McAllister was still some hundred yards from the small fire around which he saw three men standing, when Allen brought his gray to a sliding stop and sprang from the saddle and landed on top of one of them. When McAllister arrived, he saw the two engaged in what appeared a desperate struggle; and all the time both contestants hurled the most blood-curdling oaths at each other. He stared at them in amazement. They whirled this way and that. The other man was no larger than Allen, but looked years older, because of the heavy beard that covered his face. Little by little, the other bested Allen, and, finally pinning him down on his face, planted both heels in the small of Allen's back. "Yuh got enough?" he panted. "Yep," grunted Allen. The two arose to their feet and stood breathing deeply for a moment. Then Allen turned to McAllister. "That there long galoot is Toothpick; reckon yuh met him afore. The other gent by the fire is Silent Moore, who is plumb ignorant an' can't talk, an' this here is my brother, Jack, who is the dickens on hoss thieves, rustlers----" "Hoss thieves! Ain't yuh one yourself? Didn't yuh steal Honeyboy from me?" Jack Allen interrupted Jim's flow of words. Toothpick chuckled and Silent Moore grinned. "Hello, Jim. Darn me, but I'm plumb glad to see yuh," Toothpick greeted. "'Lo, yuh little devil," Silent mumbled. Bill McAllister knew that here were two men who would willingly die at a nod from Jim Allen. "Where's this Squint person?" Jim Allen asked. Toothpick led the way to where Squint Lane lay flat on his back beneath a tree. He was of medium height, with a big, loose mouth, a pug nose, and eyes like those of a Chinaman. He was snoring, and Jim Allen looked questioningly at Toothpick. "We had to get him drunk afore he would come with us, so we figgered it would be best to keep him that way. He's been ossified for five days now," Toothpick explained joyfully. "But he can't tell us nothin' now," Bill McAllister complained. "I can sober him pronto," Jack Allen volunteered. "I bet yuh could! Yuh got experience runnin' poor drunks to the hoosegow an' then maltreatin' 'em. But I figgers we better try a psy-cho-log-ical experiment on him." Allen grinned, first at his brother and then at Toothpick. "Gents, I has erudition, so I'll elucidate what this here psy-cho-log-ical thing is. It's to do with the mind," Toothpick explained, delighted at the opportunity to use a few long words which he devoutly hoped no one else understood. "A professor gent once tol' me that a hombre suffers a heap more from what he imagines is goin' to happen than from what does, so we'll try it on Squint," Jim Allen told them. He quickly explained what he had in mind, and then the five retreated to the fire and brewed fresh coffee. Later, he told them what he wished to learn from Squint as to the situation at the Double R Ranch. He kept most of his suspicions to himself. "I heard tell of 'em twins--watch 'em," Jack Allen warned.