But he had been
convinced that the right thing to do was to motor over to the Junction
and take the telegrams with him for consultation. He would start
about eight in the morning, and would reach the railroad by noon. Yes,
by taking the light car which he drove himself it would be an easy
matter.

Billie heard part of this discourse in an absent-minded way, for she
was not at all interested as to what some strange lawyer in Nogales
might think of the curious telegrams.

She would have dropped some of that indifference if she had been able
to hear the lurid language of Conrad after the receiver was hung up.
James listened to him in silence for a bit, and then said:

"It's your move, brother! There are not supposed to be any mistakes in
the game, and you have permitted our people to wire you a victory when
you were not there to get the wire, and that was a mistake."

"But Brehman always----"

"You sent Brehman East and for once forgot what might happen with your
office empty. No,--it is not Singleton's fault; he did the natural
thing. It is not the operator's fault; why should he not give a
message concerning horses to the proprietor of the horse ranch?"

"But Singleton never before made a move in anything of management,
letters never opened, telegrams filed but never answers sent until I
am there! And this time! It is that most cursed Rhodes, I know it is
that one! They told me he was high in fever and growing worse, and
luck with me! So you yourself know the necessity that I go over for
the Sonora conference--there was no other way. It is that Rhodes! Yes,
I know it, and they told me he was as good as dead--God! if again I
get him in these hands!"

He paced the floor nervously, and flung out his clenched hands in
fury, and the quiet man watched him.

"That is personal, and is for the future," he said, "but Singleton is
not a personal matter. If he lives he will be influenced to
investigation, and that must not be. It would remove you from
Granados, and you are too valuable at that place. You must hold that
point as you would hold a fort against the enemy. When Mexico joins
with Germany against the damned English and French, this fool mushroom
republic will protest, and that is the time our friends will sweep
over from Mexico and gather in all these border states--which were
once hers--and will again be hers through the strong mailed hand of
Germany! This is written and will be! When that day comes, we need
su