now she was coming to offer him the charity of her wealth, to tempt
him with ease, luxury and London. He would have none of them.

He picked up the other letter with even more curiosity until he read the
postmark, and then his interest became intense, for he knew that it was
from Jim Coast--Hawk Kennedy. The letter bore the heading, "Antlers
Hotel, Colorado Springs."

"DEAR PETE," he read, through the bad spelling,
"Here I am back at the 'Springs,' at the 'Antlers,' after a
nice trip down Bisbee way, and out along the 'J. and A.' to
the mine. It's there all right and they're workin' it yet to
beat the cards with half a mountain still to be tapped. I
ain't going into particulars--not in a letter, except to
tell you that I got what I went for--names, dates and
amounts--also met the gents our friend sold out to--nice
people. Oh, I'm 'A1' with that outfit, old dear. I'm just
writing this to show you I'm on the job and that if you've
got an eye to business you'd better consider my proposition.
I'll make it worth your while. You can help all right. You
did me a good turn that night. I'll give you yours if you'll
stand in proper and make McG. do what's right. It ain't what
you said it was--it's justice all around. That's all I'm
asking--what's right and proper.

"I ain't coming back just yet, not for a month, maybe. I'm
living easy and there's a lady here that suits my fancy. So
just drop me a line at the above address, letting me know
everything's O. K. Remember I'm no piker and I'll fix you up
good.

"Your friend,

"JIM."

Peter clenched the paper in his fist and threw it on the floor, frowning
angrily at the thought of the man's audacity. But after a while he
picked the crumpled note up and straightened it out upon the table,
carefully rereading it. Its very touch seemed to soil his fingers, but
he studied it for a long while, and then folded it up and put it in his
pocket. It was a very careful game that Peter would have to play with
Hawk Kennedy, a game that he had no liking for. But if he expected to
succeed in protecting McGuire, he would have to outwit Jim Coast--or
Hawk Kennedy, as he now thought of him--by playing a game just a little
deeper than his own.

Of course he now had the advantage of knowing the whole of McGuire's
side of the story, while Kennedy did not believ