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Mason nodded, his eyes wandering fro to collect beneath the shade of a huge oak a hundred

yards below

"Never carry a knife, do ye?"

"No"

"Thought not; always heard you fought with a gun Caught no sight of

the feller after ye got up?"

"All I saw then was the crowd blocking the door-way I knew they had

caughtthe knife-hilt, and,

soet out of

there into the open I 've seen vigilantes turn loose before, and kneas likely to happen!"

"Sure Recognize anybody in that first bunch?"

"Big Ji-starter

in his hand"

Mason nodded thoughtfully, his mouth puckered "It's him, and half a

dozen other fellers of the same stripe, who are kickin' up all this

fracas The most of 'em are yonder now, an' if it wus n't fer leavin'