Murray, meantime, entered the room, where he found Mackintavers sitting, the picture of disconsolate despair. Sandy glanced up, then dropped a battered countenance into his hands and groaned. "Hello!" said Murray cheerfully. "Hear you've been fighting. What's the fun about?" "Doc, it's no use," groaned Sandy. "I'm a branded man! I thought nobody'd know me around here--but along comes a man named Hennesy, a man whom I'd had dealin's with in New Mexico. Fact is, I made him leave there for his health. Now he's turned up here. I run up against him--wham! Then we went to it, that's all." "I hope," said Murray, "that you hurt him worse than he hurt you?" "I done my best," was the gloomy response. "I sure knocked him out--then this here deputy sheriff dropped a gun on me." Deadoak Stevens introduced his head inside the door, which he had placed ajar. "He's goin' to Meteorite after the sheriff," he announced, "and you'll stay right here until he gets back----" "Nonsense!" declared Murray. I'll bail him out and----" "There ain't no one here to bail him out to," said Deadoak. "You got to wait, that's all. Ding my dogs, this here ain't no city!" "Don't you try to stick with me, Doc," said Mackintavers hopelessly. "It ain't fair to you an' Hobbs. Things like this'll come croppin' up all the while----" "Don't be a fool," snapped Murray, and rose. "I'll see what can be done, Sandy. We'll take care of this fellow somehow. Did you have a wagon-spoke in your hand?" "I don't know," said Sandy. "I was hittin' him with everything in sight." Murray chuckled and left the room. He saw Piute Tomkins in the office downstairs, and speedily found that there was no way of freeing Mackintavers until the sheriff arrived in person. Piute flatly refused to accept bail, and there was no justice of the peace in town--the one and only J.P. being at the moment some score of miles away looking for a tungsten mine in the Saddleback hills. Murray gave up the attempt in disgust. As he left the office, he saw that an automobile was standing at one side of the hotel, its engine purring. Standing talking to the driver was Doctor Scudder. Scudder stepped back, waved his hand, and the car drove away in the direction of Meteorite. Too late to halt the driver, Murray realized that it must be the man with whom Sandy had mixed. But what business had the man with Doctor Scudder? Scudder passed him with a single flashing look, and Murray went on across the street, where he imparted to Bill Hobbs what had happened. They were still debating the matter, when the doorway was darkened--and Murray looked up to see Claire Lee. She had already met Bill Hobbs, and had displayed much interest in his activities. But now she responded to Willyum's greeting with only a faint smile, and turned to Murray a gaze that was distinctly troubled. "Doctor Murray," she said, a trace of color in her cheeks, "will you take me up to Morongo Valley in your car--right away?"