Lightnin Part 27

"Mr. Hammond," Bill went on, "when you went after Mr. Marvin with the sheriff, what was the charge against him?"

Hammond answered, with a ready enthusiasm, "Trespa.s.sing on the property of the Pacific Railroad Company."

Bill nodded his head and said:

"Uh, ha."

He a.s.sumed an air of wisdom and raised his voice to the pitch that it seldom knew, but to have the floor again after so many months was having its effect upon him and he was taking the task in the same way and with the same glee as if it were the opportunity for telling a good story.

"If he was on their property," he began--then he seemed to forget what it was he was going to ask. He turned to Marvin in whispered conference.

The unusual character of his procedure did not affect Lemuel Townsend, who was anxious to give the old man his full chance.

His way evidently made clearer by Marvin's advice, Bill sauntered slowly back to Hammond.

"If he was on the railroad's property, what did you have to do with it?"

he asked.

"Oh, that's easy enough!" said Hammond, nonchalantly crossing one leg over the other. "I went at the request of the president of the road."

Bill grinned. "You sold the railroad the land he was trespa.s.sing on, didn't you?"

Thomas broke in with an endeavor to show that the question was irrelevant, but Townsend, knowing Bill's natural ac.u.men, felt that the question did have some real connection with the case.

"Mr. Thomas," he said, "you and your witness have been accused of conspiracy. If I were you, I would allow him to answer Mr. Jones."

Thomas knew that he was sparring for his life and he didn't intend to let the question get by if he could help it, so he tried another subterfuge.

"Your Honor," he deplored, his voice hoa.r.s.e with anger, "I don't propose to defend the witness and myself from such a ridiculous charge at this time. We are not on trial. This is a divorce action." He glared at Marvin, pulling his cuffs angrily, in a way that he had, down over his wrists.

But the judge's opinion was unchanged. "If there is any conspiracy about this action, the court wants to know it. Answer the question."

With an insulting drawl, Hammond did as he was bid.

"I purchased the property for the railroad, acting as their agent."

"Who did you buy it from?" Bill snapped.

"Mr. Thomas."

"When did you buy it?" asked Bill.

"About ten months ago."

Bill's shoulders straightened at Hammond's reply and he drew himself together with a quick shrug, taking a swift step forward and peering into Hammond's face.

"That was three months before you bought mother's place?" he asked.

"Yes," jerked Hammond, sulkily.

"Then, why did you say you had never met him until you met him at the hotel?"

Hammond started, alarm in the quick glance that traveled from Bill to Raymond Thomas. He realized he had overstepped himself. Thinking the better plan would be to brave it out, he bellowed:

"Because I never did!"

Bill smiled at him and said, in his slow, gentle monotone:

"You bought all that land of him and never saw him about it?" He looked up at the judge and laughed. "And he called _me_ a liar!"

Hammond got up, but Bill detained him. "Don't go away," he admonished, with a jaunty toss of his head. "We got some more for you, 'ain't we?"

and he looked at Marvin, who smiled in approval. "I've got a good one for him!" Bill went on.

"You know the railroad company leased the waterfall on mother's place and put a power-plant there?"

"I believe they have," said Hammond, impatiently.

"And you know that the railroad pays you more for that lease in a month than you agreed to give mother in a year?"

It was a surprise to Hammond, and evidently to Marvin, too, that Bill should know anything of the details of either the lease of the railroad company or of what payment had been promised to Mrs. Jones. A great light flashed on Marvin--obviously Bill Jones had not been altogether wasting his time during his prolonged disappearance! Hammond, beginning to suspect that Bill knew more than he had been given credit for, decided that ignorance was the best stand to take.

"How should I know the petty details of the railroad's lease?" he said.

"How should _you_ know?" echoed Bill, his voice raised, unwontedly clear and ringing. "Didn't the railroad lease the waterfall from a b.u.m concern called the Golden Gate Land Company? Didn't you, actin' for the Golden Gate Company, put through the deal? Don't you know that the Golden Gate Land Company is controlled by yourself and Raymond Thomas--ain't you and Thomas the whole works o' that--"

Thomas was on his feet with an objection, but the judge had no opportunity to overrule it, for Bill had something to say and he was going to say it. He lifted his voice above that of Thomas, calling out and waving his arms violently in an excitement he had never known before.

"And all your stocks in the name of rummies?"

His eyes twinkled as Marvin came up to him and whispered. Again waving his arms, Bill shouted:

"Dummies, I mean--dummies!"

Thomas had been tried to the point of despair. There was a lump in his throat as he beseeched the judge:

"I protest against this!"

The judge interrupted him. "I am beginning to believe in this plot story."

"Then let him go on," was Bill's agreeable reply.

Hammond jumped up out of his chair and descended from the witness-stand.

"Your Honor," he said, in an angry tone, "I absolutely refuse to submit to this any longer--to stand here and be made to look like a criminal!"

Bill could not withstand the chance for another quip and he smiled at his antagonist. "Well, you look natural," he remarked.

"Do you expect me to stand for this?" Hammond stormed.

"Sit down, if you want to," said Bill, restored to his old nonchalance.