2 THE DRAMA OF THE FORESTS 



question was as to whether I was single. His second, as to 

 whether my time was my own. Then he slowly looked me 

 over from head to foot. He seemed to be measuring my 

 stature and strength and to be noting the colour of my eyes 

 and hair. 



Narrowing his vision, he scrutinized me more carefully than 

 before, for now he seemed to be reading my character — if not 

 my soul. Then, smiling, he blurted out: 



"Come, be my guest for a couple of weeks. Will you?" 



I laughed. 



He frowned. But on realizing that my mirth was caused 

 only by surprise, he smiled again and let flow a vivid descrip- 

 tion of a place he called Spearhead. It was the home of the 

 northern fur trade. It was the centre of a great timber region. 

 It was the heart of a vast fertile belt that was rapidly becoming 

 the greatest of all farming districts. It was built on the 

 fountain head of gigantic water power. It virtually stood 

 over the very vault that contained the richest veins of mineral 

 to be found in the whole Dominion — at least that's what he 

 said — and he also assured me that the Government had realized 

 it, too, for was it not going to hew a provincial highway clean 

 through the forest to Spearhead? Was it not going to build a 

 fleet of steamers to ply upon the lakes and rivers in that sec- 

 tion? And was it not going to build a line of railroad to the 

 town itself in order to connect it with the new transcontinental 

 and thus put it in communication with the great commercial 

 centres of the East and the West? In fact, he also impressed 

 upon me that Spearhead was a town created for young men 

 who were not averse to becoming wealthy in whatever line of 

 business they might choose. It seemed that great riches were 

 already there and had but to be lifted. Would I go? 



But when I explained that although I was single, and quite 

 free, I was not a business man, he became crestfallen, but 

 presently revived enough to exclaim: 



