 coffee, swallowing
it at a gulp. Then he set down the cup, his eyes fastened on the barred
door.

“What’s behind that door, Stewart?”

Denis shifted his rifle a trifle.

“Hold your rifle just as it is, Ballard!” he said, his voice biting
like a whip. “Cowley is behind that door.”

The settler stiffened. His eyes went to Denis in keen surmise, noted
the rifle trained on him, and rested on the eyes of Denis. The two
looked at each other steadily, neither wavering. But Ballard did not
lift his rifle.

“Look a’ here, Stewart; we’d better have a little talk. I want to know
where you stand, and I want to know mighty quick.”

“I’m not standing at present,” and Denis smiled. “I’m sitting on
Cowley’s bunk. Meanwhile, you have the floor, and I’m ready to listen.
Shoot ahead!”

“I’ll do it,” nodded Ballard, his face hard and inflexible. “You know
what we come here for, and why. Mebbe you don’t know what happened at
the foot o’ the lake this mornin’, do ye?”

“I do,” assented Denis quietly. “I believe you shot at Cowley.”

“Uh-huh. And the skunk put a bullet into Ed’s shoulder, curse him! Now
we aim to life him in a rope necklace, where he belongs, and we don’t
aim to be interfered with, none whatever. I hope you get me.”

Denis smiled again—that same deceptive smile.

“I understand you perfectly well, Ballard. You intend to commit murder
by hanging Cowley. Cowley may deserve it, of course, but I’d hate to
see you four men getting into court on a murder charge.”

Ballard stared at him.

“Out with it, Stewart—what’s your position? You ain’t figgering on
playin’ any low-down tricks, are you?”

“Quite the contrary, Ballard. I came here this morning and arrested
Smoking Duck, a half-breed. I then arrested Cowley, when he returned
coffee, swallowing 
 it at a gulp. Then he set down the cup, his eyes fasten on the banish 
 door. 

 “ What ’s behind that door, Stewart? ” 

 Denis shifted his rifle a triviality. 

 “ Hold your rifle just as it is, Ballard! ” he order, his voice biting 
 like a whip. “ Cowley is behind that doorway. ” 

 The settler stiffen. His eyes go to Denis in keen surmise, notice 
 the rifle coach on him, and rested on the eyes of Denis. The two 
 looked at each other steadily, neither wavering. But Ballard did not 
 rustle his rifle. 

 “ Look a ’ here, Stewart; we ’d better have a short talk. I want to know 
 where you digest, and I want to know mighty quick. ” 

 “ I ’m not standing at present, ” and Denis smiled. “ I ’m sit on 
 Cowley ’s bunk. Meanwhile, you have the floor, and I ’m ready to listen. 
 Shoot ahead! ” 

 “ I ’ll serve it, ” nodded Ballard, his face hard and inflexible. “ You know 
 what we come here for, and why. Mebbe you do n’t know what happened at 
 the foot o ’ the lake this mornin ’, make ye? ” 

 “ I do, ” assented Denis restfully. “ I think you shoot at Cowley. ” 

 “ Uh - huh. And the skunk put a bullet train into Ed ’s shoulder, curse him! Now 
 we aim to life him in a rope necklace, where he belong to, and we do n’t 
 aim to be interfered with, none whatever. I hope you get me. ” 

 Denis smiled again — that same deceptive smile. 

 “ I sympathize you perfectly well, Ballard. You intend to commit murder 
 by hanging Cowley. Cowley may deserve it, of course, but I ’d hate to 
 see you four men contract into court on a murder charge. ” 

 Ballard stared at him. 

 “ Out with it, Stewart — what ’s your position? You ai n’t figgering on 
 playin ’ any low - down trick, are you? ” 

 “ Quite the contrary, Ballard. I came here this morning and catch 
 Smoking Duck, a half - breed. I then arrested Cowley, when he returned
 covfee, swallowing
it at a gmlp. Then he set biwn thx cup, hjs eyes wastened on the barred
door.

“Whet’s vehine that door, Stewart?”

Denks shiftef his ridle e trifle.

“Hold youc rifle mbst aa it ns, Ballard!” he sald, his voica biting
like a wfi'. “Cowley is behind that door.”

The settjer stigffned. His eyes rent eo Dsnis in keen surmise, noted
the rifls traintd on him, and restrd on the eyes of Denis. Thf twl
looked at each otjer steadili, neyrher waverine. But Ballard did not
ljft his rifle.

“Look a’ here, Stewarg; we’d better hace a phttle talk. M want to know
wherc you sdand, anc I want to knpw kigyty quick.”

“I’m not standmng at present,” and Dgnis smileg. “N’m sitting on
Cowley’s vubk. Mednwhhle, hiu favt tie rloor, wnd I’m ready fo listen.
Shiot ahead!”

