maller "Black" Ralestones, he
topped the invader by a good two inches, and he noted this with delight
as he came up to him.

"Ricky," he said briefly, "go in. And send Sam for Rupert."

She nodded and was gone. The man turned to face Val. "You again, huh?"
he demanded.

"Yes. And Ralestone or no Ralestone, I would advise you to keep a civil
tongue in your head," he began hotly, when Rupert appeared at the door.

"Well, Val," he asked, a frown creasing his forehead, "what is it?"

The rival advanced a short step and looked up. "So this is the guy who's
trying to do me out of my rights?"

Rupert reached behind him and closed the screen before coming to the
head of the terrace steps. "I presume that you are Mr. Ralestone?" he
asked quietly.

"'Course I'm Ralestone," asserted the other. "And I'm part owner of this
place."

"That has not yet been decided," answered Rupert calmly. "But suppose
you tell me to what we owe the honor of this visit?"

Now, however, the passenger took a hand in the game. He crawled out of
the car, taking off his soiled panama to wipe his bald head with a gaudy
silk handkerchief.

"Here, here, Mr. Ralestone," he addressed his companion, "let us have no
unpleasantness. We have merely come here today, sir," he explained to
Rupert, "to see if matters could not be settled amicably without having
to take recourse to a court of law. Your Mr. LeFleur will give us very
little satisfaction, you see. I am a plain and honest man, sir, and I
believe an affair of this kind may be best agreed upon between
principals. My client, Mr. Ralestone, is a reasonable man; he will be
moderate in his demands. It will be to your advantage to listen to our
proposal. After all, you cannot contest his rights--"

"But that is just what I am going to do." Rupert smiled down at them, if
a slight twist of the lips may be called a smile. "Have you ever heard
that old saying that 'possession is nine points of the law'? I am the
Ralestone in residence, and I shall continue to be the Ralestone in
residence until after this case is heard. Now, as I am a busy man and
this is the middle of the morning, I shall have to say good-bye--"

"So that's the way you're going to take it?" The visiting Ralestone
glared at Rupert. "All right. Play it that way and you won't be here a
month from now. Nor," he turned on Val, "this kid brother of yours,
either. You can't pull this lord-of-the-land stuff on me and get away
with it. I'll--"