; the
authorities ought to put a stop to it! Say, that's a dandy bottle of
fizz, Coogan! Do you drink of the wines of Champagne much in Arneca,
Senores?" His Spanish was perfect, his voice and manner conventionally
pleasant. On Coogan's brow was the glisten of a dense perspiration;
Ballard covered his mouth with his hand to hide a cynical smile.

Just as the glasses were filled there came from the rear of the saloon
the rasping grate of a startled oath, succeeded by the hoof thuds of a
rapidly-ridden horse. Coogan, involuntarily pushing aside the window
blinds, cursed scornfully under his breath. "Got rattled and is hiking
out for the timber, the cowardly dog! That settles his hash!" The rider
was Matlock and he seemed to be in a hurry.

As Coogan turned his back the Mexican sheriff made a quick motion toward
his hip but Ballard warningly caught his arm. "Wait!" he breathed,
"there is much sport toward. There will be those here soon who will do
amusing things." Coogan flashed around in quick suspicion, angered to
think that for one moment he had foolishly relaxed his guard, but
Ballard was serenely lighting his cigarette at that of Don Luis and the
glass of Don Ramon was just descending from his lips.

When the wine was finished, Ballard insisted on ordering another bottle
at his expense; this was followed by a third at the insistence of Don
Luis. As the bubbles frothed over the crystal rims, Coogan, either from
pure nerve or fearful bravado, raised his glass. "A toast, gentlemen:

"Here's to good health and untroubled mind;
Here's to good luck and fame;
Here's to the girl that is fair and kind;
And here's to the man who is game!"

"A toast worthy of another bottle, especially the last clause," said an
approving voice in the doorway, and at sight of Ken Douglass standing
there smiling, Coogan's glass crashed on the floor as his hand flew to
his hip pocket.

"Easy, Bart!" There was no mirth in the eye gleaming menacingly behind
the sights of the heavy .44 aligned so steadily upon the heart of the
man into whose eyes had crept a superstitious terror at the sight of one
risen from the dead. "Put both your hands on the table! Both, I said!
There, that's more sensible! Mr. McVey, may I trouble you to remove that
exceedingly uncomfortable thing from Mr. Coogan's pocket? It seems to be
giving him a world of trouble and it will be in his way when he sits
down to talk with me."

Coogan's face was ashen a