s only
possible witness was Professor Diffenderfer, and he would not testify to
anything.

In his examination before the magistrate Denver had called upon the
Professor to explain the cause of his being there; but Diffenderfer had
protested that he had been hiding in his cabin and knew nothing whatever
about the fight. Yet if the facts could be proved, Denver had not gone
up the street to shoot it out with the jumpers; he had gone at the
invitation of this same Professor Diffenderfer who now so carefully
avoided his eye. He had been called to the Professor's cabin to look at
a specimen of the copper from Murray's tunnel; but as Denver thought it
over a shrewd suspicion came over him that he had been lured into a
well-planned trap. They had never been over-friendly so why should this
Dutchman, after opposing him at every turn, suddenly beckon him up the
street and into his cabin just as Chatwourth and his gang came down? And
why, if he was innocent of any share in the plot, did Diffenderfer
refuse to testify to the facts? Denver ground his teeth at the thought
of his own impotence, shut up there like a dog in the pound. He was
helpless, and his lawyer would do nothing.

The first thing he had done when he was brought to Moroni was to hire a
second-rate lawyer but, after getting his money, the gentleman had spent
his time in preparing some windy brief. What Denver needed was some
witnesses, to swear to his good character, and Diffenderfer to swear to
the facts; and no points of law were going to make a difference as long
as the truth was suppressed. Old Bunk alone stood by him, though he
could do little besides testifying to his previous good character. Day
after day Denver lay in jail and sweated, trying to find some possible
way out; but not until the morning before his trial did he sense the
real meaning of it all. Then a visitor was announced and when he came to
the bars he found Bible-Back Murray awaiting him.

"Good morning, young man," began Murray smiling grimly, "I was just
passing by and I thought I'd drop in and talk over your case for a
moment."

"Yes?" said Denver looking out at him dubiously, and the great man
smiled again. He _was_ a great man, as Denver had discovered to his
sorrow, for no one in the country dared oppose him.

"I regret very much," went on Murray pompously, "to find you in this
position, and if there's anything I can do that is just and right I
shall be glad to use my influence. We h