ther and their friends to take a
bunch of Texas men up into the Falling Wall and shoot and burn men
because they're rustlers, you're very much mistaken. And I can tell
you the people of this country won't agree with you either, no matter
what some folks in this town may say to tickle your ears."

"Do you mean to say you stand up for thieves, too?" asked Kate, hotly.

McAlpin looked apprehensively out at the clouds. Belle twitched her
shoulders: "You needn't be so high and mighty about it," she retorted.
"No, I don't. And I don't stand up for burning men alive because they
brand mavericks. You talk very fierce--like everybody up your way.
But if Abe Hawk or Jim Laramie walked in here this minute, you wouldn't
agree to have them shot down. And don't you forget it, Jim Laramie
doesn't claim a hoof of anybody's cattle but his own."

Kate would not back down: "Why do they call him king of the rustlers?"
she demanded.

"King of the rustlers, nothing," echoed Belle in disgust. "That's
barroom talk. No decent man ever accused him of branding so much as a
horse hair that didn't belong to him."

"And his reputation is, he's not very slow when it comes to shooting,
either," declared Kate.

McAlpin thought it a time for oil on the waters! "You've got to make
allowances," he urged with dignity. "Ten years ago--less'n that,
even--they was all pretty quick on the trigger in this country. Jim
was a kid 'n' he had to travel with the bunch."

"And he was quicker 'n any of them," interposed Belle, defiantly,
"wasn't he, Mac?"

McAlpin was for moderation and better feeling:

"Well," he admitted gravely, "full as quick, I guess."

"It seems to me," observed Kate, still resentful, "as if men here are
pretty quick yet."

"Oh, no," interposed McAlpin at once; "oh, no, not special now'days.
More talk'n there used to be--heap more."

"Bring over my pony, Mr. McAlpin, will you?" asked Kate, very much
irritated.

McAlpin looked surprised: "You wouldn't be ridin' home tonight?"

"Yes," replied Kate, sharply, "I would."

As McAlpin started on his way she turned on Belle: "And you mustn't
forget, Belle, that vigilantes, no matter whether they do make mistakes
or go too far, have built this country up and made it safe to live in."

Belle's face took on a weariness: "Oh, no--not always safe to live
in--sometimes safe to make money in. There's nothing I'm so sick of
hearing as this vigilante stuff. The vigilante crowd ar