a lady, and as that is thoroughly prime China tea that I
have brought up from 'Frisco, will you do us the honour of trying a
cup?"

The change in the woman's countenance was wonderful. It softened; then
there was a smile, and her face looked quite pleasant.

"Well, really, that's very good of you," she said. "I'll go and get
myself a cup. A drop of good tea is such a treat out here."

She hurried out of the room, and Gunson laughed.

"Here, Gordon," he said, "get out that sugar you'll find in my bag. We
must do it well with company."

I brought forth a tin of sugar and placed it on the table, and Gunson
having tidied it a little by throwing the bacon rind away, and spreading
the mugs about, we sat listening to the sputtering of the bacon and
watching the flickering of the flames, which in the increasing darkness
began to gild and tinge the rough boarded walls with red.

Just then the woman came back, with two cups, a saucer, and another tin.

"I thought I'd bring you a cup to dip with," she said, "and a drop of
milk. A neighbour of ours ten miles up the river has got two cows, and
he brings me a little milk when he comes down to buy stores. He was
here this morning, so it's quite fresh."

A few minutes later, and our landlady had finished her cup of tea, which
she declared to be "lovely," while upon a second one being dipped she
took it up and carried it off, saying she was too busy to stay.

Left alone, we proceeded to discuss our own meal, slices of the
cake-like bread forming our plates, and our pocket-knives doing double
duty. Great draughts of hot tea washed down the bacon, and scarcely a
word was spoken till Esau sighed, and began to wipe and polish his big
new knife.

"Feel better, my lad?" said Gunson, smiling.

"Yes," said Esau, speaking rather reluctantly. "I am a bit better now."

"A bit? Why, you are like a new lad. Nothing like a good tea meal out
in the wilds, my lad, to put life into one. Why I've known days when
we've been ready to break down, or give up, or go back; then we've
formed camp, got a bit of fire on the way, boiled the kettle with a
pinch of tea in it, and eaten our cold bacon and damper, and been fit to
do anything after. So are you two. To-morrow morning you'll be ready
to make your start up the river, and this will be like your first lesson
in camping out."

"Which way are you going, sir?" said Esau, after a long silence, during
which we had been sitting gazing