Ted had not even taken his six-shooter from its holster, but stood with his hands resting lightly on his hips, while his eyes roved inquiringly over the menacing crowd.

“Any of you gentlemen like to have some of the same sort of medicine?” he asked, nodding toward the prostrate Rhue.

There was no reply.

“Because if any of you would, I, or any of my friends, will be glad to accommodate you,” he added.

An ominous growl came from some one back in the crowd.

“Would you like some of it?” asked Ted, turning suddenly in that direction.

He waited for several moments for an answer, but none came.

“Now, you fellows, I want to say that this incident is closed,” said he firmly.  “You are beaten every way from the jack, as you would say.  You put up this race to skin innocent parties, and you thought to use my friends for your purposes, and have failed.  The face was fairly won by our horse, and that goes.  If any man doubts it, I will prove it to him by any means he wishes, from fists up to howitzers.  You have made a lot of fools of yourselves by allowing an old crook like Norris to play in with you.  I haven’t a bit of sympathy for you.  I’m glad you lost your money, and I’d feel gladder if you all went broke.  This is the end of this adventure.  Where’s Norris?  We want that magpie horse which we won.”

The men dispersed after this speech, which closed with a ringing cheer from the broncho boys and the cow-punchers and other friends of Hatrack.

But Norris could not be found.  He and the horse and the jockey had disappeared.  Ted rounded the boys up, and all were present except Kit.

“Where’s Kit?” he asked.

“Don’t know,” said Bud.  “He was around here a few minutes ago.  Reckon he’s somewhere about.”

The crowd having dispersed uptown, a search was made for Kit, but he could not be found.

“I wonder if some of that gang hasn’t got square with us by some foul play on Kit,” said Ted.  “It would be like the coyotes.  Kit was the smallest of the lot, and naturally the cowards would pick him.”

“Kit’s small, all right,” said Stella stoutly, for she and Kit were great friends, and Stella was always one to stick up for those she liked.  “If they pick Kit for his size, and think they have got an easy thing, they will find that they have gathered up a red-hot Chile pepper.  He’ll give them the hottest fight they ever had, as long as he lasts.”

“Hurray fer you, Stella,” exclaimed Bud.  “You speak for fair.  Kit’s not much on size, but he’s a whirlwind.”

Shan Rhue was slowly getting on his feet.  His broad, brutal face was badly discolored where Ted’s fists had come in contact with it.

One of his eyes was bloodshot and rapidly taking on a green-and-purple hue, and his upper lip stuck out like an overhanging roof.  As he looked around and saw that the broncho boys were alone, and that he had been left to recover as best he might by those whom he had called his friends and supporters, he growled deep in his chest.