ipping Hollis's. "You've hired a
man, boss!" he said, his eyes alight with pleasure. "Ever since you
clawed me that day in the _Kicker_ office I've had a hankerin' to
work for you. I was wonder in' if you'd ast me. There ain't no damn----"

"Then it's a bargain," laughed Hollis, interrupting. "You can start
right now." He pointed to the ridge upon which he had been riding when
he heard the shot that had brought him to the cabin. "Some of Ed
Hazelton's cattle are in the basin on the other side of that ridge," he
said. "You go over there and keep an eye on them until I can get a
chance to send some one here to help you drive them back up the river
toward the Circle Bar." As he came to the edge of the porch to mount his
pony his gaze fell on Yuma's horse, still hitched to one of the columns.
"What are we going to do with Yuma's horse?" he questioned.

Ten Spot grinned. He walked over to the pony, unhitched it, and with a
vicious slap on the flank sent it loping down the trail toward the
river.

"That'll be my message to Dunlavey that Yuma ain't here any more," he
said grimly.

Hollis mounted and rode a short distance, but halted and turned in the
saddle when he heard Ten Spot call to him.

"Boss," he said with a grin, "I ain't exactly blind, an' mebbe you've
got your eyes with you, too. But I saw that there Hazelton girl lookin'
at you sorta----"

He saw a smile on Hollis's face, but the rest of his speech was drowned
in a clatter of hoofs as the "boss's" pony tore down the Coyote trail.
Then Ten Spot smiled, mounted his pony, and rode away toward the ridge.

CHAPTER XXIV

CAMPAIGN GUNS

Of course Yuma had been amply punished for his part in the attack on
Nellie Hazelton, but there still remained Dunlavey--who had instigated
it. Hollis was aware of the uselessness of bringing a charge against
Dunlavey--he had not forgotten his experience with Bill Watkins when he
had attempted to have Greasy brought to justice. He believed that he
would not have brought such a charge had there been any probability of
the sheriff taking action. He felt that in inciting Yuma to attack
Nellie, Dunlavey had also contemplated a blow at him. The man's devilish
ingenuity appalled him, but it also aroused a fierce anger in his heart
that, in the absence of a powerful will, would have moved him to
immediate vengeance.

But he contemplated no immediate action. Besides the attack on Nellie
Hazelton there was another score to sett