supper, and to feed my
horse."

At this the old man exploded in a violent rage. He ordered Bob off the
place instantly, and menaced him with his shotgun. Had Bob been mounted,
Samuels would probably have shot him; but the mere position of a
horseman afoot conveys subtly an impression of defencelessness that is
difficult to overcome. He is, as it were, anchored to the spot, and at
the other man's mercy. Samuels raged, but he did not shoot.

At the sounds of altercation, however, the whole hive swarmed. The
numerous children scuttled for cover like quail, but immediately peered
forth again. The two women thrust their heads from the doorway. From the
direction of the stable the younger men came running. One of them held a
revolver in his hand.

During all this turmoil and furore Bob had stood perfectly still, saying
no word. Provided he did nothing to invite it, he was now safe from
personal violence. To be sure, a very slight mistake would invite it.
Bob waited patiently.

He remembered, and was acting upon, a conversation he had once held with
Ware. The talk had fallen on gunfighting, and Bob, as usual, was trying
to draw Ware out. The latter was, also, as usual, exceedingly reticent
and disinclined to open up.

"What would you do if a man got your hands up?" chaffed Bob.

Ware turned on him quick as a flash.

"No man ever got my hands up!"

"No?" said Bob, hugely delighted at the success of his stratagem. "What
do you do, then, when a man gets the cold drop on you?"

But now Ware saw the trap into which his feet were leading him, and drew
back into his shell.

"Oh, shoot out, or bluff out," said he briefly.

"But look here, Ware," insisted Bob, "it's all very well to talk like
that. But suppose a man actually has his gun down on you. How can you
'shoot out or bluff out'?"

Ware suddenly became serious.

"No man," said he, "can hold a gun on you for over ten seconds without
his eyes flickering. It's too big a strain. He don't let go for mor'n
about the hundredth part of a second. After that he has holt again for
another ten seconds, and will pull trigger if you bat an eyelash. _But
if you take it when his eyes flicker, and are quick, you'll get him!_"

"What about the other way around?" asked Bob.

"I never pulled a gun unless I meant to shoot," said Ware grimly.

The practical philosophy of this Bob was now utilizing. If he had ridden
up boldly, Samuels would probably have shot him from the saddle.