But until the case
should be reported back, he remained where he was. It was up to Plant;
and Plant had been lenient. Probably Austin could have told why.

Thorne became cognizant of all this. He served Austin notice. Austin
offered no comment, but sat tight. He knew by previous experience that
the necessary reports, recommendations, endorsements and official orders
would take anywhere from one to three months. By that time this
inspector would have moved on--Austin knew the game. But three days
later Thorne showed up early in the morning followed by a half-dozen
interested rangers. In the most business-like fashion and despite the
variegated objections of Austin and his disreputable satellites, Thorne
and his men attached their ropes to the flimsy structure and literally
pulled it to pieces from the saddle.

"You have no right to use force!" cried Austin, who was well versed in
the regulations.

"I've saved my office a great deal of clerical work," Thorne snapped
back at him. "Report me if you feel like it!"

The debris remained where it had fallen. Austin did not venture
again--at least while this energetic youth was on the scene.
Nevertheless, after the first anger, even the saloon-keeper had in a way
his good word to say.

"If they's anythin' worse than a--of a--comes out in the next fifty
year, he'll be it!" stormed Austin. "But, damn it," he added, "the
little devil's worse'n a catamount for fight!"

Thorne was little communicative, but after he and Bob became better
acquainted the Inspector would tell something of his past inspections.
All up and down the Sierras he had unearthed enough petty fraud and
inefficiency to send a half-dozen men to jail and to break another
half-dozen from the ranks.

"And the Office has upheld me right along," said Thorne in answer to
Bob's scepticism regarding government sincerity. "The Office is all
right; don't make any mistake on that. It's just a question of getting
at it. I admit the system is all wrong, where the complaints can't get
direct to the chiefs; but that's what I'm here for. This Plant is one of
the easiest cases I've tackled yet. I've got direct evidence six times
over to put him over the road. He'll go behind the bars sure. As for the
cattle situation, it's a crying disgrace and a shame. There's no earthly
reason under the regulations why Simeon Wright should bring cattle in
at all; and I'll see that next year he doesn't."

At the end of two weeks Thorne h