Part 36 (1/2)

”Where's the laerous thing if Daly was hiding near, but soan illusive gleam on the wet rock a yard or two in front, and then went out Foster struck another with a hoarse exclamation and touched the wick of a small, flat, metal lamp, such as Western miners hook on their hats Candles are not cohting cheap The laht, and when Foster picked up his pistol they waited a few erly in front

A trickle of water fell fro down the floor of the adit vanished into the glooht, but the rest of the tunnel was hidden in ih Foster now felt anxious because there was no sign of Daly After a ht fell on a wall of dry rock with a pool at the bottom, and he knew they had reached the end of the adit Nextto one side where some ore had been taken out If Daly was in the n, he turned the coht showed a small, dry chaether to make a hearth Between these lay the ashes of a fire; bits of food were scattered about, and a blue Hudson's Bay blanket lay in a corner Except for this, the chaely clenched his fist while Pete stirred the ashes and felt the blanket

”It's dry an' the reek o' a cigar is fresh on it,” he said ”Yon fire's no' been oot lang I'ht”

Foster sat down and looked about He was getting calm, but felt dull with disappointment For all that, he sahy the mine had been abandoned There was a fault in the strata, where the vein had slipped down, but the subsidence had cracked the rock above and he iined that the fissure reached the surface The air was fresh and not very cold; there ater close by, and Foster saw no reason why Daly should not have found the cha-place Yet he had left it

”Can you see the basket you talked about?” he asked, giving Pete the lamp

Pete found it behind soether

”Here's the spirit-stove, some bread, and the can of meat,” said Foster ”But I see no biscuits Can he have eaten them?”

”There were ower mony He's ta'en thehtfully, ”I don't see why the other fellow brought hi happened since he brought the basket,” Pete suggested

Foster pondered It was possible that so had happened at the hotel after Telford's visit that had altered the accoet away; but, if this were so, Telford ht have done so, but Foster thought Daly had perhaps not taken his confederate altogether into his confidence and had changed his plans without warning him Foster could not tell what chance the fellow had of stealing away, but as he had left the basket and only taken soo very far on foot

”We'll get out and try to find which way he's gone,” he said

It was a relief to reach the open air, and they carefully studied the sloppy snow Foster knew so elk and moose, and Pete had a poacher's skill, but the rapid thaw had blurred the footprints they found On the whole, however, Pete iined that Telford had returned to the

Then they searched about the foot of the rocks and presently foundup, they followed thethe hillside fro to be learned here and Foster went back dejectedly to the hotel Dinner was being served when he arrived, but he did not see Walters and felt annoyed when Telford stopped hi out

”I haven't seen you since last night and thought we a?”

”I didn't co I had to see about”

”Then I hope you found business pretty good,” Telford re

He thought the felloould see hi the bell-boy into a passage gave hientleman with the dark hair is out?” he asked,

”He's certainly out Left on the Montreal express this ”

”You're quite sure of that?”