gs him before Enright.

"'He's your pris'ner,' says the Red Dog chief, actin' for his outfit,
an' Enright bows his acknowledgments.

"Son, it's a lesson to see them two leaders of men. Enright never
shows up nobler, an' you can wager your bottom peso that the Red Dog
chief is a long shot from bein' a slouch.

"Jack Moore takes the Wells-Fargo book-keep homicide in charge, while
Enright, who declar's that jestice to be effectyooal must be swift,
says that onless shown reason he'll convene the committee at once. He
adds, likewise, that it'll be kindly took if the Red Dog chief, an'
what members of his triboonal is present, will b'ar their part.

"In all p'liteness, the Red Dog chief deeclines.

"'This is your joorisdiction,' he says, 'an' we Red Dogs can only
return the compliment which your su'gestion implies by asshorin'
you-all of our advance confidence in the rectitoode of what jedgments
you inflicts.'

"'Speak your piece,' says Enright to the Wells-Fargo book-keep
culprit, when stood up before him by Moore. 'Whatever prompts you to
blow out this Spellin' Book Ben's candle that a-way?'

"'Let me say,' exclaims the Wells-Fargo book-keep murderer, an' his
manner is some torrid, 'that I has five hundred dollars bet on this
yere contest----'

"'That is a question,' interrupts Enright, suave but plenty firm,
'which will doubtless prove interestin' to your execooter. This,
however, is not the time nor place. I asks ag'in, whatever is your
reason for shovin' this yere expert in orthography from shore?'

"'Do you-all think,' returns the Wells-Fargo murderer, 'that I'll
abide to see a obscoority like him outspell me?--me, who's the
leadin' speller of eight States and two territories, an' never scores
less than sixty-five out of a poss'ble fifty? Which I'd sooner die.'

"'So you'd sooner die?' repeats Enright, as cold an' dark an' short as
a November day. 'Well, most folks don't get their sooners in this
world, but it looks a heap like you will!' Turnin' to Moore, he goes
on: 'Our friends from Red Dog'll hold your captive, Jack, while
you-all goes rummagin' over to the corral an' gets a rope, the
committee havin' come onprovided.'

"Moore gives the Wells-Fargo homicide to the Red-Dog chief, an'
tharupon, we Stranglers bein' ready to go into execyootive session,
all hands except Enright an' the committee steps outside. We're in
confab mebby it's ten minutes, an' Enright has jest approved a
yoonanimous vote in favor