before the strip of cleared land
will yield a scanty sustenance, and in the meanwhile the Bushman must,
every now and then, hire himself out track-grading on the railroads or
chopping trails to obtain the money that keeps him in tea and pork and
flour. As a rule, he expects nothing else, and there are times when he
does not get quite enough work. Men reared in this fashion grow hard
and tireless, and Nasmyth had been called upon to lead a band of them.
He had contrived to do it, so far, but it was not astonishing that the
toil had left a mark on him.

He heard the drifting ice-cake crackle, as it leapt the fall, and the
sharp crash of it upon the boulders in the rapid. It jarred on the
duller roar of the river in intermittent detonations as each heavy
mass swept down. There was, however, no other sound, and seizing a
hammer, he struck a suspended iron sheet until a voice fell across the
pines from the shadowy gully.

"Guess we'll be down soon as it's light enough," it said.

Then another voice rose from the shanty.

"The boys won't see to make a start for half an hour," it said. "I
don't know any reason why you shouldn't shut the door and come right
in. Breakfast's ready."

Nasmyth turned and went into the shanty, conscious that it would cost
him an effort to get out of it again. A stove snapped and crackled in
the one room, which was cosily warm. Gordon and Waynefleet sat before
the two big empty cases that served for table, and Mattawa was ladling
pork on to their plates from a blackened frying-pan, Nasmyth sat down
and ate hastily, while the light from the lamp hanging beneath the
roof-beams fell upon his face, which was gaunt and roughened by the
sting of bitter spray and frost. His hands were raw and cracked.

"I want to get that rock-dump hove out of the pool before it's dark,"
he said. "One can't see to crawl over those ice-crusted rocks by
firelight."

Gordon glanced at Mattawa, who grinned. "Well," said Mattawa, "it was
only yesterday when I fell in, and I figured Charly was going right
under the fall the day before. Oh, yes, I guess we'd better get the
thing through while it's light."

"I have felt inclined to wonder if it wouldn't be advisable to suspend
operations if this frost continues," said Waynefleet reflectively.

"Our charter lays it down that the work is to be carried on
continuously," answered Gordon. "Still, on due notice being given, it
permits a stoppage of not exceeding one month, owi