nly for a time," said Billee. "As Del Pinzo boasts, now they'll try
the courts."

"But that Greaser won't have a standing in any decent court," exclaimed
Bud. "He's a jail bird--he isn't even a citizen!"

"How does it come he is working for the interests of these Greasers,
some of whom may be citizens?" asked Nort.

"Del Pinzo will do anything by which he can get a dollar or have a
little power," was Billee's opinion. "How he got out of jail I don't
know. Maybe it's by some power over a government official, and maybe
he hopes, by that same hold, to influence the courts against us.
Anyhow, he's out of jail and he's cast his lot in with the sheep men
for his own advantage, you can gamble on that--not theirs. He has
stirred them up to demand certain things which they regard as their
rights under the new law.

"Well, maybe they are their rights, on land that hasn't already been
claimed, but that doesn't apply here. Your dad owns this land, Bud,
and we're going to see he doesn't lose it by any tricks of Del Pinzo."

"He seems to have given up his tricks for a time," remarked Bud.

"But only for a time," added Billee. "He'll have us in court next.
Not that there's an awful lot of law out this section," he said with a
grim smile, "but what there is can be mighty troublesome when you rub
it the wrong way."

There was nothing more to be done now as long as the sheep men had
departed. Though at that, Billee and his cowboys were not going to be
caught unawares. With all Del Pinzo's talk of applying to the law, he
might be "bluffing." He might seek to draw the defenders away and then
rush back, getting the sheep across the stream. Once on the Diamond X
range it would be hard to dislodge them.

"And it only takes a few hours of sheep on a pasture to spoil it for
horses," remarked Bud.

So, fearing treachery, a guard was left at the point where the battle
of the crossing had been fought. The remainder of the cowboys returned
to the "fort," and from there word was sent to Mr. Merkel of what had
occurred.

"So Del Pinzo will have me in court, will he?" remarked the owner of
Diamond X ranch. "Well, I reckon I won't worry until I see sheep on my
land."

But for all that, Mr. Merkel could not help wishing his papers had not
been stolen. For though he might, eventually, prove his claim without
them, it meant a delay. And during this delay the other side--the
sheep men--might obtain some legal advantage that wou