mpionship. They had made no vows and no professions. The subject had
not even been touched in words; a meeting of the eyes, followed by the
handshake with which Bannister had congratulated the winner. That had
been all. But it was enough.

With the casual democracy of the frontier they had together escorted
Helen Messiter and Nora Darling through a riotous three hours of
carnival, taking care to get them back to their hotel before the night
really began "to howl."

But after they had left the young women, neither of them cared to sleep
yet. They were still in costume, Mac dressed as a monk, and his friend
as a Stuart cavalier, and the spirit of frolic was yet strong in them.

"I expaict, mebbe, we better hunt in couples if we're going to help
paint the town," smiled Mac, and his friend had immediately agreed.

It must have been well after midnight that they found themselves
"bucking the tiger" in a combination saloon and gambling-house, whose
patrons were decidedly cosmopolitan in character. Here white and red
and yellow men played side by side, the Orient and the Occident and
the aboriginal alike intent on the falling cards and the little rolling
ball. A good many of them were still in their masks and dominos, though
these, for the most part, removed their vizors before playing.

Neither McWilliams nor his friend were betting high, and the luck had
been so even that at the end of two hours' play neither of them had at
any time either won or lost more than fifteen dollars. In point of fact,
they were playing not so much to win as just to keep in touch with the
gay, youthful humor of the night.

They were getting tired of the game when two men jingled in for a drink.
They were talking loudly together, and it was impossible to miss the
subject of their conversation.

McWilliams gave a little jerk of his head toward one of them. "Judd
Morgan," his lips framed without making a sound.

Bannister nodded.

"Been tanking up all day," Mac added. "Otherwise his tongue would not be
shooting off so reckless."

A silence had fallen over the assembly save for the braggarts at the
bar. Men looked at each other, and then furtively at Bannister. For
Morgan, ignorant of who was sitting quietly with his back to him at the
faro-table, was venting his hate of Bannister and McWilliams.

"Both in the same boat. Did y'u see how Mac ran to help him to-day? Both
waddies. Both rustlers. Both train robbers. Sho! I got through putting