collar, only to let the mass of flesh settle again
into inertness. He thought rapidly. Evidently, Moran had not divulged
the fact that he, the Senator, was concerned in the Crawling Water
enterprise. Certainly, Moran had done very well in that, and Rexhill
almost wished now that he had been less precipitate in coming to
Crawling Water. If he had stayed in the East, his complicity in the
affair might possibly have been concealed to the very end. He hastily
considered the advisability of remaining under cover; but now that he
was on the ground he decided that he had better be open and above
board, in so far at least as he could be so. It would prove awkward in
the event of subsequent investigation, if he should be made to appear in
the guise of a deliberate conspirator.

So, presently, as Wade neared the end of his _resume_ of the situation,
Rexhill permitted an oleaginous smile to overspread his countenance. At
the last, he even chuckled.

"It's really a bit amusing. No, no, not what you have said, my boy; but
what I am about to say to you. You invoke my influence to stop
these--er--depredations, as you call them, and up to a certain point,
you shall have my aid, because I seem to see that matters have gone a
bit beyond bounds. But when you ask me to go to extremes myself, why,
I'm bound to tell you that I, too, have interests at stake. Why do you
suppose I came to Crawling Water?"

"I'll admit that puzzled me."

Rexhill looked keenly at Wade, wondering if he were foolish enough to
believe the trip a sentimental journey, purely. He concluded that the
young ranchman had too much sense to jump at such a conclusion.

"Well, the reason is...." The Senator leaned ponderously forward,
twiddling his glasses upon his thumb. "The reason is that I, if you
please, am the moving spirit behind the company which Race Moran is
representing here. You see...." He chuckled plethorically again at
Wade's start of surprise. "It really is a bit amusing."

"Then Moran is your agent?"

"In a sense, yes."

"Well, I'll be damned!" The cattleman's tone was rich in disgust, but
even more keen was his intense disappointment at this failure of his
hopes. "Would you mind telling me, Senator, just what the purpose of
your company is?"

"Certainly not. It's no secret," Rexhill replied briskly. "Certain
parties back East, myself included, as I've told you, have reason to
believe that a railroad will be put through this valley in the near
fut