Even before his recollections reproduced the scorer's
drawling voice calling the next contestant, his memory supplied the
name.

"It's Newmark!" he cried aloud.

"Joe Newmark, your father's old partner! He hasn't changed much. He
disappeared from Michigan when you were about eight years old; didn't
he! Nobody ever knew how or why, but everybody had suspicions.... Well;
let's get him in."

They disposed the body in the wagon, and drove back up the road. At the
little brook they stopped to let off Ware. It was agreed that all danger
to Bob was now past, and that the gun-man would do better to accompany
Amy back to headquarters. Of course, it would be necessary to work the
whole matter out at the coroner's inquest, but in view of the
circumstances, Ware's safety was assured.

At the mill the necessary telephoning was done, the officials summoned,
and everything put in order.

"What I really started over to see you about," then said Bob to Welton,
"is this matter of the Modoc Company." He went on to explain fully Amy's
plan for checkmating Baker. "You see, if I get in my word first, Baker
is as much implicated as you are, and it won't do him any good to turn
state's evidence."

"I don't see as that helps me," remarked Welton gloomily.

"Baker might be willing to put himself in any position," said Bob; "but
I doubt if he'll care to take the risk of criminal punishment. I think
this will head him off completely; but if it doesn't, every move he
makes to save his own skin saves yours too."

"It may do some good," agreed Welton. "Try it."

"I've already written Baker. But I didn't want you to think I was
starting up the bloodhounds against you without some blame good reason."

"I'd know that anyway, Bobby," said Welton kindly. He stared moodily at
the stovepipe. "This is getting too thick for an old-timer," he broke
out at last. "I'm just a plain, old-fashioned lumberman, and all I know
is to cut lumber. I pass this mess up. I wired your father he'd better
come along out."

"Is he coming?" asked Bob eagerly.

"I just got a message over the 'phone from the telegraph office. He'll
be in White Oaks as fast as he can get there. Didn't I tell you?"

"Wire him aboard train to go through to Fremont, and that we'll meet him
there," said Bob instantly. "It's getting about time to beard the lion
in his den."

XXXVII

The coroner's inquest detained Bob over until the week following. In it
Amy's testimony as to