Part 13 (1/2)

”Tell me!” responded Colonel Howell. ”That's what we all want to know.

Anyway,” he went on, ”we've done our part towards cutting it out. There isn't a drop of it in this outfit.”

When he could do so without attracting attention, Norman glanced at Paul.

The latter as quickly averted his eyes and plunged with greater energy into his share of the work.

These events had taken place just before the ”cabin pa.s.sengers” had been called to supper. Efforts were being made to forget the Chandler episode and Colonel Howell especially was talkative and jolly. Paul was just the opposite. At last, when the cook had left them with their tea, the young Austrian seemed to become desperate. Norman and Roy were just about to leave the cabin when Paul stopped them, more and more embarra.s.sed.

”I want to say something, boys,” he began. Then he turned to his host and, the perspiration thick on his face, added suddenly: ”Colonel Howell, I don't know how to say it, but I've got to tell you. I lied to you the other night in the hotel at Edmonton. You didn't ask me to stop drinking, but you talked to me pretty straight, and that's what I meant to do. Well I didn't stop--I just put it off, a little. I didn't do the right thing back at the Landing. I knew it then, but I knew I was going to stop when I came up here and I just put it off a little longer.”

The colonel made a half deprecating motion, as if it embarra.s.sed him to listen to the young man's confession.

”I thought it was all right,” he said, as if to somewhat relieve Paul's embarra.s.sment, ”and I knew you meant to stop. Of course we knew what you were doing, but you're pretty young,” concluded the colonel with a laugh.

Norman and Roy each gave signs of an inclination to relieve Paul's embarra.s.sment and Norman especially showed concern. But he and his friend remained silent.

”We'll let that all be bygones,” suggested Colonel Howell, ”and here's to the future--we'll drink to what is to come in Canada's national beverage--black tea reeking with the smoke of the camp fire.”

A laugh of relief started round, as Paul's three companions. .h.i.t the table with their heavy tin cups, but in this the young Count did not join.

”That ain't it,” he blurted suddenly. ”That was bad enough, but I've done worse than that.”

The colonel's face sobered and Norman's eyes turned toward the heap of personal belongings just outside the cabin door. Paul's trembling arm motioned toward these boxes and bags.

”I've got a case of brandy out there and I've got to tell you how I've lied to you.”

”Hardly that!” protested Colonel Howell. ”You hadn't spoken to me of it.”

”No, I didn't,” confessed Paul, his voice trembling, ”but I just heard you say we hadn't anything like that with us and I might as well have lied, because I had it.”

”Did that sergeant of police know this?” broke in Roy. ”I thought he examined everything. He certainly said we were all right.”

”Yes, he knew it,” answered Paul, ”but he isn't to blame. Don't think I'm making that an excuse.”

Colonel Howell sat with downcast eyes and an expression of pain on his face.

”Why did you do it?” he asked in a low tone at last. ”Did you mean to hide it from me?”

”No, no,” exclaimed his young guest. ”I don't know why I did it. I don't want it. I'm going to quit all that. That's why I came up here. You know that, Colonel Howell--don't you believe me?”

But Colonel Howell's face now bore a different expression.

”My friend,” he remarked after a few moment's thought, ”I may have done wrong to ask your father to let you come with us. I thought you knew all the conditions. If this is a life that is not going to interest you, you'd better go back. The Indians will be returning to-morrow or the next day and you won't find it such a hard trip.”

Paul gulped as if choking and then sprang from the table. From the baggage outside he extracted a canvas-bound box, his own name on the side. While his companions sat in silence he hurled it on the floor at their feet and then, with a sweep of his knife, cut the canvas from the package. With a single crush by his heavy boot, he loosened one of the boards of the cover. Carefully packed within were a dozen bottles of expensive brandy. Paul caught one of them and appeared to be about to smash it on the edge of the table. The colonel raised his hand.

”Stop!” ordered his host. ”Are you going back or do you want to stay with us?”

”Colonel Howell,” almost sobbed the young man, ”I'd give anything I have or can do for you if you'll let me stay.”