"They have turned off into another trail to the east, M'seur.

If they had come on to that break in the bush where we dragged the sledge through--" He shrugged his shoulders with a gasp of relief.

"_Sacre_, they would not be fools enough to pass it without wondering!" Howland had broken the breech of his revolver and was replacing the three empty cartridges with fresh ones.
"There will be no mistake next time," he said, holding out the weapon.
"You were as near your death a few moments ago as ever before in your life, Croisset--and now for a little plain understanding between us.
Until we stopped out there I had some faith in you.

Now I have none.

I regard you as my worst enemy, and though you are deuced near to your friends I tell you that you were never in a tighter box in your life.