Part 26 (1/2)

Tharon, standing where he had stopped her, her breast heaving, her lips apart, seemed struggling against an unknown force. She put up a hand and tried to dislodge his fingers on her shoulder, but could not.

Presently she wet her lips and looked around the street, already filled with watching folk, then up at Kenset.

”What for?” she asked.

”I think I can tell you something,” he answered quietly.

”All right,” she said briefly, ”let go an' I'll come.”

Without a word the man loosed her. She went to El Rey and mounted.

Her riders mounted with her, Billy's face frowning and set. From the steps of Baston's store a few cowboys watched. There were no Stronghold men in town, for it was too early in the day.

In silence Kenset led out of town at a brisk canter. His lips were set, his eyes very grave.

In the short gallop that followed while they cleared the skirts of the town, he did some swift thinking, settled some heavy questions for himself.

He was about to take a decided step, to put himself on record in something that did not concern his work in the Valley.

He was going directly opposite to the teaching of his craft. He was about to take sides in this thing, when he had laid down for himself rigid lines of non-partisans.h.i.+p. His mind was working swiftly.

If he flung himself and his knowledge of the outside world and the law into this thing he sunk abruptly the thing for which he had come to Lost Valley--the middle course, the influence for order that he had hoped to establish that he might do his work for the Government.

But he could not help it. At any or all costs he must stop this blue-eyed girl from riding north to challenge Courtrey on his doorstep.

The blood congealed about his heart at the thought.

Where the rolling levels came up to the confines of the town they rode out far enough to be safe from eavesdroppers, halted and faced each other.

”Miss Last,” said Kenset gently, ”I'm a stranger to you. I have little or no influence with you, but I beg you to listen to me. You say there is no help for the conditions existing in Lost Valley. That outrage follows outrage. True. I grant the thing is appalling. But there is redress. There is a law above the sheriff, when it can be proven that that officer has refused to do his duty. That law is invested in the coroner. Your coroner can arrest your sheriff. He can investigate a murder--he can issue a warrant and serve it anywhere in the State. He can subpoena witnesses. Did you know that?”

Tharon shook her head.

”Nor you?” he asked Conford.

”I knew somethin' like that--but what's th' use? Banner's a brave man, but he's got a family. An' he's been only one against th' whole push.

What could he do when there wasn't another man in th' Valley dared to stand behind him? You saw what happened to Pete. He struck up Courtrey's arm when he shot at Tharon one night last spring. Th' same thing'd happen to Banner if he tried to pull off anythin' like that.”

A light flamed up in Kenset's eyes.

”If you, Miss Last,” he said straightly, ”will give me your word to do no shooting, something like that will be pulled off here, and shortly.”

He looked directly at Tharon, and for the first time in her life she felt the strength of a gaze she couldn't meet--not fully.

But Tharon shook her head.

”I'm sworn,” she said simply.

Kenset's face lost a bit of colour. Billy, watching, turned grey beneath his tan. He saw something which none other did, a thing that darkened the heavens all suddenly.

”Then,” said Kenset quietly, ”we'll have to do without your promise and go ahead anyway. We'll ride back to town, demand of Service a proper investigation by a coroner's jury, and begin at the bottom.”