Hawtrey's Deputy

er bows. A trumpeting blast of steam swept high aloft from beside her squat funnel, and the splash of the slowly turning paddles of the couple of steam tugs that lay alongside mingled with the

ssians, Poles-and they moved on in forlorn apathy, like cattle driven to the slaughter. One wondered, from the look of them, how they had

and English by contrast with the mass of frowsy aliens. Beside them stood another official, presumably acting on behalf of the Dominion Government, though there were few restrictions imposed upon Canadian immigr

uncovered it. Since this took him two or three seconds, one could have fancied that he either possessed peculiar powers,

y were born in a different station, or half-contemptuous pity, as their temperament varied. Among them stood Mrs. Hastings, Miss Winifred Rawlinson, and Ag

Wyllard doing t

in furs, for there was a sting

n what other folks would consider most unpromising things, and, what's more to the purpose, h

test, an inarticulate cry of sorrow. While she looked on the doctor held back a long-haired man who was following a haggard woman shuffling in broken boots. He drew him aside, and when, after he had apparently consulted with the other official, two seamen hustled the man towards a second gangway that led to the tug, the woman raised a

ien was led back again the woman's cries subsided. Agatha looked at

s a man who can't see any one in trouble." Then she added, with a l

when Agatha met Wyllard. He glanced at the Lancashire sandhills, which were fading into a pale ochre gleam am

ther is dropping fast astern," he sai

matter of fact, however, our days weren't always grey. But wh

complacent self-satisfaction which occasionally characteri

citizen. They make a warning example of somebody with a physical infirmity now and then. The man, they decided, must be put ashore again. In the meanwh

aid Agatha. "But

the immigration people at the other end. It's scarcely likely that they'll make trouble

any infirmity, might

was necessary. You wouldn't have had that woman landed in Montreal, hel

in a deprecating manner, "You see, I've now and then lim

nother matter that must be mentioned, though s

ticket, insists upon being told how it is t

that he was wholly free from embarrassmen

go second-class now. One or two of the steerage exchanged when they saw their

answered th

maid, and I'm Gregory's best man. It seems to me it's

linson, who was of an independent disposition, it occurred to her that he, at least, had found a rathe

, set up a deep-toned throbbing; and ranks of little, white-topped seas rolled out of the night ahead. A half-moon hung low above them, blurred now and then by wisps of flying cloud, and odd spouts of spray that gleamed

in there?" she asked,

e. They're busy playing cards, and the stakes are rather high. In a general w

object

and when I feel I want some excitement for my doll

the one

turning over, or a gunboat dropping on to you. Then there was a good deal of very genuine excitement to be got out of placer-mining in British Columbia, especially when there was frost in the ra

at exc

dollar into the soil in spring, but if he means to succeed it costs him more than that. He must give the sweat of his tensest effort, the uttermost toil of his body-all, in fact, that has been given him. Then he must shut his eyes tight to the hazards against him, or, and we can't all do that, look at them without wavering-the drou

ealise something of the toil, the hazar

elt it ofte

vator up," said Wyllard quietly. "

ell as a wide generosity that came into play when by strenuous effort success had been attained

to your expectations, you giv

much from a single instance. Besides, tha

aning on the rails, and looking at the groups of shadowy figures on the forward deck. Their attit

reat country for a poor man. He can sleep beneath a b

geant of Canadian militia: After that armourer to a rifle club. There's places a blame long way behind the Dominion, and I struck one of them when we went with Roberts to Afghanistan. It was on that trip I and a Pa

t this. "Oh," she said,

went after Kiel, and stole the Scot

had them corralled in a pit, and every time one of the boys from Montreal broke

companions turned away, but as they moved acr

untry for a poolman. In the sum

land, until it occurred to her that in some respects she was situated very much as they were. Then, for the first time, vague misgivings crept

plunged through them with a spray cloud flying about her dipping bows. She was a small, old-fashioned boat, and-for she had some 3,000 tons of railway iron in the bottom of her-she rolled distressfully. Her tall spars swayed athwart the vivid blueness of the morning sky, with the rhythm

you been?"

erage quarters. "An acquaintance of mine who's travelling forward asked me to take a look round

a friend d

e of your naval petty officers, forcibly retired, who can't live upon h

ha, "if you would let

face a good deal that you don't like out yonder, and in one way you won't suffer from a little preparatory tr

side Scar that I haven't l

head, but half the steerage deck was wrapped in shadow, and out of it there rose a many-voiced complaining. Flimsy, unplaned fittings had wrenched away, and men lay inert amidst the wreckage, with the remains of their last meal scattered about them. There were unwashed tin plates and pannikins, knives, and spoons, sliding up and down everywhere, and the deck was foul with slops of tea, and trodden bread, and marmalade. Now and then, in a wilder roll than usual, a frowsy, huddled obj

them, while another man, whom she supposed to be the petty officer, pulled them to their feet one by one. A good deal of his labour was wasted, for the

" he said. "There's food enough served out, but before we picked the breeze up the men laid hands upon it firs

dy?" Agatha asked. "Is ther

e a clergyman, who has a curate and a lay assistant to help him, in charge. The assistant won't be available w

o help the man who was dragg

and fall in. Dress from the left, an

ows went down. After that, every other lad stepped forward at the word; the order was, "Left turn! March, and fall in on deck,"

ther hatch," he said. "The single women, and women with children are in yonder, and

her. The lads were now sitting down in a double line on deck, each with a tin plate and a steaming pannikin in front of him. There were, she fancied, at least a

prepare for berth inspection. Then, at the next whistle, you'll fall in on deck stripped to the waist

nation will be sharply dealt with. Now,

standing close by

wanted. You have probabl

deck, and the girl smiled whe

to deal with," she said. "Do you, and those othe

can trust them to evolve a workable system. It's in their nature. You can trace most things that tend to wholesome effic

iness to offer them

ather hateful, and, any way, I'm not the only one who doesn't seem to like it. There's

o was going out almost penniless to Canada, and the sergeant, had saddled themselves with the task of looking after those helpless lads. It was wholly unpaid labour, for which the men who preferred to remain within the safe limits of the saloon deck would presumably get the credit. After all, she decided there were, no doubt, men in e

y a favourite, happened to speak of Wyllard, and the efforts

undertake this

y dear. I don't ever remember him offering to point out their duty to other folks, and I don't think he goes about in search of an opportun

individual method only perpetu

d on, but it seems to me that if other folks only adopted Harry Wyllard's