frequent reference to the abode of lost
spirits, and always in the feminine gender. Mead asked him once why he
always spoke of "hell" as "her," and he replied:

"Well, sir, accordin' to my reckonings, 'ell is a woman, or two women,
or a thousand of 'em, accordin' as a man 'as made it, and bein' female
it 'as to be called 'er."

As the three men mounted fresh horses after a hasty breakfast, Nick
Ellhorn said to Mead:

"Emerson, you're in big luck that that confounded thug in the kitchen
hasn't cut your throat yet."

"Oh, he won't do anything to me," Mead replied, smiling. "I reckon
likely he is a thug, or a crook of some sort, but he won't do me any
harm."

"Don't you be too sure, Emerson," said Tuttle, looking concerned.
"It's the first time I've ever seen him, but I don't think I'd like to
have him around me on dark nights."

"He is a good cook and he keeps the house as neat and clean as a woman
would. He won't try to do anything to me because I'm not big enough
game. He knows I never keep money at the ranch, and that I haven't got
very much, any way. Besides, he's seen me shoot, and I don't think he
wants to run up against my gun."

They were hurrying to Alamo Springs, a watering place which Mead
controlled farther up in the Fernandez mountains, where they arrived
just in time to stop a pistol fight between the cow-boys of the
opposing interests, half-a-dozen on each side, who had quarreled
themselves into such anger that they were ready to end the whole
matter by mutual annihilation.

Mead found that the round-up had progressed slowly during his absence.
There had been constant quarreling, occasional exchange of shots, and
unceasing effort on each side to retard the interests of the other.
The Fillmore Company had routed the cow-boys of the small cattlemen,
Mead's included, and for the last two days had prevented them from
joining in the round-up. Mead found his neighbors and their and his
employees disorganized, angry, and determined on revenge. Accompanied
by Tuttle and Ellhorn, he galloped over the hills all that day and the
next, visiting the camps on his own range and on the ranges of his
neighbors who were leagued with him in the fight against the Fillmore
Cattle Company. He smoothed down ruffled tempers, inquired into the
justice of claims, gave advice, issued orders, and organized all the
interests opposed to the cattle company into a compact, determined
body.

After those two days there was a ch