rities can be fully trusted,"
some one said.

"Mark that 'fortunately', Sheriff," laughed Morris. "The editor was
afraid to mention you alone, so he hitched the State on with you to
lighten the load."

"Ay!" chimed in another of the gamblers, "and the 'aid and succour of
each and every citizen,' eh, Sheriff, as if you'd take the whole town
with you. I guess two or three'll be enough fer Williams."

This annoyed me. It appeared to me that Williams had addressed a
personal challenge to the Sheriff, and I thought that Johnson should
so consider it. Without waiting for the Sheriff to answer, whether in
protest or acquiescence, I broke in:

"Two or three would be cowardly. One should go, and one only." At once I
felt rather than saw the Sheriff free himself from the group of men; the
next moment he stood opposite to me.

"What was that?" he asked sharply, holding me with keen eye and
out-thrust chin--repressed passion in voice and look.

The antagonism of his bearing excited and angered me not a little. I
replied:

"I think it would be cowardly to take two or three against a single man.
I said one should go, and I say so still."

"Do you?" he sneered. "I guess you'd go alone, wouldn't you? to bring
Williams in?"

"If I were paid for it I should," was my heedless retort. As I spoke his
face grew white with such passion that I instinctively put up my hands
to defend myself, thinking he was about to attack me. The involuntary
movement may have seemed boyish to him, for thought came into his eyes,
and his face relaxed; moving away he said quietly:

"I'll set up drinks, boys."

They grouped themselves about him and drank, leaving me isolated. But
this, now my blood was up, only added to the exasperation I felt at his
contemptuous treatment, and accordingly I walked to the bar, and as
the only unoccupied place was by Johnson's side I went there and said,
speaking as coolly as I could:

"Though no one asks me to drink I guess I'll take some whisky,
bar-keeper, if you please."

Johnson was standing with his back to me, but when I spoke he looked
round, and I saw, or thought I saw, a sort of curiosity in his gaze.
I met his eye defiantly. He turned to the others and said, in his
ordinary, slow way:

"Wall, good night, boys; I've got to go. It's gittin' late, an' I've had
about as much as I want."

Whether he alluded to the drink or to my impertinence I was unable to
divine. Without adding a word he left the room