the United States
government to march troops here to save your hired assassins? Well,
you'll not get troops--if there's anything that I can say against you
to keep you from it!"

"You keep out of it, my little lady; you ain't got no call to mix up
with a bunch of brand-burnin' thieves!"

"They're not thieves, and you know it! Macdonald never stole an animal
from you or anybody else; none of the others ever did."

"What do you know about it?" sharply.

"I know it, as well as I know what's in your mind about the troops.
You'll go over father's head to get them. Well, by the time he wires
to the department the facts I'm going to lay before him, I'd like to
see the color of the trooper you'll get!"

"You'll keep your mouth shut, and hold your finger out of this pie
before you git it burnt!"

"I'll not keep my mouth shut!" She began moving about the room,
picking up her belongings. "I'm going to saddle my horse and go to the
post right now, and the facts of your bloody business will be in
Washington before morning."

"You're not goin'--to the--post!" Chadron's words were slow and hard.
He stood with his back to the door. "This house was opened to you as a
friend, not as a traitor and a spy. You're not goin' to put your foot
outside of it into any business of mine, no matter which way you
lean."

All day she had been dressed ready to mount and ride in any emergency,
her hat, gloves and quirt on the table before the fireplace. In that
sober habit she appeared smaller and less stately, and Saul Chadron,
with his heavy shoulders against the closed door, towered above her,
dark and angrily determined.

"I'm going to get my horse," said she, standing before him, waiting
for him to quit the door.

"You're goin' to stay right in this house, there's where you're goin'
to stay; and you'll stay till I've cleaned out Macdonald and his gang,
down to the last muddy-bellied wolf!"

"You'll answer for detaining me here, sir!"

"There ain't no man in this country that I answer to!" returned
Chadron, not without dignity, for power undisputed for so long, and in
such large affairs, had given him a certain manner of imperialism.

"You'll find out where your mistake is, to your bitter cost, before
many days have gone over your head. Your master is on the way; you'll
meet him yet."

"You might as well ca'm down, and take that hat off and make yourself
easy, Miss Frances; you ain't goin' to the post tonight."

"Open that door