er Vade, sir, it is wery suffeecient," he assured in his
best English as he shook hands with profound respect. When he turned
to Kendrick there was added his evident admiration of the young man's
generosity.

Smoke was curling up from the kitchen end of the private car and the
welcome aroma of coffee announced that Taylor had breakfast ready.
They climbed aboard forthwith, but the special remained sidetracked to
pass a fast freight. It thundered by before they finished the meal and
by the time Kendrick found himself on the observation platform at the
rear of the car the special was on its way.

Wade carefully shut the door behind them. Podmore had fallen into a
sound slumber while Cranston was busy at the writing-desk, and it was
with a lively interest that Phil settled himself to listen to whatever
confidences Ben Wade might see fit to impart. For some time, however,
the President of the C.L.S. smoked in silence, his shaggy eyebrows
puckered in a frown and his gaze fastened thoughtfully upon the
serrated skyline of the spruce tops that ran rearward unceasingly.

"We've come across two or three places like that on this division the
past two weeks," said Phil to break the silence. He nodded towards the
disused station building that was receding down the track, its boarded
windows and broken platform eloquent of desolation. "I've wondered why
a perfectly good station like that should be built in the first place
if it was to be abandoned later on without even a day telegraph
operator?"

"Eh? Oh, there used to be some lumbering around here when we first
opened up. Also the road's required to put up a station every so-many
miles without regard to the surrounding country--just a fool charter
obligation, that's all; sometimes we use an old box-car----" Wade
carefully picked away the band of his cigar. "Phil, I'm going to ask
you to undertake a somewhat unusual commission for me with no very
definite idea of what it may lead you into. There may be even some
danger attached to it. It is my duty to mention this possibility,
although I know you'll consider that not at all when I tell you that
the results may have some bearing upon the welfare of--your uncle;
indirectly, perhaps your aunt.

"Let me give you a few facts. If you've cut your eye teeth you know
that just as man does not live by bread alone so elections in this fair
land are not won nowadays by mass meetings and fine speeches, but by
hard cold cash an