here, old Rip-tail, or whatever you call yourself, I've got an
account to settle with you."

The Pike man started as he heard Mr. Bickford's voice, which, being
of a peculiar nasal character, he instantly recognized. He felt that
the meeting was an awkward one, and he would willingly have avoided
it. He decided to bluff Joshua off if possible, and, as the best way
of doing it, to continue his game of brag.

"Who dares to speak to me thus?" he demanded with a heavy frown,
looking in the opposite direction. "Who insults the Rip-tail Roarer?"

"Look this way if you want to see him," said Joshua. "Put on your
specs if your eyes ain't good."

The man from Pike could no longer evade looking at his late comrade.
He pretended not to know him.

"Stranger," said he, with one hand on the handle of his knife, "are
you tired of life?"

"I am neither tired of life nor afraid of you," said Joshua manfully.

"You don't know me, or------"

"Yes, I do. You're the man that says he can whip his weight in
wildcats. I don't believe you dare to face your weight in tame cats."

"Sdeath!" roared the bully. "Do you want to die on the spot?"

"Not particularly, old Rip-tail. Don't talk sech nonsense. I'll
trouble you to tell me why you stole my horse on the way out here."

"Let me get at him," said the Pike man in a terrible voice, but not
offering to get up from the log.

"Nobody henders your gettin' at me," said Mr. Bickford composedly.
"But that ain't answerin' my question."

"If I didn't respect them two gentlemen too much, I'd shoot you where
you stand," said the Pike man.

"I've got a shootin'-iron myself, old Rip-tail, and I'm goin' to use
it if necessary."

"What have you to say in answer to this man's charge?" asked one of
the miners, a large man who was looked upon as the leader of the
company. "He charges you with taking his horse."

"He lies!" said the man from Pike.

"Be keerful, old Rip-tail," said Mr. Bickford in a warning tone. "I
don't take sass any more than you do."

"I didn't steal your horse."

"No, you didn't exactly steal it, but you took it without leave and
left your own bag of bones in his place. But that wasn't so bad as
stealin' all our provisions and leavin' us without a bite, out in the
wilderness. That's what I call tarnation mean."

"What have you to say to these charges?" asked the mining leader
gravely.

"Say? I say that man is mistaken. I never saw him before in my
life