a can when I struck town. He put five bullets through the
can. Was that your range boss?"

Stafford smiled. "That was Leviatt--my range boss," he returned. "We
went over to Dry Bottom to get a gunfighter. We wanted a man who could
shoot plum quick. He'd have to be quick, for Radford's lightnin' with
a six. Leviatt said shootin' at a can would be a good way to find a
man who could take Radford's measure--in case it was necessary," he
added quickly.

Ferguson's face was a mask of immobility. "Where's Leviatt now?" he
questioned.

"Up the Ute with the outfit."

"How far up?"

"Thirty miles."

Ferguson's eyelashes flickered. "Has Leviatt been here lately?" he
questioned.

"Not since the day before yesterday."

"When you expectin' him back?"

"The boys'll be comin' back in a week. He'll likely come along with
them."

"U--um. You're giving me a free hand?"

"Of course."

Ferguson lounged to the door. "I'm lookin' around a little," he said,
"to kind of size up things. I don't want you to put me with the
outfit. That strike you right?"

"I'm hirin' you to do a certain thing," returned Stafford. "I ain't
tellin' you how it ought to be done. You've got till the fall roundup
to do it."

Ferguson nodded. He went to the corral fence, unhitched his pony, and
rode out on the plains toward the river. Stafford watched him until he
was a mere dot on the horizon. Then he smiled with satisfaction.

"I kind of like that guy," he said, commenting mentally. "There ain't
no show work to him, but he's business."

CHAPTER VII

THE MEASURE OF A MAN

During the week following Ferguson's arrival at the Two Diamond ranch
Stafford saw very little of him. Mornings saw him proceed to the
corral, catch up his pony, mount, and depart. He returned with the
dusk. Several times, from his office window, Stafford had seen him
ride away in the moonlight.

Ferguson did his own cooking, for the cook had accompanied the wagon
outfit down the river. Stafford did not seek out the new man with
instructions or advice; the work Ferguson was engaged in he must do
alone, for if complications should happen to arise it was the manager's
business to know nothing.

The Two Diamond ranch was not unlike many others that dotted the grass
plains of the Territory. The interminable miles that separated
Stafford from the nearest, did not prevent him from referring to that
particular owner as "neighbor", for distances wer