She let him go and he spent an anxious half-hour. He heard the doctor arrive and Mrs. Graham hurry about the house--getting water and bandages, he thought. Then there was silence for a while, until the doctor entered the room where he was sitting. "His foot's in a very bad state," he reported. "There's some risk of mortification, though I think it can be averted. I'll be able to tell you more in a day or two." "Do you know of any surgeon in Winnipeg or Toronto you would like to bring out?" "There's a good man in Winnipeg, which is much nearer. On the whole, it might be advisable to get his opinion." "Then wire for him," said Andrew, "and send for a trained nurse if one can be had." The doctor left and Andrew rose as Mrs. Graham came in. "I'm afraid you'll find it hard to forgive me," he said. Mrs. Graham looked troubled. "I must try to be fair. You are really not to blame; even if he hadn't met you, he would have gone to look for the lode some day. Then I'm confident you took every care of him. But, after all----" "I know," Andrew sympathized. "He was well and strong when I took him away, and I have brought him back disabled. That can't be got over." He paused and resumed in a diffident tone: "I feel responsible. There are things I can't put right--your distress, the pain your husband suffers, his regret at being laid up helpless while his foot gets better--but I must insist on making what amends are in my power. I think you understand." "Yes." Mrs. Graham gave him a grateful glance. "But we'll talk of that later." Then she smiled. "He sent you a message--you are to mail the specimens to an assayer the first thing." "I'll do so," Andrew promised, turning toward the door. "I'll come back and see how he's getting on early to-morrow." On reaching the hotel he sought Carnally. "Jake," he said, "you might fix things with the packers; give them any bonus you think fit over regulation wages. Then, because we owe them more than we can pay in money, you had better get up a supper and dance they could bring their wives to." "It's a good idea! They'll like that. I'll see about it to-morrow. I need a rest to-night, and there's a job I want to be fit for in the morning." Andrew was too weary to ask him what it was and after sending a message to Frobisher and getting supper he went off to bed. Rising late the next day, he went to Graham's and then took a sleigh drive, and by doing so missed a scene which caused some sensation in the town.