His sincere and generous enthusiasm seemed to break the spell of silence that had fallen upon them. Other toasts quickly followed. In the general good feeling Barker attached himself to Van Loo with his usual boyish effusion, and in a burst of confidence imparted the secret of his engagement to Kitty Carter. Van Loo listened with polite attention, formal congratulations, but inscrutable eyes, that occasionally wandered to Stacy and again to the treasure. A slight chill of disappointment came over Barker's quick sensitiveness. Perhaps his enthusiasm had bored this superior man of the world. Perhaps his confidences were in bad taste! With a new sense of his inexperience he turned sadly away. Van Loo took that opportunity to approach Stacy. “What's all this I hear of Barker being engaged to Miss Carter?” he said, with a faintly superior smile. “Is it really true?” “Yes. Why shouldn't it be?” returned Stacy bluntly. Van Loo was instantly deprecating and smiling. “Why not, of course? But isn't it sudden?” “They have known each other ever since he's been on Heavy Tree Hill,” responded Stacy. “Ah, yes! True,” said Van Loo. “But now”-- “Well--he's got money enough to marry, and he's going to marry.” “Rather young, isn't he?” said Van Loo, still deprecatingly. “And she's got nothing. Used to wait on the table at her father's hotel in Boomville, didn't she?” “Yes. What of that? We all know it.” “Of course. It's an excellent thing for her--and her father. He'll have a rich son-in-law. About two hundred thousand is his share, isn't it? I suppose old Carter is delighted?” Stacy had thought this before, but did not care to have it corroborated by this superfine young foreigner. “And I don't reckon that Barker is offended if he is,” he said curtly as he turned away. Nevertheless, he felt irritated that one of the three superior partners of Heavy Tree Hill should be thought a dupe. Suddenly the conversation dropped, the laughter ceased. Every one turned round, and, by a common instinct, looked towards the door. From the obscurity of the hill slope below came a wonderful tenor voice, modulated by distance and spiritualized by the darkness:-- “When at some future day I shall be far away, Thou wilt be weeping, Thy lone watch keeping.” The men looked at one another. “That's Jack Hamlin,” they said. “What's he doing here?” “The wolves are gathering around fresh meat,” said Steptoe, with his coarse laugh and a glance at the treasure. “Didn't ye know he came over from Red Dog yesterday?” “Well, give Jack a fair show and his own game,” said one of the old locators, “and he'd clean out that pile afore sunrise.” “And lose it next day,” added another. “But never turn a hair or change a muscle in either case,” said a third. “Lord! I've heard him sing away just like that when he's been leaving the board with five thousand dollars in his pocket, or going away stripped of his last red cent.”