When Murray sat up and wiped the sand from his eyes, he ruffled up his red hair and stared amazedly. The flivver was there, to be sure; one wheel had burst in the door of the printing office, the other was wedged about the steps, and the machine was lifeless. But Bill Hobbs had vanished. Unforeseeing the sudden halt of his equipage, he had shot headfirst from his perch, and neatly catapulted into the open doorway. Murray was the first to reach the spot, while from the hotel porch streamed the others. "Willyum!" "Comin' right up," answered the voice of Bill Hobbs, and the latter showed himself in the doorway, grinning. "I've busted up somebody's place and----" "Don't worry about that, stranger," said Deadoak Stevens, at Murray's elbow. "It ain't been occupied since Jack Haskins cashed in. He left a sister back east, but she ain't seen fit to remove the remains yet. Glad to meet ye, gents! James Cadwallader Stevens is me, but Deadoak Stevens by preference an' example." "Meet Bill Hobbs, Deadoak." Murray waved his hand toward the rumpled figure in the doorway, and turned as Sandy and the others joined him. "And this gentleman is Sandy Mackintavers, mining expert of parts East, who expects to settle here as Bill Hobbs has settled. I am Douglas Murray, doctor of medicine and surgeon extraordinary----" Piute Tomkins hastened to rescue matters from the unseemly grasp of Deadoak, and performed the introductions with gusto. "As mayor of this here municeepality, gents," he concluded, "I welcome you to our midst. Two Palms is on the crescent curve to prosperity an' wealth. The population is increasin' daily----" "Say!" broke in Bill Hobbs, wrinkling up his face earnestly. "What's that you guys say about this here printin' office? There's machines and stuff in here--don't nobody want it?" Piute waved his hand. "There is no printer in our midst, pilgrim. All this flourishin' place needs is a real newspaper, but so far fate----" "I'm it!" exclaimed Bill Hobbs gleefully. "I believe in signs, Doc--us guys was sure guided here! I'm goin' to take over this joint where I landed!" Murray looked up at the ex-burglar. "You! Why, Willyum, I didn't know you were a printer or----" "I ain't," said Willyum earnestly, "but I will be. Is it agreeable to you guys?" Piute Tomkins bowed his lank figure. "Stranger, set right in the game! Them chips are yourn." He turned to Murray, caressing his mustache mournfully. "But, Doc, I'm right glad to welcome you to our midst, only we don't need no internal investigator in these parts, seein' that nobody ever dies here except by sudden accident----" He paused, stared over Murray's shoulder, and his grizzled jaw gaped. Down the street came a flivver, swaying and roaring--a dusty flivver containing no one except the girl at the wheel. She halted the car with a grind of brakes, and, seeming quite oblivious of the strangeness of the' scene before her, leaned put.