No! This canny gentleman recoiled in horror from anything that presented even the slightest risk. To get into the habit of calculating the possibilities of gain or loss, to feel that he was at the mercy of events that could be neither foreseen nor prevented, to wake up in the morning thinking, "Am I richer or poorer than I was yesterday?"-that would have seemed horrible to him. Better, he thought, never to have gone to sleep or never to have awakened.

That was the very distinct difference between the two cousins, both of French Canadian origin. That they were the offspring of two sisters and had the same French blood in their veins, there was no doubt. But while Summy Skim's father was English, Ben Raddle's father was an American, and there is certainly a difference between the Englishman and the Yankee, a difference that increases as time goes by. Jonathan and John Bull may be related,' but they are only distant relatives, not even close enough to be legal heirs, and that relationship, it seems, will eventually disappear entirely.

It is worth noting, then, that the two cousins, although they were very close to each other and never imagined that anything could ever separate them, had neither the same tastes nor the same temperament. Raddle was shorter, with brown hair and beard, and two years older than Skim. He did not view life from the same perspective as his cousin. While one was content to live the life of an honest landowner and supervise the harvest, the other was passionately interested in the industrial and scientific activity of his time. He had studied engineering and had already been involved in some of those prodigious projects by which the American seeks to get the upper hand through novelty of conception and boldness of execution. It was also his ambition to become rich, very rich, by taking advantage of those extraordinary but risky opportunities that are so common in North America, especially the extraction of the earth's mineral wealth. His brain was overexcited by the fabulous fortunes of the Goulds, the Astors, the Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers, and so many other billionaires. And so, while Summy Skim hardly ever traveled, except for his frequent trips to Green Valley, Ben Raddle had traveled throughout the United States, crossed the Atlantic, and visited parts of Europe, but had never been able to persuade his cousin to go with him. He had recently come back from a fairly long journey overseas, and since his return to Montreal had been waiting for some opportunity, or rather some large-scale business venture in which he might invest. Summy Skim had reason to fear that his cousin might be lured into one of those risky ventures that he himself regarded with horror.

It would have been a great pity if Summy Skim and Ben Raddle had been forced to go their separate ways, for they loved each other like brothers. While Ben regretted that Summy refused to join him in some industrial venture, Summy regretted that Ben did not confine his ambition to running the Green Valley estate, because it would have guaranteed their independence, and with independence came liberty.

BACK A T H o M E, Summy Skim began making the arrangements that the death of Josias Lacoste involved, writing an announcement to be sent to the friends of the family and buying appropriate mourning clothes. He arranged for a religious service at his parish church for the repose of the soul of the deceased, but this would be postponed until Ben Raddle got back from his travels, for he would certainly want to attend.

Once the two cousins had come to an agreement about settling their uncle's personal affairs and claiming the inheritance (which would apparently consist of nothing more than the title to the claim on the Fortymile River), there would have to be a very serious discussion with Mr. Snubbin. The notary simply took the precaution of sending a telegram to the governor of the Klondike, in Dawson City, telling him that Josias Lacoste's heirs would shortly announce the conditions under which they would accept the inheritance, once an inventory had clarified their uncle's financial situation.

Raddle did not return to Montreal until five days later, on the morning of March 21. He had been in New York for a month with a group of engineers who were planning an enormous project, the construction of a bridge across the Hudson River between the metropolis and New Jersey, to match the one joining New York and Brooklyn.

Obviously, the planning of such a project was something that would fire the imagination of an engineer. Raddle had put his whole heart into it and had even offered his services to the Hudson Bridge Company. But it appeared that work on the bridge would not begin soon. A great deal had been written about it in the press, and there were many studies done on paper, but winter, which goes on until mid-April in that part of the United States, was not yet over. Who could tell whether work might start in the summer? Raddle had decided to go home.

Summy Skim found his cousin's absence long and tedious. How he wished he could bring his cousin around to his way of thinking, to get him to share his carefree existence! And even that great Hudson Bridge affair was a continual source of worry to him. If Ben became involved in it, would it not keep him in New York for a long time, perhaps for years? Summy would be left alone in the house they both owned, alone on the farm in Green Valley. But his efforts to keep Ben at home had been futile. The two cousins were so different in character that neither one had much influence over the other.

As soon as the engineer was home, his cousin told him about their uncle's death. He had not informed him in New York by letter or telegram because he was expecting him home any day.

Raddle was sincerely distressed at the news since his uncle Lacoste was the only remaining member of their entire family. He approved the arrangements his cousin had made for the funeral, and the next day they both attended the service, which was held in the parish church.

It was not until that day that Raddle heard the details of his uncle's affairs.