it had not done for many a long year, she watched.

Jose and the other man did meet. Jose stopped. The two exchanged a
few words, too low for Mrs. Simpson to hear at that distance. But she
made out that the other man had something in his hand, something white.
A pigeon! For, suddenly released, it fluttered out of the man's hands
and, circling high above Mrs. Simpson's head, flew to join the other
birds cooing on the housetop!

"A carrier-pigeon!" gasped Mrs. Simpson. "Taking a message to the
other cutthroats!"

From that instant there was no doubt in her mind. This fitted in too
well with her many suspicions not to be the clew she had sought long
and unceasingly.

Jose went on, the man from the bunk-house went back into it, and Mrs.
Simpson fled to the house and hastened excitedly to Judith's room.
Judith, rudely awakened, came hurriedly to her door in her
dressing-gown, her eyelids heavy with sleep. When she heard, she
laughed.

"You dear old goose!" cried Judith joyously. "I just love you to
death. You put fresh interest into life."

Despite Mrs. Simpson's earnest protests, Judith hugged her and pushed
her out again, saying that since she was awake now she would want her
breakfast just as soon as she could get it. The housekeeper shook her
head and retreated heavily.

"You've got to show some folks a man cutting their throats," she
muttered to herself, "before they'll believe it. It is a
carrier-pigeon and I know it. And that Black Spanish--ugh! He makes
my blood curdle, just to look at him!"

"Carrier-pigeons!" laughed Judith, as she began a hurried dressing.
"The dear old goosie! And poor old Jose. She'll get something on him
yet. I wonder why she----"

Suddenly Judith broke off. She was standing in front of a tall mirror,
still only half-dressed. As she looked into the bright face of the
smiling girl in the glass, a sudden change came. Pigeons! Doc Tripp
had said that Trevors had got them; had remarked on the incongruity of
a man like Trevors caring for little cooing birds. It was rather odd.
Carrier-pigeons--carrier----

Judith whipped on her dressing-gown again and, slipperless, her warm,
bare feet pat-patting upon the cold surfaces of the polished floors,
she ran to the office.

"Send Jose to me," she called to Mrs. Simpson. "In the office. I want
him immediately."

A warm glow came into Mrs. Simpson's breast. With a big kitchen poker
behind her broad back, she hastened o