ly because it
added fuel to an already deep, abiding, personal hatred, was the story
of Julian Marbolt's treatment of young Archie Orr, and his refusal to
inaugurate a vigilance party. The blind man's name, always one to
rouse the roughest side of men's tongues, was now cursed more bitterly
than ever.

And during these days the bunkhouse at Mosquito Bend seethed with
revolt. But though this was so, underneath all their most bitter
reflections the men were not without a faint hope of seeing the career
of these desperadoes cut short; and this hope sprang from the
knowledge of the coming of the sheriff to Forks. The faith of Arizona
and the older hands in the official capacity for dealing with these
people was a frail thing, but the younger set were less sceptical.

And at last Julian Marbolt's tardy invitation to Fyles was despatched.
Tresler had watched and waited for the sending of that letter; he had
hoped to be the bearer of it himself. It would have given him the
opportunity of making this Fyles's acquaintance, which was a matter he
desired to accomplish as soon as possible, without drawing public
attention to the fact. But in this he was disappointed, for Jake sent
Nelson. Nor did he know of the little man's going until he saw him
astride of his buckskin "shag-an-appy," with the letter safely
bestowed in his wallet.

This was not the only disappointment he experienced during that
fortnight. He saw little or nothing of Diane. To Tresler, at least,
their meeting at the ford was something more than a recollection.
Every tone of the girl's voice, every look, every word she had spoken
remained with him, as these things will at the dawn of love. Many
times he tried to see her, but failed. Then he learned the meaning of
their separation. One day Joe brought him a note from Diane, in which
she told him how Black Anton had returned to her father and poured
into his only too willing ears a wilfully garbled story of their
meeting at the ford. She told him of her father's anger, and how he
had forbidden her to leave the house unattended by at least one of his
two police--Anton and Jake. This letter made its recipient furious,
but it also started a secret correspondence between them, Joe Nelson
proving himself perfectly willing to act as go-between. And this
correspondence was infinitely pleasant to Tresler. He treasured
Diane's letters with a jealous care, making no attempt to disguise the
truth from himself. He knew that h