Part 8 (1/2)

The hillside ran up steeply to a wall of crags, split by frost and thaw Tall firs clung to the slope where they could find a hold, but there were gaps, in which broken trunks lay aht down Then, for soe, sharp stones rested insecurely on the slope, and Jiined that a small disturbance would set them in motion Below the spot where he sat, the stones ran down into a gulf obscured by rolling looraph posts crossed the stony belt, but one or two had fallen in the night and Jiround His business was to put up the posts and clear a track in order to protect the the line It was plain that the stones were an aard obstacle, but this was not all As a rule, the provincial Government allowed the sraphs, rude bridges, and roads The plan helped the s, but it was not econoe jobs Jiined they meant to keep the business in their hands and he knew soraft His contract was not i the others resented his entering the field, and if he got behind schedule, the agreeet behind, and when he went back for breakfast he had ot to work and rolled the stones down hill all day, without returning to ca hot, and in the afternoon fierce sunshi+ne beat upon the long slope The shadow of the pines looked inviting and Jiht be occupied profitably by a quiet s, but resisted the te boss and an to ache, he tore his old blue shi+rt, and bruised his hands, while as the shadows lengthened he got disturbed Rolling heavy stones was slow and expensive work It kept hih When the sun was low he stopped to wipe his bleeding hand and saw Jake leaning on his shovel

”I've let up for a minute or two to think Sometimes it pays,” Jake observed

”It depends on what you think about,” Ji what's for supper”

Jake sht how you could hit up the pace My notion is, you've put it h as the boys will stand for”

”In this country, it's usual to work as hard as the boss”

”So depends on the boss,” Jake said dryly ”When we're up against a hard streak, you are near the li in particular?

Aren't you satisfied with the boys?”

”On the whole, they're a pretty good crowd There are two I'm not quite sure about”

Ji stones down the hill ”I think we agree, but they have earned their pay so far, and I o on”

He stopped and thenoise rolled across the woods When they reached ca the springing fern The big pack-saddles stood near the fire and aCarrie to fill the tin plates He stopped when Jim advanced, and Carrie said, ”This is Mr

Davies; he was at the Woolsworth store with lad to see hi and rather handsos, and an expensive buckskin jacket, but although his skin was brown, he did not look like a bushht him a type that is comgressive confidence He was somewhat surprised the felloas a friend of Carrie's; Jim had not expected her to like that kind of man, but hospitality is the rule in the bush and he tried to be polite

When supper was over and they lit their pipes he asked:

”Have you come to see the country, Mr Davies?”

”I'h to the new settle on the construction of a new bridge”

”Ah,” said Ji ”This is not the shortest way to settlereed ”I reckoned I'd go in up the Vaughan river and hired two Indians who know the way Wanted to look at the country; there's soon road Then, you see, I knew Miss Winter and heard she was at your cairl and he were good friends, and Jim was sorry Carrie was not there, since he wanted to see how she accepted the fellow's statement For no very obvious reason, Davies jarred hion road line is a different job fro store,”

he remarked

”I did keep store, but I've had other occupations and know the bush

If I didn't know it, they would have no use for ”

Jim nodded The felloas plausible, and in British Columbia a ht Davies had talent, although perhaps not of a high kind By and by the latter got up

”If the boys are going fishi+ng, I'll try ray trout and have brought a pole”

Two or three of the men picked up rods they had made from fir-branches, and when the party set off Ji