n the canyon. It's going to be difficult. Besides, Nasmyth
has what you might call a first option on the land. Nobody else seems
to want it, and the Crown people have evidently given way on a point
or two. It's a sure thing they'd make no concession if we show our
hands." He broke off for a moment, and flung a quick glance at his
visitor. "You don't like the man?"

"I don't," said Martial--"that's a solid fact. Still, it's not going
to count for much. This"--and he waved his hand--"is a matter of
business."

He sat still for a moment or two, with a curious look in his face; for
he had called at the hotel Acton's party had visited on the night that
he had endeavoured to crawl unobserved on board the _Tillicum_. He had
no difficulty in discovering that Mrs. Acton and Miss Hamilton had
spent the night there, which made it evident that the girl could not
have been on board the steamer. He had, however, not made the
inquiries until business took him to the hotel several weeks
afterwards, and Acton's manner, when they met in the city, convinced
him that the schooner men had been communicative. On thinking the
matter over, it became clear that Nasmyth and the skipper had played a
trick on him; and, since it had cost him Mrs. Acton's good-will,
without which he could not approach Miss Hamilton, he cherished a
bitter grievance against Nasmyth.

"Well," he inquired, "in case he tries to raise the money elsewhere,
what do you suggest?"

"I guess we'll let him try," answered Hutton. "He's not going to raise
much when things are humming and every man with capital is putting it
into mines and mills. Besides, the work in the canyon's evidently a big
undertaking, and it's going to run into a long bill for labour. A
thing of that kind usually costs four times as much as the man who
starts it figures. Well, we'll leave him to it, and when his money
runs out we'll chip in."

Martial laughed. "That's very much my notion. Let him do the work, and
then jump in and put up our dummies to locate all the land he can't
take hold of. Once we get a ranch or two recorded, there would be a
dozen ways we could get a grip on him. Between us and Charters, we
ought to break him."

They smiled at each other, but in a moment or two Hutton looked
thoughtful again.

"You want to understand," he said, "it's not my business to break
Nasmyth. It's the money I'm out for. In fact, if there's an easier way
than the one I suggested, I'm going to take it;