"Ye're no' hurt?" he asked.

Foster said he was uninjured, and when he asked where Pete had been the
latter grinned.

"Up the hill and sitting in a wet peat-hag. There was a polisman who
ran better than I thought an' it wasn'a a'thegither easy getting clear
o' him."

"But why did the policeman run after you?"

"Yon's a thing I dinna' exactly ken, but when I was coming doon the
road I heard a shot and saw ye break intil the wood. Weel, I thought
the back o' it was the place for me, and I was follying the dyke, quiet
and saircumspect, when a man jumped ower and took the heather. He had
a stairt, but the brae was steep, and I was thinking it would no' be
long before I had a grup o' him when the polis cam' ower the dyke
behind. Then I thought it might be better if I didna' interfere, and
made for a bit glen that rins doon the fell. When I saw my chance I
slippit oot and found the peat-hag."

Foster knitted his brows. It looked as if Pete had drawn the police
off his antagonist's track, which was unfortunate; but Gordon had
evidently been watching the fellow, who would now have enough to do to
make his escape. How Gordon came to be watching him required some
thought, but Foster need not puzzle about this in the meantime. That
Graham or his accomplice had thought it worth while to risk shooting
him in order to recover the checks showed Foster that he was on the
right track. Their importance did not depend on their money value;
Graham meant to get them back because they were evidence of a crime.
It was satisfactory to think there was not much probability of the
fellow's meeting Daly, who would have an additional reason for leaving
the country if he heard what had happened.

After walking some distance, he came to a straggling village, and
although he had to knock for a few minutes was admitted to the inn.
Somewhat to his surprise, Gordon did not follow him, and finding that
there was a train to Carlisle next morning, he gave the name of a hotel
there and went to the station. He had done what Gordon told him, but
did not mean to stop at the hotel long.

As the train ran down Liddesdale he sat in a corner, thinking. The
fast Canadian Northern boats sailed from Bristol, and Daly might choose
that port if he were suspicious and meant to steal away; but Liverpool
was nearer and there were more steamers to Montreal. Foster thought he
could leave this matter until he reached Carlisle and got a newspaper
that