g with me. Cinnabar Joe's be'n doped."

"_Cinnabar Joe_!" The doctor's surprise was genuine.

"Yes. Cinnabar Joe. An' you better get on the job an' bring him to,
or they'll be tossin' dry ones in on top of you about tomorrow. Sold
any drugs that w'd do a man that way, lately?"

The doctor knitted his brow. "Why let's see. I don't remember----"

"Your mem'ry ain't no better'n what your eyesight an' hearin' is, is
it? I reckon mebbe a little jolt might get it to workin'." As Tex
talked even on, his fist shot out and landed squarely upon the other's
nose and the doctor found himself stretched at full length among the
saddles and odds and ends of harness. Blood gushed from his nose and
flowed in a broad wet stream across his cheek. He struggled weakly to
his feet and interposed a shaking arm.

"I didn't do anything to you," he whimpered.

"No. I'm the one that's doin'. Is your parts workin' better? 'Cause
if they ain't----"

"What do you want to know? I'll tell you!" The man spoke hurriedly as
he cringed from the doubling fist.

"I know you sold the dope, 'cause when I told you about Cinnabar you
wasn't none surprised at the dope--but at who'd got it. You sold it to
Jack Purdy an' you knew he aimed to give it to me. What's more, your
eyesight an' hearin' is as good as mine. You seen me an' heard me in
the saloon an' you was scairt an' run an' hid in the harness room.
You're a coward, an' a crook, an' a damn liar! Wolf River don't need
you no more. You're a-comin' along with me an' fix Cinnabar up an'
then you're a-goin' to go down to the depot an' pick you out a train
that don't make no local stops an' climb onto it an' ride 'til you get
where the buffalo grass don't grow. That is, onless Cinnabar should
happen to cash in. If he does----"

"He won't! He won't! It's only chloral. A little strychnine will fix
him up."

"Better get busy then. 'Cause if he ain't to in an hour or so you're
a-goin' to flutter on the down end of a tight one. These here
cross-arms on the railroad's telegraph poles is good an' stout an' has
the added advantage of affordin' good observation for all, which if you
use a cottonwood there's always some that can't see good on account of
limbs an' branches bein' in the road----"

"Come over to the office 'til I get what I need and I'll bring him
around all right!" broke in the doctor and hurried away, with the
cowpuncher close at his heels.

CHAPTER V

ON