e opportunity before them, and
one--the last I expected anything of that kind from--sent me out a
draft. He kindly pointed out that there appeared to be in me certain
capabilities, which he had never supposed I possessed, and added that,
if I ever really succeeded in building a dam or anything else useful,
he would be pleased to take a share in my next venture. In the
meanwhile, he would charge me interest on the amount of that draft.
Perhaps I may mention that the man in question was naturally the one
the rest of them rather looked down upon."

Gordon laughed. "Oh, yes," he said, "I like that, naturally. I guess
you would have taken their view of him once. Well, since you can put
your pride in your pocket, you're evidently growing. There's just one
way of putting anything through here, and that's to take hold and hang
right on, no matter what it costs. I guess there's one of the boys
wanting you."

A man stood knee-deep in the river waving his hand. Nasmyth rose and
stretched himself.

"They seem to want me all the time from sun-up until it's dark," he
said. "In one way it's a little curious, since there's reason to
believe that most of them know a good deal more about what we're doing
than I do myself. You'll excuse me."

Gordon smiled as his comrade strode away. He was one who had studied
human nature, and because he was well acquainted with the Bushman's
capabilities, he knew that there were also limitations to them. Even
in such matters as the splitting of hard rock and the driving of
massive piles into the river-bed, the higher intelligence of the man
of intellect had its effect. Gordon smoked his pipe out as he watched
Nasmyth flounder into the stream among the other men, pushing a little
car loaded with broken rock that apparently ran along a submerged
track. Then he strolled back toward the settlement.

Nasmyth toiled on in the river until the camp-cook hammered upon a
suspended iron sheet as a signal that supper was ready. The summons
was answered without delay. With the water running from their clothing
Nasmyth and his men went back to the little log shanty. One or two
changed their dripping garments, but the rest left their clothes to
dry upon them, as their employer did. When the plentiful, warm supper
had been eaten, Nasmyth went back to the little hut that served him as
store and sleeping quarters. A big, grizzled man from Mattawa,
Ontario, went in with him, and lounged upon the table while he sat i