em.

"What is it?"

They had not a word to say for themselves. In that room were some of the
most callous hearts in the territory. Not one man in a million could have
phased them, but this slender girl dumfounded them. Her gaze settled on
Buck. His wandered for help to Sweeney, to Jake, to Kite Bonfils.

"Now look-a-here, Miss Kate," Sweeney began to explain.

But she swept his remonstrance aside.

"No--No--No!" Her voice gathered strength with each repetition of the
word. "I won't have it. What are you thinking about?"

To the boy with the rope around his neck she was an angel from heaven as
she stood there so slim and straight, her dark eyes shining like stars.
Some of these men were old enough to be her father. Any of them could have
crushed her with one hand. But if a thunderbolt had crashed in their midst
it could not have disturbed the vigilantes more.

"He's a rustler, Miss Kate; belongs to Soapy Stone's outfit," Sweeney
answered the girl.

"Can you prove it?"

"We got him double cinched."

"Then let the law put him in prison."

"He shot yore paw," Buck reminded her.

"Is that why you're doing it?"

"Yes'm," and "That's why," they nodded.

Like a flash she took advantage of their admission. "Then I've got more
against him than you have, and I say turn him over to the law."

"He'd get a good lawyer and wiggle out," Dutch objected.

She whirled on the little puncher. "You know how that is, do you?"

Somebody laughed. It was known that Dutch had once been tried for stealing
a sheep and had been acquitted.

Kite pushed forward, rough and overbearing. "Now see here. We know what
we're doing and we know why we're doing it. This ain't any business for a
girl to mix in. You go back to the house and nurse your father that this
man shot."

"So it isn't the kind of business for a girl," she answered
scornfully. "It's work for a man, isn't it? No, not for one. For
nine--eleven--thirteen--seventeen big brave strong men to hang one poor
wounded boy."

Again that amused laugh rippled out. It came from Maloney. He was leaning
against the door jamb with his hands in his pockets. Nobody had noticed
him before. He had come in after the girl. When Curly came to think it
over later, if he had been given three guesses as to who had told Kate
Cullison what was on the program he would have guessed Maloney each time.

"Now that you've relieved your mind proper, Miss Cullison, I expect any of
the boys will be gl