"Tell me about this Welton difficulty," said he. "Frank Taylor has our own matters well in hand. The opposition won't gain much by digging up that old charge against the integrity of our land titles. We'll count that much wiped off the slate."
"I'm glad to hear it," said Bob heartily. "Well, the trouble with Mr. Welton is that the previous administration held him up—" He detailed the aspects of the threatened bribery case; while Orde listened without comment. "So," he concluded, "it looked at first as if they rather had him, if I testified. It had me guessing. I hated the thought of getting a man like Mr. Welton in trouble of that sort over a case in which he was no way interested."
"What did you decide?" asked Orde curiously.
"I decided to testify."
"That's right."
"I suppose so. I felt a little better about it, because they had me in the same boat. That let me out in my own feelings, naturally."
"How?" asked Orde swiftly.
"There had been trouble up there between Plant—you remember I wrote you of the cattle difficulties?"
"With Simeon Wright? I know all that."
"Well, one of the cattlemen was ruined by Plant's methods; his wife and child died from want of care on that account. He was the one who killed Plant; you remember that."