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 about Zora, and lay the charge of treason to himself.

The Kansas cattlemen were still bunched by the side of the road, their horses headed in toward a common point as if they were discussing the next move in their completely upset plan of establishing a quarantine without sanction of law. Some of them, at least, had been sensible enough of the thing they had undertaken.

He was not seriously concerned over the case any longer, let it be as it might. Hughes was across the line, the last of the cattle were clear of the river. He was able, without a doubt, to take care of himself the rest of the way. Dunham joined him where he rode, and told him about the letter for Moore.

Hughes called a cowboy and started him back to deliver the letter to Moore.

"There's a whole lot of bad feelin' against you back there, Dunham," Hughes said, looking worried and all on edge.

"You couldn't expect them to feel very friendly," Dunham replied.

"I don't know what they're figurin' on startin', but it's something," Hughes speculated. "I could feel trouble scratchin' me like a mesquit' when I passed them fellers. If they took it in their heads to make me stick to the trail and shut me off from grazin', I'd be in a hell of a hole."

"No worse off than where you were, that I can see. Your cattle wouldn't starve to death between here and Pawnee Bend."

"No, but they'd be as flat as boards by the time I