I am going to tell you all I know--it seems to be a tangled web, but the ends must be somewhere, although, I confess, I am all at sea." He told it slowly and simply, bringing forth his earlier suspicion, and how he had stumbled upon facts apparently confirming them.

He related her father's robbery, his loss of valuable papers, and the conversation between Hawley and Scott which led to the suspicion that these same papers had fallen into the hands of the former, and were the basis of his plot.

Hope listened, breathless with interest, her widely opened eyes filled with wonder.

As he concluded speaking she burst forth: "But I don't understand in the least, Captain Keith.

Why did this man Hawley send me to the Salt Fork ?" "He thought he was dealing with Christie Maclaire.