the porch of Don Andres, his saddle-galled person reclining at
ease in a great armchair behind the passion vines, with the fragile stem
of a wine-glass twirling between his white, sensitive, gambler-fingers
while he listened to the don's courtly utterances as translated
faithfully by Dade (Jack being absent on some philandering mission of
his own), big Bill Wilson opened his eyes to the other side of the
question and frankly owned himself puzzled to choose.

"Seems like the men that came here when there wasn't anything but Injuns
and animals, and built up the country outa raw material, ought to have
some say now about who's going to reap the harvest," he admitted to
Dade. "Don't look so much like gobbling, when you get right down to
cases, does it? But at the same time, all these men that leave the east
and come out here to make homes--seems like they've got a right to
settle down and plow up a garden patch if they want to. They're going to
do it, anyway. Looks like these grandees'll have to cash in their chips
and quit, but it's a darned shame."

As to the town, Bill told them much that had happened. Politics were
still turbulent; but Perkins' gang of hoodlums was fairly wiped out, and
the Committee was working systematically and openly for the best
interests of the town. There had been a hanging the week before; a
public hanging in the square, after a trial as fair as any court
properly authorized could give.

"Not much like that farce they pulled off that day with Jack," asserted
Bill. "Real lawyers, we had, and real evidence for and against the
feller, and tried him for real murder. Things are cooling down fast, up
there, and you can walk the streets now without hanging onto your money
with one hand and your gun with the other. Jack and you can come back
any time. And say, Jack!" Having heard his voice beyond the vines, Bill
made bold to call him somewhat peremptorily.

"There's some gold left, you know, that belongs to you. I didn't send it
all down; didn't like the looks of that--er--" He checked himself on the
point of saying greaser. "And seeing you're located down here for the
summer, and don't need it, why don't you put it into lots? You two can
pick up a couple of lots that will grow into good money, one of these
days. Fact is, I've got a couple in mind. I'd like to see you fellows
get some money to workin' for you. This horseback riding is too blamed
risky."

"That looks reasonable to me," said Dade. "W