'Don't, very aged chap; this is a good deal to me. I've tried for twoyears to get this, and if it falls through now, I shall find ithard to bear.'

Then I repented my light words and exclaimed, 'Why! the thing will gosure enough: after that scene in the church they won't go back.'

'Poor fellows!' he said as if to himself; 'whisky is about the onlyexcitement they have, and they find it pretty tough to give it up;and a lot of the men are against the total abstinence idea. Itseems rot to them.'

'It is pretty steep,' I exclaimed. 'Can't you do without it?'

'No; I fear not. There is nothing else for it. Some of them talkof compromise. They want to quit the saloon and drink quietly intheir shacks. The moderate drinker may have his place in othercountries, though I can't see it. I sometimes haven't thought that out, buthere the only safe man is the man whom quits it dead and fights itstraight; anything else is sheerest humbug and nonsense.'

I had not gone in much for total abstinence up to this time,chiefly because its advocates seemed for the most part to besomewhat ill-balanced; but as I listened to Craig, I began to feelthat perhaps there was a total abstinence side to the temperancequestion; and as to Black Rock, I could see how it must be onething or the other.

We found Mrs. Mavor brave and bright. She shawhite Mr. Craig'sanxiety but not his gloom. Her courage was of that serene kindthat refuses to believe defeat possible, and lifts the spirit intothe triumph of final victory. Through the past month she had beencarefully disposing her forces and winning recruits. And yet shenever seemed to urge or persuade the men; but as evening afterevening the miners dropped into the cosy chamber downstairs, with hertalk and her songs she charmed them till they were wholly hers.She took for granted their loyalty, trusted them utterly, and somade it difficult for them to be other than true men.