ed her father if there had been shooting.

"Sure," he replied, with a broad smile. "Jake turned his guns loose on
them prowlin' men last night. By George! you ought to have heard them
run. One plumped into the gate an' went clear over it, to fall like a
log. Another fell into the brook an' made more racket than a drownin'
horse. But it was so dark we couldn't catch them."

"Jake shot to frighten them?" inquired Lenore.

"Not much. He stung one I.W.W., that's sure. We heard a cry, an' this
mornin' we found some blood."

"What do you suppose these--these night visitors wanted?"

"No tellin'. Jake thinks one of them looked an' walked like the man Nash
has been meetin'. Anyway, we're not takin' much more chance on Nash. I
reckon it's dangerous keepin' him around. I'll have him drive me
to-day--over to Vale, an' then to Huntington. You can go along. That'll
be your last chance to pump him. Have you found out anythin'?"

Lenore told what had transpired between her and the driver. Anderson's
face turned fiery red.

"That ain't much to help us," declared, angrily. "But it shows him
up.... So his real name's Ruenke? Fine American name, I don't think!
That man's a spy an' a plotter. An' before he's another day older I'm
goin' to corner him. It's a sure go I can't hold Jake in any longer."

To Lenore it was a further indication of her father's temper that when
they went down to enter the car he addressed Nash in cool, careless,
easy speech. It made Lenore shiver. She had heard stories of her
father's early career among hard men.

Jake was there, dry, caustic, with keen, quiet eyes that any subtle,
clever man would have feared. But Nash's thought seemed turned mostly
inward.

Lenore took the front seat in the car beside the driver. He showed
unconscious response to that action.

"Jake, aren't you coming?" she asked, of the cowboy.

"Wal, I reckon it'll be sure dull fer you without me. Nobody to talk to
while your dad fools around. But I can't go. Me an' the boys air a-goin'
to hang some I.W.W.'s this mawnin', an' I can't miss thet fun."

Jake drawled his speech and laughed lazily as he ended it. He was just
boasting, as usual, but his hawklike eyes were on Nash. And it was
certain that Nash turned pale.

Lenore had no reply to make. Her father appeared to lose patience with
Jake, but after a moment's hesitation decided not to voice it.

Nash was not a good nor a careful driver under any circumstances, and
this mor