spent together, but he also heard the roar of the river
in the misty depths of the canyon, and the crash of stream-driven
pines. The familiar sounds rang in his ears, rousing him to action,
and something in his nature responded. In the meanwhile there was a
heavy silence in the room. His companions watched him closely, and
Acton, who looked round for a moment, noticed the suggestive glint in
Wisbech's eyes.

Nasmyth straightened himself suddenly. "I know what I am turning my
back upon," he added. "It is very probable that I shall never get
another opportunity of this kind again. Still, I owe the boys
something, and I feel I owe a little to myself. This scheme in the
canyon is the first big thing I have ever undertaken. I can't quite
make the way that I look at it clear to you, but"--and he brought one
hand down on the table in an emphatic fashion--"I feel that I must go
on until it breaks me or I put it through."

Wisbech noisily thrust his chair back, and Acton laughed--a laugh that
had a faint ring in it.

"Well, I guess I partly expected this," said Acton. "Mr. Nasmyth, it's
a sure thing that river's not going to break you."

Nasmyth looked embarrassed, but next moment Wisbech laid a hand upon
his shoulder.

"Derrick," he said simply, "if you had closed with my offer, I
wouldn't have blamed you, but I'd have felt I had done my duty then,
and I'd never have made you another. As it is, when things are going
wrong, all you have to do is to send a word to me."

Then, to the relief of his companions, Acton, whose expression changed
suddenly, broke in again. "Well," he commented, "I'm not quite sure
that Miss Hamilton will look at the thing from Nasmyth's point of
view. I guess we'll leave him to explain it to her and Mrs. Acton."

Nasmyth fancied that the explanation would not be an easy task. In
fact, it was one he shrank from, but it had to be undertaken, and,
leaving the others, he went back to the drawing-room. Violet Hamilton
was surrounded by several companions, and he did not approach her
until she glanced at him as she slipped out into the big cedar hall.
She sat down on a lounge near the fire, and he leaned upon the arm of
it, looking down on her with grave misgivings. He recognized that it
was scarcely reasonable to expect that she would be satisfied with the
decision he had made.

"You have seen your uncle and Acton?" she asked.

"Yes," answered Nasmyth; "I have something to tell you."

The girl t