o.

This time there were other bidders, all of whom Brannan recognized
courteously and promptly. Finally, Benito's bid of fifty seemed to win.
Then McTurpin shouted, "Fifty-five!"

Brannan waited for a moment. There were no more bids. "Sold to Benito
Windham for fifty dollars," he announced.

"Curse you!" cried the gambler, pushing forward, "you heard me bid
higher, Sam Brannan!"

Into his path stepped the tall figure of Robert Windham. "We are not
taking bids from convicts," he said, loudly and distinctly.

CHAPTER XV

THE BEGINNING OF LAW

McTurpin's look of blind astonishment at Windham's words was succeeded
by a whitehot fury. Two eyes gleamed with snake-like venom and two spots
of red glowed in his cheeks, as though each had felt the impact of a
sudden blow. For a moment he neither moved nor spoke. Then a hand, which
trembled slightly, made a lightning move toward his hip.

"I wouldn't," drawled the voice of Robert Windham. His right hand,
loosely in a pocket of his coat, moved slightly. "I've got you covered,
Sydney Duck McTurpin ... if that's your real name."

The other's hand fell at his side. The two men's glances countered, held
each other, one calm, dignified, unafraid; the other, murderous,
searching, baffled. Presently, McTurpin turned and strode away. Windham
looked after the departing gambler. "'Fraid I've spoiled his morning,"
he remarked to Nathan Spear.

"Yes--to chance a knife or bullet in the back," retorted Spear,
uneasily. Their further confidence was drowned in Brannan's
exhortations: "On with the sale, boys," he shouted. "The side show's
over ... with nobody hurt, thank Heaven! What'll you bid for a lot in
the southern part of town? They're a hundred varas square--four times as
big as the others. Not as central, maybe, but in ten years I bet they'll
bring a thousand dollars. What's bid for a south lot, my hearties?"

"Twenty-five dollars," said Inez Windham.

"Oh, come, now, Senorita," cried the auctioneer, intriguingly,
"twenty-five dollars for a hundred-vara lot. Have you no more faith in
San Francisco?"

"Its--all I have...." the girl spoke almost in a whisper.

Brannan frowned. He looked about him threateningly. "Does anyone bid
higher than Miss Windham?" he demanded. There was no response. Brannan's
gavel fell, decisively. "Sold!" he cried, and half a dozen
voices cheered.

Inez Windham made her way to the auctioneer's stand and handed three
banknotes to Alcalde Hyde.