ver here and help me with Woods."

Again Woods's big body twisted; it even turned half over now, and Woods
sat up. His hand went to his shoulder; Steve saw the hand go red.
Woods's face was white and drawn with pain. His eyes went to the rifle
at his feet. Steve stepped forward, took the thing up, tossed it back
into the cabin. Woods swayed, pitched a little forward, caught
himself, steadied himself with a hand on the door-jamb, and shakily
drew himself to his feet. Steve marvelled at him.

"If you like, Woods," he said quietly, "I'll have you taken over to my
place and will send for a doctor for you."

"Aw, hell, I ain't hurt bad," said Woods.

Steve saw how his brows contracted as he spoke. The red hand was laid
rather hurriedly on the shoulder of one of the two men whom Steve had
summoned across the creek.

Blenham turned away and went down-stream, toward the big wagon. Woods
followed, walking slowly and painfully, leaning now and again on his
support.

As Steve called to them the men lined up along the wall of the cook's
shed, turned, and, their hands still lifted, went down-stream. One
after another they climbed up into the wagon. Two or three laughed;
for the most part there were only black faces and growing anger. Many
of them had drunk much and slept little last night; not a man of them
but missed his coffee.

Packard caught up his horse's reins and swung into the saddle calling
out:

"I don't know anything you're waiting for. Climb into the seat,
somebody. Get started. Blenham and Woods both need a doctor. And you
needn't come back for anything you left; I'll have all your junk boxed
and hauled into Red Creek this afternoon."

A man gathered up the four reins and climbed to the high seat. The
brake was snapped back, the horses danced, set their necks into their
collars, and the wheels turned. Behind them Steve Packard, still
watchful, rode to escort them to a satisfactory distance beyond the
border of his property.

Terry Temple out in front of the dilapidated Temple home was amusing
herself with a pair of field-glasses. Her big wolf-hound had just
temporarily laid aside his customary dignity and was chasing a rabbit.
Terry had her binoculars focussed on a distant field, curious as to the
outcome.

Suddenly she lost this interest. Far down the road she glimpsed a big
wagon; it was filled with standing men. She altered her focus.

"Dad!" she called quickly. "Oh, dad! Come h