uld bear daylight. Then Dave told him he was ready to stand by that one,
too. And Hollis said it was knowing that had taken the edge off, but it
hadn't put the breath back into that papoose. Of course he never
suspicioned for a minute the kid was in the road when he jumped that log,
and the heart went out of him when he picked it up and saw what he was
responsible for. They had to tell me the whole story, and I wish you could
have heard 'em. Dave smoothing things when Hollis got too hard on himself,
and Hollis chipping in again for fear I wouldn't get full weight for
Dave's part. And the story sure enough does hinge on him. Likely that's
why Tisdale gave it to your magazine; to show up Dave Weatherbee. But
those men on the train--they had the seat in front of me so's I heard it
plain--lost their bearings. They left out Dave and put Hollis in a bad
light. He was 'caught red-handed and never was brought to an honest
trial.' And it was clear besides, being 'hand in glove with the Secretary
of the Interior' he had a 'pull with the Federal court.' I couldn't stand
for it." The prospector's voice reached high pitch, his forehead creased
in many fine lines, his eyes scintillated their blue glacier lights, and
he added, striking the table with his clenched hand, "I up and says: 'It's
all a damn lie.'"

There was a silence. The self-possession and swiftness of the Japanese boy
saved the sherbet glass and its contents, but the mayor, who had been
interrupted in a confidential quotation of real estate values to Miss
Morganstein, sat staring at Banks in amazement. A spark of admiration shot
through the astonishment in Annabel's eyes then, catching the little man's
aggressive glance, she covered her pride with her ironical smile. Mrs.
Weatherbee was the only one who did not look at Banks. Her inscrutable
face was turned to the valley. She might never have heard of Hollis
Tisdale or, indeed, of David. But Elizabeth, who had kept the thread of
both conversations, said: "You were right. There was a coroner's inquest
that vindicated Mr. Tisdale at the time."

"But," explained Geraldine courageously, "that was left out of the
magazine. Mr. Daniels took it all accurately, just as Mr. Tisdale told it,
word for word; but the story was cut terribly. Nothing at all was said of
Mr. Weatherbee's part. We couldn't understand that, for with names
suppressed, there could be no motive, and he was so clearly the leading
character. But magazines have