"Don't you know that I own this place?" he asked. "I cleared this land, and built this house years and years ago. I hold it by possession. Why should you wish to take it from me? There is all the land on this side of the river unstaked. Can you not let me live here in peace? Why do you need my small piece of ground?"
"That's nothin' to do with it," Sam retorted. "We've staked this spot, an' we want it, so that's all there is about it."
"But suppose I am not willing to give it up, what then?"
"Oh, we'll soon settle that," and the men laughed as they clapped their hands to their hip-pockets. "We've something here which speaks pretty loud, an' to the point."
"But is this legal?" Martin insisted. "I have the land surely by possession, so it is mine by right of ownership."
"Might is right in this country," and Dave spat contemptuously upon the floor. "That is the only law we know here, or pay any attention to."
"Is that so?"
These three brief words caused The Twins to look quickly to the right, and at once their faces underwent a marvellous change. Nance was standing there, with her lithe figure as straight as a reed. She was looking quietly along the barrel of Martin's rifle, and the slight forefinger of her right hand was gently pressing the trigger. The visitors had paid no attention to her before, so engrossed had they been with Martin. But now they suddenly realised that here was a new force to be reckoned with upon which they had not counted. Nance stood before them transformed. Her face was very pale, but her eyes glowed with the light of determination, which the two baffled men were not slow to notice.
"I will shoot the first one of you that moves a hand," Nance warningly remarked.
"Fer God's sake ye wouldn't, Miss," Dave faltered. "Ye don't mean it, surely?"