the agony's piled on too thick, but whatever you say will be did." With
his unoccupied hand he helped himself to a generous chew of tobacco, and
spat gravely into the dust.

"Fer as I'm concerned," he drawled lazily, "I'm willin' to help string
him up. He done as dirty a trick as ever I seen, and he done it
deliberate. I had m' eye peeled fer him all the time, and I seen he
wasn't goin' to stand back and let Jack git the best of that greaser if
he could help it. He was cunnin'--but shucks! I see all along why he
kept that gun p'inted out front--"

"Turn him loose," said Dade suddenly, interrupting him. "We don't want
to start any trouble, Jerry. He may need hanging, but we can't afford to
give him what he deserves. It's a ticklish crowd, right now; they've
lost a lot on the duel, and they've drunk enough wine to swim a mule.
Turn him loose. I mean it," he added, when he caught the incipient
rebellion in Jerry's weather-beaten face. "I'm bossing things here
to-day. He didn't hit anybody, and I'm beginning to think we can get
through the day without any real trouble, if we go easy."

"Wa-al--" Jerry scratched his stubbly jaw reflectively with his free
hand, and looked down at his captive. "I'll give him a derned good
wallopin', then, just to learn him manners. I've been wantin' to lick
him since yesterday mornin' when he tried to drive off Bawley and
Lay-fayette and William Penn. I lost two hours off'n my work, argyin'
with him. I'll take that outa his hide, right now."

He induced Moll to turn around, and led Manuel away from the presence
of the women lest they should be shocked at his deed; and on the cool
side of the farthest shed he did indeed give Manuel a "derned good
walloping." After which he took a fresh chew of tobacco, lounged over to
where Moll waited and switched desultorily at the flies, mounted, and
went placidly home to his Mary.

* * * * *

Bill Wilson, having collected their winnings and his own, sought Dade
and Jack, where they were lying under the shade of a sycamore just
beyond the rim of the crowd chattering shrilly of the later events. With
a grunt of relief to be rid of the buzzing, Bill flung himself down
beside them and plucked a cigar from an inner pocket.

"Say," he began, after he had bitten off the end of the cigar and had
moistened the whole with his tongue. "Them greasers sure do hate to come
forward with their losings! Some bets I never will be able t