the one-time corporal exhibited so much vigor in his remarks
that his good-natured auditor had to laugh. "I ain't tryin' to be
funny!" finished McNair. "I mean every dashed word of it, Motherwell.
If I don't get some of it out o' my system I'll bust to bits, that's
what. Say, I met Sibbold. He told me some of you fellows was meetin'
over at the Head to-day. What about it?"

"Why, yes, Johnny Millar got a few of us together to talk things over.
Lot of talk alright. Some of the boys were feeling pretty hot, I can
tell you! But I can't see that anything came of it except some
resolutions--the usual sort, you know."

"Pshaw! I was hopin' it meant action of some kind." The ex-rancher
was silent for a moment. Then his right fist went into his left palm
with a smack. "The only kind o' resolution that'll get anythin' is
made o' lead and fits in a rifle breech! And I want to tell you, old
man, if there ain't some pretty quick right-about-facin' in certain
quarters, I'll be dashed if I ain't for it! An' I won't be standin'
alone, either!" he added grimly.

W. R. Motherwell[2] glanced sharply at the tense face.

"Don't talk nonsense!" he reproved quietly.

"I ain't talkin' nonsense. Not on your life! If I am, then I reckon I
know a hundred or so hard-headed farmers who're doin' the identical
same. An' if I know that many in my territory, W. R., how many d'you
suppose there are if we take in Manitoba and clean through to the
mountains?"

"Then all I've got to say is: there are more and bigger fools in the
country than I had any idea of."

"What d'you mean, talkin' like that?"

"That's just what I've got to say to you, McNair," retorted the big
farmer with heat. "What do _you_ mean, talking like that? If you're
serious in what you say----"

"I said I was, didn't I?" snapped the other.

"Then you ought to be tied up on the Two-Bar and muzzled, for you're
plumb mad, McNair! It's just that kind of firebrand talk that's
hurting our cause. The farmers have got enough enemies now, God knows,
without making a lot of new ones. Doggone your hide, Mac, what're you
trying to do?--Stir up another rebellion like that of '85?"

"If it's necessary--you bet I am!" he brazened.

"You, of all men!"

"An' why not me? Just because I've worn the Queen's uniform, eh?
Well, let me tell you, sir, I belonged to a body of men who stood for
British justice an' a square deal to even the meanest Injun in the
Territories."