n't had time to
get over it, have you? Want to borrow some?"

"You want to look out for Humble, Jed," bantered Bud. "He's taken a lesson
at poker from our cook since he played you. Didn't you, Easy?" he asked
Humble.

The roar of laughter which followed Bud's words forced Humble to stand
treat: "Come on over and have something with the only man in the crowd
that's got any money," he said.

When they had lined up against the bar jokes began to fly thick and fast
and The Orphan felt a peculiar elation steal over him as he slowly puffed
at his cigar. Suddenly the door flew open and Bill's glass dropped from
his hand.

"Bucknell, by God! And as drunk as a fool!" he exclaimed.

The puncher whom The Orphan had tied up above the defile leaned against
the door frame and his gun wavered from point to point unsteadily as he
tried to peer into the dim interior of the room, his face leering as he
sought, with a courage born of drink, for the man who had made a fool of
him.

A bottle crashed against the wall at his side, and as he lurched forward,
glancing at the broken glass, a figure leaped to meet him and with
agile strength grasped his right wrist, wheeled and got his shoulder
under Bucknell's armpit, took two short steps and straightened up with
a jerk. The intruder left the floor and flew headforemost through the
air, crashing against the rear wall, where he fell to the floor and lay
quiet. The Orphan, having foresworn unnecessary gunplay, and always
scorning to shoot a drunken man, had executed a clever, quick flying-mare.

As the sheriff stepped into the room Blake ran forward and lifted Bucknell
to his feet, supporting him until he could stand alone. The puncher was
greatly sobered by the shock and blinked confusedly about him. The Orphan
was smoking nonchalantly at the bar and Bill had just given the sheriff
the victim's gun.

"What's the matter?" asked Bucknell, rubbing his forehead, which was cut
and bruised.

"Nothing's the matter, yet," answered Shields shortly. "But there would
have been if you hadn't been too drunk to know what you was doing. I saw
you and tried to get here first, but it's all right now. Take your gun
and get out. Here," he exclaimed, "you promise me to behave yourself and
you can go back to Sneed, for he needs you. Otherwise, it's out of the
country after Tex for you. Is it a go?"

"What was that, and who done it?" asked Bucknell, clinging to the bar.
"What was it?" he repeated.

"Tha