pon my word! Do you expect a
jury to attach any weight to her evidence?"

"I take my chance of that," said Ambrose. "If you want to get at the
truth you must find her."

"I'll have a search made at once."

"Watch Watusk," warned Ambrose. "He'll stop at nothing to keep her
evidence out of court--not even murder."

The inspector smiled in an annoyed way. Ambrose's attitude did not
agree with his preconceptions.

However, he immediately rode back to the Kakisa village with three
troopers. In an hour he sent one of the men back for Watusk. In two
hours they all returned--without Nesis.

Ambrose's heart sank like a stone. By instinct he strove to conceal
his discouragement from his enemies under a nonchalant air.

The inspector, feeling that some explanation was due to Ambrose, had
him brought to his tent again.

"I have searched," he said. "I can find no trace of any such person as
you describe."

"Naturally, not with Watusk's help," said Ambrose bitterly.

The inspector bit his lip. According to his lights he was honestly
trying to be fair to the prisoner.

"First I searched the teepees myself," he condescended to explain. "It
appears there are several girls by that name. When I called on Watusk
I had him watched and checked."

"The Indians were primed in advance," said Ambrose. "Watusk can pull
wool over your eyes."

"Silence!" cried the exasperated inspector. "Your story is
preposterous anyway. Pure romance. Nevertheless I have instructed
Sergeant Plaskett to continue the search. If any such girl should be
found, which would surprise me, she will be sent out. You can go."

Inspector Egerton with half his force started back for the Kakisa River
_en route_ to Fort Enterprise that same afternoon. They convoyed seven
prisoners, and five additional members of the Kakisa tribe, whom Watusk
had indicated would be material witnesses.

Ambrose watched Watusk ingratiating himself with bitterness at his
heart. The Indian ex-leader's air of penitent eagerness to atone for
past misdeeds was admirable.

They rode hard, and crossed the river before making their first camp.
The next day they covered sixty miles, reaching a station established
by Inspector Egerton on the way over, where they found fresh horses.
At the end of the third day they camped within thirty miles of Fort
Enterprise.

Ambrose could never afterward think of these days without an inward
shudder. Pain angered him. Outwardly