"He took some chances now and then, but he did not get hurt much."
"Although he came near it? I heard something about your going to his rescue one night with a gun."
Carrie blushed and Bernard fixed his eyes on her face as he went on: "Did you mean to use the gun?"
She lifted her head, her mouth went hard, and her glance got steady. "Yes. If I'd thought the other fellow could reach Jim with his ax, I would have shot him!"
Bernard nodded. "Sometimes the primitive plan is the only plan. One can see that you have pluck enough to meet a crisis. But I have kept you and have some other calls."
He got up and when she went with him down the steps gave her his hand. "May I come back another day?"
"Of course, but unless he knows you're coming, Jim will be occupied at the marsh."
"Then come when you like," said Carrie, smiling. "I think you mean to be nice."
In the meantime, Jim had got to work and under his superintendence a gang of men piled barrowsful of peat soil on the wreck of the dabbin. By noon a bank had advanced across the piles of broken clay and a cut that was to make a new channel for the creek began to open. Once or twice Jake imagined an indistinct figure lurked among some clumps of gorse, as if watching the work, but he was not certain and said nothing.
Jim and he did not go home for lunch and when the men stopped at noon found a sheltered hollow and opened a basket of food Jim had sent for. The day was bright, but a cold wind flecked the advancing tide with foam and swept the empty flats. Dry reeds rustled in the creek and a flock of circling plover gleamed against a cloud that trailed its shadow across the marsh. For all that, the sun was warm in the corner where they ate their lunch.
"Did Shanks send you notice that he had gone to the cottage?" Jake asked presently.
"He told the teamster to come for his truck. I expect he thought this enough."
"Wouldn't own up that he'd given in!" Jake remarked. "The fellow's a blamed obstinate old tough. I wonder whether he felt curious if you were hurt."
"I reckon he knew," said Jim. "However, I thought this morning there was somebody about----"
He stopped abruptly, and Jake heard a step. They were quiet for a few moments, and then Tom Shanks came round a corner of the bank and stood looking at them. Jim's face was cut and rather white, but the stains on his clothes indicated that he had been working among wet soil. Jake gave Shanks a keen glance and thought he looked surprised, as if he had not expected to see Jim there.
