The Taming of Red Butte Western

idgerwood's attempt to bring order out of the chaos reigning in his small kingdom. For a time Angels was a-grin again, and while the plaudits were chiefly for Judson, the

tarting-point, the man Flemister was kept under surveillance, and it soon became evident to the three investigators that the owner of the Wire-Silver mine had been profiting liberally at the expense of the railroad company

of a former friendship between the two men. Whether the friendship had been broken, or whether, for reasons best known to themselves, they had allowed the impression to go out that it had been broken, Lidgerwood could not dete

nd saw a small man wearing the khaki of the engineers, with a soft felt hat to match. The snapping black eyes, with the straight brows almost meeting over the nose, suggested Goethe's Mephistopheles, and Flemister shaved to fit the part, with curling mustaches and a dagger-pointed imperial. Instantly Li

ith you, Mr. Lidgerwood," the visitor began, when Lidgerwood had waved him to a ch

meant to be no more t

ganization," he said. Then, to hold the interview down firmly

our subordinates. Hallock tells me that the ghost of the old Mesa Building and Loan Association still refuses to be

n shrewdly by the road of the eye, and

hey think they ought to have had a cash dividend forthcoming on the closing up of

to say that it was a losing venture from the first for those of us who put the loaning capital into it. As you prob

stand there was a cash balance shown on the books, and that there was no cash in the treasury to make it good. Since Hallock was the treasure

sident, brazenly. "A few of us who were the officers of the company were the

asury among you," said Lidgerwood c

r the word," he returned. "Possibly the proceeding was a little infor

annot evade my responsibility for the one member of your official

ated at all, save

not share in the distr

did

u should set him straight wit

s digging into old graveyards, don't you think? I can understand why you should wish to be assured of Hallock's non-complicity, and I have assured you of that; but as for these kickers, really I don

mingled with a manful desire to pitch him out into the corridor. It was a

he said. "But in justice to Hallock, I think you ought to make a statement of some kind t

e mine-owner shortly; but Lidgerwo

"If you don't, I shall be obliged to put my own construc

smile show

tening me, are yo

k, I shall feel at liberty to make one of my own, embodying what you have just told me. And if I am compelle

r's smile was a mere

al quarrel with me, Mr. Lidgerwood?" he ask

joinder. "And I hope you are not going to force me to show you up. Is there anything else?

s. But as yet he had no proof upon which to base an open accusation. One thing he did do, however, and that was to su

ere he goes and what be does with himself," was the form the instructions took. "Wh

tered up Mesa Avenue in quest of diversion wherewith to fill the hours of waiting for his train, a small man

ter that evening after the westbound

was time to make a break for his train. I didn't see him talking

t, are you, John?" q

ay in the bar-room. I didn't go in where they keep the tiger. Sammy don't love me any more since I held Bart Rufford up with an S-wrench, and

ing a few bets at the silent game, appearing no more until he had come out through the gambling-room on his way to the train. If Judson had dared to press his espial, he might have been the poorer by the loss of blood, or possibly of his life; but, living to get away with it, he would have been the richer for an important b