off the men so named from the rest of the countryside.

Harris knew that his own life was forfeit any time he chanced to ride
alone. He had not a doubt but that Slade had put a price on his head
and that perhaps a dozen men were patiently waiting for a chance at
him. Any man whose name appeared on the black list which he was
supposed to have sponsored would overlook no opportunity to retaliate
in kind. In addition to this there was always the chance of a swift
raid on the men who had filed their homestead rights in the valley.

As a consequence Harris had taken every possible precaution. Winter
had claimed the range and hardened the ground with frost. The full
force of Three Bar hands had been kept on the pay roll instead of being
let off immediately after the beef was shipped. These riders were
stationed in line camps out on the range, their ostensible purpose
being to hold all Three Bar cows close to the home ranch but in reality
they served two ends, acting as a cordon of guards as well. The two
woodcutters were camped in the edge of the hills behind the ranch and
daily patrolled the drifts that now lay deep in the timber for signs of
skulkers who might have slipped down from behind and stationed
themselves on some point overlooking the corrals.

Three times in as many weeks strangers drifting in from other
localities stopped in Coldriver and profanely reported the fact that
for no reason whatever, while passing through the Three Bar range, they
had been held up and forced to state their business in that
neighborhood.

Hostilities had ceased. The Three Bar girl had anticipated a series of
raids against the cows wearing her brand, swift forays in isolated
points of her range, but no stock losses were reported. On the surface
it appeared that Slade had given up all thought of harassing the Three
Bar. But the girl had come to know Slade. He would never recede from
his former stand. She noted that Harris's vigilance was never for an
instant relaxed and it was gradually impressed upon her that the
cessation of petty annoyances held more of menace than of assurance.
Slade had seen that the Three Bar was not to be discouraged in its
course and he now waited for an opportunity to launch a blow that would
cripple, striking simultaneously at every exposed point and delaying
only for a propitious time. In the face of continued immunity she was
filled with a growing conviction of impending trouble.

Christmas