Bruce began to git redder of face, an' he shook a husky hand in front
of Isbel. 'I'll tell y'u this heah, my Nez Perce Isbel--' an' when he
sort of choked fer more wind Greaves spoke up, 'Simm, I shore reckon
thet Nez Perce handle will stick.' An' the crowd haw-hawed. Then Bruce
got goin' ag'in. 'I'll tell y'u this heah, Nez Perce. Thar's been
enough happen already to run y'u out of Arizona.'

"'Wal, you don't say! What, fer instance?, asked Isbel, quick an'
sarcastic.

"Thet made Bruce bust out puffin' an' spittin': 'Wha-tt, fer instance?
Huh! Why, y'u darn half-breed, y'u'll git run out fer makin' up to
Ellen Jorth. Thet won't go in this heah country. Not fer any Isbel.'

"'You're a liar,' called Isbel, an' like a big cat he dropped off the
counter. I heerd his moccasins pat soft on the floor. An' I bet to
myself thet he was as dangerous as he was quick. But his voice an' his
looks didn't change even a leetle.

"'I'm not a liar,' yelled Bruce. 'I'll make y'u eat thet. I can prove
what I say.... Y'u was seen with Ellen Jorth--up on the Rim--day before
yestiddy. Y'u was watched. Y'u was with her. Y'u made up to her.
Y'u grabbed her an' kissed her! ... An' I'm heah to say, Nez Perce,
thet y'u're a marked man on this range.'

"'Who saw me?' asked Isbel, quiet an' cold. I seen then thet he'd
turned white in the face.

"'Yu cain't lie out of it,' hollered Bruce, wavin' his hands. 'We got
y'u daid to rights. Lorenzo saw y'u--follered y'u--watched y'u.'
Bruce pointed at the grinnin' greaser. 'Lorenzo is Kurnel Jorth's
foreman. He seen y'u maulin' of Ellen Jorth. An' when he tells the
Kurnel an' Tad Jorth an' Jackson Jorth! ... Haw! Haw! Haw! Why, hell
'd be a cooler place fer yu then this heah Tonto.'

"Greaves an' his gang hed come round, sure tickled clean to thar
gizzards at this mess. I noticed, howsomever, thet they was Texans
enough to keep back to one side in case this Isbel started any
action.... Wal, Isbel took a look at Lorenzo. Then with one swift grab
he jerked the little greaser off his feet an' pulled him close.
Lorenzo stopped grinnin'. He began to look a leetle sick. But it was
plain he hed right on his side.

"'You say you saw me?' demanded Isbel.

"'Si, senor,' replied Lorenzo.

"What did you see?'

"'I see senor an' senorita. I hide by manzanita. I see senorita like
grande senor ver mooch. She like senor keese. She--'

"Then Isbel hit the little greaser a back-ha