t to Judith and said he guessed he'd be
going. And the men with whom he had been talking, including all of the
milkers and all of the other workmen upon whom Nelson could get his
meddlesome hands at short notice, all men whom Trevors had placed here,
made known in hesitant speech or awkward silence that they were going
with Nelson. There were good jobs open with the lumber company, it
seemed. Nelson even expressed the hope that the quitting of these men
wouldn't work any hardship to the Blue Lake ranch.

Judith, her eyes flashing, asked no man of them to remain, seeing that
thus she would but humiliate herself fruitlessly, and turned away. And
yet, with the herds of cows with bursting bags soon ready for the
nightly milking, she watched the men move away, her heart bitter with
anger.

"They've got to be milked, Charlie," was all that she said. "Who will
milk them until I can get a new crew?"

"I'll tuck in an' help," answered Miller ruefully. "I hate it worse'n
poison, an' I can't milk more'n ten cows, workin twenty-four-hour
shifts. I'll try an' scare up some of the other boys that can milk."
But he shook his head and looked regretfully at the pick-handle. "Good
milkers is scarce as gold eggs," he muttered. "And the separator men
has quit with the rest."

"Get Masters, the electrician, on the job. Get anybody you can. I'm
going back to the ranchhouse pretty soon and I'll try to send some one
from there."

"Cowboys can't milk," said Miller positively. "An' besides, they
won't. But somehow we'll make out for a day or so."

"We've got to make out!" exclaimed Judith. "We've got to beat that man
Trevors, Charlie, and do it quick. If he'll try to keep us
short-handed, if he'll spend money to do it, if he'll do a trick like
giving sulphur for lung-worm and then send infected stock out into the
herds, I don't know just where he will stop--unless we stop him."

In spite of her intentions, it was nearing the time of dusk when she
returned to the ranchhouse. As she came up the knoll from the barn,
she saw for the first time a thin line of bluish smoke rising from the
north ridge. Saw and understood the new menace.

For that way had Benny, the discharged cook, gone.

VI

YOUNG HAMPTON REGISTERS A PROTEST

It was after eight o'clock when Tripp rode in on a sweat-wet horse.
Judith met him in the courtyard, giving him her two hands impulsively.

"I'm so glad you've come, Doc!" she cried softly.