Tex""

d Tex neared the station and stopped s

either av them would have plenty to say about it. Trust 'em for that. An' tomorrow is Overton's trick east-b

night to each other. Murphy seemed a little const

me in my shanty. 'Tis only an old box car off its wheels, but there's a bunk in it for ye any time ye want to use it. Tread easy now, an' keep yer two eyes open; an' while I'm willin' to back ye up, I daren't do it unless it's a matter av life an' death. I'm Irish, an' so is Costigan. There's

ff trouble, even to eatin' a little dirt; but, Tim, I'd like nothing better than to send for a few friends an' let things take their natural course. Every time I look at that nephew I fair itch to strangle him. It can't be possible that Miss Saunders gives him any encouragement

growled, and then a grin came to his face as he dug into his pocket. "Here.

ex. "You'll need me tomorr

ing in timbre. "Yer a loafin', windy, clumsy, bunglin' n

-boss' tones; and he thought that he had seen something move around the corner of the st

loafers that you don't know a good man when you see one. You don'

n mid-air as Tex's gun

. "Any more of that an' I'll blow you wide

ye was as handy with tools as ye are with that d--d

an' get out before you make me use it. F

wed up by the darkness. Then he turned, slammed the gun back into its holster and stamped toward the hotel; but he s

trance with scowls. The two cavalrymen present glanced at him in disinterested, momentary curiosity a

I'm not smokin' any of 'em. Fire me, huh? I'd like to see th' section-boss that fires me! 'Overpaid,' he says, an' me workin' like a dog

ch they had no little difficulty in lighting. The other men in the room took their

'," said a rasping, unsteady voice from a corner table. "

agreed, waiting to receive unequivocal notification that it was he for

spector. "Strangers can't come into this town an' carry

rt 'most any time," he retorted. "When a man fights worse'n a dog he makes me mad;

m. "An' he's got friends

t me tell you somethin' for yore personal benefit--I've swallered all I aim to swaller tonight. I'm peaceable an' not lookin' for no trouble--you hold yore yap till I get through talkin'--but I ain't dodgin' none. Somehow I seem to be out o

e of the cavalrymen. "

oo," endorsed his com

u!" cried th

ciously began a miner,

r enough! Stranger, you spoke yore piece fair. Tom," he said, looking at the angry miner, "you got nothin' more to say:

the circumstances. It might be regarded as a sign of weakness, and was almost certain to cause trouble. Turning his back on the

n-in with th' big

ate adversary slowly reached for and lit the cigar he had pushed from him a few minutes earlier, but Tex did not immediately glance that way. When he had finished the story he looked around the room, noticed that all were smoking and he

ountenance of the nephew was aquiver with suspicion. Walking over, he stepped close to the table, watching the play, and fr

per?" he care

o." He drew out a sack of tobacco, filled a cigarette paper and held the sack in his teeth while he rol

ork?" judiciall

it unlighted while he answered. "Freightin' on foot,

its," replied Williams. "W

e exhaled a lungful of smoke and dragged up a chair. "I a

iams having let his own lay, and the players

asked Williams. "You ta

o the table and his assumed look o

ade, we told him to go ahead an' dig his holes while we worked on th' nest boxes. He was to do th' north an' th' south sides, which he said was fair." The speaker paused a moment, leaning back in his chair, his eyelids nearly closed. Between their narrowed openings he looked swiftly around. The card players grinned in expectation of some joke abou

the nephew. "Who cares if it was or not? W

tively demanded. "Anyhow, I was warned fair, wasn't I? Huh! When you get to be my age an' have had my experience with this fool world you won't be takin' no more interest in 'em than I do. Beggin' yore pardon

than the majority of subjects which had furnished bones of contention many a night. Most

rward. "What did he s

Tex as the bartender, turning his b

ed his head decisively.

opinions were not lightly given.

rain. At this notice Denver Jim, sensing possible bets, straightened up, winked, and made a sign which among his class was a notification that he had declared himself

n at cards, and win it alone. His second signal of refusal was backed up by his hand dropping carelessly and resting on the butt of his gun. The gambler scowled, barely nodd

the approach of the eavesdropper. From the constantly repeated looks of satisfaction on Williams' face he knew that the local boss had been given a detailed account of the incident, and

back on the table he carelessly pushed them from him, squaring the edges with zealous care. "You come near not bein' he

oked suspicious and defiant. "I did it to stop

ut there might 'a' been one, just th' same. I had to do some real talkin' to stop it. It ain't wise for strangers

yo're intendin' me to think I

shore

ll lynch a man because he keeps a murder from bein

ke has lots

es I'll save him from facin' th' trials an' hardships that come with old age. His existence is precarious, anyhow. He's allus just one step ahead of poverty an' grub stakes. Life for Jake is just one placer disappointment after another.

't know you was acquainted with anybody

ture to be distant an' disdainful, howev

helpin' that Watkin

at was down. I stopped him from doin' it without hurtin' him serious. If it'd been th' other way 'round I'd done th' same thing. As it stands, it's between Jake an' me. We'll let it stay that way until th' lynchin' p

at his companions. He cleared his throat and looked back at Tex. "I reckon I was, a lit

on't feel like playin' very much--ate too much supper, I reckon. Later on, when I ain't so

neered. "Think you got a

' man that invented th' game, playin' it two-handed. I used to play for hosses, two-hand. Allu

t gray: how much will

e plumb unlucky with me. I ain't supersti

sorrels?" Williams as

ns. I call them hosses!" Tex grinned at the crowd a

u put up ag'in' a

money," evaded T

hundred

sides, I don't know th

. "John said you liked him a lot. I'll play

oor and then at the stairway. "Let i

Williams. "I'll put up th' roan ag'in' a hu

make her th' best two out of three.

uldn't play that long for a miserable sum like that ag'in' a stranger.

ed to make it two out of three up my way; but I may b

re don't have to say so!" He smiled at hi

the gun-fighter. Bud's expression duplicated that of his boss and he paid but l

aid Tex pleasantly

is," answered the nephew. "What did yo

zen. You'd think they was rubies, she's that st

e'll lose that," he promised. "I d

"Sometimes that gives 'em th' idea they own a man

at all, yet. I've sort of run acrost her on th' right-of-way, an' watched her a little. I get a little bit sca

I cured a gal of that, once; but I don't reckon you can do it. It takes a lot

' I will. How'd you c

a half." He leaned back and laughed reminiscent

em face up--it'll save

ll, I didn't know--some don't want to," he explained. "Saves ti

u do it?

one--sort of look at 'em without seein' 'em real well. You dassn't m

back," sneered the nephew. "T

she got any

oney an' push over yore cards. Do you thi

wimmin', an' me less than most men. It's a gamble. She's got to ju

at's all. She'll tam

rd, for things would be sweeter right at th' very start. But, then, I'm a gambler, allus willin' to

llar a hand would suit me better. My

"Well, I might go high as

n. What's yore opi

me is bustin' up an' he's lookin' at me. See you later. You win ag'in, but I allus have bad

ropped the deck, growled something and bunched it again, shoving it toward his companion in such a way that Williams would have to show a deliberate preference for the side grip. This he did and Tex followed his lead. The ends of the face cards and aces had been trimmed and the sides of the rest of the deck had been treated the same way. Because of this the sides of the face cards stuck out from the deck and the e

ealer, pushing out the cards for the c

is one game decides it: a discard

card in it. He made his selection, discarded, and called for three cards. Tex had discarded two. Williams wanted no face cards on the draw, since he h

said, "read

and lay down three queens, a nine, and a

out another word to Tex, looked at his stableman and spoke gruffly. "John, give that roan to M