CHAPTER II.
Elizabeth had ample time during the ensuing sixteen hours for inquiry as to the nature of sink-holes.
When she emerged, dressed, into the saloon--she found Yerkes looking out of the window in a brown study.

He was armed with a dusting brush and a white apron, but it did not seem to her that he had been making much use of them.
"Whatever is the matter, Yerkes?
What is a sink-hole ?" Yerkes looked round.
"A sink-hole, my lady ?" he said slowly--"A sink-hole, well, it's as you may say--a muskeg." "A _what ?_" "A place where you can't find no bottom, my lady.

This one's a vixen, she is! What she's cost the C.P.R.!"-- he threw up his hands.

"And there's no contenting her--the more you give her the more she wants.
They give her ten trainloads of stuff a couple of months ago.

No good! A bit of moist weather and there she is at it again.