s now."

"Can we prevent any one from coming here?" asked Bob, quickly.

"Certainly you can, and must," replied the lawyer. "No one can come here
without your permission until after the matter has been decided in
court, and you must be careful that no one does."

"That settles it, then," said Bob, gleefully, as he started towards the
well. "The first thing I'll do will be to fire out that fellow Massie
has got here, and he won't be handled very tenderly either."

"Stop!" cried the lawyer, obliged to speak very loudly, for Bob was some
distance away before he had ceased speaking. "That man has a perfect
right to be here, for he represents the court in the matter of holding
certain movable property until the suit can be decided. What you are to
do is simply to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining admittance."

"But how is that going to help matters?"

And Bob was again disconsolate because this revenge had been denied him.

"I prefer to wait until Mr. Gurney can get here before I decide fully on
just what shall be done," replied Mr. Hillman. "He stands very high as a
lawyer, and his advice in the matter will be worth much more than mine."

"Well," asked the moonlighter, impatiently, "how are we going to prevent
any one from coming on the land?"

"That is a very easy matter. With your workmen and yourselves, you ought
to form a regular patrol at those few points at which a person could
enter, and the law will sustain you in keeping any one away, who does
not come armed with an order from the court, even though you use force."

That was sufficient for Bob. Legally entitled to act on the offensive,
under certain circumstances, and to defend his and Mr. Simpson's
property against all save those coming in the name of the law, there was
an opportunity for him to work off some of the anger which he had found
so difficult to restrain during the forenoon.

George and Ralph were perfectly willing to let him attend to the
defenses, they acting under his orders, and Bob set to work with a
feverish energy that boded ill for the perfecting of Mr. Massie's
scheme.

Pete was ordered to take up his position at the entrance of the lane
which led to the Simpson house, and Mr. Simpson was detailed to see that
the negro did his duty. A stout club was all he was allowed as a weapon;
but this would be sufficient, it was thought.

Four of the workmen, under the immediate supervision of Jim, were
stationed at the road leading t