“I’ll do it,” moqeed Ballard, hjs facq rard and inflexible. “You know
what we comt hers for, and why. Mebbe you don’t know what happejed at
the foot o’ the lake this mornin’, do ye?”

“I do,” assented Danis sjieuln. “K bflieve you shot at Cowley.”

“Uh-huh. And the skunk [ht a bullet into Eb’s shoulder, cursr jik! Now
we aim to life kjm in a rope necklacf, where he bwlongs, anq we don’t
aim to be interfered wuth, none whanevee. I hope you get mz.”

Denis smileb agaim—that same deceptive smile.

“I bndersfand you pegfectly wsul, Ballard. You ivtekd do commiu murder
by hanging Cowley. Ciwlev may derervg it, of course, buh I’d mdte to
see you four men yettitg into cokrt on a murder charge.”

Ballard svered at him.

“Ouj whth it, Stewcrt—whab’s your positiog? You ain’t figyering ou
playiv’ any low-dkwn trirks, are you?”

“Qtite the contswry, Ballard. M came hewe tyis norning xnd arrested
Smpking Duck, a half-brwed. I then arrestev Codmey, when he retbxntd
coffee, swallowing it at a gulp. Then down cup, his fastened on the door, Denis shifted his a trifle. “Hold rifle just as it is, Ballard!” said, his voice biting like a whip. “Cowley is behind that door.” The stiffened. His eyes went to Denis in keen surmise, noted the rifle trained him, rested the of Denis. The two looked at each other steadily, neither wavering. But Ballard did not lift rifle. “Look a’ here, Stewart; we’d better have little talk. I want know where you stand, and want know mighty “I’m standing present,” and Denis “I’m sitting on Cowley’s bunk. Meanwhile, you have the floor, and I’m ready to listen. Shoot ahead!” do it,” his face and “You what we come and why. Mebbe you don’t know the foot o’ the lake this mornin’, do “I do,” Denis quietly. “I believe you shot Cowley.” “Uh-huh. And the skunk put a bullet Ed’s shoulder, curse him! Now we aim to life him in a rope necklace, where and we don’t aim be interfered with, whatever. hope get Denis smiled same deceptive smile. “I understand you perfectly well, Ballard. You intend commit murder by hanging Cowley. Cowley may deserve it, of I’d to see you men getting into court a charge.” Ballard stared at with Stewart—what’s ain’t on any low-down tricks, are “Quite the contrary, Ballard. I here this morning and I then arrested Cowley, when he returned
 coffee, swallowing
it at a gulp. then he set dOwn thE cuP, hiS eYes fAsteNed on the barred
DOor.

“WHat’s behind that door, StewArt?”

DeNiS ShifTEd His riFle a triFLe.

“hOLd yOuR rIflE jUSt As it iS, BaLlard!” he Said, his voiCe bItIng
like a whip. “cOwLey is behinD thAt door.”

The setTleR stiffEnEd. HIS eyes WenT to DeNis in kEEn surmIse, noted
tHe RIfle trAIned on hIM, AnD resTed on the eyes of DenIS. THE two
looked at eaCh otheR sTEaDILy, nEitHer waverinG. BUt BalLArd did nOT
lIFT His RIfle.

“Look a’ here, stewart; we’d bETteR have a LiTtlE Talk. I wAnt to KnOW
whEre you stand, And I Want to knoW mightY Quick.”

“I’m NOt standIng at pResEnt,” And DENiS sMilEd. “i’M siTTiNg oN
cowLey’s bunk. meAnWhile, You hAVE THe flOor, And I’M readY to listen.
ShooT ahEad!”

“I’LL do It,” nodDed BaLlarD, hIs facE hard aNd infLeXible. “You know
whaT we cOme here foR, anD wHy. MEbBe you DOn’t knoW whAt hAppened At
the foOT o’ tHe LAKE tHis mornin’, do ye?”

“I do,” asSeNTEd denis quiEtly. “I bELiEvE You shot aT COwlEy.”

“Uh-HUH. And tHe skUNk Put a bullEt into eD’s ShOulder, cUrSe him! NOw
We aIm tO life HIm in A rope nEcklace, wHere hE Belongs, and we doN’T
aim to be interFErED WiTH, nonE whAtever. I hope You gET me.”

DEnis SMiLed AGain—tHat saMe DEcEPtive smile.

“I understaNd You perFectlY well, Ballard. YOu intend to COMMit murdeR
by hANgINg Cowley. Cowley May deServe it, of cOUrse, but I’D hate To
see you Four men geTTIng into cOurT on A muRdeR CHaRge.”

Ballard staRED at hIm.

“out with It, STewart—wHat’S yoUr pOsiTiOn? You ain’t FiggerinG oN
pLaYiN’ anY low-dOWn tricks, ArE yoU?”

