quiet, although he had a twinkle. Weighs all he says,
and you feel that if he's satisfied he doesn't mind if you are or not.
We know he was up North for some time; he looks like it, if you get me."

Jake nodded, for the men who push far into the frozen wilds conform to
a type. Struggles with cold and hunger leave their mark, endurance
breeds stubbornness, and fronting perils gives a quiet courage that
makes for candor. The man who has conquered fear is not tempted to be
mean.

"There are bad men, in some of the big camps, but no smooth rogues," he
said.

"Martin is certainly not a smooth rogue," Jim declared. "I thought it
curious he told me to hold on to the copper and let the contract go, if
we couldn't stick to both. He admitted it looked as if he was playing
for his side when he gave me the advice."

"Well," said Jake, thoughtfully, "if he meant to gain his object that
way, it was a fool plan, but we know Martin's clever. To jump at a
shallow suspicion is a blamed lazy habit that often puts you wrong. If
he didn't mean well, I can't see what he did mean."

"I can't see," Jim agreed.

"Better let it go," Carrie interposed. "I like that man. If you have
drawn him right, I think he could be trusted. However, you look as if
you had been among the devil's club. What are you going to do with
your clothes?"

"If you insist, I meant to hide them," Jim owned with a laugh.

"So I thought," said Carrie. "Bring them to the tent instead. If you
don't, I'll come for them in the morning."

Jim promised to bring the clothes and lighted his pipe, feeling
somewhat moved. He knew now how much he and Jake owed Carrie, and the
thought she gave their comfort. If things went smoothly, it was
because Carrie made them go; but this was not all. She was not
satisfied with controlling the camp; Jim was beginning to see that now
and then she controlled their talk and helped their decisions. She was
a girl and had, for the most part, lived at a shabby store, but he
admitted that her judgment was often sound. Carrie had qualities.
Then he started, for she looked at him with a smile.

"What are you thinking about, Jim?" she asked.

"I was wondering how we would have got on if we hadn't brought you," he
replied.

Carrie laughed. "I know. Yet you wanted to leave me!"

"If I did, I was a fool."

"No," said Carrie, thoughtfully, "you are not a fool, but sometimes
you're rather dull. Now you're half asleep and had