r waited upon Hollis. They
found him seated on the lower gallery of the ranchhouse talking to
Norton and Potter. Lemuel Train, of the Pig-pen outfit, had been
selected as their spokesman. He stood before Hollis, a big man,
diffident in manner and rough in appearance, surrounded by his fellow
ranchers, bronzed, bearded, serious of face. Though the sun had been
down three hours the heat was frightful and the visitors shuffled their
feet and uncomfortably wiped the perspiration from their brows.

"Sit down," invited Hollis. He rose and stood while the men draped
themselves on the edge of the gallery floor--all except the spokesman,
Lemuel Train. The latter faced Hollis. His face was grim in the dusk.

"We've come to see what you've got to say about water," he said.

Days before Norton had told Hollis that these men who were now herding
at the Rabbit-Ear were the small ranchers who had refused to aid the
elder Hollis in his fight against Dunlavey some years before. Therefore
Hollis did not answer at once. When he did his voice was dry and cold.
He too had heard of Dunlavey's ultimatum concerning the water.

"Before I say anything on that subject I should like to know to whom I
am talking," he said.

Train swept a ponderous hand toward his fellow visitors, pointing them
out in turn. "There's Truxton, of the Diamond Dot; Holcomb, of the Star;
Henningson, of the Three Bar; Yeager, of the Three Diamond; an' Clark,
of the Circle Y."

"Correct," affirmed Norton, behind Hollis.

Hollis smiled grimly; he had caught a belligerent note in Norton's
voice. Plainly, if the range boss were allowed a voice in the matter,
these visitors would have now received as little encouragement as they
had received from Dunlavey. But Hollis's smile showed that he held
different views.

"I am Kent Hollis," he said to the men; "I suppose you know that."

"I reckon we know you," said Train; "you're Jim Hollis's boy."

"Then you know that Dunlavey and my father were not exactly bosom
friends," returned Hollis.

Several heads bobbed affirmatively; others sat grimly silent. Hollis
smiled.

"How many of you offered to help my father when he came to you asking
for assistance in his fight against Dunlavey?"

Train fidgeted. "I reckon they wasn't much chance----" he began, and
then hesitated, looking around at his fellows.

"Of course," returned Hollis quietly, after an embarrassed pause, "there
wasn't much chance for you to win then. And you