"
"I hired him for a guide, and he undertook to give me my orders on the
trail. But I soon showed him where he stood."
Downey nodded. "He's counted bad medicine up here."
"I guess he won't bother me any; I'm here to stay."
"No, he won't be apt to _bother_ you any. Probably kill you, though,
if you don't keep your eyes open. But don't worry about that, because
if he does I'll get him."
"He can't bluff me. I served with the engineers in Russia."
"You'll be servin' with the devils in hell, too, if you don't quit
makin' enemies of men like Alex Thumb."
"They didn't use up _all_ the brains, when they made the Mounted,
Captain."
"_Corporal_'ll do me," corrected the officer. "I wasn't with the
engineers--in Russia. I was only in the trenches--in France."
As Downey slung his pack to his shoulders the following morning he
stepped close to Murchison. The trading room was deserted save for
those two, but the officer lowered his voice. "Wentworth ain't the
only one around here that needs watchin'," he said warningly.
"What do ye mean?"
"I mean your clerk ain't the fool he lets on he is. That room you put
me in was next to his. The chinkin's fallen out in spots, an' his
light was lit late, so I just laid in my bunk an' glued my eye to the
crack. He was readin'--an' enjoyin' what he read. He'd lay down the
book now an' then an' light a good briar pipe.
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