t, he is the kind who will fight
to the last ditch. Perhaps he hasn't any chance, but if he ever does
learn how we got hold of his letters and discovered the location of
that vein of ore, he's going to turn this whole affair inside out, and
catch us red-handed. You made a fool play to-night."

"That wasn't my fault," Lacy protested sullenly. "The fellow
misunderstood; however, there won't be no fuss made over a Mexican."

"I'm not so sure of that; Westcott will know it was meant for him and
be on his guard. Anyhow it was a fool's trick."

"Well, we do things different out here from what you do in New York.
It's my way to take no chances, and when a man's dead he can't talk."

"I'm not so sure of that; there's been many a lad hung on the testimony
of a dead man. Now see here, Lacy, this is my game, and I propose
playing it in my own way. You came in under those conditions, didn't
you?"

"I reckon so, still there wasn't much to it when I came in. This
mining stunt developed later out of those letters Westcott sent East.
This man Beaton here offered me so much to do a small job for him, and
I named my price without caring a whoop in hell what it was all about.
I don't now, but I've learned a few things since, and am beginning to
think my price was damn low. You never came way out here just to stop
me from tunnelling into Westcott's mine."

The other hesitated.

"No," he admitted at last, "I did not even learn what was being done
until after I got here."

"Beaton sent for you?"

"Not exactly. I never had any personal connection with him in the
case. I am not sure he ever heard of me, unless the woman told him.
He was working under her orders, and wired her when Cavendish got away
to come out at once. He didn't know what to do."

Lacy laughed, and began to refill his pipe.

"That was when I first began to smell a mouse," he said, more at ease.
"The fellow was so scared I caught on that this was no common
kidnapping outfit, like I had thought before. He wasn't easy pumped,
but I pumped him. I told him we'd have the guy safe enough inside of
twenty-four hours--hell! there wasn't no chance for him to get away,
for the blame fool headed East on foot straight across the desert--but
he sent off the wire just the same. That's what I thought brought you
along." He leaned over, and lowered his voice. "There was a dead man
back East, wasn't there?"

"What difference does that make?"

"None, particularl