was unavailing. Then Kate saw something happen. The big
white man changed his tactics. He desisted quite suddenly from
belaboring his victim. He made no attempt to defend himself. He
reached out his disengaged hand and added a second grip upon the man's
revolver arm. Then, with a terrific jolt, he flung himself backwards,
so that he was left in a kneeling position upon the other's middle.
Then, in a second, with an agility absolutely staggering, he was on
his feet. The next moment the other was jerked to his feet with his
revolver arm twisted behind his back and nearly dislocated.

With a frantic yell of agony the half-breed's hand relaxed its grip
upon his revolver, and the weapon fell to the ground. The fight was
over. With a mighty throw Pete Clancy was hurled headlong, and fell
sprawling upon the ground at the foot of the barn wall, and his impact
was like the result of a shot from a catapult.

"Lie there, you dirty dog!" cried Big Brother Bill, in a fury of
breathless indignation. "That'll maybe learn you a lesson not to get
drinking rot gut, and, if you do, not to insult a white girl. You
damnation nigger, for two beans I'd kick the life out of you where you
lay."

The man was scrambling to his feet, glaring an eternity of hatred at
his white victor.

"Did he insult--Helen?"

Bill swung around with almost ludicrous abruptness. He had been
utterly unaware of Kate's presence.

He stared. Then, with a rush of passionate anger----

"Yes; but by God, he'll think some before he does it again."

Kate's eyes were coldly commanding.

"Go around to Helen, and--take that gun," she said authoritatively.
"Leave Pete to me."

"Leave him----?" Bill's protest remained uncompleted.

"Do as I tell you--please."

"But he'll----"

Again Kate cut him short.

"Please!" She pointed in the direction of the house.

Bill was left with no alternative but to obey. He moved away, but his
movements were grudging, and he looked back as he went, ready to hurl
himself to Kate's succor at the slightest sign.

Ten minutes later Kate entered the sitting room. Her handsome face was
pale, and her eyes were shining. The spirit of the woman was stirred.
There was no fear in her--only a sort of hard resentment that left her
expression one of cold determination.

Helen ran to her at once. But, for perhaps the first time in her life,
she encountered something in the nature of a rebuff. Kate looked
straight into her sister's eyes as