ble-keeper. "Old Joe had to lasso him and
draw him down to a ringbolt before he could rub him off."

"Hand me the saddle and bridle," said the Texan, still continuing to
"pet" the beautiful and spirited animal.

In a few seconds, without difficulty, the same kind and skillful hands
had the horse both saddled and bridled.

The Texan now led the horse out on the street, where quite a crowd
seemed to be gathering, perhaps drawn there by some rumor of a fight in
embryo.

And as he glanced up the street the Texan saw Wild Bill himself, with
his six-shooters in his belt, come striding along, with California Joe
and a dozen more at his heels.

In a second, the Texan vaulted upon the back of the horse, which made
one wild leap that would have unseated most riders, and then reared on
its hind legs as if it would fall back and crush its would-be master.

At this instant, Wild Bill rushing forward, pistol in hand, shouted:

"Give up that horse, or die!"

CHAPTER V.
A SQUARE BACK-DOWN.

The Texan paid no heed to the words of the desperado, but bending
forward on the horse with his full weight, drove his spurs deeply into
its flanks. Startled and stung with pain, the noble animal, at one wild
bound, leaped far beyond where Bill and his friends stood, and in a
second more sped in terrific leaps along the street.

"The cowardly cuss is running away!" yelled Bill derisively.

"It is false! He is _no_ coward! He will tame the horse first and then
_you_!" cried a voice so close that Bill turned in amazement to see who
dare thus to speak to him, the _"Terror of the West."_

"A woman!" he muttered, fiercely, as he saw a tall and queenly-looking
girl standing there, with flashing eyes, which did not drop at his gaze.

_"Yes_--a woman, who has heard of Wild Bill, and neither fears nor
admires him!" she said, undauntedly.

"Is the fellow that rode off on the horse your husband or lover that you
take his part?" asked Bill, half angrily and half wondering at the
temerity of the lovely girl who thus braved his anger.

"He is neither," she replied, scornfully.

"I'm glad of it. I shall not make you a widow or deprive you of a future
husband when he comes under my fire, if he should be fool enough to come
back."

"He comes now. See for yourself. He has tamed the horse--now comes your
turn, coward and braggart!"

Bill was white with anger; but she was a woman, mind no matter what he
felt, too well he knew the chivalry of th