ancied he understood the persistence.

There was a moment's silence. Then the stick tapped, and the rancher
passed out under the curious gaze of his men. Tresler, too, looked
after him. Nor was there any doubt of his feelings now. He knew that
his presence in the house during Marbolt's murderous assault on Jake
was unsuspected. And Marbolt, villainous hypocrite that he was, was
covering his tracks. He loathed the blind villain as he never thought
to have loathed anybody. And all through his thoughts there was a
cold, hard vein of triumph which was utterly foreign to his nature,
but which was quite in keeping with his feelings toward the man with
whom he was dealing.

As Julian Marbolt passed out the men kept silence, and even when the
distant tapping of his stick had died away. Tresler looked round him
at these hardy comrades of his with something like delight in his
eyes. Joe was not there, which matter gave him satisfaction. The
faithful little fellow was at his post to care for Diane. Now he
turned to Harris.

"Raw," he said, "will you ride in for the doctor?"

"He said t'-morrer," the man objected.

"I know. But if you'd care to do me a favor you'll ride in and warn
the doctor to-night, and then--ride out to Widow Dangley's and meet
us all there, _cached_ in the neighborhood."

The man stared; every man in that room was instantly agog with
interest. Something in Tresler's tone had brought a light to their
eyes which he was glad to see.

"What is 't?" asked Jacob, eagerly.

"Ay," protested Raw; "no bluffin'."

"There's no bluffing about me," Tresler said quickly. "I'm dead in
earnest. Here, listen, boys. I want you all to go out quietly, one by
one. It's eight miles to Widow Dangley's. Arrange to get there by
half-past one in the morning--and don't forget your guns. There's a
big bluff adjoining the house," he suggested significantly. "I shall
be along, and so will the sheriff and all his men. I think there'll be
a racket, and we may--there, I can tell you no more. I refrained from
asking Marbolt's permission; you remember what he said once before.
We'll not risk saying anything to him."

"I'm in to the limit," said Raw, with decision.

"Guess we don't want no limit to this racket. We'll jest get right
along," said Jacob, quietly.

And after that the men filed out one by one. And when the last had
gone, Tresler put the lamp out and locked the door. Then he quietly
stole up to the kitchen and peered in