ne seemed eager to
join him in a bath.

"Laziest outfit I ever rustled with," went on Bill, discontentedly.
"Nuthin' to do! Say, if nobody wants to swim maybe some of you'll
gamble?"

He produced a dirty pack of cards and waved them at the motionless
crowd.

"Bill, you're too good at cards," replied a lanky outlaw.

"Now, Jasper, you say thet powerful sweet, an' you look sweet, er I
might take it to heart," replied Black, with a sudden change of tone.

Here it was again--that upflashing passion. What Jasper saw fit to reply
would mollify the outlaw or it would not. There was an even balance.

"No offense, Bill," said Jasper, placidly, without moving.

Bill grunted and forgot Jasper. But he seemed restless and dissatisfied.
Duane knew him to be an inveterate gambler. And as Benson's place was
out of running-order, Black was like a fish on dry land.

"Wal, if you-all are afraid of the cairds, what will you bet on?" he
asked, in disgust.

"Bill, I'll play you a game of mumbly peg fer two bits." replied one.

Black eagerly accepted. Betting to him was a serious matter. The game
obsessed him, not the stakes. He entered into the mumbly peg contest
with a thoughtful mien and a corded brow. He won. Other comrades tried
their luck with him and lost. Finally, when Bill had exhausted their
supply of two-bit pieces or their desire for that particular game, he
offered to bet on anything.

"See thet turtle-dove there?" he said, pointing. "I'll bet he'll scare
at one stone or he won't. Five pesos he'll fly or he won't fly when some
one chucks a stone. Who'll take me up?"

That appeared to be more than the gambling spirit of several outlaws
could withstand.

"Take thet. Easy money," said one.

"Who's goin' to chuck the stone?" asked another.

"Anybody," replied Bill.

"Wal, I'll bet you I can scare him with one stone," said the first
outlaw.

"We're in on thet, Jim to fire the darnick," chimed in the others.

The money was put up, the stone thrown. The turtle-dove took flight, to
the great joy of all the outlaws except Bill.

"I'll bet you-all he'll come back to thet tree inside of five minnits,"
he offered, imperturbably.

Hereupon the outlaws did not show any laziness in their alacrity to
cover Bill's money as it lay on the grass. Somebody had a watch, and
they all sat down, dividing attention between the timepiece and the
tree. The minutes dragged by to the accompaniment of various jocular
remarks anent a