it looked
like there had been a slight disagreement, or else a severe seismic
disturbance; and Montana is not what one calls an earthquake country.
His eyes left the generous sprinkle of broken dishes on the floor, with
Mose sprawled inertly in their midst, looking not unlike a broken
platter himself--or one badly nicked--and rested again upon the grinning
face behind the shoulder of Jim Felton.

Ford was ever a man of not many words, even when he had a grievance. He
made straight for Dick, and when he had pushed Jim out of the way, he
reached him violently. Dick tottered upon the step and went off
backward, and Ford landed upon him fairly and with full knowledge and
intent.

[Illustration: Dick tottered upon the step and went off backward.]

Jim Felton was a wise young man. He stood back and let them fight it
out, and when it was over he said never a word until Dick had picked
himself up and walked off, holding to his nose a handkerchief that
reddened rapidly.

"Say, you are a son-of-a-gun to fight," he observed admiringly then to
Ford. "Don't you know Dick's supposed to be abso-lute-ly unlickable?"

"May be so--but he sure shows all the symptoms of being licked right at
present." Ford moved a thumb joint gently to see whether it was really
dislocated or merely felt that way.

"He's going up to the house now, to tell the missus," remarked Jim,
craning his neck from the doorway.

"If he does that," Ford replied calmly, "I'll half kill him next time.
What I gave him just now is only a sample package left on the doorstep
to try." He sat down upon a corner of the table and began to make
himself a smoke. "Is he going up to the house--honest?" He would not
yield to the impulse to look and see for himself.

"We-el, the trail he's taking has no other logical destination," drawled
Jim. "He's across the bridge." When Ford showed no disposition to say
anything to that, Jim came in and closed the door. "Say, what laid old
Mose out so nice?" he asked, with an indolent sort of curiosity. "Booze?
Or just bumps?"

"A little of both," said Ford indifferently, between puffs. He was
thinking of the tale Dick would tell at the house, and he was thinking
of the probable effect upon one listener; the other didn't worry him,
though he liked Mrs. Kate very much.

Jim went over and investigated; discovering that Mose was close to
snoring, he sat upon a corner of the other table, swung a spurred boot,
and regarded Ford interestedl