voice sounded strange and
distant in his own ears, and cost him an unwonted effort.

Sergeant Grey instantly swung his horse from the road and,
dismounting, proceeded in the direction of the voice.

Harris told his story with such coherence as he could. He and his son
had come up into the hills to arrange for the purchase of a property
which they had become interested in through a third party, Gardiner.
They carried with them a large sum of money as proof of the sincerity
of their intentions. At this little cabin they were to be joined by
Gardiner and by another, named Riles, who also was taking an interest
in the property. As they waited in the cabin, and as he, Harris,
slept after his long drive, they were suddenly set upon by outlaws.
Allan shot one down--the body still lay in the doorway--but was
himself badly wounded, and had not spoken since. Harris had
encountered another, but after a severe fight the robber had escaped.
The little black bag in which the money was carried was gone with all
its contents. Although he had waited all night in great anxiety,
Gardiner and Riles had failed to appear, and it could only be
supposed that they too had met with foul play. But some hours after
the assault one of the party had returned, dismounted from his horse
at some distance, and stolen softly up to the shanty. Harris had
followed him, and, taking him by surprise, had been able to make him
prisoner.

Sergeant Grey looked from Harris to Allan, and then to the prisoner,
who seemed to lie in a semi-conscious condition amid his bonds and
gags.

"You were foolish to come into the hills with so much money alone,"
he said. "I would have been at your service for the asking, and this
would not have happened. But now that it has happened, the first
thing is to provide for the wounded man, and the next is to place
this suspect in custody. And you will need some toning up yourself
after your night's experience. Then we will have a full
investigation. I know a rancher's house a few miles down the valley
where you and your son will have the best attention."

The mounted policeman made a brief examination of Allan, as best he
could in the grey dawn, for the lantern now had no oil. "He has not
bled very much," he said, "He has a strong frame and ought to have a
fighting chance. I will just have a look at the scene of the crime,
and then we will move him."

He made a hurried survey of the cabin, merely satisfying himself that
the