The equipment of all the deserted ranches in the unowned lands was banked up in Caldwell. From the Coldstream Pool Carver purchased ten sets of harness at fifteen dollars a set and three heavy wagons at forty dollars each, paying his last hundred down and his personal note for the balance. Hinman witnessed this last transaction. “Considering the size of your original stake you’ve stretched it to cover considerable territory in the last few months,” he said. “It’s only my surplus I’m spreading out so thin,” Carver explained. “My capital is still intact.” He exhibited his silver dollar. “My one rule of life is never to impair my principal.” “Fine,” Hinman encouraged. “That’s conservative business. I was satisfied you’d play it slow and safe.” “Now if you’ll do me just one more little kindness I’ll be grateful;” Carver said. “You and Nate engage Freel in conversation up on the corner where he’s standing and inside of five minutes I’ll saunter up and direct the course of the interview.” “I’d like to hear it,” Hinman said. “We’ll detain him.” Carver joined them before the appointed space of time had elapsed. “Freel, I’ve been feeling real contrite about resisting arrest a few weeks back,” Carver said. “I’ve decided to surrender and stand trial.” The deputy marshal glanced apprehensively at the two old cowmen. “Oh--that,” he said. “Why, I’ve let that matter drop. That’s all closed.” “And it was real accommodating of you to close it,” Carver returned, “but I can’t stand by and see you get in trouble on my account. Orders are orders, and you had yours. That’s the reason I wrote this letter to Art Webb.” He tendered an unsealed letter to the deputy. Webb was Freel’s chief, the head United States marshal of the district. “Webb is a good friend of mine and I’m demanding that he inform me just why he sent an order down here to you to pick me up. That will put you in the clear for not rearresting me since that night I escaped.” Carver turned to his two friends. “You’ve both known Webb for years,” he said. “Did you write him like I asked you?” “It clear slipped my mind,” Hinman apologized. “I’ll get it off this evening.” “Mine goes on the same mail,” Nate concurred. “We’ll sift this thing right to the bottom layer and clear Freel of any possible blame.” “Freel will be on my side himself if it comes to a showdown,” Carver asserted. “He’ll be the first to testify that I’d been away from home for a solid month prior to the time that charge was lodged. Some one’s tried to deal me from the bottom, and between the four of us we’ll discover who it is.” Freel laughed and slapped Carver on the shoulder. “Matter of fact, that inquiry was for another party, wanting to know if he’d turned up in these parts,” he said. “I went and got the names mixed. The joke’s on me--likewise the drinks, and I’ll buy right now.” He slowly tore up the letter to Webb.