lose to the eastern end of the street
which he was approaching, and when he reached these trees he
dismounted, led his horse into the shadows, and tied it.

He walked down the main street, which was illuminated only by the
stars and the yellow gleams of light from windows on either side.

There were several resorts, and one in particular seemed the most
popular. Rathburn glanced in through the door of this place as he
passed and saw that it consisted of a bar and numerous tables, where
games were in progress. He did not stop but continued on his way.

Few people were on the street; none of them took any especial notice
of him. Several doors below the largest resort which he had so
casually investigated, he came to a small, one-story, white-painted
building, which, save for the door and window in its front, looked
like a huge box.

Across the glass in the door was lettered in gold:

JUDSON BROWN
Justice of the Peace
Notary Public

A dim light shone within, and, peering through the window, Rathburn
saw that this light came from a lamp in a second room behind the
little front office.

He looked up and down the street and saw but two pedestrians, both
walking up the other side of the thoroughfare with their back to him.
He tried the door stealthily, found it unlocked, and stepped quickly
inside. Three strides took him to the door of the inside room.

A man looked up from a small table where he was engaged in writing. He
was a stout man, large of countenance, with small black eyes under
bushy brows which were black, although his hair was gray. He scowled
heavily at the intruder who failed to remove his hat, and who stood,
with feet well apart, in the doorway, a whimsical smile playing on his
lips.

In a sweeping glance Rathburn saw that the room contained a bed,
wardrobe closet, several chairs, and other articles of furniture and
decoration of a bedroom and living room. His eyes flashed back to the
burly man sitting at the table, pen poised, coolly surveying him with
a frown.

"Your name Jud Brown?" he asked, stepping inside the room and to the
side of the door toward the table where he could not be seen from the
street.

"I'm _Judge_ Brown," replied the large man testily. "You should have
knocked before you came in, but now you're here, state your business
as quickly as possible."

"That's a businesslike tone that I admire to hear, B