last swell of land, and loped his animal down into the single
street of Pereza. The buildings on either side were flat-roofed and
coated with plaster. Over the sidewalks extended wooden awnings,
beneath which opened very wide doors into the coolness of saloons.
Each of these places ran a bar, and also games of roulette, faro,
craps, and stud poker. Even this early in the morning every game was
patronised.

The day was already hot with the dry, breathless, but exhilarating,
heat of the desert. A throng of men idling at the edge of the
sidewalks, jostling up and down their centre, or eddying into the
places of amusement, acknowledged the power of summer by loosening
their collars, carrying their coats on their arms. They were as yet
busily engaged in recognising acquaintances. Later they would drink
freely and gamble, and perhaps fight. Toward all but those whom they
recognised they preserved an attitude of potential suspicion, for here
were gathered the "bad men" of the border countries. A certain
jealousy or touchy egotism lest the other man be considered quicker on
the trigger, bolder, more aggressive than himself, kept each strung to
tension. An occasional shot attracted little notice. Men in the
cow-countries shoot as casually as we strike matches, and some subtle
instinct told them that the reports were harmless.

As the rider entered the one street, however, a more definite cause of
excitement drew the loose population toward the centre of the road.
Immediately their mass blotted out what had interested them. Curiosity
attracted the saunterers; then in turn the frequenters of the bars and
gambling games. In a very few moments the barkeepers, gamblers, and
look-out men, held aloof only by the necessities of their calling,
alone of all the population of Pereza were not included in the
newly-formed ring.

The stranger pushed his horse resolutely to the outer edge of the crowd
where, from his point of vantage, he could easily overlook their heads.
He was a quiet-appearing young fellow, rather neatly dressed in the
border costume, rode a "centre fire," or single-cinch, saddle, and wore
no chaps. He was what is known as a "two-gun man": that is to say, he
wore a heavy Colt's revolver on either hip. The fact that the lower
ends of his holsters were tied down, in order to facilitate the easy
withdrawal of the revolvers, seemed to indicate that he expected to use
them. He had furthermore a quiet grey eye,