me of killin' a feller what stan's in yer way. I shouldn't be
so turribly surprised if Jack Payson got what's comin' to him someday.
But what have you got there, Bud?" he inquired, as he saw the young man
holding a letter he had withdrawn from the pocket into which he had put
the bills.

"Letter I got in Florence yesterday when I was too full to read it,"
said Bud. He opened it. "Why, it's from Polly!" he exclaimed, "it's
an invite--by God! it's an invite to Jack an' Echo's wedding! It's
today! That damned scoundrel has hurried the thing up for fear Dick
will get back in time to stop it! Buck McKee, I believe you're right!
I could kill Jack Payson with no more pity than I would a rattler or
Gila monster!"

At this exhibition of hatred by his companion, a new thought flashed
suddenly through the satanic mind of the half-breed. It involved an
entire change of his plans, but the devilish daring of the conception
was irresistible.

"Say," he broke in, with seeming irrelevance, "don't Payson ride a
pacin' mare?"

"Yes," answered Bud, "what of it?"

"Oh, nothin'," said McKee; "it jus' struck me as sorter funny. PAYSON
and PACIN', don't you see."

Bud was mystified. Had his companion gone daft?

McKee saw instantly that it would be very easy to fix the charge of
murdering the station-agent upon Payson. The ranchman had evidently
left the station a short time before the murder, and had gone straight
south to the Sweetwater. Unless it had become confused with their own
tracks, the trail would be a plain one, owing to the fact that it was
made by a pacing horse, and the pursuit would undoubtedly follow this.

Payson rode the only pacing horse in the Sweetwater and Bar One
outfits, and it was certain to come to light, from Terrill's receipts,
that he had been with the agent about the time of the killing. The
motive for the robbery would be evident. Payson was in need of three
thousand dollars to pay off the mortgage on his ranch.

McKee said to Bud: "I've changed my mind. I think I'll see a little
fun before I break for Texas. I'll go with you to the weddin'."

"But you ain't got no invite," objected Bud.

"Oh, I reckon they'll take me along on yours. I know too much fer
Payson to objeck to me too strenuous."

They rode up to Allen Hacienda shortly after Slim Hoover had arrived.
They could hear the merriment of the wedding-guests in the kitchen.
Loud laughter was punctuated by the popping of corks, an