our money lasts."

There was silence for a moment or two and Carrie's eyes rested on Jim.
He looked tired, and his brown face was thin, but his mouth was firm.
Jim was resolute; she sometimes doubted if he was clever, but he could
hold on. Had he been weak or greedy, he would have sold the copper
vein and taken Probyn's offer to let the telegraph contract go.
Perhaps this would have been prudent, but she was glad Jim had refused.
She wanted to think he would not give way.

"Well? You claim you're a partner!" Jake remarked with a twinkle.

"Jim's plan is my plan," she said quietly.

"Then it goes," Jake agreed, and gave her a curious glance when Jim got
up and went off across the hill. "I don't know if you're rash or not,
but you're playing up to Jim. Since I've known you to be cautious,
your object isn't very plain."

Carrie hesitated, although she was generally frank with Jake. "Oh,
well," she said, "I feel he ought to take a bold line; that's the kind
of man he is."

"Rather a romantic reason. Particularly as his boldness may cost us
much."

"I'm tired of thinking about what things cost," Carrie rejoined.
"Sometimes it's fine to take one's chances. I'm going to be rash, if I
want."

"After all, it may pay as well as the other plan. However, if you mean
to sketch a leading-character part for Jim and see he plays it as you
think he ought, perhaps he deserves some sympathy and you may get a
jolt. Jim's not theatrical."

"I hate theatrical people," Carrie declared.

Jake laughed. "You hate posers. You feel you'd like Jim to play a
romantic part, without his meaning it? Well, I expect he'll miss his
cues and let you down now and then, but he certainly won't pose."

"You're rather clever sometimes," Carrie admitted, with a blush. "But
I think we have talked enough and I want some wood."

She sat for a time, thinking, while the thud of Jake's ax rang across
the bush; and then went off to her tent with an impatient shrug.

"I mustn't be a romantic fool," she said.

For the next eight or nine days Jim and the men were occupied running
the line across the gap. When he had done so, he stole quietly out of
camp for three or four nights, and returning before daybreak, imagined
nobody had remarked his absence. Then, one morning, Carrie came up as
he was lighting the fire.

"You look tired, Jim," she said. "If you mean to work hard, you must
get some sleep."

Jim gave her a sharp glance and she s