“Mr. Carter, I’ve hearn tell of you, that you’re keen and hard when it comes to criminals, but you’re straight with innocent men. I swear——” “You don’t need to,” interrupted Nick; “you are as innocent as I am, and I know it. I believed it when I started out to see you, but I am going to arrest you for murder, nevertheless.” “Mr. Carter! I don’t understand! What will my poor wife say?” “You needn’t let her know. I want you to understand, though. Suspicion has been put on you by an enemy of yours. Now, if I lock you up over night, it will make this enemy believe that I have finished my work. See?” “You want to blind him?” “Yes. Then I can hunt for the real murderer in my own way.” “All right, Mr. Carter.” Low was perfectly quiet. He did not talk or act like the hot-tempered man who had threatened Mr. Judson. “You can tell your wife,” said Nick, “that a man wants you to go to the city on business about the land deal. Let her think that some good luck has come your way. I don’t think you’ll have to disappoint her afterward. Then hitch up your horse, and we’ll go back together.” Low agreed to this without argument. He went into the house and was gone several minutes. Then he went into the barn and hitched up. A little later, he and the detective were jogging over the road toward Denver. CHAPTER XIV. SNAPPED. Kerr was at police headquarters when Nick arrived with his prisoner. His eyes glowed triumphantly when he saw them come in. “You got him?” he exclaimed. “Yes,” said Nick, “he surrendered when I told him how strong the evidence was against him.” “I wonder he hadn’t run away.” “Well, you see, he didn’t know that a messenger had come in with a telegram just ahead of him.” Kerr chuckled. “This will be a great story for the newspaper fellows,” he said. “They’ve been here all the evening till about half an hour ago. I told them to come back later.” Nick looked thoughtful. He wondered if it would be necessary to give the honest farmer the shame of having it printed that he had been arrested for murder. “I suppose the newspaper boys know that I am on the case,” said Nick. “Oh, yes—everybody knows it.” “But they don’t know that I went to Mason Creek?” “Well, I reckon they’ve guessed it. Newspaper reporters are good at that, you know.” “Do they know that Low was under suspicion?” “Sure! They got that from the hotel clerk.” “Humph!” Nick was a little disgusted. When he handled a case in his own way, hotel clerks and others were not allowed to tell what they knew, and he took pains that nobody should know too much, anyway, until he got ready to tell them. “See here, Kerr,” he said, earnestly, “I’d hold the reporters off for a time, if I were in your place.” Kerr glanced at the clock. It was not far from midnight. “They’ll be hungry for news pretty soon,” said he. “And perhaps I can give them a little more, and a better story, if they wait a bit.” “Why——”