Brill had led the pursuit of the rustlers and had come back furious from
a long futile chase. For among the cattle being driven across to Sonora
were five belonging to him.

Other charges also lay against the hill outlaws. A stage had been robbed
with a gold shipment from the Diamond Nugget mine. A cattleman had been
held up and relieved of two thousand dollars, just taken as part payment
for a sale of beef steers. The sheriff of Noches County, while trying
to arrest a rustler, had been shot dead in his tracks.

Brill Healy leaned forward, gathered the eyes of those present, and
lowered his voice to a whisper. "Boys, this thing has got to stop. I've
sent for Bucky O'Connor. If anybody can run the coyotes to earth he can.
Anyhow, that's the reputation he's got."

Yeager nodded. "Good for you, Brill. He's ce'tainly got an A-one rep. as
a cattle detective, and likewise as a man hunter. When is he coming?"

"He writes that he's got a job on hand that will keep him busy a couple
of weeks, anyhow. After that we'll hear from him. I'm going to drop
everything else, if necessary, and stay right with him on this job till
he finishes it right," Healy promised.

"Now you're shoutin', Brill. Here, too. It's money in our pocket to stop
this thing right now, even if we pay big for it. No use jest sittin'
around till we're stole blind," assented Slim.

"It won't cost us anything. Buck, he pays the freight. The waddies have
been hitting him right hard lately and he figures it will be up to him
to clean them out. Course we expect help from you boys when we call on