When they had ridden a couple of miles Cora pointed out to her where the tracks of four horses struck into the trail.  They were just ahead, she said.

They came upon Germain Grampierre and his brother Georges making their first spell by the trail.  Great was their astonishment upon hearing Colina announce her intentions.

Germain used all the obvious arguments to turn her back, and Colina smilingly overruled them.  He was openly in awe of her, and, of course, in the end she had her way, and they rode together, Germain shaking his head with secret misgivings.

They pushed their horses to the utmost, ever urged on by Colina, who could not know what might be behind them.  But she knew they rode the best horses to be had at Enterprise.

They reached the Kakisa River on the third day without any surprise from the rear.

They found that the main body of the Kakisas had been brought back to their village here, where they were pursuing their usual avocations under the eye of the police encamped on the terrace around the shack.

Colina immediately addressed herself to the police headquarters.

She had remarked Sergeant Plaskett on his arrival at Fort Enterprise, a typical mounted policeman, and a fine figure of a man to boot—­tall, lean, deep-chested, deep-eyed—­a dependable man.

She approached him with confidence.  The sight of her astonished, confused, and charmed him, as she meant it should.  He was only a man.

But as she told her story he stiffened into the policeman.  “Sorry,” he said uncomfortably.  “I have explicit orders from Inspector Egerton not to allow any communication between these people here and the other branches of the tribe.”

“Why not?” asked Colina.

Plaskett shrugged deprecatingly.  “Not for me to say.  I can guess, perhaps.  It’s not possible to lock them all up, but these people are under arrest just the same.  I must keep the disaffected from mingling with the loyal.”

“That’s all right,” said Colina, “but you can give me a policeman to go up the river with me and make a search.”

He shook his head regretfully but firmly.  “Inspector Egerton ordered me to leave the up-river people alone,” he said.  “The coming of a policeman would throw them into excitement.  No one can say what they might do.  I can’t take the responsibility.”

Colina shrugged.  “Then the Grampierres and I must go by ourselves,” she said.

Plaskett became even stiffer and more uncomfortable.  “Germain Grampierre and his brother had no business to leave home,” he said.

“By their own confessions they are implicated in the raid on the Company’s flour-mill.  They were told that if they remained at home they would not be molested.  But if they attempted to escape they would immediately be arrested.”

“They’re not trying to escape!” cried Colina.

“I don’t believe they are,” said Plaskett.  “But I’ve got to send them home.  Orders are orders.”