292 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



one out. Shan knew that the Feather Man also 

 wanted hmi to do so, and affairs would have looked 

 black for the game warden, even though it would 

 have been dijQBcult to prove the shooting to have 

 been a murder, for there was no way of determin- 

 ing at what time the mortal shot had been fired. 



The boy, however, was obstinate about this. 



''Bull said," he replied, in answer to the per- 

 sistent advice of the local justice, ''that he had 

 been against the law all his life and didn 't want to 

 call on its help now. There were lots of people 

 heard him say that." 



"I know," the magistrate said, "but, even if he 

 did, that's no reason why a murderer — if he is a 

 murderer — should go scot free! Can't you see 

 that?" 



' ' Yes, sir, ' ' Shan answered — he was catching the 

 knack of politeness, now — "I can see all that, only 

 I've got to do what Bull said." 



And, from that position, nothing could move 

 him. 



As soon as the story went abroad, it put every 

 man in the neighborhood on Shan 's side. Few of 

 them had any respect for the law. It was as much 

 as a revenue man's life was worth to enter that 

 country, and wild and desolate as was that part 



