e late fight in Congress. This would be a
pretty scandal. Third," said Oldham, touching his ring finger, "you are
injuring yourself. You are throwing away an opportunity to get in on the
ground floor with the biggest man in the West; you are making for
yourself a powerful enemy; and you are indubitably preparing the way for
your removal from office--if removal from such an office can
conceivably mean anything to any one." He removed the cigar from his
mouth, gazed at the wetted end, waited a moment for the young man to
comment, then replaced it, and resumed. "And fourth," he remarked
closing his fist so that all fingers were concealed. There he stopped
until Bob was fairly compelled to start him on again.

"And fourth----" he suggested, therefore.

"Fourth," rapped out Oldham, briskly, "you injure George Pollock."

"George Pollock!" echoed Bob, trying vainly to throw a tone of ingenuous
surprise into his voice.

"Certainly; George Pollock," repeated Oldham. "I arrived in Sycamore
Flats at the moment when Pollock murdered Plant. I know positively that
you were an eye-witness to the deed. If you testify in one case, I shall
certainly call upon you to testify in the other. Furthermore," he turned
his gray eyes on Bob, and for the second time the young man was
permitted to see an implacable hostility, "although not on the scene
itself, I can myself testify, and will, that you held the murderer's
horse during the deed, and assisted Pollock to escape. Furthermore, I
can testify, and can bring a competent witness, that while supposed to
be estimating Government timber in the Basin, you were in communication
with Pollock."

"Saleratus Bill!" cried Bob, enlightened as to the trailer's recent
activities in the Basin.

"It will be easy to establish not only Pollock's guilt, but your own as
accessory. That will put you hard and fast behind the bars--where you
belong."

In this last speech Oldham made his one serious mistake of the
interview. So long as he had appealed to Bob's feelings for, and sense
of duty toward, other men, he had succeeded well in still further
confusing the young man's decision. But at the direct personal threat,
Bob's combative spirit flared. Suddenly his troubled mind was clarified,
as though Oldham's menace had acted as a chemical reagent to
precipitate all his doubts. Whatever the incidental hardships, right
must prevail. And, as always, in the uprooting of evil, some unlucky
innocent must suffer.