The man turned slowly and studied the lower slopes of the distant range. He saw, or seemed to see, something that interested him, and he stared so long that the sergeant said impatiently, "Well, what about it?"
"I was just wondering," said the little man in the same colorless voice. "I was just wondering if that was them."
"If who was?" the sergeant demanded. "Out with it, man, and don't keep us waiting all day."
"Last night," said the man distinctly, "there was a fire up on those ranges. It wasn't a bush-fire. I know a bush-fire. It was just a tiny little glow from here. I thought it was a fire showing through the open door of a hut, until I remembered that nobody lived up there. It didn't last long; it must have burnt out in ten minutes or so, so I knew that it was started by some traveller. It wasn't a camp-fire and they weren't cooking anything."
"How do you know that?" the sergeant said quickly.
"How do I know that?" the little man repeated slowly. "It's easy enough. The fire was only alight ten minutes at the most, and you can't cook anything or boil a billy in that time, I know."
"The old chap's right," one of the troopers said in an undertone to his superior.
The sergeant nodded. He turned again to the old prospector. "You're sure you didn't see anyone pass this way?" he queried.
"No, I'm not sure," said the man. "I'm only saying that I didn't hear anyone."
"What do you mean by saying you're not sure that you didn't see anyone?" the sergeant asked curiously.