The log cabin Democrat., 1909-09-25

| conceded, would in the end be worsted ! if the company and the cowmen to- l gether seriously undertook with men and unlimited money to clean it out l Whispering Smiths party had no ex- 1 planation to offer for the roundup but when Rebstock made 1t known that the fight was over sending out Du 1 Sang, the rage of the rustlers turned on Du Sang. Again however, no man wanted to take up personally with Du Sang the question of the reasonable ness of Whispering Smiths demand Instead of doing so, they fell on Reb- stock and demanded that if he were boss he make good and send Du Sang out.
 | Of all this commotion the railroad men saw only the outward indications. l As the excitement grew on both sides l there was perhaps little more of dis i play in the way the cattle were run in, especially when some longlost bunch was brought to light and welcomed with yells from the center. A steer was killed at noon. everybody fed, and 1 the line moved forward. The wind, which had slept in the sunshine of the l morning, rose in the afternoon, and | the dust whirled in little clouds where men or animals moved. From the cen ter two men had gone back with the cattle gathered up to that time, and 1 Bill Dancing, with Smith, Stormy Cor man, and two of the cowboys. were heading a draw to cross to the north side of the Cache, when three men rode out into the road 500 yards ahead and halted.
 Whispering Smith spoke: There | come our men; stop here. This ground in front of us looks good to me; they may have chosen something over there that suits them better. Feel your guns and we'll start forward slowly; don't | take your eyes off the bunch, what ever you do. Bill, you go back and help the men with the cattle; there will be four of us against three then" Not for mine!" said Bill Dancing, bluntly. You may need help from an old fool yet I'll see you through this and look after the cattle afterward."
 Then, Stormy, one or two of you go back" urged Whispering Smith, speaking to the cowboy foreman with out turning his eyes. There's no need of five of us in this"
 But Stormy swore violently. You go back yourself" exclaimed Stormy, when he could control his feelings. We'll bring them fellows in for you in ten minutes with their hands in the air
 T know you would; know it. But I'm paid for this sort of thing and you are not, and I advise no man to take unnecessary chances. If you all want to stay, why, stay; but don't ride ahead of the line, and let me do all the talking. See that your guns are loose you'll never have but one chance to pull, and don't pull till you're ready. The albino is riding in the middle now, isn't he? And a little back, playing for quick drop. Watch him. Who is that on the right? Can it be George Seagrue? We'll this Is a bunch. And guess Karg is with them"
 Holding their horses to a slow walk, the two parties gingerly approached each other When the Cache riders halted the railroad riders halted; and when the three rode the five rode; but the three rode with absolute align ment and acted as one, while Whisper ing Smith had trouble in holding his men back until the two lines were 50 1 feet apart.
 By this time the youngest of the | cowboys had steadied and was think 1 ing hard. Whispering Smith halted, l In perfect order and sitting their horses as if they were riding parade, the horses ambling at snail's pace, the Cache riders advanced in the sun shine like one man. When Du Sang and his companions refined up, less l than 12 feet separated the two lines.
 In his tan shirt, Du Sang. with his yellow hair, his white eyelashes. and his narrow face, was the least i'm pressive of the three men. Seagrue | rode on the right, his tlorid blood show 1 ing under the tan on his neck and arms He spoke to the cowboys from | the ranch, and on the left the young | fellow Karg, with the broken nose, blackeyed and alert, looked the men over in front of him and nodded 70 Dancing. Du Sang and his compan- ions wore short-armed shirts; rifles were slung at their pommels, and re- volvers stuck in their scabbards. Whispering Smith, in his dusty suit of khaki, was the only man in either line who showed no revolver, but a hammerless or muley Savage rife hung beside his pommel
 Du Sang. blinking, spoke first: Which of you fellows is heading this roundup?'
 "I am heading the roundup" said Whispering Smith. Why? Have we got some of your cattle?"
 The two men spoke as quietly as schoolteachers. Whispering Smiths expression in no way changed, eX- cept that as he spoke he lifted his eye brows little more than usual.
 Du Sang looked at him closely as he