tols at its front.

"War you boys a-sarchin' fer me?" demanded Bear Cat and the trailing
voices, that had been drunkenly essaying close harmony, broke off
mid-verse. "Stay right whar ye're at, every mother's son of ye!" came
the sharp injunction. "The man thet stirs air a dead man. This hain't
no play-party thet I've done come ter."

They sat suddenly silent, abruptly surly and helpless; all save one.
George Kelly was still armed, and sitting somewhat apart. Beseechingly
his companions sought by covert glance to signal him that he should
avail himself of his armed advantage while they continued to distract
the newcomer's attention.

Bear Cat's pistols broke out and two treasured jugs were shattered.

"Jim Towers," came the raspingly dictatorial order, "when ye goes back
ter ther Quarterhouse ye kin tell Kinnard Towers thet Bear Cat Stacy
hain't ter be captured by no litter of drunkards. Tell him he mout es
well hire sober murderers or else quit."

As Towers sat glowering and silent, Stacy's voice continued in its
stinging contempt.

"You damned murder hirelings, does ye think thet I'm ter be tuck
prisoner by sneakin' weasels like you?"

George Kelly had sat silent. Now he rose to his feet, and Stacy ordered
curtly, "Lay down thet gun, George. Ye're ther only man I'm astonished
ter see hyar. I 'lowed ye war better then a hired assassin."

From someone came thick-tongued exhortation, "Git him, Kelly, you've
got a gun. Git ther damn' parson."

In the momentary centering of Bear Cat's attention upon George, some
one slipped with a cat-like furtiveness of motion back into the thicker
darkness--toward the cached rifles.

Then a strange thing happened.

George Kelly wheeled, ignoring the order to drop his weapon, but
instead of pointing it at the lone invader he leveled it across the
fire-lit circle.

"Stop thet!" he yelled. "Leave them rifle-guns be or I aims ter shoot."

Surprise was following on surprise, and the half-befuddled faces of the
drinkers went blank with perplexity and incredulity.

"What ther hell does ye mean? What did ye come out with us fer?"
demanded a shrill voice, and Kelly's response spat back at him
viciously. "I means thet what Bear Cat says are true es text. I mean
thet 'stid of seekin' ter kill him, I'm a-goin' along with him. I've
done been a slave ter Kinnard Towers long enough--an' right now I aims
ter quit."

"Shell we tell Kinnard thet?" demanded Jim Towers dryly.

"Tell him