uption, excepting where the significance of certain
points in the story escaped him, and, at the conclusion, he was as
conversant with the situation as though he had been present at the
investigation. The great man was profoundly impressed with what he
heard. Not so much with the shrewdness of the officer as with the simple
significance of the loss of further trace of the cattle at the edge of
the muskeg. Up to this point of the story he felt assured that Horrocks
was to be perfectly relied upon, but, for the rest, he was not so sure.
He felt that though this man was the finest tracker in the country the
delicate science of deduction was not necessarily an accompaniment to
his prairie abilities. Therefore, for the moment, he concentrated his
thoughts upon the features surrounding the great keg.

"It is a curious thing," he said retrospectively, as the policeman
ceased speaking, "that in all previous raids of this Retief we have
invariably tracked the lost stock down to this point. Of course, as you
say, there is not the slightest doubt that the beasts have been herded
over the keg. Everything seems to me to hinge on the discovery of that
path. That is the problem which confronts us chiefly. How are we to find
the secret of the crossing?"

"It cannot be done," said Horrocks, simply but with decision.

"Nonsense," exclaimed the other, with a heavy gasp of breath. "Retief
knows it, and the others with him. Those cattle could not have been
herded over single-handed. Now to me it seems plain that the crossing is
a very open secret amongst the Breeds."

"And I presume you consider that we should work chiefly on that
hypothesis?"

"Exactly."

"And you do not consider the possible capture of Retief as being the
most important feature of the case?"

"Important--certainly. But, for the moment, of minor consideration. Once
we discover the means by which he secretes his stock--and the
hiding-place--we can stop his depredations and turn all our energies to
his capture. You follow me? At first I was inclined to think with you
that the capture of the man would be the best thing. But now it seems to
me that the easiest method of procedure will be the discovery of that
path."

The rasping tone in which Lablache spoke conveyed to the other his
unalterable conviction. The prairie man, however, remained unconvinced.

"Well," he replied, after a moment's deliberation, "I cannot say I agree
with you. Open secret or not, I've a not