secret between
Brenchfield and me."

"Are you going to have that two-faced hypocrite arrested?" asked Jim.

"No, siree!"

"And why not, pray?"

Phil gave Jim all his reasons "why not," and, despite Jim's cajolings
and threatenings, he remained obdurate on the point.

"Well," exclaimed Langford at last, "you're positively the
_sentimentalest_ ass I ever met. But maybe after all you are right.
Brenchfield has had this thing eating at his liver like a cancer for
six years now and the longer it eats the worse he'll suffer. He is on
the down-grade right now, or else I am sadly mistaken. He is up to the
ears in it with the worst crooks in the Valley:--cattle rustlers,
warehouse looters, horse thieves, jail birds, bootleggers and
half-breeds. Some of these fellows some day are going to get sore with
him. Oh, you may be sure his sins are going to find him out;--and the
higher he goes the farther he will have to fall.

"It certainly will be one hell of a crash when it comes, and Jimmy
Langford hopes to be there with bells on at the funeral of Mayor
Brenchfield and his hoggish ambitions."

Phil crumpled up the paper in his palm.

"Here!" cried Jim. "What are you doing that for?"

Phil smiled a little sadly.

"I suppose you will be putting it in the stove next?"

"I guess so!"

"Well, you'd better guess again. It is just like the crazy thing you
would try to do in one of your soft moments. Give it to me! I'll take
mighty good care of it. It is all that may lie between your guilt or
innocence some day, even if it is after Brenchfield is dead and gone
to his well-earned reward. A whole lot hinges on that little bit of
paper. It has got to be kept good and secure. Come on, softy,--hand it
over!"

"If I do, will you promise never to use it in any way unless I
consent, or unless I am not in a position to give you either my assent
or dissent?"

"Yes!--I promise that."

"There you are then." Phil handed it to Langford, who opened a pocket
in his belt and put it carefully inside.

"Guess we might have a bite of supper now,--eh, what!"

They drew in to the table; and that Christmas Eve supper was almost
hilarious, for now there was no shadow between, and it meant an
intense relief to both.

When the supper was nearing its end, Ah Sing, accompanied by two of
his faithful feline devil-chasers, came in. He seemed somewhat sadder
and more bland than usual.

"What's the matter, Sing?" queried Jim.

"Oh,--me plenty m