After leaving Jordan and Warden, Lawler walked across the railroad tracks and entered the station, where he sent a telegram to Keppler, the buyer at Red Rock.  Then he drew a chair over near the door and sat down to await an answer.  At the end of an hour the agent walked over to Lawler and gave him the reply.  It was from Keppler, saying that he would be glad to buy all of the Circle L cattle at thirty dollars a head.

Lawler stuck the telegram in a pocket and went out, mounting Red King and riding through Willets.  Darkness had come, and there were few persons on the street, and Lawler did not stop.  A little later he was talking with Blackburn at the camp fire, his voice low and earnest.

Blackburn’s face was seamed with wrath over the news Lawler had communicated.

“So that’s the polecat scheme they’re runnin’!” he said, hoarsely.  “I reckon they know that between here an’ Red Rock there’s a dozen big gangs of buzzards which make a business of grabbin’ cattle from every herd that hits the Tom Long trail!”

“Blackburn,” said Lawler gravely; “do you know of any other trail?”

“No; nor you don’t neither!” declared the range boss.  “What you meanin’?” he added, peering intently at Lawler.

“It’s mighty plain,” said Lawler; “if we travel at all, we’ll have to take the Tom Long trail.  It’s been used before, Blackburn, by all the cattle owners in the section—­before the railroad came.  It hasn’t been used much lately, though, and so I reckon it isn’t worn out.”

“You’re startin’ at daybreak, I reckon?”

“Yes.”  Lawler looked straight at the range boss.  “Some of the boys who are with us don’t know the Tom Long trail, Blackburn.  You’d better tell them there are prospects for trouble.  No man goes on that trail with my cattle under regular working orders.  It’s volunteer work.  But you might mention to them that if we get through the difference between what Warden offered me and what I get from Keppler, will be divided among the men of the outfit.  That will be in addition to regular trail herd wages.”

“That’s mighty white of you, Boss.  But I reckon there’d be no back-slidin’.  The boys ain’t admirin’ the deal you’re gettin’.  I’m tellin’ them.”

He took a step away from Lawler, and then halted, uncertainly.

“Lawler,” he said; “you’ve been over the Tom Long trail—­you know what it is.  There’s places where we’ll find eight thousand head to be a mighty big herd.  A herd that big will be powerful hard to handle in some of them long passes.  An’ if they’d get in some of that timber we’d never get them out.  We’ve got twenty-eight men.  If we’d have an open winter we’d likely be able to take care of about three thousand head by watchin’ them close.  Now, if we’d leave about three thousand head at the Circle L—­with four or five of the boys to keep an eye on them, that would leave us about twenty-three or twenty-four men for trail herd work.  That won’t be any too many for five thousand head of cattle on the Tom Long trail.  Unless you’re figgerin’ to hire some hands from another outfit?”