not fade; his bright eyes did not grow dim.

"Missed," said Roger quietly, withdrawing his wet hand from its
exploration. "Hit a rib. Now, cur, do your damnedest!"

He walked forward toward the outpointed knife, walked straight-limbed
and head up, his shoulders squared, his jaw set in fashion that
indicated how completely caution had been flung aside.

But the man was watching the blue eyes and he was of the breed that
cannot fight fair. He quailed before the Northern relentlessness, bred
of kinship with the relentless Northern ice, that showed in those blue
eyes. He could not fathom what was in the look that chilled him; his
breed never could; but one thing he understood: He had met his master.

He gave ground a foot, the knife still held out before him. He gave a
yard. He wilted, became panic-stricken, turned and fled to his horse
and galloped away. Well out of reach he turned and waved his blade in
a dramatic threat. Then he disappeared behind an islet of palmetto
scrub.

XIX

Payne stalked back to where Higgins and his negroes were slashing into
the elderberry brush.

"Call 'em off," he said abruptly. "We're going to build a fence.
They've served their first notice; I'm going to shoot one back at them."

"Shoot is right," said Higgins, picking up one of the 30-30 carbines
which had been a part of his first load. Payne had armed himself
similarly. "When you get ready you'll probably give me a hint of
what's happened."

As they led the crew over to the western line and started them at work
on the post holes Payne related the story of the fight.

"I went on the fence job alone because I wanted to reason with them if
they came to stop me," he said. "I thought they could be made to
understand that a new day has dawned down here. Apparently I was
mistaken. There'll be no more attempt at friendliness on my part."

"Free-range cattlemen!" said Higgins. "The same all over the world! A
fence makes them see red. Barb wire is to 'em like a new steel trap to
a wolf. Wonder if it was one of Garman's men?"

"I don't know whether Garman's activities include cattle. What
difference does it make? Our job is to put this fence up. The next
move is up to them."

"Here comes their first move!" said Higgins presently.

Payne turned swiftly. The engineer's keen eyes had picked out three
small specks bobbing up and down out on the prairie and even at the
distance he knew them for easily riding ho