He counted ten men, without including himself and Rocket. Of these,
only two, Jake and Gay, had accepted his invitation. Suddenly his eyes
rested on the triumphant face of Smallbones. Without a word he strode
across the room, and his hand fell heavily on the man's quaking
shoulder. In a moment he had dragged him to the centre of the room.

"Guess you'll do, Smallbones," he began, as he released the man's coat
collar. "No, don't move. You're going to stand right there and hand me
out the story I see dodging behind those wicked eyes of yours. You've
got it there, good and plenty, back of them, so get going, and--we'll
all listen. Whatever I've got to say you'll get after."

Smallbones' eyes snapped fire. He was furious at the rough handling,
and he longed more than ever to hurt this man.

"You're a strong man, an bein' strong, you're mighty free with your
hands," he snarled. "But you're up agin it. Up agin it bad, Jim
Thorpe." His face lit with a grin of venom. "Say, you don't need no
story from me. You'll get it plenty from--everywhere! McLagan's quit
you, because---- Wal, I'm a law-abidin' citizen, an' don't figger to
drink with folks suspected of--cattle-rustlin'."

Smallbones' challenge held the whole room silent. Jake, watching and
listening, was astonished at the man's moral courage. But the chief
interest was in the ex-ranch-foreman. What would he do?

The question was swiftly answered. Jim's head went up, and a light
laugh prefaced his words.

"So I'm up against it?" he said calmly. Then he gazed contemptuously
round on those who had rejected his hospitality. "So that's why all
you fellows refused to drink with me. Well, it's a nasty pill, and
it's likely to hand me indigestion." Then he deliberately turned his
back on Smallbones and glanced at the counter. The drinks he had
bought were still there. He looked up with a frank smile into the
faces of the two men who were willing to drink with him. "Gentlemen,"
he said, "it seems to me there are just two drinks between me and--the
rope. Will you honor a suspected man by clinking glasses with him?"

He raised his own glass to them, and Jake and Gay nearly fell over
each other in their frantic efforts to express their willingness, and
their disapproval of Smallbones. They clumsily clinked their glasses,
and drank to the last drop. Then, in silence, they set their glasses
down.

"Thanks, Jake. Thanks, Gay," said Jim, after a moment. Then he turned
to the saloo