As the new-comers ranged themselves uncomfortably about the wall Dan Appleton entered and greeted them with his customary breeziness. "The pay-master is busy, and Doc Gray has a surgical case," he said, "so I'll cash your time-checks. Get me the box, will you, Sis?" He had avoided Eliza's eyes upon entering, and he avoided them now, but the girl's throat was aching as she hurried into her bedroom and hastily replaced the rolls of greenbacks she had removed from the tin box. When he had finished paying off, Dan said, brusquely: "Now we mustn't have any loafing around town, understand?" "We can't get back to-night," said one of the men. "Oh yes, you can. I ordered an engine out." "We hear--there's talk about quitting work," another ventured. "Where's O'Neil?" "He's in the States buying a steamship," answered Dan, unblushingly. "We can't get stuff fast enough by the regular boats." "Good! That sounds like business. We don't want to quit." "Now hurry! Your parlor-car is waiting." When he and Eliza were alone he turned to her with a flush of embarrassment. "Aren't we the darnedest fools, Sis? I wouldn't mind if we had done the chief any good, but we haven't." He closed the lid of the tin box, which was nearly empty now, and pushed it away from him, laughing mirthlessly. "Hide that sarcophagus where I can't see it," he commanded. "It makes me sick." Eliza flung her arm about his neck and laid her cheek against his. "Poor Danny! You're a brick!" "It's the bread-line for us," he told her. "Never mind. We're used to it now." She laughed contentedly and snuggled her face closer to his. It was on the following morning that O'Neil's cablegram announcing the result of his interview with Illis reached Omar. Dr. Gray brought the news to the Appleton bungalow while Dan and his sister were still at breakfast. "Happy Tom" came puffing and blowing at his heels with a highly satisfied I-told-you-so expression on his round features. "He made it! The tide has turned," cried the doctor as he burst in waving the message on high. "Yes!" he explained, in answer to their excited questions. "Murray got the money and our troubles are over. Now give me some coffee, Eliza. I'm all shaky." "English money!" commented Slater. "The same as we used on the North Pass." "Then he interested Illis!" cried Dan. "Yep! He's the white-winged messenger of hope. I wasn't worried for a minute," Tom averred. The breakfast which followed was of a somewhat hysterical and fragmentary nature, for Eliza felt her heart swelling, and the faithful Gray was all but undone by the strain he had endured. "That's the first food I've tasted for weeks," he confessed. "I've eaten, but I haven't tasted; and now--I'm not hungry." He sighed, stretched his long limbs gratefully, and eyed the Appletons with a kindly twinkle. "You were up in the air, too, weren't you? The chief will appreciate last night's affair."