Words would not come for a moment.

Houston could only stare and realize that his burden had become greater than ever.

In the wagons behind him were twenty men, guaranteed at least a month of labor, and now there was nothing to provide it.

The mill was gone; the blade was still hanging in its sockets, a useless, distempered thing; the boiler was bent and blackened, the belting burned; the carriages and muley saws and edgers and trimmers were only so much junk.

He turned at last to Ba'tiste, to ask tritely what he knew could not be answered: "But how did it happen, Ba'tiste?
Didn't any one see ?" The Canadian shrugged his shoulders.
"Ba'teese come back.