eman began to rumple his hair, just as he had done years ago in
moments of excitement.

"Wish I'd known, boy. I've been acquainted with Horace Graham ever since
he ran a hardware store on Larimer Street, and that's 'most thirty years
ago. I'd 'a' gone with you to see him. Maybe I can see him now."

"You can't change the facts, Mr. West. When he knew I was a convict he
threw the whole thing overboard."

The voice of a page in the lobby rose in sing-song. "Mister Sa-a-anders.
Mis-ter Sa-a-a-anders."

Dave stepped to the railing and called down. "I'm Mr. Sanders. Who wants
me?"

A man near the desk waved a paper and shouted: "Hello, Dave! News for
you, son. I'll come up." The speaker was Crawford.

He shook hands with Dave and with West while he ejaculated his news in
jets. "I got it, son. Got it right here. Came back with the Governor this
mo'nin'. Called together Pardon Board. Here 't is. Clean bill of health,
son. Resolutions of regret for miscarriage of justice. Big story front
page's afternoon's papers."

Dave smiled sardonically. "You're just a few hours late, Mr. Crawford.
Graham turned us down cold this morning because I'm a penitentiary bird."

"He did?" Crawford began to boil inside. "Well, he can go right plumb to
Yuma. Anybody so small as that--"

"Hold yore hawsses, Em," said West, smiling.

"Graham didn't know the facts. If you was a capitalist an' thinkin' of
loanin' big money to a man you found out had been in prison for
manslaughter and that he had since been accused of robbin' a stage an'
killing the driver--"

"He was in a hurry," explained Dave. "Going East to-morrow. Some one must
have got at him after I saw him. He'd made up his mind when I went back
to-day."

"Well, Horace Graham ain't one of those who won't change his views for
heaven, hell, and high water. All we've got to do is to get to him and
make him see the light," said West.

"When are we going to do all that?" asked Sanders. "He's busy every
minute of the time till he starts. He won't give us an appointment."

"He'll see me. We're old friends," predicted West confidently.

Crestfallen, he met the two officers of the Jackpot Company three hours
later. "Couldn't get to him. Sent word out he was sorry, an' how was Mrs.
West an' the children, but he was in conference an' couldn't break away."

Dave nodded. He had expected this and prepared for it. "I've found out
he's going on the eight o'clock flyer. You going to be busy to-