e faces of their enemies.

In the buggy were S. Behrman and Cyrus Ruggles, the latter driving.
A tall man in a frock coat and slouched hat--the marshal, beyond
question--rode at the left of the buggy; Delaney, carrying a Winchester,
at the right. Christian, the real estate broker, S. Behrman's cousin,
also with a rifle, could be made out just behind the marshal. Back of
these, riding well up, was a group of horsemen, indistinguishable in the
dust raised by the buggy's wheels.

Steadily the distance between the Leaguers and the posse diminished.

"Don't let them get too close, Governor," whispered Harran.

When S. Behrman's buggy was about one hundred yards distant from the
irrigating ditch, Magnus sprang out upon the road, leaving his revolvers
behind him. He beckoned Garnett and Gethings to follow, and the three
ranchers, who, with the exception of Broderson, were the oldest men
present, advanced, without arms, to meet the marshal.

Magnus cried aloud:

"Halt where you are."

From their places in the ditch, Annixter, Osterman, Dabney, Harran,
Hooven, Broderson, Cutter, and Phelps, their hands laid upon their
revolvers, watched silently, alert, keen, ready for anything.

At the Governor's words, they saw Ruggles pull sharply on the reins. The
buggy came to a standstill, the riders doing likewise. Magnus approached
the marshal, still followed by Garnett and Gethings, and began to speak.
His voice was audible to the men in the ditch, but his words could not
be made out. They heard the marshal reply quietly enough and the two
shook hands. Delaney came around from the side of the buggy, his horse
standing before the team across the road. He leaned from the saddle,
listening to what was being said, but made no remark. From time to time,
S. Behrman and Ruggles, from their seats in the buggy, interposed a
sentence or two into the conversation, but at first, so far as the
Leaguers could discern, neither Magnus nor the marshal paid them any
attention. They saw, however, that the latter repeatedly shook his head
and once they heard him exclaim in a loud voice:

"I only know my duty, Mr. Derrick."

Then Gethings turned about, and seeing Delaney close at hand, addressed
an unheard remark to him. The cow-puncher replied curtly and the words
seemed to anger Gethings. He made a gesture, pointing back to the
ditch, showing the intrenched Leaguers to the posse. Delaney appeared
to communicate the news that the Leaguers were o