ove folks when they're in your way?"

"Usually a man has sense enough to move when he's in the way of another
man's land."

"You come down here to teach us sense too?"

Roger made no reply, but continued with his digging.

"I said you can't fence here." The man's voice was thick with anger,
and Roger, sensing what was coming, though he continued with his work,
his back turned to the rider, leaned forward upon the balls of his
feet, alert and ready for any emergency.

"You can't fence here!" snarled the rider. "That's what I come over to
see about. I heard talk about your planning to run a fence, but I
didn't think you'd be foolish enough to try it, so I came over to see.
And I'm warning you to stop. This is cattle country and free range.
You quit right where you are with your fence and you'll save yourself
money and us the trouble of cutting it down."

"It's against the law to cut fences," suggested Payne.

"Law! We're the law here; you're an outsider; and I'm laying down the
law to you now. You cut out that fence business and don't try to
change things round here and we may go easy on you. If you don't folks
will wonder what's become of you. Understand English? Now I've given
you my message. And now--you're in my way and it's time for you to
move!"

Like a flash the big buckskin leaped forward at the cruel dig of the
spurs, and like a flash Roger turned toward the thudding hoofs,
swinging the post-hole digger in a swift arc. The shovels caught the
horse a terrible blow full on the nose and with a scream it reared high
in the air, its forehoofs waving almost above Roger's head.

"Down on him, Duke, down on him!" bellowed the rider, striving to swing
the brute forward, but as Roger leaped to drag him from the saddle he
swerved his mount and galloped out of reach. Curses streamed from his
lips as he checked the steed and swung him round, curses for the horse
and for the man on foot. His quirt rose and fell, lashing the horse
into a frenzy as he galloped in a circle round Roger.

"You're in my way, you hear?" he cried. "It's your turn to move."

Each turn brought his course nearer his intended victim; and each
moment wrought horse and rider up to a greater fury.

"Move, you sucker, move!"

Roger stood his ground, turning to follow the whirling horse, waiting
for the moment when the rider would swing the beast straight at him.

"Jump, sucker, jump! or I'll ride you into the ground."

Roger ju