er in the man's control. If so, his
meddling could not be justified.

After a time he heard the whistle, and imagined the train was going to
stop at a small station to which mails were brought from some mining
camps. The neighboring country was rugged and lonely, but a trail ran
south through the woods to the American frontier. When the cars stopped
he pushed down the window and looked out.

Small trees grew along the track and the light from the cars touched
their branches. The line was checkered by illuminated patches and belts
of gloom. Lister heard somebody open the baggage car and then saw a man
run along the line beside the train. Another jumped off a platform and
they met not far from Lister's window. The man who got down was the
fellow who had gone through the car looking for the girl. The locomotive
pump throbbed noisily and Lister could not hear their talk, but he
thought they argued.

The one who came up the line looked impatient and put his hand on his
companion's arm, as if to urge him away. The other stepped back, and his
gesture implied that he refused to go. The train was long, the
passengers were asleep, and the men, no doubt, imagined nobody saw them.
Lister thought the fellow who got down did not know the girl was gone
and did not mean to leave the train without her. The light touched the
men's faces, and it was obvious that one was angry and the other
disturbed. The scene intrigued Lister. It was like watching an act in a
cinema play of which one did not know the plot.

After a minute or two a lantern flashed up the track, the bell tolled,
and the nearer man jumped back on the step. Lister heard a vestibule
door shut and then the throb of wheels began. The fellow on the line
frowned and threw out his hands angrily. From the movement of his lips
Lister thought he swore, but the car rolled past him and he melted into
the dark.

Lister went to his berth, but did not undress. Much of the night had
gone, he would reach his camp soon after daybreak, and the train would
only stop long enough for him to jump off. He could sleep in his clothes
for an hour or two. A slackening of the roll of wheels wakened him and
he got out of his berth, but the big lamps were burning and when he went
to the door he saw dawn had not come. It was obvious they had not
reached the construction camp. Lister shivered, and was returning to his
berth when the conductor opened the door.

"Our luck's surely not good to-night,"