edity, environment's collaborator, both he and
Barbee were lineal descendants of father Adam and mother Eve. But, be
the explanation where it may, 'the everlasting miracle' was the same,
and the 'old sport' beamed as he would not have done had the University
of Edinburgh bestowed upon him a new degree.

'Let's frolic a few,' suggested Barbee, with a sidelong glance.

'I have some business to attend to,' said Longstreet eagerly. 'I'll
hurry through with it. Then--then I assure you that I shall be glad to
witness with you the--the gaiety of the--of the places of amusement
here.'

He explained what his business was.

'You stop at the store, then,' said Barbee. 'Tell Mexico Pete to have
your grub and truck ready; I'll mosey on up to the saloon and scare up
Tod and tell him about the team. I'll wait for you up there. And,
since we ain't got all night, suppose you shake a foot, pardner.'

When a few minutes later Longstreet reached the adobe saloon of 'Tonio
Moraga, he found Yellow Barbee smoking a cigarette outside the deep-set
door.

'Kind of quiet,' apologized the young fellow. 'But we'll look 'em
over.'

He struck the door open with his shoulder and Longstreet followed him
into a big room sufficiently well lighted by a couple of hanging
kerosene lamps. At one side was an ancient, battered bar; behind the
bar a lazy Mexican in shirt sleeves; at one end Tod Barstow pouring the
cool contents of a pint bottle of some pinkish beverage directly from
the throat of the bottle into his own throat; lounging idly in chairs
of various interesting stages of dilapidation half a dozen men, all
dark-skinned, black of moustache and hair. Barstow's position
necessitated the fixing of his eyes upon the ceiling; all other
glances, ignoring Barbee, centred upon Longstreet. He was smiling and
eager.

'Come alive, gents!' called Barbee genially. 'Stack up alongside the
bar and I'll buy! Moraga,' to the bartender, 'you know me. I got a
real bad case of alkali throat. Roll up, boys!--Say, wait a minute.
Moraga, meet my friend Longstreet.' Moraga showed many large white
teeth in a friendly smile and gave into Longstreet's keeping a small,
moist and very flabby hand. The other men, silently accepting the
invitation, came forward; Barbee introduced them all. Longstreet's was
the emotion of one being initiated into a new fraternity.

They named their poison, in the parlance of the neighbourhood, and
stood to their glasses