The Law-Breakers   By: Ridgwell Cullum (1867-1943)

By RIDGWELL CULLUM

AUTHOR OF "The Story of the Foss River Ranch," "In the Brooding Wild," "The Way of the Strong," Etc.

With Frontispiece in Colors

A. L. BURT COMPANY Publishers New York Published by Arrangement with GEORGE W. JACOBS & CO.

COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY GEORGE W. JACOBS & COMPANY

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PRINTED IN U. S. A.

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

THE WAY OF THE STRONG THE TWINS OF SUFFERING CREEK THE NIGHT RIDERS THE ONE WAY TRAIL THE TRAIL OF THE AXE THE SHERIFF OF DYKE HOLE THE WATCHERS OF THE PLAINS

[Illustration: "WHAT IS THIS MAN TO YOU?" HE DEMANDED The Law Breakers. Frontispiece. ]

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I WATCHING THE LINE 1

II WHITE POINT 5

III THE HOLD UP 11

IV AT THE FOOT OF AN AGED PINE 18

V BOUND FOR THE SOUTHERN TRAIL 25

VI THE MAN HUNTERS 35

VII CHARLIE BRYANT 43

VIII THE SOUL SAVERS 53

IX THE "STRAY" HUNTER 64

X THE BROTHERS 73

XI THE UNREGENERATE 79

XII THE DISCOMFITURE OF HELEN 91

XIII LIGHT HEARTED SOULS 100

XIV THE HOUSE OF DIRTY O'BRIEN 110

XV ADVENTURES IN THE NIGHT 120

XVI FURTHER ADVENTURES 128

XVII BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE 137

XVIII THE ARM OUTREACHING 142

XIX BILL MAKES THREE DISCOVERIES 155

XX IN THE FAR REACHES 166

XXI WORD FROM HEADQUARTERS 176

XXII MOVES IN THE GAME OF LOVE 184

XXIII STORM CLOUDS 195

XXIV THE SOUL OF A MAN 206

XXV THE BROKEN CHAIN 215

XXVI ROCKY SPRINGS HEARS THE NEWS 221

XXVII AT THE HIDDEN CORRAL 235

XXVIII A WAGER 241

XXIX BILL'S FRESH BLUNDERING 256

XXX THE COMMITTEE DECIDE 261

XXXI ANTAGONISTS 265

XXXII TREACHERY 272

XXXIII PLAYING THE GAME 278

XXXIV AN ENCOUNTER 286

XXXV ON MONDAY NIGHT 296

XXXVI STILL MONDAY NIGHT 299

XXXVII THE NIGHT TRAIL 307

XXXVIII THE FALL OF THE OLD PINE 315

XXXIX FROM THE ASHES 327

XL THE DAWN 335

THE LAW BREAKERS

CHAPTER I

WATCHING THE LINE

There was no shade anywhere. The terrible glare of the summer sun beat down upon the whole length of the wooden platform at Amberley. Hot as was the dry, bracing air, it was incomparable with the blistering intensity of heat reflected from the planking, which burned through to the soles of the feet of the uniformed man who paced its length, slowly, patiently.

This sunburnt, gray eyed man, with his loose, broad shoulders, his powerful, easy moving limbs, seemed quite indifferent to the irritating climatic conditions of the moment. Even the droning of the worrying mosquitoes had no power to disturb him. Like everything else unpleasant in this distant northwestern land, he accepted these things as they came, and brushed them aside for the more important affairs he was engaged upon.