ds, Wyllard led a reckless expedition to
rescue them. He succeeded, in so far that the wrecked sailors were taken
off the beach through a tumult of breaking surf; but as the relief crews
pulled seaward the fog shut down on them, and one boat, manned by three
men, never reached the schooners. The vessels blew horns all night, and
crept along the smoking beach next day, though the surf made landing
impossible. Then a sudden gale drove them off the shore, and, as it was
evident that their comrades must have perished, they reluctantly sailed
for other fishing grounds. As one result of this, Wyllard broke with his
prosperous relative when he went back to Vancouver.

After that he helped to strengthen railroad bridges among the mountains
of British Columbia. He worked in logging camps, and shoveled in the
mines, and, as it happened, met Hawtrey, who, tempted by high wages, had
spent a winter in the Mountain Province. Wyllard's father, who had taken
up virgin soil in Assiniboia, died soon after Wyllard went back to him,
and a few months later the relative in Vancouver also died. Somewhat to
Wyllard's astonishment, his kinsman bequeathed him a considerable
property, most of the proceeds of which he sank in acres of virgin
prairie. Willow Range was now one of the largest farms between Winnipeg
and the Rockies.

"The leg's getting along satisfactorily?" Wyllard inquired at length.

Hawtrey, who appeared unusually thoughtful, admitted that it was.

"Anyway, it's singularly unfortunate that I'm disabled just now," he
added. "There's the plowing to begin in a week or two, and besides that
I was thinking of getting married."

Wyllard was somewhat astonished at this announcement. For one thing, he
was more or less acquainted with the state of his friend's finances.
During the next moment or two he glanced meditatively through the open
door into the adjoining room, where Sally Creighton was busy beside the
stove. The sleeves of the girl's light bodice were rolled up well above
the elbow, and she had pretty, round arms, which were just then partly
immersed in dough.

"I don't think there's a nicer or more capable girl in this part of
Assiniboia," he remarked.

"Oh, yes," agreed Hawtrey. "Anybody would admit that. Still, since you
seem so sure of it, why don't you marry her yourself?"

Wyllard looked at his comrade curiously. "Well," he said, "there are
several reasons that don't affect Miss Sally and only concern myself.
Beside