Lister went to his berth, but did not undress. Much of the night had
gone, he would reach his camp soon after daybreak, and the train would
only stop long enough for him to jump off. He could sleep in his clothes
for an hour or two. A slackening of the roll of wheels wakened him and
he got out of his berth, but the big lamps were burning and when he went
to the door he saw dawn had not come. It was obvious they had not
reached the construction camp. Lister shivered, and was returning to his
berth when the conductor opened the door.

"Our luck's surely not good to-night," he said. "They're pulling us up
at Maple. If it's not a washout, somebody will get fired."

He went off, grumbling, but when the train stopped came back with a
trooper of the North-West Mounted Police.

"Where's the guy you told me to watch out for?" he asked.

Lister said he did not know and offered to go with them and help find
the man. It looked as if he were going to see the end of the play.

When they opened a vestibule door a man came out of the car in front and
stopped, as if he were dazzled by the beam from the conductor's lifted
lamp.

"That's the fellow," Lister shouted.

He thought the other saw the trooper's uniform, because he stepped back
quickly. The door, however, was shut. When he let go the handle the
spring-bolt had engaged.