Don Nicolas Sandoval had seen the assassin walking in from the
south about sunset the day previous. If the fellow had walked all the
way across country from La Questa valley he must have started about two
P.M.
Item. The Potato Baron had left the Farrel hacienda about one o'clock
the same day and had, doubtless, arrived in El Toro about two o'clock.
Evidently he had communicated with the man from La Questa valley
(assuming that Don Miguel's assailant had come from there) by telephone
from El Toro.
Arrived in El Toro, Bill Conway drove to the sheriff's office. Don
Nicolas Sandoval had returned an hour previous from the Rancho Palomar
and to him Conway related the events of the morning. "Now, Nick," he
concluded, "you drift over to the telephone office and in your official
capacity cast your eye over the record of long distance telephone calls
yesterday afternoon and question the girl on duty."
"_Bueno_!" murmured Don Nicolas and proceeded at once to the telephone
office. Ten minutes later he returned.
"Okada talked to one Kano Ugichi, of La Questa, at 2:08 yesterday
afternoon," he reported.
"Considerable water will run under the bridges before Kano Ugichi
returns to the bosom of his family," Conway murmured sympathetically.
"He's so badly spoiled, Nick, we've decided to call him a total loss
and not put up any headstone to his memory. It is Farrel's wish that
the matter be forgotten by everybody concerned.
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