lonely cabin, when he had known them, every one,
from having seen them time after time in the home of Renaud. The
afternoon grew old. The sheriff arrived,--and still the contest went
on. Then, with a sudden shifting of the head, a sudden break of
reserve, Thayer leaned forward and rubbed his gnarled hands, one
against the other.

"All right!" he snapped. "Have it your way. No use in trying to lay
it on the woman--you could prove an alibi for her. You're right. I
killed them both."

"Both?" They stared at him. Thayer nodded, still looking at the
floor, his tongue licking suddenly dry lips.

"Yeh, both of 'em. One brought on the other. Mrs. Renaud and John
Corbin--they called him Tom Langdon back East."

CHAPTER XXV

It was staggering in its unexpectedness. A gasp came from the lips of
Barry Houston. He felt himself reeling,--only to suddenly straighten,
as though a crushing weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He
whirled excitedly and grasped the nearest onlooker.

"Go get Medaine Robinette. Hurry! Tell her that it is of the utmost
importance--that I have found the proof. She'll understand."

Then, struggling to reassure himself, he turned again to the prisoner.
Two hours later, in the last glint of day, the door opened, and a woman
came to his side, where he was finishing the last of many closely
written sheets of paper. He looked up at her, boyishly, happily.
Without waiting for her permission, he grasped her hand, and then, as
though eager for her to hear, he turned to the worn-faced man, now
slumped dejectedly in his chair.

"You understand, Thayer, that this is your written confession?"

The man nodded.

"Given in the presence of the sheriff, of Ba'tiste Renaud, of myself,
and the various citizens of Tabernacle that you see here?"

"Yes."

"Of your own free will, without threats or violence?"

"I guess so."

"And you are willing to sign it?"

The man hesitated. Then:

"I'd want to know what I was signing."

"Certainly. I intend to read it to you--so that all witnesses may hear
it. It is then to be filed with the district attorney. You can
signify its correctness or incorrectness after every paragraph. Is
that agreeable?"

"I guess so."

A pause. At last:

"'My name is Fred Thayer. I am forty-four years of age. Prior to
about a year ago, I was employed by the Empire Lake Mill and Lumber
Company as superintendent. I had occupied this position for some