it! Sure and you ought to be ashamed of yourself,
lyin' in bed and soakin' with brandy, right on the ragged edge of the
tomb! That Mexican coyote ought to be shot as full of holes as a
pepper box for keepin' this stuff in the room, and I'll do it when he
comes back! I've taken a notion to you-all, and I'm goin' to carry you
off on my horse to Emerson's ranch and make a well man of you. But you
must sure let brandy and whisky alone, I'll tell you that right now!
And I'll put this out of your sight, so it won't be a temptation to
you. I'll drink it myself, just to save your life!"

He poured the glass full and drank it off without a breath. Then he
began to lecture the thoroughly frightened invalid on the evil results
of too much indulgence in strong drink. "Look at me!" he solemnly
exclaimed. "I used to drink just as bad as you do, and where did it
bring me! Yes, sir! I've had feathers enough in my time to make me a
good bed, but I scattered and wasted 'em all with whisky and brandy,
just as you're doin' now, and here I am a-layin' on the hard ground!
But I've quit! No, sirree! I don't drink another drop, unless it's to
save a friend, same as I'm drinkin' this."

When the Mexican nurse returned he found his patient fainting from
fright, and a very drunken man solemnly marching up and down the room,
flourishing an empty flask and uttering incoherent remarks about the
evils of strong drink and the certainty of death.

"I've saved him!" Nick proudly exclaimed to the Mexican. "I've saved
his life! He'd 'a' been drunk as I am, and dead, too, if I hadn't drunk
all the brandy myself! I didn't let him touch a drop!"

The nurse pitched him out of the room and locked the door behind him,
and he, after a dazed stare, stalked off indignantly to the front
entrance. A Chinaman was passing by, with placid face, folded arms and
long queue flopping in the wind. Ellhorn grabbed the queue with a
drunken shout. The man yelled from sudden fright, and started off on
the run with Ellhorn hanging on to the braid, shouting, his spurs
clicking and his revolver flapping at his side. Nick's yells and the
Chinaman's frightened screams filled the street with noise and brought
people running to see what was happening. Ellhorn whipped out his
knife and cut off the queue at the Chinaman's neck, and the man,
feeling the sudden release from the grip of the "white devil" behind
him, ran with flying leaps down the street and at the end of the block
bang