' evidence was innocuous to the very end. The Sheriff had
whispered something to the coroner.

"Is there any reason why anyone in the Valley might harbor a grudge
against the sheep rancher?" asked the coroner.

Brydges hesitated as one who could say much if he would. "Yes, there
is," he answered lowering his eyes and flushing dully.

It was the attorney again who was on his feet.

"Mr. Coroner, the dead cannot defend themselves. Out of respect to the
deceased gentleman and the member of his family present, I think that
line of enquiry ought not to be recorded or pursued."

"The second time they have said that; what do they mean?" Eleanor asked
Mrs. Williams in a whisper.

Matthews was hanging on to his chair to hold himself down and the news
editor had leaned across Eleanor to speak to Wayland: "Good God,
Wayland! Don't you see the drift? Can't you head that off?"

"Leave 't' me," muttered the old frontiersman gripping his chair.

"But you have given your evidence: Wayland is our only chance left.
Don't you see how they'll clinch it?"

"Hold y'r head shut," ordered Matthews.

Wayland was giving his evidence, as little as he could possibly give,
it seemed to Eleanor, from the time he had telephoned down to her
father to come and take corroborative proof of the value of the coal
mines.

"You did not anticipate any trouble about the examination?"

"None whatever," answered Wayland. He had described the examination of
the two tunnels and the preparation to go down the shaft when the
Sheriff again whispered to the coroner.

"When MacDonald seemed to change his mind about going down the shaft,
was there anyone visible except the Sheriff?"

"Not that I saw," answered Wayland; and he went on to describe the
cutting of the cable and the climb up the side of the shaft.

Eleanor became suddenly conscious that tense stillness reigned in the
county court room. Some man standing behind the back benches shuffled
his feet and cleared his throat with an offensive "hem." The roomful
of people looked back angrily. The attorney had pencilled a line on a
scrap of paper and shoved it across in front of the coroner. Through
the open windows, Eleanor could see that a great concourse of people
was gathering outside.

"When you found the body, was anyone else present at the top of the
shaft?"

For the fraction of a second, Eleanor wondered if they meant to cast
suspicion on the Ranger.

"Yes," answered Wayland, "