ren laughed harshly. "O' course they'll swear to it. You're
givin' them their job, ain't you?"

The drover looked at him steadily. "Yes, I'm givin' the boys a job, but I
haven't bought 'em body an' soul, Warren."

The eyes of the nester were a barometer of his temper. "That's my beef,
Webb."

"It never was yours an' it never will be."

"Raw work, Webb. I'll not stand for it."

"Don't overplay yore hand," cautioned the owner of the trail herd.

Clanton had ridden up and was talking to the cook. A couple of other
punchers had dropped up to the chuck wagon, casually as it were.

Warren glared at them savagely, but swallowed his rage. "It's yore say-so
right now, but I'll collect what's comin' to me one of these days. You're
liable to find this trail hotter 'n hell with the lid on."

"I'm not lookin' for trouble, but I'm not runnin' away from it," returned
Webb evenly.

"You're sure goin' to find it--a heap more of it than you can ride herd
on. That right, Pete?"

The gray-eyed man nodded slightly. Mysterious Pete had the habit of
taciturnity. His gaze slid in a searching, sidelong fashion from Webb to
Prince, on to Wrayburn, across to Clanton, and back to the drover. No
wolf in the encinal could have been warier.

"Cut out the roan," ordered Webb.

The ladino was separated from the bunch of Circle Diamond cattle. Warren
and his satellite drove the rest from the camp.

"War, looks like," commented Dad Wrayburn.

"Yes," agreed the drover. "I wish it didn't have to be. But Peg-Leg
called for a showdown. He came here to force my hand. As regards the
beef, he might have had it an' welcome. But that wouldn't have satisfied
him. He'd have taken it for a sign of weakness if I had given way."

"What will he do?" asked young McGrath.

"I don't know. We'll have to keep our eyes open every minute of the day
an' night. Are you with me, boys?"

Tim threw his hat into the air and let out a yell. "Surest thing you
know."

"Damfidon't sit in an' take a hand," said Wrayburn.

One after another agreed to back the boss.

"But don't think it will be a picnic," urged Webb. "We'll know we've been
in a fight before we get through. With a crowd of gunmen like Mysterious
Pete against us we'll have hard travelin'. I'd side-step this if I could,
but I can't."

Chapter XVIII

A Stampede

Clanton took his turn at night herding for the first time the day of
Warren's visit to the camp. Under a star-strewn sky he circ