il
in an off-hand way.

"Scrap nothing! You just about as dumb as Smiler. All the same, some
day I kill that big blow-hard Brenchfield. Maybe he Mayor; maybe he
got all kinds of money. Dirty son-of-a-gun, that's all! I know
him,--see! Next time he tie Sol Hanson up, by gar!--I finish him. He
what you call,--all cackle, no egg."

Phil laughed.

"All right!--you laugh away. Some day I get drunk--good and
drunk--just for fun to break his big fat neck. You watch me,--see!"

"Forget it, Sol! You can't afford to do that kind of thing now. You're
a married man, you know."

"Sure I am," he answered proudly. "And my Betty, she says, 'Go to
it!' Anybody hurt Smiler, hurt Betty,--see! Anybody hurt my
Betty,--well,--by gar!--he only hurt her one time,--that's all."

Truly Phil had his hands full, and when he got back home he met with
further disquieting news, Jim Langford, with his horse, and a cheque
he had just received that day in payment for some of his dime novels,
was off on the rampage.

For the three days following, Phil tried hard, but could find no trace
of his chum.

On the fourth day news reached him that Jim was out on the race-track,
a mile from town, racing a band of Indians for their horses. He
hurried over, and got there just in time to see the last horse added
to the lot, tethered to a fence, that Jim had already won. The moment
Jim set eyes on Phil, he put spurs to his mare, vaulted the fence
right on to the highway, and set off full tear for Vernock, leaving
his live winnings behind him without a thought.

This foolish act was characteristic of Jim, and it suited the Indians
splendidly. The losers at once started out to claim their horses. But
Phil got there first, strung the animals together, pushed his way
boldly through the protesting crowd and trotted nine horses back with
him to town. He stabled the lot in Mrs. Clunie's spacious barn, then
set out on foot to search for Jim once more.

He did not have far to go, for on passing through the Recreation Park
he came on a scene that he positively refused to disturb. Instead, he
dropped on his hands and knees, and stalked stealthily behind the
trees and among the bushes until he could both see and hear all that
was going on.

Jim's horse, with its reins trailing, was cropping grass close by.

Jim was seated on the grassy bank near the creek, where the clear
water wimpled and gurgled over the white, rounded stones. Around Jim,
in easy attitudes but