for his attention. Yet he was reluctant to abandon his winter
pursuit of pelts and to return to the sterner and less thrilling
labor of ploughing and planting and peddling vegetables.

Not that he was averse to hard work---far from it! Ralph Kenyon
was as industrious, energetic, and sensible a young fellow as
one would wish to know; yet, being a very average, normal lad, and
at that age when love of freedom and adventure is foremost, he
naturally preferred the varied life of a huntsman and trapper---even
though his field of activity was not extensive---to the moiling
occupation of a market gardener.

On the other hand, there were times when he thoroughly enjoyed the
labor of wresting a livelihood from the soil, and he took pride in
raising the choicest products that could be offered for sale. Such
spells were most frequent in midsummer, when all nature was in a
placid mood for growth; but in autumn and spring came livelier hopes
and a stronger call to this lad, and in his own way he set about
accomplishing the chief aim of his life, the great end to which
these winter pursuits were but a means.

After the death of his father, which had occurred less than a month
after his graduation from High School, Ralph had taken the
responsibility of the small farm upon his eighteen-year-old shoulders,
bravely putting aside his cherished plans for a course in the School
of Mines until he could save the necessary funds from his individual
earnings. That was a year ago. In the interval he had found an
opportunity to study the principles of surveying, and for two weeks
he had acted as guide to a party of university students doing
research work in his native hills. For this service he had been