order to shoot, Ten Spot must
work himself into an artificial rage, and he believed that the vile
epithet which Ten Spot had applied to him immediately upon his entrance
must be part of his scheme. He was convinced that had he shown the
slightest resentment over the application of the epithet Ten Spot would
have shot him down at once. Therefore he resolved to give the man no
opportunity to work himself into a rage. He smiled again as Ten Spot
concluded and carelessly twisted himself about in his chair until he was
in a position to make a quick spring.

"'Ten Spot' is a picturesque name," he remarked quietly, not removing
his gaze from Ten Spot's eyes for the slightest fraction of a second; "I
have no criticism to make. I have always made it a point to refrain from
criticizing my visitors. At least I do not recollect ever having
criticized a visitor who carried a gun," he concluded with a smile.

Ten Spot's lips curled sarcastically. Apparently he would not swerve in
his determination to provoke trouble.

"Hell," he said truculently, "that there palaver makes me sick. I reckon
you're too damn white livered to criticize a man that's lookin' at you.
There ain't no tenderfoot (here he applied the unprintable epithet
again) got nerve enough to criticize nothin'!"

Hollis slowly raised his hands and placed them on the arms of his chair,
apparently to steady himself, but in reality to be ready to project
himself out of the chair in case he could discern any indication of
action on Ten Spot's part.

"Ten Spot," he said in a low, even, well controlled voice, conciliatory,
but filled with a manliness which no man could mistake, "at four o'clock
this afternoon I heard that you and Yuma Ed were framing up your present
visit. I am not telling who gave me the information," he added as he saw
Ten Spot's eyes brighten, "but that is what happened. So you see I know
what you have come for. You have come to kill me. Is that correct?"

Ten Spot's eyes narrowed--into them had come an appraising, speculative
glint. He nodded. "You've got her right," he admitted gruffly. "But if
you knowed why didn't you slope?" He looked at Hollis with a half sneer,
as though unable to decide whether Hollis was a brave man or merely a
fool.

Hollis saw the indecision in Ten Spot's eyes and his own brightened. At
last he had planned a form of action and he cooly estimated the distance
between himself and Ten Spot. While Hollis had been speaking Ten Spo