d then the sound of hoarse voices came from the peaks
above.

"The Mexican knocked off his heel there," he finally said, "and Scoby
left his coat-button. They might just as well have left their cards in
the papers they examined."

"What papers were they?"

"The Tolford estate papers."

"Yes, of course. The Mexican wanted to know something about the buried
mine," Frank said. "We're getting at the motive now."

"Now, this third visitor," Nestor went on, "as I have said, went there
on business--on business connected with a contract for the purchase of
firearms and ammunition. Mr. Cameron undoubtedly opened the door to
admit him after he had locked himself in. The door might not have been
locked again that night, but that is immaterial at present. This third
man, whom we may as well call Don Miguel, the diplomat, was not in the
building when I got there. The others were."

"Then why didn't you have them both pinched?" demanded Frank.

"Partly because they were in the building," was the reply. "If they
had been possessed of guilty consciences, they would have run away. At
least, it looks that way to me. You see, this Don Miguel might have
struck the blow and left the offices open and at the mercy of the
others. Now you see how useless it is to draw hasty conclusions."

"That's so. He might," Frank admitted.

"No trouble to get Scoby, anyway," said Nestor. "He is asleep in that
tent, and here are more exhibits in the case--another Grand Army button
and another raveling. I cut them from Scoby's coat as he lay asleep
over there."

"You never had the nerve to go into the tent?" asked Frank.

"They are all asleep," was the reply, "so I ran no risk in going in,
and it was easy to crawl under the canvas. The Mexican we had been
talking about--Felix, Jimmie calls him--is also there, with six or
seven rough-looking fellows, probably miners. It is easy to imagine
what they are here for."

"They got the description out of the safe, and are going to the mine,"
exclaimed Frank. "I believe they attacked Mr. Cameron in order to get
the description. The man you call Don Miguel would have no motive in
attacking him, would he?"

"We'll see about that later on," was the reply. "So far as I can see
through it, the case stands as it did before, with three men in the
suspect row."

"Gather them in, then," advised Frank. "Send for the soldiers and have
these two pinched. Then go to New York, or wherever this