"Where do you generally get such things? At the store."

"Just so," said Curtis. "I can't see why you didn't buy one that fitted
you." He turned suddenly to Jepson. "Bring me his jacket."

The farmer made an abrupt movement, and then seemed to pull himself up,
and stood still.

"I've no use for that kind of fooling; he has it on!"

"I don't think so," said Curtis meaningly. "Give Stanton a light and
he'll look for it."

The trooper came back in a few minutes with a garment which he had found
under a bed, and Curtis bade him put it on the prisoner.

"Right size, same stuff as the trousers, and worn about as much," he
remarked. "Now you can take it off and search it."

There was nothing in the pockets, but after a careful examination Stanton
felt a lump inside the lining. He ripped that, and took out a wad of
carefully folded bills. On opening them, he found that they were for
twenty dollars each, and clean. The corporal's face grew suddenly intent.

"Where did you get them?" he asked.

"You can find out!" muttered Glover, who had shown signs of dismay.

Curtis turned to Jepson.

"It looks as if he trusted you farther than I would; but harness your
team quick, and if your brother's hanging round outside, tell him that
he'll run up against trouble if he interferes."

They sat down and waited until the farmer brought a wagon to the door,
and then they drove away through the stinging cold with their prisoner.

CHAPTER XXIV

MURIEL PROVES OBDURATE

Some time after leaving Jepson's Curtis was joined by two police
troopers, despatched by the sergeant who had telegraphed to him. He
handed over his prisoner and the wagon to them, though he asked
permission to keep the wad of bills. Then Stanton unhitched the jaded
horses from the back of the vehicle, and while the others drove back to
the west he and Curtis rode on to the post. Reaching it, half frozen, in
the morning, they filled up the stove and went to sleep until supper
time. When the meal was over they sat down to smoke and talk.

Stanton felt lazily good-humored. A sound sleep had refreshed him, and
though his limbs still ached, he was enjoying the pleasant, physical
reaction which usually succeeds fatigue and exposure to the arctic frost.
What was better, he had assisted in the successful completion of an
arduous piece of work. Curtis lay back in a chair opposite him, pipe in
mouth, his expression suggesting quiet satisfaction.

"Toes feeling pr