rn back. If I left the road, my tracks would show. There
were reasons why I didn't want to continue on into town with the loot.
So, as I was crossing the bridge, without leaving the saddle or even
stopping, I deposited the gold in the Big Creek safety deposit vault,"
Dingwell answered with a grin.

"But supposing the Rutherfords had found it?" The superintendent put
his question blandly.

The face of the cattleman was as expressive as a stone wall. "Did I
mention the Rutherfords?" he asked, looking straight into the eye of
the Western Express man. "I reckon you didn't hear me quite right."

Elder laughed a little. He was a Westerner himself. "Oh, I heard you,
Mr. Dingwell. But I haven't heard a lot of things I'd like to know."

The cattleman pushed the sack with his toe. "Money talks, folks say."

"Maybe so. But it hasn't told me why you couldn't go back along the
road you came, why you couldn't leave the road, and why you didn't want
to go right up to Sweeney's office with the sack. It hasn't given me
any information about where you have been the past two weeks, or how--"

"My gracious! He bubbles whyfors and howfors like he had just come
uncorked," murmured Dave, in his slow drawl. "Just kinder effervesces
them out of the mouth."

"I know you're not going to tell me anything you don't want me to know,
still--"

"You done guessed it first, crack. Move on up to the haid of the
class."

"Still, you can't keep me from thinking. You can call the turn on the
fellows that robbed the Western Express Company whenever you feel like
it. Right now you could name the men that did it."

Dave's most friendly, impudent smile beamed upon the superintendent.
"I thank you for the compliment, Mr. Elder. Honest, I didn't know how
smart a haid I had in my hat till you told me."

"It's good ye've got an air-tight _alibi_ yoursilf, Dave," grinned Pat
Ryan.

"I've looked up his _alibi_. It will hold water," admitted Elder
genially. "Well, Dingwell, if you won't talk, you won't. We'll move
on up to the bank and deposit our find. Then the drinks will be on me."

The little procession moved uptown. A hundred yards behind it came
young Rutherford and Charlton as a rear guard. When the contents of
the sack had been put in a vault for safe-keeping, Elder invited the
party into the Last Chance. Dave and Roy ordered buttermilk.

Dingwell gave his partner a nudge. "See who is here."

The young man nodded gloo