Fownes considered that. They had the professor--but he was worse than useless alone, he was a menace. So long as Carmel Lee was at liberty, Evan Pell, as a prisoner, was a constant danger. No telling what the girl would do. Besides, she was allied with Jared Whitefield--and Whitefield was no man to overlook. Abner scowled. “Where is he?” “Out to Peewee’s.” “He went out there?” “Came spyin’ around. Kind of clever about it, too. We almost missed him.... But we didn’t?” “Is he hurt?” “Mussed up some. No hurt to speak of.” “And to-night the big shipment comes in.” “Your orders.” “We’ve got to get the girl,” Abner said. “Have her watched every instant. Have everything in readiness. If she puts her foot in a spot where you and your men can take her, don’t lose a minute.” His voice lifted with excitement. “Get her. Do you hear?... Get her!” “Where’s Whitefield?” Jenney said. “How should I know?” “I _want_ to know.... You can’t handle him like you can this girl. He’s gone some’eres, and I want to know where and why.” Fownes scowled, but made no rejoinder. “I don’t like the way things is goin’,” Jenney said, sulkily. “I feel like I was gittin’ cornered.” “You’re sheriff, aren’t you? Who’ll corner you. You’re frightened, Jenney. Men who get frightened aren’t useful to me. Now, get out of here. You know what you’ve got to do. Do it.” “Town meetin’ to-morrer. I got to be there.” “You’ll be some place beside at a town meeting, Sheriff, if that girl is allowed to run around another twenty-four hours.... Git!” Jenney went out slowly, much perturbed. He was a man of consequence to-day. Yesterday he had been nobody but Deputy Jenney, a political henchman, a nobody. To-day his life’s ambition was realized; he bestrode the pinnacle of his hopes. He had achieved the position toward which he had labored and schemed for a dozen years. What happened to Deputy Jenney was more or less inconsequential. As Deputy Jenney he dared take chances--for money or for advancement. But as Sheriff Jenney!... That was a different matter. Very gladly, now, would he have extricated himself from his entanglements and conducted himself as, according to his system of ethics, a man of mark should do. Why, he was the biggest man in the county--with a salary and fees and patronage!... Well, he was in it and he must protect himself.... Damn Fownes, anyhow. He did not pause to consider that without Fownes and his connection with the whisky-smuggling industry he would never have become sheriff.... That was forgotten. Like many men, he ignored the ladder by which he had climbed. In this case, however, the ladder declined to ignore him. If Jenney had ever heard the word _sardonic_ he would have made telling use of it now.... How many men are trammeled by inadequate vocabularies! His first step was cautiously to call Peewee Bangs by telephone, and in his conversation Jenney disclosed a kind of apt and helpful humor of which few would have accused him.