and arrest law-breakers. If you
decide to interfere between me and my duty I 'll know how to act. I
've smelt of the business end of a gun before to-day, and I guess
nobody ever saw Sam Hayes play baby when there was a fight on tap. If
there 's trouble between you and Farnham, have it out, and git done
with it in proper fashion, but just now he 's a sworn officer of the
law, and when you threaten him you threaten all Gulpin County. Do you
manage to digest that fact, Hicks?"

The sturdy old prospector, his face white with rage under the tan,
uncocked his rifle and dropped the butt heavily upon the earth, his
eyes wandering from the face of the sheriff to that of Winston.

"What the hell is it yer want, then?" he asked sullenly. Hayes smiled,
shifting easily so as to rest his weight on one leg.

"Got anybody in your bunch named Winston?" he questioned, "Ned Winston,
mining engineer?"

The younger man started in surprise.

"That is my name," he replied, before Hicks could speak. The sheriff
looked toward him curiously, noting the square jaw, the steady gray
eyes; then he glanced aside at Farnham. The latter nodded carelessly.

"So far, so good. By the same luck, have you a Swede here called Nels
Swanson?"

Hicks shook his head in uncertainty.

"There 's a Swede here, all right, who belongs ter the 'Independence'
gang. I don 't know his name."

"It's Swanson," put in Farnham, cheerfully. "Those are the two birds
you 're after, sheriff."

The latter official, as though fascinated by what he read there, never
ventured to remove his watchfulness from the face of the engineer, yet
he smiled grimly.

"Then I 'll have to trouble you to trot out the Swede, Hicks," he said,
a distinct command in his voice. "After he 's here we 'll get down to
business."

It was fully five minutes before the fellow arrived, his movements slow
and reluctant. From his language, expressing his feelings freely to
Mike and Brown, who were engaged in urging him forward, it was evident
he experienced no ambition to appear in the limelight. The four men
waiting his coming remained motionless, intently watchful of one
another. As the slowly moving Swede finally approached, Hayes ventured
to remove his eyes from Winston just long enough to scan swiftly the
mournful countenance, that single glance revealing to him the character
of the man. The latter gazed uneasily from one face to another, his
mild blue eyes picturing distress,