want to see this," he added as he slid down the bank. "Go ahead with the
slaughter--push his head off!"

Bill's one hundred and eighty pounds of muscle and rage suddenly hurled
itself forward behind a huge fist and Tex hit the bank and careened into
the dust of the trail, unconscious before he had moved.

"I told you you wasn't man enough to play a lone hand!" yelled the driver
as he leaped after his victim. But he was stopped by the sheriff, who
sprang forward and deflected him from his course.

"That's enough--no killing!" Shields cried, regaining his balance and
swiftly interposing himself between the driver and Tex.

Bill didn't hear him, for he had just caught sight of the man who had told
him to warble, and he lost no time in getting to him. A few quick blows
and the enraged driver left his second victim face down in the dirt and
passed on to the man who had held the rope.

"Hurrah for Bill!" yelled The Orphan, hopping first on one foot and
then on the other in his joy. "Set 'em up in the other alley! I didn't
know you had it in you, Bill! Good boy!" he shouted as Bill clinched with
the third cowboy. "Oh, that was a beauty! Right on the nose--oh, what
a whopper to get on the jaw! Whoop her up! Fine, fine!" he laughed as
Bill dropped his man. "'And subsequent proceedings interested _him_
no more!' Next!" he cried as Bill wheeled on the last of the group. "Eat
him up, Bill!--that's the way! Just above the belt for his--Good! All
down!" he yelled madly as Bill, drawing his arm back from the stomach of
the falling puncher, sent a swift uppercut hissing to the jaw. "You
lifted him five feet, Bill," The Orphan exulted as Bill wheeled for more
worlds to conquer.

"Where's the rest of the gang?" savagely yelled the driver, looking twice
at The Orphan before he was sure of his identity. "Where's the rest of
'em?" he shouted again, running around the bend in hot search. "Come
out and fight, you cowards!" they heard him cry, and straightway the
outlaw and the guardian of the law clung to each other for support as
they cried with joy.

As Bill hurried back to the field of carnage one of his victims was
mechanically striving to gain his hands and knees, to go down in a
quivering heap by a blow from the insane victor. As Bill drew back
his foot to finish his work, Shields broke from his companion and leaped
forward just in time to hurl Bill back several steps. "D----n you!"
he cried, standing over the prostrate figure, "