somewhat
unpleasant subject, yet despite Thayor's kindly optimism in regard to
Bergstein, owing purely to his excellent recommendation, Holcomb felt
a distrust of the mysterious stranger who had wormed his way into
Big Shanty. He could not help being personally convinced that the
vice-president of the Canadian company was either a rascal or a man of
poor judgment. It was also possible that the said vice-president had
never seen Bergstein at all.

CHAPTER TEN

Two nights later Holcomb again bade Thayor good-night in the square
room with its heavy-beamed ceiling. All the accounts had now been gone
over--even to the minutest detail, and Billy felt supremely happy and
relieved at his employer's enthusiastic approval of all he had done,
so much so that even the one discordant note--Bergstein--seemed of
vague importance.

He crossed the clearing on his way to his cabin cautiously, feeling
his way with his feet to avoid tripping over an unseen root. The night
was intensely dark--so dark that as he neared his cabin he was forced
to stop and feel for his card of matches. At that instant someone in
the pitch darkness ahead of him coughed.

"Is that you, Freme?" called Holcomb, watching the sputtering sulphur
blaze into flame.

"No," answered a hard nasal voice to the right, and within a rod of
him; "it's me--Bergstein. Got any gin in your place? the nigh hoss on
Jimmy's team is took bad with the colic."

"Come inside," said Holcomb.

"Bad luck," muttered Bergstein, as he followed Holcomb into the cabin;
"there ain't a better work hoss on the place. Must have catched cold
drawin' them heavy loads on the mountain."

Holcomb lighted a candle, extracted a bunch of keys, unlocked a
cupboard, and handed Bergstein a black bottle.

"I thought you were in Canada," he said, eyeing Bergstein closely.

"I jest got back--I didn't wait for the funeral."

"Well, keep that horse covered," Holcomb added; "you'll find some
extra heavy blankets back of the feed bin." After his door was closed,
Holcomb stood thinking for some moments, his eyes fastened on the
candle flame.

"That nigh horse seemed all right this fore-noon," he said to himself.
"That's the second horse with colic."

Thayor's first meeting with Bergstein occurred the next morning. It
was brief and business-like, but it left a good impression on Thayor's
mind. What little he had seen of the man, he told Holcomb, had
convinced him of his honesty and ability; t