drink!"
continued Bill in deep disgust.

"Why, is not this a Prohibition country?"

"Oh! Prohibition be blanked! When any man kin get a permit for all he
wants to use, besides all that the whisky men bring in, what's the good
of Prohibition?"

"I see," said Shock. "Poor chaps. It must be pretty slow for them here."

"Slow!" exclaimed Bill. "That aint no reason for a man's bein' a fool.
I aint no saint, but I know when to quit."

"Well, you're lucky," said Shock. "Because I have seen lots of men that
don't, and they're the fellows that need a little help, don't you think
so?"

Bill squirmed a little uneasily.

"You can't keep an eye on all the fools unless you round 'em up in
corral," he grunted.

"No. But a man can keep from thinking more of a little tickling in his
stomach than he does of the life of his fellowman."

"Well, what I say is," replied Bill, "every fellow's got to look after
himself."

"Yes," agreed Shock, "and a little after the other fellows, too. If a
man is sick--"

"Oh! now you're speakin'," interrupted Bill eagerly. "Why, certainly."

"Or if he is not very strong."

"Why, of course."

"Now, don't you think," said Shock very earnestly, "that kicking a man
along that is already sliding toward a precipice is pretty mean
business, but snatching him back and bracing him up is worth a man's
while?"

"Well, I guess," said Bill quietly.

"That's the business I'm trying to do," said Shock. "I'd hate to help a
man down who is already on the incline. I think I'd feel mean, and if I
can help one man back to where it's safe, I think it's worth while,
don't you?"

Bill appeared uncomfortable. He could not get angry, Shock's manner was
so earnest, frank, respectful, and sincere, and at the same time he was
sharp enough to see the bearing of Shock's remarks upon what was at
least a part of his business in life.

"Yes," repeated Shock with enthusiasm, "that's worth while. Now, look
here, if you saw a man sliding down one of those rocks there," pointing
to the great mountains in the distance, "to sure death, would you let
him slide, or would you put your hand out to help him?"

"Well, I believe I'd try," said Bill slowly.

"But if there was good money in it for you," continued Shock, "you
would send him along, eh?"

"Say, stranger," cried Bill indignantly, "what do you think I am?"

"Well," said Shock, "there's a lot of men sliding down fast about here,
you say. What are you doing about i