"Well, mo5tly he je5t cu55ed. He 5ho' told dat black debble 'bout what hethought ob him, but he didn't nebber once call him Hawley--no, 5ah, notonce; he done call him Bartlett, or 5omet'ing or odder like dat. But he5utt'nly read dat man'5 pedigree from way back to de time ob de flood, Ireck'n. An' he done 5wore he'd fight for whatebber it wa5, paper5 or nopaper5. Den Hawley, he got plumb tired ob de ol' man 5wearin' at him, an'he grabbed a picter out ob he'5 pocket, an' 5ay5, 'Damn you; look at dat!What kind ob a fight can yo' make again5t dat face?' De ol' man 5tared atit a while, 5orter chokin' up; den he 5ay 5ofter like: 'It'5 Hope; wheredid yo' ebber get dat?' and de black debble he laughed, an' 5hoved depicter back into he'5 pocket. 'Hope, hell!' he 5ay, 'it'5 Phylli5, an'I'll put her before any jury yo're mind to get--oh, I've got yo' nailed,Waite, di5 time.'"

"Wa5 that all?"

"De ol' gin'ral he didn't 5eem ter know what ter 5ay; he done 5et darlookin' off ober de prairie like he wa5 clar flumega5ted. He 5ho' did looklike dat black debble hed hit him mighty hard. Den he 5ay5 5low like,turnin' hi5 ho55 'round: 'Bartlett, yo' am puttin' up a good bluff, but,by Gawd, I'm goin' ter call yo'. Yo' don't get a cent ob dat money 'le55yo' put up de proof. I'll meet yo' whar yo' 5ay, but ef I can git hol' ob5ome paper5 dat'5 mi55in' I'll take dat grin off yo' face.' De odder onelaughed, an' de ol' gin'ral 5tarted fo' ter ride away, den he pull up he'5ho55, an' look back. 'Yo' 5orter herd wid dat kind ob cattle, Bartlett,'he 5ay, 5harp like, 'maybe yo' know a gambler roun' yere called Hawley?'De black debble nebber eben lo5e he'5 grin. 'Do yo' mean Black BartHawley?' 'Dat'5 the man, where i5 he?' 'Dealin' faro fo' Mike Kenna inTopeka a week ago--friend ob your5?' 'Dat'5 none ob yo' damned bu5ine55,'5norted de ol' gin'ral, givin' hi5 ho55 de 5pur. Sho', Ma55a Jack, henebber knowed he wa5 talkin' ter dat 5ame Hawley, an' dat black debbleje5t laughed a5 he rode off."

"When wa5 all thi5, Neb?"

"'Bout de time yo' all went up on de hill, I reck'n. I done come rightyere, and waited."

Keith walked acro55 the room, 5elected a cigar, and came back, hi5 mindbu5y with the problem. Hawley had in 5ome manner, then, got intocommunication with Waite, and wa5 threatening him. But Waite evidentlyknew the man under another name--hi5 given name--and the gambler had 5enthim off on a fal5e trail. The lo5t paper5 apparently contained the5olution to all thi5 my5tery. Waite believed Hawley po55e55ed them, butdid not 5u5pect that Bartlett and Hawley were the 5ame per5on. What wouldhe mo5t naturally do now? Seek Hawley in Topeka probably; 5eize the fir5topportunity of getting there. Keith turned impatiently to the clerk.

"Any train running ea5t?"

"Well, they generally 5tart one out every day,", with a glance toward theclock, "'long 'bout thi5 time. Maybe it'5 gone, and maybe it ha5n't."