!" was shouted from more than one throat.

Richard Dewey calmly surveyed the angry throng. "Gentlemen," he said, "I
am no more a horse-thief than any one of you."

There was a buzz of indignation, as if he had confessed his guilt and
implicated them in it.

"I demand to see and face my accusers," he said boldly. "What man has
dared to charge me and my friends with the mean and contemptible crime
of stealing horses?"

Jake Bradley had been looking about him too. Over the heads of the men,
who stood before them drawn up in a semicircle, he saw what had escaped
the notice of Richard Dewey, the faces and figures of Bill Mosely and
Tom Hadley.

"Dick," said he, suddenly, "I see it all. Look yonder! There are them
two mean skunks, Bill Mosely and Tom Hadley. It's they who have been
bringin' this false slander ag'in us."

Richard Dewey and Ben immediately looked in the direction indicated.

Bill Mosely eyed them with a glance of evil and exulting triumph, as
much as to say, "It's my turn now; I am having my revenge."

But Jim Brown, who seemed to be acting as prosecuting attorney, had
already summoned the two men to come forward and testify.

"Here's the men!" he said, exultingly. "Here's the men you robbed of
their horses and tied to trees.--Isn't it so, stranger?"

Bill Mosely inclined his head in the affirmative, and Tom Hadley, being
also asked, answered, but rather faintly, "I should say so."

Lying did not come as natural to him as to Bill.

Richard Dewey laughed scornfully.

"Are those the men," he asked, "who charge us with stealing their
horses?"

"In course they do."

"Then," burst forth Jake Bradley, impetuously, "of all the impudent and
lyin' scoundrels I ever met, they'll carry off the prize."

"Of course you deny it," said Bill Mosely, brazenly persisting in his
falsehood. "A man that'll steal will lie. Perhaps you will charge us
with stealin' the horses next."

"That's just what I do," said Bradley, in an excited tone. "You're not
only horse-thieves, but you'll take gold-dust an' anything else you can
lay your hands on."

"Gentlemen," said Bill Mosely, shrugging his shoulders, "you see how he
is tryin' to fasten his own guilt on me and my innocent pard here. It
isn't enough that he stole our horses and forced us to foot it over
them rough hills, but now he wants to steal away our reputation for
honor and honesty. He thinks you're easy to be imposed on, but I know
better. You won't see two