"You'll pay through the nose for this, you scoundrel," Sexton
whimpered. "I'll fix you, you traitor."

"You feex nothing, M'sieur Sexton," Rondeau replied imperturbably.
"Who is witness Jules Rondeau tie you up? Somebody see you, no? I
guess you don' feex me. Sacre! I guess you don' try."




CHAPTER XXXVII


Colonel Pennington's discovery at San Francisco that Bryce Cardigan
had stolen his thunder and turned the bolt upon him, was the hardest
blow Seth Pennington could remember having received throughout
thirty-odd years of give and take. He was too old and experienced a
campaigner, however, to permit a futile rage to cloud his reason; he
prided himself upon being a foeman worthy of any man's steel.

On Tuesday he returned to Sequoia. Sexton related to him in detail
the events which had transpired since his departure, but elicited
nothing more than a noncommittal grunt.

"There is one more matter, sir, which will doubtless be of interest
to you," Sexton continued apologetically. "Miss Sumner called me on
the telephone yesterday and instructed me formally to notify the
board of directors of the Laguna Grande Company of a special meeting
of the board, to be held here at two o'clock this afternoon. In view