Bremner running this little Trading Company any more than being under
the necessity of buying his supplies here. I was put in by Mr. Horsfal
himself, to be under no one, and with the appointment of superintendent
of his Golden Crescent property. So, here I am like to stay as long as
I want to, or until Mr. Horsfal says differently."

Rita glanced up at me and her eyes brightened with a ray of hope.

"And Joe ain't got nothing to say about it?"

"Not a particle. If he had had, I would not be here now. He would
have sacked me on the spot."

"Really and truly, he ain't?" she cried, with fresh anxiety.

"Really and truly," I repeated.

"Oh! goody, goody,--"

Poor little Rita;--all sunshine and shower. She was as merry as a
kitten for a time, then she dropped back into her serious mood.

"What!--haven't all your worries gone yet?" I asked.

"Some," she said, "but not them all. Do you know what Joe is, George?
He's a bully."

"He is, undoubtedly," I agreed.

"Ya!--he is, all right. Still,--it ain't all his fault either. He's
handling rough men, and men that are bullies same as he is. He's got
to get the work done and done quick.

"Joe ain't bad. No, siree. Ask Josh Doogan, who was down and out with
something in his inside last year. When the doctor told him an
operation by a specialist in Philadelphia was the only thing that would
save him, and he hadn't a cent, Joe fixed him up and Josh is back
working in the Camps to-day. Yes!--ask Jem Sullivan, who got into
trouble with the police in Vancouver. He's working for Joe and he's
making good, too. Ask Jenny Daykin who it was that took care of her
for a year, after her Sam was drowned out at The Ghoul there, until her
young Sam finished for a school teacher. Ask,--Oh! ask most anybody;
grand-dad even, though he won't take a nickel from Joe or anybody else
except what he works for,--ask him. He's queer, is Joe, and I ain't a
bit struck on him,--not now,--I 'most hate him. But he ain't got a bad
heart, all the same."

"Rita," I put in, "I believe every word of it, and, what is more, I am
mighty glad to hear you say it, for the first impression I had of him
was, 'Here's a man with a good, open, honest face, and his body is a
perfect working machine,--a real man after my own heart.' But he
jumped on me with both hands and feet, as I might say;--I jumped
back,--and, there we are.

"I know what's wrong with him, Rita. As far as I can see, he has bee