ould not hold himself
guiltless in this thing; it could not have happened had he tempered his
smug complacence with thoughts of justice. He groaned, gibbering, for he
stood on the brink at this minute, looking down at the lashing sea of
retribution.

The girl paid no attention to him. She was watching the men down the
street. The concerted movement had come from them. Nearly a hundred riders
were on the move. Lefingwell, huge, grim, led them down the street toward
the private car. For an instant the girl felt a throb of terror, thinking
that they might have designs on the man who stood at the railing near her,
unable to move--for he had the same thought. She murmured thankfully when
they wheeled, and without looking in her direction loped their horses
toward a wide, vacant space between some buildings, which led out into the
plains, and through which she had ridden often when entering Manti.
Watching the men, shuddering at the ominous aspect they presented, she saw
a tremor run through them--as though they all formed one body. They came
to a sudden stop. She heard a ripple of sound arise from them, amazement
and anticipation. And then, as though with preconcerted design, though she
had heard no word spoken, the group divided, splitting asunder with a
precision that deepened the conviction of preconcertedness, ranging
themselves on each side of the open space, leaving it gaping barrenly,
unobstructed--a stretch of windrowed alkali dust, deep, light and
feathery.

Silence, like a stroke, fell over the town. The girl saw people running
toward the open space, but they seemed to make no noise--they might have
been dream people. And then, noting that they all stared in one direction,
she looked over their heads. Not more than four or five hundred feet from
the open space, and heading directly toward it, thundered a rider on a
tall, strong, rangy horse. The beast's chest was foam-flecked, the white
lather that billowed around its muzzle was stained darkly. But it came on
with heart-breaking effort, giving its rider its all. Behind the first
rider came a second, not more than fifty feet distant from the other, on a
black horse which ran with no effort, seemingly, sliding along with great,
smooth undulations, his mighty muscles flowing like living things under
his glossy, somber coat.

The girl saw the man on his back leaning forward, a snarling, terrible
grin on his face. She saw the first rider wheel when he reached the edge