iling of the man who lay bound beside the cabin door.

"What's the matter, Willie?" smiled Tex, as he slipped from his seat
behind Endicott's saddle. "Didn't your breakfast set right?"

The man rolled to face them at the sound of the voice, and such a
stream of obscene blasphemy poured from his lips as to cause even the
Texan to wince. Without a word the cowboy reached for a bar of soap
that lay awash in the filthy water of a basin upon a bench beside the
door, and jammed it down the man's throat. The sounds changed to a
sputtering, choking gurgle. "Maybe that'll learn you not to talk vile
when there's ladies around."

"Water!" the man managed to gasp.

"Will you quit your damn swearin'?"

Long Bill nodded, and Tex held a dipper to his lips.

"Go catch up the horses, Bat, an' we'll be gettin' out of here. They's
some reptiles so mean that even their breath is poison."

As Bat started for the alfalfa field the man fairly writhed with fury:
"I'll hev the law on ye, ye--" he stopped abruptly as Tex reached for
the soap.

"You won't have the law on no one, you lizard! You don't dare to get
within hollerin' distance of the law."

"I will pay you a reasonable amount for any damage to your field, and
for the food, and the use of your horses," offered Endicott, reaching
for his pocket.

"Keep your money, Win," grinned the Texan. "Let me pay for this. This
coyote owes me twenty dollars he borrowed from me when I first hit the
country an' didn't know him. He's always be'n anxious to pay it, ain't
you, Bill? Well, it's paid now, an' you don't need to go worryin' your
heart out about that debt no longer."

Again the man opened his lips, but closed them hurriedly as Tex reached
for the soap.

"I'll have to borrow your horse an' saddle for my friend, here," said
the Texan, "an' Bat, he'll have to borrow one, too. We'll leave 'em in
Timber City."

"_Non_!" cried the half-breed, who had paused in the process of
changing Alice's saddle to her own horse. "Me--I ain' gon' for bor' no
hoss. Am tak' dis hoss an' giv' heem back to Judge Carson. Him b'long
over on Sage Creek."

"Whad'ye mean, ye red scum!" screamed the man, his face growing purple.
"That Circle 12 brand is----"

"Ha! Circle 12! De mos' dat Circle 12 she hair-bran'." He stepped
into the cabin and reappeared a moment later with some coal-oil in a
cup. This he poured into his hand and rubbed over the brand on the
horse's shoulder. And when