ll's
troubles and shamed the hospitality of his home. This situation had been
relieved temporarily by the labors of Mrs. Bissell and Juliet until an
incompetent cowboy had been pressed into service at an exorbitant figure.

Therefore it was with short temper and less patience that Bissell began
what might be called the trial of Larkin. The meeting-place of the men was
under a big cottonwood that stood by the bank of the little stream curving
past the Bar T.

As each man arrived from his home ranch he was made acquainted with the
situation as it stood, and one afternoon Larkin was brought out from his
room to appear before the tribunal. The owners were determined to end the
matter that day, mete out punishment, and ride back to their own ranches
in the morning.

It was a circle of stern-faced, solemn men that Larkin faced under the
cottonwood tree, and as he looked at one after another, his heart sank,
for there appeared very little of the quality of mercy in any of them.
Knowing as he did the urgency that was drawing them home again, he feared
that the swiftness of judgment would be tempered with very little reason.

Bissell as head of the organization occupied a chair, while at each side
of him five men lounged on the grass, their guns within easy reach. Larkin
was assigned to a seat facing them all, and, looking them over, recognized
one or two. There was Billy Speaker, of the Circle-Arrow, whom he had once
met, and Red Tarken, of the M Square, unmistakable both because of his
size and his flaming hair.

"Now, Larkin," began Bissell, "these men know what you've been tryin' to
do to my range--"

"Do they know what you did to my sheep?" interrupted Bud crisply.

Bissell's face reddened at this thrust, for, deep down, he knew that the
stampede was an utterly despicable trick, and he was not over-anxious to
have it paraded before his neighbors, some of whom had ridden far at his
request.

"Shut yore mouth," he snarled, "an' don't yuh open it except to answer
questions."

"Oh, no, yuh can't do that, Bissell," and blond Billy Speaker shook his
head. "Yuh got to give 'im a chance to defend himself. Now we're here we
want to get all the facts. What did yuh do to his sheep, Beef? I never
heard."

"I run a few of 'em into the Little River, if yore any happier knowin',"
snapped Bissell, glowering on Speaker.

Larkin grinned.

"Two thousand of 'em," he volunteered. There was no comment.

"These gents know," went