she said briskly: "But I have gone and done a
fearfully stupid thing to-night, and I want to know if you feel
brave enough to help me out of a very big muddle?"

Miles bristled up in an offended fashion. "I suppose I've got as
much pluck as most people; anyhow I'm not quite a coward."

"Of course you are not, or I should not have dreamed of asking you
to help me to-night," Katherine said, with a nervous laugh; then in
a jerky tone she went on: "I want you to get the store shut up as
soon as possible, then, directly the people have cleared off, we
have got to go and bring those stores home that I had to cache."

"But we can't go at night, and in a snowstorm!" expostulated Miles;
but his eyes glowed and his nostrils dilated, as if the very
thought of such an expedition sent thrills of delight all through
him.

"It is not snowing so badly now, and luckily the moon will help us.
Moreover, if we don't go tonight it will not be of much use to go
at all; for if we wait until the morning I fancy we shall find that
most of the stores have disappeared, especially the Black Crow
tobacco," Katherine replied, then told him of the look she had seen
pass between the man who wanted the tobacco and Oily Dave, after
she had been so foolishly frank in explaining where the stores were
to be found.

"I'll go and shut up sharp, then we'll start as soon as possible,"
Miles said, with a jump of irrepressible joyfulness, for nothing
appealed to him like adventure.

"Don't let anyone even guess what we are going to do!" cried
Katherine, who felt that enough indiscretion had been committed
that night to last them for a long time to come.

"Trust me for that!" replied Miles. "I shall pull a face as long as
a fiddle, and yawn my head half off while I'm clearing up. Oh, it
will be rich to out-wit that precious pair! I had been wondering
why Stee Jenkin should go off so quiet and early with Oily Dave,
but I should never have guessed at the reason. I shall be through
with the shutting-up in about twenty minutes, and I've had my
supper, so there won't be anything to wait for."

Katherine felt better when she had eaten her supper; the thought of
what was before her was less of an ordeal, and she was more than
ever determined that Oily Dave and the other man must be outwitted,
cost what it might. There was to be no night school that night, so,
directly the door of the store was shut and barred, Miles and
Katherine were able to set out. T