me I heered," was the curt reply.

Towers nodded with the air of one whose grave anxiety has been allayed,
but under the meditative quality of his Sabbath calm he was wishing
that he could learn, without asking, whether Jerry had been able to
talk. A great deal depended on that--but making the best of affairs as
he found them, he broached his mission.

"This hyar trouble came up in my place--an' hit's made me mighty
sore-hearted," he avowed. "But I've got ther names of every man thet
war thar when I come in--an' I rid over hyar ter proffer ye my aid in
runnin' down ther matter and punishin' them thet's guilty." He paused,
and feeling the unmasked distrust with which his assurance was greeted,
added:

"I reckon yore father's son wouldn't hardly want no _illegal_
punishment."

Bear Cat declined to meet diplomacy in kind.

"Ye reckons thet my father's son aims ter stand out fer a truce thet's
kept on one side an' broke on ther t'other. Air thet what ye means?"

Kinnard Towers felt his cheek-bones grow red and hot with anger at the
taunt, but he blunted the edge of acerbity and parried in sober
dignity.

"Ef I'd aimed ter bust ther truce I wouldn't hardly hev interfered ter
save ye, fust in Marlin Town and then ergin last night. I rid over hyar
with ther roads full of Stacys ter hold counsel with ye. I aimed ter
tell ye all I knowed and find out what _you_ knowed, so thet betwixt us
we could sift this matter ter ther bottom."

"Whatever ye've got ter say ter me, ye kin say ter these men, too," was
the tartly unconciliating reply. "I've pledged ye safety twell ye rides
back home. I aims ter say some things myself--an' I reckon most of 'em
won't pleasure ye none." The speaker's eyes flared as he added, "But
from this day forwards either you or me air goin' ter run things in
these hills an' ther t'other one of us won't hardly hev standin' room
left."

"I reckon," said Kinnard Towers,--and now the ingratiating quality that
had sugar-coated his address dissolved into frank enmity,--"I reckon ef
thet's ther road ye elects ter travel, thar hain't scarcely any avail
in my tarryin' hyar. I mout es well say farewell an' tell hell with ye!
Yore paw wouldn't hardly be so malicious an' stiff-necked. Ye don't
need ter be told thet I've got numerous enemies hyar in these
mountings, too--an' thet more'n once they've marked me down fer death."

The younger man's attitude was that of unmasked distrust, yet of
patience to listen