Rand drawled: “I’ll say this is some town.” He leaned forward. “What I want to know is: how about this booze? He serves notice on me that I’m responsible if any’s sold. How about it? Will he go through? Or is it a bluff?”

Kite considered. “I don’t know,” he said.

“Has he shut you down?”

“He gave us orders not to sell; and we’re not selling. But we’re not idle. We’re preparing to spring a mine under that man.”

“He’s got you bluffed.”

Kite’s face twisted with a sudden rush of fury. “I tell you, we’re going to destroy him—blast him!—in our own good time.”

Rand studied the little man; then he nodded. “Well, that’s all right. Just the same, he’s got you shut down.”

“Yes.”

“Has he pulled any one yet for selling?”

“No.”