Corporal Cameron of the North West Mounted Police Part 6

"Pardon me, Captain Cameron. Allow me," said Mr. Rae.

"Now, Mr. Allan, do you think you owed him as much as the amount of that cheque?"

"I do not know, but I think so."

"Had you any other money?"

"No," said Allan shortly; "at least I may have had a little remaining from the five pounds I had received from my father a few days before."

"You are quite sure you had no other money?"

"Quite certain," replied Allan.

Again Mr. Rae opened his desk and drew forth a slip and handed it to young Cameron. "What is that?" he said.

Cameron glanced at it hurriedly, and turned it over. "That is my father's cheque for five pounds, which I cashed."

Mr. Rae stretched out his hand and took the cheque. "Mr. Allan," he said, "I want you to consider most carefully your answer." He leaned across the desk and for some moments--they seemed like minutes to Dunn--his eyes searched young Cameron's face. "Mr. Allan," he said, with a swift change of tone, his voice trembling slightly, "will you look at the amount of that cheque again?"

Cameron once more took the cheque, glanced at it. "Good Lord!" he cried.

"It is fifty!" His face showed blank amazement.

Quick, low, and stern came Mr. Rae's voice. "Yes," he said, "it is for fifty pounds. Do you know that that is a forgery, the punishment for which is penal servitude, and that the order for your arrest is already given?"

The Captain sprang to his feet. Young Cameron's face became ghastly pale. His hand clutched the top of Mr. Rae's desk. Twice or thrice he moistened his lips preparing to speak, but uttered not a word. "Good G.o.d, my boy!" said the Captain hoa.r.s.ely. "Don't stand like that. Tell him you are innocent."

"One moment, Sir," said Mr. Rae to the Captain. "Permit me." Mr. Rae's voice, while perfectly courteous, was calmly authoritative.

"Mr. Allan," he continued, turning to the wretched young man, "what money have you at present in your pockets?"

With shaking hands young Cameron emptied upon the desk the contents of his pocketbook, from which the lawyer counted out ten one-pound notes, a half-sovereign and some silver. "Where did you get this money, Mr.

Allan?"

The young man, still silent, drew his handkerchief from his pocket, touched his lips, and wiped the sweat from his white face.

"Mr. Allan," continued the lawyer, dropping again into a kindly voice, "a frank explanation will help us all."

"Mr. Rae," said Cameron, his words coming with painful indistinctness, "I don't understand this. I can't think clearly. I can't remember. That money I got from Potts; at least I must have--I have had money from no one else."

"My G.o.d!" cried the Captain again. "To think that a son of mine should--!"

"Pardon me, Captain Cameron," interrupted Mr. Rae quickly and somewhat sharply. "We must not prejudge this case. We must first understand it."

At this point Dunn stepped swiftly to Cameron's side. "Brace up, old chap," he said in a low tone. Then turning towards the Captain he said, "I beg your pardon, Sir, but I do think it's only fair to give a man a chance to explain."

"Allow me, gentlemen," said Mr. Rae in a firm, quiet voice, as the Captain was about to break forth. "Allow me to conduct this examination."

Cameron turned his face toward Dunn. "Thank you, old man," he said, his white lips quivering. "I will do my best, but before G.o.d, I don't understand this."

"Now, Mr. Allan," continued the lawyer, tapping the desk sharply, "here are two cheques for fifty pounds, both drawn by your father, both endorsed by you, one apparently cashed by Mr. Potts, one by yourself.

What do you know about this?"

"Mr. Rae," replied the young man, his voice trembling and husky, "I tell you I can't understand this. I ought to say that for the last two weeks I haven't been quite myself, and whiskey always makes me forget. I can walk around steadily enough, but I don't always know what I am doing--"

"That's so, Sir," said Dunn quickly, "I've seen him."

"--And just what happened with these cheques I do not know. This cheque," picking up the one endorsed to Potts, "I remember giving to Potts. The only other cheque I remember is a five-pound one."

"Do you remember cas.h.i.+ng that five-pound cheque?" inquired Mr. Rae.

"I carried it about for some days. I remember that, because I once offered it to Potts in part payment, and he said--" the white face suddenly flushed a deep red.

"Well, Mr. Allan, what did he say?"

"It doesn't matter," said Cameron.

"It may and it may not," said Mr. Rae sharply. "It is your duty to tell us."

"Out with it," said his father angrily. "You surely owe it to me, to us all, to let us have every a.s.sistance."

Cameron paid no attention to his father's words. "It has really no bearing, Sir, but I remember saying as I offered a five-pound cheque, 'I wish it was fifty.'"

"And what reply did Mr. Potts make?" said Mr. Rae, with quiet indifference, as if he had lost interest in this particular feature of the case.

Again Cameron hesitated.

"Come, out with it!" said his father impatiently.

His son closed his lips as if in a firm resolve. "It really has nothing whatever to do with the case."

"Play the game, old man," said Dunn quietly.

"Oh, all right!" said Cameron. "It makes no difference anyway. He said in a joke, 'You could easily make this fifty; it is such mighty poor writing.'"

Still Mr. Rae showed no sign of interest. "He suggested in a joke, I understand, that the five-pound cheque could easily be changed into fifty pounds. That was a mere pleasantry of Mr. Potts', doubtless. How did the suggestion strike you, Mr. Allan?"

Allan looked at him in silence.

"I mean, did the suggestion strike you unpleasantly, or how?"

"I don't think it made any impression, Sir. I knew it was a joke."

"A joke!" groaned his father. "Good Heavens! What do you think--?"

"Once more permit me," said Mr. Rae quietly, with a wave of his hand toward the Captain. "This cheque of five pounds has evidently been altered to fifty pounds. The question is, by whom, Mr. Allan? Can you answer that?" Again Mr. Rae's eyes were searching the young man's face.

"I have told you I remember nothing about this cheque."

"Is it possible, Mr. Allan, that you could have raised this cheque yourself without your knowing--?"