pockets. The decisive
moment had arrived.

XXIV

THE GRAY-HORSE TROOP

Curtis minutely studied the crowd, which was made up very largely of
reckless young men--cowboys from all over the range, together with the
loafers and gamblers of the cow-towns. The sheriff's deputies were all
well to the front, but were quiet; they seemed to be a little abashed by
the gaze of the women to whom they were indebted for their dinner of
yesterday. Each member of the gang was burdened with ammunition and
carried both rifle and revolver.

The sheriff dismounted and handed a paper to Curtis, who took plenty of
time to read it. It was manifestly bogus, manufactured for use as a
bluff, and had not been properly sworn out; but to dispute it would be
to anger the cattlemen. There was only one chance for delay.

"Very well," he said, at last. "This warrant calls for two of the head
men among the Tetongs. Of course, I understand your motives. You do not
intend to charge these chiefs with the crime, you only wish to force the
tribe to yield some one else to your vengeance. In face of such a force
as this of yours, Mr. Sheriff, I can only yield, though I deny your
right to lay hand on one of my charges. I do all this under pressure.
If your men will retire a little I will call a messenger and communicate
with the chiefs named, and ask--"

Yarpe glared. "Communicate hell! Sheriff, say the word and we'll go and
get 'em."

Curtis fixed a calm gaze upon him. "You are a brave man, Mr. Yarpe, but
you'll need all your resolution when you charge up that hill in the face
of those desperate warriors." As he swept his arm out towards the west
all eyes were turned on the swarming mass of mounted Tetongs. The women
had moved higher, and were halted just on the eastern brow of the high
ridge, behind and to the right of the fighting men. "Now what will you
do, Mr. Sheriff?" pursued Curtis; "act with me through the head men, or
make your demand of the whole tribe?"

A dispute arose among the crowd. A few shouted, noisily, "Say the word
and we'll sweep the greasy devils off the earth." But the larger number,
like the sheriff's posse of the day before, found it not easy to overawe
this quiet soldier.

Calvin harangued the leader. "No, I will not button my lip," he shouted
again, confronting Yarpe, "for you nor no other man. You let the sheriff
and the Captain fix this thing up. What are you in this thing for,
anyhow? You don't own a foot of lan