men who worked for the Flying U, and who made
its interests right loyally their own, were growing very, very tired
of turning the other cheek. With them, the time for profanity and for
horseplay bluffing and judicious temporizing was past. There were other
lips besides Weary's that were drawn tight and thin when they approached
that particular band of sheep. More than one pair of eyes turned
inquiringly toward him and away again when they met no answering look.

They topped a rise of ground, and in the shallow wrinkle which had
hidden him until now they came full upon Dunk Whittaker, riding a chunky
black which stepped restlessly about while he conferred in low tones
with a couple of the herders. The Happy Family recognized them as two
of the fellows in whose safe keeping they had left their ropes the night
before. Dunk looked around quickly when the group appeared over the
little ridge, scowled, hesitated and then came straight up to them.

"I want you rowdies to bring back those sheep you took the trouble to
drive off this morning," he began, with the even, grating voice and the
sneering lift of lip under his little, black mustache which the older
members of the Happy Family remembered--and hated--so vividly.
"I've stood just all I'm going to stand, of these typically Flying U
performances you've been indulging in so freely during the past week.
It's all very well to terrorize a neighborhood of long-haired rubes who
don't know enough to teach you your places; but interfering with another
man's property is--"

"Interfering with another--what?" Big Medicine, his pale blue eyes
standing out more like a frog's than ever upon his face, gave his horse
a kick and lunged close that he might lean and thrust his red face near
to Dunk's. "Another what? I don't see nothin' in your saddle that looks
t'me like a man, by cripes! All I can see is a smooth-skinned, slippery
vermin I'd hate to name a snake after, that crawls around in the dark
and lets cheap rough-necks do all his dirty work. I've saw dogs sneak
up and grab a man behind, but most always they let out a growl or two
first. And even a rattler is square enough to buzz at yuh and give yuh
a chanc't to side-step him. Honest to grandma, I don't hardly know what
kinda reptyle y'are. I hate to insult any of 'em, by cripes, by namin'
yuh after 'em. But don't, for Lordy's sake, ever call yourself a man
agin!"

Big Medicine turned his head and spat disgustedly into the grass an