"Do you?"

"Yes," she said; "and I gather that he has taken you into his
confidence."

"Now you set me free to talk. When I asked him to be my partner, he
told me why he had left the army. That was the square thing, and it
made me keen on getting him."

"Then you were not deterred by what you learned?"

"Not at all. I knew it was impossible that Blake should have done what
he was charged with."

"I agree with you; but, then, I know him better than you do. What made
you jump to the conclusion?"

"You shall judge whether I hadn't good reason. I was in one of our
lake ports, collecting accounts, and Blake had come with me. It was
late at night when I saw my last customer at his hotel, and I had a
valise half-full of silver currency and bills. Going back along the
waterfront where the second-rate saloons are, I thought that somebody
was following me. The lights didn't run far along the street, I hadn't
seen a patrol, and as I was passing a dark block a man jumped out. I
got a blow on the shoulder that made me sore for a week, but the fellow
had missed my head with the sandbag, and I slipped behind a telegraph
post before he could strike again. Still, things looked ugly. The man
who'd been following came into sight, and I was between the two. Then
Blake ran up the street--and I was mighty glad to see him. He had two
men to tackle, and one had a sandbag, while I guess the other had a
pistol."

"But you were there. That made it equal."

"Oh, no; I'd been nearly knocked out with the sandbag and could hardly
keep my feet. Besides, I had my employers' money in the valise, and it
was my business to take care of it."

Mrs. Keith made a sign of agreement.

"I beg your pardon. You were right."

"Blake got after the first thief like a panther. He was so quick I
didn't quite see what happened, but the man reeled half-way across the
street before he fell, and when his partner saw Blake coming for him he
ran. Then, when the trouble was over, a policeman came along, and he
and Blake helped me back to my hotel. Knowing I had the money, he'd
got uneasy when I was late." Harding paused and looked meaningly at
his companion. "Later I was asked to believe that the man who went for
those two toughs with no weapon but his fists ran away under fire. The
thing didn't seem plausible."

"And so you trust Blake, in spite of his story?"

"The Northwest is a hard country in winter and I may find myself in a
ti