"Why?" exclaimed Miss Gladden in surprise, "do you think Mr. Houston
will fail after all?"

"No, not that necessarily," Lyle answered, "but even if he succeeds in
getting his evidence together, and his friends come out from the east,
I do not believe they will ever succeed in securing the ones who are
most guilty, who have planned and plotted the whole thing. Over and
over again, people whom they have wronged and defrauded have brought
suit against them, but to no purpose; they are continually involved in
litigation, but they always manage to evade the law in one way or
another, I do not claim to understand how."

"I would not think they could escape with all the evidence accumulating
against them now," said Miss Gladden thoughtfully.

"You wouldn't think so," replied Lyle, "but you don't know them. Who
is that?" she asked suddenly, catching sight in the dim light of a
figure approaching the house.

"It looks like Haight," said Miss Gladden, "but why is he creeping
along so cautiously?"

"I believe he has been following Mr. Houston," said Lyle, quickly,
"wait a minute, keep perfectly quiet, so he will think every one is
asleep up stairs," and in an instant, she was going swiftly and
noiselessly down the stairs. The door at the foot of the stairs was
partially open, and Lyle could hear Haight, as, after opening the
outside door very carefully, he stepped lightly toward the room
occupied by Houston and Van Dorn; here he paused and listened, but
evidently hearing nothing, he cautiously made his way across to the
room of Mr. and Mrs. Maverick, the door of which was ajar.

"Jim!" he whispered, "Jim, wake up!"

"Who's that? What d'ye want?" came the response in a surly tone.

"Sh! don't make any noise," he whispered, "it's Haight; get up and
come out on the porch, but be quiet about it; I want to have a talk
with you."

A muttered assent was given, and Haight tip-toed softly out to the
porch, and sat down.

Lyle crept up-stairs again to Miss Gladden.

"Don't be frightened," she said, "but I believe Haight must have seen
or heard something;" and she hastily told what she had overheard.

"Now," said she in conclusion, "the window on the porch is open, and
as soon as they are both outside, I will go there and listen. Even if
I cannot hear all that is said I will probably catch enough to learn
what is going on. You wait for me and keep perfectly quiet."

A few moments later, Maverick shuffled out on the porch an