they learned he had been a
witness. That meant they would kill her too if they found out that she
not only knew about their crime but had this paper as well.

She looked about. Finally she retied the document in a tea-towel,
tight and secure, and buried it deep in the flour barrel. They would
not think of looking in the flour. But she went to the door just the
same and gazed anxiously down the canyon as if enemies might put their
heads in sight that very minute.

CHAPTER XX

ANXIETIES

"My dear doctor, your talents are wasted in San Mateo. They should be
employed in the larger field of diplomacy," said Steele Weir, when on
his arrival from Terry Creek he was apprised of what had occurred
during his absence.

"From all indications I shall have full opportunity for their use
hereafter, whatever they may be, in our own bailiwick," Doctor
Hosmer replied, smiling. "There's more going on in our village,
apparently, than in many a small kingdom. I merely had Janet use the
truth with certain limitations, and there's no wiser course when
part of the facts are known. Sorenson seemed quite satisfied with her
explanation."

The colloquy resulted from a meeting between Janet and the cattleman
while Weir was guiding the young physician, summoned from Bowenville,
to Johnson's ranch. Sorenson had appeared at the house about ten
o'clock that morning desiring to see the girl. They had talked
together on the veranda, where the visitor stated he had effected a
settlement and obtained an acknowledgment from Martinez, who was
trying to blackmail him and others; that a certain paper had been
prepared by the lawyer for use in the disreputable business; that the
man had said he had asked Janet to secure it from an old chair in his
office; and he wished to learn if she had done so.

Janet had admitted such to be the case.

"It was odd Mr. Martinez should telephone me to go get it, wasn't it?"
she had asked. "But I went, and there it was stuffed in the lining of
the chair."

"You have it then?" Sorenson stated, with a sigh of relief and his
eyes kindling with eagerness.

"No, I haven't it now."

"What in heaven's name did you do with it?" he asked.

"As I was coming out of Mr. Martinez' office, there at the door was
Ed. He had seen me go in and so stopped his car before the door; after
a time he took the paper to see what it was."

"Then you didn't see its contents?"

"No; I didn't even open it."

"And he has it?"