ther."

Drew was a little bewildered by Topham's ready acceptance of his story
without any proof. But the tone of the last remark caught his full
attention.

"What d' you mean? What's happened now?"

"I've had suspicions, pretty nasty ones, for some time. But I had your
trouble--no proof. In the last three days I've picked up and sorted out a
few very wild cards, and now they make a pat hand. Kitchell has had his
contact here-abouts, all right, just as Bayliss has always insisted."

"You can't mean Shannon!"

"Johnny Shannon. And if he's doing what I think he is...." Topham paused.
When he continued he had changed the subject. "Last night Nye rode up from
the Range. Said that Kitchell made a raid, almost a clean sweep. Among
other stock he gathered up was that prize stud of yours."

"Shiloh!"

And Shannon had the horse papers! The Kentuckian was thinking fast now.

"Yes, if Shannon _is_ riding with Kitchell, now he can prove ownership of
that stud and sell him anywhere without trouble." Topham could have been
reading Drew's mind. "But that's not as important as something else. Hunt
went hell-bent-for-leather out of here. He'll gather up that private army
of his and try to trail the raiders. Maybe Kitchell will ride south, or
maybe he'll head directly back into Apache country. Either way that
trail's going to be as easy for anyone after him as walking barefoot
through a good roaring fire! Hunt still has blind faith in Johnny.... I
was hoping you could help break that."

"That why you got me out of the camp?" Drew asked.

"Partly. Hunt told me what you said about Johnny taking your papers. I had
you sized up as being too smart to make a claim like that unless you
really believed it. And I thought maybe you could prove it, given a
chance. If you can get to Hunt now ... tell him the real truth before
Johnny rigs something of a double-cross...."

"Would he believe me any more than he did when I accused Shannon?" Drew
asked bleakly. "I'll head south, all right. Nobody's goin' to lift Shiloh
and get away with it as long as I'm able to fork a saddle and push. But if
you're countin' on my bein' able to influence my--my father"--he stumbled
over the word awkwardly--"don't!"

"I'm counting on nothing," Topham returned. "Just hoping now. For a long
time we've heard about Johnny Shannon being a young hothead who found it
hard to settle down after the war. I think there are two Johnnys and we
are just beginning to know