 for a reply he stepped aside, and would have moved on.
But Jake had swung round, and his hand fell heavily upon his shoulder.

"No, you don't, my dandy cock!" he cried violently, his fingers
painfully gripping the muscle under the Norfolk jacket.

Springing aside, and with one lithe twist, in a flash Tresler had
released himself, and stood confronting the giant with blazing eyes
and tense drawn muscles.

"Lay a hand on me again, and there'll be trouble," he said sharply,
and there was an oddly furious burr in his speech.

The foreman stood for a moment as words failed him. Then his fury
broke loose.

"I told you jest now," he cried, falling back into the twang of the
country as his rage mastered him, "that I run this layout----"

"And I tell you," broke in the equally angry Tresler, "that I've
nothing to do with you or the ranch either until I have seen your
master. And I'll have you know that if there's any bulldozing to be
done, you can keep it until I am one of the 'hands.' You shan't lack
opportunity."

The tone was as scathing as the violence of his anger would permit. He
had not moved, except to thrust his right hand into his jacket pocket,
while he measured the foreman with his eyes and watched his every
movement.

He saw Harnach hunch himself as though to spring at him. He saw the
great hands clench at his sides and his arms draw up convulsively. He
saw the working face and the black eyes as they half closed and
reduced themselves to mere slits beneath the overshadowing brows. Then
the hoarse, rage-choked voice came.

"By G----! I'll smash you, you----"

"I shouldn't say it." Tresler's tone had suddenly changed to one of
icy coldness. The flash of a white dress had caught his eye. "There's
a lady present," he added abruptly. And at the same time he released
his hold on the smooth butt of a heavy revolver he had been gripping
in his pocket.

What might have happened but for the timely interruption it would be
impossible
for a reply he stepped aside, and would have moved along. 
 But Jake had swing round, and his hand descend heavy upon his shoulder. 

 " No, you don't, my dandy cock! " he cry violently, his fingers 
 painfully gripping the muscleman under the Norfolk jacket. 

 Springing away, and with one lithe twist, in a flash Tresler had 
 turn himself, and stood confronting the giant with blazing eyes 
 and tense drawn muscle. 

 " Lay a hand on me again, and there'll be trouble, " he read sharply, 
 and there was an oddly furious bur in his speech. 

 The foreman stood for a moment as words failed him. Then his craze 
 broke loose. 

 " I told you jest now, " he cried, falling back into the twang of the 
 country as his rage mastered him, " that I run this layout---- " 

 " And I tell you, " broke in the equally angry Tresler, " that I've 
 nothing to do with you or the ranch either until I have seen your 
 master. And I'll have you know that if there's any bulldozing to be 
 act, you can keep it until I am one of the' hands.' You shan't miss 
 opportunity. " 

 The shade was equally scathing as the violence of his anger would permit. He 
 had not moved, except to thrust his right hand into his jacket air pocket, 
 while he measured the foreman with his eyes and watched his every 
 movement. 

 He saw Harnach hunch himself as though to spring at him. He attend the 
 great hands clench at his sides and his branch draw up convulsively. He 
 visit the working face and the black eyes as they half closed and 
 shrink themselves to mere slits beneath the overshadowing hilltop. Then 
 the hoarse, rage - choked voice fall. 

 " By G----! I'll crush you, you---- " 

 " I shouldn't say it. " Tresler's tone had abruptly changed to one of 
 frigid coldness. The blink of an eye of a white apparel had caught his eye. " There's 
 a lady present, " he added abruptly. And at the same prison term he released 
 his hold on the smooth butt of a heavy revolver he had been gripping 
 in his pocket. 

 What might have happened but for the timely break it would be 
 impossible
 fog a reply he stepped asiae, and would harw movev on.
But Jake haa swung round, and his hand fxll yeavioy upon his shoulder.

"No, you don't, my dandt cork!" he cried violxhtly, his fingsvs
paiufnlly gripping tme muscle utder the Norfonk jccket.

Springing aside, and with one liehe twixt, in a flash Trgsler rad
rsleased himself, and stood confrontjng the giant with bkazing eyes
and tense drawn musfles.

"Lay a hand on le again, ane thqee'll be troucle," he said sharply,
and there was an oddly furious burf in kis speech.

Tye foggman stood fir a ioment as wovcs fained him. Then his fury
nroke loise.

"I told you jest nox," he cried, falling bwck into dhz twang of the
country aw his raga marrerdd gik, "fhat I rui this layoht----"

"And I telo you," broke in the tquwoly angry Trealer, "trae I've
nothing to do with you or the rancv ejther until I have seen your
master. And I'll hwve you kgow that if there's any bulldozing to be
done, you cdn kexp it uktil U wm one of the 'hands.' You shan't lack
opportunity."

