Trappers were getting in debt to the Hudsan Bay Company and leaving it to trade with Robison. Dick had discovered one occasion on which it was proved that Robison had paid twenty per cent. less than the Company gave. But the trapper was drunkenly happy about the matter, and a little later he gave up trapping and took scrip land. That had not yet passed to Robison—publicly.
Dick had had more than one conversation with the German who had settled on Robison's river-frontage, and he had found those conversations valuable.
"I enchoy you," said the fat German. "You have imatchination. When I egsblain to people that there is not the Canada Home-lot Egstention Company anywhere at all, they say 'Ridiggleous. We haf the papers, see.' I say that I did go to their address and what do I findt? A blace on the groundt floor and a blace on the top where is a dirdy man who baints eggs-chru-chia-ting bigdures. And in bedween was a nod so young a lady selling babies' foodt. No Canada Home-lot Egstention Gombany there. Would I nod haf id seen?"
Dick felt more than a legitimate interest in the dirty man. But he did not say so.
"Of course," he said. "Your only chance lies in finding out from this end. You say nothing, and I say nothing. But we observe. And presently we know."
"Egsactly," said the German with a long breath. "Ah, you the imachination haf, my friendt."
The German passed in review through Dick's mind. Then he summed up. To remove Robison that he might answer in some still cell for the passing of Ogilvie would cripple his own future operations very much. To arrest him on a charge of swindling the breeds out of their scrip-land might open up the whole affair. But Robison could hardly be tried for roguery after he had been condemned and hung for murder, and Dick dared not waive the knowledge which he had bullied out of Andree. He regretted that knowledge now. He wanted to make his big coup, and he did not yet see the way to do it. And then he heard Jennifer laugh in the saloon below, and it started him up on his feet to walk the deck with his face set and his eyes cruelly determined.
