swiftly down into
Lonesome Cove to tell Judd that Rufe was a prisoner and to retake him
on the way to jail. And, as the Red Fox well knew would happen, old Judd
and young Dave and two other Tollivers who were at the cabin galloped
into the county seat to find Rufe in jail, and that jail guarded by
seven grim young men armed with Winchesters and shot-guns.

Hale faced the old man quietly--eye to eye.

"It's no use, Judd," he said, "you'd better let the law take its
course." The old man was scornful.

"Thar's never been a Tolliver convicted of killin' nobody, much less
hung--an' thar ain't goin' to be."

"I'm glad you warned me," said Hale still quietly, "though it wasn't
necessary. But if he's convicted, he'll hang."

The giant's face worked in convulsive helplessness and he turned away.

"You hold the cyards now, but my deal is comin'."

"All right, Judd--you're getting a square one from me."

Back rode the Tollivers and Devil Judd never opened his lips again until
he was at home in Lonesome Cove. June was sitting on the porch when he
walked heavy-headed through the gate.

"They've ketched Rufe," he said, and after a moment he added gruffly:

"Thar's goin' to be sure enough trouble now. The Falins'll think all
them police fellers air on their side now. This ain't no place fer
you--you must git away."

June shook her head and her eyes turned to the flowers at the edge of
the garden:

"I'm not goin' away, Dad," she said.

XXVI

Back to the passing of Boone and the landing of Columbus no man, in that
region, had ever been hanged. And as old Judd said, no Tolliver had ever
been sentenced and no jury of mountain men, he well knew, could be
found who would convict a Tolliver, for there were no twelve men in
the mountains who would dare. And so the Tollivers decided to await the
outcome of the trial and rest easy. But they did not count on the mettle
and intelligence of the grim young "furriners" who were a flying wedge
of civilization at the Gap. Straightway, they gave up the practice of
law and banking and trading and store-keeping and cut port-holes in the
brick walls of the Court House and guarded town and jail night and day.
They brought their own fearless judge, their own fearless jury and
their own fearless guard. Such an abstract regard for law and order the
mountaineer finds a hard thing to understand. It looked as though the
motive of the Guard was vindictive and personal, and old Judd was al