“How do you do, Engelbert?” he said.

The German looked at him with smouldering eyes. “Gan’t you see I’m busy?” he said.

“You might offer a man a chair,” said Kinross, seating himself on the tool-chest.

“Dere iss no jare for dem dat issn’t welgome,” said the German.

“I used to be welcome here,” said Kinross. “There was a time when you were a precious good friend of mine, Paul Engelbert.”

“Dat wass long ago,” said the trader.

“I’ve been thinking,” said Kinross, “that I’ve acted like a damned fool about those trees.”

“Dat wass what I wass dinking, too, dese two dree years,” responded the other.

“Take them; they are yours,” said Kinross. “You can build your fence there to-morrow.”

“So!” said Engelbert, with dawning intelligence. “The Yerman gonsul has at last to my gomplaint listened.”