Part 41 (1/2)

Pete nodded and the others went to the dining-room After dinner, Foster took his turn on watch, but by and by Pete reappeared, holding the page by the are to ht I'd maybe better tak' a look roon the back o' the hoose and found the laddie aneath theHe had a bit paper in his hand”

Foster told him to watch Walters' door, and frowned at the lad

”I reckon you'd sooner keep out of jail”

”Sure,” said the lad, with an effort at carelessness; ”I'ri steep chances just now The police will be here to-morrow and there'll be trouble if they know you tried to help their prisoner escape Where's the telegrara you can do is to give it me”

The lad hesitated, but let hiive it one of the train hands when the next freight stops for water”

Foster opened the envelope, which was addressed to Telford at the uardedly, but after studying it with knitted brows he thought he understood its purport

”Howthis?” he asked

”Mr Walters threwto the brakesman”

”After all, I don't see why you shouldn't deliver the thing,” Foster said thoughtfully ”That means you can keep the money, but as the brakesman's not allowed to carry letters, he'll probably want a dollar

Wait until I get a new envelope”

The boy went off, looking relieved, and Foster returned to his chair at Walters' door On the whole, he thought he would hear so on the morrow, and if his suspicions were correct, looked forward to an interestingTelford had been asked for help, which he would try to send The west-bound freight had not passed yet, and if it ca

Foster lighted his pipe, wrapped the blanket round his legs, and opened a book he had brought

Next day two policeon and took Walters away

Lawrence was coh but little disturbance was ined all the occupants of the hotel knew about thethis, and kept a close watch on the page whose duties were light just then, which enabled hi on He expected to hear so when the train from the coast arrived, but took care to be about when the express froone up the line

The west-bound train came first, and Foster, who had sent Pete to the station, sat in the veranda, where he could see anybody who entered the hotel The train stopped and went on again, but nobody came up the road, and after a tiot down, but they looked like bush ranchers and had taken the trail to a settlement some distance off Pete, however, did not know Daly, and Foster was not satisfied He thought the fellow ht a cheap skin coat such as the bush ranchers wore Going out, he walked through the wood that grew close up to the back of the building After all, Dalyfro to the front entrance

The sun had sunk behind the range and the light was di the pines The air was keen and a bitter wind that causts rustled the masses of heavy needles, while the roar of the river throbbed a the stately trunks This was in Foster's favor, because he had to rowth, and wanted to do so without being heard He was a good hunter and bush seen

For a tian to feel keen disappoint Daly to his rescue, but it looked as if it had not done so Then, as he stood nearly breast-high a dry brush and withered fern, he heard a faint noise Not far off, a narrow trail led through the trees to the back of the hotel Standing quite still, he searched the ith narrowed eyes

It was shadowy all around hiht trunks cut against the glimmer of the snow The noise had stopped, but he could see anybody who crossed the nearest opening, and waited, tense and highly-strung Then he heard steps coed fro so there was dark brush behind hiust of wind swept the wood

The man, ore an old skin coat, stopped and looked round, and Foster saw his face It was Daly, and he seemed uncertain if the wind hadmotionless for a few ain as softly as he could

Theof this was plain Daly had learned that Walters had been taken away by the police and had concluded that Lawrence ht As it was too late to interfere, he meant to make his escape

Foster resolved to prevent this if he could, but Daly had the advantage of an open trail, while he was entangled in the brush He crept out and pushed through the wood as fast and silently as possible, but when looking for a way round a thicket caught his foot and fell a at the accident, for there was no use in following the other after this, although he did not feel beaten yet Daly no doubt hoped to get away by the Montreal express, but would hide in the bush until the last moment

Foster went back to the hotel for Pete, and leaving a note for Lawrence, dressed for a journey and took the road to the station On reaching a bend, however, he plunged into the wood and made his way to the line, beside which he and Pete crept in the gloom of the trees, and only caent's shack Here they sat down behind a big water tank and Foster felt satisfied If they had reached the station without being noticed, they would find Daly when he got on board the train, and if he had seen them, they had cut off his best chance of escape