The Lure of the North

astidious, but, like Thirlwell, he wore work-stained overalls. For a time when they first came up, both had clung to a few of the refinements of civiliza

nning obliquely across the room before it pierced the iron roof, so as to radiate as much heat as possible. Plans, drawing instruments, and some books on mining, occupied a shel

hen he looked out, Thirlwell could see the ragged tops of the stunted pines cut against a pale-green glow. By and by Scott knocked out his

did in Montreal; it looks as if machinery agents are very shy about giving credit to the owners of half-developed mines. Anyhow, when he heard of a field for

his capital out of the Cl

if we don't strike pay-dirt soon, the Clermont will go broke, and I imagine that's why Brinsmead skipped. After floating one or two small mines successfully, he has some reputation t

risked. Besides, I imagine we'll get down

alk about something else. Well, I've examined the specimen of ore you brought back. I

think about S

ntil he really believed in the ore. When you get the tanking habit such things happen. One specimen certainly doesn't pro

find the lode. She tells me he led a ve

us you met the gir

e foreman, it was the proper thing for me to tell her he was drowned. This led to ano

like S

have prepared me, I got something of a surprise. She was not the kind of g

knows yet what there is in the rocks up yonder, but we have heard of other prospectors striking pay-dirt and making nothing of their discovery. Rumors about mysterious lodes are common in a m

ld gray shirt and ragged overalls. He walked with a slight limp, in consequence of getting his foot frost-bitten on a winter journey, but he was an exp

an went by. "He knew him better than anybody else. They went North together on

was," Thirlwell objected. "I understand they only kept toge

n't see why Steve stops here instead of locating on better hun

ld help him to find the lode," sai

ttered and stunted by the winds, among the rocks until they faded from sight. There was not much to attract a white man in the desolation of tangled bush, but as he glanced across it, looking to the North, a hint of mystery in its silence appealed to

d. He had gone farther than he meant and was tired after scrambling across slippery rocks and among the driftwood that lay

s, ground by floods and ice, glimmered a livid white, and beyond them the rapid frothed and roared in angry turmoil. The river had shrunk now the melted snow had flowed away, and rocks one seldom saw lifted their black tops above th

. As he did so he thought he saw something move where the forest ran down to the river. The object was indistinct, but it looked like a man walking cautiously upon a ledge betw

he moved on, and Thirlwell, noting that he would soon pass in front of a dark rock, resolved to change his place in order to watch him better. Getting up, he went down to the water's edge

t in front of it. Then Thirlwell saw that where he stood the bush was no longer behind him. He had the inshore eddies for a background and the wa

d to the mine. The trail was rough and narrow; in places, short brush had sprung up, and there were patches of outcropping rock. It wou

n a log shack near the bank. But, if this were so, what was Driscoll's object for wading among the reefs, and why had he stolen away when he thought

nclude that he had seen him among the reefs. A few moments later a light flashed among the trees, flickered once or twice, and then burned steadily. Thirlwell knew it came from the window of the shack, but it was curious that Driscoll had lighted his lamp. In summer, miners

nswered, added: "Watch out as you go down th

to be silent. Driscoll often went fishing and knew the river well; now the water was low he could have saved some distance by crossing the uncovered reefs instead of scrambling along the curved bank

ck and might have succeeded had not the hoarseness of his voice given the latter a hint. Thirlwell felt puzzled, but could find no clue, and deciding that the matter was not important presently dismissed it. For a