trapper's eyes flashed evilly in the
direction of the unconscious Indian.

"----to do what I wanted," he resumed. "No more--no less; and I set
out on foot." He was anxiously watching for Grey's collapse. "Yes, I
was going to tramp to the sea-coast through these mountains. I hit the
wrong trail, decoyed by a false track carefully made by those who
waited for me in these hills."--Grey was swaying heavily and his
breathing was stertorous.--"I met my fate and was robbed of my gold.
I was drugged--as you poor fools are being drugged now. When it was
too late I discovered how it was done, and determined to do the same
thing by the first victim that fell into my clutches. I tried the weed
and soon got used to its fumes. Then I waited--waited. I had set my
decoy at the cross-roads, and you--you--came."

As the trapper ceased speaking Grey slowly rolled over, insensible.

In a moment the watching man was upon his feet. His whole face was
transfigured. Alertness was in every movement, in every flash of his
great eyes. He moved quickly across the floor of the hut and took two
shallow pannikins from the sack which lay upon the floor, dropped some
of the flaky weed into the bottom of each one, and then from the stove
he scraped some coals of fire into them. The fire set the dry weed
smouldering, and the thick smoke rose heavily from the two tins. These
he placed upon the ground in such a position that his hard-breathing
victims should thoroughly inhale the fumes. Thus he would make doubly
sure of them.

This done he stood erect and gazed for some seconds at the result of
his handiwork; he was satisfied, but there was no look of pleasure on
his face. He did not look like a man of naturally criminal instincts.
There was nothing savage about his expression, or even callous. His
look merely seemed to say that he had set himself this task, and, so
far, what he had done was satisfactory in view of his object. He
turned from the heavy-slumbering men and his eyes fell upon the two
small gold chests. Instantly his whole expression changed. Here was
the keynote to the man's disposition. Gold! It was the gold he
coveted. At all costs that gold was to be his. His eyes shone with
greed. He moved towards the boxes as though he were about to handle
them; but he paused abruptly before he reached them. The barking of
the dogs and the strident tones of the Indian's voice outside arrested
him. He suddenly remembered that he had not yet completed