“Oh, I hope not,” Rose said quickly, a warm sympathy in her vibrant young voice.  “A broken arm’s no fun.  I find it an awful nuisance.”

The janitor of the Paradox came out and joined them.  He was a little Japanese well on toward middle life, a small-featured man with small, neat feet.

“You feelum all right yes now?” he asked, directing his slant, oval eyes toward Cunningham.

“Yes, I’ve got over the nausea, thanks, Shibo.”  James turned to the others.  “Shibo was at the foot of the stairs when I caught my heel.  He gathered up the pieces.  I guess I was all in, wasn’t I, Shibo?”

The Japanese nodded agreement.  “You heap sick for minute.”

“I’ve been worrying a good deal about this business of Uncle James, I suppose.  Anyhow, I’ve had two or three dizzy spells lately.  Nothing serious, though.”

“I don’t wonder.  You sit at a desk too much, James.  What you need is exercise.  If you’d get in the saddle a couple o’ hours a day an’ do some stiff ridin’ you’d quit havin’ dizzy spells.  Sorry you’re hurt, old man.  I’ll trail along with you to a doctor’s.”

“Not necessary.  I’ll be all right.  It’s only a few blocks to his office.  Fact is, I’m feeling quite myself again.”

“Well, if you’re sure.  Prob’ly you’ve only sprained your arm.  By the way, I’d kinda like to go over Uncle’s apartment again.  Mind if I do?  I don’t reckon the police missed anything, but you can never tell.”

James hesitated.  “I promised the Chief of Police not to let anybody else in.  Tell you what I’ll do.  I’ll see him about it and get a permit for you.  Say, Kirby, I’ve been thinking one of us ought to go up to Dry Valley and check things up there.  We might find out who wrote that note to Uncle.  Maybe some one has been making threats in public.  We could see who was in town from there last week.  Could you go?  To-day?  Train leaves in half an hour.”

Kirby could and would.  He left Rose to talk with the tenants of the Paradox Apartments, entrained for Dry Valley at once, and by noon was winding over the hilltops far up in the Rockies.

He left the train at Summit, a small town which was the center of activities for Dry Valley.  Here the farmers bought their supplies and here they marketed their butter and eggs.  In the fall they drove in their cattle and loaded them for Denver at the chutes in the railroad yard.

There had been times in the past when Summit ebbed and flowed with a rip-roaring tide of turbulent life.  This had been after the round-ups in the golden yesterday when every other store building had been occupied by a saloon and the rattle of chips lasted far into the small hours of night.  Now Colorado was dry and the roulette wheel had gone to join memories of the past.  Summit was quiet as a Sunday afternoon on a farm.  Its busiest inhabitant was a dog which lay in the sun and lazily poked over its own anatomy for fleas.