"How did you guess that?" and Alton stared at him.

"That," said Seaforth, "was delightfully simple. It is a little more
difficult to decide what Miss Deringham, who is a quick-witted young
woman, did with the tea. As you are quite aware, she did not drink it.
Still, that is not the question. I'll write you out a little list of
what is wanted--I used to know a little about china once, you see, and
you tell Horton to send it on to Vancouver. How much would you care to
spend, Harry?"

"Just whatever is necessary, but get the best," said Alton. "Write
another list of cakes and jellies and things of that kind, too. Put
down plenty."

Seaforth returned by the time the horse was saddled, with an envelope,
and Alton, who took it, rode out at a gallop, for it was a long way to
the settlement, and the evenings at the ranch had of late become very
pleasant to him. He did not wish to lose a minute of one of them. He
drew bridle, however, when he came up with two men standing in the
narrow trail, one of whom signed to him. He was a small rancher, but
it was not until the impatient horse plunged that Alton recognized the
other, who moved aside, as the man he had thrown into the river. The
rancher saw the glance that passed between them.

"Hallo!" he said. "Then you two had trouble when you split? Now,
Damer was telling me he'd got kind of tired of saw milling."

Alton laughed. "That's quite likely," he said. "He showed it by
breaking up my planer in a fit of temper, and I fired him."