the Judge inside, closed the
door on the Judge's indignant protests, questioned the deputies briefly,
gave them orders and then re-entered the shed, closing the door behind
him.

He towered over the Judge, who had sunk weakly to a bench. It was pitch
dark in the shed, but Corrigan had seen the Judge drop on the bench and
knew exactly where he was.

"I want the whole story--without any reservations," said Corrigan,
hoarsely; "and I want it quick--as fast as you can talk!"

The Judge got up, resenting the other's tone. He had also a half-formed
resolution to assert his independence, for he had received certain
assurances from Trevison with regard to his past which had impressed
him--and still impressed him.

"I refuse to be questioned by you, sir--especially in this manner! I do
not purpose to take further--"

The Judge felt Corrigan's fingers at his throat, and gasped with horror,
throwing up his hands to ward them off, failed, and heard Corrigan's laugh
as the fingers gripped his throat and held.

When the Judge came to, it was with an excruciatingly painful struggle
that left him shrinking and nerveless, lying in a corner, blinking at the
light of a kerosene lamp. Corrigan sat on the edge of a flat-topped desk
watching him with an ugly, appraising, speculative grin. It was as though
the man were mentally gambling on his chances to recover from the
throttling.

"Well," he said when the Judge at last struggled and sat up; "how do you
like it? You'll get more if you don't talk fast and straight! Who wrote
that letter, from Dry Bottom?"

Neither judicial dignity or resolutions of independence could resist the
threatened danger of further violence that shone from Corrigan's eyes, and
the Judge whispered gaspingly:

"Trevison."

"I thought so! Now, be careful how you answer this. What did Trevison want
in the courthouse?"

"The original record of the land transfers."

"Did he get it?" Corrigan's voice was dangerously even, and the Judge
squirmed and coughed before he spoke the hesitating word that was an
admission of his deception:

"I told him--where--it was."

Paralyzed with fear, the Judge watched Corrigan slip off the desk and
approach him. He got to his feet and raised his hands to shield his throat
as the big man stopped in front of him.

"Don't, Corrigan--don't, for God's sake!"

"Bah!" said the big man. He struck, venomously. An instant later he put
out the light and stepped down into the gray