he light fell on his face. It
was deeply lined and of a curious dead color, but, while, it bore a
sensual stamp and something in it hinted at cruelty, it was, Blake
felt, the face of a clever and determined man.

"Ah!" said Clarke. "You have ridden over for a talk. Glad to see you.
Have a cigar."

Blake took one and explained his errand. Clarke seemed to consider;
then he took out a small hand-drawn map and passed it to his visitor.

"I won't ask why you are going north, as I dare say it's a secret.
However, though it's too valuable for me to lend it to you, this will
show you your way through the timber belt." He cleared one end of the
desk. "Sit here and make a note of the features of the country."

It took Blake some time, but he had been taught such work and did it
carefully.

"I'll give you a few directions," Clarke went on, "and you had better
take them down. You'll want a canoe and one or two Indians. I can
enable you to get them, but I think the service is worth fifty dollars."

"I'd be glad to pay it when we come back," Blake answered cautiously.
"It's possible that we might not find the Indians; and we might leave
the water and strike overland."

"As you like," Clarke said with a smile. "I'll give you the directions
before you go. But there's another matter I want to talk about." He
fixed his eyes on Blake. "You are a nephew of Colonel Challoner?"

"I am; but I can't see what connection this has----"

Clarke stopped him.

"It's not an impertinence. Hear me out. You were a lieutenant of
engineers and served in India, where you left the army."

"That is correct, but it's not a subject I'm disposed to talk about."

"So I imagined," Clarke said dryly. "Still, I'd like to say that there
is some reason for believing you to be a badly treated man. You have
my sympathy."

"Thank you. I must remind you, however, that I have given you no
grounds for offering it."

"A painful subject! But are you content to quietly suffer injustice?"

"I don't admit an injustice. Besides, I don't see what you can know
about the matter--or how it concerns you."

"A proper line to take with an outsider like myself; but I know you
were turned out of the army for a fault you did not commit."

Blake's face set sternly.

"It's hard to understand how you arrived at that flattering conclusion."

"I won't explain, but I'm convinced of its correctness," Clarke
replied, watching him keenly. "One would imag