The Superintendent had gone up the line, the Sergeant informed them, following the larger construction gangs. The Sergeant and two men had some fifty miles of line under patrol, with some ten camps of various kinds on the line and in the woods, and in addition they had the care of that double stream of humanity flowing in and flowing out without ceasing day or night.
As the Inspector stepped inside the Police tent Cameron's attention was arrested by the sign "Hospital" upon a large double-roofed tent set on a wooden floor and guyed with more than ordinary care.
"Wonder if old Martin is anywhere about," he said to himself as he rode across to the open door.
"Is Dr. Martin in?" he enquired of a Chinaman, who appeared from a tent at the rear.
"Doc Matin go 'way 'long tlain."
"When will he come back?" demanded Cameron.
"Donno. See missy woman."
So saying, he disappeared into the tent while Cameron waited.
"You wish to see the doctor? He has gone west. Oh! Why, it--"
Cameron was off his horse, standing with his hat in one hand, the other outstretched toward the speaker.
"Why! it cannot be!--it is--my patient." The little nurse had his hand in both of hers. "Oh, you great big monster soldier! Do you know how fine you look?"
"No," replied Cameron, "but I do know how perfectly fine you look."
"Well, don't devour me. You look dangerous."
"I should truly love one little bite."
"Oh, Mr. Cameron, stop! You terrible man! Right in the open street!" The little nurse's cheeks flamed red as she quickly glanced about her. "What would Dr. Martin say?"
"Dr. Martin!" Cameron laughed. "Besides, I couldn't help it."
"Oh, I am so glad!"
"Thank you," said Cameron.
"I mean I am so glad to see you. They told us you would be coming to join us. And now they are gone. What a pity! They will be so disappointed."
"Who, pray, will be thus blighted?"
"Oh, the doctor I mean, and--and"--here her eyes danced mischievously--"the other nurse, of course. But you will be going west?"
"No, south, to-day, and in a few minutes. Here comes the Inspector.
May I present him?"
The little nurse's snapping eyes glowed with pleasure as they ran over the tall figure of the Inspector and rested upon his fine clean-cut face. The Inspector had just made his farewell to the Sergeant preparatory to an immediate departure, but it was a full half hour before they rose from the dainty tea table where the little nurse had made them afternoon tea from her own dainty tea set.
"It makes me think of home," said the Inspector with a sigh as he bent over the little nurse's hand in gratitude. "My first real afternoon tea in ten years."
"Poor man!" said the nurse. "Come again."
"Ah, if I could!"
"But YOU are coming?" said the little nurse to Cameron as he held her hand in farewell. "I heard the doctor say you were coming and we are quite wild with impatience over it."
Cameron looked at the Inspector.
"I had thought of keeping Cameron at Macleod," said the latter.
"But now I can hardly have the heart to do so."
"Oh, you needn't look at me so," said the little nurse with a saucy toss of her head. "He wouldn't bother himself about me, but--but--there is another. No, I won't tell him." And she laughed gaily.
Cameron stood mystified.
"Another? There is old Martin of course, but there is no other."
The little nurse laughed, this time scornfully.
"Old Martin indeed! He is making a shameless pretence of ignorance, Inspector Dickson."
"Disgraceful bluff I call it," cried the Inspector.
"Who can it be?" said Cameron. "I really don't know any nurse. Of course it can't be--Mandy--Miss Haley?" He laughed a loud laugh almost of derision as he made the suggestion.
"Ah, he's got it!" cried the nurse, clapping her hands. "As if he ever doubted."
"Good Heavens!" exclaimed Cameron. "You don't mean to tell me that Mandy-- What is poor Mandy doing here? Cooking?"
"Cooking indeed!" exclaimed the nurse. "Cooking indeed! Just let the men in this camp, from John here," indicating the Chinaman at the rear of the tent, "to the Sergeant yonder, hear you by the faintest tone indicate anything but adoration for Nurse Haley, and you will need the whole Police Force to deliver you from their fury."
"Good Heavens!" said Cameron in an undertone. "A nurse! With those hands!" He shuddered. "I mean, of course--you know--she's awfully good-hearted and all that, but as a nurse you know she is impossible."
The little nurse laughed long and joyously.
"Oh, this is fun! I wish Dr. Martin could hear you. You forget, Sir, that for a year and a half she has had the benefit of my example and tuition."
"Think of that, Cameron!" murmured the Inspector reproachfully.
But Cameron only shook his head.
"Good-bye!" he said. "No, I don't think I pine for mountain scenery. Remember me to Martin and to Man--to Nurse Haley."
"Good-bye!" said the little nurse. "I have a good mind to tell them what you said. I may. Just wait, though. Some day you will very humbly beg my pardon for that slight upon my assistant."
"Slight? Believe me, I mean none. I would be an awful cad if I did. But--well, you know as well as I do that, good soul as Mandy is, she is in many ways impossible."
"Do I?" Again the joyous laugh pealed out. "Well, well, come back and see." And waving her hand she stood to watch them down the trail.
"Jolly little girl," said the Inspector, as they turned from the railway tote road down the coulee into the Kootenay trail. "But who is this other?"
"Oh," said Cameron impatiently, "I feel like a beastly cad. She's the daughter of the farmer where I spent a summer in Ontario, a good simple-hearted girl, but awfully--well--crude, you know. And yet--" Cameron's speech faded into silence, for his memory played a trick upon him, and again he was standing in the orchard on that sunny autumn day looking into a pair of wonderful eyes, and, remembering the eyes, he forgot his speech.
"Ah, yes," said the Inspector. "I understand."
