“I don’t think their lawyer really knows about it.  As I say, it took me three months to dig it all out.  My notion is that while they have no idea they can win the case, they believe that we did actually colonize the lands.  In other words, they think they have it on us straight enough.  The results of my investigations will surprise them.  I’ll keep the thing out of court if I can; but in any case we’re ready.  It will be a trial in the newspapers.”

“Well,” said Bob, “you want to get acquainted then.  Western newspapers are not like those in the East.  They certainly jump in with both feet on any cause that enlists them one way or another.  It is a case of no quarter to the enemy, in headlines, subheads, down to the date—­reading matter, of course.  They have a powerful influence, too, for they are very widely read.”

“Can they be bought?” asked Taylor shrewdly.

Bob glanced at him.

“I was thinking of the Power Company,” explained Taylor.

“Blessed if I know,” confessed Bob; “but I think not.  I disagree with them on so many things that I’d like to think they are bought.  But they are more often against those apt to buy, than for them.  They lambaste impartially and with a certain Irish delight in doing the job thoroughly.  I must say they are not fair about it.  They hit a man just as hard when he is down.  What you want to do is to be better news than Baker.”

“I’ll be all of that,” promised Taylor, “if it comes to a newspaper trial.”

Bob glanced at his watch and jumped to his feet with an exclamation of dismay.

“I’ve five minutes to get to the station,” he said.  “Goodbye.”

He rushed out of the hotel, caught a car, ran a block—­and arrived in time to see the tail lights slipping away.  He had to wait until the morning train, but that mattered little to him now.  His wait and the journey back to the mountains were considerably lightened by this partial relief of the situation.  At the first sign of trouble his father had taken the field to fight out his own fights.  That much responsibility was lifted from Bob’s shoulders.  He might have known!

Of the four dangerous elements of his problem one was thus unexpectedly, almost miraculously, relieved.  Remained, however, poor Welton’s implication in the bribery matter, and Pollock’s danger.  Bob could not count in himself.  If he could only relieve the others of the consequences of his action, he could face his own trouble with a stout heart.

At White Oaks he was forced to wait for the next stage.  This put him twenty-four hours behind, and he was inclined to curse his luck.  Had he only known it, no better fortune could have fallen him.  The news came down the line that the stage he would have taken had been held up by a lone highwayman just at the top of Flour Gold grade.  As the vehicle carried only an assortment of perishable fruit and three Italian labourers, for the dam, the profits from the transaction