"He had it the last I saw of the paper. He read it. First, he was
going to burn it up because it made him angry, then he changed his
mind, saying he would take it to show to you, as he thought you would
be interested. Is there anything else you wish to know, Mr.
Sorenson?"

"Where did he go from there?"

"He drove away. From something he said, I judged that he planned to be
away from home several days."

Revolting as it was to Janet to put so fair a face on Ed Sorenson's
conduct, nevertheless she had braced herself to go through with the
part and presented to the cattleman a clear, natural countenance. The
very simplicity of her story, its directness, its accord with the
facts as he knew them, carried conviction. Innocently drawn into the
affair, she had, in his view, been quickly guided out again by Ed's
luck and wit.

Ed had the deadly document. The four men concerned might breathe
easily once more. Ed himself, in all probability, did not realize the
true menace of old Saurez' deposition, or he would at once have
brought it to him instead of continuing on his trip: the boy no doubt
thought it sufficient to keep it until he returned or mailed it back
from somewhere; he perhaps had taken it along for a more careful
reading. Good boy, anyway. He had got possession of the thing, that
was the main consideration.

"He told me too that he was leaving last evening for a few days'
jaunt," Sorenson said, rising to go. "You'll likely have a whole
basketful of letters from him. Finest boy going, Ed, even if it's his
own father who says it. But he's the lucky one, Janet." The girl
lowered her eyelids, for at this flattery she felt she could no longer
dissemble her feelings. "Sorry to have bothered you about the matter,"
he concluded. "Fellows like this Martinez are always making us
trouble. Run over and eat dinner with us soon."

He went down the walk, large, dominant and still with a trace of
his early cowman's walk. Both his step and his erectness bespoke
the buoyant effect of the talk upon his spirits, which was not to
be wondered at as he had splendid news to import to his confreres
in crime. They would get rid of Martinez, destroy the paper when
Ed delivered it, and their skeleton--this one (of a number) which
had unexpectedly kicked the door open and started to dance in
public--would be safely locked up forever. For Saurez, the only
witness (as they believed) was now dead: he would make no more
depositions. Certain