m, discharging goods.

"He'll be afther makin' ye boss av th' new camp," opined the old man
from his position beside a pile of ties. "An' av ye nade a cook just
dhrop me a loine an' Oi'll come."

"I haven't got the job yet," laughed Bill.

"But ye will. Owld Appleton'll be glad enough not havin' to come
thrapsin' into th' woods ivery month or so durin' th' winther." The old
man leaned forward upon his crutch, and with pathetic eagerness scanned
the face of the younger man.

"Me b'y," he said, "av yer plans is changed--wor-rd from th' gir-rl, or
what not, that'll be takin' ye back to Noo Yor-rk--ye'll take me wid
ye?

"Oi may be a bit owld, but Oi'm as good as iver Oi wuz. Oi c'd lear-rn
to run yer otymobile er take care av th' harses, er moind th' babies,
ut makes no difference; for whilst a McKim lives owld Dunnigan belongs
to luk afther um."

"Never fear, Daddy!" cried Bill, as the train jerked into motion. "Now
that we've found each other, we'll stick together until the end." And
he stood silent upon the steps of the caboose until the figure of the
old Irishman blended into the background.

In the front room of the one-story building with its undeceptive
two-story front, where Appleton had established his headquarters in the
little town of Creighton, the lumber magnate sat talking with Irish
Fallon.

The tote-road leading to the new camp had been pushed to completion,
and Appleton was giving Fallon some final instructions.

"I must leave for Minneapolis in the morning," he said. "Do the best
you can, and I will run up as often as possible."

"Oi'll do ut, sorr," replied Irish. "Oi c'n lay down th' logs all
roight; th' throuble'll be wid th' figgers. If ondly me frind, Bill,
wuz here--sure, there wuz th' foine lad!"

Appleton pulled at his gray mustache and regarded the other
thoughtfully.

"You knew him well--this Bill?" he asked.

"Oi wuz th' fur-rst whoite man he seen in th' woods th' day he stud
knee-dape in th' shnow av th' tote-road, lukin' down at th' carcass av
D'ablish. An' from that toime on till he wint down undher th' logs we
wuz loike two brothers--ondly more so."

"Pretty good man, was he?"

"A-a-h, there wuz a man!" Fallon's big fist banged noisily upon the
table, and his blue eyes lighted as he faced his employer. "Misther
Appleton, ye losht a _man_ phwin th' greener wint undher. Fearin'
nayther God, man, nor th' divil, he come into th' woods, an' in wan
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