only thought him more mature and more subdued, and as the only man now
in her household his services had been invaluable in the emergency.
The funeral had taken place at Santa Inez, where half the county
gathered to pay their last respects to their former fellow-citizen and
neighbor, whose legal and combative victories they had admired, and whom
death had lifted into a public character. The family were returning to
the house the same afternoon, Mrs. Peyton and the girls in one carriage,
the female house-servants in another, and Clarence on horseback. They
had reached the first plateau, and Clarence was riding a little in
advance, when an extraordinary figure, rising from the grain beyond,
began to gesticulate to him wildly. Checking the driver of the first
carriage, Clarence bore down upon the stranger. To his amazement it
was Jim Hooker. Mounted on a peaceful, unwieldy plough horse, he was
nevertheless accoutred and armed after his most extravagant fashion.
In addition to a heavy rifle across his saddle-bow he was weighted down
with a knife and revolvers. Clarence was in no mood for trifling, and
almost rudely demanded his business.
"Gord, Clarence, it ain't foolin'. The Sisters' title was decided
yesterday."
"I knew it, you fool! It's YOUR title! You were already on your land and
in possession. What the devil are you doing HERE?"
"Yes,--but," stammered Jim, "all the boys holding that title moved up
here to 'make the division' and grab all they could. And I followed. And
I found out that they were going to grab Judge Peyton's house, because
it was on the line, if they could, and findin' you was all away, by Gord
THEY DID! and they're in it! And I stoled out and rode down here to warn
ye."
He stopped, looked at Clarence, glanced darkly around him and then down
on his accoutrements. Even in that supreme moment of sincerity, he could
not resist the possibilities of the situation.
"It's as much as my life's worth," he said gloomily. "But," with a dark
glance at his weapons, "I'll sell it dearly."
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