moodiness had vanished.

"It's ridiculous, but you must indulge him another time," she said.
"Food is dear."

They went on with lighter hearts. The struggle and Carrie's laugh had
braced them, and by and by bright sunbeams touched the trunks beside
the narrow trail.

CHAPTER V

CARRIE'S WEAK MOMENT

The rain had stopped and big drops fell from the dark firs about the
camp. Daylight was going; all was very quiet but for the distant sound
of falling water, and the smoke of the sulky fire went straight up.
White chips and empty provision cans lay beside the freshly-chopped
logs. Jake had left camp after supper, the men had gone to fish, and
Carrie had taken off her wet boots and sat by the fire, trying to dry
her clothes. For the last three or four days the party had traveled
across very rugged country, and had now reached the spot where the new
line would branch off.

Carrie was cold and depressed. One of the men who joined Probyn was
cook, and although she had undertaken his duties cheerfully she found
them harder than she thought. Then when they pitched camp the wood the
men brought was wet, the fire would not burn well, and the extra good
supper she had meant to cook was spoiled. This was the climax of a
number of small troubles and hardships, and Carrie's patience had given
way. By and by, Jim came out of the gloom and stopped by the fire.

"Crying, Carrie! Why is that?"

Carrie, who had not heard his steps, started and tried to hide her feet
behind her draggled skirt.

"I wasn't," she said, rather sharply. "Anyhow, if I was, you oughtn't
to have noticed."

"Perhaps not. Jake told me not long since my touch wasn't light. But
what has gone wrong?"

"It's all gone wrong," she answered drearily. "I oughtn't to have
come. Supper was the last thing----"

"The supper was quite good," Jim declared.

"Quite good! Well, I suppose that's all you can say for it honestly.
If you liked it, it's curious you didn't eat very much. Then, you see,
I can cook, and I wanted to make a little feast to celebrate your
beginning the job."

"Nobody could cook at a fire like that. Besides, folks are not
fastidious in camp. When you're chopping and cutting rock all day, you
can eat whatever you get."

"Your touch is certainly not light; I'd sooner you were fastidious,"
Carrie rejoined.

"Looks as if I'd taken the wrong line," Jim said gently. "I hate to
see you disturbed."

"Do you hate it very m