Tom was just entering the lower gate. Quigg saw her and tried to dodge behind the tool-house, but it was too late, so he faced her. Tom's keen eye caught the sly movement and the quickly altered expression. Some new trickery was in the air, she knew; she detected it in every line of Quigg's face. What was McGaw up to now? she asked herself. Was he after Carl and the men, or getting ready to burn the other stable? “Good-morning, Mr. Quigg. Ain't ye lost?” she asked coldly. “Oh no,” said Quigg, with a forced laugh. “I come over to see if I could help about the fire.” It was the first thing that came into his head; he had hoped to pass with only a nod of greeting. “Did ye?” replied Tom thoughtfully. She saw he had lied, but she led him on. “What kind of help did ye think of givin'? The insurance company will pay the money, the two horses is buried, an' we begin diggin' post-holes for a new stable in the mornin'. Perhaps ye were thinkin' of lendin' a hand yerself. If ye did, I can put ye alongside of Carl; one shovel might do for both of ye.” Quigg colored and laughed uneasily. Somebody had told her, then, how Carl had threatened him with uplifted shovel when he tried to coax the Swede away. “No, I'm not diggin' these days; but I've got a pull wid the insurance adjuster, and might git an extra allowance for yer.” This was cut from whole cloth. He had never known an adjuster in his life. “What's that?” asked Tom, still looking square at him, Quigg squirming under her glance like a worm on a pin. “Well, the company can't tell how much feed was in the bins, and tools, and sech like,” he said, with another laugh. A laugh is always a safe parry when a pair of clear gray search-light eyes are cutting into one like a rapier. “An' yer idea is for me to git paid for stuff that wasn't burned up, is it?” “Well, that's as how the adjuster says. Sometimes he sees it an' sometimes he don't--that's where the pull comes in.” Tom put her arms akimbo, her favorite attitude when her anger began to rise. “Oh I see! The pull is in bribin' the adjuster, as ye call him, so he can cheat the company.” Quigg shrugged his shoulders; that part of the transaction was a mere trifle. What were companies made for but to be cheated? Tom stood for a minute looking him all over.