ed boldly at her from beneath the wide hat-brim: "He said that
you can't arrest him," she answered defiantly, "and if you knew him as
well as I do, you'd know he told the truth."

"Oh-ho, so he's got a record, has he?" leered the marshal. "Mebbe
they'll be more to this here business than just pickin' up a plain
drunk--little reward money, mebbe--eh?"

"No, no!" cried the girl, "not that! It's just his--his pride. He will
never submit to arrest."

"He won't, eh? Well, then he'll shove up the posies!"

"He'll go away peaceably if you give him the chance. He offered to pay
his fine and the damages to the saloon, if you'll allow him to ride away
unmolested."

"Oh, he will, will he?" sneered the marshal. "It wouldn't take no mind
reader to tell that he's goin' to pay them fine an' damages--peaceable
or onpeaceable, it don't make no difference to me. But, about lettin'
him ride off without arrestin' him--they ain't nothin' doin'. I said I'd
arrest him, an' I will--an' besides, I aim to hold him over a spell till
I can find out if they ain't a reward out fer him. If they ain't nothin'
on him what's he anxious to pay up an' git out fer?"

"Oh, can't you listen to reason?"

"Sure, Hod," urged Barras, jumping at the Texan's offer, "listen to
reason. He ain't done nothin' to speak of. Let him pay up an' git."

"You shet yer mouth!" snapped the marshal. "They's reason enough in what
I said. If they ain't nothin' on him it ain't goin' to hurt him none to
hold him over a few days. It'll do him good. Give him a chanct to sober
up."

"He's as sober as you are, now," flashed the girl angrily, "an' if he
was as drunk as he could get, he'd have more sense than you'll ever
have."

"Kind of peppery, ain't you? Well, you c'n go back an' tell him what I
said. He c'n take it or leave it. An' while yer gone, I'll jest slip
around an' put a couple of more boys guardin' the back door."

The man turned on his heel and disappeared into the darkness. Glancing
about in desperation, Alice saw the tall man who had first spoken to
her, still seated upon a corner of the horse trough, a little apart from
the crowd. She hastened to his side: "Will you do something for me?" she
asked, breathlessly.

With a dexterous contortion of his nether lip, the man gathered an end
of his huge moustache into the corner of his mouth: "What would it be?"
he asked noncommittally.

"Hurry to Mr. Cameron's and tell my husband and Mr. Colston to come down
her