fellow. This was strange, but Jim gave up the
puzzle and helped Carrie with breakfast when they reached the camp.

When the meal was over he got to work and did not come back until
supper was ready. Jake and he had not time for quiet talk all day, but
there was something to be said, and when the men went off to fish, Jim
sat down opposite Carrie, while Jake lay among the pine-needles close
by. The shadows had crept across the camp and the hollows between the
rows of trunks were dark. The snow had changed from white to an
ethereal blue and the turmoil of the river hardly disturbed the calm.

"Have you any notion yet what started off the wall?" Jake asked.

"I have," said Jim. "The trouble began at the underpinning. A king
post broke and let down the stones."

"So far, we are agreed. But do you know why the post broke? We used
good logs."

"I don't know. Although it may take some time, I'm going to find out.
We can't have this kind of thing happening again."

Jake nodded. "Perhaps I have got a clew. When Davies was here, he
said he'd like to go fishing and some of the boys went along."

"That is so," Jim said with a puzzled look.

"The two who moved first were the boys we allowed we were not quite
sure about. I don't know if it means anything, but when they got to
the river, they and Davies lost the others."

"It may mean much," Jim said quietly. "The clew's worth following."

Carrie's eyes sparkled as she interrupted: "Do you imply Davies hired
the boys to wreck the line?"

"I allow it's possible," Jim replied in a thoughtful voice.

"And I cooked an extra good supper for him!" Carrie exclaimed. "I'm
beginning to understand why folks get poisoned. But now you know, what
are you going to do about it?"

"We don't know," said Jim. "That's the trouble. We have got to wait."

Jake made a sign of agreement and Carrie said nothing. She knew her
brother and imagined she understood Jim's quietness. After a time, the
latter resumed: "I've been thinking, and the matter puzzles me. We're
up against the big contractors. They'd be glad to see us broke and
Probyn took two of our outfit when we stopped at the hotel. But he was
willing to buy us out and his offering the boys higher wages was, in a
way, a fair deal. I allow he left two we didn't trust."

"The two who went fishing with Davies!" Carrie remarked.

"That is so," Jim agreed. "Davies, however, works for another boss.
It's possible the b