Part 43 (1/2)
”I was aboot a second ower lang,” he gasped ”He just stepped back and left this in rasped the rail and looked down There were rocks and small trees immediately beneath him, but farther back a level white belt indicated a frozen river covered by thin snow In the middle of this was a dark riband of water where the streae was one of the long, wooden trestles, flung across rivers and narrow valleys, that are now being replaced by embankments and iron structures Since the frah to carry theto save anybody who fell off the cars froht Daly knew this when he stepped off the platforined that the thing had happened when they were crossing the unfrozen part of the strealanced round as a man who had followed Pete closely took the object the latter held
”His necktie,” he reer, we'd have had him in handcuffs now”
”Weel,” said Pete dryly, ”it's no certain I wouldna' ha' gone ower the brig wi' him”
There was a hoarseness in their voices that hinted at strain, but theFoster not to leave the car, hurried away, and soon afterwards the train slackened speed Then he ca Foster and Pete to follow hiers were alighting and asking questions, but the leader did not object when several followed the party They had to walk some distance, and when they reached the end of the trestle it was difficult to get down the rocky bank
The bottohly level, but part was covered with small, stunted trees, many of which had been uprooted and had fallen across each other In the open spaces, rocks and boulders rose out of an inch or two of snow It was plain that there was no chance of Daly's alighting uninjured there One of the ht a train-hand's lantern, and they followed the curve of the trestle, which rose, black and oht It was not very dark a the trees and the beam of the lantern flickered across the rocks and fallen trunks, but they found nothing, and presently ca broke the se of the water, which looked black and sullen as it rolled past, streaked by lines of foam There was a belt of ice on the other side, but it was bare
”Must have gone plumb into the river,” said one ”We'd see him if he'd come dohere it's frozen”
”Unless he was able to crawl up the bank,” souess that's i the snoith his boot ”See here, it's hardly two inches deep; nothing to soften the blow Besides, anybody falling through the trestle would strike soers”
Thedoing here We'll stop at Green Rock and you can raise a posse of ranchers and look round to-”
They went back and when the train started thecompartment
”We'll probably want your evidence,” he said ”What's your address?”
Foster noted that he did not ask his na Co there now”
The ly ”That will satisfy me On the whole, it's lucky the fellow shot at you and Hulton told us how you stood He didn'tto your cheek”
xxxII
FEATHERSTONE APOLOGIZES
Three days afterwards, Foster entered the office of the Hulton Company, where the head and treasurer of the fir when he arrived, but the private office was filled with the softened throb of machinery and rumble of heavy wheels Otherwise it was very quiet and cut off by a long passage froave hiot thinner since you took your holiday and look fined down Well, I reckon we all feel older since that night last fall”
”I do,” said Foster, and added: ”Thefull blast We've had plans for extension standing over until I could give my mind to them I may be able to do so soon, and expect to consult you and Featherstone In the ram and another that to so when you left”
Foster told his story, and when he stopped, Hulton pondered for a minute or two He somehow looked more human than on Foster's last visit; his stern vindictiveness was not so obvious, but Foster thought he would de so back; I reckon you haven't taken these chances onbehind all this that concerns you--or your partner--alone Well, I guess that's not my business”
He paused and resumed in a curt, businesslike manner: ”Daly's tale is plausible andto believe it because that doesn't suit h you adht to be enough to charge hi your bonds You have no evidence to convict him of the other crime”