of James Yeager,
Senior. "I ain't countin' you in on that class, dad. You got to trailing
with bad company. I'll have to bring you up stricter."

"I hate to be a knocker, Jim, but I've got to trust my own eyes before
your indorsement," Healy sneered.

"That's your privilege, Brill."

"I reckon Jim knows what he's talking about," said Yeager, Senior, with
intent to conciliate.

"Of course I know you're right friendly with him, Jim. There's nobody
more competent to pass an opinion on him. Like enough you know all about
his affairs," conceded Healy with polite malice.

The two young men were looking at each other steadily. They never had
been friends, and lately they had been a good deal less than that. Rival
leaders of the range for years, another cause had lately fanned their
rivalry to a flame. Now a challenge had been flung down and accepted.

"I expect I know more about them than you do, Brill."

"Sure you do. Ain't he just got through being your guest? Didn't he come
visiting you in a hurry? Didn't you tie up his wound? And when Phil and
I came asking questions didn't you antedate his arrival about six hours?
I'm not denying you know all about him. What I'm wondering is why you
didn't tell all you knew. Of course, I understand they are your
reasons, though, not mine."

"You've said it. They're my reasons."

"I ain't saying they are not good reasons. Whyfor should a man round on
his friend?"

The innuendo was plain, and Yeager put it into words. "I'd be right
proud to have him for a friend. But we all know what you mean, Brill. Go
right ahead. Try and persuade the boys I'm a rustler, too. They haven't
known me on an average much over twenty years. But that doesn't matter.
They're so durned teachable to-day maybe you can get them to swallow
that with the rest."

With which parting shot he followed Phyllis out of the store. She turned
on him at the top of the porch steps leading to the house.

"Did he tell you that Phil was the rustler?"

"You mean did Keller tell me?" he said, surprised.

"Yes. 'Rastus was in the live oak and heard all you said."

"No. He didn't tell me that. We neither of us think it was Phil. It
couldn't be, for he was riding with you at the time. But he found your
knife there by the dead cow. Now, how did it come there? You let Phil
have the knife. Had he lent his knife to some one?"

"I don't know." She went on, after a momentary hesitation: "Are you
quite sure, Jim, that he rea