"Mick O'Neill is with you, isn't he?"

"He is in charge now. I relieve him. D'you know him?"

"He's often this way."

They were on the way back to the hut. "Is he interested in copper, too?"

The girl looked up in a puzzled way.

"Well, copper or no copper," Power said of a sudden, "you've a straight man there. I don't know any better one. That's about it."

He fell into thought again, walking at no great pace with eyes upon the ground. His preoccupation brought a pout to the girl's lips. She said: "You're to be a week on the road, aren't you?"

"That's about it."

"Will you be seeing us agen?"