was a
strange man talking to Mr. Kelley. The stump of his arm proclaimed who
he was.

"It's Black Dan," said he. "Now, Tom, let's see how much your temperance
principles will amount to."

Tom was startled, as well he might be, to know that he had it in his
power to help a man who, in his palmy days, held an influence in Fort
Hamilton second only to the commander of the station. He gazed steadily
at him a moment, then threw his poncho on the table, asked the clerk for
his valise, and took from it the pin Mr. Bolton had given him, and with
this in his hand he approached Black Dan, while with a delicacy of
feeling that some people who occupy prouder stations might have envied
the cowboys turned toward the window. Hearing from the barkeeper that
the man who wanted to see him was a "top-notch fellow," Dan had washed
his face and brushed his hair, and made other efforts to improve
himself. His holster was filled this time, so it showed that he was in a
situation to defend himself. Mr. Kelley introduced Tom, and then moved
away.

"How do you do, sir?" said Dan, gazing hard at Tom's face and trying to
recollect where he had seen him before. "You have got the advantage of
me."

"I never saw you before, and I am sorry to find you this way," said Tom,
trying to keep up his courage. "I want you to look at this pin and tell
me if you ever saw it before."

Tom unwrapped the pin and placed it in Dan's hands. The latter took it
in surprise, and finally the wondering scowl his face had assumed gave
way to an entirely different expression, and he sat for five minutes,
turning the pin over in his hand, and doubtless harassed by gloomy
reflections. When he gave that pin to the one from whom Tom had received
it, he was worth half a million dollars.

"What was Bradshaw doing when he gave you the pin?" said he.

"He told me his name was Bolton," said Tom. "He had been doing some
gambling, and, finding out from me that I was coming up here, he gave me
the pin with a request that I should give it to you."

"You haven't come out here with any intention of going into this
business, have you?"

"What, gambling? Not much I haven't. I think I have seen enough to keep
me away from gambling forever. I'm going to get a grub-stake and go into
the mountains. I think I can do better there."

"You are an honest boy, and I wish I could give you something for it.
One short year ago I could have sent you to the mountains with some
prospects of s