to be at Jack's ranch at the time. When he
entered the corral he found Jack's accusers and defenders rapidly
nearing a battle.

Jack was taking the charges coolly enough, as he did not know what
support McKee had manufactured to uphold the charges he made. Slim
informed McKee he would listen to what he had to say, and if afterward
he thought Jack guilty, he would place him under arrest. For all
concerned it would be better to go into the house. The Sweetwater boys
surrounded Jack as they followed Slim into the living-room. Lining up
in opposing groups, Slim stood in the center to serve as judge and
jury, with Buck and Jack at his right and left hand.

Inside the door Jack said: "Keep as quiet as you can, boys. I don't
want to alarm my wife. Now what is it?"

The punchers hushed their discussion of the charge, and listened
attentively to what the men most interested had to say.

"Well, darn it all," apologized the Sheriff to Jack, "it's all darn
fool business, anyway. Buck here he started it."

Jack smiled sarcastically, and, glancing at McKee, remarked: "Buck
McKee's started a good many things in his day--"

Buck began to bluster. He could not face Jack fairly. Already placed
on the defense, when he had considered he would be the accuser, McKee
took refuge in the plea of being wronged by false suspicion.

"I ain't goin'," he whined, "to have folks suspicion me of any such
doin's as the killin' of 'Ole Man' Terrill. I got a witness to prove I
wasn't in twenty miles of the place."

"Who's your witness?" asked Slim, in his most judicial tones.

"Bud Lane--me an' him rode over to the weddin' together--from the Lazy
K, an' I was put out as not fittin' to be there, an' by that very man
there that did the killin'."

The punchers had to grin, in spite of the seriousness of the occasion.
Buck appeared to be deeply hurt at the unceremonious way he had been
left out at the feast.

"What makes you point to me as the man?" asked Jack quietly.

"You was late gettin' to your own weddin'."

Fresno could not repress his feelings any longer. He started angrily
toward McKee, but Jack and Sage-brush held him back. The others were
about to follow his lead, when Slim motioned them back with the
caution: "Keep out of this, boys!"

"I was late," explained Jack, "but I told you I rode around to the
station to get a wedding-present I ordered for my wife--"

Jim interrupted him to substantiate the statement. Poin