Words and figures had been carefully scratched out and others inked in. “I had an idea this was what he was up to,” said Nick. “We shall find Claymore out at Low’s farm.” The four men set out for Mason Creek soon after. Nick went in Low’s wagon, and Patsy and Kerr in one they hired. When they came to the beginning of the trail, Nick got down and told the others to drive slowly on. “I’ll take the short cut,” said he. “You keep on by the road, and if he escapes me he’ll run into your hands.” As it was late in the spring, light came early, and the day was beginning to break when Nick passed the dead body of the panther. As he approached nearer Low’s house, he moved cautiously. Coming to the edge of the cleared land, he saw a man busy with a shovel at a little distance. It was Claymore. He was digging a hole for the purpose of setting a boundary post in it. The post had been taken up from a spot some distance farther down the stream that crossed the farm. Claymore’s scheme was to change the boundaries of the land bought by the oil company so that they should include twice as much as had been bought. That was why the deed had been changed, and it explained the maps in Claymore’s desk. Nick watched the rascal for a few minutes, and then walked toward him. “Why don’t you put the post up where it will take in Hank Low’s house and barn?” he asked. Claymore turned at the sound, and caught up a revolver that was lying on the ground beside him. He fired hastily, and the bullet went wild. Nick had him covered. “Try again,” said the detective, “if you think you can do your own murdering.” As he spoke, he was advancing upon Claymore, who gave one desperate look around, and saw the two wagons coming up the road. Then he dropped his weapon, sat down on the ground, and put his hands to his face. “You haven’t as much nerve as I thought you had,” remarked Nick. He put handcuffs on the prisoner, and waited for the others to come up. “I can tell you all about it,” said Nick, then. “This man Claymore found that he had bought land where the oil was scarce. He was so anxious to get the land cheap that he didn’t dare to prospect thoroughly. If he had done his work well, he would have seen that the place for oil wells is farther up the stream and nearer Low’s house. “He found that out after a while, and then schemed to get possession of the rest of the farm without paying for it. “Seeing that Judson would expose the crooked work of the company, he had him murdered by a couple of desperadoes who drifted into Denver just in time for the job. “Then he did some forgery work on the deed to make it show that he had bought a good many acres more than he really had, and to back up the deed he had to come out here and change the boundary posts. “His best chance for doing that was while Low was locked up. That was why he didn’t go to meet his confederates early at Daddy Drew’s.