the least interest in their doings,
although nothing had escaped his keen, swift-moving eyes.

Once out of ear-shot Jake turned to Tresler.

"Wal?"

"The horses have both been saddled."

"Good. Now we've got the thing plumb located. You heard them gassin'
at the stable. You heard 'em slam the door. You saw the two come
along. An' one of 'em must have been Anton. Leastways he must have let
'em have the hosses. I guess that's an alternative. I say Anton was up
on one of them hosses, an' the other was some gorl durned Breed mate
of his. Good. We're goin' right on to see the governor."

"What to do?" asked Tresler.

"To give him your yarn," Jake said shortly.

They were half-way to the house when the foreman suddenly halted and
stared out over the lower ranch buildings at the distant pastures.
Tresler was slightly behind him as he stood, and only had a sight of
the man's profile. He did not seem to be looking at any particular
object. His attitude was one of thoughtful introspection. Tresler
waited. Things were turning out better than he had hoped, and he had
no wish but to let the arbiter of the situation take his own way. He
began to think that, whatever Jake's ulterior object might be, he was
in earnest about Anton.

At last his companion grunted and turned, and he saw at once that the
artificial comradeship of his manner had lifted, and the "Jake" he had
already learned to understand was dominant again. He saw the vicious
setting of the brows, the fiery eyes. He quite understood that
self-control was the weakest side of this man's character, and could
not long withstand the more powerful bullying nature that swayed him.

"I asked you a question back there," he said, jerking his head in the
direction of his hut, "an' you said it was your affair; an' we'd best
let personalities stand for the moment. I'd like an answer before we
go further. You reckon to be honest, I guess. Wal, now's your chance.
Tell me to my face what I've learned for myself. What were you doin'
round here last night? What were you doin' in Marbolt's kitchen?"

Tresler understood the motive of the man's insistence now. Jake was
showing him a side of his character he had hardly suspected. It was
the human nature in the man asking for a confirmation of his worst
fears, in reality his worst knowledge. For he was well aware that Jake
had witnessed the scene in the kitchen.

"As I said before, it is my affair," he responded, with an assumption