started forward on foot. We moved as silently as possible, and soon
reached the edge of the forest, where we halted in the deep shadow of
the trees.

Before us was a spacious clearing, fifty yards across which stood
Lagarde's store. Smoke was pouring from the chimney and a ray of light
was visible under one of the shuttered windows; but not a sound could be
heard, and not a moving object could be seen on the white snow crust.

"It's all right," said Boyd. "They have turned in for the night, and I
don't suppose they have set a watch; Lagarde keeps no dog."

"We had better make sure," suggested Nicoll. "I'm light on my feet--if
you say the word I'll have a closer look about."

I offered to accompany him--I was keenly curious about the prisoner--and
the lieutenant consented.

"Go on, then," he said, "but don't let them catch you spying, and get
back as fast as you can. It's too cold to wait about long."

So off we went, Nicoll and I, and we crept across the clearing with
scarcely more noise than a cat would have made. A hum of voices grew on
our ears as we approached, proving that Boyd's surmise was wrong.

The conversation, and the light under the windows, came from the room in
the nearest angle of the house. But there were no crevices between the
logs, and the shutters fitted so tightly that we could see nothing.

We heard little more. A number of men were talking in low tones, and
after listening a minute we gathered that they had a prisoner and
intended taking him down to the Northwest Company's fort in the morning.
We made a circuit of the house finding the other rooms dark and silent,
and then safely rejoined our party and communicated our discoveries to
the lieutenant.

"Up and awake, are they?" he muttered. "And it's a sure thing about the
prisoner! Well, they won't have him long. I'll surround the house and
induce them to open the door by craft. If that don't work--?"

"Look here," interrupted Nicoll. "I didn't tell you that I recognized
the voice of one of those fellows in the room."

"Ah! Who was it?"

"Ruthven!"

"Are you sure, man?"

"Yes; positive!"

"Then there is all the more reason for acting with promptness and
decision," the lieutenant said emphatically. "Ruthven is a dangerous
man," he added to me. "He is an official of the Northwest Company, and
is said to have stirred up the half-breeds against us. But I'll get the
upper hand of him this time."

A moment later, Boyd having given t