Matson said nothing. The Texan was building up for himself a vision of the life he loved in the wind and the sunshine of the open range. The old Chisum Trail song he sung must bring to his memory a hundred pictures of the past. These would be arguments more potent than any the sheriff could use. “Stray in the herd and the boss said kill it, So I shot him in the rump with the handle of the skillet.” The cracked voice became clearer: “I’ll sell my outfit soon as ever I can, I won’t punch cattle for no damned man!” “You don’t want your kid to grow up and learn that his dad was hanged,” insinuated Matson. “That would be a fine thing to leave him.” “Foot in the stirrup and hand on the horn— Best damned cowboy that ever was born!” The voice of the singer rang like a bell at last. He turned serene eyes on the tempter. “What do you think I am, Aleck? If I hang I hang, but I’m damned if I’ll be a traitor.” The sheriff gave him up. “All right, Sam. It’s your say-so, not mine. Got everything you want here so you’re fixed comfortable?” “You’re treating me fine. I ain’t used to being corralled so close, but I reckon it would be onreasonable to ask for a hawss and a saddle and an open range in your calaboose.” As the sheriff passed down the corridor he heard Sam’s tin-pan voice chirruping bravely: “There’s hard times on old Bitter Creek That never can be beat; It was root, hog, or die, Under every wagon sheet. We cleared up all the Indians, Drank all the alkali, And its whack the cattle on, boys— Root, hog, or die!” CHAPTER XX “YOU DAMNED JUDAS” NOT for years had Shoshone County been so interested in any public event as it was in the trial of Rowan McCoy for the murder of Dan Gilroy. Scores of ranchmen had driven in from the hills to be present either as witnesses or spectators. North of town was a camp with two chuck wagons where the cattlemen kept open house for all the range riders who had ridden down to Wagon Wheel. A beef had been killed and a cook engaged. Everybody was welcome to help himself. At the opposite end of town the sheepmen also had a camp, for the two small hotels were entirely inadequate to hold those in attendance.