“Nothing doing this morning and the street’s all mush,” he said.  “If you’re not busy, would you like a game of pool?”

Foster agreed.  His only business was to find out Telford’s, and the man had given him an opportunity.  The pool room is an institution in Canadian towns, but is not, as a rule, much frequented in the morning when trade is good.  They had no trouble in getting a table and began to play for a small stake, which Telford insisted on.  Foster did not know much about pool, and indeed had seldom had time for games, but he had a steady hand and, somewhat to his surprise, won.  Telford, who raised the stake, won the next game, but was afterwards beaten.

In the meantime, Foster had studied his game.  The man made some clever strokes, but bungled others.  He was not steady enough, but on the whole Foster imagined he meant to let him win.  For all that, he did not think the other was playing a common trick with the object of leading him on.  The amount of the stake was not large enough for this.

“Well,” said Telford, “I guess you’re too good for me.  Suppose we sit down and take a smoke.  I’ll play you again another day.”

“What you want to do is to let up on the drinks the night before,” remarked a man who was standing by.  “If you were as cool and steady as he is, you’d beat him easy.”

“Perhaps that’s so,” said Telford with a good-humored laugh and gave Foster a cigar.

“Are you going to make expenses this trip?” he asked.

“I can’t say yet,” Foster replied.  “Anyhow, you don’t lose much by taking a look round, and I sometimes go outside my regular line.”

“Well, if you feel like speculating in building lots, I might put you wise.”

Foster pondered.  He knew that gambling on unused land was popular in Canada, in spite of taxes planned to prevent it, and while there are respectable real estate agents, the fringe of the profession is occupied by sharpers who prey upon what is fast becoming a national vice.  Confiding strangers with money to invest are often swindled, and there was an obvious motive for Telford’s trying to cultivate his acquaintance.  On the whole, however, he did not think the fellow meant to victimize him in this way, though he was perhaps willing that Foster should suspect him of such a plan.  If so, it might be better to indulge him.

“As a rule, I have a use for all the money I’ve got,” he remarked.  “Still if I could find a lot that was bound to go up——­”

The other followed the lead and talked about city extension and the development of the neighboring land.  He seemed to know his subject, and Foster was beginning to think his suspicions mistaken when Telford carelessly interpolated a few adroit questions about his usual occupation.  The questions were difficult to answer without telling more than it was advisable that the other should know, or, what was equally to be avoided, showing that Foster was on his guard.  He was now nearly sure that the fellow was an accomplice of Daly’s, and the line he had resolved on would be difficult.