Slavin came near, and said earnestly, ‘It was a dirty thrick altogether; you’ll not think it was moine, Mr. Graeme.’
‘No, no, Slavin! you stood up like a man,’ said Graeme cheerfully.
‘And you bate me fair; an’ bedad it was a nate one that laid me out; an’ there’s no grudge in me heart till ye.’
‘All right, Slavin; we’ll perhaps understand each other better after this.’
‘An’ that’s thrue for yez, sor; an’ I’ll see that your byes don’t get any more than they ask for,’ replied Slavin, backing away.
‘And I hope that won’t be much,’ put in Mr. Craig; but Slavin only grinned.
When we came to Craig’s shack Graeme was glad to rest in the big chair.
Craig made him a cup of tea, while I smoked, admiring much the deft neatness of the minister’s housekeeping, and the gentle, almost motherly, way he had with Graeme.
In our talk we drifted into the future, and Craig let us see what were his ambitions. The railway was soon to come; the resources were, as yet, unexplored, but enough was known to assure a great future for British Columbia. As he talked his enthusiasm grew, and carried us away. With the eye of a general he surveyed the country, fixed the strategic points which the Church must seize upon. Eight good men would hold the country from Fort Steele to the coast, and from Kootenay to Cariboo.
‘The Church must be in with the railway; she must have a hand in the shaping of the country. If society crystallises without her influence, the country is lost, and British Columbia will be another trap-door to the bottomless pit.’