g I
want. Thirty minutes will--"

"Thirty minutes don't change nothing," declared George in his deep, soft
voice.

The real estate man choked. Then: "You tell your boss that jumping a
cabin is like jumping a claim. They's a law in The Corner for gents like
him."

George made a gesture of helplessness; but Gloster turned to the three.

"Both shacks or none at all," said the spokesman. "One ain't big enough
to do us any good. But if this bird won't vamoose--"

He was a tolerably rough-appearing sort and he was backed by two of a
kind. No doubt dangerous action would have followed had not George shown
himself capable of rising to a height. He stepped from the door; he
approached Gloster and said in a confidential whisper that reached
easily to the other three: "They ain't any call for a quick play,
mister. Watch yo'selves. Maybe you don't know who the boss is?"

"And what's more, I don't care," said Gloster defiantly but with his
voice instinctively lowered. He stared past George, and behold, the man
in the dressing gown still sat in quiet and sipped his coffee.

"It's Donnegan," whispered George.

"Don--who's he?"

"You don't know Donnegan?"

The mingled contempt and astonishment of George would have moved a thing
of stone. It certainly troubled Gloster. And he turned to the three.

"Gents," he said, "they's two things we can do. Try the law--and law's a
lame lady in these parts--or throw him out. Say which?"

The three looked from Gloster to the shack; from the shack to Donnegan,
absently sipping his coffee; from Donnegan to George, who stood
exhibiting a broad grin of anticipated delight. The contrast was too
much for them.

There is one great and deep-seated terror in the mountain desert, and
that is for the man who may be other than he seems. The giant with the
rough voice and the boisterous ways is generally due for a stormy
passage west of the Rockies; but the silent man with the gentle manners
receives respect. Traditions live of desperadoes with exteriors of
womanish calm and the action of devils. And Donnegan sipping his morning
coffee fitted into the picture which rumor had painted. The three looked
at one another, declared that they had not come to fight for a house but
to rent one, that the real estate agent could go to the devil for all of
them, and that they were bound elsewhere. So they departed and left
Gloster both relieved and gloomy.

"Now," said Donnegan to George, "tell him that we'l