little cabin within the enclosure and was invisible for ten minutes.
When he emerged he was clad in a new pair of "bull breeches," a white
stiff-bosomed shirt without a collar but with a brass collar button
doing duty nevertheless, while a red silk handkerchief, with the ends
drawn through a ring fashioned from a horseshoe nail, enveloped his
swarthy neck. He had rummaged through the stock of hats and
appropriated a Grand Army hat with cord and tassels, and arrayed thus
Sam Singer walked up the tracks to San Pasqual.

Arrived here Sam's very appearance heralded news of grave importance at
the Hat Ranch. Such extraordinary and unwonted attention to dress could
portend but one of two things--a journey or a funeral. Inasmuch,
however, as Sam was coatless and Mrs. Corblay had been carried home ill
the day before, San Pasqual allowed itself one guess and won.

To those who sought to question him, however, Sam Singer had nothing
more polite than a tribal grunt. He proceeded directly to the Silver
Dollar saloon, where he held converse with a man who seemed much
interested in the news which Sam had to impart, for he nodded gravely
several times, gave Sam fifty cents and a cigar and then hurried around
to the public telephone station in "Doc" Taylor's drug store.

Five minutes later, by some mysterious person, Mrs. Daniel Pennycook,
wife of the yardmaster, was informed over the telephone that Donnie
Corblay's mother was dead.

"So I understand" replied Mrs. Pennycook volubly. "Poor thing! There
was always somethin' so mysterious like about--"

The use of the word "like" was habit with Mrs. Pennycook. She rarely