tt says they mean to press for a
smart penalty. It's about time they made an example of somebody. When
I was in, I fixed it up to turn Langside off his holding."

Flora looked up with interest.

"But how had you the power?" George asked.

"The man owes me four hundred dollars for a horse and some second-hand
implements I let him have nearly three years ago."

"But he has broken a big strip of his land; it's worth a good deal more
than you lent him."

"Just so. He owes everybody money round the Butte. I saw Taunton of
the store and the implement man and told them Langside had to quit."

"You seem to have found them willing to agree."

Grant broke into a grim smile.

"What I say to those men goes. Then I've got security; they know I
could pull Langside down."

George looked at Flora and was slightly surprised at her acquiescent
manner.

"It sounds a little harsh; a good harvest might have set him straight,"
he said. "However, I suppose you have a reason for what you're doing."

"That's so. Langside's the kind of man I've no use for; he takes no
interest in his place. After he has put in half a crop, he goes off
and spends his time doing a little railroad work and slouching round
the saloons along the line."

"It doesn't seem sufficient to justify your ruining him."

"I've got a little more against the man. Has it struck you that
somebody round here, who knows the trails and the farmers' movements,
is standing in with the liquor boys."

A light broke in upon George. Now that the matter had been put before
him, he could recollect a number of points that seemed to prove the
fanner right. When cattle had been killed, their owners had been
absent; horses had disappeared at a time which prevented the discovery
of their loss from being promptly made. It looked as if the offenses
could only have been committed with the connivance of somebody in the
neighborhood who had supplied their perpetrators with information.

"I believe you've got at the truth," he replied. "Still, it must be
largely a matter of suspicion."

Grant leaned forward on the table and his face grew stern.

"You'll remember what Flett said about our system of justice sometimes
breaking down. In this matter, I'm the jury, and I've thought the
thing over for the last six months, weighing up all that could be said
for Langside, though it isn't much. What's more, I've talked to the
man and watched him; giving him every chance. He h