nely built than the common
range horse. In three days of hard work a cattle pony might wear down
these blooded animals, but would find it impossible to either overtake
or escape them in a straight run. The second stranger, short-legged,
barrel-chested, and with a scrub of black beard, entered the barroom
while the crowd was still drinking the health of Morgan. He took a
corner chair, pushed back his hat until a mop of hair fell down his
forehead, and began to roll a cigarette. The man of the tawny hair
took the next seat.

"Seems to be quite a party, stranger," said the tall fellow
nonchalantly.

"Sure," growled he of the black beard, and after a moment he added:
"Been out on the trail long, pardner?"

"Hardly started."

"So'm I."

"As a matter of fact, I've got a lot of hard riding before me."

"So've I."

"And some long riding, too."

Perhaps it was because he turned his head suddenly towards the light,
but a glint seemed to come in the eyes of the bearded man.

"Long rides," he said more amiably, "are sure hell on hosses."

"And on men, too," nodded the other, and tilted back in his chair.

The bearded man spoke again, but though a dozen cowpunchers were close
by no one heard his voice except the man at his side. One side of his
face remained perfectly immobile and his eyes stared straight before
him drearily while he whispered from a corner of his mouth: "How long
do you stay, Lee?"

"Noon," said Lee.

Once more the shorter man spoke in the manner which is learned in a
penitentiary: "Me too. We must be slated for the same ride, Lee. Do
you know what it is? It's nearly noon, and the chief ought to be
here."

There was a loud greeting for a newcomer, and Lee took advantage of
the noise to say quite openly: "If Silent said he'll come, he'll be
here. But I say he's crazy to come to a place full of range riders,
Bill."

"Take it easy," responded Bill. "This hangout is away off our regular
beat. Nobody'll know him."

"His hide is his own and he can do what he wants with it," said Lee.
"I warned him before."

"Shut up," murmured Bill, "Here's Jim now, and Hal Purvis with him!"

Through the door strode a great figure before whom the throng at the
bar gave way as water rolls back from the tall prow of a ship. In his
wake went a little man with a face dried and withered by the sun and
small bright eyes which moved continually from side to side. Lee and
Bill discovered their thirst at the same time an