wisdom sometimes arranged things well.
Once more his hands pressed the papers in his pocket. Arriving at his
apartments he placed them in an old-fashioned iron safe which was
operated by a key instead of a combination. There were two keys. One Mr.
Braden carried with others on a ring. The other hung upon a single nail
driven into the wall immediately behind and concealed by the safe
itself. As it was dark there and as the safe was very close to the wall,
it seemed a very secure hiding place. On this occasion Mr. Braden used
the latter key, because he had changed his wet garments and left his
key-ring with them.

But Mr. Braden's trust in Providence might have lessened--or
increased--had he known that outside, chinning himself against the
window-sill which he had just managed to reach from the rickety steps,
hung Turkey Mackay; and that, further, the said Turkey had been a
witness to the manner in which the papers had come into the possession
of Mr. Braden.

CHAPTER XXX

STRANGERS ASK QUESTIONS

When Faith and Angus got back to the ranch Godfrey French's funeral was
over. Faith did not pretend to be specially grieved.

"But of course I must go and see Kathleen," she said.

She went alone, for Angus would not go. He held no particular
ill-feeling toward Godfrey French, but as French had held it toward him
he thought it best to stay away. When Faith had gone he pottered about
the house, stables and sheds, taking an inventory, estimating the value
of the things he could sell, deciding where they could be sold to the
best advantage. There were the tools, implements, rigs, cut crops,
horses and stock on the range. He jotted down a rough estimate and
frowned at the result. Still it was the best he could do.

Chetwood appeared. "Busy?" he queried.

"I've just been figuring up what I can sell and what I can get for it."

"You haven't sold anything yet?"

"No, I'll hold off till the place itself is sold."

"Somebody might bid it up to a good figure."

"Nobody is apt to bid. Nobody here with enough loose money. No,
Braden'll get the place, I guess."

"Old blighter!" Chetwood grunted. "But you never can tell. 'The
best-laid schemes of mice and men' and all that sort of thing. Let's
talk of something else--something I want to talk about."

"Fire away," said Angus.

"Jean and I are thinking of getting married," Chetwood told him bluntly.

"The devil you are!" Angus exclaimed. He was not exactly surprised a