But on this occasion all grudges seemed to have been forgotten or buried, for there was no shooting. The feeling was of the friendliest, save that an important issue was to be fought out between the sheep men on one side and the cattle men on the other.
To both sides the issue meant much, for it meant success or failure in what they elected to gain their livings by means of. So it cannot be wondered at that there were more or less serious faces as men met and inquired one of the other:
"How do you think it's going?"
"Well, you can't tell much about it," the answer might be. "These lawyers and judges——"
"That's right. They don't seem to use common sense—some of 'em."
"But what sort of a case do you s'pose Diamond X has got, anyhow?"
"Pretty good, I hear."
"Well, I hope they have. Gosh! If we're goin' t' be overrun with them onery sheep jest as we've got things runnin' nicely fer cattle—wa'al, I don't want t' live around here—that's all I got to say!" exclaimed one grizzled cowman.
"Same here!" commented some of his hearers. "Sheep's no good; never were any good; an' what's more, never will be any good!"
"That's right!" came a deep-voiced chorus.