he
shouted fiercely, "I'll say it to all of you--the first man that jumps
me, I'll kill him!"

"Well, who's trying to jump you?" asked L. W. irritably. "What's
biting you, anyway? Ain't your claims all legal? Has anybody disputed
you? Well, get onto yourself, you danged fool!"

"Well, all the same," went on Rimrock insistently, "I know what some
people will do. I don't name no names, but I've been cleaned out
once----"

"Aw, you make me tired!" snapped back L. W., "you're crazy--and what's
more you're drunk! You're a hell of a subject to be Gunsight's first
citizen, a building ho-tels, and general stores and banks!"

"Well, all the same, you watch me do it! I'm going to make this town
over right. And I warn you all, you can't be friends with me and that
dastardly McBain outfit, too. It's a fight to a finish and I don't
care who knows it, I'm going to bust him if it takes my last cent. I'm
not talking about L. W. nor anybody else--you can jump any way you
please--but there's one man in this town that I'm out to get and I'll
kill him, by grab, if he peeps!"

"You talk too much!" answered L. W. scornfully. "Why don't you go and
put up that gun? If we had a town marshal that was worth the powder
he'd come around and take it away."

"He would not," retorted Rimrock, "because he knows I won't give it up.
I'm carrying that gun just to let people know that I'm out now to fight
for my rights. As long as I'm left alone in my legal rights I'm the
most peaceable man in this town, but the first man that builds a
monument on my claims is going to find that I can't be bluffed."

"Oh, cut it off," cried L. W. in disgust, "we know you're bad--you've
told us before. And as for Andrew McBain, you'd better not crowd him
too far; he'll fight, on a pinch, himself."

"All right, if he wants it. I've got my eye on him. I'm just waiting
till he makes the first move. I know it's coming, but as sure as he
does it----"

"Plain drunk," grunted L. W. contemptuously and stumped away up the
street.

It was easy enough to say Rimrock was drunk, but it was soon
demonstrated that he was not crazy. He was standing in front of the
Alamo Saloon, still holding forth against McBain, when a Mexican boy
beckoned him off to one side and slipped a note into his hand.

"Please come to my office at once.--M. F."

Rimrock read it over and thrust it into his pocket, then drew it out
and read it over again; after which he went up