n't use the money, she will get better interest than
in England."

Thirlwell thanked him and Allott began to talk about something else.

The latter left the mine next morning and when he had gone Thirlwell
occupied himself in strenuous and often dangerous work. He felt he had
to some extent misled Agatha and Strange. Expenses had outrun his
calculations and he had encountered obstacles he had not foreseen. More
money would soon be needed, and he must get results that would encourage
its subscription and warrant his using Mrs. Allott's capital.

Sometimes the adit roof came down and sometimes the sides crushed in;
the inclination of the vein was irregular and the dip was often
awkwardly steep. Then the pines about the mine were small and damaged by
wind and forest-fires. It was difficult to find timber that would bear a
heavy strain, and Thirlwell walked long distances in the stinging frost
to look for proper logs, and now and then camped with his choppers
behind a snowbank. For all that, he made progress, and as he pushed on
the adit his confidence in the vein grew stronger. Expenses were heavy,
but the ore would pay for all.

He grew thin and rather haggard. Sleeping in the snow one night with
half-dried moccasins, he found his foot frozen when he awoke, and the
dead part galled. He limped as he went about the mine, and soon
afterwards his hand was nipped by a machine and the wound would not
heal. He held on, however; meeting his troubles cheerfully and
encouraging his men, and the ore-dump began to grow.

His party was not alone, for soon after he got to work three men drove
in their stakes behind his block of claims. They went south to file
their records, and returning with several more, began the development
the law required. Others followed, and the neighborhood was soon dotted
with tents and discovery posts; but, for the most part, the men were
satisfied with blasting a few holes in the surface of their claims. One
or two experienced miners talked to Thirlwell, and agreeing that the ore
could only be reached from the ground owned by Agatha's Company,
abandoned their holdings and went back; the others waited for a time,
and then returned, disappointed, when their food was exhausted.

The first arrivals, however, stayed and had opened two or three rude
shafts before the frost began. Then, instead of leaving, as Thirlwell
expected, they brought up provisions and built a log shack. It was plain
that they meant t