id something to Elfreda under her breath and Elfreda nodded.
Both saw that Lieutenant Wingate's good nature was slipping from him,
that his temper was rising.

"Don't do anything rash, Hippy," urged Grace in a low tone.

"If I refuse, what then?" he demanded belligerently, addressing the
man.

"That's up to ye."

"I refuse to pay one copper cent!" roared Hippy. "Go tell that
timber-legged friend of yours that if he bothers us again he will either
get a bullet through his real leg or land in jail or both. Put that in
your pipe and smoke it! I don't believe you are deputies at all."

"Then yer under arrest. The whole pack of ye is under arrest!" shouted
the deputy, suddenly throwing up his rifle.

_Bang!_

A bullet whizzed past the deputy's head, fired from the ready rifle of
Joe Shafto, who, with finger on the trigger, was glaring through her big
horn-rimmed spectacles, alert for a suggestive move on the part of
either of the three men, which would be the signal for another shot from
her rifle.

CHAPTER XVI

WILLY HORSE SHOWS THE WAY

Elfreda laid a hand on Lieutenant Wingate's arm, then stepped between
him and the deputy, who had lowered his rifle a little, hesitating, it
appeared, whether to shoot and take his chances or to adopt the safer
course. The fact that he chose the latter, and made no further effort to
intimidate them with his weapon, was significant to Miss Briggs.

"Mister Man, I am a lawyer, and I will speak with you. I believe you
just said that we are all under arrest," reminded Elfreda in an ordinary
conversational tone.

"Ye are that, unless ye settle up," blustered the fellow.

"Then, of course, you have warrants. Have you?"

"Well, well, no, I reckon I hain't. Don't need none. I'm an officer of
the law. This is my warrant," he said, tapping the rifle.

"We have similar arguments, arguments that are fully as potent," replied
Miss Briggs significantly. "We decline to recognize any authority
unless backed by proper credentials. What county are you from, may I
inquire?"

"St. Louis County," grumbled the deputy.

"And your companion--is he from the same county?"

"Yes. Come! I ain't got time for per-laverin' around. Are ye goin' to
pay up or go with us?"

"Neither! You have no warrant; you have no proof that you are officers
of the law, and you admit that you are from St. Louis County. Grace,
what county are we now in?"

"Beltrami County," replied Grace Harlowe, who had b