with the number plates? What's the idea of that?"

"I don't know. But all the same I'll take my oath there's nothing
wrong about the timber trade. It's no go, Hilliard. Let's drop
chasing wild geese and get along with our trip."

"I feel very like it," the other replied as he sucked moodily at
his pipe. "We'll watch for another day or so, and if we see nothing
suspicious we can clear out."

But that very evening an incident occurred which, though trifling,
revived all their suspicions and threw them at once again into a
sea of doubt.

Believing that the Coburns would by that time have returned, they
left the launch about five o'clock to call. Reaching the edge of
the clearing almost directly behind the house, they passed round
the latter and rang.

The door was opened by Miss Coburn herself. It happened that the
sun was shining directly in her eyes, and she could not therefore
see her visitors' features.

"You are the gentlemen who wished to see Mr. Coburn, I presume?" she
said before Merriman could speak. "He is at the works. You will
find him in his office."

Merriman stepped forward, his cap off.

"Don't you remember me, Miss Coburn?" he said earnestly. "I had