Why!" she went on, shuddering slightly, "if Lad hadn't sprung between that brute and myself, you'd probably be wanting to shoot ME! For I'd have been bitten, terribly, if Lad hadn't--" "I'm not here to listen to silly nonsense!" announced Wefer, glaring at the watchful dog and back at the man and woman, "I came here in p'soot of my sworn dooty.

I been balked and resisted by the two of you; and my pistol's been stole from me and a savage dog's been pract'c'lly sicked onto me.

I'm an of'cer of the law.

And I'm going to have the law on both of you, for int'fering with me like you have.

And I'm going to get a court order to shoot--" "Then you haven't a court order or any other authority to shoot him ?" the Master caught him up.