game, but, as Gardiner often reminded him, he had no imagination. It
would have been quite impossible for Riles, on his own initiative, to
have thought of wishing the Harrises "good luck" on the journey they
were about to commence...They were interesting types of
villains--one, gentlemanly, suave, deep, and resourceful; the other,
coarse, shallow, slow-witted, and brutal. The offence of one against
society was wholly intellectual; of the other, almost wholly
physical. Gardiner fully appreciated the difference, and in his heart
he felt a contempt and loathing toward Riles which he concealed only
as a matter of policy. And he had worked out in his mind a little
plan by which Riles, when his usefulness was ended, should be
shuffled off without any share in the booty. At present he tolerated
him because of necessity. There was work before them for which Riles
was peculiarly qualified.

The Harrises went at once to a livery stable, where they arranged for
a team and outfit. They then bought some cartridges for the gun, and
a small handbag in which to carry the money.

When Harris presented himself at the bank wicket and asked for the
full amount to his credit in cash, the sallow-faced teller turned a
trifle paler still and slipped into the manager's office. A moment
later the manager himself appeared before them.

"That's a pretty heavy order on a country bank, Mr. Harris. Of course
we could give it to you in exchange, but to pay twenty thousand
dollars or thereabouts in bills will drain us to almost our last
dollar. Can't you use a marked cheque, or a draft on a Calgary bank?"

"Well, no," Harris said; "I'm afraid we can't."

"A marked cheque is as good as bills," the banker argued, "and much
easier to carry, not to speak of being safer," he added, as an
afterthought. "Travelling with that amount of money on you is a sort
of defiance of natural law, especially with the country full of
strangers, as it is at present." The banker looked from the powerful
frame of the farmer to the equally powerful frame of the farmer's
son, and his eye fell on the gun which the latter carried under his
arm. "But, I guess," he continued with a laugh, "there isn't much
danger on that score."

"Nothin' t' speak of," said Harris. "And while I don't want t' break
your bank, I do want t' get that money, and t' get it in bills, or
part of it in gold an' silver would do. The fact is, I don't mind
tellin' you I've a deal on, an' I've undertaken