"Well, what little money I had was in my instrument-case," said he. "So I was up against it right. I knew there was no use in lodging a complaint against Shanklin, for I had no proof against him, and never could convince a jury that I was in my right mind if I should tell my story in court. So I let that pass." "It was a miraculous deliverance from death!" Agnes exclaimed, taking her breath freely again. Tears mounted to her eyes as she measured Dr. Slavens' rugged frame as if with a new interest in beholding a common pattern which had withstood so much. He told her of meeting Mackenzie, and of finding the lost die; of the raid they had made by means of it on Shanklin's money; of his discovery of the midnight extra in the pockets of the gambler's coat. "So there you have it all," said he, smiling in embarrassment as if the relation of so much about himself seemed inexcusable. "Anyway, all of the first part of the story. The rest is all on dry land, and not interesting at all." "But you hadn't had time to look over the land; you didn't know the good locations from the worthless," said she. "How did you pick out the claim you filed on?" "Well, there's a little more of the story, it seems, after all. There was a plot between Shanklin and another to file Peterson on a certain tract and then buy him out, I suppose." He told her of the telegram signed "Jerry," and of Shanklin's reply. "So I concluded," he said, "that if the land described by their numbers was valuable to them it would be valuable to me. That my guess was good, I had proof when I filed. The chap who was piloting Peterson up to the window, and who I suspect was the 'Jerry' of the message, wanted to know where I got the figures. He wasn't a bit nice about it, either." A swift pallor overspread Agnes Horton's face; a look of fright stood in her eyes. "Was he a tall man, dark, with heavy eyebrows?" she inquired, waiting his answer with parted lips. "That fits him," said he. "Do you know him?" "It's Jerry Boyle, the Governor's son. He is Walker's friend; Walker brought him to camp the day after you disappeared. He had an invitation for Mrs. Reed and her party from his mother--you know they had been expecting it. And he said--he said----" "He said----" "That is, he told Walker that he saw you--_drunk_ at two o'clock that morning." "Hum-m," rumbled the doctor, running his hands through his hair. "Hum-m! I thought I knew that voice!" He got to his feet in his agitation. Agnes rose quickly, placing her hand on his arm. "Was he the other man?" she asked. "Well, it's a serious charge to lay against the Governor's son," he replied, "but I'm afraid he was the other man." There was such a look of consternation in her face that he sought to calm her. "He's not likely to go any further with it, though," Slavens added. "Oh, you don't know him. You don't know him!" Agnes protested earnestly. He searched her face with a quick glance. "Do you?" he asked, calmly.