perate notoriety all strapped with their guns, but they
understood at once his purpose in allowing the weapons to hang under
their impotent hands. It was a mockery of their bravado, a belittlement
of their bluff and swagger in the brief day of their oppression.

Morgan withdrew the brand from the fire, knocking the clinging bits of
wood from it against the ground.

The Dutchman was first in the line at Morgan's right hand as he turned
from the fire with the branding iron red-hot in his hand. Near the
Dutchman stood Morgan's borrowed horse, drowsing in the sun with head
down, its weight on three legs, one ear set in its inherited caution to
catch the least alarm. From the first moment of his encounter with these
scoundrels Morgan had not lowered himself to address them a single word.
Such commands as he had given them had been in dumb show, as to driven
creatures. This rule of silence he held still as he approached the first
object of his vengeance.

The Dutchman started back from the iron in sudden rousing from his
brooding silence, fear and hate convulsing his snarling face, shrinking
back against the timber of the hitching rack as far as he could
withdraw, where he stood with shoulders hunched about his neck, savage
as a chained wolf. He began to writhe and kick as Morgan laid hold of
his neck to hold him steady for the cruel kiss of the iron.

The fellow squirmed and lunged, with head lowered, trying to get on the
other side of the rack, his companions who were within reach joining in
kicking at Morgan, adding their curses and cries to the Dutchman's
silent fight to save his skin. They raised such a commotion of noise and
dust that it spread to the crowd, which pressed up with a great clamor
of derision, pity, laughter, and shrill cries.

The cowboys, feeling themselves privileged spectators by reason of craft
affiliation, made a ring around the scene of punishment, shouting in
enjoyment of the spectacle, for it was quite in harmony with the cruel
jokes and wild pranks which made up the humorous diversions of their
lives.

"You'll have to hog-tie that feller," said one, drawing nearer than the
rest in his interest.

Morgan paused a moment, brand uplifted, as if he considered the friendly
suggestion. The Dutchman was cringing before him, head drawn between his
shoulders, face as near the ground as he could strain the ropes which
bound him. Morgan kicked the fellow's feet from under him, leaving him
hanging by