upon land before any other man had claimed it. Sometimes a
Sawtooth man would purchase a relinquishment from some poor devil of a
claim-holder who seemed always to have bad luck, and so became
discouraged and ready to sell. An intelligent man like Bill Warfield
could acquire much land in this manner, give him time enough.

In much the same manner his herds increased. He bought out small
ranchers who were crowded to the selling point in one way or another.
They would find themselves fenced off from water, the Sawtooth having
acquired the water rights to creek or spring. Or they would be hemmed
in with fenced fields and would find it next to impossible to make use
of the law which gave them the right to "condemn" a road through. They
would not be openly assailed,--Bill Warfield was an intelligent man. A
dozen brands were recorded in the name of the Sawtooth Cattle Company,
and if a small rancher found his calf crop shorter than it should be,
he might think as he pleased, but he would have no tangible proof that
his calves wore a Sawtooth brand.

Inevitably it became necessary now and then to stop a mouth that was
ready to speak unwelcome truths. But if a Sawtooth man were known to
have committed violence, the Sawtooth itself was the first to put the
sheriff on his trail. If the man successfully dodged the sheriff and
made his way to parts unknown, the Sawtooth could shrug its shoulders
and wash its hands of him.

Then whispers were heard that the Sawtooth had on its pay roll men who
were paid to kill and to leave no trace. So many heedless ones crossed
the Sawtooth's path to riches! Fred Thurman had been one; a
"bull-headed cuss" who had the temerity to fight back when the Sawtooth
calmly laid claim to the first water rights to Granite Creek, having
bought it, they said, with the placer claim of an old miner who had
prospected along the headwaters of Granite at the base of Bear Top.

By that time the Sawtooth had grown to a power no poor man could hope
to defeat. Bill Warfield was Senator Warfield, and Senator Warfield
was a power in the political world that immediately surrounded him.
Since his neighbouring ranchmen had not been able to prevent his steady
climbing to the position he now held, they had small hope of pulling
him down. Brit was right. They did well to hang on and continue
living in that country.

At open killing, one that would attract the attention of the outside
world might be avenged.