ause I want you to."

"Say, are this a hold-up?" cried the old man in renewed alarm. "If
it are, I hain't a-goin' to stand fer it, an' let me say that Sack
Todd will be after you-uns bald-headed fer it!"

"This is not exactly a hold-up," said the detective with a faint
smile. "Get down and I will explain. If you try to resist, you'll
only get into trouble."

"Suppose I'll have to obey," groaned the old man as he climbed down
from the seat. "You-uns are five to one on this. I'm like the coon
an' Davy Crockett--I know when ter come down out o' the tree. But I
don't understand your game, stranger."

"As I said before, I don't intend to hurt you, Mr. Cashaw. But I am
after certain information, and I rather think you can aid me in
getting it."

"What you want to know?"

"In the first place, I want you to tell me all you know about Sack
Todd. What does he do at his ranch?"

"Humph! Don't ask me, fer I don't know. An' if I did--"

"And if you did--"

"Sack's been a putty good friend ter me, stranger. Lent me a hundred
dollars onct, when a fire had cleaned me out. A feller don't feel
much about hurtin' his friend."

"That is so, too. Then you really don't know what is going on at the
ranch? Come now, speak the truth," and James Monday's voice grew stern.

"Well, it's some sort o' patent, I guess. Sack don't want folks to
git onto it. Reckon it's a new-fangled printing press--one to run by
electristity--or sumthin' like that."

"He told you that, did he?"

"Yes. But I hain't goin' to answer no more questions," went on the
old man, and started to mount the wagon seat again.

"Wait," said James Monday. "I am sorry, but you'll have to stay here
for the present, Mr. Cashaw."

"You mean you are goin' to make me stay here?"

"For a while, yes."

"With the wagon?"

"No, I'll drive your wagon to the ranch."

"I ain't askin' you to do the job."

"I'll do it for nothing," answered the government official with a
quiet smile.

"See here, I don't understand this, at all," cried Bill Cashaw. "What
is yer game, anyhow?"

"If you want me to be plain, I'll tell you. I suspect the men at the
ranch of a serious crime. For all I know, you are one of the gang
and as bad as the rest. If so, you're face to face with a long term
in prison."

"Crime? Prison? I ain't done a thing!"

"If you are innocent, you have nothing to fear, and you will do what
you can to aid me in running down the guilty parties."

At this, the