use of his unquestioned physical courage.
He was popular in a way with those of his fellows who looked upon a
gunman--a killer--as a kind of hero. The foreman of the T-Bar-T found
him valuable as a sort of animate scarecrow. Gary's mere presence
often served to turn the balance when the T-Bar-T riders had occasion
to substantiate a bluff or settle a dispute with some other outfit
riding the high country. And because Gary imagined that Bailey of the
Concho had deliberately sent such youngsters as Andy White and Young
Pete to the Blue Mesa to settle the matter of a boundary line, Gary
felt insulted. He was too narrow-minded to reason that Bailey could
hardly know whom Houck of the T-Bar-T would send. Gary's ill-humor was
not improved by the presence of Young Pete nor by Pete's pugnacious
attitude. Strangely enough, Gary was nervous because he knew that
Young Pete was not afraid of him.

Andy White was keenly aware of this, and found occasion that evening in
Gary's temporary absence to caution Pete, who immediately called
attention to the fact that they had all hung up their guns except Gary.

"All the better!" asserted Andy. "That lets you out if he was to start
something."

"Yes. And it mebby might let me out for good, Andy. Gary is jest the
kind to shoot a man down without givin' him a chanct. It ain't like
Gary was scared of me--but he's scared of what I know. I hung up my
gun 'cause I told Jim I wouldn't set to lookin' for a scrap with Gary,
or any man. Gary ain't got sand enough to do the same. But there
won't be no fuss. I reckon he dassent draw on me with you two fellas
here. Where 'd he and Cotton go, anyhow?"

"I dunno, Pete. They moseyed out without sayin' anything."

"Looks like Gary wanted to put Cotton wise."

"Well, if anything starts, I'll sure keep my eye on that Cotton
hombre," said Andy.

"He's easy--and slow," stated Pete. "He ain't got a fightin' eye."

"Here they come," whispered Andy. "I kin hear 'em talkin'."

Pete immediately began to whistle. Andy rose and poked a stick of wood
in the stove. "She's right cool up here," he remarked.

"We been kind o' sizin' up things," stated Cotton as Gary and he
entered the cabin; an excuse for their absence that was unnecessary and
obviously manufactured.

Pete smiled. "I got 'em sized up. Never did cotton to workin' in the
dark."

Gary paused in the act of unsnapping his chaps.

He was about to say something when Andy White