e rustler is going to do the
things which you're trying to say Jim Thorpe did? Is any sane rustler
going to use his own brand, and run stolen cattle with his legitimate
stock, in a place where folks can always see 'em? Sure, sure you don't
need to ask yourselves even. Jim Thorpe's been a straight man all his
days in Barnriff. 'Honest Jim Thorpe' you've all many a time called
him. I tell you this thing is a put-up job. Some dirty, mean skunk has
set out to ruin him for some reason unknown. There are mean folks," he
went on, with his keen eyes fixed on Smallbones, "here in Barnriff.
They're mean enough to do this if they only hated Jim enough. I'd hate
to cast reflections, but I believe from the bottom of my heart that
Smallbones, if he hated enough, would do such a trick. I----"

"Are you accusin' me, you durned hulk?" shrieked the hardware dealer
fiercely.

"I wasn't," remarked Peter, calmly. "But if you like, I will. I'm not
a heap particular. And there'd be just about as much sense in doing
so as there is in your accusations against Jim."

"Hark at him, fellers," cried the furious Smallbones, pointing at the
big man. "He's his friend--he'd sell his stinkin' soul for him.
He'd----"

"I'd sell my soul for no man," Peter replied, cutting him short. "But
I'd like to keep it as decently clean as such folks as you will let
me. Now listen to me. You've no right to condemn this man in the way
you're trying to. I don't know what your ultimate intentions are about
him. I dare say some of you would like to hang him, but there's too
many sane men who'd stop such as Smallbones at tricks like that. But
you've no right to banish him out of the district, or even censure
him. He's done nothing----"

"What about the Henderson woman?" cried Smallbones.

"Yes, yes," cried several voices, standing near their little leader.

Peter's eyes lit.

"Don't you dare to mention her name in here, Smallbones," he cried,
with a sudden fierceness, "or, small as you are, I'll smash you to a
pulp, and kick you from here to your store. In your wretched gossip,
and in your scandal-loving hearts you must say and think what you
please, but don't do it here, for I won't stand for it."

A murmur applauded him from Doc Crombie's direction, and even
Smallbones was silenced for the moment. Peter went on.

"See here, I'm known to everybody. I'm known in most places where the
grass of the prairie grows, and my name's mostly good. Well, I want to
say r