o do you."

"Hm-m. You'd ought to of brought it along." Tom's glance went out
toward the herd and the cattle lumbering toward it far and near. "The
range is plumb lousy with spotted yearlings, Scotty. What do you
expect me to do about it?"

The Douglas face worked spasmodically before he spoke. "I expect ye,
Mr. Lorrigan, to pay for yon beastie. I ken weel ye could name the mon
that stickit the knife in her throat. An' she made fine eatin', I have
na doot. But 'tis the law, Mister Lorrigan, that a mon should pay for
the meat he consumes."

"Meaning, of course, that you think I'm feeding Douglas meat to my
outfit. Don't you think you're kinda hasty? I kill a beef about every
three or four days in round-up time. The boys work hard and they eat
hard. And they eat NL beef, Scotty; don't overlook that fact. Hides
ain't worth anything much, but salt's cheap, too. I ain't throwin'
away a dollar when it's no trouble to save it. If you're any curious
at all, you ride over to ranch and count all the green hides you can
find. Belle, she'll show 'em to you. Take a look at the brands, and
figure it out yourself, I don't know how many you'll find, but I'll
gamble you a dozen cows against one that you'll wonder what went with
all the beef that was in them hides. Humpin' hyenas! Ain't I got
cattle enough of my own, without rustlin' off my neighbors?"

"Aye. Ye ha' cattle, Mister Lorrigan; I ken weel ye should no' be put
to it for a wee bit meat--but I ken weel yon spotty yearlin' was
mine. I ken ye've been campin' thereabout--and it wad seem, Mister
Lorrigan, that the salt was no sa plentifu' when the spotty yearlin'
was kilt."

The downright foolhardiness of the Douglas wrath held Tom's
hand,--though of a truth that hand trembled and crept backward. Nor
was Aleck Douglas nearsighted; he saw the movement and his bearded
underlip met his shaven underlip in a straight line.

"Ye do weel to be reachin' for the gun, Mister Lorrigan. I dinna carry
aye weapon save the truth."

Tom flushed. "Blame your oatmeal soul, if I reached for my gun, you
wouldn't be telling me about it!" he exploded. "Carry the truth, do
yuh? You've got to show me where you keep it, then. If you wasn't an
old man--and a darn fool on top of that."

"'Tis no brave to cover shame wi' bitter words, Tam Lorrigan. 'Tis the
way of ye to bluster and bully until the neighbors all are affrighted
to face ye and yere ill deeds."

Toward them clattered two riders hotly