"The high smear against the rocks is from a mine stack, and I think I see the steam from a sawmill by the river," Jim said quietly. "The line will soon be finished, and you have helped us out."
The color came into Carrie's face and her eyes shone. "Perhaps I have helped some; if I have, I'm glad. Now I'm proud of my family. You have put it over."
"We came near being beaten," Jim replied with some emotion. "I think, if you had not been with us, we would have been beaten."
Carrie gave him a level glance. "It's done with, Jim. I wanted you and Jake to make good, for your sake and mine. You see, if you couldn't have stood for it, I'd have lost confidence in myself."
"I'm not sure I do see," Jim replied, as they started down hill.
"It's good to concentrate, but perhaps you concentrate too much," Carrie resumed by and by. "You see things right in front; you don't look about."
"I suppose I am like that," Jim admitted. "I don't know if it's good or not."
Carrie smiled rather curiously. "We didn't choose our characters; they were given us. I wonder what would have happened had we been different——"
She stopped as they climbed across a fallen tree and said nothing more until they reached the camp.