“One-half it shall be,” they heard the old man mutter.
Having won his point, Frischette beamed. He thrust the box into the other’s hands.
“Take et, m’sieur. I am sorry ef I speak cross. We must be friends. We must understand each other. En a ver’ few weeks we go to Edmonton an’ we shall be rich, m’sieur.”
Creel grumbled something through his beard, seized the box with eager hands and half-turned as if to depart.
The boys scrambled back quickly, for Frischette was beginning his journey homeward. A moment later, from the deep shadow of a heavy thicket, they watched him pass. He was shaking his head and talking to himself in a complaining undertone. Not long afterward he had disappeared in the tangle of greenery, and over the woodland there settled a deep and impressive silence. Dick looked at Sandy and Toma and smiled.
“The farther we go into this thing, the stranger and more perplexing it becomes. I wonder who that man is? In what way is he associated with Frischette? Why is he guarding the box? Now what do you suppose they were arguing about?”
“I can’t imagine,” answered Sandy. “What do you think, Toma?”
The Indian youth rose and broke off a twig from a branch above his head.
“I think him bad fellow just like Frischette.”
“Yes,” agreed Sandy, “probably his accomplice.”
“It doesn’t look as if we would open that box now,” grimaced Dick.
Dick too arose, glancing back at the cabin.
“I’d like to think it over before we attempt it. Possibly some plan may occur to us tomorrow. At present we’d better go back to the road-house before Frischette becomes suspicious. I wouldn’t be in the least surprised if he attempts to relieve me of that roll tonight.”
“I can agree with you there,” said Sandy. “Did you notice his eyes when you pulled it from your pocket?”
They started back along the trail, for a time walking in silence. Presently, however, Sandy turned toward Dick, his face thoughtful.
“Supposing,” he inquired, “that Frischette really does attempt the robbery tonight. What will we do? Let him have the money? Or do you want to catch him in the act?”
“But there’s nearly sixty dollars of our money. I’m not so rich that—”
“We’ll get it back somehow, Sandy,” Dick interrupted. “The police will see to that. I’ve marked the bills so that we can identify them.”