ft Simmons and descended to the street. As he passed the front of
the Willets Hotel he saw Lawler and his friends inside; but Lawler had
his back turned, and the others were interestedly watching him,
gesturing and talking.

Warden entered the front door of the Wolf. He stopped at the bar for a
drink, and the barkeeper told him, in reply to his question, that
Singleton was in a rear room.

Singleton was alone. He was sitting in a chair at a table, with a glass
in front of him, and he was staring abstractedly at the floor when
Warden entered, closing the door behind him.

Warden drew a chair up to the table and dropped into it. And then for
the first time he looked closely at Singleton's face and saw the gash on
his left cheek. The wound had been treated, but beneath the cloth at one
end Warden could see the open flesh.

"What in blazes has happened to you?" inquired Warden.

"Lawler," growled Singleton; "he walloped my kid down at the
schoolhouse, an' when I went down there to take the kid's part, he
walloped me, too." He grinned lugubriously. "I didn't know the cuss
could hit so hard," he muttered. "Warden, he salivated me--hit me so
durned hard I thought the roof had dropped on me."

Warden stiffened; then leaned forward, his lips loose, his eyes
malignant. "What do you carry those two guns for, Singleton? I thought
you knew how to use them. Men have told me you know."

"Bah!" exclaimed Singleton. His gaze met Warden's, his eyes gleaming
with resentment. "What do you know about Kane Lawler?"

"I hate him, Singleton."

"Well, I reckon you ain't the only one. I ain't exactly in love with the
cuss, myself. I was thinkin' of my guns when I was with him in the
schoolhouse, but somehow I didn't feel like takin' a chance on slingin'
'em. I ain't tryin' to explain nothin'--I just couldn't make my hands go
for 'em, that's all. Hell! I reckon the man who can draw a gun on Kane
Lawler when he's lookin' at him ain't been born yet. But I'm gettin'
square with him for wallopin' me--I'm lettin' you know that, right
enough!"

"You'll have your chance, Singleton. Lawler will have to trail his
cattle--as far as Red Rock, anyway."

Singleton's eyes glowed with venomous satisfaction. He grinned evilly at
Warden.

"So he wouldn't do business with you, eh? I knowed it, an' I've been
gettin' ready. Ha, ha! He'll wish he had. Blondy Antrim rode in as far
as Kinney's canon last night. I met him an' had a long talk with him.
He