you're the only one that thinks so, I reckon not," said
Overland.

"Then," said Sago, moving slightly from the bar, "Saunders smokes."

It was an open declaration of war. Sago, the Inyo County outlaw, sided
with Saunders.

According to the ethics of gunmen, Saunders was not armed. He was not
"packing iron." His weapons lay on the table within reach, but he knew
Overland would not precipitate matters by shooting him down where he
sat. He glanced at Sago. The other winked.

"Then I smoke," said Saunders, and reached for a match. He shot from the
hip, swinging his guns sideways. The stutter of Overland's automatics
mingled with the roar of Saunders's heavy Colts.

Sago, jumping clear, pulled his gun. Kennedy clutched his arm. Saunders
slid from his chair, coughed horribly, and wilted to the floor. Overland
backed toward the door, both guns leveled.

Sago, jerking his arm free, threw two shots at Overland, who replied
with a rippling tattoo of the automatics. The Inyo County outlaw sank to
his hands and knees. Then Overland leaped through the doorway. The
Moonstone riders spurred toward the saloon, thinking that the quarrel
had provoked too many guns. Overland tried to stop them, but they were
hot for fight.

"It's a clean up!" yelled Parks, running out of the saloon and mounting
his horse. "You framed it, you red-headed son--" He got no further.
Brand Williams, thundering down at the head of the Moonstone riders,
threw a level shot that cut through Parks, who wavered, but managed to
wheel his horse and fire at Overland Red. Then the outlaw slid from the
saddle clawing at it as he fell.

The Gophertown men poured from the saloon, and, seizing their ponies,
circled round to the back of the building, firing as they retreated.

Miguel spurred his big pinto in among them and emptied his gun. He rode
out at a lope, reloading. The front of his flannel shirt was shot away,
but he was not aware of it.

Billy Dime coolly sat his horse and "drew fine" at each shot, till a
leaden slug drilled his gun-arm. He swore profusely, and wisely spurred
out of range.

"I got one!" cried Miguel, swinging shut the cylinder of his gun. "I go
get another one."

"Give 'em my com-pli-ments," said Dime, winding a handkerchief round his
arm and knotting it with one hand and his teeth.

Williams, keeping under cover, fired slowly and with great precision.
Overland Red, utterly unable to manage the Yuma colt under fire, rode up
to Willia