very. They are safe,
substantial people. I can't understand----"

But Billie caught his arm with a gasp of horror and enlightenment.

"Papa Phil! Think--_think_ what Kit Rhodes said! _'Ground glass in the
feed at the other end of the road! Conrad's game--Herrara knows!'_
Papa Phil,--Miguel Herrara was killed--killed! And Conrad tried to
kill Kit! Oh he did, he did! None of the Mexicans thought he would get
well, but Tia Luz cured him. And Cap Pike never went out of sight of
that adobe until Conrad had left the ranch, and I know Kit was right.
I know it, I know it! Oh, my horses, my beautiful horses!"

"There, there! Why, child you're hysterical over this, which is--is
too preposterous for belief!"

"Nothing is too preposterous for belief. You know that. Everybody
knows it in these days! Is Belgium too preposterous? Is that record of
poison and powdered glass in hospital supplies too preposterous? In
_hospital_ supplies! If they do that to wounded men, why not to
cavalry horses? Why Papa Phil----"

"Hush--hush--hush!" he said pacing the floor, clasping his head in
both hands. "It is too terrible! What can we do? What? Who dare we
trust to even help investigate?"

"Well, you might wire those agents for particulars, this is rather
skimpy," suggested Billie. "Come and get some breakfast and think it
over."

"I might wire the office of the Peace Society in New York to----"

"Don't you do it!" protested Billie. "They may have furnished the
poison for all _you_ know! Cap Pike says they are a lot of traitors,
and Cap is wise in lots of things. You telegraph, and you tell them
that if the sickness is proven to have started in Granados, that we
will pay for every dead horse, tell them we have no sick horses here,
and ask them to answer, _pronto!_"

"That seems rather reckless, child, to pay for all----"

"I _am_ reckless! I am crazy mad over those horses, and over Conrad,
and over Kit whom he tried to kill!"

"Tut--tut! The language and behavior of Rhodes was too wicked for
anyone to believe him innocent. He was a beastly looking object, and I
still believe him entirely in the wrong. This loss of the horses is
deplorable, but you will find that no one at Granados is to blame."

"Maybe so, but you just send that telegram and see what we see!"

CHAPTER VI

A DEAD MAN UNDER THE COTTONWOODS

Billie was never out of hearing of the telephone all day, and at two
o'clock the reply came.

PHILIP SINGLETON,