Rennie. "If he's openin' up a prospect, he's likely organized to back
her. My tumtum is to wait till you get them deeds back and then have a
survey made, or, anyway, see Riley."

"We can go and have a look at what they're doing, and hear what they
have to say. I like Braden's nerve, giving orders to keep people off.
What the devil does he think this country is? If there wasn't something
crooked about the thing he wouldn't mind who took a look at it. I'm
going to have a look, anyway."

They rode toward the mountain, eventually striking into the trail which
Faith had followed on the preceding day. As they approached they could
hear the sounds of work in progress, and suddenly they came upon a man
planting posts. A roll of wire lay on the ground. The man stepped into
the trail.

"Hold on," he said. "You can't go any further."

"Is that so?" said Rennie. "The trail looks like it went some farther."

"Well, _you_ don't," the other retorted. "Them's orders."

"Whose orders?" Angus asked, crowding forward.

"The boss'--Braden."

"Braden be damned!" said Angus. "Get out of the way. Give me the trail,
you, or I'll ride plum' over you!" As he spoke he touched his horse with
the heel, and the guardian of the trail gave ground, cursing, but
followed them as they rode out on the bench and into the presence of a
group of three--Braden, Garland and Poole.

Angus halted, and without paying the least attention to them, took in
his surroundings. Then he shifted his gaze to the trio, eying them in a
silence which was broken by Mr. Braden.

"What do you want here?" he demanded, in a voice which he endeavored to
make stern.

"To see what you're doing on what I think is my wife's property."

Mr. Braden laughed.

"Your wife's property! Not much. Her land--if you mean what I sold to
her father--lies east of here. This is mine. I bought it from the
government fifteen years ago."

Mr. Braden's tone was loud, assertive. But his eyes, after a moment,
shifted away from Angus' steady stare.

"You're lying!" the latter said.

"Lying, am I?" Braden snarled. "You'd better be careful what you say,
young man. This is my land, and I have the grant. Your wife has her
deeds, hasn't she? Take a look at them before you come here shooting off
your mouth."

Obviously, that was the thing to do.

"Why were you and French trying to buy my wife's property?" Angus
bluffed.

"I don't know anything about French," Mr. Braden asserted, "but I n