of times when someone's tried to run a cold lead
proposition in on him. He fair freezes my blood when he gets it off.

"Well, he says to me: 'Mebbe I'll be runnin' in with Blanca one of these
days.' An' that's all he ever says about it. Likely he expected Blanca to
come back. An' sure enough he has. Reckon he thinks that mebbe Dakota
didn't get wise to the calf deal."

"In his place," said Blacky, eyeing Blanca furtively, "I'd be makin' some
inquiries. Dakota ain't no man to trifle with."

"Trifle!" Moulin's voice was pregnant with awed admiration. "I reckon
there ain't no one who knows Dakota's goin' to trifle with him--he's
discouraged that long ago. Square, too, square as they make 'em."

"The Lord knows the country needs square men," observed Blacky.

He caught a sign from a man seated at a table and went over to him with a
bottle and a glass. While Blacky was engaged in this task the door opened
and Dakota came in.

Moulin's admiration and friendship for Dakota might have impelled him to
warn Dakota of the presence of Blanca, and he did hold up a covert finger,
but Dakota at that moment was looking in another direction and did not
observe the signal.

He continued to approach the bar and Blacky, having a leisure moment, came
forward and stood ready to serve him. A short nod of greeting passed
between the three, and Blacky placed a bottle on the bar and reached for a
glass. Dakota made a negative sign with his head--short and resolute.

"I'm in for supplies," he laughed, "but not that."

"Not drinkin'?" queried Moulin.

"I'm pure as the driven snow," drawled Dakota.

"How long has that been goin' on?" Moulin's grin was skeptical.

"A month."

Moulin looked searchingly at Dakota, saw that he was in earnest, and
suddenly reached a hand over the bar.

"Shake!" he said. "I hate to knock my own business, an' you've been a
pretty good customer, but if you mean it, it's the most sensible thing you
ever done. Of course you didn't hit it regular, but there's been times
when I've thought that if I could have three or four customers like you
I'd retire in a year an' spend the rest of my life countin' my dust!" He
was suddenly serious, catching Dakota's gaze and winking expressively.

"Friend of yourn here," he said.

Dakota took a flashing glance at the men at the card tables and Moulin saw
his lips straighten and harden. But in the next instant he was smiling
gravely at the proprietor.

"Thanks, Pete," he