Collins he
silently locked the door and pocketed the key.

The sheriff acknowledged Hardman's condescension brusquely and without
shaking hands. "Glad to meet you, seh. But you're mistaken in one thing.
I'm not your host. This gentleman behind you is."

The man turned and saw Bucky, who was standing with his back against the
door, a bland smile on his face.

"Yes, seh. I'm your host to-night. Sheriff Collins, hyer, is another
guest. I'm glad to have the pleasure of entertaining you, Signor
Raffaello Cavellado," Bucky assured him, in his slow, gentle drawl,
without reassuring him at all.

For the fellow was plainly disconcerted at recognition of his host.
He turned with a show of firmness to Collins. "If you're a sheriff, I
demand to have that door opened at once," he blustered.

Val put his hands in his pockets and tipped back his chair. "I ain't
sheriff of Hualpai County. My jurisdiction don't extend here," he said
calmly.

"I'm an unarmed man," pleaded Cavellado.

"Come to think of it, so am I."

"I reckon I'm holding all the aces, Signor Cavellado," explained the
ranger affably. "Or do you prefer in private life to be addressed as
Hardman--or, say, Anderson?"

The showman moistened his lips and offered his tormentor a blanched
face.

"Anderson--a good plain name. I wonder, now, why you changed it?"
Bucky's innocent eyes questioned him blandly as he drew from his pocket
a little box and tossed it on the table. "Open that box for me, Mr.
Anderson. Who knows? It might explain a heap of things to us."

With trembling fingers the big coward fumbled at the string. With all
his fluent will he longed to resist, but the compelling eyes that met
his so steadily were not to be resisted. Slowly he unwrapped the paper
and took the lid from the little box, inside of which was coiled up a
thin gold chain with locket pendant.

"Be seated," ordered Bucky sternly, and after the man had found a chair
the ranger sat down opposite him.

From its holster he drew a revolver and from a pocket his watch. He laid
them on the table side by side and looked across at the white-lipped
trembler whom he faced.

"We had better understand each other, Mr. Anderson. I've come here to
get from you the story of that chain, so far as you know it. If you
don't care to tell it I shall have to mess this floor up with your
remains. Get one proposition into your cocoanut right now. You don't get
out of this room alive with your secret. It's