cted and loved throughout
all that country, not a man moved. Reid himself involuntarily halted at
the command.

"I'll do this and more, Jim Reid," said the Dean firmly, and there was
that in his voice which, in the wild days of the past, had compelled
many a man to fear and obey him. "It's my business enough that you can
call this meetin' off right here. I'll be responsible for this man. You
boys mean well, but you're a little mite too previous this trip."

"We aim to put a stop to that thievin' Tailholt Mountain outfit, Will,"
returned Reid, "an' we're goin' to do it right now."

A murmur of agreement came from the group.

The Dean did not give an inch. "You'll put a stop to nothin' this way;
an' you'll sure start somethin' that'll be more than stealin' a few
calves. The time for stringin' men up promiscuous like, on mere
suspicion, is past in Arizona. I reckon there's more Cross-Triangle
stock branded with the Tailholt Mountain iron than all the rest of you
put together have lost, which sure entitles me to a front seat when it
comes, to the show-down."

"He's right, boys," said one of the older men.

"You know I'm right, Tom," returned the Dean quickly. "You an' me have
lived neighbors for pretty near thirty years, without ever a hard word
passed between us, an' we've been through some mighty serious troubles
together; an' you, too, George, an' Henry an' Bill. The rest of you boys
I have known since you was little kids; an' me and your daddies worked
an' fought side by side for decent livin' an' law-abidin' times before
you was born. We did it 'cause we didn't want our children to go through
with what we had to go through, or do some of the things that we had to
do. An' now you're all thinkin' that you can cut me out of this. You
think you can sneak out here before I'm out of my bed in the mornin',
an' hang one of my own cowboys--as good a man as ever throwed a rope,
too. Without sayin' a word to me, you come crawlin' right into my own
corral, an' start to raisin' hell. I'm here to tell you that you can't
do it. You can't do it because I won't let you."

The men, with downcast eyes, sat on their horses, ashamed. Two or three
muttered approval. Jim Reid said earnestly, "That's all right, Will. We
knew how you would feel, an' we were just aimin' to save you any more
trouble. Them Tailholt Mountain thieves have gone too far this time. We
can't let you turn that man loose."

"I ain't goin' to try to turn him loos