ve, as it turned out. But he
didn't move or look mean. An' Gulden pounded on the table an' addressed
himself to Cleve.

"'I've a job you'll like. Come on.'

"'Job? Say, man, you couldn't have a job I'd like,' replied Cleve, slow
an' cool.

"You know how Gulden gets when them spells come over him. It's just
plain cussedness. I've seen gunfighters lookin' for trouble--for someone
to kill. But Gulden was worse than that. You all take my hunch--he's got
a screw loose in his nut.

"'Cleve,' he said, 'I located the Brander gold-diggin's--an' the girl
was there.'

"Some kind of a white flash went over Cleve. An' we all, rememberin'
Luce, began to bend low, ready to duck. Gulden didn't look no different
from usual. You can't see any change in him. But I for one felt all hell
burnin' in him.

"'Oho! You have,' said Cleve, quick, like he was pleased. 'An' did you
get her?'

"'Not yet. Just looked over the ground. I'm pickin' you to go with me.
We'll split on the gold, an' I'll take the girl.'

"Cleve swung the whisky-bottle an' it smashed on Gulden's mug, knockin'
him flat. Cleve was up, like a cat, gun burnin' red. The other fellers
were dodgin' low. An' as I ducked I seen Gulden, flat on his back,
draggin' at his gun. He stopped short an' his hand flopped. The side of
his face went all bloody. I made sure he'd cashed, so I leaped up an'
grabbed Cleve.

"It'd been all right if Gulden had only cashed. But he hadn't. He came
to an' bellered fer his gun an' fer his pards. Why, you could have heard
him for a mile.... Then, as I told you, I had trouble in holdin' back a
general mix-up. An' while he was hollerin' about it I led them all over
to you. Gulden is layin' back there with his ear shot off. An' that's
all."

Kells, with thoughtful mien, turned from Pearce to the group of
dark-faced men. "This fight settles one thing," he said to them. "We've
got to have organization. If you're not all a lot of fools you'll see
that. You need a head. Most of you swear by me, but some of you are for
Gulden. Just because he's a bloody devil. These times are the wildest
the West ever knew, and they're growing wilder. Gulden is a great
machine for execution. He has no sense of fear. He's a giant. He loves
to fight--to kill. But Gulden's all but crazy. This last deal proves
that. I leave it to your common sense. He rides around hunting for some
lone camp to rob. Or some girl to make off with. He does not plan with
me or the men whose