looked around
the room.

"What about yourself, Bill?" spoke up several. "You'll do."

Pritchen made a pretence at remonstrating, but the words were drowned
in the noise of the miners, who stamped, clapped, and shouted until the
clamour was deafening.

"All right, then," he replied, when the tumult had subsided. "If you
are as determined as that, I suppose I must act. Let us now get to
work," he concluded, stepping down from the bench.

Keith had been thinking very seriously during all this time, and when
Pritchen ended he lifted up his voice.

"Gentlemen, you have placed upon us a hard and important task, and as
one of the Committee I wish to ask a few questions."

The men giving him respectful attention, he proceeded:

"Suppose one of us on the Committee should be the guilty person, what
are we to do?"

"Choose another," came the reply.

"Is that the will of all?"

"Ay, ay."

"And, if we find the thief, have you any suggestions to make? It may
help us very much."

"Hang him," said one.

"Drive him from Klassan," replied another.

"Let the Committee decide," spoke up a third, which remark was received
with applause.

"Thank you, gentlemen, that is all," and with this Keith joined the men
who were waiting for him at the door.

As they passed out into the night, Caribou Sol dropped his head, and
his long beard was pressed close against his breast.

"Fool, fool, that I am!" he said to himself. "Why did I refuse to act
and thus leave 'im alone with that devil an' his tools? I might have
knowed it. I might have knowed it. Somethin' will happen. Somethin's
in the air. I don't know what it is, but when that sarpent gits to
wark thare's bound to be trouble. God fergive me!"

CHAPTER XVII

THE SEARCH

A stiff breeze was swinging through the night as the Vigilance
Committee left the saloon and started for the nearest cabin. The stars
were hidden, and the weather had moderated, presaging a storm. The
wind was soughing in the trees like a wandering spirit, while far in
the distance the faint howl of a wolf was heard. The line of rough
buildings stood indistinct in the darkness, unrelieved by one ray of
light. They sent a chill to the hearts of several of the men by their
gloomy silence. In one of these, perhaps, the stolen treasure was
lying, the innocent cause of the disturbance.

It had been arranged that the rest of the men should remain in the
saloon while the cabins were bein