oblivious to his presence.

Upon the last day, with the log buildings of Fort Resolution in sight,
MacNair suddenly halted the dogs and faced Corporal Ripley.

"Well, what's your program?" he asked shortly.

"My program," returned the other, "is to arrest Pierre Lapierre,"

"How are you going to do it?"

"I've got to locate him first, the details will work out later. I've
been counting a lot on your help and judgment in the matter."

"Don't do it!" snapped MacNair.

The other gazed at him in astonishment.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm not going to help you arrest Lapierre. He's mine! I
have sworn to get him, and, by God, I _will_ get him! From now on we
are working against each other."

Ripley flushed, and his eyes narrowed. "You mean," he exclaimed, "that
you defy the Mounted! That you refuse to help when you're called on?"

MacNair laughed. "You might put it that way, I suppose, but it don't
sound well. You know me, Ripley. You know when my word has
passed--when I've once started a thing--I'll see it through to the
limit. I've sworn to get Lapierre. And I tell you, he's mine! Unless
you get him first. You're a good man, Ripley, and you may do it--but
if you do, when you get back with him, you'll know you've been
somewhere."

The lines of Ripley's face softened; as a sporting proposition the
situation appealed to him. He thrust out his hand. "It's a go,
MacNair," he said, "and let the best man win!"

MacNair wrung the officer's hand in a mighty grip, and then just as he
was on the point of starting his dogs, paused and gazed thoughtfully
after the other who was making his way toward the little buildings of
Fort Resolution.

"Oh, Ripley," he called. The officer turned and retraced his steps.
"You've heard of Lapierre's fort to the eastward. Have you ever been
there?"

Ripley shook his head. "No, but I've heard he has one somewhere around
the east end of the lake."

MacNair laughed. "Yes, and if you hunted the east end of the lake for
it you could hunt a year without finding it. If you really want to
know where it is, come along, I'll show you. I happen to be going
there."

"What's the idea?" asked the officer, regarding MacNair quizzically.

"The idea is just this. Lapierre's no fool. He's got as good a chance
of getting me as I have of getting him. And if anything happens to me
you fellows will lose a lot of valuable time before you can locate that
fort. I don'