"Shay, Rayder, did I tell ye I had a little mix up with a woman, an' I'm scared to death 'fear old woman 'ill find it out. I got 'ter square the deal or I'm a goner and stuff's all off, want yer to let me take ten thousand fer few days, got ter blow a lot o' money on weddin', too, yer see." "All right, Amos, youse's square a man's ever met. I'll let ye hev it." "Good, thet's relief; sooner I get it easier mind'll be. Nuthin' like 'mediate action to relieve man's mind, you know. Let's take nuther drink and ye can write th' check with steadier hand." Rayder swallowed another drink while Amos fumbled about the desk until he found Rayder's check book. "Bet ye can't spell ten without making a crook. There now, if you can write thousand as well you're a peachareno. Bully, now write Silas Rayder at the bottom. You're a brother in fact, Rayder, an' I love ye better as any brother. Shay, let's hev nuther bottle." And Amos pocketed the check and quietly slipped down stairs, to the saloon and was back with another quart before Rayder had roused from his drunken stupor. He poured out another half goblet of whisky. "Shay, Rayder, de ye know about story of Guvner of North Carolina sed to Guvner of South Carolina, to effet an' words, it was long time between drinks?" "An' that was a damn shame Guvner hed to wait, ought to had you along an' famous epigram ed never been born." Half an hour later Rayder was stretched upon the lounge in the little back office, dead to the world. Amos sat by the window sobering up until the grey of the morning. The sleeping man roused, and Amos gave him another half goblet of whisky followed by a sip of water. He had drawn the blinds and left the coal-oil lamp burning when it grew light, lest the sleeping man should arouse and discover it was daylight. When the office boy came, he cautioned him not to awaken Rayder. He then crossed over to the bank, called for the face payment of the check in gold coin. He took the money to the Wells Fargo Express company's office and expressed it to his wife in Saguache. [Illustration: THE AREGUIPENA. (Page 56)] Rayder was sleeping when he returned. He placed the check book in its accustomed place in the desk, destroyed all evidence of the night's debauch and left a note on the desk saying: "My dear Rayder, I have been suddenly called home by the illness of my wife. Come to Saguache as soon as you can make it convenient. Amos." When Rayder awoke it was four o'clock in the afternoon. His head was in a whirl and every muscle was twitching. He called Charley and sent for a doctor. The doctor saw the trouble at a glance. He called a hack and accompanied Rayder to his home. "This will never do, Mr. Rayder. You have drank much whisky in your time and it has become a poison to your system. Do not look for me to get you out of this in less time than four weeks." XXIV. THE RECKLESS HAND OF FATE.