tly
against the bar and was occasionally beating it with his fist none too
gently. Mr. Dill, an arm's length away, had Jack Morgan and one other
offender clutched by the neck in either hand and he was solemnly and
systematically butting their heads together until they howled. The
bartender had just succeeded in throwing the sheepherder out through
the back door, and he was wiping his hands and feeling very well
satisfied with himself.

"I'd oughta fired him long ago, when he first commenced building
trouble," he remarked, to no one in particular. "The darned
lamb-licker--he's broke and has been all evening. I don't know what
made me stand for 'im long as I did."

Billy, moved perhaps by weariness rather than mercy, let go his man
and straightened up, feeling mechanically for his hat. His eyes met
those of the melancholy Mr. Dill.

"If you're quite through"--bang! went the heads--"perhaps we may as
well"--bang!--"leave this unruly crowd"--bang!!--"and go to our room.
It is after eleven o'clock." Mr. Dill looked as though his present
occupation was unpleasant but necessary and as though, to please
Billy, he could keep it up indefinitely.

Charming Billy stood quite still, staring at the other and at what he
was doing; and while he stared and wondered, something came into the
heart of him and quite changed his destiny. He did not know what it
was, or why it was so; at the time he realized only a deep amazement
that Mr. Dill, mild of manner, correct of speech and wistful-eyed,
should be standing there banging the heads of two men who were
considered rather hard to handle. Certainly Jack Morgan was reputed a
"bad actor" when it came to giving blows. And while Alexander P. Dill
was a big man--an enormous man, one might say--he had none of the
earmarks of a fighting man. It was, perhaps, his very calmness that
won Billy for good and all. Before, Charming Billy had felt toward him
a certain amused pity; his instinct had been to protect Mr. Dill. He
would never feel just that way again; Mr. Dill, it would seem, was
perfectly well able to protect himself.

"Shall we go?" Mr. Dill poised the two heads for another bang and held
them so. By this time every one in the room was watching, but he had
eyes only for Billy.

"Just as you say," Billy assented submissively.

Mr. Dill shook the two with their faces close together, led them to a
couple of chairs and set them emphatically down. "Now, see if you can
behave yourselves,"