Part 38 (1/2)

”You can do what you like about it, but if you're wise, you'll keep out of my sight,” he said. ”It won't hurt me to let people know what made the trouble.”

Carnally turned back into the store and sat down on a barrel, hot, disheveled, and generally the worse for wear.

”It's a long while since I felt so good, boys,” he grinned.

Mappin slunk away to his hotel, knowing that a grave misfortune had befallen him. He was a hard master and accustomed to get more than the full equivalent of their wages out of his men, but in this his overbearing manner had a.s.sisted his cunning. In logging camps and on new roads, courage and muscular strength command respect; but now that he had been ignominiously thrown out of the store before a derisive crowd, his prestige had gone. Henceforward there would be serious risk of his mutinous subordinates following Carnally's example.

The man, however, was far from a coward. It would be pleasanter to leave the town, where he was not held in much esteem, until the matter blew over, and he had work going on in other places; but he did not mean to run away from Allinson. The latter, of course, now understood that he had been tricked over the location of the food caches, and Mappin wondered what he would do. It was, however, obvious that there was no really effective course open to Allinson. Carnally had been shrewd enough to take the only possible means of obtaining redress, but his primitive methods were not likely to be adopted by his employer.

After removing the signs of battle, so far as he could, from his clothes and person, Mappin returned to his office and spent the day there, waiting for a visit from his rival. Allinson, however, did not come; it looked as though he meant to do nothing, and this caused Mappin some uneasiness. The man was cleverer and perhaps, more to be feared than he had thought.

CHAPTER XXII

FRESH PLANS

Geraldine Frobisher, sitting by the hearth in her drawing-room, glanced compa.s.sionately at Andrew. He looked gaunt and very weary, and she noticed a significant slackness in his pose. There was no one else in the room; the lamps were lighted and a log fire diffused a pleasant glow and an aromatic odor.

”You are quiet to-night,” she said.

Andrew looked up with a deprecatory smile.

”I fear I'm disgracefully dull; but I don't seem able to think of anything except that it's very pleasant to be here again.”

”You consider that a good excuse?”

”I can't judge; I felt that I needed one. In fact, I don't know what is the matter with me since I came down-river.”

Geraldine had some idea; a glance at the man supplied an explanation.

”You are worn out, for one thing,” she answered sympathetically.

He mused for a few moments, and the girl was not displeased. From the first she had felt on curiously confidential terms with him. He was direct and sincere and, though by no means shallow, he seldom puzzled her.

”No,” he said, ”it's not altogether that. We had a rather bad time before the relief party arrived, but I felt up to my work--anxious, of course, but not troubled by the slackness that has since got hold of me. All this, however, isn't of much consequence. I'm very grateful to you and your father for sending help--we were in a very tight place when it came. But I don't understand how you knew we needed it.”

Geraldine looked down, to hide her confusion.

”I wonder why you a.s.sociate me with my father?”

”I can't tell you clearly, but I feel that you had something to do with the matter. Indeed, it made the relief more welcome. But you haven't given me an explanation.”

”Do you understand why you failed to find the food?”

”Yes,” said Andrew grimly. ”I've a suspicion that you know as much about it as I do, though it's hard to see how you came by the knowledge.”

Geraldine looked up with a forced smile. He must not guess how she had led Mappin to betray himself.

”It is rather astonis.h.i.+ng, isn't it? The search gave you trouble, and you have some respect for your thinking powers.”