favorite sport. Then your
keenness was flattering. In your country, with its lonely woods and
rivers running to the North, you have a field for strenuous sport and
adventure."

"The woods pull," Vernon agreed. "All the same, I'm a business man.
Betting at the Board of Trade is my proper job and I've got to be
satisfied with a week at a fishing camp now and then. Adventure is for
the pioneers, lumber men and railroad builders like my friend."

Lister looked up. He did not see why Vernon talked about him.

"My adventures don't count for much," he said. "Sometimes a car went
into a muskeg and we had to hustle to dig her out. Sometimes the boys
made trouble about their pay. Railroad building is often dull."

"I don't know if we're all modest in Canada, but my partner is," Vernon
observed. "If you want a romantic tale, persuade him to tell you how he
got the mark on his head."

"Oh shucks!" said Lister. "I had sooner you had cut that out." He turned
to the others apologetically. "It was a dispute with a fellow on board a
train who threw me down the steps. I don't want to bore you with the
tale."

"The man was the famous crook, Shillito," Vernon remarked.

Cartwright lifted his head and looked at Vernon hard. Then he looked at
Lister, who felt embarrassed and angry. He saw Grace and Mrs. Cartwright
were curious and thought Hyslop's glance got keen.

"If it will not bother Mr. Lister, we would like to hear his narrative,"
said Cartwright quietly, but Lister got a hint of command.

He narrated his adventure on the train, and although he tried to rob the
story of its romance, was surprised when he stopped for a moment. Vernon
was carelessly lighting a cigarette, but Lister saw his carelessness was
forced. When he got a light he crossed the grass, as if he meant to
throw the match over the hedge. Lister thought Cartwright watched Harry
with dry amusement. Mrs. Cartwright's look was obviously disturbed, but
she had not altogether lost her calm. One felt her calm was part of her,
but the Hyslops' was cultivated. Lister imagined it cost them something
to use control.

"Go on," said Cartwright, rather sharply.

Lister resumed, but presently Cartwright stopped him.

"You imagined the girl was afraid of Shillito! What were your grounds?"

"She was disturbed and declared she must get off the train. I think she
meant to jump off, although we were going fast. Then she asked me if the
conductor could be bribed to stop."