Page:Honore Willsie--Judith of the godless valley.djvu/302

 dragging Inez in on this for? She's always been a good friend to you, Peter."

"I like Inez," said Peter slowly, "but no one is a good friend of mine who is bucking against Douglas in this stunt he's at himself. Douglas is easily the coming man of this valley and if I'm not mistaken, of this State, and I'm back of him, boots, spurs and saddle."

Douglas flushed and twisted uneasily in his chair.

Scott sneered, inaudibly. Inez stared at Douglas, nostrils quivering slightly. "I've always admired Doug," she spoke coolly, "but it wasn't playing the game for him to let the preacher attack me and I'll never forgive him for it."

"I'll never ask you to!" exclaimed Douglas cheerfully. "And I'm not going to start a debate with you. I know that Charleton and Scott put over this deal and that you knew about it."

"I'm going to make just one statement." Inez was looking again at Peter. "I think whoever set fire to your place, Douglas, was a fool and a crook."

Scott buttoned up his mackinaw. "Well, I'll be riding. I'm a long way from home."

Douglas stretched his right arm along the table. His six-shooter was in his hand. "Don't hurry away, old-timer! I want to talk to you."

Scott stood rigidly, a forefinger in a buttonhole. "Don't get funny, Doug. This ain't a sheep-herder's war."

"No, it's more serious than that," agreed Douglas. "You don't get the idea, Scott. You can't run the preacher out of the Valley, because I shall keep bringing him back. You can't burn down my chapel, because I shall keep building it up. Now, you tell me what you