damned strangeness--whatever it is. The next minute I feel
it--I trust it, myself.... Wade, you're not--you _can't_ be infallible!"

"I'm only a man, Wils, an' your friend. I reckon you do find me queer.
But that's no matter. Now let's look at this deal--each from his own
side of the fence. An' each actin' up to his own lights! You do what
your conscience dictates, always thinkin' of Collie--not of yourself!
An' I'll live up to my principles. Can we do more?"

"No, indeed, Wade, we can't," replied Moore, eloquently.

"Well, then, here's my hand. I've talked too much, I reckon. An' the
time for talkin' is past."

In silence Moore gripped the hand held out to him, trying to read Wade's
mind, apparently once more uplifted and strengthened by that which he
could not divine.

* * * * *

Wade's observations during the following week brought forth the fact
that Jack Belllounds was not letting any grass grow under his feet. He
endeavored to fulfil his agreement with Smith, and drove a number of
cattle by moonlight. These were part of the stock that the rancher had
sold to buyers at Kremmling, and which had been collected and held in
the big, fenced pasture down the valley next to the Andrews ranch. The
loss was not discovered until the cattle had been counted at Kremmling.
Then they were credited to loss by straying. In driving a considerable
herd of half-wild steers, with an inadequate force of cowboys, it was no
unusual thing to lose a number.

Wade, however, was in possession of the facts not later than the day
after this midnight steal in the moonlight. He was forced to
acknowledge that no one would have believed it possible for Jack
Belllounds to perform a feat which might well have been difficult for
the best of cowboys. But Jack accomplished it and got back home before
daylight. And Wade was bound to admit that circumstantial evidence
against Wilson Moore, which, of course, Jack Belllounds would soon
present, would be damning and apparently irrefutable.

Waiting for further developments, Wade closely watched the ranch-house,
which duty interfered with his attention to the outlying trails. What he
did not want to miss was being present when Jack Belllounds accused
Wilson Moore of rustling cattle.

So it chanced that Wade was chatting with the cowboys one Sunday
afternoon when Jack, accompanied by three strangers, all mounted on
dusty, tired horses, rode up to the porch and dismoun