"My name is Niven, late of the Brandon district, and I purchased this property recently," he said.
"Any partners?" asked the sergeant; and I noticed a gleam of what appeared malicious satisfaction in the other's face as he answered: "No. You will find my name recorded as sole owner. All was right when I turned in about ten o'clock, but I didn't notice the time when my hired man Wilkins roused me to say the house was burning. Had too much to think about. Can't suggest any cause for the fire, and it doesn't count much, anyway, for the result is certain. House and stable burned out--and all uninsured."
"Had ye any other hired man than Wilkins?" interposed the sergeant; and Niven answered: "No. Stable didn't seem to be burning when I first got up, but Wilkins said it was swept by sparks and he'd get the horses out. One of them must have knocked him down, and he was only found at the last minute."
"Who was the first man ye met when ye went out?" asked the sergeant.
Mackay appeared to meditate before he spoke again: "Where did ye meet him, and what did he say?"
"Slipping around the corner of a shed, and he said he'd see me burnt before he stirred a hand to help," was the prompt answer. Then Mackay questioned several others before he turned to me.
"How did ye happen to come to Gaspard's Trail, Henry Ormesby?"
"I was riding out from Bonaventure to intercept the freighter and saw the blaze," I answered indignantly. "I certainly refused to help Niven at first, for I had little cause for goodwill towards him or the man behind him; but afterwards I saved most of his working beasts."
There was a murmur of assent from the bystanders, but the sergeant, disregarding it, spoke again: "Did ye meet the freighter?"
Mackay smiled. "Ye did not. I passed him an hour gone by on the Buffalo trail. What was your business with him?"
"All that should be easily corroborated," was the answer; and I was glad that the examination was over, for, remembering Boone's warning, it appeared that my answers might give rise to unpleasant suspicions. It also struck me that, in the hurry and confusion, nobody had noticed him or remembered it if they had done so, while, somewhat strange to say, after the last brief interview I had full confidence in his statement that he knew nothing about the origin of the fire.