an' I'm hopin' you'll suffer the torment o' hell as
long as you live. God, she hates ye now! To think o' your knowin' the
world and women and books"--he spoke with vindictive and insulting
slowness--"You bein' such a--fool!"

"That may all be true, but I think you can talk better outside that
gate." The mountaineer, deceived by Hale's calm voice, sprang to his
feet in a fury, but he was too late. Hale's hand was on the butt of his
revolver, his blue eyes were glittering and a dangerous smile was at
his lips. Silently he sat and silently he pointed his other hand at the
gate. Dave laughed:

"D'ye think I'd fight you hyeh? If you killed me, you'd be elected
County Jedge; if I killed you, what chance would I have o' gittin' away?
I'd swing fer it." He was outside the gate now and unhitching his horse.
He started to turn the beasts but Hale stopped him.

"Get on from this side, please."

With one foot in the stirrup, Dave turned savagely: "Why don't you go up
in the Gap with me now an' fight it out like a man?"

"I don't trust you."

"I'll git ye over in the mountains some day."

"I've no doubt you will, if you have the chance from the bush." Hale was
getting roused now.

"Look here," he said suddenly, "you've been threatening me for a long
time now. I've never had any feeling against you. I've never done
anything to you that I hadn't to do. But you've gone a little too far
now and I'm tired. If you can't get over your grudge against me, suppose
we go across the river outside the town-limits, put our guns down and
fight it out--fist and skull."

"I'm your man," said Dave eagerly. Looking across the street Hale saw
two men on the porch.

"Come on!" he said. The two men were Budd and the new town-sergeant.
"Sam," he said "this gentleman and I are going across the river to have
a little friendly bout, and I wish you'd come along--and you, too, Bill,
to see that Dave here gets fair play."

The sergeant spoke to Dave. "You don't need nobody to see that you git
fair play with them two--but I'll go 'long just the same." Hardly a word
was said as the four walked across the bridge and toward a thicket
to the right. Neither Budd nor the sergeant asked the nature of the
trouble, for either could have guessed what it was. Dave tied his horse
and, like Hale, stripped off his coat. The sergeant took charge of
Dave's pistol and Budd of Hale's.

"All you've got to do is to keep him away from you," said Budd. "If
he gets hi