ion: Why should a Lord Fitzhugh Lee be mixed up in this affair?"

The two men looked at each other keenly for a few moments in silence.

"It suggests--" began Gregson.

"What?"

"That there may be a bigger scheme behind this affair than we imagine.
In fact, it suggests to me that the northerners are being stirred up
against you and your men for some other and more powerful reason than
to make you get out of the country and compel the government to
withdraw your license. So help me God, I believe there's more behind
it!"

"So do I," said Philip, quietly.

"Have you any suspicions of what might be the more powerful motive?"

"None. I know that British capital is heavily interested in mineral
lands east of the surveyed line. But there is none at Churchill. All
operations have been carried on from Montreal and Toronto."

"Have you written to Brokaw about this letter?"

"You are the first to whom I have revealed its contents," said Philip.
"I have neglected to tell you that Brokaw is so worked up over the
affair that he is joining me in the north. The Hudson's Bay Company's
ship, which comes over twice a year, touches at Halifax, and if Brokaw
followed out his intentions he took passage there. The ship should be
in within a week or ten days. And, by the way"--Philip stood up and
thrust his hands deep in his pockets as he spoke, half smiling at
Gregson--"it gives me pleasure to hand you a bit of cheerful
information along with that," he added. "Miss Brokaw is coming with
him. She is very beautiful."

Gregson held a lighted match until it burnt his finger-tips.

"The deuce you say! I've heard--"

"Yes, you have heard of her beauty, no doubt. I am not a special
enthusiast in your line, Greggy, but I will confirm your opinion of
Miss Brokaw. You will say that she is the most beautiful girl you have
ever seen, and you will want to make heads of her for BURKE'S. I
suppose you wonder why she is coming up here? So do I."

There was a look of perplexity in Philip's eyes which Gregson might
have noticed if he had not gone to the door to look out into the night.

"What makes the stars so big and bright up in this country, Phil?" he
asked.

"Because of the clearness of the atmosphere through which you are
looking," replied Philip, wondering what was passing through the
other's mind. "This air--compared with ours--is just like a piece of
glass that has been cleaned of a year's accumulation of dirt."

Gregson whistled