ng into my office trying to
dictate to me, and calling me a liar, I'd have kept Lefingwell's
agreement with you!"

"Then Lefingwell wasn't the liar," smiled Lawler; "you're admitting it."

Warden's face grew poisonously malevolent. He laughed, hoarsely.

"Bah!" he jeered. "We'll say I lied. What of it! I didn't want to
antagonize you, then. Only a fool is truthful at all times." He laughed
again, mockingly. "I'm truthful when I want to be."

He saw the frank disgust in Lawler's eyes, and the desire to drive it
out, to make the man betray some sign of the perturbation that must be
in him, drove Warden to an indiscretion.

"You're a wise guy, Lawler," he jeered. "A minute ago you hinted that
this thing was being engineered by a bunch of cheap crooks. Call them
what you like. They're out to break you--understand? You suspect it, and
I'm telling you. You went around last fall with a chip on your shoulder,
making trouble far Haughton and his friends. And now they're going to
bust you wide open and scatter your remains all over the country.
They're going to fix you so that you'll never shoot off your gab about
conditions in the state again. Governor--hell! you'll be a bum before
that gang gets through with you!"

He paused, breathing rapidly, his face pale with passion; his eyes
glowing with hatred, naked and bitter.

He heard Lawler's short, mirthless laugh; he saw Lawler's eyes narrow
and gleam with a cold flame as he took a step forward and stood over
him.

"Get up, Warden," came Lawler's voice, low and vibrant. "You'll
understand what I'm going to say a whole lot better if you're on your
feet, like a man."

Warden got up, defiantly, and for an instant the two men stood looking
into each other's eyes, both understanding the enmity that was between
them, and both seemingly exulting in it.

"I'm thanking you, Warden, for telling me. But I've known, since I
talked with Simmons about the cars, just what it all meant. My talks
with Hatfield and Governor Haughton convinced me beyond all reasonable
doubt. I'm the man they are after, of course. But incidentally, they're
going to mulct every other cattle owner in the state. It's a mighty big
scheme--a stupendous robbery. The man who conceived it should have been
a pirate--he has all the instincts of one.

"But get this straight. You've got to fight me. Understand? You'll drag
no woman into it. You went to the Hamlin ranch the other day. God's
grace and a woman's mercy