“Bennett's. The 4X has strung three strands of barb wire from Coyote Pass to the North Arm. Thirty mile long, without a gate, so they says.”
“But it don't close this trail!” cried Hopalong in blank astonishment.
“It shore does. They say they owns that range an' can fence it in all they wants. I told 'em different, but naturally they didn't listen to me. An' they'll fight about it, too.”
“But they can't shut off this trail!” exclaimed Billy, with angry emphasis. “They don't own it no more'n we do!”
“I know all about that—you heard me tell you what they said.”
“But how can we get past it?” demanded Hopalong.
“Around it, over the hills. You'll lose about three days doing it, too.”
“I can't take no sand-range herd over them rocks, an' I ain't going to drive 'round no North Arm or Coyote Pass if I could,” Hopalong replied with quiet emphasis. “There's poison springs on the east an' nothing but rocks on the west. We go straight through.”
“I'm afraid that you'll have to fight if you do,” remarked the stranger.
“Then we'll fight!” cried Johnny, leaning forward. “Blasted coyotes! What right have they got to block a drive trail that's as old as cattle-raising in these parts! That trail was here before I was born, it's allus been open, an' it's going to stay open! You watch us go through!”