nerve to hit anything that's _comin'_ for you. You sorter
confines your slaughter to harmless cayuses and such."

"Guess again," said Lewis, unmoved. "I thought I could stand the Swede
off, that's why. I shot two foot high on purpose."

"You kel my Olga!" shouted Oscar. "Yust wait, you faller. Ay gat my
goose gun, and Ay blow you all to hal! By Yudas, Ay gat skvare kvick!"

"This is crowding things," said Casey. "Mr. Farwell, you really must
not plant gunmen by the trails with instructions to shoot our horses."

"Nobody has any such instructions," said Farwell. "This man tried to
ride Lewis down, and he protected himself. I'm sorry it occurred, but
we are not to blame."

"Without arguing that point," said Casey, "I warn you that we won't
stand this sort of thing."

"If you fellows will keep off our lands there will be no trouble,"
Farwell responded. "We don't want you, and we won't have you. If you
come on business, of course, that's different. Otherwise keep away.
Also we don't want your stock grazing on our property."

"We may as well have an understanding while we're about it," said
Casey. "The next man who pulls a gun on me--this Lewis, or anybody
else--will have to beat me to the shooting. If you don't want your
lands used as part of the range, fence them off. Don't interfere with a
single head of my stock, either. And, if I were in your place, I'd
offer this man about two hundred dollars for his mare, and throw in an
apology."

"But you're not in my place," snapped Farwell. "Nobody is going to pull
a gun on you if you behave yourself. If this man puts in a claim for
his horse, I'll consider it, but I won't promise anything." He turned
to his men. "You get back to work, the lot of you." Without further
words, he strode off to the camp.

Lewis stepped up to McHale. "I'll take my gun if you're through with
it."

McHale handed him the weapon.

"I don't reckon she's accurate at much over ten yards," he observed.
"If I was you, I'd fix myself with a good belt gun. It ain't unlikely I
packs one myself after this, and we might meet up."

"Organize yourself the way you want to," said Lewis carelessly,
slipping the weapon in his pocket. "And if you're a friend of that big
Swede, tell him not to look for me too hard. I don't want to hurt him;
but I ain't taking chances on no goose guns." He nodded and marched off
after the others.

The three men, left alone, stood in silence for a moment. Then Oscar,
with a