Chapter I: Front Matter

THE LAW-BREAKERS

By RIDGWELL CULLUM

AUTHOR OF "The Story of the Foss River Ranch," "In the Brooding Wild," "The Way of the Strong," Etc.

With Frontispiece in Colors

A. L. BURT COMPANY Publishers New York Published by Arrangement with GEORGE W. JACOBS & CO.

COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY GEORGE W. JACOBS & COMPANY

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PRINTED IN U. S. A.

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

THE WAY OF THE STRONG THE TWINS OF SUFFERING CREEK THE NIGHT-RIDERS THE ONE-WAY TRAIL THE TRAIL OF THE AXE THE SHERIFF OF DYKE HOLE THE WATCHERS OF THE PLAINS

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I WATCHING THE LINE 1

II WHITE POINT 5

III THE HOLD-UP 11

IV AT THE FOOT OF AN AGED PINE 18

V BOUND FOR THE SOUTHERN TRAIL 25

VI THE MAN-HUNTERS 35

VII CHARLIE BRYANT 43

VIII THE SOUL-SAVERS 53

IX THE "STRAY"-HUNTER 64

X THE BROTHERS 73

XI THE UNREGENERATE 79

XII THE DISCOMFITURE OF HELEN 91

XIII LIGHT-HEARTED SOULS 100

XIV THE HOUSE OF DIRTY O'BRIEN 110

XV ADVENTURES IN THE NIGHT 120

XVI FURTHER ADVENTURES 128

XVII BILL PEEPS UNDER THE SURFACE 137

XVIII THE ARM OUTREACHING 142

XIX BILL MAKES THREE DISCOVERIES 155

XX IN THE FAR REACHES 166

XXI WORD FROM HEADQUARTERS 176

XXII MOVES IN THE GAME OF LOVE 184

XXIII STORM CLOUDS 195

XXIV THE SOUL OF A MAN 206

XXV THE BROKEN CHAIN 215

XXVI ROCKY SPRINGS HEARS THE NEWS 221

XXVII AT THE HIDDEN CORRAL 235

XXVIII A WAGER 241

XXIX BILL'S FRESH BLUNDERING 256

XXX THE COMMITTEE DECIDE 261

XXXI ANTAGONISTS 265

XXXII TREACHERY 272

XXXIII PLAYING THE GAME 278

XXXIV AN ENCOUNTER 286

XXXV ON MONDAY NIGHT 296

XXXVI STILL MONDAY NIGHT 299

XXXVII THE NIGHT TRAIL 307

XXXVIII THE FALL OF THE OLD PINE 315

XXXIX FROM THE ASHES 327

XL THE DAWN 335

THE LAW-BREAKERS