"
Loring listened in silence. Finally he spoke. "I'll take care of my
sheep. I'll send for 'em to-day. Looks like you're tryin' to play
square, but you don't figure in this deal. Jack Corliss is at the
bottom of it and he's using you. And he'll use you hard. What you
goin' to do with the overflow from the water-hole?"
"I'm goin' to irrigate me ranch," said Sundown.
Loring nodded. "And cut off the water from everybody?"
"Not from me friends."
"Which means the Concho."
"Sure! Jack Corliss is me friend. But that ain't all. If you want to
be me friend, I ain't kickin' even if you did tell the sheriff he ought
to git acquainted with me closer. I'm goin' to speak right out. I
reckon it's the best way. I got a proposition. If you'll quit sickin'
them herders onto cowboys and if Jack'll quit settin' the punchers at
your herders, I'll open up me spring and run her down to where they's
water for everybody. If cows comes, they drink. If sheep comes,
_they_ drink. If folks comes, they drink, likewise. But no fightin'."
Sundown as arbiter of peace felt that he had, in truth, "spoken right
out.
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