thieves.

"Yes," said the Virginian. "I'll have ten more nickels."

"Did you get all the sheep you wanted?" the proprietor continued.

"Poor luck," said the Virginian.

"Think there's a friend of yours in town this afternoon," said the
proprietor.

"Did he mention he was my friend?"

The proprietor laughed. The Virginian watched another nickel click down
among the pegs.

Honey Wiggin now made the bridegroom a straight offer. "We'll take this
thing off your hands," said he.

"Any or all of us," said Lin.

But Scipio held his peace. His loyalty went every inch as far as theirs,
but his understanding of his friend went deeper. "Don't change your
clothes," was the first and the last help he would be likely to give in
this matter. The rest must be as such matters must always be, between
man and man. To the other two friends, however, this seemed a very
special case, falling outside established precedent. Therefore they
ventured offers of interference.

"A man don't get married every day," apologized McLean. "We'll just run
him out of town for yu'."

"Save yu' the trouble," urged Wiggin. "Say the word."

The proprietor now added his voice. "It'll sober him up to spend his
night out in the brush. He'll quit his talk then."

But the Virginian did not say the word, or any word. He stood playing
with the nickels.

"Think of her," muttered McLean.

"Who else would I be thinking of?" returned the Southerner. His face had
become very sombre. "She has been raised so different!" he murmured. He
pondered a little, while the others waited, solicitous.

A new idea came to the proprietor. "I am acting mayor of this town,"
said he. "I'll put him in the calaboose and keep him till you get
married and away."

"Say the word," repeated Honey Wiggin.

Scipio's eye met the proprietor's, and he shook his head about a quarter
of an inch. The proprietor shook his to the same amount. They understood
each other. It had come to that point where there was no way out, save
only the ancient, eternal way between man and man. It is only the great
mediocrity that goes to law in these personal matters.

"So he has talked about me some?" said the Virginian.

"It's the whiskey," Scipio explained.

"I expect," said McLean, "he'd run a mile if he was in a state to
appreciate his insinuations."

"Which we are careful not to mention to yu'," said Wiggin, "unless yu'
inquire for 'em."

Some of the fools present had drawn closer to he