round in a semi-circle the
_Metis_ stretched out his arm. They were very near the man in the water
and when he spun round like a cork in the revolving backwash the
moonlight touched his wet face. Agatha, leaning over the side, saw that
he was the man who had broken into Farnam's house. The half-breed missed
him and he looked up at her as the canoe shot past. He was so close that
she could almost touch him, and she saw a look of fear in his staring
eyes. Then, without making an effort to reach the canoe, he slipped
under Thirlwell's hand and sank.

The canoe turned and an indistinct object broke the surface. It
vanished, the canoe was swept back to the edge of the main rush, and for
a minute or two Thirlwell and the half-breed struggled desperately. When
they reached the slack again, there was nothing but angry water and
racing foam. The man had gone and Agatha shivered and felt faint.

After that she had a hazy impression of streaming woods and flying belts
of gloom as they swept down through the slack, until they drove out upon
the tail-pool. For some minutes Thirlwell and the half-breeds battled
with the eddies, and then they floated on smoothly and a light began to
twinkle among the pines.

Thirlwell steered for the bank and Scott and some of the miners met them
at the landing. Agatha was glad to leave the canoe, for her nerves were
badly jarred.

Thirlwell presented Scott, who took them to the shack, which looked as
if it had been recently cleaned. He said Agatha must make use of it for
a day or two, and he and Thirlwell would find a berth in the store-shed.
Then they began to talk about the accident and Scott said, "Driscoll
came back from the bush, looking ill, a week since and shut himself up
in his shack. One of the boys told Father Lucien, who went along to look
after him and found him very sick. That's all I know."

Agatha asked a few questions and then told them about the burglary.

"I am sure he was the man who opened my trunk," she said.

"Ah!" said Scott. "Do you think he knew you?"

"I believe he did. It's curious, but I thought he was afraid."

"Perhaps he was afraid," Scott agreed, with a meaning look at Thirlwell,
who got up.

"I had better go to meet Father Lucien. He'll come down to the landing
after us."

He found the missionary hurrying along the bank, and stopping him, sat
down.

"Driscoll's gone; we did our best to pick him up," he remarked and
related what had happened. "We may f