g round."

"Jake, keep your eye on that flock," returned Isbel. "An' if I
shouldn't happen to come back y'u can call them sheep yours.... I'd
like your boy to ride up to the village. Not with us, so anybody would
see him. But afterward. We'll be at Abel Meeker's."

Again Jean was confronted with an uneasy premonition as to some idea or
plan his father had not shared with his followers. When the cavalcade
started on again Jean rode to his father's side and asked him why he
had wanted the Evarts boy to come to Grass Valley. And the old man
replied that, as the boy could run to and fro in the village without
danger, he might be useful in reporting what was going on at Greaves's
store, where undoubtedly the Jorth gang would hold forth. This appeared
reasonable enough, therefore Jean smothered the objection he had meant
to make.

The valley road was deserted. When, a mile farther on, the riders
passed a group of cabins, just on the outskirts of the village, Jean's
quick eye caught sight of curious and evidently frightened people
trying to see while they avoided being seen. No doubt the whole
settlement was in a state of suspense and terror. Not unlikely this
dark, closely grouped band of horsemen appeared to them as Jorth's gang
had looked to Jean. It was an orderly, trotting march that manifested
neither hurry nor excitement. But any Western eye could have caught
the singular aspect of such a group, as if the intent of the riders was
a visible thing.

Soon they reached the outskirts of the village. Here their approach
bad been watched for or had been already reported. Jean saw men,
women, children peeping from behind cabins and from half-opened doors.
Farther on Jean espied the dark figures of men, slipping out the back
way through orchards and gardens and running north, toward the center
of the village. Could these be friends of the Jorth crowd, on the way
with warnings of the approach of the Isbels? Jean felt convinced of
it. He was learning that his father had not been absolutely correct in
his estimation of the way Jorth and his followers were regarded by
their neighbors. Not improbably there were really many villagers who,
being more interested in sheep raising than in cattle, had an honest
leaning toward the Jorths. Some, too, no doubt, had leanings that were
dishonest in deed if not in sincerity.

Gaston Isbel led his clan straight down the middle of the wide road of
Grass Valley until he reach