"No; but, by G-d, yo're willin' enough to use them what I put down! Do you think I spent good time an' money just to supply _you_ with water? Why don't you get yore own, 'stead of hoggin' mine!" "There's water enough, an' it ain't yourn, neither." "It's mine till somebody takes it away from me, an' you can gamble on that." "Oh, I reckon you'll share it." "I reckon I won't!" Buck retorted. "Look here; my men have held that range for many years against all kinds of propositions an' didn't get pushed into th' discard once; an' they'll go right on holding it. Hell has busted loose down here purty often during that time, but we've allus roped an' branded it; an' we hain't forgot how!" "Well, I don't want no trouble, but I've got to use that water, an' my men are some hard to handle." "You'll find mine worse to handle before you gets through," Buck rejoined. "They're restless now, an' once they start, all h--l can't stop 'em." Meeker started to reply, but Buck gave him no chance. "Do you know why I haven't driven you back by force? It wasn't because I figgered on what _you'd_ do. It was on account of th' rustling that'll blossom on this range just as soon as we get too busy to watch things. That's why, but if yo're willing to take a chance with cow thieves, I am." "I'm willing. I've got to have water on my northwest corner," Meeker replied. "An' I'm going to have it! If my cows get on yore private reservation, it's up to you to drive 'em off; but I wouldn't be none hasty doing it if I was you. You see, my men are plumb touchy." "That's final, is it?" "I ain't never swallered nothing I ever said." "All right. I can draw on forty men to fill up gaps, an' I'll do it before I let any range jumper cheat me out of what's mine. When you buck that line, come ready for trouble." "Yore line'll burn you before you get through pampering it," retorted Meeker, angrily. "So? We'll pamper anybody that tries to keep us from pampering our line. If there are any burns they'll not be salved in _our_ bunk house. So long." Meeker laughed, stretched, and slipped his thumbs in the arm-holes of his vest, watching the Bar-20 foreman ride away. Then he frowned and snapped his fingers angrily. "We'll keep you busy on yore 'line' when I get ready to play th' cards I'm looking for!" he exclaimed. "Th' gall of him! Telling me I can't pasture where I wants! By G-d, I'll be told I'm using his sunlight an' breathing his air!" He stepped forward. "Curley! Chick! Dan!" A moment later the three men stood before him. "What is it, Jim?" asked Curley. "You fellers drive north to-morrow. Pick up th' stragglers an' herd 'em close to that infernal line. Don't drive 'em over till I tell you, but don't let none stray south again; savvy? If they want to stray north it's none of our business." "Good!" "Fine!" "That's th' way to talk!"