nearest inn.

XX

THE RIGHT TRACK

It was a clear night and although the moon was low its light touched
the wet road as Foster walked down the dale. He had much to think
about and tried to fix his mind on his main object. It would have been
delightful to dwell upon Alice's interposition on his behalf, but he
must not attach too much importance to this yet; after all she might
have been actuated mainly by a love of justice. Besides, the sooner he
kept his promise, the sooner he would be able to ask her what she had
meant.

He must find Daly and thought it significant that the fellow's attempt
at extortion had not been very determined. If Featherstone was right
about this, it indicated that Daly suspected that Lawrence was beyond
his reach and had not been at the Garth. It was possible that he had
found out how he had been misled and meant to look for his victim in
Canada. Foster wondered whether he would go without his money, or if
he had received a share of the plunder before, since the circular check
was not for a large sum. In any case, it was lucky that Daly had
visited the Garth when he did, because if he had waited another day, he
might have met Graham, which would have been awkward.

After some thought, Foster decided to act on the supposition that Daly
would return to Canada. Then, dismissing the matter for the time, he
speculated about the possibility of Graham's lurking in the
neighborhood and began to look ahead. A stone dyke, broken in places,
ran between the winding road and the stream it followed; on the other
side, which lay in shadow, thin birches straggled up a steep hill. The
moon was low and would soon sink behind the trees, when it would be
very dark. When he looked back he could not see the lights of the
Garth. He was on the road to the station, and remembered that there
was a train from the south in the evening.

Taking out his watch, he calculated that anybody who left the station
on foot when the train arrived might be expected to reach the Garth in
the next quarter of an hour. This was disturbing, but he saw nothing
to cause him alarm as he went on. Now and then a rabbit, startled by
his footsteps, ran across the road, and once or twice an owl hooted as
it fluttered overhead. The river splashed among the stones and
sometimes the shadows moved as a puff of wind came up the valley; but
that was all. Still Foster quickened his pace; it was some distance to
the village