I have to ask of
you."

Mere apologetic suit would not have served with Flagg. He found this
bold young man patterning after the Flagg methods in dealings with men.
The boldness of the grip on his arm gained more effectively than
pleading.

"Ask it. I'm in a hurry."

"You have fired Kyle. I want his place."

"Well, I'll be----"

"You needn't be, sir. I'm a Latisan and I have bossed our drives. I have
brought along a bunch of my own men who have bucked white water with me
and are with me now in standing up for the principle of the
independents. Allow me to say that luck is with you. Here's your chance
to get hold of a man who can put heart and soul into this fight you're
going to make."

"And now go on and tell me how much you admire me," suggested Flagg,
sarcastically.

"I can't do that, sir. I'm going to tell you frankly I don't relish what
I have heard about you. It's for no love of you that I'm asking for a
chance to go up against the Comas people. It's because you're hard--hard
enough to suit me--hard enough to let me go to it and show the Three C's
they can't get away with what they're trying to do up here through Rufus
Craig."

"All right. You're hired. You've got Ben Kyle's job," stated Flagg.

Latisan was not astonished by this precipitate come-about. He was
prepared for Flagg's tactics by what he had set himself to learn about
the autocrat's nature--quick to adjudge, tenacious in his grudges,
inflexible in his opinion, bitterly ruthless when he had set himself in
the way his prejudices selected.

"You have seen what happened to Kyle. Can you govern yourself
accordingly?" Flagg in his turn had set his grip on Ward's arm.

"Yes, sir!"

"I'll kick you out just as sudden as I kicked him if anything happens to
make men give you the grin. Can you start north with me in the morning?"

"Now or in the morning; it makes no difference to me, sir."

Flagg shifted his hand from Ward's arm to the young man's shoulder and
propelled him back a few paces toward the crowd in front of the tavern.
"Listen, one and all! Here's my drive boss. He's old John Latisan's
grandson. If that isn't introduction enough, ask questions about old
John from those who remember him; this chap is like his grandfather."

Latisan went into the tavern after Flagg had marched away to the big
house on the ledges. The crowd made way for the new drive boss; those in
his path stared at him with interest; mumble of comment followed as th