with his
hands, looking with something between deep concern and shame over his
shoulder at the man who accompanied him, and who sat off a few feet in
his saddle, a grin over his face.

"Now, John, I don't mean for you to take it that I'm throwin' any slur
over your courage for the way things has turned out--I don't want you
to take it that way at all, lad," said Tim.

"I'm not a fighting man"--Mackenzie was getting hotter as he went
on--"everybody in here knows that by now, I guess. You guessed wrong,
Sullivan, when you took me for one and put me over here to hold this
range for you that this crowd's been backing you off of a little
farther each spring. You're the brave spirit that's needed here--if
somebody could tie you and hold you to face the men that have robbed
you of the best range you've got. I put down my hand; I get out of the
way for you when it comes to the grit to put up a fight."

"Oh, don't take it to heart what I've been sayin', lad. A man's hot
under the collar when he sees a dirty trick like that turned on him,
but it passes off like sweat, John. Let it go, boy, let it pass."

"You sent me in here expecting me to fight, and when I don't always
come out on top you rib me like the devil's own for it. You expected
me to fight to hold this grass, but you didn't expect me to lose
anything at all. Well, I'll hold the range for you, Sullivan; you
don't need to lose any sleep over that. But if I'm willing to risk my
skin to do it, by thunder, you ought to be game enough to stand the
loss of a wagon without a holler that can be heard to Four Corners!"

"You're doin' fine holdin' my range that I pay solid money to Uncle
Sam for, you're doin' elegant fine, lad. I was hasty, my tongue got
out from under the bit, boy. Let it pass; don't you go holdin' it
against an old feller like me that's got the worry of forty-odd
thousand sheep on his mind day and night."

"It's easy enough to say, but it don't let you out. You've got no call
to come here and wade into me without knowing anything about the
circumstances."

"Right you are, John, sound and right. I was hasty, I was too hot.
You've done fine here, you're the first man that's ever stood up to
them fellers and held 'em off my grass. You've done things up like a
man, John. I give it to you--like a man."

"Thanks," said Mackenzie, in dry scorn.

"I ain't got no kick to make over the loss of my wagon--it's been many
a day since I had one burnt up on me that