dsome head of his and blew a smoke wreath into the air. Looked like
he'd plumb wiped Mr. Meldrum off his map. He's a world-beater, that
young fellow is--doesn't know what fear is," concluded the buyer sagely.

"You don't say!" murmured Mr. Dingwell.

"Sure as you're a foot high. While I was trying to climb up the side
of a railroad car to get out of range, that young guy was figuring it
all out. He was explaining thorough to the bad man what would happen
if he curled his fore-finger another quarter of an inch. Just as cool
and easy, you understand."

"You mean that he figured out his chances?"

"You bet you! He figured it all out, played a long shot, and won. The
point is that it wouldn't help him any if this fellow Meldrum starred
in a subsequent lynching. The man had been drinking like a blue
blotter. Had he sense enough left to know his danger? Was his brain
steady enough to hold him in check? Nobody could tell that. But your
partner gambled on it and won."

This was meat and drink to Dave. He artfully pretended to make light
of the whole affair in order to stir up the buyer to more details.

"I reckon maybe Meldrum was just bluffing. Maybe--"

"Bluffing!" The Coloradoan swelled. "Bluffing! I tell you there was
murder in the fellow's eye. He had come there primed for a killing.
If Beaudry had weakened by a hair's breadth, that forty-four would have
pumped lead into his brain. Ask the train crew. Ask the station
agent. Ask any one who was there."

"Maybeso," assented Dave dubiously. "But if he was so game, why didn't
Beaudry go back and take Meldrum's gun from him?"

The buyer was on the spot with an eager, triumphant answer. "That just
proves what I claim. He just brushed the fellow's gun aside and acted
like he'd forgot the killer had a gun. 'Course, he could 'a' gone back
and taken the gun. After what he'd already pulled off, that would have
been like stealing apples from a blind Dutchman. But Beaudry wasn't
going to give him that much consideration. Don't you see? Meldrum, or
whatever his name is, was welcome to keep the revolver to play with.
Your friend didn't care how many guns he was toting."

"I see. It he had taken the gun, Meldrum might have thought he was
afraid of him."

"Now you're shouting. As it is the bad man is backed clear off the
earth. It's like as if your partner said, 'Garnish yourself with
forty-fours if you like, but don't get gay around me.'"

"So