“Gary Warden forced me to sign that statement, Lawler—­he threatened to kill me if I didn’t!  He found out, some way, that I had been in the cabin with you.  And he made me sign.

“He told me that he didn’t intend to charge you with the murder; he said he merely wanted to threaten you—­to keep you out of politics.  Please believe me, Lawler!”

Lawler laughed coldly, incredulously.  “A minute ago you told me——­”

“I did that to frighten you,” she declared.  “I—­I thought that—­perhaps—­when you saw that I would testify against you—­you would—­” She paused and tried to get closer to him, but he held her off and watched her keenly, suspiciously.

“Lawler,” she urged; “don’t you see?  I thought you would agree to marry me if—­if I told you that.  And, now——­”

“An’ now it don’t make a damn bit of difference what you say!” interrupted a voice from the doorway.  Both Miss Wharton and Lawler wheeled quickly, to see Sheriff Moreton standing in the room.

He was grinning hugely, though his eyes were gleaming subtly.

While Lawler and Miss Wharton watched him, he slowly tore to pieces the statement the woman had signed, and scattered them upon the floor.

“That’s all of that damned nonsense!” he declared.  “Lawler, I knowed they was somethin’ behind all this.  That’s why I let this hussy in to talk to you.  I thought I’d hear somethin’, an’ I did!”

“Lawler, you’re free as the air!  If there’s any more of this talk about chargin’ you with killin’ them two guys, an’ you don’t salivate them that’s doin’ the talkin’, I will!”

After his first quick glance at Moreton, Lawler looked at Della.  The deep amusement Lawler felt over the knowledge that the sheriff had overheard Della, and that the woman’s evidence would now be discredited, was revealed in his smile as he watched her.

She saw it.  She also understood that she had failed.  But she veiled her chagrin and disappointment behind a scornful smile.

“Framed!” she said.  “And it was crude work, too—­wasn’t it, Lawler?  I should have been more careful.  Ha, ha!  Lawler, I should have known you would do something like this—­after what happened in the line cabin.  And I let you trick me!”

She raised her head, disdaining to glance at Lawler as she walked to the door, in front of which Moreton was standing.

She smiled broadly at the latter.  “Mr. Sheriff,” she said, evenly; “if you will stand aside, I shall be glad to leave you.”

Moreton grinned, admiringly.  “You’ve sure got a heap of nerve, ma’am,” he complimented; “I’ll say that for you!  I don’t know what your game is, but you’re mighty clever—­though you’re wastin’ your time out here in the sagebrush.  You ought to stay East—­where there’s a lot more rummies than there is out here!”

He opened the door, and bowed her out with extravagant politeness.  Then, when she had gone, he motioned Lawler toward the door.