of us all. God help me, but I am near out of my
wits over it!"

McMurdo looked at the man earnestly. He
was trembling in every limb. He poured some
whisky into a glass and handed it to him. "That's
the physic for the likes of you," said he. "Now
let me hear of it."

Morris drank, and his white face took a tinge
of color. "I can tell it to you all in one sen-
tence," said he. "There's a detective on our
trail."

McMurdo stared at him in astonishment.
"Why, Man, you're crazy," he said. "Isn't the
place full of police and detectives, and what
harm did they ever do us?"

"No, no, it's no man of the district. As you
say, we know them, and it is little that they can
do. But you've heard of Pinkerton's?"

"I've read of some folk of that name."
"Well, you can take it from me you've no
show when they are on your trail. It's not a
take-it-or-miss-it government concern. It's a
dead earnest business proposition that's out for
results and keeps out till by hook or crook it gets

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