much finding," and Ed
Austin himself emerged from the stable door. "Well, what do you want?"
he asked.

"You are Mr. Austin, I reckon?"

"I am. What d'you mean by abusing my help?" The master of Las Palmas
approached so near that his threatening scowl was visible. "I don't
allow strangers to prowl around my premises."

Amazed at this hostile greeting, Law explained in a word the reason for
his presence.

"I don't know anything about your man. What d'you want him for, and who
are you?"

Dave introduced himself. "I want him for stealing Guzman calves. I
trailed him from where he and his partner cut into your south pasture."

Benito stirred and muttered an oath, but Austin was unmoved. "I reckon
you must be a bad trailer," he laughed. "We've got no thieves here.
What makes you think Guzman lost any calves?"

Dave's temper, never too well controlled at best, began to rise. He
could not imagine why a person of Ed Austin's standing should behave in
this extraordinary manner, unless perhaps he was drunk.

"Well, I saw the calves, and I left the fellow that was branding them
with a wet saddle-blanket over his face."

"Eh? What's that?" Austin started, and Gonzalez uttered a smothered
exclamation. "You killed him? He's dead?"

"Dead enough to skin. I caught him with his irons in the fire and the
calves necked up in your pasture. Now I want his companero."

"I--hope you don't think we know anything about him," Ed protested.

"Where's that man on the sorrel horse?"

Austin turned away with a shrug.

"You rode in with him," Dave persisted.

Ed wheeled quickly. "How do you know I did?"

"Your boy saw you."

The ranchman's voice was harsh as he said: "Look here, my friend,
you're on the wrong track. The fellow I was with had nothing to do with
this affair. Would you know your man? Did you get a look at him?"

"No. But I reckon Don Ricardo could tell his horse."

"Humph!" Austin grunted, disagreeably. "So just for that you come
prowling around threatening my help, eh? Trying to frame up a case,
maybe? Well, it don't go. I was out with one of Tad Lewis's men."

"What was his name?" Dave managed to inquire.

"Urbina. He had a sorrel under him, but there are thousands of sorrel
horses."

"What time did you meet him?"

"I met him at noon and--I've been with him ever since. So you see
you're wrong. I presume your man doubled back and is laughing at you."

Law's first bewilderment had given place to a black r