ed anything more. I've
got a dead open-and-shut case without it."

"Why don't you make it deader, then?" said I. "Don't you see what it all
means?"

"Well, what does it all mean?"

Either the man was still nettled at my treatment of him last evening, or
had no liking for amateur opinions and help; otherwise I see no reason
for the disparagement with which he regarded me while I interpreted
what I had overheard, piece by piece, except the horse and saddle
remark.

"Since that don't seem clear, I'll explain it to you," he said, "and
then you'll know it all. Except their horses and saddles, the accused
haven't a red cent to their names--not an honest one, that is. So it
looks well for them to be spending all they've apparently got in the
world to pay counsel fees. Now I have this case worked up," he pursued,
complacently, "so that any such ambiguous stuff as yours is no good to
me at all--would be harmful, in fact. It's not good policy, my friend,
to assail the character of opposing counsel. And Bishop Meakum! Are you
aware of his power and standing in this section? Do you think you're
going to ring him in?"

"Great goodness!" I cried. "Let me testify, and then let the safe be
opened."

Rocklin looked at me a moment, the cigar wagging between his teeth, and
then he lightly tossed his notes in the waste-paper basket.

"Open your safe," said he, "and what then? Up steps old Mowry and says,
'I'll thank you to let my property alone.' Where's your proof? What word
did any of them drop that won't bear other constructions? Mowry's well
known to have money, and he has a right to give it to Jenks."

"If the gold could be identified?" I suggested.

"That's been all attended to," he answered, with increasing complacence.
"I'm obliged to you for your information, and in a less sure case I
might risk using it, but--why, see here; we've got 'em hands down!" And
he clapped me on the knee. "If I had met you last evening I was going to
tell you our campaign. Pidcock'll come first, of course, and his
testimony'll cover pretty much the whole ground. Then, you see, the
rest of you I'll use mainly in support. Sergeant Brown--he's very
strong, and the black woman, and you--I'll probably call you third or
fourth. So you'll be on hand sure now?"

Certainly I had no thought of being anywhere else. The imminence of our
trial was now heralded by the cook's coming to Rocklin's office punctual
to his direction, and after her Pidcock almos