ere running across a trestle, I pulled her from the
steps. That's how the thing began."

"But it didn't stop just then?"

"It stopped soon afterwards," Lister replied. "She wanted to get off and
go East; the train was bound West, but we were held up at a side-track,
and I put her on board a gravel train locomotive."

"Then she went East!" said Vernon thoughtfully, and studied the other.

Lister sat with his head thrown back and the sun on his brown face. His
look was calm and frank; his careless pose brought out the lines of his
thin but muscular figure. Vernon felt he was honest; he knew Lister's
type.

"She went off on board our construction locomotive," Lister replied.

"But I don't see yet! Why did you meddle? Why did she give you her
confidence?"

"She didn't give me her confidence," Lister said, and smiled. "She
wanted to get away and I helped. That's all. It's obvious I wasn't out
for a romantic adventure, because I put her off the train."

Vernon nodded. Lister's argument was sound; besides, he did not look
like a philanderer.

"Then you don't know who she is?"

"I don't know. She didn't put me wise and my business was not to bother
her."

"What was she like? Did you guess her age? How was she dressed?"

Lister lighted a fresh cigarette. Vernon's keenness rather puzzled him,
but he thought he had told the fellow enough. In fact, he doubted if the
girl would approve his frankness. He was not going to state that he had
met her at Montreal. Anyhow, not yet. If Vernon talked about the thing
again and gave proper grounds for his curiosity, he might perhaps
satisfy him.

"She was young," he answered vaguely. "Attractive, something of a
looker, I think. I don't know much about women's clothes."

"Oh, well!" said Vernon. "You helped her off and Shillito found this out
and got after you?"

"He got after me when he saw he was corraled," Lister replied, and
narrated his struggle on the platform. He was now willing to tell Vernon
all he wanted to know, but saw the other's interest was not keen and
they presently began to talk about something else.

"What are you going to do in the Old Country?" Vernon asked.

"I have no plans. For a time, I guess I'll loaf and look about. Then I
want to see my father's folks, whom I haven't met."

"Your father was English?"

"Why, yes," said Lister, smiling. "If you reckon up, you'll find a big
proportion of the staunchest Canadians' parents came from the Old
Countr