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fer meetin' Las Vegas excoose me； boss！ I've still a
hankerin' fer sunshine an' red liquor。 Besides； I 'ain't got
nothin' ag'in' Las Vegas。 If he's rustled over here at the
head of a crowd to put us off I'd fight； jest as we'd all
fight。 But you see we figgered wrong。 It's between you an'
Las Vegas！ 。 。 。 You oughter seen him throw thet hunter Dale
out of Turner's。〃
〃Dale！ Did he come？〃 queried Beasley。
〃He got there just after the cowboy plugged Jeff。 An' thet
big…eyed girl； she came runnin' in； too。 An' she keeled over
in Dale's arms。 Las Vegas shoved him out cussed him so
hard we all heerd。 。 。 。 So； Beasley； there ain't no fight
comin； off as we figgered on。〃
Beasley thus heard the West speak out of the mouth of his
own man。 And grim； sardonic； almost scornful； indeed； were
the words of Buck Weaver。 This rider had once worked for Al
Auchincloss and had deserted to Beasley under Mulvey's
leadership。 Mulvey was dead and the situation was vastly
changed。
Beasley gave Weaver a dark； lowering glance； and waved him
away。 From the door Weaver sent back a doubtful；
scrutinizing gaze； then slouched out。 That gaze Beasley had
not encountered before。
It meant； as Weaver's cronies meant； as Beasley's
long…faithful riders； and the people of the range； and as
the spirit of the West meant； that Beasley was expected to
march down into the village to face his single foe。
But Beasley did not go。 Instead he paced to and fro the
length of Helen Rayner's long sitting…room with the nervous
energy of a man who could not rest。 Many times he hesitated；
and at others he made sudden movements toward the door； only
to halt。 Long after midnight he went to bed； but not to
sleep。 He tossed and rolled all night； and at dawn arose；
gloomy and irritable。
He cursed the Mexican serving…women who showed their
displeasure at his authority。 And to his amaze and rage not
one of his men came to the house。 He waited and waited。 Then
he stalked off to the corrals and stables carrying a rifle
with him。 The men were there； in a group that dispersed
somewhat at his advent。 Not a Mexican was in sight。
Beasley ordered the horses to be saddled and all hands to go
down into the village with him。 That order was disobeyed。
Beasley stormed and raged。 His riders sat or lounged； with
lowered faces。 An unspoken hostility seemed present。 Those
who had been longest with him were least distant and
strange； but still they did not obey。 At length Beasley
roared for his Mexicans。
〃Boss； we gotta tell you thet every greaser on the ranch hes
sloped gone these two hours on the way to Magdalena；〃
said Buck Weaver。
Of all these sudden…uprising perplexities this latest was
the most astounding。 Beasley cursed with his questioning
wonder。
〃Boss； they was sure scared of thet gun…slingin' cowboy from
Texas；〃 replied Weaver； imperturbably。
Beasley's dark； swarthy face changed its hue。 What of the
subtle reflection in Weaver's slow speech！ One of the men
came out of a corral leading Beasley's saddled and bridled
horse。 This fellow dropped the bridle and sat down among his
comrades without a word。 No one spoke。 The presence of the
horse was significant。 With a snarling； muttered curse；
Beasley took up his rifle and strode back to the
ranch…house。
In his rage and passion he did not realize what his men had
known for hours that if he had stood any chance at all
for their respect as well as for his life the hour was long
past。
Beasley avoided the open paths to the house； and when he got
there he nervously poured out a drink。 Evidently something
in the fiery liquor frightened him； for he threw the bottle
aside。 It was as if that bottle contained a courage which
was false。
Again he paced the long sitting…room； growing more and more
wrought…up as evidently he grew familiar with the singular
state of affairs。 Twice the pale serving…woman called him to
dinner。
The dining…room was light and pleasant； and the meal；
fragrant and steaming； was ready for him。 But the women had
