8 TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 



anxious, everybody is in a furious hurry. They 

 have all the time there is, but not nearly enough. In 

 the hotel each man dips constantly into his pocket 

 for bits of blue ore, and the words " seventy per cent.," 

 "claims," "options," sing in the very air. Does 

 all the ore smelt seventy per cent.? It would seem 

 so. We were invited to take shares in at least six 

 different mining ventures before we had been as 

 many hours in Butte, and all the prospective ore 

 was bound to smelt seventy per cent. For its size 

 no city produces more wealth than Butte, seething 

 whirlpool of plots and plans, and groans and griefs. 



Everything was a source of interest. Even to listen 

 to the many mining men who lived at our hotel 

 talking the jargon of the smelters fascinated us. The 

 passing through guest is referred to as "a transient." 



"You're a tranjan ?" said our chambermaid, dash- 

 ing in with my chota hazari. 



" I suppose so," I answered doubtfully, wonder- 

 ing whatever on earth I had claimed to be. 



One evening as we sat in the ante-room off the 

 main hall we heard the bustle of a new arrival, and 

 all inquisitive ears caught the sound of an English 

 voice. " All right," it said. " All right," just that. 

 Cecily and I looked at one another, for we should 

 know that voice wherever we heard it in jungle, 

 debate, or Babel of tongues. It could belong to one 

 man only, and that one he whom we had christened 

 the Leader of the opposition party that formerly shot 

 over Somaliland at the same time as we did. My 

 kinsman, Ralph Windus, would of a certainty be here 



