sked Conford.

"I knew somethin' like that--but what's th' use? Banner's a brave man,
but he's got a family. An' he's been only one against th' whole push.
What could he do when there wasn't another man in th' Valley dared to
stand behind him? You saw what happened to Pete. He struck up
Courtrey's arm when he shot at Tharon one night last spring. Th' same
thing'd happen to Banner if he tried to pull off anythin' like that."

A light flamed up in Kenset's eyes.

"If you, Miss Last," he said straightly, "will give me your word to do
no shooting, something like that will be pulled off here, and
shortly."

He looked directly at Tharon, and for the first time in her life she
felt the strength of a gaze she couldn't meet--not fully.

But Tharon shook her head.

"I'm sworn," she said simply.

Kenset's face lost a bit of colour. Billy, watching, turned grey
beneath his tan. He saw something which none other did, a thing that
darkened the heavens all suddenly.

"Then," said Kenset quietly, "we'll have to do without your promise
and go ahead anyway. We'll ride back to town, demand of Service a
proper investigation by a coroner's jury, and begin at the bottom."

Tharon moved uneasily in her saddle.

"Why are you doin' this?" she asked. "Why are you mixin' up in our
troubles? Why don't you go back to your cabin an' your pictures an'
books an' things, an' let us work out our own affairs?"

Kenset lifted a quick hand, dropped it again.

"God knows!" he said. "Let's go."

And he wheeled his horse and started for Corvan, the others falling
into line at his side.

When Kenset, quietly impervious to the veiled hostility that met him
everywhere, faced Steptoe Service and made his request, that dignitary
felt a chill go down his spine. Like Old Pete he felt the man beneath
the surface. He met him, however, with bluster and refused all
reopening of a matter which he declared settled with the burial of the
snow-packer in the sliding canyons where he was found.

"Very well," said Kenset shortly, "you see I have witnesses to this,"
and he turned on his heel and went out.

"Now, Miss Last," he said when they were in the wholesome summer
sunlight once more, "if you have any friends whom you think would
stand for the right, send for them."

"Th' Vigilantes," said the girl, "we'll gather them in twenty-four
hours."

"The Vigilantes?"

"Th' settlers," said Conford.

"All right. Until they are here we'll guard the mouth of