Thorne saw Alison glance sharply at the corporal, and he smiled.
"Why should I ride for the frontier with the police after me?"
"That's what I don't exactly know, but I have my views. I want to say that we picked up a black plug hat when we were coming back along the trail. The point is that the thing was new. Then we found a brown duck jacket with a tear in it, but I figured the tear had been made quite lately."
"I don't think you could prove very much from that."
"Well," said Slaney, "I could try. It would look bad if I put the other matter of the horse Winthrop found near your homestead alongside it. Now I'll ask you right out—Are you going to mix yourself up with Jake's affairs any more?"
"In return, I'd like to hear whether you have any notion of carrying your investigations further?" Thorne parried.
They looked rather hard at each other, and then Slaney smiled.
"I guess it will depend a good deal on your answer; that is, unless Nevis gets hold of the thing."
"Then it's my intention to drop Jake Winthrop now. There's very little probability of his wanting any further assistance that I could render him."
"Well, let it go at that," replied Slaney simply. "I guess it will save you trouble. Good-day to you."