on't bother
you about that school. I won't bother you about anything. I'll help locate
the place if--if Joe here is willing; and then you two can be partners,
and I'll be out of it, for I can trust you to take care of him, and see
that the money does what it can for him. I can trust you if you can't me.
So you are the one to speak up. What is your answer?"

CHAPTER XII.

PARTNERS.

"Well, I've been a 'hoodoo' all my, life; and if I only lead some one into
luck now--good luck--oh, wouldn't I learn a sun-dance, and dance it!"

The world was two weeks older, and it was 'Tana who spoke; not the
troubled 'Tana who had crouched beside the paralytic and cowered under her
fear of Overton's distrust, but a girl grown lighter-hearted by the help
of work to be done--work in which she was for once to stand side by side
with Overton himself, for his decision about the prospecting had been in
her favor. He had "spoken up," as she had asked him to do, and a curious
three-cornered partnership had been arranged the next day; a very
mysterious partnership, of which no word was told to any one. Only 'Tana
suddenly decided that the schooling must wait a little longer. Lyster
would have to make the trip to Helena without her; she was not feeling
like it just then, and so forth.

Therefore, despite the very earnest arguments of Mr. Lyster, he did have
to go alone. During all the journey, he was conscious of a quite
unreasonable disappointment, an impatience with even Overton, for not
enforcing his authority as guardian, and insisting that she at once
commence the many studies in which she was sadly deficient.

But Overton had stood back and said nothing. Lyster did not understand it,
and could not succeed in making either of them communicative.

"You'll be back here in less than a month," said Overton. "We will send
her then, if she feels equal to it. In the meantime, we'll take the best
care we can of her here at the Ferry. I find I will have time to look
after her a little until then. I have only one short trip to make up the
river; so don't get uneasy about her. She'll be ready to go next run you
make, sure."

So Lyster wondered, dissatisfied, and went away. He was even a little more
dissatisfied with his last memory of the girl--a vision of her bending
over that unknown, helpless miner. His sympathies were with the man. He
was most willing to assist, in a financial way, toward taking care of one
so unfortunate. But the t