grew thicker. So far as she could see, the trail now
differed in nothing from the rest of the wilderness, but he held on
without hesitation, and she felt no surprise when once or twice a belt of
trees she remembered loomed up. They made better progress when the snow
ceased, and at length Prescott stopped his horse and she saw a faint
blink of light some distance off.

"That's Leslie's," he said. "Shall I drive to the house with you?"

"No, that isn't needful, thank you."

"Then I'll wait until I see the door open. I'll look up Curtis in the
morning."

Muriel turned off toward the farm, where she found Colston and her sister
disturbed by her absence.

"Where have you been?" Mrs. Colston asked. "You have frightened us. Harry
would have driven out to look for you if he had known which way to go."

"I went to the settlement. I bought the things we spoke about, and I met
Mr. Prescott, who brought me home." Muriel spoke in a tone that
discouraged further questions. "Now I'm very cold, Harry, you might shake
the snow from those furs."

She left them soon afterward, pleading fatigue, and went to sleep,
feeling satisfied with what she had done and knowing that Prescott would
keep his promise.

Her confidence was justified, for on the following day he drove over to
the police post and found Curtis alone.

"I've come to tell you something and I'll ask you to let me get through
before you begin to talk," he said.

Curtis showed no surprise and indicated a chair.

"Sit there and go ahead."

He listened with close attention while Prescott described his journey and
recounted all that he had learned about Kermode.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Curtis asked.

"I couldn't imagine that you would believe it."

"Then what makes you think I'll believe it now?"

"To be honest, I don't care whether you do or not."

Curtis sat silent a few moments.

"What you have told me amounts to this," he then summed up: "you have
heard of a man who seems to look like Cyril Jernyngham."

"It's as much to the purpose that he acts like him. I've told you all I
learned about his doings and you can judge for yourself. You knew the
man."

"So do you," said Curtis pointedly.

Prescott smiled.

"Leave it at that. I want you to find out whether I'm correct or not. You
made some inquiries along the new line?"

"We didn't go far west," Curtis admitted. "There were difficulties, and
we couldn't see much reason for the search. I