Page:Ritchie - Trails to Two Moons.djvu/97

 stairway and, catching Timberline's eye, gave his head a perceptible jerk in the direction whence he had come. Timberline moved casually through the crowd of the Capitol's patrons, studied for a minute the latest stock quotations from South Omaha Market, which were pinned on the wall near the door. Then he was not. He simply had vanished.

What passed upon Timberline's arrival in the room above, who were there about the green table,—these things may develop as circumstance wills. Sufficient to indicate that a board of strategy of the cattle clan received certain information from the lanky cowman, made a quick and unanimous decision affecting the next move in the deadly struggle for the range and gave Timberline terse instructions. The latter humble retainer partook of a drink of ceremony—a survival of the feudal dispensation of salt in the elder day of knight and villain—then faded. A word to Andy Dorson back in the Capitol's bar and both men drifted out on to the street, there to separate.

The remainder of that afternoon they loafed around, visited certain bars where hardy riders in from the range congregated, dropped into this and that feed stable where newcomers were