ntently and
finally grunted with satisfaction.

"Up the road," he muttered. "That means he is making for the pass over
the mountains."

He walked hurriedly through his office into the living room. There he
stood for a spell beside the table on which burned the lamp. His brows
were knit into a heavy frown. He seemed debating a question in his
mind. He tapped with nervous fingers on the table top.

"Pshaw," he said aloud, his face darkening. "He's an outlaw."

He put on his coat and dropped an automatic pistol into a side pocket.
After another moment of hesitation he blew out the light and walked
quickly out of the place, locking the door after him.

He hurried up the street to the jail. He found the jailer dozing in
the little front office and did not attempt to disturb him. From the
jail he hurried another short distance up the street and turned in at
a little house located some distance back from the sidewalk. He
knocked loudly on the door, and after a brief wait repeated the
performance.

A light showed, and the front door opened. Mannix, the deputy, looked
out.

"Let me in," said Sautee briefly. "There's been another robbery."

Mannix swung the door wide and stepped aside. He wore an ulster over
his night clothes, and his bare feet were thrust into slippers. He
scowled at the mines manager as he shut the door.

"More of the company's money gone?" he asked with a touch of sarcasm
in his voice.

Sautee nodded. "Some twenty-odd thousand," he said soberly; "and I
believe the man that got it is responsible for the holdups that have
been pulled off around here."

"Who got it?" Mannix asked quickly.

"Rathburn," Sautee announced.

Mannix smiled in undisgusted contempt. "Your own fault," he pointed
out. "Wouldn't give me a chance to investigate. Said you had a scheme
that would show him up one way or the other. Wouldn't let me in on it,
an' I was fool enough to let you have a try, although I don't believe
I could have held him anyhow."

"Just it," said Sautee. "Wouldn't have done any good to keep him in
jail, and I thought I had a two-way scheme that would either show him
up, as you say, or get me an excellent messenger. I intrusted Rathburn
with a package to carry to the mines office. He's a gunman, a
desperado, probably a killer, and I thought it would appeal to him to
be put in a place of trust. If he fell down--then I figured you'd be
able to get him like you said you could."

Mannix snorted. "After