Bud wrinkled his brow, as he tried to figure out how they knew about Joe's crimes. The doctor had put his hand on Bud's shoulder and was speaking down to him. "Bud Conley, I don't know how I can ever thank ye." "Yo're plumb welcome," said Bud in a puzzled voice, and then to himself. "Sure, there's some mistake here, cowboy." "Ba gar, I'm tak' back w'at I say about you, Con-lee," said Louie Beaudet hoarsely. "I'm hope you forgive." "Sure," nodded Bud, more at sea than ever. He twisted his head and looked at Norah. She was smiling at him and he grinned foolishly. He knew that he was going to wake up pretty soon and find himself out in the rain. This was too good to last. He moistened his lips with his tongue and grinned up at Grandon. [Illustration] "Say, I found where all them men went, Grandon. There was a big cellar under Magee's place, with a tunnel from the outside. I found their liquor cache, too. Joe was the leader of the whole gang. He was the one that shot McKay and the Indian, I think." "I know that is true," nodded Grandon. "Burgoyne was the boss of Kingsburg, but he spent his time here watching our movements. No wonder we could never find out anything." "It burned down," said Bud slowly, "and we had a reg'lar he-man fight." "From the looks of Burgoyne, I'd agree with that," said Henderson. "But how in hell----?" Bud stopped and apologized for his profanity, but before he could continue, Grandon said, "Joe boasted of how he ruined you with the force, Conley. Magee poisoned your drink, and they stole little Marie and forced her to drink the same liquor. Joe wanted the doctor to find you and Marie together. You see, Joe wanted you away from Miss Clarey." "Oh!" exploded Bud, "but how----?" "The red coat she saw was the one they stole from McKay," interrupted Grandon. "They thought she might see it. Joe wanted an excuse to break off his engagement with Marie; so he tried to kill two birds with one stone. Joe robbed Louie and left your gun beside the safe." "Thasso?" blinked Bud. This was all news to him. "Did Burgoyne tell yuh all this?" "No, he told nothing," declared the doctor. "But, like all of his kind, he was a boaster, and he told it all to Norah." "Oh--yeah," breathed Bud. "Uh--well, I don't--" He turned his head and squinted at Norah, as though trying to find what it was all about. "It was a wild night for us, too," laughed the doctor, but without mirth. "Norah disappeared right after dark and we spent most of the night, hunting for her in the rain, and were on our way to Kingsburg, when you nearly ran us all down. "Norah doesn't know much of what happened, because they had her under all that canvas in the rear end of the wagon-box, but she recognized your voice. Burgoyne was going to take her away with him. The man must be mad." Bud gulped several times and shut his eyes. Norah had been in that wagon all the time! No wonder Joe Burgoyne had screamed over his loss and knocked the man down.