e surrounding neighborhood.

To all appearance the most unconcerned man was the Hon. Bunning-Ford,
who still moved about the settlement in his cheery, _debonnaire_
fashion, ever gentlemanly and always indolent. He had taken up his
residence in one of the many disused shacks which dotted round the
market-place, and there, apparently, sought to beguile the hours and eke
out the few remaining dollars which were his. For Lablache, in his
sweeping process, had still been forced to hand over some money, over
and above his due, as a result of the sale of the young rancher's
property. The trifling amount, however, was less than enough to keep
body and soul together for six months.

Lablache, too, staunch to his opinions, did not trouble himself in the
least. For the rest, all who knew of the meditated _coup_ of Horrocks
were agitated to a degree. All hoped for success, but all agreed in a
feeling of pessimism which was more or less the outcome of previous
experiences of Retief. Did not they know, only too well, of the traps
which had been laid and which had failed to ensnare the daring desperado
in days gone by? Horrocks they fondly believed to be a very smart man,
but had not some of the best in the Canadian police been sent before to
bring to justice this scourge of the district?

Amongst those who shared these pessimistic views Mrs. Abbot was one of
the most skeptical. She had learnt all the details of the intended
arrest in the way she learned everything that was going on. A few
judicious questions to the doctor and careful observations never left
her long in the dark. She had a natural gift for absorbing information.
She was a sort of social amalgam which never failed to glean the golden
particles of news which remained after the "panning up" of daily events
in Foss River. Nothing ever escaped this dear old soul, from the details
of a political crisis in a distant part of the continent down to the
number of drinks absorbed by some worthless half-breed in "old man"
Smith's saloon. She had one of those keen, active brains which refuses
to become dull and torpid in an atmosphere of humdrum monotony. Luckily
her nature never allowed her to become a mischievous busybody. She was
too kindly for that--too clever, tactful.

After duly weighing the point at issue she found Horrocks's plans
wanting, hence her unbelief, but, at the same time, her old heart
palpitated with nervous excitement as might the heart of any younger and
m