l from Galeria? The loungers suddenly dropped
to the cover of boxes and barrels, as a flicker of steel shot upward, and
behind the gleaming rim of a revolver muzzle held rigid was a brown hand
and Leddy's hard, unyielding face.

What matter if the easy traveller could shoot? He was caught like a man
coming out of an alley. He had no chance to draw in turn. In the click of
a second-hand the thing would be over. Mary's eyes involuntarily closed,
to avoid seeing the flash from the revolver. She listened for the report;
for the fall of a body which should express the horror she had visualized
for the hundredth time. A century seemed to pass and there was no sound
except the beat of her heart, which ran in a cataract throb to her
temples; no sound except that and what seemed to be soft, regular steps
on the bare floor of the store.

"Coward!" she told herself, with the agony of her suspense
breaking. "He saved you from inexpressible humiliation and you are
afraid even to look!"

She opened her eyes, prepared for the worst. Had she gone out of her
head? Could she no longer trust her own eyesight? What she saw was
inconceivable. The startled faces of the loungers were rising from
behind the boxes and barrels. Pete Leddy's gun had dropped to his side
and his would-be victim had a hand on Pete's shoulder. Jack was talking
apparently in a kindly and reasoning tone, but she could not make out
his words.

One man alone evidently had not taken cover. It was Jim Galway, a
rancher, who had been standing at the mail counter. To judge by his
expression, what Jack was saying had his approval.

With a nod to Leddy and then a nod to the others, as if in amicable
conclusion of the affair, Jack wheeled around to the counter, disclosing
Leddy's face wry with insupportable chagrin. His revolver was still in
his hand. In the swift impulse of one at bay who finds himself released,
he brought it up. There was murder, murder from behind, in the catlike
quickness of his movement; but Jim Galway was equally quick. He threw his
whole weight toward Leddy in a catapult leap, as he grasped Leddy's wrist
and bore it down. Jack faced about in alert readiness. Seeing that Galway
had the situation pat, he put up his hand in a kind of questioning,
puzzled remonstrance; but Mary noticed that he was very erect. He spoke
and Galway spoke in answer. Evidently he was asking that Leddy be
released. To this Galway consented at length, but without drawing back