ant to
precipitate war. But he did want Dunlavey to know that he purposed to
have his rights; he wanted Dunlavey to know that he could not be
frightened into surrendering them. He clasped one hand over his knee and
leaned back in his chair, his gaze meeting Dunlavey's steadily.

"Dunlavey," he said quietly, "what is the actual value of the Circle Bar
ranch?"

Dunlavey smiled blandly. "You couldn't find any man around these parts
to take it at any price," he returned.

"Why?" questioned Hollis.

Dunlavey grinned mysteriously. "I reckon you know why," he returned;
"you're pretty much of a tenderfoot, but I reckon Judge Graney has put
you wise to the situation. There ain't nobody wants to buy the Circle
Bar except me."

"Why?" persisted Hollis.

"I reckon you know that too," laughed Dunlavey. "It ain't no secret. The
Cattlemen's Association is running things in this here county and it
ain't wanting anyone to buy the Circle Bar except me. And nobody is fool
enough to antagonize the Association. That's the why, if you want to
know real bad."

"You are frank about it at any rate," conceded Hollis smiling slightly.
"But that doesn't get us anywhere. What I am trying to get at is this:
what would the Circle Bar bring in cash if the Cattlemen's Association
ceased to be a factor in the county?" Dunlavey grinned broadly. "For a
tenderfoot you're real amusing," he derided. "There ain't nobody out
here crazy enough to think that the Cattlemen's Association will ever be
put out of business!"

Hollis's lips curled a little, but his gaze was still steady.

"That's evasion, Dunlavey," he said quietly. "You will remember that I
asked you what the Circle Bar would bring 'if' the Association ceased to
be a factor."

Dunlavey favored Hollis with a perplexed grin. "I don't know what
difference that makes," he returned. "We're dealing with what's before
us now--we ain't considering what might be. But if you want to know my
personal opinion it's that the Circle Bar might bring thirty thousand."

"Thanks," said Hollis dryly; "that's getting somewhere. And now we'll be
able to talk business. We've got thirty thousand to start with. I am
told that when the Association began its war against my father he was
rather prosperous. Usually he rounded up about two thousand head of
cattle. But we'll call it a thousand. We'll say that they brought about
thirty dollars a head, which would make an income of thirty thousand
dollars a year, gros