must not smile, Miss Lorimer; when one earns a living by
that talk it's hard to get out of it. But they're conservative, and never
send drummers around. Besides, there's only Gardner and his brother--they
haven't a partner. Now I wonder whether"--and the last words were
unintelligible.

An uneasy feeling commenced to grow on me, and our guest looked
thoughtful.

"You suspect something, Mr. Heysham," said Aline, "and you ought to tell
us what it is. I want to know exactly what you meant when you added
'Confidence men.'"

Then I started, and Heysham bowed as he answered: "You are evidently new
to the wicked ways of this country, Miss Lorimer. I meant that some
unprincipled person has, I fear, unfortunately taken your brother in. I
have suspicions. Was he a little dark man, or perhaps it was another,
rather stout and red-faced? Still I'm puzzled as to how they acquired the
local knowledge and learned enough about your business to fool you."

"No," I answered with a gleam of hope, "he was neither;" but Aline broke
in:

"The man you mention drove here in a wagon some weeks earlier, and I know
how he got the local knowledge--the other, with the red face, was Thomas
Fletcher. He lived on the prairie, Mr. Heysham, and there must have been
three in the plot."

I rose from the table, flinging back my chair, but Heysham nodded
gravely.

"Exactly; there are three of them. Your sister has made it all clear," he
said. "I know the party--they've been engineering various shady deals in
estate and produce, and now, when Winnipeg is getting uncomfortably warm,
this is evidently a last coup before they light out across the boundary.
The dark man was a clerk in the stock trade--turned out for
embezzlement--once, you see. Still, they can't sell until to-morrow, and
we might get the night train. No chance of trade hereabout, you say; then,
for the credit of our market, if you'll lend me a fresh horse, I'm going
right back to Winnipeg with you. Sit down, and finish your dinner; you'll
want it before you're through."

I looked at Aline, who was equal to the occasion. "You must certainly go,"
she said. "Even if there is a blizzard, I shall be safe enough."

So presently she buttoned the skin coat about me, slipped a flask of
spirits into the pocket; and just before we started kissed me, saying,
"Take care of yourself, and do your utmost. There are all poor Jasper's
cattle besides our own. Mr. Heysham, I thank you, and whenever you pa