and bare,
with cracked, board walls, from which beads of resin exuded. A moose
head hung above a rack of expensive English guns, a piano stood in
a corner, and lumps of the _gumbo_ soil that lay about the floor had
gathered among its legs. Greasy supper plates occupied the end of the
table, and the boards round the stove were blackened by the distillate
that dripped from the joint where the pipe went through the ceiling.
These things were significant, particularly the last, since one need not
burn green wood, which had caused the tarry stain, and the joint could
have been made tight.

Then Festing glanced at Charnock. The latter was a handsome man of about
Festing's age. He had a high color and an easy smile, but he had, so
to speak, degenerated since he came to Canada. Festing remembered
his keenness and careless good-humor when he began to farm, but
disappointment had blunted the first, though his carelessness remained.
He had been fastidious, but one now got a hint of a coarse streak and
there was something about his face that indicated dissipation. Yet
Festing admitted that he had charm.

"You don't look happy," he remarked.

"I don't feel particularly happy," Charnock replied. "In fact, the
reckoning I've just made looks very like a notice to quit." He threw
Festing a paper and swept the others into a drawer. "You might examine
the calculations and see if they're right. I'm not fond of figures."

"That was obvious long since. However, if you'll keep quiet for a few
minutes----"

Festing studied the paper, which contained a rough statement of
Charnock's affairs. The balance was against him, but Festing thought
it might be wiped off, or at least pulled down, by economy and
well-directed effort. The trouble was that Charnock disliked economy,
and of late had declined to make a fight. Festing doubted if he could be
roused, but meant to try.

"I see an error of a hundred dollars, but that doesn't make much
difference. Things look pretty bad, but I imagine they could be
straightened out."

"How long would it take you to put them straight?"

"Three years," said Festing, when he had made a rough calculation. "That
is, if I got moderately good crops, but I'd cut out drinks, the pool
game, and some other extravagances. You want to keep away from the
settlement."

"You'd cut out all that makes life bearable," Charnock replied, and
added while his face went hard: "Besides, three years is too long."

Festing thoug