The new year found the young lumbermen again in the woods, this time a good mile from the bank of the river. Here a shack had been built, and to this place Jeff sent meals for all hands three times a day, for the men could not spend the necessary time going back and forth to the cabin. The shack was a poor dwelling-place, and both Dale and Owen were glad when, early in February, they were ordered back to the main camp. In the meantime they heard that Mr. Paxton had taken on six new hands, for the cutting was not progressing as rapidly as the owner of the claim had anticipated. "Well, I never!" cried Dale, on catching sight of several of the new workmen. "There is Baptiste Ducrot!" "So it is!" declared Owen. "I thought old Winthrop said he wouldn't engage the man." "Winthrop is away, Owen. He went last week to visit a sick relative in Lilybay." "Then Mr. Paxton must have hired him himself." "It's more than likely." "What do you propose to do?" "Make Ducrot toe the mark if I can. He took that horse, and----" "Hold on, Dale. If you want to make him pay for the horse you had better go slow about it. Probably he hasn't any money now. Supposing you let him earn some before you let down on him." Dale stared at his chum for a moment. "I never thought of that before!" he cried. "Do you suppose Mr. Paxton will keep his money for him until the end of the season?" "I shouldn't wonder. You can ask and make sure." "I will, and I'll tell him just how matters stand," answered Dale. Without letting Baptiste Ducrot see him he sought out the owner of the camp and told his story. Mr. Paxton listened to him patiently, whittling a stick the while with his big jack-knife. "That's a pretty straight tale, Bradford," he said, when the youth had finished. "But can you prove positively that this Ducrot took the horse?" "No, I can't say that I can," answered Dale bluntly. "But I'm reasonably certain that he did." "If you have him hauled up you'll have to prove your charge. If you can't he may be able to make trouble for you for having him arrested." "Well, what do you advise me to do, Mr. Paxton? I know I can depend on what you say." This frankness pleased the owner of the camp, and he nodded slowly. "My advice is that you say nothing at present. Go on working as usual and keep your eyes and ears open. Sooner or later every criminal exposes himself, if not in one way, then in another. I don't look on Ducrot as a smart customer, and if he is really guilty you'll corner him some day when he least expects it." "Are you keeping his money for him?" "All but two dollars a week--and I'm paying him seven and board, for men are scarce just now, and he can work well when he is put to it and kept from drink. Yes, you watch him, and I won't give him his money until I notify you first." And so it was arranged that Dale should watch Baptiste Ducrot and do what he could to expose the fellow and bring him to book for his misdeeds.