The Trail Horde

man's menacing manner. Lawler's face was pale, but his eyes were unwavering as

his rather hysterical threat. Lawler resisted an impulse to

cient provocation for him to break one of the rules that had governed him until now. Hamlin might be goaded, or frightened, into using the rifle, but Lawler had no intention of goading or frightenin

ps wore a s

on't know me, H

wler," snapped Hamlin; "you

ds, eh-with a rifle. Well, put it down and open t

mind was the conviction that Davies and Harris had apprised Lawler of what had h

ut R

eyes began to dull. Howev

men this mornin'-Davie

reckon they didn't get back yet. What's Davi

le wavered; the weapon was withdrawn and the slide closed. Then the

e Lawler, I'll sure bore y

eavy pistol, which was shoved close to his body as he

halted near the center of the big room. There were three rooms,

d Hamlin, nervously fin

awler; with the slumbering energy that Lawler's lithe, sinewy body suggested; with the

g out the Circle L brand in the arroyo the preceding night he would have killed Lawler. But he was not sure. Something about Lawler made the thought of sho

now that you can't keep on rustling m

g through his teeth as he sucked it in wi

yes glittering with the malignance that had been in them when he

me, eh-tellin' me that you didn't see Davies an' Harris. Well, damn

sity, that brought a conviction of futility into Hamlin's soul. They were cold eyes-cold as icebergs, Hamlin th

ning his muscles, jumbling his thoughts-brought chaos into the man's brain, and he stood, his mouth agape with wonder over the thing that was happening to him, as Lawler

l Lawler turned and faced him again. Then he staggered to a chair and dropped into i

n would hang him, for Blackburn had told him he would. Or, if Lawler didn't take him to Blackburn he would take him to the sheriff. He would b

the vacuumlike stillness of the cabin. "You

e enough to shoot Lawler. He cringed under Lawler's contemptuou

hance. I'm letting you of

here,

e found himself looking into the terrible eyes.

cattle. Everybody knows it

glet

ed with astonishment. "Dave Singl

he did not lift his head for a few minutes, during which a strained silence descended upon the room. Th

been a lack of ordinary cordiality, a constraint closely approaching dislike; but L

long in an aimless way, regardless of what happened to him. There was at Hamlin's feet some of the wealth that other cattlemen of the district w

. Hamlin was Ruth's father, though looking at him as he sat deject

gleton been buyin

nin' my brand on other folks' stock, an' he hinted he wasn't particula

gleton co

es-mostl

sits seemed surreptitious. Perhaps she had watched, convincing herself of her father's guilt. Lawler had w

he felt Lawler at his side again, for there had come into the atmosphere of the

prepared for

ers gripping him like iron hooks; he was shaken until his feet, powerless to retard the movement, were flopping back and forth wildly, and his teeth rattled despite his efforts to clench them. It seemed to him that Lawler would snap his head from his shoul

's eyes, burning, with a passion he never had seen in them before. And Lawler's voice was dry and light, but steady-so s

, and that you keep silent about the things we both know. If you confess to Ruth that you've been ru

and you're making a regular hell for her. She's wise to what you've been doing-she suspects yo

put you on your feet again-give you stock and tools, and pretend I've sold them to you. I'll d

mn it, Lawler; I never liked the man, an' I don't know why I've been doin' what I have been doin'. But I've wanted to do somethin' f

before she'd touch

off if I was dead,"

f you don't keep your word t

or, leaped upon Red

ayed toward the door, reaching it and looking o