"Cold feet?"

"Horrible!" said Anastacio.

Matthew Lisner, sheriff of Dona Ana, bent a hard eye on his
subordinate.


"It's got to be done," he urged. "To elect our ticket we must have
all the respectable and responsible people of the valley. If we can
provoke Foy into an outbreak----"

"Not we--you," corrected Anastacio. "Myself, I do not feel provoking."

"Are you going to lay down on me?"

"If you care to put it that way--yes. Kit Foy is just the man to leave
alone."

"Now, listen!" said the sheriff impatiently. "Half the valley is owned
by newcomers, men of substance, who, with the votes they influence
or control, will decide the election. Foy is half a hero with them,
because of these vague old stories. But let him be stirred up to
violence now and you'll see! They won't see any romance in it--just an
open outrage; they will flock to us to the last man. Ours is the party
of law and order--"

"Law _to_ order, some say."