it within a hundred
miles that's on the increase. They're just hanging on, some of them
making a little, some of them not. You say you want to run the Three
Bar brand yourself. There's not a man in this country that would touch
a Three Bar cow if you was hooked up with me."

"And then the Three Bar would be only one out of a dozen or more Slade
brands," she said. She pointed to the men that worked with the milling
cows in the flat. "That's what I want," she said. "To run an outfit
of my own--not one of yours."

For no reason at all she was suddenly convinced of the truth of
Harris's suspicions concerning Slade. She noted that his eyes traveled
from one man to the next till he had scrutinized every one that worked
the herd.

"Are you looking for Morrow?" she demanded, and instantly regretted her
remark. Slade's face did not change by so much as the bat of an eye
and he failed to reply for a space--too long a space, she
reflected--then turned to her.

"Morrow--who's he?" he asked. "And why should I look for him?"

"He rode for you last year," she said.

"Oh! That fellow. I recall him now. Bleak-looking citizen," he said.
"And what about him?"

"You tell me," she countered.

"That new foreman of yours--the fellow that was scouting round alone
for a few months--has been talking with his mouth," Slade said. "If he
keeps that up I'll have to ask him to speak right out what's on his
mind."

"He'll tell you," she prophesied. "What then?"

"Then I'll kill him," the man stated.

The girl motioned to Lanky Evans and he rode across to them.

"Lanky, I want you to remember this," she said. "Slade has just
promised to kill Harris. And if he does I'll spend every dollar I own
seeing that he's hung for it," she turned to Slade. "You might repeat
what you just told me," she suggested.

Slade looked at her steadily.

"You misunderstood me," he stated. "I don't recall any remark to that
effect or even to mentioning the name of Harris. Who is he, anyhow?"

Evans slouched easily in the saddle and twisted a smoke.

"Now let's get this straight what I'm to remember," he said. "Mr.
Slade was saying that he planned to down Cal Harris the first time he
caught him out alone. I heard him remark to that effect." He turned
and grinned cheerfully at Slade. "That's his very words--and I'd swear
to it as long as my breath held out. I'll sort of repeat it over to
myself so that I can give it to the judge word