Constable La Marr, who had been silent all evening to a point of moodiness, now snapped Seymour from his thoughts with a question of his own.
"And when are you going to turn me loose after that accursed Avic?" he demanded in a tone that was scarcely subordinate.
The missionary looked up at his violence, but had no censure for the speech of it. These men who give their lives to lighten the Arctic native's sorry burden grow accustomed to strong language.
"At daybreak you will take the dogs, mush over to Prospect, and subpoena those three mining engineers wintering there to serve on coroner's jury. Bring them back with you. Miss O'Malley need know of only one inquest." He glanced with thoughtful eyes toward the closed door of the inner room. "After that——"
One look at the young constable's face must have told any who saw it that Avic, the Eskimo, would need to hide like a weasel to escape that arm of the law.
CHAPTER V
SILVER AND BLACK
La Marr was away at dawn with a venire facias for each of the three gold explorers, the only competent jurors within reach. As it was a matter of forty miles' rough sledding to the prospectors' camp and return, the inquests could scarcely be held before the late afternoon. That the girl whose emotions they were conspiring to protect might be too busy for vagrant suspicions, Sergeant Seymour suggested to the Morrows that they open up Mission House while he was at liberty to help them.
"Don't want to seem inhospitable, Mrs. Morrow," he said in his slowest, most deferential manner, "and you know you'll be welcome here as long as you care to stay, but I'm sure you want to get into your own place as soon as possible. Never know when some Arctic hades is going to cut loose and take me out on the trail. I'm off duty this morning—more than ready to help with the heavy work."
This brought an offer from Moira O'Malley that struck the hearts of those who knew.