cried Fyles, with an easy smile, as he leaped out of the
saddle. He passed into the old corral and his quick eyes took in
every detail at a glance. They came to rest on the slight figure of
the man and noted his costume. Charlie Bryant was clad in loose riding
breeches, but was coatless. Nor did he display any firearms. "Two-man
job, isn't it?" he said lightly. "And you guessed to do it--single?"

Charlie's smile was blandly disarming.

"No. I hadn't thought to get it on to-day. The Kid'll be with me
to-morrow, or maybe my brother, Bill."

"Ah. Brother Bill could about eat that rack on his own," Fyles
declared, as the two men set about the task.

It was a far lighter affair than it looked, and, in less than five
minutes was resting perfectly balanced in its place on the wagon.
Fyles looked on while Charlie went round and bolted the rack securely
in its place.

"Your wagon?" the officer observed casually, while his sharp eyes took
in its last details.

Charlie nodded.

"Yes. Folks borrow it some. You see, I don't need it a heap, except at
hay time."

"No, I don't guess you need it a heap. Say, this is a queer place
tucked away up here. Old cattle station, I guess."

Fyles's remarks had no question in them. But he intended them to
elicit a response. Charlie appeared to have nothing to conceal.

"Well, of a sort, I'd say," he replied. "You see, this was King
Fisher's corral. There's others around the valley, though I don't know
just where. King Fisher reigned nearly twenty years ago. He lived in
the building the folks in Rocky Springs use as a Meeting House. He was
pretty tough. One of the worst badmen ever hit this part. Had a
signboard set up on the trail down from the prairie. He wrote it.
'This is King Fisher's trail, take any other old trail.' I believe
most folks used to take 'any other old trail.' There was one feller
didn't though. And that was the end of King Fisher's reign. These
secret corrals have always been used by toughs."

Fyles was smiling.

"Yes."

Charlie laughed and pointed at the hut beyond the corral.

"I'd awfully like to know some of the games that went on in there.
Birds and things nest in its roof now. I guess they didn't come within
a mile of it one time. They say King Fisher was mad--blood mad. If
that's so, I daresay this place could tell a few yarns."

Again came Fyles's monosyllabic agreement.

Charlie turned to his wagon and went on with his greasing. And while
he worke