rnriff." Then he smiled. "You
see, Doc Crombie has approved."

Then it was that Henderson saw fit to change his manner. It seemed
almost as if the enormity of his offense had been suddenly brought
home to him, and contrition had begun to stir.

"Seems to me, Peter, as if the ways of things were queer," he said,
after a long pause. "I've got something that'll keep me out of
Barnriff a good deal in future. I've had it a week an' more back. I've
struck a good thing up in the hills." He laughed. "A real good
thing--and it's easy, too."

"I'm glad," the other said genuinely.

"It's gold. Something in your line, eh? Placer. Gee, I'll make things
hum when I've taken the stuff out of it. S'truth, I'll buy some of
'em! And sell 'em, too, for that matter."

Peter was interested.

"Gold, eh? Well, good luck to you. I'm glad--if it's to make a man of
you."

For a second Will's eyes flashed.

"Yes, you're right; it'll make a man of me. And, being a man, there
are some things I'm not likely to forget. Say, you've passed
sentence--you and your friends, which include Jim Thorpe. You won't
have to carry it out. I'll knuckle down, because I know you all. But,
by gee! I've struck what you're looking for, and when I've gathered
the dust I'll make some folks jump to my own tune! Get that, Peter
Blunt."

Peter smiled at the sudden outburst of malicious rage. Then his face
grew cold, and his even tone checked the tide of the other's impotent
rage.

"I get it," he said. "But meanwhile Barnriff is top dog, an' you best
write that down in big letters, and set it where you can read it
easily. Now you can go home and look after your poor wife. And
remember, as sure as there's a God in heaven, if you make that girl's
life a misery, or in any way hurt her, you'll sicken at the thought of
Barnriff. Now you can go."

Peter's quiet manner carried unpleasant conviction to the departing
man. The conviction was so strong that he obeyed him to the letter. He
walked without hesitation, without any desire to do otherwise, in the
direction of his home. But this was an almost mechanical result. His
mind was occupied in a way that would have astonished the men of
Barnriff.

His fury had gone. His brain was filled with cold, hard thoughts, the
more cruel for their lack of heat. His thoughts were of that which he
had struck in the hills, and of a revenge which he felt he could play
off on these people who demanded that he should guide his life a