"I, too, have found it! Success at last!"

CHAPTER XXV

THE END OF THE SHEEP

Court had convened. It was the day set for the decision in the Spur
Creek open range matter--a decision which would say whether or not
sheep could be pastured on land that the owner of Diamond X had long
claimed as his own.

In the open West--where there is much hard work and little play--unless
a man makes the latter for himself--the opening of court, even for
small matters, was an occasion for the "gathering of the clans." From
far and near, those who could get away to attend the sitting of the
judge, and sometimes the trial of cases, were always on hand. It was
the same sort of an occasion as in the East is the circus, the cattle
show or the county fair.

At court, as at the circus and fair, friends who had long been
separated met again, and, not infrequently, relatives found those of
whom they had long lost trace.

And so, as there was a gathering of lawyers, a judge or two, some
witnesses and any number of mere hangers-on in the city where court had
been convened, there were heard on all sides such greetings as:

"Well, ef thar ain't ole Bill! Put here there, Bill!"

"Horn-swoggle me ef 'tain't Nate! Well, gumsozzle me!"

Two hard and calloused hand would meet in a crack like that from a
small gun and two bearded faces, seamed and wrinkled, would light up
with pleasure.

Near them--all around them--similar scenes were being enacted, and, not
infrequently, ancient enemies would thus come together, with none of
the kindly greetings that I have indicated. Often as not there would
be the drawing of guns and an exchange of shots, more or less dangerous
under any circumstances, and particularly so where there was a throng
as at the opening of court.

But on this occasion all grudges seemed to have been forgotten or
buried, for there was no shooting. The feeling was of the friendliest,
save that an important issue was to be fought out between the sheep men
on one side and the cattle men on the other.

To both sides the issue meant much, for it meant success or failure in
what they elected to gain their livings by means of. So it cannot be
wondered at that there were more or less serious faces as men met and
inquired one of the other:

"How do you think it's going?"

"Well, you can't tell much about it," the answer might be. "These
lawyers and judges----"

"That's right. They don't seem to use common sense--s