rticular day in question, thanks to certain pernicious
activity of Johnny Hudgens, junior partner at the Lone Star, on the
night previous, nearly all the six-shooters of Heart's Desire were
hanging behind the door of Uncle Jim Brothers, pending the arrival of
better days. The financial situation stood thus: Johnny Hudgens had
all the three hundred dollars, and Uncle Jim Brothers had all the
guns. Temporarily, male Heart's Desire did not exist.

Certainly, there could have been no time more unhappy than this to
display the charms of the community to the critical eyes of the man
who--as the rapid word spread to all--had come to look into the
gold-mines on Baxter side of the valley, and the new coal-fields up
Patos way; and who, moreover, so said swift rumor, was the real head
and front of the railroad heading northward from El Paso! Humiliated,
Heart's Desire stepped aside and let its chosen representative, Dan
Anderson, do the talking.

"I didn't know you had a militia company here, Mr. Anderson," said
Ellsworth, as they entered Uncle Jim's hotel. "Lately organized?" He
swept an inquiring hand toward the array behind the door.

"That? Oh, that's not the arsenal," replied Dan Anderson; "that's the
clearing-house. If a man's broke, he just hangs up his gun, you know.
I don't know that I can just explain everything in this country to you
right at once, sir. You see, it's different. Now, out here, a
six-shooter is part of a man's clothes. That's why the fellows stay
out. They're ashamed--don't feel properly dressed, you know."

"Not much law and order, eh?"

"Not much law, but plenty of order, and not the least pretence about
it."

"The courts--"

"No courts at all, or at least within sixty miles. Why, we haven't
even a town organization--not a town officer. There was never even a
town-site plat filed."

Mr. Ellsworth turned on him suddenly. "Where's your titles?" he asked.

"We haven't needed any, so far. Now that you've come, with talk of a
railroad and all that--"

"Oh, well, you know, that's just talk. I'm not responsible for that."

"I hope you like canned tomatoes," said Dan Anderson, "or, if you
don't, that you're very fond of beefsteak. There won't be much else
till Tom Osby gets back from Las Vegas with a load of freight. Tom
Osby's our common carrier. I hope the new railroad will do as well."

Mr. Ellsworth was a gentleman, and a very hungry one, so there was no
quarrel over the to