"I want to ask some things about your plans."
"And what is our business to you?" The girl's eyes snapped and her vivid color intensified.
"It may be a great deal to me. That is why I am frank in coming here. For years this place has been range for H C cattle. Recently water has been short. You have wire and evidently are going to fence.
"I don't come as an enemy. Now that you are here I want to make the best of it."
"But you don't want us here!"
The simple declaration, voiced with that same defiance, confused Jane; then she met the other on her own ground.
"No, we don't want you here unless you will work with us as we all try to work together. I think you will do that because it is the wiser—"
"So you start out workin' with us by lookin' up our claim, the way we filed it, before you come to talk!"
"Yes, I did that,"—frankly. "I wanted to be sure just what your rights were before I came to talk business."
"Well, you know now. You know no lawyers can run us off. Ain't that enough? If you know we've got rights, what do you come here for?" She stopped, but before Jane could reply went on, her eyes flashing sudden heat: "You don't want us here but we've come to stay an' from the way you've started in to talk your business I guess that's all you'll find out."