pt at Dunk; and Dunk's glance flickered again and
dropped, just as his hand dropped to the pocket of his coat.

"No, yuh don't, by cripes!" Big Medicine's hand gripped Dunk's arm on
the instant. With his other he plucked the gun from Dunk's pocket, and
released him as he would let go of something foul which he had been
compelled to touch.

"He'll be good, or he'll lose his dinner quick," drawled the Native
Son, drawing his own silver-mounted six-shooter and resting it upon the
saddle horn so that it pointed straight at Dunk's diaphragm. "You take
Weary off somewhere and tell him something about this deal, Andy. I'll
watch this slippery gentleman." He smiled slowly and got an answering
grin from Andy Green, who immediately rode a few rods away, with Weary
and Pink close behind.

"Say, by golly, what's Dunk wanted fer?" Slim blurted inquisitively
after a short silence.

"Not for riding or driving over a bridge faster than a walk Slim,"
purred the Native Son, shifting his gun a trifle as Dunk moved uneasily
in the saddle. "You know the man. Look at his face--and use your
imagination, if you've got any."

CHAPTER XIII. The Happy Family Learn Something

"Well, I hope this farce is about over," Dunk sneered, with as near an
approach to his old, supercilious manner as he could command, when the
three who had ridden apart returned presently. "Perhaps, Weary, you'll
be good enough to have this fellow put up his gun, and these--" he
hesitated, after a swift glance, to apply any epithet whatever to the
Happy Family. "I have two witnesses here to swear that you have without
any excuse assaulted and maligned and threatened me, and you may
consider yourselves lucky if I do not insist--"

"Ah, cut that out," Andy advised wearily. "I don't know how it strikes
the rest, but it sounds pretty sickening to me. Don't overlook the fact
that two of us happen to know all about you; and we know just where to
send word, to dig up a lot more identification. So bluffing ain't going
to help you out, a darned bit."

"Miguel, you can go with Andy," Weary said with brisk decision. "Take
Dunk down to the ranch till the sheriff gets here--if it's straight
goods about Dunk sending for him. If he didn't, we can take Dunk in
to-morrow, ourselves." He turned and fixed a cold, commanding eye upon
the slack-jawed herders. "Come along, you two, and get these sheep
headed outa here."

"Say, we'll just lock him up in the blacksmith shop, and come