in. De Prospector
he's got map and show me trail. Oui, I know him bon, fus rate.
'Perault,' he say, 'you min' las' year de Ole Boss he's fin' good mine
way up in de valley?' `Oui, for sure.' 'You know de trail?' Oui,
certainment.' 'Den,' he say, 'we go dere.' Nex' day we strike dat trail
and go four or five mile. We come to dat valley--Mon Dieu! dere's no
valley dere. We come back and try once more--dat blank valley, she's no
dere. De Prospector he look much on dat map. 'Where dose tree peak?' he
say. 'Dere sure 'nuff, one, two tree. Dat valley she's right on line of
dose peak.' 'Sure,' I say. 'I see heem myself she's gone now for sure!
Ah! Voila! I see! Beeg slide feel dat valley up! By gar! Dat's so, dat
montin she's half gone, dat valley he's full up. Mon Dieu! De
Prospector he's lak wil' man. 'Perault,' he say, 'I promise de ole man
I go for fin' dat mine.' 'All right, boss,' I say, 'me too.' We make
cache for grub, we hobble de ponee and go for fin' dat mine. Dat's one
blank hard day. Over rock and tree and hole and stomp he's go lak one
deerhoun.' Next day he's jus' same. For me, I'm tire' out. Well, we
come home to camp, slow, slow, hungree, sorefoot--by gar! Sacre bleu!
Dat cache she broke up, de grub he's gone! Mon Dieu! dat's bad--four or
five day walk from home and no grub at all."

"What did you think, Perault?" asked Sinclair. "Did you see signs of
any beast, bear or mountain lion?"

"Sure, dat's what I tink fus' ting, but de Prospector he's walk aroun'
quiet and look everyting. 'Perault, dat's fonee ting,' he say. 'Where
dose can' meat, eh?' By gar! days so, de bear he can' eat dose can'
meat, not moche!"

"Not likely, not bein' a goat," put in Ike drily.

"Well, we look aroun' ver' close, no scratch, no track. By gar! days no
bear, for sure--dat's one bear on two leg."

"I think," said Sinclair gravely, "that there is no doubt of that. The
question is, who did it? Gentlemen, it has been proved that these two
men, Carroll and Crawley, were away during the week when this crime
took place. We do not know where they were, but we must be fair to
them. We may have our opinions about this, but in fixing the
responsibility of this crime we must be exceedingly careful to deal
justly with every man. I suggest we call Carroll."

Carroll came to the meeting without hesitation, and with him, Crawley.

"We will take you in a few minutes," said Sinclair to Crawley.

"Now," he continued to Carroll, when Crawley