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RADER

sponse, and presently it appeared that his perplexity had lessened, had been transformed into a slow, ruminating consideration. "What makes you think that?" he asked.

"Because he had it badly on his conscience that he ought not to have told it."

Rader gave a slight upward motion of his head, and a lift of his eyebrows as if at a word more he might accept that explanation. "Where did you meet this fellow?"

"I was on my way to the city from Nevada with some horses," Carron said, "when I ran across him in Truckee last night. I got in early in the evening and found the train wouldn't leave until after midnight. This chap was hanging around the livery, when I put my horses up."

"What did he look like?" Rader hastily interrupted.

Carron was aware that he had the scholar interested at last, and the power to speak rose in him to meet the flattery. "Oh, middle height, small jointed, a little knock-kneed, if I remember; black hair, Napoleonic profile minus the strength—young ranchman in his Sunday clothes." Rader ticked off the characteristics on his fingers while he listened. "He had some whisky in him," Carron continued, "and was rather free about disparag-

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