re was a mistake somewhere, and I would look for foul play. I
would believe anything except that he was guilty--anything in the world.
You know he has enemies."

The sheriff liked her spirited defense no less because he could not agree
with her. "Yes, I know that. The trouble is that these incriminating facts
don't come in the main from his enemies."

"You say the robber had on his hat, and that somebody shot at him. Whoever
it was must know the man wasn't father."

Gently Bolt took this last prop from her hope. "He is almost sure the man
was your father."

A spark of steel came into her dark eyes. "Who is the man?"

"His name is Fendrick."

"Cass Fendrick?" She whipped the word at him, leaning forward in her chair
rigidly with her hands clenched on the arms of it. One could have guessed
that the sound of the name had unleashed a dormant ferocity in her.

"Yes. I know he and your father aren't friends. They have had some
trouble. For that reason he was very reluctant to give your father's
name."

The girl flamed. "Reluctant! Don't you believe it? He hates Father like
poison." A flash of inspiration came to her. She rose, slim and tall and
purposeful. "Cass Fendrick is the man you want, and he is the man I want.
He robbed the express company, and he has killed my father or abducted
him. I know now. Arrest him to-night."

"I have to have evidence," Bolt said quietly.

"I can give you a motive. Listen. Father expected to prove up yesterday on
his Del Oro claim. If he had done so Cass Fendrick's sheep would have been
cut off from the water. Father had to be got out of the way not later than
Wednesday, or that man would have been put out of business. He was very
bitter about it. He had made threats."

"It would take more than threats to get rid of the best fighting man in
Arizona, right in the middle of the day, in the heart of the town, without
a soul knowing about it." The officer added with a smile: "I'd hate to
undertake the contract, give me all the help I wanted."

"He was trapped somehow, of course," Curly cut in. For he was sure that in
no other way could Luck Cullison have been overcome.

"If you'll only tell me how, Flandrau," Bolt returned.

"I don't know how, but we'll find out."

"I hope so."

Kate felt his doubt, and it was like a spark to powder.

"Fendrick is your friend. You were elected by his influence. Perhaps you
want to prove that Father did this."

"The people elected me, Miss Cul