s
determination to uncover the four conspirators, the episode at the
restaurant in Bowenville, the discovery of Ed Sorenson as the hirer of
the dead Mexican assassin, the obtaining of Saurez' deposition and
Martinez' imprisonment in Vorse's saloon cellar, Janet's abduction and
rescue and the loss of the paper.

"But the paper isn't lost," Dr. Hosmer interrupted. "Mary Johnson
found it and here it is." With which he drew the crumpled document
from his breast pocket and laid it on the table.

"You have it again!" Weir exclaimed. "You found it, Mary!" He stepped
forward and took the girl's hand in his for a moment. "You're a friend
indeed to bring this back to me."

"I owed you more than that," she said, coloring.

"But Mr. Sorenson has learned about his son and the paper and
everything that happened, except Ed Sorenson told him lies instead of
the truth," Janet put in. "He's terribly angry at all of us. He said
he would kill you for crippling Ed."

"Sorenson is welcome to try," Weir responded, with a quick blaze in
his eyes.

At this point Mr. Pollock interposed.

"You didn't finish your story, Weir. Relate for Mr. Madden's benefit
what occurred at Judge Gordon's house."

This tragic conclusion to the afternoon's happenings the engineer
told, though remarking that the company director should be the true
narrator. At his announcement that Judge Gordon had taken his own life
by poison his listeners remained dumbfounded.

"He's dead, then?" Madden asked, at last.

"Yes. And the transfer of property made to Mr. Pollock amounts to an
acknowledgment of his guilt. Now, I should like to have Martinez read
this deposition, for I've never heard its contents myself."

This the Mexican did, translating the Spanish paragraphs into English
with fluent ease, ending by reading the list of witnesses. Martinez
gave the paper a slap of his hand.

"And old Saurez was found dead in Vorse's saloon by me an hour after
he had signed this," he said. "Draw your own conclusions."

Madden shifted on his seat. He glanced at the document and at the
others and then gazed out the door at the darkness.

"Looks like a clear case; I always imagined if these men's past was
dug into there would be a lot of crooked business turned up. But
granting that everything is as shown, with Lucerio the county attorney
under Sorenson's thumb and the community as it is there's a question
if Saurez' statement even will be enough to convict them."

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