"Mrs. Thayor and my daughter, Mr. Morrison," said Thayor. "Pleased to meet you, marm." Morrison raised his hat and stretched out a coarse red hand. Alice extended three fingers of her own despite her repulsion. There was really no other way out of it. "And here's the little gal, I 'spose," continued the proprietor. Margaret laughed as she shook hands. "Won't ye stop and take something, friend?" he asked Blakeman. Blakeman raised his eyebrows in protest. "_Mon Dieu!_" whispered Annette. "Relations of yourn, Mrs. Thayor?" asked Morrison, noticing Annette's embarrassment. Alice straightened. "My maid!" she said stiffly. "Wall, I'm sorry none of ye ain't dry," said Morrison. "No, thank you," replied Thayor; "we must be getting up to camp." Again the bays fell into a brisk trot. Alice was furious. "Who is that dreadful person, Sam?" she asked. "You must not mind him, Alice. He meant well enough," explained her husband. "Morrison's rough, I'll grant you, but he's a good fellow at heart." "It was only his way," added Holcomb. "He didn't mean to be impolite, Mrs. Thayor." "Of course he didn't, mother," added Margaret with a glance at Holcomb. The bays turned suddenly to the left into the new road. Alice emitted a sigh of relief. There was a sense of luxury--of exclusiveness--in passing over its smooth surface. Morrison and his common hotel, with its blear-eyed windows, were now well out of sight. Presently the camp lay ahead of them--an orderly settlement of trim buildings. Margaret was too excited to do more than gaze ahead of her with eager interest. "Here we are!" exclaimed Thayor. "There, Alice, you can thank Mr. Holcomb for all you see; I really had nothing to do with it." His wife did not reply. Only Margaret's eyes met his own--a pair of brown eyes that seemed to be half sunshine and half tears. As they drew up to the wide veranda of the camp, the trapper and the Clown came slowly across the compound to meet them; at the heels of the trapper stalked the old dog, watching the new arrivals with a certain dignified interest.