of my business; but if I should get drunk
in this town, I'd either get into a fight and get licked, or I'd
wake up the next morning broke, and nothing to show for it but a sore
head."

"That's me!" exclaimed Old Man Johnson, slamming his battered hat on
the table, "that's me, Boy, down to the ground! I came down hyar to
buy grub f'r my ranch up in Hell's Hip Pocket, but look at me now,
drunk as a sheep-herder, and only six dollars to my name." He shook
his shaggy head and fell to muttering gloomily, while Hardy reverted
peacefully to his magazine.

After a long pause the old man raised his face from his arms and
regarded the young man searchingly.

"Say," he said, "you never told me why you refused to drink with me a
while ago."

"Well, I'll tell you," answered Hardy, honestly, "and I'm sure you'll
understand how it is with me. I never expect to take another drink as
long as I live in this country--not unless I get snake-bit. One drink
of this Arizona whiskey will make me foolish, and two will make me
drunk, I'm that light-headed. Now, if I had taken a drink with you a
minute ago I'd be considered a cheap sport if I didn't treat back,
wouldn't I? And then I'd be drunk. Yes, that's a fact. So I have to
cut it out altogether. I like you just as well, you understand, and
all these other gentlemen, but I just naturally can't do it."

"Oh, hell," protested the old man, "that's all right. Don't apologize,
Boy, whatever you do. D'yer know what I came over hyar fer?" he asked
suddenly reaching out a crabbed hand. "Well, I'll tell ye. I've be'n
lookin' f'r years f'r a white man that I c'd swear off to. Not one of
these pink-gilled preachers but a man that would shake hands with me
on the squar' and hold me to it. Now, Boy, I like you--will you shake
hands on that?"

"Sure," responded the young man soberly. "But I tell you, Uncle," he
added deprecatingly, "I just came into town to-day and I'm likely to
go out again to-morrow. Don't you think you could kind of look after
yourself while I'm gone? I've seen a lot of this swearing-off business
already, and it don't seem to amount to much anyhow unless the fellow
that swears off is willing to do all the hard work himself."

There was still a suggestion of banter in his words, but the old man
was too serious to notice it.

"Never mind, boy," he said solemnly, "I can do all the work, but I
jist had to have an honest man to swear off to."

He rose heavily to his feet, adjust