ttle man who was the
resident buyer for an eastern live-stock company.

"The Double A has three thousand head of cattle," Sanderson told the
little man. "They've had good grass and plenty of water. They're fat,
an' are good beef cattle. Thirty-three dollars is the market price.
What will you give for them, delivered to your corral here?"

The resident buyer looked uncomfortable. "I've had orders not to buy
any more cattle for a time."

"Whose orders?" demanded Sanderson.

The resident buyer's face flushed and he looked more uncomfortable.

"My firm's orders!" he snapped.

Sanderson laughed grimly; he saw guilt in the resident buyer's eyes.

"Silverthorn's orders," he said shortly. At the other's emphatic
negative Sanderson laughed again. "Maison's, then. Sure--Maison's,"
he added, as the other's flush deepened.

Sanderson got up. "Don't take it so hard," he advised the resident
buyer. "I ain't goin' to bite you. What I'm wonderin' is, did Maison
give you that order personally, or did you get it from your boss."

The buyer shifted uneasily in his chair, and did not look at Sanderson.

"Well," said the latter, "it don't make a heap of difference.
Good-bye," he said, as he went out. "If you get to feelin' mighty
small an' mean you can remember that you're only one of the pack of
coyotes that's makin' this town a disgrace to a dog kennel."

Sanderson returned to the Double A and found Mary in the house.

"No go," he informed her. "Maison an' Silverthorn an' Dale have
anticipated that move. We don't sell any cattle in Okar."

The girl's disappointment was deep.

"I suppose we may as well give up," she said.

Sanderson lifted her face to his.

"If you're goin' to talk that way I ain't goin' to love you like I
thought I was," he grinned. "An' I'm sure wantin' to."

"I don't want to give up," she said.

"Meanin'?"

"Meaning that I'd like to have you beat those men. Oh, the miserable
schemers! They will go to any length to defeat you."

He laughed lowly and vibrantly. "Well, they'll certainly have to
travel _some_," he said. "About as fast as the man will have to travel
that takes you away from me."

"Is victory that dear to you?" she asked.

"I won't take one without the other," he told her his eyes glowing.
"If I don't beat Silverthorn and the others, an' keep the Double A for
you, why I----"

"You'll win!" she said.

"You are hopin' I will?" he grinned. "Well," he added, as she