nts; but Gertrude knew she had
succeeded. Her father had been wavering, but she had stirred him to
passion, and his thoughts had suddenly returned to the groove they would
not leave again. The fixed idea had once more possessed him; unavailing
sorrow and longing for justice would drive him on along the course he had
chosen.

"You have reminded me of my duty," he said with grim forcefulness. "I
shall not fail in it."

Then he got up and left her sitting still, lost in painful reflection.
His motives were honest and blameless; but she had not this consolation.
She tried to find comfort in the thought that if Prescott were innocent,
he had nothing to fear.

CHAPTER XXIII

A NIGHT RIDE

It was six o'clock in the evening. Curtis had just finished his supper
and sat drowsily content in his quarters at the police post after being
out in the frost all day. The temperature had steadily fallen since
morning and the cold was now intensified by a breeze that drove scattered
clouds across the moon and flung fine snow against the board walls, but
the stove, which glowed a dull red, kept the room comfortable. A nickeled
lamp shed down a cheerful light, and the tired corporal looked forward to
a long night's rest. Private Stanton sat near him, cleaning a carbine.

"It's curious you have heard nothing from Regina since you sent up those
clothes," he remarked. "It looked pretty bad for Prescott."

"I don't know," said Curtis. "Have you ever seen him with that suit on?"

"No."

"Nor has anybody else, so far as I can learn. There's another point--the
land agent talked of a tall, stoutish man. You wouldn't call Prescott
that."

"Those clothes were 'most as good as new; he might have only had them on
the once," Stanton persisted.

"That's what struck me; I don't know how they looked so good, if they'd
been lying where Jernyngham found them, since last summer."

"It's a thing I might have thought of."

"You have a good deal to learn yet." Curtis smiled tolerantly.

"Anyhow, I found you a photograph of Prescott, and you were glad to send
it along to Regina. What do you think our bosses are doing about it?"

"Lying low, like sensible men; the more we find out about this case, the
more puzzling it gets. You think you have pretty good eyes, don't you?"

"They're as good as anybody's I've come across yet."

"Well, you searched the bluff several times in daylight and didn't see
those clothes. Jernyngham comes along when