“’Course we could ‘a’ got him,” said Shoop, “but it don’t set right with me to be stood up by a tenderfoot.  Sundown’s sure loco.”

“I don’t know, Bud.  He’s queer, all right, but this is his ranch.  He’s got a right to order us out.”

Shoop was about to retort when Sundown came to the doorway.  “I guess you can come in now,” he said.  “And you won’t need no gun.”  The men shuffled awkwardly, and finally led by Corliss they filed into the room and one by one they stepped to the open door of the bedroom and gazed within.  Then they filed out silently.

“I’ll send over some grub,” said Corliss as they mounted.  Sundown nodded.

The band of riders moved slowly back toward the Concho.  About halfway on their homeward journey they met Loring in a buckboard.  The old sheep-man drove up and would have passed them without speaking had not Corliss reined across the road and halted him.

“One of your herders—­’Sandro—­is over at the water-hole,” said Corliss.  “If you’re headed for Antelope, you might stop by and take him along.”

Loring glared at the Concho riders, seemed about to speak, but instead clucked to his team.  The riders reined out of his way and he swept past, gazing straight ahead, grim, silent, and utterly without fear.  He understood the rancher’s brief statement, and he already knew of the killing of Sinker.  ’Sandro’s assistant, becoming frightened, had left his wounded companion on the mesas, and had ridden to the Loring rancho with the story of the fight and its ending.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE PEACEMAKER

“But I ain’t no dove—­more like a stork, I guess,” reflected Sundown as he stood in the doorway of his house.  “And storks brings responsibilities in baskets, instead of olive branches.  No wonder ole man Noah fired the dove right out ag’in—­bringin’ him olives what wa’n’t pickled, instead of a bunch of grapes or somethin’ you can eat!  And that there dove never come back.  I reckon he figured if he did, ole man Noah’d shoot him.  Anyhow, if I ain’t no dove of peace, I’m goin’ to do the best I can.  Everybody ’round here seems like they was tryin’ to ride right into trouble wishful, ‘stead of reinin’ to one side an’ givin’ trouble a chance to get past.  Gee Gosh!  If I’d ‘a’ knowed what I know now—­afore I hit this country—­but I’m here.  Anyhow, they’s nothin’ wrong with the country.  It’s the folks, like it ‘most always is.  Reckon I ought to keep on buildin’ fence this mornin’, but that there peace idea ‘s got to singin’ in me head.  I’ll jest saddle up Pill and ride over and tell ole man Loring that I’m takin’ care of his sheep charitable what’s been hangin’ around here since ‘Sandro passed over.  Mebby that’ll kind o’ start the talk.  Then I can slip him a couple of ideas ’bout how neighbors ought to act.  Huh!  Me nussin’ them sheep for two weeks and more, an’ me just dyin’ for a leetle taste o’ mutton.  Mebby his herders was scared to come for ’em, I dunno.”