that you can put the thing across?"

"Why not?"

"Just because," Hume shot back at him, "it doesn't seem likely that
with the whole country knowing about the foreclosure of the mortgage
somebody isn't going to do some talking."

Leland shook his head.

"Let me sum up the case for you," he said. "Arthur Shandon, the day
before his death, mortgaged the Bar L-M to me for twenty-five thousand.
When time for foreclosure came three months ago Wayne Shandon would
have been notified if he had been here. As it was the notice went to
his legal representative, Garth Conway. Conway allowed the Bar L-M to
go under the hammer and at the sheriff's sale Conway himself bought it
in--"

"For you," interjected Hume.

"Yes, for me. But who knows that? People who paid any attention to
the transaction came to understand that it had been because of Wayne
Shandon's known shiftlessness that the property was allowed to be sold,
they knew that Conway was his agent, and that Conway bought it in.
There is not a man living who knows anything about the matter who does
not believe that Conway bought at Shandon's orders and with Shandon's
money; and that the Bar L-M is Shandon's now and was never in any real
danger from me. Is it likely then, that any man who believes this is,
after this length of time, even going to think to mention the matter to
Shandon?"

"You've got the chance to get by with it," said Hume slowly. "And it's
a damned good chance."

"We all know the sort Shandon is," continued Leland. "I shall be
surprised if he doesn't tire of the life here in six weeks, put through
a sale of cattle, take the money and go again. With him away our
chance becomes a certainty. In any case, I am going ahead with our
work. I have had Garth look into the title of the Dry Lands and he
finds that it is perfect."

"Yes. The land is mine and is clear."

"All we need now is the water and we are going to have that in another
nine months when I shall have a clear deed to the Bar L-M. Garth and
myself have gone ahead as I told you that we would, taking options on
every acre we could get in Dry Valley. Before many days we shall
virtually control the whole of the valley, just the three of us.
Between us Garth and I have expended upwards of fifty thousand dollars
in the last five weeks in options and out-right purchases."

"Let me see the papers," said Hume shortly.

Leland went to the safe and taking out a number of papers, handed them