“Jack Silver,” mused Reber. “A handsome devil of a breed, June. He’s tall, graceful--too smart for my men. He comes to Tomahawk. He’s not afraid of me. Half Cheyenne. There are no Cheyennes in the Valley now, June. Uncle Sam keeps ’em on a reservation. But Jack Silver lives back on Trapper Creek, twenty miles southwest of here. We’ve tried to catch him stealing my cattle, but he eludes us. “McLeese of the Two Bar X and Nort Jackson of the Lightnin’ have trailed him for weeks; and Slim Patterson has tried to trap him, but he’s too clever. He’s got the cunning of the Cheyenne, the brain of a white man.” June sat in an old rocker, her chin resting on the palm of her right hand, as she thought over Reber’s story. It was the first time she had ever heard the reasons for Buck Priest’s hatred of Park Reber. “How many head of cattle has Jack Silver stolen from you?” she asked. Reber shook his head slowly. “Who knows, June? More than I care to lose.” He smiled at the thoughtful expression on her face. “What would you do if you was in my place, June?” “I was just thinking,” said June, “that if I were in your place I’d hire Jack Silver to work for me.” Reber frowned quickly. “Hire him to--” “Why not? You’d save money--and he would be worth what you paid him, wouldn’t he?” “I never thought of that, June.” They were interrupted by Hop Lee, who came in and told Reber that Slim Patterson of the Half-Wheel was waiting to see him. June left the room when Patterson came in. “How’re yuh comin’?” asked Slim, sitting down in the chair June had vacated. “All right,” said Reber. “Be out in a day or so.” “Good! Say, I was back between Trapper Creek and the West Fork yesterday and I found about a hundred cows bunched in a draw back there. It shore looked as though somebody was all set for a drive. Me and ‘Chuck’ Avery laid there until night waitin’ for somebody to show up, but they didn’t. “I left Chuck there and went home. Sent ‘Biddy’ Conley and Abe Lehman out to keep him company and pulled out for here this mornin’, after Biddy came in and said they hadn’t seen anybody yet.” Reber sighed wearily. “I dunno, Slim,” he said slowly. “I talked with McLeese the other day and he suggested that we post men in that Trapper Creek pass. It might be a good scheme. They can’t get past the Two Bar X into West Fork pass without bein’ seen by some of the boys, and those are the only two ways out, except past here. “I’ll tell yuh what I want yuh to do, Slim. Send about three of yore men to Trapper Creek pass, and then pack a message to Jackson, McLeese, Franks and Carlin to be here at my place tomorrow night, and you come with ’em. I’ve got a scheme to stop Jack Silver.” “You have? That’s fine.” Slim got to his feet and picked up his hat. “I’ll pass the word to the boys for tomorrow night. Heard anythin’ more of Buck Priest?” “Not a word, Slim. Have you?” “Only that he says yo’re stealin’ his cows. I think he’s tryin’ to excuse himself for shootin’ yuh.”