“Its plain that you’re keeping something back, but if it’s your or your partner’s business, I suppose I can’t object.  I believe you mean to do the square thing.”

“Thank you,” said Foster.  “What have you found out about Daly?”

“Enough to show he wasn’t at the factory the night Fred was killed,” Hulton answered with stern self-control.  “But he was in the plot and is being watched in Scotland.”

“Then you don’t know that he’s in Canada?”

Hulton stretched out his hand to a bell, but Foster stopped him.

“Wait a moment!  You have got to leave Daly to me.  Anyhow, you’re not to send your agents or the police after him until I telegraph you.  I’m going to look for him by to-night’s train.”

“The train goes west,” Hulton answered meaningly.

“It does, but if I think I’m followed, I’ll spoil the trail.”

Hulton’s eyes flashed and his face set very hard.  “The man belongs to the gang that killed my son and tried to blacken his name.  I don’t quit until I’ve run the last rogue down.”

“I mean to see Daly first,” Foster answered doggedly.

After a moment or two, Hulton made a gesture of agreement.  “Very well; I allow you have a claim.  But I won’t interfere if my agents have already got on his track.”

“I must take the risk of that,” Foster replied and left the factory a few minutes afterwards.

XXIII

AN UNEXPECTED MEETING

Daly was not at Banff, and Foster, who made cautious inquiries, found nothing to indicate that he had been there.  Indeed, he began to weigh the possibility of Carmen’s having deceived him, but rejected this explanation.  The girl was clever at intrigue, but he did not think she had acted a part.  She had really lost her self-control and told him the truth in a fit of rage.  On the other hand, it was possible that Daly had deceived her, but there was no obvious reason for his doing so.

The fellow, however, was not in Banff, which is a small place, frequented mostly by tourists and invalids who come there in summer, and Foster took a west-bound train.  He was once more at a loss and felt dispirited.  For one thing, he had no time to lose, because it would spoil his plans if Hulton’s agents got on Daly’s track before him.

He left Banff late at night, with a ticket for Vancouver, which he had bought on speculation, partly because the seaboard city is a clearing-house for travelers to all parts of the Pacific coast, but did not sleep much as the heavy train rumbled through the mountains.  The jolting of the cars and the roar of wheels that echoed among the rocks disturbed him, and he was troubled by gloomy thoughts.  He had promised Alice Featherstone that he would clear her brother; but he had also to clear himself, and in order to do so must find Lawrence as well as Daly.  Just now he had not much hope of finding either, but he cherished a vague belief in his luck, and it was unthinkable that he should neglect any chance of justifying the girl’s confidence.  He was ready to follow Daly round the world, sooner than lose that.  The trouble was that he could not tell if he was following the fellow or not.