led at him by some of the men as he drew the
saddle from Mustard, for the stray-man's quietness and invariable
thoughtfulness had won him a place in the affections of many of the
men, and their jocular greetings were evidence of this.

He nodded shortly to them, but did not answer. And instead of lugging
his saddle to its accustomed peg in the lean-to, he threw it over the
corral fence and left it. Then, without another look toward the men,
he turned and strode toward the manager's office.

The latter was seated at his desk and looked up at the stray-man's
entrance. He opened his lips to speak, but closed them again,
surprised at the stray-man's appearance.

During the months that Ferguson had worked at the Two Diamond, Stafford
had not seen him as he looked at this moment. Never, during the many
times the manager had seen him, had he been able to guess anything of
the stray-man's emotions by looking at his face. Now, however, there
had come a change. In the set, tightly drawn lips were the tell-tale
signs of an utterable resolve. In the narrowed, steady eyes was a
light that chilled Stafford like a cold breeze in the heat of a
summer's day. In the man's whole body was something that shocked the
manager into silence.

He came into the room, standing near the door, his set lips moving a
very little, "You heard anything from Leviatt yet?" he questioned.

"Why, yes," returned Stafford, hesitatingly; "he was here, talkin' to
me. Ain't been gone more'n half an hour. I reckon he's somewhere
around now."

"You talkin' to him, you say?" said the stray-man slowly. He smiled
mirthlessly. "I reckon you told him about them missin' calves?"

"I sure did!" returned Stafford with much vehemence. He laughed
harshly. "I told him more," he said; "I told him you was goin' to show
me the man who'd rustled them."

Ferguson's lips wreathed into a grim smile. "So you told him?" he
said. "I was expectin' you'd do that, if he got in before me. That's
why I stopped in here. That was somethin' which I was wantin' him to
know. I don't want it to be said that I didn't give him a chance."

Stafford rose from his chair, taking a step toward the stray-man.

"Why, what----?" he began. But a look at the stray-man's face silenced
him.

"I've come over here to-day to show you that rustler I told you about
yesterday. I'm goin' to look for him now. If he ain't sloped I reckon
you'll see him pretty soon."

Leviatt stepp