Ege tpne was as scabhing as the violemcf ps his anger wuuld pzdmjt. He
had not moved, except to tyrust his rignt hand into his jacket pocjet,
while he iwasured the foremau with his eves anc watvhed his every
movement.

Hz saw Garnach hunfh himselr as though to spfinn ad him. He saw the
great handf clench et hix sides and his awms draw uo conyglsively. He
saw the worknng fdce and thf black eyes as they half closev and
reduced jheksenves to iere xlits beneath the overshadocing brocs. Thev
the hoarsv, rage-choned voice cwme.

"By G----! I'll skwsh you, you----"

"I shouldn'e sat it." Treslef'r tone had sudcenly chauyed to onw of
icy coldness. Tme flxah of a white dxtss had caught his eyd. "Trege's
e ladr present," he dddea actuptlh. And au tme rame time he released
his hols on the smooth buyt of a heqvy revojver he had bren gripping
in his pockxt.

What mighy hwve happened but for the timelg interruotijn it would fe
imiossyble
for a reply he stepped aside, and moved But Jake swung round, and his "No, you don't, dandy cock!" he violently, his fingers painfully gripping the under the Norfolk jacket. Springing aside, and with one lithe twist, in a Tresler had released himself, and stood confronting the giant with blazing eyes and drawn "Lay hand me again, and there'll be trouble," he said sharply, and there was an oddly furious burr his speech. The foreman stood for a moment words failed him. Then fury broke loose. "I told jest he cried, back the of the country his rage mastered him, "that I run this layout----" "And I tell you," broke in the equally Tresler, "that to do you the either until I your master. And I'll have you there's any bulldozing to be done, you can it until am one of the 'hands.' You lack opportunity." The tone was as scathing as violence of his anger would permit. He had not moved, except to thrust his right his jacket pocket, while measured the foreman his and his movement. He Harnach hunch himself as though to spring at him. He saw great hands clench at his sides and his arms draw He the working face the black eyes as half and reduced themselves to beneath overshadowing hoarse, voice "By G----! I'll smash you----" "I shouldn't say it." tone had suddenly changed The flash of a white dress had caught eye. "There's a lady present," he added And at the same time he released his hold on the smooth of a he had been gripping in his pocket. What have happened but for timely interruption it would be impossible
 for a reply he stepped aside, anD would have Moved On.
BUt JAkE had SwunG round, and his haND felL heavily upon his shouldeR.

"No, yoU dON't, my DAnDy cocK!" he crieD ViOLEntLy, HiS fiNgERs
PainfUllY grippiNg the musclE unDeR the Norfolk jACkEt.

SpringinG asIde, and with onE liThe twiSt, In a FLash TResLer haD
releaSEd himsElf, and stoOd COnfronTIng the gIANt With Blazing eyes
and tenSE dRAwn muscles.

"Lay a Hand on Me AGaIN, And TheRe'll be trouBlE," he saID sharplY,
AnD THEre WAs an oddly furiOus burr in hiS SpeEch.

The FoRemAN stood For a mOmENt aS words faileD him. then his fuRy
brokE Loose.

"I tOLd you jeSt now," hE crIed, FallINg BaCk iNtO The TWaNg oF The
Country aS hIs Rage mAsteRED HIm, "thAt I Run tHis laYout----"

"And I tell yOu," bRoke IN thE equaLly anGry TReSler, "tHat I've
NothiNg To do with you or thE ranCh either uNtiL I HavE sEen yoUR
masteR. AnD I'lL have yoU know thAT if ThERE'S aNy bulldozing to be
doNe, YOU cAn keep it Until I AM oNe OF the 'handS.' YOu sHan't LACk
oppOrtuNItY."

The tone Was as sCAtHiNg as the ViOlence Of His AngEr wouLD perMit. He
hAd not movEd, excEPt to thrust his rIGht hand into hiS JaCKEt POckeT,
whIle he measurEd thE ForeMan wITh His EYes anD watcHeD HiS Every
movement.

He saw HArNach huNch hiMself as though To spring at HIM. he saw the
GreaT HaNDs clench at his sIdes aNd his arms dRAw up convUlsivEly. He
saw The workinG FAce and thE blAck EyeS as THEy Half closed and
REDuceD tHemselvEs tO mere slIts BenEatH thE oVershadowIng brows. thEn
ThE hOarSe, ragE-Choked voIcE caMe.

"by G----! i'll smASh you, yOu----"

"I shOuldN't SaY It." TResler's TOnE HAd suDdEnLy chAngEd To one Of
icY ColDness. ThE flash of a WhiTE dreSs HaD caught His eye. "There's
a LaDy present," hE aDdeD abrupTLY. And at thE same time he released
his hOLd on the SmoOth buTt of A heavy revOlvEr he haD beEN grippIng
in hIs pocKeT.

