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Rh "I know. And I know Blake. When you have to do sentry-go over a skunk you must treat him like a skunk. It's an insult to his powers to do anything else. He'll sleep well to-night—and so will I."

He yawned, lying back in his chair. The day of both men had been hard; filled to the brim with the numberless common little things which knit up the great whole. For it is on the anvil of the common things that human nature is ordained to be hammered out and toughened for the tests of life.

Tempest went on to his office; but a little later he put his head out, and called Dick up the passage. Dick came, yawning still.

"Did you take any papers out of the court-room just now?" asked Tempest.

"No. Lost anything?"

"I could gamble I left it here," said Tempest, sifting a handful on the desk. "Didn't light your pipe with any of this, I suppose?"

"I tell you—why—I took a couple of memo-forms. But they were blank."

"The top side of the under one had my writing on it. What did you do with them?"

"Burnt one. Sketched Robison on the other, and Ogilvie took it out to show him about two hours ago."

The deep lines came round Tempest's jaw. He stood still.

"Well?" said Dick, and his eyes narrowed. "Hit out. Don't be shy."

"Paul was in this morning about some freighting. He happened to remark that a breed on the Peace who took land about six months ago had sold to Robison. He said that Robison had been buying in several places lately. Evidently people are commenting on it. I took down the heads of what he told me in pencil on the memo-book. It wasn't much, but it would explain to those two that they are being watched"

Dick lifted his shoulders.

"My luck," he said. Then he turned; went up the stairs two at a time, and came back in his outer clothes.