off. At nothin', so
far's I can see. Well, that's what I was laughin' at. Ketch my drift?"

"Meanin' that I'm nothin', I reckon?"

"Meanin' that you was laughin' at it," said the puncher with a
deprecatory smile. "I ain't lookin' for trouble--I'm it!"

Calumet's eyes twinkled. This was a very discerning young man.
"Cleaned out, I reckon," he said. "You look old enough to _sabe_ that
playin' with a buzz saw is mild amusement compared with buckin' a
gambler's game."

"Got singed yourself, I reckon," said the puncher wearily. "You know
the signs. Well, you've hit it. They'd have got my saddle, too,
only--only they didn't seem to want it. There's still charity in the
world, after all--some guys don't want everything. So I'm considerin'
the saddle a gift. It's likely, though, that they thought that if they
left me the saddle I'd go right out an' rustle me another job an' earn
some more coin an' come back an' hand that over, too. But they've got
me wrong. Your little Dade Hallowell has swore off. He ain't never
goin' to get the idea again that he's a simon-pure, dyed-in-the-wool
card sharp."

"Another job? Then you're disconnected at present?"

"I'm free as the water. Ugh!" he shivered. "I couldn't even wash my
face in it this mornin'. Water's a weak sister after last night." His
expression changed. "I reckon you're in clover, though. Any man which
can laugh to hisself as you was laughin', certainly ain't botherin' his
head about much."

This quick turn of the conversation brought Calumet's thoughts back to
Betty. "Looks is deceivin'," he said. "I've got a heap of burden on
my mind. I've got a thousand dollars which is botherin' me
considerable."

The puncher sat erect, his eyes bulging.

"You've got a thousand!" he said "Oh, Lordy! An' you're botherin'
about it?"

"It ain't none of your business, of course," said Calumet. "An' I
reckon I'm tellin' you about it so's you'll feel mean about losin' your
own. But mebbe not. Mebbe I'm tellin' you about it because I've got
somethin' else in mind. When I first seen you I was filled clear to
the top with doubt. If you had my thousand what would you do with it?"

"Meanin' that if I had your thousand an' was in your place?"

"I reckon."

"That would depend," said the puncher, cautiously. "If I'd robbed a
man, or held up a stage coach, or busted a bank, I'd be burnin' the
breeze out of the country. But if I'd earned it honest I'd blow