"The country's all right," said Bill in an ominously quiet voice, "but this here pinto's another transaction, I reckon."
"The hoss is mine, I say, and what's more, I'm goin' to hold him," said the stranger in a loud voice.
The men began to crowd around with faces growing hard. It was dangerous in that country to play fast and loose with horses.
"Look a-hyar, mates," said the stranger, with a Yankee drawl, "I ain't no hoss thief, and if I hain't bought this hoss reg'lar and paid down good money then it ain't mine—if I have it is. That's fair, ain't it?"
At this Hi pulled himself together, and in a half-drunken tone declared that the stranger was all right, and that he had bought the horse fair and square, and "there's your dust," said Hi, handing a roll to Bill. But with a quick movement Bill caught the stranger by the leg, and, before a word could be said, he was lying flat on the ground.
"You git off that pony," said Bill, "till this thing is settled."
There was something so terrible in Bill's manner that the man contented himself with blustering and swearing, while Bill, turning to Hi, said:
