“As a matter of fact, I’ve got a lot of hard riding before me.”

“So’ve I.”

“And some long riding, too.”

Perhaps it was because he turned his head suddenly towards the light, but a glint seemed to come in the eyes of the bearded man.

“Long rides,” he said more amiably, “are sure hell on hosses.”

“And on men, too,” nodded the other, and tilted back in his chair.

The bearded man spoke again, but though a dozen cowpunchers were close by no one heard his voice except the man at his side.  One side of his face remained perfectly immobile and his eyes stared straight before him drearily while he whispered from a corner of his mouth:  “How long do you stay, Lee?”

“Noon,” said Lee.

Once more the shorter man spoke in the manner which is learned in a penitentiary:  “Me too.  We must be slated for the same ride, Lee.  Do you know what it is?  It’s nearly noon, and the chief ought to be here.”

There was a loud greeting for a newcomer, and Lee took advantage of the noise to say quite openly:  “If Silent said he’ll come, he’ll be here.  But I say he’s crazy to come to a place full of range riders, Bill.”

“Take it easy,” responded Bill.  “This hangout is away off our regular beat.  Nobody’ll know him.”

“His hide is his own and he can do what he wants with it,” said Lee.  “I warned him before.”

“Shut up,” murmured Bill, “Here’s Jim now, and Hal Purvis with him!”

Through the door strode a great figure before whom the throng at the bar gave way as water rolls back from the tall prow of a ship.  In his wake went a little man with a face dried and withered by the sun and small bright eyes which moved continually from side to side.  Lee and Bill discovered their thirst at the same time and made towards the newcomers.

They had no difficulty in reaching them.  The large man stood with his back to the bar, his elbows spread out on it, so that there was a little space left on either side of him.  No one cared to press too close to this sombre-faced giant.  Purvis stood before him and Bill and Lee were instantly at his side.  The two leaned on the bar, facing him, yet the four did not seem to make a group set apart from the rest.

“Well?” asked Lee.

“I’ll tell you what it is when we’re on the road,” said Jim Silent.  “Plenty of time, Haines.”

“Who’ll start first?” asked Bill.

“You can, Kilduff,” said the other.  “Go straight north, and go slow.  Then Haines will follow you.  Purvis next.  I come last because I got here last.  There ain’t any hurry—­What’s this here?”

“I tell you I seen it!” called an angry voice from a corner.

“You must of been drunk an’ seein’ double, partner,” drawled the answer.

“Look here!” said the first man, “I’m willin’ to take that any way you mean it!”

“An’ I’m willin’,” said the other, “that you should take it any way you damn please.”