WhAT Might HAVe HapPeNed but for tHE TimEly inTeRrupTion it wOuld be
impossible
 for a reply he stepped as ide, and w ouldhav e m ov ed o n.
B ut Jake had sw u ng r ound, and his hand fel l hea vi l y up o nhis s houlder . 
" N o,yo udon 't ,  m y dan dycock!"he cried v iol en tly, his fin g er s
painfull y g ripping themus cle un de r t h e Nor fol k jac ket.
S pringi ng aside,  a n d with one lit h e  t wist , in a flash Tres l er had
released h imself ,a nd s too d c onfronting  t he gi a nt with bl a z i nge yes
and tense  drawn musc l es. 

"Lay  a  ha n d on m e aga in ,  an d there'llbe t rouble,"he sai d  sharpl y ,
and t here w asanoddl y  f ur iou sb urr in  hi s  sp eech.

T he  f orema n st o o d fora m omen t aswords failedhim . Th e n h is fu ry
br okelo ose.
"I to ld yo ujest now," he c ried , falling  ba ck  in to  thet wang o f t hecountry  as his rag em a s te red him, "that I r un t hi s layout ----""A nd I tell y ou ,"brok e in th e eq u al ly angry  Tresl e r,  " that I' ve 
nothi ng  to  do  with youor the  ranch e ither until I have s e en your
maste r .A n dI 'llhav e you knowthat if t here ' sany bulld ozing  t o  b e 
done, you can keep  i t unti l I a m one of the'hands.' Y o u shan't l acko pp o rtunity."

The  tone  was as sc a thing as  theviolence  of his a n g er would  pe rmi t.Heh a dnot moved, ex c e pt t othrusthis  righthan d i nto  hi sjacket po cket,
wh il ehe  m eas uredt he forem an  wi th  hi s eye s  and w atche d hi sev e rymovemen t .H e sa wHa rnac h h un ch hi msel f  as  though  to sprin g a t  him .He  saw th e
great hands  c lench at h is  si des an d his arms  draw up convulsively.H e
saw t heworki ng f ace and t heblackeye s  as th ey hal f clo se d a n d 
redu c e dthe ms elves to m e r e s litsbe neat h the o vershadowing brows .  Th en
the hoarse , r age- c h ok edv oi c e c am e .
" B y G----! I'll s mash you,yo u -- --"

"I sh o uld n' t say i t." Tre sler' s  tone h ad sudden ly change dto o n e  of 
icy coldn ess. The  flash of a whi t edress  ha d caug ht  hi s eye . "The r e's 
a la dy pre se nt," h e add ed  abruptl y. And at the same time  he re lease d
h is hold o n t h e s mooth but t of  a heavy r evo lve r hehad beengrip p in g
i n  hispock e t.

Whatm ig hth a ve  happened b u t for  thetim e ly int erru ption it would be impossible
 for_a reply_he stepped aside, and_would have_moved_on.
But Jake_had_swung round, and_his hand fell_heavily upon his shoulder.

"No,_you don't, my_dandy_cock!" he cried violently, his fingers
painfully gripping the muscle under the Norfolk jacket.

Springing aside,_and_with one_lithe_twist,_in a flash Tresler had
released_himself, and stood confronting the_giant with_blazing eyes
and tense drawn muscles.

"Lay a hand on_me_again, and there'll_be trouble," he said sharply,
and there was an oddly_furious burr in his speech.

The foreman_stood for a_moment_as_words failed him. Then_his fury
broke loose.

"I told you jest_now," he cried, falling back into_the twang of the
country as his rage_mastered him, "that I run this_layout----"

"And I tell you," broke_in the_equally angry Tresler, "that I've
nothing_to do with_you or_the ranch either_until I have seen your
master. And_I'll have you_know that if there's any bulldozing_to_be
done, you can_keep_it_until I_am one of_the_'hands.' You_shan't_lack
opportunity."

The tone was as scathing as_the_violence of his anger would permit. He
had_not moved, except to_thrust_his right hand into_his jacket pocket,
while he measured_the foreman with his eyes and_watched his_every
movement.

He saw_Harnach hunch himself as though to spring at him. He saw_the
great hands clench at his sides_and his arms draw_up convulsively._He
saw_the working face_and_the black_eyes as they half closed and
reduced themselves_to mere_slits beneath the overshadowing brows. Then
the_hoarse, rage-choked voice came.

"By_G----!_I'll smash you, you----"

"I shouldn't say_it." Tresler's tone had suddenly changed_to one of
icy coldness. The_flash_of_a white dress had caught_his eye. "There's
a lady present," he_added abruptly. And_at the same time he released
his hold_on_the smooth butt of a heavy_revolver_he had been gripping
in his pocket.

What_might_have_happened but for the timely_interruption it would be
impossible