The three settlers looked covertly at each other, drifted apart, got their horses and presently left town by different ways. Three hours later these men met by common consent at the head of Rolling Cove and talked long and earnestly of the happening. They knew that Courtrey would never take silently that bitter arraignment, that something would transpire swiftly to show his resentment, to prove his absolute power over Lost Valley. "'Tain't Tharon that'll suffer, even ef he did try t' shoot her that night in th' Golden Cloud, because Courtrey wants her himself," said Jameson quietly, "th' whole country knows that. There was only one man who didn't know it, an' that was Jim Last himself. No, he won't monkey with th' Holdin' yet, not to any great extent. It'll be us little fellers, us others who he knows would stan' behind her. Some of us'll lose somethin' soon, an' don't you forget it." "If we do," said Hill passionately, "it's time t' show our hand. We've been hounded long enough. Th' men from Last's will be with us, we can gamble on that." "Yes," said Thomas, "but it'll be war. Open war. There'll be killin's then." Jameson, a quiet man with deep eyes, made a wide gesture. "What if there is?" he asked, "might's well be done in th' open as in th' dark an' unseen. Might better be! I move we ride th' Valley an' ask th' settlers to band together, under Last's, an' give our ultimatum t' Courtrey on th' heels of this. What say you?" "I say yes," said Hill swiftly. Thomas, of less stern stuff, wavered. "Well, let's wait awhile. Let's don't be too quick. Courtrey now, he's mighty quick an' hot. They ain't no tellin'----" "All right," said Jameson promptly, "suit yourself--we ain't a-pressin' no man into this." "Why, now, I'm fer it, boys--that is, I'm believin' it's got t' be done, only I counsels time." "No time," cried Hill, "we ben counselin' time an' quiet an' not doin' anything to stir 'em up, an' what d' we get? Cattle stole every spring, waterholes taken an' fenced fer Courtrey's stock right on th' open range, hogs drove off, fences tore down, like pore old John Dement's an' some of us left t' rot every year in some coulee. We done waited a sight too long. Courtrey thinks he owns Lost Valley, an' he comes near doin' it, what with his hired killers, Wylackie an' Black Bart an' this new gun man that's just come in. I heered today he's from Arizona, an' imported article." Jameson turned to him and held out his hand. "I'm goin' to ride tomorrow," he said. Hill grasped the extended hand and looked hard in the other's eyes. "Me, too," he said. Thomas, still of the timid, doubting heart, watched them with a hand over his mouth to hide its shaking. Without a word the others turned their horses and rode away in different directions. As they went farther from him in the wash of the late light the uncertain hand came down with a jerk. Fear was in his eyes, the deep, quaking fear of the man poor in courage, but he beat it down.