Warden moistened his lips as he grinned his satisfaction.

"There's only one trail, Singleton--you are sure of that?"

"One trail--the Tom Long trail. The devil himself couldn't find another
through that country."

Warden leaned back in his chair, laughing lowly. Into his manner as he
sat there came a confidence that had not been there before--bold,
arrogant. His laugh had a sinister quality in it; in his eyes was the
light of greed.

And as he watched Singleton something else came into his eyes--something
abysmal, causing them to narrow and glow with a bestial light.

"Singleton," he said, his voice thick and throaty; "when I stepped into
Jim Lefingwell's boots the county board of education appointed me to
succeed Lefingwell as school commissioner for Willets. It strikes me
that something ought to be done about the teacher punishing your boy. I
think I had better have a talk with her."

"Shucks," growled Singleton; "I reckon the kid deserved what he got. He
was tryin' to wallop her when Lawler come in. I ain't admirin' Ruth
Hamlin none, but I reckon she wasn't to blame for that. If you was
figgerin' to see Lawler, now, why that would be more to the point." He
grinned crookedly at Warden, slight mockery in his gaze.

Warden scowled. "That's your job, Singleton. If he tries to 'wallop' me
as he walloped you, I'll have something to say to him."