d curiously at Pete.

"Seein' as you feel that way about it, Ed, I got somethin' I been
millin' over in my head. Now, when The Spider sent me down here he
said he had some important business he wanted me to handle. Brent was
to tell me. Now I don't see anything important about ridin' line or
chasin' into Mexico to wake up a bunch of Greasers and tell 'em to get
busy. Uncle Sammy Brent's got somethin' hid up his sleeve, Ed."

Brevoort, riding slowly beside Pete, turned from gazing across the
desert and looked Pete over from spur to sombrero with a new interest.
He thought he knew now why The Spider had sent Pete to the ranch and
why Brent, in turn, had sent Pete on this dangerous mission. "Is The
Spider much of a friend of yours?" queried Brevoort suddenly.

"Why, I dunno. 'Course he acted like he was--but you can't tell about
him. He--he helped me out of a hole onct."

"Did you ever help him out?"

"Me? No, I never had the chanct."

"Uh-huh. Well, just you pull in your hoss and run your good eye over
this a minute." And Brevoort drew a folded slip of paper from his
shirt-pocket and handed it to Pete. It was a brief note addressed to
Brevoort and signed "J.E." It instructed Brevoort to accompany Pete
Annersley to El Paso after the sale of the cattle and to see to it that
the money which Annersley would have with him was deposited to the
credit of James Ewell in the Stockmen's Security and Savings Bank.

Pete had difficulty in reading the note and took some time to read it,
finally handing it back to Brevoort in silence. And then, "Where did
you git it? Who is 'J.E.'?"

"From Harper. 'J.E.' is Jim Ewell--The Spider."

"So Harper rode to Showdown and back?"

"He took word from Brent to The Spider that the boys had started," said
Brevoort.

"And Brent--" Pete hesitated for fear of committing himself even though
he trusted Brevoort. But Brevoort had no hesitation. He anticipated
Pete's thought and spoke frankly.

"Brent figured it fine. I knew why he sent you and me on this
ride--but I was tryin' to find out if you was wise--or ridin' blind.
If we come back, Brent won't show his hand. If we don't come back
he'll collect the dough and vamoose. Kin you see a hole in the fence?"

"You're whistlin', Ed! It's one crook tryin' to git the best of
another crook. But I would 'a' said Brent was straight. I say The
Spider's money goes into that there bank."

"Same here. I ain't so dam' honest th