Hal looked at his adversary with admiration. He hadn't supposed that Ladd would follow him, that he would trust himself in the enemy's country; but here he was in time to turn victory into defeat, and he was appealing to this mob with all the cunning of a skilled demagogue and with the ferocity of a tiger.
Kal came over to Calthorpe and, looking him in the eye, said slowly—emphasizing every word:
"You made me look foolish, boy."
That is an unforgivable sin. You may take a man's honor or his money or his wife, and indeed have his life, and forgiveness is still possible; but don't expect mercy if you have made him look foolish.
"And you roped me," added Curley. "Ropin' bein' in fashion, we'll let you in on it." And he threw around Hal's neck a coil of the rope the latter had used on him.
"Wait a minute," said the irreconcilable Humpy. "If this feller ain't your man, Mr. Agent; who the hell is he?"
"He's the legal owner of this ranch," declared Bill with emphasis; "and if you lynch him you'll be guilty of committin' murder."
"Oh, no," said Kal grimly; "we'll just be guilty of a mistake."
"Fer which," added Humpy, "we kin apologize later."
"Is that right?" demanded Kal. "Do you claim this ranch and the asphalt on it?"