interview with Graham, and
Hulton looked at him thoughtfully.
"Its plain that you're keeping something back, but if it's your or your
partner's business, I suppose I can't object. I believe you mean to do
the square thing."
"Thank you," said Foster. "What have you found out about Daly?"
"Enough to show he wasn't at the factory the night Fred was killed,"
Hulton answered with stern self-control. "But he was in the plot and
is being watched in Scotland."
"Then you don't know that he's in Canada?"
Hulton stretched out his hand to a bell, but Foster stopped him.
"Wait a moment! You have got to leave Daly to me. Anyhow, you're not
to send your agents or the police after him until I telegraph you. I'm
going to look for him by to-night's train."
"The train goes west," Hulton answered meaningly.
"It does, but if I think I'm followed, I'll spoil the trail."
Hulton's eyes flashed and his face set very hard. "The man belongs to
the gang that killed my son and tried to blacken his name. I don't
quit until I've run the last rogue down."
"I mean to see Daly first," Foster answered doggedly.
After a moment or two, Hulton made a gesture of agreement. "Very well;
I allow you have a claim. But I won't interfere if my agents have
already got on his track."
"I must take the risk of that," Foster replied and left the factory a
few minutes afterwards.
XXIII
AN UNEXPECTED MEETING
Daly was not at Banff, and Foster, who made cautious inquiries, found
nothing to indicate that he had been there. Indeed, he began to weigh
the possibility of Carmen's having deceived him, but rejected this
explanation. The girl was clever at intrigue, but he did not think she
had acted a part. She had really lost her self-control and told him
the truth in a fit of rage. On the other hand, it was possible that
Daly had deceived her, but there was no obvious reason for his doing so.
The fellow, however, was not in Banff, which is a small place,
frequented mostly by tourists and invalids who come there in summer,
and Foster took a west-bound train. He was once more at a loss and
felt dispirited. For one thing, he had no time to lose, because it
would spoil his plans if Hulton's agents got on Daly's track before him.
He left Banff late at night, with a ticket for Vancouver, which he had
bought on speculation, partly because the seaboard city is a
clearing-house for travelers to all parts of the Pacific coast, b
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