g near, time was precious to him,
but he was filled with a keen curiosity to see what progress Curtis had
made in his search. He had a strong personal interest in the matter,
because it seemed that some suspicion might rest on him; though he was
far from sharing the corporal's conviction that Jernyngham was dead.
Stopping at the edge of the ravine, he looked about, taking in the
details of the scene.

Though the prairie had lost its greenness and the flowers had died, it
stretched away, flooded with dazzling light, a great expanse of silvery
gray, flecked with faint lemon and brown. In the swampy hollow, however,
the grass grew tall and green among the shining pools, and Prescott
noticed to his astonishment a dozen men working assiduously lower down.
They had discarded most of their clothing, their brown arms were bare,
and the stiff, dark-colored soil they flung up with their shovels
cumbered the bank of the ravine, which had narrowed in again. Prescott
saw that they were cutting a deeper channel for the creek, with the
object of draining the swamp.

Moving farther along the bank, he came upon the two policemen, who looked
very hot and somewhat muddy, which, as they were usually fastidiously
neat, was noticeable. He felt some hesitation in accosting them, as he
recalled the corporal's attitude when they last met, but he was curious.

"I suppose you have found nothing?" he said, and when Curtis made a sign
of negation continued: "How did you get so many of the boys here?"

Putting his hand in his pocket, the policeman gave him a printed circular
which announced that a reward of one thousand dollars would be paid for
the discovery of Cyril Jernyngham's remains.

"His people in the old country cabled it over," he explained.

"Well," Prescott said thoughtfully, "I don't believe he's here; but he
was a friend of mine, and I'm as anxious to have the question answered as
you are."

Private Stanton, who was sitting in the grass, looked up with a rather
significant smile. Indeed, there was a certain reserve in the manner of
both men which exasperated the rancher.

"It's quite likely you'll have to wait," Curtis rejoined. "Even when
we've run the water out, it may take a long while to search the mushy
stuff it will leave, and if we're beaten here, we'll have to try the
bluffs." He looked hard at Prescott. "We don't let up until we find him."

"Tell me where I can get a shovel and I'll help the boys."

Stanton brought