d you fought old Swan and laid him
cold at last, hand to hand, man to man! Lord! And you done it for my
little Joan!"

"Let's forget it," Mackenzie said, uncomfortable under the praise.

"It's easy said, lad, but not so easy done. A man remembers a thing
the like of that with gratitude to his last hour. And we thought you
an easy-goin' man, that could be put on and wasn't able to hold your
own," said Tim, confessing more in his momentary softness than he
would have done on reflection.

"We thought you was only a schoolteacher, wrapped up in rhymes and
birds!"

"Just a plain simpleton that would eat out of anybody's hand,"
Mackenzie grinned.

"Not a simpleton, lad; not a simpleton. But maybe soft in your ways of
dealin' with other men, lettin' 'em go when you ought to knocked 'em
cold, the way you let Hall go the day you took his guns off of him.
But we couldn't see deep in you, lad; you're no simpleton, lad--no
simpleton at all."

Tim spoke in soothing conciliation, as if he worked to salve over the
old hurts of injustice, or as if he dealt with the mishap of a child
to whom words were more comforting than balm. He was coming back to
his regular sheepman form, crafty, conciliatory; never advancing one
foot without feeling ahead with the other. But the new respect that
had come over him for Mackenzie could not be put wholly aside, even
though Tim might have the disposition to do it. Tim's voice was still
small in his mouth, his manner softened by awe.

"You've shown the mettle of a sheepman," Tim said, "and more. There'll
be peace and quiet on this range now."

"I brought nothing but trouble to it. You had peace and quiet before I
came."

"Trouble was here, lad, but we dodged it. There wasn't a man of us had
the courage to face it and put it down like you've done it. Carlson
and them Halls robbed me year in and year out, and stole the range I
paid rent on from under my feet. Swan stole sheep from me all the time
that boy was runnin' them next him there--I miss about three hundred
from the flock today."

"Reid sold them to him, but didn't get his money. He complained about
it to Swan last night."

"He'd do it," nodded Tim; "his father before him done it. It runs in
the blood of them Reids to steal. I'll have them three hundred sheep
back out of Swan's widow tomorrow."

"Is she over there with the sheep?"

"I didn't see her around."

"The poor creature's crazy from her hard usage and suffering. I think