while Beasley turned with a
malicious chuckle, and scrupulously entered up three drinks against
the man's name on the slate.

"I'd give somethin' to see it," he muttered. Then he rubbed out the
entry he had made. "Guess I'll make it six drinks. He's too rattled to
remember."

Ten minutes later a number of men were lounging in the saloon, and
Beasley, in the leisure of administering to their wants, was relating
to them the story of the afternoon's events. At the conclusion he
added his own comment, which was not without definite purpose.

"Say, if they ain't jest like two dogs worritin' a bone you got me
plumb beat," he said. Then he added with an air of outraged virtue:
"I'd like to say right here she's jest playin' them fellers for their
wads. Oh, she's a keen one, her eyes is right on to business. She'll
sure have 'em shootin' each other right up. Seems to me a gal like
that ain't no right in this yer city. She's a scandal to the place.
An' a danger. Wot we fellers needs to figure on is the liberty an'
safety of our citizens, an' anything calc'lated to be a danger to that
needs to git seen to."

Some of the men concurred half-heartedly. They were men who had come
into the camp with the rush, and were anxious to keep in with the
saloon-keeper. Still, even they were very little stirred by his
appeal. They cared not the least bit in the world who was shot up, or
who did the shooting, so long as they were not personally concerned
beyond the role of spectators.

So for once his mischief fell flat. It was too early in the day to
make the impression he needed. They were not sufficiently primed with
rye. So Beasley contented himself with insinuating the bottle toward
doubtful customers, and easing his disappointment by making all the
trade he could.

But presently a diversion occurred by the advent of Buck. He rode up,
his great horse loaded down with the carcasses of three splendid deer.
He had brought them in for sale. Game was a precious thing in this
camp, where a diet of simple beef ruled.

The moment he displayed his wares there was a rush to bid for them,
and Beasley, much to his chagrin, found himself forced to pay boom
prices before he could secure them for retailing. He paid ungraciously
enough. If there was one man more than another in the camp he
begrudged anything to it was Buck. Besides, it made him utterly
furious to think that he never came up against this man on any
debatable matter but what he man