" Theed 'em go by. Maur Harrithon theth
his dad's goin' to chuck out ole McKin-
thtry. Hooray ! "

Mrs. McKinstry turned her dark face
sharply on Seth. "What 's that he sez ? "

"Nothin' but children's gassin'," he an-
swered, meeting her eyes with an evil con-



CRESS T. 181

sciousness half loutish, half defiant, " and ef
it war true, it would only sarve Hiram Mc-
Kinstry right."

She laid her hand upon his shoulder with
swift suspicion. " Out o' my way, Seth
Davis," she said suddenly, pushing him
aside. " Ef this ez any underhanded work
of yours, you 'U pay for it."

She strode past him in the direction of
Johnny, but at the approach of the tall
woman with the angry eyes, the boy flew.
She hesitated a moment, turned again with
a threatening wave of the hand to Seth, and
started off rapidly in the direction of the
boundary.
She had not placed so much faith in the
boy's story as in the vague revelation of evil
in Davis's manner. If there was any " cus-
sedness " afoot, Seth, conArinced of Cressy's
unfaithfulness, and with no further hope of
any mediation from the parents, would
know it. Unless Hiram had been warned,
he was still lulled in his fatuous dream of
civilization. At that time he and his men
were in the tules with the stock ; to be sat-
isfied, she herself must go to the boun-
dary.
She reached the ridge of the cottonwoods



182 cREsar.
