d made towards the
newcomers.

They had no difficulty in reaching them. The large man stood with his
back to the bar, his elbows spread out on it, so that there was a
little space left on either side of him. No one cared to press too
close to this sombre-faced giant. Purvis stood before him and Bill and
Lee were instantly at his side. The two leaned on the bar, facing him,
yet the four did not seem to make a group set apart from the rest.

"Well?" asked Lee.

"I'll tell you what it is when we're on the road," said Jim Silent.
"Plenty of time, Haines."

"Who'll start first?" asked Bill.

"You can, Kilduff," said the other. "Go straight north, and go slow.
Then Haines will follow you. Purvis next. I come last because I got
here last. There ain't any hurry--What's this here?"

"I tell you I seen it!" called an angry voice from a corner.

"You must of been drunk an' seein' double, partner," drawled the
answer.

"Look here!" said the first man, "I'm willin' to take that any way you
mean it!"

"An' I'm willin'," said the other, "that you should take it any way
you damn please."

Everyone in the room was grave except Jim Silent and his three
companions, who were smiling grimly.

"By God, Jack," said the first man with ominous softness, "I'll take a
lot from you but when it comes to doubtin' my word----"

Morgan, with popping eyes and a very red face, slapped his hand on
the bar and vaulted over it with more agility than his plumpness
warranted. He shouldered his way hurriedly through the crowd to the
rapidly widening circle around the two disputants. They stood with
their right hands resting with rigid fingers low down on their hips,
and their eyes, fixed on each other, forgot the rest of the world.
Morgan burst in between them.

"Look here," he thundered, "it's only by way of a favour that I'm
lettin' you boys wear shootin' irons today because I promised old
Cumberland there wouldn't be no fuss. If you got troubles there's
enough room for you to settle them out in the hills, but there ain't
none at all in here!"

The gleam went out of their eyes like four candles snuffed by the
wind. Obviously they were both glad to have the tension broken. Mike
wiped his forehead with a rather unsteady hand.

"I ain't huntin' for no special brand of trouble," he said, "but Jack
has been ridin' the red-eye pretty hard and it's gotten into that
dried up bean he calls his brain."

"Say, partner," drawled Jack, "I ain't dr