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Half acabin of Evarts, father of the boy who had tended sheep with Bernardino

It suited Gaston Isbel to halt here No need to call! Evarts and his son appeared so quickly as to convince observers that they had been watching

"Howdy, Jake!" said Isbel "I'it down an' come in," replied Evarts

Isbel led hi forcible that Jean divined froesture which acco Evarts that he was not to join in the Isbel-Jorth war Evarts had worked for the Isbels a long tier and darker, showed in his rugged face as he stubbornly opposed Isbel The old man raised his voice: "No, I tell you An' that settles it"

They returned to the horses, and, before , directed his so Evarts

"Son, did you bury Bernardino?"

"Dad an' lad the coyotes hadn't been round"

"How aboot the sheep?"

"I left theot skeered The sheep was doin' fine Good water an' so round"

"Jake, keep your eye on that flock," returned Isbel "An' if I shouldn't happen to come back y'u can call thee Not with us, so anybody would see hiain Jean was confronted with an uneasy premonition as to some idea or plan his father had not shared with his followers When the cavalcade started on again Jean rode to his father's side and asked him why he had wanted the Evarts boy to come to Grass Valley And the old man replied that, as the boy could run to and fro in the village without danger, heon at Greaves's store, where undoubtedly the Jorth gang would hold forth This appeared reasonable enough, therefore Jean smothered the objection he had meant to make

The valley road was deserted When, a roup of cabins, just on the outskirts of the village, Jean's quick eye caught sight of curious and evidently frightened people trying to see while they avoided being seen No doubt the whole settlement was in a state of suspense and terror Not unlikely this dark, closely grouped band of horse had looked to Jean It was an orderly, trotting march that manifested neither hurry nor exciteular aspect of such a group, as if the intent of the riders was a visible thing