ve killed me in another year or two, and even now I'm half
afraid----" He paused for a few moments with sombre face and knitted
brows; and then resumed thoughtfully: "I believe you're right, Harding,
but you haven't told us how he proposed to get rid of me."

"I'm coming to that. There was, however, another member of this party
who was in his way, and he made his plans to remove you both."

"You mean me?" Blake broke in. "It's possible, but I don't altogether
see how he'd profit."

"First, let's look at what he did. As soon as he reached the village
he heard that we had started from the Hudson's Bay post. It wouldn't
be difficult to calculate how long the stores we could carry would
last, and he'd see that the chances were in favour of our calling at
the village for provisions. Presuming on that, he sent his friends
away to look for caribou which they couldn't find. Recollect that they
owned to being puzzled because he was a good hunter. Then he cleared
out by himself, but I believe that if there was any food left in the
place he carefully hid it."

The others felt that their comrade was taking something for granted,
but they believed his suspicions were correct. They, however, made no
comment, and Harding went on, looking at Blake--

"Now I'll show you how he would have profited. I found this in his
pocket."

He took out a letter which he gave to Blake, and the latter started as
he recognized the writing. It was from Colonel Challoner to Clarke.

"You had better read the thing; it's justifiable," Benson remarked.

Blake read it aloud, holding the paper near the fire with the light
upon his face, which looked very grim.

"'In reply to your letter, I have nothing new to say and believe I have
already made my intentions plain. It would be useless for you to
trouble me with any further proposals.'"

Then Blake folded the letter and put it into his pocket.

"Now," he said, "I think I see. The man had been trying to bleed the
Colonel and got his answer."

"Is that all?" Harding asked.

"Well," said Blake, "I believe it proves your conclusions right. I
won't go into particulars, but where my uncle and cousin are threatened
I'm, so to speak, the leading witness for the defence and it wouldn't
have suited Clarke to let me speak. No doubt, that's why he took
rather drastic measures to put me out of the way."

"Then you never mean to question the story of the Indian affair?"

"What do you know abo