e desk and leaned over toward Dalton.

Dalton leaned back in his chair, so far back that he nearly tip-tilted
over it.

"Rattler," said Jim, "come off your perch. It isn't any good. ''Tain't
the knowing kind of cattle that is ketched with mouldy corn,'" he
quoted roughly.

"I ain't professin' to be up to your high-falutin' talk, Langford, but
I get the drift; and I guess you think I'd be batty enough to give you
a ranch worth seven thousand bucks on an Agreement for Sale in
exchange for a bunch of old spavined mules and three thousand bucks
on time."

Jim pulled the Agreement out of his pocket and threw it on the desk,
thumping his fist down hard on top of it right under Rattlesnake's
sharp nose, causing Dalton to jump again.

"See that?"

"Yep,--guess I do!"

"Well,--you're going to abide by it."

"I am?--like hell!" said Dalton.

Phil took a gun from his pocket and handed it to Jim.

Jim toyed with it. "See that?"

"Can it, Langford! Gun stuff don't go down with me. It is ancient
history. You'll get pinched again if you try that on."

"But you see it--don't you?"

"Sure thing! I ain't got 'stigmatism that bad yet."

"Well, Rattler,--it isn't loaded, but I am going to rap you over the
koko with it if you don't be a good boy and do as you are told."

"Now,--repeat after me!"

Dalton laughed and rolled his eyes upward to the ceiling.

Jim's arm darted out and the butt-end of the revolver caught Dalton
such a sharp rap over the head that that individual was some seconds
before he recovered.

"Now," said Jim, "are you ready?"

Dalton sat tight.

"Hi, boys!" shouted Langford sharply, a sudden inspiration seizing
him. "I've got a dirty horse-thief, red-handed and self-confessed.
Bring in a rope. We can start him with a dip in the horse-trough."

Three husky individuals strode inside.

Dalton gasped. He knew just what the men in the Valley thought of
horse-stealing, in general, and he was all unprepared for this sudden
move of Jim's.

"Steady a minute, boys!" exclaimed Jim. "It seems that Dalton has not
quite made up his mind as to whether he stole those horses of mine
that he sold afterwards, or simply took them from me in part-payment
of the Brantlock Ranch.

"Now, Rattler, come on, repeat your little spiel after me, or go with
the boys and get what's coming to you."

Dalton saw the game was up.

"This Agreement," said Jim.

"This Agreement," repeated Dalton sheepishly.

"Is a real, g