Beth Norvell

"I scarcely understand, Hicks; do you mean you propose standing a

siege?"

"Don't clearly perceive nothin' else ter do," and the man's half-closed

eyes glanced about questioningly. "We ain't strong enough to assault;

Farnham 's got more 'n five men ter our one over thar right now. He 's

sent a rider inter San Juan arter another bunch o' beauties. We've

corralled the evidence, an' we've got ther law back o' us, ter send him

ter the penitentiary. Shore, thar's no doubt o' it. He knows it; an'

he knows, moreover, thar ain't no way out fer him except ter plant us

afore we kin ever git inter ther courts. Thet's his game jist now. Do

yer think Mr. Biff Farnham under them circumstances is liable ter do

the baby act? Not ter no great extent, let me tell yer. He ain't

built thet way. Besides, he hates me like pizen; I reckon by this time

he don't harbor no great love for you; an' yer bet he means ter git us

afore we kin squeal, if he has ter h'ist the whole damned mounting.

Anyhow, that's how it looks ter me an' Stutter yere. What was it you

was goin' ter advise, Mr. Winston?"

The engineer set down his tin coffee cup.

"The immediate despatching of a messenger to San Juan, the swearing out

of a warrant for Farnham on a criminal charge, and getting the sheriff

up here with a posse."

Hicks smiled grimly, his glance wandering over toward Stutter, who sat

staring open-eyed at the engineer.

"Ye're a young man, sir, an' I rather reckon yer don't precisely

onderstan' ther exact status o' things out yere in Echo Canyon," he

admitted, gravely. "I'm law-abidin', an' all that; law's all right in

its place, an' whar it kin be enforced, but Echo Canyon ain't Denver,

an' out yere ther rifle, an' occasionally a chunk o' dynamite, hes got

ter be considered afore ther courts git any chance ter look over ther

evidence. It's ginerally lead first, an' lawyers later. Thet 's what

makes the game interestin', an' gives sich chaps as Farnham a run fer

their money. Well, just now we 've got the law an' ther evidence with

us all right, but, damn ther luck, them other fellers hes got the

rifles. It 's his play first, an' it sorter looks ter me as if the man

knew how ter handle his cards. He ain't no bluffer, either. Just take

a squint through them glasses down the trail, an' tell me what yer see."

Winston did so, rising to his feet, standing at the edge of the rock

fairly overhanging the valley.

"Wal, do yer make out anythin' in partic'lar?"

"There is a small party of men clustered near the big boulder."

"Exactly; wal, them thar fellars ain't thar altergether fer ther

health. Thar 's three more o' ther same kind a'squattin' in the bushes

whar the path branches toward ther 'Independence,' an' another bunch

lower down 'side ther crick. It's easy 'nough ter talk about law, an'

ther sendin' o' a messenger down ter San Juan after the sheriff, but I

'd hate some ter be that messenger. He 'd have some considerable

excitement afore he got thar. Farnham 's a dirty villain, all right,

but he ain't no fool. He's got us bottled up yere, and ther cork druv

in."