you."

"I should worry," said Denver and, whipping out the gun, he made the
motions of fanning the hammer.

"Now, now," reproved Diffenderfer drawing back in a panic; and then he
laughed, but nervously.

"Well, what do you want to show me?" demanded Denver bluntly. "Hurry up
now--I hear somebody coming."

"Oh, nutting--come again!" exclaimed the Professor apprehensively. "Come
to-morrow--I show you everyt'ing!"

"You'll show me now," returned Denver imperturbably, "I'm not afraid of
the whole danged bunch. Come on, what have you got--a bottle?"

"Yoost a piece of copper from Murray's tunnel--Mein Gott, I hear dem
boys coming!"

He sprang to the door and dropped the heavy bar but Denver struck it up
and stepped out.

"What the hell are you trying to do?" he demanded suspiciously and the
door slammed to behind him.

"Run! Run!" implored the Professor staring out through his peep-hole but
Denver lolled negligently against the house. A crowd of men, headed by
Slogger Meacham, were coming down the street; but it was not for him to
fly. He had a gun now, as well as they, and his back was against the
wall. They could pass by or stop, according to their liking; but the
show-down had come, there and now.

They came on in a bunch down the middle of the street, ignoring his
watchful glances; but as the rest trampled past Slogger Meacham turned
his head and came to a bristling halt.

"Well," he said, "out for a little airing?" And the jumpers swung in
behind him.

"Yes," answered Denver regarding him incuriously and the Slogger moved a
step or two closer.

"You start anything around here," he went on significantly, "and you'll
be airing the smoke out of your clothes. We got your number, see, and
we're here to put your light out if you start to make a peep."

"Is that so?" observed Denver still standing at a crouch and one or two
of the men walked off.

"Come on, boys," they said but Meacham stood glowering and Chatwourth
stepped out in front of him. "I hear," he said to Denver, "that you've
been making your brag that you kin whip me with a handful of stones."

"Never mind, now," replied Denver, "I'm not looking for trouble. You go
on and leave me alone."

"I'll go when I damned please!" cried Chatwourth in a passion and as he
advanced on Denver the crowd behind him suddenly gave a concerted shove.
Denver saw the surge coming and stepped aside to avoid it, undetermined
whether to strike out or shoot; but as he