anorama before us,
my employer said:

"Tom, you will have time to graze out a few miles and camp to the left
of the trail. I'll stay here and hurry your wagon forward, and wait for
Bob and Quince. That lead herd beyond the river is bound to be Jim's,
and he's due to camp on this mesa to-night, so these outfits must give
him room. If Dave and Paul are still free to act, they'll know enough
to water and camp on the south side of the Platte. I'll stay at Flood's
wagon to-night, and you had better send a couple of your boys into
town and let them nose around. They'll meet lads from the 'Open A' and
'Drooping T' outfits; and I'll send Jim and Bob in, and by midnight
we'll have a report of what's been done. If any one but an officer takes
possession of those two herds, it'll put us to the trouble of retaking
them. And I think I've got men enough here to do it."

CHAPTER XIII. JUSTICE IN THE SADDLE

It was an hour after the usual time when we bedded down the cattle. The
wagon had overtaken us about sunset, and the cook's fire piloted us into
a camp fully two miles to the right of the trail. A change of horses was
awaiting us, and after a hasty supper Tupps detailed two young fellows
to visit Ogalalla. It required no urging; I outlined clearly what was
expected of their mission, requesting them to return by the way of
Flood's wagon, and to receive any orders which my employer might see fit
to send. The horse-wrangler was pressed in to stand the guard of one
of the absent lads on the second watch, and I agreed to take the other,
which fell in the third. The boys had not yet returned when our guard
was called, but did so shortly afterward, one of them hunting me up on
night-herd.

"Well," said he, turning his horse and circling with me, "we caught onto
everything that was adrift. The Rebel and Sponsilier were both in town,
in charge of two deputies. Flood and your brother went in with us, and
with the lads from the other outfits, including those across the river,
there must have been twenty-five of Lovell's men in town. I noticed that
Dave and The Rebel were still wearing their six-shooters, while among
the boys the arrests were looked upon as quite a joke. The two deputies
had all kinds of money, and wouldn't allow no one but themselves to
spend a cent. The biggest one of the two--the one who gave you the
cigar--would say to my boss: 'Sponsilier, you're a trail foreman from
Texas--one of Don Lovell's boss men--but you're u