round her long neck another black
ribbon accentuated the scrawny lines it was designed to hide; and on
top of all she wore a wide black hat, which had a fresh yet collapsed
effect, as if it had long been cherished under the lid of a trunk. Her
knees touched Natalie's, and Garth's gorge rose at her nearness to his
precious charge--and yet the antique girl greeted them with a sort of
anxious, appealing smile, which disarmed him in spite of himself.

Promptly at eight o'clock the door of the post office was opened; and
the last bag of mail was thrown into the stage. Still the driver made no
move to climb into his seat; and Garth, becoming restless as the minutes
passed, got out and approached him.

"Good morning, driver," he said, while the bystanders stared afresh.
"What's the delay?"

He gazed at Garth with a mild and cautious blue eye; and spat deliberately
before replying. He was one of those withered little men, with a shock of
grizzled hair, and deeply seamed face and neck and hands, who might be
forty-five or seventy. As it turned out, Paul Smiley was within three
years of the latter figure. He had on a pearl Fedora very much over one
ear, a new suit of store clothes with a mighty watch chain, and new boots,
which seemed like little souls put to torment--they screeched horribly
whenever he moved.

"I couldn't start off and leave Nick Grylls," he said deprecatingly. "He
has spoke for two seats."

Garth was sensible that he was hearing a great man's name.

"I tell you it ain't often Nick Grylls travels by the stage," continued
Smiley, addressing the bystanders impressively. "He hires a rig and a
team and a driver to take him to the Landing, _he_ does."

"Who is this Mr. Grylls?" asked Garth, pursuing the reporter's instinct.

"Don't know Nick Grylls!" exclaimed old Paul, exchanging a wondering
glance around the circle. "You _must_ be a stranger! Nick Grylls is a
wonderful bright man, wonderful! He's the biggest free-trader in the
North country; trades down Lake Miwasa way. Wonderful influence with the
natives; does what he wants with them. I tell you there ain't much north
of the Landing Nick Grylls ain't in on. Here he comes now! All aboard!"

As Garth resumed his seat by Natalie he saw a burly, broad-shouldered
figure hurrying along the sidewalk; he saw under the wide, stiff-brimmed
hat, a red face with an insolent, all-conquering expression, and fat
lips rolling a big cigar. There followed after, a young b