rning coldly to
the inebriated Lusk, "to hand this to you, sir." And the assistant
lurchingly stuffed his stakes away.

"It's worth it," said Lin. "He's welcome to my cash."

"What's that you say, Lin McLean?" It was the biscuit-shooter, and she
surged to the front.

"I'm broke. He's got it. That's all," said Lin, briefly.

"Broke! You!" She glared at her athletic young lord, and she uttered a
preliminary howl.

At that long-lost cry Lusk turned his silly face. "It's my darling
Kate," he said. "Why, Kate!"

The next thing that I knew Ogden and I were grappling with Lin McLean;
for everything had happened at once. The bride had swooped upon her
first wedded love and burst into tears on the man's neck, which Lin
was trying to break in consequence. We do not always recognize our
benefactors at sight. They all came to the ground, and we hauled the
second husband off. The lady and Lusk remained in a heap, he foolish,
tearful, and affectionate; she turned furiously at bay, his guardian
angel, indifferent to the onlooking crowd, and hurling righteous
defiance at Lin. "Don't yus dare lay yer finger on my husband, you
sage-brush bigamist!" is what the marvelous female said.

"Bigamist?" repeated Lin, dazed at this charge. "I ain't," he said to
Ogden and me. "I never did. I've never married any of 'em before her."

"Little good that'll do yus, Lin McLean! Me and him was man and wife
before ever I come acrosst yus."

"You and him?" murmured the puncher.

"Her and me," whimpered Lusk. "Sidney." He sat up with a limp, confiding
stare at everybody.

"Sidney who?" said Lin.

"No, no," corrected Lusk, crossly--"Sidney, Nebraska."

The stakes at this point fell from his pocket which he did not notice.
But the bride had them in safe-keeping at once.

"Who are yu', anyway--when yu' ain't drunk?" demanded Lin.

"He's as good a man as you, and better," snorted the guardian angel.
"Give him a pistol, and he'll make you hard to find."

"Well, you listen to me, Sidney Nebraska--" Lin began.

"No, no," corrected Lusk once more, as a distant whistle blew--"Jim."

"Good-bye, gentlemen," said the rain-maker. "That's the west-bound. I'm
perfectly satisfied with my experiment here, and I'm off to repeat it at
Salt Lake City."

"You are?" shouted Lin McLean. "Him and Jim's going to work it again!
For goodness' sake, somebody lend me twenty-five dollars!"

At this there was an instantaneous rush. Ten minutes later, in front of