He rose, but Calder waved him back to the swivel-chair.

“Not dry a bit,” he said cheerily.  “Not five minutes ago I had a drink of—­water.”

“All right,” said Hardy, and settled back into his chair.

“Hardy, there’s been crooked work around here.”

“What in hell—­”

“Get your hand away from that gun, friend.”

“What the devil’s the meaning of all this?”

“That’s very well done,” said Calder.  “But this isn’t the stage.  Are we going to talk business like friends?”

“I’ve got nothing agin you,” said Hardy testily, and his eyes followed Calder’s right hand as if fascinated.  “What do you want to say?  I’ll listen.  I’m not very busy.”

“That’s exactly it,” smiled Tex Calder, “I want you to get busier.”

“Thanks.”

“In the first place I’ll be straight with you.  Wells Fargo hasn’t sent me here.”

“Who has?”

“My conscience.”

“I don’t get your drift.”

Through a moment of pause Calder’s eyes searched the face of Hardy.

“You’ve been pretty flush for some time.”

“I ain’t been starvin’.”

“There are several easy ways for you to pick up extra money.”

“Yes?”

“For instance, you know all about the Wells Fargo money shipments, and there are men around here who’d pay big for what you could tell them.”

The prominent Adam’s apple rose and fell in Hardy’s throat.

“You’re quite a joker, ain’t you Calder?  Who, for instance?”

“Jim Silent.”

“This is like a story in a book,” grinned Hardy.  “Go on.  I suppose I’ve been takin’ Silent’s money?”

The answer came like the click of a cocked revolver.

“You have!”

“By God, Calder—­”

“Steady!  I have some promising evidence, partner.  Would you like to hear part of it?”

“This country has its share of the world’s greatest liars,” said Hardy, “I don’t care what you’ve heard.”

“That saves my time.  Understand me straight.  I can slap you into a lock-up, if I want to, and then bring in that evidence.  I’m not going to do it.  I’m going to use you as a trap and through you get some of the worst of the lone riders.”

“There’s nothin’ like puttin’ your hand on the table.”

“No, there isn’t.  I’ll tell you what you’re to do.”

“Thanks.”

The marshal drove straight on.

“I’ve got four good men in this town.  Two of them will always be hanging around your office.  Maybe you can get a job for them here, eh?  I’ll pay the salaries.  You simply tip them off when your visitors are riders the government wants, see?  You don’t have to lift a hand.  You just go to the door as the visitor leaves, and if he’s all right you say:  ‘So long, we’ll be meeting again before long.’  But if he’s a man I want, you say ‘Good-bye.’  That’s all.  My boys will see that it is good-bye.”