"I guess you heard what happened up the track?" Slaney next inquired.
"I did. Rather amusing in some respects, wasn't it? I understand that you and the trooper sat out most of the night watching an empty shack."
"Well," asserted Slaney grimly, "there was nothing very amusing about the giant-powder. I tell you the man meant to drop it into the fire."
"From what I know of Winthrop, I'm inclined to believe he did. In fact, in my opinion, it would be considerably wiser of Nevis if he left that man alone. I'm not sure he has a very good case against him, anyway; though, of course, that's no concern of yours or mine. You can't pick up his trail?"
"That's a cold fact," declared the corporal. "I guess you wouldn't mind getting down and walking along a few yards with me?"
"It's not worth while. I've no objections to Miss Leigh's hearing what you have to say, and I'm afraid Volador wouldn't stand unless I kept the reins. The flies are bothering him, and he doesn't seem quite easy when you're in the neighborhood." Thorne paused and laughed. "In a way, that's not astonishing."
"Then," he said, "I'm not the man to make useless trouble--anyway, unless it's going to give me a shove up toward promotion--but you're worrying me. The fact is, wherever I pick up Winthrop's trail I strike yours too. Now there was a night some while back when we ran one of you down close to the frontier."
Thorne saw Alison glance sharply at the corporal, and he smiled.
"Why should I ride for the frontier with the police after me?"
"That's what I don't exactly know, but I have my views. I want to say that we picked up a black plug hat when we were coming back along the trail. The point is that the thing was new. Then we found a brown duck jacket with a tear in it, but I figured the tear had been made quite lately."
"I don't think you could prove very much from that."
"Well," said Slaney, "I could try. It would look bad if I put the other matter of the horse Winthrop found near your homestead alongside it. Now I'll ask you right out--Are you going to mix yourself up with Jake's affairs any more?"
"In return, I'd like to hear whether you have any notion of carrying your investigations further?" Thorne parried.
They looked rather hard at each other, and then Slaney smiled.