"He's sure sore an' mad at me," he muttered to himself. "But if I hadn't riled him, he would sure have seen them letters stickin' out behin' that rock! I'll tell him some day--afore they hang me! They'll sure search me in jail--so why did I bring along these here letters?" While Jack had been busy with the horses, Jim had seized the moment to cram the letters into his pocket. But he knew he would be searched at the jail. For want of a better hiding place, therefore, he thrust them into one of the empty saddlebags on Jack's horse! The slanting rays of the sun hanging over the peaks of the Bear's-foot Mountains were again hitting the piles of old cans and bottles, as the two brothers rode into town. Jim's face seemed aged, and Jack's hard. People stared at them in wonder. Like a flash the news spread about the town. "Jack Allen is locking up his brother, Jim, as a mail robber!" Jack thrust Jim into one of the strongest cells in the Goldville jail and locked the door. He departed without a word. CHAPTER XVII THE WOLF FILLS THE JAIL Jim-twin Allen sat hunched on the bench in his cell and watched the bars of the window slowly fade, blending into the darkening sky outside. For a long while he sat without moving, then, like a caged animal, he commenced to pace back and forth, back and forth, across the floor. His bitterest thought was--that he had failed! Jack had refused to listen to him when he had attempted to explain while returning to town. He gave no heed to his own fate, though he knew what that would be! His only thought was of Jack, stubborn Jack, who was blinded by a sense of duty. Joe Elston, the jailer, came with a light and looked at Jim through the bars. "They tell me they is goin' to ship yuh down to Santa Fe to be hanged," he jeered. Jim Allen stopped his restless pacing and thrust his face between the bars. Elston backed away, for there was something about Allen's face that brought fear to him. "I was only goin' to tell yuh that there's a lady wants to see yuh!" he muttered aggrievedly. There was no use in antagonizing the man. "Yuh was talkin' of me gettin' hanged--not seein' a lady!" said Allen, grinning. "It's different, ain't it?" the jailer asked good-humoredly. "Yuh betcha!" Allen agreed and wondered who could be calling on him. Could it be some woman Slivers Hart had sent? If it were, that might mean that Slivers was planning a rescue. In the minute the jailer was gone his hope grew, sprang to life. When Elston returned with Mrs. Howes, Allen had a sense of bitter disappointment. Tears were streaming down her face. "Oh, Jim--Jim! I know you did this tryin' to help us," she cried. "Aw, shucks, you're talkin' large," Jim cried with acute embarrassment. He glanced at the jailer, who was smirking. "Jim, I've brought you a pie," said the woman, still sobbing. "Thanks, ma'am. Yuh go on home now an' don't worry none," Allen begged.