t if
it ever gets about--as it's sure to--that Lord, Nick, as they call me,
has been bluffed down without a fight, I'll have every Chinaman that
cooks on the range talking back to me. I'll have to start all over
again."

"Don't say that, Henry. Don't you see that I'll go out and explain that
I'm your brother?"

"What good will that do? No, do we look alike?"

Donnegan stopped short.

"I'm not very big," he said rather coldly, "but then I'm not so very
small, either. I've found myself big enough, speaking in general.
Besides, we have the same hair and eyes."

"Why, man, people will laugh when they hear that we call ourselves
brothers."

Donnegan ground his teeth and the old flush burned upon his face.

"I'll cut some throats if they do," he said, trembling with his passion.

"I can hear them say it. 'Lord Nick walked in on Donnegan prepared to
eat him up. He measured him up and down, saw that he was a fighting
wildcat in spite of his size, and decided to back out. And Donnegan was
willing. They couldn't come out without a story of some kind--with the
whole world expecting a death in that cabin--so they framed a crazy
cock-and-bull story about being brothers.' I can hear them say that,
Donnegan, and it makes me wild!"

"Do you call me Donnegan?" said Donnegan sadly.

"No, no. Garry, don't be so touchy. You've never got over that, I see.
Still all pride and fire."

"You're not very humble yourself, Henry."

"Maybe not, maybe not. But I've been in a certain position around these
parts, Don--Garry. And it's hard to see it go!"

Donnegan closed his eyes in deep reverie. And then he forced out the
words one by one.

"Henry, I'll let everybody know that it was I who backed down. That we
were about to fight." He was unable to speak; he tore the stock loose at
his throat and went on: "We were about to fight; I lost my nerve; you
couldn't shoot a helpless man. We began to talk. We found out we are
brothers--"

"Damnation!" broke out Lord Nick, and he struck himself violently across
the forehead with the back of his hand. "I'm a skunk, Garry, lad. Why,
for a minute I was about to let you do it. No. no, no! A thousand times
no!"

It was plain to be seen that he was arguing himself away from the
temptation.

"What do I care what they say? We'll cram the words back down their
throats and be hanged to 'em. Here I am worrying about myself like a
selfish dog without letting myself be happy over finding you. But I