Burke shook his head, by way of dissent.
“The circumstantial evidence is pretty strong,” said he.
“The same kind of circumstantial evidence, Burke,” returned Merry, “that led you to think Lenning had made off with that bullion. Remember that? Lenning was missing, and the bullion was missing, so you thought——”
“This isn’t the same, Chip, not by a whole row of ’dobies,” broke in the superintendent. “Lenning’s record is all against him.”
“So it was the night the bullion was taken,” said Frank warmly, “and Lenning has been making a mighty fine record since then.”
“Well, this sort of talk won’t get us anywhere. It doesn’t make any difference, just now, whether Lenning was one of the thieves or whether he wasn’t. The main point is, Ballard and Blunt saw the thieves galloping off after the stage was held up. Hawkins ought to be put in possession of what they know without loss of a moment’s time. I’m going to hustle for town and tell some one who can get the news to the deputy sheriff in short order.”
His spurs rattled, and he kicked up the dust on the road to Ophir.
“It gets my goat,” muttered Ballard, “the way Lenning drops into trouble. Just as he gets started on the right road, something like this has to happen and put him all to the bad again. I’ll be hanged if I can understand how he manages it.”
“Somebody else manages it for him,” said Clancy. “That’s an easy guess. It was Shoup that engineered the bullion plot.”
“Who engineered this one?” queried Ballard.