ed a cigarette.

Later, when the men who had gone with Latimer's body returned to the
vicinity of the ranchhouse, Harlan was still sitting on the bench.

No man said a word to him, but he saw a new respect in the eyes of all of
them--even in Rogers' gaze--which had not strayed from him for an instant
during the trouble.

And a little later, when Rogers walked to the bench and sat beside him,
the other men had resumed their various pastimes as though nothing had
happened.

Again Rogers whispered to him, lowly, admiringly:

"This camp is yours, man, whenever you say the word!"

CHAPTER XXI

THE BLACK-BEARDED MAN

It was Strom Rogers who indicated to the outlaws at the Star that
henceforth Harlan was to exercise authority of a kind that had formerly
been vested in Haydon and Deveny.

The corral was packed to suffocation with cattle, threatening the health
of the animals; Deveny had sent no word from the Cache regarding the
disposal of the stock, and Haydon's whereabouts were unknown.

Rogers had moved stock on his own initiative in former days--for he had
been an able assistant to both leaders. And Rogers could have moved the
stock out of the corral and to the point far south where the outlaws had
always sold them.

But there was malice in Rogers' heart toward the two outlaw leaders, and
a perverse devil lurked in him. For many months he had worshiped Barbara
Morgan from a distance, vaguely aware that his passion for her could
never be realized. But there was a spark of honesty and justice in Rogers
despite his profession, and a sincere admiration for the girl that
admitted of no thought of evil toward her.

He had almost betrayed his resentment to Deveny when in Lamo, on the day
of the coming of Harlan, Deveny had boldly announced his intentions
toward the girl; and it had been a dread of clashing with Deveny that had
kept him from interfering. The will to protect the girl had been in
Rogers' mind, but he lacked the physical courage to risk his life for
her.

This man who had boldly entered the outlaw camp, after first defying
Deveny in Lamo, had made a stirring appeal to the good in Rogers; and he
foresaw that trouble, in which Harlan had a chance to emerge victorious,
was certain. And he had decided to align himself with the Pardo gunman.

Therefore, on this morning, when it was certain that the cattle in the
corral must be moved, he deliberately refused to exercise his
prerogative. Instead, he