ld the land, it was an insult
to Clarence himself, whose tenant Jim was, and subversive of all their
legally acquired rights. He would confront this Gilroy at once; his
half-wild encampment was only a few miles away, just over the boundaries
of the Robles estate. Without stating his intention, he took leave of
the Hopkins family with the cheerful assurance that he would probably
return with some news of Hooker, and rode away.

The trail became more indistinct and unfrequented as it diverged from
the main road, and presently lost itself in the slope towards the east.
The horizon grew larger: there were faint bluish lines upon it which he
knew were distant mountains; beyond this a still fainter white line--the
Sierran snows. Presently he intersected a trail running south, and
remarked that it crossed the highway behind him, where he had once met
the two mysterious horsemen. They had evidently reached the terrace
through the wild oats by that trail. A little farther on were a
few groups of sheds and canvas tents in a bare and open space, with
scattered cattle and horsemen, exactly like an encampment, or the
gathering of a country fair. As Clarence rode down towards them he could
see that his approach was instantly observed, and that a simultaneous
movement was made as if to anticipate him. For the first time he
realized the possible consequences of his visit, single-handed, but it
was too late to retrace his steps. With a glance at his holster, he rode
boldly forward to the nearest shed. A dozen men hovered near him, but
something in his quiet, determined manner held them aloof. Gilroy was
on the threshold in his shirtsleeves. A single look showed him that
Clarence was alone, and with a careless gesture of his hand he warned
away his own followers.

"You've got a sort of easy way of droppin' in whar you ain't invited,
Brant," he said with a grim smile, which was not, however, without a
certain air of approval. "Got it from your father, didn't you?"

"I don't know, but I don't believe HE ever thought it necessary to warn
twenty men of the approach of ONE," replied Clarence, in the same tone.
"I had no time to stand on ceremony, for I have just come from Hooker's
quarter section at Fair Plains."

Gilroy smiled again, and gazed abstractedly at the sky.

"You know as well as I do," said Clarence, controlling his voice with
an effort, "that what you have done there will have to be undone, if you
wish to hold even those law