e how many of yours we
got. We have baled all the stray hides separate, so they can be looked
over. But it's nearly noon, and you'd better all ride up to the ranch
for dinner--they feed better up there than we do in camp."

Rather than make a three-mile ride to the house, the visitors took
dinner with the wagon, and about one o'clock Deweese and a vaquero came
in, dragging a hide between them. June cordially greeted the callers,
including Henry Annear, who represented the Las Norias ranch, though I
suppose it was well known to every one present that there was no love
lost between them. Uncle Lance asked our foreman for his list of outside
brands, explaining that these men wished to look them over. Everything
seemed perfectly satisfactory to all parties concerned, and after
remaining in camp over an hour, Deweese and the vaquero saddled fresh
horses and rode away. The visitors seemed in no hurry to go, so Uncle
Lance sat around camp entertaining them, while the rest of us proceeded
with our work of baling. Before leaving, however, the entire party in
company of our employer took a stroll about the hide yard, which was
some distance from camp. During this tour of inspection, Annear asked
which were the bales of outside hides taken in Deweese's division,
claiming he represented a number of brands outside of Las Norias. The
bales were pointed out and some dozen unbaled hides looked over. On a
count the baled and unbaled hides were found to tally exactly with the
list submitted. But unfortunately Annear took occasion to insinuate that
the list of brands rendered had been "doctored." Uncle Lance paid little
attention, though he heard, but the other visitors remonstrated with
Annear. This only seemed to make him more contentious. Finally matters
came to an open rupture when Annear demanded that the cordage be cut on
certain bales to allow him to inspect them. Possibly he was within his
rights, but on the Nueces during the seventies, to question a man's word
was equivalent to calling him a liar; and _liar_ was a fighting word all
over the cattle range.

"Well, Henry," said Uncle Lance, rather firmly, "if you are not
satisfied, I suppose I'll have to open the bales for you, but before I
do, I'm going to send after June. Neither you nor any one else can cast
any reflections on a man in my employ. No unjust act can be charged in
my presence against an absent man. The vaqueros tell me that my foreman
is only around the bend of the