"I'll shoot you up a few if you ain't keerful, young feller," replied the old ruffian. "That's right, General, he's too fresh," called some one. Calvin spurred his horse alongside Yarpe's and looked him in the eye with a glare which made the older man wince. "You be decent before these women or I'll cut the heart out o' ye. You hear me!" Curtis stepped forward. "Careful, Streeter--don't provoke trouble; we'll protect the women." The sheriff rode between the two men. "Cal, git away--you're my deputy, remember." As Cal reined his horse away, Curtis went to him and said, in a low voice: "I appreciate your chivalry, Calvin, but be careful; don't excite them." As he looked into the big, red, whiskey-bloated face of Yarpe, Curtis was frankly dismayed. The old ruffian was not only inflamed with liquor, he was intoxicated with a subtler elixir--the pride of command. As he looked back over his followers he visibly expanded and a savage glare lit up his eyes. "Keep quiet, boys; I'll settle this thing." Curtis again stepped towards the sheriff. "What do you propose to do, Mr. Sheriff?" Yarpe broke in boisterously. "We want old Elk. Bring him out or we go after him." A chorus of applause followed. "On what authority do you make this demand?" asked Curtis, facing Yarpe. "On the authority of the sheriff of Pinon City," replied Yarpe, "and we come along to see he does his duty." "The sheriff is present and can speak for himself. He was my guest last night and made an agreement with me, which, as an honorable man, he is disposed to keep." The sheriff avoided Curtis's eye, but Yarpe replied: "He showed the white feather. He let you fool him, but you can't fool this crowd. Bring on your Injun, or we go get him." "Have you a warrant?" "Oh, damn the warrant!" The sheriff cleared his throat. "Yes, I have a warrant for Crawling Elk and Grayman," he said, and began searching his pockets. The decisive moment had arrived. XXIV THE GRAY-HORSE TROOP Curtis minutely studied the crowd, which was made up very largely of reckless young men--cowboys from all over the range, together with the loafers and gamblers of the cow-towns. The sheriff's deputies were all well to the front, but were quiet; they seemed to be a little abashed by the gaze of the women to whom they were indebted for their dinner of yesterday. Each member of the gang was burdened with ammunition and carried both rifle and revolver. The sheriff dismounted and handed a paper to Curtis, who took plenty of time to read it. It was manifestly bogus, manufactured for use as a bluff, and had not been properly sworn out; but to dispute it would be to anger the cattlemen. There was only one chance for delay.