“You’ll feel more comfortable by night,” laughed Paul, “and you don’t need to miss your sleep. Norman won’t have any use for you.”
The discussion did not close for some time after this and when supper was finally served, the last detail had been arranged. The meal proceeded without any sign of the momentous event to follow. At its conclusion, Colonel Howell turned to Ewen and Miller and said, almost nonchalantly:
“Boys, I’m going to leave you for a few days. Your friend Chandler is on his way to Edmonton to make trouble for me.”
Both men looked startled and Ewen exclaimed:
“What’s that?”
“The same thing he wanted you boys to do and in which you wouldn’t join him.”
“What do you mean?” Miller managed to ask.
“What you wrote him a letter about,” answered Colonel Howell calmly. “I read that. But,” he went on, as both men gave new signs of alarm, “I’m goin’ to forget it. Do you men want to go on working for me as you have in the past?”
Flushed faces made any other answer unnecessary.
“All right,” continued Colonel Howell, “then that’s settled. But I want you to get Chandler out of your systems. You can stay here. To show you that I trust you, I’m going to leave you in the camp again.”