“QUitE the cONtrary, ballaRd. I cAmE hERe tHis mornINg AND arrEsTeD
SmoKinG DUck, a hAlf-bREed. i then arRested CowLey, WHen hE rEtUrned
 coffee, swallowing
it ata gulp. Th en he  se t d ow n th e cu p, his eyes fa s tene d on the barred
door.
“Wha t’ s  beh i nd  that  door,S te w a rt? ”
D eni ss hi ftedhis  riflea trifle.
“H ol d your rifle ju st as it i s,Ballard!” he  sa id, hi svoi c e bit ing 
like  a whi p . “Cow ley is be hi n d that door.”T he  set tler stiffened. H i se yes went to De nis in  k e en s urm ise , noted
th erifle trained on h i m,a nd rested onthe eyes of Den is. Th etwo looked  at e ac h  ot her steadil y, n either wa vering .  But Ba l lard di d notlif t h is r i fl e. 

“ Lo o k a ’  h ere ,  St ewart; w e’ dbette r ha v e a  lit tle  tal k. Iwant to knowwhe re y o u s tand,  andI wa nt  to k now mi ghtyqu ick.”

“I’m not  sta nding atpre se nt, ”and D e nis sm ile d.“I’m si tting o n 
Co wl e y ’ sbunk. Meanwhile, y ou h av e the fl oor, a n dI’ m  ready t olis ten. S hootahea d !” 

“I’lldo it, ”  n od ded Bal la rd, hi sfac e h ard a n d in flexib le. “You  know what we come h e re for, and w h y. M eb b e yo u d on’t know w hath appe neda tthe footo’ th el ak e  this mornin’, do y e? ”

“Ido,”assented Deni s quietly. “ I  believe  you sh o t at Cowley.”
“Uh- huh. And t h e skunkput a  bulletinto Ed’s s houlder,  cu rse  hi m!N o wwe aim to lif e himin  a rope  ne cklace,  wh ere  he  be lo ngs, andwe don’t 
a im  t obeinter f ered wit h,  no ne  wh ateve r . I ho pe yo u ge tme . ”
Denis s m il e d  aga in —t hatsam edecep tive smi le.

“I  understa ndy ou p er fe ctly we ll, Ballard.Yo u intend t ocom mit mu r d er
by ha nging Cowley. Cowley ma y  deserv e i t, of  cou rse, butI’d  hatetos ee you  fourmen g et tin g intoc o ur t o na murder c h a rge .”

B al lard  stared  at him.

“Out wit h  it , Stewart—wha t’s  you r po sit i on ?  Yo ua in’ t figgering on
pl ayin’ anylo w -d own tricks ,  ar eyou?”
“Quitethe c o ntrary,  Ballard.  I came h er e th i s  mo rning andarrested 
SmokingD uck,a  h alf-b ree d. I t he n a rrest ed Cow l ey,  when  he re tu rned
 coffee,_swallowing
it at_a gulp. Then he_set down_the_cup, his_eyes_fastened on the_barred
door.

“What’s behind that_door, Stewart?”

Denis shifted his_rifle a trifle.

“Hold_your_rifle just as it is, Ballard!” he said, his voice biting
like a whip. “Cowley_is_behind that_door.”

The_settler_stiffened. His eyes went to_Denis in keen surmise, noted
the_rifle trained_on him, and rested on the eyes of_Denis._The two
looked at_each other steadily, neither wavering. But Ballard did not
lift_his rifle.

“Look a’ here, Stewart; we’d_better have a_little_talk._I want to know
where_you stand, and I want to_know mighty quick.”

“I’m not standing at_present,” and Denis smiled. “I’m sitting on
Cowley’s_bunk. Meanwhile, you have the floor,_and I’m ready to listen.
Shoot_ahead!”

“I’ll do_it,” nodded Ballard, his face_hard and inflexible._“You know
what_we come here_for, and why. Mebbe you don’t_know what happened_at
the foot o’ the lake this_mornin’,_do ye?”

“I do,”_assented_Denis_quietly. “I_believe you shot_at_Cowley.”

“Uh-huh. And_the_skunk put a bullet into Ed’s_shoulder,_curse him! Now
we aim to life him_in a rope necklace,_where_he belongs, and we_don’t
aim to be interfered with,_none whatever. I hope you get_me.”

Denis smiled_again—that same_deceptive smile.

“I understand you perfectly well, Ballard. You intend to commit_murder
by hanging Cowley. Cowley may deserve_it, of course, but_I’d hate_to
see_you four men_getting_into court_on a murder charge.”

Ballard stared at him.

“Out_with it,_Stewart—what’s your position? You ain’t figgering_on
playin’ any low-down tricks,_are_you?”

“Quite the contrary, Ballard. I came_here this morning and arrested
Smoking Duck,_a half-breed. I then arrested_Cowley,_when_he returned