"Wait until the storms come," the girl persisted.

"That's what we're doing, and from present indications we won't
have much longer to wait. Weather has been breeding for several
days, and the equinox is here. Of course I'm anxious, but--I
built that breakwater, and it can't go out."

When O'Neil and Natalie returned they found the two still
arguing. "Haven't you finished your tiresome discussions?" asked
Natalie.

"Mr. Trevor has almost convinced me that the octopus is a noble
creature, filled with high ideals and writhing at the thrusts of
the muck-rakers," Eliza told them.

But at that the engineer protested. "No, no!" he said. "I haven't
half done justice to the subject. There are a dozen men in Kyak
to-night who could put up a much stronger case than I. There's
McCann, for instance. He was a prospector back in the States
until he made a strike which netted him a hundred thousand
dollars. He put nearly all of it into Kyak coal claims and
borrowed seventy thousand more. He got tired of the interminable
delay and finally mined a few tons which he sent out for a test
in the navy. It had better steaming qualities than the Eastern
coal now being used, but six weeks later an agent of the Land
Office ordered him to cease work until his title had been passed
upon. That was two years ago, and nothing has been done since. No
charges of irregularity of any sort have ever been filed against
McCann or his property. The Government has had his money for five
years, and still he can't get a ruling. He's broke now and too