outh while I watch that nothing goes wrong with your
pug nose. You want to throw back your head, you treacherous swine.
Drink, or I'll splash your brains on the floor!"

"I daren't! It's poison!"

"It's bullets--you'd better! Drink, or I'll kill you! Drink!
One--two--much obliged, I'm sure. Hope you'll sleep well."

"Curse you!" he shrieked, and flung the glass at my head.

Then down came the widow like a landslide. She scratched my face,
confessed my sins, sobbed over her darling Billy _avick_, prescribed for
my future, wrung her wet frock, and made a soap emetic for her offspring
all at once. It's a sure fact that widow was plenty busy, and what with
slinging that emetic at the patient, and gently introducing the lady to
the kitchen cupboard, wall, I declare I didn't have a dull moment. Then
distant shots brought us up all standing.

"At last!" Billy shouted, "they're off!"

"Who's off?"

"Father and his men--escaped while I kep' you in talk. Fooled, Jesse!
Fooled! I fooled you to the eyes! My father's Larry O'Flynn, Captain
Larry O'Flynn, captain of the outlaws!" My, there was pride in the lad!
He sat on the table in the dusk, fighting to keep awake, rubbing his
eyes with his sleeve. "He's give me leave to join, and I'm hitting the
trail to-night--hitting the trail, d'ye hear?" His eyes closed, his
voice trailed off to a whisper, and then once more he roused. "I'm a
wolf!" he howled. "I come from Bitter Creek! The higher up, the worse
the waters, and I'm from the source! Robbery-under-arms, and don't you
forget it, Mister Jesse Smith!" He rocked from side to side, gripping
hard at the table, muttering threats.

Outside I could hear a rider coming swift, and Dale's voice hailing,
"Jesse! Jesse!"

"Jesse," the lad was muttering, "lift his stock, and his woman, burn his
ranch, and put his fires out--thatsh the way to--"

Dale had stepped from his horse, and stood in the doorway, making it
dark inside. "Where in blazes are you?"

"Look," said I, and Dale watched, for the boy, dead pale, was lurching
from side to side, his eyes closed, his lips still moving.

"Only drugged," said I. "Who let them robbers escape?"

"Ransome Pollock," said Dale.

"Who else?"

"Dave."

"How's his poor tooth?" says I, and Dale explained he'd been clubbed.

Young O'Flynn rolled over, and went down smash, so that I had to kneel,
and try if his heart was all right. It thumped along steady and give no
sign of quitting.

"I