ed gorilla. For an instant his great, pale, cavernous
eyes glared. He had one hand under his coat and his position had a
sinister suggestion. But Kells stood cool and sure. When Gulden moved
Kells's gun was leaping forth. But he withheld his fire, for Gulden had
only a heavy round object wrapped in a handkerchief.

"Look there!" he boomed, and he threw the object on the table.

The dull, heavy, sodden thump had a familiar ring. Joan heard Jim gasp
and his hand tightened spasmodically upon hers.

Slowly the ends of the red scarf slid down to reveal an irregularly
round, glinting lump. When Joan recognized it her heart seemed to burst.

"Jim Cleve's nugget!" ejaculated Kells. "Where'd you get that?"

Gulden leaned across the table, his massive jaw working. "I found it on
the miner Creede," replied the giant, stridently.

Then came a nervous shuffling of boots on the creaky boards. In the
silence a low, dull murmur of distant voices could be heard, strangely
menacing. Kells stood transfixed, white as a sheet.

"On Creede!"

"Yes."

"Where was his--his body?"

"I left it out on the Bannack trail."

The bandit leader appeared mute.

"Kells, I followed Creede out of camp last night," fiercely declared
Gulden.... "I killed him!... I found this nugget on him!"

17

Apparently to Kells that nugget did not accuse Jim Cleve of treachery.
Not only did this possibility seem lost upon the bandit leader, but also
the sinister intent of Gulden and his associates.

"Then Jim didn't kill Creede!" cried Kells.

A strange light flashed across his face. It fitted the note of gladness
in his exclamation. How strange that in his amaze there should be relief
instead of suspicion! Joan thought she understood Kells. He was glad
that he had not yet made a murderer out of Cleve.

Gulden appeared slow in rejoining. "I told you I got Creede," he said.
"And we want to know if this says to you what it says to us."

His huge, hairy hand tapped the nugget. Then Kells caught the
implication.

"What does it say to you?" he queried, coolly, and he eyed Gulden and
then the grim men behind him.

"Somebody in the gang is crooked. Somebody's giving you the
double-cross. We've known that for long. Jim Cleve goes out to kill
Creede. He comes in with Creede's gold-belt--and a lie!... We think
Cleve is the crooked one."

"No! You're way off, Gulden," replied Kells, earnestly. "That boy is
absolutely square. He's lied to me about Cr