en friendly, and
'specially so after the trouble they'd had together over Hart's
aunt. But when it did happen--being so sort of needless, and Hart
popular--most of us made our minds up something had got to be done.

* * * * *

Joe Cherry headed the reform movement. He had a bunch of sheep up in
the Sangre de Cristo mountains, Cherry had, but was in town frequent
and always bunked at Hart's store--him and Hart having knowed each
other back East and being great friends. That made him take a 'special
interest in the matter; and when he come a-riding in about an hour
after things was over--likely he'd a-fixed Santa Fe himself if he'd
been there when it happened--he got right up on his ear. He said he
meant to square accounts for Bill's shooting, and he reckoned
telegraph-poling Charley was about what was needed to square 'em; and
he said it was a good time, with that for a starter, for rounding-up
and firing all the toughs there was in town. The rest of us allowed
Cherry's notions was reasonable, and it was seen there'd better be no
fooling over 'em; and so we went straight on and had a meeting, with
Cherry chairman, and fixed up a Committee--and the Committee begun
business by corralling Santa Fe, and then set to work and made out a
list of them that was to be fired.

There was about a dozen of 'em in the list; and they was told--the
notice being posted at the deepo--they had twenty-four hours to get
out in; and it was added that them that wasn't out in twenty-four
hours would find 'emselves landed on the dumps for keeps. A few of 'em
kicked a little--saying it was a free country, and they guessed they'd
a right to be where they'd a mind to. But when the Committee said back
it just was a free country, and one of the freest things in it was
telegraph-poles--as Santa Fe Charley was going to find out for
certain, and as them that was ordered to get up and get and didn't
would find out along with him--even the kickingest of 'em seen they'd
better just shut their heads and andy along.

It wasn't till the Committee come to tackle the Sage-Brush Hen there
was any trouble--and then they found their drills was against quartz!
Two or three of Charley's worst shootings was charged to the Hen, she
being 'special friends with him; and just because she was such a
good-natured obliging sort of a woman, always wanting to please
everybody, she was at the roots of half the fights that started
i