Langford’s jaw was set. His young face was tense with interest. He had thrown his hat on the floor as he came in, as is the way with men who have lived much without women. He had a strong, bronzed face, with dare-devil eyes, blue they were, too, and he had a certain turn of the head, a mark of distinction which success always gives to her sons. He had big shoulders, clad in a blue flannel shirt open at the throat. In his absorption he had forgotten the “little girl” as completely as if she had, in very truth, been the ten-year-old of his imagination. How plainly he could see all the unholy situation,—the handful of desperate men perfectly protected on the little island. One man sighting from behind a cottonwood could play havoc with a whole sheriff’s posse on that open stretch of sand-bar. Nothing but a surprise—and did these insolent men fear surprise? They had laughed at the suggestion of the near presence of an officer of the law. And did they not do well to laugh? Surely it was a joke, a good one, this idea of an officer’s being where he was needed in Kemah County. “And my brand was on that spotted steer,” he interrupted. “I know the creature—know him well. He has a mean eye. Had the gall to dispute the right of way with me once, not so long ago, either. He was in the corral at the time, but he’s been on the range all Summer. He may have the evil eye all right, but he’s mine, bad eye and all; and what is mine, I will have. And is that the only original brand you saw?” “The only one,” quietly, “unless the J R on that red steer when he got up was an original one.” “J R? Who could J R be?” “I couldn’t say, but the man was—Jesse Black.” “Jesse Black!” The repeated words were fairly spit out. “Jesse Black! I might have known. Who else bold enough to loot the Three Bars? But his day has come. Not a hair, nor a hide, not a hoof, not tallow enough to fry a flapjack shall be left on the Three Bars before he repents his insolence.” “What will you do?” asked Williston. “What will you do?” retorted Langford. “I? What can I do?” in the vague, helpless tone of the dreamer. “Everything—if you will,” briefly. He snatched up his wide hat. “Where are you going?” asked Williston, curiously. “To see Dick Gordon before this day is an hour older. Will you come along?” “Ye—es,” hesitatingly. “Gordon hasn’t made much success of things so far, has he?” “Because you—and men like you—are under the thumb of men like Jesse Black,” said Langford, curtly. “Afraid to peach for fear of antagonizing the gang. Afraid to vote against the tools of the cattle thieves for fear of antagonizing the gang. Afraid to call your souls your own for fear of antagonizing the gang. Your ‘on the fence’ policy didn’t work very well this time, did it? You haven’t found your cattle, have you? The angel must have forgotten. Thought you were tainted of Egypt, eh?”