Upon the following morning, Murray was at the printing establishment watching Bill Hobbs and his human derelict swear at each other, when Piute Tomkins beckoned him outside to the street.  
Piute stood there, ostentatiously fingered a burnished deputy's star which adorned his sun-faded vest, twirled his melancholy mustache and spoke.
 
"Doc, the pris'ner wants to see ye."
 
"Prisoner? What prisoner?"
 
"Your partner, Mac."
 
"Good lord!" Murray stared blankly at him. "You don't mean he's—arrested?"
 
"Certain."
 
"On what charge?"
 
"Assault with 'tent to kill. Him and another man been mixin' it up consid'able back of the hotel; other man's Hennesy, the contractor from Meteorite. Seems like Mac took after him with an ol' wagon spoke and nigh riled him to death. I got him locked up in an extry room, so come along."
 
Murray followed, bewildered and angered. Sandy arrested!
 
Piute led the way into the hotel, and to a room at the door of which stood Deadoak Stevens on guard. A stern and implacable proponent of justice, Deadoak was also possessed of a polished badge and an ancient revolver, both of which he displayed with ostentation.
 
"Hennesy's goin' right back to town," he informed Piute, "he wants to see ye 'fore he pulls out."
 
Piute strode away.
 
Murray, meantime, entered the room, where he found Mackintavers sitting, the picture of disconsolate despair. Sandy glanced up, then dropped a battered countenance into his hands and groaned.
 
"Hello!" said Murray cheerfully. "Hear you've been fighting. What's the fun about?"
 
"Doc, it's no use," groaned Sandy. "I'm a branded man! I thought nobody'd know me around here—but along comes a man named Hennesy, a man whom I'd had dealin's with in New Mexico. Fact is, I made him leave there for his health. Now he's turned up here. I run up against him—wham! Then we went to it, that's all."
 
"I hope," said Murray, "that you hurt him worse than he hurt you?"
 
"I done my best," was the gloomy response. "I sure knocked him out—then this here deputy sheriff dropped a gun on me."
 
Deadoak Stevens introduced his head inside the door, which he had placed ajar.
 
"He's goin' to Meteorite after the sheriff," he announced, "and you'll stay right here until he gets back——"
 
"Nonsense!" declared Murray. I'll bail him out and——"
 
"There ain't no one here to bail him out to," said Deadoak. "You got to wait, that's all. Ding my dogs, this here ain't no city!"
 
"Don't you try to stick with me, Doc," said Mackintavers hopelessly. "It ain't fair to you an' Hobbs. Things like this'll come croppin' up all the while——"
 
"Don't be a fool," snapped Murray, and rose. "I'll see what can be done, Sandy. We'll take care of this fellow somehow. Did you have a wagon-spoke in your hand?"
 
"I don't know," said Sandy. "I was hittin' him with everything in sight."
 
Murray chuckled and left the room.
 
He saw Piute Tomkins in the office downstairs, and speedily found that there was no way of freeing Mackintavers until the sheriff arrived in person. Piute flatly refused to accept bail, and there was no justice of the peace in town—the one and only J.P. being at the moment some score of miles away looking for a tungsten mine in the Saddleback hills. Murray gave up the attempt in disgust.
 
As he left the office, he saw that an automobile was standing at one side of the hotel, its engine purring. Standing talking to the driver was Doctor Scudder. Scudder stepped back, waved his hand, and the car drove away in the direction of Meteorite. Too late to halt the driver, Murray realized that it must be the man with whom Sandy had mixed. But what business had the man with Doctor Scudder?
 
Scudder passed him with a single flashing look, and Murray went on across the street, where he imparted to Bill Hobbs what had happened. They were still debating the matter, when the doorway was darkened—and Murray looked up to see Claire Lee.
 
She had already met Bill Hobbs, and had displayed much interest in his activities. But now she responded to Willyum's greeting with only a faint smile, and turned to Murray a gaze that was distinctly troubled.
 
"Doctor Murray," she said, a trace of color in her cheeks, "will you take me up to Morongo Valley in your car—right away?"
 
Murray was taken aback by this flat request.
 
"I—why, Miss Lee, what do you mean? Your father can't travel yet——"
 
"It's not a question of my father," she said, biting her lip. "Here is a note that he asked me to hand you——"
 
She extended a paper, which the astounded Murray took and opened. The note was brief:
 
 
 
My dear Doctor Murray:
 
Please do as Claire says—and don't delay or ask questions.
 
TOM LEE.
 
 
 
Murray looked from Bill Hobbs to Claire, and choked down the questions that rose to his lips.
 
"When do you want to go?"
 
"Now," said the girl quietly. "I'll get my things in a few minutes."
 
"How long do you want to stay?"
 
"Until we hear from my father."
 
"Hadn't I better see him——?"
 
"No. He wants me to go at once."
 
Murray scratched his red thatch, more embarrassed and put to confusion than he cared to admit. This thing was preposterous on its face! No reason assigned—nothing but the request to take this girl away out there to the Morongo Valley, for an indefinite stay!
 
He looked helplessly at Bill Hobbs. "Willyum, can you take care of Sandy?"
 
"Sure," asserted Willyum, wide-eyed.
 
"I am at your service, Miss Lee," said Murray.
 
"You—you are very good, Doctor," she said, and he thought that her lip trembled. "I'll be ready in five minutes."
 
"Very well. I'll meet you behind the hotel, at my car—it's the one stacked with supplies in the back seat."
 
She turned and left the print shop. Bill Hobbs looked at Murray bewilderedly.
 
"What's it mean, Doc?"
 
"How the devil do I know?" Murray swore in puzzled disgust.
 
"Looked to me like she'd been cryin', Doc."
 
Murray swore again, and started for the door.
 
"Come on and help me throw some things together—put one of those extra gas cans in the back of my car, will you? Fortunately she's full up on everything. And you'll have to get Sandy's money before the sheriff gets it——"
 
They crossed to the hotel, and while he prepared for the trip, Murray instructed his henchman, whom he placed in charge of the mutual funds, to explain matters to Sandy and to do whatever might be possible.
 
The two men descended to the car, which was already filled with a mass of supplies made ready by Murray and Sandy against their return to the valley on a prolonged prospecting trip. Willyum turned over the engine, and as he did so, Claire appeared, bearing only a small handbag.
 
The anxiety in her countenance broke in a smiling greeting, and she climbed in beside Murray. The latter shoved down on his pedal and sent the flivver toward the street. H............