disappeared。 Beasley seated himself spread out his big
hands on the table。
Then a slight rustle a clink of spur startled him。 He
twisted his head。
〃Howdy； Beasley！〃 said Las Vegas； who had appeared as if by
magic。
Beasley's frame seemed to swell as if a flood had been
loosed in his veins。 Sweat…drops stood out on his pallid
face。
〃What you want？〃 he asked； huskily。
〃Wal now； my boss； Miss Helen； says； seein' I am foreman
heah； thet it'd be nice an' proper fer me to drop in an' eat
with you THE LAST TIME！〃 replied the cowboy。 His drawl
was slow and cool； his tone was friendly and pleasant。 But
his look was that of a falcon ready to drive deep its beak。
Beasley's reply was loud； incoherent； hoarse。
Las Vegas seated himself across from Beasley。
〃Eat or not； it's shore all the same to me；〃 said Las Vegas；
and he began to load his plate with his left hand。 His right
hand rested very lightly； with just the tips of his
vibrating fingers on the edge of the table； and he never for
the slightest fraction of a second took his piercing eyes
off Beasley。
〃Wal； my half…breed greaser guest； it shore roils up my
blood to see you sittin' there thinkin' you've put my
boss； Miss Helen； off this ranch；〃 began Las Vegas； softly。
And then he helped himself leisurely to food and drink。 〃In
my day I've shore stacked up against a lot of outlaws；
thieves； rustlers； an' sich like； but fer an out an' out
dirty low…down skunk； you shore take the dough！ 。 。 。 I'm
goin； to kill you in a minit or so； jest as soon as you move
one of them dirty paws of yourn。 But I hope you'll be polite
an' let me say a few words。 I'll never be happy again if you
don't。 。 。 。 Of all the yaller greaser dogs I ever seen；
you're the worst！ 。 。 。 I was thinkin' last night mebbe
you'd come down an' meet me like a man； so 's I could wash
my hands ever afterward without gettin' sick to my stummick。
But you didn't come。 。 。 。 Beasley； I'm so ashamed of myself
thet I gotta call you when I ought to bore you； thet I
ain't even second cousin to my old self when I rode fer
Chisholm。 It don't mean nuthin' to you to call you liar！
robber！ blackleg！ a sneakin' coyote！ an' a cheat thet hires
others to do his dirty work！ 。 。 。 By Gawd！ 〃
〃Carmichael； gimme a word in；〃 hoarsely broke out Beasley。
〃You're right； it won't do no good to call me。 。 。 。 But
let's talk。 。 。 。 I'll buy you off。 Ten thousand dollars 〃
〃Haw！ Haw！ Haw！〃 roared Las Vegas。 He was as tense as a
strung cord and his face possessed a singular pale radiance。
His right hand began to quiver more and more。
〃I'll double it！〃 panted Beasley。 〃I'll make over
half the ranch all the stock 〃
〃Swaller thet！〃 yelled Las Vegas； with terrible strident
ferocity。
〃Listen man！ 。 。 。 I take it back！ 。 。 。 I'll give up
Auchincloss's ranch！〃 Beasley was now a shaking；
whispering； frenzied man； ghastly white； with rolling eyes。
Las Vegas's left fist pounded hard on the table。
〃GREASER； COME ON！〃 he thundered。
Then Beasley； with desperate； frantic action； jerked for his
gun。
CHAPTER XXVI
For Helen Rayner that brief； dark period of expulsion from
her home had become a thing of the past； almost forgotten。
Two months had flown by on the wings of love and work and
the joy of finding her place there in the West。 All her old
men had been only too glad of the opportunity to come back
to her； and under Dale and Roy Beeman a different and
prosperous order marked the life of the ranch。
Helen had made changes in the house by altering the
arrangement of rooms and adding a new section。 Only once had
she ventured into the old dining…room where Las Vegas
Carmichael had sat down to that fatal dinner for Beasley。
She made a store…room of it； and a place she would never
again enter。
Helen was happy； almost too happy； she thought； and
therefore made more than needful of the several bitter drops
in her sweet cup of life。 Carmichael had ridden out of Pine；
ostensibly on the trail of the Mexicans who had executed
Beasley's commands。 The last seen of him h