all helping themselves, the sheriff coughed loudly and
called out: "Boys, the Major and me has fixed this thing up. I won't
need but three of you; the rest can ride back and tell the gang on the
West Fork it's all right. Cal, you and Tom and Green stay with me. The
rest of you can go as soon as your dinner's settled."

The ones not chosen looked a little disappointed, but they made no
protest. As they rose to go out they all made powerful effort to do the
right thing; they lifted their eyes to the girls for a last glance and
grumbled:

"Much obliged, ladies!"

And in this humble fashion the ferocious posse of the sheriff retreated
from the house of their enemy.

Once outside, they turned on each other with broad grins. They
straightened--took on grace and security of manner again. They were
streaming with perspiration, and their neckerchiefs were moist with the
drip of it, but they lit their cigars nonchalantly, flung their hats
rakishly on their heads, and turned to take a last look at the house.

Elsie appeared at the door. "Boys!" she called, and her clear voice
transfixed every soul of them. "You mustn't do anything reckless. You
won't, will you?"

Galvin alone was able to reply. "No, miss, we won't. We won't do nothing
to hurt you nor the Major's sister--you needn't be scart."

"You can trust Captain Curtis; he will do what is right, I'm sure of
that. Good-bye."

"Good-bye," they answered, one by one. Nothing further was said till
they had crossed the road. Then one of the roughest-looking of the whole
gang turned and said: "Fellers, that promise goes. We got to keep that
mob from goin' to war while these girls are here. Ain't that right?"

"That's right!"

"Say, fellers, I'll tell you a job that would suit me--"

"Hain't got any work into it if it does."

"What is it?"

"I'd like to be detailed to guard these 'queens' from monkeys like you."

The others fell upon this reckless one with their hats and gloves till
he broke into a run, and all disappeared down the road in a cloud of
dust.

XXI

IN STORMY COUNCILS

Meanwhile the sentinels on the hills missed little of the movement in
the valley. They quivered with rage as the horsemen dismounted and
entered the agent's house, for that seemed a defeat for their friend;
but when the strangers remounted and rode away all were reassured, and
Two Horns said, "I will go down and see what it all means."

One by one the principal native employe