get
Fisette later on. Then there gleamed in the breed's dark eyes a
flicker of Indian fury, and Manson breathed an inarticulate prayer as
the knife approached his throat, until as though from a great distance
he heard a voice.

"You not going to tell any one I find iron. You swear that or I kill
you here."

The constable's brain began to rock giddily. Fisette in his present
condition would not hesitate to kill. He knew that. "I swear it," he
panted unsteadily, "on my honor."

Fisette bared his white teeth. "Your honor no good. You swear by God
and the Mother of God."

Manson repeated it, his breath coming more steadily. He had been near
death, but as he stared at his conqueror he felt a contemptuous pity
for him. Fisette had moved away and was fumbling in his pockets.
Presently he looked up. "You got a match?"

Manson searched, while his relaxing muscles trembled like quicksilver.
He found a match and held it out.

"Now go to hell!" said the half-breed calmly, and recommenced the
ritual of smoke.

XI.--CLARK EXPERIENCES A NEW SENSATION, ALSO HIS DIRECTORS

The Japanese cook pottered softly about in the square stone basement of
the blockhouse, while, up above, his master sat at a table with his
eyes fixed on a small mountain of blackish-gray rock. He had given
orders to admit none. Fingering the pointed fragments he experienced
more emotion than ever before in his kaleidoscopic life. He sat in
profound contemplation of that which prehistoric and elemental fires
had laid down for his use. There was in his mind no question of
strangeness that it should be himself who had decided that the thing
was there and must be unearthed. It was the turning of another page in
the book of his own history, the beginning of that chapter which would
be the most fascinating of all.

Methodically he searched his retentive brain for data about iron ore.
It existed in Pennsylvania and Alabama and New York, and, nearer still,
there was the great field of Northern Michigan. But in Canada there
were only the distant mines of Nova Scotia. He unrolled a great
geological map and pored over it, finding here, as always, the greatest
fascination. Within two miles of St. Marys there was an inexhaustible
supply of limestone. He stared at the map with a queer but quite
inflexible consciousness that this moment was the one he had awaited
for years and his faith had not betrayed him. He got up with sudden
restlessness