inly will be
trouble if you do. He asked if we had any money.

We replied that we would have when paid off.

He advised us to go direct to the Ben Holiday stage office and buy a
ticket for the States as soon as we received our pay, as Colorado was
no place for boys.

[Illustration: MICHAEL C. PEMBROKE]

At his suggestion we started out to do the town, and came very near
being done ourselves. Colorado at this time was a territory with a
Governor appointed by the President. Law, except as executed by a
vigilance committee, did not amount to much more than the word. If one
wished to depart life in full dress, he could be accommodated by
simply calling another a liar or cheat at gambling. If desirous of
taking a long rest by being suspended by the neck from a limb of the
only tree in Denver at that time, which was on the west side of Cherry
Creek, all he had to do was to appropriate to himself an ox, mule, or
anything of value, and the vigilance committee would manipulate the
rope.

The gambling places, which occupied long halls on the ground floor of
tall buildings--nearly always on the business street of the city--kept
open until the small hours of morning. There was always a brass band
in front, and a string band, or orchestra, in the extreme rear, so if
one wished to dance, he could select a partner of most any
nationality; dance a set, step up to the bar, pay two bits or
twenty-five cents for cigars, drinks or both and expend his balance
on any game known to the profession, which games occupied either side
of the long room.

We had been in the place less than fifteen minutes when bang went a
revolver and on the instant the room was in total darkness. I
mechanically ducked under a table. Where my companions were, I knew
not; I began to think that Mike's advice was about correct, and before
emerging wished more than once I was back in my home. When the lights
were turned on, I discovered my chum occupying a like berth of safety
on the opposite side of the room.

Mike had evidently followed his own advice and taken his departure,
for he was nowhere to be found. The band struck up a lively tune; the
fiddles, a waltz; dancing began, gold and chips commenced to fly, and,
if I had not passed through the ordeal, I never would have known
anything had happened. The dead were quickly disposed of, the wounded
hurried to physicians, and old timers gave it no further thought, as
it was of frequent occurrence, and one soon