leader.

"Men," rejoined Reade, "I'm afraid you're not cool enough to settle
this case fairly. We'll call in a few of the neighbors and try to
get the facts of the case. We'll-----"

"Neighbors?" jeered the leader of the quartette. "Where are you
going to find any?"

"Right near at hand," Tom proposed. "Much nearer than you think.
Drew!"

Alf still lay behind the bush near the edge of the cliff. He
was still present mainly because he had not courage enough to
run away.

"Drew!" Tom repeated, this time speaking sharply, for he guessed
that the cigarette fiend was shaking in his boots.

"Yes, sir," piped the faltering voice of Alf.

"Drew, run to camp as fast as you can. Tell Ferrers to bring
the whole crowd over at once."

Alf was astounded by this staggering command, which sounded like
an order to rush an army to the spot. Yet he managed to gasp:

"Yes, sir."

"Now, go! Make fast time. Don't let any of this outfit catch
you and hinder you."

"No, sir!"

This time Alf Drew's voice sounded faintly, over his shoulder
from a considerable distance, for the boy was running fast, fear
lending speed his feet.

"You see," Tom went on coolly, standing so that he could face
both factions in this quarrel, "I don't know much about the merits
of the case, and I'm a stranger here. I don't want to be accused
of being too fresh, so I've sent for some of the natives. They'll
know, better than just what to advise here. It won't take 'em
long to get here."

Tom wound up this last statement with a cheerful smile.

"So Jim Ferrers is over in your camp, is he?" demanded the leader
of the four men.

"Yes," Tom assented affably. "Do you know him?"

"Maybe."

"Jim is a fine fellow," Reade went on warmly. "He knows all about
Nevada, too, and he's a man of good judgment. He'll be a lot of
use to us in getting at the rights of this case."

"There's only one right side," insisted the leader of the quartette.

"So my friend here has informed me," answered Reade, nodding in
the direction of the stout man in black. "Yet there seems to
be a good deal of difference in opinion as to which is really
the right side. But just wait until Jim and his friends get here.
They'll be able to set us all straight and there won't be any
need for doing any rough work like shooting."

"Dolph, we'd better shoot up the whole crowd, including the cheeky
young one, before Jim Ferrers and his crowd gits here," propose
one of t