'll be startin'
North in about ten days."

A week later McNabb got another wire from the engineer in charge of his
road construction. As he read and reread it, a slow smile trembled
upon his lips and widened into a broad grin.

"Sixty-five miles of road completed. Eureka Paper Company cement and
material piling up at road head. Have their own trucks. Shall we let
them use road?"

The grin became an audible chuckle. "I don't understand it. Orcutt
must have cleared out so quick he don't know the deal is off." Then he
called a messenger and sent two telegrams. The first in answer to the
one just received.

"Double your force and hurry road to completion in shortest possible
time. Allow all Eureka Paper Company goods to be delivered as fast as
received. Facilitate delivery same to mill site in every way possible."

The other telegram was to the home office of the engineering firm and
read:

"Hold off on purchase of material for mill until further notice.
Writing full particulars."

Then he closed his desk and went home where, a few minutes later, his
daughter found him packing his outfit in a well worn duffle bag.

XXI

Ever since Jean's outburst of passion upon the day of Hedin's arrest, a
certain constraint had settled upon father and daughter that amounted,
at times, to an actual coldness. Neither had mentioned the name of
Hedin in the other's hearing, but each evening at dinner, which was the
only meal at which they met, the studied silence with which the girl
devoted herself to her food bespoke plainer than words that the thought
of him was never out of her head.

So it was with some measure of surprise that Old John looked up from
his packing at the girl's question: "Where are you going, Dad?"

"North, into Canada. I've business there that needs my attention."

"Will you take me with you?"

"Take ye with me!" he cried in astonishment. "An' what would ye be
doin' in the wild country, with the black flies an' mosquitoes in the
height of their glory. They'd eat ye alive! An' the trailin'--why,
ye've never been outside a town in ye're life!"

"And that is just why I want to go outside one!" answered the girl.
"Please, Dad, take me with you. I can keep up on the trail, really I
can. Do