The maniacs, with commendable promptness, jerked Severne to his feet. Several more bent over his horse. "Jess's I thought!" shouted one of these. "Jess's I thought! He's stole this cayuse. This is Hank Smith's bronc. I'd know him any-whar!" "That's right! Bar O brand!" cried several. Then men who held him yanked Severne here and there. "End of yore rope this trip! Steal hosses, will ye!" said they. "I didn't steal the horse!" cried poor Severne; "I hired him from Smith." A roar of laughter greeted this statement. "Hired Colorado and the boys to chase you, too, didn't ye!" suggested one, with heavy sarcasm. "Yes, I did," answered Severne, sincerely. They laughed again. "Nerve!" said they. Near the fallen horse several began discussing the affair. "I tell you I _know_ I done it!" argued one. "I ketched him between the sights, jest's fair as could be." "G'wan, he flummuxed jest's _I_ cut loose!" "Well, boys," called the leader, impatiently, "get along!" A man came forward, and silently threw a loop about Severne's neck. In Wyoming they hang horse-thieves. Severne realised this, and told them all about everything. They listened to him, and laughed delightedly. Never had they hanged such a funny horse-thief. They appreciated his efforts to amuse them, and assured him often that he was a peach. When he paused, they encouraged him to say some more. At every new disclosure they chuckled with admiration, as though at a tremendous but splendid lie. Severne was getting more realistic experience in ten minutes than he had had in all his previous life; but realistic experience does not do one much good at the end of a rope on top of a Wyoming mountain. Then, after a little, they deftly threw the coil of rope over the limb of a tree, and hung him up, and left him. They did not shoot him full of holes, as is the usual custom. He had been a funny horse-thief, so in return they were lenient. Severne kicked. "Dancin' good," they observed, as they turned the corner. Around the corner they met the frantic James. They cut Severne down, and worked over him for some time. Then they carried him down to Placer Creek, and worked over him a lot more. The Triangle X boys were distinctly aggrieved. They had applauded those splendid lies, and now they turned out not to be lies at all, but merely an extremely crazy sort of truth. They relieved their feelings by getting very drunk and shooting out the lights.