stepped forward and cleared his throat gruffly: "But——"

"That's all right, Shorty," interrupted Connie, speaking rapidly, "I tell you the Superintendent will be tickled with this job. They'll make you a Corporal for this."

At the words Brek Wiley turned upon the astounded Shorty and from his lips poured a perfect tirade of vituperation and invective. And as the man's words flowed his rage increased until in a very paroxysm of fury he turned on Connie, who noted with satisfaction that the man's abuse had angered Peters.

"But it's a lie!" he roared. "I tell ye it's a lie! Shorty's a deserter! An' him an' me throw'd in together to sell meat. I kin prove it by Swede Johnson, an' Tom Ashley, an' them contractors. I hain't no fool! He's in as deep as me. He done his share of the killin', an' the deliverin', too, an' he got his share of the money."

Connie laughed: "Of course he did, and that's the best evidence he's got. And if he hadn't done his share of the killing he'd never have got any evidence on you. And you fell for the 'deserter' game like any chechaka! Dan McKeever could