"I drove over to give Leslie a message," the newcomer continued. "I guess
you have heard that Prescott's back."

Jernyngham started and dropped the paper.

"Prescott back? You must be mistaken!"

"No, sir! Spoke to him on the trail last night. He was hauling in a load
to the settlement, and I was driving home half an hour after Mr.
Colston."

"There's only one trail," said Jernyngham, looking hard at Colston. "You
must have met the fellow. Why didn't you tell me?"

Colston showed confusion.

"To tell the truth, I was afraid the news might distress and excite you.
You couldn't do anything until Monday, and I thought it better to let you
spend to-day in peace."

"In peace!" Jernyngham laughed in a jarring manner. "Tormented as I am by
suspense that grows beyond endurance!" His eyes glittered and the lines
on his face deepened. "And I'm to be kept in ignorance while the villain
who robbed and killed my son goes about his work undisturbed!"

There was an awkward silence for a few moments. Mrs. Colston looked
distressed, and Gertrude regarded Muriel with a long searching glance.
The girl felt that she was being suspected of abetting her brother-in-law
for some ulterior purpose. She was of sanguine temperament and wayward
temper, and her blood ran warm; but she held in check the anger that she
burned to give expression to. Then their visitor, whom they had
forgotten, broke in:

"Now, sir, you're getting ahead too fast. There's nothing proved against
Prescott, and I and others know he never did the thing!" He paused and
Muriel, regardless of her companions, flung him a grateful glance as he
went on: "Even Curtis can't bring it home to him!"

"Curtis," said Jernyngham contemptuously, "is a cautious fool! I'll
communicate with his chiefs at Regina." He got up with a decided air.
"I'll start for Sebastian at once. Where's Leslie? I must see him about a
team."

"You stay where you are," said the farmer, with rude sympathy. "I heard
that one of the police bosses will be at the settlement to-morrow and you
can see him then; Curtis took a room for him at the hotel. I'm telling
you because the sooner all this muss is cleared up the better, and it
won't hurt Prescott."

He went out and Jernyngham, without speaking to the others, picked up his
paper. Muriel took a book from a shelf, but although she determinedly
tried to fix her attention on it, she could make no sense of what she
read. It was a dreary morning; Colston wa