THE DOVE OF PEACE.
“Friends,” said the colonel, as those on the mesa clustered around him,
“a messenger has just arrived from Gold Hill bringing me a note from
Struthers. He has lost his lawsuit against Packard, and consequently
his claim to Tinaja Wells is null and void. Inasmuch as our party holds
a lease from Struthers, there is nothing left for the Gold Hill campers
but to pack up and look for some other camping ground. I do not think,
Merriwell,” the colonel added, thrusting the letter into his pocket,
“that this can be done before to-morrow, but Jode and his friends will
leave at the earliest possible moment.”
“Take your time about it, colonel,” Frank answered; and then he went
on to Darrel, Clancy, and Ballard: “And so, fellows, the dove of peace
swoops down on Tinaja Wells.”
“I’m glad as blazes Jode is getting out of here,” said Darrel. “I
reckon, though, that I’ll have to pick up and begin drifting again.”
“No, you don’t,” returned Frank; “that is,” he laughed, “not unless
you’re tired of this Ophir bunch and want to get away from us.”
“I don’t want to stick around and sponge a living off you fellows.”
“Never mind that, Darrel. If you’re around, we’ll make you work.
Perhaps we can do something to wipe out that forgery business.”
“That’s a large order,” said Darrel gloomily. “I doubt if I ever get
to the bottom of that.”
“Well, consider this,” pursued Merry. “Isn’t it possible that the skunk
who put up that robbery dodge on you may have had something to do with
the forging of that check?”
“Why, yes, it’s possible. But who was back of the robbery? Ballard and
Fritz couldn’t see who the fellow was.”
“We didn’t produce all our evidence, in clearing you, for the good
and sufficient reason that we didn’t want to bear down too hard on
Jode—just at present. We may need him in our business later.”
“Jode?” echoed Darrel wonderingly. “What has he to——”
“When the money was found by Ballard,” broke in Frank, “it was wrapped
in a handkerchief. That handkerchief had been to the laundry, and there
were two initials marked on the hem. Show him the initials, Pink.”
Ballard took the soiled handkerchief from his pocket, ran the hem
through his fingers, and then showed a section of it to Darrel. The
initials, “J. L.,” were in plain evidence.
“Well, strike me lucky!” muttered Darrel. “So it was Jode! Still,” he
added, “you wouldn’t call that evidence conclusive, would you?”
“Mighty strong,” put in Ballard, “even if not conclusive. But there’s
other evidence, Darrel. Lenning knew the combination of the safe and
was in Gold Hill on the night of the robbery. He said he wasn’t at the
house, but—well, maybe that was a lie.”
“Suppose,” remarked Merry, “Lenning was at the house, and saw you
there? That’s possible, isn’t it? Then suppose that he hatched up
this little scheme of taking the money, after finding the knife you
carelessly left behind. There’s the colonel’s evidence against
you—mighty good evidence, and all manufactured!”
“Those are suppositions,” said Darrel, “and it’s evidence in black and
white that we ought to have, in a matter of this kind.”
“Sure,” agreed Merry, “and that’s the reason we didn’t show the
handkerchief to the colonel, or spout any of our theories. He’s all
wrapped up in Lenning, and wouldn’t believe anything against him.”
“There’s something else that makes me feel positive that it was Lenning
who brought the money into the gulch last night,” said Ballard. “As the
fellow came along, Fritz and I heard a sort of tinkling sound like bits
of metal striking together. It was mighty faint, but we heard it. Now,
that fancy hat of Lenning’s, I noticed yesterday, has bits of silver
dangling from the brim, allee same Mexicano. Don’t you think——”
“Pink,” cried Merry enthusiastically, “you’re a born detective! By
thunder, this last clew of yours is the best of the lot. It was Lenning
who worked that game on Darrel, no two ways about it. Eh, Darrel?”
“Looks that way,” answered Darrel cautiously, “but we can’t be sure.
Jode may have learned that I had come back, and possibly that scared
him, so he tried to do me up with that supposed robbery.”
“Why was he scared?” demanded Merriwell. “It was because he evolved
the notion that you were back to look into that forgery matter. And
that wouldn’t scare him unless he had had a finger in it. Jode Lenning
is our mark! We’ll keep after him until we clear you, Darrel. While
we’re getting the football squad in shape here, we’ll do a little
gum-shoe work on the side, and see if we can’t give you a clear title
to the colonel’s friendship. How’s that?”
“I don’t know what I can ever do to square things with you fellows,”
murmured Darrel, “but it was certainly a lucky day for me when I found
Ophirites, instead of Gold Hillers, at Tinaja Wells!”
“Can that!” grunted Clancy. “You’re one of us, Darrel, and, like the
Musketeers, with Chip and his chums, it’s ‘one for all, and all for
one.’ And Darrel’s a chum, eh, Chip?”
“Just as long as he wants to be,” answered Merriwell heartily.