Page:The trail of the golden horn.djvu/46

42 himself in a comfortable chair which Marion offered. “There is very serious business ahead. You know to what I refer.”

“You mean the murder near the C. D. Cut-Off, I suppose,” Marion replied as she seated herself near the window. “I have heard of it.”

“And you had a visit from Hugo, the trapper, I understand.”

“Oh, yes. He brought a little child here one night.”

“Where is the child now?”

“With Mr. and Mrs. Parker. They have taken it as their own, and are very fond of it.”

Sergeant North gazed thoughtfully out of the window for a few seconds. He was really looking at the peak of the Golden Horn far away in the distance, although he saw it not. His mind was upon more important things.

“Are you certain that it was Hugo, the trapper, who brought that child here?” he asked.

“No, I am not,” Marion emphatically replied, “but it is the general opinion in Kynox that he is the man.”

“Did he wear his cap while he was in the hospital?”

“Yes, even when he was asleep on the kitchen floor.”

“Then it was Hugo, all right; I never saw him without his cap.”

“Why does he always wear it?”

“I do not know.”

Marion’s hands were clasped upon her lap, and although her eyes were downcast she knew that the sergeant was looking intently upon her face. The next instant he had reached out and caught both of her hands in his. With a slight cry of surprise, Marion tried to free her hands, but the sergeant held them firm.