oughts grew bitter as they dwelt upon the big man; the old
longing to come into violent physical contact with the other seized him,
raged within him, brought a harsh laugh to his lips as he rode. But a
greater passion than he felt for the Judge or Corrigan tugged at him as he
urged the big black over the plains toward the twinkling lights of
Manti--a fierce exultation which centered around Rosalind Benham. She had
duped him, betrayed him to his enemy, had played with him--but she had
lost!

Yet the thought of his coming victory over her was poignantly
unsatisfying. He tried to picture her--did picture her--receiving the news
of Corrigan's defeat, and somehow it left him with a feeling of regret.
The vengeful delight that he should have felt was absent--he felt sorry
for her. He charged himself with being a fool for yielding to so strange a
sentiment, but it lingered persistently. It fed his rage against Corrigan,
however, doubled it, for upon him lay the blame.

It was late when he reached the outskirts of Manti. He halted Nigger in
the shadow of a shed a hundred yards or so down the track from the
courthouse, dismounted and made his way cautiously down the railroad
tracks. He was beyond the radius of the lights from various windows that
he passed, but he moved stealthily, not knowing whether Corrigan had
stationed guards about the courthouse, as Levins had warned. An instant
after reaching a point opposite the courthouse he congratulated himself on
his discretion, for he caught a glimmer of light at the edge of a window
shade in the courthouse, saw several indistinct figures congregated at the
side door, outside. He slipped behind a tool shed at the side of the
track, and crouching there, watched and listened. A mumbling of voices
reached him, but he could distinguish no word. But it was evident that the
men outside were awaiting the reappearance of one of their number who had
gone into the building.

Trevison watched, impatiently. Then presently the side door opened,
letting out a flood of light, which bathed the figures of the waiting men.
Trevison scowled, for he recognized them as Corrigan's deputies. But he
was not surprised, for he had half expected them to be hanging around the
building. Two figures stepped down from the door as he watched, and he
knew them for Corrigan and Gieger. Corrigan's voice reached him.

"The lock on this door is broken. I had to kick it in this morning. One of
you stay inside, here.