h you joy of yore job, Wrayburn. You'll have one heluva time."

"You will if Yankie can bring it about," amended the cattleman. He spoke
coldly and contemptuously just as if the man were not present. "I've
made up my mind, Dad, that he's in cahoots with the rustlers."

"Prove it! Prove it!" demanded the accused man, furious with anger at
Webb's manner.

The ranch-owner went on talking to Wrayburn in an even voice. "I've
suspected it for some time. Now I'm convinced. Yesterday mornin' I found
him asleep in bed with his clothes on. His horse looked like it had been
travelin' all night. I made inquiries. He went to Live-Oaks an' was seen
to take the trail to the Ruidosa. Why?"

"You've been spyin' on me," charged Yankie. He was under a savage desire
to draw his gun but he could not shake off in a moment the habit of
subordination bred by years of service with this man.

"To let his fellow thieves know that he meant to leave a bunch of beef
steers on the berrendo practically unguarded. That's why. I'd bet a stack
of blues on it. You'll have to watch this fellow, Dad."

The new foreman took his cue from the boss. None the less, he meant just
what he said. "You better believe I'll watch him. I've had misgivin's
about him for a right smart time."

"He'll probably ride straight to his gang of rustlers. Well, he can't do
us half as much harm there as here."

"I'll git you both. Watch my smoke. Watch it." With a curse the rustler
swung his horse round and gave it the spur. Poison hate churned in his
heart. At the bend of the road he turned and shook a fist at them both.

"There goes one good horse an' saddle belongin' to me," said Webb,
smiling ruefully. "But if I never get them back it's cheap at the price.
I'm rid of one scoundrel."

"I wonder if you are, Homer," mused his friend. "Maybe you'd better have
let him down easy. Joe Yankie is as revengeful as an Injun."

"Let him down easy!" exploded the cattleman. "When he's just pulled off a
raw deal by which I lose a bunch of forty fat three-year-olds. I ought
to have gunned him in his tracks."

"If you had proof, but you haven't. It's a right doubtful policy for a
man to stir up a rattler till it's crazy, then to turn it loose in his
bedroom."

The Missourian turned to the business of the hour. "We'll get a posse out
after the rustlers right away. Dad. I'll see the boys an' you hustle
up some rifles and ammunition."

Half an hour later they saw the dust of the co