The Sheriff of Badger

s and did other useful tasks. She was wearing a pink dress with the neck cut low, and look

nd sixty dollars a month if he went to work for the Lazy L. And perhaps he might be given the Ajos camp, with its comfortable ad

made h

ild rovers, pay

to you my s

xperience, no

the ruin o

elps at the end of each line, like a coyote

" she said decidedly. "C

lamely, and tried another, a plaintive

ilk neckerchief, and Johnson cursed his want of foresight in not purchasing some finery. T

red, depositing them carefully on a chair. Local ordinances do not p

well heeled?

att, "but I don'

k a gun," Lafe went on pleasantly. "Yo

ke them. They

st the sights off'n it, or take th

to pack a gun," Steve said. He adde

retty tol'able

like sleep. After a tentative puff or two on a cigarette, and some coughing, he got it out. Did Lafe know that Grace Hawes-Johnson silenced him curtly, and they lay dow

fore?" Grace cried. "Lafe Joh

s. He don't mean no harm, Miss Grace. He's just naturally playful.

How often has he had the habit? How m

many. I don't r

wives and fam'lie

to regret his interference. "Not a great many fam'li

e round here again. Married? Huh, you can't go to fool me! You quit try

Grace," Jim said, seizing his hat.

ay nothing of t

n the wicker rocking-chair. Lafe was momentarily cast down. A conference had reveale

e been asking Steve about shooting, and he done promis

ing," said Johnson

how to keep other men scared. I used to tell my sister back in Abilene-she ain't like m

e to be a gunfighte

" Miss Hawes clasped her

ghter always gives the other feller an even break.

you," Moffatt

the next man, he's liable to be awful nervy. Take a bronc buster, now. He knows he can clean a horse, and he ain't sca

don't know what y

-to Mr. Moffatt here, say-'Let's go into that back room with jus

ss Hawes asked

er now what a gunman-what Mr. M

was what Moffatt h

s? What if I said, 'Let's put two guns on a table, draw off to opposite sides of t

he alarm clock on the flimsy, draped mantel-shelf ti

ee you down at the Fashion,

oming,

ecko

on," sai