aching for Somasco,
and had decided more or less correctly that it would lead to affluence
the man who had control of the valley; but while Alton had striven with
arduous toil to bring about this consummation, Hallam of the Tyee was
waiting while those he meant to plunder worked for him. It was also
plain that there was no room for two leaders with divergent
aspirations, and the rancher had seen sufficient of his opponent's
dealings to recognize that he would not scruple about any measures
which promised to rid him of a rival. Therefore it became him to be
careful, and once more his fingers fell upon the rifle.

Alton had reached the limit of his surmises, and refilling his pipe
again abandoned himself to more pleasant dreams. He heard the whistle
of the locomotive ringing among the pines, and the hum of the great
mills that would grind out wealth for Somasco. Then while the pungent
smoke curled about him visions materialized out of its filmy wreaths,
and he saw the lake at Carnaby shining amidst the woodlands of peaceful
England, and the old grey hall. In place of the sting of the resin he
could smell the English roses, and when the next acrid wisp slid past
him it seemed to change its form, and there grew out of it the
gracious, alluring shape of a woman. Costly fabrics floated about her,
there was a flash of diamonds in the red-gold hair, a face that lost
its patrician serenity as it smiled, and for a setting the glitter of
light and silver in the great hall at Carnaby. Alton, whose eyes were
growing dim, stretched out his arms towards the darkness, and a
chilling gust swept the smoke aside, while great drops of water fell
splashing upon him. He was back once more in the wilderness, a wet and
very weary man, with thorn-rents in his deerskin jacket and the mire
clinging about him, but he smiled as he rose stiffly and stretched his
aching limbs.

"I figure there's a good deal to be done before that time comes, and
some of it can't wait after sun up," he said.

Then, having left the tent behind, he carried his blankets away from
the fire, and rolled himself up in them between two great fir-roots
that afforded concealment as well as shelter. Though he had strewn
them about the blaze the blankets were still clammy, but he drew the
damp folds about him uncomplainingly, and lay down with the rifle at
his side. Ten minutes passed. The fire snapped and crackled, the
growl of the rapid rose and fell fitfully, but