The Prospector

ween and were slowly climbing up the western slope of every undulation when S

he barracks of the North-West Mounted Police. The flag floating abo

t Shock guessed were the hotels and stores. One of the latter he recognised from its flag as that of the ancient and honourable Hudson's Bay Company. On a back street here

rolling prairie to where the amber of the sky

h, seemed the huddling bunch of dejected buildings, and yet the whole interest of heaven a

ky, deep blue overhead and shading by indefinable transitions through blues and purples into pearl greys and rose tints, and at last into glorious yellow gold at

of depression as he followed the trail winding down the long slope toward the

h he was unfamiliar. Often before a big match he had been shamefully conscious of this same nervous fear. He remembered how his heart had seemed too big for his body, till he felt it in his throat. But he reme

n; and in that horse country, where men were known by their horses rather than by personal characteristic

local feeling. The three favourites were representative horses. The money of the police and all the Fort contingent in the community had been placed on the long, rangey thoroughbr

rong rivalry existed. In this contest the east had "banked" on Captain Hal Harricomb, rancher and gentleman farmer, and his black Demon. The western men, all ranchers, who despised and hated farmers and everything pertaining to them, were all ranged behind the Swallow, a dainty little

he Demon and one to the Swallow, Foxhall susta

wn in intensity, and now was concentrated i

ayuse peacefully trotting along the trail to where it met the main street. The street was lined o

fierce outburst of yells, oaths, and execrations, and at

to the shaft, but declined to remove his body; and, indeed, had he been ever so eager, there would hardly have been time. A big black horse was plunging wildly not more than ten feet behind him. A fierce

head! Git off the course

cowboy in chaps, woollen shirt, and stiff, broad-brimmed h

o his brain, a mad desire to punish the man who was brutally beating his pony,

shoulder, "that was a clever throw!" Th

ed hair and moustache and erect military form, regarding him with

continued the old gentleman. "What busi

ourse?" said Ike wrathfully, as he slowly

ng him carefully in the eye, "I'll give you twenty-five dollars

place and was beating its steady beat.

do it again, and I d

ock with his forefinger on the breas

. "But I do know that I do not intend to try.

s," drawl

hat had gathered round. Ike looked round th

do that trick when I'm a-watchin', here's his opportunity right naouw-fer fun, or fe

ent or two, and then the same voice drawled, "Nobody's hungry, I

back to Shock, "I'd l

fence, but Shock's position never change

ow how it happened. I saw my horse being abuse

owd. "Nonsense! Perfectly right, I say, and Ike knows it. What wou

obacco in his cheek. "Poundin' Slipper," he repeated with even gre

y, who was still wrathful, but more puzzled than wrathful. The smiling man at the pony's head looked s

oes he have any lingerin' suspicion that he is capable of that act?" Ike reserved his b

ce again from the crowd. "I'll ba

and more puzzled. Shock was an entirely new experience. He woul

the old gentle

ire nor the intention of fighting you, which is perhaps all the better for you. That is a poor way to treat a stranger

a doctor first of all. Two of my friends at Loon

or service to-day. Unfortunately, our doctor, though a remarkably clever practitioner, is not always-

of the Old Prospector in his pain and of little Patsy lying in semi-unconsciousness in the ba

, "you will need to kidnap him

y," said Sh

ntleman st

lieve you mean to. And if

the house of Mr. Macfa

Mr. Macfarren, you will find him down at the other end of the street at the finishing post. He will be very busily engaged at the present, however, being one of the judges

lder of these was a man strongly built, face open and honest, but showing signs of hard living. He rode a powerful black horse, whose t

Kid," and often "The Kiddie," and thought of him with admiring and caressing tenderness, no man of them failed to give him full respect; for boy as he was, he had a man's nerve, a man's grip, his muscles were all steel, and with all his smiling gentleness none of them would think o

y, "That's the fellow that nearly spilled me. And if Demon hadn't bee

ring tone, "don't you know enough to keep

taken aback a

know this was a race-course, no

didn't! Hadn't

m his pocket said quietly, "You are Mr. Macfarren, I

farren opened the letter with a scowl. A

as a piece of folly to plant a man here, that we didn't require and didn't want a man. The community is well supplied already with

isconcerting in the extreme to be told by the man upon whom he ha

ve reached them in time, I

oughly. "We won't want a minister. We are thoroughly well

ested by the sharp and peremptory voice of the old gentle

is a stranger, I presume. W

heeling his pony and looking rather

," said Sh

s General Brady, one o

, shaking Shock warmly by the hand. "You will find us rough and wil

id Shock, with a sud

said Macfarren, as if trying to atone for his former rud

said the Ge

There are plenty of-ah-positions-places, I believe, where you will find-ah-opportunity. But if

owed in

to Shock he said, with hearty interest showing i

look about for a boarding place of some kind,

rested in this stranger, and t

s. I have, unfortunately, an engagement that will keep me late in town to-night, else I should insist on your accompanying me at once-an engagement which I cannot well break. In short, this is our annual spring meeting of the Turf Association, and there is in connection with it some sort of social function to wind the thing up to-night, and Mrs. Brady, being one of th

stranger, upon whom he had no

ur invitation later. I feel I must get settled to my work at once. I have been long on the way, and my work is waiting me." Then

n you will, sir, and stay as long as you can. The sooner you come and the longer you stay, the better we shall be plea

of all that had taken place, and while his sympathy had gone completely with Shock and against Ma

nto Ike Iveson's pants. Here's twenty-five dollars," diving deep into his hip pocket and pulling out a plug of tobacco, a knife, and a roll of bills, "which is a standi

n it. It was the tone of a man who had come upon an interest

rom Ike, "I cannot take that. Be

that's so. And I consider it something hands

d when I want fifty dollars very badly I may come to you. But," he added,

uid hand. Shock grasped it warmly. A slight tremour ra

xt time. I prefer a grizzly myself." He looked down at his finger nails. "Didn't expect to see 'em on,

omments. "-A preacher, Ike? Say, you'll ha

ey's churc

ow as I e

ean, he treats '

y'll have to dust

have any misunderstandin' with that there ascension ladder, he'll make you say more prayers in a minute than you've said f

board. He watched him go into the Royal and in a few minutes come out again

action. He had a scheme of his own in mind. "There aint a six-foot hole in

sense of being not wanted. The town was humming with life, but in that life there was no place