and very quiet, though there was an intentness
in her eyes, and when Horton stopped close by her she looked at him.

"They have heard nothing yet?" she said.

"No," said the storekeeper. "Still, some of them should have been here
by now."

The little nervous tremor in his voice did not escape the girl, and
though it had all been explained to her before, she said, "Then you
expect more than Mr. Alton?"

"Well," said Horton, who seemed glad to find an outlet in speech, "I
don't quite know. You see there was a man brought a wire in before
Harry got through, and once the claim was posted vacant anybody could
stake it. There's a holy crowd of jumpers hanging round the mine, and
because there'd be such a circus nobody could be sure who'd got his
pegs in first, the Crown people would probably listen to the man who
got through and recorded. Oh, yes, they'll be pounding down the trail
as if the devil was after them now, but there's none of them got the
relays of horses we've fixed up for Harry."

Horton moved away, and the girl sat still listening, while Mrs. Forel
stirred nervously, and her husband apparently found it necessary to
light his cigar again every now and then. The voices had died away,
and there was no sound but the faint song of water and the patter of
restless feet. How long the silence continued Alice Deringham did not
know, but a quiver went through her as a hoarse shout rose up, "They're
coming!"

Then there was silence again, and she watched a bronzed man rubbing
down a great black horse whose blood had not come from a Cayuse
pedigree until a faint drumming grew louder down the trail. It swelled
into a sharp staccato, and the murmurs commenced again. "Two of them.
Another man behind. Riding like brimstone. Can you see them yet?"

The drumming sound sank, and rose again in a confused roar as the
horsemen crossed a wooden bridge while Alice Deringham stood up, when
once more the voices rose stridently.

"One of the jumpers first. Harry's coming along behind. Cayuse played
out. Lord, how they're riding!"

Then lips were set tight, and steady eyes blazed, as a man grimed with
sweat and dust who reeled in his saddle swept out from the forest on a
jaded horse. Most of those who watched him had a heavy stake in that
race, for it was with Alton's prosperity they must stand or fall; but
the bushman's code of honour is as high as it is simple, and they
sprang aside to give the rider a free pass