CHAPTER 5
Vance’s work was not by any means accomplished. Rather, it might be said
that he was in the position of a man with a dangerous charge for a gun
and no weapon to shoot it. He started out to find the g*n.
In fact, he already had it in mind. Twenty-four hours later he was in
Craterville. Five days out of the ten before the twenty-fifth birthday of
Terence had elapsed, and Vance was still far from his goal, but he felt
that the lion’s share of the work had been accomplished.
Craterville was a day’s ride across the mountains from the Cornish ranch,
and it was the county seat. It was one of those towns which spring into
existence for no reason that can be discovered, and cling to life
generations after they should have died. But Craterville held one thing
of which Vance Cor
