oved back to give
him the place of vantage.

Ted had not even taken his six-shooter from its holster, but stood with
his hands resting lightly on his hips, while his eyes roved inquiringly
over the menacing crowd.

"Any of you gentlemen like to have some of the same sort of medicine?"
he asked, nodding toward the prostrate Rhue.

There was no reply.

"Because if any of you would, I, or any of my friends, will be glad to
accommodate you," he added.

An ominous growl came from some one back in the crowd.

"Would you like some of it?" asked Ted, turning suddenly in that
direction.

He waited for several moments for an answer, but none came.

"Now, you fellows, I want to say that this incident is closed," said he
firmly. "You are beaten every way from the jack, as you would say. You
put up this race to skin innocent parties, and you thought to use my
friends for your purposes, and have failed. The face was fairly won by
our horse, and that goes. If any man doubts it, I will prove it to him
by any means he wishes, from fists up to howitzers. You have made a lot
of fools of yourselves by allowing an old crook like Norris to play in
with you. I haven't a bit of sympathy for you. I'm glad you lost your
money, and I'd feel gladder if you all went broke. This is the end of
this adventure. Where's Norris? We want that magpie horse which we won."

The men dispersed after this speech, which closed with a ringing cheer
from the broncho boys and the cow-punchers and other friends of Hatrack.

But Norris could not be found. He and the horse and the jockey had
disappeared. Ted rounded the boys up, and all were present except Kit.

"Where's Kit?" he asked.

"Don't know," said Bud. "He was around here a few minutes ago. Reckon
he's somewhere about."

The crowd having dispersed uptown, a search was made for Kit, but he
could not be found.

"I wonder if some of that gang hasn't got square with us by some foul
play on Kit," said Ted. "It would be like the coyotes. Kit was the
smallest of the lot, and naturally the cowards would pick him."

"Kit's small, all right," said Stella stoutly, for she and Kit were
great friends, and Stella was always one to stick up for those she
liked. "If they pick Kit for his size, and think they have got an easy
thing, they will find that they have gathered up a red-hot Chile pepper.
He'll give them the hottest fight they ever had, as long as he lasts."

"Hurray fer you, Stella," exclaimed Bu