"You wrote the name of Gabriel Conroy upon it! Good! That may lead to its identification without exposing its contents," returned Arthur. "Well, sir?" The last two words were addressed to Mr. Dumphy's clerk, who had entered during the Colonel's speech and stood staring alternately at him and his employer, holding the accepted cheque in his hand. "Give it to the gentleman," said Dumphy, curtly. The man obeyed. Colonel Starbottle took the cheque, folded it, and placed it somewhere in the moral recesses of his breast-pocket. That done, he turned to Mr. Dumphy. "I need not say--er--that--er--as far as my personal counsel and advice to my client can prevail, it will be my effort to prevent litigation in this--er--delicate affair. Should the envelope--er--er--turn up! you will of course--er--send it to me, who am--er--personally responsible for it. Ged, sir," continued the Colonel, "I should be proud to conclude this affair, conducted as it has been on your side with the strictest honour, over the--er--festive-board--but--er--business prevents me! I leave here in one hour for One Horse Gulch!" Both Mr. Dumphy and Poinsett involuntarily started. "One Horse Gulch?" repeated Arthur. "---- me! yes! Ged, sir, I'm retained in a murder case there; the case of this man Gabriel Conroy." Arthur cast a swift precautionary look at Dumphy. "Then perhaps we may be travelling companions?" he said to Starbottle, smiling pleasantly. "I am going there too. Perhaps my good fortune may bring us in friendly counsel. You are engaged"---- "For the prosecution," interrupted Starbottle, slightly expanding his chest. "At the request of relatives of the murdered man--a Spanish gentleman of--er--er--large and influential family connections, I shall assist the District Attorney, my old friend, Nelse Buckthorne!" The excitement kindled in Arthur's eyes luckily did not appear in his voice. It was still pleasant to Colonel Starbottle's ear, as, after a single threatening glance of warning at the utterly mystified and half exploding Dumphy, he turned gracefully toward him. "And if, by the fortunes of war, we should be again on opposite sides, my dear Colonel, I trust that our relations may be as gratifying as they have been to-day. One moment! I am going your way. Let me beg you to take my arm a few blocks and a glass of wine afterwards as a stirrup-cup on our journey." And with a significant glance at Dumphy, Arthur Poinsett slipped Colonel Starbottle's arm deftly under his own, and actually marched off with that doughty warrior, a blushing, expanding, but not unwilling captive. When the door closed Mr. Dumphy resumed his speech and action in a single expletive. What more he might have said is not known, for at the same moment he caught sight of his clerk, who had entered hastily at the exit of the others, but who now stood awed and abashed by Mr. Dumphy's passion. "Dash it all! what in dash are you dashingly doing here, dash you?"