e of his rival. "God! I warned him. I had it from
Josh Wiseman the 'gunmen' were around. Shaunbaum's 'gunmen.' Say,
Kars," he went on, reaching out with his clenched fist for emphasis,
"that boy was in my hotel to tell me he was quitting the city on a big
play for a great stake. And I tell you it was like a weight lifted
right off my shoulders. I saw him getting shut of Shaunbaum and that
woman. I told him I was glad, and I told him Josh Wiseman's yarn. I
told him they reckoned Shaunbaum meant doing him up some way. An' he
laffed. Just laffed, and--guessed he was glad. And now--they've got
him. It's broke me all up. But the women. Jessie! His mother! Say,
it's going to break their hearts all to pieces."

Kars stirred in his chair.

"We figgered that way," he said coldly. "That's why we came around to
you first. I'm going to tell the women-folk. And when I've told 'em I
guess you'll need to stop around a while. That's if you reckon this
place is to---- Say, they'll need time--plenty. It's up to you to
help them by keeping your hand on the tiller of things right here."

Murray leaned back in his chair. His forcefulness had died out under
Kars' cold counsel.

"Yes, it's up to me," he said with a sort of desperate regret.

Presently he looked up. A light of apprehension had grown in his dark
eyes.

"You said _you'd_ tell them?" he demanded eagerly. "Say, I couldn't do
it. I haven't the grit."

"I'm going to tell them."

There was no relaxing of manner in Kars.

A deep relief replaced Murray's genuine dread. And presently his
fleshy chin sank upon his broad bosom in an attitude of profound
dejection. His eyes were hidden. His emotion seemed too deep for
further words. Bill, watching, beheld every sign. Nothing escaped him.

For some moments the silence remained. Then, at last, it was Murray
who broke it. He raised his eyes to the cold regard of the man he had
so cordially come to hate.

"Shaunbaum isn't going to get away with it?" he questioned. "The
p'lice? They've got a cinch on him?"

"Shaunbaum won't get away with it."

"They've--arrested him?"

Kars shook his head.

"No. Shaunbaum didn't shoot him. The boy did the 'gunman' up. You
see, it was the outcome of a brawl. There's no one to arrest--yet."

"Who did shoot him up? The other 'gunman'? Josh spoke of two. Can't
he be got? He could give Shaunbaum away--maybe."

"That's so. Guess that's most how it sta