in the matter
of this sheep rangin'.'

"'Wal, Nez Perce, I reckon you hit plumb center,' said Greaves, dryly.
He spread wide his big hands to the other men, as if to say they'd
might as well own the jig was up.

"'All right. You're Jorth's backers. Have any of you a word to say in
Ellen Jorth's defense? I tell you the Mexican lied. Believin' me or
not doesn't matter. But this vile-mouthed Bruce hinted against thet
girl's honor.'

"Ag'in some of the men laughed, but not so noisy, an' there was a
nervous shufflin' of feet. Isbel looked sort of queer. His neck had a
bulge round his collar. An' his eyes was like black coals of fire.
Greaves spread his big hands again, as if to wash them of this part of
the dirty argument.

"'When it comes to any wimmen I pass--much less play a hand fer a
wildcat like Jorth's gurl,' said Greaves, sort of cold an' thick.
'Bruce shore ought to know her. Accordin' to talk heahaboots an' what
HE says, Ellen Jorth has been his gurl fer two years.'

"Then Isbel turned his attention to Bruce an' I fer one begun to shake
in my boots.

"'Say thet to me!' he called.

"'Shore she's my gurl, an' thet's why Im a-goin' to hev y'u run off
this range.'

"Isbel jumped at Bruce. 'You damned drunken cur! You vile-mouthed
liar! ... I may be an Isbel, but by God you cain't slander thet girl to
my face! ... Then he moved so quick I couldn't see what he did. But I
heerd his fist hit Bruce. It sounded like an ax ag'in' a beef. Bruce
fell clear across the room. An' by Jinny when he landed Isbel was
thar. As Bruce staggered up, all bloody-faced, bellowin' an' spittin'
out teeth Isbel eyed Greaves's crowd an' said: 'If any of y'u make a
move it 'll mean gun-play.' Nobody moved, thet's sure. In fact, none
of Greaves's outfit was packin' guns, at least in sight. When Bruce got
all the way up--he's a tall fellar--why Isbel took a full swing at him
an' knocked him back across the room ag'in' the counter. Y'u know when
a fellar's hurt by the way he yells. Bruce got thet second smash right
on his big red nose.... I never seen any one so quick as Isbel. He
vaulted over thet counter jest the second Bruce fell back on it, an'
then, with Greaves's gang in front so he could catch any moves of
theirs, he jest slugged Bruce right an' left, an' banged his head on
the counter. Then as Bruce sunk limp an' slipped down, lookin' like a
bloody sack, Isbel let him fall to the floor. Then he vaulted back
o