pector. "We know he
must have had some serious cause for delay."

"I do not know about that," replied Mandy, "but I do know he was most
anxious to go on to the fort. He had some information to give, he said,
which was of the first importance. And I am glad you are here. He will
be saved that trip, which would really be dangerous in his present
condition. And I don't believe I could have stopped him, but I should
have gone with him. His hour will soon be up."

"Don't think of waking him," said the Superintendent. "We can wait two
hours, or three hours, or more if necessary. Let him sleep."

"He would waken himself if he were not so fearfully done up. He has a
trick of waking at any hour he sets," said Mandy.

A few minutes later Cameron justified her remarks by appearing from
the inner room. The men, accustomed as they were to the ravages of
the winter trail upon their comrades, started to their feet in horror.
Blindly Cameron felt his way to them, shading his blood-shot eyes from
the light. His face was blistered and peeled as if he had come through a
fire, his lips swollen and distorted, his hands trembling and showing
on every finger the marks of frost bite, and his feet dragging as he
shuffled across the floor.

"My dear fellow, my dear fellow," cried the Inspector, springing up to
meet him and grasping him by both arms to lead him to a chair. "You ran
it too close that time. Here is the Superintendent to lecture you. Sit
down, old man, sit down right here." The Inspector deposited him in the
chair, and, striding hurriedly to the window, stood there looking out
upon the bleak winter snow.

"Hello, Cameron," said the Superintendent, shaking him by the hand with
hearty cheerfulness. "Glad, awfully glad to see you. Fine bit of work,
very fine bit of work. Very complimentary report about you."

"I don't know what you refer to, sir," said Cameron, speaking thickly,
"but I am glad you are here, for I have an important communication to
make."

"Oh, that's all right," said the Superintendent. "Don't worry about
that. And take your own time. First of all, how are you feeling?
Snow-blind, I see," he continued, critically examining him, "and
generally used up."

"Rather knocked up," replied Cameron, his tongue refusing to move with
its accustomed ease. "But shall be fit in a day or two. Beastly sleepy,
but cannot sleep somehow. Shall feel better when my mind is at rest. I
cannot report fully just now."

"Oh, let th