he and
Roswell went back to where Jeff was smoking his pipe. They had hardly
time to tell their story when the Irishman joined them.

[Illustration: CATCHING THE EYE OF THE AMAZED BOYS, TIM WINKED.]

"I obsarved by the exprission on your faces that ye were a bit
surprised," he said, addressing the youths.

"Is that fellow the Hardman you told us about?" asked Roswell.

"The same at your sarvice."

"And the man who robbed you of your money?"

Tim flung one of his muscular legs over the other, and with a twinkle
of the eyes said:

"Hardman has made it all right; the matter is fixed atween oursilves."

"Then he give you back your money?" was the inquiring remark of Jeff.

"Not precisely that, though he said he would do the same if he only had
it with him, but he run up agin a game at Juneau and was cleaned out.
Whin he told me that I was a bit sorry for him. He further obsarved
that it was his intintion if he won to stake me agin and add something
extra for interest on what he borrowed of me. That spakes well for
Hardman, so we shook hands over it," was the hearty conclusion of Tim.

The boys were too astonished to speak. Jeff Graham's shoulders shook,
and he looked sideways at his friend with a quizzical expression,
unable to do justice to his feelings. As for Tim, his red face was the
picture of bland innocence, but he was not through. Astounding as were
the statements he had just made, he had a still more astounding one to
submit.

CHAPTER IV.

THE AVALANCHE.

It was late in the day that the little steamer arrived at Dyea, which
was found to be a village with one log store, a number of movable
tents, and without any wharf, the beach being so flat that at high
water the tide reaches a half mile or more inland. To guard against
losing any of their supplies, Tim McCabe told his friends that it would
be necessary to unload them themselves.

"From this p'int," said he, "we must hoe our own row; under hiven we
must depind on oursilves. Hardman, lind a hand there, and step lively."

To the astonishment of the youths, the man took hold and wrought with
right good will. Jeff looked at Tim queerly as he pointed out the
different articles, he himself, as may be said, overlooking the job;
but the conclusion was that the Irishman had promised him a small
amount for his help. When, however, the task was finished Tim came to
the group, and while Hardman, with shamefaced expression, remained in
the backgroun