t sleeps. 'Twere night when we gets t' Wolf Bight, an'
I says t' Bill, says I: ''Tis near midnight, an' likewise t' th' New
Year. They'll be sleepin', an' le's's wake un up shootin' th' New Year
in like all creation.'

"Gettin' alongside th' winder, we lets go till our rifles is empty,
and then rushin' in th' door yells, 'Happy New Year!' They was awake,
all right, wonderin' what in time an' creation were turned loose on
un, we yellin' like a passel o' Injuns. They was glad t' see us.

"Bill goes home t' Kenemish with daylight, an' your father takes me t'
th' post wi' dogs an' komatik, your mother goin' along, an' I gets
home th' evenin'."

"Were they goin' right back home?"

"No, they 'bides t' th' post with Tom Black's folks till th' end o'
th' week, an' Bessie goes back with un t' be company with your mother.
Oh, I were forgettin'! Here's somethin' your mother were sendin';" and
Ed reached under the bunk and drew forth a package.

Upon opening the package Bob discovered a quantity of sweet cakes, a
loaf of plum bread, and a letter. He passed the cakes around, then
drawing up to the candle proceeded at once to read hungrily his
mother's letter.

It was a message of love and encouragement, closing with the news of
the bank failure and consequent loss of the little fortune with which
he had planned to do so many things. Presently looking up he said, in
a shaking voice:

"Why--Ed--Mother's sayin' th' bank's broke--an' all our money's gone."

"Aye," admitted Ed, his voice sympathetic and sorrowful. "'Tis broke,
lad--I were hopin' she wouldn't write you that, an' you wouldn't know
till you gets home. But don't worry about un, now, lad. 'Twon't do no
good. If you hadn't known about un now, you wouldn't be worryin' about
un. An' now you knows, 'twon't help none."

"I suppose you're right, Ed. But 'twill be hard not t' worry. I were
plannin' so."

"'Tain't so bad as t' have some o' your folks die, now. An' I been
noticin' all my life that sometimes things happens t' me I thinks is
'most more'n I can stand, an' I feels like givin' up. Then somethin'
comes along that's better'n anything I ever thought o' gettin'. An'
then when I thinks un out, I finds th' good couldn't ha' come without
me havin' th' trouble first. So don't get feelin' too bad about un,
Bob. This may be just openin' th' way for some wonderful good luck
better 'n all th' money you loses," soothed Ed.

There was a postscript which Bob had overlooked.