Part 13 (1/2)

CHAPTER IX

AN HONEST ANTAGONIST

It was very hot on the rocky hill, and Jione far through the bush His Hudson's Bay blanket and a bag of food, made up in a pack with straps for his shoulders, and a shted his pipe he looked about Tangled forest rolled up the hills wherever the stiff, dark pines could find soil in which to grow Soray in the strong light; soainst each other

At the head of the valley there was a faint blue haze, and Jian tofor, he doubted if he had been wise to come, and wondered what he would say He had set off when an Indian reached the telegraph line and stated that a white man with a nuined the man was Martin, Davies' employer, and meant to see him He did not know if Davies ith Martin or not

By and by he set off, avoiding fallen trees and scrah work and he was tired, but he could get forithout using the ax, which he had been forced to do when he fell a the horrible devil's club thorns For all that, dusk was falling when he ca fire burned and a double-skinned tent stood at the edge of the trees Six or seven sturdy packers lounged beside the fire, and Jim saw this was not a poor man's camp For a few hot weeks, a traveler need suffer no hardshi+p in the North, if he can pay for packers and canoes A double-roofed tent will keep out sun and rain and a mosquito bar will keep off the flies, but packers who carry comforts cannot carry tools, and a utilitarian journey is another thing

Jione alone He was ed, and his boots were broken The packers looked up with languid curiosity as he advanced, and when he asked for the boss one indicated the tent Jim stopped in front of the tent and a man caely neat, but he was sunburnt and stronglyabout him indicated that he knew the bush and had not always traveled luxuriously

”Are you prospecting?” he asked ”If you have struck us for supper, you can see the cook”

”I caot supper three or four miles back I'm Dearham, of Winter & Dearham You have probably heard about us”

”Sure,” said Martin, rather dryly ”You hold the contract for the new telegraph line Somebody told me there was a dame in the firm”

”My partner's sister; I expect Davies told you, but don't see what this has to do with the thing”

”Sit down,” said Martin, indicating a careen bark and fix that s fire and pungent blue smoke drifted about the tent

”Better than s,” Martin rear?”

”No, thanks,” said Jiht my pipe”

He cut the tobacco slowly, because he did not knohere to open his attack Martin was not altogether the ht and looked amused He was a bushman; Jim knew the type, which was not, as a rule, marked by the use of small trickery Yet Martin could handle money as well as he handled tools

”Won't you state your business?” the contractor asked

”I expect you and the Cartner people didn't like it e got the telegraph job?”

”That is so We thought the job was ours,” Martin adot to work to take it froin with, Probyn, Cartner's ood price,” said Martin ”Since you didn't go, I don't see why you are bothering me”

”It looks as if you and Cartner had pooled your interests When we got to work, yourand tried to hold us up It was not his fault he didn't; the fellow's a crook”

”I haven't studied his character In some ways, he's useful,” Martin rejoined coolly ”Well, you reckon I sent him! How did he try to embarrass you?”

”Don't you know?”