r was careless, but Jake imagined he felt more interest
than he showed.

"It was blowing pretty fresh when she left us, and if the scows had
broken adrift again, there'd have been some risk of losing them. This
would delay the delivery of the coal, and we're getting very short of
fuel."

"I see," said Kenwardine. "Well, if anything of the kind had happened, I
would have heard of it. You needn't be afraid of not getting a supply."

Jake waited. He thought it might look significant if he showed any
eagerness to change the subject, but when Kenwardine began to talk about
something else he followed his lead. Half an hour later he left the
house, feeling that he had used commendable tact, but determined not to
tell Brandon about the interview. Dick had a habit of exaggerating the
importance of things, and since he already distrusted Kenwardine, Jake
thought it better not to give him fresh ground for suspicion. There was
no use in supplying his comrade with another reason for preventing his
going to the house.

CHAPTER XVI

JAKE GETS INTO DIFFICULTIES

Day was breaking, though it was still dark at the foot of the range, when
Dick returned wearily to his iron shack after a night's work at the dam.
There had been a local subsidence of the foundations on the previous
afternoon, and he could not leave the spot until precautions had been
taken to prevent the danger spreading. Bethune came with him to look at
some plans, and on entering the veranda they were surprised to find the
house well lighted and smears of mud and water upon the floor.

"Looks as if a bathing party had been walking round the shack, and your
boy had tried to clean up when he was half-asleep," Bethune said.

Dick called his colored servant and asked him: "Why are all the lights
burning, and what's this mess?"

"Senor Fuller say he no could see the chairs."

"Why did he want to see them?"

"He fall on one, senor; t'row it wit' mucha force and fall on it again.
Say dozenas of _malditos sillas_. If he fall other time, he kill my
head."

"Ah!" said Dick sharply. "Where is he now?"

"He go in your bed, senor."

"What has happened is pretty obvious," Bethune remarked. "Fuller came
home with a big jag on and scared this fellow. We'd better see if he's
all right."

Dick took him into his bedroom and the negro followed. The room was very
hot and filled with a rank smell of kerosene, for the lamp was smoking
and the negro explained that Jake h