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"I expect you thought waiting for me to wake was easier than rolling logs," Charnock suggested. "Oh, well!" said the other; "you won't find we've fooled away much time." Charnock went to Festing's shack and the doctor nodded and indicated his comrade's bunk. As Charnock stopped beside it Festing turned his head. "Things going all right, Bob?"
She felt shocked and disgusted, but did not mean to let her anger master her, because there were matters that must be carefully weighed. Indeed, it was something of a relief to dwell upon the first. To hear of Festing's thrashing her traducer had given her a pleasant thrill, but all the same she vaguely disapproved. He had not taken a dignified line and had really made things worse.
In this wide, new country, man needed woman's help, and her part was as large as his. Like Sadie, and many another, she heard the call for Pioneers. Crossing the door she stood by Festing's bunk. "I understand it all, Stephen. We must be patient and allow for small differences in our points of view, for I think, in the main, we see together.
He had been long enough over his errand and the foreman's tongue was sharp, but he mused about Festing as he picked his way across the pools between the ties. Festing's object was to make money, and he imagined, perhaps foolishly, that he had urgent ground for doing so, but he meant to make a good job. He felt his responsibility, and apart from this took a curious delight in doing things well.
Norton was in the shack when they reached it, and felt Festing's clothes. "Not damp; it would be safer to let him lie until the doctor comes," he said, and sent the men away. Then he turned to Charnock sharply. "Sit right down!" Charnock swayed, clutched the chair, and sank limply into the seat. The floor heaved and the quiet figure on the stretcher got indistinct. Then Norton held out a glass.
"I'll try to get the skip out as soon as possible, and you can trust me to stop more logs getting away, for my own sake." "There'll be trouble if you let your lumber loose on me, and I want the skip soon," said the other. "A stranger asked for you a few minutes ago and I sent him up the hill." He went away and Festing's men came up. "Pretty rough luck, boss!" one remarked.
"You'll go to British Columbia and bring Festing back." "I will, by George!" said Charnock. "We owe him and Helen much, and the job is obviously mine by joining Festing I give Wilkinson the lie. You're clever, and I expect you saw this. Anyhow, I'll start; but Festing's an obstinate fellow. Suppose he won't come back?" "He mayn't at first. If so, you'll have to wait."
In fact, Festing's thoroughness was rather fine; he was an artist in his way. The artist's methods, however, were not as a rule profitable when applied to contract work. Then Charnock's meditations were rudely disturbed, for he heard a shout and saw the foreman had noted his cautious advance. "Watch him coming, boys!" the latter remarked.
"I called at your place and found you were out," Wilkinson remarked. "They told me where you had gone, and when I saw Festing's wagon I reckoned you might have gone with him. You come here pretty often, don't you?" "Steve's patient," Charnock replied with a twinkle. "I'm not sure he enjoys my visits, but he puts up with them." "Well, I want you to drive over to-morrow evening.
I mean I ought to have known the name. Was he a relative?" "My brother," Helen replied. She was silent for a moment or two, and then went on in a tone that made Festing's heart beat: "You gave him work and helped him to make a new start. He was too proud to tell us about his difficulties." "It cost me nothing; there was a job waiting. Afterwards he got on by his own merits.
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