his eye, when as they started again Miss Deringham glanced at him
questioningly. "That," he said, "wasn't quite fair to me. They knew I
couldn't talk back, you see."

Miss Deringham laughed, and when an hour or two later he pulled the
horses up beside a lake and made one or two alterations to enhance her
comfort, glanced at him again.

"Did you come out here from England?" said she.

The man's face grew a trifle grim. "No," he said gravely. "Whatever
could have made you think that of me?"

There were reasons why the girl could not explain, and the man
stretched out an arm with a little proud gesture that became him
curiously. "I am a Canadian first and last," said he. "Isn't this
country good enough for anybody?"

Miss Deringham was forced to admit that it apparently was. A blue lake
gleaming steely blue in the sunlight stretched away before them between
the towering firs, and beyond it lay an entrancing vision of great
white peaks.

"You do not like England, then?" said she.

The teamster smiled a little. "That," he said, "is not a fair question
to ask me. You and your father live there, don't you?"

Miss Deringham felt that she had trespassed, but was astonished that
this teamster should have wit enough to silence her with a compliment.