onfront a horseman who was coming rapidly toward
them, and as he came closer Toban cried out in surprise:

"Ed Bernse!" he said; "what in thunder are you doin' here?"

"Trailin' a jail breaker!" said the latter. "That copper-skinned
weazel we had in there slipped out some way. He stole a horse an' come
in this direction. Got an hour's start of me!"

Calumet laughed shortly and turned to the new-made excavation, making a
thorough examination of it.

At its bottom was a square impression, a mold such as would be left by
the removal of a box. Calumet stood up and grinned at Toban.

"The idol's gone," he said. "Telza's got it. You go back to Lazette,"
he said to Bernse, "an' tell the man who owns the horse that Calumet
Marston will be glad to pay for it--he's that damned glad he's got rid
of the idol."

Followed by Bernse, Calumet and Toban returned to the ranchhouse. When
they neared it they were met by Dade and Malcolm, bearing between them
the body of Neal Taggart. Calumet directed them to the clearing,
telling them briefly what they would find there, and then, with Toban
and Bernse, continued on to the ranchhouse.

Bernse hesitated at the door. "I reckon I'll be lightin' out for
town," he said to the sheriff.

"Wait," said the sheriff; "I'll be goin' that way myself, directly."

Calumet had preceded Toban. As the latter was speaking to Bernse,
Calumet stood before Betty, who, with Bob, had moved to the
sitting-room door and was standing, pale, her eyes moist and brilliant
with the depth of her emotions.

Briefly, he told her what he had found in the clearing.

"And the idol's gone," he concluded. "Telza's got it."

"Thank God!" she exclaimed, devoutly.

"I reckon," came Toban's voice, as he stepped across the kitchen floor
toward them, "that we'd better bring this here idol business to an end.
Mebbe it's bothered you folks a heap, but it's had me sorta uneasy,
too." He grinned at Betty. "Mebbe you'd better show him his dad's
last letter," he suggested. "I reckon it'll let me out of this deal.
An' I'm sure wantin' to go back home."

Betty vanished into the sitting-room in an instant, and presently
returned bearing an envelope of the shape and size which had contained
all of the elder Marston's previous communications to Calumet. She
passed it over to the latter and she and the sheriff watched him while
he read.

"MY DEAR SON: If you receive this you will understand that by this time
Be