And with her vanished the fact, and only the
interrogation remained.
To the solution, Chance vouchsafed one clew. Her last victim, Jack
Coughran, having fruitlessly laid at her feet both his heart and a five-
hundred-foot creek claim on Bonanza, celebrated the misfortune by walking
all of a night with the gods. In the midwatch of this night he happened
to rub shoulders with Pierre Fontaine, none other than head man of Karen
Sayther's _voyageurs_. This rubbing of shoulders led to recognition and
drinks, and ultimately involved both men in a common muddle of inebriety.
"Heh?" Pierre Fontaine later on gurgled thickly. "Vot for Madame Sayther
mak visitation to thees country? More better you spik wit her. I know
no t'ing 'tall, only all de tam her ask one man's name. 'Pierre,' her
spik wit me; 'Pierre, you moos' find thees mans, and I gif you mooch--one
thousand dollar you find thees mans.' Thees mans? Ah, _oui_. Thees
man's name--vot you call--Daveed Payne. _Oui_, m'sieu, Daveed Payne. All
de tam her spik das name. And all de tam I look rount vaire mooch, work
lak hell, but no can find das dam mans, and no get one thousand dollar
'tall.
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