upon him--conquered him.

"Gene! Why, Gene!" panted the old cattleman. "Sure you're locoed--to
act this way. Cool down! Cool down! Why, boy, it's all right. Jest
stand still--give us a chance to talk to you. It's only ole Bill, you
know--your ole pal who's tried to be a daddy to you. He's only wantin'
you to hev sense--to be cool--to wait."

"Let me go! Let me go!" cried Stewart; and the poignancy of that cry
pierced Madeline's heart. "Let me go, Bill, if you're my friend. I saved
your life once--over in the desert. You swore you'd never forget. Boys,
make him let me go! Oh, I don't care what Hawe's said or done to me! It
was that about her! Are you all a lot of Greasers? How can you stand it?
Damn you for a lot of cowards! There's a limit, I tell you." Then his
voice broke, fell to a whisper. "Bill, dear old Bill, let me go. I'll
kill him! You know I'll kill him!"

"Gene, I know you'd kill him if you hed an even break," replied
Stillwell, soothingly. "But, Gene, why, you ain't even packin' a gun!
An' there's Pat lookin' nasty, with his hand nervous-like. He seen you
hed no gun. He'd jump at the chance to plug you now, an' then holler
about opposition to the law. Cool down, son; it'll all come right."

Suddenly Madeline was transfixed by a terrible sound.

Her startled glance shifted from the anxious group round Stewart to see
that Monty Price had leaped off the porch. He crouched down with his
bands below his hips, where the big guns swung. From his distorted lips
issued that which was combined roar and bellow and Indian war-whoop,
and, more than all, a horrible warning cry. He resembled a hunchback
about to make the leap of a demon. He was quivering, vibrating. His
eyes, black and hot, were fastened with most piercing intentness upon
Hawe and Sneed.

"Git back, Bill, git back!" he roared. "Git 'em back!" With one lunge
Stillwell shoved Stewart and Nick and the other cowboys up on the porch.
Then he crowded Madeline and Alfred and Florence to the wall, tried to
force them farther. His motions were rapid and stern. But failing to get
them through door and windows, he planted his wide person between
the women and danger. Madeline grasped his arm, held on, and peered
fearfully from behind his broad shoulder.

"You, Hawe! You, Sneed!" called Monty, in that same wild voice. "Don't
you move a finger or an eyelash!"

Madeline's faculties nerved to keen, thrilling divination. She grasped
the relation between Monty's