his hands on his hips, and he looked
more man than any one I ever saw. It's easy to remember the look of him,
but how he made me feel, that isn't easy.

"Blome was at a disadvantage. He was half sittin' on a table, an' Steele
was behind an' to the left of him. For Blome to make a move then would
have been a fool trick. He saw that. So did everybody. The crowd slid
back without noise, but Bo Snecker an' a rustler named March stuck near
Blome. I figured this Bo Snecker as dangerous as Blome, an' results
proved I was right.

"Steele didn't choose to keep his advantage, so far as position in
regard to Blome went. He just walked round in front of the rustler. But
this put all the crowd in front of Steele, an' perhaps he had an eye for
that.

"'I hear you've been looking for me,' repeated the Ranger.

"Blome never moved a muscle but he seemed to come to life. It struck me
that Steele's presence had made an impression on Blome which was new to
the rustler.

"'Yes, I have,' replied Blome.

"'Well, here I am. What do you want?'

"When everybody knew what Blome wanted and had intended, this question
of Steele's seemed strange on one hand. An' yet on the other, now that
the Ranger stood there, it struck me as natural enough.

"'If you heard I was lookin' for you, you sure heard what for,' replied
Blome.

"'Blome, my experience with such men as you is that you all brag one
thing behind my back an' you mean different when I show up. I've called
you now. What do you mean?'

"'I reckon you know what Jack Blome means.'

"'Jack Blome! That name means nothin' to me. Blome, you've been braggin'
around that you'd meet me--kill me! You thought you meant it, didn't
you?'

"'Yes--I did mean it.'

"'All right. Go ahead!'

"The barroom became perfectly still, except for the slow breaths I
heard. There wasn't any movement anywhere. That queer gray came to
Blome's face again. He might again have been stone. I thought, an' I'll
gamble every one else watchin' thought, Blome would draw an' get killed
in the act. But he never moved. Steele had cowed him. If Blome had been
heated by drink, or mad, or anythin' but what he was just then, maybe he
might have throwed a gun. But he didn't. I've heard of really brave men
gettin' panicked like that, an' after seein' Steele I didn't wonder at
Blome.

"'You see, Blome, you don't want to meet me, for all your talk,' went on
the Ranger. 'You thought you did, but that was before you faced the