the hills."

"For convenience."

The men's eyes met again.

"Yes--for convenience." There was a sharpness in the foreman's
acquiescence.

The Irishman's eyes grew hot. The whites began to get bloodshot.

"Seems to me it's fer you to see if that iron fits, an', if so--why?"

In spite of Dan's evident heat his tone was frigid, and its suggestion
could no longer be ignored. Jim Thorpe, conscious of his innocence,
was not the man to accept such innuendoes without protest. Suddenly
his swift rising anger took hold of him, and the fiery protest which
McLagan had intended to call forth broke out.

"Look here, McLagan," he cried, vainly trying to keep his tone cool,
"I've been with you about four years. You know something of my
history, and the folks I spring from. You know more than any one else
of me. For four years I've worked for you in a way, as you, yourself,
have been pleased to say in odd moments of generosity, in a way that
few hired men generally work out here in the West. You've trusted me
in consequence. And you've never found me shirking responsibilities,
nor slacking. You've helped me get together a bunch of cattle with a
view to becoming independent, and shown me in every way your
confidence. You've even offered to lease me grazing. These latter
things have not been without profit to you. That's as it should be.
However, I just mention these things to point the rise in confidence
which has grown up between us. You understand? Now the cattle stealing
begins. These cattle are brought in here with my brands on. There is
no doubt they are your steers. You listen to the story of the manner
of their finding. You witness the cold suspicion of me which those two
men possess. Those four years go for nothing. Your confidence won't
stand the least strain. You do not accuse me straight out, but show me
the suspicion with which you are contaminated in a manner unworthy of
an honest man. I tell you it's rotten. It's--it's despicable. Do you
think I'm going to sit down under this suspicion? It will be all over
the countryside by to-morrow, and I--I shall be a branded man. I tell
you I'm going to sift this matter to the bottom. But make no mistake.
Not for your sake--nor for anybody else but myself. Those four years
of hard honest work don't count with you. Well, they shan't count with
me. I'll stay here with you so that I'm handy whenever wanted--you
understand me, I suppose--'wanted.' But I'll thank you to let me
purs