uttered to himself immediately after Lawler left his office: "I'm glad
it's over. I've been dreadin' it. He's the only one in the whole bunch
that I was afraid of. There'll be hell to pay in this section,
now--pure, unadulterated hell, an' no mistake!" And then he added
something that had occurred to him afterward: "If the big guys back of
this thing knowed Kane Lawler as well as I know him, they'd have thought
a heap before they started this thing!"

"Bah!" sneered Warden; "you're raving! We know what we are doing. You
do as you're told--that's all. And keep your mouth shut. Just keep on
telling them there are no cars. That's the truth, isn't it?" He grinned
gleefully at Simmons.

"So he's wise, eh?" he added. "Well, I'm damned glad of it--the
sagebrush rummie! We'll make him hump before we get through with him!"

Hatred of Lawler had seized Warden--a passion that ran through his veins
with the virulence of a strong poison. It had been the incident of the
fluttering handkerchief that had aroused him. Until then he had merely
disliked Lawler, aware of the latent strength of him, his rugged
manliness, and his quiet confidence. All those evidences of character
had irritated him, for they had brought an inevitable contrast between
himself and the man, and he knew he lacked those things which would have
made him Lawler's equal. He felt inferior, and the malevolence that
accompanied the conviction was reflected in his face as he faced
Simmons.

"No cars, now--damn them! Not a single car! Understand, Simmons? No
cars--you can't get them! No matter what happens, you can't get
cars--for anybody!"