the consternation in Betty's face, at the black rage in Dade's.

"I have already had the honor of meeting Mr. Taggart," said Betty
coldly. "If that is what you--" She caught a glance from Calumet and
subsided.

Taggart was deeply amused; he guffawed loudly.

"That's rich," he said. "Why, man, I've knowed her ever since she's
been here. Me an' her's pretty well acquainted. In fact--"

"Well, now; that's odd," cut in Calumet dryly.

"What is?" questioned Taggart quickly, noting his tone.

"That I didn't remember," said Calumet.

"Remember what?" inquired Taggart.

"That I heard you gassin' about Betty to your Red Dog friends. You
rattled it off pretty glibly. You ought to remember what you said.
I'm wantin' you to repeat it while she's watchin' you. That's why I
wanted you to come over here."

"Why--" began Taggart. Then he hesitated, an embarrassed, incredulous
light in his shifting eyes. He looked from one to the other, not
seeming to entirely comprehend the significance of the command, and
then he saw the gleam in Betty's eyes, the derisive enjoyment in
Dade's, the implacable glint in Calumet's, knowledge burst upon him in
a sudden, sickening flood and his face paled. He looked at Calumet,
the look of a trapped animal.

"Get goin'!" said the latter; "we're all waitin'."

Taggart cursed profanely, stepping back a pace and reaching for his
pistol. But as in the Red Dog, Calumet was before him. Again his
right hand moved with the barely perceptible motion, and his
six-shooter was covering Taggart. The latter quickly withdrew his own
hand, it was empty. And in response to an abrupt movement of Calumet's
hand it went upward, the other following it instantly. Watchful,
alert, Calumet stepped forward, plucked Taggart's pistol from its
holster, threw it a dozen feet from him, swiftly passed a hand over
Taggart's shirt and waistband and then stepped back.

"You've got a minute," he said. "Sixty seconds to decide whether you'd
rather die with your boots on or get to talkin'. Take your time, for
there won't be any arguin' afterward."

Taggart looked into Calumet's eyes. What he saw there seemed to decide
him. "I reckon it's your trick," he said; "I'll talk."

"Get goin'."

"I said I'd made love to her."

A half-sneer wreathed Calumet's face. "I reckon that covers the ground
pretty well. You didn't say it that way, but we won't have you repeat
the exact words; they ain't fit to hear. Th