“There we stood, Delaney and I, and I saw that Jerry was nervous—the game was a little rich for his blood. Thorn was busy in my room. I began to call for help at the top of my voice—why? Who would come? I didn’t know, but a friend might hear—Louie might have got home—someone might be passing on the road. Delaney told me to shut up. His hand trembled like a leaf. In the patio outside I heard an answering voice—but it was only Tony, the parrot. I knew well enough what was afoot, and I decided to take a chance. I started for Delaney; he fired and missed. He fired again, and I felt a sort of sting in my shoulder, and fell.
“I must have been unconscious for a second, but when I came to Thorn was in the room, and I heard Delaney say he’d killed me. In a minute, of course, they discovered I was alive, and my good friend Jerry was all for finishing the job. But Thorn wouldn’t let him—he insisted on going through with the original plan. He saved my life—I’ll have to admit it—the contemptible little traitor. Cowardice, I imagine, but he saved me. Well, they put me in a car, and drove me up to the jail at Petticoat Mine. In the morning they left—all except the Professor, who had joined our happy party. He stayed behind, dressed my wound, fed me after a fashion. On Sunday afternoon he went away and came back late at night with Shaky Phil. Monday morning the Professor left, and Shaky Phil was my jailer after that. Not so kind as his brother.
“What was going on at the ranch you gentlemen know better than I do. On Tuesday my daughter wired that she was coming, and of course the game was up if she reached here. So Thorn met her in Eldorado, told her I was injured and up at the mine, and took her there. Naturally, she trusted him. Since then she has been there with me, and we’d be there now if Mr. Eden and Mr. Holley had not come up tonight, searching for this other young woman who had, unfortunately for her, stumbled on the affair earlier in the day.”
Madden rose. “That’s my story, Sheriff. Do you wonder that I want to see this gang behind the bars? I’ll sleep better then.”
“Well, I reckon it’s easy arranged,” returned the sheriff. “I’ll take ’em along and we can fix the warrants later. Guess I’ll see ’em safe in the jail at the county-seat—Eldorado can’t offer ’em all the comforts of a first-class cell.”
“One thing,” said Madden. “Thorn, I heard you say the other night to Delaney: ‘You were always afraid of him—that time in New York—’ What did that mean? You tried this thing before?”
Thorn looked up with stricken face, which had been hidden in his hands. “Chief, I’m sorry about this. I’ll talk. We had it all set to pull it once at the office in New York when you were away on a hunting-trip. But if you were afraid of Delaney, he was a lot more afraid of you. He got cold feet—backed out at the last minute—”
“And why wouldn’t I back out?” snarled Delaney. “I couldn’t trust any of you. A bunch of yellow dogs—”
“Is that so?” cried Shaky Phil. “Are you talking about me?”
“Sure I’m talking about you. I suppose you didn’t try to cop the pearls in ’Frisco when we sent you up there to draw Louie Wong away? Oh, I know all about that—”
“Why wouldn’t I try to cop them?” demanded Shaky Phil. “You been trying to cop them, haven’t you? When you thought Draycott was bringing them what did you try to pull? Oh, brother Henry’s been on to you—”
“I sure have,” put in the Professor. “Trying to sneak off and meet Draycott alone. If you thought I wasn’t wise you must be a fool. But of course that’s what you are—a poor fool that writes letters to actresses—”
“Shut up!” bellowed Delaney. “Who had a better right to those pearls? What could you have done if it hadn’t been for me? A lot of help you were—mooning round with your tall talk. And you”—he turned back to Shaky Phil—“you pulled some brilliant stuff. Putting a knife in Louie Wong right on the doorstep—”
“Who put a knife in Louie Wong?” cried Shaky Phil.
“You did,” shouted Thorn. “I was with you and I saw you. I’ll—swear to that—”
“An accessory, eh?” grinned the sheriff. “By gad, just let this gang loose at one another, and they’ll hang themselves.”
“Boys, boys,” said the Professor gently. “Cut it out. We’ll never get anywhere that way. Sheriff, we are ready—”
“One moment,” said Charlie Chan. He disappeared briefly, and returned with a small black bag, which he set before Madden. “I have pleasure calling your attention to this,” he announced. “You will find inside vast crowds of currency. Money from sale of bonds, money sent from New York office. Pretty much intact—but not quite. I ask Delaney.”
“It’s all there,” Delaney growled.
Chan shook his head. “I grieve to differ even with rascal like you are. But there was Eddie Boston—”
“Yes,” replied Delaney. “It’s true—I gave Boston five thousand dollars. He recognized me the other day in the yard. Go after him and get it back—the dirty crook.”
The sheriff laughed. “Speaking of crooks,” he said, “that sounds to me like your cue, boys. We’d better be getting along, Bliss. We can swear in a deputy or two in Eldorado. Mr. Madden, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Bob Eden went up to Delaney. “Well, Jerry,” he smiled, “I’m afraid this is goodbye. You’ve been my host down here, and my mother told me I must always say I’ve had a very nice time—”
“Oh, go to the devil,” said Delaney.
The sheriff and Bliss herded their captives out into
