[Cover Illustration] =T R O U B L E D= =W A T E R S= =BY= =WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE= =AUTHOR OF= =BUCKY O’CONNOR, MAN-SIZE,= =THE BIG-TOWN ROUND-UP,= =GUNSIGHT PASS, ETC.= =[Illustration]= =G R O S S E T= =&= =D U N L A P= =P U B L I S H E R S= =N E W Y O R K= COPYRIGHT, 1918, 1925, BY WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES AT THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y. =CONTENTS= CHAPTER PAGE I. AMONG THE APPLE BLOSSOMS. . . . 1 II. TIM FLANDERS OFFERS INFORMATION AND OPINIONS. . . . . . . . . 11 III. A CHALLENGE. . . . . . . . 17 IV. INTRODUCING ROWAN MCCOY TO RUTH TROVILLION. . . . . . . . 25 V. A RIDE. . . . . . . . . . 32 VI. CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. . . . . 42 VII. FATE FLINGS OPEN A CLOSED DOOR. . 56 VIII. A COLD TRAIL. . . . . . . . 65 IX. A RIFT IN THE LUTE. . . . . . 70 X. THE RIFT WIDENS. . . . . . . 84 XI. LARRY GOES CALLING. . . . . . 92 XII. ACROSS THE DEAD LINE. . . . . 103 XIII. THE NIGHT RAID. . . . . . . 114 XIV. THE DAY AFTER. . . . . . . . 129 XV. A HOT TRAIL. . . . . . . . 135 XVI. MATSON MAKES HIS GATHER. . . . 147 XVII. PADLOCKED LIPS. . . . . . . 155 XVIII. “I RECKON I’LL HANG”. . . . . 162 XIX. SAM YERBY SINGS. . . . . . . 169 XX. “YOU DAMNED JUDAS”. . . . . . 174 XXI. A COMPROMISE. . . . . . . . 185 XXII. FALKNER TALKS. . . . . . . . 195 XXIII. RUTH WHISPERS A SECRET. . . . . 207 XXIV. AT THE CIRCLE DIAMOND. . . . . 216 XXV. SILCOTT DISCOVERS HE IS NOT WELCOME 221 XXVI. AN EXPLANATION. . . . . . . 232 XXVII. THE SYMBOL. . . . . . . . . 242 XXVIII. DISTINGUISHED VISITORS. . . . . 250 XXIX. A DISAPPOINTMENT. . . . . . . 256 XXX. THE BLIZZARD. . . . . . . . 267 XXXI. “COMPANY FOR EACH OTHER”. . . . 275