ected to defend, they stood before him abashed, thoroughly
disarmed. All except Ace. The poet's mind was still active.

"I reckon you might say you didn't know nothin' about us hangin' him?"
he suggested.

"So I might," returned Hollis. "But people would not think so. And there
is my conscience. It wouldn't be such a weight upon it--the hanging of
this man; I believe I would enjoy standing here and watching him stretch
your rope. But I would not be able to reconcile the action with the
principle for which I am fighting. I believe none of you men would trust
me very much if I advocated the law one day and broke it the next. The
application of this principle would be much the same as if I stole a
horse to-day and to-morrow had you arrested for stealing one."

"That's so," they chorused, and fell silent, regarding him with a new
interest.

"But what are you goin' to do with the cuss?" queried one man.

"We have a sheriff in Dry Bottom, I expect?" questioned Hollis.

Grins appeared on the faces of several of the men; the prisoner's face
lighted.

"Oh, yes," said one; "I reckon Bill Watkins is the sheriff all right."

"Then we'll take him to Bill Watkins," decided Hollis.

The grins on the faces of several of the men grew. Norton laughed.

"I reckon you ain't got acquainted with Bill yet, Hollis," he said.
"Bill owes his place to Dunlavey. There has never been a rustler
convicted by Watkins yet. I reckon there won't ever be any
convicted--unless he's been caught stealin' Dunlavey's cattle. Bill's
justice is a joke."

Hollis smiled grimly. He had learned that much from Judge Graney. He did
not expect to secure justice, but he wished to have something tangible
upon which to work to force the law into the country. His duty in the
matter consisted only in delivering the prisoner into the custody of the
authorities, which in this case was the sheriff. The sheriff would be
held responsible for him. He said this much to the men. There was no
other lawful way.

He was not surprised that they agreed with him. They had had much
experience in dealing with Dunlavey; they had never been successful with
the old methods of warfare and they were quite willing to trust to
Hollis's judgment.

"I reckon you're just about right," said one who had spoken before.
"Stringin' this guy up would finish him all right. But that wouldn't
settle the thing. What's needed is to get it fixed up for good an' all."

"Correct!" agreed Hollis;