n I show
him the statement you can be sure he will never want to stand trial. And
we won't force him. We'll let the court at Willets examine him; and
they'll have to let him off."

"It would be satisfying--wouldn't it, Gary?" she said, after a time.

"You're a brick, Della!" he laughed.

She got up and stood beside him as he wrote. And Warden did not see the
designing light in her eyes as she watched him. And her smile, as she
signed her name to what he had written, was inscrutable--containing much
knowledge of Warden's motives, and concealing still more of her own.

In her room, while undressing, she laughed.

CHAPTER XXVI

A MENACE APPEARS

Sheriff Moreton waited for Warden to act, as he had promised. And the
sheriff continued to wait. For Warden did not appear with his evidence.
It seemed that the power behind Warden had called a truce; that it had
been disconcerted by its failures, and was waiting--slowly marshaling
its forces for another assault. But the power was working secretly, if
it worked at all, for during the winter there were no visible signs
which would indicate activity on the part of Lawler's enemies.

Nature seemed to wait, also. The country, between storms, lay bare and
naked, bleakly barren where the winds swept; somber in the valleys, with
desolation reigning on the coldly gleaming peaks of the hills and the
distant mountains.

Willets was somnolent, lethargic. Occasionally a canvas-covered wagon
rumbled over the frozen windrows of the town's one street, and rumbled
out again, loaded with supplies for a distant ranch; or a group of
cowboys, in search of diversion, came into town for a night. But these
visitations were so infrequent as to create no disturbance in the dull,
slumberous routine of Willets' citizens.

Warden and Della Wharton, accompanied by Aunt Hannah, had taken a
west-bound train shortly after Miss Wharton's adventure in the Circle L
line cabin. It was whispered they had gone to the capital for the
winter.

Sheriff Moreton had ridden over to the Circle L, to quiz Lawler about
the killing of Link and Givens.

"The coroner's verdict didn't incriminate no one," said Moreton. "I told
him some Two Diamond men had found the bodies down south a ways, an'
that they wasn't no evidence to show who'd done for 'em. Now, Lawler, if
you'd give me a straight story I'd be obliged to you."

Lawler gave him a "straight" story, merely omitting mention of Miss
Wharton.

"Cut yo