Part 29 (1/2)
Sergeant Inglis asked.
”He said he'd bought it. We're ready to swear to that, and we can give you the names of several more who heard him.”
”I'll take them down. Where's Mitcham?”
They told him and he closed his notebook.
”You may be sent for from Edmonton later. Don't let these cases out of your sight until Private Cooper calls for them.”
He went out and came back later with the trooper and a teamster they had hired, who loaded the cases on a sled. Sergeant Inglis, however, sat still in his saddle, with a watchful eye on Mitcham and another man who stood, handcuffed, at his horse's side. When the police had ridden off with their prisoners, Morgan, the engineer, sent for Kermode.
”I've seen the sergeant and he gave me an outline of the affair,” he said. ”It was cleverly thought out--I suppose the idea was yours?”
”I can't deny it,” returned Kermode modestly.
”Well,” said the other, ”see that your friends and you begin work as usual to-morrow.”
During the next two weeks Ferguson made some progress in repairing the damage to his church. He found several helpers, now that his strongest opponent had been removed. The weather, however, grew more severe and as the frost interfered with operations, men were freely dismissed. One day Morgan and the contractor's clerk sat talking in the latter's office.
”I'll have to cut out two or three teams,” he said. ”I don't know whom I ought to fire.”
”Kermode,” Morgan advised promptly.
The clerk looked surprised.
”Foreman reports him as a pretty good teamster. He strikes me as smart and capable,” he objected.
”He is. In fact, that's the trouble. I like the man, but you had better get rid of him.”
”You're giving me a curious reason.”
Morgan smiled.
”I expect our plans for the winter may lead to some trouble with the boys; such work as we can carry on is going to be severe. Now do you think it prudent to provide them with a highly intelligent leader?”
”Guess you're right,” the clerk agreed. ”He'll have to go, though I'm sorry to part with him.”
”I'll send him to another job nearer the coast,” said Morgan.
The next day Kermode was informed of this decision and took it good-humoredly. Before leaving the camp he spent an evening with Ferguson, who expressed keen regret at his departure.
”I have an idea that I may have got you into trouble, and it hurts me,”
the minister said.
Kermode laughed in a rea.s.suring manner.
”It's likely that you're wrong; but I'm not the first man who has found a righteous cause unprofitable.”