Sage-brush turned savagely upon him: "That'll do for you." Echo walked hastily to Sage-brush's side. She felt her presence might help to avoid the outbreak which she saw could not long be avoided. Peruna had lost control of tongue and discretion by this time. "You'll never see him back in this section again. You all know where he is--across the line in Mexico--why, she's fixin' to make a clean-up now, an' sell out and join him!" Sage-brush reached for his gun, but Echo restrained him. "You--" he cried. Buck turned angrily on Peruna. "You keep your mouth shet," he shouted. Peruna subsided at his boss' command, mumbling: "There ain't no female can pull the forelock over my eyes." "Take care," warningly called Buck. Peruna fired up again, regardless of consequences. "Why, I see through her game. She's glad to get rid of him, so's she can play up to her ranch boss, Handsome Charley there." Buck had to act instantly to preserve his supremacy over his men. Before any of the Sweetwater outfit could reach Peruna's side, or pull a gun to resent the insult, Buck was on top of him. With a blow full in the mouth, he knocked him sprawling. Echo had seized Sage-brush's hand, preventing him from firing. The other men moved as if to kick Peruna as he lay prostrate. "Let him alone. He's goin' to ask the lady's pardon," snarled Buck, covering him with his gun. Peruna raised himself on one arm. "No, I'll be--" he began. Buck bent over him, speaking in a low tone, tensely and quickly. "Quick! I don't want to have to kill you. You damn' fool, don't you see what I'm playin' fer?" "He ain't fit to live!" shouted Show Low. Buck turned on the cowboy. It was his fight, and he was going to handle it in his own fashion. "Lem me handle this case," he interrupted. "Ther' ain't no man can travel in my outfit and insult a woman--you ask her pardon--right smart." Peruna struggled to his feet. Buck commanded: "On your knees." A glance at Buck showed Peruna how deadly in earnest he was. Reluctantly he sank to his knees. "I didn't mean what I said. I hope you will excuse me--" he whined. "That's enough. Now git up. Pull your freight," Buck ordered. "By God, no!" interposed Sage-brush. The cowboys seized Peruna. Buck saw that his bluff at bossing the situation was called. He turned appealingly to Echo, and rapidly fabricated a moving tale about Peruna's heroic rescue of himself from drowning in the Gila River. "An I swore I would do as much fer him some day. Now I perpose that we all give him a kick, an' let him go; let him have two hours' start, after which the game-laws will be out on him." Sage-brush cried out against the plan, but Echo was moved by McKee's appeal for his comrade, and, speaking low and beseechingly to Sage-brush, said: "It will save a range-war that we can't afford to have till Jack and Slim get back." Sage-brush finally assented.