but where he came in contact with actual foreign life. And how
better could a country be seen than by slowly motoring through its
waterways? Merriman was well pleased with the prospect.

And then there would be Hilliard. Merriman had always enjoyed his
company, and he felt he would be an ideal companion on a tour. It
was true Hilliard had got a bee in his bonnet about this lorry
affair. Merriman was mildly interested in the thing, but he would
never have dreamed of going back to the sawmill to investigate. But
Hilliard seemed quite excited about it. His attitude, no doubt,
might be partly explained by his love of puzzles and mysteries.
Perhaps also he half believed in his absurd SUGGESTION about the
smuggling, or at least felt that if it were true there was the
chance of his making some coup which would also make his name. How
a man's occupation colors his mind! thought Merriman. Here was
Hilliard, and because he was in the Customs his ideas ran to Customs
operations, and when he came across anything he did not understand
he at once suggested smuggling. If he had been a soldier he would
have guessed gun-running, and if a politician, a means of bringing
anarchist literature into the country. Well, he had not seen
Madeleine Coburn! He would soon drop so absurd a notion when he
had met her. The idea of her being party to such a thing was too
ridiculous even to be annoying.

However, Hilliard insisted on going to the mill, and he, Merriman,
could then pay that call on the Coburns. It would not be polite
to be in the neighborhood and not do so. And it would be impossible
to call without asking Miss Coburn to come on the river. As the
train rumbled on through the rapidly darkening country Merriman
began once again to picture the details of that excursion. No