there an' yank off his hide!"

CHAPTER VIII

A WOMAN'S MERCY

Gary Warden did not stand at the office window many minutes after he saw
Lawler on the street. He drew on his coat, took his hat from a hook, on
the wall and descended the stairs. At the street door he glanced swiftly
around, saw Red King standing at the hitching rail in front of the
building, and several other horses farther up the street. There were
several men on the sidewalks, but he did not see Lawler.

Grinning crookedly, Warden crossed the street and made his way to the
station building, where a few minutes later he was talking with Simmons.
Simmons was visibly excited. There was curiosity in Warden's gaze.

"He's wise," said Simmons. He was still wiping perspiration from his
forehead, and he mechanically repeated to Warden the words he had
uttered to himself immediately after Lawler left his office: "I'm glad
it's over. I've been dreadin' it. He's the only one in the whole bunch
that I was afraid of. There'll be hell to pay in this section,
now--pure, unadulterated hell, an' no mistake!" And then he added
something that had occurred to him afterward: "If the big guys back of
this thing knowed Kane Lawler as well as I know him, they'd have thought
a heap before they started this thing!"

"Bah!" sneered Warden; "you're raving! We know what we are doing. You
do as you're told--that's all. And keep your mouth shut. Just keep on
telling them there are no cars. That's the truth, isn't it?" He grinned
gleefully at Simmons.

"So he's wise, eh?" he added. "Well, I'm damned glad of it--the
sagebrush rummie! We'll make him hump before we get through with him!"

Hatred of Lawler had seized Warden--a passion that ran through his veins
with the virulence of a strong poison. It had been the incident of the
fluttering handkerchief that had aroused him. Until then he had merely
disliked Lawler, aware of the latent strength of him, his rugged
manliness, and his quiet confidence. All those evidences of character
had irritated him, for they had brought an inevitable contrast between
himself and the man, and he knew he lacked those things which would have
made him Lawler's equal. He felt inferior, and the malevolence that
accompanied the conviction was reflected in his face as he faced
Simmons.

"No cars, now--damn them! Not a single car! Understand, Simmons? No
cars--you can't get them! No matter what happens, you can't get
cars--for anybody!"

He le