efore they left. Then Nixon rose, dressed himself, drank all
that was left of the bottle, put his money in his pocket, and came down
to the dance, wild with his old-time madness, reckless of faith and
pledge, forgetful of home, wife, babies, his whole being absorbed in one
great passion--to drink and drink and drink till he could drink no more.

Before Shaw had finished his tale, Craig's eyes were streaming with
tears, and groans of rage and pity broke alternately from him. Abe
remained speechless for a time, not trusting himself; but as he heard
Craig groan, 'Oh, the beasts! the fiends!' he seemed encouraged to
let himself loose, and he began swearing with the coolest and most
blood-curdling deliberation. Craig listened with evident approval,
apparently finding complete satisfaction in Abe's performance, when
suddenly he seemed to waken up, caught Abe by the arm, and said in a
horror-stricken voice--

'Stop! stop! God forgive us! we must not swear like this.'

Abe stopped at once, and in a surprised and slightly grieved voice
said--

'Why! what's the matter with that? Ain't that what you wanted?'

'Yes! yes! God forgive me! I am afraid it was,' he answered hurriedly;
'but I must not.'

'Oh, don't you worry,' went on Abe cheerfully; 'I'll look after that
part; and anyway, ain't they the blankest blankety blank'--going off
again into a roll of curses, till Craig, in an agony of entreaty,
succeeded in arresting the flow of profanity possible to no one but a
mountain stage-driver. Abe paused looking hurt, and asked if they did
not deserve everything he was calling down upon them.

'Yes, yes,' urged Craig; 'but that is not our business.'

'Well! so I reckoned,' replied Abe, recognising the limitations of the
cloth; 'you ain't used to it, and you can't be expected to do it; but it
just makes me feel good--let out o' school like--to properly do 'em up,
the blank, blank,' and off he went again. It was only under the pressure
of Mr. Craig's prayers and commands that he finally agreed 'to hold in,
though it was tough.'

'What's to be done?' asked Shaw.

'Nothing,' answered Craig bitterly. He was exhausted with his long ride
from the Landing, and broken with bitter disappointment over the ruin of
all that he had laboured so long to accomplish.

'Nonsense,' said Graeme; 'there's a good deal to do.'

It was agreed that Craig should remain with Nixon while the others of us
should gather up what fragments we could find