at every damn one
of the Jorths."

That established Colmor's status in regard to the Jorth-Isbel feud.
Jean had no more to say. He respected Ann's friend and felt poignant
sorrow for Ann.

Gaston Isbel called for meat and drink to be set on the table for his
guests. When his wishes had been complied with the women took the
children into the adjoining cabin and shut the door.

"Hah! Wal, we can eat an' talk now."

First the newcomers wanted to hear particulars of what had happened.
Blaisdell had told all he knew and had seen, but that was not
sufficient. They plied Gaston Isbel with questions. Laboriously and
ponderously he rehearsed the experiences of the fight at the ranch,
according to his impressions. Bill Isbel was exhorted to talk, but he
had of late manifested a sullen and taciturn disposition. In spite of
Jean's vigilance Bill had continued to imbibe red liquor. Then Jean was
called upon to relate all he had seen and done. It had been Jean's
intention to keep his mouth shut, first for his own sake and, secondly,
because he did not like to talk of his deeds. But when thus appealed
to by these somber-faced, intent-eyed men he divined that the more
carefully he described the cruelty and baseness of their enemies, and
the more vividly he presented his participation in the first fight of
the feud the more strongly he would bind these friends to the Isbel
cause. So he talked for an hour, beginning with his meeting with
Colter up on the Rim and ending with an account of his killing Greaves.
His listeners sat through this long narrative with unabated interest
and at the close they were leaning forward, breathless and tense.

"Ah! So Greaves got his desserts at last," exclaimed Gordon.

All the men around the table made comments, and the last, from Blue,
was the one that struck Jean forcibly.

"Shore thet was a strange an' a hell of a way to kill Greaves. Why'd
you do thet, Jean?"

"I told you. I wanted to avoid noise an' I hoped to get more of them."

Blue nodded his lean, eagle-like head and sat thoughtfully, as if not
convinced of anything save Jean's prowess. After a moment Blue spoke
again.

"Then, goin' back to Jean's tellin' aboot trackin' rustled Cattle, I've
got this to say. I've long suspected thet somebody livin' right heah
in the valley has been drivin' off cattle an' dealin' with rustlers.
An' now I'm shore of it."

This speech did not elicit the amaze from Gaston Isbel that Jean