m home."

"There's a new one at Bowenville, father says," Janet put in. "A young
man, just starting practice. He hasn't been there but a few weeks and
may not know Ed."

"He's the man for us!" Weir declared. "We'll send for him. Now we must
be going."

Steele arose from the table and stretched his shoulders.

"And I'll hitch up my team immediately," the rancher said.

"I'll go with you," Mary exclaimed.

"Tut, tut, girl."

"I can help you, and I want to do something to help Mr. Weir and Janet
Hosmer, even if it's only a little bit. I'm strong, I don't care if it
is late--anyway, I'd just have nightmares if I stayed here alone,--and
I can help you with him. I'm going," she ended, obstinately.

Johnson eyed her for a moment, then yielded.

"Nothing to be afraid of now," he rejoined, "but if you would rather
go along with your dad, all right."

Five minutes later Steele and Janet were emerging from the canyon upon
the mesa. The drizzling rain still continued and the unseen mist beat
cool upon their cheeks as the car swung away from Terry Creek for
town. Except for the stream of light projected before them, they were
engulfed in Stygian darkness; and save for the slithering sound of the
tires on the wet road, they moved in profound night silence.

"That business is arranged," Steele said, after a time. "But we still
have the results of the attack on Martinez to deal with. I don't know
how long he'll hold out against the men who dragged him off, probably
not long. I suppose Burkhardt and perhaps Vorse took him, and they'll
stop at nothing to get the paper they're after. How they learned of
it, I don't know, but find out about it they did; and they'll force
the information they want from Martinez if they have to resort to hot
irons. That's the kind of men they are. The lawyer will stick up to a
certain point--then he'll tell. That brings you into their way."

"You also," Janet answered.

"I've been there for some time," was his grim response. "But in your
case it's different. I'm worried, I tell you frankly."

"Do you think they would dare try to intimidate me in my own home and
with father to protect me?" she cried, incredulously.

"Not there, perhaps. But if they could inveigle you away, yes. They
wouldn't use hot irons in your case, of course, and I can't guess just
what they would do, but they would do--something. Those men think I
have the 'goods' on them; I repeat, they would stop at nothing to save
t