“Do,” suggested Kirby, smiling.  “Then we’ll both tell what we know and perhaps things will clear up a bit.”

It was a bluff pure and simple.  He couldn’t tell what he knew any more than his cousin could.  The part played by Rose and Esther McLean in the story barred him from the luxury of truth-telling.  Moreover, he had no real evidence to back his suspicions.  But Jack did not know how strong the restraining influence was.

“I didn’t say I was going to ’phone.  I said I’d a jolly good mind to,” Cunningham replied sulkily.

“I’d advise you not to start anything you can’t finish, Jack.  I’ll give you one more piece of advice, too.  Come clean with what you know.  I’m goin’ to find out, anyhow.  Make up your mind to that.  I’m goin’ through with this job till it’s done.”

“You’ll pull off your Sherlock-Holmes stuff in jail, then, for I’m going to ask James to get off your bond,” Jack retorted vindictively.

“As you please about that,” Lane said quietly.

“He’ll choose between you or me.  I’ll be damned if I’ll stand for his keeping a man out of jail to try and fasten on me a murder I didn’t do.”

“I haven’t said you did it.  What I say is that you and Miss Harriman know somethin’ an’ are concealin’ it.  What is it?  I’m not a fool.  I don’t think you killed Uncle any more than I did.  But you an’ Miss Harriman have a secret.  Why don’t you go to James an’ make a clean breast of it?  He’ll tell you what to do.”

“The devil he will!  I tell you we haven’t any secret.  We weren’t in Uncle’s rooms that night.”

“Can you prove an alibi for the whole evening—­both of you?” the range rider asked curtly.

“None of your business.  We’re not in the prisoner’s dock.  It’s you that is likely to be there,” Jack tossed out petulantly.

Phyllis Harriman had flung herself down to sob with her head in the pillows.  But Kirby noticed that one small pink ear was in the open to take in the swift sentences passing between the men.

“I’m intendin’ to make it my business,” Lane said, his voice ominously quiet.

“You’re laying up trouble for yourself,” Jack warned blackly.  “If you want me for an enemy you’re going at this the right way.”

“I’m not lookin’ for enemies.  What I want is the truth.  You’re concealin’ it.  We’ll see if you can make it stick.”

“We’re not concealing a thing.”

“Last call for you to show down your cards, Jack.  Are you with me or against me?” asked Kirby.

“Against you, you meddling fool!” Cunningham burst out in a gust of fury.  “Don’t you meddle with my affairs, unless you want trouble right off the bat.  I’m not going to have a Paul Pry nosing around and hinting slanders about me and Miss Harriman.  What do you think I am?  I’ll protect my good name and this lady’s if I have to do it with a gun.  Don’t forget that, Mr. Lane.”