“You can’t force me to give it you.”

“I don’t know if I can or not, but don’t want to use force,” Foster replied, and while he waited, hesitating to play his last card, Carmen looked up with fear in her eyes.

“Jake,” she said, “you mustn’t think my father knows anything about this.  I sent the packet, without telling him, because Daly asked me.”

“But your father and he had some business together that nobody knew about.”

“They had.  They were really backing Nicholson, who got the first recorders turned off the Fish-hawk silver claim.”

“Ah!” said Foster, “now I understand!”

He was glad to admit that her statement explained Austin’s rather mysterious association with Daly.  Public feeling had been strongly roused by the dispute about the mine, whose finders it was believed had been cunningly cheated out of their rights.  There were, moreover, hints of foul play about a dangerous accident in the workings that had given the victorious claimants a legal advantage.  Foster could imagine Daly’s finding scope for his talents in the trickery and intrigue, and saw why Austin did not want his share in it known.

“In a way, it’s a relief to find that’s all your father had to do with the fellow,” he resumed.  “Anyhow, I want his address.”

“I won’t give it you,” Carmen answered stubbornly.

Foster hesitated.  The shock the girl had got had broken down her self-control.  He shrank from turning this to his advantage and dealing her another blow, but could not be fastidious when his partner’s safety and Alice Featherstone’s happiness were at stake.  Besides, it would be better for Carmen that her infatuation for Daly should be altogether destroyed.

“Well,” he said, “I’m surprised that you should still feel you ought to protect the man, and must try to convince you that he doesn’t deserve it.”

Then he related what he had seen in the corridor of the Carlisle hotel and how Miss Huntley had helped Daly to deceive him.  Carmen’s face paled and then suddenly turned crimson; but she answered with a quietness he had not expected: 

“You’re not a liar, Jake, so I suppose this is true.  But you’re all of you human, and you say the girl is pretty.  What you saw mayn’t mean very much.”

“She wore an engagement ring.  I don’t imagine it was given her by another man.”

Then Carmen flung the last of her self-control away.  Her eyes flashed and Foster thought she looked like a wild cat as she indulged her savage rage.

“The cur!” she cried in a harsh voice.  “He went to Banff, in British Columbia.  Now you know, you had better go after him.  Do what you like with him; I don’t mind!”

Foster went to the door, but as he reached it she called him back and looked at him with a bitter, mocking smile.