et man tramped in, and
walking up to Hopalong, looked him over.

"Huh," he sneered, "Yu are th' gent with th' festive guns that plugged
Dan, ain't yu?"

Hopalong looked at him in the eyes and quietly replied:

"An' who th' deuce are yu?"

The stranger's eyes blazed and his face wrinkled with rage as he
aggressively shoved his jaw close to Hopalong's face.

"Yu runt, I'm a better man than yu even if yu do wear hair pants,"
referring to Hopalong's chaps. "Yu cow-wrastlers make me tired, an' I'm
goin' to show yu that this town is too good for you. Yu can say it right
now that yu are a ornery, game-leg--"

Hopalong smashed his insulter squarely between the eyes with all the
power of his sinewy body behind the blow, knocking him in a heap under
the table. Then he quickly glanced at the card players and saw a hostile
movement. His gun was out in a flash and he covered the trio as he
walked up to them. Never in all his life had he felt such a desire to
kill. His eyes were diamond points of accumulated fury, and those whom
he faced quailed before him.

"Yu scum! Draw, please draw! Pull yore guns an' gimme my chance! Three
to one, an' I'll lay my guns here," he said, placing them on the bar and
removing his hands. "'Nearer My God to Thee' is purty appropriate fer
yu just now! Yu seem to be a-scared of yore own guns. Git down on yore
dirty knees an' say good an' loud that yu eats dirt! Shout out that
yu are too currish to live with decent men," he said, even-toned and
distinct, his voice vibrant with passion as he took up his Colts. "Get
down!" he repeated, shoving the weapons forward and pulling back the
hammers.

The trio glanced at each other, and all three dropped to their knees and
repeated in venomous hatred the words Hopalong said for them.

"Now git! An' if I sees yu when I leaves I'll send yu after yore friend.
I'll shoot on sight now. Git!" He escorted them to the door and kicked
the last one out.

His miner friend still leaned against the bar and looked his approval.

"Well done, youngster! But yu wants to look out--that man," pointing to
the now groping victim of Hopalong's blow, "is th' marshal of this town.
He or his pals will get yu if yu don't watch th' corners."

Hopalong walked over to the marshal, jerked him to his feet and slammed
him against the bar. Then he tore the cheap badge from its place and
threw it on the floor. Reaching down, he drew the marshal's revolver
from its holster and shoved i