for a necktie of his that I'd been wearing, and it took me a week to put them straight. I expect he's afraid of what he'll find when he gets back."
She laughed a little. But presently she got up and went away. Mrs. Carter turned to Dick.
"Does this kind of thing occur often?" she asked.
"Well—it varies according to circumstances," said Dick.
"Poor child," said the elder woman softly. "Poor, brave child."
Then she too got up and went away, leaving Dick alone on the upper deck, except for Bessait in the wheel-house. But Bessait lived in his own world up and down these hushed ways of men where no footprints are left on the trail, and his far-seeing gaze seldom homed to those about him. Dick shut the photograph into his pocket-book, lit his pipe again, and settled back to think in the manner Tempest knew so well; foot held over his knee by his hand; shoulders slightly stooped, and eyes dark and brooding.
He had enough now to warrant a search into Ducane's effects when he went back. His business at present was to see where those two went in Chipewyan; to whom they spoke, and what photographs they took. That he must do unseen. And then, when people began to rush Lake Athabaska land, it would go hard with him if he did not sheet the reason for it home to Ducane. Except that one photograph and Ducane's rages, which were not producible proof, he had nothing yet against Ducane which would stand in a law-court. Concerning Robison he knew much more. Link by link he went over in his mind the points which he did know.
Ducane had been supplying Robison with money lately; Dick had seen the cheques. Through Robison's assistance several breeds and one or two who had been supposed to be Indians had managed to prove themselves of sufficiently white extraction to receive scrip-land from Government. More than two of those grants had passed into Robison's hands publicly and been sold by him. The others probably belonged to him privately—or to Ducane. There was more drinking than formerly among the breeds—Dick believed he could account for that when he was ready.
