discomfiture in his face.

Answering the editor's look of inquiry, he began slowly, "Mebbe ye
remember when we was talkin' last week o' Colonel Starbottle's accident,
I sorter allowed that he knew all the time WHY he was attacked that way,
only he wouldn't tell."

"Yes, I remember you were incredulous," said the editor, smiling.

"Well, I take it all back! I reckon he told all he knew. I was wrong! I
cave!"

"Why?" asked the editor wonderingly.

"Well, I have been through the mill myself!"

He unbuttoned his shirt collar, pointed to his neck, which showed a
slight abrasion and a small livid mark of strangulation at the throat,
and added, with a grim smile, "And I've got about as much proof as I
want."

The editor put down his pen and stared at him.

"You see, Mr. Grey, it was partly your fault! When you bedeviled me
about gettin' that news, and allowed I might try my hand at reportin',
I was fool enough to take up the challenge. So once or twice, when I was
off duty here, I hung around the Ramierez shanty. Once I went in thar
when they were gamblin'; thar war one or two Americans thar that war
winnin' as far as I could see, and was pretty full o' that aguardiente
that they sell thar--that kills at forty rods. You see, I had a kind o'
suspicion that ef thar was any foul play goin' on it might be worked
on these fellers ARTER they were drunk, and war goin' home with thar
winnin's."

"So you gave up your theory of the colonel being attacked from
jealousy?" said the editor, smiling.

"Hol' on! I ain't through yet! I only reckoned that ef thar was a gang
of roughs kept thar on the premises they might be used for that purpose,
and I only wanted to ketch em at thar work. So I jest meandered into the
road when they war about comin' out, and kept my eye skinned for what
might happen. Thar was a kind o' corral about a hundred yards down the
road, half adobe wall, and a stockade o' palm's on top of it, about six
feet high. Some of the palm's were off, and I peeped through, but thar
warn't nobody thar. I stood thar, alongside the bank, leanin' my back
agin one o' them openin's, and jest watched and waited.

"All of a suddent I felt myself grabbed by my coat collar behind, and my
neck-handkercher and collar drawn tight around my throat till I couldn't
breathe. The more I twisted round, the tighter the clinch seemed to get.
I couldn't holler nor speak, but thar I stood with my mouth open, pinned
back agin that cursed s