s worse."

"Explain."

"Well, if yer don't know, I will, an' let yer chew on it, an' see if yer
want ter take any chances on him. Now, Farnsworth ain't his real name,
neither. D'y'ever hear tell o' ther Somber Pass massacree, where a
tenderfoot immigrant named Spooner an' his family was killed, an' their
wagons an' horses, an' a pile o' money what Spooner had brought with him
ter start a cattle ranch an' buy stock with, wuz taken? D'y'ever hear
tell o' that?"

"Sure. It's part of the history of the Territory."

"D'y'ever hear any suspicions cast upon nobody?"

"I never did. That is, I never heard any one specifically charged with
the crime. Did you?"

"I did, an' his other name was Farnsworth, only that wasn't ther name he
went by at that time. He's ther feller who was p'inted out ter me as
ther devil what led ther band o' cutthroats what killed ther Spooner
family fer a measly few thousands o' dollars. That's what I meant if yer
knew who yer was bringin' ter yer happy home."

"Why, that crime was committed five years ago, and Dickson or
Farnsworth, as he calls himself, was too young then to be engaged in
anything of that sort."

"He looks young, but he ain't. He's ther feller. Look out fer him, Ted."

"Don't you tip off who he is, Bud. I brought him here because it is
Christmas, and he's going to stay. He's going to get a square deal here
if I have to fight for him."

"Oh, I won't say nothin', but I'd like ter slip a pair o' handcuffs onto
them smooth, white wrists o' hisn, jest ther same. But why is he here?
What's he doin' in this part o' ther country?"

"I don't know, Bud. He asked me when he met me and knew who I was if I
had heard the news about him. I hadn't, and told him so, but he did not
volunteer any information on the subject."

"Whar did he come from? Did he tell you?"

"Yes, he said he had come from Rodeo; starting early this morning."

"Then look fer a big piece o' news from Rodeo right soon."

"How do you know?"

"I know this, if Farnsworth left Rodeo airly this mornin' thar was some
good reason fer it. I reckon it's a killin'. But he's a chump ter stop
off here. If anything has been pulled off at Rodeo, ther whole country
will be out after him, fer Fancy, so called fer his passion fer good
clothes an' high-colored poker chips, they don't like none too well,
he's too almighty quick an' slick with his six-shooter, hez got a list
o' killin's ter his credit as long as yer arm."

"Well,