s two brothers, arrived
from the Panhandle. The O-Bar-O, situated close to the town of Muddy
Wells, increased its payroll by the addition of nine men, each of whom
bore the written recommendation of the foreman of the Bar-20. The C-80,
Double Arrow and the Three Triangle also received heavy reinforcements,
and even Carter, owner of the Barred Horseshoe, far removed from the
zone of the depredations, increased his outfits by half their regular
strength.

Buck believed that if a thing was worth doing at all that it was worth
doing very well, and his acquaintances were numerous and loyal. The
collection of individuals that responded to the call were noteworthy
examples of "gun-play" and their aggregate value was at par with twice
their numbers in cavalry.

Each ranch had one large ranch-house and numerous line-houses scattered
along the boundaries. These latter, while intended as camps for the
outriders, had been erected in the days, none too remote, when Apaches,
Arrapahoes, and even Cheyennes raided southward, and they had been
constructed with the idea of defense paramount. Upon more than one
occasion a solitary line-rider had retreated within their adobe walls
and had successfully resisted all the cunning and ferocity of a score
of paint-bedaubed warriors and, when his outfit had rescued him, emerged
none the worse for his ordeal.

On the Bar-20, Buck placed these houses in condition to withstand seige.
Twin barrels of water stood in opposite corners, provisions were stored
on the hanging shelves and the bunks once again reveled in untidiness.
Spare rifles, in pattern ranging from long-range Sharp's and buffalo
guns to repeating rifles, leaned against the walls, and unbroken boxes
of cartridges were piled above the bunks. Instead of the lonesome
outrider, he placed four men to each house, two of whom were to remain
at home and hold the house while their companions rode side by side on
their multi-mile beat.

There were six of these houses and, instead of returning each night to
the same line-house, the outriders kept on and made the circuit,
thus keeping every one well informed and breaking the monotony. These
measures were expected to cause the rustling operations to cease at
once, but the effect was to shift the losses to the Double Arrow, the
line-houses of which boasted only one puncher each. Unreasonable economy
usually defeats its object.

The Double Arrow was restricted on the north by the Staked Plain,