Part 33 (2/2)

There is not much domestic life in the new Western tohose inhabitants, for the most part, live at hotels, and the rotundas of the latter are used as a lounge by anybody who prefers them to the street

In consequence, Foster could not tell ere guests and ere not

By and by he filled his pipe, and ahis held out the ht have been a trifling politeness, but he thought the other had waited until he was ready

”You're a stranger,” the man remarked

”Yes,” said Foster, ”I've just co for business?”

Foster quietly studied the man He was neatly dressed and looked keen and alert It was possible that he was a storekeeper, or a real estate agent, which is a common occupation in a Western town

”Well,” he said, ”I don't often let a chance of a trade go past, but when you're in a strange place, the trouble is to tell if you've got a snap or not”

”Sure thing,” agreed the other ”What's your line?”

”Dressed lumber”

”Then I can't do much for you, but there's quite a lot of new construction planned and the boys will get busy as soon as the frost breaks,” said the man

He went on to talk about the trade of the town and province, and on the whole Foster was glad he had been in British Colu about the country It was better to be cautious and he did not want to show he came from the east

By and by another man crossed the floor and picked up a newspaper that lay near As he did so, he gave Foster a careless glance, and then went back to the seat he had left This was at some distance from the heaters and near the entrance, to which people kept passing, but it commanded the spot that Foster and his companion occupied Foster, however, could not detect hi the happened next day, but Foster stopped and in the evening called for Pete, whom he had sent to a different hotel, and strolled down the snowy street It was very cold and few people were about A half- pines cut in ragged black e on the outskirts of the town they stopped and looked about

A few half-finished houses stood a blackened stumps in a cleared belt, where there were rubbish heaps and ere springing up, but a little farther on the forest rose in a shadoall It was quiet except for the roar of the river, and Foster shi+vered as he filled his pipe

”It's a nipping wind I'd better go down the bank a bit before I try to get a light,” he said

He pushed through the s growing beside the creek, but dropped his matchbox, and Pete came to help him in the search They found it, but before he could strike a e and looked back up the street Foster, i he was the felloho had spoken to him at the hotel, touched Pete, and they stood very still

The h the branches broke the outline of their figures, but he was looking back, as if he expected soain He crossed the clearing towards a fence that seee of the forest, and vanished into the gloohted his pipe, another e and took the same direction as the first

”I wunner if yon hat ye ht ca' a coincidence,” Pete said softly

”So do I, but don't see how it concerns us,” Foster replied ”I think we'll take the road straight in front”

They followed a track that led through the bush at a right angle to the other The snoas beaten fires, and there were broad gaps aed spires, sprinkled with clinging snow In places, the track glittered in the ht, but, for the ray shadow After a ti back; then there was a crackle of undergrowth, and aahead It was the man who had first passed them; Foster knew him by his rather short fur coat For no obvious reason and half-instinctively, he drew back into the gloom The man did not see them and went on up the track

”Yon's a weel-kent trick in my trade,” Pete remarked ”When it's no'

convenient to be followed, ye send an inquisitive pairson off on anither road But I would like to see if he has got rid o' the ither fellow”