County. You can defy the law if you
please. But I have something to say in reply to what you have said to
me. It is this: I haven't any ambition to own the entire country--such
talk from a grown man is childish. But I do intend to own the little
I've got in spite of you or anyone else. I am not in the least afraid of
you. I owe you something on account of the other night and some day I am
going to thrash you within an inch of your life!"

Dunlavey's hand fell suggestively to his side. "There's no time like the
present," he sneered.

"Of course I know that you carry a gun," said Hollis still evenly,
without excitement; "most of you folks out here don't seem to be able to
get along without one--it seems to be the fashion. Also, I might add,
every man that carries one seems to yearn to use it. But it has always
seemed to me that a man who will use a gun without great provocation is
a coward!" He smiled grimly into Dunlavey's face.

For an instant Dunlavey did not move. His eyes glittered malevolently as
they bored into Hollis's. Then his expression changed until it was a
mingling of contempt, incredulity, and mockery.

"So you're thinking of thrashing me?" he sniffed, backing away a little
and eyeing Hollis critically. "You slugged me once and you're thinking
to do it again. And you think that any man who uses a gun on another is
a coward?" He laughed sardonically. "Well, all I've got to say to you is
that you ain't got your eye-teeth cut yet." He deliberately turned his
back on Hollis and the others and walked to the door. On the threshold
he halted, looking back at them all with a sneering smile.

"You know where I live," he said to Judge Graney. "I ain't bringing in
no list nor I ain't registering my brand. I don't allow no man to come
monkeying around on my range and if you come out there, thinking to run
off any of my stock, you're doing it at your own risk!" His gaze went
from the Judge to Hollis and his smile grew malignant.

"I'm saying this to you," he said, "no man ain't ever thrashed Bill
Dunlavey yet and I ain't allowing that any man is ever going to. Put
that in your pipe and smoke it!"

He slammed the door and was gone. Hollis turned from the door to see a
dry smile on the face of the man at the window.

"Fire eater, ain't he?" observed the latter, as he caught Hollis's
glance.

CHAPTER XVI

THE BEARER OF GOOD NEWS

Hollis smiled. The Judge got to his feet and approached the two men.

"