"No. You misunderstood me. Red hasn't a thing against you. And
neither he nor anybody else could put you in bad with me."

"All right. Maybe I was hasty. But I'm not wasting time these days,"
replied Cleve. "I've no hard feelings. ... Pearce, do you want to
shake hands--or hold that against me?"

"He'll shake, of course," said Kells.

Pearce extended his hand, but with a bad grace. He was dominated.
This affront of Cleve's would rankle in him.

"Kells, what do you want with me?" demanded Cleve.

A change passed over Kells, and Joan could not tell just what it
was, but somehow it seemed to suggest a weaker man.

"Jim, you've been a great card for me," began Kells, impressively.
"You've helped my game--and twice you saved my life. I think a lot
of you. ... If you stand by me now I swear I'll return the trick
some day. ... Will you stand by me?"

"Yes," replied Cleve, steadily, but he grew pale. "What's the
trouble?"

"By--, it's bad enough!" exclaimed Kells, and as he spoke the shade
deepened in his haggard face. "Gulden has split my Legion. He has
drawn away more than half my men. They have been drunk and crazy
ever since. They've taken things into their own hands. You see the
result as well as I. That camp down there is fire and brimstone.