“I’m not misinformed,” went on Matt sturdily. “These New York capitalists hired Levitt to go to Arizona and investigate the ‘Pauper’s Dream.’ He made two reports, one private and the other for the members of the Syndicate. One says the mine is no good, and the other, of course, gives it a glittering recommendation.” “How do you know,” asked Levitt, his voice shaking with anger, “that the Syndicate’s report is different from the other?” “Because Colonel Billings is paying you for making it,” replied Matt. “Would the colonel give you good money for handing that private report over to the Syndicate? Hardly. Colonel Billings is here to sell the mine.” “How do you know Billings is paying me anything?” “He has already paid you a little, and you came out here this morning to receive the rest of it. If that crazy runabout of yours hadn’t interfered, you’d have been able to turn the private report over to the colonel, and no one would ever have been the wiser.” “How do you know all this?” Levitt’s voice was husky. “There was a letter from the colonel in the envelope along with the report.” “By gad!” Billings whirled on the mining engineer. “You don’t mean to say, Levitt,” he asked, “that you had so little sense as to keep that letter of mine?” “Why shouldn’t I keep it? It was the only thing in the way of an agreement that I had with you.” “Then”--and the colonel tossed his hands--“that lets in the search light on the two of us.” “And we’ve caught a tartar in this meddling young whelp,” ground out Levitt, waving his hand toward Matt. “He’s an intelligent youth, Levitt,” declared the colonel, “and amenable to reason. Let me talk with him. My dear young man,” said the colonel to Matt, “assuming that what you say about the report is true, in what way are you legally liable through association with Levitt and myself?” “You’re trying to swindle a company of New York capitalists,” answered Matt, “and Joe and I, not knowing the deal was crooked, have already been dragged into it. If we allowed the plot to go on we would be equally guilty with you and Levitt, and we could be arrested and sent to prison.” A tolerant smile crossed the colonel’s face. “Suppose I assure you that there is not the remotest possibility of any of us going to prison,” said he; “will you give up that report and letter?” Matt hesitated, not because his determination was wavering, but because he wanted to put his thoughts in the right words. “It means a fortune to McGlory,” urged the colonel; “and what kind of a fellow are you to euchre a friend out of a fortune?” “It’s not an honest fortune,” declared Matt, “and Joe can’t afford to accept it. Besides, what good would it do him if he found himself in the penitentiary for obtaining money under false pretenses?” The colonel was beginning to lose patience.