.

"Didn't hear me ask for more, did you? No, an' you won't either. Me, I
love a scrap, but I don't yearn for no encore after I've been clawed by
a panther and chewed up by a threshing-machine and kicked by an
able-bodied mule into the middle o' next week. Enough's a-plenty, as old
Jim Butts said when his second wife died."

The prizefighter looked vindictively down at him. He was not satisfied,
though he had given the range-rider such a whaling as few men could
stand up and take. For the conviction was sifting home to him that he
had not beaten the man at all. His pile-driver blows had hammered down
his body, but the spirit of him shone dauntless out of the gay,
unconquerable eyes.

With a sullen oath Harrison turned away. His sulky glance fell upon
Lennox, who was clapping his hands softly.

"You'd be one grand little fighter, Yeager, if you only knew how," the
leading man said with enthusiasm.

"Mebbe you'd like to teach him, Mr. Lennox," sneered Harrison.

The star flushed. "Maybe I would, Mr. Harrison."

"Or perhaps you'd rather show him how it's done."

Lennox looked, straight at him. "Nothing doing. And I serve notice right
here that I'll have no more trouble with you. If it's got to come to
that either you or I will quit the company."

The bully's eyes narrowed. "Which one of us?"

"It'll be up to Threewit to pass on that."

Harrison put on his coat and slouched sulkily out of the building. He
knew quite well that if it came to a choice between him and Lennox the
director would sacrifice him without a moment's consideration.

Farrar, who had been grinding out pictures since the beginning of
hostilities, came forward to greet Yeager with a little whoop of joy.

"Say, you sure go some, Cactus Center. I never did see a fellow eat up
such a licking and come up smiling. You're certainly one Mellin's Food
baby. I'm for you--strong."

One of Steve's eyes was closing rapidly, but the other had not lost its
twinkle.

"Does a fellow's system good to assimilate a tanning oncet in a
while--sort o' corrects any mistaken notions he's liable to collect.
Gentlemen, hush! Ain't Harrison the boss eat-em-alive white hope that
ever turkey-trotted down the pike?"

The melancholy Manderson smiled. "You make a hit with me, Arizona. If I
were in your place I'd be waiting for the undertaker. You look like
you'd out come of a railroad wreck, two fires, and a cattle stampede
over your carcass. Here, boys, hustle along